The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-09
nv WILLIAM LIE QuEUx,
WILLIAM LIE QUEUX.

WILLIAM LIE QUEUA.
along Threadneedle street, sought the
shady side, for the sun was still powerful.
So hot indeed was the season that general
permission had been granted everywhere
in the city to wear the jacket suit and
straw headgear reminiscent of Margate,
in place of the conventional silk hat and
frock coat. Although in the West tho
house were mostly closed, and thousands
were absent in the country and by the sea
the great turbulent, bustling crowd that
constitutes business London showed no
sign Of inactivity or decrease as, accom-
panied by my wife and Sonia, l walked
up Old Broad street to that pile of offices
known as Winchester House, through the
swinging doors of which passed O con-
slant stream of hurrying clerks.
BY the lift we assembled to the second
floor, and then passed down long CORR
dor to a door on viii Oh was inscribed the
name of "Mr. Andrew Beck" We en-
tered large office Of business-like aspect
wher some dozen clerk were busy writ
ing, and were informed that their princi-
pal although absent, would return in q
few minutes, therefore we decided to
wait and were ushered into comfortable
private room, one door of which opened
onto the corridor.
Scarcely had We been seated few
moments when the click of ch-key
WhS ucstfu AL tll0 uODE, anu lily IrlouQ
Beck entered. He was well-dressed as
usual with green tinted carnation in
his button-hole, and a glossy hat with
brim of the latest curl stuck trifle rak-
ishly upon his head. The instant he con-
fronted us the light died out Of his face.
He drew himself up with quick look
OF suspicion, while from his lips heret es-
capped muttered imprecation. Without
further ado he turned on his heel, as if
preparing to make a hurried exit, but in
a moment Sonia, detecting his intention,
sprang towards the door and prevented
him.
"Well?'' he asked, with sorry endeav-
our to remain cool, "Why are you all
hereP This Is an unexpected pleasure,
l assure ycu.'
1t was Sonia who, standing before him
with dark, flashing eyes, answered in a
tone of fierce hatred and con tempt
81 have come, Andrew, to present my
congratulations upon your forthcoming
marriage" she said, with her. pronounced
foreign accent.
They could have been conveyed by a
penny stamp" he retorted jmpatiently.
"You taunt me. do your" she cried in
a towering passion. "You, the cunnin g.
cowardly spy whom 1 shielded because
you professed love for me. Had spoken
long ago you would have met with your
deserts, either at the hands of the Mini
AAopSf VI hV onOsO vi JuoUlCo. AtbllOu&u my
self a criminal yearned for love, and
foolishly believing that you cared for me,
preserved the secret of your guilt, allow
ing you to wreck the happiness of
Godfrey Decides, the man who twice
proved my friend, and Of Elizaveta, the
only honest woman who ever spoke
kindly TO me or endea 7oured to induce me
to reform. Because you were chief of the
Cars spies and I was notorious, with
plenty of money always at command you
imagined that you held me irreyocably.
Well for time you did. Your false pro-
testations of affection caused me to refrain
from exposing your base, cunning, and
heartless infamy. 1t was you. with your
renegade underling Renouf, who contriyed
to get me introduced to Elizaveta in order
to further your own ends; but it was
You also, who fearing that might make
some ugly revelations, made unfounded
allegations against me to General Sekerz-
hinski and informed him of my where
abouts, SO that was compelled to fly
from Pembroke Road and seek shelter
where I could
His eyes were fixed upon her with look
of fierce hatred, and he muttered some in
coherent words between his teeth.
Eyes, she went on, defiantly 81
know you are anxious to close my lips
because of the startling disclosures 1T is
within my power to make. The Depart.
ment in Petersburg have in you keen,
cunning spy, but when it becomes known
through England that Andrew Beck, the
popular Member for West Rutlandshire,
is in the pay of the Russian Government
do you anticipate that you will still oc-
cupy your seat in the House of Commons,
or at the Committee you have so ingen-
iously obtained for the investigation of
the strength Of England's defencesP"
He started. His face was ashen pale;
his cigar dropped from his nerveless.
trembling fingers.
"Geoffrey, :" she went on, "has already
heard from Elizaveta how cleverly you
tricked her, and with what bastard
knavishness you compelled her to insti
gate the theft of the Secret Convention.
She"
"Then the world shall know that the
Grand Duchess Elizaveta Nicolayevna is
in the secret seryicel' he cried fercely.
''She has betrayed her country, and her
kinsman, the Emperor"
Sonia, smiling in contempt, said:
1.-The denunciation will be your own
condemnation.
"Why9 What have to lose?' he asked
Indignantly.
your life. The police have not yet
forgotten the tragedy at the Nook.
he glared at her open mouthed.
Perhaps it may be we'll at this mo-
| ment to recall some facts that you may
nave IounQ convenient to forget, she
went on ruthlessly, while I, standing
beside Ella, drank in eagerly every word.
You will remember where you reduced
the stolen document to cipher, initiating
Dudley handwriting ON the telegraph
forms. 1t was at my house. The envelope
containing the agreement had been open
cd in the cabinet noir' at the Embassy,
the intention being to replace it at the
Foreign Office But it was I who broke
the seal In yoar hurry you left the docu-
ment behind, and even when you returned
two hours later your mind WAS SO full of
other things that you did not remember
1T; so gummed down the cut edges and
sent it afterwards to Elizaveta. When
you came the md time you had with
you pair Of mans gloves Whose they
were knew not, but you got me to sew
inside the index finger of the left hand a
tiny jagged splinter of glass, and upon
that glass, when you thought I did not
observe you, you smeared some of that
fluid THAI Ruyandez, the Haytian mer-
chant, had given me long ago. That poison
| kept locked away in small cabinet,
but many months before had shown it
to you and explained that it was some of
that used by the Obeah men, and so rapid
WAS if in affpct, hot ono Ell dror, xuor1 Ia