A Girl Among the Anarchists

Since Friday morning I had hardly left the office at all-merely going home for dinner and returning at once to the fray-and by four o'clock Sunday morning we had

y, and we had for once the satisfaction of kn

ive abodes; Beppe and Meneghino, having turned the wheel the whole evening, had fallen to sleep exhausted, stretched on a bench in the machine-room; and I, after having partaken of a cup of tea and some hot buttered toast which old M'Dermott had provided for me, sat

which was burning itself out, I was roused from my torpor by a light rap at the outside door. In the office all was quiet, but for the heavy and rhythmic snores of the weary c

bourer, a sailor before the mast, a gilder employed in church decorations, a house-decorator in a lunatic asylum and a cutter-out of military trousers at Marseilles, a warehouse porter and a navvy. Whatever job turned up he accepted; if it was work at which he had no experience he would look up some comrade in that line and get from him a few hints, and this, supplemented by reading up particulars in some trade encyclopaedia at a public library, enabled him to accomplish his task satisfactorily. He had hardly been in London a fortnight when he looked about him for work, and, nothing better offering, he engaged himself as washer-up at one of Veglio's many restaurants. After six weeks he was rescued from the uncongenial drudgery of scullion by a comrade, a fellow-Calabrian, who earned a good living as decorator of West-end cafés, and who took on Bonafede to assist him in frescoing a ceiling at the Trocadero, not, however, before the latter had laid the foundations of a lega di resistenza between the Italians employed in restaurant kitchens. At the end of a month the ceiling was painted, and Bonafede parted company with his compatriot, pocketing ￡10, plus his keep whilst the job lasted. One of his first steps was to visit me at the office of the Tocsin and arrange for the printing of an Italian pamphlet and of a booklet of

him, and my expression was eloquent of

ortunity to get round here without being followed by my guardian angels of Scotland Yard. Gnecco told me that you were passing the night in the office, and so I seized on a favourable moment and came." He stopped

explosions, has been hiding in London for some time past." I nodded assent: he had

will be watching the Continental trains, so he will go for the present to Leicester, and stay with a comrade who has a French wife, and who will pass him off as his wife's uncle. From there we hope, within a week or so to get him off to America; but all this requires

rday! Today is Sunday; it will be impossible for me to get at any money. Raymond is certain only to have a pound or two on him, if he has as much; the Bank is closed. I h

hesitating, for a few minutes. At last he spoke: "Madame Combrisson has the money by her, I am sure, but she will never give it. You say, however,

and repair to the house of the Combrissons, where, Bona

k he is safe the

eason to wish to remain on good terms with the Anarchists. They know on which side

ists who thought it good warfare to make the hated bourgeois pay for the propaganda by falsifying the currency. They had not been long in London when they took a large house in Grafton Street, letting out rooms to comrades. They also kept on the ground floor a small dep?t of foreign revolutionary literature, and received for a consideration the co

I had long since learned to know as Detective Limpet, was walking a few steps behind me on the other side of the road. I stopped at Number 9, my destination, and I saw Limpet likewise stop outside a public-house which stood opposite, and exchange a few words with a hulking brute lean

he should let me in or no, till a head adorned with curl-papers appeared above the k

chen, where Madame Combrisson, her

ncipally on "soupe à l'ognon," and Combrisson carried on in the back kitchen his carpentry business at which he kept these same lodgers employed, paying them in kind with food and house-room, and doling out a few shillings now and again as pocket-money. In this way h

ard, covetous grey eyes, grizzled hair screwed up in a tight knot on the top of her head, a nose like the beak of a bird of prey, and thin blu

wish I had it myself, I would willingly give it for the Cause, but, que voulez vous, mademoiselle? we are b

