WHEN THE EMPIRE CRASHED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12734, 2 September 1919, Page 4

WHEN THE EMPIRE CRASHED.

CHAPTER YllL—Continued.

By AETHIJE W. MARCHMOAT of “ When I was Czar ” "The Man Without a Memory,” etc., ate. * * *s* * cfe

I was disposed to revise my first about Mirski’s cunning. This was his first thrust in the duel between us; and it had been subtle enough to make one regard him as a pretty cuts antagonist. Had it suceeeded, he would have secured that long silence-which meant so much to him; and it would have succeeded if that drunken soldier hadn’t butted in so opportunely. , The charming Professor had been sent to Stephanie’s to worm his way into my friendship so that I should ■ wing him to mv rooms for the little hypnotism trick Both the cigarette and _ the spirits had been poisoned, of course, so that when my delightful guests had gone, I should smoke the one or drink the Other, or do both, and be found dead in my rooms; and the heart attack tws vamped up so that the doctor should be summoned and thus be a hable witness that I was alive and well when his patient left. bad played right into their hands by being ass enough to be taken in hr the man’s plausible manner, and was a neap luckier than I deserved to have got out of the mess so easily. There was one result certain—it would curs me of any readiness to take to strangers. *.Ji le^ 05t +n 71 ” zl: 'rf T f rt of the busiwas the soldier’s warning-, I dictn t know any soldiers in the city and most certainly none wh o wh«tlmr drunk or sobei, would think it worth while ho warn art. Nor ,cc‘ald T f, 1 - 1 / Th : ? y one t/ n ;. ely t0 Ret bim on tr ,°. was Kellermaa. of course; Dut pf Anrski was at the bottom of the a ® ai ,T’ wa ? n m the least likely he would have interposed, Stephanie was out of the question; she would know nothing about it, I was S nre, and if she had such a means of warning me woula newer have occurred to her Tnere only remained Avola: and although it wouid have been delightful to feel that sue- took enough interest in my safety to put me on my guard it was most improbable. The scheme was personal to Mirski, and Avola the last person h© would allow to know anything about it. Then again, she did not even know that I was to meet the Professor, and certainly would never _ imagine I should be such an imbecile as to bring the man home with mebo I had to go oS to bed with the riddle unsolved, and got up in the morning wondering how Mirski would feel when he discovered that his pretty little scheme had missed fire, and what steps he would take to find out. 'The latter point was scon clear. 1 .had just finished breakfast when the man arrived iVho had called himself Ostrov on the night lie followed me- He brought a letter from Stephanie, asking me to dine with her and Avola that night. It was a friendly little note, and, as I glanced up -after reading it, I found his eyes fixed on me with a very queer expression. ■“Will you take the reply?” I asked. f! As your honour wishes.” “ Com© in, then, while I writ©and I took him into my room, scribbled a basty line accepting the invitation and gave it to him, “Your honour is well?” he asked. I smiled, “ Oh, so you came to find out. eh?” “I am glad,” he replied, with a spread of the hands. “Who sent you?” “ I have the honour to he in Prince Mirski’s employment,” he said, with another of his queer looks, which set me wondering if ho knew anything of the previous night’s episode. “ Bv the way, you forgot to tell me your name the other night.” “ Peter Gorlass. your honour, and my address, if you should ever need it, is 230. Moskov Street.” I was going to write it down, when he stopped me with a quick gesture- “ Your honour’s pardon, hut it is safer to write such things onlv in one’s memory. “ Perhaus you’re right. X won’t forget it- But I’m notary likely to he able to put anything in your way, I’m afraid.” “It is not that. I am in lus Highness's service, hut your honour may trust me,” , ~ _ “Thar’s all right. Gorlass,” I said. Mirski’s tools were the last people I was likely to trust; and he was quick to read the doubt in my tone. I am sorryhe exclaimed with a lift of the hands. Then in a second his manner changed; he staggered, bent forward, fumbled on the ground, /.ad held his hand toward me. “Your honour’s keys,” he hiccoughed, like a drunken man; and then straightened himself again. “ Then it was you” I cried in amazement. He bowed. “I followed you from the Nevskaia and afterwards went to tell Dr Volsk where you were. I tried twice to speak to you on the way, but dared not* let your companion see my face; so I was compelled at last to do what I did.” . “You did me a. great service, Gorlass. It is thanks to you that lam as you see me this morning. You must let me and I took out a roll of notes. But he would not accept a kopeck. “It will he . more than enough if your honour will trust me.” “There won’t be anv doubt about that iu the future, Gorlass. But I d rather give you something, you knows He shook his head. “If lam in need I may come to you. To my life s end I shall never forget your generosity the other nibbt. It may be in mv uower to do a little in return. ’“You’ve done that already. I can assure you,” I said “ and can tell me much that I want to know. “ I dare not stay now, and if we are to meet at any time, it can only be in the greatest secrecy- If his Highness suspected anything, my life would he in danger. _ And he is very cunning and his spies are everywhere. He is a dapgerous enemy, your honour.” he added with intense earnestness.' “But I shall he very vigilant 51 ; and he turned to go. “One moment- That letter; is it really from Countess Palinski?” ' ‘ Certainly. I wax sent to her with a message this morning, and she asked me to bring it as I was coming here.” He went then, and the hundred and one questions 1 longed to ask had to bo deferred, much to my chagrin. But I had secured a valuable ally in the enemy’s camp; a magnificent return for that investment of a, few roubles; and I had sufficient opinion of Mirski to feel considerably relieved by the knowledge. , CHAPTER IX. ’ r TELL AVOLA. About half an hour after Gorlass left Stephanie rang me up on the telephone. “ Is that Mr Stein?” “COrtainlv. Countess Palm ski, isn’t it?” “Of course it is. I had; no idea you ■were on the ’phone till I got your letter ]ust now- _ I’m awfully glad you’re coming to-night, but dhero’s something I want to say about A. Are you there?” “ Listening intently. I assure you.” ‘ Good. Well, in the first place, if you should happen-to meet her to-day anywhere, don't say anything about tonight-” “I’ll be careful. But why?”

