CHAPTER XIX
THE YOGI CONQUERS
The events of the day that followed--Sunday--I shall pass over asbriefly as may be. It was for me a day of disappointment, culminatingin despair, and, looking back at it, I remember it as a grey day,windy, and with gusts of rain.
Dr. Hinman stopped for us, and Godfrey and I accompanied him to theservice over the body of the murdered man. We were the only outsidersthere, besides the undertaker and his assistants, and they were notadmitted to the ceremony. This was witnessed only by Miss Vaughan,Mahbub and us three. The servants were not there, and neither wereMiss Vaughan's nurses.
I have never seen a more impressive figure than Silva made thatmorning. His robes were dead black, and in contrast to them and to hishair and beard, his face looked white as marble. But, after the firstmoments, the ceremony failed to interest me; for Silva spoke alanguage which I supposed to be Hindustani, and there was a monotonyabout it and about his gestures which ended in getting on my nerves.It lasted half an hour, and the moment it was over, Miss Vaughanslipped away. The yogi and Mahbub followed her, and then we threestepped forward for a last look at the body.
It was robed all in white. The undertaker had managed to compose thefeatures, and the high stock concealed the ugly marks upon the neck.So there was nothing to tell of the manner of his death, and there wasa certain majesty about him as he lay with hands crossed and eyesclosed.
We left the room in silence, and Hinman signed to the undertaker thatthe service was ended.
"I am going with the body to the crematory," he said, and presentlydrove away with the undertaker, ahead of the hearse. Godfrey and Istood gazing after it until it passed from sight, then, in silence, wewalked down the drive to the entrance. The gardener was standingthere, and regarded us with eyes which seemed to me distinctlyunfriendly. He made no sign of recognition, and, the moment we wereoutside, he closed the gates and locked them carefully, as thoughobeying precise instructions.
"So," said Godfrey, in a low tone, as we went on together, "the lockhas been repaired. I wonder who ordered that done?"
"Miss Vaughan, no doubt," I answered. "She wouldn't want those gatesgaping open."
"Perhaps not," Godfrey assented; "but would she want the barrierintact? Remember, Lester, it's as much a barrier from one side as fromthe other."
"Well, she won't be inside it much longer," I assured him. "I'm goingto get her out this afternoon."
The words were uttered with a confidence I was far from feeling, and Irather expected Godfrey to challenge it, but he walked on withoutreplying, his head bent in thought, and did not again speak of MissVaughan or her affairs.
He drove into the city shortly after lunch, and it was about themiddle of the afternoon when I presented myself again at the gates ofElmhurst and rang the bell. I waited five minutes and rang again.Finally the gardener came shuffling down the drive and asked me what Iwanted. I told him I had an appointment with his mistress; but,instead of admitting me, he took my card and shuffled away with it.
I confess that I grew angry, as I stood there kicking my heels at theroadside, for he was gone a long time, and all these precautions anddelays were incomprehensible to me. But he came back at last, unlockedthe gate without a word, and motioned me to enter. Then he locked itagain, and led the way up the drive to the house. The housemaid metus at the door of the library, as though she had been stationed there.
"If you will wait here, sir," she said, "Miss Vaughan will see you."
"I hope she is well," I ventured, thinking the girl might furnish mewith some clue to all this mystery, but she was already at the door.
"Quite well, sir," she said, and the next instant had disappeared.
Another ten minutes elapsed, and then, just as I was thinkingseriously of putting on my hat and leaving the house, I heard a stepcoming down the stair. A moment later Miss Vaughan stood on thethreshold.
I had taken it for granted that, relieved of her father's presence,she would return to the clothing of every day; but she still wore theflowing white semi-Grecian garb in which I had first seen her. I couldnot but admit that it added grace and beauty to her figure, as well asa certain impressiveness impossible to petticoats; and yet I felt asense of disappointment. For her retention of the costume could onlymean that her father's influence was still dominant.
"You wished to see me?" she asked; and again I was surprised, for Ihad supposed she would apologise for the delay to which I had beensubjected. Instead, she spoke almost as to a stranger.
"I had an appointment for this afternoon," I reminded her, strivingto keep my vexation from my voice.
"Oh, yes," and she came a few steps into the room, but her face lostnone of its coldness. "I had forgotten. It is not to speak ofbusiness?"
"No," I said; "it is to speak of your going to friends of Mr. Swainand me--for a time, at least."
"You will thank your friends for me," she answered, calmly; "but Ihave decided to remain here."
"But--but," I stammered, taken aback at the finality of her tone, "doyou think it wise?"
"Yes--far wiser than going to people I do not know and who do notknow me."
"And safe," I persisted; "do you think it safe?"
"Safe?" she echoed, looking at me in astonishment. "Certainly. Whathave I to fear?"
I had to confess that I myself did not know very clearly what she hadto fear, so I temporised.
"Are you keeping the nurses?"
"No; I do not need them. They left an hour ago."
