British Mysteries Omnibus - The Emma Orczy Edition (65+ Titles in One Edition). Emma Orczy
hands that were not absolutely necessary, and that it was to further this object that Volenski, on behalf of his Eminence, now claimed Baron de Hermansthal's powerful assistance.
This plan and speech well formed in his head, Iván, feeling more calm, was able to enter the private room of the chief of the Austrian police, even without a tremor.
Baron de Hermansthal, a quiet, aristocratic-looking old man, with a charming eighteenth-century manner, listened attentively to all Volenski had to say, asked him to take a seat, while he would look over his notes relating to the case, and after a few moments:
"My dear Volenski," he said, "I should be very happy under the circumstances to help his Eminence in any way that is within my power. If you will tell me what you would wish me to do, I might see in what way I can be of most assistance to you."
"I merely want your permission to claim the candlesticks on behalf of his Eminence, without their passing through any hands, save yours and mine, and without all the formalities that usually attend the claiming of property found by the police."
"But Madame Demidoff is for the time being the person from whom these candlesticks have been robbed; she might object to their being handed over to anyone save herself."
"Madame Demidoff has declared before the magistrate that they are not her property," replied Volenski. "I will communicate with her as soon as I have your authorisation to do so, and you will find that she will be only too glad to hand over to me all responsibility in the matter."
"That will be for her to decide," rejoined the chief of the police drily; "we can discuss the matter later on; anyhow, I can promise you that I will communicate with you the moment the police have seized the missing articles."
"They have not yet been found, then?" asked Iván breathlessly.
"They are not actually in our possession," corrected the chief of the police.
"May I ask what that implies?" asked Volenski, whose parched lips and quivering nerves hardly enabled him to frame an intelligible query.
"It implies that we know where they are, and that we can lay our hands on them at any moment."
"And –– "
"Stay! let me explain," added the polite baron kindly, as he noted Volenski's eagerness. "The police are, as you know, well acquainted with the woman who was in the room with the thief at the time of the arrest, and who ran away through the window with a part of the booty. She is one of that class whom it is bon ton to designate as the 'unfortunate.'"
"Yes! I knew that the female thief had escaped, but I should have thought –– "
"That our police, usually so active, when there is a little rough-and-tumble work to do, would not fail in overtaking and capturing her. That would have been done, no doubt, but for a very important reason, which is this: the officer in command, once having recognised the woman, knew that he could lay hands on her at any moment. She lives in Vienna, and haunts every cabaret and third-rate hotel, her favourite resort being the 'Kaiser Franz.' He therefore intends to lull her into false security, with a view–by keeping a constant watch on her movements–of discovering and bringing to justice a gang of receivers of stolen goods, who, so far, have completely baffled our vigilance, and whose tool we believe her to be."
"You think, then, that the woman brought those candlesticks to Vienna with her?"
"We know she did, for she was seen in Vienna this very morning, and is being closely watched."
"Surely your Excellency will give immediate orders to have her rooms searched this very evening?" said Iván imploringly.
"I have no objection to doing that," said Baron de Hermansthal urbanely, "as I am anxious to prove to his Eminence how willing I am to serve him."
"Your Excellency will allow me to accompany the police?" asked Volenski eagerly.
"To identify the candlesticks," he added, seeing that Baron de Hermansthal shook his head in emphatic refusal; "there may be others there."
"On one condition, then, that you do not interfere with our men in the discharge of their duty, merely pointing out the articles you claim as your property, and that you allow the officer on duty to bring them here, to my office, without opposition.
"To your office?" said Iván.
"Yes! I shall have to insist that the candlesticks remain in my charge until I hear definitely from you or Madame Demidoff herself that she wishes them handed over to you."
"And in the meanwhile?"
"I promise you faithfully that no one shall even touch them; you shall yourself see the parcel locked in my desk, and I shall be delighted to give them up to you, as soon as I am satisfied that Madame Demidoff has no objection to my doing so."
Iván reflected a moment. In his mind there at once arose the idea that chance would certainly favour him, once he actually had the candlesticks in his hands; he had but to press the spring while the police were searching another part of the room, and he could, he felt sure, extract the papers unperceived. There were so many eventualities that might happen, between the time when the candlesticks were found and the moment when Baron de Hermansthal would finally turn the key of his desk on them; so many opportunities, any one of which would find him on the alert. His hesitation, therefore, lasted but a moment; the next, he had assured the amiable baron that he would strictly adhere to his instructions, and was quite willing to wait for Madame Demidoff's decision, once his fears that the candlesticks might be too much tampered with had been allayed.
"In the name of his Eminence," he added diplomatically, "I thank your Excellency for your courtesy in the matter."
"Pray say no more," replied Baron de Hermansthal, as he touched the bell in order to give the necessary instructions.
"Tell Serjeant Meyer I wish to speak to him," he said to his valet.
"It is very late," he added, looking at his watch; "nearly eight o'clock, but that is no matter, as no doubt you will find the woman has gone out on her nightly errands and left you the coast clear."
A discreet rap at the door and the serjeant appeared, saluting his chief.
"Meyer," said His Excellency, "do I understand that the woman Grete Ottlinger has, so far, not been caught trying to sell the stolen property?"
"No, your Excellency; she has not left her rooms since this morning, when she arrived from Oderberg. Two of my men have been stationed outside her doors all day, and she has not gone out. Her concierge thinks she has been in bed all day. She drove this morning direct from the station to her room, and had then a large-sized box with her."
"Very good! I wish you now to take one other man with you and go to the woman's room, with this warrant to search all her premises. You will seize all the suspicious property you can find. If the woman is there you may arrest her, if not, your men will be having an eye on her, and she can be arrested when she comes home. Monsieur here has my permission to accompany you and to identify certain articles that belong to him, and which you must then bring back here to my office. Do you understand?"
"Yes, your Excellency!"
"Au revoir, then, my dear Volenski," said Baron de Hermansthal, turning to Iván; "I shall expect you here with the candlesticks according to your promise, on which I rely."
And His Excellency, rising from his seat and dismissing the serjeant with a nod, thereby intimated to Volenski that he had done all his duty allowed him to do, and that the audience was at an end.
Iván once more was profuse in his thanks. Fate indeed favoured him; it was now for him to seize the splendid opportunity with skill and promptitude. He felt in his pocket-book that he was well provided with money; a douceur to the serjeant, should he chance to see what Volenski did not intend, might be necessary.
Five minutes afterwards he was in a fiaker with Serjeant Meyer and another member of the corps, and in his heart of hearts he hoped that the next half-hour would see his precious papers transferred once more to the