You have no need to inquire of me."
"How did you know?" she gasped, trembling.
"That matters not," I replied, in as calm a tone as I could. "Sufficeit to know that I have knowledge of the truth."
"And you know my lover?"
"He is one of my oldest friends," I answered. "He fled from you, but byyour devilish ingenuity you discovered him and sought him out in theremote village where he had hidden himself. You travelled from London,and he was compelled to meet you clandestinely out upon the high road.By the evil spell you have cast upon him you are now hoping that he willreturn to London."
"And if I am?" she inquired, with a sudden boldness.
"If you are, then you may at once give up all hope that he will stillremain your lover," I answered firmly. "When I have told him of thetruth he will hate you with the same hatred in which he holds the EvilONE."
"What, then, do you intend telling him?" she inquired.
"He is my friend, as Roddy Morgan was," I answered. "The latter diedmysteriously under circumstances which were undoubtedly known to you,and I have resolved that John Yelverton shall not suffer at your hands."
"I do not intend that he should suffer!" she cried quickly. "I lovehim. I will be his helpmate, his adviser, his protector. I confess toyou that I love him with as great an affection as I can love anything onearth."
"Did you not tell me once that even though you might love, yourinfluence must nevertheless necessarily be that of evil?"
"Yes, yes, I know," she said. "The baneful power I possess is not of myown seeking. I suppress it so that it may not injure him."
"This mysterious power of yours injured poor Roddy. You cannot denythat," I cried.
She sighed, but made no answer. Her thin hands were clenched; she wasdesperate.
"Yelverton knows nothing of your inexplicable potency for the working ofevil. But he must--he shall know."
"He will not believe you!" she cried defiantly. "You may tell him whatyou choose, but it cannot alter the love between us."
"Not if I prove that you were responsible for Roddy Morgan's death--thatit was you who visited him during his valet's absence?"
In an instant she grew pale as death, and stood there quivering in fear.Her defiance had given place to abject terror, and she dared not uttera word lest she should betray herself. Holding her in suspicion, as Idid, I was quick to note the slightest wavering, to detect the leastfear as expressed in her flawlessly beautiful countenance.
"You may make whatever allegation you think fit," she responded, in aharsh tone. "It makes no difference. The man who loves me will notheed you."
"But he shall!" I cried, in anger. "I will not allow him to bevictimised as poor Roddy was. Your very words betray you!" I burstforth again. "When you allege that he committed suicide six monthsbefore he died in London you lie!"
"I have spoken the truth," she answered, meeting my gaze with a calmnesswhich seemed incredible. "Some day, perhaps, you will have proof."
"Why may not proof be given me now?" I demanded. "Why cannot youexplain all, and end this mystery?"
"It is impossible."
"Impossible!" I cried. "Nonsense! You seek to conceal your evil deedsbeneath a cloak of improbabilities, and fancy I am sufficientlycredulous to believe them!"
"Surely heated argument is useless," she observed. "I love a man who isyour friend, and you love a woman who is mine. Plainly speaking, ourinterests are identical, are they not? Your love is in hiding. She hada reason for fleeing from you, just as my lover's religious views causedhim to endeavour to escape me. He knew me not, or he would not haveendeavoured to hide himself from me. You, who know me better, are awarethat from me there is no escape; that I spare not my enemies nor thosewho hate me. Before my touch men and things wither as grass cast intoan oven."
"True, I love Muriel," I said. "She is in hiding, and you, if you will,can direct me to where she is." Aline, the mysterious handmaiden ofevil, paused. Her full breast rose beneath her thin summer bodice andfell slowly, and for an instant her well-arched brows were knit as shethought deeply.
"Yes," she answered at length. "Your surmise is correct. I am awarewhere your love has concealed herself."
"Little escapes you," I observed, a strange feeling of terror creepingover me. "Sin is always more powerful than righteousness, and cunningmore invincible than honesty of purpose. Why will you not impart to methe knowledge that I seek, and tell me where I may find Muriel? As youhave very truly said, our interests are identical. I am ready to makeany compact with you, in return for your assistance."
"Very well," she answered quickly, with a little undue eagerness, Ithought. Then, fixing me again with her eyes, she said: "Once you gaveyourself to me body and soul and implored me to love you. But I spurnedyou--not because I entertained any affection for you, but for the sakeof the one woman who loved you--Muriel Moore."
"Then you knew Muriel?" I interrupted quickly, in an endeavour to atleast clear up that single fact.
"No," she answered, "I did not know her. A reader of the heart, I was,however, aware that she was madly enamoured of you, therefore I wasfrank enough to urge you to reciprocate her love, and thus obtainfelicity. Well, she has hidden herself from you, but you shall find heron one condition--namely, that you render yourself passive in my hands--that you give yourself entirely to me."
"What do you mean?" I gasped, holding back instinctively and glaring ather. "Are you the Devil himself that you should make this proposalwhich in the mediaeval legend Mephistopheles made to Faust?"
"My intentions are of no concern," she responded, in a strange voicelike one speaking afar off. "Will you, or will you not accept myconditions?"
"But to give myself to you when I love another is impossible!" Iprotested.
"I make this demand not in any spirit of coquetry," she replied. "Thatyou should be mine, body and soul, is necessary, in order that youshould preserve the silence which is imperative."
"To put it plainly you desire, in return for the service you will renderme, that I should utter no word to your lover of my suspicions?" Isaid, gradually grasping her meaning.
Again the glint of evil seemed to shine from those blue eyes, whichchanged their hue with every humour.
"Exactly," she answered, her slim fingers nervously twisting the goldenchain of her lorgnette. "But you must become mine, to do as I bid andact entirely as I direct," she declared. "Unless you give me your wordof honour to do this there can be no agreement between us. Rememberthat your silence will be for our mutual benefit, for I shall remainhappy while you will gain the woman you love."
For a single moment only I hesitated. But one thought was in my mind,that of Muriel. At all costs I felt that I must discover her, for herdisappearance had driven me to distraction. Never before had I knownwhat it really was to love, or the blankness that falls upon a man whenthe woman he adores has suddenly gone out of his life. I may have beenfoolish, nay, I knew I was; nevertheless, in the sudden helplessnessthat was upon me, I turned and answered--
"I am ready to do as you wish."
Next instant I held my breath, and the perspiration broke forth upon mybrow when I realised that my great love for Muriel had led me into anabyss of evil. Heedless of the dire consequences which must follow, Ihad flung myself into the toils of this mysterious woman whom I held infear; a woman whose very touch was sacrilegious, and who was morefiendish than human in her delights and hates.
"Then it is agreed," she said in that strange voice which had severaltimes impressed me so. "Henceforth you are mine, to do my bidding.Recollect that passive obedience is absolutely essential. If I commandyou will obey passively, without seeking to inquire the reason, withoutheed of the difference between good and evil. Do you agree to suchconditions?" she inquired in deep earnestness.
"Yes," I responded, my mouth dry and parched. This speech of hersconvinced me that she was possessed of some superhuman power which wasas subtle as it was mysterious
.
"Then having entered into the compact with me, first seek not todiscover who or what I am. Secondly, say no word to my lover of thethings you have seen or of your suspicions regarding me; and thirdly,rest confident that what I have told you regarding your friend Morgan'ssuicide is the absolute truth. Seek not to argue," she went on,noticing my intention to interrupt; "remain in patience."
"But where shall I discover Muriel?"
She hesitated in thought.
"You wish to see her to-night--eh?" she inquired. Then,
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