"Johnny, who is Olga?" The question was irrepressible. Perhaps it was

the last shred of caution binding her. All of him or none of him. There

must be no other woman intervening.

Hawksley stiffened in his chair. His hands closed convulsively and his

eyes lost their brightness. "Johnny?" Kitty ran round the tea cart.

"What is it?" She knelt beside the chair, alarmed, for the horror had

returned to his face. "What did they do to you back there?" She clasped

one of his hands tensely in hers.

"In my dreams at night!" he said, staring into space. "I could run away

from my pursuers, but I could not run away from my dreams! Torches and

hobnailed boots!... They trampled on her; and I, up there in the gallery

with those damned emeralds in my hands! Ah, if I hadn't gone for them,

if I hadn't thought of the extra comforts their sale would bring! There

would have been time then, Kitty. I had all the other jewels in the

pouch. Horses were ready for us to flee on, loyal servants ready to help

us; but I thought of the drums. A few more worldly comforts--with hell

forcing in the doors!

"I didn't tell her where I was going. When I came back it was to see

her die! They saw me, and yelled. I ran away. I hadn't the courage to

go down there and die with her! She thought I was in that hell pit. She

went down there to die with me and died horribly, alone! Ah, if I could

only shut it out, forget! Olga, my tender young sister, Kitty, the last

one of my race I could love. And I ran away like a yellow dog, like a

yellow dog! I don't know where her grave is, and I could not seek it if

I did! I dared not write Stefani; tell him I had seen Olga go down under

Karlov's heels, and then ran away!... Day by day to feel those stones

against my heart!"

Nothing is more terrible to a woman than the sight of a brave man

weeping. For she knew that he was brave. The sudden recollection of

the emeralds; a little more comfort for himself and sister if they were

permitted to escape. Not a cowardly instinct, not even a greedy one; a

normal desire to fortify them additionally against an unknown future,

and he had surrendered to it impulsively, without explaining to Olga

where he was going.

"Johnny, Johnny, you mustn't!" She sprang up, seizing his head and

wildly kissing him. "You mustn't! God understands, and Olga. Oh, you

mustn't sob like that! You are tearing my heart to pieces!"




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024