Blind Policy Part 42

"No, no, for pity's sake!" she almost moaned; "it may mean your death."

"Well, better that than an empty life," he cried, as she slowly gave way, mastered by the force that held her in its strange power. The next minute the door was closed, and they stood together in the great, dim hall.

He saw that she was struggling to be firm, but a wave of triumphant joy carried him on, for he knew that he had won.

"My own!" he whispered pa.s.sionately; "at last! at last!" and he clasped her in his arms.

"No, no!" she cried, making one last effort for the supremacy; and, thrusting him violently away, she turned and fled towards the end of the hall, darted through the open doorway into the great darkened dining-room and tried to shut the door.

But he was too close, and this time he caught her in his arms, raised her from the carpet, to bear her to the couch that had borne her wounded brother for so long, and there, letting her sink down, dropped upon his knees at her feet.

The room was very dim, the electric light being only slightly raised, but he could see her half-closed eyes and trembling lips, as she bent over towards him now till her brow rested upon his shoulder.

"This is not death, but life," he whispered pa.s.sionately. "Tell me, you were going to escape from me?"

"Yes."

"Where were you going?"

"Abroad--Switzerland."

"When?"

"To-night."

"Yes, to-night," he said softly, "and I with you, dearest. Your slave-- yourself--one with you always. Marion, we must never part again."

"Never part again," she whispered back, as his lips sought hers. "You have mastered. I can resist no more; take me, dearest--I am yours. But we must go at once. At any moment they may return."

"Who may? Your brother and James Clareborough?"

"Yes. Come away."

"To the world's end with you," he whispered, but she uttered a cry and sprang to her feet.

"What is it?" he whispered.

"Didn't you hear? Come."

She led the way quickly into the hall, and the voices her preternaturally sharpened hearing had detected came from below.

Marion caught Chester's hand and ran with him towards the great front door, which they had almost reached, when there was a sharp, quick rattling sound before them and the dull movement of feet upon the stone step.

The next moment the door was opening towards them.

Hemmed in, with peril on either hand.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

LIGHT IN DARKNESS.

As Chester turned to face what he knew must prove to be a desperate encounter, Marion s.n.a.t.c.hed at his wrist.

"Quick!" she whispered, and hurried with him through a door on their right, which led into a library with two windows facing the street; but the shutters were closed and the place was dimly lit by four diamond-shaped holes cut in their top panels, each of which sent a broad white ray across the room, to strike upon the end nearest the door, and to avoid their light Marion led him quickly close up into one corner by the window curtain.

They had hardly taken refuge there, to stand close together, when a hand struck the panel a sharp pat, and gave the door, which had gently swung to, a thrust which sent it back against the stop.

"Come in here," said James Clareborough in a low, surly voice; and Chester felt his companion s.h.i.+ver, and the blood surged to his brain as he dimly saw the shadowy figures of four men enter the room, three of whom took chairs and threw themselves into them, the other standing against a book-case with a dull patch of light from the window shutters striking full upon his breast, about which his hand kept on playing nervously.

It seemed to Chester that it was only a matter of moments before they would be seen; but so far the party were unconscious of their presence, and a couple of dull red spots of light waxed and waned as the aromatic fumes of cigar smoke began to pervade the room.

"Throw open one of the shutters, uncle," cried James Clareborough, hoa.r.s.ely.

"No, no," half shouted a voice which Chester recognised at once as that of his old patient.

"What! Why?" cried James Clareborough, and the violent throbbing of Chester's heart grew less painful as he heard Robert Clareborough's reply--

"Because if ever men wanted the darkness it is now."

It was a respite, for no one uttered a word for a few moments. Then in a low, angry voice, James Clareborough spoke again, and, with his every nerve on the strain, Chester noted that he took his glowing cigar from his lips and held it down between his knees.

"Curse them! Who would ever have thought of the fools attempting that?"

"Where's your wife, uncle?" said a voice which made the hand with which Marion clung to Chester's wrist give a slight twitch.

"Upstairs, lying down, my boy," said another voice, and it was Chester's turn to start as he recognised it as one he had heard before, though he could not make out where.

"Is she much hurt?" said Robert Clareborough.

"More frightened than hurt," said the same voice. "Of course it is a terrible shock."

"Horrible! Here, this must be the end of it. What do you say, Paddy?"

"Confound it! yes. I'm sick."

"Will you stop this cursed preaching, Rob?" snarled James Clareborough.

"You fools! You know there can be no end to it. What are you talking about? It was their own fault."

"Ah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Rob in a tone which made his sister s.h.i.+ver.

"Look here," continued James Clareborough; "are you two going to show the white feather? Take the case fairly, Paddy. Suppose this had been at The Towers in the night, and we came upon a couple of scoundrels-- with revolvers, mind!--carrying off the girls' jewellery, would either of you have hesitated about firing?"

"I suppose not," said Dennis, heavily, "but it seemed such cold-blooded work."

"Been more cold-blooded if they had dropped us two. Now, then, no nonsense; let's look the matter straight in the face. One thing is enough at a time. We can discuss Rob's ideas of a dissolution of partners.h.i.+p later on," was added, with a sneer. "Now, uncle; what about their coming? We had better have the old lady down."

"No, let her be; she can tell you no more than I can. They must have asked for leave to come up as you were all away, and come straight here ready to pitch some tale, and your aunt unsuspectingly let them in.