A FOOL AND HIS FOLIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12868, 17 May 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

A FOOL AND HIS FOLIN

1 BY <:. W. APPLETOX. ; Author or "A Forgotten Past." "A Tragedy of Error." "Double* and Quits" etc.. etc. (.'IIAI'TKR XVII. Tut dinner that night* was •excellent. The " I'hamberiiii with the yellow seal" was tit for an emperor. Lawson. the* 'miller, - as most assiduous in his ministrations, and yet the meal was a. sombre one, somehow. The great dining-room. with its wall- ana ceilings of panelled oak nearly black with age, and unrelieved by a touch of colour anywhere.- oppressed me strangely. How. I wondered, could I exist in a place like this, with nobody but Mrs. Robinson and Lawson to Uilk to? 1 made mental comparisons between all this gloomy grandeur and my cosy little flat ill London, and the still cosier little club just- off the Strand, where I always ( had cheery companions at my elbow, and with pipe in month could pass an evening right, merrily. .Still I tried to persuade myself that mine was now bur a fleeting mood: and as the good wine of Burgundy coursed through my veins there were blight intervals in my long ruminations. During the day I could* drive out with Dick; from tin)!''to time I could have my friends and their wives down for a week or so, and I wondered it' it would be an unlucky thing to buy a motor-car. That would at'.least be a source of distraction, —being Cockney bred—l wouldn't for the world trust myself on the back of a. horse, ami was thus debarred from all the pleasures of the hunting season. Thus my thoughts rambled on with thai curious telegram from Berlin persistently obtruding itself at every point in my ioflections. What could it mean? Who was Pij)i'; First there was Bib!—that of course was Reginald—but Pipi' That fairly gravelled me. Was Pi"i a man or woman, and why should Reginald have been warned away from Berlin, and told to leave Binssels for Lausanne at once?. There seemed to be more than one fly in my ointment. 1 was "tired of the whole affair, and yet I felt it to be my duty to sift it to the very bottom. And there too wax- tin; baroness. It. was tv curious circumstance, haps. but I could not exorcise That lovely creature from my thought for a. dozen consecutive minutes, tiy as I would. It \va# plain, alter all. that for a few weeks or so- at least—l should hot suffer overmuch from ennui. At last I t(i>o from the table and proceeded to the library, whither 1 instructed Lawwii to bring my coffee. There—with the cut tains tightly drawn and the lamps aglowl lighted my favourite briarwood and threw myself into the depths of on easy chair. This was comfortable enough, bur I missed my evening paper." I rose again, and going to the shell, selected a book, and attempted to concentrate ivy thoughts upon it. but it was a thill tome. and ;,s h«ct my pipe slipped through my lingers, and I fell sound asleep. 1 was awakened at last by a knock, at the dour, 1 Hatted up in affright, for I had been dreaming uncanny dreams, and exclaimed: " Who is there'.' . Come -in." " I:'- only me, sir," said Mrs. Robinson, a, she entered. "'1 am sorry to disturb yon. sir, but Mr. Jaw>e and his men have arrived with tie body." "Well." I said, in a tone of irritation, 1 fear. "1 told von, Mrs. Robinson, what to 11 ." ' ..." •"You did. sit-, in. st certainly you did. T only thought that, perhaps, you would like to know, and" v "

"I'm too tired. Mis. Robinson—and a little-depressed, too, I daresay. I have had a steal strain upon mo lately; you can quite nuder.stand that?"

'• di. ijitite. sir." " Very well, then. Instinct Mi Jawse where to place the bodyin the little recep-tion-room oft' the hall, and see that be and his nun have some refreshment, f shall be going to bed presently. Where do i sleep to-night?" * . ; >

"Well. sir. as you did not mention it, I thought yon might prefer your uncle's old room, being of a southerly exposure, and more cheerful than any of the others." •'Oh. very well." I answered. " I've bad -the bedding thotougldy aired. sir. and—'" "Thanks very much, Mis. Robinson, and now 1 think you had belter run down to Mr, daw.-e again,"

As she disappeared- through the door, I looked about for my pipe, which I relighted, and made a desperate effort to be cheerful. Bur 'that was not to be, I soou heard the shuffling of heavy feet in the hall below, and the" sound of "subdued voices, olid knew what it meant. In imagination I was quickly back to the Hospital St. Jean in Brussels, and saw before me a gruesome object stretched upon nestles; and here was that same gruesome object 'being earned into a room not a dozen yards from where I was now .sitting, and I began, to feel little chilly creeps stealing down mv spinal column." Once again I thought of thai snug little cltto iu London, and heartily wished that I were there.

