the lost road-第25节

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invented　each　evening　in　the　office　of　the　Times；　but　the　proceedings
of　the　day　following　showed　the　public　this　was　not　so。

Some　one　actually　present　at　the　conference　was　telling　tales　out
of　school。　　These　tales　were　cabled　to　Belgrade；　Sofia；　Athens；
Constantinople；　and　hourly　from　those　capitals　the　plenipotentiaries
were　assailed　by　advice；　abuse；　and　threats。　　The　whole　world　began
to　take　part　in　their　negotiations；　from　every　side　they　were　attacked；
from　home　by　the　Young　Turks；　or　the　On　to　Constantinople　Party；
and　from　abroad　by　peace　societies；　religious　bodies；　and　chambers
of　commerce。　　Even　the　armies　in　the　field；　instead　of　waiting　for　the
result　of　their　deliberations；　told　them　what　to　do；　and　that　unless
they　did　it　they　would　better　remain　in　exile。　　To　make　matters　worse；
in　every　stock　exchange　gambling　on　the　news　furnished　by　the　Times
threatened　the　financial　peace　of　Europe。　　To　work　under　such
conditions　of　publicity　was　impossible。　　The　delegates　appealed　to
their　hosts　of　the　British　Foreign　Office。

Unless　the　chiel　amang　them　takin'　notes　was　discovered　and　the
leak　stopped；　they　declared　the　conference　must　end。　　Spurred　on
by　questions　in　Parliament；　by　appeals　from　the　great　banking　world；
by　criticisms　not　altogether　unselfish　from　the　other　newspapers；
the　Foreign　Office　surrounded　St。　James's　Palace　and　the　office
of　the　Times　with　an　army　of　spies。　　Every　secretary；　stenographer；
and　attendant　at　the　conference　was　under　surveillance；　his　past
record　looked　into；　his　present　comings　and　goings　noted。　　Even
the　plenipotentiaries　themselves　were　watched；　and　employees　of
the　Times　were　secretly　urged　to　sell　the　government　the　man　who
was　selling　secrets　to　them。　　But　those　who　were　willing　to　be　〃urged〃
did　not　know　the　man；　those　who　did　know　him　refused　to　be　bought。

By　a　process　of　elimination　suspicion　finally　rested　upon　one
Adolf　Hertz；　a　young　Hungarian　scholar　who　spoke　and　wrote　all
the　mongrel　languages　of　the　Balkans；　who　for　years；　as　a　copying
clerk　and　translator；　had　been　employed　by　the　Foreign　Office；
and　who　now　by　it　had　been　lent　to　the　conference。　　For　the　reason
that　when　he　lived　in　Budapest　he　was　a　correspondent　of　the
Times；　the　police；　in　seeking　for　the　leak；　centred　their　attention
upon　Hertz。　　But；　though　every　moment　he　was　watched；　and　though
Hertz　knew　he　was　watched；　no　present　link　between　him　and　the
Times　had　been　established…　and　this　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the
hours　during　which　it　was　necessary　to　keep　him　under　closest
observation　were　few。　　Those　were　the　hours　between　the　closing
of　the　conference；　and　midnight；　when　the　provincial　edition　of　the
Times　went　to　press。　　For　the　remainder　of　the　day；　so　far　as　the
police　cared；　Hertz　could　go　to　the　devil！　But　for　those　hours；
except　when　on　his　return　from　the　conference　he　locked　himself
in　his　lodgings　in　Jermyn　Street；　detectives　were　always　at　his　elbow。

It　was　supposed　that　it　was　during　this　brief　period　when　he　was
locked　in　his　room　that　he　wrote　his　report；　but　how；　later；　he
conveyed　it　to　the　Times　no　one　could　discover。　　In　his　rooms　there
was　no　telephone；　his　doors　and　windows　were　openly　watched；
and　after　leaving　his　rooms　his　movements　wereas　they　always
had　beenmethodical；　following　a　routine　open　to　observation。
His　programme　was　invariably　the　same。　　Each　night　at　seven　from
his　front　door　he　walked　west。　　At　Regent　Street　he　stopped　to　buy
an　evening　paper　from　the　aged　news…vender　at　the　corner；　he　then
crossed　Piccadilly　Circus　into　Coventry　Street；　skirted　Leicester
Square；　and　at　the　end　of　Green　Street　entered　Pavoni's　Italian
restaurant。　　There　he　took　his　seat　always　at　the　same　table；　hung
his　hat　always　on　the　same　brass　peg；　ordered　the　same　Hungarian
wine；　and　read　the　same　evening　paper。　　He　spoke　to　no　one；　no　one
spoke　to　him。

When　he　had　finished　his　coffee　and　his　cigarette　he　returned　to
his　lodgings；　and　there　he　remained　until　he　rang　for　breakfast。
From　the　time　at　which　he　left　his　home　until　his　return　to　it　he
spoke　to　only　two　personsthe　news…vender　to　whom　he　handed
a　halfpenny；　the　waiter　who　served　him　the　regular　table　d'hote
dinnerbetween　whom　and　Hertz　nothing　passed　but　three　and　six
for　the　dinner　and　sixpence　for　the　waiter　himself。

Each　evening；　the　moment　he　moved　into　the　street　a　plain…clothes
man　fell　into　step　beside　him；　another　followed　at　his　heels；　and
from　across　the　street　more　plain…clothes　men　kept　their　eyes　on
every　one　approaching　him　in　front　or　from　the　rear。　　When　he
bought　his　evening　paper　six　pairs　of　eyes　watched　him　place　a
halfpenny　in　the　hand　of　the　news…vender；　and　during　the　entire
time　of　his　stay　in　Pavoni's　every　mouthful　he　ate　was　noted…
…
every　direction　he　gave　the　waiter　was　overheard。

