The Mystery of the Ravenspurs Page 8

  CHAPTER VIII

  A MASTER OF FENCE

  Lady Mallowbloom's reception rooms were more than usually crowded. Andevery other man or woman in the glittering salon was a celebrity. Therewas a strong sprinkling of the aristocracy to leaven the lump; here andthere the flash of red cloth and gold could be seen.

  In his quiet, masterly style Tchigorsky pushed his way up the stairs.Ralph Ravenspur followed, his hand upon the Russian's arm. He could feelthe swish of satin draperies go by him; he caught the perfume on thewarm air.

  "Why do you drag me here?" he grumbled. "I can see nothing; it onlybewilders me. I should have been far happier in your study."

  "You mope too much," Tchigorsky said gaily. "To mingle with one'sfellows is good at times. I know so many people who are here to-night."

  "And I know nobody; add to which circumstances compel me to be dumb.Place me in some secluded spot with my back to the wall, and then enjoyyourself for an hour. I dare say I shall manage to kill the time."

  There were many celebrities in the brilliantly-lighted room, andTchigorsky indicated a few. A popular lady novelist passed on the arm ofa poet on her way to the buffet.

  "A wonderful woman," the fair authoress was saying. "Eastern and full ofmystery, you know. Did you notice the eyes of the Princess?"

  "Who could fail to?" was the reply. "They say that she is quite five andforty, and yet she would easily pass for eighteen, but for herknowledge of the world. Your Eastern Princess is one of the mostfascinating women I have even seen."

  Others passed, and had the same theme. Ralph stirred to a faintcuriosity.

  "Who is the new marvel?" he asked.

  "I don't know," Tchigorsky admitted. "The last new lion, I suppose. Somepretty Begum or the wife of some Oriental whose dark eyes appear to havefired society. By the crowd of people coming this way I presume thedusky beauty is among them. If so, she has an excellent knowledge ofEnglish."

  A clear, sweet voice arose. At the first sound of it, Ralph jumped tohis feet and clutched at his throat as if something choked him. He shookwith a great agitation; a nameless fear had him in a close grip.

  "Do you recognize the voice?" Ralph gasped.

  The Russian was not unmoved. But his agitation was quickly suppressed.He forced Ralph down in his seat again.

  "You will have to behave better than that if you are to be a trusty allyof mine," he said. "Come, that is better! Sit still; she is coming thisway."

  "I'm all right now," Ralph replied. "The shock of finding myself in thepresence of Princess Zara was overpowering. Have no fear for me."

  A tall woman, magnificently dressed, was making her way towardsTchigorsky. Her face was the hue of old ivory, and as fine; her greatlustrous eyes gleamed brightly; a mass of hair was piled high on adaintily poised head. The woman might have been extremely young so faras the touch of time was concerned, but the easy self-possession toldanother tale.

  The red lips tightened for an instant, a strange gleam came into thedark magnetic eyes as they fell upon Tchigorsky. Then the IndianPrincess advanced with a smile, and held out her hand to the Russian.

  "So you are still here!" she said.

  There was the suggestion of a challenge in her tones. Her eyes metthose of Tchigorsky as the eyes of two swordsmen might meet. There was atigerish playfulness underlying the words, a call-note of significantwarning.

  "I still take the liberty of existing," said Tchigorsky.

  "You are a brave man, doctor. Your friend here?"

  "Is my cousin Nicholas Tchigorsky? The poor fellow is blind and dumb, asthe result of a terrible accident. Best not to notice him."

  The Princess shrugged her beautiful shoulders as she dropped gracefullyinto a seat.

  "I heard you were in London," she said, "and something told me that weshould meet sooner or later. You are still interested in occultmatters?"

  Again Ralph detected the note of warning in the speech. He could seenothing of the expression on that perfect face; but he could judge itfairly well.

  "I am more interested in occult matters than ever," Tchigorsky saidgravely, "especially in certain discoveries placed in my hands by atraveler in Tibet."

  "I am more interested in occult matters than ever,"Tchigorsky said gravely, "especially in certain discoveries placed in myhands by a traveler in Thibet."--Page 43.]

  "Ah, that was your fellow-countryman. He died, you know!"

  "He was murdered in the vilest manner. But before the end, he managed toconvey important information to me."

  "Useless information unless you had the key."

  "There was one traveler who found the key, you remember?"

  "True, doctor. He also, I fancy, met with an accident that,unfortunately, resulted in his death."

