The Doings of Raffles Haw Page 4

  CHAPTER IV. FROM CLIME TO CLIME

  The chamber in which the bewildered Robert now found himself was moreluxurious, if less rich, than any which he had yet seen. Low settees ofclaret-coloured plush were scattered in orderly disorder over a mossyEastern carpet. Deep lounges, reclining sofas, American rocking-chairs,all were to be had for the choosing. One end of the room was walled byglass, and appeared to open upon a luxuriant hot-house. At the furtherend a double line of gilt rails supported a profusion of the most recentmagazines and periodicals. A rack at each side of the inlaid fireplacesustained a long line of the pipes of all places and nations--Englishcherrywoods, French briars, German china-bowls, carved meerschaums,scented cedar and myall-wood, with Eastern narghiles, Turkishchibooques, and two great golden-topped hookahs. To right and leftwere a series of small lockers, extending in a treble row for the wholelength of the room, with the names of the various brands of tobaccoscrolled in ivory work across them. Above were other larger tiers ofpolished oak, which held cigars and cigarettes.

  "Try that Damascus settee," said the master of the house, as he threwhimself into a rocking-chair. "It is from the Sultan's upholsterer.The Turks have a very good notion of comfort. I am a confirmed smokermyself, Mr. McIntyre, so I have been able, perhaps, to check myarchitect here more than in most of the other departments. Of pictures,for example, I know nothing, as you would very speedily find out. Ona tobacco, I might, perhaps, offer an opinion. Now these"--he drew outsome long, beautifully-rolled, mellow-coloured cigars--"these are reallysomething a little out of the common. Do try one."

  Robert lit the weed which was offered to him, and leaned backluxuriously amid his cushions, gazing through the blue balmy fragrantcloud-wreaths at the extraordinary man in the dirty pea-jacket who spokeof millions as another might of sovereigns. With his pale face, his sad,languid air, and his bowed shoulders, it was as though he were crusheddown under the weight of his own gold. There was a mute apology, anattitude of deprecation in his manner and speech, which was strangelyat variance with the immense power which he wielded. To Robert thewhole whimsical incident had been intensely interesting and amusing. Hisartistic nature blossomed out in this atmosphere of perfect luxuryand comfort, and he was conscious of a sense of repose and of absolutesensual contentment such as he had never before experienced.

  "Shall it be coffee, or Rhine wine, or Tokay, or perhaps somethingstronger," asked Raffles Haw, stretching out his hand to what looked likea piano-board projecting from the wall. "I can recommend the Tokay. Ihave it from the man who supplies the Emperor of Austria, though I thinkI may say that I get the cream of it."

  He struck twice upon one of the piano-notes, and sat expectant. With asharp click at the end of ten seconds a sliding shutter flew open, anda small tray protruded bearing two long tapering Venetian glasses filledwith wine.

  "It works very nicely," said Raffles Haw. "It is quite a new thing--neverbefore done, as far as I know. You see the names of the various winesand so on printed on the notes. By pressing the note down I complete anelectric circuit which causes the tap in the cellars beneath to remainopen long enough to fill the glass which always stands beneath it. Theglasses, you understand, stand upon a revolving drum, so that there mustalways be one there. The glasses are then brought up through a pneumatictube, which is set working by the increased weight of the glass when thewine is added to it. It is a pretty little idea. But I am afraid that Ibore you rather with all these petty contrivances. It is a whim of mineto push mechanism as far as it will go."

  "On the contrary, I am filled with interest and wonder," said Robertwarmly. "It is as if I had been suddenly whipped up out of prosaic oldEngland and transferred in an instant to some enchanted palace, someEastern home of the Genii. I could not have believed that there existedupon this earth such adaptation of means to an end, such completemastery of every detail which may aid in stripping life of any of itspetty worries."

  "I have something yet to show you," remarked Raffles Haw; "but we willrest here for a few minutes, for I wished to have a word with you. Howis the cigar?"

  "Most excellent."

  "It was rolled in Louisiana in the old slavery days. There is nothingmade like them now. The man who had them did not know their value. Helet them go at merely a few shillings apiece. Now I want you to do me afavour, Mr. McIntyre."

  "I shall be so glad."

  "You can see more or less how I am situated. I am a complete strangerhere. With the well-to-do classes I have little in common. I am nosociety man. I don't want to call or be called on. I am a student in asmall way, and a man of quiet tastes. I have no social ambitions at all.Do you understand?"

