Part 51 (2/2)
”And you,” she cried, ”are content to stand by and let him walk into a trap--you let them even use my name to bring him here!
Arthur, be a man! Have nothing more to do with them. Help me to get away from this place. Call out. Do something instead of standing there and wasting the precious minutes.”
He came towards her--ugly and threatening.
”I'll do something in a minute,” he declared savagely,--”something you won't like, either. Keep your mouth shut, I tell you. It's me or him, and, by Heavens, he deserves what he'll get!”
Streuss turned away from the window and looked towards Zoe.
”Young lady,” he said quietly, ”let me beg you not to distress yourself so. I sincerely trust that nothing unpleasant will happen.
If it does, I promise you that we will arrange for your temporary absence. You shall not be disturbed in any way.”
”And as regards your brother, have a care, young lady,” La.s.sen growled. ”If any one's in danger, it's he. He'll be lucky if he saves his own skin.”
The young man glowered at her.
”You hear that, you little fool!” he muttered. ”Keep still, can't you?”
Her face was full of defiance. He came nearer to her and changed his tone.
”Zoe,” he whispered hoa.r.s.ely, ”don't you understand? If they can't get what they want from Laverick, they'll visit it upon me. They're desperate, I tell you. They mean mischief all the time.”
”Yet you let him be brought here, your partner who looked after you when you were ill, and who helped you to get away!” she cried indignantly.
He laughed unpleasantly.
”When it comes to a matter of life or death, it's every man for himself. Besides, if I'd known as much about Laverick as I know now, I'm not sure that I should have been so ready to go--not empty-handed, by any manner of means.”
”What have you done that you should be so much in the power of these people?” she demanded, fixing her dark eyes upon him searchingly.
The terror whitened his face once more. The perspiration stood out in beads upon his forehead.
”Don't dare to ask me questions!” he exclaimed nervously. ”I should like to know what Laverick is to you, eh, that you take so much interest in him? Listen here, my fine young lady. If I've been mug enough to do the dirty work, he hasn't made any bones about taking advantage of it. He's a nice sort of sportsman, I can tell you.”
The man at the window suddenly dropped the curtain and spoke across the room to them all.
”He is here,” he announced.
”Alone?” La.s.sen asked thickly.
”Alone,” Streuss echoed.
A little thrill seemed to pa.s.s through the room. Zoe made no attempt to cry out. Instead she leaned forward towards the door, as though listening. Her att.i.tude seemed harmless enough. No one took any more notice of her. They all watched the entrance to the apartment.
Zoe remembered the two flights of stairs. She was absorbed in a breathless calculation. Now--now he should be coming quite close.
Her whole being was concentrated upon one effort of listening. At last she raised her head. The room resounded with her cries.
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