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THE MYSTERYOF THERAVENSPURS
THE MYSTERYOF THERAVENSPURS
A ROMANCE AND DETECTIVE STORY OF THIBET AND ENGLAND. BY FRED M. WHITE, Author of "The Crimson Blind," "The Corner House," Etc. Illustrations and Cover Design by Andre Ch. De Takacs. New York : J. S. OGILVIE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 57 Rose Street . Copyright 1911, by J. S. Ogilvie Publishing Company. THE MYSTERY OF THE RAVENSPURS...
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CHAPTER I THE SHADOW OF A FEAR
CHAPTER I THE SHADOW OF A FEAR
A grand old castle looks out across the North Sea, and fishermen toiling on the deep catch the red flash from Ravenspur Point, as their forefathers have done for many generations. The Ravenspurs and their great granite fortress have made history between them. Every quadrangle and watch-tower and turret has its legend of brave deeds and bloody deeds, of fights for the king and the glory of the flag. And for five hundred years there has been no Ravenspur who has not acquitted himself like a man. T
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CHAPTER II THE WANDERER RETURNS
CHAPTER II THE WANDERER RETURNS
The hour was growing late, and the family were dining in the great hall. Rupert Ravenspur sat at the head of the table, with Gordon's wife opposite him. The lovers sat smiling and happy side by side. Across the table Marion beamed gently upon the company. Nothing ever seemed to eclipse her quiet gaiety; she was the life and soul of the party. There was something angelic about the girl as she sat there clad in soft diaphanous white. Lamps gleamed on the fair damask, on the feathery daintiness of
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CHAPTER III THE CRY IN THE NIGHT
CHAPTER III THE CRY IN THE NIGHT
The close clutch of the silence lay over the castle like the restless horror that it was. The caressing drowsiness of healthy slumber was never for the hapless Ravenspurs now. They clung round the ingle nook till the last moment; they parted with a sigh and a shudder, knowing that the morrow might find one face missing, one voice silenced for ever. Marion alone was really cheerful; her smiling face, her gentle courage were as the cool breath of the north wind to the others. But for her, they wou
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CHAPTER IV 101 BRANT STREET
CHAPTER IV 101 BRANT STREET
There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors. It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull. The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability. In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky. Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in th
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CHAPTER V A RAY OF LIGHT
CHAPTER V A RAY OF LIGHT
A sense of expectation, an uneasy feeling of momentous events about to happen, hung over the doomed Ravenspurs. For once, Marion appeared to feel the strain. Her face was pale, and, though she strove hard to regain the old gentle gaiety, her eyes were red and swollen with weeping. All through breakfast she watched Ravenspur in strange fascination. He seemed to have obtained some kind of hold over her. Yet nothing could be more patient, dull, and stolid than the way in which he proceeded with the
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CHAPTER VI ABELL CARRIES OUT HIS ERRAND
CHAPTER VI ABELL CARRIES OUT HIS ERRAND
When Ralph Ravenspur reached the basement, his whole aspect had changed. For the next day or two he brooded about the house, mainly with his own thoughts for company. He was ubiquitous. His silent, cat-like tread carried him noiselessly everywhere. He seemed to be looking for something with those sightless eyes of his; those long fingers were crooked as if about the throat of the great mystery. He came into the library where Rupert Ravenspur and Marion were talking earnestly. He dropped in upon
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CHAPTER VII MORE LIGHT
CHAPTER VII MORE LIGHT
There was a curious, eager flush on Ralph Ravenspur's face. He rose from his seat and paced the room restlessly. Those long fingers were incessantly clutching at something vague and unseen. And, at the same time, he was following the story that Geoffrey had to tell with the deepest attention. "What does it mean, uncle?" the young man asked at length. "I cannot tell you," Ralph replied. His tones were hard and cold. "There are certain things no mortal can understand unless——; but I must not go in
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CHAPTER VIII A MASTER OF FENCE
CHAPTER VIII A MASTER OF FENCE
Lady Mallowbloom's reception rooms were more than usually crowded. And every other man or woman in the glittering salon was a celebrity. There was a strong sprinkling of the aristocracy to leaven the lump; here and there the flash of red cloth and gold could be seen. In his quiet, masterly style Tchigorsky pushed his way up the stairs. Ralph Ravenspur followed, his hand upon the Russian's arm. He could feel the swish of satin draperies go by him; he caught the perfume on the warm air. "Why do yo
