"Where am I? Has he gone?" Her face was dropped in her hands. "If
he just would kill me and end it--end it!"
"Who hurt you?" Selwyn's voice was the quiet one that was ever his
when something was to be done, and, leaning over her, he took the
girl by the arm and lifted her to her feet. "Can you tell what has
happened?" He looked at Mrs. Mundy. "It's too cold out here for her
to stand--she's pretty faint still."
"Bring her over to me." Mrs. Mundy put her coat around the shivering
girl, and, slipping her hand through one arm, motioned Selwyn to take
hold of the other. "Run ahead," she nodded to me, "and fix up a dose
of that aromatic spirits of ammonia what's on the second shelf of the
closet in my bedroom. And pull the couch up to the fire."
Dazedly, and dragging her feet as if they were powerless to move, the
girl entered the warm and cheerful room, but at her entrance
understanding seemed to give her strength. With a shuddering,
shivering, indrawing breath she drew back and leaned against the
door-frame.
"I must go. I--I can't come in there. I'm better now. I must go."
"You can't go." Selwyn's voice was decisive. "You'll be all right
presently, but you'll have to--to rest, first." Firmly she was led
to the couch and pushed upon it. Taking the medicine from my hands,
he held it to her lips. "Take this."
Hesitating, partly defiant, partly afraid, the girl raised her eyes
to his. Then, with hand that shook badly, she took the glass and
drank part of its contents, the rest was spilled in her lap.
"If it were prussic acid I'd be glad to drink it." The voice was
bitter, and again the eyes, pale yet burning, were raised to his, and
in them was what seemed frightened but guarded recognition. Quickly
she dropped them and glanced around the room, as though looking for
escape, and again her hands made convulsive pressure, again she
started to get up.
"I must go. I tell you, I must. I--I can't stay here."
"Very well." Mrs. Mundy looked toward Selwyn and away from me.
"When you're steady you can go. Mr. Thorne will telephone for a cab
and I will take you--home."
"Oh no!" The girl's face became the pallor that frightens, and on
either side of her a hand was dug in the couch on which she was
sitting. "I'm all right now. I don't want a cab. I just want to
go, and by myself. Please let me go!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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