Chapter 16 Sixteen, close call

Dorothy didn't look back.She has become a prisoner. "I'm not mistaken," she thought, "they've taken control of the field. Wonder what happened to the others?" To her right is the staircase leading up to the tower.She might be able to escape up the stairs and use the rope ladder again.What's the point of running away?Although it was difficult to resist, Mengfugong was kidnapped, shouldn't she fight to the end?She must rush to the bullfight to face the vicious jackal. She walked on.Although she was alone and had no friends around her, she was still very calm. As she walked, she let the little ball of paper fall down her skirt. It rolled on the ground a few times, mixed with the small stones and dust on the road, and disappeared.

She reached the other end of the arch, and suddenly two hands were stretched out, and they pointed pistols at her. "Don't move, huh?" She shrugged. One of them repeated sternly: "Stay still or I'll shoot." She looks at them.These were two goofy pawns in sailor suits.They seemed to be the two people who accompanied de Estreche at the villa. She said to them, "Where is the child? Where have you taken the child? Did you take him away?" They grabbed her arms violently, one of them held her with a gun, and the other began a search.But a domineering voice stopped them: "Let her go. Let me deal with it."

Dorothy did not notice the third person, who was hidden by thick ivy.Then he came out from the wall.It was de Estreche! ... He still pretended to be a Russian soldier, but it was completely different from before.Dorothet saw in him again Robery and d'Estréchet of Mount Dorothy.He regained his arrogance and ferocious countenance, and no longer concealed his slightly unbalanced walk.After cutting off his hair and shaggy beard, he has a flattened back of his head and a monkey-like jaw. He stood there without making a sound for a long time.Is he savoring victory?To be precise, it was more like he felt awkward in front of the victim. At least, he was still hesitating whether to launch an attack immediately. He walked back and forth, with his hands behind his back, stopped for a while, and then walked a few steps.

"Aren't you armed?" he asked. "No." She replied in the affirmative. He ordered the two thugs to go back to the team.Then he continued to pace up and down. Dorothy looked at him carefully, trying to find something human in this face.But she found nothing but vulgarity, vileness, and insidiousness.Therefore, she can only rely on herself.In the closed confines of an abandoned tower, surrounded by a gang of scoundrels commanded by the most murderous chief, she is guarded, powerless to resist, coveted, and the only thing that can help her is her nuanced wit .This is insignificant, but it solves the problem, because she has already had an experience. Inside the walls of the Hilltop Villa, she was in the same situation and faced the same enemy. In the end, she was the one who won.This solves the problem, as enemies have to watch out for her, and lose some of their attack power as a result.

At this moment, he felt that victory was in sight, and that his success was swift and comprehensive, so he seemed arrogant and mighty. Their eyes met.He said, "She's so pretty, the little bastard! One in a million...too bad she hates me!" He took a step closer and said again: "Because the grievances are too deep, isn't it, Dorothy?" She takes a step back.He frowned. "Yes, I know...your father...forget it! Your father was seriously injured at the time...however, he couldn't survive now. So, it wasn't me who really killed him. " She began to speak: "Just now... where is your accomplice? Where is the fake Marquis?"

He sneered and said: "Don't talk about him, okay! A shameless person who is not worthy of pity... cowardly, ungrateful, and wants to betray me when he is exposed. This is what you saw. Because, there is no one Things can deceive your intelligence, you solve all problems easily, and I tell the truth! I believe that I am a descendant of the servant Geoffroy, and relying on his records How many years did it take me to figure out What was clear, you settled in a few minutes. Decisive, accurate. You read my intentions as if you had my cards in your hand. What amazes me most, Dorothy, is that you At this moment, I can still be as calm as before. Because, little girl, do you know the cards I turned out now?"

"I know." "Then hurry up and kneel down!" he shouted. "Honestly! I've been waiting for you to beg for mercy... I've long wanted to see you lying at my feet and crawling on the ground. But, on the contrary, you refused to bow your head. You despised me and put on a provocative look. attitude." "I'm not provocative. I'm listening to you." "Well, let's settle our accounts. There are two accounts in all. One is about Dorotai (he smiles). That account will not be mentioned for the time being. We will talk about it at the end. . . . It's about the gems. If you hadn't intercepted the essential papers, I would have the gems now. You've caused enough trouble! I put the muzzle of M. de la Rue to the temple, he confessed. I have given you the second letter. Give it to me, or else . . . "

"Otherwise what?" "Otherwise, let Monforgon be unlucky." Dorothy was completely unmoved.Of course, she was very aware of her situation, and knew that this duel was much more serious than the one in the villa. In the villa, she can wait for rescue soldiers.Here she is completely alone, and that's okay!Never show weakness in front of this person.Whoever maintains his unwavering composure is the winner, and ultimately dominates his opponent. "Persist to the end!" she kept encouraging herself, "Perseverance to the end...not just to the last minute...but also to the last second of the last minute..."

She kept staring at the enemy, and said in a commanding tone: "There is a child suffering here. I first order you to let him go." "Heh! Heh!" he replied in a sarcastic tone, "Miss is also ordering people. I don't know why?" "Based on my belief, it won't take much time for you to obediently obey orders." "God, who has such a great ability?" "My three friends, Webster, Ellington and Dario." "Not bad... not bad..." he said. "These gentlemen are very strong young men who are used to sports. You are right to hope for a few brave champions."

He gestured for Dorothei to come with him, and he walked through the rubble-strewn rotunda inside the tower.To the right of the gap formed by another door opposite the main entrance, behind a screen of ivy hanging from the undergrowth, stood a series of small rooms with arched doors, probably former prison cells.Iron rings built into the stone foundations can still be seen today. In three of the cells lay three people, all tied up, stuffed in their mouths, and locked together with iron rings, like three mummies.They are Webster, Ellington and Dario. Three other men with live ammunition watched over them.

In the fourth cell lay the body of the false Marquis, and in the fifth cell M. de la Rue and Captain Montforgon were imprisoned.The child was wrapped in a quilt.His chin was covered by a tattered quilt, and two poor teary eyes were smiling at her. She got a lump in her throat, but held back.Neither expressed anger nor reprimanded.It seemed that what happened in front of him was of no importance at all, and had no effect on the success or failure of this battle. "Well," de Estreche sneered, "what do you think of your protector? What do you think of my team? Three friends keep watch over the prisoners. The other two keep watch outside, keeping watch. ...I can rest easy, huh? But, pretty lady, why did you leave them? You are the bridge between them. You let them go, and they are caught like fools as soon as they come out of the tower No matter how hard I struggle...it's all right. My men didn't damage a single hair...Mr. de La Rue was a little more troublesome. Take him down. As for Montforgon, a lovely angel!... So, you see, little girl, your champion is out of the way, and you can only rely on yourself, which is not enough. " "That is enough," she said, "for I have the secret of the gem, and I alone know it. So untie my friend and let the child out." "What about the conditions?" "I entrust you with a letter from the Marquis de Beaugreval." He glanced at her. "Why," he said, "that's a grand suggestion. So you're giving up the gem?" "yes." "Are you representing yourself and your three friends?" "yes." "Hand over the envelope." "Untie the rope first." He flew into a rage. "Hand over the letter, I am in charge here." "No," she said. "I want... I want this letter..." "No," she said more firmly. The little pouch was buttoned on her bodice, with a corner slightly exposed, and he snatched it away. "Ha!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "The notary told me that you put it here... like a gold medal. I'll know the secret right away." However, the small purse was empty.Disappointed and crazy, he raised his fist to Dorotai's face and roared loudly: "So that's what happened, you want to fool me! As soon as your friend is untied, I'm finished. Hurry up and hand over the letter!" "I'm already torn," she said. "Lie! Such an important thing will not be torn, and such an important secret will not be destroyed." She repeated: "I tore it up after reading it. Let go of my friend, and I will tell you the secret." He cried out at the top of his lungs: "You lie! You lie! Hand over the letter at once... Ah! If you think I can be mocked, you are so wrong! I have had enough. I say for the last time, Hand over the letter quickly!" "No," she replied. He rushed to one of the cells in one step, lifted the quilt wrapped around the child, grabbed his two calves, and shook it upside down a few times, as if he was going to throw a package of things far away. "Letter!" he cried to Dorothei, "or else I'll let his head bloom on the wall." The way he looked was disgusting.Savagery and cruelty distorted his face.Several accomplices looked at him and laughed. Dorotay raised his hand, accepting the compromise. He put down the child and returned to her, sweating profusely. "Letter..." he ordered. She began to explain. "The letter is under the arch... near this end... there is a little ball of paper among the stones." He called one of his men and followed Dorotai's instructions, and the man ran away. "It's time..." the bandit leader whispered, wiping the sweat from his brow. "... It's time. See, you shouldn't have been against me in the first place... And why should you be unconvinced?" he went on, as if Dorothy's composure overwhelmed him..." Yes, why bother? Put your head down, damn it! Is it not me who decides here? Your friends, and you... yes, and you, your fate is all in my hands." He said this two or three