the ivory child-第12章

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the　cook　or　any　other　female。　Too　late；　I　mean　after　I　had　knocked；　it

occurred　to　me　that　if　so　my　position　would　be　painful　to　a　degree。

However　in　this　particular　Fortune　stood　my　friend；　which　does　not

always　happen　to　the　virtuous。　For　presently　I　heard　a　voice　which　I

recognized　as　that　of　Mr。　Savage；　asking；　not　without　a　certain　quaver

in　its　tone；



〃Who　the　devil　is　that？〃



〃Me；〃　I　replied；　being　flustered。



〃'Me'　won't　do；〃　said　the　voice。　'Me'　might　be　Harum　or　it　might　be

Scarum；　or　it　might　be　someone　worse。　Who's　'Me'？〃



〃Allan　Quatermain；　you　idiot；〃　I　whispered　through　the　keyhole。



〃Anna　who？　Well；　never　mind。　Go　away；　Hanna。　I'll　talk　to　you　in　the

morning。〃



Then　I　kicked　the　door；　and　at　length；　very　cautiously；　Mr。　Savage

opened　it。



〃Good　heavens；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃what　are　you　doing　here；　sir？　Dressed

too；　at　this　hour；　and　with　the　handle　of　a　pistol　sticking　out　of

your　pocketor　is　itthe　head　of　a　snake？〃　and　he　jumped　back；　a

strange　and　stately　figure　in　a　long　white　nightshirt　which　apparently

he　wore　over　his　underclothing。



I　entered　the　room　and　shut　the　door；　whereon　he　politely　handed　me　a

chair；　remarking；



〃Is　it　ghosts；　sir；　or　are　you　ill；　or　is　it　Harum　and　Scarum；　of　whom

I　have　been　thinking　all　night？　Very　cold　too；　sir；　being　afraid　to

pull　up　the　bedclothes　for　fear　lest　there　might　be　more　reptiles　in

them。〃　He　pointed　to　his　dress…coat　hanging　on　the　back　of　another

chair　with　both　the　pockets　turned　inside　out；　adding　tragically；　〃To

think；　sir；　that　this　new　coat　has　been　a　nest　of　snakes；　which　I　have

hated　like　poison　from　a　child；　and　me　almost　a　teetotaller！〃



〃Yes；〃　I　said　impatiently；　〃it's　Harum　and　Scarum　as　you　call　them。

Take　me　to　Lord　Ragnall's　bedroom　at　once。〃



〃Ah！　sir；　burgling；　I　suppose；　or　mayhap　worse；〃　he　exclaimed　as　he

threw　on　some　miscellaneous　garments　and　seized　a　life…preserver　which

hung　upon　a　hook。　〃Now　I'm　ready；　only　I　hope　they　have　left　their

snakes　behind。　I　never　could　bear　the　sight　of　a　snake；　and　they　seem

to　know　itthe　brutes。〃



In　due　course　we　reached　Lord　Ragnall's　room；　which　Mr。　Savage

entered；　and　in　answer　to　a　stifled　inquiry　exclaimed；



〃Mr。　Allan　Quatermain　to　see　you；　my　lord。〃



〃What　is　it；　Quatermain？〃　he　asked；　sitting　up　in　bed　and　yawning。

〃Have　you　had　a　nightmare？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　and　Savage　having　left　us　and　shut　the　door；　I　told

