Page:Guy Boothby - The Beautiful White Devil.djvu/193

 that there was nothing, save fright, the matter with him. But I heard him out, and then said:

"Now own up, Ebbington. What was the real reason of this visit? For you know very well you're no more ill than I am."

He stared for a moment, and then. seeing it would be useless arguing with me, said:

"No, I'm not ill, hut I want to ask you a question. What does this woman intend doing with me? It's all very well for her to pretend she abducted you; I know better. You were in her confidence at Singapore and you're in it now. For Heaven's sake don't play with me—tell me the truth. Is she going to flog me as she flogged that poor devil this morning, or is she going to hang me, as I hear she did Kwong Fung the pirate?"

"I know no more about what she intends doing with you than you do," I answered; "and if I did, I'm certain I shouldn't tell you. Look here, Mr, Ebbington, I don't want to hit a man when he's down, hut I must own, I think, whatever you do get won't be too much for you. You would have betrayed her, if you could have managed it, without a second thought. Now, if I had been in her place—well, I don't somehow think I should have been as merciful as she has been."

His face instantly became black with fury.

"Wouldn't you! wouldn't you?" he hissed; "spy, traitor, coward! wouldn't you? A fig for you and your thoughts."

I laughed; thereupon he walked up to me, and, with his features convulsed with rage, deliberately spat in my face. I knocked him down, and, having done so, picked