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diff --git a/1188-h/1188-h.htm b/1188-h/1188-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c7e815c --- /dev/null +++ b/1188-h/1188-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5465 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>The Lair of the White Worm</title> +<style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">The Lair of the White Worm, by Bram Stoker</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Lair of the White Worm, by Bram Stoker + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Lair of the White Worm + + +Author: Bram Stoker + +Release Date: March 27, 2005 [eBook #1188] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed form the 1911 W. Foulsham & Co. Ltd. edition by David +Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk</p> +<h1>THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM</h1> +<p>To my friend Bertha Nicoll with affectionate esteem.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER I—ADAM SALTON ARRIVES</h2> +<p>Adam Salton sauntered into the Empire Club, Sydney, and found awaiting +him a letter from his grand-uncle. He had first heard from the +old gentleman less than a year before, when Richard Salton had claimed +kinship, stating that he had been unable to write earlier, as he had +found it very difficult to trace his grand-nephew’s address. +Adam was delighted and replied cordially; he had often heard his father +speak of the older branch of the family with whom his people had long +lost touch. Some interesting correspondence had ensued. +Adam eagerly opened the letter which had only just arrived, and conveyed +a cordial invitation to stop with his grand-uncle at Lesser Hill, for +as long a time as he could spare.</p> +<p>“Indeed,” Richard Salton went on, “I am in hopes +that you will make your permanent home here. You see, my dear +boy, you and I are all that remain of our race, and it is but fitting +that you should succeed me when the time comes. In this year of +grace, 1860, I am close on eighty years of age, and though we have been +a long-lived race, the span of life cannot be prolonged beyond reasonable +bounds. I am prepared to like you, and to make your home with +me as happy as you could wish. So do come at once on receipt of +this, and find the welcome I am waiting to give you. I send, in +case such may make matters easy for you, a banker’s draft for +£200. Come soon, so that we may both of us enjoy many happy +days together. If you are able to give me the pleasure of seeing +you, send me as soon as you can a letter telling me when to expect you. +Then when you arrive at Plymouth or Southampton or whatever port you +are bound for, wait on board, and I will meet you at the earliest hour +possible.”</p> +<p>* * * * *</p> +<p>Old Mr. Salton was delighted when Adam’s reply arrived and +sent a groom hot-foot to his crony, Sir Nathaniel de Salis, to inform +him that his grand-nephew was due at Southampton on the twelfth of June.</p> +<p>Mr. Salton gave instructions to have ready a carriage early on the +important day, to start for Stafford, where he would catch the 11.40 +a.m. train. He would stay that night with his grand-nephew, either +on the ship, which would be a new experience for him, or, if his guest +should prefer it, at a hotel. In either case they would start +in the early morning for home. He had given instructions to his +bailiff to send the postillion carriage on to Southampton, to be ready +for their journey home, and to arrange for relays of his own horses +to be sent on at once. He intended that his grand-nephew, who +had been all his life in Australia, should see something of rural England +on the drive. He had plenty of young horses of his own breeding +and breaking, and could depend on a journey memorable to the young man. +The luggage would be sent on by rail to Stafford, where one of his carts +would meet it. Mr. Salton, during the journey to Southampton, +often wondered if his grand-nephew was as much excited as he was at +the idea of meeting so near a relation for the first time; and it was +with an effort that he controlled himself. The endless railway +lines and switches round the Southampton Docks fired his anxiety afresh.</p> +<p>As the train drew up on the dockside, he was getting his hand traps +together, when the carriage door was wrenched open and a young man jumped +in.</p> +<p>“How are you, uncle? I recognised you from the photo +you sent me! I wanted to meet you as soon as I could, but everything +is so strange to me that I didn’t quite know what to do. +However, here I am. I am glad to see you, sir. I have been +dreaming of this happiness for thousands of miles; now I find that the +reality beats all the dreaming!” As he spoke the old man +and the young one were heartily wringing each other’s hands.</p> +<p>The meeting so auspiciously begun proceeded well. Adam, seeing +that the old man was interested in the novelty of the ship, suggested +that he should stay the night on board, and that he would himself be +ready to start at any hour and go anywhere that the other suggested. +This affectionate willingness to fall in with his own plans quite won +the old man’s heart. He warmly accepted the invitation, +and at once they became not only on terms of affectionate relationship, +but almost like old friends. The heart of the old man, which had +been empty for so long, found a new delight. The young man found, +on landing in the old country, a welcome and a surrounding in full harmony +with all his dreams throughout his wanderings and solitude, and the +promise of a fresh and adventurous life. It was not long before +the old man accepted him to full relationship by calling him by his +Christian name. After a long talk on affairs of interest, they +retired to the cabin, which the elder was to share. Richard Salton +put his hands affectionately on the boy’s shoulders—though +Adam was in his twenty-seventh year, he was a boy, and always would +be, to his grand-uncle.</p> +<p>“I am so glad to find you as you are, my dear boy—just +such a young man as I had always hoped for as a son, in the days when +I still had such hopes. However, that is all past. But thank +God there is a new life to begin for both of us. To you must be +the larger part—but there is still time for some of it to be shared +in common. I have waited till we should have seen each other to +enter upon the subject; for I thought it better not to tie up your young +life to my old one till we should have sufficient personal knowledge +to justify such a venture. Now I can, so far as I am concerned, +enter into it freely, since from the moment my eyes rested on you I +saw my son—as he shall be, God willing—if he chooses such +a course himself.”</p> +<p>“Indeed I do, sir—with all my heart!”</p> +<p>“Thank you, Adam, for that.” The old, man’s +eyes filled and his voice trembled. Then, after a long silence +between them, he went on: “When I heard you were coming I made +my will. It was well that your interests should be protected from +that moment on. Here is the deed—keep it, Adam. All +I have shall belong to you; and if love and good wishes, or the memory +of them, can make life sweeter, yours shall be a happy one. Now, +my dear boy, let us turn in. We start early in the morning and +have a long drive before us. I hope you don’t mind driving? +I was going to have the old travelling carriage in which my grandfather, +your great-grand-uncle, went to Court when William IV. was king. +It is all right—they built well in those days—and it has +been kept in perfect order. But I think I have done better: I +have sent the carriage in which I travel myself. The horses are +of my own breeding, and relays of them shall take us all the way. +I hope you like horses? They have long been one of my greatest +interests in life.”</p> +<p>“I love them, sir, and I am happy to say I have many of my +own. My father gave me a horse farm for myself when I was eighteen. +I devoted myself to it, and it has gone on. Before I came away, +my steward gave me a memorandum that we have in my own place more than +a thousand, nearly all good.”</p> +<p>“I am glad, my boy. Another link between us.”</p> +<p>“Just fancy what a delight it will be, sir, to see so much +of England—and with you!”</p> +<p>“Thank you again, my boy. I will tell you all about your +future home and its surroundings as we go. We shall travel in +old-fashioned state, I tell you. My grandfather always drove four-in-hand; +and so shall we.”</p> +<p>“Oh, thanks, sir, thanks. May I take the ribbons sometimes?”</p> +<p>“Whenever you choose, Adam. The team is your own. +Every horse we use to-day is to be your own.”</p> +<p>“You are too generous, uncle!”</p> +<p>“Not at all. Only an old man’s selfish pleasure. +It is not every day that an heir to the old home comes back. And—oh, +by the way . . . No, we had better turn in now—I shall tell you +the rest in the morning.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER II—THE CASWALLS OF CASTRA REGIS</h2> +<p>Mr. Salton had all his life been an early riser, and necessarily +an early waker. But early as he woke on the next morning—and +although there was an excuse for not prolonging sleep in the constant +whirr and rattle of the “donkey” engine winches of the great +ship—he met the eyes of Adam fixed on him from his berth. +His grand-nephew had given him the sofa, occupying the lower berth himself. +The old man, despite his great strength and normal activity, was somewhat +tired by his long journey of the day before, and the prolonged and exciting +interview which followed it. So he was glad to lie still and rest +his body, whilst his mind was actively exercised in taking in all he +could of his strange surroundings. Adam, too, after the pastoral +habit to which he had been bred, woke with the dawn, and was ready to +enter on the experiences of the new day whenever it might suit his elder +companion. It was little wonder, then, that, so soon as each realised +the other’s readiness, they simultaneously jumped up and began +to dress. The steward had by previous instructions early breakfast +prepared, and it was not long before they went down the gangway on shore +in search of the carriage.</p> +<p>They found Mr. Salton’s bailiff looking out for them on the +dock, and he brought them at once to where the carriage was waiting +in the street. Richard Salton pointed out with pride to his young +companion the suitability of the vehicle for every need of travel. +To it were harnessed four useful horses, with a postillion to each pair.</p> +<p>“See,” said the old man proudly, “how it has all +the luxuries of useful travel—silence and isolation as well as +speed. There is nothing to obstruct the view of those travelling +and no one to overhear what they may say. I have used that trap +for a quarter of a century, and I never saw one more suitable for travel. +You shall test it shortly. We are going to drive through the heart +of England; and as we go I’ll tell you what I was speaking of +last night. Our route is to be by Salisbury, Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham, +Worcester, Stafford; and so home.”</p> +<p>Adam remained silent a few minutes, during which he seemed all eyes, +for he perpetually ranged the whole circle of the horizon.</p> +<p>“Has our journey to-day, sir,” he asked, “any special +relation to what you said last night that you wanted to tell me?”</p> +<p>“Not directly; but indirectly, everything.”</p> +<p>“Won’t you tell me now—I see we cannot be overheard—and +if anything strikes you as we go along, just run it in. I shall +understand.”</p> +<p>So old Salton spoke:</p> +<p>“To begin at the beginning, Adam. That lecture of yours +on ‘The Romans in Britain,’ a report of which you posted +to me, set me thinking—in addition to telling me your tastes. +I wrote to you at once and asked you to come home, for it struck me +that if you were fond of historical research—as seemed a fact—this +was exactly the place for you, in addition to its being the home of +your own forbears. If you could learn so much of the British Romans +so far away in New South Wales, where there cannot be even a tradition +of them, what might you not make of the same amount of study on the +very spot. Where we are going is in the real heart of the old +kingdom of Mercia, where there are traces of all the various nationalities +which made up the conglomerate which became Britain.”</p> +<p>“I rather gathered that you had some more definite—more +personal reason for my hurrying. After all, history can keep—except +in the making!”</p> +<p>“Quite right, my boy. I had a reason such as you very +wisely guessed. I was anxious for you to be here when a rather +important phase of our local history occurred.”</p> +<p>“What is that, if I may ask, sir?”</p> +<p>“Certainly. The principal landowner of our part of the +county is on his way home, and there will be a great home-coming, which +you may care to see. The fact is, for more than a century the +various owners in the succession here, with the exception of a short +time, have lived abroad.”</p> +<p>“How is that, sir, if I may ask?”</p> +<p>“The great house and estate in our part of the world is Castra +Regis, the family seat of the Caswall family. The last owner who +lived here was Edgar Caswall, grandfather of the man who is coming here—and +he was the only one who stayed even a short time. This man’s +grandfather, also named Edgar—they keep the tradition of the family +Christian name—quarrelled with his family and went to live abroad, +not keeping up any intercourse, good or bad, with his relatives, although +this particular Edgar, as I told you, did visit his family estate, yet +his son was born and lived and died abroad, while his grandson, the +latest inheritor, was also born and lived abroad till he was over thirty—his +present age. This was the second line of absentees. The +great estate of Castra Regis has had no knowledge of its owner for five +generations—covering more than a hundred and twenty years. +It has been well administered, however, and no tenant or other connected +with it has had anything of which to complain. All the same, there +has been much natural anxiety to see the new owner, and we are all excited +about the event of his coming. Even I am, though I own my own +estate, which, though adjacent, is quite apart from Castra Regis.—Here +we are now in new ground for you. That is the spire of Salisbury +Cathedral, and when we leave that we shall be getting close to the old +Roman county, and you will naturally want your eyes. So we shall +shortly have to keep our minds on old Mercia. However, you need +not be disappointed. My old friend, Sir Nathaniel de Salis, who, +like myself, is a free-holder near Castra Regis—his estate, Doom +Tower, is over the border of Derbyshire, on the Peak—is coming +to stay with me for the festivities to welcome Edgar Caswall. +He is just the sort of man you will like. He is devoted to history, +and is President of the Mercian Archaeological Society. He knows +more of our own part of the country, with its history and its people, +than anyone else. I expect he will have arrived before us, and +we three can have a long chat after dinner. He is also our local +geologist and natural historian. So you and he will have many +interests in common. Amongst other things he has a special knowledge +of the Peak and its caverns, and knows all the old legends of prehistoric +times.”</p> +<p>They spent the night at Cheltenham, and on the following morning +resumed their journey to Stafford. Adam’s eyes were in constant +employment, and it was not till Salton declared that they had now entered +on the last stage of their journey, that he referred to Sir Nathaniel’s +coming.</p> +<p>As the dusk was closing down, they drove on to Lesser Hill, Mr. Salton’s +house. It was now too dark to see any details of their surroundings. +Adam could just see that it was on the top of a hill, not quite so high +as that which was covered by the Castle, on whose tower flew the flag, +and which was all ablaze with moving lights, manifestly used in the +preparations for the festivities on the morrow. So Adam deferred +his curiosity till daylight. His grand-uncle was met at the door +by a fine old man, who greeted him warmly.</p> +<p>“I came over early as you wished. I suppose this is your +grand-nephew—I am glad to meet you, Mr. Adam Salton. I am +Nathaniel de Salis, and your uncle is one of my oldest friends.”</p> +<p>Adam, from the moment of their eyes meeting, felt as if they were +already friends. The meeting was a new note of welcome to those +that had already sounded in his ears.</p> +<p>The cordiality with which Sir Nathaniel and Adam met, made the imparting +of information easy. Sir Nathaniel was a clever man of the world, +who had travelled much, and within a certain area studied deeply. +He was a brilliant conversationalist, as was to be expected from a successful +diplomatist, even under unstimulating conditions. But he had been +touched and to a certain extent fired by the younger man’s evident +admiration and willingness to learn from him. Accordingly the +conversation, which began on the most friendly basis, soon warmed to +an interest above proof, as the old man spoke of it next day to Richard +Salton. He knew already that his old friend wanted his grand-nephew +to learn all he could of the subject in hand, and so had during his +journey from the Peak put his thoughts in sequence for narration and +explanation. Accordingly, Adam had only to listen and he must +learn much that he wanted to know. When dinner was over and the +servants had withdrawn, leaving the three men at their wine, Sir Nathaniel +began.</p> +<p>“I gather from your uncle—by the way, I suppose we had +better speak of you as uncle and nephew, instead of going into exact +relationship? In fact, your uncle is so old and dear a friend, +that, with your permission, I shall drop formality with you altogether +and speak of you and to you as Adam, as though you were his son.”</p> +<p>“I should like,” answered the young man, “nothing +better!”</p> +<p>The answer warmed the hearts of both the old men, but, with the usual +avoidance of Englishmen of emotional subjects personal to themselves, +they instinctively returned to the previous question. Sir Nathaniel +took the lead.</p> +<p>“I understand, Adam, that your uncle has posted you regarding +the relationships of the Caswall family?”</p> +<p>“Partly, sir; but I understood that I was to hear minuter details +from you—if you would be so good.”</p> +<p>“I shall be delighted to tell you anything so far as my knowledge +goes. Well, the first Caswall in our immediate record is an Edgar, +head of the family and owner of the estate, who came into his kingdom +just about the time that George III. did. He had one son of about +twenty-four. There was a violent quarrel between the two. +No one of this generation has any idea of the cause; but, considering +the family characteristics, we may take it for granted that though it +was deep and violent, it was on the surface trivial.</p> +<p>“The result of the quarrel was that the son left the house +without a reconciliation or without even telling his father where he +was going. He never came back again. A few years after, +he died, without having in the meantime exchanged a word or a letter +with his father. He married abroad and left one son, who seems +to have been brought up in ignorance of all belonging to him. +The gulf between them appears to have been unbridgable; for in time +this son married and in turn had a son, but neither joy nor sorrow brought +the sundered together. Under such conditions no <i>rapprochement</i> +was to be looked for, and an utter indifference, founded at best on +ignorance, took the place of family affection—even on community +of interests. It was only due to the watchfulness of the lawyers +that the birth of this new heir was ever made known. He actually +spent a few months in the ancestral home.</p> +<p>“After this the family interest merely rested on heirship of +the estate. As no other children have been born to any of the +newer generations in the intervening years, all hopes of heritage are +now centred in the grandson of this man.</p> +<p>“Now, it will be well for you to bear in mind the prevailing +characteristics of this race. These were well preserved and unchanging; +one and all they are the same: cold, selfish, dominant, reckless of +consequences in pursuit of their own will. It was not that they +did not keep faith, though that was a matter which gave them little +concern, but that they took care to think beforehand of what they should +do in order to gain their own ends. If they should make a mistake, +someone else should bear the burthen of it. This was so perpetually +recurrent that it seemed to be a part of a fixed policy. It was +no wonder that, whatever changes took place, they were always ensured +in their own possessions. They were absolutely cold and hard by +nature. Not one of them—so far as we have any knowledge—was +ever known to be touched by the softer sentiments, to swerve from his +purpose, or hold his hand in obedience to the dictates of his heart. +The pictures and effigies of them all show their adherence to the early +Roman type. Their eyes were full; their hair, of raven blackness, +grew thick and close and curly. Their figures were massive and +typical of strength.</p> +<p>“The thick black hair, growing low down on the neck, told of +vast physical strength and endurance. But the most remarkable +characteristic is the eyes. Black, piercing, almost unendurable, +they seem to contain in themselves a remarkable will power which there +is no gainsaying. It is a power that is partly racial and partly +individual: a power impregnated with some mysterious quality, partly +hypnotic, partly mesmeric, which seems to take away from eyes that meet +them all power of resistance—nay, all power of wishing to resist. +With eyes like those, set in that all-commanding face, one would need +to be strong indeed to think of resisting the inflexible will that lay +behind.</p> +<p>“You may think, Adam, that all this is imagination on my part, +especially as I have never seen any of them. So it is, but imagination +based on deep study. I have made use of all I know or can surmise +logically regarding this strange race. With such strange compelling +qualities, is it any wonder that there is abroad an idea that in the +race there is some demoniac possession, which tends to a more definite +belief that certain individuals have in the past sold themselves to +the Devil?</p> +<p>“But I think we had better go to bed now. We have a lot +to get through to-morrow, and I want you to have your brain clear, and +all your susceptibilities fresh. Moreover, I want you to come +with me for an early walk, during which we may notice, whilst the matter +is fresh in our minds, the peculiar disposition of this place—not +merely your grand-uncle’s estate, but the lie of the country around +it. There are many things on which we may seek—and perhaps +find—enlightenment. The more we know at the start, the more +things which may come into our view will develop themselves.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER III—DIANA’S GROVE</h2> +<p>Curiosity took Adam Salton out of bed in the early morning, but when +he had dressed and gone downstairs; he found that, early as he was, +Sir Nathaniel was ahead of him. The old gentleman was quite prepared +for a long walk, and they started at once.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel, without speaking, led the way to the east, down the +hill. When they had descended and risen again, they found themselves +on the eastern brink of a steep hill. It was of lesser height +than that on which the Castle was situated; but it was so placed that +it commanded the various hills that crowned the ridge. All along +the ridge the rock cropped out, bare and bleak, but broken in rough +natural castellation. The form of the ridge was a segment of a +circle, with the higher points inland to the west. In the centre +rose the Castle, on the highest point of all. Between the various +rocky excrescences were groups of trees of various sizes and heights, +amongst some of which were what, in the early morning light, looked +like ruins. These—whatever they were—were of massive +grey stone, probably limestone rudely cut—if indeed they were +not shaped naturally. The fall of the ground was steep all along +the ridge, so steep that here and there both trees and rocks and buildings +seemed to overhang the plain far below, through which ran many streams.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel stopped and looked around, as though to lose nothing +of the effect. The sun had climbed the eastern sky and was making +all details clear. He pointed with a sweeping gesture, as though +calling Adam’s attention to the extent of the view. Having +done so, he covered the ground more slowly, as though inviting attention +to detail. Adam was a willing and attentive pupil, and followed +his motions exactly, missing—or trying to miss—nothing.</p> +<p>“I have brought you here, Adam, because it seems to me that +this is the spot on which to begin our investigations. You have +now in front of you almost the whole of the ancient kingdom of Mercia. +In fact, we see the whole of it except that furthest part, which is +covered by the Welsh Marches and those parts which are hidden from where +we stand by the high ground of the immediate west. We can see—theoretically—the +whole of the eastern bound of the kingdom, which ran south from the +Humber to the Wash. I want you to bear in mind the trend of the +ground, for some time, sooner or later, we shall do well to have it +in our mind’s eye when we are considering the ancient traditions +and superstitions, and are trying to find the <i>rationale</i> of them. +Each legend, each superstition which we receive, will help in the understanding +and possible elucidation of the others. And as all such have a +local basis, we can come closer to the truth—or the probability—by +knowing the local conditions as we go along. It will help us to +bring to our aid such geological truth as we may have between us. +For instance, the building materials used in various ages can afford +their own lessons to understanding eyes. The very heights and +shapes and materials of these hills—nay, even of the wide plain +that lies between us and the sea—have in themselves the materials +of enlightening books.”</p> +<p>“For instance, sir?” said Adam, venturing a question.</p> +<p>“Well, look at those hills which surround the main one where +the site for the Castle was wisely chosen—on the highest ground. +Take the others. There is something ostensible in each of them, +and in all probability something unseen and unproved, but to be imagined, +also.”</p> +<p>“For instance?” continued Adam.</p> +<p>“Let us take them <i>seriatim</i>. That to the east, +where the trees are, lower down—that was once the location of +a Roman temple, possibly founded on a pre-existing Druidical one. +Its name implies the former, and the grove of ancient oaks suggests +the latter.”</p> +<p>“Please explain.”</p> +<p>“The old name translated means ‘Diana’s Grove.’ +Then the next one higher than it, but just beyond it, is called ‘<i>Mercy</i>’—in +all probability a corruption or familiarisation of the word <i>Mercia</i>, +with a Roman pun included. We learn from early manuscripts that +the place was called <i>Vilula Misericordiae</i>. It was originally +a nunnery, founded by Queen Bertha, but done away with by King Penda, +the reactionary to Paganism after St. Augustine. Then comes your +uncle’s place—Lesser Hill. Though it is so close to +the Castle, it is not connected with it. It is a freehold, and, +so far as we know, of equal age. It has always belonged to your +family.”</p> +<p>“Then there only remains the Castle!”</p> +<p>“That is all; but its history contains the histories of all +the others—in fact, the whole history of early England.” +Sir Nathaniel, seeing the expectant look on Adam’s face, went +on:</p> +<p>“The history of the Castle has no beginning so far as we know. +The furthest records or surmises or inferences simply accept it as existing. +Some of these—guesses, let us call them—seem to show that +there was some sort of structure there when the Romans came, therefore +it must have been a place of importance in Druid times—if indeed +that was the beginning. Naturally the Romans accepted it, as they +did everything of the kind that was, or might be, useful. The +change is shown or inferred in the name Castra. It was the highest +protected ground, and so naturally became the most important of their +camps. A study of the map will show you that it must have been +a most important centre. It both protected the advances already +made to the north, and helped to dominate the sea coast. It sheltered +the western marches, beyond which lay savage Wales—and danger. +It provided a means of getting to the Severn, round which lay the great +Roman roads then coming into existence, and made possible the great +waterway to the heart of England—through the Severn and its tributaries. +It brought the east and the west together by the swiftest and easiest +ways known to those times. And, finally, it provided means of +descent on London and all the expanse of country watered by the Thames.</p> +<p>“With such a centre, already known and organised, we can easily +see that each fresh wave of invasion—the Angles, the Saxons, the +Danes, and the Normans—found it a desirable possession and so +ensured its upholding. In the earlier centuries it was merely +a vantage ground. But when the victorious Romans brought with +them the heavy solid fortifications impregnable to the weapons of the +time, its commanding position alone ensured its adequate building and +equipment. Then it was that the fortified camp of the Caesars +developed into the castle of the king. As we are as yet ignorant +of the names of the first kings of Mercia, no historian has been able +to guess which of them made it his ultimate defence; and I suppose we +shall never know now. In process of time, as the arts of war developed, +it increased in size and strength, and although recorded details are +lacking, the history is written not merely in the stone of its building, +but is inferred in the changes of structure. Then the sweeping +changes which followed the Norman Conquest wiped out all lesser records +than its own. To-day we must accept it as one of the earliest +castles of the Conquest, probably not later than the time of Henry I. +Roman and Norman were both wise in their retention of places of approved +strength or utility. So it was that these surrounding heights, +already established and to a certain extent proved, were retained. +Indeed, such characteristics as already pertained to them were preserved, +and to-day afford to us lessons regarding things which have themselves +long since passed away.</p> +<p>“So much for the fortified heights; but the hollows too have +their own story. But how the time passes! We must hurry +home, or your uncle will wonder what has become of us.”</p> +<p>He started with long steps towards Lesser Hill, and Adam was soon +furtively running in order to keep up with him.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER IV—THE LADY ARABELLA MARCH</h2> +<p>“Now, there is no hurry, but so soon as you are both ready +we shall start,” Mr. Salton said when breakfast had begun. +“I want to take you first to see a remarkable relic of Mercia, +and then we’ll go to Liverpool through what is called ‘The +Great Vale of Cheshire.’ You may be disappointed, but take +care not to prepare your mind”—this to Adam—“for +anything stupendous or heroic. You would not think the place a +vale at all, unless you were told so beforehand, and had confidence +in the veracity of the teller. We should get to the Landing Stage +in time to meet the <i>West African</i>, and catch Mr. Caswall as he +comes ashore. We want to do him honour—and, besides, it +will be more pleasant to have the introductions over before we go to +his <i>fête</i> at the Castle.”</p> +<p>The carriage was ready, the same as had been used the previous day, +but there were different horses—magnificent animals, and keen +for work. Breakfast was soon over, and they shortly took their +places. The postillions had their orders, and were quickly on +their way at an exhilarating pace.</p> +<p>Presently, in obedience to Mr. Salton’s signal, the carriage +drew up opposite a great heap of stones by the wayside.</p> +<p>“Here, Adam,” he said, “is something that you of +all men should not pass by unnoticed. That heap of stones brings +us at once to the dawn of the Anglian kingdom. It was begun more +than a thousand years ago—in the latter part of the seventh century—in +memory of a murder. Wulfere, King of Mercia, nephew of Penda, +here murdered his two sons for embracing Christianity. As was +the custom of the time, each passer-by added a stone to the memorial +heap. Penda represented heathen reaction after St. Augustine’s +mission. Sir Nathaniel can tell you as much as you want about +this, and put you, if you wish, on the track of such accurate knowledge +as there is.”</p> +<p>Whilst they were looking at the heap of stones, they noticed that +another carriage had drawn up beside them, and the passenger—there +was only one—was regarding them curiously. The carriage +was an old heavy travelling one, with arms blazoned on it gorgeously. +The men took off their hats, as the occupant, a lady, addressed them.</p> +<p>“How do you do, Sir Nathaniel? How do you do, Mr. Salton? +I hope you have not met with any accident. Look at me!”</p> +<p>As she spoke she pointed to where one of the heavy springs was broken +across, the broken metal showing bright. Adam spoke up at once:</p> +<p>“Oh, that can soon be put right.”</p> +<p>“Soon? There is no one near who can mend a break like +that.”</p> +<p>“I can.”</p> +<p>“You!” She looked incredulously at the dapper young +gentleman who spoke. “You—why, it’s a workman’s +job.”</p> +<p>“All right, I am a workman—though that is not the only +sort of work I do. I am an Australian, and, as we have to move +about fast, we are all trained to farriery and such mechanics as come +into travel—I am quite at your service.”</p> +<p>“I hardly know how to thank you for your kindness, of which +I gladly avail myself. I don’t know what else I can do, +as I wish to meet Mr. Caswall of Castra Regis, who arrives home from +Africa to-day. It is a notable home-coming; all the countryside +want to do him honour.” She looked at the old men and quickly +made up her mind as to the identity of the stranger. “You +must be Mr. Adam Salton of Lesser Hill. I am Lady Arabella March +of Diana’s Grove.” As she spoke she turned slightly +to Mr. Salton, who took the hint and made a formal introduction.</p> +<p>So soon as this was done, Adam took some tools from his uncle’s +carriage, and at once began work on the broken spring. He was +an expert workman, and the breach was soon made good. Adam was +gathering the tools which he had been using—which, after the manner +of all workmen, had been scattered about—when he noticed that +several black snakes had crawled out from the heap of stones and were +gathering round him. This naturally occupied his mind, and he +was not thinking of anything else when he noticed Lady Arabella, who +had opened the door of the carriage, slip from it with a quick gliding +motion. She was already among the snakes when he called out to +warn her. But there seemed to be no need of warning. The +snakes had turned and were wriggling back to the mound as quickly as +they could. He laughed to himself behind his teeth as he whispered, +“No need to fear there. They seem much more afraid of her +than she of them.” All the same he began to beat on the +ground with a stick which was lying close to him, with the instinct +of one used to such vermin. In an instant he was alone beside +the mound with Lady Arabella, who appeared quite unconcerned at the +incident. Then he took a long look at her, and her dress alone +was sufficient to attract attention. She was clad in some kind +of soft white stuff, which clung close to her form, showing to the full +every movement of her sinuous figure. She wore a close-fitting +cap of some fine fur of dazzling white. Coiled round her white +throat was a large necklace of emeralds, whose profusion of colour dazzled +when the sun shone on them. Her voice was peculiar, very low and +sweet, and so soft that the dominant note was of sibilation. Her +hands, too, were peculiar—long, flexible, white, with a strange +movement as of waving gently to and fro.</p> +<p>She appeared quite at ease, and, after thanking Adam, said that if +any of his uncle’s party were going to Liverpool she would be +most happy to join forces.</p> +<p>“Whilst you are staying here, Mr. Salton, you must look on +the grounds of Diana’s Grove as your own, so that you may come +and go just as you do in Lesser Hill. There are some fine views, +and not a few natural curiosities which are sure to interest you, if +you are a student of natural history—specially of an earlier kind, +when the world was younger.”</p> +<p>The heartiness with which she spoke, and the warmth of her words—not +of her manner, which was cold and distant—made him suspicious. +In the meantime both his uncle and Sir Nathaniel had thanked her for +the invitation—of which, however, they said they were unable to +avail themselves. Adam had a suspicion that, though she answered +regretfully, she was in reality relieved. When he had got into +the carriage with the two old men, and they had driven off, he was not +surprised when Sir Nathaniel spoke.</p> +<p>“I could not but feel that she was glad to be rid of us. +She can play her game better alone!”</p> +<p>“What is her game?” asked Adam unthinkingly.</p> +<p>“All the county knows it, my boy. Caswall is a very rich +man. Her husband was rich when she married him—or seemed +to be. When he committed suicide, it was found that he had nothing +left, and the estate was mortgaged up to the hilt. Her only hope +is in a rich marriage. I suppose I need not draw any conclusion; +you can do that as well as I can.”</p> +<p>Adam remained silent nearly all the time they were travelling through +the alleged Vale of Cheshire. He thought much during that journey +and came to several conclusions, though his lips were unmoved. +One of these conclusions was that he would be very careful about paying +any attention to Lady Arabella. He was himself a rich man, how +rich not even his uncle had the least idea, and would have been surprised +had he known.</p> +<p>The remainder of the journey was uneventful, and upon arrival at +Liverpool they went aboard the <i>West African</i>, which had just come +to the landing-stage. There his uncle introduced himself to Mr. +Caswall, and followed this up by introducing Sir Nathaniel and then +Adam. The new-comer received them graciously, and said what a +pleasure it was to be coming home after so long an absence of his family +from their old seat. Adam was pleased at the warmth of the reception; +but he could not avoid a feeling of repugnance at the man’s face. +He was trying hard to overcome this when a diversion was caused by the +arrival of Lady Arabella. The diversion was welcome to all; the +two Saltons and Sir Nathaniel were shocked at Caswall’s face—so +hard, so ruthless, so selfish, so dominant. “God help any,” +was the common thought, “who is under the domination of such a +man!”