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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4815f9a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54109 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54109) diff --git a/old/54109-0.txt b/old/54109-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7280fb4..0000000 --- a/old/54109-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11648 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Round the Fire Stories, by Arthur Conan Doyle - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Round the Fire Stories - - -Author: Arthur Conan Doyle - - - -Release Date: February 4, 2017 [eBook #54109] -[Last updated: November 10, 2022] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROUND THE FIRE STORIES*** - - -E-text prepared by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustration. - See 54109-h.htm or 54109-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/54109/54109-h/54109-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/54109/54109-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/roundfirestories00doylrich - - -Transcriber’s note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - - - - -[Illustration: - - “I BURST WITH A SHRIEK INTO MY OWN LIFE.” - - [_Page 12._] - - -ROUND THE FIRE STORIES - -by - -ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - -Author of -“The White Company,” etc., etc. - -With a Frontispiece by A. Castaigne - - - - - - -London -Smith, Elder & Co., 15, Waterloo Place -1908 - -(All rights reserved) - -Printed by -William Clowes and Sons, Limited, -London and Beccles. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE - - -[Illustration] - -In a previous volume, “The Green Flag,” I have assembled a number of my -stories which deal with warfare or with sport. In the present collection -those have been brought together which are concerned with the grotesque -and with the terrible—such tales as might well be read “round the fire” -upon a winter’s night. This would be my ideal atmosphere for such -stories, if an author might choose his time and place as an artist does -the light and hanging of his picture. However, if they have the good -fortune to give pleasure to any one, at any time or place, their author -will be very satisfied. - - ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. - - WINDLESHAM, - CROWBOROUGH. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - I. THE LEATHER FUNNEL 1 - - II. THE BEETLE HUNTER 18 - - III. THE MAN WITH THE WATCHES 41 - - IV. THE POT OF CAVIARE 65 - - V. THE JAPANNED BOX 85 - - VI. THE BLACK DOCTOR 103 - - VII. PLAYING WITH FIRE 129 - - VIII. THE JEW’S BREASTPLATE 149 - - IX. THE LOST SPECIAL 177 - - X. THE CLUB-FOOTED GROCER 202 - - XI. THE SEALED ROOM 229 - - XII. THE BRAZILIAN CAT 248 - - XIII. THE USHER OF LEA HOUSE SCHOOL 276 - - XIV. THE BROWN HAND 299 - - XV. THE FIEND OF THE COOPERAGE 321 - - XVI. JELLAND’S VOYAGE 340 - - XVII. B. 24 351 - - - “I BURST WITH A SHRIEK INTO MY OWN LIFE.” _Frontispiece_. - (_From a drawing by A. Castaigne._) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ROUND THE FIRE STORIES - - -[Illustration] - - - - - THE LEATHER FUNNEL - - -My friend, Lionel Dacre, lived in the Avenue de Wagram, Paris. His house -was that small one, with the iron railings and grass plot in front of -it, on the left-hand side as you pass down from the Arc de Triomphe. I -fancy that it had been there long before the avenue was constructed, for -the grey tiles were stained with lichens, and the walls were mildewed -and discoloured with age. It looked a small house from the street, five -windows in front, if I remember right, but it deepened into a single -long chamber at the back. It was here that Dacre had that singular -library of occult literature, and the fantastic curiosities which served -as a hobby for himself, and an amusement for his friends. A wealthy man -of refined and eccentric tastes, he had spent much of his life and -fortune in gathering together what was said to be a unique private -collection of Talmudic, cabalistic, and magical works, many of them of -great rarity and value. His tastes leaned toward the marvellous and the -monstrous, and I have heard that his experiments in the direction of the -unknown have passed all the bounds of civilization and of decorum. To -his English friends he never alluded to such matters, and took the tone -of the student and _virtuoso_; but a Frenchman whose tastes were of the -same nature has assured me that the worst excesses of the black mass -have been perpetrated in that large and lofty hall, which is lined with -the shelves of his books, and the cases of his museum. - -Dacre’s appearance was enough to show that his deep interest in these -psychic matters was intellectual rather than spiritual. There was no -trace of asceticism upon his heavy face, but there was much mental force -in his huge dome-like skull, which curved upward from amongst his -thinning locks, like a snow-peak above its fringe of fir trees. His -knowledge was greater than his wisdom, and his powers were far superior -to his character. The small bright eyes, buried deeply in his fleshy -face, twinkled with intelligence and an unabated curiosity of life, but -they were the eyes of a sensualist and an egotist. Enough of the man, -for he is dead now, poor devil, dead at the very time that he had made -sure that he had at last discovered the elixir of life. It is not with -his complex character that I have to deal, but with the very strange and -inexplicable incident which had its rise in my visit to him in the early -spring of the year ’82. - -I had known Dacre in England, for my researches in the Assyrian Room of -the British Museum had been conducted at the time when he was -endeavouring to establish a mystic and esoteric meaning in the -Babylonian tablets, and this community of interests had brought us -together. Chance remarks had led to daily conversation, and that to -something verging upon friendship. I had promised him that on my next -visit to Paris I would call upon him. At the time when I was able to -fulfil my compact I was living in a cottage at Fontainebleau, and as the -evening trains were inconvenient, he asked me to spend the night in his -house. - -“I have only that one spare couch,” said he, pointing to a broad sofa in -his large salon; “I hope that you will manage to be comfortable there.” - -It was a singular bedroom, with its high walls of brown volumes, but -there could be no more agreeable furniture to a bookworm like myself, -and there is no scent so pleasant to my nostrils as that faint, subtle -reek which comes from an ancient book. I assured him that I could desire -no more charming chamber, and no more congenial surroundings. - -“If the fittings are neither convenient nor conventional, they are at -least costly,” said he, looking round at his shelves. “I have expended -nearly a quarter of a million of money upon these objects which surround -you. Books, weapons, gems, carvings, tapestries, images—there is hardly -a thing here which has not its history, and it is generally one worth -telling.” - -He was seated as he spoke at one side of the open fireplace, and I at -the other. His reading table was on his right, and the strong lamp above -it ringed it with a very vivid circle of golden light. A half-rolled -palimpsest lay in the centre, and around it were many quaint articles of -bric-à-brac. One of these was a large funnel, such as is used for -filling wine casks. It appeared to be made of black wood, and to be -rimmed with discoloured brass. - -“That is a curious thing,” I remarked. “What is the history of that?” - -“Ah!” said he, “it is the very question which I have had occasion to ask -myself. I would give a good deal to know. Take it in your hands and -examine it.” - -I did so, and found that what I had imagined to be wood was in reality -leather, though age had dried it into an extreme hardness. It was a -large funnel, and might hold a quart when full. The brass rim encircled -the wide end, but the narrow was also tipped with metal. - -“What do you make of it?” asked Dacre. - -“I should imagine that it belonged to some vintner or maltster in the -middle ages,” said I. “I have seen in England leathern drinking flagons -of the seventeenth century—‘black jacks’ as they were called—which were -of the same colour and hardness as this filler.” - -“I dare say the date would be about the same,” said Dacre, “and no -doubt, also, it was used for filling a vessel with liquid. If my -suspicions are correct, however, it was a queer vintner who used it, and -a very singular cask which was filled. Do you observe nothing strange at -the spout end of the funnel.” - -As I held it to the light I observed that at a spot some five inches -above the brass tip the narrow neck of the leather funnel was all -haggled and scored, as if some one had notched it round with a blunt -knife. Only at that point was there any roughening of the dead black -surface. - -“Some one has tried to cut off the neck.” - -“Would you call it a cut?” - -“It is torn and lacerated. It must have taken some strength to leave -these marks on such tough material, whatever the instrument may have -been. But what do you think of it? I can tell that you know more than -you say.” - -Dacre smiled, and his little eyes twinkled with knowledge. - -“Have you included the psychology of dreams among your learned studies?” -he asked. - -“I did not even know that there was such a psychology.” - -“My dear sir, that shelf above the gem case is filled with volumes, from -Albertus Magnus onward, which deal with no other subject. It is a -science in itself.” - -“A science of charlatans.” - -“The charlatan is always the pioneer. From the astrologer came the -astronomer, from the alchemist the chemist, from the mesmerist the -experimental psychologist. The quack of yesterday is the professor of -to-morrow. Even such subtle and elusive things as dreams will in time be -reduced to system and order. When that time comes the researches of our -friends in the book-shelf yonder will no longer be the amusement of the -mystic, but the foundations of a science.” - -“Supposing that is so, what has the science of dreams to do with a large -black brass-rimmed funnel?” - -“I will tell you. You know that I have an agent who is always on the -lookout for rarities and curiosities for my collection. Some days ago he -heard of a dealer upon one of the Quais who had acquired some old -rubbish found in a cupboard in an ancient house at the back of the Rue -Mathurin, in the Quartier Latin. The dining-room of this old house is -decorated with a coat of arms, chevrons, and bars rouge upon a field -argent, which prove, upon inquiry, to be the shield of Nicholas de la -Reynie, a high official of King Louis XIV. There can be no doubt that -the other articles in the cupboard date back to the early days of that -king. The inference is, therefore, that they were all the property of -this Nicholas de la Reynie, who was, as I understand, the gentleman -specially concerned with the maintenance and execution of the Draconic -laws of that epoch.” - -“What then?” - -“I would ask you now to take the funnel into your hands once more and to -examine the upper brass rim. Can you make out any lettering upon it?” - -There were certainly some scratches upon it, almost obliterated by time. -The general effect was of several letters, the last of which bore some -resemblance to a B. - -“You make it a B?” - -“Yes, I do.” - -“So do I. In fact, I have no doubt whatever that it is a B.” - -“But the nobleman you mentioned would have had R for his initial.” - -“Exactly! That’s the beauty of it. He owned this curious object, and yet -he had some one else’s initials upon it. Why did he do this?” - -“I can’t imagine; can you?” - -“Well, I might, perhaps, guess. Do you observe something drawn a little -further along the rim?” - -“I should say it was a crown.” - -“It is undoubtedly a crown; but if you examine it in a good light, you -will convince yourself that it is not an ordinary crown. It is a -heraldic crown—a badge of rank, and it consists of an alternation of -four pearls and strawberry leaves, the proper badge of a marquis. We may -infer, therefore, that the person whose initials end in B was entitled -to wear that coronet.” - -“Then this common leather filler belonged to a marquis?” - -Dacre gave a peculiar smile. - -“Or to some member of the family of a marquis,” said he. “So much we -have clearly gathered from this engraved rim.” - -“But what has all this to do with dreams?” I do not know whether it was -from a look upon Dacre’s face, or from some subtle suggestion in his -manner, but a feeling of repulsion, of unreasoning horror, came upon me -as I looked at the gnarled old lump of leather. - -“I have more than once received important information through my -dreams,” said my companion, in the didactic manner which he loved to -affect. “I make it a rule now when I am in doubt upon any material point -to place the article in question beside me as I sleep, and to hope for -some enlightenment. The process does not appear to me to be very -obscure, though it has not yet received the blessing of orthodox -science. According to my theory, any object which has been intimately -associated with any supreme paroxysm of human emotion, whether it be joy -or pain, will retain a certain atmosphere or association which it is -capable of communicating to a sensitive mind. By a sensitive mind I do -not mean an abnormal one, but such a trained and educated mind as you or -I possess.” - -“You mean, for example, that if I slept beside that old sword upon the -wall, I might dream of some bloody incident in which that very sword -took part?” - -“An excellent example, for, as a matter of fact, that sword was used in -that fashion by me, and I saw in my sleep the death of its owner, who -perished in a brisk skirmish, which I have been unable to identify, but -which occurred at the time of the wars of the Frondists. If you think of -it, some of our popular observances show that the fact has already been -recognized by our ancestors, although we, in our wisdom, have classed it -among superstitions.” - -“For example?” - -“Well, the placing of the bride’s cake beneath the pillow in order that -the sleeper may have pleasant dreams. That is one of several instances -which you will find set forth in a small _brochure_ which I am myself -writing upon the subject. But to come back to the point, I slept one -night with this funnel beside me, and I had a dream which certainly -throws a curious light upon its use and origin.” - -“What did you dream?” - -“I dreamed—” He paused, and an intent look of interest came over his -massive face. “By Jove, that’s well thought of,” said he. “This really -will be an exceedingly interesting experiment. You are yourself a -psychic subject—with nerves which respond readily to any impression.” - -“I have never tested myself in that direction.” - -“Then we shall test you to-night. Might I ask you as a very great -favour, when you occupy that couch to-night, to sleep with this old -funnel placed by the side of your pillow?” - -The request seemed to me a grotesque one; but I have myself, in my -complex nature, a hunger after all which is bizarre and fantastic. I had -not the faintest belief in Dacre’s theory, nor any hopes for success in -such an experiment; yet it amused me that the experiment should be made. -Dacre, with great gravity, drew a small stand to the head of my settee, -and placed the funnel upon it. Then, after a short conversation, he -wished me good-night and left me. - - * * * * * - -I sat for some little time smoking by the smouldering fire, and turning -over in my mind the curious incident which had occurred, and the strange -experience which might lie before me. Sceptical as I was, there was -something impressive in the assurance of Dacre’s manner, and my -extraordinary surroundings, the huge room with the strange and often -sinister objects which were hung round it, struck solemnity into my -soul. Finally I undressed, and, turning out the lamp, I lay down. After -long tossing I fell asleep. Let me try to describe as accurately as I -can the scene which came to me in my dreams. It stands out now in my -memory more clearly than anything which I have seen with my waking eyes. - -There was a room which bore the appearance of a vault. Four spandrels -from the corners ran up to join a sharp cup-shaped roof. The -architecture was rough, but very strong. It was evidently part of a -great building. - -Three men in black, with curious top-heavy black velvet hats, sat in a -line upon a red-carpeted dais. Their faces were very solemn and sad. On -the left stood two long-gowned men with portfolios in their hands, which -seemed to be stuffed with papers. Upon the right, looking toward me, was -a small woman with blonde hair and singular light-blue eyes—the eyes of -a child. She was past her first youth, but could not yet be called -middle-aged. Her figure was inclined to stoutness, and her bearing was -proud and confident. Her face was pale, but serene. It was a curious -face, comely and yet feline, with a subtle suggestion of cruelty about -the straight, strong little mouth and chubby jaw. She was draped in some -sort of loose white gown. Beside her stood a thin, eager priest, who -whispered in her ear, and continually raised a crucifix before her eyes. -She turned her head and looked fixedly past the crucifix at the three -men in black, who were, I felt, her judges. - -As I gazed the three men stood up and said something, but I could -distinguish no words, though I was aware that it was the central one who -was speaking. They then swept out of the room, followed by the two men -with the papers. At the same instant several rough-looking fellows in -stout jerkins came bustling in and removed first the red carpet, and -then the boards which formed the dais, so as to entirely clear the room. -When this screen was removed I saw some singular articles of furniture -behind it. One looked like a bed with wooden rollers at each end, and a -winch handle to regulate its length. Another was a wooden horse. There -were several other curious objects, and a number of swinging cords which -played over pulleys. It was not unlike a modern gymnasium. - -When the room had been cleared there appeared a new figure upon the -scene. This was a tall thin person clad in black, with a gaunt and -austere face. The aspect of the man made me shudder. His clothes were -all shining with grease and mottled with stains. He bore himself with a -slow and impressive dignity, as if he took command of all things from -the instant of his entrance. In spite of his rude appearance and sordid -dress, it was now _his_ business, _his_ room, his to command. He carried -a coil of light ropes over his left fore-arm. The lady looked him up and -down with a searching glance, but her expression was unchanged. It was -confident—even defiant. But it was very different with the priest. His -face was ghastly white, and I saw the moisture glisten and run on his -high, sloping forehead. He threw up his hands in prayer, and he stooped -continually to mutter frantic words in the lady’s ear. - -The man in black now advanced, and taking one of the cords from his left -arm, he bound the woman’s hands together. She held them meekly toward -him as he did so. Then he took her arm with a rough grip and led her -toward the wooden horse, which was little higher than her waist. On to -this she was lifted and laid, with her back upon it, and her face to the -ceiling, while the priest, quivering with horror, had rushed out of the -room. The woman’s lips were moving rapidly, and though I could hear -nothing, I knew that she was praying. Her feet hung down on either side -of the horse, and I saw that the rough varlets in attendance had -fastened cords to her ankles and secured the other ends to iron rings in -the stone floor. - -My heart sank within me as I saw these ominous preparations, and yet I -was held by the fascination of horror, and I could not take my eyes from -the strange spectacle. A man had entered the room with a bucket of water -in either hand. Another followed with a third bucket. They were laid -beside the wooden horse. The second man had a wooden dipper—a bowl with -a straight handle—in his other hand. This he gave to the man in black. -At the same moment one of the varlets approached with a dark object in -his hand, which even in my dream filled me with a vague feeling of -familiarity. It was a leathern filler. With horrible energy he thrust -it—but I could stand no more. My hair stood on end with horror. I -writhed, I struggled, I broke through the bonds of sleep, and I burst -with a shriek into my own life, and found myself lying shivering with -terror in the huge library, with the moonlight flooding through the -window and throwing strange silver and black traceries upon the opposite -wall. Oh, what a blessed relief to feel that I was back in the -nineteenth century—back out of that medieval vault into a world where -men had human hearts within their bosoms. I sat up on my couch, -trembling in every limb, my mind divided between thankfulness and -horror. To think that such things were ever done—that they _could_ be -done without God striking the villains dead. Was it all a fantasy, or -did it really stand for something which had happened in the black, cruel -days of the world’s history? I sank my throbbing head upon my shaking -hands. And then, suddenly, my heart seemed to stand still in my bosom, -and I could not even scream, so great was my terror. Something was -advancing toward me through the darkness of the room. - -It is a horror coming upon a horror which breaks a man’s spirit. I could -not reason, I could not pray; I could only sit like a frozen image, and -glare at the dark figure which was coming down the great room. And then -it moved out into the white lane of moonlight, and I breathed once more. -It was Dacre, and his face showed that he was as frightened as myself. - -“Was that you? For God’s sake what’s the matter?” he asked in a husky -voice. - -“Oh, Dacre, I am glad to see you! I have been down into hell. It was -dreadful.” - -“Then it was you who screamed?” - -“I dare say it was.” - -“It rang through the house. The servants are all terrified.” He struck a -match and lit the lamp. “I think we may get the fire to burn up again,” -he added, throwing some logs upon the embers. “Good God, my dear chap, -how white you are! You look as if you had seen a ghost.” - -“So I have—several ghosts.” - -“The leather funnel has acted, then?” - -“I wouldn’t sleep near the infernal thing again for all the money you -could offer me.” - -Dacre chuckled. - -“I expected that you would have a lively night of it,” said he. “You -took it out of me in return, for that scream of yours wasn’t a very -pleasant sound at two in the morning. I suppose from what you say that -you have seen the whole dreadful business.” - -“What dreadful business?” - -“The torture of the water—the ‘Extraordinary Question,’ as it was called -in the genial days of ‘Le Roi Soleil.’ Did you stand it out to the end?” - -“No, thank God, I awoke before it really began.” - -“Ah! it is just as well for you. I held out till the third bucket. Well, -it is an old story, and they are all in their graves now anyhow, so what -does it matter how they got there. I suppose that you have no idea what -it was that you have seen?” - -“The torture of some criminal. She must have been a terrible malefactor -indeed if her crimes are in proportion to her penalty.” - -“Well, we have that small consolation,” said Dacre, wrapping his -dressing-gown round him and crouching closer to the fire. “They _were_ -in proportion to her penalty. That is to say, if I am correct in the -lady’s identity.” - -“How could you possibly know her identity?” - -For answer Dacre took down an old vellum-covered volume from the shelf. - -“Just listen to this,” said he; “it is in the French of the seventeenth -century, but I will give a rough translation as I go. You will judge for -yourself whether I have solved the riddle or not. - - “The prisoner was brought before the Grand Chambers and Tournelles - of Parliament, sitting as a court of justice, charged with the - murder of Master Dreux d’Aubray, her father, and of her two - brothers, MM. d’Aubray, one being civil lieutenant, and the other - a counsellor of Parliament. In person it seemed hard to believe - that she had really done such wicked deeds, for she was of a mild - appearance, and of short stature, with a fair skin and blue eyes. - Yet the Court, having found her guilty, condemned her to the - ordinary and to the extraordinary question in order that she might - be forced to name her accomplices, after which she should be - carried in a cart to the Place de Grève, there to have her head - cut off, her body being afterwards burned and her ashes scattered - to the winds.” - -The date of this entry is July 16, 1676.” - -“It is interesting,” said I, “but not convincing. How do you prove the -two women to be the same?” - -“I am coming to that. The narrative goes on to tell of the woman’s -behaviour when questioned. ‘When the executioner approached her she -recognized him by the cords which he held in his hands, and she at once -held out her own hands to him, looking at him from head to foot without -uttering a word.’ How’s that?” - -“Yes, it was so.” - -“‘She gazed without wincing upon the wooden horse and rings which had -twisted so many limbs and caused so many shrieks of agony. When her eyes -fell upon the three pails of water, which were all ready for her, she -said with a smile, “All that water must have been brought here for the -purpose of drowning me, Monsieur. You have no idea, I trust, of making a -person of my small stature swallow it all.”’ Shall I read the details of -the torture?” - -“No, for Heaven’s sake, don’t.” - -“Here is a sentence which must surely show you that what is here -recorded is the very scene which you have gazed upon to-night: ‘The good -Abbé Pirot, unable to contemplate the agonies which were suffered by his -penitent, had hurried from the room.’ Does that convince you?” - -“It does entirely. There can be no question that it is indeed the same -event. But who, then, is this lady whose appearance was so attractive -and whose end was so horrible?” - -For answer Dacre came across to me, and placed the small lamp upon the -table which stood by my bed. Lifting up the ill-omened filler, he turned -the brass rim so that the light fell full upon it. Seen in this way the -engraving seemed clearer than on the night before. - -“We have already agreed that this is the badge of a marquis or of a -marquise,” said he. “We have also settled that the last letter is B.” - -“It is undoubtedly so.” - -“I now suggest to you that the other letters from left to right are, M, -M, a small d, A, a small d, and then the final B.” - -“Yes, I am sure that you are right. I can make out the two small d’s -quite plainly.” - -“What I have read to you to-night,” said Dacre, “is the official record -of the trial of Marie Madeleine d’Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers, one -of the most famous poisoners and murderers of all time.” - -I sat in silence, overwhelmed at the extraordinary nature of the -incident, and at the completeness of the proof with which Dacre had -exposed its real meaning. In a vague way I remembered some details of -the woman’s career, her unbridled debauchery, the coldblooded and -protracted torture of her sick father, the murder of her brothers for -motives of petty gain. I recollected also that the bravery of her end -had done something to atone for the horror of her life, and that all -Paris had sympathized with her last moments, and blessed her as a martyr -within a few days of the time when they had cursed her as a murderess. -One objection, and one only, occurred to my mind. - -“How came her initials and her badge of rank upon the filler? Surely -they did not carry their medieval homage to the nobility to the point of -decorating instruments of torture with their titles?” - -“I was puzzled with the same point,” said Dacre, “but it admits of a -simple explanation. The case excited extraordinary interest at the time, -and nothing could be more natural than that La Reynie, the head of the -police, should retain this filler as a grim souvenir. It was not often -that a marchioness of France underwent the extraordinary question. That -he should engrave her initials upon it for the information of others was -surely a very ordinary proceeding upon his part.” - -“And this?” I asked, pointing to the marks upon the leathern neck. - -“She was a cruel tigress,” said Dacre, as he turned away. “I think it is -evident that like other tigresses her teeth were both strong and sharp.” - - - - - THE BEETLE-HUNTER - - -A curious experience? said the Doctor. Yes, my friends, I have had one -very curious experience. I never expect to have another, for it is -against all doctrines of chances that two such events would befall any -one man in a single lifetime. You may believe me or not, but the thing -happened exactly as I tell it. - -I had just become a medical man, but I had not started in practice, and -I lived in rooms in Gower Street. The street has been renumbered since -then, but it was in the only house which has a bow-window, upon the -left-hand side as you go down from the Metropolitan Station. A widow -named Murchison kept the house at that time, and she had three medical -students and one engineer as lodgers. I occupied the top room, which was -the cheapest, but cheap as it was it was more than I could afford. My -small resources were dwindling away, and every week it became more -necessary that I should find something to do. Yet I was very unwilling -to go into general practice, for my tastes were all in the direction of -science, and especially of zoology, towards which I had always a strong -leaning. I had almost given the fight up and resigned myself to being a -medical drudge for life, when the turning-point of my struggles came in -a very extraordinary way. - -One morning I had picked up the _Standard_ and was glancing over its -contents. There was a complete absence of news, and I was about to toss -the paper down again, when my eyes were caught by an advertisement at -the head of the personal column. It was worded in this way:— - - Wanted for one or more days the services of a medical man. It - is essential that he should be a man of strong physique, of - steady nerves, and of a resolute nature. Must be an - entomologist—coleopterist preferred. Apply, in person, at 77B, - Brook Street. Application must be made before twelve o’clock - to-day. - -Now, I have already said that I was devoted to zoology. Of all branches -of zoology, the study of insects was the most attractive to me, and of -all insects beetles were the species with which I was most familiar. -Butterfly collectors are numerous, but beetles are far more varied, and -more accessible in these islands than are butterflies. It was this fact -which had attracted my attention to them, and I had myself made a -collection which numbered some hundred varieties. As to the other -requisites of the advertisement, I knew that my nerves could be depended -upon, and I had won the weight-throwing competition at the -inter-hospital sports. Clearly, I was the very man for the vacancy. -Within five minutes of my having read the advertisement I was in a cab -and on my way to Brook Street. - -As I drove, I kept turning the matter over in my head and trying to make -a guess as to what sort of employment it could be which needed such -curious qualifications. A strong physique, a resolute nature, a medical -training, and a knowledge of beetles—what connection could there be -between these various requisites? And then there was the disheartening -fact that the situation was not a permanent one, but terminable from day -to day, according to the terms of the advertisement. The more I pondered -over it the more unintelligible did it become; but at the end of my -meditations I always came back to the ground fact that, come what might, -I had nothing to lose, that I was completely at the end of my resources, -and that I was ready for any adventure, however desperate, which would -put a few honest sovereigns into my pocket. The man fears to fail who -has to pay for his failure, but there was no penalty which Fortune could -exact from me. I was like the gambler with empty pockets, who is still -allowed to try his luck with the others. - -No. 77B, Brook Street, was one of those dingy and yet imposing houses, -dun-coloured and flat-faced, with the intensely respectable and solid -air which marks the Georgian builder. As I alighted from the cab, a -young man came out of the door and walked swiftly down the street. In -passing me, I noticed that he cast an inquisitive and somewhat -malevolent glance at me, and I took the incident as a good omen, for his -appearance was that of a rejected candidate, and if he resented my -application it meant that the vacancy was not yet filled up. Full of -hope, I ascended the broad steps and rapped with the heavy knocker. - -A footman in powder and livery opened the door. Clearly I was in touch -with people of wealth and fashion. - -“Yes, sir?” said the footman. - -“I came in answer to——” - -“Quite so, sir,” said the footman. “Lord Linchmere will see you at once -in the library.” - -Lord Linchmere! I had vaguely heard the name, but could not for the -instant recall anything about him. Following the footman, I was shown -into a large, book-lined room in which there was seated behind a -writing-desk a small man with a pleasant, clean-shaven, mobile face, and -long hair shot with grey, brushed back from his forehead. He looked me -up and down with a very shrewd, penetrating glance, holding the card -which the footman had given him in his right hand. Then he smiled -pleasantly, and I felt that externally at any rate I possessed the -qualifications which he desired. - -“You have come in answer to my advertisement, Dr. Hamilton?” he asked. - -“Yes, sir.” - -“Do you fulfil the conditions which are there laid down?” - -“I believe that I do.” - -“You are a powerful man, or so I should judge from your appearance.” - -“I think that I am fairly strong.” - -“And resolute?” - -“I believe so.” - -“Have you ever known what it was to be exposed to imminent danger?” - -“No, I don’t know that I ever have.” - -“But you think you would be prompt and cool at such a time?” - -“I hope so.” - -“Well, I believe that you would. I have the more confidence in you -because you do not pretend to be certain as to what you would do in a -position that was new to you. My impression is that, so far as personal -qualities go, you are the very man of whom I am in search. That being -settled, we may pass on to the next point.” - -“Which is?” - -“To talk to me about beetles.” - -I looked across to see if he was joking, but, on the contrary, he was -leaning eagerly forward across his desk, and there was an expression of -something like anxiety in his eyes. - -“I am afraid that you do not know about beetles,” he cried. - -“On the contrary, sir, it is the one scientific subject about which I -feel that I really do know something.” - -“I am overjoyed to hear it. Please talk to me about beetles.” - -I talked. I do not profess to have said anything original upon the -subject, but I gave a short sketch of the characteristics of the beetle, -and ran over the more common species, with some allusions to the -specimens in my own little collection and to the article upon “Burying -Beetles” which I had contributed to the _Journal of Entomological -Science_. - -“What! not a collector?” cried Lord Linchmere. “You don’t mean that you -are yourself a collector?” His eyes danced with pleasure at the thought. - -“You are certainly the very man in London for my purpose. I thought that -among five millions of people there must be such a man, but the -difficulty is to lay one’s hands upon him. I have been extraordinarily -fortunate in finding you.” - -He rang a gong upon the table, and the footman entered. - -“Ask Lady Rossiter to have the goodness to step this way,” said his -lordship, and a few moments later the lady was ushered into the room. -She was a small, middle-aged woman, very like Lord Linchmere in -appearance, with the same quick, alert features and grey-black hair. The -expression of anxiety, however, which I had observed upon his face was -very much more marked upon hers. Some great grief seemed to have cast -its shadow over her features. As Lord Linchmere presented me she turned -her face full upon me, and I was shocked to observe a half-healed scar -extending for two inches over her right eyebrow. It was partly concealed -by plaster, but none the less I could see that it had been a serious -wound and not long inflicted. - -“Dr. Hamilton is the very man for our purpose, Evelyn,” said Lord -Linchmere. “He is actually a collector of beetles, and he has written -articles upon the subject.” - -“Really!” said Lady Rossiter. “Then you must have heard of my husband. -Every one who knows anything about beetles must have heard of Sir Thomas -Rossiter.” - -For the first time a thin little ray of light began to break into the -obscure business. Here, at last, was a connection between these people -and beetles. Sir Thomas Rossiter—he was the greatest authority upon the -subject in the world. He had made it his life-long study, and had -written a most exhaustive work upon it. I hastened to assure her that I -had read and appreciated it. - -“Have you met my husband?” she asked. - -“No, I have not.” - -“But you shall,” said Lord Linchmere, with decision. - -The lady was standing beside the desk, and she put her hand upon his -shoulder. It was obvious to me as I saw their faces together that they -were brother and sister. - -“Are you really prepared for this, Charles? It is noble of you, but you -fill me with fears.” Her voice quavered with apprehension, and he -appeared to me to be equally moved, though he was making strong efforts -to conceal his agitation. - -“Yes, yes, dear; it is all settled, it is all decided; in fact, there is -no other possible way, that I can see.” - -“There is one obvious way.” - -“No, no, Evelyn, I shall never abandon you—never. It will come -right—depend upon it; it will come right, and surely it looks like the -interference of Providence that so perfect an instrument should be put -into our hands.” - -My position was embarrassing, for I felt that for the instant they had -forgotten my presence. But Lord Linchmere came back suddenly to me and -to my engagement. - -“The business for which I want you, Dr. Hamilton, is that you should put -yourself absolutely at my disposal. I wish you to come for a short -journey with me, to remain always at my side, and to promise to do -without question whatever I may ask you, however unreasonable it may -appear to you to be.” - -“That is a good deal to ask,” said I. - -“Unfortunately I cannot put it more plainly, for I do not myself know -what turn matters may take. You may be sure, however, that you will not -be asked to do anything which your conscience does not approve; and I -promise you that, when all is over, you will be proud to have been -concerned in so good a work.” - -“If it ends happily,” said the lady. - -“Exactly; if it ends happily,” his lordship repeated. - -“And terms?” I asked. - -“Twenty pounds a day.” - -I was amazed at the sum, and must have showed my surprise upon my -features. - -“It is a rare combination of qualities, as must have struck you when you -first read the advertisement,” said Lord Linchmere; “such varied gifts -may well command a high return, and I do not conceal from you that your -duties might be arduous or even dangerous. Besides, it is possible that -one or two days may bring the matter to an end.” - -“Please God!” sighed his sister. - -“So now, Dr. Hamilton, may I rely upon your aid?” - -“Most undoubtedly,” said I. “You have only to tell me what my duties -are.” - -“Your first duty will be to return to your home. You will pack up -whatever you may need for a short visit to the country. We start -together from Paddington Station at 3.40 this afternoon.” - -“Do we go far?” - -“As far as Pangbourne. Meet me at the bookstall at 3.30. I shall have -the tickets. Good-bye, Dr. Hamilton! And, by the way, there are two -things which I should be very glad if you would bring with you, in case -you have them. One is your case for collecting beetles, and the other is -a stick, and the thicker and heavier the better.” - - * * * * * - -You may imagine that I had plenty to think of from the time that I left -Brook Street until I set out to meet Lord Linchmere at Paddington. The -whole fantastic business kept arranging and re-arranging itself in -kaleidoscopic forms inside my brain, until I had thought out a dozen -explanations, each of them more grotesquely improbable than the last. -And yet I felt that the truth must be something grotesquely improbable -also. At last I gave up all attempts at finding a solution, and -contented myself with exactly carrying out the instructions which I had -received. With a hand valise, specimen-case, and a loaded cane, I was -waiting at the Paddington bookstall when Lord Linchmere arrived. He was -an even smaller man than I had thought—frail and peaky, with a manner -which was more nervous than it had been in the morning. He wore a long, -thick travelling ulster, and I observed that he carried a heavy -blackthorn cudgel in his hand. - -“I have the tickets,” said he, leading the way up the platform. “This is -our train. I have engaged a carriage, for I am particularly anxious to -impress one or two things upon you while we travel down.” - -And yet all that he had to impress upon me might have been said in a -sentence, for it was that I was to remember that I was there as a -protection to himself, and that I was not on any consideration to leave -him for an instant. This he repeated again and again as our journey drew -to a close, with an insistence which showed that his nerves were -thoroughly shaken. - -“Yes,” he said at last, in answer to my looks rather than to my words, -“I _am_ nervous, Dr. Hamilton. I have always been a timid man, and my -timidity depends upon my frail physical health. But my soul is firm, and -I can bring myself up to face a danger which a less nervous man might -shrink from. What I am doing now is done from no compulsion, but -entirely from a sense of duty, and yet it is, beyond doubt, a desperate -risk. If things should go wrong, I will have some claims to the title of -martyr.” - -This eternal reading of riddles was too much for me. I felt that I must -put a term to it. - -“I think it would be very much better, sir, if you were to trust me -entirely,” said I. “It is impossible for me to act effectively, when I -do not know what are the objects which we have in view, or even where we -are going.” - -“Oh, as to where we are going, there need be no mystery about that,” -said he; “we are going to Delamere Court, the residence of Sir Thomas -Rossiter, with whose work you are so conversant. As to the exact object -of our visit, I do not know that at this stage of the proceedings -anything would be gained, Dr. Hamilton, by my taking you into my -complete confidence. I may tell you that we are acting—I say ‘we,’ -because my sister, Lady Rossiter, takes the same view as myself—with the -one object of preventing anything in the nature of a family scandal. -That being so, you can understand that I am loth to give any -explanations which are not absolutely necessary. It would be a different -matter, Dr. Hamilton, if I were asking your advice. As matters stand, it -is only your active help which I need, and I will indicate to you from -time to time how you can best give it.” - -There was nothing more to be said, and a poor man can put up with a good -deal for twenty pounds a day, but I felt none the less that Lord -Linchmere was acting rather scurvily towards me. He wished to convert me -into a passive tool, like the blackthorn in his hand. With his sensitive -disposition I could imagine, however, that scandal would be abhorrent to -him, and I realized that he would not take me into his confidence until -no other course was open to him. I must trust to my own eyes and ears to -solve the mystery, but I had every confidence that I should not trust to -them in vain. - -Delamere Court lies a good five miles from Pangbourne Station, and we -drove for that distance in an open fly. Lord Linchmere sat in deep -thought during the time, and he never opened his mouth until we were -close to our destination. When he did speak it was to give me a piece of -information which surprised me. - -“Perhaps you are not aware,” said he, “that I am a medical man like -yourself?” - -“No, sir, I did not know it.” - -“Yes, I qualified in my younger days, when there were several lives -between me and the peerage. I have not had occasion to practise, but I -have found it a useful education, all the same. I never regretted the -years which I devoted to medical study. These are the gates of Delamere -Court.” - -We had come to two high pillars crowned with heraldic monsters which -flanked the opening of a winding avenue. Over the laurel bushes and -rhododendrons I could see a long, many-gabled mansion, girdled with ivy, -and toned to the warm, cheery, mellow glow of old brick-work. My eyes -were still fixed in admiration upon this delightful house when my -companion plucked nervously at my sleeve. - -“Here’s Sir Thomas,” he whispered. “Please talk beetle all you can.” - -A tall, thin figure, curiously angular and bony, had emerged through a -gap in the hedge of laurels. In his hand he held a spud, and he wore -gauntleted gardener’s gloves. A broad-brimmed, grey hat cast his face -into shadow, but it struck me as exceedingly austere, with an -ill-nourished beard and harsh, irregular features. The fly pulled up and -Lord Linchmere sprang out. - -“My dear Thomas, how are you?” said he, heartily. - -But the heartiness was by no means reciprocal. The owner of the grounds -glared at me over his brother-in-law’s shoulder, and I caught broken -scraps of sentences—“well-known wishes ... hatred of strangers ... -unjustifiable intrusion ... perfectly inexcusable.” Then there was a -muttered explanation, and the two of them came over together to the side -of the fly. - -“Let me present you to Sir Thomas Rossiter, Dr. Hamilton,” said Lord -Linchmere. “You will find that you have a strong community of tastes.” - -I bowed. Sir Thomas stood very stiffly, looking at me severely from -under the broad brim of his hat. - -“Lord Linchmere tells me that you know something about beetles,” said -he. “What do you know about beetles?” - -“I know what I have learned from your work upon the coleoptera, Sir -Thomas,” I answered. - -“Give me the names of the better-known species of the British scarabæi,” -said he. - -I had not expected an examination, but fortunately I was ready for one. -My answers seemed to please him, for his stern features relaxed. - -“You appear to have read my book with some profit, sir,” said he. “It is -a rare thing for me to meet any one who takes an intelligent interest in -such matters. People can find time for such trivialities as sport or -society, and yet the beetles are overlooked. I can assure you that the -greater part of the idiots in this part of the country are unaware that -I have ever written a book at all—I, the first man who ever described -the true function of the elytra. I am glad to see you, sir, and I have -no doubt that I can show you some specimens which will interest you.” He -stepped into the fly and drove up with us to the house, expounding to me -as we went some recent researches which he had made into the anatomy of -the lady-bird. - -I have said that Sir Thomas Rossiter wore a large hat drawn down over -his brows. As he entered the hall he uncovered himself, and I was at -once aware of a singular characteristic which the hat had concealed. His -forehead, which was naturally high, and higher still on account of -receding hair, was in a continual state of movement. Some nervous -weakness kept the muscles in a constant spasm, which sometimes produced -a mere twitching and sometimes a curious rotary movement unlike anything -which I had ever seen before. It was strikingly visible as he turned -towards us after entering the study, and seemed the more singular from -the contrast with the hard, steady grey eyes which looked out from -underneath those palpitating brows. - -“I am sorry,” said he, “that Lady Rossiter is not here to help me to -welcome you. By the way, Charles, did Evelyn say anything about the date -of her return?” - -“She wished to stay in town for a few more days,” said Lord Linchmere. -“You know how ladies’ social duties accumulate if they have been for -some time in the country. My sister has many old friends in London at -present.” - -“Well, she is her own mistress, and I should not wish to alter her -plans, but I shall be glad when I see her again. It is very lonely here -without her company.” - -“I was afraid that you might find it so, and that was partly why I ran -down. My young friend, Dr. Hamilton, is so much interested in the -subject which you have made your own, that I thought you would not mind -his accompanying me.” - -“I lead a retired life, Dr. Hamilton, and my aversion to strangers grows -upon me,” said our host. “I have sometimes thought that my nerves are -not so good as they were. My travels in search of beetles in my younger -days took me into many malarious and unhealthy places. But a brother -coleopterist like yourself is always a welcome guest, and I shall be -delighted if you will look over my collection, which I think that I may -without exaggeration describe as the best in Europe.” - -And so no doubt it was. He had a huge oaken cabinet arranged in shallow -drawers, and here, neatly ticketed and classified, were beetles from -every corner of the earth, black, brown, blue, green, and mottled. Every -now and then as he swept his hand over the lines and lines of impaled -insects he would catch up some rare specimen, and, handling it with as -much delicacy and reverence as if it were a precious relic, he would -hold forth upon its peculiarities and the circumstances under which it -came into his possession. It was evidently an unusual thing for him to -meet with a sympathetic listener, and he talked and talked until the -spring evening had deepened into night, and the gong announced that it -was time to dress for dinner. All the time Lord Linchmere said nothing, -but he stood at his brother-in-law’s elbow, and I caught him continually -shooting curious little, questioning glances into his face. And his own -features expressed some strong emotion, apprehension, sympathy, -expectation: I seemed to read them all. I was sure that Lord Linchmere -was fearing something and awaiting something, but what that something -might be I could not imagine. - -The evening passed quietly but pleasantly, and I should have been -entirely at my ease if it had not been for that continual sense of -tension upon the part of Lord Linchmere. As to our host, I found that he -improved upon acquaintance. He spoke constantly with affection of his -absent wife, and also of his little son, who had recently been sent to -school. The house, he said, was not the same without them. If it were -not for his scientific studies, he did not know how he could get through -the days. After dinner we smoked for some time in the billiard-room, and -finally went early to bed. - -And then it was that, for the first time, the suspicion that Lord -Linchmere was a lunatic crossed my mind. He followed me into my bedroom, -when our host had retired. - -“Doctor,” said he, speaking in a low, hurried voice, “you must come with -me. You must spend the night in my bedroom.” - -“What do you mean?” - -“I prefer not to explain. But this is part of your duties. My room is -close by, and you can return to your own before the servant calls you in -the morning.” - -“But why?” I asked. - -“Because I am nervous of being alone,” said he. “That’s the reason, -since you must have a reason.” - -It seemed rank lunacy, but the argument of those twenty pounds would -overcome many objections. I followed him to his room. - -“Well,” said I, “there’s only room for one in that bed.” - -“Only one shall occupy it,” said he. - -“And the other?” - -“Must remain, on watch.” - -“Why?” said I. “One would think you expected to be attacked.” - -“Perhaps I do.” - -“In that case, why not lock your door?” - -“Perhaps I _want_ to be attacked.” - -It looked more and more like lunacy. However, there was nothing for it -but to submit. I shrugged my shoulders and sat down in the arm-chair -beside the empty fireplace. - -“I am to remain on watch, then?” said I, ruefully. - -“We will divide the night. If you will watch until two, I will watch the -remainder.” - -“Very good.” - -“Call me at two o’clock, then.” - -“I will do so.” - -“Keep your ears open, and if you hear any sounds wake me -instantly—instantly, you hear?” - -“You can rely upon it.” I tried to look as solemn as he did. - -“And for God’s sake don’t go to sleep,” said he, and so, taking off only -his coat, he threw the coverlet over him and settled down for the night. - -It was a melancholy vigil, and made more so by my own sense of its -folly. Supposing that by any chance Lord Linchmere had cause to suspect -that he was subject to danger in the house of Sir Thomas Rossiter, why -on earth could he not lock his door and so protect himself? His own -answer that he might wish to be attacked was absurd. Why should he -possibly wish to be attacked? And who would wish to attack him? Clearly, -Lord Linchmere was suffering from some singular delusion, and the result -was that on an imbecile pretext I was to be deprived of my night’s rest. -Still, however absurd, I was determined to carry out his injunctions to -the letter as long as I was in his employment. I sat therefore beside -the empty fireplace, and listened to a sonorous chiming clock somewhere -down the passage, which gurgled and struck every quarter of an hour. It -was an endless vigil. Save for that single clock, an absolute silence -reigned throughout the great house. A small lamp stood on the table at -my elbow, throwing a circle of light round my chair, but leaving the -corners of the room draped in shadow. On the bed Lord Linchmere was -breathing peacefully. I envied him his quiet sleep, and again and again -my own eyelids drooped, but every time my sense of duty came to my help, -and I sat up, rubbing my eyes and pinching myself with a determination -to see my irrational watch to an end. - -And I did so. From down the passage came the chimes of two o’clock, and -I laid my hand upon the shoulder of the sleeper. Instantly he was -sitting up, with an expression of the keenest interest upon his face. - -“You have heard something?” - -“No, sir. It is two o’clock.” - -“Very good. I will watch. You can go to sleep.” I lay down under the -coverlet as he had done, and was soon unconscious. My last recollection -was of that circle of lamplight, and of the small, hunched-up figure and -strained, anxious face of Lord Linchmere in the centre of it. - -How long I slept I do not know; but I was suddenly aroused by a sharp -tug at my sleeve. The room was in darkness, but a hot smell of oil told -me that the lamp had only that instant been extinguished. - -“Quick! Quick!” said Lord Linchmere’s voice in my ear. - -I sprang out of bed, he still dragging at my arm. - -“Over here!” he whispered, and pulled me into a corner of the room. -“Hush! Listen!” - -In the silence of the night I could distinctly hear that someone was -coming down the corridor. It was a stealthy step, faint and -intermittent, as of a man who paused cautiously after every stride. -Sometimes for half a minute there was no sound, and then came the -shuffle and creak which told of a fresh advance. My companion was -trembling with excitement. His hand which still held my sleeve twitched -like a branch in the wind. - -“What is it?” I whispered. - -“It’s he!” - -“Sir Thomas?” - -“Yes.” - -“What does he want?” - -“Hush! Do nothing until I tell you.” - -I was conscious now that someone was trying the door. There was the -faintest little rattle from the handle, and then I dimly saw a thin slit -of subdued light. There was a lamp burning somewhere far down the -passage, and it just sufficed to make the outside visible from the -darkness of our room. The greyish slit grew broader and broader, very -gradually, very gently, and then outlined against it I saw the dark -figure of a man. He was squat and crouching, with the silhouette of a -bulky and misshapen dwarf. Slowly the door swung open with this ominous -shape framed in the centre of it. And then, in an instant the crouching -figure shot up, there was a tiger spring across the room, and thud, -thud, thud, came three tremendous blows from some heavy object upon the -bed. - -I was so paralyzed with amazement that I stood motionless and staring -until I was aroused by a yell for help from my companion. The open door -shed enough light for me to see the outline of things, and there was -little Lord Linchmere with his arms round the neck of his -brother-in-law, holding bravely on to him like a game bull-terrier with -its teeth into a gaunt deerhound. The tall, bony man dashed himself -about, writhing round and round to get a grip upon his assailant; but -the other, clutching on from behind, still kept his hold, though his -shrill, frightened cries showed how unequal he felt the contest to be. I -sprang to the rescue, and the two of us managed to throw Sir Thomas to -the ground, though he made his teeth meet in my shoulder. With all my -youth and weight and strength, it was a desperate struggle before we -could master his frenzied struggles; but at last we secured his arms -with the waist-cord of the dressing-gown which he was wearing. I was -holding his legs while Lord Linchmere was endeavouring to relight the -lamp, when there came the pattering of many feet in the passage, and the -butler and two footmen, who had been alarmed by the cries, rushed into -the room. With their aid we had no further difficulty in securing our -prisoner, who lay foaming and glaring upon the ground. One glance at his -face was enough to prove that he was a dangerous maniac, while the -short, heavy hammer which lay beside the bed showed how murderous had -been his intentions. - -“Do not use any violence!” said Lord Linchmere, as we raised the -struggling man to his feet. “He will have a period of stupor after this -excitement. I believe that it is coming on already.” As he spoke the -convulsions became less violent, and the madman’s head fell forward upon -his breast, as if he were overcome by sleep. We led him down the passage -and stretched him upon his own bed, where he lay unconscious, breathing -heavily. - -“Two of you will watch him,” said Lord Linchmere. “And now, Dr. -Hamilton, if you will return with me to my room, I will give you the -explanation which my horror of scandal has perhaps caused me to delay -too long. Come what may, you will never have cause to regret your share -in this night’s work. - -“The case may be made clear in a very few words,” he continued, when we -were alone. “My poor brother-in-law is one of the best fellows upon -earth, a loving husband and an estimable father, but he comes from a -stock which is deeply tainted with insanity. He has more than once had -homicidal outbreaks, which are the more painful because his inclination -is always to attack the very person to whom he is most attached. His son -was sent away to school to avoid this danger, and then came an attempt -upon my sister, his wife, from which she escaped with injuries that you -may have observed when you met her in London. You understand that he -knows nothing of the matter when he is in his sound senses, and would -ridicule the suggestion that he could under any circumstances injure -those whom he loves so dearly. It is often, as you know, a -characteristic of such maladies that it is absolutely impossible to -convince the man who suffers from them of their existence. - -“Our great object was, of course, to get him under restraint before he -could stain his hands with blood, but the matter was full of difficulty. -He is a recluse in his habits, and would not see any medical man. -Besides, it was necessary for our purpose that the medical man should -convince himself of his insanity; and he is sane as you or I, save on -these very rare occasions. But, fortunately, before he has these attacks -he always shows certain premonitory symptoms, which are providential -danger-signals, warning us to be upon our guard. The chief of these is -that nervous contortion of the forehead which you must have observed. -This is a phenomenon which always appears from three to four days before -his attacks of frenzy. The moment it showed itself his wife came into -town on some pretext, and took refuge in my house in Brook Street. - -“It remained for me to convince a medical man of Sir Thomas’s insanity, -without which it was impossible to put him where he could do no harm. -The first problem was how to get a medical man into his house. I -bethought me of his interest in beetles, and his love for any one who -shared his tastes. I advertised, therefore, and was fortunate enough to -find in you the very man I wanted. A stout companion was necessary, for -I knew that the lunacy could only be proved by a murderous assault, and -I had every reason to believe that that assault would be made upon -myself, since he had the warmest regard for me in his moments of sanity. -I think your intelligence will supply all the rest. I did not know that -the attack would come by night, but I thought it very probable, for the -crises of such cases usually do occur in the early hours of the morning. -I am a very nervous man myself, but I saw no other way in which I could -remove this terrible danger from my sister’s life. I need not ask you -whether you are willing to sign the lunacy papers.” - -“Undoubtedly. But _two_ signatures are necessary.” - -“You forget that I am myself a holder of a medical degree. I have the -papers on a side-table here, so if you will be good enough to sign them -now, we can have the patient removed in the morning.” - - * * * * * - -So that was my visit to Sir Thomas Rossiter, the famous beetle-hunter, -and that was also my first step upon the ladder of success, for Lady -Rossiter and Lord Linchmere have proved to be staunch friends, and they -have never forgotten my association with them in the time of their need. -Sir Thomas is out and said to be cured, but I still think that if I -spent another night at Delamere Court, I should be inclined to lock my -door upon the inside. - - - - - THE MAN WITH THE WATCHES - - -There are many who will still bear in mind the singular circumstances -which, under the heading of the Rugby Mystery, filled many columns of -the daily Press in the spring of the year 1892. Coming as it did at a -period of exceptional dulness, it attracted perhaps rather more -attention than it deserved, but it offered to the public that mixture of -the whimsical and the tragic which is most stimulating to the popular -imagination. Interest drooped, however, when, after weeks of fruitless -investigation, it was found that no final explanation of the facts was -forthcoming, and the tragedy seemed from that time to the present to -have finally taken its place in the dark catalogue of inexplicable and -unexpiated crimes. A recent communication (the authenticity of which -appears to be above question) has, however, thrown some new and clear -light upon the matter. Before laying it before the public it would be as -well, perhaps, that I should refresh their memories as to the singular -facts upon which this commentary is founded. These facts were briefly as -follows:— - -At five o’clock on the evening of the 18th of March in the year already -mentioned a train left Euston Station for Manchester. It was a rainy, -squally day, which grew wilder as it progressed, so it was by no means -the weather in which any one would travel who was not driven to do so by -necessity. The train, however, is a favourite one among Manchester -business men who are returning from town, for it does the journey in -four hours and twenty minutes, with only three stoppages upon the way. -In spite of the inclement evening it was, therefore, fairly well filled -upon the occasion of which I speak. The guard of the train was a tried -servant of the company—a man who had worked for twenty-two years without -blemish or complaint. His name was John Palmer. - -The station clock was upon the stroke of five, and the guard was about -to give the customary signal to the engine-driver when he observed two -belated passengers hurrying down the platform. The one was an -exceptionally tall man, dressed in a long black overcoat with Astrakhan -collar and cuffs. I have already said that the evening was an inclement -one, and the tall traveller had the high, warm collar turned up to -protect his throat against the bitter March wind. He appeared, as far as -the guard could judge by so hurried an inspection, to be a man between -fifty and sixty years of age, who had retained a good deal of the vigour -and activity of his youth. In one hand he carried a brown leather -Gladstone bag. His companion was a lady, tall and erect, walking with a -vigorous step which outpaced the gentleman beside her. She wore a long, -fawn-coloured dust-cloak, a black, close-fitting toque, and a dark veil -which concealed the greater part of her face. The two might very well -have passed as father and daughter. They walked swiftly down the line of -carriages, glancing in at the windows, until the guard, John Palmer, -overtook them. - -“Now, then, sir, look sharp, the train is going,” said he. - -“First-class,” the man answered. - -The guard turned the handle of the nearest door. In the carriage, which -he had opened, there sat a small man with a cigar in his mouth. His -appearance seems to have impressed itself upon the guard’s memory, for -he was prepared, afterwards, to describe or to identify him. He was a -man of thirty-four or thirty-five years of age, dressed in some grey -material, sharp-nosed, alert, with a ruddy, weather-beaten face, and a -small, closely cropped black beard. He glanced up as the door was -opened. The tall man paused with his foot upon the step. - -“This is a smoking compartment. The lady dislikes smoke,” said he, -looking round at the guard. - -“All right! Here you are, sir!” said John Palmer. He slammed the door of -the smoking carriage, opened that of the next one, which was empty, and -thrust the two travellers in. At the same moment he sounded his whistle -and the wheels of the train began to move. The man with the cigar was at -the window of his carriage, and said something to the guard as he rolled -past him, but the words were lost in the bustle of the departure. Palmer -stepped into the guard’s van, as it came up to him, and thought no more -of the incident. - -Twelve minutes after its departure the train reached Willesden Junction, -where it stopped for a very short interval. An examination of the -tickets has made it certain that no one either joined or left it at this -time, and no passenger was seen to alight upon the platform. At 5.14 the -journey to Manchester was resumed, and Rugby was reached at 6.50, the -express being five minutes late. - -At Rugby the attention of the station officials was drawn to the fact -that the door of one of the first-class carriages was open. An -examination of that compartment, and of its neighbour, disclosed a -remarkable state of affairs. - -The smoking carriage in which the short, red-faced man with the black -beard had been seen was now empty. Save for a half-smoked cigar, there -was no trace whatever of its recent occupant. The door of this carriage -was fastened. In the next compartment, to which attention had been -originally drawn, there was no sign either of the gentleman with the -Astrakhan collar or of the young lady who accompanied him. All three -passengers had disappeared. On the other hand, there was found upon the -floor of this carriage—the one in which the tall traveller and the lady -had been—a young man, fashionably dressed and of elegant appearance. He -lay with his knees drawn up, and his head resting against the further -door, an elbow upon either seat. A bullet had penetrated his heart and -his death must have been instantaneous. No one had seen such a man enter -the train, and no railway ticket was found in his pocket, neither were -there any markings upon his linen, nor papers nor personal property -which might help to identify him. Who he was, whence he had come, and -how he had met his end were each as great a mystery as what had occurred -to the three people who had started an hour and a half before from -Willesden in those two compartments. - -I have said that there was no personal property which might help to -identify him, but it is true that there was one peculiarity about this -unknown young man which was much commented upon at the time. In his -pockets were found no fewer than six valuable gold watches, three in the -various pockets of his waistcoat, one in his ticket-pocket, one in his -breast-pocket, and one small one set in a leather strap and fastened -round his left wrist. The obvious explanation that the man was a -pickpocket, and that this was his plunder, was discounted by the fact -that all six were of American make, and of a type which is rare in -England. Three of them bore the mark of the Rochester Watchmaking -Company; one was by Mason, of Elmira; one was unmarked; and the small -one, which was highly jewelled and ornamented, was from Tiffany, of New -York. The other contents of his pocket consisted of an ivory knife with -a corkscrew by Rodgers, of Sheffield; a small circular mirror, one inch -in diameter; a re-admission slip to the Lyceum theatre; a silver box -full of vesta matches, and a brown leather cigar-case containing two -cheroots—also two pounds fourteen shillings in money. It was clear, -then, that whatever motives may have led to his death, robbery was not -among them. As already mentioned, there were no markings upon the man’s -linen, which appeared to be new, and no tailor’s name upon his coat. In -appearance he was young, short, smooth-cheeked, and delicately featured. -One of his front teeth was conspicuously stopped with gold. - -On the discovery of the tragedy an examination was instantly made of the -tickets of all passengers, and the number of the passengers themselves -was counted. It was found that only three tickets were unaccounted for, -corresponding to the three travellers who were missing. The express was -then allowed to proceed, but a new guard was sent with it, and John -Palmer was detained as a witness at Rugby. The carriage which included -the two compartments in question was uncoupled and side-tracked. Then, -on the arrival of Inspector Vane, of Scotland Yard, and of Mr. -Henderson, a detective in the service of the railway company, an -exhaustive inquiry was made into all the circumstances. - -That crime had been committed was certain. The bullet, which appeared to -have come from a small pistol or revolver, had been fired from some -little distance, as there was no scorching of the clothes. No weapon was -found in the compartment (which finally disposed of the theory of -suicide), nor was there any sign of the brown leather bag which the -guard had seen in the hand of the tall gentleman. A lady’s parasol was -found upon the rack, but no other trace was to be seen of the travellers -in either of the sections. Apart from the crime, the question of how or -why three passengers (one of them a lady) could get out of the train, -and one other get in during the unbroken run between Willesden and -Rugby, was one which excited the utmost curiosity among the general -public, and gave rise to much speculation in the London Press. - -John Palmer, the guard, was able at the inquest to give some evidence -which threw a little light upon the matter. There was a spot between -Tring and Cheddington, according to his statement, where, on account of -some repairs to the line, the train had for a few minutes slowed down to -a pace not exceeding eight or ten miles an hour. At that place it might -be possible for a man, or even for an exceptionally active woman, to -have left the train without serious injury. It was true that a gang of -platelayers was there, and that they had seen nothing, but it was their -custom to stand in the middle between the metals, and the open carriage -door was upon the far side, so that it was conceivable that someone -might have alighted unseen, as the darkness would by that time be -drawing in. A steep embankment would instantly screen anyone who sprang -out from the observation of the navvies. - -The guard also deposed that there was a good deal of movement upon the -platform at Willesden Junction, and that though it was certain that no -one had either joined or left the train there, it was still quite -possible that some of the passengers might have changed unseen from one -compartment to another. It was by no means uncommon for a gentleman to -finish his cigar in a smoking carriage and then to change to a clearer -atmosphere. Supposing that the man with the black beard had done so at -Willesden (and the half-smoked cigar upon the floor seemed to favour the -supposition), he would naturally go into the nearest section, which -would bring him into the company of the two other actors in this drama. -Thus the first stage of the affair might be surmised without any great -breach of probability. But what the second stage had been, or how the -final one had been arrived at, neither the guard nor the experienced -detective officers could suggest. - - A careful examination of the line between Willesden and Rugby resulted -in one discovery which might or might not have a bearing upon the -tragedy. Near Tring, at the very place where the train slowed down, -there was found at the bottom of the embankment a small pocket -Testament, very shabby and worn. It was printed by the Bible Society of -London, and bore an inscription: “From John to Alice. Jan. 13th, 1856,” -upon the fly-leaf. Underneath was written: “James, July 4th, 1859,” and -beneath that again: “Edward. Nov. 1st, 1869,” all the entries being in -the same handwriting. This was the only clue, if it could be called a -clue, which the police obtained, and the coroner’s verdict of “Murder by -a person or persons unknown” was the unsatisfactory ending of a singular -case. Advertisement, rewards, and inquiries proved equally fruitless, -and nothing could be found which was solid enough to form the basis for -a profitable investigation. - - It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that no theories were -formed to account for the facts. On the contrary, the Press, both in -England and in America, teemed with suggestions and suppositions, most -of which were obviously absurd. The fact that the watches were of -American make, and some peculiarities in connection with the gold -stopping of his front tooth, appeared to indicate that the deceased was -a citizen of the United States, though his linen, clothes, and boots -were undoubtedly of British manufacture. It was surmised, by some, that -he was concealed under the seat, and that, being discovered, he was for -some reason, possibly because he had overheard their guilty secrets, put -to death by his fellow-passengers. When coupled with generalities as to -the ferocity and cunning of anarchical and other secret societies, this -theory sounded as plausible as any. - - The fact that he should be without a ticket would be consistent with -the idea of concealment, and it was well known that women played a -prominent part in the Nihilistic propaganda. On the other hand, it was -clear, from the guard’s statement, that the man must have been hidden -there _before_ the others arrived, and how unlikely the coincidence that -conspirators should stray exactly into the very compartment in which a -spy was already concealed! Besides, this explanation ignored the man in -the smoking carriage, and gave no reason at all for his simultaneous -disappearance. The police had little difficulty in showing that such a -theory would not cover the facts, but they were unprepared in the -absence of evidence to advance any alternative explanation. - - There was a letter in the _Daily Gazette_, over the signature of a -well-known criminal investigator, which gave rise to considerable -discussion at the time. He had formed a hypothesis which had at least -ingenuity to recommend it, and I cannot do better than append it in his -own words. - - “Whatever may be the truth,” said he, “it must depend upon some -bizarre and rare combination of events, so we need have no hesitation in -postulating such events in our explanation. In the absence of data we -must abandon the analytic or scientific method of investigation, and -must approach it in the synthetic fashion. In a word, instead of taking -known events and deducing from them what has occurred, we must build up -a fanciful explanation if it will only be consistent with known events. -We can then test this explanation by any fresh facts which may arise. If -they all fit into their places, the probability is that we are upon the -right track, and with each fresh fact this probability increases in a -geometrical progression until the evidence becomes final and convincing. - - “Now, there is one most remarkable and suggestive fact which has not -met with the attention which it deserves. There is a local train running -through Harrow and King’s Langley, which is timed in such a way that the -express must have overtaken it at or about the period when it eased down -its speed to eight miles an hour on account of the repairs of the line. -The two trains would at that time be travelling in the same direction at -a similar rate of speed and upon parallel lines. It is within everyone’s -experience how, under such circumstances, the occupant of each carriage -can see very plainly the passengers in the other carriages opposite to -him. The lamps of the express had been lit at Willesden, so that each -compartment was brightly illuminated, and most visible to an observer -from outside. - - “Now, the sequence of events as I reconstruct them would be after this -fashion. This young man with the abnormal number of watches was alone in -the carriage of the slow train. His ticket, with his papers and gloves -and other things, was, we will suppose, on the seat beside him. He was -probably an American, and also probably a man of weak intellect. The -excessive wearing of jewellery is an early symptom in some forms of -mania. - - “As he sat watching the carriages of the express which were (on -account of the state of the line) going at the same pace as himself, he -suddenly saw some people in it whom he knew. We will suppose for the -sake of our theory that these people were a woman whom he loved and a -man whom he hated—and who in return hated him. The young man was -excitable and impulsive. He opened the door of his carriage, stepped -from the footboard of the local train to the footboard of the express, -opened the other door, and made his way into the presence of these two -people. The feat (on the supposition that the trains were going at the -same pace) is by no means so perilous as it might appear. - - “Having now got our young man without his ticket into the carriage in -which the elder man and the young woman are travelling, it is not -difficult to imagine that a violent scene ensued. It is possible that -the pair were also Americans, which is the more probable as the man -carried a weapon—an unusual thing in England. If our supposition of -incipient mania is correct, the young man is likely to have assaulted -the other. As the upshot of the quarrel the elder man shot the intruder, -and then made his escape from the carriage, taking the young lady with -him. We will suppose that all this happened very rapidly, and that the -train was still going at so slow a pace that it was not difficult for -them to leave it. A woman might leave a train going at eight miles an -hour. As a matter of fact, we know that this woman _did_ do so. - - “And now we have to fit in the man in the smoking carriage. Presuming -that we have, up to this point, reconstructed the tragedy correctly, we -shall find nothing in this other man to cause us to reconsider our -conclusions. According to my theory, this man saw the young fellow cross -from one train to the other, saw him open the door, heard the -pistol-shot, saw the two fugitives spring out on to the line, realized -that murder had been done, and sprang out himself in pursuit. Why he has -never been heard of since—whether he met his own death in the pursuit, -or whether, as is more likely, he was made to realize that it was not a -case for his interference—is a detail which we have at present no means -of explaining. I acknowledge that there are some difficulties in the -way. At first sight, it might seem improbable that at such a moment a -murderer would burden himself in his flight with a brown leather bag. My -answer is that he was well aware that if the bag were found his identity -would be established. It was absolutely necessary for him to take it -with him. My theory stands or falls upon one point, and I call upon the -railway company to make strict inquiry as to whether a ticket was found -unclaimed in the local train through Harrow and King’s Langley upon the -18th of March. If such a ticket were found my case is proved. If not, my -theory may still be the correct one, for it is conceivable either that -he travelled without a ticket or that his ticket was lost.” - - To this elaborate and plausible hypothesis the answer of the police -and of the company was, first, that no such ticket was found; secondly, -that the slow train would never run parallel to the express; and, -thirdly, that the local train had been stationary in King’s Langley -Station when the express, going at fifty miles an hour, had flashed past -it. So perished the only satisfying explanation, and five years have -elapsed without supplying a new one. Now, at last, there comes a -statement which covers all the facts, and which must be regarded as -authentic. It took the shape of a letter dated from New York, and -addressed to the same criminal investigator whose theory I have quoted. -It is given here in extenso, with the exception of the two opening -paragraphs, which are personal in their nature:— - - “You’ll excuse me if I’m not very free with names. There’s less reason -now than there was five years ago when mother was still living. But for -all that, I had rather cover up our tracks all I can. But I owe you an -explanation, for if your idea of it was wrong, it was a mighty ingenious -one all the same. I’ll have to go back a little so as you may understand -all about it. - - “My people came from Bucks, England, and emigrated to the States in -the early fifties. They settled in Rochester, in the State of New York, -where my father ran a large dry goods store. There were only two sons: -myself, James, and my brother, Edward. I was ten years older than my -brother, and after my father died I sort of took the place of a father -to him, as an elder brother would. He was a bright, spirited boy, and -just one of the most beautiful creatures that ever lived. But there was -always a soft spot in him, and it was like mould in cheese, for it -spread and spread, and nothing that you could do would stop it. Mother -saw it just as clearly as I did, but she went on spoiling him all the -same, for he had such a way with him that you could refuse him nothing. -I did all I could to hold him in, and he hated me for my pains. - - “At last he fairly got his head, and nothing that we could do would -stop him. He got off into New York, and went rapidly from bad to worse. -At first he was only fast, and then he was criminal; and then, at the -end of a year or two, he was one of the most notorious young crooks in -the city. He had formed a friendship with Sparrow MacCoy, who was at the -head of his profession as a bunco-steerer, green goods-man, and general -rascal. They took to card-sharping, and frequented some of the best -hotels in New York. My brother was an excellent actor (he might have -made an honest name for himself if he had chosen), and he would take the -parts of a young Englishman of title, of a simple lad from the West, or -of a college undergraduate, whichever suited Sparrow MacCoy’s purpose. -And then one day he dressed himself as a girl, and he carried it off so -well, and made himself such a valuable decoy, that it was their -favourite game afterwards. They had made it right with Tammany and with -the police, so it seemed as if nothing could ever stop them, for those -were in the days before the Lexow Commission, and if you only had a -pull, you could do pretty nearly everything you wanted. - - “And nothing would have stopped them if they had only stuck to cards -and New York, but they must needs come up Rochester way, and forge a -name upon a check. It was my brother that did it, though everyone knew -that it was under the influence of Sparrow MacCoy. I bought up that -check, and a pretty sum it cost me. Then I went to my brother, laid it -before him on the table, and swore to him that I would prosecute if he -did not clear out of the country. At first he simply laughed. I could -not prosecute, he said, without breaking our mother’s heart, and he knew -that I would not do that. I made him understand, however, that our -mother’s heart was being broken in any case, and that I had set firm on -the point that I would rather see him in a Rochester gaol than in a New -York hotel. So at last he gave in, and he made me a solemn promise that -he would see Sparrow MacCoy no more, that he would go to Europe, and -that he would turn his hand to any honest trade that I helped him to -get. I took him down right away to an old family friend, Joe Willson, -who is an exporter of American watches and clocks, and I got him to give -Edward an agency in London, with a small salary and a 15 per cent. -commission on all business. His manner and appearance were so good that -he won the old man over at once, and within a week he was sent off to -London with a case full of samples. - - “It seemed to me that this business of the check had really given my -brother a fright, and that there was some chance of his settling down -into an honest line of life. My mother had spoken with him, and what she -said had touched him, for she had always been the best of mothers to -him, and he had been the great sorrow of her life. But I knew that this -man Sparrow MacCoy had a great influence over Edward, and my chance of -keeping the lad straight lay in breaking the connection between them. I -had a friend in the New York detective force, and through him I kept a -watch upon MacCoy. When within a fortnight of my brother’s sailing I -heard that MacCoy had taken a berth in the _Etruria_, I was as certain -as if he had told me that he was going over to England for the purpose -of coaxing Edward back again into the ways that he had left. In an -instant I had resolved to go also, and to put my influence against -MacCoy’s. I knew it was a losing fight, but I thought, and my mother -thought, that it was my duty. We passed the last night together in -prayer for my success, and she gave me her own Testament that my father -had given her on the day of their marriage in the Old Country, so that I -might always wear it next my heart. - - “I was a fellow-traveller, on the steamship, with Sparrow MacCoy, and -at least I had the satisfaction of spoiling his little game for the -voyage. The very first night I went into the smoking-room, and found him -at the head of a card table, with half-a-dozen young fellows who were -carrying their full purses and their empty skulls over to Europe. He was -settling down for his harvest, and a rich one it would have been. But I -soon changed all that. - - “‘Gentlemen,’ said I, ‘are you aware whom you are playing with?’ - - “‘What’s that to you? You mind your own business!’ said he, with an -oath. - - “‘Who is it, anyway?’ asked one of the dudes. - - “‘He’s Sparrow MacCoy, the most notorious cardsharper in the States.’ - - “Up he jumped with a bottle in his hand, but he remembered that he was -under the flag of the effete Old Country, where law and order run, and -Tammany has no pull. Gaol and the gallows wait for violence and murder, -and there’s no slipping out by the back door on board an ocean liner. - - “‘Prove your words, you——!’ said he. - - “‘I will!’ said I. ‘If you will turn up your right shirt-sleeve to the -shoulder, I will either prove my words or I will eat them.’ - - “He turned white and said not a word. You see, I knew something of his -ways, and I was aware that part of the mechanism which he and all such -sharpers use consists of an elastic down the arm with a clip just above -the wrist. It is by means of this clip that they withdraw from their -hands the cards which they do not want, while they substitute other -cards from another hiding-place. I reckoned on it being there, and it -was. He cursed me, slunk out of the saloon, and was hardly seen again -during the voyage. For once, at any rate, I got level with Mister -Sparrow MacCoy. - - “But he soon had his revenge upon me, for when it came to influencing -my brother he outweighed me every time. Edward had kept himself straight -in London for the first few weeks, and had done some business with his -American watches, until this villain came across his path once more. I -did my best, but the best was little enough. The next thing I heard -there had been a scandal at one of the Northumberland Avenue hotels: a -traveller had been fleeced of a large sum by two confederate -card-sharpers, and the matter was in the hands of Scotland Yard. The -first I learned of it was in the evening paper, and I was at once -certain that my brother and MacCoy were back at their old games. I -hurried at once to Edward’s lodgings. They told me that he and a tall -gentleman (whom I recognized as MacCoy) had gone off together, and that -he had left the lodgings and taken his things with him. The landlady had -heard them give several directions to the cabman, ending with Euston -Station, and she had accidentally overheard the tall gentleman saying -something about Manchester. She believed that that was their -destination. - -“A glance at the time-table showed me that the most likely train was at -five, though there was another at 4.35 which they might have caught. I -had only time to get the later one, but found no sign of them either at -the depôt or in the train. They must have gone on by the earlier one, so -I determined to follow them to Manchester and search for them in the -hotels there. One last appeal to my brother by all that he owed to my -mother might even now be the salvation of him. My nerves were -overstrung, and I lit a cigar to steady them. At that moment, just as -the train was moving off, the door of my compartment was flung open, and -there were MacCoy and my brother on the platform. - -“They were both disguised, and with good reason, for they knew that the -London police were after them. MacCoy had a great Astrakhan collar drawn -up, so that only his eyes and nose were showing. My brother was dressed -like a woman, with a black veil half down his face, but of course it did -not deceive me for an instant, nor would it have done so even if I had -not known that he had often used such a dress before. I started up, and -as I did so MacCoy recognized me. He said something, the conductor -slammed the door, and they were shown into the next compartment. I tried -to stop the train so as to follow them, but the wheels were already -moving, and it was too late. - -“When we stopped at Willesden, I instantly changed my carriage. It -appears that I was not seen to do so, which is not surprising, as the -station was crowded with people. MacCoy, of course, was expecting me, -and he had spent the time between Euston and Willesden in saying all he -could to harden my brother’s heart and set him against me. That is what -I fancy, for I had never found him so impossible to soften or to move. I -tried this way and I tried that; I pictured his future in an English -gaol; I described the sorrow of his mother when I came back with the -news; I said everything to touch his heart, but all to no purpose. He -sat there with a fixed sneer upon his handsome face, while every now and -then Sparrow MacCoy would throw in a taunt at me, or some word of -encouragement to hold my brother to his resolutions. - -“‘Why don’t you run a Sunday-school?’ he would say to me, and then, in -the same breath: ‘He thinks you have no will of your own. He thinks you -are just the baby brother and that he can lead you where he likes. He’s -only just finding out that you are a man as well as he.’ - -“It was those words of his which set me talking bitterly. We had left -Willesden, you understand, for all this took some time. My temper got -the better of me, and for the first time in my life I let my brother see -the rough side of me. Perhaps it would have been better had I done so -earlier and more often. - -“‘A man!’ said I. ‘Well, I’m glad to have your friend’s assurance of it, -for no one would suspect it to see you like a boarding-school missy. I -don’t suppose in all this country there is a more contemptible-looking -creature than you are as you sit there with that Dolly pinafore upon -you.’ He coloured up at that, for he was a vain man, and he winced from -ridicule. - -“‘It’s only a dust-cloak,’ said he, and he slipped it off. ‘One has to -throw the coppers off one’s scent, and I had no other way to do it.’ He -took his toque off with the veil attached, and he put both it and the -cloak into his brown bag. ‘Anyway, I don’t need to wear it until the -conductor comes round,’ said he. - -“‘Nor then, either,’ said I, and taking the bag I slung it with all my -force out of the window. ‘Now,’ said I, ‘you’ll never make a Mary Jane -of yourself while I can help it. If nothing but that disguise stands -between you and a gaol, then to gaol you shall go.’ - -“That was the way to manage him. I felt my advantage at once. His supple -nature was one which yielded to roughness far more readily than to -entreaty. He flushed with shame, and his eyes filled with tears. But -MacCoy saw my advantage also, and was determined that I should not -pursue it. - -“‘He’s my pard, and you shall not bully him,’ he cried. - -“‘He’s my brother, and you shall not ruin him,’ said I. ‘I believe a -spell of prison is the very best way of keeping you apart, and you shall -have it, or it will be no fault of mine.’ - -“‘Oh, you would squeal, would you?’ he cried, and in an instant he -whipped out his revolver. I sprang for his hand, but saw that I was too -late, and jumped aside. At the same instant he fired, and the bullet -which would have struck me passed through the heart of my unfortunate -brother. - -“He dropped without a groan upon the floor of the compartment, and -MacCoy and I, equally horrified, knelt at each side of him, trying to -bring back some signs of life. MacCoy still held the loaded revolver in -his hand, but his anger against me and my resentment towards him had -both for the moment been swallowed up in this sudden tragedy. It was he -who first realized the situation. The train was for some reason going -very slowly at the moment, and he saw his opportunity for escape. In an -instant he had the door open, but I was as quick as he, and jumping upon -him the two of us fell off the footboard and rolled in each other’s arms -down a steep embankment. At the bottom I struck my head against a stone, -and I remembered nothing more. When I came to myself I was lying among -some low bushes, not far from the railroad track, and somebody was -bathing my head with a wet handkerchief. It was Sparrow MacCoy. - -“‘I guess I couldn’t leave you,’ said he. ‘I didn’t want to have the -blood of two of you on my hands in one day. You loved your brother, I’ve -no doubt; but you didn’t love him a cent more than I loved him, though -you’ll say that I took a queer way to show it. Anyhow, it seems a mighty -empty world now that he is gone, and I don’t care a continental whether -you give me over to the hangman or not.’ - -“He had turned his ankle in the fall, and there we sat, he with his -useless foot, and I with my throbbing head, and we talked and talked -until gradually my bitterness began to soften and to turn into something -like sympathy. What was the use of revenging his death upon a man who -was as much stricken by that death as I was? And then, as my wits -gradually returned, I began to realize also that I could do nothing -against MacCoy which would not recoil upon my mother and myself. How -could we convict him without a full account of my brother’s career being -made public—the very thing which of all others we wished to avoid? It -was really as much our interest as his to cover the matter up, and from -being an avenger of crime I found myself changed to a conspirator -against Justice. The place in which we found ourselves was one of those -pheasant preserves which are so common in the Old Country, and as we -groped our way through it I found myself consulting the slayer of my -brother as to how far it would be possible to hush it up. - -“I soon realized from what he said that unless there were some papers of -which we knew nothing in my brother’s pockets, there was really no -possible means by which the police could identify him or learn how he -had got there. His ticket was in MacCoy’s pocket, and so was the ticket -for some baggage which they had left at the depôt. Like most Americans, -he had found it cheaper and easier to buy an outfit in London than to -bring one from New York, so that all his linen and clothes were new and -unmarked. The bag, containing the dust cloak, which I had thrown out of -the window, may have fallen among some bramble patch where it is still -concealed, or may have been carried off by some tramp, or may have come -into the possession of the police, who kept the incident to themselves. -Anyhow, I have seen nothing about it in the London papers. As to the -watches, they were a selection from those which had been intrusted to -him for business purposes. It may have been for the same business -purposes that he was taking them to Manchester, but—well, it’s too late -to enter into that. - -“I don’t blame the police for being at fault. I don’t see how it could -have been otherwise. There was just one little clew that they might have -followed up, but it was a small one. I mean that small circular mirror -which was found in my brother’s pocket. It isn’t a very common thing for -a young man to carry about with him, is it? But a gambler might have -told you what such a mirror may mean to a cardsharper. If you sit back a -little from the table, and lay the mirror, face upwards, upon your lap, -you can see, as you deal, every card that you give to your adversary. It -is not hard to say whether you see a man or raise him when you know his -cards as well as your own. It was as much a part of a sharper’s outfit -as the elastic clip upon Sparrow MacCoy’s arm. Taking that, in -connection with the recent frauds at the hotels, the police might have -got hold of one end of the string. - -“I don’t think there is much more for me to explain. We got to a village -called Amersham that night in the character of two gentlemen upon a -walking tour, and afterwards we made our way quietly to London, whence -MacCoy went on to Cairo and I returned to New York. My mother died six -months afterwards, and I am glad to say that to the day of her death she -never knew what happened. She was always under the delusion that Edward -was earning an honest living in London, and I never had the heart to -tell her the truth. He never wrote; but, then, he never did write at any -time, so that made no difference. His name was the last upon her lips. - -“There’s just one other thing that I have to ask you, sir, and I should -take it as a kind return for all this explanation, if you could do it -for me. You remember that Testament that was picked up. I always carried -it in my inside pocket, and it must have come out in my fall. I value it -very highly, for it was the family book with my birth and my brother’s -marked by my father in the beginning of it. I wish you would apply at -the proper place and have it sent to me. It can be of no possible value -to any one else. If you address it to X, Bassano’s Library, Broadway, -New York, it is sure to come to hand.” - - - - - THE POT OF CAVIARE - - -It was the fourth day of the siege. Ammunition and provisions were both -nearing an end. When the Boxer insurrection had suddenly flamed up, and -roared, like a fire in dry grass, across Northern China, the few -scattered Europeans in the outlying provinces had huddled together at -the nearest defensible post and had held on for dear life until rescue -came—or until it did not. In the latter case, the less said about their -fate the better. In the former, they came back into the world of men -with that upon their faces which told that they had looked very closely -upon such an end as would ever haunt their dreams. - -Ichau was only fifty miles from the coast, and there was a European -squadron in the Gulf of Liantong. Therefore the absurd little garrison, -consisting of native Christians and railway men, with a German officer -to command them and five civilian Europeans to support him, held on -bravely with the conviction that help must soon come sweeping down to -them from the low hills to eastward. The sea was visible from those -hills, and on the sea were their armed countrymen. Surely, then, they -could not feel deserted. With brave hearts they manned the loopholes in -the crumbling brick walls outlining the tiny European quarter, and they -fired away briskly, if ineffectively, at the rapidly advancing sangars -of the Boxers. It was certain that in another day or so they would be at -the end of their resources, but then it was equally certain that in -another day or so they must be relieved. It might be a little sooner or -it might be a little later, but there was no one who ever ventured to -hint that the relief would not arrive in time to pluck them out of the -fire. Up to Tuesday night there was no word of discouragement. - -It was true that on the Wednesday their robust faith in what was going -forward behind those eastern hills had weakened a little. The grey -slopes lay bare and unresponsive while the deadly sangars pushed ever -nearer, so near that the dreadful faces which shrieked imprecations at -them from time to time over the top could be seen in every hideous -feature. There was not so much of that now since young Ainslie, of the -Diplomatic service, with his neat little .303 sporting rifle, had -settled down in the squat church tower, and had devoted his days to -abating the nuisance. But a silent sangar is an even more impressive -thing than a clamorous one, and steadily, irresistibly, inevitably, the -lines of brick and rubble drew closer. Soon they would be so near that -one rush would assuredly carry the frantic swordsmen over the frail -entrenchment. It all seemed very black upon the Wednesday evening. -Colonel Dresler, the German ex-infantry soldier, went about with an -imperturbable face, but a heart of lead. Ralston, of the railway, was up -half the night writing farewell letters. Professor Mercer, the old -entomologist, was even more silent and grimly thoughtful than ever. -Ainslie had lost some of his flippancy. On the whole, the ladies—Miss -Sinclair, the nurse of the Scotch Mission, Mrs. Patterson, and her -pretty daughter Jessie, were the most composed of the party. Father -Pierre of the French Mission, was also unaffected, as was natural to one -who regarded martyrdom as a glorious crown. The Boxers yelling for his -blood beyond the walls disturbed him less than his forced association -with the sturdy Scotch Presbyterian presence of Mr. Patterson, with whom -for ten years he had wrangled over the souls of the natives. They passed -each other now in the corridors as dog passes cat, and each kept a -watchful eye upon the other lest even in the trenches he might filch -some sheep from the rival fold, whispering heresy in his ear. - -But the Wednesday night passed without a crisis, and on the Thursday all -was bright once more. It was Ainslie up in the clock tower who had first -heard the distant thud of a gun. Then Dresler heard it, and within half -an hour it was audible to all—that strong iron voice, calling to them -from afar and bidding them to be of good cheer, since help was coming. -It was clear that the landing party from the squadron was well on its -way. It would not arrive an hour too soon. The cartridges were nearly -finished. Their half-rations of food would soon dwindle to an even more -pitiful supply. But what need to worry about that now that relief was -assured? There would be no attack that day, as most of the Boxers could -be seen streaming off in the direction of the distant firing, and the -long lines of sangars were silent and deserted. They were all able, -therefore, to assemble at the lunch-table, a merry, talkative party, -full of that joy of living which sparkles most brightly under the -imminent shadow of death. - - “The pot of caviare!” cried Ainslie. “Come, Professor, out with the -pot of caviare!” - - “Potz-tausend! yes,” grunted old Dresler. “It is certainly time that -we had that famous pot.” - - The ladies joined in, and from all parts of the long, ill-furnished -table there came the demand for caviare. - - It was a strange time to ask for such a delicacy, but the reason is -soon told. Professor Mercer, the old Californian entomologist, had -received a jar of caviare in a hamper of goods from San Francisco, -arriving a day or two before the outbreak. In the general pooling and -distribution of provisions this one dainty and three bottles of Lachryma -Christi from the same hamper had been excepted and set aside. By common -consent they were to be reserved for the final joyous meal when the end -of their peril should be in sight. Even as they sat the thud-thud of the -relieving guns came to their ears—more luxurious music to their lunch -than the most sybaritic restaurant of London could have supplied. Before -evening the relief would certainly be there. Why, then, should their -stale bread not be glorified by the treasured caviare? - - But the Professor shook his gnarled old head and smiled his -inscrutable smile. - - “Better wait,” said he. - - “Wait! Why wait?” cried the company. - - “They have still far to come,” he answered. - -“They will be here for supper at the latest,” said Ralston, of the -railway—a keen, birdlike man, with bright eyes and long, projecting -nose. “They cannot be more than ten miles from us now. If they only did -two miles an hour it would make them due at seven.” - -“There is a battle on the way,” remarked the Colonel. “You will grant -two hours or three hours for the battle.” - -“Not half an hour,” cried Ainslie. “They will walk through them as if -they were not there. What can these rascals with their matchlocks and -swords do against modern weapons?” - -“It depends on who leads the column of relief,” said Dresler. “If they -are fortunate enough to have a German officer——” - -“An Englishman for my money!” cried Ralston. - -“The French commodore is said to be an excellent strategist,” remarked -Father Pierre. - -“I don’t see that it matters a toss,” cried the exuberant Ainslie. “Mr. -Mauser and Mr. Maxim are the two men who will see us through, and with -them on our side no leader can go wrong. I tell you they will just brush -them aside and walk through them. So now, Professor, come on with that -pot of caviare!” - - But the old scientist was unconvinced. - -“We shall reserve it for supper,” said he. - -“After all,” said Mr. Patterson, in his slow, precise Scottish -intonation, “it will be a courtesy to our guests—the officers of the -relief—if we have some palatable food to lay before them. I’m in -agreement with the Professor that we reserve the caviare for supper.” - -The argument appealed to their sense of hospitality. There was something -pleasantly chivalrous, too, in the idea of keeping their one little -delicacy to give a savour to the meal of their preservers. There was no -more talk of the caviare. - -“By the way, Professor,” said Mr. Patterson, “I’ve only heard to-day -that this is the second time that you have been besieged in this way. -I’m sure we should all be very interested to hear some details of your -previous experience.” - -The old man’s face set very grimly. - -“I was in Sung-tong, in South China, in ’eighty-nine,” said he. - -“It’s a very extraordinary coincidence that you should twice have been -in such a perilous situation,” said the missionary. “Tell us how you -were relieved at Sung-tong.” - -The shadow deepened upon the weary face. - -“We were not relieved,” said he. - -“What! the place fell?” - -“Yes, it fell.” - -“And you came through alive?” - -“I am a doctor as well as an entomologist. They had many wounded; they -spared me.” - -“And the rest?” - -“Assez! assez!” cried the little French priest, raising his hand in -protest. He had been twenty years in China. The professor had said -nothing, but there was something, some lurking horror, in his dull, grey -eyes which had turned the ladies pale. - -“I am sorry,” said the missionary. “I can see that it is a painful -subject. I should not have asked.” - -“No,” the Professor answered, slowly. “It is wiser not to ask. It is -better not to speak about such things at all. But surely those guns are -very much nearer?” - -There could be no doubt of it. After a silence the thud-thud had -recommenced with a lively ripple of rifle-fire playing all round that -deep bass master-note. It must be just at the farther side of the -nearest hill. They pushed back their chairs and ran out to the ramparts. -The silent-footed native servants came in and cleared the scanty remains -from the table. But after they had left, the old Professor sat on there, -his massive, grey-crowned head leaning upon his hands and the same -pensive look of horror in his eyes. Some ghosts may be laid for years, -but when they do rise it is not so easy to drive them back to their -slumbers. The guns had ceased outside, but he had not observed it, lost -as he was in the one supreme and terrible memory of his life. - -His thoughts were interrupted at last by the entrance of the Commandant. -There was a complacent smile upon his broad German face. - -“The Kaiser will be pleased,” said he, rubbing his hands. “Yes, -certainly it should mean a decoration. ‘Defence of Ichau against the -Boxers by Colonel Dresler, late Major of the 114th Hanoverian Infantry. -Splendid resistance of small garrison against overwhelming odds.’ It -will certainly appear in the Berlin papers.” - -“Then you think we are saved?” said the old man, with neither emotion -nor exultation in his voice. - -The Colonel smiled. - -“Why, Professor,” said he, “I have seen you more excited on the morning -when you brought back _Lepidus Mercerensis_ in your collecting-box.” - -“The fly was safe in my collecting-box first,” the entomologist -answered. “I have seen so many strange turns of Fate in my long life -that I do not grieve nor do I rejoice until I know that I have cause. -But tell me the news.” - -“Well,” said the Colonel, lighting his long pipe, and stretching his -gaitered legs in the bamboo chair, “I’ll stake my military reputation -that all is well. They are advancing swiftly, the firing has died down -to show that resistance is at an end, and within an hour we’ll see them -over the brow. Ainslie is to fire his gun three times from the church -tower as a signal, and then we shall make a little sally on our own -account.” - -“And you are waiting for this signal?” - -“Yes, we are waiting for Ainslie’s shots. I thought I would spend the -time with you, for I had something to ask you.” - -“What was it?” - -“Well, you remember your talk about the other siege—the siege of -Sung-tong. It interests me very much from a professional point of view. -Now that the ladies and civilians are gone you will have no objection to -discussing it.” - -“It is not a pleasant subject.” - -“No, I dare say not. Mein Gott! it was indeed a tragedy. But you have -seen how I have conducted the defence here. Was it wise? Was it good? -Was it worthy of the traditions of the German army?” - -“I think you could have done no more.” - -“Thank you. But this other place, was it as ably defended? To me a -comparison of this sort is very interesting. Could it have been saved?” - -“No; everything possible was done—save only one thing.” - -“Ah! there was one omission. What was it?” - -“No one—above all, no woman—should have been allowed to fall alive into -the hands of the Chinese.” - -The Colonel held out his broad red hand and enfolded the long, white, -nervous fingers of the Professor. - -“You are right—a thousand times right. But do not think that this has -escaped my thoughts. For myself I would die fighting, so would Ralston, -so would Ainslie. I have talked to them, and it is settled. But the -others, I have spoken with them, but what are you to do? There are the -priest, and the missionary, and the women.” - -“Would they wish to be taken alive?” - -“They would not promise to take steps to prevent it. They would not lay -hands on their own lives. Their consciences would not permit it. Of -course, it is all over now, and we need not speak of such dreadful -things. But what would you have done in my place?” - -“Kill them.” - -“Mein Gott! You would murder them?” - -“In mercy I would kill them. Man, I have been through it. I have seen -the death of the hot eggs; I have seen the death of the boiling kettle; -I have seen the women—my God! I wonder that I have ever slept sound -again.” His usually impassive face was working and quivering with the -agony of the remembrance. “I was strapped to a stake with thorns in my -eyelids to keep them open, and my grief at their torture was a less -thing than my self-reproach when I thought that I could with one tube of -tasteless tablets have snatched them at the last instant from the hands -of their tormentors. Murder! I am ready to stand at the Divine bar and -answer for a thousand murders such as that! Sin! Why, it is such an act -as might well cleanse the stain of real sin from the soul. But if, -knowing what I do, I should have failed this second time to do it, then, -by Heaven! there is no hell deep enough or hot enough to receive my -guilty craven spirit.” - -The Colonel rose, and again his hand clasped that of the Professor. - -“You speak sense,” said he. “You are a brave, strong man, who know your -own mind. Yes, by the Lord! you would have been my great help had things -gone the other way. I have often thought and wondered in the dark, early -hours of the morning, but I did not know how to do it. But we should -have heard Ainslie’s shots before now; I will go and see.” - -Again the old scientist sat alone with his thoughts. Finally, as neither -the guns of the relieving force nor yet the signal of their approach -sounded upon his ears, he rose, and was about to go himself upon the -ramparts to make inquiry when the door flew open, and Colonel Dresler -staggered into the room. His face was of a ghastly yellow-white, and his -chest heaved like that of a man exhausted with running. There was brandy -on the side-table, and he gulped down a glassful. Then he dropped -heavily into a chair. - -“Well,” said the Professor, coldly, “they are not coming?” - -“No, they cannot come.” - -There was silence for a minute or more, the two men staring blankly at -each other. - -“Do they all know?” - -“No one knows but me.” - -“How did you learn?” - -“I was at the wall near the postern gate—the little wooden gate that -opens on the rose garden. I saw something crawling among the bushes. -There was a knocking at the door. I opened it. It was a Christian -Tartar, badly cut about with swords. He had come from the battle. -Commodore Wyndham, the Englishman, had sent him. The relieving force had -been checked. They had shot away most of their ammunition. They had -entrenched themselves and sent back to the ships for more. Three days -must pass before they could come. That was all. Mein Gott! it was -enough.” - -The Professor bent his shaggy grey brows. - -“Where is the man?” he asked. - -“He is dead. He died of loss of blood. His body lies at the postern -gate.” - -“And no one saw him?” - -“Not to speak to.” - -“Oh! they did see him, then?” - -“Ainslie must have seen him from the church tower. He must know that I -have had tidings. He will want to know what they are. If I tell him they -must all know.” - -“How long can we hold out?” - -“An hour or two at the most.” - -“Is that absolutely certain?” - -“I pledge my credit as a soldier upon it.” - -“Then we must fall?” - -“Yes, we must fall.” - -“There is no hope for us?” - -“None.” - -The door flew open and young Ainslie rushed in. Behind him crowded -Ralston, Patterson, and a crowd of white men and of native Christians. - -“You’ve had news, Colonel?” - -Professor Mercer pushed to the front. - -“Colonel Dresler has just been telling me. It is all right. They have -halted, but will be here in the early morning. There is no longer any -danger.” - -A cheer broke from the group in the doorway. Everyone was laughing and -shaking hands. - -“But suppose they rush us before to-morrow morning?” cried Ralston, in a -petulant voice. “What infernal fools these fellows are not to push on! -Lazy devils, they should be court-martialled, every man of them.” - -“It’s all safe,” said Ainslie. “These fellows have had a bad knock. We -can see their wounded being carried by the hundred over the hill. They -must have lost heavily. They won’t attack before morning.” - -“No, no,” said the Colonel; “it is certain that they won’t attack before -morning. None the less, get back to your posts. We must give no point -away.” He left the room with the rest, but as he did so he looked back, -and his eyes for an instant met those of the old Professor. “I leave it -in your hands,” was the message which he flashed. A stern set smile was -his answer. - - * * * * * - -The afternoon wore away without the Boxers making their last attack. To -Colonel Dresler it was clear that the unwonted stillness meant only that -they were reassembling their forces from their fight with the relief -column, and were gathering themselves for the inevitable and final rush. -To all the others it appeared that the siege was indeed over, and that -the assailants had been crippled by the losses which they had already -sustained. It was a joyous and noisy party, therefore, which met at the -supper-table, when the three bottles of Lachryma Christi were uncorked -and the famous port of caviare was finally opened. It was a large jar, -and, though each had a tablespoonful of the delicacy, it was by no means -exhausted. Ralston, who was an epicure, had a double allowance. He -pecked away at it like a hungry bird. Ainslie, too, had a second -helping. The Professor took a large spoonful himself, and Colonel -Dresler, watching him narrowly, did the same. The ladies ate freely, -save only pretty Miss Patterson, who disliked the salty, pungent taste. -In spite of the hospitable entreaties of the Professor, her portion lay -hardly touched at the side of her plate. - -“You don’t like my little delicacy. It is a disappointment to me when I -had kept it for your pleasure,” said the old man. “I beg that you will -eat the caviare.” - -“I have never tasted it before. No doubt I should like it in time.” - -“Well, you must make a beginning. Why not start to educate your taste -now? Do, please!” - -Pretty Jessie Patterson’s bright face shone with her sunny, boyish -smile. - -“Why, how earnest you are!” she laughed. “I had no idea you were so -polite, Professor Mercer. Even if I do not eat it I am just as -grateful.” - -“You are foolish not to eat it,” said the Professor, with such intensity -that the smile died from her face and her eyes reflected the earnestness -of his own. “I tell you it is foolish not to eat caviare to-night.” - -“But why—why?” she asked. - -“Because you have it on your plate. Because it is sinful to waste it.” - -“There! there!” said stout Mrs. Patterson, leaning across. “Don’t -trouble her any more. I can see that she does not like it. But it shall -not be wasted.” She passed the blade of her knife under it, and scraped -it from Jessie’s plate on to her own. “Now it won’t be wasted. Your mind -will be at ease, Professor.” - -But it did not seem at ease. On the contrary, his face was agitated like -that of a man who encounters an unexpected and formidable obstacle. He -was lost in thought. - -The conversation buzzed cheerily. Everyone was full of his future plans. - -“No, no, there is no holiday for me,” said Father Pierre. “We priests -don’t get holidays. Now that the mission and school are formed I am to -leave it to Father Amiel, and to push westwards to found another.” - -“You are leaving?” said Mr. Patterson. “You don’t mean that you are -going away from Ichau?” - -Father Pierre shook his venerable head in waggish reproof. “You must not -look so pleased, Mr. Patterson.” - -“Well, well, our views are very different,” said the Presbyterian, “but -there is no personal feeling towards you, Father Pierre. At the same -time, how any reasonable educated man at this time of the world’s -history can teach these poor benighted heathen that——” - -A general buzz of remonstrance silenced the theology. - -“What will you do yourself, Mr. Patterson?” asked someone. - -“Well, I’ll take three months in Edinburgh to attend the annual meeting. -You’ll be glad to do some shopping in Princes Street, I’m thinking, -Mary. And you, Jessie, you’ll see some folk your own age. Then we can -come back in the fall, when your nerves have had a rest.” - -“Indeed, we shall all need it,” said Miss Sinclair, the mission nurse. -“You know, this long strain takes me in the strangest way. At the -present moment I can hear such a buzzing in my ears.” - -“Well, that’s funny, for it’s just the same with me,” cried Ainslie. “An -absurd up-and-down buzzing, as if a drunken bluebottle were trying -experiments on his register. As you say, it must be due to nervous -strain. For my part I am going back to Peking, and I hope I may get some -promotion over this affair. I can get good polo here, and that’s as fine -a change of thought as I know. How about you, Ralston?” - -“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve hardly had time to think. I want to have a real -good sunny, bright holiday and forget it all. It was funny to see all -the letters in my room. It looked so black on Wednesday night that I had -settled up my affairs and written to all my friends. I don’t quite know -how they were to be delivered, but I trusted to luck. I think I will -keep those papers as a souvenir. They will always remind me of how close -a shave we have had.” - -“Yes, I would keep them,” said Dresler. - -His voice was so deep and solemn that every eye was turned upon him. - -“What is it, Colonel? You seem in the blues to-night.” It was Ainslie -who spoke. - -“No, no; I am very contented.” - -“Well, so you should be when you see success in sight. I am sure we are -all indebted to you for your science and skill. I don’t think we could -have held the place without you. Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to -drink the health of Colonel Dresler, of the Imperial German army. Er -soll leben—hoch!” - -They all stood up and raised their glasses to the soldier, with smiles -and bows. - -His pale face flushed with professional pride. - -“I have always kept my books with me. I have forgotten nothing,” said -he. “I do not think that more could be done. If things had gone wrong -with us and the place had fallen you would, I am sure, have freed me -from any blame or responsibility.” He looked wistfully round him. - -“I’m voicing the sentiments of this company, Colonel Dresler,” said the -Scotch minister, “when I say——but, Lord save us! what’s amiss with Mr. -Ralston?” - -He had dropped his face upon his folded arms and was placidly sleeping. - -“Don’t mind him,” said the Professor, hurriedly. “We are all in the -stage of reaction now. I have no doubt that we are all liable to -collapse. It is only to-night that we shall feel what we have gone -through.” - -“I’m sure I can fully sympathize with him,” said Mrs. Patterson. “I -don’t know when I have been more sleepy. I can hardly hold my own head -up.” She cuddled back in her chair and shut her eyes. - -“Well, I’ve never known Mary do that before,” cried her husband, -laughing heartily. “Gone to sleep over her supper! What ever will she -think when we tell her of it afterwards? But the air does seem hot and -heavy. I can certainly excuse any one who falls asleep to-night. I think -that I shall turn in early myself.” - -Ainslie was in a talkative, excited mood. He was on his feet once more -with his glass in his hand. - -“I think that we ought to have one drink all together, and then sing -‘Auld Lang Syne,’” said he, smiling round at the company. “For a week we -have all pulled in the same boat, and we’ve got to know each other as -people never do in the quiet days of peace. We’ve learned to appreciate -each other, and we’ve learned to appreciate each other’s nations. -There’s the Colonel here stands for Germany. And Father Pierre is for -France. Then there’s the Professor for America. Ralston and I are -Britishers. Then there’s the ladies, God bless ’em! They have been -angels of mercy and compassion all through the siege. I think we should -drink the health of the ladies. Wonderful thing—the quiet courage, the -patience, the—what shall I say?—the fortitude, the—the—by George, look -at the Colonel! He’s gone to sleep, too—most infernal sleepy weather.” -His glass crashed down upon the table, and he sank back, mumbling and -muttering, into his seat. Miss Sinclair, the pale mission nurse, had -dropped off also. She lay like a broken lily across the arm of her -chair. Mr. Patterson looked round him and sprang to his feet. He passed -his hand over his flushed forehead. - -“This isn’t natural, Jessie,” he cried. “Why are they all asleep? -There’s Father Pierre—he’s off too. Jessie, Jessie, your mother is cold. -Is it sleep? Is it death? Open the windows! Help! help! help!” He -staggered to his feet and rushed to the windows, but midway his head -spun round, his knees sank under him, and he pitched forward upon his -face. - -The young girl had also sprung to her feet. She looked round her with -horror-stricken eyes at her prostrate father and the silent ring of -figures. - -“Professor Mercer! What is it? What is it?” she cried. “Oh, my God, they -are dying! They are dead!” - -The old man had raised himself by a supreme effort of his will, though -the darkness was already gathering thickly round him. - -“My dear young lady,” he said, stuttering and stumbling over the words, -“we would have spared you this. It would have been painless to mind and -body. It was cyanide. I had it in the caviare. But you would not have -it.” - -“Great Heaven!” She shrank away from him with dilated eyes. “Oh, you -monster! You monster! You have poisoned them!” - -“No, no! I saved them. You don’t know the Chinese. They are horrible. In -another hour we should all have been in their hands. Take it now, -child.” Even as he spoke, a burst of firing broke out under the very -windows of the room. “Hark! There they are! Quick, dear, quick, you may -cheat them yet!” But his words fell upon deaf ears, for the girl had -sunk back senseless in her chair. The old man stood listening for an -instant to the firing outside. But what was that? Merciful Father, what -was that? Was he going mad? Was it the effect of the drug? Surely it was -a European cheer? Yes, there were sharp orders in English. There was the -shouting of sailors. He could no longer doubt it. By some miracle the -relief had come after all. He threw his long arms upwards in his -despair. “What _have_ I done? Oh, good Lord, what have I done?” he -cried. - - * * * * * - -It was Commodore Wyndham himself who was the first, after his desperate -and successful night attack, to burst into that terrible supper-room. -Round the table sat the white and silent company. Only in the young girl -who moaned and faintly stirred was any sign of life to be seen. And yet -there was one in the circle who had the energy for a last supreme duty. -The Commodore, standing stupefied at the door, saw a grey head slowly -lifted from the table, and the tall form of the Professor staggered for -an instant to its feet. - -“Take care of the caviare! For God’s sake, don’t touch the caviare!” he -croaked. - -Then he sank back once more and the circle of death was complete. - - - - - THE JAPANNED BOX - - -It _was_ a curious thing, said the private tutor; one of those grotesque -and whimsical incidents which occur to one as one goes through life. I -lost the best situation which I am ever likely to have through it. But I -am glad that I went to Thorpe Place, for I gained—well, as I tell you -the story you will learn what I gained. - -I don’t know whether you are familiar with that part of the Midlands -which is drained by the Avon. It is the most English part of England. -Shakespeare, the flower of the whole race, was born right in the middle -of it. It is a land of rolling pastures, rising in higher folds to the -westward, until they swell into the Malvern Hills. There are no towns, -but numerous villages, each with its grey Norman church. You have left -the brick of the southern and eastern counties behind you, and -everything is stone—stone for the walls, and lichened slabs of stone for -the roofs. It is all grim and solid and massive, as befits the heart of -a great nation. - -It was in the middle of this country, not very far from Evesham, that -Sir John Bollamore lived in the old ancestral home of Thorpe Place, and -thither it was that I came to teach his two little sons. Sir John was a -widower—his wife had died three years before—and he had been left with -these two lads aged eight and ten, and one dear little girl of seven. -Miss Witherton, who is now my wife, was governess to this little girl. I -was tutor to the two boys. Could there be a more obvious prelude to an -engagement? She governs me now, and I tutor two little boys of our own. -But, there—I have already revealed what it was which I gained in Thorpe -Place! - -It was a very, very old house, incredibly old—pre-Norman, some of it—and -the Bollamores claimed to have lived in that situation since long before -the Conquest. It struck a chill to my heart when first I came there, -those enormously thick grey walls, the rude crumbling stones, the smell -as from a sick animal which exhaled from the rotting plaster of the aged -building. But the modern wing was bright and the garden was well kept. -No house could be dismal which had a pretty girl inside it and such a -show of roses in front. - -Apart from a very complete staff of servants there were only four of us -in the household. These were Miss Witherton, who was at that time -four-and-twenty and as pretty—well, as pretty as Mrs. Colmore is -now—myself, Frank Colmore, aged thirty, Mrs. Stevens, the housekeeper, a -dry, silent woman, and Mr. Richards, a tall, military-looking man, who -acted as steward to the Bollamore estates. We four always had our meals -together, but Sir John had his usually alone in the library. Sometimes -he joined us at dinner, but on the whole we were just as glad when he -did not. - -For he was a very formidable person. Imagine a man six feet three inches -in height, majestically built, with a high-nosed, aristocratic face, -brindled hair, shaggy eyebrows, a small, pointed Mephistophelian beard, -and lines upon his brow and round his eyes as deep as if they had been -carved with a penknife. He had grey eyes, weary, hopeless-looking eyes, -proud and yet pathetic, eyes which claimed your pity and yet dared you -to show it. His back was rounded with study, but otherwise he was as -fine a looking man of his age—five-and-fifty perhaps—as any woman would -wish to look upon. - -But his presence was not a cheerful one. He was always courteous, always -refined, but singularly silent and retiring. I have never lived so long -with any man and known so little of him. If he were indoors he spent his -time either in his own small study in the Eastern Tower, or in the -library in the modern wing. So regular was his routine that one could -always say at any hour exactly where he would be. Twice in the day he -would visit his study, once after breakfast, and once about ten at -night. You might set your watch by the slam of the heavy door. For the -rest of the day he would be in his library—save that for an hour or two -in the afternoon he would take a walk or a ride, which was solitary like -the rest of his existence. He loved his children, and was keenly -interested in the progress of their studies, but they were a little awed -by the silent, shaggy-browed figure, and they avoided him as much as -they could. Indeed, we all did that. - -It was some time before I came to know anything about the circumstances -of Sir John Bollamore’s life, for Mrs. Stevens, the housekeeper, and Mr. -Richards, the land-steward, were too loyal to talk easily of their -employer’s affairs. As to the governess, she knew no more than I did, -and our common interest was one of the causes which drew us together. At -last, however, an incident occurred which led to a closer acquaintance -with Mr. Richards and a fuller knowledge of the life of the man whom I -served. - -The immediate cause of this was no less than the falling of Master -Percy, the youngest of my pupils, into the mill-race, with imminent -danger both to his life and to mine, since I had to risk myself in order -to save him. Dripping and exhausted—for I was far more spent than the -child—I was making for my room when Sir John, who had heard the hubbub, -opened the door of his little study and asked me what was the matter. I -told him of the accident, but assured him that his child was in no -danger, while he listened with a rugged, immobile face, which expressed -in its intense eyes and tightened lips all the emotion which he tried to -conceal. - -“One moment! Step in here! Let me have the details!” said he, turning -back through the open door. - -And so I found myself within that little sanctum, inside which, as I -afterwards learned, no other foot had for three years been set save that -of the old servant who cleaned it out. It was a round room, conforming -to the shape of the tower in which it was situated, with a low ceiling, -a single narrow, ivy-wreathed window, and the simplest of furniture. An -old carpet, a single chair, a deal table, and a small shelf of books -made up the whole contents. On the table stood a full-length photograph -of a woman—I took no particular notice of the features, but I remember -that a certain gracious gentleness was the prevailing impression. Beside -it were a large black japanned box and one or two bundles of letters or -papers fastened together with elastic bands. - -Our interview was a short one, for Sir John Bollamore perceived that I -was soaked, and that I should change without delay. The incident led, -however, to an instructive talk with Richards, the agent, who had never -penetrated into the chamber which chance had opened to me. That very -afternoon he came to me, all curiosity, and walked up and down the -garden path with me, while my two charges played tennis upon the lawn -beside us. - -“You hardly realize the exception which has been made in your favour,” -said he. “That room has been kept such a mystery, and Sir John’s visits -to it have been so regular and consistent, that an almost superstitious -feeling has arisen about it in the household. I assure you that if I -were to repeat to you the tales which are flying about, tales of -mysterious visitors there, and of voices overheard by the servants, you -might suspect that Sir John had relapsed into his old ways.” - -“Why do you say relapsed?” I asked. - -He looked at me in surprise. - -“Is it possible,” said he, “that Sir John Bollamore’s previous history -is unknown to you?” - -“Absolutely.” - -“You astound me. I thought that every man in England knew something of -his antecedents. I should not mention the matter if it were not that you -are now one of ourselves, and that the facts might come to your ears in -some harsher form if I were silent upon them. I always took it for -granted that you knew that you were in the service of ‘Devil’ -Bollamore.” - -“But why ‘Devil’?” I asked. - -“Ah, you are young and the world moves fast, but twenty years ago the -name of ‘Devil’ Bollamore was one of the best known in London. He was -the leader of the fastest set, bruiser, driver, gambler, drunkard—a -survival of the old type, and as bad as the worst of them.” - -I stared at him in amazement. - -“What!” I cried, “that quiet, studious, sad-faced man?” - -“The greatest rip and debauchee in England! All between ourselves, -Colmore. But you understand now what I mean when I say that a woman’s -voice in his room might even now give rise to suspicions.” - -“But what can have changed him so?” - -“Little Beryl Clare, when she took the risk of becoming his wife. That -was the turning point. He had got so far that his own fast set had -thrown him over. There is a world of difference, you know, between a man -who drinks and a drunkard. They all drink, but they taboo a drunkard. He -had become a slave to it—hopeless and helpless. Then she stepped in, saw -the possibilities of a fine man in the wreck, took her chance in -marrying him, though she might have had the pick of a dozen, and, by -devoting her life to it, brought him back to manhood and decency. You -have observed that no liquor is ever kept in the house. There never has -been any since her foot crossed its threshold. A drop of it would be -like blood to a tiger even now.” - -“Then her influence still holds him?” - -“That is the wonder of it. When she died three years ago, we all -expected and feared that he would fall back into his old ways. She -feared it herself, and the thought gave a terror to death, for she was -like a guardian angel to that man, and lived only for the one purpose. -By the way, did you see a black japanned box in his room?” - -“Yes.” - -“I fancy it contains her letters. If ever he has occasion to be away, if -only for a single night, he invariably takes his black japanned box with -him. Well, well, Colmore, perhaps I have told you rather more than I -should, but I shall expect you to reciprocate if anything of interest -should come to your knowledge.” I could see that the worthy man was -consumed with curiosity and just a little piqued that I, the new-comer, -should have been the first to penetrate into the untrodden chamber. But -the fact raised me in his esteem, and from that time onwards I found -myself upon more confidential terms with him. - -And now the silent and majestic figure of my employer became an object -of greater interest to me. I began to understand that strangely human -look in his eyes, those deep lines upon his careworn face. He was a man -who was fighting a ceaseless battle, holding at arm’s length, from -morning till night, a horrible adversary, who was for ever trying to -close with him—an adversary which would destroy him body and soul could -it but fix its claws once more upon him. As I watched the grim, -round-backed figure pacing the corridor or walking in the garden, this -imminent danger seemed to take bodily shape, and I could almost fancy -that I saw this most loathsome and dangerous of all the fiends crouching -closely in his very shadow, like a half-cowed beast which slinks beside -its keeper, ready at any unguarded moment to spring at his throat. And -the dead woman, the woman who had spent her life in warding off this -danger, took shape also to my imagination, and I saw her as a shadowy -but beautiful presence which intervened for ever with arms uplifted to -screen the man whom she loved. - -In some subtle way he divined the sympathy which I had for him, and he -showed in his own silent fashion that he appreciated it. He even invited -me once to share his afternoon walk, and although no word passed between -us on this occasion, it was a mark of confidence which he had never -shown to any one before. He asked me also to index his library (it was -one of the best private libraries in England), and I spent many hours in -the evening in his presence, if not in his society, he reading at his -desk and I sitting in a recess by the window reducing to order the chaos -which existed among his books. In spite of these close relations I was -never again asked to enter the chamber in the turret. - -And then came my revulsion of feeling. A single incident changed all my -sympathy to loathing, and made me realize that my employer still -remained all that he had ever been, with the additional vice of -hypocrisy. What happened was as follows. - -One evening Miss Witherton had gone down to Broadway, the neighbouring -village, to sing at a concert for some charity, and I, according to my -promise, had walked over to escort her back. The drive sweeps round -under the eastern turret, and I observed as I passed that the light was -lit in the circular room. It was a summer evening, and the window, which -was a little higher than our heads, was open. We were, as it happened, -engrossed in our own conversation at the moment, and we had paused upon -the lawn which skirts the old turret, when suddenly something broke in -upon our talk and turned our thoughts away from our own affairs. - -It was a voice—the voice undoubtedly of a woman. It was low—so low that -it was only in that still night air that we could have heard it, but, -hushed as it was, there was no mistaking its feminine timbre. It spoke -hurriedly, gaspingly for a few sentences, and then was silent—a piteous, -breathless, imploring sort of voice. Miss Witherton and I stood for an -instant staring at each other. Then we walked quickly in the direction -of the hall-door. - -“It came through the window,” I said. - -“We must not play the part of eavesdroppers,” she answered. “We must -forget that we have ever heard it.” - -There was an absence of surprise in her manner which suggested a new -idea to me. - -“You have heard it before,” I cried. - -“I could not help it. My own room is higher up on the same turret. It -has happened frequently.” - -“Who can the woman be?” - -“I have no idea. I had rather not discuss it.” - -Her voice was enough to show me what she thought. But granting that our -employer led a double and dubious life, who could she be, this -mysterious woman who kept him company in the old tower? I knew from my -own inspection how bleak and bare a room it was. She certainly did not -live there. But in that case where did she come from? It could not be -any one of the household. They were all under the vigilant eyes of Mrs. -Stevens. The visitor must come from without. But how? - -And then suddenly I remembered how ancient this building was, and how -probable that some mediæval passage existed in it. There is hardly an -old castle without one. The mysterious room was the basement of the -turret, so that if there were anything of the sort it would open through -the floor. There were numerous cottages in the immediate vicinity. The -other end of the secret passage might lie among some tangle of bramble -in the neighbouring copse. I said nothing to any one, but I felt that -the secret of my employer lay within my power. - -And the more convinced I was of this the more I marvelled at the manner -in which he concealed his true nature. Often as I watched his austere -figure, I asked myself if it were indeed possible that such a man should -be living this double life, and I tried to persuade myself that my -suspicions might after all prove to be ill-founded. But there was the -female voice, there was the secret nightly rendezvous in the turret -chamber—how could such facts admit of an innocent interpretation? I -conceived a horror of the man. I was filled with loathing at his deep, -consistent hypocrisy. - -Only once during all those months did I ever see him without that sad -but impassive mask which he usually presented towards his fellow-man. -For an instant I caught a glimpse of those volcanic fires which he had -damped down so long. The occasion was an unworthy one, for the object of -his wrath was none other than the aged charwoman whom I have already -mentioned as being the one person who was allowed within his mysterious -chamber. I was passing the corridor which led to the turret—for my own -room lay in that direction—when I heard a sudden, startled scream, and -merged in it the husky, growling note of a man who is inarticulate with -passion. It was the snarl of a furious wild beast. Then I heard his -voice thrilling with anger. “You would dare!” he cried. “You would dare -to disobey my directions!” An instant later the charwoman passed me, -flying down the passage, white faced and tremulous, while the terrible -voice thundered behind her. “Go to Mrs. Stevens for your money! Never -set foot in Thorpe Place again!” Consumed with curiosity, I could not -help following the woman, and found her round the corner leaning against -the wall and palpitating like a frightened rabbit. - -“What is the matter, Mrs. Brown?” I asked. - -“It’s master!” she gasped. “Oh ’ow ’e frightened me! If you had seen ’is -eyes, Mr. Colmore, sir. I thought ’e would ’ave been the death of me.” - -“But what had you done?” - -“Done, sir! Nothing. At least nothing to make so much of. Just laid my -’and on that black box of ’is—’adn’t even opened it, when in ’e came and -you ’eard the way ’e went on. I’ve lost my place, and glad I am of it, -for I would never trust myself within reach of ’im again.” - -So it was the japanned box which was the cause of this outburst—the box -from which he would never permit himself to be separated. What was the -connection, or was there any connection between this and the secret -visits of the lady whose voice I had overheard? Sir John Bollamore’s -wrath was enduring as well as fiery, for from that day Mrs. Brown, the -charwoman, vanished from our ken, and Thorpe Place knew her no more. - -And now I wish to tell you the singular chance which solved all these -strange questions and put my employer’s secret in my possession. The -story may leave you with some lingering doubt as to whether my curiosity -did not get the better of my honour, and whether I did not condescend to -play the spy. If you choose to think so I cannot help it, but can only -assure you that, improbable as it may appear, the matter came about -exactly as I describe it. - -The first stage in this _dénouement_ was that the small room on the -turret became uninhabitable. This occurred through the fall of the -worm-eaten oaken beam which supported the ceiling. Rotten with age, it -snapped in the middle one morning, and brought down a quantity of -plaster with it. Fortunately Sir John was not in the room at the time. -His precious box was rescued from amongst the _débris_ and brought into -the library, where, henceforward, it was locked within his bureau. Sir -John took no steps to repair the damage, and I never had an opportunity -of searching for that secret passage, the existence of which I had -surmised. As to the lady, I had thought that this would have brought her -visits to an end, had I not one evening heard Mr. Richards asking Mrs. -Stevens who the woman was whom he had overheard talking to Sir John in -the library. I could not catch her reply, but I saw from her manner that -it was not the first time that she had had to answer or avoid the same -question. - -“You’ve heard the voice, Colmore?” said the agent. - -I confessed that I had. - -“And what do _you_ think of it?” - -I shrugged my shoulders, and remarked that it was no business of mine. - -“Come, come, you are just as curious as any of us. Is it a woman or -not?” - -“It is certainly a woman.” - -“Which room did you hear it from?” - -“From the turret-room, before the ceiling fell.” - -“But I heard it from the library only last night. I passed the doors as -I was going to bed, and I heard something wailing and praying just as -plainly as I hear you. It may be a woman——” - -“Why, what else _could_ it be?” - -He looked at me hard. - -“There are more things in heaven and earth,” said he. “If it is a woman, -how does she get there?” - -“I don’t know.” - -“No, nor I. But if it is the other thing—but there, for a practical -business man at the end of the nineteenth century this is rather a -ridiculous line of conversation.” He turned away, but I saw that he felt -even more than he had said. To all the old ghost stories of Thorpe Place -a new one was being added before our very eyes. It may by this time have -taken its permanent place, for though an explanation came to me, it -never reached the others. - -And my explanation came in this way. I had suffered a sleepless night -from neuralgia, and about mid-day I had taken a heavy dose of chlorodyne -to alleviate the pain. At that time I was finishing the indexing of Sir -John Bollamore’s library, and it was my custom to work there from five -till seven. On this particular day I struggled against the double effect -of my bad night and the narcotic. I have already mentioned that there -was a recess in the library, and in this it was my habit to work. I -settled down steadily to my task, but my weariness overcame me and, -falling back upon the settee, I dropped into a heavy sleep. - -How long I slept I do not know, but it was quite dark when I awoke. -Confused by the chlorodyne which I had taken, I lay motionless in a -semi-conscious state. The great room with its high walls covered with -books loomed darkly all round me. A dim radiance from the moonlight came -through the farther window, and against this lighter background I saw -that Sir John Bollamore was sitting at his study table. His well-set -head and clearly cut profile were sharply outlined against the -glimmering square behind him. He bent as I watched him, and I heard the -sharp turning of a key and the rasping of metal upon metal. As if in a -dream I was vaguely conscious that this was the japanned box which stood -in front of him, and that he had drawn something out of it, something -squat and uncouth, which now lay before him upon the table. I never -realized—it never occurred to my bemuddled and torpid brain that I was -intruding upon his privacy, that he imagined himself to be alone in the -room. And then, just as it rushed upon my horrified perceptions, and I -had half risen to announce my presence, I heard a strange, crisp, -metallic clicking, and then the voice. - -Yes, it was a woman’s voice; there could not be a doubt of it. But a -voice so charged with entreaty and with yearning love, that it will ring -for ever in my ears. It came with a curious far-away tinkle, but every -word was clear, though faint—very faint, for they were the last words of -a dying woman. - -“I am not really gone, John,” said the thin, gasping voice. “I am here -at your very elbow, and shall be until we meet once more. I die happy to -think that morning and night you will hear my voice. Oh, John, be -strong, be strong, until we meet again.” - -I say that I had risen in order to announce my presence, but I could not -do so while the voice was sounding. I could only remain half lying, half -sitting, paralyzed, astounded, listening to those yearning distant -musical words. And he—he was so absorbed that even if I had spoken he -might not have heard me. But with the silence of the voice came my half -articulated apologies and explanations. He sprang across the room, -switched on the electric light, and in its white glare I saw him, his -eyes gleaming with anger, his face twisted with passion, as the hapless -charwoman may have seen him weeks before. - -“Mr. Colmore!” he cried. “You here! What is the meaning of this, sir?” - -With halting words I explained it all, my neuralgia, the narcotic, my -luckless sleep and singular awakening. As he listened the glow of anger -faded from his face, and the sad, impassive mask closed once more over -his features. - -“My secret is yours, Mr. Colmore,” said he. “I have only myself to blame -for relaxing my precautions. Half confidences are worse than no -confidences, and so you may know all since you know so much. The story -may go where you will when I have passed away, but until then I rely -upon your sense of honour that no human soul shall hear it from your -lips. I am proud still—God help me!—or, at least, I am proud enough to -resent that pity which this story would draw upon me. I have smiled at -envy, and disregarded hatred, but pity is more than I can tolerate. - -“You have heard the source from which the voice comes—that voice which -has, as I understand, excited so much curiosity in my household. I am -aware of the rumours to which it has given rise. These speculations, -whether scandalous or superstitious, are such as I can disregard and -forgive. What I should never forgive would be a disloyal spying and -eavesdropping in order to satisfy an illicit curiosity. But of that, Mr. -Colmore, I acquit you. - -“When I was a young man, sir, many years younger than you are now, I was -launched upon town without a friend or adviser, and with a purse which -brought only too many false friends and false advisers to my side. I -drank deeply of the wine of life—if there is a man living who has drank -more deeply he is not a man whom I envy. My purse suffered, my character -suffered, my constitution suffered, stimulants became a necessity to me, -I was a creature from whom my memory recoils. And it was at that time, -the time of my blackest degradation, that God sent into my life the -gentlest, sweetest spirit that ever descended as a ministering angel -from above. She loved me, broken as I was, loved me, and spent her life -in making a man once more of that which had degraded itself to the level -of the beasts. - -“But a fell disease struck her, and she withered away before my eyes. In -the hour of her agony it was never of herself, of her own sufferings and -her own death that she thought. It was all of me. The one pang which her -fate brought to her was the fear that when her influence was removed I -should revert to that which I had been. It was in vain that I made oath -to her that no drop of wine would ever cross my lips. She knew only too -well the hold that the devil had upon me—she who had striven so to -loosen it—and it haunted her night and day the thought that my soul -might again be within his grip. - -“It was from some friend’s gossip of the sick room that she heard of -this invention—this phonograph—and with the quick insight of a loving -woman she saw how she might use it for her ends. She sent me to London -to procure the best which money could buy. With her dying breath she -gasped into it the words which have held me straight ever since. Lonely -and broken, what else have I in all the world to uphold me? But it is -enough. Please God, I shall face her without shame when He is pleased to -reunite us! That is my secret, Mr. Colmore, and whilst I live I leave it -in your keeping.” - - - - - THE BLACK DOCTOR - - -Bishop’s Crossing is a small village lying ten miles in a south-westerly -direction from Liverpool. Here in the early seventies there settled a -doctor named Aloysius Lana. Nothing was known locally either of his -antecedents or of the reasons which had prompted him to come to this -Lancashire hamlet. Two facts only were certain about him: the one that -he had gained his medical qualification with some distinction at -Glasgow; the other that he came undoubtedly of a tropical race, and was -so dark that he might almost have had a strain of the Indian in his -composition. His predominant features were, however, European, and he -possessed a stately courtesy and carriage which suggested a Spanish -extraction. A swarthy skin, raven-black hair, and dark, sparkling eyes -under a pair of heavily-tufted brows made a strange contrast to the -flaxen or chestnut rustics of England, and the new-comer was soon known -as “The Black Doctor of Bishop’s Crossing.” At first it was a term of -ridicule and reproach; as the years went on it became a title of honour -which was familiar to the whole country-side, and extended far beyond -the narrow confines of the village. - -For the new-comer proved himself to be a capable surgeon and an -accomplished physician. The practice of that district had been in the -hands of Edward Rowe, the son of Sir William Rowe, the Liverpool -consultant, but he had not inherited the talents of his father, and Dr. -Lana, with his advantages of presence and of manner, soon beat him out -of the field. Dr. Lana’s social success was as rapid as his -professional. A remarkable surgical cure in the case of the Hon. James -Lowry, the second son of Lord Belton, was the means of introducing him -to county society, where he became a favourite through the charm of his -conversation and the elegance of his manners. An absence of antecedents -and of relatives is sometimes an aid rather than an impediment to social -advancement, and the distinguished individuality of the handsome doctor -was its own recommendation. - -His patients had one fault—and one fault only—to find with him. He -appeared to be a confirmed bachelor. This was the more remarkable since -the house which he occupied was a large one, and it was known that his -success in practice had enabled him to save considerable sums. At first -the local match-makers were continually coupling his name with one or -other of the eligible ladies, but as years passed and Dr. Lana remained -unmarried, it came to be generally understood that for some reason he -must remain a bachelor. Some even went so far as to assert that he was -already married, and that it was in order to escape the consequence of -an early misalliance that he had buried himself at Bishop’s Crossing. -And then, just as the match-makers had finally given him up in despair, -his engagement was suddenly announced to Miss Frances Morton, of Leigh -Hall. - -Miss Morton was a young lady who was well known upon the country-side, -her father, James Haldane Morton, having been the Squire of Bishop’s -Crossing. Both her parents were, however, dead, and she lived with her -only brother, Arthur Morton, who had inherited the family estate. In -person Miss Morton was tall and stately, and she was famous for her -quick, impetuous nature and for her strength of character. She met Dr. -Lana at a garden-party, and a friendship, which quickly ripened into -love, sprang up between them. Nothing could exceed their devotion to -each other. There was some discrepancy in age, he being thirty-seven, -and she twenty-four; but, save in that one respect, there was no -possible objection to be found with the match. The engagement was in -February, and it was arranged that the marriage should take place in -August. - -Upon the 3rd of June Dr. Lana received a letter from abroad. In a small -village the postmaster is also in a position to be the gossip-master, -and Mr. Bankley, of Bishop’s Crossing, had many of the secrets of his -neighbours in his possession. Of this particular letter he remarked only -that it was in a curious envelope, that it was in a man’s handwriting, -that the postscript was Buenos Ayres, and the stamp of the Argentine -Republic. It was the first letter which he had ever known Dr. Lana to -have from abroad, and this was the reason why his attention was -particularly called to it before he handed it to the local postman. It -was delivered by the evening delivery of that date. - -Next morning—that is, upon the 4th of June—Dr. Lana called upon Miss -Morton, and a long interview followed, from which he was observed to -return in a state of great agitation. Miss Morton remained in her room -all that day, and her maid found her several times in tears. In the -course of a week it was an open secret to the whole village that the -engagement was at an end, that Dr. Lana had behaved shamefully to the -young lady, and that Arthur Morton, her brother, was talking of -horse-whipping him. In what particular respect the doctor had behaved -badly was unknown—some surmised one thing and some another; but it was -observed, and taken as the obvious sign of a guilty conscience, that he -would go for miles round rather than pass the windows of Leigh Hall, and -that he gave up attending morning service upon Sundays where he might -have met the young lady. There was an advertisement also in the _Lancet_ -as to the sale of a practice which mentioned no names, but which was -thought by some to refer to Bishop’s Crossing, and to mean that Dr. Lana -was thinking of abandoning the scene of his success. Such was the -position of affairs when, upon the evening of Monday, June 21st, there -came a fresh development which changed what had been a mere village -scandal into a tragedy which arrested the attention of the whole nation. -Some detail is necessary to cause the facts of that evening to present -their full significance. - -The sole occupants of the doctor’s house were his housekeeper, an -elderly and most respectable woman, named Martha Woods, and a young -servant—Mary Pilling. The coachman and the surgery-boy slept out. It was -the custom of the doctor to sit at night in his study, which was next -the surgery in the wing of the house which was farthest from the -servants’ quarters. This side of the house had a door of its own for the -convenience of patients, so that it was possible for the doctor to admit -and receive a visitor there without the knowledge of any one. As a -matter of fact, when patients came late it was quite usual for him to -let them in and out by the surgery entrance, for the maid and the -housekeeper were in the habit of retiring early. - -On this particular night Martha Woods went into the doctor’s study at -half-past nine, and found him writing at his desk. She bade him -good-night, sent the maid to bed, and then occupied herself until a -quarter to eleven in household matters. It was striking eleven upon the -hall clock when she went to her own room. She had been there about a -quarter of an hour or twenty minutes when she heard a cry or call, which -appeared to come from within the house. She waited some time, but it was -not repeated. Much alarmed, for the sound was loud and urgent, she put -on a dressing-gown, and ran at the top of her speed to the doctor’s -study. - -“Who’s there?” cried a voice, as she tapped at the door. - -“I am here, sir—Mrs. Woods.” - -“I beg that you will leave me in peace. Go back to your room this -instant!” cried the voice, which was, to the best of her belief, that of -her master. The tone was so harsh and so unlike her master’s usual -manner, that she was surprised and hurt. - -“I thought I heard you calling, sir,” she explained, but no answer was -given to her. Mrs. Woods looked at the clock as she returned to her -room, and it was then half-past eleven. - -At some period between eleven and twelve (she could not be positive as -to the exact hour) a patient called upon the doctor and was unable to -get any reply from him. This late visitor was Mrs. Madding, the wife of -the village grocer who was dangerously ill of typhoid fever. Dr. Lana -had asked her to look in the last thing and let him know how her husband -was progressing. She observed that the light was burning in the study, -but having knocked several times at the surgery door without response, -she concluded that the doctor had been called out, and so returned home. - -There is a short, winding drive with a lamp at the end of it leading -down from the house to the road. As Mrs. Madding emerged from the gate a -man was coming along the footpath. Thinking that it might be Dr. Lana -returning from some professional visit, she waited for him, and was -surprised to see that it was Mr. Arthur Morton, the young squire. In the -light of the lamp she observed that his manner was excited, and that he -carried in his hand a heavy hunting-crop. He was turning in at the gate -when she addressed him. - -“The doctor is not in, sir,” said she. - -“How do you know that?” he asked, harshly. - -“I have been to the surgery door, sir.” - -“I see a light,” said the young squire, looking up the drive. “That is -in his study, is it not?” - -“Yes, sir; but I am sure that he is out.” - -“Well, he must come in again,” said young Morton, and passed through the -gate while Mrs. Madding went upon her homeward way. - -At three o’clock that morning her husband suffered a sharp relapse, and -she was so alarmed by his symptoms that she determined to call the -doctor without delay. As she passed through the gate she was surprised -to see some one lurking among the laurel bushes. It was certainly a man, -and to the best of her belief Mr. Arthur Morton. Preoccupied with her -own troubles, she gave no particular attention to the incident, but -hurried on upon her errand. - -When she reached the house she perceived to her surprise that the light -was still burning in the study. She therefore tapped at the surgery -door. There was no answer. She repeated the knocking several times -without effect. It appeared to her to be unlikely that the doctor would -either go to bed or go out leaving so brilliant a light behind him, and -it struck Mrs. Madding that it was possible that he might have dropped -asleep in his chair. She tapped at the study window, therefore, but -without result. Then, finding that there was an opening between the -curtain and the woodwork, she looked through. - -The small room was brilliantly lighted from a large lamp on the central -table, which was littered with the doctor’s books and instruments. No -one was visible, nor did she see anything unusual, except that in the -further shadow thrown by the table a dingy white glove was lying upon -the carpet. And then suddenly, as her eyes became more accustomed to the -light, a boot emerged from the other end of the shadow, and she -realized, with a thrill of horror, that what she had taken to be a glove -was the hand of a man, who was prostrate upon the floor. Understanding -that something terrible had occurred, she rang at the front door, roused -Mrs. Woods, the housekeeper, and the two women made their way into the -study, having first dispatched the maidservant to the police-station. - -At the side of the table, away from the window, Dr. Lana was discovered -stretched upon his back and quite dead. It was evident that he had been -subjected to violence, for one of his eyes was blackened, and there were -marks of bruises about his face and neck. A slight thickening and -swelling of his features appeared to suggest that the cause of his death -had been strangulation. He was dressed in his usual professional -clothes, but wore cloth slippers, the soles of which were perfectly -clean. The carpet was marked all over, especially on the side of the -door, with traces of dirty boots, which were presumably left by the -murderer. It was evident that some one had entered by the surgery door, -had killed the doctor, and had then made his escape unseen. That the -assailant was a man was certain, from the size of the footprints and -from the nature of the injuries. But beyond that point the police found -it very difficult to go. - -There were no signs of robbery, and the doctor’s gold watch was safe in -his pocket. He kept a heavy cash-box in the room, and this was -discovered to be locked but empty. Mrs. Woods had an impression that a -large sum was usually kept there, but the doctor had paid a heavy corn -bill in cash only that very day, and it was conjectured that it was to -this and not to a robber that the emptiness of the box was due. One -thing in the room was missing—but that one thing was suggestive. The -portrait of Miss Morton, which had always stood upon the side-table, had -been taken from its frame, and carried off. Mrs. Woods had observed it -there when she waited upon her employer that evening, and now it was -gone. On the other hand, there was picked up from the floor a green -eye-patch, which the housekeeper could not remember to have seen before. -Such a patch might, however, be in the possession of a doctor, and there -was nothing to indicate that it was in any way connected with the crime. - -Suspicion could only turn in one direction, and Arthur Morton, the young -squire, was immediately arrested. The evidence against him was -circumstantial, but damning. He was devoted to his sister, and it was -shown that since the rupture between her and Dr. Lana he had been heard -again and again to express himself in the most vindictive terms towards -her former lover. He had, as stated, been seen somewhere about eleven -o’clock entering the doctor’s drive with a hunting-crop in his hand. He -had then, according to the theory of the police, broken in upon the -doctor, whose exclamation of fear or of anger had been loud enough to -attract the attention of Mrs. Woods. When Mrs. Woods descended, Dr. Lana -had made up his mind to talk it over with his visitor, and had, -therefore, sent his housekeeper back to her room. This conversation had -lasted a long time, had become more and more fiery, and had ended by a -personal struggle, in which the doctor lost his life. The fact, revealed -by a _post-mortem_, that his heart was much diseased—an ailment quite -unsuspected during his life—would make it possible that death might in -his case ensue from injuries which would not be fatal to a healthy man. -Arthur Morton had then removed his sister’s photograph, and had made his -way homeward, stepping aside into the laurel bushes to avoid Mrs. -Madding at the gate. This was the theory of the prosecution, and the -case which they presented was a formidable one. - -On the other hand, there were some strong points for the defence. Morton -was high-spirited and impetuous, like his sister, but he was respected -and liked by everyone, and his frank and honest nature seemed to be -incapable of such a crime. His own explanation was that he was anxious -to have a conversation with Dr. Lana about some urgent family matters -(from first to last he refused even to mention the name of his sister). -He did not attempt to deny that this conversation would probably have -been of an unpleasant nature. He had heard from a patient that the -doctor was out, and he therefore waited until about three in the morning -for his return, but as he had seen nothing of him up to that hour, he -had given it up and had returned home. As to his death, he knew no more -about it than the constable who arrested him. He had formerly been an -intimate friend of the deceased man; but circumstances, which he would -prefer not to mention, had brought about a change in his sentiments. - -There were several facts which supported his innocence. It was certain -that Dr. Lana was alive and in his study at half-past eleven o’clock. -Mrs. Woods was prepared to swear that it was at that hour that she had -heard his voice. The friends of the prisoner contended that it was -probable that at that time Dr. Lana was not alone. The sound which had -originally attracted the attention of the housekeeper, and her master’s -unusual impatience that she should leave him in peace, seemed to point -to that. If this were so, then it appeared to be probable that he had -met his end between the moment when the housekeeper heard his voice and -the time when Mrs. Madding made her first call and found it impossible -to attract his attention. But if this were the time of his death, then -it was certain that Mr. Arthur Morton could not be guilty, as it was -_after_ this that she had met the young squire at the gate. - -If this hypothesis were correct, and someone was with Dr. Lana before -Mrs. Madding met Mr. Arthur Morton, then who was this someone, and what -motives had he for wishing evil to the doctor? It was universally -admitted that if the friends of the accused could throw light upon this, -they would have gone a long way towards establishing his innocence. But -in the meanwhile it was open to the public to say—as they did say—that -there was no proof that any one had been there at all except the young -squire; while, on the other hand, there was ample proof that his motives -in going were of a sinister kind. When Mrs. Madding called, the doctor -might have retired to his room, or he might, as she thought at the time, -have gone out and returned afterwards to find Mr. Arthur Morton waiting -for him. Some of the supporters of the accused laid stress upon the fact -that the photograph of his sister Frances, which had been removed from -the doctor’s room, had not been found in her brother’s possession. This -argument, however, did not count for much, as he had ample time before -his arrest to burn it or to destroy it. As to the only positive evidence -in the case—the muddy footmarks upon the floor—they were so blurred by -the softness of the carpet that it was impossible to make any -trustworthy deduction from them. The most that could be said was that -their appearance was not inconsistent with the theory that they were -made by the accused, and it was further shown that his boots were very -muddy upon that night. There had been a heavy shower in the afternoon, -and all boots were probably in the same condition. - -Such is a bald statement of the singular and romantic series of events -which centred public attention upon this Lancashire tragedy. The unknown -origin of the doctor, his curious and distinguished personality, the -position of the man who was accused of the murder, and the love affair -which had preceded the crime, all combined to make the affair one of -those dramas which absorb the whole interest of a nation. Throughout the -three kingdoms men discussed the case of the Black Doctor of Bishop’s -Crossing, and many were the theories put forward to explain the facts; -but it may safely be said that among them all there was not one which -prepared the minds of the public for the extraordinary sequel, which -caused so much excitement upon the first day of the trial, and came to a -climax upon the second. The long files of the _Lancaster Weekly_ with -their report of the case lie before me as I write, but I must content -myself with a synopsis of the case up to the point when, upon the -evening of the first day, the evidence of Miss Frances Morton threw a -singular light upon the case. - -Mr. Porlock Carr, the counsel for the prosecution, had marshalled his -facts with his usual skill, and as the day wore on, it became more and -more evident how difficult was the task which Mr. Humphrey, who had been -retained for the defence, had before him. Several witnesses were put up -to swear to the intemperate expressions which the young squire had been -heard to utter about the doctor, and the fiery manner in which he -resented the alleged ill-treatment of his sister. Mrs. Madding repeated -her evidence as to the visit which had been paid late at night by the -prisoner to the deceased, and it was shown by another witness that the -prisoner was aware that the doctor was in the habit of sitting up alone -in this isolated wing of the house, and that he had chosen this very -late hour to call because he knew that his victim would then be at his -mercy. A servant at the squire’s house was compelled to admit that he -had heard his master return about three that morning, which corroborated -Mrs. Madding’s statement that she had seen him among the laurel bushes -near the gate upon the occasion of her second visit. The muddy boots and -an alleged similarity in the footprints were duly dwelt upon, and it was -felt when the case for the prosecution had been presented that, however -circumstantial it might be, it was none the less so complete and so -convincing, that the fate of the prisoner was sealed, unless something -quite unexpected should be disclosed by the defence. It was three -o’clock when the prosecution closed. At half-past four, when the Court -rose, a new and unlooked for development had occurred. I extract the -incident, or part of it, from the journal which I have already -mentioned, omitting the preliminary observations of the counsel. - -Considerable sensation was caused in the crowded court when the first -witness called for the defence proved to be Miss Frances Morton, the -sister of the prisoner. Our readers will remember that the young lady -had been engaged to Dr. Lana, and that it was his anger over the sudden -termination of this engagement which was thought to have driven her -brother to the perpetration of this crime. Miss Morton had not, however, -been directly implicated in the case in any way, either at the inquest -or at the police-court proceedings, and her appearance as the leading -witness for the defence came as a surprise upon the public. - -Miss Frances Morton, who was a tall and handsome brunette, gave her -evidence in a low but clear voice, though it was evident throughout that -she was suffering from extreme emotion. She alluded to her engagement to -the doctor, touched briefly upon its termination, which was due, she -said, to personal matters connected with his family, and surprised the -Court by asserting that she had always considered her brother’s -resentment to be unreasonable and intemperate. In answer to a direct -question from her counsel, she replied that she did not feel that she -had any grievance whatever against Dr. Lana, and that in her opinion he -had acted in a perfectly honourable manner. Her brother, on an -insufficient knowledge of the facts, had taken another view, and she was -compelled to acknowledge that, in spite of her entreaties, he had -uttered threats of personal violence against the doctor, and had, upon -the evening of the tragedy, announced his intention of “having it out -with him.” She had done her best to bring him to a more reasonable frame -of mind, but he was very headstrong where his emotions or prejudices -were concerned. - -Up to this point the young lady’s evidence had appeared to make against -the prisoner rather than in his favour. The questions of her counsel, -however, soon put a very different light upon the matter, and disclosed -an unexpected line of defence. - -Mr. Humphrey: Do you believe your brother to be guilty of this crime? - -The Judge: I cannot permit that question, Mr. Humphrey. We are here to -decide upon questions of fact—not of belief. - -Mr. Humphrey: Do you know that your brother is not guilty of the death -of Doctor Lana? - -Miss Morton: Yes. - -Mr. Humphrey: How do you know it? - -Miss Morton: Because Dr. Lana is not dead. - -There followed a prolonged sensation in court, which interrupted the -cross-examination of the witness. - -Mr. Humphrey: And how do you know, Miss Morton, that Dr. Lana is not -dead? - -Miss Morton: Because I have received a letter from him since the date of -his supposed death. - -Mr. Humphrey: Have you this letter? - -Miss Morton: Yes, but I should prefer not to show it. - -Mr. Humphrey: Have you the envelope? - -Miss Morton: Yes, it is here. - -Mr. Humphrey: What is the post-mark? - -Miss Morton: Liverpool. - -Mr. Humphrey: And the date? - -Miss Morton: June the 22nd. - -Mr. Humphrey: That being the day after his alleged death. Are you -prepared to swear to this handwriting, Miss Morton? - -Miss Morton: Certainly. - -Mr. Humphrey: I am prepared to call six other witnesses, my lord, to -testify that this letter is in the writing of Doctor Lana. - -The Judge: Then you must call them to-morrow. - -Mr. Porlock Carr (counsel for the prosecution): In the meantime, my -lord, we claim possession of this document, so that we may obtain expert -evidence as to how far it is an imitation of the handwriting of the -gentleman whom we still confidently assert to be deceased. I need not -point out that the theory so unexpectedly sprung upon us may prove to be -a very obvious device adopted by the friends of the prisoner in order to -divert this inquiry. I would draw attention to the fact that the young -lady must, according to her own account, have possessed this letter -during the proceedings at the inquest and at the police-court. She -desires us to believe that she permitted these to proceed, although she -held in her pocket evidence which would at any moment have brought them -to an end. - -Mr. Humphrey: Can you explain this, Miss Morton? - -Miss Morton: Dr. Lana desired his secret to be preserved. - -Mr. Porlock Carr: Then why have you made this public? - -Miss Morton: To save my brother. - -A murmur of sympathy broke out in court, which was instantly suppressed -by the Judge. - -The Judge: Admitting this line of defence, it lies with you, Mr. -Humphrey, to throw a light upon who this man is whose body has been -recognised by so many friends and patients of Dr. Lana as being that of -the doctor himself. - -A Juryman: Has any one up to now expressed any doubt about the matter? - -Mr. Porlock Carr: Not to my knowledge. - -Mr. Humphrey: We hope to make the matter clear. - -The Judge: Then the Court adjourns until to-morrow. - - * * * * * - -This new development of the case excited the utmost interest among the -general public. Press comment was prevented by the fact that the trial -was still undecided, but the question was everywhere argued as to how -far there could be truth in Miss Morton’s declaration, and how far it -might be a daring ruse for the purpose of saving her brother. The -obvious dilemma in which the missing doctor stood was that if by any -extraordinary chance he was not dead, then he must be held responsible -for the death of this unknown man, who resembled him so exactly, and who -was found in his study. This letter which Miss Morton refused to produce -was possibly a confession of guilt, and she might find herself in the -terrible position of only being able to save her brother from the -gallows by the sacrifice of her former lover. The court next morning was -crammed to overflowing, and a murmur of excitement passed over it when -Mr. Humphrey was observed to enter in a state of emotion, which even his -trained nerves could not conceal, and to confer with the opposing -counsel. A few hurried words—words which left a look of amazement upon -Mr. Porlock Carr’s face—passed between them, and then the counsel for -the defence, addressing the judge, announced that, with the consent of -the prosecution, the young lady who had given evidence upon the sitting -before would not be recalled. - - * * * * * - -The Judge: But you appear, Mr. Humphrey, to have left matters in a very -unsatisfactory state. - -Mr. Humphrey: Perhaps, my lord, my next witness may help to clear them -up. - -The Judge: Then call your next witness. - -Mr. Humphrey: I call Dr. Aloysius Lana. - -The learned counsel has made many telling remarks in his day, but he has -certainly never produced such a sensation with so short a sentence. The -Court was simply stunned with amazement as the very man whose fate had -been the subject of so much contention appeared bodily before them in -the witness-box. Those among the spectators who had known him at -Bishop’s Crossing saw him now, gaunt and thin, with deep lines of care -upon his face. But in spite of his melancholy bearing and despondent -expression, there were few who could say that they had ever seen a man -of more distinguished presence. Bowing to the judge, he asked if he -might be allowed to make a statement, and having been duly informed that -whatever he said might be used against him, he bowed once more, and -proceeded:— - -“My wish,” said he, “is to hold nothing back, but to tell with perfect -frankness all that occurred upon the night of the 21st of June. Had I -known that the innocent had suffered, and that so much trouble had been -brought upon those whom I love best in the world, I should have come -forward long ago; but there were reasons which prevented these things -from coming to my ears. It was my desire that an unhappy man should -vanish from the world which had known him, but I had not foreseen that -others would be affected by my actions. Let me to the best of my ability -repair the evil which I have done. - -“To any one who is acquainted with the history of the Argentine Republic -the name of Lana is well known. My father, who came of the best blood of -old Spain, filled all the highest offices of the State, and would have -been President but for his death in the riots of San Juan. A brilliant -career might have been open to my twin brother Ernest and myself had it -not been for financial losses which made it necessary that we should -earn our own living. I apologize, sir, if these details appear to be -irrelevant, but they are a necessary introduction to that which is to -follow. - -“I had, as I have said, a twin brother named Ernest, whose resemblance -to me was so great that even when we were together people could see no -difference between us. Down to the smallest detail we were exactly the -same. As we grew older this likeness became less marked because our -expression was not the same, but with our features in repose the points -of difference were very slight. - -“It does not become me to say too much of one who is dead, the more so -as he is my only brother, but I leave his character to those who knew -him best. I will only say—for I _have_ to say it—that in my early -manhood I conceived a horror of him, and that I had good reason for the -aversion which filled me. My own reputation suffered from his actions, -for our close resemblance caused me to be credited with many of them. -Eventually, in a peculiarly disgraceful business, he contrived to throw -the whole odium upon me in such a way that I was forced to leave the -Argentine for ever, and to seek a career in Europe. The freedom from his -hated presence more than compensated me for the loss of my native land. -I had enough money to defray my medical studies at Glasgow, and I -finally settled in practice at Bishop’s Crossing, in the firm conviction -that in that remote Lancashire hamlet I should never hear of him again. - -“For years my hopes were fulfilled, and then at last he discovered me. -Some Liverpool man who visited Buenos Ayres put him upon my track. He -had lost all his money, and he thought that he would come over and share -mine. Knowing my horror of him, he rightly thought that I would be -willing to buy him off. I received a letter from him saying that he was -coming. It was at a crisis in my own affairs, and his arrival might -conceivably bring trouble, and even disgrace, upon some whom I was -especially bound to shield from anything of the kind. I took steps to -insure that any evil which might come should fall on me only, and -that”—here he turned and looked at the prisoner—“was the cause of -conduct upon my part which has been too harshly judged. My only motive -was to screen those who were dear to me from any possible connection -with scandal or disgrace. That scandal and disgrace would come with my -brother was only to say that what had been would be again. - -“My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of -the letter. I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to -bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant -later I saw his face looking in at me through the window. He was a -clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still -so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the -glass. He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were -absolutely the same. Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a -trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother -who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what -had been an honourable name. I went to the door and I admitted him. That -would be about ten o’clock that night. - -“When he came into the glare of the lamp, I saw at once that he had -fallen upon very evil days. He had walked from Liverpool, and he was -tired and ill. I was quite shocked by the expression upon his face. My -medical knowledge told me that there was some serious internal malady. -He had been drinking also, and his face was bruised as the result of a -scuffle which he had had with some sailors. It was to cover his injured -eye that he wore this patch, which he removed when he entered the room. -He was himself dressed in a pea-jacket and flannel shirt, and his feet -were bursting through his boots. But his poverty had only made him more -savagely vindictive towards me. His hatred rose to the height of a -mania. I had been rolling in money in England, according to his account, -while he had been starving in South America. I cannot describe to you -the threats which he uttered or the insults which he poured upon me. My -impression is, that hardships and debauchery had unhinged his reason. He -paced about the room like a wild beast, demanding drink, demanding -money, and all in the foulest language. I am a hot-tempered man, but I -thank God that I am able to say that I remained master of myself, and -that I never raised a hand against him. My coolness only irritated him -the more. He raved, he cursed, he shook his fists in my face, and then -suddenly a horrible spasm passed over his features, he clapped his hand -to his side, and with a loud cry he fell in a heap at my feet. I raised -him up and stretched him upon the sofa, but no answer came to my -exclamations, and the hand which I held in mine was cold and clammy. His -diseased heart had broken down. His own violence had killed him. - -“For a long time I sat as if I were in some dreadful dream, staring at -the body of my brother. I was aroused by the knocking of Mrs. Woods, who -had been disturbed by that dying cry. I sent her away to bed. Shortly -afterwards a patient tapped at the surgery door, but as I took no -notice, he or she went off again. Slowly and gradually as I sat there a -plan was forming itself in my head in the curious automatic way in which -plans do form. When I rose from my chair my future movements were -finally decided upon without my having been conscious of any process of -thought. It was an instinct which irresistibly inclined me towards one -course. - -“Ever since that change in my affairs to which I have alluded, Bishop’s -Crossing had become hateful to me. My plans of life had been ruined, and -I had met with hasty judgments and unkind treatment where I had expected -sympathy. It is true that any danger of scandal from my brother had -passed away with his life; but still, I was sore about the past, and -felt that things could never be as they had been. It may be that I was -unduly sensitive, and that I had not made sufficient allowance for -others, but my feelings were as I describe. Any chance of getting away -from Bishop’s Crossing and of everyone in it would be most welcome to -me. And here was such a chance as I could never have dared to hope for, -a chance which would enable me to make a clean break with the past. - -“There was this dead man lying upon the sofa, so like me that save for -some little thickness and coarseness of the features there was no -difference at all. No one had seen him come and no one would miss him. -We were both clean shaven, and his hair was about the same length as my -own. If I changed clothes with him, then Dr. Aloysius Lana would be -found lying dead in his study, and there would be an end of an -unfortunate fellow, and of a blighted career. There was plenty of ready -money in the room, and this I could carry away with me to help me to -start once more in some other land. In my brother’s clothes I could walk -by night unobserved as far as Liverpool, and in that great seaport I -would soon find some means of leaving the country. After my lost hopes, -the humblest existence where I was unknown was far preferable, in my -estimation, to a practice, however successful, in Bishop’s Crossing, -where at any moment I might come face to face with those whom I should -wish, if it were possible, to forget. I determined to effect the change. - -“And I did so. I will not go into particulars, for the recollection is -as painful as the experience; but in an hour my brother lay, dressed -down to the smallest detail in my clothes, while I slunk out by the -surgery door, and taking the back path which led across some fields, I -started off to make the best of my way to Liverpool, where I arrived the -same night. My bag of money and a certain portrait were all I carried -out of the house, and I left behind me in my hurry the shade which my -brother had been wearing over his eye. Everything else of his I took -with me. - -“I give you my word, sir, that never for one instant did the idea occur -to me that people might think that I had been murdered, nor did I -imagine that any one might be caused serious danger through this -stratagem by which I endeavoured to gain a fresh start in the world. On -the contrary, it was the thought of relieving others from the burden of -my presence which was always uppermost in my mind. A sailing vessel was -leaving Liverpool that very day for Corunna, and in this I took my -passage, thinking that the voyage would give me time to recover my -balance, and to consider the future. But before I left my resolution -softened. I bethought me that there was one person in the world to whom -I would not cause an hour of sadness. She would mourn me in her heart, -however harsh and unsympathetic her relatives might be. She understood -and appreciated the motives upon which I had acted, and if the rest of -her family condemned me, she, at least, would not forget. And so I sent -her a note under the seal of secrecy to save her from a baseless grief. -If under the pressure of events she broke that seal, she has my entire -sympathy and forgiveness. - -“It was only last night that I returned to England, and during all this -time I have heard nothing of the sensation which my supposed death had -caused, nor of the accusation that Mr. Arthur Morton had been concerned -in it. It was in a late evening paper that I read an account of the -proceedings of yesterday, and I have come this morning as fast as an -express train could bring me to testify to the truth.” - -Such was the remarkable statement of Dr. Aloysius Lana which brought the -trial to a sudden termination. A subsequent investigation corroborated -it to the extent of finding out the vessel in which his brother Ernest -Lana had come over from South America. The ship’s doctor was able to -testify that he had complained of a weak heart during the voyage, and -that his symptoms were consistent with such a death as was described. - -As to Dr. Aloysius Lana, he returned to the village from which he had -made so dramatic a disappearance, and a complete reconciliation was -effected between him and the young squire, the latter having -acknowledged that he had entirely misunderstood the other’s motives in -withdrawing from his engagement. That another reconciliation followed -may be judged from a notice extracted from a prominent column in the -_Morning Post_:— - - A marriage was solemnized upon September 19th, by the Rev. Stephen - Johnson, at the parish church of Bishop’s Crossing, between - Aloysius Xavier Lana, son of Don Alfredo Lana, formerly Foreign - Minister of the Argentine Republic, and Frances Morton, only - daughter of the late James Morton, J.P., of Leigh Hall, Bishop’s - Crossing, Lancashire. - - - - - PLAYING WITH FIRE - - -I cannot pretend to say what occurred on the 14th of April last at No. -17, Badderly Gardens. Put down in black and white, my surmise might seem -too crude, too grotesque, for serious consideration. And yet that -something did occur, and that it was of a nature which will leave its -mark upon every one of us for the rest of our lives, is as certain as -the unanimous testimony of five witnesses can make it. I will not enter -into any argument or speculation. I will only give a plain statement, -which will be submitted to John Moir, Harvey Deacon, and Mrs. Delamere, -and withheld from publication unless they are prepared to corroborate -every detail. I cannot obtain the sanction of Paul Le Duc, for he -appears to have left the country. - -It was John Moir (the well-known senior partner of Moir, Moir, and -Sanderson) who had originally turned our attention to occult subjects. -He had, like many very hard and practical men of business, a mystic side -to his nature, which had led him to the examination, and eventually to -the acceptance, of those elusive phenomena which are grouped together -with much that is foolish, and much that is fraudulent, under the common -heading of spiritualism. His researches, which had begun with an open -mind, ended unhappily in dogma, and he became as positive and fanatical -as any other bigot. He represented in our little group the body of men -who have turned these singular phenomena into a new religion. - -Mrs. Delamere, our medium, was his sister, the wife of Delamere, the -rising sculptor. Our experience had shown us that to work on these -subjects without a medium was as futile as for an astronomer to make -observations without a telescope. On the other hand, the introduction of -a paid medium was hateful to all of us. Was it not obvious that he or -she would feel bound to return some result for money received, and that -the temptation to fraud would be an overpowering one? No phenomena could -be relied upon which were produced at a guinea an hour. But, -fortunately, Moir had discovered that his sister was mediumistic—in -other words, that she was a battery of that animal magnetic force which -is the only form of energy which is subtle enough to be acted upon from -the spiritual plane as well as from our own material one. Of course, -when I say this, I do not mean to beg the question; but I am simply -indicating the theories upon which we were ourselves, rightly or -wrongly, explaining what we saw. The lady came, not altogether with the -approval of her husband, and though she never gave indications of any -very great psychic force, we were able, at least, to obtain those usual -phenomena of message-tilting which are at the same time so puerile and -so inexplicable. Every Sunday evening we met in Harvey Deacon’s studio -at Badderly Gardens, the next house to the corner of Merton Park Road. - -Harvey Deacon’s imaginative work in art would prepare any one to find -that he was an ardent lover of everything which was _outré_ and -sensational. A certain picturesqueness in the study of the occult had -been the quality which had originally attracted him to it, but his -attention was speedily arrested by some of those phenomena to which I -have referred, and he was coming rapidly to the conclusion that what he -had looked upon as an amusing romance and an after-dinner entertainment -was really a very formidable reality. He is a man with a remarkably -clear and logical brain—a true descendant of his ancestor, the -well-known Scotch professor—and he represented in our small circle the -critical element, the man who has no prejudices, is prepared to follow -facts as far as he can see them, and refuses to theorize in advance of -his data. His caution annoyed Moir as much as the latter’s robust faith -amused Deacon, but each in his own way was equally keen upon the matter. - -And I? What am I to say that I represented? I was not the devotee. I was -not the scientific critic. Perhaps the best that I can claim for myself -is that I was the dilettante man about town, anxious to be in the swim -of every fresh movement, thankful for any new sensation which would take -me out of myself and open up fresh possibilities of existence. I am not -an enthusiast myself, but I like the company of those who are. Moir’s -talk, which made me feel as if we had a private pass-key through the -door of death, filled me with a vague contentment. The soothing -atmosphere of the séance with the darkened lights was delightful to me. -In a word, the thing amused me, and so I was there. - -It was, as I have said, upon the 14th of April last that the very -singular event which I am about to put upon record took place. I was the -first of the men to arrive at the studio, but Mrs. Delamere was already -there, having had afternoon tea with Mrs. Harvey Deacon. The two ladies -and Deacon himself were standing in front of an unfinished picture of -his upon the easel. I am not an expert in art, and I have never -professed to understand what Harvey Deacon meant by his pictures; but I -could see in this instance that it was all very clever and imaginative, -fairies and animals and allegorical figures of all sorts. The ladies -were loud in their praises, and indeed the colour effect was a -remarkable one. - -“What do you think of it, Markham?” he asked. - -“Well, it’s above me,” said I. “These beasts—what are they?” - -“Mythical monsters, imaginary creatures, heraldic emblems—a sort of -weird, bizarre procession of them.” - -“With a white horse in front!” - -“It’s not a horse,” said he, rather testily—which was surprising, for he -was a very good-humoured fellow as a rule, and hardly ever took himself -seriously. - -“What is it, then?” - -“Can’t you see the horn in front? It’s a unicorn. I told you they were -heraldic beasts. Can’t you recognize one?” - -“Very sorry, Deacon,” said I, for he really seemed to be annoyed. - -He laughed at his own irritation. - -“Excuse me, Markham!” said he; “the fact is that I have had an awful job -over the beast. All day I have been painting him in and painting him -out, and trying to imagine what a real live, ramping unicorn would look -like. At last I got him, as I hoped; so when you failed to recognize it, -it took me on the raw.” - -“Why, of course it’s a unicorn,” said I, for he was evidently depressed -at my obtuseness. “I can see the horn quite plainly, but I never saw a -unicorn except beside the Royal Arms, and so I never thought of the -creature. And these others are griffins and cockatrices, and dragons of -sorts?” - -“Yes, I had no difficulty with them. It was the unicorn which bothered -me. However, there’s an end of it until to-morrow.” He turned the -picture round upon the easel, and we all chatted about other subjects. - -Moir was late that evening, and when he did arrive he brought with him, -rather to our surprise, a small, stout Frenchman, whom he introduced as -Monsieur Paul Le Duc. I say to our surprise, for we held a theory that -any intrusion into our spiritual circle deranged the conditions, and -introduced an element of suspicion. We knew that we could trust each -other, but all our results were vitiated by the presence of an outsider. -However, Moir soon reconciled us to the innovation. Monsieur Paul Le Duc -was a famous student of occultism, a seer, a medium, and a mystic. He -was travelling in England with a letter of introduction to Moir from the -President of the Parisian brothers of the Rosy Cross. What more natural -than that he should bring him to our little séance, or that we should -feel honoured by his presence? - -He was, as I have said, a small, stout man, undistinguished in -appearance, with a broad, smooth, clean-shaven face, remarkable only for -a pair of large, brown, velvety eyes, staring vaguely out in front of -him. He was well dressed, with the manners of a gentleman, and his -curious little turns of English speech set the ladies smiling. Mrs. -Deacon had a prejudice against our researches and left the room, upon -which we lowered the lights, as was our custom, and drew up our chairs -to the square mahogany table which stood in the centre of the studio. -The light was subdued, but sufficient to allow us to see each other -quite plainly. I remember that I could even observe the curious, podgy -little square-topped hands which the Frenchman laid upon the table. - -“What a fun!” said he. “It is many years since I have sat in this -fashion, and it is to me amusing. Madame is medium. Does madame make the -trance?” - -“Well, hardly that,” said Mrs. Delamere. “But I am always conscious of -extreme sleepiness.” - -“It is the first stage. Then you encourage it, and there comes the -trance. When the trance comes, then out jumps your little spirit and in -jumps another little spirit, and so you have direct talking or writing. -You leave your machine to be worked by another. _Hein?_ But what have -unicorns to do with it?” - -Harvey Deacon started in his chair. The Frenchman was moving his head -slowly round and staring into the shadows which draped the walls. - -“What a fun!” said he. “Always unicorns. Who has been thinking so hard -upon a subject so bizarre?” - -“This is wonderful!” cried Deacon. “I have been trying to paint one all -day. But how could you know it?” - -“You have been thinking of them in this room.” - -“Certainly.” - -“But thoughts are things, my friend. When you imagine a thing you make a -thing. You did not know it, _hein_? But I can see your unicorns because -it is not only with my eye that I can see.” - -“Do you mean to say that I create a thing which has never existed by -merely thinking of it?” - -“But certainly. It is the fact which lies under all other facts. That is -why an evil thought is also a danger.” - -“They are, I suppose, upon the astral plane?” said Moir. - -“Ah, well, these are but words, my friends. They are -there—somewhere—everywhere—I cannot tell myself. I see them. I could not -touch them.” - -“You could not make _us_ see them.” - -“It is to materialize them. Hold! It is an experiment. But the power is -wanting. Let us see what power we have, and then arrange what we shall -do. May I place you as I should wish?” - -“You evidently know a great deal more about it than we do,” said Harvey -Deacon; “I wish that you would take complete control.” - -“It may be that the conditions are not good. But we will try what we can -do. Madame will sit where she is, I next, and this gentleman beside me. -Meester Moir will sit next to madame, because it is well to have blacks -and blondes in turn. So! And now with your permission I will turn the -lights all out.” - -“What is the advantage of the dark?” I asked. - -“Because the force with which we deal is a vibration of ether and so -also is light. We have the wires all for ourselves now—_hein_? You will -not be frightened in the darkness, madame? What a fun is such a séance!” - -At first the darkness appeared to be absolutely pitchy, but in a few -minutes our eyes became so far accustomed to it that we could just make -out each other’s presence—very dimly and vaguely, it is true. I could -see nothing else in the room—only the black loom of the motionless -figures. We were all taking the matter much more seriously than we had -ever done before. - -“You will place your hands in front. It is hopeless that we touch, since -we are so few round so large a table. You will compose yourself, madame, -and if sleep should come to you you will not fight against it. And now -we sit in silence and we expect——_hein_?” - -So we sat in silence and expected, staring out into the blackness in -front of us. A clock ticked in the passage. A dog barked intermittently -far away. Once or twice a cab rattled past in the street, and the gleam -of its lamps through the chink in the curtains was a cheerful break in -that gloomy vigil. I felt those physical symptoms with which previous -séances had made me familiar—the coldness of the feet, the tingling in -the hands, the glow of the palms, the feeling of a cold wind upon the -back. Strange little shooting pains came in my forearms, especially as -it seemed to me in my left one, which was nearest to our visitor—due no -doubt to disturbance of the vascular system, but worthy of some -attention all the same. At the same time I was conscious of a strained -feeling of expectancy which was almost painful. From the rigid, absolute -silence of my companions I gathered that their nerves were as tense as -my own. - -And then suddenly a sound came out of the darkness—a low, sibilant -sound, the quick, thin breathing of a woman. Quicker and thinner yet it -came, as between clenched teeth, to end in a loud gasp with a dull -rustle of cloth. - -“What’s that? Is all right?” someone asked in the darkness. - -“Yes, all is right,” said the Frenchman. “It is madame. She is in her -trance. Now, gentlemen, if you will wait quiet you will see something, I -think, which will interest you much.” - -Still the ticking in the hall. Still the breathing, deeper and fuller -now, from the medium. Still the occasional flash, more welcome than -ever, of the passing lights of the hansoms. What a gap we were bridging, -the half-raised veil of the eternal on the one side and the cabs of -London on the other. The table was throbbing with a mighty pulse. It -swayed steadily, rhythmically, with an easy swooping, scooping motion -under our fingers. Sharp little raps and cracks came from its substance, -file-firing, volley-firing, the sounds of a fagot burning briskly on a -frosty night. - -“There is much power,” said the Frenchman. “See it on the table!” - -I had thought it was some delusion of my own, but all could see it now. -There was a greenish-yellow phosphorescent light—or I should say a -luminous vapour rather than a light—which lay over the surface of the -table. It rolled and wreathed and undulated in dim glimmering folds, -turning and swirling like clouds of smoke. I could see the white, -square-ended hands of the French medium in this baleful light. - -“What a fun!” he cried. “It is splendid!” - -“Shall we call the alphabet?” asked Moir. - -“But no—for we can do much better,” said our visitor. “It is but a -clumsy thing to tilt the table for every letter of the alphabet, and -with such a medium as madame we should do better than that.” - -“Yes, you will do better,” said a voice. - -“Who was that? Who spoke? Was that you, Markham?” - -“No, I did not speak.” - -“It was madame who spoke.” - -“But it was not her voice.” - -“Is that you, Mrs. Delamere?” - -“It is not the medium, but it is the power which uses the organs of the -medium,” said the strange, deep voice. - -“Where is Mrs. Delamere? It will not hurt her, I trust.” - -“The medium is happy in another plane of existence. She has taken my -place, as I have taken hers.” - -“Who are you?” - -“It cannot matter to you who I am. I am one who has lived as you are -living, and who has died as you will die.” - -We heard the creak and grate of a cab pulling up next door. There was an -argument about the fare, and the cabman grumbled hoarsely down the -street. The green-yellow cloud still swirled faintly over the table, -dull elsewhere, but glowing into a dim luminosity in the direction of -the medium. It seemed to be piling itself up in front of her. A sense of -fear and cold struck into my heart. It seemed to me that lightly and -flippantly we had approached the most real and august of sacraments, -that communion with the dead of which the fathers of the Church had -spoken. - -“Don’t you think we are going too far? Should we not break up this -séance?” I cried. - -But the others were all earnest to see the end of it. They laughed at my -scruples. - -“All the powers are made for use,” said Harvey Deacon. “If we _can_ do -this, we _should_ do this. Every new departure of knowledge has been -called unlawful in its inception. It is right and proper that we should -inquire into the nature of death.” - -“It is right and proper,” said the voice. - -“There, what more could you ask?” cried Moir, who was much excited. “Let -us have a test. Will you give us a test that you are really there?” - -“What test do you demand?” - -“Well, now—I have some coins in my pocket. Will you tell me how many?” - -“We come back in the hope of teaching and of elevating, and not to guess -childish riddles.” - -“Ha, ha, Meester Moir, you catch it that time,” cried the Frenchman. -“But surely this is very good sense what the Control is saying.” - -“It is a religion, not a game,” said the cold, hard voice. - -“Exactly—the very view I take of it,” cried Moir. “I am sure I am very -sorry if I have asked a foolish question. You will not tell me who you -are?” - -“What does it matter?” - -“Have you been a spirit long?” - -“Yes.” - -“How long?” - -“We cannot reckon time as you do. Our conditions are different.” - -“Are you happy?” - -“Yes.” - -“You would not wish to come back to life?” - -“No—certainly not.” - -“Are you busy?” - -“We could not be happy if we were not busy.” - -“What do you do?” - -“I have said that the conditions are entirely different.” - -“Can you give us no idea of your work?” - -“We labour for our own improvement and for the advancement of others.” - -“Do you like coming here to-night?” - -“I am glad to come if I can do any good by coming.” - -“Then to do good is your object?” - -“It is the object of all life on every plane.” - -“You see, Markham, that should answer your scruples.” - -It did, for my doubts had passed and only interest remained. - -“Have you pain in your life?” I asked. - -“No; pain is a thing of the body.” - -“Have you mental pain?” - -“Yes; one may always be sad or anxious.” - -“Do you meet the friends whom you have known on earth?” - -“Some of them.” - -“Why only some of them?” - -“Only those who are sympathetic.” - -“Do husbands meet wives?” - -“Those who have truly loved.” - -“And the others?” - -“They are nothing to each other.” - -“There must be a spiritual connection?” - -“Of course.” - -“Is what we are doing right?” - -“If done in the right spirit.” - -“What is the wrong spirit?” - -“Curiosity and levity.” - -“May harm come of that?” - -“Very serious harm.” - -“What sort of harm?” - -“You may call up forces over which you have no control.” - -“Evil forces?” - -“Undeveloped forces.” - -“You say they are dangerous. Dangerous to body or mind?” - -“Sometimes to both.” - -There was a pause, and the blackness seemed to grow blacker still, while -the yellow-green fog swirled and smoked upon the table. - -“Any questions you would like to ask, Moir?” said Harvey Deacon. - -“Only this—do you pray in your world?” - -“One should pray in every world.” - -“Why?” - -“Because it is the acknowledgment of forces outside ourselves.” - -“What religion do you hold over there?” - -“We differ exactly as you do.” - -“You have no certain knowledge?” - -“We have only faith.” - -“These questions of religion,” said the Frenchman, “they are of interest -to you serious English people, but they are not so much fun. It seems to -me that with this power here we might be able to have some great -experience—_hein_? Something of which we could talk.” - -“But nothing could be more interesting than this,” said Moir. - -“Well, if you think so, that is very well,” the Frenchman answered, -peevishly. “For my part, it seems to me that I have heard all this -before, and that to-night I should weesh to try some experiment with all -this force which is given to us. But if you have other questions, then -ask them, and when you are finish we can try something more.” - -But the spell was broken. We asked and asked, but the medium sat silent -in her chair. Only her deep, regular breathing showed that she was -there. The mist still swirled upon the table. - -“You have disturbed the harmony. She will not answer.” - -“But we have learned already all that she can tell—_hein_? For my part I -wish to see something that I have never seen before.” - -“What then?” - -“You will let me try?” - -“What would you do?” - -“I have said to you that thoughts are things. Now I wish to _prove_ it -to you, and to show you that which is only a thought. Yes, yes, I can do -it and you will see. Now I ask you only to sit still and say nothing, -and keep ever your hands quiet upon the table.” - -The room was blacker and more silent than ever. The same feeling of -apprehension which had lain heavily upon me at the beginning of the -séance was back at my heart once more. The roots of my hair were -tingling. - -“It is working! It is working!” cried the Frenchman, and there was a -crack in his voice as he spoke which told me that he also was strung to -his tightest. - -The luminous fog drifted slowly off the table, and wavered and flickered -across the room. There in the farther and darkest corner it gathered and -glowed, hardening down into a shining core—a strange, shifty, luminous, -and yet non-illuminating patch of radiance, bright itself, but throwing -no rays into the darkness. It had changed from a greenish-yellow to a -dusky sullen red. Then round this centre there coiled a dark, smoky -substance, thickening, hardening, growing denser and blacker. And then -the light went out, smothered in that which had grown round it. - -“It has gone.” - -“Hush—there’s something in the room.” - -We heard it in the corner where the light had been, something which -breathed deeply and fidgeted in the darkness. - -“What is it? Le Duc, what have you done?” - -“It is all right. No harm will come.” The Frenchman’s voice was treble -with agitation. - -“Good heavens, Moir, there’s a large animal in the room. Here it is, -close by my chair! Go away! Go away!” - -It was Harvey Deacon’s voice, and then came the sound of a blow upon -some hard object. And then ... And then ... how can I tell you what -happened then? - -Some huge thing hurtled against us in the darkness, rearing, stamping, -smashing, springing, snorting. The table was splintered. We were -scattered in every direction. It clattered and scrambled amongst us, -rushing with horrible energy from one corner of the room to another. We -were all screaming with fear, grovelling upon our hands and knees to get -away from it. Something trod upon my left hand, and I felt the bones -splinter under the weight. - -“A light! A light!” someone yelled. - -“Moir, you have matches, matches!” - -“No, I have none. Deacon, where are the matches? For God’s sake, the -matches!” - -“I can’t find them. Here, you Frenchman, stop it!” - -“It is beyond me. Oh, _mon Dieu_, I cannot stop it. The door! Where is -the door?” - -My hand, by good luck, lit upon the handle as I groped about in the -darkness. The hard-breathing, snorting, rushing creature tore past me -and butted with a fearful crash against the oaken partition. The instant -that it had passed I turned the handle, and next moment we were all -outside and the door shut behind us. From within came a horrible -crashing and rending and stamping. - -“What is it? In Heaven’s name, what is it?” - -“A horse. I saw it when the door opened. But Mrs. Delamere——?” - -“We must fetch her out. Come on, Markham; the longer we wait the less we -shall like it.” - -He flung open the door and we rushed in. She was there on the ground -amidst the splinters of her chair. We seized her and dragged her swiftly -out, and as we gained the door I looked over my shoulder into the -darkness. There were two strange eyes glowing at us, a rattle of hoofs, -and I had just time to slam the door when there came a crash upon it -which split it from top to bottom. - -“It’s coming through! It’s coming!” - -“Run, run for your lives!” cried the Frenchman. - -Another crash, and something shot through the riven door. It was a long -white spike, gleaming in the lamplight. For a moment it shone before us, -and then with a snap it disappeared again. - -“Quick! Quick! This way!” Harvey Deacon shouted. “Carry her in! Here! -Quick!” - -We had taken refuge in the dining-room, and shut the heavy oak door. We -laid the senseless woman upon the sofa, and as we did so, Moir, the hard -man of business, drooped and fainted across the hearthrug. Harvey Deacon -was as white as a corpse, jerking and twitching like an epileptic. With -a crash we heard the studio door fly to pieces, and the snorting and -stamping were in the passage, up and down, up and down, shaking the -house with their fury. The Frenchman had sunk his face on his hands, and -sobbed like a frightened child. - -“What shall we do?” I shook him roughly by the shoulder. “Is a gun any -use?” - -“No, no. The power will pass. Then it will end.” - -“You might have killed us all—you unspeakable fool—with your infernal -experiments.” - -“I did not know. How could I tell that it would be frightened? It is mad -with terror. It was his fault. He struck it.” - -Harvey Deacon sprang up. “Good heavens!” he cried. - -A terrible scream sounded through the house. - -“It’s my wife! Here, I’m going out. If it’s the Evil One himself I am -going out!” - -He had thrown open the door and rushed out into the passage. At the end -of it, at the foot of the stairs, Mrs. Deacon was lying senseless, -struck down by the sight which she had seen. But there was nothing else. - -With eyes of horror we looked about us, but all was perfectly quiet and -still. I approached the black square of the studio door, expecting with -every slow step that some atrocious shape would hurl itself out of it. -But nothing came, and all was silent inside the room. Peeping and -peering, our hearts in our mouths, we came to the very threshold, and -stared into the darkness. There was still no sound, but in one direction -there was also no darkness. A luminous, glowing cloud, with an -incandescent centre, hovered in the corner of the room. Slowly it dimmed -and faded, growing thinner and fainter, until at last the same dense, -velvety blackness filled the whole studio. And with the last flickering -gleam of that baleful light the Frenchman broke into a shout of joy. - -“What a fun!” he cried. “No one is hurt, and only the door broken, and -the ladies frightened. But, my friends, we have done what has never been -done before.” - -“And as far as I can help it,” said Harvey Deacon, “it will certainly -never be done again.” - -And that was what befell on the 14th of April last at No. 17, Badderly -Gardens. I began by saying that it would seem too grotesque to dogmatize -as to what it was which actually did occur; but I give my impressions, -_our_ impressions (since they are corroborated by Harvey Deacon and John -Moir), for what they are worth. You may, if it pleases you, imagine that -we were the victims of an elaborate and extraordinary hoax. Or you may -think with us that we underwent a very real and a very terrible -experience. Or perhaps you may know more than we do of such occult -matters, and can inform us of some similar occurrence. In this latter -case a letter to William Markham, 146M, The Albany, would help to throw -a light upon that which is very dark to us. - - - - - THE JEW’S BREASTPLATE - - -My particular friend Ward Mortimer was one of the best men of his day at -everything connected with Oriental archæology. He had written largely -upon the subject, he had lived two years in a tomb at Thebes, while he -excavated in the Valley of the Kings, and finally he had created a -considerable sensation by his exhumation of the alleged mummy of -Cleopatra in the inner room of the Temple of Horus, at Philæ. With such -a record at the age of thirty-one, it was felt that a considerable -career lay before him, and no one was surprised when he was elected to -the curatorship of the Belmore Street Museum, which carries with it the -lectureship at the Oriental College, and an income which has sunk with -the fall in land, but which still remains at that ideal sum which is -large enough to encourage an investigator, but not so large as to -enervate him. - -There was only one reason which made Ward Mortimer’s position a little -difficult at the Belmore Street Museum, and that was the extreme -eminence of the man whom he had to succeed. Professor Andreas was a -profound scholar and a man of European reputation. His lectures were -frequented by students from every part of the world, and his admirable -management of the collection intrusted to his care was a commonplace in -all learned societies. There was, therefore, considerable surprise when, -at the age of fifty-five, he suddenly resigned his position and retired -from those duties which had been both his livelihood and his pleasure. -He and his daughter left the comfortable suite of rooms which had formed -his official residence in connection with the museum, and my friend, -Mortimer, who was a bachelor, took up his quarters there. - -On hearing of Mortimer’s appointment Professor Andreas had written him a -very kindly and flattering congratulatory letter. I was actually present -at their first meeting, and I went with Mortimer round the museum when -the Professor showed us the admirable collection which he had cherished -so long. The Professor’s beautiful daughter and a young man, Captain -Wilson, who was, as I understood, soon to be her husband, accompanied us -in our inspection. There were fifteen rooms, but the Babylonian, the -Syrian, and the central hall, which contained the Jewish and Egyptian -collection, were the finest of all. Professor Andreas was a quiet, dry, -elderly man, with a clean-shaven face and an impassive manner, but his -dark eyes sparkled and his features quickened into enthusiastic life as -he pointed out to us the rarity and the beauty of some of his specimens. -His hand lingered so fondly over them, that one could read his pride in -them and the grief in his heart now that they were passing from his care -into that of another. - -He had shown us in turn his mummies, his papyri, his rare scarabs, his -inscriptions, his Jewish relics, and his duplication of the famous -seven-branched candlestick of the Temple, which was brought to Rome by -Titus, and which is supposed by some to be lying at this instant in the -bed of the Tiber. Then he approached a case which stood in the very -centre of the hall, and he looked down through the glass with reverence -in his attitude and manner. - -“This is no novelty to an expert like yourself, Mr. Mortimer,” said he; -“but I daresay that your friend, Mr. Jackson, will be interested to see -it.” - -Leaning over the case I saw an object, some five inches square, which -consisted of twelve precious stones in a framework of gold, with golden -hooks at two of the corners. The stones were all varying in sort and -colour, but they were of the same size. Their shapes, arrangement, and -gradation of tint made me think of a box of water-colour paints. Each -stone had some hieroglyphic scratched upon its surface. - -“You have heard, Mr. Jackson, of the urim and thummim?” - -I had heard the term, but my idea of its meaning was exceedingly vague. - -“The urim and thummim was a name given to the jewelled plate which lay -upon the breast of the high priest of the Jews. They had a very special -feeling of reverence for it—something of the feeling which an ancient -Roman might have for the Sibylline books in the Capitol. There are, as -you see, twelve magnificent stones, inscribed with mystical characters. -Counting from the left-hand top corner, the stones are carnelian, -peridot, emerald, ruby, lapis lazuli, onyx, sapphire, agate, amethyst, -topaz, beryl, and jasper.” - -I was amazed at the variety and beauty of the stones. - -“Has the breastplate any particular history?” I asked. - -“It is of great age and of immense value,” said Professor Andreas. -“Without being able to make an absolute assertion, we have many reasons -to think that it is possible that it may be the original urim and -thummim of Solomon’s Temple. There is certainly nothing so fine in any -collection in Europe. My friend, Captain Wilson here, is a practical -authority upon precious stones, and he would tell you how pure these -are.” - -Captain Wilson, a man with a dark, hard, incisive face, was standing -beside his _fiancée_ at the other side of the case. - -“Yes,” said he, curtly, “I have never seen finer stones.” - -“And the gold-work is also worthy of attention. The ancients excelled in -——”—he was apparently about to indicate the setting of the stones, when -Captain Wilson interrupted him. - -“You will see a finer example of their gold-work in this candlestick,” -said he, turning to another table, and we all joined him in his -admiration of its embossed stem and delicately ornamented branches. -Altogether it was an interesting and a novel experience to have objects -of such rarity explained by so great an expert; and when, finally, -Professor Andreas finished our inspection by formally handing over the -precious collection to the care of my friend, I could not help pitying -him and envying his successor whose life was to pass in so pleasant a -duty. Within a week, Ward Mortimer was duly installed in his new set of -rooms, and had become the autocrat of the Belmore Street Museum. - -About a fortnight afterwards my friend gave a small dinner to -half-a-dozen bachelor friends to celebrate his promotion. When his -guests were departing he pulled my sleeve and signalled to me that he -wished me to remain. - -“You have only a few hundred yards to go,” said he—I was living in -chambers in the Albany. “You may as well stay and have a quiet cigar -with me. I very much want your advice.” - -I relapsed into an arm-chair and lit one of his excellent Matronas. When -he had returned from seeing the last of his guests out, he drew a letter -from his dress-jacket and sat down opposite to me. - -“This is an anonymous letter which I received this morning,” said he. “I -want to read it to you and to have your advice.” - -“You are very welcome to it for what it is worth.” - -“This is how the note runs: ‘Sir,—I should strongly advise you to keep a -very careful watch over the many valuable things which are committed to -your charge. I do not think that the present system of a single watchman -is sufficient. Be upon your guard, or an irreparable misfortune may -occur.’” - -“Is that all?” - -“Yes, that is all.” - -“Well,” said I, “it is at least obvious that it was written by one of -the limited number of people who are aware that you have only one -watchman at night.” - -Ward Mortimer handed me the note, with a curious smile. “Have you an eye -for handwriting?” said he. “Now, look at this!” He put another letter in -front of me. “Look at the _c_ in ‘congratulate’ and the _c_ in -‘committed.’ Look at the capital _I_. Look at the trick of putting in a -dash instead of a stop!” - -“They are undoubtedly from the same hand—with some attempt at disguise -in the case of this first one.” - -“The second,” said Ward Mortimer, “is the letter of congratulation which -was written to me by Professor Andreas upon my obtaining my -appointment.” - -I stared at him in amazement. Then I turned over the letter in my hand, -and there, sure enough, was “Martin Andreas” signed upon the other side. -There could be no doubt, in the mind of any one who had the slightest -knowledge of the science of graphology, that the Professor had written -an anonymous letter, warning his successor against thieves. It was -inexplicable, but it was certain. - -“Why should he do it?” I asked. - -“Precisely what I should wish to ask you. If he had any such misgivings, -why could he not come and tell me direct?” - -“Will you speak to him about it?” - -“There again I am in doubt. He might choose to deny that he wrote it.” - -“At any rate,” said I, “this warning is meant in a friendly spirit, and -I should certainly act upon it. Are the present precautions enough to -insure you against robbery?” - -“I should have thought so. The public are only admitted from ten till -five, and there is a guardian to every two rooms. He stands at the door -between them, and so commands them both.” - -“But at night?” - -“When the public are gone, we at once put up the great iron shutters, -which are absolutely burglar-proof. The watchman is a capable fellow. He -sits in the lodge, but he walks round every three hours. We keep one -electric light burning in each room all night.” - -“It is difficult to suggest anything more—short of keeping your day -watchers all night.” - -“We could not afford that.” - -“At least, I should communicate with the police, and have a special -constable put on outside in Belmore Street,” said I. “As to the letter, -if the writer wishes to be anonymous, I think he has a right to remain -so. We must trust to the future to show some reason for the curious -course which he has adopted.” - -So we dismissed the subject, but all that night after my return to my -chambers I was puzzling my brain as to what possible motive Professor -Andreas could have for writing an anonymous warning letter to his -successor—for that the writing was his was as certain to me as if I had -seen him actually doing it. He foresaw some danger to the collection. -Was it because he foresaw it that he abandoned his charge of it? But if -so, why should he hesitate to warn Mortimer in his own name? I puzzled -and puzzled until at last I fell into a troubled sleep, which carried me -beyond my usual hour of rising. - -I was aroused in a singular and effective method, for about nine o’clock -my friend Mortimer rushed into my room with an expression of -consternation upon his face. He was usually one of the most tidy men of -my acquaintance, but now his collar was undone at one end, his tie was -flying, and his hat at the back of his head. I read his whole story in -his frantic eyes. - -“The museum has been robbed!” I cried, springing up in bed. - -“I fear so! Those jewels! The jewels of the urim and thummim!” he -gasped, for he was out of breath with running. “I’m going on to the -police-station. Come to the museum as soon as you can, Jackson! -Good-bye!” He rushed distractedly out of the room, and I heard him -clatter down the stairs. - -I was not long in following his directions, but I found when I arrived -that he had already returned with a police inspector, and another -elderly gentleman, who proved to be Mr. Purvis, one of the partners of -Morson and Company, the well-known diamond merchants. As an expert in -stones he was always prepared to advise the police. They were grouped -round the case in which the breastplate of the Jewish priest had been -exposed. The plate had been taken out and laid upon the glass top of the -case, and the three heads were bent over it. - -“It is obvious that it has been tampered with,” said Mortimer. “It -caught my eye the moment that I passed through the room this morning. I -examined it yesterday evening, so that it is certain that this has -happened during the night.” - -It was, as he had said, obvious that some one had been at work upon it. -The settings of the uppermost row of four stones—the carnelian, peridot, -emerald, and ruby-were rough and jagged as if some one had scraped all -round them. The stones were in their places, but the beautiful gold-work -which we had admired only a few days before had been very clumsily -pulled about. - -“It looks to me,” said the police inspector, “as if some one had been -trying to take out the stones.” - -“My fear is,” said Mortimer, “that he not only tried, but succeeded. I -believe these four stones to be skilful imitations which have been put -in the place of the originals.” - -The same suspicion had evidently been in the mind of the expert, for he -had been carefully examining the four stones with the aid of a lens. He -now submitted them to several tests, and finally turned cheerfully to -Mortimer. - -“I congratulate you, sir,” said he, heartily. “I will pledge my -reputation that all four of these stones are genuine, and of a most -unusual degree of purity.” - -The colour began to come back to my poor friend’s frightened face, and -he drew a long breath of relief. - -“Thank God!” he cried. “Then what in the world did the thief want?” - -“Probably he meant to take the stones, but was interrupted.” - -“In that case one would expect him to take them out one at a time, but -the setting of each of these has been loosened, and yet the stones are -all here.” - -“It is certainly most extraordinary,” said the inspector. “I never -remember a case like it. Let us see the watchman.” - -The commissionaire was called—a soldierly, honest-faced man, who seemed -as concerned as Ward Mortimer at the incident. - -“No, sir, I never heard a sound,” he answered, in reply to the questions -of the inspector. “I made my rounds four times, as usual, but I saw -nothing suspicious. I’ve been in my position ten years, but nothing of -the kind has ever occurred before.” - -“No thief could have come through the windows?” - -“Impossible, sir.” - -“Or passed you at the door?” - -“No, sir; I never left my post except when I walked my rounds.” - -“What other openings are there in the museum?” - -“There is the door into Mr. Ward Mortimer’s private rooms.” - -“That is locked at night,” my friend explained, “and in order to reach -it any one from the street would have to open the outside door as well.” - -“Your servants?” - -“Their quarters are entirely separate.” - -“Well, well,” said the inspector, “this is certainly very obscure. -However, there has been no harm done, according to Mr. Purvis.” - -“I will swear that those stones are genuine.” - -“So that the case appears to be merely one of malicious damage. But none -the less, I should be very glad to go carefully round the premises, and -to see if we can find any trace to show us who your visitor may have -been.” - -His investigation, which lasted all the morning was careful and -intelligent, but it led in the end to nothing. He pointed out to us that -there were two possible entrances to the museum which we had not -considered. The one was from the cellars by a trap-door opening in the -passage. The other through a skylight from the lumber-room, overlooking -that very chamber to which the intruder had penetrated. As neither the -cellar nor the lumber-room could be entered unless the thief was already -within the locked doors, the matter was not of any practical importance, -and the dust of cellar and attic assured us that no one had used either -one or the other. Finally, we ended as we began, without the slightest -clue as to how, why, or by whom the setting of these four jewels had -been tampered with. - -There remained one course for Mortimer to take, and he took it. Leaving -the police to continue their fruitless researches, he asked me to -accompany him that afternoon in a visit to Professor Andreas. He took -with him the two letters, and it was his intention to openly tax his -predecessor with having written the anonymous warning, and to ask him to -explain the fact that he should have anticipated so exactly that which -had actually occurred. The Professor was living in a small villa in -Upper Norwood, but we were informed by the servant that he was away from -home. Seeing our disappointment, she asked us if we should like to see -Miss Andreas, and showed us into the modest drawing-room. - -I have mentioned incidentally that the Professor’s daughter was a very -beautiful girl. She was a blonde, tall and graceful, with a skin of that -delicate tint which the French call “mat,” the colour of old ivory or of -the lighter petals of the sulphur rose. I was shocked, however, as she -entered the room to see how much she had changed in the last fortnight. -Her young face was haggard and her bright eyes heavy with trouble. - -“Father has gone to Scotland,” she said. “He seems to be tired, and has -had a good deal to worry him. He only left us yesterday.” - -“You look a little tired yourself, Miss Andreas,” said my friend. - -“I have been so anxious about father.” - -“Can you give me his Scotch address?” - -“Yes, he is with his brother, the Rev. David Andreas, 1, Arran Villas, -Ardrossan.” - -Ward Mortimer made a note of the address, and we left without saying -anything as to the object of our visit. We found ourselves in Belmore -Street in the evening in exactly the same position in which we had been -in the morning. Our only clue was the Professor’s letter, and my friend -had made up his mind to start for Ardrossan next day, and to get to the -bottom of the anonymous letter, when a new development came to alter our -plans. - -Very early on the following morning I was aroused from my sleep by a tap -upon my bedroom door. It was a messenger with a note from Mortimer. - -“Do come round,” it said; “the matter is becoming more and more -extraordinary.” - -When I obeyed his summons I found him pacing excitedly up and down the -central room, while the old soldier who guarded the premises stood with -military stiffness in a corner. - -“My dear Jackson,” he cried, “I am so delighted that you have come, for -this is a most inexplicable business.” - -“What has happened, then?” - -He waved his hand towards the case which contained the breastplate. - -“Look at it,” said he. - -I did so, and could not restrain a cry of surprise. The setting of the -middle row of precious stones had been profaned in the same manner as -the upper ones. Of the twelve jewels, eight had been now tampered with -in this singular fashion. The setting of the lower four was neat and -smooth. The others jagged and irregular. - -“Have the stones been altered?” I asked. - -“No, I am certain that these upper four are the same which the expert -pronounced to be genuine, for I observed yesterday that little -discoloration on the edge of the emerald. Since they have not extracted -the upper stones, there is no reason to think the lower have been -transposed. You say that you heard nothing, Simpson?” - -“No, sir,” the commissionaire answered. “But when I made my round after -daylight I had a special look at these stones, and I saw at once that -some one had been meddling with them. Then I called you, sir, and told -you. I was backwards and forwards all the night, and I never saw a soul -or heard a sound.” - -“Come up and have some breakfast with me,” said Mortimer, and he took me -into his own chambers.—“Now, what _do_ you think of this, Jackson?” he -asked. - -“It is the most objectless, futile, idiotic business that ever I heard -of. It can only be the work of a monomaniac.” - -“Can you put forward any theory?” - -A curious idea came into my head. “This object is a Jewish relic of -great antiquity and sanctity,” said I. “How about the anti-Semitic -movement? Could one conceive that a fanatic of that way of thinking -might desecrate——” - -“No, no, no!” cried Mortimer. “That will never do! Such a man might push -his lunacy to the length of destroying a Jewish relic, but why on earth -should he nibble round every stone so carefully that he can only do four -stones in a night? We must have a better solution than that, and we must -find it for ourselves, for I do not think that our inspector is likely -to help us. First of all, what do you think of Simpson, the porter?” - -“Have you any reason to suspect him?” - -“Only that he is the one person on the premises.” - -“But why should he indulge in such wanton destruction? Nothing has been -taken away. He has no motive.” - -“Mania?” - -“No, I will swear to his sanity.” - -“Have you any other theory?” - -“Well, yourself, for example. You are not a somnambulist, by any -chance?” - -“Nothing of the sort, I assure you.” - -“Then I give it up.” - -“But I don’t—and I have a plan by which we will make it all clear.” - -“To visit Professor Andreas?” - -“No, we shall find our solution nearer than Scotland, I will tell you -what we shall do. You know that skylight which overlooks the central -hall? We will leave the electric lights in the hall, and we will keep -watch in the lumber-room, you and I, and solve the mystery for -ourselves. If our mysterious visitor is doing four stones at a time, he -has four still to do, and there is every reason to think that he will -return to-night and complete the job.” - -“Excellent!” I cried. - -“We will keep our own secret, and say nothing either to the police or to -Simpson. Will you join me?” - -“With the utmost pleasure,” said I; and so it was agreed. - -It was ten o’clock that night when I returned to the Belmore Street -Museum. Mortimer was, as I could see, in a state of suppressed nervous -excitement, but it was still too early to begin our vigil, so we -remained for an hour or so in his chambers, discussing all the -possibilities of the singular business which we had met to solve. At -last the roaring stream of hansom cabs and the rush of hurrying feet -became lower and more intermittent as the pleasure-seekers passed on -their way to their stations or their homes. It was nearly twelve when -Mortimer led the way to the lumber-room which overlooked the central -hall of the museum. - -He had visited it during the day, and had spread some sacking so that we -could lie at our ease, and look straight down into the museum. The -skylight was of unfrosted glass, but was so covered with dust that it -would be impossible for any one looking up from below to detect that he -was overlooked. We cleared a small piece at each corner, which gave us a -complete view of the room beneath us. In the cold white light of the -electric lamps everything stood out hard and clear, and I could see the -smallest detail of the contents of the various cases. - -Such a vigil is an excellent lesson, since one has no choice but to look -hard at those objects which we usually pass with such half-hearted -interest. Through my little peep-hole I employed the hours in studying -every specimen, from the huge mummy-case which leaned against the wall -to those very jewels which had brought us there, gleaming and sparkling -in their glass case immediately beneath us. There was much precious -gold-work and many valuable stones scattered through the numerous cases, -but those wonderful twelve which made up the urim and thummim glowed and -burned with a radiance which far eclipsed the others. I studied in turn -the tomb-pictures of Sicara, the friezes from Karnak, the statues of -Memphis, and the inscriptions of Thebes, but my eyes would always come -back to that wonderful Jewish relic, and my mind to the singular mystery -which surrounded it. I was lost in the thought of it when my companion -suddenly drew his breath sharply in, and seized my arm in a convulsive -grip. At the same instant I saw what it was which had excited him. - -I have said that against the wall—on the right-hand side of the doorway -(the right-hand side as we looked at it, but the left as one -entered)—there stood a large mummy-case. To our unutterable amazement it -was slowly opening. Gradually, gradually the lid was swinging back, and -the black slit which marked the opening was becoming wider and wider. So -gently and carefully was it done that the movement was almost -imperceptible. Then, as we breathlessly watched it, a white thin hand -appeared at the opening, pushing back the painted lid, then another -hand, and finally a face—a face which was familiar to us both, that of -Professor Andreas. Stealthily he slunk out of the mummy-case, like a fox -stealing from its burrow, his head turning incessantly to left and to -right, stepping, then pausing, then stepping again, the very image of -craft and of caution. Once some sound in the street struck him -motionless, and he stood listening, with his ear turned, ready to dart -back to the shelter behind him. Then he crept onwards again upon tiptoe, -very, very softly and slowly, until he had reached the case in the -centre of the room. There he took a bunch of keys from his pocket, -unlocked the case, took out the Jewish breastplate, and, laying it upon -the glass in front of him, began to work upon it with some sort of -small, glistening tool. He was so directly underneath us that his bent -head covered his work, but we could guess from the movement of his hand -that he was engaged in finishing the strange disfigurement which he had -begun. - -I could realize from the heavy breathing of my companion, and the -twitchings of the hand which still clutched my wrist, the furious -indignation which filled his heart as he saw this vandalism in the -quarter of all others where he could least have expected it. He, the -very man who a fortnight before had reverently bent over this unique -relic, and who had impressed its antiquity and its sanctity upon us, was -now engaged in this outrageous profanation. It was impossible, -unthinkable—and yet there, in the white glare of the electric light -beneath us, was that dark figure with the bent, grey head, and the -twitching elbow. What inhuman hypocrisy, what hateful depth of malice -against his successor must underlie these sinister nocturnal labours. It -was painful to think of and dreadful to watch. Even I, who had none of -the acute feelings of a virtuoso, could not bear to look on and see this -deliberate mutilation of so ancient a relic. It was a relief to me when -my companion tugged at my sleeve as a signal that I was to follow him as -he softly crept out of the room. It was not until we were within his own -quarters that he opened his lips, and then I saw by his agitated face -how deep was his consternation. - -“The abominable Goth!” he cried. “Could you have believed it?” - -“It is amazing.” - -“He is a villain or a lunatic—one or the other. We shall very soon see -which. Come with me, Jackson, and we shall get to the bottom of this -black business.” - -A door opened out of the passage which was the private entrance from his -rooms into the museum. This he opened softly with his key, having first -kicked off his shoes, an example which I followed. We crept together -through room after room, until the large hall lay before us, with that -dark figure still stooping and working at the central case. With an -advance as cautious as his own we closed in upon him, but softly as we -went we could not take him entirely unawares. We were still a dozen -yards from him when he looked round with a start, and uttering a husky -cry of terror, ran frantically down the museum. - -“Simpson! Simpson!” roared Mortimer, and far away down the vista of -electric lighted doors we saw the stiff figure of the old soldier -suddenly appear. Professor Andreas saw him also, and stopped running, -with a gesture of despair. At the same instant we each laid a hand upon -his shoulder. - -“Yes, yes, gentlemen,” he panted, “I will come with you. To your room, -Mr. Ward Mortimer, if you please! I feel that I owe you an explanation.” - -My companion’s indignation was so great that I could see that he dared -not trust himself to reply. We walked on each side of the old Professor, -the astonished commissionaire bringing up the rear. When we reached the -violated case, Mortimer stopped and examined the breastplate. Already -one of the stones of the lower row had had its setting turned back in -the same manner as the others. My friend held it up and glanced -furiously at his prisoner. - -“How could you!” he cried. “How could you!” - -“It is horrible—horrible!” said the Professor. “I don’t wonder at your -feelings. Take me to your room.” - -“But this shall not be left exposed!” cried Mortimer. He picked the -breastplate up and carried it tenderly in his hand, while I walked -beside the Professor, like a policeman with a malefactor. We passed into -Mortimer’s chambers, leaving the amazed old soldier to understand -matters as best he could. The Professor sat down in Mortimer’s -arm-chair, and turned so ghastly a colour that for the instant, all our -resentment was changed to concern. A stiff glass of brandy brought the -life back to him once more. - -“There, I am better now!” said he. “These last few days have been too -much for me. I am convinced that I could not stand it any longer. It is -a nightmare—a horrible nightmare—that I should be arrested as a burglar -in what has been for so long my own museum. And yet I cannot blame you. -You could not have done otherwise. My hope always was that I should get -it all over before I was detected. This would have been my last night’s -work.” - -“How did you get in?” asked Mortimer. - -“By taking a very great liberty with your private door. But the object -justified it. The object justified everything. You will not be angry -when you know everything—at least, you will not be angry with me. I had -a key to your side door and also to the museum door. I did not give them -up when I left. And so you see it was not difficult for me to let myself -into the museum. I used to come in early before the crowd had cleared -from the street. Then I hid myself in the mummy-case, and took refuge -there whenever Simpson came round. I could always hear him coming. I -used to leave in the same way as I came.” - -“You ran a risk.” - -“I had to.” - -“But why? What on earth was your object—_you_ to do a thing like that?” -Mortimer pointed reproachfully at the plate which lay before him on the -table. - -“I could devise no other means. I thought and thought, but there was no -alternative except a hideous public scandal, and a private sorrow which -would have clouded our lives. I acted for the best, incredible as it may -seem to you, and I only ask your attention to enable me to prove it.” - -“I will hear what you have to say before I take any further steps,” said -Mortimer, grimly. - -“I am determined to hold back nothing, and to take you both completely -into my confidence. I will leave it to your own generosity how far you -will use the facts with which I supply you.” - -“We have the essential facts already.” - -“And yet you understand nothing. Let me go back to what passed a few -weeks ago, and I will make it all clear to you. Believe me that what I -say is the absolute and exact truth. - -“You have met the person who calls himself Captain Wilson. I say ‘calls -himself’ because I have reason now to believe that it is not his correct -name. It would take me too long if I were to describe all the means by -which he obtained an introduction to me and ingratiated himself into my -friendship and the affection of my daughter. He brought letters from -foreign colleagues which compelled me to show him some attention. And -then, by his own attainments, which are considerable, he succeeded in -making himself a very welcome visitor at my rooms. When I learned that -my daughter’s affections had been gained by him, I may have thought it -premature, but I certainly was not surprised, for he had a charm of -manner and of conversation which would have made him conspicuous in any -society. - -“He was much interested in Oriental antiquities, and his knowledge of -the subject justified his interest. Often when he spent the evening with -us he would ask permission to go down into the museum and have an -opportunity of privately inspecting the various specimens. You can -imagine that I, as an enthusiast, was in sympathy with such a request, -and that I felt no surprise at the constancy of his visits. After his -actual engagement to Elise, there was hardly an evening which he did not -pass with us, and an hour or two were generally devoted to the museum. -He had the free run of the place, and when I have been away for the -evening I had no objection to his doing whatever he wished here. This -state of things was only terminated by the fact of my resignation of my -official duties and my retirement to Norwood, where I hoped to have the -leisure to write a considerable work which I had planned. - -“It was immediately after this—within a week or so—that I first realized -the true nature and character of the man whom I had so imprudently -introduced into my family. The discovery came to me through letters from -my friends abroad, which showed me that his introductions to me had been -forgeries. Aghast at the revelation, I asked myself what motive this man -could originally have had in practising this elaborate deception upon -me. I was too poor a man for any fortune-hunter to have marked me down. -Why, then, had he come? I remembered that some of the most precious gems -in Europe had been under my charge, and I remembered also the ingenious -excuses by which this man had made himself familiar with the cases in -which they were kept. He was a rascal who was planning some gigantic -robbery. How could I, without striking my own daughter, who was -infatuated about him, prevent him from carrying out any plan which he -might have formed? My device was a clumsy one, and yet I could think of -nothing more effective. If I had written a letter under my own name, you -would naturally have turned to me for details which I did not wish to -give. I resorted to an anonymous letter, begging you to be upon your -guard. - -“I may tell you that my change from Belmore Street to Norwood had not -affected the visits of this man, who had, I believe, a real and -overpowering affection for my daughter. As to her, I could not have -believed that any woman could be so completely under the influence of a -man as she was. His stronger nature seemed to entirely dominate her. I -had not realized how far this was the case, or the extent of the -confidence which existed between them, until that very evening when his -true character for the first time was made clear to me. I had given -orders that when he called he should be shown into my study instead of -to the drawing-room. There I told him bluntly that I knew all about him, -that I had taken steps to defeat his designs, and that neither I nor my -daughter desired ever to see him again. I added that I thanked God that -I had found him out before he had time to harm those precious objects -which it had been the work of my lifetime to protect. - -“He was certainly a man of iron nerve. He took my remarks without a sign -either of surprise or of defiance, but listened gravely and attentively -until I had finished. Then he walked across the room without a word and -struck the bell. - -“‘Ask Miss Andreas to be so kind as to step this way,’ said he to the -servant. - -“My daughter entered, and the man closed the door behind her. Then he -took her hand in his. - -“‘Elise,’ said he, ‘your father has just discovered that I am a villain. -He knows now what you knew before.’ - -“She stood in silence, listening. - -“‘He says that we are to part for ever,’ said he. - -“She did not withdraw her hand. - -“‘Will you be true to me, or will you remove the last good influence -which is ever likely to come into my life?’ - -“‘John,’ she cried, passionately, ‘I will never abandon you! Never, -never, not if the whole world were against you.’ - -“In vain I argued and pleaded with her. It was absolutely useless. Her -whole life was bound up in this man before me. My daughter, gentlemen, -is all that I have left to love, and it filled me with agony when I saw -how powerless I was to save her from her ruin. My helplessness seemed to -touch this man who was the cause of my trouble. - -“‘It may not be as bad as you think, sir,’ said he, in his quiet, -inflexible way. ‘I love Elise with a love which is strong enough to -rescue even one who has such a record as I have. It was but yesterday -that I promised her that never again in my whole life would I do a thing -of which she should be ashamed. I have made up my mind to it, and never -yet did I make up my mind to a thing which I did not do.’ - -“He spoke with an air which carried conviction with it. As he concluded -he put his hand into his pocket and he drew out a small cardboard box. - -“‘I am about to give you a proof of my determination,’ said he. ‘This, -Elise, shall be the first-fruits of your redeeming influence over me. -You are right, sir, in thinking that I had designs upon the jewels in -your possession. Such ventures have had a charm for me, which depended -as much upon the risk run as upon the value of the prize. Those famous -and antique stones of the Jewish priest were a challenge to my daring -and my ingenuity. I determined to get them.’ - -“‘I guessed as much.’ - -“‘There was only one thing that you did not guess.’ - -“‘And what is that?’ - -“‘That I got them. They are in this box.’ - -“He opened the box, and tilted out the contents upon the corner of my -desk. My hair rose and my flesh grew cold as I looked. There were twelve -magnificent square stones engraved with mystical characters. There could -be no doubt that they were the jewels of the urim and thummim. - -“‘Good God!’ I cried. ‘How have you escaped discovery?’ - -“‘By the substitution of twelve others, made especially to my order, in -which the originals are so carefully imitated that I defy the eye to -detect the difference.’ - -“‘Then the present stones are false?’ I cried. - -“‘They have been for some weeks.’ - -“We all stood in silence, my daughter white with emotion, but still -holding this man by the hand. - -“‘You see what I am capable of, Elise,’ said he. - -“‘I see that you are capable of repentance and restitution,’ she -answered. - -“‘Yes, thanks to your influence! I leave the stones in your hands, sir. -Do what you like about it. But remember that whatever you do against me, -is done against the future husband of your only daughter. You will hear -from me soon again, Elise. It is the last time that I will ever cause -pain to your tender heart,’ and with these words he left both the room -and the house. - -“My position was a dreadful one. Here I was with these precious relics -in my possession, and how could I return them without a scandal and an -exposure? I knew the depth of my daughter’s nature too well to suppose -that I would ever be able to detach her from this man now that she had -entirely given him her heart. I was not even sure how far it was right -to detach her if she had such an ameliorating influence over him. How -could I expose him without injuring her—and how far was I justified in -exposing him when he had voluntarily put himself into my power? I -thought and thought, until at last I formed a resolution which may seem -to you to be a foolish one, and yet, if I had to do it again, I believe -it would be the best course open to me. - -“My idea was to return the stones without any one being the wiser. With -my keys I could get into the museum at any time, and I was confident -that I could avoid Simpson, whose hours and methods were familiar to me. -I determined to take no one into my confidence—not even my daughter—whom -I told that I was about to visit my brother in Scotland. I wanted a free -hand for a few nights, without inquiry as to my comings and goings. To -this end I took a room in Harding Street that very night, with an -intimation that I was a Pressman, and that I should keep very late -hours. - -“That night I made my way into the museum, and I replaced four of the -stones. It was hard work, and took me all night When Simpson came round -I always heard his footsteps, and concealed myself in the mummy-case. I -had some knowledge of gold-work, but was far less skilful than the thief -had been. He had replaced the setting so exactly that I defy any one to -see the difference. My work was rude and clumsy. However, I hoped that -the plate might not be carefully examined, or the roughness of the -setting observed, until my task was done. Next night I replaced four -more stones. And to-night I should have finished my task had it not been -for the unfortunate circumstance which has caused me to reveal so much -which I should have wished to keep concealed. I appeal to you, -gentlemen, to your sense of honour and of compassion, whether what I -have told you should go any farther or not. My own happiness, my -daughter’s future, the hopes of this man’s regeneration, all depend upon -your decision.” - -“Which is,” said my friend, “that all is well that ends well, and that -the whole matter ends here and at once. To-morrow the loose settings -shall be tightened by an expert goldsmith, and so passes the greatest -danger to which, since the destruction of the Temple, the urim and -thummim have been exposed. Here is my hand, Professor Andreas, and I can -only hope that under such difficult circumstances I should have carried -myself as unselfishly and as well.” - -Just one footnote to this narrative. Within a month Elise Andreas was -married to a man whose name, had I the indiscretion to mention it, would -appeal to my readers as one who is now widely and deservedly honoured. -But if the truth were known, that honour is due not to him but to the -gentle girl who plucked him back when he had gone so far down that dark -road along which few return. - - - - - THE LOST SPECIAL - - -The confession of Herbert de Lernac, now lying under sentence of death -at Marseilles, has thrown a light upon one of the most inexplicable -crimes of the century—an incident which is, I believe, absolutely -unprecedented in the criminal annals of any country. Although there is a -reluctance to discuss the matter in official circles, and little -information has been given to the Press, there are still indications -that the statement of this arch-criminal is corroborated by the facts, -and that we have at last found a solution for a most astounding -business. As the matter is eight years old, and as its importance was -somewhat obscured by a political crisis which was engaging the public -attention at the time, it may be as well to state the facts as far as we -have been able to ascertain them. They are collated from the Liverpool -papers of that date, from the proceedings at the inquest upon John -Slater, the engine-driver, and from the records of the London and West -Coast Railway Company, which have been courteously put at my disposal. -Briefly, they are as follows. - -On the 3rd of June, 1890, a gentleman, who gave his name as Monsieur -Louis Caratal, desired an interview with Mr. James Bland, the -superintendent of the London and West Coast Central Station in -Liverpool. He was a small man, middle-aged and dark, with a stoop which -was so marked that it suggested some deformity of the spine. He was -accompanied by a friend, a man of imposing physique, whose deferential -manner and constant attention showed that his position was one of -dependence. This friend or companion, whose name did not transpire, was -certainly a foreigner, and probably, from his swarthy complexion, either -a Spaniard or a South American. One peculiarity was observed in him. He -carried in his left hand a small black leather dispatch-box, and it was -noticed by a sharp-eyed clerk in the Central office that this box was -fastened to his wrist by a strap. No importance was attached to the fact -at the time, but subsequent events endowed it with some significance. -Monsieur Caratal was shown up to Mr. Bland’s office, while his companion -remained outside. - -Monsieur Caratal’s business was quickly dispatched. He had arrived that -afternoon from Central America. Affairs of the utmost importance -demanded that he should be in Paris without the loss of an unnecessary -hour. He had missed the London express. A special must be provided. -Money was of no importance. Time was everything. If the company would -speed him on his way, they might make their own terms. - -Mr. Bland struck the electric bell, summoned Mr. Potter Hood, the -traffic manager, and had the matter arranged in five minutes. The train -would start in three-quarters of an hour. It would take that time to -insure that the line should be clear. The powerful engine called -Rochdale (No. 247 on the company’s register) was attached to two -carriages, with a guard’s van behind. The first carriage was solely for -the purpose of decreasing the inconvenience arising from the -oscillation. The second was divided, as usual, into four compartments, a -first-class, a first-class smoking, a second-class, and a second-class -smoking. The first compartment, which was nearest to the engine, was the -one allotted to the travellers. The other three were empty. The guard of -the special train was James McPherson, who had been some years in the -service of the company. The stoker, William Smith, was a new hand. - -Monsieur Caratal, upon leaving the superintendent’s office, rejoined his -companion, and both of them manifested extreme impatience to be off. -Having paid the money asked, which amounted to fifty pounds five -shillings, at the usual special rate of five shillings a mile, they -demanded to be shown the carriage, and at once took their seats in it, -although they were assured that the better part of an hour must elapse -before the line could be cleared. In the meantime a singular coincidence -had occurred in the office which Monsieur Caratal had just quitted. - -A request for a special is not a very uncommon circumstance in a rich -commercial centre, but that two should be required upon the same -afternoon was most unusual. It so happened, however, that Mr. Bland had -hardly dismissed the first traveller before a second entered with a -similar request. This was a Mr. Horace Moore, a gentlemanly man of -military appearance, who alleged that the sudden serious illness of his -wife in London made it absolutely imperative that he should not lose an -instant in starting upon the journey. His distress and anxiety were so -evident that Mr. Bland did all that was possible to meet his wishes. A -second special was out of the question, as the ordinary local service -was already somewhat deranged by the first. There was the alternative, -however, that Mr. Moore should share the expense of Monsieur Caratal’s -train, and should travel in the other empty first-class compartment, if -Monsieur Caratal objected to having him in the one which he occupied. It -was difficult to see any objection to such an arrangement, and yet -Monsieur Caratal, upon the suggestion being made to him by Mr. Potter -Hood, absolutely refused to consider it for an instant. The train was -his, he said, and he would insist upon the exclusive use of it. All -argument failed to overcome his ungracious objections, and finally the -plan had to be abandoned. Mr. Horace Moore left the station in great -distress, after learning that his only course was to take the ordinary -slow train which leaves Liverpool at six o’clock. At four thirty-one -exactly by the station clock the special train, containing the crippled -Monsieur Caratal and his gigantic companion, steamed out of the -Liverpool station. The line was at that time clear, and there should -have been no stoppage before Manchester. - -The trains of the London and West Coast Railway run over the lines of -another company as far as this town, which should have been reached by -the special rather before six o’clock. At a quarter after six -considerable surprise and some consternation were caused amongst the -officials at Liverpool by the receipt of a telegram from Manchester to -say that it had not yet arrived. An inquiry directed to St. Helens, -which is a third of the way between the two cities, elicited the -following reply:— - -“To James Bland, Superintendent, Central L. & W. C., Liverpool.—Special -passed here at 4.52, well up to time.—Dowser, St. Helens.” - -This telegram was received at 6.40. At 6.50 a second message was -received from Manchester:— - -“No sign of special as advised by you.” - -And then ten minutes later a third, more bewildering:— - -“Presume some mistake as to proposed running of special. Local train -from St. Helens timed to follow it has just arrived and has seen nothing -of it. Kindly wire advices.—Manchester.” - -The matter was assuming a most amazing aspect, although in some respects -the last telegram was a relief to the authorities at Liverpool. If an -accident had occurred to the special, it seemed hardly possible that the -local train could have passed down the same line without observing it. -And yet, what was the alternative? Where could the train be? Had it -possibly been side-tracked for some reason in order to allow the slower -train to go past? Such an explanation was possible if some small repair -had to be effected. A telegram was dispatched to each of the stations -between St. Helens and Manchester, and the superintendent and traffic -manager waited in the utmost suspense at the instrument for the series -of replies which would enable them to say for certain what had become of -the missing train. The answers came back in the order of questions, -which was the order of the stations beginning at the St. Helens end:— - -“Special passed here five o’clock.—Collins Green.” - -“Special passed here six past five.—Earlestown.” - -“Special passed here 5.10.—Newton.” - -“Special passed here 5.20.—Kenyon Junction.” - -“No special train has passed here.—Barton Moss.” - -The two officials stared at each other in amazement. - -“This is unique in my thirty years of experience,” said Mr. Bland. - -“Absolutely unprecedented and inexplicable, sir. The special has gone -wrong between Kenyon Junction and Barton Moss.” - -“And yet there is no siding, so far as my memory serves me, between the -two stations. The special must have run off the metals.” - -“But how could the four-fifty parliamentary pass over the same line -without observing it?” - -“There’s no alternative, Mr. Hood. It _must_ be so. Possibly the local -train may have observed something which may throw some light upon the -matter. We will wire to Manchester for more information, and to Kenyon -Junction with instructions that the line be examined instantly as far as -Barton Moss.” - -The answer from Manchester came within a few minutes. - -“No news of missing special. Driver and guard of slow train positive no -accident between Kenyon Junction and Barton Moss. Line quite clear, and -no sign of anything unusual.—Manchester.” - -“That driver and guard will have to go,” said Mr. Bland, grimly. “There -has been a wreck and they have missed it. The special has obviously run -off the metals without disturbing the line—how it could have done so -passes my comprehension—but so it must be, and we shall have a wire from -Kenyon or Barton Moss presently to say that they have found her at the -bottom of an embankment.” - -But Mr. Bland’s prophecy was not destined to be fulfilled. Half an hour -passed, and then there arrived the following message from the -station-master of Kenyon Junction:— - -“There are no traces of the missing special. It is quite certain that -she passed here, and that she did not arrive at Barton Moss. We have -detached engine from goods train, and I have myself ridden down the -line, but all is clear, and there is no sign of any accident.” - -Mr. Bland tore his hair in his perplexity. - -“This is rank lunacy, Hood!” he cried. “Does a train vanish into thin -air in England in broad daylight? The thing is preposterous. An engine, -a tender, two carriages, a van, five human beings—and all lost on a -straight line of railway! Unless we get something positive within the -next hour I’ll take Inspector Collins, and go down myself.” - -And then at last something positive did occur. It took the shape of -another telegram from Kenyon Junction. - -“Regret to report that the dead body of John Slater, driver of the -special train, has just been found among the gorse bushes at a point two -and a quarter miles from the Junction. Had fallen from his engine, -pitched down the embankment, and rolled among bushes. Injuries to his -head, from the fall, appear to be cause of death. Ground has now been -carefully examined, and there is no trace of the missing train.” - -The country was, as has already been stated, in the throes of a -political crisis, and the attention of the public was further distracted -by the important and sensational developments in Paris, where a huge -scandal threatened to destroy the Government and to wreck the -reputations of many of the leading men in France. The papers were full -of these events, and the singular disappearance of the special train -attracted less attention than would have been the case in more peaceful -times. The grotesque nature of the event helped to detract from its -importance, for the papers were disinclined to believe the facts as -reported to them. More than one of the London journals treated the -matter as an ingenious hoax, until the coroner’s inquest upon the -unfortunate driver (an inquest which elicited nothing of importance) -convinced them of the tragedy of the incident. - -Mr. Bland, accompanied by Inspector Collins, the senior detective -officer in the service of the company, went down to Kenyon Junction the -same evening, and their research lasted throughout the following day, -but was attended with purely negative results. Not only was no trace -found of the missing train, but no conjecture could be put forward which -could possibly explain the facts. At the same time, Inspector Collins’s -official report (which lies before me as I write) served to show that -the possibilities were more numerous than might have been expected. - -“In the stretch of railway between these two points,” said he, “the -country is dotted with ironworks and collieries. Of these, some are -being worked and some have been abandoned. There are no fewer than -twelve which have small gauge lines which run trolly-cars down to the -main line. These can, of course, be disregarded. Besides these, however, -there are seven which have or have had, proper lines running down and -connecting with points to the main line, so as to convey their produce -from the mouth of the mine to the great centres of distribution. In -every case these lines are only a few miles in length. Out of the seven, -four belong to collieries which are worked out, or at least to shafts -which are no longer used. These are the Redgauntlet, Hero, Slough of -Despond, and Heartsease mines, the latter having ten years ago been one -of the principal mines in Lancashire. These four side lines may be -eliminated from our inquiry, for, to prevent possible accidents, the -rails nearest to the main line have been taken up, and there is no -longer any connection. There remain three other side lines leading— - - (_a_) To the Carnstock Iron Works; - - (_b_) To the Big Ben Colliery; - - (_c_) To the Perseverance Colliery. - -“Of these the Big Ben line is not more than a quarter of a mile long, -and ends at a dead wall of coal waiting removal from the mouth of the -mine. Nothing had been seen or heard there of any special. The Carnstock -Iron Works line was blocked all day upon the 3rd of June by sixteen -truckloads of hematite. It is a single line, and nothing could have -passed. As to the Perseverance line, it is a large double line, which -does a considerable traffic, for the output of the mine is very large. -On the 3rd of June this traffic proceeded as usual; hundreds of men, -including a gang of railway platelayers, were working along the two -miles and a quarter which constitute the total length of the line, and -it is inconceivable that an unexpected train could have come down there -without attracting universal attention. It may be remarked in conclusion -that this branch line is nearer to St. Helens than the point at which -the engine-driver was discovered, so that we have every reason to -believe that the train was past that point before misfortune overtook -her. - -“As to John Slater, there is no clue to be gathered from his appearance -or injuries. We can only say that, so far as we can see, he met his end -by falling off his engine, though why he fell, or what became of the -engine after his fall, is a question upon which I do not feel qualified -to offer an opinion.” In conclusion, the inspector offered his -resignation to the Board, being much nettled by an accusation of -incompetence in the London papers. - -A month elapsed, during which both the police and the company prosecuted -their inquiries without the slightest success. A reward was offered and -a pardon promised in case of crime, but they were both unclaimed. Every -day the public opened their papers with the conviction that so grotesque -a mystery would at last be solved, but week after week passed by, and a -solution remained as far off as ever. In broad daylight, upon a June -afternoon in the most thickly inhabited portion of England, a train with -its occupants had disappeared as completely as if some master of subtle -chemistry had volatilized it into gas. Indeed, among the various -conjectures which were put forward in the public Press there were some -which seriously asserted that supernatural, or, at least, preternatural, -agencies had been at work, and that the deformed Monsieur Caratal was -probably a person who was better known under a less polite name. Others -fixed upon his swarthy companion as being the author of the mischief, -but what it was exactly which he had done could never be clearly -formulated in words. - -Amongst the many suggestions put forward by various newspapers or -private individuals, there were one or two which were feasible enough to -attract the attention of the public. One which appeared in the _Times_, -over the signature of an amateur reasoner of some celebrity at that -date, attempted to deal with the matter in a critical and -semi-scientific manner. An extract must suffice, although the curious -can see the whole letter in the issue of the 3rd of July. - -“It is one of the elementary principles of practical reasoning,” he -remarked, “that when the impossible has been eliminated the residuum, -_however improbable_, must contain the truth. It is certain that the -train left Kenyon Junction. It is certain that it did not reach Barton -Moss. It is in the highest degree unlikely, but still possible, that it -may have taken one of the seven available side lines. It is obviously -impossible for a train to run where there are no rails, and, therefore, -we may reduce our improbables to the three open lines, namely, the -Carnstock Iron Works, the Big Ben, and the Perseverance. Is there a -secret society of colliers, an English _camorra_, which is capable of -destroying both train and passengers? It is improbable, but it is not -impossible. I confess that I am unable to suggest any other solution. I -should certainly advise the company to direct all their energies towards -the observation of those three lines, and of the workmen at the end of -them. A careful supervision of the pawnbrokers’ shops of the district -might possibly bring some suggestive facts to light.” - -The suggestion coming from a recognized authority upon such matters -created considerable interest, and a fierce opposition from those who -considered such a statement to be a preposterous libel upon an honest -and deserving set of men. The only answer to this criticism was a -challenge to the objectors to lay any more feasible explanation before -the public. In reply to this two others were forthcoming (_Times_, July -7th and 9th). The first suggested that the train might have run off the -metals and be lying submerged in the Lancashire and Staffordshire Canal, -which runs parallel to the railway for some hundreds of yards. This -suggestion was thrown out of court by the published depth of the canal, -which was entirely insufficient to conceal so large an object. The -second correspondent wrote calling attention to the bag which appeared -to be the sole luggage which the travellers had brought with them, and -suggesting that some novel explosive of immense and pulverizing power -might have been concealed in it. The obvious absurdity, however, of -supposing that the whole train might be blown to dust while the metals -remained uninjured reduced any such explanation to a farce. The -investigation had drifted into this hopeless position when a new and -most unexpected incident occurred. - -This was nothing less than the receipt by Mrs. McPherson of a letter -from her husband, James McPherson, who had been the guard of the missing -train. The letter, which was dated July 5th, 1890, was posted from New -York, and came to hand upon July 14th. Some doubts were expressed as to -its genuine character, but Mrs. McPherson was positive as to the -writing, and the fact that it contained a remittance of a hundred -dollars in five-dollar notes was enough in itself to discount the idea -of a hoax. No address was given in the letter, which ran in this way:— - - “MY DEAR WIFE,— - - “I have been thinking a great deal, and I find it very hard to - give you up. The same with Lizzie. I try to fight against it, but - it will always come back to me. I send you some money which will - change into twenty English pounds. This should be enough to bring - both Lizzie and you across the Atlantic, and you will find the - Hamburg boats which stop at Southampton very good boats, and - cheaper than Liverpool. If you could come here and stop at the - Johnston House I would try and send you word how to meet, but - things are very difficult with me at present, and I am not very - happy, finding it hard to give you both up. So no more at present, - from your loving husband, - - “JAMES MCPHERSON.” - -For a time it was confidently anticipated that this letter would lead to -the clearing up of the whole matter, the more so as it was ascertained -that a passenger who bore a close resemblance to the missing guard had -travelled from Southampton under the name of Summers in the Hamburg and -New York liner _Vistula_, which started upon the 7th of June. Mrs. -McPherson and her sister Lizzie Dolton went across to New York as -directed, and stayed for three weeks at the Johnston House, without -hearing anything from the missing man. It is probable that some -injudicious comments in the Press may have warned him that the police -were using them as a bait. However this may be, it is certain that he -neither wrote nor came, and the women were eventually compelled to -return to Liverpool. - -And so the matter stood, and has continued to stand up to the present -year of 1898. Incredible as it may seem, nothing has transpired during -these eight years which has shed the least light upon the extraordinary -disappearance of the special train which contained Monsieur Caratal and -his companion. Careful inquiries into the antecedents of the two -travellers have only established the fact that Monsieur Caratal was well -known as a financier and political agent in Central America, and that -during his voyage to Europe he had betrayed extraordinary anxiety to -reach Paris. His companion, whose name was entered upon the passenger -lists as Eduardo Gomez, was a man whose record was a violent one, and -whose reputation was that of a bravo and a bully. There was evidence to -show, however, that he was honestly devoted to the interests of Monsieur -Caratal, and that the latter, being a man of puny physique, employed the -other as a guard and protector. It may be added that no information came -from Paris as to what the objects of Monsieur Caratal’s hurried journey -may have been. This comprises all the facts of the case up to the -publication in the Marseilles papers of the recent confession of Herbert -de Lernac, now under sentence of death for the murder of a merchant -named Bonvalot. This statement may be literally translated as follows:— - -“It is not out of mere pride or boasting that I give this information, -for, if that were my object, I could tell a dozen actions of mine which -are quite as splendid; but I do it in order that certain gentlemen in -Paris may understand that I, who am able here to tell about the fate of -Monsieur Caratal, can also tell in whose interest and at whose request -the deed was done, unless the reprieve which I am awaiting comes to me -very quickly. Take warning, messieurs, before it is too late! You know -Herbert de Lernac, and you are aware that his deeds are as ready as his -words. Hasten then, or you are lost! - -“At present I shall mention no names—if you only heard the names, what -would you not think!—but I shall merely tell you how cleverly I did it. -I was true to my employers then, and no doubt they will be true to me -now. I hope so, and until I am convinced that they have betrayed me, -these names, which would convulse Europe, shall not be divulged. But on -that day ... well, I say no more! - -“In a word, then, there was a famous trial in Paris, in the year 1890, -in connection with a monstrous scandal in politics and finance. How -monstrous that scandal was can never be known save by such confidential -agents as myself. The honour and careers of many of the chief men in -France were at stake. You have seen a group of nine-pins standing, all -so rigid, and prim, and unbending. Then there comes the ball from far -away and pop, pop, pop—there are your nine-pins on the floor. Well, -imagine some of the greatest men in France as these nine-pins, and then -this Monsieur Caratal was the ball which could be seen coming from far -away. If he arrived, then it was pop, pop, pop for all of them. It was -determined that he should not arrive. - -“I do not accuse them all of being conscious of what was to happen. -There were, as I have said, great financial as well as political -interests at stake, and a syndicate was formed to manage the business. -Some subscribed to the syndicate who hardly understood what were its -objects. But others understood very well, and they can rely upon it that -I have not forgotten their names. They had ample warning that Monsieur -Caratal was coming long before he left South America, and they knew that -the evidence which he held would certainly mean ruin to all of them. The -syndicate had the command of an unlimited amount of money—absolutely -unlimited, you understand. They looked round for an agent who was -capable of wielding this gigantic power. The man chosen must be -inventive, resolute, adaptive—a man in a million. They chose Herbert de -Lernac, and I admit that they were right. - -“My duties were to choose my subordinates, to use freely the power which -money gives, and to make certain that Monsieur Caratal should never -arrive in Paris. With characteristic energy I set about my commission -within an hour of receiving my instructions, and the steps which I took -were the very best for the purpose which could possibly be devised. - -“A man whom I could trust was dispatched instantly to South America to -travel home with Monsieur Caratal. Had he arrived in time the ship would -never have reached Liverpool; but, alas! it had already started before -my agent could reach it. I fitted out a small armed brig to intercept -it, but again I was unfortunate. Like all great organizers I was, -however, prepared for failure, and had a series of alternatives -prepared, one or the other of which must succeed. You must not underrate -the difficulties of my undertaking, or imagine that a mere commonplace -assassination would meet the case. We must destroy not only Monsieur -Caratal, but Monsieur Caratal’s documents, and Monsieur Caratal’s -companions also, if we had reason to believe that he had communicated -his secrets to them. And you must remember that they were on the alert, -and keenly suspicious of any such attempt. It was a task which was in -every way worthy of me, for I am always most masterful where another -would be appalled. - -“I was all ready for Monsieur Caratal’s reception in Liverpool, and I -was the more eager because I had reason to believe that he had made -arrangements by which he would have a considerable guard from the moment -that he arrived in London. Anything which was to be done must be done -between the moment of his setting foot upon the Liverpool quay and that -of his arrival at the London and West Coast terminus in London. We -prepared six plans, each more elaborate than the last; which plan would -be used would depend upon his own movements. Do what he would, we were -ready for him. If he had stayed in Liverpool, we were ready. If he took -an ordinary train, an express, or a special, all was ready. Everything -had been foreseen and provided for. - -“You may imagine that I could not do all this myself. What could I know -of the English railway lines? But money can procure willing agents all -the world over, and I soon had one of the acutest brains in England to -assist me. I will mention no names, but it would be unjust to claim all -the credit for myself. My English ally was worthy of such an alliance. -He knew the London and West Coast line thoroughly, and he had the -command of a band of workers who were trustworthy and intelligent. The -idea was his, and my own judgment was only required in the details. We -bought over several officials, amongst whom the most important was James -McPherson, whom we had ascertained to be the guard most likely to be -employed upon a special train. Smith, the stoker, was also in our -employ. John Slater, the engine-driver, had been approached, but had -been found to be obstinate and dangerous, so we desisted. We had no -certainty that Monsieur Caratal would take a special, but we thought it -very probable, for it was of the utmost importance to him that he should -reach Paris without delay. It was for this contingency, therefore, that -we made special preparations—preparations which were complete down to -the last detail long before his steamer had sighted the shores of -England. You will be amused to learn that there was one of my agents in -the pilot-boat which brought that steamer to its moorings. - -“The moment that Caratal arrived in Liverpool we knew that he suspected -danger and was on his guard. He had brought with him as an escort a -dangerous fellow, named Gomez, a man who carried weapons, and was -prepared to use them. This fellow carried Caratal’s confidential papers -for him, and was ready to protect either them or his master. The -probability was that Caratal had taken him into his counsels, and that -to remove Caratal without removing Gomez would be a mere waste of -energy. It was necessary that they should be involved in a common fate, -and our plans to that end were much facilitated by their request for a -special train. On that special train you will understand that two out of -the three servants of the company were really in our employ, at a price -which would make them independent for a lifetime. I do not go so far as -to say that the English are more honest than any other nation, but I -have found them more expensive to buy. - -“I have already spoken of my English agent—who is a man with a -considerable future before him, unless some complaint of the throat -carries him off before his time. He had charge of all arrangements at -Liverpool, whilst I was stationed at the inn at Kenyon, where I awaited -a cipher signal to act. When the special was arranged for, my agent -instantly telegraphed to me and warned me how soon I should have -everything ready. He himself under the name of Horace Moore applied -immediately for a special also, in the hope that he would be sent down -with Monsieur Caratal, which might under certain circumstances have been -helpful to us. If, for example, our great _coup_ had failed, it would -then have become the duty of my agent to have shot them both and -destroyed their papers. Caratal was on his guard, however, and refused -to admit any other traveller. My agent then left the station, returned -by another entrance, entered the guard’s van on the side farthest from -the platform, and travelled down with McPherson the guard. - -“In the meantime you will be interested to know what my movements were. -Everything had been prepared for days before, and only the finishing -touches were needed. The side line which we had chosen had once joined -the main line, but it had been disconnected. We had only to replace a -few rails to connect it once more. These rails had been laid down as far -as could be done without danger of attracting attention, and now it was -merely a case of completing a juncture with the line, and arranging the -points as they had been before. The sleepers had never been removed, and -the rails, fish-plates, and rivets were all ready, for we had taken them -from a siding on the abandoned portion of the line. With my small but -competent band of workers, we had everything ready long before the -special arrived. When it did arrive, it ran off upon the small side line -so easily that the jolting of the points appears to have been entirely -unnoticed by the two travellers. - -“Our plan had been that Smith the stoker should chloroform John Slater -the driver, so that he should vanish with the others. In this respect, -and in this respect only, our plans miscarried—I except the criminal -folly of McPherson in writing home to his wife. Our stoker did his -business so clumsily that Slater in his struggles fell off the engine, -and though fortune was with us so far that he broke his neck in the -fall, still he remained as a blot upon that which would otherwise have -been one of those complete masterpieces which are only to be -contemplated in silent admiration. The criminal expert will find in John -Slater the one flaw in all our admirable combinations. A man who has had -as many triumphs as I can afford to be frank, and I therefore lay my -finger upon John Slater, and I proclaim him to be a flaw. - -“But now I have got our special train upon the small line two -kilomètres, or rather more than one mile, in length, which leads, or -rather used to lead, to the abandoned Heartsease mine, once one of the -largest coal mines in England. You will ask how it is that no one saw -the train upon this unused line. I answer that along its entire length -it runs through a deep cutting, and that, unless some one had been on -the edge of that cutting, he could not have seen it. There _was_ some -one on the edge of that cutting. I was there. And now I will tell you -what I saw. - -“My assistant had remained at the points in order that he might -superintend the switching off of the train. He had four armed men with -him, so that if the train ran off the line—we thought it probable, -because the points were very rusty—we might still have resources to fall -back upon. Having once seen it safely on the side line, he handed over -the responsibility to me. I was waiting at a point which overlooks the -mouth of the mine, and I was also armed, as were my two companions. Come -what might, you see, I was always ready. - -“The moment that the train was fairly on the side line, Smith, the -stoker, slowed-down the engine, and then, having turned it on to the -fullest speed again, he and McPherson, with my English lieutenant, -sprang off before it was too late. It may be that it was this -slowing-down which first attracted the attention of the travellers, but -the train was running at full speed again before their heads appeared at -the open window. It makes me smile to think how bewildered they must -have been. Picture to yourself your own feelings if, on looking out of -your luxurious carriage, you suddenly perceived that the lines upon -which you ran were rusted and corroded, red and yellow with disuse and -decay! What a catch must have come in their breath as in a second it -flashed upon them that it was not Manchester but Death which was waiting -for them at the end of that sinister line. But the train was running -with frantic speed, rolling and rocking over the rotten line, while the -wheels made a frightful screaming sound upon the rusted surface. I was -close to them, and could see their faces. Caratal was praying, I -think—there was something like a rosary dangling out of his hand. The -other roared like a bull who smells the blood of the slaughter-house. He -saw us standing on the bank, and he beckoned to us like a madman. Then -he tore at his wrist and threw his dispatch-box out of the window in our -direction. Of course, his meaning was obvious. Here was the evidence, -and they would promise to be silent if their lives were spared. It would -have been very agreeable if we could have done so, but business is -business. Besides, the train was now as much beyond our control as -theirs. - -“He ceased howling when the train rattled round the curve and they saw -the black mouth of the mine yawning before them. We had removed the -boards which had covered it, and we had cleared the square entrance. The -rails had formerly run very close to the shaft for the convenience of -loading the coal, and we had only to add two or three lengths of rail in -order to lead to the very brink of the shaft. In fact, as the lengths -would not quite fit, our line projected about three feet over the edge. -We saw the two heads at the window: Caratal below, Gomez above; but they -had both been struck silent by what they saw. And yet they could not -withdraw their heads. The sight seemed to have paralyzed them. - -“I had wondered how the train running at a great speed would take the -pit into which I had guided it, and I was much interested in watching -it. One of my colleagues thought that it would actually jump it, and -indeed it was not very far from doing so. Fortunately, however, it fell -short, and the buffers of the engine struck the other lip of the shaft -with a tremendous crash. The funnel flew off into the air. The tender, -carriages, and van were all smashed up into one jumble, which, with the -remains of the engine, choked for a minute or so the mouth of the pit. -Then something gave way in the middle, and the whole mass of green iron, -smoking coals, brass fittings, wheels, woodwork, and cushions all -crumbled together and crashed down into the mine. We heard the rattle, -rattle, rattle, as the _débris_ struck against the walls, and then quite -a long time afterwards there came a deep roar as the remains of the -train struck the bottom. The boiler may have burst, for a sharp crash -came after the roar, and then a dense cloud of steam and smoke swirled -up out of the black depths, falling in a spray as thick as rain all -round us. Then the vapour shredded off into thin wisps, which floated -away in the summer sunshine, and all was quiet again in the Heartsease -mine. - -“And now, having carried out our plans so successfully, it only remained -to leave no trace behind us. Our little band of workers at the other end -had already ripped up the rails and disconnected the side line, -replacing everything as it had been before. We were equally busy at the -mine. The funnel and other fragments were thrown in, the shaft was -planked over as it used to be, and the lines which led to it were torn -up and taken away. Then, without flurry, but without delay, we all made -our way out of the country, most of us to Paris, my English colleague to -Manchester, and McPherson to Southampton, whence he emigrated to -America. Let the English papers of that date tell how thoroughly we had -done our work, and how completely we had thrown the cleverest of their -detectives off our track. - -“You will remember that Gomez threw his bag of papers out of the window, -and I need not say that I secured that bag and brought them to my -employers. It may interest my employers now, however, to learn that out -of that bag I took one or two little papers as a souvenir of the -occasion. I have no wish to publish these papers; but, still, it is -every man for himself in this world, and what else can I do if my -friends will not come to my aid when I want them? Messieurs, you may -believe that Herbert de Lernac is quite as formidable when he is against -you as when he is with you, and that he is not a man to go to the -guillotine until he has seen that every one of you is _en route_ for New -Caledonia. For your own sake, if not for mine, make haste, Monsieur -de ——, and General ——, and Baron —— (you can fill up the blanks for -yourselves as you read this). I promise you that in the next edition -there will be no blanks to fill. - -“P.S.