by J. J. Bell
CHAPTER XX
Morning brought a telegram from Monsieur Guidet, and a couple of hourslater the little Frenchman arrived at Grey House in a sorry state ofapprehension. The clock!--impossible that he could have failed in anyway!--there must have been gross and deliberate ill-usage! ... and manymore words to the same effect. When he stopped for breath Caw assured himthat there was nothing wrong with the clock and mentioned why and by whomthe summons had been sent him. Whereupon Monsieur went frantic. "Stop theclock--nevaire!--what crime to think of!--the clock must not stop till hestop himself!"
"All right, Monsoor, you can explain all that to Mr. Alan Craig. Theclock, like everything else here, belongs to him now,--and I happen tohave a headache this morning."
"Hah! you have rejoice at the return of the young Mr. Craik," saidGuidet, controlling himself and sympathetically considering Caw's redeyes and husky voice. "Good!--but you look upon the wine when he waswheesky, and there is not so much jolly good fellow in themorning--eh, Mr. Caw?"
"Oh, yes, we've been doing a lot of rejoicing--I don't think," returnedCaw with weary good humour. Thanks to Handyside's attentions he was notmuch the worse of the spray which had been more efficacious thanvirulent. Within half an hour he had managed to attract the attention ofthe house-keeper who had given the alarm. What had puzzled every oneconcerned was that the attempt should have ended as it had begun with theassault on the servant. Nothing had been touched. "Must have takenfright," was the only conclusion arrived at after a thorough search andrather a discursive consultation.
Caw ushered the clock-maker into the study. Handyside and Marjorie werepresent by invitation.
"You had better wait, Caw," said Alan. "Be seated, Monsieur Guidet. Manythanks for coming so promptly."
Monsieur bowed solemnly to each person, looked for a moment as if hewere going to bow to his masterpiece also, and took the chairpreferred by Caw.
"It was my dutiful pleasure to come with speed, Mr. Craik, for sake ofyour high respectable uncle, and I am at his service, I hope, when I amat yours."
Alan gave the embarrassed nod of the average Briton listening to anordinary observation elegantly expressed. "Very good of you, I'm sure.Well, I suppose Caw has told you why we have troubled you--simply to haveyour opinion as to stopping the clock now, instead of allowing it to goon for nearly a year."
Obvious was the effort with which Monsieur Guidet restrained his feelingswhile he enquired whether the clock had been annoying anybody.
"By no means," Alan answered, wondering how much the man knew. "But myfriends and I have come to the conclusion that certain annoyances willnot stop until the clock does. I hesitate to ask you questions,Monsieur Guidet--"
"I beg that you will not do so, Mr. Craik. I have leetle knowledge, butit is discreet and confiding. But in one thing I am sure: your reverent"(possibly he meant "revered") "uncle did not mean the clock to bringannoyance to you and your friends. No, sir!"
"In that case, I should imagine he would have wished it to stop as soonas possible. Caw assures me that the main object in making the clock togo for a whole year was to allow time for my return before certain wishesof my uncle took effect. You take my meaning?"
"I do, sir; and though the late Mr. Craik did not remark it so to me, Ican believe such a thing was in his brains at the time. But to stop theclock before he has finished his course--that is another story, sir!"
Teddy put in a word. "Dangerous, Monsieur?"
"Why do you ask such a question, sir?"
"My friend probably refers to the notice and to the green fluid,"said Alan.
"Monsieur," cried Marjorie, "may I guess what the danger is?"
"Hush, Marjorie!" muttered her father.
Monsieur gave her a beautiful smile and a charming bow. "Mademoiselle,"he said sweetly, "is welcome to one hundred thousand guesses."
With that there fell a silence. It was broken by Caw.
"If I may say so, Monsoor seems to have forgotten that the clock is theproperty of Mr. Alan Craig, and therefore--"
"Mr. Caw," said Guidet quickly, "because I remember that, I say what Isay; I refuse what I refuse."
"Come, Monsieur," said Alan, "it is an open secret that that clock ismore than a time-keeper."
