"All right," Curtis said sulkily, "for the good of the cause I suppose I must, but I hate spying."
Two nights later in a private room at the Piccadilly, after dinner, when the champagne and liqueurs had got into Curtis"s head and he was leaning back in his chair, smiling and silly, Hamar suddenly said, "Ed! you remember what I told you--about watching Kelson. Have you discovered anything?"
"Shupposing I have," Curtis replied, "shupposing I haven"t--whatch then?"
"Ah, but I know you have," Hamar said, striving to hide his eagerness.
"Come, tell me, another liqueur--I"ll square it with the Unknown--it won"t hurt you!"
"Won"t it!" Curtis gurgled. "Wont"ch it! I"ll tell you everything.
No--nothingsh, I mean."
But Hamar when once he had smelt a rat, was not easily put off. He coaxed, and coaxed, and eventually succeeded.
"Leonsh!" Curtis said, with a sudden burst of drunken confidence.
"Leonsh! it"s worse than either you or I shuspected. I caught them alone this morning--in my offish."
"Them! Rosenberg and Matt!"
"Yesh, of course, shilly! I told Matt I was going out. He thought I had--so into the room I came--quite unshuspected, un.o.bsherved. She was sitting on hish knees, cuddling--and he was putting a ring on her finger. "Four more days, darling," shays he, "and we are married!
Jerushalem! d.a.m.n the Compact and d.a.m.nsh Hamar!" "Hamar doesn"t shuspect, does he?" Rosenberg shays. "Not a bit--not in the slightest," old Matt replieshes, "why it is I who amsh brave now."
Then he kisshes her, and fearing they would detect my presence, I slipsh quietly out."
"Will you swear this is true?" Leon said, his voice trembling with excitement.
"I"ll schwear it!" Curtis answered, "but you look crossh. Whatsh the matter, Leon? _G.o.d! What"s the matter!_"
An hour later, as Kelson was rising from his chair in front of the fire to gaze, for the hundredth time that evening, into the eyes of Lilian Rosenberg"s portrait on the mantelshelf, the door of his room flew open and in staggered Curtis--white, wet and bloated.
"Great heavens!" Kelson cried. "What the deuce have you been doing to yourself? You look a perfect devil!"
"I am one!" Curtis groaned. "I am one, Matt! I"ve given your show away."
"My show away! Why, what the deuce do you mean?"
In a string of broken sentences Curtis explained what had happened.
"I"m d.a.m.ned sorry, Matt, old man," he pleaded. "It was the drink that did it--I didn"t know what I was saying till it was too late--till I saw Leon"s face--and that cleared my brain--brought me to myself. It was h.e.l.lish. I remember the moment I mentioned the word marriage--he sprang up from his chair, and as he hurried out, I heard him mutter, "I"ll go to her straight--I"ll--" Matt, old man, he meant mischief.
I"m certain of it. Come with me to her flat--for G.o.d"s sake--COME."
And catching hold of Kelson, who leaned against the mantelshelf, dazed and stupefied, he dragged him into the street.
To revert to Hamar. Curtis"s information had transformed him. He was, now, another creature. Prior to his conversation with Curtis, he had suspected, at the most, that Kelson might be contemplating a secret engagement to Lilian Rosenberg--but a hasty marriage--a marriage in a few days" time--he had never dreamt that Kelson could be as mad as that. It was outrageous! It was abominable! It was sheer wholesale homicide! At all costs the marriage must be stopped. And mad with rage, Hamar dashed out of the hotel, and calling a taxi, drove direct to Lilian Rosenberg"s flat.
He found her alone--alone--and with a strange expression in her eyes--an expression he had never noticed in them before. She was in the act of examining a magnificent diamond ring.
"You"re quite out of breath," she said coolly, "didn"t you come up by the lift?"
"I"ve come to talk business," Hamar panted. "It"s no use looking like that. I know your secret."
"My secret!" Lilian Rosenberg replied, opening her eyes and simulating the greatest unconcern, "what secret? I don"t understand."
"Oh, yes, you do!" Hamar said, "you understand only too well--you deceitful minx. Had I only been smart--I should have given you the sack months ago. This marriage of yours with Kelson shall not come off."
"My marriage with Mr. Kelson!" Lilian Rosenberg said, turning a trifle pale. "I really don"t know what you are talking about."
"You do!" Hamar shouted, his fury rising. "You do! You know all about it. You were seen sitting on his knee this morning, and all your conversation was overheard. I have found out everything. And I tell you, you shan"t marry him."
"I shan"t marry him!" Lilian Rosenberg said with provoking coolness.
"Whoever thinks I want to marry him?"
"He does--I do!" Hamar shouted--his voice rising to a scream. "You"ve hoodwinked me long enough--you hoodwink me no longer. You"ve encouraged him from the first--made eyes at him every time you"ve seen him--taken advantage of my absence to prowl about the pa.s.sages to waylay him--had him round to your rooms and visited him in his. You"ve no sense of shame or honour--you"ve broken your promises to me--you"re a liar!"
"Anything else Mr. Hamar!" Lilian Rosenberg said, her eyes glittering.
"When you"ve quite finished, perhaps--you"ll kindly go and leave me in peace."
"Go! Leave you in peace!" Hamar shouted. "d.a.m.n you, curse your impertinence! Go! I"ll not budge an inch till I wring from you an oath--a solemn binding oath, that you"ll break off your engagement with Kelson at once."
"Really, Mr. Hamar!" Lilian Rosenberg said, "I cannot put up with quite so much noise. Will you go, or shall I ring for the porter to turn you out?"
She moved in the direction of the bell as she spoke, but before she could touch it Hamar had intercepted her.
"Stop this foolery!" he said catching hold of her wrist, "I"m in grim earnest--the lives of all three of us are at stake--jeopardized through you--through your infernal greed and selfishness. Do you hear!"
"Please let go my wrist," she said quietly.
"I won"t!" he shouted. "I"ll squeeze, crush it, break it! Break you, too, unless you swear to break off your marriage!"
"I"ll swear nothing," Lilian Rosenberg said faintly. "You"re a brute.
Let me go or I"ll cry for help."
She screamed, but before she could repeat the scream, Hamar had her by the throat--and then blind with pa.s.sion and before he fully realized what he was about, he had shaken her to and fro--like a terrier shakes a rat--and had dashed her on the floor.
For some minutes he stood rocking with pa.s.sion, and then, his eyes falling on the inanimate form at his feet, he gave a great gasping cry and bent over it.
"G.o.d in Heaven!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, "she"s dead! I"ve killed her!"
He was still bending over her--still feeling her lifeless pulse, still trying to resuscitate her--feebly wondering how he had killed her, feverishly debating the best course to pursue--when Curtis and Kelson burst in on him.
At the sight of Lilian Rosenberg"s lifeless body both men started back. "Great G.o.d! Hamar!" Curtis gasped. "What have you done to her?"
"Nothing!" Hamar said, turning a ghastly face to them. "I--I found her like this!"
"Liar!" Kelson shouted beside himself with fury. "Liar! We heard her scream. Look at your hands--there"s blood on them! You"ve killed her!"
Before Curtis could stop him he sprang at Hamar, and the next moment both men were rolling on the floor.
"Call for the police, Ed!" Kelson gasped, "the police--or--" But before he could utter another syllable, walls, floor and ceiling shook with loud, devilish laughter. There was then silence--enthralling, impressive, omnipotent silence--the electric light went out--and the room filled with luminous, striped figures.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ROOM FILLED WITH LUMINOUS, STRIPED FIGURES]