—As I look over my statement there is only one omission which I can -see. It concerns the unfortunate man McPherson, who was foolish enough -to write to his wife and to make an appointment with her in New York. It -can be imagined that when interests like ours were at stake, we could -not leave them to the chance of whether a man in that class of life -would or would not give away his secrets to a woman. Having once broken -his oath by writing to his wife, we could not trust him any more. We -took steps therefore to insure that he should not see his wife. I have -sometimes thought that it would be a kindness to write to her and to -assure her that there is no impediment to her marrying again.” - - - - - THE CLUB-FOOTED GROCER - - -My uncle, Mr. Stephen Maple, had been at the same time the most -successful and the least respectable of our family, so that we hardly -knew whether to take credit for his wealth or to feel ashamed of his -position. He had, as a matter of fact, established a large grocery in -Stepney which did a curious mixed business, not always, as we had heard, -of a very savoury character, with the riverside and seafaring people. He -was ship’s chandler, provision merchant, and, if rumour spoke truly, -some other things as well. Such a trade, however lucrative, had its -drawbacks, as was evident when, after twenty years of prosperity, he was -savagely assaulted by one of his customers and left for dead, with three -smashed ribs and a broken leg, which mended so badly that it remained -for ever three inches shorter than the other. This incident seemed, not -unnaturally, to disgust him with his surroundings, for, after the trial, -in which his assailant was condemned to fifteen years’ penal servitude, -he retired from his business and settled in a lonely part of the North -of England, whence, until that morning, we had never once heard of -him—not even at the death of my father, who was his only brother. - -My mother read his letter aloud to me: “If your son is with you, Ellen, -and if he is as stout a lad as he promised for when last I heard from -you, then send him up to me by the first train after this comes to hand. -He will find that to serve me will pay him better than the engineering, -and if I pass away (though, thank God, there is no reason to complain as -to my health) you will see that I have not forgotten my brother’s son. -Congleton is the station, and then a drive of four miles to Greta House, -where I am now living. I will send a trap to meet the seven o’clock -train, for it is the only one which stops here. Mind that you send him, -Ellen, for I have very strong reasons for wishing him to be with me. Let -bygones be bygones if there has been anything between us in the past. If -you should fail me now you will live to regret it.” - -We were seated at either side of the breakfast table, looking blankly at -each other and wondering what this might mean, when there came a ring at -the bell, and the maid walked in with a telegram. It was from Uncle -Stephen. - -“On no account let John get out at Congleton,” said the message. “He -will find trap waiting seven o’clock evening train Stedding Bridge, one -station further down line. Let him drive not me, but Garth Farm -House—six miles. There will receive instructions. Do not fail; only you -to look to.” - -“That is true enough,” said my mother. “As far as I know, your uncle has -not a friend in the world, nor has he ever deserved one. He has always -been a hard man in his dealings, and he held back his money from your -father at a time when a few pounds would have saved him from ruin. Why -should I send my only son to serve him now?” - -But my own inclinations were all for the adventure. - -“If I have him for a friend, he can help me in my profession,” I argued, -taking my mother upon her weakest side. - -“I have never known him to help any one yet,” said she, bitterly. “And -why all this mystery about getting out at a distant station and driving -to the wrong address? He has got himself into some trouble and he wishes -us to get him out of it. When he has used us he will throw us aside as -he has done before. Your father might have been living now if he had -only helped him.” - -But at last my arguments prevailed, for, as I pointed out, we had much -to gain and little to lose, and why should we, the poorest members of a -family, go out of our way to offend the rich one? My bag was packed and -my cab at the door, when there came a second telegram. - -“Good shooting. Let John bring gun. Remember Stedding Bridge, not -Congleton.” And so, with a gun-case added to my luggage and some -surprise at my uncle’s insistence, I started off upon my adventure. - -The journey lies over the main Northern Railway as far as the station of -Carnfield, where one changes for the little branch line which winds over -the fells. In all England there is no harsher or more impressive -scenery. For two hours I passed through desolate rolling plains, rising -at places into low, stone-littered hills, with long, straight outcrops -of jagged rock showing upon their surface. Here and there little -grey-roofed, grey-walled cottages huddled into villages, but for many -miles at a time no house was visible nor any sign of life save the -scattered sheep which wandered over the mountain sides. It was a -depressing country, and my heart grew heavier and heavier as I neared my -journey’s end, until at last the train pulled up at the little village -of Stedding Bridge, where my uncle had told me to alight. A single -ramshackle trap, with a country lout to drive it, was waiting at the -station. - -“Is this Mr. Stephen Maple’s?” I asked. - -The fellow looked at me with eyes which were full of suspicion. “What is -your name?” he asked, speaking a dialect which I will not attempt to -reproduce. - -“John Maple.” - -“Anything to prove it?” - -I half raised my hand, for my temper is none of the best, and then I -reflected that the fellow was probably only carrying out the directions -of my uncle. For answer I pointed to my name printed upon my gun-case. - -“Yes, yes, that is right. It’s John Maple, sure enough!” said he, slowly -spelling it out. “Get in, maister, for we have a bit of a drive before -us.” - -The road, white and shining, like all the roads in that limestone -country, ran in long sweeps over the fells, with low walls of loose -stone upon either side of it. The huge moors, mottled with sheep and -with boulders, rolled away in gradually ascending curves to the misty -sky-line. In one place a fall of the land gave a glimpse of a grey angle -of distant sea. Bleak and sad and stern were all my surroundings, and I -felt, under their influence, that this curious mission of mine was a -more serious thing than it had appeared when viewed from London. This -sudden call for help from an uncle whom I had never seen, and of whom I -had heard little that was good, the urgency of it, his reference to my -physical powers, the excuse by which he had ensured that I should bring -a weapon, all hung together and pointed to some vague but sinister -meaning. Things which appeared to be impossible in Kensington became -very probable upon these wild and isolated hillsides. At last, oppressed -with my own dark thoughts, I turned to my companion with the intention -of asking some questions about my uncle, but the expression upon his -face drove the idea from my head. - -He was not looking at his old, unclipped chestnut horse, nor at the road -along which he was driving, but his face was turned in my direction, and -he was staring past me with an expression of curiosity and, as I -thought, of apprehension. He raised the whip to lash the horse, and then -dropped it again, as if convinced that it was useless. At the same time, -following the direction of his gaze, I saw what it was which had excited -him. - -A man was running across the moor. He ran clumsily, stumbling and -slipping among the stones; but the road curved, and it was easy for him -to cut us off. As we came up to the spot for which he had been making, -he scrambled over the stone wall and stood waiting, with the evening sun -shining on his brown, clean-shaven face. He was a burly fellow, and in -bad condition, for he stood with his hand on his ribs, panting and -blowing after his short run. As we drove up I saw the glint of earrings -in his ears. - -“Say, mate, where are you bound for?” he asked, in a rough but -good-humoured fashion. - -“Farmer Purcell’s, at the Garth Farm,” said the driver. - -“Sorry to stop you,” cried the other, standing aside; “I thought as I -would hail you as you passed, for if so be as you had been going my way -I should have made bold to ask you for a passage.” - -His excuse was an absurd one, since it was evident that our little trap -was as full as it could be, but my driver did not seem disposed to -argue. He drove on without a word, and, looking back, I could see the -stranger sitting by the roadside and cramming tobacco into his pipe. - -“A sailor,” said I. - -“Yes, maister. We’re not more than a few miles from Morecambe Bay,” the -driver remarked. - -“You seemed frightened of him,” I observed. - -“Did I?” said he, drily; and then, after a long pause, “Maybe I was.” As -to his reasons for fear, I could get nothing from him, and though I -asked him many questions he was so stupid, or else so clever, that I -could learn nothing from his replies. I observed, however, that from -time to time he swept the moors with a troubled eye, but their huge -brown expanse was unbroken by any moving figure. At last in a sort of -cleft in the hills in front of us I saw a long, low-lying farm building, -the centre of all those scattered flocks. - -“Garth Farm,” said my driver. “There is Farmer Purcell himself,” he -added, as a man strolled out of the porch and stood waiting for our -arrival. He advanced as I descended from the trap, a hard, weather-worn -fellow with light blue eyes, and hair and beard like sun-bleached grass. -In his expression I read the same surly ill-will which I had already -observed in my driver. Their malevolence could not be directed towards a -complete stranger like myself, and so I began to suspect that my uncle -was no more popular on the north-country fells than he had been in -Stepney Highway. - -“You’re to stay here until nightfall. That’s Mr. Stephen Maple’s wish,” -said he, curtly. “You can have some tea and bacon if you like. It’s the -best we can give you.” - -I was very hungry, and accepted the hospitality in spite of the churlish -tone in which it was offered. The farmer’s wife and his two daughters -came into the sitting-room during the meal, and I was aware of a certain -curiosity with which they regarded me. It may have been that a young man -was a rarity in this wilderness, or it may be that my attempts at -conversation won their goodwill, but they all three showed a kindliness -in their manner. It was getting dark, so I remarked that it was time for -me to be pushing on to Greta House. - -“You’ve made up your mind to go, then?” said the older woman. - -“Certainly. I have come all the way from London.” - -“There’s no one hindering you from going back there.” - -“But I have come to see Mr. Maple, my uncle.” - -“Oh, well, no one can stop you if you want to go on,” said the woman, -and became silent as her husband entered the room. - -With every fresh incident I felt that I was moving in an atmosphere of -mystery and peril, and yet it was all so intangible and so vague that I -could not guess where my danger lay. I should have asked the farmer’s -wife point-blank, but her surly husband seemed to divine the sympathy -which she felt for me, and never again left us together. “It’s time you -were going, mister,” said he at last, as his wife lit the lamp upon the -table. - -“Is the trap ready?” - -“You’ll need no trap. You’ll walk,” said he. - -“How shall I know the way?” - -“William will go with you.” - -William was the youth who had driven me up from the station. He was -waiting at the door, and he shouldered my gun-case and bag. I stayed -behind to thank the farmer for his hospitality, but he would have none -of it. “I ask no thanks from Mr. Stephen Maple nor any friend of his,” -said he, bluntly. “I am paid for what I do. If I was not paid I would -not do it. Go your way, young man, and say no more.” He turned rudely on -his heel and re-entered his house, slamming the door behind him. - -It was quite dark outside, with heavy black clouds drifting slowly -across the sky. Once clear of the farm inclosure and out on the moor I -should have been hopelessly lost if it had not been for my guide, who -walked in front of me along narrow sheep-tracks which were quite -invisible to me. Every now and then, without seeing anything, we heard -the clumsy scuffling of the creatures in the darkness. At first my guide -walked swiftly and carelessly, but gradually his pace slowed down, until -at last he was going very slowly and stealthily, like one who walks -light-footed amid imminent menace. This vague, inexplicable sense of -danger in the midst of the loneliness of that vast moor was more -daunting than any evident peril could be, and I had begun to press him -as to what it was that he feared, when suddenly he stopped and dragged -me down among some gorse bushes which lined the path. His tug at my coat -was so strenuous and imperative that I realized that the danger was a -pressing one, and in an instant I was squatting down beside him as still -as the bushes which shadowed us. It was so dark there that I could not -even see the lad beside me. - -It was a warm night, and a hot wind puffed in our faces. Suddenly in -this wind there came something homely and familiar—the smell of burning -tobacco. And then a face, illuminated by the glowing bowl of a pipe, -came floating towards us. The man was all in shadow, but just that one -dim halo of light with the face which filled it, brighter below and -shading away into darkness above, stood out against the universal -blackness. A thin, hungry face, thickly freckled with yellow over the -cheek bones, blue, watery eyes, an ill-nourished, light-coloured -moustache, a peaked yachting cap—that was all that I saw. He passed us, -looking vacantly in front of him, and we heard the steps dying away -along the path. - -“Who was it?” I asked, as we rose to our feet. - -“I don’t know.” - -The fellow’s continual profession of ignorance made me angry. - -“Why should you hide yourself, then?” I asked, sharply. - -“Because Maister Maple told me. He said that I were to meet no one. If I -met any one I should get no pay.” - -“You met that sailor on the road?” - -“Yes, and I think he was one of them.” - -“One of whom?” - -“One of the folk that have come on the fells. They are watchin’ Greta -House, and Maister Maple is afeard of them. That’s why he wanted us to -keep clear of them, and that’s why I’ve been a-trying to dodge ’em.” - -Here was something definite at last. Some body of men were threatening -my uncle. The sailor was one of them. The man with the peaked -cap—probably a sailor also—was another. I bethought me of Stepney -Highway and of the murderous assault made upon my uncle there. Things -were fitting themselves into a connected shape in my mind when a light -twinkled over the fell, and my guide informed me that it was Greta. The -place lay in a dip among the moors, so that one was very near it before -one saw it. A short walk brought us up to the door. - -I could see little of the building save that the lamp which shone -through a small latticed window showed me dimly that it was both long -and lofty. The low door under an overhanging lintel was loosely fitted, -and light was bursting out on each side of it. The inmates of this -lonely house appeared to be keenly on their guard, for they had heard -our footsteps, and we were challenged before we reached the door. - -“Who is there?” cried a deep-booming voice, and urgently, “Who is it, I -say?” - -“It’s me, Maister Maple. I have brought the gentleman.” - -There was a sharp click, and a small wooden shutter flew open in the -door. The gleam of a lantern shone upon us for a few seconds. Then the -shutter closed again; with a great rasping of locks and clattering of -bars, the door was opened, and I saw my uncle standing framed in that -vivid yellow square cut out of the darkness. - -He was a small, thick man, with a great rounded, bald head and one thin -border of gingery curls. It was a fine head, the head of a thinker, but -his large white face was heavy and commonplace, with a broad, -loose-lipped mouth and two hanging dewlaps on either side of it. His -eyes were small and restless, and his light-coloured lashes were -continually moving. My mother had said once that they reminded her of -the legs of a woodlouse, and I saw at the first glance what she meant. I -heard also that in Stepney he had learned the language of his customers, -and I blushed for our kinship as I listened to his villainous accent. -“So, nephew,” said he, holding out his hand. “Come in, come in, man, -quick, and don’t leave the door open. Your mother said you were grown a -big lad, and, my word, she ’as a right to say so. ’Ere’s a ’alf-crown -for you, William, and you can go back again. Put the things down. ’Ere, -Enoch, take Mr. John’s things, and see that ’is supper is on the table.” - -As my uncle, after fastening the door, turned to show me into the -sitting-room, I became aware of his most striking peculiarity. The -injuries which he had received some years ago had, as I have already -remarked, left one leg several inches shorter than the other. To atone -for this he wore one of those enormous wooden soles to his boots which -are prescribed by surgeons in such cases. He walked without a limp, but -his tread on the stone flooring made a curious clack-click, clack-click, -as the wood and the leather alternated. Whenever he moved it was to the -rhythm of this singular castanet. - -The great kitchen, with its huge fireplace and carved settle corners, -showed that this dwelling was an old-time farmhouse. On one side of the -room a line of boxes stood all corded and packed. The furniture was -scant and plain, but on a trestle-table in the centre some supper, cold -meat, bread, and a jug of beer was laid for me. An elderly manservant, -as manifest a Cockney as his master, waited upon me, while my uncle, -sitting in a corner, asked me many questions as to my mother and myself. -When my meal was finished he ordered his man Enoch to unpack my gun. I -observed that two other guns, old rusted weapons, were leaning against -the wall beside the window. - -“It’s the window I’m afraid of,” said my uncle, in the deep, reverberant -voice which contrasted oddly with his plump little figure. “The door’s -safe against anything short of dynamite, but the window’s a terror. Hi! -hi!” he yelled, “don’t walk across the light! You can duck when you pass -the lattice.” - -“For fear of being seen?” I asked. - -“For fear of bein’ shot, my lad. That’s the trouble. Now, come an’ sit -beside me on the trestle ’ere, and I’ll tell you all about it, for I can -see that you are the right sort and can be trusted.” - -His flattery was clumsy and halting, and it was evident that he was very -eager to conciliate me. I sat down beside him, and he drew a folded -paper from his pocket. It was a _Western Morning News_, and the date was -ten days before. The passage over which he pressed a long, black nail -was concerned with the release from Dartmoor of a convict named Elias, -whose term of sentence had been remitted on account of his defence of a -warder who had been attacked in the quarries. The whole account was only -a few lines long. - -“Who is he, then?” I asked. - -My uncle cocked his distorted foot into the air. “That’s ’is mark!” said -he. “’E was doin’ time for that. Now ’e’s out an’ after me again.” - -“But why should he be after you?” - -“Because ’e wants to kill me. Because ’e’ll never rest, the worrying -devil, until ’e ’as ’ad ’is revenge on me. It’s this way, nephew! I’ve -no secrets from you. ’e thinks I’ve wronged ’im. For argument’s sake -we’ll suppose I ’ave wronged ’im. And now ’im and ’is friends are after -me.” - -“Who are his friends?” - -My uncle’s boom sank suddenly to a frightened whisper. “Sailors!” said -he. “I knew they would come when I saw that ’ere paper, and two days ago -I looked through that window and three of them was standin’ lookin’ at -the ’ouse. It was after that that I wrote to your mother. They’ve marked -me down, and they’re waitin’ for ’im.” - -“But why not send for the police?” - -My uncle’s eyes avoided mine. - -“Police are no use,” said he. “It’s you that can help me.” - -“What can I do?” - -“I’ll tell you. I’m going to move. That’s what all these boxes are for. -Everything will soon be packed and ready. I ’ave friends at Leeds, and I -shall be safer there. Not safe, mind you, but safer. I start to-morrow -evening, and if you will stand by me until then I will make it worth -your while. There’s only Enoch and me to do everything, but we shall -’ave it all ready, I promise you, by to-morrow evening. The cart will be -round then, and you and me and Enoch and the boy William can guard the -things as far as Congleton station. Did you see anything of them on the -fells?” - -“Yes,” said I; “a sailor stopped us on the way.” - -“Ah, I knew they were watching us. That was why I asked you to get out -at the wrong station and to drive to Purcell’s instead of comin’ ’ere. -We are blockaded—that’s the word.” - -“And there was another,” said I, “a man with a pipe.” - -“What was ’e like?” - -“Thin face, freckles, a peaked——” - -My uncle gave a hoarse scream. - -“That’s ’im! that’s ’im! ’e’s come! God be merciful to me, a sinner!” He -went click-clacking about the room with his great foot like one -distracted. There was something piteous and baby-like in that big bald -head, and for the first time I felt a gush of pity for him. - -“Come, uncle,” said I, “you are living in a civilized land. There is a -law that will bring these gentry to order. Let me drive over to the -county police-station to-morrow morning and I’ll soon set things right.” - -But he shook his head at me. - -“E’s cunning and ’e’s cruel,” said he. “I can’t draw a breath without -thinking of him, cos ’e buckled up three of my ribs. ’e’ll kill me this -time, sure. There’s only one chance. We must leave what we ’ave not -packed, and we must be off first thing to-morrow mornin’. Great God, -what’s that!” - -A tremendous knock upon the door had reverberated through the house and -then another and another. An iron fist seemed to be beating upon it. My -uncle collapsed into his chair. I seized a gun and ran to the door. - -“Who’s there?” I shouted. - -There was no answer. - -I opened the shutter and looked out. - -No one was there. - -And then suddenly I saw that a long slip of paper was protruding through -the slit of the door. I held it to the light. In rude but vigorous -handwriting the message ran:— - -“Put them out on the doorstep and save your skin.” - -“What do they want?” I asked, as I read him the message. - -“What they’ll never ’ave! No, by the Lord, never!” he cried, with a fine -burst of spirit. “’Ere, Enoch! Enoch!” - -The old fellow came running to the call. - -“Enoch, I’ve been a good master to you all my life, and it’s your turn -now. Will you take a risk for me?” - -I thought better of my uncle when I saw how readily the man consented. -Whomever else he had wronged, this one at least seemed to love him. - -“Put your cloak on and your ‘at, Enoch, and out with you by the back -door. You know the way across the moor to the Purcells’. Tell them that -I must ’ave the cart first thing in the mornin’, and that Purcell must -come with the shepherd as well. We must get clear of this or we are -done. First thing in the mornin’, Enoch, and ten pound for the job. Keep -the black cloak on and move slow, and they will never see you. We’ll -keep the ’ouse till you come back.” - -It was a job for a brave man to venture out into the vague and invisible -dangers of the fell, but the old servant took it as the most ordinary of -messages. Picking his long, black cloak and his soft hat from the hook -behind the door, he was ready on the instant. We extinguished the small -lamp in the back passage, softly unbarred the back door, slipped him -out, and barred it up again. Looking through the small hall window, I -saw his black garments merge instantly into the night. - -“It is but a few hours before the light comes, nephew,” said my uncle, -after he had tried all the bolts and bars. “You shall never regret this -night’s work. If we come through safely it will be the making of you. -Stand by me till mornin’, and I stand by you while there’s breath in my -body. The cart will be ’ere by five. What isn’t ready we can afford to -leave be’ind. We’ve only to load up and make for the early train at -Congleton.” - -“Will they let us pass?” - -“In broad daylight they dare not stop us. There will be six of us, if -they all come, and three guns. We can fight our way through. Where can -they get guns, common, wandering seamen? A pistol or two at the most. If -we can keep them out for a few hours we are safe. Enoch must be ’alfway -to Purcell’s by now.” - -“But what do these sailors want?” I repeated. “You say yourself that you -wronged them.” - -A look of mulish obstinacy came over his large, white face. - -“Don’t ask questions, nephew, and just do what I ask you,” said he. -“Enoch won’t come back. ’e’ll just bide there and come with the cart. -’Ark, what is that?” - -A distant cry rang from out of the darkness, and then another one, short -and sharp like the wail of the curlew. - -“It’s Enoch!” said my uncle, gripping my arm. “They’re killin’ poor old -Enoch.” - -The cry came again, much nearer, and I heard the sound of hurrying steps -and a shrill call for help. - -“They are after ’im!” cried my uncle, rushing to the front door. He -picked up the lantern and flashed it through the little shutter. Up the -yellow funnel of light a man was running frantically, his head bowed and -a black cloak fluttering behind him. The moor seemed to be alive with -dim pursuers. - -“The bolt! The bolt!” gasped my uncle. He pushed it back whilst I turned -the key, and we swung the door open to admit the fugitive. He dashed in -and turned at once with a long yell of triumph. “Come on, lads! Tumble -up, all hands, tumble up! Smartly there, all of you!” - -It was so quickly and neatly done that we were taken by storm before we -knew that we were attacked. The passage was full of rushing sailors. I -slipped out of the clutch of one and ran for my gun, but it was only to -crash down on to the stone floor an instant later with two of them -holding on to me. They were so deft and quick that my hands were lashed -together even while I struggled, and I was dragged into the settle -corner, unhurt but very sore in spirit at the cunning with which our -defences had been forced and the ease with which we had been overcome. -They had not even troubled to bind my uncle, but he had been pushed into -his chair, and the guns had been taken away. He sat with a very white -face, his homely figure and absurd row of curls looking curiously out of -place among the wild figures who surrounded him. - -There were six of them, all evidently sailors. One I recognized as the -man with the earrings whom I had already met upon the road that evening. -They were all fine, weather-bronzed bewhiskered fellows. In the midst of -them, leaning against the table, was the freckled man who had passed me -on the moor. The great black cloak which poor Enoch had taken out with -him was still hanging from his shoulders. He was of a very different -type from the others—crafty, cruel, dangerous, with sly, thoughtful eyes -which gloated over my uncle. They suddenly turned themselves upon me and -I never knew how one’s skin can creep at a man’s glance before. - -“Who are you?” he asked. “Speak out, or we’ll find a way to make you.” - -“I am Mr. Stephen Maple’s nephew, come to visit him.” - -“You are, are you? Well, I wish you joy of your uncle and of your visit -too. Quick’s the word, lads, for we must be aboard before morning. What -shall we do with the old ’un?” - -“Trice him up Yankee fashion and give him six dozen,” said one of the -seamen. - -“D’you hear, you cursed Cockney thief? We’ll beat the life out of you if -you don’t give back what you’ve stolen. Where are they? I know you never -parted with them.” - -My uncle pursed up his lips and shook his head, with a face in which his -fear and his obstinacy contended. - -“Won’t tell, won’t you? We’ll see about that! Get him ready, Jim!” - -One of the seamen seized my uncle, and pulled his coat and shirt over -his shoulders. He sat lumped in his chair, his body all creased into -white rolls which shivered with cold and with terror. - -“Up with him to those hooks.” - -There were rows of them along the walls where the smoked meat used to be -hung. The seamen tied my uncle by the wrists to two of these. Then one -of them undid his leather belt. - -“The buckle end, Jim,” said the captain. “Give him the buckle.” - -“You cowards,” I cried; “to beat an old man!” - -“We’ll beat a young one next,” said he, with a malevolent glance at my -corner. “Now, Jim, cut a wad out of him!” - -“Give him one more chance!” cried one of the seamen. - -“Aye, aye,” growled one or two others. “Give the swab a chance!” - -“If you turn soft, you may give them up for ever,” said the captain. -“One thing or the other! You must lash it out of him; or you may give up -what you took such pains to win and what would make you gentlemen for -life—every man of you. There’s nothing else for it. Which shall it be?” - -“Let him have it,” they cried, savagely. - -“Then stand clear!” The buckle of the man’s belt whined savagely as he -whirled it over his shoulder. - -But my uncle cried out before the blow fell. - -“I can’t stand it!” he cried. “Let me down!” - -“Where are they, then?” - -“I’ll show you if you’ll let me down.” - -They cast off the handkerchiefs and he pulled his coat over his fat, -round shoulders. The seamen stood round him, the most intense curiosity -and excitement upon their swarthy faces. - -“No gammon!” cried the man with the freckles. “We’ll kill you joint by -joint if you try to fool us. Now then! Where are they?” - -“In my bedroom.” - -“Where is that?” - -“The room above.” - -“Whereabouts?” - -“In the corner of the oak ark by the bed.” - -The seamen all rushed to the stair, but the captain called them back. - -“We don’t leave this cunning old fox behind us. Ha, your face drops at -that, does it? By the Lord, I believe you are trying to slip your -anchor. Here, lads, make him fast and take him along!” - -With a confused trampling of feet they rushed up the stairs, dragging my -uncle in the midst of them. For an instant I was alone. My hands were -tied but not my feet. If I could find my way across the moor I might -rouse the police and intercept these rascals before they could reach the -sea. For a moment I hesitated as to whether I should leave my uncle -alone in such a plight. But I should be of more service to him—or, at -the worst, to his property—if I went than if I stayed. I rushed to the -hall door, and as I reached it I heard a yell above my head, a -shattering, splintering noise, and then amid a chorus of shouts a huge -weight fell with a horrible thud at my very feet. Never while I live -will that squelching thud pass out of my ears. And there, just in front -of me, in the lane of light cast by the open door, lay my unhappy uncle, -his bald head twisted on to one shoulder, like the wrung neck of a -chicken. It needed but a glance to see that his spine was broken and -that he was dead. - -The gang of seamen had rushed downstairs so quickly that they were -clustered at the door and crowding all round me almost as soon as I had -realized what had occurred. - -“It’s no doing of ours, mate,” said one of them to me. “He hove himself -through the window, and that’s the truth. Don’t you put it down to us.” - -“He thought he could get to windward of us if once he was out in the -dark, you see,” said another. “But he came head foremost and broke his -bloomin’ neck.” - -“And a blessed good job too!” cried the chief, with a savage oath. “I’d -have done it for him if he hadn’t took the lead. Don’t make any mistake, -my lads, this is murder, and we’re all in it, together. There’s only one -way out of it, and that is to hang together, unless, as the saying goes, -you mean to hang apart. There’s only one witness——” - -He looked at me with his malicious little eyes, and I saw that he had -something that gleamed—either a knife or a revolver—in the breast of his -pea-jacket. Two of the men slipped between us. - -“Stow that, Captain Elias,” said one of them. “If this old man met his -end it is through no fault of ours. The worst we ever meant him was to -take some of the skin off his back. But as to this young fellow, we have -no quarrel with him——” - -“You fool, you may have no quarrel with him, but he has his quarrel with -you. He’ll swear your life away if you don’t silence his tongue. It’s -his life or ours, and don’t you make any mistake.” - -“Aye, aye, the skipper has the longest head of any of us. Better do what -he tells you,” cried another. - -But my champion, who was the fellow with the earrings, covered me with -his own broad chest and swore roundly that no one should lay a finger on -me. The others were equally divided, and my fate might have been the -cause of a quarrel between them when suddenly the captain gave a cry of -delight and amazement which was taken up by the whole gang. I followed -their eyes and outstretched fingers, and this was what I saw. - -My uncle was lying with his legs outstretched, and the club foot was -that which was furthest from us. All round this foot a dozen brilliant -objects were twinkling and flashing in the yellow light which streamed -from the open door. The captain caught up the lantern and held it to the -place. The huge sole of his boot had been shattered in the fall, and it -was clear now that it had been a hollow box in which he stowed his -valuables, for the path was all sprinkled with precious stones. Three -which I saw were of an unusual size, and as many as forty, I should -think, of fair value. The seamen had cast themselves down and were -greedily gathering them up, when my friend with the earrings plucked me -by the sleeve. - -“Here’s your chance, mate,” he whispered. “Off you go before worse comes -of it.” - -It was a timely hint, and it did not take me long to act upon it. A few -cautious steps and I had passed unobserved beyond the circle of light. -Then I set off running, falling and rising and falling again, for no one -who has not tried it can tell how hard it is to run over uneven ground -with hands which are fastened together. I ran and ran, until for want of -breath I could no longer put one foot before the other. But I need not -have hurried so, for when I had gone a long way I stopped at last to -breathe, and, looking back, I could still see the gleam of the lantern -far away, and the outline of the seamen who squatted round it. Then at -last this single point of light went suddenly out, and the whole great -moor was left in the thickest darkness. - -So deftly was I tied, that it took me a long half-hour and a broken -tooth before I got my hands free. My idea was to make my way across to -the Purcells’ farm, but north was the same as south under that pitchy -sky, and for hours I wandered among the rustling, scuttling sheep -without any certainty as to where I was going. When at last there came a -glimmer in the east, and the undulating fells, grey with the morning -mist, rolled once more to the horizon, I recognized that I was close by -Purcell’s farm, and there a little in front of me I was startled to see -another man walking in the same direction. At first I approached him -warily, but before I overtook him I knew by the bent back and tottering -step that it was Enoch, the old servant, and right glad I was to see -that he was living. He had been knocked down, beaten, and his cloak and -hat taken away by these ruffians, and all night he had wandered in the -darkness, like myself, in search of help. He burst into tears when I -told him of his master’s death, and sat hiccoughing with the hard, dry -sobs of an old man among the stones upon the moor. - -“It’s the men of the _Black Mogul_,” he said. “Yes, yes, I knew that -they would be the end of ’im.” - -“Who are they?” I asked. - -“Well, well, you are one of ’is own folk,” said he. “’E ’as passed away; -yes, yes, it is all over and done. I can tell you about it, no man -better, but mum’s the word with old Enoch unless master wants ’im to -speak. But his own nephew who came to ’elp ’im in the hour of need—yes, -yes, Mister John, you ought to know. - -“It was like this, sir. Your uncle ’ad ’is grocer’s business at Stepney, -but ’e ’ad another business also. ’e would buy as well as sell, and when -’e bought ’e never asked no questions where the stuff came from. Why -should ’e? It wasn’t no business of ’is, was it? If folk brought him a -stone or a silver plate, what was it to ’im where they got it? That’s -good sense, and it ought to be good law, as I ’old. Any’ow, it was good -enough for us at Stepney. - -“Well, there was a steamer came from South Africa what foundered at sea. -At least, they say so, and Lloyd’s paid the money. She ’ad some very -fine diamonds invoiced as being aboard of ’er. Soon after there came the -brig _Black Mogul_ into the port o’ London, with ’er papers all right as -‘avin’ cleared from Port Elizabeth with a cargo of ‘ides. The captain, -which ’is name was Elias, ’e came to see the master, and what d’you -think that ’e ’ad to sell? Why, sir, as I’m a livin’ sinner ’e ’ad a -packet of diamonds for all the world just the same as what was lost out -o’ that there African steamer. ’ow did ’e get them? I don’t know. Master -didn’t know. ’e didn’t seek to know either. The captain ’e was anxious -for reasons of ’is own to get them safe, so ’e gave them to master, same -as you might put a thing in a bank. But master ’e’d ’ad time to get fond -of them, and ’e wasn’t over satisfied as to where the _Black Mogul_ ’ad -been tradin’, or where her captain ’ad got the stones, so when ’e come -back for them the master ’e said as ’e thought they were best in ’is own -’ands. Mind I don’t ’old with it myself, but that was what master said -to Captain Elias in the little back parlour at Stepney. That was ’ow ’e -got ’is leg broke and three of his ribs. - -“So the captain got jugged for that, and the master, when ’e was able to -get about, thought that ’e would ’ave peace for fifteen years, and ’e -came away from London because ’e was afraid of the sailor men; but, at -the end of five years, the captain was out and after ’im, with as many -of ’is crew as ’e could gather. Send for the perlice, you says! Well, -there are two sides to that, and the master ’e wasn’t much more fond of -the perlice than Elias was. But they fair ’emmed master in, as you ’ave -seen for yourself, and they bested ’im at last, and the loneliness that -’e thought would be ’is safety ’as proved ’is ruin. Well, well, ’e was -’ard to many, but a good master to me, and it’s long before I come on -such another.” - -One word in conclusion. A strange cutter, which had been hanging about -the coast, was seen to beat down the Irish Sea that morning, and it is -conjectured that Elias and his men were on board of it. At any rate, -nothing has been heard of them since. It was shown at the inquest that -my uncle had lived in a sordid fashion for years, and he left little -behind him. The mere knowledge that he possessed this treasure, which he -carried about with him in so extraordinary a fashion, had appeared to be -the joy of his life, and he had never, as far as we could learn, tried -to realize any of his diamonds. So his disreputable name when living was -not atoned for by any posthumous benevolence, and the family, equally -scandalized by his life and by his death, have finally buried all memory -of the club-footed grocer of Stepney. - - - - - THE SEALED ROOM - - -A solicitor of an active habit and athletic tastes who is compelled by -his hopes of business to remain within the four walls of his office from -ten till five must take what exercise he can in the evenings. Hence it -was that I was in the habit of indulging in very long nocturnal -excursions, in which I sought the heights of Hampstead and Highgate in -order to cleanse my system from the impure air of Abchurch Lane. It was -in the course of one of these aimless rambles that I first met Felix -Stanniford, and so led up to what has been the most extraordinary -adventure of my lifetime. - -One evening—it was in April or early May of the year 1894—I made my way -to the extreme northern fringe of London, and was walking down one of -those fine avenues of high brick villas which the huge city is for ever -pushing farther and farther out into the country. It was a fine, clear -spring night, the moon was shining out of an unclouded sky, and I, -having already left many miles behind me, was inclined to walk slowly -and look about me. In this contemplative mood, my attention was arrested -by one of the houses which I was passing. - -It was a very large building, standing in its own grounds, a little back -from the road. It was modern in appearance, and yet it was far less so -than its neighbours, all of which were crudely and painfully new. Their -symmetrical line was broken by the gap caused by the laurel-studded -lawn, with the great, dark, gloomy house looming at the back of it. -Evidently it had been the country retreat of some wealthy merchant, -built perhaps when the nearest street was a mile off, and now gradually -overtaken and surrounded by the red brick tentacles of the London -octopus. The next stage, I reflected, would be its digestion and -absorption, so that the cheap builder might rear a dozen -eighty-pound-a-year villas upon the garden frontage. And then, as all -this passed vaguely through my mind, an incident occurred which brought -my thoughts into quite another channel. - -A four-wheeled cab, that opprobrium of London, was coming jolting and -creaking in one direction, while in the other there was a yellow glare -from the lamp of a cyclist. They were the only moving objects in the -whole long, moonlit road, and yet they crashed into each other with that -malignant accuracy which brings two ocean liners together in the broad -waste of the Atlantic. It was the cyclist’s fault. He tried to cross in -front of the cab, miscalculated his distance, and was knocked sprawling -by the horse’s shoulder. He rose, snarling; the cabman swore back at -him, and then, realizing that his number had not yet been taken, lashed -his horse and lumbered off. The cyclist caught at the handles of his -prostrate machine, and then suddenly sat down with a groan. “Oh, Lord!” -he said. - -I ran across the road to his side. “Any harm done?” I asked. - -“It’s my ankle,” said he. “Only a twist, I think; but it’s pretty -painful. Just give me your hand, will you?” - -He lay in the yellow circle of the cycle lamp, and I noted as I helped -him to his feet that he was a gentlemanly young fellow, with a slight -dark moustache and large, brown eyes, sensitive and nervous in -appearance, with indications of weak health upon his sunken cheeks. Work -or worry had left its traces upon his thin, yellow face. He stood up -when I pulled his hand, but he held one foot in the air, and he groaned -as he moved it. - -“I can’t put it to the ground,” said he. - -“Where do you live?” - -“Here!” he nodded his head towards the big, dark house in the garden. “I -was cutting across to the gate when that confounded cab ran into me. -Could you help me so far?” - -It was easily done. I put his cycle inside the gate, and then I -supported him down the drive, and up the steps to the hall door. There -was not a light anywhere, and the place was as black and silent as if no -one had ever lived in it. - -“That will do. Thank you very much,” said he, fumbling with his key in -the lock. - -“No, you must allow me to see you safe.” - -He made some feeble, petulant protest, and then realized that he could -really do nothing without me. The door had opened into a pitch-dark -hall. He lurched forward, with my hand still on his arm. - -“This door to the right,” said he, feeling about in the darkness. - -I opened the door, and at the same moment he managed to strike a light. -There was a lamp upon the table, and we lit it between us. “Now, I’m all -right. You can leave me now! Good-bye!” said he, and with the words he -sat down in the arm-chair and fainted dead away. - -It was a queer position for me. The fellow looked so ghastly, that -really I was not sure that he was not dead. Presently his lips quivered -and his breast heaved, but his eyes were two white slits and his colour -was horrible. The responsibility was more than I could stand. I pulled -at the bell-rope, and heard the bell ringing furiously far away. But no -one came in response. The bell tinkled away into silence, which no -murmur or movement came to break. I waited, and rang again, with the -same result. There must be some one about. This young gentleman could -not live all alone in that huge house. His people ought to know of his -condition. If they would not answer the bell, I must hunt them out -myself. I seized the lamp and rushed from the room. - -What I saw outside amazed me. The hall was empty. The stairs were bare, -and yellow with dust. There were three doors opening into spacious -rooms, and each was uncarpeted and undraped, save for the grey webs -which drooped from the cornice, and rosettes of lichen which had formed -upon the walls. My feet reverberated in those empty and silent chambers. -Then I wandered on down the passage, with the idea that the kitchens, at -least, might be tenanted. Some caretaker might lurk in some secluded -room. No, they were all equally desolate. Despairing of finding any -help, I ran down another corridor, and came on something which surprised -me more than ever. - -The passage ended in a large, brown door, and the door had a seal of red -wax the size of a five-shilling piece over the keyhole. This seal gave -me the impression of having been there for a long time, for it was dusty -and discoloured. I was still staring at it, and wondering what that door -might conceal, when I heard a voice calling behind me, and, running -back, found my young man sitting up in his chair and very much -astonished at finding himself in darkness. - -“Why on earth did you take the lamp away?” he asked. - -“I was looking for assistance.” - -“You might look for some time,” said he. “I am alone in the house.” - -“Awkward if you get an illness.” - -“It was foolish of me to faint. I inherit a weak heart from my mother, -and pain or emotion has that effect upon me. It will carry me off some -day, as it did her. You’re not a doctor, are you?” - -“No, a lawyer. Frank Alder is my name.” - -“Mine is Felix Stanniford. Funny that I should meet a lawyer, for my -friend, Mr. Perceval, was saying that we should need one soon.” - -“Very happy, I am sure.” - -“Well, that will depend upon him, you know. Did you say that you had run -with that lamp all over the ground floor?” - -“Yes.” - -“_All_ over it?” he asked, with emphasis, and he looked at me very hard. - -“I think so. I kept on hoping that I should find someone.” - -“Did you enter _all_ the rooms?” he asked, with the same intent gaze. - -“Well, all that I could enter.” - -“Oh, then you _did_ notice it!” said he, and he shrugged his shoulders -with the air of a man who makes the best of a bad job. - -“Notice what?” - -“Why, the door with the seal on it.” - -“Yes, I did.” - -“Weren’t you curious to know what was in it?” - -“Well, it did strike me as unusual.” - -“Do you think you could go on living alone in this house, year after -year, just longing all the time to know what is at the other side of -that door, and yet not looking?” - -“Do you mean to say,” I cried, “that you don’t know yourself?” - -“No more than you do.” - -“Then why don’t you look?” - -“I mustn’t,” said he. - -He spoke in a constrained way, and I saw that I had blundered on to some -delicate ground. I don’t know that I am more inquisitive than my -neighbours, but there certainly was something in the situation which -appealed very strongly to my curiosity. However, my last excuse for -remaining in the house was gone now that my companion had recovered his -senses. I rose to go. - -“Are you in a hurry?” he asked. - -“No; I have nothing to do.” - -“Well, I should be very glad if you would stay with me a little. The -fact is that I live a very retired and secluded life here. I don’t -suppose there is a man in London who leads such a life as I do. It is -quite unusual for me to have any one to talk with.” - -I looked round at the little room, scantily furnished, with a sofa-bed -at one side. Then I thought of the great, bare house, and the sinister -door with the discoloured red seal upon it. There was something queer -and grotesque in the situation, which made me long to know a little -more. Perhaps I should, if I waited. I told him that I should be very -happy. - -“You will find the spirits and a siphon upon the side table. You must -forgive me if I cannot act as host, but I can’t get across the room. -Those are cigars in the tray there. I’ll take one myself, I think. And -so you are a solicitor, Mr. Alder?” - -“Yes.” - -“And I am nothing. I am that most helpless of living creatures, the son -of a millionaire. I was brought up with the expectation of great wealth; -and here I am, a poor man, without any profession at all. And then, on -the top of it all, I am left with this great mansion on my hands, which -I cannot possibly keep up. Isn’t it an absurd situation? For me to use -this as my dwelling is like a coster drawing his barrow with a -thoroughbred. A donkey would be more useful to him, and a cottage to -me.” - -“But why not sell the house?” I asked. - -“I mustn’t.” - -“Let it, then?” - -“No, I mustn’t do that either.” - -I looked puzzled, and my companion smiled. - -“I’ll tell you how it is, if it won’t bore you,” said he. - -“On the contrary, I should be exceedingly interested.” - -“I think, after your kind attention to me, I cannot do less than relieve -any curiosity that you may feel. You must know that my father was -Stanislaus Stanniford, the banker.” - -Stanniford, the banker! I remembered the name at once. His flight from -the country some seven years before had been one of the scandals and -sensations of the time. - -“I see that you remember,” said my companion. “My poor father left the -country to avoid numerous friends, whose savings he had invested in an -unsuccessful speculation. He was a nervous, sensitive man, and the -responsibility quite upset his reason. He had committed no legal -offence. It was purely a matter of sentiment. He would not even face his -own family, and he died among strangers without ever letting us know -where he was.” - -“He died!” said I. - -“We could not prove his death, but we know that it must be so, because -the speculations came right again, and so there was no reason why he -should not look any man in the face. He would have returned if he were -alive. But he must have died in the last two years.” - -“Why in the last two years?” - -“Because we heard from him two years ago.” - -“Did he not tell you then where he was living?” - -“The letter came from Paris, but no address was given. It was when my -poor mother died. He wrote to me then, with some instructions and some -advice, and I have never heard from him since.” - -“Had you heard before?” - -“Oh, yes, we had heard before, and that’s where our mystery of the -sealed door, upon which you stumbled to-night, has its origin. Pass me -that desk, if you please. Here I have my father’s letters, and you are -the first man except Mr. Perceval who has seen them.” - -“Who is Mr. Perceval, may I ask?” - -“He was my father’s confidential clerk, and he has continued to be the -friend and adviser of my mother and then of myself. I don’t know what we -should have done without Perceval. He saw the letters, but no one else. -This is the first one, which came on the very day when my father fled, -seven years ago. Read it to yourself.” - -This is the letter which I read:— - - “MY EVER DEAREST WIFE,— - - “Since Sir William told me how weak your heart is, and how harmful - any shock might be, I have never talked about my business affairs - to you. The time has come when at all risks I can no longer - refrain from telling you that things have been going badly with - me. This will cause me to leave you for a little time, but it is - with the absolute assurance that we shall see each other very - soon. On this you can thoroughly rely. Our parting is only for a - very short time, my own darling, so don’t let it fret you, and - above all don’t let it impair your health, for that is what I want - above all things to avoid. - - “Now, I have a request to make, and I implore you by all that - binds us together to fulfil it exactly as I tell you. There are - some things which I do not wish to be seen by any one in my dark - room—the room which I use for photographic purposes at the end of - the garden passage. To prevent any painful thoughts, I may assure - you once for all, dear, that it is nothing of which I need be - ashamed. But still I do not wish you or Felix to enter that room. - It is locked, and I implore you when you receive this to at once - place a seal over the lock, and leave it so. Do not sell or let - the house, for in either case my secret will be discovered. As - long as you or Felix are in the house, I know that you will comply - with my wishes. When Felix is twenty-one he may enter the room—not - before. - - “And now, good-bye, my own best of wives. During our short - separation you can consult Mr. Perceval on any matters which may - arise. He has my complete confidence. I hate to leave Felix and - you—even for a time—but there is really no choice. - - “Ever and always your loving husband, - - STANISLAUS STANNIFORD. - - “June 4th, 1887.” - -“These are very private family matters for me to inflict upon you,” said -my companion, apologetically. “You must look upon it as done in your -professional capacity. I have wanted to speak about it for years.” - -“I am honoured by your confidence,” I answered, “and exceedingly -interested by the facts.” - -“My father was a man who was noted for his almost morbid love of truth. -He was always pedantically accurate. When he said, therefore, that he -hoped to see my mother very soon, and when he said that he had nothing -to be ashamed of in that dark room, you may rely upon it that he meant -it.” - -“Then what can it be?” I ejaculated. - -“Neither my mother nor I could imagine. We carried out his wishes to the -letter, and placed the seal upon the door; there it has been ever since. -My mother lived for five years after my father’s disappearance, although -at the time all the doctors said that she could not survive long. Her -heart was terribly diseased. During the first few months she had two -letters from my father. Both had the Paris post-mark, but no address. -They were short and to the same effect: that they would soon be -reunited, and that she should not fret. Then there was a silence, which -lasted until her death; and then came a letter to me of so private a -nature that I cannot show it to you, begging me never to think evil of -him, giving me much good advice, and saying that the sealing of the room -was of less importance now than during the lifetime of my mother, but -that the opening might still cause pain to others, and that, therefore, -he thought it best that it should be postponed until my twenty-first -year, for the lapse of time would make things easier. In the meantime, -he committed the care of the room to me; so now you can understand how -it is that, although I am a very poor man, I can neither let nor sell -this great house.” - -“You could mortgage it.” - -“My father had already done so.” - -“It is a most singular state of affairs.” - -“My mother and I were gradually compelled to sell the furniture and to -dismiss the servants, until now, as you see, I am living unattended in a -single room. But I have only two more months.” - -“What do you mean?” - -“Why, that in two months I come of age. The first thing that I do will -be to open that door; the second, to get rid of the house.” - -“Why should your father have continued to stay away when these -investments had recovered themselves?” - -“He must be dead.” - -“You say that he had not committed any legal offence when he fled the -country?” - -“None.” - -“Why should he not take your mother with him?” - -“I do not know.” - -“Why should he conceal his address?” - -“I do not know.” - -“Why should he allow your mother to die and be buried without coming -back?” - -“I do not know.” - -“My dear sir,” said I, “if I may speak with the frankness of a -professional adviser, I should say that it is very clear that your -father had the strongest reasons for keeping out of the country, and -that, if nothing has been proved against him, he at least thought that -something might be, and refused to put himself within the power of the -law. Surely that must be obvious, for in what other possible way can the -facts be explained?” - -My companion did not take my suggestion in good part. - -“You had not the advantage of knowing my father, Mr. Alder,” he said, -coldly. “I was only a boy when he left us, but I shall always look upon -him as my ideal man. His only fault was that he was too sensitive and -too unselfish. That any one should lose money through him would cut him -to the heart. His sense of honour was most acute, and any theory of his -disappearance which conflicts with that is a mistaken one.” - -It pleased me to hear the lad speak out so roundly, and yet I knew that -the facts were against him, and that he was incapable of taking an -unprejudiced view of the situation. - -“I only speak as an outsider,” said I. “And now I must leave you, for I -have a long walk before me. Your story has interested me so much that I -should be glad if you could let me know the sequel.” - -“Leave me your card,” said he; and so, having bade him “good-night,” I -left him. - -I heard nothing more of the matter for some time, and had almost feared -that it would prove to be one of those fleeting experiences which drift -away from our direct observation and end only in a hope or a suspicion. -One afternoon, however, a card bearing the name of Mr. J. H. Perceval -was brought up to my office in Abchurch Lane, and its bearer, a small -dry, bright-eyed fellow of fifty, was ushered in by the clerk. - -“I believe, sir,” said he, “that my name has been mentioned to you by my -young friend, Mr. Felix Stanniford?” - -“Of course,” I answered, “I remember.” - -“He spoke to you, I understand, about the circumstances in connection -with the disappearance of my former employer, Mr. Stanislaus Stanniford, -and the existence of a sealed room in his former residence.” - -“He did.” - -“And you expressed an interest in the matter.” - -“It interested me extremely.” - -“You are aware that we hold Mr. Stanniford’s permission to open the door -on the twenty-first birthday of his son?” - -“I remember.” - -“The twenty-first birthday is to-day.” - -“Have you opened it?” I asked, eagerly. - -“Not yet, sir,” said he, gravely. “I have reason to believe that it -would be well to have witnesses present when that door is opened. You -are a lawyer, and you are acquainted with the facts. Will you be present -on the occasion?” - -“Most certainly.” - -“You are employed during the day, and so am I. Shall we meet at nine -o’clock at the house?” - -“I will come with pleasure.” - -“Then you will find us waiting for you. Good-bye, for the present.” He -bowed solemnly, and took his leave. - -I kept my appointment that evening, with a brain which was weary with -fruitless attempts to think out some plausible explanation of the -mystery which we were about to solve. Mr. Perceval and my young -acquaintance were waiting for me in the little room. I was not surprised -to see the young man looking pale and nervous, but I was rather -astonished to find the dry little City man in a state of intense, though -partially suppressed, excitement. His cheeks were flushed, his hands -twitching, and he could not stand still for an instant. - -Stanniford greeted me warmly, and thanked me many times for having come. -“And now, Perceval,” said he to his companion, “I suppose there is no -obstacle to our putting the thing through without delay? I shall be glad -to get it over.” - -The banker’s clerk took up the lamp and led the way. But he paused in -the passage outside the door, and his hand was shaking, so that the -light flickered up and down the high, bare walls. - -“Mr. Stanniford,” said he, in a cracking voice, “I hope you will prepare -yourself in case any shock should be awaiting you when that seal is -removed and the door is opened.” - -“What could there be, Perceval? You are trying to frighten me.” - -“No, Mr. Stanniford; but I should wish you to be ready ... to be braced -up ... not to allow yourself....” He had to lick his dry lips between -every jerky sentence, and I suddenly realized, as clearly as if he had -told me, that he knew what was behind that closed door, and that it -_was_ something terrible. “Here are the keys, Mr. Stanniford, but -remember my warning!” - -He had a bunch of assorted keys in his hand, and the young man snatched -them from him. Then he thrust a knife under the discoloured red seal and -jerked it off. The lamp was rattling and shaking in Perceval’s hands, so -I took it from him and held it near the key hole, while Stanniford tried -key after key. At last one turned in the lock, the door flew open, he -took one step into the room, and then, with a horrible cry, the young -man fell senseless at our feet. - -If I had not given heed to the clerk’s warning, and braced myself for a -shock, I should certainly have dropped the lamp. The room, windowless -and bare, was fitted up as a photographic laboratory, with a tap and -sink at the side of it. A shelf of bottles and measures stood at one -side, and a peculiar, heavy smell, partly chemical, partly animal, -filled the air. A single table and chair were in front of us, and at -this, with his back turned towards us, a man was seated in the act of -writing. His outline and attitude were as natural as life; but as the -light fell upon him, it made my hair rise to see that the nape of his -neck was black and wrinkled, and no thicker than my wrist. Dust lay upon -him—thick, yellow dust—upon his hair, his shoulders, his shrivelled, -lemon-coloured hands. His head had fallen forward upon his breast. His -pen still rested upon a discoloured sheet of paper. - -“My poor master! My poor, poor master!” cried the clerk, and the tears -were running down his cheeks. - -“What!” I cried, “Mr. Stanislaus Stanniford!” - -“Here he has sat for seven years. Oh, why would he do it? I begged him, -I implored him, I went on my knees to him, but he would have his way. -You see the key on the table. He had locked the door upon the inside. -And he has written something. We must take it.” - -“Yes, yes, take it, and for God’s sake, let us get out of this,” I -cried; “the air is poisonous. Come, Stanniford, come!” Taking an arm -each, we half led and half carried the terrified man back to his own -room. - -“It was my father!” he cried, as he recovered his consciousness. “He is -sitting there dead in his chair. You knew it, Perceval! This was what -you meant when you warned me.” - -“Yes, I knew it, Mr. Stanniford. I have acted for the best all along, -but my position has been a terribly difficult one. For seven years I -have known that your father was dead in that room.” - -“You knew it, and never told us!” - -“Don’t be harsh with me, Mr. Stanniford, sir! Make allowance for a man -who has had a hard part to play.” - -“My head is swimming round. I cannot grasp it!” He staggered up, and -helped himself from the brandy bottle. “These letters to my mother and -to myself—were they forgeries?” - -“No, sir; your father wrote them and addressed them, and left them in my -keeping to be posted. I have followed his instructions to the very -letter in all things. He was my master, and I have obeyed him.” - -The brandy had steadied the young man’s shaken nerves. “Tell me about -it. I can stand it now,” said he. - -“Well, Mr. Stanniford, you know that at one time there came a period of -great trouble upon your father, and he thought that many poor people -were about to lose their savings through his fault. He was a man who was -so tender-hearted that he could not bear the thought. It worried him and -tormented him, until he determined to end his life. Oh, Mr. Stanniford, -if you knew how I have prayed him and wrestled with him over it, you -would never blame me! And he in turn prayed me as no man has ever prayed -me before. He had made up his mind, and he would do it in any case, he -said; but it rested with me whether his death should be happy and easy -or whether it should be most miserable. I read in his eyes that he meant -what he said. And at last I yielded to his prayers, and I consented to -do his will. - -“What was troubling him was this. He had been told by the first doctor -in London that his wife’s heart would fail at the slightest shock. He -had a horror of accelerating her end, and yet his own existence had -become unendurable to him. How could he end himself without injuring -her? - -“You know now the course that he took. He wrote the letter which she -received. There was nothing in it which was not literally true. When he -spoke of seeing her again so soon, he was referring to her own -approaching death, which he had been assured could not be delayed more -than a very few months. So convinced was he of this, that he only left -two letters to be forwarded at intervals after his death. She lived five -years, and I had no letters to send. - -“He left another letter with me to be sent to you, sir, upon the -occasion of the death of your mother. I posted all these in Paris to -sustain the idea of his being abroad. It was his wish that I should say -nothing, and I have said nothing. I have been a faithful servant. Seven -years after his death, he thought no doubt that the shock to the -feelings of his surviving friends would be lessened. He was always -considerate for others.” - -There was silence for some time. It was broken by young Stanniford. - -“I cannot blame you, Perceval. You have spared my mother a shock, which -would certainly have broken her heart. What is that paper?” - -“It is what your father was writing, sir. Shall I read it to you?” - -“Do so.” - -“‘I have taken the poison, and I feel it working in my veins. It is -strange, but not painful. When these words are read I shall, if my -wishes have been faithfully carried out, have been dead many years. -Surely no one who has lost money through me will still bear me -animosity. And you, Felix, you will forgive me this family scandal. May -God find rest for a sorely wearied spirit!’” - -“Amen!” we cried, all three. - - - - - THE BRAZILIAN CAT - - -It is hard luck on a young fellow to have expensive tastes, great -expectations, aristocratic connections, but no actual money in his -pocket, and no profession by which he may earn any. The fact was that my -father, a good, sanguine, easy-going man, had such confidence in the -wealth and benevolence of his bachelor elder brother, Lord Southerton, -that he took it for granted that I, his only son, would never be called -upon to earn a living for myself. He imagined that if there were not a -vacancy for me on the great Southerton Estates, at least there would be -found some post in that diplomatic service which still remains the -special preserve of our privileged classes. He died too early to realize -how false his calculations had been. Neither my uncle nor the State took -the slightest notice of me, or showed any interest in my career. An -occasional brace of pheasants, or basket of hares, was all that ever -reached me to remind me that I was heir to Otwell House and one of the -richest estates in the country. In the meantime, I found myself a -bachelor and man about town, living in a suite of apartments in -Grosvenor Mansions, with no occupation save that of pigeon-shooting and -polo-playing at Hurlingham. Month by month I realized that it was more -and more difficult to get the brokers to renew my bills, or to cash any -further post-obits upon an unentailed property. Ruin lay right across my -path, and every day I saw it clearer, nearer, and more absolutely -unavoidable. - -What made me feel my own poverty the more was that, apart from the great -wealth of Lord Southerton, all my other relations were fairly -well-to-do. The nearest of these was Everard King, my father’s nephew -and my own first cousin, who had spent an adventurous life in Brazil, -and had now returned to this country to settle down on his fortune. We -never knew how he made his money, but he appeared to have plenty of it, -for he bought the estate of Greylands, near Clipton-on-the-Marsh, in -Suffolk. For the first year of his residence in England he took no more -notice of me than my miserly uncle; but at last one summer morning, to -my very great relief and joy, I received a letter asking me to come down -that very day and spend a short visit at Greylands Court. I was -expecting a rather long visit to Bankruptcy Court at the time, and this -interruption seemed almost providential. If I could only get on terms -with this unknown relative of mine, I might pull through yet. For the -family credit he could not let me go entirely to the wall. I ordered my -valet to pack my valise, and I set off the same evening for -Clipton-on-the-Marsh. - -After changing at Ipswich, a little local train deposited me at a small, -deserted station lying amidst a rolling grassy country, with a sluggish -and winding river curving in and out amidst the valleys, between high, -silted banks, which showed that we were within reach of the tide. No -carriage was awaiting me (I found afterwards that my telegram had been -delayed), so I hired a dog-cart at the local inn. The driver, an -excellent fellow, was full of my relative’s praises, and I learned from -him that Mr. Everard King was already a name to conjure with in that -part of the country. He had entertained the school-children, he had -thrown his grounds open to visitors, he had subscribed to charities—in -short, his benevolence had been so universal that my driver could only -account for it on the supposition that he had Parliamentary ambitions. - -My attention was drawn away from my driver’s panegyric by the appearance -of a very beautiful bird which settled on a telegraph-post beside the -road. At first I thought that it was a jay, but it was larger, with a -brighter plumage. The driver accounted for its presence at once by -saying that it belonged to the very man whom we were about to visit. It -seems that the acclimatization of foreign creatures was one of his -hobbies, and that he had brought with him from Brazil a number of birds -and beasts which he was endeavouring to rear in England. When once we -had passed the gates of Greylands Park we had ample evidence of this -taste of his. Some small spotted deer, a curious wild pig known, I -believe, as a peccary, a gorgeously feathered oriole, some sort of -armadillo, and a singular lumbering intoed beast like a very fat badger, -were among the creatures which I observed as we drove along the winding -avenue. - -Mr. Everard King, my unknown cousin, was standing in person upon the -steps of his house, for he had seen us in the distance, and guessed that -it was I. His appearance was very homely and benevolent, short and -stout, forty-five years old perhaps, with a round, good-humoured face, -burned brown with the tropical sun, and shot with a thousand wrinkles. -He wore white linen clothes, in true planter style, with a cigar between -his lips, and a large Panama hat upon the back of his head. It was such -a figure as one associates with a verandahed bungalow, and it looked -curiously out of place in front of this broad, stone English mansion, -with its solid wings and its Palladio pillars before the doorway. - -“My dear!” he cried, glancing over his shoulder; “my dear, here is our -guest! Welcome, welcome to Greylands! I am delighted to make your -acquaintance, Cousin Marshall, and I take it as a great compliment that -you should honour this sleepy little country place with your presence.” - -Nothing could be more hearty than his manner, and he set me at my ease -in an instant. But it needed all his cordiality to atone for the -frigidity and even rudeness of his wife, a tall, haggard woman, who came -forward at his summons. She was, I believe, of Brazilian extraction, -though she spoke excellent English, and I excused her manners on the -score of her ignorance of our customs. She did not attempt to conceal, -however, either then or afterwards, that I was no very welcome visitor -at Greylands Court. Her actual words were, as a rule, courteous, but she -was the possessor of a pair of particularly expressive dark eyes, and I -read in them very clearly from the first that she heartily wished me -back in London once more. - -However, my debts were too pressing and my designs upon my wealthy -relative were too vital for me to allow them to be upset by the -ill-temper of his wife, so I disregarded her coldness and reciprocated -the extreme cordiality of his welcome. No pains had been spared by him -to make me comfortable. My room was a charming one. He implored me to -tell him anything which could add to my happiness. It was on the tip of -my tongue to inform him that a blank cheque would materially help -towards that end, but I felt that it might be premature in the present -state of our acquaintance. The dinner was excellent, and as we sat -together afterwards over his Havanas and coffee, which latter he told me -was specially prepared upon his own plantation, it seemed to me that all -my driver’s eulogies were justified, and that I had never met a more -large-hearted and hospitable man. - -But, in spite of his cheery good nature, he was a man with a strong will -and a fiery temper of his own. Of this I had an example upon the -following morning. The curious aversion which Mrs. Everard King had -conceived towards me was so strong, that her manner at breakfast was -almost offensive. But her meaning became unmistakable when her husband -had quitted the room. - -“The best train in the day is at twelve fifteen,” said she. - -“But I was not thinking of going to-day,” I answered, frankly—perhaps -even defiantly, for I was determined not to be driven out by this woman. - -“Oh, if it rests with you——” said she, and stopped, with a most insolent -expression in her eyes. - -“I am sure,” I answered “that Mr. Everard King would tell me if I were -outstaying my welcome.” - -“What’s this? What’s this?” said a voice, and there he was in the room. -He had overheard my last words, and a glance at our faces had told him -the rest. In an instant his chubby, cheery face set into an expression -of absolute ferocity. - -“Might I trouble you to walk outside, Marshall,” said he. (I may mention -that my own name is Marshall King.) - -He closed the door behind me, and then, for an instant, I heard him -talking in a low voice of concentrated passion to his wife. This gross -breach of hospitality had evidently hit upon his tenderest point. I am -no eavesdropper, so I walked out on to the lawn. Presently I heard a -hurried step behind me, and there was the lady, her face pale with -excitement, and her eyes red with tears. - -“My husband has asked me to apologize to you, Mr. Marshall King,” said -she, standing with downcast eyes before me. - -“Please do not say another word, Mrs. King.” - -Her dark eyes suddenly blazed out at me. - -“You fool!” she hissed, with frantic vehemence, and turning on her heel -swept back to the house. - -The insult was so outrageous, so insufferable, that I could only stand -staring after her in bewilderment. I was still there when my host joined -me. He was his cheery, chubby self once more. - -“I hope that my wife has apologized for her foolish remarks,” said he. - -“Oh, yes—yes, certainly!” - -He put his hand through my arm and walked with me up and down the lawn. - -“You must not take it seriously,” said he. “It would grieve me -inexpressibly if you curtailed your visit by one hour. The fact is—there -is no reason why there should be any concealment between relatives—that -my poor dear wife is incredibly jealous. She hates that any one—male or -female—should for an instant come between us. Her ideal is a desert -island and an eternal _tête-à-tête_. That gives you the clue to her -actions, which are, I confess, upon this particular point, not very far -removed from mania. Tell me that you will think no more of it.” - -“No, no; certainly not.” - -“Then light this cigar and come round with me and see my little -menagerie.” - -The whole afternoon was occupied by this inspection, which included all -the birds, beasts, and even reptiles which he had imported. Some were -free, some in cages, a few actually in the house. He spoke with -enthusiasm of his successes and his failures, his births and his deaths, -and he would cry out in his delight, like a schoolboy, when, as we -walked, some gaudy bird would flutter up from the grass, or some curious -beast slink into the cover. Finally he led me down a corridor which -extended from one wing of the house. At the end of this there was a -heavy door with a sliding shutter in it, and beside it there projected -from the wall an iron handle attached to a wheel and a drum. A line of -stout bars extended across the passage. - -“I am about to show you the jewel of my collection,” said he. “There is -only one other specimen in Europe, now that the Rotterdam cub is dead. -It is a Brazilian cat.” - -“But how does that differ from any other cat?” - -“You will soon see that,” said he, laughing. “Will you kindly draw that -shutter and look through?” - -I did so, and found that I was gazing into a large, empty room, with -stone flags, and small, barred windows upon the farther wall. - -In the centre of this room, lying in the middle of a golden patch of -sunlight, there was stretched a huge creature, as large as a tiger, but -as black and sleek as ebony. It was simply a very enormous and very -well-kept black cat, and it cuddled up and basked in that yellow pool of -light exactly as a cat would do. It was so graceful, so sinewy, and so -gently and smoothly diabolical, that I could not take my eyes from the -opening. - -“Isn’t he splendid?” said my host, enthusiastically. - -“Glorious! I never saw such a noble creature.” - -“Some people call it a black puma, but really it is not a puma at all. -That fellow is nearly eleven feet from tail to tip. Four years ago he -was a little ball of black fluff, with two yellow eyes staring out of -it. He was sold me as a new-born cub up in the wild country at the -head-waters of the Rio Negro. They speared his mother to death after she -had killed a dozen of them.” - -“They are ferocious, then?” - -“The most absolutely treacherous and blood-thirsty creatures upon earth. -You talk about a Brazilian cat to an up-country Indian, and see him get -the jumps. They prefer humans to game. This fellow has never tasted -living blood yet, but when he does he will be a terror. At present he -won’t stand any one but me in his den. Even Baldwin, the groom, dare not -go near him. As to me, I am his mother and father in one.” - -As he spoke he suddenly, to my astonishment, opened the door and slipped -in, closing it instantly behind him. At the sound of his voice the huge, -lithe creature rose, yawned, and rubbed its round, black head -affectionately against his side, while he patted and fondled it. - -“Now, Tommy, into your cage!” said he. - -The monstrous cat walked over to one side of the room and coiled itself -up under a grating. Everard King came out, and taking the iron handle -which I have mentioned, he began to turn it. As he did so the line of -bars in the corridor began to pass through a slot in the wall and closed -up the front of this grating, so as to make an effective cage. When it -was in position he opened the door once more and invited me into the -room, which was heavy with the pungent, musty smell peculiar to the -great carnivora. - -“That’s how we work it,” said he. “We give him the run of the room for -exercise, and then at night we put him in his cage. You can let him out -by turning the handle from the passage, or you can, as you have seen, -coop him up in the same way. No, no, you should not do that!” - -I had put my hand between the bars to pat the glossy, heaving flank. He -pulled it back, with a serious face. - -“I assure you that he is not safe. Don’t imagine that because I can take -liberties with him any one else can. He is very exclusive in his -friends—aren’t you, Tommy? Ah, he hears his lunch coming to him! Don’t -you, boy?” - -A step sounded in the stone-flagged passage, and the creature had sprung -to his feet, and was pacing up and down the narrow cage, his yellow eyes -gleaming, and his scarlet tongue rippling and quivering over the white -line of his jagged teeth. A groom entered with a coarse joint upon a -tray, and thrust it through the bars to him. He pounced lightly upon it, -carried it off to the corner, and there, holding it between his paws, -tore and wrenched at it, raising his bloody muzzle every now and then to -look at us. It was a malignant and yet fascinating sight. - -“You can’t wonder that I am fond of him, can you?” said my host, as we -left the room, “especially when you consider that I have had the rearing -of him. It was no joke bringing him over from the centre of South -America; but here he is safe and sound—and, as I have said, far the most -perfect specimen in Europe. The people at the Zoo are dying to have him, -but I really can’t part with him. How, I think that I have inflicted my -hobby upon you long enough, so we cannot do better than follow Tommy’s -example, and go to our lunch.” - -My South American relative was so engrossed by his grounds and their -curious occupants, that I hardly gave him credit at first for having any -interests outside them. That he had some, and pressing ones, was soon -borne in upon me by the number of telegrams which he received. They -arrived at all hours, and were always opened by him with the utmost -eagerness and anxiety upon his face. Sometimes I imagined that it must -be the turf, and sometimes the Stock Exchange, but certainly he had some -very urgent business going forwards which was not transacted upon the -Downs of Suffolk. During the six days of my visit he had never fewer -than three or four telegrams a day, and sometimes as many as seven or -eight. - -I had occupied these six days so well, that by the end of them I had -succeeded in getting upon the most cordial terms with my cousin. Every -night we had sat up late in the billiard-room, he telling me the most -extraordinary stories of his adventures in America—stories so desperate -and reckless, that I could hardly associate them with the brown little, -chubby man before me. In return, I ventured upon some of my own -reminiscences of London life, which interested him so much, that he -vowed he would come up to Grosvenor Mansions and stay with me. He was -anxious to see the faster side of city life, and certainly, though I say -it, he could not have chosen a more competent guide. It was not until -the last day of my visit that I ventured to approach that which was on -my mind. I told him frankly about my pecuniary difficulties and my -impending ruin, and I asked his advice—though I hoped for something more -solid. He listened attentively, puffing hard at his cigar. - -“But surely,” said he, “you are the heir of our relative, Lord -Southerton?” - -“I have every reason to believe so, but he would never make me any -allowance.” - -“No, no, I have heard of his miserly ways. My poor Marshall, your -position has been a very hard one. By the way, have you heard any news -of Lord Southerton’s health lately?” - -“He has always been in a critical condition ever since my childhood.” - -“Exactly—a creaking hinge, if ever there was one. Your inheritance may -be a long way off. Dear me, how awkwardly situated you are!” - -“I had some hopes, sir, that you, knowing all the facts, might be -inclined to advance——” - -“Don’t say another word, my dear boy,” he cried, with the utmost -cordiality; “we shall talk it over to-night, and I give you my word that -whatever is in my power shall be done.” - -I was not sorry that my visit was drawing to a close, for it is -unpleasant to feel that there is one person in the house who eagerly -desires your departure. Mrs. King’s sallow face and forbidding eyes had -become more and more hateful to me. She was no longer actively rude—her -fear of her husband prevented her—but she pushed her insane jealousy to -the extent of ignoring me, never addressing me, and in every way making -my stay at Greylands as uncomfortable as she could. So offensive was her -manner during that last day, that I should certainly have left had it -not been for that interview with my host in the evening which would, I -hoped, retrieve my broken fortunes. - -It was very late when it occurred, for my relative, who had been -receiving even more telegrams than usual during the day, went off to his -study after dinner, and only emerged when the household had retired to -bed. I heard him go round locking the doors, as his custom was of a -night, and finally he joined me in the billiard-room. His stout figure -was wrapped in a dressing-gown, and he wore a pair of red Turkish -slippers without any heels. Settling down into an arm-chair, he brewed -himself a glass of grog, in which I could not help noticing that the -whisky considerably predominated over the water. - -“My word!” said he, “what a night!” - -It was, indeed. The wind was howling and screaming round the house, and -the latticed windows rattled and shook as if they were coming in. The -glow of the yellow lamps and the flavour of our cigars seemed the -brighter and more fragrant for the contrast. - -“Now, my boy,” said my host, “we have the house and the night to -ourselves. Let me have an idea of how your affairs stand, and I will see -what can be done to set them in order. I wish to hear every detail.” - -Thus encouraged, I entered into a long exposition, in which all my -tradesmen and creditors, from my landlord to my valet, figured in turn. -I had notes in my pocket-book, and I marshalled my facts, and gave, I -flatter myself, a very business-like statement of my own -un-business-like ways and lamentable position. I was depressed, however, -to notice that my companion’s eyes were vacant and his attention -elsewhere. When he did occasionally throw out a remark, it was so -entirely perfunctory and pointless, that I was sure he had not in the -least followed my remarks. Every now and then he roused himself and put -on some show of interest, asking me to repeat or to explain more fully, -but it was always to sink once more into the same brown study. At last -he rose and threw the end of his cigar into the grate. - -“I’ll tell you what, my boy,” said he. “I never had a head for figures, -so you will excuse me. You must jot it all down upon paper, and let me -have a note of the amount. I’ll understand it when I see it in black and -white.” - -The proposal was encouraging. I promised to do so. - -“And now it’s time we were in bed. By Jove, there’s one o’clock striking -in the hall.” - -The tinging of the chiming clock broke through the deep roar of the -gale. The wind was sweeping past with the rush of a great river. - -“I must see my cat before I go to bed,” said my host. “A high wind -excites him. Will you come?” - -“Certainly,” said I. - -“Then tread softly and don’t speak, for every one is asleep.” - -We passed quietly down the lamp-lit Persian-rugged hall, and through the -door at the farther end. All was dark in the stone corridor, but a -stable lantern hung on a hook, and my host took it down and lit it. -There was no grating visible in the passage, so I knew that the beast -was in its cage. - -“Come in!” said my relative, and opened the door. - -A deep growling as we entered showed that the storm had really excited -the creature. In the flickering light of the lantern, we saw it, a huge -black mass, coiled in the corner of its den and throwing a squat, -uncouth shadow upon the whitewashed wall. Its tail switched angrily -among the straw. - -“Poor Tommy is not in the best of tempers,” said Everard King, holding -up the lantern and looking in at him. “What a black devil he looks, -doesn’t he? I must give him a little supper to put him in a better -humour. Would you mind holding the lantern for a moment?” - -I took it from his hand and he stepped to the door. - -“His larder is just outside here,” said he. “You will excuse me for an -instant, won’t you?” He passed out, and the door shut with a sharp -metallic click behind him. - -That hard crisp sound made my heart stand still. A sudden wave of terror -passed over me. A vague perception of some monstrous treachery turned me -cold. I sprang to the door, but there was no handle upon the inner side. - -“Here!” I cried. “Let me out!” - -“All right! Don’t make a row!” said my host from the passage. “You’ve -got the light all right.” - -“Yes, but I don’t care about being locked in alone like this.” - -“Don’t you?” I heard his hearty, chuckling laugh. “You won’t be alone -long.” - -“Let me out, sir!” I repeated angrily. “I tell you I don’t allow -practical jokes of this sort.” - -“Practical is the word,” said he, with another hateful chuckle. And then -suddenly I heard, amidst the roar of the storm, the creak and whine of -the winch-handle turning, and the rattle of the grating as it passed -through the slot. Great God, he was letting loose the Brazilian cat! - -In the light of the lantern I saw the bars sliding slowly before me. -Already there was an opening a foot wide at the farther end. With a -scream I seized the last bar with my hands and pulled with the strength -of a madman. I _was_ a madman with rage and horror. For a minute or more -I held the thing motionless. I knew that he was straining with all his -force upon the handle, and that the leverage was sure to overcome me. I -gave inch by inch, my feet sliding along the stones, and all the time I -begged and prayed this inhuman monster to save me from this horrible -death. I conjured him by his kinship. I reminded him that I was his -guest; I begged to know what harm I had ever done him. His only answers -were the tugs and jerks upon the handle, each of which, in spite of all -my struggles, pulled another bar through the opening. Clinging and -clutching, I was dragged across the whole front of the cage, until at -last, with aching wrists and lacerated fingers, I gave up the hopeless -struggle. The grating clanged back as I released it, and an instant -later I heard the shuffle of the Turkish slippers in the passage, and -the slam of the distant door. Then everything was silent. - -The creature had never moved during this time. He lay still in the -corner, and his tail had ceased switching. This apparition of a man -adhering to his bars and dragged screaming across him had apparently -filled him with amazement. I saw his great eyes staring steadily at me. -I had dropped the lantern when I seized the bars, but it still burned -upon the floor, and I made a movement to grasp it, with some idea that -its light might protect me. But the instant I moved, the beast gave a -deep and menacing growl. I stopped and stood still, quivering with fear -in every limb. The cat (if one may call so fearful a creature by so -homely a name) was not more than ten feet from me. The eyes glimmered -like two discs of phosphorus in the darkness. They appalled and yet -fascinated me. I could not take my own eyes from them. Nature plays -strange tricks with us at such moments of intensity, and those -glimmering lights waxed and waned with a steady rise and fall. Sometimes -they seemed to be tiny points of extreme brilliancy—little electric -sparks in the black obscurity—then they would widen and widen until all -that corner of the room was filled with their shifting and sinister -light. And then suddenly they went out altogether. - -The beast had closed its eyes. I do not know whether there may be any -truth in the old idea of the dominance of the human gaze, or whether the -huge cat was simply drowsy, but the fact remains that, far from showing -any symptom of attacking me, it simply rested its sleek, black head upon -its huge forepaws and seemed to sleep. I stood, fearing to move lest I -should rouse it into malignant life once more. But at least I was able -to think clearly now that the baleful eyes were off me. Here I was shut -up for the night with the ferocious beast. My own instincts, to say -nothing of the words of the plausible villain who laid this trap for me, -warned me that the animal was as savage as its master. How could I stave -it off until morning? The door was hopeless, and so were the narrow, -barred windows. There was no shelter anywhere in the bare, stone-flagged -room. To cry for assistance was absurd. I knew that this den was an -outhouse, and that the corridor which connected it with the house was at -least a hundred feet long. Besides, with that gale thundering outside, -my cries were not likely to be heard. I had only my own courage and my -own wits to trust to. - -And then, with a fresh wave of horror, my eyes fell upon the lantern. -The candle had burned low, and was already beginning to gutter. In ten -minutes it would be out. I had only ten minutes then in which to do -something, for I felt that if I were once left in the dark with that -fearful beast I should be incapable of action. The very thought of it -paralyzed me. I cast my despairing eyes round this chamber of death, and -they rested upon one spot which seemed to promise I will not say safety, -but less immediate and imminent danger than the open floor. - -I have said that the cage had a top as well as a front, and this top was -left standing when the front was wound through the slot in the wall. It -consisted of bars at a few inches’ interval, with stout wire netting -between, and it rested upon a strong stanchion at each end. It stood now -as a great barred canopy over the crouching figure in the corner. The -space between this iron shelf and the roof may have been from two to -three feet. If I could only get up there, squeezed in between bars and -ceiling, I should have only one vulnerable side. I should be safe from -below, from behind, and from each side. Only on the open face of it -could I be attacked. There, it is true, I had no protection whatever; -but, at least, I should be out of the brute’s path when he began to pace -about his den. He would have to come out of his way to reach me. It was -now or never, for if once the light were out it would be impossible. -With a gulp in my throat I sprang up, seized the iron edge of the top, -and swung myself panting on to it. I writhed in face downwards, and -found myself looking straight into the terrible eyes and yawning jaws of -the cat. Its fetid breath came up into my face like the steam from some -foul pot. - -It appeared, however, to be rather curious than angry. With a sleek -ripple of its long, black back it rose, stretched itself, and then -rearing itself on its hind legs, with one fore paw against the wall, it -raised the other, and drew its claws across the wire meshes beneath me. -One sharp, white hook tore through my trousers—for I may mention that I -was still in evening dress—and dug a furrow in my knee. It was not meant -as an attack, but rather as an experiment, for upon my giving a sharp -cry of pain he dropped down again, and springing lightly into the room, -he began walking swiftly round it, looking up every now and again in my -direction. For my part I shuffled backwards until I lay with my back -against the wall, screwing myself into the smallest space possible. The -farther I got the more difficult it was for him to attack me. - -He seemed more excited now that he had begun to move about, and he ran -swiftly and noiselessly round and round the den, passing continually -underneath the iron couch upon which I lay. It was wonderful to see so -great a bulk passing like a shadow, with hardly the softest thudding of -velvety pads. The candle was burning low—so low that I could hardly see -the creature. And then, with a last flare and splutter it went out -altogether. I was alone with the cat in the dark! - -It helps one to face a danger when one knows that one has done all that -possibly can be done. There is nothing for it then but to quietly await -the result. In this case, there was no chance of safety anywhere except -the precise spot where I was. I stretched myself out, therefore, and lay -silently, almost breathlessly, hoping that the beast might forget my -presence if I did nothing to remind him. I reckoned that it must already -be two o’clock. At four it would be full dawn. I had not more than two -hours to wait for daylight. - -Outside, the storm was still raging, and the rain lashed continually -against the little windows. Inside, the poisonous and fetid air was -overpowering. I could neither hear nor see the cat. I tried to think -about other things—but only one had power enough to draw my mind from my -terrible position. That was the contemplation of my cousin’s villainy, -his unparalleled hypocrisy, his malignant hatred of me. Beneath that -cheerful face there lurked the spirit of a mediæval assassin. And as I -thought of it I saw more clearly how cunningly the thing had been -arranged. He had apparently gone to bed with the others. No doubt he had -his witnesses to prove it. Then, unknown to them, he had slipped down, -had lured me into this den and abandoned me. His story would be so -simple. He had left me to finish my cigar in the billiard-room. I had -gone down on my own account to have a last look at the cat. I had -entered the room without observing that the cage was opened, and I had -been caught. How could such a crime be brought home to him? Suspicion, -perhaps—but proof, never! - -How slowly those dreadful two hours went by! Once I heard a low, rasping -sound, which I took to be the creature licking its own fur. Several -times those greenish eyes gleamed at me through the darkness, but never -in a fixed stare, and my hopes grew stronger that my presence had been -forgotten or ignored. At last the least faint glimmer of light came -through the windows—I first dimly saw them as two grey squares upon the -black wall, then grey turned to white, and I could see my terrible -companion once more. And he, alas, could see me! - -It was evident to me at once that he was in a much more dangerous and -aggressive mood than when I had seen him last. The cold of the morning -had irritated him, and he was hungry as well. With a continual growl he -paced swiftly up and down the side of the room which was farthest from -my refuge, his whiskers bristling angrily, and his tail switching and -lashing. As he turned at the corners his savage eyes always looked -upwards at me with a dreadful menace. I knew then that he meant to kill -me. Yet I found myself even at that moment admiring the sinuous grace of -the devilish thing, its long, undulating, rippling movements, the gloss -of its beautiful flanks, the vivid, palpitating scarlet of the -glistening tongue which hung from the jet-black muzzle. And all the time -that deep, threatening growl was rising and rising in an unbroken -crescendo. I knew that the crisis was at hand. - -It was a miserable hour to meet such a death—so cold, so comfortless, -shivering in my light dress clothes upon this gridiron of torment upon -which I was stretched. I tried to brace myself to it, to raise my soul -above it, and at the same time, with the lucidity which comes to a -perfectly desperate man, I cast round for some possible means of escape. -One thing was clear to me. If that front of the cage was only back in -its position once more, I could find a sure refuge behind it. Could I -possibly pull it back? I hardly dared to move for fear of bringing the -creature upon me. Slowly, very slowly, I put my hand forward until it -grasped the edge of the front, the final bar which protruded through the -wall. To my surprise it came quite easily to my jerk. Of course the -difficulty of drawing it out arose from the fact that I was clinging to -it. I pulled again, and three inches of it came through. It ran -apparently on wheels. I pulled again ... and then the cat sprang! - -It was so quick, so sudden, that I never saw it happen. I simply heard -the savage snarl, and in an instant afterwards the blazing yellow eyes, -the flattened black head with its red tongue and flashing teeth, were -within reach of me. The impact of the creature shook the bars upon which -I lay, until I thought (as far as I could think of anything at such a -moment) that they were coming down. The cat swayed there for an instant, -the head and front paws quite close to me, the hind paws clawing to find -a grip upon the edge of the grating. I heard the claws rasping as they -clung to the wire netting, and the breath of the beast made me sick. But -its bound had been miscalculated. It could not retain its position. -Slowly, grinning with rage and scratching madly at the bars, it swung -backwards and dropped heavily upon the floor. With a growl it instantly -faced round to me and crouched for another spring. - -I knew that the next few moments would decide my fate. The creature had -learned by experience. It would not miscalculate again. I must act -promptly, fearlessly, if I were to have a chance for life. In an instant -I had formed my plan. Pulling off my dress-coat, I threw it down over -the head of the beast. At the same moment I dropped over the edge, -seized the end of the front grating, and pulled it frantically out of -the wall. - -It came more easily than I could have expected. I rushed across the -room, bearing it with me; but, as I rushed, the accident of my position -put me upon the outer side. Had it been the other way, I might have come -off scathless. As it was, there was a moment’s pause as I stopped it and -tried to pass in through the opening which I had left. That moment was -enough to give time to the creature to toss off the coat with which I -had blinded him and to spring upon me. I hurled myself through the gap -and pulled the rails to behind me, but he seized my leg before I could -entirely withdraw it. One stroke of that huge paw tore off my calf as a -shaving of wood curls off before a plane. The next moment, bleeding and -fainting, I was lying among the foul straw with a line of friendly bars -between me and the creature which ramped so frantically against them. - -Too wounded to move, and too faint to be conscious of fear, I could only -lie, more dead than alive, and watch it. It pressed its broad, black -chest against the bars and angled for me with its crooked paws as I have -seen a kitten do before a mouse-trap. It ripped my clothes, but, stretch -as it would, it could not quite reach me. I have heard of the curious -numbing effect produced by wounds from the great carnivora, and now I -was destined to experience it, for I had lost all sense of personality, -and was as interested in the cat’s failure or success as if it were some -game which I was watching. And then gradually my mind drifted away into -strange, vague dreams, always with that black face and red tongue coming -back into them, and so I lost myself in the nirvana of delirium, the -blessed relief of those who are too sorely tried. - -Tracing the course of events afterwards, I conclude that I must have -been insensible for about two hours. What roused me to consciousness -once more was that sharp metallic click which had been the precursor of -my terrible experience. It was the shooting back of the spring lock. -Then, before my senses were clear enough to entirely apprehend what they -saw, I was aware of the round, benevolent face of my cousin peering in -through the opened door. What he saw evidently amazed him. There was the -cat crouching on the floor. I was stretched upon my back in my -shirtsleeves within the cage, my trousers torn to ribbons and a great -pool of blood all round me. I can see his amazed face now, with the -morning sunlight upon it. He peered at me, and peered again. Then he -closed the door behind him, and advanced to the cage to see if I were -really dead. - -I cannot undertake to say what happened. I was not in a fit state to -witness or to chronicle such events. I can only say that I was suddenly -conscious that his face was away from me—that he was looking towards the -animal. - -“Good old Tommy!” he cried. “Good old Tommy!” - -Then he came near the bars, with his back still towards me. - -“Down, you stupid beast!” he roared. “Down, sir! Don’t you know your -master?” - -Suddenly even in my bemuddled brain a remembrance came of those words of -his when he had said that the taste of blood would turn the cat into a -fiend. My blood had done it, but he was to pay the price. - -“Get away!” he screamed. “Get away, you devil! Baldwin! Baldwin! Oh, my -God!” - -And then I heard him fall, and rise, and fall again, with a sound like -the ripping of sacking. His screams grew fainter until they were lost in -the worrying snarl. And then, after I thought that he was dead, I saw, -as in a nightmare, a blinded, tattered, blood-soaked figure running -wildly round the room—and that was the last glimpse which I had of him -before I fainted once again. - - * * * * * - -I was many months in my recovery—in fact, I cannot say that I have ever -recovered, for to the end of my days I shall carry a stick as a sign of -my night with the Brazilian cat. Baldwin, the groom, and the other -servants could not tell what had occurred when, drawn by the death cries -of their master, they found me behind the bars, and his remains—or what -they afterwards discovered to be his remains—in the clutch of the -creature which he had reared. They stalled him off with hot irons, and -afterwards shot him through the loophole of the door before they could -finally extricate me. I was carried to my bedroom, and there, under the -roof of my would-be murderer, I remained between life and death for -several weeks. They had sent for a surgeon from Clipton and a nurse from -London, and in a month I was able to be carried to the station, and so -conveyed back once more to Grosvenor Mansions. - -I have one remembrance of that illness, which might have been part of -the ever-changing panorama conjured up by a delirious brain were it not -so definitely fixed in my memory. One night, when the nurse was absent, -the door of my chamber opened, and a tall woman in blackest mourning -slipped into the room. She came across to me, and as she bent her sallow -face I saw by the faint gleam of the night-light that it was the -Brazilian woman whom my cousin had married. She stared intently into my -face, and her expression was more kindly than I had ever seen it. - -“Are you conscious?” she asked. - -I feebly nodded—for I was still very weak. - -“Well, then, I only wished to say to you that you have yourself to -blame. Did I not do all I could for you? From the beginning I tried to -drive you from the house. By every means, short of betraying my husband, -I tried to save you from him. I knew that he had a reason for bringing -you here. I knew that he would never let you get away again. No one knew -him as I knew him, who had suffered from him so often. I did not dare to -tell you all this. He would have killed me. But I did my best for you. -As things have turned out, you have been the best friend that I have -ever had. You have set me free, and I fancied that nothing but death -would do that. I am sorry if you are hurt, but I cannot reproach myself. -I told you that you were a fool—and a fool you have been.” She crept out -of the room, the bitter, singular woman, and I was never destined to see -her again. With what remained from her husband’s property she went back -to her native land, and I have heard that she afterwards took the veil -at Pernambuco. - -It was not until I had been back in London for some time that the -doctors pronounced me to be well enough to do business. It was not a -very welcome permission to me, for I feared that it would be the signal -for an inrush of creditors; but it was Summers, my lawyer, who first -took advantage of it. - -“I am very glad to see that your lordship is so much better,” said he. -“I have been waiting a long time to offer my congratulations.” - -“What do you mean, Summers? This is no time for joking.” - -“I mean what I say,” he answered. “You have been Lord Southerton for the -last six weeks, but we feared that it would retard your recovery if you -were to learn it.” - -Lord Southerton! One of the richest peers in England! I could not -believe my ears. And then suddenly I thought of the time which had -elapsed, and how it coincided with my injuries. - -“Then Lord Southerton must have died about the same time that I was -hurt?” - -“His death occurred upon that very day.” Summers looked hard at me as I -spoke, and I am convinced—for he was a very shrewd fellow—that he had -guessed the true state of the case. He paused for a moment as if -awaiting a confidence from me, but I could not see what was to be gained -by exposing such a family scandal. - -“Yes, a very curious coincidence,” he continued, with the same knowing -look. “Of course, you are aware that your cousin Everard King was the -next heir to the estates. Now, if it had been you instead of him who had -been torn to pieces by this tiger, or whatever it was, then of course he -would have been Lord Southerton at the present moment.” - -“No doubt,” said I. - -“And he took such an interest in it,” said Summers. “I happen to know -that the late Lord Southerton’s valet was in his pay, and that he used -to have telegrams from him every few hours to tell him how he was -getting on. That would be about the time when you were down there. Was -it not strange that he should wish to be so well informed, since he knew -that he was not the direct heir?” - -“Very strange,” said I. “And now, Summers, if you will bring me my bills -and a new cheque-book, we will begin to get things into order.” - - - - - THE USHER OF LEA HOUSE SCHOOL - - -Mr. Lumsden, the senior partner of Lumsden and Westmacott, the -well-known scholastic and clerical agents, was a small, dapper man, with -a sharp, abrupt manner, a critical eye, and an incisive way of speaking. - -“Your name, sir?” said he, sitting pen in hand with his long, red-lined -folio in front of him. - -“Harold Weld.” - -“Oxford or Cambridge?” - -“Cambridge.” - -“Honours?” - -“No, sir.” - -“Athlete?” - -“Nothing remarkable, I am afraid.” - -“Not a Blue?” - -“Oh, no.” - -Mr. Lumsden shook his head despondently and shrugged his shoulders in a -way which sent my hopes down to zero. “There is a very keen competition -for masterships, Mr. Weld,” said he. “The vacancies are few and the -applicants innumerable. A first-class athlete, oar, or cricketer, or a -man who has passed very high in his examinations, can usually find a -vacancy—I might say always in the case of the cricketer. But the average -man—if you will excuse the description, Mr. Weld—has a very great -difficulty, almost an insurmountable difficulty. We have already more -than a hundred such names upon our lists, and if you think it worth -while our adding yours, I daresay that in the course of some years we -may possibly be able to find you some opening which——” - -He paused on account of a knock at the door. It was a clerk with a note. -Mr. Lumsden broke the seal and read it. - -“Why, Mr. Weld,” said he, “this is really rather an interesting -coincidence. I understand you to say that Latin and English are your -subjects, and that you would prefer for a time to accept a place in an -elementary establishment, where you would have time for private study?” - -“Quite so.” - -“This note contains a request from an old client of ours, Dr. Phelps -McCarthy, of Willow Lea House Academy, West Hampstead, that I should at -once send him a young man who should be qualified to teach Latin and -English to a small class of boys under fourteen years of age. His -vacancy appears to be the very one which you are looking for. The terms -are not munificent—sixty pounds, board, lodging, and washing—but the -work is not onerous, and you would have the evenings to yourself.” - -“That would do,” I cried, with all the eagerness of the man who sees -work at last after weary months of seeking. - -“I don’t know that it is quite fair to these gentlemen whose names have -been so long upon our list,” said Mr. Lumsden, glancing down at his open -ledger. “But the coincidence is so striking that I feel we must really -give you the refusal of it.” - -“Then I accept it, sir, and I am much obliged to you.” - -“There is one small provision in Dr. McCarthy’s letter. He stipulates -that the applicant must be a man with an imperturbably good temper.” - -“I am the very man,” said I, with conviction. - -“Well,” said Mr. Lumsden, with some hesitation, “I hope that your temper -is really as good as you say, for I rather fancy that you may need it.” - -“I presume that every elementary schoolmaster does.” - -“Yes, sir, but it is only fair to you to warn you that there may be some -especially trying circumstances in this particular situation. Dr. Phelps -McCarthy does not make such a condition without some very good and -pressing reason.” - -There was a certain solemnity in his speech which struck a chill in the -delight with which I had welcomed this providential vacancy. - -“May I ask the nature of these circumstances?” I asked. - -“We endeavour to hold the balance equally between our clients, and to be -perfectly frank with all of them. If I knew of objections to you I -should certainly communicate them to Dr. McCarthy, and so I have no -hesitation in doing as much for you. I find,” he continued, glancing -over the pages of his ledger, “that within the last twelve months we -have supplied no fewer than seven Latin masters to Willow Lea House -Academy, four of them having left so abruptly as to forfeit their -month’s salary, and none of them having stayed more than eight weeks.” - -“And the other masters? Have they stayed?” - -“There is only one other residential master, and he appears to be -unchanged. You can understand, Mr. Weld,” continued the agent, closing -both the ledger and the interview, “that such rapid changes are not -desirable from a master’s point of view, whatever may be said for them -by an agent working on commission. I have no idea why these gentlemen -have resigned their situations so early. I can only give you the facts, -and advise you to see Dr. McCarthy at once and to form your own -conclusions.” - -Great is the power of the man who has nothing to lose, and it was -therefore with perfect serenity, but with a good deal of curiosity, that -I rang early that afternoon the heavy wrought-iron bell of the Willow -Lea House Academy. The building was a massive pile, square and ugly, -standing in its own extensive grounds, with a broad carriage-sweep -curving up to it from the road. It stood high, and commanded a view on -the one side of the grey roofs and bristling spires of Northern London, -and on the other of the well-wooded and beautiful country which fringes -the great city. The door was opened by a boy in buttons, and I was shown -into a well-appointed study, where the principal of the academy -presently joined me. - -The warnings and insinuations of the agent had prepared me to meet a -choleric and overbearing person—one whose manner was an insupportable -provocation to those who worked under him. Anything further from the -reality cannot be imagined. He was a frail, gentle creature, -clean-shaven and round-shouldered, with a bearing which was so courteous -that it became almost deprecating. His bushy hair was thickly shot with -grey, and his age I should imagine to verge upon sixty. His voice was -low and suave, and he walked with a certain mincing delicacy of manner. -His whole appearance was that of a kindly scholar, who was more at home -among his books than in the practical affairs of the world. - -“I am sure that we shall be very happy to have your assistance, Mr. -Weld,” said he, after a few professional questions. “Mr. Percival -Manners left me yesterday, and I should be glad if you could take over -his duties to-morrow.” - -“May I ask if that is Mr. Percival Manners of Selwyn?” I asked. - -“Precisely. Did you know him?” - -“Yes; he is a friend of mine.” - -“An excellent teacher, but a little hasty in his disposition. It was his -only fault. Now, in your case, Mr. Weld, is your own temper under good -control? Supposing for argument’s sake that I were to so far forget -myself as to be rude to you or to speak roughly or to jar your feelings -in any way, could you rely upon yourself to control your emotions?” - -I smiled at the idea of this courteous, little, mincing creature -ruffling my nerves. - -“I think that I could answer for it, sir,” said I. - -“Quarrels are very painful to me,” said he. “I wish every one to live in -harmony under my roof. I will not deny Mr. Percival Manners had -provocation, but I wish to find a man who can raise himself above -provocation, and sacrifice his own feelings for the sake of peace and -concord.” - -“I will do my best, sir.” - -“You cannot say more, Mr. Weld. In that case I shall expect you -to-night, if you can get your things ready so soon.” - -I not only succeeded in getting my things ready, but I found time to -call at the Benedict Club in Piccadilly, where I knew that I should find -Manners if he were still in town. There he was sure enough in the -smoking-room, and I questioned him, over a cigarette, as to his reasons -for throwing up his recent situation. - -“You don’t tell me that you are going to Dr. Phelps McCarthy’s Academy?” -he cried, staring at me in surprise. “My dear chap, it’s no use. You -can’t possibly remain there.” - -“But I saw him, and he seemed the most courtly, inoffensive fellow. I -never met a man with more gentle manners.” - -“He! oh, he’s all right. There’s no vice in him. Have you seen -Theophilus St. James?” - -“I have never heard the name. Who is he?” - -“Your colleague. The other master.” - -“No, I have not seen him.” - -“_He’s_ the terror. If you can stand him, you have either the spirit of -a perfect Christian or else you have no spirit at all. A more perfect -bounder never bounded.” - -“But why does McCarthy stand it?” - -My friend looked at me significantly through his cigarette smoke, and -shrugged his shoulders. - -“You will form your own conclusions about that. Mine were formed very -soon, and I never found occasion to alter them.” - -“It would help me very much if you would tell me them.” - -“When you see a man in his own house allowing his business to be ruined, -his comfort destroyed, and his authority defied by another man in a -subordinate position, and calmly submitting to it without so much as a -word of protest, what conclusion do you come to?” - -“That the one has a hold over the other.” - -Percival Manners nodded his head. - -“There you are! You’ve hit it first barrel. It seems to me that there’s -no other explanation which will cover the facts. At some period in his -life the little Doctor has gone astray. _Humanum est errare._ I have -even done it myself. But this was something serious, and the other man -got a hold of it and has never let go. That’s the truth. Blackmail is at -the bottom of it. But he had no hold over me, and there was no reason -why _I_ should stand his insolence, so I came away—and I very much -expect to see you do the same.” - -For some time he talked over the matter, but he always came to the same -conclusion—that I should not retain my new situation very long. - -It was with no very pleasant feelings after this preparation that I -found myself face to face with the very man of whom I had received so -evil an account. Dr. McCarthy introduced us to each other in his study -on the evening of that same day immediately after my arrival at the -school. - -“This is your new colleague, Mr. St. James,” said he, in his genial, -courteous fashion. “I trust that you will mutually agree, and that I -shall find nothing but good feeling and sympathy beneath this roof.” - -I shared the good Doctor’s hope, but my expectations of it were not -increased by the appearance of my _confrère_. He was a young, -bull-necked fellow about thirty years of age, dark-eyed and -black-haired, with an exceedingly vigorous physique. I have never seen a -more strongly built man, though he tended to run to fat in a way which -showed that he was in the worst of training. His face was coarse, -swollen, and brutal, with a pair of small black eyes deeply sunken in -his head. His heavy jowl, his projecting ears, and his thick bandy legs -all went to make up a personality which was as formidable as it was -repellent. - -“I hear you’ve never been out before,” said he, in a rude, brusque -fashion. “Well, it’s a poor life: hard work and starvation pay, as -you’ll find out for yourself.” - -“But it has some compensations,” said the principal. “Surely you will -allow that, Mr. St. James?” - -“Has it? I never could find them. What do you call compensations?” - -“Even to be in the continual presence of youth is a privilege. It has -the effect of keeping youth in one’s own soul, for one reflects -something of their high spirits and their keen enjoyment of life.” - -“Little beasts!” cried my colleague. - -“Come, come, Mr. St. James, you are too hard upon them.” - -“I hate the sight of them! If I could put them and their blessed -copybooks and lexicons and slates into one bonfire I’d do it to-night.” - -“This is Mr. St. James’s way of talking,” said the principal, smiling -nervously as he glanced at me. “You must not take him too seriously. -Now, Mr. Weld, you know where your room is, and no doubt you have your -own little arrangements to make. The sooner you make them the sooner you -will feel yourself at home.” - -It seemed to me that he was only too anxious to remove me at once from -the influence of this extraordinary colleague, and I was glad to go, for -the conversation had become embarrassing. - -And so began an epoch which always seems to me as I look back to it to -be the most singular in all my experience. The school was in many ways -an excellent one. Dr. Phelps McCarthy was an ideal principal. His -methods were modern and rational. The management was all that could be -desired. And yet in the middle of this well-ordered machine there -intruded the incongruous and impossible Mr. St. James, throwing -everything into confusion. His duties were to teach English and -mathematics, and how he acquitted himself of them I do not know, as our -classes were held in separate rooms. I can answer for it, however, that -the boys feared him and loathed him, and I know that they had good -reason to do so, for frequently my own teaching was interrupted by his -bellowings of anger, and even by the sound of his blows. Dr. McCarthy -spent most of his time in his class, but it was, I suspect, to watch -over the master rather than the boys, and to try to moderate his -ferocious temper when it threatened to become dangerous. - -It was in his bearing to the head master, however, that my colleague’s -conduct was most outrageous. The first conversation which I have -recorded proved to be typical of their intercourse. He domineered over -him openly and brutally. I have heard him contradict him roughly before -the whole school. At no time would he show him any mark of respect, and -my temper often rose within me when I saw the quiet acquiescence of the -old Doctor, and his patient tolerance of this monstrous treatment. And -yet the sight of it surrounded the principal also with a certain vague -horror in my mind, for supposing my friend’s theory to be correct—and I -could devise no better one—how black must have been the story which -could be held over his head by this man and, by fear of its publicity, -force him to undergo such humiliations. This quiet, gentle Doctor might -be a profound hypocrite, a criminal, a forger possibly, or a poisoner. -Only such a secret as this could account for the complete power which -the young man held over him. Why else should he admit so hateful a -presence into his house and so harmful an influence into his school? Why -should he submit to degradations which could not be witnessed, far less -endured, without indignation? - -And yet, if it were so, I was forced to confess that my principal -carried it off with extraordinary duplicity. Never by word or sign did -he show that the young man’s presence was distasteful to him. I have -seen him look pained, it is true, after some peculiarly outrageous -exhibition, but he gave me the impression that it was always on account -of the scholars or of me, never on account of himself. He spoke to and -of St. James in an indulgent fashion, smiling gently at what made my -blood boil within me. In his way of looking at him and addressing him, -one could see no trace of resentment, but rather a sort of timid and -deprecating good will. His company he certainly courted, and they spent -many hours together in the study and the garden. - -As to my own relations with Theophilus St. James, I made up my mind from -the beginning that I should keep my temper with him, and to that -resolution I steadfastly adhered. If Dr. McCarthy chose to permit this -disrespect, and to condone these outrages, it was his affair and not -mine. It was evident that his one wish was that there should be peace -between us, and I felt that I could help him best by respecting this -desire. My easiest way to do so was to avoid my colleague, and this I -did to the best of my ability. When we were thrown together I was quiet, -polite, and reserved. He, on his part, showed me no ill-will, but met me -rather with a coarse joviality, and a rough familiarity which he meant -to be ingratiating. He was insistent in his attempts to get me into his -room at night, for the purpose of playing euchre and of drinking. - -“Old McCarthy doesn’t mind,” said he. “Don’t you be afraid of him. We’ll -do what we like, and I’ll answer for it that he won’t object.” Once only -I went, and when I left, after a dull and gross evening, my host was -stretched dead drunk upon the sofa. After that I gave the excuse of a -course of study, and spent my spare hours alone in my own room. - -One point upon which I was anxious to gain information was as to how -long these proceedings had been going on. When did St. James assert his -hold over Dr. McCarthy? From neither of them could I learn how long my -colleague had been in his present situation. One or two leading -questions upon my part were eluded or ignored in a manner so marked that -it was easy to see that they were both of them as eager to conceal the -point as I was to know it. But at last one evening I had the chance of a -chat with Mrs. Carter, the matron—for the Doctor was a widower—and from -her I got the information which I wanted. It needed no questioning to -get at her knowledge, for she was so full of indignation that she shook -with passion as she spoke of it, and raised her hands into the air in -the earnestness of her denunciation, as she described the grievances -which she had against my colleague. - -“It was three years ago, Mr. Weld, that he first darkened this -doorstep,” she cried. “Three bitter years they have been to me. The -school had fifty boys then. Now it has twenty-two. That’s what he has -done for us in three years. In another three there won’t be one. And the -Doctor, that angel of patience, you see how he treats him, though he is -not fit to lace his boots for him. If it wasn’t for the Doctor, you may -be sure that I wouldn’t stay an hour under the same roof with such a -man, and so I told him to his own face, Mr. Weld. If the Doctor would -only pack him about his business—but I know that I am saying more than I -should!” She stopped herself with an effort, and spoke no more upon the -subject. She had remembered that I was almost a stranger in the school, -and she feared that she had been indiscreet. - -There were one or two very singular points about my colleague. The chief -one was that he rarely took any exercise. There was a playing-field -within the college grounds, and that was his farthest point. If the boys -went out, it was I or Dr. McCarthy who accompanied them. St. James gave -as a reason for this that he had injured his knee some years before, and -that walking was painful to him. For my own part I put it down to pure -laziness upon his part, for he was of an obese, heavy temperament. -Twice, however, I saw him from my window stealing out of the grounds -late at night, and the second time I watched him return in the grey of -the morning and slink in through an open window. These furtive -excursions were never alluded to, but they exposed the hollowness of his -story about his knee, and they increased the dislike and distrust which -I had of the man. His nature seemed to be vicious to the core. - -Another point, small but suggestive, was that he hardly ever during the -months that I was at Willow Lea House received any letters, and on those -few occasions they were obviously tradesmen’s bills. I am an early -riser, and used every morning to pick my own correspondence out of the -bundle upon the hall table. I could judge therefore how few were ever -there for Mr. Theophilus St. James. There seemed to me to be something -peculiarly ominous in this. What sort of a man could he be who during -thirty years of life had never made a single friend, high or low, who -cared to continue to keep in touch with him? And yet the sinister fact -remained that the head master not only tolerated, but was even intimate -with him. More than once on entering a room I have found them talking -confidentially together, and they would walk arm in arm in deep -conversation up and down the garden paths. So curious did I become to -know what the tie was which bound them, that I found it gradually push -out my other interests and become the main purpose of my life. In school -and out of school, at meals and at play, I was perpetually engaged in -watching Dr. Phelps McCarthy and Mr. Theophilus St. James, and in -endeavouring to solve the mystery which surrounded them. - -But, unfortunately, my curiosity was a little too open. I had not the -art to conceal the suspicions which I felt about the relations which -existed between these two men and the nature of the hold which the one -appeared to have over the other. It may have been my manner of watching -them, it may have been some indiscreet question, but it is certain that -I showed too clearly what I felt. One night I was conscious that the -eyes of Theophilus St. James were fixed upon me in a surly and menacing -stare. I had a foreboding of evil, and I was not surprised when Dr. -McCarthy called me next morning into his study. - -“I am very sorry, Mr. Weld,” said he, “but I am afraid that I shall be -compelled to dispense with your services.” - -“Perhaps you would give me some reason for dismissing me,” I answered, -for I was conscious of having done my duties to the best of my power, -and knew well that only one reason could be given. - -“I have no fault to find with you,” said he, and the colour came to his -cheeks. - -“You send me away at the suggestion of my colleague.” - -His eyes turned away from mine. - -“We will not discuss the question, Mr. Weld. It is impossible for me to -discuss it. In justice to you, I will give you the strongest -recommendation for your next situation. I can say no more. I hope that -you will continue your duties here until you have found a place -elsewhere.” - -My whole soul rose against the injustice of it, and yet I had no appeal -and no redress. I could only bow and leave the room, with a bitter sense -of ill-usage at my heart. - -My first instinct was to pack my boxes and leave the house. But the head -master had given me permission to remain until I had found another -situation. I was sure that St. James desired me to go, and that was a -strong reason why I should stay. If my presence annoyed him, I should -give him as much of it as I could. I had begun to hate him and to long -to have my revenge upon him. If he had a hold over our principal, might -not I in turn obtain one over him? It was a sign of weakness that he -should be so afraid of my curiosity. He would not resent it so much if -he had not something to fear from it. I entered my name once more upon -the books of the agents, but meanwhile I continued to fulfil my duties -at Willow Lea House, and so it came about that I was present at the -dénouement of this singular situation. - -During that week—for it was only a week before the crisis came—I was in -the habit of going down each evening, after the work of the day was -done, to inquire about my new arrangements. One night, it was a cold and -windy evening in March, I had just stepped out from the hall door when a -strange sight met my eyes. A man was crouching before one of the windows -of the house. His knees were bent and his eyes were fixed upon the small -line of light between the curtain and the sash. The window threw a -square of brightness in front of it, and in the middle of this the dark -shadow of this ominous visitor showed clear and hard. It was but for an -instant that I saw him, for he glanced up and was off in a moment -through the shrubbery. I could hear the patter of his feet as he ran -down the road, until it died away in the distance. - -It was evidently my duty to turn back and to tell Dr. McCarthy what I -had seen. I found him in his study. I had expected him to be disturbed -at such an incident, but I was not prepared for the state of panic into -which he fell. He leaned back in his chair, white and gasping, like one -who has received a mortal blow. - -“Which window, Mr. Weld?” he asked, wiping his forehead. “Which window -was it?” - -“The next to the dining-room—Mr. St. James’s window.” - -“Dear me! Dear me! This is, indeed, unfortunate! A man looking through -Mr. St. James’s window!” He wrung his hands like a man who is at his -wits’ end what to do. - -“I shall be passing the police-station, sir. Would you wish me to -mention the matter?” - -“No, no,” he cried, suddenly, mastering his extreme agitation; “I have -no doubt that it was some poor tramp who intended to beg. I attach no -importance to the incident—none at all. Don’t let me detain you, Mr. -Weld, if you wish to go out.” - -I left him sitting in his study with reassuring words upon his lips, but -with horror upon his face. My heart was heavy for my little employer as -I started off once more for town. As I looked back from the gate at the -square of light which marked the window of my colleague, I suddenly saw -the black outline of Dr. McCarthy’s figure passing against the lamp. He -had hastened from his study then to tell St. James what he had heard. -What was the meaning of it all, this atmosphere of mystery, this -inexplicable terror, these confidences between two such dissimilar men? -I thought and thought as I walked, but do what I would I could not hit -upon any adequate conclusion. I little knew how near I was to the -solution of the problem. - -It was very late—nearly twelve o’clock—when I returned, and the lights -were all out save one in the Doctor’s study. The black, gloomy house -loomed before me as I walked up the drive, its sombre bulk broken only -by the one glimmering point of brightness. I let myself in with my -latch-key, and was about to enter my own room when my attention was -arrested by a short, sharp cry like that of a man in pain. I stood and -listened, my hand upon the handle of my door. - -All was silent in the house save for a distant murmur of voices which -came, I knew, from the Doctor’s room. I stole quietly down the corridor -in that direction. The sound resolved itself now into two voices, the -rough bullying tones of St. James and the lower tone of the Doctor, the -one apparently insisting and the other arguing and pleading. Four thin -lines of light in the blackness showed me the door of the Doctor’s room, -and step by step I drew nearer to it in the darkness. St. James’s voice -within rose louder and louder, and his words now came plainly to my ear. - -“I’ll have every pound of it. If you won’t give it me I’ll take it. Do -you hear?” - -Dr. McCarthy’s reply was inaudible, but the angry voice broke in again. - -“Leave you destitute! I leave you this little goldmine of a school, and -that’s enough for one old man, is it not? How am I to set up in -Australia without money? Answer me that!” - -Again the Doctor said something in a soothing voice, but his answer only -roused his companion to a higher pitch of fury. - -“Done for me! What have you ever done for me except what you couldn’t -help doing? It was for your good name, not for my safety, that you -cared. But enough cackle! I must get on my way before morning. Will you -open your safe or will you not?” - -“Oh, James, how can you use me so?” cried a wailing voice, and then -there came a sudden little scream of pain. At the sound of that helpless -appeal from brutal violence I lost for once that temper upon which I had -prided myself. Every bit of manhood in me cried out against any further -neutrality. With my walking cane in my hand I rushed into the study. As -I did so I was conscious that the hall-door bell was violently ringing. - -“You villain!” I cried, “let him go!” - -The two men were standing in front of a small safe, which stood against -one wall of the Doctor’s room. St. James held the old man by the wrist, -and he had twisted his arm round in order to force him to produce the -key. My little head master, white but resolute, was struggling furiously -in the grip of the burly athlete. The bully glared over his shoulder at -me with a mixture of fury and terror upon his brutal features. Then, -realizing that I was alone, he dropped his victim and made for me with a -horrible curse. - -“You infernal spy!” he cried. “I’ll do for you anyhow before I leave.” - -I am not a very strong man, and I realized that I was helpless if once -at close quarters. Twice I cut at him with my stick, but he rushed in at -me with a murderous growl, and seized me by the throat with both his -muscular hands. I fell backwards and he on the top of me, with a grip -which was squeezing the life from me. I was conscious of his malignant -yellow-tinged eyes within a few inches of my own, and then with a -beating of pulses in my head and a singing in my ears, my senses slipped -away from me. But even in that supreme moment I was aware that the -door-bell was still violently ringing. - -When I came to myself, I was lying upon the sofa in Dr. McCarthy’s -study, and the Doctor himself was seated beside me. He appeared to be -watching me intently and anxiously, for as I opened my eyes and looked -about me he gave a great cry of relief. “Thank God!” he cried. “Thank -God!” - -“Where is he?” I asked, looking round the room. As I did so, I became -aware that the furniture was scattered in every direction, and that -there were traces of an even more violent struggle than that in which I -had been engaged. - -The Doctor sank his face between his hands. - -“They have him,” he groaned. “After these years of trial they have him -again. But how thankful I am that he has not for a second time stained -his hands in blood.” - -As the Doctor spoke I became aware that a man in the braided jacket of -an inspector of police was standing in the doorway. - -“Yes, sir,” he remarked, “you have had a pretty narrow escape. If we had -not got in when we did, you would not be here to tell the tale. I don’t -know that I ever saw any one much nearer to the undertaker.” - -I sat up with my hands to my throbbing head. - -“Dr. McCarthy,” said I, “this is all a mystery to me. I should be glad -if you could explain to me who this man is, and why you have tolerated -him so long in your house.” - -“I owe you an explanation, Mr. Weld—and the more so since you have, in -so chivalrous a fashion, almost sacrificed your life in my defence. -There is no reason now for secrecy. In a word, Mr. Weld, this unhappy -man’s real name is James McCarthy, and he is my only son.” - -“Your son?” - -“Alas, yes. What sin have I ever committed that I should have such a -punishment? He has made my whole life a misery from the first years of -his boyhood. Violent, headstrong, selfish, unprincipled, he has always -been the same. At eighteen he was a criminal. At twenty, in a paroxysm -of passion, he took the life of a boon companion and was tried for -murder. He only just escaped the gallows, and he was condemned to penal -servitude. Three years ago he succeeded in escaping, and managed, in -face of a thousand obstacles, to reach my house in London. My wife’s -heart had been broken by his condemnation, and as he had succeeded in -getting a suit of ordinary clothes, there was no one here to recognize -him. For months he lay concealed in the attics until the first search of -the police should be over. Then I gave him employment here, as you have -seen, though by his rough and overbearing manners he made my own life -miserable, and that of his fellow-masters unbearable. You have been with -us for four months, Mr. Weld, but no other master endured him so long. I -apologize now for all you have had to submit to, but I ask you what else -could I do? For his dead mother’s sake I could not let harm come to him -as long as it was in my power to fend it off. Only under my roof could -he find a refuge—the only spot in all the world—and how could I keep him -here without its exciting remark unless I gave him some occupation? I -made him English master therefore, and in that capacity I have protected -him here for three years. You have no doubt observed that he never -during the daytime went beyond the college grounds. You now understand -the reason. But when to-night you came to me with your report of a man -who was looking through his window, I understood that his retreat was at -last discovered. I besought him to fly at once, but he had been -drinking, the unhappy fellow, and my words fell upon deaf ears. When at -last he made up his mind to go he wished to take from me in his flight -every shilling which I possessed. It was your entrance which saved me -from him, while the police in turn arrived only just in time to rescue -you. I have made myself amenable to the law by harbouring an escaped -prisoner, and remain here in the custody of the inspector, but a prison -has no terrors for me after what I have endured in this house during the -last three years.” - -“It seems to me, Doctor,” said the inspector, “that, if you have broken -the law, you have had quite enough punishment already.” - -“God knows I have!” cried Dr. McCarthy, and sank his haggard face upon -his hands. - - - - - THE BROWN HAND - - -Every one knows that Sir Dominick Holden, the famous Indian surgeon, -made me his heir, and that his death changed me in an hour from a -hard-working and impecunious medical man to a well-to-do landed -proprietor. Many know also that there were at least five people between -the inheritance and me, and that Sir Dominick’s selection appeared to be -altogether arbitrary and whimsical. I can assure them, however, that -they are quite mistaken, and that, although I only knew Sir Dominick in -the closing years of his life, there were none the less very real -reasons why he should show his goodwill towards me. As a matter of fact, -though I say it myself, no man ever did more for another than I did for -my Indian uncle. I cannot expect the story to be believed, but it is so -singular that I should feel that it was a breach of duty if I did not -put it upon record—so here it is, and your belief or incredulity is your -own affair. - -Sir Dominick Holden, C.B., K.C.S.I., and I don’t know what besides, was -the most distinguished Indian surgeon of his day. In the Army -originally, he afterwards settled down into civil practice in Bombay, -and visited as a consultant every part of India. His name is best -remembered in connection with the Oriental Hospital, which he founded -and supported. The time came, however, when his iron constitution began -to show signs of the long strain to which he had subjected it, and his -brother practitioners (who were not, perhaps, entirely disinterested -upon the point) were unanimous in recommending him to return to England. -He held on so long as he could, but at last he developed nervous -symptoms of a very pronounced character, and so came back, a broken man, -to his native county of Wiltshire. He bought a considerable estate with -an ancient manor-house upon the edge of Salisbury Plain, and devoted his -old age to the study of Comparative Pathology, which had been his -learned hobby all his life, and in which he was a foremost authority. - -We of the family were, as may be imagined, much excited by the news of -the return of this rich and childless uncle to England. On his part, -although by no means exuberant in his hospitality, he showed some sense -of his duty to his relations, and each of us in turn had an invitation -to visit him. From the accounts of my cousins it appeared to be a -melancholy business, and it was with mixed feelings that I at last -received my own summons to appear at Rodenhurst. My wife was so -carefully excluded in the invitation that my first impulse was to refuse -it, but the interests of the children had to be considered, and so, with -her consent, I set out one October afternoon upon my visit to Wiltshire, -with little thought of what that visit was to entail. - -My uncle’s estate was situated where the arable land of the plains -begins to swell upwards into the rounded chalk hills which are -characteristic of the county. As I drove from Dinton Station in the -waning light of that autumn day, I was impressed by the weird nature of -the scenery. The few scattered cottages of the peasants were so dwarfed -by the huge evidences of prehistoric life, that the present appeared to -be a dream and the past to be the obtrusive and masterful reality. The -road wound through the valleys, formed by a succession of grassy hills, -and the summit of each was cut and carved into the most elaborate -fortifications, some circular and some square, but all on a scale which -has defied the winds and the rains of many centuries. Some call them -Roman and some British, but their true origin and the reasons for this -particular tract of country being so interlaced with entrenchments have -never been finally made clear. Here and there on the long, smooth, -olive-coloured slopes there rose small rounded barrows or tumuli. -Beneath them lie the cremated ashes of the race which cut so deeply into -the hills, but their graves tell us nothing save that a jar full of dust -represents the man who once laboured under the sun. - -It was through this weird country that I approached my uncle’s residence -of Rodenhurst, and the house was, as I found, in due keeping with its -surroundings. Two broken and weather-stained pillars, each surmounted by -a mutilated heraldic emblem, flanked the entrance to a neglected drive. -A cold wind whistled through the elms which lined it, and the air was -full of the drifting leaves. At the far end, under the gloomy arch of -trees, a single yellow lamp burned steadily. In the dim half-light of -the coming night I saw a long, low building stretching out two irregular -wings, with deep eaves, a sloping gambrel roof, and walls which were -criss-crossed with timber balks in the fashion of the Tudors. The cheery -light of a fire flickered in the broad, latticed window to the left of -the low-porched door, and this, as it proved, marked the study of my -uncle, for it was thither that I was led by his butler in order to make -my host’s acquaintance. - -He was cowering over his fire, for the moist chill of an English autumn -had set him shivering. His lamp was unlit, and I only saw the red glow -of the embers beating upon a huge, craggy face, with a Red Indian nose -and cheek, and deep furrows and seams from eye to chin, the sinister -marks of hidden volcanic fires. He sprang up at my entrance with -something of an old-world courtesy and welcomed me warmly to Rodenhurst. -At the same time I was conscious, as the lamp was carried in, that it -was a very critical pair of light-blue eyes which looked out at me from -under shaggy eyebrows, like scouts beneath a bush, and that this -outlandish uncle of mine was carefully reading off my character with all -the ease of a practised observer and an experienced man of the world. - -For my part I looked at him, and looked again, for I had never seen a -man whose appearance was more fitted to hold one’s attention. His figure -was the framework of a giant, but he had fallen away his coat dangled -straight down in a shocking fashion from a pair of broad and bony -shoulders. All his limbs were huge and yet emaciated, and I could not -take my gaze from his knobby wrists, and long, gnarled hands. But his -eyes—those peering light-blue eyes—they were the most arrestive of any -of his peculiarities. It was not their colour alone, nor was it the -ambush of hair in which they lurked; but it was the expression which I -read in them. For the appearance and bearing of the man were masterful, -and one expected a certain corresponding arrogance in his eyes, but -instead of that I read the look which tells of a spirit cowed and -crushed, the furtive, expectant look of the dog whose master has taken -the whip from the rack. I formed my own medical diagnosis upon one -glance at those critical and yet appealing eyes. I believed that he was -stricken with some mortal ailment, that he knew himself to be exposed to -sudden death, and that he lived in terror of it. Such was my judgment—a -false one, as the event showed; but I mention it that it may help you to -realize the look which I read in his eyes. - -My uncle’s welcome was, as I have said, a courteous one, and in an hour -or so I found myself seated between him and his wife at a comfortable -dinner, with curious pungent delicacies upon the table, and a stealthy, -quick-eyed Oriental waiter behind his chair. The old couple had come -round to that tragic imitation of the dawn of life when husband and -wife, having lost or scattered all those who were their intimates, find -themselves face to face and alone once more, their work done, and the -end nearing fast. Those who have reached that stage in sweetness and -love, who can change their winter into a gentle Indian summer, have come -as victors through the ordeal of life. Lady Holden was a small, alert -woman, with a kindly eye, and her expression as she glanced at him was a -certificate of character to her husband. And yet, though I read a mutual -love in their glances, I read also a mutual horror, and recognized in -her face some reflection of that stealthy fear which I detected in his. -Their talk was sometimes merry and sometimes sad, but there was a forced -note in their merriment and a naturalness in their sadness which told me -that a heavy heart beat upon either side of me. - -We were sitting over our first glass of wine, and the servants had left -the room, when the conversation took a turn which produced a remarkable -effect upon my host and hostess. I cannot recall what it was which -started the topic of the supernatural, but it ended in my showing them -that the abnormal in psychical experiences was a subject to which I had, -like many neurologists, devoted a great deal of attention. I concluded -by narrating my experiences when, as a member of the Psychical Research -Society, I had formed one of a committee of three who spent the night in -a haunted house. Our adventures were neither exciting nor convincing, -but, such as it was, the story appeared to interest my auditors in a -remarkable degree. They listened with an eager silence, and I caught a -look of intelligence between them which I could not understand. Lady -Holden immediately afterwards rose and left the room. - -Sir Dominick pushed the cigar-box over to me, and we smoked for some -little time in silence. That huge bony hand of his was twitching as he -raised it with his cheroot to his lips, and I felt that the man’s nerves -were vibrating like fiddle-strings. My instincts told me that he was on -the verge of some intimate confidence, and I feared to speak lest I -should interrupt it. At last he turned towards me with a spasmodic -gesture like a man who throws his last scruple to the winds. - -“From the little that I have seen of you it appears to me, Dr. -Hardacre,” said he, “that you are the very man I have wanted to meet.” - -“I am delighted to hear it, sir.” - -“Your head seems to be cool and steady. You will acquit me of any desire -to flatter you, for the circumstances are too serious to permit of -insincerities. You have some special knowledge upon these subjects, and -you evidently view them from that philosophical standpoint which robs -them of all vulgar terror. I presume that the sight of an apparition -would not seriously discompose you?” - -“I think not, sir.” - -“Would even interest you, perhaps?” - -“Most intensely.” - -“As a psychical observer, you would probably investigate it in as -impersonal a fashion as an astronomer investigates a wandering comet?” - -“Precisely.” - -He gave a heavy sigh. - -“Believe me, Dr. Hardacre, there was a time when I could have spoken as -you do now. My nerve was a by-word in India. Even the Mutiny never shook -it for an instant. And yet you see what I am reduced to—the most -timorous man, perhaps, in all this county of Wiltshire. Do not speak too -bravely upon this subject, or you may find yourself subjected to as -long-drawn a test as I am—a test which can only end in the madhouse or -the grave.” - -I waited patiently until he should see fit to go farther in his -confidence. His preamble had, I need not say, filled me with interest -and expectation. - -“For some years, Dr. Hardacre,” he continued, “my life and that of my -wife have been made miserable by a cause which is so grotesque that it -borders upon the ludicrous. And yet familiarity has never made it more -easy to bear—on the contrary, as time passes my nerves become more worn -and shattered by the constant attrition. If you have no physical fears, -Dr. Hardacre, I should very much value your opinion upon this phenomenon -which troubles us so.” - -“For what it is worth my opinion is entirely at your service. May I ask -the nature of the phenomenon?” - -“I think that your experiences will have a higher evidential value if -you are not told in advance what you may expect to encounter. You are -yourself aware of the quibbles of unconscious cerebration and subjective -impressions with which a scientific sceptic may throw a doubt upon your -statement. It would be as well to guard against them in advance.” - -“What shall I do, then?” - -“I will tell you. Would you mind following me this way?” He led me out -of the dining-room and down a long passage until we came to a terminal -door. Inside there was a large bare room fitted as a laboratory, with -numerous scientific instruments and bottles. A shelf ran along one side, -upon which there stood a long line of glass jars containing pathological -and anatomical specimens. - -“You see that I still dabble in some of my old studies,” said Sir -Dominick. “These jars are the remains of what was once a most excellent -collection, but unfortunately I lost the greater part of them when my -house was burned down in Bombay in ’92. It was a most unfortunate affair -for me—in more ways than one. I had examples of many rare conditions, -and my splenic collection was probably unique. These are the survivors.” - -I glanced over them, and saw that they really were of a very great value -and rarity from a pathological point of view: bloated organs, gaping -cysts, distorted bones, odious parasites—a singular exhibition of the -products of India. - -“There is, as you see, a small settee here,” said my host. “It was far -from our intention to offer a guest so meagre an accommodation, but -since affairs have taken this turn, it would be a great kindness upon -your part if you would consent to spend the night in this apartment. I -beg that you will not hesitate to let me know if the idea should be at -all repugnant to you.” - -“On the contrary,” I said, “it is most acceptable.” - -“My own room is the second on the left, so that if you should feel that -you are in need of company a call would always bring me to your side.” - -“I trust that I shall not be compelled to disturb you.” - -“It is unlikely that I shall be asleep. I do not sleep much. Do not -hesitate to summon me.” - -And so with this agreement we joined Lady Holden in the drawing-room and -talked of lighter things. - -It was no affectation upon my part to say that the prospect of my -night’s adventure was an agreeable one. I have no pretence to greater -physical courage than my neighbours, but familiarity with a subject robs -it of those vague and undefined terrors which are the most appalling to -the imaginative mind. The human brain is capable of only one strong -emotion at a time, and if it be filled with curiosity or scientific -enthusiasm, there is no room for fear. It is true that I had my uncle’s -assurance that he had himself originally taken this point of view, but I -reflected that the breakdown of his nervous system might be due to his -forty years in India as much as to any psychical experiences which had -befallen him. I at least was sound in nerve and brain, and it was with -something of the pleasurable thrill of anticipation with which the -sportsman takes his position beside the haunt of his game that I shut -the laboratory door behind me, and partially undressing, lay down upon -the rug-covered settee. - -It was not an ideal atmosphere for a bedroom. The air was heavy with -many chemical odours, that of methylated spirit predominating. Nor were -the decorations of my chamber very sedative. The odious line of glass -jars with their relics of disease and suffering stretched in front of my -very eyes. There was no blind to the window, and a three-quarter moon -streamed its white light into the room, tracing a silver square with -filigree lattices upon the opposite wall. When I had extinguished my -candle this one bright patch in the midst of the general gloom had -certainly an eerie and discomposing aspect. A rigid and absolute silence -reigned throughout the old house, so that the low swish of the branches -in the garden came softly and soothingly to my ears. It may have been -the hypnotic lullaby of this gentle susurrus, or it may have been the -result of my tiring day, but after many dozings and many efforts to -regain my clearness of perception, I fell at last into a deep and -dreamless sleep. - -I was awakened by some sound in the room, and I instantly raised myself -upon my elbow on the couch. Some hours had passed, for the square patch -upon the wall had slid downwards and sideways until it lay obliquely at -the end of my bed. The rest of the room was in deep shadow. At first I -could see nothing, presently, as my eyes became accustomed to the faint -light, I was aware, with a thrill which all my scientific absorption -could not entirely prevent, that something was moving slowly along the -line of the wall. A gentle, shuffling sound, as of soft slippers, came -to my ears, and I dimly discerned a human figure walking stealthily from -the direction of the door. As it emerged into the patch of moonlight I -saw very clearly what it was and how it was employed. It was a man, -short and squat, dressed in some sort of dark-grey gown, which hung -straight from his shoulders to his feet. The moon shone upon the side of -his face, and I saw that it was chocolate-brown in colour, with a ball -of black hair like a woman’s at the back of his head. He walked slowly, -and his eyes were cast upwards towards the line of bottles which -contained those gruesome remnants of humanity. He seemed to examine each -jar with attention, and then to pass on to the next. When he had come to -the end of the line, immediately opposite my bed, he stopped, faced me, -threw up his hands with a gesture of despair, and vanished from my -sight. - -I have said that he threw up his hands, but I should have said his arms, -for as he assumed that attitude of despair I observed a singular -peculiarity about his appearance. He had only one hand! As the sleeves -drooped down from the upflung arms I saw the left plainly, but the right -ended in a knobby and unsightly stump. In every other way his appearance -was so natural, and I had both seen and heard him so clearly, that I -could easily have believed that he was an Indian servant of Sir -Dominick’s who had come into my room in search of something. It was only -his sudden disappearance which suggested anything more sinister to me. -As it was I sprang from my couch, lit a candle, and examined the whole -room carefully. There were no signs of my visitor, and I was forced to -conclude that there had really been something outside the normal laws of -Nature in his appearance. I lay awake for the remainder of the night, -but nothing else occurred to disturb me. - -I am an early riser, but my uncle was an even earlier one, for I found -him pacing up and down the lawn at the side of the house. He ran towards -me in his eagerness when he saw me come out from the door. - -“Well, well!” he cried. “Did you see him?” - -“An Indian with one hand?” - -“Precisely.” - -“Yes, I saw him”—and I told him all that occurred. When I had finished, -he led the way into his study. - -“We have a little time before breakfast,” said he. “It will suffice to -give you an explanation of this extraordinary affair—so far as I can -explain that which is essentially inexplicable. In the first place, when -I tell you that for four years I have never passed one single night, -either in Bombay, aboard ship, or here in England without my sleep being -broken by this fellow, you will understand why it is that I am a wreck -of my former self. His programme is always the same. He appears by my -bedside, shakes me roughly by the shoulder, passes from my room into the -laboratory, walks slowly along the line of my bottles, and then -vanishes. For more than a thousand times he has gone through the same -routine.” - -“What does he want?” - -“He wants his hand.” - -“His hand?” - -“Yes, it came about in this way. I was summoned to Peshawur for a -consultation some ten years ago, and while there I was asked to look at -the hand of a native who was passing through with an Afghan caravan. The -fellow came from some mountain tribe living away at the back of beyond -somewhere on the other side of Kaffiristan. He talked a bastard Pushtoo, -and it was all I could do to understand him. He was suffering from a -soft sarcomatous swelling of one of the metacarpal joints, and I made -him realize that it was only by losing his hand that he could hope to -save his life. After much persuasion he consented to the operation, and -he asked me, when it was over, what fee I demanded. The poor fellow was -almost a beggar, so that the idea of a fee was absurd, but I answered in -jest that my fee should be his hand, and that I proposed to add it to my -pathological collection. - -“To my surprise he demurred very much to the suggestion, and he -explained that according to his religion it was an all-important matter -that the body should be reunited after death, and so make a perfect -dwelling for the spirit. The belief is, of course, an old one, and the -mummies of the Egyptians arose from an analogous superstition. I -answered him that his hand was already off, and asked him how he -intended to preserve it. He replied that he would pickle it in salt and -carry it about with him. I suggested that it might be safer in my -keeping than in his, and that I had better means than salt for -preserving it. On realizing that I really intended to carefully keep it, -his opposition vanished instantly. ‘But remember, sahib,’ said he, ‘I -shall want it back when I am dead.’ I laughed at the remark, and so the -matter ended. I returned to my practice, and he no doubt in the course -of time was able to continue his journey to Afghanistan. - -“Well, as I told you last night, I had a bad fire in my house at Bombay. -Half of it was burned down, and, among other things, my pathological -collection was largely destroyed. What you see are the poor remains of -it. The hand of the hillman went with the rest, but I gave the matter no -particular thought at the time. That was six years ago. - -“Four years ago—two years after the fire—I was awakened one night by a -furious tugging at my sleeve. I sat up under the impression that my -favourite mastiff was trying to arouse me. Instead of this, I saw my -Indian patient of long ago, dressed in the long grey gown which was the -badge of his people. He was holding up his stump and looking -reproachfully at me. He then went over to my bottles, which at that time -I kept in my room, and he examined them carefully, after which he gave a -gesture of anger and vanished. I realized that he had just died, and -that he had come to claim my promise that I should keep his limb in -safety for him. - -“Well, there you have it all, Dr. Hardacre. Every night at the same hour -for four years this performance has been repeated. It is a simple thing -in itself, but it has worn me out like water dropping on a stone. It has -brought a vile insomnia with it, for I cannot sleep now for the -expectation of his coming. It has poisoned my old age and that of my -wife, who has been the sharer in this great trouble. But there is the -breakfast gong, and she will be waiting impatiently to know how it fared -with you last night. We are both much indebted to you for your -gallantry, for it takes something from the weight of our misfortune when -we share it, even for a single night, with a friend, and it reassures us -as to our sanity, which we are sometimes driven to question.” - -This was the curious narrative which Sir Dominick confided to me—a story -which to many would have appeared to be a grotesque impossibility, but -which, after my experience of the night before, and my previous -knowledge of such things, I was prepared to accept as an absolute fact. -I thought deeply over the matter, and brought the whole range of my -reading and experience to bear upon it. After breakfast, I surprised my -host and hostess by announcing that I was returning to London by the -next train. - -“My dear doctor,” cried Sir Dominick in great distress, “you make me -feel that I have been guilty of a gross breach of hospitality in -intruding this unfortunate matter upon you. I should have borne my own -burden.” - -“It is, indeed, that matter which is taking me to London,” I answered; -“but you are mistaken, I assure you, if you think that my experience of -last night was an unpleasant one to me. On the contrary, I am about to -ask your permission to return in the evening and spend one more night in -your laboratory. I am very eager to see this visitor once again.” - -My uncle was exceedingly anxious to know what I was about to do, but my -fears of raising false hopes prevented me from telling him. I was back -in my own consulting-room a little after luncheon, and was confirming my -memory of a passage in a recent book upon occultism which had arrested -my attention when I read it. - -“In the case of earth-bound spirits,” said my authority, “some one -dominant idea obsessing them at the hour of death is sufficient to hold -them to this material world. They are the amphibia of this life and of -the next, capable of passing from one to the other as the turtle passes -from land to water. The causes which may bind a soul so strongly to a -life which its body has abandoned are any violent emotion. Avarice, -revenge, anxiety, love, and pity have all been known to have this -effect. As a rule it springs from some unfulfilled wish, and when the -wish has been fulfilled the material bond relaxes. There are many cases -upon record which show the singular persistence of these visitors, and -also their disappearance when their wishes have been fulfilled, or in -some cases when a reasonable compromise has been effected.” - -“_A reasonable compromise effected_”—those were the words which I had -brooded over all the morning, and which I now verified in the original. -No actual atonement could be made here—but a reasonable compromise! I -made my way as fast as a train could take me to the Shadwell Seamen’s -Hospital, where my old friend Jack Hewett was house-surgeon. Without -explaining the situation I made him understand exactly what it was that -I wanted. - -“A brown man’s hand!” said he, in amazement. “What in the world do you -want that for?” - -“Never mind. I’ll tell you some day. I know that your wards are full of -Indians.” - -“I should think so. But a hand——” He thought a little and then struck a -bell. - -“Travers,” said he to a student-dresser, “what became of the hands of -the Lascar which we took off yesterday? I mean the fellow from the East -India Dock who got caught in the steam winch.” - -“They are in the _post-mortem_ room, sir.” - -“Just pack one of them in antiseptics and give it to Dr. Hardacre.” - -And so I found myself back at Rodenhurst before dinner with this curious -outcome of my day in town. I still said nothing to Sir Dominick, but I -slept that night in the laboratory, and I placed the Lascar’s hand in -one of the glass jars at the end of my couch. - -So interested was I in the result of my experiment that sleep was out of -the question. I sat with a shaded lamp beside me and waited patiently -for my visitor. This time I saw him clearly from the first. He appeared -beside the door, nebulous for an instant, and then hardening into as -distinct an outline as any living man. The slippers beneath his grey -gown were red and heelless, which accounted for the low, shuffling sound -which he made as he walked. As on the previous night he passed slowly -along the line of bottles until he paused before that which contained -the hand. He reached up to it, his whole figure quivering with -expectation, took it down, examined it eagerly, and then, with a face -which was convulsed with fury and disappointment, he hurled it down on -the floor. There was a crash which resounded through the house, and when -I looked up the mutilated Indian had disappeared. A moment later my door -flew open and Sir Dominick rushed in. - -“You are not hurt?” he cried. - -“No—but deeply disappointed.” - -He looked in astonishment at the splinters of glass, and the brown hand -lying upon the floor. - -“Good God!” he cried. “What is this?” - -I told him my idea and its wretched sequel. He listened intently, but -shook his head. - -“It was well thought of,” said he, “but I fear that there is no such -easy end to my sufferings. But one thing I now insist upon. It is that -you shall never again upon any pretext occupy this room. My fears that -something might have happened to you—when I heard that crash—have been -the most acute of all the agonies which I have undergone. I will not -expose myself to a repetition of it.” - -He allowed me, however, to spend the remainder of that night where I -was, and I lay there worrying over the problem and lamenting my own -failure. With the first light of morning there was the Lascar’s hand -still lying upon the floor to remind me of my fiasco. I lay looking at -it—and as I lay suddenly an idea flew like a bullet through my head and -brought me quivering with excitement out of my couch. I raised the grim -relic from where it had fallen. Yes, it was indeed so. The hand was the -_left_ hand of the Lascar. - -By the first train I was on my way to town, and hurried at once to the -Seamen’s Hospital. I remembered that both hands of the Lascar had been -amputated, but I was terrified lest the precious organ which I was in -search of might have been already consumed in the crematory. My suspense -was soon ended. It had still been preserved in the _post-mortem_ room. -And so I returned to Rodenhurst in the evening with my mission -accomplished and the material for a fresh experiment. - -But Sir Dominick Holden would not hear of my occupying the laboratory -again. To all my entreaties he turned a deaf ear. It offended his sense -of hospitality, and he could no longer permit it. I left the hand, -therefore, as I had done its fellow the night before, and I occupied a -comfortable bedroom in another portion of the house, some distance from -the scene of my adventures. - -But in spite of that my sleep was not destined to be uninterrupted. In -the dead of night my host burst into my room, a lamp in his hand. His -huge gaunt figure was enveloped in a loose dressing-gown, and his whole -appearance might certainly have seemed more formidable to a weak-nerved -man than that of the Indian of the night before. But it was not his -entrance so much as his expression which amazed me. He had turned -suddenly younger by twenty years at the least. His eyes were shining, -his features radiant, and he waved one hand in triumph over his head. I -sat up astounded, staring sleepily at this extraordinary visitor. But -his words soon drove the sleep from my eyes. - -“We have done it! We have succeeded!” he shouted. “My dear Hardacre, how -can I ever in this world repay you?” - -“You don’t mean to say that it is all right?” - -“Indeed I do. I was sure that you would not mind being awakened to hear -such blessed news.” - -“Mind! I should think not indeed. But is it really certain?” - -“I have no doubt whatever upon the point. I owe you such a debt, my dear -nephew, as I have never owed a man before, and never expected to. What -can I possibly do for you that is commensurate? Providence must have -sent you to my rescue. You have saved both my reason and my life, for -another six months of this must have seen me either in a cell or a -coffin. And my wife—it was wearing her out before my eyes. Never could I -have believed that any human being could have lifted this burden off -me.” He seized my hand and wrung it in his bony grip. - -“It was only an experiment—a forlorn hope—but I am delighted from my -heart that it has succeeded. But how do you know that it is all right? -Have you seen something?” - -He seated himself at the foot of my bed. - -“I have seen enough,” said he. “It satisfies me that I shall be troubled -no more. What has passed is easily told. You know that at a certain hour -this creature always comes to me. To-night he arrived at the usual time, -and aroused me with even more violence than is his custom. I can only -surmise that his disappointment of last night increased the bitterness -of his anger against me. He looked angrily at me, and then went on his -usual round. But in a few minutes I saw him, for the first time since -this persecution began, return to my chamber. He was smiling. I saw the -gleam of his white teeth through the dim light. He stood facing me at -the end of my bed, and three times he made the low Eastern salaam which -is their solemn leave-taking. And the third time that he bowed he raised -his arms over his head, and I saw his _two_ hands outstretched in the -air. So he vanished, and, as I believe, for ever.” - - * * * * * - -So that is the curious experience which won me the affection and the -gratitude of my celebrated uncle, the famous Indian surgeon. His -anticipations were realized, and never again was he disturbed by the -visits of the restless hillman in search of his lost member. Sir -Dominick and Lady Holden spent a very happy old age, unclouded, so far -as I know, by any trouble, and they finally died during the great -influenza epidemic within a few weeks of each other. In his lifetime he -always turned to me for advice in everything which concerned that -English life of which he knew so little; and I aided him also in the -purchase and development of his estates. It was no great surprise to me, -therefore, that I found myself eventually promoted over the heads of -five exasperated cousins, and changed in a single day from a -hard-working country doctor into the head of an important Wiltshire -family. I at least have reason to bless the memory of the man with the -brown hand, and the day when I was fortunate enough to relieve -Rodenhurst of his unwelcome presence. - - - - - THE FIEND OF THE COOPERAGE - - -It was no easy matter to bring the _Gamecock_ up to the island, for the -river had swept down so much silt that the banks extended for many miles -out into the Atlantic. The coast was hardly to be seen when the first -white curl of the breakers warned us of our danger, and from there -onwards we made our way very carefully under mainsail and jib, keeping -the broken water well to the left, as is indicated on the chart. More -than once her bottom touched the sand (we were drawing something under -six feet at the time), but we had always way enough and luck enough to -carry us through. Finally, the water shoaled very rapidly, but they had -sent a canoe from the factory, and the Krooboy pilot brought us within -two hundred yards of the island. Here we dropped our anchor, for the -gestures of the negro indicated that we could not hope to get any -farther. The blue of the sea had changed to the brown of the river, and, -even under the shelter of the island, the current was singing and -swirling round our bows. The stream appeared to be in spate, for it was -over the roots of the palm trees, and everywhere upon its muddy, greasy -surface we could see logs of wood and debris of all sorts which had been -carried down by the flood. - -When I had assured myself that we swung securely at our moorings, I -thought it best to begin watering at once, for the place looked as if it -reeked with fever. The heavy river, the muddy, shining banks, the bright -poisonous green of the jungle, the moist steam in the air, they were all -so many danger signals to one who could read them. I sent the long-boat -off, therefore, with two large hogsheads, which should be sufficient to -last us until we made St. Paul de Loanda. For my own part I took the -dinghy and rowed for the island, for I could see the Union Jack -fluttering above the palms to mark the position of Armitage and Wilson’s -trading station. - -When I had cleared the grove, I could see the place, a long, low, -whitewashed building, with a deep verandah in front, and an immense pile -of palm oil barrels heaped upon either flank of it. A row of surf boats -and canoes lay along the beach, and a single small jetty projected into -the river. Two men in white suits with red cummerbunds round their -waists were waiting upon the end of it to receive me. One was a large -portly fellow with a greyish beard. The other was slender and tall, with -a pale pinched face, which was half concealed by a great mushroom-shaped -hat. - -“Very glad to see you,” said the latter, cordially. “I am Walker, the -agent of Armitage and Wilson. Let me introduce Dr. Severall of the same -company. It is not often we see a private yacht in these parts.” - -“She’s the _Gamecock_,” I explained. “I’m owner and captain—Meldrum is -the name.” - -“Exploring?” he asked. - -“I’m a lepidopterist—a butterfly-catcher. I’ve been doing the west coast -from Senegal downwards.” - -“Good sport?” asked the Doctor, turning a slow yellow-shot eye upon me. - -“I have forty cases full. We came in here to water, and also to see what -you have in my line.” - -These introductions and explanations had filled up the time whilst my -two Krooboys were making the dinghy fast. Then I walked down the jetty -with one of my new acquaintances upon either side, each plying me with -questions, for they had seen no white man for months. - -“What do we do?” said the Doctor, when I had begun asking questions in -my turn. “Our business keeps us pretty busy, and in our leisure time we -talk politics.” - -“Yes, by the special mercy of Providence Severall is a rank Radical and -I am a good stiff Unionist, and we talk Home Rule for two solid hours -every evening.” - -“And drink quinine cocktails,” said the Doctor. “We’re both pretty well -salted now, but our normal temperature was about 103 last year. I -shouldn’t, as an impartial adviser, recommend you to stay here very long -unless you are collecting bacilli as well as butterflies. The mouth of -the Ogowai River will never develop into a health resort.” - -There is nothing finer than the way in which these outlying pickets of -civilization distil a grim humour out of their desolate situation, and -turn not only a bold, but a laughing face upon the chances which their -lives may bring. Everywhere from Sierra Leone downwards I had found the -same reeking swamps, the same isolated fever-racked communities and the -same bad jokes. There is something approaching to the divine in that -power of man to rise above his conditions and to use his mind for the -purpose of mocking at the miseries of his body. - -“Dinner will be ready in about half an hour, Captain Meldrum,” said the -Doctor. “Walker has gone in to see about it; he’s the housekeeper this -week. Meanwhile, if you like, we’ll stroll round and I’ll show you the -sights of the island.” - -The sun had already sunk beneath the line of palm trees, and the great -arch of the heaven above our head was like the inside of a huge shell, -shimmering with dainty pinks and delicate iridescence. No one who has -not lived in a land where the weight and heat of a napkin become -intolerable upon the knees can imagine the blessed relief which the -coolness of evening brings along with it. In this sweeter and purer air -the Doctor and I walked round the little island, he pointing out the -stores, and explaining the routine of his work. - -“There’s a certain romance about the place,” said he, in answer to some -remark of mine about the dulness of their lives. “We are living here -just upon the edge of the great unknown. Up there,” he continued, -pointing to the north-east, “Du Chaillu penetrated, and found the home -of the gorilla. That is the Gaboon country—the land of the great apes. -In this direction,” pointing to the south-east, “no one has been very -far. The land which is drained by this river is practically unknown to -Europeans. Every log which is carried past us by the current has come -from an undiscovered country. I’ve often wished that I was a better -botanist when I have seen the singular orchids and curious-looking -plants which have been cast up on the eastern end of the island.” - -The place which the Doctor indicated was a sloping brown beach, freely -littered with the flotsam of the stream. At each end was a curved point, -like a little natural breakwater, so that a small shallow bay was left -between. This was full of floating vegetation, with a single huge -splintered tree lying stranded in the middle of it, the current rippling -against its high black side. - -“These are all from up country,” said the Doctor. “They get caught in -our little bay, and then when some extra freshet comes they are washed -out again and carried out to sea.” - -“What is the tree?” I asked. - -“Oh, some kind of teak I should imagine, but pretty rotten by the look -of it. We get all sorts of big hardwood trees floating past here, to say -nothing of the palms. Just come in here, will you?” - -He led the way into a long building with an immense quantity of barrel -staves and iron hoops littered about in it. - -“This is our cooperage,” said he. “We have the staves sent out in -bundles, and we put them together ourselves. Now, you don’t see anything -particularly sinister about this building, do you?” - -I looked round at the high corrugated iron roof, the white wooden walls, -and the earthen floor. In one corner lay a mattress and a blanket. - -“I see nothing very alarming,” said I. - -“And yet there’s something out of the common, too,” he remarked. “You -see that bed? Well, I intend to sleep there to-night. I don’t want to -buck, but I think it’s a bit of a test for nerve.” - -“Why?” - -“Oh, there have been some funny goings on. You were talking about the -monotony of our lives, but I assure you that they are sometimes quite as -exciting as we wish them to be. You’d better come back to the house now, -for after sundown we begin to get the fever-fog up from the marshes. -There, you can see it coming across the river.” - -I looked and saw long tentacles of white vapour writhing out from among -the thick green underwood and crawling at us over the broad swirling -surface of the brown river. At the same time the air turned suddenly -dank and cold. - -“There’s the dinner gong,” said the Doctor. “If this matter interests -you I’ll tell you about it afterwards.” - -It did interest me very much, for there was something earnest and -subdued in his manner as he stood in the empty cooperage, which appealed -very forcibly to my imagination. He was a big, bluff, hearty man, this -Doctor, and yet I had detected a curious expression in his eyes as he -glanced about him—an expression which I would not describe as one of -fear, but rather that of a man who is alert and on his guard. - -“By the way,” said I, as we returned to the house, “you have shown me -the huts of a good many of your native assistants, but I have not seen -any of the natives themselves.” - -“They sleep in the hulk over yonder,” the Doctor answered, pointing over -to one of the banks. - -“Indeed. I should not have thought in that case that they would need the -huts.” - -“Oh, they used the huts until quite recently. We’ve put them on the hulk -until they recover their confidence a little. They were all half mad -with fright, so we let them go, and nobody sleeps on the island except -Walker and myself.” - -“What frightened them?” I asked. - -“Well, that brings us back to the same story. I suppose Walker has no -objection to your hearing all about it. I don’t know why we should make -any secret about it, though it is certainly a pretty bad business.” - -He made no further allusion to it during the excellent dinner which had -been prepared in my honour. It appeared that no sooner had the little -white topsail of the _Gamecock_ shown round Cape Lopez than these kind -fellows had begun to prepare their famous pepper-pot—which is the -pungent stew peculiar to the West Coast—and to boil their yams and sweet -potatoes. We sat down to as good a native dinner as one could wish, -served by a smart Sierra Leone waiting boy. I was just remarking to -myself that he at least had not shared in the general flight when, -having laid the dessert and wine upon the table, he raised his hand to -his turban. - -“Anyting else I do, Massa Walker?” he asked. - -“No, I think that is all right, Moussa,” my host answered. “I am not -feeling very well to-night, though, and I should much prefer if you -would stay on the island.” - -I saw a struggle between his fears and his duty upon the swarthy face of -the African. His skin had turned of that livid purplish tint which -stands for pallor in a negro, and his eyes looked furtively about him. - -“No, no, Massa Walker,” he cried, at last, “you better come to the hulk -with me, sah. Look after you much better in the hulk, sah!” - -“That won’t do, Moussa. White men don’t run away from the posts where -they are placed.” - -Again I saw the passionate struggle in the negro’s face, and again his -fears prevailed. - -“No use, Massa Walker, sah!” he cried. “S’elp me, I can’t do it. If it -was yesterday or if it was to-morrow, but this is the third night, sah, -an’ it’s more than I can face.” - -Walker shrugged his shoulders. - -“Off with you then!” said he. “When the mail-boat comes you can get back -to Sierra Leone, for I’ll have no servant who deserts me when I need him -most. I suppose this is all mystery to you, or has the Doctor told you, -Captain Meldrum?” - -“I showed Captain Meldrum the cooperage, but I did not tell him -anything,” said Dr. Severall. “You’re looking bad, Walker,” he added, -glancing at his companion. “You have a strong touch coming on you.” - -“Yes, I’ve had the shivers all day, and now my head is like a -cannon-ball. I took ten grains of quinine, and my ears are singing like -a kettle. But I want to sleep with you in the cooperage to-night.” - -“No, no, my dear chap. I won’t hear of such a thing. You must get to bed -at once, and I am sure Meldrum will excuse you. I shall sleep in the -cooperage, and I promise you that I’ll be round with your medicine -before breakfast.” - -It was evident that Walker had been struck by one of those sudden and -violent attacks of remittent fever which are the curse of the West -Coast. His sallow cheeks were flushed and his eyes shining with fever, -and suddenly as he sat there he began to croon out a song in the -high-pitched voice of delirium. - -“Come, come, we must get you to bed, old chap,” said the Doctor, and -with my aid he led his friend into his bedroom. There we undressed him, -and presently, after taking a strong sedative, he settled down into a -deep slumber. - -“He’s right for the night,” said the Doctor, as we sat down and filled -our glasses once more. “Sometimes it is my turn and sometimes his, but, -fortunately, we have never been down together. I should have been sorry -to be out of it to-night, for I have a little mystery to unravel. I told -you that I intended to sleep in the cooperage.” - -“Yes, you said so.” - -“When I said sleep I meant watch, for there will be no sleep for me. -We’ve had such a scare here that no native will stay after sundown, and -I mean to find out to-night what the cause of it all may be. It has -always been the custom for a native watchman to sleep in the cooperage, -to prevent the barrel hoops being stolen. Well, six days ago the fellow -who slept there disappeared, and we have never seen a trace of him -since. It was certainly singular, for no canoe had been taken, and these -waters are too full of crocodiles for any man to swim to shore. What -became of the fellow, or how he could have left the island is a complete -mystery. Walker and I were merely surprised, but the blacks were badly -scared, and queer Voodoo tales began to get about amongst them. But the -real stampede broke out three nights ago, when the new watchman in the -cooperage also disappeared.” - -“What became of him?” I asked. - -“Well, we not only don’t know, but we can’t even give a guess which -would fit the facts. The niggers swear there is a fiend in the cooperage -who claims a man every third night. They wouldn’t stay in the -island—nothing could persuade them. Even Moussa, who is a faithful boy -enough, would, as you have seen, leave his master in a fever rather than -remain for the night. If we are to continue to run this place we must -reassure our niggers, and I don’t know any better way of doing it than -by putting in a night there myself. This is the third night, you see, so -I suppose the thing is due, whatever it may be.” - -“Have you no clue?” I asked. “Was there no mark of violence, no -blood-stain, no footprints, nothing to give a hint as to what kind of -danger you may have to meet?” - -“Absolutely nothing. The man was gone and that was all. Last time it was -old Ali, who has been wharf-tender here since the place was started. He -was always as steady as a rock, and nothing but foul play would take him -from his work.” - -“Well,” said I, “I really don’t think that this is a one-man job. Your -friend is full of laudanum, and come what might he can be of no -assistance to you. You must let me stay and put in a night with you at -the cooperage.” - -“Well, now, that’s very good of you, Meldrum,” said he heartily, shaking -my hand across the table. “It’s not a thing that I should have ventured -to propose, for it is asking a good deal of a casual visitor, but if you -really mean it——” - -“Certainly I mean it. If you will excuse me a moment, I will hail the -_Gamecock_ and let them know that they need not expect me.” - -As we came back from the other end of the little jetty we were both -struck by the appearance of the night. A huge blue-black pile of clouds -had built itself up upon the landward side, and the wind came from it in -little hot pants, which beat upon our faces like the draught from a -blast furnace. Under the jetty the river was swirling and hissing, -tossing little white spurts of spray over the planking. - -“Confound it!” said Doctor Severall. “We are likely to have a flood on -the top of all our troubles. That rise in the river means heavy rain -up-country, and when it once begins you never know how far it will go. -We’ve had the island nearly covered before now. Well, we’ll just go and -see that Walker is comfortable, and then if you like we’ll settle down -in our quarters.” - -The sick man was sunk in a profound slumber, and we left him with some -crushed limes in a glass beside him in case he should awake with the -thirst of fever upon him. Then we made our way through the unnatural -gloom thrown by that menacing cloud. The river had risen so high that -the little bay which I have described at the end of the island had -become almost obliterated through the submerging of its flanking -peninsula. The great raft of driftwood, with the huge black tree in the -middle, was swaying up and down in the swollen current. - -“That’s one good thing a flood will do for us,” said the Doctor. “It -carries away all the vegetable stuff which is brought down on to the -east end of the island. It came down with the freshet the other day, and -here it will stay until a flood sweeps it out into the main stream. -Well, here’s our room, and here are some books, and here is my tobacco -pouch, and we must try and put in the night as best we may.” - -By the light of our single lantern the great lonely room looked very -gaunt and dreary. Save for the piles of staves and heaps of hoops there -was absolutely nothing in it, with the exception of the mattress for the -Doctor, which had been laid in the corner. We made a couple of seats and -a table out of the staves, and settled down together for a long vigil. -Severall had brought a revolver for me, and was himself armed with a -double-barrelled shot-gun. We loaded our weapons and laid them cocked -within reach of our hands. The little circle of light and the black -shadows arching over us were so melancholy that he went off to the -house, and returned with two candles. One side of the cooperage was -pierced, however, by several open windows, and it was only by screening -our lights behind staves that we could prevent them from being -extinguished. - -The Doctor, who appeared to be a man of iron nerves, had settled down to -a book, but I observed that every now and then he laid it upon his knee, -and took an earnest look all round him. For my part, although I tried -once or twice to read, I found it impossible to concentrate my thoughts -upon the book. They would always wander back to this great empty silent -room, and to the sinister mystery which overshadowed it. I racked my -brains for some possible theory which would explain the disappearance of -these two men. There was the black fact that they were gone, and not the -least tittle of evidence as to why or whither. And here we were waiting -in the same place—waiting without an idea as to what we were waiting -for. I was right in saying that it was not a one-man job. It was trying -enough as it was, but no force upon earth would have kept me there -without a comrade. - -What an endless, tedious night it was! Outside we heard the lapping and -gurgling of the great river, and the soughing of the rising wind. -Within, save for our breathing, the turning of the Doctor’s pages, and -the high, shrill ping of an occasional mosquito, there was a heavy -silence. Once my heart sprang into my mouth as Severall’s book suddenly -fell to the ground and he sprang to his feet with his eyes on one of the -windows. - -“Did you see anything, Meldrum?” - -“No. Did you?” - -“Well, I had a vague sense of movement outside that window.” He caught -up his gun and approached it. “No, there’s nothing to be seen, and yet I -could have sworn that something passed slowly across it.” - -“A palm leaf, perhaps,” said I, for the wind was growing stronger every -instant. - -“Very likely,” said he, and settled down to his book again, but his eyes -were for ever darting little suspicious glances up at the window. I -watched it also, but all was quiet outside. - -And then suddenly our thoughts were turned into a new direction by the -bursting of the storm. A blinding flash was followed by a clap which -shook the building. Again and again came the vivid white glare with -thunder at the same instant, like the flash and roar of a monstrous -piece of artillery. And then down came the tropical rain, crashing and -rattling on the corrugated iron roofing of the cooperage. The big hollow -room boomed like a drum. From the darkness arose a strange mixture of -noises, a gurgling, splashing, tinkling, bubbling, washing, -dripping—every liquid sound that nature can produce from the thrashing -and swishing of the rain to the deep steady boom of the river. Hour -after hour the uproar grew louder and more sustained. - -“My word,” said Severall, “we are going to have the father of all the -floods this time. Well, here’s the dawn coming at last and that is a -blessing. We’ve about exploded the third night superstition anyhow.” - -A grey light was stealing through the room, and there was the day upon -us in an instant. The rain had eased off, but the coffee-coloured river -was roaring past like a waterfall. Its power made me fear for the anchor -of the _Gamecock_. - -“I must get aboard,” said I. “If she drags she’ll never be able to beat -up the river again.” - -“The island is as good as a breakwater,” the Doctor answered. “I can -give you a cup of coffee if you will come up to the house.” - -I was chilled and miserable, so the suggestion was a welcome one. We -left the ill-omened cooperage with its mystery still unsolved, and we -splashed our way up to the house. - -“There’s the spirit lamp,” said Severall. “If you would just put a light -to it, I will see how Walker feels this morning.” - -He left me, but was back in an instant with a dreadful face. - -“He’s gone!” he cried hoarsely. - -The words sent a thrill of horror through me. I stood with the lamp in -my hand, glaring at him. - -“Yes, he’s gone!” he repeated. “Come and look!” - -I followed him without a word, and the first thing that I saw as I -entered the bedroom was Walker himself lying huddled on his bed in the -grey flannel sleeping suit in which I had helped to dress him on the -night before. - -“Not dead, surely!” I gasped. - -The Doctor was terribly agitated. His hands were shaking like leaves in -the wind. - -“He’s been dead some hours.” - -“Was it fever?” - -“Fever! Look at his foot!” - -I glanced down and a cry of horror burst from my lips. One foot was not -merely dislocated but was turned completely round in a most grotesque -contortion. - -“Good God!” I cried. “What can have done this?” - -Severall had laid his hand upon the dead man’s chest. - -“Feel here,” he whispered. - -I placed my hand at the same spot. There was no resistance. The body was -absolutely soft and limp. It was like pressing a sawdust doll. - -“The breast-bone is gone,” said Severall in the same awed whisper. “He’s -broken to bits. Thank God that he had the laudanum. You can see by his -face that he died in his sleep.” - -“But who can have done this?” - -“I’ve had about as much as I can stand,” said the Doctor, wiping his -forehead. “I don’t know that I’m a greater coward than my neighbours, -but this gets beyond me. If you’re going out to the _Gamecock_——” - -“Come on!” said I, and off we started. If we did not run it was because -each of us wished to keep up the last shadow of his self-respect before -the other. It was dangerous in a light canoe on that swollen river, but -we never paused to give the matter a thought. He bailing and I paddling -we kept her above water, and gained the deck of the yacht. There, with -two hundred yards of water between us and this cursed island, we felt -that we were our own men once more. - -“Well go back in an hour or so,” said he. “But we need a little time to -steady ourselves. I wouldn’t have had the niggers see me as I was just -now for a year’s salary.” - -“I’ve told the steward to prepare breakfast. Then we shall go back,” -said I. “But in God’s name, Doctor Severall, what do you make of it -all?” - -“It beats me—beats me clean. I’ve heard of Voodoo devilry, and I’ve -laughed at it with the others. But that poor old Walker, a decent, -God-fearing, nineteenth-century, Primrose-League Englishman should go -under like this without a whole bone in his body—it’s given me a shake, -I won’t deny it. But look there, Meldrum, is that hand of yours mad or -drunk, or what is it?” - -Old Patterson, the oldest man of my crew, and as steady as the Pyramids, -had been stationed in the bows with a boat-hook to fend off the drifting -logs which came sweeping down with the current. Now he stood with -crooked knees, glaring out in front of him, and one forefinger stabbing -furiously at the air. - -“Look at it!” he yelled. “Look at it!” - -And at the same instant we saw it. - -A huge black tree trunk was coming down the river, its broad glistening -back just lapped by the water. And in front of it—about three feet in -front—arching upwards like the figure-head of a ship, there hung a -dreadful face, swaying slowly from side to side. It was flattened, -malignant, as large as a small beer-barrel, of a faded fungoid colour, -but the neck which supported it was mottled with a dull yellow and -black. As it flew past the _Gamecock_ in the swirl of the waters I saw -two immense coils roll up out of some great hollow in the tree, and the -villainous head rose suddenly to the height of eight or ten feet, -looking with dull, skin-covered eyes at the yacht. An instant later the -tree had shot past us and was plunging with its horrible passenger -towards the Atlantic. - -“What was it?” I cried. - -“It is our fiend of the cooperage,” said Dr. Severall, and he had become -in an instant the same bluff, self-confident man that he had been -before. “Yes, that is the devil who has been haunting our island. It is -the great python of the Gaboon.” - -I thought of the stories which I had heard all down the coast of the -monstrous constrictors of the interior, of their periodical appetite, -and of the murderous effects of their deadly squeeze. Then it all took -shape in my mind. There had been a freshet the week before. It had -brought down this huge hollow tree with its hideous occupant. Who knows -from what far distant tropical forest it may have come. It had been -stranded on the little east bay of the island. The cooperage had been -the nearest house. Twice with the return of its appetite it had carried -off the watchman. Last night it had doubtless come again, when Severall -had thought he saw something move at the window, but our lights had -driven it away. It had writhed onwards and had slain poor Walker in his -sleep. - -“Why did it not carry him off?” I asked. - -“The thunder and lightning must have scared the brute away. There’s your -steward, Meldrum. The sooner we have breakfast and get back to the -island the better, or some of those niggers might think that we had been -frightened.” - - - - - JELLAND’S VOYAGE - - -“Well,” said our Anglo-Jap as we all drew up our chairs round the -smoking-room fire, “it’s an old tale out yonder, and may have spilt over -into print for all I know. I don’t want to turn this club-room into a -chestnut stall, but it is a long way to the Yellow Sea, and it is just -as likely that none of you have ever heard of the yawl _Matilda_, and of -what happened to Henry Jelland and Willy McEvoy aboard of her. - -“The middle of the sixties was a stirring time out in Japan. That was -just after the Simonosaki bombardment, and before the Daimio affair. -There was a Tory party and there was a Liberal party among the natives, -and the question that they were wrangling over was whether the throats -of the foreigners should be cut or not. I tell you all, politics have -been tame to me since then. If you lived in a treaty port, you were -bound to wake up and take an interest in them. And to make it better, -the outsider had no way of knowing how the game was going. If the -opposition won it would not be a newspaper paragraph that would tell him -of it, but a good old Tory in a suit of chain mail, with a sword in each -hand, would drop in and let him know all about it in a single upper cut. - -“Of course it makes men reckless when they are living on the edge of a -volcano like that. Just at first they are very jumpy, and then there -comes a time when they learn to enjoy life while they have it. I tell -you, there’s nothing makes life so beautiful as when the shadow of death -begins to fall across it. Time is too precious to be dawdled away then, -and a man lives every minute of it. That was the way with us in -Yokohama. There were many European places of business which had to go on -running, and the men who worked them made the place lively for seven -nights in the week. - -“One of the heads of the European colony was Randolph Moore, the big -export merchant. His offices were in Yokohama, but he spent a good deal -of his time at his house up in Jeddo, which had only just been opened to -the trade. In his absence he used to leave his affairs in the hands of -his head clerk, Jelland, whom he knew to be a man of great energy and -resolution. But energy and resolution are two-edged things, you know, -and when they are used against you you don’t appreciate them so much. - -“It was gambling that set Jelland wrong. He was a little dark-eyed -fellow with black curly hair—more than three-quarters Celt, I should -imagine. Every night in the week you would see him in the same place, on -the left-hand side of the croupier at Matheson’s _rouge et noir_ table. -For a long time he won, and lived in better style than his employer. And -then came a turn of luck, and he began to lose so that at the end of a -single week his partner and he were stone broke, without a dollar to -their names. - -“This partner was a clerk in the employ of the same firm—a tall, -straw-haired young Englishman called McEvoy. He was a good boy enough at -the start, but he was clay in the hands of Jelland, who fashioned him -into a kind of weak model of himself. They were for ever on the prowl -together, but it was Jelland who led and McEvoy who followed. Lynch and -I and one or two others tried to show the youngster that he could come -to no good along that line, and when we were talking to him we could win -him round easily enough, but five minutes of Jelland would swing him -back again. It may have been animal magnetism or what you like, but the -little man could pull the big one along like a sixty-foot tug in front -of a full-rigged ship. Even when they had lost all their money they -would still take their places at the table and look on with shining eyes -when any one else was raking in the stamps. - -“But one evening they could keep out of it no longer. Red had turned up -sixteen times running, and it was more than Jelland could bear. He -whispered to McEvoy, and then said a word to the croupier. - -“‘Certainly, Mr. Jelland; your cheque is as good as notes,’ said he. - -“Jelland scribbled a cheque and threw it on the black. The card was the -king of hearts, and the croupier raked in the little bit of paper. -Jelland grew angry, and McEvoy white. Another and a heavier cheque was -written and thrown on the table. The card was the nine of diamonds. -McEvoy leaned his head upon his hands and looked as if he would faint. -‘By God!’ growled Jelland, ‘I won’t be beat,’ and he threw on a cheque -that covered the other two. The card was the deuce of hearts. A few -minutes later they were walking down the Bund, with the cool night-air -playing upon their fevered faces. - -“‘Of course you know what this means,’ said Jelland, lighting a cheroot; -‘we’ll have to transfer some of the office money to our current account. -There’s no occasion to make a fuss over it. Old Moore won’t look over -the books before Easter. If we have any luck, we can easily replace it -before then.’ - -“‘But if we have no luck?’ faltered McEvoy. - -“‘Tut, man, we must take things as they come. You stick to me, and I’ll -stick to you, and we’ll pull through together. You shall sign the -cheques to-morrow night, and we shall see if your luck is better than -mine.’ - -“But if anything it was worse. When the pair rose from the table on the -following evening, they had spent over £5,000 of their employer’s money. -But the resolute Jelland was as sanguine as ever. - -“‘We have a good nine weeks before us before the books will be -examined,’ said he. ‘We must play the game out, and it will all come -straight.’ - -“McEvoy returned to his rooms that night in an agony of shame and -remorse. When he was with Jelland he borrowed strength from him; but -alone he recognized the full danger of his position, and the vision of -his old white-capped mother in England, who had been so proud when he -had received his appointment, rose up before him to fill him with -loathing and madness. He was still tossing upon his sleepless couch when -his Japanese servant entered the bedroom. For an instant McEvoy thought -that the long-expected outbreak had come, and plunged for his revolver. -Then, with his heart in his mouth, he listened to the message which the -servant had brought. - -“Jelland was downstairs, and wanted to see him. - -“What on earth could he want at that hour of night? McEvoy dressed -hurriedly and rushed downstairs. His companion, with a set smile upon -his lips, which was belied by the ghastly pallor of his face, was -sitting in the dim light of a solitary candle, with a slip of paper in -his hands. - -“‘Sorry to knock you up, Willy,’ said he. ‘No eavesdroppers, I suppose?’ - -“McEvoy shook his head. He could not trust himself to speak. - -“‘Well, then, our little game is played out. This note was waiting for -me at home. It is from Moore, and says that he will be down on Monday -morning for an examination of the books. It leaves us in a tight place.’ - -“‘Monday!’ gasped McEvoy; ‘to-day is Friday.’ - -“‘Saturday, my son, and 3 a.m. We have not much time to turn round in.’ - -“‘We are lost!’ screamed McEvoy. - -“‘We soon will be, if you make such an infernal row,’ said Jelland -harshly. ‘Now do what I tell you, Willy, and we’ll pull through yet.’ - -“‘I will do anything—anything.’ - -“‘That’s better. Where’s your whisky? It’s a beastly time of the day to -have to get your back stiff, but there must be no softness with us, or -we are gone. First of all, I think there is something due to our -relations, don’t you?’ - -“McEvoy stared. - -“‘We must stand or fall together, you know. Now I, for one, don’t intend -to set my foot inside a felon’s dock under any circumstances. D’ye see? -I’m ready to swear to that. Are you?’ - -“‘What d’you mean?’ asked McEvoy, shrinking back. - -“‘Why, man, we all have to die, and it’s only the pressing of a trigger. -I swear that I shall never be taken alive. Will you? If you don’t, I -leave you to your fate.’ - -“‘All right. I’ll do whatever you think best.’ - -“‘You swear it?’ - -“‘Yes.’ - -“‘Well, mind, you must be as good as your word. Now we have two clear -days to get off in. The yawl _Matilda_ is on sale, and she has all her -fixings and plenty of tinned stuff aboard. We’ll buy the lot to-morrow -morning, and whatever we want, and get away in her. But, first, we’ll -clear all that is left in the office. There are 5,000 sovereigns in the -safe. After dark we’ll get them aboard the yawl, and take our chance of -reaching California. There’s no use hesitating, my son, for we have no -ghost of a look-in in any other direction. It’s that or nothing.’ - -“‘I’ll do what you advise.’ - -“‘All right; and mind you get a bright face on you to-morrow, for if -Moore gets the tip and comes before Monday, then——’ He tapped the -side-pocket of his coat and looked across at his partner with eyes that -were full of a sinister meaning. - -“All went well with their plans next day. The _Matilda_ was bought -without difficulty; and, though she was a tiny craft for so long a -voyage, had she been larger two men could not have hoped to manage her. -She was stocked with water during the day, and after dark the two clerks -brought down the money from the office and stowed it in the hold. Before -midnight they had collected all their own possessions without exciting -suspicion, and at two in the morning they left their moorings and stole -quietly out from among the shipping. They were seen, of course, and were -set down as keen yachtsmen who were on for a good long Sunday cruise; -but there was no one who dreamed that that cruise would only end either -on the American coast or at the bottom of the North Pacific Ocean. -Straining and hauling, they got their mainsail up and set their foresail -and jib. There was a slight breeze from the south-east, and the little -craft went dipping along upon her way. Seven miles from land, however, -the wind fell away and they lay becalmed, rising and falling on the long -swell of a glassy sea. All Sunday they did not make a mile, and in the -evening Yokohama still lay along the horizon. - -“On Monday morning down came Randolph Moore from Jeddo, and made -straight for the offices. He had had the tip from some one that his -clerks had been spreading themselves a bit, and that had made him come -down out of his usual routine; but when he reached his place and found -the three juniors waiting in the street with their hands in their -pockets he knew that the matter was serious. - -“‘What’s this?’ he asked. He was a man of action, and a nasty chap to -deal with when he had his topmasts lowered. - -“‘We can’t get in,’ said the clerks. - -“‘Where is Mr. Jelland?’ - -“‘He has not come to-day.’ - -“‘And Mr. McEvoy?’ - -“‘He has not come either.’ - -“Randolph Moore looked serious. ‘We must have the door down,’ said he. - -“They don’t build houses very solid in that land of earthquakes, and in -a brace of shakes they were all in the office. Of course the thing told -its own story. The safe was open, the money gone, and the clerks fled. -Their employer lost no time in talk. - -“‘Where were they seen last?’ - -“‘On Saturday they bought the _Matilda_ and started for a cruise.’ - -“Saturday! The matter seemed hopeless if they had got two days’ start. -But there was still the shadow of a chance. He rushed to the beach and -swept the ocean with his glasses. - -“‘My God!’ he cried. ‘There’s the _Matilda_ out yonder. I know her by -the rake of her mast. I have my hand upon the villains after all!’ - -“But there was a hitch even then. No boat had steam up, and the eager -merchant had not patience to wait. Clouds were banking up along the -haunch of the hills, and there was every sign of an approaching change -of weather. A police boat was ready with ten armed men in her, and -Randolph Moore himself took the tiller as she shot out in pursuit of the -becalmed yawl. - -“Jelland and McEvoy, waiting wearily for the breeze which never came, -saw the dark speck which sprang out from the shadow of the land and grew -larger with every swish of the oars. As she drew nearer, they could see -also that she was packed with men, and the gleam of weapons told what -manner of men they were. Jelland stood leaning against the tiller, and -he looked at the threatening sky, the limp sails, and the approaching -boat. - -“‘It’s a case with us, Willy,’ said he. ‘By the Lord, we are two most -unlucky devils, for there’s wind in that sky, and another hour would -have brought it to us.’ - -“McEvoy groaned. - -“‘There’s no good softening over it, my lad,’ said Jelland. ‘It’s the -police boat right enough, and there’s old Moore driving them to row like -hell. It’ll be a ten-dollar job for every man of them.’ - -“Willy McEvoy crouched against the side with his knees on the deck. ‘My -mother! my poor old mother!’ he sobbed. - -“‘She’ll never hear that you have been in the dock anyway,’ said -Jelland. ‘My people never did much for me, but I will do that much for -them. It’s no good, Mac. We can chuck our hands. God bless you, old man! -Here’s the pistol!’ - -“He cocked the revolver, and held the butt towards the youngster. But -the other shrunk away from it with little gasps and cries. Jelland -glanced at the approaching boat. It was not more than a few hundred -yards away. - -“‘There’s no time for nonsense,’ said he. ‘Damn it! man, what’s the use -of flinching? You swore it!’ - -“‘No, no, Jelland!’ - -“‘Well, anyhow, I swore that neither of us should be taken. Will you do -it?’ - -“‘I can’t! I can’t!’ - -“‘Then I will for you.’ - -“The rowers in the boat saw him lean forwards, they heard two pistol -shots, they saw him double himself across the tiller, and then, before -the smoke had lifted, they found that they had something else to think -of. - -“For at that instant the storm broke—one of those short sudden squalls -which are common in these seas. The _Matilda_ heeled over, her sails -bellied out, she plunged her lee-rail into a wave, and was off like a -frightened deer. Jelland’s body had jammed the helm, and she kept a -course right before the wind, and fluttered away over the rising sea -like a blown piece of paper. The rowers worked frantically, but the yawl -still drew ahead, and in five minutes it had plunged into the storm -wrack never to be seen again by mortal eye. The boat put back, and -reached Yokohama with the water washing half-way up to the thwarts. - -“And that was how it came that the yawl _Matilda_, with a cargo of five -thousand pounds and a crew of two dead young men, set sail across the -Pacific Ocean. What the end of Jelland’s voyage may have been no man -knows. He may have foundered in that gale, or he may have been picked up -by some canny merchantman, who stuck to the bullion and kept his mouth -shut, or he may still be cruising in that vast waste of waters, blown -north to the Behring Sea, or south to the Malay Islands. It’s better to -leave it unfinished than to spoil a true story by inventing a tag to -it.” - - - - - B. 24 - - -I told my story when I was taken, and no one would listen to me. Then I -told it again at the trial—the whole thing absolutely as it happened, -without so much as a word added. I set it all out truly, so help me God, -all that Lady Mannering said and did, and then all that I had said and -done, just as it occurred. And what did I get for it? “The prisoner put -forward a rambling and inconsequential statement, incredible in its -details, and unsupported by any shred of corroborative evidence.” That -was what one of the London papers said, and others let it pass as if I -had made no defence at all. And yet, with my own eyes I saw Lord -Mannering murdered, and I am as guiltless of it as any man on the jury -that tried me. - -Now, sir, you are there to receive the petitions of prisoners. It all -lies with you. All I ask is that you read it—just read it—and then that -you make an inquiry or two about the private character of this “lady” -Mannering, if she still keeps the name that she had three years ago, -when to my sorrow and ruin I came to meet her. You could use a private -inquiry agent or a good lawyer, and you would soon learn enough to show -you that my story is the true one. Think of the glory it would be to you -to have all the papers saying that there would have been a shocking -miscarriage of justice if it had not been for your perseverance and -intelligence! That must be your reward, since I am a poor man and can -offer you nothing. But if you don’t do it, may you never lie easy in -your bed again! May no night pass that you are not haunted by the -thought of the man who rots in gaol because you have not done the duty -which you are paid to do! But you will do it, sir, I know. Just make one -or two inquiries, and you will soon find which way the wind blows. -Remember, also, that the only person who profited by the crime was -herself, since it changed her from an unhappy wife to a rich young -widow. There’s the end of the string in your hand, and you only have to -follow it up and see where it leads to. - -Mind you, sir, I make no complaint as far as the burglary goes. I don’t -whine about what I have deserved, and so far I have had no more than I -have deserved. Burglary it was, right enough, and my three years have -gone to pay for it. It was shown at the trial that I had had a hand in -the Merton Cross business, and did a year for that, so my story had the -less attention on that account. A man with a previous conviction never -gets a really fair trial. I own to the burglary, but when it comes to -the murder which brought me a lifer—any judge but Sir James might have -given me the gallows—then I tell you that I had nothing to do with it, -and that I am an innocent man. And now I’ll take that night, the 13th of -September, 1894, and I’ll give you just exactly what occurred, and may -God’s hand strike me down if I go one inch over the truth. - -I had been at Bristol in the summer looking for work, and then I had a -notion that I might get something at Portsmouth, for I was trained as a -skilled mechanic, so I came tramping my way across the south of England, -and doing odd jobs as I went. I was trying all I knew to keep off the -cross, for I had done a year in Exeter Gaol, and I had had enough of -visiting Queen Victoria. But it’s cruel hard to get work when once the -black mark is against your name, and it was all I could do to keep soul -and body together. At last, after ten days of wood-cutting and -stone-breaking on starvation pay, I found myself near Salisbury with a -couple of shillings in my pocket, and my boots and my patience clean -wore out. There’s an ale-house called “The Willing Mind,” which stands -on the road between Blandford and Salisbury, and it was there that night -I engaged a bed. I was sitting alone in the tap-room just about closing -time, when the innkeeper—Allen his name was—came beside me and began -yarning about the neighbours. He was a man that liked to talk and to -have some one to listen to his talk, so I sat there smoking and drinking -a mug of ale which he had stood me; and I took no great interest in what -he said until he began to talk (as the devil would have it) about the -riches of Mannering Hall. - -“Meaning the large house on the right before I came to the village?” -said I. “The one that stands in its own park?” - -“Exactly,” said he—and I am giving all our talk so that you may know -that I am telling you the truth and hiding nothing. “The long white -house with the pillars,” said he. “At the side of the Blandford Road.” - -Now I had looked at it as I passed, and it had crossed my mind, as such -thoughts will, that it was a very easy house to get into with that great -row of ground windows and glass doors. I had put the thought away from -me, and now here was this landlord bringing it back with his talk about -the riches within. I said nothing, but I listened, and as luck would -have it, he would always come back to this one subject. - -“He was a miser young, so you can think what he is now in his age,” said -he. “Well, he’s had some good out of his money.” - -“What good can he have had if he does not spend it?” said I. - -“Well, it bought him the prettiest wife in England, and that was some -good that he got out of it. She thought she would have the spending of -it, but she knows the difference now.” - -“Who was she then?” I asked, just for the sake of something to say. - -“She was nobody at all until the old Lord made her his Lady,” said he. -“She came from up London way, and some said that she had been on the -stage there, but nobody knew. The old Lord was away for a year, and when -he came home he brought a young wife back with him, and there she has -been ever since. Stephens, the butler, did tell me once that she was the -light of the house when fust she came, but what with her husband’s mean -and aggravatin’ way, and what with her loneliness—for he hates to see a -visitor within his doors; and what with his bitter words—for he has a -tongue like a hornet’s sting, her life all went out of her, and she -became a white, silent creature, moping about the country lanes. Some -say that she loved another man, and that it was just the riches of the -old Lord which tempted her to be false to her lover, and that now she is -eating her heart out because she has lost the one without being any -nearer to the other, for she might be the poorest woman in the parish -for all the money that she has the handling of.” - -Well, sir, you can imagine that it did not interest me very much to hear -about the quarrels between a Lord and a Lady. What did it matter to me -if she hated the sound of his voice, or if he put every indignity upon -her in the hope of breaking her spirit, and spoke to her as he would -never have dared to speak to one of his servants? The landlord told me -of these things, and of many more like them, but they passed out of my -mind, for they were no concern of mine. But what I did want to hear was -the form in which Lord Mannering kept his riches. Title-deeds and stock -certificates are but paper, and more danger than profit to the man who -takes them. But metal and stones are worth a risk. And then, as if he -were answering my very thoughts, the landlord told me of Lord -Mannering’s great collection of gold medals, that it was the most -valuable in the world, and that it was reckoned that if they were put -into a sack the strongest man in the parish would not be able to raise -them. Then his wife called him, and he and I went to our beds. - -I am not arguing to make out a case for myself, but I beg you, sir, to -bear all the facts in your mind, and to ask yourself whether a man could -be more sorely tempted than I was. I make bold to say that there are few -who could have held out against it. There I lay on my bed that night, a -desperate man without hope or work, and with my last shilling in my -pocket. I had tried to be honest, and honest folk had turned their backs -upon me. They taunted me for theft; and yet they pushed me towards it. I -was caught in the stream and could not get out. And then it was such a -chance: the great house all lined with windows, the golden medals which -could so easily be melted down. It was like putting a loaf before a -starving man and expecting him not to eat it. I fought against it for a -time, but it was no use. At last I sat up on the side of my bed, and I -swore that that night I should either be a rich man and able to give up -crime for ever, or that the irons should be on my wrists once more. Then -I slipped on my clothes, and, having put a shilling on the table—for the -landlord had treated me well, and I did not wish to cheat him—I passed -out through the window into the garden of the inn. - -There was a high wall round this garden, and I had a job to get over it, -but once on the other side it was all plain sailing. I did not meet a -soul upon the road, and the iron gate of the avenue was open. No one was -moving at the lodge. The moon was shining, and I could see the great -house glimmering white through an archway of trees. I walked up it for a -quarter of a mile or so, until I was at the edge of the drive, where it -ended in a broad, gravelled space before the main door. There I stood in -the shadow and looked at the long building, with a full moon shining in -every window and silvering the high stone front. I crouched there for -some time, and I wondered where I should find the easiest entrance. The -corner window of the side seemed to be the one which was least -overlooked, and a screen of ivy hung heavily over it. My best chance was -evidently there. I worked my way under the trees to the back of the -house, and then crept along in the black shadow of the building. A dog -barked and rattled his chain, but I stood waiting until he was quiet, -and then I stole on once more until I came to the window which I had -chosen. - -It is astonishing how careless they are in the country, in places far -removed from large towns, where the thought of burglars never enters -their heads. I call it setting temptation in a poor man’s way when he -puts his hand, meaning no harm, upon a door, and finds it swing open -before him. In this case it was not so bad as that, but the window was -merely fastened with the ordinary catch, which I opened with a push from -the blade of my knife. I pulled up the window as quickly as possible, -and then I thrust the knife through the slit in the shutter and prized -it open. They were folding shutters, and I shoved them before me and -walked into the room. - -“Good evening, sir! You are very welcome!” said a voice. - -I’ve had some starts in my life, but never one to come up to that one. -There, in the opening of the shutters, within reach of my arm, was -standing a woman with a small coil of wax taper burning in her hand. She -was tall and straight and slender, with a beautiful white face that -might have been cut out of clear marble, but her hair and eyes were as -black as night. She was dressed in some sort of white dressing-gown -which flowed down to her feet, and what with this robe and what with her -face, it seemed as if a spirit from above was standing in front of me. -My knees knocked together, and I held on to the shutter with one hand to -give me support. I should have turned and run away if I had had the -strength, but I could only just stand and stare at her. - -She soon brought me back to myself once more. - -“Don’t be frightened!” said she, and they were strange words for the -mistress of a house to have to use to a burglar. “I saw you out of my -bedroom window when you were hiding under those trees, so I slipped -downstairs, and then I heard you at the window. I should have opened it -for you if you had waited, but you managed it yourself just as I came -up.” - -I still held in my hand the long clasp-knife with which I had opened the -shutter. I was unshaven and grimed from a week on the roads. Altogether, -there are few people who would have cared to face me alone at one in the -morning; but this woman, if I had been her lover meeting her by -appointment, could not have looked upon me with a more welcoming eye. -She laid her hand upon my sleeve and drew me into the room. - -“What’s the meaning of this, ma’am? Don’t get trying any little games -upon me,” said I, in my roughest way—and I can put it on rough when I -like. “It’ll be the worse for you if you play me any trick,” I added, -showing her my knife. - -“I will play you no trick,” said she. “On the contrary, I am your -friend, and I wish to help you.” - -“Excuse me, ma’am, but I find it hard to believe that,” said I. “Why -should you wish to help me?” - -“I have my own reasons,” said she; and then suddenly, with those black -eyes blazing out of her white face: “It’s because I hate him, hate him, -hate him! Now you understand.” - -I remembered what the landlord had told me, and I did understand. I -looked at her Ladyship’s face, and I knew that I could trust her. She -wanted to revenge herself upon her husband. She wanted to hit him where -it would hurt him most—upon the pocket. She hated him so that she would -even lower her pride to take such a man as me into her confidence if she -could gain her end by doing so. I’ve hated some folk in my time, but I -don’t think I ever understood what hate was until I saw that woman’s -face in the light of the taper. - -“You’ll trust me now?” said she, with another coaxing touch upon my -sleeve. - -“Yes, your Ladyship.” - -“You know me, then?” - -“I can guess who you are.” - -“I daresay my wrongs are the talk of the county. But what does he care -for that? He only cares for one thing in the whole world, and that you -can take from him this night. Have you a bag?” - -“No, your Ladyship.” - -“Shut the shutter behind you. Then no one can see the light. You are -quite safe. The servants all sleep in the other wing. I can show you -where all the most valuable things are. You cannot carry them all, so we -must pick the best.” - -The room in which I found myself was long and low, with many rugs and -skins scattered about on a polished wood floor. Small cases stood here -and there, and the walls were decorated with spears and swords and -paddles, and other things which find their way into museums. There were -some queer clothes, too, which had been brought from savage countries, -and the lady took down a large leather sack-bag from among them. - -“This sleeping-sack will do,” said she. “Now come with me and I will -show you where the medals are.” - -It was like a dream to me to think that this tall, white woman was the -lady of the house, and that she was lending me a hand to rob her own -home. I could have burst out laughing at the thought of it, and yet -there was something in that pale face of hers which stopped my laughter -and turned me cold and serious. She swept on in front of me like a -spirit, with the green taper in her hand, and I walked behind with my -sack until we came to a door at the end of this museum. It was locked, -but the key was in it, and she led me through. - -The room beyond was a small one, hung all round with curtains which had -pictures on them. It was the hunting of a deer that was painted on it, -as I remember, and in the flicker of that light you’d have sworn that -the dogs and the horses were streaming round the walls. The only other -thing in the room was a row of cases made of walnut, with brass -ornaments. They had glass tops, and beneath this glass I saw the long -lines of those gold medals, some of them as big as a plate and half an -inch thick, all resting upon red velvet and glowing and gleaming in the -darkness. My fingers were just itching to be at them, and I slipped my -knife under the lock of one of the cases to wrench it open. - -“Wait a moment,” said she, laying her hand upon my arm. “You might do -better than this.” - -“I am very well satisfied, ma’am,” said I, “and much obliged to your -Ladyship for kind assistance.” - -“You can do better,” she repeated. “Would not golden sovereigns be worth -more to you than these things?” - -“Why, yes,” said I. “That’s best of all.” - -“Well,” said she. “He sleeps just above our head. It is but one short -staircase. There is a tin box with money enough to fill this bag under -his bed.” - -“How can I get it without waking him?” - -“What matter if he does wake?” She looked very hard at me as she spoke. -“You could keep him from calling out.” - -“No, no, ma’am, I’ll have none of that.” - -“Just as you like,” said she. “I thought that you were a stout-hearted -sort of man by your appearance, but I see that I made a mistake. If you -are afraid to run the risk of one old man, then of course you cannot -have the gold which is under his bed. You are the best judge of your own -business, but I should think that you would do better at some other -trade.” - -“I’ll not have murder on my conscience.” - -“You could overpower him without harming him. I never said anything of -murder. The money lies under the bed. But if you are faint-hearted, it -is better that you should not attempt it.” - -She worked upon me so, partly with her scorn and partly with this money -that she held before my eyes, that I believe I should have yielded and -taken my chances upstairs, had it not been that I saw her eyes following -the struggle within me in such a crafty, malignant fashion, that it was -evident she was bent upon making me the tool of her revenge, and that -she would leave me no choice but to do the old man an injury or to be -captured by him. She felt suddenly that she was giving herself away, and -she changed her face to a kindly, friendly smile, but it was too late, -for I had had my warning. - -“I will not go upstairs,” said I. “I have all I want here.” - -She looked her contempt at me, and there never was a face which could -look it plainer. - -“Very good. You can take these medals. I should be glad if you would -begin at this end. I suppose they will all be the same value when melted -down, but these are the ones which are the rarest, and, therefore, the -most precious to him. It is not necessary to break the locks. If you -press that brass knob you will find that there is a secret spring. So! -Take that small one first—it is the very apple of his eye.” - -She had opened one of the cases, and the beautiful things all lay -exposed before me. I had my hand upon the one which she had pointed out, -when suddenly a change came over her face, and she held up one finger as -a warning. “Hist!” she whispered. “What is that?” - -Far away in the silence of the house we heard a low, dragging, shuffling -sound, and the distant tread of feet. She closed and fastened the case -in an instant. - -“It’s my husband!” she whispered. “All right. Don’t be alarmed. I’ll -arrange it. Here! Quick, behind the tapestry!” - -She pushed me behind the painted curtains upon the wall, my empty -leather bag still in my hand. Then she took her taper and walked quickly -into the room from which we had come. From where I stood I could see her -through the open door. - -“Is that you, Robert?” she cried. - -The light of a candle shone through the door of the museum, and the -shuffling steps came nearer and nearer. Then I saw a face in the -doorway, a great, heavy face, all lines and creases, with a huge curving -nose, and a pair of gold glasses fixed across it. He had to throw his -head back to see through the glasses, and that great nose thrust out in -front of him like the beak of some sort of fowl. He was a big man, very -tall and burly, so that in his loose dressing-gown his figure seemed to -fill up the whole doorway. He had a pile of grey, curling hair all round -his head, but his face was clean-shaven. His mouth was thin and small -and prim, hidden away under his long, masterful nose. He stood there, -holding the candle in front of him, and looking at his wife with a -queer, malicious gleam in his eyes. It only needed that one look to tell -me that he was as fond of her as she was of him. - -“How’s this?” he asked. “Some new tantrum? What do you mean by wandering -about the house? Why don’t you go to bed?” - -“I could not sleep,” she answered. She spoke languidly and wearily. If -she was an actress once, she had not forgotten her calling. - -“Might I suggest,” said he, in the same mocking kind of voice, “that a -good conscience is an excellent aid to sleep?” - -“That cannot be true,” she answered, “for you sleep very well.” - -“I have only one thing in my life to be ashamed of,” said he, and his -hair bristled up with anger until he looked like an old cockatoo. “You -know best what that is. It is a mistake which has brought its own -punishment with it.” - -“To me as well as to you. Remember that!” - -“You have very little to whine about. It was I who stooped and you who -rose.” - -“Rose!” - -“Yes, rose. I suppose you do not deny that it is promotion to exchange -the music-hall for Mannering Hall. Fool that I was ever to take you out -of your true sphere!” - -“If you think so, why do you not separate?” - -“Because private misery is better than public humiliation. Because it is -easier to suffer for a mistake than to own to it. Because also I like to -keep you in my sight, and to know that you cannot go back to him.” - -“You villain! You cowardly villain!” - -“Yes, yes, my lady. I know your secret ambition, but it shall never be -while I live, and if it happens after my death I will at least take care -that you go to him as a beggar. You and dear Edward will never have the -satisfaction of squandering my savings, and you may make up your mind to -that, my lady. Why are those shutters and the window open?” - -“I found the night very close.” - -“It is not safe. How do you know that some tramp may not be outside? Are -you aware that my collection of medals is worth more than any similar -collection in the world? You have left the door open also. What is there -to prevent any one from rifling the cases?” - -“I was here.” - -“I know you were. I heard you moving about in the medal room, and that -was why I came down. What were you doing?” - -“Looking at the medals. What else should I be doing?” - -“This curiosity is something new.” He looked suspiciously at her and -moved on towards the inner room, she walking beside him. - -It was at this moment that I saw something which startled me. I had laid -my clasp-knife open upon the top of one of the cases, and there it lay -in full view. She saw it before he did, and with a woman’s cunning she -held her taper out so that the light of it came between Lord Mannering’s -eyes and the knife. Then she took it in her left hand and held it -against her gown out of his sight. He looked about from case to case—I -could have put my hand at one time upon his long nose—but there was -nothing to show that the medals had been tampered with, and so, still -snarling and grumbling, he shuffled off into the other room once more. - -And now I have to speak of what I heard rather than of what I saw, but I -swear to you, as I shall stand some day before my Maker, that what I say -is the truth. - -When they passed into the outer room I saw him lay his candle upon the -corner of one of the tables, and he sat himself down, but in such a -position that he was just out of my sight. She moved behind him, as I -could tell from the fact that the light of her taper threw his long, -lumpy shadow upon the floor in front of him. Then he began talking about -this man whom he called Edward, and every word that he said was like a -blistering drop of vitriol. He spoke low, so that I could not hear it -all, but from what I heard I should guess that she would as soon have -been lashed with a whip. At first she said some hot words in reply, but -then she was silent, and he went on and on in that cold, mocking voice -of his, nagging and insulting and tormenting, until I wondered that she -could bear to stand there in silence and listen to it. Then suddenly I -heard him say in a sharp voice, “Come from behind me! Leave go of my -collar! What! would you dare to strike me?” There was a sound like a -blow, just a soft sort of thud, and then I heard him cry out, “My God, -it’s blood!” He shuffled with his feet as if he was getting up, and then -I heard another blow, and he cried out, “Oh, you she-devil!” and was -quiet, except for a dripping and splashing upon the floor. - -I ran out from behind my curtain at that, and rushed into the other -room, shaking all over with the horror of it. The old man had slipped -down in the chair, and his dressing-gown had rucked up until he looked -as if he had a monstrous hump to his back. His head, with the gold -glasses still fixed on his nose, was lolling over upon one side, and his -little mouth was open just like a dead fish. I could not see where the -blood was coming from, but I could still hear it drumming upon the -floor. She stood behind him with the candle shining full upon her face. -Her lips were pressed together and her eyes shining, and a touch of -colour had come into each of her cheeks. It just wanted that to make her -the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. - -“You’ve done it now!” said I. - -“Yes,” said she, in her quiet way, “I’ve done it now.” - -“What are you going to do?” I asked. “They’ll have you for murder as -sure as fate.” - -“Never fear about me. I have nothing to live for, and it does not -matter. Give me a hand to set him straight in the chair. It is horrible -to see him like this!” - -I did so, though it turned me cold all over to touch him. Some of his -blood came on my hand and sickened me. - -“Now,” said she, “you may as well have the medals as any one else. Take -them and go.” - -“I don’t want them. I only want to get away. I was never mixed up with a -business like this before.” - -“Nonsense!” said she. “You came for the medals, and here they are at -your mercy. Why should you not have them? There is no one to prevent -you.” - -I held the bag still in my hand. She opened the case, and between us we -threw a hundred or so of the medals into it. They were all from the one -case, but I could not bring myself to wait for any more. Then I made for -the window, for the very air of this house seemed to poison me after -what I had seen and heard. As I looked back, I saw her standing there, -tall and graceful, with the light in her hand, just as I had seen her -first. She waved good-bye, and I waved back at her and sprang out into -the gravel drive. - -I thank God that I can lay my hand upon my heart and say that I have -never done a murder, but perhaps it would be different if I had been -able to read that woman’s mind and thoughts. There might have been two -bodies in the room instead of one if I could have seen behind that last -smile of hers. But I thought of nothing but of getting safely away, and -it never entered my head how she might be fixing the rope round my neck. -I had not taken five steps out from the window skirting down the shadow -of the house in the way that I had come, when I heard a scream that -might have raised the parish, and then another and another. - -“Murder!” she cried. “Murder! Murder! Help!” and her voice rang out in -the quiet of the night-time and sounded over the whole country-side. It -went through my head, that dreadful cry. In an instant lights began to -move and windows to fly up, not only in the house behind me, but at the -lodge and in the stables in front. Like a frightened rabbit I bolted -down the drive, but I heard the clang of the gate being shut before I -could reach it. Then I hid my bag of medals under some dry fagots, and I -tried to get away across the park, but some one saw me in the moonlight, -and presently I had half a dozen of them with dogs upon my heels. I -crouched down among the brambles, but those dogs were too many for me, -and I was glad enough when the men came up and prevented me from being -torn into pieces. They seized me, and dragged me back to the room from -which I had come. - -“Is this the man, your Ladyship?” asked the oldest of them—the same whom -I found out afterwards to be the butler. - -She had been bending over the body, with her handkerchief to her eyes, -and now she turned upon me with the face of a fury. Oh, what an actress -that woman was! - -“Yes, yes, it is the very man,” she cried. “Oh, you villain, you cruel -villain, to treat an old man so!” - -There was a man there who seemed to be a village constable. He laid his -hand upon my shoulder. - -“What do you say to that?” said he. - -“It was she who did it,” I cried, pointing at the woman, whose eyes -never flinched before mine. - -“Come! come! Try another!” said the constable, and one of the -men-servants struck at me with his fist. - -“I tell you that I saw her do it. She stabbed him twice with a knife. -She first helped me to rob him, and then she murdered him.” - -The footman tried to strike me again, but she held up her hand. - -“Do not hurt him,” said she. “I think that his punishment may safely be -left to the law.” - -“I’ll see to that, your Ladyship,” said the constable. “Your Ladyship -actually saw the crime committed, did you not?” - -“Yes, yes, I saw it with my own eyes. It was horrible. We heard the -noise and we came down. My poor husband was in front. The man had one of -the cases open, and was filling a black leather bag which he held in his -hand. He rushed past us, and my husband seized him. There was a -struggle, and he stabbed him twice. There you can see the blood upon his -hands. If I am not mistaken, his knife is still in Lord Mannering’s -body.” - -“Look at the blood upon her hands!” I cried. - -“She has been holding up his Lordship’s head, you lying rascal,” said -the butler. - -“And here’s the very sack her Ladyship spoke of,” said the constable, as -a groom came in with the one which I had dropped in my flight. “And here -are the medals inside it. That’s good enough for me. We will keep him -safe here to-night, and to-morrow the inspector and I can take him into -Salisbury.” - -“Poor creature,” said the woman. “For my own part, I forgive him any -injury which he has done me. Who knows what temptation may have driven -him to crime? His conscience and the law will give him punishment enough -without any reproach of mine rendering it more bitter.” - -I could not answer—I tell you, sir, I could not answer, so taken aback -was I by the assurance of the woman. And so, seeming by my silence to -agree to all that she had said, I was dragged away by the butler and the -constable into the cellar, in which they locked me for the night. - -There, sir, I have told you the whole story of the events which led up -to the murder of Lord Mannering by his wife upon the night of September -the 14th, in the year 1894. Perhaps you will put my statement on one -side as the constable did at Mannering Towers, or the judge afterwards -at the county assizes. Or perhaps you will see that there is the ring of -truth in what I say, and you will follow it up, and so make your name -for ever as a man who does not grudge personal trouble where justice is -to be done. I have only you to look to, sir, and if you will clear my -name of this false accusation, then I will worship you as one man never -yet worshipped another. But if you fail me, then I give you my solemn -promise that I will rope myself up, this day month, to the bar of my -window, and from that time on I will come to plague you in your dreams -if ever yet one man was able to come back and to haunt another. What I -ask you to do is very simple. Make inquiries about this woman, watch -her, learn her past history, find out what use she is making of the -money which has come to her, and whether there is not a man Edward as I -have stated. If from all this you learn anything which shows you her -real character, or which seems to you to corroborate the story which I -have told you, then I am sure that I can rely upon your goodness of -heart to come to the rescue of an innocent man. - - - THE END - - - PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - SIR A. CONAN DOYLE’S WORKS. - - - =SIR NIGEL.= With Illustrations by ARTHUR TWIDLE. Third Impression. - Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - =THE TRAGEDY OF THE ‘KOROSKO.’= New Edition With 40 Full-page - Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =UNCLE BERNAC=: a Memory of the Empire. With 12 Full-page - Illustrations. Third and Cheaper Edition. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =RODNEY STONE.= New and Cheaper Illustrated Edition. With 8 - Full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE WHITE COMPANY.= New and Cheaper Edition (the 28th Edition. - Revised). With 8 Full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE GREEN FLAG=, and other Stories of War and Sport. With a - Frontispiece. NEW EDITION. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE ADVENTURES OF GERARD.= With 16 Illustrations by W. B. WOLLEN. - Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.= Illustrated by SIDNEY PAGET. Crown - 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES.= With Illustrations by SIDNEY PAGET. - Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.= With 25 Illustrations by SIDNEY - PAGET. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE EXPLOITS OF BRIGADIER GERARD.= With 24 Illustrations by W. B. - WOLLEN. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE SIGN OF FOUR.= Illustrated. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.= With Illustrations by SIDNEY - PAGET. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THROUGH THE MAGIC DOOR.= Illustrated. Crown 8vo. 5_s._ - - =SONGS OF ACTION.= Fifth Impression. 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THE GREAT SHADOW; - UNCLE BERNAC.—9. A DUET.—10. THE TRAGEDY OF THE ‘KOROSKO’; THE GREEN - FLAG, AND OTHER TALES OF WAR AND SPORT.—11. THE STARK-MUNRO LETTERS; - ROUND THE RED LAMP.—12. THE EXPLOITS OF BRIGADIER GERARD; THE CRIME OF - THE BRIGADIER. - - London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W. - - - - - WORKS BY FRANK T. BULLEN, F.R.G.S. - - - =Our Heritage the Sea.= With a Frontispiece by ARTHUR TWIDLE. Crown - 8vo. 6_s._ - - _DAILY TELEGRAPH._—‘The first step to winning the people to the - reading a good book is to produce the good book for them to read, and - that Mr. Bullen has done.’ - - - =Back to Sunny Seas.= With 8 Full-page Illustrations in Colour by A. - S. FORREST, R.I. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - _DAILY TELEGRAPH._—‘A bright, interesting and chatty record of a - pleasant cruise to the West Indies.’ - - - =Sea-Wrack.= SECOND IMPRESSION. With 8 Illustrations by ARTHUR - TWIDLE. 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Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _BRITISH WEEKLY._—‘An interesting, thoughtful, carefully written - story, with a charming touch of pensiveness.’ - - - NOTE.—Mr. MERRIMAN’S 14 NOVELS are published uniform in style, - binding, and price, and thus form a Collected Edition of his - Works. - - London: SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -Transcriber’s note: - - 1. Changed ‘suppling’ to ‘supplying’ on p. 53. - - 2. Used an ⁂ in place of an inverted asterism. - - 3. Silently corrected typographical errors. - - 4. 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} - .c020 { margin-left: 2.78%; } - .c021 { margin-left: 2.78%; margin-top: 4em; } - div.tnotes { padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;background-color:#E3E4FA; - border:1px solid silver; margin:2em 10% 0 10%; } - - .ph1 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: xx-large; - margin: .67em auto; } - .ph2 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; - } - - h1.pg { font-size: 190%; } - h3,h4 { text-align: center; - clear: both; } - hr.full { width: 100%; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - height: 4px; - border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ - border-style: solid; - border-color: #000000; - clear: both; } - -table {margin:1em auto;} - -td {text-align:left;} - </style> -</head> -<body> -<h1 class="pg">The Project Gutenberg eBook, Round the Fire Stories, by Arthur Conan Doyle</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world 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 <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: Round the Fire Stories</p> -<p>Author: Arthur Conan Doyle</p> -<p>Release Date: February 4, 2017 [eBook #54109]<br /> -[Last updated: November 10, 2022]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROUND THE FIRE STORIES***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Richard Tonsing<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/roundfirestories00doylrich"> - https://archive.org/details/roundfirestories00doylrich</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> - -<h3><img src="images/cover.jpg" -alt="" /></h3> - -<div id='Frontispiece' class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/i_001.jpg' alt='' /> -<p>“I BURST WITH A SHRIEK INTO MY OWN LIFE.”<br /><br />                                        [<em>Page <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>.</em></p> -</div> - -<div> - <h1 class='c001'>ROUND THE FIRE STORIES</h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='small'>BY</span></div> - <div class='c003'><span class='xlarge'>ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE</span></div> - <div class='c003'><span class='small'>AUTHOR OF</span></div> - <div><span class='small'>“THE WHITE COMPANY,” ETC., ETC.</span></div> - <div class='c002'><em>WITH A FRONTISPIECE</em></div> - <div><em>BY A. CASTAIGNE</em><br /> </div> - <div class='c002'><span class='large'>LONDON</span></div> - <div><span class='large'>SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15, WATERLOO PLACE</span></div> - <div><span class='large'>1908</span></div> - <div class='c003'><span class='small'>(<em>All rights reserved</em>)</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div>PRINTED BY</div> - <div>WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,</div> - <div>LONDON AND BECCLES.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>PREFACE</h2> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/i_004.jpg' alt='' /> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>In a previous volume, “The Green Flag,” I have -assembled a number of my stories which deal with -warfare or with sport. In the present collection those -have been brought together which are concerned with -the grotesque and with the terrible—such tales as -might well be read “round the fire” upon a winter’s -night. This would be my ideal atmosphere for such -stories, if an author might choose his time and place -as an artist does the light and hanging of his picture. -However, if they have the good fortune to give pleasure -to any one, at any time or place, their author will be -very satisfied.</p> - -<div class='c007'>ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='sc'>Windlesham,</span></div> - <div class='line in2'><span class='sc'>Crowborough.</span></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - - - - -<table cellspacing="3"> - <tr> - <th class='rt'></th> - <th>  </th> - <th class='c010'>PAGE</th> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>I.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Leather Funnel</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>II.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Beetle Hunter</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_18'>18</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>III.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Man with the Watches</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_41'>41</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>IV.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Pot of Caviare</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_65'>65</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>V.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Japanned Box</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_85'>85</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>VI.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Black Doctor</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>VII.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>Playing with Fire</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_129'>129</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>VIII.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Jew’s Breastplate</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_149'>149</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>IX.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Lost Special</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_177'>177</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>X.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Club-footed Grocer</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_202'>202</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>XI.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Sealed Room</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_229'>229</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>XII.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Brazilian Cat</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_248'>248</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>XIII.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Usher of Lea House School</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_276'>276</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>XIV.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Brown Hand</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_299'>299</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>XV.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>The Fiend of the Cooperage</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_321'>321</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>XVI.</td> - <td><span class='sc'>Jelland’s Voyage</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_340'>340</a></td> - </tr> - - <tr> - <td class='rt'>XVII.</td> - <td>B. 24</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_351'>351</a></td> - </tr> - - - <tr> - <td class='c011' colspan='2'>“<span class='sc'>I burst with a Shriek into my own Life.</span>”</td> - <td class='c010'><em><a href='#Frontispiece'>Frontispiece</a></em>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c011' colspan='2'>(<em>From a drawing by A. Castaigne.</em>)</td> - <td class='c010'> </td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='ph1'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div>ROUND THE FIRE STORIES</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/i_008.jpg' alt='' /> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE LEATHER FUNNEL</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>My friend, Lionel Dacre, lived in the Avenue de -Wagram, Paris. His house was that small one, with -the iron railings and grass plot in front of it, on the left-hand -side as you pass down from the Arc de Triomphe. -I fancy that it had been there long before the avenue -was constructed, for the grey tiles were stained with -lichens, and the walls were mildewed and discoloured -with age. It looked a small house from the street, -five windows in front, if I remember right, but it -deepened into a single long chamber at the back. It -was here that Dacre had that singular library of occult -literature, and the fantastic curiosities which served as -a hobby for himself, and an amusement for his friends. -A wealthy man of refined and eccentric tastes, he -had spent much of his life and fortune in gathering -together what was said to be a unique private collection -of Talmudic, cabalistic, and magical works, many of -them of great rarity and value. His tastes leaned -toward the marvellous and the monstrous, and I have -heard that his experiments in the direction of the -unknown have passed all the bounds of civilization and -of decorum. To his English friends he never alluded to -such matters, and took the tone of the student and -<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">virtuoso</span></i>; but a Frenchman whose tastes were of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>same nature has assured me that the worst excesses of -the black mass have been perpetrated in that large and -lofty hall, which is lined with the shelves of his books, -and the cases of his museum.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dacre’s appearance was enough to show that his -deep interest in these psychic matters was intellectual -rather than spiritual. There was no trace of asceticism -upon his heavy face, but there was much mental force -in his huge dome-like skull, which curved upward from -amongst his thinning locks, like a snow-peak above its -fringe of fir trees. His knowledge was greater than -his wisdom, and his powers were far superior to his -character. The small bright eyes, buried deeply in his -fleshy face, twinkled with intelligence and an unabated -curiosity of life, but they were the eyes of a sensualist -and an egotist. Enough of the man, for he is dead now, -poor devil, dead at the very time that he had made sure -that he had at last discovered the elixir of life. It is not -with his complex character that I have to deal, but with -the very strange and inexplicable incident which had -its rise in my visit to him in the early spring of the -year ’82.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had known Dacre in England, for my researches -in the Assyrian Room of the British Museum had been -conducted at the time when he was endeavouring to -establish a mystic and esoteric meaning in the Babylonian -tablets, and this community of interests had -brought us together. Chance remarks had led to daily -conversation, and that to something verging upon friendship. -I had promised him that on my next visit to -Paris I would call upon him. At the time when I was -able to fulfil my compact I was living in a cottage -<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>at Fontainebleau, and as the evening trains were -inconvenient, he asked me to spend the night in his -house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have only that one spare couch,” said he, pointing -to a broad sofa in his large salon; “I hope that you -will manage to be comfortable there.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a singular bedroom, with its high walls of -brown volumes, but there could be no more agreeable -furniture to a bookworm like myself, and there is no -scent so pleasant to my nostrils as that faint, subtle -reek which comes from an ancient book. I assured -him that I could desire no more charming chamber, -and no more congenial surroundings.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If the fittings are neither convenient nor conventional, -they are at least costly,” said he, looking -round at his shelves. “I have expended nearly a -quarter of a million of money upon these objects which -surround you. Books, weapons, gems, carvings, tapestries, -images—there is hardly a thing here which has -not its history, and it is generally one worth telling.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was seated as he spoke at one side of the open -fireplace, and I at the other. His reading table was on -his right, and the strong lamp above it ringed it with -a very vivid circle of golden light. A half-rolled -palimpsest lay in the centre, and around it were many -quaint articles of bric-à-brac. One of these was a large -funnel, such as is used for filling wine casks. It -appeared to be made of black wood, and to be rimmed -with discoloured brass.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is a curious thing,” I remarked. “What is -the history of that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah!” said he, “it is the very question which I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>have had occasion to ask myself. I would give a good -deal to know. Take it in your hands and examine it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did so, and found that what I had imagined to be -wood was in reality leather, though age had dried it -into an extreme hardness. It was a large funnel, -and might hold a quart when full. The brass rim -encircled the wide end, but the narrow was also tipped -with metal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you make of it?” asked Dacre.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should imagine that it belonged to some vintner -or maltster in the middle ages,” said I. “I have seen -in England leathern drinking flagons of the seventeenth -century—‘black jacks’ as they were called—which -were of the same colour and hardness as this -filler.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I dare say the date would be about the same,” -said Dacre, “and no doubt, also, it was used for filling -a vessel with liquid. If my suspicions are correct, -however, it was a queer vintner who used it, and a -very singular cask which was filled. Do you observe -nothing strange at the spout end of the funnel.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As I held it to the light I observed that at a spot -some five inches above the brass tip the narrow neck of -the leather funnel was all haggled and scored, as if -some one had notched it round with a blunt knife. -Only at that point was there any roughening of the -dead black surface.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Some one has tried to cut off the neck.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Would you call it a cut?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is torn and lacerated. It must have taken -some strength to leave these marks on such tough -material, whatever the instrument may have been. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>But what do you think of it? I can tell that you -know more than you say.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dacre smiled, and his little eyes twinkled with -knowledge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you included the psychology of dreams -among your learned studies?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I did not even know that there was such a -psychology.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear sir, that shelf above the gem case is -filled with volumes, from Albertus Magnus onward, -which deal with no other subject. It is a science in -itself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A science of charlatans.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The charlatan is always the pioneer. From the -astrologer came the astronomer, from the alchemist -the chemist, from the mesmerist the experimental -psychologist. The quack of yesterday is the professor -of to-morrow. Even such subtle and elusive things as -dreams will in time be reduced to system and order. -When that time comes the researches of our friends in -the book-shelf yonder will no longer be the amusement -of the mystic, but the foundations of a science.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Supposing that is so, what has the science of -dreams to do with a large black brass-rimmed funnel?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will tell you. You know that I have an agent -who is always on the lookout for rarities and curiosities -for my collection. Some days ago he heard of a dealer -upon one of the Quais who had acquired some old -rubbish found in a cupboard in an ancient house at the -back of the Rue Mathurin, in the Quartier Latin. The -dining-room of this old house is decorated with a coat -of arms, chevrons, and bars rouge upon a field argent, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>which prove, upon inquiry, to be the shield of Nicholas -de la Reynie, a high official of King Louis XIV. There -can be no doubt that the other articles in the cupboard -date back to the early days of that king. The inference -is, therefore, that they were all the property of this -Nicholas de la Reynie, who was, as I understand, the -gentleman specially concerned with the maintenance -and execution of the Draconic laws of that epoch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I would ask you now to take the funnel into your -hands once more and to examine the upper brass rim. -Can you make out any lettering upon it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were certainly some scratches upon it, almost -obliterated by time. The general effect was of several -letters, the last of which bore some resemblance to a B.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You make it a B?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So do I. In fact, I have no doubt whatever that -it is a B.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But the nobleman you mentioned would have had -R for his initial.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly! That’s the beauty of it. He owned -this curious object, and yet he had some one else’s -initials upon it. Why did he do this?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I can’t imagine; can you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I might, perhaps, guess. Do you observe -something drawn a little further along the rim?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should say it was a crown.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is undoubtedly a crown; but if you examine it -in a good light, you will convince yourself that it is -not an ordinary crown. It is a heraldic crown—a -badge of rank, and it consists of an alternation of four -<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>pearls and strawberry leaves, the proper badge of a -marquis. We may infer, therefore, that the person whose -initials end in B was entitled to wear that coronet.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then this common leather filler belonged to a -marquis?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dacre gave a peculiar smile.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Or to some member of the family of a marquis,” -said he. “So much we have clearly gathered from this -engraved rim.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But what has all this to do with dreams?” I do -not know whether it was from a look upon Dacre’s -face, or from some subtle suggestion in his manner, but -a feeling of repulsion, of unreasoning horror, came upon -me as I looked at the gnarled old lump of leather.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have more than once received important information -through my dreams,” said my companion, in -the didactic manner which he loved to affect. “I -make it a rule now when I am in doubt upon any -material point to place the article in question beside -me as I sleep, and to hope for some enlightenment. -The process does not appear to me to be very obscure, -though it has not yet received the blessing of orthodox -science. According to my theory, any object which -has been intimately associated with any supreme -paroxysm of human emotion, whether it be joy or pain, -will retain a certain atmosphere or association which it -is capable of communicating to a sensitive mind. By -a sensitive mind I do not mean an abnormal one, but -such a trained and educated mind as you or I possess.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You mean, for example, that if I slept beside that -old sword upon the wall, I might dream of some bloody -incident in which that very sword took part?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>“An excellent example, for, as a matter of fact, -that sword was used in that fashion by me, and I saw -in my sleep the death of its owner, who perished in a -brisk skirmish, which I have been unable to identify, -but which occurred at the time of the wars of the -Frondists. If you think of it, some of our popular -observances show that the fact has already been recognized -by our ancestors, although we, in our wisdom, -have classed it among superstitions.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For example?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, the placing of the bride’s cake beneath the -pillow in order that the sleeper may have pleasant -dreams. That is one of several instances which you -will find set forth in a small <em>brochure</em> which I am myself -writing upon the subject. But to come back to -the point, I slept one night with this funnel beside me, -and I had a dream which certainly throws a curious -light upon its use and origin.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What did you dream?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I dreamed—” He paused, and an intent look of -interest came over his massive face. “By Jove, that’s -well thought of,” said he. “This really will be an -exceedingly interesting experiment. You are yourself -a psychic subject—with nerves which respond readily -to any impression.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have never tested myself in that direction.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then we shall test you to-night. Might I ask -you as a very great favour, when you occupy that -couch to-night, to sleep with this old funnel placed by -the side of your pillow?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The request seemed to me a grotesque one; but I -have myself, in my complex nature, a hunger after all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>which is bizarre and fantastic. I had not the faintest -belief in Dacre’s theory, nor any hopes for success in -such an experiment; yet it amused me that the experiment -should be made. Dacre, with great gravity, -drew a small stand to the head of my settee, and placed -the funnel upon it. Then, after a short conversation, -he wished me good-night and left me.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>I sat for some little time smoking by the smouldering -fire, and turning over in my mind the curious -incident which had occurred, and the strange experience -which might lie before me. Sceptical as I was, -there was something impressive in the assurance of -Dacre’s manner, and my extraordinary surroundings, -the huge room with the strange and often sinister -objects which were hung round it, struck solemnity -into my soul. Finally I undressed, and, turning out -the lamp, I lay down. After long tossing I fell asleep. -Let me try to describe as accurately as I can the scene -which came to me in my dreams. It stands out now -in my memory more clearly than anything which I -have seen with my waking eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a room which bore the appearance of a -vault. Four spandrels from the corners ran up to join -a sharp cup-shaped roof. The architecture was rough, -but very strong. It was evidently part of a great -building.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Three men in black, with curious top-heavy black -velvet hats, sat in a line upon a red-carpeted dais. -Their faces were very solemn and sad. On the left -stood two long-gowned men with portfolios in their -hands, which seemed to be stuffed with papers. Upon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>the right, looking toward me, was a small woman with -blonde hair and singular light-blue eyes—the eyes of -a child. She was past her first youth, but could not -yet be called middle-aged. Her figure was inclined -to stoutness, and her bearing was proud and confident. -Her face was pale, but serene. It was a curious face, -comely and yet feline, with a subtle suggestion of -cruelty about the straight, strong little mouth and -chubby jaw. She was draped in some sort of loose -white gown. Beside her stood a thin, eager priest, -who whispered in her ear, and continually raised a -crucifix before her eyes. She turned her head and -looked fixedly past the crucifix at the three men in -black, who were, I felt, her judges.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As I gazed the three men stood up and said something, -but I could distinguish no words, though I was -aware that it was the central one who was speaking. -They then swept out of the room, followed by the two -men with the papers. At the same instant several -rough-looking fellows in stout jerkins came bustling -in and removed first the red carpet, and then the -boards which formed the dais, so as to entirely clear -the room. When this screen was removed I saw some -singular articles of furniture behind it. One looked -like a bed with wooden rollers at each end, and a -winch handle to regulate its length. Another was -a wooden horse. There were several other curious -objects, and a number of swinging cords which played -over pulleys. It was not unlike a modern gymnasium.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the room had been cleared there appeared -a new figure upon the scene. This was a tall thin -person clad in black, with a gaunt and austere face. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>The aspect of the man made me shudder. His clothes -were all shining with grease and mottled with stains. -He bore himself with a slow and impressive dignity, -as if he took command of all things from the instant -of his entrance. In spite of his rude appearance and -sordid dress, it was now <em>his</em> business, <em>his</em> room, his to -command. He carried a coil of light ropes over his -left fore-arm. The lady looked him up and down with -a searching glance, but her expression was unchanged. -It was confident—even defiant. But it was very -different with the priest. His face was ghastly white, -and I saw the moisture glisten and run on his high, -sloping forehead. He threw up his hands in prayer, -and he stooped continually to mutter frantic words in -the lady’s ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The man in black now advanced, and taking one -of the cords from his left arm, he bound the woman’s -hands together. She held them meekly toward him -as he did so. Then he took her arm with a rough grip -and led her toward the wooden horse, which was little -higher than her waist. On to this she was lifted and -laid, with her back upon it, and her face to the ceiling, -while the priest, quivering with horror, had rushed out -of the room. The woman’s lips were moving rapidly, -and though I could hear nothing, I knew that she was -praying. Her feet hung down on either side of the -horse, and I saw that the rough varlets in attendance -had fastened cords to her ankles and secured the other -ends to iron rings in the stone floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My heart sank within me as I saw these ominous -preparations, and yet I was held by the fascination of -horror, and I could not take my eyes from the strange -<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>spectacle. A man had entered the room with a bucket -of water in either hand. Another followed with a third -bucket. They were laid beside the wooden horse. -The second man had a wooden dipper—a bowl with -a straight handle—in his other hand. This he gave -to the man in black. At the same moment one of -the varlets approached with a dark object in his hand, -which even in my dream filled me with a vague feeling -of familiarity. It was a leathern filler. With horrible -energy he thrust it—but I could stand no more. My -hair stood on end with horror. I writhed, I struggled, -I broke through the bonds of sleep, and I burst with -a shriek into my own life, and found myself lying -shivering with terror in the huge library, with the -moonlight flooding through the window and throwing -strange silver and black traceries upon the opposite -wall. Oh, what a blessed relief to feel that I was back -in the nineteenth century—back out of that medieval -vault into a world where men had human hearts within -their bosoms. I sat up on my couch, trembling in -every limb, my mind divided between thankfulness -and horror. To think that such things were ever done—that -they <em>could</em> be done without God striking the -villains dead. Was it all a fantasy, or did it really -stand for something which had happened in the black, -cruel days of the world’s history? I sank my throbbing -head upon my shaking hands. And then, suddenly, -my heart seemed to stand still in my bosom, and I -could not even scream, so great was my terror. Something -was advancing toward me through the darkness -of the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is a horror coming upon a horror which breaks a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>man’s spirit. I could not reason, I could not pray; I -could only sit like a frozen image, and glare at the dark -figure which was coming down the great room. And -then it moved out into the white lane of moonlight, -and I breathed once more. It was Dacre, and his face -showed that he was as frightened as myself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Was that you? For God’s sake what’s the -matter?” he asked in a husky voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, Dacre, I am glad to see you! I have been -down into hell. It was dreadful.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then it was you who screamed?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I dare say it was.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It rang through the house. The servants are all -terrified.” He struck a match and lit the lamp. “I -think we may get the fire to burn up again,” he added, -throwing some logs upon the embers. “Good God, my -dear chap, how white you are! You look as if you had -seen a ghost.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So I have—several ghosts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The leather funnel has acted, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I wouldn’t sleep near the infernal thing again for -all the money you could offer me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dacre chuckled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I expected that you would have a lively night of -it,” said he. “You took it out of me in return, for -that scream of yours wasn’t a very pleasant sound at -two in the morning. I suppose from what you say -that you have seen the whole dreadful business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What dreadful business?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The torture of the water—the ‘Extraordinary -Question,’ as it was called in the genial days of ‘Le -Roi Soleil.’ Did you stand it out to the end?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>“No, thank God, I awoke before it really began.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah! it is just as well for you. I held out till -the third bucket. Well, it is an old story, and they -are all in their graves now anyhow, so what does -it matter how they got there. I suppose that you -have no idea what it was that you have seen?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The torture of some criminal. She must have -been a terrible malefactor indeed if her crimes are in -proportion to her penalty.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, we have that small consolation,” said Dacre, -wrapping his dressing-gown round him and crouching -closer to the fire. “They <em>were</em> in proportion to her -penalty. That is to say, if I am correct in the lady’s -identity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How could you possibly know her identity?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>For answer Dacre took down an old vellum-covered -volume from the shelf.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Just listen to this,” said he; “it is in the French -of the seventeenth century, but I will give a rough -translation as I go. You will judge for yourself -whether I have solved the riddle or not.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The prisoner was brought before the Grand Chambers -and Tournelles of Parliament, sitting as a court of -justice, charged with the murder of Master Dreux -d’Aubray, her father, and of her two brothers, MM. -d’Aubray, one being civil lieutenant, and the other a -counsellor of Parliament. In person it seemed hard -to believe that she had really done such wicked deeds, -for she was of a mild appearance, and of short stature, -with a fair skin and blue eyes. Yet the Court, having -found her guilty, condemned her to the ordinary and to -the extraordinary question in order that she might be -forced to name her accomplices, after which she should -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>be carried in a cart to the Place de Grève, there to -have her head cut off, her body being afterwards burned -and her ashes scattered to the winds.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The date of this entry is July 16, 1676.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is interesting,” said I, “but not convincing. -How do you prove the two women to be the same?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am coming to that. The narrative goes on to -tell of the woman’s behaviour when questioned. - ‘When the executioner approached her she recognized -him by the cords which he held in his hands, -and she at once held out her own hands to him, looking -at him from head to foot without uttering a word.’ -How’s that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, it was so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘She gazed without wincing upon the wooden -horse and rings which had twisted so many limbs and -caused so many shrieks of agony. When her eyes fell -upon the three pails of water, which were all ready -for her, she said with a smile, “All that water must -have been brought here for the purpose of drowning -me, Monsieur. You have no idea, I trust, of making a -person of my small stature swallow it all.”’ Shall I -read the details of the torture?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, for Heaven’s sake, don’t.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here is a sentence which must surely show you -that what is here recorded is the very scene which you -have gazed upon to-night: ‘The good Abbé Pirot, -unable to contemplate the agonies which were suffered -by his penitent, had hurried from the room.’ Does -that convince you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It does entirely. There can be no question that -it is indeed the same event. But who, then, is this -<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>lady whose appearance was so attractive and whose end -was so horrible?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>For answer Dacre came across to me, and placed -the small lamp upon the table which stood by my bed. -Lifting up the ill-omened filler, he turned the brass -rim so that the light fell full upon it. Seen in this -way the engraving seemed clearer than on the night -before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have already agreed that this is the badge of -a marquis or of a marquise,” said he. “We have also -settled that the last letter is B.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is undoubtedly so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I now suggest to you that the other letters from -left to right are, M, M, a small d, A, a small d, and -then the final B.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I am sure that you are right. I can make -out the two small d’s quite plainly.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What I have read to you to-night,” said Dacre, -“is the official record of the trial of Marie Madeleine -d’Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers, one of the most -famous poisoners and murderers of all time.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I sat in silence, overwhelmed at the extraordinary -nature of the incident, and at the completeness of the -proof with which Dacre had exposed its real meaning. -In a vague way I remembered some details of the -woman’s career, her unbridled debauchery, the coldblooded -and protracted torture of her sick father, the -murder of her brothers for motives of petty gain. I -recollected also that the bravery of her end had done -something to atone for the horror of her life, and -that all Paris had sympathized with her last moments, -and blessed her as a martyr within a few days of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>time when they had cursed her as a murderess. One -objection, and one only, occurred to my mind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How came her initials and her badge of rank -upon the filler? Surely they did not carry their -medieval homage to the nobility to the point of decorating -instruments of torture with their titles?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was puzzled with the same point,” said Dacre, -“but it admits of a simple explanation. The case -excited extraordinary interest at the time, and nothing -could be more natural than that La Reynie, the head -of the police, should retain this filler as a grim souvenir. -It was not often that a marchioness of France -underwent the extraordinary question. That he should -engrave her initials upon it for the information of -others was surely a very ordinary proceeding upon his -part.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And this?” I asked, pointing to the marks upon -the leathern neck.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She was a cruel tigress,” said Dacre, as he turned -away. “I think it is evident that like other tigresses -her teeth were both strong and sharp.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE BEETLE-HUNTER</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>A curious experience? said the Doctor. Yes, my -friends, I have had one very curious experience. I -never expect to have another, for it is against all doctrines -of chances that two such events would befall -any one man in a single lifetime. You may believe -me or not, but the thing happened exactly as I tell it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had just become a medical man, but I had not -started in practice, and I lived in rooms in Gower -Street. The street has been renumbered since then, -but it was in the only house which has a bow-window, -upon the left-hand side as you go down from the Metropolitan -Station. A widow named Murchison kept the -house at that time, and she had three medical students -and one engineer as lodgers. I occupied the top room, -which was the cheapest, but cheap as it was it was -more than I could afford. My small resources were -dwindling away, and every week it became more necessary -that I should find something to do. Yet I was -very unwilling to go into general practice, for my tastes -were all in the direction of science, and especially of -zoology, towards which I had always a strong leaning. -I had almost given the fight up and resigned myself to -being a medical drudge for life, when the turning-point -of my struggles came in a very extraordinary way.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>One morning I had picked up the <cite>Standard</cite> and -was glancing over its contents. There was a complete -absence of news, and I was about to toss the paper -down again, when my eyes were caught by an advertisement -at the head of the personal column. It was -worded in this way:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>Wanted for one or more days the services of a -medical man. It is essential that he should be a man -of strong physique, of steady nerves, and of a resolute -nature. Must be an entomologist—coleopterist preferred. -Apply, in person, at 77<span class='fss'>B</span>, Brook Street. -Application must be made before twelve o’clock to-day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now, I have already said that I was devoted to -zoology. Of all branches of zoology, the study of -insects was the most attractive to me, and of all -insects beetles were the species with which I was -most familiar. Butterfly collectors are numerous, but -beetles are far more varied, and more accessible in these -islands than are butterflies. It was this fact which -had attracted my attention to them, and I had myself -made a collection which numbered some hundred -varieties. As to the other requisites of the advertisement, -I knew that my nerves could be depended upon, -and I had won the weight-throwing competition at the -inter-hospital sports. Clearly, I was the very man for -the vacancy. Within five minutes of my having read -the advertisement I was in a cab and on my way to -Brook Street.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As I drove, I kept turning the matter over in my -head and trying to make a guess as to what sort of -employment it could be which needed such curious -qualifications. A strong physique, a resolute nature, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>a medical training, and a knowledge of beetles—what -connection could there be between these various requisites? -And then there was the disheartening fact that -the situation was not a permanent one, but terminable -from day to day, according to the terms of the advertisement. -The more I pondered over it the more unintelligible -did it become; but at the end of my meditations -I always came back to the ground fact that, come what -might, I had nothing to lose, that I was completely at -the end of my resources, and that I was ready for any -adventure, however desperate, which would put a few -honest sovereigns into my pocket. The man fears to -fail who has to pay for his failure, but there was no -penalty which Fortune could exact from me. I was -like the gambler with empty pockets, who is still -allowed to try his luck with the others.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No. 77<span class='fss'>B</span>, Brook Street, was one of those dingy and -yet imposing houses, dun-coloured and flat-faced, with -the intensely respectable and solid air which marks the -Georgian builder. As I alighted from the cab, a young -man came out of the door and walked swiftly down the -street. In passing me, I noticed that he cast an inquisitive -and somewhat malevolent glance at me, and -I took the incident as a good omen, for his appearance -was that of a rejected candidate, and if he resented -my application it meant that the vacancy was not yet -filled up. Full of hope, I ascended the broad steps and -rapped with the heavy knocker.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A footman in powder and livery opened the door. -Clearly I was in touch with people of wealth and -fashion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir?” said the footman.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>“I came in answer to——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Quite so, sir,” said the footman. “Lord Linchmere -will see you at once in the library.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Lord Linchmere! I had vaguely heard the name, -but could not for the instant recall anything about him. -Following the footman, I was shown into a large, book-lined -room in which there was seated behind a writing-desk -a small man with a pleasant, clean-shaven, mobile -face, and long hair shot with grey, brushed back from -his forehead. He looked me up and down with a -very shrewd, penetrating glance, holding the card -which the footman had given him in his right hand. -Then he smiled pleasantly, and I felt that externally -at any rate I possessed the qualifications which he -desired.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have come in answer to my advertisement, -Dr. Hamilton?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you fulfil the conditions which are there laid -down?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I believe that I do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are a powerful man, or so I should judge -from your appearance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think that I am fairly strong.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And resolute?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I believe so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you ever known what it was to be exposed -to imminent danger?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I don’t know that I ever have.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But you think you would be prompt and cool at -such a time?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I hope so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>“Well, I believe that you would. I have the more -confidence in you because you do not pretend to be -certain as to what you would do in a position that was -new to you. My impression is that, so far as personal -qualities go, you are the very man of whom I am in -search. That being settled, we may pass on to the -next point.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Which is?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To talk to me about beetles.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked across to see if he was joking, but, on the -contrary, he was leaning eagerly forward across his -desk, and there was an expression of something like -anxiety in his eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am afraid that you do not know about beetles,” -he cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the contrary, sir, it is the one scientific subject -about which I feel that I really do know something.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am overjoyed to hear it. Please talk to me -about beetles.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I talked. I do not profess to have said anything -original upon the subject, but I gave a short sketch of -the characteristics of the beetle, and ran over the more -common species, with some allusions to the specimens -in my own little collection and to the article upon -“Burying Beetles” which I had contributed to the -<cite>Journal of Entomological Science</cite>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What! not a collector?” cried Lord Linchmere. -“You don’t mean that you are yourself a collector?” -His eyes danced with pleasure at the thought.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are certainly the very man in London for my -purpose. I thought that among five millions of people -there must be such a man, but the difficulty is to lay -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>one’s hands upon him. I have been extraordinarily -fortunate in finding you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He rang a gong upon the table, and the footman -entered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ask Lady Rossiter to have the goodness to step -this way,” said his lordship, and a few moments later -the lady was ushered into the room. She was a small, -middle-aged woman, very like Lord Linchmere in -appearance, with the same quick, alert features and -grey-black hair. The expression of anxiety, however, -which I had observed upon his face was very much -more marked upon hers. Some great grief seemed to -have cast its shadow over her features. As Lord Linchmere -presented me she turned her face full upon me, -and I was shocked to observe a half-healed scar extending -for two inches over her right eyebrow. It was -partly concealed by plaster, but none the less I could -see that it had been a serious wound and not long -inflicted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Dr. Hamilton is the very man for our purpose, -Evelyn,” said Lord Linchmere. “He is actually a -collector of beetles, and he has written articles upon -the subject.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Really!” said Lady Rossiter. “Then you must -have heard of my husband. Every one who knows -anything about beetles must have heard of Sir Thomas -Rossiter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>For the first time a thin little ray of light began to -break into the obscure business. Here, at last, was a -connection between these people and beetles. Sir -Thomas Rossiter—he was the greatest authority upon -the subject in the world. He had made it his life-long -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>study, and had written a most exhaustive work upon -it. I hastened to assure her that I had read and -appreciated it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you met my husband?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I have not.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But you shall,” said Lord Linchmere, with -decision.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The lady was standing beside the desk, and she put -her hand upon his shoulder. It was obvious to me as -I saw their faces together that they were brother and -sister.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you really prepared for this, Charles? It is -noble of you, but you fill me with fears.” Her voice -quavered with apprehension, and he appeared to me to -be equally moved, though he was making strong efforts -to conceal his agitation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, dear; it is all settled, it is all decided; -in fact, there is no other possible way, that I can see.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is one obvious way.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, Evelyn, I shall never abandon you—never. -It will come right—depend upon it; it will come right, -and surely it looks like the interference of Providence -that so perfect an instrument should be put into our -hands.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My position was embarrassing, for I felt that for the -instant they had forgotten my presence. But Lord -Linchmere came back suddenly to me and to my -engagement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The business for which I want you, Dr. Hamilton, -is that you should put yourself absolutely at my disposal. -I wish you to come for a short journey with -me, to remain always at my side, and to promise to do -<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>without question whatever I may ask you, however -unreasonable it may appear to you to be.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is a good deal to ask,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Unfortunately I cannot put it more plainly, for I -do not myself know what turn matters may take. You -may be sure, however, that you will not be asked to do -anything which your conscience does not approve; and -I promise you that, when all is over, you will be proud -to have been concerned in so good a work.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If it ends happily,” said the lady.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly; if it ends happily,” his lordship repeated.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And terms?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Twenty pounds a day.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was amazed at the sum, and must have showed -my surprise upon my features.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is a rare combination of qualities, as must have -struck you when you first read the advertisement,” -said Lord Linchmere; “such varied gifts may well -command a high return, and I do not conceal from you -that your duties might be arduous or even dangerous. -Besides, it is possible that one or two days may bring -the matter to an end.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Please God!” sighed his sister.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So now, Dr. Hamilton, may I rely upon your -aid?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Most undoubtedly,” said I. “You have only to -tell me what my duties are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your first duty will be to return to your home. -You will pack up whatever you may need for a short -visit to the country. We start together from Paddington -Station at 3.40 this afternoon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do we go far?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>“As far as Pangbourne. Meet me at the bookstall -at 3.30. I shall have the tickets. Good-bye, Dr. -Hamilton! And, by the way, there are two things -which I should be very glad if you would bring with -you, in case you have them. One is your case for -collecting beetles, and the other is a stick, and the -thicker and heavier the better.”</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>You may imagine that I had plenty to think of -from the time that I left Brook Street until I set out -to meet Lord Linchmere at Paddington. The whole -fantastic business kept arranging and re-arranging itself -in kaleidoscopic forms inside my brain, until I had -thought out a dozen explanations, each of them more -grotesquely improbable than the last. And yet I felt -that the truth must be something grotesquely improbable -also. At last I gave up all attempts at finding a -solution, and contented myself with exactly carrying -out the instructions which I had received. With a -hand valise, specimen-case, and a loaded cane, I was -waiting at the Paddington bookstall when Lord Linchmere -arrived. He was an even smaller man than I -had thought—frail and peaky, with a manner which -was more nervous than it had been in the morning. -He wore a long, thick travelling ulster, and I observed -that he carried a heavy blackthorn cudgel in his hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have the tickets,” said he, leading the way up -the platform. “This is our train. I have engaged a -carriage, for I am particularly anxious to impress one -or two things upon you while we travel down.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And yet all that he had to impress upon me might -have been said in a sentence, for it was that I was to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>remember that I was there as a protection to himself, -and that I was not on any consideration to leave him -for an instant. This he repeated again and again as -our journey drew to a close, with an insistence which -showed that his nerves were thoroughly shaken.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes,” he said at last, in answer to my looks -rather than to my words, “I <em>am</em> nervous, Dr. Hamilton. -I have always been a timid man, and my timidity -depends upon my frail physical health. But my soul -is firm, and I can bring myself up to face a danger -which a less nervous man might shrink from. What -I am doing now is done from no compulsion, but -entirely from a sense of duty, and yet it is, beyond -doubt, a desperate risk. If things should go wrong, -I will have some claims to the title of martyr.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This eternal reading of riddles was too much for -me. I felt that I must put a term to it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think it would be very much better, sir, if you -were to trust me entirely,” said I. “It is impossible -for me to act effectively, when I do not know what -are the objects which we have in view, or even where -we are going.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, as to where we are going, there need be no -mystery about that,” said he; “we are going to Delamere -Court, the residence of Sir Thomas Rossiter, with -whose work you are so conversant. As to the exact -object of our visit, I do not know that at this stage of -the proceedings anything would be gained, Dr. Hamilton, -by my taking you into my complete confidence. I may -tell you that we are acting—I say ‘we,’ because my -sister, Lady Rossiter, takes the same view as myself—with -the one object of preventing anything in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>nature of a family scandal. That being so, you can -understand that I am loth to give any explanations -which are not absolutely necessary. It would be a -different matter, Dr. Hamilton, if I were asking your -advice. As matters stand, it is only your active help -which I need, and I will indicate to you from time to -time how you can best give it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was nothing more to be said, and a poor man -can put up with a good deal for twenty pounds a day, -but I felt none the less that Lord Linchmere was -acting rather scurvily towards me. He wished to -convert me into a passive tool, like the blackthorn in -his hand. With his sensitive disposition I could -imagine, however, that scandal would be abhorrent to -him, and I realized that he would not take me into -his confidence until no other course was open to him. -I must trust to my own eyes and ears to solve the -mystery, but I had every confidence that I should not -trust to them in vain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Delamere Court lies a good five miles from Pangbourne -Station, and we drove for that distance in an -open fly. Lord Linchmere sat in deep thought during -the time, and he never opened his mouth until we -were close to our destination. When he did speak -it was to give me a piece of information which surprised -me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Perhaps you are not aware,” said he, “that I am -a medical man like yourself?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir, I did not know it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I qualified in my younger days, when there -were several lives between me and the peerage. I -have not had occasion to practise, but I have found it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>a useful education, all the same. I never regretted -the years which I devoted to medical study. These -are the gates of Delamere Court.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We had come to two high pillars crowned with -heraldic monsters which flanked the opening of a -winding avenue. Over the laurel bushes and rhododendrons -I could see a long, many-gabled mansion, -girdled with ivy, and toned to the warm, cheery, -mellow glow of old brick-work. My eyes were still -fixed in admiration upon this delightful house when -my companion plucked nervously at my sleeve.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here’s Sir Thomas,” he whispered. “Please talk -beetle all you can.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A tall, thin figure, curiously angular and bony, had -emerged through a gap in the hedge of laurels. In his -hand he held a spud, and he wore gauntleted gardener’s -gloves. A broad-brimmed, grey hat cast his face into -shadow, but it struck me as exceedingly austere, with -an ill-nourished beard and harsh, irregular features. -The fly pulled up and Lord Linchmere sprang out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear Thomas, how are you?” said he, heartily.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the heartiness was by no means reciprocal. -The owner of the grounds glared at me over his -brother-in-law’s shoulder, and I caught broken scraps -of sentences—“well-known wishes ... hatred of -strangers ... unjustifiable intrusion ... perfectly -inexcusable.” Then there was a muttered explanation, -and the two of them came over together to the side of -the fly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let me present you to Sir Thomas Rossiter, -Dr. Hamilton,” said Lord Linchmere. “You will find -that you have a strong community of tastes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>I bowed. Sir Thomas stood very stiffly, looking at -me severely from under the broad brim of his hat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Lord Linchmere tells me that you know something -about beetles,” said he. “What do you know about -beetles?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I know what I have learned from your work upon -the coleoptera, Sir Thomas,” I answered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Give me the names of the better-known species -of the British scarabæi,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had not expected an examination, but fortunately -I was ready for one. My answers seemed to please -him, for his stern features relaxed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You appear to have read my book with some -profit, sir,” said he. “It is a rare thing for me to -meet any one who takes an intelligent interest in such -matters. People can find time for such trivialities as -sport or society, and yet the beetles are overlooked. -I can assure you that the greater part of the idiots in -this part of the country are unaware that I have ever -written a book at all—I, the first man who ever described -the true function of the elytra. I am glad to -see you, sir, and I have no doubt that I can show you -some specimens which will interest you.” He stepped -into the fly and drove up with us to the house, expounding -to me as we went some recent researches -which he had made into the anatomy of the lady-bird.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that Sir Thomas Rossiter wore a large -hat drawn down over his brows. As he entered the -hall he uncovered himself, and I was at once aware of -a singular characteristic which the hat had concealed. -His forehead, which was naturally high, and higher -still on account of receding hair, was in a continual -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>state of movement. Some nervous weakness kept the -muscles in a constant spasm, which sometimes produced -a mere twitching and sometimes a curious rotary movement -unlike anything which I had ever seen before. -It was strikingly visible as he turned towards us after -entering the study, and seemed the more singular from -the contrast with the hard, steady grey eyes which -looked out from underneath those palpitating brows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am sorry,” said he, “that Lady Rossiter is not -here to help me to welcome you. By the way, Charles, -did Evelyn say anything about the date of her return?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She wished to stay in town for a few more days,” -said Lord Linchmere. “You know how ladies’ social -duties accumulate if they have been for some time in -the country. My sister has many old friends in London -at present.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, she is her own mistress, and I should not -wish to alter her plans, but I shall be glad when I -see her again. It is very lonely here without her -company.