THE MYSTERY OF CLOOMBER. CHAPTER III. Chapter IV.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 43, 15 February 1889, Page 27

THE MYSTERY OF CLOOMBER.

CHAPTER 111.

Chapter IV.

(By A. Conan Dotlb, ia the Pall Mall Budget.)

" There is a scientific incredulity which surpasses in imbecility the obtuseness of the clod-hopper.'—Babon HkIIbNBACH. I

Ob 1 otjb Further Acquaintance with Majok-Qknuul J. B. Hkathkuhtone. There was, as may well be imagined, mucb 6tir amongst oar small community at the news that the Hall was to be inhabited once more, and considerable speculation as to the new tenants and their objects in choosing this particular part of tb? country for their residence. It speedily became apparent that, whatever their motives might be, they had definitely determined upon a lengthy Btay, fjr relays of plumbers and of joiner* came down from Wigtown, and there was hammering and rep»inng yoing on from morning to night. It was suprisiag how quickly the signs of the wind and weither were «ffac«id, until tho groat sqiare-set house was ail a-j sp ck-and-span as though it had been elected yesterday. There w>'re abundant signs that money was no consideration to General Heatberstone, and that it was not on the score of retrenchment that he had taken up his abode amongst us. •' It may be that he is devoted to Btudy," suggested my fathers as we discussed the question round the breakfast table. " Perhapt, he has choaeu this secluded spot to finish some magnum oput upon which he is engaged. If that is tho case, I should be happy to let him have the run of my library," Esther and I laughed at the grandiloquent manner in which he spoke of the two potato sacks full of books. 'It may be as yon say," said I, " but the Ueneral did not strike m: during our short interview as b'.-ing a man who was likely to have any very pronounced liteiary tastes. If I might ha/.ard a guess, 1 should say that he is here upon medical advice, in the hopes that the complete quiet and the fresh air may restore his shattered nervous system. If you had seen bow he glare! at me, and the twitching of his fingers, yon would have thought that it meded some restoring." '• I do wonder whether ha has a wife and a family," said my sister. " Poor sjuls, how lonely they will be 1 Why, excepting ourselves, there is not a family that they could speak to for seven miles and more." " General Heatherstone is a very distinguished soldier," remarked my father. " Why, papa, however came you to know anything about him 1 " "Ah, my dears," said my father, smiling at us over his coffee cup, "you were laughing at my library just now, but you see it may be very useful at times.'" As be spoke he t»ok a red-covered volume from a hhelt and turned over the pages. " This is an Indiaa Army List of thie; years back,' he explained, " and here is the very gen kman we want —' Heatherstone, J. 8., Commander of the bath,' my dears, and ' V.C think of that. ' V.C—' formerly colonel in tbe.