times, almost to himself, and his eyes were annoying to the girl. After a while, I heard the voice of my men coming back.He turned around and asked impatiently, "How is it?" "found it." "Really? Ah, I didn't expect it. This is the real victory." De Estreche smoothed the wrinkled envelope, held it in his hands like a rare treasure, and slowly turned it over.The envelope had not been opened, and the lacquer seal on it was intact, which meant that no one knew what he was about to know. He couldn't help but speak aloud what was on his mind: "No one... except me, no one..." He opened the envelope.Inside was a piece of letter paper folded in half, with only three or four lines written on it. He read the lines and seemed surprised. "Oh! Oh! How ridiculous! I see that, like everyone else, I found nothing. The old man was right. The gem is hidden in a place no one can reach." Then, he paced back and forth, quietly, as if weighing his next decision. Then, he returned to the cell, pointed to the prisoners and said to the three guards: "They can't run away, can they? Is the rope strong enough? Well, you guys hurry back to the boat and prepare to retreat." Several accomplices hesitated. "Oh! what's the matter?" said the bandit leader. One of them asked tremblingly, "Then... where is the gemstone...?" Dorotai noticed the hostile attitude between them.It was evident that they were wary of each other, and that leaving de Estreche alone until the spoils were divided seemed to pose a great danger to their interests. "Precious stones?" he cried. "And what else? Do you think I can swallow it, fool? As much as I promised you, it's sworn. And it's a huge portion!" He cursed hard and couldn't wait to get rid of them. "Run! Ah! I forgot one thing... Call the two guards over here, and five of you will carry the false Marquis away. We'll throw him into the sea later. That's it, without anyone noticing it. go." Several subordinates discussed for a while.However, the boss is still quite powerful. Although they looked uneasy on their faces and muttered in their mouths, they still obeyed in action. "Six o'clock," he said, looking at his watch. "I'll meet you at seven o'clock, try to land in the dark, get everything ready, huh? Clean up the cabin...Maybe there will be an extra passenger." He looked at Dorotai again, and while his men were leaving, he emphasized again: "Passengers? It should be female passengers, right, Dorotai?" She ignored it, remaining very calm.However, she became more and more anxious.Terrible times are coming. He kept the envelope and the Marquis's letter in his hand.While rereading the instructions in the letter, he took out the lighter from his pocket and lit it. "It's wonderful!" he whispered cheerfully... "First class! . . . It's worth it to go all the way to hell... Ah! What a weirdo, the Marquis!" He twisted the letter into long strips and approached the lighter.The letter was on fire. He pretended to be indifferent, lit a cigarette with a fire, then faced several prisoners, stretched his arms, and waited for the letter paper to turn into ashes and fly with the wind. "Look, Webster, look, Ellington and Dario. That's all the secrets left by the ancestors...a little ashes...it's all over. Really, you have to admit that you are not very smart You three strong young men don't know how to protect the wealth you are about to acquire, nor do you know how to protect your cute little sister. You only know how to admire her beauty with your mouth wide open. Unexpectedly, the six of us crowded in the tower In the hut, as long as one of them grabbed my collar... I was always in fear. But, such a thing didn't happen, so incompetent! You deserve it...she deserves it too!" He took out his gun and shook it. "I don't need to use it, eh?" he said... "Besides, you should have noticed that if you move a little, the noose around your neck will tighten more. If you insist on your own way, you will only end up strangling." You don't need to go into details...Little Sister Dorotai, it's your turn now. Come with me. We have to find a way to cooperate." Any resistance is futile.She followed him through the piles of broken bricks and broken tiles, and from the other side of the clearing into a room with only four walls, riddled with bullet holes.He pointed to the room and said it was the former guard room. "It's better to talk here. Your suitors can neither see us nor hear us. It's absolutely quiet here. Here, here's a turf. Sit down, please." She crossed her arms and stood tall.He waited for a while, said in a low voice, "It's up to you", and then sat down where he pointed, and continued: "This is the third time we have met, Dorotai. The first time was in Luotai. In the clearing of Burley Manor, you rejected my proposal, strictly speaking, it is understandable: you did not understand the real value of my information at the time, and in your eyes I was nothing more than an unworthy Adventurer, you have nothing but a fight with me in your heart. Very