Who Goes There!Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
General
Who Goes There!
Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
"Yes. I'll go to the kitchen with you while you are doing it. There are
several things to say and the time is short."
She led the way; he opened the kitchen shutters and let in the sunshine,
then stood a moment watching her as she moved about the place with
graceful celerity, preparing cocoa over an alcohol lamp, buttering a
roll or two and fetching cup, plate, spoon and marmalade.
"Have you breakfasted?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder.
"Yes--it is very good of you----"
"There will be plenty of cocoa and rolls--if you care for them. The
rolls are yesterday's and not fresh."
She poured the cocoa in two cups and looked at him again in grave
invitation.
"You are sure there is plenty?" he asked, smilingly.
"Plenty."
"Then--I do seem to be rather hungry."
He drew a chair for her; she seated herself and ate with a youthful
appetite. He drank his cocoa, ate his rolls, and tried not to look at
her too often.
"This is why I am here," he said. "I saw General Baron von Reiter four
days ago under somewhat extraordinary circumstances.
"He told me that since the war broke out he had not been able to
communicate directly with you or to get you out of England, and he asked
me to find you and bring you to his estate at Trois Fontaines in
Luxembourg."
"To Quellenheim?" she asked, surprised and disturbed. "Is he there?"
"No, he is with a field army, and he does not know where orders from
staff headquarters may send him."
"Still," she said, hesitating, "I should think that he might wish me to
go to Silesia----"
"Silesia is threatened by the Russian army."
"Silesia!" she repeated, incredulously. "Cossacks in Silesia?" She sat,
her cup of cocoa half raised to her lips, her surprised and disconcerted
eyes on his. Then she set the cup aside.
"He wishes me to go to Quellenheim? With _you_?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Travelling on the continent is precarious."
Her eyes rested on his; she said with a candour which he began to
understand was characteristic of her: "He seems to have confidence in
you. I never heard him speak of you. You are American?"
"Yes."
"That is odd. He never cared for Americans."
Guild said: "He could not send a German into England."
"That is true. Nor an Englishman either. No Englishman would be likely
to do anything to oblige a German."
She rose: "I don't understand why Anna, my maid, is still absent," she
added uneasily. "My maid often goes to London, but never before has she
remained over night. I don't know why she remained. She knew I was alone
in the house."
She lifted her serious blue eyes to Guild, then gazed out of the window,
evidently perplexed to the point of apprehension.
"I am worried," she said, "very much worried. But that doesn't help,
does it?"
"What was her errand in London?" asked Guild.
"She has a brother there. I suppose it's all right or she would have
telephoned me."
He said: "No doubt it is all right. And, may I ask you to hasten?"
She rose: "Where am I to go with you?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account