Indian infantry, 41st Bengal foot, but now retired with the rank of major-general.' In this other column is a record of his services — flbapture of Ghusaee, and defence of Jellalabad, Bobraon, 1848, Indian Mutiny, and reduction of Oudh. Five times mentioned in despatches,' I think, my dears, that we have cause to be proud of our new neighbour." "It doesn't mention there whether he is married or not, I suppose T " asked Esther. "No," said my father, wagging his white head with a keen Appreciation of his own humour. "It doesn't include that under the heading of * daring actious ' — though it very well might, my dear, it very well might." All our doubts, however, upon this head were very soon set at rest for on the very day that the repairing and tha furnishing had been completed, I had occasion to ride into Wigtown, and I met upon the way a carriage which was bearing General Heatherstone and his family to their new borne. An elderly lady, worn and sickly-looking, was by his side, and opposite him sat a young fellow about my own age, and a girl who appeared to be a couple of years younger. I raised my hat, and was about to pass them, when the General shouted to his coachman to pull up, and held out his hand to me. I could see now in the daylight that his face, although harsh and stern, was capable of assuming a not unkindly expression. "How are you, Mr. Fothergill West?" he cried. "I must apologise to you if I was a little brusque the other night — you will excuse an old soldier who has spent the best part of his Ufa ia harness. AI! the tame, you must confess that you are rather dark-skinned for a Scotchman." " We have a Spanish strain in our blood," said I, wondering at his reenrrence to the topic. "That wonld, of course, account for it," he remarked. " My dear," to his wife, " allow me to introduce Mr. Fothergill West to yon. This is my son and my daughter. We have come here in search of rest, Mr. West, complete rest." " And you could not possibly have come to a better place," said I. " Oh, you think so,"' he answered ; " L suppose it is very quiet indeed, and very lonely. You might walk through these country lanes at night, I dare say, and never meat a soul, eh ? " " Well, there are not many about af ler dark," I said. " And you are not much troubled with vagrants or wandering beggars, eh 1 Not many tinkers, or tramps, or rase illy gipaie* — no vermin of that sort about 1 " " I find it rather cold," said Mrs. Heatherstone, drawing her thick sealskin mantle tighter round her figure. "We are detaining Mr. West, too." "So we are, my dear, so we are. Drive on, coachman. Good day, Mr. West." The carriage rattled away towards the Hall, aad I trotted thoughtfully onwa-ds to the little county metropolis. As I passed up the High-street Mr. McNeil ran out from his office and beckoned to me to stop. " Our new tenants have gone ont," he said. " They drove over this morning." " 1 met them on the way," I answered. As I looked down at the little factor I could see that his f ice was flashed, and that he bore every appearance of hiving had an extra glass. " Give me a real ueutleman to do business with," he said, with a burst of laughter. " Toey understands me and I understands them. 4 What shall I fill it up for ? ' says tue General, taking a blank cheque out o1o 1 his pouch and laying it on the table. ' Two huntirei,' says I, leaving a bit o' a margin for my own time and trouble." " I thought that the landlord paid you for that," I remarked. " Aye, aye, but it's well to have a bit margin. He filled it up and threw it over to me as if it had been an auld postage B'amp. That's the way business should bd done betwteu honest men — though it wouldna' do if one was incline i to take an advantage. Will ye not come in, Mr. West, and have a taste of my whisky ? " " No, thank you," said I, " I have business to do." •'Well, well, business is the chuf thing. It's well not to drink in the morning, too. For my own pirt, except a drop before breakfast (o give me an appetite, and maybe a glass, or eren twa, afterwards to promote digestion, I nsver touch spiri s before noon, It may be that I'm over particular, but it's as w^ll to be onthesafj side. What d'ye think v' the (ieaeral, Mr. We6t 1 " '■ Why, 1 have hardly hid au opportunity of judging," I answered. Mr. McNeil tapptd his forehead with his forefinger. ''That's what I think of him," he said, iv a confidential whisper. " He'a gone, sir, in my estimation. No>v, what would you consider to ba a proof ot madness, Mr. West 1 " "Why, offline a blank cheque to a Wigtown house-agant," said I. 11 Ah, you're aye at your joke*. Bat between oorsel's now, if a man asked ye how many miles frae a seaport, and whether ships come there from the East, and whether there were tramps on the road, and whether it was against the lease for him to build a high wall round the grounds, what would ye make of it, eh ? " " I should oertainly think him eccentric," said I. " If every man had his due, he would find himsel' in a house with a high wall round the grounds, and that without costing him a firtbine," said. the agent. "Where, then ?" la-kel. " Why, in the Wigtown County Lunatic Asylum," cried the little man, with v. bubble of laughter, ia the midst of which 1 rode on my way, leaving him still chuckling over his own facetiousne^s. The '.arrival of the new family at Okomber Hall had no psreeptible effect in relieving the mj.iotony of our secluded district, for instead of entering into such simple pleasures aa the country had to offer, or interesting themselves, Hawehut hopei, in our attempts to improve the lot of our poor cicfters and fisher fjlk, they seemed to all Co^iervation, and hardly ever to venture b^-yo id the avenue Agates. We soon found, 100, thar the factor's words as to the enclosing of the grounds weie fuuudei upon tact, for gangs of workmen were kept hard at work from early in the moraing until late at night in erecting a high wooden fence round the whole estate. When this was finished, and topped with spikes, Cloomber Park became impreg-

