Round the Fire Stories Page 3

THE BEETLE-HUNTER

  A curious experience? said the Doctor. Yes, my friends, I have had onevery curious experience. I never expect to have another, for it isagainst all doctrines of chances that two such events would befall anyone man in a single lifetime. You may believe me or not, but the thinghappened exactly as I tell it.

  I had just become a medical man, but I had not started in practice, andI lived in rooms in Gower Street. The street has been renumbered sincethen, but it was in the only house which has a bow-window, upon theleft-hand side as you go down from the Metropolitan Station. A widownamed Murchison kept the house at that time, and she had three medicalstudents and one engineer as lodgers. I occupied the top room, which wasthe cheapest, but cheap as it was it was more than I could afford. Mysmall resources were dwindling away, and every week it became morenecessary that I should find something to do. Yet I was very unwillingto go into general practice, for my tastes were all in the direction ofscience, and especially of zoology, towards which I had always a strongleaning. I had almost given the fight up and resigned myself to being amedical drudge for life, when the turning-point of my struggles came ina very extraordinary way.

  One morning I had picked up the _Standard_ and was glancing over itscontents. There was a complete absence of news, and I was about to tossthe paper down again, when my eyes were caught by an advertisement atthe head of the personal column. It was worded in this way:—

  Wanted for one or more days the services of a medical man. It is essential that he should be a man of strong physique, of steady nerves, and of a resolute nature. Must be an entomologist—coleopterist preferred. Apply, in person, at 77B, Brook Street. Application must be made before twelve o’clock to-day.

  Now, I have already said that I was devoted to zoology. Of all branchesof zoology, the study of insects was the most attractive to me, and ofall insects beetles were the species with which I was most familiar.Butterfly collectors are numerous, but beetles are far more varied, andmore accessible in these islands than are butterflies. It was this factwhich had attracted my attention to them, and I had myself made acollection which numbered some hundred varieties. As to the otherrequisites of the advertisement, I knew that my nerves could be dependedupon, and I had won the weight-throwing competition at theinter-hospital sports. Clearly, I was the very man for the vacancy.Within five minutes of my having read the advertisement I was in a caband on my way to Brook Street.

  As I drove, I kept turning the matter over in my head and trying to makea guess as to what sort of employment it could be which needed suchcurious qualifications. A strong physique, a resolute nature, a medicaltraining, and a knowledge of beetles—what connection could there bebetween these various requisites? And then there was the dishearteningfact that the situation was not a permanent one, but terminable from dayto day, according to the terms of the advertisement. The more I ponderedover it the more unintelligible did it become; but at the end of mymeditations I always came back to the ground fact that, come what might,I had nothing to lose, that I was completely at the end of my resources,and that I was ready for any adventure, however desperate, which wouldput a few honest sovereigns into my pocket. The man fears to fail whohas to pay for his failure, but there was no penalty which Fortune couldexact from me. I was like the gambler with empty pockets, who is stillallowed to try his luck with the others.

  No. 77B, Brook Street, was one of those dingy and yet imposing houses,dun-coloured and flat-faced, with the intensely respectable and solidair which marks the Georgian builder. As I alighted from the cab, ayoung man came out of the door and walked swiftly down the street. Inpassing me, I noticed that he cast an inquisitive and somewhatmalevolent glance at me, and I took the incident as a good omen, for hisappearance was that of a rejected candidate, and if he resented myapplication it meant that the vacancy was not yet filled up. Full ofhope, I ascended the broad steps and rapped with the heavy knocker.

  A footman in powder and livery opened the door. Clearly I was in touchwith people of wealth and fashion.

  “Yes, sir?” said the footman.

  “I came in answer to——”

  “Quite so, sir,” said the footman. “Lord Linchmere will see you at oncein the library.”

  Lord Linchmere! I had vaguely heard the name, but could not for theinstant recall anything about him. Following the footman, I was showninto a large, book-lined room in which there was seated behind awriting-desk a small man with a pleasant, clean-shaven, mobile face, andlong hair shot with grey, brushed back from his forehead. He looked meup and down with a very shrewd, penetrating glance, holding the cardwhich the footman had given him in his right hand. Then he smiledpleasantly, and I felt that externally at any rate I possessed thequalifications which he desired.

