the ivory child-第13节

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He　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　I　handed　her　the　parcel；　which　was

neatly　sewn　up。　Somebody　produced　scissors　and　the　stitches　were　cut。

Within　the　linen　was　a　necklace　of　beautiful　red　stones；　oval…shaped

like　amber　beads　and　of　the　size　of　a　robin's　egg。　They　were　roughly

polished　and　threaded　on　what　I　recognized　at　once　to　be　hair　from　an

elephant's　tail。　From　certain　indications　I　judged　these　stones；　which

might　have　been　spinels　or　carbuncles；　or　even　rubies；　to　be　very

ancient。　Possibly　they　had　once　hung　round　the　neck　of　some　lady　in

old　Egypt。　Indeed　a　beautiful　little　statuette；　also　of　red　stone；

which　was　suspended　from　the　centre　of　the　necklace；　suggested　that

this　was　so；　for　it　may　well　have　been　a　likeness　of　one　of　the　great

gods　of　the　Egyptians；　the　infant　Horus；　the　son　of　Isis。



〃That　is　the　necklace　I　saw　which　the　Ivory　Child　gave　me　in　my

dream；〃　said　Miss　Holmes　quietly。



Then　with　much　deliberation　she　clasped　it　round　her　throat。







CHAPTER　V



THE　PLOT



The　sequel　to　the　events　of　this　evening　may　be　told　very　briefly　and

of　it　the　reader　can　form　his　own　judgment。　I　narrate　it　as　it

happened。



That　night　I　did　not　sleep　at　all　well。　It　may　have　been　because　of

the　excitement　of　the　great　shoot　in　which　I　found　myself　in

competition　with　another　man　whom　I　disliked　and　who　had　defrauded　me

in　the　past；　to　say　nothing　of　its　physical　strain　in　cold　and　heavy

weather。　Or　it　may　have　been　that　my　imagination　was　stirred　by　the

arrival　of　that　strange　pair；　Har？t　and　Mar？t；　apparently　in　search　of

myself；　seven　thousand　miles　away　from　any　place　where　they　can　have

known　aught　of　an　insignificant　individual　with　a　purely　local　repute。

Or　it　may　have　been　that　the　pictures　which　they　showed　me　when　under

the　influence　of　the　fumes　of　their　〃tobacco〃or　of　their　hypnotism

took　an　undue　possession　of　my　brain。



Or　lastly；　the　strange　coincidence　that　the　beautiful　betrothed　of　my

host　should　have　related　to　me　a　tale　of　her　childhood　of　which　she

declared　she　had　never　spoken　before；　and　that　within　an　hour　the　two

principal　actors　in　that　tale　should　have　appeared　before　my　eyes　and

hers　（for　I　may　state　that　from　the　beginning　I　had　no　doubt　that　they

were　the　same　men）；　moved　me　and　filled　me　with　quite　natural

foreboding。　Or　all　these　things　together　may　have　tended　to　a

concomitant　effect。　At　any　rate　the　issue　was　that　I　could　not　sleep。



For　hour　after　hour　I　lay　thinking　and　in　an　irritated　way　listening

for　the　chimes　of　the　Ragnall　stable…clock　which　once　had　adorned　the

tower　of　the　church　and　struck　the　quarters　with　a　damnable

reiteration。　I　concluded　that　Messrs。　Har？t　and　Mar？t　were　a　couple　of

common　Arab　rogues　such　as　I　had　seen　performing　at　the　African　ports。

Then　a　quarter　struck　and　I　concluded　that　the　elephants'　cemetery

which　I　beheld　in　the　smoke　undoubtedly　existed　and　that　I　meant　to

collar　those　thousands　of　pounds'　worth　of　ivory　before　I　died。　Then

after　another　quarter　I　concluded　that　there　was　no　elephants'

