The Portland daily press., 1898-04-21
BY WILLIAM LIE QUEUx,
(Chapter XXIv.)
STRICTLY CoNFID ENTAIL.

The early morning was dry, frosty, but
starless. The clock of that fashionable
temple of Hymen, ST.. Georges. Hanover
Square, was slowly Ginning three as I
alighted from a cab at the corner of
Mount street, and walking along Berke-
ley Square, asceuded the steps of the Earl
of Warnnam's great mansion, and rang
its ponderous bsll The place was severe
and gloomy enough by day but in the
silence and darkness of the night its ex-
terror presented a forbidding, almost
ghostly appearance. 1t was an unusual
hour for call, but, knowing that a
porter was on duty always, and that dis
patches frequently arrived during the
night, l had no hesitation in seeking an
interview.
In a few moments there was grating
sound of bolts drawn back, clanking of
chains, and the heavy door was slowly
opened by the sleepy man, who, with a
word of recognition, at once admitted me.
Walking across the great square hall
warmed by a huge roaring fire, passed
down the passage to the Earl's study and
raped at the door, receiving an impa-
tent PERMISSION to enter.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs was
sitting at his table where I had left him,
with an empty tea cup at his side, resting
his pale weary brow upon his hand and
writing dispatches rapidly with his
6CFdUCuy Qulll. Ills uf0 was nearly OUT,
the pair of candles in their heavy old
fashioned silver candlesticks that stood
upon his writing table had burned down
almost to the sockets, and the strong
smell of burnt paper that pervaded the
book-lined den, showed that, with his in
nate cautiousness, he had destroyed docu-
ments that he did not desire should be
seen by other eyes.
The world renowned statesman raised
iG hood a c I GOV ant 10 To-
grunt Of dissatisfaction, and continued
writing at topmost speed. saw I was
unwelcome, but we'll acquainted with his
mapnerism and eccentricities, walked to
the fire, added more fuel, and waited in
patience until he had finished.
''Well,' he snarled, casting his pen, i'm
patiently, and turning upon me at last.
that I do not desire interruption when at
work.
81 should not have ventured to come at
this hour said, "were it not that the
news I bring is of extreme importance. !"
He sighed, as was his habit when ex-
pecting further complications.
"What is its nature?" he asked, coldly,
leaning back in his chair. Abandon
preliminaries, please, and come to the
point. What is it?"
81 have recovered the original of our
secret convention with Germany" I
answered in as quiet tone as l could as
sumo. e
"You haver' he cried e1citedly, start
ing up. "You are quite right to seek me
at once-quite right. Where did you OBJ
tain it?'' he inquired.
Slowly I drew forth the precious docu-
ment from my pocket, and handed it to
him, still in the envelope that bore my
own mark, with the remains of his
broken seal. He took it eagerly and bent
to the candles to examine it more closely.
A few seconds sufficed to assure him that
the document was the genuine one.
sit is fortunate that this has returned
into our possession" he observed, his
thin blue lips quivering slightly. 81
feared that it had already passed beyo nd
our reach, AND that one day or othsr in
thess..near future our policy must be
narrowed by the knowledge that it was
preserved in the archives of the Foreign
Office at Petersburg and could be used as
pretence for a declaration of war by
Russia and France. Now, however, that
the original is again in our possession we
can disclaim all copies, and give assur-
ances that no secret understanding exists
between us and Berlin. The only fact
that at present lends colour to ths asser-
tion of the boulevard journals is the ILL
timed bestowal of the Iron Cross upon
Count Landsfeldt. Such an action was
characteristic of their hot-headed En-
peror. Then, after a second S reflection,
he added, "Just sit down, Decides, and
write to Sir Philip Emden at Berlin, ask
ing him to obtain audience Immediately
of the Kaiser, point out the harmful i'm
preston this decoration has occasioned,
and get his Majesty to exhibit his marked
displeasure towards LandsfeIdt in some
form or other. That will remove any
suspicious that the convention is actually
au accomplished fact. Besides, you may
hint also that it may be well for the re-
lations between the Kaiser and Sir
Philip to appear slightly strained, and
that this fact should be communicated in
directly to the press. Sit down and
write at once; it must be sent under fly
ing seal
obeyed, and com menced writing q
formal dispatch while, in answer TO the
electric bell rung by his lordship, the
sleepy night-porter appeared.
Calvert" exclaimed the Minister.
Teleph one to the Foreign Office and say
proceed to Berlin by the morning mall.
"Yes, M lord,'' answered the man,
bowling and closing the door.
While ! wrote, the Earl perused the
document, the lossiof which had caused the
Cabinets of Europe so much app rehen.
sion, and taking his magnifying glass he
examined the portions of the seal still re-
4Aie'ttti4Ss 4D0ll ChlCAQ1ly uulOChlu& Ouo
of the small private drawers in the top of
the great writing table, he took therefrom
some object, and gazed upon it long and
earnestly. With heavy sigh he again
replaced it, and slowly locked the drawer.
When 1 had finished and placed the in
structions to Sir Philip Emden before
him, he took up his quill, corrected my
letter, here and there adding an emphatic
word or two, and then appended his sig
nature. Obtaining one of the bags used
for the transmission of single dispatches
/ deposited it therein, sealed it, and
placed upon it one of those labels with a
cross drawn upon its face, the signitica.
ton of that mark being that it is never
to be lost sight of by the messenger
There are two kinds of bags sent out and
received by the Foreign Office, one with
this cross-marked label, and the other
without it. The latter are generally
larger and less important, and may be
placed with the messengers luggage. 1t
is no pleasant life our messengers lead,
liable as they are to be summoned at an
hours notice to proceed at once" to any.
where, from Brussels to Teheran. Armed
with 'laissez-passer' they are constant
" hurrying over the face of Europe as
fast as the fastest expresses can carry
thex2, passing through the frontier sta.
tions freed from the troublesome concom-
- f-f i III