Abduction -- Fiction; Americans -- Europe -- Fiction; Love stories
Ugo's first thought after the fall of Kapolski was to prevent his
opponent from leaving the room alive, but common sense came to his
relief a second later, and he saw the folly of taking a stand
against the victor. He rushed to Kapolski's side and helped to
support the moaning man's body. The surgeon was there an instant
later, and Dickey, as white as a ghost, started mechanically toward
the fallen foe. Ouentin stood like a man of stone, stunned by relief
and surprise. One glance at the bloody, lacerated face and the
rolling eyes caused Savage to flee as if pursued by devils.
For hours Quentin and Turk sought to comfort and to quiet him; the
millionaire, who refused to desert them, sat up all night to manage
the information bureau, as he called it. He personally inquired at
Ugo's rooms, and always brought back reassuring news, which Quentin
doubted and Dickey utterly disbelieved At four o'clock Prince Ugo
himself, with Duke Laselli, came to Quentin's rooms with the word
that Kapolski was to be taken to a hospital, and that Dr. Gassbeck
pronounced his chance for recovery excellent. The prince assured Mr.
Savage that secrecy would be preserved, but advised him to leave
Brussels at the earliest possible moment. Kapolski's death, if it
came, would command an investigation, and it would be better if he
were where the law could not find him.
Quentin with difficulty restrained from openly accusing the prince
of duplicity. Afterthought told him how impotent his accusation
would have been, for how could he prove that the Russian was acting
as an agent?
Just before daylight Turk saw them take Prince Kapolski from the
hotel in an ambulance, and, considering it his duty, promptly
followed in a cab. The destination of the ambulance was the side
street entrance to one of the big hospitals in the upper part of the
town, and the men who accompanied the prince were strangers to the
little observer. Prince Ugo was not of the party, nor were Laselli
and Sallaconi. On his return to the Bellevue he had a fresh task on
his hands. He was obliged to carry a man from Quentin's apartments
and put him to bed in the millionaire's room, farther down the hall.
The millionaire--for it was he--slept all day and had a headache
until the thirtieth of the month. Turk put him to bed on the
twenty-seventh.
During the forenoon Prince Ugo and Count Sallaconi called at
Quentin's rooms. They found that gentleman and Mr. Savage dressed
and ready for the street.
“Good morning,” said Dickey, pleasantly, for the two Americans had
determined to suppress, for diplomatic reasons, any show of
hostility toward the Italians. The visitors may not have exposed
their true feelings, but they were very much astounded and not a
little shocked to find the duelist and his friend in the best of
spirits.
“And how did you sleep?” asked Ugo, after he had expressed his
sorrow over the little unpleasantry of the night before, deploring
the tragic ending to the night of pleasure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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