</p> +<p>Presently his African servant approached him, and at once their thoughts +changed to a larger toleration. Caswall looked indeed a savage—but +a cultured savage. In him were traces of the softening civilisation +of ages—of some of the higher instincts and education of man, +no matter how rudimentary these might be. But the face of Oolanga, +as his master called him, was unreformed, unsoftened savage, and inherent +in it were all the hideous possibilities of a lost, devil-ridden child +of the forest and the swamp—the lowest of all created things that +could be regarded as in some form ostensibly human. Lady Arabella +and Oolanga arrived almost simultaneously, and Adam was surprised to +notice what effect their appearance had on each other. The woman +seemed as if she would not—could not—condescend to exhibit +any concern or interest in such a creature. On the other hand, +the negro’s bearing was such as in itself to justify her pride. +He treated her not merely as a slave treats his master, but as a worshipper +would treat a deity. He knelt before her with his hands out-stretched +and his forehead in the dust. So long as she remained he did not +move; it was only when she went over to Caswall that he relaxed his +attitude of devotion and stood by respectfully.</p> +<p>Adam spoke to his own man, Davenport, who was standing by, having +arrived with the bailiff of Lesser Hill, who had followed Mr. Salton +in a pony trap. As he spoke, he pointed to an attentive ship’s +steward, and presently the two men were conversing.</p> +<p>“I think we ought to be moving,” Mr. Salton said to Adam. +“I have some things to do in Liverpool, and I am sure that both +Mr. Caswall and Lady Arabella would like to get under weigh for Castra +Regis.”</p> +<p>“I too, sir, would like to do something,” replied Adam. +“I want to find out where Ross, the animal merchant, lives—I +want to take a small animal home with me, if you don’t mind. +He is only a little thing, and will be no trouble.”</p> +<p>“Of course not, my boy. What kind of animal is it that +you want?”</p> +<p>“A mongoose.”</p> +<p>“A mongoose! What on earth do you want it for?”</p> +<p>“To kill snakes.”</p> +<p>“Good!” The old man remembered the mound of stones. +No explanation was needed.</p> +<p>When Ross heard what was wanted, he asked:</p> +<p>“Do you want something special, or will an ordinary mongoose +do?”</p> +<p>“Well, of course I want a good one. But I see no need +for anything special. It is for ordinary use.”</p> +<p>“I can let you have a choice of ordinary ones. I only +asked, because I have in stock a very special one which I got lately +from Nepaul. He has a record of his own. He killed a king +cobra that had been seen in the Rajah’s garden. But I don’t +suppose we have any snakes of the kind in this cold climate—I +daresay an ordinary one will do.”</p> +<p>When Adam got back to the carriage, carefully carrying the box with +the mongoose, Sir Nathaniel said: “Hullo! what have you got there?”</p> +<p>“A mongoose.”</p> +<p>“What for?”</p> +<p>“To kill snakes!”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel laughed.</p> +<p>“I heard Lady Arabella’s invitation to you to come to +Diana’s Grove.”</p> +<p>“Well, what on earth has that got to do with it?”</p> +<p>“Nothing directly that I know of. But we shall see.” +Adam waited, and the old man went on: “Have you by any chance +heard the other name which was given long ago to that place.”</p> +<p>“No, sir.”</p> +<p>“It was called—Look here, this subject wants a lot of +talking over. Suppose we wait till we are alone and have lots +of time before us.”</p> +<p>“All right, sir.” Adam was filled with curiosity, +but he thought it better not to hurry matters. All would come +in good time. Then the three men returned home, leaving Mr. Caswall +to spend the night in Liverpool.</p> +<p>The following day the Lesser Hill party set out for Castra Regis, +and for the time Adam thought no more of Diana’s Grove or of what +mysteries it had contained—or might still contain.</p> +<p>The guests were crowding in, and special places were marked for important +people. Adam, seeing so many persons of varied degree, looked +round for Lady Arabella, but could not locate her. It was only +when he saw the old-fashioned travelling carriage approach and heard +the sound of cheering which went with it, that he realised that Edgar +Caswall had arrived. Then, on looking more closely, he saw that +Lady Arabella, dressed as he had seen her last, was seated beside him. +When the carriage drew up at the great flight of steps, the host jumped +down and gave her his hand.</p> +<p>It was evident to all that she was the chief guest at the festivities. +It was not long before the seats on the daïs were filled, while +the tenants and guests of lesser importance had occupied all the coigns +of vantage not reserved. The order of the day had been carefully +arranged by a committee. There were some speeches, happily neither +many nor long; and then festivities were suspended till the time for +feasting arrived. In the interval Caswall walked among his guests, +speaking to all in a friendly manner and expressing a general welcome. +The other guests came down from the daïs and followed his example, +so there was unceremonious meeting and greeting between gentle and simple.</p> +<p>Adam Salton naturally followed with his eyes all that went on within +their scope, taking note of all who seemed to afford any interest. +He was young and a man and a stranger from a far distance; so on all +these accounts he naturally took stock rather of the women than of the +men, and of these, those who were young and attractive. There +were lots of pretty girls among the crowd, and Adam, who was a handsome +young man and well set up, got his full share of admiring glances. +These did not concern him much, and he remained unmoved until there +came along a group of three, by their dress and bearing, of the farmer +class. One was a sturdy old man; the other two were good-looking +girls, one of a little over twenty, the other not quite so old. +So soon as Adam’s eyes met those of the younger girl, who stood +nearest to him, some sort of electricity flashed—that divine spark +which begins by recognition, and ends in obedience. Men call it +“Love.”</p> +<p>Both his companions noticed how much Adam was taken by the pretty +girl, and spoke of her to him in a way which made his heart warm to +them.</p> +<p>“Did you notice that party that passed? The old man is +Michael Watford, one of the tenants of Mr. Caswall. He occupies +Mercy Farm, which Sir Nathaniel pointed out to you to-day. The +girls are his grand-daughters, the elder, Lilla, being the only child +of his elder son, who died when she was less than a year old. +His wife died on the same day. She is a good girl—as good +as she is pretty. The other is her first cousin, the daughter +of Watford’s second son. He went for a soldier when he was +just over twenty, and was drafted abroad. He was not a good correspondent, +though he was a good enough son. A few letters came, and then +his father heard from the colonel of his regiment that he had been killed +by dacoits in Burmah. He heard from the same source that his boy +had been married to a Burmese, and that there was a daughter only a +year old. Watford had the child brought home, and she grew up +beside Lilla. The only thing that they heard of her birth was +that her name was Mimi. The two children adored each other, and +do to this day. Strange how different they are! Lilla all +fair, like the old Saxon stock from which she is sprung; Mimi showing +a trace of her mother’s race. Lilla is as gentle as a dove, +but Mimi’s black eyes can glow whenever she is upset. The +only thing that upsets her is when anything happens to injure or threaten +or annoy Lilla. Then her eyes glow as do the eyes of a bird when +her young are menaced.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER V—THE WHITE WORM</h2> +<p>Mr. Salton introduced Adam to Mr. Watford and his grand-daughters, +and they all moved on together. Of course neighbours in the position +of the Watfords knew all about Adam Salton, his relationship, circumstances, +and prospects. So it would have been strange indeed if both girls +did not dream of possibilities of the future. In agricultural +England, eligible men of any class are rare. This particular man +was specially eligible, for he did not belong to a class in which barriers +of caste were strong. So when it began to be noticed that he walked +beside Mimi Watford and seemed to desire her society, all their friends +endeavoured to give the promising affair a helping hand. When +the gongs sounded for the banquet, he went with her into the tent where +her grandfather had seats. Mr. Salton and Sir Nathaniel noticed +that the young man did not come to claim his appointed place at the +daïs table; but they understood and made no remark, or indeed did +not seem to notice his absence.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella sat as before at Edgar Caswall’s right hand. +She was certainly a striking and unusual woman, and to all it seemed +fitting from her rank and personal qualities that she should be the +chosen partner of the heir on his first appearance. Of course +nothing was said openly by those of her own class who were present; +but words were not necessary when so much could be expressed by nods +and smiles. It seemed to be an accepted thing that at last there +was to be a mistress of Castra Regis, and that she was present amongst +them. There were not lacking some who, whilst admitting all her +charm and beauty, placed her in the second rank, Lilla Watford being +marked as first. There was sufficient divergence of type, as well +as of individual beauty, to allow of fair comment; Lady Arabella represented +the aristocratic type, and Lilla that of the commonalty.</p> +<p>When the dusk began to thicken, Mr. Salton and Sir Nathaniel walked +home—the trap had been sent away early in the day—leaving +Adam to follow in his own time. He came in earlier than was expected, +and seemed upset about something. Neither of the elders made any +comment. They all lit cigarettes, and, as dinner-time was close +at hand, went to their rooms to get ready.</p> +<p>Adam had evidently been thinking in the interval. He joined +the others in the drawing-room, looking ruffled and impatient—a +condition of things seen for the first time. The others, with +the patience—or the experience—of age, trusted to time to +unfold and explain things. They had not long to wait. After +sitting down and standing up several times, Adam suddenly burst out.</p> +<p>“That fellow seems to think he owns the earth. Can’t +he let people alone! He seems to think that he has only to throw +his handkerchief to any woman, and be her master.”</p> +<p>This outburst was in itself enlightening. Only thwarted affection +in some guise could produce this feeling in an amiable young man. +Sir Nathaniel, as an old diplomatist, had a way of understanding, as +if by foreknowledge, the true inwardness of things, and asked suddenly, +but in a matter-of-fact, indifferent voice:</p> +<p>“Was he after Lilla?”</p> +<p>“Yes, and the fellow didn’t lose any time either. +Almost as soon as they met, he began to butter her up, and tell her +how beautiful she was. Why, before he left her side, he had asked +himself to tea to-morrow at Mercy Farm. Stupid ass! He might +see that the girl isn’t his sort! I never saw anything like +it. It was just like a hawk and a pigeon.”</p> +<p>As he spoke, Sir Nathaniel turned and looked at Mr. Salton—a +keen look which implied a full understanding.</p> +<p>“Tell us all about it, Adam. There are still a few minutes +before dinner, and we shall all have better appetites when we have come +to some conclusion on this matter.”</p> +<p>“There is nothing to tell, sir; that is the worst of it. +I am bound to say that there was not a word said that a human being +could object to. He was very civil, and all that was proper—just +what a landlord might be to a tenant’s daughter . . . Yet—yet—well, +I don’t know how it was, but it made my blood boil.”</p> +<p>“How did the hawk and the pigeon come in?” Sir +Nathaniel’s voice was soft and soothing, nothing of contradiction +or overdone curiosity in it—a tone eminently suited to win confidence.</p> +<p>“I can hardly explain. I can only say that he looked +like a hawk and she like a dove—and, now that I think of it, that +is what they each did look like; and do look like in their normal condition.”</p> +<p>“That is so!” came the soft voice of Sir Nathaniel.</p> +<p>Adam went on:</p> +<p>“Perhaps that early Roman look of his set me off. But +I wanted to protect her; she seemed in danger.”</p> +<p>“She seems in danger, in a way, from all you young men. +I couldn’t help noticing the way that even you looked—as +if you wished to absorb her!”</p> +<p>“I hope both you young men will keep your heads cool,” +put in Mr. Salton. “You know, Adam, it won’t do to +have any quarrel between you, especially so soon after his home-coming +and your arrival here. We must think of the feelings and happiness +of our neighbours; mustn’t we?”</p> +<p>“I hope so, sir. I assure you that, whatever may happen, +or even threaten, I shall obey your wishes in this as in all things.”</p> +<p>“Hush!” whispered Sir Nathaniel, who heard the servants +in the passage bringing dinner.</p> +<p>After dinner, over the walnuts and the wine, Sir Nathaniel returned +to the subject of the local legends.</p> +<p>“It will perhaps be a less dangerous topic for us to discuss +than more recent ones.”</p> +<p>“All right, sir,” said Adam heartily. “I +think you may depend on me now with regard to any topic. I can +even discuss Mr. Caswall. Indeed, I may meet him to-morrow. +He is going, as I said, to call at Mercy Farm at three o’clock—but +I have an appointment at two.”</p> +<p>“I notice,” said Mr. Salton, “that you do not lose +any time.”</p> +<p>The two old men once more looked at each other steadily. Then, +lest the mood of his listener should change with delay, Sir Nathaniel +began at once:</p> +<p>“I don’t propose to tell you all the legends of Mercia, +or even to make a selection of them. It will be better, I think, +for our purpose if we consider a few facts—recorded or unrecorded—about +this neighbourhood. I think we might begin with Diana’s +Grove. It has roots in the different epochs of our history, and +each has its special crop of legend. The Druid and the Roman are +too far off for matters of detail; but it seems to me the Saxon and +the Angles are near enough to yield material for legendary lore. +We find that this particular place had another name besides Diana’s +Grove. This was manifestly of Roman origin, or of Grecian accepted +as Roman. The other is more pregnant of adventure and romance +than the Roman name. In Mercian tongue it was ‘The Lair +of the White Worm.’ This needs a word of explanation at +the beginning.</p> +<p>“In the dawn of the language, the word ‘worm’ had +a somewhat different meaning from that in use to-day. It was an +adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon ‘wyrm,’ meaning a dragon or +snake; or from the Gothic ‘waurms,’ a serpent; or the Icelandic +‘ormur,’ or the German ‘wurm.’ We gather +that it conveyed originally an idea of size and power, not as now in +the diminutive of both these meanings. Here legendary history +helps us. We have the well-known legend of the ‘Worm Well’ +of Lambton Castle, and that of the ‘Laidly Worm of Spindleston +Heugh’ near Bamborough. In both these legends the ‘worm’ +was a monster of vast size and power—a veritable dragon or serpent, +such as legend attributes to vast fens or quags where there was illimitable +room for expansion. A glance at a geological map will show that +whatever truth there may have been of the actuality of such monsters +in the early geologic periods, at least there was plenty of possibility. +In England there were originally vast plains where the plentiful supply +of water could gather. The streams were deep and slow, and there +were holes of abysmal depth, where any kind and size of antediluvian +monster could find a habitat. In places, which now we can see +from our windows, were mud-holes a hundred or more feet deep. +Who can tell us when the age of the monsters which flourished in slime +came to an end? There must have been places and conditions which +made for greater longevity, greater size, greater strength than was +usual. Such over-lappings may have come down even to our earlier +centuries. Nay, are there not now creatures of a vastness of bulk +regarded by the generality of men as impossible? Even in our own +day there are seen the traces of animals, if not the animals themselves, +of stupendous size—veritable survivals from earlier ages, preserved +by some special qualities in their habitats. I remember meeting +a distinguished man in India, who had the reputation of being a great +shikaree, who told me that the greatest temptation he had ever had in +his life was to shoot a giant snake which he had come across in the +Terai of Upper India. He was on a tiger-shooting expedition, and +as his elephant was crossing a nullah, it squealed. He looked +down from his howdah and saw that the elephant had stepped across the +body of a snake which was dragging itself through the jungle. +‘So far as I could see,’ he said, ‘it must have been +eighty or one hundred feet in length. Fully forty or fifty feet +was on each side of the track, and though the weight which it dragged +had thinned it, it was as thick round as a man’s body. I +suppose you know that when you are after tiger, it is a point of honour +not to shoot at anything else, as life may depend on it. I could +easily have spined this monster, but I felt that I must not—so, +with regret, I had to let it go.’</p> +<p>“Just imagine such a monster anywhere in this country, and +at once we could get a sort of idea of the ‘worms,’ which +possibly did frequent the great morasses which spread round the mouths +of many of the great European rivers.”</p> +<p>“I haven’t the least doubt, sir, that there may have +been such monsters as you have spoken of still existing at a much later +period than is generally accepted,” replied Adam. “Also, +if there were such things, that this was the very place for them. +I have tried to think over the matter since you pointed out the configuration +of the ground. But it seems to me that there is a hiatus somewhere. +Are there not mechanical difficulties?”</p> +<p>“In what way?”</p> +<p>“Well, our antique monster must have been mighty heavy, and +the distances he had to travel were long and the ways difficult. +From where we are now sitting down to the level of the mud-holes is +a distance of several hundred feet—I am leaving out of consideration +altogether any lateral distance. Is it possible that there was +a way by which a monster could travel up and down, and yet no chance +recorder have ever seen him? Of course we have the legends; but +is not some more exact evidence necessary in a scientific investigation?”</p> +<p>“My dear Adam, all you say is perfectly right, and, were we +starting on such an investigation, we could not do better than follow +your reasoning. But, my dear boy, you must remember that all this +took place thousands of years ago. You must remember, too, that +all records of the kind that would help us are lacking. Also, +that the places to be considered were desert, so far as human habitation +or population are considered. In the vast desolation of such a +place as complied with the necessary conditions, there must have been +such profusion of natural growth as would bar the progress of men formed +as we are. The lair of such a monster would not have been disturbed +for hundreds—or thousands—of years. Moreover, these +creatures must have occupied places quite inaccessible to man. +A snake who could make himself comfortable in a quagmire, a hundred +feet deep, would be protected on the outskirts by such stupendous morasses +as now no longer exist, or which, if they exist anywhere at all, can +be on very few places on the earth’s surface. Far be it +from me to say that in more elemental times such things could not have +been. The condition belongs to the geologic age—the great +birth and growth of the world, when natural forces ran riot, when the +struggle for existence was so savage that no vitality which was not +founded in a gigantic form could have even a possibility of survival. +That such a time existed, we have evidences in geology, but there only; +we can never expect proofs such as this age demands. We can only +imagine or surmise such things—or such conditions and such forces +as overcame them.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VI—HAWK AND PIGEON</h2> +<p>At breakfast-time next morning Sir Nathaniel and Mr. Salton were +seated when Adam came hurriedly into the room.</p> +<p>“Any news?” asked his uncle mechanically.</p> +<p>“Four.”</p> +<p>“Four what?” asked Sir Nathaniel.</p> +<p>“Snakes,” said Adam, helping himself to a grilled kidney.</p> +<p>“Four snakes. I don’t understand.”</p> +<p>“Mongoose,” said Adam, and then added explanatorily: +“I was out with the mongoose just after three.”</p> +<p>“Four snakes in one morning! Why, I didn’t know +there were so many on the Brow”—the local name for the western +cliff. “I hope that wasn’t the consequence of our +talk of last night?”</p> +<p>“It was, sir. But not directly.”</p> +<p>“But, God bless my soul, you didn’t expect to get a snake +like the Lambton worm, did you? Why, a mongoose, to tackle a monster +like that—if there were one—would have to be bigger than +a haystack.”</p> +<p>“These were ordinary snakes, about as big as a walking-stick.”</p> +<p>“Well, it’s pleasant to be rid of them, big or little. +That is a good mongoose, I am sure; he’ll clear out all such vermin +round here,” said Mr. Salton.</p> +<p>Adam went quietly on with his breakfast. Killing a few snakes +in a morning was no new experience to him. He left the room the +moment breakfast was finished and went to the study that his uncle had +arranged for him. Both Sir Nathaniel and Mr. Salton took it that +he wanted to be by himself, so as to avoid any questioning or talk of +the visit that he was to make that afternoon. They saw nothing +further of him till about half-an-hour before dinner-time. Then +he came quietly into the smoking-room, where Mr. Salton and Sir Nathaniel +were sitting together, ready dressed.</p> +<p>“I suppose there is no use waiting. We had better get +it over at once,” remarked Adam.</p> +<p>His uncle, thinking to make things easier for him, said: “Get +what over?”</p> +<p>There was a sign of shyness about him at this. He stammered +a little at first, but his voice became more even as he went on.</p> +<p>“My visit to Mercy Farm.”</p> +<p>Mr. Salton waited eagerly. The old diplomatist simply smiled.</p> +<p>“I suppose you both know that I was much interested yesterday +in the Watfords?” There was no denial or fending off the +question. Both the old men smiled acquiescence. Adam went +on: “I meant you to see it—both of you. You, uncle, +because you are my uncle and the nearest of my own kin, and, moreover, +you couldn’t have been more kind to me or made me more welcome +if you had been my own father.” Mr. Salton said nothing. +He simply held out his hand, and the other took it and held it for a +few seconds. “And you, sir, because you have shown me something +of the same affection which in my wildest dreams of home I had no right +to expect.” He stopped for an instant, much moved.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel answered softly, laying his hand on the youth’s +shoulder.</p> +<p>“You are right, my boy; quite right. That is the proper +way to look at it. And I may tell you that we old men, who have +no children of our own, feel our hearts growing warm when we hear words +like those.”</p> +<p>Then Adam hurried on, speaking with a rush, as if he wanted to come +to the crucial point.</p> +<p>“Mr. Watford had not come in, but Lilla and Mimi were at home, +and they made me feel very welcome. They have all a great regard +for my uncle. I am glad of that any way, for I like them all—much. +We were having tea, when Mr. Caswall came to the door, attended by the +negro. Lilla opened the door herself. The window of the +living-room at the farm is a large one, and from within you cannot help +seeing anyone coming. Mr. Caswall said he had ventured to call, +as he wished to make the acquaintance of all his tenants, in a less +formal way, and more individually, than had been possible to him on +the previous day. The girls made him welcome—they are very +sweet girls those, sir; someone will be very happy some day there—with +either of them.”</p> +<p>“And that man may be you, Adam,” said Mr. Salton heartily.</p> +<p>A sad look came over the young man’s eyes, and the fire his +uncle had seen there died out. Likewise the timbre left his voice, +making it sound lonely.</p> +<p>“Such might crown my life. But that happiness, I fear, +is not for me—or not without pain and loss and woe.”</p> +<p>“Well, it’s early days yet!” cried Sir Nathaniel +heartily.</p> +<p>The young man turned on him his eyes, which had now grown excessively +sad.</p> +<p>“Yesterday—a few hours ago—that remark would have +given me new hope—new courage; but since then I have learned too +much.”</p> +<p>The old man, skilled in the human heart, did not attempt to argue +in such a matter.</p> +<p>“Too early to give in, my boy.”</p> +<p>“I am not of a giving-in kind,” replied the young man +earnestly. “But, after all, it is wise to realise a truth. +And when a man, though he is young, feels as I do—as I have felt +ever since yesterday, when I first saw Mimi’s eyes—his heart +jumps. He does not need to learn things. He knows.”</p> +<p>There was silence in the room, during which the twilight stole on +imperceptibly. It was Adam who again broke the silence.</p> +<p>“Do you know, uncle, if we have any second sight in our family?”</p> +<p>“No, not that I ever heard about. Why?”</p> +<p>“Because,” he answered slowly, “I have a conviction +which seems to answer all the conditions of second sight.”</p> +<p>“And then?” asked the old man, much perturbed.</p> +<p>“And then the usual inevitable. What in the Hebrides +and other places, where the Sight is a cult—a belief—is +called ‘the doom’—the court from which there is no +appeal. I have often heard of second sight—we have many +western Scots in Australia; but I have realised more of its true inwardness +in an instant of this afternoon than I did in the whole of my life previously—a +granite wall stretching up to the very heavens, so high and so dark +that the eye of God Himself cannot see beyond. Well, if the Doom +must come, it must. That is all.”</p> +<p>The voice of Sir Nathaniel broke in, smooth and sweet and grave.</p> +<p>“Can there not be a fight for it? There can for most +things.”</p> +<p>“For most things, yes, but for the Doom, no. What a man +can do I shall do. There will be—must be—a fight. +When and where and how I know not, but a fight there will be. +But, after all, what is a man in such a case?”</p> +<p>“Adam, there are three of us.” Salton looked at +his old friend as he spoke, and that old friend’s eyes blazed.</p> +<p>“Ay, three of us,” he said, and his voice rang.</p> +<p>There was again a pause, and Sir Nathaniel endeavoured to get back +to less emotional and more neutral ground.</p> +<p>“Tell us of the rest of the meeting. Remember we are +all pledged to this. It is a fight <i>à l’outrance</i>, +and we can afford to throw away or forgo no chance.”</p> +<p>“We shall throw away or lose nothing that we can help. +We fight to win, and the stake is a life—perhaps more than one—we +shall see.” Then he went on in a conversational tone, such +as he had used when he spoke of the coming to the farm of Edgar Caswall: +“When Mr. Caswall came in, the negro went a short distance away +and there remained. It gave me the idea that he expected to be +called, and intended to remain in sight, or within hail. Then +Mimi got another cup and made fresh tea, and we all went on together.”</p> +<p>“Was there anything uncommon—were you all quite friendly?” +asked Sir Nathaniel quietly.</p> +<p>“Quite friendly. There was nothing that I could notice +out of the common—except,” he went on, with a slight hardening +of the voice, “except that he kept his eyes fixed on Lilla, in +a way which was quite intolerable to any man who might hold her dear.”</p> +<p>“Now, in what way did he look?” asked Sir Nathaniel.</p> +<p>“There was nothing in itself offensive; but no one could help +noticing it.”</p> +<p>“You did. Miss Watford herself, who was the victim, and +Mr. Caswall, who was the offender, are out of range as witnesses. +Was there anyone else who noticed?”</p> +<p>“Mimi did. Her face flamed with anger as she saw the +look.”</p> +<p>“What kind of look was it? Over-ardent or too admiring, +or what? Was it the look of a lover, or one who fain would be? +You understand?”</p> +<p>“Yes, sir, I quite understand. Anything of that sort +I should of course notice. It would be part of my preparation +for keeping my self-control—to which I am pledged.”</p> +<p>“If it were not amatory, was it threatening? Where was +the offence?”</p> +<p>Adam smiled kindly at the old man.</p> +<p>“It was not amatory. Even if it was, such was to be expected. +I should be the last man in the world to object, since I am myself an +offender in that respect. Moreover, not only have I been taught +to fight fair, but by nature I believe I am just. I would be as +tolerant of and as liberal to a rival as I should expect him to be to +me. No, the look I mean was nothing of that kind. And so +long as it did not lack proper respect, I should not of my own part +condescend to notice it. Did you ever study the eyes of a hound?”</p> +<p>“At rest?”</p> +<p>“No, when he is following his instincts! Or, better still,” +Adam went on, “the eyes of a bird of prey when he is following +his instincts. Not when he is swooping, but merely when he is +watching his quarry?”</p> +<p>“No,” said Sir Nathaniel, “I don’t know that +I ever did. Why, may I ask?”</p> +<p>“That was the look. Certainly not amatory or anything +of that kind—yet it was, it struck me, more dangerous, if not +so deadly as an actual threatening.”</p> +<p>Again there was a silence, which Sir Nathaniel broke as he stood +up:</p> +<p>“I think it would be well if we all thought over this by ourselves. +Then we can renew the subject.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VII—OOLANGA</h2> +<p>Mr. Salton had an appointment for six o’clock at Liverpool. +When he had driven off, Sir Nathaniel took Adam by the arm.</p> +<p>“May I come with you for a while to your study? I want +to speak to you privately without your uncle knowing about it, or even +what the subject is. You don’t mind, do you? It is +not idle curiosity. No, no. It is on the subject to which +we are all committed.”</p> +<p>“Is it necessary to keep my uncle in the dark about it? +He might be offended.”</p> +<p>“It is not necessary; but it is advisable. It is for +his sake that I asked. My friend is an old man, and it might concern +him unduly—even alarm him. I promise you there shall be +nothing that could cause him anxiety in our silence, or at which he +could take umbrage.”</p> +<p>“Go on, sir!” said Adam simply.</p> +<p>“You see, your uncle is now an old man. I know it, for +we were boys together. He has led an uneventful and somewhat self-contained +life, so that any such condition of things as has now arisen is apt +to perplex him from its very strangeness. In fact, any new matter +is trying to old people. It has its own disturbances and its own +anxieties, and neither of these things are good for lives that should +be restful. Your uncle is a strong man, with a very happy and +placid nature. Given health and ordinary conditions of life, there +is no reason why he should not live to be a hundred. You and I, +therefore, who both love him, though in different ways, should make +it our business to protect him from all disturbing influences. +I am sure you will agree with me that any labour to this end would be +well spent. All right, my boy! I see your answer in your +eyes; so we need say no more of that. And now,” here his +voice changed, “tell me all that took place at that interview. +There are strange things in front of us—how strange we cannot +at present even guess. Doubtless some of the difficult things +to understand which lie behind the veil will in time be shown to us +to see and to understand. In the meantime, all we can do is to +work patiently, fearlessly, and unselfishly, to an end that we think +is right. You had got so far as where Lilla opened the door to +Mr. Caswall and the negro. You also observed that Mimi was disturbed +in her mind at the way Mr. Caswall looked at her cousin.”</p> +<p>“Certainly—though ‘disturbed’ is a poor way +of expressing her objection.”</p> +<p>“Can you remember well enough to describe Caswall’s eyes, +and how Lilla looked, and what Mimi said and did? Also Oolanga, +Caswall’s West African servant.”</p> +<p>“I’ll do what I can, sir. All the time Mr. Caswall +was staring, he kept his eyes fixed and motionless—but not as +if he was in a trance. His forehead was wrinkled up, as it is +when one is trying to see through or into something. At the best +of times his face has not a gentle expression; but when it was screwed +up like that it was almost diabolical. It frightened poor Lilla +so that she trembled, and after a bit got so pale that I thought she +had fainted. However, she held up and tried to stare back, but +in a feeble kind of way. Then Mimi came close and held her hand. +That braced her up, and—still, never ceasing her return stare—she +got colour again and seemed more like herself.”</p> +<p>“Did he stare too?”</p> +<p>“More than ever. The weaker Lilla seemed, the stronger +he became, just as if he were feeding on her strength. All at +once she turned round, threw up her hands, and fell down in a faint. +I could not see what else happened just then, for Mimi had thrown herself +on her knees beside her and hid her from me. Then there was something +like a black shadow between us, and there was the nigger, looking more +like a malignant devil than ever. I am not usually a patient man, +and the sight of that ugly devil is enough to make one’s blood +boil. When he saw my face, he seemed to realise danger—immediate +danger—and slunk out of the room as noiselessly as if he had been +blown out. I learned one thing, however—he is an enemy, +if ever a man had one.”</p> +<p>“That still leaves us three to two!” put in Sir Nathaniel.</p> +<p>“Then Caswall slunk out, much as the nigger had done. +When he had gone, Lilla recovered at once.”</p> +<p>“Now,” said Sir Nathaniel, anxious to restore peace, +“have you found out anything yet regarding the negro? I +am anxious to be posted regarding him. I fear there will be, or +may be, grave trouble with him.”</p> +<p>“Yes, sir, I’ve heard a good deal about him—of +course it is not official; but hearsay must guide us at first. +You know my man Davenport—private secretary, confidential man +of business, and general factotum. He is devoted to me, and has +my full confidence. I asked him to stay on board the <i>West African</i> +and have a good look round, and find out what he could about Mr. Caswall. +Naturally, he was struck with the aboriginal savage. He found +one of the ship’s stewards, who had been on the regular voyages +to South Africa. He knew Oolanga and had made a study of him. +He is a man who gets on well with niggers, and they open their hearts +to him. It seems that this Oolanga is quite a great person in +the nigger world of the African West Coast. He has the two things +which men of his own colour respect: he can make them afraid, and he +is lavish with money. I don’t know whose money—but +that does not matter. They are always ready to trumpet his greatness. +Evil greatness it is—but neither does that matter. Briefly, +this is his history. He was originally a witch-finder—about +as low an occupation as exists amongst aboriginal savages. Then +he got up in the world and became an Obi-man, which gives an opportunity +to wealth <i>via</i> blackmail. Finally, he reached the highest +honour in hellish service. He became a user of Voodoo, which seems +to be a service of the utmost baseness and cruelty. I was told +some of his deeds of cruelty, which are simply sickening. They +made me long for an opportunity of helping to drive him back to hell. +You might think to look at him that you could measure in some way the +extent of his vileness; but it would be a vain hope. Monsters +such as he is belong to an earlier and more rudimentary stage of barbarism. +He is in his way a clever fellow—for a nigger; but is none the +less dangerous or the less hateful for that. The men in the ship +told me that he was a collector: some of them had seen his collections. +Such collections! All that was potent for evil in bird or beast, +or even in fish. Beaks that could break and rend and tear—all +the birds represented were of a predatory kind. Even the fishes +are those which are born to destroy, to wound, to torture. The +collection, I assure you, was an object lesson in human malignity. +This being has enough evil in his face to frighten even a strong man. +It is little wonder that the sight of it put that poor girl into a dead +faint!”</p> +<p>Nothing more could be done at the moment, so they separated.</p> +<p>Adam was up in the early morning and took a smart walk round the +Brow. As he was passing Diana’s Grove, he looked in on the +short avenue of trees, and noticed the snakes killed on the previous +morning by the mongoose. They all lay in a row, straight and rigid, +as if they had been placed by hands. Their skins seemed damp and +sticky, and they were covered all over with ants and other insects. +They looked loathsome, so after a glance, he passed on.</p> +<p>A little later, when his steps took him, naturally enough, past the +entrance to Mercy Farm, he was passed by the negro, moving quickly under +the trees wherever there was shadow. Laid across one extended +arm, looking like dirty towels across a rail, he had the horrid-looking +snakes. He did not seem to see Adam. No one was to be seen +at Mercy except a few workmen in the farmyard, so, after waiting on +the chance of seeing Mimi, Adam began to go slowly home.</p> +<p>Once more he was passed on the way. This time it was by Lady +Arabella, walking hurriedly and so furiously angry that she did not +recognise him, even to the extent of acknowledging his bow.</p> +<p>When Adam got back to Lesser Hill, he went to the coach-house where +the box with the mongoose was kept, and took it with him, intending +to finish at the Mound of Stone what he had begun the previous morning +with regard to the extermination. He found that the snakes were +even more easily attacked than on the previous day; no less than six +were killed in the first half-hour. As no more appeared, he took +it for granted that the morning’s work was over, and went towards +home. The mongoose had by this time become accustomed to him, +and was willing to let himself be handled freely. Adam lifted +him up and put him on his shoulder and walked on. Presently he +saw a lady advancing towards him, and recognised Lady Arabella.</p> +<p>Hitherto the mongoose had been quiet, like a playful affectionate +kitten; but when the two got close, Adam was horrified to see the mongoose, +in a state of the wildest fury, with every hair standing on end, jump +from his shoulder and run towards Lady Arabella. It looked so +furious and so intent on attack that he called a warning.