Page:Guy Boothby--A Bid for Fortune.djvu/229

Rh regular sweeps, and with each I felt my own will growing weaker and weaker. That I was being mesmerised, I had no doubt, but if I had been going to be murdered I could not have moved a finger to save myself.

"Then there came a sudden but imperative knock at the door, and both Nikola and Draper rose. Next moment the man whom we had noticed in the train as we came up from Melbourne, and against whom you, Mr. Hatteras, had warned me in Sydney, entered the room. He crossed and stood respectfully before Nikola.

"'Well, Mr. Eastover, what news?' asked the latter.

'Have you done what I told you?'

"'Everything,' the man answered, taking a letter from his pocket. 'Here is the letter you wanted.'

"Nikola took the letter from his subordinate's hand, broke the seal, and having withdrawn the contents, read it carefully. All this time, seeing resistance was quite useless, I did not move. I felt too sick and giddy for anything. When he had finished his correspondence Nikola said something in an undertone to Draper, who immediately left the room. During the time he was absent none of us spoke. Presently he returned bringing with him a wine glass filled with water, which he presented to Nikola.

"'Thank you,' said that gentleman, feeling in his waistcoat pocket. After a while he found what he wanted and produced what looked like a small silver scent bottle. Unscrewing the top he poured from it into the wine glass a few drops of some dark-coloured liquid. Having done this he smelt it carefully and then handed it to me.

"'I must ask you to drink this, my lord,' he said. 'You need have no fear of the result; it is perfectly harmless.'