Part 31 (1/2)

Lamont had left them after his address, and was now examining the defences of the place. As he stood in the gathering darkness it was with a strange tingle of the pulses that he reflected upon the scene he had just left. This popularity to which he had thus suddenly sprung was not a little strange, in fact it was a little aweing. In what light would Clare Vidal view it? And then, at the thought of Clare, he felt more than devoutly grateful that he had been the means of saving her from a horrible death--and with it there intruded for the first time another thought. Had he thus saved her for himself?

Yes. The frozen horror with which he had received the announcement that morning, that she was advancing deeper and deeper into certain peril, and causing him to lose sight of his own fatigue and recent hards.h.i.+ps, to start off then and there to her aid, had opened his eyes; but--was it for good or for ill?

”There you are at last, Mr Lamont,” said Clare, as he entered the living-room of the place. ”We have been wondering what had become of you.”

She was alone. There was a something in her tone, even in her look, which he had not noticed before--a sort of gravity, as though the old fun and brightness had taken to itself wings.

”I've been going around seeing to things. Where's Mrs Fullerton?”

”Gone to bed. She's got a splitting headache, and seems to have got a kind of frightened shock. d.i.c.k is with her now, but I'm going directly.”

”I'm sorry to hear that. It has been a trying enough day for any woman, Heaven knows. But you, Miss Vidal. There isn't a man in the whole outfit that isn't talking of your splendid pluck.”

She smiled, rather wanly he thought, and shook her head.

”I wish they'd forget it then. I wish I could. Oh, Mr Lamont--I have killed--men.”

She uttered the words slowly, and in a tone of mingled horror and sadness. This, then, accounted for the changed expression of her face.

”Strictly and in absolute self-defence. Not only in _self_-defence but in defence of your helpless sister too. There is no room for one atom of self-reproach in that,” he went on, speaking rapidly, vehemently.

”Not only that, but your courage and readiness were important factors in saving the situation until we arrived. Wyndham has been telling me all about it.”

She smiled, but it was a hollow sort of smile, and shook her head.

”It is good of you to try and comfort me. But do you mean it really?”

”Every word, really and entirely. 'Men' you said just now. Beasts in the shape of men you ought to have said, and would have if you had seen what Peters and I saw only yesterday morning, only I don't want to shock you any further. Yes, on second thoughts I will though, if only to set those qualms of a too-sensitive conscience at rest. Well, we found the mutilated remains of poor Tewson, and his womenkind and children--little children, mind--whom these devils had murdered in their own home. I could tell you even more that would bring it home to you, but I won't.

Now, have you any further scruples of conscience?”

”No, I haven't,” she answered, both face and tone hardening as she realised the atrocity in its full horror. ”Thank you for telling me.

It has made a difference already. And now, Mr Lamont, I must go to my sister. You have saved us from a horrible death, and I don't know how to find words to thank you.”

”Oh, as to that, you can incidentally count in about three dozen other men. Not a man jack of them but did just as much as I did--some even more.”

She looked at him with such a sweet light glowing in her eyes, as well-nigh to unsteady him.

”I'll believe that,” she said, ”when you've answered one question.”

”And it--?”

”Who got together these men the moment he knew we were in danger? Who, forgetting his own fatigue, started at a moment's notice, and, inspiring the others with the same energy and bravery, rescued us from a ghastly death? Who was it?”

”It was only what any man would have done. Oh, Clare, you can never realise what that moment meant to me when I heard that that blighting idiot Fullerton had started this morning--literally to hurl you on to the a.s.segais of these devils. You!”

In his vehemence he hardly noticed that he had used her Christian name.

She did, however, and smiled, and the smile was very soft and sweet.