the return of tarzan-第9章

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they　risk　their　lives　in　the　protection　of　the　lives　or

property　of　others。　　They　would　do　the　same　for　you。　　They　are

very　brave　men；　and　they　are　deeply　mortified　that　a　single

unarmed　man　bested　and　beat　them。



〃Make　it　easy　for　them　to　overlook　what　you　did。

Unless　I　am　gravely　in　error　you　are　yourself　a　very

brave　man；　and　brave　men　are　proverbially　magnanimous。〃



Further　conversation　was　interrupted　by　the　appearance

of　the　four　policemen。　　As　their　eyes　fell　on　Tarzan；

surprise　was　writ　large　on　each　countenance。



〃My　children；〃　said　the　official；　〃here　is　the　gentleman

whom　you　met　in　the　Rue　Maule　last　evening。　　He　has　come

voluntarily　to　give　himself　up。　　I　wish　you　to　listen

attentively　to　Lieutenant　D'Arnot；　who　will　tell　you　a　part

of　the　story　of　monsieur's　life。　　It　may　explain　his　attitude

toward　you　of　last　night。　　Proceed；　my　dear　lieutenant。〃



D'Arnot　spoke　to　the　policemen　for　half　an　hour。　　He　told

them　something　of　Tarzan's　wild　jungle　life。　　He　explained

the　savage　training　that　had　taught　him　to　battle　like　a

wild　beast　in　self…preservation。　　It　became　plain　to　them

that　the　man　had　been　guided　by　instinct　rather　than　reason　in

his　attack　upon　them。　　He　had　not　understood　their　intentions。

To　him　they　had　been　little　different　from　any　of　the　various

forms　of　life　he　had　been　accustomed　to　in　his　native　jungle；

where　practically　all　were　his　enemies。



〃Your　pride　has　been　wounded；〃　said　D'Arnot；　in　conclusion。

〃It　is　the　fact　that　this　man　overcame　you　that　hurts　the　most。

But　you　need　feel　no　shame。　　You　would　not　make　apologies

for　defeat　had　you　been　penned　in　that　small　room　with　an

African　lion；　or　with　the　great　Gorilla　of　the　jungles。



〃And　yet　you　were　battling　with　muscles　that　have　time

and　time　again　been　pitted；　and　always　victoriously；　against

these　terrors　of　the　dark　continent。　　It　is　no　disgrace　to

fall　beneath　the　superhuman　strength　of　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。〃



