‘It was distinctly nauseating; I remember that when I came out I felt that I had been just going to be physically sick. I shall try back on my visit and see if I can recall any more of what I saw or felt.’
‘Then perhaps, sir, later in the day you will kindly tell me anything you may chance to recollect.’
‘I shall be delighted, Adam. If your uncle has not returned by then, I shall join you in the study after dinner, and we shall resume this interesting chat.’
When Adam, after leaving Lady Arabella, went on his own road outside Castra Regis, Oolanga followed him in secret. Adam had at first an idea, or rather a suspicion, that he was being followed, and looked around a good many times in the hope of making discovery of his pursuer. Not being successful in any of these attempts, he gradually gave up the idea, and accepted the alternative that he had been mistaken. He wondered what had become of the nigger, whom he had certainly seen at first, so kept a sharp look-out for him as he went on his way. As he passed through the little wood outside the gate of Diana’s Grove, he thought he saw the African’s face for an instant. He knew it must be him; otherwise, there must be a devil wandering loose somewhere in the neighbourhood. So he went deeper into the undergrowth, and followed along parallel to the avenue to the house. He was, in a way, glad that there was no workman or servant about, for he did not care that any of Lady Arabella’s people should find him wandering about her grounds at such an hour. Taking advantage of the thickness of the trees, he came close to the house and skirted round it. He was repaid for his trouble, for on the far side of the house, close to where the rocky frontage of the cliff fell away, he saw Oolanga crouched behind the irregular trunk of a great oak. The man was so intent on watching someone, or something, that he did not guard against being himself watched. This suited Adam, for he could thus make scrutiny at will. The thick wood, though the trees were mostly of small girth, threw a heavy shadow, in addition to that made by the early sun being in the east, so that the steep declension, in front of which grew the
tree behind which the African lurked, was almost in darkness. Adam drew as close as he could, and was amazed to see a patch of light on the ground before him; when he realised what it was, he was determined more than ever to follow on his quest. The nigger had a dark lantern in his hand, and was throwing the light down the steep incline. The glare showed that the decline, which was in a sort of sunken way, emerged on a series of stone steps, which ended in a low-lying heavy iron door fixed against the side of the house. His mind was in a whirl. All the strange things he had heard from Sir Nathaniel, and all those, little and big, which he had himself noticed, crowded into his mind in a chaotic way, such as marks the intelligence conveyed in a nightmare. Instinctively he took refuge from the possibility of Oolanga seeing him behind a thick oak stem, and set himself down to watch what might occur.
After a very short time it was apparent that the African was trying to find out what was behind the heavy door. There was no way of looking in, for the door fitted tight into the massive stone slabs. The only opportunity for the entrance of light was through a small hole left in the building between the great stones above the door. This hole was much too high up to look through from the ground level. The nigger was so intent on his effort to see beyond this, that Adam found there was no necessity for his own careful concealment, which was a considerable help to him in his task. Oolanga, having tried standing tiptoe on the highest point near, and holding the lantern as high as he could, threw the light round the edges of the door to see if he could find anywhere a hole or a flaw in the metal through which he could obtain a glimpse. Foiled in this, he brought from the shrubbery a plank, which he leant against the top of the door and then climbed up with great dexterity. This did not bring him near enough to the window-hole to look in, or even to throw the light of the lantern through it, so he climbed down and carried the plank back to the place from which he had got it. Then he concealed himself near the iron door and waited, manifestly with the intent of remaining there till someone came near. Presently Lady Arabella, moving noiselessly through the shade, approached the door. When he saw her close enough to
touch it, Oolanga stepped forward from his concealment, and said in a whisper, which through the gloom sounded like a hiss:
‘I want to see you, missy – soon and secret.’
Her lip curled in scorn as she answered:
‘You see me now. What do you want? What is it?’
‘You know well, missy. I told you already.’
She turned on him with her eyes blazing, so that the green tint in them shone like emeralds.
‘Come, none of that. If there is anything sensible which you may wish to say to me, you can see me here, just where we are, at seven o’clock.’
He made no reply in words, but, putting the backs of his hands together, bent lower and lower still till his forehead touched the earth. She stood stone-still, which seeing, he rose and went slowly away. Adam Salton, from his hiding-place, saw and wondered. In a few minutes he moved from his place and went away home to Lesser Hill, fully determined that seven o’clock would find him in some hidden place behind Diana’s Grove.
