AgathaChristie-TheManInTheBrownSuit

by The Man In The Brown Suit (lit)

  We climbed in silence till we reached the

  spot where Rhodes lies guarded by giant

  boulders. A strange eerie place, far from the

  haunts of men, that sings a ceaseless paean of

  rugged beauty.

  We sat there for some time in silence. Then

  descended once more, but diverging slightly

  from the path. Sometimes it was a rough

  scramble and once we came to a sharp slope

  or rock that was almost sheer.

  Colonel Race went first, then turned to

  help me.

  "Better lift you," he said suddenly, and

  swung me off my feet with a quick gesture.

  I felt the strength of him as he set me down

  and released his clasp. A man of iron, with

  muscles like taut steel. And again I felt afraid,

  especially as he did not move aside, but stood

  directly in front of me, staring into my face.

  "What are you really doing here, Anne

  Beddingfield?" he said abruptly.

  "I'm a gipsy seeing the world."

  "Yes, that's true enough. The newspaper

  correspondent is only a pretext. You've not

  the soul of the journalist. You're out for your

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  own hand—snatching at life. But that's not

  all."

  What was he going to make me tell him? I

  was afraid—afraid. I looked him full in the

  face. My eyes can't keep secrets like his, but

  they can carry the war into the enemy's

  country.

  "What are you really doing here. Colonel

  Race?" I asked deliberately.

  For a moment I thought he wasn't going to

  answer. He was clearly taken aback, though.

  At last he spoke, and his words seemed to

  afford him a grim amusement.

  "Pursuing ambition," he said. "Just thatpursuing ambition. You will remember. Miss

  Beddingfield, that 'by that sin fell the angels,'

  etc."

  "They say," I said slowly, "that you are

  really connected with the Government—that

  you are in the Secret Service. Is that true?"

  Was it my fancy, or did he hesitate for a

  fraction of a second before he answered?

  "I can assure you. Miss Beddingfield, that I

  am out here strictly as a private individual

  travelling for my own pleasure."

  Thinking the answer over later, it struck

  m^ as slightly ambiguous. Perhaps he meant

  ^ to be so.

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  We rejoined the car in silence. Halfway

  back to Bulawayo we stopped for tea at a

  somewhat primitive structure at the side of

  the road. The proprietor was digging in the

  garden, and seemed annoyed at being

  disturbed. And he graciously promised to see

  what he could do. After an interminable wait, he brought us some stale cakes and some

  lukewarm tea. Then he disappeared to his

  garden again.

  No sooner had he departed than we were

  surrounded by cats, six of them all miaowing

  piteously at once. The racket was deafening. I

  offered them some pieces of cake. They

  devoured them ravenously. I poured all the

  milk there was into a saucer and they fought

  each other to get it.

  "Oh," I cried indignantly, "they're

  starved! It's wicked. Please, please, order

  some more milk and another plate of cake."

  Colonel Race departed silently to do my

  bidding. The cats had begun miaowing again.

  He returned with a big jug of milk and the

  cats finished it all.

  I got up with determination on my face.

  "I'm going to take those cats home with

  us--I shan't leave them here."

  "My dear child, don't be absurd. You can't

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  carry six cats as well as fifty wooden animals

  round with you."

  "Never mind the wooden animals. These

  cats are alive. I shall take them back with

  me."

  "You will do nothing of the kind." I looked

  at him resentfully, but he went on: "You

  think me cruel--but one can't go through life

  sentimentalizing over these things. It's no

  good standing out--1 shan't allow you to take

  them. It's a primitive country, you know, and I'm stronger than you."

  I always know when I am beaten. I went

  down to the car with tears in my eyes.

  "They're probably short of food just today,"

  he explained consolingly. "That man's

  wife has gone into Bulawayo for stores. So it

  will be all right. And anyway, you know, the

  world's full of starving cats."

  "Don't-don't," I said fiercely.

  "I'm teaching you to realize life as it is. I'm

  teaching you to be hard and ruthless--like I

  am. That's the secret of strength--and the

  secret of success."

  "I'd sooner be dead than hard," I said

  passionately.

  We got into the car and started off. I pulled ^yself together again slowly. Suddenly, to

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  my intense astonishment, he took my hand in

  his

  "Anne," he said gently, "I want you. Will

  you marry me?"

  I was utterly taken aback.

  "Oh, no," I stammered. <
  "Why not?"

  "I don't care for you in that way. I've never

  thought of you like that."

  "I see. Is that the only reason?"

  I had to be honest. I owed it him.

  "No," I said, "it is not. You see-I--care

  for someone else."

  "I see," he said again. "And was that true

  at the beginning--v^hen I first saw you--on

  the Kilmordeny9 "No," I whispered. "It was--since then."

