IfIhadanypersonalsorenessonaccountofthisfamilysnub,itwasaverypassingemotion,andonewhichwassooneffacedfrommymind. ItchancedthatontheverynextdayaftertheepisodeIhadoccasiontopassthatway,andstoppedtohaveanotherlookattheobnoxiousplacard. Iwasstandingstaringatitandwonderingwhatcouldhaveinducedourneighbourstotakesuchanoutrageousstep,whenIbecamesuddenlyawareofasweet,girlishfacewhichpeepedoutatmefrombetweenthebarsofthegate,andofawhitehandwhicheagerlybeckonedmetoapproach. AsIadvancedtoherIsawthatitwasthesameyoungladywhomIhadseeninthecarriage. “Mr.West,”shesaid,inaquickwhisper,glancingfromsidetosideasshespokeinanervous,hastymanner,“Iwishtoapologizetoyoufortheindignitytowhichyouandyourfamilyweresubjectedyesterday. Mybrotherwasintheavenueandsawitall,butheispowerlesstointerfere. Iassureyou,Mr.West,thatifthathatefulthing,”pointingupattheplacard,“hasgivenyouanyannoyance,ithasgivenmybrotherandmyselffarmore.” “Why,MissHeatherstone,”saidI,puttingthematteroffwithalaugh,“Britainisafreecountry,andifamanchoosestowarnoffvisitorsfromhispremisesthereisnoreasonwhyheshouldnot.” “Itisnothinglessthanbrutal,”shebrokeout,withapetulantstampofthefoot. “Tothinkthatyoursister,too,shouldhavesuchaunprovokedinsultofferedtoher! Iamreadytosinkwithshameattheverythought.” “Praydonotgiveyourselfonemoment’suneasinessuponthesubject,”saidIearnestly,forIwasgrievedatherevidentdistress. “Iamsurethatyourfatherhassomereasontousfortakingthisstep.” “Heavenknowshehas!”sheanswered,withineffablesadnessinhervoice,“andyetIthinkitwouldbemoremanlytofaceadangerthantoflyfromit. However,heknowsbest,anditisimpossibleforustojudge.Butwhoisthis?” sheexclaimed,anxiously,peeringupthedarkavenue.“Oh,itismybrotherMordaunt. Mordaunt,”shesaid,astheyoungmanapproachedus. “IhavebeenapologizingtoMr.Westforwhathappenedyesterday,inyournameaswellasmyown.” “Iamvery,verygladtohavetheopportunityofdoingitinperson,”saidhecourteously. “IonlywishthatIcouldseeyoursisterandyourfatheraswellasyourself,totellthemhowsorryIam. Ithinkyouhadbetterrunuptothehouse,littleone,forit’sgettingneartiffin-time.No—don’tyougoMr.West.Iwanttohaveawordwithyou.” MissHeatherstonewavedherhandtomewithabrightsmile,andtrippeduptheavenue,whileherbrotherunboltedthegate,and,passingthrough,closeditagain,lockingitupontheoutside. “I’llhaveastrolldowntheroadwithyou,ifyouhavenoobjection.Haveamanilla.” Hedrewacoupleofcherootsfromhispocketandhandedonetome. “You’llfindtheyarenotbad,”hesaid. “IbecameaconnoisseurintobaccowhenIwasinIndia. IhopeIamnotinterferingwithyourbusinessincomingalongwithyou?” “Notatall,”Ianswered“Iamverygladtohaveyourcompany.” “I’lltellyouasecret,”saidmycompanion.“ThisisthefirsttimethatIhavebeenoutsidethegroundssincewehavebeendownhere.” “Shehasneverbeenout,either,”heanswered. “Ihavegiventhegovernortheslipto-day,buthewouldn’thalflikeitifheknew. It’sawhimofhisthatweshouldkeepourselvesentirelytoourselves. Atleast,somepeoplewouldcallitawhim,formyownpartIhavereasontobelievethathehassolidgroundsforallthathedoes—thoughperhapsinthismatterhemaybealittletooexacting.” portraitofSirArthurConanDoyle “Youmustsurelyfinditverylonely,”saidI.“Couldn’tyoumanagetoslipdownattimesandhaveasmokewithme?ThathouseoveryonderisBranksome.” “Indeed,youareverykind,”heanswered,withsparklingeyes. “Ishoulddearlyliketorunovernowandagain. WiththeexceptionofIsraelStakes,ouroldcoachmanandgardener,IhavenotasoulthatIcanspeakto.” “Andyoursister—shemustfeelitevenmore,”saidI,thinkinginmyheartthatmynewacquaintancemaderathertoomuchofhisowntroublesandtoolittleofthoseofhiscompanion. “Yes;poorGabrielfeelsit,nodoubt,”heansweredcarelessly,“butit’samoreunnaturalthingforayoungmanofmyagetobecoopedupinthiswaythanforawoman.Lookatme,now. Iamthree-and-twentynextMarch,andyetIhaveneverbeentoauniversity,nortoaschoolforthatmatter. Iamascompleteanignoramusasanyoftheseclodhoppers. Itseemsstrangetoyou,nodoubt,andyetitisso. Now,don