The Dark House at Highgate

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10693, 14 August 1912, Page 2

The Dark House at Highgate

'OUR SERIAL.)

BY DERWENT MIALL,

CTHAPTEII XVll.—(Continued.)

After the lapse of a few minutes, during which I turned my l>ack on the watcher outside —who. for some reason, kept .silent —Rimington came iu softly, with a tray which he put down on a mattrass.

"I'm a good natured man, Mr. Rycroft," he said, "or I might starve you into (loin;:: as I wish."

"Indeed? You could do nothing of the sort," I retorted. "f don't intend to try," lie quietly said. "I know a trick worth two ni' that, and, -when the time comes for me to play it, I hope you'll bear in mind that that little cabinet contains of the rery smallest intrinsic value. There is no sense in your obstinacy, sir."

I I thought there was a great deal. So long as I was in possession o*f information that was coveted by my enemies it was evident that they would rather have me alive than dead, and I could oat and drink without fear of being piosonod. If I once parted with that information it wan likelv my fate would be sealed. For T did not. attempt to blind myself to tho fact that I was dealing with a desperate man.

I was left alone to endure the tedium of the long liofc day, and to torment myself at leisure with picturing Anne's growing uneasiness. I wondered whether I should he advertised for as "missing," and if the police would search for me. Tf so there was just a chance that Albert BHgh might put them on the right track by telling how T had been making inquiries about Rimington just prior to my disappearance. But it would take the police a long while to find me, if they ever did so, and every hour that passed must be full of doubts and fears for Anne. Would she think that I had deserted her at the very time Avhen she most needed my support? Tho little cabinet might contain diamonds worth a king's ransom, for all T knew; but Doctor Rimington should have had it at mice if I thought that my liberty would follow its surrender. T thought nothing of tho kind. Having decided that escape from the room I was in was absolutely impossible. I made up my mind to try a little diplomacy with Rimington. It was twilight all day in thegarden outside, but I judged it to be about tho hour of natural twilight when next there, was a. stir among the laurels, the wry-necked man looked in again.

"Your dinner is coining, sir," he said suavely, and soon after the announcement came Rimington. He set down a tray, as before, .and then looked doubtfully at me. "Well, sir, am I to' have that cabinet." he said.

"I refuse toeonsider the matter at all," said I. "until I'm put in bettor quarters. I should be ..ashamed to keen even p, dog in this beasth- hole."

He stood considering me thoughtfully/

"Well," be said, " 1 don't know. It might be managed, perlmns. [ don't mind meeting a reasonable man halfway. Just take vour food, and I'll see what we can fix up." He went out with brisker tread, evidently thinking that my resolution was beginning to waver. An hour later, wh.en it was nearly dark, ho reappeared, and told me that aaiother room had been got ready for me. In tho dusk of the doorway lurk-, ed the wry-necked man. and I was given to understand that he and Rimington were ready to escort mc at once to my new cell.

They went, one in front of me and one behind, along a spacious parage, now up a flight of stairs, now down one, and so on; it seemed to be a curious, rambling old house. Our journey ended in a room which was, at all events, mora spacious than the one I had left, a'nd it was furnished after a fashion ; that is to say, there was a threadbare carpet on the floor, a horsehair Sofa, a table, two rushbottomed chairs, and, over the fireplace, a dismal engraving of some Old Testament subject. The window was just above ground level, but heavily barred, and darkened ijy laurels close outside it.

"You'll be more comfortable here, Mrßycroft," observed Doctor Rimington, "and I am really glad you Jiave concluded to think matters over in a reasonable manner."

My way of thinking matters over was to examine the room carefully, as soon as I was alone; to try the window bars and the door; to search the •table drawer if perchance a knife, a nail—-anything—-had been left in it that might help me to pick a, lock or work my way out of tho room by some method.

But when at last I threw myself down upon the sofa of what had once, perhaps, been the .housekeeper's sitting room, I was conscious of the fact that though better lodged, I was no nearer liberty than before, and I could not get rid of die fooling that my life was in danger. Waking fear gave place at last to fearful dreams. I dozed and dreamed and started up, and dozed again alternately. The irksome dripping of a cistern troubled me for a time, and I lay counting tho drips. Then I dozed once more, to start up in alarm as abroad finger of light moved unsteadily across the ceiling. I sat up. There was a fanlight

A thor of "Lady Rosalie's "Bellamy's Warning," "The Strange Case ii Yinceno Hume," "In the Wea. " Etc Etc.

