Doctor Nikola (Windsor Magazine, 1896)/Chapter 4

COULD hardly believe the evidence of my senses. Nikola's disguise was so perfect that it would have required almost superhuman cleverness to have penetrated it. In every particular he was a perfect Celestial. His accent was without a flaw, his deportment exactly what that of a high-class Chinaman would be, while his general demeanour and manner of sustaining his character could not have been cavilled at by the most fastidious critic. I felt that if he could so easily hoodwink me there could be little doubt that he would pass muster under less exacting scrutiny. So as soon as I had realised what it meant I sprang to my feet and warmly congratulated him, not a little relieved, you may be sure, to find that I was with friends and was not to be tortured as I had at first supposed.

“What do you think of my disguise?” asked Nikola.

“It is perfect,” I answered. “Considering your decided personality I had no idea it could possibly be so good. But where are we?”

“In a bungalow I have taken for the time being,” said Nikola. “And now let us get to business. The man whom you saw on my right was Laohwan, the person whom I told you I expected from Pekin. He arrived half an hour after you had left me this evening, gave me the information I wanted, and now I am ready to start as soon as you are.”

“Let me go home and put one or two things together,” I answered, “and then I'm your man.”

“Certainly,” said Nikola. “One of my servants shall go with you to carry your bag, and to bring you back here as soon as your business is completed.”

With that, accompanied by a boy, I set off for my abode. When we reached it I left him to wait for me outside in the street, and let myself into my bedroom by the window. Having done so I set to work to put together the few little odds and ends I wished to take with me on my journey. This finished I locked my trunks, wrote a letter to my landlord, enclosing the amount I owed him, and then another to Barkston, asking him to be good enough to send for and take charge of my trunks until I returned from a trip into the interior. When I had done this I passed out of the house again, joined the boy who was waiting for me at the gate, and returned to the bungalow in which I had been so surprised by Nikola that evening. It was nearly twelve o'clock by the time I reached it, but I had no thought of fatigue. The excitement of our departure obliterated all thoughts of ought else. We were plunging into an unknown life which bristled with dangers and adventures, and though I did not share Nikola's belief as to the result we should achieve, I had the certain knowledge that I should be well repaid for the risk I ran.

When I entered the house I found my employer awaiting me in the room where I had been hoaxed that evening. He was still in Chinese garb, and once again as I looked at him I felt it difficult to believe that this portly, sedate-looking Chinaman could be that slim European Dr. Nikola.

“You have not been long, Mr. Bruce,” he said; “and I am glad of it. Now if you will accompany me to the next room I will introduce you to your things. I have purchased for you everything that you can possibly need, and as I am well acquainted with your power of disguise I have no fear at all as to the result.”

Thanking him for his good opinion I divested myself of my European habiliments and set to work to don those which were spread out for my inspection. Then with some mixture from a bottle which Nikola handed me I stained my face, neck and arms, after which my pigtail, which was made on a cleverly contrived sort of scalp wig, was attached, and a large pair of tortoise-shell glasses, of a similar pattern to those worn by Nikola, were placed upon my nose. My feet were encased in sandals, a stiff round hat of the ordinary Chinese pattern was placed upon my head, and this, taken with my thickly padded robe of yellow silk, gave me a most portly and dignified appearance. When Nikola returned to the room he examined me carefully and expressed himself as highly pleased with the result; indeed when we greeted each other in the Chinese fashion and language he would have been a sharp man who could have detected that we were not what we pretended to be.

“Now,” said Nikola, “if you are ready we will test the efficiency of our disguises. It is now a quarter to twelve and there is a meeting at the house of a man named Lo Ting at midnight. The folk we shall meet there are members of a secret society aiming at the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty. Laohwan has gone on ahead, and, being a member of the society, he is to report to them the arrival of two distinguished merchants from the interior who are also members. I have got the passwords, and 1 know the general idea of their aims, so with your permission we will set off at once. As we go I will explain more fully our intentions.”

