CHAPTER XV

LED OUT TO DIE

In relating what is immediately to follow I shall do so with as plain

and unvarnished a narrative as my pen can command. You will read of what

Constance and I endured, but do not ask me to do more than hint at the

anger of my soul. It is impossible to describe, at least it would

require the pen of a Dante or a Milton, nor would I describe it if I

could. It is bad enough to live that hour again even faintly and in

imagination. To call it up into full memory--soul memory--is a task for

which I have not the least inclination. You shall, therefore, have the

facts with very little comment upon them.

I think it's about all you'll need.

Helzephron was away for a considerable time. During his absence Vargus

peeped in once and looked at me. I won't describe his face.

When the hawk-faced man returned, he dragged my chair to the far end of

the room, and pushed the writing-table in front of it to form a

barrier. There was a deliberation in all he did that was inexpressibly

alarming. His lips were drawn in a tight smile, so that I could see the

teeth....

He set a chair over against the wall opposite, and then he went again

through the curtained door. A moment afterwards he entered, followed by

Connie.

The room grew whirlingly dark and cleared. I could not speak, for my

throat seemed to be closing up, but I saw my girl very distinctly.

She was, as I had never seen her, deadly pale, with large, dark rings

under her eyes and all the joy of life ironed out of her sweet face. Yet

she was not thinner and there were no lines. The colour had gone from

her cheeks and the lustre from her hair, but I somehow thought that her

physical health had not suffered alarmingly.

When she spoke I knew that this was true, and I knew why. Her

indomitable spirit remained. The sunny courage of the past had condensed

within her soul and turned to unconquerable purpose. Her voice was so

full of scorn that it cut even me like the lash of a whip. It was a

marvel that the tall man could have borne it for a moment.

But his eyes had a red light in them, like the eyes of a hound--mad.

"What new devilry is this?" the girl said, as her eyes fell upon me,

trussed up there behind the table. "Do you suppose that I want any

further evidence to tell me from where you come and whom you serve?"

"Look at this gentleman; look at him well."

"Another of your unhappy prisoners! So you add torture to your crimes.

And you dare to make me witness it!"

She turned in a fury of disgust and loathing, and made a step towards

the door. But before she moved further--God bless her!--she said: "You

have fallen into the hands of a very horrid scoundrel, sir, but ..."

At that I managed to cry out: "Connie, dearest, don't you know me?"

I ought not to have been so sudden. I cursed myself for it. It was just

as if I had struck her down, for she reeled, and fell into the chair in

a swoon.

I myself was near to it. There was a rush as of cataracts, a sensation

of drowning. When I recovered, the maid, Wilson, was ministering to her

mistress; there was a sound of pouring liquid, though I could see

nothing, for Helzephron stood directly in front of me, watching what

went on.

"Look here, Helzephron," I said hoarsely. "This _can't_ go on. For God's

sake stop it! Get her away before she recovers and do what you like to

me." I thought desperately for something that would move him.

He turned round slowly. "Too late now," he said slowly. "You've got to

go through with it, both of you."

The malice had faded out of his eyes. He spoke dreamily: "There is no

other way...."

He moved away and leant against the wall at the side, looking down

moodily at Constance, who was coming to herself. Her eyes opened, and

Helzephron made an impatient gesture with his arm. The maid, Wilson,

vanished like a ghost. I could see that she, poor thing, went in

terrible fear.

I spoke out directly I thought Connie could understand. I was

desperately determined to have my say. It might be the last chance. To

my surprise, though I soon understood the reason, Helzephron did not

interrupt.

"Yes, it is I, Constance. I'm disguised; that is why you didn't know me.

Darling, it's going to be all right. Be brave a little longer!"

I saw comprehension dawn in her eyes, and then they blazed out into

love. "John! You've come at last. It's been weary waiting. But you are

tied up." Her voice changed. "You're in the power of this man, too!"

"For this moment I may be; but that is nothing. He is tracked down and

his hour has come. He knows it. I made a mistake and he captured me, but

outside the forces are converging, and for him the whole world is now

no wider than this little room."

Helzephron made no sign. From his great height he stared down at us like

a stone figure. I doubt if he either saw or heard.

"Tell me quickly--he has not ill-used you, he has not laid hands on you,

hurt you...."

