Within the Maze: A Novel, Vol. 2 (of 2)Wood, Henry, Mrs.
General
Within the Maze: A Novel, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Wood, Henry, Mrs.
English fiction -- 19th century
A conviction, that it must be so, took possession of him; and in the
first flush of it the relief was inexpressibly great. But he
remembered again the midnight watcher of the Maze and the morning
visit following it; and his hopes fell back to zero. That this was the
same man who had watched there could remain no doubt whatever.
Passing into his own room, Karl sat down and strove to think the
matter out. He could arrive at no certain conclusion. One minute he
felt sure the object was his brother; the next, that it was only
Salter.
But, in any case, allowing that it was Salter, there must be danger to
Adam. If this cunning London detective were to get into the Maze
premises again and _see_ the prisoner there, all would be over. The
probability was, that he was personally acquainted with the noted
criminal Adam Andinnian: and it might be, that he had gained a
suspicion that Adam Andinnian was alive.
One thing Karl could not conceal from himself--and it brought to him a
rush of remorse. If the detective had come down after Salter, he--he,
Karl--must have been the means of bringing him there.
But for that unpleasant consciousness he would have gone straight off
to Smith the agent, and told him of the trouble that was threatening
Adam, and said, "What shall we do in it; how screen him?" But he did
not dare. He did not dare to make a move or stir a step that might
bring Smith and the detective in contact. He could not quite
understand why, if Smith were really Salter, the detective had not
already pounced upon him: but he thought it quite likely that Smith
might be keeping himself out of sight. In short, the thoughts and
surmises that crossed and recrossed Karl's brain, some probable
enough, others quite improbable, were legion. Not for the world, if he
could help it, would he aid--further than he had perhaps unhappily
aided--in denouncing Salter; and knowing what he had done, he could
not face the man. He had never intended to harm him.
So there Karl was, overwhelmed with this new perplexity, and not able
to stir in it. He saw not what he could do. To address the detective
himself, and say whom are you after, would be worse than folly; of all
people he, Karl Andinnian, must keep aloof from him. It might be that
there was only a _suspicion_ about Adam's being alive, that they were
trying to find out whether it was so or not. For him, Karl, to
interfere or show interest, would help it on.
But this suspense was well nigh intolerable. Karl could not live under
it. Something he must do. If only he could set the question at rest,
as to which of the two criminals the detective was after, it would be
a good deal gained. And he could only do that by applying to Mr.
Burtenshaw. It was not sure that he would, but there was a chance that
he might.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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