’tyouthinkIdeserveabetterfate?” Hestoppedashespoke,andfacedroundtome,throwinghispalmsforwardinappeal. AsIlookedathim,withthesunshininguponhisface,hecertainlydidseemastrangebirdtobecoopedupinsuchacage. Tallandmuscular,withakeen,darkface,andsharp,finelycutfeatures,hemighthavesteppedoutofacanvasofMurilloorVelasquez. Therewerelatentenergyandpowerinhisfirm-setmouth,hissquareeyebrows,andthewholeposeofhiselastic,well-knitfigure. “Thereisthelearningtobegotfrombooksandthelearningtobegotfromexperience,”saidIsententiously. “Ifyouhavelessofyourshareoftheone,perhapsyouhavemoreoftheother. Icannotbelieveyouhavespentallyourlifeinmereidlenessandpleasure.” “Pleasure!”hecried.“Pleasure!Lookatthis!” Hepulledoffhishat,andIsawthathisblackhairwasalldeckedanddashedwithstreaksofgrey. “Doyouimaginethatthiscamefrompleasure?”heasked,withabitterlaugh. “Youmusthavehadsomegreatshock,”Isaid,astonishedatthesight,“someterribleillnessinyouryouth. Orperhapsitarisesfromamorechroniccause—aconstantgnawinganxiety. Ihaveknownmenasyoungasyouwhosehairwasasgrey.” “Poorbrutes!”hemuttered.“Ipitythem.” “IfyoucanmanagetoslipdowntoBranksomeattimes,”Isaid,“perhapsyoucouldbringMissHeatherstonewithyou. Iknowthatmyfatherandmysisterwouldbedelightedtoseeher,andachange,ifonlyforanhourortwo,mightdohergood.” “Itwouldberatherhardforusbothtogetawaytogether,”heanswered,“However,ifIseeachanceIshallbringherdown. Itmightbemanagedsomeafternoonperhaps,fortheoldmanindulgesinasiestaoccasionally.” Wehadreachedtheheadofthewindinglanewhichbranchesofffromthehighroadandleadstothelaird’shouse,somycompanionpulledup. “Imustgoback,”hesaidabruptly,“ortheywillmissme. It’sverykindofyou,West,totakethisinterestinus. Iamverygratefultoyou,andsowillGabrielbewhenshehearsofyourkindinvitation. It’sarealheapingofcoalsoffireafterthatinfernalplacardofmyfather’s.” Heshookmyhandandsetoffdowntheroad,buthecamerunningaftermepresently,callingmetostop. “Iwasjustthinking,”hesaid,“thatyoumustconsiderusagreatmysteryupthereatCloomber. Idaresayyouhavecometolookuponitasaprivatelunaticasylum,andIcan’tblameyou. Ifyouareinterestedinthematter,Ifeelitisunfriendlyuponmypartnottosatisfyyourcuriosity,butIhavepromisedmyfathertobesilentaboutit. AndindeedifIweretotellyouallthatIknowyoumightnotbeverymuchthewiserafterall. Iwouldhaveyouunderstandthis,however—thatmyfatherisassaneasyouorI,andthathehasverygoodreasonsforlivingthelifewhichhedoes. Imayaddthathiswishtoremainsecludeddoesnotarisefromanyunworthyordishonourablemotives,butmerelyfromtheinstinctofself-preservation.” “Heisindanger,then?”Iejaculated. “Yes;heisinconstantdanger.” “Butwhydoeshenotapplytothemagistratesforprotection?”Iasked.“Ifheisafraidofanyone,hehasonlytonamehimandtheywillbindhimovertokeepthepeace.” “MydearWest,”saidyoungHeatherstone,“thedangerwithwhichmyfatheristhreatenedisonethatcannotbeavertedbyanyhumanintervention. Itisnonethelessveryreal,andpossiblyveryimminent.” “Youdon’tmeantoassertthatitissupernatural,”Isaidincredulously. “Well,hardlythat,either,”heansweredwithhesitation.“There,”hecontinued,“IhavesaidrathermorethanIshould,“butIknowthatyouwillnotabusemyconfidence.Good-bye!” Hetooktohisheelsandwassoonoutofsightroundacurveinthecountryroad. Adangerwhichwasrealandimminent,nottobeavertedbyhumanmeans,andyethardlysupernatural—herewasaconundrumindeed! IhadcometolookupontheinhabitantsoftheHallasmereeccentrics,butafterwhatyoungMordauntHeatherstonehadjusttoldme,Icouldnolongerdoubtthatsomedarkandsinistermeaningunderlayalltheiractions. ThemoreIponderedovertheproblem,themoreunanswerablediditappear,andyetIcouldnotgetthematteroutofmythoughts. Thelonely,isolatedHall,andthestrange,impendingcatastrophewhichhungoveritsinmates,appealedforciblytomyimagination. Allthatevening,andlateintothenight,Isatmoodilybythefire,ponderingoverwhatIhadheard,andrevolvinginmymindthevariousincidentswhichmightfurnishmewithsomecluetothemystery. 
