Page:In the name of a woman (1900).djvu/171

 "Stand aside, you fiend, or I won't answer for myself. I know your object now. Stand aside; do you hear?" I cried.

"I will not. Touch me if you dare." But the life of the Princess was at stake, and I thought of nothing else.

"Zoiloff! Zoiloff!" I shouted at the top of my voice, and, seizing the Countess by the arm, I strove with all my force to drag her from the door. She fought and struggled like a wild cat, and her strength was so great that for a while she resisted all my efforts, clinging with desperate tenacity to the handle of the door, the lever of which gave her a secure hold.

"Did you call, Count?" came Zoiloff's answer in muffled tones through the heavy door.

"Is the Princess Christina gone?"

"Yes, some minutes since;" and at the words a light of Satanic triumph shone in my companion's eyes, and seemed to give her fresh strength for the struggle. Every moment was precious.

"Get help and burst this door in," I shouted; but even as I shouted the words the thought of the minutes that would be thus wasted maddened me, and I resolved to take the key from the Countess's pocket.

"You force me to this," I said between my teeth, and, seizing her round the waist with one arm, I held her in a grip of iron while I plunged my hand into her pocket. To use up the last possible moment she struggled with frantic energy, writhing and twisting and hindering me till I vow I could have killed her. My blood was up, and the thought of Christina's danger urged me to spare no violence, and half a minute later I had secured the key, and hurled the woman away from me.