The Broken Thread

by William Le Queux

speciouslyexplained away. What was there more of mystery remaining? The strugglebetween his better sense, his wounded pride and the weird fascination ofthis wonderful woman lasted for some time. Gilda lay back in theluxurious leather chair, and gazed, with a glazed expression, intospace.

  At length, he turned to her and said: "Gilda, you have hurt me more thanI can tell. If this man, Malsano, who says he is your uncle, hascompelled your actions, which appear so unnatural, I forgive you.Promise me that you will leave him, hide from him and go into the worldyou know so well, and lead a pure and clean life. You have shownyourself to be clever enough. Promise me, Gilda, and come to me if youwant help. I will help."

  He held out his hand. She sprang from the deep recesses of the chair.Clutching his hand, she smothered it in passionate kisses.

  Then gazing at him, she said: "I promise! I promise, Raife! May I gonow?"

  Mechanically Raife said: "Yes."

  In two seconds the dainty figure of the young girl was sliding down asilken rope from the library window to the ground below. Amazed at therapidity of the action, Raife watched her disappearing form as it glidedsinuously into a bunch of rhododendron bushes.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

  INTO A TRAP AND OUT OF IT.

  When Gilda Tempest had disappeared in the dead of night among therhododendron bushes, Raife stood at the open latticed window of the oldlibrary, which had so nearly been the scene of a second tragedy. He wasamazed at the squirrel-like movements of this wonderful girl, who hadjust played the part of burglar with the dexterity of a practised hand.

  Yet she had told the tragedy of a life-story with a restrained, dramaticpower that was convincing--at least to him. Again she had takenpossession of him and all his thoughts: his love and passion were forher.

  On the morning following these extraordinary occurrences, there wasseated an old gentleman, wearing blue spectacles, on a secluded seat onthe Parade at Brighton. He appeared to be immersed in a book that heheld close to his face. An observant onlooker would have noticed thathis attention was less engrossed in the book than in the passers-by, ofwhom, at this point of the Parade, there were not many. Aneatly-uniformed nursemaid, with her two young children, approached theseat and appeared to show intention of taking possession of the scantamount of room that was left vacant. The old gentleman uttered a snarl,and glared through his blue spectacles so ferociously that, by commonconsent, the children refused this particular seat at that particularmoment. The old gentleman was again left in sole possession. In spiteof the book, impatience seemed to characterise his gestures. At last,with a grunt of satisfaction, he observed, in the distance, the personfor whom he had waited.

  An elderly lady shuffled her way along the front. As she approachedthis secluded spot, after looking round warily, she took her place atone end of the seat. The old gentleman raised his hat courteously andsaid: "Well! where are they? Have you got them?"

  In a beautiful voice, but in tremulous tones, the old lady said: "No, Ihave not got them."

  With a half-suppressed howl, he said: "What! you have not got them? Youlie! You are deceiving me."

  Still tremulously, but quite restrained, she replied:

  "No! I have not got them, and I am not deceiving you. Let me tell youwhat happened."

  In spite of the blue glasses the old man's face assumed a contortedexpression of anger that was hateful to behold. Grasping her arm with avicious grip, he almost shrieked: "Again I tell you, you lie! Where arethey? You dare not tell me you have bungled after all the care I took."

  "Hush!" she whispered. "You will be heard. Yes! I bungled."

  Then this innocent-looking old lady told the events of the previousnight at Aldborough Park, for it was Gilda Tempest disguised withconsummate craft. The old man writhed and fumed, as each incident ofthat eventful night was narrated to him in the soft and musical tones ofthis young criminal of the beauteous countenance. The crime of aburglar is at all times contemptible. This story of an attemptedburglary was peculiarly repellent, coming from the lips of a young girlwho was so dearly loved by the "intended victim." To have stolen anyproperty belonging to Raife Remington would have been discreditable, butto attempt, with all the skilled burglar's art, to steal those valuablejewels of the baroness, which had been entrusted to Raife for safekeeping--that was to place him in the most invidious position. Itsounded hateful in the hearing. Yet this old reprobate of the deepestdye was the cause of this young girl's downfall, and he was furious ather failure.

