FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
--not to tell him--what I have just told you. If he knows I'm trying to get out, he'll stop me. Don't you understand? Oh, don't you understand?" A fury of impatience sounded in her voice; she quivered from head to foot. "He keeps the door," she said. "And he never sleeps. Why, even last night he was there. Didn't you see him? Those dreadful green eyes--like--like a tiger in the dark? Olga--" suddenly and passionately she began to plead "--you won't tell him, dearest! You couldn't be so cruel! Can't you see what it means to me? Don't you realize that it's my better self that's gone? And I've got to follow--I must follow. If he doesn't know, perhaps I shall manage to slip through when he isn't looking. Dear, you wouldn't have me kept a prisoner--against my will? He's so hard, Allegro--so hard and merciless. And he keeps the door so close. I should have got away last night if it hadn't been for him. So you won't tell him, will you? You'll promise me you won't!" Olga listened to the appeal with a heart that seemed turned to stone. She knew not what to say or do. "It's my only chance!" urged Violet, in a voice that was beginning to break. "Oh, how can you hesitate? Are you all in league against me? Allegro! Allegro!" "There, dear, there! It's all right. Don't worry!" Swiftly Olga collected herself and spoke. "There's nothing to be afraid of. No one shall keep you against your will." "You promise, Allegro?" Violet looked at her doubtfully, yet as if she wished to be reassured. "Yes, of course, dear. Now really you must let me go and dress. It's eight o'clock, and I shan't be ready for breakfast." Violet came slowly away from the door. She did not look wholly satisfied, but she said no more; and Olga hastened back to her room with deadly misgiving at her heart. She felt as if there were tragedy in the very air. It seemed to be closing in upon her, a dread mist of unfathomable possibilities. She dressed with nervous haste, and hurried downstairs, wondering a little that Max had not bestirred himself to ascertain the effect of his treatment. She wondered still more when she found him calmly established behind the morning paper in an arm-chair in the dining-room. He laid it aside at her entrance, and rose to greet her. "Well?" he said, with her hand in his. She looked up to find his eyes piercingly upon her. They shone intensely green in the morning light. She removed her hand somewhat abruptly. There wa
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Allegro

 

Violet

 
morning
 

looked

 

promise

 
follow
 

understand

 
deadly
 
satisfied
 

wholly


hastened
 

misgiving

 

unfathomable

 

closing

 

tragedy

 

abruptly

 

reassured

 

slowly

 

possibilities

 
breakfast

nervous
 

dining

 

established

 
piercingly
 
entrance
 

calmly

 

wondering

 
wished
 

downstairs

 

hurried


removed
 

bestirred

 

treatment

 
wondered
 

intensely

 

effect

 

ascertain

 

dressed

 

wouldn

 
manage

prisoner

 
merciless
 

sleeps

 
dearest
 
couldn
 

passionately

 
dreadful
 

realize

 

quivered

 
Swiftly