Part 35 (1/2)
Madame Careni-Amori, who was about to begin her second song, looked helplessly at Ruth Clinton.
Ruth had recognized the man at once. At first she was annoyed, then there surged over her a great, uplifting thrill of exaltation. She stepped quickly to the front and, raising her clear young voice, reclaimed the wandering attention of the throng.
”Please be quiet. Madame Careni-Amori is to sing for us once more. Mr.
Percival is knocking down that horrible thing over there. It is right that he should. We do not need it there as a warning. Mr. Percival has had a change of heart. He has been moved,--tremendously moved,--by what he has seen in your faces today. That is why he is over there now hacking down that dreadful thing. It is the skeleton at our feast. We were conscious of its presence all the time. He is over there all by himself cutting it down so that our hearts may be lighter, so that this glad hour may end without its curse. Please remain where you are. He requires no a.s.sistance. He prefers to do it all alone. And now, if you will all give attention, Madame Careni-Amori will sing for us.”
Careni-Amori lifted up her glorious voice in song. The rhythmic beat of the ax went on unceasingly; the powerful arms and shoulders of the destroyer were behind every frenzied blow. As the last notes of the song died away, there came the sound of splintering wood, then a dull crash, and the gibbet lay flat upon the ground. Some one uttered an involuntary shout. As Percival turned from his completed work and wiped the sweat from his brow with his bare forearm, he found the gaze of the entire company fastened upon him. Then there came to his ears the clapping of hands, then the shrill clamour of voices raised in approbation. Swinging the ax on high, he buried its blade deep in the fallen timber and left it imbedded there. s.n.a.t.c.hing up his coat from a nearby stump, he waved his hand to the crowd and then, whirling, was quickly lost among the trees that lined the sh.o.r.e.
Landover walked beside the thoughtful Ruth as she crossed the Green on her way home. He studied her lovely profile out of the corner of his eye. As they drew away from the dispersing throng, he spoke to her.
”If money were of any value here in this G.o.dforsaken spot, I would offer considerably more than a penny for your thoughts, Ruth.”
She started slightly. ”You couldn't buy them, Mr. Landover. They are not for sale at any price.”
”I suppose there is no harm in venturing a guess, however. You will give me one guess, won't you?”
”All the guesses you like,--free of charge,” she rejoined airily.
”You are trying to decide whether or not it was all done for effect.”
She smiled mysteriously, looking straight ahead. Her eyes were very bright.
”You are wrong. I was thinking about hats, Mr. Landover. Don't you know that every woman's thoughts run to hats on Easter?”
”I confess I had a better opinion of him,” he said, disregarding her flippancy. ”I don't like him, but I've never suspected him of being a stupid a.s.s before.”
”Of whom are you speaking?” she inquired, suddenly looking him full in the eye.
”Our mutual friend, the enemy,” he replied.
”Mr. Percival?”
”Certainly.”
”But I thought he was beneath our notice.”
”We can't very well help noticing him when he goes to such extreme lengths to attract attention.”
”You think he did it to attract attention?”
”Not so much that, perhaps, as to get back into the lime-light. You see, he was rather out of it for as much as half an hour, and he simply couldn't stand it. So he went off and staged a little sideshow of his own.”
She walked on in silence for a few moments, torn by doubts and misgivings. Landover's sarcastic a.n.a.lysis was like a douche of cold water. Perhaps he was right. It had been a spectacular, not to say diverting, exhibition. Her eyes darkened. An expression of pain lurked in them.
”I can't believe it of him, Mr. Landover,” she said at last, in a slightly m.u.f.fled voice.
”I thought it was understood you were to call me Abel, my dear.”
”If he did it deliberately,--and with that motive,--it was unspeakable,”