" Something’s _ happened; I don’t isnoTv what it is, of course ; but she wouldn't coxae if slie knew yon were here. I had to fib about it.” ." I don’t know either. Didn’t she give you a hint of any sort?” . “ Oh, dear, no. Bimply declared she didn’t wish to see "you again, and wouldn’t speak to you if she could help it. I’ve never seen her so—so bitter and hostile and that sort of thing. I’m afraid she’ll be horribly rude to you, and just wild with me when she knows I’ve asked you.” “ Shall 1 pretend I’ve just dropped in by accident or made a mistake in the date, or something of that sort ?” “ I’m afraid she wouldn’t believe it; but she might, of course- And 1 do so wish you two to be friendly. There’s no reason now why you shouldn’t, and of course if you’re going to do this Press work for us, we can’t, begin with you two quarrelling, can we?" "I’ve no intention to quarrel with her. I assure you.” "Well, IT! tell you what’s occurred to me. You two had better hare it out together and come to some sort of understanding, so_ I shall manage to leave you alone with her after dinner. What do you think?” "Quite a good scheme.” I agreed sincerely. "'lt shan’t be my fault if we fail to patch up some sort ot truce at least.” " You'll have to be verv careful, vcu know.” “I think you can trust me. i shuoldn’t be much good for Press work otherwise. The position's about this. You've run up to cancel the invitation for to-night and ** u Ad, i haven’t, I want you to come,” she interposed quite eagerly. ‘ ‘ For the little scheme to-night. 1 mean. I wish you to be able to tell her you cancelled it,” "Oh, I understand. Don’t come tonight, please. I have an unexpected engagement, Mr Stem, and shall be happy to fix another evening.” She pt' very gravely and then laughed. ”1 shall bo' charmed. Countess. Ihatrs settled then. Good-bye.” “So sweet of you to take it like that,” she laughed. " 6ood-by.e.” The prospect of a long talk alone with Avola was quite enough to think about for the rest of that clay. It, was .last the opportunity to tell her about Mirski.ana T was a long, long way outof it, if the news did not bring her not root out of the precious movement. 1 had no hesitation in telling her what I _ knew, liven a casuist could have raised no objection after the attempt on my life the previous night which Mxrski had engineered. 'Avela should know that also, and learn what a treacheious beast the fellow was. The change in her toward me was no doubt his doing also. He wouldn’t stick at any he to prejudice her; and it gave me a cold fit. to reflect, that he could do that without many lies. She knew nothinwhalever about me. To.her 1 was just Karl Stein, an American advantnrer, ready to join in tie dirty work of conspiracy against a Government with_which I hadn’t the slightest concern, in order to get a traitor’s share of blood money. w ■ A pleasant reputation I No great cause for wonder* that she should hold me in contempt and had no wish to speak to me again! Worried by such thoughts as these, I could have wished the whole business to Hades; and it was in this mood that I started for Stephanie's house to act yet another he to explain my presence." Stephanie was much too poor an actress to bo able to deceive any one as observant as Avola, She was as nervous as a. kitten, overplayed her surprise at my entrance, and ” was go confused and flustered that a child would have noticed there was something wrong. Avola scarcely acknowledged my presence"l must apologise for coming at such a time, madams,■ ” I said, "'but passing your house on the way to dinner, I thought you would excuse it When you ’phoned me to postpone the engagement for to-night I did not quite understand when you wished me to come.’’ " Oh, I—l—well I hadn’t quite fixed it, Mr Stein,” she fumbled. “Then I fear my visit is quite unpardonable ’’; and I made as if to go. She glanced at Avola, nervously ' ‘ Well i—if you are——’ ’ i Avola broke the pause in a clear cutting tone. '‘ Is not your table already laid for three, Stephanie?” ' You know, Avola deem, I—X never quite know who may drop in, and—and of course I like'to—to be prepared. Only natural, isn’t it? Won’t vou stay to dinner, Mr Stein?” ‘■'l should be delighted, but—er—as a matter of fact, I—er—l ” “Do you think we need pretend?” asked. Avola, clipping her words, "I did put Mr Stein off, to-day. I did indeed, because you—well, you ” "I hope you will stay, Mr Stein, You can see that Stephanie wishes it,” said Avola. Which meant that she did not. It was an unpropitious start-, and for a, time we were all more or less embarrassed. Stephanie was the first to recover, and then began to chatter with something of her customary irresponsibility. Avola said very little until the dinner. was nearly over, answering with monosyllables when we tried to her into the conversation- But her interest was roused when Stephanie referred to Professor Beltok- ‘‘ We had a. most delightful time yesterday, Avola. Mr Stein and Professor Bsltok dined here. What did you think of him, Mr Stein?” One of the most fascinating men I ever met-/’ I replied, and noticing that Avola had pricked up her ears, I launched into an exaggerated eulogy of the old scoundrel, adding at the close that he had gone to my rooms with me. Avola bit her lip at this. "He went home with you?” -she asked. "Oh, yes. A lovely time. On the way we discussed a subject in which I have always been interested-hypnot-ism. Unfortunately he has had no actual experience of it himself, so I was able to make a. little experiment which would have been tremendously interesting.” ' ' "What was it?” " You know him, then?” I asked, questioning her more with a. glance tiiau with the words, , "I have met him,” she replied, letting her eyes fall. Then perhaps you can guess the kind of experiment.” She neither replied nor looked up. "Unfortunately he was taken with a nasty heart attack, and we had to send for Dr Volsk; so nothing came of it after all- But I hope to meet him again some day.” Avola guessed something of the inner meaning of this; but Stephanie didn’t. _ " I’ll ask him to come to dinner again,” she said innocently. " If he’s only half as anxious to meet me as I am to meet him, he’ll come; but I doubt it. His heart .attack may have been partly caused by the experil ment, and even the sight of me might bring on another. these heart troubles are such tricky things.” (To be continued.)