“One word. You are earning your life; understand that. Attempt any treachery and——” I left the sentence unfinished.
“I’ll do it,” he agreed. “Anything. Anything.”
Volna fetched some writing materials and while Bremenhof wrote the order, I conferred with Ladislas and settled the details of the plan.
We dared not stay longer in that house because the police would soon be back in great force to Bremenhof’s rescue; and Ladislas named a place to which we could take him. But we could not have Madame Drakona brought to the same place, because Burski would in that event take the police with her. We arranged, therefore, that Madame Drakona should be taken to her own house.
Moreover, as the kernel of everything was to prevent Volna’s arrest, she could not go home to receive her mother; but that difficulty the telephone solved for us. We settled to wait at the place to which Ladislas would take us until a telephone message from the Drakonas’ house assured us that Madame Drakona was there and alone.
When the order was ready I fetched Burski. Bremenhof gave him his instructions, and I said enough to convince them both that Bremenhof’s safety depended entirely upon their keeping faith with us.
Ladislas then explained matters to the leaders of the mob. The crowd had meanwhile decreased in numbers, and those who remained were induced to disperse.
A carriage was fetched and we four started, leaving Burski in charge of a couple of the men who had come with Ladislas, to be dispatched on his errand as soon as our carriage was out of sight.
We had done well so far; but there was still much to do. A slight check to the plans at any moment might mean the ruin of everything. If the luck lasted, we should win, and only complete success could justify the desperate move I had taken.
Would the luck last?