A Modern Mercenary

by K. Prichard and Hesketh Vernon Hesketh Prichard

  CHAPTER XVI.

  'WITH YOUR LIPS TO THE HURT.'

  A few minutes later a knocking came to Madame de Sagan's door. It waslow and urgent. She ran to open it, her heart in her throat. A handpushed her aside with the rough careless force of full control. Sherecoiled with an exclamation, for a glance showed her that the Count wasin one of his most deadly moods.

  'What have you done--where is Selpdorf's daughter?' he snarled.

  As Madame de Sagan shrank from the menacing hand the door opened asecond time, and Valerie herself stumbled in with a bloodless face.

  At the sight of the Count, she drew herself together like one who facesan unexpected peril.

  'I apologise for coming, but I am frightened. The storm is dreadful. SoI came to you, Isolde.'

  Isolde put out her arms with a sobbing cry.

  'I am frightened, too,' she said with a swift resentful glance at herhusband; 'I was coming for you. Stay with me, Valerie; I will not beleft alone!'

  Sagan looked from one to the other of the two beautiful faces, and asensation of surprised dismay, to which he was a stranger, arose in hismind. Hitherto women had been to him possessions, not problems. Now avery ancient truth burst in upon him with all the force of a revelation.To own a woman is not always to understand her. The unexpected defianceon his wife's face confounded him.

  'Isolde!' he began, stepping towards her.

  But the young Countess clung to Valerie.

  'Stay with me, Valerie!' she implored. 'I am far more frightened thanyou, for I know what there is to fear.'

  With a loud curse of bewilderment he strode out, banging the door behindhim. Isolde sprang to it, slipping the bolts with trembling fingers.Then she threw herself upon a couch and broke into pitiful sobbing.

  Valerie stood looking down at her in an agony of suspense, yetremembering that self-control is the chief rule of every game. Presentlyshe put her hand on Isolde's shoulder. The young Countess started upwith a suppressed scream. 'I had forgotten you were there. Valerie, hewill murder me! He hates me! Oh, I have no one to save me!'

  Valerie looked round. After the scene she had just witnessed, thissuggestion did not sound so wild as it would have done at another time.

  'You are nervous, Isolde; one could fancy anything on such a night,' shesaid soothingly.

  'Have you lived so long in Maasau without knowing that here at Saganeverything is possible? He threatens me, and oh, my God, what shall Ido?'

  Valerie sat down beside her and put a steady hand upon her arm. She hadher own object in this visit, but it must be approached with caution.

  'I am here. I will help you!' she said reassuringly.

  Isolde sat up and put her arm round her companion's shoulders.

  'I must trust you--though----Valerie, there is one person who might beable to help me to-night,' she whispered close to the girl's ear. 'Hemight save me. But he must come to me--here--now! I dare not leave thisroom. Simon----' she shivered.

  'Who is it?' A new coldness crept into Valerie's voice as she listened.

  'Can you not guess? It is Captain Rallywood.'

  Valerie had braced herself to meet this, and it only added proof to herown fears for his safety. Come what might, she would undertake anymessage from Isolde to get the opportunity of warning the Duke's guardof the coming danger, and to tell the fate of that gallant figuretossing to and fro in the battering rush of the Kofn. She drew herselfaway from Isolde's embrace with a shudder.

  'What is the matter with you?' Isolde peered up at her with a quickscrutiny. 'You are shaking all over. Valerie, is it because of him?'

  'I am very cold,' returned the girl with a smile. 'I am quite willing tobring--Captain Rallywood. But where is he?'

  'He is on guard in the Duke's ante-room.' She turned her head away.

  'Then, Isolde, you know it is impossible! He cannot come!'

  'Even if it costs my life?' said the Countess bitterly. 'Oh, how cheapyou hold other people's lives, Valerie! You are a true Maasaun!'

  Valerie thought a moment. The request of Madame de Sagan fell in withher own plan. It would enable her to solve the doubt that was agonisingher; yet if she found him safe, how could she lend herself to tempt himto his own dishonour? A cruel question rose within her. Should she puthim to the supreme test of life and love--would she not rather know himdead in the cold river, than living and false to her dim ideal of him?

  'There is no time to spare.' Isolde's voice broke in upon her. 'If youcould make him know the danger I stand in, he must come! Remind him ofhis promise to me.'

  'But if he will not come?' Valerie forced the words.

  'Then ask him to give you the cigarette case of Maasaun leather-work.That will remind him of many things. But he will come,' she ended moreconfidently.

  Valerie rose.

  'I am ready. I know the passages are watched. I saw no one, yet I feltthe shadows were full of eyes. Lend me your sable cloak, Isolde;everyone will recognize that, and with this lace about my head, I shallbe free to go where I please as the Countess Sagan.'

  'Valerie'--Madame de Sagan held the girl back--'listen to me, you mustmake him come! I must tell you all. Rallywood is in danger, nothing cansave him unless you separate him from the Duke----' she stopped,panting, then bared her arm. 'Remind him how he promised me--with hislips upon the hurt! Now go!'

  The next second Valerie Selpdorf found herself alone in the dimcorridor, in which the lights burned low. She stood quite still, theshock of the last sentence 'with his lips upon the hurt' still ringingin her ears. Rallywood! Rallywood with the clear grey eyes and that lookin them which remained persistently in her memory. Her father had taughther to suspect the whole world. But she had chosen to think differentlyof this man, even when she told herself she hated him. Different fromothers--exempt from the universal stain of hypocrisy--one to be trusted,if it were possible to trust any. Then she turned upon herself. Afterall had he deceived her, had she not rather deceived herself? He hadspoken openly to her of his despairing secret, of the woman he couldnever hope to win. And she had concluded what? Nothing definite, butthere had been a dim thought. Oh, it was unbearable! But why did shelinger to think of this, while Maasau itself was in danger?

  She hurried along the passages, moving with a soft swiftness of silkengarments, and as she passed the hidden eyes of the watchers looked outafter the muffled figure. Madame de Sagan was free to come and go.

  From the head of the great staircase a narrow corridor branched away tothe Duke's quarters. A very dim light shone from the embrasure at theend as she hurried along and, before she could stop herself, she ranright into the arms of a tall man who was coming out towards her.

  He put her gently back against the wall and looked at her, but the lacewas drawn close about her face.

  'I must pass,' she said.

  The man's back was to the light, but she knew the shape of the head andshoulders.

  'No one can pass, Madame.'

  The relief of knowing Rallywood was safe jarred in her mind with thehideous suspicion that Isolde's allurements had after all conquered hisallegiance to the Duke. He clearly recognised the cloak and believed herto be the Countess. She would have been more than woman not to takeadvantage of the mistake. She bent forward a little.

  'Come with me,' she whispered.

  'I cannot.'

  'Do you forget your promise?'

  'Under the circumstances'--he glanced back at the Duke's door--'you knowI could make none.'

  'But I am in danger--and you promised, surely you promised, with yourlips there!'

  Rallywood stared at the shapely hand and firm white wrist thrust outfrom the dark sables, with a great leap at his heart. The sight took himunawares.

  'Valerie!' he exclaimed.