Number 70, Berlin: A Story of Britain's Peril

The Russians, our gallant allies, were producing, at the Putilof works, great siege guns, bigger than any turned out from Krupp’s. Yet, after Ochta had been blown up by means of a cable laid by spies under the Neva before the war, so that hardly one brick stood upon another and Petrograd had been shaken as by an earthquake in consequence, what could Russia do? She had no munitions; therefore why make guns?

That act of German spies in directly crippling Russia – an act plotted and prepared ten years previously – had checked the striking power of France, and quite defeated the splendid intentions of Lord Kitchener and our own good General French.

Let history speak. As our two armies were holding only a small section of the line, it was more convenient for the general interests of the Allies that we should, instead of employing our increased forces, postpone the entry into action of our national armies, and bend our chief energies to the task of supplying Russia with the munitions which had suddenly become to her a matter of life or death.

Was not this, indeed, an object-lesson to England?

The trio were discussing the situation, when Jack Sainsbury exclaimed:

“And yet the public will not believe that there are spies amongst us – even in face of daily events of incendiary fires, of submarine outrages, and of spies who, arriving with American passports, are watched, arrested, and executed at the Tower of London.”

“True?” cried Trustram. “I agree entirely with all you say. Shall we act – or shall we join in the saliva of sweetness and raise the chorus that the Germans are, after all, dear good people?”

“Never!” exclaimed Sir Houston fiercely. “Jerrold knew, and he died mysteriously. We, all three of us, know. Let us act; let us raise our voices, as the Duke of Newcastle, Lord Charles Beresford, Lord Leith of Fyvie, Lord Crawford, Lord Portsmouth, Lord Headley, and all the others have raised theirs. ‘Britain for the British,’ I say, and we must win – and, at all hazards, we will win!”

“Yes, but what shall we do? How are we now to act?” queried Jack, looking at his visitors.

“That we must decide,” Sir Houston responded. “We know many things – things that are proved as far as Lewin Rodwell is concerned. We must watch – and watch very closely and carefully – then we shall learn more.”

“But while we are watching the Empire is, surely, in gravest peril?” Trustram protested.

“We have an Intelligence Department which is said to be dealing with news leaking from our shores.”

“Intelligence Department?” laughed Jack Sainsbury. “Read the German papers, and you’ll see that the public in Germany are daily told the actual truth concerning us, while we are deliberately kept in ignorance by the superior cult of khaki.” Then he added, “The whole of this system of secrecy, and of playing upon the public mind, must be broken down, otherwise very soon, I fear, the British will believe nothing that is told them. We won’t be spoon-fed on tit-bits any more. We are not the pet-dogs of a Hide-the-Truth administration.”

“That’s a bit stiff,” declared Trustram with a frown, as befitted an official wearing His Majesty’s uniform.

“I don’t care! I speak exactly what I feel. The British Empire is to-day greatly menaced, and if we are to win, we must face the facts and speak out boldly. We don’t want these incompetent khaki-clad amateur detectives telling the matter-of-fact British nation official untruths. Why, only the other day the Parliamentary mouthpiece of the War Office told us that every German secret agent was known and under constant surveillance! Is that the truth, I ask you, or is it a deliberate official falsehood? Read Hansard’s reports. I have quoted from them!”

The two men could not raise a protest. They knew, alas! that the words the young man had spoken were the actual and ghastly truth.

“Well,” he went on, looking at his visitors, “we know what is in progress – or at least we have the strongest suspicion of it. Now, what decision have you both arrived at? What, in the interests of the safety of the Empire, shall we do?”

Trustram shrugged his shoulders blankly, while Sir Houston drew a long breath.

Neither man replied. What could they do, save to warn the War Office, who they knew would probably turn a deaf ear to all their suspicions?

Chapter Thirteen.

Towards the Brink

Later that same evening Jack, who had walked down Fitzjohn’s Avenue to Mr Shearman’s, as was his habit, found Elise’s father at home.

Though old Dan Shearman, a hale, bluff North-country man, rather liked young Sainsbury, yet, at heart, he would have preferred a man of established prosperity as his daughter’s husband – a manufacturer like himself, or a professional man with a good paying practice. Dan Shearman – as everybody called him in Birmingham – was a practical man, and had made a fortune by dint of hard toil and strict economy. He had begun as a half-timer in a cotton-mill in Oldham, and had risen, step by step, until now he was one of the biggest private employers of labour in the Midlands.

