CHAPTER XIV
"IT MIGHT BE YOU"
Marion caught her breath quickly. The marble pallor of her face showedup more strongly against her dark hair. Geoffrey caught the look and hiseyes grew sympathetic.
"What's the matter, little girl?" he asked. "It isn't like you tofaint."
"Neither am I going to faint, Geoff. But I had forgotten all about thatbox. I cannot go into details, for there are some things that we don'ttalk about to anybody. But that box is connected with rather an unhappytime in my youth."
"Hundreds of years ago," Geoffrey said flippantly.
"Oh, but it is no laughing matter, I assure you. When my mother was achild she was surrounded by all the craft and superstition of her raceand religion. That was long before she got converted and married myfather. I don't know how it was managed, but my mother never quite brokewith her people, and once or twice, when she went to stay in Tibet, Iaccompanied her.
"My mother used to get restless at times, and then nothing would do buta visit to Tibet. And yet, at other times, nobody could possibly havetold her from a European with foreign blood in her veins. For months andmonths she would be as English as you and I. Then the old fit would comeover her.
"There was not a cleverer or more brilliant woman in India than mymother. When she died she gave me these things, and I was not to partwith them. And, much as I should like to disobey, I cannot break thatpromise."
It seemed to Geoffrey that Marion spoke more regretfully than feelingly.He had never heard her say so much regarding her mother before.Affectionate and tender as Marion was, there was not the least trace ofthese characteristics in her tone now.
"Did you really love your mother?" Geoffrey asked suddenly.
"I always obeyed her," Marion stammered. "And I'd rather not discuss thesubject, Geoff. Oh, they were bad people, my mother's ancestors. Theypossessed occult knowledge far beyond anything known or dreamt of by thewisest Western savants. They could remove people mysteriously, theycould strike at a long distance, they could wield unseen terrors. Suchis the terror that hangs over Ravenspur, for instance."
Marion smiled sadly. Her manner changed suddenly and she was her oldself again.
"Enough of horrors," she said. "I came here to help you. Come along."
The boxes were carried below until only the brass-bound one remained.Geoffrey stooped to lift it. The wood was light and thin, the brass-workwas the merest tracing.
A sudden guilty feeling came over Geoffrey as he raised itshoulder-high. He felt half inclined to defy his uncle Ralph and takethe consequences. It seemed a mean advantage, a paltry gratifying ofwhat, after all, might be mere curiosity.
But the vivid recollection of those strained, sightless eyes rose beforehim. Ralph Ravenspur was not the man to possess the petty vice ofirrepressible curiosity. Had it not been a woman he had to deal with,and Marion at that, Geoffrey would not have hesitated for a moment. Downbelow in the hall he heard the hollow rasp of Ralph's voice.
Geoffrey made up his mind grimly. He seemed to stumble forward, and thebox fell from his shoulder, crashing down on the stone floor. The forceof the shock simply shivered it in pieces, a great nest of grass andfeathers dropped out, and from the inside a large mass of strangeobjects appeared.
The force of the shock simply shivered it in pieces, andfrom inside a large mass of strange objects appeared.--Page 78.]
"I am very sorry," Geoffrey stammered after the box had fallen.
"Never mind," she said, "accidents will happen."
But Geoffrey was rapt in the contemplation of what he saw beforehim--some score or more of ivory discs, each of which contained somepainting; many of them appeared to be portraits.
Geoffrey picked up one of them and examined it curiously. He wasregarding an ivory circle with a dark face upon it, the face of abeautiful fury.
"Why, this is you," Geoffrey cried. "If you could only give way to afurious passion, it is you to the life."
"I had forgotten that," Marion gasped. "Of course, it is not me. See howold and stained the ivory is; hundreds of years old, it must be. Don'task any more questions, but go and throw that thing in the sea. Neverspeak of the subject again."
Geoffrey promised. He strode out of the house and along the terrace. Ashe was descending the steps, a hand touched his arm. Ralph stood there.
"Give it me," he said, "at once."
"Give you what, uncle?"
"That ivory thing you have in your pocket. I felt certain it was there.Give it to me. Assume you have cast it over the cliffs. Marion will besatisfied."
"But I promised Marion that----"
"Oh, I know. And if you knew everything, you would not hesitate for amoment to comply with my request."
"Uncle, I cannot do this thing."
A hard expression came over Ralph's face.
"Listen," he said in his rasping voice. "The lives and happiness of usall are at stake. The very existence of the woman you love is in yourhands."
"I have schemed for this," he said. "I expected it. And now you aregoing to balk me. It is not as if I did not know what you possess."
"That is because you must have overheard my conversation with Marion."
"I admit it," Ralph said coolly. "I listened, of course. But you foundit and I heard what I expected. It is for you to say whether the truthcomes out or not."
"The truth, the truth," Geoffrey cried passionately. "It must out."
"Then give me that miniature. I'll ask you on my knees if you like."
There was an imploring ring in the speaker's voice. Geoffrey hesitated.
"If no harm is to come to Marion," he said, "I might break my word."
Ralph gripped him by the arm convulsively.
"I swear it," he whispered. "On my honor be it. Have I not told youbefore that not for all Ravenspur would I have a hair of that girl'shead injured! If ever a man in this world meant anything, I mean that.The miniature, come!"
And Geoffrey, with a sigh, handed the ivory disc to Ralph.