OUSE 
 
 By Mrs CN.Willianison 
 
 *r

 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK
 
 THE HOUSE BY 
 THE LOCK 
 
 BY 
 
 MRS. C. N. WILLIAMSON 
 
 Co-author of 
 igJ^mng Conductor," "Ify Lady dndtretta," etc. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 B. W. DODGE AND COMPANY 
 
 1906
 
 PRESS OF 
 
 BRAUNWORTH <t CO- 
 
 BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS 
 
 BROOKLYN, N. Y.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 I. THE LADY IN THE STAGE Box 1 
 
 II. THE MAN WITH THE PALE EYES 12 
 
 III. A DEAD MAN'S HAND . . 22 
 
 IV. THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK ...... 30 
 
 V. WAS IT A MYSTERY? 88 
 
 VI. AN ADVENTURE IN THE PARK 53 
 
 VII. FRIENDS 67 
 
 VIII. AN ANNOUNCEMENT 74 
 
 IX. Too LATE 83 
 
 X. "IF HE HAD COMMITTED A CRIME" ... 92 
 
 XI. WILDRED SCORES 99 
 
 XII. KARINE'S ENGAGEMENT RING 116 
 
 XIII. " KISMET AND Miss CUNNINGHAM" . . . 121 
 
 XIV. AN EXTRA SPECIAL 133 
 
 XV. A MYSTERY OF THE THAMES 1 36 
 
 XVI. INFORMATION LAID BY CARSON WILDRED . .143 
 
 XVII. A DISAPPOINTMENT 152 
 
 XVIII. A DESPERATE REMEDY 166 
 
 XIX. "NOT AT HOME" 176 
 
 XX. THE QUEST 188 
 
 T
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTT.R FA08 
 
 XXI. A PICTURE FROM THE PAST 208 
 
 XXII. PACK TO FACE . . 220 
 
 XXIII. A COUNTERFEIT PRESENTMENT ". 224 
 
 XXIV. FIRE! 232 
 
 XXV. " IT'S DOGGED AS DOES IT " .... 239 
 
 XXVI. A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 246 
 
 XXVII. Too LATE ! 269 
 
 XXVIII. A WILD-GOOSE CHASE 276 
 
 XXIX. AT THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK .... 284 
 
 XXX. CONCLUSION . 298
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 THE LADY IN THE STAGE BOX 
 
 " HULLO, old chap ! Who would ever have 
 thought of seeing you here to-night? What's 
 brought you back to civilisation again? " 
 
 I turned suddenly, surprised by the sound 
 of a familiar voice in my ear. It was the night 
 of Christmas Eve, and I was just entering the 
 lobby of the St. James's, the first time, as it 
 happened, I had seen the inside of a theatre for 
 two years. 
 
 For the fraction of a moment I could not 
 remember where I had known the man who ad- 
 dressed me so jovially. My way of knocking 
 about the world brought me into contact with 
 so many people that it was difficult to sort my 
 gallery of faces, and keep each one mentally 
 ticketed. But after a second or two of star-
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 ing through that convenient medium, my mon- 
 ocle, I was able to place the man who had 
 accosted me. He was a rich mining king from 
 Colorado, by the name of Harvey Farnham, 
 whom I had met in Denver, when I had been 
 dawdling through America three or four 
 years ago. 
 
 I pronounced his name with a certain self- 
 satisfaction in having so readily recalled it, and 
 we shook each other by the hand. 
 
 "What's brought me back to civilisation?" 
 I echoed, lazily. " I really don't know un- 
 less it was because I'd got tired of the other 
 thing. Adventure change that's what I am 
 in search of, my dear Farnham." 
 
 " And you come back here from service as 
 war correspondent in Egypt (where I last read 
 of you in the papers as having been carried 
 down a cataract for twenty-six miles before a 
 launch ran out and saved you) in the hope of 
 finding * adventure ' in this workaday close of 
 the nineteenth century? That's too good." 
 
 I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. 
 " Yes; why not? Why should there not be as
 
 LADY IN THE STAGE BOX 
 
 great a possibility of obtaining new sensations, 
 or at least old ones in different form, in Lon- 
 don as anywhere else? " 
 
 It did not occur to me, as I idly spoke the 
 words, that I was uttering a prophecy. 
 
 " How is it," I went on rather curiously, 
 " that you remembered me, ' honouring my 
 draft on sight,' so to speak? It must be four 
 years since that very jolly supper you gave me 
 in Denver one night, and I fancy I have 
 changed considerably since then." 
 
 Farnham smiled in his comical American 
 way, which was a humorous sentence in itself. 
 
 ' Well, I guess it's not so easy to forget a 
 face like yours. You are a little browner, your 
 eyes rather keener perhaps, your head held a 
 bit higher, your shoulders broader and drawn 
 back more like a soldier's than ever; but, so 
 far as I can see, those are the only changes. 
 You might easily have forgotten me, and I'm 
 immensely flattered that you haven't. But the 
 fact is, my dear boy, you are simply the most 
 interesting man I ever came across, in my own 
 country or any other. You've always seemed 
 
 3
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 like a sort of hero of a tale of adventure to me ; 
 and, you see, one don't let a chap like that drop 
 out of one's recollection. I've always eagerly 
 followed your doings, so far as one could fol- 
 low them in the newspapers, and I read your 
 African book with the greatest interest; but 
 somehow I never got to hear much personal 
 gossip about you. Say, are you married or 
 anything? " 
 
 " Many things, but not married," I returned. 
 " I haven't had time to think of women. Be- 
 sides, if I had, who would take me ? No money, 
 no prospects, a man who can't be happy for a 
 fortnight in one place! What a life I should 
 lead a woman!" 
 
 "Ah, that's one side of the picture, of 
 course; but here's the other, as the world sees 
 it. You're a sort of popular hero African 
 traveller, war correspondent, writer of books, 
 Polar explorer, and I don't know what besides, 
 though you can't yet be anywhere near thirty- 
 five. You've got the figure of a soldier, and 
 just the sort of dark, unreadable face that 
 women rave about. What does money matter 
 
 4
 
 LADY IN THE STAGE BOX 
 
 with a chap like that? Nothing. I wonder 
 you've managed to escape the matchmaking 
 mammas so long. They're quite as keen on a 
 celebrity, in my country at least, as they are 
 on a millionaire." 
 
 " Nevertheless, they have not given me much 
 trouble," I said, smiling a little, however, at the 
 remembrance of one or two amusing episodes 
 which I had not the slightest intention of re- 
 lating. " There, the way to the box-office is 
 clear at last. Once that fat old man is out of 
 the way, it will be my turn. Shall I get your 
 stall for you, and so save time? " 
 
 " Yes, by all means, thank you. Are you 
 alone, Stanton? " 
 
 " Quite alone. I'd almost forgotten what 
 the theatre was like, and determined to come 
 and refresh my memory." 
 
 " I'm by myself, too. Say, old man, would 
 it be a liberty if I asked you to try and get 
 stalls for us together? " 
 
 " Delighted, I'm sure," I answered, though, 
 as a matter of fact, I was not quite certain 
 whether I was telling the truth or not. Farn- 
 
 5
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 ham had been well enough in Denver, but I did 
 not know whether I should care to pass in his 
 society a whole evening, which I had meant 
 to be one of solitary enjoyment. However, he 
 had left me nothing else to say, and I re- 
 sponded with what alacrity I could, little 
 dreaming that my whole future was hanging 
 on my words, and the result of my confab with 
 the man in the box-office. 
 
 The play was a popular one, and perhaps 
 on no night of the year, save Christmas Eve 
 or some Lenten fast, could we have obtained 
 two stalls side by side a few minutes before 
 the ringing-up of the curtain. As it was, we 
 were successful, and I walked into the theatre 
 by the side of the tall, thin, smooth-faced 
 American. 
 
 We sat down, in the third or f ourtK row of 
 the stalls, and, as the orchestra had not yet 
 come in, began to talk. 
 
 Farnham explained to me that he had " run 
 over " to England on business, intending to 
 .sell a certain mine of his, which, though vastly 
 profitable, was the one thing in which he had 
 
 6
 
 LADY IN THE STAGE BOX 
 
 lost interest. The other mines in which he was 
 part owner were situated in his own state, Colo- 
 rado, while this particular one, the " Miss Cun- 
 ningham," was in California, and he was tired 
 of journeying to and fro. 
 
 "I've had a good offer," he said; "indeed, 
 I'm visiting in the house of the man who has 
 made it a wonderful fellow, only one degree 
 less interesting, perhaps, than you. His name 
 is Carson Wildred. Did you ever hear of 
 him?" 
 
 " No," I answered, though possibly not to 
 know Mr. Carson Wildred was to argue my- 
 self unknown. 
 
 " He seems to have plenty of money," ex- 
 plained Farnham, " and though he's a new- 
 comer in London, has got in with a number of 
 good people. He has two houses, one in Sloane 
 Street and one up the Thames, a queer, lonely 
 old place, near Purley Lock, if you know 
 where that is. I'm staying out there with him 
 now, as it happens, though I can't say I'm as 
 fond of the river as he is at this season. But 
 when a few papers and a good round sum of 
 
 7
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 money have changed hands, a couple of days 
 or so from now, I shall bid Wildred and Eng- 
 land au revoir. I expect to sail for America 
 at the end of the week, and jolly lucky I think 
 myself to have run up against you to-night." 
 
 Somehow, as he rattled on about his own 
 affairs, my heart began to warm towards Farn- 
 ham. He was not a particularly brilliant fel- 
 low, though a good business man; but he had 
 such a whimsical face, with its bright eyes, its 
 good-natured mouth, and its laughable, up- 
 turned nose! He was so frankly interested in 
 life, so enthusiastic, so outspoken, so boyish 
 in many of his ways, despite his forty years! 
 I found myself almost inclined to be sorry that 
 he was leaving England so soon. 
 
 " I should like you to meet Wildred," he 
 went on. " I don't know whether you'd fancy 
 him, but you couldn't help thinking his a re- 
 markable personality. It would be interesting 
 to see you two chaps together. He's at the 
 theatre to-night, by the way, with some friends 
 of his rather swells. It was an old engage- 
 ment, made before I went out to his house, but 
 
 8
 
 LADY IN THE STAGE BOX 
 
 he had to keep it, of course. They'll be in that 
 stage box over there, and as Wildred has been 
 industriously raising my curiosity about the 
 beauty of one of the ladies for the past few 
 days, I concluded to drop in and take the only 
 chance I was likely to get of a look at her. 
 And mighty glad I am that I did so make up 
 my mind, or I should have left England with- 
 out clapping eyes on someone I'd rather see 
 than all the professional beauties in London." 
 
 As he finished speaking the overture, which 
 had now been on for some time, ceased, and 
 the curtain went up on a very pretty bit of 
 stage setting. 
 
 There was no curtain-raiser, and the first 
 act was well constructed and interesting from 
 the commencement. It was delightful to me 
 to feel, as I did, that I was no longer blase of 
 town life, or the mimic life of the theatre, and 
 I was inclined to resent the interruption when 
 Farnham nudged me, whispering 
 
 " There's Wildred and his friends just com- 
 ing into the stage box. By Jove ! what a pretty 
 girl!" 
 
 9
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I looked up, because I was sure the volatile 
 American would give me no peace until I had 
 done so; and then, having looked up, I 
 promptly forgot the play and its dramatis 
 personce. 
 
 Two years I had spent in Africa and Egypt, 
 and I had not seen many fair faces during that 
 time of travel and campaigning. I was in a 
 mood, therefore, to appreciate the delicate 
 loveliness of English women; but, even had I 
 been surfeited with beauty, my eyes would have 
 lingered in a species of wonder on the girl just 
 seating herself in a corner of the stage box. 
 It is possible that I have seen other women as 
 beautiful, many more classically perfect of 
 feature, but never have I looked upon a face 
 so radiant, so bewildering. 
 
 For the moment I scarcely glanced at the 
 girl's companions, though I was vaguely con- 
 scious that there was an older woman, and that 
 two men were taking chairs in the darker back- 
 ground of the box. 
 
 All the other figures on the stage and in the 
 auditorium became meaningless for me. There 
 
 10
 
 LADY IN THE STAGE BOX 
 
 was the dazzling girl in white, and, so far as I 
 was concerned, no one else in the theatre. 
 
 The simple, snowy frock, without jewels or 
 ornamentation of any kind, was the most be- 
 coming frame which could have been chosen 
 for the picture. The oval face, with its pearly 
 skin, its curved red lips, its starry, long-lashed 
 eyes (which might have been brown or violet, 
 so far as I could tell) , and the aureole of wav- 
 ing, ruddy gold hair were all so vivid in their 
 marvellous effect of colour, that the dead white 
 gown set them off far more artistically than 
 the most carefully-chosen tints could have done. 
 
 The girl could not, I thoilght, have been 
 more than twenty, and every turn of the beau- 
 tifully-poised little head, every dimpling smile, 
 told that she was full of the joy of life. 
 
 "What do you think of Wildred?" whis- 
 pered Farnham, his lazy American drawl wak- 
 ing me out of a dream. 
 
 I did not wish him to see how completely 
 I had been absorbed, how foolishly I had lost 
 my head, and therefore I turned my attention 
 to the two men in the back of the box. 
 
 11
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 THE MAN WITH THE PALE EYES 
 
 En passant, my eyes dwelt for an instant 
 upon a stout woman of a certain age, whose 
 figure was encased in a sort of armour of steel- 
 grey satin and beads, and whose carefully-ar- 
 ranged head was adorned by a small tiara of 
 diamonds, but they found no temptation to 
 linger. 
 
 One of the men was old, grey-haired, and 
 large of girth, with a huge expanse of snowy 
 shirt, and a head guiltless of hair. The other 
 was comparatively young, not many years past 
 my own age, perhaps, and a curious thrill, 
 which I could not myself have explained, 
 passed through me as I looked, through half- 
 shut eyes, at his face. Where had I seen it 
 before? Or did it bear but a haunting resem- 
 blance to some other, painted on my memory's 
 retina in lurid, yet partially obliterated, 
 colours ? 
 
 12
 
 MAN WITH THE PALE EYES 
 
 I had no doubt which of the two was Carson 
 Wildred, Farnham's friend and host. What 
 he had said of the man's personality assured 
 me of his identity. 
 
 It was passing strange to me that I should 
 he so strongly impressed by the feeling that I 
 had seen the face before, under startling and 
 disagreeable circumstances, and yet be unable 
 to identify it. Something seemed to be lack- 
 ing, or changed, which broke the chain of evi- 
 dence in my mind. Surely I should have been 
 able to remember that peculiar nose, with the 
 flattened bridge, now presented to me in pro- 
 file. 
 
 It would be a sign of a lacking bump of 
 observation to have forgotten the angle of that 
 protruding lower jaw, and the strong contrast 
 between the almost copper-coloured skin, jet 
 black hair, and large, brilliant blue eyes so 
 light as to appear almost white. 
 
 It was impossible, I told myself, that I had 
 met the man before. His remarkable and un- 
 common cast of features had no niche in my 
 recollection, and yet I knew that in some cru- 
 
 13
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 cial moment I had looked into those pale and 
 scintillating eyes. 
 
 A wave of repulsion swept over me. I could 
 not remember when I had experienced two 
 such keen emotions as my surprised admira- 
 tion for the girl, and the dislike, almost 
 amounting to disgust, which I felt for Farn- 
 ham's friend, Carson Wildred. Something 
 deeper than mere annoyance surged in my 
 breast, that that dark personality should lurk 
 so near to the spotless whiteness of the gauzy 
 drapery, which vaguely seemed to me a part of 
 the girl's self. 
 
 " Eh? What did you say? How do you 
 like his looks? Peculiar face, isn't it?" que- 
 ried Farnham, close to my ear. 
 
 " Yes, it is peculiar," I answered, mechan- 
 ically, snatching at the phrase. 
 
 " And the girl! Isn't she something rather 
 choice? " 
 
 " Very lovely. Who is she? " 
 
 "A Miss Karine Cunningham. Same name 
 as the mine that Wildred is going to take off 
 
 14
 
 MAN WITH THE PALE EYES 
 
 my hands. Merely a coincidence, but I fancy 
 it influenced him in his wish to buy the prop- 
 erty, perhaps. He is very much in love with 
 the girl, and rich as he apparently is, she can 
 more than match him, I should say. She's an 
 orphan, whose father, though he came of what 
 you English call a ' good family,' made his 
 pile in trade ; and Sir Walter Tressidy, who is 
 in the box with his wife, was her guardian until 
 she came of age, about a year ago. She still 
 lives with them, and Lady Tressidy takes her 
 about. All these things Wildred, who is never 
 so happy as when he is talking of Miss Cun- 
 ningham, has told me; so you see, I'm pretty 
 well primed as to her antecedents, means, and 
 so on. The girl has thirty thousand pounds a 
 year if she has a penny. Whew! Only think 
 what that means in American money. She 
 could buy and sell me." 
 
 I might have truthfully replied that the 
 young lady could have had me without either 
 buying or selling, since for the first time since 
 my callow days these few moments had 
 
 15
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 taught me what it was to experience a wild 
 quickening of the pulses under the casual 
 glance of a woman's eyes. 
 
 She had seen me. So much satisfaction at 
 least was mine. Wildred had doubtless pointed 
 out his friend, and her gaze had passed on to 
 me drawn, perhaps, by the compelling mag- 
 netism of the strange new feeling which domi- 
 nated me. 
 
 Wishing to avoid the appearance of rude- 
 ness, I would have looked away, but I found 
 myself for an instant unable to do so. It was 
 ridiculous to fancy it, and yet I could not help 
 imagining that the girl's exquisite face lighted 
 up with an expression akin to interest as her 
 eyes rested upon mine. 
 
 It was for me a moment of intoxication, as 
 I felt that those twin violet lakes received, full 
 in their depths, the involuntary outpouring of 
 my soul. A sensation as of being wrenched 
 away from some safe mooring passed through 
 me as she withdrew her gaze, and, turning her 
 head, whispered to Lady Tressidy, who sat be- 
 side her. The latter then looked at me, and 
 
 16
 
 MAN WITH THE PALE EYES 
 
 unhesitatingly put up her sparkling lorgn- 
 ettes. 
 
 Farnham had not failed to observe this 
 little pantomime, and was vastly amused 
 thereby. 
 
 " This is what comes of being a celebrity! " 
 he chuckled. "They've recognised you from 
 the pictures that were in all the papers a couple 
 of months ago, or perhaps by the photos that 
 were published when your book came out." 
 
 " Nonsense ! " I said, rather irritably. 
 ' They're only annoyed, perhaps, at our star- 
 ing. Let's turn our attention to the stage." 
 
 I set the example which I recommended, but 
 before doing so I gave myself the indulgence 
 of one more lingering glance, and saw that 
 Carson Wildred was eyeing me with undis- 
 guised interest. 
 
 Was I mistaken was it only the faint emo- 
 tion awakened by the mention of a name not 
 quite unknown to the public or did the man 
 share in my half -recognition of him? 
 
 Whatever the feeling excited by the sound 
 of my name or the sight of my face, it was 
 
 17
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 certainly not a pleasant one. The one look I 
 ventured showed me the pale eyes shadowed 
 by a frown, and the gleam of white teeth as 
 they gnawed the lower lip under the slight dark 
 line of the moustache. 
 
 He had glanced from me to Farnham, and 
 something in his look told me that, for a reason 
 to me unfathomable, he was displeased at see- 
 ing us together. 
 
 At the end of the act we went out for a 
 smoke and a breath of fresh air, and as we were 
 returning we met Wildred near the stairway 
 which, at the St. James's, leads to the boxes 
 on one side of the house. 
 
 " I was looking for you," he said to Farn- 
 ham, and the tones of the voice roused the same 
 vague, unpleasant memories that the eyes had 
 stirred. 
 
 " And we were just talking of you," Farn- 
 ham annoyed me by retorting. " I should like 
 to be the means of making you two known to 
 each other. Of course, Wildred, you have 
 heard all about Noel Stanton. This is actually 
 he in the flesh, and he has been telling me that 
 
 18
 
 MAN WITH THE PALE EYES 
 
 he believes he must have seen you somewhere 
 before." 
 
 Mr. Wildred tossed away a cigarette, and 
 followed it with his brilliant eyes. He was 
 smiling, but his lips were tense, as his gaze 
 came back to me. 
 
 " It is my misfortune," he said, " to be 
 obliged to assure you that Mr. Stanton is mis- 
 taken. I know him as well as one can do with- 
 out having met him, through his book, and a 
 world- wide reputation, but beyond that I have 
 not till now had the pleasure." 
 
 We looked into each other's eyes, and I knew 
 the man lied, and that he hated me. But the 
 mystery of his personality and my share in his 
 past was as profound a mystery as before. 
 
 " Lady Tressidy sent me out particularly," 
 !he continued, " in quest of you both, having 
 recognised Mr. Stanton from his numerous 
 counterfeit presentments, and she hopes that 
 you will come and be introduced to her and to 
 Miss Cunningham in their box." 
 
 Farnham looked at me doubtfully, fearing 
 perhaps that I would refuse. But, grudgingly 
 
 19
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 as the message was evidently delivered by 
 Wildred, I grasped at the opportunity it 
 gave. 
 
 I should speak to Miss Cunningham. I 
 should know her. I might dare to look at her, 
 and I might touch her hand. 
 
 I have gone through some queer experiences 
 in rather an eventful life, and have generally 
 managed to keep a cool head in emergencies. 
 But my head was not cool to-night. Every- 
 thing was dark to me, except the one lovely 
 face raised smilingly towards mine, as some 
 murmured words of introduction were spoken 
 in the box, a little later, giving me the right 
 henceforth to claim Miss Cunningham as an 
 acquaintance. 
 
 I suppose I answered coherently when Lady 
 Tressidy addressed me, and talked without 
 openly making an idiot of myself to Sir 
 Walter. But I remember nothing of the con- 
 versation between the second and third acts, 
 save the few words spoken by Miss Cunning- 
 ham, and an invitation from Lady Tressidy to 
 call on one of her " At Home " days. 
 
 20
 
 MAN WITH THE PALE EYES 
 
 After I had gratefully accepted, I turned 
 to the girl. 
 
 " Lady Tressidy has said I may come and 
 see her," I ventured. " Will you may I hope 
 to find you with her when I do? " 
 
 She looked up with a sudden, illumining 
 smile that answered me. " Come soon," she 
 returned. They were her last words for me 
 that night, and they rang in my head as I left 
 her, dizzy with the memory of her loveliness.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 A DEAD MAN'S HAND 
 
 I HAD taken rooms temporarily at the Savoy 
 Hotel, not knowing how long it might be ere 
 I should be moved in spirit to desert London; 
 and that night, instead of looking in at the 
 club as I had meant, I went from the theatre 
 straight to the hotel. 
 
 There was a fire burning in my room, and 
 I drew up a chair before it to smoke an un- 
 limited number of cigarettes, and to think of 
 Karine Cunningham. 
 
 I had parted from Farnham outside the 
 theatre, and had made an appointment to meet 
 him next day at dinner, which he was to eat 
 with me at my hotel. 
 
 I felt no inclination for bed, nor was I in 
 the least sleepy, and yet, before an hour had 
 passed, I must have fallen into a doze. 
 
 Suddenly I was awakened by the impression 
 of having heard a sound. I looked round me,
 
 A DEAD MAN'S HAND 
 
 half dazed still from my dreams. The fire 
 had died down, and I had left myself with no 
 other light. Only a ruddy glow lingered on 
 the hearth, and a small clock on the mantel- 
 piece just above lightly chimed out the hour 
 of two. 
 
 I must have dreamed the sound, I told my- 
 self, for all was silent in the sleeping hotel, and 
 even the rattle of cabs outside was dulled. 
 Still, the impression lingered, and I could 
 hardly persuade myself that I had not heard 
 Harvey Farnham's voice calling my name, and 
 finishing with a gurgling, despairing cry for 
 help, the horror of which had chilled the blood 
 in my veins, even in my sleep. 
 
 Though the fire was dead, the room was still 
 warm, and I hardly knew why I should be so 
 cold. Nevertheless, I felt chilled to the bone, 
 and I was glad enough to get into bed as 
 quickly as I could. Several times I was on 
 the point of falling asleep again, but, at just 
 the critical point between reflectiveness and 
 sinking into the soft depths of slumber, I 
 waked with an almost convulsive start, and a 
 
 23
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 remembrance of the cry I had heard or 
 dreamed. I was sure it must have been the 
 latter, although, I told myself, there might ac- 
 tually have been some fracas in the street 
 which, in my sleep, I had confused with a 
 dream of Harvey Farnham. 
 
 Resigning myself to wakefulness at last, I 
 began to plan out the programme of the next 
 week, and wonder how soon I might avail my- 
 self of Lady Tressidy's invitation to call. She 
 was at home on Sundays informally, she had 
 said, whenever she happened to be in town dur- 
 ing the winter, though Thursday was her 
 " day " during the season. 
 
 Now, the Thursday following would be 
 Christmas Day (this most eventful night being 
 Christmas Eve of last year), but I did not see 
 why I might not look in for a few moments on 
 the ensuing Sunday. It had only been be- 
 cause Sir Walter's affairs rendered a short stay 
 in town necessary, that they were spending 
 Christmas in Park Lane. They would prob- 
 ably go away in a few days, and I could not 
 afford to lose my chance; for, though I had
 
 A DEAD MAN'S HAND 
 
 admired many women in my time, I had never 
 yet seen one whom I wished to make my wife, 
 until Karine Cunningham's lovely face had 
 risen fair and sweet as a new moon that 
 mingled its silver with the rose of sunset over 
 my horizon. 
 
 I had laughed at men who gravely discussed 
 the possibility of love at first sight, but now I 
 began to realise, half shamefacedly, that it 
 was not a thing to be convinced of through 
 argument, but by thrilling, magical experience. 
 I would have staked my life that Karine Cun- 
 ningham's heart and mind were all that her 
 face presaged of them, and I resolved that, if 
 she were to be won, I would put my very life 
 into the attempt to win her. 
 
 So thinking, and so resolving, I fell at last 
 from waking dreams to sleeping ones, hoping 
 dimly, as I slipped over the edge of realities, 
 that they might be of Karine Cunningham. 
 But they were not of her. Hardly had slumber 
 got its hold upon me, when I saw myself by 
 the river, looking down into a swiftly rushing 
 tide. It seemed to be somewhere in the coun- 
 
 25
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 try, though I had little thought for my sur- 
 roundings; and I was conscious that I was 
 watching anxiously for the appearance of some 
 object, whose nature I did not accurately know. 
 It had been daylight in my vision at first a 
 cold, grey, wintry daylight but suddenly 
 night fell, with the rapidity that all changes 
 come and go in dreamland, and the only light 
 was a spot of phosphorescent radiance that lay 
 just under the surface of the water, floating 
 gradually down towards me. I knew, in my 
 sleep, that my eyes were destined to behold 
 some sight of horror, yet I was bound, in a 
 species of frozen fascination, to the spot where 
 I stood, forced to wait for the oncoming of the 
 light and its revelation of mystery. 
 
 Slowly it was borne along with the tide, until, 
 having reached a bend in the river opposite 
 the spot where I was standing, it ceased to 
 move. I stooped down and saw that the pale 
 light shone forth from a great white diamond 
 on the finger of a dead man's hand. The body 
 was faintly and darkly outlined ; even the float- 
 ing arm might also have been a floating mass 
 
 26
 
 A DEAD MAN'S HAND 
 
 of blackened river weed; but the hand was 
 white as alabaster, and as I bent over it, star- 
 ing down, one of the fingers moved and beck- 
 oned. Then I woke with a loud cry " Harvey 
 Farnham!" , 
 
 I had gone through a good many dangers 
 in my roving life, and had passed through 
 many a queer adventure, believing that I could 
 still boast unshaken nerves. Neither was I 
 used to dreaming, and the hours of sleep were 
 usually for me a long and peaceful interval 
 of complete unconsciousness. 
 
 Now, however, my forehead was damp with 
 a cold sweat, and I could hardly shake off the 
 horror of the vision. It was ridiculous, I said 
 to myself, and yet, even with my eyes open, I 
 could see the white awfulness of that dead 
 finger, as it beckoned me, shining palely in the 
 light of the diamond ring. 
 
 Exactly why I had shouted the name, of 
 Harvey Farnham as I waked, I could not un- 
 derstand, unless with the odd "hang togeth- 
 erativeness " of dreams it was because I had 
 happened to notice during the evening at the 
 
 27
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 theatre that he still wore on the last finger of 
 his left hand a very remarkable ring, which he 
 had also worn, and of which he had told me the 
 history, when we had met f our years previously 
 in America. I had thought it perhaps the very 
 finest diamond I had ever seen in the possession 
 of a private person, and he had mentioned that 
 it had been taken from the first mine of which 
 he had ever been the owner. He had had it 
 for some years, and, having grown stouter 
 meanwhile, the gold setting had cut rather 
 deeply into the flesh of his finger. 
 
 He had laughingly alluded to this in Denver, 
 saying that he had promised a pretty girl that 
 she should have the stone when he should be 
 obliged to have the ring cut off, and he meant 
 to stick to it as long as he could. Except for 
 the fact of having remarked that he still wore 
 the ring, and that his finger looked as pinched 
 as a woman's waist beneath its clasp, I could 
 not in any way have described Harvey Farn- 
 ham's hand. I had doubtless a general im- 
 pression of its shape and contour in my mind, 
 but I did not now recall that there had been 
 
 28
 
 A DEAD MAN'S HAND 
 
 any recognisable likeness between it and the 
 dead hand my dream had shown me. Still, 
 though I was able to give myself a perfectly 
 rational explanation of the dream, and even 
 of the impression of Farnham's voice earlier 
 in the night, I could not shake off a curious 
 and unpleasant sensation of there being some 
 duty connected with the vision which I had left 
 unperf ormed, or which was yet to be exacted 
 of me in the future,
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I AEOSE on Christmas morning with the same 
 feeling. There was absolutely nothing ar- 
 ranged for me to do that day, as I had in- 
 formed no one I knew of my presence in 
 London, meaning to be for the present some- 
 what of a free-lance. I had wished not to be 
 obliged to account to anyone as to my goings 
 and comings. I had not wanted any invitations 
 to family festivities on Christmas Day to 
 " keep me from being lonely." My desire had 
 been to go exactly where the whim of the mo- 
 ment might lead me, and without a moment's 
 hesitation I had declined the invitation to 
 *' Christmas dinner " which poor Farnham had 
 dragged for me from his friend, Carson Wil- 
 dred. It might amuse me, Farnham had 
 thought, as Wildred's house up the river was 
 a queer old place, interesting to anyone who 
 cared for that sort of thing, and they two were 
 
 30
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 dining quite alone. Wildred and he had had 
 some final arrangements to settle up, and as 
 Christmas was such an " off day," so far as 
 amusements were concerned, it had heen Wil- 
 dred's idea that they should utilise it in this 
 manner. The other man took Farnham's hint, 
 and civilly gave the required invitation, of 
 course, but even had it been offered with en- 
 thusiasm I should not have been tempted to 
 accept. 
 
 Now, however, I felt a curious inclination 
 to call at the House by the Lock, as it was 
 named. I would not dine there, I told myself, 
 but there must be an inn in the neighbourhood, 
 where I could obtain some slight Christmas 
 cheer, if I chose to embark upon the rather mild 
 adventure of going up the river on this wintry 
 holiday. 
 
 It was years since I had been in England, 
 and the thought of a solitary stroll by the 
 Thames along a country towing-path was not 
 so dismal as it might have been to those who 
 had not tramped with the equanimity of cus- 
 tom through African jungles. 
 
 31
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 Once the idea had taken root in my mind, I 
 was impatient to carry it out. I would go, I 
 decided, almost immediately, lunching at the 
 nearest decent inn to Purley Lock, and turn- 
 ing up at Wildred's house at four or five in the 
 afternoon. I would spend an hour there, per- 
 haps, and return to town in time for dinner. 
 
 I had not got up particularly early, had 
 breakfasted late, and by the time I was in- 
 clined to start it was past one o'clock. I had 
 over an hour's journey to Great Mario w, the 
 nearest railway station, with a drive of some 
 four miles to follow, before I could reach the 
 Chimes Inn, which I was told was the only 
 one within some distance of Purley Lock. 
 
 It was a quaint old hostelry I found, and an 
 agreeable landlord, who had hardly expected 
 guests at so out-of-the-way a place on Christ- 
 mas Day, and having finished his own midday 
 repast, was very ready for a gossip with 
 me. 
 
 Oh, yes, he said, he knew the House by the 
 Lock, quite well. It was in reality situated 
 at some little distance from the Lock itself,
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 quite a quarter-of-a-mile, but then it was the 
 nearest house, and perhaps that was the rea- 
 son it had got its name. It was a very old 
 place, but Mr. Wildred, since taking it about 
 two years before, had had a great many alter- 
 ations and improvements made both outside 
 and in. He was something of an architect 
 himself, it seemed this rich Mr. Wildred; at 
 all events, it was believed that he had made 
 the designs for the alterations, and having a 
 great fad that way, had even helped the chaps 
 he had had down from London to do the in- 
 door work and decorating. There had only 
 been two or three men, so that progress had 
 been slow, and everyone had wondered that 
 such a rich man as Mr. Wildred was reported 
 to be should have had things done in so niggling 
 a manner. But, since then, they had concluded 
 that he must have known what he was about, 
 for everyone who went there came away with 
 great reports of the decorations. 
 
 I was not particularly interested in these 
 details that my landlord had to tell me. 
 
 Though, after all, there was an indefinable 
 83
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 curiosity in my mind regarding everything that 
 concerned Carson Wildred. 
 
 I got away from the man's animated gossip 
 in the course of half-an-hour or so. I had a 
 walk of a mile to take, having dismissed my; 
 fly, and meaning, after I had paid my rather 
 aimless visit, to tramp all the way back to Mar- 
 low again. As I started, a clock on the inn 
 table struck four. 
 
 There was a long streak of gold along the 
 horizon of the otherwise dull grey sky, and a 
 rising wind moaned drearily among the bare 
 lower branches of the trees. 
 
 The scene looked indescribably desolate, and 
 yet there was a certain beauty in it, too. I had 
 been told exactly how to reach the House by: 
 the Lock, and when, after passing the some- 
 what weedy-looking lock, I began skirting 
 along a species of backwater, and came in sight 
 of a long, low-browed house close to the river, 
 I knew I had reached my journey's end. 
 
 The place had the appearance of being only 
 a restored remnant of an ancient abbey fallen 
 into decay. 
 
 34
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 Indeed, at one end of the house a ruined wall 
 jutted out, with a row of stone window-frames, 
 half filled in with sombre trails of ivy; then in 
 the middle came the habitable part of the old 
 house, with an imposing front door, which 
 might have belonged to some big Gothic 
 Church; magnificent windows, that reminded 
 me of a certain dear old college at Oxford, 
 well-known in younger days; and beyond, to 
 the left, was the wing evidently added by Wil- 
 dred. It was in wretched taste, I thought, with 
 its pretentiousness and its huge round tower 
 at the end, utterly out of keeping with the rest. 
 Then, as I criticised, my eye was caught by a 
 puff of fiery smoke that suddenly rose above 
 the battlements of the hideous tall tower. 
 
 I could not quite understand this phenome- 
 non, for the tower, so far as I could see, had 
 been merely built with the mistaken idea of 
 being ornamental. Though new, it was in- 
 tended to present the effect of being ruinous, 
 having little dark chinks in lieu of windows. 
 
 Still, the smoke was there, belching out 
 sparks not only from the apex of the tower, 
 
 35
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 but stealing in a belated puff or two from the 
 chinks in the wall nearest the top. 
 
 I thought of fire, and quickened my steps, 
 meaning to mention to the servant who should 
 open the door what I had seen. The lawn 
 stretched down to the river, which was here, as 
 I said, a mere backwater, and having entered 
 through a gate set in the side of a big brick 
 wall, I walked briskly up the short gravelled 
 path that led to the house. 
 
 At least Wildred had had the sense to let 
 this door alone, with its carvings of oak, and its 
 big ornamental hinges and knocker. The only 
 modern innovation was an electric bell, which 
 I touched, and then, grasping the huge 
 knocker, I rapped out an additional summons, 
 which echoed drearily, as though through an 
 empty house. 
 
 So near was I to the river, while I stood 
 waiting on the door-stone to be admitted, that 
 I could hear the soft lapping of the water 
 against the shore. Darkness had fallen now, 
 and an ugly recollection of my dream suddenly 
 sprang up in my brain. Just so, I remembered, 
 
 36
 
 had I heard the water whispering, as in that 
 hateful vision I had bent over to see the dead 
 man's beckoning hand. 
 
 It was long before my ring and knock were 
 answered, so long that I had my finger on the 
 bell again. But at that moment I heard foot- 
 steps walking somewhat uncertainly along an 
 uncarpeted floor within. Still the door re- 
 mained closed; but at a long narrow window, 
 which was the duplicate of another on the 
 opposite side of the door, I saw for an instant 
 that a face was pressed against the lattice- 
 work of the glass. 
 
 " What ill-trained servants this man keeps," 
 was my thought; and then, somewhat im- 
 patiently, I rang again. 
 
 The door opened almost immediately into 
 a dimly-lighted hall, when a respectable, mid- 
 dle-aged man, out of livery, evidently a butler, 
 stood revealed. Yet I could have sworn that 
 the face at the window, seen but a second ago, 
 had been that of a woman, young, pallid, and 
 darkly bright of eye!
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 WAS IT A MYSTERY? 
 
 " I SHOULD like to see Mr. Wildred and Mr. 
 Farnham," I said, not feeling it necessary to 
 ask if they were at home. I knew that they had 
 definitely arranged to he so. 
 
 I glanced round me carelessly as I spoke. 
 The hall was a huge one, dim in the corners, 
 with a fine stairway that ran down in the centre, 
 and was lighted by a great branching candela- 
 brum held up by a bronze figure on either side. 
 
 Doors, hung with porti&res of tapestry, 
 opened here and there along the hall, and in a 
 fireplace at one side slow flames crept along a 
 freshly-heaped pile of logs. 
 
 " I am sorry, sir," said the servant, respect- 
 fully, " but both the gentlemen have gone out 
 for the day." 
 
 He did not look me in the face as he de- 
 livered this piece of information, but allowed 
 his narrow eyes to drop away shiftily. 
 
 38
 
 WAS IT A MYSTERY? 
 
 " Oh, I am surprised at that," I returned, 
 " for I have come by invitation." 
 
 I hardly know by what impulse I mentioned 
 this, and as a matter of fact the invitation could 
 hardly be supposed to stand, as I had last night 
 refused it. Still, it seemed to me extremely 
 improbable that the two men would have 
 changed their minds about the day, after mid- 
 night, when I had parted from them. They 
 had mentioned refusing one or two invitations, 
 and there was really so little to do by way of 
 amusement out of one's own house, or some- 
 body else's, on Christmas Day. Somehow, too, 
 I felt impressed that the man was lying. He 
 had perhaps been told to say that his master 
 and guest were away in case of an intrusion, 
 which they might have had reason to fear; but 
 this could hardly stand with me. 
 
 The fellow's smug face changed instantly. 
 
 " Oh, I see, sir, you are the gentleman Mr. 
 Wildred was expecting. He they it is pos- 
 sible they will be in quite shortly. Perhaps 
 you will walk into the room." 
 
 ".The room," and with such a queer little 
 39
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 emphasis on the former word, sounded rather 
 odd. It was but a trifling peculiarity of ex- 
 pression, however, and I did not think much 
 of it as I followed the butler along the hall, 
 passing through a door, before which he swept 
 the curtain aside with a flourish, and so into 
 a passage which evidently led towards the new 
 wing. We went on for some distance, and 
 presently arrived at a closed door, which the 
 butler threw open for me. " It is here that my 
 master requested you should wait, sir," he said. 
 I walked in, and he left me, shutting the 
 door. It then struck me that I had neither 
 given him my name nor mentioned the mass 
 of smoke and sparks which I had seen vomited 
 from the tower. I sprang to the door again, 
 meaning to call after the man a word of warn- 
 ing in regard to the fire, but he was already 
 out of sight. He could not have gone back 
 the way that he had come, or I should certainly 
 have seen him walking down the dimly-lighted 
 passage, there being no door save that at the 
 extreme end, which he would not yet have had 
 time to reach. I did not see how he could have 
 
 40
 
 WAS IT A MYSTERY? 
 
 disappeared so suddenly, but returning whence 
 I had come, I looked about in vain for a bell. 
 
 I was sure now that this room must be situ- 
 ated in that part of the new wing which ad- 
 joined the tower. In glancing at the house 
 from outside, I had fancied that the square, 
 squat wall must be that of a studio, as there 
 were no windows, but a high, domed skylight 
 on top. Now I saw that though the outer 
 building was square, the room within was octa- 
 gon in shape. It was, perhaps, a studio, as 
 I had fancied, but there was something of the 
 free-and-easy negligence of an Oriental smok- 
 ing-room about it. 
 
 The walls were hung with embroidered 
 Indian materials, and a low divan ran down 
 part way. Between the hangings were panels 
 of sandal-wood, ornamented with bits of mir- 
 ror in the Burmese fashion, and half hidden 
 with curious foreign weapons, daggers, swords, 
 and spears, and even a Zulu assegai or two. 
 On the floor stood a hookah, and on a small 
 inlaid table were a couple of curious little ob- 
 jects which I knew to be opium pipes. In one 
 
 41
 
 corner, as though it had been pushed aside, 
 stood an easel with a canvas upon it, which was 
 half covered with a piece of drapery. The sky- 
 light was partly concealed with red silk blinds, 
 drawn across the staring glass, and from the 
 centre of the dome was suspended a large 
 jewelled lamp. It was from this that all the 
 light in the studio proceeded at present, and 
 though there was no fireplace, the room was 
 warm indeed, insufferably hot. This fact, 
 taken together with the studio's proximity to 
 the tower, made me feel more certain than be- 
 fore that some flue in this modern portion of 
 the house had caught fire. I searched the 
 panels for a bell, but found none, and at last 
 lifted several of the curtains that draped the 
 larger part of the octagonal walls. Under the 
 first two that I raised only a blank space of 
 dark wood was visible, but under the third I 
 was surprised to find a small, secretive-looking 
 door. 
 
 There was no knob or ring by way of handle, 
 but close to the edge, and about half-way 
 between top and bottom, I distinguished a 
 
 42
 
 WAS IT A MYSTERY? 
 
 diminutive keyhole, outlined with shining 
 metal. I let the curtain drop again, though 
 lingeringly. It could be only a cupboard, or 
 a particularly secure wine cellar, perhaps, be- 
 hind this dwarfish door, yet had I discovered it 
 in a house not English, but of a country less 
 conventionally civilised than our own, I should 
 have told myself that I had chanced upon the 
 clue to a secret. 
 
 There was still a fourth curtained space (the 
 remaining half of the octagons being of the 
 sandal- wood), and this, as it happened, was 
 directly behind the draped easel. 
 
 I moved towards it, not intending to pry 
 into Mr. Wildred's domestic economies, but 
 still bent on unearthing an electric bell if I 
 could do so, when my eyes fell upon the par- 
 tially-covered picture. 
 
 It was but a pinky-white, uncovered shoulder 
 that I could see, with a glimpse of red-gold 
 hair at such a distance above as to suggest a 
 massive knot at the back of a woman's head, 
 seen in profile. There was a fraction of fluffy 
 tulle sleeve as well, revealing the outline of a 
 
 43
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 rounded, girlish arm, and though the face was 
 hidden by the drapery, I was as sure as if I 
 had seen it, that should I push aside the curtain 
 my eyes would fall upon the counterfeit pre- 
 sentment of Karine Cunningham. 
 
 With half-extended hand I paused. The 
 painting was so far covered, and it was in an- 
 other man's house. Had I a right to assure 
 myself whether my supposition were correct? 
 As I hesitated my ears were startled by what 
 I can only describe as the beginning of a sound. 
 
 It was low and inarticulate, yet it seemed to 
 me that it was uttered by human lips. It com- 
 menced with a tremulous, vibrating noise, such 
 as might have been made by a man groaning 
 with closed mouth and between set teeth. 
 
 I started, and looked over my shoulder, so 
 close did it seem, that I could almost fancy it 
 had proceeded from a corner of the room be- 
 hind me. Still it went on, monotonously, and 
 then suddenly rose with ever-increasing volume 
 to a yell of utmost agony. 
 
 Never had I heard such a shriek, not even 
 in battle, when men were stabbed or shot, or 
 
 44
 
 WAS IT A MYSTERY? 
 
 blown to pieces. So horrible, so long-drawn 
 was it, that I found myself strangely awe- 
 struck and appalled. 
 
 "Great heaven!" I exclaimed aloud, sure 
 now that close at hand fire must be raging, and 
 have claimed some inmate of the house as its 
 victim. 
 
 Though I knew not where to find the servant 
 who had admitted me, or any other person, I 
 flung open the door through which I had come, 
 and ran down the passage leading towards the 
 main part of the house. In through the second 
 and wider one I went, opening a door here and 
 there, but finding only darkness and empti- 
 ness beyond. 
 
 I reached the large entrance hall at last, and 
 shouted loudly " Here, you! John, James! " 
 not knowing in the absence of the master 
 and his guest whom to call upon. 
 
 No one answered, and after the horror of 
 the unearthly cry that I had heard, and now 
 the sound of my own lusty voice, the silence 
 that fell seemed curiously brooding and 
 ominous. 
 
 45
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I shouted a second time, and was then re- 
 warded by the sight of the respectable-looking 
 butler. His face appeared or I imagined it 
 even more smug than before in its expres- 
 sion, and there was something suggestive of 
 injured dignity as well. 
 
 " Did you call, sir? " he inquired with an 
 irritating meekness. 
 
 " I did, indeed," I returned rather sharply. 
 "I've been looking everywhere for a bell, but 
 couldn't find one. I have every reason to be- 
 lieve that this house is on fire, somewhere in the 
 left wing, near the room into which you took 
 me, and it is certain that someone has got 
 caught in the flames. For heaven's sake, show 
 me the entrance to the tower, and come with 
 me to do what can be done! " 
 
 The smug look was gone, chased away by 
 one of blank amazement, which did not, how- 
 ever, seem the sort of horrified surprise that 
 might have been expected to follow on my; 
 startling announcement. 
 
 " I'm sure you must be entirely mistaken, 
 sir," he said. " There is no fire, I'm quite 
 
 46
 
 WAS IT A MYSTERY? 
 
 certain of that. There there may have been 
 a cry, for as it happens there's just been an 
 accident in the kitchen." 
 
 " An accident in the kitchen? " I echoed, in- 
 credulously. 
 
 ' Yes, sir. You see, it was this way, sir " 
 (the fellow stammered and breathed hard be- 
 tween his words, as though he were anxious to 
 gain time for himself, I thought) : " The cook 
 an awkward woman set some methylated 
 spirit on fire, and upset the stuff over her foot. 
 She I'm afraid she did give a scream, sir. 
 You know what women are at such times. But 
 it's all right now. The flames were put out 
 on the instant, sir, and one of the other serv- 
 ants is helping cook bind up her foot. Very 
 kind of you to take this trouble and be anxious, 
 sir, I'm sure." 
 
 He was glib enough now, but his shifty eyes 
 were moving about, as though looking with a 
 certain apprehension for someone to arrive. 
 
 " I saw smoke and sparks coming out of the 
 tower as I came up to the door," I said, doubt- 
 ful about accepting this halting explanation. 
 
 47
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 The fellow flushed to the roots of his black 
 oiled hair as I watched him. 
 
 " Did you see that, sir? " he exclaimed, in- 
 genuously. " It's master's laboratory up there, 
 though you'd never think it from the outside, 
 would you? Something's gone wrong with one 
 of the the apparatuses, sir I don't know the 
 name for it and the fact is I did suppose you 
 were the gentleman who had come to examine 
 into the trouble. He was to have arrived to- 
 day, and so I thought But I see, sir, as 
 
 you refer to the sparks, and seem not to under- 
 stand what makes them, I must have been 
 mistaken." 
 
 " Yes, you were mistaken/' I returned, only 
 half satisfied, yet not caring to allow myself 
 morbidly to scent a mystery where mystery 
 there was none. 
 
 ' Would you step in here, sir, and wait for 
 my master? " he went on hastily, drawing aside 
 the portiere from a door close by. " I should- 
 n't have given you the bother of going so far 
 before, only I thought you'd come on business 
 which would take you to that part of the house. 
 
 48
 
 WAS IT A MYSTERY? 
 
 This is the drawing-room, sir, if you'll be 
 pleased to walk in, and I'll fetch you your hat 
 and stick from the studio." 
 
 I had no objections to make to this suggested 
 course, though I was conscious of a vague de- 
 sire to return to the octagon room. 
 
 The butler noiselessly preceded me, turning 
 up the lights, which had been dim, and touch- 
 ing a match to four or five candles on the man- 
 telpiece. I saw then that I was in a large, 
 old-fashioned drawing-room., wjth plenty of 
 ancient blue and white china, Sneraton furni- 
 ture, and a fireplace suggesting a design of 
 Adams'. * 
 
 I sat down beside it to finish my time of 
 waiting, not quite sure whether to be crest- 
 fallen over having made an unnecessary sen- 
 sation, or to be distrustful of the butler, with 
 his shifty face. I scarcely heard his decorous 
 footsteps, as he moved away over the polished 
 oak floor of the great hall, but he had not been 
 gone more than a moment or two, when the 
 sound of voices whispering together reached 
 my ears. 
 
 49
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I had always particularly sensitive ones, and 
 no doubt my somewhat precarious, wandering 
 life had done much to sharpen them. At all 
 events, I was ahle to hear that which did not 
 reach the ears of other men less favoured in 
 this regard, and now I caught a word or two 
 spoken outside in the hall. 
 
 " In the drawing-room . . . 'tisn't he, 
 after all ... confound your stupidity! 
 . . . fool you are. . . Well, it can't be 
 helped now . . . story will have to 
 do." 
 
 An instant later Mr. Carson Wildred had 
 appeared at the door. I got up as he showed 
 himself, and advanced towards him, keenly 
 watching his face. It had been alert at first, 
 as though he were anxious to ascertain who 
 the visitor could be; then, as he identified me, 
 for the fraction of a second a fire of fierce 
 anger blazed in his pale eyes. Before I could 
 more than convince myself that it had actually 
 been there, however, it was gone. He came 
 towards me, smiling cordially, and holding out 
 his hand. 
 
 50
 
 WAS IT A MYSTERY? 
 
 " How do you do, Mr. Stanton? " he said. 
 " This is an unexpected pleasure, after your 
 refusal of our invitation last night, but none 
 the less delightful. I suppose I'm rather late 
 in wishing you a merry Christmas? But better 
 late than never, you know! " 
 
 " Thank you," I returned, grudging the 
 necessity for taking the man's hand. It 
 was cold as ice, and he remarked upon it, 
 laughing. 
 
 " Rather a chilly welcome that," he ex- 
 claimed; " but I've just come in from a walk, 
 and we've very seasonable weather, as they call 
 it, to-day. My butler the best and most me- 
 thodical of chaps, by the way is in a fright- 
 ful state because you have been annoyed, it 
 seems, while you have been waiting for me. 
 So sorry to have kept you. Accident in the 
 kitchen, it seems. Hope it won't interfere with 
 our getting a decent dinner to-night, for of 
 course you'll stay? " 
 
 I fabricated an engagement for the evening 
 on the spot, and explained how I had felt like 
 spending an afternoon in the country, and 
 
 51
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 seeing what the river looked like at Christmas 
 time. 
 
 "I've only a few minutes to stay, really," 
 I said, " for I've set my heart on walking back 
 to Marlow. Farnham knows I'm here, I 
 suppose? " 
 
 " Oh, that's the pity of it," he ejaculated. 
 " Farnham's away, after all. You know what 
 an erratic fellow he is? Well, he got tired of 
 business, and not dreaming you would come, 
 ran into town to dine with some people who 
 had asked him the other day. The fact is, I 
 fancy there's a fair lady in the case. But he 
 did say something about looking you up at the 
 Savoy, if he had time, and as trains are bad 
 to-day, he meant to spend the night in town." 
 
 As Wildred went volubly on with his apolo- 
 gies and explanations, I did not take my eyes 
 from his face. It was as open and candid in 
 expression as a face of his peculiar type could 
 be, and yet, though there was no earthly reason 
 why I should disbelieve anything he had said, 
 there was a vague doubt in my mind as uncom- 
 fortable to bear as a haunting sense of guilt. 
 
 52
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 AN ADVENTURE IN THE PARK 
 
 " FARNHAM promised," I said, " to dine 
 with me to-morrow night, you know. It is very 
 much to be regretted that you have an engage- 
 ment, but I hope that you will remind him of 
 his to me." 
 
 " I will do so, certainly," Wildred returned. 
 " Not that any reminder could be needed, for 
 Farnham is one of your most enthusiastic ad- 
 mirers, I should say." 
 
 We were vastly polite to each other during 
 what remained of the conversation, far more 
 ceremoniously so than we should have been 
 likely to be had there been any solid liking on 
 either side under the thin veneer of friendli- 
 ness. 
 
 In a few moments I had got away, despite 
 Wildred's repeated request that I should re- 
 main and share his lonely Christmas dinner 
 with him. Somehow, a mouthful of food 
 
 53
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 taken in that house would have choked me, and 
 I left with the echo of the awful cry I had 
 heard still seemingly ringing in my ears. 
 
 I half expected that Farnham might look 
 in upon me, as Wildred had suggested, and 
 therefore spent what remained of the evening 
 after my return to town at the hotel. But he 
 did not come, and shortly after midnight I 
 threw down the book in which I had been able 
 to retain no great interest, and went to bed. 
 
 It was ridiculously early when I woke, and 
 my first conscious thought was a joyous one, 
 that now only one day intervened between me 
 and the call I promised myself to make at 
 Lady Tressidy's. 
 
 I had endeavoured to explain to my own 
 satisfaction the presence of a portrait which I 
 believed to represent Miss Cunningham at the 
 House by the Lock. There were many ways 
 in which it might have found a place there, 
 without betokening any great intimacy be- 
 tween the original of the picture and Carson 
 Wildred. It might have been an Academy 
 success which he had purchased; it might be 
 
 54
 
 ADVENTURE IN THE PARK 
 
 even that the resemblance was merely one of 
 chance. 
 
 Still, try as I might to settle the doubts 
 which, no matter how often discarded, in- 
 variably came crowding back to my brain, I 
 was already far too deeply plunged into love 
 to remember with calmness my glimpse of the 
 canvas under the drapery. 
 
 Of course it would be impossible for me to 
 refer to it in talking with Lady Tressidy or 
 Miss Cunningham, if I were lucky enough to 
 see them on Sunday; but in some indirect way 
 I might be able to induce one of them to men- 
 tion it. I could refer to my visit to the House 
 by the Lock perhaps, touching lightly upon 
 my impression of the striking decorations in 
 the studio, or smoking-room, and then, if there 
 were nothing to conceal, and Miss Cunning- 
 ham were aware that Mr. Wildred possessed 
 her portrait, it would be very natural that a 
 word or two in regard to it might pass her 
 lips. 
 
 As I was on my way down to breakfast a 
 little after ten, I met one of the bell boys with 
 
 55
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 a telegram, which he had been on the way to 
 bring to my door. 
 
 It was a long and elaborate message, and 
 glancing down to the end of the seven or eight 
 lines I read Farnham's name. I then went 
 back to the beginning again. 
 
 " So sorry not to have seen you yesterday," 
 the words ran. " Wildred has come to town, 
 bringing my luggage, on receipt of a wire 
 from me saying I have just heard of impor- 
 tant financial business calling me to America 
 at once. Has told me of your visit. Very 
 vexed can't keep engagement with you to- 
 night, and that this must after all be farewell, 
 as am leaving immediately for Southampton 
 by boat train. Good-bye and good luck to you. 
 Will write you soon from other side, address- 
 ing Savoy Hotel. Yours, HAEVEY FABN- 
 
 HAM." 
 
 I cannot say I felt any very deep disap- 
 pointment at the thought that I should not see 
 my friend from the States again. I liked him, 
 and had found him a pleasant companion, but 
 had it not been for the strange and unpleasant 
 
 56
 
 ADVENTURE IN THE PARK 
 
 dream which had somehow gifted him with an 
 artificial importance in my mind, I should have 
 cherished few regrets at his sudden flitting. 
 As it was, I had a curious sense of uneasiness, 
 and an inexplicable impression that in some 
 undefined way I had done him an injustice, or 
 been careless of his interests, though in reality 
 I was very sure I had done nothing of the 
 kind. 
 
 Still, I could not shake off the feeling, and 
 with an odd restlessness upon me I started 
 almost immediately after breakfast for a long 
 walk. 
 
 For some time I went on without paying 
 very much attention to the direction I had 
 taken, but mechanically I had passed along 
 the Embankment, so on through crowded Pic- 
 cadilly, and thus to the Park. 
 
 The dreary stretch of sodden grass, with 
 stripped trees, and here and there a patch of 
 dingy London snow, did not look particularly 
 inviting, buf I went in, wondering a little at 
 my own aimlessness of mood. 
 
 I had intended to do a good deal of writing 
 57
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 during the morning and early afternoon, but 
 I knew that, even had I stayed at home, it 
 would have been impossible for me to put pen 
 to paper. 
 
 The ubiquitous cyclist was to be seen in 
 great numbers and to the best advantage. At 
 this time of year the " smart set " was for the 
 most part conspicuous by its absence, but there 
 were some pretty and neatly costumed young 
 women, and as I pursued my way slowly, idly 
 looking at those who passed, there was a flash 
 of red-gold hair as a slender figure in dark 
 grey cloth shot by, and I knew, with a quick- 
 ening of my heart throbs, that I had seen Miss 
 Cunningham. 
 
 She was going very well, and I was admir- 
 ing the pretty back with its girlish shoulders 
 and slim tapering waist, when suddenly a 
 woman, riding in the opposite direction, 
 swerved across the road on her wheel, before 
 Miss Cunningham had been given either time 
 to slacken her speed or to turn out of the way. 
 
 A collision was inevitable, and without wait- 
 ing for it to happen, as I knew it must, in an- 
 
 58
 
 ADVENTURE IN THE PARK 
 
 other instant I ran forward with great spring- 
 ing strides. 
 
 It was all over before I could reach the 
 place. Both had fallen, and several passers- 
 by on wheels had stopped and collected in so 
 close a group that I could not see whether one 
 or both had been seriously injured. 
 
 In less time than is taken in the telling, how- 
 ever, I had elbowed my way through the well- 
 meaning crowd to find Miss Cunningham 
 sitting on the edge of the grass nursing a 
 twisted ankle, her lovely face looking white 
 and troubled. 
 
 The cause of the accident was already on 
 her feet, and in the midst of such voluble 
 apologies and explanations that I could only 
 conclude she, at least, had suffered slightly. 
 
 " Miss Cunningham," I said, warning the 
 girl of my presence ; and she looked up with a 
 tremulous little cry of surprise and perhaps 
 relief. 
 
 "Oh, I am so thankful!" she exclaimed. 
 " I was just wondering what I should do. But 
 but you will help me, I know." 
 
 59
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 " If you will let me," I responded, rather 
 too eagerly. " I saw the accident from a dis- 
 tance. I hope you are not much hurt." 
 
 " I don't quite know," she said, ruefully. 
 
 By this time we had been practically left 
 alone. Seeing that an acquaintance of the 
 young lady's had opportunely appeared upon 
 the scene, the others, whose proffered assist- 
 ance could now be dispensed with, had one by 
 one moved away. 
 
 " Is it your ankle? " I asked, stooping down 
 over the dainty foot which showed beneath the 
 short bicycling dress. 
 
 1 Yes ; it seemed to turn under me as I fell, 
 somehow. And my poor machine 1 I know it 
 must have had a terrible smash. I feel far 
 worse about it than I do about myself. But 
 the whole thing is a punishment, I suppose. I 
 oughtn't to have come out alone. Lady Tres- 
 sidy never allows it, and will be very cross with 
 me when she hears what has happened, I'm 
 afraid. I shan't have a bit more sympathy 
 than I deserve, when it comes out. I hadn't 
 meant her to know at all, you see." 
 
 60
 
 ADVENTURE IN THE PARK 
 
 I could not imagine how even a woman could 
 find it in her heart to reproach the owner of 
 those beautiful appealing eyes and exquisite 
 lips, quivering now, between smiles and tears, 
 like those of a mutinous child. 
 
 If I had dared tell her how deep was the 
 sympathy I felt! But I was only afraid lest 
 she might read it, and more, in my eyes. 
 
 Sympathetic though I was, however, I could 
 not control my joy that, since the accident had 
 happened, I and no other had been on the 
 spot to offer aid which she might deign to 
 accept. 
 
 " Don't mind about your bicycle," I said. 
 " I'm sure it's all right, or can easily be made 
 so again; and if you'll let me enter into the 
 plot, perhaps between us we can think of a 
 road out of the difficulty with Lady Tressidy. 
 But the first thing to do is to get you safely 
 away from this." 
 
 " I'm afraid I can't walk! " she warned me, 
 laughing nervously. 
 
 " Of course not. A cab's the thing, with the 
 invalided bike on top. But may I be with you? 
 
 61
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I don't see how it is possible to let you go by 
 yourself." 
 
 " It will be very unconventional, won't 
 it? " she smiled. " But there are times when 
 conventionalities must be thrown aside, and I 
 shall be grateful if you'll take care of me, and 
 do all the planning, please." Then, woman- 
 like, contradicting her own last sentence, she 
 went on, " But I don't see how we can manage 
 about a cab. Of course there won't be any 
 here, and I don't very much want to be left 
 sitting here all alone." 
 
 "And you shall not be, for a moment," I 
 said, joyful even at this small sign that my 
 presence was not actually disagreeable to her. 
 " There are plenty of people who will call a 
 cab for us." 
 
 And I proceeded to put my statement to the 
 proof. 
 
 Within five minutes an unusually present- 
 able four-wheeler had appeared upon the 
 scene, the unfortunate bicycle had been handed 
 up on top, and the young lady had been ten- 
 derly helped inside. 
 
 62 '
 
 ADVENTURE IN THE PARK 
 
 " Tell him just to go on slowly for a few 
 minutes while we talk things over,'* she com- 
 manded, more cheerfully. " Do you know, 
 Mr. Stanton, after all I begin to hope my 
 ankle is not so badly hurt; and though, as I 
 told you, I shall be in a sad scrape when I get 
 home, and have to confess, still there's a spice 
 of adventure in all this that appeals to me, 
 rather. It's a very long time since I have had 
 an adventure of any kind." 
 
 Poor child, she little guessed how many 
 awaited her behind the lowered curtain of the 
 future ! 
 
 " Never have I had one which would be so 
 wholly delightful," I boldly said, " if I had not 
 to think that you were in pain." 
 
 " Oh, it is really not so dreadful." She 
 blushed brightly, but when the lovely rose tint 
 faded it left her pale even to the lips. " Sup- 
 pose we talk," she went on more sedately, 
 " about the way in which you are to get me out 
 of my difficulty for I think you've promised 
 to do that." 
 
 I adopted her tone at once. " Let us begin 
 63
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 with judicial questioning then. Was Lady 
 Tressidy at home when you came out?" 
 
 " No " laughing " or I couldn't have 
 come on my bicycle. She'd gone to an anti- 
 something meeting (Lady Tressidy is very 
 fond of anti-something meetings, as you'll 
 discover for yourself when you know her). 
 She won't be at home to lunch either, and she 
 need never find me out in my iniquity, except 
 that even though my foot is not so very bad 
 I shall be sure to limp. She will enquire 
 what has happened, and, of course, though 
 my conscience would not reproach me much 
 for silence, if that were possible, I couldn't 
 tell a fib." 
 
 I would have been ready to swear that she 
 was not one of the young women who could 
 rattle off what they might call " harmless 
 evasions " with a candidly smiling face. 
 
 " Suppose, then," I suggested, " that you 
 allow me to take you at once to a doctor, who 
 will examine your ankle, and perhaps be able 
 to anoint it with some healing lotion, which 
 may prevent the limping you so dread. There 
 
 64
 
 ADVENTURE IN THE PARK 
 
 used to be a man in this neighbourhood whom 
 I knew by reputation when I was in England 
 last. I remember street and number, and it's 
 not very likely that he's moved away." 
 
 " A grand idea," she exclaimed; but though 
 she tried to speak brightly, even merrily, it 
 was plain to see that she was suffering a good 
 deal, whether more physically or mentally I 
 could not tell. 
 
 I put out my head and gave directions to 
 the cabman, and when I drew it in again to 
 glance anxiously at the face which already I 
 so passionately loved, I saw that it was even 
 whiter than before. The eyes were drooping 
 and the dark curling lashes almost swept the 
 colourless cheeks. As though she felt my gaze 
 upon her, she looked up instantly, and made an 
 effort to smile ; but the mischievous light which 
 had danced in her eyes when she first sank rest- 
 fully back upon the shabby cushions of the cab 
 had been suddenly and utterly quenched. 
 
 " Miss Cunningham! " I exclaimed. " You 
 have made nothing of your pain, but I know 
 that you are ill that you are suffering." 
 
 65
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 " I am very foolish," she answered, in a low, 
 unsteady voice. " It isn't my ankle though, 
 of course, that hurts a little but I think it 
 must be the shock, which I didn't realise at 
 first. I felt quite bright until a moment ago, 
 but suddenly I am all weak and trembling. 
 The truth is, Mr. Stanton, I wasn't fit to be 
 out this morning, especially alone, and I didn't 
 come simply from sheer bravado, as you might 
 think, and for the sake of doing what I'd been 
 told not to do. I I felt as though I must be 
 out in the air, and in motion. I didn't sleep 
 last night, and I didn't eat any breakfast this 
 morning, which may partly account for this 
 silliness of mine, perhaps. I thought I should 
 feel better out of doors, but it seems that noth- 
 ing in the world can do me any good. Every- 
 thing I attempt must always end in disaster, 
 and oh, Mr. Stanton, I am so very, very un- 
 happy and miserable ! " 
 
 To my amazement and distress, she covered 
 her face with her little gloved hands, and broke 
 into a storm of sobbing. 
 
 66
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 FRIENDS 
 
 IT was all I could do to resist the impulse 
 to take the small trembling hands in my own, 
 to touch the bowed head with its glory of shim- 
 mering ripples, to break into passionate words 
 which must have alarmed her, and put an end 
 to my chance of winning her, perhaps for 
 ever. 
 
 But to a certain extent I was able to control 
 myself. 
 
 " What can I say what can I do? " I stam- 
 mered. " If there was only some way in which 
 it might be possible for me to help you." 
 
 "Ah, if if!" she echoed, desolately. 
 " Don't you think it strange that, though we 
 scarcely know each other though this is only 
 our second meeting, and quite by chance, I 
 turn to you with such a confession? I am 
 ashamed now " and she impetuously dashed 
 
 67
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 her tears away with a toy of a handkerchief. 
 " But the words spoke themselves before I 
 could stop them. You see, I have no one to 
 talk to no one to advise me. I think I must 
 be the loneliest girl in all this big preoccupied 
 world." 
 
 " I should have thought you would have 
 more friends than you could keep within 
 bounds," I said, hotly. 
 
 "Friends? Has anyone many friends? I 
 have plenty of acquaintances, but I think no 
 friends. Let us not talk of this any more, 
 though, Mr. Stanton. I have forgotten my- 
 self." 
 
 " Forgive me I can't obey you," I pro- 
 tested. " Just one word. As you said, this is 
 only our second meeting, and I have no right 
 to ask a favour of you, yet I am going to do it. 
 I beg of you, as I never begged anything be- 
 fore, that you will forget how short a time we 
 have known each other, and that you will take 
 me for a friend a friend in the truest and 
 best sense of that good, much-abused word. I 
 swear to you that you would find me loyal." 
 
 68
 
 FRIENDS 
 
 She looked up at me in the sweetest way, 
 with eyes that glistened through a sheen of 
 tears. 
 
 " I believe that I should find you so," she 
 answered, falteringly. "And, oh, how I do 
 need a friend though you may think me dis- 
 loyal to say that, when I have a home with 
 those who have meant to be kind to me." 
 Her eyes had dropped, but now she raised 
 them again and met mine earnestly. * Yes," 
 she exclaimed "yes, I mil have you for a 
 friend." 
 
 : ' Then won't you begin by making use of 
 me at once?" I pleaded with an eagerness I 
 could no longer disguise. 
 
 " I am I not making use of you now? Ah, 
 I know what you mean! You mean I am to 
 tell you the things which I have let you see are 
 troubling me? But much as I need help and 
 advice, could I do that now, so soon? You 
 must already think me a very strange girl 
 half mad perhaps. Well, I have had almost 
 enough of late to drive me mad. Some time, 
 in a few days maybe, when we know each other 
 
 69
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 a little better, I But the man is stopping. 
 
 We have come to the doctor's you spoke of, 
 I suppose? " 
 
 I neither blessed the cabman nor the doctor 
 at that moment. Still less did I do so after- 
 wards, knowing that, if we had not been in- 
 terrupted then, it might well have happened 
 that the whole course of our two lives had been 
 changed. 
 
 However, there was nothing to be done but 
 
 ascertain if the eminent man was at home, and 
 
 I 
 
 able to give his attention to a somewhat urgent j 
 case. 
 
 The poor girl, too, was evidently suffering, 1 
 and in a highly nervous state, and it would 
 have been cruel, now that the opportunity had 
 presented itself, to keep her for a single in- 
 stant from the restoratives doubtless at hand. 
 
 Dr. Byrnes was to be seen. I introduced 
 Miss Cunningham to him, described the acci- 
 dent, and left him to do what he could for the 
 injured ankle. Afterwards I had still the joy 
 of driving to Park Lane with her in anticipa- 
 tion. 
 
 70
 
 FRIENDS 
 
 I was only called when Dr. Byrnes was 
 ready to send his patient away. 
 
 " Do you know what was the first thing that 
 this young lady did before I had time to begin 
 my ministrations? " he jocularly enquired, and 
 though the girl looked up at him with implor- 
 ing eyes, he persisted. ' Why, she fainted 
 away, and if she had to do it, she couldn't have 
 chosen a more proper occasion. There I was, 
 with all the known remedies at hand, and I 
 proceeded to use them, with the most satisfac- 
 tory results, as you may see. I don't think 
 ;you will have any further trouble in going 
 home; and now that she has been well dosed 
 and well bandaged, the best thing she can do 
 is to eat a hearty luncheon." 
 
 Once again settled in the cab, we were but a 
 few moments' drive from Sir Walter Tres- 
 sidy's house in Park Lane, as I knew to my 
 intense regret. With wily forethought, how- 
 ever, I suggested going somewhat out of our 
 way to the establishment of a certain bicycle 
 manufacturer and mender, who would send 
 for Miss Cunningham's machine, and repair it 
 
 71
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 before the accident it had met with could 
 be conjectured by those not supposed to 
 know. 
 
 Try as I would I could not induce her to 
 continue the conversation which had been 
 broken short. The brief interval that had 
 passed since then had severed the threads of 
 intense emotion which had for the moment 
 united us, and she, evidently repenting her 
 frankness, was visibly ill at ease. It was only 
 at the door that her manner warmed a little 
 towards me again. 
 
 * Yes, I believe I am quite all right," she 
 said, in answer to a question. " I shall not 
 even have a suspicion of a limp." She held out 
 her hand to me, and did not try to draw it 
 away, though I grasped it rather longer and 
 more tightly than conventionality might have 
 approved. "You will come soon to see 
 Lady Tressidy and me? " she asked, softly. 
 
 " I thought of calling to-morrow after- 
 noon. May I ? " 
 
 " I shall be glad very glad. Never shall 
 I forget your kindness to me to-day. Don't 
 
 72
 
 FRIENDS 
 
 think me any; more odd than you can help. 
 Good-iye." 
 
 Before I could begin to tell her how im- 
 possible ft would be to think any save the most 
 reverent thoughts of her she was gone, and a 
 cloud seemed suddenly to darken my; sky. 
 
 73
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 AN ANNOUNCEMENT 
 
 I WOULD have given a year of my life to 
 know what was the trouble and anxiety which 
 so wrought upon Karine Cunningham. She 
 was young, and it might be that her youth and 
 her sex caused her mentally to exaggerate 
 what was in reality a trifle ; yet, even with my 
 slight knowledge of her, I could not believe 
 this to be the case. 
 
 Many conjectures passed in review before 
 me, but that which seemed to carry with it 
 most weight of reason was the idea that her 
 guardian and his wife were attempting to co- 
 erce her into some course which was distaste- 
 ful to her. Naturally, the thought of an ob- 
 jectionable lover occurred to me, and made my 
 blood run the faster through my veins. I 
 could not forgive the unknown and possible 
 for being a lover, even though he were to her 
 an objectionable one. 
 
 74
 
 AN ANNOUNCEMENT 
 
 I longed for the next day to come that I 
 might see the beautiful girl again, but scarcely 
 in the same way that I had longed for it be- 
 fore. There could be no repetition of the 
 half confidences of to-day, the suggestions of 
 friendship (friendship what a mockery!), 
 the adorable glances which meant trust, and a 
 gratitude which I had not deserved. 
 
 Lady Tressidy would unfortunately be 
 present. My visit would ostensibly be paid to 
 her. Already I began to dislike her and fancy 
 that her conduct towards the young girl en- 
 trusted to her care must have been mysteriously 
 atrocious. 
 
 No, I could not expect much from the 
 call, having been blessed with an unexpected 
 glimpse of heaven which it could not give back 
 to me again. Still, I thought of little else until 
 the coming of the very earliest hour at which 
 I could show myself in Park Lane on the fol- 
 lowing day. 
 
 Yes, Lady Tressidy was at home, vouch- 
 safed a solemn footman. My name was an- 
 nounced, and I scarcely ventured to lift my 
 
 75
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 eyes on entering the drawing-room, lest they 
 should tell me that Karine was not there. Per- 
 haps she was ill. Indeed, it seemed only too 
 likely that she should be so. I wondered I 
 had not mentally confronted that probability 
 before. 
 
 There were a number of guests assembled 
 in the room, it seemed to me, despite the fact 
 that everybody who was anybody was sup- 
 posed to be spending the Christmas season far 
 away in other people's country houses. 
 
 At length, when I had had a few words with 
 my hostess, the crowd resolved itself into a 
 dozen persons at most, and seeing Karine at a 
 far end of the room surrounded by three or 
 four vacuous-looking young men, I desper- 
 ately resolved to outstay everybody. 
 
 I had scarcely more than a glance and a 
 smile from Miss Cunningham, and then I 
 found myself obliged to talk with simulated 
 amiability to a semi-young woman who was 
 anxious I should know how often she had 
 heard of me and my " travels," and that she 
 had read the two or three books I had been 
 
 76
 
 AN ANNOUNCEMENT 
 
 idiot enough to write. Half an hour went by. 
 I had been passed on to other ladies, who 
 seemed to my prejudiced eyes to bear an as- 
 tonishing family likeness, both in mind and 
 face, to the first of the series. Three or four 
 people had gone. One or two new ones had 
 come in, but at last I had had the good fortune 
 to escape from the latest on my list of ac- 
 quaintances. 
 
 I could still see Karine. She had got rid of 
 one of her adorers, but had a couple yet in 
 hand, and it appeared to me that she would not 
 be sorry to bid them adieu. 
 
 At all events, her face was pale as a lily petal 
 held against the light, her sweet lips drooped 
 wistfully at the corners, and I thought she 
 spoke but seldom. The smile with which she 
 had greeted me had been fleeting, and even as 
 it lingered there had been an expression in her 
 large soft eyes which it galled me that I should 
 be too dull to read. It had seemed to say, 
 " Something has happened since I saw you 
 last. Why did you offer me your friendship, 
 when it was too late to give me any help? " 
 
 77
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 No doubt, I told myself, this was but a mor- 
 bid fancy of mine. If I could have known the 
 true motive of the glance I should have in- 
 terpreted what appeared like unutterable sad- 
 ness as mere boredom. 
 
 Instead of the earnest appeal or reproach, 
 I imagined at most the eyes intended to say, 
 " I have talked long enough with these stupid 
 men, none of whom have minds above 
 cricket or football. Believe me of them, 
 please." 
 
 But I had not even been able to do that, 
 though I had tried, for as I attempted to oust 
 the boldest of the group in my own favour, 
 Lady Tressidy had swept across the room, 
 with sharp rustling of silken linings and satin 
 skirts, to claim me for an introduction to "an 
 old friend who had longed for years to know 
 me." 
 
 At length, however, as I said, I had con- 
 trived an escape, and was finding my way to- 
 wards Karine, when, before I had reached her, 
 I saw her start, staring past me with a white, 
 frozen look on her face that for the moment 
 
 78
 
 AN ANNOUNCEMENT 
 
 blotted out much of its innocent youthfulness 
 and beauty. 
 
 She was gazing in the direction of the door, 
 with dark, dilated eyes, and lips tightly closed 
 in a line of scarlet that faded to palest pink. 
 
 It was as though into the midst of the gossip 
 and laughter and brilliant light had crept a 
 spectre which she alone could see. Some such 
 look I had seen in the eyes of a dove which had 
 been offered up as food for a constrictor. In- 
 voluntarily I turned and glanced behind me. 
 
 No name had been announced, though I had 
 heard the opening and closing of the door, and 
 now, as I faced round in that direction, I saw 
 that Sir Walter Tressidy and Carson Wildred 
 had come in together. 
 
 Evidently this was not Wildred's first en- 
 trance, for like Sir Walter, he had neither hat 
 nor stick. He moved forward by his com- 
 panion's side with the unmistakably-assured 
 air of the friend of the house, and I instinc- 
 tively understood that he had lunched with the 
 Tressidys, and since that time had been closeted 
 on some business of importance with his host. 
 
 79
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 Unreasoningly, I hated him for his privi- 
 leges. With more of reason, I hated him be- 
 cause I believed the look I had seen for a single 
 instant on Karine Cunningham's face was 
 connected with his presence. 
 
 That look was gone now. When I removed 
 my eyes from Wildred, and turned again to 
 her, her delicate, spiritual profile only was 
 visible. Her head was graciously inclined to- 
 wards the monocled youth who stood nearest 
 her. She appeared no longer to see Wildred 
 or Sir Walter Tressidy. 
 
 I was determined that the former should not 
 approach her (as he seemed inclined to do) if 
 I could prevent it. 
 
 I hurried to her accordingly, and shut her 
 away from the room, with a pair of broad 
 shoulders, and with an air of monopolising her 
 which I should not have dared at any other 
 time to assume. But was I not her friend? 
 Had I not the right to protect her, if I could, 
 from all that I believed to be distasteful to her? 
 
 Presently, the callow youths, whose claims 
 I had hardly considered, seemed to melt away, 
 
 80
 
 AN ANNOUNCEMENT 
 
 and I was left alone with her. People were 
 going, and it was getting late, no doubt, but 
 I did not yet mean to follow their example. 
 After all despite my dismal presages it did 
 appear that I was to have her for at least a 
 moment or two to myself. 
 
 I had kept my word. I had outstayed them 
 all all but Carson Wildred. 
 
 " Have you quite recovered from yester- 
 day's accident? " I asked, glad to share even 
 so insignificant a secret with her. 
 
 " Yes, oh, yes! " She spoke hurriedly, and 
 her eyes had moved to the distant group near 
 the fireside Lady Tressidy, Carson and Sir 
 Walter. 
 
 * You haven't reconsidered your promise 
 that I should be your friend? " 
 
 She turned to me quickly, and her eyes 
 brimmed with unshed tears. " So many things 
 in my life, though it is not so very long as yet, 
 have come to me too late. Even my friends 
 sometimes." 
 
 Before I could beg her to tell me what she 
 meant, Lady Tressidy had called her name, 
 
 81
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 and she sprang up obediently. I followed 
 suit, of course. 
 
 " Come here, my dear girl. Mr. Stanton, 
 this is quite a momentous day for us, and I 
 can't resist the temptation to take you into our 
 circle and our confidence," said the elder 
 woman, graciously. " It is just settled that 
 this sweet adopted child of ours is to leave us 
 and at short notice too. She and Mr. Wildred 
 are going to be married/'
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 " Too late! " the words that Karine had just 
 spoken echoed in my ears like a knell of 
 doom. 
 
 For a few tremendous seconds that seemed 
 endless I stood paralysed by Lady Tressidy's 
 announcement, unable to speak. Then I 
 turned and looked at Karine. Her eyes 
 seemed to have been waiting for mine, and for 
 an instant I held them with my gaze, until they 
 fell, and veiled the answer mine had asked, 
 with long shadowy lashes. 
 
 Never, I thought, as my thirsty eyes drank 
 in the beauty that was not for me, could there 
 have been another woman so wholly lovely, so 
 altogether desirable. I could have fallen on 
 my knees before her, to touch the hem of her 
 dainty gown with my lips, and cry out my love 
 and longing for her. But instead I was called 
 upon to say something civil, and therefore 
 
 83
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 hypocritical, to the newly-engaged pair, and 
 then, as soon as decency would permit my es- 
 cape, to go out from her presence for ever, 
 and face the black loneliness of my darkened 
 life. 
 
 Only a few days had passed since first I had 
 seen the beauty of her face, but already she 
 dominated my every thought, and I knew that 
 there was no hope of surcease from the aching 
 pain of having lost her. 
 
 Had I been obliged to stand by and see her 
 give herself to any other man than Carson 
 Wildred, it seemed to me that the blow would 
 have been more bearable. But with my almost 
 unreasoning aversion for and distrust of him, 
 the thought of a marriage between these two 
 was like the sacrifice of fair virgins to the 
 foul, blood-dripping jaws of the mythical 
 Minotaur. 
 
 Slight as was our actual acquaintance, when 
 measured by mere time, it appeared the mad- 
 dest conceit on my part to believe for a mo- 
 ment that had I come earlier into her life I 
 might have made a difference. But, mad as it 
 
 84
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 was, I did so believe. Some voice within me, 
 which would not be stilled or brook contradic- 
 tion, cried aloud that I might have won her 
 love, that she might have been mine, that only 
 some devilish tangle of circumstances had cir- 
 cumvented the fate which originally had 
 meant that we two should be all in all to one 
 another. 
 
 It was perhaps the hardest task I had ever 
 been forced to perform when after that omi- 
 nous pause, which doubtless seemed far more 
 prolonged to me than to the others, I held out 
 my hand, as I was expected to do, taking Miss 
 Cunningham's ice-cold fingers in mine, and 
 [wishing her happiness. 
 
 Then I was obliged to turn to Wildred, in 
 whose eyes I saw, or fancied I saw, a malicious 
 light of comprehension and triumphant defi- 
 ance. But his hand I would not take. 
 
 " It is hardly necessary to congratulate you," 
 I said haltingly. ' You are one of the most 
 fortunate men in the world." 
 
 " And the most undeserving? " It was he 
 who added the words, as though he had read 
 
 85
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 them in my own mind ; and there was a slight, 
 sarcastic rising inflection of the voice at the 
 end of the sentence, as if he put it to me as a 
 question. 
 
 Of course, I vouchsafed him no answer, un- 
 less he found it in my eyes, which have ever 
 been telltales. But in that moment I would 
 have laid down my life could I have wrenched 
 from my memory that episode of his history, 
 the secret of which it mercilessly withheld from 
 me. 
 
 I have a dim recollection of saying some- 
 thing more or less conventional to Sir Walter 
 and Lady Tressidy, and then, at last, I got 
 away. 
 
 I had fancied that not to have her face 
 before my eyes, that not to endure the pang 
 of seeing them together, and to escape into the 
 open air, would relieve the tension of my feel- 
 ings. But it was not so. The moment the 
 door had closed behind me the agony of the 
 thought that I had seen her perhaps for the 
 last time, and the poignancy of my regret that 
 I had not been able to put to her one question 
 
 86
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 which rang in my brain, became well-nigh 
 unendurable. 
 
 I walked rapidly away from the house, tell- 
 ing myself that the best thing for me would 
 be to leave England again at once. I had been 
 a fool to fancy myself homesick, and to come 
 back to this. So far my life had been lived 
 contentedly enough apart from the influence 
 or love of women. What strange weakness of 
 the soul had seized me that I should thus have 
 yielded without a struggle to a single glance 
 from a pair of violet eyes? 
 
 Yes, assuredly the sooner I got away the 
 better. There had been nothing save a rest- 
 less desire for home to bring me to my native 
 land. There was less than nothing to keep me 
 there. 
 
 Never to see her again never again! I be- 
 lieved that my mind was made up, and yet I 
 think I would have cut off my hand for the 
 chance of one more moment with her one 
 more glimpse of her face to take away across 
 the sea, even though she neither saw nor spoke 
 to me. 
 
 87
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I walked aimlessly in the darkness, knowing 
 not and caring not where I went. I heard a 
 clock strike eight, realising suddenly that I 
 was far from my hotel, and that I had wearied 
 myself uselessly. 
 
 I must write some letters that night, crying 
 off two or three engagements that I had been 
 foolish enough to make, and explaining that 
 I had been suddenly and unexpectedly called 
 away. As I had walked I had made up my 
 mind whither I would go. India would be 
 rather good at this time of year, I thought, 
 and I had always promised myself, when I 
 should find the leisure, to make certain explora- 
 tions. There had also been an idea smoulder- 
 ing in my mind for a year or two that with my 
 knowledge of the language, and a proper dis- 
 guise, it might be possible for me to push my 
 way into the jealously guarded Thibet. Now 
 was the very moment for some such experi- 
 ments as these. 
 
 I hailed a cab and drove back to the Savoy, 
 from a distant and more or less (to me) un- 
 known region of London. Try as I might to 
 
 88
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 keep my thoughts from the one absorbing 
 topic by dwelling upon the plans for the fu- 
 ture, the effort was useless. Karine's face was 
 before me, and again and again I heard her 
 words, which might have meant so much or 
 so little, " Many things in my life even my 
 friends sometimes have come to me too late." 
 
 As I entered the hotel, my eyes dazzled by 
 the sudden brilliant light, I could hardly for 
 an instant believe that it was not an optical 
 illusion when I saw in the flesh the face which 
 had been haunting me. 
 
 But it was indeed she; there was no doubt- 
 ing that. People were coming into the Savoy 
 for dinner, now so fashionable a way of passing 
 the deadly dull London Sunday evening, and 
 in a moment I had guessed that she and her 
 party were of the number. I had even an im- 
 pression of a sentence begun by Lady Tressidy 
 that afternoon, which would doubtless have 
 ended with the information that she and the 
 others were dining at my hotel in the evening, 
 had she not been interrupted, and so forgotten, 
 as I had done. 
 
 89
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 There had been a dreary drizzle of rain out- 
 side, and I was conscious that my long wander- 
 ings through muddy streets had rendered 
 me unpresentable. Still, my wish had been 
 granted me. There stood Karine Cunning- 
 ham, in white from head to foot; a long soft 
 evening cloak, with shining silver threads stray- 
 ing over its snowy surface, hung loosely about 
 her, for she had fastened it at the throat, and 
 I could see a gleam of bare neck, hung with 
 a rope of pearls, and the delicate folds of 
 chiffon belted in with jewels at her girlish 
 waist. 
 
 Her head was turned aside and slightly bent, 
 a light from above streaming down on her un- 
 covered hair, and transforming the copper into 
 gold. 
 
 Sir Walter and Lady Tressidy were close 
 by not six feet away and all were evidently 
 waiting for someone Carson Wildred, no 
 doubt, I bitterly told myself. 
 
 None of the party had as yet seen me. Sir 
 Walter and his wife were talking very earn- 
 estly together, and had perhaps moved a few 
 
 90
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 steps from the young girl that their words 
 might not be overheard by her. 
 F I knew that, if I were wise, I would at once 
 take myself off without announcing my pres- 
 ence, but a sudden impulse seized and over- 
 mastered me. It was a desperate one, doubt- 
 less, but none the less alluring and powerful 
 because of that. 
 
 91
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 " IF HE HAD COMMITTED A CRIME " 
 
 KARINE stood, as I said, perhaps a couple 
 of yards distant from her friends, and their 
 backs, at the present moment, were more than 
 half turned to her. It would be just possible 
 for me to speak to her, without being observed 
 by them, if I were both extraordinarily cau- 
 tious and lucky. At any moment Wildred, 
 who had perhaps gone to rectify some vex- 
 atious mistake about a table, might return. If 
 I meant to take the step at all there was no 
 time to be lost in doing so. 
 
 Without giving myself a second for further 
 reflection, and with the blood surging to my 
 temples, I found myself, with a few strides, 
 beside her. Mud-stained boots and trousers 
 were forgotten. I would waste no time in 
 apologising for my appearance. 
 
 What she must have thought of my pale 
 and eager face, suddenly bent over her, I do 
 not know. I felt that a great crisis in my life, 
 
 92
 
 "IF HE COMMITTED CRIME" 
 
 perhaps in hers as well, had arrived, and my 
 eyes must have shown something of that which 
 stirred so passionately in mind and heart, for 
 she started with a look almost of fear as she 
 saw and recognised me. 
 
 She uttered no exclamation, however. If 
 she had, Sir Walter and Lady Tressidy would 
 have heard and looked round, and my one 
 chance, so desperately snatched from Fate, 
 would have been gone like a bubble that bursts 
 ere it has fairly expanded. 
 
 Without one spoken word I made her see 
 that she must come with me, and the quick real- 
 isation of my power over her, as she laid her 
 hand upon my arm unhesitatingly, thrilled me 
 to the very core of my being. 
 
 Most women would have refused to come, 
 or at least questioned my sudden appearance 
 and intention, but not so with her. She knew 
 that I had something to say to her which must 
 be said, and it was her will to hear it. 
 
 She had been pale as a statue of marble^ as 
 she stood leaning listlessly against the wall in 
 her white dress, but as she moved away; withi 
 
 93
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 me life and colour came back to her face. 
 I led her down the hall to a small public 
 drawing-room, and not once did she hesitate 
 or look back, unconventional as was the ad- 
 venture in which she was engaged. 
 
 Luckily, the place was empty, save for two 
 elderly French women, who gossiped and gab- 
 bled with their heads close together on a sofa 
 in a corner. 
 
 " What is it oh, what is it? " questioned 
 Karine. " Quick I there will only be a moment, 
 I know, for they will see that I have gone, and 
 will soon find me here." 
 
 Without any preface I came straight to the 
 asking of the bald, crude question which was in 
 my mind to ask. 
 
 " For the sake of our friendship, Miss 
 Cunningham, forgive me, and tell me whether 
 you love Carson Wildred?" 
 
 She started and quivered almost as though 
 I had struck her a blow, and her large, fright- 
 ened eyes studied mine for a long second with- 
 out answering. Then she said, simply, " No, 
 my friend, I do not love him." 
 
 94
 
 "IF HE COMMITTED CRIME" 
 
 " Yet you have promised to many him? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " And you mean to carry out that promise? " 
 
 " Yes, unless " 
 
 " Unless what? " 
 
 " Something happens to prevent me." 
 
 " If you do not love him something shall 
 prevent. Let me help you. For heaven's sake, 
 let me! Only give me an idea how it can best 
 be done I ask no more. I will teach you what 
 such a friendship as mine can have the power 
 to do." 
 
 I hoped to give her courage by the passion 
 and force of my words, but, strangely enough, 
 the bright eagerness died out of her face as I 
 spoke. In some way I had missed saying the 
 thing which might have comforted her. If I 
 had only known if I had only known! 
 
 " You are very kind," she said, gently and 
 sadly. " I am not looking forward to any 
 great degree of happiness in my life, but I 
 daresay, after all, I shall get on as well as most 
 women. I don't think anything will happen 
 to prevent what we were speaking of." 
 
 95
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 " Why, is it to come so soon, then? " I ques- 
 tioned, impetuously. 
 
 " In six weeks. It was all arranged to-day " 
 with a soft little sigh at the end of her 
 sentence. 
 
 ' Tell me this: Are you in any way being 
 forced into the marriage? " 
 
 "Not by people exactly. Only by cir- 
 cumstances. I I can't tell you any more, 
 though, believe me, I am grateful for all you 
 mean, and all you would do for friendship's 
 sake." There seemed a faint ring of stifled bit- 
 terness in the last three words, though where- 
 fore it should come I knew not. If she had 
 resented the warmth of my " friendship " after 
 our brief acquaintance, what would she feel, 
 I dimly wondered, should I forget myself, and 
 be coward and fool enough to tell her of my 
 mad love on the very day of her betrothal to 
 another man? 
 
 With all my strength I held my tongue 
 under control, and heaven knows it was no easy 
 victory, with those sweet eyes looking into 
 mine! 
 
 96
 
 "IF HE COMMITTED CRIME" 
 
 " Tell me what could prevent it? " I per- 
 sisted imploringly. " If you found that he 
 was unworthy, would that " 
 
 She half smiled, though without any mirth- 
 fulness. " There are so many degrees of un- 
 worthiness, aren't there? And I am not near 
 enough to perfection to believe myself a 
 judge." 
 
 "If he had committed a crime?" I went 
 desperately on. And the words on my own 
 lips made me start as though with a sudden 
 revelation. I seemed to have assured myself 
 of a fact which had actually taken place, rather 
 than uttered a mere suggestion. The convic- 
 tion grew within me that if Carson Wildred 
 had not successfully altered his face and each 
 characteristic of his personality, I should at 
 once be able not only to remember, but to prove 
 that my haunting half -recollection was inti- 
 mately connected with some criminal deed done 
 by him. 
 
 " Ah, then! But it is wrong to wish that he 
 should have been guilty of any wickedness. I 
 think, Mr. Stanton, that as I hare promised 
 
 97
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 to be his wife we must talk no more of this 
 you and I. I have always had a horror of 
 disloyalty." 
 
 " I know," I said, " that I have done an un- 
 heard-of thing in thus stealing you away from 
 your friends to ask you questions which only 
 the most intimate friends could claim the right 
 to ask, but " 
 
 " Oh," she cried, impulsively. " Somehow 
 you and I have bridged over years. You are 
 good to me don't think I will misunderstand. 
 I shall always remember you, and what you 
 would have done for me." 
 
 " What I shall try yet to do, in spite of all," 
 I amended. " I meant to leave England soon, 
 but now I shall stay." 
 
 "Yes stay," she faintly echoed; "though 
 you must leave me now. I I would rather 
 anything than that you were with me when 
 they come to me. I will make them some ex- 
 cuse for having separated myself from them. 
 Only go now please go." 
 
 As she spoke, outside in the hall we heard 
 voices and footsteps coming nearer. 
 
 98
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 WILDRED SCORES 
 
 KARINE'S face grew paler than before. 
 
 Throwing up her head with a proud, spirited 
 little gesture, she walked quickly; to the door, 
 and passed into the hall. 
 
 I knew that this was to prevent her friends 
 from entering and finding us together, as they 
 must otherwise have done ; and there was noth- 
 ing for me to do (cowardly as this seemed) but 
 obey her, and passively submit to the carrying 
 out of her scheme. 
 
 It had indeed been Sir Walter and Lady 
 Tressidy and Carson Wildred whose voices we 
 had heard. 
 
 ' Why did you run away? We have been 
 looking for you everywhere, and wasting so 
 much time ! " I heard Lady Tressidy say f ret- 
 fully. 
 
 " I was very tired of standing," the girl 
 promptly returned, " and of waiting, too " 
 with a certain imperiousness in her tone. " I 
 
 99
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 wandered away to fill up the time till Mr. Wil- 
 dred should have straightened matters m the 
 dining-room." 
 
 She had contrived to satisfy their curiosity 
 without telling an actual falsehood, of which 
 I knew instinctively she would greatly dislike 
 making herself guilty. 
 
 It did not seem to occur to them to enter the 
 drawing-room where she had left me; and 
 when I was sure that they had passed out of 
 sight and hearing I came forth from the igno- 
 minious hiding-place to which her command 
 had condemned me. 
 
 In the exalted mood which had possession of 
 me the thought of dinner would have been ab- 
 horrent. For the rest of the evening I kept 
 my room, meditating many things, and be- 
 coming more and more desirous of learning 
 Carson Wildred's secret, if secret indeed he 
 had. 
 
 At all events, I still had six weeks in which 
 to work, with the hope ever before me of sav- 
 ing Karine Cunningham from the man whom, 
 by her own confession, she did not love. 
 
 100
 
 WILDRED SCORES 
 
 Strange and desperate expedients passed in 
 review before me. How was I to accomplish 
 my object? The man had denied ever having 
 met me in old days when it had been mentioned 
 to him that I fancied a previous acquaintance 
 had somewhere existed ; and if I were to learn 
 anything satisfactory in regard to his antece- 
 dents I felt that it must be from others. 
 
 He had made himself a name in a certain set 
 in London, there was no doubt of that; and I 
 set myself to find out, step by step, how he had 
 contrived to do it what was the actual founda- 
 tion for the reports of his wealth, his " smart- 
 ness," his influence on many sides. 
 
 On the following day, Monday, I went to 
 my old club, the Wayfarers, which I had not 
 yet troubled with my presence, and picked out 
 a man named Driscoll, who made a business of 
 knowing everybody and everything. Begin- 
 ning with some conventional talk about the 
 changes in England in general, and London in 
 particular, since I had seen it last, I managed 
 to mention Carson Wildred without appear- 
 ing to have dragged his name into the con- 
 
 101
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 versation for any special purpose of my 
 own. 
 
 It sprang from some talk about a British 
 Christmas, and I made as humorous a story as 
 I could about my having gone down to the 
 House by the Lock only to miss my friend and 
 my dinner after all. 
 
 " Wildred can entertain royally if he 
 chooses," said Driscoll. " I've been to dinners 
 he gave at the Savoy and Prince's, and Willis's 
 Rooms, don't you know, something really quite 
 original, with flowers alone which must have 
 cost a fortune. People come to his entertain- 
 ments, too he can get anybody he wants 
 from the duchesses down to the music-hall 
 favourites, even if he likes to get up a conven- 
 tional river party, with a spread down at that 
 queer place of his you speak of the House 
 by the Lock." 
 
 , " It is a queer place indeed," I echoed. " I 
 wonder how he came by it? " 
 
 " Oh, if the stories are true, in a way as 
 peculiar as the place itself, therefore appropri- 
 ate. It was owned, I know for a matter of 
 
 102
 
 WILDRED SCORES 
 
 fact, by an Italian whose father was exiled, 
 and came over here to live after '48, a chap by 
 the name of di Tortorelli, belonged to a good 
 family and all that, had the entree everywhere. 
 The son, a nice fellow except that he was weak, 
 loved nothing so well as baccarat. Somehow 
 he and Wildred got acquainted, when Wildred 
 was little known, if at all, in society, and the 
 two played cards on rather a big scale at the 
 house of a mutual friend. Di Tortorelli had 
 bad luck one night, lost a pot of money, and 
 finally, having nothing else left that was worth 
 having, staked the House by the Lock very 
 dilapidated, and in a shocking state of repair. 
 " Well, that's the way Wildred got it, and 
 there are those who do say that after having 
 won almost everything Tortorelli had, Wildred 
 financed him till his marriage with a rich Amer- 
 ican on the proviso that Tortorelli should get 
 him into the smart set. Those are only Wil- 
 dred's enemies, of course, for like most men 
 of strong character he has a few, though on 
 the whole his generosity has made him ex- 
 tremely popular." 
 
 103
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 " Then he knew no one when he first ap- 
 peared over the social horizon? " I went on 
 questioning. 
 
 Driscoll laughed. " I never heard of any- 
 one who knew him before the day when he 
 first blazed forth as a social luminary about 
 three or four years ago. He took a house in 
 town for the season, I remember it was the 
 Duke of Torquay's one of the finest in town, 
 and let for a fabulous sum. Then he and Tor- 
 torelli gave an entertainment together, some- 
 how securing several royalties, to say nothing 
 of Paderewski and La Belle Otero, and one 
 or two other celebrities, who must each have 
 cost him anywhere from a thousand to two 
 thousand pounds for the one night. 
 
 " After that, Wildred was made, of course, 
 for the affair was a brilliant success. By the 
 way, that was the first time he ever met the 
 beautiful Miss Cunningham, who had just 
 made a triumphant debut as the beauty of the 
 season in fact, most people think the most 
 beautiful girl who has been seen since the day 
 when Mrs. Langtry created her first sensa- 
 
 104
 
 WILDRED SCORES 
 
 tion in London. Miss Cunningham was at the 
 party with the Tressidys, and blase chap as 
 he was even then, Wildred went down at the 
 first shot from a pair of dark eyes violet? 
 brown? no one ever yet was sure of their 
 colour. Of course she's a great heiress, but 
 the man must be blind and paralysed who 
 couldn't fall in love with Karine Cunningham 
 for herself; and however he gets it, Carson 
 Wildred has no lack of money of his own." 
 
 " How does gossip say he gets it? " I went 
 on to enquire with eagerness which I concealed 
 as best I could. 
 
 " Oh, gossip doesn't trouble itself much in 
 that way!" Driscoll laughed. " It only con- 
 cerns itself to eat his dinners, for as a matter 
 of fact, though I can't exactly vouch for it my- 
 self, there isn't much secret about the way the 
 money pours in. It's the man's extraordinary 
 luck ! He seems to have a lot of relations who 
 are always good-naturedly going off the hooks 
 and leaving Wildred fortunes just when he 
 needs them most. Old fellows in the Antip- 
 odes, don't you know, who might really quite 
 
 105
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 as well be dead as not. It's all straight enough, 
 of course, but the funny thing is that if one 
 hears one day that Wildred has come rather 
 a cropper at Newmarket or the Derby, or 
 somewhere else, the news within the month is 
 pretty sure to be that another Johnny in Aus- 
 tralia or elsewhere has conveniently slipped his 
 cable and left Wildred a cool fifty thousand 
 or so at the very least." 
 
 Hardly had the laughter prompted by his 
 own words died on DriscolTs lips, when to my 
 astonishment the man of whom we spoke saun- 
 tered into the room. He was looking at peace 
 with all the world, and as nearly handsome as 
 it was possible for him to look, the contrast 
 between him and the podgy, elderly gentleman 
 by whom he was accompanied being much to 
 his advantage. 
 
 " Talking of angels!" ejaculated Driscoll 
 beneath his breath; " what do you think of that 
 for a coincidence? " 
 
 " Is he a member here? " I asked in an 
 equally low voice, for I did not wish Wildred 
 to have the satisfaction of guessing that he 
 
 106
 
 WILFRED SCORES 
 
 had formed the subject of conversation be- 
 tween me and my companion. 
 
 " No," Driscoll said, " but he often comes 
 in with old Wigram, who's been a great trav- 
 eller, you know, and who now goes in no end 
 for dabbling in chemistry. That's Wildred's 
 great fad, and makes the two, who are as dif- 
 ferent as possible, rather chummy." 
 
 As we spoke on, still in somewhat cautious 
 tones, the two newcomers drew nearer to us, 
 greeting several men whom they knew, and 
 finally sat down. The room felt the colder to 
 me for Carson Wildred's presence. 
 
 Half an hour dragged along, and I was 
 thinking of moving on, when, as I passed Wil- 
 dred with a slight inclination in return for his, 
 somewhat to my surprise he followed me. 
 
 " How do you do? " he said, with an attempt 
 at an ingratiating smile. " Now, if you won't 
 think me rude for the suggestion, I'd be will- 
 ing to bet you a hundred pounds to a fiver that 
 you and Driscoll were doing me the honour of 
 discussing some of my affairs, if not myself, 
 when I happened to look in just now." 
 
 107
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 Here was a good opening for a conversa- 
 tion unweighted by polite fictions, and I un- 
 hesitatingly accepted it. "Yes," I replied, 
 quietly, turning more fully towards him, " we 
 were talking of you and your affairs." 
 
 " I readily divined that from the look on 
 DriscolTs innocent old mug as I entered. I 
 am remarkably quick at reading other people's 
 faces." 
 
 " I have flattered myself that I am the same 
 when the faces have not been altered almost 
 (if not quite) beyond recognition." 
 
 I looked full into his curious pale eyes as I 
 gave him this hint, but they did not fall before 
 mine, and his dark, sallow skin could scarcely 
 be paler than its wont. 
 
 He returned my stare, and was not afraid 
 to show me that my meaning had made itself! 
 clearly understood. 
 
 ;< Why speak in riddles, my dear Mr. Stan- 
 ton? " he asked, shrugging his shoulders a little. 
 " But as we have got upon this subject, sup- 
 pose we follow it up to the end bitter or 
 otherwise and as you may not care to take 
 
 108
 
 WILFRED SCORES 
 
 all your fellow- Wayfarers into your inmost 
 confidence, I suggest that we move out of ear- 
 shot of the mob. Here are a couple of chairs, 
 and a table, far from the madding crowd. 
 Shall we sit for five minutes or so? Thanks. 
 And won't you let me offer you a cigar? These 
 are not bad ones. A present from the Shah- 
 zada last year! " 
 
 I courteously refused the offer, watch- 
 ing him with some interest as, pretending to 
 be unconscious of or indifferent to my 
 scrutiny, he struck a match and lighted his 
 cigar. 
 
 " I have already frankly assured you, Mr. 
 Stanton," he went on, "that I am not aware 
 of having met you before the other night 
 Christmas Eve, I think it was at the theatre 
 with my very good friend Farnham. But you 
 evidently wish me to see that you still firmly 
 believe I am er mistaken. Am I not stat- 
 ing the case correctly? But it is certainly far 
 from flattering to me that you should have 
 almost completely forgotten me, to say the 
 least." 
 
 109
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 " I shall remember you again, sooner or 
 later," I murmured. 
 
 " I sincerely hope so, if in any way we have 
 come across each other in the past, unknown to 
 me. But I have been so well acquainted with 
 you by reputation for some years, Mr. Stan- 
 ton, that I would be ready to swear my 
 memory could not have played me false." 
 
 I did not reply, save by a slight upward 
 movement of the eyebrows, but I was conscious 
 that he was gazing at me intently. 
 
 " You do not like me," he remarked pres- 
 ently, in the same low, monotonous tone of 
 voice which we had employed so far through- 
 out our disjointed conversation. 
 
 It was my turn to shrug my shoulders. " I 
 should not be apt to select you as a friend." 
 
 " I wonder " very slowly and lazily 
 " whether it be possible that I can in any way, 
 quite inadvertently, have interfered with your 
 plans? " 
 
 " Rather say," I broke out imprudently, 
 " that it is possible I may interfere with 
 yours ! " 
 
 110
 
 WILFRED SCORES 
 
 He laughed. " I wonder how? " 
 
 " In no definite way, unless I should hap- 
 pen suddenly to remember exactly where and 
 how I have met you before. That little acci- 
 dent might slightly hamper your career in 
 general for the future perhaps." 
 
 ' You are pleased to be insulting. And yet, 
 somehow, I don't want to take offence from 
 you. I would much prefer to argue you out 
 of your somewhat unreasonable prejudice and 
 mistake. Do you suggest, for instance, that I 
 am now concealing my identity under a dis- 
 guise? " 
 
 So speaking he raised his hand with a pre- 
 tence at carelessness, pushing his dark hair 
 from his forehead in such a way as to as- 
 sure me without doubt that he did not wear a 
 wig. 
 
 ; ' The moustache allow me to give you an 
 ocular demonstration is equally genuine," he 
 sneered. " I don't sport a false nose, or I 
 should have procured myself a more desirable 
 one, and my teeth " with a disagreeable grin 
 " are my own. Have I convinced you that 
 
 111
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I have not tampered with Nature's handiwork, 
 such as it is? " 
 
 " You might have waited, Mr. Wildred," I 
 returned, " until I had accused you of doing 
 so before trying to prove the contrary. You 
 know the saying, * He who excuses, accuses 
 himself,' I suppose? " 
 
 " I have heard it, though fortunately it does 
 not concern the case. Look here, Mr. Stanton, 
 you and I are sitting here among mutual 
 friends, apparently holding, so far as they can 
 see or hear, an amicable discussion. But the 
 truth is I have wit enough to understand that 
 what you would like and what you mean is 
 war to the knife! Fortunately for me, I am 
 one of Her Majesty's most peaceable, law- 
 abiding subjects, and always have been so. I 
 have as little to hide in my past as any man 
 can possibly have less than yourself even, it 
 may be and therefore I do not fear your pry- 
 ing, and can afford to laugh at your imper- 
 tinence. 
 
 " I will even have my family tree brought 
 out for your benefit if you choose, and will en-
 
 WILDRED SCORES 
 
 gage to show you the diary which I have kept 
 for years, and where you can see exactly how 
 and where my time has heen spent for the last 
 decade or so. Anything to please a famous, 
 and therefore privileged, man like yourself. 
 Is it a bargain, Mr. Stanton will you accept 
 my data if I provide it for you? " 
 
 " So great an anxiety to disarm the suspi- 
 cions of a stranger might tend to confirm and 
 strengthen them," I said, slowly. 
 
 "As you will. I see you don't intend to 
 take my overtures of peace in the spirit in 
 which they were offered. Well, you seem fond 
 of proverbs, so here is a Roland for your Oliver 
 'forewarned is forearmed' You will not 
 have me for a friend; you are indiscreet enough 
 to advise me that you intend to make mischief 
 for me if you can if you can, mind! My 
 conscience is clear as to my past ; and here and 
 now I dare you to do your worst ! " 
 
 Leaning his elbow on the table, his head 
 upon his hand, he faced me, looking up side- 
 ways with a mocking brilliance in his pale eyes. 
 
 " It is my turn to give you warning, and 
 113
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 it is this: I make a bad enemy. Even had I 
 some black secret, jealously guarded for years 
 which I haven't you would never drag it 
 from me. I believe myself to be a cleverer 
 man than you, and if I had chosen the role of 
 villain I should have been a successful one, 
 there is no doubt. You would not, Mr. Stan- 
 ton. Had I something which it was vital to 
 my interests to conceal, I should have gone 
 about it in such a way that not the devil himself 
 pitted against me should worm my secret from 
 me. Had I elected to commit a crime, it would 
 not have been until after I was ready with an 
 absolutely infallible alibi. 
 
 " Now, if you are sensible, the very fact 
 that I have made these admissions will prove 
 my innocence to you. It will be a waste of 
 your valuable time if you attempt to stand in 
 my way, in any quarter whatever" He rose 
 lazily. " Good-evening, Mr. Stanton," he said, 
 in a louder tone, which he made both cordial 
 and impressive for the benefit of any listening 
 ears. ' This has been a most interesting chat 
 with you, one I am not likely soon to forget. 
 
 114
 
 WILDRED SCORES 
 
 I hope it may not be long before I have the 
 pleasure of meeting you again." 
 
 He had certainly scored. I was obliged, 
 hot with indignation and self -scorn, mentally 
 to confess as much. He had kept his temper, 
 and he had got the better of me. If my time 
 would only cornel 
 
 115
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 KARINE'S ENGAGEMENT RING 
 
 IN the first hour of my anguish after hear- 
 ing that Karine was lost to me, I had come very 
 near to registering a vow that voluntarily I 
 would not see her again. Now, however, since 
 our memorable chance meeting in the hotel, 
 my resolve was different. I determined, on 
 the contrary, that I would see her as often as 
 possible. 
 
 Even if I had to follow the Tressidys into 
 the country on a pretence of hunting, or some 
 other flimsy pretext of the sort, I would be 
 near her. I had luckily kept my head suffi- 
 ciently to breathe no word of love to Karine. 
 I had even dwelt with some emphasis upon my 
 " friendship," as though to assure her that she 
 need fear no more, need dread no persecution 
 at my hands. I believed that she did not sus- 
 pect my real feeling for her, and certainly Sir 
 
 116
 
 KARINE'S ENGAGEMENT RING 
 
 Walter and Lady Tressidy had no reason to 
 fancy anything of the kind. 
 
 Wildred had suspicions, I was sure, but they 
 could only have been born of quick and jeal- 
 ous intuitions. He could make no charge 
 against me, and it was not likely, I thought, 
 that he would choose deliberately to put such 
 an idea into his fiancee's head, unless I were 
 far less cautious in my behaviour than I meant 
 to be. 
 
 I could not conceal from myself that the 
 talk I had had with the fellow at the Way- 
 farers' had somewhat discouraged me as to 
 the ultimate success of my efforts to expose 
 him, and as days went on I found it impossible 
 entirely to shake off the impression made by 
 his words. 
 
 His personality was disagreeably magnetic 
 to me. I had to acknowledge its power, and in 
 spite of myself there were moments when I 
 felt daunted by his defiance. 
 
 Had he not been very sure of himself he 
 would not have dared to say what he had said. 
 I believed, as firmly as ever, that there was a 
 
 117
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 black spot in his past, upon which I could put 
 my finger if only I could place him in my 
 mental gallery of photographs, in which his 
 portrait had been so mysteriously blurred or 
 changed. But he and Karine Cunningham 
 would in all probability be man and wife at the 
 end of six weeks ; and six weeks was, after all, 
 but a short space in which to tear the mask 
 from so preternaturally clever a scoundrel. 
 
 I thought then (and even yet, I trust) that 
 my resolution to save Karine from this man, if 
 I were able to do so, was not all selfishness. 
 
 Knowing nothing, yet suspecting much with 
 haunting vagueness, it seemed a horrible dese- 
 cration to me that the beautiful, gentle girl 
 should be given up to Wildred. I had little 
 enough hope for myself with her, whatever 
 might betide, for even had it been possible, 
 under happier circumstances, that she could 
 have learned to care for me, she and her friends 
 would be sure to misunderstand and condemn 
 my motives in working against the man she 
 had promised to marry. 
 
 Should I have the good fortune to show him 
 118
 
 KARINE'S ENGAGEMENT RING 
 
 to her and those in authority over her, as the 
 villain I believed him to be, I could not im- 
 agine myself ever attempting to take selfish 
 advantage of his downfall. 
 
 What I might do, or try to do, I told myself, 
 must be without any hope of future reward. 
 
 I had persuaded myself that the oftener I 
 could see Karine, and impress upon her the 
 strength and disinterestedness of my friend- 
 ship, silently assuring her of my unforgotten 
 resolve to help, the better it would be for her. 
 She had said once that she had " many ac- 
 quaintances but no friends," and she had 
 seemed glad to welcome my friendship ; so that 
 now I wanted her to see I did not mean to fail 
 her that, after all, it might not be as she had 
 thought, too late. At least, I succeeded in 
 convincing myself that these were my only 
 motives in calling again within the week on 
 Lady Tressidy. 
 
 It was Thursday, and the family was to flit 
 away to the country on the following after- 
 noon. I was informed of this by the footman, 
 whose duty it was to tell me that his mistress 
 
 119
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 was superintending her packing at the mo- 
 ment, but would be down almost immediately. 
 Meanwhile, Miss Cunningham was in Lady 
 Tressidy's boudoir, and would see me. 
 
 I could scarcely believe in my good luck, and 
 in her courage or good nature. 
 
 She had been writing at a little' davenport 
 by the window, but rose to receive me, and ex- 
 tended her hand. To the other the left she 
 had transferred the pen, with the ink still wet, 
 and so it was that as she greeted me my eyes 
 fell upon a ring which had not before adorned 
 her finger. 
 
 It was the third of the left hand, and to my 
 amazement I recognised the magnificent dia- 
 mond still in the old setting worn for so 
 many years by Harvey Farnham. 
 
 120
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 HAD I paused for an instant's reflection I 
 must have felt that it would be impossible for 
 me to take any open notice of the ring, but so 
 great was my surprise at seeing Harvey Farn- 
 ham's treasured possession on Miss Cunning- 
 ham's finger that involuntarily I uttered a 
 slight exclamation. 
 
 Biting her lip she hastily withdrew the hand, 
 dashing the pen she had been holding with a v 
 petulant little gesture on to the desk where she 
 had been writing. 
 
 " Why do you look so astonished," she cried, 
 a certain bitterness in her voice, " at seeing me 
 wear the sign of my bondage? " 
 
 She tried to laugh as she spoke, giving an 
 effect of lightness to the words, but the effort 
 iwas a failure. 
 
 I would not let her continue to think that
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 she was right in the guess she had made as to 
 my emotion. 
 
 " It was not wholly that, Miss Cunning- 
 ham," I returned. " Say, rather I was sur- 
 prised at seeing you wear this particular ring." 
 
 " It is a remarkable one, isn't it? Far too 
 gorgeous and conspicuous to please me, for 
 myself; but Mr. Wildred was anxious for me 
 to have it. I believe it has been in his family 
 a long time, and has been handed down from 
 generation to generation of betrothed brides 
 happier than myself." The last three words 
 were spoken almost in a whisper, but I heard 
 and understood them as I would have under- 
 stood the faintest murmur from those lips so 
 dearly loved. 
 
 Some dim awakening thought, scarcely clear 
 to my own consciousness, stirred in my mind at 
 her strange announcement. I could not resist 
 further questioning. 
 
 " Did Mr. Wildred tell you that the ring 
 was an heirloom in his family? " 
 
 ' Yes. There is a romance attached to it." 
 
 She sighed faintly, as though at the death
 
 " KISMET ' 
 
 of romance in her own young life. Then, more 
 quickly 
 
 " Why, Mr. Stanton? Why do you ask me 
 that?" 
 
 I could not tell her why; but my heart was 
 bounding with a new excitement. 
 
 "Forgive my curiosity," I said evasively. 
 " I am interested in all that concerns you." 
 
 She turned from me, ostensibly to arrange 
 her scattered papers on the little davenport, 
 and, relieved of the thraldom of those lovely 
 eyes, I endeavoured to collect my scattered 
 thoughts. 
 
 Somehow I felt that I was on the eve of a 
 discovery which might T)e of vast importance in 
 both our lives. How had Wildred obtained 
 that ring from Harvey Farnham? Why had 
 he lied about it to Karine? That he was a 
 villain and a schemer I was sure, though I had 
 had no possible means of proving it. What if 
 this seemingly small matter should put a clue 
 into my hands. 
 
 So clever a scoundrel should not have com- 
 mitted himself to a lie thus easily disproved, I 
 
 123
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 thought. Only necessary lies were worth the 
 risk for a man of acumen such as his. But even 
 the most crafty of mortals is fallible, I re- 
 flected, and liable to make some insignificant 
 mistake, which, like one stone wrongly placed 
 in the foundation of a vast building, renders 
 the whole structure unstable. Possibly Wil- 
 dred had found a stealthy pleasure in weaving 
 a pretty romance round the ring which he had 
 chosen as the sign of his betrothal, and in 
 weaving it he had forgotten that I, as an ac- 
 quaintance of Farnham's, might have been 
 conversant with its real history. Or, perhaps, 
 he had not counted upon the fact that Karine 
 might retell the version he had given her to me. 
 
 I know how greatly Famham had valued 
 the marvellous diamond, in its quaint setting, 
 and I remembered how, only on the night of 
 our last meeting, he had reiterated to me his 
 determination to keep it. It was too small to 
 be removed save by cutting, he had said, and I 
 had satisfied myself by observation that he had 
 not exaggerated. 
 
 He must, then, have gone so far as to have 
 124
 
 " KISMET ' 
 
 the ring cut from his finger before sailing for 
 America, that he might leave it as a parting 
 pledge of friendship with Carson Wildred. 
 
 The rich, red gold circlet hung loosely 
 enough, however, on Karine's sum little finger, 
 and a sudden strong desire that she should al- 
 low me to look at it caught hold of me. 
 
 :< Would it be asking too much," I said, " to 
 have the wonderful heirloom in my hand to ex- 
 amine for a moment? " 
 
 Without a word she slipped the ring off and 
 gave it to me, almost as though it was a relief 
 to feel its absence. 
 
 In a flash a certain recollection had leaped 
 into my mind. There was an inscription inside, 
 Harvey Farnham had told me. If the ring 
 had been cut doubtless the words written 
 within would show some trace of the violent 
 treatment to which the band of gold had been 
 subjected; and I wished, for a reason I hardly 
 dared admit to myself, to ascertain if this were 
 the case. 
 
 I moved towards the window and, ostensibly 
 catching the light upon the facets of the match- 
 
 125
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 less stone, peeped into the circlet. To my sur- 
 prise the words inscribed on the gold were 
 " Kismet and Miss Cunningham." They were 
 absolutely unbroken, not a letter blurred, and 
 the surface of the ring gave the appearance 
 of having been untouched since first it was 
 fashioned. I was certain that it had not been 
 cut. This being so, how had the thing been 
 removed from the finger of its owner? 
 
 " You are wondering at the words written in- 
 side, aren't you? " Karine asked, coming a little 
 nearer to me. " It does seem extraordinary 
 that they should be there, doesn't it, when you 
 think that the ring was made many years ago, 
 and was not intended for me at all ? But Mr. 
 Wildred has explained the mystery, which is 
 a part of the history of the heirloom, and ac- 
 counts for his being particularly anxious for 
 me to wear it." 
 
 I, too, could have explained the " mystery." 
 I had been told by Farnham that the stone had 
 come from the first diamond mine in which he 
 had been interested. It had been fancifully 
 dubbed " Kismet," and the gold mine, which 
 
 126
 
 ' KISMET ' 
 
 he had lately sold to Carson Wildred, had (as 
 he had informed me that night of our meeting 
 at the theatre) rejoiced in the name of the 
 " Miss Cunningham." Doubtless the inscrip- 
 tion was intended to commemorate the fact 
 that the gold forming the ring had been taken 
 from the one mine, the diamond from the other. 
 But, knowing all this, I was none the less anx- 
 ious to hear what Karine might have to say. 
 
 " It does sound an odd coincidence," I re- 
 marked. " Will you tell me the story? " 
 
 I had a very specific object in carrying on 
 this conversation; but as for Karine, I could 
 feel that her part of it was sustained merely 
 
 
 
 for the sake of keeping me from treading upon 
 more dangerous ground. Yet despite this 
 nervous anxiety of hers, I could see or I 
 flattered myself that she was vaguely sur- 
 prised and piqued that I should be willing to 
 discuss so trifling a subject during the fleeting 
 moments before Lady Tressidy might be ex- 
 pected to appear. 
 
 ' You may hear the little romance if you 
 like," the girl said, a faint wistfulness in her 
 
 127
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 sweet voice. " Sixty or seventy years ago, Mr. 
 Wildred tells me, a very dashing ancestor of 
 his fell in love with a Miss Cunningham. That 
 is not a very uncommon name, you know. He 
 was penniless, and she an heiress. Her father 
 would have nothing to do with him, and told 
 him he need not hope to win his daughter un- 
 less within a year he could afford to buy her 
 the finest diamond betrothal ring ever seen in 
 the country. 
 
 " The lover vowed it was ' Kismet ' that he 
 should marry Miss Cunningham, and swore 
 to return and claim her, by slipping such a ring 
 en her finger, exactly twelve months from the 
 day he was sent away. 
 
 " He had the most extraordinary adventures 
 in search of a fortune, always ending in fail- 
 ure, until the last month of the appointed time. 
 He was in India, working in the diamond 
 mines, when one day he found this very stone. 
 
 " He sailed at once for England, had the 
 ring made, and the words you see engraved in- 
 side. As he had said, he arrived on the very 
 day appointed, but only to find the girl com- 
 
 128
 
 " KISMET ' : 
 
 ing out from church after her marriage with 
 another man. He threw the ring at her feet, 
 and flung himself away; but at her death it 
 was sent back to him again, and though he 
 never married, he gave it to his brother's bride 
 on her wedding-day. Since then it has re- 
 mained in the Wildred family." 
 
 I could have laughed aloud at this senti- 
 mental tale invented by the man (whom I now 
 believed had somehow contrived to steal the 
 jewel) to account for the commonplace words 
 it would have been difficult to erase. Had I 
 laughed, however, my laughter would have 
 been bitter indeed, ending in an even increased 
 desire to save from him and his trickery the 
 girl I loved. 
 
 It is needless to say that I did not laugh, but 
 something of what was in my mind must have 
 been visible on my face, for Karine, as she 
 finished her story, looked up at me searchingly. 
 "What are you hiding from me, Mr. Stan- 
 ton? " she anxiously questioned. " It is about 
 the ring and if you are my friend, as you 
 say, you will not keep it a secret from me." 
 
 129
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 " It is about the ring, Miss Cunningham," 
 I replied impulsively. " I can't tell you all, 
 for the facts have hardly yet grouped them- 
 selves in my own brain. But if they have such 
 bearing upon your happiness as I have some 
 reason to think, you shall know them as soon 
 as I can make them clear to you. Will you 
 trust me meanwhile will you try to remember 
 that I am striving to collect facts which may 
 help to release you from the necessity for an 
 unworthy marriage? Never for one moment 
 since I saw you last have I let slip the hope 
 of saving you from what you confessed must 
 be a blighted future. Now, I may be mistaken, 
 but I believe that I begin to see my way! " 
 
 She looked at the ring, which I had returned 
 to her, with startled, dilating eyes. " Some- 
 thing connected with this! " she murmured. 
 
 ' Yes. It is as if I had placed my eye to 
 that little circlet, looking through it as through 
 a spyglass towards my goal. I shall work 
 after this, Miss Cunningham, as I could not 
 work before, because I have now a fixed start- 
 ing-point. It may be an intricate tangle that 
 
 130
 
 ' KISMET ' 
 
 I shall have to unravel, it may be a tedious task, 
 yet- -" 
 
 :< There are only six weeks less than six 
 weeks to do it in! " she murmured, but a faint 
 colour had sprung to her cheeks, a light of hope 
 to her eyes. 
 
 " Is it not possible," I begged, " if I find 
 myself near success, yet stopped temporarily 
 midway by some unforeseen obstacle, that you 
 can delay your marriage? Let me have that 
 to hope for. It will help me to win." 
 
 She shook her head sadly, and the rose-flush 
 died. 
 
 " It is useless to think of it," she said. " You 
 may imagine, since I have confessed so much 
 to you, that it was not my plan to name such 
 an early date. It was Mr. Wildred who sug- 
 gested it indeed, he insisted, and unfortu- 
 nately he is in a position to insist." 
 
 " Has nothing changed since we met at the 
 Savoy? " I hurriedly asked. " Can't you ex- 
 plain to me the power which you admitted then 
 that this man holds over you?" 
 
 " No, nothing is changed, Mr. Stanton ! 
 131
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 The reason that I cannot explain is a part of 
 his power, if you like to call it that." 
 
 "Heaven knows I do not like it!" I ex- 
 claimed, almost savagely. And as the words 
 fell from my lips Lady Tressidy entered the 
 room. She had finished superintending her 
 packing, and the sight of her was a sudden 
 sharp reminder that next day she would take 
 Karine away. 
 
 132
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 AN EXTRA SPECIAL 
 
 LADY TRESSIDY was so full of plans for the 
 future Karine's future with Carson Wildred 
 that my soul sickened of her chatter, and I 
 
 V * >V W- 
 
 took myself off as soon as it was decently pos- 
 sible to do so. With no further chance of 
 private talk with Karine much of my incentive 
 for remaining was gone, at all events, and I 
 was anxious to think out the puzzle regarding 
 the transfer of the ring. 
 
 To recapitulate, Farnham had announced 
 his intention of keeping it until the necessity 
 arose for having it cut from his finger. Still, 
 it seemed he had not kept it, and it had not been 
 cut off. The conviction was strong within me 
 that Wildred had obtained the jewel by foul 
 play. Yet how could he have done this, short 
 of severing from the hand the finger that had 
 worn it? 
 
 Strange fancies flitted luridly through my 
 133
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 brain. In a few days more Harvey Farnham 
 would have landed in New York, and I could 
 reach him there at the hotel he had mentioned 
 as his favourite ; or in Denver, Colorado, if he 
 had chosen to pursue his homeward journey 
 without a night's delay. 
 
 I counted the hours which must pass before 
 I could attempt any such communication, and 
 they seemed to rise like a high wall between me 
 and my hopes and my suspicions. 
 
 As I walked homeward, involuntarily has- 
 tening my footsteps, I heard the newsboys 
 crying out some item of intelligence for the 
 evening papers. " Extry Speshul ! Extry 
 Speshul!" "Mysterious Discovery in the 
 Thames!" 
 
 So preoccupied was I that the words passed 
 into my ears without making any definite im- 
 pression on my mind; or, if they did, it was 
 the mere rhythm of the different shouting 
 voices that impressed itself upon me. 
 
 So often were they repeated from all sides 
 as I walked on that at length the short sen- 
 tences began to form a species of intoned 
 
 134
 
 AN EXTRA SPECIAL 
 
 accompaniment to my thoughts, without as- 
 suming a separate importance in my conscious- 
 ness. 
 
 Suddenly, however, a grimy infant of ten- 
 der years and appalling precocity flourished a 
 pink sheet, smelling of the printer's ink, di- 
 rectly under my eyes. 
 
 "Buy a paper, guv-nor!" he cajoled me. 
 " Hall abeout the 'orrid murder and the 'ead- 
 less man." 
 
 I seldom read evening papers, and to-night, 
 of all nights, I had little inclination for such 
 irrelevant mental diet. But I flung the child 
 a copper, and found the halfpenny journal 
 thrust into my hand. 
 
 I would have tossed it from me carelessly, 
 but the headlines relating to the latest sensa- 
 tion caught my eye. 
 
 Then, forgetful of the crowds who stared 
 at me in my agitation, I strode nearer to the 
 white ball of electric light which had shone 
 down upon the page. 
 
 135
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 r A MYSTERY OF THE THAMES 
 
 IT was the name, Purley Lock, which had 
 fastened my attention. " Horrible Discovery 
 near Purley Lock!" the headline announced. 
 I read on, rapidly, but thoughtfully. Two 
 boys from Great Marlow had, it seemed, been 
 wandering beside the river bank, between that 
 village and Purley Lock. Straying along a 
 small backwater, leading out from a larger 
 one, they had noticed a peculiar object caught 
 among a number of reeds. One of the boys 
 had curiously poked at it with his stick, 
 bringing it nearer to the shore, when it 
 appeared to be a heavy, almost formless, 
 mass sewn up in a rough sack. The boys, be- 
 ing frightened, had run home with their story, 
 and a member of the local police force, going 
 to the spot, had found the children's suspicions 
 confirmed. The unclothed body of a man, 
 partially consumed by fire and lacking the 
 
 136
 
 MYSTERY OF THE THAMES 
 
 head, as well as otherwise mutilated in a seem- 
 ingly aimless way, had been doubled up and 
 sewn in the sack. Weights had evidently been 
 attached to the horrible bundle, but had in 
 some manner become detached. So far no 
 clue whatever, either as to the identity of the 
 murdered man, or that of the murderer, had 
 been brought to light. The body had been in 
 the water for some days, but might still have 
 been recognisable had the head not been re- 
 moved. 
 
 The horror of my dream on Christmas Eve 
 came back to me as I read. No doubt there 
 had been many river mysteries and " shocking 
 discoveries " in the Thames, and perhaps I had 
 read of them, dismissing them from my mind 
 with the alacrity with which one does rid one's 
 thoughts of such sordid tragedies, when they 
 do not happen to concern oneself or one's ac- 
 quaintances. But this tragedy I could not so 
 dismiss. 
 
 I could even picture the very spot where the 
 boys must have seen the sack caught among 
 the dry and rattling reeds. " A small back- 
 
 137
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 water leading out of a larger one, between 
 Great Marlow and Purley Lock." The larger 
 one was doubtless that on which Carson Wil- 
 dred's house was situated; the smaller one a 
 mere alley of water, leading away under a 
 drooping tangle of willow and chestnut 
 branches one had to pass in walking from 
 Purley to the House by the Lock. I was sure, 
 as I recalled the place in memory, that the 
 scene of the discovered mystery could have 
 been no other than this. 
 
 Having read to the end, I folded up the 
 paper and put it away in a pocket of my great- 
 coat for future reference. Then I began 
 walking slowly on towards the Savoy Hotel. 
 
 Had it not been for the odd chance which 
 had induced two boys to stroll, in the middle 
 of winter, along the bank of an insignificant 
 outlet of a Thames backwater, what a fine 
 place, I told myself, this would have been for 
 the concealment of a crime ! Even without the 
 weights, which had probably become detached 
 from the sack by tangling among the roots 
 under the surface of the water, the body might 
 
 138
 
 MYSTERY OF THE THAMES 
 
 have been expected to remain hidden for 
 months at least, till the coming of the spring. 
 
 Then, as I so reflected, my mind turned to 
 darker thoughts. Had a crime been com- 
 mitted by the inhabitants of the House by the 
 Lock, what a convenient hiding-place would 
 that adjacent waterway have been! I had 
 no reason to fancy that such a crime had been 
 done, and yet my thoughts went back to the 
 day on which I paid my somewhat memorable 
 visit to Wildred and Farnham. 
 
 Suddenly came the recollection of the awful 
 cry I had heard as I waited in the curious oc- 
 tagonal room, looking at the covered portrait 
 of Karine. The sound had been explained, 
 but there had been a certain flurry and clumsi- 
 ness in the explanation, I had thought, even 
 then. 
 
 I remembered the smoke and sparks which 
 had so mysteriously risen from the tower, and 
 the heat of the octagonal room adjoining it. 
 All this, too, had been accounted for. I had 
 not cared at the time to invent romances to fit 
 into the strange appearances, which I had as- 
 
 139
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 sured myself were doubtless strange only in 
 appearance ; but now I could not help dwelling 
 upon them with an almost morbid persistency 
 that would not be set aside. 
 
 I thought of the woman's face which had for 
 an instant gazed at me through the narrow 
 window beside the door. I reminded myself 
 of the surprise on the features of the decorous 
 male factotum when he had learned that I was 
 not the man expected by his master, and I 
 went over word for word, as nearly as I could, 
 each sentence whispered by Wildred and his 
 servant in the hall. 
 
 What if there were some ghastly connection 
 between the apparent mystery in the House 
 by the Lock and the half -charred, headless 
 body found to-day in the Thames! 
 
 I was ready to accuse my own enmity to- 
 wards Wildred, and my vague suspicions of 
 him, also my merciless desire to fasten some 
 stigma upon the man, of being potent factors 
 in these mental suggestions of mine. 
 
 But I could not banish them even if I would. 
 Continually throughout the remainder of the 
 
 140
 
 MYSTERY OF THE THAMES 
 
 evening and night I pieced together various 
 theories, all more or less defective, and next 
 morning the desire was strong within me to go 
 and see the headless corpse. 
 
 There were at least twenty chances to one 
 against my being able to identify it, or finding 
 in the pitiful remains of a tragedy any clue 
 such as I sought. But strange fancies steeped 
 my brain with their potent fumes, and I knew 
 that I should not be able to rest until, at least, 
 I had absolutely proved myself mistaken. 
 
 Permission to view the body at the mortuary 
 was easily obtained at the local police station, 
 when I had given my name, and mentioned 
 that I had come for purposes of identification. 
 
 Fortunately for my self-control, I had 
 looked upon many a gruesome sight during my 
 somewhat chequered career, though scarcely 
 one more hideous than this which I had de- 
 liberately sought. 
 
 It would be worse than useless to enter into 
 a detailed description of what my eyes turned 
 from with loathing. There was only one pos- 
 sible way of identification, however, that of 
 
 141
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 finding some mark upon the partially charred 
 body, or something lacking which might be 
 suggestive of a theory. 
 
 I had a theory, which as yet I had scarcely 
 dared dwell upon in my own mind, so wild, so 
 improbable did it appear at any other time than 
 dead of night, when all strange things seem 
 possible. But now, as I judged what the 
 height and size of the body must have been, 
 and let my glance travel almost fearfully to 
 the left hand, I saw that which tended in a 
 ghastly manner to confirm it. All the four 
 fingers were missing, having been cut off be- 
 tween the second joint and knuckles. 
 
 Harvey Farnham had worn the ring given 
 to Karine Cunningham by Wildred on the 
 little finger of the left hand; and in the light 
 of this discovery my dream of Christmas Eve 
 came back to me as a prophetic vision. 
 
 142
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 INFORMATION LAID BY CARSON WILDRED 
 
 THE case being one of great local impor- 
 tance, having thrown the countryside into a 
 whirl of excitement, the inspector himself had 
 thought it worth while to accompany me on my 
 journey to the mortuary. My name was fa- 
 miliar to him, he said, with a look of interest 
 and curiosity in his eyes; and this being so, 
 doubtless he had not been averse to the chance 
 of keeping watch upon me when I went to 
 gaze upon the body of the mysteriously mur- 
 dered man. 
 
 If he were interested in me, I was, at least, 
 equally interested in him, or rather in the 
 opinions which he and brother members of the 
 police force might have formed. 
 
 Reticence was, of course, supposed to be ob- 
 served by so important a functionary as the 
 inspector, but I saw that in his round, good- 
 
 143
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 natured face which caused me to hope he 
 might be amenable to a little judiciously ap- 
 plied flattery. I therefore extolled the ar- 
 rangements of the local authorities, and ended 
 by saying that, as the sight I had just wit- 
 nessed had considerably upset me, I should be 
 glad if he would do me the favour of having 
 something with me at the private bar of the 
 adjacent inn. 
 
 ' Well, sir, it's against the rules, you know," 
 he said, smiling sapiently. " But I certainly 
 consider it an honour to be invited by so cele- 
 brated a gentleman as you, Mr. Stanton. And 
 if you'll go first, sir, I'll just look in a little 
 later and find you at the private bar." 
 
 I followed the prudent suggestion, and was 
 presently joined by the inspector, who ap- 
 peared relieved at rinding himself shut in and 
 alone with me. 
 
 We had whisky and soda ad libitum, and 
 then I cautiously began : " The fact is, inspec- 
 tor," I said, " I was particularly anxious for 
 this chance of a little friendly chat with you. 
 I have certain suspicions which may be, of 
 
 144
 
 INFORMATION BY WILDRED 
 
 course, without a grain of foundation. What 
 I mean to say is, I have grave fears that the 
 murdered man is the friend I thought it pos- 
 sible I might identify. Who the murderer 
 may be in any case remains to be seen, but if 
 the body is that of the person I have in my 
 mind, I might be able to put a clue into the 
 hands of the police. ' A word to the wise,' you 
 know, inspector! But first I am hoping for 
 a little help from you before I run the risk of 
 incriminating one who may be innocent. Quite 
 between ourselves, allow me to ask what your 
 police surgeon has had to say regarding his 
 examination? " 
 
 The inspector looked dubious, then bright- 
 ened visibly. ' You being the man you are, 
 Mr. Stanton," he said, sociably, over his third 
 glass of old Scotch, " I can't see that there'd 
 be anything amiss in my answering you so far. 
 Our surgeon, Mr. Potter, reported that the 
 corpse was that of a well-nourished man of 
 somewhere between forty and forty-five years 
 of age, all the organs healthy, though there 
 were traces of opium in the system not, how- 
 
 145
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 ever, enough to have caused death. The head 
 had been severed from the neck by a skilled 
 anatomist, who knew exactly where to strike; 
 but it had been separated after death, not be- 
 fore. Also the mutilation of the left hand 
 had been done in the same way. I suppose 
 that is roughly the sort of thing you wanted to 
 know? " 
 
 " Exactly," I returned, " and every detail 
 you have mentioned goes to strengthen my sus- 
 picions. Being an amateur, I was obliged to 
 judge principally by size and height. The sur- 
 geon's report fits in with my theory precisely. 
 Still, it does not comprise everything. It 
 would be a great assistance if I might know 
 whether the police have yet had any reliable in- 
 formation to work upon." 
 
 We had grown very friendly, indeed, almost 
 fraternal now, and the inspector kindly al- 
 lowed me to refill his glass. " Do you know 
 who Mr. Carson Wildred, of the House by the 
 Lock, is, Mr. Stanton? " he enquired, confi- 
 dentially. 
 
 The question surprised and excited me. 
 146
 
 INFORMATION BY WILDRED 
 
 Was it possible, I hastily asked myself, that 
 already the police were on the same track that 
 I was following? If so, Wildred must have 
 shown himself a less impenetrable villain than 
 I had had reason to suppose him. 
 
 ' Yes, I not only know who he is, but have 
 a slight personal acquaintance with him," I 
 said conservatively. 
 
 " Well, sir " slowly, and with some unc- 
 tion " Mr. Wildred has been the only one so 
 far not counting what you yourself may 
 have to say presently who has given any in- 
 formation of value." 
 
 "Indeed? He has given information?" I 
 could not eliminate the astonishment, and per- 
 haps something of the disappointment, from 
 my voice. 
 
 ' Yes, sir. As you know Mr. Wildred, 
 you're probably aware that his country house 
 is close by our town, and close, too, to the spot 
 where the body was found. He was in yester- 
 day evening, as soon as the matter had got 
 noised about, and asked to see the body." 
 
 " Incredible ! " The word sprang to my lips, 
 147
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 but I forced it back, and refrained from ut- 
 tering it. 
 
 " He was unable to identify it, but he spoke 
 to having seen something in the neighbour- 
 hood of the small backwater not far from his 
 house, just before Christmas, which seemed 
 likely to throw light on the matter. The sur- 
 geon's idea is, as I think I forgot to mention, 
 sir, that the body had been in the water since 
 Christmas time, or thereabouts, which made 
 Mr. Wildred's supposition the more feasible. 
 
 " It seems that the gentleman had a friend 
 staying with him at the House by the Lock 
 until a week or so ago a Mr. Farnham, an 
 American who has since sailed for home. 
 They were in the habit of taking a daily walk 
 together, whenever they were not in town, and 
 a week before Christmas noticed that close to 
 the little backwater two men were living in a 
 tent. 
 
 " It was a quiet place enough in winter 
 time, and the fellows might have expected to 
 escape observation, perhaps, but it was the 
 smell of their smoke which first attracted Mr. 
 
 148
 
 Wildred and his friend to the spot, and as it 
 was his land Mr. Wildred at first was inclined 
 to order the chaps away. He thought better 
 of it, though, as he seems a good-natured gen- 
 tleman, and said it didn't really matter to him 
 whether they stayed or went. A strict watch 
 was kept on all the locks up at the house, how- 
 ever, as it occurred to Mr. Wildred the men 
 might have some queer design. A day or two 
 went by, and the tent was still there, but on 
 Christmas, when Mr. Wildred and Mr. Farn- 
 ham were walking out, they heard the sound 
 of loud voices, and went near enough to see 
 that the two men were quarrelling outside. 
 
 " He says he wishes now he had interfered, 
 but it didn't seem worth while at the time. 
 That night there was an unpleasant smell of 
 burning* which came up to the House by the 
 Lock, with the wind from that quarter, and 
 was noticed by all the servants, as well as Mr. 
 Wildred, who asked the butler about it at din- 
 ner. Next day, when Mr. Wildred sent down 
 to find out, the tent and the men were both 
 gone." 
 
 149
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 " I suppose," I said, " that you have already 
 taken means to ascertain whether there are any 
 remaining traces of such an encampment by 
 the backwater? " 
 
 " Certainly we have. That was done im- 
 mediately, sir, and the ashes left by a big wood 
 fire were found close to the water; also four 
 rough stakes for the tent ropes, and a coal 
 sack much of the sort in which the body up 
 there at the mortuary was sewn. There was 
 something else, too, sir. I wouldn't mention 
 it thus early in the proceedings to anybody for 
 whom I hadn't the respect I have for you; but 
 even as it is, I must have your promise it 
 shan't go any further till it comes out in the 
 proper course of events." 
 
 I gave him my promise, hiding my impa- 
 tience as best I could. 
 
 "Well, Mr. Stanton," the inspector went 
 on, lowering his voice, though there was no- 
 body within earshot, " in the wood ashes was 
 found what looks like a most important clue. 
 Nothing less, sir, than the calcined bones of 
 four human fingers, cut from the left hand!" 
 
 150
 
 INFORMATION BY WILDRED 
 
 "By Jove!" I ejaculated involuntarily, 
 springing to my feet, and beginning to walk 
 nervously up and down. I hardly knew 
 whether to feel that I had been brought to a 
 dead stop in my operations and suspicions, or 
 to tell myself that Carson Wildred was the 
 most cold-blooded, and, at the same time, the 
 cleverest scoundrel who had ever walked 
 the earth. 
 
 151
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 A DISAPPOINTMENT 
 
 ' You seem surprised, Mr. Stanton ! " ex- 
 claimed the inspector. 
 
 " I am surprised," I echoed, " and I intend 
 to explain why presently. Meanwhile, I sup- 
 pose you are trying to get on the track of the 
 second man who lived in that tent? " 
 
 " That's what we are doing, sir hard at it." 
 
 " You will never find him," I said. 
 
 " No, sir? May I ask what makes you so 
 sure of that?" 
 
 " Simply because my opinion is that he does 
 not exist never did exist." 
 
 The inspector's jaw dropped. " But but 
 
 Mr. Carson Wildred " he began, when I 
 
 turned on him and cut him short. 
 
 "Did your experience never show you a case 
 where a man, himself a criminal, invented 
 proofs and clues for the purpose of putting the 
 police upon the wrong track? " 
 
 152
 
 A DISAPPOINTMENT 
 
 He too started from his chair, forgetting to 
 set down his glass of whisky. " Good heavens, 
 sir, you don't mean to accuse " 
 
 " I don't accuse. I am not yet in a position 
 to do that. I only suggest, and should be my- 
 self a criminal if I did not try to throw such 
 light upon the matter as I can. Sit down 
 again, inspector, and let me tell you what I 
 know, and what I suspect." 
 
 He sat, or rather dropped into his lately- 
 deserted chair, and his horrified expression, his 
 drooping attitude, went far towards showing 
 me what an exalted position Carson Wildred 
 occupied in the esteem of the neighbourhood. 
 
 " I ean't seem to realise it, Mr. Stanton," 
 ejaculated the inspector. " Such a man as 
 Mr. Wildred! So respected, so charitable, has 
 given so much to the church 1 Why, you must 
 be making a mistake." 
 
 'You shall judge for yourself whether I 
 have any evidence to offer worth building 
 upon," I returned. And then I told him every- 
 thing, beginning with my chance meeting with 
 Harvey Farnham at the theatre on Christmas 
 
 153
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 Eve. His face grew graver and graver as I 
 went on, and when at last (having dwelt with 
 due insistence upon the mysterious proceedings 
 attending my call at the House by the Lock) I 
 mentioned the reappearance of the ring on " a 
 young lady's finger," he shook his head regret- 
 fully. 
 
 ' You've made out a fairly good case against 
 Mr. Wildred, sir," he observed. " Would it 
 be indiscreet to ask whether you've any per- 
 sonal enmity against the gentleman?" 
 
 " I don't like him," I admitted. And then 
 I went on to describe in a few words my haunt- 
 ing impression of having been disagreeably 
 associated with him in the past. 
 
 " I would wish," I added hurriedly, " to keep 
 the name of the lady now in possession of the 
 ring entirely out of the question if 'possible. 
 It must only be brought in, inspector, at the 
 last extremity should no other means remain of 
 detecting a murderer. As for the ring itself, 
 to save trouble in that direction, I think I could 
 if necessary engage to get hold of it, and I am 
 quite ready at any time to swear to its identity 
 
 154
 
 A DISAPPOINTMENT 
 
 with the one worn by my old friend Farn- 
 ham." 
 
 The inspector thoughtfully scratched his 
 head. " It'll be a nasty business to examine 
 Mr. Wildred's house, in case your friend Mr. 
 Farnham should prove to be all right over in 
 the States. But we can't lose any time. 
 What you've told me to-day is very serious, sir, 
 and must be attended to at once. A couple of 
 detectives will call at the House by the Lock 
 with a search-warrant before nightfall. I can 
 assure you of that. Until some definite con- 
 clusion is arrived at, Mr. Stanton, I suppose 
 you would prefer that your name didn't appear 
 in the matter? " 
 
 " I don't care a hang whether it appears or 
 not," I retorted recklessly. Perhaps if I had 
 been a little less reckless but it is never profit- 
 able to dwell on and brood over the mistakes of 
 one's past. 
 
 The inspector assured me that a detective 
 should call that night at the hotel in Great 
 Marlow where I had volunteered to remain, 
 and give me all particulars concerning the ex- 
 
 155
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 animation of the House by the Lock. The 
 appointment made was for eight o'clock, by 
 which time, allowing for obstacles and unfore- 
 seen delays, all was sure to be well over. 
 
 Though the inspector had promised that the 
 New York police should be communicated 
 with, a great restlessness was upon me, and I 
 resolved myself to cable to America. 
 
 It was possible that the St. Paul, the ship in 
 which Farnham had been supposed to sail, was 
 arriving at New York that day, though the 
 chances were, as the weather had been rough, 
 that she would not have made one of her rec- 
 ord trips. However, there could be no harm 
 in wiring, and if the ship had got in all waste 
 of time would be avoided. 
 
 I wrote out a despatch to the office of the 
 American line in New York, to be answered 
 (reply prepaid) the moment the St. Paul got 
 in. In this I enquired whether Mr. Harvey 
 Farnham, of Denver, Colorado, had been 
 among the passengers. And not contenting 
 myself with this I cabled Farnham, both to 
 Denver and New York, and to the manager 
 
 156
 
 A DISAPPOINTMENT 
 
 of the Fifth Avenue Hotel in the latter place, 
 where I had been told that he usually put up. 
 
