The Coming Conquest of England

A >> August Niemann >> The Coming Conquest of England


Although the fact of an offensive and defensive alliance with France in
view of a war with England could not have been unknown to the majority
of the assembled company, yet the reading of this despatch, which
was followed with breathless attention, evidently produced a deep
impression. Its publication left no room for doubt that this war
had been resolved on in the highest quarters, and although no loud
manifestation of applause followed its reading, the illustrious
assemblage now breathed freely, and almost all faces wore an expression
of joyous satisfaction.

Only one man, with knitted brows, regarded the scene with serious
disapproval. For decades past he had been regarded as the most
influential man in Russia--as a power, in fact, who had constantly
thwarted the plans of the leading statesmen and had carried his opinions
through with unswerving energy.

This solitary malcontent was Pobiedonostsev, the Chief Procurator of the
Holy Synod, who, despite his grey hairs, was detested only less than he
was feared.

His gloomy mien and his shake of the head had not escaped the presiding
Grand Duke, and the latter evidently considered it to be his duty to
give this man who had enjoyed the confidence of three successive Tsars
an opportunity of recording his divergent opinion.

At his summons the Chief Procurator arose, and, amid complete silence,
said--

"It cannot be my duty to deliver an opinion as to the possibility or on
the prospects of an alliance with Germany, for I am as little acquainted
as any here present with the intentions and plans of the German Emperor.
William II. is the greatest sphinx of our age. He talks much, and his
speeches give the impression of complete sincerity; but who can guess
what is really behind them? That he has formulated a fixed programme
as his life's work, and that he is the man to carry it out, regardless
whether public opinion is on his side or not, thus much appears to me
to be certain. If the subjection of England is a part of his programme,
then the hopes of the French Minister would, in fact, be no Utopia,
only supposing that the Emperor William considers the present the most
suitable time for disclosing to the world his ultimate aims. It would
be the task of our diplomatic representative at the Court of Berlin to
assure himself on this point. But it is quite another question whether
Russia really needs an alliance either with Germany or with the Western
Power just referred to, and my view of the case leads me to answer this
question in the negative. Russia is, at the present time, the last and
sole bulwark of absolutism in Europe, and if a ruler called by God's
grace to the highest and most responsible of all earthly offices is to
remain strong enough to crush the spirit of rebellion and immorality
which here and there, under the influence of foreign elements, has shown
itself in our beloved country, we must, before all things, take heed to
keep far away from our people the poison of the so-called liberal ideas,
infidelity, and atheism with which it seems likely to be contaminated
from the West. In like manner, as we, a century ago, crushed the
powerful leader of the revolution, so also shall we to-day triumph
over our foe--we single-handed! Let our armies march into Persia,
Afghanistan, and India, and lead throughout all Asia the dominion of the
true faith to victory. But keep our holy Russia uncontaminated by the
poison of that heretical spirit, which would be a worse foe than any
foreign power can be."

He sat down, and for a moment absolute silence reigned. The Grand Duke
made a serious face, and exchanged a few whispered words with both his
nephews.

Then he said: "All the gentlemen who have here given us their views on
the situation are agreed that a declaration of war upon England is
an exceedingly lamentable but, under the circumstances, unavoidable
necessity; yet before I communicate to His Majesty, our gracious
Lord, this view, which is that of us all, I put to you, gentlemen, the
question whether there is anyone here who is of a contrary opinion. In
this case, I would beg of him to address us."

He waited a short while, but as no one wished to be allowed to speak, he
rose from his chair, and with a few words of thanks and a gentle bow to
the dignitaries, who had also risen in their places, notified that
he regarded the sitting, fraught with momentous consequences for the
destiny of the world, as closed.




