CHAPTER XI.
THE TRUTH.
His first impulse was to follow her. Then he stopped and stood waitingfor the man. The man did not come.
"Where is he? who is he?" speculated Berlin.
After a time Carson turned toward the house.
"She's in her room long ere this," he thought.
But close by the wall a shadow lingered, and, as he approached, thisshadow suddenly moved forward and confronted him.
"What is it you do here?" demanded the voice of Lizette. "I know you seeme. I know you hear sometheeng. Why you watch me? _Mon Dieu!_ would youhurt a poor girl?"
Carson took a firm grip on himself and was deliberate in speaking.
"Why should I wish to hurt you?" he asked. "You have done no harm, haveyou?"
"Oh, no, no, no! I haf done notheeng!"
"Then why do you fear?"
"You watch me. You follaire me."
"If you have done nothing wrong, you need not fear to be watched."
"But it is not honerable to play ze spy on a girl."
"I did not do so intentionally. I could not sleep, and I came out hereto get the air. It was wholly by chance that I ran across you. Who waswith you?"
"No one, monsieur."
"Tell me the truth," commanded Berlin, still in that calm, deliberatetone.
"It is ze truth."
"Think again. You place me in the awkward position of contradicting alady. You were talking with a man."
"No."
"But I heard him."
"What deed you hear?" she fiercely demanded, as she clutched his arm."Tell me what deed you hear heem say?"
"Then you acknowledge there was a man?"
"Oh, what is ze use to deny! _Oui_, _oui_, zere was ze man!"
"Who is he?"
"Perhap maybe he is my lovaire. Perhap he has promised me to marry."
For one instant Berlin seemed on the point of losing all his assumedself-control. His hands shook, and he made a move as if he would seizeher roughly. He checked this movement just in time.
"Your lover, eh?" he said. "Well, what sort of a lover is he who meetsyou in this sort of a manner at night? Why doesn't he see you like aman, instead of sneaking around this way? Your lover, girl? What righthave you to have a lover other than myself? You call yourself Lizette,and you speak with an accent, but I know you are Bessie King. I didthink I might be mistaken, but now I'm positive there is no mistake. Iam right. You are Bessie!"
She threw back her head and laughed softly.
"I hear ze madame say you are not well, monsieur," she said. "I theenkze madame is right. It must be een your head. I am vary, vary sorree foryou. You should not become so much excited."
"I knew you were a wonderful actress, Bessie, but you astonish me still.When you lived on the Flying Dollars Ranch you took delight in acting apart."
"What is ze Flying Dollairs Ranch?"
He paid no heed to the question.
"Yes, you were a great actress even then," he went on. "Colonel King hada beautiful daughter, and he was supposed to have a son--a harum-scarum,reckless lad, who went galloping over the ranges with the cowboys, ropedcattle, took part in round-ups, and did all sorts of things like that.This boy was known as Tom King. Colonel King's foreman, Injun Jack, hada grudge against Frank Merriwell and swore to kill him. He found hisopportunity and attempted to shoot Merriwell. In order to saveMerriwell's life young Tom King shot Injun Jack. It was thought thatJack had been instantly killed. But while Colonel King lay dying a fewhours later and Tom King was weeping over his father, Injun Jackappeared and made a revelation that astounded every one. The boy who hadbeen known by that name was Bessie King, the colonel's daughter. You arethat girl."
Again Lizette tried to force a laugh.
"It is so strange a crazee notion," she said.
"Why keep it up?" demanded Berlin. "You must realize you cannot fool me,even though, by the change in your appearance, by doing your hair in apeculiar manner, penciling your eyebrows and staining your skin, youhave deceived Merriwell himself. He did not know you as I knew you. Lookat me, Bessie. Have your eyes shown you no change in me? Have you notseen how altered I have become since your disappearance? I never knewhow much I loved you until you had vanished and I could not find you. Ihave searched everywhere, and every hour since your vanishing has beenan hour of restless torture for me. It seems to me that I loved you,Bessie, as no man ever loved a girl before. You gave me no opportunityto declare my love, but I declare it now. It's as strong as it wasthen--and stronger. I swore I would find you some time. I vowed youshould be mine. I have found you, and I intend to keep that vow. What'sthis, little girl--you're weeping? You won't deny me longer? You areBessie--Bessie, my own!"
"Yes," she answered chokingly, "I am Bessie!"