The Lair of the White Worm

  CHAPTER XXI--GREEN LIGHT

  When old Mr. Salton had retired for the night, Adam and Sir Nathanielreturned to the study. Things went with great regularity at Lesser Hill,so they knew that there would be no interruption to their talk.

  When their cigars were lighted, Sir Nathaniel began.

  "I hope, Adam, that you do not think me either slack or changeable ofpurpose. I mean to go through this business to the bitter end--whateverit may be. Be satisfied that my first care is, and shall be, theprotection of Mimi Watford. To that I am pledged; my dear boy, we whoare interested are all in the same danger. That semi-human monster outof the pit hates and means to destroy us all--you and me certainly, andprobably your uncle. I wanted especially to talk with you to-night, forI cannot help thinking that the time is fast coming--if it has not comealready--when we must take your uncle into our confidence. It was onething when fancied evils threatened, but now he is probably marked fordeath, and it is only right that he should know all."

  "I am with you, sir. Things have changed since we agreed to keep him outof the trouble. Now we dare not; consideration for his feelings mightcost his life. It is a duty--and no light or pleasant one, either. Ihave not a shadow of doubt that he will want to be one with us in this.But remember, we are his guests; his name, his honour, have to be thoughtof as well as his safety."

  "All shall be as you wish, Adam. And now as to what we are to do? Wecannot murder Lady Arabella off-hand. Therefore we shall have to putthings in order for the killing, and in such a way that we cannot betaxed with a crime."

  "It seems to me, sir, that we are in an exceedingly tight place. Ourfirst difficulty is to know where to begin. I never thought thisfighting an antediluvian monster would be such a complicated job. Thisone is a woman, with all a woman's wit, combined with the heartlessnessof a _cocotte_. She has the strength and impregnability of a diplodocus.We may be sure that in the fight that is before us there will be nosemblance of fair-play. Also that our unscrupulous opponent will notbetray herself!"

  "That is so--but being feminine, she will probably over-reach herself.Now, Adam, it strikes me that, as we have to protect ourselves and othersagainst feminine nature, our strong game will be to play our masculineagainst her feminine. Perhaps we had better sleep on it. She is a thingof the night; and the night may give us some ideas."

  So they both turned in.

  Adam knocked at Sir Nathaniel's door in the grey of the morning, and, onbeing bidden, came into the room. He had several letters in his hand.Sir Nathaniel sat up in bed.

  "Well!"

  "I should like to read you a few letters, but, of course, I shall notsend them unless you approve. In fact"--with a smile and a blush--"thereare several things which I want to do; but I hold my hand and my tonguetill I have your approval."

  "Go on!" said the other kindly. "Tell me all, and count at any rate onmy sympathy, and on my approval and help if I can see my way."

  Accordingly Adam proceeded:

  "When I told you the conclusions at which I had arrived, I put in theforeground that Mimi Watford should, for the sake of her own safety, beremoved--and that the monster which had wrought all the harm should bedestroyed."

  "Yes, that is so."

  "To carry this into practice, sir, one preliminary is required--unlessharm of another kind is to be faced. Mimi should have some protectorwhom all the world would recognise. The only form recognised byconvention is marriage!"

  Sir Nathaniel smiled in a fatherly way.

  "To marry, a husband is required. And that husband should be you."

  "Yes, yes."

  "And the marriage should be immediate and secret--or, at least, notspoken of outside ourselves. Would the young lady be agreeable to thatproceeding?"

  "I do not know, sir!"

  "Then how are we to proceed?"

  "I suppose that we--or one of us--must ask her."

  "Is this a sudden idea, Adam, a sudden resolution?"

  "A sudden resolution, sir, but not a sudden idea. If she agrees, all iswell and good. The sequence is obvious."

  "And it is to be kept a secret amongst ourselves?"

  "I want no secret, sir, except for Mimi's good. For myself, I shouldlike to shout it from the house-tops! But we must be discreet; untimelyknowledge to our enemy might work incalculable harm."

  "And how would you suggest, Adam, that we could combine the momentousquestion with secrecy?"

  Adam grew red and moved uneasily.

  "Someone must ask her--as soon as possible!"

  "And that someone?"

  "I thought that you, sir, would be so good!"

  "God bless my soul! This is a new kind of duty to take on--at my time oflife. Adam, I hope you know that you can count on me to help in any wayI can!"

  "I have already counted on you, sir, when I ventured to make such asuggestion. I can only ask," he added, "that you will be more than everkind to me--to us--and look on the painful duty as a voluntary act ofgrace, prompted by kindness and affection."

  "Painful duty!"

  "Yes," said Adam boldly. "Painful to you, though to me it would be alljoyful."

  "It is a strange job for an early morning! Well, we all live and learn.I suppose the sooner I go the better. You had better write a line for meto take with me. For, you see, this is to be a somewhat unusualtransaction, and it may be embarrassing to the lady, even to myself. Sowe ought to have some sort of warrant, something to show that we havebeen mindful of her feelings. It will not do to take acquiescence forgranted--although we act for her good."

  "Sir Nathaniel, you are a true friend; I am sure that both Mimi and Ishall be grateful to you for all our lives--however long they may be!"

