known what I was going in for, I would neverhave yielded to Jaques' entreaties," she said.
"You never quite know what you will be landed in when you embark inthese enterprises," answered the young man lightly. "Well, now tobusiness. You still want to be absent from that meeting to-night?"
"If it is possible."
"It is quite possible, but you will have to rely on me, and you willalso have to be very brave."
He drew out of his pocket a small, dark-coloured phial, and held it tothe light.
"You see that?" he asked. "Well, this is going to be your salvation."
She shivered again; her nerves were very much out of order this morning,but she began to have an idea of what he was driving at.
"This is the secret, then, that you would not tell me last night. Ihave got to drink that."
Moreno nodded. "Yes, if you are still in the same mind as you wereyesterday. In my very early youth I was apprenticed to a chemist. Ivery soon began to acquire a wide knowledge of drugs, and theirproperties."
They had been standing up to the present. Moreno pointed to a sofa.
"We can talk more easily if we sit. I have mixed you here a perfectlysafe compound, which I want you to drink before I leave, so that I cantake away the bottle; I would prefer it was not left lying about, youunderstand."
She looked at him with eyes that expressed a great dread. "What effectwill it have?"
"I tell you frankly, about six or seven o'clock you will feel very ill,very faint. Those effects will last for the best part of twelve hours.A few hours after that, you will be yourself again."
She looked at him narrowly. A dark wave of suspicion had suddenlyflowed over her mind. She was sure, with a woman's certain intuition,that he was greatly attracted by her. Still, she knew nothing of him.
He had always said he was a true son of the Revolution, although she hadsomewhat distrusted the sincerity of that statement. Had he, out ofloyalty to the Cause, revealed her perfidy to the others, and was hedeputed by them to poison her, under the specious pretext of falling inwith her wishes?
He read her dark, suspicious thoughts as easily as he would have read anopen book. He spoke very gently, very tenderly. She had never appealedto him more than at this moment, with her pallid cheeks, the hauntingdread in her eyes.
"My dear, you do not trust me, I can see. Your mind is full of doubt.Well,"--he stooped and kissed her--"I can only swear by everything Ihold holy and sacred that I would not harm a hair of your head."
No man could lie so convincingly as that. She reached out her hand forthe phial, then quickly drew it back.
"I am afraid, dreadfully afraid," she murmured in a low voice. "I don'tknow which to choose--to do as you tell me, or to go to that dreadfulplace."
"You must do as you please." He was still very patient, but she noticedthere was certain coldness in his tones.
She rose and walked about the room, wringing her hands. Her faith inhim had come back, but she was still terribly afraid.
"It is early yet," said Moreno presently. "You have plenty of time tosend round for Contraras and throw yourself on his compassion. Implorehim not to compel you to assist at the condemnation, perhaps theexecution, of a man who was once your lover. He might give way."
"The last thing he would do. He would think it a grand opportunity toshow my fidelity to the Cause. He would let nothing stand in the way ifit were his own case."
"I agree with you now, as I agreed before when we discussed the samesubject. Well, you must make up your mind. Take this, or wait here andcome with Alvedero to-night."
She was still wavering, torn between faith and doubt. "But you said youcould save Guy Rossett? Is there any doubt of that?"
And Moreno, out of his pity for the woman, out of the attraction shepossessed for him, spoke more plainly than he had intended.
"There is great doubt of it. But even if I could save Guy Rossett, Idoubt if I could save you. I might just manage to save myself."
And then, in a flash, she understood, and she doubted him no longer.
"I think I see it all now. You are no more a true son of the Cause thanI am a true daughter. I sold their secrets for money. You would betraythem for the same or other reasons."
Moreno did not answer the question directly. He simply held out thephial towards her. "Will you drink this or not?"
She took it from him with a hand that no longer trembled. "Yes. Ibelieve you now. I will drink it. Tell me what I am to do, how I am toact when it begins to take effect!"
"Do nothing; just go to the sofa and lie down. In a few minutes youwill be in a stupor, unconscious of everything and everybody. Yourlandlady may come up; she can act as she pleases; send for a doctor ornot. Probably nobody will come near you till Alvedero arrives. When hesees you there he can act as he pleases too. Anyway, he cannot staylong, because he will be due at the brotherhood, to whom he will bringthe report of your sudden indisposition."
"And if the doctor comes, will he not guess?"
"_Dios_!" cried Moreno, relapsing for a moment into Spanish. "You willbe all right again long before the doctor has picked out your complaintfrom a dozen others that present similar symptoms." She pulled the corkfrom the phial, and sniffed the contents. "There is no odour about it,"she said.
"Not the slightest," said Moreno quietly. "I took very good care ofthat. I think if the doctor does come, he will be a bit puzzled."
She drank it down at a draught, then handed the bottle back to hervisitor.
"I am an adventuress, and you are--well--a sort of adventurer," shesaid, with a half smile. "Well, you see, I have given you a proof of myfaith in you."
Moreno put the phial into his pocket, and held out his hand.
"Good-bye, for the present."
"Shall I see you to-morrow?" asked Violet, as she walked with him to thedoor. "You say after about twelve hours I shall be myself again."
"Certainly," answered Moreno in his gayest tones. Yes, whateverbetided, he would certainly see her to-morrow. Her trust in him hadmade her more attractive than ever.
On the whole, he thought he had done the best for her. Once he hadthought of getting the Spanish police to arrest her on some falsecharge, with the view of letting her go as soon as all danger was past.But this method did not appeal to him very greatly. The police would beglad enough to get her into their clutches, but they might not care tolet her go so easily. Too much explanation might be necessary, in thefirst instance.
And he always had to adapt his policy to the view of what questionsmight be asked in London. The tale she could tell now would be a verysimple one. She had been attacked in the evening by a sudden seizure,had relapsed into unconsciousness, and been oblivious of everything tillthe next day.
That evening, at a few minutes past nine, Alvedero knocked at the doorof the mean house. When the landlady opened it, he perceived that shewas in a great state of agitation.
"Oh, senor, something terrible has happened. I went up to madame's roomsome twenty minutes ago to take her her light supper. She was lyingunconscious on the sofa, and she has not stirred since."
Alvedero bounded up the stairs, entered the room, and gazed on themotionless form. At first he thought she was dead, but, on placing hishand on her heart, he could feel it beating.
"She looks as if she were dying. Have you sent for a doctor?"
"Yes. After I found that I could not pull her round, I sent my husbandto fetch the first one he could find."
Alvedero reflected as to his course of action. Humanity suggested thathe should stay by the side of the insensible woman till the doctorarrived and gave his opinion as to her condition. But humanity was nota particular trait of the brotherhood, and Alvedero had less of it thanmost of his colleagues. He had arrived five minutes late, he had spentanother five minutes here. If he left at once, he would still bekeeping his colleagues waiting.
Besides, what good could he do? If the woman were not dying, as hebelieve
d she was, it must be hours before she recovered. The tribunalmust sit without her. The sooner he went and informed them of thatfact, the better.
He turned towards the door, and spoke a few parting words to thelandlady.
"Don't leave her till the doctor comes. Obey whatever instructions hegives promptly. I will see that you are rewarded for your trouble. Iwill look in again, in two or three hours from now. Please sit up forme."
He walked a few yards down the street, where a cab was waiting. Heentered it, and was driven rapidly towards an obscure portion of thetown.
Half an hour later, Isobel was sitting in the drawing-room alone. Herhost and hostess had gone on a visit to some friends who lived near.Guy had not been able to see her during the day, as he had been