the next three days passed outwardly in the usual enjoyments of a country house-party. they golfed and motored and played tennis. behind the scenes many things were happening.
it was obvious to anyone that eric sanders and mabel had come to an understanding, though a definite engagement so soon after the death of sir james was repugnant to her.
on the other hand, so long as she had had to fight a battle with her father on behalf of eric, she had been passionately devoted to him; but now that all opposition had ceased at the gates of the vault, and things had become easy, she almost resented the air of ownership with which eric treated her. woman-like she did not like being regarded as being cheaply won. she turned to collins and was much in his company to show her lover that he had not a monopoly of her society.
here was ground ready for sowing. he had gone through life with a cynical view of women, partly because he had come in contact with the sordid side of human nature, and partly because he had led a lonely life.
from the first moment that he had seen mabel his interest had been aroused, and that interest was growing to something more intimate. she either did not or would not see, and the situation was soon acute. she was attracted to him by the very distaste for his profession, for she had inherited much of her father’s contradiction in character.
his invitation had been indefinite, and with all the party he was very popular. he carefully refrained from referring to the subject of the murder, and tried to lead the conversation away from it. and so the age-long battle began.
an excursion had been arranged to the cheddar gorge and caves, and as they passed down that wonderful panorama of riven rocks, unsurpassed in england, the grandeur of the scene drew them together. each had a vein of savagery in their natures to which the wild aspect of the scenery appealed. collins was driving the car, and mabel had taken her place with him.
“stop a moment here,” she whispered. “this is wonderful.”
eric was sitting morosely in the back.
far up, the trees growing on the edge of the precipice looked like the toy trees of a japanese garden, and the fantastic rocks formed castles of fairy legend. the twisted road curved steeply down into the depths.
“i would like to come here by moonlight,” she said. “it would be wonderful.”
“why not have a picnic here, then?” he answered. “it is quite warm still.”
“we will,” she said gaily. “come on, or the others will get restive. my aunt sees nothing in these rocks—in fact, she is rather frightened.” they descended to the caves no less wonderful.
there were no tourists at that time so they made a party by themselves and went in with a guide.
far in the depths of “solomon’s temple” with its amazing stalactites lit by electric light, they saw the entrance of a dark cave.
the guide was speaking: “that cave has been explored for over two miles, but is not open to the public. we do not know where it ends. there must be exits somewhere, or the air would not keep so fresh.”
“what a place for a criminal to hide from justice,” said collins. “if one of our friends could make his way from dartmoor here, he might stay for months with an accomplice to bring him food.”
“only in the summer,” said the guide; “the caves are flooded in the winter.”
mabel shivered.
“how cold and damp it would be,” she said, “and fancy a storm coming on and the water dashing down on one from above.”
“really, mabel,” said sanders, “you are getting very morbid, let’s get out and have some lunch.”
she turned on him.
“how unromantic you are. i would like to buy this place, and turn it into a sort of monte christo’s cave.”
“and get chronic rheumatism,” said allery, laughing.
“well, i must give way to the craving for lunch,” she said, and led the way out.
when they had got back in the afternoon, mabel’s old nurse met them with a startling announcement. old john, the butler, had seen a ghost, and was prostrated with terror.
“nonsense,” said collins, “ghosts don’t come in the day time, it’s against all the rules of the game. let’s have him up and question him.”
mabel did not take it quite so lightly. “poor old man,” she said, “he has been brooding on my father’s death, and i expect he has imagined things.”
“better ask for the cellar key,” said sanders.
mabel turned on him, angrily. “that’s a mean thing to say. john has been with us now for twenty-five years and i have never known him the worse for drink.”
sanders hastily apologised.
allery intervened. “perhaps i had better see him, and talk to him.”
“if i may suggest it,” said collins, “why not just send for him in the ordinary way, and let him tell his story? these old family servants are entitled to being treated to respect.”
mabel gave him a grateful look. without waiting for an answer, collins rang the bell. it was answered by john himself.
he was looking white and scared, but made no remark.
after giving some trivial order, mabel said in a casual way:
“i hear you have had an unpleasant experience, john. would you care to tell us about it?”
the old man was dying to do so, and plunged into his story at once.
“thank you, miss mabel, it has upset me somewhat, but i am sorry i mentioned it. while you were away i had occasion to go into the dining-room to fetch some silver. when i opened the door there was sir james standing on the hearth-rug as plain as life.”
