The Lair of the White Worm

Mimi's heart beat heavily. Just before leaving the turret-chamber shehad a shock which she could not shake off. The lights of the room hadmomentarily revealed to her, as they passed out, Edgar's face,concentrated as it was whenever he intended to use his mesmeric power.Now the black eyebrows made a thick line across his face, under which hiseyes shone and glittered ominously. Mimi recognised the danger, andassumed the defiant attitude that had twice already served her so well.She had a fear that the circumstances and the place were against her, andshe wanted to be forearmed.

The sky was now somewhat lighter than it had been. Either there waslightning afar off, whose reflections were carried by the rolling clouds,or else the gathered force, though not yet breaking into lightning, hadan incipient power of light. It seemed to affect both the man and thewoman. Edgar seemed altogether under its influence. His spirits wereboisterous, his mind exalted. He was now at his worst; madder than hehad been earlier in the night.

Mimi, trying to keep as far from him as possible, moved across the stonefloor of the turret roof, and found a niche which concealed her. It wasnot far from Lady Arabella's place of hiding.

Edgar, left thus alone on the centre of the turret roof, found himselfaltogether his own master in a way which tended to increase his madness.He knew that Mimi was close at hand, though he had lost sight of her. Hespoke loudly, and the sound of his own voice, though it was carried fromhim on the sweeping wind as fast as the words were spoken, s

eemed toexalt him still more. Even the raging of the elements round him appearedto add to his exaltation. To him it seemed that these manifestationswere obedient to his own will. He had reached the sublime of hismadness; he was now in his own mind actually the Almighty, and whatevermight happen would be the direct carrying out of his own commands. As hecould not see Mimi, nor fix whereabout she was, he shouted loudly:

"Come to me! You shall see now what you are despising, what you arewarring against. All that you see is mine--the darkness as well as thelight. I tell you that I am greater than any other who is, or was, orshall be. When the Master of Evil took Christ up on a high place andshowed Him all the kingdoms of the earth, he was doing what he thought noother could do. He was wrong--he forgot _Me_. I shall send you light,up to the very ramparts of heaven. A light so great that it shalldissipate those black clouds that are rushing up and piling around us.Look! Look! At the very touch of my hand that light springs into beingand mounts up--and up--and up!"

He made his way whilst he was speaking to the corner of the turret whenceflew the giant kite, and from which the runners ascended. Mimi lookedon, appalled and afraid to speak lest she should precipitate somecalamity. Within the niche Lady Arabella cowered in a paroxysm of fear.

Edgar took up a small wooden box, through a hole in which the wire of therunner ran. This evidently set some machinery in motion, for a sound asof whirring came. From one side of the box floated what looked like apiece of stiff ribbon, which snapped and crackled as the wind took it.For a few seconds Mimi saw it as it rushed along the sagging line to thekite. When close to it, there was a loud crack, and a sudden lightappeared to issue from every chink in the box. Then a quick flameflashed along the snapping ribbon, which glowed with an intense light--alight so great that the whole of the countryside around stood out againstthe background of black driving clouds. For a few seconds the lightremained, then suddenly disappeared in the blackness around. It wassimply a magnesium light, which had been fired by the mechanism withinthe box and carried up to the kite. Edgar was in a state of tumultuousexcitement, shouting and yelling at the top of his voice and dancingabout like a lunatic.

This was more than Lady Arabella's curious dual nature could stand--theghoulish element in her rose triumphant, and she abandoned all idea ofmarriage with Edgar Caswall, gloating fiendishly over the thought ofrevenge.

She must lure him to the White Worm's hole--but how? She glanced aroundand quickly made up her mind. The man's whole thoughts were absorbed byhis wonderful kite, which he was showing off, in order to fascinate herimaginary rival, Mimi.

On the instant she glided through the darkness to the wheel whereon thestring of the kite was wound. With deft fingers she unshipped this, tookit with her, reeling out the wire as she went, thus keeping, in a way, intouch with the kite. Then she glided swiftly to the wicket, throughwhich she passed, locking the gate behind her as she went.

Down the turret stair she ran quickly, letting the wire run from thewheel which she carried carefully, and, passing out of the hall door,hurried down the avenue with all her speed. She soon reached her owngate, ran down the avenue, and with her key opened the iron door leadingto the well-hole.

She felt well satisfied with herself. All her plans were maturing, orhad already matured. The Master of Castra Regis was within her grasp.The woman whose interference she had feared, Lilla Watford, was dead.Truly, all was well, and she felt that she might pause a while and rest.She tore off her clothes, with feverish fingers, and in full enjoyment ofher natural freedom, stretched her slim figure in animal delight. Thenshe lay down on the sofa--to await her victim! Edgar Caswall's lifeblood would more than satisfy her for some time to come.

CHAPTER XXVIII--THE BREAKING OF THE STORM

When Lady Arabella had crept away in her usual noiseless fashion, the twoothers remained for a while in their places on the turret roof: Caswallbecause he had nothing to say, Mimi because she had much to say andwished to put her thoughts in order. For quite a while--which seemedinterminable--silence reigned between them. At last Mimi made abeginning--she had made up her mind how to act.

"Mr. Caswall," she said loudly, so as to make sure of being heard throughthe blustering of the wind and the perpetual cracking of the electricity.

Caswall said something in reply, but his words were carried away on thestorm. However, one of her objects was effected: she knew now exactlywhereabout on the roof he was. So she moved close to the spot before shespoke again, raising her voice almost to a shout.

"The wicket is shut. Please to open it. I can't get out."

As she spoke, she was quietly fingering a revolver which Adam had givento her in case of emergency and which now lay in her breast. She feltthat she was caged like a rat in a trap, but did not mean to be taken ata disadvantage, whatever happened. Caswall also felt trapped, and allthe brute in him rose to the emergency. In a voice which was raucous andbrutal--much like that which is heard when a wife is being beaten by herhusband in a slum--he hissed out, his syllables cutting through theroaring of the storm:

"You came of your own accord--without permission, or even asking it. Nowyou can stay or go as you choose. But you must manage it for yourself;I'll have nothing to do with it."

Her answer was spoken with dangerous suavity

"I am going. Blame yourself if you do not like the time and manner ofit. I daresay Adam--my husband--will have a word to say to you aboutit!"

"Let him say, and be damned to him, and to you too! I'll show you alight. You shan't be able to say that you could not see what you weredoing."

As he spoke, he was lighting another piece of the magnesium ribbon, whichmade a blinding glare in which everything was plainly discernible, downto the smallest detail. This exactly suited Mimi. She took accuratenote of the wicket and its fastening before the glare had died away. Shetook her revolver out and fired into the lock, which was shivered on theinstant, the pieces flying round in all directions, but happily withoutcausing hurt to anyone. Then she pushed the wicket open and ran down thenarrow stair, and so to the hall door. Opening this also, she ran downthe avenue, never lessening her speed till she stood outside the door ofLesser Hill. The door was opened at once on her ringing.

"Is Mr. Adam Salton in?" she asked.

"He has just come in, a few minutes ago. He has gone up to the study,"replied a servant.

She ran upstairs at once and joined him. He seemed relieved when he sawher, but scrutinised her face keenly. He saw that she had been in someconcern, so led her over to the sofa in the window and sat down besideher.

"Now, dear, tell me all about it!" he said.

She rushed breathlessly through all the details of her adventure on theturret roof. Adam listened attentively, helping her all he could, andnot embarrassing her by any questioning. His thoughtful silence was agreat help to her, for it allowed her to collect and organise herthoughts.

"I must go and see Caswall to-morrow, to hear what he has to say on thesubject."