</p> +<p>“Look out—look out! The animal is furious and means +to attack.”</p> +<p>Lady Arabella looked more than ever disdainful and was passing on; +the mongoose jumped at her in a furious attack. Adam rushed forward +with his stick, the only weapon he had. But just as he got within +striking distance, the lady drew out a revolver and shot the animal, +breaking his backbone. Not satisfied with this, she poured shot +after shot into him till the magazine was exhausted. There was +no coolness or hauteur about her now; she seemed more furious even than +the animal, her face transformed with hate, and as determined to kill +as he had appeared to be. Adam, not knowing exactly what to do, +lifted his hat in apology and hurried on to Lesser Hill.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VIII—SURVIVALS</h2> +<p>At breakfast Sir Nathaniel noticed that Adam was put out about something, +but he said nothing. The lesson of silence is better remembered +in age than in youth. When they were both in the study, where +Sir Nathaniel followed him, Adam at once began to tell his companion +of what had happened. Sir Nathaniel looked graver and graver as +the narration proceeded, and when Adam had stopped he remained silent +for several minutes, before speaking.</p> +<p>“This is very grave. I have not formed any opinion yet; +but it seems to me at first impression that this is worse than anything +I had expected.”</p> +<p>“Why, sir?” said Adam. “Is the killing of +a mongoose—no matter by whom—so serious a thing as all that?”</p> +<p>His companion smoked on quietly for quite another few minutes before +he spoke.</p> +<p>“When I have properly thought it over I may moderate my opinion, +but in the meantime it seems to me that there is something dreadful +behind all this—something that may affect all our lives—that +may mean the issue of life or death to any of us.”</p> +<p>Adam sat up quickly.</p> +<p>“Do tell me, sir, what is in your mind—if, of course, +you have no objection, or do not think it better to withhold it.”</p> +<p>“I have no objection, Adam—in fact, if I had, I should +have to overcome it. I fear there can be no more reserved thoughts +between us.”</p> +<p>“Indeed, sir, that sounds serious, worse than serious!”</p> +<p>“Adam, I greatly fear that the time has come for us—for +you and me, at all events—to speak out plainly to one another. +Does not there seem something very mysterious about this?”</p> +<p>“I have thought so, sir, all along. The only difficulty +one has is what one is to think and where to begin.”</p> +<p>“Let us begin with what you have told me. First take +the conduct of the mongoose. He was quiet, even friendly and affectionate +with you. He only attacked the snakes, which is, after all, his +business in life.”</p> +<p>“That is so!”</p> +<p>“Then we must try to find some reason why he attacked Lady +Arabella.”</p> +<p>“May it not be that a mongoose may have merely the instinct +to attack, that nature does not allow or provide him with the fine reasoning +powers to discriminate who he is to attack?”</p> +<p>“Of course that may be so. But, on the other hand, should +we not satisfy ourselves why he does wish to attack anything? +If for centuries, this particular animal is known to attack only one +kind of other animal, are we not justified in assuming that when one +of them attacks a hitherto unclassed animal, he recognises in that animal +some quality which it has in common with the hereditary enemy?”</p> +<p>“That is a good argument, sir,” Adam went on, “but +a dangerous one. If we followed it out, it would lead us to believe +that Lady Arabella is a snake.”</p> +<p>“We must be sure, before going to such an end, that there is +no point as yet unconsidered which would account for the unknown thing +which puzzles us.”</p> +<p>“In what way?”</p> +<p>“Well, suppose the instinct works on some physical basis—for +instance, smell. If there were anything in recent juxtaposition +to the attacked which would carry the scent, surely that would supply +the missing cause.”</p> +<p>“Of course!” Adam spoke with conviction.</p> +<p>“Now, from what you tell me, the negro had just come from the +direction of Diana’s Grove, carrying the dead snakes which the +mongoose had killed the previous morning. Might not the scent +have been carried that way?”</p> +<p>“Of course it might, and probably was. I never thought +of that. Is there any possible way of guessing approximately how +long a scent will remain? You see, this is a natural scent, and +may derive from a place where it has been effective for thousands of +years. Then, does a scent of any kind carry with it any form or +quality of another kind, either good or evil? I ask you because +one ancient name of the house lived in by the lady who was attacked +by the mongoose was ‘The Lair of the White Worm.’ +If any of these things be so, our difficulties have multiplied indefinitely. +They may even change in kind. We may get into moral entanglements; +before we know it, we may be in the midst of a struggle between good +and evil.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel smiled gravely.</p> +<p>“With regard to the first question—so far as I know, +there are no fixed periods for which a scent may be active—I think +we may take it that that period does not run into thousands of years. +As to whether any moral change accompanies a physical one, I can only +say that I have met no proof of the fact. At the same time, we +must remember that ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are terms +so wide as to take in the whole scheme of creation, and all that is +implied by them and by their mutual action and reaction. Generally, +I would say that in the scheme of a First Cause anything is possible. +So long as the inherent forces or tendencies of any one thing are veiled +from us we must expect mystery.”</p> +<p>“There is one other question on which I should like to ask +your opinion. Suppose that there are any permanent forces appertaining +to the past, what we may call ‘survivals,’ do these belong +to good as well as to evil? For instance, if the scent of the +primaeval monster can so remain in proportion to the original strength, +can the same be true of things of good import?”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel thought for a while before he answered.</p> +<p>“We must be careful not to confuse the physical and the moral. +I can see that already you have switched on the moral entirely, so perhaps +we had better follow it up first. On the side of the moral, we +have certain justification for belief in the utterances of revealed +religion. For instance, ‘the effectual fervent prayer of +a righteous man availeth much’ is altogether for good. We +have nothing of a similar kind on the side of evil. But if we +accept this dictum we need have no more fear of ‘mysteries’: +these become thenceforth merely obstacles.”</p> +<p>Adam suddenly changed to another phase of the subject.</p> +<p>“And now, sir, may I turn for a few minutes to purely practical +things, or rather to matters of historical fact?”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel bowed acquiescence.</p> +<p>“We have already spoken of the history, so far as it is known, +of some of the places round us—‘Castra Regis,’ ‘Diana’s +Grove,’ and ‘The Lair of the White Worm.’ I +would like to ask if there is anything not necessarily of evil import +about any of the places?”</p> +<p>“Which?” asked Sir Nathaniel shrewdly.</p> +<p>“Well, for instance, this house and Mercy Farm?”</p> +<p>“Here we turn,” said Sir Nathaniel, “to the other +side, the light side of things. Let us take Mercy Farm first. +When Augustine was sent by Pope Gregory to Christianise England, in +the time of the Romans, he was received and protected by Ethelbert, +King of Kent, whose wife, daughter of Charibert, King of Paris, was +a Christian, and did much for Augustine. She founded a nunnery +in memory of Columba, which was named <i>Sedes misericordioe</i>, the +House of Mercy, and, as the region was Mercian, the two names became +involved. As Columba is the Latin for dove, the dove became a +sort of signification of the nunnery. She seized on the idea and +made the newly-founded nunnery a house of doves. Someone sent +her a freshly-discovered dove, a sort of carrier, but which had in the +white feathers of its head and neck the form of a religious cowl. +The nunnery flourished for more than a century, when, in the time of +Penda, who was the reactionary of heathendom, it fell into decay. +In the meantime the doves, protected by religious feeling, had increased +mightily, and were known in all Catholic communities. When King +Offa ruled in Mercia, about a hundred and fifty years later, he restored +Christianity, and under its protection the nunnery of St. Columba was +restored and its doves flourished again. In process of time this +religious house again fell into desuetude; but before it disappeared +it had achieved a great name for good works, and in especial for the +piety of its members. If deeds and prayers and hopes and earnest +thinking leave anywhere any moral effect, Mercy Farm and all around +it have almost the right to be considered holy ground.”</p> +<p>“Thank you, sir,” said Adam earnestly, and was silent. +Sir Nathaniel understood.</p> +<p>After lunch that day, Adam casually asked Sir Nathaniel to come for +a walk with him. The keen-witted old diplomatist guessed that +there must be some motive behind the suggestion, and he at once agreed.</p> +<p>As soon as they were free from observation, Adam began.</p> +<p>“I am afraid, sir, that there is more going on in this neighbourhood +than most people imagine. I was out this morning, and on the edge +of the small wood, I came upon the body of a child by the roadside. +At first, I thought she was dead, and while examining her, I noticed +on her neck some marks that looked like those of teeth.”</p> +<p>“Some wild dog, perhaps?” put in Sir Nathaniel.</p> +<p>“Possibly, sir, though I think not—but listen to the +rest of my news. I glanced around, and to my surprise, I noticed +something white moving among the trees. I placed the child down +carefully, and followed, but I could not find any further traces. +So I returned to the child and resumed my examination, and, to my delight, +I discovered that she was still alive. I chafed her hands and +gradually she revived, but to my disappointment she remembered nothing—except +that something had crept up quietly from behind, and had gripped her +round the throat. Then, apparently, she fainted.”</p> +<p>“Gripped her round the throat! Then it cannot have been +a dog.”</p> +<p>“No, sir, that is my difficulty, and explains why I brought +you out here, where we cannot possibly be overheard. You have +noticed, of course, the peculiar sinuous way in which Lady Arabella +moves—well, I feel certain that the white thing that I saw in +the wood was the mistress of Diana’s Grove!”</p> +<p>“Good God, boy, be careful what you say.”</p> +<p>“Yes, sir, I fully realise the gravity of my accusation, but +I feel convinced that the marks on the child’s throat were human—and +made by a woman.”</p> +<p>Adam’s companion remained silent for some time, deep in thought.</p> +<p>“Adam, my boy,” he said at last, “this matter appears +to me to be far more serious even than you think. It forces me +to break confidence with my old friend, your uncle—but, in order +to spare him, I must do so. For some time now, things have been +happening in this district that have been worrying him dreadfully—several +people have disappeared, without leaving the slightest trace; a dead +child was found by the roadside, with no visible or ascertainable cause +of death—sheep and other animals have been found in the fields, +bleeding from open wounds. There have been other matters—many +of them apparently trivial in themselves. Some sinister influence +has been at work, and I admit that I have suspected Lady Arabella—that +is why I questioned you so closely about the mongoose and its strange +attack upon Lady Arabella. You will think it strange that I should +suspect the mistress of Diana’s Grove, a beautiful woman of aristocratic +birth. Let me explain—the family seat is near my own place, +Doom Tower, and at one time I knew the family well. When still +a young girl, Lady Arabella wandered into a small wood near her home, +and did not return. She was found unconscious and in a high fever—the +doctor said that she had received a poisonous bite, and the girl being +at a delicate and critical age, the result was serious—so much +so that she was not expected to recover. A great London physician +came down but could do nothing—indeed, he said that the girl would +not survive the night. All hope had been abandoned, when, to everyone’s +surprise, Lady Arabella made a sudden and startling recovery. +Within a couple of days she was going about as usual! But to the +horror of her people, she developed a terrible craving for cruelty, +maiming and injuring birds and small animals—even killing them. +This was put down to a nervous disturbance due to her age, and it was +hoped that her marriage to Captain March would put this right. +However, it was not a happy marriage, and eventually her husband was +found shot through the head. I have always suspected suicide, +though no pistol was found near the body. He may have discovered +something—God knows what!—so possibly Lady Arabella may +herself have killed him. Putting together many small matters that +have come to my knowledge, I have come to the conclusion that the foul +White Worm obtained control of her body, just as her soul was leaving +its earthly tenement—that would explain the sudden revival of +energy, the strange and inexplicable craving for maiming and killing, +as well as many other matters with which I need not trouble you now, +Adam. As I said just now, God alone knows what poor Captain March +discovered—it must have been something too ghastly for human endurance, +if my theory is correct that the once beautiful human body of Lady Arabella +is under the control of this ghastly White Worm.”</p> +<p>Adam nodded.</p> +<p>“But what can we do, sir—it seems a most difficult problem.”</p> +<p>“We can do nothing, my boy—that is the important part +of it. It would be impossible to take action—all we can +do is to keep careful watch, especially as regards Lady Arabella, and +be ready to act, promptly and decisively, if the opportunity occurs.”</p> +<p>Adam agreed, and the two men returned to Lesser Hill.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER IX—SMELLING DEATH</h2> +<p>Adam Salton, though he talked little, did not let the grass grow +under his feet in any matter which he had undertaken, or in which he +was interested. He had agreed with Sir Nathaniel that they should +not do anything with regard to the mystery of Lady Arabella’s +fear of the mongoose, but he steadily pursued his course in being <i>prepared</i> +to act whenever the opportunity might come. He was in his own +mind perpetually casting about for information or clues which might +lead to possible lines of action. Baffled by the killing of the +mongoose, he looked around for another line to follow. He was +fascinated by the idea of there being a mysterious link between the +woman and the animal, but he was already preparing a second string to +his bow. His new idea was to use the faculties of Oolanga, so +far as he could, in the service of discovery. His first move was +to send Davenport to Liverpool to try to find the steward of the <i>West +African</i>, who had told him about Oolanga, and if possible secure +any further information, and then try to induce (by bribery or other +means) the nigger to come to the Brow. So soon as he himself could +have speech of the Voodoo-man he would be able to learn from him something +useful. Davenport was successful in his missions, for he had to +get another mongoose, and he was able to tell Adam that he had seen +the steward, who told him much that he wanted to know, and had also +arranged for Oolanga to come to Lesser Hill the following day. +At this point Adam saw his way sufficiently clear to admit Davenport +to some extent into his confidence. He had come to the conclusion +that it would be better—certainly at first—not himself to +appear in the matter, with which Davenport was fully competent to deal. +It would be time for himself to take a personal part when matters had +advanced a little further.</p> +<p>If what the nigger said was in any wise true, the man had a rare +gift which might be useful in the quest they were after. He could, +as it were, “smell death.” If any one was dead, if +any one had died, or if a place had been used in connection with death, +he seemed to know the broad fact by intuition. Adam made up his +mind that to test this faculty with regard to several places would be +his first task. Naturally he was anxious, and the time passed +slowly. The only comfort was the arrival the next morning of a +strong packing case, locked, from Ross, the key being in the custody +of Davenport. In the case were two smaller boxes, both locked. +One of them contained a mongoose to replace that killed by Lady Arabella; +the other was the special mongoose which had already killed the king-cobra +in Nepaul. When both the animals had been safely put under lock +and key, he felt that he might breathe more freely. No one was +allowed to know the secret of their existence in the house, except himself +and Davenport. He arranged that Davenport should take Oolanga +round the neighbourhood for a walk, stopping at each of the places which +he designated. Having gone all along the Brow, he was to return +the same way and induce him to touch on the same subjects in talking +with Adam, who was to meet them as if by chance at the farthest part—that +beyond Mercy Farm.</p> +<p>The incidents of the day proved much as Adam expected. At Mercy +Farm, at Diana’s Grove, at Castra Regis, and a few other spots, +the negro stopped and, opening his wide nostrils as if to sniff boldly, +said that he smelled death. It was not always in the same form. +At Mercy Farm he said there were many small deaths. At Diana’s +Grove his bearing was different. There was a distinct sense of +enjoyment about him, especially when he spoke of many great deaths. +Here, too, he sniffed in a strange way, like a bloodhound at check, +and looked puzzled. He said no word in either praise or disparagement, +but in the centre of the Grove, where, hidden amongst ancient oak stumps, +was a block of granite slightly hollowed on the top, he bent low and +placed his forehead on the ground. This was the only place where +he showed distinct reverence. At the Castle, though he spoke of +much death, he showed no sign of respect.</p> +<p>There was evidently something about Diana’s Grove which both +interested and baffled him. Before leaving, he moved all over +the place unsatisfied, and in one spot, close to the edge of the Brow, +where there was a deep hollow, he appeared to be afraid. After +returning several times to this place, he suddenly turned and ran in +a panic of fear to the higher ground, crossing as he did so the outcropping +rock. Then he seemed to breathe more freely, and recovered some +of his jaunty impudence.</p> +<p>All this seemed to satisfy Adam’s expectations. He went +back to Lesser Hill with a serene and settled calm upon him. Sir +Nathaniel followed him into his study.</p> +<p>“By the way, I forgot to ask you details about one thing. +When that extraordinary staring episode of Mr. Caswall went on, how +did Lilla take it—how did she bear herself?”</p> +<p>“She looked frightened, and trembled just as I have seen a +pigeon with a hawk, or a bird with a serpent.”</p> +<p>“Thanks. It is just as I expected. There have been +circumstances in the Caswall family which lead one to believe that they +have had from the earliest times some extraordinary mesmeric or hypnotic +faculty. Indeed, a skilled eye could read so much in their physiognomy. +That shot of yours, whether by instinct or intention, of the hawk and +the pigeon was peculiarly apposite. I think we may settle on that +as a fixed trait to be accepted throughout our investigation.”</p> +<p>When dusk had fallen, Adam took the new mongoose—not the one +from Nepaul—and, carrying the box slung over his shoulder, strolled +towards Diana’s Grove. Close to the gateway he met Lady +Arabella, clad as usual in tightly fitting white, which showed off her +slim figure.</p> +<p>To his intense astonishment the mongoose allowed her to pet him, +take him up in her arms and fondle him. As she was going in his +direction, they walked on together.</p> +<p>Round the roadway between the entrances of Diana’s Grove and +Lesser Hill were many trees, with not much foliage except at the top. +In the dusk this place was shadowy, and the view was hampered by the +clustering trunks. In the uncertain, tremulous light which fell +through the tree-tops, it was hard to distinguish anything clearly, +and at last, somehow, he lost sight of her altogether, and turned back +on his track to find her. Presently he came across her close to +her own gate. She was leaning over the paling of split oak branches +which formed the paling of the avenue. He could not see the mongoose, +so he asked her where it had gone.</p> +<p>“He slipt out of my arms while I was petting him,” she +answered, “and disappeared under the hedges.”</p> +<p>They found him at a place where the avenue widened so as to let carriages +pass each other. The little creature seemed quite changed. +He had been ebulliently active; now he was dull and spiritless—seemed +to be dazed. He allowed himself to be lifted by either of the +pair; but when he was alone with Lady Arabella he kept looking round +him in a strange way, as though trying to escape. When they had +come out on the roadway Adam held the mongoose tight to him, and, lifting +his hat to his companion, moved quickly towards Lesser Hill; he and +Lady Arabella lost sight of each other in the thickening gloom.</p> +<p>When Adam got home, he put the mongoose in his box, and locked the +door of the room. The other mongoose—the one from Nepaul—was +safely locked in his own box, but he lay quiet and did not stir. +When he got to his study Sir Nathaniel came in, shutting the door behind +him.</p> +<p>“I have come,” he said, “while we have an opportunity +of being alone, to tell you something of the Caswall family which I +think will interest you. There is, or used to be, a belief in +this part of the world that the Caswall family had some strange power +of making the wills of other persons subservient to their own. +There are many allusions to the subject in memoirs and other unimportant +works, but I only know of one where the subject is spoken of definitely. +It is <i>Mercia and its Worthies</i>, written by Ezra Toms more than +a hundred years ago. The author goes into the question of the +close association of the then Edgar Caswall with Mesmer in Paris. +He speaks of Caswall being a pupil and the fellow worker of Mesmer, +and states that though, when the latter left France, he took away with +him a vast quantity of philosophical and electric instruments, he was +never known to use them again. He once made it known to a friend +that he had given them to his old pupil. The term he used was +odd, for it was ‘bequeathed,’ but no such bequest of Mesmer +was ever made known. At any rate the instruments were missing, +and never turned up.”</p> +<p>A servant came into the room to tell Adam that there was some strange +noise coming from the locked room into which he had gone when he came +in. He hurried off to the place at once, Sir Nathaniel going with +him. Having locked the door behind them, Adam opened the packing-case +where the boxes of the two mongooses were locked up. There was +no sound from one of them, but from the other a queer restless struggling. +Having opened both boxes, he found that the noise was from the Nepaul +animal, which, however, became quiet at once. In the other box +the new mongoose lay dead, with every appearance of having been strangled!</p> +<h2>CHAPTER X—THE KITE</h2> +<p>On the following day, a little after four o’clock, Adam set +out for Mercy.</p> +<p>He was home just as the clocks were striking six. He was pale +and upset, but otherwise looked strong and alert. The old man +summed up his appearance and manner thus: “Braced up for battle.”</p> +<p>“Now!” said Sir Nathaniel, and settled down to listen, +looking at Adam steadily and listening attentively that he might miss +nothing—even the inflection of a word.</p> +<p>“I found Lilla and Mimi at home. Watford had been detained +by business on the farm. Miss Watford received me as kindly as +before; Mimi, too, seemed glad to see me. Mr. Caswall came so +soon after I arrived, that he, or someone on his behalf, must have been +watching for me. He was followed closely by the negro, who was +puffing hard as if he had been running—so it was probably he who +watched. Mr. Caswall was very cool and collected, but there was +a more than usually iron look about his face that I did not like. +However, we got on very well. He talked pleasantly on all sorts +of questions. The nigger waited a while and then disappeared as +on the other occasion. Mr. Caswall’s eyes were as usual +fixed on Lilla. True, they seemed to be very deep and earnest, +but there was no offence in them. Had it not been for the drawing +down of the brows and the stern set of the jaws, I should not at first +have noticed anything. But the stare, when presently it began, +increased in intensity. I could see that Lilla began to suffer +from nervousness, as on the first occasion; but she carried herself +bravely. However, the more nervous she grew, the harder Mr. Caswall +stared. It was evident to me that he had come prepared for some +sort of mesmeric or hypnotic battle. After a while he began to +throw glances round him and then raised his hand, without letting either +Lilla or Mimi see the action. It was evidently intended to give +some sign to the negro, for he came, in his usual stealthy way, quietly +in by the hall door, which was open. Then Mr. Caswall’s +efforts at staring became intensified, and poor Lilla’s nervousness +grew greater. Mimi, seeing that her cousin was distressed, came +close to her, as if to comfort or strengthen her with the consciousness +of her presence. This evidently made a difficulty for Mr. Caswall, +for his efforts, without appearing to get feebler, seemed less effective. +This continued for a little while, to the gain of both Lilla and Mimi. +Then there was a diversion. Without word or apology the door opened, +and Lady Arabella March entered the room. I had seen her coming +through the great window. Without a word she crossed the room +and stood beside Mr. Caswall. It really was very like a fight +of a peculiar kind; and the longer it was sustained the more earnest—the +fiercer—it grew. That combination of forces—the over-lord, +the white woman, and the black man—would have cost some—probably +all of them—their lives in the Southern States of America. +To us it was simply horrible. But all that you can understand. +This time, to go on in sporting phrase, it was understood by all to +be a ‘fight to a finish,’ and the mixed group did not slacken +a moment or relax their efforts. On Lilla the strain began to +tell disastrously. She grew pale—a patchy pallor, which +meant that her nerves were out of order. She trembled like an +aspen, and though she struggled bravely, I noticed that her legs would +hardly support her. A dozen times she seemed about to collapse +in a faint, but each time, on catching sight of Mimi’s eyes, she +made a fresh struggle and pulled through.</p> +<p>“By now Mr. Caswall’s face had lost its appearance of +passivity. His eyes glowed with a fiery light. He was still +the old Roman in inflexibility of purpose; but grafted on to the Roman +was a new Berserker fury. His companions in the baleful work seemed +to have taken on something of his feeling. Lady Arabella looked +like a soulless, pitiless being, not human, unless it revived old legends +of transformed human beings who had lost their humanity in some transformation +or in the sweep of natural savagery. As for the negro—well, +I can only say that it was solely due to the self-restraint which you +impressed on me that I did not wipe him out as he stood—without +warning, without fair play—without a single one of the graces +of life and death. Lilla was silent in the helpless concentration +of deadly fear; Mimi was all resolve and self-forgetfulness, so intent +on the soul-struggle in which she was engaged that there was no possibility +of any other thought. As for myself, the bonds of will which held +me inactive seemed like bands of steel which numbed all my faculties, +except sight and hearing. We seemed fixed in an <i>impasse</i>. +Something must happen, though the power of guessing was inactive. +As in a dream, I saw Mimi’s hand move restlessly, as if groping +for something. Mechanically it touched that of Lilla, and in that +instant she was transformed. It was as if youth and strength entered +afresh into something already dead to sensibility and intention. +As if by inspiration, she grasped the other’s band with a force +which blenched the knuckles. Her face suddenly flamed, as if some +divine light shone through it. Her form expanded till it stood +out majestically. Lifting her right hand, she stepped forward +towards Caswall, and with a bold sweep of her arm seemed to drive some +strange force towards him. Again and again was the gesture repeated, +the man falling back from her at each movement. Towards the door +he retreated, she following. There was a sound as of the cooing +sob of doves, which seemed to multiply and intensify with each second. +The sound from the unseen source rose and rose as he retreated, till +finally it swelled out in a triumphant peal, as she with a fierce sweep +of her arm, seemed to hurl something at her foe, and he, moving his +hands blindly before his face, appeared to be swept through the doorway +and out into the open sunlight.</p> +<p>“All at once my own faculties were fully restored; I could +see and hear everything, and be fully conscious of what was going on. +Even the figures of the baleful group were there, though dimly seen +as through a veil—a shadowy veil. I saw Lilla sink down +in a swoon, and Mimi throw up her arms in a gesture of triumph. +As I saw her through the great window, the sunshine flooded the landscape, +which, however, was momentarily becoming eclipsed by an onrush of a +myriad birds.”</p> +<p>By the next morning, daylight showed the actual danger which threatened. +From every part of the eastern counties reports were received concerning +the enormous immigration of birds. Experts were sending—on +their own account, on behalf of learned societies, and through local +and imperial governing bodies—reports dealing with the matter, +and suggesting remedies.</p> +<p>The reports closer to home were even more disturbing. All day +long it would seem that the birds were coming thicker from all quarters. +Doubtless many were going as well as coming, but the mass seemed never +to get less. Each bird seemed to sound some note of fear or anger +or seeking, and the whirring of wings never ceased nor lessened. +The air was full of a muttered throb. No window or barrier could +shut out the sound, till the ears of any listener became dulled by the +ceaseless murmur. So monotonous it was, so cheerless, so disheartening, +so melancholy, that all longed, but in vain, for any variety, no matter +how terrible it might be.</p> +<p>The second morning the reports from all the districts round were +more alarming than ever. Farmers began to dread the coming of +winter as they saw the dwindling of the timely fruitfulness of the earth. +And as yet it was only a warning of evil, not the evil accomplished; +the ground began to look bare whenever some passing sound temporarily +frightened the birds.</p> +<p>Edgar Caswall tortured his brain for a long time unavailingly, to +think of some means of getting rid of what he, as well as his neighbours, +had come to regard as a plague of birds. At last he recalled a +circumstance which promised a solution of the difficulty. The +experience was of some years ago in China, far up-country, towards the +head-waters of the Yang-tze-kiang, where the smaller tributaries spread +out in a sort of natural irrigation scheme to supply the wilderness +of paddy-fields. It was at the time of the ripening rice, and +the myriads of birds which came to feed on the coming crop was a serious +menace, not only to the district, but to the country at large. +The farmers, who were more or less afflicted with the same trouble every +season, knew how to deal with it. They made a vast kite, which +they caused to be flown over the centre spot of the incursion. +The kite was shaped like a great hawk; and the moment it rose into the +air the birds began to cower and seek protection—and then to disappear. +So long as that kite was flying overhead the birds lay low and the crop +was saved. Accordingly Caswall ordered his men to construct an +immense kite, adhering as well as they could to the lines of a hawk. +Then he and his men, with a sufficiency of cord, began to fly it high +overhead. The experience of China was repeated. The moment +the kite rose, the birds hid or sought shelter. The following +morning, the kite was still flying high, no bird was to be seen as far +as the eye could reach from Castra Regis. But there followed in +turn what proved even a worse evil. All the birds were cowed; +their sounds stopped. Neither song nor chirp was heard—silence +seemed to have taken the place of the normal voices of bird life. +But that was not all. The silence spread to all animals.</p> +<p>The fear and restraint which brooded amongst the denizens of the +air began to affect all life. Not only did the birds cease song +or chirp, but the lowing of the cattle ceased in the fields and the +varied sounds of life died away. In place of these things was +only a soundless gloom, more dreadful, more disheartening, more soul-killing +than any concourse of sounds, no matter how full of fear and dread. +Pious individuals put up constant prayers for relief from the intolerable +solitude. After a little there were signs of universal depression +which those who ran might read. One and all, the faces of men +and women seemed bereft of vitality, of interest, of thought, and, most +of all, of hope. Men seemed to have lost the power of expression +of their thoughts. The soundless air seemed to have the same effect +as the universal darkness when men gnawed their tongues with pain.</p> +<p>From this infliction of silence there was no relief. Everything +was affected; gloom was the predominant note. Joy appeared to +have passed away as a factor of life, and this creative impulse had +nothing to take its place. That giant spot in high air was a plague +of evil influence. It seemed like a new misanthropic belief which +had fallen on human beings, carrying with it the negation of all hope.</p> +<p>After a few days, men began to grow desperate; their very words as +well as their senses seemed to be in chains. Edgar Caswall again +tortured his brain to find any antidote or palliative of this greater +evil than before. He would gladly have destroyed the kite, or +caused its flying to cease; but the instant it was pulled down, the +birds rose up in even greater numbers; all those who depended in any +way on agriculture sent pitiful protests to Castra Regis.</p> +<p>It was strange indeed what influence that weird kite seemed to exercise. +Even human beings were affected by it, as if both it and they were realities. +As for the people at Mercy Farm, it was like a taste of actual death. +Lilla felt it most. If she had been indeed a real dove, with a +real kite hanging over her in the air, she could not have been more +frightened or more affected by the terror this created.</p> +<p>Of course, some of those already drawn into the vortex noticed the +effect on individuals. Those who were interested took care to +compare their information. Strangely enough, as it seemed to the +others, the person who took the ghastly silence least to heart was the +negro. By nature he was not sensitive to, or afflicted by, nerves. +This alone would not have produced the seeming indifference, so they +set their minds to discover the real cause. Adam came quickly +to the conclusion that there was for him some compensation that the +others did not share; and he soon believed that that compensation was +in one form or another the enjoyment of the sufferings of others. +Thus the black had a never-failing source of amusement.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella’s cold nature rendered her immune to anything +in the way of pain or trouble concerning others. Edgar Caswall +was far too haughty a person, and too stern of nature, to concern himself +about poor or helpless people, much less the lower order of mere animals. +Mr. Watford, Mr. Salton, and Sir Nathaniel were all concerned in the +issue, partly from kindness of heart—for none of them could see +suffering, even of wild birds, unmoved—and partly on account of +their property, which had to be protected, or ruin would stare them +in the face before long.</p> +<p>Lilla suffered acutely. As time went on, her face became pinched, +and her eyes dull with watching and crying. Mimi suffered too +on account of her cousin’s suffering. But as she could do +nothing, she resolutely made up her mind to self-restraint and patience. +Adam’s frequent visits comforted her.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XI—MESMER’S CHEST</h2> +<p>After a couple of weeks had passed, the kite seemed to give Edgar +Caswall a new zest for life. He was never tired of looking at +its movements. He had a comfortable armchair put out on the tower, +wherein he sat sometimes all day long, watching as though the kite was +a new toy and he a child lately come into possession of it. He +did not seem to have lost interest in Lilla, for he still paid an occasional +visit at Mercy Farm.</p> +<p>Indeed, his feeling towards her, whatever it had been at first, had +now so far changed that it had become a distinct affection of a purely +animal kind. Indeed, it seemed as though the man’s nature +had become corrupted, and that all the baser and more selfish and more +reckless qualities had become more conspicuous. There was not +so much sternness apparent in his nature, because there was less self-restraint. +Determination had become indifference.</p> +<p>The visible change in Edgar was that he grew morbid, sad, silent; +the neighbours thought he was going mad. He became absorbed in +the kite, and watched it not only by day, but often all night long. +It became an obsession to him.</p> +<p>Caswall took a personal interest in the keeping of the great kite +flying. He had a vast coil of cord efficient for the purpose, +which worked on a roller fixed on the parapet of the tower. There +was a winch for the pulling in of the slack; the outgoing line being +controlled by a racket. There was invariably one man at least, +day and night, on the tower to attend to it. At such an elevation +there was always a strong wind, and at times the kite rose to an enormous +height, as well as travelling for great distances laterally. In +fact, the kite became, in a short time, one of the curiosities of Castra +Regis and all around it. Edgar began to attribute to it, in his +own mind, almost human qualities. It became to him a separate +entity, with a mind and a soul of its own. Being idle-handed all +day, he began to apply to what he considered the service of the kite +some of his spare time, and found a new pleasure—a new object +in life—in the old schoolboy game of sending up “runners” +to the kite. The way this is done is to get round pieces of paper +so cut that there is a hole in the centre, through which the string +of the kite passes. The natural action of the wind-pressure takes +the paper along the string, and so up to the kite itself, no matter +how high or how far it may have gone.