TO PAY THE PRICE.
"Well?" asked Ansell, looking at his wife with a distinctly evil grin.
"Well?" she answered blankly, for want of something else to say.
"What will you give me for this letter?" he asked, carefully replacing
it in his wallet and transferring it to his pocket with an air of
supreme satisfaction.
"I have nothing to give, Ralph."
"But you can find something quite easily," he urged, with mock
politeness. "Your ladyship must control a bit of cash-money. Remember,
I've already made enquiries, and I know quite well that this man
Bracondale is extremely wealthy. Surely he doesn't keep too tight a hold
on the purse-strings!"
"I have already told you that I have no money except what Lord
Bracondale gives me, and he often looks at my banker's pass-book. He
would quickly ask me where the money had gone to."
"Bah! You are a woman, and a woman can easily make an excuse. He'll
believe anything if he is really fond of you, as I suppose he must be.
You wouldn't like him to have that letter--would you, now?"
"No. I've told you that," she replied, her pale, dry lips moving
nervously.
"Then we shall have to discuss very seriously ways and means, and come
to terms, my girl," was his rough rejoinder.
"But how can I make terms with you?"
"Quite easily--by getting money."
"I can't!" she cried.
"Well, I guess I'm not going to starve and see you living in luxury--a
leader of London society. It isn't likely, now, is it?"
"No; knowing you as well as I do, I suppose it isn't likely."
"Ah! You do me an injustice, Jean," he said. "I only want just
sufficient to get away from here--to America--and begin afresh a new
life. I'll turn over a new leaf--believe me, I will. I want to, but I
haven't the cash-money to do it. To be honest costs money."
"Yes," she sighed. "I suppose it does. And to be dishonest, alas! is
always profitable in these days, when honour stands at a premium."
"Well, how much can you get for me?" he asked roughly.
"Nothing," she replied, holding out her hands in despair. "Where am I to
get money from?"
"You know best, Jean. I don't. All I know is, I want money--and I mean
to have it."
"But I tell you I can't get any," she protested.
"You'll have to. You don't want Bracondale to know the truth, do you?"
he asked.
She shook her head. Her eyes were wild and haggard, her cheeks as pale
as death.
"Well, look here," he said, again thrusting his hands in the pockets of
his jacket. "Give me five thousand pounds, and you shall have your
letter. I will be silent, and we will never meet again. I'll go back to
America, and give my firm promise never to cross to Europe again."
"Five thousand pounds!" echoed the distracted woman. "Why, I can't get
such a sum! You must surely know that."
"You will do so somehow--in order to save your honour."
"What is the use of discussing it?" she asked. "I tell you such a
proposal is entirely out of the question."
"Very well. Then you must bear the consequences. If you won't pay me,
perhaps Bracondale will."
"What!" she gasped. "You would go to my husband?"
"Husband!" he sneered. "I'm your husband, my girl. And I mean that
either you or Bracondale shall pay. You thought yourself rid of me, but
you were mistaken, you see," he added, with a hard laugh of triumph.
"I was misled by the newspapers," she said, simply, as she stood with
her back against the grey rocks. "Had I not believed that you had lost
your life in the Seine I should not have married Lord Bracondale."
"Deceived him, you mean, not married him," he said harshly. "Well, I
haven't much time to wait. Besides, that governess of yours may come
back. It won't be nice for that little girl to be taken from you, will
it?" he said. "But when Bracondale knows, that's what will happen."
"Never. He is not cruel and inhuman, like you, Ralph!" she responded,
bitterly.
"I'm merely asking for what is due to me. I find that another man has
usurped my place, and I want my price."
"And that is--what?" she asked, after a few minutes' pause, looking him
straight in the face.
"Five thousand, and this interesting letter is yours."
"Impossible!" she cried. "You might as well ask me for the crown of
England."
"Look here," he said, putting out his hand towards her, but she shrank
from his touch--the touch of a hand stained with the blood of Richard
Harborne.
"No. I won't hurt you," he laughed, believing that she stood in fear of
him. "I want nothing but the cash-money. I'll call at Monplaisir this
evening for it. By Jove!" he added. "That's a nice, comfortable house
of yours. You've been very happy there, both of you, I suppose--eh?"
"Yes," she sighed. His threat to call at the villa held her appalled.
She saw no way to appease this man, who was now bent upon her ruin. The
present, with all its happiness, had faded from her and the future was
only a grey vista of grief and despair.
"You know quite well," he went on, "that when you tell me that you can't
get money, I don't believe you. You surely aren't going to stand by and
see your husband starve, are you? I've had cursed bad luck of late. A
year ago I was rich, but to-day I'm broke again--utterly broke, and,
moreover, the police are looking for me. That's why I want to get away
to America--with your help."
"But don't I say I can't help you?" she protested. "Ah!" she exclaimed,
a second later. "You can have my brooch--here it is," and she proceeded
to take it from the breast of her white gown.
