A Race With Rogues

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 122, 22 May 1920, Page 21

A Race With Rogues

By BEN BOLT.

CHAPTER VII. NORA SUSPECTS TREACHERY. * "Then 1 cannot see tmy brother at If once?" _ | c The' speaker was Nora Fotheringham, | and the person whom she addressed was C Katrina Vertcheff. | "I am afraid not. Orders (hare ibee_|S given," was the reply. I* "By whom?" . U' "By Count Leo Pavalosk, who occupies v this house." " "Who is Count Pavalosk?" demanded f Nora. „ E "That I cannot tell you, mademoiselle, s but if you will have patience yon will see him very shortly. His return is 3 momentarily expected." \* Nora looked at her companion doubt- * fully. Since their arrival at what she j was informed was their destination, Katrina Vertcheff's manner had completely changed; and she found herself i wondering if, after all, she had been wise g in trusting to her guidance. j "You are sure my brother is here?" L she asked, suddenly. '. "I am quite sure, mademoiselle. I . have seen him, spoken with him." I ( Nora's demeanour suffered _ a swift j change. "You have spoken with him!", she cried. 'You told him that I—" ', "No, mademoiselle, I did not tell him j that. He is not to know of your j presence here for the present." j '"Why not!" h "It is an order, mademoiselle; more , than that I cannot tell you." I, Nora's demeanour changed again. t Naked suspicion shone in her eyee, and , Katrina Vertcheff saw it. Nonchalantly j the Russian took a piece of paper from j the table and began to scribble on it, , apparently taking no notice of the , other's indignant protest. [ "But I insist on knowing. I came ] here to see my (brother. And I will see ■ •him. I will search the house until I 'find him." ' Katrina Vertcheff was still scribbling, and, without looking up, she replied: , "I assure you, mademoiselle, that would ■be quite useless. You would not be,: permitted to search." |i "Not be permitted! Do yon mean, that I am a prisoner here?" The Kussian woman looked up sud-| denly, made a gesture of warning, and ' thrust towards the indignant Nora the piece of paper. ' 'II think, mademoiselle; that yOUI would find it difficult to leave this house.] If that is what you mean by being a prisoner, then the term is correct." j Nora took little notice of the answer. She was looking at the paper which the other had thrust towards her. It held a message which for the moment prevented her from replying. | "Trust mc. In this 'house walls have ears. If you do not believe mc go quietly and swiftly to the door and open it." | A flash of understanding came to Nora. Now she remembered the warning against misunderstanding which Katrina had given before leaving London, and, feeling the necessity for continuing the I conversation on the lines it had hitherto followed, she crumpled up the paper, gave her companion a look of comprehension, and cried, in pretended indignation: — "Then I have been trapped! You mean evil to mc! Oh! how could you, when I trusted you?" "Mademoiselle " "I will not listen!" cried Nora, violently. "You do not deserve that _ I should. You are shameless, and I will never forgive you—never. I " She broke off, tossed the crumpled paper in the fire, and moved silently and swiftly to the door. A sound of. move- ( ment came to her as she turned the handle, and when she 'opened the door ehe caught eight of a man crossing the hall. "Mademoiselle, I implore you to toe reasonable. You must listen to mc." . Katrina Vertcheff spoke in unnecessarily loud tones—tones which Nora divined Tvere meant to be heard by the eavesdropper who was just entering the room on the other side of the hall. The man did not look round, as would have been natural on the part of anyone hearing such an appeal; but, as the girl observed, he left ajar the door of the room in which he disappeared. Still playing her part, she stood holding the handle of the door, looking back over her shoulder. "I do not see that it is any use listening further to you." "But you must. It is for the good of yourself—of your brother." For a moment Nora stood hesitating, as if debating with herself; then, with an air of reluctance, she spoke again. "Very well, Mademoiselle Vertcheff. I will hear what you have to say." Stepping back into the room, she closed the door, and as she did so Katrina Vertcheff whispered hurriedly: "Ho was there?" "Yes," whispered Nora, in reply. "You see, mademoiselle, how necessary 1* She broke off suddenly as an eleetrio ■bell sounded somewhere in the depths ot the house. "Listen!" The whir of the bell was followed by swift steps in the hall and the sound of a door opening, and this in turn by voices speaking in what to Nora was an unknown tongue. "Ah!" eaid Katrina. "Count Leo'has arrived. Now I suppose we shall dina* 4, Count Leo? Is that Saranofft" whispered Nora. A look of alarm came on her companion's face. "Oh, you must not ask!" she said, in an agonised whisper. "You must not betray knowledge of that name here. It is more than dangerous." There was a sound of steps in the hall, and the next moment the door opened, giving admittance to a tall, dis-tinguished-looking man dressed in dark clothes which accentuated the pallor ol his face, a pallor that was still further emphasized by his black hair and the coal-black eyes that seemed to glow with inward fires. He betrayed no sign of anything unusual in the meeting, but greeted Nora's companion easily, then turned to Nora herself. "And this, if I do not mistake, is our new guefit. Katrina, will you intro- " He broke off without finishing the sentence. Nora Fotheringham stood there, looking exceedingly beautiful. Excitement had given a dash of colour to her cheeks, and her eyes, always bright, -were brilliant as stars. For '» moment Count Leo was clearly taken aback. Then as he stood there a flame came in the dark eyes, a look of pleasure on the pale face. "But M'selle Nora, you are wonderful! And they did not teU ™*J" h * « iei

