But that door was locked.
Max, with upraised arms, swept the perspiration2 from his brows and eyes; he leant dizzily up against the door which defied him; his mind was working with febrile rapidity. He placed the pistol in his pocket, and, recrossing the room, mounted up again upon the shelves, and crept through into the apartment beyond, from which the yellow hand had protruded3. He dropped, panting, upon the bed, then, eagerly leaping to the door, grasped the handle.
“Pardieu!” he muttered, “it is unlocked!”
Though the light was still burning in this room, the corridor outside was in darkness. He pressed the button of the ingenious lamp which was also a watch, and made for the door communicating with the cave of the dragon. It was readily to be detected by reason of its visible handle; the other doors being externally indistinguishable from the rest of the matting-covered wall.
The cave of the dragon proved to be empty, and in darkness. He ran across its polished floor and opened at random4 the door immediately facing him. A corridor similar to the one which he had just quitted was revealed. Another door was visible at one end, and to this he ran, pulled it open, stepped through the opening, and found himself back in the cave of the dragon!
“Morbleu!” he muttered, “it is bewildering—this!”
Yet another door, this time one of ebony, he opened; and yet another matting-lined corridor presented itself to his gaze. He swept it with the ray of the little lamp, detected a door, opened it, and entered a similar suite5 to those with which he already was familiar. It was empty, but, unlike the one which he himself had tenanted, this suite possessed6 two doors, the second opening out of the bathroom. To this he ran; it was unlocked; he opened it, stepped ahead... and was back again in the cave of the dragon.
“Mon dieu!” he cried, “this is Chinese—quite Chinese!”
He stood looking about him, flashing the ray of light upon doors which were opened and upon openings in the walls where properly there should have been no doors.
“I am too late!” he muttered; “they had information of this and they have 'unloaded.' That they intend to fly the country is proven by their leaving Mrs. Leroux behind. Ah, nom d'un nom, the good God grant that they have left also.”...
Coincident with his thoughts of her, the voice of Helen Cumberly reached his ears! He stood there quivering in every nerve, as: “Help! Help!” followed by a choking, inarticulate cry, came, muffled7, from somewhere—he could not determine where.
But the voice was the voice of Helen Cumberly. He raised his left fist and beat his brow as if to urge his brain to super-activity. Then, leaping, he was off.
Door after door he threw open, crying, “Miss Cumberly! Miss Cumberly! Where are you? Have courage! Help is here!”
But the silence remained unbroken—and always his wild search brought him back to the accursed cave of the golden dragon. He began to grow dizzy; he felt that his brain was bursting. For somewhere—somewhere but a few yards removed from him—a woman was in extreme peril8!
Clutching dizzily at the pedestal of the dragon, he cried at the top of his voice:—
“Miss Cumberly! For the good God's sake answer me! Where are you?”
“Here, M. Max!” he was answered; “the door on your right... and then to your right again—quick! QUICK! Saints! she has killed me!”
Max hurled10 himself through the doorway11 indicated, falling up against the matting wall by reason of the impetus12 of his leap. He turned, leaped on, and one of the panels was slightly ajar; it was a masked door. Within was darkness out of which came the sounds of a great turmoil13, as of wild beasts in conflict.
Max kicked the door fully14 open and flashed the ray of the torch into the room. It poured its cold light upon a group which, like some masterpiece of classic statuary, was to remain etched indelibly upon his mind.
Helen Cumberly lay, her head and shoulders pressed back upon the silken pillows of the bed, with both hands clutching the wrist of the Eurasian and striving to wrench15 the latter's fingers from her throat, in the white skin of which they were bloodily16 embedded17. With his left arm about the face and head of the devilish half-caste, and grasping with his right hand her slender right wrist—putting forth18 all his strength to hold it back—was Gianapolis!
His face was of a grayish pallor and clammy with sweat; his crooked19 eyes had the glare of madness. The lithe20 body of the Eurasian writhing21 in his grasp seemed to possess the strength of two strong men; for palpably the Greek was weakening. His left sleeve was torn to shreds22—to bloody23 shreds beneath the teeth of the wild thing with which he fought; and lower, lower, always nearer to the throat of the victim, the slender, yellow arm forced itself, forced the tiny hand clutching a poniard no larger than a hatpin but sharp as an adder's tooth.
“Hold her!” whispered Gianapolis in a voice barely audible, as Max burst into the room. “She came back for this and... I followed her. She has the strength of... a tigress!”
Max hurled himself into the melee24, grasping the wrist of the Eurasian below where it was clutched by Gianapolis. Nodding to the Greek to release his hold, he twisted it smartly upward.
