"Held in Ransom,"

Wairarapa Daily Times, 2 December 1926, Page 7

"Held in Ransom,"

—BYGERALD CUMBERLAND. Author of “The Cypress Chest,” “Set Down in Malice,” “The Prisoner,” etc., etc.

* (COPYRIGHT.)

CHAPTER A'—Continued. ‘ -|AFr AH-chellet I Air fAH-cliellc.! ” she cried, for she had a sudden panic fear that he win dead.

She ran to his side, fell on her knees', and put her face close to his. There was about him a terrible listlessness. She placed her cheek against his parted lips, but she could not feel his breath. Gently she placed her hand upon his heart, but could not feel it beat.

“Oh, he is dead! I have killed him!” she cried.

Then suddenly she ] ut her lips to his as though t.c give him life. But he did not move.

Almost frantic with fear and despair, she ros'e to her feet, rail to the cupboard near the door, and took therefrom brandy and a siphon of soda water. She mixed a strong drink, and, in a. second was back at Frank’s side.

She put the glass to his lips and poured the liquid into his mouth. But he did not swallow it. It dribbled from his' lips. -So she put her arm gently round his neck and slowly tilted Jiis head backwards. Then, a second time, she poured the life-giving lluid between his parted lips, trembling with, apprehension as she did so. He seemed tv. swallow it, and presently his eyelids began to tremble and dicker. He sighed gently. He lived! - The sudden relief from anxiety brought tears to her eyes. 0

Fearing that, as soon as he was fu'.v conscious, he would once mo v e revile her. she released his head ml moved away watching him as she did so. She saw him oven his eye wide and stare wonderingly about him. She could have cried out with gladness.

Feeling this strange joy within her heart, she recognised for the first time that she loved him. At last love had come into her life —a, love both tender and tierce —a love that seemed to ennoble lier and lift her on to undream-ed-of heights of happiness 4 . (

CHAPTER AT. . Only for two or three hours each night does Paris sleep. In the long delicious evenings of spring she gives herself up to happiness and pleasure. As' evening lapses into night, her lust for pleasure deepens; she riots in song and wine and love, and spends herself in Bacchanalian orgies.

Not until long after midnight, not. until an hour or two before dawn, does she wearily seek rest. And, even in her first sleep, she, .begins to .stir restlessly, for the next day is almost here, and the time has nearly come for her to rise and work.

But though Frank was in the very heart of Paris, he was not consicious of being in the most pleas'ure-loving city in the- world. In this little, windowless room into which no sound could penetrate, he was shut off, as it were, from the entire universe. He had been here only three hours, yet how much had happened! As he recovered from his attack of faintness and looked about him, it seemed to him that for years' and years he had been in the throes of some dreadful nightmare; lie felt as Though he were recovering from some insidious drug that had almost stolen away his reason. As his gaze fell on the Princess, who was now busy preparing a meal for him, he shuddered involuntarily. He- did not fear her. Nor was he feeling for her exactly hatred. His spirit revolted from her as from something loathsome. Indeed, she aroused nothing in him save disgust. On her side was Jove, desire; on his, repulsion, intense distaste. As she went, to and fro between the table and the cupboard in which food and wine were stored, she cast at him frequent but timid glances. He was recovering. Goon, when he had eaten ami drunk, he would be better. But though she T'elt such deep concern on his behalf, she never lost sight of the object she had in view. At all costs, whatever might, happen, she mus't force him to write the letter to his bank—yes, even if in order to do so she bail to inflict upon him a second torture.