II

THE OFFICERS' MESS


The place was Chanidigot, in British East India. The blinding brightness
of the hot day had been immediately followed, almost without the
transition to twilight, by the darkness of evening, which brought with
it a refreshing coolness, allowing all living things to breathe again
freely. In the wide plain, which served as the encampment ground for the
English regiment of lancers, all was alive again with the setting of
the sun. The soldiers, freed from the toil of duty, enjoyed themselves,
according to their ideas and dispositions, either in playing cards,
singing, or merrily drinking. The large tent, used as a messroom by the
officers, also showed signs of life. Dinner was over, and a number of
gentlemen sat down to a game of cards, as was their daily custom. But
here the amusement was of a less harmless character than in the case of
the private soldiers. For not innocent bridge, but "poker" was the order
of the day, a game much affected in America and also in some parts of
England, a game which is solely determined by chance together with a
certain histrionic bluffing on the part of the players, and the stakes
were rather high. It was mostly played by the younger gentlemen, who
could not do without their nerve-tonic in the evenings, in the monotony
of camp life. The older men sat apart at tables, talking and drinking
whisky-and-soda, and smoking their short pipes. Amongst them there was
also a gentleman in civilian dress. The hospitality with which he was
treated showed that he was not one of the officers of the regiment,
but their guest. The sound of his name--he was addressed as Mr.
Heideck--would have betrayed his German origin, even had his appearance
not proclaimed it. He was of but medium height, but athletic in build.
His erect, soldiery bearing and the elasticity of his movements plainly
betokened his excellent health and considerable bodily strength. A
foreigner can hardly present better credentials to an Englishman
than these qualities. Perhaps, more than anything else, it was his
distinguished appearance, in conjunction with his amiable and thoroughly
gentlemanly bearing, that had so quickly opened the usually very
exclusive officers' circle to the young German, with his clever,
energetic features, and his honest blue eyes.

Judged by his profession he did not, perhaps, belong to their society,
according to the ideas of some of these gentlemen. It was known that he
was travelling for a large commercial house in Hamburg. His uncle,
the head of the house, imported indigo. And since the Maharajah of
Chanidigot was the owner of very extensive indigo fields, young Heideck
had been detained here a whole fortnight by commercial negotiations with
the prince. He had succeeded, during this time, in gaining the lively
sympathies of all, but particularly of the older British officers. In
Indian garrisons every European is welcome. Heideck was also invited to
those social functions at which the ladies of the regiment were present.

He had always refused an invitation to cards with polite firmness, and
to-day also he was at most an uninterested and unconcerned spectator.

Presently the door of the tent opened and a tall, but extremely slim
officer joined the circle of his comrades, jingling his spurs with a
self-conscious, almost haughty attitude. He was in undress uniform and
talked to one of the gentlemen, who addressed him as Captain Irwin,
about just returning from a fatiguing ride for the inspection of
an outpost. He demanded from one of the orderlies in attendance a
refreshing drink, the favourite whisky-and-soda, then he drew close to
the gaming-table.

"Room for a little one?" he asked. And place was readily made for him.

For a little while the game of poker went on in the same quiet way as
before. But suddenly something extraordinary must have happened. All the
gentlemen, except Captain Irwin and one of the players, laid down their
cards, and the unpleasantly penetrating voice of Captain Irwin was
heard.

"You are an old fox, Captain McGregor! But I am aware of your tricks and
cannot be taken in by them. Therefore, once more, six hundred rupees!"

Every poker-player knows that, so far from being considered
dishonourable, it is a chief sign of skill in the game, where each man
plays for his own hand, for one to deceive the rest as to the value of
the cards he holds. The name of "bluff," which has been given to this
game, is itself sufficient to show that everyone has to try his best to
puzzle his adversaries.

But this time Irwin appeared to have met his match in McGregor. For the
Captain replied calmly: "Six hundred and fifty. But I advise you not to
see me, Irwin."

"Seven hundred."

"Seven hundred and fifty."

"Thousand!" shouted Irwin with resounding voice, and leant back in his
chair smiling, as if certain of victory.

"You had better consider what you are about," said McGregor. "I have
given you warning."

"A convenient way to haul in seven hundred and fifty rupees. I repeat: A
thousand rupees."

"One thousand and fifty!"

"Two thousand!"

All the gentlemen present in the tent had risen and stood round the two
players, who, their cards concealed in their hands, watched each other
with sharp glances. Hermann Heideck, who had stepped behind Irwin,
noticed on the right hand of the Captain a magnificent diamond ring. But
he also perceived, by the way the bright sparkle of the stone quivered,
how the gambler's fingers trembled.

Captain McGregor turned to his companions. "I take the gentlemen to
witness that I have advised my comrade Irwin not to see me at six
hundred."

"To the devil with your advice!" Irwin interrupted almost furiously. "Am
I a boy? Will you see me at two thousand, McGregor, or will you not?"

"Very well, since you insist upon it--three thousand."

"Five thousand."

"Five thousand five hundred."

"Ten thousand."