The dagger25 fell upon the floor, and with an animal shriek26 of rage, the Eurasian tottered27 back. Max caught her about the waist and tossed her unceremoniously into a corner of the room.
Helen Cumberly slipped from the bed, and lay very white and still upon the garish28 carpet, with four tiny red streams trickling29 from the nail punctures30 in her throat. Max stooped and raised her shoulders; he glanced at the Greek, who, quivering in all his limbs, and on the verge31 of collapse32, only kept himself upright by dint33 of clutching at the side of the doorway. Max realized that Gianapolis was past aiding him; his own resources were nearly exhausted34, but, stooping, he managed to lift the girl and to carry her out into the corridor.
“Follow me!” he gasped35, glancing back at Gianapolis; “Morbleu, make an effort! The keys—the keys!”
Laying Helen Cumberly upon one of the raised divans36, with her head resting upon a silken cushion, Max, teeth tightly clenched37 and dreadfully conscious that his strength was failing him, waited for Gianapolis. Out from the corridor the Greek came staggering, and Max now perceived that he was bleeding profusely38 from a wound in the breast.
“She came back,” whispered Gianapolis, clutching at the Frenchman for support... “the hellcat!... I did not know... that... Miss Cumberly was here. As God is my witness I did not know! But I followed... HER—Mahara... thank God I did! She has finished me, I think, but”—he lowered the crooked eyes to the form of Helen Cumberly—“never mind... Saints!”
He reeled and sank upon his knees. He clutched at the edge of his coat and raised it to his lips, wherefrom blood was gushing39 forth. Max stooped eagerly, for as the Greek had collapsed40 upon the floor, he had heard the rattle41 of keys.
“She had... the keys,” whispered Gianapolis. “They have... tabs... upon them... Mrs. Leroux... number 3 B. The door to the stair”—very, very slowly, he inclined his head toward the ebony door near which Max was standing42—“is marked X. The door... at the top—into garage... B.”
“Tell me,” said Max, his arm about the dying man's shoulders—“try to tell me: who killed Mrs. Vernon and why?”
“MR. KING!” came in a rattling43 voice. “Because of the... carelessness of someone... Mrs. Vernon wandered into the room ... of Mrs. Leroux. She seems to have had a fit of remorse44... or something like it. She begged Mrs. Leroux to pull up... before... too late. Ho-Pin arrived just as she was crying to ... Mrs. Leroux... and asking if she could ever forgive her ... for bringing her here.... It was Mrs. Vernon who... introduced Mrs.... Leroux. Ho-Pin heard her... say that she ... would tell... Leroux the truth... as the only means”...
“Yes, yes, morbleu! I understand! And then?”
“Ho-Pin knows... women... like a book. He thought Mrs. Vernon would... shirk the scandal. We used to send our women ... to Nurse Proctor's, then... to steady up a bit... We let Mrs. Vernon go... as usual. The scene with... Mrs. Leroux had shaken... her and she fainted... in the car... Victoria Street.... I was with her. Nurse Proctor had... God! I am dying!... a time with her;... she got so hysterical45 that they had to... detain her... and three days later... her husband died; Proctor, the... fool... somehow left a paper containing the news in Mrs. Vernon's room.... They had had to administer an injection that afternoon... and they thought she was... sleeping.”...
“Directly Ho-Pin heard of Vernon's death, he knew that his hold ... on Mrs. Vernon... was lost.... He... and Mahara... and... MR. KING... drove straight to... Gillingham... Street... to... arrange.... Ah!... she rushed like a mad woman into the street, a moment before... they arrived. A cab was passing, and”...
The Greek's voice grew fainter.
“Mr. King followed... her... upstairs. Too late;... but whilst Leroux was in... Cumberly's flat... leaving door open ... Mr. King went... in... Mahara... was watching... gave signal... whistle... of someone's approach. It was thought... Mr. King... had secured ALL the message... Mrs. Vernon... was... writing.... Mr. King opened the door of ... the lift-shaft... lift not working... climbed down that way... and out by door on... ground floor... when Mr.... the Member of Parliament... went upstairs.”...
“Ah! pardieu! one last word! WHO IS MR. KING?”
Gianapolis lurched forward, his eyes glazing48, half raised his arm—pointing back into the cave of the dragon—and dropped, face downward, on the floor, with a crimson49 pool forming slowly about his head.
An unfamiliar50 sound had begun to disturb the silence of the catacombs. Max glanced at the white face of Helen Cumberly, then directed the ray of the little lamp toward the further end of the apartment. A steady stream of dirty water was pouring into the cave of the dragon through the open door ahead of him.
