In Search of the Unknown

by Robert W. Chambers

  XVIII

  "The sun was dipping into the sea as we trudged across the meadowstowards a high, dome-shaped dune covered with cedars and thickets ofsweet bay. I saw no sign of habitation among the sand-hills. Far asthe eye could reach, nothing broke the gray line of sea and sky savethe squat dunes crowned with stunted cedars.

  "Then, as we rounded the base of the dune, we almost walked into thedoor of a house. My amazement amused Miss Holroyd, and I noticed alsoa touch of malice in her pretty eyes. But she said nothing, followingher father into the house, with the slightest possible gesture to me.Was it invitation or was it menace?

  "The house was merely a light wooden frame, covered with somewaterproof stuff that looked like a mixture of rubber and tar. Overthis--in fact, over the whole roof--was pitched an awning of heavysail-cloth. I noticed that the house was anchored to the sand bychains, already rusted red. But this one-storied house was not theonly building nestling in the south shelter of the big dune. A hundredfeet away stood another structure--long, low, also built of wood. Ithad rows on rows of round port-holes on every side. The ports werefitted with heavy glass, hinged to swing open if necessary. A single,big double door occupied the front.

  "Behind this long, low building was still another, a mere shed. Smokerose from the sheet-iron chimney. There was somebody moving aboutinside the open door.

  "As I stood gaping at this mushroom hamlet the professor appeared atthe door and asked me to enter. I stepped in at once.

  "The house was much larger than I had imagined. A straight hallway ranthrough the centre from east to west. On either side of this hallwaywere rooms, the doors swinging wide open. I counted three doors oneach side; the three on the south appeared to be bedrooms.

  "The professor ushered me into a room on the north side, where I foundCaptain McPeek and Frisby sitting at a table, upon which were drawingsand sketches of articulated animals and fishes.

  "'You see, McPeek,' said the professor, 'we only wanted one more man,and I think I've got him--Haven't I?' turning eagerly to me.

  "'Why, yes,' I said, laughing; 'this is delightful. Am I invited tostay here?'

  "'Your bedroom is the third on the south side; everything is ready.McPeek, you can bring his trunk to-morrow, can't you?' demanded theprofessor.

  "The red-faced captain nodded, and shifted a quid.

  "'Then it's all settled,' said the professor, and he drew a sigh ofsatisfaction. 'You see,' he said, turning to me, 'I was at my wit'send to know whom to trust. I never thought of you. Jack's out inChina, and I didn't dare trust anybody in my own profession. All youcare about is writing verses and stories, isn't it?'

  "'I like to shoot,' I replied, mildly.

  "'Just the thing!' he cried, beaming at us all in turn. 'Now I can seeno reason why we should not progress rapidly. McPeek, you and Frisbymust get those boxes up here before dark. Dinner will be ready beforeyou have finished unloading. Dick, you will wish to go to your roomfirst.'

  "My name isn't Dick, but he spoke so kindly, and beamed upon me insuch a fatherly manner, that I let it go. I had occasion to correcthim afterwards, several times, but he always forgot the next minute.He calls me Dick to this day.

  "It was dark when Professor Holroyd, his daughter, and I sat down todinner. The room was the same in which I had noticed the drawings ofbeast and bird, but the round table had been extended into an oval,and neatly spread with dainty linen and silver.

  "A fresh-cheeked Swedish girl appeared from a farther room, bearingthe soup. The professor ladled it out, still beaming.

  "'Now, this is very delightful--isn't it, Daisy?' he said.

  "'Very,' said Miss Holroyd, with a tinge of irony.

  "'Very,' I repeated, heartily.

  "'I suppose,' said the professor, nodding mysteriously at hisdaughter, 'that Dick knows nothing of what we're about down here?'

  "'I suppose,' said Miss Holroyd, 'that he thinks we are digging forfossils.'

  "I looked at my plate. She might have spared me that.

  "'Well, well,' said her father, smiling to himself, 'he shall knoweverything by morning. You'll be astonished, Dick, my boy.'

  "'His name isn't Dick,' corrected Daisy.

  "The professor said, 'Isn't it?' in an absent-minded way, and relapsedinto contemplation of my necktie.

  "I asked Miss Holroyd a few questions about Jack, and was informedthat he had given up law and entered the consular service--as what, Idid not dare ask, for I know what our consular service is.

  "'In China,' said Daisy.

  "'Choo Choo is the name of the city,' added her father, proudly; 'it'sthe terminus of the new trans-Siberian railway.'

  "'It's on the Pong Ping,' said Daisy.

  "'He's vice-consul,' added the professor, triumphantly.

  "'He'll make a good one,' I observed. I knew Jack. I pitied hisconsul.

  "So we chatted on about my old playmate, until Freda, the red-cheekedmaid, brought coffee, and the professor lighted a cigar, with a littlebow to his daughter.

  "'Of course, you don't smoke,' she said to me, with a glimmer ofmalice in her eyes.

  "'He mustn't,' interposed the professor, hastily; 'it will make hishand tremble.'

  "'No, it won't,' said I, laughing; 'but my hand will shake if I don'tsmoke. Are you going to employ me as a draughtsman?'

  "'You'll know to-morrow,' he chuckled, with a mysterious smile at hisdaughter. 'Daisy, give him my best cigars--put the box here on thetable. We can't afford to have his hand tremble.'

  "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room,returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.

  "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said. 'He shouldsmoke only one every day.'

