In White Raiment

by William Le Queux

twentytiny tubes about an inch and a half long; each contained very smallpilules of tabloids, coloured brightly to render them more easilydistinguishable, and not much larger than ordinary shot. Each tube wasmarked, but by mysterious signs unknown in British pharmacology.

  The action of this last prophylactic was slow, but signs werenevertheless not wanting that its effect was to reanimate, for bydegrees the deathly pallor of the sweet face I adored became lessmarked, and the lips showed red instead of that ashen hue which had toldus of her nearness to death.

  The German returned to her, and, feeling her pulse, counted the secondsupon his watch, while at the same time I listened to the respiration.

  "Good?" exclaimed the old fellow, beaming through his glasses. "Thediagnosis is correct, and the refocillation is more rapid than I shouldhave expected. She will recover."

  Suddenly the pallid cheeks became flushed. Life was returning. Theliquid injected into the blood bad at last neutralised the effect,stimulated the circulation, reanimated the whole system, and revived theflickering spark of life. The hand I held grew warmer, the pulsethrobbed more quickly, the breathing became regular, and a few minuteslater, without warning, she opened her eyes and looked wonderinglyaround. A loud cry of joy escaped my lips. My love was saved.

  "You know me, I think?" I said, bending down to her. "My name isColkirk."

  "Yes, I know you quite well," she responded very faintly. "But what hashappened? Where is she?"

  "Whom do you mean? Your visitor?"

  "Yes," she responded eagerly.

  "We have no idea," I replied. "You have been taken ill, and my friendhere. Doctor Hoefer, has been attending you."

  "How do you feel?" the old German asked in his brusque manner.

  "I am very thirsty," she answered.

  He took the decanter, and, mixing a little brandy and water, gave it toher.

  Then just at that moment her ladyship re-entered, and, falling on herknees, clasped her cousin around the neck and shed wild tears of joy.

  Liquid beef and other restoratives having been administered, the womanwhose appearance had been identical in every respect with that of thedead was, ere long, able to sit up and talk with us. Her recovery hadbeen almost as rapid as her attack.

  We questioned her regarding her symptoms, and found them exactly similarto those we had ourselves experienced.

  "I felt as though my whole body were frozen stiff and rigid," sheexplained. "At first I heard a strange voice about me--the voice ofDoctor Colkirk, I suppose it must have been--speaking with Nora; but Iwas unable to make any sign. It was just as though I were in a kind oftrance, yet half-conscious of things about me. My muscles wereparalysed, and I knew that you believed me to be dead. The one horriblethought that possessed me was that I might, perhaps, be buried alive."

  "But you were not conscious the whole time?" Hoefer asked.

  "No; I think I slept during the latter part of the seizure. How longhave I been lying here?"

  "About two hours and a half," answered her cousin. "Do you feel able totalk any more now?" I inquired.

  "I feel much better," she responded. "The draught that your friend hasgiven me has had a wonderful effect. I'm quite restored." And she roseto her feet and stood before us, little the worse for her experience,save, perhaps, that the dark rings about her beautiful eyes showed thather system had received a terrible shock.

  "We want you to relate to us in detail what occurred when you enteredthe morning-room to see the woman who called upon you."

  She glanced inquiringly at her cousin, as though to obtain herpermission to speak.

  "Nothing occurred," she answered; "she was sitting there awaiting me."

  "She had sent in a message, and you thought it--as your dressmaker, didyou not?"

  "Yes. And I was very much surprised to find that it was not."

  "Was it some other person whom you knew?"

  "I had never seen her before," answered the woman who was my weddedwife. "She was tall, thin and dressed in black which seemed much theworse for wear."

  "Dark or fair?"

  "Dark. But I could not see her features well because of her thick blackveil."

  "She was young, I suppose?"

  "Not very, I think. Her voice was low and rather refined."

  "And how did she explain her reason for sending in a message that shewas your dressmaker? She must have been aware that you expected thewoman to call on you."

  "She explained that the ruse was necessary, as she did not wish hervisit to be known, either to my cousin or to the servants."

  "Why?"

  "Because she had brought me a message."

  "A message?" I exclaimed. "From whom?"

  "A verbal message from--from a friend."

  "And may we not know the name of that friend?" I asked. "There is amost remarkable mystery connected with that room into which she wasshown, and, in order to solve the problem, we must be in possession ofthe whole truth."

  "What mystery?" Beryl inquired quickly, opening her eyes widely.

  "Any person who enters is, on leaving, attacked just as you were. Yourcousin here, Doctor Hoefer, and myself, had all three experiencedexactly similar symptoms."

  "That's most extraordinary!" she declared, in an incredulous tone."When I was seized it was not until I had left the room. I went outwith the object of obtaining a sheet of note-paper from the library inorder to write a reply to the message, but on emerging into the hall Iwas suddenly seized, and returned to the morning-room at once. I stoodholding on to the table; but my limbs failed me, and I fell to theground."

  "And then the woman who had called upon you slipped along the hall andout into the street."

  "I suppose she must have done, for I did not see her again. I tried tocall out, but could not. The electric light was suddenly switched off.She must have done that on her way out."

  "Cannot you tell us either of the nature of the message or from whom itcame?" I asked earnestly.

  She was silent for a moment, glancing at her cousin. "No," sheanswered; "I am unable to do that."

  CHAPTER TWENTY.

  THE CHILL HAND.

  Was the message from her lover or from that villain Tattersett?

  Her refusal piqued me, and I was half inclined to suggest that it wasfrom the one or the other. Still, in this marvellous maze of mystery, Isaw that it was not at all a judicious proceeding to show my hand. WhatI already knew was of value to me in my efforts to piece together thisbewildering puzzle.

  The more I reflected the more convinced I became that the visitor inblack was none other than the dreaded woman whose threatened vengeancewas known to be imminent--La Gioia the mysterious.

  "The visitor did not touch you?" I asked. "Neither did she give youany note?"

  "No; the message was verbal. I went once to the library and obtained asheet of note-paper, but on returning found it to be soiled. ThereforeI went out again to get a second, sheet, and it was then that I felt asudden grip, just as though an icy breath had touched me. In an instantI went cold all over, and my limbs became so benumbed that I could notfeel them."

  "You did not suspect this woman of producing this effect upon you?"Hoefer asked, grunting dubiously.

  "Certainly not. How could she?"

  "But her actions afterwards, in switching off the light and stealingout, were suspicious."

  "That's so; but how do you account for your own seizure nearly two hoursafter her departure?"

  "Ach!" he cried; "it is extraordinary--that is all we can say."

  "The room is nothing less than a death-trap," I remarked. "And yet thebaneful influence is a mysterious one. I wish you could tell us thename of the sender of the message, Miss Wynd. It would materiallyassist us in our researches."

  "I tell you that it was a friend who could have no object whatever inmaking any attack upon my life," she answered, ambiguously.

  "But this woman," I continued. "Are you certain that you do not knowher--tha
t you have never met her before?"

  "Quite certain," she responded without hesitation. "She was an utterstranger."

  I exchanged glances with Hoefer. The mystery was still inscrutable.

  Again we all four went to the door of the room of mystery, and Hoefer,still grunting in dissatisfaction, declared his intention to re-enterthe place. Seen from the hall there was certainly nothing about theapartment to excite suspicion. It was bright and comfortable, withhandsome substantial furniture, sage-green hangings, and a thick Turkeycarpet into which one's feet sank noiselessly.

  "It is a risk!" exclaimed her ladyship,