by Thomas Dixon
CHAPTER XXI
THE SECOND BLOW
Norton could scarcely control his eagerness to face the woman he loathed.Every nerve of his body tingled with the agony of his desire to be free.
He was ready for the end, no matter what she might do. The time had come inthe strong man's life when compromise, conciliation, and delay were alikeimpossible. He cursed himself and his folly to-night that he had delayed solong. He had tried to be fair to the woman he hated. His sense of justice,personal honor, and loyalty to his pledged word, had given her theopportunity to strike him the blow she had delivered through the girl. Hehad been more than fair and he would settle it now for all time.
That she was afraid to meet him was only too evident from her leaving thehouse on his return. He smiled grimly when he recalled the effrontery withwhich she had defied him at their last meeting.
Her voice, sharp and angry, rang out to Andy at the back door.
Norton's strong jaw closed with a snap, and he felt his whole being quiverat the rasping sound of her familiar tones. She had evidently recovered hercomposure and was ready with her usual insolence.
She walked quickly into the room, and threw her head up with defiance:
"Well?"
"Why have you avoided me to-night?"
"Have I?"
"I think so."
Cleo laughed sneeringly:
"You'll think again before I'm done with you!"
She shook her head with the old bravado, but the keen eyes of the manwatching saw that she was not sure of her ground.
He folded his arms and quietly began:
"For twenty years I have breathed the air poisoned by your presence. I haveseen your insolence grow until you have announced yourself the mistress ofmy house. You knew that I was afraid of your tongue, and thought that acoward would submit in the end. Well, it's over. I've held my hand for thepast four weeks until my duty to the people was done. I've been a cowardwhen I saw the tangled web of lies and shame in which I floundered. But thepast is past. I face life to-night as it is"--his voice dropped--"and I'mgoing to take what comes. Your rule in my house is at an end----"
"Indeed!"
"Helen leaves here to-morrow morning and _you_ go."
"Really?"
"I've made a decent provision for your future--which is more than youdeserve. Pack your things!"
The woman threw him a look of hate and her lips curved with scorn:
"So--you have kindly allowed me to stay until your campaign was ended.Well, I've understood you. I knew that you were getting ready for me. I'mready for you."
"And you think that I will allow you to remain in my house after what haspassed between us?"
"Yes, you will," she answered smiling. "I'm not going to leave. You'll haveto throw me into the street. And if you do, God may pity you, I'll not.There's one thing you fear more than a public scandal!"
Norton advanced and glared at her:
"What?"
"The hatred of the boy you idolize. I dare you to lay your hands on me toput me out of this house! And if you do, Tom will hear from my lips thestory of the affair that ended in the death of his mother. I'll tell himthe truth, the whole truth, and then a great deal more than the truth----"
"No doubt!" he interrupted.
"But there'll be enough truth in all I say to convince him beyond a doubt.I promise you now"--she dropped her voice to a whisper--"to lie to him witha skill so sure, so cunning, so perfect, no denial you can ever make willshake his faith in my words. He loves me and I'll make him believe me. WhenI finish my story he ought to kill you. There's one thing you can depend onwith his high-strung and sensitive nature and the training you have givenhim in racial purity--when he hears my story, he'll curse you to your faceand turn from you as if you were a leper. I'll see that he does this ifit's the last and only thing I do on this earth!"
"And if you do----"
"Oh, I'm not afraid!" she sneered, holding his eye with the calm assuranceof power. "I've thought it all over and I know exactly what to say."
He leaned close:
"Now listen! I don't want to hurt you but you're going out of my life.Every day while I've sheltered you in this house you have schemed andplanned to drag me down again to your level. You have failed. I am notgoing to risk that girl's presence here another day--and _you_ go!"
As he spoke the last words he turned from her with a gesture of finaldismissal. She tossed her head in a light laugh and calmly said:
"You're too late!"