For years he had hoped that Elise would make a rich marriage, yet her chance meeting with Jack Sainsbury had suddenly turned the course of events, and both he and his wife could not hide from themselves how deeply the young couple had fallen in love with one another. More than once husband and wife had consulted as to whether it would not be to Elise’s future interest if they broke off the attachment. Indeed, just before the outbreak of war, they had contemplated sending Elise for a long stay with her aunt, who was married to an English merchant in Palerno.

Yet, partly because the girl begged to remain in London, and partly because of Mrs Shearman’s liking for young Sainsbury, the bluff old fellow gave way – though there always remained the fact that Jack was a mere clerk and that, at the present time, he was out of a situation. That he had been rejected by the military doctors Mr Shearman knew, but he was unaware that Jack had been left a legacy by the doctor who had so mysteriously committed suicide in Wimpole Street.

“Hey, lad!” old Dan cried cheerily, as Jack entered the little smoking-room. “Sit yer down a moment, an’ have a cigarette. There’s some over yonder!”

When the young man had lit up and seated himself, Shearman asked:

“Well! what’s the pay-pers say to-night – eh? Aw wonder ’ow this ’ere war is goin’ on?”

“Badly, sir, I fear,” was Sainsbury’s prompt reply. “We don’t seem to be able to move against the superior power of the enemy.”

“Superior power be ’anged, lad!” cried the round-faced, grey-haired old man, his eyes flashing as he spoke. “Aw don’t believe in what these ’ere writers talk about – their big guns, their superior power, an’ all that! We’re still powerful enough in good old England to lick the ’ole lot o’ them sour-krowts, as I ’eard a man in New Street callin’ ’em yesterday.”

“Well, I hope so,” laughed Sainsbury, who really was anxious to get upstairs to the drawing-room, where he knew Elise was eagerly awaiting him. “But at present we seem to be progressing very slowly. The Russian steam-roller, as it was called, has come to a halt.”

“Ah! a bit more o’ them there writers’ bunkum! What aw say is that we’re a-bein’ misled altogether. Nawbody tells the truth, and nawbody writes it. What yer reads to-day, lad, ’ll be flatly contradicted to-morrow. So what’s the use o’ believin’ anything?”

He was, truly, a bluff old chap who, born and bred in Lancashire, had afterwards spent three parts of his life in and about Birmingham. Old Dan Shearman was a man who always wanted hard facts, and when he got them he would make use of them in business, as well as elsewhere, with an acumen far greater than many men who had been educated at a public school. He rather prided himself upon his national-school training, and was fond of remarking, “Aw doan’t pretend to much book-learnin’, but aw knows my trade, an aw knows ’ow to make money by it – which a lot o’ people doan’t!”

Jack Sainsbury always found him amusing, for he was full of dry, witty remarks; and as he sat for a quarter of an hour, or so, the old fellow, puffing at his cigar – though he always smoked his pet pipe in his private office at the works – made some very caustic remarks about official red-tape at Whitehall.

“We’re a-makin’ munitions now,” he explained. “But oh! the queries we get, and the visits from officers in uniform – people who come and tell me ’ow aw should run my business, yet the first time they’ve ever seen a Drummond lathe is in one of my workshops. Aw say that ’arf of it’s all a mere wicked waste of a man’s time!”

“Yes,” sighed the young man – “I suppose there is far too much officialism; and yet perhaps it is necessary.” Then he added, “Is Elise at home, do you know?”

“Yes, she’s at ’ome, lad – she’s at ’ome!” laughed the old fellow cheerily. “Aw know you want to go oop to ’er. Well, aw did the same when I wor your age. Aw won’t keep yer longer. So go oop, lad, an’ see ’er. My wife’s out somewhere – gone to see one of ’er fine friends, I expect.”

Jack did not want further persuasion. Leaving the old man, he closed the door, ran up the carpeted steps two at a time and, in a few moments, held his well-beloved fondly in his arms.

She looked very pretty that night – a sweet, rather demure little figure in a smart, but young-looking dinner-gown of pale cornflower-blue crêpe-de-chine, a dress which well became her, setting off her trim, dainty figure to perfection, while the touch of velvet of the same shade in her fair hair enhanced her beauty.