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CHAPTER IX APRIL DAYS
CHAPTER IX APRIL DAYS
The terror never lifted now from the old house. There were days and weeks when nothing happened, but the garrison did not permit itself to believe that the unseen enemy had abandoned the unequal contest. The old people were prepared for the end which they believed to be inevitable. A settled melancholy was upon them, and it was only when they were together that anything like a sense of security prevailed. For the moment they were safe—there was always safety in numbers. But when they parted for
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CHAPTER X A LITTLE SUNSHINE
CHAPTER X A LITTLE SUNSHINE
After luncheon, Geoffrey was leaning over the stone balustrade of the terrace waiting for Vera. Beyond a slight restlessness and extra brilliancy of the eye she was better. She had proposed a ramble along the cliffs and Geoffrey had assented eagerly. His anxiety was fading away like the ashes of his cigarette. At first he had been inclined to imagine that Vera's indisposition had been a move on the part of the unseen foe. But he put this idea from him as illogical. The enemy was not in the habit
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CHAPTER XI ANOTHER STROKE IN THE DARKNESS
CHAPTER XI ANOTHER STROKE IN THE DARKNESS
Contrary to the usual custom, there was almost a marked cheerfulness at Ravenspur the same evening. The dread seemed to have lifted slightly, though nobody could say why, even if they cared to analyze, which they certainly did not. And all this because it had seemed to the doomed race that Vera was marked down for destruction, and that the tragedy, the pitiful tragedy, had been averted. It is hardly possible to imagine a state of mind like this. And Vera half divined the reason for this gentle g
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CHAPTER XII GEOFFREY IS PUT TO THE TEST
CHAPTER XII GEOFFREY IS PUT TO THE TEST
The house was quiet at last. When these mysterious things had first happened, fear and alarm had driven sleep from every eye, and many was the long night the whole family had spent, huddled round the fire till gray morn chased their fears away. But as the inhabitants of a beleaguered city learn to sleep through a heavy bombardment, so had the Ravenspurs come to meet these horrors with grim tenacity. They were all upstairs now, behind locked doors, with a hope that they might meet again on the mo
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CHAPTER XIII REELING OFF THE THREAD
CHAPTER XIII REELING OFF THE THREAD
It was fortunate for all parties that Geoffrey was possessed of strong nerves, or he would have been certain to betray himself and them. Since he had left school at the time when the unseen terror first began to oppress Ravenspur, he had known nothing of the world; he had learnt nothing beyond the power to suffer silently and the power of love. To confide in him was, perhaps, a daring thing on the part of Ralph Ravenspur. But, then, Ralph knew his world only too deeply and too well, and he rarel
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CHAPTER XIV "IT MIGHT BE YOU"
CHAPTER XIV "IT MIGHT BE YOU"
Marion caught her breath quickly. The marble pallor of her face showed up more strongly against her dark hair. Geoffrey caught the look and his eyes grew sympathetic. "What's the matter, little girl?" he asked. "It isn't like you to faint." "Neither am I going to faint, Geoff. But I had forgotten all about that box. I cannot go into details, for there are some things that we don't talk about to anybody. But that box is connected with rather an unhappy time in my youth." "Hundreds of years ago,"
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CHAPTER XV RALPH RAVENSPUR'S CONCEIT
CHAPTER XV RALPH RAVENSPUR'S CONCEIT
"I should like to know why you wanted the ivory picture?" It was Geoffrey who asked the question. He and Ralph Ravenspur were moving along the lanes that led up to the cliffs. They were deep lanes, with overhanging edges on either side—lanes where it was not easy for two conveyances to pass. "I dare say you would," Ralph replied. "But not at present. In due course you must know everything. Geoffrey, you are fond of novel reading?" "Yes, especially books of the Gaboriau type. And yet, in all my r
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CHAPTER XVI THE WHITE FLOWERS
CHAPTER XVI THE WHITE FLOWERS
Surely enough, when Ralph Ravenspur came into the great hall, where tea was being served, he was wearing a pair of dark glasses, with gold rims. Slight as the alteration was in itself, it changed him almost beyond recognition. He had been doing something to his face also, for the disfiguring scar had practically disappeared. As he came feeling his way to a chair, the slight thread of conversation snapped altogether. "Don't mind me," he said quietly. "You will get used to the change, and you cann
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CHAPTER XVII WHENCE DID THEY COME?