</p> +<p>In the early days of this amusement Edgar Caswall spent hours. +Hundreds of such messengers flew along the string, until soon he bethought +him of writing messages on these papers so that he could make known +his ideas to the kite. It may be that his brain gave way under +the opportunities given by his illusion of the entity of the toy and +its power of separate thought. From sending messages he came to +making direct speech to the kite—without, however, ceasing to +send the runners. Doubtless, the height of the tower, seated as +it was on the hill-top, the rushing of the ceaseless wind, the hypnotic +effect of the lofty altitude of the speck in the sky at which he gazed, +and the rushing of the paper messengers up the string till sight of +them was lost in distance, all helped to further affect his brain, undoubtedly +giving way under the strain of beliefs and circumstances which were +at once stimulating to the imagination, occupative of his mind, and +absorbing.</p> +<p>The next step of intellectual decline was to bring to bear on the +main idea of the conscious identity of the kite all sorts of subjects +which had imaginative force or tendency of their own. He had, +in Castra Regis, a large collection of curious and interesting things +formed in the past by his forebears, of similar tastes to his own. +There were all sorts of strange anthropological specimens, both old +and new, which had been collected through various travels in strange +places: ancient Egyptian relics from tombs and mummies; curios from +Australia, New Zealand, and the South Seas; idols and images—from +Tartar ikons to ancient Egyptian, Persian, and Indian objects of worship; +objects of death and torture of American Indians; and, above all, a +vast collection of lethal weapons of every kind and from every place—Chinese +“high pinders,” double knives, Afghan double-edged scimitars +made to cut a body in two, heavy knives from all the Eastern countries, +ghost daggers from Thibet, the terrible kukri of the Ghourka and other +hill tribes of India, assassins’ weapons from Italy and Spain, +even the knife which was formerly carried by the slave-drivers of the +Mississippi region. Death and pain of every kind were fully represented +in that gruesome collection.</p> +<p>That it had a fascination for Oolanga goes without saying. +He was never tired of visiting the museum in the tower, and spent endless +hours in inspecting the exhibits, till he was thoroughly familiar with +every detail of all of them. He asked permission to clean and +polish and sharpen them—a favour which was readily granted. +In addition to the above objects, there were many things of a kind to +awaken human fear. Stuffed serpents of the most objectionable +and horrid kind; giant insects from the tropics, fearsome in every detail; +fishes and crustaceans covered with weird spikes; dried octopuses of +great size. Other things, too, there were, not less deadly though +seemingly innocuous—dried fungi, traps intended for birds, beasts, +fishes, reptiles, and insects; machines which could produce pain of +any kind and degree, and the only mercy of which was the power of producing +speedy death.</p> +<p>Caswall, who had never before seen any of these things, except those +which he had collected himself, found a constant amusement and interest +in them. He studied them, their uses, their mechanism—where +there was such—and their places of origin, until he had an ample +and real knowledge of all concerning them. Many were secret and +intricate, but he never rested till he found out all the secrets. +When once he had become interested in strange objects, and the way to +use them, he began to explore various likely places for similar finds. +He began to inquire of his household where strange lumber was kept. +Several of the men spoke of old Simon Chester as one who knew everything +in and about the house. Accordingly, he sent for the old man, +who came at once. He was very old, nearly ninety years of age, +and very infirm. He had been born in the Castle, and had served +its succession of masters—present or absent—ever since. +When Edgar began to question him on the subject regarding which he had +sent for him, old Simon exhibited much perturbation. In fact, +he became so frightened that his master, fully believing that he was +concealing something, ordered him to tell at once what remained unseen, +and where it was hidden away. Face to face with discovery of his +secret, the old man, in a pitiable state of concern, spoke out even +more fully than Mr. Caswall had expected.</p> +<p>“Indeed, indeed, sir, everything is here in the tower that +has ever been put away in my time except—except—” +here he began to shake and tremble it—“except the chest +which Mr. Edgar—he who was Mr. Edgar when I first took service—brought +back from France, after he had been with Dr. Mesmer. The trunk +has been kept in my room for safety; but I shall send it down here now.”</p> +<p>“What is in it?” asked Edgar sharply.</p> +<p>“That I do not know. Moreover, it is a peculiar trunk, +without any visible means of opening.”</p> +<p>“Is there no lock?”</p> +<p>“I suppose so, sir; but I do not know. There is no keyhole.”</p> +<p>“Send it here; and then come to me yourself.”</p> +<p>The trunk, a heavy one with steel bands round it, but no lock or +keyhole, was carried in by two men. Shortly afterwards old Simon +attended his master. When he came into the room, Mr. Caswall himself +went and closed the door; then he asked:</p> +<p>“How do you open it?”</p> +<p>“I do not know, sir.”</p> +<p>“Do you mean to say that you never opened it?”</p> +<p>“Most certainly I say so, your honour. How could I? +It was entrusted to me with the other things by my master. To +open it would have been a breach of trust.”</p> +<p>Caswall sneered.</p> +<p>“Quite remarkable! Leave it with me. Close the +door behind you. Stay—did no one ever tell you about it—say +anything regarding it—make any remark?”</p> +<p>Old Simon turned pale, and put his trembling hands together.</p> +<p>“Oh, sir, I entreat you not to touch it. That trunk probably +contains secrets which Dr. Mesmer told my master. Told them to +his ruin!”</p> +<p>“How do you mean? What ruin?”</p> +<p>“Sir, he it was who, men said, sold his soul to the Evil One; +I had thought that that time and the evil of it had all passed away.”</p> +<p>“That will do. Go away; but remain in your own room, +or within call. I may want you.”</p> +<p>The old man bowed deeply and went out trembling, but without speaking +a word.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XII—THE CHEST OPENED</h2> +<p>Left alone in the turret-room, Edgar Caswall carefully locked the +door and hung a handkerchief over the keyhole. Next, he inspected +the windows, and saw that they were not overlooked from any angle of +the main building. Then he carefully examined the trunk, going +over it with a magnifying glass. He found it intact: the steel +bands were flawless; the whole trunk was compact. After sitting +opposite to it for some time, and the shades of evening beginning to +melt into darkness, he gave up the task and went to his bedroom, after +locking the door of the turret-room behind him and taking away the key.</p> +<p>He woke in the morning at daylight, and resumed his patient but unavailing +study of the metal trunk. This he continued during the whole day +with the same result—humiliating disappointment, which overwrought +his nerves and made his head ache. The result of the long strain +was seen later in the afternoon, when he sat locked within the turret-room +before the still baffling trunk, distrait, listless and yet agitated, +sunk in a settled gloom. As the dusk was falling he told the steward +to send him two men, strong ones. These he ordered to take the +trunk to his bedroom. In that room he then sat on into the night, +without pausing even to take any food. His mind was in a whirl, +a fever of excitement. The result was that when, late in the night, +he locked himself in his room his brain was full of odd fancies; he +was on the high road to mental disturbance. He lay down on his +bed in the dark, still brooding over the mystery of the closed trunk.</p> +<p>Gradually he yielded to the influences of silence and darkness. +After lying there quietly for some time, his mind became active again. +But this time there were round him no disturbing influences; his brain +was active and able to work freely and to deal with memory. A +thousand forgotten—or only half-known—incidents, fragments +of conversations or theories long ago guessed at and long forgotten, +crowded on his mind. He seemed to hear again around him the legions +of whirring wings to which he had been so lately accustomed. Even +to himself he knew that that was an effort of imagination founded on +imperfect memory. But he was content that imagination should work, +for out of it might come some solution of the mystery which surrounded +him. And in this frame of mind, sleep made another and more successful +essay. This time he enjoyed peaceful slumber, restful alike to +his wearied body and his overwrought brain.</p> +<p>In his sleep he arose, and, as if in obedience to some influence +beyond and greater than himself, lifted the great trunk and set it on +a strong table at one side of the room, from which he had previously +removed a quantity of books. To do this, he had to use an amount +of strength which was, he knew, far beyond him in his normal state. +As it was, it seemed easy enough; everything yielded before his touch. +Then he became conscious that somehow—how, he never could remember—the +chest was open. He unlocked his door, and, taking the chest on +his shoulder, carried it up to the turret-room, the door of which also +he unlocked. Even at the time he was amazed at his own strength, +and wondered whence it had come. His mind, lost in conjecture, +was too far off to realise more immediate things. He knew that +the chest was enormously heavy. He seemed, in a sort of vision +which lit up the absolute blackness around, to see the two sturdy servant +men staggering under its great weight. He locked himself again +in the turret-room, and laid the opened chest on a table, and in the +darkness began to unpack it, laying out the contents, which were mainly +of metal and glass—great pieces in strange forms—on another +table. He was conscious of being still asleep, and of acting rather +in obedience to some unseen and unknown command than in accordance with +any reasonable plan, to be followed by results which he understood. +This phase completed, he proceeded to arrange in order the component +parts of some large instruments, formed mostly of glass. His fingers +seemed to have acquired a new and exquisite subtlety and even a volition +of their own. Then weariness of brain came upon him; his head +sank down on his breast, and little by little everything became wrapped +in gloom.</p> +<p>He awoke in the early morning in his bedroom, and looked around him, +now clear-headed, in amazement. In its usual place on the strong +table stood the great steel-hooped chest without lock or key. +But it was now locked. He arose quietly and stole to the turret-room. +There everything was as it had been on the previous evening. He +looked out of the window where high in air flew, as usual, the giant +kite. He unlocked the wicket gate of the turret stair and went +out on the roof. Close to him was the great coil of cord on its +reel. It was humming in the morning breeze, and when he touched +the string it sent a quick thrill through hand and arm. There +was no sign anywhere that there had been any disturbance or displacement +of anything during the night.</p> +<p>Utterly bewildered, he sat down in his room to think. Now for +the first time he <i>felt</i> that he was asleep and dreaming. +Presently he fell asleep again, and slept for a long time. He +awoke hungry and made a hearty meal. Then towards evening, having +locked himself in, he fell asleep again. When he woke he was in +darkness, and was quite at sea as to his whereabouts. He began +feeling about the dark room, and was recalled to the consequences of +his position by the breaking of a large piece of glass. Having +obtained a light, he discovered this to be a glass wheel, part of an +elaborate piece of mechanism which he must in his sleep have taken from +the chest, which was now opened. He had once again opened it whilst +asleep, but he had no recollection of the circumstances.</p> +<p>Caswall came to the conclusion that there had been some sort of dual +action of his mind, which might lead to some catastrophe or some discovery +of his secret plans; so he resolved to forgo for a while the pleasure +of making discoveries regarding the chest. To this end, he applied +himself to quite another matter—an investigation of the other +treasures and rare objects in his collections. He went amongst +them in simple, idle curiosity, his main object being to discover some +strange item which he might use for experiment with the kite. +He had already resolved to try some runners other than those made of +paper. He had a vague idea that with such a force as the great +kite straining at its leash, this might be used to lift to the altitude +of the kite itself heavier articles. His first experiment with +articles of little but increasing weight was eminently successful. +So he added by degrees more and more weight, until he found out that +the lifting power of the kite was considerable. He then determined +to take a step further, and send to the kite some of the articles which +lay in the steel-hooped chest. The last time he had opened it +in sleep, it had not been shut again, and he had inserted a wedge so +that he could open it at will. He made examination of the contents, +but came to the conclusion that the glass objects were unsuitable. +They were too light for testing weight, and they were so frail as to +be dangerous to send to such a height.</p> +<p>So he looked around for something more solid with which to experiment. +His eye caught sight of an object which at once attracted him. +This was a small copy of one of the ancient Egyptian gods—that +of Bes, who represented the destructive power of nature. It was +so bizarre and mysterious as to commend itself to his mad humour. +In lifting it from the cabinet, he was struck by its great weight in +proportion to its size. He made accurate examination of it by +the aid of some instruments, and came to the conclusion that it was +carved from a lump of lodestone. He remembered that he had read +somewhere of an ancient Egyptian god cut from a similar substance, and, +thinking it over, he came to the conclusion that he must have read it +in Sir Thomas Brown’s <i>Popular Errors</i>, a book of the seventeenth +century. He got the book from the library, and looked out the +passage:</p> +<p>“A great example we have from the observation of our learned +friend Mr. Graves, in an AEgyptian idol cut out of Loadstone and found +among the Mummies; which still retains its attraction, though probably +taken out of the mine about two thousand years ago.”</p> +<p>The strangeness of the figure, and its being so close akin to his +own nature, attracted him. He made from thin wood a large circular +runner, and in front of it placed the weighty god, sending it up to +the flying kite along the throbbing cord.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIII—OOLANGA’S HALLUCINATIONS</h2> +<p>During the last few days Lady Arabella had been getting exceedingly +impatient. Her debts, always pressing, were growing to an embarrassing +amount. The only hope she had of comfort in life was a good marriage; +but the good marriage on which she had fixed her eye did not seem to +move quickly enough—indeed, it did not seem to move at all—in +the right direction. Edgar Caswall was not an ardent wooer. +From the very first he seemed <i>difficile</i>, but he had been keeping +to his own room ever since his struggle with Mimi Watford. On +that occasion Lady Arabella had shown him in an unmistakable way what +her feelings were; indeed, she had made it known to him, in a more overt +way than pride should allow, that she wished to help and support him. +The moment when she had gone across the room to stand beside him in +his mesmeric struggle, had been the very limit of her voluntary action. +It was quite bitter enough, she felt, that he did not come to her, but +now that she had made that advance, she felt that any withdrawal on +his part would, to a woman of her class, be nothing less than a flaming +insult. Had she not classed herself with his nigger servant, an +unreformed savage? Had she not shown her preference for him at +the festival of his home-coming? Had she not . . . Lady Arabella +was cold-blooded, and she was prepared to go through all that might +be necessary of indifference, and even insult, to become chatelaine +of Castra Regis. In the meantime, she would show no hurry—she +must wait. She might, in an unostentatious way, come to him again. +She knew him now, and could make a keen guess at his desires with regard +to Lilla Watford. With that secret in her possession, she could +bring pressure to bear on Caswall which would make it no easy matter +for him to evade her. The great difficulty was how to get near +him. He was shut up within his Castle, and guarded by a defence +of convention which she could not pass without danger of ill repute +to herself. Over this question she thought and thought for days +and nights. At last she decided that the only way would be to +go to him openly at Castra Regis. Her rank and position would +make such a thing possible, if carefully done. She could explain +matters afterwards if necessary. Then when they were alone, she +would use her arts and her experience to make him commit himself. +After all, he was only a man, with a man’s dislike of difficult +or awkward situations. She felt quite sufficient confidence in +her own womanhood to carry her through any difficulty which might arise.</p> +<p>From Diana’s Grove she heard each day the luncheon-gong from +Castra Regis sound, and knew the hour when the servants would be in +the back of the house. She would enter the house at that hour, +and, pretending that she could not make anyone hear her, would seek +him in his own rooms. The tower was, she knew, away from all the +usual sounds of the house, and moreover she knew that the servants had +strict orders not to interrupt him when he was in the turret chamber. +She had found out, partly by the aid of an opera-glass and partly by +judicious questioning, that several times lately a heavy chest had been +carried to and from his room, and that it rested in the room each night. +She was, therefore, confident that he had some important work on hand +which would keep him busy for long spells.</p> +<p>Meanwhile, another member of the household at Castra Regis had schemes +which he thought were working to fruition. A man in the position +of a servant has plenty of opportunity of watching his betters and forming +opinions regarding them. Oolanga was in his way a clever, unscrupulous +rogue, and he felt that with things moving round him in this great household +there should be opportunities of self-advancement. Being unscrupulous +and stealthy—and a savage—he looked to dishonest means. +He saw plainly enough that Lady Arabella was making a dead set at his +master, and he was watchful of the slightest sign of anything which +might enhance this knowledge. Like the other men in the house, +he knew of the carrying to and fro of the great chest, and had got it +into his head that the care exercised in its porterage indicated that +it was full of treasure. He was for ever lurking around the turret-rooms +on the chance of making some useful discovery. But he was as cautious +as he was stealthy, and took care that no one else watched him.</p> +<p>It was thus that the negro became aware of Lady Arabella’s +venture into the house, as she thought, unseen. He took more care +than ever, since he was watching another, that the positions were not +reversed. More than ever he kept his eyes and ears open and his +mouth shut. Seeing Lady Arabella gliding up the stairs towards +his master’s room, he took it for granted that she was there for +no good, and doubled his watching intentness and caution.</p> +<p>Oolanga was disappointed, but he dared not exhibit any feeling lest +it should betray that he was hiding. Therefore he slunk downstairs +again noiselessly, and waited for a more favourable opportunity of furthering +his plans. It must be borne in mind that he thought that the heavy +trunk was full of valuables, and that he believed that Lady Arabella +had come to try to steal it. His purpose of using for his own +advantage the combination of these two ideas was seen later in the day. +Oolanga secretly followed her home. He was an expert at this game, +and succeeded admirably on this occasion. He watched her enter +the private gate of Diana’s Grove, and then, taking a roundabout +course and keeping out of her sight, he at last overtook her in a thick +part of the Grove where no one could see the meeting.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella was much surprised. She had not seen the negro +for several days, and had almost forgotten his existence. Oolanga +would have been startled had he known and been capable of understanding +the real value placed on him, his beauty, his worthiness, by other persons, +and compared it with the value in these matters in which he held himself. +Doubtless Oolanga had his dreams like other men. In such cases +he saw himself as a young sun-god, as beautiful as the eye of dusky +or even white womanhood had ever dwelt upon. He would have been +filled with all noble and captivating qualities—or those regarded +as such in West Africa. Women would have loved him, and would +have told him so in the overt and fervid manner usual in affairs of +the heart in the shadowy depths of the forest of the Gold Coast.</p> +<p>Oolanga came close behind Lady Arabella, and in a hushed voice, suitable +to the importance of his task, and in deference to the respect he had +for her and the place, began to unfold the story of his love. +Lady Arabella was not usually a humorous person, but no man or woman +of the white race could have checked the laughter which rose spontaneously +to her lips. The circumstances were too grotesque, the contrast +too violent, for subdued mirth. The man a debased specimen of +one of the most primitive races of the earth, and of an ugliness which +was simply devilish; the woman of high degree, beautiful, accomplished. +She thought that her first moment’s consideration of the outrage—it +was nothing less in her eyes—had given her the full material for +thought. But every instant after threw new and varied lights on +the affront. Her indignation was too great for passion; only irony +or satire would meet the situation. Her cold, cruel nature helped, +and she did not shrink to subject this ignorant savage to the merciless +fire-lash of her scorn.</p> +<p>Oolanga was dimly conscious that he was being flouted; but his anger +was no less keen because of the measure of his ignorance. So he +gave way to it, as does a tortured beast. He ground his great +teeth together, raved, stamped, and swore in barbarous tongues and with +barbarous imagery. Even Lady Arabella felt that it was well she +was within reach of help, or he might have offered her brutal violence—even +have killed her.</p> +<p>“Am I to understand,” she said with cold disdain, so +much more effective to wound than hot passion, “that you are offering +me your love? Your—love?”</p> +<p>For reply he nodded his head. The scorn of her voice, in a +sort of baleful hiss, sounded—and felt—like the lash of +a whip.</p> +<p>“And you dared! you—a savage—a slave—the +basest thing in the world of vermin! Take care! I don’t +value your worthless life more than I do that of a rat or a spider. +Don’t let me ever see your hideous face here again, or I shall +rid the earth of you.”</p> +<p>As she was speaking, she had taken out her revolver and was pointing +it at him. In the immediate presence of death his impudence forsook +him, and he made a weak effort to justify himself. His speech +was short, consisting of single words. To Lady Arabella it sounded +mere gibberish, but it was in his own dialect, and meant love, marriage, +wife. From the intonation of the words, she guessed, with her +woman’s quick intuition, at their meaning; but she quite failed +to follow, when, becoming more pressing, he continued to urge his suit +in a mixture of the grossest animal passion and ridiculous threats. +He warned her that he knew she had tried to steal his master’s +treasure, and that he had caught her in the act. But if she would +be his, he would share the treasure with her, and they could live in +luxury in the African forests. But if she refused, he would tell +his master, who would flog and torture her and then give her to the +police, who would kill her.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIV—BATTLE RENEWED</h2> +<p>The consequences of that meeting in the dusk of Diana’s Grove +were acute and far-reaching, and not only to the two engaged in it. +From Oolanga, this might have been expected by anyone who knew the character +of the tropical African savage. To such, there are two passions +that are inexhaustible and insatiable—vanity and that which they +are pleased to call love. Oolanga left the Grove with an absorbing +hatred in his heart. His lust and greed were afire, while his +vanity had been wounded to the core. Lady Arabella’s icy +nature was not so deeply stirred, though she was in a seething passion. +More than ever she was set upon bringing Edgar Caswall to her feet. +The obstacles she had encountered, the insults she had endured, were +only as fuel to the purpose of revenge which consumed her.</p> +<p>As she sought her own rooms in Diana’s Grove, she went over +the whole subject again and again, always finding in the face of Lilla +Watford a key to a problem which puzzled her—the problem of a +way to turn Caswall’s powers—his very existence—to +aid her purpose.</p> +<p>When in her boudoir, she wrote a note, taking so much trouble over +it that she destroyed, and rewrote, till her dainty waste-basket was +half-full of torn sheets of notepaper. When quite satisfied, she +copied out the last sheet afresh, and then carefully burned all the +spoiled fragments. She put the copied note in an emblazoned envelope, +and directed it to Edgar Caswall at Castra Regis. This she sent +off by one of her grooms. The letter ran:</p> +<blockquote><p>“DEAR MR. CASWALL,</p> +<p>“I want to have a chat with you on a subject in which I believe +you are interested. Will you kindly call for me one day after +lunch—say at three or four o’clock, and we can walk a little +way together. Only as far as Mercy Farm, where I want to see Lilla +and Mimi Watford. We can take a cup of tea at the Farm. +Do not bring your African servant with you, as I am afraid his face +frightens the girls. After all, he is not pretty, is he? +I have an idea you will be pleased with your visit this time.</p> +<p>“Yours sincerely,</p> +<p>“ARABELLA MARCH.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>At half-past three next day, Edgar Caswall called at Diana’s +Grove. Lady Arabella met him on the roadway outside the gate. +She wished to take the servants into her confidence as little as possible. +She turned when she saw him coming, and walked beside him towards Mercy +Farm, keeping step with him as they walked. When they got near +Mercy, she turned and looked around her, expecting to see Oolanga or +some sign of him. He was, however, not visible. He had received +from his master peremptory orders to keep out of sight—an order +for which the African scored a new offence up against her. They +found Lilla and Mimi at home and seemingly glad to see them, though +both the girls were surprised at the visit coming so soon after the +other.</p> +<p>The proceedings were a repetition of the battle of souls of the former +visit. On this occasion, however, Edgar Caswall had only the presence +of Lady Arabella to support him—Oolanga being absent; but Mimi +lacked the support of Adam Salton, which had been of such effective +service before. This time the struggle for supremacy of will was +longer and more determined. Caswall felt that if he could not +achieve supremacy he had better give up the idea, so all his pride was +enlisted against Mimi. When they had been waiting for the door +to be opened, Lady Arabella, believing in a sudden attack, had said +to him in a low voice, which somehow carried conviction:</p> +<p>“This time you should win. Mimi is, after all, only a +woman. Show her no mercy. That is weakness. Fight +her, beat her, trample on her—kill her if need be. She stands +in your way, and I hate her. Never take your eyes off her. +Never mind Lilla—she is afraid of you. You are already her +master. Mimi will try to make you look at her cousin. There +lies defeat. Let nothing take your attention from Mimi, and you +will win. If she is overcoming you, take my hand and hold it hard +whilst you are looking into her eyes. If she is too strong for +you, I shall interfere. I’ll make a diversion, and under +cover of it you must retire unbeaten, even if not victorious. +Hush! they are coming.”</p> +<p>The two girls came to the door together. Strange sounds were +coming up over the Brow from the west. It was the rustling and +crackling of the dry reeds and rushes from the low lands. The +season had been an unusually dry one. Also the strong east wind +was helping forward enormous flocks of birds, most of them pigeons with +white cowls. Not only were their wings whirring, but their cooing +was plainly audible. From such a multitude of birds the mass of +sound, individually small, assumed the volume of a storm. Surprised +at the influx of birds, to which they had been strangers so long, they +all looked towards Castra Regis, from whose high tower the great kite +had been flying as usual. But even as they looked, the cord broke, +and the great kite fell headlong in a series of sweeping dives. +Its own weight, and the aerial force opposed to it, which caused it +to rise, combined with the strong easterly breeze, had been too much +for the great length of cord holding it.</p> +<p>Somehow, the mishap to the kite gave new hope to Mimi. It was +as though the side issues had been shorn away, so that the main struggle +was thenceforth on simpler lines. She had a feeling in her heart, +as though some religious chord had been newly touched. It may, +of course, have been that with the renewal of the bird voices a fresh +courage, a fresh belief in the good issue of the struggle came too. +In the misery of silence, from which they had all suffered for so long, +any new train of thought was almost bound to be a boon. As the +inrush of birds continued, their wings beating against the crackling +rushes, Lady Arabella grew pale, and almost fainted.</p> +<p>“What is that?” she asked suddenly.</p> +<p>To Mimi, born and bred in Siam, the sound was strangely like an exaggeration +of the sound produced by a snake-charmer.</p> +<p>Edgar Caswall was the first to recover from the interruption of the +falling kite. After a few minutes he seemed to have quite recovered +his <i>sang froid</i>, and was able to use his brains to the end which +he had in view. Mimi too quickly recovered herself, but from a +different cause. With her it was a deep religious conviction that +the struggle round her was of the powers of Good and Evil, and that +Good was triumphing. The very appearance of the snowy birds, with +the cowls of Saint Columba, heightened the impression. With this +conviction strong upon her, she continued the strange battle with fresh +vigour. She seemed to tower over Caswall, and he to give back +before her oncoming. Once again her vigorous passes drove him +to the door. He was just going out backward when Lady Arabella, +who had been gazing at him with fixed eyes, caught his hand and tried +to stop his movement. She was, however, unable to do any good, +and so, holding hands, they passed out together. As they did so, +the strange music which had so alarmed Lady Arabella suddenly stopped. +Instinctively they all looked towards the tower of Castra Regis, and +saw that the workmen had refixed the kite, which had risen again and +was beginning to float out to its former station.</p> +<p>As they were looking, the door opened and Michael Watford came into +the room. By that time all had recovered their self-possession, +and there was nothing out of the common to attract his attention. +As he came in, seeing inquiring looks all around him, he said:</p> +<p>“The new influx of birds is only the annual migration of pigeons +from Africa. I am told that it will soon be over.”</p> +<p>The second victory of Mimi Watford made Edgar Caswall more moody +than ever. He felt thrown back on himself, and this, added to +his absorbing interest in the hope of a victory of his mesmeric powers, +became a deep and settled purpose of revenge. The chief object +of his animosity was, of course, Mimi, whose will had overcome his, +but it was obscured in greater or lesser degree by all who had opposed +him. Lilla was next to Mimi in his hate—Lilla, the harmless, +tender-hearted, sweet-natured girl, whose heart was so full of love +for all things that in it was no room for the passions of ordinary life—whose +nature resembled those doves of St. Columba, whose colour she wore, +whose appearance she reflected. Adam Salton came next—after +a gap; for against him Caswall had no direct animosity. He regarded +him as an interference, a difficulty to be got rid of or destroyed. +The young Australian had been so discreet that the most he had against +him was his knowledge of what had been. Caswall did not understand +him, and to such a nature as his, ignorance was a cause of alarm, of +dread.</p> +<p>Caswall resumed his habit of watching the great kite straining at +its cord, varying his vigils in this way by a further examination of +the mysterious treasures of his house, especially Mesmer’s chest. +He sat much on the roof of the tower, brooding over his thwarted passion. +The vast extent of his possessions, visible to him at that altitude, +might, one would have thought, have restored some of his complacency. +But the very extent of his ownership, thus perpetually brought before +him, created a fresh sense of grievance. How was it, he thought, +that with so much at command that others wished for, he could not achieve +the dearest wishes of his heart?</p> +<p>In this state of intellectual and moral depravity, he found a solace +in the renewal of his experiments with the mechanical powers of the +kite. For a couple of weeks he did not see Lady Arabella, who +was always on the watch for a chance of meeting him; neither did he +see the Watford girls, who studiously kept out of his way. Adam +Salton simply marked time, keeping ready to deal with anything that +might affect his friends. He called at the farm and heard from +Mimi of the last battle of wills, but it had only one consequence. +He got from Ross several more mongooses, including a second king-cobra-killer, +which he generally carried with him in its box whenever he walked out.</p> +<p>Mr. Caswall’s experiments with the kite went on successfully. +Each day he tried the lifting of greater weight, and it seemed almost +as if the machine had a sentience of its own, which was increasing with +the obstacles placed before it. All this time the kite hung in +the sky at an enormous height. The wind was steadily from the +north, so the trend of the kite was to the south. All day long, +runners of increasing magnitude were sent up. These were only +of paper or thin cardboard, or leather, or other flexible materials. +The great height at which the kite hung made a great concave curve in +the string, so that as the runners went up they made a flapping sound. +If one laid a finger on the string, the sound answered to the flapping +of the runner in a sort of hollow intermittent murmur. Edgar Caswall, +who was now wholly obsessed by the kite and all belonging to it, found +a distinct resemblance between that intermittent rumble and the snake-charming +music produced by the pigeons flying through the dry reeds.</p> +<p>One day he made a discovery in Mesmer’s chest which he thought +he would utilise with regard to the runners. This was a great +length of wire, “fine as human hair,” coiled round a finely +made wheel, which ran to a wondrous distance freely, and as lightly. +He tried this on runners, and found it work admirably. Whether +the runner was alone, or carried something much more weighty than itself, +it worked equally well. Also it was strong enough and light enough +to draw back the runner without undue strain. He tried this a +good many times successfully, but it was now growing dusk and he found +some difficulty in keeping the runner in sight. So he looked for +something heavy enough to keep it still. He placed the Egyptian +image of Bes on the fine wire, which crossed the wooden ledge which +protected it. Then, the darkness growing, he went indoors and +forgot all about it.</p> +<p>He had a strange feeling of uneasiness that night—not sleeplessness, +for he seemed conscious of being asleep. At daylight he rose, +and as usual looked out for the kite. He did not see it in its +usual position in the sky, so looked round the points of the compass. +He was more than astonished when presently he saw the missing kite struggling +as usual against the controlling cord. But it had gone to the +further side of the tower, and now hung and strained <i>against the +wind</i> to the north. He thought it so strange that he determined +to investigate the phenomenon, and to say nothing about it in the meantime.</p> +<p>In his many travels, Edgar Caswall had been accustomed to use the +sextant, and was now an expert in the matter. By the aid of this +and other instruments, he was able to fix the position of the kite and +the point over which it hung. He was startled to find that exactly +under it—so far as he could ascertain—was Diana’s +Grove. He had an inclination to take Lady Arabella into his confidence +in the matter, but he thought better of it and wisely refrained. +For some reason which he did not try to explain to himself, he was glad +of his silence, when, on the following morning, he found, on looking +out, that the point over which the kite then hovered was Mercy Farm. +When he had verified this with his instruments, he sat before the window +of the tower, looking out and thinking. The new locality was more +to his liking than the other; but the why of it puzzled him, all the +same. He spent the rest of the day in the turret-room, which he +did not leave all day. It seemed to him that he was now drawn +by forces which he could not control—of which, indeed, he had +no knowledge—in directions which he did not understand, and which +were without his own volition. In sheer helpless inability to +think the problem out satisfactorily, he called up a servant and told +him to tell Oolanga that he wanted to see him at once in the turret-room. +The answer came back that the African had not been seen since the previous +evening.