Round the Fire Stories

expect to have another, for it is against all doctrines of chances that two such events would befall a

hat time, and she had three medical students and one engineer as lodgers. I occupied the top room, which was the cheapest, but cheap as it was it was more than I could afford. My small resources were dwindling away, and every week it became more necessary that I should find something to do. Yet I was very unwillin

complete absence of news, and I was about to toss the paper down again, when my eyes were

strong physique, of steady nerves, and of a resolute nature. Must be an entomologist—coleopterist pr

far more varied, and more accessible in these islands than are butterflies. It was this fact which had attracted my attention to them, and I had myself made a collection which numbered some hundred varieties. As to the other requisites of the advertisement, I kne

rtening fact that the situation was not a permanent one, but terminable from day to day, according to the terms of the advertisement. The more I pondered over it the more unintelligible did it become; but at the end of my meditations I always came back to the ground fact that, come what might, I had nothing to lose, that I was completely at the

a young man came out of the door and walked swiftly down the street. In passing me, I noticed that he cast an inquisitive and somewhat malevolent glance at me, and I took the incident as a good omen, for h

ed the door. Clearly I was in touch

?” said t

e in ans

tman. “Lord Linchmere will se

behind a writing-desk a small man with a pleasant, clean-shaven, mobile face, and long hair shot with grey, brushed back from his forehead. He looked me up and down with a very shrewd, penetra

r to my advertisement,

s,

conditions which ar

eve tha

n, or so I should judg

at I am fai

resol

lieve

hat it was to be expos

know that I

ould be prompt and c

ope

n as to what you would do in a position that was new to you. My impression is that, so far as personal quali

ich

o me about

ry, he was leaning eagerly forward across his desk, and the

ou do not know abou

scientific subject about which I fe

ear it. Please talk

eristics of the beetle, and ran over the more common species, with some allusions to the specimens in my own little

You don’t mean that you are yourself a collector

five millions of people there must be such a man, but the difficulty is to la

n the table, and t

atures and grey-black hair. The expression of anxiety, however, which I had observed upon his face was very much more marked upon hers. Some great grief seemed to have cast its shadow over her features. As Lord Linchmere presented me she turne

” said Lord Linchmere. “He is actually a collector of

eard of my husband. Every one who knows anything ab

these people and beetles. Sir Thomas Rossiter—he was the greatest authority upon the subject in the world. He had made it his

t my husband

I hav

said Lord Linchme

hand upon his shoulder. It was obvious to me as I saw

e with fears.” Her voice quavered with apprehension, and he appeared to me to

t is all decided; in fact, there is n

one obvi

nd upon it; it will come right, and surely it looks like the interference

instant they had forgotten my presence. But Lord Lin

disposal. I wish you to come for a short journey with me, to remain always at my side, and to promi

ood deal to

may be sure, however, that you will not be asked to do anything which your conscience does not approve

happily,” sa

nds happily,” his

rms?” I

pounds

and must have showed my s

d Linchmere; “such varied gifts may well command a high return, and I do not conceal from you that your duties m

d!” sighed

ilton, may I rel

I. “You have only to te

up whatever you may need for a short visit to the country. We

e go

d, by the way, there are two things which I should be very glad if you would bring with you, in case you have t

grotesquely improbable than the last. And yet I felt that the truth must be something grotesquely improbable also. At last I gave up all attempts at finding a solution, and contented myself with exactly carrying out the instructions which I had received. With a hand valise, specimen-case, and a loaded cane, I

is is our train. I have engaged a carriage, for I am particularly a

was there as a protection to himself, and that I was not on any consideration to leave him for an instant. This he repea

ail physical health. But my soul is firm, and I can bring myself up to face a danger which a less nervous man might shrink from. What I am doing now is done from no c

es was too much for me. I fel

ly,” said I. “It is impossible for me to act effectively, when I do not kn

d be gained, Dr. Hamilton, by my taking you into my complete confidence. I may tell you that we are acting—I say ‘we,’ because my sister, Lady Rossiter, takes the same view as myself—with the one object of preventing anything in the 28nature of a family scandal. That being so, you can unde

to convert me into a passive tool, like the blackthorn in his hand. With his sensitive disposition I could imagine, however, that scandal would be abhorrent to him, and I realized that he would n

n fly. Lord Linchmere sat in deep thought during the time, and he never opened his mouth until we were