  “You have come in answer to my advertisement, Dr. Hamilton?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you fulfil the conditions which are there laid down?”

  “I believe that I do.”

  “You are a powerful man, or so I should judge from your appearance.”

  “I think that I am fairly strong.”

  “And resolute?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Have you ever known what it was to be exposed to imminent danger?”

  “No, I don’t know that I ever have.”

  “But you think you would be prompt and cool at such a time?”

  “I hope so.”

  “Well, I believe that you would. I have the more confidence in youbecause you do not pretend to be certain as to what you would do in aposition that was new to you. My impression is that, so far as personalqualities go, you are the very man of whom I am in search. That beingsettled, we may pass on to the next point.”

  “Which is?”

  “To talk to me about beetles.”

  I looked across to see if he was joking, but, on the contrary, he wasleaning eagerly forward across his desk, and there was an expression ofsomething like anxiety in his eyes.

  “I am afraid that you do not know about beetles,” he cried.

  “On the contrary, sir, it is the one scientific subject about which Ifeel that I really do know something.”

  “I am overjoyed to hear it. Please talk to me about beetles.”

  I talked. I do not profess to have said anything original upon thesubject, but I gave a short sketch of the characteristics of the beetle,and ran over the more common species, with some allusions to thespecimens in my own little collection and to the article upon “BuryingBeetles” which I had contributed to the _Journal of EntomologicalScience_.

  “What! not a collector?” cried Lord Linchmere. “You don’t mean that youare yourself a collector?” His eyes danced with pleasure at the thought.

  “You are certainly the very man in London for my purpose. I thought thatamong five millions of people there must be such a man, but thedifficulty is to lay one’s hands upon him. I have been extraordinarilyfortunate in finding you.”

  He rang a gong upon the table, and the footman entered.

  “Ask Lady Rossiter to have the goodness to step this way,” said hislordship, and a few moments later the lady was ushered into the room.She was a small, middle-aged woman, very like Lord Linchmere inappearance, with the same quick, alert features and grey-black hair. Theexpression of anxiety, however, which I had observed upon his face wasvery much more marked upon hers. Some great grief seemed to have castits shadow over her features. As Lord Linchmere presented me she turnedher face full upon me, and I was shocked to observe a half-healed scarextending for two inches over her right eyebrow. It was partly concealedby plaster, but none the less I could see that it had been a seriouswound and not long inflicted.

  “Dr. Hamilton is the very man for our purpose, Evelyn,” said LordLinchmere. “He is actually a collector of beetles, and he has writtenarticles upon the subject.”

  “Really!” said Lady Rossiter. “Then you must have heard of my husband.Every one who knows anything about beetles must have
heard of Sir ThomasRossiter.”

  For the first time a thin little ray of light began to break into theobscure business. Here, at last, was a connection between these peopleand beetles. Sir Thomas Rossiter—he was the greatest authority upon thesubject in the world. He had made it his life-long study, and hadwritten a most exhaustive work upon it. I hastened to assure her that Ihad read and appreciated it.

  “Have you met my husband?” she asked.

  “No, I have not.”

  “But you shall,” said Lord Linchmere, with decision.

  The lady was standing beside the desk, and she put her hand upon hisshoulder. It was obvious to me as I saw their faces together that theywere brother and sister.

  “Are you really prepared for this, Charles? It is noble of you, but youfill me with fears.” Her voice quavered with apprehension, and heappeared to me to be equally moved, though he was making strong effortsto conceal his agitation.

  “Yes, yes, dear; it is all settled, it is all decided; in fact, there isno other possible way, that I can see.”

  “There is one obvious way.”

  “No, no, Evelyn, I shall never abandon you—never. It will comeright—depend upon it; it will come right, and surely it looks like theinterference of Providence that so perfect an instrument should be putinto our hands.”

  My position was embarrassing, for I felt that for the instant they hadforgotten my presence. But Lord Linchmere came back suddenly to me andto my engagement.

