Crash!
The door shook again.
"I think that is your husband," said Ronnie gently, "will you go into
my room?"
He opened the door for her and said "yes" with his eyes to the
alarmed François.
Steppe flung himself into the room. In his great fur-collared coat
he looked a giant of a man.
"Well?" said Ronnie.
"Where's my wife!" The man's voice vibrated. "You swine! Where is
my wife--she's come here--I know, to her damned paramour. Where is
she?" he bellowed.
"She is in my room--" said Ronnie, and Jan Steppe staggered back as
if he were shot.
"In your room!" He sounded as if he were being strangled.
"Well--now she can come to my room! You called me an ape this
morning, I'll show you what kind of an ape I can be! Beryl!" he
roared.
She came out, a tragic figure of despair.
"So you had to come and see him, eh--"
François had opened the door again, and a man came in unannounced.
"Steppe!"
It was John Maxton, and Steppe turned with a snarl.
"Merville has been arrested."
"Well?"
"My father! Arrested? Jan, I must go back--"
"You'll go with me, huh! I haven't married your father or your
lover, either."
"What are you going to do?" demanded Maxton sternly.
"Catch my train! You can't stop me--"
"Steppe, for God's sake think what you're doing." Sir John Maxton
was pleading now with a greater intensity than he had ever pleaded
before a tribunal. "You could save Merville--you have the draft of
the prospectus--"
"In the safe! In the safe!" roared Steppe his face inflamed with
fury. "Come, Beryl."
He held out his hand, but she shrank back behind Ronnie.
"Then open the safe," demanded Maxton.
"Go to hell! All of you--don't stand up to me, Morelle, or I'll kill
you! Beryl--"
"What is the word--this combination word, Steppe? You can get away
tonight, they will find nothing until the morning--"
"I won't tell you, damn you! I'll see you--"
"Judas!"
Ronnie Morelle stood, his finger outstretched stiffly pointing at the
other.
"Judas--J--U--D--A--S. That is the word!"
Open-mouthed Steppe lurched toward him.
"You--you." He struck, but his blow went wide and then Ronnie had
him by the shoulders and they looked into one another's eyes.
Beryl, horrified, sick with fear, saw her husband's face go livid,
saw him grimace painfully, monstrously.
"I know you--!" he screamed. "I know you! You're Sault! Ambrose
Sault!--you're dead! They hanged you, blast you! Ambrose Sault--"
He put out his huge hands as to ward off a ghastly sight.
"Come along, Beryl," he mumbled, "you mustn't stay here--it is Sault.
Oh, Christ--"
He went down in a heap.
Beryl came forward groping like one blind.
"Ronnie----" She stared into his eyes, and in his agitation he put
his knuckle to his chin. "--oh, my dear!"