“But you are surely not going to penetrate into a secret society to-night?” I said, astonished at the coolness with which he proposed to run such an enormous risk. “Wouldn't it be wiser to wait until we are a little more accustomed to our dresses?”

“By no means,” answered Nikola. “This will be a very good test. If we are detected by the folk we shall see to-night we shall know where the fault lies, and we can turn back and remedy it before it is too late. If we get through all right we shall probably have derived some important information to help us on our way, and, what is equally to the point, shall have additional confidence in our powers. Come along.”

He passed into the passage and led the way through the house out into the compound, where a couple of chairs with their attendant coolies were awaiting us. We stepped into them and were presently being borne in a dignified fashion down the street!

In something under twenty minutes our bearers stopped and set us down again; we alighted, and when the coolies had disappeared Nikola whispered in Chinese that the password was “Liberty,” and that as one said it it was necessary to place the fingers of the right hand in the palm of the left. If I should be asked any questions I was to trust to my mother wit to answer them satisfactorily.

We approached the door, which was down a small alley, and when we reached it I noticed that Nikola rapped upon it twice with a large ring he wore upon the first finger of his right hand. In answer a small and peculiar sort of grille was opened, and a voice within said in Chinese—

“Who is it that disturbs honest people at this unseemly hour?”

“Two merchants from Szechuen who have come to Shanghai in search of liberty,” said my companion, holding up his hands in the manner described above.

Immediately the door was opened and I followed Nikola into the house. The passage was in pitch darkness and terribly close. As soon as we had entered the front gate was shut behind us, and we were told to walk straight forward. A moment later a door at the further end opened, and a bright light issued forth. Our conductor signed to us to enter, and assuming an air of humility, and folding our hands in the prescribed manner before us, we passed into a large apartment in which were seated possibly twenty men. Without a word we crossed and took up our position on a sort of divan at the further end. Pipes were handed to us, and for what must have been nearly five minutes we continued solemnly to puff out smoke, without a word being uttered in the room. If I were to say that I felt at my ease during this long silence it would hardly be the truth; but I flatter myself whatever my feelings may have been I did not let a sign of my embarrassment escape me. Then an elderly Chinaman, who sat a little to our right, and who was, without doubt, the chief person present, turned to Nikola and addressed to him a question relative to his visit to Shanghai. Nikola answered slowly and gravely, after the Celestial fashion, deprecating any idea of personal advantage, and asserting that it was only to have the honour of saying he had been in Shanghai that he had come at all. When he had finished, the same question was addressed to me. I answered in similar terms, and then another silence fell upon us all. Indeed it was not until we had been in the room nearly half an hour that any attempt at business was made. Then such a flow of gabble ensued that I could hardly make head or tail of what I heard. Nikola was to the fore all through; he invented plots for the overthrowing of dynasties, each of which had a peculiar merit of its own; he theoretically assassinated persons in high places, and, what was more, disposed of their bodies afterwards, and to my thinking out-heroded Herod in his zeal. Before he had been an hour in the place he was at the head of affairs, and had he so desired could have obtained just what he wanted from those present. I did my best to second his efforts, but my co-operation was hardly needed. Three o'clock had passed before the meeting broke up. Then one by one the members left the room, until only Laohwan, the old man who had first addressed us, Nikola and myself remained in occupation.

Then little by little, with infinite tact, Nikola led the conversation round into the channel he wanted. How he had learnt that the old man knew anything at all of the matter was more than I could understand. But that he did know something, and that, with a little persuasion, he might be induced to give us the benefit of his knowledge, soon became evident.

“But these things are not for everyone,” he said, after a brief recital of the tales he had heard. “If my honourable friend will be guided by one who is old enough to be his father, he will not seek to penetrate further.”