Nora flushed at this unconventional j utterance, and the light in the man's | t eyes seemed to play about her. She •was embarrassed, and looked quickly from the man to Katrina. The latter ( came instantly to her help. •, "Mademoiselle, this is your host, Count Leo." Nora bowed, but as the Count impulsively put out his hand she held out her * own. He took it, and held it a trifle * longer than good manners dictated, the c while he stared at her with ardent eyes. « The girl dropped her eyes before the ' flame in his, and was conscious of a J sudden tremor of spirit *c the man spoke again. ' "Mademoiselle, I am delighted to meet i you—to have you here under my roof. All my life I have been waiting for such 1 a one as you. No!" He laughed * quickly. 'Tor you! For none other. ] It is in my heart, so why should I not t say it?" ' 1 He broke off; his blazing eyes marked ( the girl's manifest confusion, and be , em Led triumphantly. • "But we are late for the table. And , dinner' awaits. You will excuse my attire, mademoiselle? When one is , hungry he does not need the sauce of evening clothes. If you are ready, M'selle Nora " ' He offered his arm. Almost mechani- 1 cally Nora took it, and the Count piloted her from the room, Katrina Vertcheff following. A footman stood Holding a door open, and half a minute later Nora found herself in a charming old panelled dining- ' room, furnished with furniture of the . Jacobean period, with what were unquestionably family portraits, though ' indistinguishable by reason of the shaded : lights. Scarcely were they seated when '' another diner followed them—a young ' ,man in correct evening dress, with eyes | that danced restlessly and the ascetic ' look of a fanatic. Count Leo made the introduction, "M'selle Fotheringham-—Signor Tuestelli." Nora acknowledged the introduction ' and looked round. Covers -were laid ' for five, and she caught herself wonder- . ing who the fifth was. A moment later | she knew. The Count marked the | vacant chair and asked a question. "Is Julius not to dine with us?" ! "It would appear not," answered Tuestelli. "He went with Tfechendorff in the car this afternoon, and is not yet i returned." | Count Leo turned to Nora. | "I am sorry, mademoiselle that the meeting with your brother is delayed. (But no doubt he will return presently; ' then we ehall give him a happy surprise." The girl instantly marked the dis- , crepancy bet ween »the two explanations - of the delayed meeting with her brother I given by Katrina Vertcheff and Signor fuestelli, and, glancing quickly at Ka. rina, caught a warning glance of her eyes. Ignoring the discrepancy, ehe | looked at the Count with simulated sur- ' ' prise. "My brother does not expect mc, then?" | The Count laughed. j "He has been kept in ignorance of . your coming. To find you here unexpectedly will give him the greater pleasure. But the greatest pleasure is hot for him," "Indeed?" asked Nora, turning to him with a question in her eyes. "No, M'selle Nora. That is mine. To have so beautiful a lady under my roof is a pleasure beyond all expression —certainly beyond anything that a mere brother can experience." His tone was earnest, making the words more than a mere exaggerated compliment. There was an ardent look on his pale face, end again the dark eyes were like flame. They held her - own, compellingly, almost hypnotically. Nora was secretly appalled. Only . with an effort did she withdraw her eyes from his, and it was with a greater ; effort that, controlling the tTemore of ' which she was conscious, she forced her- ■ self to a laughing reply. "That is rank flattery, Count! And ■ evidently you do not know what my ■ brother and I are to eaoh other." i "Perhaps I know very we_," he ■ retorted, swiftly. "And I can guess • ■ what you would be to c, man—who was I no brother." > His meaning was not to be mistaken; voice, gesture, the look on his face, the . light in his eyes, all proclaimed it openly, • and again the girl was conscious <_f the clutch of fear. But _s ehe replied her . voice was cold, and the expression on her face was one of austere displeasure. [ "Then you are wiser than I am, Count Pavalosk." ( Her eyes dropped to her platy, and , for a moment there was silence. A look of amusement came on the Count's face , as be glanced at her. That she was displeased was very evident, but ; apparently tho fact left him undisturbed. . He glancjd from her to Katrina Vert- . cheff. "I have just made the acquaintance of another of our neighbours." "Is that 60?" asked that lady, indifferently. » "Yes, A charming felow—Sir Hairy t Thirlmere." As the name was spoken Nora started, and her eyes glanced swiftly at the t speaker's face The Count was «w-are of [ both the start and the glance, but for r the moment he gave no sign of having I observed them. I *Tt is due to him that I am here at I this moment. Something went wrong | with my car, and, as that fool Dmitri '! could not right it. Sir Harry obligingly gave mc a ILffT as far as the gates. It ■ > appears that he -used to dine here in ' the days of the late owner, and he has t promised to honour the house again in k the course of a few days. We shall all . be very glad to see him —I am sure." | His tones were silky, but there was s something in his manner a_ be said the r last words which made Nora's heart leap - with fear. What did the Count mean? c Something more than the conventional f word* —of that she was certain. But r whilst she was pursuing the thought, the s, Count turned to her suddenly, l: "Sir Harry is a friend of yours, I f believe, M'selle Nora?" tl The girl's 'first impulse was to deny l the implication of the question outright, i but her mind, acting swiftly, told her r that the man would never have asked •i the question if certain facts had not | -been known to him; so, as coolly as she s could, she replied: — 1 "An hotel acquaintance only. I met • him at the Chesapeake, in New York. r The restaurant was crowded one night, 3 and Sir Harry was k'r.d enough to let i mc eat at his reserved table." l "That was very kind —to himself," s replied the Count, smilingly. "I cannot 5 conceive of any man refusing himself i such a pleasure. Thirlmere must be a -i wonderfully fortunate man, as I dare • jeay _« told you." I

