"
"But that night in Leghorn?" I said. "What happened to poor Elma?"
"I do not know," was Muriel's reply. "We were both on board together,
and standing at the crack of the door watched you sitting at dinner that
evening. Elma told me that she believed that there was a plot against
your life, but why she would not tell me. She evidently knew of the
proposed rifling of the safe at the Consulate. Oberg himself was also on
board, locked in his own cabin. Elma must have overheard some
conversation between the Baron and one of the others, for she was in
great fear the whole time lest they might injure you. Yet it seemed,
after all, as though their idea was the same as always, to worm
themselves into your confidence. The instant, however, you went ashore,
Chater, Woodroffe--whom you called Hornby--and Mackintosh, the
captain--who, by the way, was an old ticket-of-leave man--went ashore,
and, of course, broke into the Consulate. Then, as soon as they
returned, Elma came to my cabin, awoke me, and said that the Baron was
taking her ashore, and that they were to travel overland back to London.
Pages:
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443