“The sea of knowledge is for all who can swim in it,” answered Nikola, puffing solemnly at his pipe. “I have heard these things often, and I would make my mind certain of their truth. Can you help me to such inquiries? It is for the sake of the light of heaven.”

As he spoke he took from a pocket under his upper coat the small stick he had obtained from Wetherell. The old man no sooner saw it than his whole demeanour changed; he knelt humbly at Nikola's feet and implored his pardon.

“If my lord had spoken before,” he said tremblingly, “I would have answered truthfully. All that I have is my lord's.”

“I want nothing,” said Nikola, “beyond the next step. This I must have at once.”

“My lord shall be instantly obeyed,” said the old man.

“It is well,” Nikola answered; “Let there be no delay, and let no word pass your lips. Send it to our friend Laohwan, who will bring it to me.”

Having said this he rose to go, and in five minutes we were back in our respective chairs being borne down the street again. When we reached the house from which we had started Nikola called me into the room where we had dressed.

“You have had an opportunity now of seeing the power of that stick,” he said. “It was Laohwan who discovered that the man was a member of the society. All that talk of overthrowing the Manchu dynasty was simply balderdash, partly real, but also meant to deceive. Now if all goes well the old fellow will open the first gate to us, and then we shall be able to go ahead. Let us change our clothes and get back to my own house. If I mistake not we shall have to be off up the coast before breakfast time.”

With that we set to work, and when we were once more dressed in European habiliments, left the house and returned to the bungalow where I had first called upon Nikola. By this time it was close upon daylight and already a stir of life was discernible in the streets. Making our way into the house we proceeded direct to Nikola's study, where his servants had prepared a meal for us. We sat down to it and were in the act of falling to upon a cold pie when a boy entered with the announcement that a Chinaman was in the hall and desired to speak with us. It was Laohwan.

“Well,” said Nikola, “what message does the old man send?”

In reply Laohwan, who was not prodigal of speech, took from his sleeve a large card on which were some words written in Chinese characters. Nikola glanced at them, and having mastered their purport handed the card across the table to me. It contained the following message:—

“In the house of Quong Slia, in the Street of a Hundred Tribulations, Tientsin.”

That was all.

Nikola turned to Laohwan.

“At what time does that French boat sail?” he asked.

“At half-past six,” answered Laohwan promptly.

Nikola looked at his watch, thought for a moment and then said—

“Go on ahead. Book your passage and get aboard as soon as you can; we will join her later. But remember until we get to Tientsin you have never set eyes on us before.”

Laohwan bowed and left the room.

“At this point,” said Nikola, pouring himself out a cup of black coffee, “the real adventure begins. It is a quarter to five now; we will take it easy for half an hour and then set off to the harbour and get aboard.”

Accordingly, as soon as we had finished our meal we seated ourselves in lounge chairs and lit cigars. For half an hour we discussed the events of the evening and, exactly as the clock struck a quarter past five, rose to our feet again. Nikola rang a bell and his principal boy entered.

“I am going away,” said Nikola. “Most probably you will not see my face again for a year. In the meantime you will take care of this house; you will not let one thing be stolen; and if when I come back I find a window broken or as much as a pin missing, I'll saddle you with ten million devils. You understand me?”

The boy looked into his face and nodded.

“That will do,” said Nikola. “You can go.”

As the servant left the room my curious friend gave a strange whistle. Next moment the black cat came trotting in, sprang on her master's knee and crawled up on to his shoulder. Nikola looked at me and smiled.

“What wife would be so constant?” he said.

I laughed; the idea of Nikola and matrimony somehow did not harmonise. He lifted the cat down and placed him on the table.

“Apollyon,” said he, with the only touch of regret I saw him show throughout the trip, “we've got to part for a year. Good-bye old cat, good-bye.”

Then having stroked the animal gently once or twice he turned briskly to me.

“Come along,” he said; “let us be off. Time presses.”

