| Show BANNER SERIAL FICTION F she painted al anted her er face A sav of we fo 0 d DORNFORD YATES 0 dornford Dorn tord yates yale serl CHAPTER X continued 31 im not quite ready ill tell you when to begin I 1 called up to elizabeth with that I 1 pulled the screw delv or er out of the crack in the wall and splashed my way to beneath the ladder dr of dogs and there with a frightful effort I 1 scratched away the filthy jacket of 0 slime in search ol of another interstice between the stones I 1 had not the strength to reach as high as I 1 wished and tor for two or three desperate moments I 1 could not discover a joint but at last my trembling fingers encountered the ghost of a crack and I 1 managed to put up the blade and to push it a little way in I 1 hardly hoped that it would hold me but I 1 could do no more and I 1 sank down and let the steel take ray iny weight when I 1 had rested a moment I 1 was able to push it further into the crack are you ready my darling yes im ready I 1 said and hoped for the best As will have been guessed my primitive plan was this to drive the tire levers between the stones of the well and so climb up by them to the foot of the ladder above I 1 watched my ladys stocking pass out cut ot of the light of the lamps with the levers jingling within it to tell me how far they had come and three or four seconds later I 1 guided them into the pocket adorning the breast of my coat As I 1 felt for the head of the stocking to cast it loose I 1 found that it ishad had been tied to a piece of flexible wire at once I 1 lifted my voice enough now how mu much ch cord it have ave you left about eight feet my darling what is it made of elizabeth two pieces of cord the strap and some flexible wire the last was in the toolbox tool box on an inspect tion lamp I 1 could have cried out tor for joy flexible wire will bear a considerable weight again I 1 ad dressed addressed malady my lady 1 I want you to move the car so that one of its wheels is directly in line with the ladder ladd ersay say five feet away from the well before you do this hitch the cord round a statue so that it fall very well whilst she was doing my bidding I 1 unfastened the end of the flex then with a shaking hand I 1 got it D about my body under my arms As I 1 made it fast I 1 heard elizabeths voice yes richard the car is there take your end ot of the cord and thread it between the spokes and so round the tire then very slowly draw it as tight as you can when you hear me shout hout s make it fast by taking two or three turns 7 very well A moment later the flex began to move I 1 dared n not ot ask too much of so frail a rope and directly it took the strain I 1 called to my lady to stop but though it could not have borne me it held me up and what was a thousand times better it freed my hands before she was back at the head of that cursed well I 1 had hammered one of the levers into the wa wall 11 now I 1 was not out of the wood by a ery long way but lanew that the lever would bear the whole of my weight and this meant that it if I 1 could manage to plant my other levers as r rungs u I 1 could emerge from the water wate r which threatened me alt after r working the matter out I 1 c called ailed upon pon u my lady to loosen the b cord coid somehow I 1 planted a lever bene neath tin the waterline water line since ace I 1 had but three this seemed a terrible waste but I 1 simply had not the strength to drag myself clear of the water without some support below and when the business was dore done and the slack of the cord taken up it was all I 1 could do to reach the first lever I 1 drove and there I 1 hung like a man cast up on some shore who knows what still lies be foi foie e him it if he is to sav save e his life and doubts that he has the strength to get to his feet and stagger landward out of the reach of the waves for I 1 had to set one of my feet on the lever below and when it was there I 1 had to haul myself up a terribly difficult movement at any time stand at the toot foot of a ladder of I 1 D 9 I 1 seven een rungs of which all are missing i ng except the second and fourth then take hold of the second and mount the f fourth and I 1 was not inot standing and I 1 was very tired of 01 course the trouble was this that my levers were much too close and yet I 1 could not plant them farther apart tor for without some toot foot hold I 1 could not work higher up and in my exhausted condition I 1 could not work lower down it was a very near thing I 1 never could have done it without elizabeths help for she handled the cord with such skill always just taking the strain but never taking my weight that I 1 depend ed upon her from first to last when after a frightful convulsion I 1 got a foot on to the lever to hang bent double halt half in and half out of the flood when the water clung to my body as though reluctant to let go its lawful prey when I 1 made my last desperate effort to leave myself clear of its clutches and keeping my toot foot on the lever to straighten my knee when I 1 was up and was standing against the wall of the well and all the handhold I 1 had was the lever a bare two inches above my knee when I 1 dared to let go of this and bracing my thigh against it put up my hands above me to search the wall at these times that poor cord saved me and nothing else and yet it must have broken it if once it had taken my weight trembling I 1 straightened my back and put up my hands and met the last rung of the ladder shoulder high reaching up as tar far as I 1 could I 1 ca could uld actually grip the last but two ol of the dogs driven into the side of the well be sure I 1 tested the three as well as I 1 could then I 1 mounted my second lever and tested the fourth and the fifth though rust had corrupted them all they seemed to be sound and since they were very thick and we were r e almost certainly grappled behind the stones ol of the wall I 1 wasted no more time but swung myself up once I 1 was on the ladder I 1 called my lady by name and when she replied I 1 told her to drop the cord im on the ladder I 1 said but I 1 want to know where it stops just clear of the parapet richard stand still where you are said 1 I ill come up and see it was as she said the last of the dogs or the first was set perhaps six inches below the true rim of the well draw the cord tight I 1 said and then give me your end I 1 passed this round my body and then threw it back put it round the wheel again and give it to me again she did as I 1 said and again I 1 passed it about me and pitched the end of it back now make that fast to the wheel and then stand clear there was a moments silence then all right richard she said are you standing well