</p> +<p>Caswall was now so irritable that even this small thing upset him. +As he was distrait and wanted to talk to somebody, he sent for Simon +Chester, who came at once, breathless with hurrying and upset by the +unexpected summons. Caswall bade him sit down, and when the old +man was in a less uneasy frame of mind, he again asked him if he had +ever seen what was in Mesmer’s chest or heard it spoken about.</p> +<p>Chester admitted that he had once, in the time of “the then +Mr. Edgar,” seen the chest open, which, knowing something of its +history and guessing more, so upset him that he had fainted. When +he recovered, the chest was closed. From that time the then Mr. +Edgar had never spoken about it again.</p> +<p>When Caswall asked him to describe what he had seen when the chest +was open, he got very agitated, and, despite all his efforts to remain +calm, he suddenly went off into a faint. Caswall summoned servants, +who applied the usual remedies. Still the old man did not recover. +After the lapse of a considerable time, the doctor who had been summoned +made his appearance. A glance was sufficient for him to make up +his mind. Still, he knelt down by the old man, and made a careful +examination. Then he rose to his feet, and in a hushed voice said:</p> +<p>“I grieve to say, sir, that he has passed away.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XV—ON THE TRACK</h2> +<p>Those who had seen Edgar Caswall familiarly since his arrival, and +had already estimated his cold-blooded nature at something of its true +value, were surprised that he took so to heart the death of old Chester. +The fact was that not one of them had guessed correctly at his character. +They thought, naturally enough, that the concern which he felt was that +of a master for a faithful old servant of his family. They little +thought that it was merely the selfish expression of his disappointment, +that he had thus lost the only remaining clue to an interesting piece +of family history—one which was now and would be for ever wrapped +in mystery. Caswall knew enough about the life of his ancestor +in Paris to wish to know more fully and more thoroughly all that had +been. The period covered by that ancestor’s life in Paris +was one inviting every form of curiosity.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella, who had her own game to play, saw in the <i>métier</i> +of sympathetic friend, a series of meetings with the man she wanted +to secure. She made the first use of the opportunity the day after +old Chester’s death; indeed, as soon as the news had filtered +in through the back door of Diana’s Grove. At that meeting, +she played her part so well that even Caswall’s cold nature was +impressed.</p> +<p>Oolanga was the only one who did not credit her with at least some +sense of fine feeling in the matter. In emotional, as in other +matters, Oolanga was distinctly a utilitarian, and as he could not understand +anyone feeling grief except for his own suffering, pain, or for the +loss of money, he could not understand anyone simulating such an emotion +except for show intended to deceive. He thought that she had come +to Castra Regis again for the opportunity of stealing something, and +was determined that on this occasion the chance of pressing his advantage +over her should not pass. He felt, therefore, that the occasion +was one for extra carefulness in the watching of all that went on. +Ever since he had come to the conclusion that Lady Arabella was trying +to steal the treasure-chest, he suspected nearly everyone of the same +design, and made it a point to watch all suspicious persons and places. +As Adam was engaged on his own researches regarding Lady Arabella, it +was only natural that there should be some crossing of each other’s +tracks. This is what did actually happen.</p> +<p>Adam had gone for an early morning survey of the place in which he +was interested, taking with him the mongoose in its box. He arrived +at the gate of Diana’s Grove just as Lady Arabella was preparing +to set out for Castra Regis on what she considered her mission of comfort. +Seeing Adam from her window going through the shadows of the trees round +the gate, she thought that he must be engaged on some purpose similar +to her own. So, quickly making her toilet, she quietly left the +house, and, taking advantage of every shadow and substance which could +hide her, followed him on his walk.</p> +<p>Oolanga, the experienced tracker, followed her, but succeeded in +hiding his movements better than she did. He saw that Adam had +on his shoulder a mysterious box, which he took to contain something +valuable. Seeing that Lady Arabella was secretly following Adam, +he was confirmed in this idea. His mind—such as it was—was +fixed on her trying to steal, and he credited her at once with making +use of this new opportunity.</p> +<p>In his walk, Adam went into the grounds of Castra Regis, and Oolanga +saw her follow him with great secrecy. He feared to go closer, +as now on both sides of him were enemies who might make discovery. +When he realised that Lady Arabella was bound for the Castle, he devoted +himself to following her with singleness of purpose. He therefore +missed seeing that Adam branched off the track and returned to the high +road.</p> +<p>That night Edgar Caswall had slept badly. The tragic occurrence +of the day was on his mind, and he kept waking and thinking of it. +After an early breakfast, he sat at the open window watching the kite +and thinking of many things. From his room he could see all round +the neighbourhood, but the two places that interested him most were +Mercy Farm and Diana’s Grove. At first the movements about +those spots were of a humble kind—those that belong to domestic +service or agricultural needs—the opening of doors and windows, +the sweeping and brushing, and generally the restoration of habitual +order.</p> +<p>From his high window—whose height made it a screen from the +observation of others—he saw the chain of watchers move into his +own grounds, and then presently break up—Adam Salton going one +way, and Lady Arabella, followed by the nigger, another. Then +Oolanga disappeared amongst the trees; but Caswall could see that he +was still watching. Lady Arabella, after looking around her, slipped +in by the open door, and he could, of course, see her no longer.</p> +<p>Presently, however, he heard a light tap at his door, then the door +opened slowly, and he could see the flash of Lady Arabella’s white +dress through the opening.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XVI—A VISIT OF SYMPATHY</h2> +<p>Caswall was genuinely surprised when he saw Lady Arabella, though +he need not have been, after what had already occurred in the same way. +The look of surprise on his face was so much greater than Lady Arabella +had expected—though she thought she was prepared to meet anything +that might occur—that she stood still, in sheer amazement. +Cold-blooded as she was and ready for all social emergencies, she was +nonplussed how to go on. She was plucky, however, and began to +speak at once, although she had not the slightest idea what she was +going to say.</p> +<p>“I came to offer you my very warm sympathy with the grief you +have so lately experienced.”</p> +<p>“My grief? I’m afraid I must be very dull; but +I really do not understand.”</p> +<p>Already she felt at a disadvantage, and hesitated.</p> +<p>“I mean about the old man who died so suddenly—your old +. . . retainer.”</p> +<p>Caswall’s face relaxed something of its puzzled concentration.</p> +<p>“Oh, he was only a servant; and he had over-stayed his three-score +and ten years by something like twenty years. He must have been +ninety!”</p> +<p>“Still, as an old servant . . . ”</p> +<p>Caswall’s words were not so cold as their inflection.</p> +<p>“I never interfere with servants. He was kept on here +merely because he had been so long on the premises. I suppose +the steward thought it might make him unpopular if the old fellow had +been dismissed.”</p> +<p>How on earth was she to proceed on such a task as hers if this was +the utmost geniality she could expect? So she at once tried another +tack—this time a personal one.</p> +<p>“I am sorry I disturbed you. I am really not unconventional—though +certainly no slave to convention. Still there are limits . . . +it is bad enough to intrude in this way, and I do not know what you +can say or think of the time selected, for the intrusion.”</p> +<p>After all, Edgar Caswall was a gentleman by custom and habit, so +he rose to the occasion.</p> +<p>“I can only say, Lady Arabella, that you are always welcome +at any time you may deign to honour my house with your presence.”</p> +<p>She smiled at him sweetly.</p> +<p>“Thank you <i>so</i> much. You <i>do</i> put one at ease. +My breach of convention makes me glad rather than sorry. I feel +that I can open my heart to you about anything.”</p> +<p>Forthwith she proceeded to tell him about Oolanga and his strange +suspicions of her honesty. Caswall laughed and made her explain +all the details. His final comment was enlightening.</p> +<p>“Let me give you a word of advice: If you have the slightest +fault to find with that infernal nigger, shoot him at sight. A +swelled-headed nigger, with a bee in his bonnet, is one of the worst +difficulties in the world to deal with. So better make a clean +job of it, and wipe him out at once!”</p> +<p>“But what about the law, Mr. Caswall?”</p> +<p>“Oh, the law doesn’t concern itself much about dead niggers. +A few more or less do not matter. To my mind it’s rather +a relief!”</p> +<p>“I’m afraid of you,” was her only comment, made +with a sweet smile and in a soft voice.</p> +<p>“All right,” he said, “let us leave it at that. +Anyhow, we shall be rid of one of them!”</p> +<p>“I don’t love niggers any more than you do,” she +replied, “and I suppose one mustn’t be too particular where +that sort of cleaning up is concerned.” Then she changed +in voice and manner, and asked genially: “And now tell me, am +I forgiven?”</p> +<p>“You are, dear lady—if there is anything to forgive.”</p> +<p>As he spoke, seeing that she had moved to go, he came to the door +with her, and in the most natural way accompanied her downstairs. +He passed through the hall with her and down the avenue. As he +went back to the house, she smiled to herself.</p> +<p>“Well, that is all right. I don’t think the morning +has been altogether thrown away.”</p> +<p>And she walked slowly back to Diana’s Grove.</p> +<p>Adam Salton followed the line of the Brow, and refreshed his memory +as to the various localities. He got home to Lesser Hill just +as Sir Nathaniel was beginning lunch. Mr. Salton had gone to Walsall +to keep an early appointment; so he was all alone. When the meal +was over—seeing in Adam’s face that he had something to +speak about—he followed into the study and shut the door.</p> +<p>When the two men had lighted their pipes, Sir Nathaniel began.</p> +<p>“I have remembered an interesting fact about Diana’s +Grove—there is, I have long understood, some strange mystery about +that house. It may be of some interest, or it may be trivial, +in such a tangled skein as we are trying to unravel.”</p> +<p>“Please tell me all you know’ or suspect. To begin, +then, of what sort is the mystery—physical, mental, moral, historical, +scientific, occult? Any kind of hint will help me.”</p> +<p>“Quite right. I shall try to tell you what I think; but +I have not put my thoughts on the subject in sequence, so you must forgive +me if due order is not observed in my narration. I suppose you +have seen the house at Diana’s Grove?”</p> +<p>“The outside of it; but I have that in my mind’s eye, +and I can fit into my memory whatever you may mention.”</p> +<p>“The house is very old—probably the first house of some +sort that stood there was in the time of the Romans. This was +probably renewed—perhaps several times at later periods. +The house stands, or, rather, used to stand here when Mercia was a kingdom—I +do not suppose that the basement can be later than the Norman Conquest. +Some years ago, when I was President of the Mercian Archaeological Society, +I went all over it very carefully. This was when it was purchased +by Captain March. The house had then been done up, so as to be +suitable for the bride. The basement is very strong,—almost +as strong and as heavy as if it had been intended as a fortress. +There are a whole series of rooms deep underground. One of them +in particular struck me. The room itself is of considerable size, +but the masonry is more than massive. In the middle of the room +is a sunk well, built up to floor level and evidently going deep underground. +There is no windlass nor any trace of there ever having been any—no +rope—nothing. Now, we know that the Romans had wells of +immense depth, from which the water was lifted by the ‘old rag +rope’; that at Woodhull used to be nearly a thousand feet. +Here, then, we have simply an enormously deep well-hole. The door +of the room was massive, and was fastened with a lock nearly a foot +square. It was evidently intended for some kind of protection +to someone or something; but no one in those days had ever heard of +anyone having been allowed even to see the room. All this is <i>à +propos</i> of a suggestion on my part that the well-hole was a way by +which the White Worm (whatever it was) went and came. At that +time I would have had a search made—even excavation if necessary—at +my own expense, but all suggestions were met with a prompt and explicit +negative. So, of course, I took no further step in the matter. +Then it died out of recollection—even of mine.”</p> +<p>“Do you remember, sir,” asked Adam, “what was the +appearance of the room where the well-hole was? Was there furniture—in +fact, any sort of thing in the room?”</p> +<p>“The only thing I remember was a sort of green light—very +clouded, very dim—which came up from the well. Not a fixed +light, but intermittent and irregular—quite unlike anything I +had ever seen.”</p> +<p>“Do you remember how you got into the well-room? Was +there a separate door from outside, or was there any interior room or +passage which opened into it?”</p> +<p>“I think there must have been some room with a way into it. +I remember going up some steep steps; they must have been worn smooth +by long use or something of the kind, for I could hardly keep my feet +as I went up. Once I stumbled and nearly fell into the well-hole.”</p> +<p>“Was there anything strange about the place—any queer +smell, for instance?”</p> +<p>“Queer smell—yes! Like bilge or a rank swamp. +It was distinctly nauseating; when I came out I felt as if I had just +been going to be sick. I shall try back on my visit and see if +I can recall any more of what I saw or felt.”</p> +<p>“Then perhaps, sir, later in the day you will tell me anything +you may chance to recollect.”</p> +<p>“I shall be delighted, Adam. If your uncle has not returned +by then, I’ll join you in the study after dinner, and we can resume +this interesting chat.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XVII—THE MYSTERY OF “THE GROVE”</h2> +<p>That afternoon Adam decided to do a little exploring. As he +passed through the wood outside the gate of Diana’s Grove, he +thought he saw the African’s face for an instant. So he +went deeper into the undergrowth, and followed along parallel to the +avenue to the house. He was glad that there was no workman or +servant about, for he did not care that any of Lady Arabella’s +people should find him wandering about her grounds. Taking advantage +of the denseness of the trees, he came close to the house and skirted +round it. He was repaid for his trouble, for on the far side of +the house, close to where the rocky frontage of the cliff fell away, +he saw Oolanga crouched behind the irregular trunk of a great oak. +The man was so intent on watching someone, or something, that he did +not guard against being himself watched. This suited Adam, for +he could thus make scrutiny at will.</p> +<p>The thick wood, though the trees were mostly of small girth, threw +a heavy shadow, so that the steep declension, in front of which grew +the tree behind which the African lurked, was almost in darkness. +Adam drew as close as he could, and was amazed to see a patch of light +on the ground before him; when he realised what it was, he was determined, +more than ever to follow on his quest. The nigger had a dark lantern +in his hand, and was throwing the light down the steep incline. +The glare showed a series of stone steps, which ended in a low-lying +heavy iron door fixed against the side of the house. All the strange +things he had heard from Sir Nathaniel, and all those, little and big, +which he had himself noticed, crowded into his mind in a chaotic way. +Instinctively he took refuge behind a thick oak stem, and set himself +down, to watch what might occur.</p> +<p>After a short time it became apparent that the African was trying +to find out what was behind the heavy door. There was no way of +looking in, for the door fitted tight into the massive stone slabs. +The only opportunity for the entrance of light was through a small hole +between the great stones above the door. This hole was too high +up to look through from the ground level. Oolanga, having tried +standing tiptoe on the highest point near, and holding the lantern as +high as he could, threw the light round the edges of the door to see +if he could find anywhere a hole or a flaw in the metal through which +he could obtain a glimpse. Foiled in this, he brought from the +shrubbery a plank, which he leant against the top of the door and then +climbed up with great dexterity. This did not bring him near enough +to the window-hole to look in, or even to throw the light of the lantern +through it, so he climbed down and carried the plank back to the place +from which he had got it. Then he concealed himself near the iron +door and waited, manifestly with the intent of remaining there till +someone came near. Presently Lady Arabella, moving noiselessly +through the shade, approached the door. When he saw her close +enough to touch it, Oolanga stepped forward from his concealment, and +spoke in a whisper, which through the gloom sounded like a hiss.</p> +<p>“I want to see you, missy—soon and secret.”</p> +<p>“What do you want?”</p> +<p>“You know well, missy; I told you already.”</p> +<p>She turned on him with blazing eyes, the green tint in them glowing +like emeralds.</p> +<p>“Come, none of that. If there is anything sensible which +you wish to say to me, you can see me here, just where we are, at seven +o’clock.”</p> +<p>He made no reply in words, but, putting the backs of his hands together, +bent lower and lower till his forehead touched the earth. Then +he rose and went slowly away.</p> +<p>Adam Salton, from his hiding-place, saw and wondered. In a +few minutes he moved from his place and went home to Lesser Hill, fully +determined that seven o’clock would find him in some hidden place +behind Diana’s Grove.</p> +<p>At a little before seven Adam stole softly out of the house and took +the back-way to the rear of Diana’s Grove. The place seemed +silent and deserted, so he took the opportunity of concealing himself +near the spot whence he had seen Oolanga trying to investigate whatever +was concealed behind the iron door. He waited, perfectly still, +and at last saw a gleam of white passing soundlessly through the undergrowth. +He was not surprised when he recognised the colour of Lady Arabella’s +dress. She came close and waited, with her face to the iron door. +From some place of concealment near at hand Oolanga appeared, and came +close to her. Adam noticed, with surprised amusement, that over +his shoulder was the box with the mongoose. Of course the African +did not know that he was seen by anyone, least of all by the man whose +property he had with him.</p> +<p>Silent-footed as he was, Lady Arabella heard him coming, and turned +to meet him. It was somewhat hard to see in the gloom, for, as +usual, he was all in black, only his collar and cuffs showing white. +Lady Arabella opened the conversation which ensued between the two.</p> +<p>“What do you want? To rob me, or murder me?”</p> +<p>“No, to lub you!”</p> +<p>This frightened her a little, and she tried to change the tone.</p> +<p>“Is that a coffin you have with you? If so, you are wasting +your time. It would not hold me.”</p> +<p>When a nigger suspects he is being laughed at, all the ferocity of +his nature comes to the front; and this man was of the lowest kind.</p> +<p>“Dis ain’t no coffin for nobody. Dis box is for +you. Somefin you lub. Me give him to you!”</p> +<p>Still anxious to keep off the subject of affection, on which she +believed him to have become crazed, she made another effort to keep +his mind elsewhere.</p> +<p>“Is this why you want to see me?” He nodded. +“Then come round to the other door. But be quiet. +I have no desire to be seen so close to my own house in conversation +with a—a—a nigger like you!”</p> +<p>She had chosen the word deliberately. She wished to meet his +passion with another kind. Such would, at all events, help to +keep him quiet. In the deep gloom she could not see the anger +which suffused his face. Rolling eyeballs and grinding teeth are, +however, sufficient signs of anger to be decipherable in the dark. +She moved round the corner of the house to her right. Oolanga +was following her, when she stopped him by raising her hand.</p> +<p>“No, not that door,” she said; “that is not for +niggers. The other door will do well enough for you!”</p> +<p>Lady Arabella took in her hand a small key which hung at the end +of her watch-chain, and moved to a small door, low down, round the corner, +and a little downhill from the edge of the Brow. Oolanga, in obedience +to her gesture, went back to the iron door. Adam looked carefully +at the mongoose box as the African went by, and was glad to see that +it was intact. Unconsciously, as he looked, he fingered the key +that was in his waistcoat pocket. When Oolanga was out of sight, +Adam hurried after Lady Arabella.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XVIII—EXIT OOLANGA</h2> +<p>The woman turned sharply as Adam touched her shoulder.</p> +<p>“One moment whilst we are alone. You had better not trust +that nigger!” he whispered.</p> +<p>Her answer was crisp and concise:</p> +<p>“I don’t.”</p> +<p>“Forewarned is forearmed. Tell me if you will—it +is for your own protection. Why do you mistrust him?”</p> +<p>“My friend, you have no idea of that man’s impudence. +Would you believe that he wants me to marry him?”</p> +<p>“No!” said Adam incredulously, amused in spite of himself.</p> +<p>“Yes, and wanted to bribe me to do it by sharing a chest of +treasure—at least, he thought it was—stolen from Mr. Caswall. +Why do you distrust him, Mr. Salton?”</p> +<p>“Did you notice that box he had slung on his shoulder? +That belongs to me. I left it in the gun-room when I went to lunch. +He must have crept in and stolen it. Doubtless he thinks that +it, too, is full of treasure.”</p> +<p>“He does!”</p> +<p>“How on earth do you know?” asked Adam.</p> +<p>“A little while ago he offered to give it to me—another +bribe to accept him. Faugh! I am ashamed to tell you such +a thing. The beast!”</p> +<p>Whilst they had been speaking, she had opened the door, a narrow +iron one, well hung, for it opened easily and closed tightly without +any creaking or sound of any kind. Within all was dark; but she +entered as freely and with as little misgiving or restraint as if it +had been broad daylight. For Adam, there was just sufficient green +light from somewhere for him to see that there was a broad flight of +heavy stone steps leading upward; but Lady Arabella, after shutting +the door behind her, when it closed tightly without a clang, tripped +up the steps lightly and swiftly. For an instant all was dark, +but there came again the faint green light which enabled him to see +the outlines of things. Another iron door, narrow like the first +and fairly high, led into another large room, the walls of which were +of massive stones, so closely joined together as to exhibit only one +smooth surface. This presented the appearance of having at one +time been polished. On the far side, also smooth like the walls, +was the reverse of a wide, but not high, iron door. Here there +was a little more light, for the high-up aperture over the door opened +to the air.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella took from her girdle another small key, which she inserted +in a keyhole in the centre of a massive lock. The great bolt seemed +wonderfully hung, for the moment the small key was turned, the bolts +of the great lock moved noiselessly and the iron doors swung open. +On the stone steps outside stood Oolanga, with the mongoose box slung +over his shoulder. Lady Arabella stood a little on one side, and +the African, accepting the movement as an invitation, entered in an +obsequious way. The moment, however, that he was inside, he gave +a quick look around him.</p> +<p>“Much death here—big death. Many deaths. +Good, good!”</p> +<p>He sniffed round as if he was enjoying the scent. The matter +and manner of his speech were so revolting that instinctively Adam’s +hand wandered to his revolver, and, with his finger on the trigger, +he rested satisfied that he was ready for any emergency.</p> +<p>There was certainly opportunity for the nigger’s enjoyment, +for the open well-hole was almost under his nose, sending up such a +stench as almost made Adam sick, though Lady Arabella seemed not to +mind it at all. It was like nothing that Adam had ever met with. +He compared it with all the noxious experiences he had ever had—the +drainage of war hospitals, of slaughter-houses, the refuse of dissecting +rooms. None of these was like it, though it had something of them +all, with, added, the sourness of chemical waste and the poisonous effluvium +of the bilge of a water-logged ship whereon a multitude of rats had +been drowned.</p> +<p>Then, quite unexpectedly, the negro noticed the presence of a third +person—Adam Salton! He pulled out a pistol and shot at him, +happily missing. Adam was himself usually a quick shot, but this +time his mind had been on something else and he was not ready. +However, he was quick to carry out an intention, and he was not a coward. +In another moment both men were in grips. Beside them was the +dark well-hole, with that horrid effluvium stealing up from its mysterious +depths.</p> +<p>Adam and Oolanga both had pistols; Lady Arabella, who had not one, +was probably the most ready of them all in the theory of shooting, but +that being impossible, she made her effort in another way. Gliding +forward, she tried to seize the African; but he eluded her grasp, just +missing, in doing so, falling into the mysterious hole. As he +swayed back to firm foothold, he turned his own gun on her and shot. +Instinctively Adam leaped at his assailant; clutching at each other, +they tottered on the very brink.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella’s anger, now fully awake, was all for Oolanga. +She moved towards him with her hands extended, and had just seized him +when the catch of the locked box—due to some movement from within—flew +open, and the king-cobra-killer flew at her with a venomous fury impossible +to describe. As it seized her throat, she caught hold of it, and, +with a fury superior to its own, tore it in two just as if it had been +a sheet of paper. The strength used for such an act must have +been terrific. In an instant, it seemed to spout blood and entrails, +and was hurled into the well-hole. In another instant she had +seized Oolanga, and with a swift rush had drawn him, her white arms +encircling him, down with her into the gaping aperture.</p> +<p>Adam saw a medley of green and red lights blaze in a whirling circle, +and as it sank down into the well, a pair of blazing green eyes became +fixed, sank lower and lower with frightful rapidity, and disappeared, +throwing upward the green light which grew more and more vivid every +moment. As the light sank into the noisome depths, there came +a shriek which chilled Adam’s blood—a prolonged agony of +pain and terror which seemed to have no end.</p> +<p>Adam Salton felt that he would never be able to free his mind from +the memory of those dreadful moments. The gloom which surrounded +that horrible charnel pit, which seemed to go down to the very bowels +of the earth, conveyed from far down the sights and sounds of the nethermost +hell. The ghastly fate of the African as he sank down to his terrible +doom, his black face growing grey with terror, his white eyeballs, now +like veined bloodstone, rolling in the helpless extremity of fear. +The mysterious green light was in itself a milieu of horror. And +through it all the awful cry came up from that fathomless pit, whose +entrance was flooded with spots of fresh blood. Even the death +of the fearless little snake-killer—so fierce, so frightful, as +if stained with a ferocity which told of no living force above earth, +but only of the devils of the pit—was only an incident. +Adam was in a state of intellectual tumult, which had no parallel in +his experience. He tried to rush away from the horrible place; +even the baleful green light, thrown up through the gloomy well-shaft, +was dying away as its source sank deeper into the primeval ooze. +The darkness was closing in on him in overwhelming density—darkness +in such a place and with such a memory of it!</p> +<p>He made a wild rush forward—slipt on the steps in some sticky, +acrid-smelling mass that felt and smelt like blood, and, falling forward, +felt his way into the inner room, where the well-shaft was not.</p> +<p>Then he rubbed his eyes in sheer amazement. Up the stone steps +from the narrow door by which he had entered, glided the white-clad +figure of Lady Arabella, the only colour to be seen on her being blood-marks +on her face and hands and throat. Otherwise, she was calm and +unruffled, as when earlier she stood aside for him to pass in through +the narrow iron door.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIX—AN ENEMY IN THE DARK</h2> +<p>Adam Salton went for a walk before returning to Lesser Hill; he felt +that it might be well, not only to steady his nerves, shaken by the +horrible scene, but to get his thoughts into some sort of order, so +as to be ready to enter on the matter with Sir Nathaniel. He was +a little embarrassed as to telling his uncle, for affairs had so vastly +progressed beyond his original view that he felt a little doubtful as +to what would be the old gentleman’s attitude when he should hear +of the strange events for the first time. Mr. Salton would certainly +not be satisfied at being treated as an outsider with regard to such +things, most of which had points of contact with the inmates of his +own house. It was with an immense sense of relief that Adam heard +that his uncle had telegraphed to the housekeeper that he was detained +by business at Walsall, where he would remain for the night; and that +he would be back in the morning in time for lunch.</p> +<p>When Adam got home after his walk, he found Sir Nathaniel just going +to bed. He did not say anything to him then of what had happened, +but contented himself with arranging that they would walk together in +the early morning, as he had much to say that would require serious +attention.</p> +<p>Strangely enough he slept well, and awoke at dawn with his mind clear +and his nerves in their usual unshaken condition. The maid brought +up, with his early morning cup of tea, a note which had been found in +the letter-box. It was from Lady Arabella, and was evidently intended +to put him on his guard as to what he should say about the previous +evening.</p> +<p>He read it over carefully several times, before he was satisfied +that he had taken in its full import.</p> +<blockquote><p>“DEAR MR. SALTON,</p> +<p>“I cannot go to bed until I have written to you, so you must +forgive me if I disturb you, and at an unseemly time. Indeed, +you must also forgive me if, in trying to do what is right, I err in +saying too much or too little. The fact is that I am quite upset +and unnerved by all that has happened in this terrible night. +I find it difficult even to write; my hands shake so that they are not +under control, and I am trembling all over with memory of the horrors +we saw enacted before our eyes. I am grieved beyond measure that +I should be, however remotely, a cause of this horror coming on you. +Forgive me if you can, and do not think too hardly of me. This +I ask with confidence, for since we shared together the danger—the +very pangs—of death, I feel that we should be to one another something +more than mere friends, that I may lean on you and trust you, assured +that your sympathy and pity are for me. You really must let me +thank you for the friendliness, the help, the confidence, the real aid +at a time of deadly danger and deadly fear which you showed me. +That awful man—I shall see him for ever in my dreams. His +black, malignant face will shut out all memory of sunshine and happiness. +I shall eternally see his evil eyes as he threw himself into that well-hole +in a vain effort to escape from the consequences of his own misdoing. +The more I think of it, the more apparent it seems to me that he had +premeditated the whole thing—of course, except his own horrible +death.</p> +<p>“Perhaps you have noticed a fur collar I occasionally wear. +It is one of my most valued treasures—an ermine collar studded +with emeralds. I had often seen the nigger’s eyes gleam +covetously when he looked at it. Unhappily, I wore it yesterday. +That may have been the cause that lured the poor man to his doom. +On the very brink of the abyss he tore the collar from my neck—that +was the last I saw of him. When he sank into the hole, I was rushing +to the iron door, which I pulled behind me. When I heard that +soul-sickening yell, which marked his disappearance in the chasm, I +was more glad than I can say that my eyes were spared the pain and horror +which my ears had to endure.</p> +<p>“When I tore myself out of the negro’s grasp as he sank +into the well-hole; I realised what freedom meant. Freedom! +Freedom! Not only from that noisome prison-house, which has now +such a memory, but from the more noisome embrace of that hideous monster. +Whilst I live, I shall always thank you for my freedom. A woman +must sometimes express her gratitude; otherwise it becomes too great +to bear. I am not a sentimental girl, who merely likes to thank +a man; I am a woman who knows all, of bad as well as good, that life +can give. I have known what it is to love and to lose. But +you must not let me bring any unhappiness into your life. I must +live on—as I have lived—alone, and, in addition, bear with +other woes the memory of this latest insult and horror. In the +meantime, I must get away as quickly as possible from Diana’s +Grove. In the morning I shall go up to town, where I shall remain +for a week—I cannot stay longer, as business affairs demand my +presence here. I think, however, that a week in the rush of busy +London, surrounded with multitudes of commonplace people, will help +to soften—I cannot expect total obliteration—the terrible +images of the bygone night. When I can sleep easily—which +will be, I hope, after a day or two—I shall be fit to return home +and take up again the burden which will, I suppose, always be with me.</p> +<p>“I shall be most happy to see you on my return—or earlier, +if my good fortune sends you on any errand to London. I shall +stay at the Mayfair Hotel. In that busy spot we may forget some +of the dangers and horrors we have shared together. Adieu, and +thank you, again and again, for all your kindness and consideration +to me.</p> +<p>“ARABELLA MARSH.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Adam was surprised by this effusive epistle, but he determined to +say nothing of it to Sir Nathaniel until he should have thought it well +over. When Adam met Sir Nathaniel at breakfast, he was glad that +he had taken time to turn things over in his mind. The result +had been that not only was he familiar with the facts in all their bearings, +but he had already so far differentiated them that he was able to arrange +them in his own mind according to their values. Breakfast had +been a silent function, so it did not interfere in any way with the +process of thought.</p> +<p>So soon as the door was closed, Sir Nathaniel began:</p> +<p>“I see, Adam, that something has occurred, and that you have +much to tell me.”</p> +<p>“That is so, sir. I suppose I had better begin by telling +you all I know—all that has happened since I left you yesterday?”</p> +<p>Accordingly Adam gave him details of all that had happened during +the previous evening. He confined himself rigidly to the narration +of circumstances, taking care not to colour events by any comment of +his own, or any opinion of the meaning of things which he did not fully +understand. At first, Sir Nathaniel seemed disposed to ask questions, +but shortly gave this up when he recognised that the narration was concise +and self-explanatory. Thenceforth, he contented himself with quick +looks and glances, easily interpreted, or by some acquiescent motions +of his hands, when such could be convenient, to emphasise his idea of +the correctness of any inference. Until Adam ceased speaking, +having evidently come to an end of what he had to say with regard to +this section of his story, the elder man made no comment whatever. +Even when Adam took from his pocket Lady Arabella’s letter, with +the manifest intention of reading it, he did not make any comment. +Finally, when Adam folded up the letter and put it, in its envelope, +back in his pocket, as an intimation that he had now quite finished, +the old diplomatist carefully made a few notes in his pocket-book.</p> +<p>“Your narrative, my dear Adam, is altogether admirable. +I think I may now take it that we are both well versed in the actual +facts, and that our conference had better take the shape of a mutual +exchange of ideas. Let us both ask questions as they may arise; +and I do not doubt that we shall arrive at some enlightening conclusions.”</p> +<p>“Will you kindly begin, sir? I do not doubt that, with +your longer experience, you will be able to dissipate some of the fog +which envelops certain of the things which we have to consider.”</p> +<p>“I hope so, my dear boy. For a beginning, then, let me +say that Lady Arabella’s letter makes clear some things which +she intended—and also some things which she did not intend. +But, before I begin to draw deductions, let me ask you a few questions. +Adam, are you heart-whole, quite heart-whole, in the matter of Lady +Arabella?”</p> +<p>His companion answered at once, each looking the other straight in +the eyes during question and answer.</p> +<p>“Lady Arabella, sir, is a charming woman, and I should have +deemed it a privilege to meet her—to talk to her—even—since +I am in the confessional—to flirt a little with her. But +if you mean to ask if my affections are in any way engaged, I can emphatically +answer ‘No!’