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was afraid that you might find it so, and that -was partly why I ran down. My young friend, Dr. -Hamilton, is so much interested in the subject which -you have made your own, that I thought you would -not mind his accompanying me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I lead a retired life, Dr. Hamilton, and my aversion -to strangers grows upon me,” said our host. “I have -sometimes thought that my nerves are not so good as -they were. My travels in search of beetles in my -younger days took me into many malarious and unhealthy -places. But a brother coleopterist like yourself -is always a welcome guest, and I shall be delighted if -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>you will look over my collection, which I think that -I may without exaggeration describe as the best in -Europe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so no doubt it was. He had a huge oaken -cabinet arranged in shallow drawers, and here, neatly -ticketed and classified, were beetles from every corner -of the earth, black, brown, blue, green, and mottled. -Every now and then as he swept his hand over the -lines and lines of impaled insects he would catch up -some rare specimen, and, handling it with as much -delicacy and reverence as if it were a precious relic, -he would hold forth upon its peculiarities and the -circumstances under which it came into his possession. -It was evidently an unusual thing for him to meet with -a sympathetic listener, and he talked and talked until -the spring evening had deepened into night, and the -gong announced that it was time to dress for dinner. -All the time Lord Linchmere said nothing, but he -stood at his brother-in-law’s elbow, and I caught him -continually shooting curious little, questioning glances -into his face. And his own features expressed some -strong emotion, apprehension, sympathy, expectation: -I seemed to read them all. I was sure that Lord -Linchmere was fearing something and awaiting something, -but what that something might be I could not -imagine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The evening passed quietly but pleasantly, and I -should have been entirely at my ease if it had not been -for that continual sense of tension upon the part of -Lord Linchmere. As to our host, I found that he -improved upon acquaintance. He spoke constantly -with affection of his absent wife, and also of his little -<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>son, who had recently been sent to school. The house, -he said, was not the same without them. If it were -not for his scientific studies, he did not know how he -could get through the days. After dinner we smoked -for some time in the billiard-room, and finally went -early to bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then it was that, for the first time, the suspicion -that Lord Linchmere was a lunatic crossed my mind. -He followed me into my bedroom, when our host had -retired.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Doctor,” said he, speaking in a low, hurried voice, -“you must come with me. You must spend the night -in my bedroom.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you mean?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I prefer not to explain. But this is part of your -duties. My room is close by, and you can return to -your own before the servant calls you in the morning.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because I am nervous of being alone,” said he. -“That’s the reason, since you must have a reason.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It seemed rank lunacy, but the argument of those -twenty pounds would overcome many objections. I -followed him to his room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said I, “there’s only room for one in -that bed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Only one shall occupy it,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the other?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Must remain, on watch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why?” said I. “One would think you expected -to be attacked.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Perhaps I do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In that case, why not lock your door?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>“Perhaps I <em>want</em> to be attacked.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It looked more and more like lunacy. However, -there was nothing for it but to submit. I shrugged -my shoulders and sat down in the arm-chair beside the -empty fireplace.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am to remain on watch, then?” said I, ruefully.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We will divide the night. If you will watch until -two, I will watch the remainder.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very good.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Call me at two o’clock, then.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will do so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Keep your ears open, and if you hear any sounds -wake me instantly—instantly, you hear?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You can rely upon it.” I tried to look as solemn -as he did.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And for God’s sake don’t go to sleep,” said he, -and so, taking off only his coat, he threw the coverlet -over him and settled down for the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a melancholy vigil, and made more so by -my own sense of its folly. Supposing that by any -chance Lord Linchmere had cause to suspect that he -was subject to danger in the house of Sir Thomas -Rossiter, why on earth could he not lock his door and -so protect himself? His own answer that he might -wish to be attacked was absurd. Why should he -possibly wish to be attacked? And who would wish -to attack him? Clearly, Lord Linchmere was suffering -from some singular delusion, and the result was that -on an imbecile pretext I was to be deprived of my -night’s rest. Still, however absurd, I was determined -to carry out his injunctions to the letter as long as I -was in his employment. I sat therefore beside the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>empty fireplace, and listened to a sonorous chiming -clock somewhere down the passage, which gurgled and -struck every quarter of an hour. It was an endless -vigil. Save for that single clock, an absolute silence -reigned throughout the great house. A small lamp -stood on the table at my elbow, throwing a circle of -light round my chair, but leaving the corners of the -room draped in shadow. On the bed Lord Linchmere -was breathing peacefully. I envied him his quiet sleep, -and again and again my own eyelids drooped, but every -time my sense of duty came to my help, and I sat up, -rubbing my eyes and pinching myself with a determination -to see my irrational watch to an end.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And I did so. From down the passage came the -chimes of two o’clock, and I laid my hand upon the -shoulder of the sleeper. Instantly he was sitting up, -with an expression of the keenest interest upon his -face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have heard something?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir. It is two o’clock.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very good. I will watch. You can go to sleep.” -I lay down under the coverlet as he had done, and -was soon unconscious. My last recollection was of -that circle of lamplight, and of the small, hunched-up -figure and strained, anxious face of Lord Linchmere in -the centre of it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>How long I slept I do not know; but I was suddenly -aroused by a sharp tug at my sleeve. The room was -in darkness, but a hot smell of oil told me that the -lamp had only that instant been extinguished.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Quick! Quick!” said Lord Linchmere’s voice in -my ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>I sprang out of bed, he still dragging at my arm.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Over here!” he whispered, and pulled me into a -corner of the room. “Hush! Listen!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the silence of the night I could distinctly hear -that someone was coming down the corridor. It was a -stealthy step, faint and intermittent, as of a man who -paused cautiously after every stride. Sometimes for -half a minute there was no sound, and then came the -shuffle and creak which told of a fresh advance. My -companion was trembling with excitement. His hand -which still held my sleeve twitched like a branch in -the wind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it?” I whispered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s he!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sir Thomas?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What does he want?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Hush! Do nothing until I tell you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was conscious now that someone was trying the -door. There was the faintest little rattle from the -handle, and then I dimly saw a thin slit of subdued -light. There was a lamp burning somewhere far down -the passage, and it just sufficed to make the outside -visible from the darkness of our room. The greyish -slit grew broader and broader, very gradually, very -gently, and then outlined against it I saw the dark -figure of a man. He was squat and crouching, with -the silhouette of a bulky and misshapen dwarf. -Slowly the door swung open with this ominous shape -framed in the centre of it. And then, in an instant -the crouching figure shot up, there was a tiger spring -across the room, and thud, thud, thud, came three -<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>tremendous blows from some heavy object upon the -bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was so paralyzed with amazement that I stood -motionless and staring until I was aroused by a yell -for help from my companion. The open door shed -enough light for me to see the outline of things, and -there was little Lord Linchmere with his arms round -the neck of his brother-in-law, holding bravely on to -him like a game bull-terrier with its teeth into a gaunt -deerhound. The tall, bony man dashed himself about, -writhing round and round to get a grip upon his assailant; -but the other, clutching on from behind, still kept -his hold, though his shrill, frightened cries showed how -unequal he felt the contest to be. I sprang to the -rescue, and the two of us managed to throw Sir Thomas -to the ground, though he made his teeth meet in my -shoulder. With all my youth and weight and strength, -it was a desperate struggle before we could master his -frenzied struggles; but at last we secured his arms with -the waist-cord of the dressing-gown which he was wearing. -I was holding his legs while Lord Linchmere was -endeavouring to relight the lamp, when there came the -pattering of many feet in the passage, and the butler -and two footmen, who had been alarmed by the cries, -rushed into the room. With their aid we had no -further difficulty in securing our prisoner, who lay -foaming and glaring upon the ground. One glance at -his face was enough to prove that he was a dangerous -maniac, while the short, heavy hammer which lay beside -the bed showed how murderous had been his intentions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do not use any violence!” said Lord Linchmere, -as we raised the struggling man to his feet. “He will -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>have a period of stupor after this excitement. I believe -that it is coming on already.” As he spoke the convulsions -became less violent, and the madman’s head -fell forward upon his breast, as if he were overcome by -sleep. We led him down the passage and stretched -him upon his own bed, where he lay unconscious, -breathing heavily.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Two of you will watch him,” said Lord Linchmere. -“And now, Dr. Hamilton, if you will return with me -to my room, I will give you the explanation which my -horror of scandal has perhaps caused me to delay too -long. Come what may, you will never have cause to -regret your share in this night’s work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The case may be made clear in a very few words,” -he continued, when we were alone. “My poor brother-in-law -is one of the best fellows upon earth, a loving -husband and an estimable father, but he comes from a -stock which is deeply tainted with insanity. He has -more than once had homicidal outbreaks, which are the -more painful because his inclination is always to attack -the very person to whom he is most attached. His -son was sent away to school to avoid this danger, and -then came an attempt upon my sister, his wife, from -which she escaped with injuries that you may have -observed when you met her in London. You understand -that he knows nothing of the matter when he is -in his sound senses, and would ridicule the suggestion -that he could under any circumstances injure those -whom he loves so dearly. It is often, as you know, a -characteristic of such maladies that it is absolutely -impossible to convince the man who suffers from them -of their existence.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>“Our great object was, of course, to get him under -restraint before he could stain his hands with blood, -but the matter was full of difficulty. He is a recluse -in his habits, and would not see any medical man. -Besides, it was necessary for our purpose that the -medical man should convince himself of his insanity; -and he is sane as you or I, save on these very rare -occasions. But, fortunately, before he has these attacks -he always shows certain premonitory symptoms, which -are providential danger-signals, warning us to be upon -our guard. The chief of these is that nervous contortion -of the forehead which you must have observed. -This is a phenomenon which always appears from three -to four days before his attacks of frenzy. The moment -it showed itself his wife came into town on some pretext, -and took refuge in my house in Brook Street.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It remained for me to convince a medical man of -Sir Thomas’s insanity, without which it was impossible -to put him where he could do no harm. The first problem -was how to get a medical man into his house. I -bethought me of his interest in beetles, and his love for -any one who shared his tastes. I advertised, therefore, -and was fortunate enough to find in you the very man -I wanted. A stout companion was necessary, for I -knew that the lunacy could only be proved by a murderous -assault, and I had every reason to believe that -that assault would be made upon myself, since he had -the warmest regard for me in his moments of sanity. -I think your intelligence will supply all the rest. I -did not know that the attack would come by night, but -I thought it very probable, for the crises of such cases -usually do occur in the early hours of the morning. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>am a very nervous man myself, but I saw no other way -in which I could remove this terrible danger from my -sister’s life. I need not ask you whether you are willing -to sign the lunacy papers.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Undoubtedly. But <em>two</em> signatures are necessary.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You forget that I am myself a holder of a medical -degree. I have the papers on a side-table here, so if -you will be good enough to sign them now, we can have -the patient removed in the morning.”</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>So that was my visit to Sir Thomas Rossiter, the -famous beetle-hunter, and that was also my first step -upon the ladder of success, for Lady Rossiter and Lord -Linchmere have proved to be staunch friends, and they -have never forgotten my association with them in the -time of their need. Sir Thomas is out and said to be -cured, but I still think that if I spent another night at -Delamere Court, I should be inclined to lock my door -upon the inside.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE MAN WITH THE WATCHES</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>There are many who will still bear in mind the -singular circumstances which, under the heading of the -Rugby Mystery, filled many columns of the daily -Press in the spring of the year 1892. Coming as it -did at a period of exceptional dulness, it attracted -perhaps rather more attention than it deserved, but it -offered to the public that mixture of the whimsical -and the tragic which is most stimulating to the popular -imagination. Interest drooped, however, when, after -weeks of fruitless investigation, it was found that no -final explanation of the facts was forthcoming, and the -tragedy seemed from that time to the present to have -finally taken its place in the dark catalogue of inexplicable -and unexpiated crimes. A recent communication -(the authenticity of which appears to be above -question) has, however, thrown some new and clear -light upon the matter. Before laying it before the -public it would be as well, perhaps, that I should -refresh their memories as to the singular facts upon -which this commentary is founded. These facts were -briefly as follows:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>At five o’clock on the evening of the 18th of -March in the year already mentioned a train left -Euston Station for Manchester. It was a rainy, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>squally day, which grew wilder as it progressed, so it -was by no means the weather in which any one would -travel who was not driven to do so by necessity. The -train, however, is a favourite one among Manchester -business men who are returning from town, for it does -the journey in four hours and twenty minutes, with -only three stoppages upon the way. In spite of the -inclement evening it was, therefore, fairly well filled -upon the occasion of which I speak. The guard of the -train was a tried servant of the company—a man who -had worked for twenty-two years without blemish or -complaint. His name was John Palmer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The station clock was upon the stroke of five, and -the guard was about to give the customary signal to -the engine-driver when he observed two belated passengers -hurrying down the platform. The one was an -exceptionally tall man, dressed in a long black overcoat -with Astrakhan collar and cuffs. I have already -said that the evening was an inclement one, and the -tall traveller had the high, warm collar turned up to -protect his throat against the bitter March wind. He -appeared, as far as the guard could judge by so hurried -an inspection, to be a man between fifty and sixty years -of age, who had retained a good deal of the vigour and -activity of his youth. In one hand he carried a brown -leather Gladstone bag. His companion was a lady, -tall and erect, walking with a vigorous step which outpaced -the gentleman beside her. She wore a long, -fawn-coloured dust-cloak, a black, close-fitting toque, -and a dark veil which concealed the greater part of -her face. The two might very well have passed as -father and daughter. They walked swiftly down the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>line of carriages, glancing in at the windows, until the -guard, John Palmer, overtook them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Now, then, sir, look sharp, the train is going,” -said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“First-class,” the man answered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The guard turned the handle of the nearest door. -In the carriage, which he had opened, there sat a small -man with a cigar in his mouth. His appearance seems -to have impressed itself upon the guard’s memory, -for he was prepared, afterwards, to describe or to -identify him. He was a man of thirty-four or thirty-five -years of age, dressed in some grey material, sharp-nosed, -alert, with a ruddy, weather-beaten face, and a -small, closely cropped black beard. He glanced up as -the door was opened. The tall man paused with his -foot upon the step.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is a smoking compartment. The lady dislikes -smoke,” said he, looking round at the guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All right! Here you are, sir!” said John Palmer. -He slammed the door of the smoking carriage, opened -that of the next one, which was empty, and thrust the -two travellers in. At the same moment he sounded -his whistle and the wheels of the train began to move. -The man with the cigar was at the window of his -carriage, and said something to the guard as he rolled -past him, but the words were lost in the bustle of the -departure. Palmer stepped into the guard’s van, as -it came up to him, and thought no more of the -incident.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Twelve minutes after its departure the train -reached Willesden Junction, where it stopped for a -very short interval. An examination of the tickets -<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>has made it certain that no one either joined or left it -at this time, and no passenger was seen to alight upon -the platform. At 5.14 the journey to Manchester was -resumed, and Rugby was reached at 6.50, the express -being five minutes late.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At Rugby the attention of the station officials was -drawn to the fact that the door of one of the first-class -carriages was open. An examination of that -compartment, and of its neighbour, disclosed a remarkable -state of affairs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The smoking carriage in which the short, red-faced -man with the black beard had been seen was now -empty. Save for a half-smoked cigar, there was no -trace whatever of its recent occupant. The door of this -carriage was fastened. In the next compartment, to -which attention had been originally drawn, there was -no sign either of the gentleman with the Astrakhan -collar or of the young lady who accompanied him. All -three passengers had disappeared. On the other hand, -there was found upon the floor of this carriage—the -one in which the tall traveller and the lady had been—a -young man, fashionably dressed and of elegant -appearance. He lay with his knees drawn up, and his -head resting against the further door, an elbow upon -either seat. A bullet had penetrated his heart and his -death must have been instantaneous. No one had seen -such a man enter the train, and no railway ticket was -found in his pocket, neither were there any markings -upon his linen, nor papers nor personal property which -might help to identify him. Who he was, whence he -had come, and how he had met his end were each as -great a mystery as what had occurred to the three people -<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>who had started an hour and a half before from -Willesden in those two compartments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that there was no personal property -which might help to identify him, but it is true that -there was one peculiarity about this unknown young -man which was much commented upon at the time. -In his pockets were found no fewer than six valuable -gold watches, three in the various pockets of his -waistcoat, one in his ticket-pocket, one in his breast-pocket, -and one small one set in a leather strap and -fastened round his left wrist. The obvious explanation -that the man was a pickpocket, and that this was his -plunder, was discounted by the fact that all six were -of American make, and of a type which is rare in -England. Three of them bore the mark of the -Rochester Watchmaking Company; one was by Mason, -of Elmira; one was unmarked; and the small one, -which was highly jewelled and ornamented, was from -Tiffany, of New York. The other contents of his -pocket consisted of an ivory knife with a corkscrew by -Rodgers, of Sheffield; a small circular mirror, one inch -in diameter; a re-admission slip to the Lyceum -theatre; a silver box full of vesta matches, and a -brown leather cigar-case containing two cheroots—also -two pounds fourteen shillings in money. It was -clear, then, that whatever motives may have led to -his death, robbery was not among them. As already -mentioned, there were no markings upon the man’s -linen, which appeared to be new, and no tailor’s name -upon his coat. In appearance he was young, short, -smooth-cheeked, and delicately featured. One of his -front teeth was conspicuously stopped with gold.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>On the discovery of the tragedy an examination -was instantly made of the tickets of all passengers, -and the number of the passengers themselves was -counted. It was found that only three tickets were -unaccounted for, corresponding to the three travellers -who were missing. The express was then allowed to -proceed, but a new guard was sent with it, and John -Palmer was detained as a witness at Rugby. The -carriage which included the two compartments in -question was uncoupled and side-tracked. Then, on -the arrival of Inspector Vane, of Scotland Yard, and -of Mr. Henderson, a detective in the service of the -railway company, an exhaustive inquiry was made -into all the circumstances.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That crime had been committed was certain. The -bullet, which appeared to have come from a small -pistol or revolver, had been fired from some little -distance, as there was no scorching of the clothes. -No weapon was found in the compartment (which -finally disposed of the theory of suicide), nor was -there any sign of the brown leather bag which the -guard had seen in the hand of the tall gentleman. A -lady’s parasol was found upon the rack, but no other -trace was to be seen of the travellers in either of the -sections. Apart from the crime, the question of how -or why three passengers (one of them a lady) could -get out of the train, and one other get in during the -unbroken run between Willesden and Rugby, was one -which excited the utmost curiosity among the general -public, and gave rise to much speculation in the -London Press.</p> - -<p class='c000'>John Palmer, the guard, was able at the inquest -<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>to give some evidence which threw a little light upon -the matter. There was a spot between Tring and -Cheddington, according to his statement, where, on -account of some repairs to the line, the train had for -a few minutes slowed down to a pace not exceeding -eight or ten miles an hour. At that place it might be -possible for a man, or even for an exceptionally active -woman, to have left the train without serious injury. -It was true that a gang of platelayers was there, and -that they had seen nothing, but it was their custom to -stand in the middle between the metals, and the open -carriage door was upon the far side, so that it was conceivable -that someone might have alighted unseen, as -the darkness would by that time be drawing in. A -steep embankment would instantly screen anyone who -sprang out from the observation of the navvies.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The guard also deposed that there was a good deal -of movement upon the platform at Willesden Junction, -and that though it was certain that no one had either -joined or left the train there, it was still quite possible -that some of the passengers might have changed -unseen from one compartment to another. It was by -no means uncommon for a gentleman to finish his -cigar in a smoking carriage and then to change to a -clearer atmosphere. Supposing that the man with the -black beard had done so at Willesden (and the half-smoked -cigar upon the floor seemed to favour the -supposition), he would naturally go into the nearest -section, which would bring him into the company of -the two other actors in this drama. Thus the first -stage of the affair might be surmised without any great -breach of probability. But what the second stage had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>been, or how the final one had been arrived at, neither -the guard nor the experienced detective officers could -suggest.</p> - -<p class='c000'> A careful examination of the line between Willesden -and Rugby resulted in one discovery which might or -might not have a bearing upon the tragedy. Near -Tring, at the very place where the train slowed down, -there was found at the bottom of the embankment a -small pocket Testament, very shabby and worn. It -was printed by the Bible Society of London, and bore -an inscription: “From John to Alice. Jan. 13th, -1856,” upon the fly-leaf. Underneath was written: -“James, July 4th, 1859,” and beneath that again: -“Edward. Nov. 1st, 1869,” all the entries being in -the same handwriting. This was the only clue, if it -could be called a clue, which the police obtained, and -the coroner’s verdict of “Murder by a person or -persons unknown” was the unsatisfactory ending of -a singular case. Advertisement, rewards, and inquiries -proved equally fruitless, and nothing could be found -which was solid enough to form the basis for a -profitable investigation.</p> - -<p class='c000'> It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that no -theories were formed to account for the facts. On the -contrary, the Press, both in England and in America, -teemed with suggestions and suppositions, most of -which were obviously absurd. The fact that the -watches were of American make, and some peculiarities -in connection with the gold stopping of his front tooth, -appeared to indicate that the deceased was a citizen of -the United States, though his linen, clothes, and boots -were undoubtedly of British manufacture. It was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>surmised, by some, that he was concealed under the -seat, and that, being discovered, he was for some -reason, possibly because he had overheard their guilty -secrets, put to death by his fellow-passengers. When -coupled with generalities as to the ferocity and cunning -of anarchical and other secret societies, this theory -sounded as plausible as any.</p> - -<p class='c000'> The fact that he should be without a ticket would -be consistent with the idea of concealment, and it was -well known that women played a prominent part in -the Nihilistic propaganda. On the other hand, it was -clear, from the guard’s statement, that the man must -have been hidden there <em>before</em> the others arrived, and -how unlikely the coincidence that conspirators should -stray exactly into the very compartment in which a -spy was already concealed! Besides, this explanation -ignored the man in the smoking carriage, and gave no -reason at all for his simultaneous disappearance. The -police had little difficulty in showing that such a theory -would not cover the facts, but they were unprepared -in the absence of evidence to advance any alternative -explanation.</p> - -<p class='c000'> There was a letter in the <cite>Daily Gazette</cite>, over the -signature of a well-known criminal investigator, which -gave rise to considerable discussion at the time. He -had formed a hypothesis which had at least ingenuity -to recommend it, and I cannot do better than append -it in his own words.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Whatever may be the truth,” said he, “it must -depend upon some bizarre and rare combination of -events, so we need have no hesitation in postulating -such events in our explanation. In the absence of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>data we must abandon the analytic or scientific method -of investigation, and must approach it in the synthetic -fashion. In a word, instead of taking known events and -deducing from them what has occurred, we must build -up a fanciful explanation if it will only be consistent -with known events. We can then test this explanation -by any fresh facts which may arise. If they all -fit into their places, the probability is that we are upon -the right track, and with each fresh fact this probability -increases in a geometrical progression until the -evidence becomes final and convincing.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Now, there is one most remarkable and suggestive -fact which has not met with the attention which it -deserves. There is a local train running through -Harrow and King’s Langley, which is timed in such a -way that the express must have overtaken it at or about -the period when it eased down its speed to eight miles -an hour on account of the repairs of the line. The -two trains would at that time be travelling in the same -direction at a similar rate of speed and upon parallel -lines. It is within everyone’s experience how, under -such circumstances, the occupant of each carriage can -see very plainly the passengers in the other carriages -opposite to him. The lamps of the express had been -lit at Willesden, so that each compartment was brightly -illuminated, and most visible to an observer from -outside.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Now, the sequence of events as I reconstruct -them would be after this fashion. This young man -with the abnormal number of watches was alone in the -carriage of the slow train. His ticket, with his papers -and gloves and other things, was, we will suppose, on -<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>the seat beside him. He was probably an American, -and also probably a man of weak intellect. The excessive -wearing of jewellery is an early symptom in -some forms of mania.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “As he sat watching the carriages of the express -which were (on account of the state of the line) going -at the same pace as himself, he suddenly saw some -people in it whom he knew. We will suppose for the -sake of our theory that these people were a woman -whom he loved and a man whom he hated—and who -in return hated him. The young man was excitable -and impulsive. He opened the door of his carriage, -stepped from the footboard of the local train to the -footboard of the express, opened the other door, and -made his way into the presence of these two people. -The feat (on the supposition that the trains were going -at the same pace) is by no means so perilous as it might -appear.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Having now got our young man without his ticket -into the carriage in which the elder man and the young -woman are travelling, it is not difficult to imagine that -a violent scene ensued. It is possible that the pair -were also Americans, which is the more probable as -the man carried a weapon—an unusual thing in England. -If our supposition of incipient mania is correct, -the young man is likely to have assaulted the other. -As the upshot of the quarrel the elder man shot the -intruder, and then made his escape from the carriage, -taking the young lady with him. We will suppose -that all this happened very rapidly, and that the train -was still going at so slow a pace that it was not difficult -for them to leave it. A woman might leave a train -<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>going at eight miles an hour. As a matter of fact, we -know that this woman <em>did</em> do so.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “And now we have to fit in the man in the smoking -carriage. Presuming that we have, up to this -point, reconstructed the tragedy correctly, we shall find -nothing in this other man to cause us to reconsider our -conclusions. According to my theory, this man saw -the young fellow cross from one train to the other, saw -him open the door, heard the pistol-shot, saw the two -fugitives spring out on to the line, realized that murder -had been done, and sprang out himself in pursuit. -Why he has never been heard of since—whether he -met his own death in the pursuit, or whether, as is -more likely, he was made to realize that it was not a -case for his interference—is a detail which we have at -present no means of explaining. I acknowledge that -there are some difficulties in the way. At first sight, -it might seem improbable that at such a moment a -murderer would burden himself in his flight with a -brown leather bag. My answer is that he was well -aware that if the bag were found his identity would be -established. It was absolutely necessary for him to -take it with him. My theory stands or falls upon one -point, and I call upon the railway company to make -strict inquiry as to whether a ticket was found unclaimed -in the local train through Harrow and King’s -Langley upon the 18th of March. If such a ticket -were found my case is proved. If not, my theory may -still be the correct one, for it is conceivable either that -he travelled without a ticket or that his ticket was -lost.”</p> - -<p class='c000'> To this elaborate and plausible hypothesis the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>answer of the police and of the company was, first, -that no such ticket was found; secondly, that the slow -train would never run parallel to the express; and, -thirdly, that the local train had been stationary in -King’s Langley Station when the express, going at fifty -miles an hour, had flashed past it. So perished the -only satisfying explanation, and five years have elapsed -without supplying<a id='t53'></a> a new one. Now, at last, there -comes a statement which covers all the facts, and which -must be regarded as authentic. It took the shape of a -letter dated from New York, and addressed to the same -criminal investigator whose theory I have quoted. It -is given here in <span lang="la" xml:lang="la">extenso</span>, with the exception of the -two opening paragraphs, which are personal in their -nature:—</p> - -<p class='c000'> “You’ll excuse me if I’m not very free with names. -There’s less reason now than there was five years ago -when mother was still living. But for all that, I had -rather cover up our tracks all I can. But I owe you -an explanation, for if your idea of it was wrong, it was -a mighty ingenious one all the same. I’ll have to go -back a little so as you may understand all about it.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “My people came from Bucks, England, and emigrated -to the States in the early fifties. They settled -in Rochester, in the State of New York, where my -father ran a large dry goods store. There were only -two sons: myself, James, and my brother, Edward. I -was ten years older than my brother, and after my father -died I sort of took the place of a father to him, as an -elder brother would. He was a bright, spirited boy, -and just one of the most beautiful creatures that ever -lived. But there was always a soft spot in him, and it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>was like mould in cheese, for it spread and spread, and -nothing that you could do would stop it. Mother saw -it just as clearly as I did, but she went on spoiling him -all the same, for he had such a way with him that you -could refuse him nothing. I did all I could to hold -him in, and he hated me for my pains.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “At last he fairly got his head, and nothing that -we could do would stop him. He got off into New -York, and went rapidly from bad to worse. At first he -was only fast, and then he was criminal; and then, at -the end of a year or two, he was one of the most notorious -young crooks in the city. He had formed a -friendship with Sparrow MacCoy, who was at the head -of his profession as a bunco-steerer, green goods-man, -and general rascal. They took to card-sharping, and -frequented some of the best hotels in New York. My -brother was an excellent actor (he might have made an -honest name for himself if he had chosen), and he would -take the parts of a young Englishman of title, of a -simple lad from the West, or of a college undergraduate, -whichever suited Sparrow MacCoy’s purpose. -And then one day he dressed himself as a girl, and he -carried it off so well, and made himself such a valuable -decoy, that it was their favourite game afterwards. -They had made it right with Tammany and with the -police, so it seemed as if nothing could ever stop them, -for those were in the days before the Lexow Commission, -and if you only had a pull, you could do pretty -nearly everything you wanted.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “And nothing would have stopped them if they -had only stuck to cards and New York, but they must -needs come up Rochester way, and forge a name upon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>a check. It was my brother that did it, though everyone -knew that it was under the influence of Sparrow -MacCoy. I bought up that check, and a pretty sum it -cost me. Then I went to my brother, laid it before -him on the table, and swore to him that I would prosecute -if he did not clear out of the country. At first he -simply laughed. I could not prosecute, he said, without -breaking our mother’s heart, and he knew that I -would not do that. I made him understand, however, -that our mother’s heart was being broken in any case, -and that I had set firm on the point that I would -rather see him in a Rochester gaol than in a New York -hotel. So at last he gave in, and he made me a solemn -promise that he would see Sparrow MacCoy no more, -that he would go to Europe, and that he would turn -his hand to any honest trade that I helped him to get. -I took him down right away to an old family friend, -Joe Willson, who is an exporter of American watches -and clocks, and I got him to give Edward an agency -in London, with a small salary and a 15 per cent. commission -on all business. His manner and appearance -were so good that he won the old man over at once, and -within a week he was sent off to London with a case -full of samples.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “It seemed to me that this business of the check -had really given my brother a fright, and that there -was some chance of his settling down into an honest -line of life. My mother had spoken with him, and -what she said had touched him, for she had always -been the best of mothers to him, and he had been the -great sorrow of her life. But I knew that this man -Sparrow MacCoy had a great influence over Edward, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>and my chance of keeping the lad straight lay in -breaking the connection between them. I had a friend -in the New York detective force, and through him I -kept a watch upon MacCoy. When within a fortnight -of my brother’s sailing I heard that MacCoy had taken -a berth in the <em>Etruria</em>, I was as certain as if he had -told me that he was going over to England for the -purpose of coaxing Edward back again into the ways -that he had left. In an instant I had resolved to go -also, and to put my influence against MacCoy’s. I -knew it was a losing fight, but I thought, and my -mother thought, that it was my duty. We passed the -last night together in prayer for my success, and she -gave me her own Testament that my father had given -her on the day of their marriage in the Old Country, -so that I might always wear it next my heart.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “I was a fellow-traveller, on the steamship, with -Sparrow MacCoy, and at least I had the satisfaction of -spoiling his little game for the voyage. The very first -night I went into the smoking-room, and found him at -the head of a card table, with half-a-dozen young -fellows who were carrying their full purses and their -empty skulls over to Europe. He was settling down -for his harvest, and a rich one it would have been. -But I soon changed all that.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘Gentlemen,’ said I, ‘are you aware whom you are -playing with?’</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘What’s that to you? You mind your own -business!’ said he, with an oath.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘Who is it, anyway?’ asked one of the dudes.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘He’s Sparrow MacCoy, the most notorious cardsharper -in the States.’</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span> “Up he jumped with a bottle in his hand, but he -remembered that he was under the flag of the effete -Old Country, where law and order run, and Tammany -has no pull. Gaol and the gallows wait for violence -and murder, and there’s no slipping out by the back -door on board an ocean liner.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘Prove your words, you——!’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘I will!’ said I. ‘If you will turn up your right -shirt-sleeve to the shoulder, I will either prove my -words or I will eat them.’</p> - -<p class='c000'> “He turned white and said not a word. You see, -I knew something of his ways, and I was aware that -part of the mechanism which he and all such sharpers -use consists of an elastic down the arm with a clip just -above the wrist. It is by means of this clip that they -withdraw from their hands the cards which they do not -want, while they substitute other cards from another -hiding-place. I reckoned on it being there, and it was. -He cursed me, slunk out of the saloon, and was hardly -seen again during the voyage. For once, at any rate, -I got level with Mister Sparrow MacCoy.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “But he soon had his revenge upon me, for when -it came to influencing my brother he outweighed me -every time. Edward had kept himself straight in -London for the first few weeks, and had done some -business with his American watches, until this villain -came across his path once more. I did my best, but -the best was little enough. The next thing I heard -there had been a scandal at one of the Northumberland -Avenue hotels: a traveller had been fleeced of a large -sum by two confederate card-sharpers, and the matter -was in the hands of Scotland Yard. The first I learned -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>of it was in the evening paper, and I was at once -certain that my brother and MacCoy were back at -their old games. I hurried at once to Edward’s lodgings. -They told me that he and a tall gentleman (whom I -recognized as MacCoy) had gone off together, and that -he had left the lodgings and taken his things with -him. The landlady had heard them give several -directions to the cabman, ending with Euston Station, -and she had accidentally overheard the tall gentleman -saying something about Manchester. She believed -that that was their destination.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A glance at the time-table showed me that the -most likely train was at five, though there was another -at 4.35 which they might have caught. I had only -time to get the later one, but found no sign of them -either at the depôt or in the train. They must have -gone on by the earlier one, so I determined to follow -them to Manchester and search for them in the hotels -there. One last appeal to my brother by all that he -owed to my mother might even now be the salvation -of him. My nerves were overstrung, and I lit a cigar -to steady them. At that moment, just as the train -was moving off, the door of my compartment was -flung open, and there were MacCoy and my brother -on the platform.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They were both disguised, and with good reason, -for they knew that the London police were after them. -MacCoy had a great Astrakhan collar drawn up, so that -only his eyes and nose were showing. My brother -was dressed like a woman, with a black veil half down -his face, but of course it did not deceive me for an -instant, nor would it have done so even if I had not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>known that he had often used such a dress before. I -started up, and as I did so MacCoy recognized me. -He said something, the conductor slammed the door, -and they were shown into the next compartment. I -tried to stop the train so as to follow them, but the -wheels were already moving, and it was too late.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When we stopped at Willesden, I instantly -changed my carriage. It appears that I was not seen -to do so, which is not surprising, as the station was -crowded with people. MacCoy, of course, was expecting -me, and he had spent the time between Euston -and Willesden in saying all he could to harden my -brother’s heart and set him against me. That is what -I fancy, for I had never found him so impossible to -soften or to move. I tried this way and I tried that; -I pictured his future in an English gaol; I described -the sorrow of his mother when I came back with the -news; I said everything to touch his heart, but all to -no purpose. He sat there with a fixed sneer upon his -handsome face, while every now and then Sparrow -MacCoy would throw in a taunt at me, or some word -of encouragement to hold my brother to his resolutions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Why don’t you run a Sunday-school?’ he would -say to me, and then, in the same breath: ‘He thinks -you have no will of your own. He thinks you are -just the baby brother and that he can lead you where -he likes. He’s only just finding out that you are a -man as well as he.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was those words of his which set me talking -bitterly. We had left Willesden, you understand, for -all this took some time. My temper got the better -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>of me, and for the first time in my life I let my brother -see the rough side of me. Perhaps it would have been -better had I done so earlier and more often.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘A man!’ said I. ‘Well, I’m glad to have your -friend’s assurance of it, for no one would suspect it to -see you like a boarding-school missy. I don’t suppose -in all this country there is a more contemptible-looking -creature than you are as you sit there with that Dolly -pinafore upon you.’ He coloured up at that, for he -was a vain man, and he winced from ridicule.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘It’s only a dust-cloak,’ said he, and he slipped -it off. ‘One has to throw the coppers off one’s scent, -and I had no other way to do it.’ He took his toque -off with the veil attached, and he put both it and the -cloak into his brown bag. ‘Anyway, I don’t need to -wear it until the conductor comes round,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Nor then, either,’ said I, and taking the bag I -slung it with all my force out of the window. ‘Now,’ -said I, ‘you’ll never make a Mary Jane of yourself -while I can help it. If nothing but that disguise -stands between you and a gaol, then to gaol you -shall go.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That was the way to manage him. I felt my -advantage at once. His supple nature was one which -yielded to roughness far more readily than to entreaty. -He flushed with shame, and his eyes filled with tears. -But MacCoy saw my advantage also, and was determined -that I should not pursue it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He’s my pard, and you shall not bully him,’ he -cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He’s my brother, and you shall not ruin him,’ -said I. ‘I believe a spell of prison is the very best -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>way of keeping you apart, and you shall have it, or it -will be no fault of mine.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Oh, you would squeal, would you?’ he cried, -and in an instant he whipped out his revolver. I -sprang for his hand, but saw that I was too late, and -jumped aside. At the same instant he fired, and the -bullet which would have struck me passed through -the heart of my unfortunate brother.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He dropped without a groan upon the floor of the -compartment, and MacCoy and I, equally horrified, -knelt at each side of him, trying to bring back some -signs of life. MacCoy still held the loaded revolver -in his hand, but his anger against me and my resentment -towards him had both for the moment been -swallowed up in this sudden tragedy. It was he who -first realized the situation. The train was for some -reason going very slowly at the moment, and he saw -his opportunity for escape. In an instant he had the -door open, but I was as quick as he, and jumping upon -him the two of us fell off the footboard and rolled in -each other’s arms down a steep embankment. At the -bottom I struck my head against a stone, and I remembered -nothing more. When I came to myself I was -lying among some low bushes, not far from the railroad -track, and somebody was bathing my head with -a wet handkerchief. It was Sparrow MacCoy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I guess I couldn’t leave you,’ said he. ‘I didn’t -want to have the blood of two of you on my hands -in one day. You loved your brother, I’ve no doubt; -but you didn’t love him a cent more than I loved him, -though you’ll say that I took a queer way to show it. -Anyhow, it seems a mighty empty world now that he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>is gone, and I don’t care a continental whether you -give me over to the hangman or not.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He had turned his ankle in the fall, and there -we sat, he with his useless foot, and I with my -throbbing head, and we talked and talked until -gradually my bitterness began to soften and to turn -into something like sympathy. What was the use of -revenging his death upon a man who was as much -stricken by that death as I was? And then, as my -wits gradually returned, I began to realize also that I -could do nothing against MacCoy which would not -recoil upon my mother and myself. How could we -convict him without a full account of my brother’s -career being made public—the very thing which of -all others we wished to avoid? It was really as much -our interest as his to cover the matter up, and from -being an avenger of crime I found myself changed to -a conspirator against Justice. The place in which we -found ourselves was one of those pheasant preserves -which are so common in the Old Country, and as we -groped our way through it I found myself consulting -the slayer of my brother as to how far it would be -possible to hush it up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I soon realized from what he said that unless -there were some papers of which we knew nothing in -my brother’s pockets, there was really no possible -means by which the police could identify him or learn -how he had got there. His ticket was in MacCoy’s -pocket, and so was the ticket for some baggage which -they had left at the depôt. Like most Americans, he -had found it cheaper and easier to buy an outfit in -London than to bring one from New York, so that all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>his linen and clothes were new and unmarked. The -bag, containing the dust cloak, which I had thrown -out of the window, may have fallen among some -bramble patch where it is still concealed, or may have -been carried off by some tramp, or may have come into -the possession of the police, who kept the incident to -themselves. Anyhow, I have seen nothing about it in -the London papers. As to the watches, they were a -selection from those which had been intrusted to him -for business purposes. It may have been for the same -business purposes that he was taking them to Manchester, -but—well, it’s too late to enter into that.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t blame the police for being at fault. I -don’t see how it could have been otherwise. There -was just one little clew that they might have followed -up, but it was a small one. I mean that small circular -mirror which was found in my brother’s pocket. It -isn’t a very common thing for a young man to carry -about with him, is it? But a gambler might have -told you what such a mirror may mean to a cardsharper. -If you sit back a little from the table, and -lay the mirror, face upwards, upon your lap, you can -see, as you deal, every card that you give to your -adversary. It is not hard to say whether you see a -man or raise him when you know his cards as well as -your own. It was as much a part of a sharper’s outfit -as the elastic clip upon Sparrow MacCoy’s arm. -Taking that, in connection with the recent frauds at -the hotels, the police might have got hold of one end -of the string.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t think there is much more for me to -explain. We got to a village called Amersham that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>night in the character of two gentlemen upon a walking -tour, and afterwards we made our way quietly to -London, whence MacCoy went on to Cairo and I -returned to New York. My mother died six months -afterwards, and I am glad to say that to the day of -her death she never knew what happened. She was -always under the delusion that Edward was earning -an honest living in London, and I never had the heart -to tell her the truth. He never wrote; but, then, he -never did write at any time, so that made no difference. -His name was the last upon her lips.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s just one other thing that I have to ask -you, sir, and I should take it as a kind return for all -this explanation, if you could do it for me. You -remember that Testament that was picked up. I -always carried it in my inside pocket, and it must -have come out in my fall. I value it very highly, for -it was the family book with my birth and my brother’s -marked by my father in the beginning of it. I wish -you would apply at the proper place and have it sent -to me. It can be of no possible value to any one else. -If you address it to X, Bassano’s Library, Broadway, -New York, it is sure to come to hand.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE POT OF CAVIARE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>It was the fourth day of the siege. Ammunition and -provisions were both nearing an end. When the -Boxer insurrection had suddenly flamed up, and roared, -like a fire in dry grass, across Northern China, the few -scattered Europeans in the outlying provinces had -huddled together at the nearest defensible post and had -held on for dear life until rescue came—or until it did -not. In the latter case, the less said about their fate -the better. In the former, they came back into the -world of men with that upon their faces which told -that they had looked very closely upon such an end as -would ever haunt their dreams.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ichau was only fifty miles from the coast, and there -was a European squadron in the Gulf of Liantong. -Therefore the absurd little garrison, consisting of -native Christians and railway men, with a German -officer to command them and five civilian Europeans -to support him, held on bravely with the conviction -that help must soon come sweeping down to them -from the low hills to eastward. The sea was visible -from those hills, and on the sea were their armed -countrymen. Surely, then, they could not feel deserted. -With brave hearts they manned the loopholes in the -crumbling brick walls outlining the tiny European -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>quarter, and they fired away briskly, if ineffectively, -at the rapidly advancing sangars of the Boxers. It -was certain that in another day or so they would be at -the end of their resources, but then it was equally -certain that in another day or so they must be relieved. -It might be a little sooner or it might be a little -later, but there was no one who ever ventured to hint -that the relief would not arrive in time to pluck them -out of the fire. Up to Tuesday night there was no -word of discouragement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was true that on the Wednesday their robust -faith in what was going forward behind those eastern -hills had weakened a little. The grey slopes lay bare -and unresponsive while the deadly sangars pushed -ever nearer, so near that the dreadful faces which -shrieked imprecations at them from time to time over -the top could be seen in every hideous feature. There -was not so much of that now since young Ainslie, of -the Diplomatic service, with his neat little .303 sporting -rifle, had settled down in the squat church tower, -and had devoted his days to abating the nuisance. -But a silent sangar is an even more impressive thing -than a clamorous one, and steadily, irresistibly, inevitably, -the lines of brick and rubble drew closer. Soon -they would be so near that one rush would assuredly -carry the frantic swordsmen over the frail entrenchment. -It all seemed very black upon the Wednesday -evening. Colonel Dresler, the German ex-infantry -soldier, went about with an imperturbable face, but a -heart of lead. Ralston, of the railway, was up half -the night writing farewell letters. Professor Mercer, -the old entomologist, was even more silent and grimly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>thoughtful than ever. Ainslie had lost some of his -flippancy. On the whole, the ladies—Miss Sinclair, -the nurse of the Scotch Mission, Mrs. Patterson, and -her pretty daughter Jessie, were the most composed -of the party. Father Pierre of the French Mission, -was also unaffected, as was natural to one who regarded -martyrdom as a glorious crown. The Boxers yelling -for his blood beyond the walls disturbed him less than -his forced association with the sturdy Scotch Presbyterian -presence of Mr. Patterson, with whom for ten -years he had wrangled over the souls of the natives. -They passed each other now in the corridors as dog -passes cat, and each kept a watchful eye upon the -other lest even in the trenches he might filch some -sheep from the rival fold, whispering heresy in -his ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the Wednesday night passed without a crisis, -and on the Thursday all was bright once more. It was -Ainslie up in the clock tower who had first heard the -distant thud of a gun. Then Dresler heard it, and -within half an hour it was audible to all—that strong -iron voice, calling to them from afar and bidding them -to be of good cheer, since help was coming. It was -clear that the landing party from the squadron was -well on its way. It would not arrive an hour too soon. -The cartridges were nearly finished. Their half-rations -of food would soon dwindle to an even more pitiful -supply. But what need to worry about that now that -relief was assured? There would be no attack that -day, as most of the Boxers could be seen streaming off -in the direction of the distant firing, and the long -lines of sangars were silent and deserted. They were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>all able, therefore, to assemble at the lunch-table, a -merry, talkative party, full of that joy of living -which sparkles most brightly under the imminent -shadow of death.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “The pot of caviare!” cried Ainslie. “Come, -Professor, out with the pot of caviare!”</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Potz-tausend! yes,” grunted old Dresler. “It is -certainly time that we had that famous pot.”</p> - -<p class='c000'> The ladies joined in, and from all parts of the -long, ill-furnished table there came the demand for -caviare.</p> - -<p class='c000'> It was a strange time to ask for such a delicacy, -but the reason is soon told. Professor Mercer, the old -Californian entomologist, had received a jar of caviare -in a hamper of goods from San Francisco, arriving a -day or two before the outbreak. In the general pooling -and distribution of provisions this one dainty and -three bottles of Lachryma Christi from the same -hamper had been excepted and set aside. By common -consent they were to be reserved for the final joyous -meal when the end of their peril should be in sight. -Even as they sat the thud-thud of the relieving guns -came to their ears—more luxurious music to their -lunch than the most sybaritic restaurant of London -could have supplied. Before evening the relief would -certainly be there. Why, then, should their stale bread -not be glorified by the treasured caviare?</p> - -<p class='c000'> But the Professor shook his gnarled old head and -smiled his inscrutable smile.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Better wait,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Wait! Why wait?” cried the company.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “They have still far to come,” he answered.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>“They will be here for supper at the latest,” said -Ralston, of the railway—a keen, birdlike man, with -bright eyes and long, projecting nose. “They cannot -be more than ten miles from us now. If they only -did two miles an hour it would make them due at -seven.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is a battle on the way,” remarked the -Colonel. “You will grant two hours or three hours -for the battle.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not half an hour,” cried Ainslie. “They will -walk through them as if they were not there. What -can these rascals with their matchlocks and swords do -against modern weapons?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It depends on who leads the column of relief,” -said Dresler. “If they are fortunate enough to have a -German officer——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An Englishman for my money!” cried Ralston.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The French commodore is said to be an excellent -strategist,” remarked Father Pierre.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t see that it matters a toss,” cried the -exuberant Ainslie. “Mr. Mauser and Mr. Maxim -are the two men who will see us through, and with -them on our side no leader can go wrong. I tell you -they will just brush them aside and walk through -them. So now, Professor, come on with that pot of -caviare!”</p> - -<p class='c000'> But the old scientist was unconvinced.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We shall reserve it for supper,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“After all,” said Mr. Patterson, in his slow, precise -Scottish intonation, “it will be a courtesy to our -guests—the officers of the relief—if we have some -palatable food to lay before them. I’m in agreement -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>with the Professor that we reserve the caviare for -supper.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The argument appealed to their sense of hospitality. -There was something pleasantly chivalrous, -too, in the idea of keeping their one little delicacy to -give a savour to the meal of their preservers. There -was no more talk of the caviare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“By the way, Professor,” said Mr. Patterson, “I’ve -only heard to-day that this is the second time that -you have been besieged in this way. I’m sure we -should all be very interested to hear some details of -your previous experience.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The old man’s face set very grimly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was in Sung-tong, in South China, in ’eighty-nine,” -said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s a very extraordinary coincidence that you -should twice have been in such a perilous situation,” -said the missionary. “Tell us how you were relieved -at Sung-tong.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The shadow deepened upon the weary face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We were not relieved,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What! the place fell?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, it fell.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And you came through alive?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am a doctor as well as an entomologist. They -had many wounded; they spared me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the rest?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Assez! assez!” cried the little French priest, -raising his hand in protest. He had been twenty years -in China. The professor had said nothing, but there -was something, some lurking horror, in his dull, grey -eyes which had turned the ladies pale.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>“I am sorry,” said the missionary. “I can see -that it is a painful subject. I should not have -asked.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No,” the Professor answered, slowly. “It is wiser -not to ask. It is better not to speak about such -things at all. But surely those guns are very much -nearer?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There could be no doubt of it. After a silence the -thud-thud had recommenced with a lively ripple of -rifle-fire playing all round that deep bass master-note. -It must be just at the farther side of the nearest hill. -They pushed back their chairs and ran out to the ramparts. -The silent-footed native servants came in and -cleared the scanty remains from the table. But after -they had left, the old Professor sat on there, his massive, -grey-crowned head leaning upon his hands and the -same pensive look of horror in his eyes. Some ghosts -may be laid for years, but when they do rise it is not -so easy to drive them back to their slumbers. The -guns had ceased outside, but he had not observed it, -lost as he was in the one supreme and terrible memory -of his life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His thoughts were interrupted at last by the -entrance of the Commandant. There was a complacent -smile upon his broad German face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Kaiser will be pleased,” said he, rubbing his -hands. “Yes, certainly it should mean a decoration. -‘Defence of Ichau against the Boxers by Colonel -Dresler, late Major of the 114th Hanoverian Infantry. -Splendid resistance of small garrison against overwhelming -odds.’ It will certainly appear in the Berlin -papers.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>“Then you think we are saved?” said the old man, -with neither emotion nor exultation in his voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Colonel smiled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, Professor,” said he, “I have seen you more -excited on the morning when you brought back <em>Lepidus -Mercerensis</em> in your collecting-box.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The fly was safe in my collecting-box first,” the -entomologist answered. “I have seen so many strange -turns of Fate in my long life that I do not grieve nor -do I rejoice until I know that I have cause. But tell -me the news.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said the Colonel, lighting his long pipe, -and stretching his gaitered legs in the bamboo chair, -“I’ll stake my military reputation that all is well. -They are advancing swiftly, the firing has died down to -show that resistance is at an end, and within an hour -we’ll see them over the brow. Ainslie is to fire his -gun three times from the church tower as a signal, -and then we shall make a little sally on our own -account.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And you are waiting for this signal?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, we are waiting for Ainslie’s shots. I thought -I would spend the time with you, for I had something -to ask you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What was it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, you remember your talk about the other -siege—the siege of Sung-tong. It interests me very -much from a professional point of view. Now that the -ladies and civilians are gone you will have no objection -to discussing it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not a pleasant subject.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I dare say not. Mein Gott! it was indeed a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>tragedy. But you have seen how I have conducted the -defence here. Was it wise? Was it good? Was it -worthy of the traditions of the German army?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think you could have done no more.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Thank you. But this other place, was it as ably -defended? To me a comparison of this sort is very -interesting. Could it have been saved?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No; everything possible was done—save only one -thing.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah! there was one omission. What was it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No one—above all, no woman—should have been -allowed to fall alive into the hands of the Chinese.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Colonel held out his broad red hand and -enfolded the long, white, nervous fingers of the -Professor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are right—a thousand times right. But do -not think that this has escaped my thoughts. For -myself I would die fighting, so would Ralston, so would -Ainslie. I have talked to them, and it is settled. But -the others, I have spoken with them, but what are you -to do? There are the priest, and the missionary, and -the women.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Would they wish to be taken alive?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They would not promise to take steps to prevent -it. They would not lay hands on their own lives. -Their consciences would not permit it. Of course, it is -all over now, and we need not speak of such dreadful -things. But what would you have done in my place?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Kill them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mein Gott! You would murder them?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In mercy I would kill them. Man, I have been -through it. I have seen the death of the hot eggs; I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>have seen the death of the boiling kettle; I have seen -the women—my God! I wonder that I have ever slept -sound again.” His usually impassive face was working -and quivering with the agony of the remembrance. -“I was strapped to a stake with thorns in my eyelids -to keep them open, and my grief at their torture was a -less thing than my self-reproach when I thought that -I could with one tube of tasteless tablets have snatched -them at the last instant from the hands of their tormentors. -Murder! I am ready to stand at the Divine -bar and answer for a thousand murders such as that! -Sin! Why, it is such an act as might well cleanse the -stain of real sin from the soul. But if, knowing what -I do, I should have failed this second time to do it, -then, by Heaven! there is no hell deep enough or hot -enough to receive my guilty craven spirit.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Colonel rose, and again his hand clasped that -of the Professor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You speak sense,” said he. “You are a brave, -strong man, who know your own mind. Yes, by the -Lord! you would have been my great help had things -gone the other way. I have often thought and wondered -in the dark, early hours of the morning, but I did -not know how to do it. But we should have heard -Ainslie’s shots before now; I will go and see.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again the old scientist sat alone with his thoughts. -Finally, as neither the guns of the relieving force nor -yet the signal of their approach sounded upon his ears, -he rose, and was about to go himself upon the ramparts -to make inquiry when the door flew open, and Colonel -Dresler staggered into the room. His face was of a -ghastly yellow-white, and his chest heaved like that of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>a man exhausted with running. There was brandy on -the side-table, and he gulped down a glassful. Then -he dropped heavily into a chair.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said the Professor, coldly, “they are not -coming?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, they cannot come.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was silence for a minute or more, the two -men staring blankly at each other.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do they all know?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No one knows but me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How did you learn?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was at the wall near the postern gate—the little -wooden gate that opens on the rose garden. I saw -something crawling among the bushes. There was a -knocking at the door. I opened it. It was a Christian -Tartar, badly cut about with swords. He had come -from the battle. Commodore Wyndham, the Englishman, -had sent him. The relieving force had been -checked. They had shot away most of their ammunition. -They had entrenched themselves and sent back -to the ships for more. Three days must pass before -they could come. That was all. Mein Gott! it was -enough.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Professor bent his shaggy grey brows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where is the man?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He is dead. He died of loss of blood. His body -lies at the postern gate.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And no one saw him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not to speak to.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh! they did see him, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ainslie must have seen him from the church -tower. He must know that I have had tidings. He -<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>will want to know what they are. If I tell him they -must all know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How long can we hold out?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An hour or two at the most.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is that absolutely certain?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I pledge my credit as a soldier upon it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then we must fall?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, we must fall.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is no hope for us?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“None.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The door flew open and young Ainslie rushed in. -Behind him crowded Ralston, Patterson, and a crowd -of white men and of native Christians.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ve had news, Colonel?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Professor Mercer pushed to the front.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Colonel Dresler has just been telling me. It is -all right. They have halted, but will be here in the -early morning. There is no longer any danger.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A cheer broke from the group in the doorway. -Everyone was laughing and shaking hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But suppose they rush us before to-morrow morning?” -cried Ralston, in a petulant voice. “What -infernal fools these fellows are not to push on! Lazy -devils, they should be court-martialled, every man of -them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s all safe,” said Ainslie. “These fellows have -had a bad knock. We can see their wounded being -carried by the hundred over the hill. They must have -lost heavily. They won’t attack before morning.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no,” said the Colonel; “it is certain that -they won’t attack before morning. None the less, get -back to your posts. We must give no point away.” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>He left the room with the rest, but as he did so he -looked back, and his eyes for an instant met those of -the old Professor. “I leave it in your hands,” was the -message which he flashed. A stern set smile was his -answer.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>The afternoon wore away without the Boxers making -their last attack. To Colonel Dresler it was clear that -the unwonted stillness meant only that they were reassembling -their forces from their fight with the relief -column, and were gathering themselves for the inevitable -and final rush. To all the others it appeared that -the siege was indeed over, and that the assailants had -been crippled by the losses which they had already -sustained. It was a joyous and noisy party, therefore, -which met at the supper-table, when the three bottles -of Lachryma Christi were uncorked and the famous -port of caviare was finally opened. It was a large jar, -and, though each had a tablespoonful of the delicacy, -it was by no means exhausted. Ralston, who was an -epicure, had a double allowance. He pecked away at -it like a hungry bird. Ainslie, too, had a second helping. -The Professor took a large spoonful himself, and -Colonel Dresler, watching him narrowly, did the same. -The ladies ate freely, save only pretty Miss Patterson, -who disliked the salty, pungent taste. In spite of the -hospitable entreaties of the Professor, her portion lay -hardly touched at the side of her plate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You don’t like my little delicacy. It is a disappointment -to me when I had kept it for your -pleasure,” said the old man. “I beg that you will -eat the caviare.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>“I have never tasted it before. No doubt I should -like it in time.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, you must make a beginning. Why not -start to educate your taste now? Do, please!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Pretty Jessie Patterson’s bright face shone with her -sunny, boyish smile.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, how earnest you are!” she laughed. “I -had no idea you were so polite, Professor Mercer. Even -if I do not eat it I am just as grateful.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are foolish not to eat it,” said the Professor, -with such intensity that the smile died from her face -and her eyes reflected the earnestness of his own. “I -tell you it is foolish not to eat caviare to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why—why?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because you have it on your plate. Because it -is sinful to waste it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There! there!” said stout Mrs. Patterson, leaning -across. “Don’t trouble her any more. I can -see that she does not like it. But it shall not be -wasted.” She passed the blade of her knife under it, -and scraped it from Jessie’s plate on to her own. -“Now it won’t be wasted. Your mind will be at -ease, Professor.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But it did not seem at ease. On the contrary, his -face was agitated like that of a man who encounters an -unexpected and formidable obstacle. He was lost in -thought.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conversation buzzed cheerily. Everyone was -full of his future plans.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, there is no holiday for me,” said Father -Pierre. “We priests don’t get holidays. Now that -the mission and school are formed I am to leave it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>to Father Amiel, and to push westwards to found -another.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are leaving?” said Mr. Patterson. “You -don’t mean that you are going away from Ichau?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Father Pierre shook his venerable head in waggish -reproof. “You must not look so pleased, Mr. Patterson.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, well, our views are very different,” said the -Presbyterian, “but there is no personal feeling towards -you, Father Pierre. At the same time, how any -reasonable educated man at this time of the world’s -history can teach these poor benighted heathen -that——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A general buzz of remonstrance silenced the -theology.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What will you do yourself, Mr. Patterson?” asked -someone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I’ll take three months in Edinburgh to -attend the annual meeting. You’ll be glad to do some -shopping in Princes Street, I’m thinking, Mary. And -you, Jessie, you’ll see some folk your own age. Then -we can come back in the fall, when your nerves have -had a rest.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Indeed, we shall all need it,” said Miss Sinclair, -the mission nurse. “You know, this long strain takes -me in the strangest way. At the present moment I -can hear such a buzzing in my ears.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, that’s funny, for it’s just the same with -me,” cried Ainslie. “An absurd up-and-down buzzing, -as if a drunken bluebottle were trying experiments -on his register. As you say, it must be due to -nervous strain. For my part I am going back to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>Peking, and I hope I may get some promotion over -this affair. I can get good polo here, and that’s as -fine a change of thought as I know. How about you, -Ralston?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve hardly had time to think. -I want to have a real good sunny, bright holiday and -forget it all. It was funny to see all the letters in -my room. It looked so black on Wednesday night -that I had settled up my affairs and written to all my -friends. I don’t quite know how they were to be -delivered, but I trusted to luck. I think I will keep -those papers as a souvenir. They will always remind -me of how close a shave we have had.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I would keep them,” said Dresler.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His voice was so deep and solemn that every eye -was turned upon him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it, Colonel? You seem in the blues to-night.” -It was Ainslie who spoke.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no; I am very contented.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, so you should be when you see success in -sight. I am sure we are all indebted to you for your -science and skill. I don’t think we could have held -the place without you. Ladies and gentlemen, I ask -you to drink the health of Colonel Dresler, of the -Imperial German army. <span lang="de" xml:lang="de">Er soll leben—hoch!</span>”</p> - -<p class='c000'>They all stood up and raised their glasses to the -soldier, with smiles and bows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His pale face flushed with professional pride.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have always kept my books with me. I have -forgotten nothing,” said he. “I do not think that -more could be done. If things had gone wrong with -us and the place had fallen you would, I am sure, have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>freed me from any blame or responsibility.” He looked -wistfully round him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’m voicing the sentiments of this company, -Colonel Dresler,” said the Scotch minister, “when I -say——but, Lord save us! what’s amiss with Mr. -Ralston?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had dropped his face upon his folded arms and -was placidly sleeping.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t mind him,” said the Professor, hurriedly. -“We are all in the stage of reaction now. I have no -doubt that we are all liable to collapse. It is only -to-night that we shall feel what we have gone through.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’m sure I can fully sympathize with him,” said -Mrs. Patterson. “I don’t know when I have been -more sleepy. I can hardly hold my own head up.” -She cuddled back in her chair and shut her eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I’ve never known Mary do that before,” -cried her husband, laughing heartily. “Gone to sleep -over her supper! What ever will she think when we -tell her of it afterwards? But the air does seem hot -and heavy. I can certainly excuse any one who falls -asleep to-night. I think that I shall turn in early -myself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ainslie was in a talkative, excited mood. He was -on his feet once more with his glass in his hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think that we ought to have one drink all -together, and then sing ‘Auld Lang Syne,’” said he, -smiling round at the company. “For a week we have -all pulled in the same boat, and we’ve got to know -each other as people never do in the quiet days of -peace. We’ve learned to appreciate each other, and -we’ve learned to appreciate each other’s nations. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>There’s the Colonel here stands for Germany. And -Father Pierre is for France. Then there’s the Professor -for America. Ralston and I are Britishers. -Then there’s the ladies, God bless ’em! They have -been angels of mercy and compassion all through the -siege. I think we should drink the health of the ladies. -Wonderful thing—the quiet courage, the patience, the—what -shall I say?—the fortitude, the—the—by -George, look at the Colonel! He’s gone to sleep, too—most -infernal sleepy weather.” His glass crashed -down upon the table, and he sank back, mumbling and -muttering, into his seat. Miss Sinclair, the pale -mission nurse, had dropped off also. She lay like a -broken lily across the arm of her chair. Mr. Patterson -looked round him and sprang to his feet. He passed -his hand over his flushed forehead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This isn’t natural, Jessie,” he cried. “Why are -they all asleep? There’s Father Pierre—he’s off too. -Jessie, Jessie, your mother is cold. Is it sleep? Is it -death? Open the windows! Help! help! help!” -He staggered to his feet and rushed to the windows, -but midway his head spun round, his knees sank under -him, and he pitched forward upon his face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The young girl had also sprung to her feet. She -looked round her with horror-stricken eyes at her -prostrate father and the silent ring of figures.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Professor Mercer! What is it? What is it?” -she cried. “Oh, my God, they are dying! They are -dead!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The old man had raised himself by a supreme -effort of his will, though the darkness was already -gathering thickly round him.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>“My dear young lady,” he said, stuttering and -stumbling over the words, “we would have spared you -this. It would have been painless to mind and body. -It was cyanide. I had it in the caviare. But you -would not have it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Great Heaven!” She shrank away from him -with dilated eyes. “Oh, you monster! You monster! -You have poisoned them!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no! I saved them. You don’t know the -Chinese. They are horrible. In another hour we -should all have been in their hands. Take it now, -child.” Even as he spoke, a burst of firing broke out -under the very windows of the room. “Hark! There -they are! Quick, dear, quick, you may cheat them -yet!” But his words fell upon deaf ears, for the girl -had sunk back senseless in her chair. The old man -stood listening for an instant to the firing outside. -But what was that? Merciful Father, what was that? -Was he going mad? Was it the effect of the drug? -Surely it was a European cheer? Yes, there were -sharp orders in English. There was the shouting of -sailors. He could no longer doubt it. By some -miracle the relief had come after all. He threw his -long arms upwards in his despair. “What <em>have</em> I -done? Oh, good Lord, what have I done?” he -cried.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>It was Commodore Wyndham himself who was the -first, after his desperate and successful night attack, to -burst into that terrible supper-room. Round the table -sat the white and silent company. Only in the young -girl who moaned and faintly stirred was any sign of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>life to be seen. And yet there was one in the circle -who had the energy for a last supreme duty. The -Commodore, standing stupefied at the door, saw a grey -head slowly lifted from the table, and the tall form of -the Professor staggered for an instant to its feet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Take care of the caviare! For God’s sake, don’t -touch the caviare!” he croaked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then he sank back once more and the circle of -death was complete.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE JAPANNED BOX</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>It <em>was</em> a curious thing, said the private tutor; one of -those grotesque and whimsical incidents which occur to -one as one goes through life. I lost the best situation -which I am ever likely to have through it. But I am -glad that I went to Thorpe Place, for I gained—well, -as I tell you the story you will learn what I gained.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I don’t know whether you are familiar with that -part of the Midlands which is drained by the Avon. -It is the most English part of England. Shakespeare, -the flower of the whole race, was born right in the -middle of it. It is a land of rolling pastures, rising in -higher folds to the westward, until they swell into the -Malvern Hills. There are no towns, but numerous -villages, each with its grey Norman church. You have -left the brick of the southern and eastern counties -behind you, and everything is stone—stone for the -walls, and lichened slabs of stone for the roofs. It is -all grim and solid and massive, as befits the heart of a -great nation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was in the middle of this country, not very far -from Evesham, that Sir John Bollamore lived in the -old ancestral home of Thorpe Place, and thither it was -that I came to teach his two little sons. Sir John was -a widower—his wife had died three years before—and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>he had been left with these two lads aged eight and -ten, and one dear little girl of seven. Miss Witherton, -who is now my wife, was governess to this little girl. -I was tutor to the two boys. Could there be a more -obvious prelude to an engagement? She governs me -now, and I tutor two little boys of our own. But, -there—I have already revealed what it was which I -gained in Thorpe Place!</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a very, very old house, incredibly old—pre-Norman, -some of it—and the Bollamores claimed to -have lived in that situation since long before the -Conquest. It struck a chill to my heart when first I -came there, those enormously thick grey walls, the -rude crumbling stones, the smell as from a sick animal -which exhaled from the rotting plaster of the aged -building. But the modern wing was bright and the -garden was well kept. No house could be dismal -which had a pretty girl inside it and such a show of -roses in front.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Apart from a very complete staff of servants there -were only four of us in the household. These were -Miss Witherton, who was at that time four-and-twenty -and as pretty—well, as pretty as Mrs. Colmore is now—myself, -Frank Colmore, aged thirty, Mrs. Stevens, -the housekeeper, a dry, silent woman, and Mr. Richards, -a tall, military-looking man, who acted as steward to -the Bollamore estates. We four always had our meals -together, but Sir John had his usually alone in the -library. Sometimes he joined us at dinner, but on the -whole we were just as glad when he did not.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For he was a very formidable person. Imagine a -man six feet three inches in height, majestically built, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>with a high-nosed, aristocratic face, brindled hair, -shaggy eyebrows, a small, pointed Mephistophelian -beard, and lines upon his brow and round his eyes as -deep as if they had been carved with a penknife. He -had grey eyes, weary, hopeless-looking eyes, proud and -yet pathetic, eyes which claimed your pity and yet -dared you to show it. His back was rounded with -study, but otherwise he was as fine a looking man of -his age—five-and-fifty perhaps—as any woman would -wish to look upon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But his presence was not a cheerful one. He was -always courteous, always refined, but singularly silent -and retiring. I have never lived so long with any man -and known so little of him. If he were indoors he -spent his time either in his own small study in the -Eastern Tower, or in the library in the modern wing. -So regular was his routine that one could always say -at any hour exactly where he would be. Twice in the -day he would visit his study, once after breakfast, and -once about ten at night. You might set your watch -by the slam of the heavy door. For the rest of the -day he would be in his library—save that for an hour -or two in the afternoon he would take a walk or a ride, -which was solitary like the rest of his existence. He -loved his children, and was keenly interested in the -progress of their studies, but they were a little awed -by the silent, shaggy-browed figure, and they avoided -him as much as they could. Indeed, we all did that.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was some time before I came to know anything -about the circumstances of Sir John Bollamore’s life, -for Mrs. Stevens, the housekeeper, and Mr. Richards, -the land-steward, were too loyal to talk easily of their -<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>employer’s affairs. As to the governess, she knew no -more than I did, and our common interest was one of -the causes which drew us together. At last, however, -an incident occurred which led to a closer acquaintance -with Mr. Richards and a fuller knowledge of the life of -the man whom I served.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The immediate cause of this was no less than the -falling of Master Percy, the youngest of my pupils, -into the mill-race, with imminent danger both to his -life and to mine, since I had to risk myself in order -to save him. Dripping and exhausted—for I was far -more spent than the child—I was making for my room -when Sir John, who had heard the hubbub, opened the -door of his little study and asked me what was the -matter. I told him of the accident, but assured him -that his child was in no danger, while he listened with -a rugged, immobile face, which expressed in its intense -eyes and tightened lips all the emotion which he tried -to conceal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One moment! Step in here! Let me have the -details!” said he, turning back through the open -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so I found myself within that little sanctum, -inside which, as I afterwards learned, no other foot had -for three years been set save that of the old servant -who cleaned it out. It was a round room, conforming -to the shape of the tower in which it was situated, with -a low ceiling, a single narrow, ivy-wreathed window, -and the simplest of furniture. An old carpet, a single -chair, a deal table, and a small shelf of books made up -the whole contents. On the table stood a full-length -photograph of a woman—I took no particular notice of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>the features, but I remember that a certain gracious -gentleness was the prevailing impression. Beside it -were a large black japanned box and one or two -bundles of letters or papers fastened together with -elastic bands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Our interview was a short one, for Sir John Bollamore -perceived that I was soaked, and that I should -change without delay. The incident led, however, to -an instructive talk with Richards, the agent, who had -never penetrated into the chamber which chance had -opened to me. That very afternoon he came to me, -all curiosity, and walked up and down the garden path -with me, while my two charges played tennis upon the -lawn beside us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You hardly realize the exception which has been -made in your favour,” said he. “That room has been -kept such a mystery, and Sir John’s visits to it have -been so regular and consistent, that an almost superstitious -feeling has arisen about it in the household. -I assure you that if I were to repeat to you the tales -which are flying about, tales of mysterious visitors -there, and of voices overheard by the servants, you -might suspect that Sir John had relapsed into his -old ways.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why do you say relapsed?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He looked at me in surprise.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is it possible,” said he, “that Sir John Bollamore’s -previous history is unknown to you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Absolutely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You astound me. I thought that every man in -England knew something of his antecedents. I should -not mention the matter if it were not that you are now -<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>one of ourselves, and that the facts might come to your -ears in some harsher form if I were silent upon them. -I always took it for granted that you knew that you -were in the service of ‘Devil’ Bollamore.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why ‘Devil’?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah, you are young and the world moves fast, but -twenty years ago the name of ‘Devil’ Bollamore was -one of the best known in London. He was the leader -of the fastest set, bruiser, driver, gambler, drunkard—a -survival of the old type, and as bad as the worst -of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I stared at him in amazement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What!” I cried, “that quiet, studious, sad-faced -man?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The greatest rip and debauchee in England! All -between ourselves, Colmore. But you understand now -what I mean when I say that a woman’s voice in his -room might even now give rise to suspicions.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But what can have changed him so?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Little Beryl Clare, when she took the risk of -becoming his wife. That was the turning point. He -had got so far that his own fast set had thrown him -over. There is a world of difference, you know, -between a man who drinks and a drunkard. They all -drink, but they taboo a drunkard. He had become -a slave to it—hopeless and helpless. Then she stepped -in, saw the possibilities of a fine man in the wreck, -took her chance in marrying him, though she might -have had the pick of a dozen, and, by devoting her -life to it, brought him back to manhood and decency. -You have observed that no liquor is ever kept in the -house. There never has been any since her foot -<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>crossed its threshold. A drop of it would be like -blood to a tiger even now.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then her influence still holds him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is the wonder of it. When she died three -years ago, we all expected and feared that he would -fall back into his old ways. She feared it herself, and -the thought gave a terror to death, for she was like -a guardian angel to that man, and lived only for the -one purpose. By the way, did you see a black japanned -box in his room?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I fancy it contains her letters. If ever he has -occasion to be away, if only for a single night, he -invariably takes his black japanned box with him. -Well, well, Colmore, perhaps I have told you rather -more than I should, but I shall expect you to reciprocate -if anything of interest should come to your knowledge.” -I could see that the worthy man was consumed -with curiosity and just a little piqued that I, the new-comer, -should have been the first to penetrate into the -untrodden chamber. But the fact raised me in his -esteem, and from that time onwards I found myself -upon more confidential terms with him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And now the silent and majestic figure of my -employer became an object of greater interest to me. -I began to understand that strangely human look in -his eyes, those deep lines upon his careworn face. He -was a man who was fighting a ceaseless battle, holding -at arm’s length, from morning till night, a horrible -adversary, who was for ever trying to close with him—an -adversary which would destroy him body and soul -could it but fix its claws once more upon him. As -<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>I watched the grim, round-backed figure pacing the -corridor or walking in the garden, this imminent -danger seemed to take bodily shape, and I could -almost fancy that I saw this most loathsome and -dangerous of all the fiends crouching closely in his -very shadow, like a half-cowed beast which slinks -beside its keeper, ready at any unguarded moment to -spring at his throat. And the dead woman, the woman -who had spent her life in warding off this danger, took -shape also to my imagination, and I saw her as a -shadowy but beautiful presence which intervened for -ever with arms uplifted to screen the man whom she -loved.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In some subtle way he divined the sympathy -which I had for him, and he showed in his own silent -fashion that he appreciated it. He even invited me -once to share his afternoon walk, and although no word -passed between us on this occasion, it was a mark of -confidence which he had never shown to any one before. -He asked me also to index his library (it was one of -the best private libraries in England), and I spent -many hours in the evening in his presence, if not in -his society, he reading at his desk and I sitting in a -recess by the window reducing to order the chaos -which existed among his books. In spite of these -close relations I was never again asked to enter the -chamber in the turret.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then came my revulsion of feeling. A single -incident changed all my sympathy to loathing, and -made me realize that my employer still remained all -that he had ever been, with the additional vice of -hypocrisy. What happened was as follows.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>One evening Miss Witherton had gone down to -Broadway, the neighbouring village, to sing at a concert -for some charity, and I, according to my promise, -had walked over to escort her back. The drive sweeps -round under the eastern turret, and I observed as I -passed that the light was lit in the circular room. It -was a summer evening, and the window, which was -a little higher than our heads, was open. We were, -as it happened, engrossed in our own conversation at -the moment, and we had paused upon the lawn which -skirts the old turret, when suddenly something broke -in upon our talk and turned our thoughts away from -our own affairs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a voice—the voice undoubtedly of a woman. -It was low—so low that it was only in that still night -air that we could have heard it, but, hushed as it was, -there was no mistaking its feminine timbre. It spoke -hurriedly, gaspingly for a few sentences, and then was -silent—a piteous, breathless, imploring sort of voice. -Miss Witherton and I stood for an instant staring at -each other. Then we walked quickly in the direction -of the hall-door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It came through the window,” I said.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We must not play the part of eavesdroppers,” -she answered. “We must forget that we have ever -heard it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was an absence of surprise in her manner -which suggested a new idea to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have heard it before,” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I could not help it. My own room is higher up -on the same turret. It has happened frequently.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who can the woman be?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>“I have no idea. I had rather not discuss it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Her voice was enough to show me what she thought. -But granting that our employer led a double and dubious -life, who could she be, this mysterious woman who kept -him company in the old tower? I knew from my own -inspection how bleak and bare a room it was. She certainly -did not live there. But in that case where did -she come from? It could not be any one of the household. -They were all under the vigilant eyes of Mrs. -Stevens. The visitor must come from without. But -how?</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then suddenly I remembered how ancient this -building was, and how probable that some mediæval -passage existed in it. There is hardly an old castle -without one. The mysterious room was the basement -of the turret, so that if there were anything of the sort -it would open through the floor. There were numerous -cottages in the immediate vicinity. The other end of -the secret passage might lie among some tangle of -bramble in the neighbouring copse. I said nothing to -any one, but I felt that the secret of my employer lay -within my power.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And the more convinced I was of this the more I -marvelled at the manner in which he concealed his true -nature. Often as I watched his austere figure, I asked -myself if it were indeed possible that such a man should -be living this double life, and I tried to persuade myself -that my suspicions might after all prove to be ill-founded. -But there was the female voice, there was -the secret nightly rendezvous in the turret chamber—how -could such facts admit of an innocent -interpretation? I conceived a horror of the man. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>I was filled with loathing at his deep, consistent -hypocrisy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Only once during all those months did I ever see -him without that sad but impassive mask which he -usually presented towards his fellow-man. For an -instant I caught a glimpse of those volcanic fires which -he had damped down so long. The occasion was an -unworthy one, for the object of his wrath was none -other than the aged charwoman whom I have already -mentioned as being the one person who was allowed -within his mysterious chamber. I was passing the -corridor which led to the turret—for my own room lay -in that direction—when I heard a sudden, startled -scream, and merged in it the husky, growling note of a -man who is inarticulate with passion. It was the -snarl of a furious wild beast. Then I heard his voice -thrilling with anger. “You would dare!” he cried. -“You would dare to disobey my directions!” An -instant later the charwoman passed me, flying down -the passage, white faced and tremulous, while the -terrible voice thundered behind her. “Go to Mrs. -Stevens for your money! Never set foot in Thorpe -Place again!” Consumed with curiosity, I could not -help following the woman, and found her round the -corner leaning against the wall and palpitating like a -frightened rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is the matter, Mrs. Brown?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s master!” she gasped. “Oh ’ow ’e frightened -me! If you had seen ’is eyes, Mr. Colmore, sir. I -thought ’e would ’ave been the death of me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But what had you done?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Done, sir! Nothing. At least nothing to make -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>so much of. Just laid my ’and on that black box of ’is—’adn’t -even opened it, when in ’e came and you ’eard -the way ’e went on. I’ve lost my place, and glad I am -of it, for I would never trust myself within reach of ’im -again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>So it was the japanned box which was the cause of -this outburst—the box from which he would never -permit himself to be separated. What was the connection, -or was there any connection between this and -the secret visits of the lady whose voice I had overheard? -Sir John Bollamore’s wrath was enduring as -well as fiery, for from that day Mrs. Brown, the charwoman, -vanished from our ken, and Thorpe Place knew -her no more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And now I wish to tell you the singular chance -which solved all these strange questions and put my -employer’s secret in my possession. The story may -leave you with some lingering doubt as to whether my -curiosity did not get the better of my honour, and -whether I did not condescend to play the spy. If you -choose to think so I cannot help it, but can only assure -you that, improbable as it may appear, the matter came -about exactly as I describe it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first stage in this <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">dénouement</span></i> was that the -small room on the turret became uninhabitable. This -occurred through the fall of the worm-eaten oaken -beam which supported the ceiling. Rotten with age, -it snapped in the middle one morning, and brought -down a quantity of plaster with it. Fortunately Sir -John was not in the room at the time. His precious -box was rescued from amongst the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</span></i> and brought -into the library, where, henceforward, it was locked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>within his bureau. Sir John took no steps to repair -the damage, and I never had an opportunity of searching -for that secret passage, the existence of which I had -surmised. As to the lady, I had thought that this -would have brought her visits to an end, had I not one -evening heard Mr. Richards asking Mrs. Stevens who -the woman was whom he had overheard talking to Sir -John in the library. I could not catch her reply, but -I saw from her manner that it was not the first time -that she had had to answer or avoid the same question.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ve heard the voice, Colmore?” said the -agent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I confessed that I had.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And what do <em>you</em> think of it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I shrugged my shoulders, and remarked that it was -no business of mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come, come, you are just as curious as any of us. -Is it a woman or not?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is certainly a woman.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Which room did you hear it from?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“From the turret-room, before the ceiling fell.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But I heard it from the library only last night. I -passed the doors as I was going to bed, and I heard -something wailing and praying just as plainly as I hear -you. It may be a woman——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, what else <em>could</em> it be?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He looked at me hard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There are more things in heaven and earth,” said -he. “If it is a woman, how does she get there?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, nor I. But if it is the other thing—but -there, for a practical business man at the end of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>nineteenth century this is rather a ridiculous line of -conversation.” He turned away, but I saw that he -felt even more than he had said. To all the old ghost -stories of Thorpe Place a new one was being added -before our very eyes. It may by this time have taken -its permanent place, for though an explanation came to -me, it never reached the others.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And my explanation came in this way. I had -suffered a sleepless night from neuralgia, and about -mid-day I had taken a heavy dose of chlorodyne to -alleviate the pain. At that time I was finishing the -indexing of Sir John Bollamore’s library, and it was my -custom to work there from five till seven. On this -particular day I struggled against the double effect -of my bad night and the narcotic. I have already -mentioned that there was a recess in the library, and -in this it was my habit to work. I settled down -steadily to my task, but my weariness overcame me -and, falling back upon the settee, I dropped into a -heavy sleep.</p> - -<p class='c000'>How long I slept I do not know, but it was quite -dark when I awoke. Confused by the chlorodyne -which I had taken, I lay motionless in a semi-conscious -state. The great room with its high walls covered with -books loomed darkly all round me. A dim radiance -from the moonlight came through the farther window, -and against this lighter background I saw that Sir -John Bollamore was sitting at his study table. His -well-set head and clearly cut profile were sharply outlined -against the glimmering square behind him. He -bent as I watched him, and I heard the sharp turning -of a key and the rasping of metal upon metal. As if -<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>in a dream I was vaguely conscious that this was the -japanned box which stood in front of him, and that he -had drawn something out of it, something squat and -uncouth, which now lay before him upon the table. I -never realized—it never occurred to my bemuddled and -torpid brain that I was intruding upon his privacy, -that he imagined himself to be alone in the room. -And then, just as it rushed upon my horrified perceptions, -and I had half risen to announce my presence, -I heard a strange, crisp, metallic clicking, and then -the voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Yes, it was a woman’s voice; there could not be a -doubt of it. But a voice so charged with entreaty -and with yearning love, that it will ring for ever in my -ears. It came with a curious far-away tinkle, but every -word was clear, though faint—very faint, for they were -the last words of a dying woman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am not really gone, John,” said the thin, gasping -voice. “I am here at your very elbow, and shall be -until we meet once more. I die happy to think that -morning and night you will hear my voice. Oh, John, -be strong, be strong, until we meet again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I say that I had risen in order to announce my -presence, but I could not do so while the voice was -sounding. I could only remain half lying, half sitting, -paralyzed, astounded, listening to those yearning distant -musical words. And he—he was so absorbed that -even if I had spoken he might not have heard me. But -with the silence of the voice came my half articulated -apologies and explanations. He sprang across the room, -switched on the electric light, and in its white glare I -saw him, his eyes gleaming with anger, his face twisted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>with passion, as the hapless charwoman may have seen -him weeks before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mr. Colmore!” he cried. “You here! What is -the meaning of this, sir?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>With halting words I explained it all, my neuralgia, -the narcotic, my luckless sleep and singular awakening. -As he listened the glow of anger faded from his face, and -the sad, impassive mask closed once more over his -features.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My secret is yours, Mr. Colmore,” said he. “I -have only myself to blame for relaxing my precautions. -Half confidences are worse than no confidences, and so -you may know all since you know so much. The story -may go where you will when I have passed away, but -until then I rely upon your sense of honour that no -human soul shall hear it from your lips. I am proud -still—God help me!—or, at least, I am proud enough -to resent that pity which this story would draw upon -me. I have smiled at envy, and disregarded hatred, -but pity is more than I can tolerate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have heard the source from which the voice -comes—that voice which has, as I understand, excited -so much curiosity in my household. I am aware of the -rumours to which it has given rise. These speculations, -whether scandalous or superstitious, are such as I can -disregard and forgive. What I should never forgive -would be a disloyal spying and eavesdropping in order -to satisfy an illicit curiosity. But of that, Mr. Colmore, -I acquit you.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When I was a young man, sir, many years -younger than you are now, I was launched upon town -without a friend or adviser, and with a purse which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>brought only too many false friends and false advisers -to my side. I drank deeply of the wine of life—if there -is a man living who has drank more deeply he is not a -man whom I envy. My purse suffered, my character -suffered, my constitution suffered, stimulants became -a necessity to me, I was a creature from whom my -memory recoils. And it was at that time, the time -of my blackest degradation, that God sent into my life -the gentlest, sweetest spirit that ever descended as a -ministering angel from above. She loved me, broken -as I was, loved me, and spent her life in making a man -once more of that which had degraded itself to the level -of the beasts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But a fell disease struck her, and she withered -away before my eyes. In the hour of her agony it was -never of herself, of her own sufferings and her own -death that she thought. It was all of me. The one -pang which her fate brought to her was the fear that -when her influence was removed I should revert to -that which I had been. It was in vain that I made -oath to her that no drop of wine would ever cross my -lips. She knew only too well the hold that the devil -had upon me—she who had striven so to loosen it—and -it haunted her night and day the thought that my soul -might again be within his grip.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was from some friend’s gossip of the sick room -that she heard of this invention—this phonograph—and -with the quick insight of a loving woman she saw -how she might use it for her ends. She sent me to -London to procure the best which money could buy. -With her dying breath she gasped into it the words -which have held me straight ever since. Lonely and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>broken, what else have I in all the world to uphold -me? But it is enough. Please God, I shall face her -without shame when He is pleased to reunite us! That -is my secret, Mr. Colmore, and whilst I live I leave it -in your keeping.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE BLACK DOCTOR</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>Bishop’s Crossing is a small village lying ten miles -in a south-westerly direction from Liverpool. Here -in the early seventies there settled a doctor named -Aloysius Lana. Nothing was known locally either of -his antecedents or of the reasons which had prompted -him to come to this Lancashire hamlet. Two facts -only were certain about him: the one that he had -gained his medical qualification with some distinction -at Glasgow; the other that he came undoubtedly of a -tropical race, and was so dark that he might almost -have had a strain of the Indian in his composition. -His predominant features were, however, European, -and he possessed a stately courtesy and carriage which -suggested a Spanish extraction. A swarthy skin, -raven-black hair, and dark, sparkling eyes under a -pair of heavily-tufted brows made a strange contrast -to the flaxen or chestnut rustics of England, and the -new-comer was soon known as “The Black Doctor of -Bishop’s Crossing.” At first it was a term of ridicule -and reproach; as the years went on it became a title of -honour which was familiar to the whole country-side, and -extended far beyond the narrow confines of the village.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For the new-comer proved himself to be a capable -surgeon and an accomplished physician. The practice -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>of that district had been in the hands of Edward Rowe, -the son of Sir William Rowe, the Liverpool consultant, -but he had not inherited the talents of his father, and -Dr. Lana, with his advantages of presence and of -manner, soon beat him out of the field. Dr. Lana’s -social success was as rapid as his professional. A -remarkable surgical cure in the case of the Hon. James -Lowry, the second son of Lord Belton, was the means -of introducing him to county society, where he became -a favourite through the charm of his conversation and -the elegance of his manners. An absence of antecedents -and of relatives is sometimes an aid rather -than an impediment to social advancement, and the -distinguished individuality of the handsome doctor was -its own recommendation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His patients had one fault—and one fault only—to -find with him. He appeared to be a confirmed -bachelor. This was the more remarkable since the -house which he occupied was a large one, and it was -known that his success in practice had enabled him -to save considerable sums. At first the local match-makers -were continually coupling his name with one -or other of the eligible ladies, but as years passed and -Dr. Lana remained unmarried, it came to be generally -understood that for some reason he must remain a -bachelor. Some even went so far as to assert that he -was already married, and that it was in order to escape -the consequence of an early misalliance that he had -buried himself at Bishop’s Crossing. And then, just -as the match-makers had finally given him up in -despair, his engagement was suddenly announced to -Miss Frances Morton, of Leigh Hall.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>Miss Morton was a young lady who was well -known upon the country-side, her father, James -Haldane Morton, having been the Squire of Bishop’s -Crossing. Both her parents were, however, dead, and -she lived with her only brother, Arthur Morton, who -had inherited the family estate. In person Miss -Morton was tall and stately, and she was famous for -her quick, impetuous nature and for her strength of -character. She met Dr. Lana at a garden-party, and -a friendship, which quickly ripened into love, sprang -up between them. Nothing could exceed their devotion -to each other. There was some discrepancy in -age, he being thirty-seven, and she twenty-four; but, -save in that one respect, there was no possible objection -to be found with the match. The engagement -was in February, and it was arranged that the marriage -should take place in August.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Upon the 3rd of June Dr. Lana received a letter -from abroad. In a small village the postmaster is also -in a position to be the gossip-master, and Mr. Bankley, -of Bishop’s Crossing, had many of the secrets of his -neighbours in his possession. Of this particular letter -he remarked only that it was in a curious envelope, -that it was in a man’s handwriting, that the postscript -was Buenos Ayres, and the stamp of the Argentine -Republic. It was the first letter which he had ever -known Dr. Lana to have from abroad, and this was the -reason why his attention was particularly called to it -before he handed it to the local postman. It was -delivered by the evening delivery of that date.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Next morning—that is, upon the 4th of June—Dr. -Lana called upon Miss Morton, and a long interview -<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>followed, from which he was observed to return in a -state of great agitation. Miss Morton remained in her -room all that day, and her maid found her several -times in tears. In the course of a week it was an open -secret to the whole village that the engagement was at -an end, that Dr. Lana had behaved shamefully to the -young lady, and that Arthur Morton, her brother, was -talking of horse-whipping him. In what particular -respect the doctor had behaved badly was unknown—some -surmised one thing and some another; but it was -observed, and taken as the obvious sign of a guilty -conscience, that he would go for miles round rather -than pass the windows of Leigh Hall, and that he gave -up attending morning service upon Sundays where he -might have met the young lady. There was an advertisement -also in the <cite>Lancet</cite> as to the sale of a practice -which mentioned no names, but which was thought by -some to refer to Bishop’s Crossing, and to mean that -Dr. Lana was thinking of abandoning the scene of his -success. Such was the position of affairs when, upon -the evening of Monday, June 21st, there came a fresh -development which changed what had been a mere -village scandal into a tragedy which arrested the attention -of the whole nation. Some detail is necessary to -cause the facts of that evening to present their full -significance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The sole occupants of the doctor’s house were his -housekeeper, an elderly and most respectable woman, -named Martha Woods, and a young servant—Mary -Pilling. The coachman and the surgery-boy slept out. -It was the custom of the doctor to sit at night in his -study, which was next the surgery in the wing of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>house which was farthest from the servants’ quarters. -This side of the house had a door of its own for the -convenience of patients, so that it was possible for the -doctor to admit and receive a visitor there without -the knowledge of any one. As a matter of fact, when -patients came late it was quite usual for him to let -them in and out by the surgery entrance, for the maid -and the housekeeper were in the habit of retiring -early.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On this particular night Martha Woods went into -the doctor’s study at half-past nine, and found him -writing at his desk. She bade him good-night, sent -the maid to bed, and then occupied herself until a -quarter to eleven in household matters. It was striking -eleven upon the hall clock when she went to her -own room. She had been there about a quarter of an -hour or twenty minutes when she heard a cry or call, -which appeared to come from within the house. She -waited some time, but it was not repeated. Much -alarmed, for the sound was loud and urgent, she put -on a dressing-gown, and ran at the top of her speed to -the doctor’s study.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who’s there?” cried a voice, as she tapped at the -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am here, sir—Mrs. Woods.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I beg that you will leave me in peace. Go back -to your room this instant!” cried the voice, which -was, to the best of her belief, that of her master. The -tone was so harsh and so unlike her master’s usual -manner, that she was surprised and hurt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I thought I heard you calling, sir,” she explained, -but no answer was given to her. Mrs. Woods looked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>at the clock as she returned to her room, and it was -then half-past eleven.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At some period between eleven and twelve (she -could not be positive as to the exact hour) a patient -called upon the doctor and was unable to get any reply -from him. This late visitor was Mrs. Madding, the -wife of the village grocer who was dangerously ill of -typhoid fever. Dr. Lana had asked her to look in the -last thing and let him know how her husband was -progressing. She observed that the light was burning -in the study, but having knocked several times -at the surgery door without response, she concluded -that the doctor had been called out, and so returned -home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There is a short, winding drive with a lamp at the -end of it leading down from the house to the road. As -Mrs. Madding emerged from the gate a man was -coming along the footpath. Thinking that it might be -Dr. Lana returning from some professional visit, she -waited for him, and was surprised to see that it was -Mr. Arthur Morton, the young squire. In the light of -the lamp she observed that his manner was excited, -and that he carried in his hand a heavy hunting-crop. -He was turning in at the gate when she addressed -him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The doctor is not in, sir,” said she.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How do you know that?” he asked, harshly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have been to the surgery door, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I see a light,” said the young squire, looking up -the drive. “That is in his study, is it not?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir; but I am sure that he is out.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, he must come in again,” said young Morton, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>and passed through the gate while Mrs. Madding went -upon her homeward way.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At three o’clock that morning her husband suffered -a sharp relapse, and she was so alarmed by his symptoms -that she determined to call the doctor without -delay. As she passed through the gate she was surprised -to see some one lurking among the laurel bushes. -It was certainly a man, and to the best of her belief -Mr. Arthur Morton. Preoccupied with her own -troubles, she gave no particular attention to the -incident, but hurried on upon her errand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When she reached the house she perceived to her -surprise that the light was still burning in the study. -She therefore tapped at the surgery door. There was -no answer. She repeated the knocking several times -without effect. It appeared to her to be unlikely that -the doctor would either go to bed or go out leaving so -brilliant a light behind him, and it struck Mrs. Madding -that it was possible that he might have dropped -asleep in his chair. She tapped at the study window, -therefore, but without result. Then, finding that there -was an opening between the curtain and the woodwork, -she looked through.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The small room was brilliantly lighted from a large -lamp on the central table, which was littered with the -doctor’s books and instruments. No one was visible, -nor did she see anything unusual, except that in the -further shadow thrown by the table a dingy white -glove was lying upon the carpet. And then suddenly, -as her eyes became more accustomed to the light, a -boot emerged from the other end of the shadow, and -she realized, with a thrill of horror, that what she had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>taken to be a glove was the hand of a man, who was -prostrate upon the floor. Understanding that something -terrible had occurred, she rang at the front door, -roused Mrs. Woods, the housekeeper, and the two -women made their way into the study, having first -dispatched the maidservant to the police-station.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the side of the table, away from the window, -Dr. Lana was discovered stretched upon his back and -quite dead. It was evident that he had been subjected -to violence, for one of his eyes was blackened, -and there were marks of bruises about his face and -neck. A slight thickening and swelling of his features -appeared to suggest that the cause of his death had -been strangulation. He was dressed in his usual professional -clothes, but wore cloth slippers, the soles of -which were perfectly clean. The carpet was marked -all over, especially on the side of the door, with traces -of dirty boots, which were presumably left by the -murderer. It was evident that some one had entered -by the surgery door, had killed the doctor, and had -then made his escape unseen. That the assailant was -a man was certain, from the size of the footprints and -from the nature of the injuries. But beyond that -point the police found it very difficult to go.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were no signs of robbery, and the doctor’s -gold watch was safe in his pocket. He kept a heavy -cash-box in the room, and this was discovered to be -locked but empty. Mrs. Woods had an impression -that a large sum was usually kept there, but the -doctor had paid a heavy corn bill in cash only that -very day, and it was conjectured that it was to this -and not to a robber that the emptiness of the box -<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>was due. One thing in the room was missing—but -that one thing was suggestive. The portrait of Miss -Morton, which had always stood upon the side-table, -had been taken from its frame, and carried off. Mrs. -Woods had observed it there when she waited upon -her employer that evening, and now it was gone. On -the other hand, there was picked up from the floor -a green eye-patch, which the housekeeper could not -remember to have seen before. Such a patch might, -however, be in the possession of a doctor, and there -was nothing to indicate that it was in any way -connected with the crime.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Suspicion could only turn in one direction, and -Arthur Morton, the young squire, was immediately -arrested. The evidence against him was circumstantial, -but damning. He was devoted to his sister, -and it was shown that since the rupture between her -and Dr. Lana he had been heard again and again to -express himself in the most vindictive terms towards -her former lover. He had, as stated, been seen somewhere -about eleven o’clock entering the doctor’s drive -with a hunting-crop in his hand. He had then, according -to the theory of the police, broken in upon the -doctor, whose exclamation of fear or of anger had been -loud enough to attract the attention of Mrs. Woods. -When Mrs. Woods descended, Dr. Lana had made -up his mind to talk it over with his visitor, and had, -therefore, sent his housekeeper back to her room. -This conversation had lasted a long time, had become -more and more fiery, and had ended by a personal -struggle, in which the doctor lost his life. The fact, -revealed by a <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">post-mortem</span></i>, that his heart was much -<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>diseased—an ailment quite unsuspected during his life—would -make it possible that death might in his case -ensue from injuries which would not be fatal to a -healthy man. Arthur Morton had then removed his -sister’s photograph, and had made his way homeward, -stepping aside into the laurel bushes to avoid Mrs. -Madding at the gate. This was the theory of the prosecution, -and the case which they presented was a -formidable one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the other hand, there were some strong points -for the defence. Morton was high-spirited and impetuous, -like his sister, but he was respected and liked -by everyone, and his frank and honest nature seemed -to be incapable of such a crime. His own explanation -was that he was anxious to have a conversation with -Dr. Lana about some urgent family matters (from first -to last he refused even to mention the name of his -sister). He did not attempt to deny that this conversation -would probably have been of an unpleasant -nature. He had heard from a patient that the doctor -was out, and he therefore waited until about three in -the morning for his return, but as he had seen nothing -of him up to that hour, he had given it up and had -returned home. As to his death, he knew no more -about it than the constable who arrested him. He -had formerly been an intimate friend of the deceased -man; but circumstances, which he would prefer -not to mention, had brought about a change in his -sentiments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were several facts which supported his -innocence. It was certain that Dr. Lana was alive -and in his study at half-past eleven o’clock. Mrs. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>Woods was prepared to swear that it was at that hour -that she had heard his voice. The friends of the -prisoner contended that it was probable that at that -time Dr. Lana was not alone. The sound which had -originally attracted the attention of the housekeeper, -and her master’s unusual impatience that she should -leave him in peace, seemed to point to that. If this -were so, then it appeared to be probable that he had -met his end between the moment when the housekeeper -heard his voice and the time when Mrs. -Madding made her first call and found it impossible -to attract his attention. But if this were the time of -his death, then it was certain that Mr. Arthur Morton -could not be guilty, as it was <em>after</em> this that she had -met the young squire at the gate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If this hypothesis were correct, and someone was -with Dr. Lana before Mrs. Madding met Mr. Arthur -Morton, then who was this someone, and what -motives had he for wishing evil to the doctor? It -was universally admitted that if the friends of the -accused could throw light upon this, they would have -gone a long way towards establishing his innocence. -But in the meanwhile it was open to the public to -say—as they did say—that there was no proof that -any one had been there at all except the young squire; -while, on the other hand, there was ample proof that -his motives in going were of a sinister kind. When -Mrs. Madding called, the doctor might have retired -to his room, or he might, as she thought at the time, -have gone out and returned afterwards to find Mr. -Arthur Morton waiting for him. Some of the supporters -of the accused laid stress upon the fact that the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>photograph of his sister Frances, which had been removed -from the doctor’s room, had not been found in her -brother’s possession. This argument, however, did not -count for much, as he had ample time before his arrest -to burn it or to destroy it. As to the only positive -evidence in the case—the muddy footmarks upon the -floor—they were so blurred by the softness of the -carpet that it was impossible to make any trustworthy -deduction from them. The most that could be said -was that their appearance was not inconsistent with -the theory that they were made by the accused, and -it was further shown that his boots were very muddy -upon that night. There had been a heavy shower in -the afternoon, and all boots were probably in the same -condition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such is a bald statement of the singular and -romantic series of events which centred public attention -upon this Lancashire tragedy. The unknown -origin of the doctor, his curious and distinguished -personality, the position of the man who was accused -of the murder, and the love affair which had preceded -the crime, all combined to make the affair one of those -dramas which absorb the whole interest of a nation. -Throughout the three kingdoms men discussed the case -of the Black Doctor of Bishop’s Crossing, and many -were the theories put forward to explain the facts; but -it may safely be said that among them all there was -not one which prepared the minds of the public for the -extraordinary sequel, which caused so much excitement -upon the first day of the trial, and came to a -climax upon the second. The long files of the <cite>Lancaster -Weekly</cite> with their report of the case lie before -<span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>me as I write, but I must content myself with a -synopsis of the case up to the point when, upon -the evening of the first day, the evidence of Miss -Frances Morton threw a singular light upon the -case.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Porlock Carr, the counsel for the prosecution, -had marshalled his facts with his usual skill, and as -the day wore on, it became more and more evident how -difficult was the task which Mr. Humphrey, who had -been retained for the defence, had before him. Several -witnesses were put up to swear to the intemperate -expressions which the young squire had been heard to -utter about the doctor, and the fiery manner in which -he resented the alleged ill-treatment of his sister. -Mrs. Madding repeated her evidence as to the visit -which had been paid late at night by the prisoner to -the deceased, and it was shown by another witness -that the prisoner was aware that the doctor was in the -habit of sitting up alone in this isolated wing of the -house, and that he had chosen this very late hour to -call because he knew that his victim would then be at -his mercy. A servant at the squire’s house was compelled -to admit that he had heard his master return -about three that morning, which corroborated Mrs. -Madding’s statement that she had seen him among the -laurel bushes near the gate upon the occasion of her -second visit. The muddy boots and an alleged similarity -in the footprints were duly dwelt upon, and it -was felt when the case for the prosecution had been -presented that, however circumstantial it might be, it -was none the less so complete and so convincing, that -the fate of the prisoner was sealed, unless something -<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>quite unexpected should be disclosed by the defence. -It was three o’clock when the prosecution closed. At -half-past four, when the Court rose, a new and unlooked -for development had occurred. I extract the -incident, or part of it, from the journal which I have -already mentioned, omitting the preliminary observations -of the counsel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Considerable sensation was caused in the crowded -court when the first witness called for the defence -proved to be Miss Frances Morton, the sister of the -prisoner. Our readers will remember that the young -lady had been engaged to Dr. Lana, and that it was -his anger over the sudden termination of this engagement -which was thought to have driven her brother -to the perpetration of this crime. Miss Morton had -not, however, been directly implicated in the case in -any way, either at the inquest or at the police-court -proceedings, and her appearance as the leading -witness for the defence came as a surprise upon the -public.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Frances Morton, who was a tall and handsome -brunette, gave her evidence in a low but clear -voice, though it was evident throughout that she was -suffering from extreme emotion. She alluded to her -engagement to the doctor, touched briefly upon its -termination, which was due, she said, to personal -matters connected with his family, and surprised the -Court by asserting that she had always considered her -brother’s resentment to be unreasonable and intemperate. -In answer to a direct question from her -counsel, she replied that she did not feel that she had -any grievance whatever against Dr. Lana, and that in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>her opinion he had acted in a perfectly honourable -manner. Her brother, on an insufficient knowledge -of the facts, had taken another view, and she was -compelled to acknowledge that, in spite of her -entreaties, he had uttered threats of personal violence -against the doctor, and had, upon the evening of the -tragedy, announced his intention of “having it out -with him.” She had done her best to bring him to -a more reasonable frame of mind, but he was very -headstrong where his emotions or prejudices were -concerned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Up to this point the young lady’s evidence had -appeared to make against the prisoner rather than in -his favour. The questions of her counsel, however, -soon put a very different light upon the matter, and -disclosed an unexpected line of defence.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: Do you believe your brother to be -guilty of this crime?</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: I cannot permit that question, Mr. -Humphrey. We are here to decide upon questions of -fact—not of belief.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: Do you know that your brother -is not guilty of the death of Doctor Lana?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Yes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: How do you know it?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Because Dr. Lana is not dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There followed a prolonged sensation in court, which -interrupted the cross-examination of the witness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: And how do you know, Miss -Morton, that Dr. Lana is not dead?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Because I have received a letter -from him since the date of his supposed death.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>Mr. Humphrey: Have you this letter?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Yes, but I should prefer not to -show it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: Have you the envelope?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Yes, it is here.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: What is the post-mark?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Liverpool.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: And the date?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: June the 22nd.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: That being the day after his -alleged death. Are you prepared to swear to this -handwriting, Miss Morton?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Certainly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: I am prepared to call six other -witnesses, my lord, to testify that this letter is in the -writing of Doctor Lana.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: Then you must call them to-morrow.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Porlock Carr (counsel for the prosecution): In -the meantime, my lord, we claim possession of this -document, so that we may obtain expert evidence as -to how far it is an imitation of the handwriting of the -gentleman whom we still confidently assert to be -deceased. I need not point out that the theory so -unexpectedly sprung upon us may prove to be a very -obvious device adopted by the friends of the prisoner -in order to divert this inquiry. I would draw attention -to the fact that the young lady must, according to her -own account, have possessed this letter during the -proceedings at the inquest and at the police-court. -She desires us to believe that she permitted these to -proceed, although she held in her pocket evidence which -would at any moment have brought them to an end.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>Mr. Humphrey: Can you explain this, Miss -Morton?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Dr. Lana desired his secret to be -preserved.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Porlock Carr: Then why have you made this -public?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: To save my brother.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A murmur of sympathy broke out in court, which -was instantly suppressed by the Judge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: Admitting this line of defence, it lies -with you, Mr. Humphrey, to throw a light upon who -this man is whose body has been recognised by so -many friends and patients of Dr. Lana as being that -of the doctor himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A Juryman: Has any one up to now expressed any -doubt about the matter?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Porlock Carr: Not to my knowledge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: We hope to make the matter -clear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: Then the Court adjourns until to-morrow.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>This new development of the case excited the -utmost interest among the general public. Press -comment was prevented by the fact that the trial was -still undecided, but the question was everywhere -argued as to how far there could be truth in Miss -Morton’s declaration, and how far it might be a daring -ruse for the purpose of saving her brother. The -obvious dilemma in which the missing doctor stood -was that if by any extraordinary chance he was not -dead, then he must be held responsible for the death -<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>of this unknown man, who resembled him so exactly, -and who was found in his study. This letter which -Miss Morton refused to produce was possibly a confession -of guilt, and she might find herself in the -terrible position of only being able to save her brother -from the gallows by the sacrifice of her former lover. -The court next morning was crammed to overflowing, -and a murmur of excitement passed over it when Mr. -Humphrey was observed to enter in a state of emotion, -which even his trained nerves could not conceal, and -to confer with the opposing counsel. A few hurried -words—words which left a look of amazement upon -Mr. Porlock Carr’s face—passed between them, and -then the counsel for the defence, addressing the judge, -announced that, with the consent of the prosecution, -the young lady who had given evidence upon the -sitting before would not be recalled.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: But you appear, Mr. Humphrey, to -have left matters in a very unsatisfactory state.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: Perhaps, my lord, my next witness -may help to clear them up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: Then call your next witness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: I call Dr. Aloysius Lana.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The learned counsel has made many telling remarks -in his day, but he has certainly never produced such a -sensation with so short a sentence. The Court was -simply stunned with amazement as the very man -whose fate had been the subject of so much contention -appeared bodily before them in the witness-box. Those -among the spectators who had known him at Bishop’s -Crossing saw him now, gaunt and thin, with deep lines -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>of care upon his face. But in spite of his melancholy -bearing and despondent expression, there were few who -could say that they had ever seen a man of more distinguished -presence. Bowing to the judge, he asked -if he might be allowed to make a statement, and having -been duly informed that whatever he said might be -used against him, he bowed once more, and proceeded:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My wish,” said he, “is to hold nothing back, but -to tell with perfect frankness all that occurred upon -the night of the 21st of June. Had I known that the -innocent had suffered, and that so much trouble had -been brought upon those whom I love best in the -world, I should have come forward long ago; but there -were reasons which prevented these things from coming -to my ears. It was my desire that an unhappy man -should vanish from the world which had known him, -but I had not foreseen that others would be affected -by my actions. Let me to the best of my ability repair -the evil which I have done.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To any one who is acquainted with the history of -the Argentine Republic the name of Lana is well -known. My father, who came of the best blood of old -Spain, filled all the highest offices of the State, and -would have been President but for his death in the -riots of San Juan. A brilliant career might have been -open to my twin brother Ernest and myself had it not -been for financial losses which made it necessary that -we should earn our own living. I apologize, sir, if -these details appear to be irrelevant, but they are a -necessary introduction to that which is to follow.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I had, as I have said, a twin brother named -<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>Ernest, whose resemblance to me was so great that -even when we were together people could see no -difference between us. Down to the smallest detail -we were exactly the same. As we grew older this -likeness became less marked because our expression -was not the same, but with our features in repose the -points of difference were very slight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It does not become me to say too much of one -who is dead, the more so as he is my only brother, -but I leave his character to those who knew him best. -I will only say—for I <em>have</em> to say it—that in my early -manhood I conceived a horror of him, and that I had -good reason for the aversion which filled me. My own -reputation suffered from his actions, for our close resemblance -caused me to be credited with many of them. -Eventually, in a peculiarly disgraceful business, he -contrived to throw the whole odium upon me in such -a way that I was forced to leave the Argentine for -ever, and to seek a career in Europe. The freedom -from his hated presence more than compensated me -for the loss of my native land. I had enough money -to defray my medical studies at Glasgow, and I finally -settled in practice at Bishop’s Crossing, in the firm -conviction that in that remote Lancashire hamlet I -should never hear of him again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For years my hopes were fulfilled, and then at -last he discovered me. Some Liverpool man who -visited Buenos Ayres put him upon my track. He -had lost all his money, and he thought that he would -come over and share mine. Knowing my horror of -him, he rightly thought that I would be willing to buy -him off. I received a letter from him saying that he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>was coming. It was at a crisis in my own affairs, and -his arrival might conceivably bring trouble, and even -disgrace, upon some whom I was especially bound to -shield from anything of the kind. I took steps to -insure that any evil which might come should fall on -me only, and that”—here he turned and looked at the -prisoner—“was the cause of conduct upon my part -which has been too harshly judged. My only motive -was to screen those who were dear to me from any -possible connection with scandal or disgrace. That -scandal and disgrace would come with my brother -was only to say that what had been would be -again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My brother arrived himself one night not very -long after my receipt of the letter. I was sitting in -my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I -heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant -later I saw his face looking in at me through the -window. He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and -the resemblance between us was still so great that, for -an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the -glass. He had a dark patch over his eye, but our -features were absolutely the same. Then he smiled -in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from -his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother -who had driven me from my native land, and brought -disgrace upon what had been an honourable name. -I went to the door and I admitted him. That would -be about ten o’clock that night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When he came into the glare of the lamp, I saw -at once that he had fallen upon very evil days. He -had walked from Liverpool, and he was tired and ill. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>I was quite shocked by the expression upon his face. -My medical knowledge told me that there was some -serious internal malady. He had been drinking also, -and his face was bruised as the result of a scuffle which -he had had with some sailors. It was to cover his -injured eye that he wore this patch, which he removed -when he entered the room. He was himself dressed in -a pea-jacket and flannel shirt, and his feet were bursting -through his boots. But his poverty had only made -him more savagely vindictive towards me. His hatred -rose to the height of a mania. I had been rolling in -money in England, according to his account, while he -had been starving in South America. I cannot describe -to you the threats which he uttered or the insults -which he poured upon me. My impression is, that -hardships and debauchery had unhinged his reason. -He paced about the room like a wild beast, demanding -drink, demanding money, and all in the foulest -language. I am a hot-tempered man, but I thank -God that I am able to say that I remained master of -myself, and that I never raised a hand against him. -My coolness only irritated him the more. He raved, -he cursed, he shook his fists in my face, and then -suddenly a horrible spasm passed over his features, -he clapped his hand to his side, and with a loud cry -he fell in a heap at my feet. I raised him up and -stretched him upon the sofa, but no answer came to -my exclamations, and the hand which I held in mine -was cold and clammy. His diseased heart had broken -down. His own violence had killed him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For a long time I sat as if I were in some dreadful -dream, staring at the body of my brother. I was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>aroused by the knocking of Mrs. Woods, who had been -disturbed by that dying cry. I sent her away to bed. -Shortly afterwards a patient tapped at the surgery -door, but as I took no notice, he or she went off again. -Slowly and gradually as I sat there a plan was forming -itself in my head in the curious automatic way in -which plans do form. When I rose from my chair -my future movements were finally decided upon -without my having been conscious of any process of -thought. It was an instinct which irresistibly inclined -me towards one course.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ever since that change in my affairs to which -I have alluded, Bishop’s Crossing had become hateful -to me. My plans of life had been ruined, and I -had met with hasty judgments and unkind treatment -where I had expected sympathy. It is true -that any danger of scandal from my brother had -passed away with his life; but still, I was sore about -the past, and felt that things could never be as they -had been. It may be that I was unduly sensitive, -and that I had not made sufficient allowance for -others, but my feelings were as I describe. Any -chance of getting away from Bishop’s Crossing and -of everyone in it would be most welcome to me. -And here was such a chance as I could never have -dared to hope for, a chance which would enable me -to make a clean break with the past.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There was this dead man lying upon the sofa, -so like me that save for some little thickness and -coarseness of the features there was no difference -at all. No one had seen him come and no one -would miss him. We were both clean shaven, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>his hair was about the same length as my own. If -I changed clothes with him, then Dr. Aloysius Lana -would be found lying dead in his study, and there -would be an end of an unfortunate fellow, and of -a blighted career. There was plenty of ready money -in the room, and this I could carry away with me -to help me to start once more in some other land. -In my brother’s clothes I could walk by night unobserved -as far as Liverpool, and in that great seaport -I would soon find some means of leaving the -country. After my lost hopes, the humblest existence -where I was unknown was far preferable, in my estimation, -to a practice, however successful, in Bishop’s -Crossing, where at any moment I might come face -to face with those whom I should wish, if it were -possible, to forget. I determined to effect the -change.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And I did so. I will not go into particulars, -for the recollection is as painful as the experience; -but in an hour my brother lay, dressed down to -the smallest detail in my clothes, while I slunk -out by the surgery door, and taking the back path -which led across some fields, I started off to make -the best of my way to Liverpool, where I arrived -the same night. My bag of money and a certain -portrait were all I carried out of the house, and I -left behind me in my hurry the shade which my -brother had been wearing over his eye. Everything -else of his I took with me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I give you my word, sir, that never for one -instant did the idea occur to me that people might -think that I had been murdered, nor did I imagine -<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>that any one might be caused serious danger through -this stratagem by which I endeavoured to gain a -fresh start in the world. On the contrary, it was -the thought of relieving others from the burden of -my presence which was always uppermost in my -mind. A sailing vessel was leaving Liverpool that -very day for Corunna, and in this I took my passage, -thinking that the voyage would give me time to -recover my balance, and to consider the future. But -before I left my resolution softened. I bethought -me that there was one person in the world to whom -I would not cause an hour of sadness. She would -mourn me in her heart, however harsh and unsympathetic -her relatives might be. She understood -and appreciated the motives upon which I had acted, -and if the rest of her family condemned me, she, -at least, would not forget. And so I sent her a -note under the seal of secrecy to save her from a -baseless grief. If under the pressure of events she -broke that seal, she has my entire sympathy and -forgiveness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was only last night that I returned to England, -and during all this time I have heard nothing of the -sensation which my supposed death had caused, nor -of the accusation that Mr. Arthur Morton had been -concerned in it. It was in a late evening paper that -I read an account of the proceedings of yesterday, and -I have come this morning as fast as an express train -could bring me to testify to the truth.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the remarkable statement of Dr. Aloysius -Lana which brought the trial to a sudden termination. -A subsequent investigation corroborated it to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>extent of finding out the vessel in which his brother -Ernest Lana had come over from South America. -The ship’s doctor was able to testify that he had -complained of a weak heart during the voyage, and -that his symptoms were consistent with such a death -as was described.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As to Dr. Aloysius Lana, he returned to the village -from which he had made so dramatic a disappearance, -and a complete reconciliation was effected between -him and the young squire, the latter having acknowledged -that he had entirely misunderstood the other’s -motives in withdrawing from his engagement. That -another reconciliation followed may be judged from -a notice extracted from a prominent column in the -<cite>Morning Post</cite>:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>A marriage was solemnized upon September 19th, -by the Rev. Stephen Johnson, at the parish church -of Bishop’s Crossing, between Aloysius Xavier Lana, -son of Don Alfredo Lana, formerly Foreign Minister -of the Argentine Republic, and Frances Morton, only -daughter of the late James Morton, J.P., of Leigh -Hall, Bishop’s Crossing, Lancashire.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span> - <h2 class='c005'>PLAYING WITH FIRE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>I cannot pretend to say what occurred on the 14th -of April last at No. 17, Badderly Gardens. Put down -in black and white, my surmise might seem too crude, -too grotesque, for serious consideration. And yet that -something did occur, and that it was of a nature which -will leave its mark upon every one of us for the rest -of our lives, is as certain as the unanimous testimony -of five witnesses can make it. I will not enter into -any argument or speculation. I will only give a plain -statement, which will be submitted to John Moir, -Harvey Deacon, and Mrs. Delamere, and withheld -from publication unless they are prepared to corroborate -every detail. I cannot obtain the sanction of Paul -Le Duc, for he appears to have left the country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was John Moir (the well-known senior partner of -Moir, Moir, and Sanderson) who had originally turned -our attention to occult subjects. He had, like many -very hard and practical men of business, a mystic side -to his nature, which had led him to the examination, -and eventually to the acceptance, of those elusive -phenomena which are grouped together with much that -is foolish, and much that is fraudulent, under the -common heading of spiritualism. His researches, which -had begun with an open mind, ended unhappily in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>dogma, and he became as positive and fanatical as any -other bigot. He represented in our little group the -body of men who have turned these singular phenomena -into a new religion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mrs. Delamere, our medium, was his sister, the -wife of Delamere, the rising sculptor. Our experience -had shown us that to work on these subjects without -a medium was as futile as for an astronomer to make -observations without a telescope. On the other hand, -the introduction of a paid medium was hateful to all -of us. Was it not obvious that he or she would feel -bound to return some result for money received, and -that the temptation to fraud would be an overpowering -one? No phenomena could be relied upon which were -produced at a guinea an hour. But, fortunately, Moir -had discovered that his sister was mediumistic—in -other words, that she was a battery of that animal -magnetic force which is the only form of energy which -is subtle enough to be acted upon from the spiritual -plane as well as from our own material one. Of -course, when I say this, I do not mean to beg the -question; but I am simply indicating the theories -upon which we were ourselves, rightly or wrongly, -explaining what we saw. The lady came, not altogether -with the approval of her husband, and though -she never gave indications of any very great psychic -force, we were able, at least, to obtain those usual phenomena -of message-tilting which are at the same time -so puerile and so inexplicable. Every Sunday evening -we met in Harvey Deacon’s studio at Badderly Gardens, -the next house to the corner of Merton Park Road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Harvey Deacon’s imaginative work in art would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>prepare any one to find that he was an ardent lover of -everything which was <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">outré</span></i> and sensational. A certain -picturesqueness in the study of the occult had been the -quality which had originally attracted him to it, but -his attention was speedily arrested by some of those -phenomena to which I have referred, and he was -coming rapidly to the conclusion that what he had -looked upon as an amusing romance and an after-dinner -entertainment was really a very formidable -reality. He is a man with a remarkably clear and -logical brain—a true descendant of his ancestor, the -well-known Scotch professor—and he represented in -our small circle the critical element, the man who has -no prejudices, is prepared to follow facts as far as he -can see them, and refuses to theorize in advance of -his data. His caution annoyed Moir as much as the -latter’s robust faith amused Deacon, but each in his -own way was equally keen upon the matter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And I? What am I to say that I represented? I -was not the devotee. I was not the scientific critic. -Perhaps the best that I can claim for myself is that I -was the dilettante man about town, anxious to be in -the swim of every fresh movement, thankful for any -new sensation which would take me out of myself and -open up fresh possibilities of existence. I am not an -enthusiast myself, but I like the company of those -who are. Moir’s talk, which made me feel as if we -had a private pass-key through the door of death, -filled me with a vague contentment. The soothing -atmosphere of the séance with the darkened lights was -delightful to me. In a word, the thing amused me, -and so I was there.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>It was, as I have said, upon the 14th of April -last that the very singular event which I am about -to put upon record took place. I was the first of the -men to arrive at the studio, but Mrs. Delamere was -already there, having had afternoon tea with Mrs. -Harvey Deacon. The two ladies and Deacon himself -were standing in front of an unfinished picture of his -upon the easel. I am not an expert in art, and I -have never professed to understand what Harvey Deacon -meant by his pictures; but I could see in this -instance that it was all very clever and imaginative, -fairies and animals and allegorical figures of all sorts. -The ladies were loud in their praises, and indeed the -colour effect was a remarkable one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you think of it, Markham?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, it’s above me,” said I. “These beasts—what -are they?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mythical monsters, imaginary creatures, heraldic -emblems—a sort of weird, bizarre procession of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With a white horse in front!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s not a horse,” said he, rather testily—which -was surprising, for he was a very good-humoured -fellow as a rule, and hardly ever took himself -seriously.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can’t you see the horn in front? It’s a unicorn. -I told you they were heraldic beasts. Can’t you -recognize one?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very sorry, Deacon,” said I, for he really seemed -to be annoyed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He laughed at his own irritation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Excuse me, Markham!” said he; “the fact is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>that I have had an awful job over the beast. All -day I have been painting him in and painting him -out, and trying to imagine what a real live, ramping -unicorn would look like. At last I got him, as I -hoped; so when you failed to recognize it, it took me -on the raw.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, of course it’s a unicorn,” said I, for he -was evidently depressed at my obtuseness. “I can -see the horn quite plainly, but I never saw a unicorn -except beside the Royal Arms, and so I never thought -of the creature. And these others are griffins and -cockatrices, and dragons of sorts?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I had no difficulty with them. It was the -unicorn which bothered me. However, there’s an end -of it until to-morrow.” He turned the picture round -upon the easel, and we all chatted about other -subjects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Moir was late that evening, and when he did -arrive he brought with him, rather to our surprise, -a small, stout Frenchman, whom he introduced as -Monsieur Paul Le Duc. I say to our surprise, for -we held a theory that any intrusion into our spiritual -circle deranged the conditions, and introduced an -element of suspicion. We knew that we could trust -each other, but all our results were vitiated by the -presence of an outsider. However, Moir soon reconciled -us to the innovation. Monsieur Paul Le Duc -was a famous student of occultism, a seer, a medium, -and a mystic. He was travelling in England with -a letter of introduction to Moir from the President -of the Parisian brothers of the Rosy Cross. What -more natural than that he should bring him to our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>little séance, or that we should feel honoured by his -presence?</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was, as I have said, a small, stout man, -undistinguished in appearance, with a broad, smooth, -clean-shaven face, remarkable only for a pair of large, -brown, velvety eyes, staring vaguely out in front of -him. He was well dressed, with the manners of a -gentleman, and his curious little turns of English -speech set the ladies smiling. Mrs. Deacon had a -prejudice against our researches and left the room, -upon which we lowered the lights, as was our custom, -and drew up our chairs to the square mahogany table -which stood in the centre of the studio. The light -was subdued, but sufficient to allow us to see each -other quite plainly. I remember that I could even -observe the curious, podgy little square-topped hands -which the Frenchman laid upon the table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What a fun!” said he. “It is many years -since I have sat in this fashion, and it is to me -amusing. Madame is medium. Does madame make -the trance?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, hardly that,” said Mrs. Delamere. “But -I am always conscious of extreme sleepiness.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is the first stage. Then you encourage it, and -there comes the trance. When the trance comes, then -out jumps your little spirit and in jumps another -little spirit, and so you have direct talking or writing. -You leave your machine to be worked by another. -<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Hein?</span></i> But what have unicorns to do with it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Harvey Deacon started in his chair. The Frenchman -was moving his head slowly round and staring -into the shadows which draped the walls.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>“What a fun!” said he. “Always unicorns. -Who has been thinking so hard upon a subject so -bizarre?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is wonderful!” cried Deacon. “I have -been trying to paint one all day. But how could you -know it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have been thinking of them in this room.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Certainly.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But thoughts are things, my friend. When you -imagine a thing you make a thing. You did not -know it, <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>? But I can see your unicorns because -it is not only with my eye that I can see.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you mean to say that I create a thing which -has never existed by merely thinking of it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But certainly. It is the fact which lies under -all other facts. That is why an evil thought is also -a danger.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are, I suppose, upon the astral plane?” said -Moir.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah, well, these are but words, my friends. They -are there—somewhere—everywhere—I cannot tell -myself. I see them. I could not touch them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You could not make <em>us</em> see them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is to materialize them. Hold! It is an experiment. -But the power is wanting. Let us see -what power we have, and then arrange what we shall -do. May I place you as I should wish?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You evidently know a great deal more about it -than we do,” said Harvey Deacon; “I wish that you -would take complete control.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It may be that the conditions are not good. But -we will try what we can do. Madame will sit where -<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>she is, I next, and this gentleman beside me. Meester -Moir will sit next to madame, because it is well to -have blacks and blondes in turn. So! And now with -your permission I will turn the lights all out.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is the advantage of the dark?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because the force with which we deal is a -vibration of ether and so also is light. We have the -wires all for ourselves now—<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>? You will not be -frightened in the darkness, madame? What a fun is -such a séance!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first the darkness appeared to be absolutely -pitchy, but in a few minutes our eyes became so far -accustomed to it that we could just make out each -other’s presence—very dimly and vaguely, it is true. -I could see nothing else in the room—only the black -loom of the motionless figures. We were all taking -the matter much more seriously than we had ever done -before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will place your hands in front. It is hopeless -that we touch, since we are so few round so large -a table. You will compose yourself, madame, and if -sleep should come to you you will not fight against -it. And now we sit in silence and we expect——<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>So we sat in silence and expected, staring out into -the blackness in front of us. A clock ticked in the -passage. A dog barked intermittently far away. Once -or twice a cab rattled past in the street, and the gleam -of its lamps through the chink in the curtains was -a cheerful break in that gloomy vigil. I felt those -physical symptoms with which previous <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">séances</span> had -made me familiar—the coldness of the feet, the tingling -<span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span>in the hands, the glow of the palms, the feeling of a -cold wind upon the back. Strange little shooting -pains came in my forearms, especially as it seemed -to me in my left one, which was nearest to our -visitor—due no doubt to disturbance of the vascular -system, but worthy of some attention all the same. -At the same time I was conscious of a strained feeling -of expectancy which was almost painful. From the -rigid, absolute silence of my companions I gathered -that their nerves were as tense as my own.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then suddenly a sound came out of the darkness—a -low, sibilant sound, the quick, thin breathing -of a woman. Quicker and thinner yet it came, as -between clenched teeth, to end in a loud gasp with a -dull rustle of cloth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What’s that? Is all right?” someone asked in -the darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, all is right,” said the Frenchman. “It is -madame. She is in her trance. Now, gentlemen, if -you will wait quiet you will see something, I think, -which will interest you much.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Still the ticking in the hall. Still the breathing, -deeper and fuller now, from the medium. Still the -occasional flash, more welcome than ever, of the passing -lights of the hansoms. What a gap we were bridging, -the half-raised veil of the eternal on the one side and -the cabs of London on the other. The table was -throbbing with a mighty pulse. It swayed steadily, -rhythmically, with an easy swooping, scooping motion -under our fingers. Sharp little raps and cracks came -from its substance, file-firing, volley-firing, the sounds -of a fagot burning briskly on a frosty night.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>“There is much power,” said the Frenchman. “See -it on the table!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had thought it was some delusion of my own, but -all could see it now. There was a greenish-yellow -phosphorescent light—or I should say a luminous -vapour rather than a light—which lay over the surface -of the table. It rolled and wreathed and undulated in -dim glimmering folds, turning and swirling like clouds -of smoke. I could see the white, square-ended hands -of the French medium in this baleful light.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What a fun!” he cried. “It is splendid!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Shall we call the alphabet?” asked Moir.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But no—for we can do much better,” said our -visitor. “It is but a clumsy thing to tilt the table for -every letter of the alphabet, and with such a medium -as madame we should do better than that.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, you will do better,” said a voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who was that? Who spoke? Was that you, -Markham?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I did not speak.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was madame who spoke.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But it was not her voice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is that you, Mrs. Delamere?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not the medium, but it is the power which -uses the organs of the medium,” said the strange, deep -voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where is Mrs. Delamere? It will not hurt her, -I trust.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The medium is happy in another plane of -existence. She has taken my place, as I have -taken hers.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who are you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>“It cannot matter to you who I am. I am one -who has lived as you are living, and who has died as -you will die.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We heard the creak and grate of a cab pulling up -next door. There was an argument about the fare, and -the cabman grumbled hoarsely down the street. The -green-yellow cloud still swirled faintly over the table, -dull elsewhere, but glowing into a dim luminosity in -the direction of the medium. It seemed to be piling -itself up in front of her. A sense of fear and cold -struck into my heart. It seemed to me that lightly -and flippantly we had approached the most real and -august of sacraments, that communion with the dead of -which the fathers of the Church had spoken.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t you think we are going too far? Should -we not break up this séance?” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the others were all earnest to see the end of it. -They laughed at my scruples.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All the powers are made for use,” said Harvey -Deacon. “If we <em>can</em> do this, we <em>should</em> do this. Every -new departure of knowledge has been called unlawful -in its inception. It is right and proper that we should -inquire into the nature of death.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is right and proper,” said the voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There, what more could you ask?” cried Moir, -who was much excited. “Let us have a test. Will -you give us a test that you are really there?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What test do you demand?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, now—I have some coins in my pocket. -Will you tell me how many?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We come back in the hope of teaching and of -elevating, and not to guess childish riddles.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>“Ha, ha, Meester Moir, you catch it that time,” -cried the Frenchman. “But surely this is very good -sense what the Control is saying.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is a religion, not a game,” said the cold, hard -voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly—the very view I take of it,” cried -Moir. “I am sure I am very sorry if I have asked -a foolish question. You will not tell me who you -are?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What does it matter?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you been a spirit long?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How long?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We cannot reckon time as you do. Our conditions -are different.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you happy?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You would not wish to come back to life?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No—certainly not.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you busy?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We could not be happy if we were not busy.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you do?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have said that the conditions are entirely -different.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can you give us no idea of your work?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We labour for our own improvement and for the -advancement of others.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you like coming here to-night?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am glad to come if I can do any good by -coming.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then to do good is your object?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is the object of all life on every plane.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>“You see, Markham, that should answer your -scruples.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It did, for my doubts had passed and only interest -remained.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you pain in your life?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No; pain is a thing of the body.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you mental pain?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes; one may always be sad or anxious.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you meet the friends whom you have known -on earth?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Some of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why only some of them?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Only those who are sympathetic.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do husbands meet wives?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Those who have truly loved.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the others?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are nothing to each other.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There must be a spiritual connection?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Of course.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is what we are doing right?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If done in the right spirit.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is the wrong spirit?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Curiosity and levity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“May harm come of that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very serious harm.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What sort of harm?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You may call up forces over which you have no -control.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Evil forces?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Undeveloped forces.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You say they are dangerous. Dangerous to body -or mind?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>“Sometimes to both.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a pause, and the blackness seemed to -grow blacker still, while the yellow-green fog swirled -and smoked upon the table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Any questions you would like to ask, Moir?” -said Harvey Deacon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Only this—do you pray in your world?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One should pray in every world.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because it is the acknowledgment of forces -outside ourselves.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What religion do you hold over there?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We differ exactly as you do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have no certain knowledge?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have only faith.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“These questions of religion,” said the Frenchman, -“they are of interest to you serious English people, but -they are not so much fun. It seems to me that with -this power here we might be able to have some great -experience—<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>? Something of which we could -talk.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But nothing could be more interesting than this,” -said Moir.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, if you think so, that is very well,” the -Frenchman answered, peevishly. “For my part, it -seems to me that I have heard all this before, and that -to-night I should weesh to try some experiment with -all this force which is given to us. But if you have -other questions, then ask them, and when you are -finish we can try something more.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the spell was broken. We asked and asked, -but the medium sat silent in her chair. Only her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>deep, regular breathing showed that she was there. -The mist still swirled upon the table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have disturbed the harmony. She will not -answer.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But we have learned already all that she can tell—<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>? -For my part I wish to see something that I -have never seen before.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will let me try?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What would you do?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have said to you that thoughts are things. Now -I wish to <em>prove</em> it to you, and to show you that which -is only a thought. Yes, yes, I can do it and you will -see. Now I ask you only to sit still and say -nothing, and keep ever your hands quiet upon the -table.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The room was blacker and more silent than ever. -The same feeling of apprehension which had lain -heavily upon me at the beginning of the séance was -back at my heart once more. The roots of my hair -were tingling.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is working! It is working!” cried the Frenchman, -and there was a crack in his voice as he spoke -which told me that he also was strung to his -tightest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The luminous fog drifted slowly off the table, and -wavered and flickered across the room. There in the -farther and darkest corner it gathered and glowed, -hardening down into a shining core—a strange, shifty, -luminous, and yet non-illuminating patch of radiance, -bright itself, but throwing no rays into the darkness. -It had changed from a greenish-yellow to a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>dusky sullen red. Then round this centre there coiled -a dark, smoky substance, thickening, hardening, growing -denser and blacker. And then the light went out, -smothered in that which had grown round it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It has gone.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Hush—there’s something in the room.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We heard it in the corner where the light had been, -something which breathed deeply and fidgeted in the -darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it? Le Duc, what have you done?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is all right. No harm will come.” The -Frenchman’s voice was treble with agitation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good heavens, Moir, there’s a large animal in the -room. Here it is, close by my chair! Go away! Go -away!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was Harvey Deacon’s voice, and then came the -sound of a blow upon some hard object. And then ... -And then ... how can I tell you what happened -then?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some huge thing hurtled against us in the darkness, -rearing, stamping, smashing, springing, snorting. The -table was splintered. We were scattered in every -direction. It clattered and scrambled amongst us, -rushing with horrible energy from one corner of the -room to another. We were all screaming with fear, -grovelling upon our hands and knees to get away from -it. Something trod upon my left hand, and I felt the -bones splinter under the weight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A light! A light!” someone yelled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Moir, you have matches, matches!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I have none. Deacon, where are the matches? -For God’s sake, the matches!”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>“I can’t find them. Here, you Frenchman, stop -it!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is beyond me. Oh, <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mon Dieu</span></i>, I cannot stop it. -The door! Where is the door?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My hand, by good luck, lit upon the handle as I -groped about in the darkness. The hard-breathing, -snorting, rushing creature tore past me and butted with -a fearful crash against the oaken partition. The instant -that it had passed I turned the handle, and next -moment we were all outside and the door shut behind -us. From within came a horrible crashing and rending -and stamping.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it? In Heaven’s name, what is it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A horse. I saw it when the door opened. But -Mrs. Delamere——?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We must fetch her out. Come on, Markham; -the longer we wait the less we shall like it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He flung open the door and we rushed in. She was -there on the ground amidst the splinters of her chair. -We seized her and dragged her swiftly out, and as we -gained the door I looked over my shoulder into the -darkness. There were two strange eyes glowing at us, -a rattle of hoofs, and I had just time to slam the door -when there came a crash upon it which split it from -top to bottom.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s coming through! It’s coming!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Run, run for your lives!” cried the Frenchman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Another crash, and something shot through the -riven door. It was a long white spike, gleaming in -the lamplight. For a moment it shone before us, and -then with a snap it disappeared again.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>“Quick! Quick! This way!” Harvey Deacon -shouted. “Carry her in! Here! Quick!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We had taken refuge in the dining-room, and shut -the heavy oak door. We laid the senseless woman -upon the sofa, and as we did so, Moir, the hard man of -business, drooped and fainted across the hearthrug. -Harvey Deacon was as white as a corpse, jerking and -twitching like an epileptic. With a crash we heard -the studio door fly to pieces, and the snorting and -stamping were in the passage, up and down, up and -down, shaking the house with their fury. The Frenchman -had sunk his face on his hands, and sobbed like a -frightened child.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What shall we do?” I shook him roughly by the -shoulder. “Is a gun any use?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no. The power will pass. Then it will -end.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You might have killed us all—you unspeakable -fool—with your infernal experiments.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I did not know. How could I tell that it would -be frightened? It is mad with terror. It was his -fault. He struck it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Harvey Deacon sprang up. “Good heavens!” he -cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A terrible scream sounded through the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s my wife! Here, I’m going out. If it’s the -Evil One himself I am going out!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had thrown open the door and rushed out into -the passage. At the end of it, at the foot of the stairs, -Mrs. Deacon was lying senseless, struck down by -the sight which she had seen. But there was nothing -else.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>With eyes of horror we looked about us, but all was -perfectly quiet and still. I approached the black -square of the studio door, expecting with every slow -step that some atrocious shape would hurl itself out -of it. But nothing came, and all was silent inside the -room. Peeping and peering, our hearts in our mouths, -we came to the very threshold, and stared into the -darkness. There was still no sound, but in one direction -there was also no darkness. A luminous, glowing -cloud, with an incandescent centre, hovered in the corner -of the room. Slowly it dimmed and faded, growing -thinner and fainter, until at last the same dense, velvety -blackness filled the whole studio. And with the last -flickering gleam of that baleful light the Frenchman -broke into a shout of joy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What a fun!” he cried. “No one is hurt, and -only the door broken, and the ladies frightened. But, -my friends, we have done what has never been done -before.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And as far as I can help it,” said Harvey Deacon, -“it will certainly never be done again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And that was what befell on the 14th of April -last at No. 17, Badderly Gardens. I began by saying -that it would seem too grotesque to dogmatize as to -what it was which actually did occur; but I give -my impressions, <em>our</em> impressions (since they are corroborated -by Harvey Deacon and John Moir), for -what they are worth. You may, if it pleases you, -imagine that we were the victims of an elaborate and -extraordinary hoax. Or you may think with us that -we underwent a very real and a very terrible -experience. Or perhaps you may know more than -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>we do of such occult matters, and can inform us of -some similar occurrence. In this latter case a letter -to William Markham, 146<span class='fss'>M</span>, The Albany, would -help to throw a light upon that which is very dark -to us.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE JEW’S BREASTPLATE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>My particular friend Ward Mortimer was one of the -best men of his day at everything connected with -Oriental archæology. He had written largely upon the -subject, he had lived two years in a tomb at Thebes, -while he excavated in the Valley of the Kings, and -finally he had created a considerable sensation by his -exhumation of the alleged mummy of Cleopatra in the -inner room of the Temple of Horus, at Philæ. With -such a record at the age of thirty-one, it was felt that -a considerable career lay before him, and no one was -surprised when he was elected to the curatorship of -the Belmore Street Museum, which carries with it -the lectureship at the Oriental College, and an income -which has sunk with the fall in land, but which still -remains at that ideal sum which is large enough to -encourage an investigator, but not so large as to -enervate him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was only one reason which made Ward -Mortimer’s position a little difficult at the Belmore -Street Museum, and that was the extreme eminence -of the man whom he had to succeed. Professor Andreas -was a profound scholar and a man of European reputation. -His lectures were frequented by students from -every part of the world, and his admirable management -<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>of the collection intrusted to his care was a commonplace -in all learned societies. There was, therefore, -considerable surprise when, at the age of fifty-five, he -suddenly resigned his position and retired from those -duties which had been both his livelihood and his -pleasure. He and his daughter left the comfortable -suite of rooms which had formed his official residence -in connection with the museum, and my friend, -Mortimer, who was a bachelor, took up his quarters -there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On hearing of Mortimer’s appointment Professor -Andreas had written him a very kindly and flattering -congratulatory letter. I was actually present at -their first meeting, and I went with Mortimer round -the museum when the Professor showed us the admirable -collection which he had cherished so long. The -Professor’s beautiful daughter and a young man, -Captain Wilson, who was, as I understood, soon to -be her husband, accompanied us in our inspection. -There were fifteen rooms, but the Babylonian, the -Syrian, and the central hall, which contained the -Jewish and Egyptian collection, were the finest of all. -Professor Andreas was a quiet, dry, elderly man, with -a clean-shaven face and an impassive manner, but his -dark eyes sparkled and his features quickened into -enthusiastic life as he pointed out to us the rarity and -the beauty of some of his specimens. His hand lingered -so fondly over them, that one could read his pride in -them and the grief in his heart now that they were -passing from his care into that of another.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had shown us in turn his mummies, his papyri, -his rare scarabs, his inscriptions, his Jewish relics, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span>his duplication of the famous seven-branched candlestick -of the Temple, which was brought to Rome by -Titus, and which is supposed by some to be lying at -this instant in the bed of the Tiber. Then he approached -a case which stood in the very centre of the -hall, and he looked down through the glass with -reverence in his attitude and manner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is no novelty to an expert like yourself, -Mr. Mortimer,” said he; “but I daresay that your -friend, Mr. Jackson, will be interested to see it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaning over the case I saw an object, some five -inches square, which consisted of twelve precious -stones in a framework of gold, with golden hooks at -two of the corners. The stones were all varying in -sort and colour, but they were of the same size. Their -shapes, arrangement, and gradation of tint made me -think of a box of water-colour paints. Each stone -had some hieroglyphic scratched upon its surface.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have heard, Mr. Jackson, of the urim and -thummim?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had heard the term, but my idea of its meaning -was exceedingly vague.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The urim and thummim was a name given to the -jewelled plate which lay upon the breast of the high -priest of the Jews. They had a very special feeling -of reverence for it—something of the feeling which -an ancient Roman might have for the Sibylline books -in the Capitol. There are, as you see, twelve magnificent -stones, inscribed with mystical characters. -Counting from the left-hand top corner, the stones -are carnelian, peridot, emerald, ruby, lapis lazuli, onyx, -sapphire, agate, amethyst, topaz, beryl, and jasper.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>I was amazed at the variety and beauty of the -stones.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Has the breastplate any particular history?” I -asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is of great age and of immense value,” said -Professor Andreas. “Without being able to make -an absolute assertion, we have many reasons to think -that it is possible that it may be the original urim -and thummim of Solomon’s Temple. There is certainly -nothing so fine in any collection in Europe. My -friend, Captain Wilson here, is a practical authority -upon precious stones, and he would tell you how pure -these are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Captain Wilson, a man with a dark, hard, incisive -face, was standing beside his <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">fiancée</span></i> at the other side -of the case.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes,” said he, curtly, “I have never seen finer -stones.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the gold-work is also worthy of attention. -The ancients excelled in ——”—he was apparently -about to indicate the setting of the stones, when -Captain Wilson interrupted him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will see a finer example of their gold-work -in this candlestick,” said he, turning to another table, -and we all joined him in his admiration of its embossed -stem and delicately ornamented branches. -Altogether it was an interesting and a novel experience -to have objects of such rarity explained by so great -an expert; and when, finally, Professor Andreas -finished our inspection by formally handing over the -precious collection to the care of my friend, I could -not help pitying him and envying his successor whose -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>life was to pass in so pleasant a duty. Within a week, -Ward Mortimer was duly installed in his new set of -rooms, and had become the autocrat of the Belmore -Street Museum.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About a fortnight afterwards my friend gave a -small dinner to half-a-dozen bachelor friends to celebrate -his promotion. When his guests were departing -he pulled my sleeve and signalled to me that he wished -me to remain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have only a few hundred yards to go,” said -he—I was living in chambers in the Albany. “You -may as well stay and have a quiet cigar with me. I -very much want your advice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I relapsed into an arm-chair and lit one of his excellent -Matronas. When he had returned from seeing -the last of his guests out, he drew a letter from his -dress-jacket and sat down opposite to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is an anonymous letter which I received this -morning,” said he. “I want to read it to you and to -have your advice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are very welcome to it for what it is worth.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is how the note runs: ‘Sir,—I should -strongly advise you to keep a very careful watch over -the many valuable things which are committed to your -charge. I do not think that the present system of a -single watchman is sufficient. Be upon your guard, or -an irreparable misfortune may occur.’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is that all?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, that is all.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said I, “it is at least obvious that it was -written by one of the limited number of people who -are aware that you have only one watchman at night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>Ward Mortimer handed me the note, with a curious -smile. “Have you an eye for handwriting?” said he. -“Now, look at this!” He put another letter in front -of me. “Look at the <em>c</em> in ‘congratulate’ and the <em>c</em> in -‘committed.’ Look at the capital <em>I</em>. Look at the trick -of putting in a dash instead of a stop!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are undoubtedly from the same hand—with -some attempt at disguise in the case of this first one.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The second,” said Ward Mortimer, “is the letter -of congratulation which was written to me by Professor -Andreas upon my obtaining my appointment.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I stared at him in amazement. Then I turned over -the letter in my hand, and there, sure enough, was -“Martin Andreas” signed upon the other side. There -could be no doubt, in the mind of any one who had the -slightest knowledge of the science of graphology, that -the Professor had written an anonymous letter, warning -his successor against thieves. It was inexplicable, but -it was certain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should he do it?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Precisely what I should wish to ask you. If he -had any such misgivings, why could he not come and -tell me direct?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Will you speak to him about it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There again I am in doubt. He might choose to -deny that he wrote it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At any rate,” said I, “this warning is meant in a -friendly spirit, and I should certainly act upon it. Are -the present precautions enough to insure you against -robbery?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should have thought so. The public are only -admitted from ten till five, and there is a guardian to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>every two rooms. He stands at the door between them, -and so commands them both.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But at night?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When the public are gone, we at once put up the -great iron shutters, which are absolutely burglar-proof. -The watchman is a capable fellow. He sits in the -lodge, but he walks round every three hours. We -keep one electric light burning in each room all -night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is difficult to suggest anything more—short of -keeping your day watchers all night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We could not afford that.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At least, I should communicate with the police, -and have a special constable put on outside in Belmore -Street,” said I. “As to the letter, if the writer wishes -to be anonymous, I think he has a right to remain so. -We must trust to the future to show some reason for -the curious course which he has adopted.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>So we dismissed the subject, but all that night after -my return to my chambers I was puzzling my brain as -to what possible motive Professor Andreas could have -for writing an anonymous warning letter to his successor—for -that the writing was his was as certain to -me as if I had seen him actually doing it. He foresaw -some danger to the collection. Was it because he foresaw -it that he abandoned his charge of it? But if so, -why should he hesitate to warn Mortimer in his own -name? I puzzled and puzzled until at last I fell into -a troubled sleep, which carried me beyond my usual -hour of rising.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was aroused in a singular and effective method, -for about nine o’clock my friend Mortimer rushed into -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>my room with an expression of consternation upon his -face. He was usually one of the most tidy men of my -acquaintance, but now his collar was undone at one -end, his tie was flying, and his hat at the back of his -head. I read his whole story in his frantic eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The museum has been robbed!” I cried, springing -up in bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I fear so! Those jewels! The jewels of the urim -and thummim!” he gasped, for he was out of breath -with running. “I’m going on to the police-station. -Come to the museum as soon as you can, Jackson! -Good-bye!” He rushed distractedly out of the room, -and I heard him clatter down the stairs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was not long in following his directions, but I -found when I arrived that he had already returned -with a police inspector, and another elderly gentleman, -who proved to be Mr. Purvis, one of the partners of -Morson and Company, the well-known diamond merchants. -As an expert in stones he was always prepared -to advise the police. They were grouped round the -case in which the breastplate of the Jewish priest had -been exposed. The plate had been taken out and laid -upon the glass top of the case, and the three heads -were bent over it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is obvious that it has been tampered with,” -said Mortimer. “It caught my eye the moment that -I passed through the room this morning. I examined -it yesterday evening, so that it is certain that this has -happened during the night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was, as he had said, obvious that some one had -been at work upon it. The settings of the uppermost -row of four stones—the carnelian, peridot, emerald, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>and ruby-were rough and jagged as if some one had -scraped all round them. The stones were in their -places, but the beautiful gold-work which we had -admired only a few days before had been very clumsily -pulled about.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It looks to me,” said the police inspector, “as if -some one had been trying to take out the stones.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My fear is,” said Mortimer, “that he not only -tried, but succeeded. I believe these four stones to be -skilful imitations which have been put in the place of -the originals.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The same suspicion had evidently been in the mind -of the expert, for he had been carefully examining the -four stones with the aid of a lens. He now submitted -them to several tests, and finally turned cheerfully to -Mortimer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I congratulate you, sir,” said he, heartily. “I -will pledge my reputation that all four of these stones -are genuine, and of a most unusual degree of purity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The colour began to come back to my poor friend’s -frightened face, and he drew a long breath of -relief.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Thank God!” he cried. “Then what in the world -did the thief want?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Probably he meant to take the stones, but was -interrupted.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In that case one would expect him to take them -out one at a time, but the setting of each of these has -been loosened, and yet the stones are all here.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is certainly most extraordinary,” said the inspector. -“I never remember a case like it. Let us see -the watchman.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>The commissionaire was called—a soldierly, honest-faced -man, who seemed as concerned as Ward Mortimer -at the incident.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir, I never heard a sound,” he answered, in -reply to the questions of the inspector. “I made my -rounds four times, as usual, but I saw nothing suspicious. -I’ve been in my position ten years, but nothing -of the kind has ever occurred before.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No thief could have come through the windows?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Impossible, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Or passed you at the door?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir; I never left my post except when I -walked my rounds.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What other openings are there in the museum?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is the door into Mr. Ward Mortimer’s -private rooms.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is locked at night,” my friend explained, -“and in order to reach it any one from the street -would have to open the outside door as well.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your servants?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Their quarters are entirely separate.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, well,” said the inspector, “this is certainly -very obscure. However, there has been no harm done, -according to Mr. Purvis.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will swear that those stones are genuine.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So that the case appears to be merely one of -malicious damage. But none the less, I should be -very glad to go carefully round the premises, and -to see if we can find any trace to show us who your -visitor may have been.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>His investigation, which lasted all the morning -was careful and intelligent, but it led in the end -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>to nothing. He pointed out to us that there were -two possible entrances to the museum which we -had not considered. The one was from the cellars -by a trap-door opening in the passage. The other -through a skylight from the lumber-room, overlooking -that very chamber to which the intruder had penetrated. -As neither the cellar nor the lumber-room -could be entered unless the thief was already within -the locked doors, the matter was not of any practical -importance, and the dust of cellar and attic assured -us that no one had used either one or the other. -Finally, we ended as we began, without the slightest -clue as to how, why, or by whom the setting of these -four jewels had been tampered with.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There remained one course for Mortimer to take, -and he took it. Leaving the police to continue their -fruitless researches, he asked me to accompany him -that afternoon in a visit to Professor Andreas. He -took with him the two letters, and it was his intention -to openly tax his predecessor with having -written the anonymous warning, and to ask him -to explain the fact that he should have anticipated -so exactly that which had actually occurred. The -Professor was living in a small villa in Upper -Norwood, but we were informed by the servant -that he was away from home. Seeing our disappointment, -she asked us if we should like to see Miss -Andreas, and showed us into the modest drawing-room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have mentioned incidentally that the Professor’s -daughter was a very beautiful girl. She was a -blonde, tall and graceful, with a skin of that delicate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>tint which the French call “mat,” the colour of -old ivory or of the lighter petals of the sulphur -rose. I was shocked, however, as she entered the -room to see how much she had changed in the last -fortnight. Her young face was haggard and her bright -eyes heavy with trouble.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Father has gone to Scotland,” she said. “He -seems to be tired, and has had a good deal to worry -him. He only left us yesterday.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You look a little tired yourself, Miss Andreas,” -said my friend.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have been so anxious about father.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can you give me his Scotch address?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, he is with his brother, the Rev. David -Andreas, 1, Arran Villas, Ardrossan.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ward Mortimer made a note of the address, and -we left without saying anything as to the object -of our visit. We found ourselves in Belmore Street -in the evening in exactly the same position in which -we had been in the morning. Our only clue was -the Professor’s letter, and my friend had made up -his mind to start for Ardrossan next day, and to -get to the bottom of the anonymous letter, when a -new development came to alter our plans.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Very early on the following morning I was -aroused from my sleep by a tap upon my bedroom -door. It was a messenger with a note from Mortimer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do come round,” it said; “the matter is becoming -more and more extraordinary.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>When I obeyed his summons I found him pacing -excitedly up and down the central room, while the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>old soldier who guarded the premises stood with -military stiffness in a corner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear Jackson,” he cried, “I am so delighted -that you have come, for this is a most inexplicable -business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What has happened, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He waved his hand towards the case which contained -the breastplate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Look at it,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did so, and could not restrain a cry of surprise. -The setting of the middle row of precious stones -had been profaned in the same manner as the upper -ones. Of the twelve jewels, eight had been now -tampered with in this singular fashion. The setting -of the lower four was neat and smooth. The others -jagged and irregular.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have the stones been altered?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I am certain that these upper four are the -same which the expert pronounced to be genuine, -for I observed yesterday that little discoloration on -the edge of the emerald. Since they have not extracted -the upper stones, there is no reason to think -the lower have been transposed. You say that you -heard nothing, Simpson?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir,” the commissionaire answered. “But -when I made my round after daylight I had a special -look at these stones, and I saw at once that some -one had been meddling with them. Then I called -you, sir, and told you. I was backwards and forwards -all the night, and I never saw a soul or heard a -sound.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come up and have some breakfast with me,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>said Mortimer, and he took me into his own chambers.—“Now, -what <em>do</em> you think of this, Jackson?” -he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is the most objectless, futile, idiotic business -that ever I heard of. It can only be the work of a -monomaniac.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can you put forward any theory?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A curious idea came into my head. “This object -is a Jewish relic of great antiquity and sanctity,” said -I. “How about the anti-Semitic movement? Could -one conceive that a fanatic of that way of thinking -might desecrate——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, no!” cried Mortimer. “That will never -do! Such a man might push his lunacy to the length -of destroying a Jewish relic, but why on earth should -he nibble round every stone so carefully that he can -only do four stones in a night? We must have a -better solution than that, and we must find it for ourselves, -for I do not think that our inspector is likely -to help us. First of all, what do you think of Simpson, -the porter?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you any reason to suspect him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Only that he is the one person on the premises.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why should he indulge in such wanton -destruction? Nothing has been taken away. He has -no motive.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mania?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I will swear to his sanity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you any other theory?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, yourself, for example. You are not a -somnambulist, by any chance?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Nothing of the sort, I assure you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>“Then I give it up.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But I don’t—and I have a plan by which we -will make it all clear.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To visit Professor Andreas?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, we shall find our solution nearer than -Scotland, I will tell you what we shall do. You -know that skylight which overlooks the central hall? -We will leave the electric lights in the hall, and we -will keep watch in the lumber-room, you and I, and -solve the mystery for ourselves. If our mysterious -visitor is doing four stones at a time, he has four still -to do, and there is every reason to think that he will -return to-night and complete the job.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Excellent!” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We will keep our own secret, and say nothing -either to the police or to Simpson. Will you join -me?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With the utmost pleasure,” said I; and so it was -agreed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was ten o’clock that night when I returned to -the Belmore Street Museum. Mortimer was, as I -could see, in a state of suppressed nervous excitement, -but it was still too early to begin our vigil, so we -remained for an hour or so in his chambers, discussing -all the possibilities of the singular business which we -had met to solve. At last the roaring stream of -hansom cabs and the rush of hurrying feet became -lower and more intermittent as the pleasure-seekers -passed on their way to their stations or their homes. -It was nearly twelve when Mortimer led the way to -the lumber-room which overlooked the central hall of -the museum.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>He had visited it during the day, and had spread -some sacking so that we could lie at our ease, and look -straight down into the museum. The skylight was of -unfrosted glass, but was so covered with dust that it -would be impossible for any one looking up from below -to detect that he was overlooked. We cleared a small -piece at each corner, which gave us a complete view -of the room beneath us. In the cold white light of -the electric lamps everything stood out hard and clear, -and I could see the smallest detail of the contents of -the various cases.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such a vigil is an excellent lesson, since one has -no choice but to look hard at those objects which we -usually pass with such half-hearted interest. Through -my little peep-hole I employed the hours in studying -every specimen, from the huge mummy-case which -leaned against the wall to those very jewels which -had brought us there, gleaming and sparkling in their -glass case immediately beneath us. There was much -precious gold-work and many valuable stones scattered -through the numerous cases, but those wonderful -twelve which made up the urim and thummim glowed -and burned with a radiance which far eclipsed the -others. I studied in turn the tomb-pictures of Sicara, -the friezes from Karnak, the statues of Memphis, and -the inscriptions of Thebes, but my eyes would always -come back to that wonderful Jewish relic, and my -mind to the singular mystery which surrounded it. I -was lost in the thought of it when my companion -suddenly drew his breath sharply in, and seized my -arm in a convulsive grip. At the same instant I saw -what it was which had excited him.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>I have said that against the wall—on the right-hand -side of the doorway (the right-hand side as we -looked at it, but the left as one entered)—there stood -a large mummy-case. To our unutterable amazement -it was slowly opening. Gradually, gradually the lid -was swinging back, and the black slit which marked -the opening was becoming wider and wider. So -gently and carefully was it done that the movement -was almost imperceptible. Then, as we breathlessly -watched it, a white thin hand appeared at the opening, -pushing back the painted lid, then another hand, and -finally a face—a face which was familiar to us both, -that of Professor Andreas. Stealthily he slunk out -of the mummy-case, like a fox stealing from its -burrow, his head turning incessantly to left and to -right, stepping, then pausing, then stepping again, the -very image of craft and of caution. Once some sound -in the street struck him motionless, and he stood -listening, with his ear turned, ready to dart back to -the shelter behind him. Then he crept onwards again -upon tiptoe, very, very softly and slowly, until he had -reached the case in the centre of the room. There he -took a bunch of keys from his pocket, unlocked the -case, took out the Jewish breastplate, and, laying it -upon the glass in front of him, began to work upon it -with some sort of small, glistening tool. He was so -directly underneath us that his bent head covered his -work, but we could guess from the movement of his -hand that he was engaged in finishing the strange -disfigurement which he had begun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I could realize from the heavy breathing of my -companion, and the twitchings of the hand which still -<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>clutched my wrist, the furious indignation which filled -his heart as he saw this vandalism in the quarter -of all others where he could least have expected it. -He, the very man who a fortnight before had reverently -bent over this unique relic, and who had impressed its -antiquity and its sanctity upon us, was now engaged -in this outrageous profanation. It was impossible, -unthinkable—and yet there, in the white glare of the -electric light beneath us, was that dark figure with the -bent, grey head, and the twitching elbow. What -inhuman hypocrisy, what hateful depth of malice -against his successor must underlie these sinister -nocturnal labours. It was painful to think of and -dreadful to watch. Even I, who had none of the acute -feelings of a virtuoso, could not bear to look on and -see this deliberate mutilation of so ancient a relic. It -was a relief to me when my companion tugged at my -sleeve as a signal that I was to follow him as he softly -crept out of the room. It was not until we were -within his own quarters that he opened his lips, and -then I saw by his agitated face how deep was his -consternation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The abominable Goth!” he cried. “Could you -have believed it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is amazing.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He is a villain or a lunatic—one or the other. -We shall very soon see which. Come with me, -Jackson, and we shall get to the bottom of this black -business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A door opened out of the passage which was the -private entrance from his rooms into the museum. -This he opened softly with his key, having first kicked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>off his shoes, an example which I followed. We crept -together through room after room, until the large hall -lay before us, with that dark figure still stooping and -working at the central case. With an advance as -cautious as his own we closed in upon him, but softly -as we went we could not take him entirely unawares. -We were still a dozen yards from him when he looked -round with a start, and uttering a husky cry of terror, -ran frantically down the museum.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Simpson! Simpson!” roared Mortimer, and far -away down the vista of electric lighted doors we saw -the stiff figure of the old soldier suddenly appear. -Professor Andreas saw him also, and stopped running, -with a gesture of despair. At the same instant we -each laid a hand upon his shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, gentlemen,” he panted, “I will come -with you. To your room, Mr. Ward Mortimer, if -you please! I feel that I owe you an explanation.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My companion’s indignation was so great that I -could see that he dared not trust himself to reply. -We walked on each side of the old Professor, the -astonished commissionaire bringing up the rear. When -we reached the violated case, Mortimer stopped and -examined the breastplate. Already one of the stones -of the lower row had had its setting turned back in -the same manner as the others. My friend held it up -and glanced furiously at his prisoner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How could you!” he cried. “How could you!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is horrible—horrible!” said the Professor. -“I don’t wonder at your feelings. Take me to your -room.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>“But this shall not be left exposed!” cried Mortimer. -He picked the breastplate up and carried it -tenderly in his hand, while I walked beside the -Professor, like a policeman with a malefactor. We -passed into Mortimer’s chambers, leaving the amazed -old soldier to understand matters as best he could. -The Professor sat down in Mortimer’s arm-chair, -and turned so ghastly a colour that for the instant, -all our resentment was changed to concern. A stiff -glass of brandy brought the life back to him once -more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There, I am better now!” said he. “These -last few days have been too much for me. I am -convinced that I could not stand it any longer. It is -a nightmare—a horrible nightmare—that I should be -arrested as a burglar in what has been for so long my -own museum. And yet I cannot blame you. You -could not have done otherwise. My hope always was -that I should get it all over before I was detected. -This would have been my last night’s work.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How did you get in?” asked Mortimer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“By taking a very great liberty with your private -door. But the object justified it. The object justified -everything. You will not be angry when you know -everything—at least, you will not be angry with me. -I had a key to your side door and also to the museum -door. I did not give them up when I left. And so -you see it was not difficult for me to let myself into -the museum. I used to come in early before the -crowd had cleared from the street. Then I hid myself -in the mummy-case, and took refuge there whenever -Simpson came round. I could always hear him -<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>coming. I used to leave in the same way as I -came.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You ran a risk.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I had to.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why? What on earth was your object—<em>you</em> -to do a thing like that?” Mortimer pointed -reproachfully at the plate which lay before him on the -table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I could devise no other means. I thought and -thought, but there was no alternative except a hideous -public scandal, and a private sorrow which would have -clouded our lives. I acted for the best, incredible as it -may seem to you, and I only ask your attention to -enable me to prove it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will hear what you have to say before I take -any further steps,” said Mortimer, grimly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am determined to hold back nothing, and to -take you both completely into my confidence. I will -leave it to your own generosity how far you will use -the facts with which I supply you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have the essential facts already.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And yet you understand nothing. Let me go -back to what passed a few weeks ago, and I will make -it all clear to you. Believe me that what I say is the -absolute and exact truth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have met the person who calls himself -Captain Wilson. I say ‘calls himself’ because I have -reason now to believe that it is not his correct name. -It would take me too long if I were to describe all the -means by which he obtained an introduction to me and -ingratiated himself into my friendship and the affection -of my daughter. He brought letters from foreign -<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>colleagues which compelled me to show him some -attention. And then, by his own attainments, which -are considerable, he succeeded in making himself a -very welcome visitor at my rooms. When I learned -that my daughter’s affections had been gained by him, -I may have thought it premature, but I certainly was -not surprised, for he had a charm of manner and of -conversation which would have made him conspicuous -in any society.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He was much interested in Oriental antiquities, -and his knowledge of the subject justified his interest. -Often when he spent the evening with us he would -ask permission to go down into the museum and have -an opportunity of privately inspecting the various -specimens. You can imagine that I, as an enthusiast, -was in sympathy with such a request, and that I felt -no surprise at the constancy of his visits. After his -actual engagement to Elise, there was hardly an -evening which he did not pass with us, and an hour or -two were generally devoted to the museum. He had -the free run of the place, and when I have been away -for the evening I had no objection to his doing whatever -he wished here. This state of things was only -terminated by the fact of my resignation of my official -duties and my retirement to Norwood, where I hoped -to have the leisure to write a considerable work which -I had planned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was immediately after this—within a week or -so—that I first realized the true nature and character -of the man whom I had so imprudently introduced into -my family. The discovery came to me through letters -from my friends abroad, which showed me that his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>introductions to me had been forgeries. Aghast at the -revelation, I asked myself what motive this man could -originally have had in practising this elaborate deception -upon me. I was too poor a man for any fortune-hunter -to have marked me down. Why, then, had he -come? I remembered that some of the most precious -gems in Europe had been under my charge, and I -remembered also the ingenious excuses by which this -man had made himself familiar with the cases in which -they were kept. He was a rascal who was planning -some gigantic robbery. How could I, without striking -my own daughter, who was infatuated about him, -prevent him from carrying out any plan which he -might have formed? My device was a clumsy one, -and yet I could think of nothing more effective. If I -had written a letter under my own name, you would -naturally have turned to me for details which I did -not wish to give. I resorted to an anonymous letter, -begging you to be upon your guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I may tell you that my change from Belmore -Street to Norwood had not affected the visits of this -man, who had, I believe, a real and overpowering -affection for my daughter. As to her, I could not have -believed that any woman could be so completely under -the influence of a man as she was. His stronger -nature seemed to entirely dominate her. I had not -realized how far this was the case, or the extent of the -confidence which existed between them, until that very -evening when his true character for the first time was -made clear to me. I had given orders that when he -called he should be shown into my study instead of to -the drawing-room. There I told him bluntly that I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>knew all about him, that I had taken steps to defeat -his designs, and that neither I nor my daughter desired -ever to see him again. I added that I thanked God -that I had found him out before he had time to harm -those precious objects which it had been the work of -my lifetime to protect.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He was certainly a man of iron nerve. He took -my remarks without a sign either of surprise or of -defiance, but listened gravely and attentively until I -had finished. Then he walked across the room without -a word and struck the bell.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Ask Miss Andreas to be so kind as to step this -way,’ said he to the servant.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My daughter entered, and the man closed the -door behind her. Then he took her hand in his.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Elise,’ said he, ‘your father has just discovered -that I am a villain. He knows now what you knew -before.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She stood in silence, listening.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He says that we are to part for ever,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She did not withdraw her hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Will you be true to me, or will you remove the -last good influence which is ever likely to come into -my life?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘John,’ she cried, passionately, ‘I will never -abandon you! Never, never, not if the whole world -were against you.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In vain I argued and pleaded with her. It was -absolutely useless. Her whole life was bound up in -this man before me. My daughter, gentlemen, is all -that I have left to love, and it filled me with agony -when I saw how powerless I was to save her from her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>ruin. My helplessness seemed to touch this man who -was the cause of my trouble.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘It may not be as bad as you think, sir,’ said -he, in his quiet, inflexible way. ‘I love Elise with a -love which is strong enough to rescue even one who -has such a record as I have. It was but yesterday -that I promised her that never again in my whole -life would I do a thing of which she should be -ashamed. I have made up my mind to it, and never yet -did I make up my mind to a thing which I did not do.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He spoke with an air which carried conviction -with it. As he concluded he put his hand into his -pocket and he drew out a small cardboard box.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I am about to give you a proof of my determination,’ -said he. ‘This, Elise, shall be the first-fruits -of your redeeming influence over me. You are -right, sir, in thinking that I had designs upon the -jewels in your possession. Such ventures have had -a charm for me, which depended as much upon the -risk run as upon the value of the prize. Those famous -and antique stones of the Jewish priest were a challenge -to my daring and my ingenuity. I determined to get -them.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I guessed as much.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘There was only one thing that you did not -guess.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘And what is that?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘That I got them. They are in this box.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He opened the box, and tilted out the contents -upon the corner of my desk. My hair rose and my flesh -grew cold as I looked. There were twelve magnificent -square stones engraved with mystical characters. There -<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>could be no doubt that they were the jewels of the -urim and thummim.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Good God!’ I cried. ‘How have you escaped -discovery?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘By the substitution of twelve others, made especially -to my order, in which the originals are so -carefully imitated that I defy the eye to detect the -difference.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Then the present stones are false?’ I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘They have been for some weeks.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We all stood in silence, my daughter white with -emotion, but still holding this man by the hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘You see what I am capable of, Elise,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I see that you are capable of repentance and -restitution,’ she answered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Yes, thanks to your influence! I leave the -stones in your hands, sir. Do what you like about -it. But remember that whatever you do against me, -is done against the future husband of your only -daughter. You will hear from me soon again, Elise. -It is the last time that I will ever cause pain to your -tender heart,’ and with these words he left both the -room and the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My position was a dreadful one. Here I was -with these precious relics in my possession, and how -could I return them without a scandal and an exposure? -I knew the depth of my daughter’s nature -too well to suppose that I would ever be able to -detach her from this man now that she had entirely -given him her heart. I was not even sure how far it -was right to detach her if she had such an ameliorating -influence over him. How could I expose him without -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>injuring her—and how far was I justified in exposing -him when he had voluntarily put himself into my -power? I thought and thought, until at last I formed -a resolution which may seem to you to be a foolish -one, and yet, if I had to do it again, I believe it would -be the best course open to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My idea was to return the stones without any one -being the wiser. With my keys I could get into the -museum at any time, and I was confident that I could -avoid Simpson, whose hours and methods were familiar -to me. I determined to take no one into my confidence—not -even my daughter—whom I told that I -was about to visit my brother in Scotland. I wanted -a free hand for a few nights, without inquiry as to my -comings and goings. To this end I took a room in -Harding Street that very night, with an intimation -that I was a Pressman, and that I should keep very -late hours.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That night I made my way into the museum, and -I replaced four of the stones. It was hard work, and -took me all night When Simpson came round I -always heard his footsteps, and concealed myself in -the mummy-case. I had some knowledge of gold-work, -but was far less skilful than the thief had been. -He had replaced the setting so exactly that I defy -any one to see the difference. My work was rude and -clumsy. However, I hoped that the plate might not -be carefully examined, or the roughness of the setting -observed, until my task was done. Next night I -replaced four more stones. And to-night I should -have finished my task had it not been for the unfortunate -circumstance which has caused me to reveal -<span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>so much which I should have wished to keep concealed. -I appeal to you, gentlemen, to your sense of -honour and of compassion, whether what I have told -you should go any farther or not. My own happiness, -my daughter’s future, the hopes of this man’s regeneration, -all depend upon your decision.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Which is,” said my friend, “that all is well that -ends well, and that the whole matter ends here and at -once. To-morrow the loose settings shall be tightened -by an expert goldsmith, and so passes the greatest -danger to which, since the destruction of the Temple, -the urim and thummim have been exposed. Here -is my hand, Professor Andreas, and I can only hope -that under such difficult circumstances I should have -carried myself as unselfishly and as well.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Just one footnote to this narrative. Within a -month Elise Andreas was married to a man whose -name, had I the indiscretion to mention it, would -appeal to my readers as one who is now widely and -deservedly honoured. But if the truth were known, -that honour is due not to him but to the gentle girl -who plucked him back when he had gone so far down -that dark road along which few return.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE LOST SPECIAL</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>The confession of Herbert de Lernac, now lying under -sentence of death at Marseilles, has thrown a light -upon one of the most inexplicable crimes of the century—an -incident which is, I believe, absolutely unprecedented -in the criminal annals of any country. Although -there is a reluctance to discuss the matter in official -circles, and little information has been given to the -Press, there are still indications that the statement of -this arch-criminal is corroborated by the facts, and that -we have at last found a solution for a most astounding -business. As the matter is eight years old, and as its -importance was somewhat obscured by a political crisis -which was engaging the public attention at the time, -it may be as well to state the facts as far as we have been -able to ascertain them. They are collated from the -Liverpool papers of that date, from the proceedings at -the inquest upon John Slater, the engine-driver, and -from the records of the London and West Coast Railway -Company, which have been courteously put at my -disposal. Briefly, they are as follows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 3rd of June, 1890, a gentleman, who gave -his name as Monsieur Louis Caratal, desired an interview -with Mr. James Bland, the superintendent of the -London and West Coast Central Station in Liverpool. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>He was a small man, middle-aged and dark, with a stoop -which was so marked that it suggested some deformity -of the spine. He was accompanied by a friend, a man -of imposing physique, whose deferential manner and -constant attention showed that his position was one -of dependence. This friend or companion, whose -name did not transpire, was certainly a foreigner, and -probably, from his swarthy complexion, either a Spaniard -or a South American. One peculiarity was observed in -him. He carried in his left hand a small black leather -dispatch-box, and it was noticed by a sharp-eyed clerk -in the Central office that this box was fastened to his -wrist by a strap. No importance was attached to the -fact at the time, but subsequent events endowed it -with some significance. Monsieur Caratal was shown -up to Mr. Bland’s office, while his companion remained -outside.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Monsieur Caratal’s business was quickly dispatched. -He had arrived that afternoon from Central America. -Affairs of the utmost importance demanded that he -should be in Paris without the loss of an unnecessary -hour. He had missed the London express. A special -must be provided. Money was of no importance. Time -was everything. If the company would speed him on -his way, they might make their own terms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Bland struck the electric bell, summoned Mr. -Potter Hood, the traffic manager, and had the matter -arranged in five minutes. The train would start in -three-quarters of an hour. It would take that time to -insure that the line should be clear. The powerful -engine called Rochdale (No. 247 on the company’s -register) was attached to two carriages, with a guard’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>van behind. The first carriage was solely for the purpose -of decreasing the inconvenience arising from the -oscillation. The second was divided, as usual, into -four compartments, a first-class, a first-class smoking, a -second-class, and a second-class smoking. The first -compartment, which was nearest to the engine, was the -one allotted to the travellers. The other three were -empty. The guard of the special train was James -McPherson, who had been some years in the service of -the company. The stoker, William Smith, was a new -hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Monsieur Caratal, upon leaving the superintendent’s -office, rejoined his companion, and both of them manifested -extreme impatience to be off. Having paid the -money asked, which amounted to fifty pounds five -shillings, at the usual special rate of five shillings a -mile, they demanded to be shown the carriage, and at -once took their seats in it, although they were assured -that the better part of an hour must elapse before the -line could be cleared. In the meantime a singular -coincidence had occurred in the office which Monsieur -Caratal had just quitted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A request for a special is not a very uncommon -circumstance in a rich commercial centre, but that two -should be required upon the same afternoon was most -unusual. It so happened, however, that Mr. Bland -had hardly dismissed the first traveller before a second -entered with a similar request. This was a Mr. Horace -Moore, a gentlemanly man of military appearance, who -alleged that the sudden serious illness of his wife in -London made it absolutely imperative that he should -not lose an instant in starting upon the journey. His -<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>distress and anxiety were so evident that Mr. Bland -did all that was possible to meet his wishes. A second -special was out of the question, as the ordinary local -service was already somewhat deranged by the first. -There was the alternative, however, that Mr. Moore -should share the expense of Monsieur Caratal’s train, -and should travel in the other empty first-class compartment, -if Monsieur Caratal objected to having him -in the one which he occupied. It was difficult to see -any objection to such an arrangement, and yet Monsieur -Caratal, upon the suggestion being made to him by Mr. -Potter Hood, absolutely refused to consider it for an -instant. The train was his, he said, and he would -insist upon the exclusive use of it. All argument -failed to overcome his ungracious objections, and finally -the plan had to be abandoned. Mr. Horace Moore left -the station in great distress, after learning that his only -course was to take the ordinary slow train which leaves -Liverpool at six o’clock. At four thirty-one exactly -by the station clock the special train, containing the -crippled Monsieur Caratal and his gigantic companion, -steamed out of the Liverpool station. The line was at -that time clear, and there should have been no stoppage -before Manchester.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The trains of the London and West Coast Railway -run over the lines of another company as far as this -town, which should have been reached by the special -rather before six o’clock. At a quarter after six considerable -surprise and some consternation were caused -amongst the officials at Liverpool by the receipt of a -telegram from Manchester to say that it had not yet -arrived. An inquiry directed to St. Helens, which is a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>third of the way between the two cities, elicited the -following reply:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To James Bland, Superintendent, Central L. & -W. C., Liverpool.—Special passed here at 4.52, well up -to time.—Dowser, St. Helens.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This telegram was received at 6.40. At 6.50 a -second message was received from Manchester:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No sign of special as advised by you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then ten minutes later a third, more -bewildering:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Presume some mistake as to proposed running of -special. Local train from St. Helens timed to follow it -has just arrived and has seen nothing of it. Kindly -wire advices.—Manchester.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The matter was assuming a most amazing aspect, -although in some respects the last telegram was a -relief to the authorities at Liverpool. If an accident -had occurred to the special, it seemed hardly possible -that the local train could have passed down the same -line without observing it. And yet, what was the -alternative? Where could the train be? Had it -possibly been side-tracked for some reason in order to -allow the slower train to go past? Such an explanation -was possible if some small repair had to be effected. -A telegram was dispatched to each of the stations -between St. Helens and Manchester, and the superintendent -and traffic manager waited in the utmost -suspense at the instrument for the series of replies -which would enable them to say for certain what had -become of the missing train. The answers came back -in the order of questions, which was the order of the -stations beginning at the St. Helens end:—</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>“Special passed here five o’clock.—Collins Green.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Special passed here six past five.—Earlestown.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Special passed here 5.10.—Newton.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Special passed here 5.20.—Kenyon Junction.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No special train has passed here.—Barton Moss.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The two officials stared at each other in amazement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is unique in my thirty years of experience,” -said Mr. Bland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Absolutely unprecedented and inexplicable, sir. -The special has gone wrong between Kenyon Junction -and Barton Moss.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And yet there is no siding, so far as my memory -serves me, between the two stations. The special -must have run off the metals.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But how could the four-fifty parliamentary pass -over the same line without observing it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s no alternative, Mr. Hood. It <em>must</em> be so. -Possibly the local train may have observed something -which may throw some light upon the matter. We -will wire to Manchester for more information, and to -Kenyon Junction with instructions that the line be -examined instantly as far as Barton Moss.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The answer from Manchester came within a few -minutes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No news of missing special. Driver and guard -of slow train positive no accident between Kenyon -Junction and Barton Moss. Line quite clear, and no -sign of anything unusual.—Manchester.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That driver and guard will have to go,” said Mr. -Bland, grimly. “There has been a wreck and they -have missed it. The special has obviously run off the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>metals without disturbing the line—how it could have -done so passes my comprehension—but so it must be, -and we shall have a wire from Kenyon or Barton Moss -presently to say that they have found her at the -bottom of an embankment.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But Mr. Bland’s prophecy was not destined to be -fulfilled. Half an hour passed, and then there arrived -the following message from the station-master of -Kenyon Junction:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There are no traces of the missing special. It is -quite certain that she passed here, and that she did -not arrive at Barton Moss. We have detached engine -from goods train, and I have myself ridden down the -line, but all is clear, and there is no sign of any -accident.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Bland tore his hair in his perplexity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is rank lunacy, Hood!” he cried. “Does a -train vanish into thin air in England in broad daylight? -The thing is preposterous. An engine, a -tender, two carriages, a van, five human beings—and -all lost on a straight line of railway! Unless we get -something positive within the next hour I’ll take -Inspector Collins, and go down myself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then at last something positive did occur. It -took the shape of another telegram from Kenyon -Junction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Regret to report that the dead body of John -Slater, driver of the special train, has just been found -among the gorse bushes at a point two and a quarter -miles from the Junction. Had fallen from his engine, -pitched down the embankment, and rolled among -bushes. Injuries to his head, from the fall, appear -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>to be cause of death. Ground has now been carefully -examined, and there is no trace of the missing train.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The country was, as has already been stated, in -the throes of a political crisis, and the attention of -the public was further distracted by the important -and sensational developments in Paris, where a huge -scandal threatened to destroy the Government and to -wreck the reputations of many of the leading men -in France. The papers were full of these events, and -the singular disappearance of the special train attracted -less attention than would have been the case in more -peaceful times. The grotesque nature of the event -helped to detract from its importance, for the papers -were disinclined to believe the facts as reported to -them. More than one of the London journals treated -the matter as an ingenious hoax, until the coroner’s -inquest upon the unfortunate driver (an inquest which -elicited nothing of importance) convinced them of the -tragedy of the incident.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Bland, accompanied by Inspector Collins, the -senior detective officer in the service of the company, -went down to Kenyon Junction the same evening, and -their research lasted throughout the following day, but -was attended with purely negative results. Not only -was no trace found of the missing train, but no conjecture -could be put forward which could possibly -explain the facts. At the same time, Inspector -Collins’s official report (which lies before me as I -write) served to show that the possibilities were more -numerous than might have been expected.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In the stretch of railway between these two -points,” said he, “the country is dotted with ironworks -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>and collieries. Of these, some are being worked and -some have been abandoned. There are no fewer than -twelve which have small gauge lines which run trolly-cars -down to the main line. These can, of course, be -disregarded. Besides these, however, there are seven -which have or have had, proper lines running down -and connecting with points to the main line, so as to -convey their produce from the mouth of the mine to -the great centres of distribution. In every case these -lines are only a few miles in length. Out of the -seven, four belong to collieries which are worked out, -or at least to shafts which are no longer used. These -are the Redgauntlet, Hero, Slough of Despond, and -Heartsease mines, the latter having ten years ago been -one of the principal mines in Lancashire. These four -side lines may be eliminated from our inquiry, for, to -prevent possible accidents, the rails nearest to the -main line have been taken up, and there is no longer -any connection. There remain three other side lines -leading—</p> - - <dl class='dl_1'> - <dt>(<em>a</em>) To the Carnstock Iron Works;</dt> - <dt>(<em>b</em>) To the Big Ben Colliery;</dt> - <dt>(<em>c</em>) To the Perseverance Colliery.</dt> - </dl> - -<p class='c000'>“Of these the Big Ben line is not more than a -quarter of a mile long, and ends at a dead wall of -coal waiting removal from the mouth of the mine. -Nothing had been seen or heard there of any special. -The Carnstock Iron Works line was blocked all day -upon the 3rd of June by sixteen truckloads of hematite. -It is a single line, and nothing could have passed. As -to the Perseverance line, it is a large double line, -which does a considerable traffic, for the output of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>the mine is very large. On the 3rd of June this traffic -proceeded as usual; hundreds of men, including a gang -of railway platelayers, were working along the two miles -and a quarter which constitute the total length of the -line, and it is inconceivable that an unexpected train -could have come down there without attracting -universal attention. It may be remarked in conclusion -that this branch line is nearer to St. Helens than the -point at which the engine-driver was discovered, so -that we have every reason to believe that the train was -past that point before misfortune overtook her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As to John Slater, there is no clue to be gathered -from his appearance or injuries. We can only say -that, so far as we can see, he met his end by falling -off his engine, though why he fell, or what became of -the engine after his fall, is a question upon which I -do not feel qualified to offer an opinion.” In conclusion, -the inspector offered his resignation to the Board, -being much nettled by an accusation of incompetence -in the London papers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A month elapsed, during which both the police -and the company prosecuted their inquiries without -the slightest success. A reward was offered and a -pardon promised in case of crime, but they were both -unclaimed. Every day the public opened their papers -with the conviction that so grotesque a mystery would -at last be solved, but week after week passed by, and -a solution remained as far off as ever. In broad daylight, -upon a June afternoon in the most thickly inhabited -portion of England, a train with its occupants -had disappeared as completely as if some master of -subtle chemistry had volatilized it into gas. Indeed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span>among the various conjectures which were put forward -in the public Press there were some which seriously -asserted that supernatural, or, at least, preternatural, -agencies had been at work, and that the deformed -Monsieur Caratal was probably a person who was -better known under a less polite name. Others fixed -upon his swarthy companion as being the author of -the mischief, but what it was exactly which he had -done could never be clearly formulated in words.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Amongst the many suggestions put forward by -various newspapers or private individuals, there were -one or two which were feasible enough to attract the -attention of the public. One which appeared in the -<cite>Times</cite>, over the signature of an amateur reasoner of -some celebrity at that date, attempted to deal with -the matter in a critical and semi-scientific manner. -An extract must suffice, although the curious can -see the whole letter in the issue of the 3rd of -July.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is one of the elementary principles of practical -reasoning,” he remarked, “that when the impossible -has been eliminated the residuum, <em>however improbable</em>, -must contain the truth. It is certain that the train -left Kenyon Junction. It is certain that it did not -reach Barton Moss. It is in the highest degree unlikely, -but still possible, that it may have taken one -of the seven available side lines. It is obviously impossible -for a train to run where there are no rails, -and, therefore, we may reduce our <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">improbables</span> to the -three open lines, namely, the Carnstock Iron Works, -the Big Ben, and the Perseverance. Is there a secret -society of colliers, an English <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">camorra</span></i>, which is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>capable of destroying both train and passengers? It -is improbable, but it is not impossible. I confess -that I am unable to suggest any other solution. I -should certainly advise the company to direct all -their energies towards the observation of those three -lines, and of the workmen at the end of them. A -careful supervision of the pawnbrokers’ shops of the -district might possibly bring some suggestive facts to -light.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The suggestion coming from a recognized authority -upon such matters created considerable interest, and -a fierce opposition from those who considered such a -statement to be a preposterous libel upon an honest -and deserving set of men. The only answer to this -criticism was a challenge to the objectors to lay any -more feasible explanation before the public. In reply to -this two others were forthcoming (<cite>Times</cite>, July 7th and -9th). The first suggested that the train might have -run off the metals and be lying submerged in the -Lancashire and Staffordshire Canal, which runs parallel -to the railway for some hundreds of yards. This suggestion -was thrown out of court by the published depth -of the canal, which was entirely insufficient to conceal -so large an object. The second correspondent wrote -calling attention to the bag which appeared to be the -sole luggage which the travellers had brought with -them, and suggesting that some novel explosive of -immense and pulverizing power might have been -concealed in it. The obvious absurdity, however, of -supposing that the whole train might be blown to -dust while the metals remained uninjured reduced -any such explanation to a farce. The investigation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>had drifted into this hopeless position when a new -and most unexpected incident occurred.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This was nothing less than the receipt by Mrs. -McPherson of a letter from her husband, James -McPherson, who had been the guard of the missing -train. The letter, which was dated July 5th, 1890, -was posted from New York, and came to hand upon -July 14th. Some doubts were expressed as to its -genuine character, but Mrs. McPherson was positive as -to the writing, and the fact that it contained a remittance -of a hundred dollars in five-dollar notes was -enough in itself to discount the idea of a hoax. No -address was given in the letter, which ran in this way:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-l c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<span class='sc'>My dear Wife</span>,—</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>“I have been thinking a great deal, and I find -it very hard to give you up. The same with Lizzie. -I try to fight against it, but it will always come back to -me. I send you some money which will change into -twenty English pounds. This should be enough to bring -both Lizzie and you across the Atlantic, and you will find -the Hamburg boats which stop at Southampton very -good boats, and cheaper than Liverpool. If you could -come here and stop at the Johnston House I would try -and send you word how to meet, but things are very -difficult with me at present, and I am not very happy, -finding it hard to give you both up. So no more at -present, from your loving husband,</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<span class='sc'>James McPherson</span>.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>For a time it was confidently anticipated that this -letter would lead to the clearing up of the whole -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>matter, the more so as it was ascertained that a passenger -who bore a close resemblance to the missing -guard had travelled from Southampton under the name -of Summers in the Hamburg and New York liner -<em>Vistula</em>, which started upon the 7th of June. Mrs. -McPherson and her sister Lizzie Dolton went across to -New York as directed, and stayed for three weeks at -the Johnston House, without hearing anything from -the missing man. It is probable that some injudicious -comments in the Press may have warned him that the -police were using them as a bait. However this may -be, it is certain that he neither wrote nor came, and -the women were eventually compelled to return to -Liverpool.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so the matter stood, and has continued to -stand up to the present year of 1898. Incredible as -it may seem, nothing has transpired during these eight -years which has shed the least light upon the extraordinary -disappearance of the special train which contained -Monsieur Caratal and his companion. Careful -inquiries into the antecedents of the two travellers -have only established the fact that Monsieur Caratal -was well known as a financier and political agent in -Central America, and that during his voyage to Europe -he had betrayed extraordinary anxiety to reach Paris. -His companion, whose name was entered upon the passenger -lists as Eduardo Gomez, was a man whose -record was a violent one, and whose reputation was -that of a bravo and a bully. There was evidence to -show, however, that he was honestly devoted to the -interests of Monsieur Caratal, and that the latter, being -a man of puny physique, employed the other as a guard -<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>and protector. It may be added that no information -came from Paris as to what the objects of Monsieur -Caratal’s hurried journey may have been. This comprises -all the facts of the case up to the publication in -the Marseilles papers of the recent confession of Herbert -de Lernac, now under sentence of death for the -murder of a merchant named Bonvalot. This statement -may be literally translated as follows:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not out of mere pride or boasting that I give -this information, for, if that were my object, I could -tell a dozen actions of mine which are quite as splendid; -but I do it in order that certain gentlemen in -Paris may understand that I, who am able here to tell -about the fate of Monsieur Caratal, can also tell in -whose interest and at whose request the deed was done, -unless the reprieve which I am awaiting comes to me -very quickly. Take warning, messieurs, before it is too -late! You know Herbert de Lernac, and you are aware -that his deeds are as ready as his words. Hasten then, -or you are lost!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At present I shall mention no names—if you -only heard the names, what would you not think!—but -I shall merely tell you how cleverly I did -it. I was true to my employers then, and no doubt -they will be true to me now. I hope so, and until -I am convinced that they have betrayed me, these -names, which would convulse Europe, shall not be -divulged. But on that day ... well, I say no -more!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In a word, then, there was a famous trial in -Paris, in the year 1890, in connection with a monstrous -scandal in politics and finance. How monstrous -<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>that scandal was can never be known save by such -confidential agents as myself. The honour and careers -of many of the chief men in France were at stake. -You have seen a group of nine-pins standing, all so -rigid, and prim, and unbending. Then there comes -the ball from far away and pop, pop, pop—there -are your nine-pins on the floor. Well, imagine some -of the greatest men in France as these nine-pins, -and then this Monsieur Caratal was the ball which -could be seen coming from far away. If he arrived, -then it was pop, pop, pop for all of them. It was -determined that he should not arrive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I do not accuse them all of being conscious of -what was to happen. There were, as I have said, -great financial as well as political interests at stake, -and a syndicate was formed to manage the business. -Some subscribed to the syndicate who hardly understood -what were its objects. But others understood -very well, and they can rely upon it that I have -not forgotten their names. They had ample warning -that Monsieur Caratal was coming long before he -left South America, and they knew that the evidence -which he held would certainly mean ruin to all of -them. The syndicate had the command of an unlimited -amount of money—absolutely unlimited, you -understand. They looked round for an agent who -was capable of wielding this gigantic power. The -man chosen must be inventive, resolute, adaptive—a -man in a million. They chose Herbert de Lernac, -and I admit that they were right.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My duties were to choose my subordinates, to -use freely the power which money gives, and to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>make certain that Monsieur Caratal should never -arrive in Paris. With characteristic energy I set -about my commission within an hour of receiving -my instructions, and the steps which I took were -the very best for the purpose which could possibly -be devised.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A man whom I could trust was dispatched -instantly to South America to travel home with -Monsieur Caratal. Had he arrived in time the ship -would never have reached Liverpool; but, alas! it -had already started before my agent could reach it. -I fitted out a small armed brig to intercept it, but -again I was unfortunate. Like all great organizers -I was, however, prepared for failure, and had a series -of alternatives prepared, one or the other of which -must succeed. You must not underrate the difficulties -of my undertaking, or imagine that a mere commonplace -assassination would meet the case. We must -destroy not only Monsieur Caratal, but Monsieur -Caratal’s documents, and Monsieur Caratal’s companions -also, if we had reason to believe that he -had communicated his secrets to them. And you -must remember that they were on the alert, and -keenly suspicious of any such attempt. It was a -task which was in every way worthy of me, for I -am always most masterful where another would be -appalled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was all ready for Monsieur Caratal’s reception -in Liverpool, and I was the more eager because I -had reason to believe that he had made arrangements -by which he would have a considerable guard from -the moment that he arrived in London. Anything -<span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>which was to be done must be done between the -moment of his setting foot upon the Liverpool quay -and that of his arrival at the London and West -Coast terminus in London. We prepared six plans, -each more elaborate than the last; which plan would -be used would depend upon his own movements. Do -what he would, we were ready for him. If he had -stayed in Liverpool, we were ready. If he took an -ordinary train, an express, or a special, all was ready. -Everything had been foreseen and provided for.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You may imagine that I could not do all this -myself. What could I know of the English railway -lines? But money can procure willing agents all -the world over, and I soon had one of the acutest -brains in England to assist me. I will mention no -names, but it would be unjust to claim all the credit -for myself. My English ally was worthy of such -an alliance. He knew the London and West Coast -line thoroughly, and he had the command of a band -of workers who were trustworthy and intelligent. -The idea was his, and my own judgment was only -required in the details. We bought over several -officials, amongst whom the most important was -James McPherson, whom we had ascertained to be -the guard most likely to be employed upon a special -train. Smith, the stoker, was also in our employ. -John Slater, the engine-driver, had been approached, -but had been found to be obstinate and dangerous, -so we desisted. We had no certainty that Monsieur -Caratal would take a special, but we thought it very -probable, for it was of the utmost importance to -him that he should reach Paris without delay. It -<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>was for this contingency, therefore, that we made -special preparations—preparations which were complete -down to the last detail long before his steamer -had sighted the shores of England. You will be -amused to learn that there was one of my agents in the -pilot-boat which brought that steamer to its moorings.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The moment that Caratal arrived in Liverpool -we knew that he suspected danger and was on his -guard. He had brought with him as an escort a -dangerous fellow, named Gomez, a man who carried -weapons, and was prepared to use them. This fellow -carried Caratal’s confidential papers for him, and -was ready to protect either them or his master. The -probability was that Caratal had taken him into his -counsels, and that to remove Caratal without removing -Gomez would be a mere waste of energy. It was -necessary that they should be involved in a common -fate, and our plans to that end were much facilitated -by their request for a special train. On that special -train you will understand that two out of the three -servants of the company were really in our employ, -at a price which would make them independent for -a lifetime. I do not go so far as to say that the -English are more honest than any other nation, but -I have found them more expensive to buy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have already spoken of my English agent—who -is a man with a considerable future before him, unless -some complaint of the throat carries him off before his -time. He had charge of all arrangements at Liverpool, -whilst I was stationed at the inn at Kenyon, where I -awaited a cipher signal to act. When the special was -arranged for, my agent instantly telegraphed to me and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>warned me how soon I should have everything ready. -He himself under the name of Horace Moore applied -immediately for a special also, in the hope that he -would be sent down with Monsieur Caratal, which -might under certain circumstances have been helpful -to us. If, for example, our great <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup</span></i> had failed, it -would then have become the duty of my agent to have -shot them both and destroyed their papers. Caratal -was on his guard, however, and refused to admit any -other traveller. My agent then left the station, returned -by another entrance, entered the guard’s van on -the side farthest from the platform, and travelled down -with McPherson the guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In the meantime you will be interested to know -what my movements were. Everything had been prepared -for days before, and only the finishing touches -were needed. The side line which we had chosen had -once joined the main line, but it had been disconnected. -We had only to replace a few rails to connect it once -more. These rails had been laid down as far as could -be done without danger of attracting attention, and -now it was merely a case of completing a juncture with -the line, and arranging the points as they had been -before. The sleepers had never been removed, and the -rails, fish-plates, and rivets were all ready, for we had -taken them from a siding on the abandoned portion -of the line. With my small but competent band of -workers, we had everything ready long before the -special arrived. When it did arrive, it ran off upon -the small side line so easily that the jolting of the -points appears to have been entirely unnoticed by the -two travellers.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>“Our plan had been that Smith the stoker should -chloroform John Slater the driver, so that he should -vanish with the others. In this respect, and in -this respect only, our plans miscarried—I except the -criminal folly of McPherson in writing home to his -wife. Our stoker did his business so clumsily that -Slater in his struggles fell off the engine, and though -fortune was with us so far that he broke his neck in -the fall, still he remained as a blot upon that which -would otherwise have been one of those complete -masterpieces which are only to be contemplated in -silent admiration. The criminal expert will find in -John Slater the one flaw in all our admirable combinations. -A man who has had as many triumphs as I can -afford to be frank, and I therefore lay my finger upon -John Slater, and I proclaim him to be a flaw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But now I have got our special train upon the -small line two <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">kilomètres</span>, or rather more than one mile, -in length, which leads, or rather used to lead, to the -abandoned Heartsease mine, once one of the largest -coal mines in England. You will ask how it is that -no one saw the train upon this unused line. I answer -that along its entire length it runs through a deep cutting, -and that, unless some one had been on the edge of -that cutting, he could not have seen it. There <em>was</em> -some one on the edge of that cutting. I was there. -And now I will tell you what I saw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My assistant had remained at the points in order -that he might superintend the switching off of the -train. He had four armed men with him, so that if -the train ran off the line—we thought it probable, -because the points were very rusty—we might still -<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>have resources to fall back upon. Having once seen it -safely on the side line, he handed over the responsibility -to me. I was waiting at a point which overlooks -the mouth of the mine, and I was also armed, as were -my two companions. Come what might, you see, I -was always ready.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The moment that the train was fairly on the side -line, Smith, the stoker, slowed-down the engine, and -then, having turned it on to the fullest speed again, he -and McPherson, with my English lieutenant, sprang -off before it was too late. It may be that it was this -slowing-down which first attracted the attention of the -travellers, but the train was running at full speed again -before their heads appeared at the open window. It -makes me smile to think how bewildered they must -have been. Picture to yourself your own feelings if, on -looking out of your luxurious carriage, you suddenly -perceived that the lines upon which you ran were rusted -and corroded, red and yellow with disuse and decay! -What a catch must have come in their breath as in a -second it flashed upon them that it was not Manchester -but Death which was waiting for them at the end of that -sinister line. But the train was running with frantic -speed, rolling and rocking over the rotten line, while -the wheels made a frightful screaming sound upon the -rusted surface. I was close to them, and could see -their faces. Caratal was praying, I think—there was -something like a rosary dangling out of his hand. The -other roared like a bull who smells the blood of the -slaughter-house. He saw us standing on the bank, -and he beckoned to us like a madman. Then he tore -at his wrist and threw his dispatch-box out of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>window in our direction. Of course, his meaning was -obvious. Here was the evidence, and they would -promise to be silent if their lives were spared. It -would have been very agreeable if we could have done -so, but business is business. Besides, the train was -now as much beyond our control as theirs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He ceased howling when the train rattled round -the curve and they saw the black mouth of the mine -yawning before them. We had removed the boards -which had covered it, and we had cleared the square -entrance. The rails had formerly run very close to -the shaft for the convenience of loading the coal, and -we had only to add two or three lengths of rail in order -to lead to the very brink of the shaft. In fact, as the -lengths would not quite fit, our line projected about -three feet over the edge. We saw the two heads at the -window: Caratal below, Gomez above; but they had -both been struck silent by what they saw. And yet -they could not withdraw their heads. The sight seemed -to have paralyzed them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I had wondered how the train running at a great -speed would take the pit into which I had guided it, -and I was much interested in watching it. One of my -colleagues thought that it would actually jump it, and -indeed it was not very far from doing so. Fortunately, -however, it fell short, and the buffers of the -engine struck the other lip of the shaft with a tremendous -crash. The funnel flew off into the air. The -tender, carriages, and van were all smashed up into one -jumble, which, with the remains of the engine, choked -for a minute or so the mouth of the pit. Then something -gave way in the middle, and the whole mass of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>green iron, smoking coals, brass fittings, wheels, woodwork, -and cushions all crumbled together and crashed -down into the mine. We heard the rattle, rattle, rattle, -as the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</span></i> struck against the walls, and then quite -a long time afterwards there came a deep roar as the -remains of the train struck the bottom. The boiler -may have burst, for a sharp crash came after the roar, -and then a dense cloud of steam and smoke swirled up -out of the black depths, falling in a spray as thick as -rain all round us. Then the vapour shredded off into -thin wisps, which floated away in the summer sunshine, -and all was quiet again in the Heartsease mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And now, having carried out our plans so successfully, -it only remained to leave no trace behind us. -Our little band of workers at the other end had already -ripped up the rails and disconnected the side line, -replacing everything as it had been before. We were -equally busy at the mine. The funnel and other fragments -were thrown in, the shaft was planked over as it -used to be, and the lines which led to it were torn up -and taken away. Then, without flurry, but without -delay, we all made our way out of the country, most of -us to Paris, my English colleague to Manchester, and -McPherson to Southampton, whence he emigrated to -America. Let the English papers of that date tell how -thoroughly we had done our work, and how completely -we had thrown the cleverest of their detectives off our -track.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will remember that Gomez threw his bag of -papers out of the window, and I need not say that I -secured that bag and brought them to my employers. -It may interest my employers now, however, to learn -<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>that out of that bag I took one or two little papers as a -souvenir of the occasion. I have no wish to publish -these papers; but, still, it is every man for himself in -this world, and what else can I do if my friends will -not come to my aid when I want them? Messieurs, -you may believe that Herbert de Lernac is quite as -formidable when he is against you as when he is with -you, and that he is not a man to go to the guillotine -until he has seen that every one of you is <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en route</span></i> for -New Caledonia. For your own sake, if not for mine, -make haste, Monsieur de ——, and General ——, and -Baron —— (you can fill up the blanks for yourselves -as you read this). I promise you that in the next -edition there will be no blanks to fill.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“P.S.—As I look over my statement there is only -one omission which I can see. It concerns the unfortunate -man McPherson, who was foolish enough to -write to his wife and to make an appointment with her -in New York. It can be imagined that when interests -like ours were at stake, we could not leave them to the -chance of whether a man in that class of life would or -would not give away his secrets to a woman. Having -once broken his oath by writing to his wife, we could -not trust him any more. We took steps therefore to -insure that he should not see his wife. I have sometimes -thought that it would be a kindness to write to -her and to assure her that there is no impediment to -her marrying again.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE CLUB-FOOTED GROCER</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>My uncle, Mr. Stephen Maple, had been at the same -time the most successful and the least respectable of -our family, so that we hardly knew whether to take -credit for his wealth or to feel ashamed of his position. -He had, as a matter of fact, established a large grocery -in Stepney which did a curious mixed business, not -always, as we had heard, of a very savoury character, -with the riverside and seafaring people. He was ship’s -chandler, provision merchant, and, if rumour spoke -truly, some other things as well. Such a trade, however -lucrative, had its drawbacks, as was evident when, -after twenty years of prosperity, he was savagely -assaulted by one of his customers and left for dead, -with three smashed ribs and a broken leg, which -mended so badly that it remained for ever three inches -shorter than the other. This incident seemed, not unnaturally, -to disgust him with his surroundings, for, -after the trial, in which his assailant was condemned -to fifteen years’ penal servitude, he retired from his -business and settled in a lonely part of the North of -England, whence, until that morning, we had never -once heard of him—not even at the death of my -father, who was his only brother.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My mother read his letter aloud to me: “If your -<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>son is with you, Ellen, and if he is as stout a lad -as he promised for when last I heard from you, then -send him up to me by the first train after this comes -to hand. He will find that to serve me will pay him -better than the engineering, and if I pass away (though, -thank God, there is no reason to complain as to my -health) you will see that I have not forgotten my -brother’s son. Congleton is the station, and then a -drive of four miles to Greta House, where I am now -living. I will send a trap to meet the seven o’clock -train, for it is the only one which stops here. Mind -that you send him, Ellen, for I have very strong -reasons for wishing him to be with me. Let bygones -be bygones if there has been anything between us in -the past. If you should fail me now you will live to -regret it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We were seated at either side of the breakfast -table, looking blankly at each other and wondering -what this might mean, when there came a ring at the -bell, and the maid walked in with a telegram. It was -from Uncle Stephen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On no account let John get out at Congleton,” -said the message. “He will find trap waiting seven -o’clock evening train Stedding Bridge, one station -further down line. Let him drive not me, but Garth -Farm House—six miles. There will receive instructions. -Do not fail; only you to look to.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is true enough,” said my mother. “As far -as I know, your uncle has not a friend in the world, -nor has he ever deserved one. He has always been a -hard man in his dealings, and he held back his money -from your father at a time when a few pounds would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>have saved him from ruin. Why should I send my -only son to serve him now?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But my own inclinations were all for the adventure.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If I have him for a friend, he can help me in my -profession,” I argued, taking my mother upon her -weakest side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have never known him to help any one yet,” -said she, bitterly. “And why all this mystery about -getting out at a distant station and driving to the -wrong address? He has got himself into some trouble -and he wishes us to get him out of it. When he has -used us he will throw us aside as he has done before. -Your father might have been living now if he had only -helped him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But at last my arguments prevailed, for, as I -pointed out, we had much to gain and little to lose, -and why should we, the poorest members of a family, -go out of our way to offend the rich one? My bag -was packed and my cab at the door, when there came -a second telegram.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good shooting. Let John bring gun. Remember -Stedding Bridge, not Congleton.” And so, with a gun-case -added to my luggage and some surprise at my -uncle’s insistence, I started off upon my adventure.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The journey lies over the main Northern Railway -as far as the station of Carnfield, where one changes -for the little branch line which winds over the fells. -In all England there is no harsher or more impressive -scenery. For two hours I passed through desolate -rolling plains, rising at places into low, stone-littered -hills, with long, straight outcrops of jagged rock -showing upon their surface. Here and there little -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>grey-roofed, grey-walled cottages huddled into villages, -but for many miles at a time no house was visible nor -any sign of life save the scattered sheep which wandered -over the mountain sides. It was a depressing country, -and my heart grew heavier and heavier as I neared -my journey’s end, until at last the train pulled up at -the little village of Stedding Bridge, where my uncle -had told me to alight. A single ramshackle trap, -with a country lout to drive it, was waiting at the -station.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is this Mr. Stephen Maple’s?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The fellow looked at me with eyes which were full -of suspicion. “What is your name?” he asked, -speaking a dialect which I will not attempt to reproduce.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“John Maple.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Anything to prove it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I half raised my hand, for my temper is none of -the best, and then I reflected that the fellow was -probably only carrying out the directions of my uncle. -For answer I pointed to my name printed upon my -gun-case.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, that is right. It’s John Maple, sure -enough!” said he, slowly spelling it out. “Get in, -maister, for we have a bit of a drive before us.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The road, white and shining, like all the roads in -that limestone country, ran in long sweeps over the -fells, with low walls of loose stone upon either side of -it. The huge moors, mottled with sheep and with -boulders, rolled away in gradually ascending curves -to the misty sky-line. In one place a fall of the land -gave a glimpse of a grey angle of distant sea. Bleak -<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>and sad and stern were all my surroundings, and I -felt, under their influence, that this curious mission -of mine was a more serious thing than it had appeared -when viewed from London. This sudden call for help -from an uncle whom I had never seen, and of whom -I had heard little that was good, the urgency of it, his -reference to my physical powers, the excuse by which -he had ensured that I should bring a weapon, all -hung together and pointed to some vague but sinister -meaning. Things which appeared to be impossible in -Kensington became very probable upon these wild and -isolated hillsides. At last, oppressed with my own -dark thoughts, I turned to my companion with the -intention of asking some questions about my uncle, -but the expression upon his face drove the idea from -my head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was not looking at his old, unclipped chestnut -horse, nor at the road along which he was driving, -but his face was turned in my direction, and he was -staring past me with an expression of curiosity and, -as I thought, of apprehension. He raised the whip -to lash the horse, and then dropped it again, as if -convinced that it was useless. At the same time, -following the direction of his gaze, I saw what it was -which had excited him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A man was running across the moor. He ran -clumsily, stumbling and slipping among the stones; -but the road curved, and it was easy for him to cut -us off. As we came up to the spot for which he had -been making, he scrambled over the stone wall and -stood waiting, with the evening sun shining on his -brown, clean-shaven face. He was a burly fellow, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>in bad condition, for he stood with his hand on his -ribs, panting and blowing after his short run. As we -drove up I saw the glint of earrings in his ears.