CHAPTER XXII
THE HOLLOW OF HER HAND
To her secret amazement, the old lawyer did not offer a single protestwhen she repeated her convictions that the girl was innocent andshould be protected against herself as well as against the police.There was something very disquieting in the way he acquiesced. Shebegan to experience a vague, uneasy sense of wonder and apprehension.
"I am beginning to agree with that amiable scoundrel, Smith,"he said, fixing his inscrutable gaze on the snapping coals in thefireplace. "A cleverer woman than this Miss--er--What's-Her-Namemanaged that affair at Burton's Inn."
She watched his face closely. Somehow she felt that he was aboutto mention the name of the woman he suspected, and it seemed toher that her heart stood still during the moment of suspense.
He lifted his eyes to her face. She saw something in them that sether to trembling.
"Why not be fair with me, Sara?" he asked calmly. She stared athim, transfixed. "Who killed Challis Wrandall?"
She opened her lips to protest against this startling question,but something rushed up from within to completely change the wholecourse of her conduct; something she could not explain but whichswept away every vestige of strength, and left her weak and trembling,open-mouthed and pallid, with the liberated truth surging up fromits prison to give itself into the keeping of this staunch, loyalold friend and counsellor.
Carroll heard her through to the very end of the story withoutan interruption. Then he crossed over and laid his hands on hershoulders; there was a gleam of relief and satisfaction in hiseyes.
"I am sorry you did not come to me with all this in the beginning,Sara. A few words from me,--kindly words, my dear,--would haveshown you the error of your ways and you would have cast out theugly devils that beset you. You would not have planned the thingyou are so ashamed of now. Together we could have protected Hettyand she would not be your accuser now. You began nobly. I am sorryyou have the other part of it to look back upon. But you may restassured of one thing: you and Miss Castleton have nothing to fear.We will keep the secret, if needs be, but if it should come to theworst no harm would result to her through the law. The main thingnow is to protect that unhappy girl out West against the inquisition."
She sat with bowed head.
When Smith returned at six o'clock, he found not only Mr. Carrollwaiting for him but Brandon Booth as well. His instructions wereclearly defined and concise. He was to proceed without delay toMontana, where he was to bolster up the frail girl's courage andprevent if possible the disaster. Moreover, he was to assure herthat Challis Wrandall's wife forgave her and would contest everyeffort made by the police to lay the crime at her door. He wasempowered to engage legal counsel on his arrival in the Westerntown and to fight every move of the police, not only in behalf ofthe girl herself, but of Sara Wrandall, who thus publicly pronouncedher faith in the young woman's innocence.
It was all very cleverly thought out, and Smith went away withoutbeing much wiser than when he came. Before departing he offeredthis rather sinister conclusion for Sara's benefit:
"Of course, Mrs. Wrandall, you understand that the police willwonder why you take such an interest in this girl. They're bound tothink, and so will every one else, that you know a good deal moreabout the case than you've given out. See what I mean?"
"They are at liberty to think what they like, Mr. Smith," said she.
After Smith had gone, the three discussed the advisability ofacquainting Hetty with the deplorable conditions that had arisen.
"I don't believe it would be wise to tell her," said Boothreflectively. "She'd be sure to sacrifice herself rather than letharm come to this girl. We couldn't stop her."
"No, she must not be told," said Sara, with finality.
"She is almost sure to find this out for herself some time,"said the lawyer dubiously. "I think we'd better take her into ourconfidence. It is only right and just, you know."
"Not at present, not at present," said Sara irritably. "It wouldruin everything."
Booth appreciated her reasons for delay much more clearly than theyappeared to the matter-of-fact lawyer.
"The girl may die at any time," he explained, addressing Mr.Carroll, but not without a queer thrill of shame.
"That is not what I meant, Brandon," she exclaimed. "I want Hettyto come back with but one motive in her heart. Can't you see?"
As Booth and the lawyer walked down Fifth Avenue toward the clubwhere they were to dine together, the latter, after a long silence,made a remark that disturbed the young man vastly.
"She's going all to pieces, Booth. Bound to collapse. That's theway with these strong-minded, secret, pent-up natures. She hasbrooded all these months and she's been living a lie. Well, thebreak has come. She's told you and me. Now, do you know what I'mafraid will happen?"
