“And would he obey you?”
“He would.”
“Then do it. Do it, and we will go to Havre to-night and catch the French line steamer that steams away to-morrow. We will be in New York in six days. Do it. Do it. I have been sorry ever since I arrived that I came here at all. It is too close to old times. I’m not healthy, or healthful, here. I seem to feel a string around my neck, and to see a huge knife falling from above. I am going back, anyhow, whether you go or not, so do it, Juno; do it.”
For a moment she was silent. Then she replied:
“Go over there and stand near the window, then. Stand with your back this way. Help me, yourself, by saying over and over to yourself, ‘Obey! Obey! Obey! Obey!’ Will you do that, Jimmy?”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
Jimmy crossed to the window, and Nick could see that she kept her eyes upon him as he did so. Nick dared to peep between his eyelids toward her, and he was amazed to see that she had tiptoed half the distance to the window behind Jimmy, and was making passes in the air toward the man she had married; not toward Nick Carter.
In his amazement the detective opened his eyes wider. He could see that Juno’s whole mental effort was at that moment concentrated upon Bare-Faced Jimmy, and he was utterly astounded by it.
But a greater astonishment followed when he saw Jimmy’s arms suddenly fall limply at his sides, after which the man turned slowly around on his heels and faced Juno, every vestige of expression gone from his face.
“Come nearer to me, Howard Drummond!” she commanded him; and he obeyed, drawing nearer to her, keeping his eyes riveted upon hers. Nick knew that she had accomplished this control of the man merely by having induced him to concentrate his mind upon one thing when she asked him to repeat over and over again the word, obey. But why had she done it? Nick was soon to know.