  Ralph shuddered slightly. Princess Zara's tones were hard as steel. Ifshe had spoken openly and callously of this man being murdered, shecould not have expressed the same thing more plainly. A beautiful woman,a fascinating one; but a woman with no heart and no feeling where herhatreds were concerned.

  "It is just possible I have the key," said Tchigorsky.

  The eyes of the Princess blazed for a moment. Then she smiled.

  "Dare you use it?" she asked. "If you dare, then all the secrets ofheaven and hell are yours. For four thousand years the priests of thetemple at Lassa and the heads of my family have solved the future. Youknow what we can do. We are all powerful for evil. We can strike downour foes by means unknown to your boasted Western science. They are allthe same to us, proud potentate, ex-meddling doctor."

  There was a menace in the last words. Tchigorsky smiled:

  "The meddling doctor has already had personal experience," he said. "Icarry the marks of my suffering to the grave. I remember how yourpeasants treated me and this does not tend to relax my efforts."

  "And yet you might die at any moment. If you persist in your studies youwill have to die. The eyes of Western men must not look upon the secretsof the priests of Lassa and live. Be warned, Dr. Tchigorsky, be warnedin time. You are brave and clever, and as such command respect. If youknow everything and proclaim it to the world----"

  "Civilization will come as one man, and no stone in Lassa shall stand onanother. Your priests will be butchered like wild beasts; an infernalplague spot will be wiped off the face of the outraged earth!"

  The Princess caught her breath swiftly. Just for one moment there wasmurder in her eyes. She held her fan as if it were a dagger ready forthe Russian's heart.

  "Why should you do this thing?" she asked.

  "Because your knowledge is diabolical," Tchigorsky replied. "In thefirst place, all who are in the secret can commit murder with impunity.As the Anglo-Saxon pushes on to the four corners of the earth thatknowledge must become public property. I am going to stop that if Ican."

  "And if you die in the meantime? You are bold to rashness. And yetthere are many things that you do not know."

  "The longer I live, the more glaring my ignorance becomes. I do not knowwhence you derive your perfect mastery of the English tongue. But I doknow that I am going to see this business through."

  "Man proposes, but the arm of the priests is long."

  "Ah, I understand. I may die to-night. I should not mind. Still, let usargue the matter out. Say that I have already solved the problem. Iwrite a detailed account of the whole weird business. I write twentydetailed statements; I enclose the key in each. These statements Iaddress to a score of the leading savants in Europe.

  "Then I place them in, say, a safe deposit until my death. I write toeach of those wise men a letter with an enclosure not to be opened tillI die. That enclosure contains a key to my safe, and presently in thatsafe all those savants find a packet addressed to themselves. In a weekall Europe would ring with my wonderful discoveries. Think of theoutcry, the wrath, the indignation!"

  The Princess smiled. She could appreciate a stratagem like this. Withdull, stolid and averted face, Ralph Ravenspur listened and wondered. Heheard the laugh that came from the
lips of the Princess; he detected thevexation underlying it. Tchigorsky was a foeman worthy of her steel.

  "That you propose to do?" she asked.

  "A question you will pardon me for not answering," said Tchigorsky. "Youhave made your move and I have made mine. Whether I am going to do thething, or whether I have done so, remains to be seen. Whether you darerisk my death now is a matter for you to decide. Check to your king."

  Again the Princess smiled. She looked searchingly into Tchigorsky'sface, as if she would fain read his very soul. But she saw nothing therebut the dull eyes of a man who keeps his feelings behind a mask. Then,with a flirt of her fan and a more or less mocking curtsey, she turnedto go.

  "You are a fine antagonist," she said; "but I do not admit yet that youare a check to my king. I shall find a way. Good-night!"

  She turned and plunged into the glittering crowd, and was seen no more.A strange fit of trembling came over Ravenspur as Tchigorsky led himout.

  "That woman stifles me," he said. "If she had only guessed who had beenseated so near to her! Tchigorsky, you played your cards well."

  Tchigorsky smiled.

  "I was glad of that opportunity," he said. "She meant to have memurdered; but she will hesitate for a time. We have one greatadvantage--we know what we have to face and she does not. The men are onthe board, the cards are on the table. It is you and I against PrincessZara and the two priests of the temple of Lassa. And we play for thelives of a good and innocent family."

  "We do," Ralph said grimly. "But why--why does this fascinating Asiaticcome all those miles to destroy one by one a race that she can scarcelyhave heard of? Why does she do it, Tchigorsky?"

  "You have not guessed who the Princess is, then?"

  Tchigorsky bent down and whispered three words in Ralph's ear. And notuntil Brant Street was reached had Ralph come back from his amazement tothe land of speech.