—as indeed you will understand when presently +I give you the reason. Apart from that, there are the unpleasant +details we discussed the other day.”</p> +<p>“Could you—would you mind giving me the reason now? +It will help us to understand what is before us, in the way of difficulty.”</p> +<p>“Certainly, sir. My reason, on which I can fully depend, +is that I love another woman!”</p> +<p>“That clinches it. May I offer my good wishes, and, I +hope, my congratulations?”</p> +<p>“I am proud of your good wishes, sir, and I thank you for them. +But it is too soon for congratulations—the lady does not even +know my hopes yet. Indeed, I hardly knew them myself, as definite, +till this moment.”</p> +<p>“I take it then, Adam, that at the right time I may be allowed +to know who the lady is?”</p> +<p>Adam laughed a low, sweet laugh, such as ripples from a happy heart.</p> +<p>“There need not be an hour’s, a minute’s delay. +I shall be glad to share my secret with you, sir. The lady, sir, +whom I am so happy as to love, and in whom my dreams of life-long happiness +are centred, is Mimi Watford!”</p> +<p>“Then, my dear Adam, I need not wait to offer congratulations. +She is indeed a very charming young lady. I do not think I ever +saw a girl who united in such perfection the qualities of strength of +character and sweetness of disposition. With all my heart, I congratulate +you. Then I may take it that my question as to your heart-wholeness +is answered in the affirmative?”</p> +<p>“Yes; and now, sir, may I ask in turn why the question?”</p> +<p>“Certainly! I asked because it seems to me that we are +coming to a point where my questions might be painful to you.”</p> +<p>“It is not merely that I love Mimi, but I have reason to look +on Lady Arabella as her enemy,” Adam continued.</p> +<p>“Her enemy?”</p> +<p>“Yes. A rank and unscrupulous enemy who is bent on her +destruction.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel went to the door, looked outside it and returned, locking +it carefully behind him.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XX—METABOLISM</h2> +<p>“Am I looking grave?” asked Sir Nathaniel inconsequently +when he re-entered the room.</p> +<p>“You certainly are, sir.”</p> +<p>“We little thought when first we met that we should be drawn +into such a vortex. Already we are mixed up in robbery, and probably +murder, but—a thousand times worse than all the crimes in the +calendar—in an affair of ghastly mystery which has no bottom and +no end—with forces of the most unnerving kind, which had their +origin in an age when the world was different from the world which we +know. We are going back to the origin of superstition—to +an age when dragons tore each other in their slime. We must fear +nothing—no conclusion, however improbable, almost impossible it +may be. Life and death is hanging on our judgment, not only for +ourselves, but for others whom we love. Remember, I count on you +as I hope you count on me.”</p> +<p>“I do, with all confidence.”</p> +<p>“Then,” said Sir Nathaniel, “let us think justly +and boldly and fear nothing, however terrifying it may seem. I +suppose I am to take as exact in every detail your account of all the +strange things which happened whilst you were in Diana’s Grove?”</p> +<p>“So far as I know, yes. Of course I may be mistaken in +recollection of some detail or another, but I am certain that in the +main what I have said is correct.”</p> +<p>“You feel sure that you saw Lady Arabella seize the negro round +the neck, and drag him down with her into the hole?”</p> +<p>“Absolutely certain, sir, otherwise I should have gone to her +assistance.”</p> +<p>“We have, then, an account of what happened from an eye-witness +whom we trust—that is yourself. We have also another account, +written by Lady Arabella under her own hand. These two accounts +do not agree. Therefore we must take it that one of the two is +lying.”</p> +<p>“Apparently, sir.”</p> +<p>“And that Lady Arabella is the liar!”</p> +<p>“Apparently—as I am not.”</p> +<p>“We must, therefore, try to find a reason for her lying. +She has nothing to fear from Oolanga, who is dead. Therefore the +only reason which could actuate her would be to convince someone else +that she was blameless. This ‘someone’ could not be +you, for you had the evidence of your own eyes. There was no one +else present; therefore it must have been an absent person.”</p> +<p>“That seems beyond dispute, sir.”</p> +<p>“There is only one other person whose good opinion she could +wish to keep—Edgar Caswall. He is the only one who fills +the bill. Her lies point to other things besides the death of +the African. She evidently wanted it to be accepted that his falling +into the well was his own act. I cannot suppose that she expected +to convince you, the eye-witness; but if she wished later on to spread +the story, it was wise of her to try to get your acceptance of it.”</p> +<p>“That is so!”</p> +<p>“Then there were other matters of untruth. That, for +instance, of the ermine collar embroidered with emeralds. If an +understandable reason be required for this, it would be to draw attention +away from the green lights which were seen in the room, and especially +in the well-hole. Any unprejudiced person would accept the green +lights to be the eyes of a great snake, such as tradition pointed to +living in the well-hole. In fine, therefore, Lady Arabella wanted +the general belief to be that there was no snake of the kind in Diana’s +Grove. For my own part, I don’t believe in a partial liar—this +art does not deal in veneer; a liar is a liar right through. Self-interest +may prompt falsity of the tongue; but if one prove to be a liar, nothing +that he says can ever be believed. This leads us to the conclusion +that because she said or inferred that there was no snake, we should +look for one—and expect to find it, too.</p> +<p>“Now let me digress. I live, and have for many years +lived, in Derbyshire, a county more celebrated for its caves than any +other county in England. I have been through them all, and am +familiar with every turn of them; as also with other great caves in +Kentucky, in France, in Germany, and a host of other places—in +many of these are tremendously deep caves of narrow aperture, which +are valued by intrepid explorers, who descend narrow gullets of abysmal +depth—and sometimes never return. In many of the caverns +in the Peak I am convinced that some of the smaller passages were used +in primeval times as the lairs of some of the great serpents of legend +and tradition. It may have been that such caverns were formed +in the usual geologic way—bubbles or flaws in the earth’s +crust—which were later used by the monsters of the period of the +young world. It may have been, of course, that some of them were +worn originally by water; but in time they all found a use when suitable +for living monsters.</p> +<p>“This brings us to another point, more difficult to accept +and understand than any other requiring belief in a base not usually +accepted, or indeed entered on—whether such abnormal growths could +have ever changed in their nature. Some day the study of metabolism +may progress so far as to enable us to accept structural changes proceeding +from an intellectual or moral base. We may lean towards a belief +that great animal strength may be a sound base for changes of all sorts. +If this be so, what could be a more fitting subject than primeval monsters +whose strength was such as to allow a survival of thousands of years? +We do not know yet if brain can increase and develop independently of +other parts of the living structure.</p> +<p>“After all, the mediaeval belief in the Philosopher’s +Stone which could transmute metals, has its counterpart in the accepted +theory of metabolism which changes living tissue. In an age of +investigation like our own, when we are returning to science as the +base of wonders—almost of miracles—we should be slow to +refuse to accept facts, however impossible they may seem to be.</p> +<p>“Let us suppose a monster of the early days of the world—a +dragon of the prime—of vast age running into thousands of years, +to whom had been conveyed in some way—it matters not—a brain +just sufficient for the beginning of growth. Suppose the monster +to be of incalculable size and of a strength quite abnormal—a +veritable incarnation of animal strength. Suppose this animal +is allowed to remain in one place, thus being removed from accidents +of interrupted development; might not, would not this creature, in process +of time—ages, if necessary—have that rudimentary intelligence +developed? There is no impossibility in this; it is only the natural +process of evolution. In the beginning, the instincts of animals +are confined to alimentation, self-protection, and the multiplication +of their species. As time goes on and the needs of life become +more complex, power follows need. We have been long accustomed +to consider growth as applied almost exclusively to size in its various +aspects. But Nature, who has no doctrinaire ideas, may equally +apply it to concentration. A developing thing may expand in any +given way or form. Now, it is a scientific law that increase implies +gain and loss of various kinds; what a thing gains in one direction +it may lose in another. May it not be that Mother Nature may deliberately +encourage decrease as well as increase—that it may be an axiom +that what is gained in concentration is lost in size? Take, for +instance, monsters that tradition has accepted and localised, such as +the Worm of Lambton or that of Spindleston Heugh. If such a creature +were, by its own process of metabolism, to change much of its bulk for +intellectual growth, we should at once arrive at a new class of creature—more +dangerous, perhaps, than the world has ever had any experience of—a +force which can think, which has no soul and no morals, and therefore +no acceptance of responsibility. A snake would be a good illustration +of this, for it is cold-blooded, and therefore removed from the temptations +which often weaken or restrict warm-blooded creatures. If, for +instance, the Worm of Lambton—if such ever existed—were +guided to its own ends by an organised intelligence capable of expansion, +what form of creature could we imagine which would equal it in potentialities +of evil? Why, such a being would devastate a whole country. +Now, all these things require much thought, and we want to apply the +knowledge usefully, and we should therefore be exact. Would it +not be well to resume the subject later in the day?”</p> +<p>“I quite agree, sir. I am in a whirl already; and want +to attend carefully to what you say; so that I may try to digest it.”</p> +<p>Both men seemed fresher and better for the “easy,” and +when they met in the afternoon each of them had something to contribute +to the general stock of information. Adam, who was by nature of +a more militant disposition than his elderly friend, was glad to see +that the conference at once assumed a practical trend. Sir Nathaniel +recognised this, and, like an old diplomatist, turned it to present +use.</p> +<p>“Tell me now, Adam, what is the outcome, in your own mind, +of our conversation?”</p> +<p>“That the whole difficulty already assumes practical shape; +but with added dangers, that at first I did not imagine.”</p> +<p>“What is the practical shape, and what are the added dangers? +I am not disputing, but only trying to clear my own ideas by the consideration +of yours—”</p> +<p>So Adam went on:</p> +<p>“In the past, in the early days of the world, there were monsters +who were so vast that they could exist for thousands of years. +Some of them must have overlapped the Christian era. They may +have progressed intellectually in process of time. If they had +in any way so progressed, or even got the most rudimentary form of brain, +they would be the most dangerous things that ever were in the world. +Tradition says that one of these monsters lived in the Marsh of the +East, and came up to a cave in Diana’s Grove, which was also called +the Lair of the White Worm. Such creatures may have grown down +as well as up. They <i>may</i> have grown into, or something like, +human beings. Lady Arabella March is of snake nature. She +has committed crimes to our knowledge. She retains something of +the vast strength of her primal being—can see in the dark—has +the eyes of a snake. She used the nigger, and then dragged him +through the snake’s hole down to the swamp; she is intent on evil, +and hates some one we love. Result . . . ”</p> +<p>“Yes, the result?”</p> +<p>“First, that Mimi Watford should be taken away at once—then—”</p> +<p>“Yes?”</p> +<p>“The monster must be destroyed.”</p> +<p>“Bravo! That is a true and fearless conclusion. +At whatever cost, it must be carried out.”</p> +<p>“At once?”</p> +<p>“Soon, at all events. That creature’s very existence +is a danger. Her presence in this neighbourhood makes the danger +immediate.”</p> +<p>As he spoke, Sir Nathaniel’s mouth hardened and his eyebrows +came down till they met. There was no doubting his concurrence +in the resolution, or his readiness to help in carrying it out. +But he was an elderly man with much experience and knowledge of law +and diplomacy. It seemed to him to be a stern duty to prevent +anything irrevocable taking place till it had been thought out and all +was ready. There were all sorts of legal cruxes to be thought +out, not only regarding the taking of life, even of a monstrosity in +human form, but also of property. Lady Arabella, be she woman +or snake or devil, owned the ground she moved in, according to British +law, and the law is jealous and swift to avenge wrongs done within its +ken. All such difficulties should be—must be—avoided +for Mr. Salton’s sake, for Adam’s own sake, and, most of +all, for Mimi Watford’s sake.</p> +<p>Before he spoke again, Sir Nathaniel had made up his mind that he +must try to postpone decisive action until the circumstances on which +they depended—which, after all, were only problematical—should +have been tested satisfactorily, one way or another. When he did +speak, Adam at first thought that his friend was wavering in his intention, +or “funking” the responsibility. However, his respect +for Sir Nathaniel was so great that he would not act, or even come to +a conclusion on a vital point, without his sanction.</p> +<p>He came close and whispered in his ear:</p> +<p>“We will prepare our plans to combat and destroy this horrible +menace, after we have cleared up some of the more baffling points. +Meanwhile, we must wait for the night—I hear my uncle’s +footsteps echoing down the hall.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel nodded his approval.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XXI—GREEN LIGHT</h2> +<p>When old Mr. Salton had retired for the night, Adam and Sir Nathaniel +returned to the study. Things went with great regularity at Lesser +Hill, so they knew that there would be no interruption to their talk.</p> +<p>When their cigars were lighted, Sir Nathaniel began.</p> +<p>“I hope, Adam, that you do not think me either slack or changeable +of purpose. I mean to go through this business to the bitter end—whatever +it may be. Be satisfied that my first care is, and shall be, the +protection of Mimi Watford. To that I am pledged; my dear boy, +we who are interested are all in the same danger. That semi-human +monster out of the pit hates and means to destroy us all—you and +me certainly, and probably your uncle. I wanted especially to +talk with you to-night, for I cannot help thinking that the time is +fast coming—if it has not come already—when we must take +your uncle into our confidence. It was one thing when fancied +evils threatened, but now he is probably marked for death, and it is +only right that he should know all.”</p> +<p>“I am with you, sir. Things have changed since we agreed +to keep him out of the trouble. Now we dare not; consideration +for his feelings might cost his life. It is a duty—and no +light or pleasant one, either. I have not a shadow of doubt that +he will want to be one with us in this. But remember, we are his +guests; his name, his honour, have to be thought of as well as his safety.”</p> +<p>“All shall be as you wish, Adam. And now as to what we +are to do? We cannot murder Lady Arabella off-hand. Therefore +we shall have to put things in order for the killing, and in such a +way that we cannot be taxed with a crime.”</p> +<p>“It seems to me, sir, that we are in an exceedingly tight place. +Our first difficulty is to know where to begin. I never thought +this fighting an antediluvian monster would be such a complicated job. +This one is a woman, with all a woman’s wit, combined with the +heartlessness of a <i>cocotte</i>. She has the strength and impregnability +of a diplodocus. We may be sure that in the fight that is before +us there will be no semblance of fair-play. Also that our unscrupulous +opponent will not betray herself!”</p> +<p>“That is so—but being feminine, she will probably over-reach +herself. Now, Adam, it strikes me that, as we have to protect +ourselves and others against feminine nature, our strong game will be +to play our masculine against her feminine. Perhaps we had better +sleep on it. She is a thing of the night; and the night may give +us some ideas.”</p> +<p>So they both turned in.</p> +<p>Adam knocked at Sir Nathaniel’s door in the grey of the morning, +and, on being bidden, came into the room. He had several letters +in his hand. Sir Nathaniel sat up in bed.</p> +<p>“Well!”</p> +<p>“I should like to read you a few letters, but, of course, I +shall not send them unless you approve. In fact”—with +a smile and a blush—“there are several things which I want +to do; but I hold my hand and my tongue till I have your approval.”</p> +<p>“Go on!” said the other kindly. “Tell me +all, and count at any rate on my sympathy, and on my approval and help +if I can see my way.”</p> +<p>Accordingly Adam proceeded:</p> +<p>“When I told you the conclusions at which I had arrived, I +put in the foreground that Mimi Watford should, for the sake of her +own safety, be removed—and that the monster which had wrought +all the harm should be destroyed.”</p> +<p>“Yes, that is so.”</p> +<p>“To carry this into practice, sir, one preliminary is required—unless +harm of another kind is to be faced. Mimi should have some protector +whom all the world would recognise. The only form recognised by +convention is marriage!”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel smiled in a fatherly way.</p> +<p>“To marry, a husband is required. And that husband should +be you.”</p> +<p>“Yes, yes.”</p> +<p>“And the marriage should be immediate and secret—or, +at least, not spoken of outside ourselves. Would the young lady +be agreeable to that proceeding?”</p> +<p>“I do not know, sir!”</p> +<p>“Then how are we to proceed?”</p> +<p>“I suppose that we—or one of us—must ask her.”</p> +<p>“Is this a sudden idea, Adam, a sudden resolution?”</p> +<p>“A sudden resolution, sir, but not a sudden idea. If +she agrees, all is well and good. The sequence is obvious.”</p> +<p>“And it is to be kept a secret amongst ourselves?”</p> +<p>“I want no secret, sir, except for Mimi’s good. +For myself, I should like to shout it from the house-tops! But +we must be discreet; untimely knowledge to our enemy might work incalculable +harm.”</p> +<p>“And how would you suggest, Adam, that we could combine the +momentous question with secrecy?”</p> +<p>Adam grew red and moved uneasily.</p> +<p>“Someone must ask her—as soon as possible!”</p> +<p>“And that someone?”</p> +<p>“I thought that you, sir, would be so good!”</p> +<p>“God bless my soul! This is a new kind of duty to take +on—at my time of life. Adam, I hope you know that you can +count on me to help in any way I can!”</p> +<p>“I have already counted on you, sir, when I ventured to make +such a suggestion. I can only ask,” he added, “that +you will be more than ever kind to me—to us—and look on +the painful duty as a voluntary act of grace, prompted by kindness and +affection.”</p> +<p>“Painful duty!”</p> +<p>“Yes,” said Adam boldly. “Painful to you, +though to me it would be all joyful.”</p> +<p>“It is a strange job for an early morning! Well, we all +live and learn. I suppose the sooner I go the better. You +had better write a line for me to take with me. For, you see, +this is to be a somewhat unusual transaction, and it may be embarrassing +to the lady, even to myself. So we ought to have some sort of +warrant, something to show that we have been mindful of her feelings. +It will not do to take acquiescence for granted—although we act +for her good.”</p> +<p>“Sir Nathaniel, you are a true friend; I am sure that both +Mimi and I shall be grateful to you for all our lives—however +long they may be!”</p> +<p>So the two talked it over and agreed as to points to be borne in +mind by the ambassador. It was striking ten when Sir Nathaniel +left the house, Adam seeing him quietly off.</p> +<p>As the young man followed him with wistful eyes—almost jealous +of the privilege which his kind deed was about to bring him—he +felt that his own heart was in his friend’s breast.</p> +<p>The memory of that morning was like a dream to all those concerned +in it. Sir Nathaniel had a confused recollection of detail and +sequence, though the main facts stood out in his memory boldly and clearly. +Adam Salton’s recollection was of an illimitable wait, filled +with anxiety, hope, and chagrin, all dominated by a sense of the slow +passage of time and accompanied by vague fears. Mimi could not +for a long time think at all, or recollect anything, except that Adam +loved her and was saving her from a terrible danger. When she +had time to think, later on, she wondered when she had any ignorance +of the fact that Adam loved her, and that she loved him with all her +heart. Everything, every recollection however small, every feeling, +seemed to fit into those elemental facts as though they had all been +moulded together. The main and crowning recollection was her saying +goodbye to Sir Nathaniel, and entrusting to him loving messages, straight +from her heart, to Adam Salton, and of his bearing when—with an +impulse which she could not check—she put her lips to his and +kissed him. Later, when she was alone and had time to think, it +was a passing grief to her that she would have to be silent, for a time, +to Lilla on the happy events of that strange mission.</p> +<p>She had, of course, agreed to keep all secret until Adam should give +her leave to speak.</p> +<p>The advice and assistance of Sir Nathaniel was a great help to Adam +in carrying out his idea of marrying Mimi Watford without publicity. +He went with him to London, and, with his influence, the young man obtained +the license of the Archbishop of Canterbury for a private marriage. +Sir Nathaniel then persuaded old Mr. Salton to allow his nephew to spend +a few weeks with him at Doom Tower, and it was here that Mimi became +Adam’s wife. But that was only the first step in their plans; +before going further, however, Adam took his bride off to the Isle of +Man. He wished to place a stretch of sea between Mimi and the +White Worm, while things matured. On their return, Sir Nathaniel +met them and drove them at once to Doom, taking care to avoid any one +that he knew on the journey.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel had taken care to have the doors and windows shut and +locked—all but the door used for their entry. The shutters +were up and the blinds down. Moreover, heavy curtains were drawn +across the windows. When Adam commented on this, Sir Nathaniel +said in a whisper:</p> +<p>“Wait till we are alone, and I’ll tell you why this is +done; in the meantime not a word or a sign. You will approve when +we have had a talk together.”</p> +<p>They said no more on the subject till after dinner, when they were +ensconced in Sir Nathaniel’s study, which was on the top storey. +Doom Tower was a lofty structure, situated on an eminence high up in +the Peak. The top commanded a wide prospect, ranging from the +hills above the Ribble to the near side of the Brow, which marked the +northern bound of ancient Mercia. It was of the early Norman period, +less than a century younger than Castra Regis. The windows of +the study were barred and locked, and heavy dark curtains closed them +in. When this was done not a gleam of light from the tower could +be seen from outside.</p> +<p>When they were alone, Sir Nathaniel explained that he had taken his +old friend, Mr. Salton, into full confidence, and that in future all +would work together.</p> +<p>“It is important for you to be extremely careful. In +spite of the fact that our marriage was kept secret, as also your temporary +absence, both are known.”</p> +<p>“How? To whom?”</p> +<p>“How, I know not; but I am beginning to have an idea.”</p> +<p>“To her?” asked Adam, in momentary consternation.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel shivered perceptibly.</p> +<p>“The White Worm—yes!”</p> +<p>Adam noticed that from now on, his friend never spoke of Lady Arabella +otherwise, except when he wished to divert the suspicion of others.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel switched off the electric light, and when the room +was pitch dark, he came to Adam, took him by the hand, and led him to +a seat set in the southern window. Then he softly drew back a +piece of the curtain and motioned his companion to look out.</p> +<p>Adam did so, and immediately shrank back as though his eyes had opened +on pressing danger. His companion set his mind at rest by saying +in a low voice:</p> +<p>“It is all right; you may speak, but speak low. There +is no danger here—at present!”</p> +<p>Adam leaned forward, taking care, however, not to press his face +against the glass. What he saw would not under ordinary circumstances +have caused concern to anybody. With his special knowledge, it +was appalling—though the night was now so dark that in reality +there was little to be seen.</p> +<p>On the western side of the tower stood a grove of old trees, of forest +dimensions. They were not grouped closely, but stood a little +apart from each other, producing the effect of a row widely planted. +Over the tops of them was seen a green light, something like the danger +signal at a railway-crossing. It seemed at first quite still; +but presently, when Adam’s eye became accustomed to it, he could +see that it moved as if trembling. This at once recalled to Adam’s +mind the light quivering above the well-hole in the darkness of that +inner room at Diana’s Grove, Oolanga’s awful shriek, and +the hideous black face, now grown grey with terror, disappearing into +the impenetrable gloom of the mysterious orifice. Instinctively +he laid his hand on his revolver, and stood up ready to protect his +wife. Then, seeing that nothing happened, and that the light and +all outside the tower remained the same, he softly pulled the curtain +over the window.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel switched on the light again, and in its comforting +glow they began to talk freely.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XXII—AT CLOSE QUARTERS</h2> +<p>“She has diabolical cunning,” said Sir Nathaniel. +“Ever since you left, she has ranged along the Brow and wherever +you were accustomed to frequent. I have not heard whence the knowledge +of your movements came to her, nor have I been able to learn any data +whereon to found an opinion. She seems to have heard both of your +marriage and your absence; but I gather, by inference, that she does +not actually know where you and Mimi are, or of your return. So +soon as the dusk fails, she goes out on her rounds, and before dawn +covers the whole ground round the Brow, and away up into the heart of +the Peak. The White Worm, in her own proper shape, certainly has +great facilities for the business on which she is now engaged. +She can look into windows of any ordinary kind. Happily, this +house is beyond her reach, if she wishes—as she manifestly does—to +remain unrecognised. But, even at this height, it is wise to show +no lights, lest she might learn something of our presence or absence.”</p> +<p>“Would it not be well, sir, if one of us could see this monster +in her real shape at close quarters? I am willing to run the risk—for +I take it there would be no slight risk in the doing. I don’t +suppose anyone of our time has seen her close and lived to tell the +tale.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel held up an expostulatory hand.</p> +<p>“Good God, lad, what are you suggesting? Think of your +wife, and all that is at stake.”</p> +<p>“It is of Mimi that I think—for her sake that I am willing +to risk whatever is to be risked.”</p> +<p>Adam’s young bride was proud of her man, but she blanched at +the thought of the ghastly White Worm. Adam saw this and at once +reassured her.</p> +<p>“So long as her ladyship does not know whereabout I am, I shall +have as much safety as remains to us; bear in mind, my darling, that +we cannot be too careful.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel realised that Adam was right; the White Worm had no +supernatural powers and could not harm them until she discovered their +hiding place. It was agreed, therefore, that the two men should +go together.</p> +<p>When the two men slipped out by the back door of the house, they +walked cautiously along the avenue which trended towards the west. +Everything was pitch dark—so dark that at times they had to feel +their way by the palings and tree-trunks. They could still see, +seemingly far in front of them and high up, the baleful light which +at the height and distance seemed like a faint line. As they were +now on the level of the ground, the light seemed infinitely higher than +it had from the top of the tower. At the sight Adam’s heart +fell; the danger of the desperate enterprise which he had undertaken +burst upon him. But this feeling was shortly followed by another +which restored him to himself—a fierce loathing, and a desire +to kill, such as he had never experienced before.</p> +<p>They went on for some distance on a level road, fairly wide, from +which the green light was visible. Here Sir Nathaniel spoke softly, +placing his lips to Adam’s ear for safety.</p> +<p>“We know nothing whatever of this creature’s power of +hearing or smelling, though I presume that both are of no great strength. +As to seeing, we may presume the opposite, but in any case we must try +to keep in the shade behind the tree-trunks. The slightest error +would be fatal to us.”</p> +<p>Adam only nodded, in case there should be any chance of the monster +seeing the movement.</p> +<p>After a time that seemed interminable, they emerged from the circling +wood. It was like coming out into sunlight by comparison with +the misty blackness which had been around them. There was light +enough to see by, though not sufficient to distinguish things at a distance. +Adam’s eyes sought the green light in the sky. It was still +in about the same place, but its surroundings were more visible. +It was now at the summit of what seemed to be a long white pole, near +the top of which were two pendant white masses, like rudimentary arms +or fins. The green light, strangely enough, did not seem lessened +by the surrounding starlight, but had a clearer effect and a deeper +green. Whilst they were carefully regarding this—Adam with +the aid of an opera-glass—their nostrils were assailed by a horrid +stench, something like that which rose from the well-hole in Diana’s +Grove.</p> +<p>By degrees, as their eyes got the right focus, they saw an immense +towering mass that seemed snowy white. It was tall and thin. +The lower part was hidden by the trees which lay between, but they could +follow the tall white shaft and the duplicate green lights which topped +it. As they looked there was a movement—the shaft seemed +to bend, and the line of green light descended amongst the trees. +They could see the green light twinkle as it passed between the obstructing +branches.</p> +<p>Seeing where the head of the monster was, the two men ventured a +little further forward, and saw that the hidden mass at the base of +the shaft was composed of vast coils of the great serpent’s body, +forming a base from which the upright mass rose. As they looked, +this lower mass moved, the glistening folds catching the moonlight, +and they could see that the monster’s progress was along the ground. +It was coming towards them at a swift pace, so they turned and ran, +taking care to make as little noise as possible, either by their footfalls +or by disturbing the undergrowth close to them. They did not stop +or pause till they saw before them the high dark tower of Doom.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XXIII—IN THE ENEMY’S HOUSE</h2> +<p>Sir Nathaniel was in the library next morning, after breakfast, when +Adam came to him carrying a letter.</p> +<p>“Her ladyship doesn’t lose any time. She has begun +work already!”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel, who was writing at a table near the window, looked +up.</p> +<p>“What is it?” said he.</p> +<p>Adam held out the letter he was carrying. It was in a blazoned +envelope.</p> +<p>“Ha!” said Sir Nathaniel, “from the White Worm! +I expected something of the kind.”</p> +<p>“But,” said Adam, “how could she have known we +were here? She didn’t know last night.”</p> +<p>“I don’t think we need trouble about that, Adam. +There is so much we do not understand. This is only another mystery. +Suffice it that she does know—perhaps it is all the better and +safer for us.”</p> +<p>“How is that?” asked Adam with a puzzled look.</p> +<p>“General process of reasoning, my boy; and the experience of +some years in the diplomatic world. This creature is a monster +without heart or consideration for anything or anyone. She is +not nearly so dangerous in the open as when she has the dark to protect +her. Besides, we know, by our own experience of her movements, +that for some reason she shuns publicity. In spite of her vast +bulk and abnormal strength, she is afraid to attack openly. After +all, she is only a snake and with a snake’s nature, which is to +keep low and squirm, and proceed by stealth and cunning. She will +never attack when she can run away, although she knows well that running +away would probably be fatal to her. What is the letter about?”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel’s voice was calm and self-possessed. When +he was engaged in any struggle of wits he was all diplomatist.</p> +<p>“She asks Mimi and me to tea this afternoon at Diana’s +Grove, and hopes that you also will favour her.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel smiled.</p> +<p>“Please ask Mrs. Salton to accept for us all.”</p> +<p>“She means some deadly mischief. Surely—surely +it would be wiser not.”</p> +<p>“It is an old trick that we learn early in diplomacy, Adam—to +fight on ground of your own choice. It is true that she suggested +the place on this occasion; but by accepting it we make it ours. +Moreover, she will not be able to understand our reason for doing so, +and her own bad conscience—if she has any, bad or good—and +her own fears and doubts will play our game for us. No, my dear +boy, let us accept, by all means.”</p> +<p>Adam said nothing, but silently held out his hand, which his companion +shook: no words were necessary.</p> +<p>When it was getting near tea-time, Mimi asked Sir Nathaniel how they +were going.</p> +<p>“We must make a point of going in state. We want all +possible publicity.” Mimi looked at him inquiringly. +“Certainly, my dear, in the present circumstances publicity is +a part of safety. Do not be surprised if, whilst we are at Diana’s +Grove, occasional messages come for you—for all or any of us.”</p> +<p>“I see!” said Mrs. Salton. “You are taking +no chances.”</p> +<p>“None, my dear. All I have learned at foreign courts, +and amongst civilised and uncivilised people, is going to be utilised +within the next couple of hours.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel’s voice was full of seriousness, and it brought +to Mimi in a convincing way the awful gravity of the occasion.</p> +<p>In due course, they set out in a carriage drawn by a fine pair of +horses, who soon devoured the few miles of their journey. Before +they came to the gate, Sir Nathaniel turned to Mimi.</p> +<p>“I have arranged with Adam certain signals which may be necessary +if certain eventualities occur. These need be nothing to do with +you directly. But bear in mind that if I ask you or Adam to do +anything, do not lose a second in the doing of it. We must try +to pass off such moments with an appearance of unconcern. In all +probability, nothing requiring such care will occur. The White +Worm will not try force, though she has so much of it to spare. +Whatever she may attempt to-day, of harm to any of us, will be in the +way of secret plot. Some other time she may try force, but—if +I am able to judge such a thing—not to-day. The messengers +who may ask for any of us will not be witnesses only, they may help +to stave off danger.” Seeing query in her face, he went +on: “Of what kind the danger may be, I know not, and cannot guess. +It will doubtless be some ordinary circumstance; but none the less dangerous +on that account. Here we are at the gate. Now, be careful +in all matters, however small. To keep your head is half the battle.”</p> +<p>There were a number of men in livery in the hall when they arrived. +The doors of the drawing-room were thrown open, and Lady Arabella came +forth and offered them cordial welcome. This having been got over, +Lady Arabella led them into another room where tea was served.</p> +<p>Adam was acutely watchful and suspicious of everything, and saw on +the far side of this room a panelled iron door of the same colour and +configuration as the outer door of the room where was the well-hole +wherein Oolanga had disappeared. Something in the sight alarmed +him, and he quietly stood near the door. He made no movement, +even of his eyes, but he could see that Sir Nathaniel was watching him +intently, and, he fancied, with approval.</p> +<p>They all sat near the table spread for tea, Adam still near the door. +Lady Arabella fanned herself, complaining of heat, and told one of the +footmen to throw all the outer doors open.</p> +<p>Tea was in progress when Mimi suddenly started up with a look of +fright on her face; at the same moment, the men became cognisant of +a thick smoke which began to spread through the room—a smoke which +made those who experienced it gasp and choke. The footmen began +to edge uneasily towards the inner door. Denser and denser grew +the smoke, and more acrid its smell. Mimi, towards whom the draught +from the open door wafted the smoke, rose up choking, and ran to the +inner door, which she threw open to its fullest extent, disclosing on +the outside a curtain of thin silk, fixed to the doorposts. The +draught from the open door swayed the thin silk towards her, and in +her fright, she tore down the curtain, which enveloped her from head +to foot. Then she ran through the still open door, heedless of +the fact that she could not see where she was going. Adam, followed +by Sir Nathaniel, rushed forward and joined her—Adam catching +his wife by the arm and holding her tight. It was well that he +did so, for just before her lay the black orifice of the well-hole, +which, of course, she could not see with the silk curtain round her +head. The floor was extremely slippery; something like thick oil +had been spilled where she had to pass; and close to the edge of the +hole her feet shot from under her, and she stumbled forward towards +the well-hole.