LOVE IN FETTERS

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 75, 5 May 1914, Page 2

LOVE IN FETTERS

By RICHARD MARSH Author of "A Master of Deception," "Twin Sisters," etc.

CHAPTER 111. (continued). THE WOMAN WITH THE' LAMP. ' This was too much; every insjjjnct in the man rebelled. His impulse was to spring at the lamp, extinguish it, then make off in the ensuing darkness. If she tried to stop him—he was a man, she, .was a woman; he ought to prove the stronger; But if he did succeed in getting away, what good purpose would toe served; She had but to move a finger, he would, be again a prisoner ■with the- gallows again staring- him in the face. 'His only hope of getting even a good«»run was,—to kill her. He had blood to answer for'already. And to kill a woman! He had* made a dash Carlo, knowing >that retribution would follow hard upon his heels, that he would have to answer for his sin. Never, since leaving London, had lie known a moment's peace of mind.Even .while ostensibly amusing himself, seeming in the highest spirits,, an unseen finger had kept touching.him upon the shoulder. How much worse it would be if he had to make slach a flight again, with this unseen w6man haunting him. He could not do'it. '' You appear to know a great deal to my disadvantage. I admit that much of what you have said of, me is true." "That is very good of y6u, Monsieur Robert Dennett." "I do not know what use you intend to make of the knowledge you have gained. I cannot understand what kind of person you are, but I beg you to understand'this, that what I took from Inspector Jenner's pocket concerns me, and me only; it is no concern of yours. I intend that it shall continue to be of 310 concern of yours." ....... f "Inspector Jenner? " Qojihat was the policeman's name. .Thai's 'a useful piece of. information,. Monsieur Eobert Dennett." He could have bitten his tongue off. Clearly in the then state of his mind, he ought not to trust himself to' He ought to preserve silence in spite of her. But she made it plain ■•that;she was of a different opinion. "Let me desire you to understand the situation, Monsieur Eobert: Dennett. "You are a criminal escaped from justice. Good. You say that is no concern of mine? You are mistaken. It happens that I have much-sympathy with persons in your position; for reasons of -my own. If you presume to think that I may have been in a.similar,.situation once upon a time myself, I can only say that it is impossible* to keep some men's presumptions within bouuds. If you give me your confidence/, ilf promise you in return that no policQipan shall ever again put a pair of handcuffs' round your wrists. If you do not give me your entire confidence —now, -here, at once—yve are nearer to my house than you

perhaps suppose. I have a little whistle; if I blow it, my servants will hear — fine, strong, healthy men—and, if they do hear, you will spend the night—what is left of will greet the rising sun in our local tgaol. Come, Monsieur Eobert Dennett, hand me over what you took from Inspector Jenner's pocket." CHARTEE IV. DEINKING 'HER HEALTH. He handed her' the inspector's letterease. This woman was, in her way, a logician.- She did riot give hiiri much time to arrange his thoughts, but —he got as far as that. 1 What wa's' the use of refusing what, sooner or later, she would be in a position to take for herself? ? y--.' ' ; ; ,;■; "Throw it to me*," she .sail],'when she perceived the ease in his'."fingers. "Just at present' I would ratheir-you did not come too close." So he.threw it on to a spot from which she, could easily pick it up. .''Now the other papers." He tossed r to her the.letters which had kept company with the- ease. "I think there,is still one paper, if you please." ' '„,, j- '' You must have kept a very sharp lookout through that window of yours." If he had intended a gibe, it went unheeded. ' '' It was a blue paper, that other one, if vou will be so good as to let me see it." "It seems that I have no option; if I had even so much as the ghost of one " He tossed her what she wanted. . She seemed to have settled the lamp upon her knees. Its glare w r as not so persistently upon his face. He could make out her dim, shadowy form in the darkness behind. She had the blue paper he had surrendered in her two hands; he could see them plainly as they were held in front of the lamp. -She 'was unfolding it with leisurely 'fingers. Watching was torture. On that' paper was the revelation of his shame. What a fool he was not to have torn .it up — he had not thought of that. Before she could have stopped him he might have shredded it into atoms, which she would have found it impossible ;to piece together. He had a mind to snatch it now, to destroy it before she could tell what it was. When he hesitated it was already too late. She had the paper open. When he moved towards'her she isaid: l '« "I have already requested'yon, M. Eobert Dennett, not to come too close. This gun might fire itself." Something was on her frock, between her knees, in front of the lamp. She slightly lifted what he perceived was the muzzle of a revolver. He decided to stay, where he was. She began to study the contents of the paper, commenting on it aloud as she did so.

"This is a legal document. I see it is what you in call a warrant; it'is a warrant for the, arrest of—Eonaid Denton.'' He felt, although . he could not see them, that her eyes were lifted from the paper. "Who, M. Eobert Dennett,, is Ronald Denton?" "I am Ronald Denton —you know that I am Eonald Denton. ",,^V "Indeed? Is that so? You seem to have more names than one; it is at times convenient. By which am I to call you? I think, in the face of.this, it, would be more diplomatic, more tact-; ful, more kindly—how shall I put.-it?'—; to call you Mr Eobert Dennet; especi :; ally. as I see on what a very serious; charge Ronald Denton was arrested. -Ican imagine you must have spent some ; very anxious moments in the train with Inspector Jenner, considering howi grave w r as the charge on which he was taking you to England. So you are : that kind of person.; very dangerous! If they had found you. guilty—what then? My word! Would they have found you guilty?" He did not know what was in the warrant; he had never seen such a thing, had no notion how such documents were worded. Inspector Jenner had not read it to him; he had not dropped a hint that the Inspector should do anything of the kind. When a hand was laid upon, his shoulder as he was coming out of the Casino that afternoon, and a voice said: "Mr Ronald Denton, I am Inspector Jenner, of Scotland Yard," he .understood; he wanted nothing further; he knew that his race was run, and that all was over. The one wish left to him was that it should not be turned, into a spectacle, to avoid scandal. That was arranged; the Inspector Was as willing as he was. In the ordinary course it would have been necessary to take him before the local court and obtain his extradition; a process which would have occupied an indefinite space of time, to speak of nothing else. Prisoner and captor came to a little understanding between themselves. "If you are willing to surrender," declared the Inspector, "and .will give me your word not to attempt to escape, I- will take you straight away to England. In that way you won't be messed about by the local police, who, I believe, have a way of messing a man about, and you'll avoid all fuss. The point is, will you give me your word of honour that you won -t. attempt to escape?" Eonald Denton was ready to give him any assurance he required. The Inspector looked him very steadily in the face as he said so, and believed him. The warrant was never referred to. The detective boarded the train with his prisoner that same* evening. If the train had not met with disaster on the way, Eonald Denton would certainly have been borne without any fuss to town. | When this woman, with the Inspector's warrant between, her fingers, | spoke, as it seemed to him, with a-jeer, i of what a dangerous character he was, [something seemed to burst within him, I words which had been struggling for I egress ever since.that fatal afternoon, I forcing the dam which, had held them in, came rushing forth on the head of this unknown woman whom he had never seen. "I never meant to : murder him."'" It was like the cry, of a frenzied child. After all, this, was only a very young man. and —inasmuch as he had