"I think I know what's in your mind," said the younger man seriously."You are afraid she'll tell others?"
The lawyer tapped his forehead significantly. "It may result inTHAT."
"Never!" cried the other emphatically. "It will never be that waywith her, Mr. Carroll. Her head is as clear as--"
"Brain fever," interrupted Carroll, with a gloomy shake of his head."Delirium and all that sort of thing. Haven't you noticed how illshe looks? Feverish, nervous, irritable? Well, there you are."
"It is a dreadful state of affairs," groaned Booth.
"Not especially pleasant for you, my friend."
"God knows it isn't!"
"I believe, if I were in your place, I'd rather have the truthtold broadcast than to live for ever with that peril hanging overme. It would be better for Miss Castleton, too."
"I am not worrying over that, sir," said the other earnestly. "Ishall be able and ready to defend her, no matter what happens. Tobe perfectly honest with you, I don't believe she's accountable toany one but God in this matter. The law has no claim against her,except in a perfunctory way. I don't deny that it is only right andjust that Wrandall's family should know the truth, if she choosesto reveal it to them. If she doesn't, I shall be the last to suggestit to her."
"On that point I thoroughly agree with you. The Wrandall familyshould know the truth. It is--well, I came near to using the worddiabolical--to keep them in ignorance. There is something owing tothe Wrandalls, if not to the law."
"Of course they would make a merciless effort to prosecute her,"said Booth, feeling the cold sweat start on his brow.
"I am not so sure of that, my friend," was the rather hopeful opinionof the old man. He appeared to be weighing something in his mind,for as they walked along he shook his head from time to time andmuttered under his breath, the while his companion maintained agloomy silence.
The perceptions of the astute old lawyer were not far out of theway, as developments of the next day were to prove. When Booth calledin the afternoon at Sara's apartment, he was met by the news thatshe was quite ill and could see no one,--not even him. The doctorhad been summoned during the night and had returned in the morning,to find that she had a very high temperature. The butler could notenlighten Booth further than this, except to add that a nurse wascoming in to take charge of Mrs. Wrandall, more for the purposeof watching her symptoms than for anything else, he believed. Atleast, so the doctor had said.
Two days passed before the distressed young man could get any definitenews concerning her condition. He unconsciously began to think ofit as a malady, not a mere illness, due of course to the remarkCarroll had dropped. It was Carroll himself who gave a definitereport of Sara. He met the lawyer coming away from the apartmentwhen he called to inquire.
"She isn't out of her head, or anything like that," said Carrolluneasily, "but she's in a bad way, Booth. She is worrying overthat girl out West, of course, but I'll tell you what I think istroubling her more than anything else. Down in her heart she realisesthat Hetty Castleton has got to be brought face to face with theWrandalls."
"The deuce you say!"
"To-day I saw her for the first time. Almost immediately she as
kedme if I thought the Wrandalls would treat Hetty fairly if theyever found out the truth about her. I said I thought they would. Ididn't have the heart to tell her that their grievance undoubtedlywould be shifted from Hetty to her, and that they wouldn't belikely to forgive her for the stand she'd taken. She doesn't seemto care, however, what the Wrandalls think of her. By the way, haveyou any influence over Hetty Castleton?"
"I wish I were sure that I had," said Booth.
"Do you think she would come if you sent her a cablegram?"
"I am going over--"
"She will have your letter in a couple of days, according to Sara,who seems to have a very faithful correspondent in the person ofthat maid. I shudder to think of the cable tolls in the past fewmonths! I sometimes wonder if the maid suspects anything more thana loving interest in Miss Castleton. What I was about to suggestis this: Couldn't you cable her on Friday saying that Sara is veryill? This is Tuesday. We'll be having word from Smith to-morrow,I should think."
"I will cable, of course, but Sara must not know that I've doneit."
"Can you come to my office to-morrow afternoon?"
"Yes. To-morrow night I shall go over to Philadelphia, to be gonetill Friday. I hope it will not be necessary for me to stay longer.You never can tell about these operations."
"I trust everything will go well, Brandon."
Several things of note transpired before noon on Friday.
The Wrandalls arrived from Europe, without the recalcitrant Colonel.Mr. Redmond Wrandall, who met them at the dock, heaved a sigh ofrelief.
"He will be over on the Lusitania, next sailing," said Leslie, whofor some reason best known to himself wore a troubled look.
