Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-12-18
CHAPTER V.
TIE MEssAGE ~ cIpHEn


Two days afterwards Sarcany was
; installed III the house Of Ladislas Zath-
mar. He had been introduced by Sllas
Toronthal and on his introduction had
been received by Count Sandom. The
banker and his agent had become ac-
complies. the object of their schemes
being the discovery of II secret which
might cost the chiefs of the conspiracy
Nheir lives and the result. rs the price
of their information, n fortune falling
into the pocket of mn adventurer, that 1t
might find its way into the strong box OF
q banker who had reached the point OF
being unable to honor his engagements.
A formal agreement had been drawn
up between Toronthal and Sarcany, ac-
cordiug to which the expected profit
was to be shared equally. Sarcany was
to have sufficient TO enable him and his
companion, Zirone, to live comfortably
Mt Trieste and to meet all outgolngs and
expenses. In exchange and rs guar
antee he had handed over to the banker
the fac-simile of the message which con-
sained- there could be no doubt-the
secret of the conspiracy.
1t may, perhaps, be said chat Sandorf
was imprudent i'll acting thus. Under
such circumstances TO introduce
stranger into the house where such inn
portant matters were IN hand on the
very eve of rising, of which the signal
might be sent Mt any moment, might
Eeem an act of strange imprudence.
But the Count had not acted thus with
out being obliged.
WING ,ooacco,,- tbo4 nj. ,arennol Of.
:airs should be put III order now that he
was about TO enter on n perilous adven.
.ure in which he risbed his life, or at
seast exile. if he was obliged to fly III the
event OF failure Besides the introduce
zion of stranger into Zathmar's house
appeared to him calculated TO prevent
cuspicion. He fancied that for some
days-and we know that he was not
inistaken-there had been spies in the
Acquedotta: spies no other than Sarcany
and Zirone. Were the police of Trieste
keeping their eyes on his friends and
him and their proceedings: Sandorf
might well think so and fear So IL the
meeting place OF the conspirators,
hitherto so obstinately kept hidden,
seemed to him to be suspected, what
better means of battling suspicion could
De devised than to admit within it an
accountant merely busying himself with
accounts ? How could the presence of q
clerk be dangerous 10 Zatmnar and his
guests? In no way. There was no
longer any Interchange of ciphered cor
respondence between Nir in and the
other towns of Hungary. III the papers
relating to the movement had been de-
gtroyed. There remained no written
trace of the conspiracy. The measures
, lad been taken; they were not intended
10 be taken Count Sandorf bad only
10 give the signal when the moment
arrived. So that the introduction Of q
clerk into the house, which the Govern.
ment might have under surveillance,
was calculated to allay all suspicion
That is to saw, the reasoning was just
and the precaution good. had the clerk
been any one else than Sarcany. and his
introducer any other than Silas Toron.
.hal
Sarcany was n pastmaste in duplic-
ity, and took full advantage of the
gifts he possessed his open face, his
frank, clear expression, and his honest.
straightforward look Count Sandorf
and his two companions could not but
be taken with him-and they were
taken with him. III no way did lie show
or learn that he was IN the presence OF
/, the chiefs of conspiracy to raise the
Hungarian race III revolt against the
Germans. Matthias Sandorf, Stephen
Bathory and IAdislas Zathmar seemed
at their meetings to he only occupied
with discussions on art and science.
There was no secret correspondence;
there were no mysterious comings and
goings about the house But Sarcany
knew what he wanted The chance he
wanted was sure TO come In turn. and he
waited for it.
In entering Zathmar's house Sarcany
had but one object in view--to possess
himself of the grating that would enable
him to deciphey the crypto2rpm, and as
no ciphered despatch arrived ut Trieste,
he began to ask himself it, for pruden-
tial reasons. the grating had been de-
stroyed? This would he rather annoy
ing for him, as all the scafiolding OF lila
scheme was based on his being able to
read the letter brought by the pigeon.
Thus, as he worked at pntting in or
der the accounts of Matthias Sandorf. LIS
kept his eyes open; he watched. he
spied. Admission to the room where
The meetings took place between Zath-
mar and his companions was not forbid
den him. Very often he worked there
all alone and then his eyes aud his fin.