CHAPTER XVII WHENCE DID THEY COME?
In the darkness nobody spoke for a moment. Not one of them could have said anything for a king's ransom. Apart from the feeling of suffocation, the gradual poppy sleep of death that filled the room as a great wave suddenly engulfs some rocky cave, the dramatic horror of the darkness held them fast. At the same time there was something of a shock, a healthy shock in the plunge from light to gloom. A fitful purple gleam still flickered where the blazing paraffin had licked the hard oak polished fl
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CHAPTER XVIII MRS. MONA MAY
CHAPTER XVIII MRS. MONA MAY
Geoffrey was slightly puzzled but, like a good soldier, he asked no questions. More and more he was coming to recognize that it was Ralph's to command and his to obey. Doubtless Ralph had some good reason when he treated his nephew like a puppet, but then the puppet was a long way from a fool, and as the days went on, it came home to him with an increasing force that he had a master mind to deal with. He had been told off this afternoon to lurk more or less concealed at the top of the steep pitc
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CHAPTER XIX VERA IS NOT PLEASED
CHAPTER XIX VERA IS NOT PLEASED
Any stranger looking along the terrace at Ravenspur would have been inclined to envy the lot of those who had their habitation there. It looked so grand, so dignified, so peaceful. Brilliant sunshine shone upon the terrace; against the grey stone of the grand old façade, the emerald green of the lawns rose refreshing to the eyes, those old lawns like velvet that only come with the passing of centuries. People from the rush and fret of cities, excursionists, who had their sordid, humdrum life in
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CHAPTER XX A FASCINATING WOMAN
CHAPTER XX A FASCINATING WOMAN
Mrs. Jessop's simple parlor had been transformed beyond recognition. The fine Chippendale furniture had been brought forward; the gaudy settees and sofas had been covered with fine, Eastern silks and tapestries. A pair of old Dresden candlesticks stood on the table, and under pink shades the candles cast a glamor of subdued light upon damask and silver and china. As Geoffrey was ushered in Mrs. May came forward. She was dressed entirely in black, her wonderfully fine arms and shoulders gleamed d
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CHAPTER XXI THE MYSTERY DEEPENS
CHAPTER XXI THE MYSTERY DEEPENS
Geoffrey recognized the deep rasping tones of Tchigorsky directly. His hand dropped to his side. No need to tell him that danger was in the air. It was the thick, still kind of night that goes with adventure. "Something has happened?" Geoffrey asked. "Something is going to happen unless we prevent it," Tchigorsky replied. "The enemy has been foiled three times lately and is getting uneasy. He begins to realize that he has to cope with somebody who understands the game. It is no use to work in th
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CHAPTER XXII DEEPER STILL
CHAPTER XXII DEEPER STILL
So startled was Geoffrey that he felt the moisture spurt from every pore like a rash. But, fully conscious of his danger, he suppressed the cry that rose to his lips, nor did he move as he felt a thick cloak thrown over his head. He slipped his revolver into his hand and fumbled it against the cold cheek of his antagonist. But the antagonist took it coolly. A pair of lips were close to Geoffrey's ear and the smallest, faintest voice spelt out the letters, T-c-h-i-g-o-r-s-k-y. Geoffrey put the we
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CHAPTER XXIII MARION EXPLAINS
CHAPTER XXIII MARION EXPLAINS
A brilliant sunshine poured into the terrace room where the Ravenspurs usually breakfasted. An innovation in the way of French windows led on to a tessellated pavement bordered with flowers on either side and ending in the terrace overlooking the sea. A fresh breeze came from the ocean; the thunder of the surf was subdued to a drone. In the flowers a number of bees were busy, bees whose hives were placed against the side of the house. They were Vera's bees and there were two hives of them. Vera
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CHAPTER XXIV MARION'S DOUBLE
