An Eye for an Eye

by William Le Queux

smiled at this denunciation of his foppishness. He was certainly ahowling cad, for ever dusting his patent leather boots with hishandkerchief, shooting forth his cuffs, and settling his tie. He partedhis hair in the middle, and patronised women because he believed himselfto be a lady-killer. Truly he was a typical specimen of the City"bounder," who might some day develop into a bucket-shop keeper, acompany promoter, or perhaps a money-lender.

  At the moment when we were speaking the train entered the station ofHampton, and she rose.

  "Tell me, Eva," I said with deep earnestness as I took her hand to sayfarewell, "is what you told me this afternoon the absolute truth? Canyou never--never reciprocate my love?"

  Her lips quivered for an instant as her great blue eyes met mine. Eventhough she wore a veil, I saw that there were tears in them.

  "Yes," she answered in a hoarse tone, "I have told you the truth, Mr.Urwin. We may never love--never."

  The train was already at a standstill, and she was compelled to descendhurriedly.

  "Good-night," she said hoarsely as I released her hand. Then, withoutwaiting for my response, she hurried away and was a moment later lost inthe darkness of the road beyond the barrier.

  The carriage door was slammed, the train moved on, and as it did so Iflung myself back into a corner, plunged in gloom and abject despair.She was the only woman I had ever truly loved, yet she was held apartfrom me. It was the first passionate agony of my life. I suffered nowas those do without hope.

  I found Dick at home smoking furiously, and busily writing in duplicatefor the morning papers a strange story he had that evening picked up outat Gipsy Hill concerning a romantic elopement, which would causeconsiderable sensation in those little tea-and-tennis circles which callthemselves suburban society. He briefly related it to me withoutpausing in his work, writing on oiled tissue paper and taking sixcopies, one for each of the great dailies. My friend's position in thejournalistic world was by no means an uncommon one, for many men holdinggood berths on newspapers add to their incomes by doing what in pressparlance is termed "lineage"--that is contributing to other newspapersfor the payment of a penny, or perhaps three-halfpence, a line.

  I told him that I'd been down to Riverdene, but so engrossed was he inhis work that he hazarded no remark, and when he had finished and placedthe copies in separate envelopes, already addressed, he put on his hatand went forth to the Boy-Messenger Office in Chancery Lane, whence theywould be distributed to the sub-editors about Fleet Street.

  I lit a cigarette and stretched myself in the armchair, gloomilypondering. Of late we had spoken but little of the mystery inPhillimore Place, for other inquiries had occupied Dick's attention, andon my part, loving Eva as I did, I preferred to continue myinvestigation alone.

  Perhaps I had been sitting there a quarter of an hour or so, whensuddenly a strange dizziness crept over me. It might, I thought, be dueto my cigarette, therefore I tossed it out of the window and sat quiet.But the feeling of nausea, accompanied by a giddiness such as I hadnever before experienced, increased rather than diminished, and in orderto light against it I rose and attempted to cross the room. I must havewalked very unsteadily, for in the attempt I upset a chair, the back ofwhich was broken, beside sweeping Dick's terra-cotta tobacco-pot fromthe table and smashing it to fragments. I clutched at the table inorder to steady myself, but found myself reeling and swaying as though Iwere intoxicated. My legs seemed unable to support me, and the thoughtcrossed my mind that this seizure might be one of paralysis. The ideawas horrible.

  At length, after some difficulty, I managed to again crawl back to thechair, and sinking down, closed my eyes. By doing so my brain seemedmore evenly balanced, yet it seemed as though inside my skull was all onfire, and I wondered if exposure to the sun while rowing had causedthese remarkable symptoms. I recollected how blazing hot it had beenfrom Shepperton up to the second lock, and how once Eva, ever solicitousfor my welfare, had warned me to be careful of sunstroke.

  Yes, I had been careless, and this was undoubtedly the result.

  My hands were trembling as though palsied, just as my legs had done afew minutes before, yet strangely enough I felt compelled to clench myfingers into my palms. All my muscles seemed slowly to contract, untileven my jaws worked with painful difficulty.

