Bat Wing

chieving anything like a proper understanding of either of them, and I procured a new viewpoint of Miss Val Beverley. Her repose was misleading. She

e I detected in them a look of sadness which dispelled the butterfly illusion belonging t

adopted when in reality he was keenly interested in his surroundings. It baffled me, however, as effectively as it baffled others, and whilst at one mome

ologist. I could not fathom the nature of the kinship existing between herself and the Spanish colonel, for Madame de St?mer

aginable. She was daringly outspoken, and it was hard to believe that her gaiety was force

remained and much of her beauty, so that it was difficult to believe her snow-white hair to be a product of nature. Again a

which were lover-like, yet laden with a profound sorrow. She was playing a r?le, and I was convinced that Harley knew this. It was not merely a courageous fight against af

y increased, the more so since I could see that she was sincerely fond of Val Beverley, whose every movement she followed with looks of almost motherly affection. This was all the more strange

I could not determine if Madame's attitude were to be ascribed to complacent self-satisfaction or to a n

addressing the girl, "you should m

and possessed a slightly husky

y pretty. You shou

and laughed to conce

y be ashamed of arms? All women have

ng an odd contrast to the deeper tones of his cousin. "But it is

dmitted, "but the French, no

Val Beverley, quietly. "Oh, you know they do, Madam

ugged her

on there is"-she snapped her fingers-"nothing. And who would notice a linnet wh

sed himself and

ve of elegance does not always make for happiness. Surely

y cannot help it. To secure what is elegant a Frenchwoman wil

ted the Colonel, "you s

Knox," she extended one white hand in the direction of Colonel Menendez, the fingers half closed, in a gesture which curiously reminded me of Sarah Bernhardt, "

table and kissed the white fing

he said, "I shoul

like a girl, but withdra

e to be pretty

in a vaguely troubled way, and it was easy to guess that she

de St?mer, energetically. "Half the things o

se let me go," cr

will not let you go, but I will l

n the tea-table beside the urn, and Pe

said, "is t

ish butl

, dear," to the girl, "if you are com

hand to dismiss Pedro, and went steering through the drawing

sed eyes, his glance following the chair and its occupant until

a very remarkable wom

e spirit of all the old chivalry of Fr

s nationality he did not feel it incumbent upon him to explain the mystery of their kinship. However, he made no attempt to do so, and almost before

ments later back came Madame again, dressed for driving. Carter was abo

sit down!" said

most said of pain, leapt into he

ntinued the throbbing voice, "t

uck me as grotesque; for it was difficult to associate delicacy w

ar, and when for a moment he supported her upright, before placing her a

rley got in beside her. Madame nodded to Carter in dismissal, waved her hand to Colonel Menendez, cried

engine dying away among the trees. He seemed to be lost in reflection from

ch to talk about. This spot is cool, but is it sufficiently priva

d ash from the end

own study, Colonel M

ers?" asked the Colonel, his man

he suspected the latter of p

friend. "That agencies inimical to your safety are focus

cked himself and in silence led the way through the ornate library to a

ppointed for utility rather than ornament. Everything was in perfect order. In the library, with the blinds drawn, one might have supposed oneself in Trinidad; in the

comfortably, Paul Harle

said he, "I find my info

n which, I presumed during the afternoon,

use, and subsequently of someone forcing an entrance, had no visible ass

, slowly, "these episodes

y a mon

mmediately before

e the activities of Voodoo with the full moon, you

He was busily engaged in rollin

recently confirmed by the

Colonel Menendez, shrugging

sit to Cuba you (a) either killed some high priest of Voodoo, or (b) seriously injured him? Assuming the first theory to be the correct one, your death was determined upon by the sect over which he

d the Colonel. "His name was M'

ll alive, what, roughly,

hing a box of long Martinique cigar

f, am fifty-two, and I should say that M'kombo if

arley, "and did

ords, I

his gaze upon the

shadow you saw upon the lawn, who a month ago made a midnight entran

ken aback by this direct question.

oism has any existence outside those places where Af

elieve it, Mr. Harley, prior to my ex

e representatives of this cult to

it possible in America, for in America t

hrugged hi

umber of negroes in England. If you seriously believe Voodoo to follow neg

idea is i

f? Now," he consulted his pencilled notes, "there is another point. I gather that these African sorcerers rely

s and stared grim

a man of your courage and culture

onel, warmly. "No Obeah man could

Harley, "your will to live seems

do you

is delicate nostrils dilated

tain resignation in your mann

; and I thought as he stood looking down upon my fr

end for a master of tact I knew also that this had been deli

atens has become slackened. Allow me to remind you that the strongest defence is counter-attack. You are angry, Colonel Menendez, but I would rather see you angry than apathetic. To

s cigarette, whilst beginning to roll another. He was mu

aviour which really was unforgivable. I was angry when I should have been gra

a glance at

white; but asleep"-he shrugged his shoulders. "It is in slee

curiosity," d

w fingers of his left hand he held the newly completed cigarette whilst he continued to puff

arley

n the night after the wing of a bat had been attached to her hut, she wandered out i

ling

was obeying the

ou refer to some kind o

night when last the moon was full-on the night after someone had entered the house-I had retired earl

anxiety

rden-you call it Tudor garden?-which i

mured Harley; "and you we

w

had awak

ident. I had cut my bare foot upon

ny dream which had prompted y

what

om face in th

use. I had descended to a side door, unbarred it, and

es the lake,"

es

aul Harley's expression the

me," said he, "the na

ez lighted his

s suspicion of mine. Indeed it is hardly a suspicion, it is what

ollow you,"

ne person within ten miles of Cray'

A

h my shadowy enemy. This being so, you will pardon me if

accompanied them with a gesture of the hands which rea

en. What it was that Harley suspected I could not imagine, nor what it was that Colonel Menendez desired to conc

o what extent he understood its promptings at that hour I did not know, and have never known to this day. Intuitively, I believe, as he sat there staring at Colonel Menendez, he began to