At ten o’clock on the morning of Wednesday, the 13th of October, Anthony Cade walked into Harridge’s Hotel and asked for Baron1 Lolopretjzyl who was occupying a suite2 there.
After suitable and imposing3 delay, Anthony was taken to the suite in question. The Baron was standing4 on the hearthrug in a correct and stiff fashion. Little Captain Andrassy, equally correct as to demeanour, but with a slightly hostile attitude, was also present.
The usual bows, clicking of heels, and other formal greetings of etiquette5 took place. Anthony was, by now, thoroughly6 conversant7 with the routine.
“You will forgive this early call I trust, Baron,” he said cheerfully, laying down his hat and stick on the table. “As a matter of fact, I have a little business proposition to make to you.”
“Ha! Is that so?” said the Baron.
Captain Andrassy, who had never overcome his initial distrust of Anthony, looked suspicious.
“Business,” said Anthony, “is based on the well-known principle of supply and demand. You want something, the other man has it. The only thing left to settle is the price.”
The Baron looked at him attentively8, but said nothing.
“Between a Herzoslovakian nobleman and an English gentleman the terms should be easily arranged,” said Anthony rapidly.
He blushed a little as he said it. Such words do not[Pg 239] rise easily to an Englishman’s lips, but he had observed on previous occasions the enormous effect of such phraseology upon the Baron’s mentality9. True enough, the charm worked.
Even Captain Andrassy appeared to unbend a little, and nodded his head also.
“Very good,” said Anthony. “I won’t beat about the bush any more——”
“What is that, you say?” interrupted the Baron. “To beat about the bush? I do not comprehend?”
“A mere11 figure of speech, Baron. To speak in plain English, you want the goods, we have them! The ship is all very well, but it lacks a figurehead. By the ship, I mean the Loyalist party of Herzoslovakia. At the present minute you lack the principal plank12 of your political programme. You are minus a Prince! Now supposing—only supposing, that I could supply you with a Prince?”
The Baron stared.
“I do not comprehend you in the least,” he declared.
“Sir,” said Captain Andrassy, twirling his moustache fiercely, “you are insulting!”
“Not at all,” said Anthony. “I’m trying to be helpful. Supply and demand, you understand. It’s all perfectly13 fair and square. No Princes supplied unless genuine—see trademark14. If we come to terms, you’ll find it’s quite all right. I’m offering you the real genuine article—out of the bottom drawer.”
“Not in the least,” the Baron declared again, “do I comprehend you.”
“It doesn’t really matter,” said Anthony kindly15. “I just want you to get used to the idea. To put it vulgarly, I’ve got something up my sleeve. Just get hold of this. You want a Prince. Under certain conditions, I will undertake to supply you with one.”
The Baron and Andrassy stared at him. Anthony took up his hat and stick again and prepared to depart.
[Pg 240]
“Just think it over. Now, Baron, there is one thing further. You must come down to Chimneys this evening—Captain Andrassy also. Several very curious things are likely to happen there. Shall we make an appointment? Say in the Council Chamber16 at nine o’clock? Thank you, gentlemen, I may rely upon you to be there?”
The Baron took a step forward and looked searchingly in Anthony’s face.
“Mr. Cade,” he said, not without dignity, “it is not, I hope, that you wish to make fun of me?”
“Baron,” he said, and there was a curious note in his voice, “when this evening is over, I think you will be the first to admit that there is more earnest than jest about this business.”
Bowing to both the men, he left the room.
His next call was in the City where he sent in his card to Mr. Herman Isaacstein.
After some delay, Anthony was received by a pale and exquisitely18 dressed underling with an engaging manner, and a military title.
“You wanted to see Mr. Isaacstein, didn’t you?” said the young man. “I’m afraid he’s most awfully19 busy this morning—board meetings and all that sort of thing, you know. Is it anything that I can do?”
“I must see him personally,” said Anthony, and added carelessly. “I’ve just come up from Chimneys.”
The young man was slightly staggered by the mention of Chimneys.
“Oh!” he said doubtfully. “Well, I’ll see.”
“Tell him it’s important,” said Anthony.
“Message from Lord Caterham?” suggested the young man.
“Something of the kind,” said Anthony, “but it’s imperative20 that I should see Mr. Isaacstein at once.”
Two minutes later, Anthony was conducted into a sumptuous21 inner sanctum where he was principally i[Pg 241]mpressed by the immense size and roomy depths of the leather-covered arm-chairs.
Mr. Isaacstein rose to greet him.
“You must forgive my looking you up like this,” said Anthony. “I know that you’re a busy man, and I’m not going to waste more of your time than I can help. It’s just a little matter of business that I want to put before you.”
Isaacstein looked at him attentively for a minute or two out of his beady black eyes.
“Have a cigar,” he said unexpectedly, holding out an open box.
“Thank you,” said Anthony. “I don’t mind if I do.”
He helped himself.
“It’s about this Herzoslovakian business,” continued Anthony, as he accepted a match. He noted22 the momentary23 flickering24 of the other’s steady gaze. “The murder of Prince Michael must have rather upset the applecart.”
Mr. Isaacstein raised one eyebrow25, murmured “Ah?” interrogatively and transferred his gaze to the ceiling.
“Oil,” said Anthony, thoughtfully surveying the polished surface of the desk. “Wonderful thing, oil.”
He felt the slight start the financier gave.
“Do you mind coming to the point, Mr. Cade?”
“Not at all. I imagine, Mr. Isaacstein, that if those Oil concessions26 are granted to another company you won’t be exactly pleased about it?”
“What’s the proposition?” asked the other, looking straight at him.
“A suitable claimant to the throne, full of pro-British sympathies.”
“Where have you got him?”
“That’s my business.”
Isaacstein acknowledged the retort by a slight smile, his glance had grown hard and keen.
“The genuine article? I can’t stand for any funny business.”
“The absolute genuine article.”
[Pg 242]
“Straight?”
“Straight.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
Herman Isaacstein smiled.
“I shouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t learnt to know whether a man is speaking the truth or not,” he replied simply. “What terms do you want?”
“The same loan, on the same conditions, that you offered to Prince Michael?”
“What about yourself?”
“For the moment, nothing, except that I want you to come down to Chimneys to-night.”
“No,” said Isaacstein, with some decision. “I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Dining out—rather an important dinner.”
“All the same, I’m afraid you’ll have to cut it out—for your own sake.”
“What do you mean?”
Anthony looked at him for a full minute before he said slowly:
“Do you know that they’ve found the revolver, the one Michael was shot with? Do you know where they found it? In your suit-case.”
“What?”
“What are you saying? What do you mean?”
“I’ll tell you.”
Very obligingly, Anthony narrated29 the occurrences in connection with the finding of the revolver. As he spoke30 the other’s face assumed a greyish tinge31 of absolute terror.
“But it’s false,” he screamed out, as Anthony finished. “I never put it there. I know nothing about it. It is a plot.”
“Don’t excite yourself,” said Anthony soothingly32. “If[Pg 243] that’s the case you’ll easily be able to prove it.”
“Prove it? How can I prove it?”
“If I were you,” said Anthony gently, “I’d come to Chimneys to-night.”
Isaacstein looked at him doubtfully.
“You advise it?”
“You actually mean——”
“Come and see,” said Anthony.
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1
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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conversant
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| adj.亲近的，有交情的，熟悉的 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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mentality
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| n.心理，思想，脑力 | |
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10
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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11
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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12
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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14
trademark
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| n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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17
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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18
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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concessions
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| n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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29
narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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