PRISONERS OF THE COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14690, 26 May 1911, Page 4

PRISONERS OF THE COUNCIL.

' PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

__— •*» ——— BY LEWIS RAMSDEN, 'Author*or "The Word of a Somorleigh," *2Rod Camier," "My Comrade Frank," ': Under a Kingly Mask,". Etc., Etc. [COPYEiailT.] CHAPTER XXlll.—(Continued.) •Michael gavo us tho message as it was received 'from the private detective agency. Tho report covered something of what I had learned before. The Prin- ; cess Sozonoff, accompanied by the Counter Helen Fredro, had left town hurriedly the night before, and had passed tho night in a country houso in Surrey. They had returned unexpectedly to Northumberland Terrace that morning, and, being joined by Count Ivan, had gono lor a motor ride. , Tho dotectivo had ascertained that Scotland Yard had doveI loped a sudden interest in tho younger ; lady's movements. Superintendent Foxwell had, within tho last hour, obtained •nil interview with tho countess, and had apparently been satisfied that sho was not under any restraint in remaining with tho princess. " That tells us all wo require to know," I said, as soon as tho message was finished, and feeling an excitement -which I could not altogether suppress. "Helen is now at Northumberland Terrace." "Yes," said Michael, reflectively. "It was most probably at tho Council's orders the princess left town so hurriedly last night, and now has returned to-day. What can bo tho meaning of tho sudden change •of plans?" "They aro welcome- to change their •plans as often as they like so long as we can see Helen and get her out of their power," I remarked, with a touch of unreasonable impatience. "Yes, wo must get the Countess Helen out of their power,'' said Michael, still with that reflective air as though ho saw somo signs of danger which perplexed him. "Wo must go to her without a moment's delay." Michael's grave manner alarmed me. "Do you think Helen is now in any greater danger than beforo? " Then, impatient at my own foolishness : " Yes, yes; it is stupid of me to ask such a question. I know her danger must increase every hour she stays in the power of the Council, or near that man. Do wo all go to Northumberland Terrace? We were moving towards the warehouse, where the motor car was in readiness, having been kept so. "Mr. and Mrs. Latimer must come, since it is they who will have authority 'to take the Countess Helen from the care of tho princess; but someono must remain to guard this houso." " Yes, yes; so, of course, you will remain, Michael." ' "My friend, it is asking much of you, I know but will you entrust this errand to me ? Force mav be needed, and in this respect, as you know, Nature has endowed me above the ordinary. If you will permit mo to act for you I will do so as though for my second self. My chief concern, as it would be with you, shall "be to bring the countess to this place 'immediately, if if is humanly possible. "But you may meet Count Ivan. " If I do even my vengeance shall wait. I can give no greater proof than that of my desire to be of service to you and to the girl you love." . ' Little as I relished the idea of idly waiting while another did the work which seemed of right to bo mine, it was no time for indecision, and Michaels appeared the wiser course. Mr. and Mrs. Latimer, too, inclined to this,, and so in -a very few minutes tho yellow door hart "been opened with duo, caution and the car was ready to start. ~,'■', , Fervently 1 wished my friends God-speed on their errand, and before we parted Michael and I exchanged a hearty hand-

" Hold to- tout good courage, my friend," said Michael, "with a return to the cheeriness which had not been so much in evidence of late. "It will not bo our fault if you arc kept long in suspense, and it has come to me that you and the countess and all of us are near the end of our roubles." - , [ ■ _, .' , , Near the end of our troubles ? It might - - - v

36 so, for it scarcely seemed possible tliai Helen could be denied to her own sister, or could fail to be persuaded by her wher they met;- -And if anything like force ehould be attempted to detain Helen, Michael was the man to deal with that. Yet I felt a sudden and unusual depression as I watched the motor car disappear in the gloom of the fast-closing November I looked up and down the street, and, so far as could be seen, there was nothing unusual. [ ' ~ , So carefully closing tho yellow door I reti-ed to awnit, with what patient I could the ringing! of the electric bell an agreed number of times,, which should announce tho return of my friends. To make the place seem a little more cheerful I switched on the electric light in all the rooms and passages in the lower part of i the house. Then I went to the fairly well-stocked library and selected a French novel. ' But though the story I chose was one of Paul Feval's most thrilling romances, I could not find any interest in its pages. A restless feeling -possessed me, and putting the book aside I roamed over the house, switching on lights as I went about each floor. r" '■'■■,'I lingered for a while in the strong rooms, and lived over again my experiences there with Helen. It seemed to me that •some faint odour of the perfumed vapour ' still hung about tho comers. Then I went downstairs to one of the ( front rooms on the third floor, and as jll was going towards the window I heard ♦the whirring hum of a motor car. I rushed to the window, for though I 'did not know enough about motor car? 'to say whether each had its distinctive 'tone,- its own voice, it seemed to me I re- ; cognised the deep ] note of the Mercedes, land I also thought it had only just started from somewhere near the house. But T. was too late to get a view of the car; all I obtained was a fleeting glimpse of it as its lights flashed round the corner beyond the yellow door, and though from that glimpse it might have been the Mercedes, I could not know.