The cat sat on the table watching him and appearing to understand every word he uttered. Nikola stroked its fur for the last time and then walked out of the room. I followed at his heels and together we passed out into the compound. By this time the streets were crowded. A new day had begun in Shanghai, and we had no difficulty in obtaining 'rickshaws.

“The Vectis Queen,” said Nikola, as soon as we were seated. The coolies immediately started off at a run, and in something under a quarter of an hour we had reached the wharf side of the Hwang-Pu River. The boat we were in search of lay well out in the stream, and for this reason it was necessary that we should charter a sampan to reach her.

Arriving on board we interviewed the purser and, when we had paid our fares, were shown to our cabins. The Vectis Queen, as all the East knows, is not a large steamer, and her accommodation is, well to say the least of it, limited. But at this particular time of year there were not a great many people travelling, consequently we were not overcrowded. As soon as I had arranged my baggage I left my cabin and went on deck. Small is the world! Hardly had I stepped off the companion-ladder before I was accosted by a man whom I thought at the other end of the earth.

“Why, Wilfred Bruce!” he cried. “Who'd have thought of seeing you here.”

I turned and found standing before me no less a person than a certain James Downing, a man with whom I had been well acquainted on the Australian coastal service.

“How long have you been up here?” I inquired, not best pleased, as you may suppose, at seeing him.

“Getting on for a year,” he answered. “I came up with one of our boats, had a row with the skipper, and left her in Hong-Kong. After that I joined this line. But though I don't think much of the Chinkies, I am fairly well satisfied. You're looking pretty well, old man; but you've got precious sunburnt since I saw you last.”

“It's the effect of too much rice,” I said with a smile.

He laughed with the spontaneous gaiety of a man who is ready to be amused by anything however simple, and then we walked up the deck together. As we turned to retrace our steps Nikola emerged from the companion-hatch and joined us. I introduced Downing to him, and in five minutes you would have supposed them friends of years' standing. Before they had been together a quarter of an hour Nikola had given him a prescription for prickly-heat, from which irritation Downing suffered considerably, and when this proved successful the young man's gratitude and admiration were boundless. By breakfast time we were well down the river, and by midday Shanghai lay far behind us.

Throughout the voyage Nikola was in his best spirits; he joined in all the amusements, organised innumerable sports and games, and was indefatigable in his exertions to amuse. And while I am on this subject let me say that there was one thing which struck me as even more remarkable than anything else in the character of this extraordinary man, and that was his extreme fondness for children. There was one little boy in particular on board the boat, a wee toddler scarcely four years old, with whom Nikola soon established himself on terms of intimacy; he would play with him for hours at a stretch, never tiring and never for one moment allowing his attention to wander from the matter in hand. I must own that when I saw them playing together under the lee of one of the boats on the promenade deck, on the hatchways, or beneath the awning aft, I could scarcely believe my eyes. I had to ask myself if this man, whose entire interest seemed to be centred on paper boats and pigs cut out of orange peel, could be the same Nikola from whom Wetherell, ex-Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, had fled in London as from a pestilence, and at the sight of whom Benwell, of the Chinese Revenue Service, had excused himself and rushed out of the club in Shanghai. That however was Nikola's way. If he were making a paper boat, cutting a pig out of orange peel, weaving a plot round a politician, or endeavouring to steal the secret of an all- powerful society, he would give the matter in hand his whole attention, make himself master of every detail, and never leave it till he had achieved his object or had satisfied himself that it was useless for him to work at it any longer.

Throughout the voyage Laohwan, though we saw him repeatedly, did not for a moment allow it to be supposed that he knew us. He was located on the for'ard deck, and, as far as we could gather, spent his whole time playing fan-tan with half a dozen compatriots on the cover of the forehatch.

The voyage up the coast is not an exciting one, but at last, about sunset one evening, we reached Tientsin, which, as all the world knows, is a treaty port located at the confluence of the Yu-Ho or Grand Canal with the river Pei-Ho. As soon as we came alongside the jetty we collected our baggage and went ashore. Here another thing struck me. Nikola seemed as well acquainted with this place as he was with every other, and as soon as we arrived on the Bund called 'rickshaws and bade the coolies convey us without delay to a certain Mr. Williams' residence in the European Concession.

