Part 50 (1/2)

Suddenly, at five minutes to ten, in the very midst of a duke's speech, the Regent, with dizzy brain, was on his feet: there was a few moments'

gasp and breathlessness; and then--all at once--it was as though a wind from h.e.l.l swept through that House, whirling in its vehemence Regent, lords, Gallery, Black Rod, Clerk, Usher, and all; and every face was marble, and every eye a blaze.

The Regent cried: ”Your lords.h.i.+ps' eloquence--”

And as he said ”eloquence”, a voice that was a scream, a forward-straining form, a pointing finger: ”Why, my lords, that man is only a common convict!--reprieved for murder--escaped from Colmoor. And all his forts are sunk!”

It happened that in the midst of this outcry, the Regent fell back afaint, the moles black, the face white.

Now, here seemed simple panic: and like a pack of dogs which rush to mangle a mongrel, they were at him pell-mell.

See now a shocking scrimmage, a rush and crush for precedence, surge upon surge of men jostling each other in a struggle to get near him, sticks reaching awkwardly over heads to inflict far forceless blows, and on his face the fists; a hundred roaring ”Order!”, fighting against the tide; three hundred shrieking, ”Kill him!” ”Have him done with!” ”Dash out his brains!”, and pressing to that job. Sergeant-at-Arms, meanwhile, Clerk-attending-the-Table, and the physician, had run to give the alarm; but it was by one of those miracles of wild minutes, when turbulent sprites appear to mix themselves in the business of men, worse--embroiling the embroiled, that through the throng in the street rushed the word that the Regent was being killed: and quick, before any fatal blow had been struck, the rabble were there in that chamber, having brushed away every barrier.

They imagined themselves come to save: in reality they came to kill--were, in fact, too many for the area of the room, so that men succ.u.mbed fast as by plague-stroke under trampling feet, and even after twenty minutes when sixty-seven lay mangled the scene of horror could not be said to be ended.

Early upon the irruption the physician, three policemen, a Reading Clerk, and the Bishop of Durham, had managed to extricate and drag the Regent out; and through the shouting of the outside crowd he was driven home unconscious.

L

THE DECISION

Somewhat before this hour Admiral O'Hara had arrived at Croydon, a l.u.s.t, a morbid curiosity, now working in this man--having committed the ineffable sin, to enjoy its fruit by hearing what Richard Hogarth now said, in what precise way he groaned, or raved, smiled, or wept, or stormed; for he was cruelly in love with Hogarth.

All the way had come with him the _Mahomet's_ treasurer, with his bag of wealth--and two pistols.

So at Dieppe O'Harra had wired to Harris:

”Meet me at Croydon to-night, the 9.45 from Newhaven, as you love life.

Most important. Shall expect wire from you at the London and Paris Hotel, Newhaven, not later than six, saying yes”.

But at Newhaven he had found no answer--Harris, in fact, not having received the telegram, having already inflicted his stab, and fled the Palace.

Whereupon O'Hara, in an agony of doubt, had telegraphed Frankl from Newhaven:

”For G.o.d's sake find Harris. Make him meet me at Croydon to-night in the 9.45 from Newhaven. Do not fail”.

Now, Frankl knew exactly where Harris was--hiding in the Market Street house. And he said to himself: ”All right: it's got something to do with money, and a lot of it, too, with all this 'G.o.d's sake'. Suppose we _both_ go to Croydon?”

Hence Frankl missed the joy of seeing the Regent mobbed: for at 9.30 he was waiting with Harris on the Croydon up-platform.

And as the train stopped, they two hurried into the compartment where O'Hara sat alone.

”You, my friend?” said O'Hara to Frankl.

”Large as life”, replied Frankl: ”I and the boy have already made it up between us for a third each: you a third, I a third, Alfie a third: that's fair; I keep the police off the backs of the pair of you, and you pay me a third. What's the figure?”

In one moment of silence O'Hara plotted; then his tongue yielded to the temptation of the great words: ”Eight-hundred-and-fifty thousand, sir”.

So after three minutes' talk Harris got out, and, as the train started, sprang into a first-cla.s.s compartment in which was one other occupant.