“I wish you earnestly, God-speed, and shall always be
“Your Friend,
“Robert Anstruther.”
I addressed this openly to Volna and gave it to my servant.
“I am going to trust you with a very important secret, Felsen,” I said as impressively and earnestly as I could. “The safety of the person to whom this is addressed may depend upon your good faith. I cannot go to the place myself, but I feel I can rely upon your doing all I look for from you in the matter.”
He answered with a hundred protestations of fidelity; and was so over-insistent that I was quite sure he meant to take the letter straight to Bremenhof, who would either hurry to the house himself or send to have Volna brought to him. He would thus find that I had given the right address and was apparently acting, as my letter implied, in reliance upon his word.
But as I was careful that Felsen did not leave my hotel until it was impossible for Bremenhof or his men to get to the Place of St. John before Volna had left to keep her appointment with me, I was risking nothing in giving away her real address.
As soon as he was gone I started to meet her. I found Burski in the hall of the hotel smoking a cigar and chatting with some other men.
I concluded that I was to be shadowed and that he was there to point me out to whoever might be detailed for the work.
“Ah, good-morning, Mr. Anstruther,” he said, coming up to me.
I stopped and returned his greeting. “What is the news? Is the trouble over?”