CHAPTER XXIV MARION'S DOUBLE
Geoffrey was lying perdu among the gorse on the cliff uplands. He had a field glass and a rook rifle by his side, for he was waiting for a rabbit. Also he had stolen out here to think over the many matters that puzzled him. He was slightly disturbed and, on the whole, not altogether well pleased. Why had his uncle and the mysterious Tchigorsky taken him so far into their confidence and then failed him at the critical moment? He was prepared to take his share of the danger; indeed he had already
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CHAPTER XXV GEOFFREY IS PUZZLED
CHAPTER XXV GEOFFREY IS PUZZLED
It was a long time before Ralph Ravenspur spoke again. He remained so quiet that Geoffrey began to imagine that his existence had been forgotten. He ventured to lay a hand on his uncle's knee. The latter started like one who sleeps uneasily under the weight of a haunting fear. "Oh, of course," he said. "I had forgotten you; I had forgotten everything. And yet you brought me news of the greatest importance." "Indeed, uncle. What was it?" "That you shall know speedily. The danger had not occurred
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CHAPTER XXVI GEOFFREY BEGINS TO UNDERSTAND
CHAPTER XXVI GEOFFREY BEGINS TO UNDERSTAND
Geoffrey had no words for a time. Slowly the hideousness of the plot was beginning to beat in upon him. Mrs. May had mentioned bees to her mysterious companion, who had so remarkable a likeness to Marion, and by a strange chance Ralph Ravenspur had the same morning, at breakfast, mentioned a certain Asiatic bee, whose poison and whose honey were fatal to human life. "Ah," said Geoffrey slowly, "the bees Mrs. May mentioned." "Precisely, my boy. And the bees that I mentioned also. Tchigorsky found
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CHAPTER XXVII AN UNEXPECTED GUEST
CHAPTER XXVII AN UNEXPECTED GUEST
Geoffrey gave one glance at Ralph before he went. The latter nodded slightly and sharply, much as if he saw the look and perfectly comprehended it. Vera had disappeared at Marion's call. In the dining room beyond the servants were getting supper. From the distance came the pop of a cork. Outside it was dark by this time. Geoffrey closed the window. He did not speak, but waited for Tchigorsky to give the sign. His feet touched something that gave out a faint metallic twang. Geoffrey wondered. Did
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CHAPTER XXVIII MORE OF THE BEES
CHAPTER XXVIII MORE OF THE BEES
Of the real palpitating horror of the situation only three people round the table knew the true inwardness. They were Tchigorsky and Ralph and Mrs. May. Geoffrey guessed much, and probably Marion could have said a deal had she cared to. Her face was smiling again, but the uneasy, haunted look never left her eyes. And all through the elaborate, daintily served meal Mrs. May never glanced at the girl once. And yet, here under the Ravenspur roof, partaking of the family hospitality, was the evil it
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CHAPTER XXIX MRS. MAY AT RAVENSPUR
CHAPTER XXIX MRS. MAY AT RAVENSPUR
The woman known as Mrs. Mona May had lost no time in adapting herself to circumstances. That she had found her way on to the terrace for no good purpose was known to three people, although in all probability she imagined that Tchigorsky alone was acquainted with her designs. He had laid a trap for her and to a certain extent he had forced her hand. But she was too brilliant and unscrupulous a woman not to be able to turn misfortune to her own advantage. And was she not here——here a guest among t
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CHAPTER XXX A LEAF FROM THE PAST
CHAPTER XXX A LEAF FROM THE PAST
Ralph Ravenspur, with Tchigorsky and Geoffrey, sat smoking in the billiard room until Vera came in to say good-night and drive them off to bed. As they were about to separate at the head of the stairs Ralph gave them a sign to follow him. "Come to my room for half an hour," he said. The others complied. Tchigorsky slipped away for a while, and on his return he laid the end of a long silk thread on the white table cover. "Part of a little scheme," he said. "This is one end of the silk thread. Whe