When he got home he placed the box containing the mongoose in the gun-room. Not having any immediate intention of making use of the animal, it passed quite out of his mind.
At a little before seven Adam stole softly out of the house and took the back-way to the rear of Diana’s Grove. The place seemed silent and deserted, so he took the opportunity of concealing himself near the spot whence he had seen Oolanga trying to investigate whatever was concealed behind the iron door. He was quite content when he found himself safely ensconced in his hiding-place. He waited, perfectly still, and at last saw a gleam of white passing soundlessly through the undergrowth. He was not surprised when he recognised the shape and colour of Lady Arabella’s dress. She came close and waited, with her face to the iron door. From some place of concealment near at hand Oolanga appeared, and came close to her. Adam noticed with surprised amusement that over his shoulder was his, Adam’s, box with the mongoose. Of course the African did not know that he was seen by anyone, least of all by the man whose property he had in possession. Silent-footed
as he was, Lady Arabella heard him coming, and turned to meet him. It was somewhat hard to see in the gloom, for, as usual, he was all in black, only his collar and cuffs showing white. The black of his face helped with that of his clothing in eating up what faint light there was. Lady Arabella opened the conversation which ensued between the two:
‘I see you are here – what do you want? To rob me, or murder me?’
‘No, to lub you!’
This, getting explicit so soon, frightened her a little, and she tried to change the tone:
‘Is that a coffin you have with you? If so, you are wasting your time. It would not hold me.’
When a nigger suspects he is being laughed at, all the ferocity of his nature comes to the front; and as the man was naturally of the lowest kind, the usual was to be expected:
‘Dis ain’t no coffin for nobody. Quite opposite. Dis box is for you. Somefin you lub. Me give him to you!’
Still anxious to keep off the subject of affection, on which she believed him to have become crazed, she made another effort to keep his mind elsewhere:
‘Is this why you want to see me?’
He nodded.
She went on: ‘Then come round to the other door. And be quiet. I have no particular desire to be seen so close to my own house in conversation with a – a – a nigger like you!’
She had chosen the word of dishonour deliberately. She wished to meet his passion with another kind. Such would, at all events, help to keep him quiet. In the deep gloom she could not see the anger which suffused his face. Rolling eyeballs and grinding teeth are, however, sufficient indices of anger to be decipherable in the dark. She moved round the corner of the house to her right hand. Oolanga was following her, when she stopped him by raising her hand:
‘No, not that door, ’ she said: ‘that is not for niggers. The other door will do well enough for that!’
There was such scorn in her voice – scorn carried to a positive quality with malignity added – that the African writhed. Suddenly
he stopped as if turned into stone, and said in a voice, whose very quietude was dangerous:
‘Gib me your gun.’
Unthinkingly, she pulled out the revolver, which was in her breast, and handed it to him:
‘Do you want to kill me?’ she said. ‘Go on. I am not afraid of you; but, remember, you will swing for it. This is not Benin or Ashantee
1
– this is England!’
He answered in an even voice:
‘Don’t fear, missee. Gun no to kill nobody. Only to protect myself.’
He saw the wonder in her face, and explained:
‘I heard this morning what master said in his room. You no thought I heard. He say, “If you have any fault to find with that infernal nigger” – he said that – “shoot him on sight.” Now you call me nigger, speak to me like a dog. And you want me to go into your house by door which I not know. Gun safer now with me. Safer for Oolanga if gun wanted to hurt him.’
‘What have you in that box?’
‘That is treasure for you, missee. I take care of it, and give it to you when we get in.’
Lady Arabella took in her hand a small key which hung at the end of her watch-chain, and moved to a small door, low down, round the corner, and a little downhill from the edge of the Brow. Oolanga, in obedience to her gesture, went back to the iron door. Adam looked carefully at the mongoose box as the African went by, and was glad to see that it was locked. Unconsciously, as he looked, he fingered the key that was in his waistcoat pocket. When Oolanga was out of sight, Lady Arabella, who had waited quite still, said to him:
‘Mr Salton, will you oblige me by coming with me for a few minutes? I have to see that – that coloured person – on a matter of business, and I do not care to see him alone. I shall be happier with a witness. Do you mind obliging me, and coming? It will be very kind of you.’