Then, too, this hast/ determination to throw tip my profession—a profession 1 really liked. How I should mi-..* the daily tramp through the dim corridors of the Law Courts, to the scene either of victory or defeat : the arduous working up of cases, the briefing of counsel; all the fierce excitement of litigation. Ami here had I given up this .strenuous life—for what? To sic in that vast mausoleum and cudgel my brain* day by day to know how to pass away the'time and" spend £40.000 a, year. When the sinister sounds below had ceased to reach' my ears, and I heard at last the great front" door bolted and barred. 1 rang the bell. Within a minute or two Lawson put in a welcome appearance. "Thing* are not" very cheerful hero tonight. Lawson.'' 1 said. ' " No. they arc not. -ii : bill of course these things happen and can't be helped." "1 am sleeping in my uncle's room tonight. Lawson."' .1 went on. ''Yon will have to show me the way: but first bring an extra candle or two and just a nip of whisky in case 1 can't sleepy .My nerves are i bit jumpy to-night, Lawson." "No wonder*, sir. Mine ain't just what they really ought to be either. Anything else, sir?" . , , " No, that will do." " Very well, sir."' Within live minutes he returned 'with a hay in one Loud anil a. lighted candle in the her. " Will you be good enough to follow me, sii':'' said he. 1 did so. up a great staircase. aeros-s a gallery looking the hall: theme down a long corridor, at the end of which he paused and thiew open a door, and stood aside for me to enter. I then found myself in a long low-ceiled loom, heavily wainscot ted in blackest oak, wit.li heavy curtains drawn across the recesMjtl windows: a. great, ghostly chamber with a veritable Bed of Ware, four-posted, and canopied with crimson damask at one end. a great yawning fireplace like the mouth of "a cavern at the other : huge oaken press* ami iiou-clamped chests ranged against the walls: a ponderous dressing table, with blistered minor, between the two heavily-curtained windows. I stared 'aghast at these strange items of crcarure comfort. » What did Mis. Robinson menu. Law son, by saying this was the most cheerful bedroom in the house''" I asked. Lawson placed the tray on a small table, which he drew up to ilie bedside, and lighted three- additional candles. "Well, sir," said he, "she was about right. None of tho rooms in the place are remarkable for cheerfulness, bub this i- not so bad. Lovely outlook front the windows in the morning", and with a bi« (ire of logs in tho chimney-place yonder— when the days draw in— the loom" looks line then, L assure you," 'Nevertheless,'' 1 said, ."it won't suit me; and what i.s more, f shall have electric light all over the house." "A grand light that, sir,'" said Lawson. "I see it myself one night at Chelmsford not long ago. Indeed, it were beautiful. And now, sir, f hear you are returning; to Loudon in the morning. At what time should you liko your breakfast?" "Oh, never mind about that," I said. "I have told Dick <<» have, the trap at. the door .it. a-quarter to eight. No bring or stud me up a, cup of tea and a. ..lice of .toast at .-even, f shall require nothing more, and now good night, Law,*onV'"

"Good night, sir. I hope you will sleep well. I have brought you. some of your uncle's -"favourite whisky—over twenty-live year.* old; that Mhisky. is.*' And Willi that "the garrulous hut faithful old soul shut ihe door quietly behind him. , v Before , undressing 1 threw the; window curtains open wide, nud drew irp the sashes, The moon, was now at , its full. hut. heavy rail) clouds blotted out its radiance, anil only a dim and mystic light lay athwart i lie hell of wood's encircling lie park. All below was enveloped in almost inky dat lilies*. - . •