“Oh! I’m so glad you’ve come, dear!” cried the girl, as she looked fondly into her lover’s face with those clear, childlike eyes, which held him always beneath their indescribable spell. And as he imprinted soft kisses upon her lips, she added: “Do you know, Jack, I may be most awfully silly – probably you’ll say I am – but the truth is I have suddenly been seized by grave apprehensions concerning you.”

“Why, darling?” he asked quickly, still holding her in his strong arms.

“Well, I’ll confess, however silly it may appear,” said the girl. “All day to-day I’ve felt ever so anxious about you. I know that, like poor Dr Jerrold, you are trying to discover and punish the spies of Germany. Now, those people know it. They are as unscrupulous as they are vindictive, and I – well, I’ve been seriously wondering whether, knowing that you are their enemy, they may not endeavour to do you some grave harm.”

“Harm!” laughed the young man. “Why, whatever makes you anticipate such a thing, darling?”

“Well – I don’t really know,” was her reply. “Only to-day I’ve been thinking so much about it all – about Dr Jerrold’s strange death, and of all you’ve lately told me – that I’m very apprehensive. Do take care of yourself, Jack dear, won’t you – for my sake?”

“Of course I will,” he said, with a smile. “But what terrible fate do you anticipate for me? You don’t really think that the Germans will try and murder me, do you?”

“Ah! You don’t know what revenge they might not take upon you,” the girl said as they stood together near the fire in the big, handsome room, his arm tenderly around her waist. “Remember that poor Dr Jerrold upset a good many of their plans, and that you helped him.”

“Well, and if I did, I don’t really anticipate being assassinated,” he answered, quite calmly.

“But the doctor died. Why?” asked the girl. “Could his death have been due to revenge, do you think?”

Jack Sainsbury was silent. It was not the first time that that vague and terrible suggestion had crossed his mind, yet he had never uttered a word to her regarding his suspicions.

“Jerome committed suicide,” was his quiet, thoughtful reply.

“That’s what the doctors said. But do you think he really did?” queried the girl.

Jack shrugged his shoulders, but made no reply.

“Ah! I see! You yourself are not quite convinced!” she said, looking him straight in the face.

“Well, Elise,” he said after a brief silence, and with a forced laugh, “I really don’t think I should worry. I can surely take care of myself. Perhaps you would like me to carry a revolver? I’ll do so, if it will content you.”

“You can’t be too careful, dear,” she said earnestly, laying her slim fingers upon his arm. “Remember that they are the spies of the most barbarous race on earth and, in order to gain their ends, they’ll stick at nothing.”

“Not even at killing your humble and most devoted servant – eh?” laughed Jack. “Well, if it will relieve your mind I’ll carry a pistol. I have an automatic Browning at home – a bit rusty, I fear.”

“Then carry it with you always, dear. – I – ” But she hesitated in her eagerness, and did not conclude her sentence.

In a second he realised that she had been on the point of speaking, of telling him something. Yet she had broken off just in time. That fact puzzled him considerably.

“Well,” he asked, his serious gaze fixed upon those big blue eyes of his well-beloved, while her fair head rested upon his shoulder: “what has caused you these gloomy forebodings concerning myself, dearest? Tell me.”

“Oh, nothing,” she replied in a strange, nervous voice. “I suppose that I’m horribly silly, of course. But, knowing all that you have told me about the wonderful spy-system of Germany, I have now become gravely apprehensive regarding your safety.”

Jack saw that she was endeavouring to conceal something. What knowledge had she gained? In an instant he grew eagerly interested. Yet he did not, at the moment, press her further.

“And you think that the fact of carrying a gun will be a protection to me, do you, little one? Well, most women believe that. Yet, as a matter of fact, firearms are very little protection. If a man is seriously marked down by an enemy, a whole army of detectives cannot save him. Think of the political assassinations, anarchist outrages, and the like. Police protection has usually proved futile.”

“But you can take proper ordinary precautions,” she suggested.

“And pray, dear, why do you ask me to take precautions?” he inquired. Then, looking earnestly into her eyes, he added very gravely: “Something – or somebody – has put all these grim fears into your head. Now, dearest, tell me the truth,” he urged.

She made no response. Her eyes were downcast, and he saw that she hesitated. For what reason?

“Whoever has put all these silly ideas into your head, darling, is responsible to me!” he said in a hard voice.

“Well, Jack, I – I really can’t help it. I – I love you, as you know; and I can’t bear to think that you are running into danger, as you undoubtedly are.”

