The Mynns' Mystery

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by George Manville Fenn


  CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

  MR HAMPTON'S RECIPE.

  Doctor Lawrence's first action on getting his patient quieted down, wasto telegraph off to town for a colleague, and an attendant from theasylum of a friend; but it was too late to expect assistance that night,and so as to be prepared in case of another terrible scene, thegardener's aid was called in, the man willingly offering to help and situp with the doctor, to watch.

  "You will stay, too, Mr Harrington?" said Mrs Hampton. "Gertrude, mydear, why do you not speak?"

  The poor girl gave her old friend a reproachful look, which spokevolumes.

  "I should have offered to stay," said George, "but I felt a delicacyabout so doing, and it seemed as if I should be forcing my presencehere."

  "If in this time of terrible distress and anxiety," said Gertrude withquiet dignity, "Mr George Harrington will stay and help us, we shall bemost grateful."

  "I can't make a pretty speech in return for that, Miss Bellwood," hereplied, "but you know how much more comfortable I shall be to know thatyou are all safe."

  "It will be trespassing sadly upon you," said Gertrude, in formal tones.

  "Yes, terribly," he said drily. "But it suits me exactly, for I want tosit down and think."

  He had plenty of time for thought during the long hours of that painfulnight. The ladies ostensibly went off to bed, while the gentlemenoccupied the dining-room, the doctor rising from time to time to go into see his patient, who lay in a complete stupor--overcome for the timebeing by the potency of the medicine which had been administered.

  It was a slow, dreary watch, for all were more or less exhausted by thestruggle which they had had, but no one complained, and three o'clockhad arrived when, on going once more into the study, the doctor foundthat the gardener was nodding.

  "You will have to go and lie down, my man," said the doctor coldly.

  "Beg pardon, sir; very sorry," said the man apologetically. "Bitdrowsy, but if you'd stop here a quarter of an hour while I go and walkround the yard and garden, kill a few slugs, and have a quiet pipe, Ishall come back as fresh as a daisy."

  "Very well, my man, go; but tell the gentlemen in the dining-roomfirst."

  The gardener went out into the kitchen, filled his pipe, took thematches from the chimney-piece, and went out, telling himself that thiswere the rummest start he knew, and wondering what master would say ifhe came back and found Mr Saul ill there.

  Meanwhile George Harrington sat in the dining-room thinking over theproblem he had set himself to solve, till he felt perfectly convincedthat Saul had, for some reason, had an encounter with the dog, beenseverely bitten, and had then nearly killed his assailant, leaving himfor dead.

  He was just hard at work, trying whether it was possible to connect thiswith his enemy's disappearance, when he became aware of the fact thatafter nodding very peacefully, as if bowing to the counterfeitresemblance of his old friend on the wall, the lawyer suddenly sat upwith a jerk.

  "I beg your pardon, sir," he said confusedly; "I am not used to thissort of thing."

  "Then lie down on the sofa and have a nap, sir," said the young manquietly.

  "No, I am not going to give in; but do you know, Mr Blank, I think acigar and a good glass of toddy would be pleasant, soothing, stimulatingand everything good one could say of it."

  "Yes, it would be pleasant," said George Harrington smiling.

  "Then I shall take the liberty, as executor, and poor old JamesHarrington's friend, of helping myself."

  "Easier to propose than to perform," said the old lawyer, after anexamination. "Sideboard, cupboards, cellarettes and sarcophagus alllocked up. Can't rouse the ladies; it would be brutal. But I tell youwhat; I know. Come with me."

  He led the way into the hall, lit a candle, and, leaving it on the slab,went softly into the study, followed by George.

  "Still asleep?" he whispered.

  "Yes, and calmer," was the reply.

  "Look here, Lawrence, I've been thinking that a glass of toddy and oneof the old Partagas apiece would be good medicine, eh? Excusable underthe circumstances?"

  "My dear Hampton, you ought to have been a physician," said the doctorsmiling.

  "There, Mr Blank," whispered the old lawyer, rubbing his hands;"indorsed by the faculty. Here are the cigars," he said, opening thecabinet and taking out a box; "and here is a spirit-stand, but it isempty, I know; but I thought of going to the cellar and getting a bottleof that old Cognac from the far bin. Would you mind letting me reach tothat drawer? Bless my heart, I seem to be quite at home in the oldplace."

  He opened the drawer, took out the cellar keys softly, nodded to thedoctor, and, followed by George Harrington, went out, closed the doorcarefully, and then descended the passage and the few steps leading tothe cellar door.

  "Now, I do not hold, Mr Blank," said the old man, pausing, candle inone hand, keys in the other, before the door, "that you are the rightfulheir here; but I do say this, that the real Simon Pure will own as finea cellar of wine as any man in the country."

  "Many a good bottle of which, my dear sir, I hope we shall discuss."

  "Ah, that remains to be proved. Would you mind holding the candle?Thanks. Look like burglars or debauchees, opening cellars at this timeof the night; but my poor old friend had some very choice Cognac. Comealong. Now, the other door. Hold up the light. Bin numbertwenty-four. Bless my soul, what's that?"

  A long, low, dismal howl close behind them nearly made the lawyer dropthe long-necked bottle.

  "That dog escaped?" cried George Harrington excitedly; and as there wasa panting noise, he caught at the collar of the dimly-seen dog as itcame by him; but instead of struggling, the great beast rose upon itshind legs, planted its paws upon his breast, threw up its head again,and uttered its dismal howl.

  "The gardener must have let him out," said George quickly.

  "And Saul Harrington must be dead," said the old lawyer, in a solemnwhisper, which seemed to run along the roof of the gloomy, crypt-likeplace.

 

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