CHAPTER XLII.
A STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM.
After some days of outward calm, came a ripple upon the surface ofevents.
It had been a dull, cloudy day, with occasional gusts of wind andrain; wind that chilled to the very marrow, and rain that froze as itfell.
The three men, Davlin, Percy and the Professor, had been constrainedto abandon their customary morning walk, with cigar accompaniment, upand down the terrace. And the well-borers had been obliged to stoptheir work.
Mrs. Arthur had kept her room and her bed all day long, afflicted by araging toothache. Strong was kept at her side, almost constantlyapplying hot water, laudanum and various other local applications. Asthe day advanced, the sufferer seemed growing worse; and when Madelinecame in to administer consolation, and see if the woman were reallyill, Cora sent for Dr. Le Guise, vowing she would have the tooth out,and every other one in her head, if the pain did not stop. But whenthe Professor arrived, her courage failed her. She drew back at thesight of the formidable forceps, saying that she would "try and endureit a little longer; it seemed a bit easier just then."
All this Madeline noted. Retiring from the room she signaled to Strongto follow her out. "What do you think of her?" questioned Madeline ofthe latter, as the door closed between them and Cora.
Strong looked dubious. "I really don't know what to think, MissPayne," she said. "If it is shamming, it is the best I ever saw."
"True," answered Madeline; "I am at a loss. You had better apply sometest, Strong, and--keep all your medicines out of her reach. Don't lether get any laudanum, or anything; and presently report to me. Shemust not be left alone, however; when I send Joliffe in, do you cometo me."
Madeline passed on to her own room, and Strong returned to herpatient.
When Joliffe went to her relief, Strong presented herself beforeMadeline, saying: "I can't think she is shamming, Miss Payne. Isuggested a mustard blister, and she never made a murmur. I put it onawful strong, and she declared that it was nothing to the pain. When Itook it off her cheek was red as flannel, and she wanted it put onagain. She says it relieves her, and thinks if the pain don't comeback she will sleep. I made sure of the bottles all the same," addedStrong. "I have used a lot of chloroform on her, but of course somewould evaporate." And she held up to view a half-filled chloroformvial.
She was right; full half an ounce had "evaporated," during the briefminute when she had stood in the hall to confer with Madeline.
Altogether, Strong had a hard day.
Cora kept her continually on her feet. The blinds must be opened, andshut again, every fifteen minutes. The room was too hot, and the firemust be smothered. Then it was too cold, and the fire must bestimulated to a blaze. And no one could wait upon her but Strong.
As night came on, the paroxysms of pain returned in full force, andStrong was implored once more to apply the soothing mustard.
When Madeline looked in at ten o'clock, Cora was groaning in misery,and Strong was applying a blister. When she again looked in, an hourlater, the invalid, with blistered face and fevered eyes, feeblydeclared herself a "trifle easier," and Strong was bathing her headwith _eau de Cologne_.
Madeline soon retired to her room, and her couch. But for half anhour longer, Cora kept the now yawning Strong at her side. Then shesaid:
"Go now and get some rest, Strong. Leave the mustard on my face, andthen I think I can sleep. I am getting drowsy now."
Strong replaced the mustard, and raked up the fire. Then she lookedcarefully to the fastenings of the doors, and returned to the bedside.Already her mistress was in a heavy slumber.
Putting in her pocket the keys of both doors, Strong retired to thedressing-room and, loosening her garments, threw herself down wearilyupon a couch, and was soon sleeping the sleep of the just, andbreathing heavily.
For some moments after the loud breathing told that her maid wasasleep, Cora lay quietly, but with eyes wide open. Then she stirred,making a slight noise, but the heavy breathing continued as before.
Cora now raised herself up on her elbow and again listened. Still theheavy breathing. Again she moved audibly, at the same time callingsoftly: "Strong!"
But Strong slumbered on.
Quickly snatching the bandages from her much enduring face, Corasprang lightly from the bed. Taking something from under her pillows,she stole noiselessly into the dressing-room and up to the couch ofthe sleeping Strong. In another instant there was a pungent odor inthe room, and something white and moist lay over the musical proboscisof the slumbering giantess.
In five minutes more, Cora Arthur stood arrayed in a dark travelingsuit, with a pair of walking boots in one hand, and the key of herchamber door in the other. Swiftly and silently as a professionalhouse-breaker, she opened the door and passed out, closing it quietlybehind her.