One of the higher officers, Major Robertson, laid his hand lightly upon
the shoulder of the rash gambler.

"That is too much, Irwin. I do not care to interfere in these things,
and since you do not belong to my regiment, I can only speak to you as a
comrade, not as a superior. But I am afraid you will be in difficulties
if you lose."

Angrily the Captain fired up--

"What do you mean by that, sir? If your words are intended to express a
doubt as to my solvency--"

"Well! well--I did not mean to offend you. After all, you must know best
yourself what you are justified in doing."

Irwin repeated with a defiant air--

"Ten thousand! I am waiting for your answer, McGregor."

The adversary remained as calm as before.

"Ten thousand five hundred."

"Twenty thousand!"

"Are you drunk, Irwin?" whispered the young Lieutenant Temple into the
Captain's ear, from the other side. But he only glanced round with a
furious look.

"Not more than you. Leave me alone, if you please."

"Twenty-one thousand," came the calm response from the other side of the
table.

A short, awkward pause followed. Captain Irwin nervously gnawed his
small dark moustache. Then he raised his slim figure and called out--

"Fifty thousand!"

Once more the Major considered it his duty to endeavour to stop the
game.

"I object," he said. "It has been always a rule that the pool cannot
be raised by more than a thousand rupees at a time. This limit has long
since been passed."

A rude, hoarse laugh escaped Irwin's lips.

"It appears you want to save me, Major. But I am not in need of any
saviour. If I lose I pay, and I don't understand why the gentlemen are
so concerned on my behalf."

The Major, who at last saw that all his good endeavours were misplaced,
shrugged his shoulders. Lieutenant Temple, however, thought he had
a good idea, and with an apparently unintentional, though violent,
movement pushed against the light camp-table, and sent ashtrays,
bottles, glasses, and cards flying on the ground. But he did not gain
anything by this, for the two players held their cards firmly in their
hands, and did not allow this contretemps to disturb their sangfroid for
a single moment.

"Fifty-one," said McGregor.

"Sixty."

"Sixty-one."

"Seventy."

"Seventy-one."

"Eighty."

"Eighty-one."

"A lakh!" cried Irwin, who was now pale from excitement.

"Really?" asked McGregor calmly, "that is a fine bid. A lakh--that is,
reckoned at the present rate of exchange, 6,500 pounds sterling. You
will be a wealthy man, Irwin, if you win. Now, then, I see you."

With trembling fingers, but with a triumphant look, the Captain laid
down his cards.

"Straight flush," he said hoarsely.

"Yes, a strong hand," replied the other, smiling. "But which is your
highest card?"

"The king, as you see for yourself."

"That's a pity, for I have also, as it happens, a straight flush, but
mine is up to the ace."

Slowly, one after the other, he laid down his cards--ace of hearts, king
of hearts, queen of hearts, knave of hearts, ten of hearts. One single
exclamation of surprise came from the lips of the bystanders. None of
them had ever seen the coincidence of such an extraordinary sequence.

Captain Irwin sat motionless for a moment, fixing his unsteady eyes
straight upon his adversary's cards. Then he suddenly sprang up with a
wild laugh, and left the tent with jingling steps.

"This loss spells ruin for Irwin," said the Major gravely. "He is not in
a position to pay such a sum."

"With his wife's assistance he could," chimed in another; "but it would
eat up pretty well the rest of her fortune."

"I call you, gentlemen, to witness that it is not my fault," said
McGregor, who thought he perceived a certain degree of reproach in the
faces of the bystanders; but all agreed with him.

Lieutenant Temple, who alone of all those present kept up a certain
superficial friendship with Irwin, remarked, "Somebody must go after him
to see that he does not do something foolish in his first excitement."

He turned as if to leave the room, but a call from McGregor stopped him.

"It will be no use, Temple, unless you are able to calm him in some
way or other. In my opinion there is only one thing to do. He must be
persuaded that the whole affair is only a joke, and that the cards had
been shuffled beforehand."

The Lieutenant went back to the table.

"The suggestion of this way of putting it does you honour, Captain; only
I have my doubts if any of us would have the courage to go to him with
this manifest lie."

The silence of the others appeared to confirm this doubt, when the
decisive voice of the German guest interrupted with--

"Will you entrust me, gentlemen, with this mission? I know Captain Irwin
only slightly, it is true, and should have no reason to interfere with
his private concerns; but I hear that it is his wife's property which
has been at stake here, and as I consider Mrs. Irwin a very honourable
lady I would gladly do my best to save her from such a heavy pecuniary
loss."