  "Entirely."

  "On the other hand, my experience of the world has been that it is therarest thing to be able to form a friendship with a poorer man--I meanwith a man who is at all eager to increase his income. They think muchof your wealth, and little of yourself. I have tried, you understand,and I know." He paused and ran his fingers through his thin beard.

  Robert McIntyre nodded to show that he appreciated his position.

  "Now, you see," he continued, "if I am to be cut off from the rich bymy own tastes, and from those who are not rich by my distrust of theirmotives, my situation is an isolated one. Not that I mind isolation:I am used to it. But it limits my field of usefulness. I have notrustworthy means of informing myself when and where I may do good.I have already, I am glad to say, met a man to-day, your vicar, whoappears to be thoroughly unselfish and trustworthy. He shall be oneof my channels of communication with the outer world. Might I ask youwhether you would be willing to become another?"

  "With the greatest pleasure," said Robert eagerly.

  The proposition filled his heart with joy, for it seemed to give him analmost official connection with this paradise of a house. He could nothave asked for anything more to his taste.

  "I was fortunate enough to discover by your conversation how high aground you take in such matters, and how entirely disinterested youare. You may have observed that I was short and almost rude with you atfirst. I have had reason to fear and suspect all chance friendships.Too often they have proved to be carefully planned beforehand, with somesordid object in view. Good heavens, what stories I could tell you!A lady pursued by a bull--I have risked my life to save her, and havelearned afterwards that the scene had been arranged by the mother as aneffective introduction, and that the bull had been hired by the hour.But I won't shake your faith in human nature. I have had some rudeshocks myself. I look, perhaps, with a jaundiced eye on all who comenear me. It is the more needful that I should have one whom I can trustto advise me."

  "If you will only show me where my opinion can be of any use I shall bemost happy," said Robert. "My people come from Birmingham, but I knowmost of the folk here and their position."

  "That is just what I want. Money can do so much good, and it may do somuch harm. I shall consult you when I am in doubt. By the way, thereis one small question which I might ask you now. Can you tell me whoa young lady is with very dark hair, grey eyes, and a finely chiselledface? She wore a blue dress when I saw her, with astrachan about herneck and cuffs."

  Robert chuckled to himself.

  "I know that dress pretty well," he said. "It is my sister Laura whomyou describe."

  "Your sister! Really! Why, there is a resemblance, now that my attentionis called to it. I saw her the other day, and wondered who she might be.She lives with you, of course?"

  "Yes; my father, she, and I live together at Elmdene."

  "Where I hope to have the pleasure of making their acquaintance. Youhave finished your cigar? Have another, or try a pipe. To the realsmoker all is mere trifling save the pipe. I have most brands of tobaccohere. The lockers are filled on the Monday, and on Saturday they arehanded over to the old folk at the alms-houses, so I manage to keep itpretty fresh always. Well, if you won't take anything else, perhaps youwould care to see one or two of the other effects which I have devised.On this side is the armoury, and beyond it the librar
y. My collection ofbooks is a limited one; there are just over the fifty thousand volumes.But it is to some extent remarkable for quality. I have a Visigoth Bibleof the fifth century, which I rather fancy is unique; there is a 'BibliaPauperum' of 1430; a MS. of Genesis done upon mulberry leaves, probablyof the second century; a 'Tristan and Iseult' of the eighth century; andsome hundred black-letters, with five very fine specimens of Schofferand Fust. But those you may turn over any wet afternoon when you havenothing better to do. Meanwhile, I have a little device connected withthis smoking-room which may amuse you. Light this other cigar. Now sitwith me upon this lounge which stands at the further end of the room."

  The sofa in question was in a niche which was lined in three sides andabove with perfectly clear transparent crystal. As they sat down themaster of the house drew a cord which pulled out a crystal shutterbehind them, so that they were enclosed on all sides in a great boxof glass, so pure and so highly polished that its presence might veryeasily be forgotten. A number of golden cords with crystal handles hungdown into this small chamber, and appeared to be connected with a longshining bar outside.

  "Now, where would you like to smoke your cigar?" said Raffles Haw, witha twinkle in his demure eyes. "Shall we go to India, or to Egypt, or toChina, or to--"

  "To South America," said Robert.

