Read Online The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer - Free Book Online
Authors: Sax Rohmer
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective
Ads: Link
Sing, was chosen out, was enslaved by
those lovely mysterious eyes, was taking to his soul the lies which
fell from those perfect lips, triumphant in a conquest that must
end in his undoing; deeming, poor fool, that for love of him this
pearl of the Orient was about to betray her master, to resign
herself a prize to the victor!
Companioned by these bitter reflections, I had lost the
remainder of the conversation between Nayland Smith and the police
officer; now, casting off the succubus memory which threatened to
obsess me, I put forth a giant mental effort to purge my mind of
this uncleanness, and became again an active participant in the
campaign against the Master—the director of all things noxious.
Our plans being evidently complete, Smith seized my arm, and I
found myself again out upon the avenue. He led me across the road
and into the gate of a house almost opposite. From the fact that
two upper windows were illuminated, I adduced that the servants
were retiring; the other windows were in darkness, except for one
on the ground floor to the extreme left of the building, through
the lowered venetian blinds whereof streaks of light shone out.
"Slattin's study!" whispered Smith. "He does not anticipate
surveillance, and you will note that the window is wide open!"
With that my friend crossed the strip of lawn, and careless of
the fact that his silhouette must have been visible to any one
passing the gate, climbed carefully up the artificial rockery
intervening, and crouched upon the window-ledge peering into the
room.
A moment I hesitated, fearful that if I followed, I should
stumble or dislodge some of the larva blocks of which the rockery
was composed.
Then I heard that which summoned me to the attempt, whatever the
cost.
Through the open window came the sound of a musical voice—a
voice possessing a haunting accent, possessing a quality which
struck upon my heart and set it quivering as though it were a gong
hung in my bosom.
Karamaneh was speaking.
Upon hands and knees, heedless of damage to my garments, I
crawled up beside Smith. One of the laths was slightly displaced
and over this my friend was peering in. Crouching close beside him,
I peered in also.
I saw the study of a business man, with its files, neatly
arranged works of reference, roll-top desk, and Milner safe. Before
the desk, in a revolving chair, sat Slattin. He sat half turned
toward the window, leaning back and smiling; so that I could note
the gold crown which preserved the lower left molar. In an armchair
by the window, close, very close, and sitting with her back to me,
was Karamaneh!
She, who, in my dreams, I always saw, was ever seeing, in an
Eastern dress, with gold bands about her white ankles, with
jewel-laden fingers, with jewels in her hair, wore now a
fashionable costume and a hat that could only have been produced in
Paris. Karamaneh was the one Oriental woman I had ever known who
could wear European clothes; and as I watched that exquisite
profile, I thought that Delilah must have been just such another as
this, that, excepting the Empress Poppaea, history has record of no
woman, who, looking so innocent, was yet so utterly vile.
"Yes, my dear," Slattin was saying, and through his monocle
ogling his beautiful visitor, "I shall be ready for you to-morrow
night."
I felt Smith start at the words.
"There will be a sufficient number of men?"
Karamaneh put the question in a strangely listless way.
"My dear little girl," replied Slattin, rising and standing
looking down at her, with his gold tooth twinkling in the
lamplight, "there will be a whole division, if a whole division is
necessary."
He sought to take her white gloved hand, which rested upon the
chair arm; but she evaded the attempt with seeming artlessness, and
stood up. Slattin fixed his bold gaze upon her.
"So now, give me my orders," he said.
"I am not prepared to do so, yet," replied the girl, composedly;
"but now that I know you are ready, I can make my
those lovely mysterious eyes, was taking to his soul the lies which
fell from those perfect lips, triumphant in a conquest that must
end in his undoing; deeming, poor fool, that for love of him this
pearl of the Orient was about to betray her master, to resign
herself a prize to the victor!
Companioned by these bitter reflections, I had lost the
remainder of the conversation between Nayland Smith and the police
officer; now, casting off the succubus memory which threatened to
obsess me, I put forth a giant mental effort to purge my mind of
this uncleanness, and became again an active participant in the
campaign against the Master—the director of all things noxious.
Our plans being evidently complete, Smith seized my arm, and I
found myself again out upon the avenue. He led me across the road
and into the gate of a house almost opposite. From the fact that
two upper windows were illuminated, I adduced that the servants
were retiring; the other windows were in darkness, except for one
on the ground floor to the extreme left of the building, through
the lowered venetian blinds whereof streaks of light shone out.
"Slattin's study!" whispered Smith. "He does not anticipate
surveillance, and you will note that the window is wide open!"
With that my friend crossed the strip of lawn, and careless of
the fact that his silhouette must have been visible to any one
passing the gate, climbed carefully up the artificial rockery
intervening, and crouched upon the window-ledge peering into the
room.
A moment I hesitated, fearful that if I followed, I should
stumble or dislodge some of the larva blocks of which the rockery
was composed.
Then I heard that which summoned me to the attempt, whatever the
cost.
Through the open window came the sound of a musical voice—a
voice possessing a haunting accent, possessing a quality which
struck upon my heart and set it quivering as though it were a gong
hung in my bosom.
Karamaneh was speaking.
Upon hands and knees, heedless of damage to my garments, I
crawled up beside Smith. One of the laths was slightly displaced
and over this my friend was peering in. Crouching close beside him,
I peered in also.
I saw the study of a business man, with its files, neatly
arranged works of reference, roll-top desk, and Milner safe. Before
the desk, in a revolving chair, sat Slattin. He sat half turned
toward the window, leaning back and smiling; so that I could note
the gold crown which preserved the lower left molar. In an armchair
by the window, close, very close, and sitting with her back to me,
was Karamaneh!
She, who, in my dreams, I always saw, was ever seeing, in an
Eastern dress, with gold bands about her white ankles, with
jewel-laden fingers, with jewels in her hair, wore now a
fashionable costume and a hat that could only have been produced in
Paris. Karamaneh was the one Oriental woman I had ever known who
could wear European clothes; and as I watched that exquisite
profile, I thought that Delilah must have been just such another as
this, that, excepting the Empress Poppaea, history has record of no
woman, who, looking so innocent, was yet so utterly vile.
"Yes, my dear," Slattin was saying, and through his monocle
ogling his beautiful visitor, "I shall be ready for you to-morrow
night."
I felt Smith start at the words.
"There will be a sufficient number of men?"
Karamaneh put the question in a strangely listless way.
"My dear little girl," replied Slattin, rising and standing
looking down at her, with his gold tooth twinkling in the
lamplight, "there will be a whole division, if a whole division is
necessary."
He sought to take her white gloved hand, which rested upon the
chair arm; but she evaded the attempt with seeming artlessness, and
stood up. Slattin fixed his bold gaze upon her.
"So now, give me my orders," he said.
"I am not prepared to do so, yet," replied the girl, composedly;
"but now that I know you are ready, I can make my
Similar Books