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Say, mate, where are you bound for?” he asked, -in a rough but good-humoured fashion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Farmer Purcell’s, at the Garth Farm,” said the -driver.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sorry to stop you,” cried the other, standing -aside; “I thought as I would hail you as you passed, -for if so be as you had been going my way I should -have made bold to ask you for a passage.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>His excuse was an absurd one, since it was evident -that our little trap was as full as it could be, but my -driver did not seem disposed to argue. He drove on -without a word, and, looking back, I could see the -stranger sitting by the roadside and cramming tobacco -into his pipe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A sailor,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, maister. We’re not more than a few miles -from Morecambe Bay,” the driver remarked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You seemed frightened of him,” I observed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Did I?” said he, drily; and then, after a long -pause, “Maybe I was.” As to his reasons for fear, I -could get nothing from him, and though I asked him -many questions he was so stupid, or else so clever, -that I could learn nothing from his replies. I observed, -however, that from time to time he swept the moors -with a troubled eye, but their huge brown expanse -was unbroken by any moving figure. At last in a -sort of cleft in the hills in front of us I saw a long, -low-lying farm building, the centre of all those scattered -flocks.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>“Garth Farm,” said my driver. “There is Farmer -Purcell himself,” he added, as a man strolled out of -the porch and stood waiting for our arrival. He -advanced as I descended from the trap, a hard, -weather-worn fellow with light blue eyes, and hair -and beard like sun-bleached grass. In his expression -I read the same surly ill-will which I had already -observed in my driver. Their malevolence could not -be directed towards a complete stranger like myself, -and so I began to suspect that my uncle was no more -popular on the north-country fells than he had been -in Stepney Highway.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’re to stay here until nightfall. That’s Mr. -Stephen Maple’s wish,” said he, curtly. “You can -have some tea and bacon if you like. It’s the best -we can give you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was very hungry, and accepted the hospitality -in spite of the churlish tone in which it was offered. -The farmer’s wife and his two daughters came into -the sitting-room during the meal, and I was aware of -a certain curiosity with which they regarded me. It -may have been that a young man was a rarity in this -wilderness, or it may be that my attempts at conversation -won their goodwill, but they all three showed -a kindliness in their manner. It was getting dark, so -I remarked that it was time for me to be pushing on -to Greta House.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ve made up your mind to go, then?” said -the older woman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Certainly. I have come all the way from London.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s no one hindering you from going back -there.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>“But I have come to see Mr. Maple, my uncle.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, well, no one can stop you if you want to go -on,” said the woman, and became silent as her husband -entered the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With every fresh incident I felt that I was moving -in an atmosphere of mystery and peril, and yet it was -all so intangible and so vague that I could not guess -where my danger lay. I should have asked the farmer’s -wife point-blank, but her surly husband seemed to -divine the sympathy which she felt for me, and never -again left us together. “It’s time you were going, -mister,” said he at last, as his wife lit the lamp upon -the table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is the trap ready?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ll need no trap. You’ll walk,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How shall I know the way?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“William will go with you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>William was the youth who had driven me up -from the station. He was waiting at the door, and -he shouldered my gun-case and bag. I stayed behind -to thank the farmer for his hospitality, but he would -have none of it. “I ask no thanks from Mr. Stephen -Maple nor any friend of his,” said he, bluntly. “I -am paid for what I do. If I was not paid I would -not do it. Go your way, young man, and say no -more.” He turned rudely on his heel and re-entered -his house, slamming the door behind him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was quite dark outside, with heavy black clouds -drifting slowly across the sky. Once clear of the -farm inclosure and out on the moor I should have -been hopelessly lost if it had not been for my guide, -who walked in front of me along narrow sheep-tracks -<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>which were quite invisible to me. Every now and -then, without seeing anything, we heard the clumsy -scuffling of the creatures in the darkness. At first my -guide walked swiftly and carelessly, but gradually his -pace slowed down, until at last he was going very -slowly and stealthily, like one who walks light-footed -amid imminent menace. This vague, inexplicable sense -of danger in the midst of the loneliness of that vast -moor was more daunting than any evident peril could -be, and I had begun to press him as to what it was -that he feared, when suddenly he stopped and dragged -me down among some gorse bushes which lined the -path. His tug at my coat was so strenuous and -imperative that I realized that the danger was a -pressing one, and in an instant I was squatting down -beside him as still as the bushes which shadowed us. -It was so dark there that I could not even see the lad -beside me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a warm night, and a hot wind puffed in our -faces. Suddenly in this wind there came something -homely and familiar—the smell of burning tobacco. -And then a face, illuminated by the glowing bowl of -a pipe, came floating towards us. The man was all -in shadow, but just that one dim halo of light with -the face which filled it, brighter below and shading -away into darkness above, stood out against the universal -blackness. A thin, hungry face, thickly freckled -with yellow over the cheek bones, blue, watery eyes, -an ill-nourished, light-coloured moustache, a peaked -yachting cap—that was all that I saw. He passed -us, looking vacantly in front of him, and we heard the -steps dying away along the path.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>“Who was it?” I asked, as we rose to our feet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The fellow’s continual profession of ignorance made -me angry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should you hide yourself, then?” I asked, -sharply.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because Maister Maple told me. He said that I -were to meet no one. If I met any one I should get -no pay.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You met that sailor on the road?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, and I think he was one of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One of whom?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One of the folk that have come on the fells. -They are watchin’ Greta House, and Maister Maple is -afeard of them. That’s why he wanted us to keep -clear of them, and that’s why I’ve been a-trying to -dodge ’em.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here was something definite at last. Some body -of men were threatening my uncle. The sailor was -one of them. The man with the peaked cap—probably -a sailor also—was another. I bethought me of -Stepney Highway and of the murderous assault made -upon my uncle there. Things were fitting themselves -into a connected shape in my mind when a light -twinkled over the fell, and my guide informed me that -it was Greta. The place lay in a dip among the moors, -so that one was very near it before one saw it. A -short walk brought us up to the door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I could see little of the building save that the lamp -which shone through a small latticed window showed -me dimly that it was both long and lofty. The low -door under an overhanging lintel was loosely fitted, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>light was bursting out on each side of it. The inmates -of this lonely house appeared to be keenly on their -guard, for they had heard our footsteps, and we were -challenged before we reached the door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who is there?” cried a deep-booming voice, and -urgently, “Who is it, I say?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s me, Maister Maple. I have brought the -gentleman.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a sharp click, and a small wooden -shutter flew open in the door. The gleam of a lantern -shone upon us for a few seconds. Then the shutter -closed again; with a great rasping of locks and clattering -of bars, the door was opened, and I saw my uncle -standing framed in that vivid yellow square cut out of -the darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was a small, thick man, with a great rounded, -bald head and one thin border of gingery curls. It was -a fine head, the head of a thinker, but his large white -face was heavy and commonplace, with a broad, loose-lipped -mouth and two hanging dewlaps on either side -of it. His eyes were small and restless, and his light-coloured -lashes were continually moving. My mother -had said once that they reminded her of the legs of a -woodlouse, and I saw at the first glance what she -meant. I heard also that in Stepney he had learned -the language of his customers, and I blushed for our -kinship as I listened to his villainous accent. “So, -nephew,” said he, holding out his hand. “Come in, -come in, man, quick, and don’t leave the door open. -Your mother said you were grown a big lad, and, my -word, she ’as a right to say so. ’Ere’s a ’alf-crown for -you, William, and you can go back again. Put the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>things down. ’Ere, Enoch, take Mr. John’s things, and -see that ’is supper is on the table.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As my uncle, after fastening the door, turned to -show me into the sitting-room, I became aware of his -most striking peculiarity. The injuries which he had -received some years ago had, as I have already remarked, -left one leg several inches shorter than the -other. To atone for this he wore one of those -enormous wooden soles to his boots which are prescribed -by surgeons in such cases. He walked without -a limp, but his tread on the stone flooring made a -curious clack-click, clack-click, as the wood and the -leather alternated. Whenever he moved it was to the -rhythm of this singular castanet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The great kitchen, with its huge fireplace and -carved settle corners, showed that this dwelling was -an old-time farmhouse. On one side of the room a -line of boxes stood all corded and packed. The -furniture was scant and plain, but on a trestle-table in -the centre some supper, cold meat, bread, and a jug of -beer was laid for me. An elderly manservant, as -manifest a Cockney as his master, waited upon me, -while my uncle, sitting in a corner, asked me many -questions as to my mother and myself. When my -meal was finished he ordered his man Enoch to -unpack my gun. I observed that two other guns, old -rusted weapons, were leaning against the wall beside -the window.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s the window I’m afraid of,” said my uncle, in -the deep, reverberant voice which contrasted oddly -with his plump little figure. “The door’s safe against -anything short of dynamite, but the window’s a terror. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>Hi! hi!” he yelled, “don’t walk across the light! -You can duck when you pass the lattice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For fear of being seen?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For fear of bein’ shot, my lad. That’s the trouble. -Now, come an’ sit beside me on the trestle ’ere, and I’ll -tell you all about it, for I can see that you are the -right sort and can be trusted.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>His flattery was clumsy and halting, and it was -evident that he was very eager to conciliate me. I sat -down beside him, and he drew a folded paper from his -pocket. It was a <cite>Western Morning News</cite>, and the date -was ten days before. The passage over which he -pressed a long, black nail was concerned with the -release from Dartmoor of a convict named Elias, whose -term of sentence had been remitted on account of -his defence of a warder who had been attacked in -the quarries. The whole account was only a few -lines long.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who is he, then?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle cocked his distorted foot into the air. -“That’s ’is mark!” said he. “’E was doin’ time for -that. Now ’e’s out an’ after me again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why should he be after you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because ’e wants to kill me. Because ’e’ll never -rest, the worrying devil, until ’e ’as ’ad ’is revenge on -me. It’s this way, nephew! I’ve no secrets from you. -’e thinks I’ve wronged ’im. For argument’s sake we’ll -suppose I ’ave wronged ’im. And now ’im and ’is -friends are after me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who are his friends?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle’s boom sank suddenly to a frightened -whisper. “Sailors!” said he. “I knew they would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>come when I saw that ’ere paper, and two days ago I -looked through that window and three of them was -standin’ lookin’ at the ’ouse. It was after that that I -wrote to your mother. They’ve marked me down, and -they’re waitin’ for ’im.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why not send for the police?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle’s eyes avoided mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Police are no use,” said he. “It’s you that can -help me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What can I do?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll tell you. I’m going to move. That’s what -all these boxes are for. Everything will soon be -packed and ready. I ’ave friends at Leeds, and I shall -be safer there. Not safe, mind you, but safer. I start -to-morrow evening, and if you will stand by me until -then I will make it worth your while. There’s only -Enoch and me to do everything, but we shall ’ave it -all ready, I promise you, by to-morrow evening. The -cart will be round then, and you and me and Enoch -and the boy William can guard the things as far as -Congleton station. Did you see anything of them on -the fells?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes,” said I; “a sailor stopped us on the -way.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah, I knew they were watching us. That was -why I asked you to get out at the wrong station and -to drive to Purcell’s instead of comin’ ’ere. We are -blockaded—that’s the word.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And there was another,” said I, “a man with a -pipe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What was ’e like?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Thin face, freckles, a peaked——”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>My uncle gave a hoarse scream.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That’s ’im! that’s ’im! ’e’s come! God be -merciful to me, a sinner!” He went click-clacking -about the room with his great foot like one distracted. -There was something piteous and baby-like in that -big bald head, and for the first time I felt a gush of -pity for him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come, uncle,” said I, “you are living in a -civilized land. There is a law that will bring these -gentry to order. Let me drive over to the county -police-station to-morrow morning and I’ll soon set -things right.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But he shook his head at me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“E’s cunning and ’e’s cruel,” said he. “I can’t -draw a breath without thinking of him, cos ’e buckled -up three of my ribs. ’e’ll kill me this time, sure. -There’s only one chance. We must leave what we -’ave not packed, and we must be off first thing to-morrow -mornin’. Great God, what’s that!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A tremendous knock upon the door had reverberated -through the house and then another and -another. An iron fist seemed to be beating upon it. -My uncle collapsed into his chair. I seized a gun and -ran to the door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who’s there?” I shouted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was no answer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I opened the shutter and looked out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No one was there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then suddenly I saw that a long slip of paper -was protruding through the slit of the door. I held it -to the light. In rude but vigorous handwriting the -message ran:—</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>“Put them out on the doorstep and save your -skin.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do they want?” I asked, as I read him the -message.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What they’ll never ’ave! No, by the Lord, -never!” he cried, with a fine burst of spirit. “’Ere, -Enoch! Enoch!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The old fellow came running to the call.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Enoch, I’ve been a good master to you all my -life, and it’s your turn now. Will you take a risk for -me?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I thought better of my uncle when I saw how -readily the man consented. Whomever else he had -wronged, this one at least seemed to love him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Put your cloak on and your ‘at, Enoch, and out -with you by the back door. You know the way across -the moor to the Purcells’. Tell them that I must ’ave -the cart first thing in the mornin’, and that Purcell -must come with the shepherd as well. We must get -clear of this or we are done. First thing in the -mornin’, Enoch, and ten pound for the job. Keep -the black cloak on and move slow, and they will -never see you. We’ll keep the ’ouse till you come -back.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a job for a brave man to venture out into -the vague and invisible dangers of the fell, but the old -servant took it as the most ordinary of messages. -Picking his long, black cloak and his soft hat from the -hook behind the door, he was ready on the instant. -We extinguished the small lamp in the back passage, -softly unbarred the back door, slipped him out, and -barred it up again. Looking through the small hall -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>window, I saw his black garments merge instantly into -the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is but a few hours before the light comes, -nephew,” said my uncle, after he had tried all the -bolts and bars. “You shall never regret this night’s -work. If we come through safely it will be the -making of you. Stand by me till mornin’, and I stand -by you while there’s breath in my body. The cart -will be ’ere by five. What isn’t ready we can afford -to leave be’ind. We’ve only to load up and make for -the early train at Congleton.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Will they let us pass?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In broad daylight they dare not stop us. There -will be six of us, if they all come, and three guns. -We can fight our way through. Where can they get -guns, common, wandering seamen? A pistol or two -at the most. If we can keep them out for a few hours -we are safe. Enoch must be ’alfway to Purcell’s by -now.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But what do these sailors want?” I repeated. -“You say yourself that you wronged them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A look of mulish obstinacy came over his large, -white face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t ask questions, nephew, and just do what I -ask you,” said he. “Enoch won’t come back. ’e’ll -just bide there and come with the cart. ’Ark, what is -that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A distant cry rang from out of the darkness, and -then another one, short and sharp like the wail of the -curlew.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s Enoch!” said my uncle, gripping my arm. -“They’re killin’ poor old Enoch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>The cry came again, much nearer, and I heard -the sound of hurrying steps and a shrill call for -help.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are after ’im!” cried my uncle, rushing to -the front door. He picked up the lantern and flashed -it through the little shutter. Up the yellow funnel of -light a man was running frantically, his head bowed -and a black cloak fluttering behind him. The moor -seemed to be alive with dim pursuers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The bolt! The bolt!” gasped my uncle. He -pushed it back whilst I turned the key, and we swung -the door open to admit the fugitive. He dashed in -and turned at once with a long yell of triumph. -“Come on, lads! Tumble up, all hands, tumble up! -Smartly there, all of you!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was so quickly and neatly done that we were -taken by storm before we knew that we were attacked. -The passage was full of rushing sailors. I slipped out -of the clutch of one and ran for my gun, but it was -only to crash down on to the stone floor an instant -later with two of them holding on to me. They were -so deft and quick that my hands were lashed together -even while I struggled, and I was dragged into the -settle corner, unhurt but very sore in spirit at the -cunning with which our defences had been forced and -the ease with which we had been overcome. They had -not even troubled to bind my uncle, but he had been -pushed into his chair, and the guns had been taken -away. He sat with a very white face, his homely -figure and absurd row of curls looking curiously out of -place among the wild figures who surrounded him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were six of them, all evidently sailors. One -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>I recognized as the man with the earrings whom I had -already met upon the road that evening. They were -all fine, weather-bronzed bewhiskered fellows. In the -midst of them, leaning against the table, was the -freckled man who had passed me on the moor. The -great black cloak which poor Enoch had taken out -with him was still hanging from his shoulders. He -was of a very different type from the others—crafty, -cruel, dangerous, with sly, thoughtful eyes which -gloated over my uncle. They suddenly turned themselves -upon me and I never knew how one’s skin can -creep at a man’s glance before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who are you?” he asked. “Speak out, or we’ll -find a way to make you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am Mr. Stephen Maple’s nephew, come to visit -him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are, are you? Well, I wish you joy of your -uncle and of your visit too. Quick’s the word, lads, -for we must be aboard before morning. What shall we -do with the old ’un?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Trice him up Yankee fashion and give him six -dozen,” said one of the seamen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“D’you hear, you cursed Cockney thief? We’ll -beat the life out of you if you don’t give back what -you’ve stolen. Where are they? I know you never -parted with them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle pursed up his lips and shook his -head, with a face in which his fear and his obstinacy -contended.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Won’t tell, won’t you? We’ll see about that! -Get him ready, Jim!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>One of the seamen seized my uncle, and pulled his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>coat and shirt over his shoulders. He sat lumped in -his chair, his body all creased into white rolls which -shivered with cold and with terror.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Up with him to those hooks.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were rows of them along the walls where the -smoked meat used to be hung. The seamen tied my -uncle by the wrists to two of these. Then one of them -undid his leather belt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The buckle end, Jim,” said the captain. “Give -him the buckle.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You cowards,” I cried; “to beat an old man!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We’ll beat a young one next,” said he, with a -malevolent glance at my corner. “Now, Jim, cut a -wad out of him!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Give him one more chance!” cried one of the -seamen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Aye, aye,” growled one or two others. “Give the -swab a chance!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If you turn soft, you may give them up for -ever,” said the captain. “One thing or the other! -You must lash it out of him; or you may give up -what you took such pains to win and what would -make you gentlemen for life—every man of you. -There’s nothing else for it. Which shall it be?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let him have it,” they cried, savagely.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then stand clear!” The buckle of the man’s belt -whined savagely as he whirled it over his shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But my uncle cried out before the blow fell.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I can’t stand it!” he cried. “Let me down!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where are they, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll show you if you’ll let me down.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>They cast off the handkerchiefs and he pulled his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>coat over his fat, round shoulders. The seamen stood -round him, the most intense curiosity and excitement -upon their swarthy faces.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No gammon!” cried the man with the freckles. -“We’ll kill you joint by joint if you try to fool us. -Now then! Where are they?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In my bedroom.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where is that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The room above.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Whereabouts?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In the corner of the oak ark by the bed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The seamen all rushed to the stair, but the captain -called them back.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We don’t leave this cunning old fox behind us. Ha, -your face drops at that, does it? By the Lord, I believe -you are trying to slip your anchor. Here, lads, make -him fast and take him along!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>With a confused trampling of feet they rushed up -the stairs, dragging my uncle in the midst of them. -For an instant I was alone. My hands were tied but -not my feet. If I could find my way across the moor -I might rouse the police and intercept these rascals -before they could reach the sea. For a moment I hesitated -as to whether I should leave my uncle alone in -such a plight. But I should be of more service to him—or, -at the worst, to his property—if I went than if I -stayed. I rushed to the hall door, and as I reached it -I heard a yell above my head, a shattering, splintering -noise, and then amid a chorus of shouts a huge weight -fell with a horrible thud at my very feet. Never while -I live will that squelching thud pass out of my ears. -And there, just in front of me, in the lane of light cast -<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>by the open door, lay my unhappy uncle, his bald head -twisted on to one shoulder, like the wrung neck of a -chicken. It needed but a glance to see that his spine -was broken and that he was dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The gang of seamen had rushed downstairs so -quickly that they were clustered at the door and crowding -all round me almost as soon as I had realized what -had occurred.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s no doing of ours, mate,” said one of them to -me. “He hove himself through the window, and that’s -the truth. Don’t you put it down to us.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He thought he could get to windward of us if once -he was out in the dark, you see,” said another. “But -he came head foremost and broke his bloomin’ neck.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And a blessed good job too!” cried the chief, with -a savage oath. “I’d have done it for him if he hadn’t -took the lead. Don’t make any mistake, my lads, this -is murder, and we’re all in it, together. There’s only -one way out of it, and that is to hang together, unless, -as the saying goes, you mean to hang apart. There’s -only one witness——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He looked at me with his malicious little eyes, and -I saw that he had something that gleamed—either a -knife or a revolver—in the breast of his pea-jacket. -Two of the men slipped between us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Stow that, Captain Elias,” said one of them. “If -this old man met his end it is through no fault of ours. -The worst we ever meant him was to take some of the -skin off his back. But as to this young fellow, we -have no quarrel with him——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You fool, you may have no quarrel with him, but -he has his quarrel with you. He’ll swear your life -<span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>away if you don’t silence his tongue. It’s his life or -ours, and don’t you make any mistake.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Aye, aye, the skipper has the longest head of any -of us. Better do what he tells you,” cried another.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But my champion, who was the fellow with the -earrings, covered me with his own broad chest and -swore roundly that no one should lay a finger on me. -The others were equally divided, and my fate might -have been the cause of a quarrel between them when -suddenly the captain gave a cry of delight and amazement -which was taken up by the whole gang. I -followed their eyes and outstretched fingers, and this -was what I saw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle was lying with his legs outstretched, and -the club foot was that which was furthest from us. -All round this foot a dozen brilliant objects were -twinkling and flashing in the yellow light which -streamed from the open door. The captain caught up -the lantern and held it to the place. The huge sole of -his boot had been shattered in the fall, and it was -clear now that it had been a hollow box in which he -stowed his valuables, for the path was all sprinkled -with precious stones. Three which I saw were of an -unusual size, and as many as forty, I should think, of -fair value. The seamen had cast themselves down and -were greedily gathering them up, when my friend with -the earrings plucked me by the sleeve.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here’s your chance, mate,” he whispered. “Off -you go before worse comes of it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a timely hint, and it did not take me long -to act upon it. A few cautious steps and I had passed -unobserved beyond the circle of light. Then I set off -<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>running, falling and rising and falling again, for no one -who has not tried it can tell how hard it is to run over -uneven ground with hands which are fastened together. -I ran and ran, until for want of breath I could no longer -put one foot before the other. But I need not have -hurried so, for when I had gone a long way I stopped -at last to breathe, and, looking back, I could still see -the gleam of the lantern far away, and the outline of -the seamen who squatted round it. Then at last this -single point of light went suddenly out, and the whole -great moor was left in the thickest darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So deftly was I tied, that it took me a long half-hour -and a broken tooth before I got my hands free. My -idea was to make my way across to the Purcells’ farm, -but north was the same as south under that pitchy sky, -and for hours I wandered among the rustling, scuttling -sheep without any certainty as to where I was going. -When at last there came a glimmer in the east, and the -undulating fells, grey with the morning mist, rolled -once more to the horizon, I recognized that I was close -by Purcell’s farm, and there a little in front of me I -was startled to see another man walking in the same -direction. At first I approached him warily, but before -I overtook him I knew by the bent back and tottering -step that it was Enoch, the old servant, and right glad -I was to see that he was living. He had been knocked -down, beaten, and his cloak and hat taken away by -these ruffians, and all night he had wandered in the -darkness, like myself, in search of help. He burst into -tears when I told him of his master’s death, and sat -hiccoughing with the hard, dry sobs of an old man -among the stones upon the moor.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>“It’s the men of the <em>Black Mogul</em>,” he said. “Yes, -yes, I knew that they would be the end of ’im.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who are they?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, well, you are one of ’is own folk,” said he. -“’E ’as passed away; yes, yes, it is all over and done. -I can tell you about it, no man better, but mum’s the -word with old Enoch unless master wants ’im to speak. -But his own nephew who came to ’elp ’im in the hour -of need—yes, yes, Mister John, you ought to know.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was like this, sir. Your uncle ’ad ’is grocer’s -business at Stepney, but ’e ’ad another business also. -’e would buy as well as sell, and when ’e bought ’e -never asked no questions where the stuff came from. -Why should ’e? It wasn’t no business of ’is, was it? -If folk brought him a stone or a silver plate, what was -it to ’im where they got it? That’s good sense, and it -ought to be good law, as I ’old. Any’ow, it was good -enough for us at Stepney.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, there was a steamer came from South Africa -what foundered at sea. At least, they say so, and -Lloyd’s paid the money. She ’ad some very fine -diamonds invoiced as being aboard of ’er. Soon after -there came the brig <em>Black Mogul</em> into the port o’ London, -with ’er papers all right as ‘avin’ cleared from Port -Elizabeth with a cargo of ‘ides. The captain, which ’is -name was Elias, ’e came to see the master, and what -d’you think that ’e ’ad to sell? Why, sir, as I’m a -livin’ sinner ’e ’ad a packet of diamonds for all the -world just the same as what was lost out o’ that there -African steamer. ’ow did ’e get them? I don’t know. -Master didn’t know. ’e didn’t seek to know either. -The captain ’e was anxious for reasons of ’is own to get -<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>them safe, so ’e gave them to master, same as you -might put a thing in a bank. But master ’e’d ’ad time -to get fond of them, and ’e wasn’t over satisfied as to -where the <em>Black Mogul</em> ’ad been tradin’, or where her -captain ’ad got the stones, so when ’e come back for -them the master ’e said as ’e thought they were best in -’is own ’ands. Mind I don’t ’old with it myself, but -that was what master said to Captain Elias in the little -back parlour at Stepney. That was ’ow ’e got ’is leg -broke and three of his ribs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So the captain got jugged for that, and the master, -when ’e was able to get about, thought that ’e would -’ave peace for fifteen years, and ’e came away from -London because ’e was afraid of the sailor men; but, at -the end of five years, the captain was out and after ’im, -with as many of ’is crew as ’e could gather. Send for -the perlice, you says! Well, there are two sides to -that, and the master ’e wasn’t much more fond of the -perlice than Elias was. But they fair ’emmed master -in, as you ’ave seen for yourself, and they bested ’im at -last, and the loneliness that ’e thought would be ’is -safety ’as proved ’is ruin. Well, well, ’e was ’ard to -many, but a good master to me, and it’s long before I -come on such another.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>One word in conclusion. A strange cutter, which -had been hanging about the coast, was seen to beat -down the Irish Sea that morning, and it is conjectured -that Elias and his men were on board of it. At any -rate, nothing has been heard of them since. It was -shown at the inquest that my uncle had lived in a -sordid fashion for years, and he left little behind him. -The mere knowledge that he possessed this treasure, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>which he carried about with him in so extraordinary a -fashion, had appeared to be the joy of his life, and he -had never, as far as we could learn, tried to realize any -of his diamonds. So his disreputable name when -living was not atoned for by any posthumous benevolence, -and the family, equally scandalized by his life -and by his death, have finally buried all memory of the -club-footed grocer of Stepney.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE SEALED ROOM</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>A solicitor of an active habit and athletic tastes who -is compelled by his hopes of business to remain within -the four walls of his office from ten till five must take -what exercise he can in the evenings. Hence it was -that I was in the habit of indulging in very long -nocturnal excursions, in which I sought the heights -of Hampstead and Highgate in order to cleanse my -system from the impure air of Abchurch Lane. It was -in the course of one of these aimless rambles that -I first met Felix Stanniford, and so led up to what -has been the most extraordinary adventure of my -lifetime.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One evening—it was in April or early May of the -year 1894—I made my way to the extreme northern -fringe of London, and was walking down one of those -fine avenues of high brick villas which the huge city -is for ever pushing farther and farther out into the -country. It was a fine, clear spring night, the moon -was shining out of an unclouded sky, and I, having -already left many miles behind me, was inclined to -walk slowly and look about me. In this contemplative -mood, my attention was arrested by one of -the houses which I was passing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a very large building, standing in its own -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>grounds, a little back from the road. It was modern -in appearance, and yet it was far less so than its -neighbours, all of which were crudely and painfully -new. Their symmetrical line was broken by the gap -caused by the laurel-studded lawn, with the great, -dark, gloomy house looming at the back of it. -Evidently it had been the country retreat of some -wealthy merchant, built perhaps when the nearest -street was a mile off, and now gradually overtaken and -surrounded by the red brick tentacles of the London -octopus. The next stage, I reflected, would be its -digestion and absorption, so that the cheap builder -might rear a dozen eighty-pound-a-year villas upon -the garden frontage. And then, as all this passed -vaguely through my mind, an incident occurred which -brought my thoughts into quite another channel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A four-wheeled cab, that opprobrium of London, -was coming jolting and creaking in one direction, -while in the other there was a yellow glare from the -lamp of a cyclist. They were the only moving objects -in the whole long, moonlit road, and yet they crashed -into each other with that malignant accuracy which -brings two ocean liners together in the broad waste of -the Atlantic. It was the cyclist’s fault. He tried to -cross in front of the cab, miscalculated his distance, -and was knocked sprawling by the horse’s shoulder. -He rose, snarling; the cabman swore back at him, and -then, realizing that his number had not yet been taken, -lashed his horse and lumbered off. The cyclist caught -at the handles of his prostrate machine, and then -suddenly sat down with a groan. “Oh, Lord!” he -said.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>I ran across the road to his side. “Any harm -done?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s my ankle,” said he. “Only a twist, I think; -but it’s pretty painful. Just give me your hand, will -you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He lay in the yellow circle of the cycle lamp, -and I noted as I helped him to his feet that he was -a gentlemanly young fellow, with a slight dark moustache -and large, brown eyes, sensitive and nervous in -appearance, with indications of weak health upon his -sunken cheeks. Work or worry had left its traces -upon his thin, yellow face. He stood up when I pulled -his hand, but he held one foot in the air, and he groaned -as he moved it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I can’t put it to the ground,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where do you live?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here!” he nodded his head towards the big, dark -house in the garden. “I was cutting across to the -gate when that confounded cab ran into me. Could -you help me so far?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was easily done. I put his cycle inside the gate, -and then I supported him down the drive, and up the -steps to the hall door. There was not a light anywhere, -and the place was as black and silent as if no -one had ever lived in it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That will do. Thank you very much,” said he, -fumbling with his key in the lock.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, you must allow me to see you safe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He made some feeble, petulant protest, and then -realized that he could really do nothing without me. -The door had opened into a pitch-dark hall. He -lurched forward, with my hand still on his arm.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>“This door to the right,” said he, feeling about in -the darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I opened the door, and at the same moment he -managed to strike a light. There was a lamp upon the -table, and we lit it between us. “Now, I’m all right. -You can leave me now! Good-bye!” said he, and -with the words he sat down in the arm-chair and -fainted dead away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a queer position for me. The fellow looked -so ghastly, that really I was not sure that he was not -dead. Presently his lips quivered and his breast -heaved, but his eyes were two white slits and his -colour was horrible. The responsibility was more -than I could stand. I pulled at the bell-rope, and -heard the bell ringing furiously far away. But no -one came in response. The bell tinkled away into -silence, which no murmur or movement came to break. -I waited, and rang again, with the same result. -There must be some one about. This young gentleman -could not live all alone in that huge house. His -people ought to know of his condition. If they would -not answer the bell, I must hunt them out myself. -I seized the lamp and rushed from the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>What I saw outside amazed me. The hall was -empty. The stairs were bare, and yellow with dust. -There were three doors opening into spacious rooms, -and each was uncarpeted and undraped, save for -the grey webs which drooped from the cornice, and -rosettes of lichen which had formed upon the walls. -My feet reverberated in those empty and silent -chambers. Then I wandered on down the passage, -with the idea that the kitchens, at least, might be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>tenanted. Some caretaker might lurk in some secluded -room. No, they were all equally desolate. Despairing -of finding any help, I ran down another corridor, -and came on something which surprised me more than -ever.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The passage ended in a large, brown door, and the -door had a seal of red wax the size of a five-shilling -piece over the keyhole. This seal gave me the -impression of having been there for a long time, for -it was dusty and discoloured. I was still staring at -it, and wondering what that door might conceal, when -I heard a voice calling behind me, and, running back, -found my young man sitting up in his chair and very -much astonished at finding himself in darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why on earth did you take the lamp away?” he -asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was looking for assistance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You might look for some time,” said he. “I am -alone in the house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Awkward if you get an illness.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was foolish of me to faint. I inherit a weak -heart from my mother, and pain or emotion has that -effect upon me. It will carry me off some day, as it -did her. You’re not a doctor, are you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, a lawyer. Frank Alder is my name.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mine is Felix Stanniford. Funny that I should -meet a lawyer, for my friend, Mr. Perceval, was saying -that we should need one soon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very happy, I am sure.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, that will depend upon him, you know. Did -you say that you had run with that lamp all over the -ground floor?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“<em>All</em> over it?” he asked, with emphasis, and he -looked at me very hard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think so. I kept on hoping that I should find -someone.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Did you enter <em>all</em> the rooms?” he asked, with -the same intent gaze.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, all that I could enter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, then you <em>did</em> notice it!” said he, and he -shrugged his shoulders with the air of a man who -makes the best of a bad job.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Notice what?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, the door with the seal on it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I did.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Weren’t you curious to know what was in -it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, it did strike me as unusual.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you think you could go on living alone in -this house, year after year, just longing all the time -to know what is at the other side of that door, and -yet not looking?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you mean to say,” I cried, “that you don’t -know yourself?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No more than you do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then why don’t you look?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I mustn’t,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He spoke in a constrained way, and I saw that I -had blundered on to some delicate ground. I don’t -know that I am more inquisitive than my neighbours, -but there certainly was something in the situation -which appealed very strongly to my curiosity. However, -my last excuse for remaining in the house was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>gone now that my companion had recovered his senses. -I rose to go.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you in a hurry?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No; I have nothing to do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I should be very glad if you would stay -with me a little. The fact is that I live a very -retired and secluded life here. I don’t suppose there -is a man in London who leads such a life as I do. -It is quite unusual for me to have any one to talk -with.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked round at the little room, scantily furnished, -with a sofa-bed at one side. Then I thought -of the great, bare house, and the sinister door with -the discoloured red seal upon it. There was something -queer and grotesque in the situation, which -made me long to know a little more. Perhaps I -should, if I waited. I told him that I should be very -happy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will find the spirits and a siphon upon the -side table. You must forgive me if I cannot act as -host, but I can’t get across the room. Those are cigars -in the tray there. I’ll take one myself, I think. And -so you are a solicitor, Mr. Alder?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And I am nothing. I am that most helpless of -living creatures, the son of a millionaire. I was brought -up with the expectation of great wealth; and here I -am, a poor man, without any profession at all. And -then, on the top of it all, I am left with this great -mansion on my hands, which I cannot possibly keep -up. Isn’t it an absurd situation? For me to use this -as my dwelling is like a coster drawing his barrow -<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>with a thoroughbred. A donkey would be more useful -to him, and a cottage to me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why not sell the house?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I mustn’t.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let it, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I mustn’t do that either.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked puzzled, and my companion smiled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll tell you how it is, if it won’t bore you,” -said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the contrary, I should be exceedingly interested.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think, after your kind attention to me, I cannot -do less than relieve any curiosity that you may feel. -You must know that my father was Stanislaus Stanniford, -the banker.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Stanniford, the banker! I remembered the name -at once. His flight from the country some seven years -before had been one of the scandals and sensations of -the time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I see that you remember,” said my companion. -“My poor father left the country to avoid numerous -friends, whose savings he had invested in an unsuccessful -speculation. He was a nervous, sensitive man, -and the responsibility quite upset his reason. He had -committed no legal offence. It was purely a matter -of sentiment. He would not even face his own family, -and he died among strangers without ever letting us -know where he was.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He died!” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We could not prove his death, but we know that -it must be so, because the speculations came right -again, and so there was no reason why he should not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>look any man in the face. He would have returned -if he were alive. But he must have died in the last -two years.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why in the last two years?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because we heard from him two years ago.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Did he not tell you then where he was living?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The letter came from Paris, but no address was -given. It was when my poor mother died. He wrote -to me then, with some instructions and some advice, -and I have never heard from him since.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Had you heard before?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, yes, we had heard before, and that’s where -our mystery of the sealed door, upon which you -stumbled to-night, has its origin. Pass me that desk, -if you please. Here I have my father’s letters, and -you are the first man except Mr. Perceval who has -seen them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who is Mr. Perceval, may I ask?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He was my father’s confidential clerk, and he has -continued to be the friend and adviser of my mother -and then of myself. I don’t know what we should -have done without Perceval. He saw the letters, but -no one else. This is the first one, which came on the -very day when my father fled, seven years ago. Read -it to yourself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This is the letter which I read:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-l c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<span class='sc'>My Ever Dearest Wife</span>,—</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>“Since Sir William told me how weak your -heart is, and how harmful any shock might be, I have -never talked about my business affairs to you. The -time has come when at all risks I can no longer refrain -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>from telling you that things have been going badly -with me. This will cause me to leave you for a little -time, but it is with the absolute assurance that we -shall see each other very soon. On this you can -thoroughly rely. Our parting is only for a very short -time, my own darling, so don’t let it fret you, and above -all don’t let it impair your health, for that is what I -want above all things to avoid.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, I have a request to make, and I implore you -by all that binds us together to fulfil it exactly as I tell -you. There are some things which I do not wish to be -seen by any one in my dark room—the room which I -use for photographic purposes at the end of the garden -passage. To prevent any painful thoughts, I may -assure you once for all, dear, that it is nothing of which -I need be ashamed. But still I do not wish you or -Felix to enter that room. It is locked, and I implore -you when you receive this to at once place a seal over -the lock, and leave it so. Do not sell or let the house, -for in either case my secret will be discovered. As -long as you or Felix are in the house, I know that -you will comply with my wishes. When Felix is -twenty-one he may enter the room—not before.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“And now, good-bye, my own best of wives. During -our short separation you can consult Mr. Perceval -on any matters which may arise. He has my complete -confidence. I hate to leave Felix and you—even for a -time—but there is really no choice.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c014'> - <div>“Ever and always your loving husband,</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c015'><span class='sc'>Stanislaus Stanniford</span>.</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“June 4th, 1887.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>“These are very private family matters for me to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>inflict upon you,” said my companion, apologetically. -“You must look upon it as done in your professional -capacity. I have wanted to speak about it for -years.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am honoured by your confidence,” I answered, -“and exceedingly interested by the facts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My father was a man who was noted for his -almost morbid love of truth. He was always pedantically -accurate. When he said, therefore, that he -hoped to see my mother very soon, and when he said -that he had nothing to be ashamed of in that dark -room, you may rely upon it that he meant it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then what can it be?” I ejaculated.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Neither my mother nor I could imagine. We -carried out his wishes to the letter, and placed the seal -upon the door; there it has been ever since. My -mother lived for five years after my father’s disappearance, -although at the time all the doctors said that she -could not survive long. Her heart was terribly diseased. -During the first few months she had two letters -from my father. Both had the Paris post-mark, but no -address. They were short and to the same effect: that -they would soon be reunited, and that she should not -fret. Then there was a silence, which lasted until her -death; and then came a letter to me of so private a -nature that I cannot show it to you, begging me never -to think evil of him, giving me much good advice, -and saying that the sealing of the room was of -less importance now than during the lifetime of my -mother, but that the opening might still cause pain to -others, and that, therefore, he thought it best that it -should be postponed until my twenty-first year, for the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>lapse of time would make things easier. In the meantime, -he committed the care of the room to me; so now -you can understand how it is that, although I am a -very poor man, I can neither let nor sell this great -house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You could mortgage it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My father had already done so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is a most singular state of affairs.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My mother and I were gradually compelled to -sell the furniture and to dismiss the servants, until -now, as you see, I am living unattended in a single -room. But I have only two more months.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you mean?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, that in two months I come of age. The first -thing that I do will be to open that door; the second, -to get rid of the house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should your father have continued to stay -away when these investments had recovered themselves?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He must be dead.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You say that he had not committed any legal -offence when he fled the country?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“None.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should he not take your mother with -him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I do not know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should he conceal his address?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I do not know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should he allow your mother to die and be -buried without coming back?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I do not know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear sir,” said I, “if I may speak with the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>frankness of a professional adviser, I should say that it -is very clear that your father had the strongest reasons -for keeping out of the country, and that, if nothing has -been proved against him, he at least thought that -something might be, and refused to put himself -within the power of the law. Surely that must be -obvious, for in what other possible way can the facts -be explained?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My companion did not take my suggestion in good -part.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You had not the advantage of knowing my father, -Mr. Alder,” he said, coldly. “I was only a boy when -he left us, but I shall always look upon him as my -ideal man. His only fault was that he was too sensitive -and too unselfish. That any one should lose money -through him would cut him to the heart. His sense of -honour was most acute, and any theory of his disappearance -which conflicts with that is a mistaken -one.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It pleased me to hear the lad speak out so roundly, -and yet I knew that the facts were against him, and -that he was incapable of taking an unprejudiced view -of the situation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I only speak as an outsider,” said I. “And now -I must leave you, for I have a long walk before me. -Your story has interested me so much that I should be -glad if you could let me know the sequel.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Leave me your card,” said he; and so, having -bade him “good-night,” I left him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I heard nothing more of the matter for some time, -and had almost feared that it would prove to be one of -those fleeting experiences which drift away from our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>direct observation and end only in a hope or a suspicion. -One afternoon, however, a card bearing the -name of Mr. J. H. Perceval was brought up to my -office in Abchurch Lane, and its bearer, a small dry, -bright-eyed fellow of fifty, was ushered in by the -clerk.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I believe, sir,” said he, “that my name has been -mentioned to you by my young friend, Mr. Felix -Stanniford?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Of course,” I answered, “I remember.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He spoke to you, I understand, about the circumstances -in connection with the disappearance of -my former employer, Mr. Stanislaus Stanniford, and -the existence of a sealed room in his former residence.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He did.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And you expressed an interest in the matter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It interested me extremely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are aware that we hold Mr. Stanniford’s permission -to open the door on the twenty-first birthday -of his son?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I remember.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The twenty-first birthday is to-day.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you opened it?” I asked, eagerly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not yet, sir,” said he, gravely. “I have reason to -believe that it would be well to have witnesses present -when that door is opened. You are a lawyer, and you -are acquainted with the facts. Will you be present on -the occasion?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Most certainly.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are employed during the day, and so am I. -Shall we meet at nine o’clock at the house?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will come with pleasure.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>“Then you will find us waiting for you. Good-bye, -for the present.” He bowed solemnly, and took his -leave.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I kept my appointment that evening, with a brain -which was weary with fruitless attempts to think out -some plausible explanation of the mystery which we -were about to solve. Mr. Perceval and my young -acquaintance were waiting for me in the little room. -I was not surprised to see the young man looking pale -and nervous, but I was rather astonished to find the -dry little City man in a state of intense, though partially -suppressed, excitement. His cheeks were flushed, -his hands twitching, and he could not stand still for an -instant.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Stanniford greeted me warmly, and thanked me -many times for having come. “And now, Perceval,” -said he to his companion, “I suppose there is no -obstacle to our putting the thing through without -delay? I shall be glad to get it over.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The banker’s clerk took up the lamp and led the -way. But he paused in the passage outside the door, -and his hand was shaking, so that the light flickered -up and down the high, bare walls.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mr. Stanniford,” said he, in a cracking voice, “I -hope you will prepare yourself in case any shock should -be awaiting you when that seal is removed and the -door is opened.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What could there be, Perceval? You are trying -to frighten me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, Mr. Stanniford; but I should wish you to be -ready ... to be braced up ... not to allow yourself....” -He had to lick his dry lips between every -<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>jerky sentence, and I suddenly realized, as clearly as -if he had told me, that he knew what was behind that -closed door, and that it <em>was</em> something terrible. “Here -are the keys, Mr. Stanniford, but remember my -warning!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had a bunch of assorted keys in his hand, and -the young man snatched them from him. Then he -thrust a knife under the discoloured red seal and -jerked it off. The lamp was rattling and shaking in -Perceval’s hands, so I took it from him and held it -near the key hole, while Stanniford tried key after key. -At last one turned in the lock, the door flew open, he -took one step into the room, and then, with a -horrible cry, the young man fell senseless at our -feet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If I had not given heed to the clerk’s warning, and -braced myself for a shock, I should certainly have -dropped the lamp. The room, windowless and bare, -was fitted up as a photographic laboratory, with a tap -and sink at the side of it. A shelf of bottles and -measures stood at one side, and a peculiar, heavy -smell, partly chemical, partly animal, filled the air. -A single table and chair were in front of us, and at -this, with his back turned towards us, a man was -seated in the act of writing. His outline and attitude -were as natural as life; but as the light fell upon him, -it made my hair rise to see that the nape of his neck -was black and wrinkled, and no thicker than my wrist. -Dust lay upon him—thick, yellow dust—upon his hair, -his shoulders, his shrivelled, lemon-coloured hands. -His head had fallen forward upon his breast. His -pen still rested upon a discoloured sheet of paper.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>“My poor master! My poor, poor master!” -cried the clerk, and the tears were running down his -cheeks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What!” I cried, “Mr. Stanislaus Stanniford!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here he has sat for seven years. Oh, why would -he do it? I begged him, I implored him, I went on -my knees to him, but he would have his way. You -see the key on the table. He had locked the door -upon the inside. And he has written something. We -must take it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, take it, and for God’s sake, let us get -out of this,” I cried; “the air is poisonous. Come, -Stanniford, come!” Taking an arm each, we half led -and half carried the terrified man back to his own -room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was my father!” he cried, as he recovered his -consciousness. “He is sitting there dead in his chair. -You knew it, Perceval! This was what you meant -when you warned me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I knew it, Mr. Stanniford. I have acted for -the best all along, but my position has been a terribly -difficult one. For seven years I have known that your -father was dead in that room.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You knew it, and never told us!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t be harsh with me, Mr. Stanniford, sir! -Make allowance for a man who has had a hard part to -play.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My head is swimming round. I cannot grasp -it!” He staggered up, and helped himself from the -brandy bottle. “These letters to my mother and to -myself—were they forgeries?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir; your father wrote them and addressed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>them, and left them in my keeping to be posted. I -have followed his instructions to the very letter in -all things. He was my master, and I have obeyed -him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The brandy had steadied the young man’s shaken -nerves. “Tell me about it. I can stand it now,” -said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, Mr. Stanniford, you know that at one time -there came a period of great trouble upon your father, -and he thought that many poor people were about to -lose their savings through his fault. He was a man -who was so tender-hearted that he could not bear the -thought. It worried him and tormented him, until he -determined to end his life. Oh, Mr. Stanniford, if you -knew how I have prayed him and wrestled with him -over it, you would never blame me! And he in turn -prayed me as no man has ever prayed me before. He -had made up his mind, and he would do it in any case, -he said; but it rested with me whether his death -should be happy and easy or whether it should be -most miserable. I read in his eyes that he meant -what he said. And at last I yielded to his prayers, -and I consented to do his will.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What was troubling him was this. He had been -told by the first doctor in London that his wife’s heart -would fail at the slightest shock. He had a horror of -accelerating her end, and yet his own existence had -become unendurable to him. How could he end himself -without injuring her?</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You know now the course that he took. He -wrote the letter which she received. There was nothing -in it which was not literally true. When he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>spoke of seeing her again so soon, he was referring to -her own approaching death, which he had been assured -could not be delayed more than a very few months. -So convinced was he of this, that he only left two -letters to be forwarded at intervals after his death. -She lived five years, and I had no letters to send.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He left another letter with me to be sent to you, -sir, upon the occasion of the death of your mother. I -posted all these in Paris to sustain the idea of his -being abroad. It was his wish that I should say -nothing, and I have said nothing. I have been a -faithful servant. Seven years after his death, he -thought no doubt that the shock to the feelings of his -surviving friends would be lessened. He was always -considerate for others.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was silence for some time. It was broken -by young Stanniford.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I cannot blame you, Perceval. You have spared -my mother a shock, which would certainly have broken -her heart. What is that paper?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is what your father was writing, sir. Shall I -read it to you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I have taken the poison, and I feel it working in -my veins. It is strange, but not painful. When -these words are read I shall, if my wishes have been -faithfully carried out, have been dead many years. -Surely no one who has lost money through me will -still bear me animosity. And you, Felix, you will -forgive me this family scandal. May God find rest for -a sorely wearied spirit!’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Amen!” we cried, all three.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE BRAZILIAN CAT</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>It is hard luck on a young fellow to have expensive -tastes, great expectations, aristocratic connections, but -no actual money in his pocket, and no profession by -which he may earn any. The fact was that my father, -a good, sanguine, easy-going man, had such confidence -in the wealth and benevolence of his bachelor elder -brother, Lord Southerton, that he took it for granted -that I, his only son, would never be called upon to earn -a living for myself. He imagined that if there were -not a vacancy for me on the great Southerton Estates, -at least there would be found some post in that diplomatic -service which still remains the special preserve -of our privileged classes. He died too early to realize -how false his calculations had been. Neither my uncle -nor the State took the slightest notice of me, or showed -any interest in my career. An occasional brace of -pheasants, or basket of hares, was all that ever reached -me to remind me that I was heir to Otwell House and -one of the richest estates in the country. In the meantime, -I found myself a bachelor and man about town, -living in a suite of apartments in Grosvenor Mansions, -with no occupation save that of pigeon-shooting and -polo-playing at Hurlingham. Month by month I -realized that it was more and more difficult to get the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>brokers to renew my bills, or to cash any further post-obits -upon an unentailed property. Ruin lay right -across my path, and every day I saw it clearer, nearer, -and more absolutely unavoidable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>What made me feel my own poverty the more was -that, apart from the great wealth of Lord Southerton, -all my other relations were fairly well-to-do. The -nearest of these was Everard King, my father’s nephew -and my own first cousin, who had spent an adventurous -life in Brazil, and had now returned to this country to -settle down on his fortune. We never knew how he -made his money, but he appeared to have plenty of it, -for he bought the estate of Greylands, near Clipton-on-the-Marsh, -in Suffolk. For the first year of his residence -in England he took no more notice of me than -my miserly uncle; but at last one summer morning, to -my very great relief and joy, I received a letter asking -me to come down that very day and spend a short visit -at Greylands Court. I was expecting a rather long -visit to Bankruptcy Court at the time, and this interruption -seemed almost providential. If I could only get on -terms with this unknown relative of mine, I might pull -through yet. For the family credit he could not let me -go entirely to the wall. I ordered my valet to pack my -valise, and I set off the same evening for Clipton-on-the-Marsh.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After changing at Ipswich, a little local train deposited -me at a small, deserted station lying amidst a -rolling grassy country, with a sluggish and winding -river curving in and out amidst the valleys, between -high, silted banks, which showed that we were within -reach of the tide. No carriage was awaiting me (I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>found afterwards that my telegram had been delayed), -so I hired a dog-cart at the local inn. The driver, an -excellent fellow, was full of my relative’s praises, and I -learned from him that Mr. Everard King was already a -name to conjure with in that part of the country. He -had entertained the school-children, he had thrown his -grounds open to visitors, he had subscribed to charities—in -short, his benevolence had been so universal that -my driver could only account for it on the supposition -that he had Parliamentary ambitions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My attention was drawn away from my driver’s -panegyric by the appearance of a very beautiful bird -which settled on a telegraph-post beside the road. At -first I thought that it was a jay, but it was larger, -with a brighter plumage. The driver accounted for its -presence at once by saying that it belonged to the very -man whom we were about to visit. It seems that the -acclimatization of foreign creatures was one of his -hobbies, and that he had brought with him from Brazil -a number of birds and beasts which he was endeavouring -to rear in England. When once we had passed -the gates of Greylands Park we had ample evidence of -this taste of his. Some small spotted deer, a curious -wild pig known, I believe, as a peccary, a gorgeously -feathered oriole, some sort of armadillo, and a singular -lumbering intoed beast like a very fat badger, were -among the creatures which I observed as we drove -along the winding avenue.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Everard King, my unknown cousin, was standing -in person upon the steps of his house, for he had -seen us in the distance, and guessed that it was I. His -appearance was very homely and benevolent, short and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>stout, forty-five years old perhaps, with a round, good-humoured -face, burned brown with the tropical sun, -and shot with a thousand wrinkles. He wore white -linen clothes, in true planter style, with a cigar between -his lips, and a large Panama hat upon the back of his -head. It was such a figure as one associates with a -verandahed bungalow, and it looked curiously out of -place in front of this broad, stone English mansion, -with its solid wings and its Palladio pillars before the -doorway.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear!” he cried, glancing over his shoulder; -“my dear, here is our guest! Welcome, welcome to -Greylands! I am delighted to make your acquaintance, -Cousin Marshall, and I take it as a great compliment -that you should honour this sleepy little country -place with your presence.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Nothing could be more hearty than his manner, and -he set me at my ease in an instant. But it needed all -his cordiality to atone for the frigidity and even rudeness -of his wife, a tall, haggard woman, who came forward -at his summons. She was, I believe, of Brazilian -extraction, though she spoke excellent English, and I -excused her manners on the score of her ignorance of -our customs. She did not attempt to conceal, however, -either then or afterwards, that I was no very welcome -visitor at Greylands Court. Her actual words were, as -a rule, courteous, but she was the possessor of a pair of -particularly expressive dark eyes, and I read in them -very clearly from the first that she heartily wished me -back in London once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, my debts were too pressing and my designs -upon my wealthy relative were too vital for me to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>allow them to be upset by the ill-temper of his wife, so -I disregarded her coldness and reciprocated the extreme -cordiality of his welcome. No pains had been spared -by him to make me comfortable. My room was a -charming one. He implored me to tell him anything -which could add to my happiness. It was on the tip -of my tongue to inform him that a blank cheque would -materially help towards that end, but I felt that it -might be premature in the present state of our acquaintance. -The dinner was excellent, and as we sat together -afterwards over his Havanas and coffee, which latter -he told me was specially prepared upon his own plantation, -it seemed to me that all my driver’s eulogies were -justified, and that I had never met a more large-hearted -and hospitable man.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But, in spite of his cheery good nature, he was a -man with a strong will and a fiery temper of his own. -Of this I had an example upon the following morning. -The curious aversion which Mrs. Everard King had -conceived towards me was so strong, that her manner -at breakfast was almost offensive. But her meaning -became unmistakable when her husband had quitted -the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The best train in the day is at twelve fifteen,” -said she.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But I was not thinking of going to-day,” I -answered, frankly—perhaps even defiantly, for I -was determined not to be driven out by this woman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, if it rests with you——” said she, and stopped, -with a most insolent expression in her eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am sure,” I answered “that Mr. Everard King -would tell me if I were outstaying my welcome.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>“What’s this? What’s this?” said a voice, and -there he was in the room. He had overheard my last -words, and a glance at our faces had told him the -rest. In an instant his chubby, cheery face set into an -expression of absolute ferocity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Might I trouble you to walk outside, Marshall,” -said he. (I may mention that my own name is -Marshall King.)</p> - -<p class='c000'>He closed the door behind me, and then, for an -instant, I heard him talking in a low voice of concentrated -passion to his wife. This gross breach of -hospitality had evidently hit upon his tenderest point. -I am no eavesdropper, so I walked out on to the lawn. -Presently I heard a hurried step behind me, and there -was the lady, her face pale with excitement, and her -eyes red with tears.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My husband has asked me to apologize to you, -Mr. Marshall King,” said she, standing with downcast -eyes before me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Please do not say another word, Mrs. King.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Her dark eyes suddenly blazed out at me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You fool!” she hissed, with frantic vehemence, -and turning on her heel swept back to the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The insult was so outrageous, so insufferable, that -I could only stand staring after her in bewilderment. -I was still there when my host joined me. He was his -cheery, chubby self once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I hope that my wife has apologized for her foolish -remarks,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, yes—yes, certainly!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He put his hand through my arm and walked with -me up and down the lawn.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>“You must not take it seriously,” said he. “It -would grieve me inexpressibly if you curtailed your -visit by one hour. The fact is—there is no reason -why there should be any concealment between relatives—that -my poor dear wife is incredibly jealous. -She hates that any one—male or female—should for -an instant come between us. Her ideal is a desert -island and an eternal <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tête-à-tête</span></i>. That gives you the -clue to her actions, which are, I confess, upon this -particular point, not very far removed from mania. -Tell me that you will think no more of it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no; certainly not.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then light this cigar and come round with me -and see my little menagerie.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The whole afternoon was occupied by this inspection, -which included all the birds, beasts, and even -reptiles which he had imported. Some were free, -some in cages, a few actually in the house. He spoke -with enthusiasm of his successes and his failures, his -births and his deaths, and he would cry out in his -delight, like a schoolboy, when, as we walked, some -gaudy bird would flutter up from the grass, or some -curious beast slink into the cover. Finally he led me -down a corridor which extended from one wing of the -house. At the end of this there was a heavy door with -a sliding shutter in it, and beside it there projected -from the wall an iron handle attached to a wheel and a -drum. A line of stout bars extended across the passage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am about to show you the jewel of my collection,” -said he. “There is only one other specimen in -Europe, now that the Rotterdam cub is dead. It is a -Brazilian cat.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>“But how does that differ from any other cat?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will soon see that,” said he, laughing. “Will -you kindly draw that shutter and look through?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did so, and found that I was gazing into a large, -empty room, with stone flags, and small, barred -windows upon the farther wall.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the centre of this room, lying in the middle of a -golden patch of sunlight, there was stretched a huge -creature, as large as a tiger, but as black and sleek as -ebony. It was simply a very enormous and very well-kept -black cat, and it cuddled up and basked in that -yellow pool of light exactly as a cat would do. It was -so graceful, so sinewy, and so gently and smoothly -diabolical, that I could not take my eyes from the -opening.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Isn’t he splendid?” said my host, enthusiastically.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Glorious! I never saw such a noble creature.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Some people call it a black puma, but really it is -not a puma at all. That fellow is nearly eleven feet -from tail to tip. Four years ago he was a little ball of -black fluff, with two yellow eyes staring out of it. He -was sold me as a new-born cub up in the wild country -at the head-waters of the Rio Negro. They speared -his mother to death after she had killed a dozen of -them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are ferocious, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The most absolutely treacherous and blood-thirsty -creatures upon earth. You talk about a Brazilian cat -to an up-country Indian, and see him get the jumps. -They prefer humans to game. This fellow has never -tasted living blood yet, but when he does he will be a -terror. At present he won’t stand any one but me -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>in his den. Even Baldwin, the groom, dare not go -near him. As to me, I am his mother and father in -one.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As he spoke he suddenly, to my astonishment, -opened the door and slipped in, closing it instantly -behind him. At the sound of his voice the huge, lithe -creature rose, yawned, and rubbed its round, black -head affectionately against his side, while he patted -and fondled it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Now, Tommy, into your cage!” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The monstrous cat walked over to one side of the -room and coiled itself up under a grating. Everard -King came out, and taking the iron handle which I -have mentioned, he began to turn it. As he did so -the line of bars in the corridor began to pass through -a slot in the wall and closed up the front of this -grating, so as to make an effective cage. When it -was in position he opened the door once more and -invited me into the room, which was heavy with the -pungent, musty smell peculiar to the great carnivora.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That’s how we work it,” said he. “We give him -the run of the room for exercise, and then at night -we put him in his cage. You can let him out by -turning the handle from the passage, or you can, as -you have seen, coop him up in the same way. No, -no, you should not do that!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had put my hand between the bars to pat the -glossy, heaving flank. He pulled it back, with a -serious face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I assure you that he is not safe. Don’t imagine -that because I can take liberties with him any one else -can. He is very exclusive in his friends—aren’t you, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>Tommy? Ah, he hears his lunch coming to him! -Don’t you, boy?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A step sounded in the stone-flagged passage, and -the creature had sprung to his feet, and was pacing -up and down the narrow cage, his yellow eyes gleaming, -and his scarlet tongue rippling and quivering over -the white line of his jagged teeth. A groom entered -with a coarse joint upon a tray, and thrust it through -the bars to him. He pounced lightly upon it, carried -it off to the corner, and there, holding it between his -paws, tore and wrenched at it, raising his bloody -muzzle every now and then to look at us. It was a -malignant and yet fascinating sight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You can’t wonder that I am fond of him, can -you?” said my host, as we left the room, “especially -when you consider that I have had the rearing of him. -It was no joke bringing him over from the centre of -South America; but here he is safe and sound—and, -as I have said, far the most perfect specimen in -Europe. The people at the Zoo are dying to have -him, but I really can’t part with him. How, I think -that I have inflicted my hobby upon you long enough, -so we cannot do better than follow Tommy’s example, -and go to our lunch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My South American relative was so engrossed by -his grounds and their curious occupants, that I hardly -gave him credit at first for having any interests outside -them. That he had some, and pressing ones, was soon -borne in upon me by the number of telegrams which -he received. They arrived at all hours, and were -always opened by him with the utmost eagerness and -anxiety upon his face. Sometimes I imagined that it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>must be the turf, and sometimes the Stock Exchange, -but certainly he had some very urgent business going -forwards which was not transacted upon the Downs -of Suffolk. During the six days of my visit he had -never fewer than three or four telegrams a day, and -sometimes as many as seven or eight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had occupied these six days so well, that by -the end of them I had succeeded in getting upon the -most cordial terms with my cousin. Every night we -had sat up late in the billiard-room, he telling me -the most extraordinary stories of his adventures in -America—stories so desperate and reckless, that I -could hardly associate them with the brown little, -chubby man before me. In return, I ventured upon -some of my own reminiscences of London life, which -interested him so much, that he vowed he would come -up to Grosvenor Mansions and stay with me. He -was anxious to see the faster side of city life, and -certainly, though I say it, he could not have chosen -a more competent guide. It was not until the last -day of my visit that I ventured to approach that -which was on my mind. I told him frankly about -my pecuniary difficulties and my impending ruin, and -I asked his advice—though I hoped for something -more solid. He listened attentively, puffing hard at -his cigar.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But surely,” said he, “you are the heir of our -relative, Lord Southerton?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have every reason to believe so, but he would -never make me any allowance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, I have heard of his miserly ways. My -poor Marshall, your position has been a very hard -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>one. By the way, have you heard any news of Lord -Southerton’s health lately?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He has always been in a critical condition ever -since my childhood.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly—a creaking hinge, if ever there was one. -Your inheritance may be a long way off. Dear me, -how awkwardly situated you are!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I had some hopes, sir, that you, knowing all the -facts, might be inclined to advance——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t say another word, my dear boy,” he cried, -with the utmost cordiality; “we shall talk it over -to-night, and I give you my word that whatever is in -my power shall be done.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was not sorry that my visit was drawing to a -close, for it is unpleasant to feel that there is one -person in the house who eagerly desires your departure. -Mrs. King’s sallow face and forbidding eyes had become -more and more hateful to me. She was no longer -actively rude—her fear of her husband prevented her—but -she pushed her insane jealousy to the extent of -ignoring me, never addressing me, and in every way -making my stay at Greylands as uncomfortable as -she could. So offensive was her manner during that -last day, that I should certainly have left had it not -been for that interview with my host in the evening -which would, I hoped, retrieve my broken fortunes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was very late when it occurred, for my relative, -who had been receiving even more telegrams than -usual during the day, went off to his study after -dinner, and only emerged when the household had -retired to bed. I heard him go round locking the -doors, as his custom was of a night, and finally he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>joined me in the billiard-room. His stout figure was -wrapped in a dressing-gown, and he wore a pair of -red Turkish slippers without any heels. Settling -down into an arm-chair, he brewed himself a glass -of grog, in which I could not help noticing that the -whisky considerably predominated over the water.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My word!” said he, “what a night!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was, indeed. The wind was howling and -screaming round the house, and the latticed windows -rattled and shook as if they were coming in. The -glow of the yellow lamps and the flavour of our -cigars seemed the brighter and more fragrant for the -contrast.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Now, my boy,” said my host, “we have the house -and the night to ourselves. Let me have an idea of -how your affairs stand, and I will see what can be -done to set them in order. I wish to hear every -detail.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Thus encouraged, I entered into a long exposition, -in which all my tradesmen and creditors, from my -landlord to my valet, figured in turn. I had notes -in my pocket-book, and I marshalled my facts, and -gave, I flatter myself, a very business-like statement -of my own un-business-like ways and lamentable -position. I was depressed, however, to notice that -my companion’s eyes were vacant and his attention -elsewhere. When he did occasionally throw out a -remark, it was so entirely perfunctory and pointless, -that I was sure he had not in the least followed my -remarks. Every now and then he roused himself and -put on some show of interest, asking me to repeat or -to explain more fully, but it was always to sink once -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>more into the same brown study. At last he rose and -threw the end of his cigar into the grate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll tell you what, my boy,” said he. “I never -had a head for figures, so you will excuse me. You -must jot it all down upon paper, and let me have a -note of the amount. I’ll understand it when I see it -in black and white.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The proposal was encouraging. I promised to -do so.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And now it’s time we were in bed. By Jove, -there’s one o’clock striking in the hall.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The tinging of the chiming clock broke through the -deep roar of the gale. The wind was sweeping past -with the rush of a great river.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I must see my cat before I go to bed,” said -my host. “A high wind excites him. Will you -come?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Certainly,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then tread softly and don’t speak, for every one -is asleep.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We passed quietly down the lamp-lit Persian-rugged -hall, and through the door at the farther end. -All was dark in the stone corridor, but a stable -lantern hung on a hook, and my host took it down and -lit it. There was no grating visible in the passage, so -I knew that the beast was in its cage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come in!” said my relative, and opened the -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A deep growling as we entered showed that the -storm had really excited the creature. In the flickering -light of the lantern, we saw it, a huge black mass, -coiled in the corner of its den and throwing a squat, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>uncouth shadow upon the whitewashed wall. Its tail -switched angrily among the straw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Poor Tommy is not in the best of tempers,” said -Everard King, holding up the lantern and looking in at -him. “What a black devil he looks, doesn’t he? I -must give him a little supper to put him in a better -humour. Would you mind holding the lantern for a -moment?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I took it from his hand and he stepped to the -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“His larder is just outside here,” said he. “You -will excuse me for an instant, won’t you?” He -passed out, and the door shut with a sharp metallic -click behind him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That hard crisp sound made my heart stand still. -A sudden wave of terror passed over me. A vague -perception of some monstrous treachery turned me -cold. I sprang to the door, but there was no handle -upon the inner side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here!” I cried. “Let me out!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All right! Don’t make a row!” said my host -from the passage. “You’ve got the light all right.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, but I don’t care about being locked in alone -like this.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t you?” I heard his hearty, chuckling laugh. -“You won’t be alone long.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let me out, sir!” I repeated angrily. “I tell you -I don’t allow practical jokes of this sort.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Practical is the word,” said he, with another -hateful chuckle. And then suddenly I heard, amidst -the roar of the storm, the creak and whine of the -winch-handle turning, and the rattle of the grating as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>it passed through the slot. Great God, he was letting -loose the Brazilian cat!</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the light of the lantern I saw the bars sliding -slowly before me. Already there was an opening a -foot wide at the farther end. With a scream I seized -the last bar with my hands and pulled with the -strength of a madman. I <em>was</em> a madman with rage -and horror. For a minute or more I held the thing -motionless. I knew that he was straining with all his -force upon the handle, and that the leverage was sure -to overcome me. I gave inch by inch, my feet sliding -along the stones, and all the time I begged and prayed -this inhuman monster to save me from this horrible -death. I conjured him by his kinship. I reminded -him that I was his guest; I begged to know what harm -I had ever done him. His only answers were the tugs -and jerks upon the handle, each of which, in spite of -all my struggles, pulled another bar through the opening. -Clinging and clutching, I was dragged across the -whole front of the cage, until at last, with aching -wrists and lacerated fingers, I gave up the hopeless -struggle. The grating clanged back as I released it, -and an instant later I heard the shuffle of the Turkish -slippers in the passage, and the slam of the distant -door. Then everything was silent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The creature had never moved during this time. -He lay still in the corner, and his tail had ceased -switching. This apparition of a man adhering to his -bars and dragged screaming across him had apparently -filled him with amazement. I saw his great eyes -staring steadily at me. I had dropped the lantern -when I seized the bars, but it still burned upon the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>floor, and I made a movement to grasp it, with some -idea that its light might protect me. But the instant -I moved, the beast gave a deep and menacing growl. -I stopped and stood still, quivering with fear in every -limb. The cat (if one may call so fearful a creature by -so homely a name) was not more than ten feet from -me. The eyes glimmered like two discs of phosphorus -in the darkness. They appalled and yet fascinated -me. I could not take my own eyes from them. -Nature plays strange tricks with us at such moments -of intensity, and those glimmering lights waxed and -waned with a steady rise and fall. Sometimes they -seemed to be tiny points of extreme brilliancy—little -electric sparks in the black obscurity—then they would -widen and widen until all that corner of the room was -filled with their shifting and sinister light. And then -suddenly they went out altogether.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The beast had closed its eyes. I do not know -whether there may be any truth in the old idea of the -dominance of the human gaze, or whether the huge cat -was simply drowsy, but the fact remains that, far from -showing any symptom of attacking me, it simply -rested its sleek, black head upon its huge forepaws and -seemed to sleep. I stood, fearing to move lest I should -rouse it into malignant life once more. But at least I -was able to think clearly now that the baleful eyes -were off me. Here I was shut up for the night with -the ferocious beast. My own instincts, to say nothing -of the words of the plausible villain who laid this trap -for me, warned me that the animal was as savage as its -master. How could I stave it off until morning? The -door was hopeless, and so were the narrow, barred -<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>windows. There was no shelter anywhere in the bare, -stone-flagged room. To cry for assistance was absurd. -I knew that this den was an outhouse, and that the -corridor which connected it with the house was at least -a hundred feet long. Besides, with that gale thundering -outside, my cries were not likely to be heard. -I had only my own courage and my own wits to -trust to.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then, with a fresh wave of horror, my eyes fell -upon the lantern. The candle had burned low, and was -already beginning to gutter. In ten minutes it would -be out. I had only ten minutes then in which to do -something, for I felt that if I were once left in the dark -with that fearful beast I should be incapable of action. -The very thought of it paralyzed me. I cast my -despairing eyes round this chamber of death, and they -rested upon one spot which seemed to promise I will -not say safety, but less immediate and imminent danger -than the open floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that the cage had a top as well as a -front, and this top was left standing when the front -was wound through the slot in the wall. It consisted -of bars at a few inches’ interval, with stout wire netting -between, and it rested upon a strong stanchion at each -end. It stood now as a great barred canopy over the -crouching figure in the corner. The space between this -iron shelf and the roof may have been from two to three -feet. If I could only get up there, squeezed in between -bars and ceiling, I should have only one vulnerable -side. I should be safe from below, from behind, and -from each side. Only on the open face of it could I -be attacked. There, it is true, I had no protection -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>whatever; but, at least, I should be out of the brute’s -path when he began to pace about his den. He would -have to come out of his way to reach me. It was now or -never, for if once the light were out it would be impossible. -With a gulp in my throat I sprang up, seized -the iron edge of the top, and swung myself panting on -to it. I writhed in face downwards, and found myself -looking straight into the terrible eyes and yawning jaws -of the cat. Its fetid breath came up into my face like -the steam from some foul pot.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It appeared, however, to be rather curious than -angry. With a sleek ripple of its long, black back it -rose, stretched itself, and then rearing itself on its hind -legs, with one fore paw against the wall, it raised the -other, and drew its claws across the wire meshes -beneath me. One sharp, white hook tore through my -trousers—for I may mention that I was still in evening -dress—and dug a furrow in my knee. It was not -meant as an attack, but rather as an experiment, for -upon my giving a sharp cry of pain he dropped down -again, and springing lightly into the room, he began -walking swiftly round it, looking up every now and -again in my direction. For my part I shuffled backwards -until I lay with my back against the wall, -screwing myself into the smallest space possible. The -farther I got the more difficult it was for him to -attack me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He seemed more excited now that he had begun to -move about, and he ran swiftly and noiselessly round -and round the den, passing continually underneath the -iron couch upon which I lay. It was wonderful to see -so great a bulk passing like a shadow, with hardly the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>softest thudding of velvety pads. The candle was -burning low—so low that I could hardly see the -creature. And then, with a last flare and splutter it -went out altogether. I was alone with the cat in the -dark!</p> - -<p class='c000'>It helps one to face a danger when one knows that -one has done all that possibly can be done. There is -nothing for it then but to quietly await the result. In -this case, there was no chance of safety anywhere -except the precise spot where I was. I stretched -myself out, therefore, and lay silently, almost breathlessly, -hoping that the beast might forget my presence -if I did nothing to remind him. I reckoned that it -must already be two o’clock. At four it would be full -dawn. I had not more than two hours to wait for -daylight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Outside, the storm was still raging, and the rain -lashed continually against the little windows. Inside, -the poisonous and fetid air was overpowering. I could -neither hear nor see the cat. I tried to think about -other things—but only one had power enough to draw -my mind from my terrible position. That was the -contemplation of my cousin’s villainy, his unparalleled -hypocrisy, his malignant hatred of me. Beneath that -cheerful face there lurked the spirit of a mediæval -assassin. And as I thought of it I saw more clearly -how cunningly the thing had been arranged. He had -apparently gone to bed with the others. No doubt he -had his witnesses to prove it. Then, unknown to them, -he had slipped down, had lured me into this den and -abandoned me. His story would be so simple. He -had left me to finish my cigar in the billiard-room. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>had gone down on my own account to have a last look -at the cat. I had entered the room without observing -that the cage was opened, and I had been caught. -How could such a crime be brought home to him? -Suspicion, perhaps—but proof, never!</p> - -<p class='c000'>How slowly those dreadful two hours went by! -Once I heard a low, rasping sound, which I took to be -the creature licking its own fur. Several times those -greenish eyes gleamed at me through the darkness, but -never in a fixed stare, and my hopes grew stronger that -my presence had been forgotten or ignored. At last -the least faint glimmer of light came through the -windows—I first dimly saw them as two grey squares -upon the black wall, then grey turned to white, and I -could see my terrible companion once more. And he, -alas, could see me!</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was evident to me at once that he was in a much -more dangerous and aggressive mood than when I had -seen him last. The cold of the morning had irritated -him, and he was hungry as well. With a continual -growl he paced swiftly up and down the side of the -room which was farthest from my refuge, his whiskers -bristling angrily, and his tail switching and lashing. -As he turned at the corners his savage eyes always -looked upwards at me with a dreadful menace. I knew -then that he meant to kill me. Yet I found myself -even at that moment admiring the sinuous grace of the -devilish thing, its long, undulating, rippling movements, -the gloss of its beautiful flanks, the vivid, -palpitating scarlet of the glistening tongue which hung -from the jet-black muzzle. And all the time that -deep, threatening growl was rising and rising in an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>unbroken crescendo. I knew that the crisis was at -hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a miserable hour to meet such a death—so -cold, so comfortless, shivering in my light dress clothes -upon this gridiron of torment upon which I was -stretched. I tried to brace myself to it, to raise my -soul above it, and at the same time, with the lucidity -which comes to a perfectly desperate man, I cast round -for some possible means of escape. One thing was -clear to me. If that front of the cage was only back -in its position once more, I could find a sure refuge -behind it. Could I possibly pull it back? I hardly -dared to move for fear of bringing the creature upon -me. Slowly, very slowly, I put my hand forward until -it grasped the edge of the front, the final bar which -protruded through the wall. To my surprise it came -quite easily to my jerk. Of course the difficulty of -drawing it out arose from the fact that I was clinging -to it. I pulled again, and three inches of it came -through. It ran apparently on wheels. I pulled -again ... and then the cat sprang!</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was so quick, so sudden, that I never saw it -happen. I simply heard the savage snarl, and in an -instant afterwards the blazing yellow eyes, the flattened -black head with its red tongue and flashing teeth, were -within reach of me. The impact of the creature shook -the bars upon which I lay, until I thought (as far as I -could think of anything at such a moment) that they -were coming down. The cat swayed there for an -instant, the head and front paws quite close to me, the -hind paws clawing to find a grip upon the edge of the -grating. I heard the claws rasping as they clung to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>the wire netting, and the breath of the beast made me -sick. But its bound had been miscalculated. It could -not retain its position. Slowly, grinning with rage and -scratching madly at the bars, it swung backwards and -dropped heavily upon the floor. With a growl it instantly -faced round to me and crouched for another spring.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I knew that the next few moments would decide -my fate. The creature had learned by experience. It -would not miscalculate again. I must act promptly, -fearlessly, if I were to have a chance for life. In an -instant I had formed my plan. Pulling off my dress-coat, -I threw it down over the head of the beast. At -the same moment I dropped over the edge, seized the -end of the front grating, and pulled it frantically out -of the wall.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It came more easily than I could have expected. -I rushed across the room, bearing it with me; but, as -I rushed, the accident of my position put me upon the -outer side. Had it been the other way, I might have -come off scathless. As it was, there was a moment’s -pause as I stopped it and tried to pass in through the -opening which I had left. That moment was enough -to give time to the creature to toss off the coat with -which I had blinded him and to spring upon me. I -hurled myself through the gap and pulled the rails to -behind me, but he seized my leg before I could -entirely withdraw it. One stroke of that huge paw -tore off my calf as a shaving of wood curls off before -a plane. The next moment, bleeding and fainting, I -was lying among the foul straw with a line of friendly -bars between me and the creature which ramped so -frantically against them.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>Too wounded to move, and too faint to be conscious -of fear, I could only lie, more dead than alive, and -watch it. It pressed its broad, black chest against the -bars and angled for me with its crooked paws as I have -seen a kitten do before a mouse-trap. It ripped my -clothes, but, stretch as it would, it could not quite -reach me. I have heard of the curious numbing effect -produced by wounds from the great carnivora, and -now I was destined to experience it, for I had lost -all sense of personality, and was as interested in -the cat’s failure or success as if it were some game -which I was watching. And then gradually my -mind drifted away into strange, vague dreams, always -with that black face and red tongue coming back -into them, and so I lost myself in the nirvana of -delirium, the blessed relief of those who are too sorely -tried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Tracing the course of events afterwards, I conclude -that I must have been insensible for about two hours. -What roused me to consciousness once more was that -sharp metallic click which had been the precursor of -my terrible experience. It was the shooting back of -the spring lock. Then, before my senses were clear -enough to entirely apprehend what they saw, I was -aware of the round, benevolent face of my cousin peering -in through the opened door. What he saw evidently -amazed him. There was the cat crouching on the -floor. I was stretched upon my back in my shirtsleeves -within the cage, my trousers torn to ribbons -and a great pool of blood all round me. I can see his -amazed face now, with the morning sunlight upon it. -He peered at me, and peered again. Then he closed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>the door behind him, and advanced to the cage to see -if I were really dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I cannot undertake to say what happened. I was -not in a fit state to witness or to chronicle such events. -I can only say that I was suddenly conscious that his -face was away from me—that he was looking towards -the animal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good old Tommy!” he cried. “Good old -Tommy!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then he came near the bars, with his back still -towards me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Down, you stupid beast!” he roared. “Down, -sir! Don’t you know your master?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Suddenly even in my bemuddled brain a remembrance -came of those words of his when he had said -that the taste of blood would turn the cat into a fiend. -My blood had done it, but he was to pay the price.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Get away!” he screamed. “Get away, you devil! -Baldwin! Baldwin! Oh, my God!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then I heard him fall, and rise, and fall again, -with a sound like the ripping of sacking. His screams -grew fainter until they were lost in the worrying snarl. -And then, after I thought that he was dead, I saw, as -in a nightmare, a blinded, tattered, blood-soaked figure -running wildly round the room—and that was the last -glimpse which I had of him before I fainted once -again.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>I was many months in my recovery—in fact, I -cannot say that I have ever recovered, for to the end of -my days I shall carry a stick as a sign of my night with -the Brazilian cat. Baldwin, the groom, and the other -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>servants could not tell what had occurred when, drawn -by the death cries of their master, they found me -behind the bars, and his remains—or what they afterwards -discovered to be his remains—in the clutch of -the creature which he had reared. They stalled him -off with hot irons, and afterwards shot him through the -loophole of the door before they could finally extricate -me. I was carried to my bedroom, and there, under -the roof of my would-be murderer, I remained between -life and death for several weeks. They had sent for -a surgeon from Clipton and a nurse from London, -and in a month I was able to be carried to the -station, and so conveyed back once more to Grosvenor -Mansions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have one remembrance of that illness, which -might have been part of the ever-changing panorama -conjured up by a delirious brain were it not so definitely -fixed in my memory. One night, when the nurse was -absent, the door of my chamber opened, and a tall -woman in blackest mourning slipped into the room. -She came across to me, and as she bent her sallow -face I saw by the faint gleam of the night-light that it -was the Brazilian woman whom my cousin had married. -She stared intently into my face, and her expression -was more kindly than I had ever seen it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you conscious?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I feebly nodded—for I was still very weak.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, then, I only wished to say to you that you -have yourself to blame. Did I not do all I could for -you? From the beginning I tried to drive you from -the house. By every means, short of betraying my -husband, I tried to save you from him. I knew that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>he had a reason for bringing you here. I knew that he -would never let you get away again. No one knew -him as I knew him, who had suffered from him so -often. I did not dare to tell you all this. He would -have killed me. But I did my best for you. As things -have turned out, you have been the best friend that I -have ever had. You have set me free, and I fancied -that nothing but death would do that. I am sorry if -you are hurt, but I cannot reproach myself. I told -you that you were a fool—and a fool you have been.” -She crept out of the room, the bitter, singular woman, -and I was never destined to see her again. With what -remained from her husband’s property she went back to -her native land, and I have heard that she afterwards -took the veil at Pernambuco.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was not until I had been back in London for -some time that the doctors pronounced me to be well -enough to do business. It was not a very welcome -permission to me, for I feared that it would be the signal -for an inrush of creditors; but it was Summers, my -lawyer, who first took advantage of it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am very glad to see that your lordship is so -much better,” said he. “I have been waiting a long -time to offer my congratulations.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you mean, Summers? This is no time -for joking.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I mean what I say,” he answered. “You have -been Lord Southerton for the last six weeks, but we -feared that it would retard your recovery if you were -to learn it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Lord Southerton! One of the richest peers in -England! I could not believe my ears. And then -<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>suddenly I thought of the time which had elapsed, and -how it coincided with my injuries.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then Lord Southerton must have died about the -same time that I was hurt?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“His death occurred upon that very day.” Summers -looked hard at me as I spoke, and I am convinced—for -he was a very shrewd fellow—that he had guessed -the true state of the case. He paused for a moment as -if awaiting a confidence from me, but I could not see -what was to be gained by exposing such a family -scandal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, a very curious coincidence,” he continued, -with the same knowing look. “Of course, you are -aware that your cousin Everard King was the next heir -to the estates. Now, if it had been you instead of him -who had been torn to pieces by this tiger, or whatever -it was, then of course he would have been Lord Southerton -at the present moment.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No doubt,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And he took such an interest in it,” said Summers. -“I happen to know that the late Lord Southerton’s -valet was in his pay, and that he used to have telegrams -from him every few hours to tell him how he -was getting on. That would be about the time when -you were down there. Was it not strange that he -should wish to be so well informed, since he knew that -he was not the direct heir?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very strange,” said I. “And now, Summers, if -you will bring me my bills and a new cheque-book, we -will begin to get things into order.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE USHER OF LEA HOUSE SCHOOL</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>Mr. Lumsden, the senior partner of Lumsden and -Westmacott, the well-known scholastic and clerical -agents, was a small, dapper man, with a sharp, -abrupt manner, a critical eye, and an incisive way of -speaking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your name, sir?” said he, sitting pen in hand with -his long, red-lined folio in front of him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Harold Weld.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oxford or Cambridge?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Cambridge.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Honours?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Athlete?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Nothing remarkable, I am afraid.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not a Blue?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, no.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Lumsden shook his head despondently and -shrugged his shoulders in a way which sent my hopes -down to zero. “There is a very keen competition -for masterships, Mr. Weld,” said he. “The vacancies -are few and the applicants innumerable. A first-class -athlete, oar, or cricketer, or a man who has passed very -high in his examinations, can usually find a vacancy—I -might say always in the case of the cricketer. But -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>the average man—if you will excuse the description, -Mr. Weld—has a very great difficulty, almost an -insurmountable difficulty. We have already more -than a hundred such names upon our lists, and if you -think it worth while our adding yours, I daresay that -in the course of some years we may possibly be able to -find you some opening which——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He paused on account of a knock at the door. It -was a clerk with a note. Mr. Lumsden broke the seal -and read it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, Mr. Weld,” said he, “this is really rather an -interesting coincidence. I understand you to say that -Latin and English are your subjects, and that you -would prefer for a time to accept a place in an -elementary establishment, where you would have time -for private study?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Quite so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This note contains a request from an old client of -ours, Dr. Phelps McCarthy, of Willow Lea House -Academy, West Hampstead, that I should at once send -him a young man who should be qualified to teach -Latin and English to a small class of boys under fourteen -years of age. His vacancy appears to be the very -one which you are looking for. The terms are not -munificent—sixty pounds, board, lodging, and washing—but - the work is not onerous, and you would have -the evenings to yourself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That would do,” I cried, with all the eagerness of -the man who sees work at last after weary months of -seeking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t know that it is quite fair to these gentlemen -whose names have been so long upon our list,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>said Mr. Lumsden, glancing down at his open ledger. -“But the coincidence is so striking that I feel we must -really give you the refusal of it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then I accept it, sir, and I am much obliged to -you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is one small provision in Dr. McCarthy’s -letter. He stipulates that the applicant must be a man -with an imperturbably good temper.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am the very man,” said I, with conviction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said Mr. Lumsden, with some hesitation, -“I hope that your temper is really as good as you say, -for I rather fancy that you may need it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I presume that every elementary schoolmaster -does.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir, but it is only fair to you to warn you -that there may be some especially trying circumstances -in this particular situation. Dr. Phelps McCarthy -does not make such a condition without some very -good and pressing reason.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a certain solemnity in his speech which -struck a chill in the delight with which I had welcomed -this providential vacancy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“May I ask the nature of these circumstances?” I -asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We endeavour to hold the balance equally between -our clients, and to be perfectly frank with all of them. -If I knew of objections to you I should certainly communicate -them to Dr. McCarthy, and so I have no -hesitation in doing as much for you. I find,” he continued, -glancing over the pages of his ledger, “that -within the last twelve months we have supplied no -fewer than seven Latin masters to Willow Lea House -<span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>Academy, four of them having left so abruptly as to -forfeit their month’s salary, and none of them having -stayed more than eight weeks.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the other masters? Have they stayed?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is only one other residential master, and he -appears to be unchanged. You can understand, Mr. -Weld,” continued the agent, closing both the ledger and -the interview, “that such rapid changes are not desirable -from a master’s point of view, whatever may be -said for them by an agent working on commission. -I have no idea why these gentlemen have resigned -their situations so early. I can only give you the -facts, and advise you to see Dr. McCarthy at once -and to form your own conclusions.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Great is the power of the man who has nothing to -lose, and it was therefore with perfect serenity, but -with a good deal of curiosity, that I rang early that -afternoon the heavy wrought-iron bell of the Willow -Lea House Academy. The building was a massive -pile, square and ugly, standing in its own extensive -grounds, with a broad carriage-sweep curving up to it -from the road. It stood high, and commanded a -view on the one side of the grey roofs and bristling -spires of Northern London, and on the other of -the well-wooded and beautiful country which fringes -the great city. The door was opened by a boy in -buttons, and I was shown into a well-appointed -study, where the principal of the academy presently -joined me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The warnings and insinuations of the agent had -prepared me to meet a choleric and overbearing -person—one whose manner was an insupportable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>provocation to those who worked under him. Anything -further from the reality cannot be imagined. -He was a frail, gentle creature, clean-shaven and -round-shouldered, with a bearing which was so -courteous that it became almost deprecating. His -bushy hair was thickly shot with grey, and his age I -should imagine to verge upon sixty. His voice was -low and suave, and he walked with a certain mincing -delicacy of manner. His whole appearance was that -of a kindly scholar, who was more at home among his -books than in the practical affairs of the world.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am sure that we shall be very happy to have -your assistance, Mr. Weld,” said he, after a few professional -questions. “Mr. Percival Manners left me -yesterday, and I should be glad if you could take over -his duties to-morrow.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“May I ask if that is Mr. Percival Manners of -Selwyn?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Precisely. Did you know him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes; he is a friend of mine.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An excellent teacher, but a little hasty in his -disposition. It was his only fault. Now, in your -case, Mr. Weld, is your own temper under good control? -Supposing for argument’s sake that I were to -so far forget myself as to be rude to you or to speak -roughly or to jar your feelings in any way, could you -rely upon yourself to control your emotions?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I smiled at the idea of this courteous, little, -mincing creature ruffling my nerves.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think that I could answer for it, sir,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Quarrels are very painful to me,” said he. “I -wish every one to live in harmony under my roof. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>will not deny Mr. Percival Manners had provocation, -but I wish to find a man who can raise himself above -provocation, and sacrifice his own feelings for the sake -of peace and concord.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will do my best, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You cannot say more, Mr. Weld. In that case I -shall expect you to-night, if you can get your things -ready so soon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I not only succeeded in getting my things ready, -but I found time to call at the Benedict Club in Piccadilly, -where I knew that I should find Manners if -he were still in town. There he was sure enough -in the smoking-room, and I questioned him, over a -cigarette, as to his reasons for throwing up his recent -situation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You don’t tell me that you are going to Dr. -Phelps McCarthy’s Academy?” he cried, staring at -me in surprise. “My dear chap, it’s no use. You -can’t possibly remain there.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But I saw him, and he seemed the most courtly, -inoffensive fellow. I never met a man with more -gentle manners.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He! oh, he’s all right. There’s no vice in him. -Have you seen Theophilus St. James?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have never heard the name. Who is he?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your colleague. The other master.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I have not seen him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“<em>He’s</em> the terror. If you can stand him, you -have either the spirit of a perfect Christian or else -you have no spirit at all. A more perfect bounder -never bounded.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why does McCarthy stand it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>My friend looked at me significantly through his -cigarette smoke, and shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will form your own conclusions about that. -Mine were formed very soon, and I never found -occasion to alter them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It would help me very much if you would tell -me them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When you see a man in his own house allowing -his business to be ruined, his comfort destroyed, and -his authority defied by another man in a subordinate -position, and calmly submitting to it without so -much as a word of protest, what conclusion do you -come to?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That the one has a hold over the other.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Percival Manners nodded his head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There you are! You’ve hit it first barrel. It -seems to me that there’s no other explanation which -will cover the facts. At some period in his life the -little Doctor has gone astray. <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Humanum est errare.</span></i> -I have even done it myself. But this was something -serious, and the other man got a hold of it and has -never let go. That’s the truth. Blackmail is at the -bottom of it. But he had no hold over me, and there -was no reason why <em>I</em> should stand his insolence, so I -came away—and I very much expect to see you do the -same.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time he talked over the matter, but he -always came to the same conclusion—that I should not -retain my new situation very long.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was with no very pleasant feelings after this -preparation that I found myself face to face with the -very man of whom I had received so evil an account. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span>Dr. McCarthy introduced us to each other in his study -on the evening of that same day immediately after -my arrival at the school.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is your new colleague, Mr. St. James,” said -he, in his genial, courteous fashion. “I trust that -you will mutually agree, and that I shall find nothing -but good feeling and sympathy beneath this roof.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I shared the good Doctor’s hope, but my expectations -of it were not increased by the appearance of -my <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">confrère</span></i>. He was a young, bull-necked fellow -about thirty years of age, dark-eyed and black-haired, -with an exceedingly vigorous physique. I have never -seen a more strongly built man, though he tended to -run to fat in a way which showed that he was in the -worst of training. His face was coarse, swollen, and -brutal, with a pair of small black eyes deeply sunken -in his head. His heavy jowl, his projecting ears, and -his thick bandy legs all went to make up a personality -which was as formidable as it was repellent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I hear you’ve never been out before,” said he, -in a rude, brusque fashion. “Well, it’s a poor life: -hard work and starvation pay, as you’ll find out for -yourself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But it has some compensations,” said the -principal. “Surely you will allow that, Mr. St. -James?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Has it? I never could find them. What do you -call compensations?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Even to be in the continual presence of youth is -a privilege. It has the effect of keeping youth in one’s -own soul, for one reflects something of their high spirits -and their keen enjoyment of life.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>“Little beasts!” cried my colleague.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come, come, Mr. St. James, you are too hard -upon them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I hate the sight of them! If I could put them -and their blessed copybooks and lexicons and slates -into one bonfire I’d do it to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is Mr. St. James’s way of talking,” said the -principal, smiling nervously as he glanced at me. -“You must not take him too seriously. Now, Mr. -Weld, you know where your room is, and no doubt -you have your own little arrangements to make. The -sooner you make them the sooner you will feel yourself -at home.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It seemed to me that he was only too anxious to -remove me at once from the influence of this extraordinary -colleague, and I was glad to go, for the -conversation had become embarrassing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so began an epoch which always seems to me -as I look back to it to be the most singular in all -my experience. The school was in many ways an -excellent one. Dr. Phelps McCarthy was an ideal -principal. His methods were modern and rational. -The management was all that could be desired. And -yet in the middle of this well-ordered machine there -intruded the incongruous and impossible Mr. St. James, -throwing everything into confusion. His duties were -to teach English and mathematics, and how he acquitted -himself of them I do not know, as our classes -were held in separate rooms. I can answer for it, -however, that the boys feared him and loathed him, -and I know that they had good reason to do so, -for frequently my own teaching was interrupted by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>his bellowings of anger, and even by the sound of his -blows. Dr. McCarthy spent most of his time in his -class, but it was, I suspect, to watch over the master -rather than the boys, and to try to moderate his -ferocious temper when it threatened to become -dangerous.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was in his bearing to the head master, however, -that my colleague’s conduct was most outrageous. -The first conversation which I have recorded proved -to be typical of their intercourse. He domineered -over him openly and brutally. I have heard him -contradict him roughly before the whole school. At -no time would he show him any mark of respect, -and my temper often rose within me when I saw the -quiet acquiescence of the old Doctor, and his patient -tolerance of this monstrous treatment. And yet the -sight of it surrounded the principal also with a certain -vague horror in my mind, for supposing my friend’s -theory to be correct—and I could devise no better -one—how black must have been the story which -could be held over his head by this man and, by fear -of its publicity, force him to undergo such humiliations. -This quiet, gentle Doctor might be a profound -hypocrite, a criminal, a forger possibly, or a poisoner. -Only such a secret as this could account for the -complete power which the young man held over him. -Why else should he admit so hateful a presence into -his house and so harmful an influence into his school? -Why should he submit to degradations which could -not be witnessed, far less endured, without indignation?</p> - -<p class='c000'>And yet, if it were so, I was forced to confess -<span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>that my principal carried it off with extraordinary -duplicity. Never by word or sign did he show that -the young man’s presence was distasteful to him. I -have seen him look pained, it is true, after some -peculiarly outrageous exhibition, but he gave me the -impression that it was always on account of the -scholars or of me, never on account of himself. He -spoke to and of St. James in an indulgent fashion, -smiling gently at what made my blood boil within -me. In his way of looking at him and addressing -him, one could see no trace of resentment, but rather -a sort of timid and deprecating good will. His company -he certainly courted, and they spent many hours -together in the study and the garden.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As to my own relations with Theophilus St. James, -I made up my mind from the beginning that I should -keep my temper with him, and to that resolution I -steadfastly adhered. If Dr. McCarthy chose to permit -this disrespect, and to condone these outrages, it was -his affair and not mine. It was evident that his one -wish was that there should be peace between us, and -I felt that I could help him best by respecting this -desire. My easiest way to do so was to avoid my -colleague, and this I did to the best of my ability. -When we were thrown together I was quiet, polite, -and reserved. He, on his part, showed me no ill-will, -but met me rather with a coarse joviality, and a rough -familiarity which he meant to be ingratiating. He -was insistent in his attempts to get me into his room -at night, for the purpose of playing euchre and of -drinking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Old McCarthy doesn’t mind,” said he. “Don’t -<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>you be afraid of him. We’ll do what we like, and -I’ll answer for it that he won’t object.” Once only -I went, and when I left, after a dull and gross -evening, my host was stretched dead drunk upon the -sofa. After that I gave the excuse of a course of -study, and spent my spare hours alone in my own -room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One point upon which I was anxious to gain information -was as to how long these proceedings had -been going on. When did St. James assert his hold -over Dr. McCarthy? From neither of them could I -learn how long my colleague had been in his present -situation. One or two leading questions upon my part -were eluded or ignored in a manner so marked that -it was easy to see that they were both of them as -eager to conceal the point as I was to know it. But -at last one evening I had the chance of a chat with -Mrs. Carter, the matron—for the Doctor was a widower—and -from her I got the information which I wanted. -It needed no questioning to get at her knowledge, for -she was so full of indignation that she shook with -passion as she spoke of it, and raised her hands into -the air in the earnestness of her denunciation, as she -described the grievances which she had against my -colleague.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was three years ago, Mr. Weld, that he first -darkened this doorstep,” she cried. “Three bitter -years they have been to me. The school had fifty -boys then. Now it has twenty-two. That’s what he -has done for us in three years. In another three -there won’t be one. And the Doctor, that angel of -patience, you see how he treats him, though he is not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>fit to lace his boots for him. If it wasn’t for the -Doctor, you may be sure that I wouldn’t stay an hour -under the same roof with such a man, and so I told -him to his own face, Mr. Weld. If the Doctor would -only pack him about his business—but I know that -I am saying more than I should!” She stopped -herself with an effort, and spoke no more upon the -subject. She had remembered that I was almost a -stranger in the school, and she feared that she had -been indiscreet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were one or two very singular points about -my colleague. The chief one was that he rarely took -any exercise. There was a playing-field within the -college grounds, and that was his farthest point. If -the boys went out, it was I or Dr. McCarthy who -accompanied them. St. James gave as a reason for -this that he had injured his knee some years before, -and that walking was painful to him. For my own -part I put it down to pure laziness upon his part, -for he was of an obese, heavy temperament. Twice, -however, I saw him from my window stealing out of -the grounds late at night, and the second time I -watched him return in the grey of the morning and -slink in through an open window. These furtive -excursions were never alluded to, but they exposed -the hollowness of his story about his knee, and -they increased the dislike and distrust which I had -of the man. His nature seemed to be vicious to -the core.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Another point, small but suggestive, was that he -hardly ever during the months that I was at Willow -Lea House received any letters, and on those few -<span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>occasions they were obviously tradesmen’s bills. I -am an early riser, and used every morning to pick -my own correspondence out of the bundle upon the -hall table. I could judge therefore how few were ever -there for Mr. Theophilus St. James. There seemed to me -to be something peculiarly ominous in this. What sort -of a man could he be who during thirty years of life had -never made a single friend, high or low, who cared to -continue to keep in touch with him? And yet the -sinister fact remained that the head master not only -tolerated, but was even intimate with him. More than -once on entering a room I have found them talking -confidentially together, and they would walk arm in -arm in deep conversation up and down the garden -paths. So curious did I become to know what the tie -was which bound them, that I found it gradually push -out my other interests and become the main purpose -of my life. In school and out of school, at meals and -at play, I was perpetually engaged in watching Dr. -Phelps McCarthy and Mr. Theophilus St. James, and -in endeavouring to solve the mystery which surrounded -them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But, unfortunately, my curiosity was a little too -open. I had not the art to conceal the suspicions -which I felt about the relations which existed between -these two men and the nature of the hold which the -one appeared to have over the other. It may have -been my manner of watching them, it may have been -some indiscreet question, but it is certain that I showed -too clearly what I felt. One night I was conscious -that the eyes of Theophilus St. James were fixed upon -me in a surly and menacing stare. I had a foreboding -<span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>of evil, and I was not surprised when Dr. McCarthy -called me next morning into his study.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am very sorry, Mr. Weld,” said he, “but I -am afraid that I shall be compelled to dispense with -your services.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Perhaps you would give me some reason for dismissing -me,” I answered, for I was conscious of having -done my duties to the best of my power, and knew -well that only one reason could be given.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have no fault to find with you,” said he, and the -colour came to his cheeks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You send me away at the suggestion of my -colleague.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>His eyes turned away from mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We will not discuss the question, Mr. Weld. It -is impossible for me to discuss it. In justice to you, -I will give you the strongest recommendation for your -next situation. I can say no more. I hope that you -will continue your duties here until you have found a -place elsewhere.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My whole soul rose against the injustice of it, and -yet I had no appeal and no redress. I could only bow -and leave the room, with a bitter sense of ill-usage at -my heart.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My first instinct was to pack my boxes and leave -the house. But the head master had given me permission -to remain until I had found another situation. -I was sure that St. James desired me to go, and that -was a strong reason why I should stay. If my presence -annoyed him, I should give him as much of it as I -could. I had begun to hate him and to long to have -my revenge upon him. If he had a hold over our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>principal, might not I in turn obtain one over him? -It was a sign of weakness that he should be so -afraid of my curiosity. He would not resent it so -much if he had not something to fear from it. I -entered my name once more upon the books of the -agents, but meanwhile I continued to fulfil my -duties at Willow Lea House, and so it came about -that I was present at the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">dénouement</span> of this singular -situation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During that week—for it was only a week before -the crisis came—I was in the habit of going down each -evening, after the work of the day was done, to inquire -about my new arrangements. One night, it was a cold -and windy evening in March, I had just stepped out -from the hall door when a strange sight met my eyes. -A man was crouching before one of the windows of the -house. His knees were bent and his eyes were fixed -upon the small line of light between the curtain and -the sash. The window threw a square of brightness in -front of it, and in the middle of this the dark shadow -of this ominous visitor showed clear and hard. It was -but for an instant that I saw him, for he glanced up -and was off in a moment through the shrubbery. I -could hear the patter of his feet as he ran down the -road, until it died away in the distance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was evidently my duty to turn back and to tell -Dr. McCarthy what I had seen. I found him in his -study. I had expected him to be disturbed at such an -incident, but I was not prepared for the state of panic -into which he fell. He leaned back in his chair, -white and gasping, like one who has received a mortal -blow.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>“Which window, Mr. Weld?” he asked, wiping -his forehead. “Which window was it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The next to the dining-room—Mr. St. James’s -window.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Dear me! Dear me! This is, indeed, unfortunate! -A man looking through Mr. St. James’s -window!” He wrung his hands like a man who is -at his wits’ end what to do.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I shall be passing the police-station, sir. Would -you wish me to mention the matter?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no,” he cried, suddenly, mastering his extreme -agitation; “I have no doubt that it was some poor -tramp who intended to beg. I attach no importance -to the incident—none at all. Don’t let me detain you, -Mr. Weld, if you wish to go out.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I left him sitting in his study with reassuring words -upon his lips, but with horror upon his face. My -heart was heavy for my little employer as I started off -once more for town. As I looked back from the gate -at the square of light which marked the window of my -colleague, I suddenly saw the black outline of Dr. -McCarthy’s figure passing against the lamp. He had -hastened from his study then to tell St. James what he -had heard. What was the meaning of it all, this -atmosphere of mystery, this inexplicable terror, these -confidences between two such dissimilar men? I -thought and thought as I walked, but do what I -would I could not hit upon any adequate conclusion. -I little knew how near I was to the solution of the -problem.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was very late—nearly twelve o’clock—when I -returned, and the lights were all out save one in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>Doctor’s study. The black, gloomy house loomed -before me as I walked up the drive, its sombre bulk -broken only by the one glimmering point of brightness. -I let myself in with my latch-key, and was about to -enter my own room when my attention was arrested by -a short, sharp cry like that of a man in pain. I -stood and listened, my hand upon the handle of my -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All was silent in the house save for a distant -murmur of voices which came, I knew, from the -Doctor’s room. I stole quietly down the corridor in -that direction. The sound resolved itself now into -two voices, the rough bullying tones of St. James and -the lower tone of the Doctor, the one apparently -insisting and the other arguing and pleading. Four -thin lines of light in the blackness showed me the door -of the Doctor’s room, and step by step I drew nearer -to it in the darkness. St. James’s voice within rose -louder and louder, and his words now came plainly to -my ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll have every pound of it. If you won’t give it -me I’ll take it. Do you hear?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dr. McCarthy’s reply was inaudible, but the angry -voice broke in again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Leave you destitute! I leave you this little goldmine -of a school, and that’s enough for one old man, is -it not? How am I to set up in Australia without -money? Answer me that!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again the Doctor said something in a soothing -voice, but his answer only roused his companion to a -higher pitch of fury.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Done for me! What have you ever done -<span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span>for me except what you couldn’t help doing? It -was for your good name, not for my safety, that -you cared. But enough cackle! I must get on my -way before morning. Will you open your safe or -will you not?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, James, how can you use me so?” cried a -wailing voice, and then there came a sudden little -scream of pain. At the sound of that helpless appeal -from brutal violence I lost for once that temper upon -which I had prided myself. Every bit of manhood in -me cried out against any further neutrality. With my -walking cane in my hand I rushed into the study. As -I did so I was conscious that the hall-door bell was -violently ringing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You villain!” I cried, “let him go!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The two men were standing in front of a small safe, -which stood against one wall of the Doctor’s room. -St. James held the old man by the wrist, and he had -twisted his arm round in order to force him to produce -the key. My little head master, white but resolute, -was struggling furiously in the grip of the burly -athlete. The bully glared over his shoulder at me -with a mixture of fury and terror upon his brutal -features. Then, realizing that I was alone, he -dropped his victim and made for me with a horrible -curse.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You infernal spy!” he cried. “I’ll do for you -anyhow before I leave.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I am not a very strong man, and I realized that -I was helpless if once at close quarters. Twice I -cut at him with my stick, but he rushed in at me -with a murderous growl, and seized me by the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>throat with both his muscular hands. I fell backwards -and he on the top of me, with a grip which -was squeezing the life from me. I was conscious of -his malignant yellow-tinged eyes within a few inches -of my own, and then with a beating of pulses in -my head and a singing in my ears, my senses slipped -away from me. But even in that supreme moment -I was aware that the door-bell was still violently -ringing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When I came to myself, I was lying upon the -sofa in Dr. McCarthy’s study, and the Doctor himself -was seated beside me. He appeared to be -watching me intently and anxiously, for as I -opened my eyes and looked about me he gave a -great cry of relief. “Thank God!” he cried. “Thank -God!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where is he?” I asked, looking round the room. -As I did so, I became aware that the furniture was -scattered in every direction, and that there were -traces of an even more violent struggle than that in -which I had been engaged.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Doctor sank his face between his hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They have him,” he groaned. “After these -years of trial they have him again. But how thankful -I am that he has not for a second time stained -his hands in blood.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As the Doctor spoke I became aware that a man -in the braided jacket of an inspector of police was -standing in the doorway.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir,” he remarked, “you have had a pretty -narrow escape. If we had not got in when we did, -you would not be here to tell the tale. I don’t -<span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>know that I ever saw any one much nearer to the -undertaker.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I sat up with my hands to my throbbing head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Dr. McCarthy,” said I, “this is all a mystery -to me. I should be glad if you could explain to -me who this man is, and why you have tolerated -him so long in your house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I owe you an explanation, Mr. Weld—and the -more so since you have, in so chivalrous a fashion, -almost sacrificed your life in my defence. There -is no reason now for secrecy. In a word, Mr. Weld, -this unhappy man’s real name is James McCarthy, -and he is my only son.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your son?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Alas, yes. What sin have I ever committed -that I should have such a punishment? He has -made my whole life a misery from the first years -of his boyhood. Violent, headstrong, selfish, unprincipled, -he has always been the same. At eighteen -he was a criminal. At twenty, in a paroxysm of -passion, he took the life of a boon companion and -was tried for murder. He only just escaped the -gallows, and he was condemned to penal servitude. -Three years ago he succeeded in escaping, and -managed, in face of a thousand obstacles, to reach -my house in London. My wife’s heart had been -broken by his condemnation, and as he had succeeded -in getting a suit of ordinary clothes, there -was no one here to recognize him. For months he -lay concealed in the attics until the first search -of the police should be over. Then I gave him -employment here, as you have seen, though by his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>rough and overbearing manners he made my own -life miserable, and that of his fellow-masters unbearable. -You have been with us for four months, -Mr. Weld, but no other master endured him so -long. I apologize now for all you have had to -submit to, but I ask you what else could I do? -For his dead mother’s sake I could not let harm -come to him as long as it was in my power to -fend it off. Only under my roof could he find -a refuge—the only spot in all the world—and -how could I keep him here without its exciting -remark unless I gave him some occupation? I -made him English master therefore, and in that -capacity I have protected him here for three years. -You have no doubt observed that he never during -the daytime went beyond the college grounds. You -now understand the reason. But when to-night -you came to me with your report of a man who -was looking through his window, I understood that -his retreat was at last discovered. I besought him -to fly at once, but he had been drinking, the -unhappy fellow, and my words fell upon deaf ears. -When at last he made up his mind to go he -wished to take from me in his flight every shilling -which I possessed. It was your entrance which -saved me from him, while the police in turn -arrived only just in time to rescue you. I have -made myself amenable to the law by harbouring -an escaped prisoner, and remain here in the custody -of the inspector, but a prison has no terrors for -me after what I have endured in this house during -the last three years.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>“It seems to me, Doctor,” said the inspector, -“that, if you have broken the law, you have had -quite enough punishment already.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“God knows I have!” cried Dr. McCarthy, and -sank his haggard face upon his hands.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE BROWN HAND</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>Every one knows that Sir Dominick Holden, the -famous Indian surgeon, made me his heir, and that -his death changed me in an hour from a hard-working -and impecunious medical man to a well-to-do -landed proprietor. Many know also that there -were at least five people between the inheritance -and me, and that Sir Dominick’s selection appeared -to be altogether arbitrary and whimsical. I can -assure them, however, that they are quite mistaken, -and that, although I only knew Sir Dominick in -the closing years of his life, there were none the -less very real reasons why he should show his -goodwill towards me. As a matter of fact, though -I say it myself, no man ever did more for another -than I did for my Indian uncle. I cannot expect -the story to be believed, but it is so singular that -I should feel that it was a breach of duty if I -did not put it upon record—so here it is, and -your belief or incredulity is your own affair.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Sir Dominick Holden, C.B., K.C.S.I., and I don’t -know what besides, was the most distinguished Indian -surgeon of his day. In the Army originally, he -afterwards settled down into civil practice in Bombay, -and visited as a consultant every part of India. His -<span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>name is best remembered in connection with the -Oriental Hospital, which he founded and supported. -The time came, however, when his iron constitution -began to show signs of the long strain to which he -had subjected it, and his brother practitioners (who -were not, perhaps, entirely disinterested upon the -point) were unanimous in recommending him to -return to England. He held on so long as he -could, but at last he developed nervous symptoms -of a very pronounced character, and so came back, -a broken man, to his native county of Wiltshire. -He bought a considerable estate with an ancient -manor-house upon the edge of Salisbury Plain, and -devoted his old age to the study of Comparative -Pathology, which had been his learned hobby all his -life, and in which he was a foremost authority.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We of the family were, as may be imagined, -much excited by the news of the return of this rich -and childless uncle to England. On his part, although -by no means exuberant in his hospitality, he showed -some sense of his duty to his relations, and each of -us in turn had an invitation to visit him. From the -accounts of my cousins it appeared to be a melancholy -business, and it was with mixed feelings that I at -last received my own summons to appear at Rodenhurst. -My wife was so carefully excluded in the -invitation that my first impulse was to refuse it, -but the interests of the children had to be considered, -and so, with her consent, I set out one October -afternoon upon my visit to Wiltshire, with little -thought of what that visit was to entail.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle’s estate was situated where the arable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>land of the plains begins to swell upwards into the -rounded chalk hills which are characteristic of the -county. As I drove from Dinton Station in the waning -light of that autumn day, I was impressed by the weird -nature of the scenery. The few scattered cottages -of the peasants were so dwarfed by the huge evidences -of prehistoric life, that the present appeared to be a -dream and the past to be the obtrusive and masterful -reality. The road wound through the valleys, -formed by a succession of grassy hills, and the summit -of each was cut and carved into the most elaborate -fortifications, some circular and some square, but -all on a scale which has defied the winds and the -rains of many centuries. Some call them Roman -and some British, but their true origin and the reasons -for this particular tract of country being so interlaced -with entrenchments have never been finally made -clear. Here and there on the long, smooth, olive-coloured -slopes there rose small rounded barrows -or tumuli. Beneath them lie the cremated ashes -of the race which cut so deeply into the hills, but -their graves tell us nothing save that a jar full of -dust represents the man who once laboured under -the sun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was through this weird country that I approached -my uncle’s residence of Rodenhurst, and -the house was, as I found, in due keeping with -its surroundings. Two broken and weather-stained -pillars, each surmounted by a mutilated heraldic -emblem, flanked the entrance to a neglected drive. -A cold wind whistled through the elms which -lined it, and the air was full of the drifting leaves. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>At the far end, under the gloomy arch of trees, a -single yellow lamp burned steadily. In the dim -half-light of the coming night I saw a long, low -building stretching out two irregular wings, with -deep eaves, a sloping gambrel roof, and walls which -were criss-crossed with timber balks in the fashion -of the Tudors. The cheery light of a fire flickered -in the broad, latticed window to the left of the low-porched -door, and this, as it proved, marked the -study of my uncle, for it was thither that I was -led by his butler in order to make my host’s acquaintance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was cowering over his fire, for the moist chill -of an English autumn had set him shivering. His -lamp was unlit, and I only saw the red glow of -the embers beating upon a huge, craggy face, with -a Red Indian nose and cheek, and deep furrows -and seams from eye to chin, the sinister marks of -hidden volcanic fires. He sprang up at my entrance -with something of an old-world courtesy and welcomed -me warmly to Rodenhurst. At the same time I was -conscious, as the lamp was carried in, that it was -a very critical pair of light-blue eyes which looked -out at me from under shaggy eyebrows, like scouts -beneath a bush, and that this outlandish uncle of -mine was carefully reading off my character with all -the ease of a practised observer and an experienced -man of the world.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For my part I looked at him, and looked again, -for I had never seen a man whose appearance was -more fitted to hold one’s attention. His figure was -the framework of a giant, but he had fallen away -<span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>his coat dangled straight down in a shocking -fashion from a pair of broad and bony shoulders. -All his limbs were huge and yet emaciated, and I -could not take my gaze from his knobby wrists, and -long, gnarled hands. But his eyes—those peering -light-blue eyes—they were the most arrestive of any -of his peculiarities. It was not their colour alone, -nor was it the ambush of hair in which they lurked; -but it was the expression which I read in them. -For the appearance and bearing of the man were -masterful, and one expected a certain corresponding -arrogance in his eyes, but instead of that I read the -look which tells of a spirit cowed and crushed, the -furtive, expectant look of the dog whose master has -taken the whip from the rack. I formed my own -medical diagnosis upon one glance at those critical -and yet appealing eyes. I believed that he was -stricken with some mortal ailment, that he knew -himself to be exposed to sudden death, and that he -lived in terror of it. Such was my judgment—a false -one, as the event showed; but I mention it that it -may help you to realize the look which I read in -his eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle’s welcome was, as I have said, a courteous -one, and in an hour or so I found myself seated -between him and his wife at a comfortable dinner, -with curious pungent delicacies upon the table, and a -stealthy, quick-eyed Oriental waiter behind his chair. -The old couple had come round to that tragic imitation -of the dawn of life when husband and wife, having -lost or scattered all those who were their intimates, -find themselves face to face and alone once more, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>their work done, and the end nearing fast. Those who -have reached that stage in sweetness and love, who -can change their winter into a gentle Indian summer, -have come as victors through the ordeal of life. Lady -Holden was a small, alert woman, with a kindly eye, -and her expression as she glanced at him was a -certificate of character to her husband. And yet, -though I read a mutual love in their glances, I read -also a mutual horror, and recognized in her face some -reflection of that stealthy fear which I detected in his. -Their talk was sometimes merry and sometimes sad, -but there was a forced note in their merriment and -a naturalness in their sadness which told me that a -heavy heart beat upon either side of me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We were sitting over our first glass of wine, and -the servants had left the room, when the conversation -took a turn which produced a remarkable effect upon -my host and hostess. I cannot recall what it was -which started the topic of the supernatural, but it -ended in my showing them that the abnormal in -psychical experiences was a subject to which I had, -like many neurologists, devoted a great deal of attention. -I concluded by narrating my experiences when, -as a member of the Psychical Research Society, I had -formed one of a committee of three who spent the -night in a haunted house. Our adventures were -neither exciting nor convincing, but, such as it was, -the story appeared to interest my auditors in a -remarkable degree. They listened with an eager -silence, and I caught a look of intelligence between -them which I could not understand. Lady Holden -immediately afterwards rose and left the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>Sir Dominick pushed the cigar-box over to me, -and we smoked for some little time in silence. That -huge bony hand of his was twitching as he raised it -with his cheroot to his lips, and I felt that the man’s -nerves were vibrating like fiddle-strings. My instincts -told me that he was on the verge of some intimate -confidence, and I feared to speak lest I should interrupt -it. At last he turned towards me with a spasmodic -gesture like a man who throws his last scruple -to the winds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“From the little that I have seen of you it appears -to me, Dr. Hardacre,” said he, “that you are the very -man I have wanted to meet.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am delighted to hear it, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your head seems to be cool and steady. You -will acquit me of any desire to flatter you, for the -circumstances are too serious to permit of insincerities. -You have some special knowledge upon these subjects, -and you evidently view them from that philosophical -standpoint which robs them of all vulgar terror. I -presume that the sight of an apparition would not -seriously discompose you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think not, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Would even interest you, perhaps?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Most intensely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As a psychical observer, you would probably -investigate it in as impersonal a fashion as an -astronomer investigates a wandering comet?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Precisely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He gave a heavy sigh.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Believe me, Dr. Hardacre, there was a time when -I could have spoken as you do now. My nerve was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>a by-word in India. Even the Mutiny never shook -it for an instant. And yet you see what I am reduced -to—the most timorous man, perhaps, in all this county -of Wiltshire. Do not speak too bravely upon this -subject, or you may find yourself subjected to as long-drawn -a test as I am—a test which can only end in -the madhouse or the grave.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I waited patiently until he should see fit to go -farther in his confidence. His preamble had, I need -not say, filled me with interest and expectation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For some years, Dr. Hardacre,” he continued, -“my life and that of my wife have been made miserable -by a cause which is so grotesque that it borders -upon the ludicrous. And yet familiarity has never -made it more easy to bear—on the contrary, as time -passes my nerves become more worn and shattered -by the constant attrition. If you have no physical -fears, Dr. Hardacre, I should very much value -your opinion upon this phenomenon which troubles -us so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For what it is worth my opinion is entirely at -your service. May I ask the nature of the phenomenon?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think that your experiences will have a higher -evidential value if you are not told in advance what -you may expect to encounter. You are yourself aware -of the quibbles of unconscious cerebration and subjective -impressions with which a scientific sceptic may -throw a doubt upon your statement. It would be as -well to guard against them in advance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What shall I do, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will tell you. Would you mind following me -<span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span>this way?” He led me out of the dining-room and -down a long passage until we came to a terminal door. -Inside there was a large bare room fitted as a laboratory, -with numerous scientific instruments and bottles. -A shelf ran along one side, upon which there stood a -long line of glass jars containing pathological and -anatomical specimens.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You see that I still dabble in some of my old -studies,” said Sir Dominick. “These jars are the -remains of what was once a most excellent collection, -but unfortunately I lost the greater part of them when -my house was burned down in Bombay in ’92. It was -a most unfortunate affair for me—in more ways than -one. I had examples of many rare conditions, and -my splenic collection was probably unique. These -are the survivors.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I glanced over them, and saw that they really -were of a very great value and rarity from a pathological -point of view: bloated organs, gaping cysts, -distorted bones, odious parasites—a singular exhibition -of the products of India.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is, as you see, a small settee here,” said -my host. “It was far from our intention to offer a -guest so meagre an accommodation, but since affairs -have taken this turn, it would be a great kindness -upon your part if you would consent to spend the -night in this apartment. I beg that you will not -hesitate to let me know if the idea should be at all -repugnant to you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the contrary,” I said, “it is most acceptable.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My own room is the second on the left, so that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>if you should feel that you are in need of company a -call would always bring me to your side.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I trust that I shall not be compelled to disturb -you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is unlikely that I shall be asleep. I do not -sleep much. Do not hesitate to summon me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so with this agreement we joined Lady -Holden in the drawing-room and talked of lighter -things.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was no affectation upon my part to say that the -prospect of my night’s adventure was an agreeable one. -I have no pretence to greater physical courage than -my neighbours, but familiarity with a subject robs it -of those vague and undefined terrors which are the -most appalling to the imaginative mind. The human -brain is capable of only one strong emotion at a time, -and if it be filled with curiosity or scientific enthusiasm, -there is no room for fear. It is true that I had my -uncle’s assurance that he had himself originally taken -this point of view, but I reflected that the breakdown -of his nervous system might be due to his forty years -in India as much as to any psychical experiences -which had befallen him. I at least was sound in nerve -and brain, and it was with something of the pleasurable -thrill of anticipation with which the sportsman takes -his position beside the haunt of his game that I shut -the laboratory door behind me, and partially undressing, -lay down upon the rug-covered settee.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was not an ideal atmosphere for a bedroom. -The air was heavy with many chemical odours, that of -methylated spirit predominating. Nor were the decorations -of my chamber very sedative. The odious line -<span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>of glass jars with their relics of disease and suffering -stretched in front of my very eyes. There was no -blind to the window, and a three-quarter moon streamed -its white light into the room, tracing a silver square -with filigree lattices upon the opposite wall. When I -had extinguished my candle this one bright patch in -the midst of the general gloom had certainly an eerie -and discomposing aspect. A rigid and absolute silence -reigned throughout the old house, so that the low swish -of the branches in the garden came softly and soothingly -to my ears. It may have been the hypnotic -lullaby of this gentle susurrus, or it may have been the -result of my tiring day, but after many dozings and -many efforts to regain my clearness of perception, I -fell at last into a deep and dreamless sleep.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was awakened by some sound in the room, and I -instantly raised myself upon my elbow on the couch. -Some hours had passed, for the square patch upon the -wall had slid downwards and sideways until it lay -obliquely at the end of my bed. The rest of the room -was in deep shadow. At first I could see nothing, -presently, as my eyes became accustomed to the faint -light, I was aware, with a thrill which all my scientific -absorption could not entirely prevent, that something -was moving slowly along the line of the wall. A -gentle, shuffling sound, as of soft slippers, came to my -ears, and I dimly discerned a human figure walking -stealthily from the direction of the door. As it -emerged into the patch of moonlight I saw very clearly -what it was and how it was employed. It was a man, -short and squat, dressed in some sort of dark-grey -gown, which hung straight from his shoulders to his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>feet. The moon shone upon the side of his face, and -I saw that it was chocolate-brown in colour, with a -ball of black hair like a woman’s at the back of his -head. He walked slowly, and his eyes were cast -upwards towards the line of bottles which contained -those gruesome remnants of humanity. He seemed to -examine each jar with attention, and then to pass on -to the next. When he had come to the end of the -line, immediately opposite my bed, he stopped, faced -me, threw up his hands with a gesture of despair, and -vanished from my sight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that he threw up his hands, but I -should have said his arms, for as he assumed that -attitude of despair I observed a singular peculiarity -about his appearance. He had only one hand! As -the sleeves drooped down from the upflung arms I saw -the left plainly, but the right ended in a knobby and -unsightly stump. In every other way his appearance -was so natural, and I had both seen and heard him -so clearly, that I could easily have believed that he -was an Indian servant of Sir Dominick’s who had -come into my room in search of something. It -was only his sudden disappearance which suggested -anything more sinister to me. As it was I sprang -from my couch, lit a candle, and examined the -whole room carefully. There were no signs of my -visitor, and I was forced to conclude that there had really -been something outside the normal laws of Nature in -his appearance. I lay awake for the remainder of the -night, but nothing else occurred to disturb me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I am an early riser, but my uncle was an even -earlier one, for I found him pacing up and down the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>lawn at the side of the house. He ran towards me -in his eagerness when he saw me come out from the -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, well!” he cried. “Did you see him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An Indian with one hand?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Precisely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I saw him”—and I told him all that -occurred. When I had finished, he led the way into -his study.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have a little time before breakfast,” said he. -“It will suffice to give you an explanation of this -extraordinary affair—so far as I can explain that -which is essentially inexplicable. In the first place, -when I tell you that for four years I have never passed -one single night, either in Bombay, aboard ship, or -here in England without my sleep being broken by -this fellow, you will understand why it is that I am -a wreck of my former self. His programme is always -the same. He appears by my bedside, shakes me -roughly by the shoulder, passes from my room into the -laboratory, walks slowly along the line of my bottles, -and then vanishes. For more than a thousand times -he has gone through the same routine.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What does he want?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He wants his hand.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“His hand?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, it came about in this way. I was summoned -to Peshawur for a consultation some ten years -ago, and while there I was asked to look at the hand -of a native who was passing through with an Afghan -caravan. The fellow came from some mountain tribe -living away at the back of beyond somewhere on the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>other side of Kaffiristan. He talked a bastard Pushtoo, -and it was all I could do to understand him. He was -suffering from a soft sarcomatous swelling of one of -the metacarpal joints, and I made him realize that it -was only by losing his hand that he could hope to save -his life. After much persuasion he consented to the -operation, and he asked me, when it was over, what -fee I demanded. The poor fellow was almost a -beggar, so that the idea of a fee was absurd, but I -answered in jest that my fee should be his hand, -and that I proposed to add it to my pathological -collection.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To my surprise he demurred very much to the -suggestion, and he explained that according to his -religion it was an all-important matter that the body -should be reunited after death, and so make a perfect -dwelling for the spirit. The belief is, of course, an -old one, and the mummies of the Egyptians arose from -an analogous superstition. I answered him that his -hand was already off, and asked him how he intended -to preserve it. He replied that he would pickle it in -salt and carry it about with him. I suggested that it -might be safer in my keeping than in his, and that I -had better means than salt for preserving it. On -realizing that I really intended to carefully keep it, -his opposition vanished instantly. ‘But remember, -sahib,’ said he, ‘I shall want it back when I am dead.’ -I laughed at the remark, and so the matter ended. -I returned to my practice, and he no doubt in the -course of time was able to continue his journey to -Afghanistan.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, as I told you last night, I had a bad fire -<span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span>in my house at Bombay. Half of it was burned down, -and, among other things, my pathological collection -was largely destroyed. What you see are the poor -remains of it. The hand of the hillman went with -the rest, but I gave the matter no particular thought -at the time. That was six years ago.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Four years ago—two years after the fire—I was -awakened one night by a furious tugging at my sleeve. -I sat up under the impression that my favourite mastiff -was trying to arouse me. Instead of this, I saw my -Indian patient of long ago, dressed in the long grey -gown which was the badge of his people. He was -holding up his stump and looking reproachfully at -me. He then went over to my bottles, which at that -time I kept in my room, and he examined them carefully, -after which he gave a gesture of anger and -vanished. I realized that he had just died, and that -he had come to claim my promise that I should keep -his limb in safety for him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, there you have it all, Dr. Hardacre. Every -night at the same hour for four years this performance -has been repeated. It is a simple thing in itself, but -it has worn me out like water dropping on a stone. -It has brought a vile insomnia with it, for I cannot -sleep now for the expectation of his coming. It has -poisoned my old age and that of my wife, who has -been the sharer in this great trouble. But there is -the breakfast gong, and she will be waiting impatiently -to know how it fared with you last night. We are -both much indebted to you for your gallantry, for it -takes something from the weight of our misfortune -when we share it, even for a single night, with a friend, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span>and it reassures us as to our sanity, which we are sometimes -driven to question.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This was the curious narrative which Sir Dominick -confided to me—a story which to many would have -appeared to be a grotesque impossibility, but which, -after my experience of the night before, and my previous -knowledge of such things, I was prepared to accept as -an absolute fact. I thought deeply over the matter, -and brought the whole range of my reading and experience -to bear upon it. After breakfast, I surprised -my host and hostess by announcing that I was returning -to London by the next train.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear doctor,” cried Sir Dominick in great -distress, “you make me feel that I have been guilty -of a gross breach of hospitality in intruding this unfortunate -matter upon you. I should have borne my -own burden.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is, indeed, that matter which is taking me to -London,” I answered; “but you are mistaken, I assure -you, if you think that my experience of last night was -an unpleasant one to me. On the contrary, I am about -to ask your permission to return in the evening and -spend one more night in your laboratory. I am very -eager to see this visitor once again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle was exceedingly anxious to know what -I was about to do, but my fears of raising false hopes -prevented me from telling him. I was back in my -own consulting-room a little after luncheon, and was -confirming my memory of a passage in a recent book -upon occultism which had arrested my attention when -I read it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In the case of earth-bound spirits,” said my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_315'>315</span>authority, “some one dominant idea obsessing them -at the hour of death is sufficient to hold them to this -material world. They are the amphibia of this life -and of the next, capable of passing from one to the -other as the turtle passes from land to water. The -causes which may bind a soul so strongly to a life -which its body has abandoned are any violent emotion. -Avarice, revenge, anxiety, love, and pity have all been -known to have this effect. As a rule it springs from -some unfulfilled wish, and when the wish has been -fulfilled the material bond relaxes. There are many -cases upon record which show the singular persistence -of these visitors, and also their disappearance when -their wishes have been fulfilled, or in some cases when -a reasonable compromise has been effected.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“<em>A reasonable compromise effected</em>”—those were the -words which I had brooded over all the morning, and -which I now verified in the original. No actual atonement -could be made here—but a reasonable compromise! -I made my way as fast as a train could take me to the -Shadwell Seamen’s Hospital, where my old friend Jack -Hewett was house-surgeon. Without explaining the -situation I made him understand exactly what it was -that I wanted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A brown man’s hand!” said he, in amazement. -“What in the world do you want that for?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Never mind. I’ll tell you some day. I know -that your wards are full of Indians.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should think so. But a hand——” He thought -a little and then struck a bell.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Travers,” said he to a student-dresser, “what -became of the hands of the Lascar which we took off -<span class='pageno' id='Page_316'>316</span>yesterday? I mean the fellow from the East India -Dock who got caught in the steam winch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are in the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">post-mortem</span></i> room, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Just pack one of them in antiseptics and give it -to Dr. Hardacre.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so I found myself back at Rodenhurst before -dinner with this curious outcome of my day in town. -I still said nothing to Sir Dominick, but I slept that -night in the laboratory, and I placed the Lascar’s -hand in one of the glass jars at the end of my -couch.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So interested was I in the result of my experiment -that sleep was out of the question. I sat with a -shaded lamp beside me and waited patiently for my -visitor. This time I saw him clearly from the first. -He appeared beside the door, nebulous for an instant, -and then hardening into as distinct an outline as any -living man. The slippers beneath his grey gown were -red and heelless, which accounted for the low, shuffling -sound which he made as he walked. As on the previous -night he passed slowly along the line of bottles until -he paused before that which contained the hand. He -reached up to it, his whole figure quivering with expectation, -took it down, examined it eagerly, and then, -with a face which was convulsed with fury and disappointment, -he hurled it down on the floor. There -was a crash which resounded through the house, and -when I looked up the mutilated Indian had disappeared. -A moment later my door flew open and Sir Dominick -rushed in.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are not hurt?” he cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No—but deeply disappointed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_317'>317</span>He looked in astonishment at the splinters of glass, -and the brown hand lying upon the floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good God!” he cried. “What is this?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I told him my idea and its wretched sequel. He -listened intently, but shook his head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was well thought of,” said he, “but I fear that -there is no such easy end to my sufferings. But one -thing I now insist upon. It is that you shall never -again upon any pretext occupy this room. My fears -that something might have happened to you—when I -heard that crash—have been the most acute of all the -agonies which I have undergone. I will not expose -myself to a repetition of it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He allowed me, however, to spend the remainder of -that night where I was, and I lay there worrying over -the problem and lamenting my own failure. With -the first light of morning there was the Lascar’s -hand still lying upon the floor to remind me of my -fiasco. I lay looking at it—and as I lay suddenly -an idea flew like a bullet through my head and -brought me quivering with excitement out of my -couch. I raised the grim relic from where it had -fallen. Yes, it was indeed so. The hand was the -<em>left</em> hand of the Lascar.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By the first train I was on my way to town, -and hurried at once to the Seamen’s Hospital. I -remembered that both hands of the Lascar had been -amputated, but I was terrified lest the precious organ -which I was in search of might have been already consumed -in the crematory. My suspense was soon ended. -It had still been preserved in the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">post-mortem</span></i> room. -And so I returned to Rodenhurst in the evening with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_318'>318</span>my mission accomplished and the material for a fresh -experiment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But Sir Dominick Holden would not hear of my -occupying the laboratory again. To all my entreaties -he turned a deaf ear. It offended his sense of hospitality, -and he could no longer permit it. I left the -hand, therefore, as I had done its fellow the night -before, and I occupied a comfortable bedroom in another -portion of the house, some distance from the scene of my -adventures.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But in spite of that my sleep was not destined to -be uninterrupted. In the dead of night my host burst -into my room, a lamp in his hand. His huge gaunt -figure was enveloped in a loose dressing-gown, and his -whole appearance might certainly have seemed more -formidable to a weak-nerved man than that of the -Indian of the night before. But it was not his -entrance so much as his expression which amazed me. -He had turned suddenly younger by twenty years at -the least. His eyes were shining, his features radiant, -and he waved one hand in triumph over his head. I -sat up astounded, staring sleepily at this extraordinary -visitor. But his words soon drove the sleep from my -eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have done it! We have succeeded!” he -shouted. “My dear Hardacre, how can I ever in this -world repay you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You don’t mean to say that it is all right?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Indeed I do. I was sure that you would not mind -being awakened to hear such blessed news.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mind! I should think not indeed. But is it -really certain?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_319'>319</span>“I have no doubt whatever upon the point. I owe -you such a debt, my dear nephew, as I have never owed -a man before, and never expected to. What can I -possibly do for you that is commensurate? Providence -must have sent you to my rescue. You have saved -both my reason and my life, for another six months -of this must have seen me either in a cell or a coffin. -And my wife—it was wearing her out before my eyes. -Never could I have believed that any human being -could have lifted this burden off me.” He seized my -hand and wrung it in his bony grip.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was only an experiment—a forlorn hope—but -I am delighted from my heart that it has succeeded. -But how do you know that it is all right? Have you -seen something?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He seated himself at the foot of my bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have seen enough,” said he. “It satisfies me -that I shall be troubled no more. What has passed is -easily told. You know that at a certain hour this -creature always comes to me. To-night he arrived at -the usual time, and aroused me with even more violence -than is his custom. I can only surmise that his disappointment -of last night increased the bitterness of -his anger against me. He looked angrily at me, and -then went on his usual round. But in a few minutes -I saw him, for the first time since this persecution -began, return to my chamber. He was smiling. I -saw the gleam of his white teeth through the dim light. -He stood facing me at the end of my bed, and three -times he made the low Eastern salaam which is their -solemn leave-taking. And the third time that he -bowed he raised his arms over his head, and I saw his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_320'>320</span><em>two</em> hands outstretched in the air. So he vanished, -and, as I believe, for ever.”</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>So that is the curious experience which won me -the affection and the gratitude of my celebrated uncle, -the famous Indian surgeon. His anticipations were -realized, and never again was he disturbed by the -visits of the restless hillman in search of his lost -member. Sir Dominick and Lady Holden spent a -very happy old age, unclouded, so far as I know, by -any trouble, and they finally died during the great -influenza epidemic within a few weeks of each other. -In his lifetime he always turned to me for advice in -everything which concerned that English life of which -he knew so little; and I aided him also in the purchase -and development of his estates. It was no great surprise -to me, therefore, that I found myself eventually -promoted over the heads of five exasperated cousins, -and changed in a single day from a hard-working -country doctor into the head of an important Wiltshire -family. I at least have reason to bless the -memory of the man with the brown hand, and the day -when I was fortunate enough to relieve Rodenhurst of -his unwelcome presence.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_321'>321</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE FIEND OF THE COOPERAGE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>It was no easy matter to bring the <em>Gamecock</em> up to -the island, for the river had swept down so much silt -that the banks extended for many miles out into the -Atlantic. The coast was hardly to be seen when the -first white curl of the breakers warned us of our danger, -and from there onwards we made our way very carefully -under mainsail and jib, keeping the broken water -well to the left, as is indicated on the chart. More -than once her bottom touched the sand (we were drawing -something under six feet at the time), but we had -always way enough and luck enough to carry us through. -Finally, the water shoaled very rapidly, but they had -sent a canoe from the factory, and the Krooboy pilot -brought us within two hundred yards of the island. -Here we dropped our anchor, for the gestures of the -negro indicated that we could not hope to get any farther. -The blue of the sea had changed to the brown of the -river, and, even under the shelter of the island, the -current was singing and swirling round our bows. The -stream appeared to be in spate, for it was over the roots -of the palm trees, and everywhere upon its muddy, -greasy surface we could see logs of wood and debris -of all sorts which had been carried down by the -flood.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_322'>322</span>When I had assured myself that we swung securely -at our moorings, I thought it best to begin watering at -once, for the place looked as if it reeked with fever. -The heavy river, the muddy, shining banks, the bright -poisonous green of the jungle, the moist steam in the -air, they were all so many danger signals to one who -could read them. I sent the long-boat off, therefore, -with two large hogsheads, which should be sufficient to -last us until we made St. Paul de Loanda. For my -own part I took the dinghy and rowed for the island, -for I could see the Union Jack fluttering above the -palms to mark the position of Armitage and Wilson’s -trading station.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When I had cleared the grove, I could see the place, -a long, low, whitewashed building, with a deep verandah -in front, and an immense pile of palm oil barrels heaped -upon either flank of it. A row of surf boats and canoes -lay along the beach, and a single small jetty projected -into the river. Two men in white suits with red cummerbunds -round their waists were waiting upon the -end of it to receive me. One was a large portly fellow -with a greyish beard. The other was slender and tall, -with a pale pinched face, which was half concealed by -a great mushroom-shaped hat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very glad to see you,” said the latter, cordially. -“I am Walker, the agent of Armitage and Wilson. -Let me introduce Dr. Severall of the same company. -It is not often we see a private yacht in these -parts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She’s the <em>Gamecock</em>,” I explained. “I’m owner -and captain—Meldrum is the name.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exploring?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_323'>323</span>“I’m a lepidopterist—a butterfly-catcher. I’ve been -doing the west coast from Senegal downwards.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good sport?” asked the Doctor, turning a slow -yellow-shot eye upon me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have forty cases full. We came in here to water, -and also to see what you have in my line.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>These introductions and explanations had filled up -the time whilst my two Krooboys were making the -dinghy fast. Then I walked down the jetty with one -of my new acquaintances upon either side, each plying -me with questions, for they had seen no white man for -months.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do we do?” said the Doctor, when I had -begun asking questions in my turn. “Our business -keeps us pretty busy, and in our leisure time we talk -politics.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, by the special mercy of Providence Severall -is a rank Radical and I am a good stiff Unionist, -and we talk Home Rule for two solid hours every -evening.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And drink quinine cocktails,” said the Doctor. -“We’re both pretty well salted now, but our normal -temperature was about 103 last year. I shouldn’t, as -an impartial adviser, recommend you to stay here very -long unless you are collecting bacilli as well as butterflies. -The mouth of the Ogowai River will never develop -into a health resort.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There is nothing finer than the way in which these -outlying pickets of civilization distil a grim humour out -of their desolate situation, and turn not only a bold, -but a laughing face upon the chances which their lives -may bring. Everywhere from Sierra Leone downwards -<span class='pageno' id='Page_324'>324</span>I had found the same reeking swamps, the same isolated -fever-racked communities and the same bad jokes. -There is something approaching to the divine in that -power of man to rise above his conditions and to use -his mind for the purpose of mocking at the miseries of -his body.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Dinner will be ready in about half an hour, Captain -Meldrum,” said the Doctor. “Walker has gone in -to see about it; he’s the housekeeper this week. Meanwhile, -if you like, we’ll stroll round and I’ll show you -the sights of the island.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The sun had already sunk beneath the line of palm -trees, and the great arch of the heaven above our head -was like the inside of a huge shell, shimmering with -dainty pinks and delicate iridescence. No one who -has not lived in a land where the weight and heat of a -napkin become intolerable upon the knees can imagine -the blessed relief which the coolness of evening brings -along with it. In this sweeter and purer air the -Doctor and I walked round the little island, he -pointing out the stores, and explaining the routine of -his work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s a certain romance about the place,” said -he, in answer to some remark of mine about the dulness -of their lives. “We are living here just upon the -edge of the great unknown. Up there,” he continued, -pointing to the north-east, “Du Chaillu penetrated, -and found the home of the gorilla. That is the Gaboon -country—the land of the great apes. In this direction,” -pointing to the south-east, “no one has been very far. -The land which is drained by this river is practically -unknown to Europeans. Every log which is carried -<span class='pageno' id='Page_325'>325</span>past us by the current has come from an undiscovered -country. I’ve often wished that I was a better botanist -when I have seen the singular orchids and curious-looking -plants which have been cast up on the eastern -end of the island.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The place which the Doctor indicated was a sloping -brown beach, freely littered with the flotsam of the -stream. At each end was a curved point, like a little -natural breakwater, so that a small shallow bay was -left between. This was full of floating vegetation, with -a single huge splintered tree lying stranded in the -middle of it, the current rippling against its high black -side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“These are all from up country,” said the Doctor. -“They get caught in our little bay, and then when -some extra freshet comes they are washed out again -and carried out to sea.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is the tree?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, some kind of teak I should imagine, but -pretty rotten by the look of it. We get all sorts of big -hardwood trees floating past here, to say nothing of -the palms. Just come in here, will you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He led the way into a long building with an -immense quantity of barrel staves and iron hoops -littered about in it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is our cooperage,” said he. “We have the -staves sent out in bundles, and we put them together -ourselves. Now, you don’t see anything particularly -sinister about this building, do you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked round at the high corrugated iron roof, the -white wooden walls, and the earthen floor. In one -corner lay a mattress and a blanket.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_326'>326</span>“I see nothing very alarming,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And yet there’s something out of the common, -too,” he remarked. “You see that bed? Well, I -intend to sleep there to-night. I don’t want to buck, -but I think it’s a bit of a test for nerve.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, there have been some funny goings on. You -were talking about the monotony of our lives, but I -assure you that they are sometimes quite as exciting as -we wish them to be. You’d better come back to the -house now, for after sundown we begin to get the -fever-fog up from the marshes. There, you can see it -coming across the river.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked and saw long tentacles of white vapour -writhing out from among the thick green underwood -and crawling at us over the broad swirling surface of -the brown river. At the same time the air turned -suddenly dank and cold.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s the dinner gong,” said the Doctor. “If -this matter interests you I’ll tell you about it afterwards.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It did interest me very much, for there was something -earnest and subdued in his manner as he stood -in the empty cooperage, which appealed very forcibly -to my imagination. He was a big, bluff, hearty man, -this Doctor, and yet I had detected a curious expression -in his eyes as he glanced about him—an expression -which I would not describe as one of fear, -but rather that of a man who is alert and on his -guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“By the way,” said I, as we returned to the house, -“you have shown me the huts of a good many of your -<span class='pageno' id='Page_327'>327</span>native assistants, but I have not seen any of the natives -themselves.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They sleep in the hulk over yonder,” the Doctor -answered, pointing over to one of the banks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Indeed. I should not have thought in that case -that they would need the huts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, they used the huts until quite recently. -We’ve put them on the hulk until they recover their -confidence a little. They were all half mad with -fright, so we let them go, and nobody sleeps on the -island except Walker and myself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What frightened them?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, that brings us back to the same story. -I suppose Walker has no objection to your hearing -all about it. I don’t know why we should make any -secret about it, though it is certainly a pretty bad -business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He made no further allusion to it during the -excellent dinner which had been prepared in my -honour. It appeared that no sooner had the little -white topsail of the <em>Gamecock</em> shown round Cape -Lopez than these kind fellows had begun to prepare -their famous pepper-pot—which is the pungent stew -peculiar to the West Coast—and to boil their yams -and sweet potatoes. We sat down to as good a -native dinner as one could wish, served by a smart -Sierra Leone waiting boy. I was just remarking to -myself that he at least had not shared in the general -flight when, having laid the dessert and wine upon the -table, he raised his hand to his turban.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Anyting else I do, Massa Walker?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I think that is all right, Moussa,” my host -<span class='pageno' id='Page_328'>328</span>answered. “I am not feeling very well to-night, -though, and I should much prefer if you would stay -on the island.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I saw a struggle between his fears and his duty -upon the swarthy face of the African. His skin had -turned of that livid purplish tint which stands for -pallor in a negro, and his eyes looked furtively about -him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, Massa Walker,” he cried, at last, “you -better come to the hulk with me, sah. Look after you -much better in the hulk, sah!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That won’t do, Moussa. White men don’t run -away from the posts where they are placed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again I saw the passionate struggle in the negro’s -face, and again his fears prevailed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No use, Massa Walker, sah!” he cried. “S’elp -me, I can’t do it. If it was yesterday or if it was -to-morrow, but this is the third night, sah, an’ it’s -more than I can face.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Walker shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Off with you then!” said he. “When the mail-boat -comes you can get back to Sierra Leone, for I’ll -have no servant who deserts me when I need him -most. I suppose this is all mystery to you, or has -the Doctor told you, Captain Meldrum?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I showed Captain Meldrum the cooperage, but -I did not tell him anything,” said Dr. Severall. -“You’re looking bad, Walker,” he added, glancing at -his companion. “You have a strong touch coming -on you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I’ve had the shivers all day, and now my -head is like a cannon-ball. I took ten grains of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_329'>329</span>quinine, and my ears are singing like a kettle. But -I want to sleep with you in the cooperage to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, my dear chap. I won’t hear of such -a thing. You must get to bed at once, and I am -sure Meldrum will excuse you. I shall sleep in the -cooperage, and I promise you that I’ll be round with -your medicine before breakfast.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was evident that Walker had been struck by -one of those sudden and violent attacks of remittent -fever which are the curse of the West Coast. His -sallow cheeks were flushed and his eyes shining -with fever, and suddenly as he sat there he began -to croon out a song in the high-pitched voice of -delirium.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come, come, we must get you to bed, old chap,” -said the Doctor, and with my aid he led his friend -into his bedroom. There we undressed him, and -presently, after taking a strong sedative, he settled -down into a deep slumber.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He’s right for the night,” said the Doctor, as we -sat down and filled our glasses once more. “Sometimes -it is my turn and sometimes his, but, fortunately, -we have never been down together. I should have -been sorry to be out of it to-night, for I have a little -mystery to unravel. I told you that I intended to -sleep in the cooperage.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, you said so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When I said sleep I meant watch, for there will -be no sleep for me. We’ve had such a scare here -that no native will stay after sundown, and I mean -to find out to-night what the cause of it all may be. -It has always been the custom for a native watchman -<span class='pageno' id='Page_330'>330</span>to sleep in the cooperage, to prevent the barrel hoops -being stolen. Well, six days ago the fellow who -slept there disappeared, and we have never seen a -trace of him since. It was certainly singular, for no -canoe had been taken, and these waters are too full -of crocodiles for any man to swim to shore. What -became of the fellow, or how he could have left the -island is a complete mystery. Walker and I were -merely surprised, but the blacks were badly scared, -and queer Voodoo tales began to get about amongst -them. But the real stampede broke out three nights -ago, when the new watchman in the cooperage also -disappeared.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What became of him?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, we not only don’t know, but we can’t even -give a guess which would fit the facts. The niggers -swear there is a fiend in the cooperage who claims a -man every third night. They wouldn’t stay in the -island—nothing could persuade them. Even Moussa, -who is a faithful boy enough, would, as you have -seen, leave his master in a fever rather than remain -for the night. If we are to continue to run this place -we must reassure our niggers, and I don’t know any -better way of doing it than by putting in a night there -myself. This is the third night, you see, so I suppose -the thing is due, whatever it may be.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you no clue?” I asked. “Was there no -mark of violence, no blood-stain, no footprints, nothing -to give a hint as to what kind of danger you may have -to meet?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Absolutely nothing. The man was gone and that -was all. Last time it was old Ali, who has been -<span class='pageno' id='Page_331'>331</span>wharf-tender here since the place was started. He -was always as steady as a rock, and nothing but foul -play would take him from his work.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said I, “I really don’t think that this is -a one-man job. Your friend is full of laudanum, and -come what might he can be of no assistance to you. -You must let me stay and put in a night with you at -the cooperage.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, now, that’s very good of you, Meldrum,” -said he heartily, shaking my hand across the table. -“It’s not a thing that I should have ventured to -propose, for it is asking a good deal of a casual visitor, -but if you really mean it——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Certainly I mean it. If you will excuse me a -moment, I will hail the <em>Gamecock</em> and let them know -that they need not expect me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As we came back from the other end of the little -jetty we were both struck by the appearance of the -night. A huge blue-black pile of clouds had built -itself up upon the landward side, and the wind came -from it in little hot pants, which beat upon our faces -like the draught from a blast furnace. Under the -jetty the river was swirling and hissing, tossing little -white spurts of spray over the planking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Confound it!” said Doctor Severall. “We are -likely to have a flood on the top of all our troubles. -That rise in the river means heavy rain up-country, -and when it once begins you never know how far it -will go. We’ve had the island nearly covered before -now. Well, we’ll just go and see that Walker is comfortable, -and then if you like we’ll settle down in our -quarters.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_332'>332</span>The sick man was sunk in a profound slumber, and -we left him with some crushed limes in a glass beside -him in case he should awake with the thirst of fever -upon him. Then we made our way through the -unnatural gloom thrown by that menacing cloud. The -river had risen so high that the little bay which I -have described at the end of the island had become -almost obliterated through the submerging of its flanking -peninsula. The great raft of driftwood, with the -huge black tree in the middle, was swaying up and -down in the swollen current.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That’s one good thing a flood will do for us,” said -the Doctor. “It carries away all the vegetable stuff -which is brought down on to the east end of the island. -It came down with the freshet the other day, and here -it will stay until a flood sweeps it out into the main -stream. Well, here’s our room, and here are some -books, and here is my tobacco pouch, and we must -try and put in the night as best we may.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>By the light of our single lantern the great lonely -room looked very gaunt and dreary. Save for the -piles of staves and heaps of hoops there was absolutely -nothing in it, with the exception of the mattress -for the Doctor, which had been laid in the corner. -We made a couple of seats and a table out of the -staves, and settled down together for a long vigil. -Severall had brought a revolver for me, and was -himself armed with a double-barrelled shot-gun. We -loaded our weapons and laid them cocked within reach -of our hands. The little circle of light and the black -shadows arching over us were so melancholy that he -went off to the house, and returned with two candles. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_333'>333</span>One side of the cooperage was pierced, however, by -several open windows, and it was only by screening -our lights behind staves that we could prevent them -from being extinguished.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Doctor, who appeared to be a man of iron -nerves, had settled down to a book, but I observed -that every now and then he laid it upon his knee, and -took an earnest look all round him. For my part, -although I tried once or twice to read, I found it -impossible to concentrate my thoughts upon the book. -They would always wander back to this great empty -silent room, and to the sinister mystery which overshadowed -it. I racked my brains for some possible -theory which would explain the disappearance of these -two men. There was the black fact that they were -gone, and not the least tittle of evidence as to why -or whither. And here we were waiting in the same -place—waiting without an idea as to what we were -waiting for. I was right in saying that it was not a -one-man job. It was trying enough as it was, but no -force upon earth would have kept me there without -a comrade.</p> - -<p class='c000'>What an endless, tedious night it was! Outside -we heard the lapping and gurgling of the great river, -and the soughing of the rising wind. Within, save for -our breathing, the turning of the Doctor’s pages, and -the high, shrill ping of an occasional mosquito, there -was a heavy silence. Once my heart sprang into my -mouth as Severall’s book suddenly fell to the ground -and he sprang to his feet with his eyes on one of the -windows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Did you see anything, Meldrum?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_334'>334</span>“No. Did you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I had a vague sense of movement outside -that window.” He caught up his gun and approached -it. “No, there’s nothing to be seen, and -yet I could have sworn that something passed slowly -across it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A palm leaf, perhaps,” said I, for the wind was -growing stronger every instant.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very likely,” said he, and settled down to his -book again, but his eyes were for ever darting little -suspicious glances up at the window. I watched it -also, but all was quiet outside.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then suddenly our thoughts were turned into a -new direction by the bursting of the storm. A blinding -flash was followed by a clap which shook the building. -Again and again came the vivid white glare with -thunder at the same instant, like the flash and roar of -a monstrous piece of artillery. And then down came -the tropical rain, crashing and rattling on the corrugated -iron roofing of the cooperage. The big hollow -room boomed like a drum. From the darkness arose a -strange mixture of noises, a gurgling, splashing, tinkling, -bubbling, washing, dripping—every liquid sound -that nature can produce from the thrashing and swishing -of the rain to the deep steady boom of the river. -Hour after hour the uproar grew louder and more -sustained.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My word,” said Severall, “we are going to have -the father of all the floods this time. Well, here’s the -dawn coming at last and that is a blessing. We’ve -about exploded the third night superstition anyhow.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A grey light was stealing through the room, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_335'>335</span>there was the day upon us in an instant. The rain -had eased off, but the coffee-coloured river was roaring -past like a waterfall. Its power made me fear for the -anchor of the <em>Gamecock</em>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I must get aboard,” said I. “If she drags she’ll -never be able to beat up the river again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The island is as good as a breakwater,” the Doctor -answered. “I can give you a cup of coffee if you will -come up to the house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was chilled and miserable, so the suggestion was -a welcome one. We left the ill-omened cooperage -with its mystery still unsolved, and we splashed our -way up to the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s the spirit lamp,” said Severall. “If you -would just put a light to it, I will see how Walker -feels this morning.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He left me, but was back in an instant with a -dreadful face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He’s gone!” he cried hoarsely.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The words sent a thrill of horror through me. I -stood with the lamp in my hand, glaring at him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, he’s gone!” he repeated. “Come and -look!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I followed him without a word, and the first thing -that I saw as I entered the bedroom was Walker -himself lying huddled on his bed in the grey flannel -sleeping suit in which I had helped to dress him on -the night before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not dead, surely!” I gasped.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Doctor was terribly agitated. His hands were -shaking like leaves in the wind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He’s been dead some hours.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_336'>336</span>“Was it fever?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Fever! Look at his foot!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I glanced down and a cry of horror burst from my -lips. One foot was not merely dislocated but was -turned completely round in a most grotesque contortion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good God!” I cried. “What can have done -this?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Severall had laid his hand upon the dead man’s -chest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Feel here,” he whispered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I placed my hand at the same spot. There was -no resistance. The body was absolutely soft and -limp. It was like pressing a sawdust doll.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The breast-bone is gone,” said Severall in the -same awed whisper. “He’s broken to bits. Thank -God that he had the laudanum. You can see by his -face that he died in his sleep.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But who can have done this?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ve had about as much as I can stand,” said the -Doctor, wiping his forehead. “I don’t know that -I’m a greater coward than my neighbours, but this -gets beyond me. If you’re going out to the <em>Gamecock</em>——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come on!” said I, and off we started. If we -did not run it was because each of us wished to keep -up the last shadow of his self-respect before the other. -It was dangerous in a light canoe on that swollen -river, but we never paused to give the matter a -thought. He bailing and I paddling we kept her -above water, and gained the deck of the yacht. -There, with two hundred yards of water between us -<span class='pageno' id='Page_337'>337</span>and this cursed island, we felt that we were our own -men once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well go back in an hour or so,” said he. “But -we need a little time to steady ourselves. I wouldn’t -have had the niggers see me as I was just now for -a year’s salary.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ve told the steward to prepare breakfast. Then -we shall go back,” said I. “But in God’s name, -Doctor Severall, what do you make of it all?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It beats me—beats me clean. I’ve heard of -Voodoo devilry, and I’ve laughed at it with the -others. But that poor old Walker, a decent, God-fearing, -nineteenth-century, Primrose-League Englishman -should go under like this without a whole bone -in his body—it’s given me a shake, I won’t deny it. -But look there, Meldrum, is that hand of yours mad -or drunk, or what is it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Old Patterson, the oldest man of my crew, and -as steady as the Pyramids, had been stationed in -the bows with a boat-hook to fend off the drifting -logs which came sweeping down with the current. -Now he stood with crooked knees, glaring out in front -of him, and one forefinger stabbing furiously at -the air.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Look at it!” he yelled. “Look at it!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And at the same instant we saw it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A huge black tree trunk was coming down the -river, its broad glistening back just lapped by the -water. And in front of it—about three feet in front—arching -upwards like the figure-head of a ship, there -hung a dreadful face, swaying slowly from side to -side. It was flattened, malignant, as large as a small -<span class='pageno' id='Page_338'>338</span>beer-barrel, of a faded fungoid colour, but the neck -which supported it was mottled with a dull yellow -and black. As it flew past the <em>Gamecock</em> in the -swirl of the waters I saw two immense coils roll up -out of some great hollow in the tree, and the villainous -head rose suddenly to the height of eight or ten feet, -looking with dull, skin-covered eyes at the yacht. -An instant later the tree had shot past us and was -plunging with its horrible passenger towards the -Atlantic.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What was it?” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is our fiend of the cooperage,” said Dr. -Severall, and he had become in an instant the same -bluff, self-confident man that he had been before. -“Yes, that is the devil who has been haunting our -island. It is the great python of the Gaboon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I thought of the stories which I had heard all -down the coast of the monstrous constrictors of the -interior, of their periodical appetite, and of the -murderous effects of their deadly squeeze. Then it -all took shape in my mind. There had been a freshet -the week before. It had brought down this huge -hollow tree with its hideous occupant. Who knows -from what far distant tropical forest it may have come. -It had been stranded on the little east bay of the -island. The cooperage had been the nearest house. -Twice with the return of its appetite it had carried -off the watchman. Last night it had doubtless come -again, when Severall had thought he saw something -move at the window, but our lights had driven it -away. It had writhed onwards and had slain poor -Walker in his sleep.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_339'>339</span>“Why did it not carry him off?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The thunder and lightning must have scared the -brute away. There’s your steward, Meldrum. The -sooner we have breakfast and get back to the island -the better, or some of those niggers might think that -we had been frightened.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_340'>340</span> - <h2 class='c005'>JELLAND’S VOYAGE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>“Well,” said our Anglo-Jap as we all drew up our -chairs round the smoking-room fire, “it’s an old tale -out yonder, and may have spilt over into print for all -I know. I don’t want to turn this club-room into a -chestnut stall, but it is a long way to the Yellow Sea, -and it is just as likely that none of you have ever -heard of the yawl <em>Matilda</em>, and of what happened to -Henry Jelland and Willy McEvoy aboard of her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The middle of the sixties was a stirring time out -in Japan. That was just after the Simonosaki bombardment, -and before the Daimio affair. There was a -Tory party and there was a Liberal party among the -natives, and the question that they were wrangling -over was whether the throats of the foreigners should -be cut or not. I tell you all, politics have been tame -to me since then. If you lived in a treaty port, you -were bound to wake up and take an interest in them. -And to make it better, the outsider had no way of -knowing how the game was going. If the opposition -won it would not be a newspaper paragraph that would -tell him of it, but a good old Tory in a suit of chain -mail, with a sword in each hand, would drop in and -let him know all about it in a single upper cut.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Of course it makes men reckless when they are -<span class='pageno' id='Page_341'>341</span>living on the edge of a volcano like that. Just at first -they are very jumpy, and then there comes a time when -they learn to enjoy life while they have it. I tell you, -there’s nothing makes life so beautiful as when the -shadow of death begins to fall across it. Time is too -precious to be dawdled away then, and a man lives -every minute of it. That was the way with us in -Yokohama. There were many European places of -business which had to go on running, and the men -who worked them made the place lively for seven -nights in the week.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One of the heads of the European colony was -Randolph Moore, the big export merchant. His offices -were in Yokohama, but he spent a good deal of his -time at his house up in Jeddo, which had only -just been opened to the trade. In his absence he -used to leave his affairs in the hands of his head -clerk, Jelland, whom he knew to be a man of great -energy and resolution. But energy and resolution -are two-edged things, you know, and when they are -used against you you don’t appreciate them so much.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was gambling that set Jelland wrong. He -was a little dark-eyed fellow with black curly hair—more -than three-quarters Celt, I should imagine. -Every night in the week you would see him in the -same place, on the left-hand side of the croupier at -Matheson’s <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rouge et noir</span></i> table. For a long time he -won, and lived in better style than his employer. -And then came a turn of luck, and he began to -lose so that at the end of a single week his partner -and he were stone broke, without a dollar to their -names.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_342'>342</span>“This partner was a clerk in the employ of the -same firm—a tall, straw-haired young Englishman -called McEvoy. He was a good boy enough at the -start, but he was clay in the hands of Jelland, who -fashioned him into a kind of weak model of himself. -They were for ever on the prowl together, but it was -Jelland who led and McEvoy who followed. Lynch -and I and one or two others tried to show the youngster -that he could come to no good along that line, and -when we were talking to him we could win him round -easily enough, but five minutes of Jelland would swing -him back again. It may have been animal magnetism -or what you like, but the little man could pull the big -one along like a sixty-foot tug in front of a full-rigged -ship. Even when they had lost all their money they -would still take their places at the table and look on -with shining eyes when any one else was raking in the -stamps.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But one evening they could keep out of it no -longer. Red had turned up sixteen times running, -and it was more than Jelland could bear. He -whispered to McEvoy, and then said a word to the -croupier.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Certainly, Mr. Jelland; your cheque is as good -as notes,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Jelland scribbled a cheque and threw it on the -black. The card was the king of hearts, and the -croupier raked in the little bit of paper. Jelland -grew angry, and McEvoy white. Another and a -heavier cheque was written and thrown on the table. -The card was the nine of diamonds. McEvoy leaned -his head upon his hands and looked as if he would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_343'>343</span>faint. ‘By God!’ growled Jelland, ‘I won’t be beat,’ -and he threw on a cheque that covered the other two. -The card was the deuce of hearts. A few minutes -later they were walking down the Bund, with the cool -night-air playing upon their fevered faces.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Of course you know what this means,’ said -Jelland, lighting a cheroot; ‘we’ll have to transfer -some of the office money to our current account. -There’s no occasion to make a fuss over it. Old -Moore won’t look over the books before Easter. If -we have any luck, we can easily replace it before -then.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘But if we have no luck?’ faltered McEvoy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Tut, man, we must take things as they come. -You stick to me, and I’ll stick to you, and we’ll pull -through together. You shall sign the cheques to-morrow -night, and we shall see if your luck is better -than mine.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But if anything it was worse. When the pair -rose from the table on the following evening, they had -spent over £5,000 of their employer’s money. But the -resolute Jelland was as sanguine as ever.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We have a good nine weeks before us before the -books will be examined,’ said he. ‘We must play the -game out, and it will all come straight.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“McEvoy returned to his rooms that night in an -agony of shame and remorse. When he was with -Jelland he borrowed strength from him; but alone he -recognized the full danger of his position, and the -vision of his old white-capped mother in England, -who had been so proud when he had received his -appointment, rose up before him to fill him with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_344'>344</span>loathing and madness. He was still tossing upon his -sleepless couch when his Japanese servant entered -the bedroom. For an instant McEvoy thought that -the long-expected outbreak had come, and plunged -for his revolver. Then, with his heart in his mouth, -he listened to the message which the servant had -brought.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Jelland was downstairs, and wanted to see him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What on earth could he want at that hour of -night? McEvoy dressed hurriedly and rushed downstairs. -His companion, with a set smile upon his lips, -which was belied by the ghastly pallor of his face, -was sitting in the dim light of a solitary candle, with -a slip of paper in his hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Sorry to knock you up, Willy,’ said he. ‘No -eavesdroppers, I suppose?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“McEvoy shook his head. He could not trust -himself to speak.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Well, then, our little game is played out. This -note was waiting for me at home. It is from Moore, -and says that he will be down on Monday morning -for an examination of the books. It leaves us in a -tight place.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Monday!’ gasped McEvoy; ‘to-day is Friday.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Saturday, my son, and 3 a.m. We have not -much time to turn round in.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We are lost!’ screamed McEvoy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We soon will be, if you make such an infernal -row,’ said Jelland harshly. ‘Now do what I tell you, -Willy, and we’ll pull through yet.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I will do anything—anything.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘That’s better. Where’s your whisky? It’s a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_345'>345</span>beastly time of the day to have to get your back stiff, -but there must be no softness with us, or we are gone. -First of all, I think there is something due to our -relations, don’t you?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“McEvoy stared.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We must stand or fall together, you know. Now -I, for one, don’t intend to set my foot inside a felon’s -dock under any circumstances. D’ye see? I’m ready -to swear to that. Are you?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘What d’you mean?’ asked McEvoy, shrinking -back.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Why, man, we all have to die, and it’s only the -pressing of a trigger. I swear that I shall never be -taken alive. Will you? If you don’t, I leave you to -your fate.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘All right. I’ll do whatever you think best.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘You swear it?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Yes.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Well, mind, you must be as good as your -word. Now we have two clear days to get off in. -The yawl <em>Matilda</em> is on sale, and she has all her -fixings and plenty of tinned stuff aboard. We’ll buy -the lot to-morrow morning, and whatever we want, and -get away in her. But, first, we’ll clear all that is left -in the office. There are 5,000 sovereigns in the safe. -After dark we’ll get them aboard the yawl, and take -our chance of reaching California. There’s no use -hesitating, my son, for we have no ghost of a look-in -in any other direction. It’s that or nothing.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I’ll do what you advise.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘All right; and mind you get a bright face on -you to-morrow, for if Moore gets the tip and comes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_346'>346</span>before Monday, then——’ He tapped the side-pocket -of his coat and looked across at his partner with eyes -that were full of a sinister meaning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All went well with their plans next day. The -<em>Matilda</em> was bought without difficulty; and, though -she was a tiny craft for so long a voyage, had she been -larger two men could not have hoped to manage her. -She was stocked with water during the day, and after -dark the two clerks brought down the money from the -office and stowed it in the hold. Before midnight they -had collected all their own possessions without exciting -suspicion, and at two in the morning they left their -moorings and stole quietly out from among the shipping. -They were seen, of course, and were set down -as keen yachtsmen who were on for a good long Sunday -cruise; but there was no one who dreamed that that -cruise would only end either on the American coast or -at the bottom of the North Pacific Ocean. Straining -and hauling, they got their mainsail up and set their -foresail and jib. There was a slight breeze from the -south-east, and the little craft went dipping along upon -her way. Seven miles from land, however, the wind -fell away and they lay becalmed, rising and falling on -the long swell of a glassy sea. All Sunday they did -not make a mile, and in the evening Yokohama still -lay along the horizon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On Monday morning down came Randolph Moore -from Jeddo, and made straight for the offices. He had -had the tip from some one that his clerks had been -spreading themselves a bit, and that had made him -come down out of his usual routine; but when he -reached his place and found the three juniors waiting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_347'>347</span>in the street with their hands in their pockets he knew -that the matter was serious.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘What’s this?’ he asked. He was a man of -action, and a nasty chap to deal with when he had his -topmasts lowered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We can’t get in,’ said the clerks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Where is Mr. Jelland?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He has not come to-day.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘And Mr. McEvoy?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He has not come either.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Randolph Moore looked serious. ‘We must have -the door down,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They don’t build houses very solid in that land of -earthquakes, and in a brace of shakes they were all in -the office. Of course the thing told its own story. -The safe was open, the money gone, and the clerks fled. -Their employer lost no time in talk.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Where were they seen last?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘On Saturday they bought the <em>Matilda</em> and -started for a cruise.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Saturday! The matter seemed hopeless if they -had got two days’ start. But there was still the -shadow of a chance. He rushed to the beach and -swept the ocean with his glasses.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘My God!’ he cried. ‘There’s the <em>Matilda</em> out -yonder. I know her by the rake of her mast. I have -my hand upon the villains after all!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But there was a hitch even then. No boat had -steam up, and the eager merchant had not patience to -wait. Clouds were banking up along the haunch of -the hills, and there was every sign of an approaching -change of weather. A police boat was ready with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_348'>348</span>ten armed men in her, and Randolph Moore himself -took the tiller as she shot out in pursuit of the becalmed -yawl.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Jelland and McEvoy, waiting wearily for the -breeze which never came, saw the dark speck which -sprang out from the shadow of the land and grew -larger with every swish of the oars. As she drew -nearer, they could see also that she was packed with -men, and the gleam of weapons told what manner of -men they were. Jelland stood leaning against the -tiller, and he looked at the threatening sky, the limp -sails, and the approaching boat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘It’s a case with us, Willy,’ said he. ‘By the -Lord, we are two most unlucky devils, for there’s wind -in that sky, and another hour would have brought it -to us.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“McEvoy groaned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘There’s no good softening over it, my lad,’ said -Jelland. ‘It’s the police boat right enough, and there’s -old Moore driving them to row like hell. It’ll be a -ten-dollar job for every man of them.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Willy McEvoy crouched against the side with his -knees on the deck. ‘My mother! my poor old -mother!’ he sobbed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘She’ll never hear that you have been in the dock -anyway,’ said Jelland. ‘My people never did much -for me, but I will do that much for them. It’s no -good, Mac. We can chuck our hands. God bless -you, old man! Here’s the pistol!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He cocked the revolver, and held the butt towards -the youngster. But the other shrunk away from it -with little gasps and cries. Jelland glanced at the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_349'>349</span>approaching boat. It was not more than a few -hundred yards away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘There’s no time for nonsense,’ said he. ‘Damn -it! man, what’s the use of flinching? You swore -it!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘No, no, Jelland!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Well, anyhow, I swore that neither of us should -be taken. Will you do it?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I can’t! I can’t!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Then I will for you.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The rowers in the boat saw him lean forwards, -they heard two pistol shots, they saw him double himself -across the tiller, and then, before the smoke had -lifted, they found that they had something else to -think of.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For at that instant the storm broke—one of those -short sudden squalls which are common in these seas. -The <em>Matilda</em> heeled over, her sails bellied out, she -plunged her lee-rail into a wave, and was off like a -frightened deer. Jelland’s body had jammed the helm, -and she kept a course right before the wind, and -fluttered away over the rising sea like a blown piece -of paper. The rowers worked frantically, but the yawl -still drew ahead, and in five minutes it had plunged -into the storm wrack never to be seen again by mortal -eye. The boat put back, and reached Yokohama with -the water washing half-way up to the thwarts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And that was how it came that the yawl <em>Matilda</em>, -with a cargo of five thousand pounds and a crew of -two dead young men, set sail across the Pacific Ocean. -What the end of Jelland’s voyage may have been no -man knows. He may have foundered in that gale, or -<span class='pageno' id='Page_350'>350</span>he may have been picked up by some canny merchantman, -who stuck to the bullion and kept his mouth -shut, or he may still be cruising in that vast waste of -waters, blown north to the Behring Sea, or south to the -Malay Islands. It’s better to leave it unfinished than -to spoil a true story by inventing a tag to it.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_351'>351</span> - <h2 class='c005'>B. 24</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>I told my story when I was taken, and no one would -listen to me. Then I told it again at the trial—the -whole thing absolutely as it happened, without so -much as a word added. I set it all out truly, so help -me God, all that Lady Mannering said and did, and -then all that I had said and done, just as it occurred. -And what did I get for it? “The prisoner put forward -a rambling and inconsequential statement, incredible -in its details, and unsupported by any shred of -corroborative evidence.” That was what one of the -London papers said, and others let it pass as if I had -made no defence at all. And yet, with my own eyes I -saw Lord Mannering murdered, and I am as guiltless -of it as any man on the jury that tried me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now, sir, you are there to receive the petitions of -prisoners. It all lies with you. All I ask is that you -read it—just read it—and then that you make an inquiry -or two about the private character of this “lady” -Mannering, if she still keeps the name that she had -three years ago, when to my sorrow and ruin I came -to meet her. You could use a private inquiry -agent or a good lawyer, and you would soon learn -enough to show you that my story is the true one. -Think of the glory it would be to you to have all the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_352'>352</span>papers saying that there would have been a shocking -miscarriage of justice if it had not been for your perseverance -and intelligence! That must be your reward, -since I am a poor man and can offer you nothing. -But if you don’t do it, may you never lie easy in your -bed again! May no night pass that you are not -haunted by the thought of the man who rots in gaol -because you have not done the duty which you are paid -to do! But you will do it, sir, I know. Just make -one or two inquiries, and you will soon find which way -the wind blows. Remember, also, that the only person -who profited by the crime was herself, since it changed -her from an unhappy wife to a rich young widow. -There’s the end of the string in your hand, and you -only have to follow it up and see where it leads to.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mind you, sir, I make no complaint as far as the -burglary goes. I don’t whine about what I have -deserved, and so far I have had no more than I have -deserved. Burglary it was, right enough, and my three -years have gone to pay for it. It was shown at the -trial that I had had a hand in the Merton Cross -business, and did a year for that, so my story had the -less attention on that account. A man with a previous -conviction never gets a really fair trial. I own to the -burglary, but when it comes to the murder which -brought me a lifer—any judge but Sir James might -have given me the gallows—then I tell you that I had -nothing to do with it, and that I am an innocent man. -And now I’ll take that night, the 13th of September, -1894, and I’ll give you just exactly what occurred, and -may God’s hand strike me down if I go one inch over -the truth.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_353'>353</span>I had been at Bristol in the summer looking for -work, and then I had a notion that I might get something -at Portsmouth, for I was trained as a skilled -mechanic, so I came tramping my way across the south -of England, and doing odd jobs as I went. I was -trying all I knew to keep off the cross, for I had done -a year in Exeter Gaol, and I had had enough of visiting -Queen Victoria. But it’s cruel hard to get work when -once the black mark is against your name, and it was -all I could do to keep soul and body together. At last, -after ten days of wood-cutting and stone-breaking on -starvation pay, I found myself near Salisbury with a -couple of shillings in my pocket, and my boots and my -patience clean wore out. There’s an ale-house called -“The Willing Mind,” which stands on the road -between Blandford and Salisbury, and it was there that -night I engaged a bed. I was sitting alone in the tap-room -just about closing time, when the innkeeper—Allen -his name was—came beside me and began yarning -about the neighbours. He was a man that liked -to talk and to have some one to listen to his talk, so I -sat there smoking and drinking a mug of ale which he -had stood me; and I took no great interest in what he -said until he began to talk (as the devil would have it) -about the riches of Mannering Hall.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Meaning the large house on the right before I -came to the village?” said I. “The one that stands -in its own park?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly,” said he—and I am giving all our talk -so that you may know that I am telling you the truth -and hiding nothing. “The long white house with the -pillars,” said he. “At the side of the Blandford Road.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_354'>354</span>Now I had looked at it as I passed, and it had -crossed my mind, as such thoughts will, that it was a -very easy house to get into with that great row of -ground windows and glass doors. I had put the -thought away from me, and now here was this landlord -bringing it back with his talk about the riches -within. I said nothing, but I listened, and as luck -would have it, he would always come back to this one -subject.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He was a miser young, so you can think what he -is now in his age,” said he. “Well, he’s had some -good out of his money.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What good can he have had if he does not spend -it?” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, it bought him the prettiest wife in England, -and that was some good that he got out of it. She -thought she would have the spending of it, but she -knows the difference now.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who was she then?” I asked, just for the sake of -something to say.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She was nobody at all until the old Lord made -her his Lady,” said he. “She came from up London -way, and some said that she had been on the stage -there, but nobody knew. The old Lord was away for a -year, and when he came home he brought a young wife -back with him, and there she has been ever since. -Stephens, the butler, did tell me once that she was the -light of the house when fust she came, but what with -her husband’s mean and aggravatin’ way, and what -with her loneliness—for he hates to see a visitor -within his doors; and what with his bitter words—for -he has a tongue like a hornet’s sting, her life all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_355'>355</span>went out of her, and she became a white, silent -creature, moping about the country lanes. Some say -that she loved another man, and that it was just the -riches of the old Lord which tempted her to be false -to her lover, and that now she is eating her heart -out because she has lost the one without being any -nearer to the other, for she might be the poorest -woman in the parish for all the money that she has -the handling of.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Well, sir, you can imagine that it did not interest -me very much to hear about the quarrels between a -Lord and a Lady. What did it matter to me if she -hated the sound of his voice, or if he put every -indignity upon her in the hope of breaking her spirit, -and spoke to her as he would never have dared to -speak to one of his servants? The landlord told -me of these things, and of many more like them, -but they passed out of my mind, for they were no -concern of mine. But what I did want to hear was -the form in which Lord Mannering kept his riches. -Title-deeds and stock certificates are but paper, -and more danger than profit to the man who takes -them. But metal and stones are worth a risk. And -then, as if he were answering my very thoughts, the -landlord told me of Lord Mannering’s great collection -of gold medals, that it was the most valuable in -the world, and that it was reckoned that if they -were put into a sack the strongest man in the parish -would not be able to raise them. Then his wife called -him, and he and I went to our beds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I am not arguing to make out a case for myself, -but I beg you, sir, to bear all the facts in your -<span class='pageno' id='Page_356'>356</span>mind, and to ask yourself whether a man could be -more sorely tempted than I was. I make bold to -say that there are few who could have held out against -it. There I lay on my bed that night, a desperate -man without hope or work, and with my last shilling -in my pocket. I had tried to be honest, and honest -folk had turned their backs upon me. They taunted -me for theft; and yet they pushed me towards it. -I was caught in the stream and could not get out. -And then it was such a chance: the great house all -lined with windows, the golden medals which could -so easily be melted down. It was like putting a loaf -before a starving man and expecting him not to eat -it. I fought against it for a time, but it was no -use. At last I sat up on the side of my bed, and I -swore that that night I should either be a rich man -and able to give up crime for ever, or that the irons -should be on my wrists once more. Then I slipped -on my clothes, and, having put a shilling on the table—for -the landlord had treated me well, and I did -not wish to cheat him—I passed out through the -window into the garden of the inn.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a high wall round this garden, and -I had a job to get over it, but once on the other -side it was all plain sailing. I did not meet a soul -upon the road, and the iron gate of the avenue was -open. No one was moving at the lodge. The moon -was shining, and I could see the great house glimmering -white through an archway of trees. I walked -up it for a quarter of a mile or so, until I was at -the edge of the drive, where it ended in a broad, -gravelled space before the main door. There I stood -<span class='pageno' id='Page_357'>357</span>in the shadow and looked at the long building, with -a full moon shining in every window and silvering -the high stone front. I crouched there for some time, -and I wondered where I should find the easiest -entrance. The corner window of the side seemed -to be the one which was least overlooked, and a screen -of ivy hung heavily over it. My best chance was -evidently there. I worked my way under the trees -to the back of the house, and then crept along in -the black shadow of the building. A dog barked and -rattled his chain, but I stood waiting until he was -quiet, and then I stole on once more until I came to -the window which I had chosen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is astonishing how careless they are in the -country, in places far removed from large towns, -where the thought of burglars never enters their -heads. I call it setting temptation in a poor man’s -way when he puts his hand, meaning no harm, -upon a door, and finds it swing open before him. -In this case it was not so bad as that, but the window -was merely fastened with the ordinary catch, which -I opened with a push from the blade of my knife. -I pulled up the window as quickly as possible, and -then I thrust the knife through the slit in the shutter -and prized it open. They were folding shutters, and -I shoved them before me and walked into the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good evening, sir! You are very welcome!” -said a voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I’ve had some starts in my life, but never one to -come up to that one. There, in the opening of the -shutters, within reach of my arm, was standing a -woman with a small coil of wax taper burning in her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_358'>358</span>hand. She was tall and straight and slender, with -a beautiful white face that might have been cut out -of clear marble, but her hair and eyes were as black -as night. She was dressed in some sort of white -dressing-gown which flowed down to her feet, and -what with this robe and what with her face, it seemed -as if a spirit from above was standing in front of -me. My knees knocked together, and I held on to -the shutter with one hand to give me support. I -should have turned and run away if I had had the -strength, but I could only just stand and stare -at her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>She soon brought me back to myself once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t be frightened!” said she, and they were -strange words for the mistress of a house to have to -use to a burglar. “I saw you out of my bedroom -window when you were hiding under those trees, -so I slipped downstairs, and then I heard you at the -window. I should have opened it for you if you -had waited, but you managed it yourself just as I -came up.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I still held in my hand the long clasp-knife with -which I had opened the shutter. I was unshaven -and grimed from a week on the roads. Altogether, -there are few people who would have cared to face -me alone at one in the morning; but this woman, -if I had been her lover meeting her by appointment, -could not have looked upon me with a more welcoming -eye. She laid her hand upon my sleeve and drew me -into the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What’s the meaning of this, ma’am? Don’t get -trying any little games upon me,” said I, in my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_359'>359</span>roughest way—and I can put it on rough when I -like. “It’ll be the worse for you if you play me -any trick,” I added, showing her my knife.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will play you no trick,” said she. “On the -contrary, I am your friend, and I wish to help -you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Excuse me, ma’am, but I find it hard to believe -that,” said I. “Why should you wish to help me?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have my own reasons,” said she; and then -suddenly, with those black eyes blazing out of her -white face: “It’s because I hate him, hate him, hate -him! Now you understand.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I remembered what the landlord had told me, -and I did understand. I looked at her Ladyship’s -face, and I knew that I could trust her. She -wanted to revenge herself upon her husband. She -wanted to hit him where it would hurt him most—upon -the pocket. She hated him so that she would -even lower her pride to take such a man as me into -her confidence if she could gain her end by doing so. -I’ve hated some folk in my time, but I don’t think I -ever understood what hate was until I saw that -woman’s face in the light of the taper.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ll trust me now?” said she, with another -coaxing touch upon my sleeve.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, your Ladyship.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You know me, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I can guess who you are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I daresay my wrongs are the talk of the county. -But what does he care for that? He only cares for -one thing in the whole world, and that you can take -from him this night. Have you a bag?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_360'>360</span>“No, your Ladyship.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Shut the shutter behind you. Then no one can -see the light. You are quite safe. The servants all -sleep in the other wing. I can show you where all -the most valuable things are. You cannot carry them -all, so we must pick the best.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The room in which I found myself was long and -low, with many rugs and skins scattered about on a -polished wood floor. Small cases stood here and there, -and the walls were decorated with spears and swords -and paddles, and other things which find their way -into museums. There were some queer clothes, too, -which had been brought from savage countries, and the -lady took down a large leather sack-bag from among -them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This sleeping-sack will do,” said she. “Now -come with me and I will show you where the medals -are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was like a dream to me to think that this tall, -white woman was the lady of the house, and that she -was lending me a hand to rob her own home. I could -have burst out laughing at the thought of it, and yet -there was something in that pale face of hers which -stopped my laughter and turned me cold and serious. -She swept on in front of me like a spirit, with the -green taper in her hand, and I walked behind with my -sack until we came to a door at the end of this -museum. It was locked, but the key was in it, and -she led me through.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The room beyond was a small one, hung all round -with curtains which had pictures on them. It was -the hunting of a deer that was painted on it, as I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_361'>361</span>remember, and in the flicker of that light you’d have -sworn that the dogs and the horses were streaming round -the walls. The only other thing in the room was a row -of cases made of walnut, with brass ornaments. They -had glass tops, and beneath this glass I saw the long -lines of those gold medals, some of them as big as a -plate and half an inch thick, all resting upon red -velvet and glowing and gleaming in the darkness. -My fingers were just itching to be at them, and I -slipped my knife under the lock of one of the cases -to wrench it open.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Wait a moment,” said she, laying her hand upon -my arm. “You might do better than this.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am very well satisfied, ma’am,” said I, “and -much obliged to your Ladyship for kind assistance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You can do better,” she repeated. “Would not -golden sovereigns be worth more to you than these -things?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, yes,” said I. “That’s best of all.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said she. “He sleeps just above our head. -It is but one short staircase. There is a tin box with -money enough to fill this bag under his bed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How can I get it without waking him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What matter if he does wake?” She looked -very hard at me as she spoke. “You could keep him -from calling out.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, ma’am, I’ll have none of that.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Just as you like,” said she. “I thought that -you were a stout-hearted sort of man by your appearance, -but I see that I made a mistake. If you are -afraid to run the risk of one old man, then of course -you cannot have the gold which is under his bed. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_362'>362</span>You are the best judge of your own business, but -I should think that you would do better at some other -trade.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll not have murder on my conscience.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You could overpower him without harming him. -I never said anything of murder. The money lies -under the bed. But if you are faint-hearted, it is -better that you should not attempt it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>She worked upon me so, partly with her scorn and -partly with this money that she held before my eyes, -that I believe I should have yielded and taken my -chances upstairs, had it not been that I saw her eyes -following the struggle within me in such a crafty, -malignant fashion, that it was evident she was bent -upon making me the tool of her revenge, and that -she would leave me no choice but to do the old man an -injury or to be captured by him. She felt suddenly -that she was giving herself away, and she changed her -face to a kindly, friendly smile, but it was too late, for -I had had my warning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will not go upstairs,” said I. “I have all I -want here.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>She looked her contempt at me, and there never -was a face which could look it plainer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very good. You can take these medals. I should -be glad if you would begin at this end. I suppose they -will all be the same value when melted down, but these -are the ones which are the rarest, and, therefore, the -most precious to him. It is not necessary to break the -locks. If you press that brass knob you will find that -there is a secret spring. So! Take that small one -first—it is the very apple of his eye.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_363'>363</span>She had opened one of the cases, and the beautiful -things all lay exposed before me. I had my hand upon -the one which she had pointed out, when suddenly a -change came over her face, and she held up one finger -as a warning. “Hist!” she whispered. “What is -that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Far away in the silence of the house we heard a low, -dragging, shuffling sound, and the distant tread of feet. -She closed and fastened the case in an instant.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s my husband!” she whispered. “All right. -Don’t be alarmed. I’ll arrange it. Here! Quick, -behind the tapestry!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>She pushed me behind the painted curtains upon -the wall, my empty leather bag still in my hand. -Then she took her taper and walked quickly into the -room from which we had come. From where I stood -I could see her through the open door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is that you, Robert?” she cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The light of a candle shone through the door of the -museum, and the shuffling steps came nearer and nearer. -Then I saw a face in the doorway, a great, heavy face, -all lines and creases, with a huge curving nose, and a -pair of gold glasses fixed across it. He had to throw -his head back to see through the glasses, and that great -nose thrust out in front of him like the beak of some -sort of fowl. He was a big man, very tall and burly, -so that in his loose dressing-gown his figure seemed to -fill up the whole doorway. He had a pile of grey, -curling hair all round his head, but his face was clean-shaven. -His mouth was thin and small and prim, -hidden away under his long, masterful nose. He stood -there, holding the candle in front of him, and looking -<span class='pageno' id='Page_364'>364</span>at his wife with a queer, malicious gleam in his eyes. -It only needed that one look to tell me that he was as -fond of her as she was of him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How’s this?” he asked. “Some new tantrum? -What do you mean by wandering about the house? -Why don’t you go to bed?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I could not sleep,” she answered. She spoke -languidly and wearily. If she was an actress once, she -had not forgotten her calling.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Might I suggest,” said he, in the same mocking -kind of voice, “that a good conscience is an excellent -aid to sleep?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That cannot be true,” she answered, “for you sleep -very well.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have only one thing in my life to be ashamed -of,” said he, and his hair bristled up with anger until he -looked like an old cockatoo. “You know best what -that is. It is a mistake which has brought its own -punishment with it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To me as well as to you. Remember that!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have very little to whine about. It was I -who stooped and you who rose.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Rose!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, rose. I suppose you do not deny that it is -promotion to exchange the music-hall for Mannering -Hall. Fool that I was ever to take you out of your -true sphere!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If you think so, why do you not separate?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because private misery is better than public -humiliation. Because it is easier to suffer for a mistake -than to own to it. Because also I like to keep you in -my sight, and to know that you cannot go back to him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_365'>365</span>“You villain! You cowardly villain!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, my lady. I know your secret ambition, -but it shall never be while I live, and if it happens -after my death I will at least take care that you go to -him as a beggar. You and dear Edward will never -have the satisfaction of squandering my savings, and -you may make up your mind to that, my lady. Why -are those shutters and the window open?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I found the night very close.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not safe. How do you know that some tramp -may not be outside? Are you aware that my collection -of medals is worth more than any similar -collection in the world? You have left the door open -also. What is there to prevent any one from rifling -the cases?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was here.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I know you were. I heard you moving about in -the medal room, and that was why I came down. -What were you doing?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Looking at the medals. What else should I be -doing?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This curiosity is something new.” He looked -suspiciously at her and moved on towards the inner -room, she walking beside him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was at this moment that I saw something which -startled me. I had laid my clasp-knife open upon the -top of one of the cases, and there it lay in full view. -She saw it before he did, and with a woman’s cunning -she held her taper out so that the light of it came -between Lord Mannering’s eyes and the knife. Then -she took it in her left hand and held it against her -gown out of his sight. He looked about from case to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_366'>366</span>case—I could have put my hand at one time upon -his long nose—but there was nothing to show that the -medals had been tampered with, and so, still snarling -and grumbling, he shuffled off into the other room once -more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And now I have to speak of what I heard rather -than of what I saw, but I swear to you, as I shall -stand some day before my Maker, that what I say is -the truth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When they passed into the outer room I saw him -lay his candle upon the corner of one of the tables, and -he sat himself down, but in such a position that he was -just out of my sight. She moved behind him, as I -could tell from the fact that the light of her taper -threw his long, lumpy shadow upon the floor in front -of him. Then he began talking about this man whom -he called Edward, and every word that he said was -like a blistering drop of vitriol. He spoke low, so -that I could not hear it all, but from what I heard I -should guess that she would as soon have been lashed -with a whip. At first she said some hot words in -reply, but then she was silent, and he went on and on -in that cold, mocking voice of his, nagging and insulting -and tormenting, until I wondered that she could -bear to stand there in silence and listen to it. Then -suddenly I heard him say in a sharp voice, “Come -from behind me! Leave go of my collar! What! -would you dare to strike me?” There was a sound -like a blow, just a soft sort of thud, and then I heard -him cry out, “My God, it’s blood!” He shuffled with -his feet as if he was getting up, and then I heard -another blow, and he cried out, “Oh, you she-devil!” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_367'>367</span>and was quiet, except for a dripping and splashing -upon the floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I ran out from behind my curtain at that, and -rushed into the other room, shaking all over with the -horror of it. The old man had slipped down in the -chair, and his dressing-gown had rucked up until he -looked as if he had a monstrous hump to his back. -His head, with the gold glasses still fixed on his nose, -was lolling over upon one side, and his little mouth -was open just like a dead fish. I could not see where -the blood was coming from, but I could still hear it -drumming upon the floor. She stood behind him with -the candle shining full upon her face. Her lips were -pressed together and her eyes shining, and a touch -of colour had come into each of her cheeks. It just -wanted that to make her the most beautiful woman -I had ever seen in my life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ve done it now!” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes,” said she, in her quiet way, “I’ve done it -now.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What are you going to do?” I asked. “They’ll -have you for murder as sure as fate.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Never fear about me. I have nothing to live -for, and it does not matter. Give me a hand to set -him straight in the chair. It is horrible to see him -like this!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did so, though it turned me cold all over to touch -him. Some of his blood came on my hand and -sickened me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Now,” said she, “you may as well have the -medals as any one else. Take them and go.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t want them. I only want to get away. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_368'>368</span>I was never mixed up with a business like this -before.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Nonsense!” said she. “You came for the medals, -and here they are at your mercy. Why should you -not have them? There is no one to prevent you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I held the bag still in my hand. She opened the -case, and between us we threw a hundred or so of the -medals into it. They were all from the one case, but -I could not bring myself to wait for any more. Then -I made for the window, for the very air of this house -seemed to poison me after what I had seen and heard. -As I looked back, I saw her standing there, tall and -graceful, with the light in her hand, just as I had -seen her first. She waved good-bye, and I waved -back at her and sprang out into the gravel drive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I thank God that I can lay my hand upon my -heart and say that I have never done a murder, but -perhaps it would be different if I had been able to -read that woman’s mind and thoughts. There might -have been two bodies in the room instead of one if -I could have seen behind that last smile of hers. -But I thought of nothing but of getting safely away, -and it never entered my head how she might be -fixing the rope round my neck. I had not taken five -steps out from the window skirting down the shadow -of the house in the way that I had come, when I -heard a scream that might have raised the parish, and -then another and another.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Murder!” she cried. “Murder! Murder! Help!” -and her voice rang out in the quiet of the night-time -and sounded over the whole country-side. It went -through my head, that dreadful cry. In an instant -<span class='pageno' id='Page_369'>369</span>lights began to move and windows to fly up, not -only in the house behind me, but at the lodge and -in the stables in front. Like a frightened rabbit I -bolted down the drive, but I heard the clang of the -gate being shut before I could reach it. Then I hid -my bag of medals under some dry fagots, and I tried -to get away across the park, but some one saw me in -the moonlight, and presently I had half a dozen of -them with dogs upon my heels. I crouched down -among the brambles, but those dogs were too many -for me, and I was glad enough when the men came -up and prevented me from being torn into pieces. -They seized me, and dragged me back to the room -from which I had come.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is this the man, your Ladyship?” asked the -oldest of them—the same whom I found out afterwards -to be the butler.</p> - -<p class='c000'>She had been bending over the body, with her -handkerchief to her eyes, and now she turned upon -me with the face of a fury. Oh, what an actress -that woman was!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, it is the very man,” she cried. “Oh, -you villain, you cruel villain, to treat an old man so!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a man there who seemed to be a -village constable. He laid his hand upon my -shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you say to that?” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was she who did it,” I cried, pointing at the -woman, whose eyes never flinched before mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come! come! Try another!” said the constable, -and one of the men-servants struck at me with his -fist.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_370'>370</span>“I tell you that I saw her do it. She stabbed -him twice with a knife. She first helped me to rob -him, and then she murdered him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The footman tried to strike me again, but she held -up her hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do not hurt him,” said she. “I think that his -punishment may safely be left to the law.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll see to that, your Ladyship,” said the constable. -“Your Ladyship actually saw the crime committed, -did you not?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, I saw it with my own eyes. It was -horrible. We heard the noise and we came down. -My poor husband was in front. The man had one -of the cases open, and was filling a black leather bag -which he held in his hand. He rushed past us, and -my husband seized him. There was a struggle, and -he stabbed him twice. There you can see the blood -upon his hands. If I am not mistaken, his knife is -still in Lord Mannering’s body.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Look at the blood upon her hands!” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She has been holding up his Lordship’s head, you -lying rascal,” said the butler.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And here’s the very sack her Ladyship spoke -of,” said the constable, as a groom came in with the -one which I had dropped in my flight. “And here -are the medals inside it. That’s good enough for -me. We will keep him safe here to-night, and to-morrow -the inspector and I can take him into -Salisbury.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Poor creature,” said the woman. “For my own -part, I forgive him any injury which he has done me. -Who knows what temptation may have driven him -<span class='pageno' id='Page_371'>371</span>to crime? His conscience and the law will give him -punishment enough without any reproach of mine -rendering it more bitter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I could not answer—I tell you, sir, I could not -answer, so taken aback was I by the assurance of the -woman. And so, seeming by my silence to agree to -all that she had said, I was dragged away by the -butler and the constable into the cellar, in which they -locked me for the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There, sir, I have told you the whole story of the -events which led up to the murder of Lord Mannering -by his wife upon the night of September the 14th, -in the year 1894. Perhaps you will put my statement -on one side as the constable did at Mannering Towers, -or the judge afterwards at the county assizes. Or -perhaps you will see that there is the ring of truth -in what I say, and you will follow it up, and so make -your name for ever as a man who does not grudge -personal trouble where justice is to be done. I have -only you to look to, sir, and if you will clear my -name of this false accusation, then I will worship -you as one man never yet worshipped another. But -if you fail me, then I give you my solemn promise -that I will rope myself up, this day month, to the -bar of my window, and from that time on I will come -to plague you in your dreams if ever yet one man -was able to come back and to haunt another. What -I ask you to do is very simple. Make inquiries about -this woman, watch her, learn her past history, find -out what use she is making of the money which has -come to her, and whether there is not a man Edward -as I have stated. If from all this you learn anything -<span class='pageno' id='Page_372'>372</span>which shows you her real character, or which seems -to you to corroborate the story which I have told -you, then I am sure that I can rely upon your goodness -of heart to come to the rescue of an innocent -man.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>THE END</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div>SIR A. CONAN DOYLE’S WORKS.</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p><strong>SIR NIGEL.</strong> With Illustrations by <span class='sc'>Arthur Twidle</span>. Third -Impression. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><strong>THE TRAGEDY OF THE ‘KOROSKO.’</strong> New Edition -With 40 Full-page Illustrations. 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Fcp. 8vo. 5<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><strong>THE GREAT BOER WAR, 1899–1902.</strong> <span class='sc'>Thoroughly Revised, -Enlarged, and Completed Edition.</span> With Maps and Plans. -19th Impression, <span class='sc'>completing over 67,000 Copies Printed</span>. Large post -8vo. 10<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p><strong>THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA</strong>: its Cause and Conduct. -Demy 8vo. Sixpence.</p> - -<p>Also the <strong>COLLECTED EDITION OF SIR A. CONAN DOYLE’S NOVELS</strong> -in 12 Volumes. With an Introductory Preface and 2 Photogravure Illustrations -to each volume. Large crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em> each net.</p> - -<p><em>This Edition of Sir A. Conan Doyle’s Novels is limited to 1,000 sets, the first -volume of each set being signed and numbered; and the volumes are not sold -separately. The Author’s future work will, in due course, be added to the Edition.</em></p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c018'> - <div>CONTENTS OF THE VOLUMES.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>1. <span class='sc'>The White Company.</span>—2. <span class='sc'>Micah Clarke.</span>—3. <span class='sc'>The Refugees.</span>—4. <span class='sc'>Rodney -Stone.</span>—5. <span class='sc'>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.</span>—6. <span class='sc'>Memoirs of Sherlock -Holmes.</span>—7. <span class='sc'>A Study in Scarlet; The Sign of Four.</span>—8. <span class='sc'>The Great Shadow; -Uncle Bernac.</span>—9. <span class='sc'>A Duet.</span>—10. <span class='sc'>The Tragedy of the ‘Korosko’; The Green -Flag, and other Tales of War and Sport.</span>—11. <span class='sc'>The Stark-Munro Letters; Round -the Red Lamp.</span>—12. <span class='sc'>The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard; The Crime of the -Brigadier.</span></p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c020'> - <div>London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c021'> - <div><span class='sc'>WORKS by FRANK T. BULLEN, f.r.g.s.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p><strong>Our Heritage the Sea.</strong> With a Frontispiece by <span class='sc'>Arthur Twidle</span>. -Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>DAILY TELEGRAPH.</cite>—‘The first step to winning the people to the reading a -good book is to produce the good book for them to read, and that Mr. Bullen has done.’</p> - -<p><strong>Back to Sunny Seas.</strong> With 8 Full-page Illustrations in Colour by -<span class='sc'>A. S. Forrest</span>, R.I. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>DAILY TELEGRAPH.</cite>—‘A bright, interesting and chatty record of a pleasant -cruise to the West Indies.’</p> - -<p><strong>Sea-Wrack.</strong> SECOND IMPRESSION. With 8 Illustrations by <span class='sc'>Arthur -Twidle</span>. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘Characteristic of Mr. Bullen’s best work.’</p> - -<p><cite>VANITY FAIR.</cite>—‘A delightful volume.... The seafaring man is an open -book to Mr. Bullen.’</p> - -<p><strong>Deep Sea Plunderings.</strong> THIRD IMPRESSION. With 8 Full-page -Illustrations by <span class='sc'>Arthur Twidle</span>. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘There is something in the book to please almost every taste.’</p> - -<p><strong>The Men of the Merchant Service</strong>: being the -Polity of the Mercantile Marine for ‘Longshore Readers. SECOND -IMPRESSION. Large post 8vo. 7<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘The book is of great value, and of great interest to all the -innumerable people who are curious about the most romantic and separate of lives. But -it is of importance, secondly and chiefly, as Mr. Bullen’s appeal to the political sense of -his country.’</p> - -<p><strong>The Cruise of the ‘Cachalot’ Round the World</strong> -after Sperm Whales. By <span class='sc'>Frank T. Bullen</span>, First Mate. The volume -includes a Letter to the Author from <span class='sc'>Rudyard Kipling</span>. TWELFTH -IMPRESSION. With 8 Illustrations and a Chart. Crown 8vo. 3<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p><em>The</em> Rev. Dr. HORTON, <em>in his Sermon on behalf of the British and -Foreign Bible Society, referred to Mr. Bullen’s ‘Cruise of the -“Cachalot”’ in the following terms</em>:</p> - -<p>‘It is a very remarkable book in every way; it seems to me worthy -to rank with some of the writings of Defoe. It has absolutely taken -the shine out of some of the romantic literature of such writers as even -Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling. By the strange law that truth is -more wonderful than fiction, this book is more wonderful than the -wildest dreams of the creator of imagination.’</p> - -<p><strong>The Log of a Sea-Waif</strong>: being the Recollections of -First Four Years of my Sea Life. FIFTH IMPRESSION. With 8 Full -page Illustrations specially drawn by <span class='sc'>Arthur Twidle</span>. Crown 8vo. 3<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p><cite>WORLD.</cite>—‘We have read many stories of sea life, but do not remember to have -been so fascinated and enthralled by any of them as by this masterly presentation of the -humours, hardships, and minor tragedies of life in the forecastle.’</p> - -<p><strong>The Way they have In the Navy</strong>: being a Day-to-Day -Record of a Cruise In H.M. Battleship ‘Mars’ during the Manœuvres -of 1899. THIRD IMPRESSION. Crown 8vo. paper covers, 1<em>s.</em>; cloth, 1<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘We recommend it most heartily and without any misgiving.’</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c020'> - <div>London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c021'> - <div>WORKS BY W. H. FITCHETT, <span class='fss'>B.A, LL.D.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p><strong>Wesley and his Century: a study in spiritual -Forces.</strong> With a Photogravure Frontispiece from the Portrait of John Wesley by -<span class='sc'>George Romney</span> and Four Facsimiles of Letters, &c. <span class='sc'>Second Impression</span>. -6<em>s.</em> net.</p> - -<p><cite>BOOKMAN.</cite>—‘A deeply interesting volume.... The story is good as biography -and rich in material.</p> - -<p><strong>The Commander of the ‘Hirondelle.’</strong> With -16 Full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>ATHENÆUM.</cite>—‘An admirable sea story.... It is good literature, too, and -written with historical and technical knowledge.’</p> - -<p><strong>Nelson and his Captains; Sketches of Famous -Seamen.</strong> With 11 Portraits and a Facsimile Letter. <span class='sc'>Third Impression.</span> -Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>PUNCH.</cite>—‘My Baronite having read all Dr. Fitchett’s tales of battles on land, -thinks his best piece is his sea piece.... Saxon and Celt reading the glowing narrative -will feel proud to know it’s all true.’</p> - -<p><strong>The Tale of the Great Mutiny.</strong> SEVENTH AND -CONSIDERABLY ENLARGED IMPRESSION. With 8 Portraits and 4 Plans. -Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>GUARDIAN.</cite>—‘It is almost impossible to lay the book down. The story of those -summer months of 1857 must ever appeal to English readers.’</p> - -<p><cite>BOOKMAN.</cite>—‘Written with all the swing and dash, with all the careful accuracy -and brilliant descriptive power which have made Dr. Fitchett’s books so deservedly -popular.’</p> - -<p><strong>How England Saved Europe: the story of the -Great War (1793–1815).</strong> SECOND IMPRESSION. In 4 vols. crown 8vo. with -Portraits. Facsimiles, and Plans, 6<em>s.</em> each.</p> - -<p><cite>TIMES.</cite>—‘It is not without significance that this excellent “Story of the Great -War,” at once popular in the best sense, well informed, full of instruction, and very -attractively written, should be the work of a Colonial writer.’</p> - -<p><cite>GUARDIAN.</cite>—‘Mr. Fitchett has achieved a real success, and the boy who cannot -read these volumes with pleasure (and profit) is hopeless. They are, if boyhood would -but see it, more enthralling than half the novels published.’</p> - -<p><strong>Fights for the Flag.</strong> FOURTH EDITION. With 16 Portraits, -13 Plans, and a Facsimile Letter of the Duke of Marlborough. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘“Fights for the Flag” is as good as “Deeds that Won the -Empire.” To say more than this in praise of the book before us is unnecessary, for -“Deeds that Won the Empire” was one of the best collection of popular battle studies -ever given to the public.’</p> - -<p><cite>REVIEW OF REVIEWS.</cite>—‘As a gift-book, or as a book to take up and read at -odd moments, or to devour at a prolonged sitting, this book has few equals, and will -probably equal or eclipse the popularity of its predecessors.’</p> - -<p><strong>Deeds that Won the Empire.</strong> TWENTY-THIRD -EDITION. With 16 Portraits and 11 Plans. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘Not since Macaulay ceased to write has English literature -produced a writer capable of infusing such life and vigour into historical scenes. The -wholesome and manly tone of Mr. Fitchett’s book is specially satisfactory.... The -book cannot but take the reader by storm wherever it finds him.’</p> - -<p><strong>Wellington’s Men: some Soldier-Autobiographies.</strong> -Edited by <span class='sc'>W. H. Fitchett</span>, B.A., LL.D. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘Mr. Fitchett has ere this sounded the clarion and filled the fife -to good purpose, but he has never done better work than in rescuing from oblivion -the narratives which appear in this volume.... We feel very grateful to Mr. Fitchett -for his skilful editing of four stories which ought not to be allowed to die.’</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c020'> - <div>London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c021'> - <div>NOVELS BY H. S. MERRIMAN.</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p>THE LAST HOPE. <span class='sc'>Fourth Impression</span> (<span class='sc'>Second -Edition</span>). Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>DAILY TELEGRAPH.</cite>—‘“The Last Hope” illustrates all Mr. Merriman’s -good qualities.... Its interest is unflagging and its brilliancy undeniable.’</p> - -<p>TOMASO’S FORTUNE, and Other Stories. <span class='sc'>Second -Impression.</span> Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SATURDAY REVIEW.</cite>—‘Engrossing, fascinating, picturesque tales, full of -colour, adventure, and emotion.’</p> - -<p>FLOTSAM. <span class='sc'>Seventh Impression.</span> With a Frontispiece. -Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>VANITY FAIR.</cite>—‘A capital book, that will repay any reader, old or young, for -the reading.’</p> - -<p>BARLASCH OF THE GUARD. <span class='sc'>Eighth Impression</span> -(<span class='sc'>Second Edition</span>). Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>WORLD.</cite>—‘Without doubt, the finest thing of its kind that Mr. Merriman has yet -accomplished in fiction. Barlasch is a masterpiece.’</p> - -<p>THE VULTURES. <span class='sc'>Seventh Impression.</span> Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>DAILY NEWS.</cite>—‘It is a notable book, stirring, fresh, and of a high interest; it -fascinates and holds us to the end.... A fine book, a worthy successor of “The -Sowers.”’</p> - -<p>THE VELVET GLOVE. <span class='sc'>Fifth Impression.</span> Crown -8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>SKETCH.</cite>—‘Equal to, if not better than, the best he has ever written. “The -Velvet Glove” is the very essence of good romance.’</p> - -<p>THE ISLE OF UNREST. <span class='sc'>Seventh Impression.</span> -With Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>THE TIMES.</cite>—‘Capital reading, absorbing reading.... An exciting story, -with “thrills” at every third page.’</p> - -<p>RODEN’S CORNER. <span class='sc'>Fifth Edition.</span> Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>TRUTH.</cite>—‘A novel I defy you to lay down when once you have got well into it.’</p> - -<p>IN KEDAR’S TENTS. <span class='sc'>Tenth Edition.</span> Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>PALL MALL GAZETTE.</cite>—‘After the few first pages one ceases to criticize, -one can only enjoy.... In a word—the use of which, unqualified, is such a rare -and delicious luxury—the book is good.’</p> - -<p>THE SOWERS. <span class='sc'>Twenty-Eighth Edition.</span> Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>GRAPHIC.</cite>—‘His absorbingly interesting story will be found very difficult -indeed to lay down until its last page has been turned.’</p> - -<p>WITH EDGED TOOLS. Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em>; and Fcap. -8vo, boards, Pictorial Cover, 2<em>s.</em>; or limp red cloth, 2<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p><cite>WESTMINSTER GAZETTE.</cite>—‘Admirably conceived as a whole, and most -skilful in its details. The story never flags or loiters.’</p> - -<p>FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER. -Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em>; and Fcap. 8vo, boards, Pictorial Cover, 2<em>s.</em>; or limp -red cloth, 2<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p><cite>ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS.</cite>—‘The book is a good book. The -characters of Michael Seymour and of James Agar are admirably contrasted.’</p> - -<p>THE SLAVE OF THE LAMP. Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em>; and -Fcap. 8vo, boards, Pictorial Cover, 2<em>s.</em>; or limp red cloth, 2<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p><cite>MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.</cite>—‘A masterly story ... so like real life, and so -entirely unconventional.’</p> - -<p>THE GREY LADY. With 12 Full-page Illustrations by -<span class='sc'>Arthur Rackham</span>. <span class='sc'>Sixth Impression.</span> Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p><cite>BRITISH WEEKLY.</cite>—‘An interesting, thoughtful, carefully written story, -with a charming touch of pensiveness.’</p> - -<p>NOTE.—Mr. MERRIMAN’S 14 NOVELS are published uniform in style, -binding, and price, and thus form a Collected Edition of his Works.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c020'> - <div>London: SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -<p> </p> -</div> -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</h2> -</div> - <ol class='ol_1 c002'> - <li>Changed ‘suppling’ to ‘supplying’ on p. <a href='#t53'>53</a>. - - </li> - <li>Used an ⁂ in place of an inverted asterism. - - </li> - <li>Silently corrected typographical errors. - - </li> - <li>Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. - </li> - </ol> - -</div> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROUND THE FIRE STORIES***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 54109-h.htm or 54109-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/4/1/0/54109">http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/1/0/54109</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Round the Fire Stories - - -Author: Arthur Conan Doyle - - - -Release Date: February 4, 2017 [eBook #54109] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROUND THE FIRE STORIES*** - - -E-text prepared by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustration. - See 54109-h.htm or 54109-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/54109/54109-h/54109-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/54109/54109-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/roundfirestories00doylrich - - -Transcriber’s note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - - - - -[Illustration: - - “I BURST WITH A SHRIEK INTO MY OWN LIFE.” - - [_Page 12._] - - -ROUND THE FIRE STORIES - -by - -ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - -Author of -“The White Company,” etc., etc. - -With a Frontispiece by A. Castaigne - - - - - - -London -Smith, Elder & Co., 15, Waterloo Place -1908 - -(All rights reserved) - -Printed by -William Clowes and Sons, Limited, -London and Beccles. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE - - -[Illustration] - -In a previous volume, “The Green Flag,” I have assembled a number of my -stories which deal with warfare or with sport. In the present collection -those have been brought together which are concerned with the grotesque -and with the terrible—such tales as might well be read “round the fire” -upon a winter’s night. This would be my ideal atmosphere for such -stories, if an author might choose his time and place as an artist does -the light and hanging of his picture. However, if they have the good -fortune to give pleasure to any one, at any time or place, their author -will be very satisfied. - - ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. - - WINDLESHAM, - CROWBOROUGH. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - I. THE LEATHER FUNNEL 1 - - II. THE BEETLE HUNTER 18 - - III. THE MAN WITH THE WATCHES 41 - - IV. THE POT OF CAVIARE 65 - - V. THE JAPANNED BOX 85 - - VI. THE BLACK DOCTOR 103 - - VII. PLAYING WITH FIRE 129 - - VIII. THE JEW’S BREASTPLATE 149 - - IX. THE LOST SPECIAL 177 - - X. THE CLUB-FOOTED GROCER 202 - - XI. THE SEALED ROOM 229 - - XII. THE BRAZILIAN CAT 248 - - XIII. THE USHER OF LEA HOUSE SCHOOL 276 - - XIV. THE BROWN HAND 299 - - XV. THE FIEND OF THE COOPERAGE 321 - - XVI. JELLAND’S VOYAGE 340 - - XVII. B. 24 351 - - - “I BURST WITH A SHRIEK INTO MY OWN LIFE.” _Frontispiece_. - (_From a drawing by A. Castaigne._) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ROUND THE FIRE STORIES - - -[Illustration] - - - - - THE LEATHER FUNNEL - - -My friend, Lionel Dacre, lived in the Avenue de Wagram, Paris. His house -was that small one, with the iron railings and grass plot in front of -it, on the left-hand side as you pass down from the Arc de Triomphe. I -fancy that it had been there long before the avenue was constructed, for -the grey tiles were stained with lichens, and the walls were mildewed -and discoloured with age. It looked a small house from the street, five -windows in front, if I remember right, but it deepened into a single -long chamber at the back. It was here that Dacre had that singular -library of occult literature, and the fantastic curiosities which served -as a hobby for himself, and an amusement for his friends. A wealthy man -of refined and eccentric tastes, he had spent much of his life and -fortune in gathering together what was said to be a unique private -collection of Talmudic, cabalistic, and magical works, many of them of -great rarity and value. His tastes leaned toward the marvellous and the -monstrous, and I have heard that his experiments in the direction of the -unknown have passed all the bounds of civilization and of decorum. To -his English friends he never alluded to such matters, and took the tone -of the student and _virtuoso_; but a Frenchman whose tastes were of the -same nature has assured me that the worst excesses of the black mass -have been perpetrated in that large and lofty hall, which is lined with -the shelves of his books, and the cases of his museum. - -Dacre’s appearance was enough to show that his deep interest in these -psychic matters was intellectual rather than spiritual. There was no -trace of asceticism upon his heavy face, but there was much mental force -in his huge dome-like skull, which curved upward from amongst his -thinning locks, like a snow-peak above its fringe of fir trees. His -knowledge was greater than his wisdom, and his powers were far superior -to his character. The small bright eyes, buried deeply in his fleshy -face, twinkled with intelligence and an unabated curiosity of life, but -they were the eyes of a sensualist and an egotist. Enough of the man, -for he is dead now, poor devil, dead at the very time that he had made -sure that he had at last discovered the elixir of life. It is not with -his complex character that I have to deal, but with the very strange and -inexplicable incident which had its rise in my visit to him in the early -spring of the year ‘82. - -I had known Dacre in England, for my researches in the Assyrian Room of -the British Museum had been conducted at the time when he was -endeavouring to establish a mystic and esoteric meaning in the -Babylonian tablets, and this community of interests had brought us -together. Chance remarks had led to daily conversation, and that to -something verging upon friendship. I had promised him that on my next -visit to Paris I would call upon him. At the time when I was able to -fulfil my compact I was living in a cottage at Fontainebleau, and as the -evening trains were inconvenient, he asked me to spend the night in his -house. - -“I have only that one spare couch,” said he, pointing to a broad sofa in -his large salon; “I hope that you will manage to be comfortable there.” - -It was a singular bedroom, with its high walls of brown volumes, but -there could be no more agreeable furniture to a bookworm like myself, -and there is no scent so pleasant to my nostrils as that faint, subtle -reek which comes from an ancient book. I assured him that I could desire -no more charming chamber, and no more congenial surroundings. - -“If the fittings are neither convenient nor conventional, they are at -least costly,” said he, looking round at his shelves. “I have expended -nearly a quarter of a million of money upon these objects which surround -you. Books, weapons, gems, carvings, tapestries, images—there is hardly -a thing here which has not its history, and it is generally one worth -telling.” - -He was seated as he spoke at one side of the open fireplace, and I at -the other. His reading table was on his right, and the strong lamp above -it ringed it with a very vivid circle of golden light. A half-rolled -palimpsest lay in the centre, and around it were many quaint articles of -bric-à-brac. One of these was a large funnel, such as is used for -filling wine casks. It appeared to be made of black wood, and to be -rimmed with discoloured brass. - -“That is a curious thing,” I remarked. “What is the history of that?” - -“Ah!” said he, “it is the very question which I have had occasion to ask -myself. I would give a good deal to know. Take it in your hands and -examine it.” - -I did so, and found that what I had imagined to be wood was in reality -leather, though age had dried it into an extreme hardness. It was a -large funnel, and might hold a quart when full. The brass rim encircled -the wide end, but the narrow was also tipped with metal. - -“What do you make of it?” asked Dacre. - -“I should imagine that it belonged to some vintner or maltster in the -middle ages,” said I. “I have seen in England leathern drinking flagons -of the seventeenth century—‘black jacks’ as they were called—which were -of the same colour and hardness as this filler.” - -“I dare say the date would be about the same,” said Dacre, “and no -doubt, also, it was used for filling a vessel with liquid. If my -suspicions are correct, however, it was a queer vintner who used it, and -a very singular cask which was filled. Do you observe nothing strange at -the spout end of the funnel.” - -As I held it to the light I observed that at a spot some five inches -above the brass tip the narrow neck of the leather funnel was all -haggled and scored, as if some one had notched it round with a blunt -knife. Only at that point was there any roughening of the dead black -surface. - -“Some one has tried to cut off the neck.” - -“Would you call it a cut?” - -“It is torn and lacerated. It must have taken some strength to leave -these marks on such tough material, whatever the instrument may have -been. But what do you think of it? I can tell that you know more than -you say.” - -Dacre smiled, and his little eyes twinkled with knowledge. - -“Have you included the psychology of dreams among your learned studies?” -he asked. - -“I did not even know that there was such a psychology.” - -“My dear sir, that shelf above the gem case is filled with volumes, from -Albertus Magnus onward, which deal with no other subject. It is a -science in itself.” - -“A science of charlatans.” - -“The charlatan is always the pioneer. From the astrologer came the -astronomer, from the alchemist the chemist, from the mesmerist the -experimental psychologist. The quack of yesterday is the professor of -to-morrow. Even such subtle and elusive things as dreams will in time be -reduced to system and order. When that time comes the researches of our -friends in the book-shelf yonder will no longer be the amusement of the -mystic, but the foundations of a science.” - -“Supposing that is so, what has the science of dreams to do with a large -black brass-rimmed funnel?” - -“I will tell you. You know that I have an agent who is always on the -lookout for rarities and curiosities for my collection. Some days ago he -heard of a dealer upon one of the Quais who had acquired some old -rubbish found in a cupboard in an ancient house at the back of the Rue -Mathurin, in the Quartier Latin. The dining-room of this old house is -decorated with a coat of arms, chevrons, and bars rouge upon a field -argent, which prove, upon inquiry, to be the shield of Nicholas de la -Reynie, a high official of King Louis XIV. There can be no doubt that -the other articles in the cupboard date back to the early days of that -king. The inference is, therefore, that they were all the property of -this Nicholas de la Reynie, who was, as I understand, the gentleman -specially concerned with the maintenance and execution of the Draconic -laws of that epoch.” - -“What then?” - -“I would ask you now to take the funnel into your hands once more and to -examine the upper brass rim. Can you make out any lettering upon it?” - -There were certainly some scratches upon it, almost obliterated by time. -The general effect was of several letters, the last of which bore some -resemblance to a B. - -“You make it a B?” - -“Yes, I do.” - -“So do I. In fact, I have no doubt whatever that it is a B.” - -“But the nobleman you mentioned would have had R for his initial.” - -“Exactly! That’s the beauty of it. He owned this curious object, and yet -he had some one else’s initials upon it. Why did he do this?” - -“I can’t imagine; can you?” - -“Well, I might, perhaps, guess. Do you observe something drawn a little -further along the rim?” - -“I should say it was a crown.” - -“It is undoubtedly a crown; but if you examine it in a good light, you -will convince yourself that it is not an ordinary crown. It is a -heraldic crown—a badge of rank, and it consists of an alternation of -four pearls and strawberry leaves, the proper badge of a marquis. We may -infer, therefore, that the person whose initials end in B was entitled -to wear that coronet.” - -“Then this common leather filler belonged to a marquis?” - -Dacre gave a peculiar smile. - -“Or to some member of the family of a marquis,” said he. “So much we -have clearly gathered from this engraved rim.” - -“But what has all this to do with dreams?” I do not know whether it was -from a look upon Dacre’s face, or from some subtle suggestion in his -manner, but a feeling of repulsion, of unreasoning horror, came upon me -as I looked at the gnarled old lump of leather. - -“I have more than once received important information through my -dreams,” said my companion, in the didactic manner which he loved to -affect. “I make it a rule now when I am in doubt upon any material point -to place the article in question beside me as I sleep, and to hope for -some enlightenment. The process does not appear to me to be very -obscure, though it has not yet received the blessing of orthodox -science. According to my theory, any object which has been intimately -associated with any supreme paroxysm of human emotion, whether it be joy -or pain, will retain a certain atmosphere or association which it is -capable of communicating to a sensitive mind. By a sensitive mind I do -not mean an abnormal one, but such a trained and educated mind as you or -I possess.” - -“You mean, for example, that if I slept beside that old sword upon the -wall, I might dream of some bloody incident in which that very sword -took part?” - -“An excellent example, for, as a matter of fact, that sword was used in -that fashion by me, and I saw in my sleep the death of its owner, who -perished in a brisk skirmish, which I have been unable to identify, but -which occurred at the time of the wars of the Frondists. If you think of -it, some of our popular observances show that the fact has already been -recognized by our ancestors, although we, in our wisdom, have classed it -among superstitions.” - -“For example?” - -“Well, the placing of the bride’s cake beneath the pillow in order that -the sleeper may have pleasant dreams. That is one of several instances -which you will find set forth in a small _brochure_ which I am myself -writing upon the subject. But to come back to the point, I slept one -night with this funnel beside me, and I had a dream which certainly -throws a curious light upon its use and origin.” - -“What did you dream?” - -“I dreamed—” He paused, and an intent look of interest came over his -massive face. “By Jove, that’s well thought of,” said he. “This really -will be an exceedingly interesting experiment. You are yourself a -psychic subject—with nerves which respond readily to any impression.” - -“I have never tested myself in that direction.” - -“Then we shall test you to-night. Might I ask you as a very great -favour, when you occupy that couch to-night, to sleep with this old -funnel placed by the side of your pillow?” - -The request seemed to me a grotesque one; but I have myself, in my -complex nature, a hunger after all which is bizarre and fantastic. I had -not the faintest belief in Dacre’s theory, nor any hopes for success in -such an experiment; yet it amused me that the experiment should be made. -Dacre, with great gravity, drew a small stand to the head of my settee, -and placed the funnel upon it. Then, after a short conversation, he -wished me good-night and left me. - - * * * * * - -I sat for some little time smoking by the smouldering fire, and turning -over in my mind the curious incident which had occurred, and the strange -experience which might lie before me. Sceptical as I was, there was -something impressive in the assurance of Dacre’s manner, and my -extraordinary surroundings, the huge room with the strange and often -sinister objects which were hung round it, struck solemnity into my -soul. Finally I undressed, and, turning out the lamp, I lay down. After -long tossing I fell asleep. Let me try to describe as accurately as I -can the scene which came to me in my dreams. It stands out now in my -memory more clearly than anything which I have seen with my waking eyes. - -There was a room which bore the appearance of a vault. Four spandrels -from the corners ran up to join a sharp cup-shaped roof. The -architecture was rough, but very strong. It was evidently part of a -great building. - -Three men in black, with curious top-heavy black velvet hats, sat in a -line upon a red-carpeted dais. Their faces were very solemn and sad. On -the left stood two long-gowned men with portfolios in their hands, which -seemed to be stuffed with papers. Upon the right, looking toward me, was -a small woman with blonde hair and singular light-blue eyes—the eyes of -a child. She was past her first youth, but could not yet be called -middle-aged. Her figure was inclined to stoutness, and her bearing was -proud and confident. Her face was pale, but serene. It was a curious -face, comely and yet feline, with a subtle suggestion of cruelty about -the straight, strong little mouth and chubby jaw. She was draped in some -sort of loose white gown. Beside her stood a thin, eager priest, who -whispered in her ear, and continually raised a crucifix before her eyes. -She turned her head and looked fixedly past the crucifix at the three -men in black, who were, I felt, her judges. - -As I gazed the three men stood up and said something, but I could -distinguish no words, though I was aware that it was the central one who -was speaking. They then swept out of the room, followed by the two men -with the papers. At the same instant several rough-looking fellows in -stout jerkins came bustling in and removed first the red carpet, and -then the boards which formed the dais, so as to entirely clear the room. -When this screen was removed I saw some singular articles of furniture -behind it. One looked like a bed with wooden rollers at each end, and a -winch handle to regulate its length. Another was a wooden horse. There -were several other curious objects, and a number of swinging cords which -played over pulleys. It was not unlike a modern gymnasium. - -When the room had been cleared there appeared a new figure upon the -scene. This was a tall thin person clad in black, with a gaunt and -austere face. The aspect of the man made me shudder. His clothes were -all shining with grease and mottled with stains. He bore himself with a -slow and impressive dignity, as if he took command of all things from -the instant of his entrance. In spite of his rude appearance and sordid -dress, it was now _his_ business, _his_ room, his to command. He carried -a coil of light ropes over his left fore-arm. The lady looked him up and -down with a searching glance, but her expression was unchanged. It was -confident—even defiant. But it was very different with the priest. His -face was ghastly white, and I saw the moisture glisten and run on his -high, sloping forehead. He threw up his hands in prayer, and he stooped -continually to mutter frantic words in the lady’s ear. - -The man in black now advanced, and taking one of the cords from his left -arm, he bound the woman’s hands together. She held them meekly toward -him as he did so. Then he took her arm with a rough grip and led her -toward the wooden horse, which was little higher than her waist. On to -this she was lifted and laid, with her back upon it, and her face to the -ceiling, while the priest, quivering with horror, had rushed out of the -room. The woman’s lips were moving rapidly, and though I could hear -nothing, I knew that she was praying. Her feet hung down on either side -of the horse, and I saw that the rough varlets in attendance had -fastened cords to her ankles and secured the other ends to iron rings in -the stone floor. - -My heart sank within me as I saw these ominous preparations, and yet I -was held by the fascination of horror, and I could not take my eyes from -the strange spectacle. A man had entered the room with a bucket of water -in either hand. Another followed with a third bucket. They were laid -beside the wooden horse. The second man had a wooden dipper—a bowl with -a straight handle—in his other hand. This he gave to the man in black. -At the same moment one of the varlets approached with a dark object in -his hand, which even in my dream filled me with a vague feeling of -familiarity. It was a leathern filler. With horrible energy he thrust -it—but I could stand no more. My hair stood on end with horror. I -writhed, I struggled, I broke through the bonds of sleep, and I burst -with a shriek into my own life, and found myself lying shivering with -terror in the huge library, with the moonlight flooding through the -window and throwing strange silver and black traceries upon the opposite -wall. Oh, what a blessed relief to feel that I was back in the -nineteenth century—back out of that medieval vault into a world where -men had human hearts within their bosoms. I sat up on my couch, -trembling in every limb, my mind divided between thankfulness and -horror. To think that such things were ever done—that they _could_ be -done without God striking the villains dead. Was it all a fantasy, or -did it really stand for something which had happened in the black, cruel -days of the world’s history? I sank my throbbing head upon my shaking -hands. And then, suddenly, my heart seemed to stand still in my bosom, -and I could not even scream, so great was my terror. Something was -advancing toward me through the darkness of the room. - -It is a horror coming upon a horror which breaks a man’s spirit. I could -not reason, I could not pray; I could only sit like a frozen image, and -glare at the dark figure which was coming down the great room. And then -it moved out into the white lane of moonlight, and I breathed once more. -It was Dacre, and his face showed that he was as frightened as myself. - -“Was that you? For God’s sake what’s the matter?” he asked in a husky -voice. - -“Oh, Dacre, I am glad to see you! I have been down into hell. It was -dreadful.” - -“Then it was you who screamed?” - -“I dare say it was.” - -“It rang through the house. The servants are all terrified.” He struck a -match and lit the lamp. “I think we may get the fire to burn up again,” -he added, throwing some logs upon the embers. “Good God, my dear chap, -how white you are! You look as if you had seen a ghost.” - -“So I have—several ghosts.” - -“The leather funnel has acted, then?” - -“I wouldn’t sleep near the infernal thing again for all the money you -could offer me.” - -Dacre chuckled. - -“I expected that you would have a lively night of it,” said he. “You -took it out of me in return, for that scream of yours wasn’t a very -pleasant sound at two in the morning. I suppose from what you say that -you have seen the whole dreadful business.” - -“What dreadful business?” - -“The torture of the water—the ‘Extraordinary Question,’ as it was called -in the genial days of ‘Le Roi Soleil.’ Did you stand it out to the end?” - -“No, thank God, I awoke before it really began.” - -“Ah! it is just as well for you. I held out till the third bucket. Well, -it is an old story, and they are all in their graves now anyhow, so what -does it matter how they got there. I suppose that you have no idea what -it was that you have seen?” - -“The torture of some criminal. She must have been a terrible malefactor -indeed if her crimes are in proportion to her penalty.” - -“Well, we have that small consolation,” said Dacre, wrapping his -dressing-gown round him and crouching closer to the fire. “They _were_ -in proportion to her penalty. That is to say, if I am correct in the -lady’s identity.” - -“How could you possibly know her identity?” - -For answer Dacre took down an old vellum-covered volume from the shelf. - -“Just listen to this,” said he; “it is in the French of the seventeenth -century, but I will give a rough translation as I go. You will judge for -yourself whether I have solved the riddle or not. - - “The prisoner was brought before the Grand Chambers and Tournelles - of Parliament, sitting as a court of justice, charged with the - murder of Master Dreux d’Aubray, her father, and of her two - brothers, MM. d’Aubray, one being civil lieutenant, and the other - a counsellor of Parliament. In person it seemed hard to believe - that she had really done such wicked deeds, for she was of a mild - appearance, and of short stature, with a fair skin and blue eyes. - Yet the Court, having found her guilty, condemned her to the - ordinary and to the extraordinary question in order that she might - be forced to name her accomplices, after which she should be - carried in a cart to the Place de Grève, there to have her head - cut off, her body being afterwards burned and her ashes scattered - to the winds.” - -The date of this entry is July 16, 1676.” - -“It is interesting,” said I, “but not convincing. How do you prove the -two women to be the same?” - -“I am coming to that. The narrative goes on to tell of the woman’s -behaviour when questioned. ‘When the executioner approached her she -recognized him by the cords which he held in his hands, and she at once -held out her own hands to him, looking at him from head to foot without -uttering a word.’ How’s that?” - -“Yes, it was so.” - -“‘She gazed without wincing upon the wooden horse and rings which had -twisted so many limbs and caused so many shrieks of agony. When her eyes -fell upon the three pails of water, which were all ready for her, she -said with a smile, “All that water must have been brought here for the -purpose of drowning me, Monsieur. You have no idea, I trust, of making a -person of my small stature swallow it all.”’ Shall I read the details of -the torture?” - -“No, for Heaven’s sake, don’t.” - -“Here is a sentence which must surely show you that what is here -recorded is the very scene which you have gazed upon to-night: ‘The good -Abbé Pirot, unable to contemplate the agonies which were suffered by his -penitent, had hurried from the room.’ Does that convince you?” - -“It does entirely. There can be no question that it is indeed the same -event. But who, then, is this lady whose appearance was so attractive -and whose end was so horrible?” - -For answer Dacre came across to me, and placed the small lamp upon the -table which stood by my bed. Lifting up the ill-omened filler, he turned -the brass rim so that the light fell full upon it. Seen in this way the -engraving seemed clearer than on the night before. - -“We have already agreed that this is the badge of a marquis or of a -marquise,” said he. “We have also settled that the last letter is B.” - -“It is undoubtedly so.” - -“I now suggest to you that the other letters from left to right are, M, -M, a small d, A, a small d, and then the final B.” - -“Yes, I am sure that you are right. I can make out the two small d’s -quite plainly.” - -“What I have read to you to-night,” said Dacre, “is the official record -of the trial of Marie Madeleine d’Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers, one -of the most famous poisoners and murderers of all time.” - -I sat in silence, overwhelmed at the extraordinary nature of the -incident, and at the completeness of the proof with which Dacre had -exposed its real meaning. In a vague way I remembered some details of -the woman’s career, her unbridled debauchery, the coldblooded and -protracted torture of her sick father, the murder of her brothers for -motives of petty gain. I recollected also that the bravery of her end -had done something to atone for the horror of her life, and that all -Paris had sympathized with her last moments, and blessed her as a martyr -within a few days of the time when they had cursed her as a murderess. -One objection, and one only, occurred to my mind. - -“How came her initials and her badge of rank upon the filler? Surely -they did not carry their medieval homage to the nobility to the point of -decorating instruments of torture with their titles?” - -“I was puzzled with the same point,” said Dacre, “but it admits of a -simple explanation. The case excited extraordinary interest at the time, -and nothing could be more natural than that La Reynie, the head of the -police, should retain this filler as a grim souvenir. It was not often -that a marchioness of France underwent the extraordinary question. That -he should engrave her initials upon it for the information of others was -surely a very ordinary proceeding upon his part.” - -“And this?” I asked, pointing to the marks upon the leathern neck. - -“She was a cruel tigress,” said Dacre, as he turned away. “I think it is -evident that like other tigresses her teeth were both strong and sharp.” - - - - - THE BEETLE-HUNTER - - -A curious experience? said the Doctor. Yes, my friends, I have had one -very curious experience. I never expect to have another, for it is -against all doctrines of chances that two such events would befall any -one man in a single lifetime. You may believe me or not, but the thing -happened exactly as I tell it. - -I had just become a medical man, but I had not started in practice, and -I lived in rooms in Gower Street. The street has been renumbered since -then, but it was in the only house which has a bow-window, upon the -left-hand side as you go down from the Metropolitan Station. A widow -named Murchison kept the house at that time, and she had three medical -students and one engineer as lodgers. I occupied the top room, which was -the cheapest, but cheap as it was it was more than I could afford. My -small resources were dwindling away, and every week it became more -necessary that I should find something to do. Yet I was very unwilling -to go into general practice, for my tastes were all in the direction of -science, and especially of zoology, towards which I had always a strong -leaning. I had almost given the fight up and resigned myself to being a -medical drudge for life, when the turning-point of my struggles came in -a very extraordinary way. - -One morning I had picked up the _Standard_ and was glancing over its -contents. There was a complete absence of news, and I was about to toss -the paper down again, when my eyes were caught by an advertisement at -the head of the personal column. It was worded in this way:— - - Wanted for one or more days the services of a medical man. It - is essential that he should be a man of strong physique, of - steady nerves, and of a resolute nature. Must be an - entomologist—coleopterist preferred. Apply, in person, at 77B, - Brook Street. Application must be made before twelve o’clock - to-day. - -Now, I have already said that I was devoted to zoology. Of all branches -of zoology, the study of insects was the most attractive to me, and of -all insects beetles were the species with which I was most familiar. -Butterfly collectors are numerous, but beetles are far more varied, and -more accessible in these islands than are butterflies. It was this fact -which had attracted my attention to them, and I had myself made a -collection which numbered some hundred varieties. As to the other -requisites of the advertisement, I knew that my nerves could be depended -upon, and I had won the weight-throwing competition at the -inter-hospital sports. Clearly, I was the very man for the vacancy. -Within five minutes of my having read the advertisement I was in a cab -and on my way to Brook Street. - -As I drove, I kept turning the matter over in my head and trying to make -a guess as to what sort of employment it could be which needed such -curious qualifications. A strong physique, a resolute nature, a medical -training, and a knowledge of beetles—what connection could there be -between these various requisites? And then there was the disheartening -fact that the situation was not a permanent one, but terminable from day -to day, according to the terms of the advertisement. The more I pondered -over it the more unintelligible did it become; but at the end of my -meditations I always came back to the ground fact that, come what might, -I had nothing to lose, that I was completely at the end of my resources, -and that I was ready for any adventure, however desperate, which would -put a few honest sovereigns into my pocket. The man fears to fail who -has to pay for his failure, but there was no penalty which Fortune could -exact from me. I was like the gambler with empty pockets, who is still -allowed to try his luck with the others. - -No. 77B, Brook Street, was one of those dingy and yet imposing houses, -dun-coloured and flat-faced, with the intensely respectable and solid -air which marks the Georgian builder. As I alighted from the cab, a -young man came out of the door and walked swiftly down the street. In -passing me, I noticed that he cast an inquisitive and somewhat -malevolent glance at me, and I took the incident as a good omen, for his -appearance was that of a rejected candidate, and if he resented my -application it meant that the vacancy was not yet filled up. Full of -hope, I ascended the broad steps and rapped with the heavy knocker. - -A footman in powder and livery opened the door. Clearly I was in touch -with people of wealth and fashion. - -“Yes, sir?” said the footman. - -“I came in answer to——” - -“Quite so, sir,” said the footman. “Lord Linchmere will see you at once -in the library.” - -Lord Linchmere! I had vaguely heard the name, but could not for the -instant recall anything about him. Following the footman, I was shown -into a large, book-lined room in which there was seated behind a -writing-desk a small man with a pleasant, clean-shaven, mobile face, and -long hair shot with grey, brushed back from his forehead. He looked me -up and down with a very shrewd, penetrating glance, holding the card -which the footman had given him in his right hand. Then he smiled -pleasantly, and I felt that externally at any rate I possessed the -qualifications which he desired. - -“You have come in answer to my advertisement, Dr. Hamilton?” he asked. - -“Yes, sir.” - -“Do you fulfil the conditions which are there laid down?” - -“I believe that I do.” - -“You are a powerful man, or so I should judge from your appearance.” - -“I think that I am fairly strong.” - -“And resolute?” - -“I believe so.” - -“Have you ever known what it was to be exposed to imminent danger?” - -“No, I don’t know that I ever have.” - -“But you think you would be prompt and cool at such a time?” - -“I hope so.” - -“Well, I believe that you would. I have the more confidence in you -because you do not pretend to be certain as to what you would do in a -position that was new to you. My impression is that, so far as personal -qualities go, you are the very man of whom I am in search. That being -settled, we may pass on to the next point.” - -“Which is?” - -“To talk to me about beetles.” - -I looked across to see if he was joking, but, on the contrary, he was -leaning eagerly forward across his desk, and there was an expression of -something like anxiety in his eyes. - -“I am afraid that you do not know about beetles,” he cried. - -“On the contrary, sir, it is the one scientific subject about which I -feel that I really do know something.” - -“I am overjoyed to hear it. Please talk to me about beetles.” - -I talked. I do not profess to have said anything original upon the -subject, but I gave a short sketch of the characteristics of the beetle, -and ran over the more common species, with some allusions to the -specimens in my own little collection and to the article upon “Burying -Beetles” which I had contributed to the _Journal of Entomological -Science_. - -“What! not a collector?” cried Lord Linchmere. “You don’t mean that you -are yourself a collector?” His eyes danced with pleasure at the thought. - -“You are certainly the very man in London for my purpose. I thought that -among five millions of people there must be such a man, but the -difficulty is to lay one’s hands upon him. I have been extraordinarily -fortunate in finding you.” - -He rang a gong upon the table, and the footman entered. - -“Ask Lady Rossiter to have the goodness to step this way,” said his -lordship, and a few moments later the lady was ushered into the room. -She was a small, middle-aged woman, very like Lord Linchmere in -appearance, with the same quick, alert features and grey-black hair. The -expression of anxiety, however, which I had observed upon his face was -very much more marked upon hers. Some great grief seemed to have cast -its shadow over her features. As Lord Linchmere presented me she turned -her face full upon me, and I was shocked to observe a half-healed scar -extending for two inches over her right eyebrow. It was partly concealed -by plaster, but none the less I could see that it had been a serious -wound and not long inflicted. - -“Dr. Hamilton is the very man for our purpose, Evelyn,” said Lord -Linchmere. “He is actually a collector of beetles, and he has written -articles upon the subject.” - -“Really!” said Lady Rossiter. “Then you must have heard of my husband. -Every one who knows anything about beetles must have heard of Sir Thomas -Rossiter.” - -For the first time a thin little ray of light began to break into the -obscure business. Here, at last, was a connection between these people -and beetles. Sir Thomas Rossiter—he was the greatest authority upon the -subject in the world. He had made it his life-long study, and had -written a most exhaustive work upon it. I hastened to assure her that I -had read and appreciated it. - -“Have you met my husband?” she asked. - -“No, I have not.” - -“But you shall,” said Lord Linchmere, with decision. - -The lady was standing beside the desk, and she put her hand upon his -shoulder. It was obvious to me as I saw their faces together that they -were brother and sister. - -“Are you really prepared for this, Charles? It is noble of you, but you -fill me with fears.” Her voice quavered with apprehension, and he -appeared to me to be equally moved, though he was making strong efforts -to conceal his agitation. - -“Yes, yes, dear; it is all settled, it is all decided; in fact, there is -no other possible way, that I can see.” - -“There is one obvious way.” - -“No, no, Evelyn, I shall never abandon you—never. It will come -right—depend upon it; it will come right, and surely it looks like the -interference of Providence that so perfect an instrument should be put -into our hands.” - -My position was embarrassing, for I felt that for the instant they had -forgotten my presence. But Lord Linchmere came back suddenly to me and -to my engagement. - -“The business for which I want you, Dr. Hamilton, is that you should put -yourself absolutely at my disposal. I wish you to come for a short -journey with me, to remain always at my side, and to promise to do -without question whatever I may ask you, however unreasonable it may -appear to you to be.” - -“That is a good deal to ask,” said I. - -“Unfortunately I cannot put it more plainly, for I do not myself know -what turn matters may take. You may be sure, however, that you will not -be asked to do anything which your conscience does not approve; and I -promise you that, when all is over, you will be proud to have been -concerned in so good a work.” - -“If it ends happily,” said the lady. - -“Exactly; if it ends happily,” his lordship repeated. - -“And terms?” I asked. - -“Twenty pounds a day.” - -I was amazed at the sum, and must have showed my surprise upon my -features. - -“It is a rare combination of qualities, as must have struck you when you -first read the advertisement,” said Lord Linchmere; “such varied gifts -may well command a high return, and I do not conceal from you that your -duties might be arduous or even dangerous. Besides, it is possible that -one or two days may bring the matter to an end.” - -“Please God!” sighed his sister. - -“So now, Dr. Hamilton, may I rely upon your aid?” - -“Most undoubtedly,” said I. “You have only to tell me what my duties -are.” - -“Your first duty will be to return to your home. You will pack up -whatever you may need for a short visit to the country. We start -together from Paddington Station at 3.40 this afternoon.” - -“Do we go far?” - -“As far as Pangbourne. Meet me at the bookstall at 3.30. I shall have -the tickets. Good-bye, Dr. Hamilton! And, by the way, there are two -things which I should be very glad if you would bring with you, in case -you have them. One is your case for collecting beetles, and the other is -a stick, and the thicker and heavier the better.” - - * * * * * - -You may imagine that I had plenty to think of from the time that I left -Brook Street until I set out to meet Lord Linchmere at Paddington. The -whole fantastic business kept arranging and re-arranging itself in -kaleidoscopic forms inside my brain, until I had thought out a dozen -explanations, each of them more grotesquely improbable than the last. -And yet I felt that the truth must be something grotesquely improbable -also. At last I gave up all attempts at finding a solution, and -contented myself with exactly carrying out the instructions which I had -received. With a hand valise, specimen-case, and a loaded cane, I was -waiting at the Paddington bookstall when Lord Linchmere arrived. He was -an even smaller man than I had thought—frail and peaky, with a manner -which was more nervous than it had been in the morning. He wore a long, -thick travelling ulster, and I observed that he carried a heavy -blackthorn cudgel in his hand. - -“I have the tickets,” said he, leading the way up the platform. “This is -our train. I have engaged a carriage, for I am particularly anxious to -impress one or two things upon you while we travel down.” - -And yet all that he had to impress upon me might have been said in a -sentence, for it was that I was to remember that I was there as a -protection to himself, and that I was not on any consideration to leave -him for an instant. This he repeated again and again as our journey drew -to a close, with an insistence which showed that his nerves were -thoroughly shaken. - -“Yes,” he said at last, in answer to my looks rather than to my words, -“I _am_ nervous, Dr. Hamilton. I have always been a timid man, and my -timidity depends upon my frail physical health. But my soul is firm, and -I can bring myself up to face a danger which a less nervous man might -shrink from. What I am doing now is done from no compulsion, but -entirely from a sense of duty, and yet it is, beyond doubt, a desperate -risk. If things should go wrong, I will have some claims to the title of -martyr.” - -This eternal reading of riddles was too much for me. I felt that I must -put a term to it. - -“I think it would be very much better, sir, if you were to trust me -entirely,” said I. “It is impossible for me to act effectively, when I -do not know what are the objects which we have in view, or even where we -are going.” - -“Oh, as to where we are going, there need be no mystery about that,” -said he; “we are going to Delamere Court, the residence of Sir Thomas -Rossiter, with whose work you are so conversant. As to the exact object -of our visit, I do not know that at this stage of the proceedings -anything would be gained, Dr. Hamilton, by my taking you into my -complete confidence. I may tell you that we are acting—I say ‘we,’ -because my sister, Lady Rossiter, takes the same view as myself—with the -one object of preventing anything in the nature of a family scandal. -That being so, you can understand that I am loth to give any -explanations which are not absolutely necessary. It would be a different -matter, Dr. Hamilton, if I were asking your advice. As matters stand, it -is only your active help which I need, and I will indicate to you from -time to time how you can best give it.” - -There was nothing more to be said, and a poor man can put up with a good -deal for twenty pounds a day, but I felt none the less that Lord -Linchmere was acting rather scurvily towards me. He wished to convert me -into a passive tool, like the blackthorn in his hand. With his sensitive -disposition I could imagine, however, that scandal would be abhorrent to -him, and I realized that he would not take me into his confidence until -no other course was open to him. I must trust to my own eyes and ears to -solve the mystery, but I had every confidence that I should not trust to -them in vain. - -Delamere Court lies a good five miles from Pangbourne Station, and we -drove for that distance in an open fly. Lord Linchmere sat in deep -thought during the time, and he never opened his mouth until we were -close to our destination. When he did speak it was to give me a piece of -information which surprised me. - -“Perhaps you are not aware,” said he, “that I am a medical man like -yourself?” - -“No, sir, I did not know it.” - -“Yes, I qualified in my younger days, when there were several lives -between me and the peerage. I have not had occasion to practise, but I -have found it a useful education, all the same. I never regretted the -years which I devoted to medical study. These are the gates of Delamere -Court.” - -We had come to two high pillars crowned with heraldic monsters which -flanked the opening of a winding avenue. Over the laurel bushes and -rhododendrons I could see a long, many-gabled mansion, girdled with ivy, -and toned to the warm, cheery, mellow glow of old brick-work. My eyes -were still fixed in admiration upon this delightful house when my -companion plucked nervously at my sleeve. - -“Here’s Sir Thomas,” he whispered. “Please talk beetle all you can.” - -A tall, thin figure, curiously angular and bony, had emerged through a -gap in the hedge of laurels. In his hand he held a spud, and he wore -gauntleted gardener’s gloves. A broad-brimmed, grey hat cast his face -into shadow, but it struck me as exceedingly austere, with an -ill-nourished beard and harsh, irregular features. The fly pulled up and -Lord Linchmere sprang out. - -“My dear Thomas, how are you?” said he, heartily. - -But the heartiness was by no means reciprocal. The owner of the grounds -glared at me over his brother-in-law’s shoulder, and I caught broken -scraps of sentences—“well-known wishes ... hatred of strangers ... -unjustifiable intrusion ... perfectly inexcusable.” Then there was a -muttered explanation, and the two of them came over together to the side -of the fly. - -“Let me present you to Sir Thomas Rossiter, Dr. Hamilton,” said Lord -Linchmere. “You will find that you have a strong community of tastes.” - -I bowed. Sir Thomas stood very stiffly, looking at me severely from -under the broad brim of his hat. - -“Lord Linchmere tells me that you know something about beetles,” said -he. “What do you know about beetles?” - -“I know what I have learned from your work upon the coleoptera, Sir -Thomas,” I answered. - -“Give me the names of the better-known species of the British scarabæi,” -said he. - -I had not expected an examination, but fortunately I was ready for one. -My answers seemed to please him, for his stern features relaxed. - -“You appear to have read my book with some profit, sir,” said he. “It is -a rare thing for me to meet any one who takes an intelligent interest in -such matters. People can find time for such trivialities as sport or -society, and yet the beetles are overlooked. I can assure you that the -greater part of the idiots in this part of the country are unaware that -I have ever written a book at all—I, the first man who ever described -the true function of the elytra. I am glad to see you, sir, and I have -no doubt that I can show you some specimens which will interest you.” He -stepped into the fly and drove up with us to the house, expounding to me -as we went some recent researches which he had made into the anatomy of -the lady-bird. - -I have said that Sir Thomas Rossiter wore a large hat drawn down over -his brows. As he entered the hall he uncovered himself, and I was at -once aware of a singular characteristic which the hat had concealed. His -forehead, which was naturally high, and higher still on account of -receding hair, was in a continual state of movement. Some nervous -weakness kept the muscles in a constant spasm, which sometimes produced -a mere twitching and sometimes a curious rotary movement unlike anything -which I had ever seen before. It was strikingly visible as he turned -towards us after entering the study, and seemed the more singular from -the contrast with the hard, steady grey eyes which looked out from -underneath those palpitating brows. - -“I am sorry,” said he, “that Lady Rossiter is not here to help me to -welcome you. By the way, Charles, did Evelyn say anything about the date -of her return?” - -“She wished to stay in town for a few more days,” said Lord Linchmere. -“You know how ladies’ social duties accumulate if they have been for -some time in the country. My sister has many old friends in London at -present.” - -“Well, she is her own mistress, and I should not wish to alter her -plans, but I shall be glad when I see her again. It is very lonely here -without her company.” - -“I was afraid that you might find it so, and that was partly why I ran -down. My young friend, Dr. Hamilton, is so much interested in the -subject which you have made your own, that I thought you would not mind -his accompanying me.” - -“I lead a retired life, Dr. Hamilton, and my aversion to strangers grows -upon me,” said our host. “I have sometimes thought that my nerves are -not so good as they were. My travels in search of beetles in my younger -days took me into many malarious and unhealthy places. But a brother -coleopterist like yourself is always a welcome guest, and I shall be -delighted if you will look over my collection, which I think that I may -without exaggeration describe as the best in Europe.” - -And so no doubt it was. He had a huge oaken cabinet arranged in shallow -drawers, and here, neatly ticketed and classified, were beetles from -every corner of the earth, black, brown, blue, green, and mottled. Every -now and then as he swept his hand over the lines and lines of impaled -insects he would catch up some rare specimen, and, handling it with as -much delicacy and reverence as if it were a precious relic, he would -hold forth upon its peculiarities and the circumstances under which it -came into his possession. It was evidently an unusual thing for him to -meet with a sympathetic listener, and he talked and talked until the -spring evening had deepened into night, and the gong announced that it -was time to dress for dinner. All the time Lord Linchmere said nothing, -but he stood at his brother-in-law’s elbow, and I caught him continually -shooting curious little, questioning glances into his face. And his own -features expressed some strong emotion, apprehension, sympathy, -expectation: I seemed to read them all. I was sure that Lord Linchmere -was fearing something and awaiting something, but what that something -might be I could not imagine. - -The evening passed quietly but pleasantly, and I should have been -entirely at my ease if it had not been for that continual sense of -tension upon the part of Lord Linchmere. As to our host, I found that he -improved upon acquaintance. He spoke constantly with affection of his -absent wife, and also of his little son, who had recently been sent to -school. The house, he said, was not the same without them. If it were -not for his scientific studies, he did not know how he could get through -the days. After dinner we smoked for some time in the billiard-room, and -finally went early to bed. - -And then it was that, for the first time, the suspicion that Lord -Linchmere was a lunatic crossed my mind. He followed me into my bedroom, -when our host had retired. - -“Doctor,” said he, speaking in a low, hurried voice, “you must come with -me. You must spend the night in my bedroom.” - -“What do you mean?” - -“I prefer not to explain. But this is part of your duties. My room is -close by, and you can return to your own before the servant calls you in -the morning.” - -“But why?” I asked. - -“Because I am nervous of being alone,” said he. “That’s the reason, -since you must have a reason.” - -It seemed rank lunacy, but the argument of those twenty pounds would -overcome many objections. I followed him to his room. - -“Well,” said I, “there’s only room for one in that bed.” - -“Only one shall occupy it,” said he. - -“And the other?” - -“Must remain, on watch.” - -“Why?” said I. “One would think you expected to be attacked.” - -“Perhaps I do.” - -“In that case, why not lock your door?” - -“Perhaps I _want_ to be attacked.” - -It looked more and more like lunacy. However, there was nothing for it -but to submit. I shrugged my shoulders and sat down in the arm-chair -beside the empty fireplace. - -“I am to remain on watch, then?” said I, ruefully. - -“We will divide the night. If you will watch until two, I will watch the -remainder.” - -“Very good.” - -“Call me at two o’clock, then.” - -“I will do so.” - -“Keep your ears open, and if you hear any sounds wake me -instantly—instantly, you hear?” - -“You can rely upon it.” I tried to look as solemn as he did. - -“And for God’s sake don’t go to sleep,” said he, and so, taking off only -his coat, he threw the coverlet over him and settled down for the night. - -It was a melancholy vigil, and made more so by my own sense of its -folly. Supposing that by any chance Lord Linchmere had cause to suspect -that he was subject to danger in the house of Sir Thomas Rossiter, why -on earth could he not lock his door and so protect himself? His own -answer that he might wish to be attacked was absurd. Why should he -possibly wish to be attacked? And who would wish to attack him? Clearly, -Lord Linchmere was suffering from some singular delusion, and the result -was that on an imbecile pretext I was to be deprived of my night’s rest. -Still, however absurd, I was determined to carry out his injunctions to -the letter as long as I was in his employment. I sat therefore beside -the empty fireplace, and listened to a sonorous chiming clock somewhere -down the passage, which gurgled and struck every quarter of an hour. It -was an endless vigil. Save for that single clock, an absolute silence -reigned throughout the great house. A small lamp stood on the table at -my elbow, throwing a circle of light round my chair, but leaving the -corners of the room draped in shadow. On the bed Lord Linchmere was -breathing peacefully. I envied him his quiet sleep, and again and again -my own eyelids drooped, but every time my sense of duty came to my help, -and I sat up, rubbing my eyes and pinching myself with a determination -to see my irrational watch to an end. - -And I did so. From down the passage came the chimes of two o’clock, and -I laid my hand upon the shoulder of the sleeper. Instantly he was -sitting up, with an expression of the keenest interest upon his face. - -“You have heard something?” - -“No, sir. It is two o’clock.” - -“Very good. I will watch. You can go to sleep.” I lay down under the -coverlet as he had done, and was soon unconscious. My last recollection -was of that circle of lamplight, and of the small, hunched-up figure and -strained, anxious face of Lord Linchmere in the centre of it. - -How long I slept I do not know; but I was suddenly aroused by a sharp -tug at my sleeve. The room was in darkness, but a hot smell of oil told -me that the lamp had only that instant been extinguished. - -“Quick! Quick!” said Lord Linchmere’s voice in my ear. - -I sprang out of bed, he still dragging at my arm. - -“Over here!” he whispered, and pulled me into a corner of the room. -“Hush! Listen!” - -In the silence of the night I could distinctly hear that someone was -coming down the corridor. It was a stealthy step, faint and -intermittent, as of a man who paused cautiously after every stride. -Sometimes for half a minute there was no sound, and then came the -shuffle and creak which told of a fresh advance. My companion was -trembling with excitement. His hand which still held my sleeve twitched -like a branch in the wind. - -“What is it?” I whispered. - -“It’s he!” - -“Sir Thomas?” - -“Yes.” - -“What does he want?” - -“Hush! Do nothing until I tell you.” - -I was conscious now that someone was trying the door. There was the -faintest little rattle from the handle, and then I dimly saw a thin slit -of subdued light. There was a lamp burning somewhere far down the -passage, and it just sufficed to make the outside visible from the -darkness of our room. The greyish slit grew broader and broader, very -gradually, very gently, and then outlined against it I saw the dark -figure of a man. He was squat and crouching, with the silhouette of a -bulky and misshapen dwarf. Slowly the door swung open with this ominous -shape framed in the centre of it. And then, in an instant the crouching -figure shot up, there was a tiger spring across the room, and thud, -thud, thud, came three tremendous blows from some heavy object upon the -bed. - -I was so paralyzed with amazement that I stood motionless and staring -until I was aroused by a yell for help from my companion. The open door -shed enough light for me to see the outline of things, and there was -little Lord Linchmere with his arms round the neck of his -brother-in-law, holding bravely on to him like a game bull-terrier with -its teeth into a gaunt deerhound. The tall, bony man dashed himself -about, writhing round and round to get a grip upon his assailant; but -the other, clutching on from behind, still kept his hold, though his -shrill, frightened cries showed how unequal he felt the contest to be. I -sprang to the rescue, and the two of us managed to throw Sir Thomas to -the ground, though he made his teeth meet in my shoulder. With all my -youth and weight and strength, it was a desperate struggle before we -could master his frenzied struggles; but at last we secured his arms -with the waist-cord of the dressing-gown which he was wearing. I was -holding his legs while Lord Linchmere was endeavouring to relight the -lamp, when there came the pattering of many feet in the passage, and the -butler and two footmen, who had been alarmed by the cries, rushed into -the room. With their aid we had no further difficulty in securing our -prisoner, who lay foaming and glaring upon the ground. One glance at his -face was enough to prove that he was a dangerous maniac, while the -short, heavy hammer which lay beside the bed showed how murderous had -been his intentions. - -“Do not use any violence!” said Lord Linchmere, as we raised the -struggling man to his feet. “He will have a period of stupor after this -excitement. I believe that it is coming on already.” As he spoke the -convulsions became less violent, and the madman’s head fell forward upon -his breast, as if he were overcome by sleep. We led him down the passage -and stretched him upon his own bed, where he lay unconscious, breathing -heavily. - -“Two of you will watch him,” said Lord Linchmere. “And now, Dr. -Hamilton, if you will return with me to my room, I will give you the -explanation which my horror of scandal has perhaps caused me to delay -too long. Come what may, you will never have cause to regret your share -in this night’s work. - -“The case may be made clear in a very few words,” he continued, when we -were alone. “My poor brother-in-law is one of the best fellows upon -earth, a loving husband and an estimable father, but he comes from a -stock which is deeply tainted with insanity. He has more than once had -homicidal outbreaks, which are the more painful because his inclination -is always to attack the very person to whom he is most attached. His son -was sent away to school to avoid this danger, and then came an attempt -upon my sister, his wife, from which she escaped with injuries that you -may have observed when you met her in London. You understand that he -knows nothing of the matter when he is in his sound senses, and would -ridicule the suggestion that he could under any circumstances injure -those whom he loves so dearly. It is often, as you know, a -characteristic of such maladies that it is absolutely impossible to -convince the man who suffers from them of their existence. - -“Our great object was, of course, to get him under restraint before he -could stain his hands with blood, but the matter was full of difficulty. -He is a recluse in his habits, and would not see any medical man. -Besides, it was necessary for our purpose that the medical man should -convince himself of his insanity; and he is sane as you or I, save on -these very rare occasions. But, fortunately, before he has these attacks -he always shows certain premonitory symptoms, which are providential -danger-signals, warning us to be upon our guard. The chief of these is -that nervous contortion of the forehead which you must have observed. -This is a phenomenon which always appears from three to four days before -his attacks of frenzy. The moment it showed itself his wife came into -town on some pretext, and took refuge in my house in Brook Street. - -“It remained for me to convince a medical man of Sir Thomas’s insanity, -without which it was impossible to put him where he could do no harm. -The first problem was how to get a medical man into his house. I -bethought me of his interest in beetles, and his love for any one who -shared his tastes. I advertised, therefore, and was fortunate enough to -find in you the very man I wanted. A stout companion was necessary, for -I knew that the lunacy could only be proved by a murderous assault, and -I had every reason to believe that that assault would be made upon -myself, since he had the warmest regard for me in his moments of sanity. -I think your intelligence will supply all the rest. I did not know that -the attack would come by night, but I thought it very probable, for the -crises of such cases usually do occur in the early hours of the morning. -I am a very nervous man myself, but I saw no other way in which I could -remove this terrible danger from my sister’s life. I need not ask you -whether you are willing to sign the lunacy papers.” - -“Undoubtedly. But _two_ signatures are necessary.” - -“You forget that I am myself a holder of a medical degree. I have the -papers on a side-table here, so if you will be good enough to sign them -now, we can have the patient removed in the morning.” - - * * * * * - -So that was my visit to Sir Thomas Rossiter, the famous beetle-hunter, -and that was also my first step upon the ladder of success, for Lady -Rossiter and Lord Linchmere have proved to be staunch friends, and they -have never forgotten my association with them in the time of their need. -Sir Thomas is out and said to be cured, but I still think that if I -spent another night at Delamere Court, I should be inclined to lock my -door upon the inside. - - - - - THE MAN WITH THE WATCHES - - -There are many who will still bear in mind the singular circumstances -which, under the heading of the Rugby Mystery, filled many columns of -the daily Press in the spring of the year 1892. Coming as it did at a -period of exceptional dulness, it attracted perhaps rather more -attention than it deserved, but it offered to the public that mixture of -the whimsical and the tragic which is most stimulating to the popular -imagination. Interest drooped, however, when, after weeks of fruitless -investigation, it was found that no final explanation of the facts was -forthcoming, and the tragedy seemed from that time to the present to -have finally taken its place in the dark catalogue of inexplicable and -unexpiated crimes. A recent communication (the authenticity of which -appears to be above question) has, however, thrown some new and clear -light upon the matter. Before laying it before the public it would be as -well, perhaps, that I should refresh their memories as to the singular -facts upon which this commentary is founded. These facts were briefly as -follows:— - -At five o’clock on the evening of the 18th of March in the year already -mentioned a train left Euston Station for Manchester. It was a rainy, -squally day, which grew wilder as it progressed, so it was by no means -the weather in which any one would travel who was not driven to do so by -necessity. The train, however, is a favourite one among Manchester -business men who are returning from town, for it does the journey in -four hours and twenty minutes, with only three stoppages upon the way. -In spite of the inclement evening it was, therefore, fairly well filled -upon the occasion of which I speak. The guard of the train was a tried -servant of the company—a man who had worked for twenty-two years without -blemish or complaint. His name was John Palmer. - -The station clock was upon the stroke of five, and the guard was about -to give the customary signal to the engine-driver when he observed two -belated passengers hurrying down the platform. The one was an -exceptionally tall man, dressed in a long black overcoat with Astrakhan -collar and cuffs. I have already said that the evening was an inclement -one, and the tall traveller had the high, warm collar turned up to -protect his throat against the bitter March wind. He appeared, as far as -the guard could judge by so hurried an inspection, to be a man between -fifty and sixty years of age, who had retained a good deal of the vigour -and activity of his youth. In one hand he carried a brown leather -Gladstone bag. His companion was a lady, tall and erect, walking with a -vigorous step which outpaced the gentleman beside her. She wore a long, -fawn-coloured dust-cloak, a black, close-fitting toque, and a dark veil -which concealed the greater part of her face. The two might very well -have passed as father and daughter. They walked swiftly down the line of -carriages, glancing in at the windows, until the guard, John Palmer, -overtook them. - -“Now, then, sir, look sharp, the train is going,” said he. - -“First-class,” the man answered. - -The guard turned the handle of the nearest door. In the carriage, which -he had opened, there sat a small man with a cigar in his mouth. His -appearance seems to have impressed itself upon the guard’s memory, for -he was prepared, afterwards, to describe or to identify him. He was a -man of thirty-four or thirty-five years of age, dressed in some grey -material, sharp-nosed, alert, with a ruddy, weather-beaten face, and a -small, closely cropped black beard. He glanced up as the door was -opened. The tall man paused with his foot upon the step. - -“This is a smoking compartment. The lady dislikes smoke,” said he, -looking round at the guard. - -“All right! Here you are, sir!” said John Palmer. He slammed the door of -the smoking carriage, opened that of the next one, which was empty, and -thrust the two travellers in. At the same moment he sounded his whistle -and the wheels of the train began to move. The man with the cigar was at -the window of his carriage, and said something to the guard as he rolled -past him, but the words were lost in the bustle of the departure. Palmer -stepped into the guard’s van, as it came up to him, and thought no more -of the incident. - -Twelve minutes after its departure the train reached Willesden Junction, -where it stopped for a very short interval. An examination of the -tickets has made it certain that no one either joined or left it at this -time, and no passenger was seen to alight upon the platform. At 5.14 the -journey to Manchester was resumed, and Rugby was reached at 6.50, the -express being five minutes late. - -At Rugby the attention of the station officials was drawn to the fact -that the door of one of the first-class carriages was open. An -examination of that compartment, and of its neighbour, disclosed a -remarkable state of affairs. - -The smoking carriage in which the short, red-faced man with the black -beard had been seen was now empty. Save for a half-smoked cigar, there -was no trace whatever of its recent occupant. The door of this carriage -was fastened. In the next compartment, to which attention had been -originally drawn, there was no sign either of the gentleman with the -Astrakhan collar or of the young lady who accompanied him. All three -passengers had disappeared. On the other hand, there was found upon the -floor of this carriage—the one in which the tall traveller and the lady -had been—a young man, fashionably dressed and of elegant appearance. He -lay with his knees drawn up, and his head resting against the further -door, an elbow upon either seat. A bullet had penetrated his heart and -his death must have been instantaneous. No one had seen such a man enter -the train, and no railway ticket was found in his pocket, neither were -there any markings upon his linen, nor papers nor personal property -which might help to identify him. Who he was, whence he had come, and -how he had met his end were each as great a mystery as what had occurred -to the three people who had started an hour and a half before from -Willesden in those two compartments. - -I have said that there was no personal property which might help to -identify him, but it is true that there was one peculiarity about this -unknown young man which was much commented upon at the time. In his -pockets were found no fewer than six valuable gold watches, three in the -various pockets of his waistcoat, one in his ticket-pocket, one in his -breast-pocket, and one small one set in a leather strap and fastened -round his left wrist. The obvious explanation that the man was a -pickpocket, and that this was his plunder, was discounted by the fact -that all six were of American make, and of a type which is rare in -England. Three of them bore the mark of the Rochester Watchmaking -Company; one was by Mason, of Elmira; one was unmarked; and the small -one, which was highly jewelled and ornamented, was from Tiffany, of New -York. The other contents of his pocket consisted of an ivory knife with -a corkscrew by Rodgers, of Sheffield; a small circular mirror, one inch -in diameter; a re-admission slip to the Lyceum theatre; a silver box -full of vesta matches, and a brown leather cigar-case containing two -cheroots—also two pounds fourteen shillings in money. It was clear, -then, that whatever motives may have led to his death, robbery was not -among them. As already mentioned, there were no markings upon the man’s -linen, which appeared to be new, and no tailor’s name upon his coat. In -appearance he was young, short, smooth-cheeked, and delicately featured. -One of his front teeth was conspicuously stopped with gold. - -On the discovery of the tragedy an examination was instantly made of the -tickets of all passengers, and the number of the passengers themselves -was counted. It was found that only three tickets were unaccounted for, -corresponding to the three travellers who were missing. The express was -then allowed to proceed, but a new guard was sent with it, and John -Palmer was detained as a witness at Rugby. The carriage which included -the two compartments in question was uncoupled and side-tracked. Then, -on the arrival of Inspector Vane, of Scotland Yard, and of Mr. -Henderson, a detective in the service of the railway company, an -exhaustive inquiry was made into all the circumstances. - -That crime had been committed was certain. The bullet, which appeared to -have come from a small pistol or revolver, had been fired from some -little distance, as there was no scorching of the clothes. No weapon was -found in the compartment (which finally disposed of the theory of -suicide), nor was there any sign of the brown leather bag which the -guard had seen in the hand of the tall gentleman. A lady’s parasol was -found upon the rack, but no other trace was to be seen of the travellers -in either of the sections. Apart from the crime, the question of how or -why three passengers (one of them a lady) could get out of the train, -and one other get in during the unbroken run between Willesden and -Rugby, was one which excited the utmost curiosity among the general -public, and gave rise to much speculation in the London Press. - -John Palmer, the guard, was able at the inquest to give some evidence -which threw a little light upon the matter. There was a spot between -Tring and Cheddington, according to his statement, where, on account of -some repairs to the line, the train had for a few minutes slowed down to -a pace not exceeding eight or ten miles an hour. At that place it might -be possible for a man, or even for an exceptionally active woman, to -have left the train without serious injury. It was true that a gang of -platelayers was there, and that they had seen nothing, but it was their -custom to stand in the middle between the metals, and the open carriage -door was upon the far side, so that it was conceivable that someone -might have alighted unseen, as the darkness would by that time be -drawing in. A steep embankment would instantly screen anyone who sprang -out from the observation of the navvies. - -The guard also deposed that there was a good deal of movement upon the -platform at Willesden Junction, and that though it was certain that no -one had either joined or left the train there, it was still quite -possible that some of the passengers might have changed unseen from one -compartment to another. It was by no means uncommon for a gentleman to -finish his cigar in a smoking carriage and then to change to a clearer -atmosphere. Supposing that the man with the black beard had done so at -Willesden (and the half-smoked cigar upon the floor seemed to favour the -supposition), he would naturally go into the nearest section, which -would bring him into the company of the two other actors in this drama. -Thus the first stage of the affair might be surmised without any great -breach of probability. But what the second stage had been, or how the -final one had been arrived at, neither the guard nor the experienced -detective officers could suggest. - - A careful examination of the line between Willesden and Rugby resulted -in one discovery which might or might not have a bearing upon the -tragedy. Near Tring, at the very place where the train slowed down, -there was found at the bottom of the embankment a small pocket -Testament, very shabby and worn. It was printed by the Bible Society of -London, and bore an inscription: “From John to Alice. Jan. 13th, 1856,” -upon the fly-leaf. Underneath was written: “James, July 4th, 1859,” and -beneath that again: “Edward. Nov. 1st, 1869,” all the entries being in -the same handwriting. This was the only clue, if it could be called a -clue, which the police obtained, and the coroner’s verdict of “Murder by -a person or persons unknown” was the unsatisfactory ending of a singular -case. Advertisement, rewards, and inquiries proved equally fruitless, -and nothing could be found which was solid enough to form the basis for -a profitable investigation. - - It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that no theories were -formed to account for the facts. On the contrary, the Press, both in -England and in America, teemed with suggestions and suppositions, most -of which were obviously absurd. The fact that the watches were of -American make, and some peculiarities in connection with the gold -stopping of his front tooth, appeared to indicate that the deceased was -a citizen of the United States, though his linen, clothes, and boots -were undoubtedly of British manufacture. It was surmised, by some, that -he was concealed under the seat, and that, being discovered, he was for -some reason, possibly because he had overheard their guilty secrets, put -to death by his fellow-passengers. When coupled with generalities as to -the ferocity and cunning of anarchical and other secret societies, this -theory sounded as plausible as any. - - The fact that he should be without a ticket would be consistent with -the idea of concealment, and it was well known that women played a -prominent part in the Nihilistic propaganda. On the other hand, it was -clear, from the guard’s statement, that the man must have been hidden -there _before_ the others arrived, and how unlikely the coincidence that -conspirators should stray exactly into the very compartment in which a -spy was already concealed! Besides, this explanation ignored the man in -the smoking carriage, and gave no reason at all for his simultaneous -disappearance. The police had little difficulty in showing that such a -theory would not cover the facts, but they were unprepared in the -absence of evidence to advance any alternative explanation. - - There was a letter in the _Daily Gazette_, over the signature of a -well-known criminal investigator, which gave rise to considerable -discussion at the time. He had formed a hypothesis which had at least -ingenuity to recommend it, and I cannot do better than append it in his -own words. - - “Whatever may be the truth,” said he, “it must depend upon some -bizarre and rare combination of events, so we need have no hesitation in -postulating such events in our explanation. In the absence of data we -must abandon the analytic or scientific method of investigation, and -must approach it in the synthetic fashion. In a word, instead of taking -known events and deducing from them what has occurred, we must build up -a fanciful explanation if it will only be consistent with known events. -We can then test this explanation by any fresh facts which may arise. If -they all fit into their places, the probability is that we are upon the -right track, and with each fresh fact this probability increases in a -geometrical progression until the evidence becomes final and convincing. - - “Now, there is one most remarkable and suggestive fact which has not -met with the attention which it deserves. There is a local train running -through Harrow and King’s Langley, which is timed in such a way that the -express must have overtaken it at or about the period when it eased down -its speed to eight miles an hour on account of the repairs of the line. -The two trains would at that time be travelling in the same direction at -a similar rate of speed and upon parallel lines. It is within everyone’s -experience how, under such circumstances, the occupant of each carriage -can see very plainly the passengers in the other carriages opposite to -him. The lamps of the express had been lit at Willesden, so that each -compartment was brightly illuminated, and most visible to an observer -from outside. - - “Now, the sequence of events as I reconstruct them would be after this -fashion. This young man with the abnormal number of watches was alone in -the carriage of the slow train. His ticket, with his papers and gloves -and other things, was, we will suppose, on the seat beside him. He was -probably an American, and also probably a man of weak intellect. The -excessive wearing of jewellery is an early symptom in some forms of -mania. - - “As he sat watching the carriages of the express which were (on -account of the state of the line) going at the same pace as himself, he -suddenly saw some people in it whom he knew. We will suppose for the -sake of our theory that these people were a woman whom he loved and a -man whom he hated—and who in return hated him. The young man was -excitable and impulsive. He opened the door of his carriage, stepped -from the footboard of the local train to the footboard of the express, -opened the other door, and made his way into the presence of these two -people. The feat (on the supposition that the trains were going at the -same pace) is by no means so perilous as it might appear. - - “Having now got our young man without his ticket into the carriage in -which the elder man and the young woman are travelling, it is not -difficult to imagine that a violent scene ensued. It is possible that -the pair were also Americans, which is the more probable as the man -carried a weapon—an unusual thing in England. If our supposition of -incipient mania is correct, the young man is likely to have assaulted -the other. As the upshot of the quarrel the elder man shot the intruder, -and then made his escape from the carriage, taking the young lady with -him. We will suppose that all this happened very rapidly, and that the -train was still going at so slow a pace that it was not difficult for -them to leave it. A woman might leave a train going at eight miles an -hour. As a matter of fact, we know that this woman _did_ do so. - - “And now we have to fit in the man in the smoking carriage. Presuming -that we have, up to this point, reconstructed the tragedy correctly, we -shall find nothing in this other man to cause us to reconsider our -conclusions. According to my theory, this man saw the young fellow cross -from one train to the other, saw him open the door, heard the -pistol-shot, saw the two fugitives spring out on to the line, realized -that murder had been done, and sprang out himself in pursuit. Why he has -never been heard of since—whether he met his own death in the pursuit, -or whether, as is more likely, he was made to realize that it was not a -case for his interference—is a detail which we have at present no means -of explaining. I acknowledge that there are some difficulties in the -way. At first sight, it might seem improbable that at such a moment a -murderer would burden himself in his flight with a brown leather bag. My -answer is that he was well aware that if the bag were found his identity -would be established. It was absolutely necessary for him to take it -with him. My theory stands or falls upon one point, and I call upon the -railway company to make strict inquiry as to whether a ticket was found -unclaimed in the local train through Harrow and King’s Langley upon the -18th of March. If such a ticket were found my case is proved. If not, my -theory may still be the correct one, for it is conceivable either that -he travelled without a ticket or that his ticket was lost.” - - To this elaborate and plausible hypothesis the answer of the police -and of the company was, first, that no such ticket was found; secondly, -that the slow train would never run parallel to the express; and, -thirdly, that the local train had been stationary in King’s Langley -Station when the express, going at fifty miles an hour, had flashed past -it. So perished the only satisfying explanation, and five years have -elapsed without supplying a new one. Now, at last, there comes a -statement which covers all the facts, and which must be regarded as -authentic. It took the shape of a letter dated from New York, and -addressed to the same criminal investigator whose theory I have quoted. -It is given here in extenso, with the exception of the two opening -paragraphs, which are personal in their nature:— - - “You’ll excuse me if I’m not very free with names. There’s less reason -now than there was five years ago when mother was still living. But for -all that, I had rather cover up our tracks all I can. But I owe you an -explanation, for if your idea of it was wrong, it was a mighty ingenious -one all the same. I’ll have to go back a little so as you may understand -all about it. - - “My people came from Bucks, England, and emigrated to the States in -the early fifties. They settled in Rochester, in the State of New York, -where my father ran a large dry goods store. There were only two sons: -myself, James, and my brother, Edward. I was ten years older than my -brother, and after my father died I sort of took the place of a father -to him, as an elder brother would. He was a bright, spirited boy, and -just one of the most beautiful creatures that ever lived. But there was -always a soft spot in him, and it was like mould in cheese, for it -spread and spread, and nothing that you could do would stop it. Mother -saw it just as clearly as I did, but she went on spoiling him all the -same, for he had such a way with him that you could refuse him nothing. -I did all I could to hold him in, and he hated me for my pains. - - “At last he fairly got his head, and nothing that we could do would -stop him. He got off into New York, and went rapidly from bad to worse. -At first he was only fast, and then he was criminal; and then, at the -end of a year or two, he was one of the most notorious young crooks in -the city. He had formed a friendship with Sparrow MacCoy, who was at the -head of his profession as a bunco-steerer, green goods-man, and general -rascal. They took to card-sharping, and frequented some of the best -hotels in New York. My brother was an excellent actor (he might have -made an honest name for himself if he had chosen), and he would take the -parts of a young Englishman of title, of a simple lad from the West, or -of a college undergraduate, whichever suited Sparrow MacCoy’s purpose. -And then one day he dressed himself as a girl, and he carried it off so -well, and made himself such a valuable decoy, that it was their -favourite game afterwards. They had made it right with Tammany and with -the police, so it seemed as if nothing could ever stop them, for those -were in the days before the Lexow Commission, and if you only had a -pull, you could do pretty nearly everything you wanted. - - “And nothing would have stopped them if they had only stuck to cards -and New York, but they must needs come up Rochester way, and forge a -name upon a check. It was my brother that did it, though everyone knew -that it was under the influence of Sparrow MacCoy. I bought up that -check, and a pretty sum it cost me. Then I went to my brother, laid it -before him on the table, and swore to him that I would prosecute if he -did not clear out of the country. At first he simply laughed. I could -not prosecute, he said, without breaking our mother’s heart, and he knew -that I would not do that. I made him understand, however, that our -mother’s heart was being broken in any case, and that I had set firm on -the point that I would rather see him in a Rochester gaol than in a New -York hotel. So at last he gave in, and he made me a solemn promise that -he would see Sparrow MacCoy no more, that he would go to Europe, and -that he would turn his hand to any honest trade that I helped him to -get. I took him down right away to an old family friend, Joe Willson, -who is an exporter of American watches and clocks, and I got him to give -Edward an agency in London, with a small salary and a 15 per cent. -commission on all business. His manner and appearance were so good that -he won the old man over at once, and within a week he was sent off to -London with a case full of samples. - - “It seemed to me that this business of the check had really given my -brother a fright, and that there was some chance of his settling down -into an honest line of life. My mother had spoken with him, and what she -said had touched him, for she had always been the best of mothers to -him, and he had been the great sorrow of her life. But I knew that this -man Sparrow MacCoy had a great influence over Edward, and my chance of -keeping the lad straight lay in breaking the connection between them. I -had a friend in the New York detective force, and through him I kept a -watch upon MacCoy. When within a fortnight of my brother’s sailing I -heard that MacCoy had taken a berth in the _Etruria_, I was as certain -as if he had told me that he was going over to England for the purpose -of coaxing Edward back again into the ways that he had left. In an -instant I had resolved to go also, and to put my influence against -MacCoy’s. I knew it was a losing fight, but I thought, and my mother -thought, that it was my duty. We passed the last night together in -prayer for my success, and she gave me her own Testament that my father -had given her on the day of their marriage in the Old Country, so that I -might always wear it next my heart. - - “I was a fellow-traveller, on the steamship, with Sparrow MacCoy, and -at least I had the satisfaction of spoiling his little game for the -voyage. The very first night I went into the smoking-room, and found him -at the head of a card table, with half-a-dozen young fellows who were -carrying their full purses and their empty skulls over to Europe. He was -settling down for his harvest, and a rich one it would have been. But I -soon changed all that. - - “‘Gentlemen,’ said I, ‘are you aware whom you are playing with?’ - - “‘What’s that to you? You mind your own business!’ said he, with an -oath. - - “‘Who is it, anyway?’ asked one of the dudes. - - “‘He’s Sparrow MacCoy, the most notorious cardsharper in the States.’ - - “Up he jumped with a bottle in his hand, but he remembered that he was -under the flag of the effete Old Country, where law and order run, and -Tammany has no pull. Gaol and the gallows wait for violence and murder, -and there’s no slipping out by the back door on board an ocean liner. - - “‘Prove your words, you——!’ said he. - - “‘I will!’ said I. ‘If you will turn up your right shirt-sleeve to the -shoulder, I will either prove my words or I will eat them.’ - - “He turned white and said not a word. You see, I knew something of his -ways, and I was aware that part of the mechanism which he and all such -sharpers use consists of an elastic down the arm with a clip just above -the wrist. It is by means of this clip that they withdraw from their -hands the cards which they do not want, while they substitute other -cards from another hiding-place. I reckoned on it being there, and it -was. He cursed me, slunk out of the saloon, and was hardly seen again -during the voyage. For once, at any rate, I got level with Mister -Sparrow MacCoy. - - “But he soon had his revenge upon me, for when it came to influencing -my brother he outweighed me every time. Edward had kept himself straight -in London for the first few weeks, and had done some business with his -American watches, until this villain came across his path once more. I -did my best, but the best was little enough. The next thing I heard -there had been a scandal at one of the Northumberland Avenue hotels: a -traveller had been fleeced of a large sum by two confederate -card-sharpers, and the matter was in the hands of Scotland Yard. The -first I learned of it was in the evening paper, and I was at once -certain that my brother and MacCoy were back at their old games. I -hurried at once to Edward’s lodgings. They told me that he and a tall -gentleman (whom I recognized as MacCoy) had gone off together, and that -he had left the lodgings and taken his things with him. The landlady had -heard them give several directions to the cabman, ending with Euston -Station, and she had accidentally overheard the tall gentleman saying -something about Manchester. She believed that that was their -destination. - -“A glance at the time-table showed me that the most likely train was at -five, though there was another at 4.35 which they might have caught. I -had only time to get the later one, but found no sign of them either at -the depôt or in the train. They must have gone on by the earlier one, so -I determined to follow them to Manchester and search for them in the -hotels there. One last appeal to my brother by all that he owed to my -mother might even now be the salvation of him. My nerves were -overstrung, and I lit a cigar to steady them. At that moment, just as -the train was moving off, the door of my compartment was flung open, and -there were MacCoy and my brother on the platform. - -“They were both disguised, and with good reason, for they knew that the -London police were after them. MacCoy had a great Astrakhan collar drawn -up, so that only his eyes and nose were showing. My brother was dressed -like a woman, with a black veil half down his face, but of course it did -not deceive me for an instant, nor would it have done so even if I had -not known that he had often used such a dress before. I started up, and -as I did so MacCoy recognized me. He said something, the conductor -slammed the door, and they were shown into the next compartment. I tried -to stop the train so as to follow them, but the wheels were already -moving, and it was too late. - -“When we stopped at Willesden, I instantly changed my carriage. It -appears that I was not seen to do so, which is not surprising, as the -station was crowded with people. MacCoy, of course, was expecting me, -and he had spent the time between Euston and Willesden in saying all he -could to harden my brother’s heart and set him against me. That is what -I fancy, for I had never found him so impossible to soften or to move. I -tried this way and I tried that; I pictured his future in an English -gaol; I described the sorrow of his mother when I came back with the -news; I said everything to touch his heart, but all to no purpose. He -sat there with a fixed sneer upon his handsome face, while every now and -then Sparrow MacCoy would throw in a taunt at me, or some word of -encouragement to hold my brother to his resolutions. - -“‘Why don’t you run a Sunday-school?’ he would say to me, and then, in -the same breath: ‘He thinks you have no will of your own. He thinks you -are just the baby brother and that he can lead you where he likes. He’s -only just finding out that you are a man as well as he.’ - -“It was those words of his which set me talking bitterly. We had left -Willesden, you understand, for all this took some time. My temper got -the better of me, and for the first time in my life I let my brother see -the rough side of me. Perhaps it would have been better had I done so -earlier and more often. - -“‘A man!’ said I. ‘Well, I’m glad to have your friend’s assurance of it, -for no one would suspect it to see you like a boarding-school missy. I -don’t suppose in all this country there is a more contemptible-looking -creature than you are as you sit there with that Dolly pinafore upon -you.’ He coloured up at that, for he was a vain man, and he winced from -ridicule. - -“‘It’s only a dust-cloak,’ said he, and he slipped it off. ‘One has to -throw the coppers off one’s scent, and I had no other way to do it.’ He -took his toque off with the veil attached, and he put both it and the -cloak into his brown bag. ‘Anyway, I don’t need to wear it until the -conductor comes round,’ said he. - -“‘Nor then, either,’ said I, and taking the bag I slung it with all my -force out of the window. ‘Now,’ said I, ‘you’ll never make a Mary Jane -of yourself while I can help it. If nothing but that disguise stands -between you and a gaol, then to gaol you shall go.’ - -“That was the way to manage him. I felt my advantage at once. His supple -nature was one which yielded to roughness far more readily than to -entreaty. He flushed with shame, and his eyes filled with tears. But -MacCoy saw my advantage also, and was determined that I should not -pursue it. - -“‘He’s my pard, and you shall not bully him,’ he cried. - -“‘He’s my brother, and you shall not ruin him,’ said I. ‘I believe a -spell of prison is the very best way of keeping you apart, and you shall -have it, or it will be no fault of mine.’ - -“‘Oh, you would squeal, would you?’ he cried, and in an instant he -whipped out his revolver. I sprang for his hand, but saw that I was too -late, and jumped aside. At the same instant he fired, and the bullet -which would have struck me passed through the heart of my unfortunate -brother. - -“He dropped without a groan upon the floor of the compartment, and -MacCoy and I, equally horrified, knelt at each side of him, trying to -bring back some signs of life. MacCoy still held the loaded revolver in -his hand, but his anger against me and my resentment towards him had -both for the moment been swallowed up in this sudden tragedy. It was he -who first realized the situation. The train was for some reason going -very slowly at the moment, and he saw his opportunity for escape. In an -instant he had the door open, but I was as quick as he, and jumping upon -him the two of us fell off the footboard and rolled in each other’s arms -down a steep embankment. At the bottom I struck my head against a stone, -and I remembered nothing more. When I came to myself I was lying among -some low bushes, not far from the railroad track, and somebody was -bathing my head with a wet handkerchief. It was Sparrow MacCoy. - -“‘I guess I couldn’t leave you,’ said he. ‘I didn’t want to have the -blood of two of you on my hands in one day. You loved your brother, I’ve -no doubt; but you didn’t love him a cent more than I loved him, though -you’ll say that I took a queer way to show it. Anyhow, it seems a mighty -empty world now that he is gone, and I don’t care a continental whether -you give me over to the hangman or not.’ - -“He had turned his ankle in the fall, and there we sat, he with his -useless foot, and I with my throbbing head, and we talked and talked -until gradually my bitterness began to soften and to turn into something -like sympathy. What was the use of revenging his death upon a man who -was as much stricken by that death as I was? And then, as my wits -gradually returned, I began to realize also that I could do nothing -against MacCoy which would not recoil upon my mother and myself. How -could we convict him without a full account of my brother’s career being -made public—the very thing which of all others we wished to avoid? It -was really as much our interest as his to cover the matter up, and from -being an avenger of crime I found myself changed to a conspirator -against Justice. The place in which we found ourselves was one of those -pheasant preserves which are so common in the Old Country, and as we -groped our way through it I found myself consulting the slayer of my -brother as to how far it would be possible to hush it up. - -“I soon realized from what he said that unless there were some papers of -which we knew nothing in my brother’s pockets, there was really no -possible means by which the police could identify him or learn how he -had got there. His ticket was in MacCoy’s pocket, and so was the ticket -for some baggage which they had left at the depôt. Like most Americans, -he had found it cheaper and easier to buy an outfit in London than to -bring one from New York, so that all his linen and clothes were new and -unmarked. The bag, containing the dust cloak, which I had thrown out of -the window, may have fallen among some bramble patch where it is still -concealed, or may have been carried off by some tramp, or may have come -into the possession of the police, who kept the incident to themselves. -Anyhow, I have seen nothing about it in the London papers. As to the -watches, they were a selection from those which had been intrusted to -him for business purposes. It may have been for the same business -purposes that he was taking them to Manchester, but—well, it’s too late -to enter into that. - -“I don’t blame the police for being at fault. I don’t see how it could -have been otherwise. There was just one little clew that they might have -followed up, but it was a small one. I mean that small circular mirror -which was found in my brother’s pocket. It isn’t a very common thing for -a young man to carry about with him, is it? But a gambler might have -told you what such a mirror may mean to a cardsharper. If you sit back a -little from the table, and lay the mirror, face upwards, upon your lap, -you can see, as you deal, every card that you give to your adversary. It -is not hard to say whether you see a man or raise him when you know his -cards as well as your own. It was as much a part of a sharper’s outfit -as the elastic clip upon Sparrow MacCoy’s arm. Taking that, in -connection with the recent frauds at the hotels, the police might have -got hold of one end of the string. - -“I don’t think there is much more for me to explain. We got to a village -called Amersham that night in the character of two gentlemen upon a -walking tour, and afterwards we made our way quietly to London, whence -MacCoy went on to Cairo and I returned to New York. My mother died six -months afterwards, and I am glad to say that to the day of her death she -never knew what happened. She was always under the delusion that Edward -was earning an honest living in London, and I never had the heart to -tell her the truth. He never wrote; but, then, he never did write at any -time, so that made no difference. His name was the last upon her lips. - -“There’s just one other thing that I have to ask you, sir, and I should -take it as a kind return for all this explanation, if you could do it -for me. You remember that Testament that was picked up. I always carried -it in my inside pocket, and it must have come out in my fall. I value it -very highly, for it was the family book with my birth and my brother’s -marked by my father in the beginning of it. I wish you would apply at -the proper place and have it sent to me. It can be of no possible value -to any one else. If you address it to X, Bassano’s Library, Broadway, -New York, it is sure to come to hand.” - - - - - THE POT OF CAVIARE - - -It was the fourth day of the siege. Ammunition and provisions were both -nearing an end. When the Boxer insurrection had suddenly flamed up, and -roared, like a fire in dry grass, across Northern China, the few -scattered Europeans in the outlying provinces had huddled together at -the nearest defensible post and had held on for dear life until rescue -came—or until it did not. In the latter case, the less said about their -fate the better. In the former, they came back into the world of men -with that upon their faces which told that they had looked very closely -upon such an end as would ever haunt their dreams. - -Ichau was only fifty miles from the coast, and there was a European -squadron in the Gulf of Liantong. Therefore the absurd little garrison, -consisting of native Christians and railway men, with a German officer -to command them and five civilian Europeans to support him, held on -bravely with the conviction that help must soon come sweeping down to -them from the low hills to eastward. The sea was visible from those -hills, and on the sea were their armed countrymen. Surely, then, they -could not feel deserted. With brave hearts they manned the loopholes in -the crumbling brick walls outlining the tiny European quarter, and they -fired away briskly, if ineffectively, at the rapidly advancing sangars -of the Boxers. It was certain that in another day or so they would be at -the end of their resources, but then it was equally certain that in -another day or so they must be relieved. It might be a little sooner or -it might be a little later, but there was no one who ever ventured to -hint that the relief would not arrive in time to pluck them out of the -fire. Up to Tuesday night there was no word of discouragement. - -It was true that on the Wednesday their robust faith in what was going -forward behind those eastern hills had weakened a little. The grey -slopes lay bare and unresponsive while the deadly sangars pushed ever -nearer, so near that the dreadful faces which shrieked imprecations at -them from time to time over the top could be seen in every hideous -feature. There was not so much of that now since young Ainslie, of the -Diplomatic service, with his neat little .303 sporting rifle, had -settled down in the squat church tower, and had devoted his days to -abating the nuisance. But a silent sangar is an even more impressive -thing than a clamorous one, and steadily, irresistibly, inevitably, the -lines of brick and rubble drew closer. Soon they would be so near that -one rush would assuredly carry the frantic swordsmen over the frail -entrenchment. It all seemed very black upon the Wednesday evening. -Colonel Dresler, the German ex-infantry soldier, went about with an -imperturbable face, but a heart of lead. Ralston, of the railway, was up -half the night writing farewell letters. Professor Mercer, the old -entomologist, was even more silent and grimly thoughtful than ever. -Ainslie had lost some of his flippancy. On the whole, the ladies—Miss -Sinclair, the nurse of the Scotch Mission, Mrs. Patterson, and her -pretty daughter Jessie, were the most composed of the party. Father -Pierre of the French Mission, was also unaffected, as was natural to one -who regarded martyrdom as a glorious crown. The Boxers yelling for his -blood beyond the walls disturbed him less than his forced association -with the sturdy Scotch Presbyterian presence of Mr. Patterson, with whom -for ten years he had wrangled over the souls of the natives. They passed -each other now in the corridors as dog passes cat, and each kept a -watchful eye upon the other lest even in the trenches he might filch -some sheep from the rival fold, whispering heresy in his ear. - -But the Wednesday night passed without a crisis, and on the Thursday all -was bright once more. It was Ainslie up in the clock tower who had first -heard the distant thud of a gun. Then Dresler heard it, and within half -an hour it was audible to all—that strong iron voice, calling to them -from afar and bidding them to be of good cheer, since help was coming. -It was clear that the landing party from the squadron was well on its -way. It would not arrive an hour too soon. The cartridges were nearly -finished. Their half-rations of food would soon dwindle to an even more -pitiful supply. But what need to worry about that now that relief was -assured? There would be no attack that day, as most of the Boxers could -be seen streaming off in the direction of the distant firing, and the -long lines of sangars were silent and deserted. They were all able, -therefore, to assemble at the lunch-table, a merry, talkative party, -full of that joy of living which sparkles most brightly under the -imminent shadow of death. - - “The pot of caviare!” cried Ainslie. “Come, Professor, out with the -pot of caviare!” - - “Potz-tausend! yes,” grunted old Dresler. “It is certainly time that -we had that famous pot.” - - The ladies joined in, and from all parts of the long, ill-furnished -table there came the demand for caviare. - - It was a strange time to ask for such a delicacy, but the reason is -soon told. Professor Mercer, the old Californian entomologist, had -received a jar of caviare in a hamper of goods from San Francisco, -arriving a day or two before the outbreak. In the general pooling and -distribution of provisions this one dainty and three bottles of Lachryma -Christi from the same hamper had been excepted and set aside. By common -consent they were to be reserved for the final joyous meal when the end -of their peril should be in sight. Even as they sat the thud-thud of the -relieving guns came to their ears—more luxurious music to their lunch -than the most sybaritic restaurant of London could have supplied. Before -evening the relief would certainly be there. Why, then, should their -stale bread not be glorified by the treasured caviare? - - But the Professor shook his gnarled old head and smiled his -inscrutable smile. - - “Better wait,” said he. - - “Wait! Why wait?” cried the company. - - “They have still far to come,” he answered. - -“They will be here for supper at the latest,” said Ralston, of the -railway—a keen, birdlike man, with bright eyes and long, projecting -nose. “They cannot be more than ten miles from us now. If they only did -two miles an hour it would make them due at seven.” - -“There is a battle on the way,” remarked the Colonel. “You will grant -two hours or three hours for the battle.” - -“Not half an hour,” cried Ainslie. “They will walk through them as if -they were not there. What can these rascals with their matchlocks and -swords do against modern weapons?” - -“It depends on who leads the column of relief,” said Dresler. “If they -are fortunate enough to have a German officer——” - -“An Englishman for my money!” cried Ralston. - -“The French commodore is said to be an excellent strategist,” remarked -Father Pierre. - -“I don’t see that it matters a toss,” cried the exuberant Ainslie. “Mr. -Mauser and Mr. Maxim are the two men who will see us through, and with -them on our side no leader can go wrong. I tell you they will just brush -them aside and walk through them. So now, Professor, come on with that -pot of caviare!” - - But the old scientist was unconvinced. - -“We shall reserve it for supper,” said he. - -“After all,” said Mr. Patterson, in his slow, precise Scottish -intonation, “it will be a courtesy to our guests—the officers of the -relief—if we have some palatable food to lay before them. I’m in -agreement with the Professor that we reserve the caviare for supper.” - -The argument appealed to their sense of hospitality. There was something -pleasantly chivalrous, too, in the idea of keeping their one little -delicacy to give a savour to the meal of their preservers. There was no -more talk of the caviare. - -“By the way, Professor,” said Mr. Patterson, “I’ve only heard to-day -that this is the second time that you have been besieged in this way. -I’m sure we should all be very interested to hear some details of your -previous experience.” - -The old man’s face set very grimly. - -“I was in Sung-tong, in South China, in ‘eighty-nine,” said he. - -“It’s a very extraordinary coincidence that you should twice have been -in such a perilous situation,” said the missionary. “Tell us how you -were relieved at Sung-tong.” - -The shadow deepened upon the weary face. - -“We were not relieved,” said he. - -“What! the place fell?” - -“Yes, it fell.” - -“And you came through alive?” - -“I am a doctor as well as an entomologist. They had many wounded; they -spared me.” - -“And the rest?” - -“Assez! assez!” cried the little French priest, raising his hand in -protest. He had been twenty years in China. The professor had said -nothing, but there was something, some lurking horror, in his dull, grey -eyes which had turned the ladies pale. - -“I am sorry,” said the missionary. “I can see that it is a painful -subject. I should not have asked.” - -“No,” the Professor answered, slowly. “It is wiser not to ask. It is -better not to speak about such things at all. But surely those guns are -very much nearer?” - -There could be no doubt of it. After a silence the thud-thud had -recommenced with a lively ripple of rifle-fire playing all round that -deep bass master-note. It must be just at the farther side of the -nearest hill. They pushed back their chairs and ran out to the ramparts. -The silent-footed native servants came in and cleared the scanty remains -from the table. But after they had left, the old Professor sat on there, -his massive, grey-crowned head leaning upon his hands and the same -pensive look of horror in his eyes. Some ghosts may be laid for years, -but when they do rise it is not so easy to drive them back to their -slumbers. The guns had ceased outside, but he had not observed it, lost -as he was in the one supreme and terrible memory of his life. - -His thoughts were interrupted at last by the entrance of the Commandant. -There was a complacent smile upon his broad German face. - -“The Kaiser will be pleased,” said he, rubbing his hands. “Yes, -certainly it should mean a decoration. ‘Defence of Ichau against the -Boxers by Colonel Dresler, late Major of the 114th Hanoverian Infantry. -Splendid resistance of small garrison against overwhelming odds.’ It -will certainly appear in the Berlin papers.” - -“Then you think we are saved?” said the old man, with neither emotion -nor exultation in his voice. - -The Colonel smiled. - -“Why, Professor,” said he, “I have seen you more excited on the morning -when you brought back _Lepidus Mercerensis_ in your collecting-box.” - -“The fly was safe in my collecting-box first,” the entomologist -answered. “I have seen so many strange turns of Fate in my long life -that I do not grieve nor do I rejoice until I know that I have cause. -But tell me the news.” - -“Well,” said the Colonel, lighting his long pipe, and stretching his -gaitered legs in the bamboo chair, “I’ll stake my military reputation -that all is well. They are advancing swiftly, the firing has died down -to show that resistance is at an end, and within an hour we’ll see them -over the brow. Ainslie is to fire his gun three times from the church -tower as a signal, and then we shall make a little sally on our own -account.” - -“And you are waiting for this signal?” - -“Yes, we are waiting for Ainslie’s shots. I thought I would spend the -time with you, for I had something to ask you.” - -“What was it?” - -“Well, you remember your talk about the other siege—the siege of -Sung-tong. It interests me very much from a professional point of view. -Now that the ladies and civilians are gone you will have no objection to -discussing it.” - -“It is not a pleasant subject.” - -“No, I dare say not. Mein Gott! it was indeed a tragedy. But you have -seen how I have conducted the defence here. Was it wise? Was it good? -Was it worthy of the traditions of the German army?” - -“I think you could have done no more.” - -“Thank you. But this other place, was it as ably defended? To me a -comparison of this sort is very interesting. Could it have been saved?” - -“No; everything possible was done—save only one thing.” - -“Ah! there was one omission. What was it?” - -“No one—above all, no woman—should have been allowed to fall alive into -the hands of the Chinese.” - -The Colonel held out his broad red hand and enfolded the long, white, -nervous fingers of the Professor. - -“You are right—a thousand times right. But do not think that this has -escaped my thoughts. For myself I would die fighting, so would Ralston, -so would Ainslie. I have talked to them, and it is settled. But the -others, I have spoken with them, but what are you to do? There are the -priest, and the missionary, and the women.” - -“Would they wish to be taken alive?” - -“They would not promise to take steps to prevent it. They would not lay -hands on their own lives. Their consciences would not permit it. Of -course, it is all over now, and we need not speak of such dreadful -things. But what would you have done in my place?” - -“Kill them.” - -“Mein Gott! You would murder them?” - -“In mercy I would kill them. Man, I have been through it. I have seen -the death of the hot eggs; I have seen the death of the boiling kettle; -I have seen the women—my God! I wonder that I have ever slept sound -again.” His usually impassive face was working and quivering with the -agony of the remembrance. “I was strapped to a stake with thorns in my -eyelids to keep them open, and my grief at their torture was a less -thing than my self-reproach when I thought that I could with one tube of -tasteless tablets have snatched them at the last instant from the hands -of their tormentors. Murder! I am ready to stand at the Divine bar and -answer for a thousand murders such as that! Sin! Why, it is such an act -as might well cleanse the stain of real sin from the soul. But if, -knowing what I do, I should have failed this second time to do it, then, -by Heaven! there is no hell deep enough or hot enough to receive my -guilty craven spirit.” - -The Colonel rose, and again his hand clasped that of the Professor. - -“You speak sense,” said he. “You are a brave, strong man, who know your -own mind. Yes, by the Lord! you would have been my great help had things -gone the other way. I have often thought and wondered in the dark, early -hours of the morning, but I did not know how to do it. But we should -have heard Ainslie’s shots before now; I will go and see.” - -Again the old scientist sat alone with his thoughts. Finally, as neither -the guns of the relieving force nor yet the signal of their approach -sounded upon his ears, he rose, and was about to go himself upon the -ramparts to make inquiry when the door flew open, and Colonel Dresler -staggered into the room. His face was of a ghastly yellow-white, and his -chest heaved like that of a man exhausted with running. There was brandy -on the side-table, and he gulped down a glassful. Then he dropped -heavily into a chair. - -“Well,” said the Professor, coldly, “they are not coming?” - -“No, they cannot come.” - -There was silence for a minute or more, the two men staring blankly at -each other. - -“Do they all know?” - -“No one knows but me.” - -“How did you learn?” - -“I was at the wall near the postern gate—the little wooden gate that -opens on the rose garden. I saw something crawling among the bushes. -There was a knocking at the door. I opened it. It was a Christian -Tartar, badly cut about with swords. He had come from the battle. -Commodore Wyndham, the Englishman, had sent him. The relieving force had -been checked. They had shot away most of their ammunition. They had -entrenched themselves and sent back to the ships for more. Three days -must pass before they could come. That was all. Mein Gott! it was -enough.” - -The Professor bent his shaggy grey brows. - -“Where is the man?” he asked. - -“He is dead. He died of loss of blood. His body lies at the postern -gate.” - -“And no one saw him?” - -“Not to speak to.” - -“Oh! they did see him, then?” - -“Ainslie must have seen him from the church tower. He must know that I -have had tidings. He will want to know what they are. If I tell him they -must all know.” - -“How long can we hold out?” - -“An hour or two at the most.” - -“Is that absolutely certain?” - -“I pledge my credit as a soldier upon it.” - -“Then we must fall?” - -“Yes, we must fall.” - -“There is no hope for us?” - -“None.” - -The door flew open and young Ainslie rushed in. Behind him crowded -Ralston, Patterson, and a crowd of white men and of native Christians. - -“You’ve had news, Colonel?” - -Professor Mercer pushed to the front. - -“Colonel Dresler has just been telling me. It is all right. They have -halted, but will be here in the early morning. There is no longer any -danger.” - -A cheer broke from the group in the doorway. Everyone was laughing and -shaking hands. - -“But suppose they rush us before to-morrow morning?” cried Ralston, in a -petulant voice. “What infernal fools these fellows are not to push on! -Lazy devils, they should be court-martialled, every man of them.” - -“It’s all safe,” said Ainslie. “These fellows have had a bad knock. We -can see their wounded being carried by the hundred over the hill. They -must have lost heavily. They won’t attack before morning.” - -“No, no,” said the Colonel; “it is certain that they won’t attack before -morning. None the less, get back to your posts. We must give no point -away.” He left the room with the rest, but as he did so he looked back, -and his eyes for an instant met those of the old Professor. “I leave it -in your hands,” was the message which he flashed. A stern set smile was -his answer. - - * * * * * - -The afternoon wore away without the Boxers making their last attack. To -Colonel Dresler it was clear that the unwonted stillness meant only that -they were reassembling their forces from their fight with the relief -column, and were gathering themselves for the inevitable and final rush. -To all the others it appeared that the siege was indeed over, and that -the assailants had been crippled by the losses which they had already -sustained. It was a joyous and noisy party, therefore, which met at the -supper-table, when the three bottles of Lachryma Christi were uncorked -and the famous port of caviare was finally opened. It was a large jar, -and, though each had a tablespoonful of the delicacy, it was by no means -exhausted. Ralston, who was an epicure, had a double allowance. He -pecked away at it like a hungry bird. Ainslie, too, had a second -helping. The Professor took a large spoonful himself, and Colonel -Dresler, watching him narrowly, did the same. The ladies ate freely, -save only pretty Miss Patterson, who disliked the salty, pungent taste. -In spite of the hospitable entreaties of the Professor, her portion lay -hardly touched at the side of her plate. - -“You don’t like my little delicacy. It is a disappointment to me when I -had kept it for your pleasure,” said the old man. “I beg that you will -eat the caviare.” - -“I have never tasted it before. No doubt I should like it in time.” - -“Well, you must make a beginning. Why not start to educate your taste -now? Do, please!” - -Pretty Jessie Patterson’s bright face shone with her sunny, boyish -smile. - -“Why, how earnest you are!” she laughed. “I had no idea you were so -polite, Professor Mercer. Even if I do not eat it I am just as -grateful.” - -“You are foolish not to eat it,” said the Professor, with such intensity -that the smile died from her face and her eyes reflected the earnestness -of his own. “I tell you it is foolish not to eat caviare to-night.” - -“But why—why?” she asked. - -“Because you have it on your plate. Because it is sinful to waste it.” - -“There! there!” said stout Mrs. Patterson, leaning across. “Don’t -trouble her any more. I can see that she does not like it. But it shall -not be wasted.” She passed the blade of her knife under it, and scraped -it from Jessie’s plate on to her own. “Now it won’t be wasted. Your mind -will be at ease, Professor.” - -But it did not seem at ease. On the contrary, his face was agitated like -that of a man who encounters an unexpected and formidable obstacle. He -was lost in thought. - -The conversation buzzed cheerily. Everyone was full of his future plans. - -“No, no, there is no holiday for me,” said Father Pierre. “We priests -don’t get holidays. Now that the mission and school are formed I am to -leave it to Father Amiel, and to push westwards to found another.” - -“You are leaving?” said Mr. Patterson. “You don’t mean that you are -going away from Ichau?” - -Father Pierre shook his venerable head in waggish reproof. “You must not -look so pleased, Mr. Patterson.” - -“Well, well, our views are very different,” said the Presbyterian, “but -there is no personal feeling towards you, Father Pierre. At the same -time, how any reasonable educated man at this time of the world’s -history can teach these poor benighted heathen that——” - -A general buzz of remonstrance silenced the theology. - -“What will you do yourself, Mr. Patterson?” asked someone. - -“Well, I’ll take three months in Edinburgh to attend the annual meeting. -You’ll be glad to do some shopping in Princes Street, I’m thinking, -Mary. And you, Jessie, you’ll see some folk your own age. Then we can -come back in the fall, when your nerves have had a rest.” - -“Indeed, we shall all need it,” said Miss Sinclair, the mission nurse. -“You know, this long strain takes me in the strangest way. At the -present moment I can hear such a buzzing in my ears.” - -“Well, that’s funny, for it’s just the same with me,” cried Ainslie. “An -absurd up-and-down buzzing, as if a drunken bluebottle were trying -experiments on his register. As you say, it must be due to nervous -strain. For my part I am going back to Peking, and I hope I may get some -promotion over this affair. I can get good polo here, and that’s as fine -a change of thought as I know. How about you, Ralston?” - -“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve hardly had time to think. I want to have a real -good sunny, bright holiday and forget it all. It was funny to see all -the letters in my room. It looked so black on Wednesday night that I had -settled up my affairs and written to all my friends. I don’t quite know -how they were to be delivered, but I trusted to luck. I think I will -keep those papers as a souvenir. They will always remind me of how close -a shave we have had.” - -“Yes, I would keep them,” said Dresler. - -His voice was so deep and solemn that every eye was turned upon him. - -“What is it, Colonel? You seem in the blues to-night.” It was Ainslie -who spoke. - -“No, no; I am very contented.” - -“Well, so you should be when you see success in sight. I am sure we are -all indebted to you for your science and skill. I don’t think we could -have held the place without you. Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to -drink the health of Colonel Dresler, of the Imperial German army. Er -soll leben—hoch!” - -They all stood up and raised their glasses to the soldier, with smiles -and bows. - -His pale face flushed with professional pride. - -“I have always kept my books with me. I have forgotten nothing,” said -he. “I do not think that more could be done. If things had gone wrong -with us and the place had fallen you would, I am sure, have freed me -from any blame or responsibility.” He looked wistfully round him. - -“I’m voicing the sentiments of this company, Colonel Dresler,” said the -Scotch minister, “when I say——but, Lord save us! what’s amiss with Mr. -Ralston?” - -He had dropped his face upon his folded arms and was placidly sleeping. - -“Don’t mind him,” said the Professor, hurriedly. “We are all in the -stage of reaction now. I have no doubt that we are all liable to -collapse. It is only to-night that we shall feel what we have gone -through.” - -“I’m sure I can fully sympathize with him,” said Mrs. Patterson. “I -don’t know when I have been more sleepy. I can hardly hold my own head -up.” She cuddled back in her chair and shut her eyes. - -“Well, I’ve never known Mary do that before,” cried her husband, -laughing heartily. “Gone to sleep over her supper! What ever will she -think when we tell her of it afterwards? But the air does seem hot and -heavy. I can certainly excuse any one who falls asleep to-night. I think -that I shall turn in early myself.” - -Ainslie was in a talkative, excited mood. He was on his feet once more -with his glass in his hand. - -“I think that we ought to have one drink all together, and then sing -‘Auld Lang Syne,’” said he, smiling round at the company. “For a week we -have all pulled in the same boat, and we’ve got to know each other as -people never do in the quiet days of peace. We’ve learned to appreciate -each other, and we’ve learned to appreciate each other’s nations. -There’s the Colonel here stands for Germany. And Father Pierre is for -France. Then there’s the Professor for America. Ralston and I are -Britishers. Then there’s the ladies, God bless ‘em! They have been -angels of mercy and compassion all through the siege. I think we should -drink the health of the ladies. Wonderful thing—the quiet courage, the -patience, the—what shall I say?—the fortitude, the—the—by George, look -at the Colonel! He’s gone to sleep, too—most infernal sleepy weather.” -His glass crashed down upon the table, and he sank back, mumbling and -muttering, into his seat. Miss Sinclair, the pale mission nurse, had -dropped off also. She lay like a broken lily across the arm of her -chair. Mr. Patterson looked round him and sprang to his feet. He passed -his hand over his flushed forehead. - -“This isn’t natural, Jessie,” he cried. “Why are they all asleep? -There’s Father Pierre—he’s off too. Jessie, Jessie, your mother is cold. -Is it sleep? Is it death? Open the windows! Help! help! help!” He -staggered to his feet and rushed to the windows, but midway his head -spun round, his knees sank under him, and he pitched forward upon his -face. - -The young girl had also sprung to her feet. She looked round her with -horror-stricken eyes at her prostrate father and the silent ring of -figures. - -“Professor Mercer! What is it? What is it?” she cried. “Oh, my God, they -are dying! They are dead!” - -The old man had raised himself by a supreme effort of his will, though -the darkness was already gathering thickly round him. - -“My dear young lady,” he said, stuttering and stumbling over the words, -“we would have spared you this. It would have been painless to mind and -body. It was cyanide. I had it in the caviare. But you would not have -it.” - -“Great Heaven!” She shrank away from him with dilated eyes. “Oh, you -monster! You monster! You have poisoned them!” - -“No, no! I saved them. You don’t know the Chinese. They are horrible. In -another hour we should all have been in their hands. Take it now, -child.” Even as he spoke, a burst of firing broke out under the very -windows of the room. “Hark! There they are! Quick, dear, quick, you may -cheat them yet!” But his words fell upon deaf ears, for the girl had -sunk back senseless in her chair. The old man stood listening for an -instant to the firing outside. But what was that? Merciful Father, what -was that? Was he going mad? Was it the effect of the drug? Surely it was -a European cheer? Yes, there were sharp orders in English. There was the -shouting of sailors. He could no longer doubt it. By some miracle the -relief had come after all. He threw his long arms upwards in his -despair. “What _have_ I done? Oh, good Lord, what have I done?” he -cried. - - * * * * * - -It was Commodore Wyndham himself who was the first, after his desperate -and successful night attack, to burst into that terrible supper-room. -Round the table sat the white and silent company. Only in the young girl -who moaned and faintly stirred was any sign of life to be seen. And yet -there was one in the circle who had the energy for a last supreme duty. -The Commodore, standing stupefied at the door, saw a grey head slowly -lifted from the table, and the tall form of the Professor staggered for -an instant to its feet. - -“Take care of the caviare! For God’s sake, don’t touch the caviare!” he -croaked. - -Then he sank back once more and the circle of death was complete. - - - - - THE JAPANNED BOX - - -It _was_ a curious thing, said the private tutor; one of those grotesque -and whimsical incidents which occur to one as one goes through life. I -lost the best situation which I am ever likely to have through it. But I -am glad that I went to Thorpe Place, for I gained—well, as I tell you -the story you will learn what I gained. - -I don’t know whether you are familiar with that part of the Midlands -which is drained by the Avon. It is the most English part of England. -Shakespeare, the flower of the whole race, was born right in the middle -of it. It is a land of rolling pastures, rising in higher folds to the -westward, until they swell into the Malvern Hills. There are no towns, -but numerous villages, each with its grey Norman church. You have left -the brick of the southern and eastern counties behind you, and -everything is stone—stone for the walls, and lichened slabs of stone for -the roofs. It is all grim and solid and massive, as befits the heart of -a great nation. - -It was in the middle of this country, not very far from Evesham, that -Sir John Bollamore lived in the old ancestral home of Thorpe Place, and -thither it was that I came to teach his two little sons. Sir John was a -widower—his wife had died three years before—and he had been left with -these two lads aged eight and ten, and one dear little girl of seven. -Miss Witherton, who is now my wife, was governess to this little girl. I -was tutor to the two boys. Could there be a more obvious prelude to an -engagement? She governs me now, and I tutor two little boys of our own. -But, there—I have already revealed what it was which I gained in Thorpe -Place! - -It was a very, very old house, incredibly old—pre-Norman, some of it—and -the Bollamores claimed to have lived in that situation since long before -the Conquest. It struck a chill to my heart when first I came there, -those enormously thick grey walls, the rude crumbling stones, the smell -as from a sick animal which exhaled from the rotting plaster of the aged -building. But the modern wing was bright and the garden was well kept. -No house could be dismal which had a pretty girl inside it and such a -show of roses in front. - -Apart from a very complete staff of servants there were only four of us -in the household. These were Miss Witherton, who was at that time -four-and-twenty and as pretty—well, as pretty as Mrs. Colmore is -now—myself, Frank Colmore, aged thirty, Mrs. Stevens, the housekeeper, a -dry, silent woman, and Mr. Richards, a tall, military-looking man, who -acted as steward to the Bollamore estates. We four always had our meals -together, but Sir John had his usually alone in the library. Sometimes -he joined us at dinner, but on the whole we were just as glad when he -did not. - -For he was a very formidable person. Imagine a man six feet three inches -in height, majestically built, with a high-nosed, aristocratic face, -brindled hair, shaggy eyebrows, a small, pointed Mephistophelian beard, -and lines upon his brow and round his eyes as deep as if they had been -carved with a penknife. He had grey eyes, weary, hopeless-looking eyes, -proud and yet pathetic, eyes which claimed your pity and yet dared you -to show it. His back was rounded with study, but otherwise he was as -fine a looking man of his age—five-and-fifty perhaps—as any woman would -wish to look upon. - -But his presence was not a cheerful one. He was always courteous, always -refined, but singularly silent and retiring. I have never lived so long -with any man and known so little of him. If he were indoors he spent his -time either in his own small study in the Eastern Tower, or in the -library in the modern wing. So regular was his routine that one could -always say at any hour exactly where he would be. Twice in the day he -would visit his study, once after breakfast, and once about ten at -night. You might set your watch by the slam of the heavy door. For the -rest of the day he would be in his library—save that for an hour or two -in the afternoon he would take a walk or a ride, which was solitary like -the rest of his existence. He loved his children, and was keenly -interested in the progress of their studies, but they were a little awed -by the silent, shaggy-browed figure, and they avoided him as much as -they could. Indeed, we all did that. - -It was some time before I came to know anything about the circumstances -of Sir John Bollamore’s life, for Mrs. Stevens, the housekeeper, and Mr. -Richards, the land-steward, were too loyal to talk easily of their -employer’s affairs. As to the governess, she knew no more than I did, -and our common interest was one of the causes which drew us together. At -last, however, an incident occurred which led to a closer acquaintance -with Mr. Richards and a fuller knowledge of the life of the man whom I -served. - -The immediate cause of this was no less than the falling of Master -Percy, the youngest of my pupils, into the mill-race, with imminent -danger both to his life and to mine, since I had to risk myself in order -to save him. Dripping and exhausted—for I was far more spent than the -child—I was making for my room when Sir John, who had heard the hubbub, -opened the door of his little study and asked me what was the matter. I -told him of the accident, but assured him that his child was in no -danger, while he listened with a rugged, immobile face, which expressed -in its intense eyes and tightened lips all the emotion which he tried to -conceal. - -“One moment! Step in here! Let me have the details!” said he, turning -back through the open door. - -And so I found myself within that little sanctum, inside which, as I -afterwards learned, no other foot had for three years been set save that -of the old servant who cleaned it out. It was a round room, conforming -to the shape of the tower in which it was situated, with a low ceiling, -a single narrow, ivy-wreathed window, and the simplest of furniture. An -old carpet, a single chair, a deal table, and a small shelf of books -made up the whole contents. On the table stood a full-length photograph -of a woman—I took no particular notice of the features, but I remember -that a certain gracious gentleness was the prevailing impression. Beside -it were a large black japanned box and one or two bundles of letters or -papers fastened together with elastic bands. - -Our interview was a short one, for Sir John Bollamore perceived that I -was soaked, and that I should change without delay. The incident led, -however, to an instructive talk with Richards, the agent, who had never -penetrated into the chamber which chance had opened to me. That very -afternoon he came to me, all curiosity, and walked up and down the -garden path with me, while my two charges played tennis upon the lawn -beside us. - -“You hardly realize the exception which has been made in your favour,” -said he. “That room has been kept such a mystery, and Sir John’s visits -to it have been so regular and consistent, that an almost superstitious -feeling has arisen about it in the household. I assure you that if I -were to repeat to you the tales which are flying about, tales of -mysterious visitors there, and of voices overheard by the servants, you -might suspect that Sir John had relapsed into his old ways.” - -“Why do you say relapsed?” I asked. - -He looked at me in surprise. - -“Is it possible,” said he, “that Sir John Bollamore’s previous history -is unknown to you?” - -“Absolutely.” - -“You astound me. I thought that every man in England knew something of -his antecedents. I should not mention the matter if it were not that you -are now one of ourselves, and that the facts might come to your ears in -some harsher form if I were silent upon them. I always took it for -granted that you knew that you were in the service of ‘Devil’ -Bollamore.” - -“But why ‘Devil’?” I asked. - -“Ah, you are young and the world moves fast, but twenty years ago the -name of ‘Devil’ Bollamore was one of the best known in London. He was -the leader of the fastest set, bruiser, driver, gambler, drunkard—a -survival of the old type, and as bad as the worst of them.” - -I stared at him in amazement. - -“What!” I cried, “that quiet, studious, sad-faced man?” - -“The greatest rip and debauchee in England! All between ourselves, -Colmore. But you understand now what I mean when I say that a woman’s -voice in his room might even now give rise to suspicions.” - -“But what can have changed him so?” - -“Little Beryl Clare, when she took the risk of becoming his wife. That -was the turning point. He had got so far that his own fast set had -thrown him over. There is a world of difference, you know, between a man -who drinks and a drunkard. They all drink, but they taboo a drunkard. He -had become a slave to it—hopeless and helpless. Then she stepped in, saw -the possibilities of a fine man in the wreck, took her chance in -marrying him, though she might have had the pick of a dozen, and, by -devoting her life to it, brought him back to manhood and decency. You -have observed that no liquor is ever kept in the house. There never has -been any since her foot crossed its threshold. A drop of it would be -like blood to a tiger even now.” - -“Then her influence still holds him?” - -“That is the wonder of it. When she died three years ago, we all -expected and feared that he would fall back into his old ways. She -feared it herself, and the thought gave a terror to death, for she was -like a guardian angel to that man, and lived only for the one purpose. -By the way, did you see a black japanned box in his room?” - -“Yes.” - -“I fancy it contains her letters. If ever he has occasion to be away, if -only for a single night, he invariably takes his black japanned box with -him. Well, well, Colmore, perhaps I have told you rather more than I -should, but I shall expect you to reciprocate if anything of interest -should come to your knowledge.” I could see that the worthy man was -consumed with curiosity and just a little piqued that I, the new-comer, -should have been the first to penetrate into the untrodden chamber. But -the fact raised me in his esteem, and from that time onwards I found -myself upon more confidential terms with him. - -And now the silent and majestic figure of my employer became an object -of greater interest to me. I began to understand that strangely human -look in his eyes, those deep lines upon his careworn face. He was a man -who was fighting a ceaseless battle, holding at arm’s length, from -morning till night, a horrible adversary, who was for ever trying to -close with him—an adversary which would destroy him body and soul could -it but fix its claws once more upon him. As I watched the grim, -round-backed figure pacing the corridor or walking in the garden, this -imminent danger seemed to take bodily shape, and I could almost fancy -that I saw this most loathsome and dangerous of all the fiends crouching -closely in his very shadow, like a half-cowed beast which slinks beside -its keeper, ready at any unguarded moment to spring at his throat. And -the dead woman, the woman who had spent her life in warding off this -danger, took shape also to my imagination, and I saw her as a shadowy -but beautiful presence which intervened for ever with arms uplifted to -screen the man whom she loved. - -In some subtle way he divined the sympathy which I had for him, and he -showed in his own silent fashion that he appreciated it. He even invited -me once to share his afternoon walk, and although no word passed between -us on this occasion, it was a mark of confidence which he had never -shown to any one before. He asked me also to index his library (it was -one of the best private libraries in England), and I spent many hours in -the evening in his presence, if not in his society, he reading at his -desk and I sitting in a recess by the window reducing to order the chaos -which existed among his books. In spite of these close relations I was -never again asked to enter the chamber in the turret. - -And then came my revulsion of feeling. A single incident changed all my -sympathy to loathing, and made me realize that my employer still -remained all that he had ever been, with the additional vice of -hypocrisy. What happened was as follows. - -One evening Miss Witherton had gone down to Broadway, the neighbouring -village, to sing at a concert for some charity, and I, according to my -promise, had walked over to escort her back. The drive sweeps round -under the eastern turret, and I observed as I passed that the light was -lit in the circular room. It was a summer evening, and the window, which -was a little higher than our heads, was open. We were, as it happened, -engrossed in our own conversation at the moment, and we had paused upon -the lawn which skirts the old turret, when suddenly something broke in -upon our talk and turned our thoughts away from our own affairs. - -It was a voice—the voice undoubtedly of a woman. It was low—so low that -it was only in that still night air that we could have heard it, but, -hushed as it was, there was no mistaking its feminine timbre. It spoke -hurriedly, gaspingly for a few sentences, and then was silent—a piteous, -breathless, imploring sort of voice. Miss Witherton and I stood for an -instant staring at each other. Then we walked quickly in the direction -of the hall-door. - -“It came through the window,” I said. - -“We must not play the part of eavesdroppers,” she answered. “We must -forget that we have ever heard it.” - -There was an absence of surprise in her manner which suggested a new -idea to me. - -“You have heard it before,” I cried. - -“I could not help it. My own room is higher up on the same turret. It -has happened frequently.” - -“Who can the woman be?” - -“I have no idea. I had rather not discuss it.” - -Her voice was enough to show me what she thought. But granting that our -employer led a double and dubious life, who could she be, this -mysterious woman who kept him company in the old tower? I knew from my -own inspection how bleak and bare a room it was. She certainly did not -live there. But in that case where did she come from? It could not be -any one of the household. They were all under the vigilant eyes of Mrs. -Stevens. The visitor must come from without. But how? - -And then suddenly I remembered how ancient this building was, and how -probable that some mediæval passage existed in it. There is hardly an -old castle without one. The mysterious room was the basement of the -turret, so that if there were anything of the sort it would open through -the floor. There were numerous cottages in the immediate vicinity. The -other end of the secret passage might lie among some tangle of bramble -in the neighbouring copse. I said nothing to any one, but I felt that -the secret of my employer lay within my power. - -And the more convinced I was of this the more I marvelled at the manner -in which he concealed his true nature. Often as I watched his austere -figure, I asked myself if it were indeed possible that such a man should -be living this double life, and I tried to persuade myself that my -suspicions might after all prove to be ill-founded. But there was the -female voice, there was the secret nightly rendezvous in the turret -chamber—how could such facts admit of an innocent interpretation? I -conceived a horror of the man. I was filled with loathing at his deep, -consistent hypocrisy. - -Only once during all those months did I ever see him without that sad -but impassive mask which he usually presented towards his fellow-man. -For an instant I caught a glimpse of those volcanic fires which he had -damped down so long. The occasion was an unworthy one, for the object of -his wrath was none other than the aged charwoman whom I have already -mentioned as being the one person who was allowed within his mysterious -chamber. I was passing the corridor which led to the turret—for my own -room lay in that direction—when I heard a sudden, startled scream, and -merged in it the husky, growling note of a man who is inarticulate with -passion. It was the snarl of a furious wild beast. Then I heard his -voice thrilling with anger. “You would dare!” he cried. “You would dare -to disobey my directions!” An instant later the charwoman passed me, -flying down the passage, white faced and tremulous, while the terrible -voice thundered behind her. “Go to Mrs. Stevens for your money! Never -set foot in Thorpe Place again!” Consumed with curiosity, I could not -help following the woman, and found her round the corner leaning against -the wall and palpitating like a frightened rabbit. - -“What is the matter, Mrs. Brown?” I asked. - -“It’s master!” she gasped. “Oh ‘ow ‘e frightened me! If you had seen ‘is -eyes, Mr. Colmore, sir. I thought ‘e would ‘ave been the death of me.” - -“But what had you done?” - -“Done, sir! Nothing. At least nothing to make so much of. Just laid my -‘and on that black box of ‘is—‘adn’t even opened it, when in ‘e came and -you ‘eard the way ‘e went on. I’ve lost my place, and glad I am of it, -for I would never trust myself within reach of ‘im again.” - -So it was the japanned box which was the cause of this outburst—the box -from which he would never permit himself to be separated. What was the -connection, or was there any connection between this and the secret -visits of the lady whose voice I had overheard? Sir John Bollamore’s -wrath was enduring as well as fiery, for from that day Mrs. Brown, the -charwoman, vanished from our ken, and Thorpe Place knew her no more. - -And now I wish to tell you the singular chance which solved all these -strange questions and put my employer’s secret in my possession. The -story may leave you with some lingering doubt as to whether my curiosity -did not get the better of my honour, and whether I did not condescend to -play the spy. If you choose to think so I cannot help it, but can only -assure you that, improbable as it may appear, the matter came about -exactly as I describe it. - -The first stage in this _dénouement_ was that the small room on the -turret became uninhabitable. This occurred through the fall of the -worm-eaten oaken beam which supported the ceiling. Rotten with age, it -snapped in the middle one morning, and brought down a quantity of -plaster with it. Fortunately Sir John was not in the room at the time. -His precious box was rescued from amongst the _débris_ and brought into -the library, where, henceforward, it was locked within his bureau. Sir -John took no steps to repair the damage, and I never had an opportunity -of searching for that secret passage, the existence of which I had -surmised. As to the lady, I had thought that this would have brought her -visits to an end, had I not one evening heard Mr. Richards asking Mrs. -Stevens who the woman was whom he had overheard talking to Sir John in -the library. I could not catch her reply, but I saw from her manner that -it was not the first time that she had had to answer or avoid the same -question. - -“You’ve heard the voice, Colmore?” said the agent. - -I confessed that I had. - -“And what do _you_ think of it?” - -I shrugged my shoulders, and remarked that it was no business of mine. - -“Come, come, you are just as curious as any of us. Is it a woman or -not?” - -“It is certainly a woman.” - -“Which room did you hear it from?” - -“From the turret-room, before the ceiling fell.” - -“But I heard it from the library only last night. I passed the doors as -I was going to bed, and I heard something wailing and praying just as -plainly as I hear you. It may be a woman——” - -“Why, what else _could_ it be?” - -He looked at me hard. - -“There are more things in heaven and earth,” said he. “If it is a woman, -how does she get there?” - -“I don’t know.” - -“No, nor I. But if it is the other thing—but there, for a practical -business man at the end of the nineteenth century this is rather a -ridiculous line of conversation.” He turned away, but I saw that he felt -even more than he had said. To all the old ghost stories of Thorpe Place -a new one was being added before our very eyes. It may by this time have -taken its permanent place, for though an explanation came to me, it -never reached the others. - -And my explanation came in this way. I had suffered a sleepless night -from neuralgia, and about mid-day I had taken a heavy dose of chlorodyne -to alleviate the pain. At that time I was finishing the indexing of Sir -John Bollamore’s library, and it was my custom to work there from five -till seven. On this particular day I struggled against the double effect -of my bad night and the narcotic. I have already mentioned that there -was a recess in the library, and in this it was my habit to work. I -settled down steadily to my task, but my weariness overcame me and, -falling back upon the settee, I dropped into a heavy sleep. - -How long I slept I do not know, but it was quite dark when I awoke. -Confused by the chlorodyne which I had taken, I lay motionless in a -semi-conscious state. The great room with its high walls covered with -books loomed darkly all round me. A dim radiance from the moonlight came -through the farther window, and against this lighter background I saw -that Sir John Bollamore was sitting at his study table. His well-set -head and clearly cut profile were sharply outlined against the -glimmering square behind him. He bent as I watched him, and I heard the -sharp turning of a key and the rasping of metal upon metal. As if in a -dream I was vaguely conscious that this was the japanned box which stood -in front of him, and that he had drawn something out of it, something -squat and uncouth, which now lay before him upon the table. I never -realized—it never occurred to my bemuddled and torpid brain that I was -intruding upon his privacy, that he imagined himself to be alone in the -room. And then, just as it rushed upon my horrified perceptions, and I -had half risen to announce my presence, I heard a strange, crisp, -metallic clicking, and then the voice. - -Yes, it was a woman’s voice; there could not be a doubt of it. But a -voice so charged with entreaty and with yearning love, that it will ring -for ever in my ears. It came with a curious far-away tinkle, but every -word was clear, though faint—very faint, for they were the last words of -a dying woman. - -“I am not really gone, John,” said the thin, gasping voice. “I am here -at your very elbow, and shall be until we meet once more. I die happy to -think that morning and night you will hear my voice. Oh, John, be -strong, be strong, until we meet again.” - -I say that I had risen in order to announce my presence, but I could not -do so while the voice was sounding. I could only remain half lying, half -sitting, paralyzed, astounded, listening to those yearning distant -musical words. And he—he was so absorbed that even if I had spoken he -might not have heard me. But with the silence of the voice came my half -articulated apologies and explanations. He sprang across the room, -switched on the electric light, and in its white glare I saw him, his -eyes gleaming with anger, his face twisted with passion, as the hapless -charwoman may have seen him weeks before. - -“Mr. Colmore!” he cried. “You here! What is the meaning of this, sir?” - -With halting words I explained it all, my neuralgia, the narcotic, my -luckless sleep and singular awakening. As he listened the glow of anger -faded from his face, and the sad, impassive mask closed once more over -his features. - -“My secret is yours, Mr. Colmore,” said he. “I have only myself to blame -for relaxing my precautions. Half confidences are worse than no -confidences, and so you may know all since you know so much. The story -may go where you will when I have passed away, but until then I rely -upon your sense of honour that no human soul shall hear it from your -lips. I am proud still—God help me!—or, at least, I am proud enough to -resent that pity which this story would draw upon me. I have smiled at -envy, and disregarded hatred, but pity is more than I can tolerate. - -“You have heard the source from which the voice comes—that voice which -has, as I understand, excited so much curiosity in my household. I am -aware of the rumours to which it has given rise. These speculations, -whether scandalous or superstitious, are such as I can disregard and -forgive. What I should never forgive would be a disloyal spying and -eavesdropping in order to satisfy an illicit curiosity. But of that, Mr. -Colmore, I acquit you. - -“When I was a young man, sir, many years younger than you are now, I was -launched upon town without a friend or adviser, and with a purse which -brought only too many false friends and false advisers to my side. I -drank deeply of the wine of life—if there is a man living who has drank -more deeply he is not a man whom I envy. My purse suffered, my character -suffered, my constitution suffered, stimulants became a necessity to me, -I was a creature from whom my memory recoils. And it was at that time, -the time of my blackest degradation, that God sent into my life the -gentlest, sweetest spirit that ever descended as a ministering angel -from above. She loved me, broken as I was, loved me, and spent her life -in making a man once more of that which had degraded itself to the level -of the beasts. - -“But a fell disease struck her, and she withered away before my eyes. In -the hour of her agony it was never of herself, of her own sufferings and -her own death that she thought. It was all of me. The one pang which her -fate brought to her was the fear that when her influence was removed I -should revert to that which I had been. It was in vain that I made oath -to her that no drop of wine would ever cross my lips. She knew only too -well the hold that the devil had upon me—she who had striven so to -loosen it—and it haunted her night and day the thought that my soul -might again be within his grip. - -“It was from some friend’s gossip of the sick room that she heard of -this invention—this phonograph—and with the quick insight of a loving -woman she saw how she might use it for her ends. She sent me to London -to procure the best which money could buy. With her dying breath she -gasped into it the words which have held me straight ever since. Lonely -and broken, what else have I in all the world to uphold me? But it is -enough. Please God, I shall face her without shame when He is pleased to -reunite us! That is my secret, Mr. Colmore, and whilst I live I leave it -in your keeping.” - - - - - THE BLACK DOCTOR - - -Bishop’s Crossing is a small village lying ten miles in a south-westerly -direction from Liverpool. Here in the early seventies there settled a -doctor named Aloysius Lana. Nothing was known locally either of his -antecedents or of the reasons which had prompted him to come to this -Lancashire hamlet. Two facts only were certain about him: the one that -he had gained his medical qualification with some distinction at -Glasgow; the other that he came undoubtedly of a tropical race, and was -so dark that he might almost have had a strain of the Indian in his -composition. His predominant features were, however, European, and he -possessed a stately courtesy and carriage which suggested a Spanish -extraction. A swarthy skin, raven-black hair, and dark, sparkling eyes -under a pair of heavily-tufted brows made a strange contrast to the -flaxen or chestnut rustics of England, and the new-comer was soon known -as “The Black Doctor of Bishop’s Crossing.” At first it was a term of -ridicule and reproach; as the years went on it became a title of honour -which was familiar to the whole country-side, and extended far beyond -the narrow confines of the village. - -For the new-comer proved himself to be a capable surgeon and an -accomplished physician. The practice of that district had been in the -hands of Edward Rowe, the son of Sir William Rowe, the Liverpool -consultant, but he had not inherited the talents of his father, and Dr. -Lana, with his advantages of presence and of manner, soon beat him out -of the field. Dr. Lana’s social success was as rapid as his -professional. A remarkable surgical cure in the case of the Hon. James -Lowry, the second son of Lord Belton, was the means of introducing him -to county society, where he became a favourite through the charm of his -conversation and the elegance of his manners. An absence of antecedents -and of relatives is sometimes an aid rather than an impediment to social -advancement, and the distinguished individuality of the handsome doctor -was its own recommendation. - -His patients had one fault—and one fault only—to find with him. He -appeared to be a confirmed bachelor. This was the more remarkable since -the house which he occupied was a large one, and it was known that his -success in practice had enabled him to save considerable sums. At first -the local match-makers were continually coupling his name with one or -other of the eligible ladies, but as years passed and Dr. Lana remained -unmarried, it came to be generally understood that for some reason he -must remain a bachelor. Some even went so far as to assert that he was -already married, and that it was in order to escape the consequence of -an early misalliance that he had buried himself at Bishop’s Crossing. -And then, just as the match-makers had finally given him up in despair, -his engagement was suddenly announced to Miss Frances Morton, of Leigh -Hall. - -Miss Morton was a young lady who was well known upon the country-side, -her father, James Haldane Morton, having been the Squire of Bishop’s -Crossing. Both her parents were, however, dead, and she lived with her -only brother, Arthur Morton, who had inherited the family estate. In -person Miss Morton was tall and stately, and she was famous for her -quick, impetuous nature and for her strength of character. She met Dr. -Lana at a garden-party, and a friendship, which quickly ripened into -love, sprang up between them. Nothing could exceed their devotion to -each other. There was some discrepancy in age, he being thirty-seven, -and she twenty-four; but, save in that one respect, there was no -possible objection to be found with the match. The engagement was in -February, and it was arranged that the marriage should take place in -August. - -Upon the 3rd of June Dr. Lana received a letter from abroad. In a small -village the postmaster is also in a position to be the gossip-master, -and Mr. Bankley, of Bishop’s Crossing, had many of the secrets of his -neighbours in his possession. Of this particular letter he remarked only -that it was in a curious envelope, that it was in a man’s handwriting, -that the postscript was Buenos Ayres, and the stamp of the Argentine -Republic. It was the first letter which he had ever known Dr. Lana to -have from abroad, and this was the reason why his attention was -particularly called to it before he handed it to the local postman. It -was delivered by the evening delivery of that date. - -Next morning—that is, upon the 4th of June—Dr. Lana called upon Miss -Morton, and a long interview followed, from which he was observed to -return in a state of great agitation. Miss Morton remained in her room -all that day, and her maid found her several times in tears. In the -course of a week it was an open secret to the whole village that the -engagement was at an end, that Dr. Lana had behaved shamefully to the -young lady, and that Arthur Morton, her brother, was talking of -horse-whipping him. In what particular respect the doctor had behaved -badly was unknown—some surmised one thing and some another; but it was -observed, and taken as the obvious sign of a guilty conscience, that he -would go for miles round rather than pass the windows of Leigh Hall, and -that he gave up attending morning service upon Sundays where he might -have met the young lady. There was an advertisement also in the _Lancet_ -as to the sale of a practice which mentioned no names, but which was -thought by some to refer to Bishop’s Crossing, and to mean that Dr. Lana -was thinking of abandoning the scene of his success. Such was the -position of affairs when, upon the evening of Monday, June 21st, there -came a fresh development which changed what had been a mere village -scandal into a tragedy which arrested the attention of the whole nation. -Some detail is necessary to cause the facts of that evening to present -their full significance. - -The sole occupants of the doctor’s house were his housekeeper, an -elderly and most respectable woman, named Martha Woods, and a young -servant—Mary Pilling. The coachman and the surgery-boy slept out. It was -the custom of the doctor to sit at night in his study, which was next -the surgery in the wing of the house which was farthest from the -servants’ quarters. This side of the house had a door of its own for the -convenience of patients, so that it was possible for the doctor to admit -and receive a visitor there without the knowledge of any one. As a -matter of fact, when patients came late it was quite usual for him to -let them in and out by the surgery entrance, for the maid and the -housekeeper were in the habit of retiring early. - -On this particular night Martha Woods went into the doctor’s study at -half-past nine, and found him writing at his desk. She bade him -good-night, sent the maid to bed, and then occupied herself until a -quarter to eleven in household matters. It was striking eleven upon the -hall clock when she went to her own room. She had been there about a -quarter of an hour or twenty minutes when she heard a cry or call, which -appeared to come from within the house. She waited some time, but it was -not repeated. Much alarmed, for the sound was loud and urgent, she put -on a dressing-gown, and ran at the top of her speed to the doctor’s -study. - -“Who’s there?” cried a voice, as she tapped at the door. - -“I am here, sir—Mrs. Woods.” - -“I beg that you will leave me in peace. Go back to your room this -instant!” cried the voice, which was, to the best of her belief, that of -her master. The tone was so harsh and so unlike her master’s usual -manner, that she was surprised and hurt. - -“I thought I heard you calling, sir,” she explained, but no answer was -given to her. Mrs. Woods looked at the clock as she returned to her -room, and it was then half-past eleven. - -At some period between eleven and twelve (she could not be positive as -to the exact hour) a patient called upon the doctor and was unable to -get any reply from him. This late visitor was Mrs. Madding, the wife of -the village grocer who was dangerously ill of typhoid fever. Dr. Lana -had asked her to look in the last thing and let him know how her husband -was progressing. She observed that the light was burning in the study, -but having knocked several times at the surgery door without response, -she concluded that the doctor had been called out, and so returned home. - -There is a short, winding drive with a lamp at the end of it leading -down from the house to the road. As Mrs. Madding emerged from the gate a -man was coming along the footpath. Thinking that it might be Dr. Lana -returning from some professional visit, she waited for him, and was -surprised to see that it was Mr. Arthur Morton, the young squire. In the -light of the lamp she observed that his manner was excited, and that he -carried in his hand a heavy hunting-crop. He was turning in at the gate -when she addressed him. - -“The doctor is not in, sir,” said she. - -“How do you know that?” he asked, harshly. - -“I have been to the surgery door, sir.” - -“I see a light,” said the young squire, looking up the drive. “That is -in his study, is it not?” - -“Yes, sir; but I am sure that he is out.” - -“Well, he must come in again,” said young Morton, and passed through the -gate while Mrs. Madding went upon her homeward way. - -At three o’clock that morning her husband suffered a sharp relapse, and -she was so alarmed by his symptoms that she determined to call the -doctor without delay. As she passed through the gate she was surprised -to see some one lurking among the laurel bushes. It was certainly a man, -and to the best of her belief Mr. Arthur Morton. Preoccupied with her -own troubles, she gave no particular attention to the incident, but -hurried on upon her errand. - -When she reached the house she perceived to her surprise that the light -was still burning in the study. She therefore tapped at the surgery -door. There was no answer. She repeated the knocking several times -without effect. It appeared to her to be unlikely that the doctor would -either go to bed or go out leaving so brilliant a light behind him, and -it struck Mrs. Madding that it was possible that he might have dropped -asleep in his chair. She tapped at the study window, therefore, but -without result. Then, finding that there was an opening between the -curtain and the woodwork, she looked through. - -The small room was brilliantly lighted from a large lamp on the central -table, which was littered with the doctor’s books and instruments. No -one was visible, nor did she see anything unusual, except that in the -further shadow thrown by the table a dingy white glove was lying upon -the carpet. And then suddenly, as her eyes became more accustomed to the -light, a boot emerged from the other end of the shadow, and she -realized, with a thrill of horror, that what she had taken to be a glove -was the hand of a man, who was prostrate upon the floor. Understanding -that something terrible had occurred, she rang at the front door, roused -Mrs. Woods, the housekeeper, and the two women made their way into the -study, having first dispatched the maidservant to the police-station. - -At the side of the table, away from the window, Dr. Lana was discovered -stretched upon his back and quite dead. It was evident that he had been -subjected to violence, for one of his eyes was blackened, and there were -marks of bruises about his face and neck. A slight thickening and -swelling of his features appeared to suggest that the cause of his death -had been strangulation. He was dressed in his usual professional -clothes, but wore cloth slippers, the soles of which were perfectly -clean. The carpet was marked all over, especially on the side of the -door, with traces of dirty boots, which were presumably left by the -murderer. It was evident that some one had entered by the surgery door, -had killed the doctor, and had then made his escape unseen. That the -assailant was a man was certain, from the size of the footprints and -from the nature of the injuries. But beyond that point the police found -it very difficult to go. - -There were no signs of robbery, and the doctor’s gold watch was safe in -his pocket. He kept a heavy cash-box in the room, and this was -discovered to be locked but empty. Mrs. Woods had an impression that a -large sum was usually kept there, but the doctor had paid a heavy corn -bill in cash only that very day, and it was conjectured that it was to -this and not to a robber that the emptiness of the box was due. One -thing in the room was missing—but that one thing was suggestive. The -portrait of Miss Morton, which had always stood upon the side-table, had -been taken from its frame, and carried off. Mrs. Woods had observed it -there when she waited upon her employer that evening, and now it was -gone. On the other hand, there was picked up from the floor a green -eye-patch, which the housekeeper could not remember to have seen before. -Such a patch might, however, be in the possession of a doctor, and there -was nothing to indicate that it was in any way connected with the crime. - -Suspicion could only turn in one direction, and Arthur Morton, the young -squire, was immediately arrested. The evidence against him was -circumstantial, but damning. He was devoted to his sister, and it was -shown that since the rupture between her and Dr. Lana he had been heard -again and again to express himself in the most vindictive terms towards -her former lover. He had, as stated, been seen somewhere about eleven -o’clock entering the doctor’s drive with a hunting-crop in his hand. He -had then, according to the theory of the police, broken in upon the -doctor, whose exclamation of fear or of anger had been loud enough to -attract the attention of Mrs. Woods. When Mrs. Woods descended, Dr. Lana -had made up his mind to talk it over with his visitor, and had, -therefore, sent his housekeeper back to her room. This conversation had -lasted a long time, had become more and more fiery, and had ended by a -personal struggle, in which the doctor lost his life. The fact, revealed -by a _post-mortem_, that his heart was much diseased—an ailment quite -unsuspected during his life—would make it possible that death might in -his case ensue from injuries which would not be fatal to a healthy man. -Arthur Morton had then removed his sister’s photograph, and had made his -way homeward, stepping aside into the laurel bushes to avoid Mrs. -Madding at the gate. This was the theory of the prosecution, and the -case which they presented was a formidable one. - -On the other hand, there were some strong points for the defence. Morton -was high-spirited and impetuous, like his sister, but he was respected -and liked by everyone, and his frank and honest nature seemed to be -incapable of such a crime. His own explanation was that he was anxious -to have a conversation with Dr. Lana about some urgent family matters -(from first to last he refused even to mention the name of his sister). -He did not attempt to deny that this conversation would probably have -been of an unpleasant nature. He had heard from a patient that the -doctor was out, and he therefore waited until about three in the morning -for his return, but as he had seen nothing of him up to that hour, he -had given it up and had returned home. As to his death, he knew no more -about it than the constable who arrested him. He had formerly been an -intimate friend of the deceased man; but circumstances, which he would -prefer not to mention, had brought about a change in his sentiments. - -There were several facts which supported his innocence. It was certain -that Dr. Lana was alive and in his study at half-past eleven o’clock. -Mrs. Woods was prepared to swear that it was at that hour that she had -heard his voice. The friends of the prisoner contended that it was -probable that at that time Dr. Lana was not alone. The sound which had -originally attracted the attention of the housekeeper, and her master’s -unusual impatience that she should leave him in peace, seemed to point -to that. If this were so, then it appeared to be probable that he had -met his end between the moment when the housekeeper heard his voice and -the time when Mrs. Madding made her first call and found it impossible -to attract his attention. But if this were the time of his death, then -it was certain that Mr. Arthur Morton could not be guilty, as it was -_after_ this that she had met the young squire at the gate. - -If this hypothesis were correct, and someone was with Dr. Lana before -Mrs. Madding met Mr. Arthur Morton, then who was this someone, and what -motives had he for wishing evil to the doctor? It was universally -admitted that if the friends of the accused could throw light upon this, -they would have gone a long way towards establishing his innocence. But -in the meanwhile it was open to the public to say—as they did say—that -there was no proof that any one had been there at all except the young -squire; while, on the other hand, there was ample proof that his motives -in going were of a sinister kind. When Mrs. Madding called, the doctor -might have retired to his room, or he might, as she thought at the time, -have gone out and returned afterwards to find Mr. Arthur Morton waiting -for him. Some of the supporters of the accused laid stress upon the fact -that the photograph of his sister Frances, which had been removed from -the doctor’s room, had not been found in her brother’s possession. This -argument, however, did not count for much, as he had ample time before -his arrest to burn it or to destroy it. As to the only positive evidence -in the case—the muddy footmarks upon the floor—they were so blurred by -the softness of the carpet that it was impossible to make any -trustworthy deduction from them. The most that could be said was that -their appearance was not inconsistent with the theory that they were -made by the accused, and it was further shown that his boots were very -muddy upon that night. There had been a heavy shower in the afternoon, -and all boots were probably in the same condition. - -Such is a bald statement of the singular and romantic series of events -which centred public attention upon this Lancashire tragedy. The unknown -origin of the doctor, his curious and distinguished personality, the -position of the man who was accused of the murder, and the love affair -which had preceded the crime, all combined to make the affair one of -those dramas which absorb the whole interest of a nation. Throughout the -three kingdoms men discussed the case of the Black Doctor of Bishop’s -Crossing, and many were the theories put forward to explain the facts; -but it may safely be said that among them all there was not one which -prepared the minds of the public for the extraordinary sequel, which -caused so much excitement upon the first day of the trial, and came to a -climax upon the second. The long files of the _Lancaster Weekly_ with -their report of the case lie before me as I write, but I must content -myself with a synopsis of the case up to the point when, upon the -evening of the first day, the evidence of Miss Frances Morton threw a -singular light upon the case. - -Mr. Porlock Carr, the counsel for the prosecution, had marshalled his -facts with his usual skill, and as the day wore on, it became more and -more evident how difficult was the task which Mr. Humphrey, who had been -retained for the defence, had before him. Several witnesses were put up -to swear to the intemperate expressions which the young squire had been -heard to utter about the doctor, and the fiery manner in which he -resented the alleged ill-treatment of his sister. Mrs. Madding repeated -her evidence as to the visit which had been paid late at night by the -prisoner to the deceased, and it was shown by another witness that the -prisoner was aware that the doctor was in the habit of sitting up alone -in this isolated wing of the house, and that he had chosen this very -late hour to call because he knew that his victim would then be at his -mercy. A servant at the squire’s house was compelled to admit that he -had heard his master return about three that morning, which corroborated -Mrs. Madding’s statement that she had seen him among the laurel bushes -near the gate upon the occasion of her second visit. The muddy boots and -an alleged similarity in the footprints were duly dwelt upon, and it was -felt when the case for the prosecution had been presented that, however -circumstantial it might be, it was none the less so complete and so -convincing, that the fate of the prisoner was sealed, unless something -quite unexpected should be disclosed by the defence. It was three -o’clock when the prosecution closed. At half-past four, when the Court -rose, a new and unlooked for development had occurred. I extract the -incident, or part of it, from the journal which I have already -mentioned, omitting the preliminary observations of the counsel. - -Considerable sensation was caused in the crowded court when the first -witness called for the defence proved to be Miss Frances Morton, the -sister of the prisoner. Our readers will remember that the young lady -had been engaged to Dr. Lana, and that it was his anger over the sudden -termination of this engagement which was thought to have driven her -brother to the perpetration of this crime. Miss Morton had not, however, -been directly implicated in the case in any way, either at the inquest -or at the police-court proceedings, and her appearance as the leading -witness for the defence came as a surprise upon the public. - -Miss Frances Morton, who was a tall and handsome brunette, gave her -evidence in a low but clear voice, though it was evident throughout that -she was suffering from extreme emotion. She alluded to her engagement to -the doctor, touched briefly upon its termination, which was due, she -said, to personal matters connected with his family, and surprised the -Court by asserting that she had always considered her brother’s -resentment to be unreasonable and intemperate. In answer to a direct -question from her counsel, she replied that she did not feel that she -had any grievance whatever against Dr. Lana, and that in her opinion he -had acted in a perfectly honourable manner. Her brother, on an -insufficient knowledge of the facts, had taken another view, and she was -compelled to acknowledge that, in spite of her entreaties, he had -uttered threats of personal violence against the doctor, and had, upon -the evening of the tragedy, announced his intention of “having it out -with him.” She had done her best to bring him to a more reasonable frame -of mind, but he was very headstrong where his emotions or prejudices -were concerned. - -Up to this point the young lady’s evidence had appeared to make against -the prisoner rather than in his favour. The questions of her counsel, -however, soon put a very different light upon the matter, and disclosed -an unexpected line of defence. - -Mr. Humphrey: Do you believe your brother to be guilty of this crime? - -The Judge: I cannot permit that question, Mr. Humphrey. We are here to -decide upon questions of fact—not of belief. - -Mr. Humphrey: Do you know that your brother is not guilty of the death -of Doctor Lana? - -Miss Morton: Yes. - -Mr. Humphrey: How do you know it? - -Miss Morton: Because Dr. Lana is not dead. - -There followed a prolonged sensation in court, which interrupted the -cross-examination of the witness. - -Mr. Humphrey: And how do you know, Miss Morton, that Dr. Lana is not -dead? - -Miss Morton: Because I have received a letter from him since the date of -his supposed death. - -Mr. Humphrey: Have you this letter? - -Miss Morton: Yes, but I should prefer not to show it. - -Mr. Humphrey: Have you the envelope? - -Miss Morton: Yes, it is here. - -Mr. Humphrey: What is the post-mark? - -Miss Morton: Liverpool. - -Mr. Humphrey: And the date? - -Miss Morton: June the 22nd. - -Mr. Humphrey: That being the day after his alleged death. Are you -prepared to swear to this handwriting, Miss Morton? - -Miss Morton: Certainly. - -Mr. Humphrey: I am prepared to call six other witnesses, my lord, to -testify that this letter is in the writing of Doctor Lana. - -The Judge: Then you must call them to-morrow. - -Mr. Porlock Carr (counsel for the prosecution): In the meantime, my -lord, we claim possession of this document, so that we may obtain expert -evidence as to how far it is an imitation of the handwriting of the -gentleman whom we still confidently assert to be deceased. I need not -point out that the theory so unexpectedly sprung upon us may prove to be -a very obvious device adopted by the friends of the prisoner in order to -divert this inquiry. I would draw attention to the fact that the young -lady must, according to her own account, have possessed this letter -during the proceedings at the inquest and at the police-court. She -desires us to believe that she permitted these to proceed, although she -held in her pocket evidence which would at any moment have brought them -to an end. - -Mr. Humphrey: Can you explain this, Miss Morton? - -Miss Morton: Dr. Lana desired his secret to be preserved. - -Mr. Porlock Carr: Then why have you made this public? - -Miss Morton: To save my brother. - -A murmur of sympathy broke out in court, which was instantly suppressed -by the Judge. - -The Judge: Admitting this line of defence, it lies with you, Mr. -Humphrey, to throw a light upon who this man is whose body has been -recognised by so many friends and patients of Dr. Lana as being that of -the doctor himself. - -A Juryman: Has any one up to now expressed any doubt about the matter? - -Mr. Porlock Carr: Not to my knowledge. - -Mr. Humphrey: We hope to make the matter clear. - -The Judge: Then the Court adjourns until to-morrow. - - * * * * * - -This new development of the case excited the utmost interest among the -general public. Press comment was prevented by the fact that the trial -was still undecided, but the question was everywhere argued as to how -far there could be truth in Miss Morton’s declaration, and how far it -might be a daring ruse for the purpose of saving her brother. The -obvious dilemma in which the missing doctor stood was that if by any -extraordinary chance he was not dead, then he must be held responsible -for the death of this unknown man, who resembled him so exactly, and who -was found in his study. This letter which Miss Morton refused to produce -was possibly a confession of guilt, and she might find herself in the -terrible position of only being able to save her brother from the -gallows by the sacrifice of her former lover. The court next morning was -crammed to overflowing, and a murmur of excitement passed over it when -Mr. Humphrey was observed to enter in a state of emotion, which even his -trained nerves could not conceal, and to confer with the opposing -counsel. A few hurried words—words which left a look of amazement upon -Mr. Porlock Carr’s face—passed between them, and then the counsel for -the defence, addressing the judge, announced that, with the consent of -the prosecution, the young lady who had given evidence upon the sitting -before would not be recalled. - - * * * * * - -The Judge: But you appear, Mr. Humphrey, to have left matters in a very -unsatisfactory state. - -Mr. Humphrey: Perhaps, my lord, my next witness may help to clear them -up. - -The Judge: Then call your next witness. - -Mr. Humphrey: I call Dr. Aloysius Lana. - -The learned counsel has made many telling remarks in his day, but he has -certainly never produced such a sensation with so short a sentence. The -Court was simply stunned with amazement as the very man whose fate had -been the subject of so much contention appeared bodily before them in -the witness-box. Those among the spectators who had known him at -Bishop’s Crossing saw him now, gaunt and thin, with deep lines of care -upon his face. But in spite of his melancholy bearing and despondent -expression, there were few who could say that they had ever seen a man -of more distinguished presence. Bowing to the judge, he asked if he -might be allowed to make a statement, and having been duly informed that -whatever he said might be used against him, he bowed once more, and -proceeded:— - -“My wish,” said he, “is to hold nothing back, but to tell with perfect -frankness all that occurred upon the night of the 21st of June. Had I -known that the innocent had suffered, and that so much trouble had been -brought upon those whom I love best in the world, I should have come -forward long ago; but there were reasons which prevented these things -from coming to my ears. It was my desire that an unhappy man should -vanish from the world which had known him, but I had not foreseen that -others would be affected by my actions. Let me to the best of my ability -repair the evil which I have done. - -“To any one who is acquainted with the history of the Argentine Republic -the name of Lana is well known. My father, who came of the best blood of -old Spain, filled all the highest offices of the State, and would have -been President but for his death in the riots of San Juan. A brilliant -career might have been open to my twin brother Ernest and myself had it -not been for financial losses which made it necessary that we should -earn our own living. I apologize, sir, if these details appear to be -irrelevant, but they are a necessary introduction to that which is to -follow. - -“I had, as I have said, a twin brother named Ernest, whose resemblance -to me was so great that even when we were together people could see no -difference between us. Down to the smallest detail we were exactly the -same. As we grew older this likeness became less marked because our -expression was not the same, but with our features in repose the points -of difference were very slight. - -“It does not become me to say too much of one who is dead, the more so -as he is my only brother, but I leave his character to those who knew -him best. I will only say—for I _have_ to say it—that in my early -manhood I conceived a horror of him, and that I had good reason for the -aversion which filled me. My own reputation suffered from his actions, -for our close resemblance caused me to be credited with many of them. -Eventually, in a peculiarly disgraceful business, he contrived to throw -the whole odium upon me in such a way that I was forced to leave the -Argentine for ever, and to seek a career in Europe. The freedom from his -hated presence more than compensated me for the loss of my native land. -I had enough money to defray my medical studies at Glasgow, and I -finally settled in practice at Bishop’s Crossing, in the firm conviction -that in that remote Lancashire hamlet I should never hear of him again. - -“For years my hopes were fulfilled, and then at last he discovered me. -Some Liverpool man who visited Buenos Ayres put him upon my track. He -had lost all his money, and he thought that he would come over and share -mine. Knowing my horror of him, he rightly thought that I would be -willing to buy him off. I received a letter from him saying that he was -coming. It was at a crisis in my own affairs, and his arrival might -conceivably bring trouble, and even disgrace, upon some whom I was -especially bound to shield from anything of the kind. I took steps to -insure that any evil which might come should fall on me only, and -that”—here he turned and looked at the prisoner—“was the cause of -conduct upon my part which has been too harshly judged. My only motive -was to screen those who were dear to me from any possible connection -with scandal or disgrace. That scandal and disgrace would come with my -brother was only to say that what had been would be again. - -“My brother arrived himself one night not very long after my receipt of -the letter. I was sitting in my study after the servants had gone to -bed, when I heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant -later I saw his face looking in at me through the window. He was a -clean-shaven man like myself, and the resemblance between us was still -so great that, for an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the -glass. He had a dark patch over his eye, but our features were -absolutely the same. Then he smiled in a sardonic way which had been a -trick of his from his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother -who had driven me from my native land, and brought disgrace upon what -had been an honourable name. I went to the door and I admitted him. That -would be about ten o’clock that night. - -“When he came into the glare of the lamp, I saw at once that he had -fallen upon very evil days. He had walked from Liverpool, and he was -tired and ill. I was quite shocked by the expression upon his face. My -medical knowledge told me that there was some serious internal malady. -He had been drinking also, and his face was bruised as the result of a -scuffle which he had had with some sailors. It was to cover his injured -eye that he wore this patch, which he removed when he entered the room. -He was himself dressed in a pea-jacket and flannel shirt, and his feet -were bursting through his boots. But his poverty had only made him more -savagely vindictive towards me. His hatred rose to the height of a -mania. I had been rolling in money in England, according to his account, -while he had been starving in South America. I cannot describe to you -the threats which he uttered or the insults which he poured upon me. My -impression is, that hardships and debauchery had unhinged his reason. He -paced about the room like a wild beast, demanding drink, demanding -money, and all in the foulest language. I am a hot-tempered man, but I -thank God that I am able to say that I remained master of myself, and -that I never raised a hand against him. My coolness only irritated him -the more. He raved, he cursed, he shook his fists in my face, and then -suddenly a horrible spasm passed over his features, he clapped his hand -to his side, and with a loud cry he fell in a heap at my feet. I raised -him up and stretched him upon the sofa, but no answer came to my -exclamations, and the hand which I held in mine was cold and clammy. His -diseased heart had broken down. His own violence had killed him. - -“For a long time I sat as if I were in some dreadful dream, staring at -the body of my brother. I was aroused by the knocking of Mrs. Woods, who -had been disturbed by that dying cry. I sent her away to bed. Shortly -afterwards a patient tapped at the surgery door, but as I took no -notice, he or she went off again. Slowly and gradually as I sat there a -plan was forming itself in my head in the curious automatic way in which -plans do form. When I rose from my chair my future movements were -finally decided upon without my having been conscious of any process of -thought. It was an instinct which irresistibly inclined me towards one -course. - -“Ever since that change in my affairs to which I have alluded, Bishop’s -Crossing had become hateful to me. My plans of life had been ruined, and -I had met with hasty judgments and unkind treatment where I had expected -sympathy. It is true that any danger of scandal from my brother had -passed away with his life; but still, I was sore about the past, and -felt that things could never be as they had been. It may be that I was -unduly sensitive, and that I had not made sufficient allowance for -others, but my feelings were as I describe. Any chance of getting away -from Bishop’s Crossing and of everyone in it would be most welcome to -me. And here was such a chance as I could never have dared to hope for, -a chance which would enable me to make a clean break with the past. - -“There was this dead man lying upon the sofa, so like me that save for -some little thickness and coarseness of the features there was no -difference at all. No one had seen him come and no one would miss him. -We were both clean shaven, and his hair was about the same length as my -own. If I changed clothes with him, then Dr. Aloysius Lana would be -found lying dead in his study, and there would be an end of an -unfortunate fellow, and of a blighted career. There was plenty of ready -money in the room, and this I could carry away with me to help me to -start once more in some other land. In my brother’s clothes I could walk -by night unobserved as far as Liverpool, and in that great seaport I -would soon find some means of leaving the country. After my lost hopes, -the humblest existence where I was unknown was far preferable, in my -estimation, to a practice, however successful, in Bishop’s Crossing, -where at any moment I might come face to face with those whom I should -wish, if it were possible, to forget. I determined to effect the change. - -“And I did so. I will not go into particulars, for the recollection is -as painful as the experience; but in an hour my brother lay, dressed -down to the smallest detail in my clothes, while I slunk out by the -surgery door, and taking the back path which led across some fields, I -started off to make the best of my way to Liverpool, where I arrived the -same night. My bag of money and a certain portrait were all I carried -out of the house, and I left behind me in my hurry the shade which my -brother had been wearing over his eye. Everything else of his I took -with me. - -“I give you my word, sir, that never for one instant did the idea occur -to me that people might think that I had been murdered, nor did I -imagine that any one might be caused serious danger through this -stratagem by which I endeavoured to gain a fresh start in the world. On -the contrary, it was the thought of relieving others from the burden of -my presence which was always uppermost in my mind. A sailing vessel was -leaving Liverpool that very day for Corunna, and in this I took my -passage, thinking that the voyage would give me time to recover my -balance, and to consider the future. But before I left my resolution -softened. I bethought me that there was one person in the world to whom -I would not cause an hour of sadness. She would mourn me in her heart, -however harsh and unsympathetic her relatives might be. She understood -and appreciated the motives upon which I had acted, and if the rest of -her family condemned me, she, at least, would not forget. And so I sent -her a note under the seal of secrecy to save her from a baseless grief. -If under the pressure of events she broke that seal, she has my entire -sympathy and forgiveness. - -“It was only last night that I returned to England, and during all this -time I have heard nothing of the sensation which my supposed death had -caused, nor of the accusation that Mr. Arthur Morton had been concerned -in it. It was in a late evening paper that I read an account of the -proceedings of yesterday, and I have come this morning as fast as an -express train could bring me to testify to the truth.” - -Such was the remarkable statement of Dr. Aloysius Lana which brought the -trial to a sudden termination. A subsequent investigation corroborated -it to the extent of finding out the vessel in which his brother Ernest -Lana had come over from South America. The ship’s doctor was able to -testify that he had complained of a weak heart during the voyage, and -that his symptoms were consistent with such a death as was described. - -As to Dr. Aloysius Lana, he returned to the village from which he had -made so dramatic a disappearance, and a complete reconciliation was -effected between him and the young squire, the latter having -acknowledged that he had entirely misunderstood the other’s motives in -withdrawing from his engagement. That another reconciliation followed -may be judged from a notice extracted from a prominent column in the -_Morning Post_:— - - A marriage was solemnized upon September 19th, by the Rev. Stephen - Johnson, at the parish church of Bishop’s Crossing, between - Aloysius Xavier Lana, son of Don Alfredo Lana, formerly Foreign - Minister of the Argentine Republic, and Frances Morton, only - daughter of the late James Morton, J.P., of Leigh Hall, Bishop’s - Crossing, Lancashire. - - - - - PLAYING WITH FIRE - - -I cannot pretend to say what occurred on the 14th of April last at No. -17, Badderly Gardens. Put down in black and white, my surmise might seem -too crude, too grotesque, for serious consideration. And yet that -something did occur, and that it was of a nature which will leave its -mark upon every one of us for the rest of our lives, is as certain as -the unanimous testimony of five witnesses can make it. I will not enter -into any argument or speculation. I will only give a plain statement, -which will be submitted to John Moir, Harvey Deacon, and Mrs. Delamere, -and withheld from publication unless they are prepared to corroborate -every detail. I cannot obtain the sanction of Paul Le Duc, for he -appears to have left the country. - -It was John Moir (the well-known senior partner of Moir, Moir, and -Sanderson) who had originally turned our attention to occult subjects. -He had, like many very hard and practical men of business, a mystic side -to his nature, which had led him to the examination, and eventually to -the acceptance, of those elusive phenomena which are grouped together -with much that is foolish, and much that is fraudulent, under the common -heading of spiritualism. His researches, which had begun with an open -mind, ended unhappily in dogma, and he became as positive and fanatical -as any other bigot. He represented in our little group the body of men -who have turned these singular phenomena into a new religion. - -Mrs. Delamere, our medium, was his sister, the wife of Delamere, the -rising sculptor. Our experience had shown us that to work on these -subjects without a medium was as futile as for an astronomer to make -observations without a telescope. On the other hand, the introduction of -a paid medium was hateful to all of us. Was it not obvious that he or -she would feel bound to return some result for money received, and that -the temptation to fraud would be an overpowering one? No phenomena could -be relied upon which were produced at a guinea an hour. But, -fortunately, Moir had discovered that his sister was mediumistic—in -other words, that she was a battery of that animal magnetic force which -is the only form of energy which is subtle enough to be acted upon from -the spiritual plane as well as from our own material one. Of course, -when I say this, I do not mean to beg the question; but I am simply -indicating the theories upon which we were ourselves, rightly or -wrongly, explaining what we saw. The lady came, not altogether with the -approval of her husband, and though she never gave indications of any -very great psychic force, we were able, at least, to obtain those usual -phenomena of message-tilting which are at the same time so puerile and -so inexplicable. Every Sunday evening we met in Harvey Deacon’s studio -at Badderly Gardens, the next house to the corner of Merton Park Road. - -Harvey Deacon’s imaginative work in art would prepare any one to find -that he was an ardent lover of everything which was _outré_ and -sensational. A certain picturesqueness in the study of the occult had -been the quality which had originally attracted him to it, but his -attention was speedily arrested by some of those phenomena to which I -have referred, and he was coming rapidly to the conclusion that what he -had looked upon as an amusing romance and an after-dinner entertainment -was really a very formidable reality. He is a man with a remarkably -clear and logical brain—a true descendant of his ancestor, the -well-known Scotch professor—and he represented in our small circle the -critical element, the man who has no prejudices, is prepared to follow -facts as far as he can see them, and refuses to theorize in advance of -his data. His caution annoyed Moir as much as the latter’s robust faith -amused Deacon, but each in his own way was equally keen upon the matter. - -And I? What am I to say that I represented? I was not the devotee. I was -not the scientific critic. Perhaps the best that I can claim for myself -is that I was the dilettante man about town, anxious to be in the swim -of every fresh movement, thankful for any new sensation which would take -me out of myself and open up fresh possibilities of existence. I am not -an enthusiast myself, but I like the company of those who are. Moir’s -talk, which made me feel as if we had a private pass-key through the -door of death, filled me with a vague contentment. The soothing -atmosphere of the séance with the darkened lights was delightful to me. -In a word, the thing amused me, and so I was there. - -It was, as I have said, upon the 14th of April last that the very -singular event which I am about to put upon record took place. I was the -first of the men to arrive at the studio, but Mrs. Delamere was already -there, having had afternoon tea with Mrs. Harvey Deacon. The two ladies -and Deacon himself were standing in front of an unfinished picture of -his upon the easel. I am not an expert in art, and I have never -professed to understand what Harvey Deacon meant by his pictures; but I -could see in this instance that it was all very clever and imaginative, -fairies and animals and allegorical figures of all sorts. The ladies -were loud in their praises, and indeed the colour effect was a -remarkable one. - -“What do you think of it, Markham?” he asked. - -“Well, it’s above me,” said I. “These beasts—what are they?” - -“Mythical monsters, imaginary creatures, heraldic emblems—a sort of -weird, bizarre procession of them.” - -“With a white horse in front!” - -“It’s not a horse,” said he, rather testily—which was surprising, for he -was a very good-humoured fellow as a rule, and hardly ever took himself -seriously. - -“What is it, then?” - -“Can’t you see the horn in front? It’s a unicorn. I told you they were -heraldic beasts. Can’t you recognize one?” - -“Very sorry, Deacon,” said I, for he really seemed to be annoyed. - -He laughed at his own irritation. - -“Excuse me, Markham!” said he; “the fact is that I have had an awful job -over the beast. All day I have been painting him in and painting him -out, and trying to imagine what a real live, ramping unicorn would look -like. At last I got him, as I hoped; so when you failed to recognize it, -it took me on the raw.” - -“Why, of course it’s a unicorn,” said I, for he was evidently depressed -at my obtuseness. “I can see the horn quite plainly, but I never saw a -unicorn except beside the Royal Arms, and so I never thought of the -creature. And these others are griffins and cockatrices, and dragons of -sorts?” - -“Yes, I had no difficulty with them. It was the unicorn which bothered -me. However, there’s an end of it until to-morrow.” He turned the -picture round upon the easel, and we all chatted about other subjects. - -Moir was late that evening, and when he did arrive he brought with him, -rather to our surprise, a small, stout Frenchman, whom he introduced as -Monsieur Paul Le Duc. I say to our surprise, for we held a theory that -any intrusion into our spiritual circle deranged the conditions, and -introduced an element of suspicion. We knew that we could trust each -other, but all our results were vitiated by the presence of an outsider. -However, Moir soon reconciled us to the innovation. Monsieur Paul Le Duc -was a famous student of occultism, a seer, a medium, and a mystic. He -was travelling in England with a letter of introduction to Moir from the -President of the Parisian brothers of the Rosy Cross. What more natural -than that he should bring him to our little séance, or that we should -feel honoured by his presence? - -He was, as I have said, a small, stout man, undistinguished in -appearance, with a broad, smooth, clean-shaven face, remarkable only for -a pair of large, brown, velvety eyes, staring vaguely out in front of -him. He was well dressed, with the manners of a gentleman, and his -curious little turns of English speech set the ladies smiling. Mrs. -Deacon had a prejudice against our researches and left the room, upon -which we lowered the lights, as was our custom, and drew up our chairs -to the square mahogany table which stood in the centre of the studio. -The light was subdued, but sufficient to allow us to see each other -quite plainly. I remember that I could even observe the curious, podgy -little square-topped hands which the Frenchman laid upon the table. - -“What a fun!” said he. “It is many years since I have sat in this -fashion, and it is to me amusing. Madame is medium. Does madame make the -trance?” - -“Well, hardly that,” said Mrs. Delamere. “But I am always conscious of -extreme sleepiness.” - -“It is the first stage. Then you encourage it, and there comes the -trance. When the trance comes, then out jumps your little spirit and in -jumps another little spirit, and so you have direct talking or writing. -You leave your machine to be worked by another. _Hein?_ But what have -unicorns to do with it?” - -Harvey Deacon started in his chair. The Frenchman was moving his head -slowly round and staring into the shadows which draped the walls. - -“What a fun!” said he. “Always unicorns. Who has been thinking so hard -upon a subject so bizarre?” - -“This is wonderful!” cried Deacon. “I have been trying to paint one all -day. But how could you know it?” - -“You have been thinking of them in this room.” - -“Certainly.” - -“But thoughts are things, my friend. When you imagine a thing you make a -thing. You did not know it, _hein_? But I can see your unicorns because -it is not only with my eye that I can see.” - -“Do you mean to say that I create a thing which has never existed by -merely thinking of it?” - -“But certainly. It is the fact which lies under all other facts. That is -why an evil thought is also a danger.” - -“They are, I suppose, upon the astral plane?” said Moir. - -“Ah, well, these are but words, my friends. They are -there—somewhere—everywhere—I cannot tell myself. I see them. I could not -touch them.” - -“You could not make _us_ see them.” - -“It is to materialize them. Hold! It is an experiment. But the power is -wanting. Let us see what power we have, and then arrange what we shall -do. May I place you as I should wish?” - -“You evidently know a great deal more about it than we do,” said Harvey -Deacon; “I wish that you would take complete control.” - -“It may be that the conditions are not good. But we will try what we can -do. Madame will sit where she is, I next, and this gentleman beside me. -Meester Moir will sit next to madame, because it is well to have blacks -and blondes in turn. So! And now with your permission I will turn the -lights all out.” - -“What is the advantage of the dark?” I asked. - -“Because the force with which we deal is a vibration of ether and so -also is light. We have the wires all for ourselves now—_hein_? You will -not be frightened in the darkness, madame? What a fun is such a séance!” - -At first the darkness appeared to be absolutely pitchy, but in a few -minutes our eyes became so far accustomed to it that we could just make -out each other’s presence—very dimly and vaguely, it is true. I could -see nothing else in the room—only the black loom of the motionless -figures. We were all taking the matter much more seriously than we had -ever done before. - -“You will place your hands in front. It is hopeless that we touch, since -we are so few round so large a table. You will compose yourself, madame, -and if sleep should come to you you will not fight against it. And now -we sit in silence and we expect——_hein_?” - -So we sat in silence and expected, staring out into the blackness in -front of us. A clock ticked in the passage. A dog barked intermittently -far away. Once or twice a cab rattled past in the street, and the gleam -of its lamps through the chink in the curtains was a cheerful break in -that gloomy vigil. I felt those physical symptoms with which previous -séances had made me familiar—the coldness of the feet, the tingling in -the hands, the glow of the palms, the feeling of a cold wind upon the -back. Strange little shooting pains came in my forearms, especially as -it seemed to me in my left one, which was nearest to our visitor—due no -doubt to disturbance of the vascular system, but worthy of some -attention all the same. At the same time I was conscious of a strained -feeling of expectancy which was almost painful. From the rigid, absolute -silence of my companions I gathered that their nerves were as tense as -my own. - -And then suddenly a sound came out of the darkness—a low, sibilant -sound, the quick, thin breathing of a woman. Quicker and thinner yet it -came, as between clenched teeth, to end in a loud gasp with a dull -rustle of cloth. - -“What’s that? Is all right?” someone asked in the darkness. - -“Yes, all is right,” said the Frenchman. “It is madame. She is in her -trance. Now, gentlemen, if you will wait quiet you will see something, I -think, which will interest you much.” - -Still the ticking in the hall. Still the breathing, deeper and fuller -now, from the medium. Still the occasional flash, more welcome than -ever, of the passing lights of the hansoms. What a gap we were bridging, -the half-raised veil of the eternal on the one side and the cabs of -London on the other. The table was throbbing with a mighty pulse. It -swayed steadily, rhythmically, with an easy swooping, scooping motion -under our fingers. Sharp little raps and cracks came from its substance, -file-firing, volley-firing, the sounds of a fagot burning briskly on a -frosty night. - -“There is much power,” said the Frenchman. “See it on the table!” - -I had thought it was some delusion of my own, but all could see it now. -There was a greenish-yellow phosphorescent light—or I should say a -luminous vapour rather than a light—which lay over the surface of the -table. It rolled and wreathed and undulated in dim glimmering folds, -turning and swirling like clouds of smoke. I could see the white, -square-ended hands of the French medium in this baleful light. - -“What a fun!” he cried. “It is splendid!” - -“Shall we call the alphabet?” asked Moir. - -“But no—for we can do much better,” said our visitor. “It is but a -clumsy thing to tilt the table for every letter of the alphabet, and -with such a medium as madame we should do better than that.” - -“Yes, you will do better,” said a voice. - -“Who was that? Who spoke? Was that you, Markham?” - -“No, I did not speak.” - -“It was madame who spoke.” - -“But it was not her voice.” - -“Is that you, Mrs. Delamere?” - -“It is not the medium, but it is the power which uses the organs of the -medium,” said the strange, deep voice. - -“Where is Mrs. Delamere? It will not hurt her, I trust.” - -“The medium is happy in another plane of existence. She has taken my -place, as I have taken hers.” - -“Who are you?” - -“It cannot matter to you who I am. I am one who has lived as you are -living, and who has died as you will die.” - -We heard the creak and grate of a cab pulling up next door. There was an -argument about the fare, and the cabman grumbled hoarsely down the -street. The green-yellow cloud still swirled faintly over the table, -dull elsewhere, but glowing into a dim luminosity in the direction of -the medium. It seemed to be piling itself up in front of her. A sense of -fear and cold struck into my heart. It seemed to me that lightly and -flippantly we had approached the most real and august of sacraments, -that communion with the dead of which the fathers of the Church had -spoken. - -“Don’t you think we are going too far? Should we not break up this -séance?” I cried. - -But the others were all earnest to see the end of it. They laughed at my -scruples. - -“All the powers are made for use,” said Harvey Deacon. “If we _can_ do -this, we _should_ do this. Every new departure of knowledge has been -called unlawful in its inception. It is right and proper that we should -inquire into the nature of death.” - -“It is right and proper,” said the voice. - -“There, what more could you ask?” cried Moir, who was much excited. “Let -us have a test. Will you give us a test that you are really there?” - -“What test do you demand?” - -“Well, now—I have some coins in my pocket. Will you tell me how many?” - -“We come back in the hope of teaching and of elevating, and not to guess -childish riddles.” - -“Ha, ha, Meester Moir, you catch it that time,” cried the Frenchman. -“But surely this is very good sense what the Control is saying.” - -“It is a religion, not a game,” said the cold, hard voice. - -“Exactly—the very view I take of it,” cried Moir. “I am sure I am very -sorry if I have asked a foolish question. You will not tell me who you -are?” - -“What does it matter?” - -“Have you been a spirit long?” - -“Yes.” - -“How long?” - -“We cannot reckon time as you do. Our conditions are different.” - -“Are you happy?” - -“Yes.” - -“You would not wish to come back to life?” - -“No—certainly not.” - -“Are you busy?” - -“We could not be happy if we were not busy.” - -“What do you do?” - -“I have said that the conditions are entirely different.” - -“Can you give us no idea of your work?” - -“We labour for our own improvement and for the advancement of others.” - -“Do you like coming here to-night?” - -“I am glad to come if I can do any good by coming.” - -“Then to do good is your object?” - -“It is the object of all life on every plane.” - -“You see, Markham, that should answer your scruples.” - -It did, for my doubts had passed and only interest remained. - -“Have you pain in your life?” I asked. - -“No; pain is a thing of the body.” - -“Have you mental pain?” - -“Yes; one may always be sad or anxious.” - -“Do you meet the friends whom you have known on earth?” - -“Some of them.” - -“Why only some of them?” - -“Only those who are sympathetic.” - -“Do husbands meet wives?” - -“Those who have truly loved.” - -“And the others?” - -“They are nothing to each other.” - -“There must be a spiritual connection?” - -“Of course.” - -“Is what we are doing right?” - -“If done in the right spirit.” - -“What is the wrong spirit?” - -“Curiosity and levity.” - -“May harm come of that?” - -“Very serious harm.” - -“What sort of harm?” - -“You may call up forces over which you have no control.” - -“Evil forces?” - -“Undeveloped forces.” - -“You say they are dangerous. Dangerous to body or mind?” - -“Sometimes to both.” - -There was a pause, and the blackness seemed to grow blacker still, while -the yellow-green fog swirled and smoked upon the table. - -“Any questions you would like to ask, Moir?” said Harvey Deacon. - -“Only this—do you pray in your world?” - -“One should pray in every world.” - -“Why?” - -“Because it is the acknowledgment of forces outside ourselves.” - -“What religion do you hold over there?” - -“We differ exactly as you do.” - -“You have no certain knowledge?” - -“We have only faith.” - -“These questions of religion,” said the Frenchman, “they are of interest -to you serious English people, but they are not so much fun. It seems to -me that with this power here we might be able to have some great -experience—_hein_? Something of which we could talk.” - -“But nothing could be more interesting than this,” said Moir. - -“Well, if you think so, that is very well,” the Frenchman answered, -peevishly. “For my part, it seems to me that I have heard all this -before, and that to-night I should weesh to try some experiment with all -this force which is given to us. But if you have other questions, then -ask them, and when you are finish we can try something more.” - -But the spell was broken. We asked and asked, but the medium sat silent -in her chair. Only her deep, regular breathing showed that she was -there. The mist still swirled upon the table. - -“You have disturbed the harmony. She will not answer.” - -“But we have learned already all that she can tell—_hein_? For my part I -wish to see something that I have never seen before.” - -“What then?” - -“You will let me try?” - -“What would you do?” - -“I have said to you that thoughts are things. Now I wish to _prove_ it -to you, and to show you that which is only a thought. Yes, yes, I can do -it and you will see. Now I ask you only to sit still and say nothing, -and keep ever your hands quiet upon the table.” - -The room was blacker and more silent than ever. The same feeling of -apprehension which had lain heavily upon me at the beginning of the -séance was back at my heart once more. The roots of my hair were -tingling. - -“It is working! It is working!” cried the Frenchman, and there was a -crack in his voice as he spoke which told me that he also was strung to -his tightest. - -The luminous fog drifted slowly off the table, and wavered and flickered -across the room. There in the farther and darkest corner it gathered and -glowed, hardening down into a shining core—a strange, shifty, luminous, -and yet non-illuminating patch of radiance, bright itself, but throwing -no rays into the darkness. It had changed from a greenish-yellow to a -dusky sullen red. Then round this centre there coiled a dark, smoky -substance, thickening, hardening, growing denser and blacker. And then -the light went out, smothered in that which had grown round it. - -“It has gone.” - -“Hush—there’s something in the room.” - -We heard it in the corner where the light had been, something which -breathed deeply and fidgeted in the darkness. - -“What is it? Le Duc, what have you done?” - -“It is all right. No harm will come.” The Frenchman’s voice was treble -with agitation. - -“Good heavens, Moir, there’s a large animal in the room. Here it is, -close by my chair! Go away! Go away!” - -It was Harvey Deacon’s voice, and then came the sound of a blow upon -some hard object. And then ... And then ... how can I tell you what -happened then? - -Some huge thing hurtled against us in the darkness, rearing, stamping, -smashing, springing, snorting. The table was splintered. We were -scattered in every direction. It clattered and scrambled amongst us, -rushing with horrible energy from one corner of the room to another. We -were all screaming with fear, grovelling upon our hands and knees to get -away from it. Something trod upon my left hand, and I felt the bones -splinter under the weight. - -“A light! A light!” someone yelled. - -“Moir, you have matches, matches!” - -“No, I have none. Deacon, where are the matches? For God’s sake, the -matches!” - -“I can’t find them. Here, you Frenchman, stop it!” - -“It is beyond me. Oh, _mon Dieu_, I cannot stop it. The door! Where is -the door?” - -My hand, by good luck, lit upon the handle as I groped about in the -darkness. The hard-breathing, snorting, rushing creature tore past me -and butted with a fearful crash against the oaken partition. The instant -that it had passed I turned the handle, and next moment we were all -outside and the door shut behind us. From within came a horrible -crashing and rending and stamping. - -“What is it? In Heaven’s name, what is it?” - -“A horse. I saw it when the door opened. But Mrs. Delamere——?” - -“We must fetch her out. Come on, Markham; the longer we wait the less we -shall like it.” - -He flung open the door and we rushed in. She was there on the ground -amidst the splinters of her chair. We seized her and dragged her swiftly -out, and as we gained the door I looked over my shoulder into the -darkness. There were two strange eyes glowing at us, a rattle of hoofs, -and I had just time to slam the door when there came a crash upon it -which split it from top to bottom. - -“It’s coming through! It’s coming!” - -“Run, run for your lives!” cried the Frenchman. - -Another crash, and something shot through the riven door. It was a long -white spike, gleaming in the lamplight. For a moment it shone before us, -and then with a snap it disappeared again. - -“Quick! Quick! This way!” Harvey Deacon shouted. “Carry her in! Here! -Quick!” - -We had taken refuge in the dining-room, and shut the heavy oak door. We -laid the senseless woman upon the sofa, and as we did so, Moir, the hard -man of business, drooped and fainted across the hearthrug. Harvey Deacon -was as white as a corpse, jerking and twitching like an epileptic. With -a crash we heard the studio door fly to pieces, and the snorting and -stamping were in the passage, up and down, up and down, shaking the -house with their fury. The Frenchman had sunk his face on his hands, and -sobbed like a frightened child. - -“What shall we do?” I shook him roughly by the shoulder. “Is a gun any -use?” - -“No, no. The power will pass. Then it will end.” - -“You might have killed us all—you unspeakable fool—with your infernal -experiments.” - -“I did not know. How could I tell that it would be frightened? It is mad -with terror. It was his fault. He struck it.” - -Harvey Deacon sprang up. “Good heavens!” he cried. - -A terrible scream sounded through the house. - -“It’s my wife! Here, I’m going out. If it’s the Evil One himself I am -going out!” - -He had thrown open the door and rushed out into the passage. At the end -of it, at the foot of the stairs, Mrs. Deacon was lying senseless, -struck down by the sight which she had seen. But there was nothing else. - -With eyes of horror we looked about us, but all was perfectly quiet and -still. I approached the black square of the studio door, expecting with -every slow step that some atrocious shape would hurl itself out of it. -But nothing came, and all was silent inside the room. Peeping and -peering, our hearts in our mouths, we came to the very threshold, and -stared into the darkness. There was still no sound, but in one direction -there was also no darkness. A luminous, glowing cloud, with an -incandescent centre, hovered in the corner of the room. Slowly it dimmed -and faded, growing thinner and fainter, until at last the same dense, -velvety blackness filled the whole studio. And with the last flickering -gleam of that baleful light the Frenchman broke into a shout of joy. - -“What a fun!” he cried. “No one is hurt, and only the door broken, and -the ladies frightened. But, my friends, we have done what has never been -done before.” - -“And as far as I can help it,” said Harvey Deacon, “it will certainly -never be done again.” - -And that was what befell on the 14th of April last at No. 17, Badderly -Gardens. I began by saying that it would seem too grotesque to dogmatize -as to what it was which actually did occur; but I give my impressions, -_our_ impressions (since they are corroborated by Harvey Deacon and John -Moir), for what they are worth. You may, if it pleases you, imagine that -we were the victims of an elaborate and extraordinary hoax. Or you may -think with us that we underwent a very real and a very terrible -experience. Or perhaps you may know more than we do of such occult -matters, and can inform us of some similar occurrence. In this latter -case a letter to William Markham, 146M, The Albany, would help to throw -a light upon that which is very dark to us. - - - - - THE JEW’S BREASTPLATE - - -My particular friend Ward Mortimer was one of the best men of his day at -everything connected with Oriental archæology. He had written largely -upon the subject, he had lived two years in a tomb at Thebes, while he -excavated in the Valley of the Kings, and finally he had created a -considerable sensation by his exhumation of the alleged mummy of -Cleopatra in the inner room of the Temple of Horus, at Philæ. With such -a record at the age of thirty-one, it was felt that a considerable -career lay before him, and no one was surprised when he was elected to -the curatorship of the Belmore Street Museum, which carries with it the -lectureship at the Oriental College, and an income which has sunk with -the fall in land, but which still remains at that ideal sum which is -large enough to encourage an investigator, but not so large as to -enervate him. - -There was only one reason which made Ward Mortimer’s position a little -difficult at the Belmore Street Museum, and that was the extreme -eminence of the man whom he had to succeed. Professor Andreas was a -profound scholar and a man of European reputation. His lectures were -frequented by students from every part of the world, and his admirable -management of the collection intrusted to his care was a commonplace in -all learned societies. There was, therefore, considerable surprise when, -at the age of fifty-five, he suddenly resigned his position and retired -from those duties which had been both his livelihood and his pleasure. -He and his daughter left the comfortable suite of rooms which had formed -his official residence in connection with the museum, and my friend, -Mortimer, who was a bachelor, took up his quarters there. - -On hearing of Mortimer’s appointment Professor Andreas had written him a -very kindly and flattering congratulatory letter. I was actually present -at their first meeting, and I went with Mortimer round the museum when -the Professor showed us the admirable collection which he had cherished -so long. The Professor’s beautiful daughter and a young man, Captain -Wilson, who was, as I understood, soon to be her husband, accompanied us -in our inspection. There were fifteen rooms, but the Babylonian, the -Syrian, and the central hall, which contained the Jewish and Egyptian -collection, were the finest of all. Professor Andreas was a quiet, dry, -elderly man, with a clean-shaven face and an impassive manner, but his -dark eyes sparkled and his features quickened into enthusiastic life as -he pointed out to us the rarity and the beauty of some of his specimens. -His hand lingered so fondly over them, that one could read his pride in -them and the grief in his heart now that they were passing from his care -into that of another. - -He had shown us in turn his mummies, his papyri, his rare scarabs, his -inscriptions, his Jewish relics, and his duplication of the famous -seven-branched candlestick of the Temple, which was brought to Rome by -Titus, and which is supposed by some to be lying at this instant in the -bed of the Tiber. Then he approached a case which stood in the very -centre of the hall, and he looked down through the glass with reverence -in his attitude and manner. - -“This is no novelty to an expert like yourself, Mr. Mortimer,” said he; -“but I daresay that your friend, Mr. Jackson, will be interested to see -it.” - -Leaning over the case I saw an object, some five inches square, which -consisted of twelve precious stones in a framework of gold, with golden -hooks at two of the corners. The stones were all varying in sort and -colour, but they were of the same size. Their shapes, arrangement, and -gradation of tint made me think of a box of water-colour paints. Each -stone had some hieroglyphic scratched upon its surface. - -“You have heard, Mr. Jackson, of the urim and thummim?” - -I had heard the term, but my idea of its meaning was exceedingly vague. - -“The urim and thummim was a name given to the jewelled plate which lay -upon the breast of the high priest of the Jews. They had a very special -feeling of reverence for it—something of the feeling which an ancient -Roman might have for the Sibylline books in the Capitol. There are, as -you see, twelve magnificent stones, inscribed with mystical characters. -Counting from the left-hand top corner, the stones are carnelian, -peridot, emerald, ruby, lapis lazuli, onyx, sapphire, agate, amethyst, -topaz, beryl, and jasper.” - -I was amazed at the variety and beauty of the stones. - -“Has the breastplate any particular history?” I asked. - -“It is of great age and of immense value,” said Professor Andreas. -“Without being able to make an absolute assertion, we have many reasons -to think that it is possible that it may be the original urim and -thummim of Solomon’s Temple. There is certainly nothing so fine in any -collection in Europe. My friend, Captain Wilson here, is a practical -authority upon precious stones, and he would tell you how pure these -are.” - -Captain Wilson, a man with a dark, hard, incisive face, was standing -beside his _fiancée_ at the other side of the case. - -“Yes,” said he, curtly, “I have never seen finer stones.” - -“And the gold-work is also worthy of attention. The ancients excelled in -——”—he was apparently about to indicate the setting of the stones, when -Captain Wilson interrupted him. - -“You will see a finer example of their gold-work in this candlestick,” -said he, turning to another table, and we all joined him in his -admiration of its embossed stem and delicately ornamented branches. -Altogether it was an interesting and a novel experience to have objects -of such rarity explained by so great an expert; and when, finally, -Professor Andreas finished our inspection by formally handing over the -precious collection to the care of my friend, I could not help pitying -him and envying his successor whose life was to pass in so pleasant a -duty. Within a week, Ward Mortimer was duly installed in his new set of -rooms, and had become the autocrat of the Belmore Street Museum. - -About a fortnight afterwards my friend gave a small dinner to -half-a-dozen bachelor friends to celebrate his promotion. When his -guests were departing he pulled my sleeve and signalled to me that he -wished me to remain. - -“You have only a few hundred yards to go,” said he—I was living in -chambers in the Albany. “You may as well stay and have a quiet cigar -with me. I very much want your advice.” - -I relapsed into an arm-chair and lit one of his excellent Matronas. When -he had returned from seeing the last of his guests out, he drew a letter -from his dress-jacket and sat down opposite to me. - -“This is an anonymous letter which I received this morning,” said he. “I -want to read it to you and to have your advice.” - -“You are very welcome to it for what it is worth.” - -“This is how the note runs: ‘Sir,—I should strongly advise you to keep a -very careful watch over the many valuable things which are committed to -your charge. I do not think that the present system of a single watchman -is sufficient. Be upon your guard, or an irreparable misfortune may -occur.” - -“Is that all?” - -“Yes, that is all.” - -“Well,” said I, “it is at least obvious that it was written by one of -the limited number of people who are aware that you have only one -watchman at night.” - -Ward Mortimer handed me the note, with a curious smile. “Have you an eye -for handwriting?” said he. “Now, look at this!” He put another letter in -front of me. “Look at the _c_ in ‘congratulate’ and the _c_ in -‘committed.’ Look at the capital _I_. Look at the trick of putting in a -dash instead of a stop!” - -“They are undoubtedly from the same hand—with some attempt at disguise -in the case of this first one.” - -“The second,” said Ward Mortimer, “is the letter of congratulation which -was written to me by Professor Andreas upon my obtaining my -appointment.” - -I stared at him in amazement. Then I turned over the letter in my hand, -and there, sure enough, was “Martin Andreas” signed upon the other side. -There could be no doubt, in the mind of any one who had the slightest -knowledge of the science of graphology, that the Professor had written -an anonymous letter, warning his successor against thieves. It was -inexplicable, but it was certain. - -“Why should he do it?” I asked. - -“Precisely what I should wish to ask you. If he had any such misgivings, -why could he not come and tell me direct?” - -“Will you speak to him about it?” - -“There again I am in doubt. He might choose to deny that he wrote it.” - -“At any rate,” said I, “this warning is meant in a friendly spirit, and -I should certainly act upon it. Are the present precautions enough to -insure you against robbery?” - -“I should have thought so. The public are only admitted from ten till -five, and there is a guardian to every two rooms. He stands at the door -between them, and so commands them both.” - -“But at night?” - -“When the public are gone, we at once put up the great iron shutters, -which are absolutely burglar-proof. The watchman is a capable fellow. He -sits in the lodge, but he walks round every three hours. We keep one -electric light burning in each room all night.” - -“It is difficult to suggest anything more—short of keeping your day -watchers all night.” - -“We could not afford that.” - -“At least, I should communicate with the police, and have a special -constable put on outside in Belmore Street,” said I. “As to the letter, -if the writer wishes to be anonymous, I think he has a right to remain -so. We must trust to the future to show some reason for the curious -course which he has adopted.” - -So we dismissed the subject, but all that night after my return to my -chambers I was puzzling my brain as to what possible motive Professor -Andreas could have for writing an anonymous warning letter to his -successor—for that the writing was his was as certain to me as if I had -seen him actually doing it. He foresaw some danger to the collection. -Was it because he foresaw it that he abandoned his charge of it? But if -so, why should he hesitate to warn Mortimer in his own name? I puzzled -and puzzled until at last I fell into a troubled sleep, which carried me -beyond my usual hour of rising. - -I was aroused in a singular and effective method, for about nine o’clock -my friend Mortimer rushed into my room with an expression of -consternation upon his face. He was usually one of the most tidy men of -my acquaintance, but now his collar was undone at one end, his tie was -flying, and his hat at the back of his head. I read his whole story in -his frantic eyes. - -“The museum has been robbed!” I cried, springing up in bed. - -“I fear so! Those jewels! The jewels of the urim and thummim!” he -gasped, for he was out of breath with running. “I’m going on to the -police-station. Come to the museum as soon as you can, Jackson! -Good-bye!” He rushed distractedly out of the room, and I heard him -clatter down the stairs. - -I was not long in following his directions, but I found when I arrived -that he had already returned with a police inspector, and another -elderly gentleman, who proved to be Mr. Purvis, one of the partners of -Morson and Company, the well-known diamond merchants. As an expert in -stones he was always prepared to advise the police. They were grouped -round the case in which the breastplate of the Jewish priest had been -exposed. The plate had been taken out and laid upon the glass top of the -case, and the three heads were bent over it. - -“It is obvious that it has been tampered with,” said Mortimer. “It -caught my eye the moment that I passed through the room this morning. I -examined it yesterday evening, so that it is certain that this has -happened during the night.” - -It was, as he had said, obvious that some one had been at work upon it. -The settings of the uppermost row of four stones—the carnelian, peridot, -emerald, and ruby-were rough and jagged as if some one had scraped all -round them. The stones were in their places, but the beautiful gold-work -which we had admired only a few days before had been very clumsily -pulled about. - -“It looks to me,” said the police inspector, “as if some one had been -trying to take out the stones.” - -“My fear is,” said Mortimer, “that he not only tried, but succeeded. I -believe these four stones to be skilful imitations which have been put -in the place of the originals.” - -The same suspicion had evidently been in the mind of the expert, for he -had been carefully examining the four stones with the aid of a lens. He -now submitted them to several tests, and finally turned cheerfully to -Mortimer. - -“I congratulate you, sir,” said he, heartily. “I will pledge my -reputation that all four of these stones are genuine, and of a most -unusual degree of purity.” - -The colour began to come back to my poor friend’s frightened face, and -he drew a long breath of relief. - -“Thank God!” he cried. “Then what in the world did the thief want?” - -“Probably he meant to take the stones, but was interrupted.” - -“In that case one would expect him to take them out one at a time, but -the setting of each of these has been loosened, and yet the stones are -all here.” - -“It is certainly most extraordinary,” said the inspector. “I never -remember a case like it. Let us see the watchman.” - -The commissionaire was called—a soldierly, honest-faced man, who seemed -as concerned as Ward Mortimer at the incident. - -“No, sir, I never heard a sound,” he answered, in reply to the questions -of the inspector. “I made my rounds four times, as usual, but I saw -nothing suspicious. I’ve been in my position ten years, but nothing of -the kind has ever occurred before.” - -“No thief could have come through the windows?” - -“Impossible, sir.” - -“Or passed you at the door?” - -“No, sir; I never left my post except when I walked my rounds.” - -“What other openings are there in the museum?” - -“There is the door into Mr. Ward Mortimer’s private rooms.” - -“That is locked at night,” my friend explained, “and in order to reach -it any one from the street would have to open the outside door as well.” - -“Your servants?” - -“Their quarters are entirely separate.” - -“Well, well,” said the inspector, “this is certainly very obscure. -However, there has been no harm done, according to Mr. Purvis.” - -“I will swear that those stones are genuine.” - -“So that the case appears to be merely one of malicious damage. But none -the less, I should be very glad to go carefully round the premises, and -to see if we can find any trace to show us who your visitor may have -been.” - -His investigation, which lasted all the morning was careful and -intelligent, but it led in the end to nothing. He pointed out to us that -there were two possible entrances to the museum which we had not -considered. The one was from the cellars by a trap-door opening in the -passage. The other through a skylight from the lumber-room, overlooking -that very chamber to which the intruder had penetrated. As neither the -cellar nor the lumber-room could be entered unless the thief was already -within the locked doors, the matter was not of any practical importance, -and the dust of cellar and attic assured us that no one had used either -one or the other. Finally, we ended as we began, without the slightest -clue as to how, why, or by whom the setting of these four jewels had -been tampered with. - -There remained one course for Mortimer to take, and he took it. Leaving -the police to continue their fruitless researches, he asked me to -accompany him that afternoon in a visit to Professor Andreas. He took -with him the two letters, and it was his intention to openly tax his -predecessor with having written the anonymous warning, and to ask him to -explain the fact that he should have anticipated so exactly that which -had actually occurred. The Professor was living in a small villa in -Upper Norwood, but we were informed by the servant that he was away from -home. Seeing our disappointment, she asked us if we should like to see -Miss Andreas, and showed us into the modest drawing-room. - -I have mentioned incidentally that the Professor’s daughter was a very -beautiful girl. She was a blonde, tall and graceful, with a skin of that -delicate tint which the French call “mat,” the colour of old ivory or of -the lighter petals of the sulphur rose. I was shocked, however, as she -entered the room to see how much she had changed in the last fortnight. -Her young face was haggard and her bright eyes heavy with trouble. - -“Father has gone to Scotland,” she said. “He seems to be tired, and has -had a good deal to worry him. He only left us yesterday.” - -“You look a little tired yourself, Miss Andreas,” said my friend. - -“I have been so anxious about father.” - -“Can you give me his Scotch address?” - -“Yes, he is with his brother, the Rev. David Andreas, 1, Arran Villas, -Ardrossan.” - -Ward Mortimer made a note of the address, and we left without saying -anything as to the object of our visit. We found ourselves in Belmore -Street in the evening in exactly the same position in which we had been -in the morning. Our only clue was the Professor’s letter, and my friend -had made up his mind to start for Ardrossan next day, and to get to the -bottom of the anonymous letter, when a new development came to alter our -plans. - -Very early on the following morning I was aroused from my sleep by a tap -upon my bedroom door. It was a messenger with a note from Mortimer. - -“Do come round,” it said; “the matter is becoming more and more -extraordinary.” - -When I obeyed his summons I found him pacing excitedly up and down the -central room, while the old soldier who guarded the premises stood with -military stiffness in a corner. - -“My dear Jackson,” he cried, “I am so delighted that you have come, for -this is a most inexplicable business.” - -“What has happened, then?” - -He waved his hand towards the case which contained the breastplate. - -“Look at it,” said he. - -I did so, and could not restrain a cry of surprise. The setting of the -middle row of precious stones had been profaned in the same manner as -the upper ones. Of the twelve jewels, eight had been now tampered with -in this singular fashion. The setting of the lower four was neat and -smooth. The others jagged and irregular. - -“Have the stones been altered?” I asked. - -“No, I am certain that these upper four are the same which the expert -pronounced to be genuine, for I observed yesterday that little -discoloration on the edge of the emerald. Since they have not extracted -the upper stones, there is no reason to think the lower have been -transposed. You say that you heard nothing, Simpson?” - -“No, sir,” the commissionaire answered. “But when I made my round after -daylight I had a special look at these stones, and I saw at once that -some one had been meddling with them. Then I called you, sir, and told -you. I was backwards and forwards all the night, and I never saw a soul -or heard a sound.” - -“Come up and have some breakfast with me,” said Mortimer, and he took me -into his own chambers.—“Now, what _do_ you think of this, Jackson?” he -asked. - -“It is the most objectless, futile, idiotic business that ever I heard -of. It can only be the work of a monomaniac.” - -“Can you put forward any theory?” - -A curious idea came into my head. “This object is a Jewish relic of -great antiquity and sanctity,” said I. “How about the anti-Semitic -movement? Could one conceive that a fanatic of that way of thinking -might desecrate——” - -“No, no, no!” cried Mortimer. “That will never do! Such a man might push -his lunacy to the length of destroying a Jewish relic, but why on earth -should he nibble round every stone so carefully that he can only do four -stones in a night? We must have a better solution than that, and we must -find it for ourselves, for I do not think that our inspector is likely -to help us. First of all, what do you think of Simpson, the porter?” - -“Have you any reason to suspect him?” - -“Only that he is the one person on the premises.” - -“But why should he indulge in such wanton destruction? Nothing has been -taken away. He has no motive.” - -“Mania?” - -“No, I will swear to his sanity.” - -“Have you any other theory?” - -“Well, yourself, for example. You are not a somnambulist, by any -chance?” - -“Nothing of the sort, I assure you.” - -“Then I give it up.” - -“But I don’t—and I have a plan by which we will make it all clear.” - -“To visit Professor Andreas?” - -“No, we shall find our solution nearer than Scotland, I will tell you -what we shall do. You know that skylight which overlooks the central -hall? We will leave the electric lights in the hall, and we will keep -watch in the lumber-room, you and I, and solve the mystery for -ourselves. If our mysterious visitor is doing four stones at a time, he -has four still to do, and there is every reason to think that he will -return to-night and complete the job.” - -“Excellent!” I cried. - -“We will keep our own secret, and say nothing either to the police or to -Simpson. Will you join me?” - -“With the utmost pleasure,” said I; and so it was agreed. - -It was ten o’clock that night when I returned to the Belmore Street -Museum. Mortimer was, as I could see, in a state of suppressed nervous -excitement, but it was still too early to begin our vigil, so we -remained for an hour or so in his chambers, discussing all the -possibilities of the singular business which we had met to solve. At -last the roaring stream of hansom cabs and the rush of hurrying feet -became lower and more intermittent as the pleasure-seekers passed on -their way to their stations or their homes. It was nearly twelve when -Mortimer led the way to the lumber-room which overlooked the central -hall of the museum. - -He had visited it during the day, and had spread some sacking so that we -could lie at our ease, and look straight down into the museum. The -skylight was of unfrosted glass, but was so covered with dust that it -would be impossible for any one looking up from below to detect that he -was overlooked. We cleared a small piece at each corner, which gave us a -complete view of the room beneath us. In the cold white light of the -electric lamps everything stood out hard and clear, and I could see the -smallest detail of the contents of the various cases. - -Such a vigil is an excellent lesson, since one has no choice but to look -hard at those objects which we usually pass with such half-hearted -interest. Through my little peep-hole I employed the hours in studying -every specimen, from the huge mummy-case which leaned against the wall -to those very jewels which had brought us there, gleaming and sparkling -in their glass case immediately beneath us. There was much precious -gold-work and many valuable stones scattered through the numerous cases, -but those wonderful twelve which made up the urim and thummim glowed and -burned with a radiance which far eclipsed the others. I studied in turn -the tomb-pictures of Sicara, the friezes from Karnak, the statues of -Memphis, and the inscriptions of Thebes, but my eyes would always come -back to that wonderful Jewish relic, and my mind to the singular mystery -which surrounded it. I was lost in the thought of it when my companion -suddenly drew his breath sharply in, and seized my arm in a convulsive -grip. At the same instant I saw what it was which had excited him. - -I have said that against the wall—on the right-hand side of the doorway -(the right-hand side as we looked at it, but the left as one -entered)—there stood a large mummy-case. To our unutterable amazement it -was slowly opening. Gradually, gradually the lid was swinging back, and -the black slit which marked the opening was becoming wider and wider. So -gently and carefully was it done that the movement was almost -imperceptible. Then, as we breathlessly watched it, a white thin hand -appeared at the opening, pushing back the painted lid, then another -hand, and finally a face—a face which was familiar to us both, that of -Professor Andreas. Stealthily he slunk out of the mummy-case, like a fox -stealing from its burrow, his head turning incessantly to left and to -right, stepping, then pausing, then stepping again, the very image of -craft and of caution. Once some sound in the street struck him -motionless, and he stood listening, with his ear turned, ready to dart -back to the shelter behind him. Then he crept onwards again upon tiptoe, -very, very softly and slowly, until he had reached the case in the -centre of the room. There he took a bunch of keys from his pocket, -unlocked the case, took out the Jewish breastplate, and, laying it upon -the glass in front of him, began to work upon it with some sort of -small, glistening tool. He was so directly underneath us that his bent -head covered his work, but we could guess from the movement of his hand -that he was engaged in finishing the strange disfigurement which he had -begun. - -I could realize from the heavy breathing of my companion, and the -twitchings of the hand which still clutched my wrist, the furious -indignation which filled his heart as he saw this vandalism in the -quarter of all others where he could least have expected it. He, the -very man who a fortnight before had reverently bent over this unique -relic, and who had impressed its antiquity and its sanctity upon us, was -now engaged in this outrageous profanation. It was impossible, -unthinkable—and yet there, in the white glare of the electric light -beneath us, was that dark figure with the bent, grey head, and the -twitching elbow. What inhuman hypocrisy, what hateful depth of malice -against his successor must underlie these sinister nocturnal labours. It -was painful to think of and dreadful to watch. Even I, who had none of -the acute feelings of a virtuoso, could not bear to look on and see this -deliberate mutilation of so ancient a relic. It was a relief to me when -my companion tugged at my sleeve as a signal that I was to follow him as -he softly crept out of the room. It was not until we were within his own -quarters that he opened his lips, and then I saw by his agitated face -how deep was his consternation. - -“The abominable Goth!” he cried. “Could you have believed it?” - -“It is amazing.” - -“He is a villain or a lunatic—one or the other. We shall very soon see -which. Come with me, Jackson, and we shall get to the bottom of this -black business.” - -A door opened out of the passage which was the private entrance from his -rooms into the museum. This he opened softly with his key, having first -kicked off his shoes, an example which I followed. We crept together -through room after room, until the large hall lay before us, with that -dark figure still stooping and working at the central case. With an -advance as cautious as his own we closed in upon him, but softly as we -went we could not take him entirely unawares. We were still a dozen -yards from him when he looked round with a start, and uttering a husky -cry of terror, ran frantically down the museum. - -“Simpson! Simpson!” roared Mortimer, and far away down the vista of -electric lighted doors we saw the stiff figure of the old soldier -suddenly appear. Professor Andreas saw him also, and stopped running, -with a gesture of despair. At the same instant we each laid a hand upon -his shoulder. - -“Yes, yes, gentlemen,” he panted, “I will come with you. To your room, -Mr. Ward Mortimer, if you please! I feel that I owe you an explanation.” - -My companion’s indignation was so great that I could see that he dared -not trust himself to reply. We walked on each side of the old Professor, -the astonished commissionaire bringing up the rear. When we reached the -violated case, Mortimer stopped and examined the breastplate. Already -one of the stones of the lower row had had its setting turned back in -the same manner as the others. My friend held it up and glanced -furiously at his prisoner. - -“How could you!” he cried. “How could you!” - -“It is horrible—horrible!” said the Professor. “I don’t wonder at your -feelings. Take me to your room.” - -“But this shall not be left exposed!” cried Mortimer. He picked the -breastplate up and carried it tenderly in his hand, while I walked -beside the Professor, like a policeman with a malefactor. We passed into -Mortimer’s chambers, leaving the amazed old soldier to understand -matters as best he could. The Professor sat down in Mortimer’s -arm-chair, and turned so ghastly a colour that for the instant, all our -resentment was changed to concern. A stiff glass of brandy brought the -life back to him once more. - -“There, I am better now!” said he. “These last few days have been too -much for me. I am convinced that I could not stand it any longer. It is -a nightmare—a horrible nightmare—that I should be arrested as a burglar -in what has been for so long my own museum. And yet I cannot blame you. -You could not have done otherwise. My hope always was that I should get -it all over before I was detected. This would have been my last night’s -work.” - -“How did you get in?” asked Mortimer. - -“By taking a very great liberty with your private door. But the object -justified it. The object justified everything. You will not be angry -when you know everything—at least, you will not be angry with me. I had -a key to your side door and also to the museum door. I did not give them -up when I left. And so you see it was not difficult for me to let myself -into the museum. I used to come in early before the crowd had cleared -from the street. Then I hid myself in the mummy-case, and took refuge -there whenever Simpson came round. I could always hear him coming. I -used to leave in the same way as I came.” - -“You ran a risk.” - -“I had to.” - -“But why? What on earth was your object—_you_ to do a thing like that?” -Mortimer pointed reproachfully at the plate which lay before him on the -table. - -“I could devise no other means. I thought and thought, but there was no -alternative except a hideous public scandal, and a private sorrow which -would have clouded our lives. I acted for the best, incredible as it may -seem to you, and I only ask your attention to enable me to prove it.” - -“I will hear what you have to say before I take any further steps,” said -Mortimer, grimly. - -“I am determined to hold back nothing, and to take you both completely -into my confidence. I will leave it to your own generosity how far you -will use the facts with which I supply you.” - -“We have the essential facts already.” - -“And yet you understand nothing. Let me go back to what passed a few -weeks ago, and I will make it all clear to you. Believe me that what I -say is the absolute and exact truth. - -“You have met the person who calls himself Captain Wilson. I say ‘calls -himself’ because I have reason now to believe that it is not his correct -name. It would take me too long if I were to describe all the means by -which he obtained an introduction to me and ingratiated himself into my -friendship and the affection of my daughter. He brought letters from -foreign colleagues which compelled me to show him some attention. And -then, by his own attainments, which are considerable, he succeeded in -making himself a very welcome visitor at my rooms. When I learned that -my daughter’s affections had been gained by him, I may have thought it -premature, but I certainly was not surprised, for he had a charm of -manner and of conversation which would have made him conspicuous in any -society. - -“He was much interested in Oriental antiquities, and his knowledge of -the subject justified his interest. Often when he spent the evening with -us he would ask permission to go down into the museum and have an -opportunity of privately inspecting the various specimens. You can -imagine that I, as an enthusiast, was in sympathy with such a request, -and that I felt no surprise at the constancy of his visits. After his -actual engagement to Elise, there was hardly an evening which he did not -pass with us, and an hour or two were generally devoted to the museum. -He had the free run of the place, and when I have been away for the -evening I had no objection to his doing whatever he wished here. This -state of things was only terminated by the fact of my resignation of my -official duties and my retirement to Norwood, where I hoped to have the -leisure to write a considerable work which I had planned. - -“It was immediately after this—within a week or so—that I first realized -the true nature and character of the man whom I had so imprudently -introduced into my family. The discovery came to me through letters from -my friends abroad, which showed me that his introductions to me had been -forgeries. Aghast at the revelation, I asked myself what motive this man -could originally have had in practising this elaborate deception upon -me. I was too poor a man for any fortune-hunter to have marked me down. -Why, then, had he come? I remembered that some of the most precious gems -in Europe had been under my charge, and I remembered also the ingenious -excuses by which this man had made himself familiar with the cases in -which they were kept. He was a rascal who was planning some gigantic -robbery. How could I, without striking my own daughter, who was -infatuated about him, prevent him from carrying out any plan which he -might have formed? My device was a clumsy one, and yet I could think of -nothing more effective. If I had written a letter under my own name, you -would naturally have turned to me for details which I did not wish to -give. I resorted to an anonymous letter, begging you to be upon your -guard. - -“I may tell you that my change from Belmore Street to Norwood had not -affected the visits of this man, who had, I believe, a real and -overpowering affection for my daughter. As to her, I could not have -believed that any woman could be so completely under the influence of a -man as she was. His stronger nature seemed to entirely dominate her. I -had not realized how far this was the case, or the extent of the -confidence which existed between them, until that very evening when his -true character for the first time was made clear to me. I had given -orders that when he called he should be shown into my study instead of -to the drawing-room. There I told him bluntly that I knew all about him, -that I had taken steps to defeat his designs, and that neither I nor my -daughter desired ever to see him again. I added that I thanked God that -I had found him out before he had time to harm those precious objects -which it had been the work of my lifetime to protect. - -“He was certainly a man of iron nerve. He took my remarks without a sign -either of surprise or of defiance, but listened gravely and attentively -until I had finished. Then he walked across the room without a word and -struck the bell. - -“‘Ask Miss Andreas to be so kind as to step this way,’ said he to the -servant. - -“My daughter entered, and the man closed the door behind her. Then he -took her hand in his. - -“‘Elise,’ said he, ‘your father has just discovered that I am a villain. -He knows now what you knew before.’ - -“She stood in silence, listening. - -“‘He says that we are to part for ever,’ said he. - -“She did not withdraw her hand. - -“‘Will you be true to me, or will you remove the last good influence -which is ever likely to come into my life?’ - -“‘John,’ she cried, passionately, ‘I will never abandon you! Never, -never, not if the whole world were against you.’ - -“In vain I argued and pleaded with her. It was absolutely useless. Her -whole life was bound up in this man before me. My daughter, gentlemen, -is all that I have left to love, and it filled me with agony when I saw -how powerless I was to save her from her ruin. My helplessness seemed to -touch this man who was the cause of my trouble. - -“‘It may not be as bad as you think, sir,’ said he, in his quiet, -inflexible way. ‘I love Elise with a love which is strong enough to -rescue even one who has such a record as I have. It was but yesterday -that I promised her that never again in my whole life would I do a thing -of which she should be ashamed. I have made up my mind to it, and never -yet did I make up my mind to a thing which I did not do.’ - -“He spoke with an air which carried conviction with it. As he concluded -he put his hand into his pocket and he drew out a small cardboard box. - -“‘I am about to give you a proof of my determination,’ said he. ‘This, -Elise, shall be the first-fruits of your redeeming influence over me. -You are right, sir, in thinking that I had designs upon the jewels in -your possession. Such ventures have had a charm for me, which depended -as much upon the risk run as upon the value of the prize. Those famous -and antique stones of the Jewish priest were a challenge to my daring -and my ingenuity. I determined to get them.’ - -“‘I guessed as much.’ - -“‘There was only one thing that you did not guess.’ - -“‘And what is that?’ - -“‘That I got them. They are in this box.’ - -“He opened the box, and tilted out the contents upon the corner of my -desk. My hair rose and my flesh grew cold as I looked. There were twelve -magnificent square stones engraved with mystical characters. There could -be no doubt that they were the jewels of the urim and thummim. - -“‘Good God!’ I cried. ‘How have you escaped discovery?’ - -“By the substitution of twelve others, made especially to my order, in -which the originals are so carefully imitated that I defy the eye to -detect the difference.’ - -“‘Then the present stones are false?’ I cried. - -“‘They have been for some weeks.’ - -“We all stood in silence, my daughter white with emotion, but still -holding this man by the hand. - -“‘You see what I am capable of, Elise,’ said he. - -“‘I see that you are capable of repentance and restitution,’ she -answered. - -“‘Yes, thanks to your influence! I leave the stones in your hands, sir. -Do what you like about it. But remember that whatever you do against me, -is done against the future husband of your only daughter. You will hear -from me soon again, Elise. It is the last time that I will ever cause -pain to your tender heart,’ and with these words he left both the room -and the house. - -“My position was a dreadful one. Here I was with these precious relics -in my possession, and how could I return them without a scandal and an -exposure? I knew the depth of my daughter’s nature too well to suppose -that I would ever be able to detach her from this man now that she had -entirely given him her heart. I was not even sure how far it was right -to detach her if she had such an ameliorating influence over him. How -could I expose him without injuring her—and how far was I justified in -exposing him when he had voluntarily put himself into my power? I -thought and thought, until at last I formed a resolution which may seem -to you to be a foolish one, and yet, if I had to do it again, I believe -it would be the best course open to me. - -“My idea was to return the stones without any one being the wiser. With -my keys I could get into the museum at any time, and I was confident -that I could avoid Simpson, whose hours and methods were familiar to me. -I determined to take no one into my confidence—not even my daughter—whom -I told that I was about to visit my brother in Scotland. I wanted a free -hand for a few nights, without inquiry as to my comings and goings. To -this end I took a room in Harding Street that very night, with an -intimation that I was a Pressman, and that I should keep very late -hours. - -“That night I made my way into the museum, and I replaced four of the -stones. It was hard work, and took me all night When Simpson came round -I always heard his footsteps, and concealed myself in the mummy-case. I -had some knowledge of gold-work, but was far less skilful than the thief -had been. He had replaced the setting so exactly that I defy any one to -see the difference. My work was rude and clumsy. However, I hoped that -the plate might not be carefully examined, or the roughness of the -setting observed, until my task was done. Next night I replaced four -more stones. And to-night I should have finished my task had it not been -for the unfortunate circumstance which has caused me to reveal so much -which I should have wished to keep concealed. I appeal to you, -gentlemen, to your sense of honour and of compassion, whether what I -have told you should go any farther or not. My own happiness, my -daughter’s future, the hopes of this man’s regeneration, all depend upon -your decision.” - -“Which is,” said my friend, “that all is well that ends well, and that -the whole matter ends here and at once. To-morrow the loose settings -shall be tightened by an expert goldsmith, and so passes the greatest -danger to which, since the destruction of the Temple, the urim and -thummim have been exposed. Here is my hand, Professor Andreas, and I can -only hope that under such difficult circumstances I should have carried -myself as unselfishly and as well.” - -Just one footnote to this narrative. Within a month Elise Andreas was -married to a man whose name, had I the indiscretion to mention it, would -appeal to my readers as one who is now widely and deservedly honoured. -But if the truth were known, that honour is due not to him but to the -gentle girl who plucked him back when he had gone so far down that dark -road along which few return. - - - - - THE LOST SPECIAL - - -The confession of Herbert de Lernac, now lying under sentence of death -at Marseilles, has thrown a light upon one of the most inexplicable -crimes of the century—an incident which is, I believe, absolutely -unprecedented in the criminal annals of any country. Although there is a -reluctance to discuss the matter in official circles, and little -information has been given to the Press, there are still indications -that the statement of this arch-criminal is corroborated by the facts, -and that we have at last found a solution for a most astounding -business. As the matter is eight years old, and as its importance was -somewhat obscured by a political crisis which was engaging the public -attention at the time, it may be as well to state the facts as far as we -have been able to ascertain them. They are collated from the Liverpool -papers of that date, from the proceedings at the inquest upon John -Slater, the engine-driver, and from the records of the London and West -Coast Railway Company, which have been courteously put at my disposal. -Briefly, they are as follows. - -On the 3rd of June, 1890, a gentleman, who gave his name as Monsieur -Louis Caratal, desired an interview with Mr. James Bland, the -superintendent of the London and West Coast Central Station in -Liverpool. He was a small man, middle-aged and dark, with a stoop which -was so marked that it suggested some deformity of the spine. He was -accompanied by a friend, a man of imposing physique, whose deferential -manner and constant attention showed that his position was one of -dependence. This friend or companion, whose name did not transpire, was -certainly a foreigner, and probably, from his swarthy complexion, either -a Spaniard or a South American. One peculiarity was observed in him. He -carried in his left hand a small black leather dispatch-box, and it was -noticed by a sharp-eyed clerk in the Central office that this box was -fastened to his wrist by a strap. No importance was attached to the fact -at the time, but subsequent events endowed it with some significance. -Monsieur Caratal was shown up to Mr. Bland’s office, while his companion -remained outside. - -Monsieur Caratal’s business was quickly dispatched. He had arrived that -afternoon from Central America. Affairs of the utmost importance -demanded that he should be in Paris without the loss of an unnecessary -hour. He had missed the London express. A special must be provided. -Money was of no importance. Time was everything. If the company would -speed him on his way, they might make their own terms. - -Mr. Bland struck the electric bell, summoned Mr. Potter Hood, the -traffic manager, and had the matter arranged in five minutes. The train -would start in three-quarters of an hour. It would take that time to -insure that the line should be clear. The powerful engine called -Rochdale (No. 247 on the company’s register) was attached to two -carriages, with a guard’s van behind. The first carriage was solely for -the purpose of decreasing the inconvenience arising from the -oscillation. The second was divided, as usual, into four compartments, a -first-class, a first-class smoking, a second-class, and a second-class -smoking. The first compartment, which was nearest to the engine, was the -one allotted to the travellers. The other three were empty. The guard of -the special train was James McPherson, who had been some years in the -service of the company. The stoker, William Smith, was a new hand. - -Monsieur Caratal, upon leaving the superintendent’s office, rejoined his -companion, and both of them manifested extreme impatience to be off. -Having paid the money asked, which amounted to fifty pounds five -shillings, at the usual special rate of five shillings a mile, they -demanded to be shown the carriage, and at once took their seats in it, -although they were assured that the better part of an hour must elapse -before the line could be cleared. In the meantime a singular coincidence -had occurred in the office which Monsieur Caratal had just quitted. - -A request for a special is not a very uncommon circumstance in a rich -commercial centre, but that two should be required upon the same -afternoon was most unusual. It so happened, however, that Mr. Bland had -hardly dismissed the first traveller before a second entered with a -similar request. This was a Mr. Horace Moore, a gentlemanly man of -military appearance, who alleged that the sudden serious illness of his -wife in London made it absolutely imperative that he should not lose an -instant in starting upon the journey. His distress and anxiety were so -evident that Mr. Bland did all that was possible to meet his wishes. A -second special was out of the question, as the ordinary local service -was already somewhat deranged by the first. There was the alternative, -however, that Mr. Moore should share the expense of Monsieur Caratal’s -train, and should travel in the other empty first-class compartment, if -Monsieur Caratal objected to having him in the one which he occupied. It -was difficult to see any objection to such an arrangement, and yet -Monsieur Caratal, upon the suggestion being made to him by Mr. Potter -Hood, absolutely refused to consider it for an instant. The train was -his, he said, and he would insist upon the exclusive use of it. All -argument failed to overcome his ungracious objections, and finally the -plan had to be abandoned. Mr. Horace Moore left the station in great -distress, after learning that his only course was to take the ordinary -slow train which leaves Liverpool at six o’clock. At four thirty-one -exactly by the station clock the special train, containing the crippled -Monsieur Caratal and his gigantic companion, steamed out of the -Liverpool station. The line was at that time clear, and there should -have been no stoppage before Manchester. - -The trains of the London and West Coast Railway run over the lines of -another company as far as this town, which should have been reached by -the special rather before six o’clock. At a quarter after six -considerable surprise and some consternation were caused amongst the -officials at Liverpool by the receipt of a telegram from Manchester to -say that it had not yet arrived. An inquiry directed to St. Helens, -which is a third of the way between the two cities, elicited the -following reply:— - -“To James Bland, Superintendent, Central L. & W. C., Liverpool.—Special -passed here at 4.52, well up to time.—Dowser, St. Helens.” - -This telegram was received at 6.40. At 6.50 a second message was -received from Manchester:— - -“No sign of special as advised by you.” - -And then ten minutes later a third, more bewildering:— - -“Presume some mistake as to proposed running of special. Local train -from St. Helens timed to follow it has just arrived and has seen nothing -of it. Kindly wire advices.—Manchester.” - -The matter was assuming a most amazing aspect, although in some respects -the last telegram was a relief to the authorities at Liverpool. If an -accident had occurred to the special, it seemed hardly possible that the -local train could have passed down the same line without observing it. -And yet, what was the alternative? Where could the train be? Had it -possibly been side-tracked for some reason in order to allow the slower -train to go past? Such an explanation was possible if some small repair -had to be effected. A telegram was dispatched to each of the stations -between St. Helens and Manchester, and the superintendent and traffic -manager waited in the utmost suspense at the instrument for the series -of replies which would enable them to say for certain what had become of -the missing train. The answers came back in the order of questions, -which was the order of the stations beginning at the St. Helens end:— - -“Special passed here five o’clock.—Collins Green.” - -“Special passed here six past five.—Earlestown.” - -“Special passed here 5.10.—Newton.” - -“Special passed here 5.20.—Kenyon Junction.” - -“No special train has passed here.—Barton Moss.” - -The two officials stared at each other in amazement. - -“This is unique in my thirty years of experience,” said Mr. Bland. - -“Absolutely unprecedented and inexplicable, sir. The special has gone -wrong between Kenyon Junction and Barton Moss.” - -“And yet there is no siding, so far as my memory serves me, between the -two stations. The special must have run off the metals.” - -“But how could the four-fifty parliamentary pass over the same line -without observing it?” - -“There’s no alternative, Mr. Hood. It _must_ be so. Possibly the local -train may have observed something which may throw some light upon the -matter. We will wire to Manchester for more information, and to Kenyon -Junction with instructions that the line be examined instantly as far as -Barton Moss.” - -The answer from Manchester came within a few minutes. - -“No news of missing special. Driver and guard of slow train positive no -accident between Kenyon Junction and Barton Moss. Line quite clear, and -no sign of anything unusual.—Manchester.” - -“That driver and guard will have to go,” said Mr. Bland, grimly. “There -has been a wreck and they have missed it. The special has obviously run -off the metals without disturbing the line—how it could have done so -passes my comprehension—but so it must be, and we shall have a wire from -Kenyon or Barton Moss presently to say that they have found her at the -bottom of an embankment.” - -But Mr. Bland’s prophecy was not destined to be fulfilled. Half an hour -passed, and then there arrived the following message from the -station-master of Kenyon Junction:— - -“There are no traces of the missing special. It is quite certain that -she passed here, and that she did not arrive at Barton Moss. We have -detached engine from goods train, and I have myself ridden down the -line, but all is clear, and there is no sign of any accident.” - -Mr. Bland tore his hair in his perplexity. - -“This is rank lunacy, Hood!” he cried. “Does a train vanish into thin -air in England in broad daylight? The thing is preposterous. An engine, -a tender, two carriages, a van, five human beings—and all lost on a -straight line of railway! Unless we get something positive within the -next hour I’ll take Inspector Collins, and go down myself.” - -And then at last something positive did occur. It took the shape of -another telegram from Kenyon Junction. - -“Regret to report that the dead body of John Slater, driver of the -special train, has just been found among the gorse bushes at a point two -and a quarter miles from the Junction. Had fallen from his engine, -pitched down the embankment, and rolled among bushes. Injuries to his -head, from the fall, appear to be cause of death. Ground has now been -carefully examined, and there is no trace of the missing train.” - -The country was, as has already been stated, in the throes of a -political crisis, and the attention of the public was further distracted -by the important and sensational developments in Paris, where a huge -scandal threatened to destroy the Government and to wreck the -reputations of many of the leading men in France. The papers were full -of these events, and the singular disappearance of the special train -attracted less attention than would have been the case in more peaceful -times. The grotesque nature of the event helped to detract from its -importance, for the papers were disinclined to believe the facts as -reported to them. More than one of the London journals treated the -matter as an ingenious hoax, until the coroner’s inquest upon the -unfortunate driver (an inquest which elicited nothing of importance) -convinced them of the tragedy of the incident. - -Mr. Bland, accompanied by Inspector Collins, the senior detective -officer in the service of the company, went down to Kenyon Junction the -same evening, and their research lasted throughout the following day, -but was attended with purely negative results. Not only was no trace -found of the missing train, but no conjecture could be put forward which -could possibly explain the facts. At the same time, Inspector Collins’s -official report (which lies before me as I write) served to show that -the possibilities were more numerous than might have been expected. - -“In the stretch of railway between these two points,” said he, “the -country is dotted with ironworks and collieries. Of these, some are -being worked and some have been abandoned. There are no fewer than -twelve which have small gauge lines which run trolly-cars down to the -main line. These can, of course, be disregarded. Besides these, however, -there are seven which have or have had, proper lines running down and -connecting with points to the main line, so as to convey their produce -from the mouth of the mine to the great centres of distribution. In -every case these lines are only a few miles in length. Out of the seven, -four belong to collieries which are worked out, or at least to shafts -which are no longer used. These are the Redgauntlet, Hero, Slough of -Despond, and Heartsease mines, the latter having ten years ago been one -of the principal mines in Lancashire. These four side lines may be -eliminated from our inquiry, for, to prevent possible accidents, the -rails nearest to the main line have been taken up, and there is no -longer any connection. There remain three other side lines leading— - - (_a_) To the Carnstock Iron Works; - - (_b_) To the Big Ben Colliery; - - (_c_) To the Perseverance Colliery. - -“Of these the Big Ben line is not more than a quarter of a mile long, -and ends at a dead wall of coal waiting removal from the mouth of the -mine. Nothing had been seen or heard there of any special. The Carnstock -Iron Works line was blocked all day upon the 3rd of June by sixteen -truckloads of hematite. It is a single line, and nothing could have -passed. As to the Perseverance line, it is a large double line, which -does a considerable traffic, for the output of the mine is very large. -On the 3rd of June this traffic proceeded as usual; hundreds of men, -including a gang of railway platelayers, were working along the two -miles and a quarter which constitute the total length of the line, and -it is inconceivable that an unexpected train could have come down there -without attracting universal attention. It may be remarked in conclusion -that this branch line is nearer to St. Helens than the point at which -the engine-driver was discovered, so that we have every reason to -believe that the train was past that point before misfortune overtook -her. - -“As to John Slater, there is no clue to be gathered from his appearance -or injuries. We can only say that, so far as we can see, he met his end -by falling off his engine, though why he fell, or what became of the -engine after his fall, is a question upon which I do not feel qualified -to offer an opinion.” In conclusion, the inspector offered his -resignation to the Board, being much nettled by an accusation of -incompetence in the London papers. - -A month elapsed, during which both the police and the company prosecuted -their inquiries without the slightest success. A reward was offered and -a pardon promised in case of crime, but they were both unclaimed. Every -day the public opened their papers with the conviction that so grotesque -a mystery would at last be solved, but week after week passed by, and a -solution remained as far off as ever. In broad daylight, upon a June -afternoon in the most thickly inhabited portion of England, a train with -its occupants had disappeared as completely as if some master of subtle -chemistry had volatilized it into gas. Indeed, among the various -conjectures which were put forward in the public Press there were some -which seriously asserted that supernatural, or, at least, preternatural, -agencies had been at work, and that the deformed Monsieur Caratal was -probably a person who was better known under a less polite name. Others -fixed upon his swarthy companion as being the author of the mischief, -but what it was exactly which he had done could never be clearly -formulated in words. - -Amongst the many suggestions put forward by various newspapers or -private individuals, there were one or two which were feasible enough to -attract the attention of the public. One which appeared in the _Times_, -over the signature of an amateur reasoner of some celebrity at that -date, attempted to deal with the matter in a critical and -semi-scientific manner. An extract must suffice, although the curious -can see the whole letter in the issue of the 3rd of July. - -“It is one of the elementary principles of practical reasoning,” he -remarked, “that when the impossible has been eliminated the residuum, -_however improbable_, must contain the truth. It is certain that the -train left Kenyon Junction. It is certain that it did not reach Barton -Moss. It is in the highest degree unlikely, but still possible, that it -may have taken one of the seven available side lines. It is obviously -impossible for a train to run where there are no rails, and, therefore, -we may reduce our improbables to the three open lines, namely, the -Carnstock Iron Works, the Big Ben, and the Perseverance. Is there a -secret society of colliers, an English _camorra_, which is capable of -destroying both train and passengers? It is improbable, but it is not -impossible. I confess that I am unable to suggest any other solution. I -should certainly advise the company to direct all their energies towards -the observation of those three lines, and of the workmen at the end of -them. A careful supervision of the pawnbrokers’ shops of the district -might possibly bring some suggestive facts to light.” - -The suggestion coming from a recognized authority upon such matters -created considerable interest, and a fierce opposition from those who -considered such a statement to be a preposterous libel upon an honest -and deserving set of men. The only answer to this criticism was a -challenge to the objectors to lay any more feasible explanation before -the public. In reply to this two others were forthcoming (_Times_, July -7th and 9th). The first suggested that the train might have run off the -metals and be lying submerged in the Lancashire and Staffordshire Canal, -which runs parallel to the railway for some hundreds of yards. This -suggestion was thrown out of court by the published depth of the canal, -which was entirely insufficient to conceal so large an object. The -second correspondent wrote calling attention to the bag which appeared -to be the sole luggage which the travellers had brought with them, and -suggesting that some novel explosive of immense and pulverizing power -might have been concealed in it. The obvious absurdity, however, of -supposing that the whole train might be blown to dust while the metals -remained uninjured reduced any such explanation to a farce. The -investigation had drifted into this hopeless position when a new and -most unexpected incident occurred. - -This was nothing less than the receipt by Mrs. McPherson of a letter -from her husband, James McPherson, who had been the guard of the missing -train. The letter, which was dated July 5th, 1890, was posted from New -York, and came to hand upon July 14th. Some doubts were expressed as to -its genuine character, but Mrs. McPherson was positive as to the -writing, and the fact that it contained a remittance of a hundred -dollars in five-dollar notes was enough in itself to discount the idea -of a hoax. No address was given in the letter, which ran in this way:— - - “MY DEAR WIFE,— - - “I have been thinking a great deal, and I find it very hard to - give you up. The same with Lizzie. I try to fight against it, but - it will always come back to me. I send you some money which will - change into twenty English pounds. This should be enough to bring - both Lizzie and you across the Atlantic, and you will find the - Hamburg boats which stop at Southampton very good boats, and - cheaper than Liverpool. If you could come here and stop at the - Johnston House I would try and send you word how to meet, but - things are very difficult with me at present, and I am not very - happy, finding it hard to give you both up. So no more at present, - from your loving husband, - - “JAMES MCPHERSON.” - -For a time it was confidently anticipated that this letter would lead to -the clearing up of the whole matter, the more so as it was ascertained -that a passenger who bore a close resemblance to the missing guard had -travelled from Southampton under the name of Summers in the Hamburg and -New York liner _Vistula_, which started upon the 7th of June. Mrs. -McPherson and her sister Lizzie Dolton went across to New York as -directed, and stayed for three weeks at the Johnston House, without -hearing anything from the missing man. It is probable that some -injudicious comments in the Press may have warned him that the police -were using them as a bait. However this may be, it is certain that he -neither wrote nor came, and the women were eventually compelled to -return to Liverpool. - -And so the matter stood, and has continued to stand up to the present -year of 1898. Incredible as it may seem, nothing has transpired during -these eight years which has shed the least light upon the extraordinary -disappearance of the special train which contained Monsieur Caratal and -his companion. Careful inquiries into the antecedents of the two -travellers have only established the fact that Monsieur Caratal was well -known as a financier and political agent in Central America, and that -during his voyage to Europe he had betrayed extraordinary anxiety to -reach Paris. His companion, whose name was entered upon the passenger -lists as Eduardo Gomez, was a man whose record was a violent one, and -whose reputation was that of a bravo and a bully. There was evidence to -show, however, that he was honestly devoted to the interests of Monsieur -Caratal, and that the latter, being a man of puny physique, employed the -other as a guard and protector. It may be added that no information came -from Paris as to what the objects of Monsieur Caratal’s hurried journey -may have been. This comprises all the facts of the case up to the -publication in the Marseilles papers of the recent confession of Herbert -de Lernac, now under sentence of death for the murder of a merchant -named Bonvalot. This statement may be literally translated as follows:— - -“It is not out of mere pride or boasting that I give this information, -for, if that were my object, I could tell a dozen actions of mine which -are quite as splendid; but I do it in order that certain gentlemen in -Paris may understand that I, who am able here to tell about the fate of -Monsieur Caratal, can also tell in whose interest and at whose request -the deed was done, unless the reprieve which I am awaiting comes to me -very quickly. Take warning, messieurs, before it is too late! You know -Herbert de Lernac, and you are aware that his deeds are as ready as his -words. Hasten then, or you are lost! - -“At present I shall mention no names—if you only heard the names, what -would you not think!—but I shall merely tell you how cleverly I did it. -I was true to my employers then, and no doubt they will be true to me -now. I hope so, and until I am convinced that they have betrayed me, -these names, which would convulse Europe, shall not be divulged. But on -that day ... well, I say no more! - -“In a word, then, there was a famous trial in Paris, in the year 1890, -in connection with a monstrous scandal in politics and finance. How -monstrous that scandal was can never be known save by such confidential -agents as myself. The honour and careers of many of the chief men in -France were at stake. You have seen a group of nine-pins standing, all -so rigid, and prim, and unbending. Then there comes the ball from far -away and pop, pop, pop—there are your nine-pins on the floor. Well, -imagine some of the greatest men in France as these nine-pins, and then -this Monsieur Caratal was the ball which could be seen coming from far -away. If he arrived, then it was pop, pop, pop for all of them. It was -determined that he should not arrive. - -“I do not accuse them all of being conscious of what was to happen. -There were, as I have said, great financial as well as political -interests at stake, and a syndicate was formed to manage the business. -Some subscribed to the syndicate who hardly understood what were its -objects. But others understood very well, and they can rely upon it that -I have not forgotten their names. They had ample warning that Monsieur -Caratal was coming long before he left South America, and they knew that -the evidence which he held would certainly mean ruin to all of them. The -syndicate had the command of an unlimited amount of money—absolutely -unlimited, you understand. They looked round for an agent who was -capable of wielding this gigantic power. The man chosen must be -inventive, resolute, adaptive—a man in a million. They chose Herbert de -Lernac, and I admit that they were right. - -“My duties were to choose my subordinates, to use freely the power which -money gives, and to make certain that Monsieur Caratal should never -arrive in Paris. With characteristic energy I set about my commission -within an hour of receiving my instructions, and the steps which I took -were the very best for the purpose which could possibly be devised. - -“A man whom I could trust was dispatched instantly to South America to -travel home with Monsieur Caratal. Had he arrived in time the ship would -never have reached Liverpool; but, alas! it had already started before -my agent could reach it. I fitted out a small armed brig to intercept -it, but again I was unfortunate. Like all great organizers I was, -however, prepared for failure, and had a series of alternatives -prepared, one or the other of which must succeed. You must not underrate -the difficulties of my undertaking, or imagine that a mere commonplace -assassination would meet the case. We must destroy not only Monsieur -Caratal, but Monsieur Caratal’s documents, and Monsieur Caratal’s -companions also, if we had reason to believe that he had communicated -his secrets to them. And you must remember that they were on the alert, -and keenly suspicious of any such attempt. It was a task which was in -every way worthy of me, for I am always most masterful where another -would be appalled. - -“I was all ready for Monsieur Caratal’s reception in Liverpool, and I -was the more eager because I had reason to believe that he had made -arrangements by which he would have a considerable guard from the moment -that he arrived in London. Anything which was to be done must be done -between the moment of his setting foot upon the Liverpool quay and that -of his arrival at the London and West Coast terminus in London. We -prepared six plans, each more elaborate than the last; which plan would -be used would depend upon his own movements. Do what he would, we were -ready for him. If he had stayed in Liverpool, we were ready. If he took -an ordinary train, an express, or a special, all was ready. Everything -had been foreseen and provided for. - -“You may imagine that I could not do all this myself. What could I know -of the English railway lines? But money can procure willing agents all -the world over, and I soon had one of the acutest brains in England to -assist me. I will mention no names, but it would be unjust to claim all -the credit for myself. My English ally was worthy of such an alliance. -He knew the London and West Coast line thoroughly, and he had the -command of a band of workers who were trustworthy and intelligent. The -idea was his, and my own judgment was only required in the details. We -bought over several officials, amongst whom the most important was James -McPherson, whom we had ascertained to be the guard most likely to be -employed upon a special train. Smith, the stoker, was also in our -employ. John Slater, the engine-driver, had been approached, but had -been found to be obstinate and dangerous, so we desisted. We had no -certainty that Monsieur Caratal would take a special, but we thought it -very probable, for it was of the utmost importance to him that he should -reach Paris without delay. It was for this contingency, therefore, that -we made special preparations—preparations which were complete down to -the last detail long before his steamer had sighted the shores of -England. You will be amused to learn that there was one of my agents in -the pilot-boat which brought that steamer to its moorings. - -“The moment that Caratal arrived in Liverpool we knew that he suspected -danger and was on his guard. He had brought with him as an escort a -dangerous fellow, named Gomez, a man who carried weapons, and was -prepared to use them. This fellow carried Caratal’s confidential papers -for him, and was ready to protect either them or his master. The -probability was that Caratal had taken him into his counsels, and that -to remove Caratal without removing Gomez would be a mere waste of -energy. It was necessary that they should be involved in a common fate, -and our plans to that end were much facilitated by their request for a -special train. On that special train you will understand that two out of -the three servants of the company were really in our employ, at a price -which would make them independent for a lifetime. I do not go so far as -to say that the English are more honest than any other nation, but I -have found them more expensive to buy. - -“I have already spoken of my English agent—who is a man with a -considerable future before him, unless some complaint of the throat -carries him off before his time. He had charge of all arrangements at -Liverpool, whilst I was stationed at the inn at Kenyon, where I awaited -a cipher signal to act. When the special was arranged for, my agent -instantly telegraphed to me and warned me how soon I should have -everything ready. He himself under the name of Horace Moore applied -immediately for a special also, in the hope that he would be sent down -with Monsieur Caratal, which might under certain circumstances have been -helpful to us. If, for example, our great _coup_ had failed, it would -then have become the duty of my agent to have shot them both and -destroyed their papers. Caratal was on his guard, however, and refused -to admit any other traveller. My agent then left the station, returned -by another entrance, entered the guard’s van on the side farthest from -the platform, and travelled down with McPherson the guard. - -“In the meantime you will be interested to know what my movements were. -Everything had been prepared for days before, and only the finishing -touches were needed. The side line which we had chosen had once joined -the main line, but it had been disconnected. We had only to replace a -few rails to connect it once more. These rails had been laid down as far -as could be done without danger of attracting attention, and now it was -merely a case of completing a juncture with the line, and arranging the -points as they had been before. The sleepers had never been removed, and -the rails, fish-plates, and rivets were all ready, for we had taken them -from a siding on the abandoned portion of the line. With my small but -competent band of workers, we had everything ready long before the -special arrived. When it did arrive, it ran off upon the small side line -so easily that the jolting of the points appears to have been entirely -unnoticed by the two travellers. - -“Our plan had been that Smith the stoker should chloroform John Slater -the driver, so that he should vanish with the others. In this respect, -and in this respect only, our plans miscarried—I except the criminal -folly of McPherson in writing home to his wife. Our stoker did his -business so clumsily that Slater in his struggles fell off the engine, -and though fortune was with us so far that he broke his neck in the -fall, still he remained as a blot upon that which would otherwise have -been one of those complete masterpieces which are only to be -contemplated in silent admiration. The criminal expert will find in John -Slater the one flaw in all our admirable combinations. A man who has had -as many triumphs as I can afford to be frank, and I therefore lay my -finger upon John Slater, and I proclaim him to be a flaw. - -“But now I have got our special train upon the small line two -kilomètres, or rather more than one mile, in length, which leads, or -rather used to lead, to the abandoned Heartsease mine, once one of the -largest coal mines in England. You will ask how it is that no one saw -the train upon this unused line. I answer that along its entire length -it runs through a deep cutting, and that, unless some one had been on -the edge of that cutting, he could not have seen it. There _was_ some -one on the edge of that cutting. I was there. And now I will tell you -what I saw. - -“My assistant had remained at the points in order that he might -superintend the switching off of the train. He had four armed men with -him, so that if the train ran off the line—we thought it probable, -because the points were very rusty—we might still have resources to fall -back upon. Having once seen it safely on the side line, he handed over -the responsibility to me. I was waiting at a point which overlooks the -mouth of the mine, and I was also armed, as were my two companions. Come -what might, you see, I was always ready. - -“The moment that the train was fairly on the side line, Smith, the -stoker, slowed-down the engine, and then, having turned it on to the -fullest speed again, he and McPherson, with my English lieutenant, -sprang off before it was too late. It may be that it was this -slowing-down which first attracted the attention of the travellers, but -the train was running at full speed again before their heads appeared at -the open window. It makes me smile to think how bewildered they must -have been. Picture to yourself your own feelings if, on looking out of -your luxurious carriage, you suddenly perceived that the lines upon -which you ran were rusted and corroded, red and yellow with disuse and -decay! What a catch must have come in their breath as in a second it -flashed upon them that it was not Manchester but Death which was waiting -for them at the end of that sinister line. But the train was running -with frantic speed, rolling and rocking over the rotten line, while the -wheels made a frightful screaming sound upon the rusted surface. I was -close to them, and could see their faces. Caratal was praying, I -think—there was something like a rosary dangling out of his hand. The -other roared like a bull who smells the blood of the slaughter-house. He -saw us standing on the bank, and he beckoned to us like a madman. Then -he tore at his wrist and threw his dispatch-box out of the window in our -direction. Of course, his meaning was obvious. Here was the evidence, -and they would promise to be silent if their lives were spared. It would -have been very agreeable if we could have done so, but business is -business. Besides, the train was now as much beyond our control as -theirs. - -“He ceased howling when the train rattled round the curve and they saw -the black mouth of the mine yawning before them. We had removed the -boards which had covered it, and we had cleared the square entrance. The -rails had formerly run very close to the shaft for the convenience of -loading the coal, and we had only to add two or three lengths of rail in -order to lead to the very brink of the shaft. In fact, as the lengths -would not quite fit, our line projected about three feet over the edge. -We saw the two heads at the window: Caratal below, Gomez above; but they -had both been struck silent by what they saw. And yet they could not -withdraw their heads. The sight seemed to have paralyzed them. - -“I had wondered how the train running at a great speed would take the -pit into which I had guided it, and I was much interested in watching -it. One of my colleagues thought that it would actually jump it, and -indeed it was not very far from doing so. Fortunately, however, it fell -short, and the buffers of the engine struck the other lip of the shaft -with a tremendous crash. The funnel flew off into the air. The tender, -carriages, and van were all smashed up into one jumble, which, with the -remains of the engine, choked for a minute or so the mouth of the pit. -Then something gave way in the middle, and the whole mass of green iron, -smoking coals, brass fittings, wheels, woodwork, and cushions all -crumbled together and crashed down into the mine. We heard the rattle, -rattle, rattle, as the _débris_ struck against the walls, and then quite -a long time afterwards there came a deep roar as the remains of the -train struck the bottom. The boiler may have burst, for a sharp crash -came after the roar, and then a dense cloud of steam and smoke swirled -up out of the black depths, falling in a spray as thick as rain all -round us. Then the vapour shredded off into thin wisps, which floated -away in the summer sunshine, and all was quiet again in the Heartsease -mine. - -“And now, having carried out our plans so successfully, it only remained -to leave no trace behind us. Our little band of workers at the other end -had already ripped up the rails and disconnected the side line, -replacing everything as it had been before. We were equally busy at the -mine. The funnel and other fragments were thrown in, the shaft was -planked over as it used to be, and the lines which led to it were torn -up and taken away. Then, without flurry, but without delay, we all made -our way out of the country, most of us to Paris, my English colleague to -Manchester, and McPherson to Southampton, whence he emigrated to -America. Let the English papers of that date tell how thoroughly we had -done our work, and how completely we had thrown the cleverest of their -detectives off our track. - -“You will remember that Gomez threw his bag of papers out of the window, -and I need not say that I secured that bag and brought them to my -employers. It may interest my employers now, however, to learn that out -of that bag I took one or two little papers as a souvenir of the -occasion. I have no wish to publish these papers; but, still, it is -every man for himself in this world, and what else can I do if my -friends will not come to my aid when I want them? Messieurs, you may -believe that Herbert de Lernac is quite as formidable when he is against -you as when he is with you, and that he is not a man to go to the -guillotine until he has seen that every one of you is _en route_ for New -Caledonia. For your own sake, if not for mine, make haste, Monsieur -de ——, and General ——, and Baron —— (you can fill up the blanks for -yourselves as you read this). I promise you that in the next edition -there will be no blanks to fill. - -“P.S.