  There was a twinkle, a whirr, and a sense of motion. The young artistgazed about him in absolute amazement. Look where he would all roundwere tree-ferns and palms with long drooping creepers, and a blaze ofbrilliant orchids. Smoking-room, house, England, all were gone, and hesat on a settee in the heart of a virgin forest of the Amazon. It was nomere optical delusion or trick. He could see the hot steam rising fromthe tropical undergrowth, the heavy drops falling from the huge greenleaves, the very grain and fibre of the rough bark which clothed thetrunks. Even as he gazed a green mottled snake curled noiselessly overa branch above his head, and a bright-coloured paroquet broke suddenlyfrom amid the foliage and flashed off among the tree-trunks. Robertgazed around, speechless with surprise, and finally turned upon his hosta face in which curiosity was not un-mixed with a suspicion of fear.

  "People have been burned for less, have they not?" cried Raffles Hawlaughing heartily. "Have you had enough of the Amazon? What do you sayto a spell of Egypt?"

  Again the whirr, the swift flash of passing objects, and in an instanta huge desert stretched on every side of them, as far as the eye couldreach. In the foreground a clump of five palm-trees towered into theair, with a profusion of rough cactus-like plants bristling from theirbase. On the other side rose a rugged, gnarled, grey monolith, carved atthe base into a huge scarabaeus. A group of lizards played about on thesurface of the old carved stone. Beyond, the yellow sand stretched awayinto furthest space, where the dim mirage mist played along the horizon.

  "Mr. Haw, I cannot understand it!" Robert grasped the velvet edge of thesettee, and gazed wildly about him.

  "The effect is rather startling, is it not? This Egyptian desert ismy favourite when I lay myself out for a contemplative smoke. It seemsstrange that tobacco should have come from the busy, practical West.It has much more affinity for the dreamy, languid East. But perhaps youwould like to run over to China for a change?"

  "Not to-day," said Robert, passing his hand over his forehead. "I feelrather confused by all these wonders, and indeed I think that they haveaffected my nerves a little. Besides, it is time that I returned to myprosaic Elmdene, if I can find my way out of this wilderness to whichyou have transplanted me. But would you ease my mind, Mr. Haw, byshowing me how this thing is done?"

  "It is the merest toy--a complex plaything, nothing more. Allow me toexplain. I have a line of very large greenhouses which extends fromone end of my smoking-room. These different houses are kept at varyingdegrees of heat and humidity so as to reproduce the exact climates ofEgypt, China, and the rest. You see, our crystal chamber is a tramwayrunning with a minimum of friction along a steel rod. By pulling this orthat handle I regulate how far it shall go, and it travels, as you haveseen, with amazing speed. The effect of my hot-houses is heightened bythe roofs being invariably concealed by skies, which are really veryadmirably painted, and by the introduction of birds and other creatures,which seem to flourish quite as well in artificial as in natural heat.This explains the South American effect."

  "But not the Egyptian."

  "No. It is certainly rather clever. I had the best man in France,at least the best at those large effects, to paint in that circularbackground. You understand, the palms, cacti, obelisk, and so on, areperfectly genuine, and so is the sand for fifty yards or so, and I defythe keenest-eyed man in England to tell where the deception commences.It is the familiar and perhaps rather meretricious effect of a circularpanorama, but carried out in the most complete manner. Was there anyother point?"

  "The crystal box? Why was it?"

  "To preserve my guests from the effects of the changes of temperature.It would be a poor kindness to bring them back to my smoking-roomdrenched through, and with the seeds of a violent cold. The crystal hasto be kept warm, too, otherwise vapour would deposit, and you would haveyour view spoiled. But must you really go? Then here we are back in thesmoking-room. I hope that it will not be your last visit by many a one.And if I may come down to Elmdene I should be very glad to do so. Thisis the way through the museum."

  As Robert McIntyre emerged from the balmy aromatic atmosphere of thegreat house, into the harsh, raw, biting air of an English winterevening, he felt as though he had been away for a long visit in someforeign country. Time is measured by impressions, and so vivid and novelhad been his feelings, that weeks and weeks might have elapsed since hischat with the smoke-grimed stranger in the road. He walked along withhis head in a whirl, his whole mind possessed and intoxicated by the oneidea of the boundless wealth and the immense power of this extraordinarystranger. Small and sordid and mean seemed his own Elmdene as heapproached it, and he passed over its threshold full of restlessdiscontent against himself and his surroundings.