McGregor held out his hand.

"You would place me under a great obligation, Mr. Heideck, if you could
succeed in this matter, but I warn you that there is no time to lose."

Heideck quickly left the tent, but when he had come out into the
delicious moonlight night the first thing that met his eye was Captain
Irwin, some twenty yards distant, standing by his horse. The servant
held the animal by the bridle, and Captain Irwin was about to mount. On
coming nearer he saw the servant move off and perceived that Irwin held
a revolver in his hand. With a quick motion he seized the officer's
wrist.

"One moment, Captain Irwin."

Irwin started, turned round, and looked with fury at Heideck.

"I beg your pardon," said the German, "but you are labouring under a
mistake, Captain. The game was all a jest; they were playing a trick
upon you. The cards were arranged beforehand."

Irwin made no reply, but whistled to his servant and went back into the
tent, revolver still in hand, without a single word to Heideck. Heideck
followed. Both gentlemen stepped up to the card-table, and Irwin turned
to McGregor.

"You tell me the game was all a got-up thing, do you?" he asked.

"As a lesson to you, Irwin--you who always plunge as a madman, and
imagine yourself a good player, when you have not the necessary cold
blood for gambling."

"Well," said Irwin, "that is a story that I will take care goes the
round of all the garrisons in India, as an instance of kind comrade-like
feeling, so that everyone may be warned against coming along here and
being induced to take a hand. I never in my life came across a more
despicable story; but it certainly is a lesson for me, that only
honourable persons should be--"

"No, Captain Irwin," said McGregor, standing bolt upright, levelling
at his insulter a withering look from his great blue eyes, "you should
rather think of your poor wife, whom you would have made a pauper if
this game had not been all a hoax."

Irwin reeled back; the revolver fell from his grasp.

"What," he gasped--"what do you mean? It was, then, no joke, after all.
I, then, really lost the money? Oh, you--you--But what do you take
me for? Be quite certain that I will pay. But," he cried, collecting
himself, "I should like to know what the real truth is, after all. I ask
this question of you all, and call you rogues and liars if you do not
tell me the truth. Have I only really been played with, or has the game
been a straightforward one?"

"Captain Irwin," replied the Major, advancing towards him, "I, as the
senior, tell you, in the name of our comrades, that your behaviour would
have been unpardonable unless a sort of madness had seized you. The
game was a straightforward one, and only the generosity of Captain
McGregor--"

Irwin did not wait for the conclusion of the sentence, but, with a
bound, was again outside the tent.




III

A RUSSIAN COMRADE


Hermann Heideck lived in a dak bungalow, one of those hotels kept going
by the Government, which afford travellers shelter, but neither bed nor
food. On returning home from the camp he found his servant, Morar Gopal,
standing at the door ready to receive his master, and was informed that
a newcomer had arrived with two attendants. As this dak bungalow was
more roomy than most of the others, the new arrivals were able to find
accommodation, and Heideck was not obliged, as is usual, to make way as
the earlier guest for a later arrival.

"What countryman is the gentleman?" he inquired.

"An Englishman, sahib!"

Heideck entered his room and sat down at the table, upon which,
besides the two dim candles, stood a bottle of whisky, a few bottles of
soda-water and the inevitable box of cigarettes. He was moody and in a
bad humour. The exciting scene in the officers' mess had affected him
greatly, not on account of Captain Irwin, who, from the first moment
of their acquaintance, was quite unsympathetic to him, but solely on
account of the beautiful young wife of the frivolous officer, of whom
he had a lively recollection from their repeated meetings in social
circles. None of the other officers' wives--and there were many
beautiful and amiable women among them--had made such a deep and abiding
impression upon him as Edith Irwin, whose personal charms had fascinated
him as much as her extraordinary intellectual powers had astonished
him. The reflection that this graceful creature was fettered with
indissoluble bonds to a brutal and dissolute fellow of Irwin's stamp,
and that her husband would perhaps one day drag her down with him into
inevitable ruin, awoke in him most painful feelings. He would so gladly
have done something for the unhappy wife. But he was obliged to admit
that there was no possibility for him, a stranger, who was nothing to
her but a superficial acquaintance, to achieve anything in the way he
most desired. The Captain would be completely justified in rejecting
every uncalled-for interference with his affairs as a piece of monstrous
impudence; and then, too, in what way could he hope to be of any
assistance?