CHAPTER XVIII

A CRUEL FORGERY

(To bo Continued.)

over the door, and it glowed with ii-.-M Then the handle of the door was turned, stealthily, it scorned. Some one was coming in, intending to surprise me in my (deep, perhaps. I put my.feet to the floor ~iul rose slowly, riot knowing what to expect. The door swung noiselessly open, and there, candle in hand,'with n face full of terror, and swaying like a drunken man, .stood Cluny.' Jle was dressed in a long dressing'gown, his ->MS were wild and bboc!>'hed, ami he looked like, a, mart distraught.'

For the moment I was.tooo startled to move; then I realised that he was striving to speak, but that intonec agitation kept him momentarily dumb, and I was no less agitated than he.

Cluny, that apparation of living ter- [ ror, had no chance of speaking to me, lat All. Before he could utter a word he was jerked away, like a marionette from the miniature stage of a puppet show. Then the door was slammed and locked noisily. I heard a scuffle in iSie passage, hard breathing, shuffling feet, and a shrill oath. Then all was darkness and silence ;again, except that the cistern's monotonous "drip, drip, drip," made itself heard as before, and I could almost believe that what I had seen was nothing more than an apparation.

I don't knoAv how it was, but this midnight visitation in ado mo ten times more intolerant of my prison than- I had been before. 0111113' probably came as a friend, but his haunting look of terror filled me with repulsion and horror. He impressed mo a.s a being who lived in close communion with supernatural—as one who had looked upon forbidden mysteries too awful for human ken. Fanciful? I dare say; but my nerves had become preyed upon by solitude and a succession of sharp emotions.

Long after the midnight visitation I lay staring wide-eyed in the direction of the door, dreadng to see the fanlight illuminated again. Indeed, it was only toward dawn that the dreary moan of a rising wind lulled mo into a profound sleep. When in due time, I awoke, I found that it was broad daylight, and that ]')octor ilimington was beside me.

"Let us come to an understanding, Mr Rycroft," he said, after some inquiries about my night's rest, to which I did not feel constrained to reply. If ■animals could talk, so might a fox suggest an amicable arrangement with some inhabitant of the barnyard which was just out of his reach. "Lot us come to an understanding,'' snir the fat man. his heavy .brows knitted, and his aspect strangely sugEOistivo of the first Napoleon. Gloomy implacable, determined, it was impossible not to feel that hero was v man of forceful formidable, unscrupulous schemer. "Vo--'ve l-.ceii a prisoner hero IV more than thirty-six hours." he went on. "and you. want + o be released T. fir hit part, •"■•mt -an n'+'Vle nf friflh'r value, which T am v.-jliintr to lmv f-o-u v"ii. Seems simple enough •'-. **■ it?"

"Ouit," so." I replied. "And I'n' readv this moment to go with you in n r">b to tho "•nvphouse. and see the -ahi-i'--'- band'-xl over to you. For my nai-t. I'll uiuH'take t-> f ""rot what ha<al'ow myself to b" tricked into enterin.<7 vour girden." Tie r-«vod in his chair rnons : l"_ 15 proposition was. on the face of it. so reasonable, that T'* think ho was. for ■l moment, temn+od It was with a o-ioomv air that ho refused mv terms. "' "T alio-, c'r." 1.0 snid "the* I'm not. permitted to jnve yon your liberty ouit-* ko soon that. I should wish to b-ive +he+ b'ttle cabinet in my possession first."

"AWl.+hfn." tbousrln T. "o-onri-bve to mv bold over von. and in niv cliatipos oF lonrinsr t'"" nlivo." Fo" +be rn'nn Imp-" tbnt if I wem liberty T sbrr/d continue mv innuirioF rnncprliine; Iv'm aiul bis visit to Polton .

"You must ncceut my t"rm? " T so id. "or <ro viU,n,it the cannot."

T-Te ruminated in silence for a minute.