 The answers to these messages I requested 
 to have sent me at the hotel I had chosen for 
 my headquarters in Great Marlow. 
 
 The hours which must intervene before I 
 could possibly hope for a return I spent at the 
 Wayfarers', and there I heard of Wildred, who 
 had lunched at the club with his friend Wig- 
 ram, and later had been interrupted during a 
 game of billiards by a telegram. He had used 
 some strong language, and hurriedly excusing 
 himself, had left in the midst of the game. 
 
 Things had evidently been put into train 
 early, I told myself with satisfaction, and I 
 concluded that the despatch had either gone out 
 from police headquarters or been sent by that 
 stealthy-faced, invaluable major-domo of 
 Wildred's. 
 
 By half -past five I was in the train again, 
 carrying with me all that I could want for the 
 stay of a day or two in a strange hotel, and 
 before eight o'clock I had dined and was 
 anxiously awaiting the appearance of the 
 
 157
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 detective. I had hardly dared to hope as yet for 
 any answer to my cablegrams, still I was disap- 
 pointed to find upon my advent in Great Mar- 
 low that nothing had arrived. 
 
 Every step along the corridor outside the 
 private sitting-room I had taken made me start 
 like a nervous woman, fancying each time that 
 a knock on my door might follow and the 
 wished-for message be handed in to me. 
 
 I did not believe that I should hear from 
 Farnham, because my conviction was steadily 
 growing that his murdered body lay unidenti- 
 fied in the mortuary not far away. But I did 
 expect to hear from the ship's company to the 
 effect that no such passenger had been on 
 board the St. Paul. Should this intelligence 
 arrive, there would be so great an increase of 
 the circumstantial evidence against Wildred 
 that I believed the police would be justified in 
 making an arrest. Wildred once arrested and 
 obliged to stand his trial for the crime of mur- 
 der, Karine Cunningham would be saved. 
 
 Eight o'clock struck, however, and I was re- 
 luctantly obliged to give up all idea of receiv- 
 
 158
 
 A DISAPPOINTMENT 
 
 ing any news from America for the night. 
 Five minutes later, as I restlessly paced the 
 room, the wished-f or knock sounded, but there 
 was no cablegram to be presented on a tray. A 
 young, fresh- faced man in plain clothing stood 
 there, who I knew before he spoke must be the 
 expected detective. His information might 
 prove of equal importance with the tidings 
 from America, and I received him cordially. 
 
 With his first words, however, my heart went 
 down like lead. It was not that I was eager 
 to see a presumably innocent man proved a 
 murderer for the sake of my own selfish ends, 
 but thoroughly believing Wildred to be a con- 
 summate scoundrel, I was anxious that he 
 should be found out in time to prevent disaster. 
 
 " I think sir," said the young man of the 
 cheerful countenance, " that we've been on a 
 false scent to-day." 
 
 I got him to sit down, and launched him 
 upon the full tide of narrative. 
 
 " Mr. Wildred was away when we first ar- 
 rived at the House by the Lock, sir," he went 
 on. "but we should have made use of our 
 
 159
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 search-warrant without waiting for his return 
 had not the passage and the octagonal room 
 you described, as well as the tower, been shut 
 off from all communication with the older part 
 of the house by a heavy iron door, of which 
 Mr. Wildred invariably carries the key. This 
 his butler explained by saying that the door had 
 been placed on account of his master's chemi- 
 cal experiments, which were sometimes of a 
 slightly dangerous character, unless great pre- 
 cautions were used, and in case of an explosion 
 or other accident the safety of the living-rooms 
 might be assured by means of the iron door. 
 The only way of opening it would have been to 
 employ dynamite, the lock being impregnable; 
 and as the grounds for suspicion against Mr. 
 Wildred were not yet strong enough to resort 
 to such violent means, there was nothing to do 
 but wait. He was wired for to London at 
 
 once." 
 
 "Naturally he would prefer being on the 
 spot," I said, with something like a sneer. "All 
 the same, I am very sure that there is another 
 means of communicating with the octagonal 
 
 160
 
 A DISAPPOINTMENT 
 
 room and the tower besides the main door 
 through the passage." And I mentioned the 
 mysterious disappearance of the servant, which 
 had on Christmas Day led me to believe in the 
 existence of a secret way of exit. 
 
 " We did look about for something of the 
 sort, and even went down a cellar," said the 
 detective, "but saw not the slightest sign to 
 suggest a hidden door." 
 
 " Well, go on then to Mr. Wildred's re- 
 turn," I exclaimed impatiently. " I am anx- 
 ious to learn why it has been decided that I 
 put you on the wrong track." 
 
 "When he came home he admitted very 
 frankly that he had been annoyed at the bother 
 occasioned by our telegram, but appeared by 
 that time to have recovered from his vexation, 
 and to be inclined to laugh the matter off. He 
 let us know in a moment that he guessed how 
 the information had come, but we said nothing, 
 of course, to confirm his suppositions. 
 
 " In the first place he opened the iron door, 
 explained its workings as though he took some 
 pride in its mechanism, which he said he had 
 
 161
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 invented himself. Then he showed us into the 
 octagonal room, which he had had fitted up as 
 a studio and smoking-room combined. The 
 little door you had seen behind the drapery 
 merely led into a cupboard containing boots, 
 an artist's model a jointed figure of wood 
 and other odds and ends. It was concealed 
 only because it was not * an object of beauty/ 
 Mr. Wildred said. 
 
 " We then proceeded to the tower, where the 
 chemical experiments are made. There is a 
 small room, reached by mounting a winding 
 skeleton stairway of iron, and there we were 
 shown Mr. Wildred's apparatus. I know 
 something of chemistry myself, having had a 
 fad that way when I was a boy, and I could see 
 that everything he had was straight and above- 
 board. A big fireplace in the room accounts for 
 the sparks you saw when you approached the 
 house that day, and Mr. Wildred voluntarily 
 mentioned that there had been something 
 wrong with the flues, so that his experiments 
 could not be conducted properly, and he had 
 sent for an expert to come down from London 
 
 162
 
 A DISAPPOINTMENT 
 
 to look at everything. The man had been ex- 
 pected on Christmas Eve, then on Christmas, as 
 Mr. Wildred considered the matter urgent, and 
 finally arrived the day after. Mr. Wildred 
 gave us his address without waiting to be asked 
 to do so. That accounted for one more point 
 in your story, sir the man who was so anx- 
 iously looked for, the man the butler seemed 
 at first to take you to be. 
 
 ; * We then said we had been informed that 
 screams or groans had been heard issuing from 
 his house on Christmas Day. Mr. Wildred 
 laughed, remarking that, judging from what 
 he knew of our informant, he had been waiting 
 for us to come to that point. 
 
 " And he repeated the explanation which 
 had been given you, asking us also if we would 
 care to see the scar (which was not yet quite 
 healed) made by the burning methylated spirit 
 on the cook's foot or ankle. 
 
 ' We thought it best to do as he suggested 
 indeed, if he had not, we should have proposed 
 the same course ourselves, for the sake of mak- 
 ing assurance doubly sure. The cook was sent 
 
 163
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 for, a very handsome young woman, sir, bright 
 and ready with her answers. She described 
 the accident, and whipping off the shoe and 
 stocking from the right foot, showed us a red 
 mark which spread from the ankle down over 
 the whole instep." 
 
 " So the cook was a handsome young woman, 
 was she? " I asked, suspiciously, remembering 
 the face which had peered at me through the 
 narrow window by the door. " Had she great 
 black eyes, a very white face, and a quantity 
 of dark hair?" 
 
 " She had, sir. That would describe her 
 very well. A woman not more than twenty- 
 five or six, and evidently of a superior class." 
 
 I turned this bit of information over in my 
 mind. To be sure, I could not at the moment 
 make anything of it apropos of the case in 
 hand, but afterwards I was to remember it 
 under somewhat startling circumstances. 
 
 " So you see, sir," the detective continued, 
 " every point you made was met, and in our 
 opinion, frankly and sufficiently met. Nothing 
 was found which could possibly justify an 
 
 164.
 
 A DISAPPOINTMENT 
 
 arrest, and unless unfavourable reports are re- 
 ceived from the New York police, the case 
 against Mr. Wildred will have to be dropped. 
 The inspector is having an interview with him 
 to-night, and doubtless some details with which 
 we, in enforcing our search-warrant, had no 
 concern will be satisfactorily cleared up. I 
 mean to say, details relating to the American 
 gentleman, his ring, and his departure for the 
 States. Should we hear from New York that 
 he has not returned, why of course, in spite of 
 appearances at the House by the Lock and 
 failure of circumstantial evidence, suspicion 
 will be renewed again." 
 
 There was absolutely nothing more to be 
 said. Deep as was my chagrin, I held my 
 tongue as to my opinion of the way affairs had 
 been managed, and parted with the young 
 detective with apparent nonchalance. 
 
 Naturally, I slept little during the night, and 
 was awake even before the early knock which 
 sounded at my door. 
 
 " Two cablegrams for you, sir," said the 
 waiter, when I had bidden him come in. 
 
 165
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 A DESPERATE REMEDY 
 
 I TOOK the envelopes from the man and told 
 him he might go. Now for it! I thought. 
 Now to see whether the edifice I had builded 
 had but a foundation of sand, or whether Wil- 
 dred had merely been clever enough to pull 
 wool over the eyes of the police. 
 
 My heart was thumping with excitement as 
 I opened the first envelope. 
 
 ff St. Paul in to-night. First-class passenger 
 on board named Harvey Farnham." 
 
 I laid the bit of paper down dazedly and 
 took up the other. It was from the manager 
 of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in New York. 
 " Mr. Farnham telegraphed to keep room for 
 him. Is spending day or two with friends." 
 
 I did not know what to think. It all sounded 
 straightforward enough, and it was not credi- 
 ble that either the official in the office of the 
 
 166
 
 A DESPERATE REMEDY 
 
 American liners, or the manager of an hotel, 
 could be in collusion with Carson Wildred. 
 Still, I was far from being satisfied. 
 
 For the moment I had done all that I could 
 do. If Farnham was stopping with a friend, 
 whose address was unknown to me, I could not 
 at present expect to receive an answer either to 
 my New York or Denver cable. In a day or 
 two the police would hear something from the 
 other side, and meanwhile I must possess my 
 soul in patience. 
 
 This was a thing easier said than done, es- 
 pecially as, when aimlessly glancing at a weekl y 
 paper in the club next day, I came across a 
 paragraph which gushed in the conventionally 
 nauseous manner over the forthcoming mar- 
 riage of the beautiful young heiress, Miss 
 Karine Cunningham, and Mr. Carson Wil- 
 dred, the " well-known millionaire and popular 
 man of Society." 
 
 Days never dragged as they did with me 
 until I received the promised intimation from 
 my friend the inspector that tidings had ar- 
 rived from the police in New York. It was 
 
 167
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 all right, so far as my friend was concerned, 
 and I need have no further fears regarding his 
 safety. The body found in the Thames was 
 certainly not that of Mr. Harvey Farnham, 
 as he was in New York, and had actually been 
 interviewed there. He had been very ill in 
 crossing, and had had the misfortune to fall 
 down the companionway on shipboard, in a 
 heavy gale, spraining his ankle. He would 
 not be able to resume his journey and proceed 
 to Denver for some time to come, but had 
 laughed at the idea of any foul play. When 
 questioned on the subject of the ring, he said 
 that he had given it to his friend, Mr. Wildred, 
 at parting, and jokingly added that he had 
 experienced great difficulty in getting it 
 off. 
 
 In these circumstances, as there could be no 
 further doubt of Mr. Farnham's living pres- 
 ence in New York, no possible shadow of sus- 
 picion need any longer rest upon Mr. Carson 
 Wildred, who had throughout done all in his 
 power to further the investigations. The 
 search for the man from the camp near the 
 
 168
 
 A DESPERATE REMEDY 
 
 backwater would therefore be carried on upon 
 the same lines as before. 
 
 A hot sense of injustice burned within me. 
 I had been thwarted on every side, not, I be- 
 lieved, by the revelation of truth, but by 
 Carson Wildred's superior cunning. He had 
 boasted to me that, in the role of villain, 
 he would have been more successful than 
 I; and I was quite ready to agree with 
 this statement. All things seemed against me, 
 and yet something which I took to be instinct 
 cried aloud that my dream had not deceived. 
 I could not understand how it was that the 
 New York police had been made to believe in 
 the identity of a man falsely representing him- 
 self to be Harvey Farnham, yet I was con- 
 vinced that in some devilish way even they had 
 been cozened. No other man living, perhaps, 
 could have undertaken so huge a scheme, with 
 so many different strings to pull at one and 
 the same time, and successfully carry it 
 through, save Carson Wildred. But Carson 
 Wildred had attempted it, I concluded, and 
 having gone so far, there was every reason to 
 
 169
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 suppose he would triumph if I who alone of 
 all men seemed personally interested did not 
 set myself to the finding of a new method for 
 blocking his game. 
 
 I could, I thought, understand what his 
 motive for so foul a murder might have been. 
 He had just purchased a valuable gold mine 
 from Farnham. Should Farnham be made to 
 vanish without fear of suspicion falling upon 
 Wildred, the latter might not only be the owner 
 of the mine, but repossess himself of the pur- 
 chase-money, which must have comprised a 
 very large sum. 
 
 There was no further hope from the police. 
 They had done their duty, had satisfied them- 
 selves on every point, and it would have been 
 unjust to expect that they should continue to 
 exert themselves in favouring my apparently 
 wild view of the situation. 
 
 In the midst of the cogitations which fol- 
 low /ed upon the receipt of the inspector's letter 
 another cablegram was handed in to me. This 
 time it purported to be from Farnham himself, 
 merely saying, "Many thanks for kind en- 
 
 170
 
 A DESPERATE REMEDY 
 
 quiries. Have turned up here smiling, but too 
 seedy to write at present. Glad to hear from 
 you. Fifth Avenue Hotel." 
 
 One more blow aimed at my theory! But I 
 refused to be knocked down by it. For 
 Karine's sake, for my own sake, I would fol- 
 low my convictions across the sea, and never 
 rest until I had settled all doubts for myself. 
 
 It was then Friday. In five minutes after 
 reading this third and apparently conclusive 
 cablegram I had resolved that on the following 
 day, Saturday, I would sail for New York. 
 
 It was only by a severe mental wrench that I 
 arrived at this almost desperate decision, for I 
 stood between two fires, either one of which 
 might reduce my hopes to ashes. 
 
 Going to America meant leaving Karine 
 Cunningham, at this critical juncture, to the 
 mercy of the enemy. I had offered her friend- 
 ship, and such protection as I could give, 
 against those who were bent on forcing her 
 inclinations ; and with a look in her sweet eyes, 
 and a soft quiver in her voice which I could 
 never forget, she had asked me "not to go 
 
 171
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 away." If I went, and any harm should come 
 to her during my absence, I could never for- 
 give myself, never again know a moment's 
 peace of mind. And yet if I stayed, what 
 was there to hope for either of us? I had shot 
 all my arrows, and they had glanced off, 
 blunted, from Wildred's apparently invulner- 
 able armour. I had lost the chance of gaming 
 assistance from the police, so far as I could 
 see, and unless some miracle should suddenly 
 come to pass, I should be obliged to stand by 
 while Karine Cunningham gave her unwilling 
 self to Wildred. 
 
 Whatever her secret reason for consenting 
 to do so might be, she had plainly let me un- 
 derstand that she meant to marry the man, un- 
 less Fate especially intervened in her behalf. 
 
 There was no hope that she would let me 
 save her by carrying her away. I had not 
 even the slightest reason to suppose that she 
 cared for me, save as a friend, in the midst of 
 what otherwise she had said would be f riend- 
 lessness. 
 
 My hands were bound, therefore, so long as 
 172
 
 A DESPERATE REMEDY 
 
 Carson Wildred was able to hold up his guilty 
 head before the world, and pass himself off as 
 a blameless member of society. 
 
 Between the horns of this dilemma and 
 heaven knows they were both sharp enough 
 I could only choose the one on which Karine 
 and I seemed less likely to be torn ; and there- 
 fore it was that I elected to go to America. 
 
 I did not feel that I could bear to leave with- 
 out a word to her. How could I tell in what 
 light my absence might be made to appear? 
 From the vague hints she had dropped as to 
 her relations with Sir Walter and Lady Tres- 
 sidy, I hardly considered that it would be safe 
 to write to her. Such a letter as I must send, 
 should I write at all, if read by eyes for which 
 it was not intended, might bring Karine into 
 serious trouble. It was true that Lady Tres- 
 sidy had appeared to be inclined towards 
 friendliness with me, but she had then no sus- 
 picions of my attitude to Karine. 
 
 I would go down into the country and call 
 upon Lady Tressidy and Miss Cunningham, I 
 resolved ; and if I had no opportunity of speak- 
 
 173
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 ing with my beautiful girl in private, I would 
 contrive to slip into her own hand a note pre- 
 viously prepared. 
 
 My decisions, when made, are usually soon 
 acted upon. Within a couple of hours after 
 receiving the inspector's letter and the message 
 from New York my passage was engaged for 
 the following day. A curious mood was upon 
 me as I began my preparations. Hardly more 
 than a fortnight ago I had been congratulat- 
 ing myself on the prospect of a considerable 
 stay in London. My ideal existence had for 
 the moment been an utterly aimless one. I 
 was sated with excitement and what is popu- 
 larly called " adventure," and had only wanted 
 to rest and amuse myself. I had meant to be 
 a man about town until I should again tire of 
 the life, drifting agreeably here and there, tak- 
 ing pleasure as it came, troubling myself little 
 either about other people's affairs or my 
 own. 
 
 And this was the result of my plan. There 
 seemed a certain unreality about it all. I felt 
 like the puppet of circumstances, or one who 
 
 174.
 
 A DESPERATE REMEDY 
 
 moved through strange mazes, half conscious 
 that he merely dreams. 
 
 By two o'clock everything was arranged for 
 my departure on Saturday, and I was at 
 Waterloo, taking my ticket for Haslemere, 
 which was the station nearest to Sir Walter 
 Tressidy's country place. 
 
 175
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 " NOT AT HOME " 
 
 I HAD a long, dreary drive after leaving the 
 train, though in other circumstances I might 
 have been charmed with the loveliness of one 
 of England's fairest counties. As it was I 
 merely chafed at the endless hill, up which the 
 horse slowly plodded, half inclined to think that 
 after all I should have done better to trust to 
 my own feet or come on a bicycle from town. 
 
 The curtain of twilight was falling by the 
 time my fly entered the long avenue that led to 
 the house. Here and there lights shone out 
 from the windows, and as the vehicle drew up 
 before the door I caught a glimpse of some- 
 thing which set my heart throbbing. 
 
 It was only a ruddy gleam of firelight on a 
 golden head, which shone for an instant in the 
 warm light like burnished copper; only a rosy 
 glow on a girl's white dress, a shimmer seen be- 
 
 176
 
 "NOT AT HOME" 
 
 tween the parted folds of dark, rich window 
 drapings. 
 
 For a second, no more, the vision was 
 granted me. A tall, slender form rose from 
 its kneeling position before the fire, and in so 
 moving passed beyond my line of sight. But 
 my pulses leaped, and I rejoiced in the good 
 fortune which had brought me at an hour when 
 Karine was not absent. 
 
 I stepped quickly from the cab and would 
 have given much for the right of a greater in- 
 timacy a right to go to the window and 
 knock, begging the girl I loved to let me in, 
 to grant me the heaven of ten minutes alone 
 with her, before the necessities of convention 
 called upon me to ask for Lady Tressidy. 
 
 I imagined what it would be to have this 
 right; I pictured myself tapping at the panes 
 of the long French window, I saw the dainty 
 girlish form coming toward me, the start of 
 surprise, the flush which I might read as I 
 would, the raising of the latch, and the two 
 warm little hands held out to me in welcome. 
 
 But it was all a dream, vanishing as quickly 
 177
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 as the rainbow colours in a bubble, and leaving 
 only the darkness of the dull winter twilight 
 behind. Such privileges were for a happier 
 man than I : I was at best only her " friend." 
 Never could I hope, whether success or failure 
 crowned the effort I was impatient to begin 
 for more than that. 
 
 Instead I walked soberly up to the door and 
 knocked, telling the cabman that he might 
 wait and wishing that he might have to wait 
 for long. 
 
 Presently in answer to my summons a foot- 
 man appeared (a fellow I remembered to have 
 seen at the town house when I had called) , and 
 it struck me that, as I enquired if Lady Tres- 
 sidy was at home, he eyed me more piercingly 
 than a well-trained servant usually; eyes a 
 guest. 
 
 " I am sorry, sir," he answered with a slight 
 hesitation, " that her ladyship is out at present. 
 What name shall I say when she returns?" 
 
 " Mr. Stanton," I unsuspectingly replied, 
 though it did dimly occur to me that the man 
 might have left me to give him my card. It 
 
 178
 
 seemed almost too good to be true that Lady; 
 Tressidy should be away from home, for now I 
 felt practically certain that I should have the 
 unexpected joy of seeing Karine alone, speak- 
 ing to her far more unrestrainedly than I could 
 do in the presence of her hostess, and explain- 
 ing in a way satisfactory to us both, mjr in- 
 tended absence. 
 
 " I am sorry," I hypocritically remarked, 
 " not to see Lady Tressidy ; but I have come 
 some distance, and perhaps Miss Cunningham 
 would spare me a few minutes." 
 
 " I I am afraid, sir " still stammering 
 uncomfortably "that Miss Cunningham is 
 away with her ladyship." 
 
 I was astonished at this piece of informa- 
 tion, for I was absolutely sure that it was 
 Karine whose shining halo of hair and white 
 gown I had seen in that rosy space between the 
 window curtains. Of course the footman 
 might honestly believe that she was not at 
 home; but I did not mean lightly to abandon 
 the chance of a few words with her. 
 
 " I think you are mistaken about that," I 
 179
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 boldly said. "Please be good enough at any 
 rate to enquire." 
 
 The fellow's face reddened, contrasting un- 
 pleasantly with his powder, but he persisted in 
 his story. 
 
 " I am quite sure I am right, sir," he went 
 on more firmly. " Miss Cunningham is with 
 my lady." 
 
 My impulse was to slip a couple of sover- 
 eigns into his palm, and insist that he should 
 ascertain if Miss Cunningham were not after 
 all at home, for I was beginning to be sus- 
 picious of a plot to thwart me. If such an one 
 existed I could not think that Karine had been 
 a party to it, for though of course she could 
 not care to see me, in at all the same way in 
 which I yearned for a sight of her sweet face, 
 I believed that she would not wish me to be 
 sent away from the house humiliated. My 
 hand was moving toward my pocket, when sud- 
 denly I reconsidered. If I took such strong 
 measures to secure a Ute-d-tete with Karine, it 
 might appear that we were in collusion, and 
 trouble thus be made for her with Lady Tres- 
 
 180
 
 sidy and Sir Walter. I could not risk causing 
 her uneasiness, especially as I was going far 
 away; and with a pang I saw that I was in a 
 trap. 
 
 There might be one way out, however, and I 
 took it. 
 
 " I will wait," I announced, " until the ladies 
 return. Or possibly Sir Walter " 
 
 " Sir Walter won't be here for a day or 
 two," promptly responded the man. 
 
 So thoroughly miserable did he look, though 
 his manner gained confidence, that I thought 
 he must still be new to a service which must 
 foster a certain amount of conventional deceit. 
 
 " As for the ladies, sir, unfortunately they 
 are not expected back this evening until until 
 the last train too late, as you can understand, 
 sir, to receive any visitors, as at all events they 
 can't reach the house until after eleven." 
 
 I bit my lip with futile indignation against 
 Lady Tressidy, and against Fate never 
 against Karine. It was evident that the foot- 
 man had received the most stringent orders as 
 to what he must do in case of so undesirable an 
 
 181
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 emergency as a visit from Mr. Noel Stanton. 
 He had probably been asked if he was certain 
 of being able to recognise me again, had 
 answered that he believed he would be so, but 
 on suddenly being called upon to face the re- 
 sponsibility, had made his little bid for ascer- 
 taining my name as early as possible in the 
 game, by way of rendering assurance doubly 
 sure. 
 
 Of course the dutiful servant was not really 
 to blame for following out his instructions to 
 the letter, yet I felt that I hated his smug face 
 and plastered head, and would have liked to 
 frighten him wfth menaces and strange foreign 
 oaths. 
 
 I dared not give him the note which I had 
 written, meaning if necessary to slip it into 
 Karine's own hand unseen, for it might easily 
 be that, despite any bribe I offered, it would 
 never reach the dear eyes for which it was in- 
 tended. 
 
 " I will write a line on my card, then, to be 
 handed to the ladies, whom I regret not having 
 seen," I said with what dignity I had at my 
 
 182
 
 "NOT AT HOME" 
 
 command. And stepping past him into the 
 hall, despite a visible gleam of consternation in 
 his eye, I deliberately took out a pencil and 
 card-case, slowly scribbling a few words. 
 
 My hope was that if Karine was really in the 
 drawing-room she would some forth, and the 
 Gordian knot of the dilemma would be cut. 
 
 But having mentioned my imminent depar- 
 ture from England on private and urgent busi- 
 ness, and added that, though I had been 
 anxious to see Lady Tressidy and Miss Cun- 
 ningham for the sake of bidding good-bye, it 
 would be, more strictly speaking, only au 
 revoir, as I intended returning within the next 
 four weeks, I could think of nothing more to 
 say. And still the drawing-room door, near 
 which I was standing, was not opened. 
 
 I should have been glad to underscore the 
 last six words, but did not venture to do so for 
 obvious reasons, and could only hope that 
 Karine might see them or hear them read, and 
 partly understand. 
 
 I conspicuously placed a sovereign on the 
 card as I gave it to the footman, remarking 
 
 183
 
 "NOT AT HOME" 
 
 quietly that I would wish the latter to be de- 
 livered in the presence of both ladies if possi- 
 ble. Then I seemed to have come to the end 
 of my resources, until a desperate idea seized 
 me. 
 
 Had I not been virtually certain that Karine 
 was to be kept from seeing me, without her 
 own consent to such an arrangement, naturally 
 I would have accepted my conge with a good 
 grace, and gone away, a wiser as well as a sad- 
 der man; but as it was, and considering the 
 importance for her future as well as my own, 
 of a hasty explanation between us, I was ready 
 to snatch at almost any expedient, not prejudi- 
 cial to her, of obtaining a word with Karine 
 Cunningham. 
 
 I turned from the door and got into the cab, 
 which the footman politely opened for me as if 
 only too glad to speed the parting guest. The 
 direction, " to the station," was given, the 
 gravel crunched under the wheels and horse's 
 hoofs, the door at which I had been received so 
 inhospitably shut me out of paradise, and no 
 doubt the servant triumphantly watched me 
 
 184
 
 "NOT AT HOME" 
 
 drive off. Half-way down the avenue, how- 
 ever, I thrust my stick from the window of 
 the rattle-trap vehicle and stopped the coach- 
 man. 
 
 " I have forgotten something," I curtly said. 
 " You needn't go back; wait here, and I'll re- 
 turn again in a few moments." 
 
 The fly was standing just out of sight from 
 the house, and rapidly leaving it behind me I 
 strode over the frozen grass of the lawn, taking 
 a shorter cut than the avenue would have 
 been. 
 
 In considerably less than five minutes I had 
 once more arrived in front of the window 
 through which I was as positive as ever I had 
 seen Karine. Only a short time ago I had 
 dreamed of doing such a thing as this as a 
 delicious impossibility, only belonging to a 
 world of romance which I could never enter. 
 But here I was actually bent on the accom- 
 plishment of the deed. 
 
 The falling darkness had protected me, I 
 felt confident, from being seen by anybody in 
 the house as I crossed the lawn, and I ap- 
 
 185
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 preached with boldness, which only left me as 
 I reached the window. 
 
 The curtain hung apart as before, and I 
 could see the fireplace with the lights and 
 shadows travelling fantastically along the 
 polished floor and wall. The white irradiated 
 figure was no longer visible, but undiscouraged 
 by this fact I gently tapped, trusting that 
 Karine might be in another part of the room 
 to which my eyes could not reach. 
 
 If she were there my knock would startle 
 her perhaps, and she would draw near in 
 curiosity to see what had made the slight sus- 
 picious noise; then I could make my presence 
 known, leaving apologies till later, and after- 
 ward well, afterward the rest must depend 
 upon her. 
 
 But I knocked once, twice, thrice, each time 
 a little louder, a little more insistently than be- 
 fore, and there was no response, no sound, no 
 movement. After all I was thwarted, and had 
 but one comfort in the midst of gloom I had 
 not been easily repulsed, I had done what I 
 could, and need not feel, when I was far away, 
 
 186
 
 "NOT AT HOME" 
 
 that I had let myself be outwitted, outgen- 
 eralled, without an effort to resist. 
 
 Fate had decided that I must go to America 
 without a word, without a look into Karine 
 Cunningham's eyes ; and drearily returning to 
 my waiting cab I commenced once more the 
 tedious drive to the station. 
 
 Never had I felt more utterly disheartened ; 
 for, after all, I could not be quite sure that 
 Karine had not acquiesced in the order to ex- 
 clude me from the house. It seemed that she 
 must have heard my voice in the hall, that if 
 she had chosen she might easily have contrived 
 some means of seeing me while I was briskly 
 taxing my ingenuity to reach her. I guessed 
 at Wildred's powerful influence in the affair, 
 and was ready to fancy others ; but, as I was to 
 learn long afterward, I brought forward every 
 reason for Karine's mysterious inertness save 
 the right one. 
 
 187
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 IT was a piercingly cold day when I landed 
 in New York such cold as I had not felt since 
 I had finished my last American visit, four 
 years ago. 
 
 Everyone else among the many first-class 
 passengers seemed to have some welcoming 
 friend to greet him on shore save only myself. 
 I would not let myself acknowledge that I felt 
 discouragement, but a certain gloomy sense of 
 the hopelessness of my undertaking would 
 obtrude itself, as I rattled over the badly-paved 
 streets of New York in the chill seclusion of 
 my cab. 
 
 I had myself driven straight to the Fifth 
 Avenue Hotel, which was becoming almost an 
 old-fashioned hostelry now among its many 
 tall new rivals of incredibly many storeys in 
 height, and walking up to the " office " pre- 
 pared my most affable manner, to win the con- 
 fidence of the smart " clerk " or book-keeper. 
 
 188
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 " Good-day," I began agreeably, wishing 
 that in former visits to New York I had 
 stopped at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, so that 
 now, for my quest's sake, I should be accorded 
 the welcome of an old friend. 
 
 " Good-day," was the brisk reply. " You 
 want a room?" 
 
 " I should like first to enquire if Mr. Harvey 
 Farnham, of Denver, Colorado, is stopping 
 here," I said. " My principal object in choos- 
 ing this hotel was to meet him, but if " 
 
 " Gone three days ago," broke in the gentle- 
 man with the waxed moustache, who evidently 
 did not wish to waste time on a traveller more 
 inclined to parley than to patronise the 
 house. 
 
 This was the first setback I had experienced 
 on American shores, but so many had been my 
 portion on the other side of the Atlantic that 
 I had had time to grow accustomed to them. 
 I had prepared my mind for as numerous re- 
 buffs here, yet in spite of that I felt the bitter- 
 ness of disappointment settling bleakly down 
 upon me. Already I had been given a sign 
 
 189
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 that Wildred's cleverness had projected itself 
 across the width of ocean. 
 
 " Ah, indeed, I'm sorry to hear that he has 
 left. Is he with friends in town, or has he 
 gone to Denver? " I questioned, with as bland 
 an air as I could well command. 
 
 " Can't tell you whether he's gone to Denver, 
 I'm sure, sir. But I think it's almost certain 
 he's not in town, and somehow or other I've got 
 the impression that he mentioned he was going 
 west." 
 
 " I suppose his health improved more rapidly 
 than he expected, then," I went on. " I under- 
 stood before crossing that his accident on ship- 
 board had laid him up for awhile, and that it 
 would be some time before he felt fit to under- 
 take the journey home." 
 
 " He did seem rather seedy," vouchsafed the 
 clerk. " But he was pretty well able to take 
 care of himself. Shall I put you down for a 
 room?" 
 
 "Yes," I answered indifferently. "I sup- 
 pose you may as well for one night." 
 
 It was already late in the afternoon, and I 
 190
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 had certain investigations to make before I re- 
 newed my interrupted journey in the direction 
 Harvey Farnham was believed to have taken 
 going toward the setting sun. 
 
 I knew well enough that I was seriously 
 handicapped as a detective by my complete 
 amateurishness, and possibly a little by my own 
 keen personal anxiety, which did not tend to 
 cool my head or my pulses when coolness was 
 needed; but though I would fain have had ad- 
 vice from some clever professional expert, the 
 reports of the New York police had certainly 
 not been such as would encourage me to seek 
 assistance from the force. It appeared to me 
 that I must " dree my weird " alone. 
 
 In the handsome, typically American room 
 that was allotted to me I sat down to map out 
 my future course, as well as I could see it. 
 
 Either the brisk-mannered young " clerk " 
 had shown a slight reserve in answering my 
 eager questions regarding Harvey Farnham, 
 or I had been morbidly sensitive enough to 
 fancy it in his face and way of speaking. 
 Doubtless, when the police had been acting in 
 
 191
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 the affair under advices from London, he had 
 been subjected to a previous catechism concern- 
 ing the western millionaire's movements, and 
 if that were the case it was only natural he 
 should be cautiously inclined. But once I 
 could win his confidence and thoroughly con- 
 vince him that I had no connection whatever 
 with the police, I ventured to hope there might 
 yet be a chance of learning at least a little more 
 from him than I had been able to glean. 
 
 Perhaps it was something in the nature of a 
 sop to Cerberus that I should have asked for 
 one of the best rooms in the house; and then, 
 beside, rny name written in the visitors' book 
 (or "hotel register," as it is the fashion to call 
 it in the States) evidently had some meaning 
 for the young man round whom my hopes cen- 
 tred, for his manner had decidedly changed for 
 the better when I visited him again after 
 dinner. 
 
 He was not particularly busy at the moment, 
 and appeared in the humour for conversation, 
 asking me of his own free will if it were possi- 
 ble that I was " Noel Stanton, the traveller." 
 
 192
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 I did not deny this impeachment, and, more- 
 over, showed myself willing to be " drawn " on 
 the subject of my explorations. I even went 
 so far as to relate an adventure at some length 
 (a thing I am thankful to say I have never 
 been guilty of before or since), told an anec- 
 dote which made the young man laugh, and 
 flattered him to the best of my ability, by ask- 
 ing his opinion about an American political 
 crisis of the day. Then, by gradual steps, I 
 led the talk toward the great West in general, 
 Colorado silver mines in particular, and so at 
 last reached the subject of Harvey Farnham, 
 one of the most prominent of the financiers of 
 that State. 
 
 " I was much disappointed, I confess, at not 
 finding him here," I remarked, " and shall on 
 his account cut short my visit to New York. 
 Farnham and I have known each other for 
 some years; and, by the way, I remember his 
 saying that in his opinion this was the best- 
 managed hotel in New York. I believe he 
 usually stops here when in town, doesn't he? " 
 
 " So it seems, sir," answered the clerk, very 
 193
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 civilly now, having decided to be patient with 
 my humour. " However, I had never seen him 
 until he turned up the other day. I haven't 
 been in my present position very long.'* 
 
 " I suppose you did see him though? " I per- 
 severed. " How was he looking after his ac- 
 cident seedy at all? " 
 
 " He was very thin, if you mean that," 
 laughed my informant. " He limped about 
 with a crutch, too, and as he had bumped his 
 forehead in the same fall which sprained his 
 ankle, he wore a green shade that covered 
 his temples and his eyes." I grew attentive at 
 this. It appeared to me that here was a point 
 in my favour. 
 
 " I should like to have a talk with one of his 
 old friends in the hotel," I said ; " the manager, 
 for instance. No doubt he knows Mr. Farn- 
 ham very well." 
 
 " He does, but he's out of town on business 
 for a day or two. I think you'll find, though, 
 that our bartender and Mr. Farnham were 
 about as chummy together as anyone in the 
 house." 
 
 194
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 Apparently at my leisure, really with great 
 impatience, I repaired to the extremely hand- 
 some " barroom " of the Fifth Avenue Ho- 
 tel, and here the oracle was very communi- 
 cative. 
 
 Having mixed me a peculiarly American 
 drink called " gin fizz," the bartender was will- 
 ing to chat of Mr. Farnham. 
 
 " I guess he must have been pretty bad this 
 last time," he said, in response to my first 
 question, " for he didn't trouble the barroom 
 much." 
 
 "He did come in, however, did he not?" I 
 asked anxiously. 
 
 " Oh, yes, he came in once or twice, but I 
 thought he acted rather grumpy and queer." 
 
 " Did you have a good look at him either 
 time?" I pressed on, with eagerness. 
 
 " Pretty good. Almost as close as you are 
 now, I guess." 
 
 " And did he appear the same as usual, with 
 the exception of the green shade over his 
 
 eyes? 
 
 Well, I reckon he did. I was kind of busy 
 195
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 both times, and I don't know as I took much 
 notice." 
 
 " Still "and I called up a laugh" you'd 
 have known whether it really was Mr. Farn- 
 ham, or a stranger passing himself off in his 
 place?" 
 