"But the servants," I said, in a panic, "they are here? They are goingto stay?"
Again she looked at me.
"Your questions seem most extraordinary to me, Mr. Lester. Of coursethe servants will stay."
"And--and the Hindus?" I blurted out.
"Yes, and the Hindus, as you call them. This is their home. It was myfather's wish."
I gave it up; her manner indicated that all this was no concern ofmine, and that my interference was a mere impertinence. But I triedone parting shot.
"Mr. Swain is very anxious you should not stay here," I said. "He willbe deeply grieved when he learns your decision."
To this she made no answer, and, finding nothing more to say, sore atheart, and not a little angry and resentful, I started to leave theroom.
"There is one thing more," I said, turning back at the threshold. "Ishall have to go in to the city to-morrow, but I shall come out againin the evening. Would it be convenient to have our business conferenceafter dinner?"
"Yes," she agreed; "that will do very well."
"At eight o'clock, then?"
"I shall expect you at that time," she assented; and with that I tookmy leave.
It was in a most depressed state of mind that I made my way back toGodfrey's; and I sat down on the porch and smoked a pipe of bittermeditation. For I felt that, somehow, Miss Vaughan was slipping awayfrom me. There had been a barrier between us to-day which had not beenthere before, a barrier of coldness and reserve which I could notpenetrate. Some hostile influence had been at work; in death, evenmore than in life, perhaps, her father's will weighed upon her. Icould imagine how a feeling of remorse might grow and deepen, and urgeher toward foolish and useless sacrifice.
And just then Mrs. Hargis came out and told me that someone wanted meon the 'phone. It was Swain.
"They let me come out here to the office to 'phone to you," he said,as he heard my exclamation of surprise. "Simmonds happened in and toldthem it would be all right. He's here now."
"And they're treating you all right?"
"They're treating me like the star boarder," he laughed. And then hisvoice grew suddenly serious. "Have you seen Miss Vaughan?"
"Yes," I answered; for I knew of course that the question was coming.
"Well?"
"Miss Vaughan refuses to go to the Royces', Swain."
There was a moment's silence.
"Then where will she go?"
"She won't go anywhere."
"You don't mean," h
e cried, panic in his voice, "that she's going tostay out there?"
"Yes; she laughed when I mentioned danger. There's oneconsolation--the servants will stay."
"Did you tell her how anxious I was for her?"
"Yes; I did my best, Swain."
"And it made no difference?"
"No; it made no difference. The fact is, Swain, I fancy she's a littleremorseful about her father--his death has unnerved her--and there wasthe funeral to-day--and, as a sort of atonement, she's trying to dowhat she imagines he would wish her to do."
"He wished her to become a priestess," said Swain, his voice ghastly.
"Oh, well, she won't go that far," I assured him cheerfully; "and nodoubt in a few days, when the first impression of the tragedy has wornoff, she will be ready to go to the Royces'. I'll keep suggesting it,and I'm going to have Mrs. Royce call on her."
"Thank you, Mr. Lester," he said, but his voice was still shaking."I--this sort of knocks me out--I hadn't foreseen it. I'll have tothink it over. But there's one thing you _can_ do."
"What is it?"
"Watch the house!" he cried. "Watch the house! And be ready if shescreams again."
"All right," I said, soothingly, "I'll do that. But tell me, Swain,what is it you fear?"
"I fear Silva!" said Swain, in a voice husky with emotion. "It isn'tremorse for her father--it's Silva who's working on her. I feel it,some way--I'm sure of it. God knows what he'll try--any villainy. Youmust watch the house, Mr. Lester--day and night you must watch thehouse!"
"All right," I said, again, strangely impressed by his words. "You maycount on me."
"Thank you," he said. "Remember, we've only you. Good-bye."
Swain's words gave me plenty to think over, and left me so troubledand uneasy that I made a trip to the top of the ladder to take a lookover Elmhurst. But everything appeared as usual. Perhaps Swain wasright--perhaps it _was_ Silva who was using every minute to increasehis influence; but what could I do? So long as he committed no overtact, there was no excuse for interference, and Miss Vaughan wouldundoubtedly resent it. As Swain had said, there was nothing that Icould do but watch.
Two hours later, just as I was getting up from a dinner to which, inmy perturbed condition, I had done small justice, I heard a ring atthe bell, and presently Mrs. Hargis entered to tell me that there wasa gentleman asking for me. I went out to meet him, and was astonishedto find that it was Simmonds.
"I don't wonder you're surprised," he said, as we sat down. "Fact is,I'm surprised myself, for I don't know exactly what I'm to do outhere. But Swain, after he got back to his cell, was like a crazy man;he was sure something dreadful was going to happen to Miss Vaughan ifshe stayed in the house with those Hindus. In the end, he got me kindof scared, too, and made me promise to come out and help you keepwatch. I went down to the _Record_ office and had a talk with Godfreybefore I started. I half expected him to laugh at me; but he seemed tothink I'd better come. The fact is," concluded Simmonds, shifting hiscigar to the other side of his mouth, "he was so serious about it,that I brought two men along. One of them's patrolling the road infront of the house, and the other the road along the side. I'vearranged for two others to relieve them at midnight. Now, what's itall about, anyway?"
