Part 13 (1/2)
”How's that? It's hours till ”
”I shall never see the dawn, David,” said Rutton quietly
”What--”
”I have but ten minutes more of life If you must know--in a word: poison That I be saved a blacker sin, David!”
”You mean that medicine--the silver phial?” Amber stammered, sick with horror
”Yes Don't be alarmed; it's slow but sure and painless, dear boy It works infallibly within half an hour There'll be no agony-- of the curtain Best of all, it leaves no traces; a diagnostician would call it heart-failure And thus I escape that”
He nodded coolly toward the door
”But thisback his chair ”Soott--”
”Not so loud, please--you ht alarm him After it's all over, call hi is done; there's no known antidote Be kind to me, David, in this hour of mine extremity There's much still to be said between usand in seven minutes more”
Rutton retained his clutch upon Amber's hand; and his eyes, their lustre dimmed, held Amber's, pitiful, passionate, inexorable in their entreaty Amber sat down, his soul shaken with the pity of it
”Ah-h!” sighed Rutton Relieved, the tension relaxed; he released A conscious of this, he pulled hiether ”Enter India by way of Calcutta,” he said in a dull and heavy voice ”There, in the Machua Bazaar, you will find a goldsmith and money-lender called Dhola Baksh
Go to hi--the Token He will understand and do all in his power to aid you, should there be any trouble about your leaving with Sophia To no one else in India are you tome Do you understand?”
”No Why?”
”Never s: you do not knowto do with the police They could do nothing to help you; on the other hand, to be seen with them, to have it known that you communicate with them, would be the equivalent of a seal upon your death warrant You remember the money-lender's name?”
”Dhola Baksh of the Machua Bazaar”
”Trust hiott Four minutes more!”
”Rutton!” cried Amber in a broken voice Cold sweat broke out upon his forehead
The man smiled fearlessly ”Believe me, this is the better way--the only way Some day you may meet a little chap named Labertouche--a queer fish I once knew in Calcutta But I daresay he's dead by now But if you should meet him, tell him that you've seen his B-Formula work flawlessly in one instance at least You see, he dabbled in chey and a lot of uncommon pursuits--a solicitor by profession, he never seemed to have any practice to speak of--and he invented this stuff and named it the B-Formula” Rutton tapped the silver phial in his waistcoat pocket, sood little e how little one cares, when it's inevitable”
He ceased to speak and closed his eyes A great stillness ott was silent--probably asleep Amber noted the fact subconsciously, even as he are that the high fury of the asBut consciously he was bowed doith sorrow, inexpressibly racked
In the hush theloud and harsh; Amber's heart seemed to beat in funeral ti
It was close upon two in the
”Amber,” said Rutton suddenly and very clearly, ”you'll find a will in ott is to have all I possess The eive to you”