Show i COPYRIGHT BY I H h CHAPTER VIII VU VIII-Continued VIII Continued I-Continued 10 10 This hs like the bedroom was paneled paneled pan pan- and there sure enough a n key was declaring a cupboard sunk In Inthe Inthe Inthe the wall The moment I opened this I knew that some one beneath it Jt was as knocking upon Its floor I saw the bolts of or a trap which was sunk In the floor of or the cupboard cupboard cup cup- board six feet from the door In an Instant I had It open there was a curling staircase of ot polished oak and Helena wrapped In lna a dressIng dressIng dressIng dress- dress Ing gown sitting on one ne of J the stairs Beside de her was st standing Sabre fairly snuffing excitement and ready to leap I Thank God says Helena I UI 1 I thought you must be asleep And now take Sabre m my dear and tell teB him to watch your door And then come do down n. n The watch was soon set for Sabre Sabre Sa Sa- Sa bre was very wise and thirty seconds seconds sec see later I J entered my ladys lady's room She p pointed to a table standing close to the hearth laid for one only but bearing enough for three Open the tile wine my darling Ill I'll cut the chicken up up We Ye mustn't eat much I whis whis- I I If we do they'll know Ive I've been here Let them know said Helena quickly W What at do I care What does It matter John What does docs anything matter now I shook my head This matters Nell Nen Compared with this th the foresters forester's cottage and andall andall all nIl was a Sunday School show Dont Don't think Im I'm prudish Im I'm not Im I'm only too glad of a good excuse to be here bere You see Im I'm a man man and I love you you from from throat to foot But no one must ever know It It If It we stood on the steps of a scaffold Id I'd say the same I 1 saw her fingers Ugh tighten ten about the stem stein o of h her r glass Youre right she said Im getting my values wrong Never 7 J JI I Saw Her Fingers Tighten About tho the Stem of Her Glass mind Sabre can can cover your tracks Ill I'll leave a plate on the floor and they'll think I gave him a meal meat Absurdly enough this arrangement arrangement arrange arrange- ment meat comforted me The fragments of or propriety that remained were I sc-arce sc scarcely y worth taking up all the same So we broke our fast together and shared her glass For or five minutes we smoked In silence regarding egar the leaping flames names I threw down my cigarette and got to my feet Interlude I said quietly And Aud now flow If you please m my darling I want Yant you ou to go to bed Weve We've got gota a ha hail l day coming and weve we've left lefta a hard day clay behind Its It's no good our talking tonight Sl She e did not seem to hear hearme me but after a moment or two she rose to her fe feet fett tJohn t. t John she said do you yon love me I caught her ber hand and put It up to my lips Ups You know that I love you I Isaid Isaid said far more than life I II wonder she said sad terribly terribly terribly ter ter- ter- ter easy to say Why Nell what's the matter I whispered She sh shook ok her beautiful held head Nothings the matter I only wondered You YOt see I love lo you blindly Theres There's nothing else In my world Reputation YorIck Valentine compared with you they're so many Idle words And AndI I naturally cant can't help belp wondering whether you yu love love- me mo as much Give me your hands I said your beautiful hands She dropped her cigarette and gave me her other hand And now your eyes She lifted her gaze to mine I cant can't define the word love but when you yon look troubled Well Nell ell It tears my heart Pharaohs Pharaoh's getting at you through me we me-we we both know that li Well I i cant can't curs curse e the day ay I 1 met you but I wish to God that hed he'd got me mc at nt Annabel that Nell Nell that day when Rush Jogged his hs arm and he hit the mirror Instead Her arms were about my ray neck and her ber breath on my lips No no Take It back Dont Don't say such terrible things Oh John m my precious my darling For a moment moment mo mo- mo- mo ment meat she clung to me desperately Then she snatched a n note from her bel pocket and thrust It Into my hand You say you love loye me Then take tale I this note to your cousin and save me from something that frightens me more than death You can go goby goby o oby by the footbridge and tunnel tunnel tunnel-t tunnel that that lat latkey key I gave to Florin was Valentines Valentine's Valen tines tine's master key But you yon must go so before Its It's light If It youre you're seen seenI I coming back It wont won't matter matter be be because cause you'll be coming back But Nell Nelt how can I Im I'm on parole my darling Weve We've passed our word How could I 1 help It I 1 was fainting For more than a minute my head bead had been going round And who have I passed It to To a fiend fiend fiend-a a butcher that's trying to smash my life And how am I breaking my word Listen This notes note's to warn your cousin that Valentine must not return We never told Barley to keep him so I when he comes to they'll naturally let him go I Its taking action Nell You swore you wouldn't do that If It you OU love me you'll do It John Call It breaking my word If you rou please and think the less of or orme me for It but It-but but do as I say I haven't mentioned Pharaoh I haven't