 The bartender stared at me for an instant, 
 and, had he spoken his inmost thoughts, prob- 
 ably they might have been appropriately ex- 
 pressed in the slang phrase, " Ah, what are you 
 givin' me?" "Well, it might have been his 
 grandfather's ghost, I daresay," he faceti- 
 ously remarked at length, " but, anyhow, there 
 seemed to be a strong resemblance between 
 Harvey Farnham and him." 
 
 I set down my glass untouched. A cold 
 conviction was growing within me that I had 
 been mistaken; that, villain as Carson Wildred 
 was, he had not, after all, been guilty of the 
 one great crime which I had attributed to him. 
 It seemed almost impossible that this keen- 
 eyed man, accustomed to Farnham's comings 
 and goings for several years, could have mis- 
 taken another for him. 
 
 196
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 Next morning when I had put together the 
 few things that I had had occasion to unpack, 
 and was " tipping " the pretty chambermaid 
 who " chanced " to come to my door as I was 
 departing, a sudden inspiration seized me, and 
 I called the young woman back again as she 
 was disappearing. 
 
 "By the way," I said, " did you happen to 
 attend a Mr. Harvey Farnham, who was here a 
 few days ago, and who has often stopped in 
 the hotel." 
 
 " Oh, yes, sir," she answered, " I know him 
 quite well, and a very pleasant, generous gen- 
 tleman he is or rather " (and her face changed 
 at some recollection), "or rather was." 
 
 I caught her up eagerly. " Was? J ' I echoed. 
 ' Wasn't he the same as usual this last time? " 
 
 " No, that he wasn't, sir. I thought to my- 
 self, thinks I, * Mr. Farnham must have been 
 disappointed in love or something,' he was so 
 grumpy and dull. Always before when he 
 came he had a good word for me, * How do you 
 do, Ginnie? ' or a smile and a nod, but now he 
 went by me without a sign, for all the world as 
 
 197
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 if he'd never seen me before, though I've been 
 here since I was seventeen ; that's six years ago. 
 When I spoke to him first, why he looked up 
 and answered in a mumbling way, never even 
 saying my name. But then, poor gentleman, 
 I suppose he was too sick to think of anybody 
 except himself." 
 
 "Did he look strangely?" I went on to 
 question. 
 
 " Oh, I don't know about that, sir, except for 
 the green shade he had to wear over his eyes ; I 
 suppose his face was much the same. Only I 
 didn't get many chances to see it, and all his 
 jolly ways and smiles were gone, so that made 
 a difference. I was so glad when I saw his 
 baggage coming up, for there's never been a 
 gentleman so popular with us girls as Mr. 
 Farnham; but except for his giving me some- 
 thing when he went away, he might almost as 
 well not have been in the hotel." 
 
 ;< Would you have recognised his voice," I 
 asked, " if you had not seen him? " 
 
 " I would when he was well and like himself, 
 sir, in a minute, but not this time, because of 
 
 198
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 the bad cold he'd got on the voyage, which he 
 said was the worst he'd ever had. He did 
 nothing but cough and wheeze, and could only 
 speak in a hoarse sort of whisper." 
 
 These details were all I could extract from 
 " Ginnie" the chambermaid; but before I left 
 the hotel it occurred to me to examine the visi- 
 tors' book for Farnham's name, wishing to look 
 at the handwriting which, if his, I felt sure I 
 could not fail to recognise. As I searched the 
 pages vainly I thought with some compunction 
 of Farnham himself, remembering how I had 
 hardly known, on the evening of our unex- 
 pected meeting in London, whether or not to 
 be genuinely pleased to see him. I had feared 
 to have too much of his society during the few 
 hours at the St. James's Theatre; yet ever 
 since, by a strange irony of fate, I had been 
 doomed to pursue him, to think of little that 
 was not in some way or other connected with 
 Harvey Farnham and his affairs. 
 
 Evidently he had not considered it worth his 
 while to write in the visitors' book on this occa- 
 sion, though I found that he had scrawled his 
 
 199
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 name when staying in the hotel some months 
 before. This counted for nothing definite, of 
 course; and as for the taciturnity of which 
 the chambermaid complained, the ailments 
 from which my poor friend was reported to 
 have been suffering were quite enough to ac- 
 count for that. Still, through her words and 
 those of the man in the bar, I had gained my 
 only real evidence if evidence it might be 
 called and as such I treasured the scanty 
 information. 
 
 Having by dint of some exertion found the 
 cabman who had driven Farnham from the 
 hotel to the railway depot, I made sure that his 
 luggage had been " checked " to Denver, and 
 so set forth again with a feeling that I had 
 something to go upon. 
 
 Never had a journey seemed to me so end- 
 less. After Chicago the interminable plains 
 got upon my nerves, and I looked out eagerly 
 for the first range of the snow-clad Rockies. 
 
 The trip had taken the best part of three 
 days, and it was early morning when I arrived 
 in busy Denver, where the dry cold wind and 
 
 200
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 the whirring shrieks of electric trams made me 
 feel that I had left the place but yesterday. 
 Much was changed, and many more tall, hand- 
 some blocks of pink stone had been erected dur- 
 ing my four years' absence ; still I easily found 
 my way to the building where Harvey Farn- 
 ham had offices. 
 
 It was just past breakfast time, but the 
 business world of Denver, Colorado, and the 
 " great West " is astir at an hour which would 
 appear unusual in England. I asked for Mr. 
 Farnham, and was told by a young clerk that 
 he had returned to Denver three or four days 
 previously. He had not been at the offices, as 
 he was somewhat unwell as yet, but if I chose 
 I could see Mr. Bennett, who would tell me 
 when he might be expected. 
 
 I remembered Bennett, now that I was re- 
 minded of his existence, as an energetic young 
 fellow high in Farnham's confidence, who 
 probably knew as much about the mining and 
 other financial interests as did his employer. I 
 said therefore that I would see Mr. Bennett 
 by all means. 
 
 201
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 He came in to me briskly in a few moments, 
 surprised, and, he said, delighted to meet me 
 again. Yes, it was quite true that Mr. Farn- 
 ham had returned, but was as yet unable to be 
 troubled by business affairs. 
 
 This settled the matter, then, I assured my- 
 self. There was nothing left for me to do but 
 rejoice in Farnham's safety, curse my own 
 idiocy for harbouring fantastic suspicions, 
 despite all evidence which should long ago have 
 overthrown them, and proceed to retrace my 
 six thousand mile journey across the continent 
 and the Atlantic. 
 
 I should at all events have the satisfaction, 
 I bitterly reflected, that I had done my best to 
 serve Karine's interests and my own, and I 
 should arrive in England in plenty of time to 
 see her married to the man I had vainly at- 
 tempted to prove a murderer. 
 
 I became for the first moment conscious that 
 I was desperately weary, that I had eaten little 
 during the past few days, and slept less. I 
 had not troubled myself to breakfast that 
 morning devouring food had seemed so ut- 
 
 202
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 terly irrelevant and now for an instant, as 
 Mr. Bennett's words rang in my ears, a curious 
 sudden dizziness overpowered me. I felt sick 
 and faint, and realised that life was a failure, 
 with nothing worth living for in future, since 
 Karine Cunningham would soon be Karine 
 Wildred. 
 
 " You look ill, Mr. Stanton," remarked Ben- 
 nett. " I guess you've had a tiresome journey. 
 I know what a bad run that is between Chicago 
 and Denver." 
 
 A nasty run, indeed I But it would be much 
 worse going back again, leaving the house of 
 cards, which I had come so far to see, lying in 
 ruins behind me. Still, I continued to beat 
 into my brains the fact that I rejoiced in poor 
 old Farnham's safety. 
 
 " I believe I am a bit knocked out," I said, 
 " though I ought to be able to stand a trifle 
 like that and think nothing of it. I should 
 be glad to see Mr. Farnham. I suppose such 
 an old friend as I might venture to call in on 
 him, even though he isn't feeling as fit as I 
 should like to think him. If he's not likely to 
 
 203
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 turn up here presently I might drive to the 
 house, and he'd give me breakfast, I daresay." 
 
 I saw before I had finished my second sen- 
 tence that Bennett was slightly disturbed. He 
 flushed to the roots of his flaxen hair, and his 
 face wore an expression which betrayed a sup- 
 pressed desire to whistle. 
 
 ' You can bet he would give you breakfast, 
 or anything else he had, Mr. Stanton," the 
 trusted man of business said heartily, yet with 
 a certain irresolution. " But the fact is, he 
 ain't at the house this morning. He's gone 
 away again." 
 
 " I thought he was unwell," I interpolated, 
 in surprise. 
 
 ' That's so. He's a sick man, not hardly fit 
 to be about, but for all that he's off. He ought 
 to be back again in well, in a few days, how- 
 ever." 
 
 " A few days ! " I echoed. 
 
 " More or less. By George ! he will be mad 
 when he knows he's kept you waiting. For, of 
 course, you will wait, won't you, Mr. Stan- 
 ton? " 
 
 204
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 " I should certainly like to see him before 
 I go back to the East," I said; and I spoke no 
 more than the truth, for, putting my cordial 
 feeling for Farnham out of the question, it 
 might be that valuable information concerning 
 Wildred's past could be wrested from him with 
 due diplomacy. " Still, I hardly feel like 
 hanging about Denver for an indefinite length 
 of time, doing nothing. I shouldn't mind a 
 little journey, as I've come so far. If he's at 
 any of the Colorado mines, perhaps I might 
 run out and join him; I've been there with him 
 before, you may remember." 
 
 " You might indeed, sir," returned Ben- 
 nett, still embarrassed, " if he was in any such 
 place, which he isn't. To tell you the plain 
 truth, Mr. Stanton, as I'm sure Mr. Farnham 
 would wish, if he could dream it was you I was 
 talking to, why, this little journey of his is 
 strictly on the ' Q. T.' I guess from what he 
 said there's a lady mixed up in it." 
 
 Exactly what Wildred had said, .when ex- 
 plaining his friend's absence on Christmas Day 
 from the House by the Lock! I remembered 
 
 205
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 the coincidence, though I could hardly see that 
 it bore with any importance on the present 
 case. Farnham might hold several feminine 
 trump cards to play at the end of a trick for 
 all I knew, or had a right to know. 
 
 " I tell you what to do, Mr. Stanton," Ben- 
 nett continued, recovering his wonted self-pos- 
 session. " You just go up to the house, and 
 make yourself at home there till Mr. Farnham 
 gets back. You know what a big place it is, 
 and how glad the chief is to fill it with his 
 friends, especially such friends as you. Then, 
 by the end of next week, anyhow " 
 
 I interrupted him impatiently. " What, 
 will he be away till then? " 
 
 " I should think it was probable from what 
 he said before he left, sir." 
 
 " I wish," I exclaimed desperately, " that 
 you could see your way to making things a 
 little clearer for me. I don't want to pry into 
 Farnham's affairs, of course that goes with- 
 out saying. But perhaps, without any betrayal 
 of confidence, you might let me know exactly 
 what he did tell you in regard to his return." 
 
 206
 
 THE QUEST 
 
 " Well," said Bennett, with a short laugh, 
 " seeing it's you ! The fact is, Mr. Stanton, 
 it'll be a considerable relief to my mind to talk 
 over the matter, and ask your opinion as to one 
 or two points that have been rather troubling 
 me." 
 
 He glanced up into my face, almost for the 
 first time since we had begun the discussion, 
 and I saw that I was to hear something which 
 he considered of importance. 
 
 Of how great importance it was to prove for 
 me, I did not dare to dream. 
 
 207
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 A PICTUBJE FBOM THE PAST 
 
 " THE fact is," said Bennett, " I haven't 
 quite known what to make of Mr. Farnham 
 since he's been back on this side the herring- 
 pond. Of course he hasn't been well, but that 
 would hardly be enough to account for the 
 change in him. Did you see him, may I ask, 
 Mr. Stanton, when he was in England? " 
 
 I informed him that I had done so, not 
 thinking it best to volunteer the statement that 
 I had only met him once. 
 
 " And did he seem like himself? " 
 
 This was rather turning the tables upon me. 
 I was not prepared to answer many questions, 
 but without hesitation I replied to this one, 
 saying that, in my opinion, Farnham had 
 seemed uncommonly jolly and well. 
 
 Bennett looked thoughtful. " He got home 
 here in Denver at night," he said, " after tele- 
 graphing from New York he was coming; I 
 
 208
 
 PICTURE FROM THE PAST 
 
 went to call at his request another wire not 
 a letter and he saw me in bed. Mr. Farnham. 
 is fond of plenty of light and noise as a rule, 
 but in his bedroom he had refused to have the 
 electricity turned on, and there was only a 
 lamp on the table, as far as possible from the 
 bed. I called out, ' How do you do?' in my 
 usual tones, but he answered me almost in a 
 whisper. There were some important papers 
 which had been waiting for him to sign, and 
 I had taken them with me, thinking he'd be 
 anxious to attend to them he was always so 
 keen and prompt in business but he seemed 
 quite angry when I suggested it, and said he 
 wasn't to be bothered about anything of the 
 sort for a week. 
 
 " Next evening I saw him again for a few 
 moments, and there was the same dim light, 
 the same whispering. He was going away 
 again immediately, he informed me, and when 
 I objected that he didn't seem up to travelling, 
 he answered that when there was a lady in the 
 case there was no question of a man being * up 
 to ' things. I might send his letters to the 
 
 209
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 Santa Anna Hotel, San Francisco, he went on, 
 until further notice, which I should receive by 
 telegraph in about ten days if his plans went 
 well. Just as I was going he said, kind of 
 laughing and yet partly in earnest too, ' Well, 
 Bennett, if you don't hear from me at the end 
 of that time, you'd better begin to look me up. 
 The game that I mean to try and win is a dan- 
 gerous one. There are others who want the 
 lady beside myself.' 
 
 " Now, if there was a town on the face of the 
 earth that Mr. Farnham used to hate, that 
 town was San Francisco. It was because he 
 hated the journey, and never wanted to take it 
 again, that he sold his mine out in California 
 to the English gentleman, Mr. Wildred. I 
 wouldn't have supposed that there was a 
 woman alive would have got him to go to San 
 Francisco, and I used to think, too, that Mr. 
 Farnham didn't care much for women; but no 
 doubt the longer one lives the more one learns, 
 and the more surprises one gets in such mat- 
 ters. I needn't say much about his being away 
 from Denver for a few days, even at the office, 
 
 210
 
 PICTURE FROM THE PAST 
 
 he hinted to me; and with that we parted. 
 Next morning early he left, and not a line have 
 I had except a wire, merely announcing his 
 safe arrival at the Santa Anna Hotel." 
 
 I listened in silence. Before Bennett had 
 finished speaking my thoughts were far away 
 as far as San Francisco. 
 
 " By Jove! " I exclaimed aloud, with a rush- 
 ing of blood to my brain that pulsed to burst- 
 ing in the little veins at my temples. " The 
 Santa Anna Hotel! " 
 
 " Do you know it, Mr. Stanton? " enquired 
 Bennett, evidently surprised at my sudden 
 vehemence. 
 
 " I was there once many years ago," I said. 
 "The name has brought back an old associa- 
 tion to my mind which I had thought was lost." 
 
 I knew now where I had seen those strange 
 light eyes of Carson Wildred's, and what was 
 the deed with which they had connected them- 
 selves in my mind. After all, perhaps, I had 
 not come to America for nothing! 
 
 My memory travelled back over a space of 
 ten years. I had then come back to San Fran-
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 X 
 
 cisco after an expedition into distant wilds 
 with a party of friends shooting grizzlies in 
 the Rockies. I had stopped at the Santa Anna 
 Hotel, a small hostelry lately built, having an 
 English landlord, and therefore greatly fre- 
 quented by Englishmen. 
 
 On the night of my arrival there had been a 
 serious disturbance in the house. Three men 
 who had been stopping at the place got quar- 
 relling over a game of cards which they were 
 playing in a private parlour. Two, who were 
 the hosts, and were entertaining the third, had 
 set upon him with intent to kill, being accused 
 of cheating. I and several of my friends had 
 run out from the billiard-room, hearing a yell 
 for help, just in time to see a man in evening 
 dress stagger, bleeding, from the opposite 
 door. " I'm killed ! That devil has mur- 
 dered me I " he exclaimed, and fell forward on 
 his face. 
 
 At Bennett's mention of the Santa Anna 
 Hotel the whole scene had come up before me 
 as vividly as though it had been enacted but 
 yesterday. The open door, showing a bril- 
 
 212
 
 PICTURE FROM THE PAST 
 
 liantly-lighted interior; cards scattered on the 
 carpet; a young man almost a boy stand- 
 ing, as if frozen with horror, by an overset 
 table; a large bowie knife, common to the 
 country, apparently fallen from his right hand 
 to the floor. 
 
 At the door itself an older man, who had 
 followed the victim, no doubt with the inten- 
 tion of keeping him from making an outcry 
 or escaping into the hall. But he had been too 
 late, and the expression of his face as he met 
 our eyes was hideous. Though the knife had 
 to all appearance been used by his companion, 
 it was at him that the murdered man had 
 pointed before he fell and died. He was the 
 one apostrophised as " that devil " by the 
 death-stricken wretch; and though he had had 
 a high, aquiline nose, red hair, and bristling 
 auburn brows that met across his forehead, the 
 eyes had been those of Carson Wildred. 
 
 They were eyes not easy to forget, especially 
 as they blazed defiance into those of the men 
 who sprang forward to lay hands upon him. 
 ; ' There stands the murderer, gentlemen, as 
 
 213
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 you see," he had said, making a gesture to- 
 wards his young companion, a boy of eighteen 
 or nineteen, who seemed tcro astonished and 
 horrified to move. Despite the evidence of the 
 fallen knife, however, not one among the men 
 who witnessed the end of the scene believed 
 that the youth was guilty. Murder was in the 
 eyes of the other, and must have betrayed him, 
 even if the last words of the dead man had not 
 accused him. 
 
 California was somewhat wilder in those 
 days than it is at present, and men were more 
 ready to act upon impulse. So it was that, as 
 two of us gripped the fierce, red-haired fellow, 
 another of the party flung some whispered 
 word to the boy, who had only spoken to 
 murmur brokenly, " God knows I'm in- 
 nocent ! " 
 
 What that whispered word was no one knew 
 save he who spoke it and he to whom it was ad- 
 dressed. But whatever it might have been, it 
 seemed to rouse the young man to life and a 
 realisation of his position. With a leap he was 
 at the long window and had sprung out on to
 
 PICTURE FROM THE PAST 
 
 a verandah, which ran round three sides and 
 three stories of the house. The room was on 
 the first floor, and it was easy enough for an 
 active young fellow to let himself down hy one 
 of the twisted pillars which supported the 
 verandah of the lower storey. 
 
 It could not have been so easy to escape 
 those who half-heartedly followed ; but the boy 
 must have found some safe sanctuary near by, 
 for not only did he evade his pursuers, but was 
 never found or brought to trial. 
 
 The other, an Australian, calling himself 
 Willis Collins, known as a gambler, suspected 
 as a card " sharper," was less fortunate. But 
 for the cry of the dying man he might have 
 cleared himself; but his reputation was against 
 him to begin with ; it was proved that the other 
 was a young Englishman who had lost his 
 money through Collins, and been duped by 
 him, and altogether matters went hardly with 
 the elder of the two confederates. He was 
 tried and condemned (not for murder, as it 
 happened, but manslaughter), and sentenced 
 to imprisonment for twenty years. 
 
 215
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 The incident had passed out my mind until, 
 on a visit to America six years later (four 
 years previous to my present one) , a man who 
 had been of our bear-shooting party in the 
 Rocky Mountains had chanced to mention that 
 the fellow had very cleverly succeeded in mak- 
 ing his escape from the prison where he had 
 been confined. 
 
 I had had no personal interest in the affair, 
 and though it had made considerable impres- 
 sion upon me at that time, through being called 
 up at the trial as a witness, I do not suppose 
 I had summoned it to my recollection for many 
 a long day until now, at the mention of the 
 Santa Anna Hotel. 
 
 It was no wonder, I told myself, that I had 
 not been able to decide where and how I had 
 seen Carson Wildred previous to the night 
 when Farnham had introduced us to each other 
 at the theatre. Unless I could collect proofs 
 not at present in my possession, it would even 
 now be useless to instil my conviction into the 
 mind of anyone else. 
 
 Carson Wildred had a peculiarly flat nose; 
 216
 
 PICTURE FROM THE PAST 
 
 Willis Collins had had a particularly high one. 
 Carson Wildred's hair was inky black; Willis 
 Collins's had been a bright auburn. Wildred's 
 face was smooth ; Collins's mouth and chin had 
 been concealed by a heavy though close- 
 cropped red beard. So far as I knew there 
 was but one man living who could have 
 effected so radical a change, not only in the 
 appearance, but in the actual conformation of 
 features, in the countenance of any human be- 
 ing, and that was an old fellow in Paris, who 
 had gained a reputation and a fortune among 
 men who had reason to cut loose from the 
 moorings of their past. I had met this famous 
 (or infamous) person in a curious way, and 
 had heard some strange stories from his lips. 
 If I had made his acquaintance, why should 
 not Collins or Wildred have done so and 
 profited by the friendship, as fortunately I had 
 neither the desire nor need to do? I determined 
 that, unless my present researches were more 
 successful than I now dared expect them to be, 
 I would, on my return to the other side, run 
 across to France, and endeavour to piece to- 
 
 217
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 gether the bits of this old but newly-discovered 
 puzzle. 
 
 Meanwhile, however, I had other work, and 
 work closer at hand. 
 
 " While you've been talking, Mr. Ben- 
 nett," said I, " I have been coming to a con- 
 clusion." 
 
 He smiled. " I'm glad of that, sir," he re- 
 turned. " I have risked betraying Mr. Farn- 
 ham's confidence that I may ask you what you 
 think of that last hint of his, which, to tell the 
 truth, has troubled me very much, coming, as 
 it did, on top of so many queer actions. Al- 
 though he was, or pretended to be, half in joke, 
 ought I to let him stay away without taking 
 any measures to find out whether his life really 
 was threatened in California, and trying to 
 help him out of a scrape if necessary? Of 
 course, if it was all straight he'd be furious to 
 have a watch set on his actions, and would 
 never forgive me the indiscretion. Still, I 
 haven't heard from him, as I said, since the 
 day of his arrival, and neither my mind nor my 
 conscience is very easy, Mr. Stanton. The 
 
 218
 
 PICTURE FROM THE PAST 
 
 question is, What would you do if you were in 
 my place? " 
 
 I was delighted at this, and turned half 
 away, that he might not see my change of 
 countenance. 
 
 " It's rather a difficult position," I said, 
 slowly, " for you. But there's a simple way 
 out of it, without the necessity for you to run 
 any risk of losing Mr. Farnham's favour. I've 
 been to the Santa Anna Hotel before. There's 
 no reason why I shouldn't go again if I choose, 
 and no reason why I should mention having 
 spoken with you at all if I meet my old friend. 
 I'm something of a nomad, you know, and if 
 I'm in England one month, and turn up in 
 Kamtchatka the next, nobody is ever in the 
 least surprised." 
 
 " But have you been thinking of going to 
 California? " asked Bennett, half relieved and 
 half dubious as to the course proposed. 
 
 " Oh, yes, I've been thinking of it," I 
 promptly answered. But I neglected to add 
 that it had only been during the past five 
 minutes. 
 
 219
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 FACE TO FACE 
 
 IT was very nearly dinner time, two days 
 later, when I drove up to the Santa Anna 
 Hotel in San Francisco. Far away the bay 
 could be seen and the Seal Rock, with the light 
 of a great yellow moon touching its dark out- 
 lines and mingling with the blue, wintry twi- 
 light. 
 
 The neighbourhood was greatly changed 
 since my last visit, but the hotel remained much 
 the same. My first thought, after greeting 
 the bluff old compatriot who kept the house, 
 was to look at the visitors' book. 
 
 My heart gave a quick thump as I came on 
 the name of Harvey Farnham. It was not in 
 his handwriting, which, though I had not seen 
 it for some time, I remembered quite distinctly. 
 
 "Ah, gentleman's ill," said the proprietor, 
 when I cautiously questioned him. " Had his
 
 FACE TO FACE 
 
 arm in a sling got my clerk to put his name 
 down for him, I recollect, as I was standing 
 by. Mr. Farnham has been out a good deal, 
 however, since he arrived, and, indeed, is out at 
 present. He usually comes in about dinner 
 time though." 
 
 This was an incentive to me not to miss that 
 meal. I got into my evening togs in a hurry 
 and was in the dining-room before anyone else, 
 save a hungry -looking old man. 
 
 It was not a good season for the " Santa 
 Anna," so the proprietor had confidentially 
 informed me, but two or three dozen people 
 strolled into the room before I had been there 
 for half an hour. Still, I saw no familiar face, 
 and was beginning to think in angry despera- 
 tion that I had been eluded again, when the 
 door opened to admit a tall and slender figure. 
 
 I looked up, my pulses quickening, my 
 breath coming fast. 
 
 The man had a green shade over his eyes, 
 was limping slightly, had his right arm in a 
 sling, and altogether presented a somewhat 
 battered appearance. But, I said to myself, 
 
 221
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 if it was not Harvey Farnham it was his twin 
 brother. 
 
 With all my eyes I stared at him. Almost 
 as though there had been some magnetic in- 
 fluence in them to draw him he came towards 
 me, and finally approaching my table, mo- 
 tioned to the attentive waiter to draw out a 
 certain chair. 
 
 He sat down, leaned back with an audible 
 sigh, shook out his serviette with his left hand, 
 slightly pushed up the green shade that shad- 
 owed his eyes, and began looking carelessly 
 about the room. 
 
 As he did so his glance passed over my face. 
 There was not the slightest hint of recognition 
 in it. " Hullo, Farnham ! " I said, carefully 
 controlling the agitation in my voice. 
 
 He started violently and nearly dropped the 
 soup spoon, which he had picked up with his 
 left hand. Then, pulling himself together by 
 a violent effort, he smiled, without any of the 
 old cordiality. Almost mechanically he had 
 reached up for the green shade, and given it 
 a hasty pull downward. 
 
 222
 
 FACE TO FACE 
 
 "Hullo!" he responded in a hoarse voice, 
 following the word with a cough. ; * This is a 
 surprise, eh? " 
 
 " Yes," I replied slowly. " People do run 
 against each other in unexpected places, don't 
 they? Now I will wager something that 
 you've forgotten my name? " 
 
 He smiled again, with a relieved expression. 
 " WeU " still hoarsely" I'm afraid I have, 
 for a moment. It'll come back, no doubt, but 
 would you mind enlightening me, mean- 
 while?" 
 
 " My name is Noel Stanton," I very quietly 
 said. But I could have shouted aloud. Not- 
 withstanding the extraordinary resemblance, 
 this man was no more Harvey Farnham than 
 I was! 
 
 223
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 A COUNTERFEIT PRESENTMENT 
 
 WE had not much talk together. The few 
 questions which I cautiously put evidently 
 rendered him uncomfortable, and I on my part, 
 having made sure of one all-potent fact, was 
 anxious to get away and think the puzzle over. 
 
 I was at the last course of my dinner when 
 the man entered, and having finished I rose. 
 
 " Are you stopping long in San Francisco? " 
 I asked, with my best air of carelessness. 
 
 " A couple of days or so," he said. " See 
 you again to-morrow, I daresay." It was 
 plain that he was glad to get rid of me. Natu- 
 rally he was afraid of all men, strangers to 
 him, who claimed knowledge of him as Har- 
 vey Farnham. He was playing a bold and 
 dangerous game, and no doubt he was aware 
 that, unless he kept himself in hand, and never 
 for an instant lost his presence of mind, any 
 moment might find him beaten.
 
 COUNTERFEIT PRESENTMENT 
 
 So dizzy was I with the fumes of my dis- 
 covery that my brain would not answer to my 
 command. I could not think. I could only 
 say over and over again " Not Harvey Farn- 
 ham! The fellow is a mere decoy !" 
 
 Out in the open I knew that I should have 
 a better chance of mastering myself. On the 
 way to the door I stepped into the " office " 
 again and glanced at the visitors' book. Har- 
 vey Farnham's name was written down op- 
 posite the number 249, and I knew, therefore, 
 that his room must be near, and in the same 
 wing in the back as mine. 
 
 The glorious salt wind soon restored me to 
 myself, and I wandered through some of the 
 streets I had known and forgotten, thinking 
 busily. I could understand much now that 
 had been dark to me, though even yet far 
 too much for my peace of mind remained 
 hidden. 
 
 It was no wonder that this counterfeit pre- 
 sentment of a dead man (for I was certain 
 enough now that poor Farnham was dead) 
 had cumbered himself with bandages, and sim- 
 
 225
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 ulated sprains, and thickened his voice with an 
 alleged bronchitis. There was a wonderful 
 family likeness between voices, when they only 
 spoke in a rough whisper, and the green shade 
 over the eyes had doubtless proved very ad- 
 vantageous in keeping up the optical illusion 
 on which the man had courageously dared to 
 count, even among Farnham's Denver friends. 
 To be sure he had hurried away as soon as pos- 
 sible from every place where he had stayed 
 since arriving at New York on the St. Paul. 
 In each one he had accomplished an object 
 vital to the interest of the plot. He had been 
 able to refute the story of Harvey Farnham's 
 murder, in person, and having evidently been 
 well grounded in all prominent facts con- 
 nected with Farnham's life, habits, and trip 
 to England, had made a coup in his interview 
 with the New York police. 
 
 Having done all that was necessary in the 
 east, he had then taken the final and most 
 hazardous step of going to Farnham's home. 
 It was hardly remarkable, therefore, that he 
 had seized the opportunity of escaping so try- 
 
 226
 
 ing an ordeal at once. It seemed to me im- 
 possible that he should intend returning to 
 Denver, where, in the light of day, and among 
 old business and domestic associates, he could 
 not long hope to escape detection, perfect as 
 the likeness seemed to be. What, then, would 
 he do, I eagerly asked myself? He had so far 
 been successful in establishing the fact all along 
 his route that Harvey Farnham had not only 
 returned in safety to America, but had shown 
 himself at home. So much having been gained, 
 Wildred must perforce be relieved of all sus- 
 picion of the crime which I had tried to fasten 
 upon him, and this being the case, I assured 
 myself that it was Wildred's hand only which 
 had contrived this intricate and ingenious plot. 
 This man, disguised as Farnham, was in Wil- 
 dred's pay, there could be no doubt of that, 
 and had in all probability been engaged for the 
 purpose he was now carrying out before the 
 murder had taken place. 
 
 I tried as I walked to put myself in the 
 place of the schemers, and thus hew out, 
 through an intimate mental process, some idea 
 
 227
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 as to how the loose ends of the mystery were 
 to be disposed of. 
 
 " If I were that fellow," I said to myself 
 at last, " I should think it was about time to 
 disappear. I should feel sure I'd come to the 
 end of my tether, and that somehow or other 
 Harvey Farnham, as represented by me, had 
 got to be unostentatiously wiped out." 
 
 Farnham, however, was too rich and impor- 
 tant a man in the western states of his own 
 country to disappear conveniently and with im- 
 punity. There would be a hue and cry, and 
 suspicious facts might somehow be brought to 
 light. The only safe way, I decided, would be 
 for the alleged Harvey Farnham to kill him- 
 self; but this it did not appear very likely that 
 the most dazzling bribe could induce him to do. 
 He meant to find some more comfortable way 
 out of the hole into which he had so deliberately 
 crept than the way of suicide, and it began to 
 seem that the only method by which I could 
 prove my case would be by rinding out what 
 that way was to be. 
 
 At present, unless I could have the fellow
 
 COUNTERFEIT PRESENTMENT 
 
 arrested, and such disguise as he might wear 
 dragged off, I should have great difficulty in 
 obtaining credence of my story. The incidents 
 were all so remarkable that they must be certi- 
 fied with the best of evidence, and such evidence 
 as I wanted could only be forthcoming from 
 Bennett, or someone else in Denver who knew 
 Farnham equally well. 
 
 What I must do, I thought, would be to 
 keep on the man's track, and never for an hour 
 lose sight of him. I must do this without 
 arousing any suspicion on his part as to my 
 motives until the last moment, when I should 
 be prepared to accuse him. 
 
 This conclusion naturally reminded me that 
 at the very moment it was reached I had vir- 
 tually lost sight of my quarry, and that already 
 I might have missed my chance. Accordingly, 
 I hurried back to the Santa Anna Hotel, and 
 though it was then too late to wire Bennett, I 
 determined to do so early the next morning. 
 I would request him to come on to San Fran- 
 cisco at once on a matter of extreme impor- 
 tance, and his mind being already disturbed 
 
 229
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 concerning his employer he would lose no 
 time in obeying. In Bennett, if I could fairly 
 corner the bogus Farnham, I should have the 
 most valuable witness in the world. 
 
 My first question was as to whether Mr. 
 Farnham were in the hotel. He had not yet 
 returned from a call which he had gone to make 
 after dinner, and I sat down, therefore, in the 
 corridor inside the front doors, through which 
 he would have to pass on entering. 
 
 I pretended to be absorbed in a local paper, 
 but in reality my thoughts were a maelstrom. 
 Suppose he had already escaped me 1 
 
 At half -past eleven, however, he came in. I 
 did not seem to lift my eyes from the pages 
 before them. He would have to go directly 
 by me on his way upstairs ; time enough to ap- 
 pear to observe him then. 
 
 "Cablegram for you, Mr. Farnham," said 
 the clerk of the hotel. 
 
 "Ah!" The exclamation was one of sur- 
 prise. He had not, then, been expecting the 
 message. 
 
 I could not resist looking up after all to 
 230
 
 COUNTERFEIT PRESENTMENT 
 
 watch him in the act of reading it, and as I 
 did so my eyes caught a gleam from his, under 
 the green shade, as they turned to my face 
 with an expression that was like a hunted ani- 
 mal's. In the instant I was as positive as 
 though he had told me in so many words that 
 the cablegram he had received was from Car- 
 son Wildred, and intimately concerned me. 
 Probably it said, " If a man named Noel Stan- 
 ton turns up, he is an enemy beware of him." 
 
 I regretted immediately that I had given 
 him my real name when we met at dinner, for, 
 warned now by Wildred, he would be ever on 
 his guard. He was seized with a creditable fit 
 of coughing as he passed me, and having 
 growled out something about being " deuced 
 tired, and sleeping like a log," he went upstairs. 
 
 I followed him in time to see him enter his 
 own room, which was only half a dozen doors 
 from mine, and to hear him noisily lock the 
 door. It occurred to me that he was desirous 
 to have me know that he had locked it, and I 
 wondered if already he had begun to suspect 
 my; motive. 
 
 231
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 FIBE! 
 
 I WENT to bed determined not to sleep, but 
 to keep my ears open for any sound in the pass- 
 age outside. Luckily there was a creaky board 
 on which he had stepped a few minutes ago. 
 If he attempted to go away during the night 
 he would very possibly step on it again. But 
 I was exceedingly tired after my long journey. 
 Before I had been in bed an hour I was dream- 
 ing so vividly a pursuit of my quarry through 
 the streets of San Francisco, that I fully be- 
 lieved I had waked, got up, and gone out after 
 him. 
 
 In the end the dream seemed to change. 
 The pretender had boarded a railway train, 
 and I was with the engine-driver of another, 
 following at a dare-devil speed. The place was 
 reeking hot. In my dream I choked in the 
 smoke which flew into my face, and was dazzled 
 with the red glare of the fire, on which the 
 
 232
 
 FIRE! 
 
 engine-driver was piling great pieces of fat 
 bacon. As we flew along the rails the locomo- 
 tive swayed from side to side, and I could hear 
 a loud rattling of wheels and of window glass. 
 
 Suddenly a puff of smoke seemed on the 
 very point of stifling me, and I awoke to find 
 myself sitting up in bed and gasping for 
 breath. 
 
 I had not dreamed the rattling of glass, nor 
 the jarring sensation, nor yet the smoke and 
 heat and lurid light. The walls shook with a 
 dull vibration, and the window-panes were like 
 castanets. Through the glass transom over the 
 door I could see a shimmering, ruddy glow that 
 rose and fell, and was brightened by bursting 
 sparks and little darting tongues of yellow 
 flame. Apart from this one lurid spot all was 
 thickly curtained into darkness by a heavy pall 
 of smoke. 
 
 Had I lain for a few moments longer I must 
 have suffocated in my sleep. Even as it was, 
 my brain felt dull and stupid, and I could 
 scarcely collect my senses. 
 
 Choking and coughing, tears running from
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 my eyes that smarted with the pungent wood 
 smoke, I sprang out of bed, and then sat down 
 again with a slight exclamation, drawing up 
 my feet. The floor was so hot that the touch 
 of it, even for an instant, had almost scorched 
 my skin. 
 
 Close at hand were my boots. I drew them 
 on and then fumbled about for one or two 
 articles of clothing. The wild light that rushed 
 past the transom told me that escape by way 
 of the passage was already cut off, and even 
 as I looked a small, curling tress of flame blew 
 in through the crack between the door and the 
 worn sill. 
 
 The window was less easy to find. As I 
 felt for it through the veil of smoke strange 
 conjectures stole into my brain. What if this 
 were the plan of Carson Wildred's wily ac- 
 complice for getting safely rid of me ? 
 
 I had no intention of being got rid of thus 
 easily, however. I found the window and 
 opened the lower sash. With the rush of air 
 from outside my oppressed lungs got relief for 
 a second or two, but the draught drew in the 
 
 234
 
 FIRE! 
 
 flames that rioted through the hall; the glass 
 in the transom, already cracked, burst with a 
 loud explosive sound, and a torrent of fire and 
 smoke poured in through the aperture. 
 