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CHAPTER XXXI THE SILK THREAD
CHAPTER XXXI THE SILK THREAD
Intensely interested as he was in the story that Tchigorsky had to tell, Geoffrey nevertheless watched the slowly moving thread on the table. Gradually and very slowly the silken tag began to draw away from the pattern on the tablecloth, Tchigorsky following it with grim eyes. "You find it strange?" he asked Geoffrey. "Strange and thrilling," Geoffrey replied. "It appeals to the imagination. Some tragedy may be at the other end of that innocent-looking thread." "There may be; there would be if I
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CHAPTER XXXII MORE FROM THE PAST
CHAPTER XXXII MORE FROM THE PAST
Geoffrey looked from one to the other for explanation. "Won't you tell me what has happened?" he asked. "As a matter of fact, nothing has happened," Ralph replied. "A little time ago Tchigorsky outlined a bold stroke on the part of the foe. He suggested that it was possible, without removing a single bolt or bar, to spirit away one of the family, who would never be heard of again. Tchigorsky was making no prophesy; he was speaking from knowledge. Well, the attempt has been made and it has failed
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CHAPTER XXXIII VERA SEES SOMETHING
CHAPTER XXXIII VERA SEES SOMETHING
It was nearing dawn when Vera came to herself out of an uneasy slumber. The darkest hour that precedes the faint flush in the eastern sky was moving away. There was a light in the room. Vera rubbed her eyes wondering. It was one of her fancies to have no light in her room. Better to lie with horrors she could not see than have the glimmer from a nightlight filling every corner with threatening shadows. Vera sat up in bed, forgetting for the moment that she had a racking headache. Something had h
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CHAPTER XXXIV EXIT TCHIGORSKY
CHAPTER XXXIV EXIT TCHIGORSKY
It seemed to have been tacitly agreed by Geoffrey and Marion that nothing could be gained by telling Vera of the danger that she had escaped. Nothing could be gained by a recital of the dastardly attempt on the previous evening, and only another terror would be added to the girl's life. And, Heaven knows, they all had terrors enough. On the other hand, Vera had made up her mind to say nothing to the family generally as to her startling adventures. Of course, Geoffrey and Ralph Ravenspur would ha
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CHAPTER XXXV MRS. MAY IS PLEASED
CHAPTER XXXV MRS. MAY IS PLEASED
Geoffrey was fain to confess that he couldn't quite follow. He turned to Ralph, who once more had recovered his old expression—an expression tinged with profound regret. From the hall below came the tones of Rupert Ravenspur demanding to know what it was all about. "Go and tell your grandfather," Ralph said quietly. "Everybody who comes near us is fated, it seems. Poor Tchigorsky is no more. He was a mysterious man, and wonderfully reticent as to his past life, but he was the most interesting ma
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CHAPTER XXXVI MRS. MAY LEARNS SOMETHING
CHAPTER XXXVI MRS. MAY LEARNS SOMETHING
Mrs. May sat among her flowers after dinner. She had dined well and was on the very best of terms with herself. It had been a source of satisfaction to see the body of her worst enemy laid to rest in the village churchyard that afternoon. For years she had planned for the death of that man and for years he had eluded her. To strike him down foully had been too dangerous, for had he not told her that he was prepared for that kind of death? Had he not arranged it so that a score of savants in Euro
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CHAPTER XXXVII DIPLOMACY
CHAPTER XXXVII DIPLOMACY
Mrs. May crossed rapidly and noiselessly to the door and closed it. Not that there was any need for caution, seeing that the primitive household had been abed long ago. But precaution is never wasted. There was coffee in the grate kept hot by means of a spirit lamp. Mrs. May poured out a cup and handed it to her guest. She lay back in her chair watching him with a keen glance and the easy, natural insolence, the cruel cutting superiority of the great over the small. The man stood, his hands thru