He bowed, and walked with her to the door round the corner.
The moment they got out of sight of the nigger, Adam said to Lady Arabella:
‘One moment whilst we are alone. You had better not trust that nigger!’
Her answer was crisp and concise:
‘I don’t.’
‘Forewarned is forearmed. Tell me if you will – it is for your own protection. Why do you mistrust him?’
‘It is an odd story, but I had better tell you, though, in truth, it is somewhat humiliating – disturbing – to my
amour propre
.
1
He is a thief – at least, so I gather from his readiness to commit a felony. Then you saw that he took my pistol practically under threat. Again he wants to blackmail me – oh I have lots of reasons to distrust him.’
‘
He
blackmail
you
! The scoundrel! But how could he hope to do such a thing?’
‘My friend, you have no idea of that man’s impudence. Would you believe that he wants me to marry him?’
‘No!’ said Adam incredulously, amused in spite of himself.
‘Yes, and wanted to bribe me to do it by sharing a chest of treasure – at least, he thought it was – stolen from Mr Caswall. Why do you yourself distrust him, Mr Salton?’
‘I shall give you an instance. Did you notice that box he had slung on his shoulder? That belongs to me. I left it in the gun-room when I went to lunch. He must have crept in and stolen it. Doubtless he thinks that it, too, is full of treasure.’
‘He does!’
‘How on earth do you know?’ asked Adam.
‘A little while ago he offered to give it to me – another bribe to accept him. Faugh! I am ashamed to tell you such a thing. The beast!’
‘You say he has an appointment to see you?’ asked Adam.
‘Yes, that was his reason for taking my revolver. He thought perhaps, naturally enough, that I should want to shoot him.’
‘You would be all right for anything of that sort with him – if I were on the jury.’
‘Oh, he isn’t worth it. After all, even a bullet is of
some
little value.’
‘Don’t alarm yourself, Lady Arabella. You shan’t have to do any dirty work. I have a gun!’ As he spoke, he took from his pistol pocket a revolver carrying an ounce ball. ‘I mention this now to make and keep your mind at rest. Moreover, I am a good and a quick shot.’
‘Thanks!’
‘By the way, in case there should be any need to know later, what revolver do you use?’
‘Weiss of Paris, No. 3, ’ she answered. ‘And you?’
‘Smith and Wesson,
2
“The Ready!” ’
‘You noticed, I suppose, how deftly he stole it?’
Adam was astonished – with quite a new astonishment. It had been so dark that he himself had only been able to see the general movement as Oolanga had annexed the pistol. And yet, this woman had seen the smallest details. She must have wonderful eyes to see in the dark like that!
Whilst they had been speaking, she had opened the door, a narrow iron one well hung, for it had opened easily and closed tightly without any creaking or sound of any kind. Within all was dark; but she entered as freely and with as little misgiving or restraint as if it had been broad daylight. For Adam, there was just sufficient green light from somewhere to see that there was a broad flight of heavy stone steps leading upward; but Lady Arabella, after shutting the door behind her, when it closed tightly without a clang, tripped up the steps lightly and swiftly. For an instant all was dark again, but there came again the faint green light which enabled him to see the outlines of things. Another iron door, narrow like the first and fairly high,
led into another large room, the walls of which were of massive stones so closely joined together as to exhibit only one smooth surface. This too presented the appearance of having at one time been polished. On the far side, also smooth like the walls, was the reverse of a great wide but not high iron door. Here there was a little more light, for the high-up aperture over the door opened to the air. Lady Arabella took from her girdle another small key, which she inserted in a tiny keyhole in the centre of a massive lock, which seemed the counterpart and reverse of the lock of some two feet square which Adam had noted on the outside of the door. The great bolt seemed wonderfully hung, for the moment the small key was turned the bolts of the great lock moved noiselessly and the iron doors swung open. On the stone steps outside stood Oolanga with the mongoose box slung over his shoulder. Lady Arabella stood a little on one side and moved back a few feet, and the African, accepting the movement as an invitation, entered in an obsequious way. The moment, however, that he was inside, he gave a quick look around him, and in an oily voice, which made Adam shudder, said with a sniff: