The House of Strange Secrets: A Detective Story

by A. Eric Bayly

  CHAPTER XVIII

  AN ASTOUNDING CONFESSION

  "Very well," said Lena, when she had learned the young man's impressionsof Mr. Oliver Potter's capabilities, "we must do without him. We mustwork by ourselves. I have a suggestion to make. Let me visit MajorJones-Farnell, alias Meadows. It is somewhat irregular, I have no doubt,but in such a case as this we must not be too particular."

  "Excuse me, but you must do nothing of the kind," was the reply.

  "Then let me go with you, and see what the two of us can do towardsdiscovering the secret of Durley Dene. I am sure that if once we candiscover who this Meadows is, what his relations are with the man Smith,and who the creature that is held in restraint in the basement or cellarof the house is--then, and not before, shall we be able to solve themystery."

  "I don't at all like the idea of you coming with me. The ordeal wasquite bad enough for me; what would it be to you?"

  "Sir!" Lena cried, with pretended severity, "I am able to stand anyordeal that you can. You see, I am not afraid, or why should I havesuggested going alone?"

  "Then shall we go together?"

  "Yes, and as soon as possible. It is now eleven o'clock. Auntie will notreappear until lunch. The detective is surely capable of looking afteryour father's safety. What is to prevent us from going at once? Youagree? Then wait one moment while I put on my hat."

  She hurried off, returning a minute later, prepared for the morningvisit.

  Laurence, during her short absence, had filled his vesta case, and onceagain placed the little pistol in his pocket.

  "Now we can come," said Lena. And without delay they started off,presently reaching the dark porch of the house of secrets.

  Smith, as before, appeared in answer to their ring, but he was far fromready to admit the pair. Finally he said he would consult the Major, andbanging the door in their faces, disappeared, to return in a few minuteswith a sour grin and a summons to follow upstairs.

  This time Laurence struck a match on entering the house. The servant didnot object, but he kept very close to the visitors, eyeing the lady asthough coveting the bracelets she wore. The faint light of the matchrevealed little, for the passages were unfurnished, and green mildewclung to the stone walls. It was, however, a considerable aid to theirprogress towards Mr. Meadows' sanctum. Anything was better, thoughtLaurence, than the grim, impenetrable darkness of the previous visit.

  As on the former occasion, the porter ushered them into the Orientalchamber in which sat the owner of the house, withdrawing immediatelywhen they were once inside.

  The doctor sprang to his feet immediately and held out his hand--whichLaurence appeared not to notice.

  "Good-morning to you," he said politely. "Madam, I am more than honouredby your visit. My only regret is the inefficiency of my establishment. Ithink, though, you will find this chair comfortable, and trust the smellof tobacco smoke does not inconvenience you. Unfortunately I have nodrawing-room, as your brother--I believe he is your brother--no?--thenyour friend--will have told you."

  He spoke fast, as though fearing that Laurence would commence by askingunpleasant questions.

  "Doctor Meadows," said Carrington, "this lady and I have come to youto-day to endeavour to learn the reason of your remarkable behaviour oflate. I am aware that you would do anything rather than receive a visitfrom the police, but that is one of the two alternatives I offer younow. The other is that you explain fully your relations with my father,Squire Carrington, of Northden Manse."

  "Mr. Carrington," replied the doctor, "I told you the night before lastyou are making some great mistake in connecting me in any way with yourfather. Must I tell you so again now?"

  "Then, answer me this. What were you doing in the grounds of our houseat midnight, shortly after my visit here and the attempt to murder myfather in his room? What were you doing, I ask, on that occasion; andhow comes it that on the following morning the stolen bicycle, by therider of which a former attack on the Squire was made, is found in theshed from which it was taken?"

  As Laurence spoke in a sharp, determined tone, both Lena and he noticedthat the colour died away from Doctor Meadows' cheeks. For a moment hecould not reply. His concern was very apparent. At last he answered.

  "Mr. Carrington," he said, "I see that it is no use for me to withholdanything from you. You have been too sharp for me. What if I were totell you that my secret has nothing whatever to do with your father orthe strange attempts to murder him in cold blood, and that it is only byunfortunate circumstances I come to be suspected by you of connectionwith the plot against the Squire?"

