Still in a blazing temper, she disrobed and sat down to calm herself
and to wait for her husband. A half-hour passed, then another; at last
she sent a maid in quest of him, but the report she received was not
reassuring; Bob was scarcely in a condition to come to his room.
Lorelei's lips were white as she dismissed the servant.
By and by the music ceased. She heard people passing in the hall, and
distinguished Betty Fennell's voice bidding good night to some one.
Still she waited.
Heavy with resentment, sick from disillusionment, she finally crept
into bed, leaving one electric candle burning upon her dressing-table.
Although she knew she could not sleep, she determined to postpone a
scene with Bob by feigning slumber.
When the door opened with a cautious hand she closed her eyes and lay
still. She heard Bob turn the key and tiptoe toward her, but even when
he stood over her and she caught the odor of his garments she did not
lift her lids. A moment passed, then some sixth sense gave her warning,
and her eyes flew open.
Hayman was standing at the bedside, peering down at her. He extended a
cautious hand, saying: "Don't make a fuss. Everything is all--"
Lorelei spoke sharply, but with a restraint that surprised her. "What
are you doing here?"
"What am I--? Why, nothing especial. Had to tell you good night, you
know." He laughed guardedly, nervously. She saw that he was
considerably drunker than when she had escaped from his attentions, but
evidently he knew quite well what he was about.
"Kindly get out, and close the door after you," she directed, still
without raising her voice.
"The door's closed--and locked," he snickered. Lorelei sat up with eyes
blazing. "Oh, don't worry about Bob," muttered Hayman, reassuringly.
"Bob's good for two hours yet--I've seen to that--and he couldn't find
his way up-stairs, anyhow. Say! I want to talk to you. You've got me
going, Lorelei."
"You've been drinking, Mr. Hayman. I'm willing to think that you made a
mistake in the room if you go at once."
The intruder took no warning from her crisp tones nor from the fact
that her twilight eyes were as dark as a midnight sky. On the contrary,
he suddenly bent low over her, his odorous breath beating into her
face, his arms reaching for her.
With the lithe alertness of a leopard she evaded him; the next instant
the bed was between them and she had whipped a negligee about her. For
an instant they faced each other; then she pointed a quivering arm,
gasping in a voice that sounded strange and throaty to her ears:
"Get out! Get out! You--beast!"
Hayman was unused to opposition. He had engineered this moment
carefully; a galling anger rose to meet hers as he felt his labors
wasted.
"Don't get flighty," he growled. "You knew I'd come, didn't you? Why'd
you leave your door unlocked if you didn't expect me?"
Lorelei stepped to her dressing-table and pressed the pearl
push-button, holding her finger upon it and staring at Hayman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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