-papers, and to exchange her petticoat and red flannel jacket for a somewhat rusty black dress. Whilst performing her toilette she eyed me carefully. I noticed that since she had inspected the j

it was getting

ly, are they A

surprised at this information, "But you must be rich," she said: "that jewellery you have brought is very beautiful; y

at we can to help the Cause, I do my best

though I was evidently still somewhat of

l Anarchists; we all do

ieu would like to see me if I saw fit, and together we mou

ng hours passed in close unhealthy rooms. He was slightly hunchbacked, his chest narrow and hollow, his legs bowed; his pale blue eyes with their swollen red lids had the strained expression of one accustomed to make use of the last rays of daylight before lighting the lamp. His massive j

en followed by Detective Limpet and how he a

here; we must try to get rid of them in some way for a short while; set the

e a good revolver and I am not afraid to use it. I would make a rush for it, and ten to one I s

o take such a step, and that with a little patience and ingenuity i

s news filled us with alarm. Almost any minute now the police might claim entrance to the house, and then Matthieu would inevitably be caught. What was to be done? I was told off to look out of a front window from behind a curtain and report on the situation, but only to return with the news that Limpet and O'Brien were both leaning airily on their sticks studying the heavens with imperturbable calm. Matthieu was growing restless. He walked up and down the small room like a caged beast, nervously clutching at the revolver which he kept in his trouser pocket. Madame Combrisso

se!" moaned madame, "this busin

d. "Sharpen your wits and see if you cannot find some means of getting rid of thos

seemed electrifi

n two of the comrades to pick a quarrel in the street? They could start a fight, a crowd will assemble, the

will help Matthieu to get ready, and you, Isabel, be on th

round, growing ever more noisy; but Limpet and O'Brien stood firm. They looked at the combatants, but seemed to consider the matter as a joke, and only crossed over to our side of the way when they saw a crowd begin to assemble. The quarrel between Combrisson and his lodger began to flag when they saw that their object had failed, and the German soon walked off in the direction o

veral roofs. "This is my only means of escape. I will get into one of these other h

tries to stop yo

r them," he replied,

nute whilst we saw what was going on. As soon as the police knocked, he could ca

Deveril spoke to those two spies and has walked off. The public-house

leaving Matthieu by the window, ready at a moment's

opposite pub, leaning gracefully on his stick and gazing at the windows of our house. We stood watching for about a quarter of an hour, fully expecting to see the police appear; the room had

s we heard a ri

attire. Clean-shaven, with a short bulldog pipe in the corner of his mouth, a billycock hat set rather jauntily on his head, a short, drab-coloured overcoat of horsy cut, black and white check trousers, red-skin riding gloves, square-toed walking shoes, a light cane, and a rose in

t Matthieu jumped down into the room. "But what on earth hav

below. I have news for you. Just listen," but here he broke off, for, looking round the room, he had caught sight of me (I had stood speechless in a corner whilst this scen

troduced us: "Armand Sylvestre, a French com

in strange contrast with his sporting appearance

Sylvestre?" exclaimed Matthieu.

h a lot of fun out of those heavy-witted, pudding-eating police. So I asked Marie to go into a West End hairdresser's and procure some black hair-dye, as I know my gold locks are well known to our friends below. She asked for some, explaining that it was for theatricals, and last nig

mock pathos and tragedy with which he narrated it. But Matthieu, who was straining h

bar and asked in my best English accent for a whisky and soda, throwing down a half-sovereign to pay for it, and began talking about racing bets with the barman. As I expected, after a few minutes, Limpet entered, asking for a glass of bitter; he soon got interested in our talk. I was giving tips with the air of a

ntreaties, had refused to sign the warrant because it was Sunday!! Yes, this is an extraordinary country. Society must be saved, but before everything the Sabbath must not be broken. C'est d

onafede went downstairs to summon the Combrissons and relieve their minds. We had now nearly twenty-four hours before us; it was certain

effect was too ludicrous, and he was the first to laugh at the figure he cut in the looking-glass. Something else must be found. Madame Combrisson came to the rescue. She reminded us of a Jewish comrade, also a tailor by trade, who was not unlike Matthieu, being slightly hunchbacked. Her idea was to get him round, dress him in the fugitive's clothes, let Bonafede call a cab in an ostentatious style, into which the f

