The Jewel of Seven Stars - Bram Stoker (best 7 inch ereader .TXT) 📗
- Author: Bram Stoker
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Here Miss Trelawny joined in the conversation:
“That would be quite right, so far as the action of the drug was
concerned; but according to the second part of your surmise the wound
may have been self-inflicted, and this after the drug had taken
effect.”
“True!” said the Detective and the Doctor simultaneously. She went on:
“As however, Doctor, your guess does not exhaust the possibilities, we
must bear in mind that some other variant of the same root-idea may be
correct. I take it, therefore, that our first search, to be made on
this assumption, must be for the weapon with which the injury was done
to my Father’s wrist.”
“Perhaps he put the weapon in the safe before he became quite
unconscious,” said I, giving voice foolishly to a half-formed thought.
“That could not be,” said the Doctor quickly. “At least I think it
could hardly be,” he added cautiously, with a brief bow to me. “You
see, the left hand is covered with blood; but there is no blood mark
whatever on the safe.”
“Quite right!” I said, and there was a long pause.
The first to break the silence was the Doctor.
“We shall want a nurse here as soon as possible; and I know the very one
to suit. I shall go at once to get her if I can. I must ask that till
I return some of you will remain constantly with the patient. It may be
necessary to remove him to another room later on; but in the meantime he
is best left here. Miss Trelawny, may I take it that either you or Mrs.
Grant will remain her—not merely in the room, but close to the patient
and watchful of him—till I return?”
She bowed in reply, and took a seat beside the sofa. The Doctor gave
her some directions as to what she should do in case her father should
become conscious before his return.
The next to move was Superintendent Dolan, who came close to Sergeant
Daw as he said:
“I had better return now to the station—unless, of course, you should
wish me to remain for a while.”
He answered, “Is Johnny Wright still in your division?”
“Yes! Would you like him to be with you?” The other nodded reply.
“Then I will send him on to you as soon as can be arranged. He shall
then stay with you as long as you wish. I will tell him that he is to
take his instructions entirely from you.”
The Sergeant accompanied him to the door, saying as he went:
“Thank you, sir; you are always thoughtful for men who are working with
you. It is a pleasure to me to be with you again. I shall go back to
Scotland Yard and report to my chief. Then I shall call at Chatwood’s;
and I shall return here as soon as possible. I suppose I may take it,
miss, that I may put up here for a day or two, if required. It may be
some help, or possibly some comfort to you, if I am about, until we
unravel this mystery.”
“I shall be very grateful to you.” He looked keenly at her for a few
seconds before he spoke again.
“Before I go have I permission to look about your Father’s table and
desk? There might be something which would give us a clue—or a lead at
all events.” Her answer was so unequivocal as almost to surprise him.
“You have the fullest possible permission to do anything which may help
us in this dreadful trouble—to discover what it is that is wrong with my
Father, or which may shield him in the future!”
He began at once a systematic search of the dressing-table, and after
that of the writing-table in the room. In one of the drawers he found a
letter sealed; this he brought at once across the room and handed to
Miss Trelawny.
“A letter—directed to me—and in my Father’s hand!” she said as she
eagerly opened it. I watched her face as she began to read; but seeing
at once that Sergeant Daw kept his keen eyes on her face, unflinchingly
watching every flitting expression, I kept my eyes henceforth fixed on
his. When Miss Trelawny had read her letter through, I had in my mind a
conviction, which, however, I kept locked in my own heart. Amongst the
suspicions in the mind of the Detective was one, rather perhaps
potential than definite, of Miss Trelawny herself.
For several minutes Miss Trelawny held the letter in her hand with her
eyes downcast, thinking. Then she read it carefully again; this time
the varying expressions were intensified, and I thought I could easily
follow them. When she had finished the second reading, she paused
again. Then, though with some reluctance, she handed the letter to the
Detective. He read it eagerly but with unchanging face; read it a
second time, and then handed it back with a bow. She paused a little
again, and then handed it to me. As she did so she raised her eyes to
mine for a single moment appealingly; a swift blush spread over her pale
cheeks and forehead.
With mingled feelings I took it, but, all said, I was glad. She did not
show any perturbation in giving the letter to the Detective—she might
not have shown any to anyone else. But to me…I feared to follow the
thought further; but read on, conscious that the eyes of both Miss
Trelawny and the Detective were fixed on me.
“MY DEAR DAUGHTER, I want you to take this letter as an instruction—
absolute and imperative, and admitting of no deviation whatever—in case
anything untoward or unexpected by you or by others should happen to me.
If I should be suddenly and mysteriously stricken down—either by
sickness, accident or attack—you must follow these directions
implicitly. If I am not already in my bedroom when you are made
cognisant of my state, I am to be brought there as quickly as possible.
Even should I be dead, my body is to be brought there. Thenceforth,
until I am either conscious and able to give instructions on my own
account, or buried, I am never to be left alone—not for a single
instant. From nightfall to sunrise at least two persons must remain in
the room. It will be well that a trained nurse be in the room from time
to time, and will note any symptoms, either permanent or changing, which
may strike her. My solicitors, Marvin & Jewkes, of 27B Lincoln’s Inn,
have full instructions in case of my death; and Mr. Marvin has himself
undertaken to see personally my wishes carried out. I should advise
you, my dear Daughter, seeing that you have no relative to apply to, to
get some friend whom you can trust to either remain within the house
where instant communication can be made, or to come nightly to aid in
the watching, or to be within call. Such friend may be either male or
female; but, whichever it may be, there should be added one other
watcher or attendant at hand of the opposite sex. Understand, that it
is of the very essence of my wish that there should be, awake and
exercising themselves to my purposes, both masculine and feminine
intelligences. Once more, my dear Margaret, let me impress on you the
need for observation and just reasoning to conclusions, howsoever
strange. If I am taken ill or injured, this will be no ordinary
occasion; and I wish to warn you, so that your guarding may be complete.
“Nothing in my room—I speak of the curios—must be removed or displaced
in any way, or for any cause whatever. I have a special reason and a
special purpose in the placing of each; so that any moving of them would
thwart my plans.
“Should you want money or counsel in anything, Mr. Marvin will carry out
your wishes; to the which he has my full instructions.”
“ABEL TRELAWNY.”
I read the letter a second time before speaking, for I feared to betray
myself. The choice of a friend might be a momentous occasion for me. I
had already ground for hope, that she had asked me to help her in the
first throe of her trouble; but love makes its own doubtings, and I
feared. My thoughts seemed to whirl with lightning rapidity, and in a
few seconds a whole process of reasoning became formulated. I must not
volunteer to be the friend that the father advised his daughter to have
to aid her in her vigil; and yet that one glance had a lesson which I
must not ignore. Also, did not she, when she wanted help, send to me—to
me a stranger, except for one meeting at a dance and one brief afternoon
of companionship on the river? Would it not humiliate her to make her
ask me twice? Humiliate her! No! that pain I could at all events save
her; it is not humiliation to refuse. So, as I handed her back the
letter, I said:
“I know you will forgive me, Miss Trelawny, if I presume too much; but
if you will permit me to aid in the watching I shall be proud. Though
the occasion is a sad one, I shall be so far happy to be allowed the
privilege.”
Despite her manifest and painful effort at self-control, the red tide
swept her face and neck. Even her eyes seemed suffused, and in stern
contrast with her pale cheeks when the tide had rolled back. She
answered in a low voice:
“I shall be very grateful for your help!” Then in an afterthought she
added:
“But you must not let me be selfish in my need! I know you have many
duties to engage you; and though I shall value your help highly—most
highly—it would not be fair to monopolise your time.”
“As to that,” I answered at once, “my time is yours. I can for today
easily arrange my work so that I can come here in the afternoon and stay
till morning. After that, if the occasion still demands it, I can so
arrange my work that I shall have more time still at my disposal.”
She was much moved. I could see the tears gather in her eyes, and she
turned away her head. The Detective spoke:
“I am glad you will be here, Mr. Ross. I shall be in the house myself,
as Miss Trelawny will allow me, if my people in Scotland Yard will
permit. That letter seems to put a different complexion on everything;
though the mystery remains greater than ever. If you can wait here an
hour or two I shall go to headquarters, and then to the safe-makers.
After that I shall return; and you can go away easier in your mind, for
I shall be here.”
When he had gone, we two, Miss Trelawny and I, remained in silence. At
last she raised her eyes and looked at me for a moment; after that I
would not have exchanged places with a king. For a while she busied
herself round the extemporised bedside of her father. Then, asking me
to be sure not to take my eyes off him till she returned, she hurried
out.
In a few minutes she came back with Mrs. Grant and two maids and a
couple of men, who bore the entire frame and furniture of a light iron
bed. This they proceeded to put together and to make. When the work
was completed, and the servants had withdrawn, she said to me:
“It will be well to be all ready when the Doctor returns. He
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