Some minutes passed before the governor announced that the Colonel was waiting. My old friend went to the instrument.
“Is that Colonel Bremenhof? This is General von Eckerstein. I wish to know why, when the young Englishman, Robert Anstruther, was brought before you, you refused to allow him to communicate with the British Consul and with me, his friend? What’s that? That does not answer my question. By what right did you refuse? What’s that? I can’t hear you. Oh, your mouth is swollen and you can only speak with difficulty?”
This was for my benefit, I knew, and I would have smiled if Major Pruladoff hadn’t been frowning grimly at me.
“You can give me a direct answer all the same,” continued the General at the instrument. There was a pause, filled by the insistent buzz of the voice replying. “That is no reason. You know that, sir. What? Well, you can’t treat Englishmen like that. It will be my countryman’s turn next. But you had his papers. Very well, then, I am going now to the governor. Yes, of course I will, as for my own countryman, as my own son, in fact. Nonsense. What your men thought doesn’t touch the point of your refusal. You know that. Well, if you don’t think the thing had better be hushed up, there’s an end of it. Mr. Anstruther will communicate with the Consul here and wire to the Ambassador at Petersburg. What do you mean? Do you dare to try and make me a party to your illegal act? Then you shouldn’t suggest it. Certainly. If you don’t send down an order for his release I shall not exert any further influence to restrain Mr. Anstruther from using his unquestionable rights, and shall myself wire to the Minister of the Interior. An hour. No, sir, not five minutes. At once!” and the General hung up the receiver.
The telephone bell rang furiously.
“Just write a short note to Mr. Hardy, the Consul, Robert, and I’ll take it to him myself. He will at once communicate with Petersburg and in the meantime I’ll wire to the Minister. You’ll permit the letter to be written, Major?”
The bell was going all the time.
“I am in a difficult position, General,” replied the governor. “That is probably Colonel Bremenhof. Won’t you answer?”
“Certainly not. You’d better ask him if he persists in his refusal; and you may add it doesn’t matter, because I shall see Mr. Hardy.”
“The Colonel wishes to speak to you again, General,” said the Major from the instrument.