Chapter 20 Chapter Nineteen

This reminds me of the third episode of "The Adventures of Pamela".It's been a long time since I've sat in that six-pence chair, ate a two-pence chocolate milk lollipop, and longed for the same thing to happen to me!Here it is, it really happened, and it's not as funny as I thought it would be.And when they happen on screen -- you think that doesn't matter because there must be a fourth episode.But in real life, you have absolutely no guarantee that Anne, the adventuress woman, won't end her life abruptly at the end of any episode. Yes, I was in a tight spot, and everything Rayburn said that morning came back vividly to my mind.He said, tell the truth.OK, I can always do that, but will this help me?First, can my story be accepted?Will they believe that my audacious behavior was motivated solely by a note full of moth pills?For myself, this is already a very unbelievable story.In this moment of sober reflection, I cursed myself for being a big fool who had suffered from a romantic drama, and longed to return to the peaceful dreary days of Little Hampshire.

It was all over in a split second, and my first instinct was to step back and grab the doorknob.The other party just grinned grinningly. "As soon as it comes, it will be safe," he said humorously. I tried my best to appear calm. "I'm here at the invitation of the director of the Cape Town Museum, and if I'm on the wrong side—" "Wrong? Oh yes, very wrong!" He laughed rudely. "What power do you have to detain me? I'm going to tell the police—" "Woo, woof, woof—like a little toy dog." He laughed. I sit on a chair. "I can only see you as a dangerous lunatic," I said coldly.

"Really?" "I thought I should explain to you that all my friends know I've been there, and if I don't come back tonight, they'll be out looking for me. Did you know that?" "So your friends know you're there, do they know? Which one of them knows?" So provocative.I wondered to myself, should I say Sir Eustace?He's a celebrity, and his name probably carries weight.But if they had anything to do with Pagett, they'd know I was lying.Best not to take that risk. "For example, Mrs. Blair," I said quietly, "a friend who lives with me."

"I don't think so," said the other, shaking his orange head slyly. "You haven't seen her since eleven o'clock this morning, and you got a note from us asking you to come here at lunchtime." His words showed how closely I was being followed, but I would not surrender without a fight. "You're very clever," I said, "perhaps you've heard of that very useful invention—the telephone? Mrs. Blair called me when I was resting in my room after lunch, and I told her where I was going this afternoon. place." To my great satisfaction, I saw a disturbed shadow cross his face.Apparently he ignored the possibility of Suzanne calling me.I wish she actually called me!

"Enough," he said loudly, standing up. "What are you going to do with me?" I asked, still trying to look nonchalant. "Put yourself out of your way, just in case your friends come looking for you." My heart went cold for a while, but the second half of the sentence made me regain my confidence. "Tomorrow you will answer some questions, and after you have answered, we will decide what to do with you. Also, I can tell you, young lady, that we have plenty of ways to make uncooperative fools talk." It's not fun, but at least it's a temporary relief.I still have time until tomorrow.This man was obviously a subordinate who took orders from a certain leader.Could that head be Pagett?

He yelled, and two black natives came out in response.I was taken upstairs.No matter how hard I struggled, a piece of cloth was stuffed into my mouth and my hands and feet were bound.The room they took me into was a sort of attic under a roof.It's dusty and doesn't look like it's been lived in.The Dutchman bowed mockingly to me, and withdrew, closing the door behind him. I am quite helpless.I rolled and twisted, but I couldn't loosen the rope at all, and the cloth strip in my mouth prevented me from screaming.Even if it were possible for anyone to walk into the house, I couldn't get their attention.I heard the door close below, and it was evident that the Dutchman had gone out.

Being helpless is a maddening thing.I tried again to break free from the rope, but in vain.Finally I gave up and either passed out or fell asleep.When I woke up, I felt pain all over my body.It was quite dark then, and I judged it must be quite late, for the moon had risen and shone through the gray sky.The cloth strip in my mouth almost made me vomit to death, and the tight pain was even more unbearable. Then my eyes fell on a piece of broken glass in the corner. A ray of moonlight was shining on the broken glass, and its flash caught my attention.As I looked at it, a thought arose. I can't move my hands and feet, but I can still roll, and I start to move hard and slowly.It's not easy, and besides being excruciatingly painful - since I can't use my arms to cover my face - it's also difficult to keep rolling in a certain direction.

I seem to have rolled in every direction, but I just can't get where I want to go.Eventually, however, I rolled to my target, and the shattered glass almost touched my bound hands. Even now, things are not so easy to fix.It took me a long time to get the shard of glass up against the wall so it could slowly cut and grind on the rope.It was exhausting, and I was almost desperate, but at last I succeeded in breaking the cords that bound my wrists.The rest is just a matter of time.As soon as I regained normal blood circulation to my hands, I was able to remove the rag stuffed in my mouth, and a few full breaths made me feel so much better.