breathed a a word of ot the plight were we're In But If It comes out that I laid hands on my brother brother- well Ill I'll just be ruined for life Open the note and read It Here Here Here- give It to me She seized and tore It open Listen Listen Lis ten to this Keep Valentine with you Use any violence you OU like He must not return to the castle and no ono one on onearth onearth onearth earth must kno know that he Is with you ou Dont Don't tall fall me But why write to Geoffrey Nell I 1 could tell Barley to tell him and and- and No no You dont don't understand Its It's too serious for that I 1 dont don't think you know what Ive I've done In n I abducting the Count You Yon must give this note to your cousin Into cousin Into his hands But Nell that's out of or the ques ques- tion Geoffrey wont won't be back till seven What does that matter John Were We're free till noon She stuffed the sheet Into Its envelope and thrust this again upon me me Take It I 1 beg and pray you yon and give It Into his hand You talk o of my reputation reputation rep rep- In this affair far more than m my name Is at stake If It they knew what Id I'd done my own servants would use me as a leper they all an took the oath that I took and nd Its It's never been broken John since Yorick lck ick was built hullt I 1 had to do It John you OU you know that I had but If It anyone any one ever finds out theres there's an end or me Pharaoh knows my d darling What can he prove Nothing But If It Valentine and he be get er I haven't a n chance And Pharaoh Pharaoh Pha Pha- would be on to Mona within the hour All right I said III Ill III take roke It But But But- Thank God my darling She threw herself Into my arms Now I I do know that you love me Dont Don't think I 1 dont don't know what Im I'm ask ask- ing lug She brushed my check with her lips Ups and threw back her head Ask what you like me of me after Ill after Ill I'll give It with all an my heart Well We'll live or ordie ordie ordie die together together just just as you say But were we're going to live I live I know It Were We're going oln to come out of ot this pass But I mustn't be stained my ray darling I I dont don't want ant your wife to tobe tobe be he stained with a blemish that wont won't come off God h help lp me said I I. I Ill do doIt It But why I must wait walt for Geoffrey frey why frey why I must stand and watch while he lie reads rends your note note note- To bring mo inn hack back his promise Until I know that hes he's read It It I shant shan't know a n moments moment's peace pence r Oh Oh J John OlIO my dear Ive I've got so much to carr carry Very w well my beauty Ill I'll go goat goat goat at once I hastened back to my bedroom and dressed us as fast ns as I could Gin GIu Gingerly gerly erly feeling my wound I remembered hered Helena's s promise to send a horse for me to the mouth of or the entrance drive She had of or course no Idea that Dewdrop De had stabbed me so deep Perhaps If I 1 stood In my stirrups stirrups- Before BeCore I left the chamber I J drew the bolts of the door Then hen I took Sabre and made for tor the polished stair Twenty minutes later Inter I fought my way out of the bushes that were masl masking the tunnels tunnel's mouth S Something at least I was spared for Goeffrey drove up to e e Inn Iun Iune five e minutes before his time Well Im I'm damned he said And where the deuce have you been Ill tell ten you later said I and put the tho note Into his hand And now v come out of ot that car Ive I've got gotto gotto gotto to get back Get back where said Bald Geoffrey Ill tell you later said I. I You read that note My cousin stared Then he drew out the sheet of ot paper and read the message It bore When he had done he looked me full In the eye You shouldn't have bave opened It should you i It was my turn to stare As a n matter of ot fact I didn't She sealed It before It-before beCore I 1 came down down In Then she broke It open and read It Itt t to me herself herse r. r Geoffrey fingered his chin Well you ou cant can't go lIl like e this he said sad getting out of the car I Imeln 1 mean mean mean- Geoffrey I said believe me I r must get back Ill I'll get Into touch again as ns soon as ever eyer I can cnn but however strange you ou find tInd It It I cant can't wait now Only one moment moment said Geoffrey Geoffrey frey trey taking my arm Despite my protests he haled me up the steps and Into the Inn In the hall I planted my feet Look here Geoffrey I said I J dont don't want to have a row but Ive I've got to get et back to her without one Instants Instant's delay I 1 wouldn't wouldn t have dreamed of ot coming but she couldn't send a servant and and weli well there was no other way Id I'd have left the note with w-Ith Barley but she wouldn't have th that t. t She's got to know that youve you've got It It and have pro promised 0 to do as she says sas Oh well here goes goe said Geoffrey Geoffrey frey and anet hit me under the Jaw as ashard ashard ashard hard as he could CHAPTER IX I. I The Fragrant Valley W WHEN WIIl lIEN N I came to my senses I Iwas Iwas Iwas was lying on the floor noor of a car that was traveling fast My wrists and my roy ankles were bound and my mouth was gagged Barley was seated above aboc me watching my face As M I tried to sit up he pushed m back on the pillows vs which made m my