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〃To save a soul； Boris … the boy's。 When I fiddled his uncle forgot
to drag him into an orgy。 Ah； yes； I fiddled； fiddled because I had
promised his mother！〃
〃The Italian singer！ She was lucky to die when she did。 She did
not see the torch； the bayonet； and the mud。 But the boy did … with
his English accent！ How he escaped I don't know； but he died
to…night； and the emeralds are in my pocket。 See！〃 Karlov held
the instrument close to the other's face。 〃Look at it well； this
grand duke of fiddles。 Look； fiddler； look！〃
The huge hands pressed suddenly。 There was brittle crackling； and
a rare violin became kindling。 A sob broke from the prisoner's lips。
What to Karlov was a fiddle to him was a soul。 He saw the madman
fling the wreckage to the floor and grind his heels into the
fragments。 Gregor shut his eyes； but he could not shut his ears；
and he sensed in that cold； demoniacal fury of the crunching heel
the rising of maddened peoples。
CHAPTER X
Meanwhile ；Captain Harrison of the Medical Corps entered the
Conover apartment briskly。
〃You old vagabond； what have you been up to？ I beg pardon！〃 … as
he saw Kitty emerge from behind Cutty's bulk。
〃This is Miss Conover； Harrison。〃
〃Very pleased； I'm sure。 Luckily my case was in the coat room at
the club。 I took the liberty of telephoning for Miss Frances； who
returned on the same ship with me。 I concluded that your friend
would need a nurse。 Let me have a look at him。〃
Callously but lightly and skillfully the surgeon examined the
battered head。 〃Escaped concussion by a hair； you might say。
Probably had his cap on。 That black eye； though； is an older
affair。 Who is he？〃
〃I suspect he's some political refugee。 We don't know a thing about
him otherwise。 How soon can he be moved？〃
〃He ought to be moved at once and given the best of care。〃
〃I can give him that in my eagle's nest。 Harrison； this chap's life
is in danger； and if we get him into my lofty diggings they won't be
able to trace him。 Not far from here there's a private hospital I
know。 It goes through from one street to the next。 I know the
doctor。 We'll have the ambulance carry the patient there； but at
the rear I'll have one of the office newspaper trucks。 And after a
little wait we'll shoot the stretcher into the truck。 The police
will not bother us。 I've seen to that。 I rather believe it falls
in with some of my work。 The main idea； of course； is to rid Miss
Conover of any trouble。〃
〃Just as you say；〃 agreed the surgeon。 〃That's all I can do for
the present。 I'll run down to the entrance and wait for The nurse。〃
〃Will he live？〃 asked Kitty。
〃Of course he will。 He is in good physical condition。 Imagine he
has simply been knocked out。 Serious only if unattended。 Your
finding him probably saved him。 Twelve hours will tell the story。
May be on his feet inside a week。 Still； it would be advisable to
keep him in bed as long as possible。 Fagged out； I should say；
from that beard。 I'll go down and wait for Miss Frances。〃
〃And ring three tunes when you return；〃 advised Cutty。
〃All right。 Did they try to strangle him or did he have something
round his neck？〃
〃Hanged if I know。〃
〃All out of the room now。 I want it dark。 Just as soon as the
nurse arrives I'll return。 Three rings。〃 Harrison left the
apartment。
Cutty spent a few minutes at the telephone； then he joined Kitty
in the living room。
〃Kitty； what was the stranger like？〃
〃Like a gorilla。 He spoke English as if he had a cold。〃
Cutty scowled into space。 〃Have a scar over an eyebrow？〃
〃Good gracious； I couldn't tell！ Both his eyes were black and his
nose banged dreadfully。 Johnny Two…Hawks probably did it。〃
〃Bully for Two…Hawks！ Kitty； you're a marvel。 Not a flivver from
the start。 And those slate…blue eyes of yours don't miss many
things。〃
〃Listen！〃 she interrupted； taking hold of his sleeve。 〃Hear it？〃
〃Only the Elevated。〃
〃Tumpitum…tump！ Tumpitum…tump！ Cutty； you hypnotized me this
afternoon with your horrid drums。〃
〃The emeralds？〃 He managed to repress the start。
〃I don't know what it is； drums； anyhow。 Maybe it is the emeralds。
Something has been happening ever since you told me about them … the
misery and evil that follow their wake。〃
〃But the story goes that women are immune； Kitty。〃
〃Nonsense！ No woman is immune where a wonderful gem is concerned。
And yet I've common sense and humour。〃
〃And a lot more besides； Kitty。 You're a raving； howling little
beauty； and how you've remained out of captivity this long is a