cemeteryalthough　by　the　way　my　old　friend；　Dogeetah　or　Brother　John；

had　mentioned　such　a　thing　to　mebut　that　probably　there　was　a　tribe；

as　he　had　also　mentioned；　called　the　Kendah；　who　worshipped　a　baby；　or

rather　its　effigy。



Well　now；　as　had　already　occurred　to　me；　the　old　Egyptians；　of　whom　I

was　always　fond　of　reading　when　I　got　a　chance；　also　worshipped　a

child；　Horus　the　Saviour。　And　that　child　had　a　mother　called　Isis

symbolized　in　the　crescent　moon；　the　great　Nature　goddess；　the

mistress　of　mysteries　to　whose　cult　ten　thousand　priests　were　sworn

do　not　Herodotus　and　others；　especially　Apuleius；　tell　us　all　about

her？　And　by　a　queer　coincidence　Miss　Holmes　had　the　mark　of　a　crescent

moon　upon　her　breast。　And　when　she　was　a　child　those　two　men；　or

others　very　like　them；　had　pointed　out　that　mark　to　each　other。　And　I

had　seen　them　staring　hard　at　it　that　night。　And　in　her　vapour…invoked

dream　the　〃Heavenly　Child；〃　/alias/　Horus；　or　the　double　of　Horus；　the

/Ka/；　I　think　the　Egyptians　called　it；　had　awakened　at　the　sight　of

her　and　kissed　her　and　given　her　the　necklace　of　the　goddess；　andall

the　rest。　What　did　it　mean？



I　went　to　sleep　at　last　wondering　what　on　earth　it　/could/　mean；　till

presently　that　confounded　clock　woke　me　up　again　and　I　must　go　through

the　whole　business　once　more。



By　degrees；　this　was　towards　dawn；　I　became　aware　that　all　hope　of

rest　had　vanished　from　me　utterly；　that　I　was　most　painfully　awake；

and　what　is　more；　oppressed　by　a　curious　fear　to　the　effect　that

something　was　going　to　happen　to　Miss　Holmes。　So　vivid　did　this　fear

become　that　at　length　I　arose；　lit　a　candle　and　dressed　myself。　As　it

happened　I　knew　where　Miss　Holmes　slept。　Her　room；　which　I　had　seen

her　enter；　was　on　the　same　corridor　as　mine　though　at　the　other　end　of

it　near　the　head　of　a　stair　that　ran　I　knew　not　whither。　In　my

portmanteau　that　had　been　sent　over　from　Miss　Manners's　house；　amongst

other　things　was　a　small　double…barrelled　pistol　which　from　long　habit

I　always　carried　with　me　loaded；　except　for　the　caps　that　were　in　a

little　leather　case　with　some　spare　ammunition　attached　to　the　pistol

belt。　I　took　it　out；　capped　it　and　thrust　it　into　my　pocket。　Then　I

slipped　from　the　room　and　stood　behind　a　tall　clock　in　the　corridor；

watching　Miss　Holmes's　door　and　reflecting　what　a　fool　I　should　look

if　anyone　chanced　to　find　me。



Half　an　hour　or　so　later　by　the　light　of　the　setting　moon　which

struggled　through　a　window；　I　saw　the　door　open　and　Miss　Holmes　emerge

in　a　kind　of　dressing…gown　and　still　wearing　the　necklace　which　Har？t

and　Mar？t　had　given　her。　Of　this　I　was　sure　for　the　light　gleamed　upon

the　red　stones。



Also　it　shone　upon　her　face　and　showed　me　without　doubt　that　she　was

walking　in　her　sleep。



Gliding　as　silently　as　a　ghost　she　crossed　the　corridor　and　vanished。

I　followed　and　saw　that　she　had　descended　an　ancient；　twisting

stairway　which　I　had　noted　in　the　castle　wall。　I　went　after　her；　my

stockinged　feet　making　no　noise；　feeling　my　way　carefully　in　the

darkness　of　the　stair；　for　I　did　not　dare　to　strike　a　match。　Beneath

me　I　heard　a　noise　as　of　someone　fumbling　with　bolts。　Then　a　door

creaked　on　its　hinges　and　there　was　some　light。　When　I　reached　the

doorway　I　caught　sight　of　the　figure　of　Miss　Holmes　flitting　across　a

hollow　garden　that　was　laid　out　in　the　bottom　of　the　castle　moat　which

had　been　drained。　The　garden；　as　I　had　observed　when　we　walked　through

it　on　the　previous　day　on　our　way　to　the　first　covert　that　we　shot；

was　bordered　by　a　shrubbery　through　which　ran　paths　that　led　to　the

back　drive　of　the　castle。



Across　the　garden　glided　the　figure　of　Miss　Holmes　and　after　it　went

I；　crouching　and　taking　cover　behind　every　bush　as　though　I　were

stalking　big　game；　which　indeed　I　was。　She　entered　the　shrubbery；

moving　much　more　swiftly　now；　for　as　she　went　she　seemed　to　gather

speed；　like　a　stone　which　is　rolled　down　a　hill。　It　was　as　though

whatever　might　be　attracting　her；　for　I　felt　sure　that　she　was　being

drawn　by　something；　acted　more　strongly　upon　her　sleeping　will　as　she

drew　nearer　to　it。　For　a　while　I　lost　sight　of　her　in　the　shadow　of

the　tall　trees。　Then　suddenly　I　saw　her　again；　standing　quite　still　in

an　opening　caused　by　the　blowing　down　in　the　gale　of　one　of　the　avenue

of　elms　that　bordered　the　back　drive。　But　now　she　was　no　longer　alone；

for　advancing　towards　her　were　two　cloaked　figures　in　whom　I

recognized　Har？t　and　Mar？t。



There　she　stood　with　outstretched　arms；　and　towards　her；　stealthily　as

lions　stalking　a　buck；　came　Har？t　and　Mar？t。　Moreover；　between　the

naked　boughs　of　the　fallen　elm　I　caught　sight　of　what　looked　like　the

outline　of　a　closed　carriage　standing　upon　the　drive。　Also　I　heard　a

horse　stamp　upon　the　frosty　ground。　Round　the　edge　of　the　little　glade

I　ran；　keeping　in　the　dark　shadow；　as　I　went　cocking　the　pistol　that

was　in　my　pocket。　Then　suddenly　I　darted　out　and　stood　between　Har？t

and　Mar？t　and　Miss　Holmes。



Not　a　word　passed　between　us。　I　think　that　all　three　of　us

subconsciously　were　anxious　not　to　awake　the　sleeping　woman；　knowing

that　if　we　did　so　there　would　be　a　terrible　scene。　Only　after

motioning　to　me　to　stand　aside；　of　course　in　vain；　Har？t　and　Mar？t

drew　from　their　robes　curved　and　cruel…looking　knives　and　bowed；　for

even　now　their　politeness　did　not　forsake　them。　I　bowed　back　and　when

I　straightened　myself　those　enterprising　Easterns　found　that　I　was

covering　the　heart　of　Har？t　with　my　pistol。　Then　with　that　perception

which　is　part　of　the　mental　outfit　of　the　great；　they　saw　that　the

game　was　up　since　I　could　have　shot　them　both　before　a　knife　touched

me。



〃You　have　won　this　time；　O　Watcher…by…Night；〃　whispered　Har？t　softly；

〃but　another　time　you　will　lose。　That　beautiful　lady　belongs　to　us　and

the　People　of　the　White　Kendah；　for