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CHAPTER XXXVIII GEOFFREY GETS A SHOCK
CHAPTER XXXVIII GEOFFREY GETS A SHOCK
Ralph Ravenspur had wandered along the cliffs and Geoffrey had followed him. The latter came up to the blind man at the loneliest part of the rugged granite, and there for a time they sat. Ralph was graver and more taciturn than usual, till presently his head was raised and he seemed to be listening to something intently. "What is the matter?" Geoffrey asked. "Somebody is close to us," Ralph explained. "Somebody is creeping up to us in the gorse. Nay, you need not move. We are safe here on this
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CHAPTER XXXIX PRINCESS ZARA'S TERMS
CHAPTER XXXIX PRINCESS ZARA'S TERMS
Geoffrey had no reason to fear anything from his adventure in the way of catching cold, seeing that beyond his feet he was not in the least wet. But the exertion had brought the great beads to his forehead, and he lay at the entrance to the cave exhausted. Meanwhile Tchigorsky had appeared again clad in the long Oriental robes that suited him so well. Even in the strong light that filtered through a crack on to his face Geoffrey found it impossible to recognize him. "Are you feeling better?" he
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CHAPTER XL THE IRON CAGE
CHAPTER XL THE IRON CAGE
Tchigorsky made a long pause before he resumed his story. His nerves appeared to require composing. It was impossible to shake off the horror of the past. At length he went on again. "I saw the cruel light flame into the eyes of the princess; I saw that she was pleased and yet sorry to learn our decision. She gave a sign and we were brought nearer to her. "'You understand what your refusal means!' she said. 'You have been here long enough to know how carefully our secrets are guarded and also ho
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CHAPTER XLI WAITING
CHAPTER XLI WAITING
They were growing uneasy at the castle. There was a forced cheerfulness about the small party that testified to the nervous tension that held them. For some years now there had been a tacit understanding on the subject of punctuality. Such a thing was necessary when any moment might precipitate the next catastrophe. The mere fact of anybody being late for five minutes sufficed to put the rest in a fever. And Geoffrey had not come in to tea at all. The thing was almost in itself a tragedy. Geoffr
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CHAPTER XLII THE SEARCH
CHAPTER XLII THE SEARCH
Mrs. May sat out on the lawn before the rose-garlanded windows of her sitting room. A Japanese umbrella was over her dainty head, a scented cigarette between her lips. For some time she had been long and earnestly sweeping the sea with a pair of binoculars. She rose at length and made her way down the garden. There was a rugged path at the bottom, terminating in a thicket that overhung the cliffs. Here it would be possible for a dozen men to hide without the slightest chance of being discovered.
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CHAPTER XLIII NEARER
CHAPTER XLIII NEARER
To Geoffrey the position was a strange one. There was something unreal about the whole thing. Nor was it pleasant to remember that by this time the family had missed him, and were doubtless bewailing him for dead. "I am afraid there is no help for it," said Tchigorsky. "I could not see my way to certain conclusions and ends without inconvenience." "Something more than inconvenience," Geoffrey murmured. "Anxiety, troubles, what you like," Tchigorsky replied coolly. "It is necessary. I want to hav
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CHAPTER XLIV STILL NEARER
CHAPTER XLIV STILL NEARER
He entered as coolly and easily as if he had been doing this kind of thing all his life, as if he had the full use of his eyesight. "I can't see you, but, of course, you are there," he said. "Tchigorsky sent me because he cannot come himself. The jade he calls his mistress has need of him. Muffle yourself and follow me. Not too closely." Geoffrey was only too glad of the opportunity. He passed under the shadow of the rocks until he gained the path to the head of the cliffs and here Ralph paused.