him　everything　as　it　is　written　down。



〃Great　heavens！〃　he　exclaimed　when　I　had　finished。　〃If　it　had　not　been

for　you　and　your　intuition　and　courage〃



〃Never　mind　me；〃　I　interrupted。　〃The　question　iswhat　should　be　done

now？　Are　you　going　to　try　to　arrest　these　men；　or　will　youhold　your

tongue　and　merely　cause　them　to　be　watched？〃



〃Really　I　don't　know。　Even　if　we　can　catch　them　the　whole　story　would

sound　so　strange　in　a　law…court；　and　all　sorts　of　things　might　be

suggested。〃



〃Yes；　Lord　Ragnall；　it　would　sound　so　strange　that　I　beg　you　will　come

at　once　to　see　the　evidences　of　what　I　tell　you；　before　rain　or　snow

obliterates　them；　bringing　another　witness　with　you。　Lady　Longden；

perhaps。〃



〃Lady　Longden！　Why　one　might　as　well　write　to　/The　Times/。　I　have　it！

There's　Savage。　He　is　faithful　and　can　be　silent。〃



So　Savage　was　called　in　and；　while　Lord　Ragnall　dressed　himself

hurriedly；　told　the　outline　of　his　story　under　pain　of　instant

dismissal　if　he　breathed　a　word。　Really　to　watch　his　face　was　as　good

as　a　play。　So　astonished　was　he　that　all　he　could　ejaculate　was



〃The　black…hearted　villains！　Well；　they　ain't　friendly　with　snakes　for

nothing。〃



Then　having　made　sure　that　Miss　Holmes　was　still　in　her　room；　we　went

down　the　twisting　stair　and　through　the　side　doorway；　locking　the　door

after　us。　By　now　the　dawn　was　breaking　and　there　was　enough　light　to

enable　me　in　certain　places　where　the　snow　that　fell　after　the　gale

remained；　to　show　Lord　Ragnall　and　Savage　the　impress　of　the　little

bedroom　slippers　which　Miss　Holmes　wore；　and　of　my　stockinged　feet

following　after。



In　the　plantation　things　were　still　easier；　for　every　detail　of　the

movements　of　the　four　of　us　could　be　traced。　Moreover；　on　the　back

drive　was　the　spoor　of　the　horses　and　the　marks　of　the　wheels　of　the

carriage　that　had　been　brought　for　the　purposes　of　the　abduction。　Also

my　great　good　fortune；　for　this　seemed　to　prove　my　theory；　we　found　a

parcel　wrapped　in　native　linen　that　appeared　to　have　fallen　out　of　the

carriage　when　Har？t　and　Mar？t　made　their　hurried　escape；　as　one　of　the

wheels　had　gone　over　it。　It　contained　an　Eastern　woman's　dress　and

veil；　intended；　I　suppose；　to　be　used　in　disguising　Miss　Holmes；　who

thence…forward　would　have　appeared　to　be　the　wife　or　daughter　of　one

of　the　abductors。



Savage　discovered　this　parcel；　which　he　lifted　only　to　drop　it　with　a

yell；　for　underneath　it　lay　a　torpid　snake；　doubtless　one　of　those

that　had　been　used　in　the　performance。



Of　these　discoveries　and　many　other　details；　on　our　return　to　the

house；　Lord　Ragnall　made　full　notes　in　a　pocket…book；　that　when

completed　were　signed　by　all　three　of　us。



There　is　not　much　more　to　tell；　that　is　of　this　part　of　the　story。　The

matter　was　put　into　the　hands　of　detectives　who　discovered　that　the

Easterns　had　driven　to　London；　where　all　traces　of　the　carriage　which

conveyed　them　was　lost。　They；　however；　embarked　upon　a　steamer　called

the　/Antelope/；　together　with　two　native　women；　who　probably　had　been

provided　to　look　after　Miss　Holmes；　and　sailed　that　very　afternoon　for

Egypt。　Thither；　of　course；　it　was　useless　to　follow　them　in　those

days；　even　if　it　had　been　advisable　to　do　so。







To　return　to　Miss　Holmes。　She　came　down　to　breakfast　looking　very

charming　but　rather　pale。　Again　I　sat　next　to　her　and　took　some

opportunity　to　ask　her　how　she　had　rested　that　night。



She　replied；　Very　well　and　yet　very　ill；　since；　although　she　never

remembered　sleeping　more　soundly　in　her　life；　she　had　experienced　all

sorts　of　queer　dreams　of　which　she　could　remember　nothing　at　all；　a

circumstance　that　annoyed　her　much；　as　she　was　sure　that　they　were

most　interesting。　Then　she　added；



〃Do　you　know；　Mr。　Quatermain；　I　found　a　lot　of　mud　on　my　dressing…gown

this　morning；　and　my　bedroom　slippers　were　also　a　mass　of　mud　and　wet

through。　How　do　you　account　for　that？　It　is　just　as　though　I　had　been

walking　about　outside　in　my　sleep；　which　is　absurd；　as　I　never　did

such　a　thing　in　my　life。〃



Not　feeling　equal　to　the　invention　of　any　convincing　explanation　of

these　phenomena；　I　upset　the　marmalade　pot　on　to　the　table　in　such　a

way　that　some　of　it　fell　upon　her　dress；　and　then　covered　my　retreat

