That faint flash of light, instantaneous as it was, sufficed to pierce
one of the veils that had for many years shrouded the mysteries of the
past. Brace saw in that brief interval the meaning of the nocturnal
visit, the caution observed, and as plainly as if the words had been
uttered in his ears, he knew the man's name. It was clear enough now:
when that scoundrel had left the conservatory, he must have entered this
room--the blue-room, it must be--the room which, for twenty long years,
had held a secret unsuspected by a soul. And he, Brace Norton, had now
at his mercy the cause of the long, cruel suspicions which rested upon
Lady Gernon and his father. He had him at his mercy, with the proof of
innocence in his hand--the proof which, after twice failing, he had,
after twenty years' transportation, returned to drag from its
hiding-place. But not to establish the innocence of the living, or of
her who had so mysteriously disappeared; it was for his own
aggrandisement: Brace could feel that, as, with an intense desire upon
him to strangle the cause of so much cruel misery and heart-burning, he
leaned forward.
For in that one brief flash--brief as the time that these thoughts had
taken to dart through his mind--Brace Norton had seen lying, in a
soot-grained hand, flashing in wondrous beauty, the magnificent
true-blue sapphire cross described by Mrs Norton; and as the light was
quenched, Brace had sprung forward, clutching glittering gems with one
hand, and the marauder's throat with the other.
There was a howl of rage and astonishment from the man he clutched, as,
with his impetuous bound, Brace Norton drove him backwards, but the next
instant the struggle going on was fierce and desperate. Capture and
escape were forgotten in the intense desire to hold the cross. On the
one hand, there was the valuable object panted for during twenty long
years of punishment. On the other, there was fair fame, and also the
hope of reconciliation and future happiness; and, as Brace Norton nerved
himself for the fight, he mentally vowed that he would die sooner than
be conquered.
It was time now to rouse the house, and as, for an instant, he struggled
uppermost he uttered a long, loud cry for help, one which went echoing
through the house, followed by the crashing of slight drawing-room
furniture, the overturning and wrecking of what-nots laden with rare and
curious china. The frail chairs were fallen over and snapped, and once
the man, who fought so fiercely, fell over the fender that he had
dragged from its place, but only to bound up again, and for the struggle
to become more fierce than ever.
It was the battle between youth and activity and the iron muscles of one
who had lived a long and abstemious life of toil, and more than once
Brace Norton could have groaned, as he felt himself gradually growing
weaker and weaker. But he still clutched the cross tightly, in spite of
the furious blows dealt him in the face by his adversary, whose hot
breath came upon the young man's flushed temples now, as, in a
determined effort, he grasped him round both arms in a deadly hug that
threatened to crush his ribs, whilst the next moment Brace felt himself
lifted from the floor and hurled back, his foe falling upon him with all
his weight.
The sense was almost driven from his bruised body by this fierce
onslaught; but in spite of his despair, Brace was still determined. He
could not fight now, he was too much exhausted; but he could defend the
treasure, which grew in value as he seemed to be about to lose it.
So far he had grasped the cross with but one hand; now he placed over it
the other, holding it to his breast, and pressing his chin upon his
hands.
"Leave go!" hissed his enemy, and blow after blow was rained upon poor
Brace's face, his foe now seating himself upon his chest, and by turns
striving to unlace his fingers, and striking him brutally with his bony
hands.
"Will help never come?" thought Brace. "Am I to give up life and the
cross as well?"
The next moment he had exerted his little remaining strength, and with a
fierce plunge partly dislodged his foe and turned himself half round
upon his face, so that now he held the cross beneath him, gaining a few
more minutes, in the hope that help might come, when, with a cry of
rage, the man again struck him furiously.
Then there was a moment's reprieve, and half-stunned and totally
helpless, Brace listened; but for a few seconds he could only hear a
horrible singing in his ears. Then he shivered, for the man was doing
something, and Brace's sharpened senses told him that a knife was being
opened by teeth grasping the blade; then he gave a faint, shuddering
struggle, but only to lie passive, as a strange blow fell upon his
unprotected shoulder--a hot, burning blow, accompanied by a deadly, sick
sensation.
It was his last effort, as, struggling round, a light flashed into the
room, and in that one second he saw above his breast the upraised knife
of his adversary. The next instant there was a loud report, followed by
the noise as of thunder in his ears, and then all was blank.
Book 2, Chapter XXIV.