VIII.
THE DECISION.
In the morning I came down to breakfast without asking anybody's leave, and I looked at those two very hard. To see Eileen fresh and calm and smiling gave me the most intense relief, while, as for Tiel, he looked as cool and imperturbable as he always did—and I cannot put it stronger than that, for nothing more cool and imperturbable than Tiel ever breathed. In fact it could not have breathed, for it would have had to be a graven image.
He looked at me critically, but all he said was—
"If it wasn't too wet for your nice uniform, Belke, we might have had breakfast on the lawn."
"You are afraid some one may come and look in at this window?" I asked.
"On the whole there is rather more risk of that than of some one climbing up to look in at your bedroom window," said he.
"You think a great deal of risks," I observed.
"Yes," said he. "I am a nervous man."
Eileen laughed merrily, and I could not but confess that for once he had scored. I resolved not to give him the chance again. He then proceeded to draw the table towards one end of the room, pulled the nearest curtain part way across, and then locked the front door. But I made no comments this time.
At breakfast Eileen acted as hostess, and so charming and natural was she that the little cloud seemed to blow over, and we all three discussed our coming plan of attack on the fleet fully and quite freely. Tiel made several suggestions, which he said he had been discussing with Ashington, and, as they seemed extremely sound, I made notes of them and promised to lay them before Wiedermann.
When we had finished and had a smoke, Tiel rose and said he must go out "on parish business." I asked him what he meant, and learned to my amusement that in his capacity of the Rev. Alexander Burnett he had to attend a meeting of what he called the "kirk-session." We both laughed, and wished him good luck, and then before he left he said—
"You had better get back to your room, Belke. Remember we are here on business."
And with that he put on his black felt hat, and bade us lock the front door after him, and if anybody called, explain that it was to keep the wind from shaking it. I must say he thought of these small points very thoroughly.
The suggestion in his last words that I was placing something else before my duty stung me a little. I was not going to let Tiel see that they had any effect, but as soon as he had gone I rose and said to Eileen—
"It is quite clear that I ought to return to my room. I have notes to write up, and several things to do before to-night."
"Then you are really going to leave us to-night?" said she; "I am very sorry."
So was I. Indeed, the thought of leaving her—probably for ever—would have been bitter enough in any case, but to leave her alone with Tiel was maddening. It had troubled me greatly last night, yet the thought of remaining was one I did not really care to face.
"I fear I must," I replied, in a voice which must have revealed something of what I felt.
"Tiel told me you absolutely refused to listen to him when he wished you to remain."
"Oh no!" I cried. "That is putting it far too strongly. I offered to put the case to Commander Wiedermann, and then Tiel at once assumed I was going to leave him, and told me to say no more about it."
"Really! That is somewhat extraordinary!" she exclaimed in rather a low voice, as though she were much struck with this. She had been standing, and she sat as she spoke. I felt that she wished to go further into this matter, and I sat down again too.
"What is extraordinary about it?" I asked.
"Do you mean to say that Tiel didn't press you?"
"No," I said.
"Mr Belke," she said earnestly, "I know enough of the orders under which we are acting and the plans that Tiel has got to further, to be quite certain that you were intended to stay and assist him. It is most important."
"You are quite sure of this?"
"Absolutely."
"Then why did Tiel give up trying to persuade me so readily? Why didn't he try to use more authority?"
"I wonder," she said in a musing tone, and yet I could see from her eye that she had an idea.
"You know!" I exclaimed. "Tell me what is in your mind!"
Already I guessed, but I dared not put it into words.
"It is difficult to guess Tiel's motives—exactly," she said rather slowly.
I felt I had to say it outright.
"Are you his motive?" I demanded.
She looked at me quickly, but quite candidly.
"I scarcely like to say—or even think such a thing, but——"
She broke off, and I finished her sentence for her.
"But you know he admires you, and is not the man to stick at anything in order to get what he wants."
"Ah! Don't be unjust to him," she answered; and then in a different voice added, "But to think of his letting you go like that!"
"So it was to get rid of me, and have you alone here with him?"
"He must have had some motive," she admitted, "for you ought to stay."
"I shall stay!" I said.
She gave me her brightest smile.
"Really? Oh, how good of you! Or rather—how brave of you, for it is certainly running a risk."
If I had been decided before, I was doubly decided now.
"It is not the German navy's way to fear risks," I said. "It is my duty to stay—for two reasons—and I am going to stay!"
"And Commander Wiedermann?"
"I shall simply tell him I am under higher orders, given me by Herr Tiel."
"If you added that there is a second plan directed against the British navy, and that you are needed to advise on the details, it might help to convince Commander Wiedermann how essential your presence here is," she suggested.
"Yes," I agreed, "it would be well to mention that."
"Also," she said, "you would require to have all the details of this first plan so fully written out that he would not need to keep you to explain anything."
"You think of everything!" I cried with an admiration I made no pretence of concealing. "I shall go now and set to work."
"Do!" she cried, "and when Tiel comes in I shall tell him you are going to stay. I wonder what he will say!"
"I wonder too," said I. "But do you care what he says?"
"No," she replied, "because of course he won't say it. He will only think."
"Let him think!" I laughed.
I went back to my room in a strange state of exhilaration for a man who had just decided to forgo the thing he had most looked forward to, and run a horrible risk instead. For I felt in my bones that uniform or no uniform I should be shot if I were caught. I put little trust in English justice or clemency. But, as I said before, when I am obstinate, I am very obstinate; and I was firmly resolved that if Wiedermann wanted me back on board to-night, he would have to call a guard and carry me! However, acting on Eileen's suggestions, I had little doubt I should convince him. And thereupon I set to work on my notes. By evening I had everything so fully written out and so clearly explained that I felt I could say with a clear conscience that even my own presence at a council of war could add no further information.
In the course of the day I had a talk with Tiel, and, just as Eileen had anticipated, he left one to guess at what was in his mind. He certainly professed to be glad I had changed my mind, and he thanked me with every appearance of cordiality.
"You are doing the right thing, Belke," he said. "And, let me tell you, I appreciate your courage."
There was a ring of evident sincerity in his voice as he said this, and whatever I might think of the man's moral character, a compliment from Tiel on one's courage was not a thing to despise.
In the late afternoon he set out to obtain a motor-car for the evening's expedition, but through what ingenious machinery of lies he got it, I was too busy to inquire.
Finally, about ten o'clock at night we sat down to a little supper, my pockets bulging with my notes, and my cyclist's overalls lying ready to be donned once more.