He looked into her pretty face again.

“Now look here, darling,” he went on: “aren’t you getting just a little too nervous about me? I quite admit that in these days of wars, of terrible massacres, of barbarism and of outrages of which even African savages would not be guilty, one is apt to become unduly nervous. You’ve been reading the papers, perhaps. They don’t always tell us the truth nowadays, with the Censor trying to hide up everything.”

“No, Jack,” she said boldly. “I haven’t been reading the papers. I’m only anxious to save you.”

“But how do you know that I’m in any danger?” he asked quickly. “Why be anxious at all? I assure you that I’m perfectly safe. Nobody will lift a finger against me. Why should they?”

“Ah! you don’t see,” she cried. “There is a motive – a hidden motive of revenge. Your enemies intend to do you harm – grievous bodily harm. I know that.”

“How?” he asked quickly, fixing her splendid eyes with his.

That straight, bold question caused her to hesitate. She had intended to prevaricate, that he knew. She did not wish to reveal the truth to him, yet she feared lest he might be annoyed. Nevertheless, so serious was he, so calm and utterly defiant in face of her grave warning, that a second later she found herself wavering.

“Well,” she replied, “I – I feel absolutely certain that it is intended that some harm shall come to you.”

“Then I’d better go to Scotland Yard and say that I’m threatened – eh?” he laughed merrily. “And they will put on somebody to watch me, well knowing that, if the whole of Scotland Yard – from the Assistant Commissioner downwards – were put on to shadow me, the result would be just the same. I should surely be killed, if my enemies had seriously plotted my death.”

“That’s just my very argument,” she said sagely, her pretty head slightly inclined as she spoke. “I feel convinced that some evil is intended.”

“But why, darling?” he asked in surprise. “What causes you all these silly notions?”

“Several things. Frankly, I don’t believe that Dr Jerrold took his own life. I believe that he was a victim of the dastardly spies of the Great Assassin.”

Jack said nothing. The mystery in Wimpole Street was great. Yet, how could they dispute the medical evidence?

“That’s another matter,” he remarked. “How does that concern my safety?”

“It does, very deeply. Your enemies know that you assisted Jerrold, and I am firmly convinced that you are marked down in consequence.”

“My darling!” he cried, drawing her closer to him. “You really make me feel quite creepy all over!” and he laughed.

“Oh, I do wish, dear, you’d take this grave danger seriously!”

“But I don’t. That’s just it!” he answered. “I quite understand, darling, that you may be anxious, but I really feel that your anxiety is quite groundless and hence unnecessary.”

The girl sighed, and then protested, saying —

“Ah! if you would only heed my warning!”

“Haven’t I promised to do so? I’m going to carry my revolver in future.”

“You take it as a huge joke!” she said in dissatisfaction, disengaging herself slowly from his embrace.

“I do. Because I can’t see why you should warn me. Who has put such thoughts into your head? Surely I know how to take care of myself?” he exclaimed.

“Perhaps you do. But that a grave danger threatens you, Jack, I happen to know,” was her serious reply.

“How do you know?” he asked quickly, facing her. He had, all along, seen that, for some unaccountable reason, she was hesitating to tell him the truth.

“Well,” she said slowly, “if – if I tell you the truth, Jack dear, you won’t laugh at me, will you?” she asked at last.

“Of course not, my darling. I know full well that you love me, and, as a natural consequence, you are perhaps a little too apprehensive.”

“I have cause to be,” she said in a low voice, and, taking from the breast of her low-cut gown a crumpled letter, she handed it to him, saying: “A week ago I received this! Read it!”

He took it and, opening it, found it to be an ill-scribbled note, upon a sheet of common note-paper such as one would buy in a penny packet, envelopes included.

The note, which was anonymous, and bore the postmark of Willesden, commenced with the words “Dear Miss,” and ran as follows:

“Your lover, Sainsbury, has been warned to keep his nose out of other people’s affairs, and as he continues to inquire about what does not concern him his activity is to be cut short. Tell him that, as he has disregarded the advice given him by letter two months ago, his fate is now sealed. The arm of Germany’s vengeance is long, and reaches far. So beware —both of you!”

For a few seconds Jack held the mysterious missive in his hand, and then suddenly he burst out laughing.

