CHAPTER XIV.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 64

CHAPTER XIV.

■Meanwhile, the Countess Saens had departed from MereTiaven House with a imilinsj assurance to the effect that she did not ' anticipate any serious loss in consequence of the very mysterious robbery. She looked easy enough as she stepped into her brougham, drawn by the splendid bays that London knsw so well hy sight, and kissed her fingers gaily to her cavaliei'. But the brightness left her eyes when once she was alone. Thsre was s keen, eager expression on hier face then, &, look of mingled anxiety and anger in her dark eyes. The most fascinating woman in London would have surprised ier many admirers had they chanced to see her at that moment. She looked old and haggard ; the smiling mouth had grown Wd as a steel trap. She did not wait for the footman to open the door ; she *an up the steps with a curt command that the carriage must wait, as she was pre>ently going out again. The trembling maid was upstairs awaiting the coming of her mistress. She had very little to add to what she had already *aid. Nothing appeared to have besn disturbed. There was no sign of a robbery anywhere, save that one of the drawers in a dressing table Bad been turned out and the contents scattered on the floor.

" Now, listen to me," t3ie Countess said. 2' Who paid for you to take those papers?"

"I know nothing of any papers, non, lor !" the maid replied. "I take nothing. Xf madame wishes to suggest that I am a thief I go. I leave to-night." The girl paced up and down the room, her pale face held high. She was not used to being called a thief. If madam© was not satisfied she would depart at once. •The Countess changed iher tone. "Now, listen to me," she said more gently. "Just before dinner to-night I am in receipt of certain papers. Nobody knows that I possess them. For safe keeptog I place them in that drawer and lock it°up. Some time later you come to me with this story of the burglary. If jewels •had been stolen, or money, I would have .perhaps understood it, though your tale is bo extraordinary that " " Not at all, madame," the maid cried, hotly. "No more strange than the stories one reads every day in the newspapers. 'And there are no jewels missing." "No, and that makes the ail'dir all me more suspicious in my ayes. Nobody could have known about those papers, ana yet the thief takes nothing else. A Voman walks into- the house as if it belonged to her, she goes direct to that drawer, and there you are! You say you saw the woman?"

The maid nodded sulluly ; she did not look in the Ttiaat -guilty. "I have -already told ma dame so," she *.ii(J. '"I saw the woman twice to-night. The first time was when she was here, the second time at the residence of my Lord Merehaveu'. It was the lady in the satin dress Who stood in the hall." The girl spoke im tones of perfect confidence. iNo ridicule on the part of the Countess could shake her belief in the statement. "But it is impossible," the latter said. PYou are speaking of Miss Galloway. I saw Miss Galloway several times during .the evening. If jou are. correct, she must

have slipped a*vay and changed hea* dress, committed the robbery, und got hack and changed her dress again — all in a quarter of an hour.' "Nevertheless, it was the sime woman," the maid said ■« ith a. stubborn air. With a geture of contempt the Countess dismissed the girl. It v.ms impossible to believe that she had had a hand in tilt disapptarance of those precious papers. Perhaps the hall porter might have something to say in the matter. In the opinion of Countess yaens, the thief was nonexistent. At anyiate, the hall poiter would be able to say. The hall porter had not much to tell, but that little was to die point. Certainly, about the time mentioned by the maid a woma'j had come into the hou'c. Sbe had opened tho hall door and> had walked in 'herself, as if she were quite at nome there. &!ie was plainly dressed in bluck, and wore a veil. Then aho pioceedcil to walk upstairs. "You mean to say that you did nothing to interfere?" the Countess asked. "Well, so, madame,"' the hall porter admitted. "The young Wioman appeared i to be quite at, home; evidently she had baen h.?ra many times befo-re, -and I thought she was a friend of Annette's. Friends of herd do come here sometimes after you have gone out, and one or two of them walk in. So I tcok no notice whatever. A little time after the young woman came back as if she were in a hurry and fastened out of the house. Just a.3 she was gore I heard Annette call out. Thinking that something wav the matter, I rushed up the stairs. When I knew wiafc was wrong it was too. late to go after tho thief." So Annette had been telling the truth, the Countess thought. She was furiously angry at her loss, but it was impossible to blanifl anybody. It was a stroke of t'hc sword after the Countess's own heart. But. there w-cr& disquieting circumstances behind it that frightened hex*. "You hncl better send again to tho nearest police station," she said. "Let them know that I have gone out, and shall not be back for some little time." With a frowns between her delicate bro-ws the Countess drov6 away. In all her bold, dashing life _sihe had never been confronted by a more diincult problem than this. She was playing for tremendously high stakes, and her share of the victory was the price of a throne. Once this thing was accomplished she had no need ever to plot or scheme or trick again. A fortune would be hers, and sQie would sit secure? era a leader of fashion for the rest of her days. An hour ago and the game was 1 as good as won. Everything had been done so secretly ; nobody guessed anything. Another day, and nothing could save the crown in question. And yet in a moment the whole dream 'had been shattered. Somebody knew exactly what was going on ; somebody was at work to checkmate .the dark design. And that somebody was bold and daring to a degree. If the Countess only knew who the other woman was ! It was maddening to work in the dark against 6O xlever a foe. If your enemy knows you and you don't know j your enemy he has a tremendous advantage. The Countess clenched her teeth together viciously as she thought of it. The carriage stepped at length outside the Carlton Hotel, and almost immediately Hunt, the editor of the Evening Jlercury, appeared. H§ looked unepsy and anxious. "Your message came all right," he said. "I came here at once and ordered supper, though we shall not have much time to talk." "Then let us go into the room at once," the Countess said ; "though as to appetite, why " "But I ordered the supper in a private room," Hunt protested. "One never knows what people may hear. What is the use of arguing? The supper is all ready for us." They were in the private room at length. They made some pretence of eating and drinking till the two waiters had for tha time being departed. Then Hunt turned ; to his companion. "What has happened?" he asked. There was nothing of deference in his manner. It was quite evident that the smart little American editor was no squire of dames. "Your manner was so mysterious. And it is time you did something for your money. Two thousand pounds is a deal to pay for " "Such information as I have already given you?" the Countess interrupted. "I don't think so, seeing what a tremendous sensation you secured to-night." "But those other papers." Hunt protested. "You promised me the full details of that private understanding between England and Atturia. I have told my readers boldly that they shall have it in the issue of my paper to-morrow morning. If you want the extra money " "'Man, I want it as an old man want* youth. It is vitally necessary to me. And can't you see that it is to my interest that those papers should bs published to the world? It will be a staggering blow to England, and a corresponding advantage to Russia. I should have ?een that those papers saw the light whether I was paid for them or not. But they are worth a great deal to you, and that is why I approached you in the matter." "Yes, yes," Hunt said impatiently. "Please get on.- I came here to receive those papers — in fact, the Msrcury is waiting for them at this moment. If you will hand them over to me you shall have the other cheque for £5000 ported to you tonight. Where are they?" The Countess laughed derisively. There was a gleam of wild fury in her eyes dark. "Ib is impossible," she said. "Out of the question. Strange as it may seem, those papers were stolen from my house to-night by some woman whom I would give five years of my life to know." (To be continued.)