A BRIDE ELECT
My first inclination on taking my seat in the carriage with von Felsen
was to laugh. His face wore such an expression of self-satisfaction and
triumph that the absurdity of it appealed almost irresistibly to my
sense of humour.
The whole thing was like a little farcical curtain-raiser at a theatre
which prefaces the real drama.
That he did not discover the deception at once was a cause of wonderment
to me. If my feelings were any indication of my appearance, I must have
looked as awkward a creature as ever wore a petticoat. The skirt of the
dress was "anyhow." That is to say, it hung in awkward creases and
folds as I sat with my legs doubled close under me for fear he should
see my very ungirlish feet.
I had to keep my hands out of sight, pulled uncomfortably up under my
short cloak; and I had to sit bolt upright, because, when I had tried to
appear overcome and had leant back against the side of the carriage, I
was within an ace of dislodging the whole of my headgear, hat, veil, wig
and everything.
But of all the troubles of that terrible costume, I think the veil was
the worst. It tickled my nose; it irritated my freshly shaven upper
lip; it caught my eyelashes and brought the tears to my eyes; it
interfered with my sight; and it made me twitch my lips, and chin and
nose as if I had St. Vitus' dance, until I could have sworn aloud at it
in all the languages I knew.
I presume that von Felsen took my extraordinary attitude for sullenness,
and he appeared quite undecided as to the correct manner in which to
behave to a girl he was forcing to marry him. He made very little
effort to speak to me during the journey, and the attempts he did make
were of course unsuccessful in eliciting anything from me but a gesture
of indignation or anger.
"I am sorry to have had to do this, Althea," he said after one of these
gestures of mine. I had just turned my back on him as he had sought to
get hold of my hand in a spoony way.
I shrugged my shoulders and gave a little toss of the head--none too
energetic of course, for fear of consequences.
"I'll make it up to you. You know that, dearest. You know that I
worship the very ground you tread on, and all my life shall be devoted
to make you happy."
It was a queer sensation to have a man making love to me, and if I could
have counterfeited Althea's voice, I'd have led him on a bit. Although,
how any girl could feel romantic with a thing tickling her face, as that
infernal veil was tickling mine, beat me. My chief sensation was an
almost overpowering desire to rub my nose.
My silence and my attitude of resentful disbelief annoyed him. "You let
me make love to you before that infernal Englishman came in the way," he
said, only he used a stronger epithet for me. "I suppose he has done
his best to set you against me. But I'm even with him now."
I maintained the same stolid coldness.
"Aren't you going to speak a word to me?" he cried after a long pause;
and he bent forward and tried to look into my face.
It was fortunately a very dull evening, and the light inside the
carriage was so dim that even at close quarters he could not have made
out my features; but I took care he should not get too close, and
twisted away from him.
Then he commenced to claw for my hand again. I was afraid he would put
his arm round my waist, for I knew that the dimensions of it would give
him something of a shock. As it was he fooled about with my arm; and
that he did not at once discover that no girl, except an athlete, was
likely to have an arm as hard as mine, was amazing. However, he got
hold of my fingers--I was sitting with arms crossed--and when I found
that the size of them did not rouse his suspicions, I let him retain his
hold.
This appeared to satisfy him, and he kept hold, squeezing them now and
again as if he found great pleasure in the business.
I could not refrain from speculating whether a girl in such
circumstances would have thought a man such an awful ass as I thought
him. I suppose she would.
He appeared to regard this hand-fumbling business as a sign of relenting
on my part, for we were quite close to his house before he said any
more.
"The mere touch of your hand is a delight to me, Althea," he murmured,
like the fatuous idiot he was making of himself.
I drew my hand away and turned my back squarely upon him. The sigh he
gave might have come right from the pit of his stomach and been
gathering weigh all the journey.
"I will make you love me, yet, Althea. You are the only woman in the
world to me." Not a very original sentiment, perhaps; but apparently
quite earnest; and before he could make any further headway with his
love-making, the carriage drew up at his door.
He got out and held his hand to help me. But I disdained his
assistance, and grabbing hold of my dress in the way in which Bessie had
carefully instructed me, I stepped out and hurried up the steps and into
the hall.
Seated there was the clerk from "W. Mischen"; and he rose at my entrance
and gave me a long curious stare. In his eyes I was, of course, a lady
of quality; and he scanned me from head to foot. I had presence of mind
enough to let my dress fall well over my boots, however.
When von Felsen saw him he started and was for hurrying me into his
room; but the clerk stepped forward.
"I came for the lease and papers, sir, from W. Mischen," he said
respectfully.
"You are before your time; but I'll see you in a minute," replied von
Felsen changing colour and speaking nervously. "This way, Althea"; and
he pushed the door open for me to enter.