This proved to be a house of modest size, built in the fashion usual in that part of the East. As we alighted from our 'rickshaws, a tall elderly man, with a distinctly handsome cast of countenance, came into the veranda to welcome us. Seeing Nikola he for a moment appeared to be overcome with surprise.

“Can it be possible that I see Dr. Nikola?” he cried.

“It is not only possible but quite certain that you. do,” said Nikola as he signed to the coolie to lift his bag out and then went up the steps. “It is two years since I had the pleasure of seeing you, Mr. Williams, and now I look at you you don't seem to have changed at all since we taught Mah Feng that lesson in Seoul.”

“You have not forgotten that business then, Dr. Nikola?”

“No more than Mah Feng has,” my companion answered with a short laugh.

“And what can I do for you now?”

“I want you to let us tax your hospitality for a few hours,” said Nikola. “This is my friend Mr. Bruce, with whom I am engaged on an important piece of work.”

“I am delighted to make your acquaintance, sir,” said Mr. Williams, and having shaken hands with us he escorted us into the house.

Ten minutes later we were quite at home in his residence and were waiting, myself impatiently, for a communication from Laohwan. And here I must pay another tribute to Nikola's powers of self-concentration. Anxious as the time was, peculiar as was our position, he did not waste a moment in idle conjecture, but taking from his travelling bag an abstruse work on chemistry, which was his invariable companion, settled himself down to a study of it; even when the messenger did come he did not stop at once, but continued the calculations upon which he was engaged until they were finished, when he directed Laohwan to inform him as to the progress he had made.

“Your arrival,” said the latter “is expected, and though I have not been to the house I have learned that preparations are being made for your reception.”

“In that case you had better purchase ponies and have the men in readiness, for in all probability we shall leave for Pekin to-morrow morning.”

At what time will your Excellency visit the house?” asked Laohwan.

“Some time between half-past ten and eleven this evening,” answered Nikola, and thereupon our trusty retainer left us.

At seven o'clock our evening meal was served. After it was finished I smoked a pipe in solitude while Nikola went into a neighbouring room for half an hour's earnest conversation with our host. When he returned he informed me that it was time for us to dress, and thereupon we went to our respective rooms and attired ourselves in our Chinese costumes. Having done this we let ourselves out by a side door and set off for the native city. It was fully half-past ten before we reached it, but we preferred to allow those who were expecting us to wait rather than that we should betray any appearance of hurry.

Anyone who has had experience of Tientsin will bear me out when I say that of all the dirty and pestilential holes this earth of ours possesses there are very few to equal it, and scarcely one that can surpass it. Narrow, irregular streets, but little wider than an average country lane in England, run in and out and twist and twine in every conceivable direction. Overhead the second stories of the houses, decorated with sign boards, streamers and flags, almost touch each other, so that even in the middle of the day a sort of dim religious light prevails. At night, as may be supposed, it is pitch dark. And both by day and night it smells abominably.

Arriving at the end of the street to which we had been directed we left our conveyances and proceeded for the rest of the distance on foot. Half way down this particular thoroughfare—which was a little wider, and certainly a degree more respectable than its neighbours, we were met by Laohwan—who conducted us to the house of which we were in search.

In outward appearance it was not unlike its fellows, was one story high, had large overhanging eaves, a sort of trellis-shielded veranda, and a low arched doorway. On this last our Chinese companion knocked with his fist, and at the third repetition the door was opened. Laohwan said something in a low voice to the janitor, who thereupon, with many bows, admitted us.

“There is but one sun,” said the guardian of the gate humbly.