nable to any one bat aa exceptionably daring climber. It wa« *a the old soldier bad been bo imbued with military ideas that, like m/ Uncle Toby, he could not refrain even in times of peace from standin ' upoQ the defensive. Stranger still, he had victualled the home ai if for a siege, for Begbie, the cbief grocor of Wigtown, told me himself that the General had sent him an order f>r hundreds of doseua of every imaginable potted meat and vegetable. It may be imagined that all these incidents were not allowed to pass witho it comment. Over the whole country-side there was noth* iag but gossip aboat the new tenants of Oloomber Hall and the reasons which had led then to come among us. Tha only hypothesis, however which the bucolic mind could evolve was that which had already occurred to Mr. McNeil.the factor namely, that the old General and his family wera one and all afflicted with madness, or, as aa alternative conclusion, that he had committed some heinous offeno* and wa9 endeavouring to escape the consequences pi his misdeed ■. These were both natnral suppositions under the circumstances ; bat neither of them appeared to me to commend itself as a true explana* tion of the facts. It is true that General Haatherstoae's behaviour on the oocasion of our first interview was such as to suggest some suspicion of mental disease ; but no tnin could have been more reasonable or more courteous than he had afterwards Bhown himself to be. Then, again, his wife and his children led the sime secluded Ufa that he did bimself; so that the reason could notba one peculiar to his own health. As to the possibility of hia being a fugitive from justice, (hat theory was evau more untenable. Wigtownshire was ble*k and lonely, but it was not such an obscure corner of the world that a well-known soldier could hope to conceal himself thera , nor wonld a man who feared publicity set every one's tongue waggiag as the General had done. On the whole, I was inclined to balieve that the true solution of the enigma lay in his own allusion to tha love of' quiet ani that they had taken shelter here with aa almost morbid craviag for Bolitude andrapose. We very sooa hid aa instance of the great lengths to which this dtjjire for isolation would carry them. My father had coma down one morning with the weight of a great determination upon hia brow. " You must pat on your pink frock to-day, Esther," said he; " and you, John, you must make yourself smart, for I have determined that the three of us shall driva round this afternoon and pay our respects to Mrs. Heatherstone and the General." " A visit to Cloomber 1 " cried Esther, clapping her bands. "I am here," said my father, with dignity, 1 ' not only ai the laird'i agent, but also as his kinsman. In that capacity I am convinced that he would wish me to call upon these new comers and offer them any politeness which is in our power. At present they must feel lonely and friendless. What says the great Firdousi? 'The choicest ornaments to a man's house are his friends.' " My sister and I knew by experience that when the old man began to justify bis resolution by quotations from the Persian poets there was no chance of shaking it. Sure enough, that afternoon saw the phae:oa at the door, with my father perched upon the seat, with his second-best coat on, aad a p.iir of new driving-gloves. " Jump in, my dears," he cried, cracking his whip briskly : " we Bhall show the General that he has no cause to be ashamed of his neighbours." Alas, pride always goes before a fall 1 Oar well-fed ponies and shining harness were not destined that day to impress the tenants of Cloomber with a sense of our importance. We had reacaed the avenue gate, and 1 was about to get oat and open it, when our attention was arrested by a very large wooden placard, which was attached to one of the trees in such a manner that no one could possibly pass without seeing it. On the white surface of this board was printed in big black letters the following hospitable inscriptioa : — GENERAL AND ME3. HEATHBBSTONH HAVE NO WISH TO LNCRKABB THE CIRCLE OB" THEIR ACQUAINTANCE. We all sat gazing at this announcement for soma moments in silent astonishment. Then Either and I, tickled by the absurdity of tha thing, burst out laughing ; bat nay father pulled the ponies' heada round and drove homewards with compressed lips and the cloud of much wrath upra his brow. 1 have never ?een the good man so thoroughly moved, and I am convinced that his anger did not arise from any petty feeling of injured vanity upon his own part, but from the thought that a slight had been offered to the Laird of Branksome whose dignity he represented.

