The Lone Wolf by Louis Joseph Vance (ebook reader browser txt) đ
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parted its draperies, and peered out, over the little garden and
through the iron ribs of the gate, to the street, where a single
gas-lamp, glimmering within a dull golden halo of mist, made visible
the scant length of the impasse Stanislas, empty, rain-swept, desolate.
The rain persisted with no hint of failing purposeâŠ.
Something in the dreary emptiness of that brief vista deepened the
shadow in his mood and knitted a careworn frown into his brows.
Abstractedly he sought the kitchen and, making a light, washed up at
the tap, then foraged for breakfast. Persistence turned up a
spirit-stove, a half-bottle of methylated, a packet of tea, a tin or
two of biscuit, as many more of potted meats: left-overs from the
artistâs stock, dismally scant and uninviting in array. With these he
made the discovery that he was half-famished, and found no reason to
believe that the girl would be in any better case. An expedition to the
nearest charcuterie was indicated; but after he had searched for and
found an old raincoat of Solonâs, Lanyard decided against leaving the
girl alone. Pending her appearance, he filled the spirit-stove, put the
kettle on to boil, and lighting a cigarette, sat himself down to watch
the pot and excogitate his several problems.
In a fashion uncommonly clear-headed, even for him, he assembled all
the facts bearing upon their predicament, his and Lucia Bannonâs,
jointly and individually, and dispassionately pondered themâŠ.
But insensibly his thoughts reverted to their exotic phase of his
awakening, drifting into such introspection as he seldom indulged, and
led him far from the immediate riddle, by strange ways to a revelation
altogether unpresaged and a resolve still more revolutionary.
A look of wonder flickered in his brooding eyes; and clipped between
two fingers, his cigarette grew a long ash, let it fall, and burned
down to a stump so short that the coal almost scorched his flesh. He
dropped it and crushed out the fire with his heel, all unwittingly.
Slowly but irresistibly his world was turning over beneath his feetâŠ.
The sound of a footfall recalled him as from an immeasurable remove; he
looked up to see Lucia at pause upon the threshold, and rose slowly,
with effort recollecting himself and marshalling his wits against the
emergency foreshadowed by her attitude.
Tense with indignation, quick with disdain, she demanded, without any
preface whatever: âWhy did you lock me in?â
He stammered unhappily: âI beg your pardonââ
âWhy did you lock me in?â
âIâm sorryââ
âWhy did youââ
But she interrupted herself to stamp her foot emphatically; and he
caught her up on the echo of that:
âIf you must know, because I wasnât trusting you.â
Her eyes darkened ominously: âYet you insisted I should trust you!â
âThe circumstances arenât parallel: youâre not a notorious malefactor,
wanted by the police of every capital in Europe, hounded by rivals to
bootâfighting for life, liberty andââhe laughed shortlyââthe
pursuit of happiness!â
She caught her breath sharplyâwhether with dismay or mere surprise at
his frankness he couldnât tell.
âAre you?â she demanded quickly.
âAm I what?â
âWhat youâve just saidââ
âA crookâand all that? Miss Bannon, you know it!â
âThe Lone Wolf?â
âYouâve known it all along. De Morbihan told youâor else your father.
Or, it may be, you were shrewd enough to guess it from De Morbihanâs
bragging in the restaurant. At all events, itâs plain enough, nothing
but desire to find proof to identify me with the Lone Wolf took you to
my room last nightâwhether for your personal satisfaction or at the
instigation of Bannonâjust as nothing less than disgust with what was
going on made you run away from such intolerable associationsâŠ.
Though, at that, I donât believe you even guessed how unspeakably
vicious those were!â
He paused and waited, anticipating furious denial or refutation; such
would, indeed, have been the logical development of the temper in which
she had come down to confront him.
Rather than this, she seemed calmed and sobered by his charge; far from
resenting it, disposed to concede its justice; anger deserted her
expression, leaving it intent and grave. She came quietly into the room
and faced him squarely across the table.
âYou thought all that of meâthat I was capable of spying on youâyet
were generous enough to believe I despised myself for doing it?â
âNot at firstâŠ. At first, when we met back there in the corridor, I
was sure you were bent on further spying. Only since waking up here,
half an hour ago, did I begin to understand how impossible it would be
for you to lend yourself to such villainy as last nightâs.â
âBut if you thought that of me then, why did youâ?â
âIt occurred to me that it would be just as well to prevent your
reporting back to headquarters.â
âBut now youâve changed your mind about me?â
He nodded: âQuite.â
âBut why?â she demanded in a voice of amazement. âWhy?â
âI canât tell you,â he said slowlyââI donât know why. I can only presume
it must be becauseâI canât help believing in you.â
Her glance wavered: her colour deepened. âI donât understandâŠâ she
murmured.
âNor I,â he confessed in a tone as lowâŠ.
A sudden grumble from the teakettle provided welcome distraction.
Lanyard lifted it off the flames and slowly poured boiling water on a
measure of tea in an earthenware pot.
âA cup of this and something to eatâll do us no harm,â he ventured,
smiling uneasilyââespecially if weâre to pursue this psychological
enquiry into the whereforeness of the human tendency to change oneâs
mind!â
XIII CONFESSIONALAnd then, when the girl made no response, but remained with troubled
gaze focused on some remote abstraction, âYou will have tea, wonât
you?â he urged.
