The Wiles of the Wicked

by William Le Queux

anadventure to go so far, and I wondered where I was. The chiming of BigBen, however, gave me a clue. I was at the corner of Bridge Street, forI felt the wall of the St Stephen's Club. The turning to the leftwould, I knew, take me over Westminster Bridge; to the right I couldcross Palace Yard and Broad Sanctuary, and so gain Victoria Street.Before my affliction I knew well that portion of London around theHouses of Parliament. I decided, therefore, on keeping to the right,and some one whom I know not kindly piloted me over the dangerouscrossing from the corner of Parliament Street, for such I judged it tobe from the cries of men selling the evening papers. Again, three timesin succession, did sympathetic persons, noticing my helplessness as Istood upon the kerb, take my arm and lead me across, but in theseconstant crossings I somehow entirely lost my bearings. I was, I knew,in a long straight thoroughfare and by the iron railings before thehouses guessed it to be that road of flat-dom, Victoria Street.

  Amused at my intrepidity, and congratulating myself upon having gone sofar alone, I kept on, knowing that even if I lost myself I had only tocall a passing hansom and be driven back to Essex Street. Thus forperhaps three-quarters of an hour I wandered on. From a lad who helpedme over one of the crossings I learnt that I had passed VictoriaStation, and now appeared to be traversing several large squares--atleast, such was the impression conveyed upon my mind. It was useless tostop passers-by every moment to inquire where I was, therefore, laughinginwardly at my situation, lost in London, the great city I had known sowell, I went on and on, down long straight thoroughfares that seemedendless, in enjoyment of the first real walk I had taken since mycrushing affliction had fallen upon me.

  Suddenly, in what seemed to be a quiet deserted street, I left the kerbto cross the road alone, but ere I became aware of impending danger aman's voice shouted roughly, and I found myself thrown by violentconcussion upon the roadway, struggling frantically beneath a horse'shoofs. I clutched wildly at air to save myself, but next secondreceived a violent kick on the left side of the head, which causedsparks to appear before my sightless eyes, stunned me, and rendered mealmost instantly insensible.

  How long I remained ignorant of things about me it is impossible totell. I fancy it must have been a good many hours. On my first returnto consciousness I heard strange confused sounds about me, lowwhispering, the words of which were utterly unintelligible to myunbalanced brain, and the quick rustling of silk. I remember wonderingvaguely where I was. The blind quickly develop a habit of extremecaution, and with my senses dulled by the excruciating pain in my skullI lay reflecting without speaking. The throbbing in my head wasfrightful. When the recollections of my long walk which had ended sodisastrously surged through my brain, it struck me that I must have beentaken to a hospital after the accident, and that I had most probablyremained there some days. Yet in hospitals there is no perfume of _peaud'Espagne_, nor do the nurses wear silken flounces.

  I tried to catch the words uttered by those about me, but in vain. Itmay have been that they were spoken in some foreign tongue, or, what ismuch more likely, the terrible blow I had received from the horse's hoofhad utterly disarranged my sense of hearing. This single thoughtappalled me. If my hearing had really been injured, then I was renderedabsolutely helpless. To the blind the acoustic organs become sosharpened that they can detect sounds where those in full possession ofsight and hearing can distinguish nothing. It is the ear that acts forthe sightless eye. Therefore the fear that even this had failed me heldme appalled.

  I stretched forth my hand, and to my surprise felt that I was not in ahospital bed, as I had at first believed, but upon a silken couch, withmy head resting upon a soft satin pillow. The covering of the couch wasof rich brocade in wide stripes, while the woodwork had a smoothnesswhich caused me to believe that it was gilt. I raised my hand to myhead, and found it bandaged with a handkerchief and some apparentlyimprovised compresses.

  Although I opened my eyes, all was, of course, an utter blank before me.Yet I felt instinctively, as every blind person does, the presence ofsome one in my immediate vicinity, and presently, after long reflection,I suddenly asked--

  "Where am I? What has happened?"

  "You have been run over, and your head is injured," answered a strangeharsh voice, hoarse and altogether curious. "But tell me. Your eyeshave a curious look in them. Can't you see?"