Then I quickly undressed, and leaped into the bed. leaving all the candles ~;> burn themselves out. 1 tried in vain to sleep. All the grim events of the past week arose in my mind, and would not be ejected, Hour after hour passed, and then in despair of otherwise obtaining surcease of all this mental worry, and distress. J had recourse to that twenty-five-yeal-old whisky, and a wonderful sedative it soon proved itself to lie. " '~, / My eyelids shortly began to blink, then: suddenly closed tight, ami at once 1. was in the laud of dreams. These were confused and intangible, though always disquieting, at first. Then came one so vivid, so startling, so charged with horror that 1 awoke, with my heart wildly beating, and the cold .sweat heading my forehead and matting my very hair. I started up, and looked at my watch. It was just; npoin .seven o'clock, and a hot sun was stieamiu" through the open windows. As that dieam was repealed with even mole startling distinctness on the " following evening I will postpone any description of it until it can be set down. in its proper place. I leaped out of bed, emptied the- contents of the water jug into the basin, and my head, up to my eats, was buried in it, when a knock came'at my door. CHAPTER XVIII. • I\' shouted "Come in.' and Lawson entered' with a put of tea. and a hillock of buttered toast in a dish. Fine mor'iiing, sir." said he. "Grand." ' f , " Slept well. sir. 1 hope";'' " Xot a bit. ot it. though the uhiskv did its best. Good stuff that." 'Nothing but the very best Was ahravs your uncle's inotter. sir. "Ami a. very good motto, too. You might have brought me a little more toast, though, Lawson. "Oh, certainly; at once, sir," and he was rushing from the room when 1. stoppel him. "Good Lord, man, 1 am not. a boa constrictor. Where is your sense of humour? A quarter of that lot would do for me. Too early for any letters. 1 suppose':" He grinned. "' First post not much before ten. sir." "Thanks, that will do Lawsuit.'' I made a leisurely toilet, and was standing at tie fiom door when Dick, punctual to the moment, drove up in the trap and touched his hat, It was mtiitly down hill to the town, and the little bay mare was in rate mettle. There was jitst a touch of keenness in the air which made the drive a very enjoyable one. As we howled down the High-street somebody beckoned to me. it was Mr. Jawse. the undertaker, and I told Dick to draw up to the kerb. "' I hadn't the pleasure of seeing you last night at the Hall, sir." said he, »' " Xo," I answered, '" I was a bit done 'tip. and went to led early. Ilesides, you didn't require me." "Very tine. sir. i didn't, after receiving your instructions. What- I was going to say was f didn't screw the coffin down— wu-u'; in the least necessary, and strip warm weathei the last few day.-., too. h is really quite wonderful, and 1 noticed a pinkish tint, too, on the face of the corpse. It struck me as a bit curious." '" Js that something new in your experience?" 1 asked. "" Woll. it has happened before, but very seldom.',' " "What tlion are your inferences? That the man is not dead " "Oh. dear. no. sir. He is dead enough. I only thought you might wonder that 1 had not screwed him down. 1 thought, perhaps, you might like to have a last look, an 1 eveiything being so favourable—" "Oh. quite So, Mr. .law.se, very much obliged, good morning. Drive on, Dick." As I sat alolie iii a smoking carriage sevino fifteen minutes later I began to wonder if there could beany hidden meaning in the undertaker's words; My nerves were still '"jumpy." awl I was quite pre? pared, after the experiences of the past week, for any surprise', however startling it might be." The outcome, however ofhalf an bout's reflection was merely a shrug of mv shoulders. "Pooh!"'I said to myself. "What a fool I am to waste my thoughts over the gabble of an undertaker. It's an insult 'to this glorious sunshine, and hello! what is this': The morning papers?"