sublime sentiments, which fancied the fantasies of the Chaney brethren, but you can't fool my eyes, because I know about stealing earrings . "In fact, you have your purpose: in order to get the benefits you want, you want to get rid of one of the most dangerous competitors. The most powerful proof is that you went to the villa immediately after you reported on me. The answer may be there. I Lost in your plot again there, confused the young Darvernoy, got the gold medal, this is what you did there, I admire, admit that you completed your task step by step But... but... de Estreche is not so easy to submit to. Escaping from prison, setting fire on purpose, recovering the medal, obtaining an additional will, in short, it is a comprehensive advancement. "The four rubies are now mine. "I want it tomorrow, or a week, or a year, it doesn't matter! They're mine. Dozens, maybe hundreds, have searched for two centuries for nothing. There's no reason anyone else I took it. So, I am rich now... millions, tens of millions. With money, I can be an upright and kind person, which is exactly my purpose... I don’t know if Dorothy will agree to be me Passenger, I announced this to my subordinates just now. You answer me with one sentence. Do you agree or disagree?" She shrugged. "I know that," he said, "but before resorting to extreme measures, I want to try..." He waited to see the effect of the intimidation, and Dorothy was completely unmoved. "You're very calm!" he said.There was a little uneasiness in his tone. "However, you also understand the current situation very well." "Very clear." "Only the two of us are here. The life of Montforgon and the lives of the three people who are tied up are all bargaining chips in my hands, and they are my means of exerting pressure on you. So, why are you still calm?" She answered calmly, "I'm calm because I know you're screwed." "Forget it," he said with a smile. "Incurably screwed." "why?" "In the inn just now, as soon as I found out that Monforgon had been kidnapped, I immediately sent the other three children to a nearby village. They will bring the farmers here." He sneered: "When they gather a team of farmers, I'll be far away." "They're coming, I'm pretty sure." "It's too late, poor girl. If I'm not sure, I'll have my men take you away." "Your men? No..." "Can anyone stop me?" "Although you look fierce, you are afraid of them. They wonder if you are here alone to use the secrets of the grab to monopolize the gem. They think I am their ally. You dare not take such a big risk .” "so what?" "It's okay, I'm just calm." He shook his head and said angrily, "You lie, girl! You're putting on a show! You're paler than dead now, because you know the seriousness of the matter. Will I be caught in an hour's time, and my men are Not to betray me, neither is important. What matters to me is not what will happen in an hour, but what will happen now. What will happen soon, Dorothy, you don't know ?” He stood up, walked towards her, and said in a threatening and rough tone: "From the beginning, I was taken for a fool. You tightrope walker, acrobat, princess, thief, swindler , there's always something about you that drives me crazy. I've always despised women. I've never been troubled by a woman in my life. You, Dorothee, attract me and frighten me. Is it love? No, it's hatred. Exactly It is a disease... a poison that burns in my heart, Dorothy, a poison that I must get rid of." He held her close, his eyes fierce and longing.He raised his hands ready to move, ready to press the girl's shoulders at any time.In order not to let him hug her, the girl had to step back step by step until she reached the wall.He lowered his voice and said to her angrily: "Don't laugh, Dorothy, I've had enough of your vagabond sorcery. Your lips are the only medicine that can heal me. Then, I can Disappear from now on, never to see you again. But, only after getting this medicine. Do you understand?" Suddenly, he put his arms around Dorotai's shoulders, causing the girl to lose her balance for a moment.Still, her contempt remained, and she continued to challenge him.Moreover, her will became stronger and stronger, and she never let the other party feel the slightest wavering or retreat in her heart. "Do you understand?...Do you understand?..." He shook her arms and neck continuously, muttering in his mouth, "...Do you know that this is irresistible? No one can save you. This is failure Today, I want revenge... At the same time, I will no longer be oppressed by you... After we part, I will say: Yes, she made me suffer, but I don't regret it, we met once This ending erases any unhappiness." He pressed the girl's shoulders harder and harder, and at the same time said jokingly: "Your eyes are starting to panic, Dorothee! It's a pleasure to see you! You're frightened, your eyes... really Beautiful, Dorothea! . . . This is the true reward for the victor. Your eyes alone, terrified before me, are better than anything in the world. Dorothea, Dorothee, I