trying to eat some breakfast, with but one desire—to escape from those appealing eyes.
Once I was on the point of telling her all, but I smothered the impulse. Of what use to tell her ? She would not understand even if she believed, and she could not help me; it was but adding to her misery. No, I must fight it out by myself.
She never alluded to the night before; she hardly spoke a word, except to give an order to the Chinese boy. She only sat there watching me, with a sadness in her eyes that wrung my heart. Oh, my sweet, dainty Ethel, could you but have guessed what I suffered then—What I suffered for your sake as well as for my own, and for that little one yet unborn !
The Chinese boy, gliding silently round the table, guessed there was something amiss, for I caught him several times looking curiously from one to the other, as though trying to read in our faces the nature of the quarrel. Ethel, with quick decision, had sent him away the night before, as soon as she grasped the true state of affairs, so he could have had no clue from which to draw inferences.
As I drew on my coat before setting out, I looked over my shoulder, to see Ethel's eyes still following me with a passion of entreaty in their blue depths that spoke to me more plainly than the most fervent torrent of words could have done.
I walked down to the newspaper office with bitter rebellion in my heart against life and the inscrutable power that orders things here below, and permits such black villainy to go unchecked. I was totally unfit for work. I was completely unmanned and trembling like a scared hare, and ever in the midst of my efforts to fix my thoughts on my work, I caught myself looking forward with dread to the time when I should have to quit the shelter of the office and go—where ? But I reached home in safety, and the next day passed without event.
The next was Sunday, and the blessed calm of that day stole over my spirits and I began to breathe freely again. Thank God, my fears had been groundless! I had lived through three days without feeling that terrible power, and in my relief I told myself that the dreadful phantom had gone. The effort had proved too much for him, and he had abandoned the attempt. Had I gone into that den of his on one of those evenings, perhaps I should have found him weak and helpless as I had seen him on that first evening in Range Road.
Still Ethel never alluded to that Thursday night, nor did I tell her a word of what had occurred. Now that I was myself again and free from the horror there was less reason than ever that I should tell her.
So I left her to think it was a sudden impulse of weakness to which I had yielded, tempted perhaps by some friends, and which I had promptly conquered as soon as I had realised my folly.
Monday came, and after a hard day's work I left the office and started for home.
Oh, my God! my God! 1 cannot write down the details of that night of horror. I had not taken twenty steps from the office door before I felt myself gripped by the force. Gripped and dragged ruthlessly along through the busy Shanghai streets as if I was being carried, feebly struggling, in the arms of a puissant giant.
He was standing in the surgery, very much as he had been before, but by the side of the bottle stood a decanter.
He smiled and nodded to me as I pushed open the door and crept submissively to the chair.
" Ah," he said, " back again! Well, I am pleased to see you."
He turned to the cabinet, picking up the bottle and holding it up to the light, his head on one side.
" I am delighted at the compliment you pay my poor selection of spirits in coming back for some more. I think you will find this rather superior to the other."
He raised the decanter and poured out a glassful.
" I got this especially for you, knowing your fondness for the stuff. It is the very best liqueur brandy; strong, too. It cost—let me see, what did it cost ? Well, well, no matter, I think I can afford it."
He
Once I was on the point of telling her all, but I smothered the impulse. Of what use to tell her ? She would not understand even if she believed, and she could not help me; it was but adding to her misery. No, I must fight it out by myself.
She never alluded to the night before; she hardly spoke a word, except to give an order to the Chinese boy. She only sat there watching me, with a sadness in her eyes that wrung my heart. Oh, my sweet, dainty Ethel, could you but have guessed what I suffered then—What I suffered for your sake as well as for my own, and for that little one yet unborn !
The Chinese boy, gliding silently round the table, guessed there was something amiss, for I caught him several times looking curiously from one to the other, as though trying to read in our faces the nature of the quarrel. Ethel, with quick decision, had sent him away the night before, as soon as she grasped the true state of affairs, so he could have had no clue from which to draw inferences.
As I drew on my coat before setting out, I looked over my shoulder, to see Ethel's eyes still following me with a passion of entreaty in their blue depths that spoke to me more plainly than the most fervent torrent of words could have done.
I walked down to the newspaper office with bitter rebellion in my heart against life and the inscrutable power that orders things here below, and permits such black villainy to go unchecked. I was totally unfit for work. I was completely unmanned and trembling like a scared hare, and ever in the midst of my efforts to fix my thoughts on my work, I caught myself looking forward with dread to the time when I should have to quit the shelter of the office and go—where ? But I reached home in safety, and the next day passed without event.
The next was Sunday, and the blessed calm of that day stole over my spirits and I began to breathe freely again. Thank God, my fears had been groundless! I had lived through three days without feeling that terrible power, and in my relief I told myself that the dreadful phantom had gone. The effort had proved too much for him, and he had abandoned the attempt. Had I gone into that den of his on one of those evenings, perhaps I should have found him weak and helpless as I had seen him on that first evening in Range Road.
Still Ethel never alluded to that Thursday night, nor did I tell her a word of what had occurred. Now that I was myself again and free from the horror there was less reason than ever that I should tell her.
So I left her to think it was a sudden impulse of weakness to which I had yielded, tempted perhaps by some friends, and which I had promptly conquered as soon as I had realised my folly.
Monday came, and after a hard day's work I left the office and started for home.
Oh, my God! my God! 1 cannot write down the details of that night of horror. I had not taken twenty steps from the office door before I felt myself gripped by the force. Gripped and dragged ruthlessly along through the busy Shanghai streets as if I was being carried, feebly struggling, in the arms of a puissant giant.
He was standing in the surgery, very much as he had been before, but by the side of the bottle stood a decanter.
He smiled and nodded to me as I pushed open the door and crept submissively to the chair.
" Ah," he said, " back again! Well, I am pleased to see you."
He turned to the cabinet, picking up the bottle and holding it up to the light, his head on one side.
" I am delighted at the compliment you pay my poor selection of spirits in coming back for some more. I think you will find this rather superior to the other."
He raised the decanter and poured out a glassful.
" I got this especially for you, knowing your fondness for the stuff. It is the very best liqueur brandy; strong, too. It cost—let me see, what did it cost ? Well, well, no matter, I think I can afford it."
He
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