—As I look over my statement there is only one omission which I can -see. It concerns the unfortunate man McPherson, who was foolish enough -to write to his wife and to make an appointment with her in New York. It -can be imagined that when interests like ours were at stake, we could -not leave them to the chance of whether a man in that class of life -would or would not give away his secrets to a woman. Having once broken -his oath by writing to his wife, we could not trust him any more. We -took steps therefore to insure that he should not see his wife. I have -sometimes thought that it would be a kindness to write to her and to -assure her that there is no impediment to her marrying again.” - - - - - THE CLUB-FOOTED GROCER - - -My uncle, Mr. Stephen Maple, had been at the same time the most -successful and the least respectable of our family, so that we hardly -knew whether to take credit for his wealth or to feel ashamed of his -position. He had, as a matter of fact, established a large grocery in -Stepney which did a curious mixed business, not always, as we had heard, -of a very savoury character, with the riverside and seafaring people. He -was ship’s chandler, provision merchant, and, if rumour spoke truly, -some other things as well. Such a trade, however lucrative, had its -drawbacks, as was evident when, after twenty years of prosperity, he was -savagely assaulted by one of his customers and left for dead, with three -smashed ribs and a broken leg, which mended so badly that it remained -for ever three inches shorter than the other. This incident seemed, not -unnaturally, to disgust him with his surroundings, for, after the trial, -in which his assailant was condemned to fifteen years’ penal servitude, -he retired from his business and settled in a lonely part of the North -of England, whence, until that morning, we had never once heard of -him—not even at the death of my father, who was his only brother. - -My mother read his letter aloud to me: “If your son is with you, Ellen, -and if he is as stout a lad as he promised for when last I heard from -you, then send him up to me by the first train after this comes to hand. -He will find that to serve me will pay him better than the engineering, -and if I pass away (though, thank God, there is no reason to complain as -to my health) you will see that I have not forgotten my brother’s son. -Congleton is the station, and then a drive of four miles to Greta House, -where I am now living. I will send a trap to meet the seven o’clock -train, for it is the only one which stops here. Mind that you send him, -Ellen, for I have very strong reasons for wishing him to be with me. Let -bygones be bygones if there has been anything between us in the past. If -you should fail me now you will live to regret it.” - -We were seated at either side of the breakfast table, looking blankly at -each other and wondering what this might mean, when there came a ring at -the bell, and the maid walked in with a telegram. It was from Uncle -Stephen. - -“On no account let John get out at Congleton,” said the message. “He -will find trap waiting seven o’clock evening train Stedding Bridge, one -station further down line. Let him drive not me, but Garth Farm -House—six miles. There will receive instructions. Do not fail; only you -to look to.” - -“That is true enough,” said my mother. “As far as I know, your uncle has -not a friend in the world, nor has he ever deserved one. He has always -been a hard man in his dealings, and he held back his money from your -father at a time when a few pounds would have saved him from ruin. Why -should I send my only son to serve him now?” - -But my own inclinations were all for the adventure. - -“If I have him for a friend, he can help me in my profession,” I argued, -taking my mother upon her weakest side. - -“I have never known him to help any one yet,” said she, bitterly. “And -why all this mystery about getting out at a distant station and driving -to the wrong address? He has got himself into some trouble and he wishes -us to get him out of it. When he has used us he will throw us aside as -he has done before. Your father might have been living now if he had -only helped him.” - -But at last my arguments prevailed, for, as I pointed out, we had much -to gain and little to lose, and why should we, the poorest members of a -family, go out of our way to offend the rich one? My bag was packed and -my cab at the door, when there came a second telegram. - -“Good shooting. Let John bring gun. Remember Stedding Bridge, not -Congleton.” And so, with a gun-case added to my luggage and some -surprise at my uncle’s insistence, I started off upon my adventure. - -The journey lies over the main Northern Railway as far as the station of -Carnfield, where one changes for the little branch line which winds over -the fells. In all England there is no harsher or more impressive -scenery. For two hours I passed through desolate rolling plains, rising -at places into low, stone-littered hills, with long, straight outcrops -of jagged rock showing upon their surface. Here and there little -grey-roofed, grey-walled cottages huddled into villages, but for many -miles at a time no house was visible nor any sign of life save the -scattered sheep which wandered over the mountain sides. It was a -depressing country, and my heart grew heavier and heavier as I neared my -journey’s end, until at last the train pulled up at the little village -of Stedding Bridge, where my uncle had told me to alight. A single -ramshackle trap, with a country lout to drive it, was waiting at the -station. - -“Is this Mr. Stephen Maple’s?” I asked. - -The fellow looked at me with eyes which were full of suspicion. “What is -your name?” he asked, speaking a dialect which I will not attempt to -reproduce. - -“John Maple.” - -“Anything to prove it?” - -I half raised my hand, for my temper is none of the best, and then I -reflected that the fellow was probably only carrying out the directions -of my uncle. For answer I pointed to my name printed upon my gun-case. - -“Yes, yes, that is right. It’s John Maple, sure enough!” said he, slowly -spelling it out. “Get in, maister, for we have a bit of a drive before -us.” - -The road, white and shining, like all the roads in that limestone -country, ran in long sweeps over the fells, with low walls of loose -stone upon either side of it. The huge moors, mottled with sheep and -with boulders, rolled away in gradually ascending curves to the misty -sky-line. In one place a fall of the land gave a glimpse of a grey angle -of distant sea. Bleak and sad and stern were all my surroundings, and I -felt, under their influence, that this curious mission of mine was a -more serious thing than it had appeared when viewed from London. This -sudden call for help from an uncle whom I had never seen, and of whom I -had heard little that was good, the urgency of it, his reference to my -physical powers, the excuse by which he had ensured that I should bring -a weapon, all hung together and pointed to some vague but sinister -meaning. Things which appeared to be impossible in Kensington became -very probable upon these wild and isolated hillsides. At last, oppressed -with my own dark thoughts, I turned to my companion with the intention -of asking some questions about my uncle, but the expression upon his -face drove the idea from my head. - -He was not looking at his old, unclipped chestnut horse, nor at the road -along which he was driving, but his face was turned in my direction, and -he was staring past me with an expression of curiosity and, as I -thought, of apprehension. He raised the whip to lash the horse, and then -dropped it again, as if convinced that it was useless. At the same time, -following the direction of his gaze, I saw what it was which had excited -him. - -A man was running across the moor. He ran clumsily, stumbling and -slipping among the stones; but the road curved, and it was easy for him -to cut us off. As we came up to the spot for which he had been making, -he scrambled over the stone wall and stood waiting, with the evening sun -shining on his brown, clean-shaven face. He was a burly fellow, and in -bad condition, for he stood with his hand on his ribs, panting and -blowing after his short run. As we drove up I saw the glint of earrings -in his ears. - -“Say, mate, where are you bound for?” he asked, in a rough but -good-humoured fashion. - -“Farmer Purcell’s, at the Garth Farm,” said the driver. - -“Sorry to stop you,” cried the other, standing aside; “I thought as I -would hail you as you passed, for if so be as you had been going my way -I should have made bold to ask you for a passage.” - -His excuse was an absurd one, since it was evident that our little trap -was as full as it could be, but my driver did not seem disposed to -argue. He drove on without a word, and, looking back, I could see the -stranger sitting by the roadside and cramming tobacco into his pipe. - -“A sailor,” said I. - -“Yes, maister. We’re not more than a few miles from Morecambe Bay,” the -driver remarked. - -“You seemed frightened of him,” I observed. - -“Did I?” said he, drily; and then, after a long pause, “Maybe I was.” As -to his reasons for fear, I could get nothing from him, and though I -asked him many questions he was so stupid, or else so clever, that I -could learn nothing from his replies. I observed, however, that from -time to time he swept the moors with a troubled eye, but their huge -brown expanse was unbroken by any moving figure. At last in a sort of -cleft in the hills in front of us I saw a long, low-lying farm building, -the centre of all those scattered flocks. - -“Garth Farm,” said my driver. “There is Farmer Purcell himself,” he -added, as a man strolled out of the porch and stood waiting for our -arrival. He advanced as I descended from the trap, a hard, weather-worn -fellow with light blue eyes, and hair and beard like sun-bleached grass. -In his expression I read the same surly ill-will which I had already -observed in my driver. Their malevolence could not be directed towards a -complete stranger like myself, and so I began to suspect that my uncle -was no more popular on the north-country fells than he had been in -Stepney Highway. - -“You’re to stay here until nightfall. That’s Mr. Stephen Maple’s wish,” -said he, curtly. “You can have some tea and bacon if you like. It’s the -best we can give you.” - -I was very hungry, and accepted the hospitality in spite of the churlish -tone in which it was offered. The farmer’s wife and his two daughters -came into the sitting-room during the meal, and I was aware of a certain -curiosity with which they regarded me. It may have been that a young man -was a rarity in this wilderness, or it may be that my attempts at -conversation won their goodwill, but they all three showed a kindliness -in their manner. It was getting dark, so I remarked that it was time for -me to be pushing on to Greta House. - -“You’ve made up your mind to go, then?” said the older woman. - -“Certainly. I have come all the way from London.” - -“There’s no one hindering you from going back there.” - -“But I have come to see Mr. Maple, my uncle.” - -“Oh, well, no one can stop you if you want to go on,” said the woman, -and became silent as her husband entered the room. - -With every fresh incident I felt that I was moving in an atmosphere of -mystery and peril, and yet it was all so intangible and so vague that I -could not guess where my danger lay. I should have asked the farmer’s -wife point-blank, but her surly husband seemed to divine the sympathy -which she felt for me, and never again left us together. “It’s time you -were going, mister,” said he at last, as his wife lit the lamp upon the -table. - -“Is the trap ready?” - -“You’ll need no trap. You’ll walk,” said he. - -“How shall I know the way?” - -“William will go with you.” - -William was the youth who had driven me up from the station. He was -waiting at the door, and he shouldered my gun-case and bag. I stayed -behind to thank the farmer for his hospitality, but he would have none -of it. “I ask no thanks from Mr. Stephen Maple nor any friend of his,” -said he, bluntly. “I am paid for what I do. If I was not paid I would -not do it. Go your way, young man, and say no more.” He turned rudely on -his heel and re-entered his house, slamming the door behind him. - -It was quite dark outside, with heavy black clouds drifting slowly -across the sky. Once clear of the farm inclosure and out on the moor I -should have been hopelessly lost if it had not been for my guide, who -walked in front of me along narrow sheep-tracks which were quite -invisible to me. Every now and then, without seeing anything, we heard -the clumsy scuffling of the creatures in the darkness. At first my guide -walked swiftly and carelessly, but gradually his pace slowed down, until -at last he was going very slowly and stealthily, like one who walks -light-footed amid imminent menace. This vague, inexplicable sense of -danger in the midst of the loneliness of that vast moor was more -daunting than any evident peril could be, and I had begun to press him -as to what it was that he feared, when suddenly he stopped and dragged -me down among some gorse bushes which lined the path. His tug at my coat -was so strenuous and imperative that I realized that the danger was a -pressing one, and in an instant I was squatting down beside him as still -as the bushes which shadowed us. It was so dark there that I could not -even see the lad beside me. - -It was a warm night, and a hot wind puffed in our faces. Suddenly in -this wind there came something homely and familiar—the smell of burning -tobacco. And then a face, illuminated by the glowing bowl of a pipe, -came floating towards us. The man was all in shadow, but just that one -dim halo of light with the face which filled it, brighter below and -shading away into darkness above, stood out against the universal -blackness. A thin, hungry face, thickly freckled with yellow over the -cheek bones, blue, watery eyes, an ill-nourished, light-coloured -moustache, a peaked yachting cap—that was all that I saw. He passed us, -looking vacantly in front of him, and we heard the steps dying away -along the path. - -“Who was it?” I asked, as we rose to our feet. - -“I don’t know.” - -The fellow’s continual profession of ignorance made me angry. - -“Why should you hide yourself, then?” I asked, sharply. - -“Because Maister Maple told me. He said that I were to meet no one. If I -met any one I should get no pay.” - -“You met that sailor on the road?” - -“Yes, and I think he was one of them.” - -“One of whom?” - -“One of the folk that have come on the fells. They are watchin’ Greta -House, and Maister Maple is afeard of them. That’s why he wanted us to -keep clear of them, and that’s why I’ve been a-trying to dodge ‘em.” - -Here was something definite at last. Some body of men were threatening -my uncle. The sailor was one of them. The man with the peaked -cap—probably a sailor also—was another. I bethought me of Stepney -Highway and of the murderous assault made upon my uncle there. Things -were fitting themselves into a connected shape in my mind when a light -twinkled over the fell, and my guide informed me that it was Greta. The -place lay in a dip among the moors, so that one was very near it before -one saw it. A short walk brought us up to the door. - -I could see little of the building save that the lamp which shone -through a small latticed window showed me dimly that it was both long -and lofty. The low door under an overhanging lintel was loosely fitted, -and light was bursting out on each side of it. The inmates of this -lonely house appeared to be keenly on their guard, for they had heard -our footsteps, and we were challenged before we reached the door. - -“Who is there?” cried a deep-booming voice, and urgently, “Who is it, I -say?” - -“It’s me, Maister Maple. I have brought the gentleman.” - -There was a sharp click, and a small wooden shutter flew open in the -door. The gleam of a lantern shone upon us for a few seconds. Then the -shutter closed again; with a great rasping of locks and clattering of -bars, the door was opened, and I saw my uncle standing framed in that -vivid yellow square cut out of the darkness. - -He was a small, thick man, with a great rounded, bald head and one thin -border of gingery curls. It was a fine head, the head of a thinker, but -his large white face was heavy and commonplace, with a broad, -loose-lipped mouth and two hanging dewlaps on either side of it. His -eyes were small and restless, and his light-coloured lashes were -continually moving. My mother had said once that they reminded her of -the legs of a woodlouse, and I saw at the first glance what she meant. I -heard also that in Stepney he had learned the language of his customers, -and I blushed for our kinship as I listened to his villainous accent. -“So, nephew,” said he, holding out his hand. “Come in, come in, man, -quick, and don’t leave the door open. Your mother said you were grown a -big lad, and, my word, she ‘as a right to say so. ‘Ere’s a ‘alf-crown -for you, William, and you can go back again. Put the things down. ‘Ere, -Enoch, take Mr. John’s things, and see that ‘is supper is on the table.” - -As my uncle, after fastening the door, turned to show me into the -sitting-room, I became aware of his most striking peculiarity. The -injuries which he had received some years ago had, as I have already -remarked, left one leg several inches shorter than the other. To atone -for this he wore one of those enormous wooden soles to his boots which -are prescribed by surgeons in such cases. He walked without a limp, but -his tread on the stone flooring made a curious clack-click, clack-click, -as the wood and the leather alternated. Whenever he moved it was to the -rhythm of this singular castanet. - -The great kitchen, with its huge fireplace and carved settle corners, -showed that this dwelling was an old-time farmhouse. On one side of the -room a line of boxes stood all corded and packed. The furniture was -scant and plain, but on a trestle-table in the centre some supper, cold -meat, bread, and a jug of beer was laid for me. An elderly manservant, -as manifest a Cockney as his master, waited upon me, while my uncle, -sitting in a comer, asked me many questions as to my mother and myself. -When my meal was finished he ordered his man Enoch to unpack my gun. I -observed that two other guns, old rusted weapons, were leaning against -the wall beside the window. - -“It’s the window I’m afraid of,” said my uncle, in the deep, reverberant -voice which contrasted oddly with his plump little figure. “The door’s -safe against anything short of dynamite, but the window’s a terror. Hi! -hi!” he yelled, “don’t walk across the light! You can duck when you pass -the lattice.” - -“For fear of being seen?” I asked. - -“For fear of bein’ shot, my lad. That’s the trouble. Now, come an’ sit -beside me on the trestle ‘ere, and I’ll tell you all about it, for I can -see that you are the right sort and can be trusted.” - -His flattery was clumsy and halting, and it was evident that he was very -eager to conciliate me. I sat down beside him, and he drew a folded -paper from his pocket. It was a _Western Morning News_, and the date was -ten days before. The passage over which he pressed a long, black nail -was concerned with the release from Dartmoor of a convict named Elias, -whose term of sentence had been remitted on account of his defence of a -warder who had been attacked in the quarries. The whole account was only -a few lines long. - -“Who is he, then?” I asked. - -My uncle cocked his distorted foot into the air. “That’s ‘is mark!” said -he. “‘E was doin’ time for that. How ‘e’s out an’ after me again.” - -“But why should he be after you?” - -“Because ‘e wants to kill me. Because ‘e’ll never rest, the worrying -devil, until ‘e ‘as ‘ad ‘is revenge on me. It’s this way, nephew! I’ve -no secrets from you. ‘E thinks I’ve wronged ‘im. For argument’s sake -we’ll suppose I ‘ave wronged ‘im. And now ‘im and ‘is friends are after -me.” - -“Who are his friends?” - -My uncle’s boom sank suddenly to a frightened whisper. “Sailors!” said -he. “I knew they would come when I saw that ‘ere paper, and two days ago -I looked through that window and three of them was standin’ lookin’ at -the ‘ouse. It was after that that I wrote to your mother. They’ve marked -me down, and they’re waitin’ for ‘im.” - -“But why not send for the police?” - -My uncle’s eyes avoided mine. - -“Police are no use,” said he. “It’s you that can help me.” - -“What can I do?” - -“I’ll tell you. I’m going to move. That’s what all these boxes are for. -Everything will soon be packed and ready. I ‘ave friends at Leeds, and I -shall be safer there. Not safe, mind you, but safer. I start to-morrow -evening, and if you will stand by me until then I will make it worth -your while. There’s only Enoch and me to do everything, but we shall -‘ave it all ready, I promise you, by to-morrow evening. The cart will be -round then, and you and me and Enoch and the boy William can guard the -things as far as Congleton station. Did you see anything of them on the -fells?” - -“Yes,” said I; “a sailor stopped us on the way.” - -“Ah, I knew they were watching us. That was why I asked you to get out -at the wrong station and to drive to Purcell’s instead of comin’ ‘ere. -We are blockaded—that’s the word.” - -“And there was another,” said I, “a man with a pipe.” - -“What was ‘e like?” - -“Thin face, freckles, a peaked——” - -My uncle gave a hoarse scream. - -“That’s ‘im! that’s ‘im! ‘e’s come! God be merciful to me, a sinner!” He -went click-clacking about the room with his great foot like one -distracted. There was something piteous and baby-like in that big bald -head, and for the first time I felt a gush of pity for him. - -“Come, uncle,” said I, “you are living in a civilized land. There is a -law that will bring these gentry to order. Let me drive over to the -county police-station to-morrow morning and I’ll soon set things right.” - -But he shook his head at me. - -“E’s cunning and ‘e’s cruel,” said he. “I can’t draw a breath without -thinking of him, cos ‘e buckled up three of my ribs. ‘E’ll kill me this -time, sure. There’s only one chance. We must leave what we ‘ave not -packed, and we must be off first thing to-morrow mornin’. Great God, -what’s that!” - -A tremendous knock upon the door had reverberated through the house and -then another and another. An iron fist seemed to be beating upon it. My -uncle collapsed into his chair. I seized a gun and ran to the door. - -“Who’s there?” I shouted. - -There was no answer. - -I opened the shutter and looked out. - -No one was there. - -And then suddenly I saw that a long slip of paper was protruding through -the slit of the door. I held it to the light. In rude but vigorous -handwriting the message ran:— - -“Put them out on the doorstep and save your skin.” - -“What do they want?” I asked, as I read him the message. - -“What they’ll never ‘ave! No, by the Lord, never!” he cried, with a fine -burst of spirit. “‘Ere, Enoch! Enoch!” - -The old fellow came running to the call. - -“Enoch, I’ve been a good master to you all my life, and it’s your turn -now. Will you take a risk for me?” - -I thought better of my uncle when I saw how readily the man consented. -Whomever else he had wronged, this one at least seemed to love him. - -“Put your cloak on and your ‘at, Enoch, and out with you by the back -door. You know the way across the moor to the Purcells’. Tell them that -I must ‘ave the cart first thing in the mornin’, and that Purcell must -come with the shepherd as well. We must get clear of this or we are -done. First thing in the mornin’, Enoch, and ten pound for the job. Keep -the black cloak on and move slow, and they will never see you. We’ll -keep the ‘ouse till you come back.” - -It was a job for a brave man to venture out into the vague and invisible -dangers of the fell, but the old servant took it as the most ordinary of -messages. Picking his long, black cloak and his soft hat from the hook -behind the door, he was ready on the instant. We extinguished the small -lamp in the back passage, softly unbarred the back door, slipped him -out, and barred it up again. Looking through the small hall window, I -saw his black garments merge instantly into the night. - -“It is but a few hours before the light comes, nephew,” said my uncle, -after he had tried all the bolts and bars. “You shall never regret this -night’s work. If we come through safely it will be the making of you. -Stand by me till mornin’, and I stand by you while there’s breath in my -body. The cart will be ‘ere by five. What isn’t ready we can afford to -leave be’ind. We’ve only to load up and make for the early train at -Congleton.” - -“Will they let us pass?” - -“In broad daylight they dare not stop us. There will be six of us, if -they all come, and three guns. We can fight our way through. Where can -they get guns, common, wandering seamen? A pistol or two at the most. If -we can keep them out for a few hours we are safe. Enoch must be ‘alfway -to Purcell’s by now.” - -“But what do these sailors want?” I repeated. “You say yourself that you -wronged them.” - -A look of mulish obstinacy came over his large, white face. - -“Don’t ask questions, nephew, and just do what I ask you,” said he. -“Enoch won’t come back. ‘E’ll just bide there and come with the cart. -‘Ark, what is that?” - -A distant cry rang from out of the darkness, and then another one, short -and sharp like the wail of the curlew. - -“It’s Enoch!” said my uncle, gripping my arm. “They’re killin’ poor old -Enoch.” - -The cry came again, much nearer, and I heard the sound of hurrying steps -and a shrill call for help. - -“They are after ‘im!” cried my uncle, rushing to the front door. He -picked up the lantern and flashed it through the little shutter. Up the -yellow funnel of light a man was running frantically, his head bowed and -a black cloak fluttering behind him. The moor seemed to be alive with -dim pursuers. - -“The bolt! The bolt!” gasped my uncle. He pushed it back whilst I turned -the key, and we swung the door open to admit the fugitive. He dashed in -and turned at once with a long yell of triumph. “Come on, lads! Tumble -up, all hands, tumble up! Smartly there, all of you!” - -It was so quickly and neatly done that we were taken by storm before we -knew that we were attacked. The passage was full of rushing sailors. I -slipped out of the clutch of one and ran for my gun, but it was only to -crash down on to the stone floor an instant later with two of them -holding on to me. They were so deft and quick that my hands were lashed -together even while I struggled, and I was dragged into the settle -corner, unhurt but very sore in spirit at the cunning with which our -defences had been forced and the ease with which we had been overcome. -They had not even troubled to bind my uncle, but he had been pushed into -his chair, and the guns had been taken away. He sat with a very white -face, his homely figure and absurd row of curls looking curiously out of -place among the wild figures who surrounded him. - -There were six of them, all evidently sailors. One I recognized as the -man with the earrings whom I had already met upon the road that evening. -They were all fine, weather-bronzed bewhiskered fellows. In the midst of -them, leaning against the table, was the freckled man who had passed me -on the moor. The great black cloak which poor Enoch had taken out with -him was still hanging from his shoulders. He was of a very different -type from the others—crafty, cruel, dangerous, with sly, thoughtful eyes -which gloated over my uncle. They suddenly turned themselves upon me and -I never knew how one’s skin can creep at a man’s glance before. - -“Who are you?” he asked. “Speak out, or we’ll find a way to make you.” - -“I am Mr. Stephen Maple’s nephew, come to visit him.” - -“You are, are you? Well, I wish you joy of your uncle and of your visit -too. Quick’s the word, lads, for we must be aboard before morning. What -shall we do with the old ‘un?” - -“Trice him up Yankee fashion and give him six dozen,” said one of the -seamen. - -“D’you hear, you cursed Cockney thief? We’ll beat the life out of you if -you don’t give back what you’ve stolen. Where are they? I know you never -parted with them.” - -My uncle pursed up his lips and shook his head, with a face in which his -fear and his obstinacy contended. - -“Won’t tell, won’t you? We’ll see about that! Get him ready, Jim!” - -One of the seamen seized my uncle, and pulled his coat and shirt over -his shoulders. He sat lumped in his chair, his body all creased into -white rolls which shivered with cold and with terror. - -“Up with him to those hooks.” - -There were rows of them along the walls where the smoked meat used to be -hung. The seamen tied my uncle by the wrists to two of these. Then one -of them undid his leather belt. - -“The buckle end, Jim,” said the captain. “Give him the buckle.” - -“You cowards,” I cried; “to beat an old man!” - -“We’ll beat a young one next,” said he, with a malevolent glance at my -corner. “Now, Jim, cut a wad out of him!” - -“Give him one more chance!” cried one of the seamen. - -“Aye, aye,” growled one or two others. “Give the swab a chance!” - -“If you turn soft, you may give them up for ever,” said the captain. -“One thing or the other! You must lash it out of him; or you may give up -what you took such pains to win and what would make you gentlemen for -life—every man of you. There’s nothing else for it. Which shall it be?” - -“Let him have it,” they cried, savagely. - -“Then stand clear!” The buckle of the man’s belt whined savagely as he -whirled it over his shoulder. - -But my uncle cried out before the blow fell. - -“I can’t stand it!” he cried. “Let me down!” - -“Where are they, then?” - -“I’ll show you if you’ll let me down.” - -They cast off the handkerchiefs and he pulled his coat over his fat, -round shoulders. The seamen stood round him, the most intense curiosity -and excitement upon their swarthy faces. - -“No gammon!” cried the man with the freckles. “We’ll kill you joint by -joint if you try to fool us. Now then! Where are they?” - -“In my bedroom.” - -“Where is that?” - -“The room above.” - -“Whereabouts?” - -“In the corner of the oak ark by the bed.” - -The seamen all rushed to the stair, but the captain called them back. - -“We don’t leave this cunning old fox behind us. Ha, your face drops at -that, does it? By the Lord, I believe you are trying to slip your -anchor. Here, lads, make him fast and take him along!” - -With a confused trampling of feet they rushed up the stairs, dragging my -uncle in the midst of them. For an instant I was alone. My hands were -tied but not my feet. If I could find my way across the moor I might -rouse the police and intercept these rascals before they could reach the -sea. For a moment I hesitated as to whether I should leave my uncle -alone in such a plight. But I should be of more service to him—or, at -the worst, to his property—if I went than if I stayed. I rushed to the -hall door, and as I reached it I heard a yell above my head, a -shattering, splintering noise, and then amid a chorus of shouts a huge -weight fell with a horrible thud at my very feet. Never while I live -will that squelching thud pass out of my ears. And there, just in front -of me, in the lane of light cast by the open door, lay my unhappy uncle, -his bald head twisted on to one shoulder, like the wrung neck of a -chicken. It needed but a glance to see that his spine was broken and -that he was dead. - -The gang of seamen had rushed downstairs so quickly that they were -clustered at the door and crowding all round me almost as soon as I had -realized what had occurred. - -“It’s no doing of ours, mate,” said one of them to me. “He hove himself -through the window, and that’s the truth. Don’t you put it down to us.” - -“He thought he could get to windward of us if once he was out in the -dark, you see,” said another. “But he came head foremost and broke his -bloomin’ neck.” - -“And a blessed good job too!” cried the chief, with a savage oath. “I’d -have done it for him if he hadn’t took the lead. Don’t make any mistake, -my lads, this is murder, and we’re all in it, together. There’s only one -way out of it, and that is to hang together, unless, as the saying goes, -you mean to hang apart. There’s only one witness——” - -He looked at me with his malicious little eyes, and I saw that he had -something that gleamed—either a knife or a revolver—in the breast of his -pea-jacket. Two of the men slipped between us. - -“Stow that, Captain Elias,” said one of them. “If this old man met his -end it is through no fault of ours. The worst we ever meant him was to -take some of the skin off his back. But as to this young fellow, we have -no quarrel with him——” - -“You fool, you may have no quarrel with him, but he has his quarrel with -you. He’ll swear your life away if you don’t silence his tongue. It’s -his life or ours, and don’t you make any mistake.” - -“Aye, aye, the skipper has the longest head of any of us. Better do what -he tells you,” cried another. - -But my champion, who was the fellow with the earrings, covered me with -his own broad chest and swore roundly that no one should lay a finger on -me. The others were equally divided, and my fate might have been the -cause of a quarrel between them when suddenly the captain gave a cry of -delight and amazement which was taken up by the whole gang. I followed -their eyes and outstretched fingers, and this was what I saw. - -My uncle was lying with his legs outstretched, and the club foot was -that which was furthest from us. All round this foot a dozen brilliant -objects were twinkling and flashing in the yellow light which streamed -from the open door. The captain caught up the lantern and held it to the -place. The huge sole of his boot had been shattered in the fall, and it -was clear now that it had been a hollow box in which he stowed his -valuables, for the path was all sprinkled with precious stones. Three -which I saw were of an unusual size, and as many as forty, I should -think, of fair value. The seamen had cast themselves down and were -greedily gathering them up, when my friend with the earrings plucked me -by the sleeve. - -“Here’s your chance, mate,” he whispered. “Off you go before worse comes -of it.” - -It was a timely hint, and it did not take me long to act upon it. A few -cautious steps and I had passed unobserved beyond the circle of light. -Then I set off running, falling and rising and falling again, for no one -who has not tried it can tell how hard it is to run over uneven ground -with hands which are fastened together. I ran and ran, until for want of -breath I could no longer put one foot before the other. But I need not -have hurried so, for when I had gone a long way I stopped at last to -breathe, and, looking back, I could still see the gleam of the lantern -far away, and the outline of the seamen who squatted round it. Then at -last this single point of light went suddenly out, and the whole great -moor was left in the thickest darkness. - -So deftly was I tied, that it took me a long half-hour and a broken -tooth before I got my hands free. My idea was to make my way across to -the Purcells’ farm, but north was the same as south under that pitchy -sky, and for hours I wandered among the rustling, scuttling sheep -without any certainty as to where I was going. When at last there came a -glimmer in the east, and the undulating fells, grey with the morning -mist, rolled once more to the horizon, I recognized that I was close by -Purcell’s farm, and there a little in front of me I was startled to see -another man walking in the same direction. At first I approached him -warily, but before I overtook him I knew by the bent back and tottering -step that it was Enoch, the old servant, and right glad I was to see -that he was living. He had been knocked down, beaten, and his cloak and -hat taken away by these ruffians, and all night he had wandered in the -darkness, like myself, in search of help. He burst into tears when I -told him of his master’s death, and sat hiccoughing with the hard, dry -sobs of an old man among the stones upon the moor. - -“It’s the men of the _Black Mogul_,” he said. “Yes, yes, I knew that -they would be the end of ‘im.” - -“Who are they?” I asked. - -“Well, well, you are one of ‘is own folk,” said he. “‘E ‘as passed away; -yes, yes, it is all over and done. I can tell you about it, no man -better, but mum’s the word with old Enoch unless master wants ‘im to -speak. But his own nephew who came to ‘elp ‘im in the hour of need—yes, -yes, Mister John, you ought to know. - -“It was like this, sir. Your uncle ‘ad ‘is grocer’s business at Stepney, -but ‘e ‘ad another business also. ‘E would buy as well as sell, and when -‘e bought ‘e never asked no questions where the stuff came from. Why -should ‘e? It wasn’t no business of ‘is, was it? If folk brought him a -stone or a silver plate, what was it to ‘im where they got it? That’s -good sense, and it ought to be good law, as I ‘old. Any’ow, it was good -enough for us at Stepney. - -“Well, there was a steamer came from South Africa what foundered at sea. -At least, they say so, and Lloyd’s paid the money. She ‘ad some very -fine diamonds invoiced as being aboard of ‘er. Soon after there came the -brig _Black Mogul_ into the port o’ London, with ‘er papers all right as -‘avin’ cleared from Port Elizabeth with a cargo of ‘ides. The captain, -which ‘is name was Elias, ‘e came to see the master, and what d’you -think that ‘e ‘ad to sell? Why, sir, as I’m a livin’ sinner ‘e ‘ad a -packet of diamonds for all the world just the same as what was lost out -o’ that there African steamer. ‘Ow did ‘e get them? I don’t know. Master -didn’t know. ‘E didn’t seek to know either. The captain ‘e was anxious -for reasons of ‘is own to get them safe, so ‘e gave them to master, same -as you might put a thing in a bank. But master ‘e’d ‘ad time to get fond -of them, and ‘e wasn’t over satisfied as to where the _Black Mogul_ ‘ad -been tradin’, or where her captain ‘ad got the stones, so when ‘e come -back for them the master ‘e said as ‘e thought they were best in ‘is own -‘ands. Mind I don’t ‘old with it myself, but that was what master said -to Captain Elias in the little back parlour at Stepney. That was ‘ow ‘e -got ‘is leg broke and three of his ribs. - -“So the captain got jugged for that, and the master, when ‘e was able to -get about, thought that ‘e would ‘ave peace for fifteen years, and ‘e -came away from London because ‘e was afraid of the sailor men; but, at -the end of five years, the captain was out and after ‘im, with as many -of ‘is crew as ‘e could gather. Send for the perlice, you says! Well, -there are two sides to that, and the master ‘e wasn’t much more fond of -the perlice than Elias was. But they fair ‘emmed master in, as you ‘ave -seen for yourself, and they bested ‘im at last, and the loneliness that -‘e thought would be ‘is safety ‘as proved ‘is ruin. Well, well, ‘e was -‘ard to many, but a good master to me, and it’s long before I come on -such another.” - -One word in conclusion. A strange cutter, which had been hanging about -the coast, was seen to beat down the Irish Sea that morning, and it is -conjectured that Elias and his men were on board of it. At any rate, -nothing has been heard of them since. It was shown at the inquest that -my uncle had lived in a sordid fashion for years, and he left little -behind him. The mere knowledge that he possessed this treasure, which he -carried about with him in so extraordinary a fashion, had appeared to be -the joy of his life, and he had never, as far as we could learn, tried -to realize any of his diamonds. So his disreputable name when living was -not atoned for by any posthumous benevolence, and the family, equally -scandalized by his life and by his death, have finally buried all memory -of the club-footed grocer of Stepney. - - - - - THE SEALED ROOM - - -A solicitor of an active habit and athletic tastes who is compelled by -his hopes of business to remain within the four walls of his office from -ten till five must take what exercise he can in the evenings. Hence it -was that I was in the habit of indulging in very long nocturnal -excursions, in which I sought the heights of Hampstead and Highgate in -order to cleanse my system from the impure air of Abchurch Lane. It was -in the course of one of these aimless rambles that I first met Felix -Stanniford, and so led up to what has been the most extraordinary -adventure of my lifetime. - -One evening—it was in April or early May of the year 1894—I made my way -to the extreme northern fringe of London, and was walking down one of -those fine avenues of high brick villas which the huge city is for ever -pushing farther and farther out into the country. It was a fine, clear -spring night, the moon was shining out of an unclouded sky, and I, -having already left many miles behind me, was inclined to walk slowly -and look about me. In this contemplative mood, my attention was arrested -by one of the houses which I was passing. - -It was a very large building, standing in its own grounds, a little back -from the road. It was modern in appearance, and yet it was far less so -than its neighbours, all of which were crudely and painfully new. Their -symmetrical line was broken by the gap caused by the laurel-studded -lawn, with the great, dark, gloomy house looming at the back of it. -Evidently it had been the country retreat of some wealthy merchant, -built perhaps when the nearest street was a mile off, and now gradually -overtaken and surrounded by the red brick tentacles of the London -octopus. The next stage, I reflected, would be its digestion and -absorption, so that the cheap builder might rear a dozen -eighty-pound-a-year villas upon the garden frontage. And then, as all -this passed vaguely through my mind, an incident occurred which brought -my thoughts into quite another channel. - -A four-wheeled cab, that opprobrium of London, was coming jolting and -creaking in one direction, while in the other there was a yellow glare -from the lamp of a cyclist. They were the only moving objects in the -whole long, moonlit road, and yet they crashed into each other with that -malignant accuracy which brings two ocean liners together in the broad -waste of the Atlantic. It was the cyclist’s fault. He tried to cross in -front of the cab, miscalculated his distance, and was knocked sprawling -by the horse’s shoulder. He rose, snarling; the cabman swore back at -him, and then, realizing that his number had not yet been taken, lashed -his horse and lumbered off. The cyclist caught at the handles of his -prostrate machine, and then suddenly sat down with a groan. “Oh, Lord!” -he said. - -I ran across the road to his side. “Any harm done?” I asked. - -“It’s my ankle,” said he. “Only a twist, I think; but it’s pretty -painful. Just give me your hand, will you?” - -He lay in the yellow circle of the cycle lamp, and I noted as I helped -him to his feet that he was a gentlemanly young fellow, with a slight -dark moustache and large, brown eyes, sensitive and nervous in -appearance, with indications of weak health upon his sunken cheeks. Work -or worry had left its traces upon his thin, yellow face. He stood up -when I pulled his hand, but he held one foot in the air, and he groaned -as he moved it. - -“I can’t put it to the ground,” said he. - -“Where do you live?” - -“Here!” he nodded his head towards the big, dark house in the garden. “I -was cutting across to the gate when that confounded cab ran into me. -Could you help me so far?” - -It was easily done. I put his cycle inside the gate, and then I -supported him down the drive, and up the steps to the hall door. There -was not a light anywhere, and the place was as black and silent as if no -one had ever lived in it. - -“That will do. Thank you very much,” said he, fumbling with his key in -the lock. - -“No, you must allow me to see you safe.” - -He made some feeble, petulant protest, and then realized that he could -really do nothing without me. The door had opened into a pitch-dark -hall. He lurched forward, with my hand still on his arm. - -“This door to the right,” said he, feeling about in the darkness. - -I opened the door, and at the same moment he managed to strike a light. -There was a lamp upon the table, and we lit it between us. “Now, I’m all -right. You can leave me now! Good-bye!” said he, and with the words he -sat down in the arm-chair and fainted dead away. - -It was a queer position for me. The fellow looked so ghastly, that -really I was not sure that he was not dead. Presently his lips quivered -and his breast heaved, but his eyes were two white slits and his colour -was horrible. The responsibility was more than I could stand. I pulled -at the bell-rope, and heard the bell ringing furiously far away. But no -one came in response. The bell tinkled away into silence, which no -murmur or movement came to break. I waited, and rang again, with the -same result. There must be some one about. This young gentleman could -not live all alone in that huge house. His people ought to know of his -condition. If they would not answer the bell, I must hunt them out -myself. I seized the lamp and rushed from the room. - -What I saw outside amazed me. The hall was empty. The stairs were bare, -and yellow with dust. There were three doors opening into spacious -rooms, and each was uncarpeted and undraped, save for the grey webs -which drooped from the cornice, and rosettes of lichen which had formed -upon the walls. My feet reverberated in those empty and silent chambers. -Then I wandered on down the passage, with the idea that the kitchens, at -least, might be tenanted. Some caretaker might lurk in some secluded -room. No, they were all equally desolate. Despairing of finding any -help, I ran down another corridor, and came on something which surprised -me more than ever. - -The passage ended in a large, brown door, and the door had a seal of red -wax the size of a five-shilling piece over the keyhole. This seal gave -me the impression of having been there for a long time, for it was dusty -and discoloured. I was still staring at it, and wondering what that door -might conceal, when I heard a voice calling behind me, and, running -back, found my young man sitting up in his chair and very much -astonished at finding himself in darkness. - -“Why on earth did you take the lamp away?” he asked. - -“I was looking for assistance.” - -“You might look for some time,” said he. “I am alone in the house.” - -“Awkward if you get an illness.” - -“It was foolish of me to faint. I inherit a weak heart from my mother, -and pain or emotion has that effect upon me. It will carry me off some -day, as it did her. You’re not a doctor, are you?” - -“No, a lawyer. Frank Alder is my name.” - -“Mine is Felix Stanniford. Funny that I should meet a lawyer, for my -friend, Mr. Perceval, was saying that we should need one soon.” - -“Very happy, I am sure.” - -“Well, that will depend upon him, you know. Did you say that you had run -with that lamp all over the ground floor?” - -“Yes.” - -“_All_ over it?” he asked, with emphasis, and he looked at me very hard. - -“I think so. I kept on hoping that I should find someone.” - -“Did you enter _all_ the rooms?” he asked, with the same intent gaze. - -“Well, all that I could enter.” - -“Oh, then you _did_ notice it!” said he, and he shrugged his shoulders -with the air of a man who makes the best of a bad job. - -“Notice what?” - -“Why, the door with the seal on it.” - -“Yes, I did.” - -“Weren’t you curious to know what was in it?” - -“Well, it did strike me as unusual.” - -“Do you think you could go on living alone in this house, year after -year, just longing all the time to know what is at the other side of -that door, and yet not looking?” - -“Do you mean to say,” I cried, “that you don’t know yourself?” - -“No more than you do.” - -“Then why don’t you look?” - -“I mustn’t,” said he. - -He spoke in a constrained way, and I saw that I had blundered on to some -delicate ground. I don’t know that I am more inquisitive than my -neighbours, but there certainly was something in the situation which -appealed very strongly to my curiosity. However, my last excuse for -remaining in the house was gone now that my companion had recovered his -senses. I rose to go. - -“Are you in a hurry?” he asked. - -“No; I have nothing to do.” - -“Well, I should be very glad if you would stay with me a little. The -fact is that I live a very retired and secluded life here. I don’t -suppose there is a man in London who leads such a life as I do. It is -quite unusual for me to have any one to talk with.” - -I looked round at the little room, scantily furnished, with a sofa-bed -at one side. Then I thought of the great, bare house, and the sinister -door with the discoloured red seal upon it. There was something queer -and grotesque in the situation, which made me long to know a little -more. Perhaps I should, if I waited. I told him that I should be very -happy. - -“You will find the spirits and a siphon upon the side table. You must -forgive me if I cannot act as host, but I can’t get across the room. -Those are cigars in the tray there. I’ll take one myself, I think. And -so you are a solicitor, Mr. Alder?” - -“Yes.” - -“And I am nothing. I am that most helpless of living creatures, the son -of a millionaire. I was brought up with the expectation of great wealth; -and here I am, a poor man, without any profession at all. And then, on -the top of it all, I am left with this great mansion on my hands, which -I cannot possibly keep up. Isn’t it an absurd situation? For me to use -this as my dwelling is like a coster drawing his barrow with a -thoroughbred. A donkey would be more useful to him, and a cottage to -me.” - -“But why not sell the house?” I asked. - -“I mustn’t.” - -“Let it, then?” - -“No, I mustn’t do that either.” - -I looked puzzled, and my companion smiled. - -“I’ll tell you how it is, if it won’t bore you,” said he. - -“On the contrary, I should be exceedingly interested.” - -“I think, after your kind attention to me, I cannot do less than relieve -any curiosity that you may feel. You must know that my father was -Stanislaus Stanniford, the banker.” - -Stanniford, the banker! I remembered the name at once. His flight from -the country some seven years before had been one of the scandals and -sensations of the time. - -“I see that you remember,” said my companion. “My poor father left the -country to avoid numerous friends, whose savings he had invested in an -unsuccessful speculation. He was a nervous, sensitive man, and the -responsibility quite upset his reason. He had committed no legal -offence. It was purely a matter of sentiment. He would not even face his -own family, and he died among strangers without ever letting us know -where he was.” - -“He died!” said I. - -“We could not prove his death, but we know that it must be so, because -the speculations came right again, and so there was no reason why he -should not look any man in the face. He would have returned if he were -alive. But he must have died in the last two years.” - -“Why in the last two years?” - -“Because we heard from him two years ago.” - -“Did he not tell you then where he was living?” - -“The letter came from Paris, but no address was given. It was when my -poor mother died. He wrote to me then, with some instructions and some -advice, and I have never heard from him since.” - -“Had you heard before?” - -“Oh, yes, we had heard before, and that’s where our mystery of the -sealed door, upon which you stumbled to-night, has its origin. Pass me -that desk, if you please. Here I have my father’s letters, and you are -the first man except Mr. Perceval who has seen them.” - -“Who is Mr. Perceval, may I ask?” - -“He was my father’s confidential clerk, and he has continued to be the -friend and adviser of my mother and then of myself. I don’t know what we -should have done without Perceval. He saw the letters, but no one else. -This is the first one, which came on the very day when my father fled, -seven years ago. Read it to yourself.” - -This is the letter which I read:— - - “MY EVER DEAREST WIFE,— - - “Since Sir William told me how weak your heart is, and how harmful - any shock might be, I have never talked about my business affairs - to you. The time has come when at all risks I can no longer - refrain from telling you that things have been going badly with - me. This will cause me to leave you for a little time, but it is - with the absolute assurance that we shall see each other very - soon. On this you can thoroughly rely. Our parting is only for a - very short time, my own darling, so don’t let it fret you, and - above all don’t let it impair your health, for that is what I want - above all things to avoid. - - “Now, I have a request to make, and I implore you by all that - binds us together to fulfil it exactly as I tell you. There are - some things which I do not wish to be seen by any one in my dark - room—the room which I use for photographic purposes at the end of - the garden passage. To prevent any painful thoughts, I may assure - you once for all, dear, that it is nothing of which I need be - ashamed. But still I do not wish you or Felix to enter that room. - It is locked, and I implore you when you receive this to at once - place a seal over the lock, and leave it so. Do not sell or let - the house, for in either case my secret will be discovered. As - long as you or Felix are in the house, I know that you will comply - with my wishes. When Felix is twenty-one he may enter the room—not - before. - - “And now, good-bye, my own best of wives. During our short - separation you can consult Mr. Perceval on any matters which may - arise. He has my complete confidence. I hate to leave Felix and - you—even for a time—but there is really no choice. - - “Ever and always your loving husband, - - STANISLAUS STANNIFORD. - - “June 4th, 1887.” - -“These are very private family matters for me to inflict upon you,” said -my companion, apologetically. “You must look upon it as done in your -professional capacity. I have wanted to speak about it for years.” - -“I am honoured by your confidence,” I answered, “and exceedingly -interested by the facts.” - -“My father was a man who was noted for his almost morbid love of truth. -He was always pedantically accurate. When he said, therefore, that he -hoped to see my mother very soon, and when he said that he had nothing -to be ashamed of in that dark room, you may rely upon it that he meant -it.” - -“Then what can it be?” I ejaculated. - -“Neither my mother nor I could imagine. We carried out his wishes to the -letter, and placed the seal upon the door; there it has been ever since. -My mother lived for five years after my father’s disappearance, although -at the time all the doctors said that she could not survive long. Her -heart was terribly diseased. During the first few months she had two -letters from my father. Both had the Paris post-mark, but no address. -They were short and to the same effect: that they would soon be -reunited, and that she should not fret. Then there was a silence, which -lasted until her death; and then came a letter to me of so private a -nature that I cannot show it to you, begging me never to think evil of -him, giving me much good advice, and saying that the sealing of the room -was of less importance now than during the lifetime of my mother, but -that the opening might still cause pain to others, and that, therefore, -he thought it best that it should be postponed until my twenty-first -year, for the lapse of time would make things easier. In the meantime, -he committed the care of the room to me; so now you can understand how -it is that, although I am a very poor man, I can neither let nor sell -this great house.” - -“You could mortgage it.” - -“My father had already done so.” - -“It is a most singular state of affairs.” - -“My mother and I were gradually compelled to sell the furniture and to -dismiss the servants, until now, as you see, I am living unattended in a -single room. But I have only two more months.” - -“What do you mean?” - -“Why, that in two months I come of age. The first thing that I do will -be to open that door; the second, to get rid of the house.” - -“Why should your father have continued to stay away when these -investments had recovered themselves?” - -“He must be dead.” - -“You say that he had not committed any legal offence when he fled the -country?” - -“None.” - -“Why should he not take your mother with him?” - -“I do not know.” - -“Why should he conceal his address?” - -“I do not know.” - -“Why should he allow your mother to die and be buried without coming -back?” - -“I do not know.” - -“My dear sir,” said I, “if I may speak with the frankness of a -professional adviser, I should say that it is very clear that your -father had the strongest reasons for keeping out of the country, and -that, if nothing has been proved against him, he at least thought that -something might be, and refused to put himself within the power of the -law. Surely that must be obvious, for in what other possible way can the -facts be explained?” - -My companion did not take my suggestion in good part. - -“You had not the advantage of knowing my father, Mr. Alder,” he said, -coldly. “I was only a boy when he left us, but I shall always look upon -him as my ideal man. His only fault was that he was too sensitive and -too unselfish. That any one should lose money through him would cut him -to the heart. His sense of honour was most acute, and any theory of his -disappearance which conflicts with that is a mistaken one.” - -It pleased me to hear the lad speak out so roundly, and yet I knew that -the facts were against him, and that he was incapable of taking an -unprejudiced view of the situation. - -“I only speak as an outsider,” said I. “And now I must leave you, for I -have a long walk before me. Your story has interested me so much that I -should be glad if you could let me know the sequel.” - -“Leave me your card,” said he; and so, having bade him “good-night,” I -left him. - -I heard nothing more of the matter for some time, and had almost feared -that it would prove to be one of those fleeting experiences which drift -away from our direct observation and end only in a hope or a suspicion. -One afternoon, however, a card bearing the name of Mr. J. H. Perceval -was brought up to my office in Abchurch Lane, and its bearer, a small -dry, bright-eyed fellow of fifty, was ushered in by the clerk. - -“I believe, sir,” said he, “that my name has been mentioned to you by my -young friend, Mr. Felix Stanniford?” - -“Of course,” I answered, “I remember.” - -“He spoke to you, I understand, about the circumstances in connection -with the disappearance of my former employer, Mr. Stanislaus Stanniford, -and the existence of a sealed room in his former residence.” - -“He did.” - -“And you expressed an interest in the matter.” - -“It interested me extremely.” - -“You are aware that we hold Mr. Stanniford’s permission to open the door -on the twenty-first birthday of his son?” - -“I remember.” - -“The twenty-first birthday is to-day.” - -“Have you opened it?” I asked, eagerly. - -“Not yet, sir,” said he, gravely. “I have reason to believe that it -would be well to have witnesses present when that door is opened. You -are a lawyer, and you are acquainted with the facts. Will you be present -on the occasion?” - -“Most certainly.” - -“You are employed during the day, and so am I. Shall we meet at nine -o’clock at the house?” - -“I will come with pleasure.” - -“Then you will find us waiting for you. Good-bye, for the present.” He -bowed solemnly, and took his leave. - -I kept my appointment that evening, with a brain which was weary with -fruitless attempts to think out some plausible explanation of the -mystery which we were about to solve. Mr. Perceval and my young -acquaintance were waiting for me in the little room. I was not surprised -to see the young man looking pale and nervous, but I was rather -astonished to find the dry little City man in a state of intense, though -partially suppressed, excitement. His cheeks were flushed, his hands -twitching, and he could not stand still for an instant. - -Stanniford greeted me warmly, and thanked me many times for having come. -“And now, Perceval,” said he to his companion, “I suppose there is no -obstacle to our putting the thing through without delay? I shall be glad -to get it over.” - -The banker’s clerk took up the lamp and led the way. But he paused in -the passage outside the door, and his hand was shaking, so that the -light flickered up and down the high, bare walls. - -“Mr. Stanniford,” said he, in a cracking voice, “I hope you will prepare -yourself in case any shock should be awaiting you when that seal is -removed and the door is opened.” - -“What could there be, Perceval? You are trying to frighten me.” - -“No, Mr. Stanniford; but I should wish you to be ready ... to be braced -up ... not to allow yourself....” He had to lick his dry lips between -every jerky sentence, and I suddenly realized, as clearly as if he had -told me, that he knew what was behind that closed door, and that it -_was_ something terrible. “Here are the keys, Mr. Stanniford, but -remember my warning!” - -He had a bunch of assorted keys in his hand, and the young man snatched -them from him. Then he thrust a knife under the discoloured red seal and -jerked it off. The lamp was rattling and shaking in Perceval’s hands, so -I took it from him and held it near the key hole, while Stanniford tried -key after key. At last one turned in the lock, the door flew open, he -took one step into the room, and then, with a horrible cry, the young -man fell senseless at our feet. - -If I had not given heed to the clerk’s warning, and braced myself for a -shock, I should certainly have dropped the lamp. The room, windowless -and bare, was fitted up as a photographic laboratory, with a tap and -sink at the side of it. A shelf of bottles and measures stood at one -side, and a peculiar, heavy smell, partly chemical, partly animal, -filled the air. A single table and chair were in front of us, and at -this, with his back turned towards us, a man was seated in the act of -writing. His outline and attitude were as natural as life; but as the -light fell upon him, it made my hair rise to see that the nape of his -neck was black and wrinkled, and no thicker than my wrist. Dust lay upon -him—thick, yellow dust—upon his hair, his shoulders, his shrivelled, -lemon-coloured hands. His head had fallen forward upon his breast. His -pen still rested upon a discoloured sheet of paper. - -“My poor master! My poor, poor master!” cried the clerk, and the tears -were running down his cheeks. - -“What!” I cried, “Mr. Stanislaus Stanniford!” - -“Here he has sat for seven years. Oh, why would he do it? I begged him, -I implored him, I went on my knees to him, but he would have his way. -You see the key on the table. He had locked the door upon the inside. -And he has written something. We must take it.” - -“Yes, yes, take it, and for God’s sake, let us get out of this,” I -cried; “the air is poisonous. Come, Stanniford, come!” Taking an arm -each, we half led and half carried the terrified man back to his own -room. - -“It was my father!” he cried, as he recovered his consciousness. “He is -sitting there dead in his chair. You knew it, Perceval! This was what -you meant when you warned me.” - -“Yes, I knew it, Mr. Stanniford. I have acted for the best all along, -but my position has been a terribly difficult one. For seven years I -have known that your father was dead in that room.” - -“You knew it, and never told us!” - -“Don’t be harsh with me, Mr. Stanniford, sir! Make allowance for a man -who has had a hard part to play.” - -“My head is swimming round. I cannot grasp it!” He staggered up, and -helped himself from the brandy bottle. “These letters to my mother and -to myself—were they forgeries?” - -“No, sir; your father wrote them and addressed them, and left them in my -keeping to be posted. I have followed his instructions to the very -letter in all things. He was my master, and I have obeyed him.” - -The brandy had steadied the young man’s shaken nerves. “Tell me about -it. I can stand it now,” said he. - -“Well, Mr. Stanniford, you know that at one time there came a period of -great trouble upon your father, and he thought that many poor people -were about to lose their savings through his fault. He was a man who was -so tender-hearted that he could not bear the thought. It worried him and -tormented him, until he determined to end his life. Oh, Mr. Stanniford, -if you knew how I have prayed him and wrestled with him over it, you -would never blame me! And he in turn prayed me as no man has ever prayed -me before. He had made up his mind, and he would do it in any case, he -said; but it rested with me whether his death should be happy and easy -or whether it should be most miserable. I read in his eyes that he meant -what he said. And at last I yielded to his prayers, and I consented to -do his will. - -“What was troubling him was this. He had been told by the first doctor -in London that his wife’s heart would fail at the slightest shock. He -had a horror of accelerating her end, and yet his own existence had -become unendurable to him. How could he end himself without injuring -her? - -“You know now the course that he took. He wrote the letter which she -received. There was nothing in it which was not literally true. When he -spoke of seeing her again so soon, he was referring to her own -approaching death, which he had been assured could not be delayed more -than a very few months. So convinced was he of this, that he only left -two letters to be forwarded at intervals after his death. She lived five -years, and I had no letters to send. - -“He left another letter with me to be sent to you, sir, upon the -occasion of the death of your mother. I posted all these in Paris to -sustain the idea of his being abroad. It was his wish that I should say -nothing, and I have said nothing. I have been a faithful servant. Seven -years after his death, he thought no doubt that the shock to the -feelings of his surviving friends would be lessened. He was always -considerate for others.” - -There was silence for some time. It was broken by young Stanniford. - -“I cannot blame you, Perceval. You have spared my mother a shock, which -would certainly have broken her heart. What is that paper?” - -“It is what your father was writing, sir. Shall I read it to you?” - -“Do so.” - -“‘I have taken the poison, and I feel it working in my veins. It is -strange, but not painful. When these words are read I shall, if my -wishes have been faithfully carried out, have been dead many years. -Surely no one who has lost money through me will still bear me -animosity. And you, Felix, you will forgive me this family scandal. May -God find rest for a sorely wearied spirit!’” - -“Amen!” we cried, all three. - - - - - THE BRAZILIAN CAT - - -It is hard luck on a young fellow to have expensive tastes, great -expectations, aristocratic connections, but no actual money in his -pocket, and no profession by which he may earn any. The fact was that my -father, a good, sanguine, easy-going man, had such confidence in the -wealth and benevolence of his bachelor elder brother, Lord Southerton, -that he took it for granted that I, his only son, would never be called -upon to earn a living for myself. He imagined that if there were not a -vacancy for me on the great Southerton Estates, at least there would be -found some post in that diplomatic service which still remains the -special preserve of our privileged classes. He died too early to realize -how false his calculations had been. Neither my uncle nor the State took -the slightest notice of me, or showed any interest in my career. An -occasional brace of pheasants, or basket of hares, was all that ever -reached me to remind me that I was heir to Otwell House and one of the -richest estates in the country. In the meantime, I found myself a -bachelor and man about town, living in a suite of apartments in -Grosvenor Mansions, with no occupation save that of pigeon-shooting and -polo-playing at Hurlingham. Month by month I realized that it was more -and more difficult to get the brokers to renew my bills, or to cash any -further post-obits upon an unentailed property. Ruin lay right across my -path, and every day I saw it clearer, nearer, and more absolutely -unavoidable. - -What made me feel my own poverty the more was that, apart from the great -wealth of Lord Southerton, all my other relations were fairly -well-to-do. The nearest of these was Everard King, my father’s nephew -and my own first cousin, who had spent an adventurous life in Brazil, -and had now returned to this country to settle down on his fortune. We -never knew how he made his money, but he appeared to have plenty of it, -for he bought the estate of Greylands, near Clipton-on-the-Marsh, in -Suffolk. For the first year of his residence in England he took no more -notice of me than my miserly uncle; but at last one summer morning, to -my very great relief and joy, I received a letter asking me to come down -that very day and spend a short visit at Greylands Court. I was -expecting a rather long visit to Bankruptcy Court at the time, and this -interruption seemed almost providential. If I could only get on terms -with this unknown relative of mine, I might pull through yet. For the -family credit he could not let me go entirely to the wall. I ordered my -valet to pack my valise, and I set off the same evening for -Clipton-on-the-Marsh. - -After changing at Ipswich, a little local train deposited me at a small, -deserted station lying amidst a rolling grassy country, with a sluggish -and winding river curving in and out amidst the valleys, between high, -silted banks, which showed that we were within reach of the tide. No -carriage was awaiting me (I found afterwards that my telegram had been -delayed), so I hired a dog-cart at the local inn. The driver, an -excellent fellow, was full of my relative’s praises, and I learned from -him that Mr. Everard King was already a name to conjure with in that -part of the country. He had entertained the school-children, he had -thrown his grounds open to visitors, he had subscribed to charities—in -short, his benevolence had been so universal that my driver could only -account for it on the supposition that he had Parliamentary ambitions. - -My attention was drawn away from my driver’s panegyric by the appearance -of a very beautiful bird which settled on a telegraph-post beside the -road. At first I thought that it was a jay, but it was larger, with a -brighter plumage. The driver accounted for its presence at once by -saying that it belonged to the very man whom we were about to visit. It -seems that the acclimatization of foreign creatures was one of his -hobbies, and that he had brought with him from Brazil a number of birds -and beasts which he was endeavouring to rear in England. When once we -had passed the gates of Greylands Park we had ample evidence of this -taste of his. Some small spotted deer, a curious wild pig known, I -believe, as a peccary, a gorgeously feathered oriole, some sort of -armadillo, and a singular lumbering intoed beast like a very fat badger, -were among the creatures which I observed as we drove along the winding -avenue. - -Mr. Everard King, my unknown cousin, was standing in person upon the -steps of his house, for he had seen us in the distance, and guessed that -it was I. His appearance was very homely and benevolent, short and -stout, forty-five years old perhaps, with a round, good-humoured face, -burned brown with the tropical sun, and shot with a thousand wrinkles. -He wore white linen clothes, in true planter style, with a cigar between -his lips, and a large Panama hat upon the back of his head. It was such -a figure as one associates with a verandahed bungalow, and it looked -curiously out of place in front of this broad, stone English mansion, -with its solid wings and its Palladio pillars before the doorway. - -“My dear!” he cried, glancing over his shoulder; “my dear, here is our -guest! Welcome, welcome to Greylands! I am delighted to make your -acquaintance, Cousin Marshall, and I take it as a great compliment that -you should honour this sleepy little country place with your presence.” - -Nothing could be more hearty than his manner, and he set me at my ease -in an instant. But it needed all his cordiality to atone for the -frigidity and even rudeness of his wife, a tall, haggard woman, who came -forward at his summons. She was, I believe, of Brazilian extraction, -though she spoke excellent English, and I excused her manners on the -score of her ignorance of our customs. She did not attempt to conceal, -however, either then or afterwards, that I was no very welcome visitor -at Greylands Court. Her actual words were, as a rule, courteous, but she -was the possessor of a pair of particularly expressive dark eyes, and I -read in them very clearly from the first that she heartily wished me -back in London once more. - -However, my debts were too pressing and my designs upon my wealthy -relative were too vital for me to allow them to be upset by the -ill-temper of his wife, so I disregarded her coldness and reciprocated -the extreme cordiality of his welcome. No pains had been spared by him -to make me comfortable. My room was a charming one. He implored me to -tell him anything which could add to my happiness. It was on the tip of -my tongue to inform him that a blank cheque would materially help -towards that end, but I felt that it might be premature in the present -state of our acquaintance. The dinner was excellent, and as we sat -together afterwards over his Havanas and coffee, which latter he told me -was specially prepared upon his own plantation, it seemed to me that all -my driver’s eulogies were justified, and that I had never met a more -large-hearted and hospitable man. - -But, in spite of his cheery good nature, he was a man with a strong will -and a fiery temper of his own. Of this I had an example upon the -following morning. The curious aversion which Mrs. Everard King had -conceived towards me was so strong, that her manner at breakfast was -almost offensive. But her meaning became unmistakable when her husband -had quitted the room. - -“The best train in the day is at twelve fifteen,” said she. - -“But I was not thinking of going to-day,” I answered, frankly—perhaps -even defiantly, for I was determined not to be driven out by this woman. - -“Oh, if it rests with you——” said she, and stopped, with a most insolent -expression in her eyes. - -“I am sure,” I answered “that Mr. Everard King would tell me if I were -outstaying my welcome.” - -“What’s this? What’s this?” said a voice, and there he was in the room. -He had overheard my last words, and a glance at our faces had told him -the rest. In an instant his chubby, cheery face set into an expression -of absolute ferocity. - -“Might I trouble you to walk outside, Marshall,” said he. (I may mention -that my own name is Marshall King.) - -He closed the door behind me, and then, for an instant, I heard him -talking in a low voice of concentrated passion to his wife. This gross -breach of hospitality had evidently hit upon his tenderest point. I am -no eavesdropper, so I walked out on to the lawn. Presently I heard a -hurried step behind me, and there was the lady, her face pale with -excitement, and her eyes red with tears. - -“My husband has asked me to apologize to you, Mr. Marshall King,” said -she, standing with downcast eyes before me. - -“Please do not say another word, Mrs. King.” - -Her dark eyes suddenly blazed out at me. - -“You fool!” she hissed, with frantic vehemence, and turning on her heel -swept back to the house. - -The insult was so outrageous, so insufferable, that I could only stand -staring after her in bewilderment. I was still there when my host joined -me. He was his cheery, chubby self once more. - -“I hope that my wife has apologized for her foolish remarks,” said he. - -“Oh, yes—yes, certainly!” - -He put his hand through my arm and walked with me up and down the lawn. - -“You must not take it seriously,” said he. “It would grieve me -inexpressibly if you curtailed your visit by one hour. The fact is—there -is no reason why there should be any concealment between relatives—that -my poor dear wife is incredibly jealous. She hates that any one—male or -female—should for an instant come between us. Her ideal is a desert -island and an eternal _tête-à-tête_. That gives you the clue to her -actions, which are, I confess, upon this particular point, not very far -removed from mania. Tell me that you will think no more of it.” - -“No, no; certainly not.” - -“Then light this cigar and come round with me and see my little -menagerie.” - -The whole afternoon was occupied by this inspection, which included all -the birds, beasts, and even reptiles which he had imported. Some were -free, some in cages, a few actually in the house. He spoke with -enthusiasm of his successes and his failures, his births and his deaths, -and he would cry out in his delight, like a schoolboy, when, as we -walked, some gaudy bird would flutter up from the grass, or some curious -beast slink into the cover. Finally he led me down a corridor which -extended from one wing of the house. At the end of this there was a -heavy door with a sliding shutter in it, and beside it there projected -from the wall an iron handle attached to a wheel and a drum. A line of -stout bars extended across the passage. - -“I am about to show you the jewel of my collection,” said he. “There is -only one other specimen in Europe, now that the Rotterdam cub is dead. -It is a Brazilian cat.” - -“But how does that differ from any other cat?” - -“You will soon see that,” said he, laughing. “Will you kindly draw that -shutter and look through?” - -I did so, and found that I was gazing into a large, empty room, with -stone flags, and small, barred windows upon the farther wall. - -In the centre of this room, lying in the middle of a golden patch of -sunlight, there was stretched a huge creature, as large as a tiger, but -as black and sleek as ebony. It was simply a very enormous and very -well-kept black cat, and it cuddled up and basked in that yellow pool of -light exactly as a cat would do. It was so graceful, so sinewy, and so -gently and smoothly diabolical, that I could not take my eyes from the -opening. - -“Isn’t he splendid?” said my host, enthusiastically. - -“Glorious! I never saw such a noble creature.” - -“Some people call it a black puma, but really it is not a puma at all. -That fellow is nearly eleven feet from tail to tip. Four years ago he -was a little ball of black fluff, with two yellow eyes staring out of -it. He was sold me as a new-born cub up in the wild country at the -head-waters of the Rio Negro. They speared his mother to death after she -had killed a dozen of them.” - -“They are ferocious, then?” - -“The most absolutely treacherous and blood-thirsty creatures upon earth. -You talk about a Brazilian cat to an up-country Indian, and see him get -the jumps. They prefer humans to game. This fellow has never tasted -living blood yet, but when he does he will be a terror. At present he -won’t stand any one but me in his den. Even Baldwin, the groom, dare not -go near him. As to me, I am his mother and father in one.” - -As he spoke he suddenly, to my astonishment, opened the door and slipped -in, closing it instantly behind him. At the sound of his voice the huge, -lithe creature rose, yawned, and rubbed its round, black head -affectionately against his side, while he patted and fondled it. - -“Now, Tommy, into your cage!” said he. - -The monstrous cat walked over to one side of the room and coiled itself -up under a grating. Everard King came out, and taking the iron handle -which I have mentioned, he began to turn it. As he did so the line of -bars in the corridor began to pass through a slot in the wall and closed -up the front of this grating, so as to make an effective cage. When it -was in position he opened the door once more and invited me into the -room, which was heavy with the pungent, musty smell peculiar to the -great carnivora. - -“That’s how we work it,” said he. “We give him the run of the room for -exercise, and then at night we put him in his cage. You can let him out -by turning the handle from the passage, or you can, as you have seen, -coop him up in the same way. No, no, you should not do that!” - -I had put my hand between the bars to pat the glossy, heaving flank. He -pulled it back, with a serious face. - -“I assure you that he is not safe. Don’t imagine that because I can take -liberties with him any one else can. He is very exclusive in his -friends—aren’t you, Tommy? Ah, he hears his lunch coming to him! Don’t -you, boy?” - -A step sounded in the stone-flagged passage, and the creature had sprung -to his feet, and was pacing up and down the narrow cage, his yellow eyes -gleaming, and his scarlet tongue rippling and quivering over the white -line of his jagged teeth. A groom entered with a coarse joint upon a -tray, and thrust it through the bars to him. He pounced lightly upon it, -carried it off to the corner, and there, holding it between his paws, -tore and wrenched at it, raising his bloody muzzle every now and then to -look at us. It was a malignant and yet fascinating sight. - -“You can’t wonder that I am fond of him, can you?” said my host, as we -left the room, “especially when you consider that I have had the rearing -of him. It was no joke bringing him over from the centre of South -America; but here he is safe and sound—and, as I have said, far the most -perfect specimen in Europe. The people at the Zoo are dying to have him, -but I really can’t part with him. How, I think that I have inflicted my -hobby upon you long enough, so we cannot do better than follow Tommy’s -example, and go to our lunch.” - -My South American relative was so engrossed by his grounds and their -curious occupants, that I hardly gave him credit at first for having any -interests outside them. That he had some, and pressing ones, was soon -borne in upon me by the number of telegrams which he received. They -arrived at all hours, and were always opened by him with the utmost -eagerness and anxiety upon his face. Sometimes I imagined that it must -be the turf, and sometimes the Stock Exchange, but certainly he had some -very urgent business going forwards which was not transacted upon the -Downs of Suffolk. During the six days of my visit he had never fewer -than three or four telegrams a day, and sometimes as many as seven or -eight. - -I had occupied these six days so well, that by the end of them I had -succeeded in getting upon the most cordial terms with my cousin. Every -night we had sat up late in the billiard-room, he telling me the most -extraordinary stories of his adventures in America—stories so desperate -and reckless, that I could hardly associate them with the brown little, -chubby man before me. In return, I ventured upon some of my own -reminiscences of London life, which interested him so much, that he -vowed he would come up to Grosvenor Mansions and stay with me. He was -anxious to see the faster side of city life, and certainly, though I say -it, he could not have chosen a more competent guide. It was not until -the last day of my visit that I ventured to approach that which was on -my mind. I told him frankly about my pecuniary difficulties and my -impending ruin, and I asked his advice—though I hoped for something more -solid. He listened attentively, puffing hard at his cigar. - -“But surely,” said he, “you are the heir of our relative, Lord -Southerton?” - -“I have every reason to believe so, but he would never make me any -allowance.” - -“No, no, I have heard of his miserly ways. My poor Marshall, your -position has been a very hard one. By the way, have you heard any news -of Lord Southerton’s health lately?” - -“He has always been in a critical condition ever since my childhood.” - -“Exactly—a creaking hinge, if ever there was one. Your inheritance may -be a long way off. Dear me, how awkwardly situated you are!” - -“I had some hopes, sir, that you, knowing all the facts, might be -inclined to advance——” - -“Don’t say another word, my dear boy,” he cried, with the utmost -cordiality; “we shall talk it over to-night, and I give you my word that -whatever is in my power shall be done.” - -I was not sorry that my visit was drawing to a close, for it is -unpleasant to feel that there is one person in the house who eagerly -desires your departure. Mrs. King’s sallow face and forbidding eyes had -become more and more hateful to me. She was no longer actively rude—her -fear of her husband prevented her—but she pushed her insane jealousy to -the extent of ignoring me, never addressing me, and in every way making -my stay at Greylands as uncomfortable as she could. So offensive was her -manner during that last day, that I should certainly have left had it -not been for that interview with my host in the evening which would, I -hoped, retrieve my broken fortunes. - -It was very late when it occurred, for my relative, who had been -receiving even more telegrams than usual during the day, went off to his -study after dinner, and only emerged when the household had retired to -bed. I heard him go round locking the doors, as his custom was of a -night, and finally he joined me in the billiard-room. His stout figure -was wrapped in a dressing-gown, and he wore a pair of red Turkish -slippers without any heels. Settling down into an arm-chair, he brewed -himself a glass of grog, in which I could not help noticing that the -whisky considerably predominated over the water. - -“My word!” said he, “what a night!” - -It was, indeed. The wind was howling and screaming round the house, and -the latticed windows rattled and shook as if they were coming in. The -glow of the yellow lamps and the flavour of our cigars seemed the -brighter and more fragrant for the contrast. - -“Now, my boy,” said my host, “we have the house and the night to -ourselves. Let me have an idea of how your affairs stand, and I will see -what can be done to set them in order. I wish to hear every detail.” - -Thus encouraged, I entered into a long exposition, in which all my -tradesmen and creditors, from my landlord to my valet, figured in turn. -I had notes in my pocket-book, and I marshalled my facts, and gave, I -flatter myself, a very business-like statement of my own -un-business-like ways and lamentable position. I was depressed, however, -to notice that my companion’s eyes were vacant and his attention -elsewhere. When he did occasionally throw out a remark, it was so -entirely perfunctory and pointless, that I was sure he had not in the -least followed my remarks. Every now and then he roused himself and put -on some show of interest, asking me to repeat or to explain more fully, -but it was always to sink once more into the same brown study. At last -he rose and threw the end of his cigar into the grate. - -“I’ll tell you what, my boy,” said he. “I never had a head for figures, -so you will excuse me. You must jot it all down upon paper, and let me -have a note of the amount. I’ll understand it when I see it in black and -white.” - -The proposal was encouraging. I promised to do so. - -“And now it’s time we were in bed. By Jove, there’s one o’clock striking -in the hall.” - -The tinging of the chiming clock broke through the deep roar of the -gale. The wind was sweeping past with the rush of a great river. - -“I must see my cat before I go to bed,” said my host. “A high wind -excites him. Will you come?” - -“Certainly,” said I. - -“Then tread softly and don’t speak, for every one is asleep.” - -We passed quietly down the lamp-lit Persian-rugged hall, and through the -door at the farther end. All was dark in the stone corridor, but a -stable lantern hung on a hook, and my host took it down and lit it. -There was no grating visible in the passage, so I knew that the beast -was in its cage. - -“Come in!” said my relative, and opened the door. - -A deep growling as we entered showed that the storm had really excited -the creature. In the flickering light of the lantern, we saw it, a huge -black mass, coiled in the corner of its den and throwing a squat, -uncouth shadow upon the whitewashed wall. Its tail switched angrily -among the straw. - -“Poor Tommy is not in the best of tempers,” said Everard King, holding -up the lantern and looking in at him. “What a black devil he looks, -doesn’t he? I must give him a little supper to put him in a better -humour. Would you mind holding the lantern for a moment?” - -I took it from his hand and he stepped to the door. - -“His larder is just outside here,” said he. “You will excuse me for an -instant, won’t you?” He passed out, and the door shut with a sharp -metallic click behind him. - -That hard crisp sound made my heart stand still. A sudden wave of terror -passed over me. A vague perception of some monstrous treachery turned me -cold. I sprang to the door, but there was no handle upon the inner side. - -“Here!” I cried. “Let me out!” - -“All right! Don’t make a row!” said my host from the passage. “You’ve -got the light all right.” - -“Yes, but I don’t care about being locked in alone like this.” - -“Don’t you?” I heard his hearty, chuckling laugh. “You won’t be alone -long.” - -“Let me out, sir!” I repeated angrily. “I tell you I don’t allow -practical jokes of this sort.” - -“Practical is the word,” said he, with another hateful chuckle. And then -suddenly I heard, amidst the roar of the storm, the creak and whine of -the winch-handle turning, and the rattle of the grating as it passed -through the slot. Great God, he was letting loose the Brazilian cat! - -In the light of the lantern I saw the bars sliding slowly before me. -Already there was an opening a foot wide at the farther end. With a -scream I seized the last bar with my hands and pulled with the strength -of a madman. I _was_ a madman with rage and horror. For a minute or more -I held the thing motionless. I knew that he was straining with all his -force upon the handle, and that the leverage was sure to overcome me. I -gave inch by inch, my feet sliding along the stones, and all the time I -begged and prayed this inhuman monster to save me from this horrible -death. I conjured him by his kinship. I reminded him that I was his -guest; I begged to know what harm I had ever done him. His only answers -were the tugs and jerks upon the handle, each of which, in spite of all -my struggles, pulled another bar through the opening. Clinging and -clutching, I was dragged across the whole front of the cage, until at -last, with aching wrists and lacerated fingers, I gave up the hopeless -struggle. The grating clanged back as I released it, and an instant -later I heard the shuffle of the Turkish slippers in the passage, and -the slam of the distant door. Then everything was silent. - -The creature had never moved during this time. He lay still in the -corner, and his tail had ceased switching. This apparition of a man -adhering to his bars and dragged screaming across him had apparently -filled him with amazement. I saw his great eyes staring steadily at me. -I had dropped the lantern when I seized the bars, but it still burned -upon the floor, and I made a movement to grasp it, with some idea that -its light might protect me. But the instant I moved, the beast gave a -deep and menacing growl. I stopped and stood still, quivering with fear -in every limb. The cat (if one may call so fearful a creature by so -homely a name) was not more than ten feet from me. The eyes glimmered -like two discs of phosphorus in the darkness. They appalled and yet -fascinated me. I could not take my own eyes from them. Nature plays -strange tricks with us at such moments of intensity, and those -glimmering lights waxed and waned with a steady rise and fall. Sometimes -they seemed to be tiny points of extreme brilliancy—little electric -sparks in the black obscurity—then they would widen and widen until all -that corner of the room was filled with their shifting and sinister -light. And then suddenly they went out altogether. - -The beast had closed its eyes. I do not know whether there may be any -truth in the old idea of the dominance of the human gaze, or whether the -huge cat was simply drowsy, but the fact remains that, far from showing -any symptom of attacking me, it simply rested its sleek, black head upon -its huge forepaws and seemed to sleep. I stood, fearing to move lest I -should rouse it into malignant life once more. But at least I was able -to think clearly now that the baleful eyes were off me. Here I was shut -up for the night with the ferocious beast. My own instincts, to say -nothing of the words of the plausible villain who laid this trap for me, -warned me that the animal was as savage as its master. How could I stave -it off until morning? The door was hopeless, and so were the narrow, -barred windows. There was no shelter anywhere in the bare, stone-flagged -room. To cry for assistance was absurd. I knew that this den was an -outhouse, and that the corridor which connected it with the house was at -least a hundred feet long. Besides, with that gale thundering outside, -my cries were not likely to be heard. I had only my own courage and my -own wits to trust to. - -And then, with a fresh wave of horror, my eyes fell upon the lantern. -The candle had burned low, and was already beginning to gutter. In ten -minutes it would be out. I had only ten minutes then in which to do -something, for I felt that if I were once left in the dark with that -fearful beast I should be incapable of action. The very thought of it -paralyzed me. I cast my despairing eyes round this chamber of death, and -they rested upon one spot which seemed to promise I will not say safety, -but less immediate and imminent danger than the open floor. - -I have said that the cage had a top as well as a front, and this top was -left standing when the front was wound through the slot in the wall. It -consisted of bars at a few inches’ interval, with stout wire netting -between, and it rested upon a strong stanchion at each end. It stood now -as a great barred canopy over the crouching figure in the corner. The -space between this iron shelf and the roof may have been from two to -three feet. If I could only get up there, squeezed in between bars and -ceiling, I should have only one vulnerable side. I should be safe from -below, from behind, and from each side. Only on the open face of it -could I be attacked. There, it is true, I had no protection whatever; -but, at least, I should be out of the brute’s path when he began to pace -about his den. He would have to come out of his way to reach me. It was -now or never, for if once the light were out it would be impossible. -With a gulp in my throat I sprang up, seized the iron edge of the top, -and swung myself panting on to it. I writhed in face downwards, and -found myself looking straight into the terrible eyes and yawning jaws of -the cat. Its fetid breath came up into my face like the steam from some -foul pot. - -It appeared, however, to be rather curious than angry. With a sleek -ripple of its long, black back it rose, stretched itself, and then -rearing itself on its hind legs, with one fore paw against the wall, it -raised the other, and drew its claws across the wire meshes beneath me. -One sharp, white hook tore through my trousers—for I may mention that I -was still in evening dress—and dug a furrow in my knee. It was not meant -as an attack, but rather as an experiment, for upon my giving a sharp -cry of pain he dropped down again, and springing lightly into the room, -he began walking swiftly round it, looking up every now and again in my -direction. For my part I shuffled backwards until I lay with my back -against the wall, screwing myself into the smallest space possible. The -farther I got the more difficult it was for him to attack me. - -He seemed more excited now that he had begun to move about, and he ran -swiftly and noiselessly round and round the den, passing continually -underneath the iron couch upon which I lay. It was wonderful to see so -great a bulk passing like a shadow, with hardly the softest thudding of -velvety pads. The candle was burning low—so low that I could hardly see -the creature. And then, with a last flare and splutter it went out -altogether. I was alone with the cat in the dark! - -It helps one to face a danger when one knows that one has done all that -possibly can be done. There is nothing for it then but to quietly await -the result. In this case, there was no chance of safety anywhere except -the precise spot where I was. I stretched myself out, therefore, and lay -silently, almost breathlessly, hoping that the beast might forget my -presence if I did nothing to remind him. I reckoned that it must already -be two o’clock. At four it would be full dawn. I had not more than two -hours to wait for daylight. - -Outside, the storm was still raging, and the rain lashed continually -against the little windows. Inside, the poisonous and fetid air was -overpowering. I could neither hear nor see the cat. I tried to think -about other things—but only one had power enough to draw my mind from my -terrible position. That was the contemplation of my cousin’s villainy, -his unparalleled hypocrisy, his malignant hatred of me. Beneath that -cheerful face there lurked the spirit of a mediæval assassin. And as I -thought of it I saw more clearly how cunningly the thing had been -arranged. He had apparently gone to bed with the others. No doubt he had -his witnesses to prove it. Then, unknown to them, he had slipped down, -had lured me into this den and abandoned me. His story would be so -simple. He had left me to finish my cigar in the billiard-room. I had -gone down on my own account to have a last look at the cat. I had -entered the room without observing that the cage was opened, and I had -been caught. How could such a crime be brought home to him? Suspicion, -perhaps—but proof, never! - -How slowly those dreadful two hours went by! Once I heard a low, rasping -sound, which I took to be the creature licking its own fur. Several -times those greenish eyes gleamed at me through the darkness, but never -in a fixed stare, and my hopes grew stronger that my presence had been -forgotten or ignored. At last the least faint glimmer of light came -through the windows—I first dimly saw them as two grey squares upon the -black wall, then grey turned to white, and I could see my terrible -companion once more. And he, alas, could see me! - -It was evident to me at once that he was in a much more dangerous and -aggressive mood than when I had seen him last. The cold of the morning -had irritated him, and he was hungry as well. With a continual growl he -paced swiftly up and down the side of the room which was farthest from -my refuge, his whiskers bristling angrily, and his tail switching and -lashing. As he turned at the corners his savage eyes always looked -upwards at me with a dreadful menace. I knew then that he meant to kill -me. Yet I found myself even at that moment admiring the sinuous grace of -the devilish thing, its long, undulating, rippling movements, the gloss -of its beautiful flanks, the vivid, palpitating scarlet of the -glistening tongue which hung from the jet-black muzzle. And all the time -that deep, threatening growl was rising and rising in an unbroken -crescendo. I knew that the crisis was at hand. - -It was a miserable hour to meet such a death—so cold, so comfortless, -shivering in my light dress clothes upon this gridiron of torment upon -which I was stretched. I tried to brace myself to it, to raise my soul -above it, and at the same time, with the lucidity which comes to a -perfectly desperate man, I cast round for some possible means of escape. -One thing was clear to me. If that front of the cage was only back in -its position once more, I could find a sure refuge behind it. Could I -possibly pull it back? I hardly dared to move for fear of bringing the -creature upon me. Slowly, very slowly, I put my hand forward until it -grasped the edge of the front, the final bar which protruded through the -wall. To my surprise it came quite easily to my jerk. Of course the -difficulty of drawing it out arose from the fact that I was clinging to -it. I pulled again, and three inches of it came through. It ran -apparently on wheels. I pulled again ... and then the cat sprang! - -It was so quick, so sudden, that I never saw it happen. I simply heard -the savage snarl, and in an instant afterwards the blazing yellow eyes, -the flattened black head with its red tongue and flashing teeth, were -within reach of me. The impact of the creature shook the bars upon which -I lay, until I thought (as far as I could think of anything at such a -moment) that they were coming down. The cat swayed there for an instant, -the head and front paws quite close to me, the hind paws clawing to find -a grip upon the edge of the grating. I heard the claws rasping as they -clung to the wire netting, and the breath of the beast made me sick. But -its bound had been miscalculated. It could not retain its position. -Slowly, grinning with rage and scratching madly at the bars, it swung -backwards and dropped heavily upon the floor. With a growl it instantly -faced round to me and crouched for another spring. - -I knew that the next few moments would decide my fate. The creature had -learned by experience. It would not miscalculate again. I must act -promptly, fearlessly, if I were to have a chance for life. In an instant -I had formed my plan. Pulling off my dress-coat, I threw it down over -the head of the beast. At the same moment I dropped over the edge, -seized the end of the front grating, and pulled it frantically out of -the wall. - -It came more easily than I could have expected. I rushed across the -room, bearing it with me; but, as I rushed, the accident of my position -put me upon the outer side. Had it been the other way, I might have come -off scathless. As it was, there was a moment’s pause as I stopped it and -tried to pass in through the opening which I had left. That moment was -enough to give time to the creature to toss off the coat with which I -had blinded him and to spring upon me. I hurled myself through the gap -and pulled the rails to behind me, but he seized my leg before I could -entirely withdraw it. One stroke of that huge paw tore off my calf as a -shaving of wood curls off before a plane. The next moment, bleeding and -fainting, I was lying among the foul straw with a line of friendly bars -between me and the creature which ramped so frantically against them. - -Too wounded to move, and too faint to be conscious of fear, I could only -lie, more dead than alive, and watch it. It pressed its broad, black -chest against the bars and angled for me with its crooked paws as I have -seen a kitten do before a mouse-trap. It ripped my clothes, but, stretch -as it would, it could not quite reach me. I have heard of the curious -numbing effect produced by wounds from the great carnivora, and now I -was destined to experience it, for I had lost all sense of personality, -and was as interested in the cat’s failure or success as if it were some -game which I was watching. And then gradually my mind drifted away into -strange, vague dreams, always with that black face and red tongue coming -back into them, and so I lost myself in the nirvana of delirium, the -blessed relief of those who are too sorely tried. - -Tracing the course of events afterwards, I conclude that I must have -been insensible for about two hours. What roused me to consciousness -once more was that sharp metallic click which had been the precursor of -my terrible experience. It was the shooting back of the spring lock. -Then, before my senses were clear enough to entirely apprehend what they -saw, I was aware of the round, benevolent face of my cousin peering in -through the opened door. What he saw evidently amazed him. There was the -cat crouching on the floor. I was stretched upon my back in my -shirtsleeves within the cage, my trousers torn to ribbons and a great -pool of blood all round me. I can see his amazed face now, with the -morning sunlight upon it. He peered at me, and peered again. Then he -closed the door behind him, and advanced to the cage to see if I were -really dead. - -I cannot undertake to say what happened. I was not in a fit state to -witness or to chronicle such events. I can only say that I was suddenly -conscious that his face was away from me—that he was looking towards the -animal. - -“Good old Tommy!” he cried. “Good old Tommy!” - -Then he came near the bars, with his back still towards me. - -“Down, you stupid beast!” he roared. “Down, sir! Don’t you know your -master?” - -Suddenly even in my bemuddled brain a remembrance came of those words of -his when he had said that the taste of blood would turn the cat into a -fiend. My blood had done it, but he was to pay the price. - -“Get away!” he screamed. “Get away, you devil! Baldwin! Baldwin! Oh, my -God!” - -And then I heard him fall, and rise, and fall again, with a sound like -the ripping of sacking. His screams grew fainter until they were lost in -the worrying snarl. And then, after I thought that he was dead, I saw, -as in a nightmare, a blinded, tattered, blood-soaked figure running -wildly round the room—and that was the last glimpse which I had of him -before I fainted once again. - - * * * * * - -I was many months in my recovery—in fact, I cannot say that I have ever -recovered, for to the end of my days I shall carry a stick as a sign of -my night with the Brazilian cat. Baldwin, the groom, and the other -servants could not tell what had occurred when, drawn by the death cries -of their master, they found me behind the bars, and his remains—or what -they afterwards discovered to be his remains—in the clutch of the -creature which he had reared. They stalled him off with hot irons, and -afterwards shot him through the loophole of the door before they could -finally extricate me. I was carried to my bedroom, and there, under the -roof of my would-be murderer, I remained between life and death for -several weeks. They had sent for a surgeon from Clipton and a nurse from -London, and in a month I was able to be carried to the station, and so -conveyed back once more to Grosvenor Mansions. - -I have one remembrance of that illness, which might have been part of -the ever-changing panorama conjured up by a delirious brain were it not -so definitely fixed in my memory. One night, when the nurse was absent, -the door of my chamber opened, and a tall woman in blackest mourning -slipped into the room. She came across to me, and as she bent her sallow -face I saw by the faint gleam of the night-light that it was the -Brazilian woman whom my cousin had married. She stared intently into my -face, and her expression was more kindly than I had ever seen it. - -“Are you conscious?” she asked. - -I feebly nodded—for I was still very weak. - -“Well, then, I only wished to say to you that you have yourself to -blame. Did I not do all I could for you? From the beginning I tried to -drive you from the house. By every means, short of betraying my husband, -I tried to save you from him. I knew that he had a reason for bringing -you here. I knew that he would never let you get away again. No one knew -him as I knew him, who had suffered from him so often. I did not dare to -tell you all this. He would have killed me. But I did my best for you. -As things have turned out, you have been the best friend that I have -ever had. You have set me free, and I fancied that nothing but death -would do that. I am sorry if you are hurt, but I cannot reproach myself. -I told you that you were a fool—and a fool you have been.” She crept out -of the room, the bitter, singular woman, and I was never destined to see -her again. With what remained from her husband’s property she went back -to her native land, and I have heard that she afterwards took the veil -at Pernambuco. - -It was not until I had been back in London for some time that the -doctors pronounced me to be well enough to do business. It was not a -very welcome permission to me, for I feared that it would be the signal -for an inrush of creditors; but it was Summers, my lawyer, who first -took advantage of it. - -“I am very glad to see that your lordship is so much better,” said he. -“I have been waiting a long time to offer my congratulations.” - -“What do you mean, Summers? This is no time for joking.” - -“I mean what I say,” he answered. “You have been Lord Southerton for the -last six weeks, but we feared that it would retard your recovery if you -were to learn it.” - -Lord Southerton! One of the richest peers in England! I could not -believe my ears. And then suddenly I thought of the time which had -elapsed, and how it coincided with my injuries. - -“Then Lord Southerton must have died about the same time that I was -hurt?” - -“His death occurred upon that very day.” Summers looked hard at me as I -spoke, and I am convinced—for he was a very shrewd fellow—that he had -guessed the true state of the case. He paused for a moment as if -awaiting a confidence from me, but I could not see what was to be gained -by exposing such a family scandal. - -“Yes, a very curious coincidence,” he continued, with the same knowing -look. “Of course, you are aware that your cousin Everard King was the -next heir to the estates. Now, if it had been you instead of him who had -been torn to pieces by this tiger, or whatever it was, then of course he -would have been Lord Southerton at the present moment.” - -“No doubt,” said I. - -“And he took such an interest in it,” said Summers. “I happen to know -that the late Lord Southerton’s valet was in his pay, and that he used -to have telegrams from him every few hours to tell him how he was -getting on. That would be about the time when you were down there. Was -it not strange that he should wish to be so well informed, since he knew -that he was not the direct heir?” - -“Very strange,” said I. “And now, Summers, if you will bring me my bills -and a new cheque-book, we will begin to get things into order.” - - - - - THE USHER OF LEA HOUSE SCHOOL - - -Mr. Lumsden, the senior partner of Lumsden and Westmacott, the -well-known scholastic and clerical agents, was a small, dapper man, with -a sharp, abrupt manner, a critical eye, and an incisive way of speaking. - -“Your name, sir?” said he, sitting pen in hand with his long, red-lined -folio in front of him. - -“Harold Weld.” - -“Oxford or Cambridge?” - -“Cambridge.” - -“Honours?” - -“No, sir.” - -“Athlete?” - -“Nothing remarkable, I am afraid.” - -“Not a Blue?” - -“Oh, no.” - -Mr. Lumsden shook his head despondently and shrugged his shoulders in a -way which sent my hopes down to zero. “There is a very keen competition -for masterships, Mr. Weld,” said he. “The vacancies are few and the -applicants innumerable. A first-class athlete, oar, or cricketer, or a -man who has passed very high in his examinations, can usually find a -vacancy—I might say always in the case of the cricketer. But the average -man—if you will excuse the description, Mr. Weld—has a very great -difficulty, almost an insurmountable difficulty. We have already more -than a hundred such names upon our lists, and if you think it worth -while our adding yours, I daresay that in the course of some years we -may possibly be able to find you some opening which——” - -He paused on account of a knock at the door. It was a clerk with a note. -Mr. Lumsden broke the seal and read it. - -“Why, Mr. Weld,” said he, “this is really rather an interesting -coincidence. I understand you to say that Latin and English are your -subjects, and that you would prefer for a time to accept a place in an -elementary establishment, where you would have time for private study?” - -“Quite so.” - -“This note contains a request from an old client of ours, Dr. Phelps -McCarthy, of Willow Lea House Academy, West Hampstead, that I should at -once send him a young man who should be qualified to teach Latin and -English to a small class of boys under fourteen years of age. His -vacancy appears to be the very one which you are looking for. The terms -are not munificent—sixty pounds, board, lodging, and washing—but the -work is not onerous, and you would have the evenings to yourself.” - -“That would do,” I cried, with all the eagerness of the man who sees -work at last after weary months of seeking. - -“I don’t know that it is quite fair to these gentlemen whose names have -been so long upon our list,” said Mr. Lumsden, glancing down at his open -ledger. “But the coincidence is so striking that I feel we must really -give you the refusal of it.” - -“Then I accept it, sir, and I am much obliged to you.” - -“There is one small provision in Dr. McCarthy’s letter. He stipulates -that the applicant must be a man with an imperturbably good temper.” - -“I am the very man,” said I, with conviction. - -“Well,” said Mr. Lumsden, with some hesitation, “I hope that your temper -is really as good as you say, for I rather fancy that you may need it.” - -“I presume that every elementary schoolmaster does.” - -“Yes, sir, but it is only fair to you to warn you that there may be some -especially trying circumstances in this particular situation. Dr. Phelps -McCarthy does not make such a condition without some very good and -pressing reason.” - -There was a certain solemnity in his speech which struck a chill in the -delight with which I had welcomed this providential vacancy. - -“May I ask the nature of these circumstances?” I asked. - -“We endeavour to hold the balance equally between our clients, and to be -perfectly frank with all of them. If I knew of objections to you I -should certainly communicate them to Dr. McCarthy, and so I have no -hesitation in doing as much for you. I find,” he continued, glancing -over the pages of his ledger, “that within the last twelve months we -have supplied no fewer than seven Latin masters to Willow Lea House -Academy, four of them having left so abruptly as to forfeit their -month’s salary, and none of them having stayed more than eight weeks.” - -“And the other masters? Have they stayed?” - -“There is only one other residential master, and he appears to be -unchanged. You can understand, Mr. Weld,” continued the agent, closing -both the ledger and the interview, “that such rapid changes are not -desirable from a master’s point of view, whatever may be said for them -by an agent working on commission. I have no idea why these gentlemen -have resigned their situations so early. I can only give you the facts, -and advise you to see Dr. McCarthy at once and to form your own -conclusions.” - -Great is the power of the man who has nothing to lose, and it was -therefore with perfect serenity, but with a good deal of curiosity, that -I rang early that afternoon the heavy wrought-iron bell of the Willow -Lea House Academy. The building was a massive pile, square and ugly, -standing in its own extensive grounds, with a broad carriage-sweep -curving up to it from the road. It stood high, and commanded a view on -the one side of the grey roofs and bristling spires of Northern London, -and on the other of the well-wooded and beautiful country which fringes -the great city. The door was opened by a boy in buttons, and I was shown -into a well-appointed study, where the principal of the academy -presently joined me. - -The warnings and insinuations of the agent had prepared me to meet a -choleric and overbearing person—one whose manner was an insupportable -provocation to those who worked under him. Anything further from the -reality cannot be imagined. He was a frail, gentle creature, -clean-shaven and round-shouldered, with a bearing which was so courteous -that it became almost deprecating. His bushy hair was thickly shot with -grey, and his age I should imagine to verge upon sixty. His voice was -low and suave, and he walked with a certain mincing delicacy of manner. -His whole appearance was that of a kindly scholar, who was more at home -among his books than in the practical affairs of the world. - -“I am sure that we shall be very happy to have your assistance, Mr. -Weld,” said he, after a few professional questions. “Mr. Percival -Manners left me yesterday, and I should be glad if you could take over -his duties to-morrow.” - -“May I ask if that is Mr. Percival Manners of Selwyn?” I asked. - -“Precisely. Did you know him?” - -“Yes; he is a friend of mine.” - -“An excellent teacher, but a little hasty in his disposition. It was his -only fault. Now, in your case, Mr. Weld, is your own temper under good -control? Supposing for argument’s sake that I were to so far forget -myself as to be rude to you or to speak roughly or to jar your feelings -in any way, could you rely upon yourself to control your emotions?” - -I smiled at the idea of this courteous, little, mincing creature -ruffling my nerves. - -“I think that I could answer for it, sir,” said I. - -“Quarrels are very painful to me,” said he. “I wish every one to live in -harmony under my roof. I will not deny Mr. Percival Manners had -provocation, but I wish to find a man who can raise himself above -provocation, and sacrifice his own feelings for the sake of peace and -concord.” - -“I will do my best, sir.” - -“You cannot say more, Mr. Weld. In that case I shall expect you -to-night, if you can get your things ready so soon.” - -I not only succeeded in getting my things ready, but I found time to -call at the Benedict Club in Piccadilly, where I knew that I should find -Manners if he were still in town. There he was sure enough in the -smoking-room, and I questioned him, over a cigarette, as to his reasons -for throwing up his recent situation. - -“You don’t tell me that you are going to Dr. Phelps McCarthy’s Academy?” -he cried, staring at me in surprise. “My dear chap, it’s no use. You -can’t possibly remain there.” - -“But I saw him, and he seemed the most courtly, inoffensive fellow. I -never met a man with more gentle manners.” - -“He! oh, he’s all right. There’s no vice in him. Have you seen -Theophilus St. James?” - -“I have never heard the name. Who is he?” - -“Your colleague. The other master.” - -“No, I have not seen him.” - -“_He’s_ the terror. If you can stand him, you have either the spirit of -a perfect Christian or else you have no spirit at all. A more perfect -bounder never bounded.” - -“But why does McCarthy stand it?” - -My friend looked at me significantly through his cigarette smoke, and -shrugged his shoulders. - -“You will form your own conclusions about that. Mine were formed very -soon, and I never found occasion to alter them.” - -“It would help me very much if you would tell me them.” - -“When you see a man in his own house allowing his business to be ruined, -his comfort destroyed, and his authority defied by another man in a -subordinate position, and calmly submitting to it without so much as a -word of protest, what conclusion do you come to?” - -“That the one has a hold over the other.” - -Percival Manners nodded his head. - -“There you are! You’ve hit it first barrel. It seems to me that there’s -no other explanation which will cover the facts. At some period in his -life the little Doctor has gone astray. _Humanum est errare._ I have -even done it myself. But this was something serious, and the other man -got a hold of it and has never let go. That’s the truth. Blackmail is at -the bottom of it. But he had no hold over me, and there was no reason -why _I_ should stand his insolence, so I came away—and I very much -expect to see you do the same.” - -For some time he talked over the matter, but he always came to the same -conclusion—that I should not retain my new situation very long. - -It was with no very pleasant feelings after this preparation that I -found myself face to face with the very man of whom I had received so -evil an account. Dr. McCarthy introduced us to each other in his study -on the evening of that same day immediately after my arrival at the -school. - -“This is your new colleague, Mr. St. James,” said he, in his genial, -courteous fashion. “I trust that you will mutually agree, and that I -shall find nothing but good feeling and sympathy beneath this roof.” - -I shared the good Doctor’s hope, but my expectations of it were not -increased by the appearance of my _confrère_. He was a young, -bull-necked fellow about thirty years of age, dark-eyed and -black-haired, with an exceedingly vigorous physique. I have never seen a -more strongly built man, though he tended to run to fat in a way which -showed that he was in the worst of training. His face was coarse, -swollen, and brutal, with a pair of small black eyes deeply sunken in -his head. His heavy jowl, his projecting ears, and his thick bandy legs -all went to make up a personality which was as formidable as it was -repellent. - -“I hear you’ve never been out before,” said he, in a rude, brusque -fashion. “Well, it’s a poor life: hard work and starvation pay, as -you’ll find out for yourself.” - -“But it has some compensations,” said the principal. “Surely you will -allow that, Mr. St. James?” - -“Has it? I never could find them. What do you call compensations?” - -“Even to be in the continual presence of youth is a privilege. It has -the effect of keeping youth in one’s own soul, for one reflects -something of their high spirits and their keen enjoyment of life.” - -“Little beasts!” cried my colleague. - -“Come, come, Mr. St. James, you are too hard upon them.” - -“I hate the sight of them! If I could put them and their blessed -copybooks and lexicons and slates into one bonfire I’d do it to-night.” - -“This is Mr. St. James’s way of talking,” said the principal, smiling -nervously as he glanced at me. “You must not take him too seriously. -Now, Mr. Weld, you know where your room is, and no doubt you have your -own little arrangements to make. The sooner you make them the sooner you -will feel yourself at home.” - -It seemed to me that he was only too anxious to remove me at once from -the influence of this extraordinary colleague, and I was glad to go, for -the conversation had become embarrassing. - -And so began an epoch which always seems to me as I look back to it to -be the most singular in all my experience. The school was in many ways -an excellent one. Dr. Phelps McCarthy was an ideal principal. His -methods were modern and rational. The management was all that could be -desired. And yet in the middle of this well-ordered machine there -intruded the incongruous and impossible Mr. St. James, throwing -everything into confusion. His duties were to teach English and -mathematics, and how he acquitted himself of them I do not know, as our -classes were held in separate rooms. I can answer for it, however, that -the boys feared him and loathed him, and I know that they had good -reason to do so, for frequently my own teaching was interrupted by his -bellowings of anger, and even by the sound of his blows. Dr. McCarthy -spent most of his time in his class, but it was, I suspect, to watch -over the master rather than the boys, and to try to moderate his -ferocious temper when it threatened to become dangerous. - -It was in his bearing to the head master, however, that my colleague’s -conduct was most outrageous. The first conversation which I have -recorded proved to be typical of their intercourse. He domineered over -him openly and brutally. I have heard him contradict him roughly before -the whole school. At no time would he show him any mark of respect, and -my temper often rose within me when I saw the quiet acquiescence of the -old Doctor, and his patient tolerance of this monstrous treatment. And -yet the sight of it surrounded the principal also with a certain vague -horror in my mind, for supposing my friend’s theory to be correct—and I -could devise no better one—how black must have been the story which -could be held over his head by this man and, by fear of its publicity, -force him to undergo such humiliations. This quiet, gentle Doctor might -be a profound hypocrite, a criminal, a forger possibly, or a poisoner. -Only such a secret as this could account for the complete power which -the young man held over him. Why else should he admit so hateful a -presence into his house and so harmful an influence into his school? Why -should he submit to degradations which could not be witnessed, far less -endured, without indignation? - -And yet, if it were so, I was forced to confess that my principal -carried it off with extraordinary duplicity. Never by word or sign did -he show that the young man’s presence was distasteful to him. I have -seen him look pained, it is true, after some peculiarly outrageous -exhibition, but he gave me the impression that it was always on account -of the scholars or of me, never on account of himself. He spoke to and -of St. James in an indulgent fashion, smiling gently at what made my -blood boil within me. In his way of looking at him and addressing him, -one could see no trace of resentment, but rather a sort of timid and -deprecating good will. His company he certainly courted, and they spent -many hours together in the study and the garden. - -As to my own relations with Theophilus St. James, I made up my mind from -the beginning that I should keep my temper with him, and to that -resolution I steadfastly adhered. If Dr. McCarthy chose to permit this -disrespect, and to condone these outrages, it was his affair and not -mine. It was evident that his one wish was that there should be peace -between us, and I felt that I could help him best by respecting this -desire. My easiest way to do so was to avoid my colleague, and this I -did to the best of my ability. When we were thrown together I was quiet, -polite, and reserved. He, on his part, showed me no ill-will, but met me -rather with a coarse joviality, and a rough familiarity which he meant -to be ingratiating. He was insistent in his attempts to get me into his -room at night, for the purpose of playing euchre and of drinking. - -“Old McCarthy doesn’t mind,” said he. “Don’t you be afraid of him. We’ll -do what we like, and I’ll answer for it that he won’t object.” Once only -I went, and when I left, after a dull and gross evening, my host was -stretched dead drunk upon the sofa. After that I gave the excuse of a -course of study, and spent my spare hours alone in my own room. - -One point upon which I was anxious to gain information was as to how -long these proceedings had been going on. When did St. James assert his -hold over Dr. McCarthy? From neither of them could I learn how long my -colleague had been in his present situation. One or two leading -questions upon my part were eluded or ignored in a manner so marked that -it was easy to see that they were both of them as eager to conceal the -point as I was to know it. But at last one evening I had the chance of a -chat with Mrs. Carter, the matron—for the Doctor was a widower—and from -her I got the information which I wanted. It needed no questioning to -get at her knowledge, for she was so full of indignation that she shook -with passion as she spoke of it, and raised her hands into the air in -the earnestness of her denunciation, as she described the grievances -which she had against my colleague. - -“It was three years ago, Mr. Weld, that he first darkened this -doorstep,” she cried. “Three bitter years they have been to me. The -school had fifty boys then. Now it has twenty-two. That’s what he has -done for us in three years. In another three there won’t be one. And the -Doctor, that angel of patience, you see how he treats him, though he is -not fit to lace his boots for him. If it wasn’t for the Doctor, you may -be sure that I wouldn’t stay an hour under the same roof with such a -man, and so I told him to his own face, Mr. Weld. If the Doctor would -only pack him about his business—but I know that I am saying more than I -should!” She stopped herself with an effort, and spoke no more upon the -subject. She had remembered that I was almost a stranger in the school, -and she feared that she had been indiscreet. - -There were one or two very singular points about my colleague. The chief -one was that he rarely took any exercise. There was a playing-field -within the college grounds, and that was his farthest point. If the boys -went out, it was I or Dr. McCarthy who accompanied them. St. James gave -as a reason for this that he had injured his knee some years before, and -that walking was painful to him. For my own part I put it down to pure -laziness upon his part, for he was of an obese, heavy temperament. -Twice, however, I saw him from my window stealing out of the grounds -late at night, and the second time I watched him return in the grey of -the morning and slink in through an open window. These furtive -excursions were never alluded to, but they exposed the hollowness of his -story about his knee, and they increased the dislike and distrust which -I had of the man. His nature seemed to be vicious to the core. - -Another point, small but suggestive, was that he hardly ever during the -months that I was at Willow Lea House received any letters, and on those -few occasions they were obviously tradesmen’s bills. I am an early -riser, and used every morning to pick my own correspondence out of the -bundle upon the hall table. I could judge therefore how few were ever -there for Mr. Theophilus St. James. There seemed to me to be something -peculiarly ominous in this. What sort of a man could he be who during -thirty years of life had never made a single friend, high or low, who -cared to continue to keep in touch with him? And yet the sinister fact -remained that the head master not only tolerated, but was even intimate -with him. More than once on entering a room I have found them talking -confidentially together, and they would walk arm in arm in deep -conversation up and down the garden paths. So curious did I become to -know what the tie was which bound them, that I found it gradually push -out my other interests and become the main purpose of my life. In school -and out of school, at meals and at play, I was perpetually engaged in -watching Dr. Phelps McCarthy and Mr. Theophilus St. James, and in -endeavouring to solve the mystery which surrounded them. - -But, unfortunately, my curiosity was a little too open. I had not the -art to conceal the suspicions which I felt about the relations which -existed between these two men and the nature of the hold which the one -appeared to have over the other. It may have been my manner of watching -them, it may have been some indiscreet question, but it is certain that -I showed too clearly what I felt. One night I was conscious that the -eyes of Theophilus St. James were fixed upon me in a surly and menacing -stare. I had a foreboding of evil, and I was not surprised when Dr. -McCarthy called me next morning into his study. - -“I am very sorry, Mr. Weld,” said he, “but I am afraid that I shall be -compelled to dispense with your services.” - -“Perhaps you would give me some reason for dismissing me,” I answered, -for I was conscious of having done my duties to the best of my power, -and knew well that only one reason could be given. - -“I have no fault to find with you,” said he, and the colour came to his -cheeks. - -“You send me away at the suggestion of my colleague.” - -His eyes turned away from mine. - -“We will not discuss the question, Mr. Weld. It is impossible for me to -discuss it. In justice to you, I will give you the strongest -recommendation for your next situation. I can say no more. I hope that -you will continue your duties here until you have found a place -elsewhere.” - -My whole soul rose against the injustice of it, and yet I had no appeal -and no redress. I could only bow and leave the room, with a bitter sense -of ill-usage at my heart. - -My first instinct was to pack my boxes and leave the house. But the head -master had given me permission to remain until I had found another -situation. I was sure that St. James desired me to go, and that was a -strong reason why I should stay. If my presence annoyed him, I should -give him as much of it as I could. I had begun to hate him and to long -to have my revenge upon him. If he had a hold over our principal, might -not I in turn obtain one over him? It was a sign of weakness that he -should be so afraid of my curiosity. He would not resent it so much if -he had not something to fear from it. I entered my name once more upon -the books of the agents, but meanwhile I continued to fulfil my duties -at Willow Lea House, and so it came about that I was present at the -dénouement of this singular situation. - -During that week—for it was only a week before the crisis came—I was in -the habit of going down each evening, after the work of the day was -done, to inquire about my new arrangements. One night, it was a cold and -windy evening in March, I had just stepped out from the hall door when a -strange sight met my eyes. A man was crouching before one of the windows -of the house. His knees were bent and his eyes were fixed upon the small -line of light between the curtain and the sash. The window threw a -square of brightness in front of it, and in the middle of this the dark -shadow of this ominous visitor showed clear and hard. It was but for an -instant that I saw him, for he glanced up and was off in a moment -through the shrubbery. I could hear the patter of his feet as he ran -down the road, until it died away in the distance. - -It was evidently my duty to turn back and to tell Dr. McCarthy what I -had seen. I found him in his study. I had expected him to be disturbed -at such an incident, but I was not prepared for the state of panic into -which he fell. He leaned back in his chair, white and gasping, like one -who has received a mortal blow. - -“Which window, Mr. Weld?” he asked, wiping his forehead. “Which window -was it?” - -“The next to the dining-room—Mr. St. James’s window.” - -“Dear me! Dear me! This is, indeed, unfortunate! A man looking through -Mr. St. James’s window!” He wrung his hands like a man who is at his -wits’ end what to do. - -“I shall be passing the police-station, sir. Would you wish me to -mention the matter?” - -“No, no,” he cried, suddenly, mastering his extreme agitation; “I have -no doubt that it was some poor tramp who intended to beg. I attach no -importance to the incident—none at all. Don’t let me detain you, Mr. -Weld, if you wish to go out.” - -I left him sitting in his study with reassuring words upon his lips, but -with horror upon his face. My heart was heavy for my little employer as -I started off once more for town. As I looked back from the gate at the -square of light which marked the window of my colleague, I suddenly saw -the black outline of Dr. McCarthy’s figure passing against the lamp. He -had hastened from his study then to tell St. James what he had heard. -What was the meaning of it all, this atmosphere of mystery, this -inexplicable terror, these confidences between two such dissimilar men? -I thought and thought as I walked, but do what I would I could not hit -upon any adequate conclusion. I little knew how near I was to the -solution of the problem. - -It was very late—nearly twelve o’clock—when I returned, and the lights -were all out save one in the Doctor’s study. The black, gloomy house -loomed before me as I walked up the drive, its sombre bulk broken only -by the one glimmering point of brightness. I let myself in with my -latch-key, and was about to enter my own room when my attention was -arrested by a short, sharp cry like that of a man in pain. I stood and -listened, my hand upon the handle of my door. - -All was silent in the house save for a distant murmur of voices which -came, I knew, from the Doctor’s room. I stole quietly down the corridor -in that direction. The sound resolved itself now into two voices, the -rough bullying tones of St. James and the lower tone of the Doctor, the -one apparently insisting and the other arguing and pleading. Four thin -lines of light in the blackness showed me the door of the Doctor’s room, -and step by step I drew nearer to it in the darkness. St. James’s voice -within rose louder and louder, and his words now came plainly to my ear. - -“I’ll have every pound of it. If you won’t give it me I’ll take it. Do -you hear?” - -Dr. McCarthy’s reply was inaudible, but the angry voice broke in again. - -“Leave you destitute! I leave you this little goldmine of a school, and -that’s enough for one old man, is it not? How am I to set up in -Australia without money? Answer me that!” - -Again the Doctor said something in a soothing voice, but his answer only -roused his companion to a higher pitch of fury. - -“Done for me! What have you ever done for me except what you couldn’t -help doing? It was for your good name, not for my safety, that you -cared. But enough cackle! I must get on my way before morning. Will you -open your safe or will you not?” - -“Oh, James, how can you use me so?” cried a wailing voice, and then -there came a sudden little scream of pain. At the sound of that helpless -appeal from brutal violence I lost for once that temper upon which I had -prided myself. Every bit of manhood in me cried out against any further -neutrality. With my walking cane in my hand I rushed into the study. As -I did so I was conscious that the hall-door bell was violently ringing. - -“You villain!” I cried, “let him go!” - -The two men were standing in front of a small safe, which stood against -one wall of the Doctor’s room. St. James held the old man by the wrist, -and he had twisted his arm round in order to force him to produce the -key. My little head master, white but resolute, was struggling furiously -in the grip of the burly athlete. The bully glared over his shoulder at -me with a mixture of fury and terror upon his brutal features. Then, -realizing that I was alone, he dropped his victim and made for me with a -horrible curse. - -“You infernal spy!” he cried. “I’ll do for you anyhow before I leave.” - -I am not a very strong man, and I realized that I was helpless if once -at close quarters. Twice I cut at him with my stick, but he rushed in at -me with a murderous growl, and seized me by the throat with both his -muscular hands. I fell backwards and he on the top of me, with a grip -which was squeezing the life from me. I was conscious of his malignant -yellow-tinged eyes within a few inches of my own, and then with a -beating of pulses in my head and a singing in my ears, my senses slipped -away from me. But even in that supreme moment I was aware that the -door-bell was still violently ringing. - -When I came to myself, I was lying upon the sofa in Dr. McCarthy’s -study, and the Doctor himself was seated beside me. He appeared to be -watching me intently and anxiously, for as I opened my eyes and looked -about me he gave a great cry of relief. “Thank God!” he cried. “Thank -God!” - -“Where is he?” I asked, looking round the room. As I did so, I became -aware that the furniture was scattered in every direction, and that -there were traces of an even more violent struggle than that in which I -had been engaged. - -The Doctor sank his face between his hands. - -“They have him,” he groaned. “After these years of trial they have him -again. But how thankful I am that he has not for a second time stained -his hands in blood.” - -As the Doctor spoke I became aware that a man in the braided jacket of -an inspector of police was standing in the doorway. - -“Yes, sir,” he remarked, “you have had a pretty narrow escape. If we had -not got in when we did, you would not be here to tell the tale. I don’t -know that I ever saw any one much nearer to the undertaker.” - -I sat up with my hands to my throbbing head. - -“Dr. McCarthy,” said I, “this is all a mystery to me. I should be glad -if you could explain to me who this man is, and why you have tolerated -him so long in your house.” - -“I owe you an explanation, Mr. Weld—and the more so since you have, in -so chivalrous a fashion, almost sacrificed your life in my defence. -There is no reason now for secrecy. In a word, Mr. Weld, this unhappy -man’s real name is James McCarthy, and he is my only son.” - -“Your son?” - -“Alas, yes. What sin have I ever committed that I should have such a -punishment? He has made my whole life a misery from the first years of -his boyhood. Violent, headstrong, selfish, unprincipled, he has always -been the same. At eighteen he was a criminal. At twenty, in a paroxysm -of passion, he took the life of a boon companion and was tried for -murder. He only just escaped the gallows, and he was condemned to penal -servitude. Three years ago he succeeded in escaping, and managed, in -face of a thousand obstacles, to reach my house in London. My wife’s -heart had been broken by his condemnation, and as he had succeeded in -getting a suit of ordinary clothes, there was no one here to recognize -him. For months he lay concealed in the attics until the first search of -the police should be over. Then I gave him employment here, as you have -seen, though by his rough and overbearing manners he made my own life -miserable, and that of his fellow-masters unbearable. You have been with -us for four months, Mr. Weld, but no other master endured him so long. I -apologize now for all you have had to submit to, but I ask you what else -could I do? For his dead mother’s sake I could not let harm come to him -as long as it was in my power to fend it off. Only under my roof could -he find a refuge—the only spot in all the world—and how could I keep him -here without its exciting remark unless I gave him some occupation? I -made him English master therefore, and in that capacity I have protected -him here for three years. You have no doubt observed that he never -during the daytime went beyond the college grounds. You now understand -the reason. But when to-night you came to me with your report of a man -who was looking through his window, I understood that his retreat was at -last discovered. I besought him to fly at once, but he had been -drinking, the unhappy fellow, and my words fell upon deaf ears. When at -last he made up his mind to go he wished to take from me in his flight -every shilling which I possessed. It was your entrance which saved me -from him, while the police in turn arrived only just in time to rescue -you. I have made myself amenable to the law by harbouring an escaped -prisoner, and remain here in the custody of the inspector, but a prison -has no terrors for me after what I have endured in this house during the -last three years.” - -“It seems to me, Doctor,” said the inspector, “that, if you have broken -the law, you have had quite enough punishment already.” - -“God knows I have!” cried Dr. McCarthy, and sank his haggard face upon -his hands. - - - - - THE BROWN HAND - - -Every one knows that Sir Dominick Holden, the famous Indian surgeon, -made me his heir, and that his death changed me in an hour from a -hard-working and impecunious medical man to a well-to-do landed -proprietor. Many know also that there were at least five people between -the inheritance and me, and that Sir Dominick’s selection appeared to be -altogether arbitrary and whimsical. I can assure them, however, that -they are quite mistaken, and that, although I only knew Sir Dominick in -the closing years of his life, there were none the less very real -reasons why he should show his goodwill towards me. As a matter of fact, -though I say it myself, no man ever did more for another than I did for -my Indian uncle. I cannot expect the story to be believed, but it is so -singular that I should feel that it was a breach of duty if I did not -put it upon record—so here it is, and your belief or incredulity is your -own affair. - -Sir Dominick Holden, C.B., K.C.S.I., and I don’t know what besides, was -the most distinguished Indian surgeon of his day. In the Army -originally, he afterwards settled down into civil practice in Bombay, -and visited as a consultant every part of India. His name is best -remembered in connection with the Oriental Hospital, which he founded -and supported. The time came, however, when his iron constitution began -to show signs of the long strain to which he had subjected it, and his -brother practitioners (who were not, perhaps, entirely disinterested -upon the point) were unanimous in recommending him to return to England. -He held on so long as he could, but at last he developed nervous -symptoms of a very pronounced character, and so came back, a broken man, -to his native county of Wiltshire. He bought a considerable estate with -an ancient manor-house upon the edge of Salisbury Plain, and devoted his -old age to the study of Comparative Pathology, which had been his -learned hobby all his life, and in which he was a foremost authority. - -We of the family were, as may be imagined, much excited by the news of -the return of this rich and childless uncle to England. On his part, -although by no means exuberant in his hospitality, he showed some sense -of his duty to his relations, and each of us in turn had an invitation -to visit him. From the accounts of my cousins it appeared to be a -melancholy business, and it was with mixed feelings that I at last -received my own summons to appear at Rodenhurst. My wife was so -carefully excluded in the invitation that my first impulse was to refuse -it, but the interests of the children had to be considered, and so, with -her consent, I set out one October afternoon upon my visit to Wiltshire, -with little thought of what that visit was to entail. - -My uncle’s estate was situated where the arable land of the plains -begins to swell upwards into the rounded chalk hills which are -characteristic of the county. As I drove from Dinton Station in the -waning light of that autumn day, I was impressed by the weird nature of -the scenery. The few scattered cottages of the peasants were so dwarfed -by the huge evidences of prehistoric life, that the present appeared to -be a dream and the past to be the obtrusive and masterful reality. The -road wound through the valleys, formed by a succession of grassy hills, -and the summit of each was cut and carved into the most elaborate -fortifications, some circular and some square, but all on a scale which -has defied the winds and the rains of many centuries. Some call them -Roman and some British, but their true origin and the reasons for this -particular tract of country being so interlaced with entrenchments have -never been finally made clear. Here and there on the long, smooth, -olive-coloured slopes there rose small rounded barrows or tumuli. -Beneath them lie the cremated ashes of the race which cut so deeply into -the hills, but their graves tell us nothing save that a jar full of dust -represents the man who once laboured under the sun. - -It was through this weird country that I approached my uncle’s residence -of Rodenhurst, and the house was, as I found, in due keeping with its -surroundings. Two broken and weather-stained pillars, each surmounted by -a mutilated heraldic emblem, flanked the entrance to a neglected drive. -A cold wind whistled through the elms which lined it, and the air was -full of the drifting leaves. At the far end, under the gloomy arch of -trees, a single yellow lamp burned steadily. In the dim half-light of -the coming night I saw a long, low building stretching out two irregular -wings, with deep eaves, a sloping gambrel roof, and walls which were -criss-crossed with timber balks in the fashion of the Tudors. The cheery -light of a fire flickered in the broad, latticed window to the left of -the low-porched door, and this, as it proved, marked the study of my -uncle, for it was thither that I was led by his butler in order to make -my host’s acquaintance. - -He was cowering over his fire, for the moist chill of an English autumn -had set him shivering. His lamp was unlit, and I only saw the red glow -of the embers beating upon a huge, craggy face, with a Red Indian nose -and cheek, and deep furrows and seams from eye to chin, the sinister -marks of hidden volcanic fires. He sprang up at my entrance with -something of an old-world courtesy and welcomed me warmly to Rodenhurst. -At the same time I was conscious, as the lamp was carried in, that it -was a very critical pair of light-blue eyes which looked out at me from -under shaggy eyebrows, like scouts beneath a bush, and that this -outlandish uncle of mine was carefully reading off my character with all -the ease of a practised observer and an experienced man of the world. - -For my part I looked at him, and looked again, for I had never seen a -man whose appearance was more fitted to hold one’s attention. His figure -was the framework of a giant, but he had fallen away his coat dangled -straight down in a shocking fashion from a pair of broad and bony -shoulders. All his limbs were huge and yet emaciated, and I could not -take my gaze from his knobby wrists, and long, gnarled hands. But his -eyes—those peering light-blue eyes—they were the most arrestive of any -of his peculiarities. It was not their colour alone, nor was it the -ambush of hair in which they lurked; but it was the expression which I -read in them. For the appearance and bearing of the man were masterful, -and one expected a certain corresponding arrogance in his eyes, but -instead of that I read the look which tells of a spirit cowed and -crushed, the furtive, expectant look of the dog whose master has taken -the whip from the rack. I formed my own medical diagnosis upon one -glance at those critical and yet appealing eyes. I believed that he was -stricken with some mortal ailment, that he knew himself to be exposed to -sudden death, and that he lived in terror of it. Such was my judgment—a -false one, as the event showed; but I mention it that it may help you to -realize the look which I read in his eyes. - -My uncle’s welcome was, as I have said, a courteous one, and in an hour -or so I found myself seated between him and his wife at a comfortable -dinner, with curious pungent delicacies upon the table, and a stealthy, -quick-eyed Oriental waiter behind his chair. The old couple had come -round to that tragic imitation of the dawn of life when husband and -wife, having lost or scattered all those who were their intimates, find -themselves face to face and alone once more, their work done, and the -end nearing fast. Those who have reached that stage in sweetness and -love, who can change their winter into a gentle Indian summer, have come -as victors through the ordeal of life. Lady Holden was a small, alert -woman, with a kindly eye, and her expression as she glanced at him was a -certificate of character to her husband. And yet, though I read a mutual -love in their glances, I read also a mutual horror, and recognized in -her face some reflection of that stealthy fear which I detected in his. -Their talk was sometimes merry and sometimes sad, but there was a forced -note in their merriment and a naturalness in their sadness which told me -that a heavy heart beat upon either side of me. - -We were sitting over our first glass of wine, and the servants had left -the room, when the conversation took a turn which produced a remarkable -effect upon my host and hostess. I cannot recall what it was which -started the topic of the supernatural, but it ended in my showing them -that the abnormal in psychical experiences was a subject to which I had, -like many neurologists, devoted a great deal of attention. I concluded -by narrating my experiences when, as a member of the Psychical Research -Society, I had formed one of a committee of three who spent the night in -a haunted house. Our adventures were neither exciting nor convincing, -but, such as it was, the story appeared to interest my auditors in a -remarkable degree. They listened with an eager silence, and I caught a -look of intelligence between them which I could not understand. Lady -Holden immediately afterwards rose and left the room. - -Sir Dominick pushed the cigar-box over to me, and we smoked for some -little time in silence. That huge bony hand of his was twitching as he -raised it with his cheroot to his lips, and I felt that the man’s nerves -were vibrating like fiddle-strings. My instincts told me that he was on -the verge of some intimate confidence, and I feared to speak lest I -should interrupt it. At last he turned towards me with a spasmodic -gesture like a man who throws his last scruple to the winds. - -“From the little that I have seen of you it appears to me, Dr. -Hardacre,” said he, “that you are the very man I have wanted to meet.” - -“I am delighted to hear it, sir.” - -“Your head seems to be cool and steady. You will acquit me of any desire -to flatter you, for the circumstances are too serious to permit of -insincerities. You have some special knowledge upon these subjects, and -you evidently view them from that philosophical standpoint which robs -them of all vulgar terror. I presume that the sight of an apparition -would not seriously discompose you?” - -“I think not, sir.” - -“Would even interest you, perhaps?” - -“Most intensely.” - -“As a psychical observer, you would probably investigate it in as -impersonal a fashion as an astronomer investigates a wandering comet?” - -“Precisely.” - -He gave a heavy sigh. - -“Believe me, Dr. Hardacre, there was a time when I could have spoken as -you do now. My nerve was a by-word in India. Even the Mutiny never shook -it for an instant. And yet you see what I am reduced to—the most -timorous man, perhaps, in all this county of Wiltshire. Do not speak too -bravely upon this subject, or you may find yourself subjected to as -long-drawn a test as I am—a test which can only end in the madhouse or -the grave.” - -I waited patiently until he should see fit to go farther in his -confidence. His preamble had, I need not say, filled me with interest -and expectation. - -“For some years, Dr. Hardacre,” he continued, “my life and that of my -wife have been made miserable by a cause which is so grotesque that it -borders upon the ludicrous. And yet familiarity has never made it more -easy to bear—on the contrary, as time passes my nerves become more worn -and shattered by the constant attrition. If you have no physical fears, -Dr. Hardacre, I should very much value your opinion upon this phenomenon -which troubles us so.” - -“For what it is worth my opinion is entirely at your service. May I ask -the nature of the phenomenon?” - -“I think that your experiences will have a higher evidential value if -you are not told in advance what you may expect to encounter. You are -yourself aware of the quibbles of unconscious cerebration and subjective -impressions with which a scientific sceptic may throw a doubt upon your -statement. It would be as well to guard against them in advance.” - -“What shall I do, then?” - -“I will tell you. Would you mind following me this way?” He led me out -of the dining-room and down a long passage until we came to a terminal -door. Inside there was a large bare room fitted as a laboratory, with -numerous scientific instruments and bottles. A shelf ran along one side, -upon which there stood a long line of glass jars containing pathological -and anatomical specimens. - -“You see that I still dabble in some of my old studies,” said Sir -Dominick. “These jars are the remains of what was once a most excellent -collection, but unfortunately I lost the greater part of them when my -house was burned down in Bombay in ‘92. It was a most unfortunate affair -for me—in more ways than one. I had examples of many rare conditions, -and my splenic collection was probably unique. These are the survivors.” - -I glanced over them, and saw that they really were of a very great value -and rarity from a pathological point of view: bloated organs, gaping -cysts, distorted bones, odious parasites—a singular exhibition of the -products of India. - -“There is, as you see, a small settee here,” said my host. “It was far -from our intention to offer a guest so meagre an accommodation, but -since affairs have taken this turn, it would be a great kindness upon -your part if you would consent to spend the night in this apartment. I -beg that you will not hesitate to let me know if the idea should be at -all repugnant to you.” - -“On the contrary,” I said, “it is most acceptable.” - -“My own room is the second on the left, so that if you should feel that -you are in need of company a call would always bring me to your side.” - -“I trust that I shall not be compelled to disturb you.” - -“It is unlikely that I shall be asleep. I do not sleep much. Do not -hesitate to summon me.” - -And so with this agreement we joined Lady Holden in the drawing-room and -talked of lighter things. - -It was no affectation upon my part to say that the prospect of my -night’s adventure was an agreeable one. I have no pretence to greater -physical courage than my neighbours, but familiarity with a subject robs -it of those vague and undefined terrors which are the most appalling to -the imaginative mind. The human brain is capable of only one strong -emotion at a time, and if it be filled with curiosity or scientific -enthusiasm, there is no room for fear. It is true that I had my uncle’s -assurance that he had himself originally taken this point of view, but I -reflected that the breakdown of his nervous system might be due to his -forty years in India as much as to any psychical experiences which had -befallen him. I at least was sound in nerve and brain, and it was with -something of the pleasurable thrill of anticipation with which the -sportsman takes his position beside the haunt of his game that I shut -the laboratory door behind me, and partially undressing, lay down upon -the rug-covered settee. - -It was not an ideal atmosphere for a bedroom. The air was heavy with -many chemical odours, that of methylated spirit predominating. Nor were -the decorations of my chamber very sedative. The odious line of glass -jars with their relics of disease and suffering stretched in front of my -very eyes. There was no blind to the window, and a three-quarter moon -streamed its white light into the room, tracing a silver square with -filigree lattices upon the opposite wall. When I had extinguished my -candle this one bright patch in the midst of the general gloom had -certainly an eerie and discomposing aspect. A rigid and absolute silence -reigned throughout the old house, so that the low swish of the branches -in the garden came softly and soothingly to my ears. It may have been -the hypnotic lullaby of this gentle susurrus, or it may have been the -result of my tiring day, but after many dozings and many efforts to -regain my clearness of perception, I fell at last into a deep and -dreamless sleep. - -I was awakened by some sound in the room, and I instantly raised myself -upon my elbow on the couch. Some hours had passed, for the square patch -upon the wall had slid downwards and sideways until it lay obliquely at -the end of my bed. The rest of the room was in deep shadow. At first I -could see nothing, presently, as my eyes became accustomed to the faint -light, I was aware, with a thrill which all my scientific absorption -could not entirely prevent, that something was moving slowly along the -line of the wall. A gentle, shuffling sound, as of soft slippers, came -to my ears, and I dimly discerned a human figure walking stealthily from -the direction of the door. As it emerged into the patch of moonlight I -saw very clearly what it was and how it was employed. It was a man, -short and squat, dressed in some sort of dark-grey gown, which hung -straight from his shoulders to his feet. The moon shone upon the side of -his face, and I saw that it was chocolate-brown in colour, with a ball -of black hair like a woman’s at the back of his head. He walked slowly, -and his eyes were cast upwards towards the line of bottles which -contained those gruesome remnants of humanity. He seemed to examine each -jar with attention, and then to pass on to the next. When he had come to -the end of the line, immediately opposite my bed, he stopped, faced me, -threw up his hands with a gesture of despair, and vanished from my -sight. - -I have said that he threw up his hands, but I should have said his arms, -for as he assumed that attitude of despair I observed a singular -peculiarity about his appearance. He had only one hand! As the sleeves -drooped down from the upflung arms I saw the left plainly, but the right -ended in a knobby and unsightly stump. In every other way his appearance -was so natural, and I had both seen and heard him so clearly, that I -could easily have believed that he was an Indian servant of Sir -Dominick’s who had come into my room in search of something. It was only -his sudden disappearance which suggested anything more sinister to me. -As it was I sprang from my couch, lit a candle, and examined the whole -room carefully. There were no signs of my visitor, and I was forced to -conclude that there had really been something outside the normal laws of -Nature in his appearance. I lay awake for the remainder of the night, -but nothing else occurred to disturb me. - -I am an early riser, but my uncle was an even earlier one, for I found -him pacing up and down the lawn at the side of the house. He ran towards -me in his eagerness when he saw me come out from the door. - -“Well, well!” he cried. “Did you see him?” - -“An Indian with one hand?” - -“Precisely.” - -“Yes, I saw him”—and I told him all that occurred. When I had finished, -he led the way into his study. - -“We have a little time before breakfast,” said he. “It will suffice to -give you an explanation of this extraordinary affair—so far as I can -explain that which is essentially inexplicable. In the first place, when -I tell you that for four years I have never passed one single night, -either in Bombay, aboard ship, or here in England without my sleep being -broken by this fellow, you will understand why it is that I am a wreck -of my former self. His programme is always the same. He appears by my -bedside, shakes me roughly by the shoulder, passes from my room into the -laboratory, walks slowly along the line of my bottles, and then -vanishes. For more than a thousand times he has gone through the same -routine.” - -“What does he want?” - -“He wants his hand.” - -“His hand?” - -“Yes, it came about in this way. I was summoned to Peshawur for a -consultation some ten years ago, and while there I was asked to look at -the hand of a native who was passing through with an Afghan caravan. The -fellow came from some mountain tribe living away at the back of beyond -somewhere on the other side of Kaffiristan. He talked a bastard Pushtoo, -and it was all I could do to understand him. He was suffering from a -soft sarcomatous swelling of one of the metacarpal joints, and I made -him realize that it was only by losing his hand that he could hope to -save his life. After much persuasion he consented to the operation, and -he asked me, when it was over, what fee I demanded. The poor fellow was -almost a beggar, so that the idea of a fee was absurd, but I answered in -jest that my fee should be his hand, and that I proposed to add it to my -pathological collection. - -“To my surprise he demurred very much to the suggestion, and he -explained that according to his religion it was an all-important matter -that the body should be reunited after death, and so make a perfect -dwelling for the spirit. The belief is, of course, an old one, and the -mummies of the Egyptians arose from an analogous superstition. I -answered him that his hand was already off, and asked him how he -intended to preserve it. He replied that he would pickle it in salt and -carry it about with him. I suggested that it might be safer in my -keeping than in his, and that I had better means than salt for -preserving it. On realizing that I really intended to carefully keep it, -his opposition vanished instantly. ‘But remember, sahib,’ said he, ‘I -shall want it back when I am dead.’ I laughed at the remark, and so the -matter ended. I returned to my practice, and he no doubt in the course -of time was able to continue his journey to Afghanistan. - -“Well, as I told you last night, I had a bad fire in my house at Bombay. -Half of it was burned down, and, among other things, my pathological -collection was largely destroyed. What you see are the poor remains of -it. The hand of the hillman went with the rest, but I gave the matter no -particular thought at the time. That was six years ago. - -“Four years ago—two years after the fire—I was awakened one night by a -furious tugging at my sleeve. I sat up under the impression that my -favourite mastiff was trying to arouse me. Instead of this, I saw my -Indian patient of long ago, dressed in the long grey gown which was the -badge of his people. He was holding up his stump and looking -reproachfully at me. He then went over to my bottles, which at that time -I kept in my room, and he examined them carefully, after which he gave a -gesture of anger and vanished. I realized that he had just died, and -that he had come to claim my promise that I should keep his limb in -safety for him. - -“Well, there you have it all, Dr. Hardacre. Every night at the same hour -for four years this performance has been repeated. It is a simple thing -in itself, but it has worn me out like water dropping on a stone. It has -brought a vile insomnia with it, for I cannot sleep now for the -expectation of his coming. It has poisoned my old age and that of my -wife, who has been the sharer in this great trouble. But there is the -breakfast gong, and she will be waiting impatiently to know how it fared -with you last night. We are both much indebted to you for your -gallantry, for it takes something from the weight of our misfortune when -we share it, even for a single night, with a friend, and it reassures us -as to our sanity, which we are sometimes driven to question.” - -This was the curious narrative which Sir Dominick confided to me—a story -which to many would have appeared to be a grotesque impossibility, but -which, after my experience of the night before, and my previous -knowledge of such things, I was prepared to accept as an absolute fact. -I thought deeply over the matter, and brought the whole range of my -reading and experience to bear upon it. After breakfast, I surprised my -host and hostess by announcing that I was returning to London by the -next train. - -“My dear doctor,” cried Sir Dominick in great distress, “you make me -feel that I have been guilty of a gross breach of hospitality in -intruding this unfortunate matter upon you. I should have borne my own -burden.” - -“It is, indeed, that matter which is taking me to London,” I answered; -“but you are mistaken, I assure you, if you think that my experience of -last night was an unpleasant one to me. On the contrary, I am about to -ask your permission to return in the evening and spend one more night in -your laboratory. I am very eager to see this visitor once again.” - -My uncle was exceedingly anxious to know what I was about to do, but my -fears of raising false hopes prevented me from telling him. I was back -in my own consulting-room a little after luncheon, and was confirming my -memory of a passage in a recent book upon occultism which had arrested -my attention when I read it. - -“In the case of earth-bound spirits,” said my authority, “some one -dominant idea obsessing them at the hour of death is sufficient to hold -them to this material world. They are the amphibia of this life and of -the next, capable of passing from one to the other as the turtle passes -from land to water. The causes which may bind a soul so strongly to a -life which its body has abandoned are any violent emotion. Avarice, -revenge, anxiety, love, and pity have all been known to have this -effect. As a rule it springs from some unfulfilled wish, and when the -wish has been fulfilled the material bond relaxes. There are many cases -upon record which show the singular persistence of these visitors, and -also their disappearance when their wishes have been fulfilled, or in -some cases when a reasonable compromise has been effected.” - -“_A reasonable compromise effected_”—those were the words which I had -brooded over all the morning, and which I now verified in the original. -No actual atonement could be made here—but a reasonable compromise! I -made my way as fast as a train could take me to the Shadwell Seamen’s -Hospital, where my old friend Jack Hewett was house-surgeon. Without -explaining the situation I made him understand exactly what it was that -I wanted. - -“A brown man’s hand!” said he, in amazement. “What in the world do you -want that for?” - -“Never mind. I’ll tell you some day. I know that your wards are full of -Indians.” - -“I should think so. But a hand——” He thought a little and then struck a -bell. - -“Travers,” said he to a student-dresser, “what became of the hands of -the Lascar which we took off yesterday? I mean the fellow from the East -India Dock who got caught in the steam winch.” - -“They are in the _post-mortem_ room, sir.” - -“Just pack one of them in antiseptics and give it to Dr. Hardacre.” - -And so I found myself back at Rodenhurst before dinner with this curious -outcome of my day in town. I still said nothing to Sir Dominick, but I -slept that night in the laboratory, and I placed the Lascar’s hand in -one of the glass jars at the end of my couch. - -So interested was I in the result of my experiment that sleep was out of -the question. I sat with a shaded lamp beside me and waited patiently -for my visitor. This time I saw him clearly from the first. He appeared -beside the door, nebulous for an instant, and then hardening into as -distinct an outline as any living man. The slippers beneath his grey -gown were red and heelless, which accounted for the low, shuffling sound -which he made as he walked. As on the previous night he passed slowly -along the line of bottles until he paused before that which contained -the hand. He reached up to it, his whole figure quivering with -expectation, took it down, examined it eagerly, and then, with a face -which was convulsed with fury and disappointment, he hurled it down on -the floor. There was a crash which resounded through the house, and when -I looked up the mutilated Indian had disappeared. A moment later my door -flew open and Sir Dominick rushed in. - -“You are not hurt?” he cried. - -“No—but deeply disappointed.” - -He looked in astonishment at the splinters of glass, and the brown hand -lying upon the floor. - -“Good God!” he cried. “What is this?” - -I told him my idea and its wretched sequel. He listened intently, but -shook his head. - -“It was well thought of,” said he, “but I fear that there is no such -easy end to my sufferings. But one thing I now insist upon. It is that -you shall never again upon any pretext occupy this room. My fears that -something might have happened to you—when I heard that crash—have been -the most acute of all the agonies which I have undergone. I will not -expose myself to a repetition of it.” - -He allowed me, however, to spend the remainder of that night where I -was, and I lay there worrying over the problem and lamenting my own -failure. With the first light of morning there was the Lascar’s hand -still lying upon the floor to remind me of my fiasco. I lay looking at -it—and as I lay suddenly an idea flew like a bullet through my head and -brought me quivering with excitement out of my couch. I raised the grim -relic from where it had fallen. Yes, it was indeed so. The hand was the -_left_ hand of the Lascar. - -By the first train I was on my way to town, and hurried at once to the -Seamen’s Hospital. I remembered that both hands of the Lascar had been -amputated, but I was terrified lest the precious organ which I was in -search of might have been already consumed in the crematory. My suspense -was soon ended. It had still been preserved in the _post-mortem_ room. -And so I returned to Rodenhurst in the evening with my mission -accomplished and the material for a fresh experiment. - -But Sir Dominick Holden would not hear of my occupying the laboratory -again. To all my entreaties he turned a deaf ear. It offended his sense -of hospitality, and he could no longer permit it. I left the hand, -therefore, as I had done its fellow the night before, and I occupied a -comfortable bedroom in another portion of the house, some distance from -the scene of my adventures. - -But in spite of that my sleep was not destined to be uninterrupted. In -the dead of night my host burst into my room, a lamp in his hand. His -huge gaunt figure was enveloped in a loose dressing-gown, and his whole -appearance might certainly have seemed more formidable to a weak-nerved -man than that of the Indian of the night before. But it was not his -entrance so much as his expression which amazed me. He had turned -suddenly younger by twenty years at the least. His eyes were shining, -his features radiant, and he waved one hand in triumph over his head. I -sat up astounded, staring sleepily at this extraordinary visitor. But -his words soon drove the sleep from my eyes. - -“We have done it! We have succeeded!” he shouted. “My dear Hardacre, how -can I ever in this world repay you?” - -“You don’t mean to say that it is all right?” - -“Indeed I do. I was sure that you would not mind being awakened to hear -such blessed news.” - -“Mind! I should think not indeed. But is it really certain?” - -“I have no doubt whatever upon the point. I owe you such a debt, my dear -nephew, as I have never owed a man before, and never expected to. What -can I possibly do for you that is commensurate? Providence must have -sent you to my rescue. You have saved both my reason and my life, for -another six months of this must have seen me either in a cell or a -coffin. And my wife—it was wearing her out before my eyes. Never could I -have believed that any human being could have lifted this burden off -me.” He seized my hand and wrung it in his bony grip. - -“It was only an experiment—a forlorn hope—but I am delighted from my -heart that it has succeeded. But how do you know that it is all right? -Have you seen something?” - -He seated himself at the foot of my bed. - -“I have seen enough,” said he. “It satisfies me that I shall be troubled -no more. What has passed is easily told. You know that at a certain hour -this creature always comes to me. To-night he arrived at the usual time, -and aroused me with even more violence than is his custom. I can only -surmise that his disappointment of last night increased the bitterness -of his anger against me. He looked angrily at me, and then went on his -usual round. But in a few minutes I saw him, for the first time since -this persecution began, return to my chamber. He was smiling. I saw the -gleam of his white teeth through the dim light. He stood facing me at -the end of my bed, and three times he made the low Eastern salaam which -is their solemn leave-taking. And the third time that he bowed he raised -his arms over his head, and I saw his _two_ hands outstretched in the -air. So he vanished, and, as I believe, for ever.” - - * * * * * - -So that is the curious experience which won me the affection and the -gratitude of my celebrated uncle, the famous Indian surgeon. His -anticipations were realized, and never again was he disturbed by the -visits of the restless hillman in search of his lost member. Sir -Dominick and Lady Holden spent a very happy old age, unclouded, so far -as I know, by any trouble, and they finally died during the great -influenza epidemic within a few weeks of each other. In his lifetime he -always turned to me for advice in everything which concerned that -English life of which he knew so little; and I aided him also in the -purchase and development of his estates. It was no great surprise to me, -therefore, that I found myself eventually promoted over the heads of -five exasperated cousins, and changed in a single day from a -hard-working country doctor into the head of an important Wiltshire -family. I at least have reason to bless the memory of the man with the -brown hand, and the day when I was fortunate enough to relieve -Rodenhurst of his unwelcome presence. - - - - - THE FIEND OF THE COOPERAGE - - -It was no easy matter to bring the _Gamecock_ up to the island, for the -river had swept down so much silt that the banks extended for many miles -out into the Atlantic. The coast was hardly to be seen when the first -white curl of the breakers warned us of our danger, and from there -onwards we made our way very carefully under mainsail and jib, keeping -the broken water well to the left, as is indicated on the chart. More -than once her bottom touched the sand (we were drawing something under -six feet at the time), but we had always way enough and luck enough to -carry us through. Finally, the water shoaled very rapidly, but they had -sent a canoe from the factory, and the Krooboy pilot brought us within -two hundred yards of the island. Here we dropped our anchor, for the -gestures of the negro indicated that we could not hope to get any -farther. The blue of the sea had changed to the brown of the river, and, -even under the shelter of the island, the current was singing and -swirling round our bows. The stream appeared to be in spate, for it was -over the roots of the palm trees, and everywhere upon its muddy, greasy -surface we could see logs of wood and debris of all sorts which had been -carried down by the flood. - -When I had assured myself that we swung securely at our moorings, I -thought it best to begin watering at once, for the place looked as if it -reeked with fever. The heavy river, the muddy, shining banks, the bright -poisonous green of the jungle, the moist steam in the air, they were all -so many danger signals to one who could read them. I sent the long-boat -off, therefore, with two large hogsheads, which should be sufficient to -last us until we made St. Paul de Loanda. For my own part I took the -dinghy and rowed for the island, for I could see the Union Jack -fluttering above the palms to mark the position of Armitage and Wilson’s -trading station. - -When I had cleared the grove, I could see the place, a long, low, -whitewashed building, with a deep verandah in front, and an immense pile -of palm oil barrels heaped upon either flank of it. A row of surf boats -and canoes lay along the beach, and a single small jetty projected into -the river. Two men in white suits with red cummerbunds round their -waists were waiting upon the end of it to receive me. One was a large -portly fellow with a greyish beard. The other was slender and tall, with -a pale pinched face, which was half concealed by a great mushroom-shaped -hat. - -“Very glad to see you,” said the latter, cordially. “I am Walker, the -agent of Armitage and Wilson. Let me introduce Dr. Severall of the same -company. It is not often we see a private yacht in these parts.” - -“She’s the _Gamecock_,” I explained. “I’m owner and captain—Meldrum is -the name.” - -“Exploring?” he asked. - -“I’m a lepidopterist—a butterfly-catcher. I’ve been doing the west coast -from Senegal downwards.” - -“Good sport?” asked the Doctor, turning a slow yellow-shot eye upon me. - -“I have forty cases full. We came in here to water, and also to see what -you have in my line.” - -These introductions and explanations had filled up the time whilst my -two Krooboys were making the dinghy fast. Then I walked down the jetty -with one of my new acquaintances upon either side, each plying me with -questions, for they had seen no white man for months. - -“What do we do?” said the Doctor, when I had begun asking questions in -my turn. “Our business keeps us pretty busy, and in our leisure time we -talk politics.” - -“Yes, by the special mercy of Providence Severall is a rank Radical and -I am a good stiff Unionist, and we talk Home Rule for two solid hours -every evening.” - -“And drink quinine cocktails,” said the Doctor. “We’re both pretty well -salted now, but our normal temperature was about 103 last year. I -shouldn’t, as an impartial adviser, recommend you to stay here very long -unless you are collecting bacilli as well as butterflies. The mouth of -the Ogowai River will never develop into a health resort.” - -There is nothing finer than the way in which these outlying pickets of -civilization distil a grim humour out of their desolate situation, and -turn not only a bold, but a laughing face upon the chances which their -lives may bring. Everywhere from Sierra Leone downwards I had found the -same reeking swamps, the same isolated fever-racked communities and the -same bad jokes. There is something approaching to the divine in that -power of man to rise above his conditions and to use his mind for the -purpose of mocking at the miseries of his body. - -“Dinner will be ready in about half an hour, Captain Meldrum,” said the -Doctor. “Walker has gone in to see about it; he’s the housekeeper this -week. Meanwhile, if you like, we’ll stroll round and I’ll show you the -sights of the island.” - -The sun had already sunk beneath the line of palm trees, and the great -arch of the heaven above our head was like the inside of a huge shell, -shimmering with dainty pinks and delicate iridescence. No one who has -not lived in a land where the weight and heat of a napkin become -intolerable upon the knees can imagine the blessed relief which the -coolness of evening brings along with it. In this sweeter and purer air -the Doctor and I walked round the little island, he pointing out the -stores, and explaining the routine of his work. - -“There’s a certain romance about the place,” said he, in answer to some -remark of mine about the dulness of their lives. “We are living here -just upon the edge of the great unknown. Up there,” he continued, -pointing to the north-east, “Du Chaillu penetrated, and found the home -of the gorilla. That is the Gaboon country—the land of the great apes. -In this direction,” pointing to the south-east, “no one has been very -far. The land which is drained by this river is practically unknown to -Europeans. Every log which is carried past us by the current has come -from an undiscovered country. I’ve often wished that I was a better -botanist when I have seen the singular orchids and curious-looking -plants which have been cast up on the eastern end of the island.” - -The place which the Doctor indicated was a sloping brown beach, freely -littered with the flotsam of the stream. At each end was a curved point, -like a little natural breakwater, so that a small shallow bay was left -between. This was full of floating vegetation, with a single huge -splintered tree lying stranded in the middle of it, the current rippling -against its high black side. - -“These are all from up country,” said the Doctor. “They get caught in -our little bay, and then when some extra freshet comes they are washed -out again and carried out to sea.” - -“What is the tree?” I asked. - -“Oh, some kind of teak I should imagine, but pretty rotten by the look -of it. We get all sorts of big hardwood trees floating past here, to say -nothing of the palms. Just come in here, will you?” - -He led the way into a long building with an immense quantity of barrel -staves and iron hoops littered about in it. - -“This is our cooperage,” said he. “We have the staves sent out in -bundles, and we put them together ourselves. Now, you don’t see anything -particularly sinister about this building, do you?” - -I looked round at the high corrugated iron roof, the white wooden walls, -and the earthen floor. In one corner lay a mattress and a blanket. - -“I see nothing very alarming,” said I. - -“And yet there’s something out of the common, too,” he remarked. “You -see that bed? Well, I intend to sleep there to-night. I don’t want to -buck, but I think it’s a bit of a test for nerve.” - -“Why?” - -“Oh, there have been some funny goings on. You were talking about the -monotony of our lives, but I assure you that they are sometimes quite as -exciting as we wish them to be. You’d better come back to the house now, -for after sundown we begin to get the fever-fog up from the marshes. -There, you can see it coming across the river.” - -I looked and saw long tentacles of white vapour writhing out from among -the thick green underwood and crawling at us over the broad swirling -surface of the brown river. At the same time the air turned suddenly -dank and cold. - -“There’s the dinner gong,” said the Doctor. “If this matter interests -you I’ll tell you about it afterwards.” - -It did interest me very much, for there was something earnest and -subdued in his manner as he stood in the empty cooperage, which appealed -very forcibly to my imagination. He was a big, bluff, hearty man, this -Doctor, and yet I had detected a curious expression in his eyes as he -glanced about him—an expression which I would not describe as one of -fear, but rather that of a man who is alert and on his guard. - -“By the way,” said I, as we returned to the house, “you have shown me -the huts of a good many of your native assistants, but I have not seen -any of the natives themselves.” - -“They sleep in the hulk over yonder,” the Doctor answered, pointing over -to one of the banks. - -“Indeed. I should not have thought in that case that they would need the -huts.” - -“Oh, they used the huts until quite recently. We’ve put them on the hulk -until they recover their confidence a little. They were all half mad -with fright, so we let them go, and nobody sleeps on the island except -Walker and myself.” - -“What frightened them?” I asked. - -“Well, that brings us back to the same story. I suppose Walker has no -objection to your hearing all about it. I don’t know why we should make -any secret about it, though it is certainly a pretty bad business.” - -He made no further allusion to it during the excellent dinner which had -been prepared in my honour. It appeared that no sooner had the little -white topsail of the _Gamecock_ shown round Cape Lopez than these kind -fellows had begun to prepare their famous pepper-pot—which is the -pungent stew peculiar to the West Coast—and to boil their yams and sweet -potatoes. We sat down to as good a native dinner as one could wish, -served by a smart Sierra Leone waiting boy. I was just remarking to -myself that he at least had not shared in the general flight when, -having laid the dessert and wine upon the table, he raised his hand to -his turban. - -“Anyting else I do, Massa Walker?” he asked. - -“No, I think that is all right, Moussa,” my host answered. “I am not -feeling very well to-night, though, and I should much prefer if you -would stay on the island.” - -I saw a struggle between his fears and his duty upon the swarthy face of -the African. His skin had turned of that livid purplish tint which -stands for pallor in a negro, and his eyes looked furtively about him. - -“No, no, Massa Walker,” he cried, at last, “you better come to the hulk -with me, sah. Look after you much better in the hulk, sah!” - -“That won’t do, Moussa. White men don’t run away from the posts where -they are placed.” - -Again I saw the passionate struggle in the negro’s face, and again his -fears prevailed. - -“No use, Massa Walker, sah!” he cried. “S’elp me, I can’t do it. If it -was yesterday or if it was to-morrow, but this is the third night, sah, -an’ it’s more than I can face.” - -Walker shrugged his shoulders. - -“Off with you then!” said he. “When the mail-boat comes you can get back -to Sierra Leone, for I’ll have no servant who deserts me when I need him -most. I suppose this is all mystery to you, or has the Doctor told you, -Captain Meldrum?” - -“I showed Captain Meldrum the cooperage, but I did not tell him -anything,” said Dr. Severall. “You’re looking bad, Walker,” he added, -glancing at his companion. “You have a strong touch coming on you.” - -“Yes, I’ve had the shivers all day, and now my head is like a -cannon-ball. I took ten grains of quinine, and my ears are singing like -a kettle. But I want to sleep with you in the cooperage to-night.” - -“No, no, my dear chap. I won’t hear of such a thing. You must get to bed -at once, and I am sure Meldrum will excuse you. I shall sleep in the -cooperage, and I promise you that I’ll be round with your medicine -before breakfast.” - -It was evident that Walker had been struck by one of those sudden and -violent attacks of remittent fever which are the curse of the West -Coast. His sallow cheeks were flushed and his eyes shining with fever, -and suddenly as he sat there he began to croon out a song in the -high-pitched voice of delirium. - -“Come, come, we must get you to bed, old chap,” said the Doctor, and -with my aid he led his friend into his bedroom. There we undressed him, -and presently, after taking a strong sedative, he settled down into a -deep slumber. - -“He’s right for the night,” said the Doctor, as we sat down and filled -our glasses once more. “Sometimes it is my turn and sometimes his, but, -fortunately, we have never been down together. I should have been sorry -to be out of it to-night, for I have a little mystery to unravel. I told -you that I intended to sleep in the cooperage.” - -“Yes, you said so.” - -“When I said sleep I meant watch, for there will be no sleep for me. -We’ve had such a scare here that no native will stay after sundown, and -I mean to find out to-night what the cause of it all may be. It has -always been the custom for a native watchman to sleep in the cooperage, -to prevent the barrel hoops being stolen. Well, six days ago the fellow -who slept there disappeared, and we have never seen a trace of him -since. It was certainly singular, for no canoe had been taken, and these -waters are too full of crocodiles for any man to swim to shore. What -became of the fellow, or how he could have left the island is a complete -mystery. Walker and I were merely surprised, but the blacks were badly -scared, and queer Voodoo tales began to get about amongst them. But the -real stampede broke out three nights ago, when the new watchman in the -cooperage also disappeared.” - -“What became of him?” I asked. - -“Well, we not only don’t know, but we can’t even give a guess which -would fit the facts. The niggers swear there is a fiend in the cooperage -who claims a man every third night. They wouldn’t stay in the -island—nothing could persuade them. Even Moussa, who is a faithful boy -enough, would, as you have seen, leave his master in a fever rather than -remain for the night. If we are to continue to run this place we must -reassure our niggers, and I don’t know any better way of doing it than -by putting in a night there myself. This is the third night, you see, so -I suppose the thing is due, whatever it may be.” - -“Have you no clue?” I asked. “Was there no mark of violence, no -blood-stain, no footprints, nothing to give a hint as to what kind of -danger you may have to meet?” - -“Absolutely nothing. The man was gone and that was all. Last time it was -old Ali, who has been wharf-tender here since the place was started. He -was always as steady as a rock, and nothing but foul play would take him -from his work.” - -“Well,” said I, “I really don’t think that this is a one-man job. Your -friend is full of laudanum, and come what might he can be of no -assistance to you. You must let me stay and put in a night with you at -the cooperage.” - -“Well, now, that’s very good of you, Meldrum,” said he heartily, shaking -my hand across the table. “It’s not a thing that I should have ventured -to propose, for it is asking a good deal of a casual visitor, but if you -really mean it——” - -“Certainly I mean it. If you will excuse me a moment, I will hail the -_Gamecock_ and let them know that they need not expect me.” - -As we came back from the other end of the little jetty we were both -struck by the appearance of the night. A huge blue-black pile of clouds -had built itself up upon the landward side, and the wind came from it in -little hot pants, which beat upon our faces like the draught from a -blast furnace. Under the jetty the river was swirling and hissing, -tossing little white spurts of spray over the planking. - -“Confound it!” said Doctor Severall. “We are likely to have a flood on -the top of all our troubles. That rise in the river means heavy rain -up-country, and when it once begins you never know how far it will go. -We’ve had the island nearly covered before now. Well, we’ll just go and -see that Walker is comfortable, and then if you like we’ll settle down -in our quarters.” - -The sick man was sunk in a profound slumber, and we left him with some -crushed limes in a glass beside him in case he should awake with the -thirst of fever upon him. Then we made our way through the unnatural -gloom thrown by that menacing cloud. The river had risen so high that -the little bay which I have described at the end of the island had -become almost obliterated through the submerging of its flanking -peninsula. The great raft of driftwood, with the huge black tree in the -middle, was swaying up and down in the swollen current. - -“That’s one good thing a flood will do for us,” said the Doctor. “It -carries away all the vegetable stuff which is brought down on to the -east end of the island. It came down with the freshet the other day, and -here it will stay until a flood sweeps it out into the main stream. -Well, here’s our room, and here are some books, and here is my tobacco -pouch, and we must try and put in the night as best we may.” - -By the light of our single lantern the great lonely room looked very -gaunt and dreary. Save for the piles of staves and heaps of hoops there -was absolutely nothing in it, with the exception of the mattress for the -Doctor, which had been laid in the corner. We made a couple of seats and -a table out of the staves, and settled down together for a long vigil. -Severall had brought a revolver for me, and was himself armed with a -double-barrelled shot-gun. We loaded our weapons and laid them cocked -within reach of our hands. The little circle of light and the black -shadows arching over us were so melancholy that he went off to the -house, and returned with two candles. One side of the cooperage was -pierced, however, by several open windows, and it was only by screening -our lights behind staves that we could prevent them from being -extinguished. - -The Doctor, who appeared to be a man of iron nerves, had settled down to -a book, but I observed that every now and then he laid it upon his knee, -and took an earnest look all round him. For my part, although I tried -once or twice to read, I found it impossible to concentrate my thoughts -upon the book. They would always wander back to this great empty silent -room, and to the sinister mystery which overshadowed it. I racked my -brains for some possible theory which would explain the disappearance of -these two men. There was the black fact that they were gone, and not the -least tittle of evidence as to why or whither. And here we were waiting -in the same place—waiting without an idea as to what we were waiting -for. I was right in saying that it was not a one-man job. It was trying -enough as it was, but no force upon earth would have kept me there -without a comrade. - -What an endless, tedious night it was! Outside we heard the lapping and -gurgling of the great river, and the soughing of the rising wind. -Within, save for our breathing, the turning of the Doctor’s pages, and -the high, shrill ping of an occasional mosquito, there was a heavy -silence. Once my heart sprang into my mouth as Severall’s book suddenly -fell to the ground and he sprang to his feet with his eyes on one of the -windows. - -“Did you see anything, Meldrum?” - -“No. Did you?” - -“Well, I had a vague sense of movement outside that window.” He caught -up his gun and approached it. “No, there’s nothing to be seen, and yet I -could have sworn that something passed slowly across it.” - -“A palm leaf, perhaps,” said I, for the wind was growing stronger every -instant. - -“Very likely,” said he, and settled down to his book again, but his eyes -were for ever darting little suspicious glances up at the window. I -watched it also, but all was quiet outside. - -And then suddenly our thoughts were turned into a new direction by the -bursting of the storm. A blinding flash was followed by a clap which -shook the building. Again and again came the vivid white glare with -thunder at the same instant, like the flash and roar of a monstrous -piece of artillery. And then down came the tropical rain, crashing and -rattling on the corrugated iron roofing of the cooperage. The big hollow -room boomed like a drum. From the darkness arose a strange mixture of -noises, a gurgling, splashing, tinkling, bubbling, washing, -dripping—every liquid sound that nature can produce from the thrashing -and swishing of the rain to the deep steady boom of the river. Hour -after hour the uproar grew louder and more sustained. - -“My word,” said Severall, “we are going to have the father of all the -floods this time. Well, here’s the dawn coming at last and that is a -blessing. We’ve about exploded the third night superstition anyhow.” - -A grey light was stealing through the room, and there was the day upon -us in an instant. The rain had eased off, but the coffee-coloured river -was roaring past like a waterfall. Its power made me fear for the anchor -of the _Gamecock_. - -“I must get aboard,” said I. “If she drags she’ll never be able to beat -up the river again.” - -“The island is as good as a breakwater,” the Doctor answered. “I can -give you a cup of coffee if you will come up to the house.” - -I was chilled and miserable, so the suggestion was a welcome one. We -left the ill-omened cooperage with its mystery still unsolved, and we -splashed our way up to the house. - -“There’s the spirit lamp,” said Severall. “If you would just put a light -to it, I will see how Walker feels this morning.” - -He left me, but was back in an instant with a dreadful face. - -“He’s gone!” he cried hoarsely. - -The words sent a thrill of horror through me. I stood with the lamp in -my hand, glaring at him. - -“Yes, he’s gone!” he repeated. “Come and look!” - -I followed him without a word, and the first thing that I saw as I -entered the bedroom was Walker himself lying huddled on his bed in the -grey flannel sleeping suit in which I had helped to dress him on the -night before. - -“Not dead, surely!” I gasped. - -The Doctor was terribly agitated. His hands were shaking like leaves in -the wind. - -“He’s been dead some hours.” - -“Was it fever?” - -“Fever! Look at his foot!” - -I glanced down and a cry of horror burst from my lips. One foot was not -merely dislocated but was turned completely round in a most grotesque -contortion. - -“Good God!” I cried. “What can have done this?” - -Severall had laid his hand upon the dead man’s chest. - -“Feel here,” he whispered. - -I placed my hand at the same spot. There was no resistance. The body was -absolutely soft and limp. It was like pressing a sawdust doll. - -“The breast-bone is gone,” said Severall in the same awed whisper. “He’s -broken to bits. Thank God that he had the laudanum. You can see by his -face that he died in his sleep.” - -“But who can have done this?” - -“I’ve had about as much as I can stand,” said the Doctor, wiping his -forehead. “I don’t know that I’m a greater coward than my neighbours, -but this gets beyond me. If you’re going out to the _Gamecock_——” - -“Come on!” said I, and off we started. If we did not run it was because -each of us wished to keep up the last shadow of his self-respect before -the other. It was dangerous in a light canoe on that swollen river, but -we never paused to give the matter a thought. He bailing and I paddling -we kept her above water, and gained the deck of the yacht. There, with -two hundred yards of water between us and this cursed island, we felt -that we were our own men once more. - -“Well go back in an hour or so,” said he. “But we need a little time to -steady ourselves. I wouldn’t have had the niggers see me as I was just -now for a year’s salary.” - -“I’ve told the steward to prepare breakfast. Then we shall go back,” -said I. “But in God’s name, Doctor Severall, what do you make of it -all?” - -“It beats me—beats me clean. I’ve heard of Voodoo devilry, and I’ve -laughed at it with the others. But that poor old Walker, a decent, -God-fearing, nineteenth-century, Primrose-League Englishman should go -under like this without a whole bone in his body—it’s given me a shake, -I won’t deny it. But look there, Meldrum, is that hand of yours mad or -drunk, or what is it?” - -Old Patterson, the oldest man of my crew, and as steady as the Pyramids, -had been stationed in the bows with a boat-hook to fend off the drifting -logs which came sweeping down with the current. Now he stood with -crooked knees, glaring out in front of him, and one forefinger stabbing -furiously at the air. - -“Look at it!” he yelled. “Look at it!” - -And at the same instant we saw it. - -A huge black tree trunk was coming down the river, its broad glistening -back just lapped by the water. And in front of it—about three feet in -front—arching upwards like the figure-head of a ship, there hung a -dreadful face, swaying slowly from side to side. It was flattened, -malignant, as large as a small beer-barrel, of a faded fungoid colour, -but the neck which supported it was mottled with a dull yellow and -black. As it flew past the _Gamecock_ in the swirl of the waters I saw -two immense coils roll up out of some great hollow in the tree, and the -villainous head rose suddenly to the height of eight or ten feet, -looking with dull, skin-covered eyes at the yacht. An instant later the -tree had shot past us and was plunging with its horrible passenger -towards the Atlantic. - -“What was it?” I cried. - -“It is our fiend of the cooperage,” said Dr. Severall, and he had become -in an instant the same bluff, self-confident man that he had been -before. “Yes, that is the devil who has been haunting our island. It is -the great python of the Gaboon.” - -I thought of the stories which I had heard all down the coast of the -monstrous constrictors of the interior, of their periodical appetite, -and of the murderous effects of their deadly squeeze. Then it all took -shape in my mind. There had been a freshet the week before. It had -brought down this huge hollow tree with its hideous occupant. Who knows -from what far distant tropical forest it may have come. It had been -stranded on the little east bay of the island. The cooperage had been -the nearest house. Twice with the return of its appetite it had carried -off the watchman. Last night it had doubtless come again, when Severall -had thought he saw something move at the window, but our lights had -driven it away. It had writhed onwards and had slain poor Walker in his -sleep. - -“Why did it not carry him off?” I asked. - -“The thunder and lightning must have scared the brute away. There’s your -steward, Meldrum. The sooner we have breakfast and get back to the -island the better, or some of those niggers might think that we had been -frightened.” - - - - - JELLAND’S VOYAGE - - -“Well,” said our Anglo-Jap as we all drew up our chairs round the -smoking-room fire, “it’s an old tale out yonder, and may have spilt over -into print for all I know. I don’t want to turn this club-room into a -chestnut stall, but it is a long way to the Yellow Sea, and it is just -as likely that none of you have ever heard of the yawl _Matilda_, and of -what happened to Henry Jelland and Willy McEvoy aboard of her. - -“The middle of the sixties was a stirring time out in Japan. That was -just after the Simonosaki bombardment, and before the Daimio affair. -There was a Tory party and there was a Liberal party among the natives, -and the question that they were wrangling over was whether the throats -of the foreigners should be cut or not. I tell you all, politics have -been tame to me since then. If you lived in a treaty port, you were -bound to wake up and take an interest in them. And to make it better, -the outsider had no way of knowing how the game was going. If the -opposition won it would not be a newspaper paragraph that would tell him -of it, but a good old Tory in a suit of chain mail, with a sword in each -hand, would drop in and let him know all about it in a single upper cut. - -“Of course it makes men reckless when they are living on the edge of a -volcano like that. Just at first they are very jumpy, and then there -comes a time when they learn to enjoy life while they have it. I tell -you, there’s nothing makes life so beautiful as when the shadow of death -begins to fall across it. Time is too precious to be dawdled away then, -and a man lives every minute of it. That was the way with us in -Yokohama. There were many European places of business which had to go on -running, and the men who worked them made the place lively for seven -nights in the week. - -“One of the heads of the European colony was Randolph Moore, the big -export merchant. His offices were in Yokohama, but he spent a good deal -of his time at his house up in Jeddo, which had only just been opened to -the trade. In his absence he used to leave his affairs in the hands of -his head clerk, Jelland, whom he knew to be a man of great energy and -resolution. But energy and resolution are two-edged things, you know, -and when they are used against you you don’t appreciate them so much. - -“It was gambling that set Jelland wrong. He was a little dark-eyed -fellow with black curly hair—more than three-quarters Celt, I should -imagine. Every night in the week you would see him in the same place, on -the left-hand side of the croupier at Matheson’s _rouge et noir_ table. -For a long time he won, and lived in better style than his employer. And -then came a turn of luck, and he began to lose so that at the end of a -single week his partner and he were stone broke, without a dollar to -their names. - -“This partner was a clerk in the employ of the same firm—a tall, -straw-haired young Englishman called McEvoy. He was a good boy enough at -the start, but he was clay in the hands of Jelland, who fashioned him -into a kind of weak model of himself. They were for ever on the prowl -together, but it was Jelland who led and McEvoy who followed. Lynch and -I and one or two others tried to show the youngster that he could come -to no good along that line, and when we were talking to him we could win -him round easily enough, but five minutes of Jelland would swing him -back again. It may have been animal magnetism or what you like, but the -little man could pull the big one along like a sixty-foot tug in front -of a full-rigged ship. Even when they had lost all their money they -would still take their places at the table and look on with shining eyes -when any one else was raking in the stamps. - -“But one evening they could keep out of it no longer. Red had turned up -sixteen times running, and it was more than Jelland could bear. He -whispered to McEvoy, and then said a word to the croupier. - -“‘Certainly, Mr. Jelland; your cheque is as good as notes,’ said he. - -“Jelland scribbled a cheque and threw it on the black. The card was the -king of hearts, and the croupier raked in the little bit of paper. -Jelland grew angry, and McEvoy white. Another and a heavier cheque was -written and thrown on the table. The card was the nine of diamonds. -McEvoy leaned his head upon his hands and looked as if he would faint. -‘By God!’ growled Jelland, ‘I won’t be beat,’ and he threw on a cheque -that covered the other two. The card was the deuce of hearts. A few -minutes later they were walking down the Bund, with the cool night-air -playing upon their fevered faces. - -“‘Of course you know what this means,’ said Jelland, lighting a cheroot; -‘we’ll have to transfer some of the office money to our current account. -There’s no occasion to make a fuss over it. Old Moore won’t look over -the books before Easter. If we have any luck, we can easily replace it -before then.’ - -“‘But if we have no luck?’ faltered McEvoy. - -“‘Tut, man, we must take things as they come. You stick to me, and I’ll -stick to you, and we’ll pull through together. You shall sign the -cheques to-morrow night, and we shall see if your luck is better than -mine.’ - -“But if anything it was worse. When the pair rose from the table on the -following evening, they had spent over £5,000 of their employer’s money. -But the resolute Jelland was as sanguine as ever. - -“‘We have a good nine weeks before us before the books will be -examined,’ said he. ‘We must play the game out, and it will all come -straight.’ - -“McEvoy returned to his rooms that night in an agony of shame and -remorse. When he was with Jelland he borrowed strength from him; but -alone he recognized the full danger of his position, and the vision of -his old white-capped mother in England, who had been so proud when he -had received his appointment, rose up before him to fill him with -loathing and madness. He was still tossing upon his sleepless couch when -his Japanese servant entered the bedroom. For an instant McEvoy thought -that the long-expected outbreak had come, and plunged for his revolver. -Then, with his heart in his mouth, he listened to the message which the -servant had brought. - -“Jelland was downstairs, and wanted to see him. - -“What on earth could he want at that hour of night? McEvoy dressed -hurriedly and rushed downstairs. His companion, with a set smile upon -his lips, which was belied by the ghastly pallor of his face, was -sitting in the dim light of a solitary candle, with a slip of paper in -his hands. - -“‘Sorry to knock you up, Willy,’ said he. ‘No eavesdroppers, I suppose?’ - -“McEvoy shook his head. He could not trust himself to speak. - -“‘Well, then, our little game is played out. This note was waiting for -me at home. It is from Moore, and says that he will be down on Monday -morning for an examination of the books. It leaves us in a tight place.’ - -“‘Monday!’ gasped McEvoy; ‘to-day is Friday.’ - -“‘Saturday, my son, and 3 a.m. We have not much time to turn round in.’ - -“‘We are lost!’ screamed McEvoy. - -“‘We soon will be, if you make such an infernal row,’ said Jelland -harshly. ‘Now do what I tell you, Willy, and we’ll pull through yet.’ - -“‘I will do anything—anything.’ - -“‘That’s better. Where’s your whisky? It’s a beastly time of the day to -have to get your back stiff, but there must be no softness with us, or -we are gone. First of all, I think there is something due to our -relations, don’t you?’ - -“McEvoy stared. - -“‘We must stand or fall together, you know. Now I, for one, don’t intend -to set my foot inside a felon’s dock under any circumstances. D’ye see? -I’m ready to swear to that. Are you?’ - -“‘What d’you mean?’ asked McEvoy, shrinking back. - -“‘Why, man, we all have to die, and it’s only the pressing of a trigger. -I swear that I shall never be taken alive. Will you? If you don’t, I -leave you to your fate.’ - -“‘All right. I’ll do whatever you think best.’ - -“‘You swear it?’ - -“‘Yes.’ - -“‘Well, mind, you must be as good as your word. Now we have two clear -days to get off in. The yawl _Matilda_ is on sale, and she has all her -fixings and plenty of tinned stuff aboard. We’ll buy the lot to-morrow -morning, and whatever we want, and get away in her. But, first, we’ll -clear all that is left in the office. There are 5,000 sovereigns in the -safe. After dark we’ll get them aboard the yawl, and take our chance of -reaching California. There’s no use hesitating, my son, for we have no -ghost of a look-in in any other direction. It’s that or nothing.’ - -“‘I’ll do what you advise.’ - -“‘All right; and mind you get a bright face on you to-morrow, for if -Moore gets the tip and comes before Monday, then——’ He tapped the -side-pocket of his coat and looked across at his partner with eyes that -were full of a sinister meaning. - -“All went well with their plans next day. The _Matilda_ was bought -without difficulty; and, though she was a tiny craft for so long a -voyage, had she been larger two men could not have hoped to manage her. -She was stocked with water during the day, and after dark the two clerks -brought down the money from the office and stowed it in the hold. Before -midnight they had collected all their own possessions without exciting -suspicion, and at two in the morning they left their moorings and stole -quietly out from among the shipping. They were seen, of course, and were -set down as keen yachtsmen who were on for a good long Sunday cruise; -but there was no one who dreamed that that cruise would only end either -on the American coast or at the bottom of the North Pacific Ocean. -Straining and hauling, they got their mainsail up and set their foresail -and jib. There was a slight breeze from the south-east, and the little -craft went dipping along upon her way. Seven miles from land, however, -the wind fell away and they lay becalmed, rising and falling on the long -swell of a glassy sea. All Sunday they did not make a mile, and in the -evening Yokohama still lay along the horizon. - -“On Monday morning down came Randolph Moore from Jeddo, and made -straight for the offices. He had had the tip from some one that his -clerks had been spreading themselves a bit, and that had made him come -down out of his usual routine; but when he reached his place and found -the three juniors waiting in the street with their hands in their -pockets he knew that the matter was serious. - -“‘What’s this?’ he asked. He was a man of action, and a nasty chap to -deal with when he had his topmasts lowered. - -“‘We can’t get in,’ said the clerks. - -“‘Where is Mr. Jelland?’ - -“‘He has not come to-day.’ - -“‘And Mr. McEvoy?’ - -“‘He has not come either.’ - -“Randolph Moore looked serious. ‘We must have the door down,’ said he. - -“They don’t build houses very solid in that land of earthquakes, and in -a brace of shakes they were all in the office. Of course the thing told -its own story. The safe was open, the money gone, and the clerks fled. -Their employer lost no time in talk. - -“‘Where were they seen last?’ - -“‘On Saturday they bought the _Matilda_ and started for a cruise.’ - -“Saturday! The matter seemed hopeless if they had got two days’ start. -But there was still the shadow of a chance. He rushed to the beach and -swept the ocean with his glasses. - -“‘My God!’ he cried. ‘There’s the _Matilda_ out yonder. I know her by -the rake of her mast. I have my hand upon the villains after all!’ - -“But there was a hitch even then. No boat had steam up, and the eager -merchant had not patience to wait. Clouds were banking up along the -haunch of the hills, and there was every sign of an approaching change -of weather. A police boat was ready with ten armed men in her, and -Randolph Moore himself took the tiller as she shot out in pursuit of the -becalmed yawl. - -“Jelland and McEvoy, waiting wearily for the breeze which never came, -saw the dark speck which sprang out from the shadow of the land and grew -larger with every swish of the oars. As she drew nearer, they could see -also that she was packed with men, and the gleam of weapons told what -manner of men they were. Jelland stood leaning against the tiller, and -he looked at the threatening sky, the limp sails, and the approaching -boat. - -“‘It’s a case with us, Willy,’ said he. ‘By the Lord, we are two most -unlucky devils, for there’s wind in that sky, and another hour would -have brought it to us.’ - -“McEvoy groaned. - -“‘There’s no good softening over it, my lad,’ said Jelland. ‘It’s the -police boat right enough, and there’s old Moore driving them to row like -hell. It’ll be a ten-dollar job for every man of them.’ - -“Willy McEvoy crouched against the side with his knees on the deck. ‘My -mother! my poor old mother!’ he sobbed. - -“‘She’ll never hear that you have been in the dock anyway,’ said -Jelland. ‘My people never did much for me, but I will do that much for -them. It’s no good, Mac. We can chuck our hands. God bless you, old man! -Here’s the pistol!’ - -“He cocked the revolver, and held the butt towards the youngster. But -the other shrunk away from it with little gasps and cries. Jelland -glanced at the approaching boat. It was not more than a few hundred -yards away. - -“‘There’s no time for nonsense,’ said he. ‘Damn it! man, what’s the use -of flinching? You swore it!’ - -“‘No, no, Jelland!’ - -“‘Well, anyhow, I swore that neither of us should be taken. Will you do -it?’ - -“‘I can’t! I can’t!’ - -“‘Then I will for you.’ - -“The rowers in the boat saw him lean forwards, they heard two pistol -shots, they saw him double himself across the tiller, and then, before -the smoke had lifted, they found that they had something else to think -of. - -“For at that instant the storm broke—one of those short sudden squalls -which are common in these seas. The _Matilda_ heeled over, her sails -bellied out, she plunged her lee-rail into a wave, and was off like a -frightened deer. Jelland’s body had jammed the helm, and she kept a -course right before the wind, and fluttered away over the rising sea -like a blown piece of paper. The rowers worked frantically, but the yawl -still drew ahead, and in five minutes it had plunged into the storm -wrack never to be seen again by mortal eye. The boat put back, and -reached Yokohama with the water washing half-way up to the thwarts. - -“And that was how it came that the yawl _Matilda_, with a cargo of five -thousand pounds and a crew of two dead young men, set sail across the -Pacific Ocean. What the end of Jelland’s voyage may have been no man -knows. He may have foundered in that gale, or he may have been picked up -by some canny merchantman, who stuck to the bullion and kept his mouth -shut, or he may still be cruising in that vast waste of waters, blown -north to the Behring Sea, or south to the Malay Islands. It’s better to -leave it unfinished than to spoil a true story by inventing a tag to -it.” - - - - - B. 24 - - -I told my story when I was taken, and no one would listen to me. Then I -told it again at the trial—the whole thing absolutely as it happened, -without so much as a word added. I set it all out truly, so help me God, -all that Lady Mannering said and did, and then all that I had said and -done, just as it occurred. And what did I get for it? “The prisoner put -forward a rambling and inconsequential statement, incredible in its -details, and unsupported by any shred of corroborative evidence.” That -was what one of the London papers said, and others let it pass as if I -had made no defence at all. And yet, with my own eyes I saw Lord -Mannering murdered, and I am as guiltless of it as any man on the jury -that tried me. - -Now, sir, you are there to receive the petitions of prisoners. It all -lies with you. All I ask is that you read it—just read it—and then that -you make an inquiry or two about the private character of this “lady” -Mannering, if she still keeps the name that she had three years ago, -when to my sorrow and ruin I came to meet her. You could use a private -inquiry agent or a good lawyer, and you would soon learn enough to show -you that my story is the true one. Think of the glory it would be to you -to have all the papers saying that there would have been a shocking -miscarriage of justice if it had not been for your perseverance and -intelligence! That must be your reward, since I am a poor man and can -offer you nothing. But if you don’t do it, may you never lie easy in -your bed again! May no night pass that you are not haunted by the -thought of the man who rots in gaol because you have not done the duty -which you are paid to do! But you will do it, sir, I know. Just make one -or two inquiries, and you will soon find which way the wind blows. -Remember, also, that the only person who profited by the crime was -herself, since it changed her from an unhappy wife to a rich young -widow. There’s the end of the string in your hand, and you only have to -follow it up and see where it leads to. - -Mind you, sir, I make no complaint as far as the burglary goes. I don’t -whine about what I have deserved, and so far I have had no more than I -have deserved. Burglary it was, right enough, and my three years have -gone to pay for it. It was shown at the trial that I had had a hand in -the Merton Cross business, and did a year for that, so my story had the -less attention on that account. A man with a previous conviction never -gets a really fair trial. I own to the burglary, but when it comes to -the murder which brought me a lifer—any judge but Sir James might have -given me the gallows—then I tell you that I had nothing to do with it, -and that I am an innocent man. And now I’ll take that night, the 13th of -September, 1894, and I’ll give you just exactly what occurred, and may -God’s hand strike me down if I go one inch over the truth. - -I had been at Bristol in the summer looking for work, and then I had a -notion that I might get something at Portsmouth, for I was trained as a -skilled mechanic, so I came tramping my way across the south of England, -and doing odd jobs as I went. I was trying all I knew to keep off the -cross, for I had done a year in Exeter Gaol, and I had had enough of -visiting Queen Victoria. But it’s cruel hard to get work when once the -black mark is against your name, and it was all I could do to keep soul -and body together. At last, after ten days of wood-cutting and -stone-breaking on starvation pay, I found myself near Salisbury with a -couple of shillings in my pocket, and my boots and my patience clean -wore out. There’s an ale-house called “The Willing Mind,” which stands -on the road between Blandford and Salisbury, and it was there that night -I engaged a bed. I was sitting alone in the tap-room just about closing -time, when the innkeeper—Allen his name was—came beside me and began -yarning about the neighbours. He was a man that liked to talk and to -have some one to listen to his talk, so I sat there smoking and drinking -a mug of ale which he had stood me; and I took no great interest in what -he said until he began to talk (as the devil would have it) about the -riches of Mannering Hall. - -“Meaning the large house on the right before I came to the village?” -said I. “The one that stands in its own park?” - -“Exactly,” said he—and I am giving all our talk so that you may know -that I am telling you the truth and hiding nothing. “The long white -house with the pillars,” said he. “At the side of the Blandford Road.” - -Now I had looked at it as I passed, and it had crossed my mind, as such -thoughts will, that it was a very easy house to get into with that great -row of ground windows and glass doors. I had put the thought away from -me, and now here was this landlord bringing it back with his talk about -the riches within. I said nothing, but I listened, and as luck would -have it, he would always come back to this one subject. - -“He was a miser young, so you can think what he is now in his age,” said -he. “Well, he’s had some good out of his money.” - -“What good can he have had if he does not spend it?” said I. - -“Well, it bought him the prettiest wife in England, and that was some -good that he got out of it. She thought she would have the spending of -it, but she knows the difference now.” - -“Who was she then?” I asked, just for the sake of something to say. - -“She was nobody at all until the old Lord made her his Lady,” said he. -“She came from up London way, and some said that she had been on the -stage there, but nobody knew. The old Lord was away for a year, and when -he came home he brought a young wife back with him, and there she has -been ever since. Stephens, the butler, did tell me once that she was the -light of the house when fust she came, but what with her husband’s mean -and aggravatin’ way, and what with her loneliness—for he hates to see a -visitor within his doors; and what with his bitter words—for he has a -tongue like a hornet’s sting, her life all went out of her, and she -became a white, silent creature, moping about the country lanes. Some -say that she loved another man, and that it was just the riches of the -old Lord which tempted her to be false to her lover, and that now she is -eating her heart out because she has lost the one without being any -nearer to the other, for she might be the poorest woman in the parish -for all the money that she has the handling of.” - -Well, sir, you can imagine that it did not interest me very much to hear -about the quarrels between a Lord and a Lady. What did it matter to me -if she hated the sound of his voice, or if he put every indignity upon -her in the hope of breaking her spirit, and spoke to her as he would -never have dared to speak to one of his servants? The landlord told me -of these things, and of many more like them, but they passed out of my -mind, for they were no concern of mine. But what I did want to hear was -the form in which Lord Mannering kept his riches. Title-deeds and stock -certificates are but paper, and more danger than profit to the man who -takes them. But metal and stones are worth a risk. And then, as if he -were answering my very thoughts, the landlord told me of Lord -Mannering’s great collection of gold medals, that it was the most -valuable in the world, and that it was reckoned that if they were put -into a sack the strongest man in the parish would not be able to raise -them. Then his wife called him, and he and I went to our beds. - -I am not arguing to make out a case for myself, but I beg you, sir, to -bear all the facts in your mind, and to ask yourself whether a man could -be more sorely tempted than I was. I make bold to say that there are few -who could have held out against it. There I lay on my bed that night, a -desperate man without hope or work, and with my last shilling in my -pocket. I had tried to be honest, and honest folk had turned their backs -upon me. They taunted me for theft; and yet they pushed me towards it. I -was caught in the stream and could not get out. And then it was such a -chance: the great house all lined with windows, the golden medals which -could so easily be melted down. It was like putting a loaf before a -starving man and expecting him not to eat it. I fought against it for a -time, but it was no use. At last I sat up on the side of my bed, and I -swore that that night I should either be a rich man and able to give up -crime for ever, or that the irons should be on my wrists once more. Then -I slipped on my clothes, and, having put a shilling on the table—for the -landlord had treated me well, and I did not wish to cheat him—I passed -out through the window into the garden of the inn. - -There was a high wall round this garden, and I had a job to get over it, -but once on the other side it was all plain sailing. I did not meet a -soul upon the road, and the iron gate of the avenue was open. No one was -moving at the lodge. The moon was shining, and I could see the great -house glimmering white through an archway of trees. I walked up it for a -quarter of a mile or so, until I was at the edge of the drive, where it -ended in a broad, gravelled space before the main door. There I stood in -the shadow and looked at the long building, with a full moon shining in -every window and silvering the high stone front. I crouched there for -some time, and I wondered where I should find the easiest entrance. The -corner window of the side seemed to be the one which was least -overlooked, and a screen of ivy hung heavily over it. My best chance was -evidently there. I worked my way under the trees to the back of the -house, and then crept along in the black shadow of the building. A dog -barked and rattled his chain, but I stood waiting until he was quiet, -and then I stole on once more until I came to the window which I had -chosen. - -It is astonishing how careless they are in the country, in places far -removed from large towns, where the thought of burglars never enters -their heads. I call it setting temptation in a poor man’s way when he -puts his hand, meaning no harm, upon a door, and finds it swing open -before him. In this case it was not so bad as that, but the window was -merely fastened with the ordinary catch, which I opened with a push from -the blade of my knife. I pulled up the window as quickly as possible, -and then I thrust the knife through the slit in the shutter and prized -it open. They were folding shutters, and I shoved them before me and -walked into the room. - -“Good evening, sir! You are very welcome!” said a voice. - -I’ve had some starts in my life, but never one to come up to that one. -There, in the opening of the shutters, within reach of my arm, was -standing a woman with a small coil of wax taper burning in her hand. She -was tall and straight and slender, with a beautiful white face that -might have been cut out of clear marble, but her hair and eyes were as -black as night. She was dressed in some sort of white dressing-gown -which flowed down to her feet, and what with this robe and what with her -face, it seemed as if a spirit from above was standing in front of me. -My knees knocked together, and I held on to the shutter with one hand to -give me support. I should have turned and run away if I had had the -strength, but I could only just stand and stare at her. - -She soon brought me back to myself once more. - -“Don’t be frightened!” said she, and they were strange words for the -mistress of a house to have to use to a burglar. “I saw you out of my -bedroom window when you were hiding under those trees, so I slipped -downstairs, and then I heard you at the window. I should have opened it -for you if you had waited, but you managed it yourself just as I came -up.” - -I still held in my hand the long clasp-knife with which I had opened the -shutter. I was unshaven and grimed from a week on the roads. Altogether, -there are few people who would have cared to face me alone at one in the -morning; but this woman, if I had been her lover meeting her by -appointment, could not have looked upon me with a more welcoming eye. -She laid her hand upon my sleeve and drew me into the room. - -“What’s the meaning of this, ma’am? Don’t get trying any little games -upon me,” said I, in my roughest way—and I can put it on rough when I -like. “It’ll be the worse for you if you play me any trick,” I added, -showing her my knife. - -“I will play you no trick,” said she. “On the contrary, I am your -friend, and I wish to help you.” - -“Excuse me, ma’am, but I find it hard to believe that,” said I. “Why -should you wish to help me?” - -“I have my own reasons,” said she; and then suddenly, with those black -eyes blazing out of her white face: “It’s because I hate him, hate him, -hate him! Now you understand.” - -I remembered what the landlord had told me, and I did understand. I -looked at her Ladyship’s face, and I knew that I could trust her. She -wanted to revenge herself upon her husband. She wanted to hit him where -it would hurt him most—upon the pocket. She hated him so that she would -even lower her pride to take such a man as me into her confidence if she -could gain her end by doing so. I’ve hated some folk in my time, but I -don’t think I ever understood what hate was until I saw that woman’s -face in the light of the taper. - -“You’ll trust me now?” said she, with another coaxing touch upon my -sleeve. - -“Yes, your Ladyship.” - -“You know me, then?” - -“I can guess who you are.” - -“I daresay my wrongs are the talk of the county. But what does he care -for that? He only cares for one thing in the whole world, and that you -can take from him this night. Have you a bag?” - -“No, your Ladyship.” - -“Shut the shutter behind you. Then no one can see the light. You are -quite safe. The servants all sleep in the other wing. I can show you -where all the most valuable things are. You cannot carry them all, so we -must pick the best.” - -The room in which I found myself was long and low, with many rugs and -skins scattered about on a polished wood floor. Small cases stood here -and there, and the walls were decorated with spears and swords and -paddles, and other things which find their way into museums. There were -some queer clothes, too, which had been brought from savage countries, -and the lady took down a large leather sack-bag from among them. - -“This sleeping-sack will do,” said she. “Now come with me and I will -show you where the medals are.” - -It was like a dream to me to think that this tall, white woman was the -lady of the house, and that she was lending me a hand to rob her own -home. I could have burst out laughing at the thought of it, and yet -there was something in that pale face of hers which stopped my laughter -and turned me cold and serious. She swept on in front of me like a -spirit, with the green taper in her hand, and I walked behind with my -sack until we came to a door at the end of this museum. It was locked, -but the key was in it, and she led me through. - -The room beyond was a small one, hung all round with curtains which had -pictures on them. It was the hunting of a deer that was painted on it, -as I remember, and in the flicker of that light you’d have sworn that -the dogs and the horses were streaming round the walls. The only other -thing in the room was a row of cases made of walnut, with brass -ornaments. They had glass tops, and beneath this glass I saw the long -lines of those gold medals, some of them as big as a plate and half an -inch thick, all resting upon red velvet and glowing and gleaming in the -darkness. My fingers were just itching to be at them, and I slipped my -knife under the lock of one of the cases to wrench it open. - -“Wait a moment,” said she, laying her hand upon my arm. “You might do -better than this.” - -“I am very well satisfied, ma’am,” said I, “and much obliged to your -Ladyship for kind assistance.” - -“You can do better,” she repeated. “Would not golden sovereigns be worth -more to you than these things?” - -“Why, yes,” said I. “That’s best of all.” - -“Well,” said she. “He sleeps just above our head. It is but one short -staircase. There is a tin box with money enough to fill this bag under -his bed.” - -“How can I get it without waking him?” - -“What matter if he does wake?” She looked very hard at me as she spoke. -“You could keep him from calling out.” - -“No, no, ma’am, I’ll have none of that.” - -“Just as you like,” said she. “I thought that you were a stout-hearted -sort of man by your appearance, but I see that I made a mistake. If you -are afraid to run the risk of one old man, then of course you cannot -have the gold which is under his bed. You are the best judge of your own -business, but I should think that you would do better at some other -trade.” - -“I’ll not have murder on my conscience.” - -“You could overpower him without harming him. I never said anything of -murder. The money lies under the bed. But if you are faint-hearted, it -is better that you should not attempt it.” - -She worked upon me so, partly with her scorn and partly with this money -that she held before my eyes, that I believe I should have yielded and -taken my chances upstairs, had it not been that I saw her eyes following -the struggle within me in such a crafty, malignant fashion, that it was -evident she was bent upon making me the tool of her revenge, and that -she would leave me no choice but to do the old man an injury or to be -captured by him. She felt suddenly that she was giving herself away, and -she changed her face to a kindly, friendly smile, but it was too late, -for I had had my warning. - -“I will not go upstairs,” said I. “I have all I want here.” - -She looked her contempt at me, and there never was a face which could -look it plainer. - -“Very good. You can take these medals. I should be glad if you would -begin at this end. I suppose they will all be the same value when melted -down, but these are the ones which are the rarest, and, therefore, the -most precious to him. It is not necessary to break the locks. If you -press that brass knob you will find that there is a secret spring. So! -Take that small one first—it is the very apple of his eye.” - -She had opened one of the cases, and the beautiful things all lay -exposed before me. I had my hand upon the one which she had pointed out, -when suddenly a change came over her face, and she held up one finger as -a warning. “Hist!” she whispered. “What is that?” - -Far away in the silence of the house we heard a low, dragging, shuffling -sound, and the distant tread of feet. She closed and fastened the case -in an instant. - -“It’s my husband!” she whispered. “All right. Don’t be alarmed. I’ll -arrange it. Here! Quick, behind the tapestry!” - -She pushed me behind the painted curtains upon the wall, my empty -leather bag still in my hand. Then she took her taper and walked quickly -into the room from which we had come. From where I stood I could see her -through the open door. - -“Is that you, Robert?” she cried. - -The light of a candle shone through the door of the museum, and the -shuffling steps came nearer and nearer. Then I saw a face in the -doorway, a great, heavy face, all lines and creases, with a huge curving -nose, and a pair of gold glasses fixed across it. He had to throw his -head back to see through the glasses, and that great nose thrust out in -front of him like the beak of some sort of fowl. He was a big man, very -tall and burly, so that in his loose dressing-gown his figure seemed to -fill up the whole doorway. He had a pile of grey, curling hair all round -his head, but his face was clean-shaven. His mouth was thin and small -and prim, hidden away under his long, masterful nose. He stood there, -holding the candle in front of him, and looking at his wife with a -queer, malicious gleam in his eyes. It only needed that one look to tell -me that he was as fond of her as she was of him. - -“How’s this?” he asked. “Some new tantrum? What do you mean by wandering -about the house? Why don’t you go to bed?” - -“I could not sleep,” she answered. She spoke languidly and wearily. If -she was an actress once, she had not forgotten her calling. - -“Might I suggest,” said he, in the same mocking kind of voice, “that a -good conscience is an excellent aid to sleep?” - -“That cannot be true,” she answered, “for you sleep very well.” - -“I have only one thing in my life to be ashamed of,” said he, and his -hair bristled up with anger until he looked like an old cockatoo. “You -know best what that is. It is a mistake which has brought its own -punishment with it.” - -“To me as well as to you. Remember that!” - -“You have very little to whine about. It was I who stooped and you who -rose.” - -“Rose!” - -“Yes, rose. I suppose you do not deny that it is promotion to exchange -the music-hall for Mannering Hall. Fool that I was ever to take you out -of your true sphere!” - -“If you think so, why do you not separate?” - -“Because private misery is better than public humiliation. Because it is -easier to suffer for a mistake than to own to it. Because also I like to -keep you in my sight, and to know that you cannot go back to him.” - -“You villain! You cowardly villain!” - -“Yes, yes, my lady. I know your secret ambition, but it shall never be -while I live, and if it happens after my death I will at least take care -that you go to him as a beggar. You and dear Edward will never have the -satisfaction of squandering my savings, and you may make up your mind to -that, my lady. Why are those shutters and the window open?” - -“I found the night very close.” - -“It is not safe. How do you know that some tramp may not be outside? Are -you aware that my collection of medals is worth more than any similar -collection in the world? You have left the door open also. What is there -to prevent any one from rifling the cases?” - -“I was here.” - -“I know you were. I heard you moving about in the medal room, and that -was why I came down. What were you doing?” - -“Looking at the medals. What else should I be doing?” - -“This curiosity is something new.” He looked suspiciously at her and -moved on towards the inner room, she walking beside him. - -It was at this moment that I saw something which startled me. I had laid -my clasp-knife open upon the top of one of the cases, and there it lay -in full view. She saw it before he did, and with a woman’s cunning she -held her taper out so that the light of it came between Lord Mannering’s -eyes and the knife. Then she took it in her left hand and held it -against her gown out of his sight. He looked about from case to case—I -could have put my hand at one time upon his long nose—but there was -nothing to show that the medals had been tampered with, and so, still -snarling and grumbling, he shuffled off into the other room once more. - -And now I have to speak of what I heard rather than of what I saw, but I -swear to you, as I shall stand some day before my Maker, that what I say -is the truth. - -When they passed into the outer room I saw him lay his candle upon the -corner of one of the tables, and he sat himself down, but in such a -position that he was just out of my sight. She moved behind him, as I -could tell from the fact that the light of her taper threw his long, -lumpy shadow upon the floor in front of him. Then he began talking about -this man whom he called Edward, and every word that he said was like a -blistering drop of vitriol. He spoke low, so that I could not hear it -all, but from what I heard I should guess that she would as soon have -been lashed with a whip. At first she said some hot words in reply, but -then she was silent, and he went on and on in that cold, mocking voice -of his, nagging and insulting and tormenting, until I wondered that she -could bear to stand there in silence and listen to it. Then suddenly I -heard him say in a sharp voice, “Come from behind me! Leave go of my -collar! What! would you dare to strike me?” There was a sound like a -blow, just a soft sort of thud, and then I heard him cry out, “My God, -it’s blood!” He shuffled with his feet as if he was getting up, and then -I heard another blow, and he cried out, “Oh, you she-devil!” and was -quiet, except for a dripping and splashing upon the floor. - -I ran out from behind my curtain at that, and rushed into the other -room, shaking all over with the horror of it. The old man had slipped -down in the chair, and his dressing-gown had rucked up until he looked -as if he had a monstrous hump to his back. His head, with the gold -glasses still fixed on his nose, was lolling over upon one side, and his -little mouth was open just like a dead fish. I could not see where the -blood was coming from, but I could still hear it drumming upon the -floor. She stood behind him with the candle shining full upon her face. -Her lips were pressed together and her eyes shining, and a touch of -colour had come into each of her cheeks. It just wanted that to make her -the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. - -“You’ve done it now!” said I. - -“Yes,” said she, in her quiet way, “I’ve done it now.” - -“What are you going to do?” I asked. “They’ll have you for murder as -sure as fate.” - -“Never fear about me. I have nothing to live for, and it does not -matter. Give me a hand to set him straight in the chair. It is horrible -to see him like this!” - -I did so, though it turned me cold all over to touch him. Some of his -blood came on my hand and sickened me. - -“Now,” said she, “you may as well have the medals as any one else. Take -them and go.” - -“I don’t want them. I only want to get away. I was never mixed up with a -business like this before.” - -“Nonsense!” said she. “You came for the medals, and here they are at -your mercy. Why should you not have them? There is no one to prevent -you.” - -I held the bag still in my hand. She opened the case, and between us we -threw a hundred or so of the medals into it. They were all from the one -case, but I could not bring myself to wait for any more. Then I made for -the window, for the very air of this house seemed to poison me after -what I had seen and heard. As I looked back, I saw her standing there, -tall and graceful, with the light in her hand, just as I had seen her -first. She waved good-bye, and I waved back at her and sprang out into -the gravel drive. - -I thank God that I can lay my hand upon my heart and say that I have -never done a murder, but perhaps it would be different if I had been -able to read that woman’s mind and thoughts. There might have been two -bodies in the room instead of one if I could have seen behind that last -smile of hers. But I thought of nothing but of getting safely away, and -it never entered my head how she might be fixing the rope round my neck. -I had not taken five steps out from the window skirting down the shadow -of the house in the way that I had come, when I heard a scream that -might have raised the parish, and then another and another. - -“Murder!” she cried. “Murder! Murder! Help!” and her voice rang out in -the quiet of the night-time and sounded over the whole country-side. It -went through my head, that dreadful cry. In an instant lights began to -move and windows to fly up, not only in the house behind me, but at the -lodge and in the stables in front. Like a frightened rabbit I bolted -down the drive, but I heard the clang of the gate being shut before I -could reach it. Then I hid my bag of medals under some dry fagots, and I -tried to get away across the park, but some one saw me in the moonlight, -and presently I had half a dozen of them with dogs upon my heels. I -crouched down among the brambles, but those dogs were too many for me, -and I was glad enough when the men came up and prevented me from being -torn into pieces. They seized me, and dragged me back to the room from -which I had come. - -“Is this the man, your Ladyship?” asked the oldest of them—the same whom -I found out afterwards to be the butler. - -She had been bending over the body, with her handkerchief to her eyes, -and now she turned upon me with the face of a fury. Oh, what an actress -that woman was! - -“Yes, yes, it is the very man,” she cried. “Oh, you villain, you cruel -villain, to treat an old man so!” - -There was a man there who seemed to be a village constable. He laid his -hand upon my shoulder. - -“What do you say to that?” said he. - -“It was she who did it,” I cried, pointing at the woman, whose eyes -never flinched before mine. - -“Come! come! Try another!” said the constable, and one of the -men-servants struck at me with his fist. - -“I tell you that I saw her do it. She stabbed him twice with a knife. -She first helped me to rob him, and then she murdered him.” - -The footman tried to strike me again, but she held up her hand. - -“Do not hurt him,” said she. “I think that his punishment may safely be -left to the law.” - -“I’ll see to that, your Ladyship,” said the constable. “Your Ladyship -actually saw the crime committed, did you not?” - -“Yes, yes, I saw it with my own eyes. It was horrible. We heard the -noise and we came down. My poor husband was in front. The man had one of -the cases open, and was filling a black leather bag which he held in his -hand. He rushed past us, and my husband seized him. There was a -struggle, and he stabbed him twice. There you can see the blood upon his -hands. If I am not mistaken, his knife is still in Lord Mannering’s -body.” - -“Look at the blood upon her hands!” I cried. - -“She has been holding up his Lordship’s head, you lying rascal,” said -the butler. - -“And here’s the very sack her Ladyship spoke of,” said the constable, as -a groom came in with the one which I had dropped in my flight. “And here -are the medals inside it. That’s good enough for me. We will keep him -safe here to-night, and to-morrow the inspector and I can take him into -Salisbury.” - -“Poor creature,” said the woman. “For my own part, I forgive him any -injury which he has done me. Who knows what temptation may have driven -him to crime? His conscience and the law will give him punishment enough -without any reproach of mine rendering it more bitter.” - -I could not answer—I tell you, sir, I could not answer, so taken aback -was I by the assurance of the woman. And so, seeming by my silence to -agree to all that she had said, I was dragged away by the butler and the -constable into the cellar, in which they locked me for the night. - -There, sir, I have told you the whole story of the events which led up -to the murder of Lord Mannering by his wife upon the night of September -the 14th, in the year 1894. Perhaps you will put my statement on one -side as the constable did at Mannering Towers, or the judge afterwards -at the county assizes. Or perhaps you will see that there is the ring of -truth in what I say, and you will follow it up, and so make your name -for ever as a man who does not grudge personal trouble where justice is -to be done. I have only you to look to, sir, and if you will clear my -name of this false accusation, then I will worship you as one man never -yet worshipped another. But if you fail me, then I give you my solemn -promise that I will rope myself up, this day month, to the bar of my -window, and from that time on I will come to plague you in your dreams -if ever yet one man was able to come back and to haunt another. What I -ask you to do is very simple. Make inquiries about this woman, watch -her, learn her past history, find out what use she is making of the -money which has come to her, and whether there is not a man Edward as I -have stated. If from all this you learn anything which shows you her -real character, or which seems to you to corroborate the story which I -have told you, then I am sure that I can rely upon your goodness of -heart to come to the rescue of an innocent man. - - - THE END - - - PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - SIR A. CONAN DOYLE’S WORKS. - - - =SIR NIGEL.= With Illustrations by ARTHUR TWIDLE. Third Impression. - Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - =THE TRAGEDY OF THE ‘KOROSKO.’= New Edition With 40 Full-page - Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =UNCLE BERNAC=: a Memory of the Empire. With 12 Full-page - Illustrations. Third and Cheaper Edition. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =RODNEY STONE.= New and Cheaper Illustrated Edition. With 8 - Full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - =THE WHITE COMPANY.= New and Cheaper Edition (the 28th Edition. - Revised). With 8 Full-page Illustrations. 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THE GREAT SHADOW; - UNCLE BERNAC.—9. A DUET.—10. THE TRAGEDY OF THE ‘KOROSKO’; THE GREEN - FLAG, AND OTHER TALES OF WAR AND SPORT.—11. THE STARK-MUNRO LETTERS; - ROUND THE RED LAMP.—12. THE EXPLOITS OF BRIGADIER GERARD; THE CRIME OF - THE BRIGADIER. - - London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W. - - - - - WORKS BY FRANK T. BULLEN, F.R.G.S. - - - =Our Heritage the Sea.= With a Frontispiece by ARTHUR TWIDLE. Crown - 8vo. 6_s._ - - _DAILY TELEGRAPH._—‘The first step to winning the people to the - reading a good book is to produce the good book for them to read, and - that Mr. Bullen has done.’ - - - =Back to Sunny Seas.= With 8 Full-page Illustrations in Colour by A. - S. FORREST, R.I. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - _DAILY TELEGRAPH._—‘A bright, interesting and chatty record of a - pleasant cruise to the West Indies.’ - - - =Sea-Wrack.= SECOND IMPRESSION. With 8 Illustrations by ARTHUR - TWIDLE. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - _SPECTATOR._—‘Characteristic of Mr. Bullen’s best work.’ - - _VANITY FAIR._—‘A delightful volume.... The seafaring man is an open - book to Mr. Bullen.’ - - - =Deep Sea Plunderings.= THIRD IMPRESSION. With 8 Full-page - Illustrations by ARTHUR TWIDLE. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - _SPECTATOR._—‘There is something in the book to please almost every - taste.’ - - - =The Men of the Merchant Service=: being the Polity of the - Mercantile Marine for ‘Longshore Readers. SECOND IMPRESSION. Large - post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - _SPECTATOR._—‘The book is of great value, and of great interest to all - the innumerable people who are curious about the most romantic and - separate of lives. But it is of importance, secondly and chiefly, as - Mr. Bullen’s appeal to the political sense of his country.’ - - - =The Cruise of the ‘Cachalot’ Round the World= after Sperm Whales. - By FRANK T. BULLEN, First Mate. The volume includes a Letter to - the Author from RUDYARD KIPLING. TWELFTH IMPRESSION. With 8 - Illustrations and a Chart. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - _The_ Rev. Dr. HORTON, _in his Sermon on behalf of the British and - Foreign Bible Society, referred to Mr. Bullen’s ‘Cruise of the - “Cachalot”’ in the following terms_: - - ‘It is a very remarkable book in every way; it seems to me worthy to - rank with some of the writings of Defoe. It has absolutely taken the - shine out of some of the romantic literature of such writers as even - Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling. By the strange law that truth is more - wonderful than fiction, this book is more wonderful than the wildest - dreams of the creator of imagination.’ - - - =The Log of a Sea-Waif=: being the Recollections of First Four Years - of my Sea Life. FIFTH IMPRESSION. With 8 Full page Illustrations - specially drawn by ARTHUR TWIDLE. Crown 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - _WORLD._—‘We have read many stories of sea life, but do not remember - to have been so fascinated and enthralled by any of them as by this - masterly presentation of the humours, hardships, and minor tragedies - of life in the forecastle.’ - - - =The Way they have In the Navy=: being a Day-to-Day Record of a - Cruise In H.M. Battleship ‘Mars’ during the Manœuvres of 1899. - THIRD IMPRESSION. Crown 8vo. paper covers, 1_s._; cloth, 1_s._ - 6_d._ - - _SPECTATOR._—‘We recommend it most heartily and without any - misgiving.’ - - London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W. - - - - - WORKS BY W. H. FITCHETT, B.A, LL.D. - - - =Wesley and his Century: a study in spiritual Forces.= With a - Photogravure Frontispiece from the Portrait of John Wesley by - GEORGE ROMNEY and Four Facsimiles of Letters, &c. SECOND - IMPRESSION. 6_s._ net. - - _BOOKMAN._—‘A deeply interesting volume.... The story is good as - biography and rich in material. - - - =The Commander of the ‘Hirondelle.’= With 16 Full-page - Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - _ATHENÆUM._—‘An admirable sea story.... It is good literature, too, - and written with historical and technical knowledge.’ - - - =Nelson and his Captains; Sketches of Famous Seamen.= With 11 - Portraits and a Facsimile Letter. THIRD IMPRESSION. Crown 8vo. - 6_s._ - - _PUNCH._—‘My Baronite having read all Dr. Fitchett’s tales of battles - on land, thinks his best piece is his sea piece.... Saxon and Celt - reading the glowing narrative will feel proud to know it’s all true.’ - - - =The Tale of the Great Mutiny.= SEVENTH AND CONSIDERABLY ENLARGED - IMPRESSION. With 8 Portraits and 4 Plans. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - _GUARDIAN._—‘It is almost impossible to lay the book down. The story - of those summer months of 1857 must ever appeal to English readers.’ - - _BOOKMAN._—‘Written with all the swing and dash, with all the careful - accuracy and brilliant descriptive power which have made Dr. - Fitchett’s books so deservedly popular.’ - - - =How England Saved Europe: the story of the Great War (1793–1815).= - SECOND IMPRESSION. In 4 vols. crown 8vo. with Portraits. - Facsimiles, and Plans, 6_s._ each. - - _TIMES._—‘It is not without significance that this excellent “Story of - the Great War,” at once popular in the best sense, well informed, full - of instruction, and very attractively written, should be the work of a - Colonial writer.’ - - _GUARDIAN._—‘Mr. Fitchett has achieved a real success, and the boy who - cannot read these volumes with pleasure (and profit) is hopeless. They - are, if boyhood would but see it, more enthralling than half the - novels published.’ - - - =Fights for the Flag.= FOURTH EDITION. With 16 Portraits, 13 Plans, - and a Facsimile Letter of the Duke of Marlborough. Crown 8vo. - 6_s._ - - _SPECTATOR._—‘“Fights for the Flag” is as good as “Deeds that Won the - Empire.” To say more than this in praise of the book before us is - unnecessary, for “Deeds that Won the Empire” was one of the best - collection of popular battle studies ever given to the public.’ - - _REVIEW OF REVIEWS._—‘As a gift-book, or as a book to take up and read - at odd moments, or to devour at a prolonged sitting, this book has few - equals, and will probably equal or eclipse the popularity of its - predecessors.’ - - - =Deeds that Won the Empire.= TWENTY-THIRD EDITION. With 16 Portraits - and 11 Plans. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - _SPECTATOR._—‘Not since Macaulay ceased to write has English - literature produced a writer capable of infusing such life and vigour - into historical scenes. The wholesome and manly tone of Mr. Fitchett’s - book is specially satisfactory.... The book cannot but take the reader - by storm wherever it finds him.’ - - - =Wellington’s Men: some Soldier-Autobiographies.= Edited by W. H. - FITCHETT, B.A., LL.D. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ - - _SPECTATOR._—‘Mr. Fitchett has ere this sounded the clarion and filled - the fife to good purpose, but he has never done better work than in - rescuing from oblivion the narratives which appear in this volume.... - We feel very grateful to Mr. Fitchett for his skilful editing of four - stories which ought not to be allowed to die.’ - - London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W. - - - - - NOVELS BY H. S. MERRIMAN. - - - THE LAST HOPE. FOURTH IMPRESSION (SECOND EDITION). Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _DAILY TELEGRAPH._—‘“The Last Hope” illustrates all Mr. Merriman’s - good qualities.... Its interest is unflagging and its brilliancy - undeniable.’ - - - TOMASO’S FORTUNE, and Other Stories. SECOND IMPRESSION. Crown 8vo, - 6_s._ - - _SATURDAY REVIEW._—‘Engrossing, fascinating, picturesque tales, full - of colour, adventure, and emotion.’ - - - FLOTSAM. SEVENTH IMPRESSION. With a Frontispiece. Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _VANITY FAIR._—‘A capital book, that will repay any reader, old or - young, for the reading.’ - - - BARLASCH OF THE GUARD. EIGHTH IMPRESSION (SECOND EDITION). Crown - 8vo, 6_s._ - - _WORLD._—‘Without doubt, the finest thing of its kind that Mr. - Merriman has yet accomplished in fiction. Barlasch is a masterpiece.’ - - THE VULTURES. SEVENTH IMPRESSION. Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _DAILY NEWS._—‘It is a notable book, stirring, fresh, and of a high - interest; it fascinates and holds us to the end.... A fine book, a - worthy successor of “The Sowers.”’ - - - THE VELVET GLOVE. FIFTH IMPRESSION. Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _SKETCH._—‘Equal to, if not better than, the best he has ever written. - “The Velvet Glove” is the very essence of good romance.’ - - - THE ISLE OF UNREST. SEVENTH IMPRESSION. With Illustrations. Crown - 8vo, 6_s._ - - _THE TIMES._—‘Capital reading, absorbing reading.... An exciting - story, with “thrills” at every third page.’ - - RODEN’S CORNER. FIFTH EDITION. Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _TRUTH._—‘A novel I defy you to lay down when once you have got well - into it.’ - - IN KEDAR’S TENTS. TENTH EDITION. Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _PALL MALL GAZETTE._—‘After the few first pages one ceases to - criticize, one can only enjoy.... In a word—the use of which, - unqualified, is such a rare and delicious luxury—the book is good.’ - - THE SOWERS. TWENTY-EIGHTH EDITION. Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _GRAPHIC._—‘His absorbingly interesting story will be found very - difficult indeed to lay down until its last page has been turned.’ - - - WITH EDGED TOOLS. Crown 8vo, 6_s._; and Fcap. 8vo, boards, Pictorial - Cover, 2_s._; or limp red cloth, 2_s._ 6_d._ - - _WESTMINSTER GAZETTE._—‘Admirably conceived as a whole, and most - skilful in its details. The story never flags or loiters.’ - - - FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER. Crown 8vo, 6_s._; and Fcap. 8vo, - boards, Pictorial Cover, 2_s._; or limp red cloth, 2_s._ 6_d._ - - _ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS._—‘The book is a good book. The characters of - Michael Seymour and of James Agar are admirably contrasted.’ - - - THE SLAVE OF THE LAMP. Crown 8vo, 6_s._; and Fcap. 8vo, boards, - Pictorial Cover, 2_s._; or limp red cloth, 2_s._ 6_d._ - - _MANCHESTER GUARDIAN._—‘A masterly story ... so like real life, and so - entirely unconventional.’ - - - THE GREY LADY. With 12 Full-page Illustrations by ARTHUR RACKHAM. - SIXTH IMPRESSION. Crown 8vo, 6_s._ - - _BRITISH WEEKLY._—‘An interesting, thoughtful, carefully written - story, with a charming touch of pensiveness.’ - - - NOTE.—Mr. MERRIMAN’S 14 NOVELS are published uniform in style, - binding, and price, and thus form a Collected Edition of his - Works. - - London: SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -Transcriber’s note: - - 1. Changed ‘suppling’ to ‘supplying’ on p. 53. - - 2. Used an ⁂ in place of an inverted asterism. - - 3. Silently corrected typographical errors. - - 4. 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- border:1px solid silver; margin:2em 10% 0 10%; } - .covernote { visibility: hidden; display: none; } - div.tnotes p { text-align:left; } - @media handheld { .covernote { visibility: visible; display: block;} } - img {max-width: 100%; height:auto; } - .ph1 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: xx-large; - margin: .67em auto; } - .ph2 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; - } - - h1.pg { font-size: 190%; } - h3,h4 { text-align: center; - clear: both; } - hr.full { width: 100%; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - height: 4px; - border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ - border-style: solid; - border-color: #000000; - clear: both; } - </style> -</head> -<body> -<h1 class="pg">The Project Gutenberg eBook, Round the Fire Stories, by Arthur Conan Doyle</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world 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 <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: Round the Fire Stories</p> -<p>Author: Arthur Conan Doyle</p> -<p>Release Date: February 4, 2017 [eBook #54109]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROUND THE FIRE STORIES***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Richard Tonsing<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/roundfirestories00doylrich"> - https://archive.org/details/roundfirestories00doylrich</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div id='Frontispiece' class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/i_001.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p>“I BURST WITH A SHRIEK INTO MY OWN LIFE.”<br /><br />                                        [<em>Page <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>.</em></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div> - <h1 class='c001'>ROUND THE FIRE STORIES</h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='small'>BY</span></div> - <div class='c003'><span class='xlarge'>ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE</span></div> - <div class='c003'><span class='small'>AUTHOR OF</span></div> - <div><span class='small'>“THE WHITE COMPANY,” ETC., ETC.</span></div> - <div class='c002'><em>WITH A FRONTISPIECE</em></div> - <div><em>BY A. CASTAIGNE</em><br /> </div> - <div class='c002'><span class='large'>LONDON</span></div> - <div><span class='large'>SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15, WATERLOO PLACE</span></div> - <div><span class='large'>1908</span></div> - <div class='c003'><span class='small'>(<em>All rights reserved</em>)</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div>PRINTED BY</div> - <div>WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,</div> - <div>LONDON AND BECCLES.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>PREFACE</h2> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id002'> -<img src='images/i_004.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>In a previous volume, “The Green Flag,” I have -assembled a number of my stories which deal with -warfare or with sport. In the present collection those -have been brought together which are concerned with -the grotesque and with the terrible—such tales as -might well be read “round the fire” upon a winter’s -night. This would be my ideal atmosphere for such -stories, if an author might choose his time and place -as an artist does the light and hanging of his picture. -However, if they have the good fortune to give pleasure -to any one, at any time or place, their author will be -very satisfied.</p> - -<div class='c007'>ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='sc'>Windlesham,</span></div> - <div class='line in2'><span class='sc'>Crowborough.</span></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary='CONTENTS'> - <tr> - <th class='c008'></th> - <th class='c009'> </th> - <th class='c010'>PAGE</th> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>I.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Leather Funnel</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>II.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Beetle Hunter</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_18'>18</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>III.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Man with the Watches</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_41'>41</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>IV.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Pot of Caviare</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_65'>65</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>V.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Japanned Box</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_85'>85</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>VI.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Black Doctor</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>VII.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>Playing with Fire</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_129'>129</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>VIII.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Jew’s Breastplate</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_149'>149</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>IX.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Lost Special</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_177'>177</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>X.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Club-footed Grocer</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_202'>202</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XI.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Sealed Room</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_229'>229</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XII.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Brazilian Cat</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_248'>248</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XIII.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Usher of Lea House School</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_276'>276</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XIV.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Brown Hand</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_299'>299</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XV.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>The Fiend of the Cooperage</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_321'>321</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XVI.</td> - <td class='c009'><span class='sc'>Jelland’s Voyage</span></td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_340'>340</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XVII.</td> - <td class='c009'>B. 24</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_351'>351</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c011' colspan='2'>“<span class='sc'>I burst with a Shriek into my own Life.</span>”</td> - <td class='c010'><em><a href='#Frontispiece'>Frontispiece</a></em>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c011' colspan='2'>(<em>From a drawing by A. Castaigne.</em>)</td> - <td class='c010'> </td> - </tr> -</table> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='ph1'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div>ROUND THE FIRE STORIES</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id002'> -<img src='images/i_008.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE LEATHER FUNNEL</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>My friend, Lionel Dacre, lived in the Avenue de -Wagram, Paris. His house was that small one, with -the iron railings and grass plot in front of it, on the left-hand -side as you pass down from the Arc de Triomphe. -I fancy that it had been there long before the avenue -was constructed, for the grey tiles were stained with -lichens, and the walls were mildewed and discoloured -with age. It looked a small house from the street, -five windows in front, if I remember right, but it -deepened into a single long chamber at the back. It -was here that Dacre had that singular library of occult -literature, and the fantastic curiosities which served as -a hobby for himself, and an amusement for his friends. -A wealthy man of refined and eccentric tastes, he -had spent much of his life and fortune in gathering -together what was said to be a unique private collection -of Talmudic, cabalistic, and magical works, many of -them of great rarity and value. His tastes leaned -toward the marvellous and the monstrous, and I have -heard that his experiments in the direction of the -unknown have passed all the bounds of civilization and -of decorum. To his English friends he never alluded to -such matters, and took the tone of the student and -<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">virtuoso</span></i>; but a Frenchman whose tastes were of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>same nature has assured me that the worst excesses of -the black mass have been perpetrated in that large and -lofty hall, which is lined with the shelves of his books, -and the cases of his museum.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dacre’s appearance was enough to show that his -deep interest in these psychic matters was intellectual -rather than spiritual. There was no trace of asceticism -upon his heavy face, but there was much mental force -in his huge dome-like skull, which curved upward from -amongst his thinning locks, like a snow-peak above its -fringe of fir trees. His knowledge was greater than -his wisdom, and his powers were far superior to his -character. The small bright eyes, buried deeply in his -fleshy face, twinkled with intelligence and an unabated -curiosity of life, but they were the eyes of a sensualist -and an egotist. Enough of the man, for he is dead now, -poor devil, dead at the very time that he had made sure -that he had at last discovered the elixir of life. It is not -with his complex character that I have to deal, but with -the very strange and inexplicable incident which had -its rise in my visit to him in the early spring of the -year ‘82.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had known Dacre in England, for my researches -in the Assyrian Room of the British Museum had been -conducted at the time when he was endeavouring to -establish a mystic and esoteric meaning in the Babylonian -tablets, and this community of interests had -brought us together. Chance remarks had led to daily -conversation, and that to something verging upon friendship. -I had promised him that on my next visit to -Paris I would call upon him. At the time when I was -able to fulfil my compact I was living in a cottage -<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>at Fontainebleau, and as the evening trains were -inconvenient, he asked me to spend the night in his -house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have only that one spare couch,” said he, pointing -to a broad sofa in his large salon; “I hope that you -will manage to be comfortable there.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a singular bedroom, with its high walls of -brown volumes, but there could be no more agreeable -furniture to a bookworm like myself, and there is no -scent so pleasant to my nostrils as that faint, subtle -reek which comes from an ancient book. I assured -him that I could desire no more charming chamber, -and no more congenial surroundings.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If the fittings are neither convenient nor conventional, -they are at least costly,” said he, looking -round at his shelves. “I have expended nearly a -quarter of a million of money upon these objects which -surround you. Books, weapons, gems, carvings, tapestries, -images—there is hardly a thing here which has -not its history, and it is generally one worth telling.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was seated as he spoke at one side of the open -fireplace, and I at the other. His reading table was on -his right, and the strong lamp above it ringed it with -a very vivid circle of golden light. A half-rolled -palimpsest lay in the centre, and around it were many -quaint articles of bric-à-brac. One of these was a large -funnel, such as is used for filling wine casks. It -appeared to be made of black wood, and to be rimmed -with discoloured brass.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is a curious thing,” I remarked. “What is -the history of that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah!” said he, “it is the very question which I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>have had occasion to ask myself. I would give a good -deal to know. Take it in your hands and examine it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did so, and found that what I had imagined to be -wood was in reality leather, though age had dried it -into an extreme hardness. It was a large funnel, -and might hold a quart when full. The brass rim -encircled the wide end, but the narrow was also tipped -with metal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you make of it?” asked Dacre.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should imagine that it belonged to some vintner -or maltster in the middle ages,” said I. “I have seen -in England leathern drinking flagons of the seventeenth -century—‘black jacks’ as they were called—which -were of the same colour and hardness as this -filler.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I dare say the date would be about the same,” -said Dacre, “and no doubt, also, it was used for filling -a vessel with liquid. If my suspicions are correct, -however, it was a queer vintner who used it, and a -very singular cask which was filled. Do you observe -nothing strange at the spout end of the funnel.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As I held it to the light I observed that at a spot -some five inches above the brass tip the narrow neck of -the leather funnel was all haggled and scored, as if -some one had notched it round with a blunt knife. -Only at that point was there any roughening of the -dead black surface.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Some one has tried to cut off the neck.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Would you call it a cut?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is torn and lacerated. It must have taken -some strength to leave these marks on such tough -material, whatever the instrument may have been. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>But what do you think of it? I can tell that you -know more than you say.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dacre smiled, and his little eyes twinkled with -knowledge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you included the psychology of dreams -among your learned studies?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I did not even know that there was such a -psychology.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear sir, that shelf above the gem case is -filled with volumes, from Albertus Magnus onward, -which deal with no other subject. It is a science in -itself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A science of charlatans.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The charlatan is always the pioneer. From the -astrologer came the astronomer, from the alchemist -the chemist, from the mesmerist the experimental -psychologist. The quack of yesterday is the professor -of to-morrow. Even such subtle and elusive things as -dreams will in time be reduced to system and order. -When that time comes the researches of our friends in -the book-shelf yonder will no longer be the amusement -of the mystic, but the foundations of a science.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Supposing that is so, what has the science of -dreams to do with a large black brass-rimmed funnel?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will tell you. You know that I have an agent -who is always on the lookout for rarities and curiosities -for my collection. Some days ago he heard of a dealer -upon one of the Quais who had acquired some old -rubbish found in a cupboard in an ancient house at the -back of the Rue Mathurin, in the Quartier Latin. The -dining-room of this old house is decorated with a coat -of arms, chevrons, and bars rouge upon a field argent, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>which prove, upon inquiry, to be the shield of Nicholas -de la Reynie, a high official of King Louis XIV. There -can be no doubt that the other articles in the cupboard -date back to the early days of that king. The inference -is, therefore, that they were all the property of this -Nicholas de la Reynie, who was, as I understand, the -gentleman specially concerned with the maintenance -and execution of the Draconic laws of that epoch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I would ask you now to take the funnel into your -hands once more and to examine the upper brass rim. -Can you make out any lettering upon it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were certainly some scratches upon it, almost -obliterated by time. The general effect was of several -letters, the last of which bore some resemblance to a B.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You make it a B?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So do I. In fact, I have no doubt whatever that -it is a B.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But the nobleman you mentioned would have had -R for his initial.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly! That’s the beauty of it. He owned -this curious object, and yet he had some one else’s -initials upon it. Why did he do this?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I can’t imagine; can you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I might, perhaps, guess. Do you observe -something drawn a little further along the rim?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should say it was a crown.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is undoubtedly a crown; but if you examine it -in a good light, you will convince yourself that it is -not an ordinary crown. It is a heraldic crown—a -badge of rank, and it consists of an alternation of four -<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>pearls and strawberry leaves, the proper badge of a -marquis. We may infer, therefore, that the person whose -initials end in B was entitled to wear that coronet.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then this common leather filler belonged to a -marquis?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dacre gave a peculiar smile.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Or to some member of the family of a marquis,” -said he. “So much we have clearly gathered from this -engraved rim.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But what has all this to do with dreams?” I do -not know whether it was from a look upon Dacre’s -face, or from some subtle suggestion in his manner, but -a feeling of repulsion, of unreasoning horror, came upon -me as I looked at the gnarled old lump of leather.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have more than once received important information -through my dreams,” said my companion, in -the didactic manner which he loved to affect. “I -make it a rule now when I am in doubt upon any -material point to place the article in question beside -me as I sleep, and to hope for some enlightenment. -The process does not appear to me to be very obscure, -though it has not yet received the blessing of orthodox -science. According to my theory, any object which -has been intimately associated with any supreme -paroxysm of human emotion, whether it be joy or pain, -will retain a certain atmosphere or association which it -is capable of communicating to a sensitive mind. By -a sensitive mind I do not mean an abnormal one, but -such a trained and educated mind as you or I possess.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You mean, for example, that if I slept beside that -old sword upon the wall, I might dream of some bloody -incident in which that very sword took part?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>“An excellent example, for, as a matter of fact, -that sword was used in that fashion by me, and I saw -in my sleep the death of its owner, who perished in a -brisk skirmish, which I have been unable to identify, -but which occurred at the time of the wars of the -Frondists. If you think of it, some of our popular -observances show that the fact has already been recognized -by our ancestors, although we, in our wisdom, -have classed it among superstitions.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For example?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, the placing of the bride’s cake beneath the -pillow in order that the sleeper may have pleasant -dreams. That is one of several instances which you -will find set forth in a small <em>brochure</em> which I am myself -writing upon the subject. But to come back to -the point, I slept one night with this funnel beside me, -and I had a dream which certainly throws a curious -light upon its use and origin.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What did you dream?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I dreamed—” He paused, and an intent look of -interest came over his massive face. “By Jove, that’s -well thought of,” said he. “This really will be an -exceedingly interesting experiment. You are yourself -a psychic subject—with nerves which respond readily -to any impression.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have never tested myself in that direction.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then we shall test you to-night. Might I ask -you as a very great favour, when you occupy that -couch to-night, to sleep with this old funnel placed by -the side of your pillow?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The request seemed to me a grotesque one; but I -have myself, in my complex nature, a hunger after all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>which is bizarre and fantastic. I had not the faintest -belief in Dacre’s theory, nor any hopes for success in -such an experiment; yet it amused me that the experiment -should be made. Dacre, with great gravity, -drew a small stand to the head of my settee, and placed -the funnel upon it. Then, after a short conversation, -he wished me good-night and left me.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>I sat for some little time smoking by the smouldering -fire, and turning over in my mind the curious -incident which had occurred, and the strange experience -which might lie before me. Sceptical as I was, -there was something impressive in the assurance of -Dacre’s manner, and my extraordinary surroundings, -the huge room with the strange and often sinister -objects which were hung round it, struck solemnity -into my soul. Finally I undressed, and, turning out -the lamp, I lay down. After long tossing I fell asleep. -Let me try to describe as accurately as I can the scene -which came to me in my dreams. It stands out now -in my memory more clearly than anything which I -have seen with my waking eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a room which bore the appearance of a -vault. Four spandrels from the corners ran up to join -a sharp cup-shaped roof. The architecture was rough, -but very strong. It was evidently part of a great -building.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Three men in black, with curious top-heavy black -velvet hats, sat in a line upon a red-carpeted dais. -Their faces were very solemn and sad. On the left -stood two long-gowned men with portfolios in their -hands, which seemed to be stuffed with papers. Upon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>the right, looking toward me, was a small woman with -blonde hair and singular light-blue eyes—the eyes of -a child. She was past her first youth, but could not -yet be called middle-aged. Her figure was inclined -to stoutness, and her bearing was proud and confident. -Her face was pale, but serene. It was a curious face, -comely and yet feline, with a subtle suggestion of -cruelty about the straight, strong little mouth and -chubby jaw. She was draped in some sort of loose -white gown. Beside her stood a thin, eager priest, -who whispered in her ear, and continually raised a -crucifix before her eyes. She turned her head and -looked fixedly past the crucifix at the three men in -black, who were, I felt, her judges.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As I gazed the three men stood up and said something, -but I could distinguish no words, though I was -aware that it was the central one who was speaking. -They then swept out of the room, followed by the two -men with the papers. At the same instant several -rough-looking fellows in stout jerkins came bustling -in and removed first the red carpet, and then the -boards which formed the dais, so as to entirely clear -the room. When this screen was removed I saw some -singular articles of furniture behind it. One looked -like a bed with wooden rollers at each end, and a -winch handle to regulate its length. Another was -a wooden horse. There were several other curious -objects, and a number of swinging cords which played -over pulleys. It was not unlike a modern gymnasium.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the room had been cleared there appeared -a new figure upon the scene. This was a tall thin -person clad in black, with a gaunt and austere face. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>The aspect of the man made me shudder. His clothes -were all shining with grease and mottled with stains. -He bore himself with a slow and impressive dignity, -as if he took command of all things from the instant -of his entrance. In spite of his rude appearance and -sordid dress, it was now <em>his</em> business, <em>his</em> room, his to -command. He carried a coil of light ropes over his -left fore-arm. The lady looked him up and down with -a searching glance, but her expression was unchanged. -It was confident—even defiant. But it was very -different with the priest. His face was ghastly white, -and I saw the moisture glisten and run on his high, -sloping forehead. He threw up his hands in prayer, -and he stooped continually to mutter frantic words in -the lady’s ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The man in black now advanced, and taking one -of the cords from his left arm, he bound the woman’s -hands together. She held them meekly toward him -as he did so. Then he took her arm with a rough grip -and led her toward the wooden horse, which was little -higher than her waist. On to this she was lifted and -laid, with her back upon it, and her face to the ceiling, -while the priest, quivering with horror, had rushed out -of the room. The woman’s lips were moving rapidly, -and though I could hear nothing, I knew that she was -praying. Her feet hung down on either side of the -horse, and I saw that the rough varlets in attendance -had fastened cords to her ankles and secured the other -ends to iron rings in the stone floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My heart sank within me as I saw these ominous -preparations, and yet I was held by the fascination of -horror, and I could not take my eyes from the strange -<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>spectacle. A man had entered the room with a bucket -of water in either hand. Another followed with a third -bucket. They were laid beside the wooden horse. -The second man had a wooden dipper—a bowl with -a straight handle—in his other hand. This he gave -to the man in black. At the same moment one of -the varlets approached with a dark object in his hand, -which even in my dream filled me with a vague feeling -of familiarity. It was a leathern filler. With horrible -energy he thrust it—but I could stand no more. My -hair stood on end with horror. I writhed, I struggled, -I broke through the bonds of sleep, and I burst with -a shriek into my own life, and found myself lying -shivering with terror in the huge library, with the -moonlight flooding through the window and throwing -strange silver and black traceries upon the opposite -wall. Oh, what a blessed relief to feel that I was back -in the nineteenth century—back out of that medieval -vault into a world where men had human hearts within -their bosoms. I sat up on my couch, trembling in -every limb, my mind divided between thankfulness -and horror. To think that such things were ever done—that -they <em>could</em> be done without God striking the -villains dead. Was it all a fantasy, or did it really -stand for something which had happened in the black, -cruel days of the world’s history? I sank my throbbing -head upon my shaking hands. And then, suddenly, -my heart seemed to stand still in my bosom, and I -could not even scream, so great was my terror. Something -was advancing toward me through the darkness -of the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is a horror coming upon a horror which breaks a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>man’s spirit. I could not reason, I could not pray; I -could only sit like a frozen image, and glare at the dark -figure which was coming down the great room. And -then it moved out into the white lane of moonlight, -and I breathed once more. It was Dacre, and his face -showed that he was as frightened as myself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Was that you? For God’s sake what’s the -matter?” he asked in a husky voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, Dacre, I am glad to see you! I have been -down into hell. It was dreadful.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then it was you who screamed?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I dare say it was.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It rang through the house. The servants are all -terrified.” He struck a match and lit the lamp. “I -think we may get the fire to burn up again,” he added, -throwing some logs upon the embers. “Good God, my -dear chap, how white you are! You look as if you had -seen a ghost.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So I have—several ghosts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The leather funnel has acted, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I wouldn’t sleep near the infernal thing again for -all the money you could offer me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dacre chuckled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I expected that you would have a lively night of -it,” said he. “You took it out of me in return, for -that scream of yours wasn’t a very pleasant sound at -two in the morning. I suppose from what you say -that you have seen the whole dreadful business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What dreadful business?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The torture of the water—the ‘Extraordinary -Question,’ as it was called in the genial days of ‘Le -Roi Soleil.’ Did you stand it out to the end?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>“No, thank God, I awoke before it really began.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah! it is just as well for you. I held out till -the third bucket. Well, it is an old story, and they -are all in their graves now anyhow, so what does -it matter how they got there. I suppose that you -have no idea what it was that you have seen?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The torture of some criminal. She must have -been a terrible malefactor indeed if her crimes are in -proportion to her penalty.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, we have that small consolation,” said Dacre, -wrapping his dressing-gown round him and crouching -closer to the fire. “They <em>were</em> in proportion to her -penalty. That is to say, if I am correct in the lady’s -identity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How could you possibly know her identity?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>For answer Dacre took down an old vellum-covered -volume from the shelf.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Just listen to this,” said he; “it is in the French -of the seventeenth century, but I will give a rough -translation as I go. You will judge for yourself -whether I have solved the riddle or not.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The prisoner was brought before the Grand Chambers -and Tournelles of Parliament, sitting as a court of -justice, charged with the murder of Master Dreux -d’Aubray, her father, and of her two brothers, MM. -d’Aubray, one being civil lieutenant, and the other a -counsellor of Parliament. In person it seemed hard -to believe that she had really done such wicked deeds, -for she was of a mild appearance, and of short stature, -with a fair skin and blue eyes. Yet the Court, having -found her guilty, condemned her to the ordinary and to -the extraordinary question in order that she might be -forced to name her accomplices, after which she should -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>be carried in a cart to the Place de Grève, there to -have her head cut off, her body being afterwards burned -and her ashes scattered to the winds.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The date of this entry is July 16, 1676.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is interesting,” said I, “but not convincing. -How do you prove the two women to be the same?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am coming to that. The narrative goes on to -tell of the woman’s behaviour when questioned. - ‘When the executioner approached her she recognized -him by the cords which he held in his hands, -and she at once held out her own hands to him, looking -at him from head to foot without uttering a word.’ -How’s that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, it was so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘She gazed without wincing upon the wooden -horse and rings which had twisted so many limbs and -caused so many shrieks of agony. When her eyes fell -upon the three pails of water, which were all ready -for her, she said with a smile, “All that water must -have been brought here for the purpose of drowning -me, Monsieur. You have no idea, I trust, of making a -person of my small stature swallow it all.”’ Shall I -read the details of the torture?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, for Heaven’s sake, don’t.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here is a sentence which must surely show you -that what is here recorded is the very scene which you -have gazed upon to-night: ‘The good Abbé Pirot, -unable to contemplate the agonies which were suffered -by his penitent, had hurried from the room.’ Does -that convince you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It does entirely. There can be no question that -it is indeed the same event. But who, then, is this -<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>lady whose appearance was so attractive and whose end -was so horrible?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>For answer Dacre came across to me, and placed -the small lamp upon the table which stood by my bed. -Lifting up the ill-omened filler, he turned the brass -rim so that the light fell full upon it. Seen in this -way the engraving seemed clearer than on the night -before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have already agreed that this is the badge of -a marquis or of a marquise,” said he. “We have also -settled that the last letter is B.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is undoubtedly so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I now suggest to you that the other letters from -left to right are, M, M, a small d, A, a small d, and -then the final B.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I am sure that you are right. I can make -out the two small d’s quite plainly.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What I have read to you to-night,” said Dacre, -“is the official record of the trial of Marie Madeleine -d’Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers, one of the most -famous poisoners and murderers of all time.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I sat in silence, overwhelmed at the extraordinary -nature of the incident, and at the completeness of the -proof with which Dacre had exposed its real meaning. -In a vague way I remembered some details of the -woman’s career, her unbridled debauchery, the coldblooded -and protracted torture of her sick father, the -murder of her brothers for motives of petty gain. I -recollected also that the bravery of her end had done -something to atone for the horror of her life, and -that all Paris had sympathized with her last moments, -and blessed her as a martyr within a few days of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>time when they had cursed her as a murderess. One -objection, and one only, occurred to my mind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How came her initials and her badge of rank -upon the filler? Surely they did not carry their -medieval homage to the nobility to the point of decorating -instruments of torture with their titles?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was puzzled with the same point,” said Dacre, -“but it admits of a simple explanation. The case -excited extraordinary interest at the time, and nothing -could be more natural than that La Reynie, the head -of the police, should retain this filler as a grim souvenir. -It was not often that a marchioness of France -underwent the extraordinary question. That he should -engrave her initials upon it for the information of -others was surely a very ordinary proceeding upon his -part.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And this?” I asked, pointing to the marks upon -the leathern neck.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She was a cruel tigress,” said Dacre, as he turned -away. “I think it is evident that like other tigresses -her teeth were both strong and sharp.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE BEETLE-HUNTER</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>A curious experience? said the Doctor. Yes, my -friends, I have had one very curious experience. I -never expect to have another, for it is against all doctrines -of chances that two such events would befall -any one man in a single lifetime. You may believe -me or not, but the thing happened exactly as I tell it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had just become a medical man, but I had not -started in practice, and I lived in rooms in Gower -Street. The street has been renumbered since then, -but it was in the only house which has a bow-window, -upon the left-hand side as you go down from the Metropolitan -Station. A widow named Murchison kept the -house at that time, and she had three medical students -and one engineer as lodgers. I occupied the top room, -which was the cheapest, but cheap as it was it was -more than I could afford. My small resources were -dwindling away, and every week it became more necessary -that I should find something to do. Yet I was -very unwilling to go into general practice, for my tastes -were all in the direction of science, and especially of -zoology, towards which I had always a strong leaning. -I had almost given the fight up and resigned myself to -being a medical drudge for life, when the turning-point -of my struggles came in a very extraordinary way.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>One morning I had picked up the <cite>Standard</cite> and -was glancing over its contents. There was a complete -absence of news, and I was about to toss the paper -down again, when my eyes were caught by an advertisement -at the head of the personal column. It was -worded in this way:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>Wanted for one or more days the services of a -medical man. It is essential that he should be a man -of strong physique, of steady nerves, and of a resolute -nature. Must be an entomologist—coleopterist preferred. -Apply, in person, at 77<span class='fss'>B</span>, Brook Street. -Application must be made before twelve o’clock to-day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now, I have already said that I was devoted to -zoology. Of all branches of zoology, the study of -insects was the most attractive to me, and of all -insects beetles were the species with which I was -most familiar. Butterfly collectors are numerous, but -beetles are far more varied, and more accessible in these -islands than are butterflies. It was this fact which -had attracted my attention to them, and I had myself -made a collection which numbered some hundred -varieties. As to the other requisites of the advertisement, -I knew that my nerves could be depended upon, -and I had won the weight-throwing competition at the -inter-hospital sports. Clearly, I was the very man for -the vacancy. Within five minutes of my having read -the advertisement I was in a cab and on my way to -Brook Street.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As I drove, I kept turning the matter over in my -head and trying to make a guess as to what sort of -employment it could be which needed such curious -qualifications. A strong physique, a resolute nature, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>a medical training, and a knowledge of beetles—what -connection could there be between these various requisites? -And then there was the disheartening fact that -the situation was not a permanent one, but terminable -from day to day, according to the terms of the advertisement. -The more I pondered over it the more unintelligible -did it become; but at the end of my meditations -I always came back to the ground fact that, come what -might, I had nothing to lose, that I was completely at -the end of my resources, and that I was ready for any -adventure, however desperate, which would put a few -honest sovereigns into my pocket. The man fears to -fail who has to pay for his failure, but there was no -penalty which Fortune could exact from me. I was -like the gambler with empty pockets, who is still -allowed to try his luck with the others.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No. 77<span class='fss'>B</span>, Brook Street, was one of those dingy and -yet imposing houses, dun-coloured and flat-faced, with -the intensely respectable and solid air which marks the -Georgian builder. As I alighted from the cab, a young -man came out of the door and walked swiftly down the -street. In passing me, I noticed that he cast an inquisitive -and somewhat malevolent glance at me, and -I took the incident as a good omen, for his appearance -was that of a rejected candidate, and if he resented -my application it meant that the vacancy was not yet -filled up. Full of hope, I ascended the broad steps and -rapped with the heavy knocker.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A footman in powder and livery opened the door. -Clearly I was in touch with people of wealth and -fashion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir?” said the footman.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>“I came in answer to——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Quite so, sir,” said the footman. “Lord Linchmere -will see you at once in the library.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Lord Linchmere! I had vaguely heard the name, -but could not for the instant recall anything about him. -Following the footman, I was shown into a large, book-lined -room in which there was seated behind a writing-desk -a small man with a pleasant, clean-shaven, mobile -face, and long hair shot with grey, brushed back from -his forehead. He looked me up and down with a -very shrewd, penetrating glance, holding the card -which the footman had given him in his right hand. -Then he smiled pleasantly, and I felt that externally -at any rate I possessed the qualifications which he -desired.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have come in answer to my advertisement, -Dr. Hamilton?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you fulfil the conditions which are there laid -down?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I believe that I do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are a powerful man, or so I should judge -from your appearance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think that I am fairly strong.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And resolute?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I believe so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you ever known what it was to be exposed -to imminent danger?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I don’t know that I ever have.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But you think you would be prompt and cool at -such a time?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I hope so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>“Well, I believe that you would. I have the more -confidence in you because you do not pretend to be -certain as to what you would do in a position that was -new to you. My impression is that, so far as personal -qualities go, you are the very man of whom I am in -search. That being settled, we may pass on to the -next point.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Which is?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To talk to me about beetles.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked across to see if he was joking, but, on the -contrary, he was leaning eagerly forward across his -desk, and there was an expression of something like -anxiety in his eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am afraid that you do not know about beetles,” -he cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the contrary, sir, it is the one scientific subject -about which I feel that I really do know something.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am overjoyed to hear it. Please talk to me -about beetles.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I talked. I do not profess to have said anything -original upon the subject, but I gave a short sketch of -the characteristics of the beetle, and ran over the more -common species, with some allusions to the specimens -in my own little collection and to the article upon -“Burying Beetles” which I had contributed to the -<cite>Journal of Entomological Science</cite>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What! not a collector?” cried Lord Linchmere. -“You don’t mean that you are yourself a collector?” -His eyes danced with pleasure at the thought.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are certainly the very man in London for my -purpose. I thought that among five millions of people -there must be such a man, but the difficulty is to lay -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>one’s hands upon him. I have been extraordinarily -fortunate in finding you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He rang a gong upon the table, and the footman -entered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ask Lady Rossiter to have the goodness to step -this way,” said his lordship, and a few moments later -the lady was ushered into the room. She was a small, -middle-aged woman, very like Lord Linchmere in -appearance, with the same quick, alert features and -grey-black hair. The expression of anxiety, however, -which I had observed upon his face was very much -more marked upon hers. Some great grief seemed to -have cast its shadow over her features. As Lord Linchmere -presented me she turned her face full upon me, -and I was shocked to observe a half-healed scar extending -for two inches over her right eyebrow. It was -partly concealed by plaster, but none the less I could -see that it had been a serious wound and not long -inflicted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Dr. Hamilton is the very man for our purpose, -Evelyn,” said Lord Linchmere. “He is actually a -collector of beetles, and he has written articles upon -the subject.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Really!” said Lady Rossiter. “Then you must -have heard of my husband. Every one who knows -anything about beetles must have heard of Sir Thomas -Rossiter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>For the first time a thin little ray of light began to -break into the obscure business. Here, at last, was a -connection between these people and beetles. Sir -Thomas Rossiter—he was the greatest authority upon -the subject in the world. He had made it his life-long -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>study, and had written a most exhaustive work upon -it. I hastened to assure her that I had read and -appreciated it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you met my husband?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I have not.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But you shall,” said Lord Linchmere, with -decision.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The lady was standing beside the desk, and she put -her hand upon his shoulder. It was obvious to me as -I saw their faces together that they were brother and -sister.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you really prepared for this, Charles? It is -noble of you, but you fill me with fears.” Her voice -quavered with apprehension, and he appeared to me to -be equally moved, though he was making strong efforts -to conceal his agitation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, dear; it is all settled, it is all decided; -in fact, there is no other possible way, that I can see.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is one obvious way.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, Evelyn, I shall never abandon you—never. -It will come right—depend upon it; it will come right, -and surely it looks like the interference of Providence -that so perfect an instrument should be put into our -hands.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My position was embarrassing, for I felt that for the -instant they had forgotten my presence. But Lord -Linchmere came back suddenly to me and to my -engagement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The business for which I want you, Dr. Hamilton, -is that you should put yourself absolutely at my disposal. -I wish you to come for a short journey with -me, to remain always at my side, and to promise to do -<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>without question whatever I may ask you, however -unreasonable it may appear to you to be.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is a good deal to ask,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Unfortunately I cannot put it more plainly, for I -do not myself know what turn matters may take. You -may be sure, however, that you will not be asked to do -anything which your conscience does not approve; and -I promise you that, when all is over, you will be proud -to have been concerned in so good a work.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If it ends happily,” said the lady.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly; if it ends happily,” his lordship repeated.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And terms?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Twenty pounds a day.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was amazed at the sum, and must have showed -my surprise upon my features.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is a rare combination of qualities, as must have -struck you when you first read the advertisement,” -said Lord Linchmere; “such varied gifts may well -command a high return, and I do not conceal from you -that your duties might be arduous or even dangerous. -Besides, it is possible that one or two days may bring -the matter to an end.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Please God!” sighed his sister.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So now, Dr. Hamilton, may I rely upon your -aid?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Most undoubtedly,” said I. “You have only to -tell me what my duties are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your first duty will be to return to your home. -You will pack up whatever you may need for a short -visit to the country. We start together from Paddington -Station at 3.40 this afternoon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do we go far?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>“As far as Pangbourne. Meet me at the bookstall -at 3.30. I shall have the tickets. Good-bye, Dr. -Hamilton! And, by the way, there are two things -which I should be very glad if you would bring with -you, in case you have them. One is your case for -collecting beetles, and the other is a stick, and the -thicker and heavier the better.”</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>You may imagine that I had plenty to think of -from the time that I left Brook Street until I set out -to meet Lord Linchmere at Paddington. The whole -fantastic business kept arranging and re-arranging itself -in kaleidoscopic forms inside my brain, until I had -thought out a dozen explanations, each of them more -grotesquely improbable than the last. And yet I felt -that the truth must be something grotesquely improbable -also. At last I gave up all attempts at finding a -solution, and contented myself with exactly carrying -out the instructions which I had received. With a -hand valise, specimen-case, and a loaded cane, I was -waiting at the Paddington bookstall when Lord Linchmere -arrived. He was an even smaller man than I -had thought—frail and peaky, with a manner which -was more nervous than it had been in the morning. -He wore a long, thick travelling ulster, and I observed -that he carried a heavy blackthorn cudgel in his hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have the tickets,” said he, leading the way up -the platform. “This is our train. I have engaged a -carriage, for I am particularly anxious to impress one -or two things upon you while we travel down.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And yet all that he had to impress upon me might -have been said in a sentence, for it was that I was to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>remember that I was there as a protection to himself, -and that I was not on any consideration to leave him -for an instant. This he repeated again and again as -our journey drew to a close, with an insistence which -showed that his nerves were thoroughly shaken.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes,” he said at last, in answer to my looks -rather than to my words, “I <em>am</em> nervous, Dr. Hamilton. -I have always been a timid man, and my timidity -depends upon my frail physical health. But my soul -is firm, and I can bring myself up to face a danger -which a less nervous man might shrink from. What -I am doing now is done from no compulsion, but -entirely from a sense of duty, and yet it is, beyond -doubt, a desperate risk. If things should go wrong, -I will have some claims to the title of martyr.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This eternal reading of riddles was too much for -me. I felt that I must put a term to it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think it would be very much better, sir, if you -were to trust me entirely,” said I. “It is impossible -for me to act effectively, when I do not know what -are the objects which we have in view, or even where -we are going.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, as to where we are going, there need be no -mystery about that,” said he; “we are going to Delamere -Court, the residence of Sir Thomas Rossiter, with -whose work you are so conversant. As to the exact -object of our visit, I do not know that at this stage of -the proceedings anything would be gained, Dr. Hamilton, -by my taking you into my complete confidence. I may -tell you that we are acting—I say ‘we,’ because my -sister, Lady Rossiter, takes the same view as myself—with -the one object of preventing anything in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>nature of a family scandal. That being so, you can -understand that I am loth to give any explanations -which are not absolutely necessary. It would be a -different matter, Dr. Hamilton, if I were asking your -advice. As matters stand, it is only your active help -which I need, and I will indicate to you from time to -time how you can best give it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was nothing more to be said, and a poor man -can put up with a good deal for twenty pounds a day, -but I felt none the less that Lord Linchmere was -acting rather scurvily towards me. He wished to -convert me into a passive tool, like the blackthorn in -his hand. With his sensitive disposition I could -imagine, however, that scandal would be abhorrent to -him, and I realized that he would not take me into -his confidence until no other course was open to him. -I must trust to my own eyes and ears to solve the -mystery, but I had every confidence that I should not -trust to them in vain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Delamere Court lies a good five miles from Pangbourne -Station, and we drove for that distance in an -open fly. Lord Linchmere sat in deep thought during -the time, and he never opened his mouth until we -were close to our destination. When he did speak -it was to give me a piece of information which surprised -me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Perhaps you are not aware,” said he, “that I am -a medical man like yourself?