"Myself would almost suspect so much." He said it so quaintly that asmile went round. Caw alone preserved a stolid expression.
"Monsoor," he said very quietly, "I respectfully ask the lady and thegentleman here present to bear witness to a promise which I am ready toput in writing. ... If I am alive when that clock stops, about a yearhence, I will pay you, Monsoor, a thousand pounds."
Guidet sprang up and sat down again. He appealed to Alan. "What does hemean, Mr. Craik?"
"He means," Alan answered, "that whatever possible danger there may be instopping the clock, there is very probable danger in letting it go on. Isthat it, Caw?"
"Yes, Mr. Alan, and I hope you will believe that my remark was notentirely selfish."
"The trouble, Monsieur," added Alan, "is that like yourself I cannotanswer questions."
"One, if you please, Mr. Craik. Is the danger for you also?"
Alan smiled. "I'm not worrying much--"
Marjorie interposed. "Yes, yes, Monsieur!" she exclaimed, and hastilylowered a flushed face.
The Frenchman was plainly distressed. "This," he said at last, "was notexpected. I perceive that you have enemies, that my esteemed patron hadenemies also. Not so bad did I understand it to be. I imagined Mr.Christopher Craik was humourist as well as clever man--"
"So he was," the host interrupted; "but the ball he set rolling is nowdoing so more violently than I can believe he intended. Still, ifstopping the clock before its time is likely to stultify his memory inany way--why then, Monsieur, I, for one, will do my best to keep itgoing. What do you say, Caw?"
"If that is how you feel, sir, then I say, 'long live the clock!'"
"Hear, hear!" murmured Teddy.
"Caw," cried Miss Handyside, "you're simply splendid!"
Caw had not blushed so warmly for many years.
Guidet, pale and perturbed, had taken a little book from his pocket andopened it at a page of tiny figures close-packed. Now he rose. "If I maygo to a quiet place for one half-hour, I--I will see if anything can bedone, Mr. Craik, but I promise nothings."
"See that Monsieur Guidet has quietness and some refreshment," said Alanto the servant, and the two left the room.
"Let's go for a walk," remarked Teddy. "This clock business is getting onmy nerves. I shall never again wear socks with--"
"But I do think," said Marjorie hopefully, "the funny little man means todo something."
Dr. Handyside got up and strolled over to the clock. "Monsieur Guidet,"he observed, "has evidently the sensibilities of an artist as well as theordinary feelings of humanity. Caw has appealed to the latter. If I wereyou, Alan, I should appeal to the former by suggesting to Guidet theprobability of an attack on the clock itself."
On the way out-of-doors, Alan looked into the room where the Frenchmansat staring at a diagram roughly drawn on notepaper. He wagged hishead drearily.
"I fear I can do nothings," he sighed.
"Perhaps I ought to mention, Monsieur," Alan said, as if the idea hadjust occurred to him, "that my enemies are just as likely to attack theclock as my person--more likely, it may be."
"Hah!" Guidet bounded on his seat. "My clock!--They dare to attackhim!--"
"Possibly with explosives--"
"Enough! Pray leave me, Mr. Craik. I--I may yet find a way. Give me awhole hour."
During the walk up the loch Teddy actually forgot the clock. Alan andMarjorie were in front, and he noted his friend's bearing towards thegirl with a pained wonder, and thought of Doris.
On returning to the house they found Monsieur waiting for them. He helda sheaf of papers covered with queer drawings and calculations. And hehung his head.
"Mr. Craik," he said sadly, "I have struggle, but it is no use. I see anhour, thirteen days after to-d
ay, when perhaps I _might_ stop him withoutdisaster--but only perhaps--only perhaps. And so I dare not, will notrisk. One leetle, tiny mistake of a second, and"--he made an expressivegesture--"all is lost."
The silence of dismay was broken by Handyside.
"But bless my soul, Monsieur Guidet, if you stop him at the wrong time,you can easily set him going again."
"Not so! He stop once, he stop for ever."
