CHAPTER XVI
Itwould have been impossible to choose a more suitable emissary than the Baron de Croiseuil for the task of dealing with John Gaunt, for he was an astute diplomatist, and entirely devoid of scruples. During the last few years there had grown up in Belgium a group of men whose prosperity was solely due to the Congo. Many of them had spent varying periods of time in that country, and had returned without the sense of honor which they may once have possessed.
When Gaunt first went to West Africa, the Baron was a high official of the Free State, and he was mainly responsible for the carrying out of the late King’s decree that rubber must be got, and that the method of obtaining it need not be considered. It was a congenial task, for as he made money for his master, so did he line his own pockets, and the time came when he could return to Belgium a man of wealth, and covered with the honors that the King delighted to confer upon those who had succeeded in sending to him the millions which he needed for the pursuit of his life of vice.
But when Baron de Croiseuil arrived home he was not allowed to remain idle for long, and his services were utilized to stifle the cry for reform that was just beginning to be heard in England, and the United States, and right well did he carry out the duties.
The death of the King had come at an opportune moment,for it would give the Belgian rule of the Congo a fresh lease of life, and there would be no necessity to change their methods, for it would be a simple matter to answer criticisms by saying that, now there was a new king, conditions would be improved, provided that time was allowed to bring about the necessary reforms. And all the time there was no intention to relax the rigor of their rule, but rather to force the natives to work the harder, so that the harvest might be garnered, before Europe awoke to the fact that it had been cleverly hoodwinked.
All was peace and contentment in Brussels, for each ship brought its increasing cargo of rubber and the demand for reform had almost ceased; until the big meeting took place in which Gaunt had made so dramatic an appearance.
The Baron immediately realized the seriousness of the situation, for naturally the words of a man, who had been one of the first to exploit the Congo, would carry great weight. A hurried meeting took place in Brussels, and as a consequence De Croiseuil came to England with an entirely free hand, and practically an unlimited purse.
It was with great interest that he had attended the meeting, and his amazement was great when he listened to Gaunt’s speech.
“He speaks like an honest man,” had been his thought.
And so he had entered the library without any confidence that he could succeed in influencing John Gaunt, but he was determined to leave no stone unturned.
“You can do your worst. I defy you,” Gaunt repeated harshly.
There was an evil light in the Baron’s eyes, but he spoke calmly and slowly, pronouncing each word with great distinctness.
“I think that you will change your decision,mon ami. If not for your own sake, for your wife’s. May I suggest that you do not enjoy the best of reputations in your own country. You have made many enemies, who will be only too glad to seize any opportunity of doing you an injury, and there are many vulnerable places in your armor. It may be necessary that I should join hands with your enemies, and one in particular. By a happy chance I know Mr. Julian Weiss; we have had business deals together, and he is a man who never forgets an injury. Forgive me, Gaunt. This conversation is extremely unpleasant to me personally, and I would gladly drop it if you would only say one little word.”
“I have given you my answer,” Gaunt said gravely.
“Still, I do not despair of making you change your mind. This littledossiercontains other details of your life in the Congo. Of course it is a savage country, and one doesn’t expect our domestic fireside morals to prevail, but——”
He stopped and shrugged his shoulders expressively, while his face bore a deprecating smile.
“Lady Mildred is a charming woman, and I am proud to number her among my acquaintances. I propose to cultivate my acquaintanceship with her. It would be deplorable if I am compelled to let her know something of the kind of life you led in the Free State.”
Gaunt’s face had grown very white, and he required all his strength of will to keep back a flow of contemptuous words.
“My patience is exhausted, and I think——”
He ceased speaking and turned round quickly, for the door had opened.
“I am sorry to disturb you. I thought you were alone,” Edward Drake, for it was he who entered, said apologetically.
“Don’t go away, Drake, for I should like to introduce you to the Baron de Croiseuil, whose name you probably know,” John said quietly.
The Baron bowed, and Drake returned the salutation, but his manner was frigid, for he was only too well acquainted with the part that this smiling Belgian had played in the Congo.
“The Baron has come to England to try and silence me and he has told me pretty plainly what the consequences will be if I refuse to be silenced,” John Gaunt said grimly.
“I think it would be wiser that our business should not be discussed before a third party. This gentleman has the air of a priest, and I will leave him to give you good advice.Bon soir, messieurs.”
He bowed very politely, and walked to the door.
“I will give you till the morning for consideration. I am staying at the Ritz, and you will find me there till midday.”
The Baron smiled pleasantly, and it was not until he had entered the motor-car that was awaiting him, that he permitted the mask to fall from his face. It was now evident that all his resources would be needed to compel Gaunt to hold his tongue, and he was not at all sure that he would ultimately succeed. But he was an astute judge of human nature, and rather imagined that Gaunt’sone weak spot lay on his wife, and so he determined to turn his attention to Lady Mildred.
