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The various profuse growths rendered concealment simple enough if indeed any other concealment were necessary than that which the strangely black night afforded. Just within the evil-smelling thicket we made a half circuit of the building, and stopped. "Look!" whispered Carneta.
He tossed the cigar he had smoked scarce an inch of it into the empty grate. "I'm an Aunt Sally for any man to shy at," he resumed bitterly. "My place henceforth is in the dark. Right! I've finished; the book's closed. From the time I quit England if I can quit I'm on the straight! I've promised Carneta, and I mean to keep my word. See here " Dexter turned to me.
I went downstairs carrying the fatal bag, and rejoined the group in the hall. "He will have to be got to bed," said Carneta, referring to the wounded man; "he will probably remain unconscious for a long time." Accordingly, we took the patient into one of the few furnished bedrooms, and having put him to bed left him in care of the beautiful nurse.
That Carneta shared my doubts and fears was to be read in her face; but her training had been peculiar, I learned, and such as establishes a surprising resoluteness of character. Quite noiselessly she turned the key, and holding a dainty pocket revolver in her hand, pushed the door open slowly! An odour, sickly sweet and vaguely familiar, was borne to my nostrils.
I could not doubt that; for the memory of his beautiful accomplice, Carneta, as I last had seen her, broken-hearted, with her great violet eyes dulled in tearless agony have I not said that it lived with me? Even as the picture of her lovely, pale face presented itself to my mind, the cab was held up by a temporary block in the traffic and my imagination played me a strange trick.
I dare not show the light too long." Darkness followed. I clambered up the bank and sought for the opening of which Carneta had spoken. "The light here a moment," I whispered. "I think I have it!" Out shone the white beam, and momentarily fell upon a black hole in the thickset hedge. The light disappeared, and as I extended my hand to Carneta she grasped it and climbed up beside me.
The price of their simony paid and their vacated offices sold, the pope made his choice of those he was to poison: the number was fixed at three, one old and two new; the old one was Cardinal Casanova, and the new ones Melchiore Copis and Adriano Castellense, who had taken the name of Adrian of Carneta from that town where he had been born, and where, in the capacity of clerk of the chamber, treasurer-general, and secretary of briefs, he had amassed an immense fortune.
For, ignoring the ominous circumstance, I pushed open the nearest window and stepped into the room beyond! A hissing breath from Carneta acknowledged my performance, and she entered close behind me, silent in her rubber-soled shoes. For one thrilling moment we stood listening. Then came the white beam from the electric lamp to cut through the surrounding blackness.
"We'll make a rush for it. We meant to go to-night anyway. It's getting too hot here!" He turned to me. "Sorry to say," he drawled, "I'll have to tie you up and gag you. Apologize; but it can't be helped." Carneta nodded and went out of the room again, to return almost immediately with a line that looked as though it might have been employed for drying washing.
It was the red slipper of the Prophet! "My God!" whispered Carneta "my God!" and clutched at me, swaying dizzily. A few inches from our feet the floor became depressed, how deeply I could not determine, for it was filled with water, water filthy and slimy!
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