Part 21 (1/2)
What the pa.s.sers-by must have thought I do not know, nor do I care. The dreadful thought that filled my mind was more to me than anyone else's good opinion could possibly be. When I recovered myself I resumed my walk to the hotel, breathing in gasps as the thought returned upon me, and my whole body alternately flus.h.i.+ng with hope and then numbed with terror. More dead than alive I entered the building and climbed the stairs to the sitting-room I had engaged. I had half hoped that on opening the door I should find Valerie awaiting me there, but I was disappointed. Unable to contain my anxiety any longer, I went along the pa.s.sage and knocked at the door of her room.
”Who is there?” a voice that I scarcely recognised asked in German.
”It is I,” I replied. ”Are you feeling better?”
”Yes, better,” she answered, still in the same hard tone, ”but I think I would prefer to lie here a little longer. Do not be anxious about me, I shall be quite myself again by dinner time.”
I asked if there was anything I could procure for her, and on being informed to the contrary, left her and went down to the manager's office in the hope that I might be able to discover from him some way in which we might escape to our own country.
”You have reached Hamburg at a most unfortunate time,” he answered. ”As you are doubtless aware, the plague has broken out here, and Heaven alone knows what we shall do if it continues. I have seen one of the councillors within the last hour, and he tells me that three fresh cases have been notified since midday. The evening telegrams report that more than five thousand deaths have already occurred in Turkey and Russia alone. It is raging in Vienna, and indeed through the whole of Austria.
In Dresden and Berlin it has also commenced its dreadful work, while three cases have been certified in France. So far England is free, but how long she will continue to be so it is impossible to say. That they are growing anxious there is evident from the stringency of the quarantine regulations they are pa.s.sing. No vessel from any infected country, they do not limit it even to ports, is allowed to land either pa.s.sengers or cargo until after three weeks' quarantine, so that communication with the Continent is practically cut off. The situation is growing extremely critical, and every twenty-four hours promises to make it more so.”
”In that case I do not know what I shall do,” I said, feeling as if my heart would break under the load it was compelled to carry.
”I am extremely sorry for you, sir,” the manager answered, ”but what is bad for you is even worse for us. You simply want to get back to your home. We have home, nay, even life itself at stake.”
”It is bad for everyone alike,” I answered, and then, with a heart even heavier than it was before, I thanked him for his courtesy and made my way upstairs to our sitting-room once more. I opened the door and walked in, and then uttered a cry of delight, for Valerie was at the farther end of the room, standing before the window. My pleasure, however, was short lived, for on hearing my step she turned, and I was able to see her face. What I saw there almost brought my heart into my mouth.
”Valerie,” I cried, ”what has happened? Are you worse that you look at me like that?”
”Hus.h.!.+” she whispered, ”do not speak so loud. Can not you see that Pharos is coming?”
Her beautiful eyes were open to their widest extent, and there was an air about her that spoke of an impending tragedy.
”Pharos is coming,” she said again, this time very slowly and deliberately. ”It is too late for us to escape. He is driving down the street.”
There was a long pause, during which I felt as if I were being slowly turned to stone.
”He has entered the hotel.”
There was another pause.
”He is here.” And as she spoke the handle of the door was turned.
As the person, whoever he might be, entered, Valerie uttered a little cry and fell senseless into my arms. I held her tightly and then wheeled round to see who the intruder might be.
_It was Pharos!_
CHAPTER XVI.
For more than a minute neither of us moved. Valerie lay in my arms just as she had fallen, Pharos stood a foot or so inside the door, while I stood looking first at her and then at him without being able to utter a word. As far as my own feelings were concerned the end of the world had come, for I had made up my mind that Valerie was dying. If that were so, Pharos might do his worst.
”My friends, it would seem as if I have come only just in time,” he said with sarcastic sweetness. ”My dear Forrester, I must offer you my congratulations upon the neat manner in which you effected your escape.
Unfortunately I was aware of it all along. Knowing what was in your heart, I laid my plans accordingly, and here I am. And pray, may I ask, what good have you done yourself by your impetuosity? You chase across Europe at express speed, hoping to get to England before I can catch you, only to find on arrival here that the plague has headed you off, and that it is impossible for you to reach your destination.”
”Are you going to stand talking all day?” I said, forgetting caution and the need that existed for humouring him, everything in fact, in my anxiety. ”Can not you see that she is ill? Good heavens, man, she may be dying!”
”What do you mean?” he asked quickly, with a change of voice as he crossed the room and came over to where I was standing. ”Let me see her instantly!”