  "No," I responded. "Unfortunately I am totally blind."

  "Blind!" gasped the voice, in apparent amazement. "Then that accountsfor your accident!"

  "But where am I?" I inquired eagerly.

  "You need not trouble, I assure you," answered the voice, pleasantly."You are with friends."

  "Then I am not in a hospital?"

  "Certainly not. Having witnessed your accident, I am trying to do whatlittle I can for you."

  The voice was low-pitched; and, further, it struck me as beingdisguised.

  "May I not know the name of my good Samaritan?" I inquired.

  "The name is entirely unnecessary," the voice responded. "From yourcard-case I see that your name is Heaton, and that you live in EssexStreet, Strand."

  "Yes," I answered.

  "How long have you been blind?" the voice inquired, hoarse and deep. Iknew that it was disguised by certain of the syllables being pronounceddifferently in various words.

  "For a year or more," I answered.

  "And does your head still pain you very much?" inquired the voice, whileat the same moment I felt a cool hand placed upon my throbbing brow.

  In an instant I seized it by the wrist. The hand tried to wrench itselffree, but not before I had felt the slimness of the fingers, the ringsupon them, and the softness of the palm.

  It was a woman's. She had cleverly disguised her voice to cause me tobelieve that it was a man's. I placed my right hand upon her arm andfelt it bare. Upon her wrist was a curious bracelet, thin but strangelypliable, evidently made of some ingeniously worked and twisted wire.

  The arm was bare; her skirts were of silk. My nurse was evidently in anevening toilette.

  "Although I cannot see you, madam, I thank you for your kind attention,"I said, a trifle piqued that she should have endeavoured to mislead meby her voice.

  She drew her hand away quickly, with a slight cry, as though annoyed atmy discovery.

  "I witnessed your accident," she explained simply, in a sweet,well-modulated voice, evidently her own. By her tone, she was no doubtyoung, and I wondered whether she were pretty.

  "How did it happen? Tell me," I urged.

  "You were crossing the road, and were knocked down by a cab. My doctorhas already examined you, and says that you are not seriously hurt. Itis a mere scalp-wound, therefore you may rest content, and congratulateyourself upon a very narrow escape."

  "I congratulate myself upon failing into the hands of a friend," I said.

  "Oh, it is really nothing!" exclaimed my unknown hostess. "In a fewhours you will, no doubt, be all right. Rest, and in the morning thecarriage shall take you home."

  "Then it is not yet morning?" I inquired, vaguely wondering what hourit might be.

  "No, not yet."

  The response sounded afar off, and I felt somehow that my strength wassuddenly failing me. A heavy, drowsy feeling crept over me, and my mindseemed filled with conflicting thoughts, until I fell asleep, the cool,soft, sympathetic hand still upon my brow.

  When I awoke it was with a refreshed feeling. No one was, however, inmy immediate vicinity. My kind protectress had left me, yet I heardvoices in conversation in the adjoining room. The door communicatingwas closed, but there was the unmistakable pop of a champagne-cork and ajingling of thin glasses that told of festivity. In whose house, Iwondered, was I a guest? Already I had inquired, but had been refusedinformation.

  Suddenly the voices were hushed, and I could distinguish a womansaying--

  "I tell, you he's blind--stone blind. If you doubt me, hold that beforehis face and see if he flinches." A man's voice sounded in a low growlin response
, then all was silent again. Only the ticking of a clocksomewhere near me broke the stillness.

  Whispers, like low, suspicious exchanges of confidence, soon afterwardsreached my ears. The door had opened silently, and a few seconds laterI felt the soft hand of my protectress again upon my forehead. Mysightless eyes were wide open, and by that she, of course, knew that Iwas awake.

  "Are you better after your sleep?" the well-cultivated voice inquiredconcernedly.

  "Very much," I answered, raising myself upon my elbows. "But I havetroubled you far too long, and will go, if you will kindly instruct yourservant to call me a cab."

  "Oh dear no," the voice answered pleasantly. "I couldn't think ofallowing you to go home at this hour, and in your weak state, too. Itwould be