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TIGHTENING THE CHAINS 161
He drew back, like an infuriated tiger at
bay, then made a mad rush at my throat,
and crash . . . crash . . . went over me on
the floor. The high official took to his heels,
good, careful man, and left me in a deathstruggle
with the man to whom I had looked
for protection.
" He punched, tore at me, bit my shoulders,
and dragged me by my hair into the room,
where he kicked me until I could not offer
resistance. Finally he threw the contents of
the water jug over me, and left me wet and
bleeding, more dead than alive, bruised all
over. My eyes closed up with his blows, my
cheek cut with the ring he had on his finger
thus bashed, bleeding, battered, I lay on
the floor of a strange hotel in a strange land
"
said
... a helpless, broken mass. Ah !
madame, with a sigh,
" God was indeed
punishing me for my sins. Misery had
indeed overtaken me, broken, cut up, penniless,
deserted. I was alone . . . alone in my
misery 1
" My heart was breaking. Nothing but the
burning indignation at the insult cast upon
me sustained me during those awful hours
of tribulation. The indignation I felt saved
me, kept me alive !
" Some one sent for a doctor, who ordered
me to occupy another room ; a motherly old
Eurasian came to nurse me.
" I took all the money and jewels
I could
lay hands on " madame here laughed out,
and tossed off another glass of champagne,
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