The Return of Tarzan Edgar Rice Burroughs (e book reader for pc .TXT) đ
- Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
Book online «The Return of Tarzan Edgar Rice Burroughs (e book reader for pc .TXT) đ». Author Edgar Rice Burroughs
âNo, Nikolas,â she was saying, âit is useless. Threaten as you will, I shall never accede to your demands. Leave the room, please; you have no right here. You promised not to enter.â
âVery well, Olga, I shall not enter; but before I am done with you, you shall wish a thousand times that you had done at once the favor I have asked. In the end I shall win anyway, so you might as well save trouble and time for me, and disgrace for yourself and yourâ ââ
âNever, Nikolas!â interrupted the woman, and then Tarzan saw Rokoff turn and nod to Paulvitch, who sprang quickly toward the doorway of the cabin, rushing in past Rokoff, who held the door open for him. Then the latter stepped quickly out. The door closed. Tarzan heard the click of the lock as Paulvitch turned it from the inside. Rokoff remained standing before the door, with head bent, as though to catch the words of the two within. A nasty smile curled his bearded lip.
Tarzan could hear the womanâs voice commanding the fellow to leave her cabin. âI shall send for my husband,â she cried. âHe will show you no mercy.â
Paulvitchâs sneering laugh came through the polished panels.
âThe purser will fetch your husband, madame,â said the man. âIn fact, that officer has already been notified that you are entertaining a man other than your husband behind the locked door of your cabin.â
âBah!â cried the woman. âMy husband will know!â
âMost assuredly your husband will know, but the purser will not; nor will the newspaper men who shall in some mysterious way hear of it on our landing. But they will think it a fine story, and so will all your friends when they read of it at breakfast onâ âlet me see, this is Tuesdayâ âyes, when they read of it at breakfast next Friday morning. Nor will it detract from the interest they will all feel when they learn that the man whom madame entertained is a Russian servantâ âher brotherâs valet, to be quite exact.â
âAlexis Paulvitch,â came the womanâs voice, cold and fearless, âyou are a coward, and when I whisper a certain name in your ear you will think better of your demands upon me and your threats against me, and then you will leave my cabin quickly, nor do I think that ever again will you, at least, annoy me,â and there came a momentâs silence in which Tarzan could imagine the woman leaning toward the scoundrel and whispering the thing she had hinted at into his ear. Only a moment of silence, and then a startled oath from the manâ âthe scuffling of feetâ âa womanâs screamâ âand silence.
But scarcely had the cry ceased before the ape-man had leaped from his hiding-place. Rokoff started to run, but Tarzan grasped him by the collar and dragged him back. Neither spoke, for both felt instinctively that murder was being done in that room, and Tarzan was confident that Rokoff had had no intention that his confederate should go that farâ âhe felt that the manâs aims were deeper than thatâ âdeeper and even more sinister than brutal, cold-blooded murder. Without hesitating to question those within, the ape-man threw his giant shoulder against the frail panel, and in a shower of splintered wood he entered the cabin, dragging Rokoff after him. Before him, on a couch, the woman lay, and on top of her was Paulvitch, his fingers gripping the fair throat, while his victimâs hands beat futilely at his face, tearing desperately at the cruel fingers that were forcing the life from her.
The noise of his entrance brought Paulvitch to his feet, where he stood glowering menacingly at Tarzan. The girl rose falteringly to a sitting posture upon the couch. One hand was at her throat, and her breath came in little gasps. Although disheveled and very pale, Tarzan recognized her as the young woman whom he had caught staring at him on deck earlier in the day.
âWhat is the meaning of this?â said Tarzan, turning to Rokoff, whom he intuitively singled out as the instigator of the outrage. The man remained silent, scowling. âTouch the button, please,â continued the ape-man; âwe will have one of the shipâs officers hereâ âthis affair has gone quite far enough.â
âNo, no,â cried the girl, coming suddenly to her feet. âPlease do not do that. I am sure that there was no real intention to harm me. I angered this person, and he lost control of himself, that is all. I would not care to have the matter go further, please, monsieur,â and there was such a note of pleading in her voice that Tarzan could not press the matter, though his better judgment warned him that there was something afoot here of which the proper authorities should be made cognizant.
âYou wish me to do nothing, then, in the matter?â he asked.
âNothing, please,â she replied.
âYou are content that these two scoundrels should continue persecuting you?â
She did not seem to know what answer to make, and looked very troubled and unhappy. Tarzan saw a malicious grin of triumph curl Rokoffâs lip. The girl evidently was in fear of these twoâ âshe dared not express her real desires before them.
âThen,â said Tarzan, âI shall act on my own responsibility. To you,â he continued, turning to Rokoff, âand this includes your accomplice, I may say that from now on to the end of the voyage I shall take it upon myself to keep an eye on you, and should there chance to come to my notice any act of either one of you that might even remotely annoy this young woman you shall be called to account for it
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