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CHAPTER XLV BAFFLED
CHAPTER XLV BAFFLED
Geoffrey had not long to wait. From where he was standing he could see down into the vault perfectly well. He would have been better satisfied had he understood what those people were talking about, but their words conveyed nothing to him. On the floor of the vault the queer-looking machinery was spread out, and to the ends of the india-rubber tubes wires were attached. No sooner had this been accomplished than the woman, after giving some rapid instructions to her allies, left the vault. She wa
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CHAPTER XLVI NEARING THE END
CHAPTER XLVI NEARING THE END
It was some time before any one spoke. Geoffrey was turning the whole matter over in his mind. He was still puzzled. "I don't understand it," he said. "Of course, I follow all you say, and I see the nature of the plot intended to end us all at one fell swoop. But why do you want to have that woman under the roof?" "Because so long as she is under the roof she is comparatively harmless," Tchigorsky explained. "The princess is hot and vengeful and passionate, but she has her vein of caution and wi
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CHAPTER XLVII TCHIGORSKY FURTHER EXPLAINS
CHAPTER XLVII TCHIGORSKY FURTHER EXPLAINS
"I don't quite follow it yet," said Geoffrey. "And yet it is simple," Tchigorsky replied. "Here is a form of electric battery in the vault connected by tiny wires to every sleeping chamber occupied by a Ravenspur. In each of these bed-rooms a powder is deposited somewhere and the wire leads to it. At a certain time, when you are all asleep, the current is switched on, the powder destroyed without leaving the slightest trace, and in the morning you are all as dead as if you had been placed in a l
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CHAPTER XLVIII MORE FROM THE PAST
CHAPTER XLVIII MORE FROM THE PAST
Tchigorsky was waiting. The room was pregnant with the perfume of Turkish cigarettes and coffee. Ralph handed a cup to his nephew. "Drink that," he said. "You want something to keep you awake." Geoffrey accepted the coffee gratefully. It had the desired effect. He felt the clouds lifting from his brain and the drowsy heaviness of limb leaving him. "Are you coming with us?" he asked. Ralph shook his head. There was a strange gleam on his face. "I stay here," he said. "You are going to be busy, bu
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CHAPTER XLIX RALPH TAKES CHARGE
CHAPTER XLIX RALPH TAKES CHARGE
The troubled house had fallen asleep at last. They were all used to the swooping horrors; they could recall the black times spread out over the weary years; they could vividly recollect how one trouble after another had happened. And it had been an eventful day. For the last few hours they had lived a fresh tragedy. True, the tragedy itself had been averted, but for some time there had been the agony of the real thing. The Ravenspurs, exhausted by the flood of emotion, had been glad of rest. The
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CHAPTER L A KIND UNCLE
CHAPTER L A KIND UNCLE
Ralph crept toward the door. Marion came close to him, her hands fumbling nervously with the bolts and bars. Some of the bars were heavy, and Marion was fearful lest they should fall with a clang and betray her. Ralph stretched out his hand and drew back a bolt. "Allow me to assist you," he said. "I am used to this kind of work." A scream rose to Marion's lips, but she suppressed it. The effort set her trembling from head to foot. Yet it seemed to her that there was no cause to be frightened, fo
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CHAPTER LI "WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?"
CHAPTER LI "WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?"