  With a resumption of his usual self-control he hissed: "Those jewels areworth thirty thousand pounds. You were clumsy to miss such a prize.Now listen to me. That young fool's father killed your father."

  Gilda shuddered, and tears trickled down the cheeks which had beenskilfully lined to disguise their youthful beauty.

  Again, stooping towards her, his words were reduced almost to a whisperas he said: "Look at me straight in the eyes, Gilda, and listen. Youmust make love to that man. He cannot, and shall not resist you. Hemust marry you, and you--must--ruin--him. That shall be your revenge.It shall be my revenge--and your father's revenge."

  Then, springing to his feet with extraordinary vigour, he added:

  "Come now! Remember what I have said. It must be. It shall be."

  People turned to look at this peaceful and distinguished-looking "old"couple sauntering down the front to their hotel.

  There is an unscrupulous type of villain in this world, whose power forharm is unbounded. Even as the weasel, the stoat, and certain of hertypes of ferocious animals, kill for the lust of killing, so theseevil-minded people pursue their depredations. The worst of this typeexercise a curious fascination over women.

  It is not essential to discuss the possibilities of hypnotism,mesmerism, or any other forms of mind influence, or thoughttransference. A perusal of the newspapers, and even a generalobservation of those around us is sufficient to satisfy us of theexistence of this power. Curiously, it would more generally seem to beexercised for evil rather than good. Doctor Danilo Malsano exercisedhis malicious influence over Gilda Tempest with all the malignancy ofthe type of predatory blood-sucking animals, to which allusion has beenmade.

  It was easy, therefore, for plans to be made to encompass the downfalland ruin of Raife Remington. Subterfuge brought clandestine meetingsbetween the young couple. The clandestine element is that which appealsmost strongly to the ordinary lover. Raife Remington loved GildaTempest with a fierce passion, which he could not control, but, in manysenses, he was an ordinary lover.

  He was now well aware of Gilda's skill as a "thief"--a burglar. Thethought rankled in his mind, but still he could not stave off the desirefor her company. A smile from her chased away the hateful reminiscenceof the night in the library at Aldborough Park, when she was fullyrevealed as a thief. There were other mysterious circumstances that, inhis ordinary mood, he could not explain away, but when Gilda smiled andlooked at him with her appealing eyes, all doubt vanished.

  He was certain of one thing--Doctor Malsano was a blackguard, and hehated him. Again, his sense of reason--nay of duty--impelled him togive information to the police that would lead to the arrest andconviction of this arch-criminal--a criminal who used his uncanny powersto employ, as a dupe, a sweet, beautiful girl whom he called his niece.

  His influence appeared almost supernatural, and yet, his cowardice wasevident in the fact that he adopted such foul methods. So, in spite ofall this, when Gilda smiled, that baneful person, her uncle, was safefrom arrest as far as Raife was concerned.

  There were many incongruities in this courtship. Their first meeting,and each subsequent meeting, had been quite unconventional--yet therewas nought but pure thought as far as this couple were concerned whenthey met.

  The baleful influence of the doctor at other times alone made fortrouble.

  In all these circumstances, then, it is not surprising that the quaint,old-world, white room of the "Blue Boar" at Tunbridge Wells should have
become the rendezvous when it was the only opportunity that served.

  Raife Remington's sense of proportion had restrained him for a week ortwo, and he had not met Gilda. Doctor Malsano was not the type of manto allow his victim to elude his machinations for long. Gilda was,therefore, compelled to adopt the disguise of a hospital nurse, and,with full instructions from information obtained by the doctor, visitedTunbridge Wells. On the pretext of a patient who was expected fromtown, she obtained a room at the "Blue Boar." It was not hard to inventa ruse to ensure Raife's attendance at the "Blue Boar." When Gilda methim on the staircase, her old influence returned, and under thechaperonage of the landlord, Mr Twisegood, they started the interview.The astute, old Twisegood chuckled as he discreetly left the room, but,at the same time, he had no real knowledge of the state of affairs. Norwas Raife aware that this "accidental"