THE COUNTESS' DIAMOND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 27 February 1907, Page 4

THE COUNTESS' DIAMOND.

(Continued). {i The pock-marked man came across the floor, and laid a hand on the bodice of her dress. She shrank away from him. " I know what you mean," she said, " but I will not have you touch me before it is necessary.'' And then before them all she stripped off her upper garments, and of ter own accord went and stood against the up-ended sofa. The pock-marked man came up with the- lashings, and mado her fast, knot by knot. A pink colour rose up under her ivory skin, which deepened as he worked. The fellow finished at last, picked iip the knout and Btepped back, looking up for orders. Parloff, white to the lips, sat in his chair without I word. No one spoke, no one mov ■ i and the laboured breathing of the Countess fell clearly upon my ear where I stood behind the gap of the bedroom door. The pock-marked man coughed. Parloff gave a deep sigh, nodded, shut his eyes, and sank his chin upon his chest. The pock-marked man straightened out the knout with his fingers, threw the lash behind his showlder, and then swung it with horrid force on to the comely bare back of the woman before him. The metal rings threw up spurts of blood from where they fell, the thongs almost buried themselves in the soft flesh, but the Countess uttered no sound. Her head dropped. She had fainted. Then a surprising thing happened. Colonel Biene shot out his fist, and the pock-marked man flew backwards across half the room and lay on the carpet like a pole-axed bullock. Dimitri at the same moment jumped to his feet, and I saw that there was a revolver in his hand.

" I can't stand this," he cried. "It has got to stop, and if there is any one who calls himself a man here he will help me."

The Englishman jumped to his feet with shut fists. " By God, yes," he said, " I'm there, too." Parloff raised his head wearily. "Do you suppose I like it either ? " he asked. " But we are not individuals here. We are simply items iu the machinery of the Cause. And it is our duty—"

The M.P. interrupted him rudely. " The sacred Cause be dammed," he said. " I have endured most things for it; I have rubbed my shoulders with hall the scum of Russia for its sake; I have got myself disliked by every decent man who knew me here in England; and I have never grumbled till now." —He wagged a forefinger at the Countess' back.—" But this is too much. Brutes who will do that to a woman aren't fit to live, and there's my opinion of the lot of you. Now wade in and murder me if you like." No one 6tirred.

" Very well," he said, and opened his pen-knife, " Now I am going to cut loose the ropes by which this lady is tied up, and then I shall ring for her maid. If any of you want to wait and give explanations, you can do so, but for myself I am sufficiently ashamed to have a wish never to see this hotel or any of you again." He turned to the upright sofa and began to haggle at the ropes with his knife. The other men in the room began hurriedly collecting their hats and cloaks. One by one they went out into the passage, till the rank and file had all departed; and then Parloff went with the pock-marked man on his arm, and then Dimitri followed with Colonel Biene, till at last only the Englishman was left with his finger upon the bell-push. He was not two seconds behind the others, and the Countess lay insensible on the floor as the only occupant of the room.

At any moment the maid might come, but till she arrived the place was empty of any one who could interfere. With a thumping heart J darted across the floor and gained the corridor outside. The last of the Nihilists was just turning down the stair.

I was a free man still, and a gush of joy should have filled me when I remembered that I had failed to become a thief. But, on my soul, I could not help regretting those diamonds wh eh had been left behind. Indeed if the Countess had not proved herself so monstrous plucky, I am sure I should have taken them. But, as it was, I have never seen either her or the jewels since, or even heard of them, because I made another attempt to recruit my vanished tunds that night, which compelled me to leave the hotel next morning without beat of drum. THE ENF