Op a Young Man with a Grey Head. If I had any personal soreness on account of this family snub, it wai a very passing emotion, and one which was soon effaced from my mind. It chanod that on th? very next day af.er t'ae episode I had occasion to pass that way, and stopped to have another look at the obnoxious placard. I was standing staring up at it and wondering what could have induced oar neighbour to take such an outrageous step when I became suddenly aware of a sweet girlish face which peeped out at ma from between the bars of the gate, and of a white hand which eagerly beckoned me tj approach. As I advanced to her I saw that it was the saind young lady whom I had seen In the carriage. " Mr. West,' 1 she said, in a quick whisper, glancing from side to side as she spoke in a nervous, hasty manner, " I wish to apologise to you for the indignity to which you and your funily were subj -cted yesterday. My broth.-r was in the avenue and si-v it all, but he is powerless to interfere. I assure you, Mr. Wes , that if that hateful thing," pointing up at the placard, '• has given you any aiooyance it has given my brother and myself fir more. " Why, Miss Heatherstone," Slid I, patting the matter off with a laugh, "Briain is a free country, and if a maa chooses to warn off visitors from his premises there ia no reasjn why h . should not.' 1 "It is nothing less than brutal," she broke out, wiih a petulant ■tamp of her foot. "To tbink that your sister, too, should have each

in

an jpprovoked'insult offered to her I lam ready to sink with shame ttAa very thought. " " Prty do not give yourself oae moment's uneasiness upon the ■abject," said I earnestly, for I was grieved at bar evident distress. "I am sure what your father has some reason unknown to us for taking this step." " God knows he has !'' she answered, with ineffable sadness in her voice. " And yet I think it would be more mmly to face a danger than to fly from it. However, he knows best, and it is impossible for us to ju^ge. But who is this '/" she exclaimed, anxiously peering up the dark avenue. " Oh, it is my bro'her Mordaunt. Mordaunt," she said, as the young man approached us, " I have been apologising to Mr. West for what happened yesterday in your name at well as »ny own." • 4 1 am very very glad to have the opportunity of doing it in person " said he courteously. " I only wish that I could sea your ■ister and youi father *s well as yourself, to tell them how sorry I am. I think you had be ter run up to the house, little one, for it's getting near tiffin time. No — don'c you go, Mr, West. I want to have a word with you." Mist Heatherstone waved her hand to ma with a bright smile, and tripped off up the aveone, while her brother unbolted the gate, and, passing tarough, closed it again, locking it upon the outside. " I'll have a stroll down the road with you, if you have no objection. Have a manilla," He drew a couple of cheroots from his pocket and banded one to me. " You'll find they are not bad," he ■aid. " I became a connoisseur in tobacco when I was in India. Are you lit / I hope lam not interfering with your business in coming along with you.'' "Not at all," I answered. "I am very glad to have your company." 41 I'll tell yon a aecret," said my companion. •' This is the first time that I have been outside the grounds since we have been down here." 4< And your sister?" '• She has never been out either," he answered. " I have given the governor the slip to-day, but he wouldn't half like it if he knsw. It's a whim of his that we should keep ourselves entirely to ourselves. At least, some people would call it a whim ; for my own part I have reason to believe that be has solid grounds for all that he does — though perbapa in this matter he may be a little too exacting." • You must surely find it very lonely," said I. " Couldn't you manage to slip down at times and have a smoke with me? That house over yonder is Branksome." •' Indeed, you are very kind." he answered, with sparkling eyes. 41 1 should deaily like to run over now and again. With the exception of Itrael Stakee, our old coachman and gardener, I have not a soul that 1 can speak to." " And your sister, she must feel it oven more," said I, thinking in my heart that my new acquaintance made rather too much of bis own troubles, aod too little of those of his companion. 44 Yes ; pjor (labrielle feels it, no doubt," he answered, carelessly ; " but it's a more unnatural thing for a young man of my age to be cooped up in this way tbau for a woman. Look at me now. lam three-and-twenty next March, and jet I ba^e never been to a university — nor to a school, for that matter. 1 am as complete an ignoramui as any of these cloJhoppers. It seems strange to you, no doubt ; and yet it is so. Now, don't you thiuk I deserve a better fate ? " He stopped as he spoke, and faced round to me, throwing his arms forwaid in appeal. As I looked at him. with the sma shining upon his lace, he certainly did seem a strange bird to be cooped up in such a cage. Tall and muscular, with a keen, dark face, and sharp, finely-cut features, he might have stepped out of the canvas of Munllo'or Veasqutz. There was latent energy and power in his firm-set mouth, his square eyebrows, and the whole pose of. his elastic, well-knu figure. " Thtfte 13 the learning to be got from books, a-id the learning to be got from experience," uai.i I, sententiously. "If you have less of your share cf the one, perhaps you have more of the other. I canaoi believe that you Lave spent all your life in mere idleness and pleasure. ' " Pleasure 1 " he cried. " Pleasure 1 Look at this." He pulled off his hat, and I saw that his black hair was all flecked and dashed with streaks of grey. "Do you imagine that this came from pleasure ? " he asked, witb a bitier laugh. " You must have had some great thock," I said, astonished at the ■igk-t ; " some terrible illness m your youth. Or perhaps it arises from a mure chronic cause — a coustant gnawing anxiety. I have known men as young as you whose hair was as grey.' " Poor devils 1 " ho mutteied, " I pi y them." 44 If you can maDage to slip down toßraoksome at times," said I, 41 perhaps you could bring Miss Ueatherstone with you. I know that my father aai my sister *ould be delighted to see her, and a change, if only for an hour or two, migktdo her good." " It would be ratb«r turd for us both to get away together," he answered. ' 4 However, if I Bee a charce I shall bring her down, It might be managed some afternoon, perhaps, for the old man indulges in a siesta occasionally." We had reached the head ot tbe winding lane which branches off from the high road and leads up to the laird s house, so my companion pulled up. " I must go back,' he said, "or they will mios me. It's very kind of you, West, to take tbis interest in us. lam very gratetul to you, and so will Gdbnelle be when she ■ears of your kindinvitatiou. It's a real heaping of coals of tire after that infernal placard of my father's." He shook my hand and set off down the road, but he came running after me ptesently, calling me to itop. " I was just thinking," said/ Xhat you must consider us a great mystery up there at Cloomber. I dare say you have come to look upon it as a private lunatic asylum, and I can't blame you. If you are interested in the matter, I feel it is untriendly on my part not to satisfy your curiosity, but I have promised my father to be silent about it. And, indeed, if I were to tell you all that I know, yon might not be very much the wiser after «U. I would have you ( understand this, however — that my