difficulty is to disguise our man. Dress him up as a w

ing me. Yoski was to dress himself in the woman's clothes, and return with me to Grafton Street, care being taken that the detectives should notice his entry. He was then to exchange his female attire for Matthieu's clothes and drive off in a cab, as previously arranged, and then Matthieu, in his turn donning the skirt and blou

us, and I decided to set out once more. This time I walked down the Euston Road to the beginning of Marylebone Road, where I jumped on to a bus going towards Maida Vale. The youth did likewise, and at the beginning of the Kilburn High Street I descended, making my way up that dreary road. I began to despair of ridding myself of my pursuer. I was miles out of my way, the hours were passing, and he still dogged my steps. I trudged along, weary and worried, weighed down with the responsibility of my position. Suddenly my eyes caught sight of a solitary hansom coming slowly towards me, I hurried forward, the youth was some paces behind me on the other side of

gesticulation, caught the ear. The narrow, dirty street was swarming with inhabitants, the front doors were mostly open, and many people had placed chairs on the doorsteps and pavement and were sitting out, though it would be an euphemism to speak of enjoying the fresh ai

floor back, vis his vife and schw

d a young sister. They all lived in the one room, but one felt that this did not cause them any suffering; they were evidently used to it. The three grown-ups were all at work when I entered, and the children clustered round like inquisitive little animals. I explained briefly my identity and the object of my visit, talking Engl

the bag. "Is everything here

it? And yet without that i

our wife's or your s

it. You might, however, try with Rebecca Wiesmann; she is a comrade and lives two streets farth

alone, having separated from her parents, who were strictly orthodox and intolerant Jews. She was indeed taken aback at seeing me, but did not like to refuse my request. I told her that I was expected at a comrade's house, that I had been followed by detectives and wished to lo

quite transformed in appearance. The hat and veil completed the disguise. By six o'clock we were in Grafton Street. I was relieve

en as much as we could do to prevent Matthieu from spoiling everything by making a rush for it. Come in, the

e entered the room. "At last," exclaimed Bonafede, with a sigh of relief on seeing us. "Now, Matthieu," he said, laying a hand encouragingly on the man's shoulder, "there is no time to be

r. Every other minute one of us went to look out of the window. It was nearly dark. The stree

at last inquired, to b

he would soon be back. He is off on some madcap exp

laying "The man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo," and other similar classics. I was at the window and saw Sylvestre

moiselle. All is well,

ded a

I was sure those poor devils were boring themselves to death, so I went down to the Italian quarter and brought

atthieu. The lower part of his face was concealed in

off. I shall be waiting for you, Isabel, and Matthieu with a cab just by Shoolbred's; time to leave the house five min

I will go over and offer some to the 'tecs; it will look as if I am trying to dis

afede had quietly slipped off down the Tottenham Court Road. Limpet was pacing up and down distractedly, uncertain whether to stick to his post or join his comrade in pursuit. In five minutes' time I quietly walked out, arm in arm with Matthieu, turning round on the doorstep to shake hands with Madame Combrisson. We walked boldly past Limpet, and were

hunger. Here is a sovereign, Madame; see if you can get us something fit to eat

" rejoined Bonafede, "to its sanc

ughed and chatted freely. Limpet, and O'Brien who had returned after satisfying himself as to the true identity of the false Matthieu, who

unded through the house. Deveril, with our two friends of the previous day, accompanied by three uniformed policemen, were on the doorstep. Combrisson opened to them with his most engaging smile. He politely read the warrant which the inspector h

hours' hunt in every hole and corner of the building he h

the front parlour, he said, "Well, Signore, you have been one too much for me on this oc

Limpet, who had evidently received a severe wigging from his superior for allo

pay me for this!" and with this melodramatic threat he and hi

the arrival of the police, had assembled in the road all the Italian comrades of the Tocsin group, several Frenchmen of his own acquaintance, and four