The Island Mystery Part 16

"There's always supposed to be a kind of honour among thieves," I said.

I was still rather nettled by the contemptuous a.s.sumption that Gorman must be a blackguard simply because he is an Irish Nationalist. After all, Sir Bartholomew's own profession is not a very respectable one.

He is a diplomatist, and diplomacy is simply the name we have agreed to give to lying about national affairs. I cannot see that Sir Bartholomew has any right to take up a high moral tone when speaking of Gorman or any other Member of Parliament, Irish or English.

"I'll look up the man to-morrow," said Sir Bartholomew. "I daresay I'll find him in the House of Commons during the afternoon."

Sir Bartholomew gave me no hint about the nature of his confidential business. I suppose he did not feel I could be trusted. However, Gorman told me all about it next day.

Sir Bartholomew came on Gorman in the smoking-room of the House of Commons. He was wearing, so Gorman a.s.sures me, the very best kind of official manner, that interesting mixture of suavity and pomposity with which our mandarins approach the public. They hope, in this way, to induce us to believe that they have benevolent dispositions and immense ability. I do not know whether any one is ever deceived by this manner or thinks of a mandarin otherwise than as a fortunate person who earns a large salary by being stupid. Certainly Gorman was not in the very least impressed. Being an Irishman, Gorman knows the official cla.s.s thoroughly. Ireland is a kind of laboratory for the culture of the mandarin bacillus.

"May I," said Sir Bartholomew, "intrude on your time, and ask you one or two questions on a matter of some little importance?"

Gorman had no objection to being asked questions. Whether he would answer them or not was another matter.

"I think," said Sir Bartholomew, "that you know King Konrad Karl of Megalia."

That was not a question, so Gorman gave no answer. He merely puffed at his pipe which was not drawing well and looked at Sir Bartholomew's round plump face.

"A rather wild young man," said Sir Bartholomew. "Dissipated would perhaps be too strong a word. What do you think?"

"It is a strongish word," said Gorman.

Sir Bartholomew tried another cast.

"Mr. Donovan is a friend of yours, I think," he said, "and his daughter?"

"I've met them," said Gorman.

Sir Bartholomew realized that he was not getting on very fast with Gorman. He relapsed a little from his high official manner and adopted a confidential tone.

"There has been a certain amount of talk in diplomatic, or shall we say semi-diplomatic circles, about King Konrad Karl, mere gossip, of course, but----"

"I never listen to gossip," said Gorman.

This was untrue. Gorman listens to all the gossip he can and enjoys it thoroughly.

Sir Bartholomew found it necessary to unbend a little more. He unb.u.t.toned, so to speak, the two bottom b.u.t.tons of the waistcoat of pomposity which he wore.

"I was told a story the other day," he said. "Perhaps I'd better not mention the name of my informant; but there can be no harm in saying that he is one of the attaches of the Emba.s.sy of a great Power, a friendly Power."

I expect Sir Bartholomew thought this way of talking would impress Gorman. It impresses most people. Your story has a much better chance of being believed and repeated if you tell it on the authority of some one unnamed and vaguely described than it has if you merely say "young Smith, the cashier in my bank, told me to-day, that...."

"I am alluding," said Sir Bartholomew, "to a report that has reached us of an escapade of Miss Donovan's. That young lady--very charming I'm sure--and her father's immensely rich, but--well, you know what young girls are."

"Got engaged to a Royal Duke?" said Gorman, "or run away with the chauffeur?"

"Oh no, nothing of that sort. Not at all. The statement with which I'm concerned is that her father has bought an island and some kind of t.i.tle for her from that unfortunate young King of Megalia."

"So long as he paid for it," said Gorman, "I don't see that it's anybody else's business."

"You don't understand," said Sir Bartholomew. "I haven't made myself clear. The fact is----" He sank his voice to an awed whisper. "The young lady is understood to claim sovereign rights over the Island of Salissa. She calls herself--it's almost incredible, but she calls herself a queen."

"Well," said Gorman, "why shouldn't she?"

"But, my dear sir! To set up a new independent kingdom! In the existing state of Balkan affairs, when the Great Powers----But of course it can be nothing but a girlish joke, a piece of light-hearted playfulness. She can't mean----"

"Then why worry?" said Gorman. "Why should you and that attache of the Emba.s.sy of a Friendly Power, the fellow you've been talking about--why should you and he start fussing?"

"My dear sir! my dear sir! Nothing, I a.s.sure you, is further from our wishes than fuss of any kind. But unfortunately, the Emperor--the Emperor--I respect and admire him, of course. We all do. But if the Emperor has a fault it is that he's slightly deficient in humour. He does not easily see a joke. He's a little--well----"

"Elephantine?" said Gorman.

Sir Bartholomew looked round hurriedly. The Division bell had just rung. The smoking-room was almost empty. This was fortunate. It would have been very awkward for a man in Sir Bartholomew's position to be caught in the act of hearing an Emperor called elephantine.

"The Emperor," said Sir Bartholomew, "has approached the United States Amba.s.sador on the subject, indirectly, I need scarcely say. He requests, indeed insists that Salissa shall at once be restored to the Crown of Megalia. Now our idea is--and I think I know the views of the Foreign Office on the subject--our idea is that this little matter ought to be settled unofficially. A word to Mr. Donovan from a friend.

A hint about the present critical condition of European politics. He might----"

"I don't suppose," said Gorman, "that Donovan cares a d.a.m.n about European politics."

Sir Bartholomew's eyebrows went up in shocked surprise.

"It is of the first importance," he said, "of absolutely vital importance that at the present moment, standing as we do, as all Europe stands to-day, on the verge of the smouldering crater of a volcano----"

"This is the House of Commons, of course," said Gorman, "so I suppose you can talk that kind of language if you like. But we don't usually do it in the smoking-room."

Sir Bartholomew had not attained to the eminent position he occupied without learning a few lessons in tact. He changed his tone at once.

"The fact is," he said, "that just at present we all want to avoid friction with the Emperor."

"Ah," said Gorman, "and your idea is----?"

"Mr. Donovan must be persuaded to give up that island. Pressure could be put on him, of course, by his own Government and by ours. His position is preposterous. He can't set his daughter up as a European sovereign simply by writing a cheque. But we don't want--n.o.body wants any publicity or scandal. If Mr. Donovan would agree, privately, to resign all claim on Salissa----"

"Why not ask him?"

Sir Bartholomew's manner became most ingratiating.

"We feel that the good offices of a mutual friend, some one who occupies no official position, some one unconnected with the Foreign Office----In short, Mr. Gorman, would you undertake this rather delicate mission?"

"Why the devil do you hit on me for the job?"

"Ah," said Sir Bartholomew, smiling, "you see we all know something about you, Mr. Gorman. Your business ability, your unfailing tact, your----"

"Taken as read," said Gorman.

Sir Bartholomew cannot possibly have liked Gorman's manner. No public men discuss serious and confidential matters with this kind of flippancy. But he had been obliged to meet even more disconcerting people in the Balkans. He prided himself on being able to negotiate with men of any manners or none.

"Knowing the work you have done for your party in America," he went on, "knowing your friendship with the Donovans and your acquaintance with the King of Megalia, it seemed to us--not to me, you know. I don't really matter. It seemed to us that you were the best possible person."