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diff --git a/43199-8.txt b/43199-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e0f602c..0000000 --- a/43199-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9276 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Last Tenant, by B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon - -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 Last Tenant - -Author: B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon - -Release Date: July 12, 2013 [EBook #43199] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAST TENANT *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by -Google Books (The University of Michigan). - - - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - 1. Page scans provided by - Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=4dU0AAAAMAAJ - (The University of Michigan) - - - - - - -[Frontispiece.] - - - - - - - THE LAST TENANT. - - - - - BY - - B. L. FARJEON, - - _Author of "A Fair Jewess," Etc_. - - - - - * * * * - - - - - NEW YORK: - THE F. M. LUPTON PUBLISHING COMPANY - - - - - - - Copyright, 1893, by - CASSEL PUBLISHING COMPANY. - - - - _All rights reserved_. - - - - - - - CONTENTS. - - * * * * - -CHAPTER - - I. My Wife Makes Up her Mind to Move, - - II. House-Hunting à la Mode, - - III. An Old Friend Unexpectedly Presents Himself - - IV. Bob Millet Gives us Some Curious Information about the - House in Lamb's Terrace, - - V. We Look Over the House in Lamb's Terrace and Receive a - Shock, - - VI. The Answer to the Bell, - - VII. I Make Some Singular Experiments, - - VIII. I Take Bob into my Confidence, - - IX. I Pay Bob Millet a Visit, - - X. Ronald Elsdale Gives Opinions, - - XI. Bob Relates to me Some Particulars of Ronald Elsdale's - Delusions, - - XII. A House on Fire, - - XIII. I Take the Haunted House, - - XIV. A Meager Report from the Inquiry Agent, - - XV. What the Inquest Revealed, - - XVI. In 79 Lamb's Terrace, - - XVII. Barbara, - - XVIII. Molly, - - XIX. Important Information, - - XX. Dr. Cooper, - - XXI. Barbara Gives us Some Valuable Information, - - XXII. Mr. Nisbet Visits Lamb's Terrace, - - XXIII. On the Track, - - XXIV. We Arrive in Paris, - - XXV. We Come to a Halt, - - XXVI. A Good Night's Work, - - XXVII. A Word with Mme. Bernstein, - - XXVIII. Mme. Bernstein Reveals, - - XXIX. Dr. Cooper is Impressed, - - XXX. Mr. Nisbet Takes a Decided Step, - - - - - - - THE LAST TENANT - - * * * * - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - MY WIFE MAKES UP HER MIND TO MOVE. - - -From a peculiar restlessness in my wife's movements, I gathered that -she was considering some scheme which threatened to disturb the -peaceful surroundings of my life. Upon two or three occasions lately -she had reproached me for not being sufficiently lofty in my social -views, and although the tone in which she addressed me was free from -acerbity, her words conveyed the impression that in some dark way I -was inflicting an injury upon her. Familiar with her moods, and -understanding the best way in which to treat them, I made no inquiries -as to the precise nature of this injury, but waited for her to -disclose it--which I was aware she would not do until she was quite -prepared. - -I am not, in any sense of the term, an ambitious man, being happily -blessed with a peaceful and contented mind which renders me unwilling -to make any departure from my usual habits. As regards old-fashioned -ways I am somewhat of a conservative; I do not care for new things and -new sensations, and I am not forever looking up at persons above me, -and sighing for their possessions and enjoyments. Indeed, I am -convinced that the happiest lot is that of the mortal who is neither -too high nor too low, and who is in possession of a competence which -will serve for modest pleasures, without exciting the envy of friends -and acquaintances. Such a competence was mine; such pleasures were -mine. Secure from storms and unnecessary worries--by which I mean -worries self-inflicted by fidgety persons, or persons discontented -with their lot--I should have been quite satisfied to remain all my -life in our cozy ten-roomed house, which we had inhabited for twenty -years, and in which we had been as comfortable as reasonable beings -can expect to be in life. Not so my wife, the best of creatures in her -way, but lately (as I subsequently discovered) tormented with jealousy -of certain old friends who, favored by fortune, had moved a step or -two up the social ladder. It was natural, when these friends visited -us, that they should dilate with pride upon their social rise, and -should rather loftily, and with an air of superiority, seize the -opportunity of describing the elegances of their new houses and -furniture. Their fine talk amused me, and I listened to it -undisturbed; but it rendered my wife restless and uneasy, and the -upshot of it was that one morning, during breakfast, she said: - -"You have nothing particular to do to-day, my dear?" - -"No, nothing particular," I replied. - -"Then you won't mind coming with me to see some new houses." - -I gasped. The murder was out. - -"Some new houses!" I cried. - -"You can't expect me to go alone," she said calmly. "It would hardly -be safe--to say nothing of its impropriety--for a lady, unaccompanied, -to wander through a number of empty houses with the street door shut. -We read of such dreadful things in the papers." - -"Quite true; they are enough to make one's hair stand on end. It would -not be prudent. But what necessity is there for you to go into a -number of empty houses?" - -"How stupid you are!" she exclaimed. "You know we must move; you know -that it is impossible for us to remain in this house any longer." - -"Why not?" - -"Such a question! And the house in the state it is!" - -"A very comfortable state, Maria. There is nothing whatever the matter -with it." - -"There is everything the matter with it." - -"Oh, if you say so----" - -"I do say so." - -A man who has been long married learns from experience, and profits by -what he learns, if he has any sense in him. I am a fairly sensible -man, and experience has taught me some useful lessons. Therefore I -went on with my breakfast in silence, knowing that my wife would soon -speak again. - -"The house is full of inconveniences," she said. - -"You have been a long time finding them out, Maria." - -"I found them out years ago, but I have borne with them for your -sake." - -I laughed slyly, took the top off an egg, and requested her to name -the inconveniences of which she complained. - -She commenced. "We want a spare room." - -"We have one," I said, "and it is never used." - -"It isn't fit to use." - -"Oh! I had an idea that there was no demand for it." - -"If it was a comfortable room there would be, Edward, I wish you would -recognize that things cannot always remain as they are." - -"More's the pity." - -"Nonsense. You talk as if we were shellfish." - -"It did not occur to me. Proceed with your wants, Maria." - -"_Our_ wants, my dear." - -"Well, _our_ wants." - -"You want a nice, cozy study, where you can sit and smoke." - -"I want nothing of the kind. I can sit and smoke anywhere. Don't -forget that I am fifty years of age, and that my habits are fixed." - -"My dear, it is never too late to learn." - -"Keep to the point," I said. - -"As if I am not keeping to it! I have no morning room." - -"So you are to sit in your morning room, and I am to sit in my study, -instead of sitting and chatting together, as we have always done. A -cheerful prospect! What next?" - -"We have very good servants," she said pensively. - -"Has that anything to do with the inconveniences you speak of?" - -"I shouldn't like to lose the girls, especially cook. They sleep in -the attic, you know, and the roof is shockingly out of repair." - -"It is the chronic condition of roofs. Go where you will, you hear the -same story. Have the girls complained?" - -"No, but I can see what is coming." - -"Ah!" - -"The kitchen is not what it should be; the range causes us the -greatest anxiety. The next dinner party we give we must have the -dinner cooked out. Think what a trouble it will be, and how awkward it -will look. Everything brought to the table lukewarm, if not quite -cold." - -"The thought is heartrending." - -"And you so particular as you are. I am not blaming you for these -things, my dear." - -"You are very considerate. Is your catalogue of ills finished?" - -"By no means. Look at the wine cellar--it positively reeks. As for the -store cupboard, not a thing can I keep in it for the damp. Then -there's the bath. Every time I turn the hot water tap I am frightened -out of my life. It splutters, and chokes, and gurgles--we shall have -an explosion one day. Then there's----" - -"No more!" I cried, in a tragic tone. "Give me two minutes to compose -myself. My nerves are shattered." - -I finished my eggs and toast, I emptied my breakfast cup, I shifted my -chair. - -"You wish to move," I then said. - -"Do you not see the impossibility of our remaining where we are?" was -her reply. - -"Frankly, I do not, but we will not argue; I bend my head to the -storm." - -"Edward, Edward!" she expostulated. "Must not a woman have a mind? -Must it always be the man?" - -"I meant nothing ill-natured, Maria. Have you any particular house in -view?" - -"Several, and I have made out a list of them. I have been to the house -agents and have got the keys. I did not wish you to have the bother of -it, so I took it all on myself. And here are the orders to view the -houses where there are care-takers. Of course we don't want the keys -of those houses; all we have to do is to ring." - -"How many empty houses are there on your list?" - -"Twenty-three." - -I repressed a shudder. "And you have the keys of----" - -"Eleven. I can get plenty more. We must be careful they don't get -mixed up. Perhaps you had better keep them." - -"Not for worlds. Do you propose to go over the whole twenty-three -to-day?" - -"Oh, no, my dear, but we will continue till we are tired. With what I -have and what I am promised I dare say it will be a long job before we -are suited. Days and days." - -"Perhaps weeks and weeks," I suggested faintly. - -"Perhaps. Do you remember how we hunted and hunted till we found this -house?" - -"Can I ever forget it? I grew so sick of tramping about that I thought -seriously of buying a traveling caravan, and living in it. Well, -Maria, I confess I don't like the prospect, but as your mind is made -up I will put a good face on it." - -"I was sure you would, my dear. You are the best man in the world." -And she gave me a hearty kiss. - -"All right, my dear. When do we start?" - -"I shall be ready in half an hour." - -In less than that time we were off, I resigned to my fate, and my wife -as brisk as a young maid about to enter into housekeeping for the -first time. I could not but admire her courage. Her bag was stuffed -with keys, and in her hand she carried a book in which were set down -the particulars of the houses we were to look over. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - HOUSE-HUNTING À LA MODE. - - -It was a satisfaction to me that my wife did not entertain the idea of -deserting the northwestern part of London, in which I have lived from -my boyhood, and which I regard as the pleasantest district in our -modern Babylon. In no other part of London can you see in such -perfection the tender green of spring, and enjoy air so pure and -bracing, and there are summers when my wife agrees with me that it is -a mistake to give up these advantages for the doubtful enjoyment and -the distinct discomforts of a few weeks in the country. So, with my -mind somewhat relieved, I started upon the expedition which was to -lead me to the deserted house in Lamb's Terrace, and thence to the -strange and thrilling incidents I am about to narrate. And I may -premise here that I do not intend to attempt any explanation of them; -I shall simply describe them as they occurred, and I shall leave the -solution to students more deeply versed than myself in the mysteries -of the visible and invisible life by which we are surrounded. I must, -however, make one observation. There is in my mind no doubt that I was -the chosen instrument in bringing to light the particulars of a foul -and monstrous crime, which might otherwise have remained unrevealed -till the Day of Judgment, when all things shall be made clear. Why I -was thus inscrutably chosen, and was haunted by the Skeleton Cat until -the moment arrived when I was to lay my hand upon the shoulder of the -criminal and say, "Thou art the man!" is to me the most awful and -inexplicable mystery in my life. - -In our search for a new house the story of one day is (with the single -exception to which I have incidentally referred) the story of all the -days so employed. We set out every morning, my wife fresh and -cheerful, and I trotting patiently by her side; we returned home every -evening worn out, disheartened, bedraggled, and generally demoralized. -My condition was, of course, worse than that of my wife, whom a -night's rest happily restored to strength and hope. I used to look at -her across the breakfast table in wonder and admiration, for truly her -vigor and powers of recuperation were surprising. - -"Are you quite well this morning?" I would ask. - -"Quite well," she would reply, smiling amiably at me. "I had a lovely -night." - -Wonderful woman! A lovely night! While I was tossing about feverishly, -going up and down innumerable flights of stairs with thousands upon -thousands of steps, opening thousands upon thousands of doors, and -pacing thousands upon thousands of rooms, measuring their length, -breadth, and height with a demon three-foot rule which mocked my most -earnest and conscientious efforts to take correct measurements! The -impression these expeditions produced upon me was that, of all the -trials to which human beings are subject, house-hunting is -incomparably the most exasperating and afflicting. Were I a judge with -the power to legislate, I would make it a punishment for criminal -offenses: "Prisoner at the bar, a jury of your countrymen have very -properly found you guilty of the crime for which you have been tried, -and it is my duty now to pass sentence upon you. I have no wish to -aggravate your sufferings in the painful position in which you have -placed yourself, but for the protection of society the sentence must -be one of extreme severity. You will be condemned to go house-hunting, -and never getting suited, from eight o'clock in the morning until -eight o'clock at night, for a term of three years, and I trust that -the punishment inflicted upon you will deter you from crime for the -rest of your natural life." I should almost be tempted to add, "And -the Lord have mercy upon your soul!" - -I could not have wished for a better leader than my wife, who -continued to take charge of the keys and to keep a record of the -premises we had looked over and were still to look over; and in the -little book in which this record is made were set down in admirable -English--occasionally, perhaps, somewhat too forcible--the reasons why -there was not a single house to let which answered her requirements. -Many of the houses had been tenantless for years, and reminded me in a -depressingly odd way of unfortunate men who had fallen too soon into -"the sere and yellow," and were sinking slowly and surely into damp -and weedy graves. The discolored ceilings, the moldy walls, the moist -basements, the woe-begone back yards, and the equally dismal gardens, -the twisted taps, the rusty locks and keys, the dark closets which the -agents had the effrontery to call bedrooms, supplied ample evidence -that their fate was deserved. There were some in a better condition, -having been newly patched and painted; but even to these more likely -tenements there was always, I was ever thankful to hear, an objection, -from one cause or another, raised by my wife. In one the dining room -was too small; in another it was too large; in another the bath was on -an unsuitable floor--down in the basement or up on the roof; in -another the range was old-fashioned; in another there was no getting -into the garden unless you passed through the kitchen or flung -yourself out of the drawing-room window; in another there were no -cupboards, and so on, and so on, without end. Again and again did I -indulge in the hope that she was thoroughly exhausted and would give -up the hunt, and again and again did the wonderful woman, a few hours -afterward, impart to me the disheartening news--smiling cheerfully -as she spoke--that she had been to a fresh house agent and was -provided with another batch of keys and "orders to view." After every -knock-down blow she "came up smiling," as the sporting reporters say. -Meekly I continued to accompany her, knowing that the least resistance -on my part would only strengthen her determination to prolong the -battle. At the end of a more than usually weary day she observed: - -"My dear, if we were rich we would build." - -"We would," I said, and, with a cunning of which I felt secretly -proud, I encouraged her to describe the house she would like to -possess. I am a bit of a draughtsman, and from the descriptions she -gave me of the house that would complete her happiness I drew out the -plans of an Ideal Residence which I was convinced could not be found -anywhere on the face of the earth. This, however, was not my wife's -opinion. - -"It is the exact thing, Edward," she said, and she took my plans to -the agents, who said they were very nice, and that they had on their -books just the place she was looking for--with one trifling exception -scarcely worth mentioning. But this trifling exception proved ever to -be of alarming proportions, was often hydra-headed, and was always -insurmountable. Then would she glow with indignation at the duplicity -of the agents, and would call them names which, had they been publicly -uttered, would have laid us open to a great number of actions for -libel and slander. Thus a month passed by, and, except for prostration -of spirits, we were precisely where we had been when we commenced. The -Ideal Residence was still a castle in Spain. - -One evening, when we were so tired out that we could hardly crawl -along, my indomitable wife, after slamming the last street door behind -her, informed me that she intended to call upon another house agent -whom she had not yet patronized. - -"That will be the ninth, I think," I said, in a mild tone. - -"Yes, the ninth," she said. "They are a dreadful lot. You can't place -the slightest dependence upon them." - -Gascoigne was the name of the agent we now visited, and he entertained -us in the old familiar way. As a matter of course, he had the very -house to suit us; in fact, he had a dozen, and he went through them -_seriatim_. But my wife, who during the past month had learned -something, managed, by dint of skillful questioning, to lay her hand -on the one weak spot which presented itself in all. - -"I am afraid they will not do," she said, "but we will look at them -all the same." - -I sighed; I was in for it once more. A dozen fresh keys, a dozen fresh -orders to view--in a word, a wasted, weary week. Mr. Gascoigne drummed -with his fingers on his office table, and, after a pause, said: - -"I have left the best one to the last." - -"Indeed!" said my wife, brightening up. - -"The house that cannot fail," said he; "a chance seldom met -with--perhaps once in a lifetime. I shall not have it long on my -books; it will be snapped up in no time. It possesses singular -advantages." - -"Where is it?" asked my wife eagerly. - -"In Lamb's Terrace, No. 79. Detached and charmingly situated. Ten -bedrooms, three reception rooms, two bath rooms, hot and cold water to -top floor, commodious kitchen and domestic offices, conservatory, -stabling, coach house, coachman's rooms over, two stalls and loose -box, large garden well stocked with fruit trees, and two greenhouses." - -My wife's eyes sparkled. I also was somewhat carried away, but I soon -cooled down. Such an establishment would be far beyond my means. - -"To be let on lease?" I inquired. - -"To be let on lease," Mr. Gascoigne replied. - -"The rent would be too high," I observed. - -"I don't think so. Ninety pounds a year." - -"What?" I cried. - -"Ninety pounds a year," he repeated. - -I looked at my wife; her face fairly beamed. She whispered to me, "A -prize! Why did we not come here before? It would have saved us a world -of trouble." - -For my part, I could not understand it. Ninety pounds a year! It was a -ridiculous rent for such a mansion. - -I turned to the agent. "Is there a care-taker in the house?" - -"No," he replied, "it is quite empty." - -"Has it been long unlet?" - -"Scarcely any time." - -"The tenant has only just left it, I suppose?" - -"The tenant has not been living in it." - -"He has been abroad?" - -"I really cannot say. I know nothing of his movements. You see, we are -not generally acquainted with personal particulars. A gentleman has a -house which he wishes to let, and he places it in our hands. All that -we have to do is to ascertain that the particulars with which he -furnishes us are correct. We let the house, and there is an end of the -matter so far as we are concerned." - -I recognized the common sense of this explanation, and yet there -appeared to me something exceedingly strange in such a house being to -let at so low a rent, and which had just lost a tenant who had not -occupied it. - -"Is it in good repair?" I asked. - -"Frankly, it is not; but that is to your advantage." - -"How do you make that out?" - -"Because the landlord is inclined to be unusually liberal in the -matter. He will allow the incoming tenant a handsome sum in order that -he may effect the repairs in the manner that suits him best. There is -a little dilapidation, I believe, in one or two of the rooms, a bit of -the flooring loose here and there, some plaster has dropped from the -ceilings, and a few other such trifling details to be seen to; and the -garden, I think, will want attention." - -"The house seems to be completely out of repair?" - -"Oh, no, not at all; I am making the worst of it, so that you shall -not be disappointed. But there is the money provided to set things in -order." - -"Roughly speaking, what sum does the landlord propose to allow?" - -"Roughly speaking, a hundred pounds or so." - -"About one-third," I remarked, "of what I should judge to be -necessary." - -"Not at all; a great deal can be done with a hundred pounds; and my -client might feel disposed to increase the amount. You can examine the -house and see if it suits you, which I feel certain it will." - -Here my wife broke in. She had listened impatiently to my questions, -and had nodded her head in approval of every answer given by the agent -to the objections I had raised. - -"I am sure it will suit us," she said. "The next best thing to -building a house for one's self is to have a sufficient sum of money -allowed to spend on one already built; to repair it, and paint and -paper it after our own taste." - -"I agree with you, madam," said the agent, "and you will find the -landlord not at all a hard man to deal with. He makes only one -stipulation--that whoever takes the house shall live in it." - -"Why, of course we should live in it," said my wife. "What on earth -should we take it for if we didn't?" - -"Quite so," said the agent. - -"I should like to ask two more questions," I said. "Are the drains in -good order?" - -"The drains," replied the agent, "are perfection." - -"And is it damp?" - -"It is as dry," replied the agent, "as a bone." - -Some further conversation ensued, in which, however, I took no part, -leaving the management to my wife, who had evidently set her heart -upon moving to No. 79 Lamb's Terrace. The agent handed her the keys -with a bow and a smile, and we left his office. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - AN OLD FRIEND UNEXPECTEDLY PRESENTS - HIMSELF. - - -During the interview my attention had been attracted several times to -a peculiar incident. At the extreme end of Mr. Gascoigne's office, -close against the wall, was a high desk, with an old-fashioned railing -around it, the back of the desk being toward me. When we entered the -office no person was visible behind the desk, and no sounds of it -being occupied reached my ears; but, happening once to look -undesignedly in that direction, I saw a gray head raised above the -railings, the owner of which was regarding me, I thought, with a -certain eagerness and curiosity. The moment I looked at the head, -which I inferred was attached to the body of a clerk in the service of -Mr. Gascoigne, it disappeared, and I paid no attention to it. But -presently, turning again, I saw it bob up and as quickly bob down; and -as this was repeated five or six times during the interview, it made -me, in turn, curious to learn the reason of the proceedings. Finally, -upon my leaving the office, the head bobbed up and remained above the -desk, seemingly following my departure with increasing eagerness. - -"My dear," said my wife, as we walked along the street--very slowly, -because of the weary day we had had--"at last we have found what we -have been searching for so long." - -It did not strike me so, but I did not express my opinion. All I said -was, "I am tired out, and I am sure you must be." - -"I do feel tired, but I'm repaid for it. Yes, this is the very house -we have been hunting for; just the number of rooms we want, just the -kind of garden we want, and so many things we thought we couldn't -afford. Then the stable and coach-house--not that we have much use for -them, but it looks well to have them, and to speak of them to our -friends in an off-hand way. Then the fruit trees--what money it will -save us, gathering the fruit quite fresh as we want it! I have in my -eye the paper for the drawing and dining rooms; and your study, my -dear, shall be as cozy as money can make it. I have something to tell -you--a secret. I have put away--never mind where--a long stocking, and -in it there is a nice little sum saved up out of housekeeping pennies. -That money shall be spent in decorating No. 79 Lamb's Terrace." - -Thus rattled on this wonderful wife of mine, working herself into such -a state of rapture at the prospect of obtaining the Ideal Residence I -had drawn out for her, and which she believed she had obtained, that I -could not help admiring more and more her sanguine temperament and her -indomitable resolution. Her pluck, her endurance, her persistence, -were beyond praise; such women are cut out for pioneers in difficult -undertakings; they never give in, they never know when they are -beaten. In the midst of her glowing utterances I heard the sound of -rapid steps behind us, and, turning, saw the elderly man, whose head, -bobbing up and down in Mr. Gascoigne's office, had so engaged my -attention. He had been running after us very quickly, and his breath -was almost gone. - -"I beg your pardon, I beg your pardon," he said, speaking with -difficulty, "but--excuse me, I must get my breath." - -We waited till he had recovered, my wife with the expectation that he -was charged with a message from Mr. Gascoigne, I with no such -expectation. I felt that he had come after us on a purely personal -matter, and as I gazed at him I had an odd impression that, at some -period of my life, I had been familiar with a face like his. I could -not, however, bring to my mind any person resembling him. - -"The agent has given us the keys of the wrong house," whispered my -wife. "I hope it is no worse than that; I hope he hasn't made a -mistake in the rent." - -She was in great fear lest the splendid chance was gone and the house -in Lamb's Terrace was lost to us. - -"I am all right now," said the stranger, "and I must beg you to excuse -me if I am mistaken. I think not, for I seem to recognize your -features; and yet it is so long ago--so long ago!" - -The impression that I had known him in earlier years grew stronger. - -"I heard your name," he continued, "while I was working at my desk. -When you handed your card to Mr. Gascoigne he spoke it aloud, and I -recognized it as that of an old school friend. It so stirred me that I -fear you must have thought me rude for staring at you as I did. My -name is Millet, Bob Millet--don't you remember?" - -Good Heavens! My old schoolmate, Bob Millet, dear old Bob, almost my -brother, whom I had not seen for nearly forty years, stood before me. -What reminiscences did the sight of him inspire! He and I were chums -in those early days, stood up for each other, defended each other, -played truant together, took long walks, went into the country -together during holiday time--did everything, in short, that could -bind schoolboys in firm links of comradeship. Once, when my parents -took me to the seaside, they invited Bob at my urgent request to spend -a week with us, and he spent two, three--all the time, indeed, that we -were away from home. There at the seaside he taught me to swim, and we -had days of enjoyment so vivid that the memory of them came back to me -fresh and bright even after this lapse of years. How changed he was! -He was a plump, rosy-cheeked boy, and he had grown into a thin, spare, -elderly man, with all the plumpness and all the rosiness squeezed -clean out of him. It was a bit of a shock. He was younger than I, and -he looked twenty years older; his clothes were shabby, his face worn -and lined with care, as though life's battle had been too much for -him; while here was I, a fairly prosperous man, full of vigor and -capacity for enjoyment, and blessed with means for the indulgence of -pleasures which it was evident he could not afford. There was on my -part more of sadness than of joy in this meeting. I held out my hand -to him, and we greeted each other cordially. - -"My dear," I said to my wife, "this is my old school chum, Mr. -Millet." - -"Bob Millet, please," he said reproachfully; "don't drop me because I -am shabby." - -"I am not the sort of man to do that, Bob," I rejoined. "You have had -a tussle with fortune, old friend, and got the worst of it?" - -"Considerably," he replied, with a little laugh in which there was no -bitterness; it reminded me that when he was at school he always took a -cheerful view of any misfortune that happened to him; "but a meeting -like this makes up for a lot. What does the old song say? 'Bad luck -can't be prevented.' Well, I _am_ glad to see you! I ran after you -with a double purpose--first to shake hands with you, then to talk to -you about that house you are looking after." - -"All in good time. Have you done work for the day?" - -"Yes." - -"Come home with us and have a tea-dinner, unless," I added, "there is -someone else expecting you." - -"No one is expecting me," he said rather mournfully. "I am all alone." - -"Not married?" - -"I was, but I lost her." - -I pressed his hand sympathetically. - -"You can come along with us, then," said my good wife; "it will be -better than passing the evening with yourself for company; and I am -burning to hear what you have to tell us about the house in Lamb's -Terrace. I am fairly enchanted with it, even before I see it. There is -our 'bus; I hope there is room for us." - -There was room, and we got in, and alighted within thirty yards of our -house--our dear old house, which my wife was bent upon giving up. - -I took Bob to my dressing room, and we had a wash and a brush up. - -"Any children?" he asked. - -"No," I replied; "it caused us sorrow at first, but we get resigned to -things." - -"Yes, indeed." - -Downstairs my wife was waiting for us, and there was our tea-dinner -already prepared, with one or two additional small luxuries in honor -of our visitor. - -"Sit down, Bob," I said, "and make yourself at home. To you this is -Liberty Hall; we haven't a bit of pride in us, although my dear wife -here has an ambition for a larger house; that is why we are going to -move." - -"We can afford to move, Mr. Millet," said my wife with dignity. - -"I am very glad to hear it," said Bob; "it is always pleasant to hear -of a friend's good fortune." - -My wife smiled kindly, and we all made a good meal; and then she -bustled away to see to some domestic matters, while the maid cleared -the table. Before she left the room she said to Bob: - -"Mr. Millet, not a word about that delightful house until I join you." - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - BOB MILLET GIVES US SOME CURIOUS - INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOUSE - IN LAMB'S TERRACE. - - -"Now, Bob," said I, "here's a clean pipe and some bird's eye. Do you -remember our first cigar in your little bedroom in your father's -house? How we suffered, and vowed never to smoke again! We have time -for a pipe and a chat before my wife comes in. She has many virtues, -Bob, and a special one for which she deserves a medal--she does not -object to my smoking in any room in the house. Heaven knows what rules -she will lay down, and what changes for the worse there will be when -we move! I am not going to anticipate evils, however. Without -pretending that I am a philosopher, I take things as they come, and -try to make the best of them; it is the pleasantest way. Tell me what -you have been doing all these years." - -He told me all about himself--of his leaving school with fair -expectations; of his entering into his father's business; of his -marrying for love, and, after three years of happy married life, of -the death of his wife, and the ruin of his prospects; of his -subsequent struggles and disappointments; and of his sinking lower and -lower until he found himself fixed upon that depressing platform which -is crowded with poor clerks struggling with all their might and main -for bread and butter. Except when he spoke of his wife there was no -sadness in his voice; and I saw that the cheerful temperament which -had distinguished him when we were at school together had not deserted -him. - -"It has been a tussle," he said, "but I have managed to rub along, and -it might have been worse than it is. You don't mind my calling you -Ned, do you?" - -"If I did," I replied, "I should have good reason to be ashamed of -myself. It was Ned and Bob when we were boys; it is Ned and Bob now -that we are elderly men. A few pounds more in my purse than in yours -can make no difference; and as far as that goes, I can spare a little -check if you need it." - -"No, Ned," he responded quickly, "that is the last thing in the world -I hope I shall have to do. Though I don't sit down to a banquet every -day for dinner, I have never borrowed, and I never will if I can -possibly help it. Don't judge me by my sad looks--I have a -disagreeable impression that I am not a cheerful fellow to -contemplate; but if the truth were known there are much harder lots -than mine. I have a comical trick of twisting things to my own -advantage, and of rather pitying men who could sell me up over and -over again. Ned, as there is no station in life, however high, without -its miseries, so there is no station in life, however low, without its -compensations." - -"You're the philosopher, Bob," quoth I. - -"I don't know about that. I have grown into the belief that the poor -have as much enjoyment as the rich, and when I take a shilling's worth -in the gallery of a theater, I am positive that I don't get less -pleasure out of it than the people who sit in the stalls do out of -their half-guineas. If I am a philosopher that is the use I make of my -philosophy. Then, Ned, I have the past to think of; for three years -there was no happier man than I, and my sad memories are sweetened -with gratitude. And life is short after all; time flies; tomorrow we -shall all be on a level, rich and poor alike." - -Thus spoke my old schoolfellow, Bob Millet, in his shabby coat, and -the regard I used to have for him grew stronger every minute that -passed. - -When my wife came in, bustling and cheerful as usual, she nodded -brightly at us, sat down with a piece of needlework in her hand--she -is never idle, this wife of mine--and said: - -"Now, Mr. Millet, let us hear about the house in Lamb's Terrace." - -"I will tell you all I know. Have you the keys, Ned?" - -"My wife has," I replied. - -She opened her bag and took them out, remarking, as she wiped her -fingers, that they were very dusty. - -"As you see," observed Bob, "they are covered with rust." - -"They could have been used very little lately," I said. - -"Hardly at all," said Bob; "and this is one of the singular features -in connection with the house with which you should be made acquainted. -Did not the information Mr. Gascoigne gave you of the last tenant -strike you as rather extraordinary?" He turned to my wife for an -answer, but she did not reply. - -"It struck me as very extraordinary," I said. "I could not understand -it at all, nor can I now understand why a house, with so many rooms, -with stabling, a large garden, and so many other advantages, should be -offered at so low a rent." - -Bob looked at me, looked at my wife, hesitated, coughed, cleared his -throat, and spoke. - -"As a matter of fact, the house has been empty for four or five -years." - -"Really a matter of fact?" inquired my wife. "Within your own -knowledge?" - -"Not exactly that; I can speak only of what I have gathered." - -"So that your matter of fact," observed my wife shrewdly, "is merely -hearsay." - -"I must admit as much, I am afraid," he said a little awkwardly. - -"Why should you be afraid to admit it?" - -I detected in these questions one of my wife's favorite maneuvers. -When she met with opposition to a project which she had resolved to -carry out, she was in the habit of seizing upon any chance words which -she could construe in such a way as to confuse and confound the enemy. -Often had she driven me so hard that I have been compelled to beat a -retreat in despair, and to give up arguing with her. - -"Upon my word I don't know why," said Bob. "It was only a form of -speech. I seem to be getting into a tangle." - -"I will assist you to get out of it," said my wife, with playful -severity. "Go on, Mr. Millet." - -"It was originally taken on lease," continued Bob, "and the term -having expired, the tenant--I suppose we must call him so--wished to -renew. The landlord says, 'I will renew on one condition, that you -live in the house.' The tenant objects. 'What does it matter,' he -says, 'whether I live in the house or not, so long as the rent is -paid?' The landlord replies that it matters a great deal, that a house -cannot be kept in a satisfactory condition unless it is occupied, and -that he does not like to see his property fall into decay, as this -house has been allowed to do." - -"Did you hear these words pass, Mr. Millet?" asked my wife. - -"No; I am only throwing into shape what I have gathered." - -Here we were interrupted by a knock at the door, and my wife was -called from the room to see a tradesman whom she had sent for to put -some locks in order. As she left us she gave Bob rather a queer look. -I took advantage of her absence by asking Bob why he hesitated when he -began to speak about the house. - -"Well," he answered, "this is the first time I have had the pleasure -of seeing your wife, and I don't know if she is a nervous woman." - -"She is not easily frightened," I said, "but what has that to do with -it?" - -"Everything. I have heard that the house is haunted." - -I clapped my hand on the table. "And that is the reason of the low -rent?" - -"It looks like it, doesn't it?" - -"And that is why the last tenant did not live in it?" - -"Ah," said Bob, "now you strike another key. There is a mystery here -which I cannot fathom. Having a house on lease and being responsible -for the rent, he is bound to pay till his term has expired. Very -well--but here's the point, Ned: The lease having run out, and he -having all these years presumably paid a large sum of money every -quarter-day for value not received, why should he wish to renew? The -house is haunted, he will not live in it, he never even opens the door -to say how do you do to the property which is costing him so dear, and -now that his responsibility is at an end he wants to take it upon his -shoulders again, and to be allowed the privilege of continuing to pay -his rent without receiving any return for it. Men don't usually throw -their money away without some special reason, and this eccentric -proceeding on the part of the last tenant makes one rather curious." - -"It is certainly very mysterious," I observed. "What was the rent he -paid for it?" - -"I heard Mr. Gascoigne say a hundred and fifty pounds." - -"And it is offered to us for ninety. Have you seen the house, Bob?" - -"No." - -"Mr. Gascoigne has, I suppose." - -"I don't believe he has." - -"Then how have you learnt all you have told me?" - -"In this way. I was at my desk when the landlord--who is himself -only a leaseholder, having to pay ground rent to a wealthy -institution--called upon Mr. Gascoigne, and put the house into his -hands. Mr. Gascoigne, when he wrote down the particulars, expressed, -as you did, surprise at the low rent, and little by little all the -particulars came out. There appeared to me to be some feeling between -the landlord and the last tenant, but nothing transpired as to its -nature while I was present, and it is my belief that Mr. Gascoigne is -as much in the dark as I am. There had been trouble in obtaining the -keys, I understood. A house agent, you know, never refuses business, -and Mr. Gascoigne put the place on his books, but has not pushed it in -any way. He did not mention it to you till he had exhausted the list -of other available houses. It was only this morning that the rent was -reduced in the books to ninety pounds, in accordance with instructions -received from the landlord, and it was probably in accordance with -those instructions that Mr. Gascoigne made a strong effort to -prepossess you in favor of it. Your wife may be in any moment. Is she -to know that the house is haunted?" - -I rubbed my forehead; I pondered; I laughed aloud. - -"Tell her, Bob," I said; and then, at the idea of all her fond hopes -being once more dashed to the ground, I fairly held my sides, while -Bob gazed at me in wonder. I did not explain to him the cause of my -hilarity; I had no time, indeed, for my wife re-entered the room, and -resumed her seat and her needlework. I composed my features the moment -I heard her footstep; she would certainly have asked why I was so -merry, and any explanation I might have ventured to offer would have -been twisted by her to my shame and confusion, and would, moreover, -have made her more determined than ever to take the house. - -"Where did we leave off, Mr. Millet?" she said, in a suspicious tone. -"Let me see--I think it was about the house falling into decay." - -"Never mind that just now, Maria," I said. "Bob has something of the -utmost importance to impart to you. Brace your nerves--prepare for a -shock." - -There was a note of triumph in my voice, and she turned her eyes upon -me, with an idea, I think, that I was going out of my mind. - -"Well, Mr. Millet," she said, with a shrewd glance at him, "what is -this something of the highest importance that you have to impart to -me?" - -"I was reluctant to mention it," said Bob, "before I spoke of it to -Ned, because I was doubtful how it would affect you. If you should -happen to hear of it when it was too late to retract you might say -with very good reason, 'But why did not Mr. Millet tell us before we -went over the house? Why did he leave us to find it out for ourselves -after we signed the lease?'" - -"Find what out, Mr. Millet?" - -"As a matter of fact," said Bob, and quickly withdrew the unfortunate -phrase, "I mean that I have heard the house has a bad name." - -She frowned. - -"A bad name!" - -"Bad, in a certain way, They say it is haunted." - -"Oh," said my wife, smiling, "is that all? They say? Who say?" - -"I can't give you names," replied Bob, conspicuously nonplused, -"because I don't know them. I can only tell you what I have heard." - -"I thought as much," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. -"Merely hearsay. You might be more explicit, Mr. Millet. Haunted? By -what?" - -"I don't know." - -"When does _It_ appear?" - -"I can't say." - -"How tantalizing! Don't you think, Edward, that the news Mr. Millet -has given us makes the house all the more interesting?" - -Thus effectually did she sweep away all my fond expectations. She made -no more of a haunted house than she would have done of a loose handle -to a door. - -"If that is the view you take of it," I said, "perhaps it does. I am -always ready to please you, Maria, but till this moment I had no idea -that your taste lay in the direction of haunted houses. At all events, -you will not be able to say that you were not warned." - -"You will not hear me say it. There is a proverb about giving a dog a -bad name and hanging him at once, and it seems to me to apply to the -house in Lamb's Terrace. If Mr. Millet could give us something to lay -hold of I might express myself differently." - -"You can't lay hold of a ghost, Maria, unless those gentry have -undergone a radical change. For my part, I am much obliged to Bob. It -was out of consideration for you that he did not mention it at first." - -"Mr. Millet was very kind, I am sure," she said stiffly; and then, -addressing him as though she would give him another chance, "Are you -acquainted with the last tenant?" - -"No, I have never seen him." - -"What is his name?" - -"I do not know." - -"Where does he live?" - -"I do not know." - -"Now, _do_ you think," she said, quizzing him, "that it is quite fair -to take away the character of an empty house upon such slender -grounds? It is like hitting a man when he's down, which I have heard -is not considered manly." - -"I assure you," replied Bob gravely, "that what I have said has been -said with the best intentions." - -"No doubt," said my wife composedly, meaning quite the other thing. -"Edward, our best plan will be to go and look over the house the first -thing in the morning." - -"That settles it, Bob," I said, "for the present, at all events. What -do you say to coming here tomorrow evening and hearing our report of -the house?" - -He looked at my wife, as if doubtful whether a second visit would be -agreeable to her; but she nodded pleasantly, and said: - -"Yes, come, Mr. Millet; perhaps we shall be able to surprise you." - -"Thank you," said Bob, and we talked of old times with rather eager -readiness, and for the rest of the evening carefully avoided the -subject which had so nearly brought him to grief. At ten o'clock he -took his departure, and a few minutes afterward Maria and I retired to -our bedroom. - -"Good-night, dear," she said, in her most amiable tone, as I put out -the light. - -"Good-night, dear," I replied, and disposed myself for sleep. - -We are both healthy sleepers, and generally go off like a top, as the -saying is, a very short time after our heads touch the pillows. But -this night proved to be an exception, for we must have lain quite a -quarter of an hour in darkness when my wife began to speak. - -"Are you asleep, Edward?" - -"No, Maria." - -"Do you know," she said drowsily, "I have a funny idea in my head." - -"Have you?" - -"Yes. It is that you and Mr. Millet laid a little plot for me." - -"It isn't a funny idea, Maria; it is a perfectly absurd idea." - -"That is what _you_ say, dear; it is never agreeable to be found out. -I dare say you thought yourselves very clever. It hasn't raised my -opinion of Mr. Millet. I should have liked to believe him a different -kind of person." - -"Whatever are you driving at, Maria?" I said. "Bob Millet is the -simplest fellow in the world, and is incapable of laying a plot." - -"Oh, there's no telling. You were old playmates, and he is anxious to -please you; he will find out by and by, perhaps, that I am not quite -the simpleton he takes me for." - -"Poor old Bob!" I thought. "His ill-luck sticks to him." - -Aloud I said, "You are a conundrum, Maria; I shall give you up." - -"Better give up the plot," she said pleasantly. - -"I will, when I know what it is." - -"It was this--that you would invent a ridiculous story about the house -I have set my heart upon taking being haunted, so that I should be -frightened to go near it. You ought to have known me better, Edward, -and I must say you did it very clumsily; my consolation is that you -did not succeed. I am so sorry for you! Good-night, dear; I hope you -will sleep well." - -I did sleep fairly well, though I was kept awake longer than usual by -my annoyance at the prejudice Maria entertained against my old friend -Bob. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - WE LOOK OVER THE HOUSE IN LAMB'S TERRACE, - AND RECEIVE A SHOCK. - -We rose earlier than usual the next morning, and my wife bustled about -in lively expectation of a successful and pleasant day. She made no -allusion to Bob Millet, and I, well acquainted with her moods, was -aware that her silence was no indication that she was not thinking of -him. My meeting with him had recalled agreeable memories, and I was -sincerely sorry that he had not been successful in life's battle. I -resolved to assist him if I could, though I could not exactly see a -way to it, because of his aversion to borrowing money, and because, -living retired as I was, with no business to attend to, it was out of -my power to offer him a better situation than the one he occupied in -Mr. Gascoigne's office. Anxious that my wife should have as high an -opinion of him as I had myself, I made an effort to reinstate him in -her good graces. - -"I think, Maria," I said, during breakfast, "that you were inclined to -do Bob an injustice last night. He had no desire whatever to set you -against the house in Lamb's Terrace, but only to give us some -information which he considered it his duty not to withhold from us. -He was perfectly sincere in all he said, and perfectly truthful, and -you must admit that he did give us some strange news." - -"Yes, he did," she replied, "and it remains to be proved whether it is -true; we should not be too ready to believe all the idle gossip we -hear." - -"Undoubtedly we should not; but if there is anything against the -place, it is better that we should hear it before we decide upon -living in it. When I was a boy an aunt of mine took a house, and -afterward discovered that a murder had been committed in her bedroom. -She didn't have a moment's peace in her life; she used to wake up in -the middle of the night, and fancy all sorts of things. I remember her -spending an evening with us at home, and starting at the least sound; -her nerves were shattered, and my poor dear mother said she couldn't -live long. She told us stories of horrid sights she saw in the house, -and horrid sounds she heard, and my hair rose on my head. I didn't -sleep a wink myself that night. Now, if she had known all this before -she took the house, she would have been spared a great deal of -suffering." - -"Did she die soon after?" asked my practical wife. - -"No," I replied; and I could not help laughing at my defeat, the moral -of the story being absolutely destructive of the theory I wished to -establish; "as a matter of fact, she lived to a good old age." - -"I don't quite see the application, Edward," said my wife dryly; and I -deemed it prudent to change the subject. Maria is not an unreasonable -or an unjust woman, and I gathered from her manner that she intended -to hold over her final verdict upon Bob's character until she had -ascertained what dependence could be placed upon the information he -had given us. - -Upon looking through the local directory, the only reference I could -find to Lamb's Terrace was the name under the initial L, "Lamb's -Terrace." - -"It is singular," I said. "The number of the house we are going to is -79, and the presumption is that there are other houses in the terrace, -with people living in them, yet there is no list of them in this -directory." - -My wife turned over the pages, but could find no further reference to -the place. - -"It _is_ rather singular," she said, and handed me back the book. - -A few minutes afterward we were on our way, having been informed by -Mr. Gascoigne on the previous day that a North Star 'bus would take us -to the neighborhood in which it was situated. - -"How many houses are we going to look over?" I inquired. - -"Only one," replied my wife, "and if that doesn't suit us I really -don't know what we shall do." - -With all my heart I wished that it would not suit us. Reluctant as I -had been, when we first commenced these wearisome journeys, to remove -from our old home, I felt now, after the experiences I had gone -through, that it would be a positive misfortune. - -Lamb's Terrace was not easy to find. The conductor of the North Star -'bus knew nothing of it, and said he had best take us as far as his -conveyance went, and set us down. This was done, no other course -suggesting itself to us; he took us as far as he went, and then cast -us adrift upon the world. We made inquiries of many persons, and the -replies we received added to our confusion. Women especially set their -tongues wagging with astonishing recklessness, for they were totally -ignorant of the subject upon which they were offering an opinion. But -they gave instructions and advice, which we followed, for the reason -that we did not know what else we could do. Some said they thought -Lamb's Terrace must lie in this direction; we went in this direction, -and did not find it. Others said it must lie in that direction; and we -went in that direction, with the same result. We requested sundry -cabmen to drive us to 79 Lamb's Terrace, and they nodded their heads -cheerfully and asked where Lamb's Terrace was. We could not inform -them. "Do _you_ know Lamb's Terrace?" they asked their comrades, who -scratched their heads and passed the question along the rank, and -eventually said they were blarmed (or something worse) if they did. -The consequence was that they lost a fare, and that we were cast -adrift again. - -At length, after tramping about for nearly two hours, we found -ourselves in what I can only describe as a locality which had lost its -place in civilized society. It was deplorably desolate and forlorn, -and its dismal aspect suggested the thought that it had been abandoned -in despair. Fields had been dug up, but not leveled; roads had been -marked out, but not formed; buildings had been commenced, but not -proceeded with. Rubbish had been shot there freely. Empty cans, -battered out of shape, broken bottles, dead branches, musty rags, -useless pieces of iron and wood, and the worst refuse of the dustbin, -lay all around. If there had ever been a time in its history--and it -seemed as if there had been, and not so very long ago--when it -deserved to be regarded as a region of good intentions, its character -was gone entirely, and it could now only be regarded as a region of -desolation. Wandering about this mournful region, my wife suddenly -exclaimed: - -"Why, here it is!" - -And there it was. A narrow thoroughfare, not wide enough for two -vehicles to pass each other, with the words "Lamb's Terrace" faintly -discernible on the crumbling stones. - -"Shall we go on?" I asked. - -"Of course we will go on," replied my wife. "What did we come out for? -And after the trouble we have had to get here!" - -We turned at once into the narrow lane. On the right-hand side was a -gloomy house, untenanted. Beyond this was a long wall, very much out -of repair. On the opposite side there were no houses at all, but -another long wall, also very much out of repair. I searched for the -number of the gloomy untenanted house, but could not see one, and my -wife suggested that the house we wanted was lower down. We went lower -down, and passed the gloomy house a distance of fifty or sixty yards, -between the said walls. So still and deathlike was everything around, -and so secluded did Lamb's Terrace appear to be that I regarded it as -being not only lost to society, but almost out of the world. - -I glanced at my wife, and saw on her face no traces of disappointment. -Her spirits were not so easily dashed as mine. - -Having traversed these fifty or sixty yards we came to the end of the -right-hand wall. Adjoining it was a large building, in rueful harmony -with all the depressing characteristics of the neighborhood. The house -was approached by a front garden choked up with weeds and rank grass, -and inclosed by rusty and broken railings; at the end of this garden -was a flight of stone steps. The gate creaked on its hinges as I -pushed it open, and a prolonged wheeze issued from the joints; the -sound was ludicrously and painfully human, and resembled that which -might have been uttered by a rheumatic old woman in pain. My wife -pushed past me, and I followed her up the flight of stone steps. - -"There is a number on the door," she said, tiptoeing. "Yes, here it -is, 79, almost rubbed out." - -"Numbers 1 to 78," I grimly remarked, "must be somewhere round the -corner, if there is any round the corner in the neighborhood; they are -perhaps two or three miles off." - -"My dear," said my wife bravely, "don't be prejudiced. Here is the -house; what we have to do is to see whether it will suit us." - -"You would not care to go into it alone," I said. - -"I should not," she admitted, with praiseworthy candor; "but that is -not to the point." - -I thought it was; but I did not argue the matter. She had removed from -the keys as much rust as she could, and had had the foresight to bring -with her a small bottle of oil, without the aid of which I doubt if we -should have been able to turn the key in the lock. After a deal of -trouble this was accomplished, and the mysterious tenement was open to -us; as the door creaked upon its hinges, the sound that tortured my -ears was infinitely more lugubrious than that which had issued from -the gate, and it produced upon me the same impression of human -resemblance. When we entered the hall I asked my wife whether I should -close the street door. - -"Certainly," she said. "Why not?" - -I did not answer her. Have her way she would, and it was useless to -argue with her. I closed the door, and felt as if I had entered a -tomb. - -The entrance hall was spacious, and shaped like an alcove; there was a -door on the right, and another on the left; in the center was a wide -staircase, leading to the rooms above; farther along the passage was a -masked door, leading to the rooms below. - -"Upstairs or downstairs first?" I inquired. - -"Downstairs," my wife replied. - -The stairs to the basement were very dark, and my wife, prepared for -all such emergencies, produced a candle and matches. Lighting the -candle we descended to the stone passage. There was a dreary and -gloomy kitchen; there was a large scullery, a larder and all necessary -offices, cobwebbed and musty; also two rooms which could be used as -living rooms. The glass-paneled doors of both these rooms opened out -into the back garden, which was in worse condition and more choked up -with weeds, and rank grass, and monstrous creepers than the ground in -front of the house; two greenhouses were at the extreme end, and there -were some trees dotted about, but whether they were fruit trees it was -impossible to say without a closer examination. - -"I don't think," said my wife, "we will go over the garden just now. -It looks as if it was full of creeping things." - -"The rooms we have seen are not much better, Maria." - -"They are not, indeed; I never saw a place in such a dreadful state." - -I was more than ordinarily depressed. As a rule these expeditions -invariably had a dispiriting effect upon me, but I had never felt so -melancholy as I did on this occasion. I made no inquiry into my wife's -feelings; I considered it best that she should work out the matter for -herself; the chances of my emerging a victor from the contest in which -we were engaged would be all the more promising. - -We ascended to the hall, and then I observed to my wife that we had -forgotten to examine the stabling and the wine cellar; we had even -neglected the coal cellars. - -"We won't bother about them to-day," she said, and despite my -despondency I inwardly rejoiced. - -I had also learned to prepare myself for the trials of this -house-hunting. In my side pocket were two flasks, one containing -water, the other brandy. I had often grown faint during our -wanderings, and a sup of brandy now and then had kept up my strength. -I saw that my wife was lower spirited than usual, and I mixed some -spirits and water in the tin cup attached to one of the flasks. She -accepted the refreshment eagerly, and I took a larger draught myself, -and was much cheered by it. - -"It always," said my wife, in a brighter tone, "makes one feel rather -faint to look over a house which has been empty a long time, -especially a house which is so far away from--from any others." - -"It is almost as if we were in a grave," I observed. - -"How _can_ you say such dreadful things!" she retorted. "If I were a -man I should have more courage." - -There were three rooms on the ground floor, each of considerable -dimensions, and all in shocking dilapidation. The paper had peeled off -the walls, and was hanging in tattered strips to the ground; -quantities of plaster had dropped from the ceilings, and here and -there the bare rafters were exposed; there were holes in the flooring; -the grates were cracked, the hearths broken up. - -"A hundred pounds," I observed, "would not go far toward making this -house habitable." - -"It wouldn't be half enough," said my wife. - -Upon quitting the dining room I inquired whether she wished to go any -further. - -"I am going," she said stoutly, "all over the house." - -Upstairs we went to the first floor, where we found the rooms in a -similar condition to those below. - -"Disgraceful!" exclaimed my wife. "No wonder the landlord was -indignant with the last tenant." - -In due course we found ourselves on the second floor, and we stood in -a large room, the windows of which faced the garden in the rear. I had -opened the door of this room with difficulty, and the moment we -entered it slammed to, which I ascribed to the wind blowing through -some broken panes. By this time I perceived plainly that my wife's -spirits were down to zero, and I was comforted by the reflection that -looking over a house so wretched, so forlorn, so woe-begone, would, -after all we had gone through, be the last straw that would break the -back of her determination to move. We had been in the house about half -an hour, and nothing but her indomitable spirit had sustained her in -the trying ordeal. - -In the room in which we were now standing there were two bell-pulls; -one was broken, the other appeared to be in workable condition. It -was not to prove this, but out of an idle humor as I thought at the -time--though I was afterward inclined to change my opinion, and to -ascribe the action to a spiritual impulse--that I stepped to the -unbroken bell-pull, and gave it a jerk. It is not easy to describe -what followed. Bells jangled and tolled and clanged as though I had -set in motion a host in of infernal and discordant tongues of metal, -and had raised the dead from their graves to take part in the harsh -concert, for indeed there seemed to be something horribly fiendish, in -the discord, which was at once hoarse, strident, shrill, and -sepulchral, and finally resolved itself into a low, muffled wail which -ran through the house like a funereal peal. With the exception of our -own voices and footsteps and the slamming of the doors we had opened -and shut, these were the only sounds we had heard, and they brought a -chill to our hearts. - -"How awful!" whispered my wife. - -I nodded, and held up my hand. The last echo of the bells had died -away, and now there came another sound, so startling and appalling -that my wife clutched me in terror. - -"My God!" she cried; "someone is coming upstairs!" - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - THE ANSWER TO THE BELL. - - -We stood transfixed with fear. - -As I have said, we were on the second floor, and the sound which now -filled us with apprehension proceeded from the lower part of the -house. It was very faint, and I judged--though in such circumstances -but small reliance could be placed upon any judgment I may have -formed--that if human feet produced it they must have been encased in -soft shoes or slippers. It has ever since been to me a matter for -wonder how a sound so fine could have reached our ears from that -distance. It must have been that our senses, refined instead of dulled -by the despair which held us spellbound, were preternaturally -sharpened to catch the note of warning which at any other time would -have been inaudible. - -At the moment, therefore, of my wife's frenzied exclamation I inferred -that the feet had left the kitchen and were on the stairs leading from -the basement to the hall. If my surmise was correct there were still -two flights of stairs to ascend before the full horror of the incident -would be revealed to us. - -I have described the impression produced upon me when we first turned -into Lamb's Terrace, of being, as it were, cut off from the world. -There was not an inhabited house near us. We had not seen a human -being in the thoroughfare, and, as the prospect, from the windows of -the room in which we now stood, stretched across a bare and desolate -waste of ground, there was absolutely no hope of any helpful response -being made to our appeals for assistance. - -The possibilities of the peril in which we had placed ourselves -presented themselves vividly to my agitated mind. The house, having -been for so many years deserted by its proper tenant, might have -become the haunt of desperate characters who would shrink from no -deed, however ruthless, to secure their safety; who might even hail -with satisfaction the intrusion of respectable persons who had -unconsciously put themselves in their power. Supposing that these -evil-doers were concealed in the lower rooms when we entered, they -could rob and murder us with little fear of discovery. But there was -also the consoling reflection that they might be in the house with no -sinister designs, and that their only anxiety now was to escape from a -building into which they had made an unlawful entrance. This would -soon be put to the proof. If, when they were on the landing of the -ground floor, we heard the street door open and shut, the fears which -oppressed us would be dispelled, and we should be able to breathe -freely. - -I perceived that my wife was animated by a similar hope, and we both -strained our ears in the endeavor to follow with our terrified senses -the progress of the sound. - -It ceased awhile on the ground floor, and we listened in agonized -suspense for the click of a latch and the harsh creak of rusty hinges, -but no such comforting sounds reached our ears, and presently the dead -silence was broken by the soft pit-pat of footsteps on the stairs -leading to the first floor. My wife's hold upon me tightened. - -"We are lost!" she moaned. "What shall we do--oh, what shall we do?" - -I had no weapon about me with the exception of a small penknife, which -was practically useless in such an encounter as that in which I -expected soon to be engaged. A peaceful citizen like myself had no -need to carry weapons. I looked around the room for one. There was not -an article of furniture in it--not a stick. I would have given the -world for an ax or a piece of iron with which I could have made some -kind of defense. We were absolutely helpless and powerless, and it was -my terror that made me certain that we were threatened by more than -one enemy. To go from the room and meet the persons who were advancing -toward us would be an act of madness, and would in all probability but -hasten our fate. We must remain where we were, and wait for events; no -reasonable alternative was open to us. - -Pat, pat, pat, came the sound to our ears; nearer, nearer, nearer; not -boldly, as if those from whom it proceeded were engaged upon an open -and honest mission, but stealthily and covertly, as though they -desired all knowledge of their movements to be concealed from their -victims. - -The footsteps had now reached the landing of the first floor and, -after another deathlike pause, commenced to ascend the stairs which -led directly to us. - -"Can't you do something, Edward?" whispered my agonized wife, wringing -her hands. "Can't you lock the door?" - -It is strange that the fact of the door being unlocked had not -occurred to me before. I rushed to it instantly, and a sigh of intense -relief escaped me at finding the key in the lock. I turned it like -lightning, and we were so far safe. Then my wife flew to the window, -and, throwing it open, began to scream for help--that is to say, she -would have screamed if she had had the power, but her voice was almost -frozen in her throat, and the sounds that issued from her were of a -ravenlike hoarseness, and could have traveled but a few yards; too -short a distance in our lonely situation to be of any practical value. -Soon I added my shouts to her hoarse scream. They were sent forth to a -dead world; to our frantic appeals no answer was made. - -Meanwhile, occupied as I was, I could still pay some attention to what -was passing on the stairs that led to the room. I had indulged in a -faint hope that our cries would alarm those without, and would induce -them to forego their murderous attack upon us, but the stealthy pat, -pat, pat of the footsteps continued, and were now in the middle of the -staircase; there could be but a few more stairs to ascend. Still -another hope remained--that when the footsteps reached the second -landing they would proceed onward to the top of the house. This last -hope, like those which had preceded it, was not fulfilled. Nearer, -nearer, nearer they approached, until they were close to the door; -then there was another pause; no further sounds were heard. - -My impression now was that the villains who had a design against -us--for by this time I entertained no doubt of their diabolical -purpose, and that we were in the direst peril--were making -preparations to carry it into effect. Presently they would try the -handle of the door, and, discovering that it was locked, would burst -it open and spring upon us. - -A long and awful silence ensued, during which the agonizing question -occupied my mind, what was being done outside the door? The torture of -the suspense was maddening; the silence was more harrowing than the -footsteps themselves had been. I was soon to receive an appalling -answer to the question. - -The door--notwithstanding my firm belief that I had securely locked -it--slowly and noiselessly opened. My heart beat wildly, but I held -myself ready, so far as lay in my poor power, to meet the attack with -which we were threatened. And now the door stood wide open, and I saw -no form of man or woman. But gradually there shaped itself in the air -the outline of a female shape, a shadow, which as I gazed grew more -distinct, and yet was never quite vivid to my sight. It was the figure -of a young girl, poorly dressed, with carpet slippers on her feet. Her -hair was hanging loose, and the tattered remnants of a cap attached to -it was an indication that her station in life was--or more properly -speaking, had been--that of a domestic servant. Her face was white and -wan, and her large gray eyes were fixed mournfully upon me. There was -a dead beauty in their depths which seemed to speak of glowing hopes -of youth prematurely blasted and destroyed, and, though the features -of the apparition were but airy outlines, I could not fail to perceive -that in a bygone time they had been comely and prepossessing. - -More terrible than any form of living man or woman was this appalling -spectacle as it stood, silent and still, upon the threshold. Had the -bell I rang summoned it from the grave? For what purpose had it come? -What did it require of me? It is probable that I should have mustered -courage to ask some such questions as these, and indeed I was aware -that my lips were moving, but no sound issued from them--my voice was -gone; I could not utter an audible sound. - -For several minutes, as it seemed to me, though it could not have been -so long, did I continue to gaze upon the figure. I had directed a -brief glance at its feet, but when my eyes traveled up to its face -they became magnetized, as it were. The spell was broken by a movement -on the ground, not proceeding from the apparition of the girl. I -looked down, and there, gliding past the upright spectral figure, I -saw creeping toward me a skeleton cat. - -It was veritably a skeleton, and was to my sight as impalpable as the -young girl. Through its skin, almost bare of hair, its bones were -sharply outlined. It was black; its ears were pointed, its eyes were -yellow, its mouth was open, showing its sharp teeth. - -This second apparition added to my horror, which grew deeper and -deeper as the cat, with gliding motion, approached me. Had its paws -left upon the ground a bloody imprint I could not have been more -awestricken. It paused a few inches from me, where it crouched -motionless so long as I remained so. When I moved it accompanied me, -and when I stopped it stopped, waiting for a mandate from me to set it -in motion. - -Raising my eyes to the door I discovered to my amazement that the -figure of the girl had vanished. Nerving myself to the effort, I -stepped softly into the passage and gazed along and at the staircases -above and below me, but saw no movement of substance or shadow. -Returning to the room I was irresistibly impelled by a desire to -convince myself whether the cat which had accompanied me to and fro -was as palpable to touch as to sight. Kneeling to put this to the test -I found myself kneeling on my wife's dress. So engrossed had I been in -the astounding apparitions that I had paid no attention to her, and -now I saw that she had fainted. Before devoting myself to her I passed -my hand over the cat and came in contact with nothing in the shape of -substance. It was truly a specter, and I beheld it as clearly as I -beheld the body of my wife lying at my side. - -I took my flask from my pocket and bathed my wife's forehead, and -poured a few drops of brandy and water down her throat, and I was -presently relieved by seeing her eyes open. She closed them again -immediately, and said, in a whisper: - -"Is it gone?" - -Anxious to learn what she had seen--for I inwardly argued that I might -myself be the victim of a strange delusion--I met her inquiry by -asking: - -"Is what gone, Maria?" - -"The girl," she murmured; "that dreadful figure that came into the -room?" - -"Look for yourself," I said. - -It was not without apprehension that I made the request, and I -nervously followed the direction of her eyes. - -"It is not in the room," she sighed. "But, Edward, who opened the -door?" - -"The wind blew it open, most likely." - -"You locked it, Edward! I heard you turn the key in the lock." - -"I thought I did, but I must have been mistaken. Terrified as we were, -how could we trust the evidence of our senses? And do you suppose -there's a lock in the house in proper order?" - -"It must have been my fancy. Did _you_ see nothing?" - -How should I answer her? Revive her terror by telling her that she was -under no delusion, but that the spectral figure of the young girl had -really presented itself; or, out of kindness to her, strive to banish -her fears by a pardonable falsehood? - -Before I decided how to act I felt it necessary to ascertain whether -the cat lying in full view to me was visible to her. - -"Maria," I said, "take the evidence of your senses. Look round the -room--at the door, at the walls, at the ceiling, on the floor--and -tell me what you see." - -With timid eyes she obeyed, and glanced in every direction, not -omitting the spot upon which the skeleton cat was lying. - -"I don't see anything, Edward." - -"Does not that prove that the figure you spoke of was a trick of the -imagination?" - -"You actually saw nothing?" - -"Nothing." - -All this time she had been sitting on the floor, keeping tight hold of -me. I assisted her to her feet; she was so weak that she could hardly -stand. - -"For Heaven's sake!" she said "do not let us remain in the house -another minute." - -I was as anxious to leave as she was, and had I been alone I should -have rushed downstairs in blind haste, but I had to attend to my wife. -The power of rapid motion had deserted her, and when we were about to -pass through the passage she shrunk back, fearing that the apparition -of the young girl was lurking there. She experienced the same fear as -we descended the stairs, and clung to me in terror when we approached -an open door. I was grateful that the apparition of the cat--which -followed us faithfully down to the hall--was invisible to her; if it -had not been she would have lost her senses again, and it would have -been hard work for me to carry her out, as she is by no means of a -light weight. - -The question which now agitated me was whether the cat would come into -the streets with us, or would return to the resting place which should -have been its last. It was soon and plainly answered. - -I opened the street door, and stood upon the threshold. The cat stood -there also. I paused to give it the opportunity of returning, but it -evinced no desire to do so. I went down the stone steps to the front -garden; the cat accompanied me. I walked through the front garden out -of the gate, straight into Lamb's Terrace, and thence across the -wretched wastes of ground into more cheerful thoroughfares; and the -skeleton cat was by my side the whole of the time. - -The evidence of civilized life by which we were now surrounded -restored Maria's spirits; she found her tongue. - -"Why did you stop on the doorstep, Edward?" she asked. - -"I had to lock the street door," I answered. - -"We will not take that house, my dear," she said. - -"No, we will not take it." - -Some unaccustomed note in my voice struck her as strange. - -"Is anything the matter with you?" she asked. - -"No," I replied, glancing at the cat, "nothing." - -"What are you looking at? Why are your eyes wandering so?" - -"My dear," I said, with an attempt to speak in a lively tone, and -failing dismally, "I must be a bit unstrung, that is all." - -She accepted my explanation as satisfactory. - -"No wonder," she said; "I would not go through such another trial for -all the money in the world." - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - I MAKE SOME SINGULAR EXPERIMENTS. - - -For a little while we walked along in silence, and then I asked my -wife whether she would ride or walk home. - -"I should prefer to walk," she said; "it is early, and the air is -fresh and reviving. Things look all the brighter now we are out of -that horrible place. A walk will do us good." - -I made no demur, though I was curious to see what the skeleton cat -would do when we entered an omnibus full of people. It would -experience a difficulty in finding a place on the floor of the 'bus, -and there would be no room for it to stretch itself comfortably on the -seats. I wished to ascertain, also, whether among a number of -strangers there would be one to whom it would make itself visible. I -peered into the faces of the passers-by with this thought in my mind, -but I saw no expression of surprise in them, notwithstanding that the -cat seemed to touch their legs in brushing past. Again and again did I -turn my eyes away from the apparition; and again and again, looking -down at my feet, I beheld it as clearly as if it were an actual living -example of its species. Once we got into a crowd and I hoped that I -had lost it. No such luck; it evinced no disposition to leave me. - -"Edward," said my wife, "I am sure you are not well. I have tired you -out with this eternal looking over houses to let. You have been very -patient with me"--she pressed my arm affectionately--"and I will try -and make it up to you. I know you never really wished to move." - -"I never wished it, Maria." - -"And you have gone through all this for my sake. I don't like to give -up a thing once I have set my mind on it,--you know that of old, my -dear,--but the experiences of this morning will last me a lifetime; so -I will give this up." - -"The idea of moving?" I asked in a dull voice. "You give it up -altogether?" - -"Yes, altogether. We will remain in our old house." - -It is a singular confession to make, but this proclamation of the -victory I had gained afforded me no satisfaction. I had no wish to -move; my earnest desire was to remain where we were; but with the -infernal cat gliding by my side, I could think of nothing but the -haunted house in Lamb's Terrace which we had just quitted. In that -house was the spectral figure of the girl who, by spiritual means, had -opened a door I had locked, and presented herself to me. She was now -alone. I had deprived her of a companion who, for aught I knew, might -have been a solace to her. It was as if I had been guilty of a crime; -as if I had condemned her to solitude. But it was folly to torment -myself with such reflections. What had I to do with the incidents of -this eventful day? I was a passive instrument, and was being led by -unseen hands. More pertinent to ask what was the portent of the -apparitions, and why the supernatural visitation was inflicted upon -me, although to these questions I could expect no answer. -Involuntarily I stooped to assure myself once more that the cat was -but a shadow. - -"What are you stooping for?" inquired my wife. - -"I thought I had dropped my handkerchief." - -"It is here, in your pocket." She took it out and handed it to me. - -"I was mistaken," I muttered. - -She held up her sunshade and hailed a passing hansom, saying -energetically, and with a troubled look at me, "We will ride home." - -I did not object. I think if she had said "We will fly home," I should -have made an attempt to fly, so absolutely was I, for the time, -deprived of the power of deciding my own movements. I did not see the -cat spring into the cab, but directly we were seated, there it lay -crouched in front of us; and when the driver pulled up at our house -there it was waiting for the street door to be opened. - -"Lie down and rest yourself for an hour," said my wife, with deep -concern in her voice. - -"No," I replied, "I will smoke a pipe in the garden." - -With wifely solicitude she filled my pipe for me, and held a lighted -match to the tobacco. I puffed up, thanked her with a look, and went -into the garden accompanied by the cat. - -In the part of London in which we live there are pleasant gardens -attached to many of the houses, and our little plot of ground is by no -means to be despised. It is some ninety feet in length, is divided in -the center by a broad graveled space, and has a graveled walk all -around it; and here when the weather permits, my wife and I frequently -sit and enjoy ourselves. I am also the proud possessor of a -greenhouse, which, as well as the borders and beds I have laid out, is -in summer and autumn generally bright with flowers, of which I am very -fond; and into this greenhouse I walked to smoke the green fly, which -was doing its worst for my pelargoniums. There are a couple of trees -in my garden, and birds' nests in them. The birds were flitting among -the branches, and I looked at the cat, wondering whether it would -spring after its feathered victims. - -It took no notice of them, nor they of it. I remained in the -greenhouse ten or twelve minutes, and then it occurred to me to make -an experiment. With a swift and sudden motion I left the greenhouse -and pulled the door behind me, shutting the cat inside. I walked -toward the center of the garden, and the animal I thought I had -cunningly imprisoned glided on at my side. Doors shut and locked, and -doubtless stone walls, presented no greater obstacle to the creature -than the air I breathed. - -I sat down on the garden seat and smoked and pondered, and was aroused -by a soft purring at my feet, and the contact of a furry body against -my legs. I uttered an exclamation, and, looking down, saw our own -household cat--a tortoise-shell tabby--rubbing against me. Now, -thought I, there will be a fight. But there was nothing of the kind. I -felt convinced that the skeleton cat saw our tortoise-shell cat, and -presently I was quite as convinced that the flesh and blood reality -was unconscious of the presence of the disembodied spirit. - -I made another experiment. I went stealthily into the kitchen, and -filled a saucer with milk. This saucer I took into the garden and put -upon the gravel before the two cats. - -"You must be hungry," I said aloud to the spectral figure, with a -feeble attempt at jocularity. "Lap up." - -It made no movement. With a look of gratitude at me our tabby lapped -up the whole of the milk, and licked the saucer dry. - -My wife came out and, seeing what I had done, smiled. - -"Are you feeling better?" she asked solicitously. - -"There is nothing whatever the matter with me," I said, with an -unreasonable show of irritation. - -She wisely made no reply, and I was once more left alone with my -supernatural companion. - -Thus passed the day, and I was glad when the hour arrived for Bob -Millet to make his appearance. He came punctually and was cordially -received by my wife. - -"You are in time for tea, Mr. Millet," she said, shaking hands with -him. "I want you to feel that you are really welcome here." - -"Indeed I do feel so," said Bob, gratified by this reception, which I -fancy he hardly expected. - -They made a good meal, but though my wife had thoughtfully prepared a -dish of which I was very fond--a tongue stewed with raisins--I ate -very little. - -"No appetite, Ned?" said Bob. - -I shook my head gloomily. - -"He is out of sorts, Mr. Millet," said my wife, "and I am delighted -you are here to cheer him up. He has me to thank for his low spirits; -it is all because of my stupid wish to leave the house in which we are -as comfortable as we could reasonably hope to be. I have worried him -to death, almost, dragging him about against his will--though he has -never complained--from morning till night for I don't know how long -past. He is not half the man he was; he doesn't eat well and he -doesn't sleep well, and I am to blame for it." - -She was ready to cry with remorse, and I felt ashamed of myself for -not having the strength to battle with the delusion which surely would -not torture me forever. - -I patted her on the shoulder, and put on a more cheerful countenance. -She brightened up instantly, and then Bob asked whether we had been to -79 Lamb's Terrace. - -"Yes, we have," said my wife, "and I am truly thankful that we got out -of it safely." - -"Ah!" said Bob, lifting his eyes. - -"You were right, Mr. Millet," said my wife, "the house is haunted." - -"Oh," said Bob, "I only told you what I had heard. For my part, I -don't even know where Lamb's Terrace is." - -"Take my advice, Mr. Millet, and don't try to know. The less you see -of the place the better it will be for you." - -"Why?" - -"Because it _is_ haunted," she replied with emphatic shakes of her -head, "and I am much obliged to you for putting us on our guard." - -"Then you saw something?" - -My wife looked at me. - -"Tell him what you fancy you saw," I said. - -"It was not fancy," she rejoined; "I have been thinking over it during -the day, and the more I think, the more I am convinced that I did -see--what I saw." - -"I should like to hear about it," said Bob. - -"You shall." - -And she told him all; of our going over the house till we got to the -room on the second floor, of my pulling the bell, of the sounds we had -heard proceeding from the basement and approaching nearer and nearer -till they were outside in the passage, of my locking the door, of the -door opening of its own accord, and of the appearance on the threshold -of the specter of a young girl, and, finally, of her fainting away. - -"It was only my obstinacy," she said, "that took us up to the top of -the house. Edward was quite ready to leave it before we had been in -the place two minutes, but I insisted upon going into all the rooms, -and I was properly punished for it. I was frightened enough, goodness -knows, before I fainted, for I was chilled all over by what I had -already seen, and I ought to have been satisfied; but you know what -women are, Mr. Millet, when they take a fancy into their heads." - -"There, Bob," said I, "there's a confession to make; not many women -would say as much." - -Bob smiled, and said, "You are too hard on yourself. We are much of a -muchness--men and women alike; there is nothing to choose between us." - -"You are very good to say so, Mr. Millet." - -"When you recovered from your faint," said Bob, "was the figure still -there?" - -"No, it was gone." - -"And you did not see it again?" - -"No, thank God!" - -"Did you see it?" asked Bob, turning to me. "He says he didn't," said -my wife, quickly replying for me, "but----" - -"But," I added, "she does not believe me." - -"How can I believe you," said my wife reproachfully, "when the very -moment before I swooned away I saw your eyes almost starting out of -your head with fright." - -"Oh, well," I said, "I suppose I have as much right to fancy things as -you." - -"Of course you have, and it was very considerate of you to deny that -you saw anything. He is the best husband in the world, Mr. Millet, and -if he thinks I don't appreciate him he is mistaken." - -"Now, my dear," I said soothingly, "you know I don't think anything of -the sort; if I am the best husband in the world, so are you the best -wife in the world. What do you say to our going in for the flitch of -bacon?" - -"It is all very well to make a laughing matter of it," said my wife -seriously. "I will ask Mr. Millet this plain question. He may say, -like you, that it is all fancy; but pray how does he account for the -opening of a locked door?" - -"I told you," I interposed before Bob could speak, "that I must have -been mistaken in supposing I had locked it." - -"Very good. But the door was shut if it was not locked." - -"I don't deny that it was." - -"How did it come open, then?" - -"I told you that, too," I replied. "The wind." - -"What wind?" - -"The wind from the window through the broken panes." - -She turned to Bob triumphantly. "What do you think of that, Mr. -Millet? When we go into the room the door slams, and my husband says -it slams because of the wind through the window. I accept that as -reasonable, but is it reasonable to suppose that the same wind that -blows a door shut from the inside of a room should blow it open from -the outside?" - -"Well, no," said Bob, with a sly look at me; "I should say it was not -reasonable." - -I was fairly caught. My wife's logic was too much for me. - -"And now," said she, "as I know it will worry him if I go on talking -about it, I will leave you two gentlemen together while I go and look -after some affairs. You will spend the evening with us, Mr. Millet?" - -"With much pleasure," he said. - -"And I beg your pardon," she said, "for having misjudged you. I did -think that you and my husband were in a plot together to set me -against the house, and I did not think it was nice behavior in a -gentleman who was paying me his first visit. I told my husband as much -last night before we went to sleep, and he stood up for you like the -true friend he is; and now I am glad to say I have found out my -mistake. I hope you will forgive me. - -"There is nothing to forgive," said Bob, in the kindest and gentlest -tone imaginable. "All that you have said and thought and done was most -fair and reasonable, and I ought to be thankful for the little -misunderstanding, if it has given you a better opinion of me." - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - I TAKE BOB INTO MY CONFIDENCE. - - -"A sensible woman," said Bob, gazing after my wife; and then, in a -more serious tone, "Ned, is it all true?" - -"Every word of it." - -"About the phantom of the girl?" - -"Yes, about the phantom of the girl. Frightfully, horribly true!" - -"You saw it?" - -"I did; and I would swear it was no trick of imagination." - -"And the door opened, as your wife has described?" - -"It did, and I will swear that _that_ was no trick of the -imagination." - -We had moved our chairs and were sitting by the open window, from -which stretched the bright prospect of the flowers in my garden; there -was a space of some three feet between our chairs as we sat facing -each other, and on this space lay the skeleton cat. - -"There is something more," I said. "Look down here." I pointed to the -cat. - -"Well? I am looking." - -"What do you see?" - -"Nothing." - -"Absolutely nothing?" - -"Nothing, except the carpet." - -"Bob, would you judge me to be a man possessed of a fair amount of -common sense?" - -"Certainly." - -"Not likely to give way to fads and fancies?" - -"Certainly." - -"Caring, as a rule, more for the prosaic than the romantic side of -things?" - -"I should say that, without doubt." - -"And you would say what is true of me, up to the present moment. I -prefer the plain bread-and-butter side of life, and though I hope I -have a proper sympathy for my fellow-creatures, I am not given to -extravagant sentiment. I am putting this description of myself in very -plain words, because I really want you to understand me as I am." - -"I think I do understand you, Ned." - -"I have never had a nightmare," I continued, "and, as a rule, my sleep -is dreamless. It is true that my rest has been a little disturbed -lately by my wife's wish to move, but the few restless nights I have -passed from this reason are quite an exception. To sum myself up -briefly and concisely, I claim to be considered a healthy human being -in mind and body." - -"It is not I, Ned, who would dispute that claim." - -"I have told you that the spectral figure of the girl appeared to me. -A doctor would at once declare it to be a delusion of the senses. If -my wife informed the doctor that she also saw it, he would reply that -she also was suffering under a delusion, and he would attempt to -explain it away on the ground of sympathy between us. But the opening -of the door could be no delusion; it was tight shut, and the key was -incontestibly turned in the lock; and yet it opened to admit the -specter. The doctor would smile at this, and ask incredulously, 'Is it -necessary for the entrance of an apparition, that a door should be -open, when it possesses the power of passing through material -obstacles?' It _does_ possess such a power, Bob; I have tested and -proved it. Now, what I have been coming to is this. My wife saw one -apparition; I saw two." - -"Two?" exclaimed Bob, regarding me more intently. - -"Yes, two. One, the girl, vanished; the other, the cat, remained." - -"In Heaven's name what are you talking about?" - -"I am relating an absolute fact. By the side of the girl appeared the -apparition of a skeleton cat, which accompanied me from the house, -which glided along the streets at my side, which entered my own house -with me, and which now lies here, on this little space of carpet -between us, on which you see--nothing. Now, Bob, tell me at once that -I am mad." - -"I shall tell you nothing of the kind; I must have a little time to -consider. What kind of reading do you indulge in? Sensation stories?" - -"I chiefly read the newspapers." - -"Digestion good, Ned?" - -"In perfect condition; for the last ten years I have not had a day's -bad health." - -"All that is in your favor." - -"Thank you. I see that you are taking a medical view of my case." - -"Indeed, I am not; I only want to think it out for myself. You can -actually see the cat?" - -"There it lies, its yellow eyes fixed on my face." - -"Touch it." - -I stretched forth my hand and passed it over and through the -apparition. - -"Does it reply by any sign?" - -"By none." - -"And yet it moves?" - -"When I move. Otherwise it remains motionless, in a state of -expectation, as it appears to me. - -"I don't quite understand, Ned." - -"It is difficult to understand, but it seems to be waiting for -something in the near or distant future. It relieves me to unburden my -mind to you, Bob. I do not intend to confide in my wife; it would -frighten her out of her life, and in the kindness of her heart she -would try to make me disbelieve the evidence of my own senses. -Therefore not a word about this to her. I hear her singing; she is -coming back to us, and she is singing to make me cheerful. Why, -Maria," I said, as she entered the room, "what have you got your hat -on for? Are you going out for a walk?" - -"I am," she replied briskly, "and you two gentlemen are coming with -me. It is now half-past seven, and if you will be so good as not to -raise any objection I propose to treat you to the theater." - -"A good idea," said Bob Millet, in a tone as lively as her own. - -"No tragedies," she continued, "a play that we can have a good laugh -over; we have had enough of tragedies to-day, and I don't intend they -shall get the best of me. We will go to the Criterion, where you -always get a proper return for your money, and I hope you won't object -to the pit, Mr. Millet?" - -"I assure you," said Bob, with grave humor, "that when I sit in the -pit I shall consider myself one of the aristocracy. Your wife is a -capital doctor, Ned." - -Very willingly I fell in with the thoughtful proposition, and as Maria -insisted upon paying all the expenses out of her private purse I -allowed her to do so, knowing that it would give her pleasure. - -We arrived at the Criterion before the raising of the curtain and we -saw a laughable comedy most admirably acted, which afforded us great -enjoyment. I may say that the circumstance of the skeleton cat not -accompanying us was the mainspring of my enjoyment. Could it have -been, after all, an illusion? Was it really possible that the -apparitions I had seen were the creations of my fancy? Bob whispered -to me once: - -"Has it accompanied us?" - -"No," I whispered back, "I see nothing of it." - -When we were outside the theater, and were ready to depart our -separate ways, Bob said: - -"Will you come and spend an hour with me to-morrow evening, Ned?" - -"Yes, he will," said my wife; "it will do him good. It does not do, -Mr. Millet, for a man to mope too much at home." - -So I consented, and we shook hands, and wished each other good-night. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - I PAY BOB MILLET A VISIT. - - -I was naturally curious when I arrived home to see if the cat was -there. It was. It did not meet me at the street door, but it lay on -the spot on which I had left it a few hours previously. Of course this -distressed me, but I did not betray my uneasiness to my wife. I had at -least cause for thankfulness in the silent announcement made by the -apparition that it was not its intention to accompany me to every -place I visited. - -We had our supper and went to bed; and it was an additional comfort to -me when I found that it did not follow us to our bedroom. - -It was not likely, after such an exciting day, that I should pass a -good night. My rest was greatly disturbed; and at about three o'clock -I was wide awake. My wife was sleeping soundly. I rose quietly, thrust -my feet in my slippers, and went downstairs to the dining-room. There -lay the cat with its eyes wide open. - -"You infernal creature," I cried, holding the candle so that its light -fell upon the specter, "what are you here for? What do you want me to -do? Why do you not go back to your grave and leave me in peace?" - -I asked these questions slowly, and paused between each, with an -insane notion that an answer might be given to them. No answer was -vouchsafed, and I recognized the folly of my expectation. The -peculiarity of the apparition was that its eyes never seemed to be -closed, as the eyes of other cats are when they are in repose. It -appeared to be ever on the watch, but what it was watching for was a -sealed mystery to me. In a moment of exasperation I raised my hand -against it threateningly; it did not move. I went no further than -this, feeling that it would be cowardly to strike at a shadow. I -returned to my bedroom, and after tossing about for an hour fell into -a disturbed sleep. - -Bob lived at Canonbury, and had given me directions to take a North -London train, his station being about half a mile from his lodgings. - -All the day the cat had remained in the dining-room, but when I was -leaving the house on my visit to Bob, it rose and followed me. - -"Do you intend to favor me with your company?" I asked. "Very well, -come along." - -And come along it did, to the train I took, got into the carriage with -me, and emerged from it at the Canonbury station, where I found Bob -waiting for me on the platform. - -"I have brought another visitor with me, Bob," I said, "but I can -assure you it has accompanied me without any invitation." - -"Is it here, then?" he asked, following the direction of my eyes. - -"Yes, Bob, it is here." And as we walked to the old-fashioned house in -which he rented one room at the top, I remarked, "Is it not singular -that it did not come to the theater with me last night, and that it -should accompany me now upon this friendly visit to you?" Bob nodded. -"I am beginning to have theories about it," I continued, "and one is, -that something will occur to-night in connection with the haunted -house in Lamb's Terrace." - -"Do not get too many fancies into your head, old fellow," said Bob. - -"I will not get more than I can help, but ideas come without any -active prompting or wish of my own; I am like a man who is being -driven, or led." - -Bob's one room was by no means uncomfortable; it served at once for -his living and bedroom, but the bed he occupied being a folding bed, -and the washstand he used being inclosed, it did not present the -appearance of a bedroom. There were shelves on the walls containing a -large number of books; four or five of these were on the table. - -"Now, sir or madam," said I to the cat, "what do you think of Bob's -residence, and what can we do to make you comfortable?" - -The cat glided to the hearthrug and stretched itself upon it; I -wrested my attention from the unpleasant object. - -"I am very well off here," said Bob; "the landlady cooks my meals for -me, and allows me to have them downstairs. I am at the top of the -house, and there is a fine view from the roof; I often smoke for an -hour there. You see that door in the corner; it is a closet, with a -fixed flight of steps leading to the roof; in case of fire I should be -safe. Sit in the armchair, Ned, and let us reason out things. I have -been thinking a great deal about you to-day, and talking about you, -too." - -"That was scarcely right, Bob." - -"Don't be afraid; you were not mentioned by name, and the gentleman I -conversed with is blind. That is the reason, very likely, why he -believes in what he does not see." - -"A friend of yours?" - -"A dear friend; a poor gentleman who has suffered, and who bears his -sufferings with a resignation which can only spring from faith. I told -you yesterday that I had been married and that I lost my wife. The -gentleman I speak of is the son of my dead wife's sister, who is -herself a widow. My wife's family were gentlefolk, who had fallen from -affluence, not exactly into poverty, but into very poor circumstances. -Ronald Elsdale--the name of my nephew--is a tutor; he was not born -blind; the affliction came upon him gradually, and was accelerated by -over study in his boyish days. Four years ago he could see, and when -blindness came upon him he was fortunately armed, and able to obtain a -fair living for himself and his widowed mother by tutoring. He is an -accomplished musician, and frequently obtains remunerative engagements -to play. He speaks modern languages fluently, is well up in the -sciences, has read deeply, and is altogether as noble and sweet a -gentleman as moves upon the earth." - -Bob spoke with enthusiasm, and it was easy to perceive that he had a -sincere love for Mr. Ronald Elsdale. - -"In every way so accomplished and admirable," I said, "and with such a -misfortune hanging over him, he needs a wife to look after him." - -"His mother does that," Bob replied, "with tender devotion, and Ronald -will never marry unless--but thereby hangs a tale, as Shakspere says. -He is not the only man who cherishes delusions." - -"Ah! he has delusions. I hope they are more agreeable than mine. How -is it, Bob, that you have had time for so much talk to-day with your -nephew?" - -"This is Thursday, and Mr. Gascoigne closes his office on Thursdays at -two o'clock, so I have had a few hours at my disposal, which have been -partly employed in talking with Ronald and partly in studying your -case." - -"Explain." - -"I have been looking up apparitions," said Bob, pointing to the books -upon the table. - -I did not trouble myself to examine them; it did not seem to me that -the books would be of much service in my case; the facts themselves -were sufficiently strong and stern, and I mentally scouted the idea -that printed matter would enable me to get rid of the apparition that -haunted me. - -"It is clear to me," I said, "that you think I am laboring under some -hallucination, and that I see the specter, now lying on the hearthrug, -with my mental and not my actual vision. Very well, Bob; a difference -of opinion will not alter the facts." - -"The awkward part of it is," said Bob, "that all evidence is against -you." - -I nodded toward the books on the table, and said, "All such evidence -as that." - -"Yes, but you must not forget that cleverer heads than ours have -occupied years of their lives in sifting these matters to the bottom." - -"In trying to sift them, Bob." - -"Well, in trying to sift them; but they give reasons for the -conclusions they arrive at which it would be difficult, if not -impossible, for men like ourselves to argue away." - -"There are two strong witnesses on my side," I remarked; "one is -myself, the other is my wife. Bear in mind that we both saw the -apparition of the girl; there was no collusion between us beforehand, -and if, in our fright, our imaginations were already prepared to -conjure up a phantom of the air, it is hardly possible that that -phantom should, without previous concert, assume exactly the same form -and shape; nor was there any after conspiracy between us as to the -manner in which this phantom was to be dressed. Now, my wife has -described to me the dress of the girl, the shreds of a cap sticking to -her hair, the frock of faded pink, the carpet slippers, the black -stockings, and I recognize the faithfulness of these details, which -presented themselves to me exactly as they did to her. Granted that -one mind may be laboring under a delusion, it is hardly possible that -two minds can simultaneously be thus imposed upon. Answer that, Bob." - -"Sympathy," he replied. - -"The word I used yesterday evening, when I was imagining what the -doctors would say upon my case; it is an easy way to get out of it, -but it does not satisfy me. I suppose you have come across some -curious cases in looking up apparitions?" - -"Some very curious cases. Here is one in which a door, not only locked -but bolted, plays a part. A great Scotch physician relates how a -person of high rank complains to him that he is in the habit of being -visited by a hideous old woman at six o'clock every evening; that she -rushes upon him with a crutch in her hand, and strikes him a blow so -severe that he falls down in a swoon. The gentleman informs the -physician that on the previous evening, at a quarter to six o'clock, -he carefully locked and double bolted the door of the room, and that -then he sat down in his chair and waited. Exactly as the clock strikes -six the door flies wide open--as the door in Lamb's Terrace did, -Ned--and the old woman rushes in and deals him a harder blow than she -was in the habit of doing, and down he falls insensible. 'How many -times has this occurred?' asks the physician. 'Several times,' is the -reply. 'On any one of these occasions,' says the physician, 'have you -had a companion with you?' 'No,' the gentleman replies, 'I have been -quite alone.' The physician then inquires at what hour the gentleman -dines, and he answers, five o'clock, and the physician proposes that -they shall dine the next day in the room in which the old woman makes -her appearance. The gentleman gladly consents; they dine together as -agreed upon, and the physician--who is an agreeable talker--succeeds -apparently in making his host forget all about the apparition. -Suddenly, the clock on the mantelpiece is heard striking six. 'Here -she is, here she is!' cries the gentleman, and a moment afterward -falls down in a fit." - -"Very curious," I said, "and how does the wise physician account for -the delusion?" - -"By the gentleman having a tendency to apoplexy." - -"There is, generally," I observed, "a weak spot or two in this kind of -story. Does it say in the account that the door was locked and bolted -when the gentleman and the physician dined together, and that the door -flew open upon the appearance of the old lady?" - -"No, it does not say that." - -"The omission of the precaution to lock the door," I said, "is fatal, -for the absence of that visible and material manifestation deprives -the physician of the one strong argument he could have brought -forward. Had the door been locked and bolted, and had the old woman -appeared without its flying open, the physician could have said to the -gentleman, 'You see, the door remains fastened, as we fastened it -before we sat down to dinner; you imagined that it flew open, and -there it remains shut, a clear proof that the old woman and her crutch -is but a fevered fancy.' That would have disposed of this gentleman at -once." - -"Quite so," said Bob. - -"You will, I suppose, admit that if the locked door had opened in the -physician's presence, it would have been a sign that some spiritual -power had been exercised for which he could not so readily have -accounted?" - -"Yes, I should admit that." - -"Admit, then, that as my wife and I--two witnesses, each uninfluenced -by the other--saw the locked door in Lamb's Terrace fly open, that -_that_ is an evidence of the exercise of a spiritual power." - -Bob laughed a little awkwardly. "You have made me give evidence -against myself," he said. - -Here there came a knock at the door, and Bob calling "Come in," the -landlady of the house made her appearance. - -"Mr. Elsdale is downstairs," she said, "and was coming up, when I told -him you had a friend with you, and he sent me to ask whether he would -be intruding." - -Bob looked at me inquiringly. - -"Not so far as I am concerned," I said; "I should very much like to -make your nephew's acquaintance." - -"Ask Mr. Elsdale to come up," said Bob; and the landlady departed. - -"I have more than a passing fancy to see your nephew," I said; "you -tell me he has delusions; what he says in our discussion, which I -don't propose to drop when he joins us, may be of interest." - -As I spoke Ronald Elsdale entered the room. - -"My nephew, Ronald Elsdale," said Bob, introducing us. "My old friend, -Mr. Emery." - -As we shook hands my attention was diverted to an incident which, -insignificant as it might appear, struck me as very singular; the -skeleton cat had risen from the hearthrug and was now standing at -Ronald Elsdale's feet, looking up into his face. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - RONALD ELSDALE GIVES OPINIONS. - - -Something more singular than this next attracted my attention. Ronald -Elsdale, blind as he was, inclined his head to the ground and seemed -to be returning the gaze of the cat. "Can it be possible," I thought, -"that this man, physically blind, and this cat, invisible to all eyes -but mine, are conscious of each other's presence?" I put this to the -test. - -"You appear to be listening for something," I said. - -"Did you bring a dog with you?" he asked. "My uncle, I know, keeps -neither cat nor dog." - -"No," I replied, "I brought no dog." - -"Then I must be mistaken," he said, and he felt his way to the seat he -was in the habit of occupying in Bob's room. The cat lay at his feet. - -I was prepossessed in the young man's favor the moment I set eyes upon -him. He was tall and fair, a true Saxon in feature and complexion. -There was an engaging frankness in his manner, and his bearing was -that of a gentleman. He aroused my curiosity by a habit he had of -closing his eyes when any earnest subject occupied his mind. He closed -them now as he sat upon his chair, and when he opened them he said, in -a singularly gentle voice, "My uncle has told you I am blind, Mr. -Emery?" - -"Yes," I replied; "I sincerely sympathize with you. - -"Thank you. It is a great misfortune; but there are compensations. -There are always compensations, Mr. Emery, even for the worst that can -happen to a man." - -"It is good if one can think so," I remarked. "As a rule men are not -patient when things are not as they wish." - -"It is not only useless to repine," was his reply, "it is foolish, and -morally weak. For, admitting that there is such a principle as divine -justice, we must also admit a divine interposition even in the small -matters of human life. I should not speak so freely if my uncle had -not told me of his early association with you, and of the friendly and -affectionate greeting he received from you after a separation of -nearly forty years. I look upon you already as a friend." - -"I am glad to hear you say so; we will seal the compact." - -I pressed his hand once more, and he responded as I would have wished -him to respond. - -"I knew you would like each other," said Bob. - -"When I closed my eyes just now," resumed Ronald Elsdale, "it was -because of the impression I had that there was some other living -creature in the room beside ourselves." - -Bob and I exchanged glances, and Bob said: - -"We three are the only living creatures within these four walls of -mine." - -"Of course, of course. Mr. Emery said so, and it is not likely he -would deceive me. Blind people, Mr. Emery, are generally very -suspicious; it follows naturally upon their affliction. Seeing -nothing, they doubt much, and are ever in fear that they are being -imposed upon and deceived. I am happy to say this is not the case with -me; where I have not a fixed opinion I generally believe what is told -me." - -A pang of self-reproach shot through me as he spoke. Here was I, in my -very first interview with this frank and ingenuous young gentleman, -deliberately deceiving him. Bob, also, did not seem quite at his ease. -He was playing with his lower lip, always an indication in him of -mental disturbance. - -"You said something just now," I observed, with a wish to change the -subject, "about compensations for misfortune, and I infer that you -have compensations for yours. But it must cause you regret?" - -"It does, but I do not fret, I do not take it to heart; I accept the -inevitable. The proper use of the higher intelligence with which we -are gifted is to reason calmly upon all human and worldly matters -which touch us nearly. Those who can thus reason have cause for -gratitude; and I have cause. Compensations? Yes, I have them. -Difficult to describe, perhaps, because they are spiritual; inspired -by faith or self-delusion, which stern materialists declare are one -and the same thing." - -"Your uncle and I," I said, "were having a discussion upon delusions -when you entered." - -"In continuation"--he turned to Bob; he seemed to know always where -the person he was addressing was standing or sitting--"in continuation -of the discussion we were having this afternoon?" - -"Yes," said Bob, "and we do not quite agree." - -"My uncle is a skeptic," said Ronald, "he does not believe in -miracles." - -"You do?" I inquired. - -"Undoubtedly. It will be a fatal day for the world when faith in -miracles is dead. Do not do my uncle an injustice, Mr. Emery; I never -heard him speak as he spoke this afternoon when we were discussing -this subject, and it almost seemed to me as if he were desirous of -arguing against himself. Do you require absolute visible proof before -you believe?" - -"Not always," I replied, with my eyes on the spectral cat. "I am -forced to believe in some things which are not visible to other eyes -than mine." - -"I do not quite understand you," said Ronald thoughtfully. "It is, at -the best, but a half-hearted admission, and, regarding you in the -light of a friend, as I do Uncle Bob, I would like to break down the -barrier." - -"Try," I said anxiously. - -He was silent for a moment or two, considering. - -"My uncle, this afternoon, in the attempt to support his argument, -brought forward some instances of spectral illusions such as that of a -man who was in the habit of seeing in his drawing room a band of -figures, dressed in green, who entertained him with singular dances; -and he instanced other illusions of a like nature. These are waking -fancies, produced either by a disordered mind or a disordered body; -they are of the same order as dreams. - - - At dead of night imperial Reason sleeps, - And Fancy, with her train, her revel keeps. - - -So by day, when the mind is disturbed by such fancies, does imperial -reason sleep. For my own part I make no attempt to dispute the facts -of these cases. They have been brought forward by physicians in proof -of certain functional and scientific facts, and by wise treatment -suffering mortals have been won from madness. In this respect they -have served a good purpose; but materialists, and persons who now -fashionably call themselves agnostics, seize upon these illustrations -in proof that mortal life is of no more value, and means no more, than -the life of a flower or the growth of a stone, and that when we die we -are blotted out spiritually and materially forever. In their eyes we -are so many pounds of flesh and blood; there is nothing divine, -nothing spiritual in us; we are surrounded by no mystery. 'Miracles!' -they cry. 'Stories for children; fables to tickle, amuse, and delude!' -What we see and feel is, what we do not see and feel is not and cannot -be. If this view were universal what would become of religion? The -high priests of God, under whichever banner they preach, insist upon -our accepting miracles, and they are right in thus insisting. You -laugh at faith and destroy it, and in its destruction you destroy -comfort and consolation; you destroy salvation. God is a miracle. -Because we do not see him are we not to believe in him? Are we not to -believe in the resurrection? Then farewell to the sublime solace that -lies in the immortality of the soul. There is a road to Calvary called -the Via Dolorosa, and there pilgrims kneel and see a miracle in every -stone; there, hearts that are crushed with sorrow tarry, and go away -blessed and comforted for the struggle of years that yet lies before -them." - -His voice was deep and earnest, his handsome face glowed with -enthusiasm. I touched his hand, and a sweet, pathetic smile came to -his lips. - -"Mr. Elsdale," I said, "I thank you from my heart. May I venture to -ask if you believe in spiritual visitations?" - -"Believing what I believe," he replied, "I must believe in them." - -"You have spoken," I continued, "of receiving comfort and consolation -from such belief. Do you think that a man who is not, to his own -knowledge, interested or involved in something which, for the sake of -argument, I will call a crime, may receive a spiritual visitation -which compels him to take an active part in it?" - -"Not in the crime," asked Ronald, "in the discovery of it, I suppose -you mean?" - -"Yes. In the discovery of it." - -"I think," said Ronald, "that a man who is not in any way connected -with it may be made an agent in its discovery." - -We had some further conversation on the subject, and at the expiration -of an hour or so Ronald Elsdale took his departure, and expressed the -hope that we should meet again, to which hope I cordially responded. - -As he stood with his hand on the handle of the door, the cat, which -had risen when he rose, stood at his feet. - -"Are you going with him?" I mentally asked. "You are quite welcome." - -A troubled expression crossed Ronald's face, and he made a motion with -his hand as if to dispel it. Then he left the room, but the cat -remained. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - BOB RELATES TO ME SOME PARTICULARS OF - RONALD ELSDALE'S DELUSION. - - -I listened to the blind gentleman's footsteps as he slowly descended -the stairs, and I asked Bob if he considered it safe to allow his -nephew to go home unaccompanied. - -"Quite safe," replied Bob. "When a man loses the sense of sight he -acquires other senses which have not been precisely defined; he seems -to have eyes at his fingers' ends. And Ronald prefers to be alone." - -"Can you account," I inquired, approaching a subject which I knew was -in Bob's mind, and to which he was unwilling to be the first to refer, -"for his impression that there was another presence in the room beside -ourselves?" - -"I cannot," said Bob curtly; "nor can you." - -"I do not pretend that I can; but it has set me thinking. Would you -object to let me into the secret of the delusion under which he -labors?" - -"There can be no harm in my doing so," he replied, after a pause. "In -a certain way it is a love story, of which I believe Ronald has seen -the end, a belief which is not shared by him. The incidents are few, -and he sets store upon them, as most young men do who have been in -love. It commenced about six years ago, when Ronald, fagged with -overwork, went for a summer ramble on the Continent. He spent a few -days in Paris, and then took the morning train to Geneva. It is a long -travel from Paris to Geneva, and to anyone not cheerfully inclined a -wearisome one. A happy spirit is required to enjoy a dozen hours boxed -up in a railway carriage, but probably this day was to Ronald the -happiest, as it was certainly the most eventful, in his life. For -traveling in that train were a young lady and her father, a widower, I -believe, though upon this point I cannot speak with certainty, nor can -I tell you the gentleman's name, for the reason that Ronald has never -mentioned it to me. The lady's was Beatrice, and that is all I know. -In the course of that eventful day Ronald found opportunity to make -himself of service to the young lady, but his attentions did not -appear to be as agreeable to the father as they were to the daughter. -It could not be doubted that she accepted them very readily, and that -Ronald was as attractive to her as she was to him. From what I have -gathered I should say that it was a case of love at first sight on -both sides. Ronald, as you have seen, is a handsome young fellow, who -would be likely to win favor with ladies all the world over, and at -the time I am speaking of he was not oppressed by the fear of losing -his sight. - -"When they were within a short distance of Geneva he asked Beatrice at -which hotel they were going to put up, and she replied that she did -not know. He inquired of her father, and that gentleman said he had -not made up his mind. - -"'I hope we shall meet again,' said Ronald to Beatrice. 'Where do you -go from Geneva?' - -"'To Chamounix, of course,' she replied. 'I have never been in -Switzerland before. Have you?' - -"'Oh, yes,' he said. And then he described to her some of the most -beautiful spots in Switzerland, and you may be sure that those -beautiful spots were the places he intended to visit, and for which he -had taken a circular ticket. - -"'Perhaps I shall see you in Chamounix,' he said. 'Do you remain long -in Geneva?' - -"She could not inform him, and he had perforce to live on hope; for, -to a fishing inquiry he put to Beatrice's father as to their probable -length of stay in Geneva, the reply he received was that no definite -plan of travel had been laid out. They might remain in Geneva a week -or a fortnight, or they might leave it the next day. Even at this -early stage of his acquaintanceship with Beatrice, Ronald discovered -that her father did not wish to be intruded upon by strangers. It was -dark when the train stopped at the Geneva station, and all Ronald's -offers of assistance with the luggage were refused. However, he had -the satisfaction, when he shook hands with Beatrice and wished her -goodnight, of receiving from her something more than a careless -pressure, and he marched to his hotel with the determination not to -lose sight of her. - -"It was his intention to go to Cluses by rail, and thence by diligence -to Chamounix. 'They will take a carriage, of course,' he thought, 'but -we shall travel on the same day and arrive in Chamounix the same -evening.' - -"I have no doubt that he dreamt of Beatrice that night, and that, in -his fancy, he saw her fair face in the depths of the beautiful lake -the next morning. But that is all he saw of her in Geneva, for though -he made diligent search and most industrious inquiries he could not -discover the hotel at which Beatrice and her father were staying. - -"I know," continued Bob, "that you have formed a favorable opinion of -Ronald, but still you can have no idea of the stability of his -character and of certain traits in it which distinguish him from most -men. Once let an idea take firm possession of him and it is next to -impossible to dislodge it. He dwells upon it, strengthens it by -self-argument, and begets a strong faith in it. He is not easily -discouraged and he seldom gives way to despair; he is, in a word, -extraordinarily tenacious, and he was tenacious in this, the first -serious love affair in his life. As he has expressed it to me, he felt -that fate had brought him and Beatrice together, and that fate would -not separate them. These are comfortable convictions; they rob life of -many small miseries. Thus strengthened and fortified, Ronald continued -his search for Beatrice in Geneva, and was not dashed because of the -non-success that attended it. On the third day he determined to go on -to Chamounix, and if they were not there to wait for their arrival. In -so small a village as Chamounix Beatrice's father could scarcely hope -to conceal his daughter from Ronald's eyes. On he went, and discovered -that he was before them. There is but one road from Cluses to -Chamounix, and from three to six o'clock on the afternoon of every -successive day there was no more indefatigable pedestrian on that road -than Ronald Elsdale. At length his patience was rewarded. An hour -before the diligence was due he saw on the road which crosses the Arve -a carriage, in which were seated Beatrice and her father. He did not -wish to be seen by them so early on their arrival and he stepped out -briskly before them to the Chamounix village. Their carriage drew up -at the Hotel d'Angleterre and in the course of half an hour they left -the hotel for a stroll. The moment they were out of sight he entered -and engaged a room, and maneuvered to have his seat at the dinner -table placed next to theirs. They were greatly surprised to see him, -and I need scarcely say that of the two Beatrice was by far the better -pleased. Such chance meetings, however, as these between tourists on -the Continent are common enough, and, as Ronald is unmistakably a -gentleman, Beatrice's father could not but receive him politely. In -the course of conversation over the dinner table Beatrice informed -Ronald that they intended to remain in Chamounix for at least a week. - -"'We are not quite sure,' said Beatrice's father quickly. - -"'Oh, yes, we are,' said Beatrice. 'It was a binding promise.' - -"He made a grimace, but did not reply. - -"I mention these small matters," said Bob, breaking off here, "so that -you may rightly understand the attitude adopted by the elder gentleman -toward my nephew, and it certainly seems to be not open to doubt that -he did not regard Ronald with a favorable eye. - -"In the course of that week at Chamounix some understanding must have -been arrived at by the young people which caused them to consider -themselves engaged, but I believe there was nothing absolutely -definite between them at the time. Beatrice and her father left -Chamounix for Lucerne, and Ronald followed; but he was as unsuccessful -in his endeavors to find them in Lucerne as he had been in Geneva. He -went from place to place in the hope of meeting them, and it was not -until a fortnight had elapsed that he had the happiness of tracking -them to Como. To make short of a long story, Beatrice's father could -no longer affect ignorance of the feelings which existed between -Ronald and Beatrice, and in a conversation with Ronald he expressed -open disapproval of my nephew's attentions. The only effect this -opposition had upon Ronald was to deepen his love for Beatrice, and it -appeared to be the same with the young lady. In one of the interviews -between the gentlemen, Beatrice's father did not hesitate to declare -that Ronald was following his daughter for her money, which Ronald -indignantly denied, the truth being that he had no idea that Beatrice -was in any way an heiress; and, except that she was a lady, and her -father a gentleman, he was entirely ignorant of their social position. - -"From this point of Ronald's story, what I have to relate must be -conveyed in more general terms. I gather that when the tour was ended -the young people met occasionally and corresponded; and also that -every obstacle that he could devise was placed in their way by -Beatrice's father. Thus passed twelve months or so, at the end of -which time the young lady mysteriously disappeared; and all Ronald's -efforts to trace her were of no avail. It was in the midst of this -trouble that his sight began to fail him, and then it was that he was -assailed by the doubt whether, threatened with blindness, he had any -right to marry. Had it not been for this impending visitation he had -sufficient confidence in his prospects to warrant him in setting up a -home to which he could bring a wife. But now all was changed, and the -best he could hope for was that his exertions would enable him to -support himself and his mother in fair comfort. If he had known how to -communicate with Beatrice he would have explained this frankly to her, -but he did not know where to address her; and consequently Beatrice's -father was thus far master of the situation. As you have seen, Ronald -was not spared the affliction; the most experienced specialists could -do nothing for him; he finally lost his sight, and I am afraid there -is no hope of his regaining it. - -"Misfortunes never come singly, and they did not come singly to -Ronald. About a year after blindness fell upon him he heard that -Beatrice was dead, and that before her death she had been for some -time in London. If her love for him had been lasting and sincere it -was strange that, being in London, she had made no effort to see him -and had not even written to him. There would have been no difficulty -in her doing one or the other, because she was acquainted with his -address; and here comes in one of his delusions. Notwithstanding her -silence he believes that she was faithful to him. Upon this you may -reasonably ask, 'Why, then, did he himself not endeavor to meet -her--why did he discontinue his efforts to ascertain where she was -living?' His answer is that he could not offer her a home, that he -dared not ask her to share his lot, and that it was his duty to set -her free entirely. There is a lack of logic in the method of his -reasoning. By his own action he wishes her to believe herself in no -way bound to him, and at the same time he believes that she is -faithful to the vows they exchanged. Lovers are seldom logical, and my -nephew is no exception to the rule. - -"But this is a trifling delusion in comparison with one I am now about -to mention. - -"Beatrice did not die a natural death. Retiring to rest one night, -apparently in good health, she was found dead in her bed the next -morning. Bear in mind that I do not vouch for the exact correctness of -the particulars I am giving you. Ronald has always been exceedingly -reticent upon the subject, and it is only from chance observations -that have fallen from him that I have gathered and put together what I -am now relating. She met her death by asphyxiation. Putting out the -gas before getting into bed she must have accidentally turned it on -again, for her room was filled with its fumes. In the face of all -this, what will you think of my nephew when I tell you that he is -under the delusion that Beatrice still lives?" - -With the spectral cat in full view of me, I replied: - -"Seeing what I see, I cast no doubt upon any man's delusions. It is -warm here, Bob, let us go on the roof; perhaps this lady here would -like a mouthful of fresh air." - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - A HOUSE ON FIRE. - - -Bob's phantom visitor and my faithful companion had no objection to -the tiles, in which it may have found an endearing memory of old -associations. Bob had fixed a couple of seats to the roof, where we -sat and chatted and smoked, and enjoyed the usual prospect of chimney -pots and attic windows. Sitting upon that height, accompanied by the -spectral cat, reminded me in an odd way of one of Cruikshank's -pictures, and I made an observation to this effect to Bob. - -"It _is_ rather weird," he said, "and especially in this light." - -The sun had set, and in the skies we saw the reflection of the yellow -glare from the shops of crowded neighborhoods. Our conversation was -confined within narrow limits because of the one engrossing subject -which occupied my mind, and as we had pretty well threshed that out, -and there was nothing particularly new to say about it, we fell into -occasional silences, which suited the mood I was in. During one of -these silences I observed what appeared to be an unusual restlessness -in the cat. Instead of sitting quietly at my feet it crept backward -and forward, and at length paused at a little distance from me, with -its face to the west. I described these movements to Bob, and remarked -that it seemed to be expecting something. - -"I wish with all my heart," was his reply, "that we could find some -other subject to talk about than this wretched creature." - -"I wish so, too; but I don't see how it is possible till it bids me -farewell. I no longer possess a will of my own, but am led or driven -as if I were a machine." - -"Keep cool, Ned. I am not going to argue with you any more about the -spiritual existence of your apparition. I accept it, and almost wish -that it were as plain to my eyes as it is to yours. But what I want -you to do, old fellow, while this visitation is upon you, is to keep -cool. For less cause than you have, men have gone mad. That is an -unusual glare in the sky; it can hardly be the reflection of -gaslights." - -He extended his hand to the west--the direction in which the spectral -cat was looking. - -"Do you see any connection," I asked, "between that glare and the -attention which the apparition is bestowing upon it?" - -"No," replied Bob. - -"I do. That is the reflection of a house on fire." - -As the words passed my lips the cat glided up to me, and I could -almost have deluded myself into the belief that it plucked at my -trousers. This, of course, from so unsubstantial and impalpable a -figure could not have been; but it is certain that by its motion it -made me understand that I must not remain idle on the roof of Bob's -house--that there was a fire in the distance, and that I must go to -it. - -I obeyed the voiceless command. - -"Come!" I said to Bob. - -"Where to?" - -"To the fire, in which my spectral friend is taking the greatest -possible interest." - -Bob shrugged his shoulders. "It must be a long way off." - -"We shall find it. Come!" - -There was no excitement in the immediate neighborhood as we walked -along in the direction of the fire, being guided by the glare in the -sky. A few persons turned their eyes upward, and, remarking that there -was a fire somewhere, passed on. Their indifference arose from the -circumstance that they were in no danger; I could not help reflecting -upon the selfishness of human nature which causes men to look unmoved -upon tragedies in which they themselves are not involved. Being -anxious to reach the spot quickly I called a cab, which in half an -hour conveyed us to the corner of Stanmore Street, West. This was as -far as the driver could go, the street being deluged with water, and -blocked with fire engines and firemen. It had been a serious -conflagration while it lasted, but the efforts made by the brigade to -confine it to the house in which it broke out were successful. This -one building, however, was completely gutted, even in that short space -of time, and the enthralling incident in connection with it which was -upon every man's tongue was that a gentleman had perished in the -flames. From the remarks that reached my ears I gathered that the -house had been let out as chambers, and that when the fire arose there -were no other persons in it except the housekeeper and the gentleman -who lived on the first floor. The housekeeper was saved; the gentleman -was burned to death. - -As I stood pondering, Bob at my side, the spectral figure of the cat -at my feet, Bob asked, "Well, Ned, where's the connection?" - -"Wait," I replied, rather irritably. - -A woman, supported by two female friends, passed us. She was crying, -and wringing her hands, and I learned that she was the housekeeper who -had been saved. Instinctively I followed her, and my visible and -invisible companions accompanied me. It was not a difficult matter to -elicit from the housekeeper all the information it was in her power to -impart. The gentleman who had met with so untimely an end was a single -man, with few friends and no relations. - -"I don't think," said the housekeeper, "that he had a brother, or a -sister, or a cousin in the world; leastways, so far as I know, no one -ever came to see him who had any claim upon him. He was a quiet -gentleman, and didn't give no trouble. What do you want to know, sir? -Was he very rich? All I can say is he always paid his way, and always -seemed to have plenty and to spare. His name? Mr. Alfred Warner, sir. -Are you a friend of his?" - -"No," I replied--for it was I who had asked the questions to which she -had replied--"I was not acquainted with him." - -"What name did she say?" asked Bob, in a whisper. - -"Mr. Alfred Warner," I said. - -Bob caught his breath, and said, "That's strange! It is the name of -the gentleman who put into our hands No. 79 Lamb's Terrace." - -"There is the connection, Bob," I said. "What do you say now to the -spectral cat and its having urged us to come to this fire?" - -"What can I say, except that it is most bewildering and mysterious?" - -"Do you think I am still laboring under a delusion?" - -"No, I do not." - -"It was not without a motive," I said, "that I asked your nephew this -evening whether he believed that a man who is not interested in -something which, to make myself fairly clear, I called a crime, might -receive a spiritual visitation which compelled him to take an active -part in its discovery. His reply was that he did believe such a thing -could be. I believe it, too, more than ever now, after this strange -fire; and I believe, also, that there is a crime involved in it, and -that I--whether by design or accident I will not pretend to say--shall -be instrumental in its discovery. My memory does not deceive me, does -it, Bob? You told me yesterday that the gentleman who has met his -death in that fire, Mr. Alfred Warner, when he placed 79 Lamb's -Terrace in your employer's hands to let, did not mention the name of -his last tenant." - -"Yes, I told you so," Bob answered, "and there seemed to be no reason -why we should ask for it." - -"So that it is probable," I continued, "that there is not a -disinterested person in London to whom we could go to obtain the name -of the last tenant." - -"Not that I am aware of," said Bob. - -I looked at my watch. It was ten o'clock. "If we went to your nephew's -house, do you think we should find him up?" - -"Very likely." - -"I am going there, Bob. I have a question to ask him." - -He put no opposition in my way. A kind of stupefaction appeared to -have come over him. We drove to the residence of Ronald Elsdale, and -found him up; his mother had gone to bed. As we entered his room, I -observed again an uneasy expression flash into his face, and I saw his -blind eyes turn toward the spectral cat. - -"Only yourselves?" he inquired. - -I left it to Bob to reply, and he said, "Only ourselves." - -"It is very odd," said Ronald, "but I have the same impression that I -had when I entered my uncle's room this evening, that there is -somebody or something else present. It is useless trying to account -for it." Then he asked, "Is there anything you wish to know?" - -"It is a late hour to visit you," I said; "but I have a reason, which -I cannot at present explain, for asking you where the young lady to -whom you were attached lived when she was in London?" - -He turned his troubled face toward his uncle, who said, "It is not an -idle question, Ronald. I should like you to answer it." - -"She may not have lived there all the time she was in London," said -Ronald; "but I heard where it is supposed she met her death. It was in -the Northwestern district--Lamb's Terrace, No. 79." - -"Thank you," I said. - -We wished him good-night, and left the house. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - I TAKE THE HAUNTED HOUSE. - - -I was too much excited to go home by train, though I knew that my wife -would be waiting up for me. I felt the need of physical motion; the -idea of sitting down in a railway carriage, and being compelled to -keep still because of the people with which at this time of night it -was sure to be filled, was unendurable. The confinement and the close -air would stifle me. The advantage of walking through streets more or -less crowded is that you can be alone if you choose. Every person you -meet or pass is so wrapt up in his own affairs that no notice is taken -of you. You may wave your arms, flourish your stick or umbrella, -mutter to yourself, even talk aloud, without attracting conspicuous -attention. An idle fellow or two might think you eccentric--that is -all. In a railway carriage or an omnibus such license and freedom are -impossible; you cannot shift your seat without drawing all eyes upon -you, in a certain sense you become the property of other passengers, -who would be likely to regard you with alarmed suspicion, and would -probably conclude that you were an escaped lunatic. In such -circumstances you are deprived of the power of devoting yourself to -the one absorbing subject which occupies your mind. - -"I shall walk home," I said to Bob. - -He nodded, as though he understood why at so late an hour I -deliberately inflicted upon myself a good four mile tramp. For a -quarter of that distance we proceeded in silence, and only then did it -occur to me that Bob was coming out of his way. I made an observation -to this effect. - -"If you don't object to my company," he said, "I shall be glad to walk -with you." - -"What do you think of it all?" I asked. - -"I don't know what to think," was his reply. - -"No delusion, eh, Bob?" I said, in a tone of sarcastic triumph. "You -will not hunt up any more cases of spectral illusions to prove that I -am on the road to madness." - -"No, Ned. Don't harp upon my lack of faith; the doubts I entertained -were reasonable doubts after all. It is altogether a most awful -mystery, but I accept it, and place myself at your service. Heaven -only knows if I can be of any assistance to you, but it may be that -even the renewal of our old friendship, and our coming together after -a separation of forty years, are not due to chance. If so, I stand -within the charmed circle." - -"It was not by chance we met, Bob; in the smallest incident that has -occurred in connection with that house--which I can see now with my -mind's eye, dark, silent, spirit-haunted--I perceive the hand of fate. -You _can_ be of service to me." - -"In what way?" - -"I wish to take the house in Lamb's Terrace!" - -A startled exclamation escaped his lips, but he said immediately -afterward, as if in apology, "Yes, Ned, yes." - -"I should say, rather, that I wish to have the refusal for a certain -time of taking it for a term of years. This can be managed, I think, -through you, and the death of your client may make it easier than it -would otherwise have been. Say to your employer that I have not made -up my mind whether it will suit me, and that I want a few weeks for -consideration. Pending my decision, I will pay three months' rent, and -at the expiration of that period, if I do not then take it for a term -of years, it will be open to another tenant. I have no doubt that Mr. -Gascoigne has some sort of provisional power in the matter, and that -he will be glad of the chance there is in my offer of securing a -permanent and responsible tenant. Will you undertake to carry this -through?" - -"Yes." - -"Then you may as well walk all the way home with me, and I will write -a check to-night, which you can give to Mr. Gascoigne in the morning. -There is another thing which I must seriously consider. On the two -occasions to-day when we and your nephew, and this specter of Fate -gliding at my heels, were together, he was troubled by the fancy that -I had brought some creature with me of which we made no mention. Is -this new to you, or has your nephew expressed himself to a like effect -on other occasions?" - -"It is quite new to me. Ronald has never had such a fancy before." - -"The natural conclusion, therefore, is that he was conscious of the -presence of this apparition, without being able to define its nature. -There is here a chain of psychological circumstances which would not -be admissible in a court of law, but which I, with my strange -experiences, cannot but believe to be of supreme importance. I have an -odd impression upon me that the mysterious adventure in which I am -engaged has lasted for some considerable time, whereas scarcely two -days have elapsed since my introduction to beings of another world. I -seem to be familiarized with mysterious incident, and I am so prepared -that I doubt if anything would astonish me. Reflect, Bob, upon the -links of a chain which is dragging me on, and which is not yet -completely formed. Fate directs my steps, through the agency of my -wife, to the office of Mr. Gascoigne; link number one. You, my old -schoolfellow, whom I never thought to meet again, are employed in that -office; link number two. My wife, against my wish, insists upon -looking at a house to let in Lamb's Terrace, which I am certain will -not suit us; link number three. These three links, to perfectly -disinterested observers, would appear to be the result of the merest -chance. We know that it is not so; we know that there is here at work -a supernatural agency, every step in which is directed by an unseen -power. You renew your old friendship with me, and accompany us home, -and there you attempt to dissuade us from having anything to do with -the house in Lamb's Terrace. Your kindly efforts are thrown away; link -number four. You may ask me here how this seemingly trivial incident -can be made into a link. My answer is that you are the uncle of Ronald -Elsdale, and that when we left Mr. Gascoigne's office, had you not -followed us and accepted my invitation to accompany us home, the -natural probability is that I should not at the present moment have -known of the existence of your nephew, who stands now a foremost stone -in this monument of mystery. My wife and I visit the haunted house, -and there we behold two apparitions, only one of which makes itself -visible to her. I perceive two reasons for this. The first is, that -she shall be so horrified by what she sees as to give up all idea of -taking the house, and perhaps of ever going near it again. The second -is, that I am the person appointed to carry this dark mystery to its -as yet unknown end. The apparition of the girl and the cat form link -number five. I visit your house this evening, and make the -acquaintance of Ronald Elsdale; link number six. On this occasion, and -on the occasion of my seeing him again in his own house an hour ago, -he has a troubled consciousness of a spiritual presence--the presence -of the specter now gliding at our feet; link number seven. The eighth -link is fashioned from the circumstance that the young lady whom -Ronald Elsdale loved and loves is said to have met her death in the -house in Lamb's Terrace." - -"You have reasoned all this out," said Bob, "in a most wonderful way." - -"It is not I who reason it out. I am conscious of the extent of my own -natural powers, and it would be impossible for me to bring forward -these links and to logically connect them were I not spiritually -directed. What is occupying my mind just now is the question whether I -ought to take Ronald Elsdale into my confidence without waiting for -further developments?" - -Bob's reply was very humble. "Whatever you decide upon, Ned, will be -right. The fatalist never doubts that the least incident in his life -could have been otherwise than it is." - -"Truly," I said, "I am in the position of a fatalist, and once a step -is decided upon I shall not hesitate to take it, and shall not -question its wisdom. By to-morrow morning the question will be -answered for me." - -My wife opened the street door for us. - -"Why, who would have thought of seeing you, Mr. Millet!" she -exclaimed. "But come in, come in; there's a bit of supper for you. -Now, you two keeping together at this time of night shows what friends -you must have been when you were boys. I hope you've had a pleasant -evening." - -"Rather an exciting one," I said. "We have been at a fire." - -"A fire! Where?" - -"In Stanmore Street; a long way from here." - -"No one hurt, I hope?" - -"An unfortunate gentleman lost his life in the fire. It is rather -curious, Maria, that this gentleman should have been the owner of the -house we looked over in Lamb's Terrace yesterday." - -The news made her grave. "There is nothing but trouble connected with -that dreadful place," she said. "But there, I don't want to think of -it. I'd have given a good deal never to have set foot in it." - -Before Bob left I wrote out the check for Mr. Gascoigne, and when I -went to bed I was kept awake for a long time by thinking whether I -ought to take Ronald Elsdale immediately into my confidence. I fell -asleep with this question in my mind, and when I awoke in the morning -I decided that it would be first advisable that I should ascertain -some particulars of the last tenant, and of the death of the young -lady, Beatrice. It was not an easy task I now set myself, and I felt -that there was little chance of success, if I attempted it unaided. -Desultory inquiries could lead to no satisfactory result, and I -therefore determined to enlist the services of a private inquiry -agent. Casting my mind over the most likely person to assist me, I -recollected that a friend some years ago had need of the services of -such a person, and had employed one Mr. Dickson, with good effect. -Looking through the columns of a morning paper I saw Mr. Dickson's -advertisement; and at eleven o'clock I set out for his office, which -was situated in Arundel Street, Strand. On my doorstep I confronted a -telegraph boy with a telegram for me. It was from Bob, and it ran as -follows: - - - Arranged house, Lamb's Terrace; yours for three months. - - -My interview with Mr. Dickson was soon over. I explained to him what I -wanted done, and he undertook the commission for a specified sum. It -was arranged that he should give me his report in writing, and he -promised to set about the inquiry without delay. - -"Will it lead to anything further?" he asked. - -"It is quite probable," I replied; "but at present this is all I -require of you." - -Two days afterward I received his report. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - A MEAGER REPORT FROM THE INQUIRY AGENT. - - -"Sir: From inquiries I have made I am enabled to give you certain -information respecting the matter you placed in my hands. - -"The uncompleted term of the lease of the house, 79 Lamb's Terrace, -was transferred, about nine years ago (not six or seven as you gave me -to understand), to a gentleman of the name of Nisbet. At the time that -this transfer was made the principal landlord was abroad--I believe in -Australia--and his business affairs were in the hands of a firm of -solicitors whose address I have not taken the trouble to ascertain, as -it does not come within the limit of my instructions. Any information -you wish upon this, or any other points which you did not mention in -our interview, I shall be happy to obtain for you. - -"Mr. Nisbet's family, at the time he entered into possession of 79 -Lamb's Terrace consisted of himself and his stepdaughter Beatrice--he -being her mother's second husband. Beatrice's mother died four months -after her marriage with Mr. Nisbet, and by her will she left the bulk -of her fortune to her daughter, and only a small portion of it to her -husband. He was appointed guardian to Beatrice, and in the event of -her death her fortune was to revert to him. - -"Should you desire to become acquainted with the precise terms and -phraseology of the will, you can do so at Somerset House. - -"The young lady inherited £60,000 invested in consols. From the -interest of this sum Mr. Nisbet was to receive £1000 a year for his -guardianship of his stepdaughter; and £200 per annum was apportioned -to the young lady for pin money. The remaining portion of the interest -was to accumulate until the young lady was twenty-one years of age, -when she was to come into possession of it and the original capital. I -have glanced through the will, and it appears to be carefully and -sensibly worded, and devoid of complications. - -"According to my information, Mr. Nisbet was deeply affected by the -death of his wife, and he sought consolation in foreign travel. The -consequence was that he and his stepdaughter spent much of their time -abroad, and the house in Lamb's Terrace was occupied but a few weeks -every year. About four years ago they returned to London, with the -intention, as I learn, of remaining here some time. - -"Their domestic affairs, however, do not appear to have gone on -smoothly; they had difficulties with servants, and after a while were -left with only one, a young woman who, I should judge, was willing to -make herself generally useful, and was rather more amiable than the -majority of her class; otherwise she would not have remained. Keeping -house under such circumstances presented few attractions, and they -were contemplating taking up their permanent residence on the -Continent when a calamity occurred which frustrated this intention and -broke up the establishment. - -"The young lady, going to bed, turned off the gas in her room, as she -supposed, and went to sleep. - -"Certain conjectures must be taken into account. If she had turned out -the light and taken away her hand at once, there would have been no -escape of gas. Whether, after the light was out, she carelessly or -willfully turned on the tap again, or whether she got up in the night -and did so, cannot be proved at this distance of time, because there -was no witness of the incident with the exception of herself. Next -morning she was found dead in her bed, having been suffocated by the -fumes of the escaped gas. - -"There was an inquest, and the evidence given of the cause of death -was accepted as conclusive. Mr. Nisbet shut up the house in Lamb's -Terrace, and left England. Having no instructions to ascertain where -he is at the present time, I have made no inquiries. - -"By the terms of his wife's will he came into possession of his -stepdaughter's fortune. - -"I inclose a newspaper, containing an account of the inquest, and I -shall be happy to prosecute the inquiry in any further direction you -desire. - - "Yours obediently, - - "James Dickson." - - -Although this report was not so full as I expected it to be, I had no -cause of complaint against Mr. Dickson. He had kept strictly within -the limit of his instructions, which he had taken down in writing from -my lips, and he had lost no time; I had, therefore, reason to be -satisfied with him. I turned my attention to the account of the -inquest. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - WHAT THE INQUEST REVEALED. - - -"An inquest was held yesterday at the Hare and Hounds on the body of -Beatrice Lockyer, a young lady residing with her stepfather at 79 -Lamb's Terrace, who met her death by suffocation. The coroner said -this was a sad case, the deceased being young and apparently in good -health on the night of the occurrence. The facts appeared to be very -simple, and the jury would have little difficulty in arriving at a -verdict. The first witness called was Mr. Nisbet, the deceased's -stepfather, who gave his evidence with manifest distress. - -"'What is your name?' - -"'Oliver Nisbet.' - -"'Profession?' - -"'None. I live on my means.' - -"'What relation do you bear to the deceased?' - -"'She was my stepdaughter.' - -"'Her age?' - -"'Twenty last birthday.' - -"'Is her mother living?' - -"'No, she died four years ago.' - -"'How long were you married?' - -"'A few months only.' - -"'At the time of her mother's death the deceased was sixteen years -old?' - -"'Yes.' - -"'Did her death affect the deceased in any particular way?' - -"'She was deeply grieved at the loss, but apart from this natural -feeling there was no change in her.' - -"'Have you observed any change in her during the last few days or -weeks?' - -"'No; we had had domestic worries with servants, such as happen to -most housekeepers in London, but they had passed away, and as we had -determined to reside abroad we regarded them rather with amusement. We -looked forward to an easier life in a foreign country.' - -"'On the night of your stepdaughter's death, at what hour did she -retire to her room?' - -"'At a little after ten.' - -"'Who was in the house besides yourselves?' - -"'No one.' - -"'You had a servant left. What became of her?' - -"'It was arranged that she should remain in our service on the -Continent, and we sent her on before us.' - -"'Where to?' - -"'To Lucerne. I had taken a châlet in Vitznau, and she was to proceed -there to see to the rooms, and to await our arrival.' - -"'How is it that you and the deceased remained in the house when there -were no servants in it?' - -"'It was against my desire. I wished my daughter to go to a hotel, but -she refused. She said we could manage very well at home. She had an -aversion to English hotels, and was never happy in one. As we were to -leave London the next day, I humored her.' - -"'Can you give us any explanation of the cause of her aversion to our -hotels?' - -"'She was in the habit of saying that they were so different to -Continental hotels--so stiff and formal. But I do not think that was -quite the reason. She was nervously distrustful of herself in the -society of strangers, and was, I regret to say, of a melancholy -disposition.' - -"'Had this been always the case with her?' - -"'From her childhood, her mother used to tell me. For years past I -have endeavored to bring her to a more cheerful frame of mind by -travel and constant change of scene, but I fear my efforts were -wasted.' - -"'Was her mother of a similar disposition?' - -"'Yes. It is a natural inference that it was inherited.' - -"'How did you pass the day before her death?' - -"'We breakfasted together in the morning--a simple breakfast, which -she herself got ready--and then I went into the city to complete the -arrangements for our journey, and to settle my monetary affairs. This -occupied several hours. At six o'clock I returned home, with the -intention of taking her out to dinner; but she had a little dinner -prepared for us, and said she would enjoy it much more than dining -out. After dinner we chatted, and she played upon her zither.' - -"'Cheerful airs?' - -"'No; but she was a very sweet player, and whether her music was sad -or bright, it was a pleasure to listen to it.' - -"'Have you at any time observed a disposition in her to commit -suicide?' - -"'Never; and I never heard her utter a word to indicate that she was -tired of life.' - -"'Was her general health good?' - -"'Yes, fairly good; she suffered a little from headaches, but she has -had no serious illness in my experience of her.' - -"'Describe your movements on the morning of her death.' - -"'I rose at about eight o'clock, and employed an hour in packing my -bags. We were to leave the house for the station at half-past ten. At -nine o'clock I listened, and did not hear her move. I was not -surprised at this, because she was a late riser and frequently -overslept herself. During our travels we have lost trains from this -cause. I went to her room, and knocked and called, and, receiving no -answer, opened the door, and was immediately driven back by the fumes -of gas. Dreading a calamity, I rushed in and threw the window open; -then I saw my dear daughter lying motionless upon her bed. I was -educated in the medical profession, though I do not follow it. I made -a hasty examination of her condition and, fearing the worst, I ran for -Dr. Cooper. He accompanied me back to the house, and confirmed my -fears.' - -"'Her bedroom door was unlocked?' - -"'It was; she would never lock it, being, I think, afraid of fire. It -was hard to reason her out of any of her fancies. I frequently -expostulated with her upon her dislike to fresh air. I tried to induce -her to keep her bedroom window open a little from the top, but I could -not persuade her that it was unhealthy to sleep in a close room.' - -"'That is all the information you can give us?' - -"'I know nothing further.' - -"Dr. Cooper's evidence tallied with that already given. He had been -called to the deceased by Mr. Nisbet, who had come to him in a state -of great agitation, and whom he had accompanied immediately to Lamb's -Terrace, arriving at the house too late to be of any service. The -unfortunate young lady had been dead for hours, and the cause of death -was indisputable. - -"There were no other witness and after a brief summing up a verdict -was returned of death by misadventure." - - -I gathered from the account that the case had excited very little -interest and attention, and was soon over and forgotten. - -This is all I learned from the report of Mr. Dickson and the account -of the inquest. - -The bare facts were clear enough to the ordinary mind, that is to say, -to the mind that had no profound motive to urge it to look beneath the -surface. They were clear enough to me, but not in any sense -satisfactory. It appeared to my judgment that the inquest was hurried -over, that statements had been accepted which should have been the -subject of more searching examination, and that any person deeply -interested in the case would have asked questions which did not seem -to have occurred to coroner and jury. My own experience had led me to -the conclusion that at these hasty inquests many important matters of -detail which might have a vital bearing on the verdict are altogether -overlooked. The coroners have too much to do, too many inquiries to -make in the course of a few hours; the jury, dragged from their -occupations without adequate remuneration, are only anxious to get the -matter over and return to their businesses and homes. There should be -some better method of procedure in these important investigations if -it is desired that justice shall be properly served, and for my part I -was stirred by an uneasy consciousness that in this instance justice -had been hoodwinked. How, indeed, could I have felt differently with -the specter cat lying at my feet, and looking up into my face? - -The silent monitor was an irresistible force. Although the death of -Beatrice Lockyer did not personally concern me, and I had no direct -interest in discovering whether she died by fair means or foul, I was -impelled onward by the conviction that I should never be freed from -this supernatural visitation until the truth was brought to light. - -It was evening when I received and read the report of the inquiry -agent and the account of the inquest, and I had made no appointment to -meet Bob. On the chance of finding him at home, I took the train to -Canonbury, leaving a message with Maria that if he called during my -absence he was to remain till I returned. Accompanied by my spectral -companion, I mounted Bob's staircase, and he, hearing my footsteps, -received me on the landing. - -"I half expected you," he said, casting his eyes downward. - -"It is with me, Bob," I said, answering the look. "Have you seen your -nephew to-day?" - -"No," he replied. "I should not be surprised if he pops in to-night. -You have some news?" - -"Mr. Dickson has sent me certain particulars relating to the death of -the young lady, whose name, as you will see, is Beatrice Lockyer. I -should like to go through them with you, and to hear what strikes you -as having a suspicious bearing on the case." - -I handed him the papers I had brought with me, and he read them -carefully. - -"I doubt," he said, when he had finished, "whether Ronald knows to -this day that Beatrice was not Mr. Nisbet's daughter." - -"Would he not have read the account of the inquest?" I inquired. - -"He could not read it himself; he was blind at the time, recollect; -and I know no one who would have inflicted upon him the pain of making -him acquainted with the sorrowful details. I am convinced that these -published particulars have not come to his knowledge." - -"Point out weak and suspicious points, Bob." - -"She was not his daughter," said Bob. - -"Exactly. And therefore there was no reason why he should have had any -strong affection for her." - -"I suppose," said Bob, "that we had best take the worst view of -anything that suggests itself." - -"I don't intend to soften anything down," I replied. "At present we -are doing no one an injustice, and I am inclined to accept the most -terrible suggestion without shrinking. We need not give it a name, -Bob. If it is in your mind as it is in mine, let it rest there till -the time arrives to proclaim it aloud." - -Bob nodded and said, "There was a large fortune. £60,000 is a tempting -bait." - -"Observe," I remarked, "that at the inquest no allusion is made to the -fact that Mr. Nisbet would so largely benefit by the death of his -stepdaughter." - -"It is singular, Ned. Could it have been willfully suppressed?" - -"If so it was suppressed by only one man--the man who has obtained -possession of the fortune. Who else at the inquest could have known -anything about it? Not the coroner, certainly, or it would have been -mentioned; certainly not the jury, to whom the unfortunate young lady -and her stepfather were absolute strangers. Mr. Nisbet, as it appears -to me, had the game entirely in his hands, and could play it as served -him best. There was no one to question him or his motives, not a soul -to come forward to verify or falsify anything he cared to say. He and -Beatrice were alone together in this great city, cut off, as it were, -from all mankind. There is no mention of the name of a single friend. -On the night of her death only he and she were in the house, in that -lonely, wretched house which my stupid wife had set her heart upon." - -"It must have been in a better state then than it is now." - -"Granted; but there are large grounds attached to the house, and there -was not even a fitful gardener employed to keep it in order, who could -come forward and say, 'I will tell you what I know.'" - -"Are you sure of that, Ned?" asked Bob. - -"Ah! It is a suggestion that must not be lost sight of. There is the -value of talking a thing over in an open way. At all events, no such -man makes his appearance. Now, does it stand to reason that a lady and -gentleman of ample means would willingly bury themselves in such a -place? If the man had been straight minded and right minded, would he -not have insisted on taking a young lady whom he calls his daughter -into more comfortable quarters? He is her guardian, her protector, she -has no one else to depend upon, she has no friend in whom she can -confide. Although, as you say, the house must have been in a better -condition then than it is now, is it at all likely that, without some -sinister motive, Mr. Nisbet should have deliberately selected a -residence in so cheerless a locality? He says she was averse to -society. We have only his word for that. From the little concerning -her which Ronald Elsdale has imparted to you it does not appear that -she was disinclined to make pleasant acquaintances. Why did not her -stepfather give her opportunities of doing so? On the contrary, he -regards with aversion even the slight advances which a gentleman like -Ronald, with everything in his favor, pays her on a legitimate -occasion. Is that in his favor?" - -"It tells against him distinctly." - -"Your nephew describes her as a young lady of singular attractions. -What does such a lady naturally look forward to? Would it not be to -marriage, to a home of her own? But, that accomplished, all chance of -Mr. Nisbet coming into a fortune of £60,000 would be lost? Here we -find the motive spring of his actions. It was for this, probably, that -he married the mother. So dark are the thoughts that keep cropping up -in my mind that I ask myself, 'How did the mother meet her death?'" - -I had worked myself into a state of great excitement, and I was now -restlessly pacing Bob's little room. - -"Even without this evidence," I continued, pointing to the apparition -of the cat, "I should suspect his motives. With such evidence I am -almost ready to condemn him unheard. The arguments I bring forward -seem to me reasonable and conclusive, and so far as lies in my power I -will bring the matter to its rightful issue." - -"I cannot blame you," said Bob, "and, as I have already told you, I -will assist you if I can. The difficulty is, where to commence. You -have no starting point." - -"I have. The house in Lamb's Terrace. I shall put your courage to the -test before I leave you to-night; but I will speak of that presently. -There is another circumstance I wish to refer to with respect to Mr. -Nisbet's evidence at the inquest. He speaks of the one domestic who -remained in their service after the others had left, or had been -discharged." - -"Why do you say discharged?" - -"It has only at this moment occurred to me. Things suggest themselves -as I ventilate the subject which I did not think of at first. We may -be able to find one of these servants who left of their own accord, or -were turned away. Keeping to this one domestic who remained faithful -to them, the probability is that it was an English girl of humble -origin. This being so, it is still more probable that she knew nothing -of foreign countries and foreign travel; and that she could speak no -language but her own." - -"Well?" - -"Mr. Nesbit says he sent her on to Lucerne before the day on which he -intended to start with Beatrice, and that she was to proceed to -Vitznau from Lucerne to attend to the rooms he had taken there. Was -that not a curious thing to do, and was it likely that an ignorant -London domestic could be expected to reach the place without mishap." - -"It was a strange proceeding." - -"It is more than strange. If we could lay hands upon that girl we -might learn something useful. If we can find her people----" I paused; -there were footsteps on the stairs, and I knew, from the care that was -being taken in ascending, that it was Ronald Elsdale who was coming -up. I opened the door for him, and gave him good-evening. I observed -again the look of discomposure on his face as he entered the room; -again I saw him turn his eyes downward to the spot upon which the cat -was lying. He made no reference, however, to the fancy which oppressed -him, but brushed his hand across his forehead, as he had done before. - -"I am glad you are here, Mr. Emery," he said. "I wished to ask you -something. Why did you want to know where the young lady lived whom, -but for my blindness, I should have asked to be my wife?" - -I paused a moment before I spoke. I felt that the time had not arrived -to take him fully into my confidence. - -"I beg you will not press me," I said; "I had a reason, but I cannot -disclose it at present." - -"You will some day?" - -"Yes, I promise you." - -"Thank you. I have been thinking of it a great deal, and I felt that -you did not ask the question out of idle curiosity." - -"I did not. And now, if you will deal more generously to me than it -may appear I am dealing to you, I should like to ask another question -or two concerning her--if," I added, "the subject is not too painful -to you." - -He turned to his uncle, who said, "Yes, answer the questions, Ronald." - -"I will do so freely," he said. - -"I assure you," I commenced, "that I am impelled by a strong and -earnest motive, and that before long you shall know all that is -passing in my mind. When you met her on the Continent, did she give -you the impression that she was of a morbid or melancholy -temperament?" - -"Not at all. She was always cheerful and animated." - -"Was she averse to society? Did she show that it was distasteful to -her?" - -"Oh, no. With modesty and discretion she seemed glad to converse with -people whose manners were agreeable and becoming." - -"She had a favorite instrument, had she not, upon which she was fond -of playing?" - -"You seem to know a great deal about her, Mr. Emery. Her favorite -instrument was the zither." - -"Have you heard her play upon it?" - -"Yes, and her touch was sweet and beautiful." - -"Would you say that her inclination was to play sorrowful or somber -airs?" - -"By no means. The zither does not lend itself to boisterous music, -there is a tenderness in the instrument which goes to the heart. Her -taste lay in the direction of sweetness; but there was nothing -sorrowful or somber in her playing." - -These questions answered, I succeeded in changing the subject of -conversation, and Ronald stopped with us an hour, and then took his -departure, saying before he left, "I rely on your promise, Mr. Emery." - -When he was gone I said to Bob, "False in one thing, false in all. Mr. -Nisbet's evidence at the inquest was a tissue of fabrications. Now, -Bob, I am going to put you to the test. The house in Lamb's Terrace is -mine for three months. Will you spend a night or two with me there?" - -He looked up, rather startled at the proposition; but any uneasiness -he may have felt passed away almost immediately. - -"Yes," he replied. "When?" - -"Not to-morrow night. It would not be fair. You have to get to the -office on the following morning, and a night of unrest may interfere -with your duties. Your Sundays are free. Let us fix Saturday night." - -"Very well, Ned. What explanation will you give to your wife?" - -"I shall exercise a pardonable deceit upon her. On Saturday afternoon -you and I will be supposed to be going to Brighton for a blow. She -will raise no objection and we may depend upon her not disturbing us. -Untold gold would not tempt her into that house again." - -"I will join you," said Bob, in a serious tone. "I should not like you -to be alone there." - -So it was arranged, and I bade him good-night. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - IN 79 LAMB'S TERRACE. - - -As I supposed, my wife was entirely agreeable to the seaside -excursion, and professed herself delighted at the idea. - -"You should go about more," she said. "Too much moping at home is bad -for a man. We don't notice the changes that take place in ourselves, -but others do." - -"You have noticed some change in me?" I asked. - -"I have. You are not half the man you used to be; your good spirits -seem to have quite deserted you, and you keep looking about you in a -most suspicious way." - -"Tell me, Maria, in what particular way?" - -"Well, as if you were afraid somebody was going to pick your pocket, -or as if you fancied you had a shadow for a companion. My opinion is -that you have not got over that unfortunate visit we paid to the house -in Lamb's Terrace." - -"Have you got over it?" - -"No, and never shall. I can't keep my thoughts away from the place, -and I often feel as if something was dragging me to the house again, -though a second visit would be the death of me." - -"Never be tempted, Maria; don't go near the neighborhood. We both need -change of scene to clear the cobwebs away. When I come back from -Brighton you shall run off to the seaside for a day or two; you can -easily get a lady friend to keep you company, especially if I pay all -the expenses." - -"Why should we not go together?" - -"Because in each other's society we should brood over the frightful -adventure we had. Change of company, Maria, as well as change of -scene; that is what will do us good." - -This conversation proved that my wife had not succeeded in forgetting -the adventure, and had only refrained from speaking of it out of -consideration for me. Her confession that she sometimes felt as if she -was being dragged to the house against her will rather alarmed me, and -I determined to adopt some means to send her from London for longer -than a day or two. It would be beneficial to her, and would leave me -free to act. - -Before the hour arrived upon which Bob and I were to set out upon our -pretended holiday, I paid a second visit to the inquiry agent, Mr. -Dickson, and commissioned him to ascertain for me: - -First. The name of the servant girl who was sent to Switzerland by Mr. -Nisbet; where her family lived; when she returned from the Continent. - -Second. The names and residences of the other servants in Mr. Nisbet's -employ who had discharged themselves. - -Third. Where Miss Beatrice Lockyer was buried. - -Fourth. Any particulars he could gather relating to the death of Miss -Beatrice's mother. - -Fifth. Where Mr. Nisbet was living at the present time. - -Mr. Dickson informed me that these inquiries could scarcely be -answered in less than a couple of weeks, and I left them in his hands, -requesting him to use expedition. - -Contrary to my expectation I received a letter from him on Saturday -morning, in which he informed me that he was enabled to give me -imperfect answers to three of my questions. - -First. The name of the servant girl who was sent to Switzerland was -Molly Brand. She had no parents, and the people she lived with when -she entered Mr. Nisbet's service had emigrated. At that time she had a -little sister dependent upon her, a child of some six years of age. -This child had presumably been taken by Molly's friends to Australia, -but upon this point, and upon the point of the child's age, he could -not speak with any certainty. He had not yet succeeded in obtaining -any traces of Molly from the time of her departure from London, and -could not therefore say whether she had returned or where she was. - -Second. From what he could gather Mr. Nisbet had had no other servants -in his employ. - -Third. The young lady was not buried. She was cremated at Woking. - -To these scanty particulars was attached a memorandum to the effect -that he was cramped by a limit I had mentioned as to the amount of the -expenses to be incurred in his investigation. It was a measure of -prudence I had adopted, for I was not inclined to give him quite a -free hand, but it seemed to be fated that my desires to reach the -heart of the mystery should be continually baffled by meeting with -closed doors, and I now determined to be more liberal in my -instructions. I wrote to Mr. Dickson to this effect, inwardly -marveling as I wrote the letter that, in a matter in which I did not -appear to be in any way personally interested, I should be impelled -into a reckless course of expenditure. But, casting my eyes downward, -I saw the phantom cat at my feet, and I felt that I should not be -released from this frightful companion until my task was completed. - -"Rest content," I said to the specter; "I will pursue it to the end." - -There was no sign, no movement from it. Waiting for the development of -events, it was ever on the watch. If, like Poe's raven, it had uttered -but a word, it would have been a relief to me, for nothing could -intensify the terror of the dread silence it preserved. There was -within me a conviction that a moment would arrive when it would take -some action toward the unraveling of the mystery, but in what shape -this action would display itself was to me unfathomable. - -At one o'clock Bob called for me, and I bade Maria good-by. - -"Now, mind you enjoy yourselves," she said; "and take good care of -him, Mr. Millet." - -"I will do that," said Bob, rather guiltily. - -He was not an adept in deception, but my wife had no suspicion that we -were deceiving her, and we took our departure in peace, each of us -provided with a Gladstone bag, Bob's being the bulkier of the two. In -mine my wife had placed, in addition to toilet necessaries, two flat -bottles, one containing brandy, the other port wine, and the usual -packet of sandwiches which the middle-class feminine mind deems a -positive essential for a railway journey. Bob had also provided -himself with food and liquids, and thus furnished we started upon our -expedition. - -On our road we discussed the information I had received from Mr. -Dickson, each item of which strengthened our suspicion of foul play. -The strongest feature in confirmation of this suspicion was the -cremation of the body of the unfortunate young lady. We would not for -one moment admit that Mr. Nisbet was an enthusiast on the subject of -cremation, but accepted the course he had adopted as damning evidence -against him. I mention it to show to what lengths the prejudiced mind -will go in arriving at a conclusion upon an open matter; but, apart -from this consideration, we certainly had ample reason for the strong -feelings we entertained. A hasty inquest held by incompetent persons, -the acceptance of conclusive statements from the party most interested -in the young lady's death, the falsehoods of which he already stood -convicted, and other falsehoods which I had little doubt would be in a -short time discovered, pointed one and all to a miscarriage of -justice. Bob no longer disputed the conclusions at which I arrived, -but accepted them with gloomy avidity. - -Needless to say that we did not set out upon our expedition without -the society of my spectral familiar, and that we were both in a state -of nervous excitement as to what would occur. Bob had never been in -the neighborhood of Lamb's Terrace, and its desolate appearance -surprised him. Dismal and forlorn as was its aspect on the occasion of -my first introduction to the region, it was still more so now. This -sharpened accentuation of its desolate condition was probably caused -by the knowledge I had since gained, and by the vagaries of our -beautiful London climate. When we stated from home there was the -promise of a tolerably fine day, but during the last half hour the sky -had become overcast and dreary mists were gathering. - -"Cheerful, isn't it, Bob?" I said. - -"Do you mean to tell me," was his response, "that having come so far -on your first visit, your wife did not immediately abandon the idea of -taking a house in such a locality?" - -"Whatever may have been in her mind," I replied, "she certainly -insisted upon finding the house and going over it. It was offered to -us at half the value of a house of such dimensions, and did you ever -know a woman sufficiently strong minded to resist a bargain? I do not -believe she would have had the courage to complete the arrangement, -but she went quite far enough." - -We turned down the narrow lane and skirted the dilapidated wall till -we arrived at our destination. As we walked through the front garden -entrance, choked up with its weeds and rank grass, and ascended the -flight of steps, I asked Bob how he felt. - -"It is impossible not to feel depressed," he answered; "but you will -not find me fail you, Ned. We will go through what we have -undertaken." - -"Well said. We shall get along all right till Monday morning. There -was a little furniture in one or two of the rooms, and I do not -suppose it has been removed. When my wife was here we only examined -the front room on the second floor; the rooms I have not seen may be -habitable. I expect we shall have to go out and buy some necessaries. -What have you got in your bag?" - -"You shall see presently." - -The cat entered the house with us, but it did not remain with us in -the lobby. I saw it pass down to the basement, and it gave no sign of -expectation that I should accompany it. - -"That's a comfort," I remarked. - -I had to explain my meaning to Bob, and he seemed to regard the -departure as a significant commencement of our enterprise. We did not -follow our spectral companion to the basement, but proceeded upstairs -to the apartments I had already seen. In all, with the exception of -the front room on the second floor, in which I had rang the bell which -summoned the apparitions, there was some furniture left, and Bob -expressed his astonishment that it had not been removed or sold by the -last tenant. - -"It would have been a simple matter," he said, "to call in a broker, -who would very soon have cleared the house of every stick in it." - -"He must have had his reasons," I observed. "Perhaps his coming into -possession of a large fortune made him careless of these trifles." - -"They are not exactly trifles," said Bob, who was better able than I -to speak on the subject. "A broker would give at least fifty pounds -for what is on this floor. The wonder is that the place has not been -robbed." - -We had not yet reached the second floor, and we now ascended to the -room in which my wife and I had met with our appalling experience. -Before entering it we examined the back rooms, and in one, a bedroom, -we found two beds, which we determined to occupy for the night. Bob, -having lived a bachelor life for many years, now showed his handiness. -He examined the stove, to see that the register was up, and then he -opened his Gladstone bag, the contents of which surprised me. He -produced first a bundle of wood, then a remarkable case which -contained within its exceedingly limited space a kettle with a folding -handle, a gridiron, two tin pannikins, knives, forks, and spoons, and -a spirit lamp, fitting in each other. - -"Bravo, Bob," I said; "living alone has taught you something." - -He smiled, and proceeded to further surprise me, fishing out a loaf of -bread, tea, sugar, a tin of condensed milk, sausages, salt, pepper, a -revolver, a pack of cards, and a Bible--a motley collection of -articles. - -"A bachelor's _multum in parvo_," he said, adding, as he touched the -revolver, "wouldn't be bad for the bush. We are short of two things, -coal and water. But look here--we are in luck. A scuttle nearly full. -There will be no water in the house fit to drink. We shall have to go -and market, but there will not be so much to get in as I expected." - -With the manner of a man accustomed to attend to his wants he knelt -down and burned some paper and wood in the grate, and the draught -being all right, laid the fire, but did not set light to it. Rising, -he expressed a wish to see the front room. - -It was, as before, quite bare and empty, and Bob said it looked as if -it had not been furnished. The bell ropes were there, one broken, the -other in a workable condition. I laid my hand on the unbroken cord, -and cast an inquiring glance at Bob. - -"Yes," he said, "pull it." - -He threw the door wide open, and stood with his back to it, to prevent -its closing. He held his revolver in his hand, his finger on the -trigger. I gave the rope a smart tug, and, as on the previous eventful -occasion, it was followed by the jangle of a host of discordant bells. -The sounds died away in a low wail, and we waited in silent -apprehension. But this time there was no response to the call; it was -answered only by a dead silence. The feeling of relief I experienced -was shared by Bob, though, curiously enough, there was an expression -of disappointment in his face. - -"Of course it is better as it is," he said, "but I expected something -very different. Where is your apparition, Ned?" - -"I cannot tell you. Thank Heaven, it is not in sight!" - -"Perhaps this is an end of the matter." - -"You are wrong, Bob; there is more to come before we finally leave the -house." - -"We will wait for it, then," he said, and I saw that he was beginning -again to believe that I had been under the spell of a delusion. "And -now, as we have determined to remain here two nights, we had best go -and get in the things we want to make us comfortable. I will empty my -bag to carry back what we purchase, and if what we leave behind us is -carried away we shall know that human, and not supernatural, agency is -at work. Come along, old fellow." - -We left the house and no spectral apparition accompanied us. Bob's -spirits rose, and I confess that I myself was somewhat shaken by the -desertion of my familiar. - -We had to go some distance before arriving at a line of shops, and not -wishing to attract attention I purposely selected those which lay -apart from the principal thoroughfares. Our principal difficulty was -water, and this we carried back with us in a zinc bucket I purchased. -The shopkeeper stared at us when I asked him to fill it, but he did -not refuse, and, furnished with all we required, we returned to Lamb's -Terrace, and ascended to the room we intended to occupy for the night. -By this time it was dark, and we lit the fire and saw to the beds. -Then we prepared a meal, and were fairly jolly over it. Every few -minutes one of us went into the passage and listened, but we were not -disturbed by any sounds from below or above. It had been my intention -to search the various rooms for some chance clew relating to the last -tenant, but it was too late and dark to carry it out; I therefore -postponed it till the morning. Bob proposed a game of cards, and we -sat down to cribbage, which we played till ten o'clock. Under such -circumstances it was rather a lugubrious amusement, but it was better -than doing nothing. After the game we drank hot brandy and water out -of the pannikins, and prepared for bed. The lock of the door was in -workable order, and for a wonder the key was there. We turned it, -undressed, put out the light, and wished each other goodnight. - -"If your good wife had the slightest suspicion of our proceedings," -said Bob drowsily, "she would never forgive me. I have an odd Robinson -Crusoe-ish feeling upon me, as though the civilized world were -thousands of miles away." - -I answered him briefly, and soon heard him breathing deeply. For my -part I could not get to sleep so easily. For a long time I lay awake, -closing my eyes only to open them and gaze upon the monstrous, uncouth -shadows which the dying fire threw upon the walls and ceiling. At -length, however, I closed my eyes and did not open them again till, as -I judged from the circumstance of the fire being quite out, some hours -had passed. It was not a natural awakening; I was aroused by the sound -of something moving in the lower part of the house. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - BARBARA. - - -I sat up in bed, and quickly lit a candle. Bob was sleeping soundly, -and I saw nothing in the room to alarm me; I was quite prepared to -greet once more the apparition of my faithful companion, but as the -cat was not in sight I inferred that it was contented with its -quarters in the basement. On a small table by Bob's side lay his -revolver, ready to his hand, and even in this moment of apprehension -I smiled at the idea of my friend--the most humane man in the -world--possessing so murderous an instrument. I was thankful, however, -that he had brought it; powerless as it would be against spectral foes -it inspired me with confidence. I slid from my bed, seized the pistol, -stepped to the door and listened. My movements aroused Bob, as I -intended they should, and he jumped up. - -"Who's there?" he cried, clapping his hand on the table. "What's the -matter?" - -"Hush," I said, "make no noise. Your pistol's all right; I've got it. -Slip on your clothes, and come and keep watch while I get into mine. -There's someone--or something--downstairs." - -He was soon ready and he took his station by the door while I dressed -myself. - -"I don't hear anything," he said, when I joined him. - -"All is quiet just now, Bob, but I was not mistaken. I am positive I -heard it." - -"What was it like?" - -"Like somebody moving softly about, wishing not to be heard." - -"Rats or mice, perhaps. I shouldn't wonder if the lower part of the -house is full of them." - -I caught his arm. "Listen, Bob." - -With our ears close to the door, we both caught the sound of a -stealthy movement below. - -"There it is," he whispered, and I felt his arm tremble in my grasp. A -moment afterward he said, "We are trapped." - -"Don't lose your nerve," I responded, in as cheerful a tone as I could -command; "we must see it through, now we are here. I am sorry I -brought you, Bob; the next time I come, I will come alone." - -"Indeed you shall not, Ned," he replied, "and I am ashamed of my -weakness. I was prepared for something of the sort, and here am I -showing the white feather. I am all right now, old fellow." - -"Bravo! Take your pistol; I brought a weapon with me." - -It was a thick flat strip of iron, tapered at one end, which I used at -home to open cases, and which, unknown to my wife, I had secreted -about me. Bob nodded as I produced it. - -"A formidable weapon," he said, "but useless against apparitions; we -may have more formidable foes to contend with, however, and it is as -well to be provided. It would be foolhardy to leave the room. We -should have to carry a candle, and it might be dashed from our hands; -the darkness would be horrible. We are safer where we are." - -"We will not go out yet, Bob. The sound has ceased. Take a nip of -brandy, and give me one." - -This dialogue was carried on at intervals. We paused in the middle of -sentences, and finished them as though it was our customary method of -pursuing a conversation. In the fever of our senses we lost sight of -the natural order of things, and the shadows created by the flickering -light appeared to be in harmony with the position in which we were -placed. The silence--as dread in its mysterious possibilities as -threatening sounds would have been--continuing, Bob rekindled the -fire, and we remained quiescent for an hour and more. Bob looked at -his watch. - -"It is past two, Ned." - -"Yes. I have been thinking over what is best to be done." - -"Have you decided?" - -"I have, but I hardly like to propose it to you." - -"I am ready for anything," he said, divining my wish. "Every moment -that we are shut up here grows more oppressive." - -"My feeling. We are fairly strong men, and are well armed. Have you -the courage to explore the house with me?" - -He straightened himself and replied, "Let us set about it at once." - -We adopted every reasonable precaution. We each carried a candle, and -held pistol and iron bar in our right hands, firmly resolved to use -them promptly in case we were attacked. Throwing open the door we -stepped into the passage. - -So far as we could judge from the evidence of our senses, there was -not a movement in the house which did not proceed from ourselves. -Slowly and cautiously I led the way downstairs, and when we reached -the hall I unlocked the street door and left it ajar, thus affording a -readier means of escape should the need for flight present itself. In -our progress we entered and examined every room on the three floors, -and saw no spiritual or material foe. Then we descended to the -basement. - -As I touched the handle of the kitchen door I fancied I heard a faint -sound, and looking at Bob I gathered from the expression on his face -that he also was impressed by a similar fancy. - -"What do you think it is?" I asked in a whisper. - -"It sounds like soft breathing," he replied, in a voice as low as my -own. - -We paused a while, and then, receiving from Bob a silent approval, I -gently pushed the door and we entered. We had not been beguiled by our -fancies. In the extreme corner of the kitchen we observed a huddled -heap of clothes and coverings, from beneath which issued the low -breathing of a person asleep. Treading very softly we drew near to the -spot, and to our astonishment beheld--no form of ruffian or -bloodthirsty marauder, but the form of a child, deep in slumber. - -It was a girl whose age appeared to be eleven or twelve. She was -undressed, and was lying upon some strips of old carpet; other strips -of old carpet and the clothes she had taken off comprised her bed -coverings. Her face was not clean, but there dwelt upon it, even in -her sleep, a pathetic expression of want and suffering. There was a -loneliness and helplessness in the figure of this young child -slumbering unprotected in such a place which stirred me to pity. Her -tangled hair lay loose across her face, and her eyelids were swollen, -as if she had been weeping before the angel of sleep brought ease and -oblivion to her troubled heart; one little naked arm had released -itself from its wrappings, and lay exposed; it was thin, and sharp, -and pointed, and the tale of woe it told accentuated the pity I felt -for the child. - -Bob put his pistol in his pocket, and I buttoned my coat over my -weapon. - -"Nothing to scare us here," he said. - -"No, indeed," I replied. "See, Bob--there are three boxes of matches -which look as if they have been carried in her little hands for hours. -She has been trying to sell them, perhaps, to get a bit of supper. -Poor soul! What brings her to this dismal, haunted hole?" - -"No other roof to cover her," suggested Bob. - -So engrossed had I been in the contemplation of the pathetic figure -that I had not noticed another figure crouching close to it. It was -the apparition of the skeleton cat, seemingly keeping guard over the -child. The moment my eyes fell upon it Bob knew from my startled -movement what it was I beheld. - -"It is there, Ned," he said quietly. - -"Yes, it is there, and this child has some connection with the mystery -which hangs over this house." - -He did not dispute with me. The hour, the scene, and all that had -passed, were favorable to my opinion, and he accepted it without -question or remonstrance. The presence of the apparition, although it -was not evident to his senses, disturbed him more than it disturbed -me. I was by this time accustomed to it, and the feeling of horror -with which it had at first inspired me was now replaced by a feeling -of agitated curiosity as to the issue of the mission upon which I was -convinced we were both engaged. There was not the slightest doubt in -my mind that its presence by the side of the sleeping child, in -conjunction with our discovery of the child herself, was an indication -that I had advanced another step toward the unraveling of the mystery. - -The latter part of our conversation had been carried on in our natural -voices, our desire being to arouse the child from her slumbers. As, -however, she still slept on, I knelt by her side and laid my hand upon -her shoulder. Even then she did not awake, and it was not till I had -shaken her--which I need scarcely say I did with a gentle hand--that -she opened her eyes. With a terrified scream she started up, and then -she plunged down again, and hiding her face in her clothes, began to -shake and sob. - -"We are not going to hurt you, my child," I said. "We are your -friends. You have nothing to fear from us." - -"I aint got no friends," she sobbed, "and I aint done no 'arm. Oh, -please, please, let me go away!" - -"Where to?" I asked. - -"I don't know, I don't know," she sobbed. "Please don't do nothink to -me, and let me go away." - -"You shall go away if you like," I said, to soothe her, "but you must -dress yourself first, you know." - -"I will this minute, sir, if you'll only let me alone. Oh, my! oh, my! -What shall I do, what shall I do?" - -"You shall be let alone--you shall do exactly what you want to do. -Only believe, my child, that we are really your friends and that we -want to help you. You went to bed hungry, did you not?" - -"Yes, I did, sir. I 'ad three boxes of matches, and I couldn't sell -'em, though I tried ever so. I've been all day at it, and nobody'd buy -a box or give me a ha'penny." - -"Been all day at it," I said, the tears starting to my eyes at the -infinite pathos in the girl's voice; "you have been hungry all day?" - -"Yes, sir, I 'ave," she answered plaintively. "I'm used to it. A boy -give me a bit of bread this morning, and nothink else 'as passed my -mouth all the blessed day." - -"He was a good boy to be so kind to you." I turned to Bob. "Would you -mind