Pull of. doubt, of uncertainty, of conjecture which I know to be useless, I stood for a few minutes gazing into tho street below. I could still see; no sign that anything unusual was going on. Darkness had nettled down: pavements and road were shiny, for rain was falling in a slight' uncomfortable drizzle. .

Impatiently I turned away, and descending to the drawing-room again attempted 'to interest myself in my book. It was mere pretence, however, for my thoughts were wandering, my senses alert for some sound which might precede the coming of my friends arid the welcome, ringing of the electric bell which would announce "their return. Also thcro was the hope, *o fervent that I did not dare to 'dwell 'Upon it for fear of tho intense disappointment which would follow its failure, the hope that Helen herself would come with them.

Then, not suddenly, nor yet quite gradually, another feeling came upon inc. Hitherto I bad experienced no nervousness cboiit being alone in the big house, although if I had F think it might have been forgiven me, considering what I had undergone in it, and what I knew of the power and resource of the enemy who might, for all I could toll, be oven then in some way investing it. I repeat I had no fear about being alone: but this feeling was that 1 was nob alone—that thcro were people about the place.

I listened, but could hear no sounds ■save that, chastened roar of the London traffic which passed around and about Fore-•-•street, leaving it in comparative quiet. I stopped out into the hall and made a I rapid survey of the- lower rooms, including- the Council chamber, the covered yard, jand warehouse and the big kitchens which hud served as the men's quarters. All [.were- lighted as I had leftu.fchom, .and- all W.er^pmectljG^uiei,

Reassured, and irritated with, myself that my nerves should have played mo such a trick, I once more returned to the drawingroom and resumed my book. But again there came upon me the. creepy, uncanny feeling that I was not» alone in the house. 1 put it from me angrily, and then, a minute later, found myself listeninglistening. I jumped to my feet. No! It was no trick of the nerves. There was movement, stealthy movement, going on in the house somewhere, I could not tell where. I heard no decided sounds ; only just the suspicion of a faint ehuffiing. Imagination might have been playing its part when it seemed to mo that activity, covert and sinister, pervaded the place. It was with revolver in hand I stepped into the hall this time. I looked about me. Nothing unusual to bo seen ; everything quiet; nothing further of the faint, shuffling sounds I had hoard, or fancied I had heard at first.

I moved forward after this pause, stepping towards the door leading into the garage. Then I stopped again. I was near tho wido stairway under which, it will be -remembered, there was a deep recess. Surely there was a. sound now—that of a breath deeper drawn than usual. I thought this, but had not an instant to act upon the alarm, for at that very moment the place was plunged into darkness. And as I instinctively jumped back, raising my revolver in readiness to fire, a heavy blow descended upon my right arm. The blow might have been intended for my head and have been meant to stun me, but its effect was to make my arm so nerveless that it dropped to my side and the revolver fell from my hand. Still, I made another spring towards the front door, but only ran into the hands of tho enemy, who must have concealed themselves in every available corner; and though I struck out with my left hand, I could not make anything of a fight, but was secured almost directly. Suddenly the place was again brilliantly illuminated by the. electric light, and I ceased my last, ineffectual struggle, for hall, passage, and stairway were full of the Council's men.

And in the dcor of the ante-room leading to the Council chamber stood the president himself. That a slight emilo of triumph should appear on that stern immobile face was in itself a tribute, though I was not able just then to appreciate it. " You will be taken to your old quarters, Mr. Travis," he said in his calm, measured voice. " Your friends will be joining you very shortly, and you will bo able to agree between yourselves as to the folly of attempting to oppose the power of the Council."

Rage made me quick to answer with the only threat which, in my impotence, I know was at all likely to be fulfilled. "Wait!" I exclaimed. "You come to this country to escape oppression under tho shelter of its laws. Then you become oppressors yourselves; you outrage those laws! Wait. Our law, because it is just, may be slow to move ; but when it does move, it will surely crash you. Even now it may be closing about you." To my surprise (for even, in the midst of the other sensations I could not but feel surprised) he listened to my words with a grave attention, and answered them as though they were worth weighing. " Consideration will be given to what you have said, Mr. Travis," fie replied, and turned away. So I was led up the stairs. Then, when I had reached the third flight, I heard the electric door bell ring the agreed number of times, announcing the return of my friends. Hitherto I had gono up without resistance, which I knew would be useless; but now I made a desperate attempt to throw off the grasp of my captors, and tried to shout words of warning down the stairs. Before I could make scarcely a sound, however, my mouth was stopped. I was lifted bodily, carried quickly up the remaining stairs, and was shut in the well-remembered strong room, without being able to hear anything of what might be going on below.

(To be continued daily.)