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CHAPTER XXXV
When that blinding light struck her in the face Thomasina gasped and flung up a hand to shield her eyes. Most girls would have screamed, but she had a good deal of self-control. A scream might have been heard, but not that choking gasp.
She flung up her hand, and at once someone caught her by the wrist and pulled her into the room. The person who was holding the electric lamp turned it away from her eyes and kicked the door shut. It slammed, and with the sound, sharp in the empty room and echoing from the empty walls, there came another sound, sharper, more definite, more horrifying-the sound of a shot.
At the time Thomasina did not disentangle the sounds. She was startled out of any capacity for thought. She stared, and caught her breath, and exclaimed,
“A
The grip on her wrist tightened.
“Quick-quick-we haven’t a minute!”
She was being pulled towards a door on the other side of the room. There was dust everywhere-its muffling softness under their feet, a choking cloud of it upon the air, the lamp dazzling upon a million floating specks-A
Just for a moment her mind was shocke4 into numbness. She had come here to find A
And now it was true. Not the cellar part of it, but A
“Quick-quick-we can’t talk here! We haven’t a moment! We’ve got to talk!”
And then another dusty room, a passage, a door that was opened and slammed, and they were in Peveril Craddock’s garage.
A
But when A
It is one of the things which nobody can mistake. For a moment Thomasina felt nothing except surprise. A
She was to know. Insensibly she moved back until she stood against the wall. A
“I always hated you-always-always-always! Why? Are you really such a fool as not to know? You had everything, and I had nothing-except your damned charity! You had all the things I wanted, and every now and then you would toss me one of them-a dress you were tired of, or a hat you didn’t want! And thinking all the time how generous you were-how grateful I ought to be!”
Thomasina lifted her head and met those hating eyes.
“No, A
A
“Of course you did! It’s a lovely part to play. And it doesn’t cost too much-just a few things you don’t want, and there you are, on the top of the world, feeling ever so noble and magnanimous! ‘Poor A
“A
A
“My dear Thomasina, I know very well what I’m saying! I’ve had it saved up for a very long time, and I’m enjoying every minute of it! You’re going to listen to me now! I’ve had to listen to you often enough-preaching and talking pi!”
Thomasina said in a low shocked voice,
“I didn’t mean to preach.”
“Oh, no, of course not-you only did it! Now it’s my turn! It never occurred to you that poor A
“Mr. Sandrow,” said Thomasina gravely.
“I suppose that poor fool Emily Craddock talked!”
“A
“Because it didn’t suit me. Because Mr. Sandrow-” she gave the name a mocking twist-“Mr. Sandrow and I were having a very good time, and didn’t want you muddling and meddling in my affairs. I’ve got clothes of my own now, and money of my own, and a man of my own! Do you think that I didn’t know that you used to ask your friends to dance with me? If I forgave you for all the rest of it I’d never forgive you for that!” Her face was distorted by fury. Then the triumphant look came back to it. “But you see, you’re not wanted any more!”
It was at some time during this speech that there came the sound of the second shot. A
Thomasina heard it too, but she did not think about it. Not consciously. She heard it, and a cold breath touched her, but she did not think about it yet. It was a shot. She did not relate it to herself or to A
She had never known her at all. Under the dumb, sulky surface where she had thought there were sore places into which she had poured all she knew of kindness and healing, there had been a ravening jealousy and resentment. She was not afraid- not yet-but she knew now that there was something to be afraid of. She said soberly and quietly,
“I’m sorry, A
She put her hand behind her to find the handle of the door. There was an instinct to stay facing A
A