. The voice in the rice . win-dow, but turned away with an Nairns shrill laugh kept on ring-^ing in the room like a condition of itsheavily-perfumed atmosphere. I faced him as he sat in his greatchair and looked him over. Presentlyhe stopped laughing and returned myglance, composedly, with his cold, paleeyes. Where is she? I asked arid ap-proached him by a step, shaking myarms free in their sleeves. Well, said he, since everybodyseems banded against me, shes in thishouse somewhere. I remembered now that I had a re-volver in my hip pocket and I drew it. Exactly where? I asked. Getout
. The voice in the rice . win-dow, but turned away with an Nairns shrill laugh kept on ring-^ing in the room like a condition of itsheavily-perfumed atmosphere. I faced him as he sat in his greatchair and looked him over. Presentlyhe stopped laughing and returned myglance, composedly, with his cold, paleeyes. Where is she? I asked arid ap-proached him by a step, shaking myarms free in their sleeves. Well, said he, since everybodyseems banded against me, shes in thishouse somewhere. I remembered now that I had a re-volver in my hip pocket and I drew it. Exactly where? I asked. Getout of that chair of yours—I know howgood you are on your feet—and leadme to her. He did not answer. His lips closedInto their mocking cupids bow, at onceso babylike and so sinister in the midstof that vast, pale face. How huge helooked! Even sitting he was taller thanmany a man standing. We shall have nothing to fear fromyour niggers, said I, when you aredead. That will be when I have counted[iSi] THE VOICE IN THE RICE. i( fi? . three—if you do not take me to Moore. -cjj Let me return you your signature,^he said, since it means nothing. He^reached for an inner pocket. Stop, I said sharply, no moretricks. I heard Sir Peters voice. I have him covered, too, he said. Well, said Lord Nairn, and hesmiled now, your passion seems gen-uine, after all. Since you and MaryMoore are intended obviously for eachother you shall go to her. He yawnedand raised his hands above his headin a kind of stretch. It must have beena signal to a confederate, for I can besure that Lord Nairn had no otherfinger in the mechanics of what fol-lowed. The floor upon which I wasstanding fell and I fell with it—intodarkness. My left foot struck, ringing upon afloor of pavement or cement, but myright heel crushed something soft andunclean that crunched and crackled. The trap-door which had dropped meinto Lord Nairns cellars closed backinto place with sharp, steely sounds andI was in pitch darkness. I c
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1910
