Part 45 (1/2)
A flush stole across Krool's face, and when it pa.s.sed again he was paler than before. ”I have save the Baas,” he answered, sullenly.
”From what?”
”From you.”
With a powerful effort, Stafford controlled himself. He dreaded what was now to be said, but he felt inevitably what it was.
”How--from me?”
”If that Fellowes' letter come into his hands first, yours would not matter. She would not go with you.”
Stafford had far greater difficulty in staying his hand than had Barry Whalen, for the sjambok seemed the only reply to the dark suggestion.
He realized how, like the ostrich, he had thrust his head into the sand, imagining that no one knew what was between himself and Jasmine.
Yet here was one who knew, here was one who had, for whatever purpose, precipitated a crisis with Fellowes to prevent a crisis with himself.
Suddenly Stafford thought of an awful possibility. He fastened the gloomy eyes of the man before him, that he might be able to see any stir of emotion, and said: ”It did not come out as you expected?”
”Altogether--yes.”
”You wished to part Mr. and Mrs. Byng. That did not happen.”
”The Baas is going to South Africa.”
”And Mr. Fellowes?”
”He went like I expec'.”
”He died--heart failure, eh?”
A look of contempt, malevolence, and secret reflection came into Krool's face. ”He was kill,” he said.
”Who killed him?”
Krool was about to shrug his shoulders, but his glance fell on the sjambok, and he made an ugly gesture with his lean fingers. ”There was yourself. He had hurt you--you went to him.... Good! There was the Baas, he went to him. The dead man had hurt him.... Good!”
Stafford interrupted him by an exclamation. ”What's that you say--the Baas went to Mr. Fellowes?”
”As I tell the vrouw, Mrs. Byng, when she say me go from the house to-day--I say I will go when the Baas send me.”
”The Baas went to Mr. Fellowes--when?”
”Two hours before you go, and one hour before the vrouw, she go.”
Like some animal looking out of a jungle, so Krool's eyes glowed from beneath his heavy eyebrows, as he drawled out the words.
”The Baas went--you saw him?”
”With my own eyes.”