“You surely won’t allow this to worry you?” he exclaimed. “Why, it’s only some crank – somebody we know who is playing a silly practical joke,” – and folding the letter, he gave it back to her with a careless air. “Such a letter as that doesn’t worry me for a single minute.”

“But it contains a distinct assertion – that you are doomed!” cried the girl, pale-faced and very anxious.

“Yes – it certainly is a very cheerful note. Whom do you know at Willesden?”

“Not a soul that I can think of. I’ve been puzzling my brains for days as to anybody I know there, but can think of no one.”

“It was posted out there on purpose, no doubt!” he laughed. “Well, if I were you, Elise, I wouldn’t give it another thought.”

“Ah, that’s all very well. But I can’t get rid of the distinct belief that some mischief is intended,” answered the girl very gravely.

“No, no, darling?” he assured her, placing his arm again round her slim waist, and kissing her fondly upon the lips. “Don’t anticipate any such thing. Somebody’s having a game with us. They think it a huge joke, no doubt.”

“But do look the facts in the face, Jack!” she urged. “These spies of Germany, swarming over the country as they do, will hesitate at nothing in order to gain victory for their barbarous Fatherland. Not only have we to fight the unscrupulous army of the Kaiser, remember, but another army of pro-Germans in our midst, – those pretended Englishmen who have their ‘spiritual homes’ in Berlin.”

“True. But don’t let that letter get on your nerves, darling. Burn it, and then forget it.”

“Did you ever receive a letter warning you?” she asked.

“Yes. I’ve had several. One was, I believe, in the same handwriting as yours,” was his rather careless reply.

“You never told me of them!”

“Because I discarded them,” he said. “I believe I’ve had quite half a dozen at various times, but I pay no attention to people who don’t sign their names.”

Elise Shearman sighed. In her fine blue eyes there was a distinctly troubled look.

She loved Jack very deeply and tenderly. What if these people actually did make an attempt upon his life? Suppose he were killed! That the spies of Germany had every motive to put an end to his activity in ferreting them out, was quite plain. Indeed, her father, knowing nothing of the anonymous letter, had referred to it that evening. He had declared that her lover was running very grave risks. It had been this remark which had set her thinking more deeply and more apprehensively.

Jack saw that she was worrying, therefore he kissed her fondly, and reassured her that no harm would befall him.

“I’ll take every precaution possible, in order to satisfy you, my darling,” he declared, his strong arms again around her as he held her closely to him.

They looked indeed a handsome pair – he tall, good-looking, strong and manly, and she dainty and fair, with a sweet, delightful expression upon her pretty face.

“Then – then you really love me, Jack?” she faltered, looking up into his face as he whispered into her delicate ear, regretting if any ill-considered word he had uttered had pained her.

“Love you, my darling?” he cried passionately – “why, of course I do. How can you doubt me? You surely know that, for me, there is only one good, true woman in all the world – your own dear, sweet self!” She smiled in full content, burying her pretty head upon his shoulder.

“Then – then you really will take care of yourself, Jack —won’t you?” she implored. “When you are absent I’m always thinking – and wondering – ”

“And worrying, I fear, little one,” he interrupted. “Now don’t worry. I assure you that I’m quite safe – that – ”

His sentence was interrupted by a tap at the door. They sprang apart, and Littlewood, old Dan’s neat, middle-aged manservant – a North-country man, a trusted friend of the family – entered and, addressing Jack, said, with that pleasant burr in his voice:

“There’s a gentleman called, sir – gives the name of Murray, sir. He wants to see you a moment upon some rather urgent business.”

“Murray?” echoed Jack. “I don’t recollect the name. Who is he?”

“He’s a gentleman, sir. He’s down in the hall. He won’t detain you a minute, he says,” was the man’s reply.

“Then excuse me a moment,” he said in apology to Elise, and left the room, descending to the hall with Littlewood.

Below stood a clean-shaven man in a black overcoat who, advancing to meet him, said – “Are you Mr Sainsbury, sir?”

“Yes. That’s my name,” replied the young man.

“I want to speak to you privately, just for a few moments,” the stranger said. “I want to tell you something in confidence,” he added, lowering his voice. “Shall we go outside the door?” and he glanced meaningly at Littlewood.

At first Jack was much puzzled, but, next moment, he said —

“Certainly – if you wish.”

Then both men went forth, descending the steps to the pavement, whereupon a second man, who sprang from nowhere, joined them instantly, while “Mr Murray” said, in a calm and quite determined voice —