Brent Rock was brilliantly lighted against Locke's coming. At the foot
of the great stairway a group of excited servants had gathered, as if
for mutual protection.
"Not another day will I stay in this house," quavered the cook. "What
with crazy laughing and the other carryings-on, I'm fair distracted."
"Take shame to yerself, Mary Dolan, for yer gab of quittin', with the
master and Miss Eva in sore trouble," answered the second girl. "But as
you say," she continued, shaking her head, "it's a gloomy old place, and
if it wasn't for Miss Eva I'd not be long in going myself."
"'Ave you no loyalty?" asked the butler, turning on them both.
"Hould yer jaw, Johnny Bull," threatened the cook. "Indade no foreigner
can tell Mary Dolan her duty."
So they wrangled back and forth, and the underlying cause of all the
discord was the old one--fear.
Nor was Eva exempt from its baneful influence. She was here, there,
everywhere, allaying one servant's apprehension, commanding another to
perform some task in order to occupy that servant's mind--but, for
herself, she knew that the strain would not lessen until Locke arrived.
She ran up-stairs and to a window from which she could obtain a better
view of the drive along which he must come.
In a very short time, which, nevertheless, seemed an age to her, Eva was
rewarded, and she fairly flew down the stairs, out of the house, and far
down the drive. Locke's taxi stopped, he leaped out, and, regardless of
the chauffeur, took Eva's hand.
"Tell me quickly what has happened?" he inquired.
From a distance Dora was a witness, exulting.
"Paul stands a swell chance with her," she sneered.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're here," confided Eva, letting down just a bit of
her restraint as, like a frightened child, she told of what she had
learned about the disappearance of Flint.
Locke dismissed the driver, and together they walked slowly toward the
house.
Not only Eva, but the entire household was relieved by Locke's presence.
The cook rushed forward and, with a "God bless you, sir!" would have
embraced him had he not stepped aside. Even the dignified old family
butler tried to take his hand, an unheard-of liberty on his part. For,
unknowingly, all had come suddenly to rely upon this quiet, unassuming
young man.
Locke immediately asked to be shown to Flint's room in the hope that
Flint might have left some clue behind. But, although they searched high
and low, no success met their efforts.
It was then that they faced their darkest moment. Feeling, as they did,
that they were encircled by hidden enemies, the very air they breathed
became a menace. Every attempt to find the thread that might unravel the
dark mystery proved futile. It was not to be wondered at that they
despaired. Even the weird laughter of Eva's stricken father, echoing
hollowly through the house, seemed to be mocking their efforts.
The Automaton's emissaries were anxious to do their job and return to
the cave, for, like rats, they preferred the security best found
underground. They did not lead Flint very far.
At the edge of the Brent estate there was an Italian marble fountain
decorated with bronze dolphins and water-nymphs disporting themselves.
It was at this fountain that the men halted Flint and, with a final
warning, left him.
For a few moments, such was his fear, Flint did not remove the bandage
from his eyes, but moved groping around until his hand came in contact
with the edge of the fountain. For a moment he stood quietly, listening
for sounds of the emissaries. Then, as he heard nothing, he tore the
bandage from his eyes, gazed wonderingly around him until his mind
grasped his exact location, then, with a bound, started to run toward
Brent Rock.
Had he noticed the bestial face of an emissary peering from the
shrubbery he would have been even more frightened. Retribution, he would
have known, would be swift and sure had he disregarded their commands
and moved in another direction.
As Flint left the fountain Balcom, suave and well groomed as usual, was
just giving his hat and stick to the butler when Locke and Eva,
returning from Flint's room, encountered him in the hallway.
"Oh, Mr. Balcom," exclaimed Eva, "Mr. Locke and I are at a loss to
account for Mr. Flint's disappearance! I told the gardeners, and they
have hunted for him all over the estate and beyond, but he has
disappeared as completely as though the ground had swallowed him."
Balcom expressed his utmost astonishment and at once insisted on going
to Flint's room to solve the mystery himself.
Eva and Locke went directly into the library, where Locke for the first
time had an opportunity to tell Eva the result of his visit to the
chemist. The fact that they had discovered the nature of the toxin was
in itself encouraging, and Eva felt that, even now, she could see the
glimmer of a silver lining to the clouds.
"If we can only locate Mr. Flint, Quentin," she murmured, "I feel that
much would be explained."
Hardly had the words passed her lips when, breathless and disheveled,
Flint staggered up the stairs from under the porte-cochère and into the
hallway. Balcom, just descending from his brief inspection of Flint's
room, hailed him.
"What has happened?" he demanded. "Don't go into the library."
"I've just escaped from the Automaton," shouted Flint, "and I've found
the antidote!"