Mr. Wrandall's face fell. "I hope not," he said, much to theindignation of his wife and the secret uneasiness of his son. "Thesepredatory connections of the British nobility--"
"Predatory!" gasped Mrs. Wrandall.
"--are a blood-sucking lot," went on the old gentleman firmly. "Ifhe comes to New York, Leslie, I'll stake my head he won't be longin borrowing a few thousand dollars from each of us. And he'll notseek to humiliate us by attempting to pay it back. Oh, I know them."
Leslie swallowed rather hard. "What's the news here, Dad?" he askedhastily. "Anybody dead?"
"Sara is quite ill, I hear. Slow fever of some sort, Carroll tellsme."
"Is she going to marry Brandy Booth?" asked his son.
Mr. Wrandall's face stiffened. "I fear I was a little hasty in myconclusions. Brandon came to the office a few days ago and informedme in rather plain words that there is absolutely nothing in thereport."
"The deuce you say! 'Gad, I wrote her a rather intimate letter--"Leslie got no farther than this. He was somewhat stunned andbewildered by his private reflections.
Mr. Wrandall was lost in study for some minutes, paying no attentionto the remarks of the other occupants of the motor that whirledthem across town.
"By the way, my dear," he said to his wife, a trifle irrelevantly,"don't you think it would be right for you and Vivian to drop inthis afternoon and see Sara? just to let her know that she isn'twithout--"
"It's out of the question, Redmond," said his wife, a shockedexpression in her face as much as to say that he must be quite outof his head to suggest such a thing. "We shall be dreadfully busyfor several days, unpacking and--well, doing all sorts of NECESSARYthings."
"She is pretty sick, I hear," mumbled he.
"Hasn't she got a nurse?" demanded his wife.
"I merely offered the suggestion in order--"
"Well, we'll see her next week. Any other news?"
"Mrs. Booth, Brandon's mother, was operated on for something orother day before yesterday."
"Oh, dear! The poor thing! Where?"
"Philadelphia, of course."
"I wonder if--let me see, Leslie, isn't there a good train toPhiladelphia at four o'clock? I could go--"
"Really, my dear," said her husband sharply.
"You forget how busy we are, mother," said Vivian, without a smile.
"Nonsense!" said Mrs. Wrandall, in considerable confusion. "Was ita serious operation, Redmond?"
"They cut a bone out of her nose, that's all. Brandon says her heartis weak. They were afraid of the ether. She's all right, Carrollsays."
"Goodness!" cried Mrs. Wrandall. One might have suspected a noteof disappointment in her voice.
"I shall go up to see Sara this afternoon," said Vivian calmly."What's the number of her new apartment?"
"YOU have been up to see her, of course," said Mrs. Wrandall acidly.
He fidgetted. "I didn't hear of her illness until yesterday."
"I'll go up with you, Viv," said Leslie.
"No, you won't," said his sister flatly. "I'm going to apologise toher for something I said to Brandon Booth. You needn't tag along,Les."
At half-past five in the afternoon, the Wrandall limousine stoppedin front of the tall apartment building near the Park, a footmanjerked open the door, and Miss Wrandall stepped out. At the samemoment a telegraph messenger boy paused on the sidewalk to computethe artistic but puzzling numerals on the imposing grilled doorsof the building.
Miss Wrandall had herself announced by the obsequious doorman, andstood by in patience to wait for the absurd rule of the house tobe carried out: "No one could get in without being announced frombelow," said the doorman.
"I c'n get in all right, all right," said the messenger boy, "Igot a tellygram for de loidy."
"Go to the rear!" exclaimed the doorman, with some energy.
While Miss Wrandall waited in Sara's reception hall on the tenthfloor, the messenger, having traversed a more devious route, arrivedwith his message.
Watson took the envelope and told him to wait. Five minutespassed. Miss Wrandall grew very uncomfortable under the persistentthough complimentary gaze of the street urchin. He stared at her,wide-eyed and admiring, his tribute to the glorious. She staredback occasionally, narrow-eyed and reproving, HER tribute to thegrotesque.
"Will you please step into the drawing-room, Miss Wrandall," saidWatson, returning. He led her across the small foyer and threw opena door. She passed into the room beyond.