A bitter laugh burst from her. "He has stolen me away from life and kept

me here a prisoner. But there has been food to eat, and the cage is

gilded with the proceeds of his thefts. He knows well enough that if he

dared to touch me I should kill myself. No power on earth and none of

his cunning precautions could prevent it, and that also he knows. Thank

God his time has come."

"Tell me everything, quickly. A lot depends on it." How could I explain

that he was going to kill me, that he could and would do so long before

there was any chance of help arriving?

"He has dared," she said, and I never knew that a woman's voice could be

so hard, "dared to offer me what he calls love. The word is hideous in

such a mouth. He has raved, threatened and implored me to--to marry

him--to fly away with him and be his wife."

She shuddered terribly and sank back in the chair, as if exhausted. I

racked my brains for words. What could I say or do? That she would kill

herself rather than yield an inch I was certain. But he could still

prolong her torture. The chances were that he would get away in his

marvellous ship for a time. On the other hand, it might well be that the

searching airships were in such force by now that even the Pirate Ship

could not escape. There would be a battle in the air. She would be shot

to pieces by our cruisers' heavy guns. And Connie would be on board....

What could I say?

Helzephron stood up from the wall. With slow movements he lit a

cigarette, but his hand was trembling as if in a palsy. He spoke to

Constance.

"You have already told me that you love Sir John Custance," he said. "I

heard that from your own lips two days ago. But 'love' means many

things. And you may well have said it to keep me at arm's length. Sir

John Custance is here now, and in my power. What of him and you?"

Connie looked at him for a moment without a word. There was not a trace

of fear in her eyes. "I will tell you," she said at length. "That man is

my man, and I am his woman from now until the end of time and for all

eternity. You cannot understand, I know. But if words have meaning, mine

are plain enough."

Helzephron suddenly threw away his cigarette and gave what seemed to be

a sigh of relief. The sound, the gesture, were startling. I could not

understand....

"Well," he said, "that is another, and the last, illusion gone. My life

has been a succession of lost illusions, I think. I loved you, and I

love you still, with all the force and power of a nature which, whatever

else it may be, is stronger than that of most men in this feeble world.

I would have given you a love so rich, abundant and wonderful that you

would have forgotten your passion for this man. Mine would have consumed

it utterly. And you would have responded. You think not, but I know

better. It would have been flame and flame, LOVE. Now I see that it is

indeed too late."

His tones were not raised; there was nothing particularly eloquent in

the actual words he spoke. But to me they tolled like a great bell--a

bell that tolls while the iron gates of hell are opening slowly....

"Yes, too late!" Connie said quickly. "And you see it now! It could

never have been. And now you will let us go! Oh, be quick! Untie John,

please do; it must be hurting him so!"

For the first and last time that night two tears rolled down my cheeks.

I suppose that for a brief space there had been some lingering nobility

in Helzephron's mind, some flicker of life in that dark soul. The man

had not always been under the dominion of evil.

But now I saw, without possibility of mistake, the final eclipse of

good. It was a visible thing, the last awful act in the terrible drama

of his life, and it took place before one's eyes like crystals

dissolving in a glass.

He looked steadfastly at Constance.

"Sir John can go," he said, "for all the debt of ill-will I owe him, he

can go from here unharmed. My dear girl, it rests entirely with you!"

She did not understand.

"Oh, then let him go now, at once."

"That man," he answered, "lives, or dies a peculiarly unpleasant death;

goes free, or is nothing but a heap of clothes in half an hour, as you

shall decide, Constance."

By the slow dilation of her eyes, I think she knew what he would say.

"It is like this," he went on. "If I cannot have Love, the real thing,

at least Fate has put it in my power to demand--and have!--the second

best, the semblance of it. The moment that you give me your solemn

promise to marry me, Sir John walks out on to the moor."

I gave Constance one swift, warning look. Would the man believe that

another was as base as he himself? Everything depended on that.

"You cannot do it, Constance," I said, with a careful tremor in my

voice, trying to suggest a slight dawn of hope, and again I sent her a

signal of caution.

Helzephron gave an almost imperceptible start, and a faint smile began

to play about his cruel lips.

The fish was rising.

"It would be a martyrdom," I went on. "What is my life worth--even to

the State"--I thought that was a clever touch--"in exchange for such a

sacrifice?"