I had feared to find in the room the priest and any others who were to
be present at the marriage and I hesitated a second on the threshold.
The hesitation was really no more than an involuntary start of surprise
and pleasure at seeing it empty. It was his private room, as I knew.
But he mistook the gesture for one of doubt of him. "The rest are in the
room opposite," he hastened to explain. "I wish to speak to you first.
We must have an understanding before we go to the others," he added when
we were inside and he had closed the door behind us. "There must be no
tricks before the priest. You must promise me not to make a scene of
any sort."
The moment had come for undeceiving him; but as he was standing between
me and the door I tried to put it off for a while longer. I shrugged my
shoulders, and then, as if seized with a sudden frenzy of despair, I
clapped my hands to my face and flopped down on a chair. My back was to
him, of course, for the electric lights were full on.
He came to me and laid a hand on my shoulder; but I shook it off, got up
and rushed to another chair nearer the door, and gave such a back view
of a girl's agitation as I could manage to portray.
It was sufficient for the purpose. "You must compose yourself, Althea,"
he said, following me.
I glanced round and shuddered as if at his approach, and ventured to
grunt out a little moan of pain.
He stopped and looked at me, half in anger and half in dire perplexity.
"I won't come near you then," he growled, and down he plumped into a
chair to watch for any signs of my return to self-control.
I was now between him and the door and was much easier in mind; and
began to prepare stealthily to throw off the disguise. I had taken off
my gloves when it occurred to me to try to continue the scene long
enough to induce him to get out the papers for which the clerk was
waiting. I had no doubt they were in the room somewhere.
I remained inconsolable, therefore, until his patience waned. He sat
for some time tapping his fingers restlessly on the table and staring at
me; and then with a sign of vexation, rose and crossed to an old bureau
desk.
"For Heaven's sake calm yourself, Althea. The thing has got to go
through if you mean to save your father," he said; "and I pledge you my
honour that afterwards I will do everything in my power to make you
happy. I will, on my soul."
I responded to this with a gesture sufficient to enable me to turn and
see what he was doing, and let out a sigh.
I saw that he was watching me furtively while he opened some secret
recess in the bureau and took out a carefully sealed envelope.
I sighed again--this time with a genuine feeling of relief--and rose.
He put the envelope quickly into his pocket and turned. "I have one
little thing to do first," he said, and was coming toward the door when
I gave him the first of his surprises.
I stepped forward quickly, locked the door and took out the key.
"What are you doing, Althea?" he cried.
I put my back to the door and slipping my hand through the opening in my
skirt got my revolver in readiness. With the other hand I took hold of
the string with which we had tied on the skirt. All the top hamper of
hat and so on would come off with one vigorous tug.
Thus prepared I waited to see what he would do next.
His first attempt was bluster. "How dare you lock that door? If you
think to try and cheat me at the last moment, it will not help you. I
have only to send word and your father will be in gaol." He was afraid
to speak too loudly for fear that those outside should hear him; but his
temper was rising quickly.
On my side I was absolutely indifferent who heard us, and I stood stock
still with my back against the door staring at him as hard as I could
stare through the meshes of the thick veil.
"Open that door, or give me the key at once. Do you hear, Althea? This
is all foolishness. Then I shall take it from you," he continued, when
he got no reply. He came up to me and I thrust him away.
Even then he did not suspect the trick I had played him. Presumably he
could not believe any one could have made such a fool of him.
He was at a loss what to do next. He was but a weakly fellow, and the
strength with which I had pushed him away had startled him.
"What is it you want, Althea? I'll do anything you wish."
I chose that moment to end the farce. I drew the tape which held up the
skirt, and with a vigorous tug got rid of the hat and wig and threw it
all aside as I disentangled my legs from the skirt.
He started back as though I were the devil himself. I must have looked a
curious figure. I had had to roll up my trousers to prevent their being
seen underneath the dress; I still had on Bessie's short cloak and was
thus still garbed on top partly as a man and partly as a woman, while my
drawers showed as high as my knees.
But it was not the humour of the change which appealed to him now. His
wide eyes were fixed first on my face and then on the revolver which I
took good care should attract a full share of his attention.
"Sit down and hold your tongue till I tell you to speak," I said.
He was ashen white and trembled violently. But he was obedient enough.
He sat down, or rather fell into a chair, and glared helplessly at me.
I got rid of the rest of the disguise and then rolled down my trousers.
I had to free myself from the sense of the ridiculous figure I cut.
He watched every movement like a lynx. I bundled the things into a
heap. "You can send them back to my house presently," I said with a
grim laugh. "And now we can talk. First, give me that paper which you
were to send by that fellow in the hall."
He tried to force some sort of lie in response, but his lips were
trembling so that he could not frame the words.