Then he turned to the boy who stood beside the hall seat, makingchange for a quarter as he approached. "Here," he said, handinghim the receipt book and a dime, "that's for you." He dropped thequarter into his own pocket, where it mingled with coins that werestrangers to it up to that instant, and imperiously closed thedoor behind the boy who failed to say "thank you." Every man tohis trade!
There was a woman in the drawing-room when Vivian entered, standingwell over against the windows with her back to the light. Thevisitor stopped short in surprise. She had expected to find hersister-in-law in bed, attended by a politely superior person inpure white.
"Why, Sara," she began, "I am SO glad to see you are up and--"
The other woman came forward. "But I am not Sara, Miss Wrandall,"she said, in a well-remembered voice. "How do you do?"
Vivian found herself looking into the face of Hetty Castleton.Instantly she extended her hand.
"This IS a surprise!" she exclaimed. "When did you return? Leslietold me your plans were quite settled when he saw you in Lucerne.Oh, I see! Of course! How stupid of me. Sara sent for you."
"She has been quite ill," said Hetty, non-committally. "We got inyesterday. I thought my place was here, naturally."
"Naturally," repeated Vivian, in a detached sort of way. "How isshe to-day? May I see her?"
"She is very much better. In fact, she is sitting up in her room."A warm flush suffused her face, a shy smile appeared in her eyes."She is receiving two gentlemen visitors, to be perfectly honest,Miss Wrandall, her lawyer, Mr. Carroll, and--Mr. Booth."
They were seated side by side on the uncomfortable Louis Seizedivan in the middle of the room.
"Perhaps she won't care to see me, after an audience so fatiguing,"said Miss Wrandall sweetly. "And so exasperating," she added, witha smile.
Hetty looked
her perplexity.
"But she will see you, Miss Wrandall--if you don't mind waiting.It is a business conference they're having."
An ironic gleam appeared in the corner of Vivian's eye. "Oh," shesaid, and waited. Hetty smiled uncertainly. All at once the tallAmerican girl was impressed by the wistful, almost humble look inthe Englishwoman's eyes, an appealing look that caused her to wondernot a little. Like a flash she jumped at an obvious conclusion,and almost caught her breath. This girl loved Booth and was losinghim! Vivian exulted for a moment and then, with an impulse shecould not quite catalogue, laid her hand on the other's slim fingers,and murmured somewhat hazily: "Never mind, never mind!"
"Oh, you MUST wait," cried Hetty, not at all in touch with theother's mood. "Sara expects to see you. The men will be out in afew minutes."
"I think I will run in to-morrow morning," said Vivian hastily. Shearose almost immediately and again extended her hand. "So glad tosee you back again, Miss Castleton. Come and see me. Give my loveto Sara."
She took her departure in some haste, and in her heart she wasrejoicing that she had not succeeded in making a fool of herselfby confessing to Sara that she had said unkind things about her toBrandon Booth.
Hetty resumed her seat in the broad French window and stared outover the barren tree-tops in the Park. A frightened, pathetic droopreturned to her lips. It had been there most of the day.
In Sara's boudoir, the doors of which were carefully closed, threepersons were in close, even repressed conference. The young mistressof the house sat propped up in a luxurious chaise-longue, wan butintense. Confronting her were the two men, leaning forward in theirchairs. Mr. Carroll held in his hand a number of papers, prominentamong them being three or four telegrams. Booth's face was radiantdespite the serious matter that occupied his mind. He had reachedtown early in the morning in response to a telephone message fromCarroll announcing the sudden, unannounced appearance of HettyCastleton at his offices on the previous afternoon. The girl'sarrival had been most unexpected. She walked in on Mr. Carroll,accompanied by her maid, who had a distinctly sheepish look in hereyes and seemed eager to explain something but could not find theopportunity.
With some firmness, Miss Castleton had asked Mr. Carroll toexplain why the woman had been set to spy upon her every movement,a demand the worthy lawyer could not very well meet for the goodand sufficient reason that he wasn't very clear about it himself.Then Hetty broke down and cried, confessing that she was eager togo to Mrs. Wrandall, at the same time sobbing out something abouta symbolic dicky-bird, much to Mr. Carroll's wonder and perplexity.