Before Balcom could stop him he rushed into the library, Balcom
following in a towering rage. Eva gave a startled little cry at the wild
intrusion and Locke moved closer to her.
"Is the antidote that will restore your father's reason worth ten
thousand dollars to you?" demanded Flint; then, before Eva could reply,
added: "Speak quick! I've got to get out of the country to-night."
"Ten thousand!" gasped Eva. "Ten times ten thousand! Tell me what it
is."
"Show me the money first," haggled Flint, "and remember I must have the
hard cash."
"Just a moment, Eva," interrupted Locke. "Consider this thing well. We
can deal with this fellow as a final resort."
Eva looked from Locke to Balcom, her mind in a turmoil, as the
telephone-bell rang and Locke hurried to answer it.
In the room now there was a conflict of emotions and desires that fairly
electrified the place. Eva ardently craved her father's recovery at all
costs. Flint's avaricious mind wavered between a scheme nearing success
and the possibility of failure and the fear of the Automaton. Balcom
strained to hear the purport of the message that Locke was receiving.
At the sound of the chemist's voice Locke was tense with suppressed
excitement.
"I've found the antidote," hastened to report the professor.
With a cordial word of thanks Locke turned from the telephone and faced
the group in the room. As he made the announcement, Eva almost embraced
him in the flood of relief at the thought of her father restored.
"Eva," growled Balcom, "you forget yourself. As Paul's father, I cannot
countenance such actions."
"Mr. Balcom," interrupted Locke, "I am sure you will be kind in your
criticism of Miss Brent. She has merely overrated my service to her."
"Paul shall hear of this," stormed Balcom.
"If your son cares to take the matter up with me," returned Locke, now
on his dignity, "I am always to be found--here."
"Never mind," interposed Flint, who feared to see his chance slipping,
"I've got to get out of the country. Mr. Locke, your antidote is
probably valueless; mine is the certain one. Look at me, Miss Brent. Am
I not cured?"
"You miserable sneak," scowled Locke, stepping over to him, "we don't
need your assistance now."
"I'm dealing with Miss Brent," insisted Flint, insolently.
Eva, a bit nervous over Balcom's overbearing manner, interposed. "Mr.
Locke," she said, with just a touch of dignity for effect on Balcom,
"this is a matter of life and death, and I am not in favor of permitting
a proven antidote to be taken out of the country by this--this man. I
have every confidence in you, but suppose--just suppose--that your
chemist friend is mistaken."
Flint immediately saw his advantage and pressed it home. "Are you going
to let ten thousand dollars stand in the way of your father's recovery?"
he insinuated. "Here," he added, taking pencil and paper from his pocket
and writing hurriedly.
"Baker's dock," Eva read, as he handed her the paper, "until five
o'clock."
Flint bowed decently enough to her, glanced upward, and, as he thought
of Eva's father lying stricken with the Madagascar madness in the room
above, an evil leer came over his fox-like face. As he left he
completely ignored both Locke and Balcom, unless it was that the look in
his eyes meant a sort of sinister triumph.
Locke followed him out of the library, and for a few moments Eva and
Balcom were alone.
Balcom had been quick to realize that it would not further his plans if
he continued to antagonize this high-spirited girl. He took another
course. The kind and fatherly manner which he could assume so readily
was now apparent.
"Eva, my dear child," he ingratiated, "I am really sorry for the hasty
way in which I spoke, but, aside from our duty to International Patents,
your marriage to my son has been my greatest hope and ambition."
"I can't see why you should wish a daughter-in-law of whose actions you
disapprove," retorted Eva, pointedly.
It was a facer for Balcom and he quickly guided the conversation into
less dangerous channels.
Eva's candid nature could not comprehend treachery of any kind in
others, and yet, although she was unable to put a name to it, she had a
vague feeling of insecurity in dealing with her father's partner. This
feeling had been heightened by Balcom's actions. In speaking of the
proposed marriage to Paul he had come quite close to her. She shuddered,
for, out of the corner of her eye, only a few moments before, she
remembered him in the same position when Flint had handed her the
address, and she knew that Balcom had surreptitiously read it. Why had
he taken that underhand method when, if he had only asked frankly to see
the paper, she would have handed it to him without hesitation or
suspicion.
Eva started to leave the library, but Balcom stopped her with a gesture.
"My dear," he said, "your father is stricken with a deadly malady. His
affairs are in your hands to protect his interests. I must urge that you
marry Paul at the earliest possible moment."
Eva scarcely knew what to say. "I can't," she blurted out, then tried to
cover her confusion and made it worse, "only--as a last resort--to save
my father--Oh--good-by!" And she almost ran from the room.