  “The business for which I want you, Dr. Hamilton, is that you should putyourself absolutely at my disposal. I wish you to come for a shortjourney with me, to remain always at my side, and to promise to dowithout question whatever I may ask you, however unreasonable it mayappear to you to be.”

  “That is a good deal to ask,” said I.

  “Unfortunately I cannot put it more plainly, for I do not myself knowwhat turn matters may take. You may be sure, however, that you will notbe asked to do anything which your conscience does not approve; and Ipromise you that, when all is over, you will be proud to have beenconcerned in so good a work.”

  “If it ends happily,” said the lady.

  “Exactly; if it ends happily,” his lordship repeated.

  “And terms?” I asked.

  “Twenty pounds a day.”

  I was amazed at the sum, and must have showed my surprise upon myfeatures.

  “It is a rare combination of qualities, as must have struck you when youfirst read the advertisement,” said Lord Linchmere; “such varied giftsmay well command a high return, and I do not conceal from you that yourduties might be arduous or even dangerous. Besides, it is possible thatone or two days may bring the matter to an end.”

  “Please God!” sighed his sister.

  “So now, Dr. Hamilton, may I rely upon your aid?”

  “Most undoubtedly,” said I. “You have only to tell me what my dutiesare.”

  “Your first duty will be to return to your home. You will pack upwhatever you may need for a short visit to the country. We starttogether from Paddington Station at 3.40 this afternoon.”

  “Do we go far?”

  “As far as Pangbourne. Meet me at the bookstall at 3.30. I shall havethe tickets. Good-bye, Dr. Hamilton! And, by the way, there are twothings which I should be very glad if you would bring with you, in caseyou have them. One is your case for collecting beetles, and the other isa stick, and the thicker and heavier the better.”

  * * * * *

  You may imagine that I had plenty to think of from the time that I leftBrook Street until I set out to meet Lord Linchmere at Paddington. Thewhole fantastic business kept arranging and re-arranging itself inkaleidoscopic forms inside my brain, until I had thought out a dozenexplanations, each of them more grotesquely improbable than the last.And yet I felt that the truth must be something grotesquely improbablealso. At last I gave up all attempts at finding a solution, andcontented myself with exactly carrying out the instructions which I hadreceived. With a hand valise, specimen-case, and a loaded cane, I waswaiting at the Paddington bookstall when Lord Linchmere arrived. He wasan even smaller man than I had thought—frail and peaky, with a mannerwhich was more nervous than it had been in the morning. He wore a long,thick travelling ulster, and I observed that he carried a heavyblackthorn cudgel in his hand.

  “I have the tickets,” said he, leading the way up the platform. “This isour train. I have engaged a carriage, for I am particularly anxious toimpress one or two things upon you while we travel down.”

  And yet all that he had to impress upon me might have been said in asentence, for it was that I was to remember that I was there as aprotection to himself, and that I was not on any consideration to leavehim for an instant. This he repeated again and again as our journey drewto a close, with an insistence which showed that his nerves werethoroughly shaken.

  “Yes,” he said at last, in answer to my looks rather than to my words,“I _am_ nervous, Dr. Hamilton. I have always been a timid man, and mytimidity depends upon my frail physical health. But my soul is firm, andI can bring myself up to face a danger which a less nervous man mightshrink from. What I am doing now is done from no compulsion, butentirely from a sense of duty, and yet it is, beyond doubt, a desperaterisk. If things should go wrong, I will have some claims to the title ofmartyr.”

  This eternal reading of riddles was too much for me. I felt that I mustput a term to it.

  “I think it would be very much better, sir, if you were to trust meentirely,” said I. “It is impossible for me to act effectively, when Ido not know what are the objects which we have in view, or even where weare going.”

  “Oh, as to where we are going, there need be no mystery about that,”said he; “we are going to Delamere Court, the residence of Sir ThomasRossiter, with whose work you are so conversant. As to the exact objectof our visit, I do not know that at this stage of the proceedingsanything would be gained, Dr. Hamilton, by my taking you into mycomplete confidence. I may tell you that we are acting—I say ‘we,’because my sister, Lady Rossiter, takes the same view as myself—with theone object of preventing anything in the nature of a family scandal.That being so, you can understand that I am loth to give anyexplanations which are not absolutely necessary. It would be a differentmatter, Dr. Hamilton, if I were asking your advice. As matters stand, itis only your active help which I need, and I will indicate to you fromtime to time how you can best give it.”

