Evening star., 1925-03-24
Jane stuck her chin in the air.


| white rabbit
James voice failed suddenly on the
| last word. Yet Mr.. Ember had not
| looked at her again. Her eyes went
past her to Belcovitch, and it was to
Belcovitch that he spoke.
| NO, not yet" he said, but If she
| speaks again you can shoot
A long, slow shudder swept Jane.
She leaned against the wall and was
silent, and she shut her eyes because
she could not bear to see Henrys face.
Ember turned back to Raymond.
I'm sorry to hurry you" His voice
| was low and confidential What 1
| have to offer, you know 1t is yours
| Tor the taking. Please don't make
| any mistake. I have to change my
oase, IL is true-Ii have even to change
| it with some haste--but neither that
nor anything else can now affect
my purpose and it's achievement
What offered is, without any shadow
or uncertainty. mine to offer and
yours to take, II you will
| If you will, Raymond?"
| Raymond's so1nber gaze dwelt on
him as he spoke. The whole scene
aHected her as one is affected by
| something which is taking place Mt
great distance. She did not seem
able to adjust her mental focus to II.
Her mind seemed to be divided into
two parts. One of them was entirely
and unreasonably preoccupied with
the relationship between Jane and
Henry, and the reason why Henry
! should have addressed Renata Mouoy
! as Jane These thoughts seemed to
| circle as continuously, and with as
little aim. as goldfish in a glass bowl.
me other part of her mind was
| Der had been her friend When he
said. viii you, Raymond?" she did
not speak. She looked at him in
| silence, and presently made a. slow
gesture of refusal.
Ember came a step nearer
L told you" he said. that l was
In dead earnest. Perhaps you don't
realze Just what mean by that. I've
played for a high stake, and I mean
to have what I've played for or
nothing. I've played for you, and If
He broke off. Let me put
1T this way. Either we make the
future together or there's no future
Tor either Of us. I'm speaking quite
soberly when l tell you this. Think
wei before you answer, but don't be
too long. II there is to be no future
~. pieScHt Will end mere and now.
Ih1s place is mined, and il press
that unobtrusive knob, which Won
may notice above the safe, the end
|. VIII be quite q dramatic one. have
always had some such contingency
IN view and this makes as good a
stepping-off place as any other.
1hhk before you refuse. Raymond
She shook her head again. Her ewes
never left his face. Ember made an
impatient gesture.
are your friends going to thank
you? he said. You are taking the
heroic pose. and forgive me IL I saw
that It's a little unworthy of you.
expected something less obvious
rake my offer, and / guarantee ID
leave Capt March and Miss MoI,oy
here unharmed
Ian any woman resist sacrificing her
| mond?"
Lady Heritage spoke for the frs,
time: iiS'
suppose that must be fool be-
cause j trusted you I ain
trust you. Jeffrey bur don't
know what you have ever seen in me
10 make you suppose that I am such
a 1901 as to trust you again
now"
Her words and her voice caused
H.
cult TO define as to describe. IT is hes,
realzeo by it's effect upon those pres
| eht' Some impression of shock was
received In varying degree by them
all. Henry March had, perhaps. the
most vivid sense of it. In Belcoyitcb
| it bred panic.
" mist Ember was speaking the
hand that held the revolver to James
| temple had become more and more
uns.eaoy: The muzzle knocked cold
against her cheek bone and jabbed
against her ear. Jane wondered
when the thing would go off. So. IL
Is TO be imagined, did Henry, for he
was gray about the mouth and his
forehead was wet
Ember did not speak for a moment
Then he said:
Touche. in a queer, bitter voice
Beicovitch began to mutter in an
undertone that gradually became
louder. His hand shook more and
more.
"Sur1 Raymond" said Jeffrey EN-
Der. Quite, quite sure?'
lie came up quite close and laid
his right hand lightly on her shoul-
der. 1t was the first time that he had
touched her
She said just the one word, Yes"
For moment his hand closed hard
upon her. Then he sprang back with
laugh.
AN right, then we go up together
And, as he spoke, he made for the
corner where a little vulcanite knob
showed above the steel safe
With a sort of howl Belcovitch
whiried to meet him. They crashed
together and grappled, Ember silent,
Belcovitch torrential in imprecation
ana hghting as man frenzied with
terror does fight His revolver
dropped from his hand, and Ember
stumbled over it.
Like a flash Henry had Raymond
by the arm, whilst his eyes COM
manded Jane and he pointed to the
passage that led out of the labora-
tory on the extreme right 1t was
the one that Jane had explored first
and as she ran into it she remem-
bered that it ended in a small cham
ber full of packing cases. In a pant
ing whisper she said:
TITS full of boxes
Then we must. shift them" said
Henry, and, cropping in the almost
dark, he began to pull the cases
away from the right-hand wall.
"A light-he can't find the spring
without a light"
Raymond heard her own voice say
ing this, and then she ran back down
the passage and into the laboratory.
Belcoyitch had put his torch down
on the bench from which Jane had
taken the lists. Its exact position
was. as 1T were. photographed on
Raymonds consciousness She reach
ed, snatched it, and was back again
in the least possible space of time.
AS she came, she saw Ember and
Belcovitch swaying, struggling-hor-
ribly near the corner And as she
went she had an impression of Bel
covitch falling and, as he fell. drag
gfng Ember down with desperate.