  "I shouldn't believe it," replied Laurence, frankly and deliberately;"however, I pray you to tell me your story. Do not forget, by the way,that you have confessed to telling a pack of lies on different occasionsbefore now--about the Persian cat and the whip, the lunatic in thecellar, your invalid Major, and so on. By the way, let me advise you, ifyou wish to keep your secret from me, not to allow the creatureimprisoned downstairs to shriek while I am in the house."

  So great was the effect of these words on Doctor Meadows that at firstLena feared he was going to faint. He sank down into his chair, sweatstanding out on his forehead; then he sprang up and darted towardsLaurence as though about to attack him with his fists.

  "Good God!" he cried. "How much do you know? Are you bent on ruining me?Tell me, quickly, exactly, how much you know?"

  Laurence was more than astounded at this outburst. Acting on asuggestion of Lena, he had sprung upon the other a remark about thecreature whom he had seen in the barn, and who, according to MissScott's mode of accounting for the various mysterious circumstances ofthe case, was being held in restraint by the inhabitants of Durley Dene.That the chance shot had gone home was surely proved by the excitedbehaviour of Doctor Meadows.

  For a moment Laurence hesitated. Should he play a game of "bluff" andpretend that he knew all? He felt inclined to do this, but reflectedthat he might be placing Lena in a position of danger were he to do so.For, once Meadows believed his closely guarded secret was known, whatsteps might not he take to compel those who had learned that secret tokeep silence? Consequently, he replied, "That is surely my ownbusiness?"

  But Doctor Meadows was not satisfied.

  "That's no answer," he cried. "I must have an answer. How much do youknow? Tell me!"

  "All I know is," responded Laurence, "that one of the members of yourhousehold is moving heaven and earth to do away with my unhappy father,and I shrewdly suspect which of you it is. I know better than to believethat you and your servant alone occupy this house of dark deeds."

  "There you are, bringing up that absurd notion that I (or, in your ownwords, one of my household) am the author of the attempts on yourfather's life. If you won't take my word for it that no one living inthis house is in any way responsible for the Squire's terrible position,will it satisfy you if I swear upon the Book that such is the case?"

  "You dare not," said Laurence positively.

  "Not only do I dare to, but I will do so," answered Meadows; "but first,tell me what you know about the person whom you allege is imprisoned inthis house."

  "In the first place," Laurence replied, "I know that, for some reason orother, he has been hiding in the Manse barn. Secondly, that he possessesthe activity of an ape; and, thirdly, that he is black, and that hisvoice is the strangest I have ever heard."

  "Thank Heaven!" muttered Meadows, not too low for the two visitors tohear it. He sat down once again, and the colour returned to his cheeks.

  "Are you satisfied that I know something about him?" asked Laurence,none too pleased with the way in which the doctor had taken hisinformation.

  "I am quite satisfied that you know nothing whatever about that whichyou are pleased to call the mystery of this house. I confess that I havea secret. Who has not? Mine is one that I am very anxious to keep.Again, I say, who is not desirous of keeping secrets as such? Further, Iconfess that you have had good grounds for mistrust. That bicyclebusiness was enough to lay m
e open to suspicion. What I am now going tosay I will repeat afterwards upon oath, if you so please, but, as agentleman, I hope my word will not be doubted. That bicycle was found bymy servant standing in the rear of this house the morning after what wasevidently the first attempt on your father's life. Whose it was, andwhence it came, was for the time a mystery. Then you honoured me with avisit, and I learned in what an uncomfortable position circumstances hadplaced me. As I say, I have no desire to emerge from the darkness of myretirement. I did not wish you to know that I had found the bicycle, forfear that you, doubting my word, would carry out your threat ofcommunicating with the police, and having the house searched. Therefore,I secretly returned you the bicycle which evil destiny had given into myhands.

  "This I can safely say--and swear, if it please you--that there neitherhas been, nor is, anything illegal or wrong going on in this house. Doesthat satisfy you?"

  No one answered. Laurence was inclined to doubt the man's word. He hadheard some equally astounding falsehoods from him before. Lena, also,knew not whether to believe the statement or not.

  "Then," said the doctor, "I will fetch a volume of the Testament. Butbefore going any further, tell me if you know any man who would answerto this description--Medium height, iron-grey moustache, possibly a greybeard, but I doubt it; age about sixty; peculiarly courteous andold-fashioned as to speech; an abhorrer of tobacco in any form."

  "That is the Squire--do you know him?" asked Lena and Laurenceexcitedly, and almost in one breath.

  "Ah!" responded Doctor Meadows. But his pronunciation of themonosyllable was pregnant with meaning.