Part 58 (1/2)

She pointed to the door of another room.

There was something strangely compelling in her tone, in her movements.

Jasmine followed her, fascinated by the situation, by the look in the woman's face. The door opened upon darkness, but Jasmine stepped inside, with Almah's fingers clutching her sleeve. For a moment nothing was visible; then, Jasmine saw, dimly, a coffin on two chairs.

”That was the first man I ever loved--my husband,” Al'mah said quietly, pointing at the coffin. ”There was another, but you took him from me--you and others.”

Jasmine gave a little cry which she smothered with her hand; and she drew back involuntarily towards the light of the hallway. The smell of disinfectants almost suffocated her. A cloud of mystery and indefinable horror seemed to envelop her; then a light flooded through her brain.

It was like a stream of fire. But with a voice strangely calm, she said, ”You mean Adrian Fellowes?”

Al'mah's face was in the shadow, but her voice was full of storm. ”You took him from me, but you were only one,” she said sharply and painfully. ”I found it out at last. I suspected first at Glencader.

Then at last I knew. It was an angry, contemptuous letter from you. I had opened it. I understood. When everything was clear, when there was no doubt, when I knew he had tried to hurt little Jigger's sister, when he had made up his mind to go abroad, then, I killed him. Then--I killed him.”

Jasmine's cheek was white as Al'mah's ap.r.o.n; but she did not shrink.

She came a step nearer, and peered into Al'mah's face, as though to read her inmost mind, as though to see if what she said was really true. She saw not a quiver of agitation, not the faintest horror of memory; only the reflective look of accomplished purpose.

”You--are you insane?” Jasmine exclaimed in a whisper. ”Do you know what you have said?”

Al'mah smoothed her ap.r.o.n softly. ”Perfectly. I do not think I am insane. I seem not to be. One cannot do insane things here. This is the place of the iron rule. Here we cure madness--the madness of war and other madnesses.”

”You had loved him, yet you killed him!”

”You would have killed him though you did not love him. Yes, of course--I know that. Your love was better placed; but it was like a little bird caught by the hawk in the upper air--its flight was only a little one before the hawk found it. Yes, you would have killed Adrian, as I did if you had had the courage. You wanted to do it, but I did it.

Do you remember when I sang for you on the evening of that day he died?

I sang, 'More Was Lost at Mohacksfield.' As soon as I saw your face that evening I felt you knew all. You had been to his rooms and found him dead. I was sure of that. You remember how La Tosca killed Scarpia?

You remember how she felt? I felt so--just like that. I never hesitated. I knew what I wanted to do, and I did it.”

”How did you kill him?” Jasmine asked in that matter-of-fact way which comes at those times when the senses are numbed by tragedy.

”You remember the needle--Mr. Mappin's needle? I knew Adrian had it. He showed it to me. He could not keep the secret. He was too weak. The needle was in his pocket-book--to kill me with some day perhaps. He certainly had not the courage to kill himself.... I went to see him. He was dressing. The pocket-book lay on the table. As I said, he had showed it to me. While he was busy I abstracted the needle. He talked of his journey abroad. He lied--nothing but lies, about himself, about everything. When he had said enough,--lying was easier to him than anything else--I told him the truth. Then he went wild. He caught hold of me as if to strangle me.... He did not realize the needlepoint when it caught him. If he did, it must have seemed to him only the p.r.i.c.k of a pin.... But in a few minutes it was all over. He died quite peacefully. But it was not very easy getting him on the sofa. He looked sleeping as he lay there. You saw. He would never lie any more to women, to you or to me or any other. It is a good thing to stop a plague, and the simplest way is the best. He was handsome, and his music was very deceiving. It was almost good of its kind, and it was part of him. When I look back I find only misery. Two wicked men hurt me. They spoiled my life, first one and then another; and I went from bad to worse. At least he”--she pointed to the other room--”he had some courage at the very last. He fought, he braved death. The other--you remember the Glencader Mine. Your husband and Ian Stafford went down, and Lord Tynemouth was ready to go, but Adrian would not go. Then it was I began to hate him. That was the beginning. What happened had to be. I was to kill him; and I did. It avenged me, and it avenged your husband. I was glad of that, for Rudyard Byng had done so much for me: not alone that he saved me at the opera, you remember, but other good things. I did his work for him with Adrian.”

”Have you no fear--of me?” Jasmine asked.

”Fear of--you? Why?”

”I might hate you--I might tell.”

Al'mah made a swift gesture of protest. ”Do not say foolish things. You would rather die than tell. You should be grateful to me. Some one had to kill him. There was Rudyard Byng, Ian Stafford, or yourself. It fell to me. I did your work. You will not tell; but it would not matter if you did. Nothing would happen--nothing at all. Think it out, and you will see why.”

Jasmine shuddered violently. Her body was as cold as ice.

”Yes, I know. What are you going to do after the war?”

”Back to Covent Garden perhaps; or perhaps there will be no 'after the war.' It may all end here. Who knows--who cares!”

Jasmine came close to her. For an instant a flood of revulsion had overpowered her; but now it was all gone.