</p> +<p>When Adam saw Mimi slip, he flung himself backward, still holding +her. His weight told, and he dragged her up from the hole and +they fell together on the floor outside the zone of slipperiness. +In a moment he had raised her up, and together they rushed out through +the open door into the sunlight, Sir Nathaniel close behind them. +They were all pale except the old diplomatist, who looked both calm +and cool. It sustained and cheered Adam and his wife to see him +thus master of himself. Both managed to follow his example, to +the wonderment of the footmen, who saw the three who had just escaped +a terrible danger walking together gaily, as, under the guiding pressure +of Sir Nathaniel’s hand, they turned to re-enter the house.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella, whose face had blanched to a deadly white, now resumed +her ministrations at the tea-board as though nothing unusual had happened. +The slop-basin was full of half-burned brown paper, over which tea had +been poured.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel had been narrowly observing his hostess, and took the +first opportunity afforded him of whispering to Adam:</p> +<p>“The real attack is to come—she is too quiet. When +I give my hand to your wife to lead her out, come with us—and +caution her to hurry. Don’t lose a second, even if you have +to make a scene. Hs-s-s-h!”</p> +<p>Then they resumed their places close to the table, and the servants, +in obedience to Lady Arabella’s order, brought in fresh tea.</p> +<p>Thence on, that tea-party seemed to Adam, whose faculties were at +their utmost intensity, like a terrible dream. As for poor Mimi, +she was so overwrought both with present and future fear, and with horror +at the danger she had escaped, that her faculties were numb. However, +she was braced up for a trial, and she felt assured that whatever might +come she would be able to go through with it. Sir Nathaniel seemed +just as usual—suave, dignified, and thoughtful—perfect master +of himself.</p> +<p>To her husband, it was evident that Mimi was ill at ease. The +way she kept turning her head to look around her, the quick coming and +going of the colour of her face, her hurried breathing, alternating +with periods of suspicious calm, were evidences of mental perturbation. +To her, the attitude of Lady Arabella seemed compounded of social sweetness +and personal consideration. It would be hard to imagine more thoughtful +and tender kindness towards an honoured guest.</p> +<p>When tea was over and the servants had come to clear away the cups, +Lady Arabella, putting her arm round Mimi’s waist, strolled with +her into an adjoining room, where she collected a number of photographs +which were scattered about, and, sitting down beside her guest, began +to show them to her. While she was doing this, the servants closed +all the doors of the suite of rooms, as well as that which opened from +the room outside—that of the well-hole into the avenue. +Suddenly, without any seeming cause, the light in the room began to +grow dim. Sir Nathaniel, who was sitting close to Mimi, rose to +his feet, and, crying, “Quick!” caught hold of her hand +and began to drag her from the room. Adam caught her other hand, +and between them they drew her through the outer door which the servants +were beginning to close. It was difficult at first to find the +way, the darkness was so great; but to their relief when Adam whistled +shrilly, the carriage and horses, which had been waiting in the angle +of the avenue, dashed up. Her husband and Sir Nathaniel lifted—almost +threw—Mimi into the carriage. The postillion plied whip +and spur, and the vehicle, rocking with its speed, swept through the +gate and tore up the road. Behind them was a hubbub—servants +rushing about, orders being shouted out, doors shutting, and somewhere, +seemingly far back in the house, a strange noise. Every nerve +of the horses was strained as they dashed recklessly along the road. +The two men held Mimi between them, the arms of both of them round her +as though protectingly. As they went, there was a sudden rise +in the ground; but the horses, breathing heavily, dashed up it at racing +speed, not slackening their pace when the hill fell away again, leaving +them to hurry along the downgrade.</p> +<p>It would be foolish to say that neither Adam nor Mimi had any fear +in returning to Doom Tower. Mimi felt it more keenly than her +husband, whose nerves were harder, and who was more inured to danger. +Still she bore up bravely, and as usual the effort was helpful to her. +When once she was in the study in the top of the turret, she almost +forgot the terrors which lay outside in the dark. She did not +attempt to peep out of the window; but Adam did—and saw nothing. +The moonlight showed all the surrounding country, but nowhere was to +be observed that tremulous line of green light.</p> +<p>The peaceful night had a good effect on them all; danger, being unseen, +seemed far off. At times it was hard to realise that it had ever +been. With courage restored, Adam rose early and walked along +the Brow, seeing no change in the signs of life in Castra Regis. +What he did see, to his wonder and concern, on his returning homeward, +was Lady Arabella, in her tight-fitting white dress and ermine collar, +but without her emeralds; she was emerging from the gate of Diana’s +Grove and walking towards the Castle. Pondering on this, and trying +to find some meaning in it, occupied his thoughts till he joined Mimi +and Sir Nathaniel at breakfast. They began the meal in silence. +What had been had been, and was known to them all. Moreover, it +was not a pleasant topic.</p> +<p>A fillip was given to the conversation when Adam told of his seeing +Lady Arabella, on her way to Castra Regis. They each had something +to say of her, and of what her wishes or intentions were towards Edgar +Caswall. Mimi spoke bitterly of her in every aspect. She +had not forgotten—and never would—never could—the +occasion when, to harm Lilla, the woman had consorted even with the +nigger. As a social matter, she was disgusted with her for following +up the rich landowner—“throwing herself at his head so shamelessly,” +was how she expressed it. She was interested to know that the +great kite still flew from Caswall’s tower. But beyond such +matters she did not try to go. The only comment she made was of +strongly expressed surprise at her ladyship’s “cheek” +in ignoring her own criminal acts, and her impudence in taking it for +granted that others had overlooked them also.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XXIV—A STARTLING PROPOSITION</h2> +<p>The more Mimi thought over the late events, the more puzzled she +was. What did it all mean—what could it mean, except that +there was an error of fact somewhere. Could it be possible that +some of them—all of them had been mistaken, that there had been +no White Worm at all? On either side of her was a belief impossible +of reception. Not to believe in what seemed apparent was to destroy +the very foundations of belief . . . yet in old days there had been +monsters on the earth, and certainly some people had believed in just +such mysterious changes of identity. It was all very strange. +Just fancy how any stranger—say a doctor—would regard her, +if she were to tell him that she had been to a tea-party with an antediluvian +monster, and that they had been waited on by up-to-date men-servants.</p> +<p>Adam had returned, exhilarated by his walk, and more settled in his +mind than he had been for some time. Like Mimi, he had gone through +the phase of doubt and inability to believe in the reality of things, +though it had not affected him to the same extent. The idea, however, +that his wife was suffering ill-effects from her terrible ordeal, braced +him up. He remained with her for a time, then he sought Sir Nathaniel +in order to talk over the matter with him. He knew that the calm +common sense and self-reliance of the old man, as well as his experience, +would be helpful to them all.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel had come to the conclusion that, for some reason which +he did not understand, Lady Arabella had changed her plans, and, for +the present at all events, was pacific. He was inclined to attribute +her changed demeanour to the fact that her influence over Edgar Caswall +was so far increased, as to justify a more fixed belief in his submission +to her charms.</p> +<p>As a matter of fact, she had seen Caswall that morning when she visited +Castra Regis, and they had had a long talk together, during which the +possibility of their union had been discussed. Caswall, without +being enthusiastic on the subject, had been courteous and attentive; +as she had walked back to Diana’s Grove, she almost congratulated +herself on her new settlement in life. That the idea was becoming +fixed in her mind, was shown by a letter which she wrote later in the +day to Adam Salton, and sent to him by hand. It ran as follows:</p> +<blockquote><p>“DEAR MR. SALTON,</p> +<p>“I wonder if you would kindly advise, and, if possible, help +me in a matter of business. I have been for some time trying to +make up my mind to sell Diana’s Grove, I have put off and put +off the doing of it till now. The place is my own property, and +no one has to be consulted with regard to what I may wish to do about +it. It was bought by my late husband, Captain Adolphus Ranger +March, who had another residence, The Crest, Appleby. He acquired +all rights of all kinds, including mining and sporting. When he +died, he left his whole property to me. I shall feel leaving this +place, which has become endeared to me by many sacred memories and affections—the +recollection of many happy days of my young married life, and the more +than happy memories of the man I loved and who loved me so much. +I should be willing to sell the place for any fair price—so long, +of course, as the purchaser was one I liked and of whom I approved. +May I say that you yourself would be the ideal person. But I dare +not hope for so much. It strikes me, however, that among your +Australian friends may be someone who wishes to make a settlement in +the Old Country, and would care to fix the spot in one of the most historic +regions in England, full of romance and legend, and with a never-ending +vista of historical interest—an estate which, though small, is +in perfect condition and with illimitable possibilities of development, +and many doubtful—or unsettled—rights which have existed +before the time of the Romans or even Celts, who were the original possessors. +In addition, the house has been kept up to the <i>dernier cri</i>. +Immediate possession can be arranged. My lawyers can provide you, +or whoever you may suggest, with all business and historical details. +A word from you of acceptance or refusal is all that is necessary, and +we can leave details to be thrashed out by our agents. Forgive +me, won’t you, for troubling you in the matter, and believe me, +yours very sincerely.</p> +<p>“ARABELLA MARCH.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Adam read this over several times, and then, his mind being made +up, he went to Mimi and asked if she had any objection. She answered—after +a shudder—that she was, in this, as in all things, willing to +do whatever he might wish.</p> +<p>“Dearest, I am willing that you should judge what is best for +us. Be quite free to act as you see your duty, and as your inclination +calls. We are in the hands of God, and He has hitherto guided +us, and will do so to His own end.”</p> +<p>From his wife’s room Adam Salton went straight to the study +in the tower, where he knew Sir Nathaniel would be at that hour. +The old man was alone, so, when he had entered in obedience to the “Come +in,” which answered his query, he closed the door and sat down +beside him.</p> +<p>“Do you think, sir, that it would be well for me to buy Diana’s +Grove?”</p> +<p>“God bless my soul!” said the old man, startled, “why +on earth would you want to do that?”</p> +<p>“Well, I have vowed to destroy that White Worm, and my being +able to do whatever I may choose with the Lair would facilitate matters +and avoid complications.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel hesitated longer than usual before speaking. +He was thinking deeply.</p> +<p>“Yes, Adam, there is much common sense in your suggestion, +though it startled me at first. I think that, for all reasons, +you would do well to buy the property and to have the conveyance settled +at once. If you want more money than is immediately convenient, +let me know, so that I may be your banker.”</p> +<p>“Thank you, sir, most heartily; but I have more money at immediate +call than I shall want. I am glad you approve.”</p> +<p>“The property is historic, and as time goes on it will increase +in value. Moreover, I may tell you something, which indeed is +only a surmise, but which, if I am right, will add great value to the +place.” Adam listened. “Has it ever struck you +why the old name, ‘The Lair of the White Worm,’ was given? +We know that there was a snake which in early days was called a worm; +but why white?”</p> +<p>“I really don’t know, sir; I never thought of it. +I simply took it for granted.”</p> +<p>“So did I at first—long ago. But later I puzzled +my brain for a reason.”</p> +<p>“And what was the reason, sir?”</p> +<p>“Simply and solely because the snake or worm <i>was</i> white. +We are near the county of Stafford, where the great industry of china-burning +was originated and grew. Stafford owes much of its wealth to the +large deposits of the rare china clay found in it from time to time. +These deposits become in time pretty well exhausted; but for centuries +Stafford adventurers looked for the special clay, as Ohio and Pennsylvania +farmers and explorers looked for oil. Anyone owning real estate +on which china clay can be discovered strikes a sort of gold mine.”</p> +<p>“Yes, and then—” The young man looked puzzled.</p> +<p>“The original ‘Worm’ so-called, from which the +name of the place came, had to find a direct way down to the marshes +and the mud-holes. Now, the clay is easily penetrable, and the +original hole probably pierced a bed of china clay. When once +the way was made it would become a sort of highway for the Worm. +But as much movement was necessary to ascend such a great height, some +of the clay would become attached to its rough skin by attrition. +The downway must have been easy work, but the ascent was different, +and when the monster came to view in the upper world, it would be fresh +from contact with the white clay. Hence the name, which has no +cryptic significance, but only fact. Now, if that surmise be true—and +I do not see why not—there must be a deposit of valuable clay—possibly +of immense depth.”</p> +<p>Adam’s comment pleased the old gentleman.</p> +<p>“I have it in my bones, sir, that you have struck—or +rather reasoned out—a great truth.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel went on cheerfully. “When the world of +commerce wakes up to the value of your find, it will be as well that +your title to ownership has been perfectly secured. If anyone +ever deserved such a gain, it is you.”</p> +<p>With his friend’s aid, Adam secured the property without loss +of time. Then he went to see his uncle, and told him about it. +Mr. Salton was delighted to find his young relative already constructively +the owner of so fine an estate—one which gave him an important +status in the county. He made many anxious enquiries about Mimi, +and the doings of the White Worm, but Adam reassured him.</p> +<p>The next morning, when Adam went to his host in the smoking-room, +Sir Nathaniel asked him how he purposed to proceed with regard to keeping +his vow.</p> +<p>“It is a difficult matter which you have undertaken. +To destroy such a monster is something like one of the labours of Hercules, +in that not only its size and weight and power of using them in little-known +ways are against you, but the occult side is alone an unsurpassable +difficulty. The Worm is already master of all the elements except +fire—and I do not see how fire can be used for the attack. +It has only to sink into the earth in its usual way, and you could not +overtake it if you had the resources of the biggest coal-mine in existence. +But I daresay you have mapped out some plan in your mind,” he +added courteously.</p> +<p>“I have, sir. But, of course, it may not stand the test +of practice.”</p> +<p>“May I know the idea?”</p> +<p>“Well, sir, this was my argument: At the time of the Chartist +trouble, an idea spread amongst financial circles that an attack was +going to be made on the Bank of England. Accordingly, the directors +of that institution consulted many persons who were supposed to know +what steps should be taken, and it was finally decided that the best +protection against fire—which is what was feared—was not +water but sand. To carry the scheme into practice great store +of fine sea-sand—the kind that blows about and is used to fill +hour-glasses—was provided throughout the building, especially +at the points liable to attack, from which it could be brought into +use.</p> +<p>“I propose to provide at Diana’s Grove, as soon as it +comes into my possession, an enormous amount of such sand, and shall +take an early occasion of pouring it into the well-hole, which it will +in time choke. Thus Lady Arabella, in her guise of the White Worm, +will find herself cut off from her refuge. The hole is a narrow +one, and is some hundreds of feet deep. The weight of the sand +this can contain would not in itself be sufficient to obstruct; but +the friction of such a body working up against it would be tremendous.”</p> +<p>“One moment. What use would the sand be for destruction?”</p> +<p>“None, directly; but it would hold the struggling body in place +till the rest of my scheme came into practice.”</p> +<p>“And what is the rest?”</p> +<p>“As the sand is being poured into the well-hole, quantities +of dynamite can also be thrown in!”</p> +<p>“Good. But how would the dynamite explode—for, +of course, that is what you intend. Would not some sort of wire +or fuse he required for each parcel of dynamite?”</p> +<p>Adam smiled.</p> +<p>“Not in these days, sir. That was proved in New York. +A thousand pounds of dynamite, in sealed canisters, was placed about +some workings. At the last a charge of gunpowder was fired, and +the concussion exploded the dynamite. It was most successful. +Those who were non-experts in high explosives expected that every pane +of glass in New York would be shattered. But, in reality, the +explosive did no harm outside the area intended, although sixteen acres +of rock had been mined and only the supporting walls and pillars had +been left intact. The whole of the rocks were shattered.”</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel nodded approval.</p> +<p>“That seems a good plan—a very excellent one. But +if it has to tear down so many feet of precipice, it may wreck the whole +neighbourhood.”</p> +<p>“And free it for ever from a monster,” added Adam, as +he left the room to find his wife.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XXV—THE LAST BATTLE</h2> +<p>Lady Arabella had instructed her solicitors to hurry on with the +conveyance of Diana’s Grove, so no time was lost in letting Adam +Salton have formal possession of the estate. After his interview +with Sir Nathaniel, he had taken steps to begin putting his plan into +action. In order to accumulate the necessary amount of fine sea-sand, +he ordered the steward to prepare for an elaborate system of top-dressing +all the grounds. A great heap of the sand, brought from bays on +the Welsh coast, began to grow at the back of the Grove. No one +seemed to suspect that it was there for any purpose other than what +had been given out.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella, who alone could have guessed, was now so absorbed +in her matrimonial pursuit of Edgar Caswall, that she had neither time +nor inclination for thought extraneous to this. She had not yet +moved from the house, though she had formally handed over the estate.</p> +<p>Adam put up a rough corrugated-iron shed behind the Grove, in which +he stored his explosives. All being ready for his great attempt +whenever the time should come, he was now content to wait, and, in order +to pass the time, interested himself in other things—even in Caswall’s +great kite, which still flew from the high tower of Castra Regis.</p> +<p>The mound of fine sand grew to proportions so vast as to puzzle the +bailiffs and farmers round the Brow. The hour of the intended +cataclysm was approaching apace. Adam wished—but in vain—for +an opportunity, which would appear to be natural, of visiting Caswall +in the turret of Castra Regis. At last, one morning, he met Lady +Arabella moving towards the Castle, so he took his courage <i>à +deux mains</i> and asked to be allowed to accompany her. She was +glad, for her own purposes, to comply with his wishes. So together +they entered, and found their way to the turret-room. Caswall +was much surprised to see Adam come to his house, but lent himself to +the task of seeming to be pleased. He played the host so well +as to deceive even Adam. They all went out on the turret roof, +where he explained to his guests the mechanism for raising and lowering +the kite, taking also the opportunity of testing the movements of the +multitudes of birds, how they answered almost instantaneously to the +lowering or raising of the kite.</p> +<p>As Lady Arabella walked home with Adam from Castra Regis, she asked +him if she might make a request. Permission having been accorded, +she explained that before she finally left Diana’s Grove, where +she had lived so long, she had a desire to know the depth of the well-hole. +Adam was really happy to meet her wishes, not from any sentiment, but +because he wished to give some valid and ostensible reason for examining +the passage of the Worm, which would obviate any suspicion resulting +from his being on the premises. He brought from London a Kelvin +sounding apparatus, with a sufficient length of piano-wire for testing +any probable depth. The wire passed easily over the running wheel, +and when this was once fixed over the hole, he was satisfied to wait +till the most advantageous time for his final experiment.</p> +<p>* * * * *</p> +<p>In the meantime, affairs had been going quietly at Mercy Farm. +Lilla, of course, felt lonely in the absence of her cousin, but the +even tenor of life went on for her as for others. After the first +shock of parting was over, things went back to their accustomed routine. +In one respect, however, there was a marked difference. So long +as home conditions had remained unchanged, Lilla was content to put +ambition far from her, and to settle down to the life which had been +hers as long as she could remember. But Mimi’s marriage +set her thinking; naturally, she came to the conclusion that she too +might have a mate. There was not for her much choice—there +was little movement in the matrimonial direction at the farmhouse. +She did not approve of the personality of Edgar Caswall, and his struggle +with Mimi had frightened her; but he was unmistakably an excellent <i>parti</i>, +much better than she could have any right to expect. This weighs +much with a woman, and more particularly one of her class. So, +on the whole, she was content to let things take their course, and to +abide by the issue.</p> +<p>As time went on, she had reason to believe that things did not point +to happiness. She could not shut her eyes to certain disturbing +facts, amongst which were the existence of Lady Arabella and her growing +intimacy with Edgar Caswall; as well as his own cold and haughty nature, +so little in accord with the ardour which is the foundation of a young +maid’s dreams of happiness. How things would, of necessity, +alter if she were to marry, she was afraid to think. All told, +the prospect was not happy for her, and she had a secret longing that +something might occur to upset the order of things as at present arranged.</p> +<p>When Lilla received a note from Edgar Caswall asking if he might +come to tea on the following afternoon, her heart sank within her. +If it was only for her father’s sake, she must not refuse him +or show any disinclination which he might construe into incivility. +She missed Mimi more than she could say or even dared to think. +Hitherto, she had always looked to her cousin for sympathy, for understanding, +for loyal support. Now she and all these things, and a thousand +others—gentle, assuring, supporting—were gone. And +instead there was a horrible aching void.</p> +<p>For the whole afternoon and evening, and for the following forenoon, +poor Lilla’s loneliness grew to be a positive agony. For +the first time she began to realise the sense of her loss, as though +all the previous suffering had been merely a preparation. Everything +she looked at, everything she remembered or thought of, became laden +with poignant memory. Then on the top of all was a new sense of +dread. The reaction from the sense of security, which had surrounded +her all her life, to a never-quieted apprehension, was at times almost +more than she could bear. It so filled her with fear that she +had a haunting feeling that she would as soon die as live. However, +whatever might be her own feelings, duty had to be done, and as she +had been brought up to consider duty first, she braced herself to go +through, to the very best of her ability, what was before her.</p> +<p>Still, the severe and prolonged struggle for self-control told upon +Lilla. She looked, as she felt, ill and weak. She was really +in a nerveless and prostrate condition, with black circles round her +eyes, pale even to her lips, and with an instinctive trembling which +she was quite unable to repress. It was for her a sad mischance +that Mimi was away, for her love would have seen through all obscuring +causes, and have brought to light the girl’s unhappy condition +of health. Lilla was utterly unable to do anything to escape from +the ordeal before her; but her cousin, with the experience of her former +struggles with Mr. Caswall and of the condition in which these left +her, would have taken steps—even peremptory ones, if necessary—to +prevent a repetition.</p> +<p>Edgar arrived punctually to the time appointed by herself. +When Lilla, through the great window, saw him approaching the house, +her condition of nervous upset was pitiable. She braced herself +up, however, and managed to get through the interview in its preliminary +stages without any perceptible change in her normal appearance and bearing. +It had been to her an added terror that the black shadow of Oolanga, +whom she dreaded, would follow hard on his master. A load was +lifted from her mind when he did not make his usual stealthy approach. +She had also feared, though in lesser degree, lest Lady Arabella should +be present to make trouble for her as before.</p> +<p>With a woman’s natural forethought in a difficult position, +she had provided the furnishing of the tea-table as a subtle indication +of the social difference between her and her guest. She had chosen +the implements of service, as well as all the provender set forth, of +the humblest kind. Instead of arranging the silver teapot and +china cups, she had set out an earthen teapot, such as was in common +use in the farm kitchen. The same idea was carried out in the +cups and saucers of thick homely delft, and in the cream-jug of similar +kind. The bread was of simple whole-meal, home-baked. The +butter was good, since she had made it herself, while the preserves +and honey came from her own garden. Her face beamed with satisfaction +when the guest eyed the appointments with a supercilious glance. +It was a shock to the poor girl herself, for she enjoyed offering to +a guest the little hospitalities possible to her; but that had to be +sacrificed with other pleasures.</p> +<p>Caswall’s face was more set and iron-clad than ever—his +piercing eyes seemed from the very beginning to look her through and +through. Her heart quailed when she thought of what would follow—of +what would be the end, when this was only the beginning. As some +protection, though it could be only of a sentimental kind, she brought +from her own room the photographs of Mimi, of her grandfather, and of +Adam Salton, whom by now she had grown to look on with reliance, as +a brother whom she could trust. She kept the pictures near her +heart, to which her hand naturally strayed when her feelings of constraint, +distrust, or fear became so poignant as to interfere with the calm which +she felt was necessary to help her through her ordeal.</p> +<p>At first Edgar Caswall was courteous and polite, even thoughtful; +but after a little while, when he found her resistance to his domination +grow, he abandoned all forms of self-control and appeared in the same +dominance as he had previously shown. She was prepared, however, +for this, both by her former experience and the natural fighting instinct +within her. By this means, as the minutes went on, both developed +the power and preserved the equality in which they had begun.</p> +<p>Without warning, the psychic battle between the two individualities +began afresh. This time both the positive and negative causes +were all in favour of the man. The woman was alone and in bad +spirits, unsupported; nothing at all was in her favour except the memory +of the two victorious contests; whereas the man, though unaided, as +before, by either Lady Arabella or Oolanga, was in full strength, well +rested, and in flourishing circumstances. It was not, therefore, +to be wondered at that his native dominance of character had full opportunity +of asserting itself. He began his preliminary stare with a conscious +sense of power, and, as it appeared to have immediate effect on the +girl, he felt an ever-growing conviction of ultimate victory.</p> +<p>After a little Lilla’s resolution began to flag. She +felt that the contest was unequal—that she was unable to put forth +her best efforts. As she was an unselfish person, she could not +fight so well in her own battle as in that of someone whom she loved +and to whom she was devoted. Edgar saw the relaxing of the muscles +of face and brow, and the almost collapse of the heavy eyelids which +seemed tumbling downward in sleep. Lilla made gallant efforts +to brace her dwindling powers, but for a time unsuccessfully. +At length there came an interruption, which seemed like a powerful stimulant. +Through the wide window she saw Lady Arabella enter the plain gateway +of the farm, and advance towards the hall door. She was clad as +usual in tight-fitting white, which accentuated her thin, sinuous figure.</p> +<p>The sight did for Lilla what no voluntary effort could have done. +Her eyes flashed, and in an instant she felt as though a new life had +suddenly developed within her. Lady Arabella’s entry, in +her usual unconcerned, haughty, supercilious way, heightened the effect, +so that when the two stood close to each other battle was joined. +Mr. Caswall, too, took new courage from her coming, and all his masterfulness +and power came back to him. His looks, intensified, had more obvious +effect than had been noticeable that day. Lilla seemed at last +overcome by his dominance. Her face became red and pale—violently +red and ghastly pale—by rapid turns. Her strength seemed +gone. Her knees collapsed, and she was actually sinking on the +floor, when to her surprise and joy Mimi came into the room, running +hurriedly and breathing heavily.</p> +<p>Lilla rushed to her, and the two clasped hands. With that, +a new sense of power, greater than Lilla had ever seen in her, seemed +to quicken her cousin. Her hand swept the air in front of Edgar +Caswall, seeming to drive him backward more and more by each movement, +till at last he seemed to be actually hurled through the door which +Mimi’s entrance had left open, and fell at full length on the +gravel path without.</p> +<p>Then came the final and complete collapse of Lilla, who, without +a sound, sank down on the floor.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XXVI—FACE TO FACE</h2> +<p>Mimi was greatly distressed when she saw her cousin lying prone. +She had a few times in her life seen Lilla on the verge of fainting, +but never senseless; and now she was frightened. She threw herself +on her knees beside Lilla, and tried, by rubbing her hands and other +measures commonly known, to restore her. But all her efforts were +unavailing. Lilla still lay white and senseless. In fact, +each moment she looked worse; her breast, that had been heaving with +the stress, became still, and the pallor of her face grew like marble.</p> +<p>At these succeeding changes Mimi’s fright grew, till it altogether +mastered her. She succeeded in controlling herself only to the +extent that she did not scream.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella had followed Caswall, when he had recovered sufficiently +to get up and walk—though stumblingly—in the direction of +Castra Regis. When Mimi was quite alone with Lilla and the need +for effort had ceased, she felt weak and trembled. In her own +mind, she attributed it to a sudden change in the weather—it was +momentarily becoming apparent that a storm was coming on.</p> +<p>She raised Lilla’s head and laid it on her warm young breast, +but all in vain. The cold of the white features thrilled through +her, and she utterly collapsed when it was borne in on her that Lilla +had passed away.</p> +<p>The dusk gradually deepened and the shades of evening closed in, +but Mimi did not seem to notice or to care. She sat on the floor +with her arms round the body of the girl whom she loved. Darker +and blacker grew the sky as the coming storm and the closing night joined +forces. Still she sat on—alone—tearless—unable +to think. Mimi did not know how long she sat there. Though +it seemed to her that ages had passed, it could not have been more than +half-an-hour. She suddenly came to herself, and was surprised +to find that her grandfather had not returned. For a while she +lay quiet, thinking of the immediate past. Lilla’s hand +was still in hers, and to her surprise it was still warm. Somehow +this helped her consciousness, and without any special act of will she +stood up. She lit a lamp and looked at her cousin. There +was no doubt that Lilla was dead; but when the lamp-light fell on her +eyes, they seemed to look at Mimi with intent—with meaning. +In this state of dark isolation a new resolution came to her, and grew +and grew until it became a fixed definite purpose. She would face +Caswall and call him to account for his murder of Lilla—that was +what she called it to herself. She would also take steps—she +knew not what or how—to avenge the part taken by Lady Arabella.</p> +<p>In this frame of mind she lit all the lamps in the room, got water +and linen from her room, and set about the decent ordering of Lilla’s +body. This took some time; but when it was finished, she put on +her hat and cloak, put out the lights, and set out quietly for Castra +Regis.</p> +<p>As Mimi drew near the Castle, she saw no lights except those in and +around the tower room. The lights showed her that Mr. Caswall +was there, so she entered by the hall door, which as usual was open, +and felt her way in the darkness up the staircase to the lobby of the +room. The door was ajar, and the light from within showed brilliantly +through the opening. She saw Edgar Caswall walking restlessly +to and fro in the room, with his hands clasped behind his back. +She opened the door without knocking, and walked right into the room. +As she entered, he ceased walking, and stared at her in surprise. +She made no remark, no comment, but continued the fixed look which he +had seen on her entrance.</p> +<p>For a time silence reigned, and the two stood looking fixedly at +each other. Mimi was the first to speak.</p> +<p>“You murderer! Lilla is dead!”</p> +<p>“Dead! Good God! When did she die?”</p> +<p>“She died this afternoon, just after you left her.”</p> +<p>“Are you sure?”</p> +<p>“Yes—and so are you—or you ought to be. You +killed her!”</p> +<p>“I killed her! Be careful what you say!”</p> +<p>“As God sees us, it is true; and you know it. You came +to Mercy Farm on purpose to break her—if you could. And +the accomplice of your guilt, Lady Arabella March, came for the same +purpose.”</p> +<p>“Be careful, woman,” he said hotly. “Do not +use such names in that way, or you shall suffer for it.”</p> +<p>“I am suffering for it—have suffered for it—shall +suffer for it. Not for speaking the truth as I have done, but +because you two, with devilish malignity, did my darling to death. +It is you and your accomplice who have to dread punishment, not I.”</p> +<p>“Take care!” he said again.</p> +<p>“Oh, I am not afraid of you or your accomplice,” she +answered spiritedly. “I am content to stand by every word +I have said, every act I have done. Moreover, I believe in God’s +justice. I fear not the grinding of His mills; if necessary I +shall set the wheels in motion myself. But you don’t care +for God, or believe in Him. Your god is your great kite, which +cows the birds of a whole district. But be sure that His hand, +when it rises, always falls at the appointed time. It may be that +your name is being called even at this very moment at the Great Assize. +Repent while there is still time. Happy you, if you may be allowed +to enter those mighty halls in the company of the pure-souled angel +whose voice has only to whisper one word of justice, and you disappear +for ever into everlasting torment.”</p> +<p>The sudden death of Lilla caused consternation among Mimi’s +friends and well-wishers. Such a tragedy was totally unexpected, +as Adam and Sir Nathaniel had been expecting the White Worm’s +vengeance to fall upon themselves.</p> +<p>Adam, leaving his wife free to follow her own desires with regard +to Lilla and her grandfather, busied himself with filling the well-hole +with the fine sand prepared for the purpose, taking care to have lowered +at stated intervals quantities of the store of dynamite, so as to be +ready for the final explosion. He had under his immediate supervision +a corps of workmen, and was assisted by Sir Nathaniel, who had come +over for the purpose, and all were now staying at Lesser Hill.</p> +<p>Mr. Salton, too, showed much interest in the job, and was constantly +coming in and out, nothing escaping his observation.</p> +<p>Since her marriage to Adam and their coming to stay at Doom Tower, +Mimi had been fettered by fear of the horrible monster at Diana’s +Grove. But now she dreaded it no longer. She accepted the +fact of its assuming at will the form of Lady Arabella. She had +still to tax and upbraid her for her part in the unhappiness which had +been wrought on Lilla, and for her share in causing her death.</p> +<p>One evening, when Mimi entered her own room, she went to the window +and threw an eager look round the whole circle of sight. A single +glance satisfied her that the White Worm in <i>propriâ personâ</i> +was not visible. So she sat down in the window-seat and enjoyed +the pleasure of a full view, from which she had been so long cut off. +The maid who waited on her had told her that Mr. Salton had not yet +returned home, so she felt free to enjoy the luxury of peace and quiet.