"But," cried Marjorie excitedly, "although you stop him--the clock, Imean--it will still be there; it won't fly away."
The little man regarded her for a moment. "Mademoiselle," he said andbowed, "he will be done--finished--dead. I will say no more." He turnedto Alan. "Mr. Craik, I am sorry to be not obliging to you. Yes; and Iconfess I am nearly more sorry for myself. But I hope the time comes whenyou will understand and excuse. The good God preserve you and him--andMr. Caw--from enemies." He bowed all round. "Adieu."
And so ended the little company's great expectations.
"I suppose there's nothing for it but to hang on," said Alan with alaugh, "and get used to the situation. I think you, Teddy, had betterchuck your berth in London, live here, and help me to write that book onmy Eskimo experiences."
"Very pleased," replied Teddy, "if you don't mind my having the jumpsonce a while."
"Oh, do come and stay with Mr. Craig," said Marjorie in her impulsivefashion, which annoyed Teddy chiefly because he was forced to confess itcharming. He disapproved of the proprietary interest she seemed to takein his friend, and yet had circumstances been a little different, how hewould have welcomed it!
"A very good notion," observed Handyside. "The clock can't have too manyguardians, and I don't imagine you would care to bring in strangers."
"Not to be thought of," replied Alan. "But I'm sorry for Caw. Teddy and Imust leave him alone for a few days. We're catching the two o'clocksteamer. Things to see about in Glasgow, and on to London in the morning.I'm hoping the big dog may turn up to-day."
Marjorie gave her father a surreptitious nudge.
"I don't like intruding my services," said the doctor, "but I should bevery glad to spend the nights here during your absence--"
"Me, too," said Marjorie.
"Be quiet, infant! Just be candid, Alan."
"I'd be jolly glad to think of Caw having your support, doctor," theyoung man heartily answered, "but it would be accepting too much. I haveno right to bring you into my troubles--"
"Then that's settled," said Handyside. "I hope you don't mind my sayingit, but I've felt a new man since I learned that the stones were false.Marjorie and I must be going now, and there's only one thing I want to besure of before we part."
"What is that, doctor?"
"I want to be sure that the Green Box is in its place."
They all laughed. "That's easy!" Alan opened the drawer. "Behold!--justwhere it was last night."
Marjorie's hand darted downward. "What key is this?" she cried,holding it up.
"By Jove!" he exclaimed. "I could swear that wasn't there last night."
"Might have been lying in the shadow," Teddy suggested. "It's a new key."
"Oh, do try it in the box!"
"I think we may do that much." Alan lifted the box to the table. "Try ityourself, Miss Handyside."
"It fits!--it turns! Oh, Mr. Craig, just one little peep inside!"
"Against the rules," said Teddy, burning with curiosity.
"What rules?"
"We decided that it would be against my uncle's wishes to open the boxbefore the clock stopped," Alan said reluctantly. Then brightly--"But, Isay! we didn't take into account the fact that it had been alreadyopened, though not by us--which alters the position considerably. Don'tyou agree, Teddy?"
"Oh, confound the thing, I'm dying to see inside, and yet--"
"I rather think--" began the doctor.
"Oh, don't think, father!" said Marjorie, her fingers on the edge of thelid. She looked to Alan. "May I?"
A tap, and Caw came in with a telegram for Alan.
"Excuse me," the host said, and opened it.
Caw caught sight of the key in the box, forgot his manners, and leaptforward, laying his hand on the lid.
And Alan went white as death. "Turn the key, Caw," he said hoarsely, "andtake it away." Partially recovering himself, he apologised to the girl."It was too rude of me, but something reminded me that I should bebetraying a trust by opening the box now. Please try to forgive me."
She was very kind about it, for there was no mistaking his distress.
Presently she and the doctor departed. Alan dropped into a chair andhanded the message to the wondering Teddy.
"Read it aloud. Listen Caw."
Teddy read:--
"Handed in at Fenchurch Street, 11:20 a. m. Alan Craig, Grey House, LochLong. _For life's sake don't ever try to open Green Box--Friend_."