  "I see," he said for the third time, but this

  time there was a purposeful ring in his voice

  that made me turn and look at him, His face

  was grimmer than I had ever seen it.

  "What--what do you mean?" I faltered.

  He looked at me, inscrutable, dominating.

  "Only--that I know now what I have to

  do."

  His words sent a shiver through ine. There

  was a determination behind them that I did

  not understand--and it frightened me.

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  We neither of us said any more until we got

  back to the hotel. I went straight up to

  Suzanne. She was lying on her bed reading,

  and did not look in the least as though she

  had a headache.

  "Here reposes the perfect gooseberry," she

  remarked. "Alias the tactful chaperone. Why, Anne dear, what's the matter?"

  For I had burst into a floor of tears.

  I told her about the cats--1 felt it wasn't fair

  to tell her about Colonel Race. But Suzanne

  is very sharp. I think she saw that there was

  something more behind.

  "You haven't caught a chill, have you, Anne? Sounds absurd even to suggest such

  things in this heat, but you keep on

  shivering."

  "It's nothing," I said. "Nerves--or

  someone walking over my grave. I keep

  feeling something dreadful's going to

  happen."

  "Don't be silly," said Suzanne, with decision.

  "Let's talk of something interesting.
/>   Anne, about those diamonds----"

  "What about them?"

  "I'm not sure they're safe with me. It was all right before, no one could think they'd be

  amongst my things. But now that everyone

  ^ITBS 18 267

  I

  knows we're such friends, you and I, I'll be

  under suspicion too."

  "Nobody knows they're in a roll of films,

  though," I argued. "It's a splendid hidingplace

  and I really don't think we could better

  it."

  She agreed doubtfully, but said we would

  discuss it again when we got to the Falls.

  Our train went at nine o'clock. Sir

  Eustace's temper was still far from good, and

  Miss Pettigrew looked subdued. Colonel

  Race was completely himself. I felt that I had

  dreamed the whole conversation on the way

  back.

  I slept heavily that night on my hard bunk,

  struggling with ill-defined, menacing dreams.

  I awoke with a headache and went out on the

  observation platform of the car. It was fresh

  and lovely, and everywhere, as far as one

  could see, were the undulating wooded hills.

  I loved it—loved it more than any place I had

  ever seen. I wished then that I could have a

  little hut somewhere in the heart of the scrub

  and live there always—always. . . .

  Just before half-past two, Colonel Race

  called me out from the "office" and pointed

  to a bouquet-shaped white mist that hovered

  over one portion of the bush.

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  "The spray from the Falls," he said. "We

  are nearly there."

  I was still wrapped in that strange dream

  feeling of exaltation that had succeeded my

  troubled night. Very strongly implanted in

  me was the feeling that I had come home....

  Home! And yet I had never been here

  before—or had I in dreams?

  We walked from the train to the hotel, a

  big white building closely wired against

  mosquitoes. There were no roads, no houses.

  We went out on the stoep and I uttered a gasp.

  There, half a mile away, facing us, were the

  Falls. I've never seen anything so grand and

  beautiful—I never shall.

  "Anne, you're fey," said Suzanne, as we sat

  down to lunch. "I've never seen you like this

  before."

  She stared at me curiously.

  "Am I?" I laughed, but I felt that my laugh

  was unnatural. "It's just that I love it all."

  "It's more than that."

  A little frown crossed her brow—one of

  apprehension.

  Yes, I was happy, but beyond that I had the

  curious feeling that I was waiting for something—something

  that would happen soon. I

  ^s excited—restless.

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  After tea we strolled out, got on the trolley

  and were pushed by smiling blacks down the

  little tracks of rails to the bridge.

  It was a marvellous sight, the great chasm

  and the rushing waters below, and the veil of

  mist and spray in front of us that parted every

  now and then for one brief minute to show

  the cataract of water and then closed up again

  in its impenetrable mystery. That, to my

  mind, has always been the fascination of the

  Falls—their elusive quality. You always think

  you're going to see—and you never do.

  We crossed the bridge and walked slowly

  on by the path that was marked out with

  white stone on either side and led round the

  brink of the gorge. Finally we arrived in a big

  clearing where on the left a path led

  downwards towards the chasm.

  "The palm gully," explained Colonel

  Race. "Shall we go down? Or shall we leave it

  until tomorrow? It will take some time, and

  it's a good climb up again."

  "We'll leave it until to-morrow," said Sir

  Eustace with decision. He isn't at all fond of

  strenuous physical exercise, I have noticed.

