AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“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.