 Had I not leaped on to the window-sill, and 
 without an instant's hesitation let myself swing 
 over, I could not have kept my senses in that 
 raging furnace. 
 
 If I had had a room in the main building of 
 the hotel, I should only have had to step on to 
 a verandah outside my window, but in this 
 wing (which I had chosen as my place of resi- 
 dence because I had inhabited it before) there 
 was nothing of the sort, and I had now the 
 space of about ten seconds to decide whether 
 to jump or have my hands burnt off my wrists. 
 
 In any case the decision could not have been 
 a difficult one, but, as it happened, the need 
 was rendered the more imperative by the fact 
 that smoke had already begun to pour from 
 the window below. Very shortly escape would 
 be cut off in all directions. 
 
 My room was on the second floor, high 
 enough to give me a severe fall, perhaps a 
 
 235
 
 fatal one, and I felt that my life was of value 
 now. Cautiously but hurriedly I reached out 
 with one hand to the side of the window, hang- 
 ing with all my weight from the other, which 
 clutched the sill. My groping fingers came in 
 contact with a twisted rope of creepers; bare 
 of leaves for winter, and serviceable for the use 
 I wished to put it to. I grasped the thick stems 
 for dear life, and went down hand over hand, 
 dimly hearing voices from below cheering me 
 in my descent. 
 
 I had been unconscious of the noise until 
 that moment, but as my feet touched the 
 ground I was received with acclamations, and 
 saw that a crowd was rapidly collecting on the 
 spot. The firemen were arriving, and as I 
 reached terra firma a great spout of water went 
 up over the burning wing. 
 
 The main portion of the house, which was 
 built of stone, save for the surrounding veran- 
 dahs, was still uninjured, but the wing at the 
 back, which had been a later addition, run 
 hastily up to meet the needs of business, was of 
 frame, and it was burning like tinder. Though 
 
 236
 
 FIRE! 
 
 it seemed that the alarm had only been given 
 five minutes before my appearance on the 
 scene, already it was beyond saving. My rea- 
 son for preferring the wing I have already 
 stated, but what the pretended Harvey Farn- 
 ham's had been I had yet to learn, for so far 
 was the main portion of the hotel from being 
 crowded on this occasion, that we two had been 
 the only ones who slept in the annex. Other- 
 wise the alarm must have been given from in- 
 side, instead of by a policeman, who had seen 
 a sudden light leap up while passing on his 
 beat. 
 
 Where was Mr. Farnham? That was the 
 question asked by the excited landlord, who, 
 half-dressed, had come out to give what help 
 he could. By this time a sheet of flame was 
 pouring from his windows, so much more vio- 
 lent than in any other portion of the fated 
 wing, that I could but fancy, as I looked up, 
 that the fire must have started thereabouts. 
 
 The only hope was to save the main building 
 the frame addition had been doomed from 
 the first. Everyone had come out, guests and 
 
 237
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 servants alike, in varying stages of deshabille, 
 which might under ordinary circumstances have 
 struck one as comic enough, but the supposed 
 Farnham was nowhere to be seen. 
 
 When it became known that there was an- 
 other occupant of the burning annex, the fire- 
 men made heroic efforts to reach the windows 
 on their ladders, but each time they were 
 beaten back by the blinding flame and smoke 
 a salamander could not have existed there 
 for an instant. 
 
 Murmurs of horror and dismay came from 
 the lips of the crowd as they stared with a 
 species of fearful fascination at the flames, 
 which must long ago have destroyed not only 
 life, but all vestiges of humanity, if indeed a 
 human being had been there when they began 
 their revel. But I said nothing. I thought 
 now that I understood the reason why my 
 friend had taken the room in the frame addi- 
 tion to the Santa Anna Hotel. The plan com- 
 menced to take form in my mind, and I be- 
 lieved that the cablegram had only precipitated 
 its execution. 
 
 238
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 
 " IT'S DOGGED AS DOES IT " 
 
 FOBTUNATELY, to prevent delay and tempo- 
 rary embarrassment, there was plenty of gold 
 for present needs in the pockets of the one 
 garment which I had put on before escaping. 
 Everything else which I had brought to the 
 Santa Anna Hotel was lost; but never, per- 
 haps, was a man more completely indifferent 
 to such loss than I. The only thing on the 
 American side of the Atlantic which now in- 
 terested me was to find out whether the false 
 Harvey Farnham had actually (by an irony 
 of fate) perished in the flames, or whether 
 as I more than suspected he himself was re- 
 sponsible for the fire. 
 
 It would be impossible to ascertain the truth 
 until such time as the ruins of the burnt wing 
 of the hotel should have sufficiently cooled to 
 render a search practicable. Even then, if no 
 other measures were taken, the fact might 
 
 239
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 never be absolutely substantiated. If nothing 
 more was ever heard of Harvey Farnham, it 
 would probably be taken for granted that he 
 had met his death in the fire at the Santa Anna 
 Hotel, even though no actual traces of his 
 body were forthcoming. His heirs, whoever 
 they might be, would doubtless claim their in- 
 heritance, and even assurance money, if such 
 there were to be had, before many months had 
 passed. Carson Wildred would be for ever 
 safe, and my quest would have ended in noth- 
 ing but bitterness and disappointment. 
 
 This being the case, I could not aff ord to 
 wait until the burnt building should be ran- 
 sacked for Harvey Farnham's remains, I must 
 take it for granted that no such remains were 
 there, and go in search of the living, breathing 
 body. I tried to put myself mentally in place 
 of the man who had stolen his identity from the 
 dead. Were I he, I thought, and had I done 
 that of which I believed he had been guilty, 
 I would lose no time in putting myself beyond 
 the reach of possible pursuit. I would have 
 laid my plans with some exactitude, and would 
 
 240
 
 have been prepared for the necessity of flight. 
 I would have thrown aside as many details of 
 my likeness to Harvey Farnham as nature had 
 not provided me with, and having set fire to 
 the room I had occupied, I would have got out 
 of the hotel as quietly and quickly as practi- 
 cable. If it had been comparatively easy for 
 me to escape by means of the creepers down 
 the side of the house, the same means might 
 well have been employed by the man whose 
 movements I was mentally trying to follow. 
 
 Success having attended my movements so 
 far, I should have gone straight to a railway 
 station, and would never have breathed freely 
 until I had left San Francisco well behind me. 
 
 So wise, under the given circumstances, did 
 this course of action seem to me, that I 
 promptly decided no other would have been 
 feasible. The thing for me to do, therefore,, 
 was to find out what trains left San Fran- 
 cisco during the night time. I thought I might 
 calculate upon the fellow's having boarded a 
 passenger train in an open and ordinary man- 
 ner ; as, if his plans had been properly laid, no
 
 THF CHOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 suspicion could attach to him, and there would 
 be no necessity for more desperate precautions. 
 
 He could have had a good start before the 
 fire spread and was discovered, and still tak- 
 ing it for granted that I was correct in my de- 
 ductions the sooner I was on his track the 
 better. My hands were burned, I was prac- 
 tically without clothes, and had suffered a con- 
 siderable nervous shock, which at another time 
 I might have had leisure to feel and analyse. 
 
 But I did neither at the present juncture. 
 I simply procured a stiff portion of brandy 
 neat, drank it at a gulp, purchased a few 
 articles of clothing from an accommodating 
 waiter, dressed myself with all speed, and set 
 off to the principal railway station, or " depot," 
 of San Francisco. 
 
 " It's dogged as does it," I quoted to myself, 
 with a certain grimness of resolution, when my; 
 spirits began to flag. 
 
 As I got inside the station there was a 
 certain bustle and stir of departure or arrival 
 in the air. " Train going out or coming in? " 
 I asked shortly of a sleepy porter.
 
 "IT'S DOGGED AS DOES" *' 
 
 " Going out Salt Lake City," grumbled 
 the man in reply. 
 
 I don't know why I instantly felt the con- 
 viction that the bogus Farnham was in that 
 train, but I did feel it, and so intensely that 
 when I saw the long line of cars beginning to 
 move it seemed to me that not to reach it and 
 jump on board would mean the ruin of my 
 life. 
 
 I have a dim recollection of persons shouting 
 at me, of feeling a detaining hand trying to 
 drag me back. I remember, too, thrashing out 
 with considerable force, ridding myself of my 
 would-be preserver. I caught on by the rear 
 platform, and after flying helplessly for an 
 instant like a ribbon in the wind as the train 
 increased its speed, I got a foothold and 
 climbed up the steps. 
 
 At the top was a negro night porter, ash- 
 coloured with fright. He helped to pull me 
 on board, and I tipped him generously (when 
 I began to regain my breath and scattered 
 wits) for agreeing not to make an excitement 
 by reporting the affair to the conductor. 
 
 243
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I panted out that I wanted a berth, found 
 that there would be a vacant one on board the 
 " sleeper " at my disposal, and sat down in the 
 smoking-room, ostensibly to wait while the bed 
 was made up for me. 
 
 I must have been a curious object to look 
 upon in my dishevelled and hybrid costume, 
 not an article of which, save the boots and 
 trousers, had been made for me. But I had no 
 thoughts to waste upon my own appearance. 
 I sat wondering at the unhesitating way in 
 which I had rushed ahead, and staked my all 
 on this one throw of the dice, so to say. If my 
 man had not left San Francisco, or if he had 
 left, and in another direction, in great prob- 
 ability I had lost all trace of him for ever. 
 Yet I had flung myself on board this train as 
 though I had had my quarry in my eye, and 
 had but to put out my hand to lay hold upon 
 him. I was now beginning to be very much 
 astonished at myself. 
 
 Having come on board, however, I would 
 at once begin a tour of exploration, I resolved, 
 going from one end of the train to the other, 
 
 244
 
 "IT'S DOGGED AS DOES IT' 
 
 and not forgetting a visit (with or without 
 leave) to the " cab " of the engine. 
 
 I rose, pulling myself together, and saying 
 again between my teeth, " Yes, it's dogged as 
 does it," when a man came into the smoking- 
 room. I had been alone before. 
 
 We looked at each other. He was a tall, 
 slim, young fellow, with a smooth face. At 
 sight of me he stopped short, flushed to the 
 roots of his close-cropped hair, and would 
 precipitately have retired had I not taken one 
 quick step forward and grasped him by the 
 shoulder. 
 
 Gone was the curly wig, the beard, and the 
 lump on the nose, which had been modelled 
 after Farnham's; gone was the green shade, 
 the sling, and the limp, but much of the odd 
 resemblance, which had been heightened in so 
 artistic a manner, still remained. At last, after 
 crossing an ocean and a continent to do it, I 
 had got my hands on the man I had come to 
 find, and I didn't mean to let him go. 
 
 Yes, it certainly had been " dogged " that 
 had done it. 
 
 245
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 " No, you don't! " I remarked, cheerfully, 
 and with the force of superior muscles I pulled 
 him towards me. " Come, sit down here hy 
 me," I said. " I want to talk to you." And 
 somehow it came about that we subsided on 
 the cushioned seat together. 
 
 He had recognised me, of course, as the man 
 he had seen in the hotel the man, Noel Stan- 
 ton, against whom I did not doubt his cable- 
 gram had warned him. He was pale as death, 
 and I could see that this meeting, added, like 
 the piling of Ossa upon Pelion, on top of 
 all that he had already gone through, had 
 robbed him of the shattered remnant of his 
 nerve. 
 
 Still, he was ready to " bluff " and brave it 
 out while he could. " Confound you! " he ex- 
 claimed. "What are you about? You must 
 
 246
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 be mad to attack a stranger without the slight- 
 est provocation. Let me alone, sir, or I'll rouse 
 the car." 
 
 " I wouldn't, you know, if I were you," I 
 said coolly, for the more excited he grew the 
 more did my own calmness come back to me. 
 ' You've been playing a dangerous game ever 
 since you took your passage in the American 
 liner St. Paul (or, rather, since Carson Wil- 
 dred took it for you), but you've never, per- 
 haps, steered so close to the wind as to-night, 
 when you resorted to incendiarism as a finish- 
 ing stroke." 
 
 The fellow stared at me in simulated non- 
 chalance and defiance, but my hand was on 
 his shoulder still, and I could feel the shudder 
 that ran through his body. 
 
 " I say you must be mad," he reiterated. 
 
 " So you observed before ; but I could very 
 easily prove to you that I'm not, if you were 
 not already sure of it. You can call for as- 
 sistance if you like, but if you do the story I've 
 got to tell will go flashing over the wires back 
 to 'Frisco, and on to Denver, and you will find 
 
 247
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 yourself in almost as hot a place as if you had 
 stayed at the Santa Anna Hotel, where you 
 wanted the world to think that poor Harvey 
 Farnham had been roasted." 
 
 Once more the fit of shivering seized him. 
 'He glanced wildly about, as though to find 
 some means of escape, but there was none. 
 
 " I am a bigger man and a stronger man 
 than you," I remarked, in a significant and re- 
 flective manner. " Better hear the alternative 
 I've got to offer. I know everything, you see 
 that is, everything that concerns you, and 
 the curious game you've been playing. 
 
 " I've been just three days behind you ev- 
 erywhere since you left New York. I've got 
 every link in the evidence now, and what with 
 Bennett, of Denver,; and the proprietor of the 
 Santa Anna Hotel, and a few others, I can 
 burst your wretched little soap bubble plot in 
 four-and- twenty hours. There's just one way 
 in which you can stay my hand." 
 
 " What's that? " He had spoken out im- 
 pulsively, before he had stopped to think. The 
 instant the words were uttered he saw all that 
 
 248
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 they admitted, and bit his lip. But it was too 
 late ; he was completely trapped. 
 
 "I'll tell you," I said, keeping my hand on 
 his shoulder, almost caressingly. " I'd listen 
 attentively, if I were in your place. What you 
 can do is to make a clean breast of your story 
 from beginning to end. I'm willing to pay 
 you more for confessing than Wildred did for 
 plotting. Then you must go back to England 
 with me, and stand by while the thing is made 
 public." 
 
 As I spoke he did not once take his eyes 
 from me. It was remarkable even yet, now 
 that he was out of his disguise, how strong his 
 likeness was to Farnham. He might have been 
 a younger brother. 
 
 When I had finished he sighed and drooped 
 his head. His own hair, which was very closely 
 cut, was of a beautiful reddish golden colour, 
 much the shade of Karine Cunningham's, as 
 the light fell on it from above. I thought of 
 her with a great wave of passionate love, and 
 more of hope than I had dared to feel for 
 many a long day. 
 
 249
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 Perhaps it was the recollection of her lovely 
 face and the wonderful halo of her hair which 
 caused me for an instant to relax my grasp. 
 I only became conscious of having done so 
 when the fellow twisted himself from under 
 my hand, and springing lithely to his feet 
 would have darted through the swing door had 
 I not leaped after him like a tiger. 
 
 We fought together as the car swayed and 
 bounded along its tracks. Once he dived under 
 my arm and was almost out of my clutches, 
 but I caught him by the collar with so fierce 
 a grip that the linen of his shirt tore, and the 
 garment ripped open to the waistcoat. 
 
 Something which he wore beneath snapped, 
 as he still struggled to escape me, and a bright 
 object flashed under my eyes as it fell, and 
 dropped with a slight metallic noise to the 
 floor. 
 
 Evidently it was to him an article of value. 
 Impulsively he stooped, forgetful for a second 
 of the object which had animated him, and thus 
 the advantage became all mine again. I had 
 him pinioned fast. 
 
 250
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 At our feet, I now had time to observe, lay 
 a broken gold chain and a locket. 
 
 Twisting my hand firmly in his collar I bent 
 over and picked up the ornaments. " Allow 
 me," I said, smiling. And as I was about to 
 put the locket in his hand I could not avoid 
 seeing the portrait that it framed. It was an 
 open-faced, old-fashioned thing, set round 
 with a rim of pearls. The crystal had been 
 cracked across in the fall, but the delicately 
 painted ivory miniature within was intact, and 
 I gave a slight exclamation as I saw that it 
 represented Karine Cunningham. 
 
 If I had been surprised to see her picture in 
 the " studio " at the House by the Lock, I was 
 doubly surprised to see it in a locket worn by 
 a young desperado on the other side of the 
 world. Impulsively I withdrew my hand 
 which held the ornament, with the feeling that 
 the man had no right to it that I could not 
 return it to him again. 
 
 " Give it back to me! " he ejaculated, for- 
 getting his evident fear of me for the first time, 
 and speaking with a certain manly fierceness 
 
 261
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 that thawed the chill of my contempt for him. 
 " If I've got a right to nothing else on earth, 
 I've got a right to that. It's a portrait of my 
 sister." 
 
 " Your sister! You swear that? " 
 
 " Of course I swear it. I don't see why 
 you shouldn't know it though I haven't done 
 much credit to the name of Cunningham." 
 
 I could not doubt him. Not that I had not 
 every reason to believe that he would be willing 
 to lie as fast as he could speak if it happened 
 to suit his purpose, but the ring of sincerity in 
 his voice was unmistakable. 
 
 I let go my hold upon him. Such was his 
 astonishment at the manoeuvre that he made 
 no attempt to take advantage of his freedom, 
 but simply stood still and stared at me. 
 
 " Here is the locket," I said. " I came from 
 England to California to serve Miss Cunning- 
 ham's interests, and I will not lay my hand 
 upon her brother." 
 
 "I don't know what you mean," he said, 
 sullenly. 
 
 " I'll tell you," I returned, " if you'll sit
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 down here and listen to me for a few minutes 
 longer. After that, as far as I am concerned, 
 you are free to do as you choose. You look 
 surprised but whatever may have been your 
 faults and your offences, I would stake my life 
 you love your sister." 
 
 " She is the only being on earth I do love," 
 he replied, still half dazedly. 
 
 Then he sat down, his eyes furtively on me, 
 and I seated myself beside him. 
 
 " She is sacrificing herself for someone," I 
 remarked. " I think I begin dimly to under- 
 stand now who that someone may be. I think, 
 too, that circumstances have given me the right 
 to be inquisitive, as I can still further explain 
 to you later on. Is Miss Cunningham going 
 to marry Carson Wildred to save you from 
 any unpleasant consequences of the past, for 
 instance ? " 
 
 He started as though he had been struck. 
 
 " She is not going to marry Carson Wil- 
 dred! " he exclaimed. 
 
 " Oh, yes, she is, unless it can be prevented. 
 I see I have even more to tell you than I 
 
 253
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 thought. Is it long, may I ask, since you have 
 seen your sister? " 
 
 " Last November," he said drooping his 
 head, and bringing under my eyes again the 
 hair that was like hers. 
 
 " Ah, that explains your ignorance. The 
 man had not shown his hand at that time. 
 Now I am going to trust to your affection for 
 Miss Cunningham, to your presumable wish to 
 save her from unhappiness, and talk to you 
 as though we had been allies instead of enemies. 
 Perhaps I may be a fool for my pains; but 
 something seems to say to me " 
 
 " Something says right. Go on! " he ejacu- 
 lated, gruffly. 
 
 No doubt the very most dunder-headed of 
 lawyers or detectives would have told me that 
 I was mad, thus deliberately to give all my 
 good trumps away to the treacherous, hired 
 scoundrel whom I had been hunting down with 
 the dogged ferocity of a bloodhound. On 
 principle, of course, I was all wrong, and I 
 knew it; but still I went on. 
 
 I told him the strange story of the past fevr 
 254
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 weeks from beginning to end. I commenced 
 with the part which concerned Farnham and 
 Carson Wildred alone. I did not pass over 
 that which had to do with Karine, my hopeless 
 and unrequited love for her, my passionate 
 anxiety to serve her at all costs; and I ended 
 by declaring my certainty that Carson Wildred 
 and Willis Collins were one and the same man. 
 
 " He is doubly a murderer," I said. " And 
 yet, unless you and I together can keep him 
 from it, he will be your sister's husband." 
 
 "I'll kill him first!" exclaimed my com- 
 panion. 
 
 " I think the trick can be done without re- 
 sorting to such extreme measures as that," I re- 
 turned, " especially if you are willing to come 
 over from his camp to mine." 
 
 He looked at me sharply for a moment with- 
 out answering, then he said: 
 
 * You seem pretty quick, I've noticed, in 
 what you've just been telling me at putting 
 two and two together. Well, you say you were 
 at the Santa Anna Hotel the night the mur- 
 der was committed ten years ago. You knew 
 
 255
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 there were two men mixed up in it. You re- 
 membered one of them; would you remember 
 the other?" 
 
 " He was a mere boy," I said, " and it's a 
 long time ago. He must have changed almost 
 beyond recognition." 
 
 "He's just twenty-nine at present; I've 
 good reason to know, as I'm he." 
 
 It was my turn to be astonished, but it was 
 not policy to show it. Therefore I merely said, 
 "Oh, indeed!" 
 
 " You see," he went on dully, " that's where 
 Wildred has had his pull over me since he ran 
 across me, by a piece of devil's own luck, in 
 Canada five years ago. As you say, I have 
 changed; but his eyes are like gimlets, they'd 
 pierce a stone wall. It's quite true, as you sus- 
 pected, that he and Collins are one. I knew 
 him by a queer scar on his hand, shaped like a 
 star perhaps you've observed it? But he 
 didn't mind. He seemed even to find a sort 
 of pleasure in telling me how he had been to a 
 clever fellow in Paris, and got himself made 
 over into another man, so that he might the 
 
 256
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 more easily turn his back upon various little 
 episodes of the past. I couldn't have proved 
 it if I'd wanted to, he was so different, and had 
 worked up such a new record for himself to 
 travel on. He knew that, and he knew, too, 
 that I was in his power." 
 
 " I don't exactly see how that came about," 
 I objected. 
 
 . " Don't you? You're not so quick as usual, 
 then. I'd been accused of the murder at the 
 Santa Anna Hotel. I hooked it, and got over 
 to Mexico, so to Spain and France. I'd always 
 been a black sheep, you know, but that was 
 the first really serious trouble I'd got into. 
 However, as I said, five years later, when Wil- 
 dred and I met, I was in Canada; I'd turned 
 actor (I'd always a little talent that way) , and 
 was doing pretty well. He pointed out to me 
 and I wasn't very long in seeing his point 
 that I was not so much changed but what I 
 should easily be recognised by those who had 
 known me during those wild days when I'd 
 been under his thumb in San Francisco, and 
 the authorities there would still be very glad 
 
 257
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 to hear of me. He didn't happen to want any- 
 thing of me just then, but he allowed me to 
 understand that it was to my interest to keep 
 sweet with him. And from that day to this 
 he's had his eye on me." 
 
 " But it was he who was accused of that 
 murder, not you," I said. 
 
 "What!" 
 
 The man seemed either not to believe or 
 understand me. 
 
 I repeated the statement, and then, when 
 he stammered his astonishment, his ignorance 
 of all that had taken place in San Francisco 
 after his escape (at which we had all tacitly 
 connived at the time), I went on to explain 
 the true circumstances of the case. Carson 
 Wildred had deceived him into the belief that 
 he alone had been suspected that if he were 
 caught he would be promptly hanged. 
 
 " He has told the same story to your sister, 
 I would swear! " I exclaimed, hotly. " It is 
 for this reason that she has been persuaded into 
 promising to marry him. Believing that he 
 knows your whereabouts, and holds it in his 
 
 58
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 power at any moment to have you punished as 
 a murderer believing, too, no doubt, that you 
 did commit the murder, she has been ready to 
 save your life by the sacrifice of all that has 
 made hers dear." 
 
 " Curse him! I'd take my oath you're 
 right! " he asseverated. " He's sly enough and 
 vile enough for anything." 
 
 " Did you ever see Harvey Farnham? " I 
 questioned. 
 
 ' Yes, years ago I knew him well, and liked 
 him immensely as he did me, I think. It was 
 in Tuolumne County, California, where he had 
 a gold mine the Miss Cunningham. It was 
 I who named that, oddly enough it may seem 
 to you, after my sister, of course. He wasn't 
 aware of that, but thought it was just a whim 
 of mine, that probably I'd admired some girl 
 called ' Miss Cunningham,' and wanted to pay 
 her a compliment. You see, no one knew me 
 ly my right name even then. 
 
 " It was before that hateful time when I got 
 in with Collins, or Wildred, whichever you like 
 to call him, and not long after I'd run away 
 
 259
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 from home and England under the assumed 
 name of Hartley it was my mother's maiden 
 name. I was only seventeen or eighteen, but 
 I was pretty sharp for my years, I'm afraid, 
 for I'd been among a queer lot already, and 
 one night I would have got into a row with 
 some older man over cards, a row that might 
 have ended badly if it hadn't been for Mr. 
 Farnham, who had dropped into the place to 
 look on, and who stood by me for all he was 
 worth. 
 
 " It seemed he noticed me the moment he 
 entered the room, thinking that I looked 
 enough like him to be his own son. After- 
 ward he took me up, making a lot of me, want- 
 ing to find out where I'd come from, and all 
 that. He thought my resemblance to him 
 (which everyone who saw us together invari- 
 ably remarked) a wonderful joke, and used 
 to call me his ' boy,' and * sonny,' getting it into 
 his head that I was a sort of ' Mascot,' who 
 brought luck to him in whatever he undertook. 
 That was the principal reason, of course, that 
 he was so keen on having me name his mine for 
 
 260
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 him. I think if I had sowed all my wild oats, 
 and been willing to settle down a bit into a re- 
 spectable member of society, there was a time 
 when he wouldn't have minded adopting me, 
 for some old, unhappy love affair or other had 
 kept him out of the marriage-market, eligible 
 as he was, and he swore that he never meant 
 to marry, even for the hope of having an heir 
 to all his money. Yes, I might have been that 
 heir if I hadn't been a fool, for Farnham cer- 
 tainly thought the world and all of me in those 
 days. As it was, he did me many a kindness." 
 " And now, by way of repaying that affec- 
 tion and those kindnesses," I could not help ex- 
 claiming, with a returning touch of the old 
 bitter contempt, " youVe undertaken to help 
 his murderer to get off scot free. You've been 
 masquerading in the very clothes the poor fel- 
 low wore, you've been using his luggage, trad- 
 ing on the likeness to him which once won for 
 you his regard, heightening it in every way 
 by artificial means, so that not only shall Car- 
 son Wildred, or Willis Collins, escape sus- 
 picion, but that he may enrich himself on the 
 
 261
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 dead man's millions. You even set an hotel 
 on fire to finish the whole fiendish plot with a 
 fine dramatic effect! " 
 
 The poor wretch, who had made such a wreck 
 of his young life, was white as death, and shak- 
 ing like an aspen. I could see the beads of 
 sweat oozing out on his pale forehead. " For 
 God's sake," he implored, " don't say that to 
 me; I can't bear it! Until you told me just 
 now I swear to you by all I hold sacred by 
 my sister's love, which I so little deserve that 
 I never dreamed of Harvey Farnham's being 
 dead. You may believe me or not, as you like, 
 but you're her friend, so I should be glad that 
 you should believe. And, at least, you owe it 
 to me in common justice to hear what I've got 
 to say. 
 
 " Collins always managed to keep his eye 
 on me, and knew my whereabouts and my do- 
 ings, making me feel that at any moment he 
 could come down on me if he chose. I daresay 
 he had other men in his power like that, men 
 whom he thought he might wish to make his 
 tools at one time or other. I didn't often hear 
 
 262
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 from him, though I knew myself shadowed, 
 and knew also, only too well, whom I had to 
 thank for it. You can't guess the horror of 
 the feeling, or how it got on my nerves. I 
 fancied it would drive me to madness or sui- 
 cide one day, always knowing I was watched, 
 that I could never, try as I would, escape that 
 Eye, which was really Willis Collins's, spying 
 me out across the ocean. 
 
 ' Well, a cablegram came from him com- 
 manding rather than asking me to go to Eng- 
 land, saying that it would be much to my 
 advantage to do so, and that my fare and all 
 expenses would at once be sent me in advance. 
 There was just a hint that I had better not re- 
 fuse, which I understood as well as if it had 
 been a definite threat; and, anyhow, there was 
 a certain attractiveness in the idea of going 
 home I hadn't seen Karine or England for 
 so long. 
 
 " I didn't mean to let my sister know of my 
 presence I would have spared her that but 
 I fancied myself standing among the crowd 
 in the Park, watching her drive by, or some- 
 
 263
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 thing of that sort. Even a glimpse of her face 
 would have been sweet. 
 
 " But when I arrived one of the first things 
 Wildred did was to tell me that he knew the 
 Tressidys, with whom Karine was living, that 
 he had heard my sister often speak of me, and 
 that he would secretly arrange a meeting be- 
 tween us. I couldn't resist the temptation of 
 having a few words with her when it was of- 
 fered for the asking, and I saw her at the 
 House by the Lock. An excuse was made to 
 bring her and Lady Tressidy there something 
 about a portrait of Karine that was in a queer 
 room called the * studio ' and while Wildred 
 was showing Lady Tressidy over the house I 
 saw my sister, and had a talk with her. She 
 felt grateful to Wildred for bringing it about, 
 and fool that I was, I didn't suspect the deep 
 game he meant to play with her, using me as 
 the decoy. I thought he had merely been will- 
 ing to take the trouble that he might get the 
 more work out of me when he wanted it, 
 though what the work was for which he had 
 brought me to England I didn't yet know. 
 
 264.
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 " After that first meeting with Karine I had 
 given Wildred my word never to try and see 
 her again ; now I understand why. He wished 
 to revive all the old love she had felt by the 
 sight of me, awaken her sympathy for my 
 troubles, when she should learn his version of 
 them from his lips, and then keep me from her, 
 lest I should hear that he had asked her to be 
 his wife, threatening to betray me if she did 
 not accept, and so, in spite of my cowardice 
 (for I am a moral coward) , setting me against 
 him, to be his slave and tool no more. 
 
 " When I had been in England about three 
 or four weeks, keeping out of the way of any- 
 one who might possibly remember me, Wildred 
 suggested the scheme of my travelling back to 
 America, impersonating Farnham, and finally 
 finishing the plot, as I did finish it to-night. 
 He admitted that it was for this he had sent 
 for me, but swore Farnham himself was in the 
 thing as deep as he; that it meant a fortune to 
 them both, which they were to share, and which 
 could be had in no other way. He explained 
 that Farnham had had bad luck in specula- 
 
 265
 
 THE HOUSE BY T#E LOCK 
 
 tions, was bankrupt, hadn't the pluck to begin 
 over again on the lowest rounds of the ladder, 
 nor to undertake carrying out this plan him- 
 self. He would funk the fire business, Wil- 
 dred said, and might, instead of escaping, 
 actually be burned to death. The object to be 
 gained, of course, I was made to believe, was 
 getting the life assurance. Farnham was sup- 
 posed to have several policies, each one for an 
 enormous sum ; he had left everything of which 
 he should die possessed, life assurance and all 
 the rest, to Wildred, who would actually go 
 halves with Farnham when the money should 
 be secured. 
 
 " I have nothing of my own, you know, ex- 
 cept what I can make by my wits, for my 
 father disinherited me, and I've had just a 
 little too much pride ever to take anything 
 from Karine. Wildred offered me ten thou- 
 sand pounds to work this business for him; 
 half to be paid down, half when the thing had 
 been successfully carried through to the close. 
 
 " Of course, I had sense enough to know it 
 was a villainous fraud, but I've never been very 
 
 266
 
 A TELL-TALE ORNAMENT 
 
 scrupulous, and it was easy to persuade my- 
 self that I owed Harvey Farnham a good turn 
 for what he did for me in the past. Besides, 
 I wanted the money, and there was five thou- 
 sand in notes (Wildred was too sly to give a 
 cheque) on the table for me to take or leave. 
 I didn't see that I was going to do much harm 
 to anybody except the insurance companies, 
 who are rich enough to lose, as Farnham hadn't 
 a relative in the world; but before heaven, if 
 I'd dreamed of the truth, I'd have let Wildred 
 do his worst before I'd have gone in with him. 
 " As for the Santa Anna, I knew that every 
 board of the hotel was assured the landlord 
 would lose nothing, and after I'd kindled the 
 fire I knocked like mad on your door. I fancy, 
 though you didn't know it, it must have been 
 that which first began to rouse you. I didn't 
 give myself much time to get out, after taking 
 off the disguise (which I flatter myself I did 
 pretty well) , but I just managed it. I can tell 
 you I was desperate when I walked in here 
 and found you ; but now I was never so thank- 
 ful for anything in the course of my life." 
 
 267
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 " The present question is, then," I said, 
 " whether you will go straight to England with 
 me and tell all you know about Carson Wil- 
 dred? If we stopped on this side, to prove 
 things step by step as we went, we should 
 labour under two disadvantages. It would 
 mean indefinite delay, and you would get into 
 trouble about that business at the hotel to- 
 night. To sail at once for England, and let 
 matters here take care of themselves for the 
 present, is our only plan, I think. What do 
 you say? " 
 
 ' You are sure that Wildred can't swear my 
 life away? " 
 
 " As sure as I am that we are both alive at 
 this moment." 
 
 " Then I'm in your hands. I'll save my sis- 
 ter, and I'll get even with Wildred for making 
 a tool and a dupe of me." 
 
 " By the time we have landed on the other 
 side," I answered, " there'll still be a clear fort- 
 night to do the first, and I think we may 
 accomplish the latter transaction simultane- 
 ously." 
 
 268
 
 CHAPTER XXVII 
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 WE had a stormy passage, and arrived at 
 Southampton four-and-twenty hours later 
 than we should have done. It was Cunning- 
 ham who bought a paper as we got into the 
 train. I was too completely preoccupied to 
 have absorbed a line of news, even had my 
 eyes mechanically perused the printed matter. 
 Cunningham (who was always restless, and 
 could not bear to be left at the mercy of his 
 own thoughts) read incessantly, however, and 
 at the end of half an hour or so handed over his 
 paper to me. 
 
 " Look at this," he said, with some eager- 
 ness, pointing out a paragraph. I glanced at 
 it carelessly at first, but in an instant I was 
 as keen as Cunningham had been. 
 
 "Another Fortune for a Millionaire," the 
 paragraph was headed, and beneath was set 
 forth the interesting fact that Mr. Carson Wil-
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 dred, who was shortly to marry Miss Cunning- 
 ham, the celebrated beauty and heiress, had 
 just heard of a legacy of half a million pounds, 
 left him by an American friend, Mr. Harvey 
 Farnham, lately burned to death in a San 
 Francisco hotel. 
 
 " So you see it wasn't only the mine, and the 
 money he should have paid for the mine, he 
 wanted," said Cunningham. " Oh, he's a 
 marvellous chap, this Wildred! " 
 
 I acquiesced in this opinion, and recalled a 
 remark made in the club by a mutual acquaint- 
 ance. " Carson Wildred is always inheriting 
 fortunes from chaps that die at the four 
 corners of the globe," he had curiously an- 
 nounced. I wondered grimly, as I remembered 
 the speech, whether all these benefactors had 
 met their death after the manner of poor Har- 
 vey Farnham. 
 
 Time was pressing now, and our idea was 
 to go straight to Karine, I to appear only as 
 the supporter of her brother. A desire for the 
 punishment of Wildred might have held a 
 prominent place both in Cunningham's mind 
 
 270
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 and mine, but our first thought was to save 
 Karine from becoming the murderer's wife. 
 
 She must be disabused of the belief that her 
 brother was in any way in Wildred's power. 
 She must know that, as Cunningham expressed 
 it, the " shoe was on the other foot." She must 
 be shown the black depths of Carson Wil- 
 dred's villainy, and be dragged back from the 
 brink of the precipice on which she had stood. 
 
 Ours was a quick train, and went straight 
 through to London without stopping. After 
 arriving at Waterloo station, therefore, we 
 were obliged to wait for nearly an hour before 
 we could get another which would take us to 
 Haslemere. 
 
 A curious f eeling that I had passed through 
 all this before came over me, and as we stepped 
 out of our carriage on the platform of the 
 Haslemere station it seemed but yesterday that 
 I had arrived at the same place, intent on bid- 
 ding Karine that farewell which never had been 
 spoken. 
 
 The time of day gave me the only sense of 
 difference. We had left the ship early in the 
 
 271
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 morning, had made our first journey in two 
 hours, and now it was only very little past 
 noon. 
 
 I had wished (considering the reception I 
 had met at Sir Walter Tressidy's on my first 
 and last visit at his country house) to remain 
 at an hotel in Haslemere, there to await such 
 news as Cunningham might have to bring. 
 For Karine's sake, I thought, it would be bet- 
 ter for me not to appear openly in the matter, 
 unless it proved that the influence of her 
 brother and his narrative were not as potent 
 in their effect as I anticipated. Should he re- 
 quire any attestations from me, I was only 
 too glad to be on the spot and to be called upon 
 to give them. 
 
 Cunningham, however, had overruled this 
 programme of mine. No one could tell, he 
 said, how he might be received. He might be 
 sorely in need of me to back him up perhaps 
 even to prove the truth of his otherwise un- 
 supported assertions. 
 
 The Tressidys, he alleged, were peculiar. 
 Though his sister had not confided in him, he 
 
 272
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 knew that she was unhappy with them. They 
 had very little money of their own on which to 
 keep up the appearance they wished to make 
 in the eyes of their world, and Cunningham 
 did not believe that Lady Tressidy would he 
 above accepting a heavy bribe from Wildred 
 for furthering his suit, by almost any means, 
 with poor Karine. 
 