  "It was hard to bear. I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasureup a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts. My intimacy with her brotherwas certainly a disadvantage to me now. Jack had apparently beentalking too much, and his sister appeared to be thoroughly acquaintedwith my past. It was a disadvantage. I remembered her vaguely as agirl with long braids, who used to come on Sundays with her father andtake tea with us in our rooms. Then she went to Germany to school, andJack and I employed our Sunday evenings otherwise. It is true that Iregarded her weekly visits as a species of infliction, but I did notthink I ever showed it.

  "'It is strange,' said I, 'that you did not recognize me at once, MissHolroyd. Have I changed so greatly in five years?'

  "'You wore a pointed French beard in Paris,' she said--'a very downyone. And you never stayed to tea but twice, and then you only spokeonce.'

  "'Oh!' said I, blankly. 'What did I say?'

  "'You asked me if I liked plums,' said Daisy, bursting into anirresistible ripple of laughter.

  "I saw that I must have made the same sort of an ass of myself thatmost boys of eighteen do.

  "It was too bad. I never thought about the future in those days. Whocould have imagined that little Daisy Holroyd would have grown up intothis bewildering young lady? It was really too bad. Presently theprofessor retired to his room, carrying with him an armful ofdrawings, and bidding us not to sit up late. When he closed his doorMiss Holroyd turned to me.

  "'Papa will work over those drawings until midnight,' she said, with adespairing smile.

  "'It isn't good for him,' I said. 'What are the drawings?'

  "'You may know to-morrow,' she answered, leaning forward on the tableand shading her face with one hand. 'Tell me about yourself and Jackin Paris.'

  "I looked at her suspiciously.

  "'What! There isn't much to tell. We studied. Jack went to the lawschool, and I attended--er--oh, all sorts of schools.'

  "'Did you? Surely you gave yourself a little recreation occasionally?'

  "'Occasionally,' I nodded.

  "'I am afraid you and Jack studied too hard.'

  "'That may be,' said I, looking meek.

  "'Especially about fossils.'

  "I couldn't stand that.

  "'Miss Holroyd,' I said, 'I do care for
fossils. You may think that Iam a humbug, but I have a perfect mania for fossils--now.'

  "'Since when?'

  "'About an hour ago,' I said, airily. Out of the corner of my eye Isaw that she had flushed up. It pleased me.

  "'You will soon tire of the experiment,' she said, with a dangeroussmile.

  "'Oh, I may,' I replied, indifferently.

  "She drew back. The movement was scarcely perceptible, but I noticedit, and she knew I did.

  "The atmosphere was vaguely hostile. One feels such mental conditionsand changes instantly. I picked up a chess-board, opened it, set upthe pieces with elaborate care, and began to move, first the white,then the black. Miss Holroyd watched me coldly at first, but after adozen moves she became interested and leaned a shade nearer. I moved ablack pawn forward.

  "'Why do you do that?' said Daisy.

  "'Because,' said I, 'the white queen threatens the pawn.'

  "'It was an aggressive move,' she insisted.

  "'Purely defensive,' I said. 'If her white highness will let the pawnalone, the pawn will let the queen alone.'

  "Miss Holroyd rested her chin on her wrist and gazed steadily at theboard. She was flushing furiously, but she held her ground.

  "'If the white queen doesn't block that pawn, the pawn may becomedangerous,' she said, coldly.

  "I laughed, and closed up the board with a snap.

  "'True,' I said, 'it might even take the queen.' After a moment'ssilence I asked, 'What would you do in that case, Miss Holroyd?'

  "'I should resign,' she said, serenely; then, realizing what she hadsaid, she lost her self-possession for a second, and cried: 'No,indeed! I should fight to the bitter end! I mean--'

  "'What?' I asked, lingering over my revenge.

  "'I mean,' she said, slowly, 'that your black pawn would never havethe chance--never! I should take it immediately.'

  "'I believe you would,' said I, smiling; 'so we'll call the gameyours, and--the pawn captured.'

  "'I don't want it,' she exclaimed. 'A pawn is worthless.'

  "'Except when it's in the king row.'

  "'Chess is most interesting,' she observed, sedately. She hadcompletely recovered her self-possession. Still I saw that she now hada certain respect for my defensive powers. It was very soothing to me.

  "'You know,' said I, gravely, 'that I am fonder of Jack than ofanybody. That's the reason we never write each other, except to borrowthings. I am afraid that when I was a young cub in France I was not anattractive personality.'

  "'On the contrary,' said Daisy, smiling, 'I thought you were very bigand very perfect. I had illusions. I wept often when I went home andremembered that you never took the trouble to speak to me but once.'

  "'I was a cub,' I said--'not selfish and brutal, but I didn'tunderstand school-girls. I never had any sisters, and I didn't knowwhat to say to very young girls. If I had imagined that you felthurt--'

  "'Oh, I did--five years ago. Afterwards I laughed at the whole thing.'

  "'Laughed?' I repeated, vaguely disappointed.

  "'Why, of course. I was very easily hurt when I was a child. I think Ihave outgrown it.'

  "The soft curve of her sensitive mouth contradicted her.

  "'Will you forgive me now?' I asked.

  "'Yes. I had forgotten the whole thing until I met you an hour or soago.'

  "There was something that had a ring not entirely genuine in thisspeech. I noticed it, but forgot it the next moment.

  "Presently she rose, touched her hair with the tip of one finger, andwalked to the door.

  "'Good-night,' she said.

  "'Good-night,' said I, opening the door for her to pass.