love you ...to make me forget you? What a crazy idea! I want to kiss your lips, to love you more...and to make you love me...so that you can be with me like a slave girl, like a double Like a favored hostess." She clings to the wall.De Estreche tried to hold her in his arms.She tried desperately to get away. "Ah!" he cried, and suddenly began to move wildly and wildly. "Don't resist, little girl. Put your mouth out, here it is, you hear me. Otherwise, let Montforgon pay for it. Would you like me to hang him around like I did just now? Well, listen." My words, otherwise... otherwise, I will run back, and I deserve the bad luck of that brat's head..." Dorothy was exhausted.Her legs went limp.The physical contact with the robber made her tremble with terror, but she pushed the robber away, and she was afraid that this guy would rush over and harm the child. Her strangled arms began to bend.De Estreche forced her to her knees.This is the end.He's about to get there.But at this moment, the most unexpected thing happened, and Dorothy was taken aback.Behind the robber, a few meters away, something was moving and something was protruding from the opposite wall.A gun protruded from the slot. Dorothy immediately remembered: Saint-Quentin took an old scrapped gun from the inn, and it was without bullets. She remained motionless so as not to attract de Estreche's attention.She understood Saint-Quentin's strategy.The child just wants to frighten the enemy, and all he can do is scare it.Now it was her turn to figure out how to make the best of the operation when de Estreche found himself threatened.But there is no doubt that it only takes a moment for de Estreche to see, as clearly as Dorothei, this rusty, dilapidated gun, as utterly useless as a child's toy gun. aggressive. Dorotai clearly knew what she should do: calm down, face the enemy with a straight chest, and make him feel guilty, even for a few seconds, just like she had done with her composure and composure just now.Her own safety, Montforgon's safety, depended entirely on her current determination. "Fortune is all about tenacity..." she thinks. However, she unconsciously spoke her thoughts, like uttering a spell that can protect you.She immediately felt the hands around her neck loosen.It bewildered him that the old adage, which he had so often pondered, should be uttered so calmly at such a special moment, from the lips of a woman he thought was at the end of his rope.He looked at her carefully and was suddenly stunned. Her beautiful face showed an unprecedented tranquility.His lips were slightly parted, revealing his snow-white teeth. His eyes, which had been panicked and desperate just now, looked at him serenely with a smile. "What's the matter?" He asked involuntarily, and at the same time remembered Dorothy's astonishing laughter by the pond at Gangding Villa. "You still dare to laugh today?" "Of course I'm going to laugh, for one reason: you're screwed." He said jokingly, "Huh? Really?" "Yes," she said unequivocally, "I told you from the beginning that I was right." "You're crazy," he said, shrugging his shoulders. Noticing that he no longer addressed her by you, and confident that her incredible composure had won her the same way as the first time, she repeated: "You're screwed. The situation is exactly the same as it was at the Heights." .There, Raoul and the children went to rescue the soldiers. You were still in control, and suddenly a gun was pointed at you. Here, the same thing happened. The three children found someone. Like in the mountain village, they Came with guns... Do you remember? Here they come, with guns pointed at you." "You're talking nonsense," stammered the robber. "Here they come," she said with growing force. "I heard the signal from the children. They didn't come around the tower. They came, just outside the walls." "Nonsense!" he cried. "What you say is impossible." She was calm, like a person who is not in any danger, but, as soon as she changed your habit of addressing her, she said very forcefully: "Turn around... and you will see the muzzle of the gun aimed at your chest .If I say a word, they will open fire. Turn around and look!" He dodges.He didn't want to stop there.However, under the pressure of Dorotai's eyes, her eyes full of anger, irresistible, and making him helpless, he had to obey her will and turn his head away. This is a critical moment. With all her strength, and without giving the robber time to think, she shouted firmly, "Hands up, you scoundrel, or I'll beat you like a dog. Hands up! Hey, over there!" Yes, ready to shoot, shoot without mercy! Hands up!" De Estreche raised his hand obediently when he saw the gun. It was too late to say it, but it was so fast, Dorothei pounced on him, took out the gun from his coat pocket, and pointed at him face to face, without heartbeat or trembling hands, with a sly look in his eyes, and said every word. He said sternly: "Idiot, go, I told you clearly that you are finished."