And　then；　as　the　men　stood　looking　first　at　Tarzan　and

then　at　their　superior　the　ape…man　did　the　one　thing　which

was　needed　to　erase　the　last　remnant　of　animosity　which

they　might　have　felt　for　him。　　With　outstretched　hand　he

advanced　toward　them。



〃I　am　sorry　for　the　mistake　I　made；〃　he　said　simply。　　〃Let

us　be　friends。〃　　And　that　was　the　end　of　the　whole　matter；

except　that　Tarzan　became　a　subject　of　much　conversation

in　the　barracks　of　the　police；　and　increased　the　number　of

his　friends　by　four　brave　men　at　least。



On　their　return　to　D'Arnot's　apartments　the　lieutenant

found　a　letter　awaiting　him　from　an　English　friend；　William

Cecil　Clayton；　Lord　Greystoke。　　The　two　had　maintained　a

correspondence　since　the　birth　of　their　friendship　on　that

ill…fated　expedition　in　search　of　Jane　Porter　after　her　theft

by　Terkoz；　the　bull　ape。



〃They　are　to　be　married　in　London　in　about　two　months；〃

said　D'Arnot；　as　he　completed　his　perusal　of　the　letter。

Tarzan　did　not　need　to　be　told　who　was　meant　by　〃they。〃

He　made　no　reply；　but　he　was　very　quiet　and　thoughtful

during　the　balance　of　the　day。



That　evening　they　attended　the　opera。　　Tarzan's　mind　was

still　occupied　by　his　gloomy　thoughts。　　He　paid　little　or　no

attention　to　what　was　transpiring　upon　the　stage。　　Instead　he

saw　only　the　lovely　vision　of　a　beautiful　American　girl；　and

heard　naught　but　a　sad；　sweet　voice　acknowledging　that　his

love　was　returned。　　And　she　was　to　marry　another！



He　shook　himself　to　be　rid　of　his　unwelcome　thoughts；　and

at　the　same　instant　he　felt　eyes　upon　him。　　With　the　instinct

that　was　his　by　virtue　of　training　he　looked　up　squarely

into　the　eyes　that　were　looking　at　him；　to　find　that　they

were　shining　from　the　smiling　face　of　Olga；　Countess　de

Coude。　　As　Tarzan　returned　her　bow　he　was　positive　that

there　was　an　invitation　in　her　look；　almost　a　plea。

The　next　intermission　found　him　beside　her　in　her　box。



〃I　have　so　much　wished　to　see　you；〃　she　was　saying。

〃It　has　troubled　me　not　a　little　to　think　that　after　the

service　you　rendered　to　both　my　husband　and　myself　no　adequate

explanation　was　ever　made　you　of　what　must　have　seemed

ingratitude　on　our　part　in　not　taking　the　necessary　steps　to

prevent　a　repetition　of　the　attacks　upon　us　by　those　two　men。〃



〃You　wrong　me；〃　replied　Tarzan。　　〃My　thoughts　of　you

have　been　only　the　most　pleasant。　　You　must　not　feel　that

any　explanation　is　due　me。　　Have　they　annoyed　you　further？〃



〃They　never　cease；〃　she　replied　sadly。　　〃I　feel　that　I　must

tell　some　one；　and　I　do　not　know　another　who　so　deserves

an　explanation　as　you。　　You　must　permit　me　to　do　so。　　It　may

be　of　service　to　you；　for　I　know　Nikolas　Rokoff　quite　well

enough　to　be　positive　that　you　have　not　seen　the　last　of　him。

He　will　find　some　means　to　be　revenged　upon　you。　　What　I

wish　to　tell　you　may　be　of　aid　to　you　in　combating　any

scheme　of　revenge　he　may　harbor。　　I　cannot　tell　you　here；　but

tomorrow　I　shall　be　at　home　to　Monsieur　Tarzan　at　five。〃



〃It　will　be　an　eternity　until　tomorrow　at　five；〃　he　said；　as

he　bade　her　good　night。

From　a　corner　of　the　theater　Rokoff　and　Paulvitch　saw

Monsieur　Tarzan　in　the　box　of　the　Countess　de　Coude；　and

both　men　smiled。



At　four…thirty　the　following　afternoon　a　swarthy；　bearded

man　rang　the　bell　at　the　servants'　entrance　of　the　palace　of

the　Count　de　Coude。　　The　footman　who　opened　the　door　raised

his　eyebrows　in　recognition　as　he　saw　who　stood　without。

A　low　conversation　passed　between　the　two。



At　first　the　footman　demurred　from　some　proposition

that　the　bearded　one　made；　but　an　instant　later　something

passed　from　the　hand　of　the　caller　to　the　hand　of　the

servant。　　Then　the　latter　turned　and　led　the　visitor　by　a

roundabout　way　to　a　little　curtained　alcove　off　the　apartment

in　which　the　countess　was　wont　to　serve　tea　of　an　afternoon。



A　half　hour　later　Tarzan　was　ushered　into　the　room；

and　presently　his　hostess　entered；　smiling；　and　with

outstretched　hands。



〃I　am　so　glad　that　you　came；〃　she　said。



〃Nothing　could　have　prevented；〃　he　replied。



For　a　few　moments　they　spoke　of　the　opera；　of　the　topics

that　were　then　occupying　the　attention　of　Paris；　of　the

pleasure　of　renewing　their　brief　acquaintance　which　had　had

its　inception　under　such　odd　circumstances；　and　this　brought

them　to　the　subject　that　was　uppermost　in　the　minds　of　both。



〃You　must　have　wondered；〃　said　the　countess　finally；　〃what

the　object　of　Rokoff's　persecution　could　be。　　It　is　very　simple。

The　count　is　intrusted　with　many　of　the　vital　secrets　of　the

ministry　of　war。　　He　often　has　in　his　possession　papers　that

foreign　powers　would　give　a　fortune　to　possesssecrets

of　state　that　their　agents　would　commit　murder　and

worse　than　murder　to　learn。



〃There　is　such　a　matter　now　in　his　possession　that　would

make　the　fame　and　fortune　of　any　Russian　who　could

divulge　it　to　his　government。　　Rokoff　and　Paulvitch　are

Russian　spies。　　They　will　stop　at　nothing　to　procure　this

information。　　The　affair　on　the　linerI　mean　the　matter　of　the

card　gamewas　for　the　purpose　of　blackmailing　the　knowledge

they　seek　from　my　husband。



〃Had　he　been　convicted　of　cheating　at　cards；　his　career

would　have　been　blighted。　　He　would　have　had　to　leave　the

war　department。　　He　would　have　been　socially　ostracized。

They　intended　to　hold　this　club　over　himthe　price　of　an

avowal　on　their　part　that　the　count　was　but　the　victim　of　the

plot　of　enemies　who　wished　to　besmirch　his　name　was　to　have

been　the　papers　they　seek。



〃You　thwarted　them　in　this。　　Then　they　concocted　the

scheme　whereby　my　reputation　was　to　be　the　price；　instead

of　the　count's。　　When　Paulvitch　entered　my　cabin　he　explained

it　to　me。　　If　I　would　obtain　the　information　for　them

he　promised　to　go　no　farther；　otherwise　Rokoff；　who　stood

without；　was　to　notify　the　purser　that　I　was　entertaining　a

man　other　than　my　husband　behind　the　locked　doors　of　my

cabin。　　He　was　to