The Mask Part 37

Paying no heed to the compliment, Keralio went on:

"What did Handsome say?"

"He is puzzled himself and can't understand. Everyone's up in the air.

They think it is a discharged maid who did it for spite."

"The next time Mrs. Traynor receives a sudden message about her baby it will not be a hoax."

The valet looked up in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

Keralio did not answer the question immediately, but sat nervously twisting his fingers, a moody sullen look in his pale saturnine face.

At last, breaking the heavy silence, he said:

"That woman insulted me. You saw it. You were there----"

The valet nodded.

"You mean she put you out--ah, _oui_, she has a _diable_ of a temper when angry."

Keralio nodded.

"Yes--that I can never forgive. She shall ask my pardon on her knees.

I will break her spirit, humiliate her pride. I have been taxing my brain how to do it. At last I have hit on a plan--one that cannot fail and you shall help me."

"In what way _s'il vous plait_?"

Bending forward, his black eyes flas.h.i.+ng, Keralio said earnestly:

"That woman is devoted to only two beings in this world--her husband and her baby. Sooner or later, perhaps only in a few days, she will discover that Handsome is an impostor. He is such a fool that exposure is inevitable. The blow will almost kill her. Above all, it will humiliate her pride to know that unwittingly she has allowed that drunken brute, that poor counterfeit of her husband, to caress and fondle her. Next in her affections comes her baby. If any danger threatened the child, she would stop at nothing, she would make any sacrifice to ward off the danger. I propose to bring about just that situation----"

The valet half started up from his chair. Hardened and callous as he was in crime, he was hardly prepared to go to that extreme.

"Death?" he exclaimed, horror stricken, "you would kill ze child?"

"No fool--not kill the child. I'll kidnap it--that's all. We'll bring the child here and, then I'll write the mother, telling her where it is and to come to it, but warning her that if she values the child's life, she must tell no one, and must come here unaccompanied. Once she is here, I will take care of the rest. Do you understand?"

The valet breathed more freely.

"So you will that I----"

His chief nodded.

"Precisely. You'll take the flyer to Philadelphia. Say you come from the mother. They'll have no suspicion. Take the child and come here at once. Understand?"

"_Oui_, monsieur."

Keralio rose. In commanding tones, he said:

"Then go at once."

The valet went to get his hat. As he approached the door Keralio halted him and said:

"What's Handsome doing--keeping sober?"

"He has to, for I lock up all ze liquor. He lives like a lord, buying swell clothes, riding in ze automobile. Last night he lost at ze club $10,000 he had drew from ze bank."

Keralio gave a low whistle.

"The deuce he did! Living high, eh? Well--that's all right. Let him enjoy it. His gay life won't last long--only just as long as it suits my purpose."

"Hus.h.!.+ Not a word--here he is!"

From the landing outside came the sound of a heavy body lurching. Then came the noise of someone groping for the handle, followed by a furious pounding on the wooden panels.

"Open up there, will you!" shouted a hoa.r.s.e voice.

"Drunk, as usual!" said Keralio contemptuously.

He suddenly threw the door open and the gambler, burly and unsteady on his legs, almost fell in. He was in evening dress, his collar and tie rumpled, his hair unkempt. His face was flushed, his eyes bloodshot.

Reeling in, he hiccoughed:

"What'n h--ll do you live so far up town for? I thought I'd never get here. Say, this is the end of the world, ain't it? Jumping off place, eh? Stopped several times on the way to get a drink. My cabby nearly got lost. Been driving me round for three hours trying to locate the blooming house. Charged me $5. h.e.l.l of a good business, ain't it.

Tain't on the level to treat an old pal that way. Y'oughter be ashamed o' yourself."

"I'm more ashamed of you--for making such a beast of yourself,"

rejoined Keralio angrily. "Stop your cursed noise or you'll have the police on top of us!"

Without ceremony, he pushed the newcomer into a seat and made a gesture to Francois to go. The valet went toward the door.

"Remember," said Keralio warningly. "There must be no blundering. I want the child brought here----"

"_Oui_, monsieur--it shall be as you say."

The door closed and Keralio turned quietly to the miner. Sternly, and in a manner that brooked no nonsense, he demanded:

"Did you bring the diamonds?"

Handsome grinned, and pointed to his waist.

"I've got 'em all right!" With another hiccough, he added: "But there's no hurry, old sport. Let's have a drink before we get talking business."

In two rapid strides Keralio was up to him. Fiercely he said:

"Give me the stones--give me them I say. We've no time for your d----d fooling. Hand them over. Come----"

For a moment the gambler just sat and looked at his master. A giant in physical strength compared with the slightly built foreigner, he could have overpowered him as a child might crush an egg-sh.e.l.l, but he lacked the mentality, the magnetism of the Italian. He was cowed, dominated by the stronger mind. Grumbling, he began to fumble at his waist: