the return of tarzan-第12章

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surprised；　but　not　displeased。



〃If　there　is　a　drop　of　red　blood　in　the　man　the　count

will　break　in　upon　a　very　pretty　love　scene　in　about　fifteen

minutes　from　now。　　I　think　we　have　planned　marvelously；　my

dear　Alexis。　　Let　us　go　out　and　drink　to　the　very　good

health　of　Monsieur　Tarzan　in　some　of　old　Plancon's

unparalleled　absinth；　not　forgetting　that　the　Count　de　Coude

is　one　of　the　best　swordsmen　in　Paris；　and　by　far　the　best

shot　in　all　France。〃



When　Tarzan　reached　Olga's；　Jacques　was　awaiting　him　at

the　entrance。



〃This　way；　Monsieur；〃　he　said；　and　led　the　way　up　the　broad；

marble　staircase。　　In　another　moment　he　had　opened　a　door；

and；　drawing　aside　a　heavy　curtain；　obsequiously　bowed

Tarzan　into　a　dimly　lighted　apartment。　　Then　Jacques　vanished。



Across　the　room　from　him　Tarzan　saw　Olga　seated　before

a　little　desk　on　which　stood　her　telephone。　　She　was　tapping

impatiently　upon　the　polished　surface　of　the　desk。　　She　had

not　heard　him　enter。



〃Olga；〃　he　said；　〃what　is　wrong？〃



She　turned　toward　him　with　a　little　cry　of　alarm。



〃Jean！〃　she　cried。　　〃What　are　you　doing　here？

Who　admitted　you？　　What　does　it　mean？〃



Tarzan　was　thunderstruck；　but　in　an　instant　he　realized

a　part　of　the　truth。



〃Then　you　did　not　send　for　me；　Olga？〃



〃Send　for　you　at　this　time　of　night？　　MON　DIEU！　　Jean；　do

you　think　that　I　am　quite　mad？〃



〃Francois　telephoned　me　to　come　at　once；　that　you　were

in　trouble　and　wanted　me。〃



〃Francois？　　Who　in　the　world　is　Francois？〃



〃He　said　that　he　was　in　your　service。　　He　spoke　as　though

I　should　recall　the　fact。〃



〃There　is　no　one　by　that　name　in　my　employ。　　Some　one

has　played　a　joke　upon　you；　Jean；〃　and　Olga　laughed。



〃I　fear　that　it　may　be　a　most　sinister　‘joke；'　Olga；〃　he　replied。

〃There　is　more　back　of　it　than　humor。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？　　You　do　not　think　that〃



〃Where　is　the　count？〃　he　interrupted。



〃At　the　German　ambassador's。〃



〃This　is　another　move　by　your　estimable　brother。

Tomorrow　the　count　will　hear　of　it。　　He　will　question

the　servants。　　Everything　will　point　toto　what　Rokoff

wishes　the　count　to　think。〃



〃The　scoundrel！〃　cried　Olga。　　She　had　arisen；　and　come　close

to　Tarzan；　where　she　stood　looking　up　into　his　face。

She　was　very　frightened。　　In　her　eyes　was　an　expression　that　the

hunter　sees　in　those　of　a　poor；　terrified　doepuzzledquestioning。

She　trembled；　and　to　steady　herself　raised　her　hands　to　his

broad　shoulders。　　〃What　shall　we　do；　Jean？〃　she　whispered。

〃It　is　terrible。　　Tomorrow　all　Paris　will　read　of

ithe　will　see　to　that。〃



Her　look；　her　attitude；　her　words　were　eloquent　of　the　age…

old　appeal　of　defenseless　woman　to　her　natural　protectorman。

Tarzan　took　one　of　the　warm　little　hands　that　lay　on　his

breast　in　his　own　strong　one。　　The　act　was　quite　involuntary；

and　almost　equally　so　was　the　instinct　of　protection　that

threw　a　sheltering　arm　around　the　girl's　shoulders。



The　result　was　electrical。　　Never　before　had　he　been　so　close

to　her。　　In　startled　guilt　they　looked　suddenly　into　each

other's　eyes；　and　where　Olga　de　Coude　should　have　been

strong　she　was　weak；　for　she　crept　closer　into　the　man's　arms；

and　clasped　her　own　about　his　neck。　　And　Tarzan　of　the　Apes？

He　took　the　panting　figure　into　his　mighty　arms；　and　covered

the　hot　lips　with　kisses。



Raoul　de　Coude　made　hurried　excuses　to　his　host　after　he

had　read　the　note　handed　him　by　the　ambassador's　butler。

Never　afterward　could　he　recall　the　nature　of　the　excuses

he　made。　　Everything　was　quite　a　blur　to　him　up　to　the

time　that　he　stood　on　the　threshold　of　his　own　home。

Then　he　became　very　cool；　moving　quietly　and　with　caution。

For　some　inexplicable　reason　Jacques　had　the　door　open　before

he　was　halfway　to　the　steps。　　It　did　not　strike　him　at　the

time　as　being　unusual；　though　afterward　he　remarked　it。



Very　softly　he　tiptoed　up　the　stairs　and　along　the　gallery

to　the　door　of　his　wife's　boudoir。　　In　his　hand　was　a

heavy　walking　stickin　his　heart；　murder。



Olga　was　the　first　to　see　him。　　With　a　horrified　shriek　she

tore　herself　from　Tarzan's　arms；　and　the　ape…man　turned　just

in　time　to　ward　with　his　arm　a　terrific　blow　that　De　Coude

had　aimed　at　his　head。　　Once；　twice；　three　times　the　heavy

stick　fell　with　lightning　rapidity；　and　each　blow　aided　in　the

transition　of　the　ape…man　back　to　the　primordial。



With　the　low；　guttural　snarl　of　the　bull　ape　he　sprang　for

the　Frenchman。　　The　great　stick　was　torn　from　his　grasp　and

broken　in　two　as　though　it　had　been　matchwood；　to　be　flung　aside

as　the　now　infuriated　beast　charged　for　his　adversary's　throat。

Olga　de　Coude　stood　a　horrified　spectator　of　the　terrible

scene　which　ensued　during　the　next　brief　moment；　then

she　sprang　to　where　Tarzan　was　murdering　her　husband

choking　the　life　from　himshaking　him　as　a　terrier　might

shake　a　rat。



Frantically　she　tore　at　his　great　hands。　　〃Mother　of

God！〃　she　cried。　　〃You　are　killing　him；　you　are　killing　him！

Oh；　Jean；　you　are　killing　my　husband！〃



Tarzan　was　deaf　with　rage。　　Suddenly　he　hurled　the　body

to　the　floor；　and；　placing　his　foot　upon　the　upturned　breast；

raised　his　head。　　Then　through　the　palace　of　the　Count　de

Coude　rang　the　awesome　challenge　of　the　bull　ape　that　has

made　a　kill。　　From　cellar　to　attic　the　horrid　sound　searched

out　the　servants；　and　left　them　blanched　and　trembling。

The　woman　in　the　room　sank　to　her　knees　beside　the　body

of　her　husband；　and　prayed。



Slowly　the　red　mist　faded　from　before　Tarzan's　eyes。

Things　began　to　take　formhe　was　regaining　the　perspective　of

civilized　man。　　His　eyes　fell　upon　the　figure　of　the　kneeling　woman。

〃Olga；〃　he　whispered。　　She　looked　up；　expecting　to　see　the

maniacal　light　of　murder　in　the　eyes　above　her。

Instead　she　saw　sorrow　and　contrition。



〃Oh；　Jean！〃　she　cried。　　〃See　what　you　have　done。　　He　was

my　husband。　　I　loved　him；　and　you　have　killed　him。〃



Very　gently　Tarzan　raised　the　limp　form　of　the　Count　de

Coude　and　bore　it　to　a　couch。　　Then　he　put　his　ear　to　the

man's　breast。



〃Some　brandy；　Olga；〃　he　said。



She　brought　it；　and　together　they　forced　it　between　his　lips。

Presently　a　faint　gasp　came　from　the　white　lips。

The　head　turned；　and　De　Coude　groaned。



〃He　will　not　die；〃　said　Tarzan。　　〃Thank　God！〃



〃Why　did　you　do　it；　Jean？〃　she　asked。



〃I　do　not　know。　　He　struck　me；　and　I　went　mad。　　I　have

seen　the　apes　of　my　tribe　do　the　same　thing。　　I　have　never

told　you　my　story；　Olga。　　It　would　have　been　better　had　you

known　itthis　might　not　have　happened。　　I　never　saw　my　father。

The　only　mother　I　knew　was　a　ferocious　she…ape。　Until　I　was

fifteen　I　had　never　seen　a　human　being。　　I　was　twenty　before

I　saw　a　white　man。　　A　little　more　than　a　year　ago　I　was　a

naked　beast　of　prey　in　an　African　jungle。



〃Do　not　judge　me　too　harshly。　　Two　years　is　too　short　a　time

in　which　to　attempt　to　work　the　change　in　an　individual　that

it　has　taken　countless　ages　to　accomplish　in　the　white　race。〃



〃I　do　not　judge　at　all；　Jean。　　The　fault　is　mine。

You　must　go　nowhe　must　not　find　you　here　when　he

regains　consciousness。　　Good…by。〃



It　was　a　sorrowful　Tarzan　who　walked　with　bowed　head

from　the　palace　of　the　Count　de　Coude。



Once　outside　his　thoughts　took　definite　shape；　to　the　end

that　twenty　minutes　later　he　entered　a　police　station　not

far　from　the　Rue　Maule。　　Here　he　soon　found　one　of　the

officers　with　whom　he　had　had　the　encounter　several　weeks

previous。　　The　policeman　was　genuinely　glad　to　see　again

the　man　who　had　so　roughly　handled　him。　　After　a　moment

of　conversation　Tarzan　asked　if　he　had　ever　heard　of

Nikolas　Rokoff　or　Alexis　Paulvitch。



〃Very　often；　indeed；　monsieur。　　Each　has　a　police　record；

and　while　there　is　nothing　charged　against　them　now；　we

make　it　a　point　to　know　pretty　well　where　they　may　be　found

should　the　occasion　demand。　　It　is　only　the　same　precaution

that　we