"i cannot," beatrice replied. her voice was low, but to wilfrid's relief quite steady. "the door is locked on the outside. i am so thankful you have come."
wilfrid turned the key. with a great thrill of delight he saw that beatrice was little the worse for what she had gone through. he indulged in no idle talk, but reached out his hand in search of one of the electric switches. beatrice grasped wilfrid's meaning. she stretched out her hand and immediately the corridor was flooded with light.
"i cannot understand it," she murmured. "dr. mercer, what does it mean?"
"perhaps you had better tell me your experience first," wilfrid suggested. "if i can throw any light afterwards on this hideous mystery i shall be glad."
"i'll tell you as collectedly as i can," beatrice replied. "i had almost forgotten the alarm i had in the conservatory this afternoon when i came up to bed. i sat for a while dreaming over the fire——"
beatrice stopped and a little colour crept into her face. she wondered what wilfrid would say if he only knew what she had been thinking about. he nodded encouragingly.
"then i suddenly recollected that i had not seen annette. when i reached her room i found her wide awake and as terrified as when she came back from the village. i suppose she was too upset to take your medicine, for the bottle stood unopened on the table. after i had given it to her she went off to sleep almost immediately, but not before she had told me something which disturbed me very much. as she lay with the bedroom door open, the firelight shone upon the wall on the other side of the corridor, and she declared she had seen a shadow on the wall like one of the figures that had so frightened her in the wood. i pretended to be angry and incredulous, but i confess that i was really rather startled. it seemed so strange that a quiet country house should suddenly be invested with such an atmosphere of mystery. why did that man try to get into the conservatory? and why were those figures?—but i am wandering from the point."
"i think we had better have facts, first," wilfrid said.
"oh, yes. well, i went back to my room after seeing annette to sleep, and i fear i must own to feeling considerably frightened. it was a relief to find that somebody was still about downstairs, and to remember that there were so many dogs about the house. then i remembered my little terrier who always sleeps on a mat at the end of the corridor. it is warm there, because i have had the place fitted with hot-water pipes and turned it into a conservatory where i grow exotic plants. it struck me as singular that the dog should give no alarm if anybody were wandering about the house, and i went out to see if he were all right. i did not turn on the lights because i would not pander to my own weakness. besides, i could find my way about the corridor blindfolded. and then, in the darkness, i saw an amazing thing—a globe of flickering blue fire, about the size of a football. it moved in the most extraordinary way, and at first i thought the floor was alight. but i abandoned that idea when i saw a long, lean arm thrust out and a brass cup held over the flame. oh, i must tell you that before that i noticed a peculiar scent of the most strange and overpowering description. i thought that one of my new plants had come into bloom and that this was the perfume of it. then i saw how mistaken i was, and that the odour arose from the brass cup over the flame. after that i recollect nothing else except that i became terribly drowsy and when i recovered i was in my own room with the door locked on the outside. i cannot tell you how thankful i was to hear your voice."
"it is very strange," wilfrid said. "obviously you did not go back to your room by yourself. therefore, some one carried you there. i think you may make your mind easy as far as you are personally concerned. whoever these mysterious individuals may be, they bear no enmity to you."
"then whom do they want?" beatrice asked.
wilfrid was silent for a moment. he could give a pretty clear answer to the question. but beatrice was already terrified and troubled enough without the addition of further worry. cotter's incoherent terror and his wild speech had given wilfrid a clue to the motives which underlay this strange business.
"we will discuss that presently," he said. "in the meantime, it will be as well to find out why your dog did not give an alarm."
the black and white terrier lay on his mat silent. he did not move when beatrice called. she darted forward and laid her hand upon the animal's coat. then an indignant cry came from her lips.
"the poor thing is dead," she exclaimed. "beyond doubt the dog has been poisoned by those fumes. and look at my flowers, the beautiful flowers upon which i spent so much time and attention! they might have been struck by lightning."
wilfrid could see no flowers. across the great west window was a brown tangled web hanging in shreds; in the big pots was a mass of blackened foliage. but there was nothing else to be seen.
"do you mean to say these are your flowers?" wilfrid asked.
"they were an hour ago," beatrice said mournfully, "some of the rarest and most beautiful in the world. they have come from all parts of the globe. it is easy to see what has happened. oh, please take me away. i shall be stifled if i remain. it is horrible!"
beatrice was on the verge of hysteria. her nerves had been tried too far. it was necessary to get her into the open air without delay. in his quick, masterful way wilfrid took her by the arm and led her downstairs into the billiard-room. beatrice was safe, however. it was plain the visitors had no designs against her; indeed, they had proved so much by their actions. and, unworthy as he was of assistance, something would have to be done to save samuel flower. wilfrid would have to act for himself. he could expect no help from the terror-stricken cotter, who appeared to have vanished, and it would not be prudent to arouse the servants. he took beatrice across the billiard-room and motioned her into the open air.
"i will fetch a wrap for you," he said. "i shall find some in the hall."
"am i to stay outside?" beatrice asked.
"it will be better," wilfrid said as he returned with a bundle of wraps. "at any rate, you will be in the fresh air. and now i want you to be brave and resolute. don't forget that these mysterious strangers have no grudge against you. try to bear that in mind. keep it before you and think of nothing else. i believe i have a fair idea what is taking place."
"but yourself," beatrice murmured. "i should never know a moment's happiness if anything happened to you. you have been so strong and kind that—that——"
the girl faltered and tears came into her eyes. she held out her hands impulsively and wilfrid caught them in a tender grip. he forgot everything else for the moment.
"for your sake as well as mine," he whispered. "and now i really must act. unless i am mistaken it is your uncle who is in most danger."
wilfrid turned and passed into the hall. the library door was shut and he seemed to hear voices from the room. crouching behind a settee he made out the form of cotter, who rose as he approached and came forward writhing and rubbing his hands. the fellow's abject terror filled wilfrid with disgust.
"where is your master?" he demanded.
"in there," cotter whispered, "with them. he'll never come out again. we shall never see samuel flower alive. what are you going to do, sir? you wouldn't be as mad as that."
"i am going into the library," wilfrid said curtly. as he spoke he laid his hand upon the knob, but the key was turned inside and he could make no approach. cotter caught him round the shoulders.
"don't do it," he whispered. "if you value your life stay where you are. and besides, it is too late to do any good. he has been locked in there with them five minutes. and five minutes with them is eternity."
cotter's voice broke off suddenly as a feeble cry came from within the room. wilfrid stepped back a pace or two.
"stand clear," he said, "i am going to burst the door."