In the hall of the Ritz Hotel he found a gentleman waiting him, who rose to greet him.
“Good-evening, Sherren. I am sorry to be late, but it was unavoidable. Will you come up to my sitting-room?” the Baron said politely.
Charles Sherren was an insignificant little man who would have been quite unnoticeable had it not been for his eyes, which were remarkably intelligent. Well known in Fleet Street, but unattached to any newspaper, he was reported to make a good income, for he had been successful in one or two brilliant journalistic coups, that had brought him into prominence. An accomplished linguist, no one knew his real nationality, although many called him a Jew, a statement which he vigorously resented, in spite of his rather Semitic type of features.
To the Baron he had always proved a reliable tool, and had carried out the delicate instructions he was wont to receive with great skill. Sherren was responsible for the many reassuring statements that had appeared in the papers concerning the state of affairs in the Congo, and it was owing to his adroitness that editors had never suspected that their papers were being used by the Congo Press Bureau. In fact his name had never been publicly connected with the Free State, and on that account his services were likely to prove of all the greater value.
“I have just come from Gaunt,” the Baron remarked, when they were seated in his room.
“Were you successful?” Sherren asked eagerly.
“Quite the reverse, and now I shall require you to carry out my little programme. As a matter of fact I have given him till twelve o’clock to-morrow to climb down, but I have little hope that he will do so. I want you to understand that this man must be crushed at once, for he is doing us incalculable harm. It requires but an entente between England and Germany to cause the Powers to intervene. In spite of all our efforts, reports continue to come from the Congo, and if this campaign is continued, the British people may take it into their stupid heads to run riot as they did in the case of the Armenian atrocities. It needs but another Gladstone to rouse them, and this man Gaunt is a born orator. In fact I must admit that I myself was rather moved by what he said to-night,” the Baron wound up cynically.
“I cannot rush the matter. It is a difficult business to use the newspapers for private interests, and the greatest tact is necessary. Fortunately for us, Gaunt’s financial reputation is none of the best, and I know one or two people who are anxious to get at him,” Sherren said reflectively.
“Particularly Julian Weiss,” the Baron said significantly.
“Yes, over their Amanti deal. But unfortunately Weiss is equally involved with Gaunt. In fact I think that he was the prime mover in the swindle. The man who forged the cable is on his way back to England, and arrives in a day or two. I will see him, and it may be possible to bring the matter up.”
“There is no necessity to do that. It will be sufficient to place me in a position to threaten Gaunt. I only want the evidence,” De Croiseuil said quickly.
“I will do my best to get it, but it may prove costly.”
“Carte blanche,” the Baron replied laconically.
“That will certainly make things easier. But I fear that you have a difficult task before you, for Gaunt is the very devil. I know, for I tried a little bout with him once upon a time and I came off second best,” Sherren remarked with a rueful smile.
“Yes, he is a strong man, but so am I.”
“May I ask what you intend to do if threats are of no avail?”
“Carry out the threats and blacken his character in every way, for that will naturally discount the value of what he says. The public are not yet convinced that the man is honest in what he is doing.” The Baron paused for a moment, and then continued reflectively, “I wonder if it would be possible to accuse him of blackmail. It might be believed that he was taking this line to force money out of us.”
“But Gaunt is a millionaire, and such a charge would rebound upon yourself.”
“I see what you mean, and it is a card that I must keep in reserve for it is a risky one to play. By the bye, have you any idea of the relations which exist between Gaunt and his wife? What does gossip say?” the Baron asked casually.
“That she married him for his money. As to Gaunt, I have heard that he acted like a madman when it was thought that his wife would die. I can’t tell you more than that.”
“Lady Mildred gave me the impression of being a very proud woman. I wonder if she has much influence with her husband?”
“It is hard to say,” Sherren said doubtfully.
“But I should imagine that she would loathe the idea of any scandal. And he is in love with her, you say? Well, I cannot decry his taste, for she is very beautiful, but cold—cold. Ah, these English women, I can’t understand them. To be loved by them is bliss, but to love—that is another matter.”
And the Baron was supposed to have a very complete knowledge of the feminine sex, if rumor spoke truly. He sighed wearily as he lighted another cigarette.
“Start work on the lines I have suggested, and come to see me to-morrow night. Until then you are to do nothing definite. Good-night.”
Sherren held out his hand which the Baron took for just a moment, and then left.
“The man is a little reptile but he is useful,” De Croiseuil remarked, and then he took a handkerchief from his pocket with which he carefully wiped the hand that had touched Sherren.
“I wonder what is Gaunt’s motive?” he said aloud, and when he fell asleep, he had found no answer to the question.