never known even the shadow of trouble, except in that one wild hour — even younger than his years. There was silence. He was conscious that the woman was . observing him. Now that her lamp was not torturing his eyes, he could distinguish objects better; lie could dimly make out the patch of white which marked .her face in the darkness beyond. Then he guessed that her glance returned to a study of the warrant. "You did not mean to kill him?" The chyness of her intonation seemed to sting him. "I did not —I can prove that I did j not. At least I believe that I can I prove it. He said things which drove] me .mad; when I said things to him he tried to strike me with the telephone — he caught it up from the table to hit me. I snatched it from his hand and hit him with it instead. I suppose I must have hit him harder than I meant —I know I am pretty strong, and I was ! wild with rage—because he went down in a heap, arid when I looked at him he was dead." There . was another silence, during which he felt that she was dividing her attention between the warrant and him. "And then you ran away?" "As you say, I ran away; that's where I was a fool, an utter fool, the worst kind of fool. If I had stopped and faced the thing I might have ex- | plained—they might have listened. ! But I couldn't; I simply couldn't. I had to go. I had to. His —his face was so awful; and now I suppose I shall ■ have to pay for it.'' '' Your supposition .seems sound. As you are aware, most murderers " "Don't you call me that! You sha'n't call me that! If you call me that, I 'll make you pay for it, even though you are a woman.'' "You mean —you'll murder me? I'm not afraid; you never a woman better able to protect herself than I am. Still, try it if you choose —if you think it will give you any satisfaction. Between ourselves, I think it would be a mere passage from one folly to another. I intend to use the language I choose, however much you may dislike it. I was about to remark that most murderers By your own showing vou are a murderer." Vv-. ' I "I'm not! I tell you I'm not! I; tell vou I'd no more idea of killing himi than—than " - \ "That you have of killing me? Well,, just now you had what looked very like some idea of the kind. Perhaps you have it still; you look dangerous, monsieur—perhaps I had better call you< Robert Dennett. I say again that I was about, to remark that most murderers are willing to protest, by the beards of their fathers, that all that happened was by the purest accident, and that they never meant anything unkind. I have even heard of people being executed, although they declared that it was all the fault of;the party who was killed. Your tale, M. Robert Dennett, is a little thin. The man who,, having done the thing,, is willing to pay the penalty, i 3 the land of man I can understand; the one who whines and snivels, 'Oh, if you please, I really never meant it,' I'd be, willing to hang with, my own hands. Are you that sort, M. Robert. Dennett? However, what does it matter if you are? I am told that in England they always hang a man who kills another, so they'll hang you, anyway, if they can only get you. Let us look into the rest of Inspector Jenner 's belongings." He saw her fingers open the lettercase. "So! Here is something pretty! Banknotes, and quite a lot of them. Now, my interest begins. There is something' about' banknotes which apeaks to my soul. It is like a peep into Paradise. Regard me as your banker, M. Robert Dennett, and draw on me at sight. There are other matters on which I should like to touch, but the hour grows late. I will put Inspector Jenner's banknotes into my little bag." i He was conscious that she was open-1 ing something in the darkness behind the lamp. Presently she spoke again, in her voice a suggestion of laughter. •,"Ah, what have we here? The very thing I had forgotten. How stupid one can be. I have not had bite or sup for I do not know how long —I am hungry, and I am thirsty. I do not care to' go intoa restaurant when I am travelling. I have an old fashioned feel-;.' ing that for a lady alone it is not quite proper. I like still less the dining-car! —the food, the way in which it is : cooked, the service, the waiters; who should be so clean, and are so dirty—no, not for me. I prefer to take a few mouthfuJs in my own b a g —the wing of a chicken and a glass of wine, that is enough for me. May I offer you a share of my little repast, M. Robert Dennett? You also must be hungry and thirsty; at least you will • drink a glass of my wine? You know we are in the Burgundy country; over there is Nuits, on this side is Beaune. We are right among the vineyards. Here is a glass of good red wine out of my own private bottle; you pan approach ne*ar enough to drink it." ; He could see her ungloved hand holding out in the lamplight a glass of wine. It is notorious how, in the hours of great distress, trifles strike us. He noticed how white' a hand it seemed to be, and the rings, upon the slender fingers. This was no. old woman's hand. '' Why won't you let me look at vou?" he asked.; • ."You have me at a disadvantage; you are not fair; you can : see me, while yoivyourself are hidden." '' You would like to see me; to know ' what kind of a person I am?" 1 ' I should.'' "Then—you shall. lamin a melting mood; your tale has touched me, M. Robert Dennett, i. Drink to my health from this glass of wine, and you shall see me afterwards.'' '' You promise ?" "It is not manners to tell a lady that j' you doubt her. That is not the first [ time you have done so. However, there " may be excuses; I will be lenient. When you have drunk my health you shall see me —that I promise. Only I hope you do '. not expect too much; that you will not be disappointed. How long have Ito hold this glass, M. Robert Dennett? You may approach me to take it." He took it from between her fingers. "Drink to the health of Madame de Coustal, who Avill perhaps prove to be your very good friend." He said nothing. Whether he re- j poatcd the. toast to himself it was not easy to tell. He"raised the glass and j drained it of its contents, making*exclamation the instant he had done so. 1 "Good Lord! what infernal stuff is this?" "Did I not tell you that it was from a little private bottle of my own?" '' I—believe —it's —some —confounded j 1 The sentence was not concluded; it seemed to be with difficulty that he got as far as that. He reeled as he spoke; I then his feet seeming to go from under! him, he fell to the ground. Where ho j fell he lay. The woman rose with a ■ laugh. " When a woman makes a promise she ' keeps it. Now you can see as much of me as you please." , (To be continued to-morrow.) '