Eberhard Amelungen

: The Coming Conquest Of England

On arriving at his office close to the Duke of Wellington Hotel, Heideck

found his staff extremely busy. One lieutenant was looking through the

French and German newspapers for important information; another was

studying the Russian and English journals. The last were few in number

and not of recent date, limited to those which had been smuggled across

from England by daring skippers and fishermen. There were several

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despatches from St. Petersburg, containing news of fresh victories in

India.



The Russian army had pushed on to Lucknow without any further engagement

worth mentioning having taken place since the battle of Delhi. It seemed

as if the English were for the time unwilling to meet the enemy in the

open field. They apparently calculated that the heat and the enormous

length of their line of communication would prevent the Russians from

reaching the southern provinces in sufficient strength to overcome

an energetic resistance there. But Heideck no longer believed in the

possibility of such a resistance, concluding from the announcement of a

stream of reinforcements arriving through the Khyber Pass that all the

Russian losses would be speedily made up. In his opinion, practically

the only thing left for the English was to embark the remnants of their

army at Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay, and to get a portion at least of

their beaten forces safely out of India.



While he was in his office, despatches were continually arriving from

Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, Brest, and Cherbourg. The intelligence department

of the entire north coast was under Heideck's control.



Except for isolated naval engagements, the strategic position had, on

the whole, remained unaltered for months. Both sides hesitated to risk

a decisive battle. The English fleets did not venture to attack the

enemy's harbours; the combined squadrons of the continental Powers

seemed no more inclined to try their fortune on the open sea. Each was

endeavouring to get in touch with the other, waiting for the favourable

moment when his adversary's weakness might offer the prospect of

successful action.



"The risks these dwellers on the coast run are astonishing," said one of

Heideck's staff. "They cross the Channel in their fishing-boats and slip

by the warships. The man who brought the last English papers told me

that he passed close by them to give the impression that there was

nothing wrong. It needed considerable courage to risk that."



"But the enemy's spies are equally efficient. Yesterday, more by

accident than any merit of my own, I caught a herring fisher in the

mouth of the Schelde who was in English pay; I think I have hit on an

apparently important clue, which I intend to follow up in Antwerp, after

reporting myself to the Chancellor."



"He is no longer in Flushing. He has left for Antwerp with the Minister

for War and the chief of the General Staff; I am told he has matters of

importance to arrange with the chief of the French General Staff."



"Have you heard anything more definite as to the nature of these

matters?"



"Only that the question of further mobilisation is to be discussed.

Apparently, however, the six army corps, which we now have on a war

footing, are thought to be enough on our side. We are not waging war by

land; why then should the burden of a further mobilisation be imposed

upon the people?"



"Certainly, the sacrifices entailed by this war are enormous without

that; trade and industry are completely ruined."



"The only gainer by this universal conflagration is America. Since the

war broke out, the United States has supplied England with everything

she used to get from the Continent."



"Well, it will all come right in the end. Now, as there seems nothing

urgent for me to do here, it is time I went to Antwerp."



. . . . . . .



Eberhard Amelungen was unable to conceal his confusion, when an officer

in the uniform of the Prussian General Staff appeared at the door of his

private office.



Amelungen was a man about sixty years of age, a typical specimen of a

substantial, respectable merchant.



"I am somewhat surprised, sir," he said in measured tones. "What can I

do for you?"



Heideck introduced himself, and without wasting words told him the

reason of his visit.



"I have reason to believe, Herr Amelungen, that you hold in your hands

some, if not all, of the chief meshes of a widespread net of espionage.

And I think it would be to your interest to tell me the whole truth of

your own accord. We know so much already that presumably it will be of

little use to you to have recourse to lies."



Amelungen played with his penholder, but his hands trembled visibly, and

words failed him. His face had turned ashy pale, and Heideck could not

help feeling sorry for him.



"I regret that my duty obliges me to proceed against you," he continued.

"I can easily understand your motives. You are a Netherlander and a

patriot, and, as perhaps you do not quite understand the political

situation, the occupation of your country by a foreign power appears to

you an act of violence, which fills you with anger and hatred against

us. Therefore I think I may promise you that you will be treated as

leniently as possible, if you make my task easy by an open confession."



Eberhard Amelungen shook his head.



"I know nothing of what you charge me with," he said feebly. "You have

the power, and can do as you please with me. But I have nothing to

confess."



"Not if I tell you that my information comes from the mouth of your own

son?"



The merchant stared at the speaker with wide-open eyes full of anxiety.



"From the mouth of my own son? But--I have no son."



"Then M. Camille Penurot also was lying when he said you were his

father?"



"For God's sake be merciful! Don't torture me! What is the matter with

Camille? Where is he?"



"He has been caught spying. What will happen to him depends on your own

behaviour."



Eberhard Amelungen sank back in his stool in a state of collapse.



"My God! you don't mean to put him in prison? or to shoot him?"



"As you may imagine, his fate is not in my hands alone. But in this

instance my influence may perhaps be considerable, and it would

certainly have weight if I threw it into the scale in your favour and

his. Therefore I again ask you to consider whether, as things are, it

would not be best for you to be perfectly frank with me. Those who are

behind you can no longer protect you, and your only hope lies in the

leniency of the German authorities. Do not reject the possibility of

securing this leniency."



