The Crimson Blind

by Fred M. White

  CHAPTER LII

  PUTTING THE LIGHT OUT

  Once the trio were in the operating-room Bell gave one rapid glance atHeritage. But the latter seemed to have forgotten all his fears. Therewas an alert air about him; he was quiet and steady. There was somethingof the joy of battle in his eyes.

  "Now go and fetch Van Sneck in," Bell said.

  The patient came at length. Everything was ready. Van Sneck murmuredsomething and looked vaguely about him, like a man suddenly aroused froma deep sleep. But he obeyed quite willingly when Bell commanded him toget on the table. A moment or two later and he was gone under theinfluence of the ether administered by Bell.

  A case of glittering instruments lay on the table. The strongelectric light was switched on and hung just over the head of theunconscious patient.

  "You hold the sponge," Bell whispered to David. "There will be verylittle blood. I like to have a man with me who has coolness and courage.Oh, here is the spot. Feel the depression of the skull, Heritage. That iswhere the pressure lies, and no larger than a pea."

  Heritage nodded, without reply. He took up the knife, there was a flashof steel in the brilliant light and a sudden splash of blood. There was ascrape, scrape that jolted horribly on David's nerves, followed by aconvulsive movement of Van Sneck's body.

  "Beautiful, beautiful," Heritage murmured. "How easily it comes away."

  Bell was watching in deep admiration of the strong hand that was yetlight as thistledown. The big electric light flickered for just a moment,and Heritage stood upright.

  "Don't be a fool," Bell said, sternly. "It's a mere matter of current."Heritage muttered that it must be. Nevertheless it had given him quite aturn. His face was set and pale and his hand shook ever so slightly. Theknife was cutting deep, deeper--

  A snarling oath broke from Bell's lips as the light flickered again andpopped out suddenly, leaving the whole room in intense darkness. Heritagecried aloud. David felt a hand guiding his fingers to the patient's head.

  "Press the sponge down there and press hard," Bell whispered. "It's amatter of life and death. Another minute and Van Sneck would have gone.Heritage, Heritage, pull yourself together. It was no fault of yours thelight went out--the fault is mine."

  Bell stumbled down the kitchen stairs and returned with a candle. Theelectric lights were out all over the ground floor with the exception ofthe hall. One of the circuits had given out completely, as sometimeshappens with the electric light. Bell leapt on a table and turned thehall light out. A second later and he was dragging the long spare flexfrom the impromptu operating-room to the swinging cord over the halllamp. With a knife he cut the cord loose, he stripped the copper wiresbeneath, and rapidly joined one flex to the other.

  "It's amateur work, but I fancy it will do," he muttered. "Anyway, thatrascal is powerless to interfere with the circuit that controls thehall light."

  Snap went the hall switch--there was a sudden cry from Heritage as thebig lamp over the head of Van Sneck flared up again. Bell raced into thestudy and shut the door.

  "A trick," he gasped. "The light was put out. For Heaven's sake,Heritage, don't get brooding over those fancies of yours _now._ I tellyou the thing was done deliberately. Here, if you are too weak or feeble,give the knife to _me_."

  The request had a sting in it. With an effort Heritage pulledhimself together.

  "No," he said, firmly, "I'll do it. It was a cruel, dastardly trick toplay upon me, but I quite see now that it _was_ a trick. Only it's goingto make a man of me instead."

  Bell nodded. His eyes were blazing, but he said nothing. He watchedHeritage at work with stern approval. Nothing could have been morescientific, more skilful. It seemed a long time to David, looking on, butit was a mere matter of minutes.

  "Finished," Heritage said, with a triumphant thrill. "And successful."

  "And another second would have seen an end of our man," Bell said. "He'scoming round again. Get those bandages on, Heritage. I'll look after themess. Give him the drug. I want him to sleep for a good long time."

  "Will he be sensible to-morrow?" David asked.

  "I'll pledge my reputation upon it," Bell said. "Hadn't you bettertelephone down to your electrician to come and see to those lights? I seethe fuse in the meter is intact; it is only on the one circuit that theyhave gone."

  Van Sneck opened his eyes and stared languidly about him. In a clear,weak, yet wholly sensible voice he asked where he was, and then lapsedinto slumber. A little later and he lay snug and still in bed. There wasa look of the deepest pleasure in the eyes of Heritage.

  "I've saved him and he's saved me," he said. "But it was touch and go forboth of us when that light failed. But for Bell I fancied that I shouldhave fainted. And then it came to me that it was some trick, and my nervereturned."

  "Never to leave you again," Bell said. "It tried you high, and found younot wanting."

  "Heaven be praised," Heritage murmured. "But how was it done?"

  Bell's face was stern as he took the kitchen candlestick from the tableand went in the direction of the dining-room.

  "Come with me, and I'll explain," he said, curtly.