Into the disc of light, leaped, fantastic, the witch figure of the Eurasian. She turned and faced him, threw up both her arms, and laughed shrilly51, insanely. Then she turned and ran like a hare, her yellow silk dress gleaming in the moving ray. Inhaling52 sibilantly, Max leaped after her. In three strides he found his foot splashing in water. An instant he hesitated. Through the corridor ahead of him sped the yellow figure, and right to the end. The seemingly solid wall opened before her; it was another masked door.
Max crossed the threshold hard upon her heels. Three descending53 steps were ahead of him, and then a long brick tunnel in which swirled54 fully three feet of water, which, slowly rising, was gradually flooding the cave of the dragon.
On went the Eurasian, up to her waist in the flood, with Max gaining upon her, now, at every stride. There was a damp freshness in the air of the passage, and a sort of mist seemed to float above the water. This mist had a familiar smell....
They were approaching the river, and there was a fog to-night!
Even as he realized the fact, the quarry55 vanished, and the ray of light from Max's lamp impinged upon the opening in an iron sluice56 gate. The Eurasian had passed it, but Max realized that he must lower his head if he would follow. He ducked rapidly, almost touching57 the muddy water with his face. A bank of yellow fog instantly enveloped58 him, and he pulled up short, for, instinctively59, he knew that another step might precipitate60 him into the Thames.
He strove to peer about him, but the feeble ray of the lamp was incapable61 of penetrating62 the fog. He groped with his fingers, right and left, and presently found slimy wooden steps. He drew himself closely to these, and directed the light upon them. They led upward. He mounted cautiously, and was clear of the oily water, now, and upon a sort of gangway above which lowered a green and rotting wooden roof.
Obviously, the tide was rising; and, after seeking vainly to peer through the fog ahead, he turned and descended63 the steps again, finding himself now nearly up to his armpits in water. He just managed to get in under the sluice gate without actually submerging his head, and to regain64 the brick tunnel.
He paused for a moment, hoping to be able to lower the gate, but the apparatus65 was out of his reach, and he had nothing to stand upon to aid him in manipulating it.
Three or four inches of water now flooded the cave of the golden dragon. Max pulled the keys from his pocket, and unlocked the door at the foot of the steps. He turned, resting the electric lamp upon one of the little ebony tables, and lifting Helen Cumberly, carried her half-way up the steps, depositing her there with her back to the wall. He staggered down again; his remarkable66 physical resources were at an end; it must be another's work to rescue Mrs. Leroux. He stooped over Gianapolis, and turned his head. The crooked eyes glared up at him deathly.
“May the good God forgive you,” he whispered. “You tried to make your peace with Him.”
The sound of muffled blows began to be audible from the head of the steps. Max staggered out of the cave of the golden dragon. A slight freshness and dampness was visible in its atmosphere, and the gentle gurgling of water broke its heavy stillness. There was a new quality come into it, and, strangely, an old quality gone out from it. As he lifted the lamp from the table—now standing in slowly moving water—the place seemed no longer to be the cave of the golden dragon he had known....
He mounted the steps again, with difficulty, resting his shaking hands upon the walls. Shattering blows were being delivered upon the door, above.
“Dunbar!” he cried feebly, stepping aside to avoid Helen Cumberly, where she lay. “Dunbar!”...
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1
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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6
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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7
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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8
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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9
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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10
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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11
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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12
impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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13
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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14
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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15
wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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16
bloodily
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| adv.出血地；血淋淋地；残忍地；野蛮地 | |
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17
embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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18
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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23
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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24
melee
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| n.混战；混战的人群 | |
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dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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26
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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27
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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28
garish
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| adj.华丽而俗气的，华而不实的 | |
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29
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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30
punctures
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| n.（尖物刺成的）小孔( puncture的名词复数 )；（尤指）轮胎穿孔；（尤指皮肤上被刺破的）扎孔；刺伤v.在（某物）上穿孔( puncture的第三人称单数 )；刺穿（某物）；削弱（某人的傲气、信心等）；泄某人的气 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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35
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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36
divans
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| n.（可作床用的）矮沙发( divan的名词复数 )；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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37
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
profusely
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| ad.abundantly | |
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39
gushing
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| adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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40
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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41
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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42
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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43
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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44
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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45
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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46
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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47
mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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48
glazing
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| n.玻璃装配业；玻璃窗；上釉；上光v.装玻璃( glaze的现在分词 )；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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49
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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50
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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51
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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52
inhaling
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| v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 ) | |
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53
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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54
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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56
sluice
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| n.水闸 | |
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57
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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58
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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60
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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61
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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62
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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63
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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64
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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65
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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66
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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