Okewood of the Secret Service [37]
Frenchman threw his hands above his head.
"Escaped, escaped? Ah, oui, par exemple, in a German Staff car. As I have told my colleague here," he went on, addressing the Admiral, "she escaped to Metz, the headquarters of the Army Group commanded by the... the... how do you say? the Prince Imperial?"
"The Crown Prince," rectified the Chief.
"Ah, oui,--the Crown Prince. Messieurs, we have absolute testimony that this woman lived for nearly two years either in Metz or Berlin, and further, that at Metz, the Crown Prince was a constant visitor at her house. She was one of the ladies who nearly precipitated a definite rupture between the Crown Prince and his wife. Mon Admiral," he went on, addressing the First Sea Lord again, that this woman should be at large is a direct menace to the security of this country and of mine. It is only this morning that I at length received from Paris the facts which I have just laid before you. It is for you to order your action accordingly!"
The little Frenchman folded his arms pompously and gazed at the ceiling.
"How does she explain her movements prior to her coming to this country" the First Sea Lord asked the Chief.
For an answer the Chief pressed the bell.
"Samuel, who engaged her, is outside. You shall hear her story from him," he said.
Samuel entered, exuding business acumen, prosperity, geniality. He nodded brightly to the Chief and stood expectant.
"Ah, Mr. Samuel," said the Chief, " I wanted to see you about Nur-el-Din. You remember our former conversation on the subject. Where did she say she went to when she escaped to Brussels?"
"First to Ostend," replied the music-hall proprietor, "and then, when the general exodus took place from there, to her mother's country place near Lyons, a village called Sermoise-aux-Roses."
"And what did she say her mother's name was?"
"Madame Blondinet, sir!"
The Frenchman rapped smartly on a little pocketbook which he had produced and now held open in his hand.
"There, is a Madame Blondinet who has a large farm near Sermoise-aux-Roses," he said, "and she has a daughter called Marcelle, who went to America."
"Why then...?" began the First Sea Lord.
"Attendez un instant!"
The Colonel held up a plump hand.
"Unfortunately for Madame Nur-el-Din, this Marcelle Blondinet spent the whole of her childhood, in fact, the whole of her life until she was nineteen years of age, on her mother's farm at a time when this Marcelle Blondinet was touring Europe with The Seven Duponts. The evidence is absolute. Mademoiselle here heard the dancer herself confirm it last night!"
"Thank you, Mr. Samuel," said the Chief, "we shan't require you any more. But I'm afraid your Nur-el-Din will have to break her contract with you."
"She's done that already, sir!" said Samuel ruefully.
The Chief sprang to his feet excitedly.
"Broken it already?" he cried. "What do you mean? Explain yourself! Don't stand there staring at me!"
Mr. Samuel looked startled out of his life.
"There was a bit of a row between her and the stage manager last night about her keeping the stage waiting again," he said; "and after lunch today she rang up to say she would not appear at the Palaceum to-night or any more at all! It's very upsetting for us; and I don't mind telling you, gentlemen, that I've been to my solicitors about it..."
"And why the blazes didn't you come and tell me?" demanded the Chief furiously.
"Well, sir, I thought it was only a bit of pique on her part, and I hoped to be able to talk the lady round. I know what these stars are!"
"You've seen her then?" the Chief snapped out.
"No, I haven't!" Mr. Samuel lamented. "I've been twice to the Nineveh--that's where she's stopping--and each time she was out!"
The Chief dismissed him curtly.
When the door had closed behind him, the Chief said to the First Sea Lord:
"This is where D.O.R.A. steps in, I think, sir!"
"Decidedly!" replied the Admiral. "Will you take the necessary steps"
The Chief nodded and pressed the bell. Matthews appeared.
"Anything from
"Escaped, escaped? Ah, oui, par exemple, in a German Staff car. As I have told my colleague here," he went on, addressing the Admiral, "she escaped to Metz, the headquarters of the Army Group commanded by the... the... how do you say? the Prince Imperial?"
"The Crown Prince," rectified the Chief.
"Ah, oui,--the Crown Prince. Messieurs, we have absolute testimony that this woman lived for nearly two years either in Metz or Berlin, and further, that at Metz, the Crown Prince was a constant visitor at her house. She was one of the ladies who nearly precipitated a definite rupture between the Crown Prince and his wife. Mon Admiral," he went on, addressing the First Sea Lord again, that this woman should be at large is a direct menace to the security of this country and of mine. It is only this morning that I at length received from Paris the facts which I have just laid before you. It is for you to order your action accordingly!"
The little Frenchman folded his arms pompously and gazed at the ceiling.
"How does she explain her movements prior to her coming to this country" the First Sea Lord asked the Chief.
For an answer the Chief pressed the bell.
"Samuel, who engaged her, is outside. You shall hear her story from him," he said.
Samuel entered, exuding business acumen, prosperity, geniality. He nodded brightly to the Chief and stood expectant.
"Ah, Mr. Samuel," said the Chief, " I wanted to see you about Nur-el-Din. You remember our former conversation on the subject. Where did she say she went to when she escaped to Brussels?"
"First to Ostend," replied the music-hall proprietor, "and then, when the general exodus took place from there, to her mother's country place near Lyons, a village called Sermoise-aux-Roses."
"And what did she say her mother's name was?"
"Madame Blondinet, sir!"
The Frenchman rapped smartly on a little pocketbook which he had produced and now held open in his hand.
"There, is a Madame Blondinet who has a large farm near Sermoise-aux-Roses," he said, "and she has a daughter called Marcelle, who went to America."
"Why then...?" began the First Sea Lord.
"Attendez un instant!"
The Colonel held up a plump hand.
"Unfortunately for Madame Nur-el-Din, this Marcelle Blondinet spent the whole of her childhood, in fact, the whole of her life until she was nineteen years of age, on her mother's farm at a time when this Marcelle Blondinet was touring Europe with The Seven Duponts. The evidence is absolute. Mademoiselle here heard the dancer herself confirm it last night!"
"Thank you, Mr. Samuel," said the Chief, "we shan't require you any more. But I'm afraid your Nur-el-Din will have to break her contract with you."
"She's done that already, sir!" said Samuel ruefully.
The Chief sprang to his feet excitedly.
"Broken it already?" he cried. "What do you mean? Explain yourself! Don't stand there staring at me!"
Mr. Samuel looked startled out of his life.
"There was a bit of a row between her and the stage manager last night about her keeping the stage waiting again," he said; "and after lunch today she rang up to say she would not appear at the Palaceum to-night or any more at all! It's very upsetting for us; and I don't mind telling you, gentlemen, that I've been to my solicitors about it..."
"And why the blazes didn't you come and tell me?" demanded the Chief furiously.
"Well, sir, I thought it was only a bit of pique on her part, and I hoped to be able to talk the lady round. I know what these stars are!"
"You've seen her then?" the Chief snapped out.
"No, I haven't!" Mr. Samuel lamented. "I've been twice to the Nineveh--that's where she's stopping--and each time she was out!"
The Chief dismissed him curtly.
When the door had closed behind him, the Chief said to the First Sea Lord:
"This is where D.O.R.A. steps in, I think, sir!"
"Decidedly!" replied the Admiral. "Will you take the necessary steps"
The Chief nodded and pressed the bell. Matthews appeared.
"Anything from