With less courage than she usually felt, Marion went on her way. Perhaps there was no more miserable being in England at that moment. It is hard to play a double part, hard to be thrust one way by cruel circumstances when the heart and soul are crying out to go the other. This was Marion's position. And whichever way she went she was destined to be equally unhappy and miserable. She had to help her relations; she had to try to shield that infamous woman at the same time. And now the great secret
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CHAPTER LII "AS PROOF OF HOLY WRIT"
CHAPTER LII "AS PROOF OF HOLY WRIT"
Tchigorsky hung over the papers before him as if inspired. There was not much, apparently, in the book with the metal clasps, but that little seemed to be fascinating to a degree. The Russian turned it over till he came to the end. "You appear to be satisfied," Geoffrey said. "Satisfied is a poor word to express my feelings," Tchigorsky replied. He stretched himself; he drew a deep breath like one who has been under water. "I have practically everything here in this diary," he said. "It is writt
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CHAPTER LIII A LITTLE LIGHT
CHAPTER LIII A LITTLE LIGHT
Mrs. May, Princess Zara, the brilliant mystery who wielded so great an influence over the destiny of the house of Ravenspur, lay on her bed smiling faintly in the face of Mrs. Gordon Ravenspur, who stood regarding her with friendly solicitude. Mrs. Gordon had no suspicions whatever; she would have trusted any one. All the lessons of all the years had taught her no prudence in that direction. A kind word or an appeal for assistance always disarmed Mrs. Gordon. "I hope you are comfortable?" she as
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CHAPTER LIV EXIT THE ASIATICS
CHAPTER LIV EXIT THE ASIATICS
Tchigorsky, Ralph Ravenspur, and Geoffrey sat smoking in the blind man's room. It was late the same afternoon and from the window could be heard the thunder of the incoming tide. Tchigorsky appeared to be in excellent spirits, puffed his cigarette with gusto and came out in the new rôle of a raconteur . "We have them all now," he said. "To-day will settle everything. It was a pretty idea of Ralph's to hang about the corridor under the impression that the woman would try to send some kind of mess
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CHAPTER LV A SHOCK FOR THE PRINCESS
CHAPTER LV A SHOCK FOR THE PRINCESS
It was not a pleasant task, but it had to be done. Fortunately it was possible to do everything discreetly and in order, for the vaults were large, and there was not the slightest chance that any of the household would come near. The bodies were laid out there and the key turned upon them. Geoffrey looked at his companions and inquired what was to be done next. "Inform the head of the house and send for the police", Tchigorsky said; "so far as I can see, it will be impossible to keep the matter
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CHAPTER LVI MARION COMES BACK
CHAPTER LVI MARION COMES BACK
The police had more or less taken possession of Ravenspur. They were everywhere asking questions that Tchigorsky took upon himself to answer. As he had expected, the note carried by Vera and deposited in the farmhouse garden had been found on one of the bodies. The inspector of police was an intelligent man, and he fell in with everything that Tchigorsky suggested. "Of course you can't read this book," said the Russian as he handed over the fateful diary for safe custody, "but there are one or t
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CHAPTER LVII HAND AND FOOT
CHAPTER LVII HAND AND FOOT
What did it mean? Why was there all this commotion in the house? And why did everybody leave her so severely alone? These were the questions that Princess Zara, otherwise Mrs. May, otherwise Mrs. Jasper Ravenspur, asked herself. And why had Marion not returned? Oh, it was bitter to lie there fettered hand and foot at the very moment when activity and cunning and action were most imperatively needed. And Tchigorsky was not dead. How she had been tricked and fooled! Fate had played against her. Wh
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L'ENVOI
L'ENVOI
Marion had bowed her head before the coming storm. She asked no mercy and expected none. Yet she looked the same pure, unaffected saint she had ever appeared. Ravenspur would have taken her hand, but she drew it away. "It is true," she said, "I am a fallen angel. I have never been anything else. Put it down to my mother's training if you like, but I came here as her friend, not yours. My religion is hers, my feelings are hers; I am of her people. With all the wicked knowledge of the East I came
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