The merchant was evidently carrying on a severe struggle with himself.

After a few moments he raised his head, and in an altered, defiant tone

replied--



"Do what you like with me, I have nothing to confess."



Heideck then assumed a sterner, official demeanour.



"Then you must not complain if I begin to search your house."



"Do as you think fit. The victor can take what liberties he pleases."



Heideck opened the door and summoned two of the Berlin criminal police,

who at his request had been ordered to Antwerp on this affair with a

large number of policemen. Certainly he felt sure in advance that they

would find nothing, for Eberhard Amelungen would have been very foolish

not to have reckoned long ago on the possibility of such a visit, and

to have taken precautions accordingly. The Major, in bringing the

police with him, had thought more of the moral impression of the whole

procedure. His knowledge of men told him that it had its effect.



"One thing more, Herr Amelungen," said he. "About the same time as the

search begins here, another will take place in your private house. I

expect the report of those entrusted with it at any moment."



Amelungen breathed hard. He looked nervously at Heideck, as if trying

to read his thoughts. Then, after a brief struggle with himself, he

whispered--



"Send these men out, Herr major! I should like to speak to you

privately."



When Heideck had complied with his request, Amelungen continued,

speaking hastily, and bringing out his words with difficulty: "In me you

see a man who deserves compassion, a man who has been, entirely against

his will and inclination, compromised. If anyone is guilty in

this matter, it is my brother-in-law Van Spranekhuizen and a lady

correspondent of my wife in Brussels. Occasionally I have acted as

agent, when it was a matter of forwarding letters, or of handing over

sums of money to the Countess--to the lady; but I have never personally

taken any part in the matters in question."



"That statement is not enough for me. I do not doubt the truth of what

you say, but I must be informed of all the details before I can drop

further proceedings against you. Who is the lady you speak of?"



"A former maid of honour to the late Queen."



"Her name?"



"Countess Clementine Arselaarts."



"How did you come to know her?"



"She is a friend of my wife, who made her acquaintance last year when

staying in Brussels."



"And your wife is English?"



"Yes; her maiden name was Irwin."



At the sound of this name a flood of painful recollections rushed over

Heideck's mind.



"Irwin?" he repeated. "Has the lady by chance any relatives in the

British army?"



"I had a brother-in-law, who was a captain in the Indian Lancers. But,

according to the news that has reached us, he was killed at the battle

of Lahore."



The Major found it hard to control his excitement, but as if he had

already allowed himself to be too long diverted from his duty, he

hastily returned to the real subject of his examination.



"You said that you have handed over certain sums of money to Countess

Arselaarts. By whose order? and on whose account?"



"On account of the English Government and on the order of an English

banking house with which I have had business dealings for many years."



"Were the sums large?"



"Latterly, on an average about 10,000 francs a month."



"And how were they paid?"



"Sometimes I sent the amount in cash, often by cheque on Brussels

banks."



"Have you any evidence on the point--a receipt signed by the Countess?"



Amelungen hesitated.



"I strongly advise you to keep nothing back from me. So much is at stake

for you and your relatives who are involved in this affair that it is

of the utmost consequence that you should secure lenient treatment by a

frank confession."



"Well, then, I have some receipts."



"Please let me see them."



Amelungen pulled open a drawer in his writing-table, pressed a spring,

and a secret compartment at the back flew open.



"There they are!" said he, handing a small bundle of sheets of paper to

Heideck. But the Major's keen eye had noticed, as he glanced rapidly at

the compartment, that it contained some other papers, which he politely

but firmly demanded to see.



"They are private letters of no importance," objected Amelungen, "some

of my wife's correspondence, which she accidentally left in my office. I

don't know what they are about myself."



"Be assured that harmless private correspondence will not be abused. But

I must claim the absolute right to convince myself of the correctness of

your assertions by examining them."



The merchant could see that there was no chance of getting out of it,

and, visibly excited, handed the little roll over to Heideck.



The Major took it, without examining the contents more closely at once.



"You definitely assure me, Herr Amelungen, that you have nothing else

referring to this matter?"



"Nothing! I give you my word, Herr major."



Heideck got up.



"I charge you not to attempt to leave the town or in any other way evade

the German authorities. You will guarantee this not only as regards

yourself, but also as regards your wife; and you will further promise

me to break off at once all relations with the persons involved in this

espionage affair, unless at our order, or in agreement with us."



Eberhard Amelungen, whose powers of resistance seemed completely broken

in this painful hour, nodded assent.



"I promise both, Herr major!"



Heideck, having left a criminal official with instructions to keep

watch, repaired without delay to the office of Lieutenant-Colonel

Nollenberg, head of the intelligence department for Antwerp. He informed

him of the result of his conversation and examined the confiscated

papers in his presence.



A large number were letters from the Countess Clementine Arselaarts

to Frau Beatrix Amelungen, and their contents were harmless, with the

exception of a few expressions advising watchfulness and despatch.