He sent the maid from the room, and retired with Miss Castleton tothe innermost of his private offices, where without much preamblehe informed her that he knew everything. Moreover, Mr. Booth wasin possession of all the facts and was even then on the point ofstarting for Europe to see her. Of course, his letter had failed toreach her in time. There was quite a tragic scene in the seclusionof that remote little office, during which Mr. Carroll wiped hiseyes and blew his nose more than once, after which he took it uponhimself to despatch a messenger to Sara with the word that he andMiss Castleton would present themselves within half an hour afterhis note had been delivered.
A telegram already had come from Smith in the far-away Montana town,transmitting news that disturbed him more than he cared to admit.The showgirl was lying at the point of death, and he was having avery hard time of it trying to keep the resolute authorities fromswooping down upon her for the ante-mortem statement they desired.It would appear that he arrived just in time to put courage into thegirl. He would see to it that any statement she made would be thetruth! But Mr. Carroll was not so sure of Smith's ability to avertdisaster. He knew something of the terrors of the third degree.The police would fight hard for vindication.
The meeting between Sara and Hetty was affecting....Almost immediatelythe former began to show the most singular signs of improvement.She laughed and cried and joyously announced to the protesting nursethat she was feeling quite well again! And, in truth, she got upfrom the couch on which she reclined and insisted on being dressedfor dinner. In another room the amazed nurse was franticallyappealing to Mr. Carroll to let her send for the doctor, only tobe confounded by his urbane announcement that Mrs. Wrandall was as"right as a string" and, please God, she wouldn't need the servicesof doctor or nurse again for years to come. Then he asked the nurseif she had ever heard of a disease called "nostalgia."
She said she had heard of "home-sickness."
"Well, that's what ailed Mrs. Wrandall," he said. "Miss Castletonis the CURE."
Booth came the next morning....Even as she lay passive in his arms,Hetty denied him. Her arms were around his neck as she miserablywhispered that she could not, would not be his wife, notwithstandingher love for him and his readiness to accept her as she was. Shewas obdurate, lovingly, tenderly obdurate. He would have despairedbut for Sara, to whom he afterwards appealed.
"Wait," was all that Sara had said, but he took heart. He wasbeginning to look upon her as a sorceress. A week ago he had feltsorry for her; his heart had been touched by her transparent misery.To-day he saw her in another light altogether; as the determined,resourceful, calculating woman who, having failed to attain a certainend, was now intensely, keenly interested in the development ofanother of a totally different nature. He could not feel sorry forher to-day.
Hetty deliberately had placed herself in their hands, withdrawingfrom the conference shortly before Vivian's arrival to give herselfover to gloomy conjectures as to the future, not only for herself,but for the man she loved and the woman she worshipped with somethingof the fidelity of a beaten dog.
Carroll had in his hand the second telegram from Smith, justreceived.
"This relieves the situation somewhat," he observed, with a deepsigh. "She's dead, and she didn't give in, thanks to Smith. Ratherclever of him to get a signed statement, however, witnessed by theprosecuting attorney and the chief of police. It puts an end toeverything so far as she is concerned."
"Read again, Mr. Carroll, what she had to say about me," said Sara,a slight tremour of emotion in her voice.
He read from the lengthy telegram: "'She wants me to thank Mrs.Wrandall for all she has done to make her last few months happyones, such as they were. She appreciates her kindness all themore because she realises that her benefactress must have knowneverything. Almost the last words she spoke were in the nature ofa sort of prayer that God would forgive her for what she had doneto Mrs. Wrandall.'"
"Poor girl! She could not have known that it was justice, notsentiment that moved me to provide for her," said Sara.
"Well, she is off our minds, at any rate," said the matter-of-factlawyer. "Now are you both willing to give serious consideration tothe plan I propose? Take time to think it over. No harm will cometo Miss Castleton, I am confident. There will be a nine days'sensation, but, after all, it is the best thing for everybody. Youpropose living abroad, Booth, so what are the odds if--"
"I shan't live abroad unless Hetty reconsiders her decision tonot marry me," said the young man dismally. "'Gad, Sara, you mustconvince her that I love her better than--"
"I think she knows all that, Brandon. As I said before, wait! Andnow, Mr. Carroll, I have this to say to your suggestion: I forone am relentlessly opposed to the plan you advocate. There is nooccasion for this matter to go to the public. A trial, you say,would be a mere formality. I am not so sure of that. Why put poorHetty's head in the lion's mouth at this late stage, after I haveprotected her so carefully all these months? Why take the risk?We know she is innocent. Isn't it enough that we acquit her inour hearts? No, I cannot consent, and I hold both of you to yourpromises."