Like a shadow she glided down the now unlighted stairway, and throughthe dark and silent hall, in the direction of the dining-room. Turningto the left, she paused before a side door, the very door throughwhich Madeline had escaped on a certain eventful June night, andnoiselessly undid the fastenings. In another moment she was outside,and the door had closed behind her.
She drew a long breath of relief, and sat down to put on her shoes.Her escape was well timed; the train for the city, the midnightexpress, was due in twenty minutes. Strong would hardly waken beforethat time, and then--she would be flying across the country at theheels of the iron horse.
Rising to her feet, she took one step in the darkness--only one. Thena light suddenly flashed before her eyes, a heavy hand grasped herarm, and a gruff voice said: "This is a bad night for ladies to beabroad. You had better go back, ma'am!"
Cora made a desperate effort to free herself, but the hand held her asin a vise, and the bull's eye of the dark lantern flashed in her faceas the speaker continued:
"Yes, you are the identical one I am looking for. Got a redface--toothache didn't make you a trifle lightheaded, did it? Come,turn about, quick!"
And Cora knew that Madeline Payne had not been as blind as she hadseemed. It was useless to struggle, useless to protest. The stronghand pushed her toward the entrance. The man gripped the lantern inhis teeth, while he opened the door, and pushing her through, followedafter. Closing the door again, and never once releasing his hold uponher, he forced her unwilling feet to retrace their steps, saying, asthey ascended the stairs:
"Show the way to your own room, if you don't want me to rouse thehouse."
Quivering with rage, Cora pointed to the door, and was immediatelyushered, with more force than politeness, back into her owndressing-room and the presence of her still insensible maid.
"Now, then," said her tormentor, "where is Miss Payne's room? Nononsense, mind; I'm not a flat."
Cora, thoroughly convinced of the truth of this statement, sullenlydirected him to Madeline's door.
"Stand where you are," was the next command of the man; "it might jaryour tooth to move."
And Cora stood where he had left her, while he aroused Miss Payne andcommunicated to her the news of the night's exploit.
In a very few moments Joliffe appeared, and without so much as castinga glance at Cora, set herself to arouse the stupefied Strong--a featwhich was soon accomplished, for the woman had nearly exhausted theeffects of her sleeping potion. A moment later, and Madeline appearedupon the threshold. After surveying the scene in silence for aninstant, she entered the room, closed the door, and said with a laughthat set Cora's blood boiling: "So you were tired of our society, andfancied that you could outwit me? Undeceive yourself, madame; it isnot in your power to escape from my hands, and whatever fate I chooseto adjudge you."
Then turning to the man, she said: "You have done well, Morris; thiskind of work you will find more profitable than well-boring. You maygo now."
The man bowed respectfully, and silently quitted the room.
Then Madeline addressed Joliffe: "You will stay here the remainder ofthe night. Let Strong sleep; she is not to blame for permitting
hercharge to escape, and she will be more wary in future."
"This is a bad night for ladies to be abroad!"--page393.]
Then turning again to Cora, who had flung herself in a chair and satgazing from one to the other in sullen silence, she said, with a smileon her lips: "You should not work against your own interests, Mrs.Arthur. Had you succeeded in escaping on the midnight express, who,think you, would have been summoned to meet you on your arrival in thecity?"
"Doubtless an officer," replied the woman, doggedly. "I might haveknown you for a sleuth hound who would guard every avenue."
"Thanks; you do me honor. I should not have summoned an officer,however; there is some one else waiting anxiously to welcome youthere."
"Indeed," sarcastically; "who?"
"_Old Verage._"
Cora started up in her chair. "For God's sake, _what_ are you?"
"A witch," said the girl, demurely. "I am as old as the world, and canfly through the air on a broomstick, so don't think to escape meagain, step-mamma. I trust you will enjoy your brief repose, for itwill soon be morning, and if I don't see your fair face at thebreakfast table, I shall not be content."
Cora put two fingers to her blistered cheek, saying: "You can't ask meto come down with this face."
"True, I can't. Good-night, step-mamma; it would have been better ifyou had let the doctor pull that tooth."
And Miss Payne swept away, leaving the would-be fugitive to her ownreflections.
Madeline Payne, the Detective's Daughter Page 43