with　profuse　apologies。　Understanding　my　dilemma；　for　he　had　heard

something　of　this　talk；　Lord　Ragnall　came　to　my　aid　with　a　startling

statement　of　which　I　forget　the　purport；　and　thus　that　crisis　passed。



Shortly　after　breakfast　Scroope　announced　to　Miss　Manners　that　her

carriage　was　waiting；　and　we　departed。　Before　I　went；　as　it　chanced；　I

had　a　few　private　words　with　my　host；　with　Miss　Holmes；　and　with　the

magnificent　Mr。　Savage。　To　the　last；　by　the　way；　I　offered　a　tip　which

he　refused；　saying　that　after　all　we　had　gone　through　together　he

could　not　allow　〃money　to　come　between　us；〃　by　which　he　meant；　to　pass

from　my　pocket　to　his。　Lord　Ragnall　asked　me　for　both　my　English　and

my　African　addresses；　which　he　noted　in　his　pocket…book。　Then　he　said；



〃Really；　Quatermain；　I　feel　as　though　I　had　known　you　for　years

instead　of　three　days；　if　you　will　allow　me　I　will　add　that　I　should

like　to　know　a　great　deal　more　of　you。〃　（He　was　destined　to　do　so；

poor　fellow；　though　neither　of　us　knew　it　at　the　time。）　〃If　ever　you

come　to　England　again　I　hope　you　will　make　this　house　your

headquarters。〃



〃And　if　ever　you　come　to　South　Africa；　Lord　Ragnall；　I　hope　you　will

make　my　four…roomed　shanty　on　the　Berea　at　Durban　your　headquarters。

You　will　get　a　hearty　welcome　there　and　something　to　eat；　but　little

more。〃



〃There　is　nothing　I　should　like　better；　Quatermain。　Circumstances　have

put　me　in　a　certain　position　in　this　country；　still　to　tell　you　the

truth　there　is　a　great　deal　about　the　life　of　which　I　grow　very　tired。

But　you　see　I　am　going　to　be　married；　and　that　I　fear　means　an　end　of

travelling；　since　naturally　my　wife　will　wish　to　take　her　place　in

society　and　the　rest。〃



〃Of　course；〃　I　replied；　〃for　it　is　not　every　young　lady　who　has　the

luck　to　become　an　English　peeress　with　all　the　etceteras；　is　it？　Still

I　am　not　so　sure　but　that　Miss　Holmes　will　take　to　travelling　some

day；　although　I　/am/　sure　that　she　would　do　better　to　stay　at　home。〃



He　looked　at　me　curiously；　then　asked；



〃You　don't　think　there　is　anything　really　serious　in　all　this

business；　do　you？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　to　think；〃　I　answered；　〃except　that　you　will　do

well　to　keep　a　good　eye　upon　your　wife。　What　those　Easterns　tried　to

do　last　night　and；　I　think；　years　ago；　they　may　try　again　soon；　or

years　hence；　for　evidently　they　are　patient　and　determined　men　with

much　to　win。　Also　it　is　a　curious　coincidence　that　she　should　have

that　mark　upon　her　which　appeals　so　strongly　to　Messrs。　Har？t　and

Mar？t；　and；　to　be　brief；　she　is　in　some　ways　different　from　most　young

women。　As　she　said　to　me　herself　last　night；　Lord　Ragnall；　we　are

surrounded　by　mysteries；　mysteries　of　blood；　of　inherited　spirit；　of

this　world　generally　in　which　it　is　probable　that　we　all　descended

from　quite　a　few　common　ancestors。　And　beyond　these　are　other

mysteries　of　the　measureless　universe　to　which　we　belong；　that　may

already　be　exercising　their　strong　and　secret　influences　upon　us；　as

perhaps；　did　we　know　it；　they　have　done　for　millions　of　years　in　the

Infinite　whence　we　came　and　whither　we　go。〃



I　suppose　I　spoke　somewhat　solemnly；　for　he　said；



〃Do　you　know　you　frighten　me　a　little；　though　I　don't　quite　understand

what　you　mean。〃　Then　we　parted。



With　Miss　Holmes　my　conversation　was　shorter。　She　remarked；



〃It　has　been　a　great　pleasure　to　me　to　meet　you。　I　do　not　remember

anybody　with　whom　I　have　found　myself　in　so　much　sympathyexcept　one

of　course。　It　is　strange　to　think　that　when　we　meet　again　I　shall　be　a

married　woman。〃



〃I　do　not　suppose　we　shall　ever　meet　again；　Miss　Holmes。　Your　life　is

here；　mine　is　in　the　wildest　places　of　a　wild　land　far　away。〃



〃Oh！　yes；　we　shall；〃　she　answered。　〃I　learned　this　and　lots　of　other

things　when　I　held　my　head　in　that　smoke　last　night。〃



Then　we　also　parted。



Lastly　Mr。　Savage　arrived　with　my　coat。　〃Goodbye；　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he

said。　〃If　I　forget　everything　else　I　shall　never　forget　you　and　those

villains；　Harum　and　Scarum　and　their　snakes。　I　hope　it　won't　be　my　lot

ever　to　clap　eyes　on　them　again；　Mr。　Quatermain；　and　yet　somehow　I

don't　feel　so　sure　of　that。〃