Achilles saw her, and moved forward swiftly. But she ignored him--her
eyes were on the short, square man seated at the table, and she came
to him, bending close. “You must pay, Phil,” she said. The words held
themselves in her reddened eyes, and her fingers picked a little at the
lace on her dress... then they trembled and reached out to him.
“You _must_ pay!” she said hoarsely.
But the man did not stir.
The woman lifted her eyes and looked at Achilles. There was no
recognition in the glance--only a kind of impatience that he was there.
The Greek moved toward the door--but the great man stayed him. “Don’t
go,” he said. He reached up a hand to his wife, laying it on her
shoulder. “We can’t pay, dearest,” he said slowly.
Her open lips regarded him and the quick tears were in her eyes. She
brushed them back, and looked at him--“Let _me_ pay!” she said fiercely,
“I will give up--everything--and pay!” She had crouched to him, her
groping fingers on his arm.
Above her head the glances of the two men met.
Her husband bent to her, speaking very slowly... to a child.
“Listen, Louie--they might give her back to-day--if we paid... but they
would take her again--to-morrow--next week--next year. We shall never be
safe if we pay. Nobody will be safe--”
Her face was on his arm, sobbing close. “I hate--it!” she said brokenly,
“I _hate_--your--money! I want Betty!” The cry went through the
room--and the man was on his feet, looking down at her--
“Don’t, Louie,” he said--“don’t, dear--I can’t bear that! See, dear--sit
down!” He had placed her in the chair and was crooning to her, bending
to her. “We shall have her back--soon--now.”
The telephone was whirring and he sprang to it.
The woman lifted her face, staring at it.
The Greek’s deep eyes fixed themselves on it.
The room was so still they could hear the tiny, ironic words flinging
themselves spitefully in the room, and biting upon the air. “Time’s
up,” the Thing tittered--“Make it fifty thousand now--for a day. Fifty
thousand down and the child delivered safe--Br-r-r-r!”
The woman sprang forward. “Tell them we’ll pay, Phil--give it to
me--Yes--yes--we’ll pay!” She struggled a little--but the hand had
thrust her back and the receiver was on its hook.
“We shall _not_ pay!” said the man sternly, “not if they make it a
million!”
“I think they make it a million,” said Achilles quietly.
They looked up at him with startled eyes.
“They know you--rich--” His hands flung themselves. “So rich! They
_make_ you pay--yes--they make everyone pay, I think!” His dark eyes
were on the woman significantly--
“What do you mean?” she said swiftly.
“If you pay--they steal them everywhere--little children.” His eyes
seemed to see them at play in the sunshine--and the dark shadows
stealing upon them. The woman’s eyes were on his face, breathless.
“They have taken Betty!” she said. It was a broken cry.
“We find her,” said Achilles simply. “Then little children play--happy.”
He turned to go.
But the woman stayed him. Her face trembled to hold itself steady under
his glance. “I want to save the children, too,” she said. “I will be
brave!”
Her husband’s startled face was turned to her and she smiled to it
bravely. “Help me, Phil!” she said. She reached out her hands to him and
he took them tenderly. He had not been so near her for years. She was
looking in his face, smiling still, across the white line of her lip. “I
shall help,” she said slowly. “But you must not trust me, dear--not too
far.... I want my little girl--”
There were tears in the eyes of the two men--and the Greek went softly
out, closing the door. Down the wide hallway--out of the great door,
with its stately carvings and the two pink stone lions that guarded
the way--out to the clear night of stars. The breeze blew in--a little
breath from the lake, that lapped upon the breakwater and died out.
Achilles stood very still--lifting his face to it. Behind him, in the
city, little children were asleep... and in the great house the man and
the woman waited alone--for the help that was coming to them--running
with swift feet in the night. It sped upon iron rails and crept beneath
the ground and whispered in the air--and in the heart of Achilles it
dreamed under the quiet stars.