  The dining-room was in pitchy darkness, for the lights there had been onthe short circuit; indeed, the lights on the ground floor had all failedwith the exception of the hall, which fortunately had been on anothercircuit. The fact had saved Van Sneck's life, for if Bell had notspeedily used that one live wire the patient must have perished.

  Henson looked up from his sofa with a start and a smile.

  "I am afraid I must have been asleep," he said, languidly.

  "Liar," Bell thundered. "You have been plotting murder. And but for amere accident the plot would have been successful. You have worked outthe whole thing in your mind; you came here on purpose. You came here tostifle the light at the very moment when we were operating on Van Sneck.You thought that all the lights on the floor would be on the samecircuit; you have been here before."

  "Are you mad?" Henson gasped. "When have I been here before--"

  "The night that you lured Van Sneck here by a forged letter and left himfor dead."

  Henson gasped, his lips moved, but no words came from them.

  "You have a little knowledge of electricity," Bell went on. "And you sawyour way pretty clear to spoil our operation to-night. You got that ideafrom yonder wall-plug, into which goes the plunger of the reading lamp onthe cabinet yonder. At the critical moment all you had to do was to dipyour fingers in water and press the tips of them against the live wire inthe wall-plug. You did so, and immediately the wires fired all over thecircuit and plunged us in darkness. But the hall light remained sound,and Van Sneck was saved. If it is any consolation to you, he will be assensible as any of us to-morrow."

  "Hensen had risen to his feet, pale and trembling, He protested, but itwas all in vain. Bell approached the china wall-plug and pointed to it.

  "Hold the candle down," he said. "There! You can see that the surface isstill wet, there is water in the holes now, and some of it has trickleddown the distemper on the wall. You ought to be shot where you stand,murderous dog."

  Henson protested, with some dignity. It was all so much Greek to him, hesaid. He had been sleeping so quietly that he had not seen the lightfail. Bell cut him short.

  "Get out," he cried. "Go away; you poison the air that honest menbreathe, and you are as fit and well as I am. Why don't you pitch himinto the street, Steel? Why don't you telephone to Marley at thepolice-station, and say that the Huddersfield swindler is here? Oh, ifyou only knew what an effort it is to keep my hands off him!"

  Henson made for the door with alacrity. A moment later and he was in thestreet, dazed, confused, and baffled, and with the conviction strong uponhim that he had failed in his great _coup_. Van Sneck would be sensibleto-morrow--he would speak. And then--

  But he dared not think of that at present. He wanted all his nerve andcourage now. He had just one last chance, one single opportunity ofmaking money, and then he must get out of the
country without delay. Healmost wished now that he had not been quite so precipitate in the matterof James Merritt. That humble tool might have been of great advantage tohim at this moment. But Merritt had threatened to be troublesome and mustbe got out of the way. But then, the police had not picked Merritt upyet. Was it possible that Merritt had found out that--

  But Henson did not care to think of that, either, He would go back to thequiet lodgings he had taken in Kemp Town for a day or two, he wouldchange his clothes and walk over to Longdean Grange, and it would go hardif he failed to get a cheque from the misguided lady there. If he werequick he could be there by eleven o'clock.

  He passed into his little room. He started back to see a man sleeping inhis armchair. Then the man, disturbed by the noise of the newcomer,opened his eyes. And those eyes were gleaming with a glow that filledHenson's heart with horrible dread. It was Merritt who sat opposite him,and it was Merritt whose eyes told Henson that he knew of the latter'sblack treachery. Henson was face to face with death, and he knew it.

  He turned and fled for his life; he scudded along the streets, past thehospital and up towards the downs, with Merritt after him. The start wasnot long, but it was sufficient. Merritt took the wrong turn, and, with aheart beating fast and hard, Henson climbed upwards. It was a long timebefore his courage came back to him. He did not feel really easy in hismind until he had passed the lodge-gates at Longdean Grange, where he wasfortunate enough, after a call or two, to rouse up Williams.

  The latter came with more alacrity than usual. There was a queer grin onhis face and a suggestion of laughter in his eyes.

  "There seems to be a lot of light about," Henson cried. "Take me upto the house, and don't let anybody know I am here. Your mistressgone to bed?"

  "She's in the drawing-room," Williams said, "singing. And Miss Enid'sthere. I am sure they will be glad to see you, sir."

  Henson doubted it, but made no reply. There was a chatter of voices inthe drawing-room, a chatter of a lightsomeness that Henson had neverheard before. Well, he would soon settle all that. He passed quietly intothe room, then stood in puzzled fear and amazement.

  "Our dear nephew," said a cool, sarcastic voice. "Come in, sir, come in.This is quite charming. Well, my sweet philanthropist and most engaginggentleman, and what may we have the pleasure of doing for you to-night?"

  "Lord Littimer?" Henson gasped. "Lord Littimer _here_?"