The Man Without a Memory Part 15

"I don't care a curse about pleasantness or unpleasantness. When I want a thing, I have it. And what I want now is that English girl at the von Reblings', and you'd better be careful not to get in my way about it."

"How am I likely to be in your way?"

"Because you're a relative of the von Reblings, my friend, and you're going to marry the fair Rosa, whom, by the way, I can tell you as an old hand you'll find a handful. But she likes the English girl and will try to influence you, and if I know her, as I certainly do, she'll succeed, if I don't stop it."

"Stop it? How?"

"By showing you on which side your bread has the b.u.t.ter. Now look here.

I know a heap about you; quite enough to queer your pitch with the von Reblings and put an end to your engagement and lose you the coin on which you're counting. All this rot about a loss of memory is just----"

and he waved his cigar in the air to emphasize his meaning.

"What do you know about me?"

"Oh, don't try that fool's game on me."

"But I should be intensely interested in the story. I'm itching to know all about myself," I persisted, seeing how this line provoked him.

"Where did you go from Gottingen, my young friend?" he asked with a meaning nod, as if the question would confound me.

"How the devil do I know?"

"You went to Hanover. You know that perfectly well."

"Did I? And do I? You're getting me regularly mixed, you know." I was delighted to see that he was fast losing his temper.

"You did. And when you were there you had a friend, who called himself Gossen; but was in reality a Frenchman, named Gaudet. Don't say you don't remember, because it will be a lie," he snarled.

"That's an ugly word, von Erstein."

"And the whole thing was an ugly business. He was a spy and wanted some secrets; you were able to find them out; and you were suddenly found to be in possession of a big sum of money. How did you get it?"

"Honestly, I hope," I answered with intentional flippancy.

"How did you get it? And how did you get the information, too? That's the question; and if you won't answer it, I can. But you'd better not force me to open my lips."

"I'm beginning to get awfully interested. Like a story, isn't it?" and I laughed.

"You'd better laugh while you can," he rapped, swearing viciously.

"Of course you mean I sold the information to the Frenchman and that that accounts for my having that sudden money."

"I not only mean it, I can prove it. Prove it, do you understand that?"

I gave him another grin and shook my head. "Some one's been pulling your leg, von Erstein. The whole thing's just bosh."

"It's no good, La.s.sen. I've got you here;" and he held out his hand and clenched it. "Here! And no wriggling humbug about loss of memory will help you to get out."

"I must be an infernal blackguard, then."

"That's the truest thing you've said since you came. It's just what you are; and the von Reblings ought to know it."

"You haven't told me how I got that valuable information yet. I should like to know that."

"If you'll let that lost memory of yours wake up for a second, just long enough to remember the name of Anna Hilden, you'll know all about it without a word from me." His sneering suggestive tone clearly showed that this was one of his trump cards, and he fixed his eyes on me, keenly watching for the effect.

"But my memory won't oblige me by waking up, you see. Had she anything to do with it?"

"To the devil with all your pretended innocence! You know she had, and that you induced her to worm it out of the man she was to have married, if you hadn't come in the road; just as you're trying now with me," he cried, scowling at me threateningly. "But you've got a man to deal with this time, not a woman, and the wrong sort of man too."

I dropped the bantering tone and answered seriously. "Of course all you say may be the gospel truth, but I give you my word that I haven't the faintest recollection of anything you've mentioned."

He laughed scornfully. "That's a lie," he growled with an oath.

I had had more than enough and I got up. "If this weren't your own place, I'd cram that word down your throat; and the next time we meet, wherever it is, I'll do it," I told him.

He seemed to understand that I meant it, and a change came over his face. "I'll take that back," he muttered. "Sit down again."

I didn't sit down, but I stopped. Either he was as arrant a coward as such a brute was likely to be and I had scared him, or some thought had struck him which accounted for the change.

He let his cigar drop; made a to-do in finding it, pitching it away, and lighting another; and it was an easy guess that all this was to gain time. Then he sat thinking, fiddling nervously with a very singular ring he wore on his middle finger. He saw me looking at it and, no doubt to get a little more time to think, he spoke of it.

"You're looking at this," he said, holding up the hand. I nodded, and he drew it off and handed it me. "It's a puzzle ring I picked up in China," he explained, showing how it was really a little chain of rings which fitted very ingeniously to form a single ring.

I examined it and, still to gain time, he told me to try and put it together. I did try and failed, and when he had thought out his problem, he took it back and showed me the fitting.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper just now, La.s.sen," he said in a very different tone from his former angry one. "It's always a fool's game.

But I did really believe you were shamming about your memory. What I told you about the Hanover business is quite true, however, and the fact that you don't remember it, wouldn't make an atom of difference with our people. But now, what about the English girl?"

I hesitated a second and then resumed my seat. "I'm willing to listen to you," I said; and he couldn't keep the satisfaction out of his fat, tell-tale face. He reckoned that he had frightened me, of course.

"What are you going to do about her?" was his next question.

"What _you_ want to do is the point, man."

"She's a spy and ought to be interned."

"And why are you so keen about that? You said a little while back that you wanted her; how's the internment going to help you there?"

"She'd be sent to Krustadt and the Commandant---- Never mind; you can leave the rest to me. You won't know anything."

I couldn't trust myself to speak for a time, I was so furious at the suggestiveness of the leering brute's words and manner. But there was probably more to learn yet, so I choked down my rage and at last even forced myself to nod and smile meaningly. "And my part?" I asked.

"Two things; both easy enough. Old Gratz has shoved a spoke in the wheel so far, curse him, and as you're in the house you can tell him you know I'm right that she is a spy and you can give him proofs."

"Proofs?" I echoed, with a start.

"I said proofs, didn't I? I'll give you some papers and you can plant one or two on her and give the rest to him saying you've found them in her room or somewhere. He'll be obliged to order a search then, and that'll do the trick."