Miska entered!
She looked so bewilderingly beautiful that terror and sorrow fled,
leaving Stuart filled only with passionate admiration. She wore an
Eastern dress of gauzy shimmering silk and high-heeled gilt Turkish
slippers upon her stockingless feet. About her left ankle was a gold
bangle, and there was barbaric jewellery upon her arms. She was a
figure unreal as all lose in that house of dreams, but a figure so
lovely that Stuart forgot the yellow flask ... forgot that less than
ten minutes of life remained to him.
"Miska!" he whispered--"Miska!"
She exhibited intense but repressed excitement and fear. Creeping to
the second door--that by which Fo-Hi had gone out--she pressed her
ear to the lacquered panel and listened intently. Then, coming swiftly
to the table, she took up a bunch of keys, approached Stuart and,
kneeling, unlocked the gyves. The scent of jasmine stole to his
nostrils.
"God bless you!" he said with stifled ardour.
She rose quickly to her feet, standing before him with head downcast.
Stuart rose with difficulty. His legs were cramped and aching. He
grasped Miska's hand and endeavoured to induce her to look up. One
swift glance she gave him and looked away again.
"You must go--this instant," she said. "I show you the way. There is
not a moment to lose...."
"Miska!"
She glanced at him again.
"You must come with me!"
"Ah!" she whispered--"that is impossible! Have I not told you so?"
"You have told me, but I cannot understand.
Pages:
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227