Bat Wing
the luxurious life of this queer household hidden away in the Surrey Hills the less I wondered at any one's consenting to share such exile. I had hitherto counted an American freak dinner,
purse. The excellence of one of the courses upon
efforts of my chef
of his employe
valierly fashion and Madame de S
e was with me in Cuba, but has no reputation in
the speaker
not leaving
bited a momentar
"I was only thinking that he-" there was a scarcely percep
by Paul Harley that afternoon, respecting the Colonel's will t
ghtly but cleverly made up, with all the exquisite art of the Parisienne, but even through the artificial bloom I saw her cheeks blanch. Her face grew haggard
from a menace which he, Paul Harley, evidently recognized to be real, although to me it appeared wildly chimerical, and the very person upon whose act
known. Realizing that I had already revealed my interest in the girl, I was oddly self-conscious, and a hundred times during the progress of dinner I glanced across at Harley, expecting to detect his quizzical smile. He was very stern, however, an
this one lapse, our host throughout talked gaily and entertainingly, I was obsessed by a memory
an's eyes, it looked out of the eyes of Don Juan Sarmiento Menendez. Why, then, did he lie down to the menace o
he perplexity of my friend, and no longer wondered that even his
latter at a disadvantage, and I knew well enough that many a genius has been also a drunkard. But although I was prepared to find that Colin Camber possessed genius, I found it hard
this haunted Cuban was one of those strange coincidences which in
s glances, which were pathetically apol
look perfectly sweet to-night. Don't you t
f entreaty from t
tly," I
encourage her? She says embarrassing thing
t a professional "companion" was clear enough. I assumed that her father had left her suitably provided for, since she wore such
that I would give my strin
Colonel Menendez, "I have
ose Bernhardt gestures, "I blushed my last blush when my
n you say such things?" She turned to me.
renew our yout
el Menendez; "our
ame, immediately. "Old age is only trag
his tragic face on the veranda that morning I felt again in detecting this look of Madame d
and gallantly kissed his hand to her, "we
of this truly historic di
welled hand, and holding the fingers characteristica
ley. My heart was beating delightfully, for in the moment of departure the latter had favoured me w
am blessed in the autumn of my life with such charming companionship. Beauty
e," said Har
some wonderful crusted port, an
to Harley, "and if this is so, I know that you will prefe
to whom no more delicate com
is briar. His mood was more restful, and covertly I watched him studying our host. The night remained very warm and one of the two windows of the dining ro
fell, to be brok
trust you do not regret
st of my days in such ideal sur
d in ag
, "I have to remember that I am here upon business, an
y hard at Col
learned all that there is to be learned about the person unknown who gained admittance to the
have you come?" asked Co
total absorption in the topic under discussion was revealed by the fact that from a pocket in his dinner jacket he had t
ne," replied Harley, "if you wou
this qu
y idea who nailed the b
d very widely, and his face b
," he replied, softly. "If I know th
pipe. His expression did n
picions tended in the directio
n Cam
served me aright then his pronouncing of the words "Colin Camber" occasioned him positive agony. He clutched the arms of his
ular reason for your
rstand me. I suggest nothing against Mr. Camber. I should
ve nev
ly know him
be perfectly frank, I have little in co
high, thin voice, became perceptible now, and the a
tered and delivered a message in Spanish to the Colonel, whereupon the latter aro
e had
d Paul Harley. "Carry on with your old duties to-d
ful or annoyed. However, it did not take me long to find my way to the drawing room where the tw
Madame as I entered, "have
I think. They are
leave," murmur
fered her a cigarette, which she accepted, and as I was lighting it with elaborate care, every moment find
" she said; "I wi
lifting her with an ease which spoke of long practice, placed h
ey, "because I feel sure that Mr. Knox will do his very b
e went wheeling out, and I foun
deration, it must have presented rather curious features. The call first of host and then of hostess was inconsistent with the courtesy of the mas
I had time to speak, the girl sta
ng?" she whispered, "
ied, "what k
nd, almost like-the
sed before: that her life at Cray's Folly was a constant fight against some haunting shadow. Her
hand reassuringly, "you alarm me. Wh
not come-" she corrected herself-"if someone had not come, I do
ary alarmed you?" I suggested,
led unmirthfully. "
say so, Mi
ieve me, I know-I know. I, too, saw the bat's wing nailed to the door, Mr. K
lf beside her
d. "Believe me, I quite underst
or?" she asked, wit
to a sympathetic observer
reassured her, and was mu
about it," I continued; "or wou
I suppose, of the Colonel's, we have had so few visitors since we have been at Cray's Folly. Apart from all sorts of queer happenings which really"-
entertain ver
e! They concluded that they did not understand him, and of everything they don't understand they disapprove. So after the first month or so it became very lonely at Cray's Folly. Our foreign servants-there are five of them altogether-go
d?-in w
in some subtle way she changed. Underneath all her vivacity she is a tragic w
ed, "that she seemed to becom
eagerly. "Has Colonel Menendez tol
ely in the dark. But you say he went abro
seemed to come to a head. I confess I became horribly frightened, but to have le
ny of the episodes which to
ley shook
hing really defin
her saw or heard someth
, but it is so dif
u try to
to someone about it. For instance, on several occasions
ni
at n
ge foo
no
e grows with the footsteps of persons living in the same
they passed
at is on the southeast corner of the building, is Colonel Menendez's bedroom, and fac
el Menend
e light, furti
place lat
ng after everyo
me with a sort of embar
s those of a man o
and that look of fear began to creep into her eyes
stranger t
de St?mer had told me that morning that the Colonel had seen someone lurking about the lawns on the previous night. Then, a
I exclaimed. "
ust lay still with my heart beating horribly, and
ur door
ly. "But it has been lock
s were repeated
is that all the servants sleep out in the west wing, as you know,
inly strange
er. "For what can it mean except that there is someone
t is inc
g house like this. Besides, what
reassuringly. "Have you spoke
es
s expression
y explanati
ed me more than ever by her very silence. I grew to dread the coming of each night. Then-"
kind o
asleep when it has come, but I have sat up trembling and d
dea from whenc
hey can be explained in quite a simple way. But this feeling of something pending h
speaking and flushe
er is in love with her cousin, I
Beverley. She laughed to cover her confusion.
ête was interrupted by the
ted this evening. He is threatened with one of his attacks and I have insisted upo
ed my con
lonel Menendez's healt
uch of the road of life on top speed, Mr. Knox." She snapped her wh
Val Beverley, and taking the gir
" she said. "All this bogey busin
he girl. "It is very mysteri
t is all about," concluded Madame. "Yes, I trust
hanges which five years of war had brought about. Her comments, although brilliant, were superficial, the only point I recollect being her reference to a certain Baron Bergmann
d laughed and gesticulated, but on this occasion she was overa
evident desire to do likewise surprised me very greatly; for from the point of view of the investigation the day had been an unsatisfactory one. I knew that there must be a hundred and one things which my friend desired to know
as he paused at my door. "I
d not another word he passed
Romance
Billionaires
Romance
Romance
Romance
Romance