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir, I did not know it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I qualified in my younger days, when there -were several lives between me and the peerage. I -have not had occasion to practise, but I have found it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>a useful education, all the same. I never regretted -the years which I devoted to medical study. These -are the gates of Delamere Court.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We had come to two high pillars crowned with -heraldic monsters which flanked the opening of a -winding avenue. Over the laurel bushes and rhododendrons -I could see a long, many-gabled mansion, -girdled with ivy, and toned to the warm, cheery, -mellow glow of old brick-work. My eyes were still -fixed in admiration upon this delightful house when -my companion plucked nervously at my sleeve.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here’s Sir Thomas,” he whispered. “Please talk -beetle all you can.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A tall, thin figure, curiously angular and bony, had -emerged through a gap in the hedge of laurels. In his -hand he held a spud, and he wore gauntleted gardener’s -gloves. A broad-brimmed, grey hat cast his face into -shadow, but it struck me as exceedingly austere, with -an ill-nourished beard and harsh, irregular features. -The fly pulled up and Lord Linchmere sprang out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear Thomas, how are you?” said he, heartily.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the heartiness was by no means reciprocal. -The owner of the grounds glared at me over his -brother-in-law’s shoulder, and I caught broken scraps -of sentences—“well-known wishes ... hatred of -strangers ... unjustifiable intrusion ... perfectly -inexcusable.” Then there was a muttered explanation, -and the two of them came over together to the side of -the fly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let me present you to Sir Thomas Rossiter, -Dr. Hamilton,” said Lord Linchmere. “You will find -that you have a strong community of tastes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>I bowed. Sir Thomas stood very stiffly, looking at -me severely from under the broad brim of his hat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Lord Linchmere tells me that you know something -about beetles,” said he. “What do you know about -beetles?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I know what I have learned from your work upon -the coleoptera, Sir Thomas,” I answered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Give me the names of the better-known species -of the British scarabæi,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had not expected an examination, but fortunately -I was ready for one. My answers seemed to please -him, for his stern features relaxed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You appear to have read my book with some -profit, sir,” said he. “It is a rare thing for me to -meet any one who takes an intelligent interest in such -matters. People can find time for such trivialities as -sport or society, and yet the beetles are overlooked. -I can assure you that the greater part of the idiots in -this part of the country are unaware that I have ever -written a book at all—I, the first man who ever described -the true function of the elytra. I am glad to -see you, sir, and I have no doubt that I can show you -some specimens which will interest you.” He stepped -into the fly and drove up with us to the house, expounding -to me as we went some recent researches -which he had made into the anatomy of the lady-bird.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that Sir Thomas Rossiter wore a large -hat drawn down over his brows. As he entered the -hall he uncovered himself, and I was at once aware of -a singular characteristic which the hat had concealed. -His forehead, which was naturally high, and higher -still on account of receding hair, was in a continual -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>state of movement. Some nervous weakness kept the -muscles in a constant spasm, which sometimes produced -a mere twitching and sometimes a curious rotary movement -unlike anything which I had ever seen before. -It was strikingly visible as he turned towards us after -entering the study, and seemed the more singular from -the contrast with the hard, steady grey eyes which -looked out from underneath those palpitating brows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am sorry,” said he, “that Lady Rossiter is not -here to help me to welcome you. By the way, Charles, -did Evelyn say anything about the date of her return?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She wished to stay in town for a few more days,” -said Lord Linchmere. “You know how ladies’ social -duties accumulate if they have been for some time in -the country. My sister has many old friends in London -at present.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, she is her own mistress, and I should not -wish to alter her plans, but I shall be glad when I -see her again. It is very lonely here without her -company.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was afraid that you might find it so, and that -was partly why I ran down. My young friend, Dr. -Hamilton, is so much interested in the subject which -you have made your own, that I thought you would -not mind his accompanying me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I lead a retired life, Dr. Hamilton, and my aversion -to strangers grows upon me,” said our host. “I have -sometimes thought that my nerves are not so good as -they were. My travels in search of beetles in my -younger days took me into many malarious and unhealthy -places. But a brother coleopterist like yourself -is always a welcome guest, and I shall be delighted if -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>you will look over my collection, which I think that -I may without exaggeration describe as the best in -Europe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so no doubt it was. He had a huge oaken -cabinet arranged in shallow drawers, and here, neatly -ticketed and classified, were beetles from every corner -of the earth, black, brown, blue, green, and mottled. -Every now and then as he swept his hand over the -lines and lines of impaled insects he would catch up -some rare specimen, and, handling it with as much -delicacy and reverence as if it were a precious relic, -he would hold forth upon its peculiarities and the -circumstances under which it came into his possession. -It was evidently an unusual thing for him to meet with -a sympathetic listener, and he talked and talked until -the spring evening had deepened into night, and the -gong announced that it was time to dress for dinner. -All the time Lord Linchmere said nothing, but he -stood at his brother-in-law’s elbow, and I caught him -continually shooting curious little, questioning glances -into his face. And his own features expressed some -strong emotion, apprehension, sympathy, expectation: -I seemed to read them all. I was sure that Lord -Linchmere was fearing something and awaiting something, -but what that something might be I could not -imagine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The evening passed quietly but pleasantly, and I -should have been entirely at my ease if it had not been -for that continual sense of tension upon the part of -Lord Linchmere. As to our host, I found that he -improved upon acquaintance. He spoke constantly -with affection of his absent wife, and also of his little -<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>son, who had recently been sent to school. The house, -he said, was not the same without them. If it were -not for his scientific studies, he did not know how he -could get through the days. After dinner we smoked -for some time in the billiard-room, and finally went -early to bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then it was that, for the first time, the suspicion -that Lord Linchmere was a lunatic crossed my mind. -He followed me into my bedroom, when our host had -retired.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Doctor,” said he, speaking in a low, hurried voice, -“you must come with me. You must spend the night -in my bedroom.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you mean?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I prefer not to explain. But this is part of your -duties. My room is close by, and you can return to -your own before the servant calls you in the morning.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because I am nervous of being alone,” said he. -“That’s the reason, since you must have a reason.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It seemed rank lunacy, but the argument of those -twenty pounds would overcome many objections. I -followed him to his room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said I, “there’s only room for one in -that bed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Only one shall occupy it,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the other?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Must remain, on watch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why?” said I. “One would think you expected -to be attacked.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Perhaps I do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In that case, why not lock your door?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>“Perhaps I <em>want</em> to be attacked.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It looked more and more like lunacy. However, -there was nothing for it but to submit. I shrugged -my shoulders and sat down in the arm-chair beside the -empty fireplace.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am to remain on watch, then?” said I, ruefully.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We will divide the night. If you will watch until -two, I will watch the remainder.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very good.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Call me at two o’clock, then.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will do so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Keep your ears open, and if you hear any sounds -wake me instantly—instantly, you hear?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You can rely upon it.” I tried to look as solemn -as he did.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And for God’s sake don’t go to sleep,” said he, -and so, taking off only his coat, he threw the coverlet -over him and settled down for the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a melancholy vigil, and made more so by -my own sense of its folly. Supposing that by any -chance Lord Linchmere had cause to suspect that he -was subject to danger in the house of Sir Thomas -Rossiter, why on earth could he not lock his door and -so protect himself? His own answer that he might -wish to be attacked was absurd. Why should he -possibly wish to be attacked? And who would wish -to attack him? Clearly, Lord Linchmere was suffering -from some singular delusion, and the result was that -on an imbecile pretext I was to be deprived of my -night’s rest. Still, however absurd, I was determined -to carry out his injunctions to the letter as long as I -was in his employment. I sat therefore beside the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>empty fireplace, and listened to a sonorous chiming -clock somewhere down the passage, which gurgled and -struck every quarter of an hour. It was an endless -vigil. Save for that single clock, an absolute silence -reigned throughout the great house. A small lamp -stood on the table at my elbow, throwing a circle of -light round my chair, but leaving the corners of the -room draped in shadow. On the bed Lord Linchmere -was breathing peacefully. I envied him his quiet sleep, -and again and again my own eyelids drooped, but every -time my sense of duty came to my help, and I sat up, -rubbing my eyes and pinching myself with a determination -to see my irrational watch to an end.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And I did so. From down the passage came the -chimes of two o’clock, and I laid my hand upon the -shoulder of the sleeper. Instantly he was sitting up, -with an expression of the keenest interest upon his -face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have heard something?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir. It is two o’clock.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very good. I will watch. You can go to sleep.” -I lay down under the coverlet as he had done, and -was soon unconscious. My last recollection was of -that circle of lamplight, and of the small, hunched-up -figure and strained, anxious face of Lord Linchmere in -the centre of it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>How long I slept I do not know; but I was suddenly -aroused by a sharp tug at my sleeve. The room was -in darkness, but a hot smell of oil told me that the -lamp had only that instant been extinguished.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Quick! Quick!” said Lord Linchmere’s voice in -my ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>I sprang out of bed, he still dragging at my arm.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Over here!” he whispered, and pulled me into a -corner of the room. “Hush! Listen!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the silence of the night I could distinctly hear -that someone was coming down the corridor. It was a -stealthy step, faint and intermittent, as of a man who -paused cautiously after every stride. Sometimes for -half a minute there was no sound, and then came the -shuffle and creak which told of a fresh advance. My -companion was trembling with excitement. His hand -which still held my sleeve twitched like a branch in -the wind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it?” I whispered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s he!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sir Thomas?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What does he want?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Hush! Do nothing until I tell you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was conscious now that someone was trying the -door. There was the faintest little rattle from the -handle, and then I dimly saw a thin slit of subdued -light. There was a lamp burning somewhere far down -the passage, and it just sufficed to make the outside -visible from the darkness of our room. The greyish -slit grew broader and broader, very gradually, very -gently, and then outlined against it I saw the dark -figure of a man. He was squat and crouching, with -the silhouette of a bulky and misshapen dwarf. -Slowly the door swung open with this ominous shape -framed in the centre of it. And then, in an instant -the crouching figure shot up, there was a tiger spring -across the room, and thud, thud, thud, came three -<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>tremendous blows from some heavy object upon the -bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was so paralyzed with amazement that I stood -motionless and staring until I was aroused by a yell -for help from my companion. The open door shed -enough light for me to see the outline of things, and -there was little Lord Linchmere with his arms round -the neck of his brother-in-law, holding bravely on to -him like a game bull-terrier with its teeth into a gaunt -deerhound. The tall, bony man dashed himself about, -writhing round and round to get a grip upon his assailant; -but the other, clutching on from behind, still kept -his hold, though his shrill, frightened cries showed how -unequal he felt the contest to be. I sprang to the -rescue, and the two of us managed to throw Sir Thomas -to the ground, though he made his teeth meet in my -shoulder. With all my youth and weight and strength, -it was a desperate struggle before we could master his -frenzied struggles; but at last we secured his arms with -the waist-cord of the dressing-gown which he was wearing. -I was holding his legs while Lord Linchmere was -endeavouring to relight the lamp, when there came the -pattering of many feet in the passage, and the butler -and two footmen, who had been alarmed by the cries, -rushed into the room. With their aid we had no -further difficulty in securing our prisoner, who lay -foaming and glaring upon the ground. One glance at -his face was enough to prove that he was a dangerous -maniac, while the short, heavy hammer which lay beside -the bed showed how murderous had been his intentions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do not use any violence!” said Lord Linchmere, -as we raised the struggling man to his feet. “He will -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>have a period of stupor after this excitement. I believe -that it is coming on already.” As he spoke the convulsions -became less violent, and the madman’s head -fell forward upon his breast, as if he were overcome by -sleep. We led him down the passage and stretched -him upon his own bed, where he lay unconscious, -breathing heavily.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Two of you will watch him,” said Lord Linchmere. -“And now, Dr. Hamilton, if you will return with me -to my room, I will give you the explanation which my -horror of scandal has perhaps caused me to delay too -long. Come what may, you will never have cause to -regret your share in this night’s work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The case may be made clear in a very few words,” -he continued, when we were alone. “My poor brother-in-law -is one of the best fellows upon earth, a loving -husband and an estimable father, but he comes from a -stock which is deeply tainted with insanity. He has -more than once had homicidal outbreaks, which are the -more painful because his inclination is always to attack -the very person to whom he is most attached. His -son was sent away to school to avoid this danger, and -then came an attempt upon my sister, his wife, from -which she escaped with injuries that you may have -observed when you met her in London. You understand -that he knows nothing of the matter when he is -in his sound senses, and would ridicule the suggestion -that he could under any circumstances injure those -whom he loves so dearly. It is often, as you know, a -characteristic of such maladies that it is absolutely -impossible to convince the man who suffers from them -of their existence.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>“Our great object was, of course, to get him under -restraint before he could stain his hands with blood, -but the matter was full of difficulty. He is a recluse -in his habits, and would not see any medical man. -Besides, it was necessary for our purpose that the -medical man should convince himself of his insanity; -and he is sane as you or I, save on these very rare -occasions. But, fortunately, before he has these attacks -he always shows certain premonitory symptoms, which -are providential danger-signals, warning us to be upon -our guard. The chief of these is that nervous contortion -of the forehead which you must have observed. -This is a phenomenon which always appears from three -to four days before his attacks of frenzy. The moment -it showed itself his wife came into town on some pretext, -and took refuge in my house in Brook Street.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It remained for me to convince a medical man of -Sir Thomas’s insanity, without which it was impossible -to put him where he could do no harm. The first problem -was how to get a medical man into his house. I -bethought me of his interest in beetles, and his love for -any one who shared his tastes. I advertised, therefore, -and was fortunate enough to find in you the very man -I wanted. A stout companion was necessary, for I -knew that the lunacy could only be proved by a murderous -assault, and I had every reason to believe that -that assault would be made upon myself, since he had -the warmest regard for me in his moments of sanity. -I think your intelligence will supply all the rest. I -did not know that the attack would come by night, but -I thought it very probable, for the crises of such cases -usually do occur in the early hours of the morning. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>am a very nervous man myself, but I saw no other way -in which I could remove this terrible danger from my -sister’s life. I need not ask you whether you are willing -to sign the lunacy papers.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Undoubtedly. But <em>two</em> signatures are necessary.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You forget that I am myself a holder of a medical -degree. I have the papers on a side-table here, so if -you will be good enough to sign them now, we can have -the patient removed in the morning.”</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>So that was my visit to Sir Thomas Rossiter, the -famous beetle-hunter, and that was also my first step -upon the ladder of success, for Lady Rossiter and Lord -Linchmere have proved to be staunch friends, and they -have never forgotten my association with them in the -time of their need. Sir Thomas is out and said to be -cured, but I still think that if I spent another night at -Delamere Court, I should be inclined to lock my door -upon the inside.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE MAN WITH THE WATCHES</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>There are many who will still bear in mind the -singular circumstances which, under the heading of the -Rugby Mystery, filled many columns of the daily -Press in the spring of the year 1892. Coming as it -did at a period of exceptional dulness, it attracted -perhaps rather more attention than it deserved, but it -offered to the public that mixture of the whimsical -and the tragic which is most stimulating to the popular -imagination. Interest drooped, however, when, after -weeks of fruitless investigation, it was found that no -final explanation of the facts was forthcoming, and the -tragedy seemed from that time to the present to have -finally taken its place in the dark catalogue of inexplicable -and unexpiated crimes. A recent communication -(the authenticity of which appears to be above -question) has, however, thrown some new and clear -light upon the matter. Before laying it before the -public it would be as well, perhaps, that I should -refresh their memories as to the singular facts upon -which this commentary is founded. These facts were -briefly as follows:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>At five o’clock on the evening of the 18th of -March in the year already mentioned a train left -Euston Station for Manchester. It was a rainy, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>squally day, which grew wilder as it progressed, so it -was by no means the weather in which any one would -travel who was not driven to do so by necessity. The -train, however, is a favourite one among Manchester -business men who are returning from town, for it does -the journey in four hours and twenty minutes, with -only three stoppages upon the way. In spite of the -inclement evening it was, therefore, fairly well filled -upon the occasion of which I speak. The guard of the -train was a tried servant of the company—a man who -had worked for twenty-two years without blemish or -complaint. His name was John Palmer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The station clock was upon the stroke of five, and -the guard was about to give the customary signal to -the engine-driver when he observed two belated passengers -hurrying down the platform. The one was an -exceptionally tall man, dressed in a long black overcoat -with Astrakhan collar and cuffs. I have already -said that the evening was an inclement one, and the -tall traveller had the high, warm collar turned up to -protect his throat against the bitter March wind. He -appeared, as far as the guard could judge by so hurried -an inspection, to be a man between fifty and sixty years -of age, who had retained a good deal of the vigour and -activity of his youth. In one hand he carried a brown -leather Gladstone bag. His companion was a lady, -tall and erect, walking with a vigorous step which outpaced -the gentleman beside her. She wore a long, -fawn-coloured dust-cloak, a black, close-fitting toque, -and a dark veil which concealed the greater part of -her face. The two might very well have passed as -father and daughter. They walked swiftly down the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>line of carriages, glancing in at the windows, until the -guard, John Palmer, overtook them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Now, then, sir, look sharp, the train is going,” -said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“First-class,” the man answered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The guard turned the handle of the nearest door. -In the carriage, which he had opened, there sat a small -man with a cigar in his mouth. His appearance seems -to have impressed itself upon the guard’s memory, -for he was prepared, afterwards, to describe or to -identify him. He was a man of thirty-four or thirty-five -years of age, dressed in some grey material, sharp-nosed, -alert, with a ruddy, weather-beaten face, and a -small, closely cropped black beard. He glanced up as -the door was opened. The tall man paused with his -foot upon the step.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is a smoking compartment. The lady dislikes -smoke,” said he, looking round at the guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All right! Here you are, sir!” said John Palmer. -He slammed the door of the smoking carriage, opened -that of the next one, which was empty, and thrust the -two travellers in. At the same moment he sounded -his whistle and the wheels of the train began to move. -The man with the cigar was at the window of his -carriage, and said something to the guard as he rolled -past him, but the words were lost in the bustle of the -departure. Palmer stepped into the guard’s van, as -it came up to him, and thought no more of the -incident.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Twelve minutes after its departure the train -reached Willesden Junction, where it stopped for a -very short interval. An examination of the tickets -<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>has made it certain that no one either joined or left it -at this time, and no passenger was seen to alight upon -the platform. At 5.14 the journey to Manchester was -resumed, and Rugby was reached at 6.50, the express -being five minutes late.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At Rugby the attention of the station officials was -drawn to the fact that the door of one of the first-class -carriages was open. An examination of that -compartment, and of its neighbour, disclosed a remarkable -state of affairs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The smoking carriage in which the short, red-faced -man with the black beard had been seen was now -empty. Save for a half-smoked cigar, there was no -trace whatever of its recent occupant. The door of this -carriage was fastened. In the next compartment, to -which attention had been originally drawn, there was -no sign either of the gentleman with the Astrakhan -collar or of the young lady who accompanied him. All -three passengers had disappeared. On the other hand, -there was found upon the floor of this carriage—the -one in which the tall traveller and the lady had been—a -young man, fashionably dressed and of elegant -appearance. He lay with his knees drawn up, and his -head resting against the further door, an elbow upon -either seat. A bullet had penetrated his heart and his -death must have been instantaneous. No one had seen -such a man enter the train, and no railway ticket was -found in his pocket, neither were there any markings -upon his linen, nor papers nor personal property which -might help to identify him. Who he was, whence he -had come, and how he had met his end were each as -great a mystery as what had occurred to the three people -<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>who had started an hour and a half before from -Willesden in those two compartments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that there was no personal property -which might help to identify him, but it is true that -there was one peculiarity about this unknown young -man which was much commented upon at the time. -In his pockets were found no fewer than six valuable -gold watches, three in the various pockets of his -waistcoat, one in his ticket-pocket, one in his breast-pocket, -and one small one set in a leather strap and -fastened round his left wrist. The obvious explanation -that the man was a pickpocket, and that this was his -plunder, was discounted by the fact that all six were -of American make, and of a type which is rare in -England. Three of them bore the mark of the -Rochester Watchmaking Company; one was by Mason, -of Elmira; one was unmarked; and the small one, -which was highly jewelled and ornamented, was from -Tiffany, of New York. The other contents of his -pocket consisted of an ivory knife with a corkscrew by -Rodgers, of Sheffield; a small circular mirror, one inch -in diameter; a re-admission slip to the Lyceum -theatre; a silver box full of vesta matches, and a -brown leather cigar-case containing two cheroots—also -two pounds fourteen shillings in money. It was -clear, then, that whatever motives may have led to -his death, robbery was not among them. As already -mentioned, there were no markings upon the man’s -linen, which appeared to be new, and no tailor’s name -upon his coat. In appearance he was young, short, -smooth-cheeked, and delicately featured. One of his -front teeth was conspicuously stopped with gold.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>On the discovery of the tragedy an examination -was instantly made of the tickets of all passengers, -and the number of the passengers themselves was -counted. It was found that only three tickets were -unaccounted for, corresponding to the three travellers -who were missing. The express was then allowed to -proceed, but a new guard was sent with it, and John -Palmer was detained as a witness at Rugby. The -carriage which included the two compartments in -question was uncoupled and side-tracked. Then, on -the arrival of Inspector Vane, of Scotland Yard, and -of Mr. Henderson, a detective in the service of the -railway company, an exhaustive inquiry was made -into all the circumstances.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That crime had been committed was certain. The -bullet, which appeared to have come from a small -pistol or revolver, had been fired from some little -distance, as there was no scorching of the clothes. -No weapon was found in the compartment (which -finally disposed of the theory of suicide), nor was -there any sign of the brown leather bag which the -guard had seen in the hand of the tall gentleman. A -lady’s parasol was found upon the rack, but no other -trace was to be seen of the travellers in either of the -sections. Apart from the crime, the question of how -or why three passengers (one of them a lady) could -get out of the train, and one other get in during the -unbroken run between Willesden and Rugby, was one -which excited the utmost curiosity among the general -public, and gave rise to much speculation in the -London Press.</p> - -<p class='c000'>John Palmer, the guard, was able at the inquest -<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>to give some evidence which threw a little light upon -the matter. There was a spot between Tring and -Cheddington, according to his statement, where, on -account of some repairs to the line, the train had for -a few minutes slowed down to a pace not exceeding -eight or ten miles an hour. At that place it might be -possible for a man, or even for an exceptionally active -woman, to have left the train without serious injury. -It was true that a gang of platelayers was there, and -that they had seen nothing, but it was their custom to -stand in the middle between the metals, and the open -carriage door was upon the far side, so that it was conceivable -that someone might have alighted unseen, as -the darkness would by that time be drawing in. A -steep embankment would instantly screen anyone who -sprang out from the observation of the navvies.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The guard also deposed that there was a good deal -of movement upon the platform at Willesden Junction, -and that though it was certain that no one had either -joined or left the train there, it was still quite possible -that some of the passengers might have changed -unseen from one compartment to another. It was by -no means uncommon for a gentleman to finish his -cigar in a smoking carriage and then to change to a -clearer atmosphere. Supposing that the man with the -black beard had done so at Willesden (and the half-smoked -cigar upon the floor seemed to favour the -supposition), he would naturally go into the nearest -section, which would bring him into the company of -the two other actors in this drama. Thus the first -stage of the affair might be surmised without any great -breach of probability. But what the second stage had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>been, or how the final one had been arrived at, neither -the guard nor the experienced detective officers could -suggest.</p> - -<p class='c000'> A careful examination of the line between Willesden -and Rugby resulted in one discovery which might or -might not have a bearing upon the tragedy. Near -Tring, at the very place where the train slowed down, -there was found at the bottom of the embankment a -small pocket Testament, very shabby and worn. It -was printed by the Bible Society of London, and bore -an inscription: “From John to Alice. Jan. 13th, -1856,” upon the fly-leaf. Underneath was written: -“James, July 4th, 1859,” and beneath that again: -“Edward. Nov. 1st, 1869,” all the entries being in -the same handwriting. This was the only clue, if it -could be called a clue, which the police obtained, and -the coroner’s verdict of “Murder by a person or -persons unknown” was the unsatisfactory ending of -a singular case. Advertisement, rewards, and inquiries -proved equally fruitless, and nothing could be found -which was solid enough to form the basis for a -profitable investigation.</p> - -<p class='c000'> It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that no -theories were formed to account for the facts. On the -contrary, the Press, both in England and in America, -teemed with suggestions and suppositions, most of -which were obviously absurd. The fact that the -watches were of American make, and some peculiarities -in connection with the gold stopping of his front tooth, -appeared to indicate that the deceased was a citizen of -the United States, though his linen, clothes, and boots -were undoubtedly of British manufacture. It was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>surmised, by some, that he was concealed under the -seat, and that, being discovered, he was for some -reason, possibly because he had overheard their guilty -secrets, put to death by his fellow-passengers. When -coupled with generalities as to the ferocity and cunning -of anarchical and other secret societies, this theory -sounded as plausible as any.</p> - -<p class='c000'> The fact that he should be without a ticket would -be consistent with the idea of concealment, and it was -well known that women played a prominent part in -the Nihilistic propaganda. On the other hand, it was -clear, from the guard’s statement, that the man must -have been hidden there <em>before</em> the others arrived, and -how unlikely the coincidence that conspirators should -stray exactly into the very compartment in which a -spy was already concealed! Besides, this explanation -ignored the man in the smoking carriage, and gave no -reason at all for his simultaneous disappearance. The -police had little difficulty in showing that such a theory -would not cover the facts, but they were unprepared -in the absence of evidence to advance any alternative -explanation.</p> - -<p class='c000'> There was a letter in the <cite>Daily Gazette</cite>, over the -signature of a well-known criminal investigator, which -gave rise to considerable discussion at the time. He -had formed a hypothesis which had at least ingenuity -to recommend it, and I cannot do better than append -it in his own words.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Whatever may be the truth,” said he, “it must -depend upon some bizarre and rare combination of -events, so we need have no hesitation in postulating -such events in our explanation. In the absence of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>data we must abandon the analytic or scientific method -of investigation, and must approach it in the synthetic -fashion. In a word, instead of taking known events and -deducing from them what has occurred, we must build -up a fanciful explanation if it will only be consistent -with known events. We can then test this explanation -by any fresh facts which may arise. If they all -fit into their places, the probability is that we are upon -the right track, and with each fresh fact this probability -increases in a geometrical progression until the -evidence becomes final and convincing.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Now, there is one most remarkable and suggestive -fact which has not met with the attention which it -deserves. There is a local train running through -Harrow and King’s Langley, which is timed in such a -way that the express must have overtaken it at or about -the period when it eased down its speed to eight miles -an hour on account of the repairs of the line. The -two trains would at that time be travelling in the same -direction at a similar rate of speed and upon parallel -lines. It is within everyone’s experience how, under -such circumstances, the occupant of each carriage can -see very plainly the passengers in the other carriages -opposite to him. The lamps of the express had been -lit at Willesden, so that each compartment was brightly -illuminated, and most visible to an observer from -outside.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Now, the sequence of events as I reconstruct -them would be after this fashion. This young man -with the abnormal number of watches was alone in the -carriage of the slow train. His ticket, with his papers -and gloves and other things, was, we will suppose, on -<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>the seat beside him. He was probably an American, -and also probably a man of weak intellect. The excessive -wearing of jewellery is an early symptom in -some forms of mania.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “As he sat watching the carriages of the express -which were (on account of the state of the line) going -at the same pace as himself, he suddenly saw some -people in it whom he knew. We will suppose for the -sake of our theory that these people were a woman -whom he loved and a man whom he hated—and who -in return hated him. The young man was excitable -and impulsive. He opened the door of his carriage, -stepped from the footboard of the local train to the -footboard of the express, opened the other door, and -made his way into the presence of these two people. -The feat (on the supposition that the trains were going -at the same pace) is by no means so perilous as it might -appear.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Having now got our young man without his ticket -into the carriage in which the elder man and the young -woman are travelling, it is not difficult to imagine that -a violent scene ensued. It is possible that the pair -were also Americans, which is the more probable as -the man carried a weapon—an unusual thing in England. -If our supposition of incipient mania is correct, -the young man is likely to have assaulted the other. -As the upshot of the quarrel the elder man shot the -intruder, and then made his escape from the carriage, -taking the young lady with him. We will suppose -that all this happened very rapidly, and that the train -was still going at so slow a pace that it was not difficult -for them to leave it. A woman might leave a train -<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>going at eight miles an hour. As a matter of fact, we -know that this woman <em>did</em> do so.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “And now we have to fit in the man in the smoking -carriage. Presuming that we have, up to this -point, reconstructed the tragedy correctly, we shall find -nothing in this other man to cause us to reconsider our -conclusions. According to my theory, this man saw -the young fellow cross from one train to the other, saw -him open the door, heard the pistol-shot, saw the two -fugitives spring out on to the line, realized that murder -had been done, and sprang out himself in pursuit. -Why he has never been heard of since—whether he -met his own death in the pursuit, or whether, as is -more likely, he was made to realize that it was not a -case for his interference—is a detail which we have at -present no means of explaining. I acknowledge that -there are some difficulties in the way. At first sight, -it might seem improbable that at such a moment a -murderer would burden himself in his flight with a -brown leather bag. My answer is that he was well -aware that if the bag were found his identity would be -established. It was absolutely necessary for him to -take it with him. My theory stands or falls upon one -point, and I call upon the railway company to make -strict inquiry as to whether a ticket was found unclaimed -in the local train through Harrow and King’s -Langley upon the 18th of March. If such a ticket -were found my case is proved. If not, my theory may -still be the correct one, for it is conceivable either that -he travelled without a ticket or that his ticket was -lost.”</p> - -<p class='c000'> To this elaborate and plausible hypothesis the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>answer of the police and of the company was, first, -that no such ticket was found; secondly, that the slow -train would never run parallel to the express; and, -thirdly, that the local train had been stationary in -King’s Langley Station when the express, going at fifty -miles an hour, had flashed past it. So perished the -only satisfying explanation, and five years have elapsed -without supplying<a id='t53'></a> a new one. Now, at last, there -comes a statement which covers all the facts, and which -must be regarded as authentic. It took the shape of a -letter dated from New York, and addressed to the same -criminal investigator whose theory I have quoted. It -is given here in <span lang="la" xml:lang="la">extenso</span>, with the exception of the -two opening paragraphs, which are personal in their -nature:—</p> - -<p class='c000'> “You’ll excuse me if I’m not very free with names. -There’s less reason now than there was five years ago -when mother was still living. But for all that, I had -rather cover up our tracks all I can. But I owe you -an explanation, for if your idea of it was wrong, it was -a mighty ingenious one all the same. I’ll have to go -back a little so as you may understand all about it.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “My people came from Bucks, England, and emigrated -to the States in the early fifties. They settled -in Rochester, in the State of New York, where my -father ran a large dry goods store. There were only -two sons: myself, James, and my brother, Edward. I -was ten years older than my brother, and after my father -died I sort of took the place of a father to him, as an -elder brother would. He was a bright, spirited boy, -and just one of the most beautiful creatures that ever -lived. But there was always a soft spot in him, and it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>was like mould in cheese, for it spread and spread, and -nothing that you could do would stop it. Mother saw -it just as clearly as I did, but she went on spoiling him -all the same, for he had such a way with him that you -could refuse him nothing. I did all I could to hold -him in, and he hated me for my pains.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “At last he fairly got his head, and nothing that -we could do would stop him. He got off into New -York, and went rapidly from bad to worse. At first he -was only fast, and then he was criminal; and then, at -the end of a year or two, he was one of the most notorious -young crooks in the city. He had formed a -friendship with Sparrow MacCoy, who was at the head -of his profession as a bunco-steerer, green goods-man, -and general rascal. They took to card-sharping, and -frequented some of the best hotels in New York. My -brother was an excellent actor (he might have made an -honest name for himself if he had chosen), and he would -take the parts of a young Englishman of title, of a -simple lad from the West, or of a college undergraduate, -whichever suited Sparrow MacCoy’s purpose. -And then one day he dressed himself as a girl, and he -carried it off so well, and made himself such a valuable -decoy, that it was their favourite game afterwards. -They had made it right with Tammany and with the -police, so it seemed as if nothing could ever stop them, -for those were in the days before the Lexow Commission, -and if you only had a pull, you could do pretty -nearly everything you wanted.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “And nothing would have stopped them if they -had only stuck to cards and New York, but they must -needs come up Rochester way, and forge a name upon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>a check. It was my brother that did it, though everyone -knew that it was under the influence of Sparrow -MacCoy. I bought up that check, and a pretty sum it -cost me. Then I went to my brother, laid it before -him on the table, and swore to him that I would prosecute -if he did not clear out of the country. At first he -simply laughed. I could not prosecute, he said, without -breaking our mother’s heart, and he knew that I -would not do that. I made him understand, however, -that our mother’s heart was being broken in any case, -and that I had set firm on the point that I would -rather see him in a Rochester gaol than in a New York -hotel. So at last he gave in, and he made me a solemn -promise that he would see Sparrow MacCoy no more, -that he would go to Europe, and that he would turn -his hand to any honest trade that I helped him to get. -I took him down right away to an old family friend, -Joe Willson, who is an exporter of American watches -and clocks, and I got him to give Edward an agency -in London, with a small salary and a 15 per cent. commission -on all business. His manner and appearance -were so good that he won the old man over at once, and -within a week he was sent off to London with a case -full of samples.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “It seemed to me that this business of the check -had really given my brother a fright, and that there -was some chance of his settling down into an honest -line of life. My mother had spoken with him, and -what she said had touched him, for she had always -been the best of mothers to him, and he had been the -great sorrow of her life. But I knew that this man -Sparrow MacCoy had a great influence over Edward, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>and my chance of keeping the lad straight lay in -breaking the connection between them. I had a friend -in the New York detective force, and through him I -kept a watch upon MacCoy. When within a fortnight -of my brother’s sailing I heard that MacCoy had taken -a berth in the <em>Etruria</em>, I was as certain as if he had -told me that he was going over to England for the -purpose of coaxing Edward back again into the ways -that he had left. In an instant I had resolved to go -also, and to put my influence against MacCoy’s. I -knew it was a losing fight, but I thought, and my -mother thought, that it was my duty. We passed the -last night together in prayer for my success, and she -gave me her own Testament that my father had given -her on the day of their marriage in the Old Country, -so that I might always wear it next my heart.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “I was a fellow-traveller, on the steamship, with -Sparrow MacCoy, and at least I had the satisfaction of -spoiling his little game for the voyage. The very first -night I went into the smoking-room, and found him at -the head of a card table, with half-a-dozen young -fellows who were carrying their full purses and their -empty skulls over to Europe. He was settling down -for his harvest, and a rich one it would have been. -But I soon changed all that.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘Gentlemen,’ said I, ‘are you aware whom you are -playing with?’</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘What’s that to you? You mind your own -business!’ said he, with an oath.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘Who is it, anyway?’ asked one of the dudes.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘He’s Sparrow MacCoy, the most notorious cardsharper -in the States.’</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span> “Up he jumped with a bottle in his hand, but he -remembered that he was under the flag of the effete -Old Country, where law and order run, and Tammany -has no pull. Gaol and the gallows wait for violence -and murder, and there’s no slipping out by the back -door on board an ocean liner.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘Prove your words, you——!’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “‘I will!’ said I. ‘If you will turn up your right -shirt-sleeve to the shoulder, I will either prove my -words or I will eat them.’</p> - -<p class='c000'> “He turned white and said not a word. You see, -I knew something of his ways, and I was aware that -part of the mechanism which he and all such sharpers -use consists of an elastic down the arm with a clip just -above the wrist. It is by means of this clip that they -withdraw from their hands the cards which they do not -want, while they substitute other cards from another -hiding-place. I reckoned on it being there, and it was. -He cursed me, slunk out of the saloon, and was hardly -seen again during the voyage. For once, at any rate, -I got level with Mister Sparrow MacCoy.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “But he soon had his revenge upon me, for when -it came to influencing my brother he outweighed me -every time. Edward had kept himself straight in -London for the first few weeks, and had done some -business with his American watches, until this villain -came across his path once more. I did my best, but -the best was little enough. The next thing I heard -there had been a scandal at one of the Northumberland -Avenue hotels: a traveller had been fleeced of a large -sum by two confederate card-sharpers, and the matter -was in the hands of Scotland Yard. The first I learned -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>of it was in the evening paper, and I was at once -certain that my brother and MacCoy were back at -their old games. I hurried at once to Edward’s lodgings. -They told me that he and a tall gentleman (whom I -recognized as MacCoy) had gone off together, and that -he had left the lodgings and taken his things with -him. The landlady had heard them give several -directions to the cabman, ending with Euston Station, -and she had accidentally overheard the tall gentleman -saying something about Manchester. She believed -that that was their destination.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A glance at the time-table showed me that the -most likely train was at five, though there was another -at 4.35 which they might have caught. I had only -time to get the later one, but found no sign of them -either at the depôt or in the train. They must have -gone on by the earlier one, so I determined to follow -them to Manchester and search for them in the hotels -there. One last appeal to my brother by all that he -owed to my mother might even now be the salvation -of him. My nerves were overstrung, and I lit a cigar -to steady them. At that moment, just as the train -was moving off, the door of my compartment was -flung open, and there were MacCoy and my brother -on the platform.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They were both disguised, and with good reason, -for they knew that the London police were after them. -MacCoy had a great Astrakhan collar drawn up, so that -only his eyes and nose were showing. My brother -was dressed like a woman, with a black veil half down -his face, but of course it did not deceive me for an -instant, nor would it have done so even if I had not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>known that he had often used such a dress before. I -started up, and as I did so MacCoy recognized me. -He said something, the conductor slammed the door, -and they were shown into the next compartment. I -tried to stop the train so as to follow them, but the -wheels were already moving, and it was too late.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When we stopped at Willesden, I instantly -changed my carriage. It appears that I was not seen -to do so, which is not surprising, as the station was -crowded with people. MacCoy, of course, was expecting -me, and he had spent the time between Euston -and Willesden in saying all he could to harden my -brother’s heart and set him against me. That is what -I fancy, for I had never found him so impossible to -soften or to move. I tried this way and I tried that; -I pictured his future in an English gaol; I described -the sorrow of his mother when I came back with the -news; I said everything to touch his heart, but all to -no purpose. He sat there with a fixed sneer upon his -handsome face, while every now and then Sparrow -MacCoy would throw in a taunt at me, or some word -of encouragement to hold my brother to his resolutions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Why don’t you run a Sunday-school?’ he would -say to me, and then, in the same breath: ‘He thinks -you have no will of your own. He thinks you are -just the baby brother and that he can lead you where -he likes. He’s only just finding out that you are a -man as well as he.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was those words of his which set me talking -bitterly. We had left Willesden, you understand, for -all this took some time. My temper got the better -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>of me, and for the first time in my life I let my brother -see the rough side of me. Perhaps it would have been -better had I done so earlier and more often.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘A man!’ said I. ‘Well, I’m glad to have your -friend’s assurance of it, for no one would suspect it to -see you like a boarding-school missy. I don’t suppose -in all this country there is a more contemptible-looking -creature than you are as you sit there with that Dolly -pinafore upon you.’ He coloured up at that, for he -was a vain man, and he winced from ridicule.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘It’s only a dust-cloak,’ said he, and he slipped -it off. ‘One has to throw the coppers off one’s scent, -and I had no other way to do it.’ He took his toque -off with the veil attached, and he put both it and the -cloak into his brown bag. ‘Anyway, I don’t need to -wear it until the conductor comes round,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Nor then, either,’ said I, and taking the bag I -slung it with all my force out of the window. ‘Now,’ -said I, ‘you’ll never make a Mary Jane of yourself -while I can help it. If nothing but that disguise -stands between you and a gaol, then to gaol you -shall go.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That was the way to manage him. I felt my -advantage at once. His supple nature was one which -yielded to roughness far more readily than to entreaty. -He flushed with shame, and his eyes filled with tears. -But MacCoy saw my advantage also, and was determined -that I should not pursue it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He’s my pard, and you shall not bully him,’ he -cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He’s my brother, and you shall not ruin him,’ -said I. ‘I believe a spell of prison is the very best -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>way of keeping you apart, and you shall have it, or it -will be no fault of mine.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Oh, you would squeal, would you?’ he cried, -and in an instant he whipped out his revolver. I -sprang for his hand, but saw that I was too late, and -jumped aside. At the same instant he fired, and the -bullet which would have struck me passed through -the heart of my unfortunate brother.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He dropped without a groan upon the floor of the -compartment, and MacCoy and I, equally horrified, -knelt at each side of him, trying to bring back some -signs of life. MacCoy still held the loaded revolver -in his hand, but his anger against me and my resentment -towards him had both for the moment been -swallowed up in this sudden tragedy. It was he who -first realized the situation. The train was for some -reason going very slowly at the moment, and he saw -his opportunity for escape. In an instant he had the -door open, but I was as quick as he, and jumping upon -him the two of us fell off the footboard and rolled in -each other’s arms down a steep embankment. At the -bottom I struck my head against a stone, and I remembered -nothing more. When I came to myself I was -lying among some low bushes, not far from the railroad -track, and somebody was bathing my head with -a wet handkerchief. It was Sparrow MacCoy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I guess I couldn’t leave you,’ said he. ‘I didn’t -want to have the blood of two of you on my hands -in one day. You loved your brother, I’ve no doubt; -but you didn’t love him a cent more than I loved him, -though you’ll say that I took a queer way to show it. -Anyhow, it seems a mighty empty world now that he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>is gone, and I don’t care a continental whether you -give me over to the hangman or not.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He had turned his ankle in the fall, and there -we sat, he with his useless foot, and I with my -throbbing head, and we talked and talked until -gradually my bitterness began to soften and to turn -into something like sympathy. What was the use of -revenging his death upon a man who was as much -stricken by that death as I was? And then, as my -wits gradually returned, I began to realize also that I -could do nothing against MacCoy which would not -recoil upon my mother and myself. How could we -convict him without a full account of my brother’s -career being made public—the very thing which of -all others we wished to avoid? It was really as much -our interest as his to cover the matter up, and from -being an avenger of crime I found myself changed to -a conspirator against Justice. The place in which we -found ourselves was one of those pheasant preserves -which are so common in the Old Country, and as we -groped our way through it I found myself consulting -the slayer of my brother as to how far it would be -possible to hush it up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I soon realized from what he said that unless -there were some papers of which we knew nothing in -my brother’s pockets, there was really no possible -means by which the police could identify him or learn -how he had got there. His ticket was in MacCoy’s -pocket, and so was the ticket for some baggage which -they had left at the depôt. Like most Americans, he -had found it cheaper and easier to buy an outfit in -London than to bring one from New York, so that all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>his linen and clothes were new and unmarked. The -bag, containing the dust cloak, which I had thrown -out of the window, may have fallen among some -bramble patch where it is still concealed, or may have -been carried off by some tramp, or may have come into -the possession of the police, who kept the incident to -themselves. Anyhow, I have seen nothing about it in -the London papers. As to the watches, they were a -selection from those which had been intrusted to him -for business purposes. It may have been for the same -business purposes that he was taking them to Manchester, -but—well, it’s too late to enter into that.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t blame the police for being at fault. I -don’t see how it could have been otherwise. There -was just one little clew that they might have followed -up, but it was a small one. I mean that small circular -mirror which was found in my brother’s pocket. It -isn’t a very common thing for a young man to carry -about with him, is it? But a gambler might have -told you what such a mirror may mean to a cardsharper. -If you sit back a little from the table, and -lay the mirror, face upwards, upon your lap, you can -see, as you deal, every card that you give to your -adversary. It is not hard to say whether you see a -man or raise him when you know his cards as well as -your own. It was as much a part of a sharper’s outfit -as the elastic clip upon Sparrow MacCoy’s arm. -Taking that, in connection with the recent frauds at -the hotels, the police might have got hold of one end -of the string.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t think there is much more for me to -explain. We got to a village called Amersham that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>night in the character of two gentlemen upon a walking -tour, and afterwards we made our way quietly to -London, whence MacCoy went on to Cairo and I -returned to New York. My mother died six months -afterwards, and I am glad to say that to the day of -her death she never knew what happened. She was -always under the delusion that Edward was earning -an honest living in London, and I never had the heart -to tell her the truth. He never wrote; but, then, he -never did write at any time, so that made no difference. -His name was the last upon her lips.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s just one other thing that I have to ask -you, sir, and I should take it as a kind return for all -this explanation, if you could do it for me. You -remember that Testament that was picked up. I -always carried it in my inside pocket, and it must -have come out in my fall. I value it very highly, for -it was the family book with my birth and my brother’s -marked by my father in the beginning of it. I wish -you would apply at the proper place and have it sent -to me. It can be of no possible value to any one else. -If you address it to X, Bassano’s Library, Broadway, -New York, it is sure to come to hand.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE POT OF CAVIARE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>It was the fourth day of the siege. Ammunition and -provisions were both nearing an end. When the -Boxer insurrection had suddenly flamed up, and roared, -like a fire in dry grass, across Northern China, the few -scattered Europeans in the outlying provinces had -huddled together at the nearest defensible post and had -held on for dear life until rescue came—or until it did -not. In the latter case, the less said about their fate -the better. In the former, they came back into the -world of men with that upon their faces which told -that they had looked very closely upon such an end as -would ever haunt their dreams.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ichau was only fifty miles from the coast, and there -was a European squadron in the Gulf of Liantong. -Therefore the absurd little garrison, consisting of -native Christians and railway men, with a German -officer to command them and five civilian Europeans -to support him, held on bravely with the conviction -that help must soon come sweeping down to them -from the low hills to eastward. The sea was visible -from those hills, and on the sea were their armed -countrymen. Surely, then, they could not feel deserted. -With brave hearts they manned the loopholes in the -crumbling brick walls outlining the tiny European -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>quarter, and they fired away briskly, if ineffectively, -at the rapidly advancing sangars of the Boxers. It -was certain that in another day or so they would be at -the end of their resources, but then it was equally -certain that in another day or so they must be relieved. -It might be a little sooner or it might be a little -later, but there was no one who ever ventured to hint -that the relief would not arrive in time to pluck them -out of the fire. Up to Tuesday night there was no -word of discouragement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was true that on the Wednesday their robust -faith in what was going forward behind those eastern -hills had weakened a little. The grey slopes lay bare -and unresponsive while the deadly sangars pushed -ever nearer, so near that the dreadful faces which -shrieked imprecations at them from time to time over -the top could be seen in every hideous feature. There -was not so much of that now since young Ainslie, of -the Diplomatic service, with his neat little .303 sporting -rifle, had settled down in the squat church tower, -and had devoted his days to abating the nuisance. -But a silent sangar is an even more impressive thing -than a clamorous one, and steadily, irresistibly, inevitably, -the lines of brick and rubble drew closer. Soon -they would be so near that one rush would assuredly -carry the frantic swordsmen over the frail entrenchment. -It all seemed very black upon the Wednesday -evening. Colonel Dresler, the German ex-infantry -soldier, went about with an imperturbable face, but a -heart of lead. Ralston, of the railway, was up half -the night writing farewell letters. Professor Mercer, -the old entomologist, was even more silent and grimly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>thoughtful than ever. Ainslie had lost some of his -flippancy. On the whole, the ladies—Miss Sinclair, -the nurse of the Scotch Mission, Mrs. Patterson, and -her pretty daughter Jessie, were the most composed -of the party. Father Pierre of the French Mission, -was also unaffected, as was natural to one who regarded -martyrdom as a glorious crown. The Boxers yelling -for his blood beyond the walls disturbed him less than -his forced association with the sturdy Scotch Presbyterian -presence of Mr. Patterson, with whom for ten -years he had wrangled over the souls of the natives. -They passed each other now in the corridors as dog -passes cat, and each kept a watchful eye upon the -other lest even in the trenches he might filch some -sheep from the rival fold, whispering heresy in -his ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the Wednesday night passed without a crisis, -and on the Thursday all was bright once more. It was -Ainslie up in the clock tower who had first heard the -distant thud of a gun. Then Dresler heard it, and -within half an hour it was audible to all—that strong -iron voice, calling to them from afar and bidding them -to be of good cheer, since help was coming. It was -clear that the landing party from the squadron was -well on its way. It would not arrive an hour too soon. -The cartridges were nearly finished. Their half-rations -of food would soon dwindle to an even more pitiful -supply. But what need to worry about that now that -relief was assured? There would be no attack that -day, as most of the Boxers could be seen streaming off -in the direction of the distant firing, and the long -lines of sangars were silent and deserted. They were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>all able, therefore, to assemble at the lunch-table, a -merry, talkative party, full of that joy of living -which sparkles most brightly under the imminent -shadow of death.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “The pot of caviare!” cried Ainslie. “Come, -Professor, out with the pot of caviare!”</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Potz-tausend! yes,” grunted old Dresler. “It is -certainly time that we had that famous pot.”</p> - -<p class='c000'> The ladies joined in, and from all parts of the -long, ill-furnished table there came the demand for -caviare.</p> - -<p class='c000'> It was a strange time to ask for such a delicacy, -but the reason is soon told. Professor Mercer, the old -Californian entomologist, had received a jar of caviare -in a hamper of goods from San Francisco, arriving a -day or two before the outbreak. In the general pooling -and distribution of provisions this one dainty and -three bottles of Lachryma Christi from the same -hamper had been excepted and set aside. By common -consent they were to be reserved for the final joyous -meal when the end of their peril should be in sight. -Even as they sat the thud-thud of the relieving guns -came to their ears—more luxurious music to their -lunch than the most sybaritic restaurant of London -could have supplied. Before evening the relief would -certainly be there. Why, then, should their stale bread -not be glorified by the treasured caviare?</p> - -<p class='c000'> But the Professor shook his gnarled old head and -smiled his inscrutable smile.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Better wait,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “Wait! Why wait?” cried the company.</p> - -<p class='c000'> “They have still far to come,” he answered.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>“They will be here for supper at the latest,” said -Ralston, of the railway—a keen, birdlike man, with -bright eyes and long, projecting nose. “They cannot -be more than ten miles from us now. If they only -did two miles an hour it would make them due at -seven.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is a battle on the way,” remarked the -Colonel. “You will grant two hours or three hours -for the battle.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not half an hour,” cried Ainslie. “They will -walk through them as if they were not there. What -can these rascals with their matchlocks and swords do -against modern weapons?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It depends on who leads the column of relief,” -said Dresler. “If they are fortunate enough to have a -German officer——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An Englishman for my money!” cried Ralston.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The French commodore is said to be an excellent -strategist,” remarked Father Pierre.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t see that it matters a toss,” cried the -exuberant Ainslie. “Mr. Mauser and Mr. Maxim -are the two men who will see us through, and with -them on our side no leader can go wrong. I tell you -they will just brush them aside and walk through -them. So now, Professor, come on with that pot of -caviare!”</p> - -<p class='c000'> But the old scientist was unconvinced.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We shall reserve it for supper,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“After all,” said Mr. Patterson, in his slow, precise -Scottish intonation, “it will be a courtesy to our -guests—the officers of the relief—if we have some -palatable food to lay before them. I’m in agreement -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>with the Professor that we reserve the caviare for -supper.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The argument appealed to their sense of hospitality. -There was something pleasantly chivalrous, -too, in the idea of keeping their one little delicacy to -give a savour to the meal of their preservers. There -was no more talk of the caviare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“By the way, Professor,” said Mr. Patterson, “I’ve -only heard to-day that this is the second time that -you have been besieged in this way. I’m sure we -should all be very interested to hear some details of -your previous experience.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The old man’s face set very grimly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was in Sung-tong, in South China, in ‘eighty-nine,” -said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s a very extraordinary coincidence that you -should twice have been in such a perilous situation,” -said the missionary. “Tell us how you were relieved -at Sung-tong.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The shadow deepened upon the weary face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We were not relieved,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What! the place fell?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, it fell.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And you came through alive?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am a doctor as well as an entomologist. They -had many wounded; they spared me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the rest?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Assez! assez!” cried the little French priest, -raising his hand in protest. He had been twenty years -in China. The professor had said nothing, but there -was something, some lurking horror, in his dull, grey -eyes which had turned the ladies pale.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>“I am sorry,” said the missionary. “I can see -that it is a painful subject. I should not have -asked.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No,” the Professor answered, slowly. “It is wiser -not to ask. It is better not to speak about such -things at all. But surely those guns are very much -nearer?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There could be no doubt of it. After a silence the -thud-thud had recommenced with a lively ripple of -rifle-fire playing all round that deep bass master-note. -It must be just at the farther side of the nearest hill. -They pushed back their chairs and ran out to the ramparts. -The silent-footed native servants came in and -cleared the scanty remains from the table. But after -they had left, the old Professor sat on there, his massive, -grey-crowned head leaning upon his hands and the -same pensive look of horror in his eyes. Some ghosts -may be laid for years, but when they do rise it is not -so easy to drive them back to their slumbers. The -guns had ceased outside, but he had not observed it, -lost as he was in the one supreme and terrible memory -of his life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His thoughts were interrupted at last by the -entrance of the Commandant. There was a complacent -smile upon his broad German face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Kaiser will be pleased,” said he, rubbing his -hands. “Yes, certainly it should mean a decoration. -‘Defence of Ichau against the Boxers by Colonel -Dresler, late Major of the 114th Hanoverian Infantry. -Splendid resistance of small garrison against overwhelming -odds.’ It will certainly appear in the Berlin -papers.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>“Then you think we are saved?” said the old man, -with neither emotion nor exultation in his voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Colonel smiled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, Professor,” said he, “I have seen you more -excited on the morning when you brought back <em>Lepidus -Mercerensis</em> in your collecting-box.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The fly was safe in my collecting-box first,” the -entomologist answered. “I have seen so many strange -turns of Fate in my long life that I do not grieve nor -do I rejoice until I know that I have cause. But tell -me the news.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said the Colonel, lighting his long pipe, -and stretching his gaitered legs in the bamboo chair, -“I’ll stake my military reputation that all is well. -They are advancing swiftly, the firing has died down to -show that resistance is at an end, and within an hour -we’ll see them over the brow. Ainslie is to fire his -gun three times from the church tower as a signal, -and then we shall make a little sally on our own -account.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And you are waiting for this signal?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, we are waiting for Ainslie’s shots. I thought -I would spend the time with you, for I had something -to ask you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What was it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, you remember your talk about the other -siege—the siege of Sung-tong. It interests me very -much from a professional point of view. Now that the -ladies and civilians are gone you will have no objection -to discussing it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not a pleasant subject.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I dare say not. Mein Gott! it was indeed a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>tragedy. But you have seen how I have conducted the -defence here. Was it wise? Was it good? Was it -worthy of the traditions of the German army?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think you could have done no more.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Thank you. But this other place, was it as ably -defended? To me a comparison of this sort is very -interesting. Could it have been saved?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No; everything possible was done—save only one -thing.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah! there was one omission. What was it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No one—above all, no woman—should have been -allowed to fall alive into the hands of the Chinese.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Colonel held out his broad red hand and -enfolded the long, white, nervous fingers of the -Professor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are right—a thousand times right. But do -not think that this has escaped my thoughts. For -myself I would die fighting, so would Ralston, so would -Ainslie. I have talked to them, and it is settled. But -the others, I have spoken with them, but what are you -to do? There are the priest, and the missionary, and -the women.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Would they wish to be taken alive?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They would not promise to take steps to prevent -it. They would not lay hands on their own lives. -Their consciences would not permit it. Of course, it is -all over now, and we need not speak of such dreadful -things. But what would you have done in my place?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Kill them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mein Gott! You would murder them?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In mercy I would kill them. Man, I have been -through it. I have seen the death of the hot eggs; I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>have seen the death of the boiling kettle; I have seen -the women—my God! I wonder that I have ever slept -sound again.” His usually impassive face was working -and quivering with the agony of the remembrance. -“I was strapped to a stake with thorns in my eyelids -to keep them open, and my grief at their torture was a -less thing than my self-reproach when I thought that -I could with one tube of tasteless tablets have snatched -them at the last instant from the hands of their tormentors. -Murder! I am ready to stand at the Divine -bar and answer for a thousand murders such as that! -Sin! Why, it is such an act as might well cleanse the -stain of real sin from the soul. But if, knowing what -I do, I should have failed this second time to do it, -then, by Heaven! there is no hell deep enough or hot -enough to receive my guilty craven spirit.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Colonel rose, and again his hand clasped that -of the Professor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You speak sense,” said he. “You are a brave, -strong man, who know your own mind. Yes, by the -Lord! you would have been my great help had things -gone the other way. I have often thought and wondered -in the dark, early hours of the morning, but I did -not know how to do it. But we should have heard -Ainslie’s shots before now; I will go and see.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again the old scientist sat alone with his thoughts. -Finally, as neither the guns of the relieving force nor -yet the signal of their approach sounded upon his ears, -he rose, and was about to go himself upon the ramparts -to make inquiry when the door flew open, and Colonel -Dresler staggered into the room. His face was of a -ghastly yellow-white, and his chest heaved like that of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>a man exhausted with running. There was brandy on -the side-table, and he gulped down a glassful. Then -he dropped heavily into a chair.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said the Professor, coldly, “they are not -coming?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, they cannot come.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was silence for a minute or more, the two -men staring blankly at each other.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do they all know?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No one knows but me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How did you learn?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was at the wall near the postern gate—the little -wooden gate that opens on the rose garden. I saw -something crawling among the bushes. There was a -knocking at the door. I opened it. It was a Christian -Tartar, badly cut about with swords. He had come -from the battle. Commodore Wyndham, the Englishman, -had sent him. The relieving force had been -checked. They had shot away most of their ammunition. -They had entrenched themselves and sent back -to the ships for more. Three days must pass before -they could come. That was all. Mein Gott! it was -enough.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Professor bent his shaggy grey brows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where is the man?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He is dead. He died of loss of blood. His body -lies at the postern gate.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And no one saw him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not to speak to.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh! they did see him, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ainslie must have seen him from the church -tower. He must know that I have had tidings. He -<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>will want to know what they are. If I tell him they -must all know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How long can we hold out?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An hour or two at the most.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is that absolutely certain?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I pledge my credit as a soldier upon it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then we must fall?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, we must fall.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is no hope for us?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“None.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The door flew open and young Ainslie rushed in. -Behind him crowded Ralston, Patterson, and a crowd -of white men and of native Christians.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ve had news, Colonel?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Professor Mercer pushed to the front.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Colonel Dresler has just been telling me. It is -all right. They have halted, but will be here in the -early morning. There is no longer any danger.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A cheer broke from the group in the doorway. -Everyone was laughing and shaking hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But suppose they rush us before to-morrow morning?” -cried Ralston, in a petulant voice. “What -infernal fools these fellows are not to push on! Lazy -devils, they should be court-martialled, every man of -them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s all safe,” said Ainslie. “These fellows have -had a bad knock. We can see their wounded being -carried by the hundred over the hill. They must have -lost heavily. They won’t attack before morning.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no,” said the Colonel; “it is certain that -they won’t attack before morning. None the less, get -back to your posts. We must give no point away.” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>He left the room with the rest, but as he did so he -looked back, and his eyes for an instant met those of -the old Professor. “I leave it in your hands,” was the -message which he flashed. A stern set smile was his -answer.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>The afternoon wore away without the Boxers making -their last attack. To Colonel Dresler it was clear that -the unwonted stillness meant only that they were reassembling -their forces from their fight with the relief -column, and were gathering themselves for the inevitable -and final rush. To all the others it appeared that -the siege was indeed over, and that the assailants had -been crippled by the losses which they had already -sustained. It was a joyous and noisy party, therefore, -which met at the supper-table, when the three bottles -of Lachryma Christi were uncorked and the famous -port of caviare was finally opened. It was a large jar, -and, though each had a tablespoonful of the delicacy, -it was by no means exhausted. Ralston, who was an -epicure, had a double allowance. He pecked away at -it like a hungry bird. Ainslie, too, had a second helping. -The Professor took a large spoonful himself, and -Colonel Dresler, watching him narrowly, did the same. -The ladies ate freely, save only pretty Miss Patterson, -who disliked the salty, pungent taste. In spite of the -hospitable entreaties of the Professor, her portion lay -hardly touched at the side of her plate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You don’t like my little delicacy. It is a disappointment -to me when I had kept it for your -pleasure,” said the old man. “I beg that you will -eat the caviare.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>“I have never tasted it before. No doubt I should -like it in time.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, you must make a beginning. Why not -start to educate your taste now? Do, please!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Pretty Jessie Patterson’s bright face shone with her -sunny, boyish smile.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, how earnest you are!” she laughed. “I -had no idea you were so polite, Professor Mercer. Even -if I do not eat it I am just as grateful.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are foolish not to eat it,” said the Professor, -with such intensity that the smile died from her face -and her eyes reflected the earnestness of his own. “I -tell you it is foolish not to eat caviare to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why—why?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because you have it on your plate. Because it -is sinful to waste it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There! there!” said stout Mrs. Patterson, leaning -across. “Don’t trouble her any more. I can -see that she does not like it. But it shall not be -wasted.” She passed the blade of her knife under it, -and scraped it from Jessie’s plate on to her own. -“Now it won’t be wasted. Your mind will be at -ease, Professor.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But it did not seem at ease. On the contrary, his -face was agitated like that of a man who encounters an -unexpected and formidable obstacle. He was lost in -thought.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conversation buzzed cheerily. Everyone was -full of his future plans.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, there is no holiday for me,” said Father -Pierre. “We priests don’t get holidays. Now that -the mission and school are formed I am to leave it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>to Father Amiel, and to push westwards to found -another.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are leaving?” said Mr. Patterson. “You -don’t mean that you are going away from Ichau?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Father Pierre shook his venerable head in waggish -reproof. “You must not look so pleased, Mr. Patterson.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, well, our views are very different,” said the -Presbyterian, “but there is no personal feeling towards -you, Father Pierre. At the same time, how any -reasonable educated man at this time of the world’s -history can teach these poor benighted heathen -that——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A general buzz of remonstrance silenced the -theology.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What will you do yourself, Mr. Patterson?” asked -someone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I’ll take three months in Edinburgh to -attend the annual meeting. You’ll be glad to do some -shopping in Princes Street, I’m thinking, Mary. And -you, Jessie, you’ll see some folk your own age. Then -we can come back in the fall, when your nerves have -had a rest.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Indeed, we shall all need it,” said Miss Sinclair, -the mission nurse. “You know, this long strain takes -me in the strangest way. At the present moment I -can hear such a buzzing in my ears.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, that’s funny, for it’s just the same with -me,” cried Ainslie. “An absurd up-and-down buzzing, -as if a drunken bluebottle were trying experiments -on his register. As you say, it must be due to -nervous strain. For my part I am going back to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>Peking, and I hope I may get some promotion over -this affair. I can get good polo here, and that’s as -fine a change of thought as I know. How about you, -Ralston?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve hardly had time to think. -I want to have a real good sunny, bright holiday and -forget it all. It was funny to see all the letters in -my room. It looked so black on Wednesday night -that I had settled up my affairs and written to all my -friends. I don’t quite know how they were to be -delivered, but I trusted to luck. I think I will keep -those papers as a souvenir. They will always remind -me of how close a shave we have had.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I would keep them,” said Dresler.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His voice was so deep and solemn that every eye -was turned upon him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it, Colonel? You seem in the blues to-night.” -It was Ainslie who spoke.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no; I am very contented.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, so you should be when you see success in -sight. I am sure we are all indebted to you for your -science and skill. I don’t think we could have held -the place without you. Ladies and gentlemen, I ask -you to drink the health of Colonel Dresler, of the -Imperial German army. <span lang="de" xml:lang="de">Er soll leben—hoch!</span>”</p> - -<p class='c000'>They all stood up and raised their glasses to the -soldier, with smiles and bows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His pale face flushed with professional pride.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have always kept my books with me. I have -forgotten nothing,” said he. “I do not think that -more could be done. If things had gone wrong with -us and the place had fallen you would, I am sure, have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>freed me from any blame or responsibility.” He looked -wistfully round him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’m voicing the sentiments of this company, -Colonel Dresler,” said the Scotch minister, “when I -say——but, Lord save us! what’s amiss with Mr. -Ralston?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had dropped his face upon his folded arms and -was placidly sleeping.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t mind him,” said the Professor, hurriedly. -“We are all in the stage of reaction now. I have no -doubt that we are all liable to collapse. It is only -to-night that we shall feel what we have gone through.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’m sure I can fully sympathize with him,” said -Mrs. Patterson. “I don’t know when I have been -more sleepy. I can hardly hold my own head up.” -She cuddled back in her chair and shut her eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I’ve never known Mary do that before,” -cried her husband, laughing heartily. “Gone to sleep -over her supper! What ever will she think when we -tell her of it afterwards? But the air does seem hot -and heavy. I can certainly excuse any one who falls -asleep to-night. I think that I shall turn in early -myself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ainslie was in a talkative, excited mood. He was -on his feet once more with his glass in his hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think that we ought to have one drink all -together, and then sing ‘Auld Lang Syne,’” said he, -smiling round at the company. “For a week we have -all pulled in the same boat, and we’ve got to know -each other as people never do in the quiet days of -peace. We’ve learned to appreciate each other, and -we’ve learned to appreciate each other’s nations. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>There’s the Colonel here stands for Germany. And -Father Pierre is for France. Then there’s the Professor -for America. Ralston and I are Britishers. -Then there’s the ladies, God bless ‘em! They have -been angels of mercy and compassion all through the -siege. I think we should drink the health of the ladies. -Wonderful thing—the quiet courage, the patience, the—what -shall I say?—the fortitude, the—the—by -George, look at the Colonel! He’s gone to sleep, too—most -infernal sleepy weather.” His glass crashed -down upon the table, and he sank back, mumbling and -muttering, into his seat. Miss Sinclair, the pale -mission nurse, had dropped off also. She lay like a -broken lily across the arm of her chair. Mr. Patterson -looked round him and sprang to his feet. He passed -his hand over his flushed forehead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This isn’t natural, Jessie,” he cried. “Why are -they all asleep? There’s Father Pierre—he’s off too. -Jessie, Jessie, your mother is cold. Is it sleep? Is it -death? Open the windows! Help! help! help!” -He staggered to his feet and rushed to the windows, -but midway his head spun round, his knees sank under -him, and he pitched forward upon his face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The young girl had also sprung to her feet. She -looked round her with horror-stricken eyes at her -prostrate father and the silent ring of figures.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Professor Mercer! What is it? What is it?” -she cried. “Oh, my God, they are dying! They are -dead!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The old man had raised himself by a supreme -effort of his will, though the darkness was already -gathering thickly round him.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>“My dear young lady,” he said, stuttering and -stumbling over the words, “we would have spared you -this. It would have been painless to mind and body. -It was cyanide. I had it in the caviare. But you -would not have it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Great Heaven!” She shrank away from him -with dilated eyes. “Oh, you monster! You monster! -You have poisoned them!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no! I saved them. You don’t know the -Chinese. They are horrible. In another hour we -should all have been in their hands. Take it now, -child.” Even as he spoke, a burst of firing broke out -under the very windows of the room. “Hark! There -they are! Quick, dear, quick, you may cheat them -yet!” But his words fell upon deaf ears, for the girl -had sunk back senseless in her chair. The old man -stood listening for an instant to the firing outside. -But what was that? Merciful Father, what was that? -Was he going mad? Was it the effect of the drug? -Surely it was a European cheer? Yes, there were -sharp orders in English. There was the shouting of -sailors. He could no longer doubt it. By some -miracle the relief had come after all. He threw his -long arms upwards in his despair. “What <em>have</em> I -done? Oh, good Lord, what have I done?” he -cried.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>It was Commodore Wyndham himself who was the -first, after his desperate and successful night attack, to -burst into that terrible supper-room. Round the table -sat the white and silent company. Only in the young -girl who moaned and faintly stirred was any sign of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>life to be seen. And yet there was one in the circle -who had the energy for a last supreme duty. The -Commodore, standing stupefied at the door, saw a grey -head slowly lifted from the table, and the tall form of -the Professor staggered for an instant to its feet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Take care of the caviare! For God’s sake, don’t -touch the caviare!” he croaked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then he sank back once more and the circle of -death was complete.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE JAPANNED BOX</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>It <em>was</em> a curious thing, said the private tutor; one of -those grotesque and whimsical incidents which occur to -one as one goes through life. I lost the best situation -which I am ever likely to have through it. But I am -glad that I went to Thorpe Place, for I gained—well, -as I tell you the story you will learn what I gained.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I don’t know whether you are familiar with that -part of the Midlands which is drained by the Avon. -It is the most English part of England. Shakespeare, -the flower of the whole race, was born right in the -middle of it. It is a land of rolling pastures, rising in -higher folds to the westward, until they swell into the -Malvern Hills. There are no towns, but numerous -villages, each with its grey Norman church. You have -left the brick of the southern and eastern counties -behind you, and everything is stone—stone for the -walls, and lichened slabs of stone for the roofs. It is -all grim and solid and massive, as befits the heart of a -great nation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was in the middle of this country, not very far -from Evesham, that Sir John Bollamore lived in the -old ancestral home of Thorpe Place, and thither it was -that I came to teach his two little sons. Sir John was -a widower—his wife had died three years before—and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>he had been left with these two lads aged eight and -ten, and one dear little girl of seven. Miss Witherton, -who is now my wife, was governess to this little girl. -I was tutor to the two boys. Could there be a more -obvious prelude to an engagement? She governs me -now, and I tutor two little boys of our own. But, -there—I have already revealed what it was which I -gained in Thorpe Place!</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a very, very old house, incredibly old—pre-Norman, -some of it—and the Bollamores claimed to -have lived in that situation since long before the -Conquest. It struck a chill to my heart when first I -came there, those enormously thick grey walls, the -rude crumbling stones, the smell as from a sick animal -which exhaled from the rotting plaster of the aged -building. But the modern wing was bright and the -garden was well kept. No house could be dismal -which had a pretty girl inside it and such a show of -roses in front.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Apart from a very complete staff of servants there -were only four of us in the household. These were -Miss Witherton, who was at that time four-and-twenty -and as pretty—well, as pretty as Mrs. Colmore is now—myself, -Frank Colmore, aged thirty, Mrs. Stevens, -the housekeeper, a dry, silent woman, and Mr. Richards, -a tall, military-looking man, who acted as steward to -the Bollamore estates. We four always had our meals -together, but Sir John had his usually alone in the -library. Sometimes he joined us at dinner, but on the -whole we were just as glad when he did not.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For he was a very formidable person. Imagine a -man six feet three inches in height, majestically built, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>with a high-nosed, aristocratic face, brindled hair, -shaggy eyebrows, a small, pointed Mephistophelian -beard, and lines upon his brow and round his eyes as -deep as if they had been carved with a penknife. He -had grey eyes, weary, hopeless-looking eyes, proud and -yet pathetic, eyes which claimed your pity and yet -dared you to show it. His back was rounded with -study, but otherwise he was as fine a looking man of -his age—five-and-fifty perhaps—as any woman would -wish to look upon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But his presence was not a cheerful one. He was -always courteous, always refined, but singularly silent -and retiring. I have never lived so long with any man -and known so little of him. If he were indoors he -spent his time either in his own small study in the -Eastern Tower, or in the library in the modern wing. -So regular was his routine that one could always say -at any hour exactly where he would be. Twice in the -day he would visit his study, once after breakfast, and -once about ten at night. You might set your watch -by the slam of the heavy door. For the rest of the -day he would be in his library—save that for an hour -or two in the afternoon he would take a walk or a ride, -which was solitary like the rest of his existence. He -loved his children, and was keenly interested in the -progress of their studies, but they were a little awed -by the silent, shaggy-browed figure, and they avoided -him as much as they could. Indeed, we all did that.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was some time before I came to know anything -about the circumstances of Sir John Bollamore’s life, -for Mrs. Stevens, the housekeeper, and Mr. Richards, -the land-steward, were too loyal to talk easily of their -<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>employer’s affairs. As to the governess, she knew no -more than I did, and our common interest was one of -the causes which drew us together. At last, however, -an incident occurred which led to a closer acquaintance -with Mr. Richards and a fuller knowledge of the life of -the man whom I served.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The immediate cause of this was no less than the -falling of Master Percy, the youngest of my pupils, -into the mill-race, with imminent danger both to his -life and to mine, since I had to risk myself in order -to save him. Dripping and exhausted—for I was far -more spent than the child—I was making for my room -when Sir John, who had heard the hubbub, opened the -door of his little study and asked me what was the -matter. I told him of the accident, but assured him -that his child was in no danger, while he listened with -a rugged, immobile face, which expressed in its intense -eyes and tightened lips all the emotion which he tried -to conceal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One moment! Step in here! Let me have the -details!” said he, turning back through the open -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so I found myself within that little sanctum, -inside which, as I afterwards learned, no other foot had -for three years been set save that of the old servant -who cleaned it out. It was a round room, conforming -to the shape of the tower in which it was situated, with -a low ceiling, a single narrow, ivy-wreathed window, -and the simplest of furniture. An old carpet, a single -chair, a deal table, and a small shelf of books made up -the whole contents. On the table stood a full-length -photograph of a woman—I took no particular notice of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>the features, but I remember that a certain gracious -gentleness was the prevailing impression. Beside it -were a large black japanned box and one or two -bundles of letters or papers fastened together with -elastic bands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Our interview was a short one, for Sir John Bollamore -perceived that I was soaked, and that I should -change without delay. The incident led, however, to -an instructive talk with Richards, the agent, who had -never penetrated into the chamber which chance had -opened to me. That very afternoon he came to me, -all curiosity, and walked up and down the garden path -with me, while my two charges played tennis upon the -lawn beside us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You hardly realize the exception which has been -made in your favour,” said he. “That room has been -kept such a mystery, and Sir John’s visits to it have -been so regular and consistent, that an almost superstitious -feeling has arisen about it in the household. -I assure you that if I were to repeat to you the tales -which are flying about, tales of mysterious visitors -there, and of voices overheard by the servants, you -might suspect that Sir John had relapsed into his -old ways.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why do you say relapsed?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He looked at me in surprise.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is it possible,” said he, “that Sir John Bollamore’s -previous history is unknown to you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Absolutely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You astound me. I thought that every man in -England knew something of his antecedents. I should -not mention the matter if it were not that you are now -<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>one of ourselves, and that the facts might come to your -ears in some harsher form if I were silent upon them. -I always took it for granted that you knew that you -were in the service of ‘Devil’ Bollamore.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why ‘Devil’?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah, you are young and the world moves fast, but -twenty years ago the name of ‘Devil’ Bollamore was -one of the best known in London. He was the leader -of the fastest set, bruiser, driver, gambler, drunkard—a -survival of the old type, and as bad as the worst -of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I stared at him in amazement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What!” I cried, “that quiet, studious, sad-faced -man?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The greatest rip and debauchee in England! All -between ourselves, Colmore. But you understand now -what I mean when I say that a woman’s voice in his -room might even now give rise to suspicions.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But what can have changed him so?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Little Beryl Clare, when she took the risk of -becoming his wife. That was the turning point. He -had got so far that his own fast set had thrown him -over. There is a world of difference, you know, -between a man who drinks and a drunkard. They all -drink, but they taboo a drunkard. He had become -a slave to it—hopeless and helpless. Then she stepped -in, saw the possibilities of a fine man in the wreck, -took her chance in marrying him, though she might -have had the pick of a dozen, and, by devoting her -life to it, brought him back to manhood and decency. -You have observed that no liquor is ever kept in the -house. There never has been any since her foot -<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>crossed its threshold. A drop of it would be like -blood to a tiger even now.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then her influence still holds him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is the wonder of it. When she died three -years ago, we all expected and feared that he would -fall back into his old ways. She feared it herself, and -the thought gave a terror to death, for she was like -a guardian angel to that man, and lived only for the -one purpose. By the way, did you see a black japanned -box in his room?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I fancy it contains her letters. If ever he has -occasion to be away, if only for a single night, he -invariably takes his black japanned box with him. -Well, well, Colmore, perhaps I have told you rather -more than I should, but I shall expect you to reciprocate -if anything of interest should come to your knowledge.” -I could see that the worthy man was consumed -with curiosity and just a little piqued that I, the new-comer, -should have been the first to penetrate into the -untrodden chamber. But the fact raised me in his -esteem, and from that time onwards I found myself -upon more confidential terms with him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And now the silent and majestic figure of my -employer became an object of greater interest to me. -I began to understand that strangely human look in -his eyes, those deep lines upon his careworn face. He -was a man who was fighting a ceaseless battle, holding -at arm’s length, from morning till night, a horrible -adversary, who was for ever trying to close with him—an -adversary which would destroy him body and soul -could it but fix its claws once more upon him. As -<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>I watched the grim, round-backed figure pacing the -corridor or walking in the garden, this imminent -danger seemed to take bodily shape, and I could -almost fancy that I saw this most loathsome and -dangerous of all the fiends crouching closely in his -very shadow, like a half-cowed beast which slinks -beside its keeper, ready at any unguarded moment to -spring at his throat. And the dead woman, the woman -who had spent her life in warding off this danger, took -shape also to my imagination, and I saw her as a -shadowy but beautiful presence which intervened for -ever with arms uplifted to screen the man whom she -loved.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In some subtle way he divined the sympathy -which I had for him, and he showed in his own silent -fashion that he appreciated it. He even invited me -once to share his afternoon walk, and although no word -passed between us on this occasion, it was a mark of -confidence which he had never shown to any one before. -He asked me also to index his library (it was one of -the best private libraries in England), and I spent -many hours in the evening in his presence, if not in -his society, he reading at his desk and I sitting in a -recess by the window reducing to order the chaos -which existed among his books. In spite of these -close relations I was never again asked to enter the -chamber in the turret.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then came my revulsion of feeling. A single -incident changed all my sympathy to loathing, and -made me realize that my employer still remained all -that he had ever been, with the additional vice of -hypocrisy. What happened was as follows.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>One evening Miss Witherton had gone down to -Broadway, the neighbouring village, to sing at a concert -for some charity, and I, according to my promise, -had walked over to escort her back. The drive sweeps -round under the eastern turret, and I observed as I -passed that the light was lit in the circular room. It -was a summer evening, and the window, which was -a little higher than our heads, was open. We were, -as it happened, engrossed in our own conversation at -the moment, and we had paused upon the lawn which -skirts the old turret, when suddenly something broke -in upon our talk and turned our thoughts away from -our own affairs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a voice—the voice undoubtedly of a woman. -It was low—so low that it was only in that still night -air that we could have heard it, but, hushed as it was, -there was no mistaking its feminine timbre. It spoke -hurriedly, gaspingly for a few sentences, and then was -silent—a piteous, breathless, imploring sort of voice. -Miss Witherton and I stood for an instant staring at -each other. Then we walked quickly in the direction -of the hall-door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It came through the window,” I said.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We must not play the part of eavesdroppers,” -she answered. “We must forget that we have ever -heard it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was an absence of surprise in her manner -which suggested a new idea to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have heard it before,” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I could not help it. My own room is higher up -on the same turret. It has happened frequently.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who can the woman be?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>“I have no idea. I had rather not discuss it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Her voice was enough to show me what she thought. -But granting that our employer led a double and dubious -life, who could she be, this mysterious woman who kept -him company in the old tower? I knew from my own -inspection how bleak and bare a room it was. She certainly -did not live there. But in that case where did -she come from? It could not be any one of the household. -They were all under the vigilant eyes of Mrs. -Stevens. The visitor must come from without. But -how?</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then suddenly I remembered how ancient this -building was, and how probable that some mediæval -passage existed in it. There is hardly an old castle -without one. The mysterious room was the basement -of the turret, so that if there were anything of the sort -it would open through the floor. There were numerous -cottages in the immediate vicinity. The other end of -the secret passage might lie among some tangle of -bramble in the neighbouring copse. I said nothing to -any one, but I felt that the secret of my employer lay -within my power.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And the more convinced I was of this the more I -marvelled at the manner in which he concealed his true -nature. Often as I watched his austere figure, I asked -myself if it were indeed possible that such a man should -be living this double life, and I tried to persuade myself -that my suspicions might after all prove to be ill-founded. -But there was the female voice, there was -the secret nightly rendezvous in the turret chamber—how -could such facts admit of an innocent -interpretation? I conceived a horror of the man. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>I was filled with loathing at his deep, consistent -hypocrisy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Only once during all those months did I ever see -him without that sad but impassive mask which he -usually presented towards his fellow-man. For an -instant I caught a glimpse of those volcanic fires which -he had damped down so long. The occasion was an -unworthy one, for the object of his wrath was none -other than the aged charwoman whom I have already -mentioned as being the one person who was allowed -within his mysterious chamber. I was passing the -corridor which led to the turret—for my own room lay -in that direction—when I heard a sudden, startled -scream, and merged in it the husky, growling note of a -man who is inarticulate with passion. It was the -snarl of a furious wild beast. Then I heard his voice -thrilling with anger. “You would dare!” he cried. -“You would dare to disobey my directions!” An -instant later the charwoman passed me, flying down -the passage, white faced and tremulous, while the -terrible voice thundered behind her. “Go to Mrs. -Stevens for your money! Never set foot in Thorpe -Place again!” Consumed with curiosity, I could not -help following the woman, and found her round the -corner leaning against the wall and palpitating like a -frightened rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is the matter, Mrs. Brown?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s master!” she gasped. “Oh ‘ow ‘e frightened -me! If you had seen ‘is eyes, Mr. Colmore, sir. I -thought ‘e would ‘ave been the death of me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But what had you done?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Done, sir! Nothing. At least nothing to make -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>so much of. Just laid my ‘and on that black box of ‘is—‘adn’t -even opened it, when in ‘e came and you ‘eard -the way ‘e went on. I’ve lost my place, and glad I am -of it, for I would never trust myself within reach of ‘im -again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>So it was the japanned box which was the cause of -this outburst—the box from which he would never -permit himself to be separated. What was the connection, -or was there any connection between this and -the secret visits of the lady whose voice I had overheard? -Sir John Bollamore’s wrath was enduring as -well as fiery, for from that day Mrs. Brown, the charwoman, -vanished from our ken, and Thorpe Place knew -her no more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And now I wish to tell you the singular chance -which solved all these strange questions and put my -employer’s secret in my possession. The story may -leave you with some lingering doubt as to whether my -curiosity did not get the better of my honour, and -whether I did not condescend to play the spy. If you -choose to think so I cannot help it, but can only assure -you that, improbable as it may appear, the matter came -about exactly as I describe it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first stage in this <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">dénouement</span></i> was that the -small room on the turret became uninhabitable. This -occurred through the fall of the worm-eaten oaken -beam which supported the ceiling. Rotten with age, -it snapped in the middle one morning, and brought -down a quantity of plaster with it. Fortunately Sir -John was not in the room at the time. His precious -box was rescued from amongst the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</span></i> and brought -into the library, where, henceforward, it was locked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>within his bureau. Sir John took no steps to repair -the damage, and I never had an opportunity of searching -for that secret passage, the existence of which I had -surmised. As to the lady, I had thought that this -would have brought her visits to an end, had I not one -evening heard Mr. Richards asking Mrs. Stevens who -the woman was whom he had overheard talking to Sir -John in the library. I could not catch her reply, but -I saw from her manner that it was not the first time -that she had had to answer or avoid the same question.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ve heard the voice, Colmore?” said the -agent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I confessed that I had.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And what do <em>you</em> think of it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I shrugged my shoulders, and remarked that it was -no business of mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come, come, you are just as curious as any of us. -Is it a woman or not?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is certainly a woman.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Which room did you hear it from?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“From the turret-room, before the ceiling fell.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But I heard it from the library only last night. I -passed the doors as I was going to bed, and I heard -something wailing and praying just as plainly as I hear -you. It may be a woman——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, what else <em>could</em> it be?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He looked at me hard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There are more things in heaven and earth,” said -he. “If it is a woman, how does she get there?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, nor I. But if it is the other thing—but -there, for a practical business man at the end of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>nineteenth century this is rather a ridiculous line of -conversation.” He turned away, but I saw that he -felt even more than he had said. To all the old ghost -stories of Thorpe Place a new one was being added -before our very eyes. It may by this time have taken -its permanent place, for though an explanation came to -me, it never reached the others.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And my explanation came in this way. I had -suffered a sleepless night from neuralgia, and about -mid-day I had taken a heavy dose of chlorodyne to -alleviate the pain. At that time I was finishing the -indexing of Sir John Bollamore’s library, and it was my -custom to work there from five till seven. On this -particular day I struggled against the double effect -of my bad night and the narcotic. I have already -mentioned that there was a recess in the library, and -in this it was my habit to work. I settled down -steadily to my task, but my weariness overcame me -and, falling back upon the settee, I dropped into a -heavy sleep.</p> - -<p class='c000'>How long I slept I do not know, but it was quite -dark when I awoke. Confused by the chlorodyne -which I had taken, I lay motionless in a semi-conscious -state. The great room with its high walls covered with -books loomed darkly all round me. A dim radiance -from the moonlight came through the farther window, -and against this lighter background I saw that Sir -John Bollamore was sitting at his study table. His -well-set head and clearly cut profile were sharply outlined -against the glimmering square behind him. He -bent as I watched him, and I heard the sharp turning -of a key and the rasping of metal upon metal. As if -<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>in a dream I was vaguely conscious that this was the -japanned box which stood in front of him, and that he -had drawn something out of it, something squat and -uncouth, which now lay before him upon the table. I -never realized—it never occurred to my bemuddled and -torpid brain that I was intruding upon his privacy, -that he imagined himself to be alone in the room. -And then, just as it rushed upon my horrified perceptions, -and I had half risen to announce my presence, -I heard a strange, crisp, metallic clicking, and then -the voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Yes, it was a woman’s voice; there could not be a -doubt of it. But a voice so charged with entreaty -and with yearning love, that it will ring for ever in my -ears. It came with a curious far-away tinkle, but every -word was clear, though faint—very faint, for they were -the last words of a dying woman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am not really gone, John,” said the thin, gasping -voice. “I am here at your very elbow, and shall be -until we meet once more. I die happy to think that -morning and night you will hear my voice. Oh, John, -be strong, be strong, until we meet again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I say that I had risen in order to announce my -presence, but I could not do so while the voice was -sounding. I could only remain half lying, half sitting, -paralyzed, astounded, listening to those yearning distant -musical words. And he—he was so absorbed that -even if I had spoken he might not have heard me. But -with the silence of the voice came my half articulated -apologies and explanations. He sprang across the room, -switched on the electric light, and in its white glare I -saw him, his eyes gleaming with anger, his face twisted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>with passion, as the hapless charwoman may have seen -him weeks before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mr. Colmore!” he cried. “You here! What is -the meaning of this, sir?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>With halting words I explained it all, my neuralgia, -the narcotic, my luckless sleep and singular awakening. -As he listened the glow of anger faded from his face, and -the sad, impassive mask closed once more over his -features.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My secret is yours, Mr. Colmore,” said he. “I -have only myself to blame for relaxing my precautions. -Half confidences are worse than no confidences, and so -you may know all since you know so much. The story -may go where you will when I have passed away, but -until then I rely upon your sense of honour that no -human soul shall hear it from your lips. I am proud -still—God help me!—or, at least, I am proud enough -to resent that pity which this story would draw upon -me. I have smiled at envy, and disregarded hatred, -but pity is more than I can tolerate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have heard the source from which the voice -comes—that voice which has, as I understand, excited -so much curiosity in my household. I am aware of the -rumours to which it has given rise. These speculations, -whether scandalous or superstitious, are such as I can -disregard and forgive. What I should never forgive -would be a disloyal spying and eavesdropping in order -to satisfy an illicit curiosity. But of that, Mr. Colmore, -I acquit you.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When I was a young man, sir, many years -younger than you are now, I was launched upon town -without a friend or adviser, and with a purse which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>brought only too many false friends and false advisers -to my side. I drank deeply of the wine of life—if there -is a man living who has drank more deeply he is not a -man whom I envy. My purse suffered, my character -suffered, my constitution suffered, stimulants became -a necessity to me, I was a creature from whom my -memory recoils. And it was at that time, the time -of my blackest degradation, that God sent into my life -the gentlest, sweetest spirit that ever descended as a -ministering angel from above. She loved me, broken -as I was, loved me, and spent her life in making a man -once more of that which had degraded itself to the level -of the beasts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But a fell disease struck her, and she withered -away before my eyes. In the hour of her agony it was -never of herself, of her own sufferings and her own -death that she thought. It was all of me. The one -pang which her fate brought to her was the fear that -when her influence was removed I should revert to -that which I had been. It was in vain that I made -oath to her that no drop of wine would ever cross my -lips. She knew only too well the hold that the devil -had upon me—she who had striven so to loosen it—and -it haunted her night and day the thought that my soul -might again be within his grip.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was from some friend’s gossip of the sick room -that she heard of this invention—this phonograph—and -with the quick insight of a loving woman she saw -how she might use it for her ends. She sent me to -London to procure the best which money could buy. -With her dying breath she gasped into it the words -which have held me straight ever since. Lonely and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>broken, what else have I in all the world to uphold -me? But it is enough. Please God, I shall face her -without shame when He is pleased to reunite us! That -is my secret, Mr. Colmore, and whilst I live I leave it -in your keeping.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE BLACK DOCTOR</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>Bishop’s Crossing is a small village lying ten miles -in a south-westerly direction from Liverpool. Here -in the early seventies there settled a doctor named -Aloysius Lana. Nothing was known locally either of -his antecedents or of the reasons which had prompted -him to come to this Lancashire hamlet. Two facts -only were certain about him: the one that he had -gained his medical qualification with some distinction -at Glasgow; the other that he came undoubtedly of a -tropical race, and was so dark that he might almost -have had a strain of the Indian in his composition. -His predominant features were, however, European, -and he possessed a stately courtesy and carriage which -suggested a Spanish extraction. A swarthy skin, -raven-black hair, and dark, sparkling eyes under a -pair of heavily-tufted brows made a strange contrast -to the flaxen or chestnut rustics of England, and the -new-comer was soon known as “The Black Doctor of -Bishop’s Crossing.” At first it was a term of ridicule -and reproach; as the years went on it became a title of -honour which was familiar to the whole country-side, and -extended far beyond the narrow confines of the village.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For the new-comer proved himself to be a capable -surgeon and an accomplished physician. The practice -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>of that district had been in the hands of Edward Rowe, -the son of Sir William Rowe, the Liverpool consultant, -but he had not inherited the talents of his father, and -Dr. Lana, with his advantages of presence and of -manner, soon beat him out of the field. Dr. Lana’s -social success was as rapid as his professional. A -remarkable surgical cure in the case of the Hon. James -Lowry, the second son of Lord Belton, was the means -of introducing him to county society, where he became -a favourite through the charm of his conversation and -the elegance of his manners. An absence of antecedents -and of relatives is sometimes an aid rather -than an impediment to social advancement, and the -distinguished individuality of the handsome doctor was -its own recommendation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His patients had one fault—and one fault only—to -find with him. He appeared to be a confirmed -bachelor. This was the more remarkable since the -house which he occupied was a large one, and it was -known that his success in practice had enabled him -to save considerable sums. At first the local match-makers -were continually coupling his name with one -or other of the eligible ladies, but as years passed and -Dr. Lana remained unmarried, it came to be generally -understood that for some reason he must remain a -bachelor. Some even went so far as to assert that he -was already married, and that it was in order to escape -the consequence of an early misalliance that he had -buried himself at Bishop’s Crossing. And then, just -as the match-makers had finally given him up in -despair, his engagement was suddenly announced to -Miss Frances Morton, of Leigh Hall.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>Miss Morton was a young lady who was well -known upon the country-side, her father, James -Haldane Morton, having been the Squire of Bishop’s -Crossing. Both her parents were, however, dead, and -she lived with her only brother, Arthur Morton, who -had inherited the family estate. In person Miss -Morton was tall and stately, and she was famous for -her quick, impetuous nature and for her strength of -character. She met Dr. Lana at a garden-party, and -a friendship, which quickly ripened into love, sprang -up between them. Nothing could exceed their devotion -to each other. There was some discrepancy in -age, he being thirty-seven, and she twenty-four; but, -save in that one respect, there was no possible objection -to be found with the match. The engagement -was in February, and it was arranged that the marriage -should take place in August.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Upon the 3rd of June Dr. Lana received a letter -from abroad. In a small village the postmaster is also -in a position to be the gossip-master, and Mr. Bankley, -of Bishop’s Crossing, had many of the secrets of his -neighbours in his possession. Of this particular letter -he remarked only that it was in a curious envelope, -that it was in a man’s handwriting, that the postscript -was Buenos Ayres, and the stamp of the Argentine -Republic. It was the first letter which he had ever -known Dr. Lana to have from abroad, and this was the -reason why his attention was particularly called to it -before he handed it to the local postman. It was -delivered by the evening delivery of that date.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Next morning—that is, upon the 4th of June—Dr. -Lana called upon Miss Morton, and a long interview -<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>followed, from which he was observed to return in a -state of great agitation. Miss Morton remained in her -room all that day, and her maid found her several -times in tears. In the course of a week it was an open -secret to the whole village that the engagement was at -an end, that Dr. Lana had behaved shamefully to the -young lady, and that Arthur Morton, her brother, was -talking of horse-whipping him. In what particular -respect the doctor had behaved badly was unknown—some -surmised one thing and some another; but it was -observed, and taken as the obvious sign of a guilty -conscience, that he would go for miles round rather -than pass the windows of Leigh Hall, and that he gave -up attending morning service upon Sundays where he -might have met the young lady. There was an advertisement -also in the <cite>Lancet</cite> as to the sale of a practice -which mentioned no names, but which was thought by -some to refer to Bishop’s Crossing, and to mean that -Dr. Lana was thinking of abandoning the scene of his -success. Such was the position of affairs when, upon -the evening of Monday, June 21st, there came a fresh -development which changed what had been a mere -village scandal into a tragedy which arrested the attention -of the whole nation. Some detail is necessary to -cause the facts of that evening to present their full -significance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The sole occupants of the doctor’s house were his -housekeeper, an elderly and most respectable woman, -named Martha Woods, and a young servant—Mary -Pilling. The coachman and the surgery-boy slept out. -It was the custom of the doctor to sit at night in his -study, which was next the surgery in the wing of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>house which was farthest from the servants’ quarters. -This side of the house had a door of its own for the -convenience of patients, so that it was possible for the -doctor to admit and receive a visitor there without -the knowledge of any one. As a matter of fact, when -patients came late it was quite usual for him to let -them in and out by the surgery entrance, for the maid -and the housekeeper were in the habit of retiring -early.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On this particular night Martha Woods went into -the doctor’s study at half-past nine, and found him -writing at his desk. She bade him good-night, sent -the maid to bed, and then occupied herself until a -quarter to eleven in household matters. It was striking -eleven upon the hall clock when she went to her -own room. She had been there about a quarter of an -hour or twenty minutes when she heard a cry or call, -which appeared to come from within the house. She -waited some time, but it was not repeated. Much -alarmed, for the sound was loud and urgent, she put -on a dressing-gown, and ran at the top of her speed to -the doctor’s study.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who’s there?” cried a voice, as she tapped at the -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am here, sir—Mrs. Woods.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I beg that you will leave me in peace. Go back -to your room this instant!” cried the voice, which -was, to the best of her belief, that of her master. The -tone was so harsh and so unlike her master’s usual -manner, that she was surprised and hurt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I thought I heard you calling, sir,” she explained, -but no answer was given to her. Mrs. Woods looked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>at the clock as she returned to her room, and it was -then half-past eleven.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At some period between eleven and twelve (she -could not be positive as to the exact hour) a patient -called upon the doctor and was unable to get any reply -from him. This late visitor was Mrs. Madding, the -wife of the village grocer who was dangerously ill of -typhoid fever. Dr. Lana had asked her to look in the -last thing and let him know how her husband was -progressing. She observed that the light was burning -in the study, but having knocked several times -at the surgery door without response, she concluded -that the doctor had been called out, and so returned -home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There is a short, winding drive with a lamp at the -end of it leading down from the house to the road. As -Mrs. Madding emerged from the gate a man was -coming along the footpath. Thinking that it might be -Dr. Lana returning from some professional visit, she -waited for him, and was surprised to see that it was -Mr. Arthur Morton, the young squire. In the light of -the lamp she observed that his manner was excited, -and that he carried in his hand a heavy hunting-crop. -He was turning in at the gate when she addressed -him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The doctor is not in, sir,” said she.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How do you know that?” he asked, harshly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have been to the surgery door, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I see a light,” said the young squire, looking up -the drive. “That is in his study, is it not?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir; but I am sure that he is out.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, he must come in again,” said young Morton, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>and passed through the gate while Mrs. Madding went -upon her homeward way.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At three o’clock that morning her husband suffered -a sharp relapse, and she was so alarmed by his symptoms -that she determined to call the doctor without -delay. As she passed through the gate she was surprised -to see some one lurking among the laurel bushes. -It was certainly a man, and to the best of her belief -Mr. Arthur Morton. Preoccupied with her own -troubles, she gave no particular attention to the -incident, but hurried on upon her errand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When she reached the house she perceived to her -surprise that the light was still burning in the study. -She therefore tapped at the surgery door. There was -no answer. She repeated the knocking several times -without effect. It appeared to her to be unlikely that -the doctor would either go to bed or go out leaving so -brilliant a light behind him, and it struck Mrs. Madding -that it was possible that he might have dropped -asleep in his chair. She tapped at the study window, -therefore, but without result. Then, finding that there -was an opening between the curtain and the woodwork, -she looked through.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The small room was brilliantly lighted from a large -lamp on the central table, which was littered with the -doctor’s books and instruments. No one was visible, -nor did she see anything unusual, except that in the -further shadow thrown by the table a dingy white -glove was lying upon the carpet. And then suddenly, -as her eyes became more accustomed to the light, a -boot emerged from the other end of the shadow, and -she realized, with a thrill of horror, that what she had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>taken to be a glove was the hand of a man, who was -prostrate upon the floor. Understanding that something -terrible had occurred, she rang at the front door, -roused Mrs. Woods, the housekeeper, and the two -women made their way into the study, having first -dispatched the maidservant to the police-station.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the side of the table, away from the window, -Dr. Lana was discovered stretched upon his back and -quite dead. It was evident that he had been subjected -to violence, for one of his eyes was blackened, -and there were marks of bruises about his face and -neck. A slight thickening and swelling of his features -appeared to suggest that the cause of his death had -been strangulation. He was dressed in his usual professional -clothes, but wore cloth slippers, the soles of -which were perfectly clean. The carpet was marked -all over, especially on the side of the door, with traces -of dirty boots, which were presumably left by the -murderer. It was evident that some one had entered -by the surgery door, had killed the doctor, and had -then made his escape unseen. That the assailant was -a man was certain, from the size of the footprints and -from the nature of the injuries. But beyond that -point the police found it very difficult to go.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were no signs of robbery, and the doctor’s -gold watch was safe in his pocket. He kept a heavy -cash-box in the room, and this was discovered to be -locked but empty. Mrs. Woods had an impression -that a large sum was usually kept there, but the -doctor had paid a heavy corn bill in cash only that -very day, and it was conjectured that it was to this -and not to a robber that the emptiness of the box -<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>was due. One thing in the room was missing—but -that one thing was suggestive. The portrait of Miss -Morton, which had always stood upon the side-table, -had been taken from its frame, and carried off. Mrs. -Woods had observed it there when she waited upon -her employer that evening, and now it was gone. On -the other hand, there was picked up from the floor -a green eye-patch, which the housekeeper could not -remember to have seen before. Such a patch might, -however, be in the possession of a doctor, and there -was nothing to indicate that it was in any way -connected with the crime.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Suspicion could only turn in one direction, and -Arthur Morton, the young squire, was immediately -arrested. The evidence against him was circumstantial, -but damning. He was devoted to his sister, -and it was shown that since the rupture between her -and Dr. Lana he had been heard again and again to -express himself in the most vindictive terms towards -her former lover. He had, as stated, been seen somewhere -about eleven o’clock entering the doctor’s drive -with a hunting-crop in his hand. He had then, according -to the theory of the police, broken in upon the -doctor, whose exclamation of fear or of anger had been -loud enough to attract the attention of Mrs. Woods. -When Mrs. Woods descended, Dr. Lana had made -up his mind to talk it over with his visitor, and had, -therefore, sent his housekeeper back to her room. -This conversation had lasted a long time, had become -more and more fiery, and had ended by a personal -struggle, in which the doctor lost his life. The fact, -revealed by a <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">post-mortem</span></i>, that his heart was much -<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>diseased—an ailment quite unsuspected during his life—would -make it possible that death might in his case -ensue from injuries which would not be fatal to a -healthy man. Arthur Morton had then removed his -sister’s photograph, and had made his way homeward, -stepping aside into the laurel bushes to avoid Mrs. -Madding at the gate. This was the theory of the prosecution, -and the case which they presented was a -formidable one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the other hand, there were some strong points -for the defence. Morton was high-spirited and impetuous, -like his sister, but he was respected and liked -by everyone, and his frank and honest nature seemed -to be incapable of such a crime. His own explanation -was that he was anxious to have a conversation with -Dr. Lana about some urgent family matters (from first -to last he refused even to mention the name of his -sister). He did not attempt to deny that this conversation -would probably have been of an unpleasant -nature. He had heard from a patient that the doctor -was out, and he therefore waited until about three in -the morning for his return, but as he had seen nothing -of him up to that hour, he had given it up and had -returned home. As to his death, he knew no more -about it than the constable who arrested him. He -had formerly been an intimate friend of the deceased -man; but circumstances, which he would prefer -not to mention, had brought about a change in his -sentiments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were several facts which supported his -innocence. It was certain that Dr. Lana was alive -and in his study at half-past eleven o’clock. Mrs. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>Woods was prepared to swear that it was at that hour -that she had heard his voice. The friends of the -prisoner contended that it was probable that at that -time Dr. Lana was not alone. The sound which had -originally attracted the attention of the housekeeper, -and her master’s unusual impatience that she should -leave him in peace, seemed to point to that. If this -were so, then it appeared to be probable that he had -met his end between the moment when the housekeeper -heard his voice and the time when Mrs. -Madding made her first call and found it impossible -to attract his attention. But if this were the time of -his death, then it was certain that Mr. Arthur Morton -could not be guilty, as it was <em>after</em> this that she had -met the young squire at the gate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If this hypothesis were correct, and someone was -with Dr. Lana before Mrs. Madding met Mr. Arthur -Morton, then who was this someone, and what -motives had he for wishing evil to the doctor? It -was universally admitted that if the friends of the -accused could throw light upon this, they would have -gone a long way towards establishing his innocence. -But in the meanwhile it was open to the public to -say—as they did say—that there was no proof that -any one had been there at all except the young squire; -while, on the other hand, there was ample proof that -his motives in going were of a sinister kind. When -Mrs. Madding called, the doctor might have retired -to his room, or he might, as she thought at the time, -have gone out and returned afterwards to find Mr. -Arthur Morton waiting for him. Some of the supporters -of the accused laid stress upon the fact that the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>photograph of his sister Frances, which had been removed -from the doctor’s room, had not been found in her -brother’s possession. This argument, however, did not -count for much, as he had ample time before his arrest -to burn it or to destroy it. As to the only positive -evidence in the case—the muddy footmarks upon the -floor—they were so blurred by the softness of the -carpet that it was impossible to make any trustworthy -deduction from them. The most that could be said -was that their appearance was not inconsistent with -the theory that they were made by the accused, and -it was further shown that his boots were very muddy -upon that night. There had been a heavy shower in -the afternoon, and all boots were probably in the same -condition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such is a bald statement of the singular and -romantic series of events which centred public attention -upon this Lancashire tragedy. The unknown -origin of the doctor, his curious and distinguished -personality, the position of the man who was accused -of the murder, and the love affair which had preceded -the crime, all combined to make the affair one of those -dramas which absorb the whole interest of a nation. -Throughout the three kingdoms men discussed the case -of the Black Doctor of Bishop’s Crossing, and many -were the theories put forward to explain the facts; but -it may safely be said that among them all there was -not one which prepared the minds of the public for the -extraordinary sequel, which caused so much excitement -upon the first day of the trial, and came to a -climax upon the second. The long files of the <cite>Lancaster -Weekly</cite> with their report of the case lie before -<span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>me as I write, but I must content myself with a -synopsis of the case up to the point when, upon -the evening of the first day, the evidence of Miss -Frances Morton threw a singular light upon the -case.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Porlock Carr, the counsel for the prosecution, -had marshalled his facts with his usual skill, and as -the day wore on, it became more and more evident how -difficult was the task which Mr. Humphrey, who had -been retained for the defence, had before him. Several -witnesses were put up to swear to the intemperate -expressions which the young squire had been heard to -utter about the doctor, and the fiery manner in which -he resented the alleged ill-treatment of his sister. -Mrs. Madding repeated her evidence as to the visit -which had been paid late at night by the prisoner to -the deceased, and it was shown by another witness -that the prisoner was aware that the doctor was in the -habit of sitting up alone in this isolated wing of the -house, and that he had chosen this very late hour to -call because he knew that his victim would then be at -his mercy. A servant at the squire’s house was compelled -to admit that he had heard his master return -about three that morning, which corroborated Mrs. -Madding’s statement that she had seen him among the -laurel bushes near the gate upon the occasion of her -second visit. The muddy boots and an alleged similarity -in the footprints were duly dwelt upon, and it -was felt when the case for the prosecution had been -presented that, however circumstantial it might be, it -was none the less so complete and so convincing, that -the fate of the prisoner was sealed, unless something -<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>quite unexpected should be disclosed by the defence. -It was three o’clock when the prosecution closed. At -half-past four, when the Court rose, a new and unlooked -for development had occurred. I extract the -incident, or part of it, from the journal which I have -already mentioned, omitting the preliminary observations -of the counsel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Considerable sensation was caused in the crowded -court when the first witness called for the defence -proved to be Miss Frances Morton, the sister of the -prisoner. Our readers will remember that the young -lady had been engaged to Dr. Lana, and that it was -his anger over the sudden termination of this engagement -which was thought to have driven her brother -to the perpetration of this crime. Miss Morton had -not, however, been directly implicated in the case in -any way, either at the inquest or at the police-court -proceedings, and her appearance as the leading -witness for the defence came as a surprise upon the -public.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Frances Morton, who was a tall and handsome -brunette, gave her evidence in a low but clear -voice, though it was evident throughout that she was -suffering from extreme emotion. She alluded to her -engagement to the doctor, touched briefly upon its -termination, which was due, she said, to personal -matters connected with his family, and surprised the -Court by asserting that she had always considered her -brother’s resentment to be unreasonable and intemperate. -In answer to a direct question from her -counsel, she replied that she did not feel that she had -any grievance whatever against Dr. Lana, and that in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>her opinion he had acted in a perfectly honourable -manner. Her brother, on an insufficient knowledge -of the facts, had taken another view, and she was -compelled to acknowledge that, in spite of her -entreaties, he had uttered threats of personal violence -against the doctor, and had, upon the evening of the -tragedy, announced his intention of “having it out -with him.” She had done her best to bring him to -a more reasonable frame of mind, but he was very -headstrong where his emotions or prejudices were -concerned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Up to this point the young lady’s evidence had -appeared to make against the prisoner rather than in -his favour. The questions of her counsel, however, -soon put a very different light upon the matter, and -disclosed an unexpected line of defence.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: Do you believe your brother to be -guilty of this crime?</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: I cannot permit that question, Mr. -Humphrey. We are here to decide upon questions of -fact—not of belief.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: Do you know that your brother -is not guilty of the death of Doctor Lana?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Yes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: How do you know it?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Because Dr. Lana is not dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There followed a prolonged sensation in court, which -interrupted the cross-examination of the witness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: And how do you know, Miss -Morton, that Dr. Lana is not dead?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Because I have received a letter -from him since the date of his supposed death.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>Mr. Humphrey: Have you this letter?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Yes, but I should prefer not to -show it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: Have you the envelope?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Yes, it is here.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: What is the post-mark?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Liverpool.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: And the date?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: June the 22nd.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: That being the day after his -alleged death. Are you prepared to swear to this -handwriting, Miss Morton?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Certainly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: I am prepared to call six other -witnesses, my lord, to testify that this letter is in the -writing of Doctor Lana.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: Then you must call them to-morrow.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Porlock Carr (counsel for the prosecution): In -the meantime, my lord, we claim possession of this -document, so that we may obtain expert evidence as -to how far it is an imitation of the handwriting of the -gentleman whom we still confidently assert to be -deceased. I need not point out that the theory so -unexpectedly sprung upon us may prove to be a very -obvious device adopted by the friends of the prisoner -in order to divert this inquiry. I would draw attention -to the fact that the young lady must, according to her -own account, have possessed this letter during the -proceedings at the inquest and at the police-court. -She desires us to believe that she permitted these to -proceed, although she held in her pocket evidence which -would at any moment have brought them to an end.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>Mr. Humphrey: Can you explain this, Miss -Morton?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: Dr. Lana desired his secret to be -preserved.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Porlock Carr: Then why have you made this -public?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Miss Morton: To save my brother.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A murmur of sympathy broke out in court, which -was instantly suppressed by the Judge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: Admitting this line of defence, it lies -with you, Mr. Humphrey, to throw a light upon who -this man is whose body has been recognised by so -many friends and patients of Dr. Lana as being that -of the doctor himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A Juryman: Has any one up to now expressed any -doubt about the matter?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Porlock Carr: Not to my knowledge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: We hope to make the matter -clear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: Then the Court adjourns until to-morrow.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>This new development of the case excited the -utmost interest among the general public. Press -comment was prevented by the fact that the trial was -still undecided, but the question was everywhere -argued as to how far there could be truth in Miss -Morton’s declaration, and how far it might be a daring -ruse for the purpose of saving her brother. The -obvious dilemma in which the missing doctor stood -was that if by any extraordinary chance he was not -dead, then he must be held responsible for the death -<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>of this unknown man, who resembled him so exactly, -and who was found in his study. This letter which -Miss Morton refused to produce was possibly a confession -of guilt, and she might find herself in the -terrible position of only being able to save her brother -from the gallows by the sacrifice of her former lover. -The court next morning was crammed to overflowing, -and a murmur of excitement passed over it when Mr. -Humphrey was observed to enter in a state of emotion, -which even his trained nerves could not conceal, and -to confer with the opposing counsel. A few hurried -words—words which left a look of amazement upon -Mr. Porlock Carr’s face—passed between them, and -then the counsel for the defence, addressing the judge, -announced that, with the consent of the prosecution, -the young lady who had given evidence upon the -sitting before would not be recalled.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: But you appear, Mr. Humphrey, to -have left matters in a very unsatisfactory state.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: Perhaps, my lord, my next witness -may help to clear them up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Judge: Then call your next witness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Humphrey: I call Dr. Aloysius Lana.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The learned counsel has made many telling remarks -in his day, but he has certainly never produced such a -sensation with so short a sentence. The Court was -simply stunned with amazement as the very man -whose fate had been the subject of so much contention -appeared bodily before them in the witness-box. Those -among the spectators who had known him at Bishop’s -Crossing saw him now, gaunt and thin, with deep lines -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>of care upon his face. But in spite of his melancholy -bearing and despondent expression, there were few who -could say that they had ever seen a man of more distinguished -presence. Bowing to the judge, he asked -if he might be allowed to make a statement, and having -been duly informed that whatever he said might be -used against him, he bowed once more, and proceeded:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My wish,” said he, “is to hold nothing back, but -to tell with perfect frankness all that occurred upon -the night of the 21st of June. Had I known that the -innocent had suffered, and that so much trouble had -been brought upon those whom I love best in the -world, I should have come forward long ago; but there -were reasons which prevented these things from coming -to my ears. It was my desire that an unhappy man -should vanish from the world which had known him, -but I had not foreseen that others would be affected -by my actions. Let me to the best of my ability repair -the evil which I have done.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To any one who is acquainted with the history of -the Argentine Republic the name of Lana is well -known. My father, who came of the best blood of old -Spain, filled all the highest offices of the State, and -would have been President but for his death in the -riots of San Juan. A brilliant career might have been -open to my twin brother Ernest and myself had it not -been for financial losses which made it necessary that -we should earn our own living. I apologize, sir, if -these details appear to be irrelevant, but they are a -necessary introduction to that which is to follow.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I had, as I have said, a twin brother named -<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>Ernest, whose resemblance to me was so great that -even when we were together people could see no -difference between us. Down to the smallest detail -we were exactly the same. As we grew older this -likeness became less marked because our expression -was not the same, but with our features in repose the -points of difference were very slight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It does not become me to say too much of one -who is dead, the more so as he is my only brother, -but I leave his character to those who knew him best. -I will only say—for I <em>have</em> to say it—that in my early -manhood I conceived a horror of him, and that I had -good reason for the aversion which filled me. My own -reputation suffered from his actions, for our close resemblance -caused me to be credited with many of them. -Eventually, in a peculiarly disgraceful business, he -contrived to throw the whole odium upon me in such -a way that I was forced to leave the Argentine for -ever, and to seek a career in Europe. The freedom -from his hated presence more than compensated me -for the loss of my native land. I had enough money -to defray my medical studies at Glasgow, and I finally -settled in practice at Bishop’s Crossing, in the firm -conviction that in that remote Lancashire hamlet I -should never hear of him again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For years my hopes were fulfilled, and then at -last he discovered me. Some Liverpool man who -visited Buenos Ayres put him upon my track. He -had lost all his money, and he thought that he would -come over and share mine. Knowing my horror of -him, he rightly thought that I would be willing to buy -him off. I received a letter from him saying that he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>was coming. It was at a crisis in my own affairs, and -his arrival might conceivably bring trouble, and even -disgrace, upon some whom I was especially bound to -shield from anything of the kind. I took steps to -insure that any evil which might come should fall on -me only, and that”—here he turned and looked at the -prisoner—“was the cause of conduct upon my part -which has been too harshly judged. My only motive -was to screen those who were dear to me from any -possible connection with scandal or disgrace. That -scandal and disgrace would come with my brother -was only to say that what had been would be -again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My brother arrived himself one night not very -long after my receipt of the letter. I was sitting in -my study after the servants had gone to bed, when I -heard a footstep upon the gravel outside, and an instant -later I saw his face looking in at me through the -window. He was a clean-shaven man like myself, and -the resemblance between us was still so great that, for -an instant, I thought it was my own reflection in the -glass. He had a dark patch over his eye, but our -features were absolutely the same. Then he smiled -in a sardonic way which had been a trick of his from -his boyhood, and I knew that he was the same brother -who had driven me from my native land, and brought -disgrace upon what had been an honourable name. -I went to the door and I admitted him. That would -be about ten o’clock that night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When he came into the glare of the lamp, I saw -at once that he had fallen upon very evil days. He -had walked from Liverpool, and he was tired and ill. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>I was quite shocked by the expression upon his face. -My medical knowledge told me that there was some -serious internal malady. He had been drinking also, -and his face was bruised as the result of a scuffle which -he had had with some sailors. It was to cover his -injured eye that he wore this patch, which he removed -when he entered the room. He was himself dressed in -a pea-jacket and flannel shirt, and his feet were bursting -through his boots. But his poverty had only made -him more savagely vindictive towards me. His hatred -rose to the height of a mania. I had been rolling in -money in England, according to his account, while he -had been starving in South America. I cannot describe -to you the threats which he uttered or the insults -which he poured upon me. My impression is, that -hardships and debauchery had unhinged his reason. -He paced about the room like a wild beast, demanding -drink, demanding money, and all in the foulest -language. I am a hot-tempered man, but I thank -God that I am able to say that I remained master of -myself, and that I never raised a hand against him. -My coolness only irritated him the more. He raved, -he cursed, he shook his fists in my face, and then -suddenly a horrible spasm passed over his features, -he clapped his hand to his side, and with a loud cry -he fell in a heap at my feet. I raised him up and -stretched him upon the sofa, but no answer came to -my exclamations, and the hand which I held in mine -was cold and clammy. His diseased heart had broken -down. His own violence had killed him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For a long time I sat as if I were in some dreadful -dream, staring at the body of my brother. I was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>aroused by the knocking of Mrs. Woods, who had been -disturbed by that dying cry. I sent her away to bed. -Shortly afterwards a patient tapped at the surgery -door, but as I took no notice, he or she went off again. -Slowly and gradually as I sat there a plan was forming -itself in my head in the curious automatic way in -which plans do form. When I rose from my chair -my future movements were finally decided upon -without my having been conscious of any process of -thought. It was an instinct which irresistibly inclined -me towards one course.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ever since that change in my affairs to which -I have alluded, Bishop’s Crossing had become hateful -to me. My plans of life had been ruined, and I -had met with hasty judgments and unkind treatment -where I had expected sympathy. It is true -that any danger of scandal from my brother had -passed away with his life; but still, I was sore about -the past, and felt that things could never be as they -had been. It may be that I was unduly sensitive, -and that I had not made sufficient allowance for -others, but my feelings were as I describe. Any -chance of getting away from Bishop’s Crossing and -of everyone in it would be most welcome to me. -And here was such a chance as I could never have -dared to hope for, a chance which would enable me -to make a clean break with the past.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There was this dead man lying upon the sofa, -so like me that save for some little thickness and -coarseness of the features there was no difference -at all. No one had seen him come and no one -would miss him. We were both clean shaven, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>his hair was about the same length as my own. If -I changed clothes with him, then Dr. Aloysius Lana -would be found lying dead in his study, and there -would be an end of an unfortunate fellow, and of -a blighted career. There was plenty of ready money -in the room, and this I could carry away with me -to help me to start once more in some other land. -In my brother’s clothes I could walk by night unobserved -as far as Liverpool, and in that great seaport -I would soon find some means of leaving the -country. After my lost hopes, the humblest existence -where I was unknown was far preferable, in my estimation, -to a practice, however successful, in Bishop’s -Crossing, where at any moment I might come face -to face with those whom I should wish, if it were -possible, to forget. I determined to effect the -change.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And I did so. I will not go into particulars, -for the recollection is as painful as the experience; -but in an hour my brother lay, dressed down to -the smallest detail in my clothes, while I slunk -out by the surgery door, and taking the back path -which led across some fields, I started off to make -the best of my way to Liverpool, where I arrived -the same night. My bag of money and a certain -portrait were all I carried out of the house, and I -left behind me in my hurry the shade which my -brother had been wearing over his eye. Everything -else of his I took with me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I give you my word, sir, that never for one -instant did the idea occur to me that people might -think that I had been murdered, nor did I imagine -<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>that any one might be caused serious danger through -this stratagem by which I endeavoured to gain a -fresh start in the world. On the contrary, it was -the thought of relieving others from the burden of -my presence which was always uppermost in my -mind. A sailing vessel was leaving Liverpool that -very day for Corunna, and in this I took my passage, -thinking that the voyage would give me time to -recover my balance, and to consider the future. But -before I left my resolution softened. I bethought -me that there was one person in the world to whom -I would not cause an hour of sadness. She would -mourn me in her heart, however harsh and unsympathetic -her relatives might be. She understood -and appreciated the motives upon which I had acted, -and if the rest of her family condemned me, she, -at least, would not forget. And so I sent her a -note under the seal of secrecy to save her from a -baseless grief. If under the pressure of events she -broke that seal, she has my entire sympathy and -forgiveness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was only last night that I returned to England, -and during all this time I have heard nothing of the -sensation which my supposed death had caused, nor -of the accusation that Mr. Arthur Morton had been -concerned in it. It was in a late evening paper that -I read an account of the proceedings of yesterday, and -I have come this morning as fast as an express train -could bring me to testify to the truth.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the remarkable statement of Dr. Aloysius -Lana which brought the trial to a sudden termination. -A subsequent investigation corroborated it to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>extent of finding out the vessel in which his brother -Ernest Lana had come over from South America. -The ship’s doctor was able to testify that he had -complained of a weak heart during the voyage, and -that his symptoms were consistent with such a death -as was described.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As to Dr. Aloysius Lana, he returned to the village -from which he had made so dramatic a disappearance, -and a complete reconciliation was effected between -him and the young squire, the latter having acknowledged -that he had entirely misunderstood the other’s -motives in withdrawing from his engagement. That -another reconciliation followed may be judged from -a notice extracted from a prominent column in the -<cite>Morning Post</cite>:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>A marriage was solemnized upon September 19th, -by the Rev. Stephen Johnson, at the parish church -of Bishop’s Crossing, between Aloysius Xavier Lana, -son of Don Alfredo Lana, formerly Foreign Minister -of the Argentine Republic, and Frances Morton, only -daughter of the late James Morton, J.P., of Leigh -Hall, Bishop’s Crossing, Lancashire.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span> - <h2 class='c005'>PLAYING WITH FIRE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>I cannot pretend to say what occurred on the 14th -of April last at No. 17, Badderly Gardens. Put down -in black and white, my surmise might seem too crude, -too grotesque, for serious consideration. And yet that -something did occur, and that it was of a nature which -will leave its mark upon every one of us for the rest -of our lives, is as certain as the unanimous testimony -of five witnesses can make it. I will not enter into -any argument or speculation. I will only give a plain -statement, which will be submitted to John Moir, -Harvey Deacon, and Mrs. Delamere, and withheld -from publication unless they are prepared to corroborate -every detail. I cannot obtain the sanction of Paul -Le Duc, for he appears to have left the country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was John Moir (the well-known senior partner of -Moir, Moir, and Sanderson) who had originally turned -our attention to occult subjects. He had, like many -very hard and practical men of business, a mystic side -to his nature, which had led him to the examination, -and eventually to the acceptance, of those elusive -phenomena which are grouped together with much that -is foolish, and much that is fraudulent, under the -common heading of spiritualism. His researches, which -had begun with an open mind, ended unhappily in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>dogma, and he became as positive and fanatical as any -other bigot. He represented in our little group the -body of men who have turned these singular phenomena -into a new religion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mrs. Delamere, our medium, was his sister, the -wife of Delamere, the rising sculptor. Our experience -had shown us that to work on these subjects without -a medium was as futile as for an astronomer to make -observations without a telescope. On the other hand, -the introduction of a paid medium was hateful to all -of us. Was it not obvious that he or she would feel -bound to return some result for money received, and -that the temptation to fraud would be an overpowering -one? No phenomena could be relied upon which were -produced at a guinea an hour. But, fortunately, Moir -had discovered that his sister was mediumistic—in -other words, that she was a battery of that animal -magnetic force which is the only form of energy which -is subtle enough to be acted upon from the spiritual -plane as well as from our own material one. Of -course, when I say this, I do not mean to beg the -question; but I am simply indicating the theories -upon which we were ourselves, rightly or wrongly, -explaining what we saw. The lady came, not altogether -with the approval of her husband, and though -she never gave indications of any very great psychic -force, we were able, at least, to obtain those usual phenomena -of message-tilting which are at the same time -so puerile and so inexplicable. Every Sunday evening -we met in Harvey Deacon’s studio at Badderly Gardens, -the next house to the corner of Merton Park Road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Harvey Deacon’s imaginative work in art would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>prepare any one to find that he was an ardent lover of -everything which was <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">outré</span></i> and sensational. A certain -picturesqueness in the study of the occult had been the -quality which had originally attracted him to it, but -his attention was speedily arrested by some of those -phenomena to which I have referred, and he was -coming rapidly to the conclusion that what he had -looked upon as an amusing romance and an after-dinner -entertainment was really a very formidable -reality. He is a man with a remarkably clear and -logical brain—a true descendant of his ancestor, the -well-known Scotch professor—and he represented in -our small circle the critical element, the man who has -no prejudices, is prepared to follow facts as far as he -can see them, and refuses to theorize in advance of -his data. His caution annoyed Moir as much as the -latter’s robust faith amused Deacon, but each in his -own way was equally keen upon the matter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And I? What am I to say that I represented? I -was not the devotee. I was not the scientific critic. -Perhaps the best that I can claim for myself is that I -was the dilettante man about town, anxious to be in -the swim of every fresh movement, thankful for any -new sensation which would take me out of myself and -open up fresh possibilities of existence. I am not an -enthusiast myself, but I like the company of those -who are. Moir’s talk, which made me feel as if we -had a private pass-key through the door of death, -filled me with a vague contentment. The soothing -atmosphere of the séance with the darkened lights was -delightful to me. In a word, the thing amused me, -and so I was there.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>It was, as I have said, upon the 14th of April -last that the very singular event which I am about -to put upon record took place. I was the first of the -men to arrive at the studio, but Mrs. Delamere was -already there, having had afternoon tea with Mrs. -Harvey Deacon. The two ladies and Deacon himself -were standing in front of an unfinished picture of his -upon the easel. I am not an expert in art, and I -have never professed to understand what Harvey Deacon -meant by his pictures; but I could see in this -instance that it was all very clever and imaginative, -fairies and animals and allegorical figures of all sorts. -The ladies were loud in their praises, and indeed the -colour effect was a remarkable one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you think of it, Markham?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, it’s above me,” said I. “These beasts—what -are they?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mythical monsters, imaginary creatures, heraldic -emblems—a sort of weird, bizarre procession of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With a white horse in front!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s not a horse,” said he, rather testily—which -was surprising, for he was a very good-humoured -fellow as a rule, and hardly ever took himself -seriously.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can’t you see the horn in front? It’s a unicorn. -I told you they were heraldic beasts. Can’t you -recognize one?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very sorry, Deacon,” said I, for he really seemed -to be annoyed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He laughed at his own irritation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Excuse me, Markham!” said he; “the fact is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>that I have had an awful job over the beast. All -day I have been painting him in and painting him -out, and trying to imagine what a real live, ramping -unicorn would look like. At last I got him, as I -hoped; so when you failed to recognize it, it took me -on the raw.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, of course it’s a unicorn,” said I, for he -was evidently depressed at my obtuseness. “I can -see the horn quite plainly, but I never saw a unicorn -except beside the Royal Arms, and so I never thought -of the creature. And these others are griffins and -cockatrices, and dragons of sorts?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I had no difficulty with them. It was the -unicorn which bothered me. However, there’s an end -of it until to-morrow.” He turned the picture round -upon the easel, and we all chatted about other -subjects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Moir was late that evening, and when he did -arrive he brought with him, rather to our surprise, -a small, stout Frenchman, whom he introduced as -Monsieur Paul Le Duc. I say to our surprise, for -we held a theory that any intrusion into our spiritual -circle deranged the conditions, and introduced an -element of suspicion. We knew that we could trust -each other, but all our results were vitiated by the -presence of an outsider. However, Moir soon reconciled -us to the innovation. Monsieur Paul Le Duc -was a famous student of occultism, a seer, a medium, -and a mystic. He was travelling in England with -a letter of introduction to Moir from the President -of the Parisian brothers of the Rosy Cross. What -more natural than that he should bring him to our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>little séance, or that we should feel honoured by his -presence?</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was, as I have said, a small, stout man, -undistinguished in appearance, with a broad, smooth, -clean-shaven face, remarkable only for a pair of large, -brown, velvety eyes, staring vaguely out in front of -him. He was well dressed, with the manners of a -gentleman, and his curious little turns of English -speech set the ladies smiling. Mrs. Deacon had a -prejudice against our researches and left the room, -upon which we lowered the lights, as was our custom, -and drew up our chairs to the square mahogany table -which stood in the centre of the studio. The light -was subdued, but sufficient to allow us to see each -other quite plainly. I remember that I could even -observe the curious, podgy little square-topped hands -which the Frenchman laid upon the table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What a fun!” said he. “It is many years -since I have sat in this fashion, and it is to me -amusing. Madame is medium. Does madame make -the trance?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, hardly that,” said Mrs. Delamere. “But -I am always conscious of extreme sleepiness.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is the first stage. Then you encourage it, and -there comes the trance. When the trance comes, then -out jumps your little spirit and in jumps another -little spirit, and so you have direct talking or writing. -You leave your machine to be worked by another. -<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Hein?</span></i> But what have unicorns to do with it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Harvey Deacon started in his chair. The Frenchman -was moving his head slowly round and staring -into the shadows which draped the walls.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>“What a fun!” said he. “Always unicorns. -Who has been thinking so hard upon a subject so -bizarre?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is wonderful!” cried Deacon. “I have -been trying to paint one all day. But how could you -know it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have been thinking of them in this room.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Certainly.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But thoughts are things, my friend. When you -imagine a thing you make a thing. You did not -know it, <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>? But I can see your unicorns because -it is not only with my eye that I can see.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you mean to say that I create a thing which -has never existed by merely thinking of it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But certainly. It is the fact which lies under -all other facts. That is why an evil thought is also -a danger.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are, I suppose, upon the astral plane?” said -Moir.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah, well, these are but words, my friends. They -are there—somewhere—everywhere—I cannot tell -myself. I see them. I could not touch them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You could not make <em>us</em> see them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is to materialize them. Hold! It is an experiment. -But the power is wanting. Let us see -what power we have, and then arrange what we shall -do. May I place you as I should wish?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You evidently know a great deal more about it -than we do,” said Harvey Deacon; “I wish that you -would take complete control.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It may be that the conditions are not good. But -we will try what we can do. Madame will sit where -<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>she is, I next, and this gentleman beside me. Meester -Moir will sit next to madame, because it is well to -have blacks and blondes in turn. So! And now with -your permission I will turn the lights all out.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is the advantage of the dark?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because the force with which we deal is a -vibration of ether and so also is light. We have the -wires all for ourselves now—<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>? You will not be -frightened in the darkness, madame? What a fun is -such a séance!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first the darkness appeared to be absolutely -pitchy, but in a few minutes our eyes became so far -accustomed to it that we could just make out each -other’s presence—very dimly and vaguely, it is true. -I could see nothing else in the room—only the black -loom of the motionless figures. We were all taking -the matter much more seriously than we had ever done -before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will place your hands in front. It is hopeless -that we touch, since we are so few round so large -a table. You will compose yourself, madame, and if -sleep should come to you you will not fight against -it. And now we sit in silence and we expect——<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>So we sat in silence and expected, staring out into -the blackness in front of us. A clock ticked in the -passage. A dog barked intermittently far away. Once -or twice a cab rattled past in the street, and the gleam -of its lamps through the chink in the curtains was -a cheerful break in that gloomy vigil. I felt those -physical symptoms with which previous <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">séances</span> had -made me familiar—the coldness of the feet, the tingling -<span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span>in the hands, the glow of the palms, the feeling of a -cold wind upon the back. Strange little shooting -pains came in my forearms, especially as it seemed -to me in my left one, which was nearest to our -visitor—due no doubt to disturbance of the vascular -system, but worthy of some attention all the same. -At the same time I was conscious of a strained feeling -of expectancy which was almost painful. From the -rigid, absolute silence of my companions I gathered -that their nerves were as tense as my own.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then suddenly a sound came out of the darkness—a -low, sibilant sound, the quick, thin breathing -of a woman. Quicker and thinner yet it came, as -between clenched teeth, to end in a loud gasp with a -dull rustle of cloth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What’s that? Is all right?” someone asked in -the darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, all is right,” said the Frenchman. “It is -madame. She is in her trance. Now, gentlemen, if -you will wait quiet you will see something, I think, -which will interest you much.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Still the ticking in the hall. Still the breathing, -deeper and fuller now, from the medium. Still the -occasional flash, more welcome than ever, of the passing -lights of the hansoms. What a gap we were bridging, -the half-raised veil of the eternal on the one side and -the cabs of London on the other. The table was -throbbing with a mighty pulse. It swayed steadily, -rhythmically, with an easy swooping, scooping motion -under our fingers. Sharp little raps and cracks came -from its substance, file-firing, volley-firing, the sounds -of a fagot burning briskly on a frosty night.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>“There is much power,” said the Frenchman. “See -it on the table!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had thought it was some delusion of my own, but -all could see it now. There was a greenish-yellow -phosphorescent light—or I should say a luminous -vapour rather than a light—which lay over the surface -of the table. It rolled and wreathed and undulated in -dim glimmering folds, turning and swirling like clouds -of smoke. I could see the white, square-ended hands -of the French medium in this baleful light.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What a fun!” he cried. “It is splendid!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Shall we call the alphabet?” asked Moir.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But no—for we can do much better,” said our -visitor. “It is but a clumsy thing to tilt the table for -every letter of the alphabet, and with such a medium -as madame we should do better than that.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, you will do better,” said a voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who was that? Who spoke? Was that you, -Markham?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I did not speak.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was madame who spoke.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But it was not her voice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is that you, Mrs. Delamere?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not the medium, but it is the power which -uses the organs of the medium,” said the strange, deep -voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where is Mrs. Delamere? It will not hurt her, -I trust.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The medium is happy in another plane of -existence. She has taken my place, as I have -taken hers.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who are you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>“It cannot matter to you who I am. I am one -who has lived as you are living, and who has died as -you will die.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We heard the creak and grate of a cab pulling up -next door. There was an argument about the fare, and -the cabman grumbled hoarsely down the street. The -green-yellow cloud still swirled faintly over the table, -dull elsewhere, but glowing into a dim luminosity in -the direction of the medium. It seemed to be piling -itself up in front of her. A sense of fear and cold -struck into my heart. It seemed to me that lightly -and flippantly we had approached the most real and -august of sacraments, that communion with the dead of -which the fathers of the Church had spoken.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t you think we are going too far? Should -we not break up this séance?” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the others were all earnest to see the end of it. -They laughed at my scruples.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All the powers are made for use,” said Harvey -Deacon. “If we <em>can</em> do this, we <em>should</em> do this. Every -new departure of knowledge has been called unlawful -in its inception. It is right and proper that we should -inquire into the nature of death.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is right and proper,” said the voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There, what more could you ask?” cried Moir, -who was much excited. “Let us have a test. Will -you give us a test that you are really there?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What test do you demand?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, now—I have some coins in my pocket. -Will you tell me how many?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We come back in the hope of teaching and of -elevating, and not to guess childish riddles.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>“Ha, ha, Meester Moir, you catch it that time,” -cried the Frenchman. “But surely this is very good -sense what the Control is saying.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is a religion, not a game,” said the cold, hard -voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly—the very view I take of it,” cried -Moir. “I am sure I am very sorry if I have asked -a foolish question. You will not tell me who you -are?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What does it matter?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you been a spirit long?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How long?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We cannot reckon time as you do. Our conditions -are different.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you happy?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You would not wish to come back to life?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No—certainly not.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you busy?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We could not be happy if we were not busy.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you do?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have said that the conditions are entirely -different.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can you give us no idea of your work?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We labour for our own improvement and for the -advancement of others.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you like coming here to-night?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am glad to come if I can do any good by -coming.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then to do good is your object?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is the object of all life on every plane.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>“You see, Markham, that should answer your -scruples.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It did, for my doubts had passed and only interest -remained.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you pain in your life?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No; pain is a thing of the body.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you mental pain?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes; one may always be sad or anxious.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you meet the friends whom you have known -on earth?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Some of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why only some of them?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Only those who are sympathetic.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do husbands meet wives?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Those who have truly loved.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the others?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are nothing to each other.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There must be a spiritual connection?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Of course.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is what we are doing right?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If done in the right spirit.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is the wrong spirit?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Curiosity and levity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“May harm come of that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very serious harm.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What sort of harm?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You may call up forces over which you have no -control.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Evil forces?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Undeveloped forces.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You say they are dangerous. Dangerous to body -or mind?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>“Sometimes to both.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a pause, and the blackness seemed to -grow blacker still, while the yellow-green fog swirled -and smoked upon the table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Any questions you would like to ask, Moir?” -said Harvey Deacon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Only this—do you pray in your world?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One should pray in every world.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because it is the acknowledgment of forces -outside ourselves.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What religion do you hold over there?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We differ exactly as you do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have no certain knowledge?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have only faith.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“These questions of religion,” said the Frenchman, -“they are of interest to you serious English people, but -they are not so much fun. It seems to me that with -this power here we might be able to have some great -experience—<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>? Something of which we could -talk.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But nothing could be more interesting than this,” -said Moir.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, if you think so, that is very well,” the -Frenchman answered, peevishly. “For my part, it -seems to me that I have heard all this before, and that -to-night I should weesh to try some experiment with -all this force which is given to us. But if you have -other questions, then ask them, and when you are -finish we can try something more.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the spell was broken. We asked and asked, -but the medium sat silent in her chair. Only her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>deep, regular breathing showed that she was there. -The mist still swirled upon the table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have disturbed the harmony. She will not -answer.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But we have learned already all that she can tell—<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hein</span></i>? -For my part I wish to see something that I -have never seen before.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will let me try?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What would you do?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have said to you that thoughts are things. Now -I wish to <em>prove</em> it to you, and to show you that which -is only a thought. Yes, yes, I can do it and you will -see. Now I ask you only to sit still and say -nothing, and keep ever your hands quiet upon the -table.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The room was blacker and more silent than ever. -The same feeling of apprehension which had lain -heavily upon me at the beginning of the séance was -back at my heart once more. The roots of my hair -were tingling.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is working! It is working!” cried the Frenchman, -and there was a crack in his voice as he spoke -which told me that he also was strung to his -tightest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The luminous fog drifted slowly off the table, and -wavered and flickered across the room. There in the -farther and darkest corner it gathered and glowed, -hardening down into a shining core—a strange, shifty, -luminous, and yet non-illuminating patch of radiance, -bright itself, but throwing no rays into the darkness. -It had changed from a greenish-yellow to a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>dusky sullen red. Then round this centre there coiled -a dark, smoky substance, thickening, hardening, growing -denser and blacker. And then the light went out, -smothered in that which had grown round it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It has gone.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Hush—there’s something in the room.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We heard it in the corner where the light had been, -something which breathed deeply and fidgeted in the -darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it? Le Duc, what have you done?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is all right. No harm will come.” The -Frenchman’s voice was treble with agitation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good heavens, Moir, there’s a large animal in the -room. Here it is, close by my chair! Go away! Go -away!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was Harvey Deacon’s voice, and then came the -sound of a blow upon some hard object. And then ... -And then ... how can I tell you what happened -then?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some huge thing hurtled against us in the darkness, -rearing, stamping, smashing, springing, snorting. The -table was splintered. We were scattered in every -direction. It clattered and scrambled amongst us, -rushing with horrible energy from one corner of the -room to another. We were all screaming with fear, -grovelling upon our hands and knees to get away from -it. Something trod upon my left hand, and I felt the -bones splinter under the weight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A light! A light!” someone yelled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Moir, you have matches, matches!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I have none. Deacon, where are the matches? -For God’s sake, the matches!”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>“I can’t find them. Here, you Frenchman, stop -it!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is beyond me. Oh, <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mon Dieu</span></i>, I cannot stop it. -The door! Where is the door?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My hand, by good luck, lit upon the handle as I -groped about in the darkness. The hard-breathing, -snorting, rushing creature tore past me and butted with -a fearful crash against the oaken partition. The instant -that it had passed I turned the handle, and next -moment we were all outside and the door shut behind -us. From within came a horrible crashing and rending -and stamping.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is it? In Heaven’s name, what is it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A horse. I saw it when the door opened. But -Mrs. Delamere——?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We must fetch her out. Come on, Markham; -the longer we wait the less we shall like it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He flung open the door and we rushed in. She was -there on the ground amidst the splinters of her chair. -We seized her and dragged her swiftly out, and as we -gained the door I looked over my shoulder into the -darkness. There were two strange eyes glowing at us, -a rattle of hoofs, and I had just time to slam the door -when there came a crash upon it which split it from -top to bottom.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s coming through! It’s coming!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Run, run for your lives!” cried the Frenchman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Another crash, and something shot through the -riven door. It was a long white spike, gleaming in -the lamplight. For a moment it shone before us, and -then with a snap it disappeared again.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>“Quick! Quick! This way!” Harvey Deacon -shouted. “Carry her in! Here! Quick!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We had taken refuge in the dining-room, and shut -the heavy oak door. We laid the senseless woman -upon the sofa, and as we did so, Moir, the hard man of -business, drooped and fainted across the hearthrug. -Harvey Deacon was as white as a corpse, jerking and -twitching like an epileptic. With a crash we heard -the studio door fly to pieces, and the snorting and -stamping were in the passage, up and down, up and -down, shaking the house with their fury. The Frenchman -had sunk his face on his hands, and sobbed like a -frightened child.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What shall we do?” I shook him roughly by the -shoulder. “Is a gun any use?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no. The power will pass. Then it will -end.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You might have killed us all—you unspeakable -fool—with your infernal experiments.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I did not know. How could I tell that it would -be frightened? It is mad with terror. It was his -fault. He struck it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Harvey Deacon sprang up. “Good heavens!” he -cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A terrible scream sounded through the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s my wife! Here, I’m going out. If it’s the -Evil One himself I am going out!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had thrown open the door and rushed out into -the passage. At the end of it, at the foot of the stairs, -Mrs. Deacon was lying senseless, struck down by -the sight which she had seen. But there was nothing -else.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>With eyes of horror we looked about us, but all was -perfectly quiet and still. I approached the black -square of the studio door, expecting with every slow -step that some atrocious shape would hurl itself out -of it. But nothing came, and all was silent inside the -room. Peeping and peering, our hearts in our mouths, -we came to the very threshold, and stared into the -darkness. There was still no sound, but in one direction -there was also no darkness. A luminous, glowing -cloud, with an incandescent centre, hovered in the corner -of the room. Slowly it dimmed and faded, growing -thinner and fainter, until at last the same dense, velvety -blackness filled the whole studio. And with the last -flickering gleam of that baleful light the Frenchman -broke into a shout of joy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What a fun!” he cried. “No one is hurt, and -only the door broken, and the ladies frightened. But, -my friends, we have done what has never been done -before.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And as far as I can help it,” said Harvey Deacon, -“it will certainly never be done again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And that was what befell on the 14th of April -last at No. 17, Badderly Gardens. I began by saying -that it would seem too grotesque to dogmatize as to -what it was which actually did occur; but I give -my impressions, <em>our</em> impressions (since they are corroborated -by Harvey Deacon and John Moir), for -what they are worth. You may, if it pleases you, -imagine that we were the victims of an elaborate and -extraordinary hoax. Or you may think with us that -we underwent a very real and a very terrible -experience. Or perhaps you may know more than -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>we do of such occult matters, and can inform us of -some similar occurrence. In this latter case a letter -to William Markham, 146<span class='fss'>M</span>, The Albany, would -help to throw a light upon that which is very dark -to us.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE JEW’S BREASTPLATE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>My particular friend Ward Mortimer was one of the -best men of his day at everything connected with -Oriental archæology. He had written largely upon the -subject, he had lived two years in a tomb at Thebes, -while he excavated in the Valley of the Kings, and -finally he had created a considerable sensation by his -exhumation of the alleged mummy of Cleopatra in the -inner room of the Temple of Horus, at Philæ. With -such a record at the age of thirty-one, it was felt that -a considerable career lay before him, and no one was -surprised when he was elected to the curatorship of -the Belmore Street Museum, which carries with it -the lectureship at the Oriental College, and an income -which has sunk with the fall in land, but which still -remains at that ideal sum which is large enough to -encourage an investigator, but not so large as to -enervate him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was only one reason which made Ward -Mortimer’s position a little difficult at the Belmore -Street Museum, and that was the extreme eminence -of the man whom he had to succeed. Professor Andreas -was a profound scholar and a man of European reputation. -His lectures were frequented by students from -every part of the world, and his admirable management -<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>of the collection intrusted to his care was a commonplace -in all learned societies. There was, therefore, -considerable surprise when, at the age of fifty-five, he -suddenly resigned his position and retired from those -duties which had been both his livelihood and his -pleasure. He and his daughter left the comfortable -suite of rooms which had formed his official residence -in connection with the museum, and my friend, -Mortimer, who was a bachelor, took up his quarters -there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On hearing of Mortimer’s appointment Professor -Andreas had written him a very kindly and flattering -congratulatory letter. I was actually present at -their first meeting, and I went with Mortimer round -the museum when the Professor showed us the admirable -collection which he had cherished so long. The -Professor’s beautiful daughter and a young man, -Captain Wilson, who was, as I understood, soon to -be her husband, accompanied us in our inspection. -There were fifteen rooms, but the Babylonian, the -Syrian, and the central hall, which contained the -Jewish and Egyptian collection, were the finest of all. -Professor Andreas was a quiet, dry, elderly man, with -a clean-shaven face and an impassive manner, but his -dark eyes sparkled and his features quickened into -enthusiastic life as he pointed out to us the rarity and -the beauty of some of his specimens. His hand lingered -so fondly over them, that one could read his pride in -them and the grief in his heart now that they were -passing from his care into that of another.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had shown us in turn his mummies, his papyri, -his rare scarabs, his inscriptions, his Jewish relics, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span>his duplication of the famous seven-branched candlestick -of the Temple, which was brought to Rome by -Titus, and which is supposed by some to be lying at -this instant in the bed of the Tiber. Then he approached -a case which stood in the very centre of the -hall, and he looked down through the glass with -reverence in his attitude and manner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is no novelty to an expert like yourself, -Mr. Mortimer,” said he; “but I daresay that your -friend, Mr. Jackson, will be interested to see it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaning over the case I saw an object, some five -inches square, which consisted of twelve precious -stones in a framework of gold, with golden hooks at -two of the corners. The stones were all varying in -sort and colour, but they were of the same size. Their -shapes, arrangement, and gradation of tint made me -think of a box of water-colour paints. Each stone -had some hieroglyphic scratched upon its surface.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have heard, Mr. Jackson, of the urim and -thummim?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had heard the term, but my idea of its meaning -was exceedingly vague.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The urim and thummim was a name given to the -jewelled plate which lay upon the breast of the high -priest of the Jews. They had a very special feeling -of reverence for it—something of the feeling which -an ancient Roman might have for the Sibylline books -in the Capitol. There are, as you see, twelve magnificent -stones, inscribed with mystical characters. -Counting from the left-hand top corner, the stones -are carnelian, peridot, emerald, ruby, lapis lazuli, onyx, -sapphire, agate, amethyst, topaz, beryl, and jasper.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>I was amazed at the variety and beauty of the -stones.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Has the breastplate any particular history?” I -asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is of great age and of immense value,” said -Professor Andreas. “Without being able to make -an absolute assertion, we have many reasons to think -that it is possible that it may be the original urim -and thummim of Solomon’s Temple. There is certainly -nothing so fine in any collection in Europe. My -friend, Captain Wilson here, is a practical authority -upon precious stones, and he would tell you how pure -these are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Captain Wilson, a man with a dark, hard, incisive -face, was standing beside his <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">fiancée</span></i> at the other side -of the case.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes,” said he, curtly, “I have never seen finer -stones.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the gold-work is also worthy of attention. -The ancients excelled in ——”—he was apparently -about to indicate the setting of the stones, when -Captain Wilson interrupted him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will see a finer example of their gold-work -in this candlestick,” said he, turning to another table, -and we all joined him in his admiration of its embossed -stem and delicately ornamented branches. -Altogether it was an interesting and a novel experience -to have objects of such rarity explained by so great -an expert; and when, finally, Professor Andreas -finished our inspection by formally handing over the -precious collection to the care of my friend, I could -not help pitying him and envying his successor whose -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>life was to pass in so pleasant a duty. Within a week, -Ward Mortimer was duly installed in his new set of -rooms, and had become the autocrat of the Belmore -Street Museum.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About a fortnight afterwards my friend gave a -small dinner to half-a-dozen bachelor friends to celebrate -his promotion. When his guests were departing -he pulled my sleeve and signalled to me that he wished -me to remain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have only a few hundred yards to go,” said -he—I was living in chambers in the Albany. “You -may as well stay and have a quiet cigar with me. I -very much want your advice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I relapsed into an arm-chair and lit one of his excellent -Matronas. When he had returned from seeing -the last of his guests out, he drew a letter from his -dress-jacket and sat down opposite to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is an anonymous letter which I received this -morning,” said he. “I want to read it to you and to -have your advice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are very welcome to it for what it is worth.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is how the note runs: ‘Sir,—I should -strongly advise you to keep a very careful watch over -the many valuable things which are committed to your -charge. I do not think that the present system of a -single watchman is sufficient. Be upon your guard, or -an irreparable misfortune may occur.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is that all?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, that is all.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said I, “it is at least obvious that it was -written by one of the limited number of people who -are aware that you have only one watchman at night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>Ward Mortimer handed me the note, with a curious -smile. “Have you an eye for handwriting?” said he. -“Now, look at this!” He put another letter in front -of me. “Look at the <em>c</em> in ‘congratulate’ and the <em>c</em> in -‘committed.’ Look at the capital <em>I</em>. Look at the trick -of putting in a dash instead of a stop!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are undoubtedly from the same hand—with -some attempt at disguise in the case of this first one.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The second,” said Ward Mortimer, “is the letter -of congratulation which was written to me by Professor -Andreas upon my obtaining my appointment.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I stared at him in amazement. Then I turned over -the letter in my hand, and there, sure enough, was -“Martin Andreas” signed upon the other side. There -could be no doubt, in the mind of any one who had the -slightest knowledge of the science of graphology, that -the Professor had written an anonymous letter, warning -his successor against thieves. It was inexplicable, but -it was certain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should he do it?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Precisely what I should wish to ask you. If he -had any such misgivings, why could he not come and -tell me direct?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Will you speak to him about it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There again I am in doubt. He might choose to -deny that he wrote it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At any rate,” said I, “this warning is meant in a -friendly spirit, and I should certainly act upon it. Are -the present precautions enough to insure you against -robbery?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should have thought so. The public are only -admitted from ten till five, and there is a guardian to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>every two rooms. He stands at the door between them, -and so commands them both.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But at night?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When the public are gone, we at once put up the -great iron shutters, which are absolutely burglar-proof. -The watchman is a capable fellow. He sits in the -lodge, but he walks round every three hours. We -keep one electric light burning in each room all -night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is difficult to suggest anything more—short of -keeping your day watchers all night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We could not afford that.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At least, I should communicate with the police, -and have a special constable put on outside in Belmore -Street,” said I. “As to the letter, if the writer wishes -to be anonymous, I think he has a right to remain so. -We must trust to the future to show some reason for -the curious course which he has adopted.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>So we dismissed the subject, but all that night after -my return to my chambers I was puzzling my brain as -to what possible motive Professor Andreas could have -for writing an anonymous warning letter to his successor—for -that the writing was his was as certain to -me as if I had seen him actually doing it. He foresaw -some danger to the collection. Was it because he foresaw -it that he abandoned his charge of it? But if so, -why should he hesitate to warn Mortimer in his own -name? I puzzled and puzzled until at last I fell into -a troubled sleep, which carried me beyond my usual -hour of rising.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was aroused in a singular and effective method, -for about nine o’clock my friend Mortimer rushed into -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>my room with an expression of consternation upon his -face. He was usually one of the most tidy men of my -acquaintance, but now his collar was undone at one -end, his tie was flying, and his hat at the back of his -head. I read his whole story in his frantic eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The museum has been robbed!” I cried, springing -up in bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I fear so! Those jewels! The jewels of the urim -and thummim!” he gasped, for he was out of breath -with running. “I’m going on to the police-station. -Come to the museum as soon as you can, Jackson! -Good-bye!” He rushed distractedly out of the room, -and I heard him clatter down the stairs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was not long in following his directions, but I -found when I arrived that he had already returned -with a police inspector, and another elderly gentleman, -who proved to be Mr. Purvis, one of the partners of -Morson and Company, the well-known diamond merchants. -As an expert in stones he was always prepared -to advise the police. They were grouped round the -case in which the breastplate of the Jewish priest had -been exposed. The plate had been taken out and laid -upon the glass top of the case, and the three heads -were bent over it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is obvious that it has been tampered with,” -said Mortimer. “It caught my eye the moment that -I passed through the room this morning. I examined -it yesterday evening, so that it is certain that this has -happened during the night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was, as he had said, obvious that some one had -been at work upon it. The settings of the uppermost -row of four stones—the carnelian, peridot, emerald, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>and ruby-were rough and jagged as if some one had -scraped all round them. The stones were in their -places, but the beautiful gold-work which we had -admired only a few days before had been very clumsily -pulled about.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It looks to me,” said the police inspector, “as if -some one had been trying to take out the stones.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My fear is,” said Mortimer, “that he not only -tried, but succeeded. I believe these four stones to be -skilful imitations which have been put in the place of -the originals.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The same suspicion had evidently been in the mind -of the expert, for he had been carefully examining the -four stones with the aid of a lens. He now submitted -them to several tests, and finally turned cheerfully to -Mortimer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I congratulate you, sir,” said he, heartily. “I -will pledge my reputation that all four of these stones -are genuine, and of a most unusual degree of purity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The colour began to come back to my poor friend’s -frightened face, and he drew a long breath of -relief.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Thank God!” he cried. “Then what in the world -did the thief want?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Probably he meant to take the stones, but was -interrupted.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In that case one would expect him to take them -out one at a time, but the setting of each of these has -been loosened, and yet the stones are all here.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is certainly most extraordinary,” said the inspector. -“I never remember a case like it. Let us see -the watchman.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>The commissionaire was called—a soldierly, honest-faced -man, who seemed as concerned as Ward Mortimer -at the incident.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir, I never heard a sound,” he answered, in -reply to the questions of the inspector. “I made my -rounds four times, as usual, but I saw nothing suspicious. -I’ve been in my position ten years, but nothing -of the kind has ever occurred before.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No thief could have come through the windows?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Impossible, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Or passed you at the door?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir; I never left my post except when I -walked my rounds.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What other openings are there in the museum?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is the door into Mr. Ward Mortimer’s -private rooms.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is locked at night,” my friend explained, -“and in order to reach it any one from the street -would have to open the outside door as well.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your servants?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Their quarters are entirely separate.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, well,” said the inspector, “this is certainly -very obscure. However, there has been no harm done, -according to Mr. Purvis.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will swear that those stones are genuine.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So that the case appears to be merely one of -malicious damage. But none the less, I should be -very glad to go carefully round the premises, and -to see if we can find any trace to show us who your -visitor may have been.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>His investigation, which lasted all the morning -was careful and intelligent, but it led in the end -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>to nothing. He pointed out to us that there were -two possible entrances to the museum which we -had not considered. The one was from the cellars -by a trap-door opening in the passage. The other -through a skylight from the lumber-room, overlooking -that very chamber to which the intruder had penetrated. -As neither the cellar nor the lumber-room -could be entered unless the thief was already within -the locked doors, the matter was not of any practical -importance, and the dust of cellar and attic assured -us that no one had used either one or the other. -Finally, we ended as we began, without the slightest -clue as to how, why, or by whom the setting of these -four jewels had been tampered with.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There remained one course for Mortimer to take, -and he took it. Leaving the police to continue their -fruitless researches, he asked me to accompany him -that afternoon in a visit to Professor Andreas. He -took with him the two letters, and it was his intention -to openly tax his predecessor with having -written the anonymous warning, and to ask him -to explain the fact that he should have anticipated -so exactly that which had actually occurred. The -Professor was living in a small villa in Upper -Norwood, but we were informed by the servant -that he was away from home. Seeing our disappointment, -she asked us if we should like to see Miss -Andreas, and showed us into the modest drawing-room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have mentioned incidentally that the Professor’s -daughter was a very beautiful girl. She was a -blonde, tall and graceful, with a skin of that delicate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>tint which the French call “mat,” the colour of -old ivory or of the lighter petals of the sulphur -rose. I was shocked, however, as she entered the -room to see how much she had changed in the last -fortnight. Her young face was haggard and her bright -eyes heavy with trouble.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Father has gone to Scotland,” she said. “He -seems to be tired, and has had a good deal to worry -him. He only left us yesterday.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You look a little tired yourself, Miss Andreas,” -said my friend.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have been so anxious about father.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can you give me his Scotch address?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, he is with his brother, the Rev. David -Andreas, 1, Arran Villas, Ardrossan.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ward Mortimer made a note of the address, and -we left without saying anything as to the object -of our visit. We found ourselves in Belmore Street -in the evening in exactly the same position in which -we had been in the morning. Our only clue was -the Professor’s letter, and my friend had made up -his mind to start for Ardrossan next day, and to -get to the bottom of the anonymous letter, when a -new development came to alter our plans.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Very early on the following morning I was -aroused from my sleep by a tap upon my bedroom -door. It was a messenger with a note from Mortimer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do come round,” it said; “the matter is becoming -more and more extraordinary.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>When I obeyed his summons I found him pacing -excitedly up and down the central room, while the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>old soldier who guarded the premises stood with -military stiffness in a corner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear Jackson,” he cried, “I am so delighted -that you have come, for this is a most inexplicable -business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What has happened, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He waved his hand towards the case which contained -the breastplate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Look at it,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did so, and could not restrain a cry of surprise. -The setting of the middle row of precious stones -had been profaned in the same manner as the upper -ones. Of the twelve jewels, eight had been now -tampered with in this singular fashion. The setting -of the lower four was neat and smooth. The others -jagged and irregular.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have the stones been altered?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I am certain that these upper four are the -same which the expert pronounced to be genuine, -for I observed yesterday that little discoloration on -the edge of the emerald. Since they have not extracted -the upper stones, there is no reason to think -the lower have been transposed. You say that you -heard nothing, Simpson?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir,” the commissionaire answered. “But -when I made my round after daylight I had a special -look at these stones, and I saw at once that some -one had been meddling with them. Then I called -you, sir, and told you. I was backwards and forwards -all the night, and I never saw a soul or heard a -sound.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come up and have some breakfast with me,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>said Mortimer, and he took me into his own chambers.—“Now, -what <em>do</em> you think of this, Jackson?” -he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is the most objectless, futile, idiotic business -that ever I heard of. It can only be the work of a -monomaniac.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can you put forward any theory?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A curious idea came into my head. “This object -is a Jewish relic of great antiquity and sanctity,” said -I. “How about the anti-Semitic movement? Could -one conceive that a fanatic of that way of thinking -might desecrate——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, no!” cried Mortimer. “That will never -do! Such a man might push his lunacy to the length -of destroying a Jewish relic, but why on earth should -he nibble round every stone so carefully that he can -only do four stones in a night? We must have a -better solution than that, and we must find it for ourselves, -for I do not think that our inspector is likely -to help us. First of all, what do you think of Simpson, -the porter?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you any reason to suspect him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Only that he is the one person on the premises.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why should he indulge in such wanton -destruction? Nothing has been taken away. He has -no motive.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mania?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I will swear to his sanity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you any other theory?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, yourself, for example. You are not a -somnambulist, by any chance?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Nothing of the sort, I assure you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>“Then I give it up.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But I don’t—and I have a plan by which we -will make it all clear.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To visit Professor Andreas?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, we shall find our solution nearer than -Scotland, I will tell you what we shall do. You -know that skylight which overlooks the central hall? -We will leave the electric lights in the hall, and we -will keep watch in the lumber-room, you and I, and -solve the mystery for ourselves. If our mysterious -visitor is doing four stones at a time, he has four still -to do, and there is every reason to think that he will -return to-night and complete the job.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Excellent!” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We will keep our own secret, and say nothing -either to the police or to Simpson. Will you join -me?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With the utmost pleasure,” said I; and so it was -agreed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was ten o’clock that night when I returned to -the Belmore Street Museum. Mortimer was, as I -could see, in a state of suppressed nervous excitement, -but it was still too early to begin our vigil, so we -remained for an hour or so in his chambers, discussing -all the possibilities of the singular business which we -had met to solve. At last the roaring stream of -hansom cabs and the rush of hurrying feet became -lower and more intermittent as the pleasure-seekers -passed on their way to their stations or their homes. -It was nearly twelve when Mortimer led the way to -the lumber-room which overlooked the central hall of -the museum.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>He had visited it during the day, and had spread -some sacking so that we could lie at our ease, and look -straight down into the museum. The skylight was of -unfrosted glass, but was so covered with dust that it -would be impossible for any one looking up from below -to detect that he was overlooked. We cleared a small -piece at each corner, which gave us a complete view -of the room beneath us. In the cold white light of -the electric lamps everything stood out hard and clear, -and I could see the smallest detail of the contents of -the various cases.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such a vigil is an excellent lesson, since one has -no choice but to look hard at those objects which we -usually pass with such half-hearted interest. Through -my little peep-hole I employed the hours in studying -every specimen, from the huge mummy-case which -leaned against the wall to those very jewels which -had brought us there, gleaming and sparkling in their -glass case immediately beneath us. There was much -precious gold-work and many valuable stones scattered -through the numerous cases, but those wonderful -twelve which made up the urim and thummim glowed -and burned with a radiance which far eclipsed the -others. I studied in turn the tomb-pictures of Sicara, -the friezes from Karnak, the statues of Memphis, and -the inscriptions of Thebes, but my eyes would always -come back to that wonderful Jewish relic, and my -mind to the singular mystery which surrounded it. I -was lost in the thought of it when my companion -suddenly drew his breath sharply in, and seized my -arm in a convulsive grip. At the same instant I saw -what it was which had excited him.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>I have said that against the wall—on the right-hand -side of the doorway (the right-hand side as we -looked at it, but the left as one entered)—there stood -a large mummy-case. To our unutterable amazement -it was slowly opening. Gradually, gradually the lid -was swinging back, and the black slit which marked -the opening was becoming wider and wider. So -gently and carefully was it done that the movement -was almost imperceptible. Then, as we breathlessly -watched it, a white thin hand appeared at the opening, -pushing back the painted lid, then another hand, and -finally a face—a face which was familiar to us both, -that of Professor Andreas. Stealthily he slunk out -of the mummy-case, like a fox stealing from its -burrow, his head turning incessantly to left and to -right, stepping, then pausing, then stepping again, the -very image of craft and of caution. Once some sound -in the street struck him motionless, and he stood -listening, with his ear turned, ready to dart back to -the shelter behind him. Then he crept onwards again -upon tiptoe, very, very softly and slowly, until he had -reached the case in the centre of the room. There he -took a bunch of keys from his pocket, unlocked the -case, took out the Jewish breastplate, and, laying it -upon the glass in front of him, began to work upon it -with some sort of small, glistening tool. He was so -directly underneath us that his bent head covered his -work, but we could guess from the movement of his -hand that he was engaged in finishing the strange -disfigurement which he had begun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I could realize from the heavy breathing of my -companion, and the twitchings of the hand which still -<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>clutched my wrist, the furious indignation which filled -his heart as he saw this vandalism in the quarter -of all others where he could least have expected it. -He, the very man who a fortnight before had reverently -bent over this unique relic, and who had impressed its -antiquity and its sanctity upon us, was now engaged -in this outrageous profanation. It was impossible, -unthinkable—and yet there, in the white glare of the -electric light beneath us, was that dark figure with the -bent, grey head, and the twitching elbow. What -inhuman hypocrisy, what hateful depth of malice -against his successor must underlie these sinister -nocturnal labours. It was painful to think of and -dreadful to watch. Even I, who had none of the acute -feelings of a virtuoso, could not bear to look on and -see this deliberate mutilation of so ancient a relic. It -was a relief to me when my companion tugged at my -sleeve as a signal that I was to follow him as he softly -crept out of the room. It was not until we were -within his own quarters that he opened his lips, and -then I saw by his agitated face how deep was his -consternation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The abominable Goth!” he cried. “Could you -have believed it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is amazing.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He is a villain or a lunatic—one or the other. -We shall very soon see which. Come with me, -Jackson, and we shall get to the bottom of this black -business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A door opened out of the passage which was the -private entrance from his rooms into the museum. -This he opened softly with his key, having first kicked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>off his shoes, an example which I followed. We crept -together through room after room, until the large hall -lay before us, with that dark figure still stooping and -working at the central case. With an advance as -cautious as his own we closed in upon him, but softly -as we went we could not take him entirely unawares. -We were still a dozen yards from him when he looked -round with a start, and uttering a husky cry of terror, -ran frantically down the museum.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Simpson! Simpson!” roared Mortimer, and far -away down the vista of electric lighted doors we saw -the stiff figure of the old soldier suddenly appear. -Professor Andreas saw him also, and stopped running, -with a gesture of despair. At the same instant we -each laid a hand upon his shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, gentlemen,” he panted, “I will come -with you. To your room, Mr. Ward Mortimer, if -you please! I feel that I owe you an explanation.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My companion’s indignation was so great that I -could see that he dared not trust himself to reply. -We walked on each side of the old Professor, the -astonished commissionaire bringing up the rear. When -we reached the violated case, Mortimer stopped and -examined the breastplate. Already one of the stones -of the lower row had had its setting turned back in -the same manner as the others. My friend held it up -and glanced furiously at his prisoner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How could you!” he cried. “How could you!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is horrible—horrible!” said the Professor. -“I don’t wonder at your feelings. Take me to your -room.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>“But this shall not be left exposed!” cried Mortimer. -He picked the breastplate up and carried it -tenderly in his hand, while I walked beside the -Professor, like a policeman with a malefactor. We -passed into Mortimer’s chambers, leaving the amazed -old soldier to understand matters as best he could. -The Professor sat down in Mortimer’s arm-chair, -and turned so ghastly a colour that for the instant, -all our resentment was changed to concern. A stiff -glass of brandy brought the life back to him once -more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There, I am better now!” said he. “These -last few days have been too much for me. I am -convinced that I could not stand it any longer. It is -a nightmare—a horrible nightmare—that I should be -arrested as a burglar in what has been for so long my -own museum. And yet I cannot blame you. You -could not have done otherwise. My hope always was -that I should get it all over before I was detected. -This would have been my last night’s work.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How did you get in?” asked Mortimer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“By taking a very great liberty with your private -door. But the object justified it. The object justified -everything. You will not be angry when you know -everything—at least, you will not be angry with me. -I had a key to your side door and also to the museum -door. I did not give them up when I left. And so -you see it was not difficult for me to let myself into -the museum. I used to come in early before the -crowd had cleared from the street. Then I hid myself -in the mummy-case, and took refuge there whenever -Simpson came round. I could always hear him -<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>coming. I used to leave in the same way as I -came.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You ran a risk.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I had to.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why? What on earth was your object—<em>you</em> -to do a thing like that?” Mortimer pointed -reproachfully at the plate which lay before him on the -table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I could devise no other means. I thought and -thought, but there was no alternative except a hideous -public scandal, and a private sorrow which would have -clouded our lives. I acted for the best, incredible as it -may seem to you, and I only ask your attention to -enable me to prove it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will hear what you have to say before I take -any further steps,” said Mortimer, grimly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am determined to hold back nothing, and to -take you both completely into my confidence. I will -leave it to your own generosity how far you will use -the facts with which I supply you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have the essential facts already.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And yet you understand nothing. Let me go -back to what passed a few weeks ago, and I will make -it all clear to you. Believe me that what I say is the -absolute and exact truth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have met the person who calls himself -Captain Wilson. I say ‘calls himself’ because I have -reason now to believe that it is not his correct name. -It would take me too long if I were to describe all the -means by which he obtained an introduction to me and -ingratiated himself into my friendship and the affection -of my daughter. He brought letters from foreign -<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>colleagues which compelled me to show him some -attention. And then, by his own attainments, which -are considerable, he succeeded in making himself a -very welcome visitor at my rooms. When I learned -that my daughter’s affections had been gained by him, -I may have thought it premature, but I certainly was -not surprised, for he had a charm of manner and of -conversation which would have made him conspicuous -in any society.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He was much interested in Oriental antiquities, -and his knowledge of the subject justified his interest. -Often when he spent the evening with us he would -ask permission to go down into the museum and have -an opportunity of privately inspecting the various -specimens. You can imagine that I, as an enthusiast, -was in sympathy with such a request, and that I felt -no surprise at the constancy of his visits. After his -actual engagement to Elise, there was hardly an -evening which he did not pass with us, and an hour or -two were generally devoted to the museum. He had -the free run of the place, and when I have been away -for the evening I had no objection to his doing whatever -he wished here. This state of things was only -terminated by the fact of my resignation of my official -duties and my retirement to Norwood, where I hoped -to have the leisure to write a considerable work which -I had planned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was immediately after this—within a week or -so—that I first realized the true nature and character -of the man whom I had so imprudently introduced into -my family. The discovery came to me through letters -from my friends abroad, which showed me that his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>introductions to me had been forgeries. Aghast at the -revelation, I asked myself what motive this man could -originally have had in practising this elaborate deception -upon me. I was too poor a man for any fortune-hunter -to have marked me down. Why, then, had he -come? I remembered that some of the most precious -gems in Europe had been under my charge, and I -remembered also the ingenious excuses by which this -man had made himself familiar with the cases in which -they were kept. He was a rascal who was planning -some gigantic robbery. How could I, without striking -my own daughter, who was infatuated about him, -prevent him from carrying out any plan which he -might have formed? My device was a clumsy one, -and yet I could think of nothing more effective. If I -had written a letter under my own name, you would -naturally have turned to me for details which I did -not wish to give. I resorted to an anonymous letter, -begging you to be upon your guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I may tell you that my change from Belmore -Street to Norwood had not affected the visits of this -man, who had, I believe, a real and overpowering -affection for my daughter. As to her, I could not have -believed that any woman could be so completely under -the influence of a man as she was. His stronger -nature seemed to entirely dominate her. I had not -realized how far this was the case, or the extent of the -confidence which existed between them, until that very -evening when his true character for the first time was -made clear to me. I had given orders that when he -called he should be shown into my study instead of to -the drawing-room. There I told him bluntly that I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>knew all about him, that I had taken steps to defeat -his designs, and that neither I nor my daughter desired -ever to see him again. I added that I thanked God -that I had found him out before he had time to harm -those precious objects which it had been the work of -my lifetime to protect.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He was certainly a man of iron nerve. He took -my remarks without a sign either of surprise or of -defiance, but listened gravely and attentively until I -had finished. Then he walked across the room without -a word and struck the bell.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Ask Miss Andreas to be so kind as to step this -way,’ said he to the servant.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My daughter entered, and the man closed the -door behind her. Then he took her hand in his.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Elise,’ said he, ‘your father has just discovered -that I am a villain. He knows now what you knew -before.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She stood in silence, listening.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He says that we are to part for ever,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She did not withdraw her hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Will you be true to me, or will you remove the -last good influence which is ever likely to come into -my life?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘John,’ she cried, passionately, ‘I will never -abandon you! Never, never, not if the whole world -were against you.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In vain I argued and pleaded with her. It was -absolutely useless. Her whole life was bound up in -this man before me. My daughter, gentlemen, is all -that I have left to love, and it filled me with agony -when I saw how powerless I was to save her from her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>ruin. My helplessness seemed to touch this man who -was the cause of my trouble.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘It may not be as bad as you think, sir,’ said -he, in his quiet, inflexible way. ‘I love Elise with a -love which is strong enough to rescue even one who -has such a record as I have. It was but yesterday -that I promised her that never again in my whole -life would I do a thing of which she should be -ashamed. I have made up my mind to it, and never yet -did I make up my mind to a thing which I did not do.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He spoke with an air which carried conviction -with it. As he concluded he put his hand into his -pocket and he drew out a small cardboard box.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I am about to give you a proof of my determination,’ -said he. ‘This, Elise, shall be the first-fruits -of your redeeming influence over me. You are -right, sir, in thinking that I had designs upon the -jewels in your possession. Such ventures have had -a charm for me, which depended as much upon the -risk run as upon the value of the prize. Those famous -and antique stones of the Jewish priest were a challenge -to my daring and my ingenuity. I determined to get -them.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I guessed as much.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘There was only one thing that you did not -guess.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘And what is that?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘That I got them. They are in this box.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He opened the box, and tilted out the contents -upon the corner of my desk. My hair rose and my flesh -grew cold as I looked. There were twelve magnificent -square stones engraved with mystical characters. There -<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>could be no doubt that they were the jewels of the -urim and thummim.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Good God!’ I cried. ‘How have you escaped -discovery?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“By the substitution of twelve others, made especially -to my order, in which the originals are so -carefully imitated that I defy the eye to detect the -difference.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Then the present stones are false?’ I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘They have been for some weeks.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We all stood in silence, my daughter white with -emotion, but still holding this man by the hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘You see what I am capable of, Elise,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I see that you are capable of repentance and -restitution,’ she answered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Yes, thanks to your influence! I leave the -stones in your hands, sir. Do what you like about -it. But remember that whatever you do against me, -is done against the future husband of your only -daughter. You will hear from me soon again, Elise. -It is the last time that I will ever cause pain to your -tender heart,’ and with these words he left both the -room and the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My position was a dreadful one. Here I was -with these precious relics in my possession, and how -could I return them without a scandal and an exposure? -I knew the depth of my daughter’s nature -too well to suppose that I would ever be able to -detach her from this man now that she had entirely -given him her heart. I was not even sure how far it -was right to detach her if she had such an ameliorating -influence over him. How could I expose him without -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>injuring her—and how far was I justified in exposing -him when he had voluntarily put himself into my -power? I thought and thought, until at last I formed -a resolution which may seem to you to be a foolish -one, and yet, if I had to do it again, I believe it would -be the best course open to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My idea was to return the stones without any one -being the wiser. With my keys I could get into the -museum at any time, and I was confident that I could -avoid Simpson, whose hours and methods were familiar -to me. I determined to take no one into my confidence—not -even my daughter—whom I told that I -was about to visit my brother in Scotland. I wanted -a free hand for a few nights, without inquiry as to my -comings and goings. To this end I took a room in -Harding Street that very night, with an intimation -that I was a Pressman, and that I should keep very -late hours.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That night I made my way into the museum, and -I replaced four of the stones. It was hard work, and -took me all night When Simpson came round I -always heard his footsteps, and concealed myself in -the mummy-case. I had some knowledge of gold-work, -but was far less skilful than the thief had been. -He had replaced the setting so exactly that I defy -any one to see the difference. My work was rude and -clumsy. However, I hoped that the plate might not -be carefully examined, or the roughness of the setting -observed, until my task was done. Next night I -replaced four more stones. And to-night I should -have finished my task had it not been for the unfortunate -circumstance which has caused me to reveal -<span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>so much which I should have wished to keep concealed. -I appeal to you, gentlemen, to your sense of -honour and of compassion, whether what I have told -you should go any farther or not. My own happiness, -my daughter’s future, the hopes of this man’s regeneration, -all depend upon your decision.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Which is,” said my friend, “that all is well that -ends well, and that the whole matter ends here and at -once. To-morrow the loose settings shall be tightened -by an expert goldsmith, and so passes the greatest -danger to which, since the destruction of the Temple, -the urim and thummim have been exposed. Here -is my hand, Professor Andreas, and I can only hope -that under such difficult circumstances I should have -carried myself as unselfishly and as well.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Just one footnote to this narrative. Within a -month Elise Andreas was married to a man whose -name, had I the indiscretion to mention it, would -appeal to my readers as one who is now widely and -deservedly honoured. But if the truth were known, -that honour is due not to him but to the gentle girl -who plucked him back when he had gone so far down -that dark road along which few return.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE LOST SPECIAL</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>The confession of Herbert de Lernac, now lying under -sentence of death at Marseilles, has thrown a light -upon one of the most inexplicable crimes of the century—an -incident which is, I believe, absolutely unprecedented -in the criminal annals of any country. Although -there is a reluctance to discuss the matter in official -circles, and little information has been given to the -Press, there are still indications that the statement of -this arch-criminal is corroborated by the facts, and that -we have at last found a solution for a most astounding -business. As the matter is eight years old, and as its -importance was somewhat obscured by a political crisis -which was engaging the public attention at the time, -it may be as well to state the facts as far as we have been -able to ascertain them. They are collated from the -Liverpool papers of that date, from the proceedings at -the inquest upon John Slater, the engine-driver, and -from the records of the London and West Coast Railway -Company, which have been courteously put at my -disposal. Briefly, they are as follows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 3rd of June, 1890, a gentleman, who gave -his name as Monsieur Louis Caratal, desired an interview -with Mr. James Bland, the superintendent of the -London and West Coast Central Station in Liverpool. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>He was a small man, middle-aged and dark, with a stoop -which was so marked that it suggested some deformity -of the spine. He was accompanied by a friend, a man -of imposing physique, whose deferential manner and -constant attention showed that his position was one -of dependence. This friend or companion, whose -name did not transpire, was certainly a foreigner, and -probably, from his swarthy complexion, either a Spaniard -or a South American. One peculiarity was observed in -him. He carried in his left hand a small black leather -dispatch-box, and it was noticed by a sharp-eyed clerk -in the Central office that this box was fastened to his -wrist by a strap. No importance was attached to the -fact at the time, but subsequent events endowed it -with some significance. Monsieur Caratal was shown -up to Mr. Bland’s office, while his companion remained -outside.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Monsieur Caratal’s business was quickly dispatched. -He had arrived that afternoon from Central America. -Affairs of the utmost importance demanded that he -should be in Paris without the loss of an unnecessary -hour. He had missed the London express. A special -must be provided. Money was of no importance. Time -was everything. If the company would speed him on -his way, they might make their own terms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Bland struck the electric bell, summoned Mr. -Potter Hood, the traffic manager, and had the matter -arranged in five minutes. The train would start in -three-quarters of an hour. It would take that time to -insure that the line should be clear. The powerful -engine called Rochdale (No. 247 on the company’s -register) was attached to two carriages, with a guard’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>van behind. The first carriage was solely for the purpose -of decreasing the inconvenience arising from the -oscillation. The second was divided, as usual, into -four compartments, a first-class, a first-class smoking, a -second-class, and a second-class smoking. The first -compartment, which was nearest to the engine, was the -one allotted to the travellers. The other three were -empty. The guard of the special train was James -McPherson, who had been some years in the service of -the company. The stoker, William Smith, was a new -hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Monsieur Caratal, upon leaving the superintendent’s -office, rejoined his companion, and both of them manifested -extreme impatience to be off. Having paid the -money asked, which amounted to fifty pounds five -shillings, at the usual special rate of five shillings a -mile, they demanded to be shown the carriage, and at -once took their seats in it, although they were assured -that the better part of an hour must elapse before the -line could be cleared. In the meantime a singular -coincidence had occurred in the office which Monsieur -Caratal had just quitted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A request for a special is not a very uncommon -circumstance in a rich commercial centre, but that two -should be required upon the same afternoon was most -unusual. It so happened, however, that Mr. Bland -had hardly dismissed the first traveller before a second -entered with a similar request. This was a Mr. Horace -Moore, a gentlemanly man of military appearance, who -alleged that the sudden serious illness of his wife in -London made it absolutely imperative that he should -not lose an instant in starting upon the journey. His -<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>distress and anxiety were so evident that Mr. Bland -did all that was possible to meet his wishes. A second -special was out of the question, as the ordinary local -service was already somewhat deranged by the first. -There was the alternative, however, that Mr. Moore -should share the expense of Monsieur Caratal’s train, -and should travel in the other empty first-class compartment, -if Monsieur Caratal objected to having him -in the one which he occupied. It was difficult to see -any objection to such an arrangement, and yet Monsieur -Caratal, upon the suggestion being made to him by Mr. -Potter Hood, absolutely refused to consider it for an -instant. The train was his, he said, and he would -insist upon the exclusive use of it. All argument -failed to overcome his ungracious objections, and finally -the plan had to be abandoned. Mr. Horace Moore left -the station in great distress, after learning that his only -course was to take the ordinary slow train which leaves -Liverpool at six o’clock. At four thirty-one exactly -by the station clock the special train, containing the -crippled Monsieur Caratal and his gigantic companion, -steamed out of the Liverpool station. The line was at -that time clear, and there should have been no stoppage -before Manchester.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The trains of the London and West Coast Railway -run over the lines of another company as far as this -town, which should have been reached by the special -rather before six o’clock. At a quarter after six considerable -surprise and some consternation were caused -amongst the officials at Liverpool by the receipt of a -telegram from Manchester to say that it had not yet -arrived. An inquiry directed to St. Helens, which is a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>third of the way between the two cities, elicited the -following reply:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To James Bland, Superintendent, Central L. & -W. C., Liverpool.—Special passed here at 4.52, well up -to time.—Dowser, St. Helens.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This telegram was received at 6.40. At 6.50 a -second message was received from Manchester:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No sign of special as advised by you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then ten minutes later a third, more -bewildering:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Presume some mistake as to proposed running of -special. Local train from St. Helens timed to follow it -has just arrived and has seen nothing of it. Kindly -wire advices.—Manchester.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The matter was assuming a most amazing aspect, -although in some respects the last telegram was a -relief to the authorities at Liverpool. If an accident -had occurred to the special, it seemed hardly possible -that the local train could have passed down the same -line without observing it. And yet, what was the -alternative? Where could the train be? Had it -possibly been side-tracked for some reason in order to -allow the slower train to go past? Such an explanation -was possible if some small repair had to be effected. -A telegram was dispatched to each of the stations -between St. Helens and Manchester, and the superintendent -and traffic manager waited in the utmost -suspense at the instrument for the series of replies -which would enable them to say for certain what had -become of the missing train. The answers came back -in the order of questions, which was the order of the -stations beginning at the St. Helens end:—</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>“Special passed here five o’clock.—Collins Green.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Special passed here six past five.—Earlestown.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Special passed here 5.10.—Newton.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Special passed here 5.20.—Kenyon Junction.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No special train has passed here.—Barton Moss.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The two officials stared at each other in amazement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is unique in my thirty years of experience,” -said Mr. Bland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Absolutely unprecedented and inexplicable, sir. -The special has gone wrong between Kenyon Junction -and Barton Moss.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And yet there is no siding, so far as my memory -serves me, between the two stations. The special -must have run off the metals.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But how could the four-fifty parliamentary pass -over the same line without observing it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s no alternative, Mr. Hood. It <em>must</em> be so. -Possibly the local train may have observed something -which may throw some light upon the matter. We -will wire to Manchester for more information, and to -Kenyon Junction with instructions that the line be -examined instantly as far as Barton Moss.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The answer from Manchester came within a few -minutes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No news of missing special. Driver and guard -of slow train positive no accident between Kenyon -Junction and Barton Moss. Line quite clear, and no -sign of anything unusual.—Manchester.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That driver and guard will have to go,” said Mr. -Bland, grimly. “There has been a wreck and they -have missed it. The special has obviously run off the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>metals without disturbing the line—how it could have -done so passes my comprehension—but so it must be, -and we shall have a wire from Kenyon or Barton Moss -presently to say that they have found her at the -bottom of an embankment.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But Mr. Bland’s prophecy was not destined to be -fulfilled. Half an hour passed, and then there arrived -the following message from the station-master of -Kenyon Junction:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There are no traces of the missing special. It is -quite certain that she passed here, and that she did -not arrive at Barton Moss. We have detached engine -from goods train, and I have myself ridden down the -line, but all is clear, and there is no sign of any -accident.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Bland tore his hair in his perplexity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is rank lunacy, Hood!” he cried. “Does a -train vanish into thin air in England in broad daylight? -The thing is preposterous. An engine, a -tender, two carriages, a van, five human beings—and -all lost on a straight line of railway! Unless we get -something positive within the next hour I’ll take -Inspector Collins, and go down myself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then at last something positive did occur. It -took the shape of another telegram from Kenyon -Junction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Regret to report that the dead body of John -Slater, driver of the special train, has just been found -among the gorse bushes at a point two and a quarter -miles from the Junction. Had fallen from his engine, -pitched down the embankment, and rolled among -bushes. Injuries to his head, from the fall, appear -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>to be cause of death. Ground has now been carefully -examined, and there is no trace of the missing train.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The country was, as has already been stated, in -the throes of a political crisis, and the attention of -the public was further distracted by the important -and sensational developments in Paris, where a huge -scandal threatened to destroy the Government and to -wreck the reputations of many of the leading men -in France. The papers were full of these events, and -the singular disappearance of the special train attracted -less attention than would have been the case in more -peaceful times. The grotesque nature of the event -helped to detract from its importance, for the papers -were disinclined to believe the facts as reported to -them. More than one of the London journals treated -the matter as an ingenious hoax, until the coroner’s -inquest upon the unfortunate driver (an inquest which -elicited nothing of importance) convinced them of the -tragedy of the incident.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Bland, accompanied by Inspector Collins, the -senior detective officer in the service of the company, -went down to Kenyon Junction the same evening, and -their research lasted throughout the following day, but -was attended with purely negative results. Not only -was no trace found of the missing train, but no conjecture -could be put forward which could possibly -explain the facts. At the same time, Inspector -Collins’s official report (which lies before me as I -write) served to show that the possibilities were more -numerous than might have been expected.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In the stretch of railway between these two -points,” said he, “the country is dotted with ironworks -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>and collieries. Of these, some are being worked and -some have been abandoned. There are no fewer than -twelve which have small gauge lines which run trolly-cars -down to the main line. These can, of course, be -disregarded. Besides these, however, there are seven -which have or have had, proper lines running down -and connecting with points to the main line, so as to -convey their produce from the mouth of the mine to -the great centres of distribution. In every case these -lines are only a few miles in length. Out of the -seven, four belong to collieries which are worked out, -or at least to shafts which are no longer used. These -are the Redgauntlet, Hero, Slough of Despond, and -Heartsease mines, the latter having ten years ago been -one of the principal mines in Lancashire. These four -side lines may be eliminated from our inquiry, for, to -prevent possible accidents, the rails nearest to the -main line have been taken up, and there is no longer -any connection. There remain three other side lines -leading—</p> - - <dl class='dl_1'> - <dt>(<em>a</em>)</dt> - <dd>To the Carnstock Iron Works; - </dd> - <dt>(<em>b</em>)</dt> - <dd>To the Big Ben Colliery; - </dd> - <dt>(<em>c</em>)</dt> - <dd>To the Perseverance Colliery. - </dd> - </dl> - -<p class='c000'>“Of these the Big Ben line is not more than a -quarter of a mile long, and ends at a dead wall of -coal waiting removal from the mouth of the mine. -Nothing had been seen or heard there of any special. -The Carnstock Iron Works line was blocked all day -upon the 3rd of June by sixteen truckloads of hematite. -It is a single line, and nothing could have passed. As -to the Perseverance line, it is a large double line, -which does a considerable traffic, for the output of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>the mine is very large. On the 3rd of June this traffic -proceeded as usual; hundreds of men, including a gang -of railway platelayers, were working along the two miles -and a quarter which constitute the total length of the -line, and it is inconceivable that an unexpected train -could have come down there without attracting -universal attention. It may be remarked in conclusion -that this branch line is nearer to St. Helens than the -point at which the engine-driver was discovered, so -that we have every reason to believe that the train was -past that point before misfortune overtook her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As to John Slater, there is no clue to be gathered -from his appearance or injuries. We can only say -that, so far as we can see, he met his end by falling -off his engine, though why he fell, or what became of -the engine after his fall, is a question upon which I -do not feel qualified to offer an opinion.” In conclusion, -the inspector offered his resignation to the Board, -being much nettled by an accusation of incompetence -in the London papers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A month elapsed, during which both the police -and the company prosecuted their inquiries without -the slightest success. A reward was offered and a -pardon promised in case of crime, but they were both -unclaimed. Every day the public opened their papers -with the conviction that so grotesque a mystery would -at last be solved, but week after week passed by, and -a solution remained as far off as ever. In broad daylight, -upon a June afternoon in the most thickly inhabited -portion of England, a train with its occupants -had disappeared as completely as if some master of -subtle chemistry had volatilized it into gas. Indeed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span>among the various conjectures which were put forward -in the public Press there were some which seriously -asserted that supernatural, or, at least, preternatural, -agencies had been at work, and that the deformed -Monsieur Caratal was probably a person who was -better known under a less polite name. Others fixed -upon his swarthy companion as being the author of -the mischief, but what it was exactly which he had -done could never be clearly formulated in words.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Amongst the many suggestions put forward by -various newspapers or private individuals, there were -one or two which were feasible enough to attract the -attention of the public. One which appeared in the -<cite>Times</cite>, over the signature of an amateur reasoner of -some celebrity at that date, attempted to deal with -the matter in a critical and semi-scientific manner. -An extract must suffice, although the curious can -see the whole letter in the issue of the 3rd of -July.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is one of the elementary principles of practical -reasoning,” he remarked, “that when the impossible -has been eliminated the residuum, <em>however improbable</em>, -must contain the truth. It is certain that the train -left Kenyon Junction. It is certain that it did not -reach Barton Moss. It is in the highest degree unlikely, -but still possible, that it may have taken one -of the seven available side lines. It is obviously impossible -for a train to run where there are no rails, -and, therefore, we may reduce our <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">improbables</span> to the -three open lines, namely, the Carnstock Iron Works, -the Big Ben, and the Perseverance. Is there a secret -society of colliers, an English <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">camorra</span></i>, which is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>capable of destroying both train and passengers? It -is improbable, but it is not impossible. I confess -that I am unable to suggest any other solution. I -should certainly advise the company to direct all -their energies towards the observation of those three -lines, and of the workmen at the end of them. A -careful supervision of the pawnbrokers’ shops of the -district might possibly bring some suggestive facts to -light.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The suggestion coming from a recognized authority -upon such matters created considerable interest, and -a fierce opposition from those who considered such a -statement to be a preposterous libel upon an honest -and deserving set of men. The only answer to this -criticism was a challenge to the objectors to lay any -more feasible explanation before the public. In reply to -this two others were forthcoming (<cite>Times</cite>, July 7th and -9th). The first suggested that the train might have -run off the metals and be lying submerged in the -Lancashire and Staffordshire Canal, which runs parallel -to the railway for some hundreds of yards. This suggestion -was thrown out of court by the published depth -of the canal, which was entirely insufficient to conceal -so large an object. The second correspondent wrote -calling attention to the bag which appeared to be the -sole luggage which the travellers had brought with -them, and suggesting that some novel explosive of -immense and pulverizing power might have been -concealed in it. The obvious absurdity, however, of -supposing that the whole train might be blown to -dust while the metals remained uninjured reduced -any such explanation to a farce. The investigation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>had drifted into this hopeless position when a new -and most unexpected incident occurred.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This was nothing less than the receipt by Mrs. -McPherson of a letter from her husband, James -McPherson, who had been the guard of the missing -train. The letter, which was dated July 5th, 1890, -was posted from New York, and came to hand upon -July 14th. Some doubts were expressed as to its -genuine character, but Mrs. McPherson was positive as -to the writing, and the fact that it contained a remittance -of a hundred dollars in five-dollar notes was -enough in itself to discount the idea of a hoax. No -address was given in the letter, which ran in this way:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-l c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<span class='sc'>My dear Wife</span>,—</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>“I have been thinking a great deal, and I find -it very hard to give you up. The same with Lizzie. -I try to fight against it, but it will always come back to -me. I send you some money which will change into -twenty English pounds. This should be enough to bring -both Lizzie and you across the Atlantic, and you will find -the Hamburg boats which stop at Southampton very -good boats, and cheaper than Liverpool. If you could -come here and stop at the Johnston House I would try -and send you word how to meet, but things are very -difficult with me at present, and I am not very happy, -finding it hard to give you both up. So no more at -present, from your loving husband,</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<span class='sc'>James McPherson</span>.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>For a time it was confidently anticipated that this -letter would lead to the clearing up of the whole -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>matter, the more so as it was ascertained that a passenger -who bore a close resemblance to the missing -guard had travelled from Southampton under the name -of Summers in the Hamburg and New York liner -<em>Vistula</em>, which started upon the 7th of June. Mrs. -McPherson and her sister Lizzie Dolton went across to -New York as directed, and stayed for three weeks at -the Johnston House, without hearing anything from -the missing man. It is probable that some injudicious -comments in the Press may have warned him that the -police were using them as a bait. However this may -be, it is certain that he neither wrote nor came, and -the women were eventually compelled to return to -Liverpool.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so the matter stood, and has continued to -stand up to the present year of 1898. Incredible as -it may seem, nothing has transpired during these eight -years which has shed the least light upon the extraordinary -disappearance of the special train which contained -Monsieur Caratal and his companion. Careful -inquiries into the antecedents of the two travellers -have only established the fact that Monsieur Caratal -was well known as a financier and political agent in -Central America, and that during his voyage to Europe -he had betrayed extraordinary anxiety to reach Paris. -His companion, whose name was entered upon the passenger -lists as Eduardo Gomez, was a man whose -record was a violent one, and whose reputation was -that of a bravo and a bully. There was evidence to -show, however, that he was honestly devoted to the -interests of Monsieur Caratal, and that the latter, being -a man of puny physique, employed the other as a guard -<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>and protector. It may be added that no information -came from Paris as to what the objects of Monsieur -Caratal’s hurried journey may have been. This comprises -all the facts of the case up to the publication in -the Marseilles papers of the recent confession of Herbert -de Lernac, now under sentence of death for the -murder of a merchant named Bonvalot. This statement -may be literally translated as follows:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not out of mere pride or boasting that I give -this information, for, if that were my object, I could -tell a dozen actions of mine which are quite as splendid; -but I do it in order that certain gentlemen in -Paris may understand that I, who am able here to tell -about the fate of Monsieur Caratal, can also tell in -whose interest and at whose request the deed was done, -unless the reprieve which I am awaiting comes to me -very quickly. Take warning, messieurs, before it is too -late! You know Herbert de Lernac, and you are aware -that his deeds are as ready as his words. Hasten then, -or you are lost!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At present I shall mention no names—if you -only heard the names, what would you not think!—but -I shall merely tell you how cleverly I did -it. I was true to my employers then, and no doubt -they will be true to me now. I hope so, and until -I am convinced that they have betrayed me, these -names, which would convulse Europe, shall not be -divulged. But on that day ... well, I say no -more!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In a word, then, there was a famous trial in -Paris, in the year 1890, in connection with a monstrous -scandal in politics and finance. How monstrous -<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>that scandal was can never be known save by such -confidential agents as myself. The honour and careers -of many of the chief men in France were at stake. -You have seen a group of nine-pins standing, all so -rigid, and prim, and unbending. Then there comes -the ball from far away and pop, pop, pop—there -are your nine-pins on the floor. Well, imagine some -of the greatest men in France as these nine-pins, -and then this Monsieur Caratal was the ball which -could be seen coming from far away. If he arrived, -then it was pop, pop, pop for all of them. It was -determined that he should not arrive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I do not accuse them all of being conscious of -what was to happen. There were, as I have said, -great financial as well as political interests at stake, -and a syndicate was formed to manage the business. -Some subscribed to the syndicate who hardly understood -what were its objects. But others understood -very well, and they can rely upon it that I have -not forgotten their names. They had ample warning -that Monsieur Caratal was coming long before he -left South America, and they knew that the evidence -which he held would certainly mean ruin to all of -them. The syndicate had the command of an unlimited -amount of money—absolutely unlimited, you -understand. They looked round for an agent who -was capable of wielding this gigantic power. The -man chosen must be inventive, resolute, adaptive—a -man in a million. They chose Herbert de Lernac, -and I admit that they were right.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My duties were to choose my subordinates, to -use freely the power which money gives, and to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>make certain that Monsieur Caratal should never -arrive in Paris. With characteristic energy I set -about my commission within an hour of receiving -my instructions, and the steps which I took were -the very best for the purpose which could possibly -be devised.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A man whom I could trust was dispatched -instantly to South America to travel home with -Monsieur Caratal. Had he arrived in time the ship -would never have reached Liverpool; but, alas! it -had already started before my agent could reach it. -I fitted out a small armed brig to intercept it, but -again I was unfortunate. Like all great organizers -I was, however, prepared for failure, and had a series -of alternatives prepared, one or the other of which -must succeed. You must not underrate the difficulties -of my undertaking, or imagine that a mere commonplace -assassination would meet the case. We must -destroy not only Monsieur Caratal, but Monsieur -Caratal’s documents, and Monsieur Caratal’s companions -also, if we had reason to believe that he -had communicated his secrets to them. And you -must remember that they were on the alert, and -keenly suspicious of any such attempt. It was a -task which was in every way worthy of me, for I -am always most masterful where another would be -appalled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was all ready for Monsieur Caratal’s reception -in Liverpool, and I was the more eager because I -had reason to believe that he had made arrangements -by which he would have a considerable guard from -the moment that he arrived in London. Anything -<span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>which was to be done must be done between the -moment of his setting foot upon the Liverpool quay -and that of his arrival at the London and West -Coast terminus in London. We prepared six plans, -each more elaborate than the last; which plan would -be used would depend upon his own movements. Do -what he would, we were ready for him. If he had -stayed in Liverpool, we were ready. If he took an -ordinary train, an express, or a special, all was ready. -Everything had been foreseen and provided for.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You may imagine that I could not do all this -myself. What could I know of the English railway -lines? But money can procure willing agents all -the world over, and I soon had one of the acutest -brains in England to assist me. I will mention no -names, but it would be unjust to claim all the credit -for myself. My English ally was worthy of such -an alliance. He knew the London and West Coast -line thoroughly, and he had the command of a band -of workers who were trustworthy and intelligent. -The idea was his, and my own judgment was only -required in the details. We bought over several -officials, amongst whom the most important was -James McPherson, whom we had ascertained to be -the guard most likely to be employed upon a special -train. Smith, the stoker, was also in our employ. -John Slater, the engine-driver, had been approached, -but had been found to be obstinate and dangerous, -so we desisted. We had no certainty that Monsieur -Caratal would take a special, but we thought it very -probable, for it was of the utmost importance to -him that he should reach Paris without delay. It -<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>was for this contingency, therefore, that we made -special preparations—preparations which were complete -down to the last detail long before his steamer -had sighted the shores of England. You will be -amused to learn that there was one of my agents in the -pilot-boat which brought that steamer to its moorings.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The moment that Caratal arrived in Liverpool -we knew that he suspected danger and was on his -guard. He had brought with him as an escort a -dangerous fellow, named Gomez, a man who carried -weapons, and was prepared to use them. This fellow -carried Caratal’s confidential papers for him, and -was ready to protect either them or his master. The -probability was that Caratal had taken him into his -counsels, and that to remove Caratal without removing -Gomez would be a mere waste of energy. It was -necessary that they should be involved in a common -fate, and our plans to that end were much facilitated -by their request for a special train. On that special -train you will understand that two out of the three -servants of the company were really in our employ, -at a price which would make them independent for -a lifetime. I do not go so far as to say that the -English are more honest than any other nation, but -I have found them more expensive to buy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have already spoken of my English agent—who -is a man with a considerable future before him, unless -some complaint of the throat carries him off before his -time. He had charge of all arrangements at Liverpool, -whilst I was stationed at the inn at Kenyon, where I -awaited a cipher signal to act. When the special was -arranged for, my agent instantly telegraphed to me and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>warned me how soon I should have everything ready. -He himself under the name of Horace Moore applied -immediately for a special also, in the hope that he -would be sent down with Monsieur Caratal, which -might under certain circumstances have been helpful -to us. If, for example, our great <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup</span></i> had failed, it -would then have become the duty of my agent to have -shot them both and destroyed their papers. Caratal -was on his guard, however, and refused to admit any -other traveller. My agent then left the station, returned -by another entrance, entered the guard’s van on -the side farthest from the platform, and travelled down -with McPherson the guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In the meantime you will be interested to know -what my movements were. Everything had been prepared -for days before, and only the finishing touches -were needed. The side line which we had chosen had -once joined the main line, but it had been disconnected. -We had only to replace a few rails to connect it once -more. These rails had been laid down as far as could -be done without danger of attracting attention, and -now it was merely a case of completing a juncture with -the line, and arranging the points as they had been -before. The sleepers had never been removed, and the -rails, fish-plates, and rivets were all ready, for we had -taken them from a siding on the abandoned portion -of the line. With my small but competent band of -workers, we had everything ready long before the -special arrived. When it did arrive, it ran off upon -the small side line so easily that the jolting of the -points appears to have been entirely unnoticed by the -two travellers.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>“Our plan had been that Smith the stoker should -chloroform John Slater the driver, so that he should -vanish with the others. In this respect, and in -this respect only, our plans miscarried—I except the -criminal folly of McPherson in writing home to his -wife. Our stoker did his business so clumsily that -Slater in his struggles fell off the engine, and though -fortune was with us so far that he broke his neck in -the fall, still he remained as a blot upon that which -would otherwise have been one of those complete -masterpieces which are only to be contemplated in -silent admiration. The criminal expert will find in -John Slater the one flaw in all our admirable combinations. -A man who has had as many triumphs as I can -afford to be frank, and I therefore lay my finger upon -John Slater, and I proclaim him to be a flaw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But now I have got our special train upon the -small line two <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">kilomètres</span>, or rather more than one mile, -in length, which leads, or rather used to lead, to the -abandoned Heartsease mine, once one of the largest -coal mines in England. You will ask how it is that -no one saw the train upon this unused line. I answer -that along its entire length it runs through a deep cutting, -and that, unless some one had been on the edge of -that cutting, he could not have seen it. There <em>was</em> -some one on the edge of that cutting. I was there. -And now I will tell you what I saw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My assistant had remained at the points in order -that he might superintend the switching off of the -train. He had four armed men with him, so that if -the train ran off the line—we thought it probable, -because the points were very rusty—we might still -<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>have resources to fall back upon. Having once seen it -safely on the side line, he handed over the responsibility -to me. I was waiting at a point which overlooks -the mouth of the mine, and I was also armed, as were -my two companions. Come what might, you see, I -was always ready.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The moment that the train was fairly on the side -line, Smith, the stoker, slowed-down the engine, and -then, having turned it on to the fullest speed again, he -and McPherson, with my English lieutenant, sprang -off before it was too late. It may be that it was this -slowing-down which first attracted the attention of the -travellers, but the train was running at full speed again -before their heads appeared at the open window. It -makes me smile to think how bewildered they must -have been. Picture to yourself your own feelings if, on -looking out of your luxurious carriage, you suddenly -perceived that the lines upon which you ran were rusted -and corroded, red and yellow with disuse and decay! -What a catch must have come in their breath as in a -second it flashed upon them that it was not Manchester -but Death which was waiting for them at the end of that -sinister line. But the train was running with frantic -speed, rolling and rocking over the rotten line, while -the wheels made a frightful screaming sound upon the -rusted surface. I was close to them, and could see -their faces. Caratal was praying, I think—there was -something like a rosary dangling out of his hand. The -other roared like a bull who smells the blood of the -slaughter-house. He saw us standing on the bank, -and he beckoned to us like a madman. Then he tore -at his wrist and threw his dispatch-box out of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>window in our direction. Of course, his meaning was -obvious. Here was the evidence, and they would -promise to be silent if their lives were spared. It -would have been very agreeable if we could have done -so, but business is business. Besides, the train was -now as much beyond our control as theirs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He ceased howling when the train rattled round -the curve and they saw the black mouth of the mine -yawning before them. We had removed the boards -which had covered it, and we had cleared the square -entrance. The rails had formerly run very close to -the shaft for the convenience of loading the coal, and -we had only to add two or three lengths of rail in order -to lead to the very brink of the shaft. In fact, as the -lengths would not quite fit, our line projected about -three feet over the edge. We saw the two heads at the -window: Caratal below, Gomez above; but they had -both been struck silent by what they saw. And yet -they could not withdraw their heads. The sight seemed -to have paralyzed them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I had wondered how the train running at a great -speed would take the pit into which I had guided it, -and I was much interested in watching it. One of my -colleagues thought that it would actually jump it, and -indeed it was not very far from doing so. Fortunately, -however, it fell short, and the buffers of the -engine struck the other lip of the shaft with a tremendous -crash. The funnel flew off into the air. The -tender, carriages, and van were all smashed up into one -jumble, which, with the remains of the engine, choked -for a minute or so the mouth of the pit. Then something -gave way in the middle, and the whole mass of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>green iron, smoking coals, brass fittings, wheels, woodwork, -and cushions all crumbled together and crashed -down into the mine. We heard the rattle, rattle, rattle, -as the <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</span></i> struck against the walls, and then quite -a long time afterwards there came a deep roar as the -remains of the train struck the bottom. The boiler -may have burst, for a sharp crash came after the roar, -and then a dense cloud of steam and smoke swirled up -out of the black depths, falling in a spray as thick as -rain all round us. Then the vapour shredded off into -thin wisps, which floated away in the summer sunshine, -and all was quiet again in the Heartsease mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And now, having carried out our plans so successfully, -it only remained to leave no trace behind us. -Our little band of workers at the other end had already -ripped up the rails and disconnected the side line, -replacing everything as it had been before. We were -equally busy at the mine. The funnel and other fragments -were thrown in, the shaft was planked over as it -used to be, and the lines which led to it were torn up -and taken away. Then, without flurry, but without -delay, we all made our way out of the country, most of -us to Paris, my English colleague to Manchester, and -McPherson to Southampton, whence he emigrated to -America. Let the English papers of that date tell how -thoroughly we had done our work, and how completely -we had thrown the cleverest of their detectives off our -track.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will remember that Gomez threw his bag of -papers out of the window, and I need not say that I -secured that bag and brought them to my employers. -It may interest my employers now, however, to learn -<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>that out of that bag I took one or two little papers as a -souvenir of the occasion. I have no wish to publish -these papers; but, still, it is every man for himself in -this world, and what else can I do if my friends will -not come to my aid when I want them? Messieurs, -you may believe that Herbert de Lernac is quite as -formidable when he is against you as when he is with -you, and that he is not a man to go to the guillotine -until he has seen that every one of you is <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en route</span></i> for -New Caledonia. For your own sake, if not for mine, -make haste, Monsieur de ——, and General ——, and -Baron —— (you can fill up the blanks for yourselves -as you read this). I promise you that in the next -edition there will be no blanks to fill.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“P.S.—As I look over my statement there is only -one omission which I can see. It concerns the unfortunate -man McPherson, who was foolish enough to -write to his wife and to make an appointment with her -in New York. It can be imagined that when interests -like ours were at stake, we could not leave them to the -chance of whether a man in that class of life would or -would not give away his secrets to a woman. Having -once broken his oath by writing to his wife, we could -not trust him any more. We took steps therefore to -insure that he should not see his wife. I have sometimes -thought that it would be a kindness to write to -her and to assure her that there is no impediment to -her marrying again.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE CLUB-FOOTED GROCER</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>My uncle, Mr. Stephen Maple, had been at the same -time the most successful and the least respectable of -our family, so that we hardly knew whether to take -credit for his wealth or to feel ashamed of his position. -He had, as a matter of fact, established a large grocery -in Stepney which did a curious mixed business, not -always, as we had heard, of a very savoury character, -with the riverside and seafaring people. He was ship’s -chandler, provision merchant, and, if rumour spoke -truly, some other things as well. Such a trade, however -lucrative, had its drawbacks, as was evident when, -after twenty years of prosperity, he was savagely -assaulted by one of his customers and left for dead, -with three smashed ribs and a broken leg, which -mended so badly that it remained for ever three inches -shorter than the other. This incident seemed, not unnaturally, -to disgust him with his surroundings, for, -after the trial, in which his assailant was condemned -to fifteen years’ penal servitude, he retired from his -business and settled in a lonely part of the North of -England, whence, until that morning, we had never -once heard of him—not even at the death of my -father, who was his only brother.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My mother read his letter aloud to me: “If your -<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>son is with you, Ellen, and if he is as stout a lad -as he promised for when last I heard from you, then -send him up to me by the first train after this comes -to hand. He will find that to serve me will pay him -better than the engineering, and if I pass away (though, -thank God, there is no reason to complain as to my -health) you will see that I have not forgotten my -brother’s son. Congleton is the station, and then a -drive of four miles to Greta House, where I am now -living. I will send a trap to meet the seven o’clock -train, for it is the only one which stops here. Mind -that you send him, Ellen, for I have very strong -reasons for wishing him to be with me. Let bygones -be bygones if there has been anything between us in -the past. If you should fail me now you will live to -regret it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We were seated at either side of the breakfast -table, looking blankly at each other and wondering -what this might mean, when there came a ring at the -bell, and the maid walked in with a telegram. It was -from Uncle Stephen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On no account let John get out at Congleton,” -said the message. “He will find trap waiting seven -o’clock evening train Stedding Bridge, one station -further down line. Let him drive not me, but Garth -Farm House—six miles. There will receive instructions. -Do not fail; only you to look to.