She recalled her thoughts, nodded with the faintest of smilesââYes,
thank you!ââand dropped into a chair.
He began at once to make talk in effort to dissipate that constraint
which stood between them like an unseen alien presence: âYou must be
very hungry?â
âI am.â
âSorry Iâve nothing better to offer you. Iâd have run out for something
more substantial, onlyââ
âOnlyâ?â she prompted, coolly helping herself to biscuit and potted
ham.
âI didnât think it wise to leave you alone.â
âWas that before or after youâd made up your mind about meâthe latest
phase, I mean?â she persisted with a trace of malice.
âBefore,â he returned calmlyââlikewise, afterwards. Either way you
care to take it, it wouldnât have been wise to leave you here. Suppose
you had waked up to find me gone, yourself alone in this strange
houseââ
âIâve been awake several hours,â she interposedââfound myself locked
in, and heard no sound to indicate that you were still here.â
âIâm sorry: I was overtired and slept like a logâŠ. But assuming the
case: you would have gone out, alone, pennilessââ
âThrough a locked door, Mr. Lanyard?â
âI shouldnât have left it locked,â he explained patientlyâŠ. âYou
would have found yourself friendless and without resources in a city to
which you are a stranger.â
She nodded: âTrue. But what of that?â
âIn desperation you might have been forced to go backââ
âAnd report the outcome of my investigation!â
âPressure might have been brought to induce admissions damaging to me,â
Lanyard submitted pleasantly. âWhether or no, youâd have been obliged
to renew associations youâre well rid of.â
âYou feel sure of that?â
âBut naturally.â
âHow can you be?â she challenged. âYouâve yet to know me twenty-four
hours.â
âBut perhaps I know the associations better. In point of fact, I do.
Even though you may have stooped to play the spy last night, Miss
Bannonâyou couldnât keep it up. You had to fly further contamination
from that pack of jackals.â
âNotâyou feel sureâmerely to keep you under observation?â
âI do feel sure of that. I have your word for it.â
The girl deliberately finished her tea, and sat back, regarding him
steadily beneath level brows. Then she said with an odd laugh: âYou
have your own way of putting one on honour!â
âI donât need toâwith you.â
She analyzed this with gathering perplexity. âWhat do you mean by
that?â
âI mean, I donât need to put you on your honourâbecause Iâm sure of
you. Even were I not, still Iâd refrain from exacting any pledge, or
attempting to.â He paused and shrugged before continuing: âIf I thought
you were still to be distrusted, Miss Bannon, Iâd say: âThereâs a free
door; go when you like, back to the Pack, turn in your report, and let
them act as they see fit.â⊠Do you think I care for them? Do you
imagine for one instant that I fear any oneâor allâof that gang?â
âThat rings suspiciously of egoism!â
âLet it,â he retorted. âItâs pride of caste, if you must know. I hold
myself a grade better than such cattle; Iâve intelligence, at leastâŠ.
I can take care of myself!â
If he might read her countenance, it expressed more than anything else
distress and disappointment.
âWhy do you boast like thisâto me?â
âLess through self-satisfaction than in contempt for a pack of
murderous mongrelsâimpatience that I have to consider such creatures
as Popinot, Wertheimer, De Morbiban andâall their crew.â
âAnd Bannon,â she corrected calmlyââyou meant to say!â
âWel-lââ he stammered, discountenanced.
âIt doesnât matter,â she assured him. âI quite understand, and strange
as it may sound, Iâve very little feeling in the matter.â And then she
acknowledged his stupefied stare with a weary smile. âI know what I
know,â she added, with obscure significanceâŠ.
âIâd give a good deal to know how much you know,â
he muttered in his confusion.
âBut what do you know?â she caught him upââagainst Mr.
Bannonâagainst my father, that isâthat makes you so ready to suspect
both him and me?â
âNothing,â he confessedââI know nothing; but I suspect everything and
everybodyâŠ. And the more I think of it, the more closely I examine
that brutal business of last night, the more I seem to sense his will
behind it allâas one might glimpse a face in darkness through a
lighted latticeâŠ. Oh, laugh if you like! It sounds high-flown, I
know. But thatâs the effect I getâŠ. What took you to my room, if not
his orders? Why does he train with De Morbihan, if heâs not blood-kin
to that breed? Why are you running away from him if not because youâve
found out his part in that conspiracy?â
His pause and questioning look evoked no answer; the girl sat moveless
and intent, meeting his gaze inscrutably. And something in her
impassive attitude worked a little exasperation into his temper.
âWhy,â he declared hotlyââif I dare trust to intuitionâforgive me if
I pain youââ
She interrupted with impatience: âIâve already begged you not to
consider my feelings, Mr. Lanyard! If you dared trust to your
intuitionâwhat then?â
âWhy, then, I could believe that Mr. Bannon, your father ⊠I could
believe it was his order that killed poor Roddy!â
There could be no doubting her horrified and half-incredulous surprise.
âRoddy?â she iterated in a whisper almost inaudible, with face fast
blanching. âRoddyâ!â
âInspector Roddy of Scotland Yard,â he told her mercilessly, âwas
murdered in his sleep last night at Troyonâs. The murderer broke into
his room by way of mineâthe two adjoin. He used my razor, wore my
dressing-gown to shield his clothing, did everything he could think of
to cast suspicion on me, and when I came in assaulted me,
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