The Man Without a Memory Part 42

"Let me be boss now. If you're with me, you may never get away at all; and if you're not, it may only mean a postponement. Be a good sort.

Good-bye, Miss Caldicott;" and I held out my hand.

She took it reluctantly. "I'd rather be with you," she replied with a glance for which I could have kissed her. Then she did as I wished.

I put as bold a face on things as I could, walked quickly up to the barrier, putting my hand in my pocket as if for my ticket.

"Good-evening, sir," said the Jew as I approached.

"Hullo, you here, Graun?" very much astonished.

"Herr Johann La.s.sen?" asked his companion.

"That's my name, certainly. Who are you, and what do you want? I'm in a hurry to catch the train."

"I'm a detective and have to ask you a few questions."

"Fire 'em out, quick as you can, please."

"There's no such hurry as all that. You can't go by this train. You paid a visit to this man to-day."

"We shall be here half the night at this rate. I went to purchase an identification card and he sold me one in the name of Liebe."

"Your object?"

"That's my affair. I haven't it with me and am not going to use it."

"That's your story. I don't believe it. Give it to me."

"I've told you I haven't it."

"Give it to me."

"I would if I had it. As it is, I can't."

"Give it up at once," he repeated very sharply.

This looked like a deadlock and moments were flying fast. There was nothing for it but to try the effect of my official authority, and I was fingering it, when von Welten caught sight of me and hurried in our direction. I threw up the sponge. To produce the authority in his presence would be only to make bad worse, so I put it in my waistcoat pocket.

The detective knew von Welten and saluted him.

"Well, Grossbaum, what is it? How do, Herr La.s.sen?"

"This man had a deal with Graun to-day and is travelling----"

Von Welten interposed angrily. "Hold your tongue, you fool. I've always thought yours was the woodenest head in the force. I suppose you brought this disreputable old scoundrel here. Get away, both of you.

Think yourself lucky if I don't report this last cleverness of yours.

Be off, I say;" and the precious pair slunk away like a couple of whipped curs. "I'm awfully sorry about this, Herr La.s.sen; but why on earth didn't you show the fool that paper the chief gave you?"

"I was going to," I stammered, utterly bewildered by the turn of affairs and gaping in wonder what would happen next. I was prepared for almost anything except what did happen.

"I knew you would travel by this train and thought I'd like to be certain that everything was all right about the ring;" and he dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Yes. He came to my rooms and I gave it him."

"The artful devil! Of course he's planted some of the woman's things there. I told the chief I thought he would; and I'll see to that in the morning. But where's Miss Caldicott?"

"Eh?" I asked stupidly.

"Do you mean to say she isn't going after all?"

"N-no. I mean--yes. She's over there," I stammered.

"Well, she'd better be here if you wish to catch the train. There's only another minute and they'll start on the tick."

Oh, I was surely dreaming. In a dream I beckoned to Nessa, who came hurrying up; in a dream von Welten was introduced and rushed us through the barrier to a compartment he'd already secured for us; in a dream he stood by the carriage door till we started, saying he thought it better for us to travel alone; and in a dream we shook hands out of the carriage window, and he waved to us as the train steamed out of the station.

Even when we quickened up speed through the outskirts of the city, I had hard work to wake up from that tremendously splendid dream. But Nessa was very much awake and boiling over with excitement, curiosity and delight. "What's the matter with you, Jack? Aren't you just mad with joy? I am."

"That's all right," I nodded.

"But you look so odd."

"Only intoxicated a bit."

"Surely you haven't been taking some drug or other! You came along the platform as if you were walking in a dream."

"Are you sure it isn't one? Are we really in a railway carriage?"

"Of course it is, and a very comfortable one too. But whatever do you mean? Are you trying to frighten me or just fooling as usual?"

"I don't know, but I simply can't believe it all yet."

"Why? Do you understand that I'm bubbling over with curiosity? Do wake up and make haste and satisfy it, if you don't want to drive me out of my senses. Good heavens, you're on fire!" she exclaimed in alarm, as she wrapped her hand in her cloak and pressed it against my side excitedly.

That roused me effectually. My waistcoat was smouldering and I plunged my hand into the pocket and discovered the reason. In my stupid absent-mindedness I had shoved the lighted end of my cigarette into the pocket and it had set fire to a couple of papers and singed the cloth.

"Nothing to worry about," I said. But there was. When I unfolded one of the papers, I found that it was the authority von Gratzen had given me.

A fair-sized hole had been charred right through the folds and the tinder dropped as I opened out the sheet. It was hopelessly unreadable and thus useless. "I didn't think I could be such a gorgeous idiot," I exclaimed staring fatuously at the ruin.

"It's serious then?" asked Nessa, who had watched me anxiously.

"Try if you can make anything out of it."

She studied it and shook her head. "A word or two here and there are readable. That's all. What is it?"

"The proof that I ought to be shut up in a lunatic asylum. But it _was_ something that would have taken me anywhere and everywhere through this beastly country and forced every one to help me."

"That's delightfully intelligible," she cried, laughing. "Are you going to keep this up much longer, or tell me things?"