TREASON
On their return to camp after her rescue Virginia talked a great deal to von Horn about the young giant who had rescued her, until the man feared that she was more interested in him than seemed good for his own plans.
He had now cast from him the last vestige of his loyalty for his employer, and thus freed had determined to use every means within his power to win Professor Maxon's daughter, and with her the heritage of wealth which he knew would be hers should her father, through some unforeseen mishap, meet death before he could return to civilization and alter his will, a contingency which von Horn knew he might have to consider should he marry the girl against her father's wishes, and thus thwart the crazed man's mad, but no less dear project.
He realized that first he must let the girl fully understand the grave peril in which she stood, and turn her hope of protection from her father to himself.
He imagined that the initial step in undermining Virginia's confidence in her father would be to narrate every detail of the weird experiments which Professor Maxon had brought to such successful issues during their residence upon the island.
The girl's own questioning gave him the lead he needed.
"Where could that horrid creature have come from that set upon me in the jungle and nearly killed poor Sing?"she asked.
For a moment von Horn was silent, in well simulated hesitancy to reply to her query.
"I cannot tell you, Miss Maxon," he said sadly, "how much I should hate to be the one to ignore your father's commands, and enlighten you upon this and other subjects which lie nearer to your personal welfare than you can possibly guess; but I feel that after the horrors of this day duty demands that I must lay all before you--you cannot again be exposed to the horrors from which you were rescued only by a miracle.""I cannot imagine what you hint at, Dr.von Horn,"said Virginia, "but if to explain to me will necessitate betraying my father's confidence I prefer that you remain silent.""You do not understand," broke in the man, "you cannot guess the horrors that I have seen upon this island, or the worse horrors that are to come.Could you dream of what lies in store for you, you would seek death rather than face the future.I have been loyal to your father, Virginia, but were you not blind, or indifferent, you would long since have seen that your welfare means more to me than my loyalty to him--more to me than my life or my honor.
"You asked where the creature came from that attacked you today.I shall tell you.It is one of a dozen similarly hideous things that your father has created in his mad desire to solve the problem of life.
He has solved it; but, God, at what a price in misshapen, soulless, hideous monsters!"The girl looked up at him, horror stricken.
"Do you mean to say that my father in a mad attempt to usurp the functions of God created that awful thing?"she asked in a low, faint voice, "and that there are others like it upon the island?""In the campong next to yours there are a dozen others,"replied von Horn, "nor would it be easy to say which is the most hideous and repulsive.They are grotesque caricatures of humanity--without soul and almost without brain.""God!" murmured the girl, burying her face in her hands, "he has gone mad; he has gone mad.""I truly believe that he is mad," said von Horn, "nor could you doubt it for a moment were I to tell you the worst.""The worst!" exclaimed the girl."What could be worse than that which you already have divulged? Oh, how could you have permitted it?""There is much worse than I have told you, Virginia.
So much worse that I can scarce force my lips to frame the words, but you must be told.I would be more criminally liable than your father were I to keep it from you, for my brain, at least, is not crazed.
Virginia, you have in your mind a picture of the hideous thing that carried you off into the jungle?""Yes," and as the girl replied a convulsive shudder racked her frame.
Von Horn grasped her arm gently as he went on, as though to support and protect her during the shock that he was about to administer.
"Virginia," he said in a very low voice, "it is your father's intention to wed you to one of his creatures."The girl broke from him with an angry cry.
"It is not true!" she exclaimed."It is not true.
Oh, Dr.von Horn how could you tell me such a cruel and terrible untruth.""As God is my judge, Virginia," and the man reverently uncovered as he spoke, "it is the truth.Your father told me it in so many words when I asked his permission to pay court to you myself--you are to marry Number Thirteen when his education is complete.""I shall die first!" she cried.
"Why not accept me instead?" suggested the man.
For a moment Virginia looked straight into his eyes as though to read his inmost soul.
"Let me have time to consider it, Doctor," she replied.
"I do not know that I care for you in that way at all.""Think of Number Thirteen," he suggested."It should not be difficult to decide.""I could not marry you simply to escape a worse fate,"replied the girl."I am not that cowardly--but let me think it over.There can be no immediate danger, I am sure.""One can never tell," replied von Horn, "what strange, new vagaries may enter a crazed mind to dictate this moment's action or the next.""Where could we wed?" asked Virginia.
"The Ithaca would bear us to Singapore, and when we returned you would be under my legal protection and safe.""I shall think about it from every angle," she answered sadly, "and now good night, my dear friend," and with a wan smile she entered her quarters.
For the next month Professor Maxon was busy educating Number Thirteen.He found the young man intelligent far beyond his most sanguine hopes, so that the progress made was little short of uncanny.