  An appalling fear fell upon me. I was suffering from tetanus.

  Resolved not to allow my jaws to close tightly, I opened and shut mymouth, knowing that if it became fixed I should die a slow, lingeringdeath as so many thousands had done. If I could only keep my jawsworking the seizure might, perhaps, pass.

  I longed for Dick's return. At that hour there was no one I couldsummon to call a doctor. I glanced at the clock. He had been alreadygone nearly half an hour. Would he never come back?

  The sickening dizziness increased, and seemed to develop into anexcruciating pain in my throbbing temples. I placed my hand to my headand felt that the veins were standing out hard and knotted, just asthough I were exerting every muscle in some feat of strength. Thenalmost at that very instant I was gripped by a fearful pain in thestomach, as though it were being torn by a thousand needles. A coldsweat stood upon my brow until it rolled down my cheeks in great beads.I tried to shout for help, but my tongue clave to the roof of my mouth,and my voice was thin and weak as a child's. My throat seemed to havecontracted. I was altogether helpless.

  My agony was excruciating, yet I could only await Dick's return.Perhaps he had met a friend, and was lounging in some bar ignorant of myperil. The only doctor I knew in the vicinity was a hospital surgeonwho lived a little way down Chancery Lane, over the Safe DepositCompany's vaults. I clenched my teeth to endure the racking, frightfulpains by which my body was tortured, and in patience awaited my friend'shome-coming.

  My eyes were closed, for the gas-light was too strong for them. PerhapsI lost consciousness. At any rate I was awakened from a kind of heavystupor by Dick's tardy entry.

  "Good God, Urwin!" he gasped. "Why, what's the matter? What'soccurred? You're as white as a sheet, man!"

  "I'm ill," I managed to gasp with extreme difficulty. "Go and getTweedie--at once!"

  He stood for a moment looking at me with a frightened expression, thenturned and dashed away down the stairs.

  I remember raising myself, after he had gone, in an endeavour to reach acupboard where there was some brandy in a bottle, but as I made a stepforward all strength let me. I became paralysed, clutched at the table,missed it, and fell headlong to the floor. Then all consciousnessbecame blotted out. I knew no more.

  How long I remained insensible I have only a very vague idea. It musthave been many hours. When, however, I slowly became aware of thingsabout me, I found myself lying upon my own bed partly dressed. I triedto move, but my limbs seemed icy cold and rigid; I tried to think, butmy thoughts were at first only a confused jumble of reminiscences.There was a tearing pain across my stomach, and across my brow--a painthat was excruciating. It seemed as though my waist was bound tightlywith a belt of wire, while my brain throbbed as if my skull must burst.

  I opened my eyes, but the bright light of day caused me to close themquickly again.

  Noises sounded about me, strange and distorted. I distinguished voices,and I knew that I was not alone. Again I opened my eyes.

  "Thank Heaven! my dear old fellow, you are saved!" cried Dick, whosecoat was off, as he bent down eagerly to me, looking with keenestanxiety into my face.

  "Saved!" I echoed. "What has happened?" for at that moment Irecollected little of the past.

  Then I saw, standing beside Dick, my friend, Dr. Tweedie, of the RoyalFree Hospital in Gray's Inn Road, a mild-mannered old gentleman whom Ihad many times met during my inquiries at that institution.

  "What's happened?" the latter repeated. "That's what we want to askyou?"

  "I don't know," I answered, "except that I was suddenly takenfrightfully queer."

  "Taken queer! I should rather think you were," he said, bending down toge
t a better look at my countenance, at the same time feeling my pulse."You're better now, much better. But it's been a very narrow squeak foryou, I can tell you."

  "What's been the matter with me?" I inquired mystified.

  "You've been eating something that hasn't quite agreed with you," heanswered with a mysterious smile.

  "But that couldn't have brought on a seizure like this," I arguedweakly.

  "Well," the doctor said, "of course you can tell better what you've beeneating than I can. Only one fact is clear to me."

  "And what's that?" I asked.

  "Why, that you've been within an ace of death, young man," he answered."You'll want the most careful treatment, too, if we are to get you roundagain, for the