Page:Orczy--the gates of Kamt.djvu/322

 find Hugh if he was still there … if not … well! if he had gone, I would still find him, somehow, now that I was free.

The great gateway was open—exhausted I leaned against it: my legs would carry me no farther.

"Girlie!" I gasped.

He must have been standing quite close to the entrance, for he heard me, and the next moment had half dragged, half carried me within the temple and laid me down on the floor, with my head resting against his shoulder.

"Mark! in heaven's name, what is the matter?"

"Nothing is the matter now," I said, as audibly as I could, "now that I have found you and that you are safe."

"What in the world do you mean? You can hardly talk! you are ill! Let me take you to the pavilion…. I can look after you there and you can try to tell me…."

I shook my head vigorously.

"No, Girlie! the moments are precious.… I have been drugged, stupefied and caged up, so that I might not get to you, and tell you. Listen, Girlie…"

And as best I could, in jerky, half-choked sentences, I told him all. He listened without a word, then said quietly:

"Ur-tasen shall pay for this. She came, Mark … you knew it; saw her perhaps … she put her arms round me, and kept me a prisoner.… A little while ago she slipped away … and left me alone with my dream."

"Ur-tasen will not rest content in the midst of failure," I said. "Pray to God he does not play us some terribly cruel trick yet."

"Dost speak words of wisdom to thy friend, oh!