The Secret of the Silver Car Part 31

"No, no," he cried, embarra.s.sed by her manner, "Indeed if you only knew."

She would not listen.

"Love can redeem all," she said. "I pray the good G.o.d whom I have neglected," she smiled a little ruefully, "to redeem me. I feel that my life is over. I have had everything I wanted and am wearied of the taste. Everything I wanted until now. There comes a time when one is no longer so eager to live. It is so with me." She looked at him wistfully.

"Can you believe me when I tell you I want to help you?"

"I do believe it," he said gratefully. "I am glad enough to have a friend in this dismal place."

"Then let me help you," she said eagerly. "Something tells me you have hidden that paper. I warn you if it is still in existence, it will be found. Can I get it for you?"

Anthony Trent did not answer for a moment. The thought that there yet might be a way of getting the treaty draft to Lord Rosecarrel almost made speech an effort. If that were done with what energy and hope might he not bend his skill to means of escape!

"I should be putting my honor in your keeping," he said slowly.

Her face fell.

"And you dare not trust me?"

It was caution which had saved Anthony Trent a hundred times before and he hesitated just a moment now. Then he looked at Pauline again and was convinced of her sincerity. And, after all, no better way presented itself.

"I will trust you," he said, "but can you find out the place where they captured me?"

"I know it already," she said, "it is the farm of Zencsi and lies no more than thirty miles away."

"Thirty!" he cried, "I thought it was twice that distance."

"You went miles out of your reckoning."

"Have you a pencil?" he cried. "I want to draw a plan of it."

"Alas, no," she exclaimed, "but Hentzi will be here and he shall get one."

The five minutes were up and the count's secretary entered entreating Pauline by fear of discovery to come with him.

"A pencil," she snapped, "and paper. A leaf from that little red memorandum book where you keep account of what money you have saved by cheating your master."

She waved him away.

"Three more minutes," she commanded.

"I hid in a mound of hay quite close to the farm house. It was the one nearest a tree recently struck by lightning. It was a plum and the fruit was still red and unwrinkled. I hid my coat there primarily with the idea of it being a pillow. When they dragged me out I kicked it down and out of sight. Three things may have happened. One, that owing to the rain they have not canted the hay. Second, that a farm hand found the coat and took the money in it and destroyed everything else. The third contingency is that the doc.u.ment may have been undisturbed. In this case it will be returned when the count inquires broadcast for stray garments."

"Yes, yes," Pauline said, excitement in her voice, "but tell me exactly what to do."

"Can you motor to this Zencsi farm without being found out?"

"It will not be easy but it shall be done."

Her air of a.s.surance heartened him.

"You can only find the blasted tree by day light," he said thoughtfully, "and in day light you may be seen. Can you be there at dawn before the farmer himself is up."

"But that is easiest of all," she cried, "Listen to me. I shall wait until everyone here is asleep. Then I shall take the Fiat and get to Zencsi in a little more than an hour. I can hide the car in the forest and make my search. If I find it I can be back here before any man or maid is stirring." Her face fell. "But what am I to do with it? I dare not give it to you who may be searched."

"It ought to be destroyed," he answered, "but I've sworn to give it to the man who sent me here. I've got it. Put it in the tool box of the Lion, among the cotton waste. Can you get into the garage?"

"Hentzi has all keys, as you should remember," she said. "What keys he has are mine. And then?"

"You will find at the bottom of the big tool box a couple of keys. They are punched out of two thin steel bars. Really there are four keys. It is most important that you bring them to me. You will not forget?"

"When your life hangs on it? What else? We must be quick. I do not fear Hentzi but his master must not find me here."

"If the coat has been removed you must go to the farm house. There is a watch dog who barks but he pines for affection and you can win him easily. Find out who has the coat. If it isn't in the hay someone on the farm has it. If the doc.u.ment is handed to you look at it eagerly to make sure it is what I want and if it is, tell them the thing is worthless and not what the count wants. And if you find the paper in the breast pocket do the same thing."

"Why?" she demanded.

"If you show them it is what you came for the count who will certainly hear of it will want to get it. What would happen if he knew you had given it to me?"

"Why think of that now?" she returned. But he noticed that a shade of fear pa.s.sed over her face at the thought of it.

"If you get it and put it in the tool box he will only think how well you have served his interests in coat hunting while his lazy varlets were abed. Of course if they don't hand it to you at the farm and it isn't in the coat it may be destroyed. I'm afraid you'll have to do some bullying and threatening to get at the truth but the truth I must have."

She rose from the rush bottomed chair with a sigh.

"You believe that there are those who can read fate?"

Anthony Trent hesitated. Men of his profession were usually superst.i.tious attaching unwarranted importance to fortuitous things, watching for signs and portents and abandoning planned enterprises at times because of some sign of misfortune which had met them.

"I don't believe it," he admitted, "but that sort of thing influences me. Why?"

"There is a woman nearby who can tell," Pauline replied, "Yesterday I gave her money. She said--can you think of it--that I should die happy."

"I hope you do," he said.

"But it is impossible," she cried. "None clings to life as I do. I am tired of this life. I love the life of cities, the restaurants, the crowds. I am city bred. In a year when conditions are better I shall go back. I shall appear in Berlin again, Petrograd, perhaps and of course in London and they want me in New York. I shall hate to die. But I did not mean to speak of myself. She told me that the man I loved would be successful. Fate makes no mistake. Keep up your courage for you will win and I shall die happy. What more could we want?"

But there were tears in her eyes as she said it.

He took both her hands in his.

"What a splendid woman you are!" he said with conviction.

"My dear," she answered, her voice a little uneven, "do not tell that to the woman you love. She would hate me and I want to live a little in your heart without anyone else to share it. Promise me that?"

There was in his mind to tell her Daphne was different. That Daphne would love her too, but he said nothing. Her intuition told her more than his hope could foretell.

"I promise," he answered, "and I promise that I shall never forget."