Praise God for her quick wits! She saw that I was acting, and fell into

her part with supreme naturalness. A wail of pain came from her, and she

covered her face with her hands. "I cannot let you die," she cried. "Do

I not love you? Is not your life of supreme value?"

I spoke in a tone of hardly veiled eagerness: "But your own happiness,

what of that?"

Connie made a passionate gesture of renunciation. She turned to our

torturer. "Sir," she said, "have you no mercy, no compassion?"

"I have nothing but one overmastering need."

"Then leave us. Let me be alone with Sir John for a few minutes." She

beckoned to him and he came, leaning his head low.

"Go," she whispered. "I cannot persuade him while you are here. Leave us

alone and I will do my best."

The fool was wax in her hands. That one confidential whisper seemed to

have transformed him.

"Yes, I'll go," he said, but I heard every word. "I don't think our

friend will take much persuading! You may be glad to marry a _man_,

after all!"

He was half-way to the door when suspicion took hold of him. "How do I

know that you won't be up to some trick?" he snarled; "try to loose him

or something? Not that there would be any chance of escape if you did."

"I give you my word of honour," Connie answered, "or you can tie me up,

too. That would be the best way. Fasten me in this chair so that I can't

move."

Helzephron shook his head impatiently. Then the door banged and we were

alone.

I began to speak at once. There was no time to waste.

"Dearest love of my heart, it is good-bye. We have managed to snatch

these few moments for farewell."

Her face shone with love and courage as she smiled at me. "Is there no

way, darling?"

"None. This is the end. We have fooled that devil for a minute. When he

returns and finds out the end will come quickly. Now, listen...."

In a few sentences I told her exactly how matters stood, and of my

certainty that Helzephron's course was almost run. Nor did I disguise

from her that in any attack upon the Pirate Ship her own fate was sure.

"What does it matter? I should kill myself, anyhow, rather than submit

to one touch from him. I have the means ready. Oh, my love, I am prouder

of you at this moment than I ever was!"

How I rejoiced in her! Never for a single instant had she believed that

I would let her do this thing. It was not even spoken of between us. It

was worth while dying for love and trust like this!

"And you see, dear love," she went on, "it will not be long. We shall be

together again in a few hours, never to part any more...."

Very solemnly and quietly we said farewell. Neither of us was unhappy. A

great exaltation and peace consoled us, but the moment is too sacred for

description here.

I gave one last look at her serene and radiant face, striving to image

it upon my brain, so that it should be the last thing I saw, and then I

called for Helzephron with a strong voice.

From the first instant that he stepped into the room and saw our faces,

he knew the truth.

He was very quiet, but his eyes shone again with the dull red light that

you may sometimes see in a dog's eyes. One could almost have pitied him,

for he was as one who desired even one drop of living water to cool his

tongue and was tormented in a flame.

I was praying hard for one boon--that Constance should not see me die.

It seemed that my prayer was answered, for he led her roughly to the

curtained door and pushed her through.

He whistled, and Vargus came in through the other door. The movements of

both men were detached and business-like. I had the odd fancy that this

was exactly how the paid executioner goes about his work in the prisons.

Once more the cloth was tied over my head, the chair was lifted, and I

was carried away. The swinging motion lasted a long time. I must have

been taken a considerable distance from the room of my agony when the

chair was finally set down. I heard the plangent beating of waves and

felt cool airs. I was in the central cavern once more, and near to the

mouth of it. So that was it! They were going to throw me to the

whirlpools and the rocks below!...

I felt strong and slender fingers about my neck--Vargus the

pianist!--and shuddered at the contact. The cloth was removed. It was as

I thought: all round was the cathedral-like cave, but now dozens of

lights were turned on, including a great blue arc-lamp suspended from

the roof, and all the shadows and mystery were gone.

Not far away, resting upon rubber-covered wheels, which were dropped

below the floats by an adaptation of the Raynor-Wallis patent, was the

great Pirate Ship, towering up under the domed roof, spreading her great

planes from side to side, lovely in her lines, an awful instrument of

power. Even at that supreme moment I longed to examine her, to go aboard

and make acquaintance with the wonders she held.

The ruling passion of a man's life dies hard!