The Riddle of the Frozen Flame

d thickset, wearing a suit that fitted badly and a collar which looked sizes too large for him (Merriton had long given up hope

as a sort of send off before he left for Cairo. In the second Merriton intended

ald Lefroy-both fellow officers of Merriton's regiment, and home on leave from India-and mild old Dr. Bartholomew, whom everyone respected and few did not love, and who was in attendanc

g, broad-shouldered figure swathed in the black evening cloak which he affected upon such occasions, and which became him mightily, and wi

out a welcome, as Merriton went

ls, aren't you, eh?... Whew! Merriton, old chap, that's my ribs, if you don'

re West raised his eyebrows, began to make a hasty exclamation, thought better of it, and then clapping his hand over his mouth broke into whistling

sant smoke-filled room. Merriton's arm lay upon his

nd-off and no mistake. Gad! you chaps will be envying me this time next week, I'll swear! Out on the briny for a decently long trip; plenty of pretty women-on which I'm bank

come skulkin' home with your tail between your legs. A 'rose by any other name would smell as sweet,'

laugh which was mirthless and unpleasant, and Merriton, with a quick glance into his friends' faces, saw that they too had seen. Wynne was in one of his "devil" humours, and all the fun and joking and merriment in the world would never get him out of it. His pity for the man suddenly died a natural death. The very ev

le less like a soured lemon, if you can! Or we'll begin to think that you've been and

fine night, what? Behold the king of the feast, his serene and mighty-oh extremely mighty!-highness Prince Da

danced. He wore a rather long, extremely untidy beard, and his shirt-front as always was crumpled and

d how are you?... And who's party is this, anyhow? Yours or Merriton's

e's as chockful of news as an egg is of meat." West was one of the chosen few who had already heard

nd he fell back upon Wynne,

began that gentlema

gri

us!" he murmured,

omplete, Borkins gravely withdrew, and some fifteen minutes later the great gong in the hallway clanged out its summons. They streamed into the dining room, Doctor Bartholomew upon Tony West's fat little arm; Fordyce and Lefroy, side by side, hands

, and made a good deal of noise and fun about it, too. Down the length of the long, exquisitely de

once again the spirit of evil descended upon the gathering and it was Stark who precipitated its flight. "By the way, Nigel," he asked suddenly, "isn't there some ghost story or other pertaining to your district? Give us a reci

est my dinner, and-dash it all, the thing's so deuced u

ces echoed the cry. "

h to drink-though drinking too heavily was not one of his vices-

thing for yourselves, and then you shall

danced and flickered the little flames that had so often puzzled him, and filled his soul with a strange sort of super

from the others like some giant bull who deigns not

s pleasant drawl. "What is it? Some sort of fair or o

spoke, rather curtly, for the

nd where do they come from? That part of the Fens is uninhabited, a boggy, marshy, ghostly spot which no on

West with a whistle of pretended as

for it. Those Frozen Flames-it's the villagers' name, not mine-they say are supernatural phenomena, and any one, as I said before, crossing t

his beard, and arching his bushy eyebrows, as if trying to

the dim light. The pupils of

Myers. He was a bit drunk, I think, and thought he'd have a shot at makin' the v

sly a little note of anxiety h

disappeared absolutely, and the chap who told me said he saw another light come out the next night, and join the

was silence. Then S

someone, and dispel this gloom that seems to h

adows. There were red glints in his eyes and a sneer curled

inkin' man can give credence to the thing for one second beats me completely! Nigel's head was always full of imaginations (of a so

at this man was a guest in his house. It was so obvious that Wynne was try

trong, Wynne?" he said, in that quiet voice of his

oulders. His thick

e. I'll have a bet with you boys. Fifty pounds that I get back safely, and dispel the morbid fancies from your kindergarten brains by tellin' you that the things are glow-wor

ehind them, his whole arrogant personality brutally awake. "Who'll take it on? You Merriton? Fif

is coat-sleeve that restrained him. Then, too, he felt some anxiety that this drunken fool should attempt to do the very thing which

all rubbish-possibly is-but I'd rather you took no chances. Who it is that hides out there and kills his victims or smuggles them away I

crossed to Nigel and put his big, heavy hands upon the slim shoulders, ben

yourself together and try to be a man. Take on the bet or not, whichever you like. You're savin' up for the house

he effort at repression. He shook Wynne's hands off his shou

ne my best to dissuade you. If you were less drunk I'd square the thing up and fight you. But I'm on, all right.

ealized how exceedingly drunk the man was. He had come to the dinner in a state of partial intoxication, which merely m

omew took a st

d addressing no one in particular, "he can

y, and got cursed for his pains. Wynne was struggling into his great, picturesque cloak, a sinister figure of unsteady

th the candle. Stay where you are and I'll put you up for the ni

illy. Merriton never forgot that picture of him, or the sudden tightening of the hear

said thickly. And plung