CHAPTER XVII--THE MYSTERY OF "THE GROVE"
That afternoon Adam decided to do a little exploring. As he passedthrough the wood outside the gate of Diana's Grove, he thought he saw theAfrican's face for an instant. So he went deeper into the undergrowth,and followed along parallel to the avenue to the house. He was glad thatthere was no workman or servant about, for he did not care that any ofLady Arabella's people should find him wandering about her grounds.Taking advantage of the denseness of the trees, he came close to thehouse and skirted round it. He was repaid for his trouble, for on thefar side of the house, close to where the rocky frontage of the clifffell away, he saw Oolanga crouched behind the irregular trunk of a greatoak. The man was so intent on watching someone, or something, that hedid not guard against being himself watched. This suited Adam, for hecould thus make scrutiny at will.
The thick wood, though the trees were mostly of small girth, threw aheavy shadow, so that the steep declension, in front of which grew thetree behind which the African lurked, was almost in darkness. Adam drewas close as he could, and was amazed to see a patch of light on theground before him; when he realised what it was, he was determined, morethan ever to follow on his quest. The nigger had a dark lantern in hishand, and was throwing the light down the steep incline. The glareshowed a series of stone steps, which ended in a low-lying heavy irondoor fixed against the side of the house. All the strange things he hadheard from Sir Nathaniel, and all those, little and big, which he hadhimself noticed, crowded into his mind in a chaotic way. Instinctivelyhe took refuge behind a thick oak stem, and set himself down, to watchwhat might occur.
After a short time it became apparent that the African was trying to findout what was behind the heavy door. There was no way of looking in, forthe door fitted tight into the massive stone slabs. The only opportunityfor the entrance of light was through a small hole between the greatstones above the door. This hole was too high up to look through fromthe ground level. Oolanga, having tried standing tiptoe on the highestpoint near, and holding the lantern as high as he could, threw the lightround the edges of the door to see if he could find anywhere a hole or aflaw in the metal through which he could obtain a glimpse. Foiled inthis, he brought from the shrubbery a plank, which he leant against thetop of the door and then climbed up with great dexterity. This did notbring him near enough to the window-hole to look in, or even to throw thelight of the lantern through it, so he climbed down and carried the plankback to the place from which he had got it. Then he concealed himselfnear the iron door and waited, manifestly with the intent of remainingthere till someone came near. Presently Lady Arabella, movingnoiselessly through the shade, approached the door. When he saw herclose enough to touch it, Oolanga stepped forward from his concealment,and spoke in a whisper, which through the gloom sounded like a hiss.
"I want to see you, missy--soon and secret."
"What do you want?"
"You know well, missy; I told you already."
She turned on him with blazing eyes, the green tint in them glowing likeemeralds.
"Come, none of that. If there is anything sensible which you wish to sayto me, you can see me here, just where we are, at seven o'clock."
He made no reply in words, but, putting the backs of his hands together,bent lower and lower till his forehead touched the earth. Then he roseand went slowly away.
Adam Salton, from his hiding-place, saw and wondered. In a few minuteshe moved from his place and went home to Lesser Hill, fully determinedthat seven o'clock would find him in some hidden place behind Diana'sGrove.
At a little before seven Adam stole softly out of the house and took theback-way to the rear of Diana's Grove. The place seemed silent anddeserted, so he took the opportunity of concealing himself near the spotwhence he had seen Oolanga trying to investigate whatever was concealedbehind the iron door. He waited, perfectly still, and at last saw agleam of white passing soundlessly through the undergrowth. He was notsurprised when he recognised the colour of Lady Arabella's dress. Shecame close and waited, with her face to the iron door. From some placeof concealment near at hand Oolanga appeared, and came close to her. Adamnoticed, with surprised amusement, that over his shoulder was the boxwith the mongoose. Of course the African did not know that he was seenby anyone, least of all by the man whose property he had with him.
Silent-footed as he was, Lady Arabella heard him coming, and turned tomeet him. It was somewhat hard to see in the gloom, for, as usual, hewas all in black, only his collar and cuffs showing white. Lady Arabellaopened the conversation which ensued between the two.
"What do you want? To rob me, or murder me?"
"No, to lub you!"
This frightened her a little, and she tried to change the tone.
"Is that a coffin you have with you? If so, you are wasting your time.It would not hold me."
When a nigger suspects he is being laughed at, all the ferocity of hisnature comes to the front; and this man was of the lowest kind.
"Dis ain't no coffin for nobody. Dis box is for you. Somefin you lub.Me give him to you!"
Still anxious to keep off the subject of affection, on which she believedhim to have become crazed, she made another effort to keep his mindelsewhere.
"Is this why you want to see me?" He nodded. "Then come round to theother door. But be quiet. I have no desire to be seen so close to myown house in conversation with a--a--a nigger like you!"
She had chosen the word deliberately. She wished to meet his passionwith another kind. Such would, at all events, help to keep him quiet. Inthe deep gloom she could not see the anger which suffused his face.Rolling eyeballs and grinding teeth are, however, sufficient signs ofanger to be decipherable in the dark. She moved round the corner of thehouse to her right. Oolanga was following her, when she stopped him byraising her hand.
"No, not that door," she said; "that is not for niggers. The other doorwill do well enough for you!"
Lady Arabella took in her hand a small key which hung at the end of herwatch-chain, and moved to a small door, low down, round the corner, and alittle downhill from the edge of the Brow. Oolanga, in obedience to hergesture, went back to the iron door. Adam looked carefully at themongoose box as the African went by, and was glad to see that it wasintact. Unconsciously, as he looked, he fingered the key that was in hiswaistcoat pocket. When Oolanga was out of sight, Adam hurried after LadyArabella.