  There was nothing more to be said, and a poor man can put up with a gooddeal for twenty pounds a day, but I felt none the less that LordLinchmere was acting rather scurvily towards me. He wished to convert meinto a passive tool, like the blackthorn in his hand. With his sensitivedisposition I could imagine, however, that scandal would be abhorrent tohim, and I realized that he would not take me into his confidence untilno other course was open to him. I must trust to my own eyes and ears tosolve the mystery, but I had every confidence that I should not trust tothem in vain.

  Delamere Court lies a good five miles from Pangbourne Station, and wedrove for that distance in an open fly. Lord Linchmere sat in deepthought during the time, and he never opened his mouth until we wereclose to our destination. When he did speak it was to give me a piece ofinformation which surprised me.

  “Perhaps you are not aware,” said he, “that I am a medical man likeyourself?”

  “No, sir, I did not know it.”

  “Yes, I qualified in my younger days, when there were several livesbetween me and the peerage. I have not had occasion to practise, but Ihave found it a useful education, all the same. I never regretted theyears which I devoted to medical study. These are the gates of DelamereCourt.”

  We had come to two high pillars crowned with heraldic monsters whichflanked the opening of a winding avenue. Over the laurel bushes andrhododendrons I could see a long, many-gabled mansion, girdled with ivy,and toned to the warm, cheery, mellow glow of old brick-work. My eyeswere still fixed in admiration upon this delightful h
ouse when mycompanion plucked nervously at my sleeve.

  “Here’s Sir Thomas,” he whispered. “Please talk beetle all you can.”

  A tall, thin figure, curiously angular and bony, had emerged through agap in the hedge of laurels. In his hand he held a spud, and he woregauntleted gardener’s gloves. A broad-brimmed, grey hat cast his faceinto shadow, but it struck me as exceedingly austere, with anill-nourished beard and harsh, irregular features. The fly pulled up andLord Linchmere sprang out.

  “My dear Thomas, how are you?” said he, heartily.

  But the heartiness was by no means reciprocal. The owner of the groundsglared at me over his brother-in-law’s shoulder, and I caught brokenscraps of sentences—“well-known wishes ... hatred of strangers ...unjustifiable intrusion ... perfectly inexcusable.” Then there was amuttered explanation, and the two of them came over together to the sideof the fly.

  “Let me present you to Sir Thomas Rossiter, Dr. Hamilton,” said LordLinchmere. “You will find that you have a strong community of tastes.”

  I bowed. Sir Thomas stood very stiffly, looking at me severely fromunder the broad brim of his hat.

  “Lord Linchmere tells me that you know something about beetles,” saidhe. “What do you know about beetles?”

  “I know what I have learned from your work upon the coleoptera, SirThomas,” I answered.

  “Give me the names of the better-known species of the British scarabæi,”said he.

  I had not expected an examination, but fortunately I was ready for one.My answers seemed to please him, for his stern features relaxed.

  “You appear to have read my book with some profit, sir,” said he. “It isa rare thing for me to meet any one who takes an intelligent interest insuch matters. People can find time for such trivialities as sport orsociety, and yet the beetles are overlooked. I can assure you that thegreater part of the idiots in this part of the country are unaware thatI have ever written a book at all—I, the first man who ever describedthe true function of the elytra. I am glad to see you, sir, and I haveno doubt that I can show you some specimens which will interest you.” Hestepped into the fly and drove up with us to the house, expounding to meas we went some recent researches which he had made into the anatomy ofthe lady-bird.

  I have said that Sir Thomas Rossiter wore a large hat drawn down overhis brows. As he entered the hall he uncovered himself, and I was atonce aware of a singular characteristic which the hat had concealed. Hisforehead, which was naturally high, and higher still on account ofreceding hair, was in a continual state of movement. Some nervousweakness kept the muscles in a constant spasm, which sometimes produceda mere twitching and sometimes a curious rotary movement unlike anythingwhich I had ever seen before. It was strikingly visible as he turnedtowards us after entering the study, and seemed the more singular fromthe contrast with the hard, steady grey eyes which looked out fromunderneath those palpitating brows.