father is as saoe as yon or I, and that he has very good reaioni for living the lifa which ho does. I miy add thU his wish to remain s 'eluded does not arise from any unworthy or diahonourable motives, bat merely from the instinct of self-preservation." " He is in danger, then I " I ejaculated. " Fes, he is in constant danger." ,' But why does ha not apply to the magistrates for protection ? " I asked. "If he is afraid of aayoae, he has only to name him and they will bind him over to keep the peace." 41 My dear West,' 1 said young Haath^rstone, " the danger with which my father is threatened is one which cannot be averted by any human intprventiOD. It is none the lea* very real, and possibly very imminent." 41 Yon don't mean to assert th«t it is supernatural," I said incredulously. " Well, hardly that either," he answere 1 with hesitation. " But there," he continued, " I have said rather more than I shmld, bat I know that you will not abuse my confidence. Goid-bye." He took to his heels and was soon out of my sight, rouad a curve in the country road. A danger which was real and imminent, not to bo averted by human means, and yet hardly supernatural — here was a conundrum indeed t I had come to look upon the inhabitants of the Hall as mere eccentrics,' but afcer what young Mordaunt Heatherstone bad just told me, I could no longer doubt that some dark and sinister mean* ing underlay all their actions. The more I pondered over the problem the more unanswerable did it appear, and yet I could not get the matter out of my thoughts, The lonely isolated hall, and th<j strange, impending catastrophe which hung ovsr its inmates, appealed for* cibly to my imagination. All that evening, and late into the night, I sat moodily by the fire, pondering over all that I had heard, and revolving in my mind the various incidents which might furnish me with some clue to the mystery. (To be continued.)