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That is true enough,” said my mother. “As far -as I know, your uncle has not a friend in the world, -nor has he ever deserved one. He has always been a -hard man in his dealings, and he held back his money -from your father at a time when a few pounds would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>have saved him from ruin. Why should I send my -only son to serve him now?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But my own inclinations were all for the adventure.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If I have him for a friend, he can help me in my -profession,” I argued, taking my mother upon her -weakest side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have never known him to help any one yet,” -said she, bitterly. “And why all this mystery about -getting out at a distant station and driving to the -wrong address? He has got himself into some trouble -and he wishes us to get him out of it. When he has -used us he will throw us aside as he has done before. -Your father might have been living now if he had only -helped him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But at last my arguments prevailed, for, as I -pointed out, we had much to gain and little to lose, -and why should we, the poorest members of a family, -go out of our way to offend the rich one? My bag -was packed and my cab at the door, when there came -a second telegram.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good shooting. Let John bring gun. Remember -Stedding Bridge, not Congleton.” And so, with a gun-case -added to my luggage and some surprise at my -uncle’s insistence, I started off upon my adventure.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The journey lies over the main Northern Railway -as far as the station of Carnfield, where one changes -for the little branch line which winds over the fells. -In all England there is no harsher or more impressive -scenery. For two hours I passed through desolate -rolling plains, rising at places into low, stone-littered -hills, with long, straight outcrops of jagged rock -showing upon their surface. Here and there little -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>grey-roofed, grey-walled cottages huddled into villages, -but for many miles at a time no house was visible nor -any sign of life save the scattered sheep which wandered -over the mountain sides. It was a depressing country, -and my heart grew heavier and heavier as I neared -my journey’s end, until at last the train pulled up at -the little village of Stedding Bridge, where my uncle -had told me to alight. A single ramshackle trap, -with a country lout to drive it, was waiting at the -station.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is this Mr. Stephen Maple’s?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The fellow looked at me with eyes which were full -of suspicion. “What is your name?” he asked, -speaking a dialect which I will not attempt to reproduce.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“John Maple.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Anything to prove it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I half raised my hand, for my temper is none of -the best, and then I reflected that the fellow was -probably only carrying out the directions of my uncle. -For answer I pointed to my name printed upon my -gun-case.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, that is right. It’s John Maple, sure -enough!” said he, slowly spelling it out. “Get in, -maister, for we have a bit of a drive before us.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The road, white and shining, like all the roads in -that limestone country, ran in long sweeps over the -fells, with low walls of loose stone upon either side of -it. The huge moors, mottled with sheep and with -boulders, rolled away in gradually ascending curves -to the misty sky-line. In one place a fall of the land -gave a glimpse of a grey angle of distant sea. Bleak -<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>and sad and stern were all my surroundings, and I -felt, under their influence, that this curious mission -of mine was a more serious thing than it had appeared -when viewed from London. This sudden call for help -from an uncle whom I had never seen, and of whom -I had heard little that was good, the urgency of it, his -reference to my physical powers, the excuse by which -he had ensured that I should bring a weapon, all -hung together and pointed to some vague but sinister -meaning. Things which appeared to be impossible in -Kensington became very probable upon these wild and -isolated hillsides. At last, oppressed with my own -dark thoughts, I turned to my companion with the -intention of asking some questions about my uncle, -but the expression upon his face drove the idea from -my head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was not looking at his old, unclipped chestnut -horse, nor at the road along which he was driving, -but his face was turned in my direction, and he was -staring past me with an expression of curiosity and, -as I thought, of apprehension. He raised the whip -to lash the horse, and then dropped it again, as if -convinced that it was useless. At the same time, -following the direction of his gaze, I saw what it was -which had excited him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A man was running across the moor. He ran -clumsily, stumbling and slipping among the stones; -but the road curved, and it was easy for him to cut -us off. As we came up to the spot for which he had -been making, he scrambled over the stone wall and -stood waiting, with the evening sun shining on his -brown, clean-shaven face. He was a burly fellow, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>in bad condition, for he stood with his hand on his -ribs, panting and blowing after his short run. As we -drove up I saw the glint of earrings in his ears.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Say, mate, where are you bound for?” he asked, -in a rough but good-humoured fashion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Farmer Purcell’s, at the Garth Farm,” said the -driver.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sorry to stop you,” cried the other, standing -aside; “I thought as I would hail you as you passed, -for if so be as you had been going my way I should -have made bold to ask you for a passage.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>His excuse was an absurd one, since it was evident -that our little trap was as full as it could be, but my -driver did not seem disposed to argue. He drove on -without a word, and, looking back, I could see the -stranger sitting by the roadside and cramming tobacco -into his pipe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A sailor,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, maister. We’re not more than a few miles -from Morecambe Bay,” the driver remarked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You seemed frightened of him,” I observed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Did I?” said he, drily; and then, after a long -pause, “Maybe I was.” As to his reasons for fear, I -could get nothing from him, and though I asked him -many questions he was so stupid, or else so clever, -that I could learn nothing from his replies. I observed, -however, that from time to time he swept the moors -with a troubled eye, but their huge brown expanse -was unbroken by any moving figure. At last in a -sort of cleft in the hills in front of us I saw a long, -low-lying farm building, the centre of all those scattered -flocks.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>“Garth Farm,” said my driver. “There is Farmer -Purcell himself,” he added, as a man strolled out of -the porch and stood waiting for our arrival. He -advanced as I descended from the trap, a hard, -weather-worn fellow with light blue eyes, and hair -and beard like sun-bleached grass. In his expression -I read the same surly ill-will which I had already -observed in my driver. Their malevolence could not -be directed towards a complete stranger like myself, -and so I began to suspect that my uncle was no more -popular on the north-country fells than he had been -in Stepney Highway.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’re to stay here until nightfall. That’s Mr. -Stephen Maple’s wish,” said he, curtly. “You can -have some tea and bacon if you like. It’s the best -we can give you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was very hungry, and accepted the hospitality -in spite of the churlish tone in which it was offered. -The farmer’s wife and his two daughters came into -the sitting-room during the meal, and I was aware of -a certain curiosity with which they regarded me. It -may have been that a young man was a rarity in this -wilderness, or it may be that my attempts at conversation -won their goodwill, but they all three showed -a kindliness in their manner. It was getting dark, so -I remarked that it was time for me to be pushing on -to Greta House.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ve made up your mind to go, then?” said -the older woman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Certainly. I have come all the way from London.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s no one hindering you from going back -there.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>“But I have come to see Mr. Maple, my uncle.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, well, no one can stop you if you want to go -on,” said the woman, and became silent as her husband -entered the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With every fresh incident I felt that I was moving -in an atmosphere of mystery and peril, and yet it was -all so intangible and so vague that I could not guess -where my danger lay. I should have asked the farmer’s -wife point-blank, but her surly husband seemed to -divine the sympathy which she felt for me, and never -again left us together. “It’s time you were going, -mister,” said he at last, as his wife lit the lamp upon -the table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is the trap ready?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ll need no trap. You’ll walk,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How shall I know the way?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“William will go with you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>William was the youth who had driven me up -from the station. He was waiting at the door, and -he shouldered my gun-case and bag. I stayed behind -to thank the farmer for his hospitality, but he would -have none of it. “I ask no thanks from Mr. Stephen -Maple nor any friend of his,” said he, bluntly. “I -am paid for what I do. If I was not paid I would -not do it. Go your way, young man, and say no -more.” He turned rudely on his heel and re-entered -his house, slamming the door behind him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was quite dark outside, with heavy black clouds -drifting slowly across the sky. Once clear of the -farm inclosure and out on the moor I should have -been hopelessly lost if it had not been for my guide, -who walked in front of me along narrow sheep-tracks -<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>which were quite invisible to me. Every now and -then, without seeing anything, we heard the clumsy -scuffling of the creatures in the darkness. At first my -guide walked swiftly and carelessly, but gradually his -pace slowed down, until at last he was going very -slowly and stealthily, like one who walks light-footed -amid imminent menace. This vague, inexplicable sense -of danger in the midst of the loneliness of that vast -moor was more daunting than any evident peril could -be, and I had begun to press him as to what it was -that he feared, when suddenly he stopped and dragged -me down among some gorse bushes which lined the -path. His tug at my coat was so strenuous and -imperative that I realized that the danger was a -pressing one, and in an instant I was squatting down -beside him as still as the bushes which shadowed us. -It was so dark there that I could not even see the lad -beside me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a warm night, and a hot wind puffed in our -faces. Suddenly in this wind there came something -homely and familiar—the smell of burning tobacco. -And then a face, illuminated by the glowing bowl of -a pipe, came floating towards us. The man was all -in shadow, but just that one dim halo of light with -the face which filled it, brighter below and shading -away into darkness above, stood out against the universal -blackness. A thin, hungry face, thickly freckled -with yellow over the cheek bones, blue, watery eyes, -an ill-nourished, light-coloured moustache, a peaked -yachting cap—that was all that I saw. He passed -us, looking vacantly in front of him, and we heard the -steps dying away along the path.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>“Who was it?” I asked, as we rose to our feet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The fellow’s continual profession of ignorance made -me angry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should you hide yourself, then?” I asked, -sharply.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because Maister Maple told me. He said that I -were to meet no one. If I met any one I should get -no pay.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You met that sailor on the road?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, and I think he was one of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One of whom?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One of the folk that have come on the fells. -They are watchin’ Greta House, and Maister Maple is -afeard of them. That’s why he wanted us to keep -clear of them, and that’s why I’ve been a-trying to -dodge ‘em.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here was something definite at last. Some body -of men were threatening my uncle. The sailor was -one of them. The man with the peaked cap—probably -a sailor also—was another. I bethought me of -Stepney Highway and of the murderous assault made -upon my uncle there. Things were fitting themselves -into a connected shape in my mind when a light -twinkled over the fell, and my guide informed me that -it was Greta. The place lay in a dip among the moors, -so that one was very near it before one saw it. A -short walk brought us up to the door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I could see little of the building save that the lamp -which shone through a small latticed window showed -me dimly that it was both long and lofty. The low -door under an overhanging lintel was loosely fitted, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>light was bursting out on each side of it. The inmates -of this lonely house appeared to be keenly on their -guard, for they had heard our footsteps, and we were -challenged before we reached the door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who is there?” cried a deep-booming voice, and -urgently, “Who is it, I say?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s me, Maister Maple. I have brought the -gentleman.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a sharp click, and a small wooden -shutter flew open in the door. The gleam of a lantern -shone upon us for a few seconds. Then the shutter -closed again; with a great rasping of locks and clattering -of bars, the door was opened, and I saw my uncle -standing framed in that vivid yellow square cut out of -the darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was a small, thick man, with a great rounded, -bald head and one thin border of gingery curls. It was -a fine head, the head of a thinker, but his large white -face was heavy and commonplace, with a broad, loose-lipped -mouth and two hanging dewlaps on either side -of it. His eyes were small and restless, and his light-coloured -lashes were continually moving. My mother -had said once that they reminded her of the legs of a -woodlouse, and I saw at the first glance what she -meant. I heard also that in Stepney he had learned -the language of his customers, and I blushed for our -kinship as I listened to his villainous accent. “So, -nephew,” said he, holding out his hand. “Come in, -come in, man, quick, and don’t leave the door open. -Your mother said you were grown a big lad, and, my -word, she ‘as a right to say so. ‘Ere’s a ‘alf-crown for -you, William, and you can go back again. Put the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>things down. ‘Ere, Enoch, take Mr. John’s things, and -see that ‘is supper is on the table.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As my uncle, after fastening the door, turned to -show me into the sitting-room, I became aware of his -most striking peculiarity. The injuries which he had -received some years ago had, as I have already remarked, -left one leg several inches shorter than the -other. To atone for this he wore one of those -enormous wooden soles to his boots which are prescribed -by surgeons in such cases. He walked without -a limp, but his tread on the stone flooring made a -curious clack-click, clack-click, as the wood and the -leather alternated. Whenever he moved it was to the -rhythm of this singular castanet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The great kitchen, with its huge fireplace and -carved settle corners, showed that this dwelling was -an old-time farmhouse. On one side of the room a -line of boxes stood all corded and packed. The -furniture was scant and plain, but on a trestle-table in -the centre some supper, cold meat, bread, and a jug of -beer was laid for me. An elderly manservant, as -manifest a Cockney as his master, waited upon me, -while my uncle, sitting in a comer, asked me many -questions as to my mother and myself. When my -meal was finished he ordered his man Enoch to -unpack my gun. I observed that two other guns, old -rusted weapons, were leaning against the wall beside -the window.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s the window I’m afraid of,” said my uncle, in -the deep, reverberant voice which contrasted oddly -with his plump little figure. “The door’s safe against -anything short of dynamite, but the window’s a terror. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>Hi! hi!” he yelled, “don’t walk across the light! -You can duck when you pass the lattice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For fear of being seen?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For fear of bein’ shot, my lad. That’s the trouble. -Now, come an’ sit beside me on the trestle ‘ere, and I’ll -tell you all about it, for I can see that you are the -right sort and can be trusted.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>His flattery was clumsy and halting, and it was -evident that he was very eager to conciliate me. I sat -down beside him, and he drew a folded paper from his -pocket. It was a <cite>Western Morning News</cite>, and the date -was ten days before. The passage over which he -pressed a long, black nail was concerned with the -release from Dartmoor of a convict named Elias, whose -term of sentence had been remitted on account of -his defence of a warder who had been attacked in -the quarries. The whole account was only a few -lines long.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who is he, then?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle cocked his distorted foot into the air. -“That’s ‘is mark!” said he. “‘E was doin’ time for -that. How ‘e’s out an’ after me again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why should he be after you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because ‘e wants to kill me. Because ‘e’ll never -rest, the worrying devil, until ‘e ‘as ‘ad ‘is revenge on -me. It’s this way, nephew! I’ve no secrets from you. -‘E thinks I’ve wronged ‘im. For argument’s sake we’ll -suppose I ‘ave wronged ‘im. And now ‘im and ‘is -friends are after me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who are his friends?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle’s boom sank suddenly to a frightened -whisper. “Sailors!” said he. “I knew they would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>come when I saw that ‘ere paper, and two days ago I -looked through that window and three of them was -standin’ lookin’ at the ‘ouse. It was after that that I -wrote to your mother. They’ve marked me down, and -they’re waitin’ for ‘im.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why not send for the police?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle’s eyes avoided mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Police are no use,” said he. “It’s you that can -help me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What can I do?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll tell you. I’m going to move. That’s what -all these boxes are for. Everything will soon be -packed and ready. I ‘ave friends at Leeds, and I shall -be safer there. Not safe, mind you, but safer. I start -to-morrow evening, and if you will stand by me until -then I will make it worth your while. There’s only -Enoch and me to do everything, but we shall ‘ave it -all ready, I promise you, by to-morrow evening. The -cart will be round then, and you and me and Enoch -and the boy William can guard the things as far as -Congleton station. Did you see anything of them on -the fells?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes,” said I; “a sailor stopped us on the -way.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Ah, I knew they were watching us. That was -why I asked you to get out at the wrong station and -to drive to Purcell’s instead of comin’ ‘ere. We are -blockaded—that’s the word.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And there was another,” said I, “a man with a -pipe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What was ‘e like?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Thin face, freckles, a peaked——”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>My uncle gave a hoarse scream.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That’s ‘im! that’s ‘im! ‘e’s come! God be -merciful to me, a sinner!” He went click-clacking -about the room with his great foot like one distracted. -There was something piteous and baby-like in that -big bald head, and for the first time I felt a gush of -pity for him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come, uncle,” said I, “you are living in a -civilized land. There is a law that will bring these -gentry to order. Let me drive over to the county -police-station to-morrow morning and I’ll soon set -things right.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But he shook his head at me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“E’s cunning and ‘e’s cruel,” said he. “I can’t -draw a breath without thinking of him, cos ‘e buckled -up three of my ribs. ‘E’ll kill me this time, sure. -There’s only one chance. We must leave what we -‘ave not packed, and we must be off first thing to-morrow -mornin’. Great God, what’s that!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A tremendous knock upon the door had reverberated -through the house and then another and -another. An iron fist seemed to be beating upon it. -My uncle collapsed into his chair. I seized a gun and -ran to the door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who’s there?” I shouted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was no answer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I opened the shutter and looked out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No one was there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then suddenly I saw that a long slip of paper -was protruding through the slit of the door. I held it -to the light. In rude but vigorous handwriting the -message ran:—</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>“Put them out on the doorstep and save your -skin.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do they want?” I asked, as I read him the -message.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What they’ll never ‘ave! No, by the Lord, -never!” he cried, with a fine burst of spirit. “‘Ere, -Enoch! Enoch!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The old fellow came running to the call.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Enoch, I’ve been a good master to you all my -life, and it’s your turn now. Will you take a risk for -me?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I thought better of my uncle when I saw how -readily the man consented. Whomever else he had -wronged, this one at least seemed to love him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Put your cloak on and your ‘at, Enoch, and out -with you by the back door. You know the way across -the moor to the Purcells’. Tell them that I must ‘ave -the cart first thing in the mornin’, and that Purcell -must come with the shepherd as well. We must get -clear of this or we are done. First thing in the -mornin’, Enoch, and ten pound for the job. Keep -the black cloak on and move slow, and they will -never see you. We’ll keep the ‘ouse till you come -back.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a job for a brave man to venture out into -the vague and invisible dangers of the fell, but the old -servant took it as the most ordinary of messages. -Picking his long, black cloak and his soft hat from the -hook behind the door, he was ready on the instant. -We extinguished the small lamp in the back passage, -softly unbarred the back door, slipped him out, and -barred it up again. Looking through the small hall -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>window, I saw his black garments merge instantly into -the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is but a few hours before the light comes, -nephew,” said my uncle, after he had tried all the -bolts and bars. “You shall never regret this night’s -work. If we come through safely it will be the -making of you. Stand by me till mornin’, and I stand -by you while there’s breath in my body. The cart -will be ‘ere by five. What isn’t ready we can afford -to leave be’ind. We’ve only to load up and make for -the early train at Congleton.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Will they let us pass?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In broad daylight they dare not stop us. There -will be six of us, if they all come, and three guns. -We can fight our way through. Where can they get -guns, common, wandering seamen? A pistol or two -at the most. If we can keep them out for a few hours -we are safe. Enoch must be ‘alfway to Purcell’s by -now.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But what do these sailors want?” I repeated. -“You say yourself that you wronged them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A look of mulish obstinacy came over his large, -white face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t ask questions, nephew, and just do what I -ask you,” said he. “Enoch won’t come back. ‘E’ll -just bide there and come with the cart. ‘Ark, what is -that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A distant cry rang from out of the darkness, and -then another one, short and sharp like the wail of the -curlew.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s Enoch!” said my uncle, gripping my arm. -“They’re killin’ poor old Enoch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>The cry came again, much nearer, and I heard -the sound of hurrying steps and a shrill call for -help.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are after ‘im!” cried my uncle, rushing to -the front door. He picked up the lantern and flashed -it through the little shutter. Up the yellow funnel of -light a man was running frantically, his head bowed -and a black cloak fluttering behind him. The moor -seemed to be alive with dim pursuers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The bolt! The bolt!” gasped my uncle. He -pushed it back whilst I turned the key, and we swung -the door open to admit the fugitive. He dashed in -and turned at once with a long yell of triumph. -“Come on, lads! Tumble up, all hands, tumble up! -Smartly there, all of you!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was so quickly and neatly done that we were -taken by storm before we knew that we were attacked. -The passage was full of rushing sailors. I slipped out -of the clutch of one and ran for my gun, but it was -only to crash down on to the stone floor an instant -later with two of them holding on to me. They were -so deft and quick that my hands were lashed together -even while I struggled, and I was dragged into the -settle corner, unhurt but very sore in spirit at the -cunning with which our defences had been forced and -the ease with which we had been overcome. They had -not even troubled to bind my uncle, but he had been -pushed into his chair, and the guns had been taken -away. He sat with a very white face, his homely -figure and absurd row of curls looking curiously out of -place among the wild figures who surrounded him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were six of them, all evidently sailors. One -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>I recognized as the man with the earrings whom I had -already met upon the road that evening. They were -all fine, weather-bronzed bewhiskered fellows. In the -midst of them, leaning against the table, was the -freckled man who had passed me on the moor. The -great black cloak which poor Enoch had taken out -with him was still hanging from his shoulders. He -was of a very different type from the others—crafty, -cruel, dangerous, with sly, thoughtful eyes which -gloated over my uncle. They suddenly turned themselves -upon me and I never knew how one’s skin can -creep at a man’s glance before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who are you?” he asked. “Speak out, or we’ll -find a way to make you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am Mr. Stephen Maple’s nephew, come to visit -him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are, are you? Well, I wish you joy of your -uncle and of your visit too. Quick’s the word, lads, -for we must be aboard before morning. What shall we -do with the old ‘un?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Trice him up Yankee fashion and give him six -dozen,” said one of the seamen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“D’you hear, you cursed Cockney thief? We’ll -beat the life out of you if you don’t give back what -you’ve stolen. Where are they? I know you never -parted with them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle pursed up his lips and shook his -head, with a face in which his fear and his obstinacy -contended.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Won’t tell, won’t you? We’ll see about that! -Get him ready, Jim!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>One of the seamen seized my uncle, and pulled his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>coat and shirt over his shoulders. He sat lumped in -his chair, his body all creased into white rolls which -shivered with cold and with terror.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Up with him to those hooks.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were rows of them along the walls where the -smoked meat used to be hung. The seamen tied my -uncle by the wrists to two of these. Then one of them -undid his leather belt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The buckle end, Jim,” said the captain. “Give -him the buckle.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You cowards,” I cried; “to beat an old man!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We’ll beat a young one next,” said he, with a -malevolent glance at my corner. “Now, Jim, cut a -wad out of him!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Give him one more chance!” cried one of the -seamen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Aye, aye,” growled one or two others. “Give the -swab a chance!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If you turn soft, you may give them up for -ever,” said the captain. “One thing or the other! -You must lash it out of him; or you may give up -what you took such pains to win and what would -make you gentlemen for life—every man of you. -There’s nothing else for it. Which shall it be?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let him have it,” they cried, savagely.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then stand clear!” The buckle of the man’s belt -whined savagely as he whirled it over his shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But my uncle cried out before the blow fell.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I can’t stand it!” he cried. “Let me down!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where are they, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll show you if you’ll let me down.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>They cast off the handkerchiefs and he pulled his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>coat over his fat, round shoulders. The seamen stood -round him, the most intense curiosity and excitement -upon their swarthy faces.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No gammon!” cried the man with the freckles. -“We’ll kill you joint by joint if you try to fool us. -Now then! Where are they?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In my bedroom.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where is that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The room above.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Whereabouts?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In the corner of the oak ark by the bed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The seamen all rushed to the stair, but the captain -called them back.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We don’t leave this cunning old fox behind us. Ha, -your face drops at that, does it? By the Lord, I believe -you are trying to slip your anchor. Here, lads, make -him fast and take him along!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>With a confused trampling of feet they rushed up -the stairs, dragging my uncle in the midst of them. -For an instant I was alone. My hands were tied but -not my feet. If I could find my way across the moor -I might rouse the police and intercept these rascals -before they could reach the sea. For a moment I hesitated -as to whether I should leave my uncle alone in -such a plight. But I should be of more service to him—or, -at the worst, to his property—if I went than if I -stayed. I rushed to the hall door, and as I reached it -I heard a yell above my head, a shattering, splintering -noise, and then amid a chorus of shouts a huge weight -fell with a horrible thud at my very feet. Never while -I live will that squelching thud pass out of my ears. -And there, just in front of me, in the lane of light cast -<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>by the open door, lay my unhappy uncle, his bald head -twisted on to one shoulder, like the wrung neck of a -chicken. It needed but a glance to see that his spine -was broken and that he was dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The gang of seamen had rushed downstairs so -quickly that they were clustered at the door and crowding -all round me almost as soon as I had realized what -had occurred.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s no doing of ours, mate,” said one of them to -me. “He hove himself through the window, and that’s -the truth. Don’t you put it down to us.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He thought he could get to windward of us if once -he was out in the dark, you see,” said another. “But -he came head foremost and broke his bloomin’ neck.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And a blessed good job too!” cried the chief, with -a savage oath. “I’d have done it for him if he hadn’t -took the lead. Don’t make any mistake, my lads, this -is murder, and we’re all in it, together. There’s only -one way out of it, and that is to hang together, unless, -as the saying goes, you mean to hang apart. There’s -only one witness——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He looked at me with his malicious little eyes, and -I saw that he had something that gleamed—either a -knife or a revolver—in the breast of his pea-jacket. -Two of the men slipped between us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Stow that, Captain Elias,” said one of them. “If -this old man met his end it is through no fault of ours. -The worst we ever meant him was to take some of the -skin off his back. But as to this young fellow, we -have no quarrel with him——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You fool, you may have no quarrel with him, but -he has his quarrel with you. He’ll swear your life -<span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>away if you don’t silence his tongue. It’s his life or -ours, and don’t you make any mistake.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Aye, aye, the skipper has the longest head of any -of us. Better do what he tells you,” cried another.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But my champion, who was the fellow with the -earrings, covered me with his own broad chest and -swore roundly that no one should lay a finger on me. -The others were equally divided, and my fate might -have been the cause of a quarrel between them when -suddenly the captain gave a cry of delight and amazement -which was taken up by the whole gang. I -followed their eyes and outstretched fingers, and this -was what I saw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle was lying with his legs outstretched, and -the club foot was that which was furthest from us. -All round this foot a dozen brilliant objects were -twinkling and flashing in the yellow light which -streamed from the open door. The captain caught up -the lantern and held it to the place. The huge sole of -his boot had been shattered in the fall, and it was -clear now that it had been a hollow box in which he -stowed his valuables, for the path was all sprinkled -with precious stones. Three which I saw were of an -unusual size, and as many as forty, I should think, of -fair value. The seamen had cast themselves down and -were greedily gathering them up, when my friend with -the earrings plucked me by the sleeve.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here’s your chance, mate,” he whispered. “Off -you go before worse comes of it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a timely hint, and it did not take me long -to act upon it. A few cautious steps and I had passed -unobserved beyond the circle of light. Then I set off -<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>running, falling and rising and falling again, for no one -who has not tried it can tell how hard it is to run over -uneven ground with hands which are fastened together. -I ran and ran, until for want of breath I could no longer -put one foot before the other. But I need not have -hurried so, for when I had gone a long way I stopped -at last to breathe, and, looking back, I could still see -the gleam of the lantern far away, and the outline of -the seamen who squatted round it. Then at last this -single point of light went suddenly out, and the whole -great moor was left in the thickest darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So deftly was I tied, that it took me a long half-hour -and a broken tooth before I got my hands free. My -idea was to make my way across to the Purcells’ farm, -but north was the same as south under that pitchy sky, -and for hours I wandered among the rustling, scuttling -sheep without any certainty as to where I was going. -When at last there came a glimmer in the east, and the -undulating fells, grey with the morning mist, rolled -once more to the horizon, I recognized that I was close -by Purcell’s farm, and there a little in front of me I -was startled to see another man walking in the same -direction. At first I approached him warily, but before -I overtook him I knew by the bent back and tottering -step that it was Enoch, the old servant, and right glad -I was to see that he was living. He had been knocked -down, beaten, and his cloak and hat taken away by -these ruffians, and all night he had wandered in the -darkness, like myself, in search of help. He burst into -tears when I told him of his master’s death, and sat -hiccoughing with the hard, dry sobs of an old man -among the stones upon the moor.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>“It’s the men of the <em>Black Mogul</em>,” he said. “Yes, -yes, I knew that they would be the end of ‘im.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who are they?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, well, you are one of ‘is own folk,” said he. -“‘E ‘as passed away; yes, yes, it is all over and done. -I can tell you about it, no man better, but mum’s the -word with old Enoch unless master wants ‘im to speak. -But his own nephew who came to ‘elp ‘im in the hour -of need—yes, yes, Mister John, you ought to know.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was like this, sir. Your uncle ‘ad ‘is grocer’s -business at Stepney, but ‘e ‘ad another business also. -‘E would buy as well as sell, and when ‘e bought ‘e -never asked no questions where the stuff came from. -Why should ‘e? It wasn’t no business of ‘is, was it? -If folk brought him a stone or a silver plate, what was -it to ‘im where they got it? That’s good sense, and it -ought to be good law, as I ‘old. Any’ow, it was good -enough for us at Stepney.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, there was a steamer came from South Africa -what foundered at sea. At least, they say so, and -Lloyd’s paid the money. She ‘ad some very fine -diamonds invoiced as being aboard of ‘er. Soon after -there came the brig <em>Black Mogul</em> into the port o’ London, -with ‘er papers all right as ‘avin’ cleared from Port -Elizabeth with a cargo of ‘ides. The captain, which ‘is -name was Elias, ‘e came to see the master, and what -d’you think that ‘e ‘ad to sell? Why, sir, as I’m a -livin’ sinner ‘e ‘ad a packet of diamonds for all the -world just the same as what was lost out o’ that there -African steamer. ‘Ow did ‘e get them? I don’t know. -Master didn’t know. ‘E didn’t seek to know either. -The captain ‘e was anxious for reasons of ‘is own to get -<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>them safe, so ‘e gave them to master, same as you -might put a thing in a bank. But master ‘e’d ‘ad time -to get fond of them, and ‘e wasn’t over satisfied as to -where the <em>Black Mogul</em> ‘ad been tradin’, or where her -captain ‘ad got the stones, so when ‘e come back for -them the master ‘e said as ‘e thought they were best in -‘is own ‘ands. Mind I don’t ‘old with it myself, but -that was what master said to Captain Elias in the little -back parlour at Stepney. That was ‘ow ‘e got ‘is leg -broke and three of his ribs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So the captain got jugged for that, and the master, -when ‘e was able to get about, thought that ‘e would -‘ave peace for fifteen years, and ‘e came away from -London because ‘e was afraid of the sailor men; but, at -the end of five years, the captain was out and after ‘im, -with as many of ‘is crew as ‘e could gather. Send for -the perlice, you says! Well, there are two sides to -that, and the master ‘e wasn’t much more fond of the -perlice than Elias was. But they fair ‘emmed master -in, as you ‘ave seen for yourself, and they bested ‘im at -last, and the loneliness that ‘e thought would be ‘is -safety ‘as proved ‘is ruin. Well, well, ‘e was ‘ard to -many, but a good master to me, and it’s long before I -come on such another.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>One word in conclusion. A strange cutter, which -had been hanging about the coast, was seen to beat -down the Irish Sea that morning, and it is conjectured -that Elias and his men were on board of it. At any -rate, nothing has been heard of them since. It was -shown at the inquest that my uncle had lived in a -sordid fashion for years, and he left little behind him. -The mere knowledge that he possessed this treasure, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>which he carried about with him in so extraordinary a -fashion, had appeared to be the joy of his life, and he -had never, as far as we could learn, tried to realize any -of his diamonds. So his disreputable name when -living was not atoned for by any posthumous benevolence, -and the family, equally scandalized by his life -and by his death, have finally buried all memory of the -club-footed grocer of Stepney.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE SEALED ROOM</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>A solicitor of an active habit and athletic tastes who -is compelled by his hopes of business to remain within -the four walls of his office from ten till five must take -what exercise he can in the evenings. Hence it was -that I was in the habit of indulging in very long -nocturnal excursions, in which I sought the heights -of Hampstead and Highgate in order to cleanse my -system from the impure air of Abchurch Lane. It was -in the course of one of these aimless rambles that -I first met Felix Stanniford, and so led up to what -has been the most extraordinary adventure of my -lifetime.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One evening—it was in April or early May of the -year 1894—I made my way to the extreme northern -fringe of London, and was walking down one of those -fine avenues of high brick villas which the huge city -is for ever pushing farther and farther out into the -country. It was a fine, clear spring night, the moon -was shining out of an unclouded sky, and I, having -already left many miles behind me, was inclined to -walk slowly and look about me. In this contemplative -mood, my attention was arrested by one of -the houses which I was passing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a very large building, standing in its own -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>grounds, a little back from the road. It was modern -in appearance, and yet it was far less so than its -neighbours, all of which were crudely and painfully -new. Their symmetrical line was broken by the gap -caused by the laurel-studded lawn, with the great, -dark, gloomy house looming at the back of it. -Evidently it had been the country retreat of some -wealthy merchant, built perhaps when the nearest -street was a mile off, and now gradually overtaken and -surrounded by the red brick tentacles of the London -octopus. The next stage, I reflected, would be its -digestion and absorption, so that the cheap builder -might rear a dozen eighty-pound-a-year villas upon -the garden frontage. And then, as all this passed -vaguely through my mind, an incident occurred which -brought my thoughts into quite another channel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A four-wheeled cab, that opprobrium of London, -was coming jolting and creaking in one direction, -while in the other there was a yellow glare from the -lamp of a cyclist. They were the only moving objects -in the whole long, moonlit road, and yet they crashed -into each other with that malignant accuracy which -brings two ocean liners together in the broad waste of -the Atlantic. It was the cyclist’s fault. He tried to -cross in front of the cab, miscalculated his distance, -and was knocked sprawling by the horse’s shoulder. -He rose, snarling; the cabman swore back at him, and -then, realizing that his number had not yet been taken, -lashed his horse and lumbered off. The cyclist caught -at the handles of his prostrate machine, and then -suddenly sat down with a groan. “Oh, Lord!” he -said.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>I ran across the road to his side. “Any harm -done?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s my ankle,” said he. “Only a twist, I think; -but it’s pretty painful. Just give me your hand, will -you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He lay in the yellow circle of the cycle lamp, -and I noted as I helped him to his feet that he was -a gentlemanly young fellow, with a slight dark moustache -and large, brown eyes, sensitive and nervous in -appearance, with indications of weak health upon his -sunken cheeks. Work or worry had left its traces -upon his thin, yellow face. He stood up when I pulled -his hand, but he held one foot in the air, and he groaned -as he moved it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I can’t put it to the ground,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where do you live?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here!” he nodded his head towards the big, dark -house in the garden. “I was cutting across to the -gate when that confounded cab ran into me. Could -you help me so far?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was easily done. I put his cycle inside the gate, -and then I supported him down the drive, and up the -steps to the hall door. There was not a light anywhere, -and the place was as black and silent as if no -one had ever lived in it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That will do. Thank you very much,” said he, -fumbling with his key in the lock.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, you must allow me to see you safe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He made some feeble, petulant protest, and then -realized that he could really do nothing without me. -The door had opened into a pitch-dark hall. He -lurched forward, with my hand still on his arm.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>“This door to the right,” said he, feeling about in -the darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I opened the door, and at the same moment he -managed to strike a light. There was a lamp upon the -table, and we lit it between us. “Now, I’m all right. -You can leave me now! Good-bye!” said he, and -with the words he sat down in the arm-chair and -fainted dead away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a queer position for me. The fellow looked -so ghastly, that really I was not sure that he was not -dead. Presently his lips quivered and his breast -heaved, but his eyes were two white slits and his -colour was horrible. The responsibility was more -than I could stand. I pulled at the bell-rope, and -heard the bell ringing furiously far away. But no -one came in response. The bell tinkled away into -silence, which no murmur or movement came to break. -I waited, and rang again, with the same result. -There must be some one about. This young gentleman -could not live all alone in that huge house. His -people ought to know of his condition. If they would -not answer the bell, I must hunt them out myself. -I seized the lamp and rushed from the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>What I saw outside amazed me. The hall was -empty. The stairs were bare, and yellow with dust. -There were three doors opening into spacious rooms, -and each was uncarpeted and undraped, save for -the grey webs which drooped from the cornice, and -rosettes of lichen which had formed upon the walls. -My feet reverberated in those empty and silent -chambers. Then I wandered on down the passage, -with the idea that the kitchens, at least, might be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>tenanted. Some caretaker might lurk in some secluded -room. No, they were all equally desolate. Despairing -of finding any help, I ran down another corridor, -and came on something which surprised me more than -ever.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The passage ended in a large, brown door, and the -door had a seal of red wax the size of a five-shilling -piece over the keyhole. This seal gave me the -impression of having been there for a long time, for -it was dusty and discoloured. I was still staring at -it, and wondering what that door might conceal, when -I heard a voice calling behind me, and, running back, -found my young man sitting up in his chair and very -much astonished at finding himself in darkness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why on earth did you take the lamp away?” he -asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was looking for assistance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You might look for some time,” said he. “I am -alone in the house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Awkward if you get an illness.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was foolish of me to faint. I inherit a weak -heart from my mother, and pain or emotion has that -effect upon me. It will carry me off some day, as it -did her. You’re not a doctor, are you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, a lawyer. Frank Alder is my name.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mine is Felix Stanniford. Funny that I should -meet a lawyer, for my friend, Mr. Perceval, was saying -that we should need one soon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very happy, I am sure.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, that will depend upon him, you know. Did -you say that you had run with that lamp all over the -ground floor?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“<em>All</em> over it?” he asked, with emphasis, and he -looked at me very hard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think so. I kept on hoping that I should find -someone.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Did you enter <em>all</em> the rooms?” he asked, with -the same intent gaze.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, all that I could enter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, then you <em>did</em> notice it!” said he, and he -shrugged his shoulders with the air of a man who -makes the best of a bad job.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Notice what?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, the door with the seal on it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I did.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Weren’t you curious to know what was in -it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, it did strike me as unusual.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you think you could go on living alone in -this house, year after year, just longing all the time -to know what is at the other side of that door, and -yet not looking?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you mean to say,” I cried, “that you don’t -know yourself?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No more than you do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then why don’t you look?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I mustn’t,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He spoke in a constrained way, and I saw that I -had blundered on to some delicate ground. I don’t -know that I am more inquisitive than my neighbours, -but there certainly was something in the situation -which appealed very strongly to my curiosity. However, -my last excuse for remaining in the house was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>gone now that my companion had recovered his senses. -I rose to go.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you in a hurry?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No; I have nothing to do.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I should be very glad if you would stay -with me a little. The fact is that I live a very -retired and secluded life here. I don’t suppose there -is a man in London who leads such a life as I do. -It is quite unusual for me to have any one to talk -with.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked round at the little room, scantily furnished, -with a sofa-bed at one side. Then I thought -of the great, bare house, and the sinister door with -the discoloured red seal upon it. There was something -queer and grotesque in the situation, which -made me long to know a little more. Perhaps I -should, if I waited. I told him that I should be very -happy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will find the spirits and a siphon upon the -side table. You must forgive me if I cannot act as -host, but I can’t get across the room. Those are cigars -in the tray there. I’ll take one myself, I think. And -so you are a solicitor, Mr. Alder?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And I am nothing. I am that most helpless of -living creatures, the son of a millionaire. I was brought -up with the expectation of great wealth; and here I -am, a poor man, without any profession at all. And -then, on the top of it all, I am left with this great -mansion on my hands, which I cannot possibly keep -up. Isn’t it an absurd situation? For me to use this -as my dwelling is like a coster drawing his barrow -<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>with a thoroughbred. A donkey would be more useful -to him, and a cottage to me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why not sell the house?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I mustn’t.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let it, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I mustn’t do that either.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked puzzled, and my companion smiled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll tell you how it is, if it won’t bore you,” -said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the contrary, I should be exceedingly interested.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think, after your kind attention to me, I cannot -do less than relieve any curiosity that you may feel. -You must know that my father was Stanislaus Stanniford, -the banker.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Stanniford, the banker! I remembered the name -at once. His flight from the country some seven years -before had been one of the scandals and sensations of -the time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I see that you remember,” said my companion. -“My poor father left the country to avoid numerous -friends, whose savings he had invested in an unsuccessful -speculation. He was a nervous, sensitive man, -and the responsibility quite upset his reason. He had -committed no legal offence. It was purely a matter -of sentiment. He would not even face his own family, -and he died among strangers without ever letting us -know where he was.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He died!” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We could not prove his death, but we know that -it must be so, because the speculations came right -again, and so there was no reason why he should not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>look any man in the face. He would have returned -if he were alive. But he must have died in the last -two years.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why in the last two years?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because we heard from him two years ago.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Did he not tell you then where he was living?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The letter came from Paris, but no address was -given. It was when my poor mother died. He wrote -to me then, with some instructions and some advice, -and I have never heard from him since.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Had you heard before?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, yes, we had heard before, and that’s where -our mystery of the sealed door, upon which you -stumbled to-night, has its origin. Pass me that desk, -if you please. Here I have my father’s letters, and -you are the first man except Mr. Perceval who has -seen them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who is Mr. Perceval, may I ask?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He was my father’s confidential clerk, and he has -continued to be the friend and adviser of my mother -and then of myself. I don’t know what we should -have done without Perceval. He saw the letters, but -no one else. This is the first one, which came on the -very day when my father fled, seven years ago. Read -it to yourself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This is the letter which I read:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-l c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<span class='sc'>My Ever Dearest Wife</span>,—</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>“Since Sir William told me how weak your -heart is, and how harmful any shock might be, I have -never talked about my business affairs to you. The -time has come when at all risks I can no longer refrain -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>from telling you that things have been going badly -with me. This will cause me to leave you for a little -time, but it is with the absolute assurance that we -shall see each other very soon. On this you can -thoroughly rely. Our parting is only for a very short -time, my own darling, so don’t let it fret you, and above -all don’t let it impair your health, for that is what I -want above all things to avoid.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, I have a request to make, and I implore you -by all that binds us together to fulfil it exactly as I tell -you. There are some things which I do not wish to be -seen by any one in my dark room—the room which I -use for photographic purposes at the end of the garden -passage. To prevent any painful thoughts, I may -assure you once for all, dear, that it is nothing of which -I need be ashamed. But still I do not wish you or -Felix to enter that room. It is locked, and I implore -you when you receive this to at once place a seal over -the lock, and leave it so. Do not sell or let the house, -for in either case my secret will be discovered. As -long as you or Felix are in the house, I know that -you will comply with my wishes. When Felix is -twenty-one he may enter the room—not before.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“And now, good-bye, my own best of wives. During -our short separation you can consult Mr. Perceval -on any matters which may arise. He has my complete -confidence. I hate to leave Felix and you—even for a -time—but there is really no choice.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c014'> - <div>“Ever and always your loving husband,</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c015'><span class='sc'>Stanislaus Stanniford</span>.</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“June 4th, 1887.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>“These are very private family matters for me to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>inflict upon you,” said my companion, apologetically. -“You must look upon it as done in your professional -capacity. I have wanted to speak about it for -years.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am honoured by your confidence,” I answered, -“and exceedingly interested by the facts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My father was a man who was noted for his -almost morbid love of truth. He was always pedantically -accurate. When he said, therefore, that he -hoped to see my mother very soon, and when he said -that he had nothing to be ashamed of in that dark -room, you may rely upon it that he meant it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then what can it be?” I ejaculated.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Neither my mother nor I could imagine. We -carried out his wishes to the letter, and placed the seal -upon the door; there it has been ever since. My -mother lived for five years after my father’s disappearance, -although at the time all the doctors said that she -could not survive long. Her heart was terribly diseased. -During the first few months she had two letters -from my father. Both had the Paris post-mark, but no -address. They were short and to the same effect: that -they would soon be reunited, and that she should not -fret. Then there was a silence, which lasted until her -death; and then came a letter to me of so private a -nature that I cannot show it to you, begging me never -to think evil of him, giving me much good advice, -and saying that the sealing of the room was of -less importance now than during the lifetime of my -mother, but that the opening might still cause pain to -others, and that, therefore, he thought it best that it -should be postponed until my twenty-first year, for the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>lapse of time would make things easier. In the meantime, -he committed the care of the room to me; so now -you can understand how it is that, although I am a -very poor man, I can neither let nor sell this great -house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You could mortgage it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My father had already done so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is a most singular state of affairs.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My mother and I were gradually compelled to -sell the furniture and to dismiss the servants, until -now, as you see, I am living unattended in a single -room. But I have only two more months.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you mean?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, that in two months I come of age. The first -thing that I do will be to open that door; the second, -to get rid of the house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should your father have continued to stay -away when these investments had recovered themselves?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He must be dead.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You say that he had not committed any legal -offence when he fled the country?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“None.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should he not take your mother with -him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I do not know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should he conceal his address?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I do not know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why should he allow your mother to die and be -buried without coming back?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I do not know.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear sir,” said I, “if I may speak with the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>frankness of a professional adviser, I should say that it -is very clear that your father had the strongest reasons -for keeping out of the country, and that, if nothing has -been proved against him, he at least thought that -something might be, and refused to put himself -within the power of the law. Surely that must be -obvious, for in what other possible way can the facts -be explained?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My companion did not take my suggestion in good -part.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You had not the advantage of knowing my father, -Mr. Alder,” he said, coldly. “I was only a boy when -he left us, but I shall always look upon him as my -ideal man. His only fault was that he was too sensitive -and too unselfish. That any one should lose money -through him would cut him to the heart. His sense of -honour was most acute, and any theory of his disappearance -which conflicts with that is a mistaken -one.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It pleased me to hear the lad speak out so roundly, -and yet I knew that the facts were against him, and -that he was incapable of taking an unprejudiced view -of the situation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I only speak as an outsider,” said I. “And now -I must leave you, for I have a long walk before me. -Your story has interested me so much that I should be -glad if you could let me know the sequel.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Leave me your card,” said he; and so, having -bade him “good-night,” I left him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I heard nothing more of the matter for some time, -and had almost feared that it would prove to be one of -those fleeting experiences which drift away from our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>direct observation and end only in a hope or a suspicion. -One afternoon, however, a card bearing the -name of Mr. J. H. Perceval was brought up to my -office in Abchurch Lane, and its bearer, a small dry, -bright-eyed fellow of fifty, was ushered in by the -clerk.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I believe, sir,” said he, “that my name has been -mentioned to you by my young friend, Mr. Felix -Stanniford?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Of course,” I answered, “I remember.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He spoke to you, I understand, about the circumstances -in connection with the disappearance of -my former employer, Mr. Stanislaus Stanniford, and -the existence of a sealed room in his former residence.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He did.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And you expressed an interest in the matter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It interested me extremely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are aware that we hold Mr. Stanniford’s permission -to open the door on the twenty-first birthday -of his son?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I remember.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The twenty-first birthday is to-day.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you opened it?” I asked, eagerly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not yet, sir,” said he, gravely. “I have reason to -believe that it would be well to have witnesses present -when that door is opened. You are a lawyer, and you -are acquainted with the facts. Will you be present on -the occasion?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Most certainly.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are employed during the day, and so am I. -Shall we meet at nine o’clock at the house?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will come with pleasure.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>“Then you will find us waiting for you. Good-bye, -for the present.” He bowed solemnly, and took his -leave.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I kept my appointment that evening, with a brain -which was weary with fruitless attempts to think out -some plausible explanation of the mystery which we -were about to solve. Mr. Perceval and my young -acquaintance were waiting for me in the little room. -I was not surprised to see the young man looking pale -and nervous, but I was rather astonished to find the -dry little City man in a state of intense, though partially -suppressed, excitement. His cheeks were flushed, -his hands twitching, and he could not stand still for an -instant.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Stanniford greeted me warmly, and thanked me -many times for having come. “And now, Perceval,” -said he to his companion, “I suppose there is no -obstacle to our putting the thing through without -delay? I shall be glad to get it over.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The banker’s clerk took up the lamp and led the -way. But he paused in the passage outside the door, -and his hand was shaking, so that the light flickered -up and down the high, bare walls.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mr. Stanniford,” said he, in a cracking voice, “I -hope you will prepare yourself in case any shock should -be awaiting you when that seal is removed and the -door is opened.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What could there be, Perceval? You are trying -to frighten me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, Mr. Stanniford; but I should wish you to be -ready ... to be braced up ... not to allow yourself....” -He had to lick his dry lips between every -<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>jerky sentence, and I suddenly realized, as clearly as -if he had told me, that he knew what was behind that -closed door, and that it <em>was</em> something terrible. “Here -are the keys, Mr. Stanniford, but remember my -warning!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had a bunch of assorted keys in his hand, and -the young man snatched them from him. Then he -thrust a knife under the discoloured red seal and -jerked it off. The lamp was rattling and shaking in -Perceval’s hands, so I took it from him and held it -near the key hole, while Stanniford tried key after key. -At last one turned in the lock, the door flew open, he -took one step into the room, and then, with a -horrible cry, the young man fell senseless at our -feet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If I had not given heed to the clerk’s warning, and -braced myself for a shock, I should certainly have -dropped the lamp. The room, windowless and bare, -was fitted up as a photographic laboratory, with a tap -and sink at the side of it. A shelf of bottles and -measures stood at one side, and a peculiar, heavy -smell, partly chemical, partly animal, filled the air. -A single table and chair were in front of us, and at -this, with his back turned towards us, a man was -seated in the act of writing. His outline and attitude -were as natural as life; but as the light fell upon him, -it made my hair rise to see that the nape of his neck -was black and wrinkled, and no thicker than my wrist. -Dust lay upon him—thick, yellow dust—upon his hair, -his shoulders, his shrivelled, lemon-coloured hands. -His head had fallen forward upon his breast. His -pen still rested upon a discoloured sheet of paper.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>“My poor master! My poor, poor master!” -cried the clerk, and the tears were running down his -cheeks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What!” I cried, “Mr. Stanislaus Stanniford!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here he has sat for seven years. Oh, why would -he do it? I begged him, I implored him, I went on -my knees to him, but he would have his way. You -see the key on the table. He had locked the door -upon the inside. And he has written something. We -must take it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, take it, and for God’s sake, let us get -out of this,” I cried; “the air is poisonous. Come, -Stanniford, come!” Taking an arm each, we half led -and half carried the terrified man back to his own -room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was my father!” he cried, as he recovered his -consciousness. “He is sitting there dead in his chair. -You knew it, Perceval! This was what you meant -when you warned me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I knew it, Mr. Stanniford. I have acted for -the best all along, but my position has been a terribly -difficult one. For seven years I have known that your -father was dead in that room.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You knew it, and never told us!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t be harsh with me, Mr. Stanniford, sir! -Make allowance for a man who has had a hard part to -play.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My head is swimming round. I cannot grasp -it!” He staggered up, and helped himself from the -brandy bottle. “These letters to my mother and to -myself—were they forgeries?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir; your father wrote them and addressed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>them, and left them in my keeping to be posted. I -have followed his instructions to the very letter in -all things. He was my master, and I have obeyed -him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The brandy had steadied the young man’s shaken -nerves. “Tell me about it. I can stand it now,” -said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, Mr. Stanniford, you know that at one time -there came a period of great trouble upon your father, -and he thought that many poor people were about to -lose their savings through his fault. He was a man -who was so tender-hearted that he could not bear the -thought. It worried him and tormented him, until he -determined to end his life. Oh, Mr. Stanniford, if you -knew how I have prayed him and wrestled with him -over it, you would never blame me! And he in turn -prayed me as no man has ever prayed me before. He -had made up his mind, and he would do it in any case, -he said; but it rested with me whether his death -should be happy and easy or whether it should be -most miserable. I read in his eyes that he meant -what he said. And at last I yielded to his prayers, -and I consented to do his will.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What was troubling him was this. He had been -told by the first doctor in London that his wife’s heart -would fail at the slightest shock. He had a horror of -accelerating her end, and yet his own existence had -become unendurable to him. How could he end himself -without injuring her?</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You know now the course that he took. He -wrote the letter which she received. There was nothing -in it which was not literally true. When he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>spoke of seeing her again so soon, he was referring to -her own approaching death, which he had been assured -could not be delayed more than a very few months. -So convinced was he of this, that he only left two -letters to be forwarded at intervals after his death. -She lived five years, and I had no letters to send.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He left another letter with me to be sent to you, -sir, upon the occasion of the death of your mother. I -posted all these in Paris to sustain the idea of his -being abroad. It was his wish that I should say -nothing, and I have said nothing. I have been a -faithful servant. Seven years after his death, he -thought no doubt that the shock to the feelings of his -surviving friends would be lessened. He was always -considerate for others.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was silence for some time. It was broken -by young Stanniford.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I cannot blame you, Perceval. You have spared -my mother a shock, which would certainly have broken -her heart. What is that paper?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is what your father was writing, sir. Shall I -read it to you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I have taken the poison, and I feel it working in -my veins. It is strange, but not painful. When -these words are read I shall, if my wishes have been -faithfully carried out, have been dead many years. -Surely no one who has lost money through me will -still bear me animosity. And you, Felix, you will -forgive me this family scandal. May God find rest for -a sorely wearied spirit!’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Amen!” we cried, all three.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE BRAZILIAN CAT</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>It is hard luck on a young fellow to have expensive -tastes, great expectations, aristocratic connections, but -no actual money in his pocket, and no profession by -which he may earn any. The fact was that my father, -a good, sanguine, easy-going man, had such confidence -in the wealth and benevolence of his bachelor elder -brother, Lord Southerton, that he took it for granted -that I, his only son, would never be called upon to earn -a living for myself. He imagined that if there were -not a vacancy for me on the great Southerton Estates, -at least there would be found some post in that diplomatic -service which still remains the special preserve -of our privileged classes. He died too early to realize -how false his calculations had been. Neither my uncle -nor the State took the slightest notice of me, or showed -any interest in my career. An occasional brace of -pheasants, or basket of hares, was all that ever reached -me to remind me that I was heir to Otwell House and -one of the richest estates in the country. In the meantime, -I found myself a bachelor and man about town, -living in a suite of apartments in Grosvenor Mansions, -with no occupation save that of pigeon-shooting and -polo-playing at Hurlingham. Month by month I -realized that it was more and more difficult to get the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>brokers to renew my bills, or to cash any further post-obits -upon an unentailed property. Ruin lay right -across my path, and every day I saw it clearer, nearer, -and more absolutely unavoidable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>What made me feel my own poverty the more was -that, apart from the great wealth of Lord Southerton, -all my other relations were fairly well-to-do. The -nearest of these was Everard King, my father’s nephew -and my own first cousin, who had spent an adventurous -life in Brazil, and had now returned to this country to -settle down on his fortune. We never knew how he -made his money, but he appeared to have plenty of it, -for he bought the estate of Greylands, near Clipton-on-the-Marsh, -in Suffolk. For the first year of his residence -in England he took no more notice of me than -my miserly uncle; but at last one summer morning, to -my very great relief and joy, I received a letter asking -me to come down that very day and spend a short visit -at Greylands Court. I was expecting a rather long -visit to Bankruptcy Court at the time, and this interruption -seemed almost providential. If I could only get on -terms with this unknown relative of mine, I might pull -through yet. For the family credit he could not let me -go entirely to the wall. I ordered my valet to pack my -valise, and I set off the same evening for Clipton-on-the-Marsh.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After changing at Ipswich, a little local train deposited -me at a small, deserted station lying amidst a -rolling grassy country, with a sluggish and winding -river curving in and out amidst the valleys, between -high, silted banks, which showed that we were within -reach of the tide. No carriage was awaiting me (I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>found afterwards that my telegram had been delayed), -so I hired a dog-cart at the local inn. The driver, an -excellent fellow, was full of my relative’s praises, and I -learned from him that Mr. Everard King was already a -name to conjure with in that part of the country. He -had entertained the school-children, he had thrown his -grounds open to visitors, he had subscribed to charities—in -short, his benevolence had been so universal that -my driver could only account for it on the supposition -that he had Parliamentary ambitions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My attention was drawn away from my driver’s -panegyric by the appearance of a very beautiful bird -which settled on a telegraph-post beside the road. At -first I thought that it was a jay, but it was larger, -with a brighter plumage. The driver accounted for its -presence at once by saying that it belonged to the very -man whom we were about to visit. It seems that the -acclimatization of foreign creatures was one of his -hobbies, and that he had brought with him from Brazil -a number of birds and beasts which he was endeavouring -to rear in England. When once we had passed -the gates of Greylands Park we had ample evidence of -this taste of his. Some small spotted deer, a curious -wild pig known, I believe, as a peccary, a gorgeously -feathered oriole, some sort of armadillo, and a singular -lumbering intoed beast like a very fat badger, were -among the creatures which I observed as we drove -along the winding avenue.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Everard King, my unknown cousin, was standing -in person upon the steps of his house, for he had -seen us in the distance, and guessed that it was I. His -appearance was very homely and benevolent, short and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>stout, forty-five years old perhaps, with a round, good-humoured -face, burned brown with the tropical sun, -and shot with a thousand wrinkles. He wore white -linen clothes, in true planter style, with a cigar between -his lips, and a large Panama hat upon the back of his -head. It was such a figure as one associates with a -verandahed bungalow, and it looked curiously out of -place in front of this broad, stone English mansion, -with its solid wings and its Palladio pillars before the -doorway.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear!” he cried, glancing over his shoulder; -“my dear, here is our guest! Welcome, welcome to -Greylands! I am delighted to make your acquaintance, -Cousin Marshall, and I take it as a great compliment -that you should honour this sleepy little country -place with your presence.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Nothing could be more hearty than his manner, and -he set me at my ease in an instant. But it needed all -his cordiality to atone for the frigidity and even rudeness -of his wife, a tall, haggard woman, who came forward -at his summons. She was, I believe, of Brazilian -extraction, though she spoke excellent English, and I -excused her manners on the score of her ignorance of -our customs. She did not attempt to conceal, however, -either then or afterwards, that I was no very welcome -visitor at Greylands Court. Her actual words were, as -a rule, courteous, but she was the possessor of a pair of -particularly expressive dark eyes, and I read in them -very clearly from the first that she heartily wished me -back in London once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, my debts were too pressing and my designs -upon my wealthy relative were too vital for me to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>allow them to be upset by the ill-temper of his wife, so -I disregarded her coldness and reciprocated the extreme -cordiality of his welcome. No pains had been spared -by him to make me comfortable. My room was a -charming one. He implored me to tell him anything -which could add to my happiness. It was on the tip -of my tongue to inform him that a blank cheque would -materially help towards that end, but I felt that it -might be premature in the present state of our acquaintance. -The dinner was excellent, and as we sat together -afterwards over his Havanas and coffee, which latter -he told me was specially prepared upon his own plantation, -it seemed to me that all my driver’s eulogies were -justified, and that I had never met a more large-hearted -and hospitable man.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But, in spite of his cheery good nature, he was a -man with a strong will and a fiery temper of his own. -Of this I had an example upon the following morning. -The curious aversion which Mrs. Everard King had -conceived towards me was so strong, that her manner -at breakfast was almost offensive. But her meaning -became unmistakable when her husband had quitted -the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The best train in the day is at twelve fifteen,” -said she.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But I was not thinking of going to-day,” I -answered, frankly—perhaps even defiantly, for I -was determined not to be driven out by this woman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, if it rests with you——” said she, and stopped, -with a most insolent expression in her eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am sure,” I answered “that Mr. Everard King -would tell me if I were outstaying my welcome.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>“What’s this? What’s this?” said a voice, and -there he was in the room. He had overheard my last -words, and a glance at our faces had told him the -rest. In an instant his chubby, cheery face set into an -expression of absolute ferocity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Might I trouble you to walk outside, Marshall,” -said he. (I may mention that my own name is -Marshall King.)</p> - -<p class='c000'>He closed the door behind me, and then, for an -instant, I heard him talking in a low voice of concentrated -passion to his wife. This gross breach of -hospitality had evidently hit upon his tenderest point. -I am no eavesdropper, so I walked out on to the lawn. -Presently I heard a hurried step behind me, and there -was the lady, her face pale with excitement, and her -eyes red with tears.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My husband has asked me to apologize to you, -Mr. Marshall King,” said she, standing with downcast -eyes before me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Please do not say another word, Mrs. King.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Her dark eyes suddenly blazed out at me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You fool!” she hissed, with frantic vehemence, -and turning on her heel swept back to the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The insult was so outrageous, so insufferable, that -I could only stand staring after her in bewilderment. -I was still there when my host joined me. He was his -cheery, chubby self once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I hope that my wife has apologized for her foolish -remarks,” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, yes—yes, certainly!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He put his hand through my arm and walked with -me up and down the lawn.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>“You must not take it seriously,” said he. “It -would grieve me inexpressibly if you curtailed your -visit by one hour. The fact is—there is no reason -why there should be any concealment between relatives—that -my poor dear wife is incredibly jealous. -She hates that any one—male or female—should for -an instant come between us. Her ideal is a desert -island and an eternal <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tête-à-tête</span></i>. That gives you the -clue to her actions, which are, I confess, upon this -particular point, not very far removed from mania. -Tell me that you will think no more of it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no; certainly not.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then light this cigar and come round with me -and see my little menagerie.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The whole afternoon was occupied by this inspection, -which included all the birds, beasts, and even -reptiles which he had imported. Some were free, -some in cages, a few actually in the house. He spoke -with enthusiasm of his successes and his failures, his -births and his deaths, and he would cry out in his -delight, like a schoolboy, when, as we walked, some -gaudy bird would flutter up from the grass, or some -curious beast slink into the cover. Finally he led me -down a corridor which extended from one wing of the -house. At the end of this there was a heavy door with -a sliding shutter in it, and beside it there projected -from the wall an iron handle attached to a wheel and a -drum. A line of stout bars extended across the passage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am about to show you the jewel of my collection,” -said he. “There is only one other specimen in -Europe, now that the Rotterdam cub is dead. It is a -Brazilian cat.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>“But how does that differ from any other cat?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will soon see that,” said he, laughing. “Will -you kindly draw that shutter and look through?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did so, and found that I was gazing into a large, -empty room, with stone flags, and small, barred -windows upon the farther wall.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the centre of this room, lying in the middle of a -golden patch of sunlight, there was stretched a huge -creature, as large as a tiger, but as black and sleek as -ebony. It was simply a very enormous and very well-kept -black cat, and it cuddled up and basked in that -yellow pool of light exactly as a cat would do. It was -so graceful, so sinewy, and so gently and smoothly -diabolical, that I could not take my eyes from the -opening.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Isn’t he splendid?” said my host, enthusiastically.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Glorious! I never saw such a noble creature.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Some people call it a black puma, but really it is -not a puma at all. That fellow is nearly eleven feet -from tail to tip. Four years ago he was a little ball of -black fluff, with two yellow eyes staring out of it. He -was sold me as a new-born cub up in the wild country -at the head-waters of the Rio Negro. They speared -his mother to death after she had killed a dozen of -them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are ferocious, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The most absolutely treacherous and blood-thirsty -creatures upon earth. You talk about a Brazilian cat -to an up-country Indian, and see him get the jumps. -They prefer humans to game. This fellow has never -tasted living blood yet, but when he does he will be a -terror. At present he won’t stand any one but me -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>in his den. Even Baldwin, the groom, dare not go -near him. As to me, I am his mother and father in -one.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As he spoke he suddenly, to my astonishment, -opened the door and slipped in, closing it instantly -behind him. At the sound of his voice the huge, lithe -creature rose, yawned, and rubbed its round, black -head affectionately against his side, while he patted -and fondled it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Now, Tommy, into your cage!” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The monstrous cat walked over to one side of the -room and coiled itself up under a grating. Everard -King came out, and taking the iron handle which I -have mentioned, he began to turn it. As he did so -the line of bars in the corridor began to pass through -a slot in the wall and closed up the front of this -grating, so as to make an effective cage. When it -was in position he opened the door once more and -invited me into the room, which was heavy with the -pungent, musty smell peculiar to the great carnivora.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That’s how we work it,” said he. “We give him -the run of the room for exercise, and then at night -we put him in his cage. You can let him out by -turning the handle from the passage, or you can, as -you have seen, coop him up in the same way. No, -no, you should not do that!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had put my hand between the bars to pat the -glossy, heaving flank. He pulled it back, with a -serious face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I assure you that he is not safe. Don’t imagine -that because I can take liberties with him any one else -can. He is very exclusive in his friends—aren’t you, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>Tommy? Ah, he hears his lunch coming to him! -Don’t you, boy?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A step sounded in the stone-flagged passage, and -the creature had sprung to his feet, and was pacing -up and down the narrow cage, his yellow eyes gleaming, -and his scarlet tongue rippling and quivering over -the white line of his jagged teeth. A groom entered -with a coarse joint upon a tray, and thrust it through -the bars to him. He pounced lightly upon it, carried -it off to the corner, and there, holding it between his -paws, tore and wrenched at it, raising his bloody -muzzle every now and then to look at us. It was a -malignant and yet fascinating sight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You can’t wonder that I am fond of him, can -you?” said my host, as we left the room, “especially -when you consider that I have had the rearing of him. -It was no joke bringing him over from the centre of -South America; but here he is safe and sound—and, -as I have said, far the most perfect specimen in -Europe. The people at the Zoo are dying to have -him, but I really can’t part with him. How, I think -that I have inflicted my hobby upon you long enough, -so we cannot do better than follow Tommy’s example, -and go to our lunch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My South American relative was so engrossed by -his grounds and their curious occupants, that I hardly -gave him credit at first for having any interests outside -them. That he had some, and pressing ones, was soon -borne in upon me by the number of telegrams which -he received. They arrived at all hours, and were -always opened by him with the utmost eagerness and -anxiety upon his face. Sometimes I imagined that it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>must be the turf, and sometimes the Stock Exchange, -but certainly he had some very urgent business going -forwards which was not transacted upon the Downs -of Suffolk. During the six days of my visit he had -never fewer than three or four telegrams a day, and -sometimes as many as seven or eight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had occupied these six days so well, that by -the end of them I had succeeded in getting upon the -most cordial terms with my cousin. Every night we -had sat up late in the billiard-room, he telling me -the most extraordinary stories of his adventures in -America—stories so desperate and reckless, that I -could hardly associate them with the brown little, -chubby man before me. In return, I ventured upon -some of my own reminiscences of London life, which -interested him so much, that he vowed he would come -up to Grosvenor Mansions and stay with me. He -was anxious to see the faster side of city life, and -certainly, though I say it, he could not have chosen -a more competent guide. It was not until the last -day of my visit that I ventured to approach that -which was on my mind. I told him frankly about -my pecuniary difficulties and my impending ruin, and -I asked his advice—though I hoped for something -more solid. He listened attentively, puffing hard at -his cigar.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But surely,” said he, “you are the heir of our -relative, Lord Southerton?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have every reason to believe so, but he would -never make me any allowance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, I have heard of his miserly ways. My -poor Marshall, your position has been a very hard -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>one. By the way, have you heard any news of Lord -Southerton’s health lately?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He has always been in a critical condition ever -since my childhood.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly—a creaking hinge, if ever there was one. -Your inheritance may be a long way off. Dear me, -how awkwardly situated you are!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I had some hopes, sir, that you, knowing all the -facts, might be inclined to advance——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t say another word, my dear boy,” he cried, -with the utmost cordiality; “we shall talk it over -to-night, and I give you my word that whatever is in -my power shall be done.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was not sorry that my visit was drawing to a -close, for it is unpleasant to feel that there is one -person in the house who eagerly desires your departure. -Mrs. King’s sallow face and forbidding eyes had become -more and more hateful to me. She was no longer -actively rude—her fear of her husband prevented her—but -she pushed her insane jealousy to the extent of -ignoring me, never addressing me, and in every way -making my stay at Greylands as uncomfortable as -she could. So offensive was her manner during that -last day, that I should certainly have left had it not -been for that interview with my host in the evening -which would, I hoped, retrieve my broken fortunes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was very late when it occurred, for my relative, -who had been receiving even more telegrams than -usual during the day, went off to his study after -dinner, and only emerged when the household had -retired to bed. I heard him go round locking the -doors, as his custom was of a night, and finally he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>joined me in the billiard-room. His stout figure was -wrapped in a dressing-gown, and he wore a pair of -red Turkish slippers without any heels. Settling -down into an arm-chair, he brewed himself a glass -of grog, in which I could not help noticing that the -whisky considerably predominated over the water.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My word!” said he, “what a night!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was, indeed. The wind was howling and -screaming round the house, and the latticed windows -rattled and shook as if they were coming in. The -glow of the yellow lamps and the flavour of our -cigars seemed the brighter and more fragrant for the -contrast.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Now, my boy,” said my host, “we have the house -and the night to ourselves. Let me have an idea of -how your affairs stand, and I will see what can be -done to set them in order. I wish to hear every -detail.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Thus encouraged, I entered into a long exposition, -in which all my tradesmen and creditors, from my -landlord to my valet, figured in turn. I had notes -in my pocket-book, and I marshalled my facts, and -gave, I flatter myself, a very business-like statement -of my own un-business-like ways and lamentable -position. I was depressed, however, to notice that -my companion’s eyes were vacant and his attention -elsewhere. When he did occasionally throw out a -remark, it was so entirely perfunctory and pointless, -that I was sure he had not in the least followed my -remarks. Every now and then he roused himself and -put on some show of interest, asking me to repeat or -to explain more fully, but it was always to sink once -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>more into the same brown study. At last he rose and -threw the end of his cigar into the grate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll tell you what, my boy,” said he. “I never -had a head for figures, so you will excuse me. You -must jot it all down upon paper, and let me have a -note of the amount. I’ll understand it when I see it -in black and white.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The proposal was encouraging. I promised to -do so.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And now it’s time we were in bed. By Jove, -there’s one o’clock striking in the hall.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The tinging of the chiming clock broke through the -deep roar of the gale. The wind was sweeping past -with the rush of a great river.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I must see my cat before I go to bed,” said -my host. “A high wind excites him. Will you -come?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Certainly,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then tread softly and don’t speak, for every one -is asleep.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We passed quietly down the lamp-lit Persian-rugged -hall, and through the door at the farther end. -All was dark in the stone corridor, but a stable -lantern hung on a hook, and my host took it down and -lit it. There was no grating visible in the passage, so -I knew that the beast was in its cage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come in!” said my relative, and opened the -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A deep growling as we entered showed that the -storm had really excited the creature. In the flickering -light of the lantern, we saw it, a huge black mass, -coiled in the corner of its den and throwing a squat, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>uncouth shadow upon the whitewashed wall. Its tail -switched angrily among the straw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Poor Tommy is not in the best of tempers,” said -Everard King, holding up the lantern and looking in at -him. “What a black devil he looks, doesn’t he? I -must give him a little supper to put him in a better -humour. Would you mind holding the lantern for a -moment?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I took it from his hand and he stepped to the -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“His larder is just outside here,” said he. “You -will excuse me for an instant, won’t you?” He -passed out, and the door shut with a sharp metallic -click behind him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That hard crisp sound made my heart stand still. -A sudden wave of terror passed over me. A vague -perception of some monstrous treachery turned me -cold. I sprang to the door, but there was no handle -upon the inner side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Here!” I cried. “Let me out!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All right! Don’t make a row!” said my host -from the passage. “You’ve got the light all right.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, but I don’t care about being locked in alone -like this.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t you?” I heard his hearty, chuckling laugh. -“You won’t be alone long.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let me out, sir!” I repeated angrily. “I tell you -I don’t allow practical jokes of this sort.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Practical is the word,” said he, with another -hateful chuckle. And then suddenly I heard, amidst -the roar of the storm, the creak and whine of the -winch-handle turning, and the rattle of the grating as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>it passed through the slot. Great God, he was letting -loose the Brazilian cat!</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the light of the lantern I saw the bars sliding -slowly before me. Already there was an opening a -foot wide at the farther end. With a scream I seized -the last bar with my hands and pulled with the -strength of a madman. I <em>was</em> a madman with rage -and horror. For a minute or more I held the thing -motionless. I knew that he was straining with all his -force upon the handle, and that the leverage was sure -to overcome me. I gave inch by inch, my feet sliding -along the stones, and all the time I begged and prayed -this inhuman monster to save me from this horrible -death. I conjured him by his kinship. I reminded -him that I was his guest; I begged to know what harm -I had ever done him. His only answers were the tugs -and jerks upon the handle, each of which, in spite of -all my struggles, pulled another bar through the opening. -Clinging and clutching, I was dragged across the -whole front of the cage, until at last, with aching -wrists and lacerated fingers, I gave up the hopeless -struggle. The grating clanged back as I released it, -and an instant later I heard the shuffle of the Turkish -slippers in the passage, and the slam of the distant -door. Then everything was silent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The creature had never moved during this time. -He lay still in the corner, and his tail had ceased -switching. This apparition of a man adhering to his -bars and dragged screaming across him had apparently -filled him with amazement. I saw his great eyes -staring steadily at me. I had dropped the lantern -when I seized the bars, but it still burned upon the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>floor, and I made a movement to grasp it, with some -idea that its light might protect me. But the instant -I moved, the beast gave a deep and menacing growl. -I stopped and stood still, quivering with fear in every -limb. The cat (if one may call so fearful a creature by -so homely a name) was not more than ten feet from -me. The eyes glimmered like two discs of phosphorus -in the darkness. They appalled and yet fascinated -me. I could not take my own eyes from them. -Nature plays strange tricks with us at such moments -of intensity, and those glimmering lights waxed and -waned with a steady rise and fall. Sometimes they -seemed to be tiny points of extreme brilliancy—little -electric sparks in the black obscurity—then they would -widen and widen until all that corner of the room was -filled with their shifting and sinister light. And then -suddenly they went out altogether.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The beast had closed its eyes. I do not know -whether there may be any truth in the old idea of the -dominance of the human gaze, or whether the huge cat -was simply drowsy, but the fact remains that, far from -showing any symptom of attacking me, it simply -rested its sleek, black head upon its huge forepaws and -seemed to sleep. I stood, fearing to move lest I should -rouse it into malignant life once more. But at least I -was able to think clearly now that the baleful eyes -were off me. Here I was shut up for the night with -the ferocious beast. My own instincts, to say nothing -of the words of the plausible villain who laid this trap -for me, warned me that the animal was as savage as its -master. How could I stave it off until morning? The -door was hopeless, and so were the narrow, barred -<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>windows. There was no shelter anywhere in the bare, -stone-flagged room. To cry for assistance was absurd. -I knew that this den was an outhouse, and that the -corridor which connected it with the house was at least -a hundred feet long. Besides, with that gale thundering -outside, my cries were not likely to be heard. -I had only my own courage and my own wits to -trust to.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then, with a fresh wave of horror, my eyes fell -upon the lantern. The candle had burned low, and was -already beginning to gutter. In ten minutes it would -be out. I had only ten minutes then in which to do -something, for I felt that if I were once left in the dark -with that fearful beast I should be incapable of action. -The very thought of it paralyzed me. I cast my -despairing eyes round this chamber of death, and they -rested upon one spot which seemed to promise I will -not say safety, but less immediate and imminent danger -than the open floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that the cage had a top as well as a -front, and this top was left standing when the front -was wound through the slot in the wall. It consisted -of bars at a few inches’ interval, with stout wire netting -between, and it rested upon a strong stanchion at each -end. It stood now as a great barred canopy over the -crouching figure in the corner. The space between this -iron shelf and the roof may have been from two to three -feet. If I could only get up there, squeezed in between -bars and ceiling, I should have only one vulnerable -side. I should be safe from below, from behind, and -from each side. Only on the open face of it could I -be attacked. There, it is true, I had no protection -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>whatever; but, at least, I should be out of the brute’s -path when he began to pace about his den. He would -have to come out of his way to reach me. It was now or -never, for if once the light were out it would be impossible. -With a gulp in my throat I sprang up, seized -the iron edge of the top, and swung myself panting on -to it. I writhed in face downwards, and found myself -looking straight into the terrible eyes and yawning jaws -of the cat. Its fetid breath came up into my face like -the steam from some foul pot.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It appeared, however, to be rather curious than -angry. With a sleek ripple of its long, black back it -rose, stretched itself, and then rearing itself on its hind -legs, with one fore paw against the wall, it raised the -other, and drew its claws across the wire meshes -beneath me. One sharp, white hook tore through my -trousers—for I may mention that I was still in evening -dress—and dug a furrow in my knee. It was not -meant as an attack, but rather as an experiment, for -upon my giving a sharp cry of pain he dropped down -again, and springing lightly into the room, he began -walking swiftly round it, looking up every now and -again in my direction. For my part I shuffled backwards -until I lay with my back against the wall, -screwing myself into the smallest space possible. The -farther I got the more difficult it was for him to -attack me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He seemed more excited now that he had begun to -move about, and he ran swiftly and noiselessly round -and round the den, passing continually underneath the -iron couch upon which I lay. It was wonderful to see -so great a bulk passing like a shadow, with hardly the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>softest thudding of velvety pads. The candle was -burning low—so low that I could hardly see the -creature. And then, with a last flare and splutter it -went out altogether. I was alone with the cat in the -dark!</p> - -<p class='c000'>It helps one to face a danger when one knows that -one has done all that possibly can be done. There is -nothing for it then but to quietly await the result. In -this case, there was no chance of safety anywhere -except the precise spot where I was. I stretched -myself out, therefore, and lay silently, almost breathlessly, -hoping that the beast might forget my presence -if I did nothing to remind him. I reckoned that it -must already be two o’clock. At four it would be full -dawn. I had not more than two hours to wait for -daylight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Outside, the storm was still raging, and the rain -lashed continually against the little windows. Inside, -the poisonous and fetid air was overpowering. I could -neither hear nor see the cat. I tried to think about -other things—but only one had power enough to draw -my mind from my terrible position. That was the -contemplation of my cousin’s villainy, his unparalleled -hypocrisy, his malignant hatred of me. Beneath that -cheerful face there lurked the spirit of a mediæval -assassin. And as I thought of it I saw more clearly -how cunningly the thing had been arranged. He had -apparently gone to bed with the others. No doubt he -had his witnesses to prove it. Then, unknown to them, -he had slipped down, had lured me into this den and -abandoned me. His story would be so simple. He -had left me to finish my cigar in the billiard-room. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>had gone down on my own account to have a last look -at the cat. I had entered the room without observing -that the cage was opened, and I had been caught. -How could such a crime be brought home to him? -Suspicion, perhaps—but proof, never!</p> - -<p class='c000'>How slowly those dreadful two hours went by! -Once I heard a low, rasping sound, which I took to be -the creature licking its own fur. Several times those -greenish eyes gleamed at me through the darkness, but -never in a fixed stare, and my hopes grew stronger that -my presence had been forgotten or ignored. At last -the least faint glimmer of light came through the -windows—I first dimly saw them as two grey squares -upon the black wall, then grey turned to white, and I -could see my terrible companion once more. And he, -alas, could see me!</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was evident to me at once that he was in a much -more dangerous and aggressive mood than when I had -seen him last. The cold of the morning had irritated -him, and he was hungry as well. With a continual -growl he paced swiftly up and down the side of the -room which was farthest from my refuge, his whiskers -bristling angrily, and his tail switching and lashing. -As he turned at the corners his savage eyes always -looked upwards at me with a dreadful menace. I knew -then that he meant to kill me. Yet I found myself -even at that moment admiring the sinuous grace of the -devilish thing, its long, undulating, rippling movements, -the gloss of its beautiful flanks, the vivid, -palpitating scarlet of the glistening tongue which hung -from the jet-black muzzle. And all the time that -deep, threatening growl was rising and rising in an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>unbroken crescendo. I knew that the crisis was at -hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a miserable hour to meet such a death—so -cold, so comfortless, shivering in my light dress clothes -upon this gridiron of torment upon which I was -stretched. I tried to brace myself to it, to raise my -soul above it, and at the same time, with the lucidity -which comes to a perfectly desperate man, I cast round -for some possible means of escape. One thing was -clear to me. If that front of the cage was only back -in its position once more, I could find a sure refuge -behind it. Could I possibly pull it back? I hardly -dared to move for fear of bringing the creature upon -me. Slowly, very slowly, I put my hand forward until -it grasped the edge of the front, the final bar which -protruded through the wall. To my surprise it came -quite easily to my jerk. Of course the difficulty of -drawing it out arose from the fact that I was clinging -to it. I pulled again, and three inches of it came -through. It ran apparently on wheels. I pulled -again ... and then the cat sprang!</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was so quick, so sudden, that I never saw it -happen. I simply heard the savage snarl, and in an -instant afterwards the blazing yellow eyes, the flattened -black head with its red tongue and flashing teeth, were -within reach of me. The impact of the creature shook -the bars upon which I lay, until I thought (as far as I -could think of anything at such a moment) that they -were coming down. The cat swayed there for an -instant, the head and front paws quite close to me, the -hind paws clawing to find a grip upon the edge of the -grating. I heard the claws rasping as they clung to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>the wire netting, and the breath of the beast made me -sick. But its bound had been miscalculated. It could -not retain its position. Slowly, grinning with rage and -scratching madly at the bars, it swung backwards and -dropped heavily upon the floor. With a growl it instantly -faced round to me and crouched for another spring.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I knew that the next few moments would decide -my fate. The creature had learned by experience. It -would not miscalculate again. I must act promptly, -fearlessly, if I were to have a chance for life. In an -instant I had formed my plan. Pulling off my dress-coat, -I threw it down over the head of the beast. At -the same moment I dropped over the edge, seized the -end of the front grating, and pulled it frantically out -of the wall.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It came more easily than I could have expected. -I rushed across the room, bearing it with me; but, as -I rushed, the accident of my position put me upon the -outer side. Had it been the other way, I might have -come off scathless. As it was, there was a moment’s -pause as I stopped it and tried to pass in through the -opening which I had left. That moment was enough -to give time to the creature to toss off the coat with -which I had blinded him and to spring upon me. I -hurled myself through the gap and pulled the rails to -behind me, but he seized my leg before I could -entirely withdraw it. One stroke of that huge paw -tore off my calf as a shaving of wood curls off before -a plane. The next moment, bleeding and fainting, I -was lying among the foul straw with a line of friendly -bars between me and the creature which ramped so -frantically against them.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>Too wounded to move, and too faint to be conscious -of fear, I could only lie, more dead than alive, and -watch it. It pressed its broad, black chest against the -bars and angled for me with its crooked paws as I have -seen a kitten do before a mouse-trap. It ripped my -clothes, but, stretch as it would, it could not quite -reach me. I have heard of the curious numbing effect -produced by wounds from the great carnivora, and -now I was destined to experience it, for I had lost -all sense of personality, and was as interested in -the cat’s failure or success as if it were some game -which I was watching. And then gradually my -mind drifted away into strange, vague dreams, always -with that black face and red tongue coming back -into them, and so I lost myself in the nirvana of -delirium, the blessed relief of those who are too sorely -tried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Tracing the course of events afterwards, I conclude -that I must have been insensible for about two hours. -What roused me to consciousness once more was that -sharp metallic click which had been the precursor of -my terrible experience. It was the shooting back of -the spring lock. Then, before my senses were clear -enough to entirely apprehend what they saw, I was -aware of the round, benevolent face of my cousin peering -in through the opened door. What he saw evidently -amazed him. There was the cat crouching on the -floor. I was stretched upon my back in my shirtsleeves -within the cage, my trousers torn to ribbons -and a great pool of blood all round me. I can see his -amazed face now, with the morning sunlight upon it. -He peered at me, and peered again. Then he closed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>the door behind him, and advanced to the cage to see -if I were really dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I cannot undertake to say what happened. I was -not in a fit state to witness or to chronicle such events. -I can only say that I was suddenly conscious that his -face was away from me—that he was looking towards -the animal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good old Tommy!” he cried. “Good old -Tommy!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then he came near the bars, with his back still -towards me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Down, you stupid beast!” he roared. “Down, -sir! Don’t you know your master?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Suddenly even in my bemuddled brain a remembrance -came of those words of his when he had said -that the taste of blood would turn the cat into a fiend. -My blood had done it, but he was to pay the price.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Get away!” he screamed. “Get away, you devil! -Baldwin! Baldwin! Oh, my God!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then I heard him fall, and rise, and fall again, -with a sound like the ripping of sacking. His screams -grew fainter until they were lost in the worrying snarl. -And then, after I thought that he was dead, I saw, as -in a nightmare, a blinded, tattered, blood-soaked figure -running wildly round the room—and that was the last -glimpse which I had of him before I fainted once -again.</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>I was many months in my recovery—in fact, I -cannot say that I have ever recovered, for to the end of -my days I shall carry a stick as a sign of my night with -the Brazilian cat. Baldwin, the groom, and the other -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>servants could not tell what had occurred when, drawn -by the death cries of their master, they found me -behind the bars, and his remains—or what they afterwards -discovered to be his remains—in the clutch of -the creature which he had reared. They stalled him -off with hot irons, and afterwards shot him through the -loophole of the door before they could finally extricate -me. I was carried to my bedroom, and there, under -the roof of my would-be murderer, I remained between -life and death for several weeks. They had sent for -a surgeon from Clipton and a nurse from London, -and in a month I was able to be carried to the -station, and so conveyed back once more to Grosvenor -Mansions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have one remembrance of that illness, which -might have been part of the ever-changing panorama -conjured up by a delirious brain were it not so definitely -fixed in my memory. One night, when the nurse was -absent, the door of my chamber opened, and a tall -woman in blackest mourning slipped into the room. -She came across to me, and as she bent her sallow -face I saw by the faint gleam of the night-light that it -was the Brazilian woman whom my cousin had married. -She stared intently into my face, and her expression -was more kindly than I had ever seen it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Are you conscious?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I feebly nodded—for I was still very weak.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, then, I only wished to say to you that you -have yourself to blame. Did I not do all I could for -you? From the beginning I tried to drive you from -the house. By every means, short of betraying my -husband, I tried to save you from him. I knew that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>he had a reason for bringing you here. I knew that he -would never let you get away again. No one knew -him as I knew him, who had suffered from him so -often. I did not dare to tell you all this. He would -have killed me. But I did my best for you. As things -have turned out, you have been the best friend that I -have ever had. You have set me free, and I fancied -that nothing but death would do that. I am sorry if -you are hurt, but I cannot reproach myself. I told -you that you were a fool—and a fool you have been.” -She crept out of the room, the bitter, singular woman, -and I was never destined to see her again. With what -remained from her husband’s property she went back to -her native land, and I have heard that she afterwards -took the veil at Pernambuco.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was not until I had been back in London for -some time that the doctors pronounced me to be well -enough to do business. It was not a very welcome -permission to me, for I feared that it would be the signal -for an inrush of creditors; but it was Summers, my -lawyer, who first took advantage of it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am very glad to see that your lordship is so -much better,” said he. “I have been waiting a long -time to offer my congratulations.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you mean, Summers? This is no time -for joking.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I mean what I say,” he answered. “You have -been Lord Southerton for the last six weeks, but we -feared that it would retard your recovery if you were -to learn it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Lord Southerton! One of the richest peers in -England! I could not believe my ears. And then -<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>suddenly I thought of the time which had elapsed, and -how it coincided with my injuries.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then Lord Southerton must have died about the -same time that I was hurt?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“His death occurred upon that very day.” Summers -looked hard at me as I spoke, and I am convinced—for -he was a very shrewd fellow—that he had guessed -the true state of the case. He paused for a moment as -if awaiting a confidence from me, but I could not see -what was to be gained by exposing such a family -scandal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, a very curious coincidence,” he continued, -with the same knowing look. “Of course, you are -aware that your cousin Everard King was the next heir -to the estates. Now, if it had been you instead of him -who had been torn to pieces by this tiger, or whatever -it was, then of course he would have been Lord Southerton -at the present moment.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No doubt,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And he took such an interest in it,” said Summers. -“I happen to know that the late Lord Southerton’s -valet was in his pay, and that he used to have telegrams -from him every few hours to tell him how he -was getting on. That would be about the time when -you were down there. Was it not strange that he -should wish to be so well informed, since he knew that -he was not the direct heir?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very strange,” said I. “And now, Summers, if -you will bring me my bills and a new cheque-book, we -will begin to get things into order.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE USHER OF LEA HOUSE SCHOOL</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>Mr. Lumsden, the senior partner of Lumsden and -Westmacott, the well-known scholastic and clerical -agents, was a small, dapper man, with a sharp, -abrupt manner, a critical eye, and an incisive way of -speaking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your name, sir?” said he, sitting pen in hand with -his long, red-lined folio in front of him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Harold Weld.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oxford or Cambridge?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Cambridge.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Honours?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Athlete?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Nothing remarkable, I am afraid.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not a Blue?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, no.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr. Lumsden shook his head despondently and -shrugged his shoulders in a way which sent my hopes -down to zero. “There is a very keen competition -for masterships, Mr. Weld,” said he. “The vacancies -are few and the applicants innumerable. A first-class -athlete, oar, or cricketer, or a man who has passed very -high in his examinations, can usually find a vacancy—I -might say always in the case of the cricketer. But -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>the average man—if you will excuse the description, -Mr. Weld—has a very great difficulty, almost an -insurmountable difficulty. We have already more -than a hundred such names upon our lists, and if you -think it worth while our adding yours, I daresay that -in the course of some years we may possibly be able to -find you some opening which——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He paused on account of a knock at the door. It -was a clerk with a note. Mr. Lumsden broke the seal -and read it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, Mr. Weld,” said he, “this is really rather an -interesting coincidence. I understand you to say that -Latin and English are your subjects, and that you -would prefer for a time to accept a place in an -elementary establishment, where you would have time -for private study?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Quite so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This note contains a request from an old client of -ours, Dr. Phelps McCarthy, of Willow Lea House -Academy, West Hampstead, that I should at once send -him a young man who should be qualified to teach -Latin and English to a small class of boys under fourteen -years of age. His vacancy appears to be the very -one which you are looking for. The terms are not -munificent—sixty pounds, board, lodging, and washing—but - the work is not onerous, and you would have -the evenings to yourself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That would do,” I cried, with all the eagerness of -the man who sees work at last after weary months of -seeking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t know that it is quite fair to these gentlemen -whose names have been so long upon our list,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>said Mr. Lumsden, glancing down at his open ledger. -“But the coincidence is so striking that I feel we must -really give you the refusal of it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Then I accept it, sir, and I am much obliged to -you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is one small provision in Dr. McCarthy’s -letter. He stipulates that the applicant must be a man -with an imperturbably good temper.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am the very man,” said I, with conviction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said Mr. Lumsden, with some hesitation, -“I hope that your temper is really as good as you say, -for I rather fancy that you may need it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I presume that every elementary schoolmaster -does.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir, but it is only fair to you to warn you -that there may be some especially trying circumstances -in this particular situation. Dr. Phelps McCarthy -does not make such a condition without some very -good and pressing reason.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a certain solemnity in his speech which -struck a chill in the delight with which I had welcomed -this providential vacancy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“May I ask the nature of these circumstances?” I -asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We endeavour to hold the balance equally between -our clients, and to be perfectly frank with all of them. -If I knew of objections to you I should certainly communicate -them to Dr. McCarthy, and so I have no -hesitation in doing as much for you. I find,” he continued, -glancing over the pages of his ledger, “that -within the last twelve months we have supplied no -fewer than seven Latin masters to Willow Lea House -<span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>Academy, four of them having left so abruptly as to -forfeit their month’s salary, and none of them having -stayed more than eight weeks.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And the other masters? Have they stayed?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is only one other residential master, and he -appears to be unchanged. You can understand, Mr. -Weld,” continued the agent, closing both the ledger and -the interview, “that such rapid changes are not desirable -from a master’s point of view, whatever may be -said for them by an agent working on commission. -I have no idea why these gentlemen have resigned -their situations so early. I can only give you the -facts, and advise you to see Dr. McCarthy at once -and to form your own conclusions.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Great is the power of the man who has nothing to -lose, and it was therefore with perfect serenity, but -with a good deal of curiosity, that I rang early that -afternoon the heavy wrought-iron bell of the Willow -Lea House Academy. The building was a massive -pile, square and ugly, standing in its own extensive -grounds, with a broad carriage-sweep curving up to it -from the road. It stood high, and commanded a -view on the one side of the grey roofs and bristling -spires of Northern London, and on the other of -the well-wooded and beautiful country which fringes -the great city. The door was opened by a boy in -buttons, and I was shown into a well-appointed -study, where the principal of the academy presently -joined me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The warnings and insinuations of the agent had -prepared me to meet a choleric and overbearing -person—one whose manner was an insupportable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>provocation to those who worked under him. Anything -further from the reality cannot be imagined. -He was a frail, gentle creature, clean-shaven and -round-shouldered, with a bearing which was so -courteous that it became almost deprecating. His -bushy hair was thickly shot with grey, and his age I -should imagine to verge upon sixty. His voice was -low and suave, and he walked with a certain mincing -delicacy of manner. His whole appearance was that -of a kindly scholar, who was more at home among his -books than in the practical affairs of the world.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am sure that we shall be very happy to have -your assistance, Mr. Weld,” said he, after a few professional -questions. “Mr. Percival Manners left me -yesterday, and I should be glad if you could take over -his duties to-morrow.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“May I ask if that is Mr. Percival Manners of -Selwyn?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Precisely. Did you know him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes; he is a friend of mine.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An excellent teacher, but a little hasty in his -disposition. It was his only fault. Now, in your -case, Mr. Weld, is your own temper under good control? -Supposing for argument’s sake that I were to -so far forget myself as to be rude to you or to speak -roughly or to jar your feelings in any way, could you -rely upon yourself to control your emotions?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I smiled at the idea of this courteous, little, -mincing creature ruffling my nerves.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think that I could answer for it, sir,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Quarrels are very painful to me,” said he. “I -wish every one to live in harmony under my roof. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>will not deny Mr. Percival Manners had provocation, -but I wish to find a man who can raise himself above -provocation, and sacrifice his own feelings for the sake -of peace and concord.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will do my best, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You cannot say more, Mr. Weld. In that case I -shall expect you to-night, if you can get your things -ready so soon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I not only succeeded in getting my things ready, -but I found time to call at the Benedict Club in Piccadilly, -where I knew that I should find Manners if -he were still in town. There he was sure enough -in the smoking-room, and I questioned him, over a -cigarette, as to his reasons for throwing up his recent -situation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You don’t tell me that you are going to Dr. -Phelps McCarthy’s Academy?” he cried, staring at -me in surprise. “My dear chap, it’s no use. You -can’t possibly remain there.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But I saw him, and he seemed the most courtly, -inoffensive fellow. I never met a man with more -gentle manners.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He! oh, he’s all right. There’s no vice in him. -Have you seen Theophilus St. James?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have never heard the name. Who is he?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your colleague. The other master.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I have not seen him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“<em>He’s</em> the terror. If you can stand him, you -have either the spirit of a perfect Christian or else -you have no spirit at all. A more perfect bounder -never bounded.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But why does McCarthy stand it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>My friend looked at me significantly through his -cigarette smoke, and shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You will form your own conclusions about that. -Mine were formed very soon, and I never found -occasion to alter them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It would help me very much if you would tell -me them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When you see a man in his own house allowing -his business to be ruined, his comfort destroyed, and -his authority defied by another man in a subordinate -position, and calmly submitting to it without so -much as a word of protest, what conclusion do you -come to?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That the one has a hold over the other.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Percival Manners nodded his head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There you are! You’ve hit it first barrel. It -seems to me that there’s no other explanation which -will cover the facts. At some period in his life the -little Doctor has gone astray. <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Humanum est errare.</span></i> -I have even done it myself. But this was something -serious, and the other man got a hold of it and has -never let go. That’s the truth. Blackmail is at the -bottom of it. But he had no hold over me, and there -was no reason why <em>I</em> should stand his insolence, so I -came away—and I very much expect to see you do the -same.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time he talked over the matter, but he -always came to the same conclusion—that I should not -retain my new situation very long.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was with no very pleasant feelings after this -preparation that I found myself face to face with the -very man of whom I had received so evil an account. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span>Dr. McCarthy introduced us to each other in his study -on the evening of that same day immediately after -my arrival at the school.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is your new colleague, Mr. St. James,” said -he, in his genial, courteous fashion. “I trust that -you will mutually agree, and that I shall find nothing -but good feeling and sympathy beneath this roof.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I shared the good Doctor’s hope, but my expectations -of it were not increased by the appearance of -my <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">confrère</span></i>. He was a young, bull-necked fellow -about thirty years of age, dark-eyed and black-haired, -with an exceedingly vigorous physique. I have never -seen a more strongly built man, though he tended to -run to fat in a way which showed that he was in the -worst of training. His face was coarse, swollen, and -brutal, with a pair of small black eyes deeply sunken -in his head. His heavy jowl, his projecting ears, and -his thick bandy legs all went to make up a personality -which was as formidable as it was repellent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I hear you’ve never been out before,” said he, -in a rude, brusque fashion. “Well, it’s a poor life: -hard work and starvation pay, as you’ll find out for -yourself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But it has some compensations,” said the -principal. “Surely you will allow that, Mr. St. -James?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Has it? I never could find them. What do you -call compensations?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Even to be in the continual presence of youth is -a privilege. It has the effect of keeping youth in one’s -own soul, for one reflects something of their high spirits -and their keen enjoyment of life.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>“Little beasts!” cried my colleague.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come, come, Mr. St. James, you are too hard -upon them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I hate the sight of them! If I could put them -and their blessed copybooks and lexicons and slates -into one bonfire I’d do it to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is Mr. St. James’s way of talking,” said the -principal, smiling nervously as he glanced at me. -“You must not take him too seriously. Now, Mr. -Weld, you know where your room is, and no doubt -you have your own little arrangements to make. The -sooner you make them the sooner you will feel yourself -at home.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It seemed to me that he was only too anxious to -remove me at once from the influence of this extraordinary -colleague, and I was glad to go, for the -conversation had become embarrassing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so began an epoch which always seems to me -as I look back to it to be the most singular in all -my experience. The school was in many ways an -excellent one. Dr. Phelps McCarthy was an ideal -principal. His methods were modern and rational. -The management was all that could be desired. And -yet in the middle of this well-ordered machine there -intruded the incongruous and impossible Mr. St. James, -throwing everything into confusion. His duties were -to teach English and mathematics, and how he acquitted -himself of them I do not know, as our classes -were held in separate rooms. I can answer for it, -however, that the boys feared him and loathed him, -and I know that they had good reason to do so, -for frequently my own teaching was interrupted by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>his bellowings of anger, and even by the sound of his -blows. Dr. McCarthy spent most of his time in his -class, but it was, I suspect, to watch over the master -rather than the boys, and to try to moderate his -ferocious temper when it threatened to become -dangerous.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was in his bearing to the head master, however, -that my colleague’s conduct was most outrageous. -The first conversation which I have recorded proved -to be typical of their intercourse. He domineered -over him openly and brutally. I have heard him -contradict him roughly before the whole school. At -no time would he show him any mark of respect, -and my temper often rose within me when I saw the -quiet acquiescence of the old Doctor, and his patient -tolerance of this monstrous treatment. And yet the -sight of it surrounded the principal also with a certain -vague horror in my mind, for supposing my friend’s -theory to be correct—and I could devise no better -one—how black must have been the story which -could be held over his head by this man and, by fear -of its publicity, force him to undergo such humiliations. -This quiet, gentle Doctor might be a profound -hypocrite, a criminal, a forger possibly, or a poisoner. -Only such a secret as this could account for the -complete power which the young man held over him. -Why else should he admit so hateful a presence into -his house and so harmful an influence into his school? -Why should he submit to degradations which could -not be witnessed, far less endured, without indignation?</p> - -<p class='c000'>And yet, if it were so, I was forced to confess -<span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>that my principal carried it off with extraordinary -duplicity. Never by word or sign did he show that -the young man’s presence was distasteful to him. I -have seen him look pained, it is true, after some -peculiarly outrageous exhibition, but he gave me the -impression that it was always on account of the -scholars or of me, never on account of himself. He -spoke to and of St. James in an indulgent fashion, -smiling gently at what made my blood boil within -me. In his way of looking at him and addressing -him, one could see no trace of resentment, but rather -a sort of timid and deprecating good will. His company -he certainly courted, and they spent many hours -together in the study and the garden.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As to my own relations with Theophilus St. James, -I made up my mind from the beginning that I should -keep my temper with him, and to that resolution I -steadfastly adhered. If Dr. McCarthy chose to permit -this disrespect, and to condone these outrages, it was -his affair and not mine. It was evident that his one -wish was that there should be peace between us, and -I felt that I could help him best by respecting this -desire. My easiest way to do so was to avoid my -colleague, and this I did to the best of my ability. -When we were thrown together I was quiet, polite, -and reserved. He, on his part, showed me no ill-will, -but met me rather with a coarse joviality, and a rough -familiarity which he meant to be ingratiating. He -was insistent in his attempts to get me into his room -at night, for the purpose of playing euchre and of -drinking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Old McCarthy doesn’t mind,” said he. “Don’t -<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>you be afraid of him. We’ll do what we like, and -I’ll answer for it that he won’t object.” Once only -I went, and when I left, after a dull and gross -evening, my host was stretched dead drunk upon the -sofa. After that I gave the excuse of a course of -study, and spent my spare hours alone in my own -room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One point upon which I was anxious to gain information -was as to how long these proceedings had -been going on. When did St. James assert his hold -over Dr. McCarthy? From neither of them could I -learn how long my colleague had been in his present -situation. One or two leading questions upon my part -were eluded or ignored in a manner so marked that -it was easy to see that they were both of them as -eager to conceal the point as I was to know it. But -at last one evening I had the chance of a chat with -Mrs. Carter, the matron—for the Doctor was a widower—and -from her I got the information which I wanted. -It needed no questioning to get at her knowledge, for -she was so full of indignation that she shook with -passion as she spoke of it, and raised her hands into -the air in the earnestness of her denunciation, as she -described the grievances which she had against my -colleague.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was three years ago, Mr. Weld, that he first -darkened this doorstep,” she cried. “Three bitter -years they have been to me. The school had fifty -boys then. Now it has twenty-two. That’s what he -has done for us in three years. In another three -there won’t be one. And the Doctor, that angel of -patience, you see how he treats him, though he is not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>fit to lace his boots for him. If it wasn’t for the -Doctor, you may be sure that I wouldn’t stay an hour -under the same roof with such a man, and so I told -him to his own face, Mr. Weld. If the Doctor would -only pack him about his business—but I know that -I am saying more than I should!” She stopped -herself with an effort, and spoke no more upon the -subject. She had remembered that I was almost a -stranger in the school, and she feared that she had -been indiscreet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were one or two very singular points about -my colleague. The chief one was that he rarely took -any exercise. There was a playing-field within the -college grounds, and that was his farthest point. If -the boys went out, it was I or Dr. McCarthy who -accompanied them. St. James gave as a reason for -this that he had injured his knee some years before, -and that walking was painful to him. For my own -part I put it down to pure laziness upon his part, -for he was of an obese, heavy temperament. Twice, -however, I saw him from my window stealing out of -the grounds late at night, and the second time I -watched him return in the grey of the morning and -slink in through an open window. These furtive -excursions were never alluded to, but they exposed -the hollowness of his story about his knee, and -they increased the dislike and distrust which I had -of the man. His nature seemed to be vicious to -the core.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Another point, small but suggestive, was that he -hardly ever during the months that I was at Willow -Lea House received any letters, and on those few -<span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>occasions they were obviously tradesmen’s bills. I -am an early riser, and used every morning to pick -my own correspondence out of the bundle upon the -hall table. I could judge therefore how few were ever -there for Mr. Theophilus St. James. There seemed to me -to be something peculiarly ominous in this. What sort -of a man could he be who during thirty years of life had -never made a single friend, high or low, who cared to -continue to keep in touch with him? And yet the -sinister fact remained that the head master not only -tolerated, but was even intimate with him. More than -once on entering a room I have found them talking -confidentially together, and they would walk arm in -arm in deep conversation up and down the garden -paths. So curious did I become to know what the tie -was which bound them, that I found it gradually push -out my other interests and become the main purpose -of my life. In school and out of school, at meals and -at play, I was perpetually engaged in watching Dr. -Phelps McCarthy and Mr. Theophilus St. James, and -in endeavouring to solve the mystery which surrounded -them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But, unfortunately, my curiosity was a little too -open. I had not the art to conceal the suspicions -which I felt about the relations which existed between -these two men and the nature of the hold which the -one appeared to have over the other. It may have -been my manner of watching them, it may have been -some indiscreet question, but it is certain that I showed -too clearly what I felt. One night I was conscious -that the eyes of Theophilus St. James were fixed upon -me in a surly and menacing stare. I had a foreboding -<span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>of evil, and I was not surprised when Dr. McCarthy -called me next morning into his study.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am very sorry, Mr. Weld,” said he, “but I -am afraid that I shall be compelled to dispense with -your services.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Perhaps you would give me some reason for dismissing -me,” I answered, for I was conscious of having -done my duties to the best of my power, and knew -well that only one reason could be given.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have no fault to find with you,” said he, and the -colour came to his cheeks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You send me away at the suggestion of my -colleague.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>His eyes turned away from mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We will not discuss the question, Mr. Weld. It -is impossible for me to discuss it. In justice to you, -I will give you the strongest recommendation for your -next situation. I can say no more. I hope that you -will continue your duties here until you have found a -place elsewhere.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My whole soul rose against the injustice of it, and -yet I had no appeal and no redress. I could only bow -and leave the room, with a bitter sense of ill-usage at -my heart.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My first instinct was to pack my boxes and leave -the house. But the head master had given me permission -to remain until I had found another situation. -I was sure that St. James desired me to go, and that -was a strong reason why I should stay. If my presence -annoyed him, I should give him as much of it as I -could. I had begun to hate him and to long to have -my revenge upon him. If he had a hold over our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>principal, might not I in turn obtain one over him? -It was a sign of weakness that he should be so -afraid of my curiosity. He would not resent it so -much if he had not something to fear from it. I -entered my name once more upon the books of the -agents, but meanwhile I continued to fulfil my -duties at Willow Lea House, and so it came about -that I was present at the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">dénouement</span> of this singular -situation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During that week—for it was only a week before -the crisis came—I was in the habit of going down each -evening, after the work of the day was done, to inquire -about my new arrangements. One night, it was a cold -and windy evening in March, I had just stepped out -from the hall door when a strange sight met my eyes. -A man was crouching before one of the windows of the -house. His knees were bent and his eyes were fixed -upon the small line of light between the curtain and -the sash. The window threw a square of brightness in -front of it, and in the middle of this the dark shadow -of this ominous visitor showed clear and hard. It was -but for an instant that I saw him, for he glanced up -and was off in a moment through the shrubbery. I -could hear the patter of his feet as he ran down the -road, until it died away in the distance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was evidently my duty to turn back and to tell -Dr. McCarthy what I had seen. I found him in his -study. I had expected him to be disturbed at such an -incident, but I was not prepared for the state of panic -into which he fell. He leaned back in his chair, -white and gasping, like one who has received a mortal -blow.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>“Which window, Mr. Weld?” he asked, wiping -his forehead. “Which window was it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The next to the dining-room—Mr. St. James’s -window.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Dear me! Dear me! This is, indeed, unfortunate! -A man looking through Mr. St. James’s -window!” He wrung his hands like a man who is -at his wits’ end what to do.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I shall be passing the police-station, sir. Would -you wish me to mention the matter?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no,” he cried, suddenly, mastering his extreme -agitation; “I have no doubt that it was some poor -tramp who intended to beg. I attach no importance -to the incident—none at all. Don’t let me detain you, -Mr. Weld, if you wish to go out.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I left him sitting in his study with reassuring words -upon his lips, but with horror upon his face. My -heart was heavy for my little employer as I started off -once more for town. As I looked back from the gate -at the square of light which marked the window of my -colleague, I suddenly saw the black outline of Dr. -McCarthy’s figure passing against the lamp. He had -hastened from his study then to tell St. James what he -had heard. What was the meaning of it all, this -atmosphere of mystery, this inexplicable terror, these -confidences between two such dissimilar men? I -thought and thought as I walked, but do what I -would I could not hit upon any adequate conclusion. -I little knew how near I was to the solution of the -problem.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was very late—nearly twelve o’clock—when I -returned, and the lights were all out save one in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>Doctor’s study. The black, gloomy house loomed -before me as I walked up the drive, its sombre bulk -broken only by the one glimmering point of brightness. -I let myself in with my latch-key, and was about to -enter my own room when my attention was arrested by -a short, sharp cry like that of a man in pain. I -stood and listened, my hand upon the handle of my -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All was silent in the house save for a distant -murmur of voices which came, I knew, from the -Doctor’s room. I stole quietly down the corridor in -that direction. The sound resolved itself now into -two voices, the rough bullying tones of St. James and -the lower tone of the Doctor, the one apparently -insisting and the other arguing and pleading. Four -thin lines of light in the blackness showed me the door -of the Doctor’s room, and step by step I drew nearer -to it in the darkness. St. James’s voice within rose -louder and louder, and his words now came plainly to -my ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll have every pound of it. If you won’t give it -me I’ll take it. Do you hear?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dr. McCarthy’s reply was inaudible, but the angry -voice broke in again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Leave you destitute! I leave you this little goldmine -of a school, and that’s enough for one old man, is -it not? How am I to set up in Australia without -money? Answer me that!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again the Doctor said something in a soothing -voice, but his answer only roused his companion to a -higher pitch of fury.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Done for me! What have you ever done -<span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span>for me except what you couldn’t help doing? It -was for your good name, not for my safety, that -you cared. But enough cackle! I must get on my -way before morning. Will you open your safe or -will you not?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, James, how can you use me so?” cried a -wailing voice, and then there came a sudden little -scream of pain. At the sound of that helpless appeal -from brutal violence I lost for once that temper upon -which I had prided myself. Every bit of manhood in -me cried out against any further neutrality. With my -walking cane in my hand I rushed into the study. As -I did so I was conscious that the hall-door bell was -violently ringing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You villain!” I cried, “let him go!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The two men were standing in front of a small safe, -which stood against one wall of the Doctor’s room. -St. James held the old man by the wrist, and he had -twisted his arm round in order to force him to produce -the key. My little head master, white but resolute, -was struggling furiously in the grip of the burly -athlete. The bully glared over his shoulder at me -with a mixture of fury and terror upon his brutal -features. Then, realizing that I was alone, he -dropped his victim and made for me with a horrible -curse.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You infernal spy!” he cried. “I’ll do for you -anyhow before I leave.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I am not a very strong man, and I realized that -I was helpless if once at close quarters. Twice I -cut at him with my stick, but he rushed in at me -with a murderous growl, and seized me by the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>throat with both his muscular hands. I fell backwards -and he on the top of me, with a grip which -was squeezing the life from me. I was conscious of -his malignant yellow-tinged eyes within a few inches -of my own, and then with a beating of pulses in -my head and a singing in my ears, my senses slipped -away from me. But even in that supreme moment -I was aware that the door-bell was still violently -ringing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When I came to myself, I was lying upon the -sofa in Dr. McCarthy’s study, and the Doctor himself -was seated beside me. He appeared to be -watching me intently and anxiously, for as I -opened my eyes and looked about me he gave a -great cry of relief. “Thank God!” he cried. “Thank -God!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Where is he?” I asked, looking round the room. -As I did so, I became aware that the furniture was -scattered in every direction, and that there were -traces of an even more violent struggle than that in -which I had been engaged.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Doctor sank his face between his hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They have him,” he groaned. “After these -years of trial they have him again. But how thankful -I am that he has not for a second time stained -his hands in blood.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As the Doctor spoke I became aware that a man -in the braided jacket of an inspector of police was -standing in the doorway.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, sir,” he remarked, “you have had a pretty -narrow escape. If we had not got in when we did, -you would not be here to tell the tale. I don’t -<span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>know that I ever saw any one much nearer to the -undertaker.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I sat up with my hands to my throbbing head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Dr. McCarthy,” said I, “this is all a mystery -to me. I should be glad if you could explain to -me who this man is, and why you have tolerated -him so long in your house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I owe you an explanation, Mr. Weld—and the -more so since you have, in so chivalrous a fashion, -almost sacrificed your life in my defence. There -is no reason now for secrecy. In a word, Mr. Weld, -this unhappy man’s real name is James McCarthy, -and he is my only son.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your son?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Alas, yes. What sin have I ever committed -that I should have such a punishment? He has -made my whole life a misery from the first years -of his boyhood. Violent, headstrong, selfish, unprincipled, -he has always been the same. At eighteen -he was a criminal. At twenty, in a paroxysm of -passion, he took the life of a boon companion and -was tried for murder. He only just escaped the -gallows, and he was condemned to penal servitude. -Three years ago he succeeded in escaping, and -managed, in face of a thousand obstacles, to reach -my house in London. My wife’s heart had been -broken by his condemnation, and as he had succeeded -in getting a suit of ordinary clothes, there -was no one here to recognize him. For months he -lay concealed in the attics until the first search -of the police should be over. Then I gave him -employment here, as you have seen, though by his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>rough and overbearing manners he made my own -life miserable, and that of his fellow-masters unbearable. -You have been with us for four months, -Mr. Weld, but no other master endured him so -long. I apologize now for all you have had to -submit to, but I ask you what else could I do? -For his dead mother’s sake I could not let harm -come to him as long as it was in my power to -fend it off. Only under my roof could he find -a refuge—the only spot in all the world—and -how could I keep him here without its exciting -remark unless I gave him some occupation? I -made him English master therefore, and in that -capacity I have protected him here for three years. -You have no doubt observed that he never during -the daytime went beyond the college grounds. You -now understand the reason. But when to-night -you came to me with your report of a man who -was looking through his window, I understood that -his retreat was at last discovered. I besought him -to fly at once, but he had been drinking, the -unhappy fellow, and my words fell upon deaf ears. -When at last he made up his mind to go he -wished to take from me in his flight every shilling -which I possessed. It was your entrance which -saved me from him, while the police in turn -arrived only just in time to rescue you. I have -made myself amenable to the law by harbouring -an escaped prisoner, and remain here in the custody -of the inspector, but a prison has no terrors for -me after what I have endured in this house during -the last three years.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>“It seems to me, Doctor,” said the inspector, -“that, if you have broken the law, you have had -quite enough punishment already.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“God knows I have!” cried Dr. McCarthy, and -sank his haggard face upon his hands.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE BROWN HAND</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>Every one knows that Sir Dominick Holden, the -famous Indian surgeon, made me his heir, and that -his death changed me in an hour from a hard-working -and impecunious medical man to a well-to-do -landed proprietor. Many know also that there -were at least five people between the inheritance -and me, and that Sir Dominick’s selection appeared -to be altogether arbitrary and whimsical. I can -assure them, however, that they are quite mistaken, -and that, although I only knew Sir Dominick in -the closing years of his life, there were none the -less very real reasons why he should show his -goodwill towards me. As a matter of fact, though -I say it myself, no man ever did more for another -than I did for my Indian uncle. I cannot expect -the story to be believed, but it is so singular that -I should feel that it was a breach of duty if I -did not put it upon record—so here it is, and -your belief or incredulity is your own affair.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Sir Dominick Holden, C.B., K.C.S.I., and I don’t -know what besides, was the most distinguished Indian -surgeon of his day. In the Army originally, he -afterwards settled down into civil practice in Bombay, -and visited as a consultant every part of India. His -<span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>name is best remembered in connection with the -Oriental Hospital, which he founded and supported. -The time came, however, when his iron constitution -began to show signs of the long strain to which he -had subjected it, and his brother practitioners (who -were not, perhaps, entirely disinterested upon the -point) were unanimous in recommending him to -return to England. He held on so long as he -could, but at last he developed nervous symptoms -of a very pronounced character, and so came back, -a broken man, to his native county of Wiltshire. -He bought a considerable estate with an ancient -manor-house upon the edge of Salisbury Plain, and -devoted his old age to the study of Comparative -Pathology, which had been his learned hobby all his -life, and in which he was a foremost authority.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We of the family were, as may be imagined, -much excited by the news of the return of this rich -and childless uncle to England. On his part, although -by no means exuberant in his hospitality, he showed -some sense of his duty to his relations, and each of -us in turn had an invitation to visit him. From the -accounts of my cousins it appeared to be a melancholy -business, and it was with mixed feelings that I at -last received my own summons to appear at Rodenhurst. -My wife was so carefully excluded in the -invitation that my first impulse was to refuse it, -but the interests of the children had to be considered, -and so, with her consent, I set out one October -afternoon upon my visit to Wiltshire, with little -thought of what that visit was to entail.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle’s estate was situated where the arable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>land of the plains begins to swell upwards into the -rounded chalk hills which are characteristic of the -county. As I drove from Dinton Station in the waning -light of that autumn day, I was impressed by the weird -nature of the scenery. The few scattered cottages -of the peasants were so dwarfed by the huge evidences -of prehistoric life, that the present appeared to be a -dream and the past to be the obtrusive and masterful -reality. The road wound through the valleys, -formed by a succession of grassy hills, and the summit -of each was cut and carved into the most elaborate -fortifications, some circular and some square, but -all on a scale which has defied the winds and the -rains of many centuries. Some call them Roman -and some British, but their true origin and the reasons -for this particular tract of country being so interlaced -with entrenchments have never been finally made -clear. Here and there on the long, smooth, olive-coloured -slopes there rose small rounded barrows -or tumuli. Beneath them lie the cremated ashes -of the race which cut so deeply into the hills, but -their graves tell us nothing save that a jar full of -dust represents the man who once laboured under -the sun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was through this weird country that I approached -my uncle’s residence of Rodenhurst, and -the house was, as I found, in due keeping with -its surroundings. Two broken and weather-stained -pillars, each surmounted by a mutilated heraldic -emblem, flanked the entrance to a neglected drive. -A cold wind whistled through the elms which -lined it, and the air was full of the drifting leaves. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>At the far end, under the gloomy arch of trees, a -single yellow lamp burned steadily. In the dim -half-light of the coming night I saw a long, low -building stretching out two irregular wings, with -deep eaves, a sloping gambrel roof, and walls which -were criss-crossed with timber balks in the fashion -of the Tudors. The cheery light of a fire flickered -in the broad, latticed window to the left of the low-porched -door, and this, as it proved, marked the -study of my uncle, for it was thither that I was -led by his butler in order to make my host’s acquaintance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was cowering over his fire, for the moist chill -of an English autumn had set him shivering. His -lamp was unlit, and I only saw the red glow of -the embers beating upon a huge, craggy face, with -a Red Indian nose and cheek, and deep furrows -and seams from eye to chin, the sinister marks of -hidden volcanic fires. He sprang up at my entrance -with something of an old-world courtesy and welcomed -me warmly to Rodenhurst. At the same time I was -conscious, as the lamp was carried in, that it was -a very critical pair of light-blue eyes which looked -out at me from under shaggy eyebrows, like scouts -beneath a bush, and that this outlandish uncle of -mine was carefully reading off my character with all -the ease of a practised observer and an experienced -man of the world.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For my part I looked at him, and looked again, -for I had never seen a man whose appearance was -more fitted to hold one’s attention. His figure was -the framework of a giant, but he had fallen away -<span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>his coat dangled straight down in a shocking -fashion from a pair of broad and bony shoulders. -All his limbs were huge and yet emaciated, and I -could not take my gaze from his knobby wrists, and -long, gnarled hands. But his eyes—those peering -light-blue eyes—they were the most arrestive of any -of his peculiarities. It was not their colour alone, -nor was it the ambush of hair in which they lurked; -but it was the expression which I read in them. -For the appearance and bearing of the man were -masterful, and one expected a certain corresponding -arrogance in his eyes, but instead of that I read the -look which tells of a spirit cowed and crushed, the -furtive, expectant look of the dog whose master has -taken the whip from the rack. I formed my own -medical diagnosis upon one glance at those critical -and yet appealing eyes. I believed that he was -stricken with some mortal ailment, that he knew -himself to be exposed to sudden death, and that he -lived in terror of it. Such was my judgment—a false -one, as the event showed; but I mention it that it -may help you to realize the look which I read in -his eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle’s welcome was, as I have said, a courteous -one, and in an hour or so I found myself seated -between him and his wife at a comfortable dinner, -with curious pungent delicacies upon the table, and a -stealthy, quick-eyed Oriental waiter behind his chair. -The old couple had come round to that tragic imitation -of the dawn of life when husband and wife, having -lost or scattered all those who were their intimates, -find themselves face to face and alone once more, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>their work done, and the end nearing fast. Those who -have reached that stage in sweetness and love, who -can change their winter into a gentle Indian summer, -have come as victors through the ordeal of life. Lady -Holden was a small, alert woman, with a kindly eye, -and her expression as she glanced at him was a -certificate of character to her husband. And yet, -though I read a mutual love in their glances, I read -also a mutual horror, and recognized in her face some -reflection of that stealthy fear which I detected in his. -Their talk was sometimes merry and sometimes sad, -but there was a forced note in their merriment and -a naturalness in their sadness which told me that a -heavy heart beat upon either side of me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We were sitting over our first glass of wine, and -the servants had left the room, when the conversation -took a turn which produced a remarkable effect upon -my host and hostess. I cannot recall what it was -which started the topic of the supernatural, but it -ended in my showing them that the abnormal in -psychical experiences was a subject to which I had, -like many neurologists, devoted a great deal of attention. -I concluded by narrating my experiences when, -as a member of the Psychical Research Society, I had -formed one of a committee of three who spent the -night in a haunted house. Our adventures were -neither exciting nor convincing, but, such as it was, -the story appeared to interest my auditors in a -remarkable degree. They listened with an eager -silence, and I caught a look of intelligence between -them which I could not understand. Lady Holden -immediately afterwards rose and left the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>Sir Dominick pushed the cigar-box over to me, -and we smoked for some little time in silence. That -huge bony hand of his was twitching as he raised it -with his cheroot to his lips, and I felt that the man’s -nerves were vibrating like fiddle-strings. My instincts -told me that he was on the verge of some intimate -confidence, and I feared to speak lest I should interrupt -it. At last he turned towards me with a spasmodic -gesture like a man who throws his last scruple -to the winds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“From the little that I have seen of you it appears -to me, Dr. Hardacre,” said he, “that you are the very -man I have wanted to meet.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am delighted to hear it, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your head seems to be cool and steady. You -will acquit me of any desire to flatter you, for the -circumstances are too serious to permit of insincerities. -You have some special knowledge upon these subjects, -and you evidently view them from that philosophical -standpoint which robs them of all vulgar terror. I -presume that the sight of an apparition would not -seriously discompose you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think not, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Would even interest you, perhaps?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Most intensely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As a psychical observer, you would probably -investigate it in as impersonal a fashion as an -astronomer investigates a wandering comet?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Precisely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He gave a heavy sigh.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Believe me, Dr. Hardacre, there was a time when -I could have spoken as you do now. My nerve was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>a by-word in India. Even the Mutiny never shook -it for an instant. And yet you see what I am reduced -to—the most timorous man, perhaps, in all this county -of Wiltshire. Do not speak too bravely upon this -subject, or you may find yourself subjected to as long-drawn -a test as I am—a test which can only end in -the madhouse or the grave.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I waited patiently until he should see fit to go -farther in his confidence. His preamble had, I need -not say, filled me with interest and expectation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For some years, Dr. Hardacre,” he continued, -“my life and that of my wife have been made miserable -by a cause which is so grotesque that it borders -upon the ludicrous. And yet familiarity has never -made it more easy to bear—on the contrary, as time -passes my nerves become more worn and shattered -by the constant attrition. If you have no physical -fears, Dr. Hardacre, I should very much value -your opinion upon this phenomenon which troubles -us so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For what it is worth my opinion is entirely at -your service. May I ask the nature of the phenomenon?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I think that your experiences will have a higher -evidential value if you are not told in advance what -you may expect to encounter. You are yourself aware -of the quibbles of unconscious cerebration and subjective -impressions with which a scientific sceptic may -throw a doubt upon your statement. It would be as -well to guard against them in advance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What shall I do, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will tell you. Would you mind following me -<span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span>this way?” He led me out of the dining-room and -down a long passage until we came to a terminal door. -Inside there was a large bare room fitted as a laboratory, -with numerous scientific instruments and bottles. -A shelf ran along one side, upon which there stood a -long line of glass jars containing pathological and -anatomical specimens.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You see that I still dabble in some of my old -studies,” said Sir Dominick. “These jars are the -remains of what was once a most excellent collection, -but unfortunately I lost the greater part of them when -my house was burned down in Bombay in ‘92. It was -a most unfortunate affair for me—in more ways than -one. I had examples of many rare conditions, and -my splenic collection was probably unique. These -are the survivors.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I glanced over them, and saw that they really -were of a very great value and rarity from a pathological -point of view: bloated organs, gaping cysts, -distorted bones, odious parasites—a singular exhibition -of the products of India.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is, as you see, a small settee here,” said -my host. “It was far from our intention to offer a -guest so meagre an accommodation, but since affairs -have taken this turn, it would be a great kindness -upon your part if you would consent to spend the -night in this apartment. I beg that you will not -hesitate to let me know if the idea should be at all -repugnant to you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the contrary,” I said, “it is most acceptable.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My own room is the second on the left, so that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>if you should feel that you are in need of company a -call would always bring me to your side.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I trust that I shall not be compelled to disturb -you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is unlikely that I shall be asleep. I do not -sleep much. Do not hesitate to summon me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so with this agreement we joined Lady -Holden in the drawing-room and talked of lighter -things.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was no affectation upon my part to say that the -prospect of my night’s adventure was an agreeable one. -I have no pretence to greater physical courage than -my neighbours, but familiarity with a subject robs it -of those vague and undefined terrors which are the -most appalling to the imaginative mind. The human -brain is capable of only one strong emotion at a time, -and if it be filled with curiosity or scientific enthusiasm, -there is no room for fear. It is true that I had my -uncle’s assurance that he had himself originally taken -this point of view, but I reflected that the breakdown -of his nervous system might be due to his forty years -in India as much as to any psychical experiences -which had befallen him. I at least was sound in nerve -and brain, and it was with something of the pleasurable -thrill of anticipation with which the sportsman takes -his position beside the haunt of his game that I shut -the laboratory door behind me, and partially undressing, -lay down upon the rug-covered settee.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was not an ideal atmosphere for a bedroom. -The air was heavy with many chemical odours, that of -methylated spirit predominating. Nor were the decorations -of my chamber very sedative. The odious line -<span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>of glass jars with their relics of disease and suffering -stretched in front of my very eyes. There was no -blind to the window, and a three-quarter moon streamed -its white light into the room, tracing a silver square -with filigree lattices upon the opposite wall. When I -had extinguished my candle this one bright patch in -the midst of the general gloom had certainly an eerie -and discomposing aspect. A rigid and absolute silence -reigned throughout the old house, so that the low swish -of the branches in the garden came softly and soothingly -to my ears. It may have been the hypnotic -lullaby of this gentle susurrus, or it may have been the -result of my tiring day, but after many dozings and -many efforts to regain my clearness of perception, I -fell at last into a deep and dreamless sleep.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was awakened by some sound in the room, and I -instantly raised myself upon my elbow on the couch. -Some hours had passed, for the square patch upon the -wall had slid downwards and sideways until it lay -obliquely at the end of my bed. The rest of the room -was in deep shadow. At first I could see nothing, -presently, as my eyes became accustomed to the faint -light, I was aware, with a thrill which all my scientific -absorption could not entirely prevent, that something -was moving slowly along the line of the wall. A -gentle, shuffling sound, as of soft slippers, came to my -ears, and I dimly discerned a human figure walking -stealthily from the direction of the door. As it -emerged into the patch of moonlight I saw very clearly -what it was and how it was employed. It was a man, -short and squat, dressed in some sort of dark-grey -gown, which hung straight from his shoulders to his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>feet. The moon shone upon the side of his face, and -I saw that it was chocolate-brown in colour, with a -ball of black hair like a woman’s at the back of his -head. He walked slowly, and his eyes were cast -upwards towards the line of bottles which contained -those gruesome remnants of humanity. He seemed to -examine each jar with attention, and then to pass on -to the next. When he had come to the end of the -line, immediately opposite my bed, he stopped, faced -me, threw up his hands with a gesture of despair, and -vanished from my sight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that he threw up his hands, but I -should have said his arms, for as he assumed that -attitude of despair I observed a singular peculiarity -about his appearance. He had only one hand! As -the sleeves drooped down from the upflung arms I saw -the left plainly, but the right ended in a knobby and -unsightly stump. In every other way his appearance -was so natural, and I had both seen and heard him -so clearly, that I could easily have believed that he -was an Indian servant of Sir Dominick’s who had -come into my room in search of something. It -was only his sudden disappearance which suggested -anything more sinister to me. As it was I sprang -from my couch, lit a candle, and examined the -whole room carefully. There were no signs of my -visitor, and I was forced to conclude that there had really -been something outside the normal laws of Nature in -his appearance. I lay awake for the remainder of the -night, but nothing else occurred to disturb me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I am an early riser, but my uncle was an even -earlier one, for I found him pacing up and down the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>lawn at the side of the house. He ran towards me -in his eagerness when he saw me come out from the -door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, well!” he cried. “Did you see him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An Indian with one hand?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Precisely.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I saw him”—and I told him all that -occurred. When I had finished, he led the way into -his study.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have a little time before breakfast,” said he. -“It will suffice to give you an explanation of this -extraordinary affair—so far as I can explain that -which is essentially inexplicable. In the first place, -when I tell you that for four years I have never passed -one single night, either in Bombay, aboard ship, or -here in England without my sleep being broken by -this fellow, you will understand why it is that I am -a wreck of my former self. His programme is always -the same. He appears by my bedside, shakes me -roughly by the shoulder, passes from my room into the -laboratory, walks slowly along the line of my bottles, -and then vanishes. For more than a thousand times -he has gone through the same routine.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What does he want?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He wants his hand.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“His hand?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, it came about in this way. I was summoned -to Peshawur for a consultation some ten years -ago, and while there I was asked to look at the hand -of a native who was passing through with an Afghan -caravan. The fellow came from some mountain tribe -living away at the back of beyond somewhere on the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>other side of Kaffiristan. He talked a bastard Pushtoo, -and it was all I could do to understand him. He was -suffering from a soft sarcomatous swelling of one of -the metacarpal joints, and I made him realize that it -was only by losing his hand that he could hope to save -his life. After much persuasion he consented to the -operation, and he asked me, when it was over, what -fee I demanded. The poor fellow was almost a -beggar, so that the idea of a fee was absurd, but I -answered in jest that my fee should be his hand, -and that I proposed to add it to my pathological -collection.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To my surprise he demurred very much to the -suggestion, and he explained that according to his -religion it was an all-important matter that the body -should be reunited after death, and so make a perfect -dwelling for the spirit. The belief is, of course, an -old one, and the mummies of the Egyptians arose from -an analogous superstition. I answered him that his -hand was already off, and asked him how he intended -to preserve it. He replied that he would pickle it in -salt and carry it about with him. I suggested that it -might be safer in my keeping than in his, and that I -had better means than salt for preserving it. On -realizing that I really intended to carefully keep it, -his opposition vanished instantly. ‘But remember, -sahib,’ said he, ‘I shall want it back when I am dead.’ -I laughed at the remark, and so the matter ended. -I returned to my practice, and he no doubt in the -course of time was able to continue his journey to -Afghanistan.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, as I told you last night, I had a bad fire -<span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span>in my house at Bombay. Half of it was burned down, -and, among other things, my pathological collection -was largely destroyed. What you see are the poor -remains of it. The hand of the hillman went with -the rest, but I gave the matter no particular thought -at the time. That was six years ago.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Four years ago—two years after the fire—I was -awakened one night by a furious tugging at my sleeve. -I sat up under the impression that my favourite mastiff -was trying to arouse me. Instead of this, I saw my -Indian patient of long ago, dressed in the long grey -gown which was the badge of his people. He was -holding up his stump and looking reproachfully at -me. He then went over to my bottles, which at that -time I kept in my room, and he examined them carefully, -after which he gave a gesture of anger and -vanished. I realized that he had just died, and that -he had come to claim my promise that I should keep -his limb in safety for him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, there you have it all, Dr. Hardacre. Every -night at the same hour for four years this performance -has been repeated. It is a simple thing in itself, but -it has worn me out like water dropping on a stone. -It has brought a vile insomnia with it, for I cannot -sleep now for the expectation of his coming. It has -poisoned my old age and that of my wife, who has -been the sharer in this great trouble. But there is -the breakfast gong, and she will be waiting impatiently -to know how it fared with you last night. We are -both much indebted to you for your gallantry, for it -takes something from the weight of our misfortune -when we share it, even for a single night, with a friend, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span>and it reassures us as to our sanity, which we are sometimes -driven to question.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This was the curious narrative which Sir Dominick -confided to me—a story which to many would have -appeared to be a grotesque impossibility, but which, -after my experience of the night before, and my previous -knowledge of such things, I was prepared to accept as -an absolute fact. I thought deeply over the matter, -and brought the whole range of my reading and experience -to bear upon it. After breakfast, I surprised -my host and hostess by announcing that I was returning -to London by the next train.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My dear doctor,” cried Sir Dominick in great -distress, “you make me feel that I have been guilty -of a gross breach of hospitality in intruding this unfortunate -matter upon you. I should have borne my -own burden.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is, indeed, that matter which is taking me to -London,” I answered; “but you are mistaken, I assure -you, if you think that my experience of last night was -an unpleasant one to me. On the contrary, I am about -to ask your permission to return in the evening and -spend one more night in your laboratory. I am very -eager to see this visitor once again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>My uncle was exceedingly anxious to know what -I was about to do, but my fears of raising false hopes -prevented me from telling him. I was back in my -own consulting-room a little after luncheon, and was -confirming my memory of a passage in a recent book -upon occultism which had arrested my attention when -I read it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In the case of earth-bound spirits,” said my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_315'>315</span>authority, “some one dominant idea obsessing them -at the hour of death is sufficient to hold them to this -material world. They are the amphibia of this life -and of the next, capable of passing from one to the -other as the turtle passes from land to water. The -causes which may bind a soul so strongly to a life -which its body has abandoned are any violent emotion. -Avarice, revenge, anxiety, love, and pity have all been -known to have this effect. As a rule it springs from -some unfulfilled wish, and when the wish has been -fulfilled the material bond relaxes. There are many -cases upon record which show the singular persistence -of these visitors, and also their disappearance when -their wishes have been fulfilled, or in some cases when -a reasonable compromise has been effected.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“<em>A reasonable compromise effected</em>”—those were the -words which I had brooded over all the morning, and -which I now verified in the original. No actual atonement -could be made here—but a reasonable compromise! -I made my way as fast as a train could take me to the -Shadwell Seamen’s Hospital, where my old friend Jack -Hewett was house-surgeon. Without explaining the -situation I made him understand exactly what it was -that I wanted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A brown man’s hand!” said he, in amazement. -“What in the world do you want that for?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Never mind. I’ll tell you some day. I know -that your wards are full of Indians.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should think so. But a hand——” He thought -a little and then struck a bell.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Travers,” said he to a student-dresser, “what -became of the hands of the Lascar which we took off -<span class='pageno' id='Page_316'>316</span>yesterday? I mean the fellow from the East India -Dock who got caught in the steam winch.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They are in the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">post-mortem</span></i> room, sir.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Just pack one of them in antiseptics and give it -to Dr. Hardacre.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so I found myself back at Rodenhurst before -dinner with this curious outcome of my day in town. -I still said nothing to Sir Dominick, but I slept that -night in the laboratory, and I placed the Lascar’s -hand in one of the glass jars at the end of my -couch.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So interested was I in the result of my experiment -that sleep was out of the question. I sat with a -shaded lamp beside me and waited patiently for my -visitor. This time I saw him clearly from the first. -He appeared beside the door, nebulous for an instant, -and then hardening into as distinct an outline as any -living man. The slippers beneath his grey gown were -red and heelless, which accounted for the low, shuffling -sound which he made as he walked. As on the previous -night he passed slowly along the line of bottles until -he paused before that which contained the hand. He -reached up to it, his whole figure quivering with expectation, -took it down, examined it eagerly, and then, -with a face which was convulsed with fury and disappointment, -he hurled it down on the floor. There -was a crash which resounded through the house, and -when I looked up the mutilated Indian had disappeared. -A moment later my door flew open and Sir Dominick -rushed in.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You are not hurt?” he cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No—but deeply disappointed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_317'>317</span>He looked in astonishment at the splinters of glass, -and the brown hand lying upon the floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good God!” he cried. “What is this?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I told him my idea and its wretched sequel. He -listened intently, but shook his head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was well thought of,” said he, “but I fear that -there is no such easy end to my sufferings. But one -thing I now insist upon. It is that you shall never -again upon any pretext occupy this room. My fears -that something might have happened to you—when I -heard that crash—have been the most acute of all the -agonies which I have undergone. I will not expose -myself to a repetition of it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He allowed me, however, to spend the remainder of -that night where I was, and I lay there worrying over -the problem and lamenting my own failure. With -the first light of morning there was the Lascar’s -hand still lying upon the floor to remind me of my -fiasco. I lay looking at it—and as I lay suddenly -an idea flew like a bullet through my head and -brought me quivering with excitement out of my -couch. I raised the grim relic from where it had -fallen. Yes, it was indeed so. The hand was the -<em>left</em> hand of the Lascar.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By the first train I was on my way to town, -and hurried at once to the Seamen’s Hospital. I -remembered that both hands of the Lascar had been -amputated, but I was terrified lest the precious organ -which I was in search of might have been already consumed -in the crematory. My suspense was soon ended. -It had still been preserved in the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">post-mortem</span></i> room. -And so I returned to Rodenhurst in the evening with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_318'>318</span>my mission accomplished and the material for a fresh -experiment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But Sir Dominick Holden would not hear of my -occupying the laboratory again. To all my entreaties -he turned a deaf ear. It offended his sense of hospitality, -and he could no longer permit it. I left the -hand, therefore, as I had done its fellow the night -before, and I occupied a comfortable bedroom in another -portion of the house, some distance from the scene of my -adventures.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But in spite of that my sleep was not destined to -be uninterrupted. In the dead of night my host burst -into my room, a lamp in his hand. His huge gaunt -figure was enveloped in a loose dressing-gown, and his -whole appearance might certainly have seemed more -formidable to a weak-nerved man than that of the -Indian of the night before. But it was not his -entrance so much as his expression which amazed me. -He had turned suddenly younger by twenty years at -the least. His eyes were shining, his features radiant, -and he waved one hand in triumph over his head. I -sat up astounded, staring sleepily at this extraordinary -visitor. But his words soon drove the sleep from my -eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have done it! We have succeeded!” he -shouted. “My dear Hardacre, how can I ever in this -world repay you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You don’t mean to say that it is all right?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Indeed I do. I was sure that you would not mind -being awakened to hear such blessed news.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mind! I should think not indeed. But is it -really certain?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_319'>319</span>“I have no doubt whatever upon the point. I owe -you such a debt, my dear nephew, as I have never owed -a man before, and never expected to. What can I -possibly do for you that is commensurate? Providence -must have sent you to my rescue. You have saved -both my reason and my life, for another six months -of this must have seen me either in a cell or a coffin. -And my wife—it was wearing her out before my eyes. -Never could I have believed that any human being -could have lifted this burden off me.” He seized my -hand and wrung it in his bony grip.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was only an experiment—a forlorn hope—but -I am delighted from my heart that it has succeeded. -But how do you know that it is all right? Have you -seen something?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He seated himself at the foot of my bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have seen enough,” said he. “It satisfies me -that I shall be troubled no more. What has passed is -easily told. You know that at a certain hour this -creature always comes to me. To-night he arrived at -the usual time, and aroused me with even more violence -than is his custom. I can only surmise that his disappointment -of last night increased the bitterness of -his anger against me. He looked angrily at me, and -then went on his usual round. But in a few minutes -I saw him, for the first time since this persecution -began, return to my chamber. He was smiling. I -saw the gleam of his white teeth through the dim light. -He stood facing me at the end of my bed, and three -times he made the low Eastern salaam which is their -solemn leave-taking. And the third time that he -bowed he raised his arms over his head, and I saw his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_320'>320</span><em>two</em> hands outstretched in the air. So he vanished, -and, as I believe, for ever.”</p> - -<hr class='c012' /> - -<p class='c000'>So that is the curious experience which won me -the affection and the gratitude of my celebrated uncle, -the famous Indian surgeon. His anticipations were -realized, and never again was he disturbed by the -visits of the restless hillman in search of his lost -member. Sir Dominick and Lady Holden spent a -very happy old age, unclouded, so far as I know, by -any trouble, and they finally died during the great -influenza epidemic within a few weeks of each other. -In his lifetime he always turned to me for advice in -everything which concerned that English life of which -he knew so little; and I aided him also in the purchase -and development of his estates. It was no great surprise -to me, therefore, that I found myself eventually -promoted over the heads of five exasperated cousins, -and changed in a single day from a hard-working -country doctor into the head of an important Wiltshire -family. I at least have reason to bless the -memory of the man with the brown hand, and the day -when I was fortunate enough to relieve Rodenhurst of -his unwelcome presence.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_321'>321</span> - <h2 class='c005'>THE FIEND OF THE COOPERAGE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>It was no easy matter to bring the <em>Gamecock</em> up to -the island, for the river had swept down so much silt -that the banks extended for many miles out into the -Atlantic. The coast was hardly to be seen when the -first white curl of the breakers warned us of our danger, -and from there onwards we made our way very carefully -under mainsail and jib, keeping the broken water -well to the left, as is indicated on the chart. More -than once her bottom touched the sand (we were drawing -something under six feet at the time), but we had -always way enough and luck enough to carry us through. -Finally, the water shoaled very rapidly, but they had -sent a canoe from the factory, and the Krooboy pilot -brought us within two hundred yards of the island. -Here we dropped our anchor, for the gestures of the -negro indicated that we could not hope to get any farther. -The blue of the sea had changed to the brown of the -river, and, even under the shelter of the island, the -current was singing and swirling round our bows. The -stream appeared to be in spate, for it was over the roots -of the palm trees, and everywhere upon its muddy, -greasy surface we could see logs of wood and debris -of all sorts which had been carried down by the -flood.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_322'>322</span>When I had assured myself that we swung securely -at our moorings, I thought it best to begin watering at -once, for the place looked as if it reeked with fever. -The heavy river, the muddy, shining banks, the bright -poisonous green of the jungle, the moist steam in the -air, they were all so many danger signals to one who -could read them. I sent the long-boat off, therefore, -with two large hogsheads, which should be sufficient to -last us until we made St. Paul de Loanda. For my -own part I took the dinghy and rowed for the island, -for I could see the Union Jack fluttering above the -palms to mark the position of Armitage and Wilson’s -trading station.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When I had cleared the grove, I could see the place, -a long, low, whitewashed building, with a deep verandah -in front, and an immense pile of palm oil barrels heaped -upon either flank of it. A row of surf boats and canoes -lay along the beach, and a single small jetty projected -into the river. Two men in white suits with red cummerbunds -round their waists were waiting upon the -end of it to receive me. One was a large portly fellow -with a greyish beard. The other was slender and tall, -with a pale pinched face, which was half concealed by -a great mushroom-shaped hat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very glad to see you,” said the latter, cordially. -“I am Walker, the agent of Armitage and Wilson. -Let me introduce Dr. Severall of the same company. -It is not often we see a private yacht in these -parts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She’s the <em>Gamecock</em>,” I explained. “I’m owner -and captain—Meldrum is the name.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exploring?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_323'>323</span>“I’m a lepidopterist—a butterfly-catcher. I’ve been -doing the west coast from Senegal downwards.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good sport?” asked the Doctor, turning a slow -yellow-shot eye upon me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have forty cases full. We came in here to water, -and also to see what you have in my line.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>These introductions and explanations had filled up -the time whilst my two Krooboys were making the -dinghy fast. Then I walked down the jetty with one -of my new acquaintances upon either side, each plying -me with questions, for they had seen no white man for -months.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do we do?” said the Doctor, when I had -begun asking questions in my turn. “Our business -keeps us pretty busy, and in our leisure time we talk -politics.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, by the special mercy of Providence Severall -is a rank Radical and I am a good stiff Unionist, -and we talk Home Rule for two solid hours every -evening.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And drink quinine cocktails,” said the Doctor. -“We’re both pretty well salted now, but our normal -temperature was about 103 last year. I shouldn’t, as -an impartial adviser, recommend you to stay here very -long unless you are collecting bacilli as well as butterflies. -The mouth of the Ogowai River will never develop -into a health resort.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There is nothing finer than the way in which these -outlying pickets of civilization distil a grim humour out -of their desolate situation, and turn not only a bold, -but a laughing face upon the chances which their lives -may bring. Everywhere from Sierra Leone downwards -<span class='pageno' id='Page_324'>324</span>I had found the same reeking swamps, the same isolated -fever-racked communities and the same bad jokes. -There is something approaching to the divine in that -power of man to rise above his conditions and to use -his mind for the purpose of mocking at the miseries of -his body.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Dinner will be ready in about half an hour, Captain -Meldrum,” said the Doctor. “Walker has gone in -to see about it; he’s the housekeeper this week. Meanwhile, -if you like, we’ll stroll round and I’ll show you -the sights of the island.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The sun had already sunk beneath the line of palm -trees, and the great arch of the heaven above our head -was like the inside of a huge shell, shimmering with -dainty pinks and delicate iridescence. No one who -has not lived in a land where the weight and heat of a -napkin become intolerable upon the knees can imagine -the blessed relief which the coolness of evening brings -along with it. In this sweeter and purer air the -Doctor and I walked round the little island, he -pointing out the stores, and explaining the routine of -his work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s a certain romance about the place,” said -he, in answer to some remark of mine about the dulness -of their lives. “We are living here just upon the -edge of the great unknown. Up there,” he continued, -pointing to the north-east, “Du Chaillu penetrated, -and found the home of the gorilla. That is the Gaboon -country—the land of the great apes. In this direction,” -pointing to the south-east, “no one has been very far. -The land which is drained by this river is practically -unknown to Europeans. Every log which is carried -<span class='pageno' id='Page_325'>325</span>past us by the current has come from an undiscovered -country. I’ve often wished that I was a better botanist -when I have seen the singular orchids and curious-looking -plants which have been cast up on the eastern -end of the island.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The place which the Doctor indicated was a sloping -brown beach, freely littered with the flotsam of the -stream. At each end was a curved point, like a little -natural breakwater, so that a small shallow bay was -left between. This was full of floating vegetation, with -a single huge splintered tree lying stranded in the -middle of it, the current rippling against its high black -side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“These are all from up country,” said the Doctor. -“They get caught in our little bay, and then when -some extra freshet comes they are washed out again -and carried out to sea.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What is the tree?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, some kind of teak I should imagine, but -pretty rotten by the look of it. We get all sorts of big -hardwood trees floating past here, to say nothing of -the palms. Just come in here, will you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He led the way into a long building with an -immense quantity of barrel staves and iron hoops -littered about in it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This is our cooperage,” said he. “We have the -staves sent out in bundles, and we put them together -ourselves. Now, you don’t see anything particularly -sinister about this building, do you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked round at the high corrugated iron roof, the -white wooden walls, and the earthen floor. In one -corner lay a mattress and a blanket.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_326'>326</span>“I see nothing very alarming,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And yet there’s something out of the common, -too,” he remarked. “You see that bed? Well, I -intend to sleep there to-night. I don’t want to buck, -but I think it’s a bit of a test for nerve.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, there have been some funny goings on. You -were talking about the monotony of our lives, but I -assure you that they are sometimes quite as exciting as -we wish them to be. You’d better come back to the -house now, for after sundown we begin to get the -fever-fog up from the marshes. There, you can see it -coming across the river.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I looked and saw long tentacles of white vapour -writhing out from among the thick green underwood -and crawling at us over the broad swirling surface of -the brown river. At the same time the air turned -suddenly dank and cold.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s the dinner gong,” said the Doctor. “If -this matter interests you I’ll tell you about it afterwards.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It did interest me very much, for there was something -earnest and subdued in his manner as he stood -in the empty cooperage, which appealed very forcibly -to my imagination. He was a big, bluff, hearty man, -this Doctor, and yet I had detected a curious expression -in his eyes as he glanced about him—an expression -which I would not describe as one of fear, -but rather that of a man who is alert and on his -guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“By the way,” said I, as we returned to the house, -“you have shown me the huts of a good many of your -<span class='pageno' id='Page_327'>327</span>native assistants, but I have not seen any of the natives -themselves.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They sleep in the hulk over yonder,” the Doctor -answered, pointing over to one of the banks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Indeed. I should not have thought in that case -that they would need the huts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Oh, they used the huts until quite recently. -We’ve put them on the hulk until they recover their -confidence a little. They were all half mad with -fright, so we let them go, and nobody sleeps on the -island except Walker and myself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What frightened them?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, that brings us back to the same story. -I suppose Walker has no objection to your hearing -all about it. I don’t know why we should make any -secret about it, though it is certainly a pretty bad -business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He made no further allusion to it during the -excellent dinner which had been prepared in my -honour. It appeared that no sooner had the little -white topsail of the <em>Gamecock</em> shown round Cape -Lopez than these kind fellows had begun to prepare -their famous pepper-pot—which is the pungent stew -peculiar to the West Coast—and to boil their yams -and sweet potatoes. We sat down to as good a -native dinner as one could wish, served by a smart -Sierra Leone waiting boy. I was just remarking to -myself that he at least had not shared in the general -flight when, having laid the dessert and wine upon the -table, he raised his hand to his turban.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Anyting else I do, Massa Walker?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, I think that is all right, Moussa,” my host -<span class='pageno' id='Page_328'>328</span>answered. “I am not feeling very well to-night, -though, and I should much prefer if you would stay -on the island.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I saw a struggle between his fears and his duty -upon the swarthy face of the African. His skin had -turned of that livid purplish tint which stands for -pallor in a negro, and his eyes looked furtively about -him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, Massa Walker,” he cried, at last, “you -better come to the hulk with me, sah. Look after you -much better in the hulk, sah!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That won’t do, Moussa. White men don’t run -away from the posts where they are placed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again I saw the passionate struggle in the negro’s -face, and again his fears prevailed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No use, Massa Walker, sah!” he cried. “S’elp -me, I can’t do it. If it was yesterday or if it was -to-morrow, but this is the third night, sah, an’ it’s -more than I can face.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Walker shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Off with you then!” said he. “When the mail-boat -comes you can get back to Sierra Leone, for I’ll -have no servant who deserts me when I need him -most. I suppose this is all mystery to you, or has -the Doctor told you, Captain Meldrum?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I showed Captain Meldrum the cooperage, but -I did not tell him anything,” said Dr. Severall. -“You’re looking bad, Walker,” he added, glancing at -his companion. “You have a strong touch coming -on you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, I’ve had the shivers all day, and now my -head is like a cannon-ball. I took ten grains of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_329'>329</span>quinine, and my ears are singing like a kettle. But -I want to sleep with you in the cooperage to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, my dear chap. I won’t hear of such -a thing. You must get to bed at once, and I am -sure Meldrum will excuse you. I shall sleep in the -cooperage, and I promise you that I’ll be round with -your medicine before breakfast.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was evident that Walker had been struck by -one of those sudden and violent attacks of remittent -fever which are the curse of the West Coast. His -sallow cheeks were flushed and his eyes shining -with fever, and suddenly as he sat there he began -to croon out a song in the high-pitched voice of -delirium.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come, come, we must get you to bed, old chap,” -said the Doctor, and with my aid he led his friend -into his bedroom. There we undressed him, and -presently, after taking a strong sedative, he settled -down into a deep slumber.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He’s right for the night,” said the Doctor, as we -sat down and filled our glasses once more. “Sometimes -it is my turn and sometimes his, but, fortunately, -we have never been down together. I should have -been sorry to be out of it to-night, for I have a little -mystery to unravel. I told you that I intended to -sleep in the cooperage.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, you said so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When I said sleep I meant watch, for there will -be no sleep for me. We’ve had such a scare here -that no native will stay after sundown, and I mean -to find out to-night what the cause of it all may be. -It has always been the custom for a native watchman -<span class='pageno' id='Page_330'>330</span>to sleep in the cooperage, to prevent the barrel hoops -being stolen. Well, six days ago the fellow who -slept there disappeared, and we have never seen a -trace of him since. It was certainly singular, for no -canoe had been taken, and these waters are too full -of crocodiles for any man to swim to shore. What -became of the fellow, or how he could have left the -island is a complete mystery. Walker and I were -merely surprised, but the blacks were badly scared, -and queer Voodoo tales began to get about amongst -them. But the real stampede broke out three nights -ago, when the new watchman in the cooperage also -disappeared.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What became of him?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, we not only don’t know, but we can’t even -give a guess which would fit the facts. The niggers -swear there is a fiend in the cooperage who claims a -man every third night. They wouldn’t stay in the -island—nothing could persuade them. Even Moussa, -who is a faithful boy enough, would, as you have -seen, leave his master in a fever rather than remain -for the night. If we are to continue to run this place -we must reassure our niggers, and I don’t know any -better way of doing it than by putting in a night there -myself. This is the third night, you see, so I suppose -the thing is due, whatever it may be.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Have you no clue?” I asked. “Was there no -mark of violence, no blood-stain, no footprints, nothing -to give a hint as to what kind of danger you may have -to meet?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Absolutely nothing. The man was gone and that -was all. Last time it was old Ali, who has been -<span class='pageno' id='Page_331'>331</span>wharf-tender here since the place was started. He -was always as steady as a rock, and nothing but foul -play would take him from his work.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said I, “I really don’t think that this is -a one-man job. Your friend is full of laudanum, and -come what might he can be of no assistance to you. -You must let me stay and put in a night with you at -the cooperage.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, now, that’s very good of you, Meldrum,” -said he heartily, shaking my hand across the table. -“It’s not a thing that I should have ventured to -propose, for it is asking a good deal of a casual visitor, -but if you really mean it——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Certainly I mean it. If you will excuse me a -moment, I will hail the <em>Gamecock</em> and let them know -that they need not expect me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As we came back from the other end of the little -jetty we were both struck by the appearance of the -night. A huge blue-black pile of clouds had built -itself up upon the landward side, and the wind came -from it in little hot pants, which beat upon our faces -like the draught from a blast furnace. Under the -jetty the river was swirling and hissing, tossing little -white spurts of spray over the planking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Confound it!” said Doctor Severall. “We are -likely to have a flood on the top of all our troubles. -That rise in the river means heavy rain up-country, -and when it once begins you never know how far it -will go. We’ve had the island nearly covered before -now. Well, we’ll just go and see that Walker is comfortable, -and then if you like we’ll settle down in our -quarters.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_332'>332</span>The sick man was sunk in a profound slumber, and -we left him with some crushed limes in a glass beside -him in case he should awake with the thirst of fever -upon him. Then we made our way through the -unnatural gloom thrown by that menacing cloud. The -river had risen so high that the little bay which I -have described at the end of the island had become -almost obliterated through the submerging of its flanking -peninsula. The great raft of driftwood, with the -huge black tree in the middle, was swaying up and -down in the swollen current.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That’s one good thing a flood will do for us,” said -the Doctor. “It carries away all the vegetable stuff -which is brought down on to the east end of the island. -It came down with the freshet the other day, and here -it will stay until a flood sweeps it out into the main -stream. Well, here’s our room, and here are some -books, and here is my tobacco pouch, and we must -try and put in the night as best we may.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>By the light of our single lantern the great lonely -room looked very gaunt and dreary. Save for the -piles of staves and heaps of hoops there was absolutely -nothing in it, with the exception of the mattress -for the Doctor, which had been laid in the corner. -We made a couple of seats and a table out of the -staves, and settled down together for a long vigil. -Severall had brought a revolver for me, and was -himself armed with a double-barrelled shot-gun. We -loaded our weapons and laid them cocked within reach -of our hands. The little circle of light and the black -shadows arching over us were so melancholy that he -went off to the house, and returned with two candles. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_333'>333</span>One side of the cooperage was pierced, however, by -several open windows, and it was only by screening -our lights behind staves that we could prevent them -from being extinguished.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Doctor, who appeared to be a man of iron -nerves, had settled down to a book, but I observed -that every now and then he laid it upon his knee, and -took an earnest look all round him. For my part, -although I tried once or twice to read, I found it -impossible to concentrate my thoughts upon the book. -They would always wander back to this great empty -silent room, and to the sinister mystery which overshadowed -it. I racked my brains for some possible -theory which would explain the disappearance of these -two men. There was the black fact that they were -gone, and not the least tittle of evidence as to why -or whither. And here we were waiting in the same -place—waiting without an idea as to what we were -waiting for. I was right in saying that it was not a -one-man job. It was trying enough as it was, but no -force upon earth would have kept me there without -a comrade.</p> - -<p class='c000'>What an endless, tedious night it was! Outside -we heard the lapping and gurgling of the great river, -and the soughing of the rising wind. Within, save for -our breathing, the turning of the Doctor’s pages, and -the high, shrill ping of an occasional mosquito, there -was a heavy silence. Once my heart sprang into my -mouth as Severall’s book suddenly fell to the ground -and he sprang to his feet with his eyes on one of the -windows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Did you see anything, Meldrum?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_334'>334</span>“No. Did you?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, I had a vague sense of movement outside -that window.” He caught up his gun and approached -it. “No, there’s nothing to be seen, and -yet I could have sworn that something passed slowly -across it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A palm leaf, perhaps,” said I, for the wind was -growing stronger every instant.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very likely,” said he, and settled down to his -book again, but his eyes were for ever darting little -suspicious glances up at the window. I watched it -also, but all was quiet outside.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And then suddenly our thoughts were turned into a -new direction by the bursting of the storm. A blinding -flash was followed by a clap which shook the building. -Again and again came the vivid white glare with -thunder at the same instant, like the flash and roar of -a monstrous piece of artillery. And then down came -the tropical rain, crashing and rattling on the corrugated -iron roofing of the cooperage. The big hollow -room boomed like a drum. From the darkness arose a -strange mixture of noises, a gurgling, splashing, tinkling, -bubbling, washing, dripping—every liquid sound -that nature can produce from the thrashing and swishing -of the rain to the deep steady boom of the river. -Hour after hour the uproar grew louder and more -sustained.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My word,” said Severall, “we are going to have -the father of all the floods this time. Well, here’s the -dawn coming at last and that is a blessing. We’ve -about exploded the third night superstition anyhow.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A grey light was stealing through the room, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_335'>335</span>there was the day upon us in an instant. The rain -had eased off, but the coffee-coloured river was roaring -past like a waterfall. Its power made me fear for the -anchor of the <em>Gamecock</em>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I must get aboard,” said I. “If she drags she’ll -never be able to beat up the river again.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The island is as good as a breakwater,” the Doctor -answered. “I can give you a cup of coffee if you will -come up to the house.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was chilled and miserable, so the suggestion was -a welcome one. We left the ill-omened cooperage -with its mystery still unsolved, and we splashed our -way up to the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There’s the spirit lamp,” said Severall. “If you -would just put a light to it, I will see how Walker -feels this morning.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He left me, but was back in an instant with a -dreadful face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He’s gone!” he cried hoarsely.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The words sent a thrill of horror through me. I -stood with the lamp in my hand, glaring at him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, he’s gone!” he repeated. “Come and -look!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I followed him without a word, and the first thing -that I saw as I entered the bedroom was Walker -himself lying huddled on his bed in the grey flannel -sleeping suit in which I had helped to dress him on -the night before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not dead, surely!” I gasped.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Doctor was terribly agitated. His hands were -shaking like leaves in the wind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He’s been dead some hours.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_336'>336</span>“Was it fever?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Fever! Look at his foot!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I glanced down and a cry of horror burst from my -lips. One foot was not merely dislocated but was -turned completely round in a most grotesque contortion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good God!” I cried. “What can have done -this?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Severall had laid his hand upon the dead man’s -chest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Feel here,” he whispered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I placed my hand at the same spot. There was -no resistance. The body was absolutely soft and -limp. It was like pressing a sawdust doll.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The breast-bone is gone,” said Severall in the -same awed whisper. “He’s broken to bits. Thank -God that he had the laudanum. You can see by his -face that he died in his sleep.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But who can have done this?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ve had about as much as I can stand,” said the -Doctor, wiping his forehead. “I don’t know that -I’m a greater coward than my neighbours, but this -gets beyond me. If you’re going out to the <em>Gamecock</em>——”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come on!” said I, and off we started. If we -did not run it was because each of us wished to keep -up the last shadow of his self-respect before the other. -It was dangerous in a light canoe on that swollen -river, but we never paused to give the matter a -thought. He bailing and I paddling we kept her -above water, and gained the deck of the yacht. -There, with two hundred yards of water between us -<span class='pageno' id='Page_337'>337</span>and this cursed island, we felt that we were our own -men once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well go back in an hour or so,” said he. “But -we need a little time to steady ourselves. I wouldn’t -have had the niggers see me as I was just now for -a year’s salary.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ve told the steward to prepare breakfast. Then -we shall go back,” said I. “But in God’s name, -Doctor Severall, what do you make of it all?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It beats me—beats me clean. I’ve heard of -Voodoo devilry, and I’ve laughed at it with the -others. But that poor old Walker, a decent, God-fearing, -nineteenth-century, Primrose-League Englishman -should go under like this without a whole bone -in his body—it’s given me a shake, I won’t deny it. -But look there, Meldrum, is that hand of yours mad -or drunk, or what is it?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Old Patterson, the oldest man of my crew, and -as steady as the Pyramids, had been stationed in -the bows with a boat-hook to fend off the drifting -logs which came sweeping down with the current. -Now he stood with crooked knees, glaring out in front -of him, and one forefinger stabbing furiously at -the air.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Look at it!” he yelled. “Look at it!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And at the same instant we saw it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A huge black tree trunk was coming down the -river, its broad glistening back just lapped by the -water. And in front of it—about three feet in front—arching -upwards like the figure-head of a ship, there -hung a dreadful face, swaying slowly from side to -side. It was flattened, malignant, as large as a small -<span class='pageno' id='Page_338'>338</span>beer-barrel, of a faded fungoid colour, but the neck -which supported it was mottled with a dull yellow -and black. As it flew past the <em>Gamecock</em> in the -swirl of the waters I saw two immense coils roll up -out of some great hollow in the tree, and the villainous -head rose suddenly to the height of eight or ten feet, -looking with dull, skin-covered eyes at the yacht. -An instant later the tree had shot past us and was -plunging with its horrible passenger towards the -Atlantic.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What was it?” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is our fiend of the cooperage,” said Dr. -Severall, and he had become in an instant the same -bluff, self-confident man that he had been before. -“Yes, that is the devil who has been haunting our -island. It is the great python of the Gaboon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I thought of the stories which I had heard all -down the coast of the monstrous constrictors of the -interior, of their periodical appetite, and of the -murderous effects of their deadly squeeze. Then it -all took shape in my mind. There had been a freshet -the week before. It had brought down this huge -hollow tree with its hideous occupant. Who knows -from what far distant tropical forest it may have come. -It had been stranded on the little east bay of the -island. The cooperage had been the nearest house. -Twice with the return of its appetite it had carried -off the watchman. Last night it had doubtless come -again, when Severall had thought he saw something -move at the window, but our lights had driven it -away. It had writhed onwards and had slain poor -Walker in his sleep.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_339'>339</span>“Why did it not carry him off?” I asked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The thunder and lightning must have scared the -brute away. There’s your steward, Meldrum. The -sooner we have breakfast and get back to the island -the better, or some of those niggers might think that -we had been frightened.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_340'>340</span> - <h2 class='c005'>JELLAND’S VOYAGE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>“Well,” said our Anglo-Jap as we all drew up our -chairs round the smoking-room fire, “it’s an old tale -out yonder, and may have spilt over into print for all -I know. I don’t want to turn this club-room into a -chestnut stall, but it is a long way to the Yellow Sea, -and it is just as likely that none of you have ever -heard of the yawl <em>Matilda</em>, and of what happened to -Henry Jelland and Willy McEvoy aboard of her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The middle of the sixties was a stirring time out -in Japan. That was just after the Simonosaki bombardment, -and before the Daimio affair. There was a -Tory party and there was a Liberal party among the -natives, and the question that they were wrangling -over was whether the throats of the foreigners should -be cut or not. I tell you all, politics have been tame -to me since then. If you lived in a treaty port, you -were bound to wake up and take an interest in them. -And to make it better, the outsider had no way of -knowing how the game was going. If the opposition -won it would not be a newspaper paragraph that would -tell him of it, but a good old Tory in a suit of chain -mail, with a sword in each hand, would drop in and -let him know all about it in a single upper cut.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Of course it makes men reckless when they are -<span class='pageno' id='Page_341'>341</span>living on the edge of a volcano like that. Just at first -they are very jumpy, and then there comes a time when -they learn to enjoy life while they have it. I tell you, -there’s nothing makes life so beautiful as when the -shadow of death begins to fall across it. Time is too -precious to be dawdled away then, and a man lives -every minute of it. That was the way with us in -Yokohama. There were many European places of -business which had to go on running, and the men -who worked them made the place lively for seven -nights in the week.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One of the heads of the European colony was -Randolph Moore, the big export merchant. His offices -were in Yokohama, but he spent a good deal of his -time at his house up in Jeddo, which had only -just been opened to the trade. In his absence he -used to leave his affairs in the hands of his head -clerk, Jelland, whom he knew to be a man of great -energy and resolution. But energy and resolution -are two-edged things, you know, and when they are -used against you you don’t appreciate them so much.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was gambling that set Jelland wrong. He -was a little dark-eyed fellow with black curly hair—more -than three-quarters Celt, I should imagine. -Every night in the week you would see him in the -same place, on the left-hand side of the croupier at -Matheson’s <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rouge et noir</span></i> table. For a long time he -won, and lived in better style than his employer. -And then came a turn of luck, and he began to -lose so that at the end of a single week his partner -and he were stone broke, without a dollar to their -names.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_342'>342</span>“This partner was a clerk in the employ of the -same firm—a tall, straw-haired young Englishman -called McEvoy. He was a good boy enough at the -start, but he was clay in the hands of Jelland, who -fashioned him into a kind of weak model of himself. -They were for ever on the prowl together, but it was -Jelland who led and McEvoy who followed. Lynch -and I and one or two others tried to show the youngster -that he could come to no good along that line, and -when we were talking to him we could win him round -easily enough, but five minutes of Jelland would swing -him back again. It may have been animal magnetism -or what you like, but the little man could pull the big -one along like a sixty-foot tug in front of a full-rigged -ship. Even when they had lost all their money they -would still take their places at the table and look on -with shining eyes when any one else was raking in the -stamps.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But one evening they could keep out of it no -longer. Red had turned up sixteen times running, -and it was more than Jelland could bear. He -whispered to McEvoy, and then said a word to the -croupier.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Certainly, Mr. Jelland; your cheque is as good -as notes,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Jelland scribbled a cheque and threw it on the -black. The card was the king of hearts, and the -croupier raked in the little bit of paper. Jelland -grew angry, and McEvoy white. Another and a -heavier cheque was written and thrown on the table. -The card was the nine of diamonds. McEvoy leaned -his head upon his hands and looked as if he would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_343'>343</span>faint. ‘By God!’ growled Jelland, ‘I won’t be beat,’ -and he threw on a cheque that covered the other two. -The card was the deuce of hearts. A few minutes -later they were walking down the Bund, with the cool -night-air playing upon their fevered faces.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Of course you know what this means,’ said -Jelland, lighting a cheroot; ‘we’ll have to transfer -some of the office money to our current account. -There’s no occasion to make a fuss over it. Old -Moore won’t look over the books before Easter. If -we have any luck, we can easily replace it before -then.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘But if we have no luck?’ faltered McEvoy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Tut, man, we must take things as they come. -You stick to me, and I’ll stick to you, and we’ll pull -through together. You shall sign the cheques to-morrow -night, and we shall see if your luck is better -than mine.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But if anything it was worse. When the pair -rose from the table on the following evening, they had -spent over £5,000 of their employer’s money. But the -resolute Jelland was as sanguine as ever.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We have a good nine weeks before us before the -books will be examined,’ said he. ‘We must play the -game out, and it will all come straight.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“McEvoy returned to his rooms that night in an -agony of shame and remorse. When he was with -Jelland he borrowed strength from him; but alone he -recognized the full danger of his position, and the -vision of his old white-capped mother in England, -who had been so proud when he had received his -appointment, rose up before him to fill him with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_344'>344</span>loathing and madness. He was still tossing upon his -sleepless couch when his Japanese servant entered -the bedroom. For an instant McEvoy thought that -the long-expected outbreak had come, and plunged -for his revolver. Then, with his heart in his mouth, -he listened to the message which the servant had -brought.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Jelland was downstairs, and wanted to see him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What on earth could he want at that hour of -night? McEvoy dressed hurriedly and rushed downstairs. -His companion, with a set smile upon his lips, -which was belied by the ghastly pallor of his face, -was sitting in the dim light of a solitary candle, with -a slip of paper in his hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Sorry to knock you up, Willy,’ said he. ‘No -eavesdroppers, I suppose?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“McEvoy shook his head. He could not trust -himself to speak.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Well, then, our little game is played out. This -note was waiting for me at home. It is from Moore, -and says that he will be down on Monday morning -for an examination of the books. It leaves us in a -tight place.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Monday!’ gasped McEvoy; ‘to-day is Friday.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Saturday, my son, and 3 a.m. We have not -much time to turn round in.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We are lost!’ screamed McEvoy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We soon will be, if you make such an infernal -row,’ said Jelland harshly. ‘Now do what I tell you, -Willy, and we’ll pull through yet.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I will do anything—anything.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘That’s better. Where’s your whisky? It’s a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_345'>345</span>beastly time of the day to have to get your back stiff, -but there must be no softness with us, or we are gone. -First of all, I think there is something due to our -relations, don’t you?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“McEvoy stared.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We must stand or fall together, you know. Now -I, for one, don’t intend to set my foot inside a felon’s -dock under any circumstances. D’ye see? I’m ready -to swear to that. Are you?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘What d’you mean?’ asked McEvoy, shrinking -back.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Why, man, we all have to die, and it’s only the -pressing of a trigger. I swear that I shall never be -taken alive. Will you? If you don’t, I leave you to -your fate.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘All right. I’ll do whatever you think best.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘You swear it?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Yes.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Well, mind, you must be as good as your -word. Now we have two clear days to get off in. -The yawl <em>Matilda</em> is on sale, and she has all her -fixings and plenty of tinned stuff aboard. We’ll buy -the lot to-morrow morning, and whatever we want, and -get away in her. But, first, we’ll clear all that is left -in the office. There are 5,000 sovereigns in the safe. -After dark we’ll get them aboard the yawl, and take -our chance of reaching California. There’s no use -hesitating, my son, for we have no ghost of a look-in -in any other direction. It’s that or nothing.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I’ll do what you advise.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘All right; and mind you get a bright face on -you to-morrow, for if Moore gets the tip and comes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_346'>346</span>before Monday, then——’ He tapped the side-pocket -of his coat and looked across at his partner with eyes -that were full of a sinister meaning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All went well with their plans next day. The -<em>Matilda</em> was bought without difficulty; and, though -she was a tiny craft for so long a voyage, had she been -larger two men could not have hoped to manage her. -She was stocked with water during the day, and after -dark the two clerks brought down the money from the -office and stowed it in the hold. Before midnight they -had collected all their own possessions without exciting -suspicion, and at two in the morning they left their -moorings and stole quietly out from among the shipping. -They were seen, of course, and were set down -as keen yachtsmen who were on for a good long Sunday -cruise; but there was no one who dreamed that that -cruise would only end either on the American coast or -at the bottom of the North Pacific Ocean. Straining -and hauling, they got their mainsail up and set their -foresail and jib. There was a slight breeze from the -south-east, and the little craft went dipping along upon -her way. Seven miles from land, however, the wind -fell away and they lay becalmed, rising and falling on -the long swell of a glassy sea. All Sunday they did -not make a mile, and in the evening Yokohama still -lay along the horizon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On Monday morning down came Randolph Moore -from Jeddo, and made straight for the offices. He had -had the tip from some one that his clerks had been -spreading themselves a bit, and that had made him -come down out of his usual routine; but when he -reached his place and found the three juniors waiting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_347'>347</span>in the street with their hands in their pockets he knew -that the matter was serious.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘What’s this?’ he asked. He was a man of -action, and a nasty chap to deal with when he had his -topmasts lowered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘We can’t get in,’ said the clerks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Where is Mr. Jelland?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He has not come to-day.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘And Mr. McEvoy?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘He has not come either.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Randolph Moore looked serious. ‘We must have -the door down,’ said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“They don’t build houses very solid in that land of -earthquakes, and in a brace of shakes they were all in -the office. Of course the thing told its own story. -The safe was open, the money gone, and the clerks fled. -Their employer lost no time in talk.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Where were they seen last?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘On Saturday they bought the <em>Matilda</em> and -started for a cruise.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Saturday! The matter seemed hopeless if they -had got two days’ start. But there was still the -shadow of a chance. He rushed to the beach and -swept the ocean with his glasses.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘My God!’ he cried. ‘There’s the <em>Matilda</em> out -yonder. I know her by the rake of her mast. I have -my hand upon the villains after all!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But there was a hitch even then. No boat had -steam up, and the eager merchant had not patience to -wait. Clouds were banking up along the haunch of -the hills, and there was every sign of an approaching -change of weather. A police boat was ready with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_348'>348</span>ten armed men in her, and Randolph Moore himself -took the tiller as she shot out in pursuit of the becalmed -yawl.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Jelland and McEvoy, waiting wearily for the -breeze which never came, saw the dark speck which -sprang out from the shadow of the land and grew -larger with every swish of the oars. As she drew -nearer, they could see also that she was packed with -men, and the gleam of weapons told what manner of -men they were. Jelland stood leaning against the -tiller, and he looked at the threatening sky, the limp -sails, and the approaching boat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘It’s a case with us, Willy,’ said he. ‘By the -Lord, we are two most unlucky devils, for there’s wind -in that sky, and another hour would have brought it -to us.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“McEvoy groaned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘There’s no good softening over it, my lad,’ said -Jelland. ‘It’s the police boat right enough, and there’s -old Moore driving them to row like hell. It’ll be a -ten-dollar job for every man of them.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Willy McEvoy crouched against the side with his -knees on the deck. ‘My mother! my poor old -mother!’ he sobbed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘She’ll never hear that you have been in the dock -anyway,’ said Jelland. ‘My people never did much -for me, but I will do that much for them. It’s no -good, Mac. We can chuck our hands. God bless -you, old man! Here’s the pistol!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He cocked the revolver, and held the butt towards -the youngster. But the other shrunk away from it -with little gasps and cries. Jelland glanced at the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_349'>349</span>approaching boat. It was not more than a few -hundred yards away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘There’s no time for nonsense,’ said he. ‘Damn -it! man, what’s the use of flinching? You swore -it!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘No, no, Jelland!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Well, anyhow, I swore that neither of us should -be taken. Will you do it?’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘I can’t! I can’t!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘Then I will for you.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The rowers in the boat saw him lean forwards, -they heard two pistol shots, they saw him double himself -across the tiller, and then, before the smoke had -lifted, they found that they had something else to -think of.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For at that instant the storm broke—one of those -short sudden squalls which are common in these seas. -The <em>Matilda</em> heeled over, her sails bellied out, she -plunged her lee-rail into a wave, and was off like a -frightened deer. Jelland’s body had jammed the helm, -and she kept a course right before the wind, and -fluttered away over the rising sea like a blown piece -of paper. The rowers worked frantically, but the yawl -still drew ahead, and in five minutes it had plunged -into the storm wrack never to be seen again by mortal -eye. The boat put back, and reached Yokohama with -the water washing half-way up to the thwarts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And that was how it came that the yawl <em>Matilda</em>, -with a cargo of five thousand pounds and a crew of -two dead young men, set sail across the Pacific Ocean. -What the end of Jelland’s voyage may have been no -man knows. He may have foundered in that gale, or -<span class='pageno' id='Page_350'>350</span>he may have been picked up by some canny merchantman, -who stuck to the bullion and kept his mouth -shut, or he may still be cruising in that vast waste of -waters, blown north to the Behring Sea, or south to the -Malay Islands. It’s better to leave it unfinished than -to spoil a true story by inventing a tag to it.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_351'>351</span> - <h2 class='c005'>B. 24</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>I told my story when I was taken, and no one would -listen to me. Then I told it again at the trial—the -whole thing absolutely as it happened, without so -much as a word added. I set it all out truly, so help -me God, all that Lady Mannering said and did, and -then all that I had said and done, just as it occurred. -And what did I get for it? “The prisoner put forward -a rambling and inconsequential statement, incredible -in its details, and unsupported by any shred of -corroborative evidence.” That was what one of the -London papers said, and others let it pass as if I had -made no defence at all. And yet, with my own eyes I -saw Lord Mannering murdered, and I am as guiltless -of it as any man on the jury that tried me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now, sir, you are there to receive the petitions of -prisoners. It all lies with you. All I ask is that you -read it—just read it—and then that you make an inquiry -or two about the private character of this “lady” -Mannering, if she still keeps the name that she had -three years ago, when to my sorrow and ruin I came -to meet her. You could use a private inquiry -agent or a good lawyer, and you would soon learn -enough to show you that my story is the true one. -Think of the glory it would be to you to have all the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_352'>352</span>papers saying that there would have been a shocking -miscarriage of justice if it had not been for your perseverance -and intelligence! That must be your reward, -since I am a poor man and can offer you nothing. -But if you don’t do it, may you never lie easy in your -bed again! May no night pass that you are not -haunted by the thought of the man who rots in gaol -because you have not done the duty which you are paid -to do! But you will do it, sir, I know. Just make -one or two inquiries, and you will soon find which way -the wind blows. Remember, also, that the only person -who profited by the crime was herself, since it changed -her from an unhappy wife to a rich young widow. -There’s the end of the string in your hand, and you -only have to follow it up and see where it leads to.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mind you, sir, I make no complaint as far as the -burglary goes. I don’t whine about what I have -deserved, and so far I have had no more than I have -deserved. Burglary it was, right enough, and my three -years have gone to pay for it. It was shown at the -trial that I had had a hand in the Merton Cross -business, and did a year for that, so my story had the -less attention on that account. A man with a previous -conviction never gets a really fair trial. I own to the -burglary, but when it comes to the murder which -brought me a lifer—any judge but Sir James might -have given me the gallows—then I tell you that I had -nothing to do with it, and that I am an innocent man. -And now I’ll take that night, the 13th of September, -1894, and I’ll give you just exactly what occurred, and -may God’s hand strike me down if I go one inch over -the truth.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_353'>353</span>I had been at Bristol in the summer looking for -work, and then I had a notion that I might get something -at Portsmouth, for I was trained as a skilled -mechanic, so I came tramping my way across the south -of England, and doing odd jobs as I went. I was -trying all I knew to keep off the cross, for I had done -a year in Exeter Gaol, and I had had enough of visiting -Queen Victoria. But it’s cruel hard to get work when -once the black mark is against your name, and it was -all I could do to keep soul and body together. At last, -after ten days of wood-cutting and stone-breaking on -starvation pay, I found myself near Salisbury with a -couple of shillings in my pocket, and my boots and my -patience clean wore out. There’s an ale-house called -“The Willing Mind,” which stands on the road -between Blandford and Salisbury, and it was there that -night I engaged a bed. I was sitting alone in the tap-room -just about closing time, when the innkeeper—Allen -his name was—came beside me and began yarning -about the neighbours. He was a man that liked -to talk and to have some one to listen to his talk, so I -sat there smoking and drinking a mug of ale which he -had stood me; and I took no great interest in what he -said until he began to talk (as the devil would have it) -about the riches of Mannering Hall.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Meaning the large house on the right before I -came to the village?” said I. “The one that stands -in its own park?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Exactly,” said he—and I am giving all our talk -so that you may know that I am telling you the truth -and hiding nothing. “The long white house with the -pillars,” said he. “At the side of the Blandford Road.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_354'>354</span>Now I had looked at it as I passed, and it had -crossed my mind, as such thoughts will, that it was a -very easy house to get into with that great row of -ground windows and glass doors. I had put the -thought away from me, and now here was this landlord -bringing it back with his talk about the riches -within. I said nothing, but I listened, and as luck -would have it, he would always come back to this one -subject.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He was a miser young, so you can think what he -is now in his age,” said he. “Well, he’s had some -good out of his money.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What good can he have had if he does not spend -it?” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well, it bought him the prettiest wife in England, -and that was some good that he got out of it. She -thought she would have the spending of it, but she -knows the difference now.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Who was she then?” I asked, just for the sake of -something to say.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She was nobody at all until the old Lord made -her his Lady,” said he. “She came from up London -way, and some said that she had been on the stage -there, but nobody knew. The old Lord was away for a -year, and when he came home he brought a young wife -back with him, and there she has been ever since. -Stephens, the butler, did tell me once that she was the -light of the house when fust she came, but what with -her husband’s mean and aggravatin’ way, and what -with her loneliness—for he hates to see a visitor -within his doors; and what with his bitter words—for -he has a tongue like a hornet’s sting, her life all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_355'>355</span>went out of her, and she became a white, silent -creature, moping about the country lanes. Some say -that she loved another man, and that it was just the -riches of the old Lord which tempted her to be false -to her lover, and that now she is eating her heart -out because she has lost the one without being any -nearer to the other, for she might be the poorest -woman in the parish for all the money that she has -the handling of.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Well, sir, you can imagine that it did not interest -me very much to hear about the quarrels between a -Lord and a Lady. What did it matter to me if she -hated the sound of his voice, or if he put every -indignity upon her in the hope of breaking her spirit, -and spoke to her as he would never have dared to -speak to one of his servants? The landlord told -me of these things, and of many more like them, -but they passed out of my mind, for they were no -concern of mine. But what I did want to hear was -the form in which Lord Mannering kept his riches. -Title-deeds and stock certificates are but paper, -and more danger than profit to the man who takes -them. But metal and stones are worth a risk. And -then, as if he were answering my very thoughts, the -landlord told me of Lord Mannering’s great collection -of gold medals, that it was the most valuable in -the world, and that it was reckoned that if they -were put into a sack the strongest man in the parish -would not be able to raise them. Then his wife called -him, and he and I went to our beds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I am not arguing to make out a case for myself, -but I beg you, sir, to bear all the facts in your -<span class='pageno' id='Page_356'>356</span>mind, and to ask yourself whether a man could be -more sorely tempted than I was. I make bold to -say that there are few who could have held out against -it. There I lay on my bed that night, a desperate -man without hope or work, and with my last shilling -in my pocket. I had tried to be honest, and honest -folk had turned their backs upon me. They taunted -me for theft; and yet they pushed me towards it. -I was caught in the stream and could not get out. -And then it was such a chance: the great house all -lined with windows, the golden medals which could -so easily be melted down. It was like putting a loaf -before a starving man and expecting him not to eat -it. I fought against it for a time, but it was no -use. At last I sat up on the side of my bed, and I -swore that that night I should either be a rich man -and able to give up crime for ever, or that the irons -should be on my wrists once more. Then I slipped -on my clothes, and, having put a shilling on the table—for -the landlord had treated me well, and I did -not wish to cheat him—I passed out through the -window into the garden of the inn.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a high wall round this garden, and -I had a job to get over it, but once on the other -side it was all plain sailing. I did not meet a soul -upon the road, and the iron gate of the avenue was -open. No one was moving at the lodge. The moon -was shining, and I could see the great house glimmering -white through an archway of trees. I walked -up it for a quarter of a mile or so, until I was at -the edge of the drive, where it ended in a broad, -gravelled space before the main door. There I stood -<span class='pageno' id='Page_357'>357</span>in the shadow and looked at the long building, with -a full moon shining in every window and silvering -the high stone front. I crouched there for some time, -and I wondered where I should find the easiest -entrance. The corner window of the side seemed -to be the one which was least overlooked, and a screen -of ivy hung heavily over it. My best chance was -evidently there. I worked my way under the trees -to the back of the house, and then crept along in -the black shadow of the building. A dog barked and -rattled his chain, but I stood waiting until he was -quiet, and then I stole on once more until I came to -the window which I had chosen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is astonishing how careless they are in the -country, in places far removed from large towns, -where the thought of burglars never enters their -heads. I call it setting temptation in a poor man’s -way when he puts his hand, meaning no harm, -upon a door, and finds it swing open before him. -In this case it was not so bad as that, but the window -was merely fastened with the ordinary catch, which -I opened with a push from the blade of my knife. -I pulled up the window as quickly as possible, and -then I thrust the knife through the slit in the shutter -and prized it open. They were folding shutters, and -I shoved them before me and walked into the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good evening, sir! You are very welcome!” -said a voice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I’ve had some starts in my life, but never one to -come up to that one. There, in the opening of the -shutters, within reach of my arm, was standing a -woman with a small coil of wax taper burning in her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_358'>358</span>hand. She was tall and straight and slender, with -a beautiful white face that might have been cut out -of clear marble, but her hair and eyes were as black -as night. She was dressed in some sort of white -dressing-gown which flowed down to her feet, and -what with this robe and what with her face, it seemed -as if a spirit from above was standing in front of -me. My knees knocked together, and I held on to -the shutter with one hand to give me support. I -should have turned and run away if I had had the -strength, but I could only just stand and stare -at her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>She soon brought me back to myself once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Don’t be frightened!” said she, and they were -strange words for the mistress of a house to have to -use to a burglar. “I saw you out of my bedroom -window when you were hiding under those trees, -so I slipped downstairs, and then I heard you at the -window. I should have opened it for you if you -had waited, but you managed it yourself just as I -came up.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I still held in my hand the long clasp-knife with -which I had opened the shutter. I was unshaven -and grimed from a week on the roads. Altogether, -there are few people who would have cared to face -me alone at one in the morning; but this woman, -if I had been her lover meeting her by appointment, -could not have looked upon me with a more welcoming -eye. She laid her hand upon my sleeve and drew me -into the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What’s the meaning of this, ma’am? Don’t get -trying any little games upon me,” said I, in my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_359'>359</span>roughest way—and I can put it on rough when I -like. “It’ll be the worse for you if you play me -any trick,” I added, showing her my knife.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will play you no trick,” said she. “On the -contrary, I am your friend, and I wish to help -you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Excuse me, ma’am, but I find it hard to believe -that,” said I. “Why should you wish to help me?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have my own reasons,” said she; and then -suddenly, with those black eyes blazing out of her -white face: “It’s because I hate him, hate him, hate -him! Now you understand.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I remembered what the landlord had told me, -and I did understand. I looked at her Ladyship’s -face, and I knew that I could trust her. She -wanted to revenge herself upon her husband. She -wanted to hit him where it would hurt him most—upon -the pocket. She hated him so that she would -even lower her pride to take such a man as me into -her confidence if she could gain her end by doing so. -I’ve hated some folk in my time, but I don’t think I -ever understood what hate was until I saw that -woman’s face in the light of the taper.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ll trust me now?” said she, with another -coaxing touch upon my sleeve.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, your Ladyship.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You know me, then?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I can guess who you are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I daresay my wrongs are the talk of the county. -But what does he care for that? He only cares for -one thing in the whole world, and that you can take -from him this night. Have you a bag?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_360'>360</span>“No, your Ladyship.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Shut the shutter behind you. Then no one can -see the light. You are quite safe. The servants all -sleep in the other wing. I can show you where all -the most valuable things are. You cannot carry them -all, so we must pick the best.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The room in which I found myself was long and -low, with many rugs and skins scattered about on a -polished wood floor. Small cases stood here and there, -and the walls were decorated with spears and swords -and paddles, and other things which find their way -into museums. There were some queer clothes, too, -which had been brought from savage countries, and the -lady took down a large leather sack-bag from among -them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This sleeping-sack will do,” said she. “Now -come with me and I will show you where the medals -are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was like a dream to me to think that this tall, -white woman was the lady of the house, and that she -was lending me a hand to rob her own home. I could -have burst out laughing at the thought of it, and yet -there was something in that pale face of hers which -stopped my laughter and turned me cold and serious. -She swept on in front of me like a spirit, with the -green taper in her hand, and I walked behind with my -sack until we came to a door at the end of this -museum. It was locked, but the key was in it, and -she led me through.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The room beyond was a small one, hung all round -with curtains which had pictures on them. It was -the hunting of a deer that was painted on it, as I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_361'>361</span>remember, and in the flicker of that light you’d have -sworn that the dogs and the horses were streaming round -the walls. The only other thing in the room was a row -of cases made of walnut, with brass ornaments. They -had glass tops, and beneath this glass I saw the long -lines of those gold medals, some of them as big as a -plate and half an inch thick, all resting upon red -velvet and glowing and gleaming in the darkness. -My fingers were just itching to be at them, and I -slipped my knife under the lock of one of the cases -to wrench it open.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Wait a moment,” said she, laying her hand upon -my arm. “You might do better than this.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am very well satisfied, ma’am,” said I, “and -much obliged to your Ladyship for kind assistance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You can do better,” she repeated. “Would not -golden sovereigns be worth more to you than these -things?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Why, yes,” said I. “That’s best of all.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said she. “He sleeps just above our head. -It is but one short staircase. There is a tin box with -money enough to fill this bag under his bed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How can I get it without waking him?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What matter if he does wake?” She looked -very hard at me as she spoke. “You could keep him -from calling out.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No, no, ma’am, I’ll have none of that.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Just as you like,” said she. “I thought that -you were a stout-hearted sort of man by your appearance, -but I see that I made a mistake. If you are -afraid to run the risk of one old man, then of course -you cannot have the gold which is under his bed. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_362'>362</span>You are the best judge of your own business, but -I should think that you would do better at some other -trade.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll not have murder on my conscience.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You could overpower him without harming him. -I never said anything of murder. The money lies -under the bed. But if you are faint-hearted, it is -better that you should not attempt it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>She worked upon me so, partly with her scorn and -partly with this money that she held before my eyes, -that I believe I should have yielded and taken my -chances upstairs, had it not been that I saw her eyes -following the struggle within me in such a crafty, -malignant fashion, that it was evident she was bent -upon making me the tool of her revenge, and that -she would leave me no choice but to do the old man an -injury or to be captured by him. She felt suddenly -that she was giving herself away, and she changed her -face to a kindly, friendly smile, but it was too late, for -I had had my warning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I will not go upstairs,” said I. “I have all I -want here.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>She looked her contempt at me, and there never -was a face which could look it plainer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very good. You can take these medals. I should -be glad if you would begin at this end. I suppose they -will all be the same value when melted down, but these -are the ones which are the rarest, and, therefore, the -most precious to him. It is not necessary to break the -locks. If you press that brass knob you will find that -there is a secret spring. So! Take that small one -first—it is the very apple of his eye.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_363'>363</span>She had opened one of the cases, and the beautiful -things all lay exposed before me. I had my hand upon -the one which she had pointed out, when suddenly a -change came over her face, and she held up one finger -as a warning. “Hist!” she whispered. “What is -that?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Far away in the silence of the house we heard a low, -dragging, shuffling sound, and the distant tread of feet. -She closed and fastened the case in an instant.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It’s my husband!” she whispered. “All right. -Don’t be alarmed. I’ll arrange it. Here! Quick, -behind the tapestry!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>She pushed me behind the painted curtains upon -the wall, my empty leather bag still in my hand. -Then she took her taper and walked quickly into the -room from which we had come. From where I stood -I could see her through the open door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is that you, Robert?” she cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The light of a candle shone through the door of the -museum, and the shuffling steps came nearer and nearer. -Then I saw a face in the doorway, a great, heavy face, -all lines and creases, with a huge curving nose, and a -pair of gold glasses fixed across it. He had to throw -his head back to see through the glasses, and that great -nose thrust out in front of him like the beak of some -sort of fowl. He was a big man, very tall and burly, -so that in his loose dressing-gown his figure seemed to -fill up the whole doorway. He had a pile of grey, -curling hair all round his head, but his face was clean-shaven. -His mouth was thin and small and prim, -hidden away under his long, masterful nose. He stood -there, holding the candle in front of him, and looking -<span class='pageno' id='Page_364'>364</span>at his wife with a queer, malicious gleam in his eyes. -It only needed that one look to tell me that he was as -fond of her as she was of him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How’s this?” he asked. “Some new tantrum? -What do you mean by wandering about the house? -Why don’t you go to bed?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I could not sleep,” she answered. She spoke -languidly and wearily. If she was an actress once, she -had not forgotten her calling.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Might I suggest,” said he, in the same mocking -kind of voice, “that a good conscience is an excellent -aid to sleep?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“That cannot be true,” she answered, “for you sleep -very well.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have only one thing in my life to be ashamed -of,” said he, and his hair bristled up with anger until he -looked like an old cockatoo. “You know best what -that is. It is a mistake which has brought its own -punishment with it.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To me as well as to you. Remember that!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You have very little to whine about. It was I -who stooped and you who rose.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Rose!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, rose. I suppose you do not deny that it is -promotion to exchange the music-hall for Mannering -Hall. Fool that I was ever to take you out of your -true sphere!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If you think so, why do you not separate?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Because private misery is better than public -humiliation. Because it is easier to suffer for a mistake -than to own to it. Because also I like to keep you in -my sight, and to know that you cannot go back to him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_365'>365</span>“You villain! You cowardly villain!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, my lady. I know your secret ambition, -but it shall never be while I live, and if it happens -after my death I will at least take care that you go to -him as a beggar. You and dear Edward will never -have the satisfaction of squandering my savings, and -you may make up your mind to that, my lady. Why -are those shutters and the window open?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I found the night very close.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not safe. How do you know that some tramp -may not be outside? Are you aware that my collection -of medals is worth more than any similar -collection in the world? You have left the door open -also. What is there to prevent any one from rifling -the cases?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was here.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I know you were. I heard you moving about in -the medal room, and that was why I came down. -What were you doing?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Looking at the medals. What else should I be -doing?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This curiosity is something new.” He looked -suspiciously at her and moved on towards the inner -room, she walking beside him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was at this moment that I saw something which -startled me. I had laid my clasp-knife open upon the -top of one of the cases, and there it lay in full view. -She saw it before he did, and with a woman’s cunning -she held her taper out so that the light of it came -between Lord Mannering’s eyes and the knife. Then -she took it in her left hand and held it against her -gown out of his sight. He looked about from case to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_366'>366</span>case—I could have put my hand at one time upon -his long nose—but there was nothing to show that the -medals had been tampered with, and so, still snarling -and grumbling, he shuffled off into the other room once -more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And now I have to speak of what I heard rather -than of what I saw, but I swear to you, as I shall -stand some day before my Maker, that what I say is -the truth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When they passed into the outer room I saw him -lay his candle upon the corner of one of the tables, and -he sat himself down, but in such a position that he was -just out of my sight. She moved behind him, as I -could tell from the fact that the light of her taper -threw his long, lumpy shadow upon the floor in front -of him. Then he began talking about this man whom -he called Edward, and every word that he said was -like a blistering drop of vitriol. He spoke low, so -that I could not hear it all, but from what I heard I -should guess that she would as soon have been lashed -with a whip. At first she said some hot words in -reply, but then she was silent, and he went on and on -in that cold, mocking voice of his, nagging and insulting -and tormenting, until I wondered that she could -bear to stand there in silence and listen to it. Then -suddenly I heard him say in a sharp voice, “Come -from behind me! Leave go of my collar! What! -would you dare to strike me?” There was a sound -like a blow, just a soft sort of thud, and then I heard -him cry out, “My God, it’s blood!” He shuffled with -his feet as if he was getting up, and then I heard -another blow, and he cried out, “Oh, you she-devil!” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_367'>367</span>and was quiet, except for a dripping and splashing -upon the floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I ran out from behind my curtain at that, and -rushed into the other room, shaking all over with the -horror of it. The old man had slipped down in the -chair, and his dressing-gown had rucked up until he -looked as if he had a monstrous hump to his back. -His head, with the gold glasses still fixed on his nose, -was lolling over upon one side, and his little mouth -was open just like a dead fish. I could not see where -the blood was coming from, but I could still hear it -drumming upon the floor. She stood behind him with -the candle shining full upon her face. Her lips were -pressed together and her eyes shining, and a touch -of colour had come into each of her cheeks. It just -wanted that to make her the most beautiful woman -I had ever seen in my life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You’ve done it now!” said I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes,” said she, in her quiet way, “I’ve done it -now.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What are you going to do?” I asked. “They’ll -have you for murder as sure as fate.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Never fear about me. I have nothing to live -for, and it does not matter. Give me a hand to set -him straight in the chair. It is horrible to see him -like this!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did so, though it turned me cold all over to touch -him. Some of his blood came on my hand and -sickened me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Now,” said she, “you may as well have the -medals as any one else. Take them and go.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I don’t want them. I only want to get away. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_368'>368</span>I was never mixed up with a business like this -before.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Nonsense!” said she. “You came for the medals, -and here they are at your mercy. Why should you -not have them? There is no one to prevent you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I held the bag still in my hand. She opened the -case, and between us we threw a hundred or so of the -medals into it. They were all from the one case, but -I could not bring myself to wait for any more. Then -I made for the window, for the very air of this house -seemed to poison me after what I had seen and heard. -As I looked back, I saw her standing there, tall and -graceful, with the light in her hand, just as I had -seen her first. She waved good-bye, and I waved -back at her and sprang out into the gravel drive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I thank God that I can lay my hand upon my -heart and say that I have never done a murder, but -perhaps it would be different if I had been able to -read that woman’s mind and thoughts. There might -have been two bodies in the room instead of one if -I could have seen behind that last smile of hers. -But I thought of nothing but of getting safely away, -and it never entered my head how she might be -fixing the rope round my neck. I had not taken five -steps out from the window skirting down the shadow -of the house in the way that I had come, when I -heard a scream that might have raised the parish, and -then another and another.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Murder!” she cried. “Murder! Murder! Help!” -and her voice rang out in the quiet of the night-time -and sounded over the whole country-side. It went -through my head, that dreadful cry. In an instant -<span class='pageno' id='Page_369'>369</span>lights began to move and windows to fly up, not -only in the house behind me, but at the lodge and -in the stables in front. Like a frightened rabbit I -bolted down the drive, but I heard the clang of the -gate being shut before I could reach it. Then I hid -my bag of medals under some dry fagots, and I tried -to get away across the park, but some one saw me in -the moonlight, and presently I had half a dozen of -them with dogs upon my heels. I crouched down -among the brambles, but those dogs were too many -for me, and I was glad enough when the men came -up and prevented me from being torn into pieces. -They seized me, and dragged me back to the room -from which I had come.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Is this the man, your Ladyship?” asked the -oldest of them—the same whom I found out afterwards -to be the butler.</p> - -<p class='c000'>She had been bending over the body, with her -handkerchief to her eyes, and now she turned upon -me with the face of a fury. Oh, what an actress -that woman was!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, it is the very man,” she cried. “Oh, -you villain, you cruel villain, to treat an old man so!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a man there who seemed to be a -village constable. He laid his hand upon my -shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What do you say to that?” said he.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was she who did it,” I cried, pointing at the -woman, whose eyes never flinched before mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Come! come! Try another!” said the constable, -and one of the men-servants struck at me with his -fist.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_370'>370</span>“I tell you that I saw her do it. She stabbed -him twice with a knife. She first helped me to rob -him, and then she murdered him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The footman tried to strike me again, but she held -up her hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do not hurt him,” said she. “I think that his -punishment may safely be left to the law.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I’ll see to that, your Ladyship,” said the constable. -“Your Ladyship actually saw the crime committed, -did you not?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Yes, yes, I saw it with my own eyes. It was -horrible. We heard the noise and we came down. -My poor husband was in front. The man had one -of the cases open, and was filling a black leather bag -which he held in his hand. He rushed past us, and -my husband seized him. There was a struggle, and -he stabbed him twice. There you can see the blood -upon his hands. If I am not mistaken, his knife is -still in Lord Mannering’s body.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Look at the blood upon her hands!” I cried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“She has been holding up his Lordship’s head, you -lying rascal,” said the butler.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And here’s the very sack her Ladyship spoke -of,” said the constable, as a groom came in with the -one which I had dropped in my flight. “And here -are the medals inside it. That’s good enough for -me. We will keep him safe here to-night, and to-morrow -the inspector and I can take him into -Salisbury.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Poor creature,” said the woman. “For my own -part, I forgive him any injury which he has done me. -Who knows what temptation may have driven him -<span class='pageno' id='Page_371'>371</span>to crime? His conscience and the law will give him -punishment enough without any reproach of mine -rendering it more bitter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I could not answer—I tell you, sir, I could not -answer, so taken aback was I by the assurance of the -woman. And so, seeming by my silence to agree to -all that she had said, I was dragged away by the -butler and the constable into the cellar, in which they -locked me for the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There, sir, I have told you the whole story of the -events which led up to the murder of Lord Mannering -by his wife upon the night of September the 14th, -in the year 1894. Perhaps you will put my statement -on one side as the constable did at Mannering Towers, -or the judge afterwards at the county assizes. Or -perhaps you will see that there is the ring of truth -in what I say, and you will follow it up, and so make -your name for ever as a man who does not grudge -personal trouble where justice is to be done. I have -only you to look to, sir, and if you will clear my -name of this false accusation, then I will worship -you as one man never yet worshipped another. But -if you fail me, then I give you my solemn promise -that I will rope myself up, this day month, to the -bar of my window, and from that time on I will come -to plague you in your dreams if ever yet one man -was able to come back and to haunt another. What -I ask you to do is very simple. Make inquiries about -this woman, watch her, learn her past history, find -out what use she is making of the money which has -come to her, and whether there is not a man Edward -as I have stated. If from all this you learn anything -<span class='pageno' id='Page_372'>372</span>which shows you her real character, or which seems -to you to corroborate the story which I have told -you, then I am sure that I can rely upon your goodness -of heart to come to the rescue of an innocent -man.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>THE END</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div>SIR A. CONAN DOYLE’S WORKS.</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='c016'><strong>SIR NIGEL.</strong> With Illustrations by <span class='sc'>Arthur Twidle</span>. Third -Impression. 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The Author’s future work will, in due course, be added to the Edition.</em></p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c018'> - <div>CONTENTS OF THE VOLUMES.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c019'>1. <span class='sc'>The White Company.</span>—2. <span class='sc'>Micah Clarke.</span>—3. <span class='sc'>The Refugees.</span>—4. <span class='sc'>Rodney -Stone.</span>—5. <span class='sc'>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.</span>—6. <span class='sc'>Memoirs of Sherlock -Holmes.</span>—7. <span class='sc'>A Study in Scarlet; The Sign of Four.</span>—8. <span class='sc'>The Great Shadow; -Uncle Bernac.</span>—9. <span class='sc'>A Duet.</span>—10. <span class='sc'>The Tragedy of the ‘Korosko’; The Green -Flag, and other Tales of War and Sport.</span>—11. <span class='sc'>The Stark-Munro Letters; Round -the Red Lamp.</span>—12. <span class='sc'>The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard; The Crime of the -Brigadier.</span></p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c020'> - <div>London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c021'> - <div><span class='sc'>WORKS by FRANK T. BULLEN, f.r.g.s.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='c016'><strong>Our Heritage the Sea.</strong> With a Frontispiece by <span class='sc'>Arthur Twidle</span>. -Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>DAILY TELEGRAPH.</cite>—‘The first step to winning the people to the reading a -good book is to produce the good book for them to read, and that Mr. Bullen has done.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>Back to Sunny Seas.</strong> With 8 Full-page Illustrations in Colour by -<span class='sc'>A. S. Forrest</span>, R.I. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>DAILY TELEGRAPH.</cite>—‘A bright, interesting and chatty record of a pleasant -cruise to the West Indies.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>Sea-Wrack.</strong> SECOND IMPRESSION. With 8 Illustrations by <span class='sc'>Arthur -Twidle</span>. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘Characteristic of Mr. Bullen’s best work.’</p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>VANITY FAIR.</cite>—‘A delightful volume.... The seafaring man is an open -book to Mr. Bullen.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>Deep Sea Plunderings.</strong> THIRD IMPRESSION. With 8 Full-page -Illustrations by <span class='sc'>Arthur Twidle</span>. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘There is something in the book to please almost every taste.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>The Men of the Merchant Service</strong>: being the -Polity of the Mercantile Marine for ‘Longshore Readers. SECOND -IMPRESSION. Large post 8vo. 7<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘The book is of great value, and of great interest to all the -innumerable people who are curious about the most romantic and separate of lives. But -it is of importance, secondly and chiefly, as Mr. Bullen’s appeal to the political sense of -his country.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>The Cruise of the ‘Cachalot’ Round the World</strong> -after Sperm Whales. By <span class='sc'>Frank T. Bullen</span>, First Mate. The volume -includes a Letter to the Author from <span class='sc'>Rudyard Kipling</span>. TWELFTH -IMPRESSION. With 8 Illustrations and a Chart. Crown 8vo. 3<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><em>The</em> Rev. Dr. HORTON, <em>in his Sermon on behalf of the British and -Foreign Bible Society, referred to Mr. Bullen’s ‘Cruise of the -“Cachalot”’ in the following terms</em>:</p> - -<p class='c019'>‘It is a very remarkable book in every way; it seems to me worthy -to rank with some of the writings of Defoe. It has absolutely taken -the shine out of some of the romantic literature of such writers as even -Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling. By the strange law that truth is -more wonderful than fiction, this book is more wonderful than the -wildest dreams of the creator of imagination.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>The Log of a Sea-Waif</strong>: being the Recollections of -First Four Years of my Sea Life. FIFTH IMPRESSION. With 8 Full -page Illustrations specially drawn by <span class='sc'>Arthur Twidle</span>. Crown 8vo. 3<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>WORLD.</cite>—‘We have read many stories of sea life, but do not remember to have -been so fascinated and enthralled by any of them as by this masterly presentation of the -humours, hardships, and minor tragedies of life in the forecastle.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>The Way they have In the Navy</strong>: being a Day-to-Day -Record of a Cruise In H.M. Battleship ‘Mars’ during the Manœuvres -of 1899. THIRD IMPRESSION. Crown 8vo. paper covers, 1<em>s.</em>; cloth, 1<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘We recommend it most heartily and without any misgiving.’</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c020'> - <div>London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c021'> - <div>WORKS BY W. H. FITCHETT, <span class='fss'>B.A, LL.D.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='c016'><strong>Wesley and his Century: a study in spiritual -Forces.</strong> With a Photogravure Frontispiece from the Portrait of John Wesley by -<span class='sc'>George Romney</span> and Four Facsimiles of Letters, &c. <span class='sc'>Second Impression</span>. -6<em>s.</em> net.</p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>BOOKMAN.</cite>—‘A deeply interesting volume.... 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With 8 Portraits and 4 Plans. -Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>GUARDIAN.</cite>—‘It is almost impossible to lay the book down. The story of those -summer months of 1857 must ever appeal to English readers.’</p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>BOOKMAN.</cite>—‘Written with all the swing and dash, with all the careful accuracy -and brilliant descriptive power which have made Dr. Fitchett’s books so deservedly -popular.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>How England Saved Europe: the story of the -Great War (1793–1815).</strong> SECOND IMPRESSION. In 4 vols. crown 8vo. with -Portraits. 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Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘“Fights for the Flag” is as good as “Deeds that Won the -Empire.” To say more than this in praise of the book before us is unnecessary, for -“Deeds that Won the Empire” was one of the best collection of popular battle studies -ever given to the public.’</p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>REVIEW OF REVIEWS.</cite>—‘As a gift-book, or as a book to take up and read at -odd moments, or to devour at a prolonged sitting, this book has few equals, and will -probably equal or eclipse the popularity of its predecessors.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>Deeds that Won the Empire.</strong> TWENTY-THIRD -EDITION. With 16 Portraits and 11 Plans. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘Not since Macaulay ceased to write has English literature -produced a writer capable of infusing such life and vigour into historical scenes. The -wholesome and manly tone of Mr. Fitchett’s book is specially satisfactory.... The -book cannot but take the reader by storm wherever it finds him.’</p> - -<p class='c016'><strong>Wellington’s Men: some Soldier-Autobiographies.</strong> -Edited by <span class='sc'>W. H. Fitchett</span>, B.A., LL.D. Crown 8vo. 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>SPECTATOR.</cite>—‘Mr. Fitchett has ere this sounded the clarion and filled the fife -to good purpose, but he has never done better work than in rescuing from oblivion -the narratives which appear in this volume.... We feel very grateful to Mr. Fitchett -for his skilful editing of four stories which ought not to be allowed to die.’</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c020'> - <div>London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c021'> - <div>NOVELS BY H. S. 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Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em>; and Fcap. -8vo, boards, Pictorial Cover, 2<em>s.</em>; or limp red cloth, 2<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>WESTMINSTER GAZETTE.</cite>—‘Admirably conceived as a whole, and most -skilful in its details. The story never flags or loiters.’</p> - -<p class='c016'>FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER. -Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em>; and Fcap. 8vo, boards, Pictorial Cover, 2<em>s.</em>; or limp -red cloth, 2<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS.</cite>—‘The book is a good book. The -characters of Michael Seymour and of James Agar are admirably contrasted.’</p> - -<p class='c016'>THE SLAVE OF THE LAMP. Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em>; and -Fcap. 8vo, boards, Pictorial Cover, 2<em>s.</em>; or limp red cloth, 2<em>s.</em> 6<em>d.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.</cite>—‘A masterly story ... so like real life, and so -entirely unconventional.’</p> - -<p class='c016'>THE GREY LADY. With 12 Full-page Illustrations by -<span class='sc'>Arthur Rackham</span>. <span class='sc'>Sixth Impression.</span> Crown 8vo, 6<em>s.</em></p> - -<p class='c019'><cite>BRITISH WEEKLY.</cite>—‘An interesting, thoughtful, carefully written story, -with a charming touch of pensiveness.’</p> - -<p class='c016'>NOTE.—Mr. MERRIMAN’S 14 NOVELS are published uniform in style, -binding, and price, and thus form a Collected Edition of his Works.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c020'> - <div>London: SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15 Waterloo Place, S.W.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -<p> </p> -</div> -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</h2> -</div> - <ol class='ol_1 c002'> - <li>Changed ‘suppling’ to ‘supplying’ on p. <a href='#t53'>53</a>. - - </li> - <li>Used an ⁂ in place of an inverted asterism. - - </li> - <li>Silently corrected typographical errors. - - </li> - <li>Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. - </li> - </ol> - -</div> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROUND THE FIRE STORIES***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 54109-h.htm or 54109-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/4/1/0/54109">http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/1/0/54109</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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