  So the two talked it over and agreed as to points to be borne in mind bythe ambassador. It was striking ten when Sir Nathaniel left the house,Adam seeing him quietly off.

  As the young man followed him with wistful eyes--almost jealous of theprivilege which his kind deed was about to bring him--he felt that hisown heart was in his friend's breast.

  The memory of that morning was like a dream to all those concerned in it.Sir Nathaniel had a confused recollection of detail and sequence, thoughthe main facts stood out in his memory boldly and clearly. Adam Salton'srecollection was of an illimitable wait, filled with anxiety, hope, andchagrin, all dominated by a sense of the slow passage of time andaccompanied by vague fears. Mimi could not for a long time think at all,or recollect anything, except that Adam loved her and was saving her froma terrible danger. When she had time to think, later on, she wonderedwhen she had any ignorance of the fact that Adam loved her, and that sheloved him with all her heart. Everything, every recollection howeversmall, every feeling, seemed to fit into those elemental facts as thoughthey had all been moulded together. The main and crowning recollectionwas her saying goodbye to Sir Nathaniel, and entrusting to him lovingmessages, straight from her heart, to Adam Salton, and of his bearingwhen--with an impulse which she could not check--she put her lips to hisand kissed him. Later, when she was alone and had time to think, it wasa passing grief to her that she would have to be silent, for a time, toLilla on the happy events of that strange mission.

  She had, of course, agreed to keep all secret until Adam should give herleave to speak.

  The advice and assistance of Sir Nathaniel was a great help to Adam incarrying out his idea of marrying Mimi Watford without publicity. Hewent with him to London, and, with his influence, the young man obtainedthe license of the Archbishop of Canterbury for a private marriage. SirNathaniel then persuaded old Mr. Salton to allow his nephew to spend afew weeks with him at Doom Tower, and it was here that Mimi became Adam'swife. But that was only the first step in their plans; before goingfurther, however, Adam took his bride off to the Isle of Man. He wishedto place a stretch of sea between Mimi and the White Worm, while thingsmatured. On their return, Sir Nathaniel met them and drove them at onceto Doom, taking care to avoid any one that he knew on the journey.
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  Sir Nathaniel had taken care to have the doors and windows shut andlocked--all but the door used for their entry. The shutters were up andthe blinds down. Moreover, heavy curtains were drawn across the windows.When Adam commented on this, Sir Nathaniel said in a whisper:

  "Wait till we are alone, and I'll tell you why this is done; in themeantime not a word or a sign. You will approve when we have had a talktogether."

  They said no more on the subject till after dinner, when they wereensconced in Sir Nathaniel's study, which was on the top storey. DoomTower was a lofty structure, situated on an eminence high up in the Peak.The top commanded a wide prospect, ranging from the hills above theRibble to the near side of the Brow, which marked the northern bound ofancient Mercia. It was of the early Norman period, less than a centuryyounger than Castra Regis. The windows of the study were barred andlocked, and heavy dark curtains closed them in. When this was done not agleam of light from the tower could be seen from outside.

  When they were alone, Sir Nathaniel explained that he had taken his oldfriend, Mr. Salton, into full confidence, and that in future all wouldwork together.

  "It is important for you to be extremely careful. In spite of the factthat our marriage was kept secret, as also your temporary absence, bothare known."

  "How? To whom?"

  "How, I know not; but I am beginning to have an idea."

  "To her?" asked Adam, in momentary consternation.

  Sir Nathaniel shivered perceptibly.

  "The White Worm--yes!"

  Adam noticed that from now on, his friend never spoke of Lady Arabellaotherwise, except when he wished to divert the suspicion of others.

  Sir Nathaniel switched off the electric light, and when the room waspitch dark, he came to Adam, took him by the hand, and led him to a seatset in the southern window. Then he softly drew back a piece of thecurtain and motioned his companion to look out.

  Adam did so, and immediately shrank back as though his eyes had opened onpressing danger. His companion set his mind at rest by saying in a lowvoice:

  "It is all right; you may speak, but speak low. There is no dangerhere--at present!"

  Adam leaned forward, taking care, however, not to press his face againstthe glass. What he saw would not under ordinary circumstances havecaused concern to anybody. With his special knowledge, it wasappalling--though the night was now so dark that in reality there waslittle to be seen.

  On the western side of the tower stood a grove of old trees, of forestdimensions. They were not grouped closely, but stood a little apart fromeach other, producing the effect of a row widely planted. Over the topsof them was seen a green light, something like the danger signal at arailway-crossing. It seemed at first quite still; but presently, whenAdam's eye became accustomed to it, he could see that it moved as iftrembling. This at once recalled to Adam's mind the light quiveringabove the well-hole in the darkness of that inner room at Diana's Grove,Oolanga's awful shriek, and the hideous black face, now grown grey withterror, disappearing into the impenetrable gloom of the mysteriousorifice. Instinctively he laid his hand on his revolver, and stood upready to protect his wife. Then, seeing that nothing happened, and thatthe light and all outside the tower remained the same, he softly pulledthe curtain over the window.

  Sir Nathaniel switched on the light again, and in its comforting glowthey began to talk freely.