"Well," I said, "in the first place, neither Godfrey nor I believesthat Swain strangled that man."
"I can't hardly believe it myself," agreed Simmonds, "for he seems anice young feller; but it's a clear case: there's the motive, he wason the ground, and there's the finger-prints. How can you explain themaway?"
"I can't explain them away. But, just the same, Godfrey believes themurder was committed by one of those Hindus."
"He intimated something of the sort to me," said Simmonds; "butthere's no evidence against them."
"No," I conceded; "that's what we've got to find."
"Where are we going to look for it?"
"There's only one place to look for it, and that's in the house wherethe murder was committed. I only wish we could get Miss Vaughan out ofit--that would give us a freer hand."
"What's the matter with the fool girl, anyway?" demanded Simmonds. "Ishould think she'd jump at a chance to get away."
"So should I--but she isn't reasonable, just now. I can't make herout. Perhaps she'll come round in a day or two, but meanwhile, if sheshould happen to need help, I don't see how your men out on the road,on the other side of a twelve-foot wall, could do any good."
Simmonds rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"What would you suggest?" he asked, at last.
"Why not put them in the grounds, as soon as it is dark, and let themconceal themselves near the house? They can get over the wall on thisside. We've got ladders. Besides," I added, "it would be a greatmistake to give Silva any reason to suspect he's being watched. He'dsee the men out on the road, sooner or later; but they could keep outof sight among the shrubbery."
Simmonds considered this for a moment.
"I don't know but what you're right," he agreed, at last. "We'llarrange it that way, then," and he went away presently to call in hismen. He soon came back with them, and gave them careful and detailedinstructions as to what he wanted them to do, dwelling especially uponthe importance of their keeping carefully concealed. Then we got theladders and put them in place.
"Be careful not to touch the top of the wall," I cautioned them;"there's broken glass on top, and the merest touch may mean a badinjury."
"When you get down on the other side," Simmonds added, "take down theladder and hide it in the shrubbery at the foot of the wall. Somebodymight see it if you left it standing there. But for heaven's sake,don't get mixed up so you can't find it again. Be back here ateleven-thirty, and your relief will be ready. You've got yourwhistles? Well, blow them good and hard if there's any trouble. Andbe mighty careful not to let anyone see you, or you may get snake-bit!"
The men mounted the ladder, crossed the wall and disappeared on theother side, and Simmonds and I turned back to the house. I felt asthough a great load had been lifted from my shoulders. With those twomen so close at hand, surely nothing very serious could happen to MissVaughan!
Simmonds and I spent the remainder of the evening in discussing thecase, but neither of us was able to shed any new light upon it.Shortly after eleven, the two men who were to form the relief arrived,and just as we started for the wall, Godfrey drove in from thehighway. It needed but a moment to tell him of our arrangements, whichhe heartily approved. He joined us, and we were soon at the foot ofthe ladder. While we waited, Simmonds gave the new men the same minuteinstructions he had given the others; and presently we heard a slightscraping against the wall, and the men who had been on duty recrossed it.
They had nothing of especial interest to report. The yogi and MissVaughan had taken a stroll through the grounds early in the evening;and my heart sank as the detective added that they seemed to betalking earnestly together. Then they had re-entered the house, andMiss Vaughan had remained in the library looking at a book, while hercompanion passed on out of sight. At the end of an hour, she hadclosed the book, shut and locked the outer door, and turned out thelight. Another light had appeared shortly afterwards in a roomupstairs. It, too, had been extinguished half an hour later, and thedetectives presumed that she had gone to bed. After that, the househad remained in complete darkness. The servants had spent the eveningsitting on a porch at the rear of the house, talking together, but hadgone in early, presumably to bed.
When the men had finished their report, Simmonds dismissed them, andthe two who were to take up the watch crossed the wall and passed fromsight.
"And now, Simmonds," said Godfrey, "come along and I'll show you whatstarted me to watching that house, and caused me to get Lester out here."
Simmonds followed him up the ladder without a word, and I came alongbehind. We were soon on the limb.
"Of course," Godfrey added, when we were in place, "it is justpossible that nothing will happen. But I think the show will come offas usual. Look straight out over the
trees, Simmonds--ah!"
High in the heavens that strange star sprang suddenly into being,glowed, brightened, burned steel-blue; then slowly and slowly itfloated down, straight down; hovered, burst into a thousand sparks....
And, scarcely able to believe my eyes, I saw standing there againstthe night two white-robed figures, with arms extended and facesraised; and then they vanished again into the darkness.
For an instant we sat there silent, still staring. Then Godfrey drew adeep breath.
"I feared so!" he said. "Miss Vaughan has become a convert!"
And he led the way down the ladder.
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