back 1 I am I 1 took the five strands in my rn hand and took a step up the dogs were ere taking my weight but the cord was holding me into hito the side of the well I 1 mounted step by step and hand over hand As my head rose abo above the parapet I saw elizabeth standing with one of her hands to her throat three more s tops steps then I 1 flung a leg over the wall and pulled myself in I 1 was lying flat on the cobbles with my head in elizabeths lap it was very near three when I 1 berthed the car in the shadows which masked the entrance drive at brief tor for now the moon was yas up and was refining the country on w which aich e v we both believed we had looked our last an hour and a quarter before ten minutes later perhaps we entered her staircase turret and climbed its steps now I 1 had bad advised that elsa be told to dress and to be beyond briefs verge before six unless less she preferred to be charged with attempted murder and almost certainly sent to prison for life but aut to our surprise and relief her bed was untouched and she was not within the suite in tact fact it was very soon scon clear that because she did not trust virgil and there she can scarcely be blamed she had discarded the role which she had been ordered to play and had selected a better and safer part to be short monna idonna lisa had fled taking with her the best ot of all that elizabeth had her disappearance suited us very well for we had our secrets to keep and such a wolf in cheeps clothing was far better out of our way and though the things she had taken were worth a good deal their loss but served to remind us of what we had saved that night I 1 made the most of the bathroom before I 1 did anything else but of course I 1 had no dry clothes and though I 1 begged tor for my shirt elizabeth would not allow me to put it on instead when I 1 reappeared she put a flask into my hand and bade me do as she told me or else go off to my bed since some things remained to be settled I 1 let her have her way but I 1 could not help thinking of the strictures which would have been passed if the duchess r 7 all ii FM im not quite ready ill tell you when to begin of whelp had suddenly entered the room I 1 suppose that one treasures for foi ever the gift of forbidden fruit but I 1 know that as long as I 1 live I 1 shall never forget the short most int intimate scene which brought to an end the drama in in which we had played that night less than an hour before I 1 had been fighting for life in palfreys Pal freys terrible well and now I 1 was in elizabeths exquisite bedroom sitting with a flask blasic in my hand on the foot of elizabeths bed w while hile elizabeth stood to her pier glass glas s putting her hair to rights lights I 1 met her eyes in the glass a and nd the two of us smiled and I 1 saw myself beyond her looking like any miner about to begin his toil high time I 1 was gone said I 1 and got to my feet elizabeth spoke over her shoulder As a matter of fact I 1 love to see youthers you there when were married you must always sit there when im brushing my hair old harrys words rang in my ears and I 1 turned away I 1 must request your assurance upon one point that Is that you are aware that you cannot possibly marry the countess of brief I 1 put the flask to my lips and when I 1 drained it dry I 1 put it back in the cupboard from which she had taken it down what about tomorrow I 1 said 1 I mean if we can wed better keep out of the wet not that I 1 care if the police knew id bumped him off put their arms armis around my neck but I 1 cant bear anyone knowing that you were involved and yet P my darling what are you saying I 1 turned to meet elizabeths Elizabet ws startled aled eyes then she laid down her brush and came and put her hands on my shoulders I 1 can you get what im saying richard or are you all in im all right my beauty but im too tired to make plans ill make them for you she said and now listen to me when you leave this room you must go by the way that you came that is by the picture gallery there you must pick up winter and enter the tower and so to bed at seven winter cancels the horses you gave him that order last night by my request he calls you again at nine but because there is no one to call me I 1 sleep till teri ten then I 1 find that elsa has gone and after a little I 1 find that ashes taken some of my things but you dont even know that because neither you nor your servant were out of the tower all night yes ive got that I 1 said its ICs vital richard vital if we say anything weve got to say everything ery thing and except for 0 old id harry and herrick no one must ever know what happened tonight Z she raised her eyebrows there and gave a little shake ot of her head 1 I dont know what stuff im made of but it upset me at all neither was fit to live quite apart from the tact fact that you did it in self defense but the fact remains that youve been the death of two men and one of those men was the cousin c ous in with whom I 1 have been brought up my darling listen to me it simply must not be known that the man whom I 1 am to marry put percy virgil to death y yes es I 1 see that I 1 said somehow A all U right ill keep my counsel and winter will hold his tongue I 1 put my arns about her and he held her er close kiss me goodnight my lady the dawn will be coming up and I 1 want you to get to bed As I 1 kissed her mouth she took my head in her hands good night I 1 whispered goodnight good night my beautiful girl I 1 let her go slipped into my sodden coat and laid my shirt over my arm two minutes later we stood in the picture gallery by the light of the staircase tur ret I 1 set up the eloquent harp then I 1 turned to her standing beside me picked up her little hand and put its it s palm to my lips sleep well sweetheart I 1 whispered and you my dear look ill keep my door open until you get to the hall so she lighted me on my way when I 1 came to the head of the s staircase tair case I 1 purposely bore to the left and an instant later a torch was flashed into my eyes well done winter said 1 I and now well go back to the tower enough for tonight in my room I 1 gave him his orders one of these concerned the suit which I 1 was so glad to take off let no one see you do it but when you can tomorrow conceal this suit in the rolls and the next time I 1 send you for petrol stop in some lonely place cut my name out ol of th the e jacket and burn the lot very good sir air said winter blinking and and what about this my shirt oh that matter hang it out on and there I 1 stopped dead he was not holding my shirt what he was holding was one of elizabeths dainty chemises with which I 1 had rubbed myself down TO BE CONTINUED |
