CHAPTER XI
LOLA TRAPPED
"Fifteen minutes he said." Dr. Crossett glanced up at the clock. "Heshould be here very soon now."
"I cannot see what difference a few minutes can possibly make, nor canI see what this 'plain-clothes man,' as John calls him, can do when hegets here," said Lola impatiently.
"The whole thing seems absurd to me. What can one man do more thananother?"
"I do not like this affair," replied Dr. Crossett. "In Paris I hadmuch to do with the medical side of criminal practice. I made a studyof convicted felons for many years; of their minds, and their bodies.This girl is not of the type. Lola! you have a woman's wit. If she didnot do it, who did?"
He had been walking restlessly back and forth across the room, but ashe asked her this question he stopped in front of her.
"Could it have been anyone beside Maria?"
"She and I were the only ones who knew how to open the safe," Lolaanswered in a perfectly matter-of-fact voice. "Even I did not knowthat there was any money there, and I would not steal your money, forI know that I would only have to ask you for it, and you would give itto me."
"No one but that poor girl," the Doctor sighed. "I liked her. I amsorry, also I am ashamed. I pride myself upon some knowledge ofcharacter, and I have been a fool. In this servant I thought I hadfound a rare type of loyalty, an inborn refinement and delicacy thatsprang from a good heart, making no account of the promptings ofinherited vice, and untouched by the degrading environment of heryouth. Such natures are met, not often, but I thought that hers was ofthat description. Well--I have had many such disappointments. We willtalk no more about it. Come, Martin!"
He went to Dr. Barnhelm, who was seated at the table in an attitude ofutter dejection. "The detective may be able to make her confess; ifnot, we will go to the bank again to-morrow."
Dr. Barnhelm looked up wearily.
"There seems to be some curious fate hanging over my machine, Paul. Ifeel to-night that my work has been a failure."
"A failure! You are dreaming, Martin. See what your work has done."Dr. Crossett pointed to Lola indignantly. "She was dead, and youbrought her back to life."
"What do you mean?" Lola sprang to her feet, facing them, her eyesblazing and her face livid. "What do you mean?"
"Lola!"
"Hush, Paul! She does not know!"
"What is it that I don't know?" There was an awful terror in her voiceand as she faced them, clutching fiercely at her heart, they saw theblood go from her lips, and could hear her teeth chattering togetherconvulsively, so that she could hardly form her words. "What do youmean when you say that I was dead?" She tottered toward them, her armsoutstretched. "No! Don't touch me. Why did you say that I was dead? Iwas hurt, I was unconscious, but I was not dead! Why don't you speak?If I was dead how could I be here? Oh, my God! Why did you say that Iwas dead?"
"Lola! My dear! You do not understand."
"I want to understand! I must! I must!"
"Quick, Martin," Dr. Crossett spoke sharply, his eyes fastened on herface. "Tell her!"
"My experiments have made it possible for me to--to artificiallystimulate the action of the heart. To--practically restore life,within a certain time. You--you have never asked me for the details.There seemed to be no need for you to know."
"The papers said that I was dead! I--I laughed when I read them--wasit true?"
"My child!" Dr. Crossett put his hand gently on her arm. "You mustcontrol yourself."
"Was it true, father? Was it true?'
"Yes. Help her, Paul. Help her!"
Dr. Crossett caught her in his strong arms and, looking into her eyes,spoke soothingly.
"What of it? It is over. You are well now. You are not marked, nothurt. You are as other women."
She threw him off as easily as though he had been a child.
"Am I! Am I! So, I am not hurt; I am as other women?" Then shelaughed.
He had heard laughter of many sorts, this man whose work had for yearstaken him to asylums, to prisons, to locked rooms in stately palaces,rooms where the windows were barred with iron bars; but he had neverheard a laugh like this; it had in it all of mystery of which he hadever known, and something else, some nameless thing that rang in hisears for many years, and that seemed for a moment to stop the beatingof his heart.
Her laughter stopped, and she turned wearily to leave the room, and asshe did so they heard the outside door open, then close with a crash,and John Dorris stood in the doorway, facing her.
"You--you lied to me!"
Dr. Barnhelm stepped forward angrily.
"John!"
John did not turn his head but kept his eyes on her.
"You told me that you spent the afternoon with Dr. Rupert's wife."
"I did."
"I met Rupert in the car. I told him what you said, and he laughed atme. His wife is on her way to Europe."
"No!" Dr. Crossett cried out in denial.
"Why should Rupert tell me so, if it were not true? That is not all.You did not see his wife, Lola, but he saw you. You were atChurchill's restaurant for two hours, with Dick Fenway!"
"No, John!" Dr. Barnhelm caught him by the arm. "What are you saying?"
"The truth! I made him swear to it. He sat only a few feet away fromher. He described her dress; he spoke of telling his friends who shewas, when they remarked upon the splendid jewels she wore about herneck."
"There! He did lie, or he was mistaken. My daughter wears nojewels--you know that, both of you. Just a few little trinkets thatwere her mother's. No jewels; not one!"
"Thank God!" exclaimed Dr. Crossett. "Thank God!"
"I will kill that man! You"--the old man glared at Johncontemptuously--"you, who say you love her--you should have killedhim. She has no jewels--see!"
He put his hand in the safe and drew out Lola's little black jewelbox.
"Here is all she has, all that she ever had. The key, Lola, give methe key."
"Why?"
"I want them to see your poor little trinkets. By God, no man shalldoubt my daughter. Give me the key!"
She looked around for a moment, from one to the other, from John toher father, to Dr. Crossett, to Maria, who had entered the room, andstood looking at her. She was trapped. She knew that there was justone chance, hardly worth the trying.
"I--the key is lost, father."
Dr. Barnhelm did not hesitate. He threw the delicate wooden box to thefloor and dashed his foot down on it. It splintered to pieces.
"There! Look! All of you!"
He pointed to a string of amber, a silver pin, and--
"Look!" John stooped and held up before them the string of flashingdiamonds.
"Lola!" There was agony in the Doctor's voice. "Lola!"
"It--it is not mine."
"It is the box you dropped in here, after you came back from DickFenway. You would not let me see what was in it." John held up thebattered leather box. "See how well it fits these diamonds!"
"Then you did open that safe since the Doctor put the money there!"exclaimed Maria. "I knew you did. You took that money."
"Well, what if I did?" She was at bay now, against them all, and shewas glad of it. "I wanted the money. Could I have asked any of you forit? You are all so good, and so respectable that if I told you Iwanted a pair of decent gloves you'd say it was a sin."
She put out her hand and tore the string of diamonds away from John,and clasped them defiantly about her neck.
"This is mine, and the man who gave it to me will give me as manyothers as I ask of him."
"Lola!" John cried out in horror, but she turned on him fiercely,scornfully.
"Why not? What have you to offer me to compare with what he can giveme? Am I to go on forever, and ever, and ever, living the same life,thinking the same thoughts--always--always--until I die? If that wasto be my life, how dared you bring me back from death, back, with athousand new feelings, and passions, and desires? It was you who gavethem to me."
LOLA BE
GS DICK FENWAY TO TAKE HER AWAY.]
She was leaning forward now, across the table, her eyes glaring at herfather, who sat huddled in his chair, his face slowly changing from alook of shame and agony to one of horror. "You made me what I am. Inyour narrow, rusty lives you, none of you," she turned again to theothers, "know that outside your rotten little world there is a lifethat is all gayety and sunshine. I am going to it. I'm done withyou--all of you!"
Before they could stop her, if any there had dared to stop her, sheleft them. They heard her going down the hall, and heard the doorclose behind her.