But in a special envelope, sealed several times, there was a sheet of

paper, covered with close writing, which could not be read offhand,

since the letters were apparently jumbled together quite arbitrarily and

irregularly.



"A cipher!" said Heideck. "But we shall soon get to the bottom of it.

You have some capable interpreters at your disposal, and it might be a

good thing if they set to work at once."



He continued his examination, and suddenly the blood rushed to his

face, for in his hands he held a letter, the handwriting of which

he recognised at the first glance as Edith's. Its contents were as

follows:--





"DEAR BEATRICE,--As you see, I am again in England. You know that I

have returned a widow, and you can believe that my experiences have

been terrible. Your brother met an honourable death at Lahore; with the

utmost difficulty I myself succeeded in getting away from India under

the protection of Attorney-General Kennedy and his family. I should have

to fill a book if I were to tell you all the horrors of our journey.

But this is not the proper time to complain of the melancholy lot of an

individual. We are all strangers and pilgrims on earth, and must bear

the cross that is laid upon us.



"The immediate reason of my writing to-day is that I want your opinion

on a certain matter. When I arrived at my parents' house, I heard that

uncle Godfrey had died on the 16th of April. I do not know whether you

have already heard of this, as regular communication with the Continent

is interrupted. My uncle Godfrey has left a will, dividing his property

equally between you as his niece and my deceased husband. His property

was larger than my husband thought. After division, both you and my

husband would have had a yearly income of 5,000 pounds. Now your brother

has died without having disposed of his property. But my lawyer tells me

that, as his sole heiress, I can claim his share of the inheritance. To

arrange about this I have come here to Dover; for I found that I could

only get the letter forwarded to Antwerp with the assistance of Admiral

Hollway, who is charged with the protection of our coast. To my

surprise the Admiral informed me that your name was known to him, and he

willingly undertook to forward this letter to you. Now please consent

to uncle Godfrey's property being divided between you and me. I do not

believe you will have any objection, but I consider it a duty to obtain

your definite consent. I shall be glad to hear from you that you are

well.



"Yours truly,



"EDITH IRWIN.



"P.S.--In India I made the acquaintance of a German officer who rendered

me great service during the terrible times of the war and saved my

life more than once. He travelled with the Kennedys and myself on the

Caledonia to Naples. From there he went on to Berlin, while we

continued our voyage on a man-of-war through the Straits of Gibraltar to

Southampton. This officer is a Captain Heideck of the Prussian General

Staff. I should be thankful to you if you would find out where he is at

present. I am very anxious to know his address. For a time I am staying

in Dover. Letters addressed to Mrs. Jones, 7, St. Paul's Street, will

reach me."





The perusal of this letter revived a crowd of painful recollections in

Heideck's mind. He never doubted for a moment that the postscript, in

which his name occurred, explained Edith's real object in writing. All

the rest was certainly a mere pretext; for he knew how indifferent Edith

was in regard to money matters, and was convinced that she was in no

such hurry about the settlement of the inheritance as might have been

thought from her letter.



The Lieutenant-Colonel approached him at this moment.



"It has taken less time to decipher the document than I had ventured to

hope," said he. "I have telegraphed at once to the police at Schleswig

to arrest the writer, one Brodersen, without delay. Please convince

yourself what sort of friends we have amongst the Danes."



Heideck read as follows:--



"In the harbour of Kiel, the larger warships are the battleships

Oldenburg, Baden, Wurttemberg, Bayern, Sachsen; the large cruisers

Kaiser, Deutschland, Konig Wilhelm; the small cruisers Gazelle, Prinzess

Wilhelm, Irene, Komet, and Meteor, with the torpedo division boats D 5

and D 6 with their divisions. In addition, there are about 100 large and

small steamers of the North-German Lloyd, the Hamburg-America Line, the

Stettin Company, and others. All the large steamers are equipped with

quick-firing cannon and machine-guns; the small, only with machine-guns.

In the neighbourhood of Kiel there are 50,000 infantry and artillery

from Hanover, Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and the province of Saxony, with

only two regiments of hussars. My friends' opinions differ as to the

plans of the German Government. Possibly ships of the line will proceed

through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal and make a combined attack with the

Russian fleet on the British near Copenhagen.



"It is most probable that the fleet of transports will take on board the

army collected at Kiel and convey it through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal

into the North Sea, where the German battleships now at Antwerp will

join the French squadrons from Cherbourg. An attempt would then be made,

under cover of the warships, to land the German army and the French

troops from Boulogne at Dover, or some place near on the English coast.



"I acknowledge the receipt of 10,000 francs from Mynheer van

Spranekhuizen, but must ask you to send a further sum twice that amount.

My agents are risking their lives, and will not work for less."



"You, too, my dear Brodersen, have risked your life," said the

Lieutenant-Colonel seriously. "I should not like to give much for it at

the present moment."



"These notes are very instructive," observed Heideck. "If we strengthen

Admiral Hollway in the belief that we intend to land the German troops

in England from Antwerp and not from Kiel, our fleet of transports at

Kiel will be able to cross the North Sea all the more safely and effect

the landing in Scotland."



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