We had slowed into a station, and never was there a more welcome apparition than that of the rosy-cheeked newsboy, who at- that instant appealed at, my carriage window. ] felt that I could already sniff the atmosphere of dear old London, and a few minutes later, with the familiar pages of the Daily Telegraph spread out before me. I threw Mr. Jawse, in a metaphorical sense, to the dogs, and soon found positive exhibition' in a _ font-column disquisition upon the "Fiscal Question." I arrived at the Bpw-stieet Police Court before my case was called, and there in the corridor met my late travelling companion, Inspector Walter. ■Well." said he, after a cotdial greeting, "any new discovery in Paris':" "Now l' had thought 'this carefully over, and had come to the conclusion that, so far as the baroness was concerned, complete reticence was my best poliy. So 1 replied evasively. "No, nothing definite whatever. I am still in a fog. but I don't mean to give it up. Sooner or later 1 hope to untavel the mysteiy." " Metier chuck it,' said he with a. laugh. " You are up to your neck in clover now. Why Double yourself any mere about it?" •That is all very well," r said, "bin what about the proceedings here to-dayV" "A mere formality, that is all. I shall go into the box ami say that after very cafffttl inquiiy we have foinld nothing of an incriminating nature against you. Further, that if any eiime lias been committed', which is veiv doubtful,-—" "Why doubt fill'.'" "Because the doctors are unable to express any opinion upon the subject." "That's lather odd. isn't it'.'" "Very.' lint that is neither, hero nor there. so far as yon arc concerned. You are absolutely out of it. and as I was about to say,' if any crime has been committed, it is for the French authorities to take action in the matter. li is outside of our jurisdiction,' and accordingly the (Scotland Yard people have withdrawn from the case. I shall so inform the t magistrate bete when the ease is called." "And what about the coroner's inquiry?'' "Same thing—a mere formality. That mistake as to identity won't make one little bit of difference." I have made that all right.' " Look here, old chap." 1 said, taking him aside whcie nobody could, overbear mv words, "you have been very kind to me throughout this mess, and you can't license me of biibery if I send your wife a hundred pound-note for a new bonnet and a pair of boots or any little thing like that, can you?" He laughed and shook me by the baud. "A- von please, sir. 1 can't complain, mid we'will take it that ii is outside the regulations." At thai moment a policeman stepped up to hi, "Oh! quite right,' said he. "Step into the Court, sir. Your case will be called in a, minute or two.*' ■ 1 soon found myself in the dock again. As inspector Walter had said, it- proved to lie a mere- formality however, and of the- briefest. The presiding magistrate even went, so far as to express some very kindly words of regret that. I had been placed in .stieit an unfortunate and wholly undeserved position. These words were still pleasantly ringing in my ears, os I drove to my offices in Brunswick Square. I spent the «hole afternoon there with Barker; and at six o'clock took train again for my new. and, as yet. very uncomfortable home Dick, by arrangement, inel me at the station. "Nothing has happened up at the hall, Dick, - 1 suppose'.'" 1 said, a,-. I leaped into the trap. • *- "• <

'v'' Xa.thingj sir. except some young foreign woman nosing around and asking questions about the funeral and things!" "Oh! indeed! Did you see her. Dick?" - - Xo, sir—wish 1 had. 1 might have found out something then. ; She was rather a flashv sort. I heaiv." **