  He led the way back. As we went, we

  passed a fine native stalking along. Behind

  him came a woman who seemed to have the

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  entire household belongings piled upon her

  head! The collection included a frying-pan.

  "I never have my camera when I want it,"

  groaned Suzanne.

  "That's an opportunity that will occur

  often enough, Mrs. Blair," said Colonel

  Race. "So don't lament."

  We arrived back on the bridge.

  "Shall we go into the rainbow forest?" he

  continued. "Or are you afraid of getting

  wet?"

  Suzanne and I accompanied him. Sir

  Eustace went back to the hotel. I was rather

  disappointed in the rainbow forest. There

  weren't nearly enough rainbows, and we got

  soaked to the skin, but every now and then we

  got a glimpse of the Falls opposite and

  realized how enormously wide they are. Oh,

  dear, dear Falls, how I love and worship you

  and always shall!

  We got back to the hotel just in time to

  change for dinner. Sir Eustace seems to have

  taken a positive antipathy to Colonel Race.

  Suzanne and I rallied him gently, but didn't

  get much satisfaction.

  After dinner he retired to his sitting-room,

  dragging Miss Pettigrew with him. Suzanne

  ^d I talked for a while with Colonel Race,

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  and then she declared, with an immense

  yawn, that she was going to bed. I didn't

  want to be left alone with him, so I got up too

  and went to my room.

  But I was far too excited to go to sleep. I

  did not even undress. I lay back in a chair and

  gave myself up to dreaming. And all the time

  I was conscious of something coming nearer

  and nearer. . . .

  There was a knock at the door, and I

  started. I got up and went to it. A little black

  boy held out a note. It was addressed to me in

  a handwriting I did not know. I took it and

  came back into the room. I stood there

  holding it. At last I opened it. It was very

  short!

  "I must see you. I dare not come to the

  hotel. Will you come to the clearing by the

  palm gully? In memory of Cabin 17 please

  come. The man you knew as Harry Rayburn."

  My

  heart beat to suffocation. He was here

  then! Oh, I had known it—1 had known it all

  along! I had felt him near me. All unwittingly

  I had come to his place of retreat.

  I wound a scarf round my head and stole to

  the door. I must be careful. He was hunted

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  down. No one must see me meet him. I stole

  along to Suzanne's room. She was fast asleep.

  I could hear her breathing evenly.

  Sir Eustace? I paused outside the door of

  his sitting-room. Yes, he was dictating to

  Miss Pettigrew, I could hear her monotonous

  voice repeating: "I therefore venture to

  suggest, that in tackling this problem of

  coloured labour—�
��" She paused for him to

  continue, and I heard him grunt something

  angrily.

  I stole on again. Colonel Race's room was

  empty. I did not see him in the lounge. And

  he was the man I feared most! Still, I could

  waste no more time. I slipped quietly out of

  the hotel, and took the path to the bridge.

  I crossed it and stood there waiting in the

  shadow. If anyone had followed me, I should

  see them crossing the bridge. But the minutes

  passed, and no one came. I had not been

  followed. I turned and took the path to the

  clearing. I took six paces or so, and then

  stopped. Something had rustled behind me.

  It could not be anyone who had followed me

  from the hotel. It was someone who was

  already here, waiting.

  And immediately, without rhyme or

  reason, but with the sureness of instinct, I

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  knew that it was I myself who was threatened.

  It was the same feeling as I had had on the Kilmorden that night--a sure instinct warning

  me of danger.

  I looked sharply over my shoulder. Silence.

  I moved on a pace or two. Again I heard that

  rustle. Still walking, I looked over my

  shoulder again. A man's figure came out of

  the shadow. He saw that I saw him, and

  jumped forward, hard on my track.

  It was too dark to recognize anybody. All I

  could see was that he was tall, and a

  European, not a native. I took to my heels

  and ran. I heard him pounding behind. I ran

  quicker, keeping my eyes fixed on the white

  stones that showed me where to step, for

  there was no moon that night.

  And suddenly my foot felt nothingness. I

  heard the man behind me laugh, an evil, sinister laugh. It rang in my ears, as I fell

  headlong--down--down--down to destruction

  far beneath.

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  25

  I CAME to myself slowly and painfully. I

  was conscious of an aching head and a

  shooting pain down my left arm when I

  tried to move, and everything seemed dreamlike

  and unreal. Nightmare visions floated

  before me. I felt myself falling--falling again.

  Once Harry Rayburn's face seemed to come

  to me out of the mist. Almost I imagined it

  real. Then it floated away again, mocking me.

  Once, I remember, someone put a cup to my

  lips and I drank. A black face grinned into

  mine--a devil's face. I thought it, and

  screamed out. Then dreams again--long

  troubled dreams in which I vainly sought