"I'm glad to see you are suffering from a touch of the agitation you
were quite ready to inflict on Althea. Now don't make any mistake. You
have to do exactly what I order you. It's a matter of life or death to
you."
I gave him time to digest this so that it might sink right into his
inmost convictions, and saturate his little soul with terror. He had
enjoyed the sensation that afternoon of riding rough-shod over me; and
he should learn now how it felt to have some one else in the saddle.
Judging by his looks he found the experience mightily depressing.
In the pause some one knocked at the door. A passing gleam of hope
flashed into his eyes and he half rose. But I lifted my weapon just the
fraction of an inch and gestured to him to keep his seat. He obeyed and
crouched back in the chair like a whipped hound.
In this way we waited while the knock was twice repeated.
"Tell them to go away," I ordered.
And then he gave me a surprise in my turn. "Break the door open," he
called in as loud a tone as he could master. But fear had clogged his
utterance, so that they could not hear his words distinctly.
"What did you say, sir?" called some one in response.
Before he could reply to this I sprang on him and tore the coveted
packet from his pocket, ripped off the seals and glanced at the
contents. The glance was enough to satisfy me of the prize I had
secured.
"You can call them in now, if you dare. I don't want your life now."
He stood a few seconds staring at me, quivering with rage and fear; and
then the question was repeated from outside.
"Don't try that trick again, mind," I said.
"Go away till I call," he answered.
"Good," I said with a grim smile. "Now listen to me. Do what I tell
you and you shall have a chance to get out of the mess. Go to your desk
there and make up a dummy packet like this in appearance and give it to
the man who is waiting."
For the moment he was incapable of movement. The failure of his little
attempt to outwit me and the result had unnerved him utterly.
"You are going to kill me?" he murmured, wiping the sweat from his
forehead.
"Not if you do as I bid you. I don't lie, and I have passed my word."
It was necessary to steady his nerves in some degree for what I meant
him to do; so I waited while he fought down some of his paralysing
terror.
Presently he rose and shambled across to the desk, steadying himself as
he went by holding to the furniture. He fell into the chair before it
and buried his head in his hands and groaned.
"Come. Make an effort." He started at the sound of my voice and
glanced round at me. I think he was the most despicable coward I had
ever seen. With another deep sigh he picked out an envelope like that I
had taken from him and then with shaking fingers folded some sheets of
paper, placed them in it and addressed it.
"Seal it," I ordered as he held it out to me. This occupied a longish
time; and in his agitation he burnt his fingers badly with the wax. "So
far so good," I said. "Now a note to the priest that the ceremony cannot
take place. It can't very well, unless you wish to marry me," I added
with a short unpleasant laugh.
With a great effort he succeeded in writing the note; and again held it
out for me to read. "Now, take these to the door and tell your servant
to give the one to the priest and the other to the messenger from W.
Mischen. Not a syllable more. I shall be behind you with this"; and I
held up the revolver.
I rang the bell and we crossed the room together. I unlocked the door
and stood close behind him with the muzzle of my weapon pressed close to
his ribs.
"My finger is on the trigger," I whispered, as the servant knocked and
he opened the door. He was too abjectly frightened to try any tricks
this time, and delivered the message just as I had told him. The next
instant the door was safely locked once more, and he tottered back to
his seat.
"You can take your own time now to recover; but you have a good deal
more writing to do, so you had better pull yourself together."
A silence, lasting some minutes followed; and I used the time to read
the paper which I had secured and to make a rough precis of it. He
glanced up once or twice at me the while, and when I put the paper back
into the envelope, he asked: "What are you going to do with that?"
I paid no heed to his question.
"Are you ready? Then go over to your desk again and write me a true
account of how you got this."
This threw him again into a condition of trembling fear. "What do you
want it for?" he stammered.
"I'll give you two minutes to make a start in"; and I drew out my watch.
He got up and fumbled his way to the desk again, and after a pause began
to write, with many delays and hesitation.
Presently I crossed and over his shoulder read what he had written. A
silly lie about having found the paper. I tore the sheet from the desk
and crumpled it up.
"Don't think to palm off that lie to me. I know how you got it. Write
the truth, or I send for Herr Borsen." The threat had little effect
however.
"I swear on my soul that that is the truth," he muttered, looking round.
"You are playing with your life, man. Your only chance of getting me to
hold my tongue is to make a clean breast of it, not only about your
theft but another thing."
"What do you mean?" Just a whisper of terror. No more.
"Your loss of this."
I took out the ring which I had found on the night of Ziegler's murder.
It was the breaking point. He stared at it a second like a man bereft
of his wits, gave one glance up into my stern, set face, and with a
groan let his head fall on the desk before it.
"Come," I said, shaking him roughly.
But he had swooned; and when I released my grip of him, he slipped from
the chair to the ground and lay a huddled heap on the floor.