Good heavens!" I said to myself. "Can it have beep Suzanne?";adding' aloud, " Did she carry a- veil parasol. Dirk?" ' , •■Just exactly what I was going to say; von took the -very words out of riif mouth. sir." j ground my teeth with vexation. What an opportunity had l>ecn absolutely thrown "y.wav! Dad it not been for that accursed Police Court I might by this time Lave possessed not merely a clue Inn the master kev to the whole mystery. ' > Dick noticed the Took of vexation in my f acc - • ... , ••Anything wrong, sir: he asked. " Oniv' this, Dick—if anybody can trace that woman and bring her up to the hull to-night there will, be fifty golden sovereigns waiting for him!" Dick stared open-mouthed at this. '■'• Do. you really mean that,.,sir'.'*' ■•Why should L say so if I. did not mean ii •" , -.i 1 -Quite right, sir: 1 beg your pardon, sir '. " . , , He was silent- for some time: then he looked up. , ••I think I'd'like to have a try at that job. sir. Shall you' waul me again tonight?" *•,-' ; - Xo." "And would yon mind my using the nap'.'" • , i •■Not in the least. "Well, shoot me, sir, if 1 don't have that young woman up to the hall before ten o'clock tonight." # ' f "That will please me. Dick. _ " HHit you are. sir. I'll do it. and there for the present the matter dropped .*' Upon my arrival I dined in much the same manner as on the evening before. Again I repaired to the library to smoke my pipe. and upon this occasion I read the evening papers 1 had taken tnc precaution to bring with inc. \ Thus fortified 1 made a desperate effort to forget all the occurrences ot the day, but this last piece of intelligence with regard to a foreign woman with a red parasol, and who could be Done other than Suzanne," perturbed mo not a little. What did this visit to Twyford Hall portend? Could it have been the outcome of that rendezvous with Baron Slavinsky at the Cafe de la, Regcnce? If so. to what end"' Would Dick be successful in his quest? I doubled it very much. However, 1 wailed until ten o'clock, and then until eleven, and at midnight give it up. Coder the escort again of Lawson I mounted the great staircase in the. direction of that ghostly old bedchamber of my Hindi's. Again Lawson placed a decanter of the twenty-live-year-old whisky, i with glass and water jug and three lighted i cardies upon a table beside the bed. and i again wished me good night as he glided noiselessly from, the room. Somehow. I did not feel quite so depressied as upon the preceding evening. 1 was. i sleepy, too. and with an earnest prayer that i m- blond-freezing dreams would visit me this - night, 1 blew out two of the randies, and : without having recourse to the whisky jump- ! ,-d into the bed. and buried my head in the. i pillow. ! Sleep quicklv came, and with it oblivion ii.i' a. time. Then thai awful dream return--1 ed, and upon this occasion with tenfold ! vividness. I was vaguely conscious in my j dream that it was but a' dream*, and made 1 strenuous efforts to aw ike. and shake off tin i lienor of it all. Hut It, was of no avail. I | had to go through it to the bitter end. The scene of the tragedy was to me unrecognisable, merely a vast- desolate space, | bounded by the ho'ri'.on on every side. In I the centre of this great desolation there were I an open grave, a man in a coffin, and myI self. We two, the dead man and myself. [ were there alone. 1 knew that no living j thing existed within a thousand mile-" of us., I and thai it was my grim and set purpose to bury this mail. Hut suddenly he burst the lid of the coffin at the bottom of the grave, crawled out. and clambering up to where 1 st'i:xl impudently pioftssed to he my cousin I Reginald, and declined to be buried in this I unconventional manner. I at, once, retorted that lie was no,cousin of mine, bin an impostor, and pushed him into the grave again lb- fell heavily' upon the coffin, and. tor a time, lay there moaning. Then with an effort, ho stood upright "again and made a piteous appeal to me. •Frank! Frank, old boy." said he, with lean streaming down his checks, don't, for (bid's sake, bury me here alive! 1 have been a terrible worry to you. I know, but I .wrote and told" you I 'meant to reform, and I will. I will', and share my fortune with you. 100. (July let me live, let. me live. "Frank, I am too young to die the | death of a die,; like this." " Vmi are an impostor." I said, my hear! turning as haul as the nether 'millstone. "Get back into your coffin again, That .3 your bed—you have made it. Lie in it.' With that he made one last despairing effort. I thought, to escape from the grave, He clawed with lacerated nails and bleeding fingers at the turf, and for a time fruitlessly, merely tearing away great clods of earth and heavy Mint stones that fell noisily into the coffin below. At last, however, he obtained a temporary grip, and was lifting himself up when (trod upon his fingers with, my l.eavv boots, and he fell with a last despairing cry into the yawning grave again. At that' instant a. noise as of thunder seemed to split my very ear drums, and I awoke from my dream to a new and tangible horror that suddenly froze every drop of blood in my veins. Glad only in my night-shirt. I found myself in a small room, through the window of which a full moon shone with ghastly effect upon an. open coffin, in which sat upright a man iii grave clothes with blinking eyes uplifted to mine. • (To lie continued daily.)