,” said he, “that I am a m

I did no

I have not had occasion to practise, but I have found it 29a useful education, all the same. I n

hes and rhododendrons I could see a long, many-gabled mansion, girdled with ivy, and toned to the warm, cheery, mellow glow of ol

e whispered. “Please t

pud, and he wore gauntleted gardener’s gloves. A broad-brimmed, grey hat cast his face into shadow, but it struck me as exc

how are you?” s

and I caught broken scraps of sentences—“well-known wishes ... hatred of strangers ... unjustifiable intrusion ... perf

. Hamilton,” said Lord Linchmere. “You will fi

tiffly, looking at me severely fro

now something about beetles,” said

rom your work upon the coleop

etter-known species of the

ately I was ready for one. My answers seemed

are overlooked. I can assure you that the greater part of the idiots in this part of the country are unaware that I have ever written a book at all—I, the first man who ever described the true function of the elytra. I am glad to see you, sir

gh, and higher still on account of receding hair, was in a continual 31state of movement. Some nervous weakness kept the muscles in a constant spasm, which sometimes produced a mere twitching and sometimes a curious rotary movement unlike anyth

re to help me to welcome you. By the way, Charles, d

ou know how ladies’ social duties accumulate if they have been for some t

to alter her plans, but I shall be glad when I see h

My young friend, Dr. Hamilton, is so much interested in the subject which y

ey were. My travels in search of beetles in my younger days took me into many malarious and unhealthy places. But a brother coleopterist like yourself is always

if it were a precious relic, he would hold forth upon its peculiarities and the circumstances under which it came into his possession. It was evidently an unusual thing for him to meet with a sympathetic listener, and he talked and talked until the spring evening had deepened into night, and the gong announced that it was time to dress for dinner. All the time Lord Linchmere said n

that he improved upon acquaintance. He spoke constantly with affection of his absent wife, and also of his little 33son, who had recently been sent to school. The house, he said, was not the same

that Lord Linchmere was a lunatic crossed my mind. He

urried voice, “you must come with me. Y

do you

uties. My room is close by, and you can return to yo

hy?” I

lone,” said he. “That’s the reas

of those twenty pounds would overcome ma

here’s only room f

all occupy i

the o

main, on

would think you expe

aps I

, why not loc

I want to b

nothing for it but to submit. I shrugged my shoulders

on watch, then?”

f you will watch until two,

y go

t two o’cl

ll do

you hear any sounds wake me i

t.” I tried to look

and so, taking off only his coat, he threw the

ular delusion, and the result was 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 to the letter as long as I was in his employment. I sat therefore beside the 35empty fireplace, and listened to a sonorous chiming clock somewhere down the passage, which gurgled and struck every quarter of an hour. It was an endless vigil. Save for that single clock, an absolute silence

nd I laid my hand upon the shoulder of the sleeper. Instantly he was

heard so

It is tw

e, and was soon unconscious. My last recollection was of that circle of lamplight, and of t

arp tug at my sleeve. The room was in darkness, but a hot smell of

id Lord Linchmere’

bed, he still dr

and pulled me into a corner

as of a man who paused cautiously after every stride. Sometimes for half a minute there was no sound, and then came the shuffle and creak whi

it?” I

’s

Tho

es

does h

thing until

visible from the darkness of our room. The greyish slit grew broader and broader, very gradually, very gently, and then outlined against it I saw the dark figure of a man. He was squat and crouching, with the silhouette of a bulky and misshapen dwarf. Slowl

ching on from behind, still kept his hold, though his shrill, frightened cries showed how unequal he felt the contest to be. I sprang to the rescue, and the two of us managed to throw Sir Thomas to the ground, though he made his teeth meet in my shoulder. With all my youth and weight and strength, it was a desperate struggle before we could master his frenzied struggles; but at last we secured his arms with the waist-cord of the dressing-gown which he was wearing. I was holding his legs wh

ement. I believe that it is coming on already.” As he spoke the convulsions became less violent, and the madman’s head fell forward upon his bre

me to my room, I will give you the explanation which my horror of scandal has perhaps caused me to

painful because his inclination is always to attack the very person to whom he is most attached. His son was sent away to school to avoid this danger, and then came an attempt upon my sister, his wife, from which she escaped with injuries that you may have observed when you met her in London. You understand that he kno

convince himself of his insanity; and he is sane as you or I, save on these very rare occasions. But, fortunately, before he has these attacks he always shows certain premonitory symptoms, which are providential danger-signals, warning us to be upon our guard. The chief of these

find in you the very man I wanted. A stout companion was necessary, for I knew that the lunacy could only be proved by a murderous assault, and I had every reason to believe that that assault would be made upon myself, 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 k

t two signatures

the papers on a side-table here, so if you will be good enough t

Lord Linchmere have proved to be staunch friends, and they have never forgotten my association with them in the time of their need. Sir Thomas is out and