“But there be many stars,” said Nikola, whereupon the man led us as far as the second door along the passage. Arriving at this he knocked upon it in a peculiar manner. It was instantly opened, and we stepped inside. Here stood another man holding a queer-shaped lamp in his hand. On seeing us he intimated that we should follow him, which we did, down a long passage, to bring up finally at a curtained archway. Drawing the curtain aside he bade us pass through, and then re-drew it after us.

On the other side of the arch we found ourselves in a large dark-coloured room, the floor, walls and ceiling of which were made of some wood remarkably resembling teak. It was unfurnished save for a few scrolled banners suspended at regular intervals upon the walls, and a few cushions in a corner. When we entered it was untenanted, but we had not long to wait before our solitude was interrupted. I had turned to speak to Nikola, who was examining a banner on the left wall, when suddenly a quiet footfall behind me attracted my attention. I wheeled quickly round to find myself confronted by a Chinaman whose age could scarcely have been less than eighty years. His face was wrinkled like a sun-dried crab-apple, his hair was almost white, and I noticed that he walked with a stick. One thing struck me as very curious about his appearance. Though the house in which we found ourselves was by no means a small one, though it showed every sign of care, and even in places betokened the possession of considerable wealth on the part of its owner, this old man, who was undoubtedly the principal personage in it, was clad in garments that evidenced the deepest poverty. When he reached Nikola, whom he seemed to consider, as indeed did everyone else, the chief of our party, he bowed low before him and said—

“Your Excellency has been anxiously expected. All the arrangements for your progress onward have been made this week past.”

“Very good,” said Nikola. “And what has been done?”

“News has been sent on to Pekin,” said the old man, “and the chief priest will await you in the Llamaserai. I can tell you no more.”

“And now let us know what has been said about my coming.”

“It is said that they who have chosen, have chosen wisely.”

“That is well; I am satisfied,” said Nikola. “Now leave us; I am tired and would be alone. I shall remain the night in this house and go onwards at daybreak to-morrow morning. See that I am not disturbed.”

The old man assured Nikola that his wishes should be respected, and having done so left the room. When he had gone Nikola drew me to the further end of the apartment and whispered hurriedly—

“I see it all now. Luck is playing into our hands. If I can get hold of the two men I want to carry this business through I'll have the society's secret or die in the attempt. Listen to me. When we arrived to-night I learnt from Williams, who knows almost as much of the under life of China as I do myself, that what I suspected has taken place. That is that after this long interval there has been an election to fill the place of the man whom China Pete killed in the Llamaserai to obtain possession of that stick. The man chosen is the chief priest of the Llama temple of Hankow, a most religious and extraordinary person. He is expected in Pekin either this week or next. These people have mistaken me for him, and I mean that they shall continue in their error. If they find that we are hoodwinking them we are dead men that instant, but if they don't, and we can keep this other man out of the way, we stand an excellent chance of getting from them all we want to know. It is a chance that might never come again, so we must make the most of it. Now attend carefully to me. It would never do for me to leave this place to-night, but it is most imperative that I should communicate with Williams. I must write a letter to him, and you must take it. He must send two cablegrams without an instant's delay.”

So saying he drew from a pocket inside his sleeve a small notebook, and, what seemed most incongruous, a patent American fountain pen. Seating himself upon the floor he began to write. For nearly five minutes complete silence reigned in the room, then he tore two or three leaves from the book and handed them to me.

“Take these to Williams,” he said. “He must find out where this other man is, with out losing an instant, and then communicate with the folk to whom I am cabling. Come what may they must catch him before he can get here and carry him out to sea. Once there he must not be allowed to land again until you and I are safely back in Shanghai.”

“And who is Williams to cable to?”

“To two men in whom I have the greatest confidence. One is named Eastover, and the other Prendergast. He will send them this message.”

He handed me another slip of paper.


 * “To Prendergast, care Gregson, Hong-Kong—

“Come Tientsin next boat. Don't delay a moment. When you arrive call on Williams at once. .”