Chapter XXIV—THE FRESH CAMPAIGN
IT was fortunate for my peace of mind in the hours which followed Helga’s arrest that I did not know a number of grim facts that afterwards came to my knowledge about Russian methods in dealing with certain classes of offenders.
Her case was bad enough at the best. Prince Kalkov was one of the most dangerous men in the Empire to have for an enemy; and that he was Helga’s bitter enemy he had shown already. Her secret attack had threatened his influence and position and had thus roused him to vigorous measures of self-defence.
As I recalled my last interview with him, I saw now that he had deliberately goaded me to passion and then let drop the hint of possible escape in order to drive me to make the attempt which he had planned to end fatally for me. And in thus goading me he had shown his hand against her so openly, because he believed I should not live to speak of it.
I thought I could see something more, too. He had not scrupled first to use the brotherhood for his own purposes against Helga, and then had swooped down upon them at the moment they were serving his end and had made the raid upon them. In this way he had probably calculated not only to demonstrate the vigilance of his agents but also to secure the silence of the men he had used, should anything compromising to him transpire.
As the result of that raid he had found that Helga had slipped through his net and had taken the papers with her; and had learnt from Drexel no doubt, that I had been with her at the house.
The hue and cry had followed which had led to the arrest of Helga and, as he had no doubt been informed, of myself as well.
The net had been cast wide and, as both the birds had seemingly been caught in its meshes, he would probably feel easy enough in mind.