He stopped in his tracks, his heart chilled by the queer note of triumph inher voice. Without turning or moving a muscle he asked:
"What do you mean?"
"Tom is already in love with Helen!"
He wheeled and hurled himself at her:
"What?"
"And she is desperately in love with him"--she stopped and deliberatelylaughed again in his face--"and I have known it for weeks!"
Another step brought his trembling figure towering over her:
"I don't believe you!" he hissed.
Cleo walked leisurely to the door and smiled:
"Ask the servants if you doubt my word." She finished with a sneer. "Ibegged you not to fight, major!"
He stood rooted to the spot and watched her slowly walk backward into thehall. It was a lie, of course. And yet the calm certainty with which shespoke chilled his soul as he recalled his own suspicions. He must know nowwithout a moment's delay and he must know the whole truth withoutreservation.
Before he approached either Tom or Helen there was one on whom he hadalways relied to tell the truth. Her honest black face had been the onecomfort of his life through the years of shadow and deceit. If Minerva knewshe would tell him.
He rushed to the door that led to the kitchen and called:
"Minerva!"
The answer came feebly:
"Yassah."
"Come here!"
He had controlled his emotions sufficiently to speak his last command withsome degree of dignity.
He walked back to the table and waited for her coming. His brain was in awhirl of conflicting, stunning emotion. He simply couldn't face at once theappalling possibilities such a statement involved. His mind refused toaccept it. As yet it was a lie of Cleo's fertile invention, and still hisreason told him that such a lie could serve no sane purpose in such acrisis. He felt that he was choking. His hand involuntarily went to hisneck and fumbled at his collar.
Minerva's heavy footstep was heard and he turned sharply:
"Minerva!"
"Yassah"--she answered, glancing at him timidly. Never had she seen hisface so ghastly or the look in his eye so desperate. She saw that he wasmaking an effort at self-control and knew instinctively that the happinessof the lovers was at stake. It was too solemn a moment for anything savethe naked truth and her heart sank in pity and sympathy for the girl shehad promised to help.
"Minerva," he began evenly, "you are the only servant in this house whohas never lied to me"--he took a step closer. "Are Tom and Miss Helenlovers?"
Minerva fumbled her apron, glanced at his drawn face, looked down on thefloor and stammered:
"De Lordy, major----"
"Yes or no!" he thundered.
The black woman moistened her lips, hesitated, turned her honest face onhis and said tremblingly:
"Yassah, dey is!"
His eyes burned into hers:
"And you, too, have known this for weeks?"
"Yassah. Mister Tom ax me not ter tell ye----"
Norton staggered to a seat and sank with a groan of despair, repeating overand over again in low gasps the exclamation that was a sob and a prayer:
"Great God!--Great God!"
Minerva drew near with tender sympathy. Her voice was full of simple,earnest pleading:
"De Lordy, major, what's de use? Young folks is young folks, an' love'slove. What ye want ter break 'em up fer--dey's so happy! Yer know, sah, yecan't mend er butterfly's wing er put er egg back in de shell. Miss H
elen'syoung, beautiful, sweet and good--won't ye let me plead fer 'em, sah?"
With a groan of anguish Norton sprang to his feet:
"Silence--silence!"
"Yassah!"
"Go--find Miss Helen--send her to me quickly. I don't want to see Mr. Tom.I want to see her alone first."
Minerva had backed out of his way and answered plaintively:
"Yassah."
She paused and extended her hand pleadingly:
"You'll be easy wid 'em, sah?"
He hadn't heard. The tall figure slowly sank into the chair and hisshoulders drooped in mortal weariness.
Minerva shook her head sadly and turned to do his bidding.
Norton's eyes were set in agony, his face white, his breast scarcely movingto breathe, as he waited Helen's coming. The nerves suddenly snapped--hebowed his face in his hands and sobbed aloud:
"Oh, dear God, give me strength! I can't--I can't confess to my boy!"