"Bah! What's the good of that to me?" he laughed. "No. Keep it--why, it
isn't worth more than fifty pounds! You surely don't think I'm going to
let you have your affectionate letter for that sum, do you?"
"I've got nothing else."
"But you have at home," he urged. "What other jewels have you got?"
"Nothing of great value here. The Bracondale jewels are at Bracondale,"
she replied slowly, after a few seconds' deliberation. "I have nothing
much here, except----"
And she drew herself up short.
"Except what?" he asked sharply.
"Nothing."
"Oh, yes, you have," he said, in a hard voice. "Now tell me. What have
you got of real value?"
"I tell you I have nothing."
"That's a lie," he declared. "You've got something you don't want to
part with--something you value very much."
She was silent and stood there pale and trembling before him. He saw her
hesitation, and knew that his allegation was the truth.
"Come, out with it! I mustn't stay here any longer. We shall be seen,"
he said. "What have you got?"
She bit her blanched lip.
"My pearls," she replied in a voice scarcely above a whisper.
"What pearls?"
"Matched pearls which my husband gave me for my birthday."
"Valuable--eh?"
"Yes," she sighed. "But you can't have them. I prize them very much."
"Greater than your own honour?" he asked, seriously.
"You shall never have them. What excuse could I make to Bracondale?"
"Leave that to me. Pearls are easier negotiated than diamonds. I can
sell them at once. If they are the good goods I'll give you the letter
in exchange for them. That's a bargain."
"They cost several thousands, I know."
"Good! Then we'll conclude the business to-night."
"No, no!" she protested. "What could I tell my husband?"
"I wish you wouldn't keep referring to him as husband, Jean, when he is
not your husband."
"To the world he is. I am no longer Jean Ansell, remember," she
protested.
"Well, we won't discuss that. Let's arrange how the exchange shall be
made. Now, around your house is a verandah. You will accidentally leave
the pearls on the table in one of the rooms at midnight, with the long
window unfastened, and I'll look in and get them. You will be in the
room, and we can make the exchange. Next day you will discover your loss
and tell the police that burglars have visited you. By that time I shall
be in Amsterdam. It's quite easy. Only keep your nerve, girl."
"But----"
"There are no 'buts.' We are going to carry this thing through."
She hesitated, thinking deeply. Then she openly defied him.
"I will not let you have those pearls. He gave them to me, and I won't
arrange a mock burglary."
"You won't give them to me as price of your honour--eh? Then you're a
bigger fool than I took you for. I dare say they won't fetch more than a
thousand--perhaps not that. So it's a sporting offer I am making you."
"You can have anything except that."
"I don't want anything else. I want to do you a good turn by getting
away from here--away from you for ever. I quite understand your feelings
and sympathise with you, I assure you," he said, his manner changing
slightly.
But she was obdurate. Therefore he at once altered his tactics and
resorted again to his bullying methods. He was a low-down blackguard,
although he was dressed as a gentleman and cultivated an air of
refinement. Yet he was a prince among thieves and swindlers.
"All this is mere empty talk," he declared at last. "I tell you that if
you refuse to do as I direct I shall call upon Bracondale this evening
and ask for alms. Oh," he laughed, "it will be quite amusing to see his
face when I show him your letter, for he no doubt believes in you. Are
you prepared to face the music?"
And, pausing, he fixed his cruel, relentless eyes, beady and brilliant
as those of a snake, upon his trembling victim.
She did not answer, though she now realised that he held her future in
his remorseless hands. This man whom she had once loved with a strong,
all-consuming passion, had risen to smite her and to ruin her.
"Will Bracondale be at home to-night?" he asked presently.
"No," she responded in a low whisper. "He will be at his club. He has
arranged to play bridge with M. Polivin, the Minister of Commerce. You
won't see him."
"Good. Then you will be alone--to meet me and take the letter in
exchange for the pearls, which I shall take," he said, confidently. "I
had a look around the house early this morning before anyone was about.
It would be very easy to enter there--quite inviting, I assure you. I
wonder you don't take precautions against intruders. I speak as an
expert," and he laughed grimly.
But she made no response.
"I notice," he went on--"I notice that the room on the left of the front
entrance is a small salon. It has a long window leading to the balcony.
Leave that unlatched, and I will come there at midnight. If you are
there, leave the light on. If there is danger then put it out. I shall
know."
"But I can't--I won't."
"You will! You want that letter, and I will give it to you in exchange
for the pearls! He will suspect nothing. A thief got in and stole them.
That was all. He is rich, and will buy you another set. So why trouble
further?"
"No--I----"
"Yes--ah, look! That woman is coming back with the child. I must clear.
Remember, it is all arranged. At midnight to-night I'll bring you the
letter. _Au revoir!_"
And next moment the evil shadow of her life disappeared around the
corner of the rock and was gone.