"Wait a little longer," she urged. "I have promised to tell you all, and I will. Can"t you trust me a little longer, Berlin? Please--please trust me a little longer!"
She held out her hands in pleading, and a moment later, ere she could check him, he had seized her and was holding her to his heart.
"Yes, yes," he panted, "I will trust you, Bessie--I"ll trust you with my very life!"
Their lips met, and then----
The heavens fell!
CHAPTER XIV.
THE SIGNAL FOR SILENCE.
Lizette was hammering at Frank Merriwell"s door.
"Wake up, monsieur!" she cried. "_Mon Dieu_, it is such a terrible theeng! Queek! queek! Do come, monsieur!"
Her knock and her cries brought Frank forth in pajamas.
"What is it--what"s the matter?" he demanded.
The voice of Hodge was heard questioning the cause of the disturbance, and Bart came forth from another room.
Lizette seized Merry"s arm.
"Oh, come queek!" she implored. "I see it from my window. I have ze bad headache so long I cannot sleep. Zen I geet up and sit by ze window. I look out and see some one walking beneath the trees. When he walk in ze moonlight I see it is ze Monsieur Carson. Zen all at once--oh, ze terrible theeng!"
"Go on!" commanded Frank. "All at once--what?"
"I see ze ozzer man--just ze glimpse. I see heem run out queek and soft behind Monsieur Carson. He lift his hands. He strike Monsieur Carson with sometheeng, and Monsieur Carson he fall down and lie so still on ze gra.s.s. Zen ze ozzer man he run away."
It did not take Frank long to go leaping down the stairs, and Hodge followed him closely. They tore open the door and rushed out. Within the shadow at the corner of the house they stumbled over a prostrate figure.
Frank dropped on his knees.
"It"s Berlin!" he hoa.r.s.ely exclaimed. "Heavens! is he dead?"
"Hardly that, Merry," came a faint whisper, as Carson stirred in Frank"s arms. "What was it that fell on me? It seemed as if the moon came down and burst upon my head. I saw a flash of fire and heard a frightful explosion. What happened to me?"
"Some one struck you down from behind. Lizette saw it from her window.
She was sitting at the window and saw you walking here on the lawn. She saw the man rush upon you and knock you senseless."
"Lizette?" muttered Carson. And then again in a queer tone he said: "Lizette?"
"Yes, she saw it."
"From--her--window?" questioned Berlin.
"From her window," repeated Frank. "Have you been robbed, Carson? The ruffian must have been a robber. I presume he went through your pockets."
"I don"t know," muttered the young Westerner thickly.
"Let me see," said Frank. "He didn"t take your watch, and here"s your purse. Why, this is singular! I wonder if he saw Lizette. I wonder if she uttered a cry and frightened him away."
"Let"s find the whelp!" snarled Hodge.
"First let"s find out how badly Carson is hurt. Let"s get him into the house."
Together they lifted Berlin and a.s.sisted him to the house between them.
Inza was calling from the head of the stairs to know what was the matter.
"Lie to her, Merry," said Hodge. "Don"t let her get excited. Wait, I"ll do the lying. I"ll quiet her and Elsie."
He hastened up the stairs.
Carson sat on a chair and felt of his head with both hands.
Frank struck a light, and he examined to see how badly his friend was injured.
"Here"s a bad b.u.mp," he said; "but I don"t believe your scalp is broken.
Looks as if you"d been struck by a sandbag."
"Whatever it was, it put me out of commission mighty quick," mumbled Berlin. "Goodness! my head aches a whole lot. I"m weak a-plenty."
They heard Bart telling Inza and Elsie that a man had been seen prowling around outside. Hodge was concealing the fact that anything had happened to Carson. He urged them to go back to their rooms.
"No need of frightening them over me, Merry," muttered Berlin. "I"m all right. My head is too thick to be easily cracked."
"Tell me just how it happened," urged Merry.
"Didn"t Lizette tell you?"
"Yes, but I thought she might be mistaken in her excitement. Did you see any one? Did you see who struck you?"
"No, I didn"t see him."
"Nor hear him?"
"Nor hear him, Frank. I heard nothing. It"s doubtful if I"d heard a clap of thunder just then."
"Eh, why not?"
"Oh, well, you see I was--I"d been--I"d been--thinking," faltered Carson.