Of　this　surveillance　Hertz　was　well　aware。　　To　have　been　ignorant
of　it　would　have　argued　him　blind　and　imbecile。　　But　he　showed　no
resentment。　　With　eyes　grave　and　untroubled；　he　steadily　regarded
his　escort；　but　not　by　the　hastening　of　a　footstep　or　the　acceleration
of　a　gesture　did　he　admit　that　by　his　audience　he　was　either　distressed
or　embarrassed。　　That　was　the　situation　on　the　morning　when　the
Treaty　of　London　was　to　be　signed　and　sealed。

In　spite　of　the　publicity　given　to　the　conference　by　the　Times；
however；　what　the　terms　of　the　treaty　might　be　no　one　knew。　　If
Adrianople　were　surrendered；　if　Salonika　were　given　to　Greece；　if
Servia　obtained　a　right…of…way　to　the　Adriaticpeace　was　assured；
but；　should　the　Young　Turks　refuseshould　Austria　prove　obstinate…
not　only　would　the　war　continue；　but　the　Powers　would　be　involved；
and　that　greater；　more　awful　warthe　war　dreaded　by　all　the　Christian
worldmight　turn　Europe　into　a　slaughter…house。

Would　Turkey　and　Austria　consent　and　peace　ensue？　Would　they
refuse　and　war　follow？　That　morning　those　were　the　questions　on
the　lips　of　every　man　in　London　save　one。　　He　was　Sam　Lowell；　and
he　was　asking　himself　another　and　more　personal　question：　〃How
can　I　find　five　pounds　and　pacify　Mrs。　Wroxton？〃

He　had　friends　in　New　York　who　would　cable　him　money　to　pay　his
passage　home；　but　he　did　not　want　to　go　home。　　He　preferred　to
starve　in　London　than　be　vulgarly　rich　anywhere　else。　　That　was
not　because　he　loved　London；　but　because　above　everything　in　life
he　loved　Polly　Sewardand　Polly　Seward　was　in　London。　　He　had
begun　to　love　her　on　class　day　of　his　senior　year；　and；　after　his
father　died　and　left　him　with　no　one　else　to　care　for；　every　day
he　had　loved　her　more。

Until　a　month　before　he　had　been　in　the　office　of　Wetmore　&
Hastings；　a　smart　brokers'　firm　in　Wall　Street。　　He　had　obtained
the　position　not　because　he　was　of　any　use　to　Wetmore　&　Hastings；
but　because　the　firm　was　the　one　through　which　his　father　had
gambled　the　money　that　would　otherwise　have　gone　to　Sam。　　In
giving　Sam　a　job　the　firm　thought　it　was　making　restitution。　　Sam
thought　it　was　making　the　punishment　fit　the　crime；　for　he　knew
nothing　of　the　ways　of　Wall　Street；　and　having　to　learn　them　bored
him　extremely。　　He　wanted　to　write　stories　for　the　magazines。　　He
wanted　to　bind　them　in　a　book　and　dedicate　them　to　Polly。　　And
in　this　wish　editors　humored　himbut　not　so　many　editors　or　with
such　enthusiasm　as　to　warrant　his　turning　his　back　on　Wall　Street。

That　he　did　later　when；　after　a　tour　of　the　world　that　had　begun
from　the　San　Francisco　side；　Polly　Seward　and　her　mother　and
Senator　Seward　reached　Naples。　　There　Senator　Seward　bought
old　Italian　furniture　for　his　office　on　the　twenty…fifth　floor　of　the
perfectly　new　Seward　building。　　Mrs。　Seward　tried　to　buy　for　Polly
a　prince　nearly　as　old　as　the　furniture；　and　Polly　bought　picture
post…cards　which　she　sent　to　Sam。

Polly　had　been　absent　six　months；　and　Sam's　endurance　had　been　so
timed　as　just　to　last　out　the　half…year。　　It　was　not　guaranteed　to
withstand　any　change　of　schedule；　and　the　two　months'　delay　in
Italy　broke　his　heart。　　It　could　not　run　overtime　on　a　starvation
diet　of　post…cards；　so　when　he　received　a　cable　reading；　〃Address
London；　Claridge's；〃　his　heart　told　him　it　could　no　longer　wait…
and　he　resigned　his　position　and　sailed。

On　her　trip　round　the　world　Polly　had　learned　many　things。　　She
was　observant；　alert；　intent　on　asking　questions；　hungering　for
facts。　　And　a　charming　young　woman　who　seeks　facts　rather　than
attention　will　never　lack　either。　　But　of　all　the　facts　Polly　collected；
the　one　of　surpassing　interest；　and　which　gave　her　the　greatest
happiness；　was　that　she　could　not　live　without　Sam　Lowell。　　She
had　suspected　this；　and　it　was　partly　to　make　sure　that　she　had
consented　to　the　trip　round　the　world。　　Now　that　she　had　made
sure；　she　could　not　too　soon　make　up　for　the　days　lost。　　Sam　had
spent　his　money；　and　he　either　must　return　to　New　York　and　earn
more　or　remain　near　Polly　and　starve。　　It　was　an　embarrassing
choice。　　Polly　herself　made　the　choice　even　more　difficult。

One　morning　when　they　walked　in　St。　James's　Park　to　feed　the
ducks　she　said　to　him：

〃Sam；　when　are　we　to　be　married？〃

When　for　three　years　a　man　has　been　begging　a　girl　to　marry　him；
and　she　consents　at　the