Part 32 (2/2)

And then, as she lay down among her pillows, there came over Athena Maule the curious sensation that she was not alone. Bayworth Kaye--poor Bayworth, of whom she had thought so kindly, so regretfully, only two nights ago--seemed to be there, close to her, watching, waiting....

Athena did not believe in ghosts, and so she did not feel frightened, only surprised--very much surprised.

She turned on the light and sat up in bed.

This feeling of another presence close to her--how strong it still was!--must be a result of the emotion she had just gone through, of her exciting little scene with Hew Lingard.

It was strange that she should think of Bayworth Kaye here, in this room where he had never been but once, and then only for a moment on a June night when they had both been more reckless than usual. It would have been so much more natural to have felt a survival of Bayworth's presence downstairs--when she had been in Lingard's arms....

Suddenly she was overwhelmed with an intense, an overmastering drowsiness, and, quite unconscious of what was happening to her, she fell back, asleep.

The light above the low rose-red bed was still burning when they found her in the morning.

CHAPTER XX

”Who spake of Death? Let no one speak of Death.

What should Death do in such a merry house?

With but a wife, a husband, and a friend To give it greeting?...”

Richard Maule sat up in bed. He had taken a rather larger dose of chloral than usual the night before, and he had over-slept himself.

'Twixt sleeping and waking he had seemed to hear a number of extraordinary sounds--they were, however, sounds to which he had become accustomed, for they were produced by the Paches' motor.

Now his servant was drawing up the blinds, moving about the room with well-trained, noiseless steps. It seemed to him that the man avoided looking across at the bed; but when, at last, his persistent glance caused the servant to look round, nothing could be seen in the other's impa.s.sive face.

”Is it a fine morning, Carver?”

”No, sir--at least, yes, sir. But it's been raining.”

”I thought I heard a car drive away a few moments ago, or did I dream it?”

The man hesitated.

”Yes, sir--perhaps you did, sir. Mr. Wantele had the machine out to go for the doctor. Mrs. Maule is not very well, sir, and Mr. Wantele thought he'd better fetch the doctor as quickly as possible.”

Carver's voice gained confidence. His master was behaving ”very sensible,” and did not seem at all upset. The upsetting part was to be left to Dr. Mallet.

”I was to say, sir, that the doctor would like to see you.”

”Who went for the doctor?” asked Richard Maule suddenly.

”Mr. Wantele himself, sir. I heard him say he thought it would lose less time for him to go off at once, than to wait and send anyone.”

”And did Mr. Wantele bring the doctor back with him?”

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