"He told mc nothing of the kind, answered Nora, ' frostily, deliberately attempting to mislead her interlocutor as to the nature of her acquaintance with the baronet. *_c was garrulous about some musk-ox horns that he was

bringing home to .*!iglan_. "Ah, a sportsman!" Count Leo laughed a little contemptuously. "What Nimrods these Englishmen are! Here they chase' the little fox, and abroad they shoot wild oxen, liife must be an engrossing thing for them." He broke off suddenly. "And when you met him in London, mademoiselle, was the talk still of lowing oxen?" Again the girl was conscious of the leap of fear within. That her second meeting with Sir Harry was known was evident to her, and before she replied she shot a reproachful glance at Katrina Vertcheff, who gave no sign of having observed it; then she answered, frigidly: "Sir Harry Thirlmere has other things in his conversational repertoire besides musk-oxen!"

"I have no doubt of it, mademoiselle," laughed the Count, his eyes glowing. "It was because I was »sure of it that I made the inquiry, and I have a further motive. It is always well to be acquainted with the idiosyncrasies of one's guests 'before they arrive, that one may make them feel more at home. And, as Sir Harry is to dine with vs — well, you see why I should inquire."

■Not for a single moment did the girl ■believe this explanation, but she behaved as if she did, whilst all the time her mind was busy with the question of how much the Count knew.

"Then in that case," she said, "it may be as well for you to 'know that Sir Harry Thirlmere is a collector of shoes." "Of shoes?" A puzzled look came on the Count's face, and for a moment his eyes grew somhre. Watching him, it was very clear to Nora that the man knew nothing of the incident which was the real foundation of her acquaintance with the baronet, and she was conscious of a little uplift. This .strange host of hers, who apparently knew so much, was, after all, not omniscient. "Yea, of -hoes," she answered,, lightly. "I am afraid I do not understand." "Possibly not," answered Nora. "But you will be able to ask Sir Harry for enlightenment when he comes to dine."

There was a flash in the Count's eyes as he looked at her. "You will, not tell, mademoiselle!" "That would not be fair to Sir Harry," she retorted, and through the remainder of the dinner wondered what great mystery 'her host was making of a simple thing, for he sat there with an abstracted look upon his face and a far-away look in his eyes.

An hour later she herself suffered a surprise. On the plea of having correspondence to attend to, the Count excused 'himself immediately after dinner, and half an hour afterwards Tuestelli announced that a telegraph message had been received from Tischen--dorff and her brother to say that they would not return until tho following morning. Desiring quiet, in order to consider the events of the evening, Nora excused herself to Katrina Vertcheff and sought the privacy of her own room.

Carefully locking tne door, she went to the window and, opening it wide, stood looking out into the night. Suddenly she started. From a room in the same wing 1 came the sound of a voice which she recognized as her brother's. "No, Count! 11l be hanged if I will!" Startled though she. was, she remained quiet, and then caught a voice which she recognised as Count Leo's replying.

"Rebellion is useless. You will do what f I wish. I (have the means to compel you. You see, my friend " The rest was lost in the noise made by a car turning into the drive, but as the car halted, her brother's voice, vibrant with agony, sounded again.

"My sister 1 No, no! Count, you are a friend. You don't mean "

She caught no more. There was the sound of a window suddenly closod —aa she guessed, the window of the room where the speakers were^ —and with a sudden accte sense of moving amid perils greater than ehe had conceived ehe sank into a chair.

She knew now that Count Leo !had lied. Her 'brother was in '.ho hens*— had, no doubt, been there ajl the time— and she had not been permitted to see him. That she was moving amid uncomprehended danger was shown by the agony of her 'brother's tones in mentioning her, and, wondering what she would do, she eat for quite a long time staring into vacancy, unable to devise any scheme of action.

(To be continues Saturday next.)'