I quickly untied the other knots, and though it took me quite a while to get up, I was upright, swinging my arms back and forth to restore circulation, and desperately hoping to find something to eat. s things. I waited fifteen minutes until I was sure my strength had returned, and then lifted my heels and walked quietly to the door. As I had hoped, the door was not locked, but just closed.I opened it slowly, peeking out carefully. Everything is quiet.Moonlight streaming in through the window showed me the dusty, uncarpeted staircase, and I climbed cautiously down it.Still no sound--but as I descended to the next floor a faint sound of speech came.I stood there dead, and for quite some time.The clock on the wall indicated that it was past midnight.I was well aware of the risks I might run if I went on, but my curiosity was too strong, and I was ready to proceed with extreme caution.I quietly climbed the other steps and stood in the square hall.I looked around and couldn't help gasping for air. A little black boy was sitting by the door of the hall.He didn't see me, in fact I quickly judged from the sound of his breathing that he was fast asleep.

Should I back off, or continue?The speech came from the room into which I had been brought.One of them was my Dutch "friend" and the other was vaguely familiar but I couldn't make it out at the moment. In the end I decided that obviously I should try to listen to what they had to say.I must run the risk of the little boy waking up.I slipped across the hall and knelt outside the study door.For a while, I couldn't hear anything.The voices were a little louder, but I still couldn't hear what they were saying. I moved my eyes to the keyhole, and, as I had guessed, one of the speakers was the big Dutchman, and the other sat out of my view.

Suddenly he got up to get his drink.His elegant back in black clothes fell into my sight.Even before he turned around, I knew who he was. Mr Chichester! Now I'm starting to hear what they're saying. "Anyway, it's dangerous. What if her friends come looking for her?" That's what the big guy said.Chichester replied that he had lost his clerical voice so completely that I could not recognize it. "That was a bluff. They had no idea she was there." "She said it with certainty." "I can assure you. I've found out, and we have nothing to fear. Anyway, it's the Colonel's order. You don't want to disobey, I suppose?" The big Dutchman said something in his native language, and I think it was his hasty denial. "But why not just stun her?" he growled. "It's easier that way. The boat is ready to take her out to sea." "Yes," said Chichester thoughtfully, "that's what I should do. She knows too much to be wrong. But the 'Colonel' is a man who likes to go it alone—though no one else has to. ’ Something in his words seemed to jog his memory and unsettle him. "He wants some kind of intelligence from this girl." He paused before saying "information," but the Dutchman pressed him quickly. "intelligence?" "Something like that." "Diamonds," I said to myself. "Now," continued Chichester, "give me that watch." For a long time their dialogue was quite incomprehensible to me.Seems to be about a lot of various vegetables.Mention dates, prices, and places I don't know.Their calculations and checks took about half an hour to complete. "Good," said Chichester, and there was what seemed to be a sound of him pushing back a chair. "I'm taking these to show the 'Colonel'." "When are you leaving?" "Ten o'clock tomorrow morning will do." "Would you like to see the girl before you go?" "No, there are strict orders that no one is allowed to see her until the Colonel arrives. Is she all right?" "I saw her before I came in for dinner, she was sleeping, and I thought, what about the food?" "It's all right to be hungry. The 'Colonel' is coming tomorrow. Let her be hungry so she can answer questions well. Until then, it's best not to be approached by anyone. Have you tied her up?" The Dutchman laughed. "what you think?" They both burst out laughing.Me too, sitting quietly.Then, judging from the sound that they were about to come out, I backed away quickly.I dodged just in time.When I hid on the stairs, I heard the door open.At this moment, the little boy moved.My retreat was not noticed.Cautiously, I retreated into the attic, picked up the rope, wrapped it around myself, and lay down on the floor again, just in case they wanted to come up and see me. But they didn't come up.After about an hour, I climbed down the stairs, but the little boy by the door was already awake and humming softly.I'm desperate to get out of this house, but I don't know how to arrange it? I told myself to be patient, rash actions would mess things up.After breakfast, Chichester's voice left, and the Dutchman accompanied him, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I waited with bated breath as the breakfast table was cleared, the work in the house came to an end, and at last all activity ceased.I slipped out of hiding again and climbed very carefully down the stairs.The hall was empty, and I sprinted across the hall, opened the ajar door, stepped out into the sunlight, and ran out knowingly along the drive. As soon as I was out of the villa, I resumed my normal gait. People were watching me curiously, and I had no doubt why they were watching me so much.I must have rolled in the attic and got dust all over my face and body.Finally I came to a garage and walked out. "I've had an accident," I explained, "and I need a car to take me to Cape Town, and I must catch a boat for Durban." I didn't have to wait long, ten minutes later I was being driven on the road to Cape Town.I must know if Chichester is on board.I couldn't decide if I wanted to get on the boat alone, but in the end I decided to do it.Chichester did not know that I had seen him at the cottage in Muzenburg.No doubt he would set another trap for me, but I had been forewarned that he was the man I was looking for, the man who was after the diamond for the mysterious Colonel. God pity my plans go to waste!When I arrived at the pier, the "Gillmorden Castle" was out to sea, and I had no way of knowing whether Chichester was on that ship!