"Tell him I"ll do nothing of the sort," John Martin said, "that he"ll never get the better of me this way."
Miss Templeton gave the message, and Hamar replied "Wait! Wait and see!"
He then thrust wool, pins, horsenails, straw, needles and moss into the mouth of the image, and John Martin had such frightful pains in his stomach that he went into convulsions; and, after an emetic had been given him, vomited up all the above-named articles, save the pins and needles which worked their way out through his flesh, causing him the most exquisite tortures.
Gladys, having given up going to the theatre in order to be with her father during these attacks, now declared that she could no longer bear to see him in such excruciating pain, whilst it was in her power to prevent it.
"Tell him," she said, "tell Hamar you"ll accept his conditions. Don"t think of me! I would rather do anything than see you suffer like this."
"I can hold out a bit longer," he groaned, "at any rate I needn"t give in yet."
Every now and then there came a respite--perhaps for several hours, perhaps for several days--then the tortures recommenced. And always John Martin steeled himself to bear them. At last came the climax.
Hamar, infuriated that his efforts, so far, had proved fruitless, resolved, since time was pressing, to play his trump card and either win, or lose all. He rang up Gladys on the telephone.
"My patience is exhausted," he said. "I"ll give you one more chance, and one--only. Agree to be engaged to me at once--or I"ll smite your father with the most virulent form of cancer, and leave him to die."
There was no question now in Gladys"s mind as to what she should do.
Of all things in the world, she dreaded cancer most, and after the many evidences Hamar had given her of his skill in Black Magic, she did not doubt for one instant that he could, immediately he chose, carry out his threat.
"I have decided," she said faintly, "to--to--give in."
"You accept me, then?" Hamar said.
"Y-yes!"
"When may I see you?"
"When you like."
"Then I"ll come at once," Hamar replied. "_Au revoir._"
But Hamar, when he arrived at the Cottage, did not realize any of the gleeful antic.i.p.ations he had indulged in _en route_. Gladys was ill--so Miss Templeton informed him--at the same time begging him, if he really had any regard for Miss Martin, not to ask to see her for the next few days; and to this request Hamar, seeing no alternative, was obliged to a.s.sent.
Shortly after he had gone, Shiel Davenport called, and found Gladys alone in the garden.
"I"ve been told that your father is ill," he said, "and should like to hear better news of him. How is he?"
"I think he"s all right now," Gladys replied, "but he has suffered frightfully. Indeed, we"ve all had a terrible time," And she told him what had happened.
"Then you"ve not been acting at the Imperial lately?" Shiel asked.
"Not for the past week," Gladys replied. "I couldn"t leave father."
"How has Mr. Bromley Burnham got on without you?" Shiel asked bitterly.
"I don"t understand you," Gladys said quietly. "I have an understudy, and from what I am told she has given every satisfaction. I have some news which I fear won"t be altogether welcome to you."
Shiel turned a shade paler. "What is it?" he faltered.
"I"m engaged to be married."
For a few moments there was silence, and then Shiel exclaimed mechanically "Engaged to be married! To whom?"
"To Leon Hamar! I couldn"t help it." And she explained the position.
"But he"ll never keep you to it," Shiel said. "He couldn"t be such a brute."
"I"m afraid he will," Gladys replied. "He"s shown pretty clearly that he"s capable of anything. I"ve given him my promise--I must keep it."
"Then it"s good-bye to all interest in life--for me," Shiel said, with a gulp. "I"ve thought of no one but you since we first met. For you--in the hope of someday winning you, I"ve struggled on; I"ve reconciled myself to a bare existence. Now I"ve lost you, I"ve lost everything. I hate life. I shall--"
"You"ll do nothing of the sort," Gladys interrupted, "unless you want me to regret ever having met you. I wonder that you say "I"ve nothing to live for"--when we can still be friends; and when you can, at least, win my respect, by putting your shoulder to the wheel, and exerting yourself to the utmost to get on."
"And you--what about you?"
"Never mind me--I can well look after myself."
"You"ll live in h.e.l.l," Shiel cried, her eyes goading him to madness.
"Even though you may not care for me, I do not choose to stand quietly by, whilst you spend your life in Purgatory. Hamar has won you through some diabolical trickery, and if I can"t thwart him in any other way--I"ll kill him. He shan"t marry you."
"He will," Gladys sighed. "No one can stop him. He is omnipotent."
Apparently, Gladys"s statement was more or less true; and ninety-nine men out of a hundred, in the same circ.u.mstances as Shiel, would have now recognized the hopelessness of the situation. But Shiel was abnormal. As he walked home from the Cottage that evening he kept on repeating to himself "Gladys is my goal. I want only Gladys. I"ll have only Gladys." And having once made up his mind to get Gladys, it seemed to him, as if out of every obstacle, that lay between him and Gladys, he could and would merely make a stepping-stone. "Since," he argued to himself, "all"s fair in love and war, I"ll win Gladys through another woman."
And he straightway telephoned to Lilian Rosenberg to have tea with him.
The latter had already made an engagement for the afternoon; but, all the same, she accepted Shiel"s invitation.
"Will you do me a favour?" he asked.
"If it is anything that lies in my power," she said. "What is it?"
"I want you to find out how Hamar works his spells. I asked you before?"
"I know you did and I"ve not forgotten," Lilian said, "but I have to be very careful. I"ve played the part of eavesdropper once or twice, and heard enough to confirm me in my suspicions that Hamar is in touch with evil, occult powers. I"ve heard him praying aloud to them on more than one occasion, and I"ve also a shrewd idea he performs, at least, some of his spells by means of wax images. But why do you want to know?"
"Only curiosity. I am intensely interested in the occult."
"You don"t want to start a rival show, do you?" Lilian asked jestingly.
"With a maximum capital of two pounds--and a minimum of knowledge!"
Shiel laughed. "Hardly. I wish I could. I would offer you the post of manageress."
"Partner!"
"Well, partner, if you like. Would you take it?"