“how was he dressed?” said collins, quickly.
“he was in court dress, with a sword on, and he was holding his hat in his hand.”
sanders burst out laughing.
“exactly, and i suppose the picture frame was empty,” he looked round in surprise. no one else had laughed.
“i was too frightened to look, sir,” he said.
“what happened then?” said collins in a soothing tone.
“i don’t quite know, sir, i think i must have turned faint. i believe he turned and looked at me, and when i looked again he was gone.”
“but why were you so frightened?” said collins.
“it was a warning, sir, i am sure of that. he came to tell me my time is up. well, i suppose we all have to go sometime, and i have tried to do my duty.”
collins cast a quick glance round the room. sanders was frankly sceptical. mrs. allery and her daughter were looking scared. the aunt was not there. mabel was dead white, and her eyes nearly closed; but collins saw one quick look pass between her and allery, though the face of the old lawyer was inscrutable.
there was a silence in the room.
collins went to the old servant with a quick movement and took his hand.
“now listen to me, john. i will tell you exactly what happened. you have been allowing yourself to brood over your old master’s death, and it has got on your nerves. you were probably thinking of him because the house was quiet, and when you came into the dining-room, the sun was shining right on to the portrait of sir james, and you imagined he was standing on the rug. it is really quite a common thing. it’s what we call hallucination. you must not let it worry you. it’s not a warning or anything like that, and you must not think any more of it.”
he spoke with such conviction that the old man was greatly relieved.
but collins had gone to the old man for another reason. john was standing with his back to a looking-glass, and collins could see the room. he saw two things, a look of intense annoyance on the face of sanders, and an expression on mabel’s face in which gratitude was mixed with relief.
“mr. collins is right,” she said. “that is the explanation. i am sure there is nothing else in it. now don’t worry any more about it.”
“thank you, sir, thank you, miss mabel, it has relieved me a lot,” and the old man went out.
“well done, collins,” said allery, “you have disposed of the ghost in quick time. i hope the old fellow will forget all about it.”
collins laughed and helped himself to a cigarette from a silver box, but he watched the other. allery drew a handkerchief from his pocket, and furtively wiped his forehead.
the company drifted off to various interests. sanders and mabel found themselves alone for a moment.
“i think i will go to town to-morrow, if you don’t mind,” he said.
“why should you go?” she said.
“well, i seem to be always putting my foot into it somehow, and i don’t think i am wanted here,” he added petulantly.
she stiffened. “you must please yourself. i hope you don’t find it very boring here?”
“you know i don’t, mabel, but you seem to have changed towards me. you are always trying to snub me in front of collins, and you treat me almost as a stranger. why can’t we announce our engagement, and then we should know where we stand?”
she flushed. “really, eric, you sometimes behave like a spoilt child. you know my reasons. it is too soon after my father’s death, especially as he disapproved, and i would like to wait till my brother comes back.”
“but he may be dead, and we may have to wait for years. he has been advertised enough for, and if a man will not come to take up a title and position, there must be something wrong.”
“what do you mean?” she said, angrily.
“oh, i don’t mean anything dishonourable, but something to prevent him coming. he may be out of touch of civilisation,” he said, lamely.
“very well,” she said, “then i will go further. i will not become engaged until my brother comes back. i am certain he is not dead.”
“that means, i suppose, you have ceased to care for me?”
“it means nothing of the sort and you know it. if i did not care for you, should i have stuck to you against my father’s wishes?”
“why don’t you say that you will marry the man who finds your brother?” he said, bitterly.
“eric, you go too far,” and she threw up her head.
“i go too far! well, mabel, since you have said that, i will tell you i think it is you to whom that would apply. you are ‘carrying on’—there is no other phrase for it, vulgar as it is—with that fellow collins. you are always with him, and i can see by the way he looks at you that he is getting too fond of you. you have only known him for a short time.”
“that’s enough,” she interrupted. “you had better say no more or we shall come to a real quarrel. i think you better go as you have suggested, and you can think things over. i am going to see how my aunt is,” and she went out without another word.
“curse the fellow,” said sanders. “what does he mean by foisting himself here, and staying on. he’s trying to cut me out with his damnable polite manners. and she’s everything in the world to me.”