  “I am sorry,” said he, “that Lady Rossiter is not here to help me towelcome you. By the way, Charles, did Evelyn say anything about the dateof her return?”

  “She wished to stay in town for a few more days,” said Lord Linchmere.“You know how ladies’ social duties accumulate if they have been forsome time in the country. My sister has many old friends in London atpresent.”

  “Well, she is her own mistress, and I should not wish to alter herplans, but I shall be glad when I see her again. It is very lonely herewithout her company.”

  “I was afraid that you might find it so, and that was partly why I randown. My young friend, Dr. Hamilton, is so much interested in thesubject which you have made your own, that I thought you would not mindhis accompanying me.”

  “I lead a retired life, Dr. Hamilton, and my aversion to strangers growsupon me,” said our host. “I have sometimes thought that my nerves arenot so good as they were. My travels in search of beetles in my youngerdays took me into many malarious and unhealthy places. But a brothercoleopterist like yourself is always a welcome guest, and I shall bedelighted if you will look over my collection, which I think that I maywithout exaggeration describe as the best in Europe.”

  And so no doubt it was. He had a huge oaken cabinet arranged in shallowdrawers, and here, neatly ticketed and classified, were beetles fromevery corner of the earth, black, brown, blue, green, and mottled. Everynow and then as he swept his hand over the lines and lines of impaledinsects he would catch up some rare specimen, and, handling it with asmuch delicacy and reverence as if it were a precious relic, he wouldhold forth upon its peculiarities and the circumstances under which itcame into his possession. It was evidently an unusual thing for him tomeet with a sympathetic listener, and he talked and talked until thespring evening had deepened into night, and the gong announced that itwas time to dress for dinner. All the time Lord Linchmere said nothing,but he stood at his brother-in-law’s elbow, and I caught him continuallyshooting curious little, questioning glances into his face. And his ownfeatures expressed some strong emotion, apprehension, sympathy,expectation: I seemed to read them all. I was sure that Lord Linchmerewas fearing something and awaiting something, but what that somethingmight be I could not imagine.

  The evening passed quietly but pleasantly, and I should have beenentirely at my ease if it had not been for that continual sense oftension upon the part of Lord Linchmere. As to our host, I found that heimproved upon acquaintance. He spoke constantly with affection of hisabsent wife, and also of his little son, who had recently been sent toschool. The house, he said, was not the same without them. If it werenot for his scientific studies, he did not know how he could get throughthe days. After dinner we smoked for some time in the billiard-room, andfinally went early to bed.

  And then it was that, for the first time, the suspicion that LordLinchmere was a lunatic crossed my mind. He followed me into my bedroom,when our host had retired.

  “Doctor,” said he, speaking in a low, hurried voice, “you must come withme. You must spend the night in my bedroom.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I prefer not to explain. But this is part of your duties. My room isclose by, and you can return to your own before the servant calls you inthe morning.”

  “But why?” I asked.

  “Because I am nervous of being alone,” said he. “That’s the reason,since you must have a reason.”

  It seemed rank lunacy, but the argument of those twenty pounds wouldovercome many objections. I followed him to his room.

  “Well,” said I, “there’s only room for one in that bed.”

  “Only one shall occupy it,” said he.

  “And the other?”

  “Must remain, on watch.”

  “Why?” said I. “One would think you expected to be attacked.”

  “Perhaps I do.”

  “In that case, why not lock your door?”

  “Perhaps I _want_ to be attacked.”

  It looked more and more like lunacy. However, there was nothing for itbut to submit. I shrugged my shoulders and sat down in the arm-chairbeside the empty fireplace.

  “I am to remain on watch, then?” said I, ruefully.

  “We will divide the night. If you will watch until two, I will watch theremainder.”

  “Very good.”

  “Call me at two o’clock, then.”

  “I will do so.”

  “Keep your ears open, and if you hear any sounds wake meinstantly—instantly, you hear?”

  “You can rely upon it.” I tried to look as solemn as he did.

  “And for God’s sake don’t go to sleep,” said he, and so, taking off onlyhis coat, he threw the coverlet over him and settled down for the night.

  It was a melancholy vigil, and made more so by my own sense of itsfolly. Supposing that by any chance Lord Linchmere had cause to suspectthat he was subject to danger in the house of Sir Thomas Rossiter, whyon earth could he not lock his door and so protect himself? His ownanswer that he might wish to be attacked was abs
urd. Why should hepossibly wish to be attacked? And who would wish to attack him? Clearly,Lord Linchmere was suffering from some singular delusion, and the resultwas that on an imbecile pretext I was to be deprived of my night’s rest.Still, however absurd, I was determined to carry out his injunctions tothe letter as long as I was in his employment. I sat therefore besidethe empty fireplace, and listened to a sonorous chiming clock somewheredown the passage, which gurgled and struck every quarter of an hour. Itwas an endless vigil. Save for that single clock, an absolute silencereigned throughout the great house. A small lamp stood on the table atmy elbow, throwing a circle of light round my chair, but leaving thecorners of the room draped in shadow. On the bed Lord Linchmere wasbreathing peacefully. I envied him his quiet sleep, and again and againmy own eyelids drooped, but every time my sense of duty came to my help,and I sat up, rubbing my eyes and pinching myself with a determinationto see my irrational watch to an end.

  And I did so. From down the passage came the chimes of two o’clock, andI laid my hand upon the shoulder of the sleeper. Instantly he wassitting up, with an expression of the keenest interest upon his face.

  “You have heard something?”

  “No, sir. It is two o’clock.”

  “Very good. I will watch. You can go to sleep.” I lay down under thecoverlet as he had done, and was soon unconscious. My last recollectionwas of that circle of lamplight, and of the small, hunched-up figure andstrained, anxious face of Lord Linchmere in the centre of it.

  How long I slept I do not know; but I was suddenly aroused by a sharptug at my sleeve. The room was in darkness, but a hot smell of oil toldme that the lamp had only that instant been extinguished.

  “Quick! Quick!” said Lord Linchmere’s voice in my ear.

  I sprang out of bed, he still dragging at my arm.

  “Over here!” he whispered, and pulled me into a corner of the room.“Hush! Listen!”

  In the silence of the night I could distinctly hear that someone wascoming down the corridor. It was a stealthy step, faint andintermittent, as of a man who paused cautiously after every stride.Sometimes for half a minute there was no sound, and then came theshuffle and creak which told of a fresh advance. My companion wastrembling with excitement. His hand which still held my sleeve twitchedlike a branch in the wind.

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  “It’s he!”

  “Sir Thomas?”

  “Yes.”

  “What does he want?”

  “Hush! Do nothing until I tell you.”

  I was conscious now that someone was trying the door. There was thefaintest little rattle from the handle, and then I dimly saw a thin slitof subdued light. There was a lamp burning somewhere far down thepassage, and it just sufficed to make the outside visible from thedarkness of our room. The greyish slit grew broader and broader, verygradually, very gently, and then outlined against it I saw the darkfigure of a man. He was squat and crouching, with the silhouette of abulky and misshapen dwarf. Slowly the door swung open with this ominousshape framed in the centre of it. And then, in an instant the crouchingfigure shot up, there was a tiger spring across the room, and thud,thud, thud, came three tremendous blows from some heavy object upon thebed.

  I was so paralyzed with amazement that I stood motionless and staringuntil I was aroused by a yell for help from my companion. The open doorshed enough light for me to see the outline of things, and there waslittle Lord Linchmere with his arms round the neck of hisbrother-in-law, holding bravely on to him like a game bull-terrier withits teeth into a gaunt deerhound. The tall, bony man dashed himselfabout, writhing round and round to get a grip upon his assailant; butthe other, clutching on from behind, still kept his hold, though hisshrill, frightened cries showed how unequal he felt the contest to be. Isprang to the rescue, and the two of us managed to throw Sir Thomas tothe ground, though he made his teeth meet in my shoulder. With all myyouth and weight and strength, it was a desperate struggle before wecould master his frenzied struggles; but at last we secured his armswith the waist-cord of the dressing-gown which he was wearing. I washolding his legs while Lord Linchmere was endeavouring to relight thelamp, when there came the pattering of many feet in the passage, and thebutler and two footmen, who had been alarmed by the cries, rushed intothe room. With their aid we had no further difficulty in securing ourprisoner, who lay foaming and glaring upon the ground. One glance at hisface was enough to prove that he was a dangerous maniac, while theshort, heavy hammer which lay beside the bed showed how murderous hadbeen his intentions.

  “Do not use any violence!” said Lord Linchmere, as we raised thestruggling man to his feet. “He will have a period of stupor after thisexcitement. I believe that it is coming on already.” As he spoke theconvulsions became less violent, and the madman’s head fell forward uponhis breast, as if he were overcome by sleep. We led him down the passageand stretched him upon his own bed, where he lay unconscious, breathingheavily.

  “Two of you will watch him,” said Lord Linchmere. “And now, Dr.Hamilton, if you will return with me to my room, I will give you theexplanation which my horror of scandal has perhaps caused me to delaytoo long. Come what may, you will never have cause to regret your sharein this night’s work.

  “The case may be made clear in a very few words,” he continued, when wewere alone. “My poor brother-in-law is one of the best fellows uponearth, a loving husband and an estimable father, but he comes from astock which is deeply tainted with insanity. He has more than once hadhomicidal outbreaks, which are the more painful because his inclinationis always to attack the very person to whom he is most attached. His sonwas sent away to school to avoid this danger, and then came an attemptupon my sister, his wife, from which she escaped with injuries that youmay have observed when you met her in London. You understand that heknows nothing of the matter when he is in his sound senses, and wouldridicule the suggestion that he could under any circumstances injurethose whom he loves so dearly. It is often, as you know, acharacteristic of such maladies that it is absolutely impossible toconvince the man who suffers from them of their existence.

  “Our great object was, of course, to get him under restraint before hecould stain his hands with blood, but the matter was full of difficulty.He is a recluse in his habits, and would not see any medical man.Besides, it was necessary for our purpose that the medical man shouldconvince himself of his insanity; and he is sane as you or I, save onthese very rare occasions. But, fortunately, before he has these attackshe always shows certain premonitory symptoms, which are providentialdanger-signals, warning us to be upon our guard. The chief of these isthat nervous contortion of the forehead which you must have observed.This is a phenomenon which always appears from three to four days beforehis attacks of frenzy. The moment it showed itself his wife came intotown on some pretext, and took refuge in my house in Brook Street.

  “It remained for me to convince a medical man of Sir Thomas’s insanity,without which it was impossible to put him where he could do no harm.The first problem was how to get a medical man into his house. Ibethought me of his interest in beetles, and his love for any one whoshared his tastes. I advertised, therefore, and was fortunate enough tofind in you the very man I wanted. A stout companion was necessary, forI knew that the lunacy could only be proved by a murderous assault, andI had every reason to believe that that assault would be made uponmyself, since he had the warmest regard for me in his moments of sanity.I think your intelligence will supply all the rest. I did not know thatthe attack would come by night, but I thought it very probable, for thecrises of such cases usually do occur in the early hours of the morning.I am a very nervous man myself, but I saw no other way in which I couldremove this terrible danger from my sister’s life. I need not ask youwhether you are willing to sign the lunacy papers.”

  “Undoubtedly. But _two_ signatures are necessary.”

  “You forget that I am myself a holder of a medical degree. I have thepapers on a side-table here, so if you will b
e good enough to sign themnow, we can have the patient removed in the morning.”

  * * * * *

  So that was my visit to Sir Thomas Rossiter, the famous beetle-hunter,and that was also my first step upon the ladder of success, for LadyRossiter and Lord Linchmere have proved to be staunch friends, and theyhave never forgotten my association with them in the time of their need.Sir Thomas is out and said to be cured, but I still think that if Ispent another night at Delamere Court, I should be inclined to lock mydoor upon the inside.