第91章

The moan was so audible that it was startling.It was like a voice from the grave.What did it all mean? Mrs.Martin was at his side in a moment.

"Father, father, - here I am - Grace.What do you want?"The old man moved restlessly, feverishly, and pressed his trembling hand to his forehead as if trying to collect his thoughts.He was weak, but it was evident that he had been saved.

The pulmotor had been stopped.Craig threw the cap to his student to be packed up, and as he did so he remarked quietly, "I could wish that Dr.Scott had been found.There are some matters here that might interest him."He paused and looked slowly from the rescued man lying dazed on the bed toward Mrs.Martin.It was quite apparent even to me that she did not share the desire to see Dr.Scott, at least not just then.

She was flushed and trembling with emotion.Crossing the room hurriedly she flung open the door into the hall.

"I am sure," she cried, controlling herself with difficulty and catching at a straw, as it were, "that you gentlemen, even if you have saved my father, are no friends of either his or mine.You have merely come here in response to Dr.Burnham, and he came because Jane lost her head in the excitement and forgot that Dr.

Scott is now our physician."

"But Dr.Scott could not have been found in time, madame,"interposed Dr.Burnham with evident triumph.

She ignored the remark and continued to hold the door open.

"Now leave us," she implored, "you, Dr.Burnham, you, Mr.Prescott, you, Professor Kennedy, and your friend Mr.Jameson, whoever you may be."She was now cold and calm.In the bewildering change of events we had forgotten the wan figure on the bed still gasping for the breath of life.I could not help wondering at the woman's apparent lack of gratitude, and a thought flashed over my mind.Had the affair come to a contest between various parties fighting by fair means or foul for the old man's money - Scott and Mrs.Martin perhaps -=20against Prescott and Dr.Burnham? No one moved.We seemed to be waiting on Kennedy.Prescott and Mrs.Martin were now glaring at each other implacably.

The old man moved restlessly on the bed, and over my shoulder Icould hear him gasp faintly, "Where's Grace? Send for Grace."Mrs.Martin paid no attention, seemed not to hear, but stood facing us imperiously as if waiting for us to obey her orders and leave the house.Burnham moved toward the door, but Prescott stood his ground with a peculiar air of defiance.Then he took my arm and started rather precipitately, I thought, to leave.

"Come, come," said somebody behind us, "enough of the dramatics."It was Kennedy, who had been bending down, listening to the muttering of the old man.

"Look at those eyes of Mr.Haswell," he said."What colour are they?"We looked.They were blue.

"Down in the parlour," continued Kennedy leisurely, "you will find a portrait of the long deceased Mrs.Haswell.If you will examine that painting you will see that her eyes are also a peculiarly limpid blue.o couple with blue eyes ever had a black-eyed child.

At least, if this is such a case, the Carnegie Institution investigators would be glad to hear of it, for it is contrary to all that they have discovered on the subject after years of study of eugenics.Dark-eyed couples may have light-eyed children, but the reverse, never.What do you say to that, madame?""You lie," screamed the woman, rushing frantically past us."I am his daughter.No interlopers shall separate us.Father!"The old man moved feebly away from her.

"Send for Dr.Scott again," she demanded."See if he cannot be found.He must be found.You are all enemies, villains."She addressed Kennedy, but included the whole room in her denunciation.

"Not all," broke in Kennedy remorselessly."Yes, madame, send for Dr.Scott.Why is he not here?"Prescott, with one hand on my arm and the other on Dr.Burnham's, was moving toward the door.

"One moment, Prescott," interrupted Kennedy, detaining him with a look."There was something I was about to say when Dr.Burnham's urgent message prevented it.I did not take the trouble even to find out how you obtained that little globule of molten gold from the crucible of alleged copper.There are so many tricks by which the gold could have been 'salted' and brought forth at the right moment that it was hardly worth while.Besides, I had satisfied myself that my first suspicions were correct.See that?"He held out the little piece of mineral I had already seen in his hand in the alchemist's laboratory.

"That is a piece of willemite.It has the property of glowing or fluorescing under a certain kind of rays which are themselves invisible to the human eye.Prescott, your story of the transmutation of elements is very clever, but not more clever than your real story.Let us piece it together.I had already heard from Dr.Burnham how Mr.Haswell was induced by his desire for gain to visit you and how you had most mysteriously predicted his blindness.Now, there is no such thing as telepathy, at least in this case.How then was I to explain it? What could cause such a catastrophe naturally? Why, only those rays invisible to the human eye, but which make this piece of willemite glow - the ultra-violet rays."Kennedy was speaking rapidly and was careful not to pause long enough to give Prescott an opportunity to interrupt him.