The Mission of Poubalov — page 226: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

222 | BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, grasped the>table with both hands while his eyes fixed themselves in a stare and his face grew livid. Clara ran to the sideboard in the dining-room and brought him a glass of brandy. She poured a quantity down his throat till he gasped with pain. The spasm passed, but left him weak, well-nigh thik less, and Clara summoned the servant to take him to his room, A neighboring physician was calledin, and after half an hour or so he reported that Mr. Pembroke was in no immediate danger. Clara wished to see him, not, however, to torment him with questions, but the physician advised that he be left alone, with merely a servant, or Louise at hand to attend to his needs. ‘‘l am pretty certain,’’ added the doctor, ‘“‘that your presence would irritate him.”’ Clara withdrew to the drawing-room and tried to collect her thoughts. She had not heard from Paul and it was now eight o’clock. It could not be that nothing had hap- pened during the long afternoon. Something surely had occurred, and that through Poubalov, to prostrate her uncle—— Ah! she could notsit still. Her programme had not been fully performed. She was useless here, in the way, the doctor had said that plainly enough. The tavern must be searched to-night, and if Paul were not there to — help, she must do without him. She said nothing to Louise, or the servants. In the kitchen she found a candle and a box of matches. There — and elsewhere about the house were keys of various descriptions, She took every one she could lay her hands ~ on, and thus provided, set forth alone, It was a very quiet, retired street, on which the tavern — stood. Once it had been a main road, but traffic had long since been diverted into other channels. She saw nobody as she approached the gloomy structure with its overhang- — ing porch, and few lights were in the windews ef.a¢ nt : q x, 7 ait.