</p> +<p>As she looked out of the window, she saw something thin and white +move along the avenue. She thought she recognised the figure of +Lady Arabella, and instinctively drew back behind the curtain. +When she had ascertained, by peeping out several times, that the lady +had not seen her, she watched more carefully, all her instinctive hatred +flooding back at the sight of her. Lady Arabella was moving swiftly +and stealthily, looking back and around her at intervals, as if she +feared to be followed. This gave Mimi an idea that she was up +to no good, so she determined to seize the occasion for watching her +in more detail.</p> +<p>Hastily putting on a dark cloak and hat, she ran downstairs and out +into the avenue. Lady Arabella had moved, but the sheen of her +white dress was still to be seen among the young oaks around the gateway. +Keeping in shadow, Mimi followed, taking care not to come so close as +to awake the other’s suspicion, and watched her quarry pass along +the road in the direction of Castra Regis.</p> +<p>She followed on steadily through the gloom of the trees, depending +on the glint of the white dress to keep her right. The wood began +to thicken, and presently, when the road widened and the trees grew +farther back, she lost sight of any indication of her whereabouts. +Under the present conditions it was impossible for her to do any more, +so, after waiting for a while, still hidden in the shadow to see if +she could catch another glimpse of the white frock, she determined to +go on slowly towards Castra Regis, and trust to the chapter of accidents +to pick up the trail again. She went on slowly, taking advantage +of every obstacle and shadow to keep herself concealed.</p> +<p>At last she entered on the grounds of the Castle, at a spot from +which the windows of the turret were dimly visible, without having seen +again any sign of Lady Arabella.</p> +<p>Meanwhile, during most of the time that Mimi Salton had been moving +warily along in the gloom, she was in reality being followed by Lady +Arabella, who had caught sight of her leaving the house and had never +again lost touch with her. It was a case of the hunter being hunted. +For a time Mimi’s many turnings, with the natural obstacles that +were perpetually intervening, caused Lady Arabella some trouble; but +when she was close to Castra Regis, there was no more possibility of +concealment, and the strange double following went swiftly on.</p> +<p>When she saw Mimi close to the hall door of Castra Regis and ascending +the steps, she followed. When Mimi entered the dark hall and felt +her way up the staircase, still, as she believed, following Lady Arabella, +the latter kept on her way. When they reached the lobby of the +turret-rooms, Mimi believed that the object of her search was ahead +of her.</p> +<p>Edgar Caswall sat in the gloom of the great room, occasionally stirred +to curiosity when the drifting clouds allowed a little light to fall +from the storm-swept sky. But nothing really interested him now. +Since he had heard of Lilla’s death, the gloom of his remorse, +emphasised by Mimi’s upbraiding, had made more hopeless his cruel, +selfish, saturnine nature. He heard no sound, for his normal faculties +seemed benumbed.</p> +<p>Mimi, when she came to the door, which stood ajar, gave a light tap. +So light was it that it did not reach Caswall’s ears. Then, +taking her courage in both hands, she boldly pushed the door and entered. +As she did so, her heart sank, for now she was face to face with a difficulty +which had not, in her state of mental perturbation, occurred to her.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XXVII—ON THE TURRET ROOF</h2> +<p>The storm which was coming was already making itself manifest, not +only in the wide scope of nature, but in the hearts and natures of human +beings. Electrical disturbance in the sky and the air is reproduced +in animals of all kinds, and particularly in the highest type of them +all—the most receptive—the most electrical. So it +was with Edgar Caswall, despite his selfish nature and coldness of blood. +So it was with Mimi Salton, despite her unselfish, unchanging devotion +for those she loved. So it was even with Lady Arabella, who, under +the instincts of a primeval serpent, carried the ever-varying wishes +and customs of womanhood, which is always old—and always new.</p> +<p>Edgar, after he had turned his eyes on Mimi, resumed his apathetic +position and sullen silence. Mimi quietly took a seat a little +way apart, whence she could look on the progress of the coming storm +and study its appearance throughout the whole visible circle of the +neighbourhood. She was in brighter and better spirits than she +had been for many days past. Lady Arabella tried to efface herself +behind the now open door.</p> +<p>Without, the clouds grew thicker and blacker as the storm-centre +came closer. As yet the forces, from whose linking the lightning +springs, were held apart, and the silence of nature proclaimed the calm +before the storm. Caswall felt the effect of the gathering electric +force. A sort of wild exultation grew upon him, such as he had +sometimes felt just before the breaking of a tropical storm. As +he became conscious of this, he raised his head and caught sight of +Mimi. He was in the grip of an emotion greater than himself; in +the mood in which he was he felt the need upon him of doing some desperate +deed. He was now absolutely reckless, and as Mimi was associated +with him in the memory which drove him on, he wished that she too should +be engaged in this enterprise. He had no knowledge of the proximity +of Lady Arabella, and thought that he was far removed from all he knew +and whose interests he shared—alone with the wild elements, which +were being lashed to fury, and with the woman who had struggled with +him and vanquished him, and on whom he would shower the full measure +of his hate.</p> +<p>The fact was that Edgar Caswall was, if not mad, close to the border-line. +Madness in its first stage—monomania—is a lack of proportion. +So long as this is general, it is not always noticeable, for the uninspired +onlooker is without the necessary means of comparison. But in +monomania the errant faculty protrudes itself in a way that may not +be denied. It puts aside, obscures, or takes the place of something +else—just as the head of a pin placed before the centre of the +iris will block out the whole scope of vision. The most usual +form of monomania has commonly the same beginning as that from which +Edgar Caswall suffered—an over-large idea of self-importance. +Alienists, who study the matter exactly, probably know more of human +vanity and its effects than do ordinary men. Caswall’s mental +disturbance was not hard to identify. Every asylum is full of +such cases—men and women, who, naturally selfish and egotistical, +so appraise to themselves their own importance that every other circumstance +in life becomes subservient to it. The disease supplies in itself +the material for self-magnification. When the decadence attacks +a nature naturally proud and selfish and vain, and lacking both the +aptitude and habit of self-restraint, the development of the disease +is more swift, and ranges to farther limits. It is such persons +who become imbued with the idea that they have the attributes of the +Almighty—even that they themselves are the Almighty.</p> +<p>Mimi had a suspicion—or rather, perhaps, an intuition—of +the true state of things when she heard him speak, and at the same time +noticed the abnormal flush on his face, and his rolling eyes. +There was a certain want of fixedness of purpose which she had certainly +not noticed before—a quick, spasmodic utterance which belongs +rather to the insane than to those of intellectual equilibrium. +She was a little frightened, not only by his thoughts, but by his staccato +way of expressing them.</p> +<p>Caswall moved to the door leading to the turret stair by which the +roof was reached, and spoke in a peremptory way, whose tone alone made +her feel defiant.</p> +<p>“Come! I want you.”</p> +<p>She instinctively drew back—she was not accustomed to such +words, more especially to such a tone. Her answer was indicative +of a new contest.</p> +<p>“Why should I go? What for?”</p> +<p>He did not at once reply—another indication of his overwhelming +egotism. She repeated her questions; habit reasserted itself, +and he spoke without thinking the words which were in his heart.</p> +<p>“I want you, if you will be so good, to come with me to the +turret roof. I am much interested in certain experiments with +the kite, which would be, if not a pleasure, at least a novel experience +to you. You would see something not easily seen otherwise.”</p> +<p>“I will come,” she answered simply; Edgar moved in the +direction of the stair, she following close behind him.</p> +<p>She did not like to be left alone at such a height, in such a place, +in the darkness, with a storm about to break. Of himself she had +no fear; all that had been seemed to have passed away with her two victories +over him in the struggle of wills. Moreover, the more recent apprehension—that +of his madness—had also ceased. In the conversation of the +last few minutes he seemed so rational, so clear, so unaggressive, that +she no longer saw reason for doubt. So satisfied was she that +even when he put out a hand to guide her to the steep, narrow stairway, +she took it without thought in the most conventional way.</p> +<p>Lady Arabella, crouching in the lobby behind the door, heard every +word that had been said, and formed her own opinion of it. It +seemed evident to her that there had been some rapprochement between +the two who had so lately been hostile to each other, and that made +her furiously angry. Mimi was interfering with her plans! +She had made certain of her capture of Edgar Caswall, and she could +not tolerate even the lightest and most contemptuous fancy on his part +which might divert him from the main issue. When she became aware +that he wished Mimi to come with him to the roof and that she had acquiesced, +her rage got beyond bounds. She became oblivious to any danger +there might be in a visit to such an exposed place at such a time, and +to all lesser considerations, and made up her mind to forestall them. +She stealthily and noiselessly crept through the wicket, and, ascending +the stair, stepped out on the roof. It was bitterly cold, for +the fierce gusts of the storm which swept round the turret drove in +through every unimpeded way, whistling at the sharp corners and singing +round the trembling flagstaff. The kite-string and the wire which +controlled the runners made a concourse of weird sounds which somehow, +perhaps from the violence which surrounded them, acting on their length, +resolved themselves into some kind of harmony—a fitting accompaniment +to the tragedy which seemed about to begin.</p> +<p>Mimi’s heart beat heavily. Just before leaving the turret-chamber +she had a shock which she could not shake off. The lights of the +room had momentarily revealed to her, as they passed out, Edgar’s +face, concentrated as it was whenever he intended to use his mesmeric +power. Now the black eyebrows made a thick line across his face, +under which his eyes shone and glittered ominously. Mimi recognised +the danger, and assumed the defiant attitude that had twice already +served her so well. She had a fear that the circumstances and +the place were against her, and she wanted to be forearmed.</p> +<p>The sky was now somewhat lighter than it had been. Either there +was lightning afar off, whose reflections were carried by the rolling +clouds, or else the gathered force, though not yet breaking into lightning, +had an incipient power of light. It seemed to affect both the +man and the woman. Edgar seemed altogether under its influence. +His spirits were boisterous, his mind exalted. He was now at his +worst; madder than he had been earlier in the night.</p> +<p>Mimi, trying to keep as far from him as possible, moved across the +stone floor of the turret roof, and found a niche which concealed her. +It was not far from Lady Arabella’s place of hiding.</p> +<p>Edgar, left thus alone on the centre of the turret roof, found himself +altogether his own master in a way which tended to increase his madness. +He knew that Mimi was close at hand, though he had lost sight of her. +He spoke loudly, and the sound of his own voice, though it was carried +from him on the sweeping wind as fast as the words were spoken, seemed +to exalt him still more. Even the raging of the elements round +him appeared to add to his exaltation. To him it seemed that these +manifestations were obedient to his own will. He had reached the +sublime of his madness; he was now in his own mind actually the Almighty, +and whatever might happen would be the direct carrying out of his own +commands. As he could not see Mimi, nor fix whereabout she was, +he shouted loudly:</p> +<p>“Come to me! You shall see now what you are despising, +what you are warring against. All that you see is mine—the +darkness as well as the light. I tell you that I am greater than +any other who is, or was, or shall be. When the Master of Evil +took Christ up on a high place and showed Him all the kingdoms of the +earth, he was doing what he thought no other could do. He was +wrong—he forgot <i>Me</i>. I shall send you light, up to +the very ramparts of heaven. A light so great that it shall dissipate +those black clouds that are rushing up and piling around us. Look! +Look! At the very touch of my hand that light springs into being +and mounts up—and up—and up!”</p> +<p>He made his way whilst he was speaking to the corner of the turret +whence flew the giant kite, and from which the runners ascended. +Mimi looked on, appalled and afraid to speak lest she should precipitate +some calamity. Within the niche Lady Arabella cowered in a paroxysm +of fear.</p> +<p>Edgar took up a small wooden box, through a hole in which the wire +of the runner ran. This evidently set some machinery in motion, +for a sound as of whirring came. From one side of the box floated +what looked like a piece of stiff ribbon, which snapped and crackled +as the wind took it. For a few seconds Mimi saw it as it rushed +along the sagging line to the kite. When close to it, there was +a loud crack, and a sudden light appeared to issue from every chink +in the box. Then a quick flame flashed along the snapping ribbon, +which glowed with an intense light—a light so great that the whole +of the countryside around stood out against the background of black +driving clouds. For a few seconds the light remained, then suddenly +disappeared in the blackness around. It was simply a magnesium +light, which had been fired by the mechanism within the box and carried +up to the kite. Edgar was in a state of tumultuous excitement, +shouting and yelling at the top of his voice and dancing about like +a lunatic.</p> +<p>This was more than Lady Arabella’s curious dual nature could +stand—the ghoulish element in her rose triumphant, and she abandoned +all idea of marriage with Edgar Caswall, gloating fiendishly over the +thought of revenge.</p> +<p>She must lure him to the White Worm’s hole—but how? +She glanced around and quickly made up her mind. The man’s +whole thoughts were absorbed by his wonderful kite, which he was showing +off, in order to fascinate her imaginary rival, Mimi.</p> +<p>On the instant she glided through the darkness to the wheel whereon +the string of the kite was wound. With deft fingers she unshipped +this, took it with her, reeling out the wire as she went, thus keeping, +in a way, in touch with the kite. Then she glided swiftly to the +wicket, through which she passed, locking the gate behind her as she +went.</p> +<p>Down the turret stair she ran quickly, letting the wire run from +the wheel which she carried carefully, and, passing out of the hall +door, hurried down the avenue with all her speed. She soon reached +her own gate, ran down the avenue, and with her key opened the iron +door leading to the well-hole.</p> +<p>She felt well satisfied with herself. All her plans were maturing, +or had already matured. The Master of Castra Regis was within +her grasp. The woman whose interference she had feared, Lilla +Watford, was dead. Truly, all was well, and she felt that she +might pause a while and rest. She tore off her clothes, with feverish +fingers, and in full enjoyment of her natural freedom, stretched her +slim figure in animal delight. Then she lay down on the sofa—to +await her victim! Edgar Caswall’s life blood would more +than satisfy her for some time to come.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XXVIII—THE BREAKING OF THE STORM</h2> +<p>When Lady Arabella had crept away in her usual noiseless fashion, +the two others remained for a while in their places on the turret roof: +Caswall because he had nothing to say, Mimi because she had much to +say and wished to put her thoughts in order. For quite a while—which +seemed interminable—silence reigned between them. At last +Mimi made a beginning—she had made up her mind how to act.</p> +<p>“Mr. Caswall,” she said loudly, so as to make sure of +being heard through the blustering of the wind and the perpetual cracking +of the electricity.</p> +<p>Caswall said something in reply, but his words were carried away +on the storm. However, one of her objects was effected: she knew +now exactly whereabout on the roof he was. So she moved close +to the spot before she spoke again, raising her voice almost to a shout.</p> +<p>“The wicket is shut. Please to open it. I can’t +get out.”</p> +<p>As she spoke, she was quietly fingering a revolver which Adam had +given to her in case of emergency and which now lay in her breast. +She felt that she was caged like a rat in a trap, but did not mean to +be taken at a disadvantage, whatever happened. Caswall also felt +trapped, and all the brute in him rose to the emergency. In a +voice which was raucous and brutal—much like that which is heard +when a wife is being beaten by her husband in a slum—he hissed +out, his syllables cutting through the roaring of the storm:</p> +<p>“You came of your own accord—without permission, or even +asking it. Now you can stay or go as you choose. But you +must manage it for yourself; I’ll have nothing to do with it.”</p> +<p>Her answer was spoken with dangerous suavity</p> +<p>“I am going. Blame yourself if you do not like the time +and manner of it. I daresay Adam—my husband—will have +a word to say to you about it!”</p> +<p>“Let him say, and be damned to him, and to you too! I’ll +show you a light. You shan’t be able to say that you could +not see what you were doing.”</p> +<p>As he spoke, he was lighting another piece of the magnesium ribbon, +which made a blinding glare in which everything was plainly discernible, +down to the smallest detail. This exactly suited Mimi. She +took accurate note of the wicket and its fastening before the glare +had died away. She took her revolver out and fired into the lock, +which was shivered on the instant, the pieces flying round in all directions, +but happily without causing hurt to anyone. Then she pushed the +wicket open and ran down the narrow stair, and so to the hall door. +Opening this also, she ran down the avenue, never lessening her speed +till she stood outside the door of Lesser Hill. The door was opened +at once on her ringing.</p> +<p>“Is Mr. Adam Salton in?” she asked.</p> +<p>“He has just come in, a few minutes ago. He has gone +up to the study,” replied a servant.</p> +<p>She ran upstairs at once and joined him. He seemed relieved +when he saw her, but scrutinised her face keenly. He saw that +she had been in some concern, so led her over to the sofa in the window +and sat down beside her.</p> +<p>“Now, dear, tell me all about it!” he said.</p> +<p>She rushed breathlessly through all the details of her adventure +on the turret roof. Adam listened attentively, helping her all +he could, and not embarrassing her by any questioning. His thoughtful +silence was a great help to her, for it allowed her to collect and organise +her thoughts.</p> +<p>“I must go and see Caswall to-morrow, to hear what he has to +say on the subject.”</p> +<p>“But, dear, for my sake, don’t have any quarrel with +Mr. Caswall. I have had too much trial and pain lately to wish +it increased by any anxiety regarding you.”</p> +<p>“You shall not, dear—if I can help it—please God,” +he said solemnly, and he kissed her.</p> +<p>Then, in order to keep her interested so that she might forget the +fears and anxieties that had disturbed her, he began to talk over the +details of her adventure, making shrewd comments which attracted and +held her attention. Presently, <i>inter alia</i>, he said:</p> +<p>“That’s a dangerous game Caswall is up to. It seems +to me that that young man—though he doesn’t appear to know +it—is riding for a fall!”</p> +<p>“How, dear? I don’t understand.”</p> +<p>“Kite flying on a night like this from a place like the tower +of Castra Regis is, to say the least of it, dangerous. It is not +merely courting death or other accident from lightning, but it is bringing +the lightning into where he lives. Every cloud that is blowing +up here—and they all make for the highest point—is bound +to develop into a flash of lightning. That kite is up in the air +and is bound to attract the lightning. Its cord makes a road for +it on which to travel to earth. When it does come, it will strike +the top of the tower with a weight a hundred times greater than a whole +park of artillery, and will knock Castra Regis into pieces. Where +it will go after that, no one can tell. If there should be any +metal by which it can travel, such will not only point the road, but +be the road itself.”</p> +<p>“Would it be dangerous to be out in the open air when such +a thing is taking place?” she asked.</p> +<p>“No, little woman. It would be the safest possible place—so +long as one was not in the line of the electric current.”</p> +<p>“Then, do let us go outside. I don’t want to run +into any foolish danger—or, far more, to ask you to do so. +But surely if the open is safest, that is the place for us.”</p> +<p>Without another word, she put on again the cloak she had thrown off, +and a small, tight-fitting cap. Adam too put on his cap, and, +after seeing that his revolver was all right, gave her his hand, and +they left the house together.</p> +<p>“I think the best thing we can do will be to go round all the +places which are mixed up in this affair.”</p> +<p>“All right, dear, I am ready. But, if you don’t +mind, we might go first to Mercy. I am anxious about grandfather, +and we might see that—as yet, at all events—nothing has +happened there.”</p> +<p>So they went on the high-hung road along the top of the Brow. +The wind here was of great force, and made a strange booming noise as +it swept high overhead; though not the sound of cracking and tearing +as it passed through the woods of high slender trees which grew on either +side of the road. Mimi could hardly keep her feet. She was +not afraid; but the force to which she was opposed gave her a good excuse +to hold on to her husband extra tight.</p> +<p>At Mercy there was no one up—at least, all the lights were +out. But to Mimi, accustomed to the nightly routine of the house, +there were manifest signs that all was well, except in the little room +on the first floor, where the blinds were down. Mimi could not +bear to look at that, to think of it. Adam understood her pain, +for he had been keenly interested in poor Lilla. He bent over +and kissed her, and then took her hand and held it hard. Thus +they passed on together, returning to the high road towards Castra Regis.</p> +<p>At the gate of Castra Regis they were extra careful. When drawing +near, Adam stumbled upon the wire that Lady Arabella had left trailing +on the ground.</p> +<p>Adam drew his breath at this, and spoke in a low, earnest whisper:</p> +<p>“I don’t want to frighten you, Mimi dear, but wherever +that wire is there is danger.”</p> +<p>“Danger! How?”</p> +<p>“That is the track where the lightning will go; at any moment, +even now whilst we are speaking and searching, a fearful force may be +loosed upon us. Run on, dear; you know the way to where the avenue +joins the highroad. If you see any sign of the wire, keep away +from it, for God’s sake. I shall join you at the gateway.”</p> +<p>“Are you going to follow that wire alone?”</p> +<p>“Yes, dear. One is sufficient for that work. I +shall not lose a moment till I am with you.”</p> +<p>“Adam, when I came with you into the open, my main wish was +that we should be together if anything serious happened. You wouldn’t +deny me that right, would you, dear?”</p> +<p>“No, dear, not that or any right. Thank God that my wife +has such a wish. Come; we will go together. We are in the +hands of God. If He wishes, we shall be together at the end, whenever +or wherever that may be.”</p> +<p>They picked up the trail of the wire on the steps and followed it +down the avenue, taking care not to touch it with their feet. +It was easy enough to follow, for the wire, if not bright, was self-coloured, +and showed clearly. They followed it out of the gateway and into +the avenue of Diana’s Grove.</p> +<p>Here a new gravity clouded Adam’s face, though Mimi saw no +cause for fresh concern. This was easily enough explained. +Adam knew of the explosive works in progress regarding the well-hole, +but the matter had been kept from his wife. As they stood near +the house, Adam asked Mimi to return to the road, ostensibly to watch +the course of the wire, telling her that there might be a branch wire +leading somewhere else. She was to search the undergrowth, and +if she found it, was to warn him by the Australian native “Coo-ee!”</p> +<p>Whilst they were standing together, there came a blinding flash of +lightning, which lit up for several seconds the whole area of earth +and sky. It was only the first note of the celestial prelude, +for it was followed in quick succession by numerous flashes, whilst +the crash and roll of thunder seemed continuous.</p> +<p>Adam, appalled, drew his wife to him and held her close. As +far as he could estimate by the interval between lightning and thunder-clap, +the heart of the storm was still some distance off, so he felt no present +concern for their safety. Still, it was apparent that the course +of the storm was moving swiftly in their direction. The lightning +flashes came faster and faster and closer together; the thunder-roll +was almost continuous, not stopping for a moment—a new crash beginning +before the old one had ceased. Adam kept looking up in the direction +where the kite strained and struggled at its detaining cord, but, of +course, the dull evening light prevented any distinct scrutiny.</p> +<p>At length there came a flash so appallingly bright that in its glare +Nature seemed to be standing still. So long did it last, that +there was time to distinguish its configuration. It seemed like +a mighty tree inverted, pendent from the sky. The whole country +around within the angle of vision was lit up till it seemed to glow. +Then a broad ribbon of fire seemed to drop on to the tower of Castra +Regis just as the thunder crashed. By the glare, Adam could see +the tower shake and tremble, and finally fall to pieces like a house +of cards. The passing of the lightning left the sky again dark, +but a blue flame fell downward from the tower, and, with inconceivable +rapidity, running along the ground in the direction of Diana’s +Grove, reached the dark silent house, which in the instant burst into +flame at a hundred different points.</p> +<p>At the same moment there rose from the house a rending, crashing +sound of woodwork, broken or thrown about, mixed with a quick scream +so appalling that Adam, stout of heart as he undoubtedly was, felt his +blood turn into ice. Instinctively, despite the danger and their +consciousness of it, husband and wife took hands and listened, trembling. +Something was going on close to them, mysterious, terrible, deadly! +The shrieks continued, though less sharp in sound, as though muffled. +In the midst of them was a terrific explosion, seemingly from deep in +the earth.</p> +<p>The flames from Castra Regis and from Diana’s Grove made all +around almost as light as day, and now that the lightning had ceased +to flash, their eyes, unblinded, were able to judge both perspective +and detail. The heat of the burning house caused the iron doors +to warp and collapse. Seemingly of their own accord, they fell +open, and exposed the interior. The Saltons could now look through +to the room beyond, where the well-hole yawned, a deep narrow circular +chasm. From this the agonised shrieks were rising, growing ever +more terrible with each second that passed.</p> +<p>But it was not only the heart-rending sound that almost paralysed +poor Mimi with terror. What she saw was sufficient to fill her +with evil dreams for the remainder of her life. The whole place +looked as if a sea of blood had been beating against it. Each +of the explosions from below had thrown out from the well-hole, as if +it had been the mouth of a cannon, a mass of fine sand mixed with blood, +and a horrible repulsive slime in which were great red masses of rent +and torn flesh and fat. As the explosions kept on, more and more +of this repulsive mass was shot up, the great bulk of it falling back +again. Many of the awful fragments were of something which had +lately been alive. They quivered and trembled and writhed as though +they were still in torment, a supposition to which the unending scream +gave a horrible credence. At moments some mountainous mass of +flesh surged up through the narrow orifice, as though forced by a measureless +power through an opening infinitely smaller than itself. Some +of these fragments were partially covered with white skin as of a human +being, and others—the largest and most numerous—with scaled +skin as of a gigantic lizard or serpent. Once, in a sort of lull +or pause, the seething contents of the hole rose, after the manner of +a bubbling spring, and Adam saw part of the thin form of Lady Arabella, +forced up to the top amid a mass of blood and slime, and what looked +as if it had been the entrails of a monster torn into shreds. +Several times some masses of enormous bulk were forced up through the +well-hole with inconceivable violence, and, suddenly expanding as they +came into larger space, disclosed sections of the White Worm which Adam +and Sir Nathaniel had seen looking over the trees with its enormous +eyes of emerald-green flickering like great lamps in a gale.</p> +<p>At last the explosive power, which was not yet exhausted, evidently +reached the main store of dynamite which had been lowered into the worm +hole. The result was appalling. The ground for far around +quivered and opened in long deep chasms, whose edges shook and fell +in, throwing up clouds of sand which fell back and hissed amongst the +rising water. The heavily built house shook to its foundations. +Great stones were thrown up as from a volcano, some of them, great masses +of hard stone, squared and grooved with implements wrought by human +hands, breaking up and splitting in mid air as though riven by some +infernal power. Trees near the house—and therefore presumably +in some way above the hole, which sent up clouds of dust and steam and +fine sand mingled, and which carried an appalling stench which sickened +the spectators—were torn up by the roots and hurled into the air. +By now, flames were bursting violently from all over the ruins, so dangerously +that Adam caught up his wife in his arms, and ran with her from the +proximity of the flames.</p> +<p>Then almost as quickly as it had begun, the whole cataclysm ceased, +though a deep-down rumbling continued intermittently for some time. +Then silence brooded over all—silence so complete that it seemed +in itself a sentient thing—silence which seemed like incarnate +darkness, and conveyed the same idea to all who came within its radius. +To the young people who had suffered the long horror of that awful night, +it brought relief—relief from the presence or the fear of all +that was horrible—relief which seemed perfected when the red rays +of sunrise shot up over the far eastern sea, bringing a promise of a +new order of things with the coming day.</p> +<p>* * * * *</p> +<p>His bed saw little of Adam Salton for the remainder of that night. +He and Mimi walked hand in hand in the brightening dawn round by the +Brow to Castra Regis and on to Lesser Hill. They did so deliberately, +in an attempt to think as little as possible of the terrible experiences +of the night. The morning was bright and cheerful, as a morning +sometimes is after a devastating storm. The clouds, of which there +were plenty in evidence, brought no lingering idea of gloom. All +nature was bright and joyous, being in striking contrast to the scenes +of wreck and devastation, the effects of obliterating fire and lasting +ruin.</p> +<p>The only evidence of the once stately pile of Castra Regis and its +inhabitants was a shapeless huddle of shattered architecture, dimly +seen as the keen breeze swept aside the cloud of acrid smoke which marked +the site of the once lordly castle. As for Diana’s Grove, +they looked in vain for a sign which had a suggestion of permanence. +The oak trees of the Grove were still to be seen—some of them—emerging +from a haze of smoke, the great trunks solid and erect as ever, but +the larger branches broken and twisted and rent, with bark stripped +and chipped, and the smaller branches broken and dishevelled looking +from the constant stress and threshing of the storm.</p> +<p>Of the house as such, there was, even at the short distance from +which they looked, no trace. Adam resolutely turned his back on +the devastation and hurried on. Mimi was not only upset and shocked +in many ways, but she was physically “dog tired,” and falling +asleep on her feet. Adam took her to her room and made her undress +and get into bed, taking care that the room was well lighted both by +sunshine and lamps. The only obstruction was from a silk curtain, +drawn across the window to keep out the glare. He sat beside her, +holding her hand, well knowing that the comfort of his presence was +the best restorative for her. He stayed with her till sleep had +overmastered her wearied body. Then he went softly away. +He found his uncle and Sir Nathaniel in the study, having an early cup +of tea, amplified to the dimensions of a possible breakfast. Adam +explained that he had not told his wife that he was going over the horrible +places again, lest it should frighten her, for the rest and sleep in +ignorance would help her and make a gap of peacefulness between the +horrors.</p> +<p>Sir Nathaniel agreed.</p> +<p>“We know, my boy,” he said, “that the unfortunate +Lady Arabella is dead, and that the foul carcase of the Worm has been +torn to pieces—pray God that its evil soul will never more escape +from the nethermost hell.”</p> +<p>They visited Diana’s Grove first, not only because it was nearer, +but also because it was the place where most description was required, +and Adam felt that he could tell his story best on the spot. The +absolute destruction of the place and everything in it seen in the broad +daylight was almost inconceivable. To Sir Nathaniel, it was as +a story of horror full and complete. But to Adam it was, as it +were, only on the fringes. He knew what was still to be seen when +his friends had got over the knowledge of externals. As yet, they +had only seen the outside of the house—or rather, where the outside +of the house once had been. The great horror lay within. +However, age—and the experience of age—counts.</p> +<p>A strange, almost elemental, change in the aspect had taken place +in the time which had elapsed since the dawn. It would almost +seem as if Nature herself had tried to obliterate the evil signs of +what had occurred. True, the utter ruin of the house was made +even more manifest in the searching daylight; but the more appalling +destruction which lay beneath was not visible. The rent, torn, +and dislocated stonework looked worse than before; the upheaved foundations, +the piled-up fragments of masonry, the fissures in the torn earth—all +were at the worst. The Worm’s hole was still evident, a +round fissure seemingly leading down into the very bowels of the earth. +But all the horrid mass of blood and slime, of torn, evil-smelling flesh +and the sickening remnants of violent death, were gone. Either +some of the later explosions had thrown up from the deep quantities +of water which, though foul and corrupt itself, had still some cleansing +power left, or else the writhing mass which stirred from far below had +helped to drag down and obliterate the items of horror. A grey +dust, partly of fine sand, partly of the waste of the falling ruin, +covered everything, and, though ghastly itself, helped to mask something +still worse.</p> +<p>After a few minutes of watching, it became apparent to the three +men that the turmoil far below had not yet ceased. At short irregular +intervals the hell-broth in the hole seemed as if boiling up. +It rose and fell again and turned over, showing in fresh form much of +the nauseous detail which had been visible earlier. The worst +parts were the great masses of the flesh of the monstrous Worm, in all +its red and sickening aspect. Such fragments had been bad enough +before, but now they were infinitely worse. Corruption comes with +startling rapidity to beings whose destruction has been due wholly or +in part to lightning—the whole mass seemed to have become all +at once corrupt! The whole surface of the fragments, once alive, +was covered with insects, worms, and vermin of all kinds. The +sight was horrible enough, but, with the awful smell added, was simply +unbearable. The Worm’s hole appeared to breathe forth death +in its most repulsive forms. The friends, with one impulse, moved +to the top of the Brow, where a fresh breeze from the sea was blowing +up.</p> +<p>At the top of the Brow, beneath them as they looked down, they saw +a shining mass of white, which looked strangely out of place amongst +such wreckage as they had been viewing. It appeared so strange +that Adam suggested trying to find a way down, so that they might see +it more closely.</p> +<p>“We need not go down; I know what it is,” Sir Nathaniel +said. “The explosions of last night have blown off the outside +of the cliffs—that which we see is the vast bed of china clay +through which the Worm originally found its way down to its lair. +I can catch the glint of the water of the deep quags far down below. +Well, her ladyship didn’t deserve such a funeral—or such +a monument.”</p> +<p>* * * * *</p> +<p>The horrors of the last few hours had played such havoc with Mimi’s +nerves, that a change of scene was imperative—if a permanent breakdown +was to be avoided.</p> +<p>“I think,” said old Mr. Salton, “it is quite time +you young people departed for that honeymoon of yours!” +There was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke.</p> +<p>Mimi’s soft shy glance at her stalwart husband, was sufficient +answer.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 1188-h.htm or 1188-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/1/8/1188 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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