*CHAPTER IV*
*IN THE WOOD*
Master and man stared at each other blankly. Unmistakable fear wasvisible in the eyes of both. And yet those two standing there face toface were supposed not to know what fear meant. There was somethingridiculous in the idea that an innocent looking piece of string shouldproduce so remarkable an effect. It was long before either spoke.Flower paced up and down the room, his thin lips pressed together, hisface lined with anxiety.
"I cannot understand it at all," he said at length. "I thought thisdanger was ended."
"But there it is," Cotter replied. "If these people were not so cleverI should not mind. And the more you think of it, sir, the worse itbecomes. Fancy that message finding its way into Slater's letter. Thething seems almost impossible; like one of those weird conjuring trickswe used to see in India. And Slater is a cautious man who runs norisks. He wrote that letter in his own hand. He posted it himself, youmay be sure. And from the time that it dropped into the letter-box tothe time it reached my hand, nobody but the postal officials touched it.Yet there it is, sir, there it is staring us in the face, more deadlyand more dangerous than a weapon in the hands of a lunatic. Still, wehave got our warning, and I dare say we shall have time----"
"But shall we?" Flower said impatiently. "Don't be too sure. You haveforgotten what I told you about Miss Galloway and the mysterious handthat was trying to force a way into the conservatory. She doesn't knowthe significance of that attempt, and there is no reason why she should.But we know, Cotter. We know only too well that the danger is not onlycoming, but that it is here. Unless I am mistaken it threatens us frommore quarters than one. But it is folly to discuss this matter whenthere is so much to be done! I have friends coming to dinner, curse it,and more are expected later in the evening. I must leave this matter toyou and you must do the best you can. Prowl about the place, Cotter.Keep your eyes open. Pry into dark corners. See that all the windowsare closed. Perhaps you might also explain something of this to thekeeper, and ask him to chain one or two dogs up near the house. Theymay be useful."
Cotter acquiesced, but it was evident from the expression of his facethat he did not feel in the least impressed by his employer'ssuggestions. This dark, intangible danger was not to be warded off bycommonplace precautions. For some time after Cotter had gone Flower satat his table thinking deeply. The longer he pondered the matter, themore inexplicable it became. Beatrice's discovery was grave enough, butthis business of the registered letter was a thousand times worse.Nobody appreciated daring, audacity, and courage more than Flower. Heknew what a strong asset they were in success in life; indeed, they hadmade him what he was. But this cleverness and audacity were far beyondhis own. He took up the silken string and twisted it nervously in hisfingers.
"What is it?" he murmured. "How is the thing done? And why do theysend on this warning? What a horrible business it all is! To be haleand hearty one minute and be found dead the next, and not a singledoctor in the world able to say how the end is brought about! And whenyou tackle those fellows there is no safety. Why shouldn't they bribesome dissolute scamp of an Englishman to do the same thing after showinghim the way. There are dozens of men in the city of London who wouldput an end to me with pleasure, if they could only do so with impunity."
Flower rose wearily and left the library. He was tired of his ownthoughts and for once had a longing for human society. As he went alongthe corridor leading to the hall, one of the maids passed him with awhite face and every sign of fear and distress. With a feeling ofirritation he stopped the girl and inquired what was the matter.
"What has come to the place?" he muttered. "And what have you beencrying about? Aren't you Miss Galloway's maid?"
"Yes, sir," the girl murmured. "It is nothing, sir. As I was comingfrom the wood at the back of the house, on my way home from the village,I had a fright. I told Miss Galloway about it and she told me not to besilly. I dare say if I had looked closer, I should have found that----"
The girl's voice trailed off incoherently and Flower suffered her to goaway. It was not for him to trouble himself over the fears and fanciesof his servants, and at any other time he would have shown no curiosity.But in the light of recent events even a little thing like this had itssignificance. At any rate, he would ask Beatrice about it.
Beatrice was in the drawing-room putting the finishing touches to theflowers. It would soon be dinner-time.
"I have just met your maid," Flower said. "What on earth is the matterwith the girl? She looks as if she had seen a ghost. I hope togoodness the servants haven't been talking and making a lot of mischiefabout this story that a former lord of Maldon Grange walks the corridorsat night. If there is one form of superstition I detest more thananother, it is that."
"You would hardly call Annette a superstitious girl," Beatrice replied."As a rule she is most matter of fact. But she came in just now withthe strangest tale. She had been to the village to get something forme, and as she was rather late she came home through the pine wood. Shedeclares that in the middle of the wood she saw two huge monkeys sittingon the grass gesticulating to one another. When I pointed out to herthe absurdity of this idea, she was not vexed with me, but stuck to herstatement that two great apes were there and that she saw them quitedistinctly. Directly she showed herself they vanished, as if the groundhad opened and swallowed them up. She doesn't know how she managed toreach home, but when she got back she was in great distress. Of courseit is possible Annette may be right, in a way. I saw in a local paperthe other day that there is a circus at Castlebridge, which has takenone of the large halls for the winter. The account that I read statedthat one or two animals had escaped from the show and had caused a gooddeal of uneasiness in the neighbourhood. As Castlebridge is only abouttwenty miles from here, perhaps Annette was right."
Flower muttered something in reply. At first he was more disturbed thanBeatrice was aware, but her news about the circus seemed plausible andappeared to satisfy him.
"It is very odd," Beatrice went on, "that we should have these alarmingincidents simultaneously. For the last year or two we have led the mosthumdrum existence, and now we get two startling events in one day. Canthere be any connexion between them?"
"No, of course not," Flower said roughly. "Tell the maid to keep herinformation to herself. We don't want to start a rumour that our woodsare full of wild animals, or the servants will leave in a body. I'llwrite to the police to-morrow. If these animals are roaming about theymust be captured without delay."
Flower made his way upstairs to his room to dress for dinner. Usuallyhe had little inclination for social distractions, for his one aim inlife was to make money. To pile up riches and get the better of otherpeople was both his profession and his relaxation. Still, there weretimes when he liked to display his wealth and make his power felt, andBeatrice had a free hand so far as local society was concerned. But foronce Flower was glad to know he would have something this evening todivert his painful thoughts into another channel. Try as he would hecould not dismiss Black Care from his mind. It was with him when he hadfinished dressing and came down into the drawing-room.
Was it possible, he asked himself, there could be any connexion betweenthe maid's story and the more startling events of the day? Surely itwas easy for a hysterical girl to make a mistake in the dark.
But further debate was no longer practicable, for his guests werebeginning to arrive. They were Beatrice's friends rather than his.From beneath his bushy eyebrows he regarded them all with more or lesscontempt. He knew perfectly well they would have had none of him butfor his money. For the most part they were here only out of idlecuriosity, to see such treasures as Maldon Grange contained. Only oneor two perhaps were people after Flower's own heart. Well, it did notmatter. Whatever changed the tenor of his thoughts and led his mind innew directions was a distinct relief. He sat taciturn and sombre tilldinner was an
nounced.
The Five Knots Page 4