bed Lie quiet a bit sir sr he said and you'll soon be as ns right as rain To this day I 1 do not know why I IdId Idid Idid did not go out of ot m my mind They say that I 1 fought like Uke a n madman but that was because I Iwas Iwas was mad Barley had to throw himself himself him him- self on me to keep me down And then at nt last I 1 f fainted I do not think think- Barley knew It for formy formy formy my senses had hardly le left Iet t me before before be- be fore foie they returned but I think that discretion n came with them for then I saw that to struggle and fight was hopeless And so to feign resignation tion Uon I 1 lay quite still where I was wasand wasand and shut my e eyes es And that was my undoing for for- after a moment or two I fell feB asleep Though the car fled tIed on I l' l knew nothing and I 1 never ne knew when It stopped I was lifted out still sleeping and though my bonds were loosened I 1 never stirred And while I 1 sl slept pt Lady H Helena lena YorIck was playing her ber part The song of a brook woke me and anU I 1 propped myself on an elbow to gather my w wits ts The next Instant I was afoot and was staring wildly about me The wooded peak of ot a mountain looked placidly back back and and a pride of or beeches was smiling and a chapter chapter chap chap- ter of gra-gr gra gray green en rocks was casting Its stately shadow upon the most vivid Iy d of or swards It was past half four tour I had slept for more mOle than nine hours The dial of ot my watch grew misty I felt the tears beginning to leave lease my eyes One pf pr f them fell upon the So So I stood for a n moment Then I flung myself down and burled buried my face In th the grass S S S S Come come old fellow said Geoffrey you mustn't take It so HO ill HI I made no answer I I I. dared not trust my voice have done said sad the same my cousin John ohn I 1 couldn't Ignore Ignore ignore Ig Ig- ig- ig nore such a hint I sat up and dashed the tears from my face Hint What hint Geoffrey raised his eyebrows s. s I III dont don't know v what she read rend you he said f But ut I dont don't think I she read you that thaL thaLAs As he spoke he gave me a paper pa pa- per per per-Helena's Helena's note Mr Bohun Keep John with you Use nn any violence you like lIle Ho flo mURt must not re return return to- to turn to the castle and no ono one on onearth onearth earth arth must know V that be ho Is with you Dont Don't tall fall me mc Helena YorIck No NoV X j said youre quite rl right bt She didn't read that I Jau shortly have seen through It of or course nine out of ot ten people would But you must rem remember em her that Im I'm no ordinary fool Besides I trusted her blindly trusted blindly trusted an and loved her ber blindly So you see It was awfully easy to have me on I laughed again Its rather like fooling tooling a dog or a It baby child A dog I think Your dog clog Youve You've decided to hn have e him destroyed so you ou take him for a walk and stop at thc the vets lie doesn't know He lie doesn't care where you yon go so long as he can go with you yoube yoube be be he with his god lie He loves you blindly you see lIes lIe's not the faintest faintest faint faint- est cst Idea that youre you're going to do 10 him In You can cnn speak to the vet In his presence presence presence-II I want this dog destroyed Youre You're perfectly safe hell HelI lick your hand while youre you're speaking If only you'll give him the chance But If But Jr that that dogs dogs dog's eyes were eyes were opened If It when you were gone and he was standIng stand stand- lag Ing waiting with his eager nose to the threshold straining ng his ears for some signal of ot your return return-Jr return If then by some magic that dog was made aware of ot the truth Now look here old fellow renow said sold Geoffrey Im not going to take any sides till I 1 know where I am I want to hear your story from first to last Dont Don't leave out any de dc- de- de tails This shows show's bung full fun of ot details details de do- tails and details count countI I plucked at the Ule grassI grass I dont don't know that I 1 care to tell you Take your time said Geoffrey But we dont don't leave here till un you do I II dont know that I 1 want to leave here No more do I J said sad Geoffrey Its a very attractive spot and Im I'm glad of or a change I lay bl back k and stared at the sky I felt a n curious detachment from nIl all that ten hours ago ngo had been my life Ilfe Looking back buck I 1 seemed to tobe tobe be I looking across some unbridgeable able depth I think the truth Is that my Inter Interest Interest In In- ter terest st In Helena Helenn Yorick had suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly died and since that had filled s 's I Dont Don't Know That I Want to Leave Here my being for the moment my life was empty as ns never ne before I 1 did not nolo regret the lady lady lady-I I was neither happy nor sad I s simply had bad no noI I material upon wh which ch my emotions could work The bitterness I had hall shown Geoffrey was th that t of or a savage sav say age critic not critic not of or an nn Injured man I was Impersonal So much for the the state of mind which my abrupt disillusion had brought about Helena Yorick had had deceived me Nell rell had I looked ke-d ke Into my ey eyes s and fooled me to the top of |