The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-08-16

You hate me more
than everything"
II hate you more than love my
son"
You lie, you lie!" he snarled.
You lie! Nothing comes above your
son!"
Yes, my hatred for YOU"
All VerOnique's passion OF revolt,
all the detestation which she had sue
ceeded In restraining now burst
forth; and, Indifferent TO what might
come of IL, she flung the words OF
hatred full In his face:
81 hate you! 1 hate you! ! would
/ have my son die before my eyes, l
would witness his agony, anything
] rather than the horror of your sight
ind presence. / hate You! You killed
my father! You are an unclean muir
derer, a halrlwitted, savage idiot
criminal lunatic l hate you'll"
3 lie lifted her with an effort car
! ricd her to the window and threw her
ON the ground, spluttering:
"On your knees! On your knees!
The punishment is begAning. You
would soon at me, you hussN would
your Well, you shall see!"
He forced her to her knees and
then, pushing her against the lower
wall and opening the window, he
fastened her head to the rail OF the
balcony by means OF a cord round
her neck and under her arms. He
ended by gagging her with scarf.
"And now look" he cried. The
curtains going UP! Boy Francois
doing his exercises! Oh, you
hate me, do you? Oh, you would
rather have hell than a kiss from
Vorski? Well, my darling. you shall
have hell; and I'm arranging a lit
tie performance for you, one OF my
own composing and highly original
one at that! Also, | may tell
you. it's too late now to change your
mind. The things irrevocable. You
may beg and eEtreat' for mercy as
much as you like; it's too late! The
duel, followed by the cross; that
the ,programme Say your prayers,
Veronique, and call on Heaven. Shout
for assistance IL II amuSes you. .
Listen, [ know that your brat Is eX-
pecting a rescuer, professor OF
clap-trap, q Don QuiXotC Of adven-
ture Let him come! The more the
merrierh We shall see some fun!
And, If the very gods join In
the game and takc up your defense,
l shan't care! It's no longer their
business, it's my business. It's no
j longer "a question OF Sarek and the
treasure and the great secret and all
the humbug of the God stone! It's a
question of yourself! You have spdl
in Vorsli's face and Vorski is tallns
his revenge. He is taking his re-
venge! 1t is the glorious hour. Whai
exquisite Joy! Io DO eViI as
others do good, lavishly ana pro-
fusely! To do evil! To kill, torture,
break, ruin and destroy! on!
the fierce delight of being a Vorsld! =
He stamped across the room, strik-
ing the floor at each step and hus-
thing the furniture. His haggard eyes
roamed in all directions. he would
have liked to begin his work of de-
struction at once, strangling some
victim, giving work to his greedy
fingers, executing the incoherent
orders Of his insane Imagination.
Suddenly. he drew u revolver and
brutishly, stupidity, fired bullets into
the mirrors, the pictures, and win
dow panes.
And, still gesticulating, still caper-
inp, about, an ominous and sinister
figure, he opened the door, believing:
'Vorskfs having his revenge!
Vonskis having nus revenge!
Twenty or thirty minutes elapsed
VSronique was stiH alone. The
cords cut into her flesh, and the
rails of the balcony bruised her fore
head. The gag choked her. He
knees, bent in two and doubled VI
beneath her, carr. ed the whole weigh
| OF her body. II was an intolerabl'
position. an unceasing torture
Still, though she suffered, she was no
very clearly aware Of :, 1t. She wa!
unconscious of her physical suffering
and she had already undergone sucl
mental suffering that this supreme
ordeal did not awaken her browsing
senses.
She hardly thought Sometimes sh,
said to herself that she was about t
, die; and she already felt the rcpos
OF the after-life, as one sometimes
! amidst storm, feels in advance tn
wide peace of the harbor Hideou
things were sure to happen between
the present moment and the conclu
SION which would set her free; but he
brain refused to dwell on them; an,
her sons fate in particular Gillette,
Q only momentary thoughts, which wer
i, Immediately dispersed.
At heart, as there was nothing L
y enlighten her as to her frame OF mind
L she was hoping for a miracle. Woul,
}. the miracle occur In Norskl? Inca
= pable or generosity though he wa
?. would not the monster hesitate non
the less in the presence Of an utterl
q unnecessary crime? A father doe
not kill his son, or at least the aC
must be brought about by imperativ
y reasons: and NorshN had no such rea
70 sons to. allege against a mere chill
e whomohe did not know and whom h
could not hate except with AN artifi
cial hatred.
Her torpor was lulled by this hop
g CT q miracle. All the sounds whc
re- Echoed through the house, sound
e % discussions, sounds of hurryin
d footsteps, seemed to her to lndicat
= not so much the preparations for tn
, events foretcld as the sign OF inter
luptions which would ruin all Vorski
o plans.s Had not her dear Francoi
said that nothing could any longe
J separate them from each other an
that, at the moment when everythin
might seem lost and even when every
thing would be really lost, they mus
: keep their faith intact?
My Francois" she repeated, IN
darling Francois, you shall not di,
- we shall see each other agai
U you promised mel"
Out of doors, n blue sky, fleCke
1 with a few menacing clouds, hun
outspread above the tall oaks. ]
front OF her. beyond that same win
d dow at which her father had appeare
h. 10 her, In the middle OF the gras