going upstairs alone, Bob, and bringing down some bread and -butter and sausage. Then the little girl will believe that we wish to -be as good to her as the boy was this morning." - -Bob did not hesitate. All his fears had vanished, and he hastened from -the kitchen, and soon returned with food and a cup of cold tea. -Meanwhile I continued to speak to the child in my kindest tones, and -she mustered courage to peep at me two or three times, and each time, -I was pleased to observe, with renewed confidence. Once she asked why -I had asked the gentleman if he wouldn't mind going upstairs alone, -and I replied that my friend was rather timid because the house was so -lonely. - -"It is, sir," she said upon this; "it's awful!" - -"In what way, my dear?" I inquired, but she closed her lips, firmly, -and did not answer. I did not urge her, deeming it prudent not to -press her until her confidence in us was completely won. - -"Now, my dear," I said upon Bob's return, "sit up and eat this. The -tea is cold, but we will give you a cup of hot tea presently if you -care to have it. And see--I will buy your matches of you. Here is -sixpence for them." - -Her eyes, with wonder in them, were raised to mine, and her hot -fingers closed over the coin, as she tremblingly sat up in her -wretched bed, and wiped her tears away with her naked arm. - -"Thank yer, sir," she murmured, and she began to eat and drink. Never -in my life have I beheld a human being devour food so eagerly and -ravenously, and she made no pause till she had drained the cup and -disposed of every crumb. - -"Do you feel better?" I asked, with a smiling nod at her. - -"Ever so much, sir; thank yer kindly," she said humbly and gratefully. -"I'm good for another day." - -"And for many more after that," I said. "I dare say we shall be able -to do something for you if you are a good girl." - -"I aint bad, sir," she said, with an imploring look; "don't believe -that I am. I never forgit what Molly sed----" she stopped with a -sudden gasp. "You aint come from 'er, 'ave yer, sir?" - -"From Molly, my dear? No, we have not come from her. Who is Molly?" - -"My sister, sir," she replied with a sigh; "the only one, I aint got -no other brothers or sisters." - -"You have a mother and father, my dear?" - -"No, sir, there was only Molly and me." - -"Some relatives, surely?" - -"No, sir, not as I knows on." - -"Have you no home, my dear?" - -"No, sir, 'xcept this, unless you turn me out of it." - -"If we do turn you out of it, my child, it will be to put you in a -better one." - -"Don't, sir; oh, please don't!" she cried. - -"Not put you in a more comfortable home, my dear?" I asked in -surprise. - -"I don't want a more comfortable one, sir, till Molly comes back. If -she don't find me 'ere, where's she to look for me, and 'ow am I to -know? I 'ope you won't turn me away; I do 'ope it, sir!" - -"There, there, my dear," I said, "you need not distress yourself. -Depend upon it we will do nothing that you do not wish done, and that -is not for your good. We will see about it all presently. Where is -your sister?" - -"That's wot I want to know, sir; that's wot I want to find out. Oh, -wot wouldn't I give if I knew where Molly was!" - -There was pregnant matter here for me to think about. The child did -not want to find another home till her sister came back. Came back -where? To this Heaven-forsaken house. It was here that Molly would -come to look for the poor little waif. The conclusion was that Molly -knew something of the house, was familiar with it, else she would not -expect to find her young sister in it. Was it a reasonable conclusion -that she knew something of the last tenant, and could give me some -information concerning him? I did not pursue the subject with the -little girl in this direction, deeming it best to await a more -advantageous opportunity for learning what I desired to know. - -"What was it Molly said to you that you will never forget?" I asked. - -"She said, Molly did, 'Look 'ere, Barbara, mind you're good, and mind -you allus keep good. If you don't you shan't be no sister of mine.' -That's wot I won't forgit as long as ever I live. But O Molly, Molly, -why don't you come back? Why don't you come back!" - -The imploring earnestness of this appeal powerfully affected me, and I -gazed pitifully at poor Barbara, from whose eyes the tears were -streaming. That when she put her hands up to her eyes, she should keep -her little fist tightly clenched, touched me to the heart; the little -silver piece was her shield against hunger, for a few hours at least, -and she clung to it instinctively through all her grief. I waited till -she was calmer before I said: - -"Dress yourself quickly, Barbara, and come upstairs with us. There's a -nice fire there, and I want to talk to you about Molly. We will try -and find her for you, and you shall not be hungry again. Will you -trust me?" - -"Yes, sir, I will; no one could speak kinder, and you're not the sort -of gentleman to take me in. Perhaps you won't mind telling me 'ow long -you've been 'ere. I didn't know there was anybody in the house but -me." - -"We came only a few hours ago, Barbara," I answered, "and I have been -here but once before." - -"Wot did you come the first time for, sir?" - -"The house is to let, and I thought of taking it." - -"To live in, sir?" - -"Yes, to live in." - -"But you're never going to, sir?" - -"No, I am not going to." - -"I should say yer wouldn't," she muttered. "Who would, I'd like to -know? What did you come for this time, sir?" - -"I will tell you more when you're dressed," I said. "It will be warmer -and nicer upstairs. Be as quick as you can." - -Bob and I went out of the kitchen while Barbara put on her ragged -garments, in which she looked a truly miserable object; Bob patted her -cheek, and I took her hand and led her upstairs, the cat following at -our heels. I noticed that she kept her eyes closed most of the time, -and that when she lifted her lids she did so timorously and -apprehensively, but I refrained at present from asking her the reason -of this. It was only when we were in the room which we had selected -for our sleeping apartment that she opened her eyes and kept them -open. - -"Now, Barbara," I said, putting a chair by the fireside for her, "sit -down there, and warm yourself; then we will talk." - -She sat down obediently, and spread out her thin hands to the -comforting flame, and with a kind of wonder watched Bob as he put the -kettle on and prepared to make the tea. He poured out a cup, and put -in milk and sugar liberally, and gave it to her. She thanked him and -drank it, saying when the cup was empty, "That's good, sir." - -"Are you ready to talk, Barbara?" I asked. - -"Yes, if you please, sir." - -"I am going to ask you a good many questions, and perhaps they'll lead -to good." - -"I'll answer all I can, sir." - -"So you sleep in this house regularly, Barbara?" - -"Yes, sir; I aint got no other place. Where else'd I go to, I'd like -to know?" - -"How long have you lived here?" - -"I can't tell you that, sir; it must be years and years." - -"Since the house has been untenanted, perhaps?" - -"Unwhat, sir?" - -"I mean, Barbara, since it has been empty?" - -"I dessay, sir. I know one thing--it was three weeks to a day after -Molly went away that I first come 'ere, and I've 'ardly missed a night -all the time. There was twice I couldn't git in for the snow, and I -was 'most perished. When I did git in I was that numbed and froze that -I could 'ardly move, but I knew I was done for if I didn't stir my -pegs, so I put some sticks on the 'earthstone and set fire to 'em, and -little by little I got thawed. It was touch and go with me then, sir, -but I managed to dodge 'em that time. I don't know as I'd 'ave cared -much one way or the other if it 'adn't been for Molly. Once there wos -a gal she knew that throwed 'erself in the water, and she sed to me, -sed Molly, 'It wos a wicked thing to do, Barbara,' she sed. 'There's -'eaven,' sed Molly, 'and there's 'ell,' she sed. 'If we do good things -we go to 'eaven, if we do wicked things we go to the other place.' -It's the way Molly used to talk to me that's kept me up over and over -agin." - -I had made up my mind not to interrupt Barbara even when she wandered -from the subject in which I was most interested. By doing so I might -lose valuable suggestions to be gathered from her chance words, and I -naturally wished to hear everything it was in her power to impart. -Impatient as I was to learn more of Molly--who evidently was imbued -with a strong sense of duty, and whose story, I felt convinced, had a -direct connection with the mystery I was endeavoring to solve--I -recognized the advantage of leading gradually up to it. It was by far -the wisest plan to allow her to ramble on in her own way, and not to -startle her by abrupt questions. - -"Why did you not light the fire in the stove, Barbara?" - -"I wosn't sech a mug as that, sir," she replied with a faint dash of -humor. "When smoke comes out of the chimney of a empty 'ouse the -peeler sez, 'Ho, ho!' and in he pops to find out who's done it. Wot'd -become of me then, I'd like to know? They'd 'ave made precious short -work of me." - -"And you have not lit a fire in a stove all the time you have been -here." - -"Never once, sir." - -"How did you manage for coals, Barbara?" - -"Well, sir, when I first come, there was a lot of coal in the cellar, -and I used it all up. It lasted ever so long, but there was a end to -it. Then I begun on the furniture and odd bits of sticks I found -inside the house and out. Sometimes when it was dark and rainy I -foller the coal wagons, and pick up wot drops from the sacks. Then -there's dead branches; I've got 'arf a cupboardful downstairs." - -"What time did you come"--I hesitated at the word--"home to-night?" - -"Past one, I think, sir. I kep' out late trying to sell my matches, -but I 'ad to give it up for a bad job." - -"It was you we heard moving about?" - -"Did I make a noise, sir? I don't, 'ardly ever, but I s'ppose I wos -desp'rate, being so 'ungry, and thinking wot I should do to-morrer for -grub. I wosn't long gitting my clothes off, cos I wanted to git to -sleep quick and forgit everythink and everybody--everybody but Molly. -I'm 'appy when I'm asleep, sir." - -"Poor child! Do you mean to tell me, Barbara, that all these years you -have never once been found out, that all these years you have come and -gone from the house without being seen." - -"Yes, sir, as fur as I know. If I aint clever in nothink else I've -been clever in that. Oh, but the way I've had to dodge, and the tricks -I've played! They'd fill a book if they wos took down. Allus coming -'ome late at night, looking about me, and turning another way if -anybody wos near; allus very careful when I went out agin, peeping -round corners, and 'iding quick if I 'eerd a step. Eyes, sir! I can -see a mile off. Ears, sir! I could 'ear a blade o' grass whisper." - -"You have had a hard life, my dear," I said, taking her hand. Despite -her ragged clothes she looked more comfortable now. There was no wolf -tearing at her vitals for food. This, and the warmth of the fire, the -excitement of the conversation, the consciousness that we were her -friends, and the novelty of such an association in a house in which -she had not heard the voice of a human being during all the years she -had slept and starved in it, had caused her cheeks to glow and her -eyes to sparkle. - -"Yes, sir, there's no denying it's 'ard, but it'll be all right when I -see Molly agin." - -"You expected to do so long before now?" - -"Oh, yes, sir, ever so long before. She can't 'ave forgot me, she -can't 'ave forgot me! You don't think that, do yer, sir?" - -"I am sure she has not, my dear. She was always a good sister to you, -from what you have told me, and always a good girl." - -"The best in all the wide world, sir. There's nobody like 'er, I don't -care where you look. 'I'm more than yer sister Molly,' she sed, 'I'm -yer mother, and I'll never, never turn from yer as long as I live.'" - -"Tell me, Barbara. What was your sister?" - -"A servant gal, sir. I'd like to be one." - -"Was she in a situation in London?" - -"In course she wos, sir." - -"Where?" - -"In this 'ouse, sir. That's why I'm 'ere now." - -And that, thought I, looking down at the cat, is why _I_ am here now. -I glanced at Bob; the revelation that poor Barbara's sister was in -domestic service with the last tenant had brought a flush of -expectation into his face. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - MOLLY. - - -I continued the conversation. - -"That must be a long time ago, Barbara?" - -"Oh, yes, sir; ever so long ago." - -"What was the name of her master?" - -"I don't remember, sir." - -"If you heard it, would you remember it?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Was it Mr. Nesbit?" - -"That's the name, sir. 'E 'ad a daughter, sech a nice young lady, -Molly told me." - -"Miss Beatrice Nesbit?" - -"That's 'er, sir. Molly was so fond of 'er, and she liked Molly, too." - -"Do you know, Barbara, what became of Miss Beatrice?" - -"No, sir; do you?" - -I evaded the question. "Can you read?" I asked. - -"Large letters, when they're wrote plain, sir." - -"You can't read newspapers?" - -"No, sir." - -"When Molly went away--we will speak about that presently--did nobody -tell you that something had happened in this house?" - -"No, sir; I didn't speak about Molly or the 'ouse to nobody, and -nobody spoke to me. Wot did 'appen, sir?" - -"Never mind just now. It is for me to ask questions." - -"I beg yer pardon, sir." - -"No need, Barbara. Where and how did you live, my dear, while Molly -was in service here?" - -"It's 'ard to say, sir. I lived anywhere and any'ow. If it 'adn't been -for Molly I don't think I'd 'ave lived at all. She used to say, used -Molly, 'One day we'll live together, Barbara. When yer grows up, -per'aps Miss Beatrice 'll give yer a place with 'er. Then we shall be -in the same 'ouse, and we'll be as 'appy as the day's long.' The day -aint come yet, sir." - -"When Molly worked here used you to come and see her?" - -"On the sly, sir. Mr. Nesbit, Molly sed, wouldn't allow no followers, -and nobody else come to the 'ouse that didn't 'ave no business there, -so I 'ad to come unbeknown to 'im. One night I wos in the kitching -when Molly 'eard 'im coming down. She 'id me quick be'ind the clothes -'orse, as 'ad some things drying. It was lucky for me and Molly that -he didn't ketch sight of me, or he'd 'ave bundled us both out. My -'eart wos in my mouth all the time." - -"You saw Mr. Nesbit?" - -"Yes, sir; I peeped through the things and sor 'im." - -"A nice looking gentleman, Barbara?" - -"Quite the other, sir; but 'e spoke smooth to Molly." - -"Did you ever see Miss Beatrice?" - -"Once, sir, the same way, and I think she knew I wos 'iding, but she -never sed nothink. She was the nicest looking young lady I ever sor." - -"Tell me about Molly going away." - -"She sed she was going into the country with 'er master and Miss -Beatrice, and that she wouldn't be away long. She give me some money, -and promised to send me some more every week, but I aint 'eerd nothink -of 'er from that day to this. There wos Mrs. Simpson, sir; she let me -sleep in a corner of 'er room. She wos allus 'ard up, Mrs. Simpson -wos, and two weeks after Molly wos gone she got into trouble, and went -away, I don't know where to, and I'd no place to put my 'ead in. I -walked about the streets and slep' in the park, and then I thought I'd -come 'ere and wait for Molly. There wos nothink else for it, 'cause -Mrs. Simpson 'ad cut 'er lucky, and Molly wouldn't know where else to -look for me. It wos orfle lonesome 'ere at fust, and I wos frightened -out of my life almost; but I got used to it after a bit, and it _wos_ -a slice of luck, wosn't it, sir, that I found a place to sleep in -without being arsked to pay no rent? Then there wos the coal cellar -pritty well full of coals, and lots of wood to make a fire with. -Daytime I'd go out selling matches, begging, doing anythink to make a -honest penny, and it wosn't easy to do that, I can tell yer. But 'ere -I am, no better off and no wus since I begun, and never found out till -to-night." - -"You must have managed very cleverly, Barbara." - -"Oh, they don't make 'em much artfuller nor me," said the poor girl -rather proudly. It was a pitiful boast from one who had suffered such -hardships, and who, after years of struggle, presented so lamentable -an appearance. "I aint told yer all, though," she continued eagerly. -"I don't keep no count of the days 'xcept with bits of sticks--one -stick, Monday, two sticks, Tuesday, three sticks, Wednesday, up to six -sticks, Satterday, and then I know to-morrer's Sunday, and I begin all -over again. Weeks I don't know 'ow to reckon, and that's why I can't -tell 'ow long Molly's been away. I dessay it was three months when a -Satterday night come--not the last by a good many--and I got 'ome as -'ungry as 'ungry could be, and not a ha'penny to get grub with. So wot -do I do but prowl about on the chance of finding somethink that 'll -'elp me on. Molly used to sleep in the basement, next to the kitching, -and there's a cupboard in the room. Wot 'yer think I found in that -there cupboard on the top shelf, that I 'ad to stand on two chairs to -git to? A wooden money-box, sir, that rattled as I shook it up. There -wos letters outside wrote large by Molly, 'For Barbara.' Yer might -'ave knocked me down with a feather when I sor it, and I did tumble -off the chairs and 'urt myself, but I 'ad the money box in my 'and for -all that. It wos locked, and there wos no key, but I soon prised it -open, and there it was, 'arf full of coppers that Molly'd been saving -up for me, else she wouldn't 'ave wrote 'For Barbara' outside. Wosn't -that good of Molly, sir?" - -"Indeed it was," I replied. - -"I counted it out--six and tenpence, no less, sir, and I kissed the -box, and the writing, and the money too, and I only wanted Molly -alongside of me to make me as 'appy as the day's long. It lasted me a -long while, that money did." - -"Did you ever find any more?" I asked. - -"No, sir, though I looked everywhere for it." - -"Now, Barbara, can you tell me the name of the place your sister was -going to with Mr. Nisbet and Miss Beatrice?" - -"No, sir, she didn't know 'erself, she sed, but she promised to write -to me--in large letters--directly she got there." - -"Where did she say she would send the letter?' - -"To the house that Mrs. Simpson lived in, sir." - -"You remained in that house two weeks after Molly went away?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"And no letter came?" - -"No, sir." - -"How can you be sure of that?" - -"Mrs. Simpson didn't git none for me, sir--I'm sure of that, 'cause I -know she wouldn't deceive me. Why should she? It wouldn't 'ave done -'er no good to keep it from me; and she wosn't one of that sort. Then, -sir, there wos the two postmen as used to leave the letters in the -street. I made bold to arsk both of 'em about it, 'Is there a letter -for Barbara, wrote large, please?' I sed to them every day, and they -sed no, there wosn't. 'You won't give it to no one else, will yer, -please, when it comes?' I sed to them and they sed they wouldn't. -After Mrs. Simpson wos gone I went to the street regularly, and 'ung -about for the postmen, and arsked 'em if there wos a letter for -Barbara, or if there'd been one, and they allus sed no, and that -they'd keep it for me if they got 'old of it. But it never come, sir. -I couldn't 'ave done nothink else to make sure of it, could I, sir?" - -"You could do nothing more, Barbara; and you were very clever in doing -what you did. Did you understand from Molly that she was going -abroad?" - -"Abroad, sir!" exclaimed Barbara, in manifest astonishment. - -"Out of England, I mean." - -"Oh, no, sir; she'd 'ave been sure to 'ave told me if she'd 'ad any -idea of that. And she'd never 'ave done it, sir; she'd never 'ave gone -so fur away from me!" - -"I don't think she would, Barbara, if she had known it. Did she tell -you she was going alone first, and that her master and Miss Beatrice -were to follow afterward?" - -"No, sir, they wos to go all together." - -"Are you sure of that?" - -"As sure as I can be, sir." - -"You have given me sensible answers to all my questions, my dear. I -noticed when you came upstairs with us that you kept your eyes closed. -I suppose you were sleepy." - -"It wasn't that, sir." - -"What was the reason?" - -"I was frightened, sir." - -"Of what?" - -Barbara looked around timidly, and drew closer to the fire. "There's -shadders in this 'ere 'ouse," she said, in a low tone. - -"There are shadows everywhere, Barbara," I answered, as Bob and I -exchanged glances. "Tell us what you mean." - -"I can't, sir; it's beyond me. I 'eerd once, permiscuous like, that -there wos a 'ouse somewhere in these parts as wos 'aunted, and I sed -to myself, 'It's this one.' Then I begun to feel shadders about. It's -months and months since I've come 'igher than the kitching; I've been -frightened to. It's allus as if somethink wos going to 'appen, and -when you woke me up to-night I thought it 'ad." - -"You began to _feel_ shadows about, Barbara?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"But what have you seen?" - -"Nothink, sir; but I know they're 'ere." - -"Have you heard anything?" - -"Only a shaking and rattling, sir." - -"When there was a wind blowing, Barbara. From your description that -must have been what you heard. Some of the window sashes are loose, -and of course, in a high wind, they would make a noise." Barbara did -not answer, but seemed dubious, and at the same time a little -relieved. I glanced at the cat at my feet. "You have seen nothing -to-night?" - -"No, sir." - -"You see no shadows now?" - -"No, sir." - -In these replies there was no such confirmation of my own strange -experiences as I had expected, and hoped, to receive when she began to -speak of shadows, and I ascribed her fears to the natural nervousness -of a child living in a lonely house. They were no stronger than -sensitive children living in comfortable homes, with parents and -brothers and sisters around them, often suffer from. I had tired -Barbara out with my string of questions; her eyelids were closing and -opening; her head was nodding. In the silence that ensued she closed -her eyes, and did not open them again. The child had fallen asleep. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - IMPORTANT INFORMATION. - - -Bob and I conversed in whispers; but Barbara was sleeping so soundly -that we might have spoken in our natural voices without fear of -awaking her. - -"What do you think of it, Bob?" I asked. - -"I don't know what to think," he replied. "I only know one thing--that -the child has spoken the truth." - -"Of that there is no doubt," I said; "but what does it point to?" - -He conveyed his answer in two words, "Foul play!" - -I nodded. - -"My own opinion, not newly formed, for I have had it all along; but -what we have been told gives a new turn to it. And still," I added -fretfully, "we are in the dark. Where can we look for direction as to -the next step to be taken?" - -"Has it not occurred to you," said Bob, "that it was singular that Mr. -Nisbet should have had the body of his stepdaughter cremated instead -of buried in the usual manner?" - -"He may be an enthusiast on the subject of cremation," I observed. -"Many eminent men advocate such a disposal of the dead." - -"There is another answer to the question. We are both agreed that -there has been foul play. If we are right, Mr. Nisbet, by having the -body cremated, has effectually destroyed the most important evidence -that could be sought against him." - -"The doctor testified at the inquest to the cause of the young lady's -death." - -"Ah, the doctor. The inquiry agent gave you his name, I believe?" - -"He did. It is Cooper." - -"Might not something be gained from him?" - -I caught at the suggestion. - -"A good thought, Bob." - -"We do not know," continued my shrewd adviser, "who this Dr. Cooper -is, whether he is a practitioner of repute, and whether any relations -of a confidential nature existed between him and Mr. Nisbet." - -"You are letting in light," I said. "Go on." - -"So far as you have gone you are ignorant of this doctor's standing. -If he holds a good position, if he has an extensive practice, we shall -obtain no assistance from him. No respectable medical man would run a -risk for the sake of a bribe. As a rule, doctors are the kindest men -in the world; but here and there you may meet with a backslider, or -with one who has been careless in such a matter as this, or with one -whose necessities lay him open to temptation. That is the extent of my -suggestion; but it appears to me to be worth following up--on the -off-chance, as sporting men say." - -"It shall be followed up," I said. "To-morrow I will make inquiries -concerning him. And now we will get a little sleep. It is not likely -we shall be disturbed again." - -We lay down in our clothes, and were awake betimes. But Barbara was up -before us; and when we rose we found the room nicely tidied up, a -bright fire burning, the kettle singing on the hob, and the table -ready spread for breakfast. - -"Bravo, Barbara," I said. "You are a handy little girl." - -"I thought you'd like it done, sir," she said; "and I moved about very -quiet so as not to wake yer. I slep' like a top, and I feel ever so -much better than I did last night. But yer did give me a start, yer -did, when yer come upon me in the kitching." - -"You are not sorry for it now?" - -"I'm glad, sir. It was a reg'lar slice of luck." - -"You shall find it so. Any more shadows, Barbara?" - -"No, sir. I never feel 'em in the daytime; it's only at night that I'm -afeerd." - -"We'll put a stop to all that, my girl. Let us get breakfast over; I -dare say you're ready for it." - -"That I am, sir. I'm allus ready to tuck in." - -Despite the seriousness of our situation, we were quite a cheerful -party. We had provided liberally, and we made a hearty meal, Barbara, -to our mingled pity and admiration, proving herself a champion in that -line. Had she been of colossal proportions instead of an attenuated -mortal, literally all skin and bone, she could scarcely have eaten -more. A full meal was a delightful novelty to her, and she greatly -distinguished herself. - -"I wouldn't call the queen my aunt," she declared, when we rose from -the table, which we considered a very original remark, although its -application was not exactly clear. - -While she was clearing away the things and washing up, Bob and I had a -consultation. It was decided that he should remain indoors with -Barbara, and that I should go out to make inquiries for Dr. Cooper. -During my absence it was his intention to thoroughly examine the house -from top to bottom. He had the idea that he might light upon something -that would furnish a clew; and as he had greater experience than I in -untenanted houses, he was the better fitted for such a search. - -It being Sunday, the facilities for seeking information were limited; -but in the by-streets I found a common cigar shop open here and there, -and I laid out a great many pennies without satisfactory result. - -At length, however, I entered a poor little shop, which I was told had -been established for several years. An elderly woman answered to my -raps on the counter; and after spending sixpence with her, I led up to -the important subject, and soon discovered that I was on the track. -Dr. Cooper had lived in the neighborhood, not very far from her shop; -but he had removed two or three years ago to another part of London. -Was he a doctor in good practice? She could not say as to that. He was -a poor man's doctor, and gave advice and medicine for a shilling. He -had a large family, and did not pay his way. Then his business could -not have been a flourishing one? Not at all; he had run away in debt -to everybody--to her among the number. But by accident she found out -his new place of business, and had served him with a county court -summons. He had run up a bill of twenty-five shillings with her, and -he pleaded that he was not in a position to pay it. Judgment was given -for her, and he was ordered to pay half a crown a month, which, he -said, was the utmost he could afford. The trouble she had to get her -money! She had to threaten him over and over again, and at last -succeeded in obtaining what was due to her. - -"A bad lot, sir," she said. "Always drinking on the sly, and as fit to -attend to sick people as my old cat there. If I was dying, and there -was not another doctor in London, I wouldn't call him in." - -Had she any objection to give me his address? Not the least objection. -She ought to know it, as she had been there twenty times to get her -money. It was in Theobald's Row, South Lambeth, when she saw him last; -she did not remember the number, but there were not many houses in the -Row, and I should have no difficulty in finding it; "if he hasn't run -away again," she added. - -I left the shop, thanking the chance that had led me to it. In the -information I had gained there was pregnant matter for thought. That a -wealthy gentleman like Mr. Oliver Nisbet should call in such a man in -a case of life and death was something more than strange; it was in -the highest degree suspicious, and I felt confident that some -information of importance to my mission was to be elicited from one -whose necessities, as Bob had observed, might lay him open to the -temptation of a bribe. South Lambeth was a long way from the north of -London; but so anxious was I to lose no time, that I determined to -proceed there at once. - -With this intention I walked into the wider thoroughfares to look for -a cab, and was about to hail one when a man walking quickly toward me, -stopped as we came close to each other, and accosted me. - -"Why, Mr. Emery," he said, "I heard you were in Brighton." - -It was Mr. Dickson, the private inquiry agent. - -"I am in London, as you see," I replied. "Who told you I was in -Brighton?" - -"I learned it at your house two hours ago." - -I groaned inwardly, thinking of what was in store for me if my good -wife discovered that I was deceiving her. - -"Did you see my wife?" - -"No, a servant answered the bell, and said you had run down to the -seaside for the day." - -"I wished the business between us," I said rather severely, "to be -kept secret. What took you to my house, Mr. Dickson?" - -"Oh, there was no fear of my saying anything about the commission you -gave me. I did not even leave my name." I breathed more freely. "I -went to see you because I had something to tell you which I thought -you would like to know immediately." - -"What is it?" - -"Mr. Nisbet is in London," replied Mr. Dickson. - - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - DR. COOPER. - - -I caught my breath. There was nothing strange in the information; for -all I knew Mr. Nisbet might have been in London for years, as ignorant -of my existence as, until lately, I had been of his; but the -accidental discoveries of the last few hours seemed to me to be -pregnant with important possibilities. - -"I am glad you have lost no time in telling me," I said. "How did you -discover it?" - -"Almost by accident. I have a partner, whose methods are of the quiet -order, I being the active worker in our business, and it is he who -made the discovery--almost by accident, as I have said. Nisbet is not -a very uncommon name, but tack Oliver to it, and it becomes -exceptional. Yesterday there arrived from the Continent a gentleman -bearing those two names, and he is now at the Hôtel Métropole." - -This destroyed the hypothesis that Mr. Nisbet had been a constant -resident in London since my introduction to the skeleton cat. - -"From what part of the Continent?" I inquired. - -"Lastly from Paris; but by way of Paris from any one of a hundred -different places. Can you give me a personal description of the -gentleman?" - -"No," I replied, "I have never seen him; but I can obtain it for you." - -"Do so, and let me have it as soon as possible. At present my partner -is shadowing him, and he will not be lost sight of. You will never -guess where I have just come from, Mr. Emery." - -"I shall be glad to hear." - -"In the course of such a business as ours," said Mr. Dickson, "we -become acquainted with strange things, which, as a rule, we keep to -ourselves, secrecy being an integral part of our operations. Some -cases take hold of us, some do not, and I confess that my curiosity--a -human weakness, you know--has been excited in this particular case. -So, after leaving your house, the idea entered my mind of strolling to -Lamb's Terrace and having a look at No. 79. That is where I have just -come from." - -"You have not been inside the house," I said, rather startled, as I -thought of Bob and Barbara. - -"How could I get inside," he retorted, "without the key? What a -melancholy, Heaven-forsaken place! I will tell you what occurred to -me, if you like." - -"Yes, tell me." - -"Just the spot for a crime, thought I as I wandered about; just the -spot to carry out a deep-laid scheme in comparative safety. I have no -wish to pry into your secrets, Mr. Emery; but one cannot help what -comes unbidden into one's mind, and men engaged in such pursuits as -mine are more open to suspicion than others. We see shadows behind -locked doors, we work out theories in the dark, and sometimes we come -upon unexpected results. However, it is no affair of mine, as my own -personal interests are not involved in it." - -"If they were," I hazarded, "you would follow it up." - -"Undoubtedly. I could not possibly evade the duty, with three such -links as a sudden death, a cremation instead of a burial, and a vast -fortune on the issue." - -"And if you were to add," I thought, "the experiences I have gone -through, you would be still less inclined to rest till the mystery was -unraveled." Aloud I said, "Do not let the matter flag for a few -pounds. I am most anxious to work it out, if there is a possibility of -doing so." - -"It shall not flag. The mischief of it is, the most important clews -are destroyed. Only through the principal agent can the crime--if one -has been committed--be brought to light." - -"Or through an accomplice," I suggested. - -"Quite so. But where to look for this accomplice--there lies the -difficulty. Still it is the unexpected that often happens. Well, -good-day, Mr. Emery; I hope to hear from you to-morrow." - -Theobald's Row, South Lambeth, if not so desolate a neighborhood as -Lamb's Terrace, was sufficiently depressing in its general aspect to -cause one to resolve to give it a wide berth unless special business -called him to the spot. There were sad, melancholy railway arches -which might serve for a chapter in a modern "Inferno"; there were -timber yards stacked high with discolored lumber, which appeared to be -piled up not for purposes of trade, but to add one more melancholy -feature to a worn-out, dilapidated locality; there were workingmen's -lodging houses, whose flat surface of stone walls resembled prisons in -which every vestige of brightness in life was hopelessly entombed; -there were rows of houses as hopeless and despairing, and as -poverty-stricken and irremediably shabby; and there was the most -leaden atmosphere of which even London could boast. The men, women, -and children I saw there were in keeping with their surroundings; the -youngsters were playing listlessly and with no heart in their games; -the men smoked pipes and haunted street corners or wandered in and out -the beer shops and public houses; the worn-faced women conversed -jadedly and dispiritedly; and everywhere the spirit of discontent -proclaimed itself. Even the dogs nosing the gutters were infected with -the prevailing gloom. - -In the center of Theobald's Row, which consisted of sixteen small -houses, eight on each side, and all of a flat dead level, I came upon -Dr. Cooper's place of business, a parlor window, with two large -dust-covered bottles displayed therein, whose ghostly colors were -green and red. Half a dozen ragged children were disporting themselves -on the doorstep, and as I approached the shop a slatternly woman came -to the door and swooped them all into the house. As she was turning to -follow them I accosted her. - -"Is Dr. Cooper at home?" - -"What do you want of him?" she retorted. - -"I wish to see him on a matter of business." - -I had stepped into the shop, and as I looked around at the nearly -empty shelves, dotted here and there with a few miserable fly-blown -bottles, I thought that a man in search of health or of a remedy for a -bodily ailment could not have found a more unlikely place for relief. - -"Is it opening medicine?" said the woman. "I can serve you." - -"My business is not professional," I replied. - -She cast a suspicious glance at me, and I guessed that she supposed me -to be a dun. - -"It may be something of advantage to him," I observed. - -She brightened up instantly. - -"My husband is not in," she said; "but you may find him at the -George." - -"At the George?" - -"Or the Green Dragon," she added. - -"Where are they? Far from here?" - -"Oh, no, not far; he has to keep himself handy in case he is called in -anywhere. The George is at the corner of the next street, and the -Green Dragon is at the opposite corner. If he is not at either of -those places he is sure to be at the Britannia. Anybody will tell you -where that is." - -As I walked to "the corner of the next street" I could not help -smiling at the idea of Dr. Cooper being so considerate as to pass his -time in a public house, within convenient hail of his place of -business, in case he might be "called in anywhere"; but I pitied those -who needed his assistance in a case of sickness. He was not at the -George, and I was advised to try the Green Dragon; he was not at the -Green Dragon, and I was advised to try the Britannia; and at the -Britannia I found him. - -He was a washed-out, weedy man, with an inflamed countenance, and when -I presented myself he was in the act of clinking pewter pots with some -boon companions, who, according to my judgment, were standing treat to -him. He drained his pot to the dregs, and turned it upside down on the -counter, with a thirsty air about him notwithstanding the long draught -he had just taken. I am not a teetotaler, nor an advocate of -teetotalism, but it has always been a matter of regret to me that the -persevering search for enlightenment on the part of the British public -at the bottom of pewter pots does not lead to more encouraging -results. - -At the moment of my entrance he and his companions were discussing a -criminal case which had excited great interest and had largely -occupied the newspapers for several days past. It was a supposed case -of poisoning, and the person charged--it was a woman--had been -acquitted after a long trial. Her husband had been the victim; but the -medical evidence was inconclusive, and she had been given the benefit -of the doubt. The woman and her husband had been on proved bad terms, -and she had much to gain by his death. There was a man in the case, -the woman's lover, and there was a strong suspicion that he was -implicated; but, guilty or not guilty, he was not arraigned because no -direct evidence could be brought against him. Only on the previous -night had the case been concluded, and the result was published in the -Sunday morning's papers, the jury having been locked up for eight -hours before they arrived at their verdict. - -"She's escaped by the skin of her teeth," said one of the topers. "If -I'd been on the jury she'd have had the rope." - -"Law's law," said a half-tipsy Solon, "and justice is justice. I don't -believe in hanging a woman upon presumption. My opinion is that he -poisoned himself to get rid of her." - -"That's a queer way of getting rid of a nuisance," was the reply. -"Besides, there was no poison found in the body." - -"You're all at sixes and sevens," said a third speaker. "The doctors -disagreed, and the weight of evidence was in favor of the woman. She's -as artful as you make 'em; but that's no reason for hanging her." - -"The man was killed," persisted the first speaker. "He didn't die a -natural death." - -"Nothing was proved," said the third speaker, "and when nothing's -proved you can't bring anyone in guilty. This is a free country, I -believe." - -What struck me in the expression of these opinions--if opinions they -could be called--was their utterly illogical bearing. It was like a -lot of weathercocks arguing; and when the half-tipsy Solon said, "Ask -the doctor," they turned toward him, as though a direct question had -been put to him, which he, as a weighty authority, could answer in a -word, and thus settle the whole matter. - -"What I say is," said Dr. Cooper thirstily and with indistinct -utterance, "that there are more ways of killing a man than one." - -"Ah," they all observed in effect, "Dr. Cooper knows." - -What it was that Dr. Cooper knew with respect to the case was not very -clear. What I knew, when I heard him speak, was that he was drunk. -Quickly came to my mind the suggestion whether he would be of more -service to me drunk than sober. - -"Who's going to stand treat?" he inquired, with a nervous fingering of -his pewter pot. - -"Your turn, doctor," they said. - -"If it's my turn," he replied pettishly, "you'll have to wait." - -They laughed, and left him one by one. Then he asked for liquor across -the counter; but the barman shook his head and devoted himself to -ready-money customers. I saw my opportunity, and advancing toward him, -asked if he would join me in a friendly glass. - -"In a friendly glass," he said, "I would join Old Nick himself." - -A declaration which, frank as it was, could scarcely be said to be a -recommendation. It was a peculiar feature of Dr. Cooper's tipsy -condition that, although his speech was thick and somewhat indistinct, -he did not slur or clip his words, which denoted that he still -preserved some control over himself. - -"Beer or whisky, doctor?" I asked. - -"Whisky for choice," he said. "Irish." - -Whisky it was, and Irish; I spilled mine on the floor, and filled my -glass with water. Dr. Cooper dealt with his as he dealt with the beer; -it was evidently not his habit to take two bites at a cherry. - -"Another?" I suggested. - -"You're a gentleman," he said. - -When he had disposed of this second portion in a similar manner to the -first, I opened the ball, and inwardly took credit to myself for -rather artful tactics. - -"I came down this way, doctor," I said, "especially to see you." - -He seized my wrist with one hand, and put the other into his waistcoat -pocket, removing it immediately, however, with a husky cough and an -angry shake of his head. - -"No, no, doctor," I said, laughing, as he fumbled at my pulse, "I do -not need professional advice to-day. The fact is, I have come to pay -an old debt." - -He retained my hand, as though to prevent my escaping him. - -"You're one of the lot that has brought me down," he growled. "How -much is it, and how long has it been due?" - -"It has been due a long time past," I replied; "and the amount is two -shillings, for two bottles of medicine and advice." - -"Are you sure it isn't more?" - -"Quite sure. I should have paid you before to-day, but when I went to -your place--a long while ago, I must tell you--I found you had gone. -You practiced in the north of London, you know." - -"I do know; I have reason to know. If I had got my rights I should not -be as I am. I should be practicing in Belgravia, and driving in my -carriage. I'll take another whisky." I nodded at the barman, who -refilled the glass, which he instantly emptied again. "What do we -slave for? What do we study for? What do we waste the midnight oil -for? To be taken in, to be robbed and swindled, to have promises made -to us that are never fulfilled." - -"Unfortunately," I said, sympathizing with him, "it is the way of the -world. It is the simple-minded and the honest that are defrauded." - -"You know how it is. Five shillings, you said." - -"No; it is two shillings I owe you." - -"Interest added, makes it three. You can't object to that." - -"I don't object; here is the money." - -He took it, and dropped it in his pocket. We had each of us only one -disengaged hand, as he still kept hold of my wrist. - -"A feeble pulse," he said, shaking his head with tipsy gravity, "a -very feeble pulse. Needs a stimulant." - -"Irish whisky?" - -"Irish whisky," he echoed; and disposed of his fourth glass, while I -spilled mine as I had done before. - -These rapid potations had the effect I desired; they weakened his -self-control, they loosened his tongue. - -"That was an interesting discussion you were having," I observed, -"when I came in. What was it you said? That there are more ways than -one of killing a man. How true that is! But it is only those who are -experienced in such matters that can speak with authority. Do you -suspect, doctor, that the woman is guilty?" - -"I will take my oath she is guilty." - -"But the fact of poison being administered was not absolutely -established." - -He snapped his fingers. "That for being established! There are poisons -and poisons; there are way and ways. Did you ever take a sleeping -draught?" - -"Never." - -"Well, when you want one, come to me, and I will give you something -that will make you sleep so sound that you will never wake up again." - -"Declined with thanks. But would it not be discovered?" - -"It might or it mightn't. Suppose it is discovered that you died of an -overdose. Then comes the question, who administered it? When a man -suffers from insomnia he doses himself as a rule, and if he overdoes -it he has only himself to blame. There's the bottle at his bedside -empty. There are the people who are interested--generally two, a man -and a woman. If there are servants in the house they are asleep. What -have they to do with it? The man, or the woman, does not wake up -again. Now prove that the man, or the woman, who is left alive forced -the sleeping draught down the other one's throat. You can't do it. I -can tell you where you can buy some effervescent sleeping globules -that you put in your mouth, and fall asleep while they are dissolving. -One makes you sleep for six hours, two makes you sleep for ten hours, -three makes you sleep for twenty, four makes you sleep forever. Some -of us doctors have secrets that we keep to ourselves; make you as wise -as we are, and where should we be? There was a case--I mention no -names--of a man suffering under a painful disease which might run its -course for months, perhaps years, before it prove fatal. Wife suggests -that it would be a mercy to kill him, and so put him out of pain. A -little syringe, a slight injection while the man is sleeping; it is -done in a moment; the man is dead. The woman comes into a fortune, and -marries her lover. Medical testimony, the disease from which the man -has been suffering, and which _must_ prove fatal some time or other. -Quite natural. Everybody's happy, and nothing more is heard of the -matter. There are other ways. Charcoal, which English people don't -take to; escape of gas"--I caught my breath, but fortunately my sudden -spasm passed unnoticed--"quite as easy, quite as natural. For one -murder discovered, how many undiscovered? Work that out!" - -"An interesting study for statisticians," I said. - -"If they had the facts before them; but they can't get hold of them. -There are liquid poisons that can be mixed with food, and are -tasteless and colorless; they can be administered for months, and -nobody the wiser. You may find a trace in the body after death, but -not sufficient to account for what has taken place, not a twentieth -part sufficient to account for it. There are others to weaken not only -the body but the mind, to destroy memory, to make one oblivious of the -past. Perfectly pleasant and painless. Now, what do you think of a man -who knows what I know being in such a position as I am." - -"It is disgraceful," I said. - -"It is infamous. You are struggling, you are poor, you have a large -family, you are fond of the pleasures of life. A person--again I -mention no names--comes to you, and says such and such a thing--never -mind what thing. This person is rich; you are in debt. I am only -supposing a case, you know." - -"Of course." - -"The person says, there's a sudden death in my house--an accident, say -by charcoal, say by gas. A pure accident, most lamentable. A doctor's -testimony is required, for formality's sake. Any doctor will do. You -are in the neighborhood. Will you testify? Fee, so many guineas, and -afterward a lift up in life, a chance to get along. As our national -poet expresses it, 'My poverty, but not my will, consents.' You do no -wrong; the person is a gentleman, and you take his word; you testify -at the inquest, and all is smooth sailing. The affair is forgotten. -You receive your few guineas, and you wait for the chance to get along -in life, for the lift up that will bring you a lucrative practice. It -never comes. The person shrugs his shoulders, contradicts you, jockeys -you. What's the consequence? Your suspicions are excited. The person -inherits a great sum of money by the death. You ferret that out; your -suspicions grow stronger. You go to the person, and you mention your -suspicions. He says, 'You are putting yourself in danger; if you have -given false evidence, the law will make you suffer for it; you are a -fool and a knave. Get out!' You are bound to submit. What are your -feelings toward the person who has treated you so shamefully? What -would you do him if it was in your power?" - -"I would certainly--supposing this not to be a hypothetical case----" - -"Which it is," interposed Dr. Cooper, "purely hypothetical." - -"Exactly. How could it be otherwise? But such conversations are most -interesting to an outsider like myself. Supposing then, this not to be -a hypothetical case, I would certainly be glad of any chance to be -even with the person who has imposed upon me. Carrying the hypothesis -further, what should you say became of the body of the--did you say a -lady?" - -"No, I don't think I said a lady; but let it be a lady, for the sake -of argument." - -"What became of the body--though that's a stupid question, because, of -course, it was buried in the usual way?" - -"It might not have been. There's such a thing as cremation." - -What turn the conversation would have taken after this startling -observation it is out of my power to say, for the slatternly wife of -the doctor made her appearance here, and told my tipsy companion that -a patient required his immediate attention. - -An hour afterward I was once more in Lamb's Terrace. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - BARBARA GIVES US SOME VALUABLE - INFORMATION. - - -"We thought you were lost," said Bob, and Barbara looked up with a -smile, a sign that she regarded me as a friend. - -They had waited dinner for me, and I was surprised to see on the table -quite an imposing array of crockery. - -"Where does all this come from?" I asked. - -"We have made discoveries," replied Bob, giving me a significant look. -"Barbara here had no idea what was in the house, which proves that she -is not one of the prying kind. All sorts of things have been bundled -out of sight in odd nooks and corners, crockery, cutlery, table linen, -and goodness only knows what. We have made another room ready for -Barbara to sleep in to-night; it is on the same floor as this, and she -says she is not afraid." - -"Not a bit," said Barbara, "now I aint in the 'ouse alone." - -"And she's going to bed early," added Bob. - -"As soon as ever you tell me," said Barbara. - -The dinner they had prepared was not at all a bad one, and I was -hungry enough to enjoy a much worse fare. To Barbara it was a -veritable feast, and she did as much justice to it as she had done to -the breakfast. The moment we finished she jumped up, and took the -plates and dishes to her own room where she washed them up. - -"You have something to tell me, Bob," I said, taking advantage of her -absence. - -"I have. You have something in your budget, too." - -"Yes." - -"We will wait till Barbara has gone to bed; we can talk more freely -then." - -"I have a question to ask her first," I said. - -"I also want a little information from her, the meaning of which you -will understand when we are alone for the night." The little girl -entering at this moment, Bob turned his attention to her. "Barbara, -was your sister fond of dress?" - -"Lor', sir," answered Barbara. "Aint all gals fond of it? She used to -say if she was a lady she'd allus dress in silk." - -"Do you recollect what frock she wore when you saw her last?" - -"It was a cotton frock, sir--pink, with little flowers on it. Miss -Beatrice give it to 'er." - -"You would know it again, I suppose, if you saw it?" - -"In course I should know it, sir, 'cause Molly'd be in it." - -"But it would be worn out by this time, Barbara." - -"Yes, sir, it would. I didn't think of that." - -"Do you recollect the dress that Miss Beatrice wore when you saw her -last?" - -"I should think I do, sir; it _was_ a beauty. A gray silk, it wos, -with steel trimmin's. She looked lovely in it, she did." - -Bob conveyed in a glance at me that he had no further questions to -ask, and I took up the cue. - -"You have a good memory, Barbara, and I dare say you can give me a -description of Mr. Nisbet. You told us he was not a nice looking -gentleman." - -"Not at all, sir, though he did 'ave a 'igh fore'ead. 'E 'ad a look -like ice in his eyes." - -"What color were they?" - -"A kind of cold blue; and 'e 'ad a red beard and mustache." - -"A tall gentleman, Barbara?" - -"Yes, sir. 'E didn't have no 'at on when 'e came into the kitching, -and I sor that 'is 'ead wos bald in the middle, and was flattish at -the top. As 'e looked round the kitching 'e put a pair of gold -spectacles on, and when they wosn't on 'is eye 'e was allus a-dangling -'em with 'is fingers, twiddling 'em about like." - -"You don't seem to have liked his looks?" - -"I didn't, sir; there was something about 'im that made my 'eart's -blood run cold. I pitied Miss Beatrice, I did." - -"For any particular reason, Barbara?" - -"Not as I knows on, sir, but I thought to myself, 'I shouldn't like to -'ave a father like that; I'd rather 'ave none at all.'" - -"What did your sister Molly think of him?" - -"She didn't care for 'im no more than I did, but she didn't say much -about 'im. It's my belief she wos frightened of 'im. She told me a -funny thing once." - -"Yes?" - -"She sed that sometimes when he looked at 'er she felt as if she -couldn't move or speak of her own accord. 'Barbara,' she sed to me, -'it's my opinion that if 'e ordered me to go up to the roof and stand -on the top of one of the chimbley pots I should go and do it without a -single word.' But he allus spoke soft to 'er, she sed." - -"Thank you, Barbara; and now it will be best for you to get to bed. -Last night was a broken night, and you must be tired." - -Wishing us good-night the girl went to her room, and when I opened her -door a few minutes afterward she was fast asleep. - -Then, before asking Bob to speak of what was on his mind, I related my -own adventures. He was greatly excited at my description of Dr. Cooper -and the supposititious case he had put to me, and also at the news of -Mr. Oliver Nisbet being in London. - -"There's never smoke without a fire," he said. "Dr. Cooper was not -drawing upon his imagination when he spoke about poisons and sleeping -draughts, and of a poor doctor being called in to testify to a death -of which he knew less than nothing. It happened, Ned! it happened; it -fits in with what occurred in this house. He supplied the proof in the -last words he spoke to you--'there's such a thing as cremation.' It is -as clear as the noonday sun. Mr. Nisbet wanted a doctor's certificate -of death; he calls in Dr. Cooper and obtains what he requires, in the -exact shape he desires, for the payment of a few guineas and the -promise of a further reward which has never been fulfilled. What is -the consequence? This wretched pettifogger bears an animosity against -his employer, which may perhaps be turned to good account--though -whether he babbles when sober as he does when he is in his cups -remains to be seen. He must not be lost sight of." - -"He shall not be. I am thinking whether it will be advisable to put -the inquiry agent on his track." - -"We can decide nothing as yet, but the thing is moving, that's one -comfort. Every day, almost every hour, some new feature seems to come -to light. What are you doing?" - -"Writing the description of Mr. Nisbet's personal appearance with -which Barbara supplied us. I promised to let Mr. Dickson have it as -soon as possible, and I shall post it to him to-night. Now for your -news, Bob." - -"Almost as important as yours. When you left us I commenced to make a -thorough examination of the house, as I said I would. Barbara assisted -me. I examined every room, every cupboard, and found a lot of things -which had apparently been thrown away in haste. These discoveries gave -point to an observation I have already made to you--that it is strange -the last tenant did not call in a broker and dispose of articles for -which he had no use, as he evidently had no intention of occupying the -house. Barbara was much surprised at our discoveries, and I shouldn't -wonder, honest as I believe the child to be, if the idea occurred to -her that she might have made use of the property from time to time to -relieve her poverty. However, that is neither here nor there, and I -may be doing Barbara an injustice. We had occupied some time in our -search, when it became necessary to devote attention to the -preparation of dinner, so I sent the girl away, and continued to poke -about alone. It was well I did so, for I made what I conceive to be a -startling discovery. On the floor above this there are two attics, -presumably intended for servants' bedrooms. There is a rather large -landing, and in the wall of this landing I observed two low doors. -Opening them, I found that they were cupboards for the receptacle of -lumber; they extend far into the outer wall of the house. It was in -one of these cupboards, at the extreme end, that I made my startling -discovery. What kind of dress did Barbara say that Miss Beatrice wore -when she last saw her?" - -"A gray silk, with steel trimmings." - -Bob went to a corner of the room and brought forward a large bundle. - -"Here it is." - -There it was, sure enough--a very beautiful dress, perfectly made, of -expensive material. - -"Observe," said Bob, "this is not a dress which has served its day, -and which it is at all probable the wearer voluntarily discarded. It -is almost new, and could have been worn but a few times. I put this -aside, and I produce every other article of a lady's attire--silk -stockings, shoes, petticoats, mantle, hat. I produce also a lady's -nightdress, and every other requisite--the outfit is complete. All -these articles are in good condition; the stockings show no signs of -wear, the shoes are nearly new, the mantle must have cost a fair sum -of money. To whom did these clothes belong?" - -"To Miss Beatrice." - -"Yes, to Miss Beatrice. What did Barbara say was her sister's favorite -dress?" - -"A pink cotton, with little flowers on it." - -"Here it is." He produced it. "And also every other article worn by a -young woman in Molly's station in life. Nightdress as well. The two -outfits, complete in every particular. Now, a singular feature in this -discovery is that these things were not thrust hurriedly and hastily -into the cupboard. Each article that could be folded was carefully -folded, and each costume was carefully packed and wrapped in thick -brown paper. Time and attention has been devoted to the task, and -there must have been an underlying motive in the care that was -exercised in its accomplishment. What was this motive, and how are we -to act? My firm opinion is that Mr. Nisbet's hands are responsible for -the packing of these clothes. Ordinarily a man could be careless of -such things, and would not waste his time upon them. The conjectures -that present themselves are so extraordinary that I cannot reduce them -to order or reason, but I have an odd conviction--for which I can give -you no explanation--that we are on the threshold of further -disclosures. What is the next step, Ned?" - -"There are several," I replied, "and we will speak of them. First, let -me tell you that it is my intention to keep watch on this house." - -"To reside here?" - -"For a time. To eat, and drink, and sleep here, and to be absent from -the house as little as possible." - -Bob interrupted me by asking if the apparition of the cat was in the -room. - -"It is on the hearthrug," I replied, "seemingly waiting, as we are -waiting, for developments." Then I continued speaking of the realities -of the position. "I suppose it would be too much to ask you to keep me -company here this week, after your office work is over?" - -"It is not too much to expect; I should have proposed it myself if you -had not suggested it. Every evening, directly my work is done, I will -come and join you." - -"You are a good fellow. I intend to be very careful in my movements, -and, so far as possible, not to let it be known that the house is -occupied. I do not wish Barbara to remain. We must find a home for her -somewhere, and we must pledge her to secrecy. I would take her to my -own house, but at present I do not consider it prudent to do so. My -wife is an inquisitive woman, and something might leak out; besides, -in order that my time may be perfectly free, I intend to send her into -the country for a fortnight; she shall go to-morrow. I can easily find -an excuse for not accompanying her. You lodge in a quiet part of -London, and you have spoken in praise of your landlady. Would she, for -a consideration, give Barbara board and lodging for a little while?" - -"No doubt she would. In fact, I think she is looking for a girl to -assist her in the house." - -"Very well. At what hour in the morning are you due at your office?" - -"Half-past nine." - -"Then you will be able, if you leave here at about seven or half-past, -to take Barbara to Canonbury, and get to the office in time." - -"Yes, I can do that, and in the evening I will join you." - -"Thanks. The next thing is about your nephew, Ronald. It appears to me -to be almost an act of treachery to conceal from him what has -occurred." - -"What good purpose would be served," asked Bob, "by disclosing it to -him? He is blind, and could not assist us. By and by, perhaps, he may -be of use, though I do not see in what way; at present it would only -distress him to let him into the secret." - -"We will wait, then; but I shall call upon him to-morrow and have a -little chat with him about Mr. Nisbet. It will be a busy day for all -of us, and I shall be absent from the house till evening, but you will -find me here when you come. Another thing that is in my mind is -whether there is any special motive for Mr. Nisbet's return to -London--any special motive, I mean, in relation to this mystery." - -"Impossible to say, Ned." - -"That is so. Well, we must wait. Now I think we have threshed matters -out, and we will get to bed. I will just run out and post my letter to -Mr. Dickson, and this exciting day's work will be over." - -We were all up next morning before seven o'clock, and after a hasty -breakfast I told Barbara of our plans with respect to her. She was -quite willing, and expressed her gratitude; her only trouble was about -her sister Molly, who, she said, might come to the house in search for -her when she was absent. It was not difficult to set her mind at ease -upon this point, and she departed with Bob in perfect contentment. - -The first call I made--at ten o'clock--was upon Mr. Dickson. He had -received my letter, and he informed me that the description I had -given of Mr. Oliver Nisbet tallied exactly with that gentleman's -appearance. He had not ascertained from what part of the Continent Mr. -Nisbet had come, but he had learned that he had been abroad for some -time past. Our relations with each other being now on a more -confidential footing, I spoke to him about Dr. Cooper, and instructed -him to keep his eye on the pettifogger. From his office I proceeded to -the residence of Ronald Elsdale, and opened up a conversation with -him, leading artfully to the subject upon which I desired information. - -"From certain events that have transpired lately," I said, "I am -curious to learn something more of his character. Were you aware at -the time of your intimacy with him that his stepdaughter was heiress -to a large fortune?" - -No, he answered, he was not aware of it. From the manner in which they -traveled he judged Mr. Nisbet to be a man of means, but he knew -nothing further. - -"Respecting his acquirements," I said. "Was he of a scientific turn of -mind?" - -"He was fond of chemistry, I believe," said Ronald, "and of -experimentalizing. Your question brings to my mind a conversation -which took place at _table d'hôte_ when we were in Chamounix. It was -on the subject of anæsthetics, and the effect of certain poisonous -chemicals upon different temperaments. I fancy that Mr. Nisbet was at -first disinclined to take part in the discussion, but a remark escaped -him which was disputed by a person at the table, and he grew warm, and -spoke with authority upon the subject, with which he was evidently -familiar. It was the only occasion upon which I heard him speak -freely, and I think he was not pleased at having been drawn into the -conversation, for he stopped suddenly in the middle of a sentence, and -left the room. Beatrice told me afterward that he was very clever in -those matters, and that on occasions when she had passed a sleepless -night from toothache or some other ailment, he had given her a draught -which produced a good night's rest. I recollect now that she related -an incident which strangely interested me. She had been restless and -in pain for two or three days, and her stepfather prescribed for her. -When she awoke in the morning her pain had passed away, and she was -quite well physically, but a singular thing happened to her. She had -lost her memory. She could not recall what happened yesterday or the -day before, and she said with a smile that it was with difficulty she -remembered her name. Gradually her power of memory came back to her, -and she recollected everything perfectly." - -"Did this occur to her again, Mr. Elsdale?" - -"So far as I know it occurred only once. I suppose you will not tell -me why you are asking these questions, Mr. Emery?" - -"Not yet; and I am going to ask you two more. Do you believe that you -will ever see the young lady again?" - -"See her? No. How can I? You forget that I am blind. But I have the -firmest belief that I shall come into association with her again." - -"In life?" - -"In life," he replied gravely. - -"My other question is this. On former occasions, when we were in each -other's company, your uncle being present, you have had an impression -that there was a dog, or some other living creature, in the room. Have -you such an impression now?" - -"No." (I may mention that the apparition of the cat was not visible to -me.) "I know, Mr. Emery, that you must think I am laboring under some -hallucination, but I cannot help that. You must take me as you find -me, and make the best, and not the worst, of me. I have an engagement -with a pupil, and you will excuse me now." - -I had studied the time-tables, and, it being twelve o'clock, it was -safe for me to present myself to my poor deluded wife. On my way home -I met with another adventure. There was a block of vehicles in the -road, and cabs, omnibuses, and carts were waiting for the policeman's -instruction to proceed. In one of these cabs, a hansom, a gentleman -was sitting whom I immediately recognized as Mr. Oliver Nisbet. He had -a red beard and mustache, he had a high forehead, his eyes were of a -cold blue, and he was impatiently dangling a pair of gold-rimmed -eyeglasses between his fingers. The faithfulness of Barbara's -description rather startled me, and I should scarcely have been -surprised if he had accosted me. But I was a stranger to him, and he -took no notice of me; this gave me the opportunity of observing him -closely, and I was confident that I was not mistaken. What -particularly struck me was the steely blue of his eyes; there seemed -to be a compelling power in them which strangely affected me, and I -could not help thinking that I should not relish coming under their -influence. The policeman stood aside, and the vehicles passed on. In a -moment or two he was out of sight. - -My wife opened the door for me, and kissed me affectionately. - -"Have you enjoyed yourself?" she asked. - -"Immensely," I replied, with a guilty feeling. - -"I am glad to hear it," was her response, "though I must say, Edward, -you don't look much the better for the trip." - -"That is only your fancy, Maria. It has done me so much good that I -want you to spend a couple of weeks in Brighton." - -"I shall be very glad of the change. When shall we start?" - -"I cannot go with you," I said, "as I have business to attend to in -London. You can easily get a lady friend to accompany you, and I will -be responsible for all the expenses. Maria, I insist upon it. You are -pale, you are out of sorts, and the change will set you up. I intend -to exercise my authority, and to insist upon it." - -"You are very kind; but----" - -"I will have no 'buts.' It has to be done, and done it shall be." - -And I was so determined that done it was. I did not leave home till I -had seen Maria and a lady friend off; then, and then only, did I look -upon myself as free. If the necessity arose I could easily keep her -away for a longer time than two weeks. - -Once more I set my face toward Lamb's Terrace, riding in a cab, and -furnished with provisions, in the shape of a cooked ham, a supply of -chops, bread, butter, tea, and everything that was necessary to -victual the garrison. I took the things with me in a hamper, and at -the corner of the desolate thoroughfare I discharged the cab, and -carried the hamper to the house. - -It is necessary here to mention what I did before I left the house in -the morning. I can give no reason for my proceedings, and therefore I -must content myself with relating what it was I did. The two dresses -found in the attic cupboard I repacked carefully in their wrapping of -brown paper, and replaced them in the cupboard. I locked the two rooms -which had been occupied by Bob and me and Barbara, and I removed all -traces of any persons having been in the house. Again, I say, I do not -know why I adopted these apparently unnecessary precautions; I must -have been mysteriously prompted, as I had been on other occasions in -the course of my strange adventures. - -I did not expect Bob for an hour, and I busied myself with arranging -the supply of food I had brought with me. Then I went to the attic -cupboard, with the intention of bringing down the women's garments I -had discovered there. To my astonishment they were gone. Some person -had been in the house during my absence, and had taken them away. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - MR. NISBET VISITS LAMB'S TERRACE. - - -I had no doubt whatever that this person was Mr. Oliver Nisbet, who -must have in his possession the means of access to the house. This -being the case, the question of motive arose. It could not have been -the value of the garments, which, to a man of fortune, was of small -importance. The care which in the first instance had been taken to -conceal them became now in my judgment of extreme significance; still -more so the stealthy manner in which they had been removed. Mr. Nisbet -had been in London comparatively but a few hours before he carried out -a design the probable intention of which was to remove and destroy -evidence which might in some way place him in peril. Likely enough he -had come to London for this special purpose, fearing, as he was no -longer the tenant, that the house would be let to strangers, into -whose hands the clothing would naturally fall. Surely he would not -have paid his stealthy visit to Lamb's Terrace if he had not cause to -dread exposure! - -Bob, who presented himself punctually at the time he named, agreed -with me in this view, and when I told him of my coming by chance upon -Mr. Nisbet, and spoke of the impression he produced upon me, he looked -disturbed. I asked the reason, and he answered: - -"Well, Ned, I don't mind confessing to you that I have a secret horror -of Mr. Nisbet, and an unreasonable dread of him. I hardly think we two -would be a match for him." - -I could not help smiling as I remarked, "There is not much chance of a -personal encounter, Bob." - -"I am not so sure of that," he said. "I am not so sure that he is not -at this moment concealed in the house, the ins and outs of which he -must be much better acquainted with than we are." - -"Concealed for the purpose of doing us an injury?" I inquired. - -"Concealed," he replied, "first to ascertain if any persons were in -occupation and had any suspicions of the last tenant--in which case he -would in all probability endeavor to get rid of those persons as he -got rid of his unfortunate stepdaughter." - -"You forget, Bob, the gas is cut off." - -"Ned," said Bob impressively, "my firm belief is that the young lady -did not meet her death by asphyxiation caused by an escape of gas. -True, we have no evidence of a crime having been committed; our -suspicions go for nothing; your apparition of the cat goes for -nothing; a third-rate lawyer would laugh them to scorn; but none the -less do I believe that the lady my nephew loved was murdered by her -stepfather. Your interview with Dr. Cooper strengthens these -suspicions, the removal of the women's clothing confirms them in my -mind. And still, legally, we are no further advanced. Everything in -this house belongs to the last tenant. He paid the rent regularly -while he held the lease, and if he chose to leave his property here -unprotected, it was his affair; and if, after a long absence from -England, he returns and pays an early visit to the house, which is -still practically without a tenant, for the purpose of taking -possession of part of his property, he is still fairly within his -right. Even supposing that there were a law to touch him--which there -is not--he could easily explain the matter, and his explanation would -be accepted without question." - -"Unless," I interposed, "we stepped forward with what we know." - -"We know nothing, Ned, absolutely nothing. We should only bring -ourselves into trouble, lay ourselves open to a criminal action for -defamation, which the most skillful lawyer in the land could not -successfully defend. What do you think I have done to-day?" - -"I have not the least idea." - -"I asked my employer for a holiday, and I have got it. I have been -slaving in his office for years without a single week's vacation. He -gave me the holiday, three or four weeks, at my option, and I intend -to employ the time in remaining with you and assisting in the -elucidation of this mystery, if it is ever to be arrived at." - -"You are a real friend; but, Bob, that is a nice idea of a holiday, -after years of hard work." - -"Never mind. The mystery has got tight hold of me, and I don't mean to -leave it unless I am compelled by circumstances to do so. You have no -objection to company and assistance, I suppose?" - -"I am truly grateful for it." - -"You see," said Bob earnestly, "I happen to be more closely connected -with it than you are. You have no human relation with the parties in -the affair, who, until quite lately, were complete strangers to you. I -have some sort of connection with them through my nephew Ronald, whom -I have seen to-day, and who, I may tell you, is troubled by the -inquiries you have made of him. He has no notion of their tendency, -but he felt that something is being concealed from him which he has a -right to know. It is in his interests, and for his satisfaction, that -I enter into a direct partnership with you. Have you succeeded in -persuading your good wife to go to the seaside?" - -"I have, and she will be away for at least for a fortnight; if -necessary I shall insist upon her remaining at Brighton for a longer -time." - -"So that we are free to set actively to work without interruption." - -"Yes, Bob. How about Barbara?" - -"My landlady takes her upon trial. There will be no charge for board -and lodging, and if she gives satisfaction she will get a shilling a -week to commence with." - -"I am glad to hear it. And now to get back to your suspicions that Mr. -Nisbet may be concealed in the house even while we are talking. He -might endeavor to get rid of us, you said. When, and how?" - -"When? In the dead of night, when we are sound asleep. How? Well, I -put together these facts: Mr. Nisbet's knowledge of dangerous -chemicals, the narcotic which Ronald informed you he gave to his -stepdaughter, and the significant conclusions which can be drawn from -your conversation with Dr. Cooper. I propose, not this evening, -to-morrow morning, that you, or we together, pay a visit to Dr. -Cooper, and have an interview with him. He has a grievance against Mr. -Nisbet; it might be turned to effect." - -"You suspect him of being an accomplice?" - -"In a certain sense. What do they call it in law? Accessory after the -fact. He might have known nothing at the time; the belief that his -knowledge of poisonous narcotics--bear in mind his boast--had been -used to a bad end may have come afterward." - -"But if he makes any admission it could be used against himself." - -"It could, but he may be able to prove his innocence of a guilty -intention. However, that is a point for future consideration. A visit -can do no harm. He is desperately poor, and a little bribe may tempt -him; if we cannot worm anything out of him, we may out of his wife. -Now, Ned, before I consent to sleep in this house I intend to search -it thoroughly from roof to cellar." - -We carried out this proposal; we thoroughly examined every room, we -made fast every door when we closed it behind us; and we discovered -nothing. Our search over, we were quite convinced that we were the -only persons in the house. - -The following two hours were devoted to preparing supper, and while we -were thus employed we discussed our movements for to-morrow. Bob -insisted that Ronald Elsdale should be made acquainted with all that -had transpired, and I consented. Our first visit in the morning was to -be paid to the inquiry agent, our second to Dr. Cooper, our third to -Ronald. Bob was thoroughly in earnest, and I perceived that his -interest in the matter was now no less than my own. - -I have already stated that the room we had selected was on the second -floor, and that its windows faced the back garden. There were Venetian -blinds to the window, and some of the slats were awry and loose from -long neglect. For a reason which he did not explain Bob shaded the one -candle which we had lighted, so that the fact of the apartment being -occupied could not be quite clearly established from without. Several -times Bob went to the window and cautiously peeped through the crooked -slats. - -"What for, Bob?" I asked. - -"Just a fancy of mine," he replied. "Is your apparition present?" - -"It is not." - -The weather had suddenly changed, in fit accordance with the -extraordinary vagaries of our beautiful climate. A fine night had set -in, and there was a full bright moon. In the middle of a game of -cribbage Bob rose once more, and stepped to the window and remained -there. - -"Don't touch the candle, Ned," he said, "and move cautiously. Come -here quietly, so as not to give an observer outside any indication -that human beings are in the room." - -I obeyed him, and presently was standing motionless by his side, -peeping through the slats. - -The garden was bathed in light. Standing in full view I saw a man -facing our window, his eyes intently fixed in our direction in the -endeavor to discover whether the apartment was inhabited. - -"Can you see him plainly?' - -"Quite plainly, Bob." - -"Who is it?" - -"Mr. Oliver Nisbet." - -"Ah!" - -And now a strange incident occurred, visible to me, but not to Bob. In -the clear moonlight I saw the skeleton cat creeping toward the man who -was watching. Slowly it advanced and fastened itself upon him, and -climbed upward till it reached his shoulder. And there it squatted, -its yellow eyes resting ominously on Mr. Nisbet's face. He seemed to -be perfectly unconscious of the presence of the apparition, but to me -it was an unmistakable sign, more powerful than the strongest human -proof, that the man had been guilty of a horrible crime. In silence we -stood at the window for several minutes, and then Mr. Nisbet slunk -away to the rear of the garden. He climbed the crumbling wall which -encompassed it, and was gone. - -"What do you say to that, Ned?" asked Bob. - -I could not answer, so enthralled was I by the spiritual evidence of -guilt of which I had been a witness. Bob looked at me inquiringly. - -"Your face is as white as death," he said. "Are you ill?" - -"A moment, Bob," I replied; and when I was sufficiently recovered I -explained to him what I had seen. It stirred him as deeply as it had -stirred me. - -"If a shadow of doubt was in my mind," he said, "it is dispelled. The -villain must be brought to justice." - -"He shall be, if human effort can accomplish it. I will not rest till -his guilt is brought home to him." - -We slept but little that night, and did not take our rest together. -Fearful of consequences to which we could give no name, we slept and -watched in turn, Bob's pistol being handy for any emergency. Nothing -further, however, occurred to disturb us. Early in the morning we -breakfasted, and took our way to Mr. Dickson's office. - -"You received my message, then?" were his first words to me. - -"What message?" I inquired. - -"The one I sent to your house an hour ago. I knew it was safe to leave -it, because your wife was in the country. Oh, we find out things -without being told. It belongs to our business." - -"I did not sleep at home last night; I received no message." - -"It does not matter, now you are here. I have news for you. Yesterday -Mr. Oliver Nisbet paid two visits to the house in Lamb's Terrace." - -"You discovered that, did you?" - -"I should be a bungler if I had not. We have never left him, and I -will stake all I am worth that he had not the slightest suspicion that -he was being watched. His first visit was made at two o'clock. He let -himself into the house with a key, and remained there about an hour. -He went in with his hands empty; he came out with his hands full. He -carried a large parcel with him wrapped in brown paper, and this -evidently was the motive for his first visit. We do not know what was -in the parcel; he took it to his room in the Métropole, and left it -there. His second visit was paid in the night, at half-past nine. He -did not enter by the front door; indeed, he did not enter at all. He -climbed over the back wall of the garden, and stood there, watching -the back windows, for half an hour or so. Then he returned the same -way as he came. From Lamb's Terrace he went to Theobald's Row, South -Lambeth, and had an interview with a disreputable apothecary there of -the name of Cooper. He calls himself a doctor, but I doubt whether he -has a diploma. From Theobald's Row, Mr. Nisbet returned to the -Métropole, and left instructions to be called early. If you went to -the hotel now you would not find him there." - -"He has fled!" I exclaimed. - -"I do not know about that," said Mr. Dickson, with a smile. "We will -call it a departure. He has taken his departure." - -"Gone to another hotel?" - -"Not in this country. He left for the Continent this morning by the -early train." - -I stamped my foot impatiently. "Then he has escaped us!" I cried. - -"He has not gone alone," said Mr. Dickson calmly. "One of my officers -went by the same train. I am right in my understanding that you do not -mind a little extra expense?" - -"Quite right." - -"The question of expense is frequently a puzzling matter with us, -movements requiring an unauthorized expenditure of money sometimes -occurring suddenly, when there is not time to consult our clients. If -I had allowed Mr. Nisbet to leave the country unaccompanied he might -have slipped through your fingers; in any event it would have been a -great trouble, and have necessitated the expenditure of much more -money, to pick up the broken threads. Many a good case has been -spoiled by parsimony." - -"I understand that. Where has Mr. Nisbet gone to?" - -"I cannot inform you yet. As far as Paris, certainly; but my -impression is he goes farther. My officer will telegraph me from -Paris, and will not leave him till he has reached his destination." - -I considered a moment, and then took Bob aside. "Will you accompany me -to Paris?" I asked. - -"With pleasure." - -I turned to Mr. Dickson. "Your officer will telegraph to you from -Paris?" - -"Yes." - -"If I wait here for information I shall lose a day. You could -telegraph to me in Paris the address you receive from your officer?" - -"There is no difficulty. You intend to follow?" - -"I do. Give me the name of some central hotel in Paris where I can put -up till I receive your telegram." - -"Hôtel de Bade, Boulevard des Italiens." - -"That will do. I have something to do here in London before I can -start. I can get through my business in about an hour, perhaps a few -minutes more. Bob, run out and bring two hansoms with smart horses." -Bob vanished. "Now, the best train, Mr. Dickson?" - -"Let me see. It is not yet nine. Your business say an hour and twenty -minutes. A train from Victoria, another from Charing Cross, at eleven. -Could you catch one of these, whichever is the nearest for you?" - -"Yes." - -"You arrive in Paris at seven this evening. Our man will reach there -two hours and a half earlier. You may get a telegram from me at the -Hôtel de Bade within an hour or so of your arrival." - -"Capital. Good-morning." - -The cabs were at the door, and I told Bob to drive with speed to my -house, to pack up a bag for both of us expeditiously, and to meet me -at Ronald Elsdale's house at a little after ten. The cab was to remain -there, and he was to detain his nephew till I joined him there. -Pending my arrival he was to tell Ronald everything. I gave him a line -to my servant, authorizing him to take what clothes were necessary for -the journey. - -"Double fare," I said to both the cabmen, "if you drive at your -fullest speed." - -The next moment Bob was driving to my house and I was on my way to Dr. -Cooper. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - ON THE TRACK. - - -Theobald's Row was as depressing in the morning as it had been in the -evening, and looked as if a bath would do it good. The workingmen's -lodging houses bore even a more striking resemblance to prisons, and -the men and women I passed looked as if they had been up all night, -and had hurried out to their depressing occupations without having had -recourse to soap and water. On the doorstep of Dr. Cooper's shop the -same half dozen children were playing the same games with pieces of -broken crockery and dry mud, and bore no appearance of having been -washed since I last set eyes on them. One of the children, catching -sight of me, jumped up and ran into the shop, screaming: - -"Here's the gentleman, mother!" At which summons the slatternly woman -immediately presented herself. It struck me that there was something -aggressive in her aspect. - -"Oh," she said, in no amiable tone, "it's you!" - -"Yes," I replied, "it is I." - -"And you call yourself a workingman," she exclaimed. - -"I am not aware that I have done so." - -"So my husband told me last night; you are the man who called last -night, and went to seek my husband at the Britannia. Don't deny it." - -"I have not the least intention of doing so. You gave me the -information where to see him." - -"So I did, and he said you pretended to be a workingman. Now, a -workingman wouldn't say, 'it is I'; he'd say 'it's me.' I have been -brought pretty low, but I had fair schooling when I was young, and I -know a workingman from a gentleman." - -"Well," I observed, "say that I am a gentleman; is that anything -against me?" - -"It is everything against you. I heard from my husband all that passed -between you--as nearly as he could remember, in the state he was. When -he's in his cups his tongue runs too free, and you gave him rope -enough. Perhaps you're not a gentleman, after all. What do you say to -detective?" - -"I am not a detective," I answered, with, I confess, a rather guilty -feeling, for if I was not doing the work of a detective, what else was -I doing? "For what reason on earth should a detective be running after -your husband?" - -"An admission!" she cried, and I saw that I had to do with a sharp -woman. "Then you _are_ running after him." She folded her arms -defiantly. "Now, what for?" - -I smiled rather feebly as I said, "You would not believe me if I told -you I have come to put something in his way." - -"You are right there. I should not believe you." - -"But it is the truth, nevertheless, and it will not serve me to talk -it over with you. Can I see your husband?" - -"You cannot see him." - -"Is he not at home?" - -"He is not at home." - -"Will he be in soon?" - -"He will not be in soon." - -There was no mistaking her meaning; she regarded me as an enemy, and -it was her intention to be personally offensive. - -"You do not wish me and your husband to meet?" - -"You shan't meet if I can help it." - -"Then you must have something to fear." - -This thrust, which I gave involuntarily--for I had no desire to hurt -the poor woman's feelings--drove the color from her face. She -retreated a step, and stumbled over a child that was playing on the -floor. The slight accident seemed to infuriate her; she angrily pushed -the child away with her foot, and turned upon me like a tigress. - -"What are you hunting us down for?" she cried. "Do you think I have -not had trouble enough in my life? Driven here and there, with a pack -of hungry children in rags, and tied to a man who expects me to keep a -home and a family upon ten shillings a week! But he's my husband for -all that, and I'm not going to help you bring a deeper disgrace upon -us. You came here yesterday to set a trap for him, with a lying story -that you owed him a few pence which you were anxious to pay. God knows -what you wormed out of him, for, clever as he is, he's a fool when he -pours the drink down his throat. I've warned him over and over again -to be careful what he says; but I might as well have talked to a -stone. He's out of your reach now, at all events, and you'll have a -job to find him. I wish you joy of your task, you cowardly sneak!" - -The passion of her defiance of me was wonderful to witness; but -underlying this defiance was a terror which did not escape my -observation. - -"I came here," I said gently, for her despair and her poverty inspired -me with genuine pity, "in the hope that he would assist me in the -discovery of a crime which has not been brought to light. If he is not -implicated in it he would have earned a few pounds; if in any way he -is involved in it, all I can say is, Heaven pity him--and you!" - -My time was too precious to waste further words upon her, and I left -the shop, and entered the cab which was waiting for me. Before I could -close the door a man accosted me. - -"I heard what passed inside the shop," he said. "Make it worth my -while, and I'll tell you something about Dr. Cooper." - -"Jump in," I answered; "I have no time to stop talking here." I gave -the driver Ronald Elsdale's address, and we sped thitherward. "Now, -what have you to say?" - -"You want to know where the doctor is?" he commenced. - -"I do." - -"Well, I can't tell you that exactly, but I can put you on his track. -It's worth, I should say,"--he deliberated, and looked at me covertly -to decide what he would be likely to screw out of me--"not less than -half a crown." - -"I will give you that if you keep nothing back." - -"All right. Where's the coin?" - -"No, my friend," I said, "I'll have the goods before I pay for them." - -"You're a sharp old file, but I'm out of work; It's capital and labor, -and we know who's the grinder. Here was I, at six this morning, -looking for work and not getting it. The doctor's shop shut, it's not -the likes of him that catches worms. Back I come home at a quarter -past seven, and there's a telegraph boy banging at the doctor's door. -I help him bang, and out comes the doctor, doing up his buttons; takes -the telegram, reads it, turns red and white, rushes into the house, -rushes out in a brace of shakes, and scuds off. 'What's up?' thinks I, -and off I scuds after him; he's too excited to notice. At St. George's -Hospital, walking up and down in a fume, and looking as if he'd knock -everything and everybody into a cocked hat if he had his way, there's -a gentleman waiting for him, and a four-wheeler, with trunks atop, -waiting for both of 'em. They have a hurried talk; I'm not near enough -to hear what passes, but I get up to the cab as they step in. 'Charing -Cross Station,' cries the gentleman to cabby. 'Break your horse's neck -if you like; if I don't catch the Continental train I'll break yours.' -Off goes the cab, and then, what do you think? off goes another cab -that I hadn't noticed, after the first. I've got no money to pay for -cabs, but having nothing better to do, and looking upon the move as a -rum sort of move, I foots it to the station, and gets there at five -minutes to eight. There they are, Dr. Cooper and his gentleman friend, -as busy as bees, and there's the bell ringing and porters shouting, -and everything hurry scurry. Away they go through the gate, and off -goes the train; and if all that aint worth half a dollar I'd like to -know what is." - -"You shall have the money," I said; "are you sure they both went away -in the train?" - -"I'm sure they didn't comeback. I asked one of the porters what train -that was. 'Train for Paris,' he said." - -"Did you see the man who went after them in the second cab?" - -"Never caught sight of him in the cab or out of it." - -"But you saw the gentleman who met Dr. Cooper at the hospital." - -"Of course I did." - -"Was there anything peculiar in his appearance that you noticed -particularly?" - -"I noticed he had a red beard and mustache." - -"Did he wear spectacles?" - -"He had a pair of gold eyeglasses that he was continually putting on -and off." - -"You have earned the money. Here it is." - -He took the half crown, bawled to the driver to stop, jumped out of -the cab, and was off. - -At five minutes past ten my cab drew up at Ronald Elsdale's house. Bob -had been expeditious, and was there before me; he had even found time -to tell Ronald everything. He informed me of this as he himself -admitted me into the house. - -"How did he take it?" I inquired. - -"Very quietly," Bob answered. "He did not interrupt me once, nor did -he ask a single question. When I finished he said, 'I must write -letters to my pupils, telling them that there must be an unavoidable -interruption in their lessons for a short time----'" - -I did not follow Ronald's excellent example of listening quietly, but -interrupted Bob excitedly. "For what reason?" I asked. - -"He intends to accompany us. I did not argue with him. When my nephew -makes up his mind to a thing he is not to be turned from it. His -mother is packing his bag now. I had no difficulty at your house. The -maid showed me where your clothes were, and I bundled a lot of them -into the Gladstone. Here is Ronald. Don't oppose him; it will be quite -useless." - -"Good-morning, Mr. Emery," said the young man. "My uncle has related -to me all the particulars of this strange affair, which we have not -time to talk over now. You have heard of my intention to accompany -you." - -"Yes." - -"I have taken it upon myself to send to my uncle's house for the poor -child, Barbara, and she will go with us, too. She has no clothes for -such a trip, I understand, but my mother has found a few things that -will do for her, and when we are in Paris we can buy whatever else she -requires. She will not be an additional expense to you; I will pay for -her." - -"We can arrange that when we are on the road," I said, somewhat amazed -at this unexpected addition to our party. "Do you really consider it -necessary that she should accompany us?" - -"Otherwise," he replied, "I should not have ventured to send for her. -Mr. Emery, we must not allow a chance to escape us; we must take -advantage of everything that suggests or presents itself that is -likely to assist us. I am blind; if Mr. Nisbet stood before me I -should not know it. My uncle has not seen him; you are under the -impression that you would be certain to recognize him, but there are -thousands of men with red hair and gold eyeglasses. The only one of us -who can be positive is Barbara." - -I saw that he was resolved, and that it would be useless to -remonstrate. What struck me, also, was that he seemed already to have -assumed the command of the expedition, and to have placed himself at -the head of it. Undoubtedly he had the right to take the initiative, -for if a foul deed had been committed it was the lady he loved who had -been the victim. - -"Mr. Elsdale," I said, "I am satisfied with what you have done." - -"Thank you, Mr. Emery," was his response. "There is here a mystery to -be solved, a horrible wrong to be righted, a criminal to be brought to -the bar of justice. I do not pretend to say that in so short a time I -have reduced to order the terrible suggestions and possibilities that -have presented themselves to my mind, but a man's duty is before me, -and I will perform it faithfully and inexorably. Mere worldly -considerations do not weigh in the scale. Though I lived to be an old -man with this mystery still unsolved, I would not relinquish it. I -will pursue it unflinchingly to the end, if I walk the earth barefoot. -To you has come a spiritual sign and a spiritual mandate, and, through -you, it has come to me." He drew me aside. "Is the apparition that -first appeared to you in that ill-fated house visible to you? Is it -here with us in the room?" - -"It is not." - -"It will appear again; be sure that it will appear again; and when -justice is satisfied it will disappear, and you will no longer be -troubled by it." He turned to Bob, and included him in the -conversation. "Another reason why it is necessary and right that the -little girl, Barbara, should accompany us is that we go not only to -seek Mr. Nisbet, but to seek her sister. The young woman may have -fallen under the spell of Mr. Nisbet's evil influence; he may have -made her his slave. If that is the case, the efforts of strangers like -ourselves to enlist her on our side would be futile; the love she bore -her sister may help us here." - -"You have entirely convinced me, Mr. Elsdale," I said, honestly and -sincerely. "Little Barbara's aid may be invaluable to us." - -As I made this remark the child knocked at the door, and as the -maid-servant admitted her, Ronald's mother entered the room and said -that all was ready. I looked at my watch. - -"We have barely time to catch the eleven o'clock train," I said. - -"Wot d'yer want of me, sir?" asked Barbara, whose appearance denoted -that she had been summoned from household duties, without having had a -moment given to her to tidy herself. - -"We are going to take you for a trip, Barbara." - -"A trip! Where to, sir?" - -"To Paris, Barbara." The child gasped, and almost fell to the ground -in her astonishment. "Don't be frightened. A brave little girl like -you will be glad to see foreign countries." - -Ronald's mother was busy with the little girl, smoothing her hair and -arranging her poor clothes. She had a child's mantle, which she put on -the girl, and a hat which made her look quite presentable. It was -surprising what a few skillful touches achieved in poor little -Barbara's appearance. - -"Foring countries, sir!" she exclaimed, making no resistance to what -was being done. "But I can't go, sir; I can't go! I must wait in -London for Molly." - -"We are going to try and find Molly, my dear." - -"To find Molly! Oh--oh!" - -Her joy was so profound that she could not utter another word. And -when Ronald Elsdale, after embracing his mother fondly, took Barbara's -hand and led her to the door, she yielded unresistingly. Away flew the -cabs, and landed us at the railway station just in time to catch the -eleven o'clock train. It was fortunate that we had only hand baggage -with us, or we should have missed it. Within a few moments of our -seating ourselves in the carriage we were speeding to Dover pier. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - WE ARRIVE IN PARIS. - - -As we traveled to the sea I narrated what had occurred in my quest for -Dr. Cooper, and was allowed to do so without interruption. Bob was -unusually silent in the presence of his nephew and Barbara, and this -silence was, as it were, enforced by himself. Several times he seemed -to be on the point of interrupting me for the purpose of asking -questions, and on each occasion he pulled up short and said nothing. -Neither did Ronald speak much. It would have been natural had he made -some observations upon the reason of Dr. Cooper's sudden departure in -the company of Mr. Nisbet, and had he inquired whether I really -believed the two men were traveling together. But respecting these -matters he preserved absolute silence, and when he spoke it was upon -any other subject than that of our all-engrossing mission. Barbara, -also, had very little to say for herself--being altogether lost in the -wonder of the adventure which was to introduce her to foreign -countries--so we were not a very lively party as we were whirled to -Dover. We were less inclined for liveliness when we were at sea, all -of us, with the exception of Ronald, being prostrate and helpless, the -passage being a bad one. With the earth beneath our feet we soon -recovered, and were reconciled to life, though Barbara plaintively -inquired if we couldn't get back another way. Her appearance attracted -a great deal of attention to us, of which we took no notice, being too -deeply occupied with our own affairs. We were only twenty minutes -late, and before eight o'clock we alighted at the Hôtel de Bade, where -we engaged rooms, keeping Barbara as much out of sight as possible. -The first thing we did was to go out and purchase a suitable outfit -for the child at an immense establishment, the "Old England," where -everything in the way of dress could be obtained, and when she was -arrayed in her attire she said she felt like a princess. Of course she -was in a state of bewildered admiration at the lights of Paris, which -she declared beat "a theayter," and I have no doubt she thought either -that she was dreaming or taking a part in a ravishing fairy story. -Upon our return to the hotel I found a telegram awaiting me from Mr. -Dickson, from which we learned that Mr. Nisbet and a gentleman who had -accompanied him from London were at the Hôtel Chatham. The last words -of the telegram were, "Do nothing till you hear from me again. If you -make open inquiries you may ruin all." This advice was sound but -irritating, our mistaken impression being that by remaining idle, we -were playing into the enemy's hands. There was nothing else for it, -however; we were bound to wait for further information and -instruction. We sent Barbara to bed early, and bade her not to leave -her room in the morning till we called for her; then we went out and -paced the bright boulevards. As we strolled and chatted Ronald -suggested that we ought to ascertain for ourselves whether Mr. Nisbet -and Dr. Cooper were at the Hôtel Chatham; he had become very restless, -and we endeavored in vain to argue him out of the idea. We only -succeeded in prevailing upon him to allow Bob to go alone to the -hotel, and find some excuse for looking over the book of arrivals in -the office for the names of Nisbet and Cooper. - -"Mr. Nisbet knows you," I said to Ronald, "and if he should see you we -may as well return at once to England, for we shall have put him on -his guard and have brought about our own defeat. He may also have some -idea of my appearance, either from seeing me without my being aware of -it, or from the description given of me by Dr. Cooper, and there would -be danger in my going to make inquiries. Your uncle is the safest -party; Mr. Nisbet can know nothing of him, and if they meet his -suspicions will not be aroused." - -Bob went by himself to the Hôtel Chatham, not without inward -misgivings, for he knew but a few words of French, and Ronald's -assurance that the waiters and the managers could all speak English -did not set him at his ease. However, he left us at the corner of Rue -Daonou, making us promise not to wander away, in case he should not be -able to find us upon his return, for he was distrustful of himself in -the Paris streets, this being his first visit to the Continent. It was -also my first visit, and I could not help thinking how poor a match -for Mr. Nisbet Bob and I would have been without the assistance of -Ronald Elsdale. Ronald was blind, it is true, but he could speak -French and German fluently, and it was really he who guided us through -the streets; he was familiar with every shop and building of note, and -there was no fear of our losing our way in his company. - -Bob was absent fifteen minutes or so, and he came back with the -information that the name of Mr. Oliver Nisbet was on the books as -having arrived this evening, but that he could not find the name of -Cooper. - -"Did you see anyone answering to their description?" asked Ronald. - -"No one," replied Bob. - -"All the better," I remarked. - -"Why?" said Ronald. "Do you suppose they have any suspicion that they -are being followed?" - -"That is a question I cannot answer," I said, "though the probability -is that Mr. Nisbet believes himself safe, or he would hardly have gone -to so central a hotel as the Chatham; but it is certain that they are -proceeding with some degree of caution, or the name of Cooper would -have been found in the arrival book. Has any idea suggested itself to -you that would be likely to explain the reason of Mr. Nisbet choosing -Dr. Cooper as a companion?" - -"Many ideas have suggested themselves," answered Ronald, "of which I -have not yet spoken; but we will follow this one out, to see if we -agree. You paid a visit to Dr. Cooper on Sunday evening, and, as his -wife said to you this morning, he let his tongue run too freely. Her -remark proves that some conversation must have passed between them as -to your visit, and that Dr. Cooper recalled--not very distinctly -perhaps--what it was he said. My belief is that this conversation took -place in the presence of a third party, who was chiefly responsible -for it." - -"Of a third party!" I exclaimed. - -"The third party," continued Ronald, "being Mr. Oliver Nisbet, who -visited the Coopers on the following night. He must have had some -motive for this visit, for it is not likely--after what you learned -from Dr. Cooper's lips of the feeling he entertained toward Mr. -Nisbet--that this gentleman would have paid his accomplice a visit in -which there was no direct motive. I speak of them as accomplices -because there is no doubt in my mind on the point. Dr. Cooper was -bribed to give a false death certificate, false for the reason that he -was not in a position to give a true one, and for this service Mr. -Nisbet paid him, and made promises (according to Dr. Cooper) which he -did not fulfill. Whether these promises were or were not as Dr. Cooper -hinted is of small moment in what we are discussing, the one thing -certain being that Dr. Cooper labored under a sense of injury, and -believed himself to have been wronged. It is more than probable that, -in some way, Dr. Cooper conveyed this impression to Mr. Nisbet, and -that he was aware of it. This must have occurred years ago, and -shortly afterward Dr. Cooper loses sight of his employer, and has no -means of communicating with him. If he had known where to write to him -he would certainly have done so, in his state of poverty, and would -most likely have thrown out some kind of threat. During this interval -Mr. Nisbet keeps himself hidden from the man who has served him at a -critical time; he has no use for him; all evidence of the crime (the -nature of which has yet to be discovered) he has committed is -destroyed, and there is only one person in the world who can throw the -remotest suspicion upon him; that person is Dr. Cooper, and even he, -if he dared take open action, would find himself implicated in the -consequences. So matters rest for a considerable time, and we come now -to the present. It is on Sunday only that you are informed by the -private inquiry agent you employed that Mr. Nisbet had returned to -London and was staying at the Métropole. Again crops up the hidden -motive for his return. Was it to visit the house in Lamb's Terrace in -which the crime was committed? Was it to seek Dr. Cooper for the -purpose of obtaining his assistance in a fresh crime to be committed -on foreign soil? Conjecture only will assist us here, for we know -nothing; but conjecture, put to a logical use, may lead to the right -conclusion. I assert that Mr. Nisbet's visit to London was expressly -made either to go to Lamb's Terrace or to see Dr. Cooper; certainly -for one of these reasons, perhaps for both. When you learn that he is -in London you are on your way to Dr. Cooper's house; you find him; you -have a singular conversation with him; you return home, and my uncle -informs you of the discovery of the clothes he has found in the attic -cupboard. That those clothes belonged to Beatrice and the servant -cannot be disputed. On Monday morning, after my uncle leaves you to -find a temporary home for poor little Barbara, you also leave the -fated house several hours, and you take especial care to deposit the -clothes in what you believe to be a place of safety; unfortunately, as -it happened, in the place in which they were first discovered. Now, -who knows of that place of deposit? You, my uncle, and Mr. Nisbet. -During your absence Mr. Nisbet obtains easy admission to the house, -goes straight to the attic cupboard, and bears away with him the -garments which, by devious circumstantial evidence, might be a danger -to him. While he is in the house some signs therein lead him to -suspect that it is not absolutely untenanted, and he sets watch upon -it in the night. Looking from the window of the room occupied by you -and my uncle you see Mr. Nisbet standing in the garden in a watchful, -observant attitude; and as he stands there the spectral monitor which -has set this inquiry at work gives you a sign--an unmistakable sign -from the spiritual throne of justice. Rank heresy or blind fatuity -might misinterpret this sign; to you, to my uncle, to me, it is as -clear as sunlight. It declared this man to be guilty of a horrible -crime; it was like the writing on the wall. Satisfied or not, Mr. -Nisbet leaves Lamb's Terrace, and goes to South Lambeth to see Dr. -Cooper, of whose movements during the years that have passed he has -had full knowledge. Mr. Nisbet is not only a dangerous man and a -criminal, he is a man of resource and powerful intellect, and such a -man leaves little to chance. Closeted with Dr. Cooper and his wife, he -hears of your visit to him the previous evening; he worms out of his -accomplice all that the man can recollect of your conversation with -him; and he scents danger. Now, as I have said, whether he went to Dr. -Cooper in the first instance to obtain his assistance in a fresh crime -on foreign soil is hidden from us, but I am convinced that what he -learns during this interview induces him to expedite his movements. He -bids Dr. Cooper hold himself in readiness, and wins the wife's -confidence by giving her money; thus they are both on his side. Were -we and Dr. Cooper now in London you would worm nothing more out of -him. Forewarned is to be forearmed, and his wife would see that he was -not tampered with. When Mr. Nisbet leaves Dr. Cooper last night, he -has not quite settled the order or time of his future movements, but -considering the matter afterward he sees the advisability of getting -out of England without delay. Hence his resolution to leave for the -Continent this morning; hence his telegram to Dr. Cooper to meet him -immediately for the purpose of catching the early train; hence the -hurried and sudden departure, with the particulars of which we are -acquainted. Have I made myself clear?" - -"Quite clear." - -"He does not suspect that he is being followed; he does not suspect -that his departure is known; least of all does he suspect that I am -taking part in the hunt. But at the same time he recognizes the -necessity of caution, and that is why Dr. Cooper is traveling under an -assumed name." - -A question was trembling on my tongue; it was whether, in the light of -all that had been disclosed to him, the delusion he labored under with -respect to Beatrice was now dispelled; but I feared to pain him, and I -did not give utterance to the question. - -"Do you not think," he said, "that Mr. Dickson has been rather remiss -in not giving you the name and address of the agent who traveled, -unknown to Mr. Nisbet, from London with him?" - -"I wish he had done so," I replied, "for then we could have some -conversation with him to-night, which might have been of service to -us. The telegram he sent me is a long one, and perhaps I shall have a -letter from him in the morning." - -This proved to be the case. In it Mr. Dickson acknowledged that it -would have been as well if he had given me the name and address of his -agent in his telegram; the name was Rivers, his address Hôtel -Richmond. He had not heard from Mr. Rivers, he said, but when he did -he would communicate to me everything the letter contained of any -importance. I went at once to the Hôtel Richmond, which was not more -than five minutes' walk from the Hôtel de Bade, and inquired for Mr. -Rivers, and I took Ronald with me as interpreter, leaving Bob to look -after Barbara. - -"M. Rivers?" said the waiter, "but he has departed." - -"When?" - -"This morning early. He slept but one night." - -"Do you know where he has gone?" - -"No, I do not know; I will ask the manager." - -The manager did not know. After his coffee and roll M. Rivers had paid -his bill and given up his room. Did he leave in a cab? No, he left on -foot, carrying his bag with him. Perhaps he went to a railway station? -Ah, it was possible. Perhaps he was still in Paris. Ah, it was -possible. If M. Rivers returned to the hotel, would the manager give -him my card with a few words in pencil on it, asking him to come -immediately to the Hôtel de Bade? M. Rivers should have the card, yes, -with much pleasure. And so, good-morning. - -I half expected to receive a letter from my wife, demanding an -explanation of my running away, but there was none for me. - -And now, nothing would satisfy Ronald but that Bob should go to the -Hôtel Chatham, to ascertain if Mr. Nisbet was still there. He went and -returned, we waiting for him as before at the corner of the Rue -Daonou. Mr. Nisbet had left the hotel. - -"I spoke to a fool of a waiter," said Bob, "who thought he could speak -English, and that is all I could get out of him." - -Ronald walked off at once to the hotel, and, knowing it would be -useless to remonstrate, we followed him through the courtyard and into -the office. There he entered into a conversation in French with a -clerk. Yes, M. Nisbet and his friend had partaken of the usual first -meal of the Frenchman, and had paid his bill and given up his room. -Did they expect him to return? No, they did not. Had he and his friend -occupied one room? Yes, a room with two beds. Did they leave on foot -or in a cab? In a cab. For a railway station? Possibly. Did the clerk -know for which railway station? He did not; he would inquire, if it -was of importance. It was of great importance--would he kindly -inquire. The _concierge_ was questioned. He did not know for which -railway station. The waiters were questioned. They did not know for -which railway station. And so, good-morning again. Thus were we left -aground, as it were, with nothing but broken threads in our hands. Mr. -Nisbet and Dr. Cooper had escaped us. - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - WE COME TO A HALT. - - -The indefinite replies to our questions at the two hotels rendered us -helpless. It was not even certain whether the men we were pursuing had -left Paris, and Bob privately threw out to me an uncomfortable -suggestion that Mr. Nisbet might have discovered we were watching him, -and was turning the tables by watching us. Ronald was not in hearing -when this was said; he was in a state of extreme agitation; and we -were careful to do or say nothing to excite him. Despite his -perturbation, however, he was the only one of our party whose -reasoning on the position of affairs was fairly logical, and who made -a sensible attempt to arrive at a probable sequence of events. Sitting -down in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Bade for the purpose of -discussing matters, Bob and I proceeded to plunge them into further -confusion by our wild conjectures, and Ronald, after listening to us -in silence for a few minutes, brought us to order. - -"All this talk is useless," he said; "let us argue like reasonable -beings. The first thing we have to decide is whether Mr. Nisbet and -his confederate have left Paris. What is your opinion?" - -"I have none," I said. - -"I am in the same predicament," said Bob. - -"But we can be logical, at all events," said Ronald. "Compelled for a -time to remain idle and in the dark, we can put flint and steel -together in the endeavor to produce a light. I am inclined to the -belief that they are no longer in the city. For what reason should -they change hotels? Whatever may be the cause of their sudden -association they would certainly wish to keep their movements quiet, -and they would frustrate their wish by flitting from one hotel to -another. From what I learned, Mr. Nisbet has paid frequent visits to -Paris, and as his name appears frequently on the books of the Hôtel -Chatham it is natural to suppose he has been in the habit of putting -up there. If he had any fear that he was being followed, he would not -yesterday have gone to an hotel where he was well known, but would -have chosen another which was not in the center of the city, and where -he would be less open to observation. The time they left the hotel -favors the conclusion that they were bound for a railway station, and -this conclusion is strengthened by the early departure of Mr. Rivers, -whose occupations have made him more methodical than ourselves. We are -apprentices in the craft; he is an expert. The inquiry agent in London -has doubtless telegraphed him of our arrival here, and where we are -staying--in which case he would have called upon us long before now. -Yes, the tracked and the tracker are no longer in the city." - -"You have convinced me," said Bob, and I also recorded my conviction. - -"The point to determine is," continued Ronald, "for what place they -are bound. No person in Paris can assist us. Our only hope is in Mr. -Dickson. Let us wire to him at once." - -He and I went off straightway to the telegraph office, where we -dispatched a message to Mr. Dickson. Bob remained in the hotel with -Barbara, in order to receive a possible caller, who, it is needless to -say, did not make his appearance. The answer to our telegram was that -Mr. Dickson had received no information from his agent Rivers, that he -had every confidence in his man, and that the moment he heard from him -he would send us another wire. Meanwhile, we were to remain where we -were, at the Hôtel de Bade. Nothing further reached us until nine -o'clock at night, and then a welcome telegram, to the effect that the -party were on their way to Lucerne, whither we had better follow them -by the earliest train. "Put up at Hôtel National," were the concluding -words of the message. Upon studying the railway trains we found that -nothing was to be gained by starting in the night, and early the -following morning we were on the road to Lucerne. At the Hôtel -National a telegram from Mr. Dickson awaited us, instructing us to -remain at the hotel until we heard from Mr. Rivers, whom we might now -consider in direct communication with us, and before many hours had -passed we received a note from that gentleman. "Take the boat" (wrote -Mr. Rivers) "to Tell's Platte. I am stopping at the Hôtel-Pension zur -Tellsplatte, and shall be happy to see you there. From, indications we -have reached the terminus." This was agreeable news, and seemed to -hold out the promise that we had at length tracked Mr. Nisbet down. We -wasted no time, but took the first boat, and were presently steaming -down the enchanting lake, the beauties of which perhaps only one of us -thoroughly enjoyed, the little girl Barbara. "Oh," she sighed, "if -Molly's 'ere, I don't wonder she never came back to London." It was -three in the afternoon when we landed at Tell's Platte. We were in no -mood for sightseeing, and did not therefore visit the chapel, but -ascended the hill that led to the hotel, where we found Mr. Rivers -waiting for us. - -He came forward to greet us, a short, wiry man, with clean-shaved -face, browned with exposure to the sun, and a bright eye. He addressed -me by name. - -"Mr. Emery?" - -"Yes." - -"May I ask the name of the gentleman who is doing business for you in -London?" - -"Mr. Dickson." - -"Have you anything you can show me from him?" - -I produced telegrams and letters, and he looked over them and returned -them to me. - -"Quite right, sir. My employer told me there were four in your party. -It is always necessary to make sure in such an affair as ours. We have -a sharp gentleman to deal with, and there's no saying what tricks he -might be up to, and what he knows or doesn't know. I am Mr. Rivers." - -As I shook hands with him, I started, and he looked at me -suspiciously. - -"Anything the matter?" he inquired suspiciously. - -"No," I replied, "nothing, nothing." - -I introduced Ronald and Bob to him, and then Barbara. - -"I've a little girl at home," he said in a kind tone, laying his hand -on Barbara's head, "just your age and build." Then addressing me, "I -have arranged rooms for you here. Very moderate--six francs a day; -they must make a reduction for the girl." - -"You anticipate that we shall remain here some time," I said. - -"Until the business is finished, I expect. I should have liked a more -retired spot, and perhaps it would have been as well if there were not -so many of you; but that can't be helped, I suppose. There is no other -place we could all have stopped at, and as we are to work together we -must keep together. I will show you your rooms, and after you have had -a wash we gentleman will have a chat, while Barbara can run about and -amuse herself. By the way, you will be asked for your names. Don't -give your own; I haven't given mine; never throw away a chance." - -I must explain what caused me to start as I shook hands with Mr. -Rivers. From the time we left London I had not seen the spectral cat, -and I had an idea that it had taken its leave for good. But at that -moment, casting my eyes to the ground, there was the apparition in -full view. Much as it had troubled me during the first days of our -acquaintanceship I had by this time grown accustomed to it, and no -longer regarded it with fear and aversion. In stating that I was glad -to see it now, I am stating the truth, for it was to me an assurance -that we had "reached the terminus," as Mr. Rivers expressed it in his -note, and that we had been led in the right direction. - -"Now we can have our chat," said Mr. Rivers, as we left the hotel -together. "According to present appearances we have plenty of time -before us, and nothing certainly can be done to-day. Whether anything -at all can be done remains to be seen. Sometimes in an inquiry of a -delicate nature we come to a block, and the next step depends entirely -upon chance; it may be so in this case. I had best commence by telling -you my position in the affair, and it will do no harm if I am quite -frank with you. First and foremost, then, I am totally ignorant of -what it is you wish to discover. My employer calls me into his private -room, and gives me certain instructions. 'A gentleman has just arrived -from the Continent,' he says, 'and is stopping at the Métropole. You -will take him in hand, and keep close watch upon his movements. You -are not to leave him a moment, and you are not for one moment to lose -sight of him.' We generally hunt in couples when instructions like -those are given, because it isn't possible for one man to keep watch -day and night, so while I was in London on the job I had a comrade, -and we divided the watch so that we could get some sleep. I asked my -employer if the instructions were to be carried out to the strict -letter. 'To the strict letter,' he answered. 'Suppose the gentleman -suddenly goes abroad?' I asked. 'You are to follow him,' he answered. -That was the reason of my sudden disappearance from London, without -having had time to consult my employer. I went alone, without my -comrade; I did not feel warranted in incurring double expenses, and I -thought I could manage the affair by myself when we were out of -England. I was right, as it has turned out. Mr. Nisbet is here with -another gentleman, and has taken up his quarters in a house about two -miles away, which he has inhabited on and off for several years." - -"Is that your idea of shadowing a man," asked Ronald, "when you are -instructed not to lose sight of him for a moment and to keep close -watch upon all his movements?" - -"Begging your pardon, sir," replied Mr. Rivers, not the least ruffled -by the rather sharp manner in which the question was asked, "a man can -do no more than his best, and I have done that. Then he must be guided -by circumstances. Keeping a watch upon a man in London is one thing; -keeping watch upon him in a village like this is another. There is no -place in the world in which a man can lose himself so easily, if he is -inclined that way, as London. I tell you, it's a difficult job to -carry out properly, to keep your eye on a man in a large city, with -its windings and turnings and crowds of people pushing this way and -that. He gives you the slip when you least expect it, and there's the -labor of days and weeks thrown away. It is quite a different matter -here. A man comes and a man goes, and he can't keep his coming and -going from the few people there are about. There are no cabs and -omnibuses, no crowds to worry you and put you off the scent. When he -moves from one spot to another he has to make preparations; he has to -walk along unfrequented roads where he is in full sight of anyone -interested in him. There are other drawbacks which one who knows the -ropes has to reckon with. He can't keep watch here as he does in a -large city; if he prowls and sneaks about, if he's seen haunting a -particular spot for days, if he shadows a particular house and keeps -his eye on it continually, he draws notice to himself. People ask what -for? It comes to the ears of the man he's observing who, in turn, -shadows him, and there's his apple cart upset. Another consideration. -Strike a man in a street in London, and a crowd collects. Strike a man -on the head here when he's prowling up and down a lonely road, and no -one sees it. Down he goes like a stone, and he can be done to death, -and his body hidden in a hundred holes--and who's the wiser? That -couldn't well be done, I grant you, to man, woman, or child who lives -here; the absence is remarked, and the relations don't rest till -they've found out what has become of the missing one. It's different -with a stranger, who stops a day or so, or a week or so, and then, -without a word, disappears. So long as he's here the hotel keeper -takes an interest in him, because of the bill; the moment he's gone -he's forgotten, and it's make way for the next. I've been employed on -some difficult jobs in my time, and I'm not sure that this is not -going to beat the record." - -"What makes you think so?" inquired Ronald. - -"I don't like the looks of the gentleman for one thing," replied Mr. -Rivers, "and for the second thing I don't like the little I've found -out about him since I've been here. But that's running ahead of my -story. I'll get back to the London part of it, and make a finish of -that. I suppose that is necessary, for my employer has written to me -to put myself into your hands entirely, and to tell you everything I -know. Well, in London a remarkable thing happened. There's a house in -Lamb's Terrace--79's the number--that is almost as lonely as any house -round about us now. On the first day I shadowed Mr. Nisbet he paid -three visits to Lamb's Terrace, and it was as much as I could do to -keep myself out of his sight. I succeeded, though, because I was on my -guard, and he never set eyes on me. The first visit he paid he did -nothing more than reconnoiter; I put a reason to that. There happened -to be an old man poking about the ground there for bits of rags and -bones, and Mr. Nisbet didn't seem to relish his company. So, after -reconnoitering ten or fifteen minutes, and as the old ragpicker didn't -seem as if he was going to leave in a hurry, Mr. Nisbet cut his lucky, -and walked out of the neighborhood. On his second visit there was no -one in sight, and Mr. Nisbet, looking carefully around, took a key -from his pocket, and let himself in. He remained in the house half an -hour by my watch, and he came out with a bundle. There was something -suspicious in that, I thought, but it was not my business to inquire -into it. My instructions were clear, and I couldn't go beyond them. -Besides, what call had I to tap the gentleman on the shoulder and say, -'I'll trouble you to tell me what you have under your arm?' I should -only have got myself in trouble, because our concern is a private one, -and we haven't got the law to back us up. He took the bundle with him -to the Métropole and left it there. He paid his third visit to Lamb's -Terrace in the night, and this time he didn't go into the house. He -didn't go to the front at all, but made his way to the back, and -scrambled over the wall. He kept in the garden there, which is just -choked up with weeds, for a precious long time, and all he did was to -look up at the windows. I thought his going into an empty house in -daylight and bringing out a bundle was queer, but I thought this last -move a good deal queerer, for he kept quite still, and never took his -eyes off the windows. When he'd had his fill he scrambled back over -the wall and came away. From there he went straight to Theobald Row, -South Lambeth, and knocked at the door of a chemist's shop kept by a -doctor. The name over the shop window was Cooper. He stayed there an -hour, and then returned to the Métropole. On the morning we left -London I hadn't the ghost of an idea that he intended to start for -Paris, and I followed him out of the Métropole to St. George's -Hospital, outside of which he met the gentleman who has traveled with -him to this place. I watched them pretty narrowly when we were on the -steamer, but I didn't venture into the same carriage with them when we -traveled by rail. On the steamer and in Paris, and wherever I could -keep my eyes on them, they seemed pretty thick, and I fancied once or -twice that they didn't quite agree with each other. Whenever they -talked it was away from people, and I knew that it was not accidental -that they should always choose spots where they couldn't be overheard. -On those occasions I wouldn't risk discovery by going near them, but -watched them from a distance, and once or twice I saw Mr. Nisbet look -at his companion in a way that made me think, 'I shouldn't like to -meet you on a dark road, my friend, and for you to know that I was -shadowing you.' There was a cold glitter in his eyes which might -easily mean murder, and that is what makes me say again to you, -gentlemen, that we shall have to be very careful in what we do in this -part of the world." - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - A GOOD NIGHT'S WORK. - - -"Is that all you have to tell us," inquired Ronald, "of what came to -your knowledge in London and on your journey here?" - -"That is all," replied Mr. Rivers. - -"Since you took up your quarters in this hotel what have you -discovered?" - -"Nothing more than I have already told you--that Mr. Nisbet lives in -a house about two miles away. I have been expecting your arrival, and -my orders are that I place myself at your service. The command is in -your hands now." - -"Have you seen the house?" - -"No." - -"From whom did you obtain your information?" - -"From one of the waiters here, who is ready enough to talk about -everything and everybody in the place. I pumped him cautiously, and -learned a lot that I didn't care to hear and a little that I did." - -"Do you speak French and German?" - -"I can just make myself understood, and the waiter can just make -himself understood in English. He is anxious to know more of our -language, as he intends to go to London and make his fortune, so I -have been teaching him a bit. We are very good friends already, -François and I." - -"Is that his name?" - -"I don't know; I call all foreign waiters François." - -"I suppose you have not discovered whether Mr. Nisbet lives alone?" - -"I haven't got as far as that; I thought it advisable to leave it to -you gentlemen. It stands to reason that there must be someone in the -house to do the domestic work. I have an idea, if you care to listen -to it." - -"We will listen to everything that is likely to assist us." - -"This is likely to do so. François will wait upon us at dinner. One of -you, Mr. Emery for choice--you have a solid look about you, sir, if -you don't mind my saying so--is an hotel keeper in London, and when -François gets to London, if you haven't a vacancy in your own -establishment, you will be able to assist him to obtain a situation in -another. That will be a sufficient bribe, and it will insure our being -waited upon properly as long as we remain here." - -"I will play the part with pleasure," I said. "It is a good idea." - -So it was arranged, and at dinner François waited upon us with -neatness and dispatch, having received a hint from Mr. Rivers as to my -supposed vocation in London. In his hearing I dropped a hint or two -which I perceived he caught up in praise of his politeness and -dexterity, and I saw that, thus encouraged, he would be of service to -us. He was also led to understand from our conversation that it was -our intention to make a stay here of several days, and in this and -other ways we endeavored to lead up to the success of our scheme. It -would have been unwise, however, in my opinion, to make any sudden and -specific inquiries respecting Mr. Nisbet; I felt that we could not -proceed too carefully, and I determined to leave these inquiries till -the following day. - -Meanwhile we had a difficulty with Ronald. Dinner over, he announced -his intention of walking to Mr. Nisbet's house in our company, and it -was long before we could dissuade him. - -"Why should I not go?" he asked. - -"Why should you go?" I asked in return. "You can do nothing until we -have laid our plans. If it should happen that Mr. Nisbet sees you, all -our labor is thrown away. It is right that the house should be -reconnoitered without delay, but for us to do that in a body would be -inviting defeat. Mr. Rivers and I will undertake this alone, and you -must remain here with your uncle and Barbara." - -He consented unwillingly, and we were about to set forth when Barbara -plucked my sleeve. - -"Well, my child?" I said. - -"If yer going to see Molly, sir," she said, with tears in her eyes, -"won't yer take me with yer?" - -The fears that oppressed me with respect to her sister rendered this -imploring appeal of solemn import. - -"We don't know that we shall see Molly, my dear," I said gravely. "We -must look about us first before we can decide what to do. I am afraid -Mr. Nisbet is not a good man, and we must be very careful. You must -leave everything to us, Barbara." - -"Yes, sir, in course I must do that. But if yer _do_ see Molly, yer'll -give 'er my love, won't yer, and arks 'er if I can come to 'er?" - -"If we see her, my dear, we will be sure to tell her all about you." - -"She _will_ be surprised, won't she, sir?" - -"Yes, Barbara, yes," I said, and I left her with a heavy heart. - -On the road it occurred to me that, in keeping Mr. Rivers in complete -ignorance of the nature of our suspicions respecting Mr. Nisbet, I -might be placing difficulties in our way, and weakening the assistance -he was ready to give us. Therefore I enlightened him to some extent, -being careful to make no mention of the supernatural visitants which -had made me take up the matter. - -"What I have related," I said in conclusion, "is under the seal of -confidence, and is not to be mentioned unless the mystery is brought -to light. Just at this moment I confess to feeling dispirited; the web -of conjecture is so slight that I am oppressed by the feeling that we -may, after all, be following a will-o'-the-wisp, and that there is no -ground for the suspicions that have led me on." - -"That is one way of putting it," observed Mr. Rivers, "but as you -suspect that a crime has been committed, would it not be a relief to -you to find that there is no ground for the suspicion?" I was at a -loss to reply to this question, and he proceeded. "It may be due to -the occupation I follow, but I generally place the worst construction -upon these matters. If I were otherwise inclined, I should place the -worst construction upon this, and my belief is that Mr. Nisbet has -been guilty of nothing less than murder. Every circumstance in the -case points to the conclusion, which is strengthened by the impression -he has produced upon me. He is a man capable of any desperate deed, or -I am no judge of character. I am obliged to you for the confidence you -have placed in me; it certainly renders me less powerless in the -assistance I may be able to render. I have a starting point, you see. -Just at present there are two questions in my mind to which we must -endeavor to find an answer. First, what has become of the girl Molly? -I should know how to work her if I could lay hands on her. Second, -what is the meaning of the association of Mr. Nisbet and Dr. Cooper? -To their former association, when Mr. Nisbet and his stepdaughter were -living in Lamb's Terrace, where the poor lady met her death, there is -an absolutely plain answer. Mr. Nisbet wanted a death certificate from -a doctor who was imperfectly acquainted with the facts, and he paid -Dr. Cooper to supply it. This certificate being accepted at the -inquest, and the body cremated, Mr. Nisbet was safe. In the absence of -proof, of what practical value would mere suspicion be? He could snap -his fingers at it. But the circumstance of his taking Dr. Cooper -suddenly and unexpectedly from London, and of the doctor being in his -house at this moment, puzzles me." - -"Mr. Nisbet requires his assistance again," I suggested. - -"That is the natural inference, and we have to discover the exact -nature of this required assistance. If bold measures are necessary we -must adopt them." - -"I am ready. Have you any theory as to Molly?" - -"I can think of more than one. The girl was young at the time of the -lady's death; Barbara is by no means bad looking; Molly was pretty, I -dare say; she was poor, she was ignorant; Mr. Nisbet may have taken a -fancy to her----" - -I interrupted him. "No, Mr. Rivers, I cannot entertain the theory that -Molly consented to become Mr. Nisbet's mistress." - -"I will not force it upon you," said he dryly, "but perhaps I am a -better judge of human nature than yourself. However, we shall soon -discover something; we shall not be kept long in the dark." - -We had little difficulty in finding the house inhabited by Mr. Nisbet, -and its appearance deepened my apprehensions. In saying that we found -the house I am not quite exact, for a high wall surrounded it, and -only the gables could be seen. This wall was of surprising extent, and -could have occupied not less than an acre of ground. It was of stone, -and might have been built round a prison. We walked cautiously around -it, keeping close in its shadow and prepared at any moment to stroll -carelessly away in the event of an inmate issuing from either of the -gates--one in the front, the other in the rear--which afforded ingress -to it. - -Night had fallen, and there was no moon, so that we were comparatively -safe from observation, but this did not make us less cautious in our -movements. We were waging our silent battle with a wary foe, and to be -taken unaware would be fatal to us. - -There was no other house near the building. At no great distance were -towering ranges of rock and tree which intensified the gloom of the -habitation. Retreating to a hillock we ascended it, and from that -height perceived lights in some of the upper windows. - -"A pleasant residence," said Mr. Rivers, with a slight shiver. "One -can imagine any deed of darkness being perpetrated within those walls. -Hush! Don't move!" - -I saw the reason for the caution. The hill on which we stood faced the -gate in the rear of the house, and as Mr. Rivers laid hold of me and -whispered in my ear, this gate was slowly opened and a form issued -from it. I could not at that distance distinguish whether it was the -form of a man or a woman; what I could distinguish was that the figure -paused a moment or two and seemed to peer within the grounds. Then, -closing the gate with an appearance of caution, the figure came into -the open, and limped away. - -"Step softly," whispered Mr. Rivers, and taking me by the hand we -followed the figure, which we presently discerned to be that of an old -woman, who walked as if she were lame. I stepped almost as softly as -my companion, and we succeeded in approaching close to her without -being observed. She was carrying something in her hands, covered with -a white cloth. Night's shadows befriended us, and it was evident that -the woman had no notion that she was being followed. Mr. Rivers did -not speak, nor did I. We must have walked half a mile when the woman -stopped before a wretched hut, which she entered without knocking. - -"We must see what she's up to," whispered Mr. Rivers. "She belongs to -Mr. Nisbet's house, and has crept away in secret. It is my opinion -we're in luck." - -Stealing round the hut we came to a window at the back over which -there was no curtain, so that, although the glass was to some extent -obscured by dust and mud, we could see what was passing within. On the -ground lay a gaunt man, and by his side on a low stool sat a girl -about twelve years of age, as nearly as I could judge. The girl had -jumped up at the entrance of the old woman, but the man appeared to be -too weak to raise himself. This was proved by the woman kneeling by -him on one side and the girl kneeling by him on the other; by their -united efforts they lifted him into a sitting posture, and then the -woman removed the white cloth from the article she had carried from -Mr. Nisbet's house; it was a large dish filled with food, and though -she had come some distance the ascending steam proclaimed that it was -still warm. The woman fed him with a spoon, and presently drew from a -capacious pocket a bottle of red wine; he ate sparely, but he drank -with avidity. When he had finished the girl partook of the food, and -the eager way in which she ate reminded me of the night we found -little Barbara in Lamb's Terrace. There was a pathos in the scene that -touched me to the heart, but of course I could not hear what was said -by the poor actors therein. - -We waited till the old woman left the hut; she took the empty dish and -the white cloth with her. When she came out we followed her back to -Mr. Nisbet's house, which she entered by the back gate, adopting -similar precautions to those which had marked her departure from it. - -"A winning move," said Mr. Rivers in a tone of satisfaction as we -retraced our steps to the Hôtel-Pension zur Tellsplatte. - -"In what way?" I asked, for though I was impressed by what I had -witnessed, I did not at the moment see in what way it could be turned -to our advantage. - -"The food and wine were stolen from Mr. Nisbet," replied Mr. Rivers, -"and in that wretched hut we shall obtain the key to his house. We -have done a good night's work." - -During our absence Ronald and Bob had not been idle. By promising -François pecuniary assistance to enable him to reach the paradise of -waiters, they had won him completely over, and he had disclosed -everything he knew relating to Mr. Nisbet's domestic affairs, and to -the estimation in which he was held. He was not in favor, it appeared; -he kept himself aloof from everybody in the place, and lived the life -of an eccentric and a recluse. Reputed to be rich, he had not been -known to do a single act of kindness to the poor peasantry in the -district. There had been an explosion in a mine, there had been a -conflagration, a neighboring village had been inundated, and he did -not contribute a franc to the relief of the sufferers. Some people -declared that he possessed "the evil eye," and that he could "will" -misfortune upon those who offended him. As for his establishment, it -consisted of himself, a young female, who was said to be daft, and an -old woman who acted as cook and general housekeeper. The old woman's -name was Bernstein, the young woman's was not known. She had not been -seen for years outside the walls of the house. When Mr. Nisbet went -away Mme. Bernstein was left in charge of the establishment, and -neither then nor at any other time was any person admitted inside the -grounds. Food and wine were taken in at the gates, by the master -himself when he was at home, by Mme. Bernstein when he was absent. -This was the sum total of the information which had been elicited from -François. - -After hearing this we related to Bob and Ronald our own adventure, and -then we fell to discussing the next step to be taken, and Ronald urged -that an endeavor should be made to obtain admission to the house. - -"It will be dangerous to attempt such a thing," said Bob, "while Mr. -Nisbet and Dr. Cooper are there. François tells us that the master is -sometimes seen out searching for herbs or specimens. If he continues -the practice it is likely that Dr. Cooper will accompany him on these -expeditions. Then will be the time." - -"My opinion is," I said, "that, before we attempt so bold a move, we -shall win Mme. Bernstein over to our side." - -"I undertake to accomplish that," said Mr. Rivers, "and not later than -to-morrow night. But first let us have François in. I should like to -get something more out of him." - -François was summoned, and wine was ordered. When he brought the -bottle in, Mr. Rivers held a conversation with him. Was he acquainted -with Mme. Bernstein? No, he was not, but he had heard something of her -brother. Ah, she had a brother? Yes, a poor fellow very near death's -door, and without a sou in the world. She had a little niece also, the -brother's child. Where did they live? He described the hut to which -Mme. Bernstein had taken the food and wine. Was Mme. Bernstein kind to -them? He did not know--he had not heard; nobody took any trouble about -them; the child begged of passing tourists, but she got very little, -not enough to keep body and soul together. François could tell us -nothing more. - -Before we went to bed we decided to keep watch on Mme. Bernstein the -next night, and to be guided by what occurred. Needless to say that -Barbara was not present at this discussion. She was too young to be -admitted fully into our confidence. We kept ourselves very quiet -during the following day, and when night set in the four of us set out -for Mr. Nisbet's house. Ronald insisted upon accompanying us, and we -could not but submit. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - A WORD WITH MME. BERNSTEIN. - - -Nothing of importance happened on the way. We passed one or two -stragglers who did not speak to us, and who, in the darkness of the -night, could have seen very little of us; we, on our part, were more -watchful, and though we exchanged but few words nothing escaped our -attention. It behooved us to be thus careful, because there was the -risk of our coming into contact with our common foes, Mr. Nisbet and -Dr. Cooper. In silence we reached the gloomy wall which surrounded the -building, and, marshaled by Mr. Rivers, took up our posts of -observation. Rivers and I were together on the hill in the rear of the -house, Ronald and his uncle were some dozen yards off. They were to -keep their eyes on us, and to observe certain signals which had been -arranged upon. Very nearly at the same moment as on the previous -night, the gate was slowly opened, and Mme. Bernstein appeared, -carrying a dish covered with a white cloth. She paused at the open -gate, and peered this way and that, to make sure that she was not -seen, and then she closed the gate softly, and proceeded in the -direction of the hut. We followed her warily at a safe distance; she -reached the hut and entered it, and gave the man and the child food -and wine, Rivers and I watching them through the uncurtained window at -the back of the hut. - -The meal finished, the old woman kissed the child, and issued from the -hut. All her movements were in accordance with our anticipation, and -this being so, a certain plan we had agreed upon was immediately acted -upon. Ronald and his uncle remained behind, the intention being that -they should make an endeavor to get into conversation with either the -sick man or the child, or with both, and to extract from them some -information of Mr. Nisbet's establishment which might assist our -operations. Rivers and I played our part in the plan by following Mme. -Bernstein. Midway between the hut and Mr. Nisbet's house Rivers nudged -me, and we quickened our steps. Hearing the sound the old woman -stopped, and we also stopped. After listening a moment or two she -fancied she was deceived, and she hobbled on again, we following with -rapid steps. Again she paused, and gave a scream as we came close to -her. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Rivers said: - -"Do you speak English, Mme. Bernstein?" - -"Yes, a little," she replied, trembling in every limb. "Do not hurt -me--I am an old woman; I have no money." - -"You speak English very well," said Rivers. "We will not harm you. It -is only that we wish to have a word with you. We do not want money; we -have money to give, if you would like to earn it. Do you understand?" - -"Yes, sir, I understand that you will not hurt an old woman, and that -you have money to give." - -I ought here to explain that the English Mme. Bernstein spoke was by -no means so clear and grammatical as I set it down, but I find myself -unable to reproduce her peculiar method and idioms, and consider it -best, therefore, to put what she said plainly before the reader. We -understood each other, and that was the main point. - -"But it must be earned. Do not tremble so; we are not robbers; we are -officers of the law. What have you under that cloth? A basin, empty. -You took it from the house full. You can be punished for that, Mme. -Bernstein. The master did not give you the food, he did not give you -the wine. You stole them, Mme. Bernstein." - -Overcome with terror she fell upon her knees, and implored us to spare -her; she had taken the food to save a little child from starvation; -she had never done it before---- - -Rivers interrupted her. "You do it every night, madame." Which plunged -her into deeper despair. - -Still keeping her sensible that she was in our power, and that we -would have her punished if she did not do as we bade her, Rivers -succeeded in pacifying her to some extent. - -"There are four of us," he said, when she rose from the ground; "two -are here, two are with your brother and his child, who without our aid -will starve if you are put in prison or can no longer rob your master -of food. It is with you, madame; you can save or ruin them, you can -save or ruin yourself." - -"What is it that I shall do?" she quavered. "Tell me, and I will do -it." - -"That is as it should be," said Rivers, "and you shall be rewarded. We -must know everything about the master you serve. We are here from -England for that purpose, and he must not be told that you have spoken -with us. You will swear it by the cross which is hanging from your -neck." - -She lifted the black wooden cross to her lips, and kissed it. "I swear -it, sir," she said. "He shall not be told; he shall not know. But if -you keep me here now he will discover it without being told. He will -be waiting for supper, and I shall not be there to serve it. He will -come and look for me, and then it will be ruin for me and you. He is a -hard man, a bad man, a wicked man, and I hate him." - -"That pleases me," said Rivers blithely. "Why do you remain in his -service?" - -"Should I not starve if I went away? I get my food, and I save it and -give it to my dying brother and the little child. That is something. -Do not keep me here too long. Englishmen are rich; you have a watch. -What hour is it?" - -"Half past ten," said Rivers. - -"At eleven they have supper. If I am not in the house----" - -"You shall be there. Let us walk on, Mme. Bernstein. In ten minutes we -shall reach the gate, and he will not know. Does he go to bed late?" - -"Sometimes at twelve, sometimes at one; it is not certain." - -"At what hour last night?" - -"At twelve." - -"Keep watch, madame, to-night, and when he goes to his room and the -house is quiet, you will come out to us, and we will talk." - -"Yes, I will come." - -"By the back gate, madame; we shall be on the hill. Do not forget--you -shall be rewarded, And do not forget that you have sworn upon the -cross. Here, to commence with, are two francs, to prove that we are in -earnest, and are men of our word." - -She clutched the coins eagerly, and said in a whisper: "We are near -the house--do not speak loud, or he will hear us. There is something -strange and terrible. You shall be told of it. I will come when they -sleep." - -We did not accompany her to the gate. She glided forward, opened it -quietly, and disappeared. - -"Now, Mr. Emery," said Rivers, "can you find your way alone to the -hut?" - -"Yes, it is a straight road." - -"Go, and bring your friends here. There is strength in numbers. -Something strange and terrible, she said. We have not come a moment -too soon. Hurry back quickly." - -I wasted no time, and soon reached the hut. Ronald and Bob were -within; I heard them talking to the little girl. When I tapped at the -door and called to them, they joined me immediately, and hearing that -they were to return with me they spoke a few parting words to the -child, and promised to call and see her again. I briefly related what -had passed between ourselves and Mme. Bernstein, and asked if they had -obtained any information. - -"None," replied Bob, "that is likely to assist us. Some general -expressions of dislike toward Mme. Bernstein's employer, of whom they -seem to stand in some sort of fear--that is all. Neither the man nor -the child has ever been inside the house. But we made friends with -them, and that might have served us with Mme. Bernstein if you had not -already enlisted her. Everything seems to depend upon what will occur -during the next twenty-four hours." - -We found Rivers lying on his back on the hill, with his hands clasped -behind his head. - -"I have been watching the windows," he said, "and making a mental map -of the house. All the bedrooms seem to be situated at the back; the -ordinary living rooms are in front. See--there is a light in only one -of the rooms; there was a light in that room last night. It burns -steadily, and without flickering; the room is occupied, but no shadow -has appeared on the blind, nor has the light been shifted. Someone is -sleeping there, and sleeping undisturbed. If we stopped here till -daylight we should probably find that light still burning. Afraid to -sleep in the dark, denoting a nervous organization. Ah, observe. Two -rooms have just been entered; each person, entering, carried in a -candle with him; the lights shift and waver; there are shadows on the -blinds. One is the shadow of Mr. Nisbet, the other the shadow of Dr. -Cooper; their bedrooms adjoin. Rather restless those shadows. We have -the advantage of them; we can see them, they cannot see us lying here -in black darkness. I am in my element, and can work out theories. I -have done the same in country places in England, and the theories I -have worked out there have led to very useful conclusions. Isn't there -a German or French story of a man who sold his shadow to the devil? I -can imagine occasions when our friend Mr. Nisbet would gladly sell -his, for shadows are sometimes criminating witnesses. Those men do not -seem in a hurry to get to bed. One has gone into the other's room; the -flaring of the candle shows that he has left his door open. The -shadows of the two men are now in one room. They walk up and down in -their slippers--of that you may be sure. There is something so secret -and mysterious going on in the house--which might be a prison or a -private lunatic asylum--that the principal conspirators are careful to -make no noise. They have no wish to disturb the sleeper in the third -room, which, by a stretch of the fancy, we might suppose to be -occupied by a dead person. By the way, did Dr. Cooper have time to -bring his slippers with him from London? I should say not; therefore -he is wearing a pair of Mr. Nisbet's or is walking in his stocking -feet. Now they stop, now they walk about again, and now--yes, now they -go into the room which the first man left. Science has been busily at -work of late years, but it has not yet discovered a means of bringing -sound to our ears as this glass which I am holding brings the figures -of those men near to my eyes. There is the telephone, but you cannot -carry a telephone about with you in a little pocket case. I dare say -the discovery will be made one of these days. Mr. Nisbet is a couple -of inches taller than Dr. Cooper, and as they are now standing quite -still I know which is one, and which the other; therefore I shall -presently know which is Mr. Nisbet's bedroom, and which Dr. Cooper's. -If we could only hear what they are saying to each other! Speaking in -whispers, of course--again for the reason that they do not wish to -disturb the sleeper in the third room. Mme. Bernstein will inform us -who it is who sleeps there. What do you say--a man or a woman?" - -The question was addressed to us, and we expressed our inability to -answer it. - -"I say a woman," continued Rivers, who was certainly in his element, -as he had declared, "and until Mme. Bernstein favors us with her -company we remain in ignorance as to who the woman is. Our little -Barbara's sister? Perhaps. But Barbara describes her sister as being a -lively young person, and no lively young person lies sleeping there. -How do I arrive at that conclusion? Impossible to say. Mental -cerebration, if you like. We work out plots as novelists do, or -rather, they work out themselves. Concentration is the agent. The same -process leads me to the conclusion that the conspirators yonder are -walking and talking noiselessly because of their fear of being -overheard. The same process leads me to the conclusion that they are -quietly discussing an important and dangerous matter. How did Mr. -Nisbet's stepdaughter meet her death? Asphyxiation caused by an escape -of gas while sleeping in a bedroom almost hermetically sealed. But -there is no gas in these parts, and their light is supplied by oil and -candle. Therefore they are deprived of that means of causing death. -What are they doing now? The shorter of the two, Dr. Cooper, holds -something up to the light. The object is too small to be discerned at -this distance, but I take it to be a vial. Not a wine bottle, nor a -bottle containing brandy or whisky. A small vial. And now Mr. Nisbet -hands his co-conspirator a wineglass; he holds that up also; the -shadow is reflected on the blind, and you can see by the shape that it -is not a tumbler. The vial in one hand, the wineglass--it may be a -medicine glass--in the other, Dr. Cooper is pouring a few drops from -the vial into the glass. He counts the drops; I can't see his lips -move, but unless I am dreaming he is counting the drops. He puts down -the vial, and Mr. Nisbet takes the glass from him. To drink? No. He -dips his finger into the liquid, and puts that finger to his lips. He -stands still a while; he is deliberating. Is it satisfactory, Mr. -Nisbet? If it is, and you need a sleeping draught, drink it off, and -wish your companion good-night. You do nothing of the kind. You come -to the window; you draw aside the blind; you open the window." - -"We shall be seen," whispered Bob, in great alarm. - -"We are as safe," said Rivers calmly, "as if we wore caps that -rendered us invisible, as in the fairy tale. As they stand side by -side at the window, the position of the light enables me to see them -clearly. They _are_ Mr. Nisbet and Dr. Cooper. Provoking! What is it -that Mr. Nisbet has just done? Why did you move, you fool of a doctor? -But I guess what he did. He emptied the glass out of the window. Of -course, of course; that was it. They have been making a chemical -experiment, testing a liquid--to what end? Mr. Nisbet peers into the -dark grounds, he stares straight at the hill upon which we are lying. -Don't stir a finger. It is curious that criminals almost invariably -overlook some slight circumstance which supplies the clew to their -conviction. It has been so in thousands of cases. The window is -closed, the blind is pulled down. See the shadows of the men as they -approach and retreat, growing to monstrous proportions, dwindling to -nearly natural size. The shadows of Fate. I suppose by this time the -conference is at an end. It is. They separate. Each is in his own -room. Ah, I see which room is occupied by Mr. Nisbet, and which by Dr. -Cooper. The doctor gets into bed first. Out goes his light. Sleep the -sleep of the just, doctor, if you can. Mr. Nisbet lingers; his is the -greater stake. He is the principal, his companion is the tool. Take -care, the pair of you; the dogs are on your track. Mr. Nisbet puts out -his light; all the windows are masked except the window of the third -room. Good-night, good-night." - -These ingenious theories filled me with wonder, and I accepted them as -if they were proved testimony; and I am positive, from the remarks -made by Bob and Ronald, that they also accepted them as I did. Rivers -chuckled, and said: - -"It is a fine art, and we become masters only by long study. Now for -Mme. Bernstein. She will not keep us waiting long." - -She did not. In a few minutes the gate was opened, and the old woman -appeared. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - MME. BERNSTEIN REVEALS. - - -Rivers went forward to meet her, and taking her hand, led her to where -we were standing. Dark as it was I saw that she was greatly agitated, -and the increase of our party did not lessen her agitation. - -"You perceive," Rivers commenced, "that it is as I said. There are -four of us, and we are determined to know the truth about your master -and what is going on in that gloomy house, which, as I just remarked -to my friends, resembles a prison." - -"I will tell you everything," said Mme. Bernstein, her voice shaking -with fear. "Why should I not, when you have promised to reward me? I -have done nothing wrong." - -"Do not speak so sharply to her," said Ronald to Rivers; "you frighten -her." Then he turned to the old woman, and spoke to her in French, and -his manner was so kind and his voice so gentle that she soon forgot -her fears. "You shall be well rewarded," he said to her; "I promise -you on the honor of a gentleman. We have left a little money with your -brother and his pretty little girl, and to-morrow we will send a -doctor to see him. If it were day instead of night you would know that -I am blind, and you would trust me." - -"I trust you now, sir," said Mme. Bernstein. "But this -gentleman"--indicating Rivers--"speaks to me as if I had committed a -crime. I will answer you anything. It is because I am poor that I have -served M. Nisbet, and if I have taken a little bit of food for my -dying brother and the child I hope you will protect me from the anger -of M. Nisbet. He is a hard man; he would have no mercy." - -"We will protect and befriend you," said Ronald. "Have no fear. My -friends here do not understand French very well, so we will converse -now in English. Express yourself as well as you can; we all wish to -hear what you have to say, and we all are kindly disposed toward you. -Mr. Rivers, you are so much more experienced than ourselves that the -command must be left in your hands, but I beg you to moderate your -tone when you address madame." - -"With all the pleasure in life," said Rivers cheerfully. "Bless your -heart, madame, you need not be frightened of me; if I speak sharp it's -only a way I've got. Don't you take any notice of it, but begin at the -beginning, and go straight on. How long have you been in service -here?" - -"Ever since M. Nisbet first came," replied Mme. Bernstein. "It is -years ago--I don't know how many--and he bought the house, and wanted -a woman to look after it. When he goes away to England or France I -attend to everything." She stopped here, as if at a loss how to -proceed. - -"We shall get to the bottom of things all the quicker," said Rivers, -"if I ask you questions. Has there been any other person besides -yourself in Mr. Nisbet's service?" - -"No one else--it is I alone who have served him." - -"Does he live here alone?" - -"Oh, no. When he first came he brought a lady with him." - -"And she is still in the house?" - -"Oh, yes; she is still in the house, poor lady!" - -Instinctively we all turned our eyes to the window which Rivers had -declared to be the window of the room occupied by a lady--even -Ronald's sightless eyes were turned in that direction. - -"That is her bedroom?" Rivers asked. - -"Yes, it is there she sleeps." - -"Hold hard a bit," he cried. "She is awake." - -The occupant of the room had moved the light, and we saw her shadow on -the blind. We looked up in silence, expecting that something strange -would occur. I cannot explain the cause of this impression, but in -subsequent conversation with my companions they confessed that they -had experienced the same feeling of expectation as myself. What did -occur was this: The blind was pulled up, and the window opened, and by -the window stood a female figure in a white nightdress, stretching out -her arms toward us. It was not possible that she could see us, but her -imploring attitude seemed like an appeal to us to save her from some -terrible danger, and it powerfully affected me. - -I put my finger to my lips, to warn Bob and Rivers against uttering -any exclamation of surprise, and I placed myself in such a position -that Mme. Bernstein could not see what we saw. Presently the female's -arms dropped to her side, and she sank upon a chair by the window, and -sat there while Rivers continued his examination. - -"Why do you say 'poor lady'?" asked Rivers. "Is she suffering in any -way?" - -"She is much to be pitied," replied Mme. Bernstein. "So young and -beautiful as she is!" - -"But explain, madame. You speak in enigmas. Does your master oppress -her? Is he cruel to her?" - -"I do not know. She does not complain, but I would not trust him with -a child of mine." - -"Is she his child, then?" - -"Oh, no; but he has authority over her. He has never struck her, he -has never spoken a harsh word to her; still I would not trust him." - -"We shall get at it presently, I suppose," said Rivers impatiently. -"What is the lady's name?" - -"Mlle. Mersac." - -"Her Christian name?" - -"I have not heard it, all the years I have been in the house. There -was no reason why I should hear it. Mlle. Mersac--is not that a -sufficient name?" - -"It must content us for the present. If she is not his daughter she is -doubtless some relation?" - -"It cannot be--he has himself declared that she is not. I ventured one -day--it is now a long time ago--to ask him, and he answered me -angrily, and bade me attend to my duties, and nothing more. He -repented a little while afterward; and came to me and inquired why I -had put the question to him. 'It was a thought, sir,' I said. 'Can you -see any likeness between us?' he asked. I answered no, and there is no -likeness. She is fair, he is dark; there is not the least resemblance -between them." - -"May we say that she is afflicted?" - -"Sorely afflicted. She has no memory, she seems to have no mind. From -one day to another she cannot recollect. Each day is new to her; she -has no memory. Even her own name is strange to her. When my master is -here I see her only in his presence, and am not allowed to speak to -her. When he is absent I see more of her; it is necessary; she has no -one else to attend to her. But even then she utters but a very few -words. Once only did we have a conversation while the master was away. -It was against his commands, but I could not help it. He gives his -orders what I shall do during his absence, and I am to do those -things, and nothing more. To give her her meals, to give her her -medicine, not to allow her to pass the gates. For years she has not -been outside those walls." - -"You are wandering, madame. Once you had a conversation with her. -Inform us what was said." - -"I pitied her, and asked her whether she had no friends she wished to -see. 'Friends!' she said, and looked at me wonderingly. 'The world is -dead!' I could have shed tears, there was such misery in her voice. I -addressed her by her name. 'Mersac!' she exclaimed. 'Who is Mlle. -Mersac?' 'But, mademoiselle,' I said, 'it is yourself.' 'Are you sure -of that?' she asked. 'Why, yes,' I answered, 'it is certain.' She -shuddered and said, 'I had dreams, I think, when I was a child, but I -am an old woman now.' 'Mademoiselle,' I cried, 'you are young, you are -beautiful!' 'It is you who are dreaming,' she said, 'I am an old -woman. The world is dead. This house is my tomb!' That is all that -passed; she would not speak another word. If I had dared, if I had not -been poor and had known what to do and how it was to be done, I would -have tried to find her friends, for what hope of recovery is there for -her in such a place as this? For me who have not long to live---I am -seventy-five--it does not matter. I have lived here all my life, and I -shall die here; there is no other place for me to die in, and I am -content that it should be so. But even I had my bright years when I -was a young woman. I had a lover, I had a husband, I had children; -they are all dead now, and but for my dying brother and his little -girl I am alone. I was not so beautiful as mademoiselle; I was not a -lady as she is. That is plainly to be seen. At her time of life she -should be bright and happy; she should have a lover; she should have -friends, companions. They might wake her up, for though she is not -dead she might as well be." - -The old woman spoke very feelingly, and I patted her on the shoulder. - -"Thank you," she said, as though I had bestowed a gift upon her. - -"She is a French lady?" questioned Rivers. - -"Oh, no; she is English." - -"English! But her name is French." - -"It may not be hers. She is perhaps sent here to be forgotten. It is -sad, very sad!" - -"Apart from this loss of memory, from this forgetfulness of herself, -is she in health?" - -"She is strong, she is well otherwise. It is only her mind that is -gone. She gripped my hand once; it was the grip of a strong young -girl. She is lithe, she is well formed. If I had been like her when I -was her age I should have been proud. I brought some flowers to the -house one day. 'Who are these for?' my master asked. 'I thought -mademoiselle would like them,' I answered. He frowned, and taking them -in his hands crushed them and threw them to the ground. 'That is not -part of your duties,' he said. I brought no more flowers. There are -some strange things, some things I cannot understand. Do you come to -help the poor lady? Are you related to her?" - -"We are not related to her, but we will help her if it is in our -power." - -"Heaven will reward you for it." - -"What do you mean by saying there are strange things, things you -cannot understand?" - -"For one--why does the master say she will not live, when, but for her -loss of memory, she is strong and well?" - -"Oh, he says that, does he?" - -"Yes, and he has brought a friend with him now, a celebrated doctor, -because, as I heard him say, she is sinking. What does that mean?" - -"Ah," said Rivers, in a significant tone which we understood, "what -does that mean, indeed? It means mischief, Mme. Bernstein." - -"It is what I think. Now I have opened my heart I do not care what -happens to me. This celebrated doctor that he has brought from England -with him is no better than my master is. They are a pair. But what can -she do against them alone?" - -"She is no longer alone, madame," said Ronald, with a strange -earnestness in his voice. "The lady is beautiful, you say. Very fair?" - -"As fair as a lily, sir." - -"You can tell me the color of her eyes." - -"They are blue as a summer sky, and there is sometimes a light as -sweet in them." - -"What would be her age, in your opinion, madame?" - -"Not more than twenty-four, and though she suffers so, she sometimes -looks like a maid of eighteen." - -"When your master is absent he leaves medicine for her to take? He -places this medicine in your charge? Is it a liquid?" - -"It is a liquid." - -"And its color, madame?" - -"White." - -"Is it clear? Has it a sediment?" - -"It is perfectly clear, like water?" - -"How often does she take it?" - -"Once every day, in the evening." - -"Does she take it willingly?" - -"Quite willingly." - -There was a brief silence here, and I observed Ronald pass his hands -across his eyes. It was he who was asking these questions, and Rivers -did not interpose. - -"Mme. Bernstein, did you ever taste this medicine?" - -"Ah, sir, you make me remember what I had forgotten. I am old; forgive -me. It was this, also, that was in my mind when I said there were -strange things I could not understand. It happened two years ago. -Mademoiselle had left nearly half the dose in the glass, and had gone -to bed. I took it up and tasted it; it was as water in my mouth, -and--I do not know why--I drank what remained. 'It is not likely to -harm me,' I thought, 'for it does not harm mademoiselle.' I went to -bed and slept soundly. In the morning when I awoke it was with a -strange feeling. I had some things to do; I could not remember what -they were. I dressed myself and sat in my chair as helpless as a babe. -The clock struck more than once, and still I sat there, trying to -think what it was I had to do. At last the clock struck twelve, and I -started to my feet, as though I had just woke out of a waking sleep, -and went about my work as usual." - -Ronald did not continue his questions; his attention seemed to be -drawn to another matter; his head was bent forward, in the attitude of -listening. - -I do not recollect what it was that Rivers said at this point, but he -had spoken a few words when Ronald cried: - -"Be silent!" - -His voice was agitated, and the same feeling of expectation stole upon -me as I had experienced before the female in her white nightdress -opened her bedroom window and stretched out her arms toward us. - -"Mme. Bernstein," said Ronald then, "the young lady we have been -speaking of is a musician." - -"Yes, sir." - -"She plays in the night sometimes." - -"I have heard her, sir, on two or three occasions." - -"The instrument she plays on is the zither." - -"Yes, sir." - -"She is playing at the present moment." - -"If you say so, sir. My hearing is not so good as yours." - -"It is Beatrice who is playing," said Ronald, and his tone now was -very quiet. "I knew she was not dead, and that we should meet again." - - - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - DR. COOPER IS IMPRESSED. - - -These startling words caused us to throw aside the restraint we had -placed upon our movements. We darted forward to the gate, from which -spot we could just catch the faint sounds of music. The truth burst -upon me like a flash of light. The mystery of Beatrice's supposed -death was made clear to me, and the unspeakable villainy of which Mr. -Nisbet was guilty was revealed. But alas for poor Barbara, who was -eagerly waiting to embrace her sister Molly! - -Mme. Bernstein joined us at the gate, and cautioned us to be careful -not to speak aloud. We removed to a safe distance, and were about to -discuss our plans and decide upon our course of action when Ronald -settled the matter for us. - -"Mme. Bernstein," he said, addressing her, "the lady is a dear friend -of mine; she was to have been my wife. A foul wrong has been done to -her, and Providence has directed our steps here to save her. We must -enter that ill-fated house to-night." - -"To-night!" she exclaimed. - -"Now--this moment," said Ronald, with decision. - -"But the danger----" - -"We are four men to two," said Ronald. "If I place my hands on one of -the monsters I will account for him, blind as I am. We are armed, and -no danger threatens us. An innocent lady's life is in peril; she lies -at the mercy of wretches who have no heart or conscience, and a -moment's delay may be fatal. You shall be well paid for the service, -madame----" - -"It is not that I shall be well paid," she interrupted. "I have a -heart, I have a conscience. It is because the master is a dangerous -man. But you shall have your way; the Just God will help you. Tread -softly; make no noise." - -"Mr. Elsdale is right," whispered Rivers to me as we followed Mme. -Bernstein. "Strike the iron while it's hot. There's a surprise in -store for two scoundrels to-night." - -We succeeded in making our entrance without awaking the enemy. - -"What now shall be done?" asked Mme. Bernstein. - -Ronald answered her. "Mlle. Mersac--it is not her name, but that -matters little--has no aversion to you, madame?" - -"None, none," she replied eagerly. - -"You will go to her room, and remain with her till you hear from us. -If she is awake, encourage her to sleep. She must know nothing till -daylight. Should it be needed call to us for assistance." - -"Yes, yes." - -"You will show us the rooms in which your master and his friend from -London sleep, and you will then leave us." Ronald turned to us. "I and -my uncle will keep watch outside Mr. Nisbet's door; if he comes out to -us I shall know how to deal with him. You, Mr. Rivers and Mr. Emery, -will introduce yourselves to Dr. Cooper, and endeavor to force a -confession from him. If he will not speak--well, you are a match for -him. Bind him, so that he shall be unable to move; then join us, and -we will make Mr. Nisbet secure. He must administer no more stupefying -drugs to his stepdaughter; his power over her is at an end. Have you -any objection to my plan, Mr. Rivers?" - -"None. It is the best that can be adopted. Let us set about it." - -With noiseless footsteps we ascended the stairs to the sleeping -apartments, Mme. Bernstein leading the way. She pointed out the rooms -to us. "That is the master's; that is his friend's." Then she left us, -and went to Beatrice's room. Bob and Ronald took their station outside -Mr. Nisbet's door and I observed that Bob held his revolver in his -hand. No indication reached us that we had disturbed the inmates. - -"It is our turn, now," Rivers whispered to me. "I think I know how to -manage our customer." - -He tried the door, and finding it locked, smiled as he said, "Locks -himself in. Doesn't trust his host. A good sign." He did not knock, -but kept fumbling at the handle, in order to attract Dr. Cooper's -attention. Presently succeeding, we heard the doctor get out of bed. - -"Who is there?" he asked softly, his ear at the door. - -"Let me in," Rivers replied, in a whisper. "I have something to say to -you. Why do you lock your door?" - -Had Rivers spoken above a whisper Dr. Cooper would have detected him, -but whispers are very much alike, and it is not easy to distinguish a -man's voice by them. - -"Wait a moment," said Dr. Cooper from within. "I will strike a light." - -This accomplished, he opened the door, which, as we glided in, Rivers -quickly closed and locked. Dr. Cooper had retreated from the door, and -stood, holding the candle above his head. With an exclamation of alarm -he let the candle slip from his hand, and we were in darkness. - -"What a clumsy fellow you are!" exclaimed Rivers in a jocose tone. -"Light it again, Mr. Emery. I have got Dr. Cooper quite safe." - -And I saw, when I had picked up the candle and lighted it, Dr. Cooper -standing quite still, with his arms pinned to his sides from behind by -Rivers. I placed the candle out of the doctor's reach, and Rivers -released him. - -Dr. Cooper was in his nightshirt, and presented anything but a -pleasant picture. Rivers, on the contrary, had an airy lightness about -him which was new to me. His eyes shone, and he rubbed his hands -together, as if he were taking part in a peculiarly agreeable -function. On a table by the bedside were a glass and a bottle of -whisky, half empty. Rivers put the bottle to his nose. - -"Scotch," he said. "I always drink Scotch myself." - -"Who are you?" Dr. Cooper managed to say. "What do you want?" - -"All in good time, doctor," replied Rivers. "It's no good commencing -in the middle of the game. You haven't the pleasure of my acquaintance -yet, but you know this gentleman." - -"I have seen him once before," said Dr. Cooper, with a troubled glance -at me. - -"And I am positive you must have enjoyed his society. He proves that -he enjoyed yours by his anxiety to renew the intimacy. He is a private -gentleman, I am a private detective, and we have come a long way to -see you. But you will catch cold standing there with only your shirt -on. Will you get into your clothes or into bed before we have our -chat. You would like to dress? You shall. Softly, softly. I will hand -you your clothes, taking the precaution to empty your pockets first." - -"By what right----" - -"Steady does it, doctor. If you talk of rights we shall talk of -wrongs. That's a sensible man. On go the trousers, on goes the -waistcoat, on goes the coat, and we're ready for business. Now, how -shall it be? Friends or foes? You don't answer. Very good. We'll give -you time. Take a chair, and make yourself comfortable. No, doctor, no; -don't take your whisky neat; as an experienced toper myself I insist -upon putting a little water into it. And we'll pour half the spirit -back into the bottle. Moderation and economy--that's the order of the -day. You can't make up your mind to speak. Very well; we'll see if we -can loosen your tongue. _I_ intend to make a clean breast of it, and -you may feel disposed presently to follow a good example. Give me your -best attention, I am going to open the case, and if I make mistakes -I'm open to correction. Some few years ago there lived in the north of -London a gentleman--we'll be polite, if nothing else--a gentleman and -his stepdaughter, name of the gentleman Nisbet, name of the -stepdaughter Beatrice. The house they inhabited was in Lamb's Terrace, -and a gentleman of means could not have selected a more desolate -locality to reside in. Miss Beatrice's mother was dead, and in her -will she appointed her second husband--she couldn't very well appoint -her first, doctor--guardian to her child, with a handsome provision -for the maintenance and education of the young lady. The bulk of her -fortune she left to her daughter, who was to come into possession of -it when she was of age. It was a large fortune, some fifty or sixty -thousand pounds, I believe, and I wish such a bit of luck had fallen -to my share, but we can't all be born with silver spoons in our -mouths, can we, doctor? That this fortune should have been left to the -lady instead of the gentleman annoyed and angered him, and he -determined to have the fingering of it. Now, how could that be -managed? There was only one way, according to his thinking, and that -was, to get rid of the lady, because it was set down in the will that, -in the event of the young lady's death before she came of age, the -money should revert to him. He laid his plans artfully, but there was -a flaw in them, as you will presently confess. I don't pretend to -understand how it was that he set about compassing his desire in the -crooked way he did. Perhaps he found the young lady hard to manage; -because he had some sort of sneaking feeling for her, perhaps he -thought it would not be half so bad if he got rid of someone else in -her place; and so contrived that it should be believed it was his own -stepdaughter who was dead, instead of a poor, friendless young girl of -her own age and build." - -Dr. Cooper shifted uneasily in his chair, and an expression of -amazement stole into his face. - -"I see that I am interesting you. This poor friendless girl was in his -service in Lamb's Terrace at the time, her name, Molly. So what did -this Nisbet do but send his stepdaughter from the house, and take a -ticket for her to some part of the Continent, precise place unknown, -but doubtless where she was pretty well out of the world. He was to -follow her, and they were to live in foreign parts. Meanwhile the poor -girl Molly was left in the London house, and on the morning of his -intended departure was found dead, not in her own bed, but in the -young lady's, with the young lady's clothes on and about her. The -cause of death was said to be asphyxiation by an escape of gas in the -young lady's bedroom. The Nisbets kept no society in London, and had -no friends or acquaintances, so there was no one to dispute his -statement that it was his stepdaughter who was dead. Now, he knew, -that an inquest would have to be held, and that a certificate of the -cause of death would have to be produced, so what does he do but go to -a miserable wretch of a doctor or apothecary living or starving--the -latter, I suspect--in the neighborhood of Lamb's Terrace, and by -plausible words and bribe induce him to give this necessary death -certificate. Name of doctor, Cooper. Fire away, doctor, if you've -anything to say." - -"It has been done again and again," said Dr. Cooper, sucking his -parched lips. "But I can't speak till I've had a drink." - -"Here it is," said Rivers, mixing a glass, sparing with the whisky and -liberal with the water, and handing it to the wretched man. "Don't -swallow it all at once; moisten your lips with it now and then." - -"It has been done again and again," repeated Dr. Cooper. "A doctor is -called in who has not attended the patient; he sees that the cause of -death is unmistakable, and he gives the certificate. It is not a -crime." - -"I am not so sure of that," said Rivers, in a dry tone. "Anyway it is -too late now to prove the true cause of poor Molly's, death, for the -body has been cremated." - -"It was not a case of illness," continued Dr. Cooper; "no doctor had -been in the house to see the girl before that morning, and I only did -what any other doctor would have done." - -"You did," corrected Rivers, "what no respectable doctor would dream -of doing." - -"I was in debt," pursued Dr. Cooper, "I was in trouble on all sides, I -had a large family to support, and no food to give them. He came to -me, and I was glad to earn a pound or two. I had never seen him before -that morning, I had never even heard of him. What is this story you -are telling me of another girl being put into his daughter's bed? It -is false; I do not believe it." - -"It is true," I said, "and it can be proved, for the young lady -lives." - -"May I drop dead off this chair if I knew it!" cried Dr. Cooper, with -trembling outstretched hands. "How was I to know it when I had never -seen the lady, when I had never seen the girl, when I had never seen -him before that morning?" - -Notwithstanding the feeling of loathing with which he inspired me, I -had no doubt that he was speaking the truth, and that he was not -implicated in the conspiracy. He presented a pitiable and degrading -spectacle as he sat trembling and writhing in his chair. - -"I will go on to the end," said Rivers, "and you will find that you -have something else to explain. The inquest was held, and you gave -false evidence at it." - -"You can't prove that it was false," said Dr. Cooper. "There is no -body to exhume, and there is no one to give evidence against me. You -may be right in the other parts of the story, but you will never be -able to prove yourself right in this. I know sufficient of the law to -know that no crime can be brought home to me for which I can be made -to suffer." - -"Perhaps you do know the law," said Rivers dryly, and I fancied that -he felt himself at a disadvantage here, "and perhaps you don't. One -thing is certain. You may escape, but there is no possibility of -escape for the infernal scoundrel you have served, and who has brought -you over from London to assist him in some other diabolical scheme." - -"Stop a minute," exclaimed Dr. Cooper, bending forward and fixing his -bloodshot eyes on Rivers' face. "Didn't I see you on the boat?" - -"It is more than probable," answered Rivers, with a sly chuckle, "for -I was there." - -"You followed us?" - -"Every step of the way. If you had looked for me you would have seen -me on the train. What do you say now? Are we friends or foes?" - -"Friends," cried Dr. Cooper eagerly. "Friends. I am on your side. I -will conceal nothing." - -Was it my fancy that there was a movement in the wall between the room -we were in and that occupied by Mr. Nisbet? It must have been, I -thought, for upon looking more closely I saw nothing to confirm the -fancy, and I ascribed it to the fever and excitement of the scene of -which I was a witness. - -"You are wise," said Rivers, "though I take it upon myself to declare -that, with or without your assistance, we can bring his guilt home to -him. There are others in the house as well as ourselves. Two of our -friends are at this moment stationed outside Mr. Nisbet's door. He is -doomed, if ever man was. If he knows a prayer it is time for him to -say it." - - - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - MR. NISBET TAKES A DECIDED STEP. - - -"The evidence, then, you gave at the inquest," continued Rivers, -"whether false or true (you see I am not disposed to be hard on you), -was conclusive, and doubtless you were well paid for it. In the eyes -of the law Mr. Nisbet's stepdaughter was dead, and he came into her -fortune. The simplicity of the whole thing would be amusing if it were -not tragic. But his task was not yet finished. He had committed an -error of judgment in killing the wrong woman; the lady whom he had -robbed of her fortune still lived, and it was imperative that he -should get rid of her. He must have been in fear of detection, or he -would have adopted some violent and summary measures to compass his -objects. Being fearful of consequences he determined to kill her -slowly, and it was also necessary that he should destroy her memory, -that he should make her mind a blank, for if by any chance the news of -the tragedy which had taken place in Lamb's Terrace reached her -knowledge the game would be lost. According to the way I reason it out -he hoped that the drugs he administered to her would cause her to die -a presumably natural death, but the lady was obstinate, and refused to -die as he wished. At length, weary of waiting, he calls you in to -assist him." - -"You are on the wrong track," said Dr. Cooper. "I have never seen the -lady." - -"You are in your right senses, I presume," said Rivers. "The lady -happens to be in this house." - -"In this house?" - -"Do you wish us to believe you have not seen her?" - -"On my honor, I have not seen her." At this reference to his honor a -queer smile crossed Rivers' lips. "There is a female here, as I was -given to understand by Mr. Nisbet, one of his domestics, who was -indisposed. But I have seen no one except Mr. Nisbet and an old woman -who cooks for him, and with whom I have not exchanged a single word. -Mr. Nisbet informed me that he wanted my assistance in certain -chemical experiments he intended to make in Switzerland, and I -consented to accompany him. It was a sudden proposition, and I had to -make up my mind on the spur of the moment. When I first made his -acquaintance he promised to assist me and set me up in a good way of -business, but after the inquest I lost sight of him, and his promises -were not fulfilled. Coming upon me suddenly a week ago in London, he -said if I would assist him that he would fulfill his old promises. I -would have come with him without this assurance. I was doing no -business in London, and I was in debt; I have always been in debt -everywhere; I am the most unfortunate wretch in existence. Now you -have the truth of it." - -"What were you and Mr. Nisbet doing to-night before you went to bed?" - -"What do you mean?" - -"It is a plain question. You and he were together in this room. You -poured some drops from a vial into a glass. Mr. Nisbet took the glass -from you, dipped his finger into it, and tasted the stuff; then he -threw the contents of the glass out of the window." - -"You know everything," gasped Dr. Cooper, falling back in his chair in -consternation. - -"You are not far out. What were you doing? What was in the vial?" - -"A deadly poison. The drops I poured into the glass would put an end -to a man's life in a few seconds, and it would be next to impossible -to discover the cause of death." - -"An interesting experiment. If it would put an end to a man's life it -would put an end to a woman's. Are you a double-dyed knave, or an -egregious fool? Do you not see the crime your accomplice was -meditating?" - -"I am not his accomplice," cried Dr. Cooper in a violent tone. "He -told me he wanted to try it upon some animals." - -"A likely story. This deadly poison was to be administered to his -stepdaughter. He paved the way by informing the old woman in this -house that the young lady is sinking fast. He is caught in his own -trap. Where is the vial?" - -"Mr. Nisbet has it." - -At this moment I saw confirmed the fancy I had entertained of a -movement in the wall between the bedrooms. A panel was softly and -noiselessly pushed, and Mr. Nisbet's face appeared. It was of an ashen -whiteness; he must have overheard every word of the conversation. As -his eyes met mine he swiftly retreated; the panel closed, and then -came the sound of the snap of a lock. - -"What was that?" cried Rivers, starting up. - -I told him hurriedly what I had seen, and he went to the wall and -examined it. - -"It is a cunning contrivance," he said, "and is hidden somewhere in -these wide headings." He pushed against the wall without effect. "You, -too," he added grimly to Dr. Cooper, "might never have left the house -alive. Let us finish the night's work. You will come out with us. -Leave the door open, and set that chair against it, in case he slips -in here, and tries to make his escape. We will take the law into our -own hands. I never travel without the darbies." - -He took a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, and put them back with a -satisfied smile. - -We joined Ronald and Bob in the passage, and questioned them. Mr. -Nisbet had made no attempt to open his door, but Bob had peeped -through the keyhole a few minutes after he had taken up his station, -being attracted by the glimmering of a light in the room, which he -accepted as a proof that Mr. Nisbet was awake. By means of this light -he had obtained a partial view of the room, but before he could catch -sight of Mr. Nisbet the keyhole was masked from within, and he could -see nothing more. - -"Mr. Nisbet!" Rivers called out as he rapped smartly at the door. - -We listened for an answer, but received none, and Rivers repeated his -summons several times in vain. No movement within the room reached our -ears. We did not make more noise than was absolutely necessary, but it -brought Mme. Bernstein out, to whom Ronald explained what we were -doing, and hoped we were not alarming Beatrice. - -"Oh, no," said Mme. Bernstein, "she is sleeping like an angel." - -Did she know her lover was near her, I thought, and that she was saved -from the dread peril with which she had been threatened? The -mysterious adventure which had led up to the present strange scene in -a foreign land warranted such a thought. Little, indeed, do we know of -the unseen world by which we are surrounded, little do we understand -of the occult influences which direct the most pregnant actions of our -lives. Often during the past twenty-four hours had I looked toward the -ground in the anticipation of seeing the spectral figure which had -prompted every step I had taken in this mystery, but I had seen -nothing of it, and I was tempted to believe, its mission being -accomplished, that it had left me forever. Though a more fitting place -might be found to mention it, I may state here that my impression was -correct. From that day to this, when in my London home I am engaged in -writing the particulars of the mysterious crime which, through the -agency of the supernatural visitation, I was the means of bringing to -light, I have never set eyes on the supernatural apparition. - -I return now to my companions, who, in the silence of Mr. Nisbet, were -debating what it was best to do. If we burst open the door of his -bedroom we should awake Beatrice, and the shock might produce serious -consequences. - -"He may have escaped by the window," suggested Bob. - -Rivers shook his head. "He could not do so without breaking his limbs. -This floor is some distance from the ground, and a dead straight wall -stretches down the back of the house." - -"There may be other panels in the walls of his room opening in other -directions." - -"That is more likely. It is stupid to wait here and do nothing. I have -picked a lock before to-night. Here goes." - -Down he plumped on his knees, and set to work with his own knife and -ours which we handed him. One or another of us held a candle to the -keyhole while he worked. It was a long job and a tough job, and he was -at it for thirty or forty minutes, but he managed it at last. - -"Be prepared for a rush," he said, in a tone of warning, as he slowly -pushed the door open. - -No such experience awaited us. The door was wide open, and we stood -together on the threshold. - -"He has left the candle alight, at all events," said Rivers. "Follow -me, and look out." - -We entered the room close upon each other's heels. - -Leaning back in an armchair by the table was Mr. Nisbet. His eyes were -closed, and we were face to face with the murderer. His features were -perfectly calm and composed. - -"How can he sleep so peacefully at such a moment as this?" whispered -Bob. - -"Yes," said Rivers, stepping forward, "he sleeps peacefully." - -Dr. Cooper also stepped forward, and put his ear to Mr. Nisbet's -mouth, and his hand to his heart. - -"Dead?" asked Rivers. - -"Dead," replied Dr. Cooper. - -Rivers lifted from the carpet an empty vial which had fallen from the -dead man's hand, and held it up to the doctor with a questioning look. -Dr. Cooper nodded. - - - * * * * * * * - - -But little more remains to be told. - -Beatrice was taken back to England, and under medical care recovered -her memory. But she recollects very little of the years she passed in -peril of her life. The chief part of her fortune was saved, and she -and Ronald are married. Barbara is in their service. The poor child -suffered much when the truth was revealed to her, but time healed her -sorrow, and she has a happy home. - -Dr. Cooper disappeared from London, and none of us knew, or cared to -know, what became of him. Ronald provided for Mme. Bernstein. - -My good wife and I live in our old home. We never intend to move. -Nothing in the world could tempt Maria to enter an empty house. -Between ourselves and Mr. and Mrs. Elsdale exists a firm friendship, -and we, seldom without Bob, are frequently together; but we never -refer to the strange incidents which have ended so happily. - - - - THE END. - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Last Tenant, by -B. L. 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