A sudden noise in the next room aroused Heideck from his sad reverie. He
heard loud scolding and a clapping sound, as if blows from a whip were
falling upon a bare human body. A minute later and the door between the
rooms flew open and an Indian, dressed only in cummerbund and turban,
burst into the room, as if intending to seek here protection from his
tormentor. A tall European, dressed entirely in white flannel, followed
at the man's heels and brought his riding-whip down mercilessly upon the
naked back of the howling wretch. Heideck's presence did not, evidently,
disturb him in the least.

At the first glance the young German perceived that his neighbour could
not be an Englishman, as his servant had told him he was. His strikingly
thin, finely-cut features, and his peculiarly oval, black eyes and
soft, dark beard betrayed much more the Sarmatic than the characteristic
Anglo-Saxon type.

The man's appearance did not make an unfavourable impression, but he
could not possibly overlook his behaviour. Stepping between him and his
victim he demanded, energetically, what this scene meant. The other,
laughing, let drop the arm which had been again raised to strike.

"I beg your pardon, sir," he said with a foreign accent, "a very good
boy, but he steals like a crow, and must have the whip occasionally. I
am sure that he has concealed somewhere about him the five rupees
which have been stolen from me again to-day." On saying this, as if
he considered this information quite sufficient explanation, he again
caught hold of the black fellow, and with a single wrench tore the
turban from his head. From the white, red-bordered cloth a few pieces of
silver fell and rolled jingling over the tiles; and at the same time a
larger object fell at Heideck's feet. He picked it up and held in
his hand a gold cigarette-case, the lid of which was engraved with a
prince's coronet. On handing it to the stranger, the latter bowed his
thanks and made his apologies like a man of good breeding. The Indian
the while took the opportunity, in a few monkey-like bounds, to make
good his escape. The sight of the coat-of-arms on the cigarette-case
aroused in Heideck the desire to make nearer acquaintance with his
impetuous neighbour. As though he had quite forgotten the extraordinary
manner of his entrance into the room, he asked, blandly, if he might
invite his neighbour, whom accident had thus thrust upon him, to a cigar
and a "nightcap."

The other accepted the invitation with amiable alacrity. "You are also
a commercial traveller, sir?" inquired Heideck; and on receiving
an affirmative answer, continued, "we are then colleagues. Are you
satisfied with your results here?"

"Oh, things might be better. There is too much competition."

"Cotton?"

"No. Bronze goods and silk. Have brought some marvellous gold ornaments
from Delhi."

"Then probably your cigarette-case comes from Delhi also?" The oval eyes
of the other shot over him in an inquiring glance.

"My cigarette-case? No--are you travelling perhaps in skins, colleague?
Do you deal in Cashmir goats?"

"I have everything. My house trades in everything."

"You do not come from Calcutta?"

"No! not from Calcutta."

"Bad weather down there. All my leather is spoilt."

"Is it so damp there?"

"Vapour bath, I tell you; a real vapour bath!"

Heideck had long since made up his mind that he had a Russian before
him. But, in order to be quite on the safe side, he made a jocular
remark in Russian. His new acquaintance looked up astonished.

"You speak Russian, sir?"

"A little."

"But you are no Russian?"

"No; I am a German, who, during a temporary stay in Russia, have picked
up a little knowledge of languages. We merchants go about a lot."

The gentleman who, according to his statement, travelled in bronze
and silk was evidently delighted to hear in a place where he had least
expected it the familiar tones of his mother tongue, and Heideck did his
utmost, with almost an excess of zeal, to keep him in good humour. He
called his servant and bade him get some hot water.

"It's quite chilly to-night," he said, turning to his guest. "A hot
brandy-and-water is not to be despised."

"Ah," said the Russian, "stop a moment; better chuck the water away and
let something more palatable take its place."

He went into his room and returned immediately with a bottle of sherry
and two bottles of champagne.

"I will, with your permission, brew in this kettle a bowl in Russian
fashion. Sugar must go in too; for this champagne, prepared for English
taste, is too dry, and must be sweetened to make it palatable for us."
He poured the bottle of cognac, which the servant had brought, together
with the sherry into the champagne and filled the glasses.