 Half against my will, therefore, yet not 
 wholly with reluctance, I must confess, I en- 
 tered the carriage which was to drive us both 
 to the house where a few weeks ago I had been 
 so ruthlessly repulsed. 
 
 " Thank heaven! " I said, as we rattled up 
 the hill (perhaps in the same vehicle which had 
 driven me before) , " that the storm wasn't just 
 a degree more severe in crossing. It was 
 touch and go with us one day, at all events, I 
 believe; but a fraction worse, and we shouldn't 
 have been here now to stand between Miss 
 Cunningham and that villain. A week or ten 
 days more, perhaps, and even if we'd reached 
 her we might have been too late." 
 
 There was a certain tumultuous joy in my 
 273
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 heart, far removed from happiness, yet intoxi- 
 cating as new wine. Karine might never be 
 mine, but she was saved, and it would be I who 
 had saved her. I could never be regarded by 
 her quite with indifference after this day. 
 
 As we drove we made various hurried plans 
 as to what we should do if we were refused 
 admittance. We were determined at least to 
 see Karine, even if we were obliged to force 
 our way into her presence. 
 
 As we got out of the carriage and ran up 
 the four or five broad stone steps that led to 
 the front door, something crackled under our 
 feet like exaggerated grains of sand. We 
 were far enough, however, from guessing the 
 nature of the foreign substance that was thus 
 crushed beneath our disregarding boot-soles. 
 
 The door was opened by a smiling footman. 
 He was not the man I had previously seen, and 
 evidently, judging from the genial flush on his 
 face and the twinkle in his eye, something 
 agreeable or amusing had recently taken place. 
 He tried to draw his countenance into the con- 
 ventional lines of footman-like solemnity, but, 
 
 274
 
 TOO LATE! 
 
 his eyes lighting upon Cunningham, the ex- 
 pression changed to one of surprise. Very 
 possibly he noted the similarity of colouring 
 between the brother and sister, and a certain 
 vague haunting likeness that would show itself 
 at times. 
 
 " If Miss Cunningham is at home, tell her 
 that her brother has come and wishes to see her 
 immediately on a matter of importance," said 
 my companion, valiantly taking the bull by the 
 horns. 
 
 " Miss Cunningham is not at home, sir," re- 
 plied the servant. " She that is in fact, sir, 
 she has just left us for good and all. She 
 she was married, sir, at half -past ten o'clock 
 this morning, and the wedding breakfast's only 
 been over since an hour ago." 
 
 The gritty substance under our feet had 
 been the rice thrown, as though in mockery, 
 after Karine as she passed to her carriage on 
 her husband's arm. 
 
 275
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 A WILD-GOOSE CHASE 
 
 " Do you know where the the bride and 
 groom have gone? " questioned Cunningham, 
 grudgingly. 
 
 " No, sir. I heard Lady Tressidy say only 
 this morning that even she hadn't been told. 
 Mr. Wildred had some idea of a surprise, I 
 believe, sir." 
 
 The fact that not only had my companion 
 claimed to be the brother of the bride, but that 
 his facial expression and colouring answered 
 for his truth, caused the fellow to feel ap- 
 parently that we had a right to explana- 
 tions. 
 
 There was no use in endeavouring to make 
 further enquiries. Even if Lady Tressidy or 
 Sir Walter did know the destination of the 
 newly-wedded pair, it was more than improb- 
 able that they would be ready to share their 
 
 276
 
 A WILD-GOOSE CHASE 
 
 knowledge with us. And it was like Carson 
 Wildred to be prepared even for the very 
 emergency which had now arisen, by taking 
 just such precautions as he had. 
 
 Had we not been impatient and chosen the 
 steep road, less often travelled than the other, 
 we should no doubt have met the carriage 
 which drove the bridal couple to the Haslemere 
 station. Another exemplification of the old 
 proverb, that " the more haste, the less speed." 
 We could now only repair our mistake, if it 
 still admitted of reparation, by giving chase 
 with such speed as was practicable. 
 
 I gave the order to the coachman, "Drive 
 to the station as quick as you can/* and in an- 
 other moment we were off. 
 
 Fate seemed to have ordained that I should 
 meet nothing save disappointment at this door; 
 but to-day's experience had brought me some- 
 thing far deeper and more cruel than mere dis- 
 appointment. I had not counted upon the 
 chance that Wildred would be permitted to 
 hurry on the wedding during my absence, and 
 now I felt as though a chasm had suddenly 
 
 S77
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 yawned under my feet. Karine was Carson 
 Wildred's wife! 
 
 "What are we to do?" questioned her 
 brother dully. " We can't leave her with him, 
 you know." 
 
 Leave her with him! The very fact that I 
 was obliged to answer him gave me back the 
 power of concentrating thought. A moment 
 before my mind had been a blank, a chaos; but 
 now I returned, unhesitatingly 
 
 "We'll find out where they've gone, and 
 have him arrested and your sister taken from 
 him before nightfall." 
 
 " But supposing they've gone abroad 
 which is what they very likely mean before 
 we can catch them? " 
 
 :< We must catch them. There won't be a 
 train till later in the afternoon by which they 
 can get away now. They'd have to go by the 
 night boat, if it was France. Somehow or 
 other though everything seems against us, 
 and we are only two, where there ought to be 
 a dozen going in as many ways at once we'll 
 circumvent that devil yet." 
 
 278
 
 A WILD-GOOSE CHASE 
 
 "You have plenty of confidence in your- 
 self," said Cunningham. " Perhaps you don't 
 know Carson Wildred as well as I do." 
 
 I did not answer, though the words rang 
 ominously in my ears. I was very busy with 
 my own thoughts. 
 
 As soon as we could find out where Wildred 
 had taken Karine (even within my own mind 
 I would not call her his wife ) , we must lodge 
 such information with the police that he could 
 be arrested at once, either on English or 
 foreign soil, as the case might be. A man ac- 
 cused of murder, as he would be, could, for- 
 tunately, be apprehended anywhere. 
 
 At Haslemere station they could only in- 
 form us that the party of which we were in 
 search had had tickets for London, and had 
 left about three-quarters of an hour before our 
 arrival. 
 
 Even if we could have told our story with 
 sufficient succinctness to have Wildred met at 
 Waterloo by the police, there would have been 
 no time to do so. We must simply follow as 
 we could. Luckily there was a slow train due 
 
 279
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 in a few moments, otherwise I think we (I at 
 least) must have gone mad with the strain of 
 waiting. 
 
 At Waterloo we heard of them. A porter 
 had taken their luggage and put it on a cab. 
 The gentleman and lady had driven away in a 
 private carriage. What direction had been 
 given to the coachman or the cabman he had 
 not happened to hear. 
 
 I now proposed that Cunningham should 
 proceed immediately to Scotland Yard, while 
 I busied myself elsewhere. He was the one 
 who could tell of the plot by which he had per- 
 sonated Farnham in America, by Wildred's 
 desire, and in the hope of obtaining a sub- 
 stantial bribe. The authorities were already in 
 possession of such separate information as I 
 could give, and now that they would learn 
 from Cunningham how Farnham had never 
 gone to America at all, a very different and 
 more lurid light would be shed upon the past. 
 
 Meanwhile I would drive to Charing Cross, 
 and might yet be in time to intercept the couple 
 if they were intending to depart for France. 
 
 280
 
 A WILD-GOOSE CHASE 
 
 At Charing Cross they had not appeared, 
 and hastening to a telegraph office, I sent mes- 
 sages containing Wildred's description and 
 Karine's to every one of the principal railway 
 stations in London. Replies were paid, and 
 were to be received for me at the Charing 
 Cross Hotel. Having done so much, I drove 
 to the piers from which the Holland boats 
 sailed; then, having discovered nothing^ back 
 to Charing Cross again. The train which 
 would catch the night boat at Dover was just 
 about going out, but Wildred and Karine were 
 not visible. 
 
 When the last moment had come and gone 
 I betook myself to the hotel, where my tele- 
 grams were to await me. I also looked for 
 Cunningham, who was to have met me there, 
 after Scotland Yard, and decided upon forth- 
 coming arrangements. Despatches were await- 
 ing me from the head porters of various sta- 
 tions Victoria, Euston, Paddington, and so 
 on but no Cunningham had as yet appeared. 
 
 I opened the message from Paddington last; 
 the others had no news for me, but it seemed 
 
 281
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 that at Paddington a lady and gentleman, ap- 
 parently answering the description given, had 
 taken tickets for Maidenhead. All the blood 
 in my body seemed to mount to my head. Un- 
 less there had been a mistake in the identity, 
 Wildred must have carried Karine off to the 
 House by the Lock! 
 
 It was horrible to me that she should be 
 there. The thought of the house, and what I 
 believed had happened to Harvey Farnham 
 under its roof, was abhorrent. Why had he 
 chosen to take his young bride, on the day of 
 their marriage, to that gloomy and accursed 
 spot? A strange thrill of apprehension, vague, 
 yet none the less dreadful, shook my nerves. 
 
 I consulted the latest A.B.C. time-table, 
 which lay in the reading-room of the hotel. In 
 exactly an hour another train would leave Pad- 
 dington for Maidenhead and Marlow (the 
 nearest stations to Purley Lock), and after 
 that there would not be another until ten 
 o'clock. 
 
 I should not have much more than time to 
 catch the former, if I intended to go by it
 
 A WILD-GOOSE CHASE 
 
 and I did intend to go. Exactly what I was to 
 do, how I was to get Karine away from her 
 husband, I did not dare stop to think, but 
 somehow I would do it. So great was my 
 dread of Wildred as a criminal, and my respect 
 for him as a schemer, that I even feared dimly 
 for Karine 's safety with him. It was madness 
 to entertain such a doubt, I assured myself, 
 for great heiress as she was, Karine was 
 lovely enough and sweet enough to inspire 
 genuine love even in so cold-hearted a villain 
 as Wildred. 
 
 He might tire of her in the end, but for the 
 present her life, at least, would be safe with 
 him. So I repeated mentally, over and over 
 again; but still I was pricked with a boding 
 fear for more than her peace of mind. Why 
 had he taken her to that grim, hateful house 
 by the river? 
 
 283
 
 CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 AT THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I WOULD have wished to wait for Cunning- 
 ham, both because I wanted him with me, and 
 because I was anxious to hear what he had 
 done at Scotland Yard. However, he did not 
 come, so I wired him to the latter place, left a 
 short note for him also at the hotel, to be kept 
 till called for, and started off in a cab (when I 
 dared delay no longer) at breakneck pace for 
 Paddington station. 
 
 I just caught the train I wanted, changed 
 at Maidenhead, and arrived at Marlow by 
 half-past eight o'clock. This time I had 
 neither leisure nor inclination to walk, as upon 
 my first visit to the place on Christmas Day, 
 but took a fly, and offered the man an extra 
 fare if he would make haste. 
 
 A little short of the House by the Lock I 
 stopped him. A certain instinct seemed to bid 
 
 284
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 me not be too ostentatious in the manner of 
 announcing my arrival. I got out, and by the 
 light of a round, red moon rising over black 
 trees in the east I glanced at my watch. It 
 was five-and-twenty past nine. The whole day, 
 since my arrival at Southampton in the morn- 
 ing, had gone in searching for Karine, and it 
 might be that I was as far from success now 
 as I had been in the beginning. 
 
 A hundred yards away a small yellow light 
 shone steadily through the moon-tinged dark- 
 ness. I thought it came from the House by 
 the Lock, though the one poor ray made but 
 scant cheer of illumination for a bride's home- 
 coming. 
 
 ;< Wait here for me," I said to the driver. 
 " I may come within half an hour, I may be 
 much longer; but, at all events, wait. Here is 
 a sovereign for you, and you shall have as 
 much again when I return." 
 
 The tone of his voice told me that he was 
 suspicious, as well as curious, regarding the 
 mysterious intentions of his fare; but I was 
 sure that he would not fail me. Two pounds 
 
 285
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 were not to be so easily picked up every 
 evening. 
 
 I walked on rapidly. As I approached the 
 House by the Lock I lost sight of the yellow 
 gleam which for some time had guided me, 
 but the moon glinted bleakly on the staring 
 panes of dark, upper windows. 
 
 Desolate as the place had appeared at the 
 hour of sunset, it had had an air of hospitable 
 welcome at that time compared to that which 
 it wore now. Never, it seemed to me, had I 
 seen a habitation so grim, so silently suggest- 
 ive of haunting, evil things. The face of the 
 moon, as it rose, lost the ruddy hue which had 
 coloured it nearer the horizon, and its paling 
 disc was swept by black and ragged storm 
 clouds. The wind moaned through the trees 
 like the wail of a lost soul, and there was a 
 stealthy, monotonous lapping of the dark 
 waters so close at hand. 
 
 Other sound there was none, and, though I 
 had seen the small ray from a distance, now 
 so far as I could ascertain not a window in 
 the whole gloomy pile was lighted.
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 I went up the path, knocked, and rang the 
 bell, which sent back jangling echoes, such as 
 belong in one's fancy to an uninhabited house. 
 From a distant kennel a dog began to bay. 
 Otherwise I was not answered, and as I rang 
 and thundered on the knocker again, the ani- 
 mal's voice at length subsided into a protest- 
 ing whine. 
 
 I ought by this time to have been sure that 
 Wildred and Karine were not in the house, 
 but, on the contrary, I was by no means certain 
 of that fact. Mentally I argued that, if the 
 master was absent, a caretaker or servant 
 would certainly have been left, and unless a 
 stone-deaf person had been selected for the 
 post my violent alarms would have brought 
 him to me. 
 
 If any reason existed, however, why the door 
 should not be opened, it would be easy to un- 
 derstand how and why the caretaker might be 
 suddenly afflicted with an inability to hear. 
 
 Instead of being plunged into discourage- 
 ment, an ever-kindling fire of rage mounted 
 within me. Rather than go away ignorant as 
 
 287
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 to whether Karine was hidden in this hateful 
 house or not, I would force an entrance. I 
 sprang down the steps and went to one of the 
 bow windows nearest the door. 
 
 Not an instant's hesitation had I in kicking 
 in one of the panes of glass, but, as it hap- 
 pened, I had only my trouble for my pains. 
 There were solidly-barred shutters inside, so 
 heavy that even I, strong man as I was, could 
 not break them open. 
 
 Furious now, I ran up to the door again, 
 and drove my gloved fist through the glass in 
 one of the curious, six-inch-wide window panes 
 that ran the length of the door on either side. 
 The shivered glass jingled sharply on the pol- 
 ished wood of the floor inside, and I thrust in 
 my arm up to the elbow, hoping to get at the 
 lock on the door within. As I did so foot- 
 steps came running in the distance. 
 
 " Here ! Here ! What's the matter with 
 you? " cried an imperative voice. 
 
 I had heard it before, I remembered. It was 
 that of the eminently respectable-looking serv- 
 ant who had so cleverly defended his master's 
 
 288
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 reputation on the occasion of my former visit 
 to the House by the Lock. 
 
 " If you're a burglar," remarked the voice, 
 " you'd better go away while you can. I have 
 a revolver, and my hand is on the trigger 
 now." 
 
 " I am no burglar," I returned. " This is 
 not exactly the time of night to expect such 
 gentry, is it? But you've kept me waiting long 
 enough. I wish to see your master and mis- 
 tress, whom I happen to know are here this 
 evening, and I don't mean to go away without 
 doing it." 
 
 The man inside chuckled. 
 
 " Nice way of announcing yourself, ain't 
 it, sir? But as it happens you'll have to go 
 elsewhere to see my master and the new mis- 
 tress. I don't know where they are it ain't 
 likely I should but I do know they aren't in 
 this house, where there isn't a solitary soul but 
 me. As for the time of night, that's neither 
 here nor there, so long as I'd chosen to go to 
 bed ; and I can't dress all of a minute to please 
 anybody that likes to come banging at the 
 
 289
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 door. You deserve to be had up for damaging 
 the house, that you do, whoever you may 
 be." 
 
 There was a ring of virtuous indignation in 
 the voice, and for a few seconds' length I hesi- 
 tated. Perhaps, after all, the fellow was tell- 
 ing the truth. I was very certain of his 
 capacity for lying, but it might well be that 
 Wildred and Karine had not really come here. 
 Still 
 
 Far away a door slammed sharply, and just 
 in time to decide me. The man had lied. He 
 had just told me that he was alone in the house, 
 and this one sound had unmistakably proved 
 the falsehood. It was not the sort of noise 
 with which the wind shuts a door, even had the 
 wind been violent enough to do so, and win- 
 dows open to admit it. The latch had been 
 lifted by a human hand. 
 
 The servant, who was entirely out of my 
 sight, began talking hurriedly, jabbering any 
 nonsense, as though to cover what had hap- 
 pened. I listened intently, and through his 
 chattering I fancied that I could hear sub- 
 
 290
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 dued with distance and intervening walls the 
 sound of a woman's crying. 
 
 My heart seemed to leap into my throat. I 
 could feel the blood throbbing almost to burst- 
 ing at my temples. 
 
 " You liar! " I roughly exclaimed. " They 
 are here, and I will see them, if I have to break 
 the door down ! " 
 
 ;< Try it, then! " the man cried, tauntingly. 
 " Just try it and you may try all night. Ta, 
 ta! Good-bye, and good luck to you! " 
 
 I heard his feet tapping swiftly along the 
 uncovered floor as he ran away. Another door 
 was opened and closed, and he was out of ear- 
 shot. 
 
 Desperately I again endeavoured to find the 
 lock. It was no use. Thrust in my arm as 
 far as I might I could not touch it, and though 
 I broke the narrow pane on the other side as 
 well, the fastenings of the door were beyond 
 my reach. 
 
 With all my strength I flung myself against 
 the door, but the heavy wood stood firm as 
 though it had been a sheet of iron. There was 
 
 291
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 evidently no hope in that direction, and dizzy 
 with my own rage and desperation, I began 
 attempting some of the windows. But all 
 were secured with the impregnable shutters 
 and bars inside, and it would have seemed that 
 the inmates of the House by the Lock were 
 prepared to stand a siege. 
 
 Whether it was Karine whom I believed I 
 had heard weeping or not, I could not be sure. 
 I could not even have taken my oath that there 
 had been such a sound at all, but I was morally 
 certain of it. 
 
 I ran round the house, trying in vain to bat- 
 ter in another door, and was met everywhere 
 by silence and darkness. At the side, how- 
 ever, I came at last upon the extension with 
 the tower, whence I had seen the suspicious 
 smoke and flame pouring on that memorable 
 Christmas afternoon. Over the roof of the 
 low " studio," which possessed no windows, I 
 could see a faint yellow glow, like a luminous 
 halo or crown, and suddenly, as I stood re- 
 garding it in some bewilderment, I recollected 
 the skylight which I had observed from within. 
 
 292
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 If I could in some way climb to the top, 
 break through the glass and let myself down, 
 the problem as to how I should get into the 
 house would be effectually solved. 
 
 It now struck me that the studio, as seen 
 from outside, was disproportionately large 
 compared with the room inside, as I remem- 
 bered it. There had been only the one, which 
 apparently constituted the sole purpose of the 
 building, and yet it appeared to me that there 
 might have been space for two of the same 
 small size. 
 
 Low as the erection was it was too high for 
 me to climb, and I began hastily looking about 
 for some means of assistance in carrying out 
 my plan. 
 
 In the coach-house, I thought, there might 
 be a ladder, and thither I repaired without de- 
 lay. But the doors were padlocked, and try 
 them as I might I could not open them. 
 
 What was I to do? The more difficulties 
 which encumbered my path, the more did I 
 determine to surmount them. Returning to- 
 wards the house I noticed a large rustic seat 
 
 293
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 placed under an ancient apple tree, and it 
 occurred to me that if I could balance the 
 article against the projection of the building I 
 might, by standing it on end, use it as an im- 
 provised ladder. If I could only mount for a 
 certain distance I could pull myself up by the 
 ledge of stonework which ran along the edge 
 of the flat roof. 
 
 The light which apparently filtered through 
 the skylight had warned me to be cautious in 
 my movements. Whoever was in the house 
 must have known long ago that someone was 
 determined upon forcing an entrance, but, 
 judging by the laughing taunts of the servant, 
 it would be believed that the boast had been a 
 vain one. 
 
 If anyone was in the studio it might be as 
 well if, for a few moments at least, I could see 
 without being seen or heard. I therefore went 
 about my preparations as quietly as possible. 
 
 I dragged the rustic seat across the grass 
 and set it in an angle between the tower and 
 the low building of the studio, giving it a cer- 
 tain slanting inclination, that it might not fall 
 
 294
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 when burdened with my weight. Then I 
 scrambled up, not venturing to pause for an 
 instant at the top, for I could feel that the 
 thing was slowly beginning to slide from under 
 me. 
 
 With a leap I caught the ledge of stone that 
 ran round the roof, and setting my knee 
 against the wall, helped myself up. It may 
 read simply enough when written down in 
 black and white, but it was rather a difficult 
 task in the accomplishment, and I felt that I 
 had reason to congratulate myself on my own 
 success when it was done. 
 
 Framed in a margin of dark roof eight to 
 ten feet in width was the skylight, through 
 which penetrated a subdued radiance. 
 
 Cautiously, noiselessly, I crawled to the 
 round bubble of glass and looked down. A 
 curtain of embroidered Indian silk was drawn 
 half across, but through the open space that 
 was left I could see something of the interior. 
 
 The jewelled lamp which I had previously 
 observed hanging from the centre alone illu- 
 mined the octagonal room. Now that I was 
 
 295
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 on the roof I was able to appreciate more than 
 ever the smallness of the studio. There was 
 space for a wide passage running all the way 
 round, between the inner walls and the outer 
 walls. I suspected method in this design a 
 secret which Wildred had cleverly contrived to 
 hide, and which, in conjunction with the mys- 
 tery of the tower, might account for much that 
 had been dark before. 
 
 As I looked a figure passed into my line of 
 vision. It was Wildred walking restlessly up 
 and down with his hands behind him. I could 
 hear the murmur of his voice, though through 
 the glass of the skylight the words were not 
 distinguishable. 
 
 Suddenly there came a sharp exclamation in 
 a woman's voice, and my heart gave a respon- 
 sive bound. Wildred was talking to Karine, 
 and it was she who had answered him with a 
 cry. 
 
 I had not expected, when I decided upon 
 trying to enter like a burglar through the sky- 
 light, that Karine would be in the studio. It 
 would doubtless frighten her very much if I 
 
 296
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 should suddenly make my appearance beside 
 her amid a shower of broken glass, and I 
 hesitated so to alarm her, unless the man down 
 there was already commencing to use his power 
 to torment her. If she would only go out and 
 leave me to give Wildred a surprise I would 
 have been thankful; but as I could not hope 
 for her to do that, I determined to know what 
 her companion was saying to her, which had 
 caused her to exclaim in astonishment or per- 
 haps in fear. 
 
 I took out my pocket-knife, and with great 
 care to avoid all noise I began to loosen one of 
 the small diamond-shaped panes from its 
 leaden setting. As soon as it was released at 
 one end I slipped the point of the knife under- 
 neath and so raised it that there might be no 
 danger of its falling downward and startling 
 those within the room. 
 
 297
 
 CHAPTER XXX 
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 I BENT my ear over the tiny aperture. It 
 made all the difference in the world. I could 
 now hear every word that Wildred was saying. 
 
 " I have always, and with some reason, I 
 think," was the first sentence that I caught, 
 " considered myself a man of more than aver- 
 age mental ability. I am usually prepared for 
 any traps which can possibly be sprung for mei 
 but in this instance I find I have made my one 
 mistake. I believed in a woman's devotion. 
 Probably it serves me right to have been de- 
 ceived. Since you have found it all out 
 through her, I may as well admit to you that 
 it is true. She did live here. Nobody sus- 
 pected her presence, or even her existence. She 
 was very useful to me in many ways. If she 
 had proved troublesome I could have rid my- 
 self of her at any time, and she knew it. In- 
 
 298
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 stead of doing what I ought to have done, I 
 believed that she was willing to go away 
 without betraying me, and I let her go free 
 with a present of a thousand pounds. She 
 could even have asked for more when that was 
 gone, and I would not have refused her. I was 
 a fool ever to marry her, but she was the hand- 
 somest woman I had seen at that time, and as 
 you know I was some years younger, some de- 
 grees more impulsive than I am now. I was 
 still more of a fool not to have put her out of 
 the way, knowing what she did but as I re- 
 marked, that was the mistake of a lifetime. 
 She has told you such of my secrets as she 
 knew, she has shown you certain things in this 
 house which have very naturally displeased and 
 shocked you. She timed her return very well 
 jealous idiot! but she will pay for what she 
 has done." 
 
 " How will she pay? " 
 
 I could not see Karine, but I could hear her 
 voice, vibrant with the fear and horror that she 
 felt. 
 
 "Better not ask; the question doesn't con- 
 299
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 cern you. She will simply become familiar- 
 ised with the secrets of the House by the Lock 
 in a manner upon which she didn't count, that's 
 all." 
 
 " I had never pictured Satan himself so 
 cruel, so horrible as you," cried Karine. "I 
 thank heaven, now that I know through this 
 wretched woman what you really are, that not 
 I, but she is your wife ! " 
 
 ' Yet you must remain with me, as though 
 you knew nothing but what I would have 
 had you know, for your own sake and your 
 brother's. 
 
 " Had it not been for that f oolish creature, 
 who has ruined herself in trying to ruin you 
 and me, we might have been happy together, 
 Karine. I admire you more than any woman 
 on earth, for you are certainly the most beau- 
 tiful, and your coldness to a man of my tem- 
 perament has only added to your attractions 
 as a girl. As a married woman it would have 
 been different. I meant to make you love me ; 
 and even now, Karine, what has happened that 
 need change anything between us? You are 
 
 300
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 not a conventional little fool, as are some 
 women I could name, and the love of a man 
 like me must create some impression on your 
 nature. The obstacle which you think stands 
 between us shall be removed, the marriage 
 ceremony can again be performed over us 
 secretly, if you choose. No one will be the 
 wiser, and as in any event you must stay here 
 in my house " 
 
 " I will not. Somehow God will help me to 
 escape, and then, when I am free from you, I 
 shall let such friends as I may have left deal 
 with you as you deserve." 
 
 " It's difficult to see how you will get away. 
 It's true I did not dream that Marion would be 
 here to greet us or I would not have brought 
 you to this house. But now that you are in it 
 you will stay. No one knows that we are here 
 no one in your world, at least and I intend 
 that we shall have a protracted honeymoon. 
 You heard how some vagabond, some tramp 
 who wished to get in, failed just now? Well, 
 it is just as difficult for strangers to escape 
 from the House by the Lock as it is for them 
 
 301
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 to effect an entrance. For instance, you and I 
 are now cut off by means of a sliding iron door 
 from the old portion of the house. From this 
 there is absolutely no way out, unless I allow it, 
 save one, and that way two or three people have 
 already found by going through a certain little 
 door hidden behind the hangings. I'll show 
 it to you, if you like, or perhaps the lady 
 who told you so much has told you that as 
 well?" 
 
 " She has. She told me all about poor Mr. 
 Farnham, how you made him believe you a 
 friend to be trusted, how you induced him to 
 smoke opium here in this very room this 
 awful room till he was dazed and uncon- 
 scious, and how he only roused from his stupor 
 just as you were going to burn him alive in 
 your horrible crematory. She told me how the 
 furnace went wrong at the last moment and 
 you had to kill him in a different way from 
 what you had planned less easy for you, more 
 dangerous of discovery. Oh, the horror of 
 listening to those details, for she spared me 
 nothing nothing ! I heard from her how Mr. 
 
 302
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 Stanton came in the midst of the dreadful hap- 
 penings on Christmas Day, how she saw him 
 through the door, and afterwards, when he had 
 spoken to the police, how you bribed her with 
 jewels and money to pretend that she was your 
 cook, that she had screamed with the pain of 
 burning her foot, and how she painted her 
 ankle to look like a red scar when she had to 
 show some proof of her story. She would 
 have been true to you through everything, she 
 said poor misguided woman if she had not 
 been taken ill and stopped in London instead 
 of going to France, as she had promised, and 
 so seen in the papers about our coming mar- 
 riage. What mockery to call it that ; and yet, I 
 thank heaven that it need only be mockery 
 that it is not real. 
 
 " I wonder that the shock of finding that 
 woman concealed in my room waiting for me 
 to come did not drive me mad. But I am not 
 mad, and such wit as I have I warn you I shall 
 devote to thwarting you, Carson Wildred. Do 
 you think I could go on living under the same 
 roof with you, even if I were in reality your 
 
 303
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 wife? No, you can kill me if you like; it 
 is the only way in which you can keep me 
 here." 
 
 He did not answer for an instant, then he 
 said slowly, "Do you remember just putting 
 your name on a paper I asked you to sign for 
 me with my stylographic pen in the train this 
 afternoon? Well, you thought it was merely an 
 order for letters to be sent on to your new ad- 
 dress, but it was something rather more impor- 
 tant than that. You put your name to a 
 document which leaves all the money of which 
 you die possessed unreservedly to me. I have 
 already had it witnessed by my servant and 
 another. You understand to what this points, 
 perhaps? If you show yourself amenable to 
 reason I shall consider you a wife to be proud 
 of, and there is no ambition which we need 
 cherish in vain if we are to live our lives to- 
 gether. But, on the other hand, unless you 
 will go heart and soul with me, ignoring the 
 past, you have to-day been told too much for 
 my safety or your own. What if you should 
 catch a serious cold here at the House by the 
 
 304
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 Lock? Unfortunately, the place is rather 
 damp, though so charming in many ways. 
 You might have an attack of pneumonia. Only 
 fancy how the world would sympathise with the 
 husband of so beautiful and popular a girl as 
 yourself if he were bereaved of you during the 
 honeymoon? " 
 
 " Oh, you are horrible horrible ! It is like 
 death even to listen to you ! " cried Karine. 
 "If only there was a soul on earth to help me 
 but there's none none ! " 
 
 His answer, if he had made one, was 
 drowned in the crashing of glass. Better that 
 she should be startled, even to the point of 
 swooning, rather than endure for another sec- 
 ond the torture that that fiend was inflicting 
 upon her. 
 
 I broke in the skylight with the heavy stick 
 which I had brought up to the roof between 
 my teeth. Then, with hands cut and bleeding, 
 despite the protection of my gloves, I swung 
 myself down and dropped on to the floor. 
 
 There was a cry from Karine, and a sharp 
 exclamation of dismayed astonishment from 
 
 305
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 Wildred, for once outwitted. I had never 
 been a match for him in diplomacy, but when it 
 came to a physical encounter, I had every ad- 
 vantage over him, and I knew it. 
 
 He had no time to pull out the knife or 
 revolver, for which his hand flew to his pocket, 
 for I was on him, taking him by the throat and 
 shaking him as a terrier shakes a rat. 
 
 I had not stopped even to look at Karine, 
 and yet the vision of her pale face and hands 
 clasped over her bosom had flashed, lightning- 
 like, upon my consciousness. " Thank heaven ! 
 thank heaven! " I could hear her sob. I 
 hoped that she did not look that she had 
 closed her eyes, or covered them with her hands, 
 but Wildred did not give me time to make sug- 
 gestions. He was more nimble, if he was less 
 strong, than I. 
 
 I could feel, through all his writhings, that 
 he was trying to force me along with him to- 
 wards a certain corner of the room, and, realis- 
 ing it, resolved to thwart him, whatever his 
 object might be. I had come to the knowledge 
 exactly one second too late, however. He had 
 
 306
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 managed to place his foot on a bell concealed 
 under one of the rugs on the floor, and I heard 
 its summons go pealing shrilly out through the 
 house. 
 
 I remembered how I had looked for a bell in 
 this room once before; it was scarcely to be 
 wondered at, considering its position, that I 
 had not found it. 
 
 In another moment the servant-accomplice 
 would come to the assistance of his master. 
 Had it not been for Karine's presence I felt 
 that I should not have found it difficult in my 
 present mood to have held them both in check, 
 but as it was I should greatly have preferred 
 only one antagonist. 
 
 The struggle in which I was engaged with 
 Wildred had degenerated into a species of 
 wrestling match. I had him down on one knee 
 at last, and bending his arms behind him while 
 he poured forth a volley of deadly oaths his 
 strange, light eyes flashing into mine I at- 
 tempted to tie his hands together with my silk 
 handkerchief, wound into a slip-knot I had 
 learned to make at sea. 
 
 307
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 He was slippery as a serpent in my grasp, 
 and it was taking all I knew to manage him, 
 when a cry from Karine gave me the first warn- 
 ing that I was attacked from behind. 
 
 The confidential man had stolen in as noise- 
 lessly as I had crept upon the roof and to the 
 skylight. 
 
 "Take that, then! " I heard him snarl sav- 
 agely, and a low exclamation from my dar- 
 ling told me that in some way he had revenged 
 himself upon her. For an instant I lost my 
 presence of mind and my hold upon Wildred. 
 Involuntarily I turned to go to Karine's rescue, 
 and the movement was a fatal one. Wildred 
 was up like a rod of steel that has been forcibly 
 bent backward. The two threw themselves 
 upon me together. I felt a sharp, hot pain 
 run fiercely through my side, and knew that I 
 had been stabbed. My one thought was for 
 the girl. If they worked their will upon me, 
 and killed me before her eyes, what was to be- 
 come of her? 
 
 "Run, Karine escape!" I panted. I could 
 not see her, but I was assured that she had not 
 
 308
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 obeyed by the loud screams for help which she 
 was desperately uttering. 
 
 Again I got Wildred down, but the other 
 man was on top of me, and for the second time 
 I felt the burning pain, this time in my 
 shoulder. I fought like a mad creature now, 
 with the intent to kill, which I had not had be- 
 fore; but the conviction grew within me that, 
 battle as I might, the effort would be all in 
 vain. 
 
 Sparks danced before my eyes, and then 
 everything grew dim. Out of chaos came a 
 shriek from Karine. Could it be a cry of joy? 
 What reason was there for rejoicing? 
 
 But there followed a renewed crashing of 
 glass, the muffled thud of feet descending from 
 a height upon the soft surface of rugs, and the 
 sound of men's voices. 
 
 It seemed to me that Cunningham's was 
 among them, but a strange, cold pall of dark- 
 ness enveloped me, and I knew no more. 
 
 Afterwards I learned how it was that 
 Cunningham, with two detectives from Scot- 
 
 309
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 land Yard, had arrived in the very " nick of 
 time." 
 
 His statements to the police authorities had 
 been necessarily so elaborate, and had been 
 deemed so extraordinary, that it had taken 
 some time to create the desired impression at 
 headquarters. 
 
 He had been stiU at " The Yard " when my 
 wire had arrived. When at last he had induced 
 the " powers that be " to grant a warrant for 
 Wildred's arrest on suspicion of having mur- 
 dered Harvey Farnham, and to send a couple 
 of men to the House by the Lock, where my 
 telegram had announced that he was probably 
 to be found, it was too late to catch anything 
 save the ten o'clock train. 
 
 Having reached the door of the grim old 
 mansion, Karine's cries for help, ringing out 
 upon the night through the broken skylight, 
 had told them in which direction to proceed, 
 and they had used the same method of sur- 
 mounting the obstacles which I had adopted 
 and left for them. 
 
 The servant was secured, but Wildred, see- 
 310
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 ing with his usual quickness that all hope of 
 escape was over, had shot himself through the 
 heart before the officers could reach him. So 
 died a man who had accomplished the death of 
 many another, and through his humble accom- 
 plice (who now breaks stones at Portland), 
 and the wretched wife found prisoned in a 
 room upstairs, the secrets of his numerous 
 crimes and the dark House by the Lock were 
 revealed. 
 
 It was not for many a day after that night's 
 terrible experience that I heard all the truth. 
 What with the two wounds I had received, and 
 the strain of the past few weeks, which had 
 begun to tell upon me at last, for a time I lay 
 in rather a precarious condition. But one 
 morning I woke to consciousness, and found 
 that the beautiful face which had been near me 
 in my dreams was present in reality. Karine 
 and her brother had nursed me through more 
 than a fortnight's illness. 
 
 Had I been quite myself I would have felt 
 that then was not the time to speak of love to 
 the girl who had endured so much. But the 
 
 311
 
 THE HOUSE BY THE LOCK 
 
 words were uttered before my judgment would 
 let me restrain them, as it so often had done in 
 the first sweet, sad days of our acquaintance. 
 
 " Forgive me," I said weakly. " I'm a 
 brute. You've been such an angel to me and 
 I oughtn't to have told you now." 
 
 "Oughtn't you?" she answered softly. 
 "Do you remember my saying one evening at 
 the Savoy Hotel that there was only one thing 
 in the world which might even then keep me 
 from making a marriage that was horrible to 
 me?" 
 
 " I remember well," I returned. " I remem- 
 ber everything you ever said to me. Will you 
 tell me what that one thing was? " 
 
 " I meant if you Jiad loved me. Sometimes 
 I thought you did, but you would never say 
 so. You only asked to be * my friend.' ' 
 
 "Oh, if I had but known if I had but 
 dared ! " I exclaimed. " I was perishing of 
 love for you from the first night I ever saw 
 your face. Is it too late now? I don't ask to 
 be your friend, I ask to be everything your 
 lover, and your husband." 
 
 312
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 " And I give you everything," she said. 
 
 So it came about that the sunshine of happi- 
 ness drove forth the black shadows which would 
 fain have lingered to haunt us like ghosts from 
 the House by the Lock. 
 
 THE END 
 
 313
 
 BE
 
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