puzzler to me。 Haven't you got a beau somewhere？〃
〃No； Cutty。 Perhaps I'm one of those who are quite willing to wait
patiently。 If the one I want doesn't come … why； I'll be a jolly；
philosophical old maid。 No seconds or culls for me； as the magazine
editor says。〃
〃Exactly what do you want？〃 Cutty was keenly curious； for some
reason he could not define。 He did not care for diamonds as stones；
but he admired any personality that flashed differently from each
new angle exposed。
〃Oh； a man； among other things。 I don't mean one of those godlike
chromos in the frontispiece of popular novels。 He hasn't got to be
handsome。 But he must be able to laugh when he's happy； when he's
hurt。 I must be his business in life。 He must know a lot about
things I know。 I want a comrade who will come to me when he has a
joke or an ache。 A gay man and whimsical。 The law can make any
man a husband； but only God can make a good comrade。〃
〃Kitty；〃 said Cutty； his fine eyes sparkling； 〃I shan't have to
watch over you so much as I thought。 On the other hand； you have
described me to a dot。〃
〃Quite possibly。 Vanity has its uses。 It keeps us in contact with
bathtubs and nice clothes。 I imagine that you would make both
husband and comrade； or you would have； twenty years ago〃 … without
intentional cruelty。 Wasn't Cutty fifty…two？
〃Kitty； you've touched a vital point。 It took those twenty years
to make me companionable。 Experience is something we must buy； it
isn't left in somebody's will。 Let us say that I possess all the
necessary attributes save one。〃
〃And what is that？〃
〃Youth； Kitty。 And take the word of a senile old dotard； your young
man； when you find him； will lack many of the attributes you require。
On the other hand； there is always the possibility that these will
develop as you jog along。 The terrible pity of youth is that it has
the habit of conferring these attributes rather than finding them。
You put garlands on the heads of snow images； and the first glare of
sunshine … pouf！〃
〃Cutty； I'm beginning to like you immensely〃 … smiling。 〃Perhaps
women ought to have two husbands … one young and handsome and the
other old and wise like yourself。〃
Cutty wished he were alone in order to analyze the stab。 Old！ When
he knew that mentally and physically he could take and break a dozen
Two…Hawks。 Old！ He had never thought himself that。 Fifty…two
years； they had piled up on him without his appreciation of the
fullness of the score。 And yet he was more than a match for any
ordinary man of thirty in sinew and brain； and no man met the new
morning with more zest than he himself met it。 But to Kitty he was
old！ Lavender and oak leaves were being draped on his door knob。
He laughed。
〃Why do you laugh？〃
〃Oh； because … Hark！〃
The two of them ran to the bedroom door。
〃Olga！ Olga！〃 And then a guttural level jumble of sounds。
Kitty's quick brain reached out for a similitude … water rushing
over ragged boulders。
〃Olga！〃 she whispered。 〃He is a Russian！〃
〃There are Serbian Olgas and Bulgarian Olgas and Rumanian Olgas。
Probably his sweetheart。〃
〃The poor thing！〃
〃Sounds like Russian；〃 added Cutty； his conscience pricking him。
But he welcomed that 〃Olga。〃 It would naturally put a damper on
Kitty's interest。 〃There's Harrison with the nurse。
Quarter of an hour later the patient was taken down to the ambulance
and conveyed to the private hospital。 Cutty had no way of
ascertaining whether they were followed； but he hoped they would be。
The knowledge that their victim was in a near…by hospital would
naturally serve to relax the enemy vigilance temporarily； and this
would permit safely and secretly the second leg of the journey … that
to his own apartment。
He decided to let an hour go past； then Two…Hawks was taken through
the building to the rear and transferred to the truck。 Cutty sat
with the driver while Captain Harrison and the nurse rode inside
with the patient。
On the way Cutty was rather disturbed by the deep impression Kitty
Conover had made upon his heart and mind。 That afternoon he had
looked upon her with fatherly condescension； as the pretty daughter
of the two he had loved most。 From the altitude of his fifty…two
he had gazed down upon her twenty…four； weighing her as like all
young women of twenty…four … pleasure…loving and beau…hunting and
fashion…scorched； and in a flash she had revealed the formed mind
of a woman of thirty。 Altitude。 He had forgotten that relative
to altitudes there are always two angles of vision … that from the
summ