"There is nothing more I can say, my dear Sara," said Carroll,shaking his head gloomily, "except to urge you to think it oververy seriously. Remember, it may mean a great deal to her--and toour eager young friend here. Years from now, like a bolt from thesky, the truth may come out in some way. Think of what it wouldmean then."
Sara regarded him steadily. "There are but four people who knowthe truth," she said slowly. "It isn't likely that Hetty or Brandonwill tell the story. Professional honour forbids your doing so.That leaves me as the sole peril. Is that what you would imply, mydear friend?"
"Not at all," he cried hastily, "not at all. I--"
"That's all tommy-rot, Sara," cried Booth earnestly. "We justCOULDN'T have anything to fear from you."
With curious inconsistency, she shook her head and remarked: "Ofcourse, you never could be quite easy in your minds. There wouldalways be the feeling of unrest. Am I to be trusted, after all? Ihave proved myself to be a vindictive schemer. What assurance canyou and Hetty have that I will not turn against one or the otherof you some time and crush you to satisfy a personal grievance? Howdo you know, Brandon, that I am not in love with you at this very--"
"Good heavens, Sara!" he cried, agape.
"--at this very moment?" she continued. "It would not be so verystrange, would it? I am very human. The power to love is not deniedme. Oh, I am merely philosophising. Don't look so serious. We willsuppose that I continued along my career as the woman scorned. Youhave seen how I smart under the lash. Well?"
"But all that is impossible," said Booth, his face clearing. "You'renot in love with me, and never can be. That! for your philosophy!"
At the same instant he became aware of the singular gleam in hereyes; a liquid, Oriental glow that seemed to reflect light on herlower lids as she sat there with her face in the shadow. Once ortwice before he had been conscious of the mysterious, seductiveappeal. He stared back at her, almost defensively, but her gazedid not waver. It was he who first looked away, curiously uncomfortable.
"Still," she said slowly, "I think you would be wise to considerall possible contingencies."
"I'll take chances, Sara," he said, with an odd buoyancy in his voicethat, for the life of him, he could not explain, even to himself.
"Even admitting that such should turn out to be the case," saidMr. Carroll judicially, "I don't believe you'd go so far as toput your loyal friends in jeopardy, Sara. So we will dismiss thethought. Don't forget, however, that you hold them in the hollowof your hand. My original contention was based on the time-honouredsaying, 'murder will out.' We never can tell what may turn up. Thebest laid plans of men and mice oft--"
Sara settled back among the cushions with a peremptory wave of herhand. The loose, flowing sleeve fell away, revealing her white,exquisitely modelled arm almost to the shoulder. For some strange,unaccountable reason Booth's eyes fell.
"I am tired, wretchedly tired. It has been a most exhausting day,"she said, with a sudden note of weariness in her voice. Both menstarted up apologetically. "I will think seriously of your plan,Mr. Carroll. There is no hurry, I'm sure. Please send Miss Wrandallin to me, will you? Perhaps you would better tell Hetty to come inas soon as Vivian leaves. Come back to-morrow afternoon, Brandon.I shall be much more cheerful. By the way, have you noticed thatDicky, out in the library, has been singing all afternoon as ifhis little throat would split? It is very curious, but to-day isthe first time he has uttered a note in nearly five months. Justlisten to him! He is fairly riotous with song."
Booth leaned over and kissed the hand she lifted to him. "He islike the rest of us, Sara, inordinately happy." A slight shiverran through her arm. He felt it.
"I am so afraid his exuberance of spirit may annoy Vivian," saidshe, with a rare smile. "She detests vulgarity."
The men departed. She lay back in the chaise-longue, her eyes fixedon the hand he had touched with his lips.
Watson tapped twice on the door.
"Miss Wrandall could not wait, ma'am," he said, opening the doorsoftly. "She will call again tomorrow."
"Thank you, Watson. Will you hand me the cigarettes?"
Watson hesitated. "The cigarettes, ma'am?"
"Yes."
"But the doctor's orders, ma'am, begging your pardon for--"
"I have a new doctor, Watson."
"I beg pardon, ma'am!"
"The celebrated Dr. Folly," she said lightly.