She trembled and sickened at the prospect of such a possibility. Yd she must obey those who held her in their power. She dared not do otherwise. Not for one moment did it occur to her that it was' possible to do otherwise, so completely had she been subjected to the will and desires of the three master criminals who, since her girlhood, had used her .beauty and her brains for their nefarious purposes. At length the table was laid, and the food prepared. “Air Ali-chelle,” she said softly. He looked up without replying. “Will you oat —yes?” “I have no appetite.” “But you must get strength.” “Must 1? Why?” “If you don’t eat you will fall ill.” ■ “I find your solicitude on my account very amusing. You are anxious about my health?” ‘ ‘ Yes—very. ” “ You do not wish me to fall dangerously ill on your hands? I see.” “No, for your own sake I don’t want you to fall ill.” “ My own sake? You really think of me?” She looked at him steadily, with a tendonies'.-: that revolted him. “Come,” she said; “1 will pour you out some wine. ” He smiled maliciously. “There are one or two tilings you refuse to understand, Princess. One is that you—you yourself—are extremely dist-: tofu! to me. It is I know, difficult for von to believe this’. Nevertheless, it is true. It is impossible for me either 1o eat or drink with you.” “Yerv well, then,” she said, humbly. “Will you sit at the table by vournclf? ’ ’ ' She dragged away one of the chairs and walked to the divan.

“Thank you,” he said with deliberate irony. He rose and went to the table. But. he did not eat. Ho drank glass after glass, for lie was suffering from a burning thirst that nearly chocked him. The wine heartened him; it gave him new life; it made Audrey’s release seem nearer. After all, he was now on the very point of putting in motion the plan he had devised for her rescue. In a few minutes lie would write the lettter; that very day it would, no doubt, be taken to London; on the morrow it would be delivered; on the day following police from Scttlando Yard would be in this room in which lie now sat, the gang of criminals would be arrested, and Audrey’s whereabouts' revealed.

Yes: lie had every reason to be pleased with the success of Jiis plan; he had every cause for thankfulness. So far, it was clear, Princess Warenski had not the slightest suspicion that he was playing a double game. The wine increased, rather than dulled, the clearness of his faculties. Noticing t.liis, the Princess judged it an opportune moment to introduce the subject that lay so heavily on her mind. “Air Mi-chelle,” she began, in the soft accents that had now become habitual with her. “Princess?” “You will write tjio letter to the letter to the Bank?” He looked at her inscrutably. “If I don’t —what will happen if I don’t?” “Let us not talk of that,” she said.

“You iiienn—you mean there will be a repetition of—shall we say repetition of vour devilish conduct?”

“Not my conduct, Air Ali-chelle. I swear it is not mine. I hate this —all this room —this treatment of you! I could kill myself for what has happened. 1 do not feel that I can ever be happy again. For the sake of heaven, believe me! 1 entreat you to believe me! ’ ’

lie did believe her. Her manner and her tone convinced him thaf she was' speaking only the bare truth. Yet, in his present, state of mind, he could not admit this to her.

“I hear all von say—'but. belief? Do 1 believe? Let me repeat my question. If I don’t write the letter, what will happen? ’’ She made no reply, but covered her eyes with her hand, as though to shut him out from her gaze. He laughed derisively, and for the first time lost control of hims'elf, giving his anger full vent. “I know,” he cried; “T know what will happen. If I refuse, you will have me tortured again—you hypocrite! You pretend to hate what you do —you say you loathe yourself for what von have done —pah! do you take me to be a fool? Don’t I know cruelty when I see it? A’oil gloat over other people's sufferings!—you were born to torture those who are in vour power!” But his burst of anger spent itself as quickly' as it had risen. He checked hims'elf, stared at her moodily for- a few minutes, and then made a gesture of weariness. “I will-write the letter,” he said. He rose and went'to the desk; she followed him, and ns lie sat down, she stood by liis side. There were before him a few sheets' of Hid cl Splendido note-paper. He took one and tilled in the date. “Well, what do you wish me to say?” lie asked. She told him. Indeed, she dictated most of the letter, and she did so in a manner that suggest lied she was well accustoyied to business' affairs. He could not but admire the incisiveness of her diction, her strict economy in the use of words. Frank had not the least difficulty in incorporating into the letter the code revealing the address at which he was imprisoned. As lie signed the letter, lie told himself that he was, ils it were, signing the .Princess’s death warrant. He handed it to her with an inward smile. “And now,” said he, “I. should like to rest.” He had expected ■to be conducted through the door and down the spiral staircase. But she went over to the mailtlepiece. As lie stood watching her, he became conscious of something moving uncannily; for a moment or two lie could hardly believe llie evidence of his eyes. The massive oak mantlepiece with the grate and the elaborate overmantel .swung forward like a door on'its hinges. (To be Continued.)