To Robert Cairn it seemed that the boat-train would never reach Charing1 Cross. His restlessness was appalling2. He perpetually glanced from his father, with whom he shared the compartment3, to the flying landscape with its vistas4 of hop-poles; and Dr. Cairn, although he exhibited less anxiety, was, nevertheless, strung to highest tension.
That dash from Cairo homeward had been something of a fevered dream to both men. To learn, whilst one is searching for a malign5 and implacable enemy in Egypt, that that enemy, having secretly returned to London, is weaving his evil spells around "some we loved, the loveliest and the best," is to know the meaning of ordeal6.
In pursuit of Antony Ferrara—the incarnation of an awful evil—Dr. Cairn had deserted7 his practice, had left England for Egypt. Now he was hurrying back again; for whilst he had sought in strange and dark places of that land of mystery for Antony Ferrara, the latter had been darkly active in London!
Again and again Robert Cairn read the letter which, surely as a royal command, had recalled them. It was from Myra Duquesne. One line in it had fallen upon them like a bomb, had altered all their plans, had shattered the one fragment of peace remaining to them.
In the eyes of Robert Cairn, the whole universe centred around Myra Duquesne; she was the one being in the world of whom he could not bear to think in conjunction with Antony Ferrara. Now he knew that Antony Ferrara was beside her, was, doubtless at this very moment, directing those Black Arts of which he was master, to the destruction of her mind and body—perhaps of her very soul.
[142]
Again he drew the worn envelope from his pocket and read that ominous8 sentence, which, when his eyes had first fallen upon it, had blotted9 out the sunlight of Egypt.
"... And you will be surprised to hear that Antony is back in London ... and is a frequent visitor here. It is quite like old times...."
Raising his haggard eyes, Robert Cairn saw that his father was watching him.
"Keep calm, my boy," urged the doctor; "it can profit us nothing, it can profit Myra nothing, for you to shatter your nerves at a time when real trials are before you. You are inviting10 another breakdown11. Oh! I know it is hard; but for everybody's sake try to keep yourself in hand."
"I am trying, sir," replied Robert hollowly.
Dr. Cairn nodded, drumming his fingers upon his knee.
"We must be diplomatic," he continued. "That James Saunderson proposed to return to London, I had no idea. I thought that Myra would be far outside the Black maelström in Scotland. Had I suspected that Saunderson would come to London, I should have made other arrangements."
"Of course, sir, I know that. But even so we could never have foreseen this."
Dr. Cairn shook his head.
"To think that whilst we have been scouring12 Egypt from Port Said to Assouan—he has been laughing at us in London!" he said. "Directly after the affair at Méydûm he must have left the country—how, Heaven only knows. That letter is three weeks old, now?"
Robert Cairn nodded. "What may have happened since—what may have happened!"
"You take too gloomy a view. James Saunderson is a Roman guardian13. Even Antony Ferrara could make little headway there."
"But Myra says that—Ferrara is—a frequent visitor."
"And Saunderson," replied Dr. Cairn with a grim smile, "is a Scotchman! Rely upon his diplomacy14, Rob. Myra will be safe enough."
[143]
"God grant that she is!"
At that, silence fell between them, until punctually to time, the train slowed into Charing Cross. Inspired by a common anxiety, Dr. Cairn and his son were first among the passengers to pass the barrier. The car was waiting for them; and within five minutes of the arrival of the train they were whirling through London's traffic to the house of James Saunderson.
It lay in that quaint15 backwater, remote from motor-bus high-ways—Dulwich Common, and was a rambling16 red-tiled building which at some time had been a farmhouse17. As the big car pulled up at the gate, Saunderson, a large-boned Scotchman, tawny-eyed, and with his grey hair worn long and untidily, came out to meet them. Myra Duquesne stood beside him. A quick blush coloured her face momentarily; then left it pale again.
Indeed, her pallor was alarming. As Robert Cairn, leaping from the car, seized both her hands and looked into her eyes, it seemed to him that the girl had almost an ethereal appearance. Something clutched at his heart, iced his blood; for Myra Duquesne seemed a creature scarcely belonging to the world of humanity—seemed already half a spirit. The light in her sweet eyes was good to see; but her fragility, and a certain transparency of complexion18, horrified19 him.
Yet, he knew that he must hide these fears from her; and turning to Mr. Saunderson, he shook him warmly by the hand, and the party of four passed by the low porch into the house.
In the hall-way Miss Saunderson, a typical Scottish housekeeper20, stood beaming welcome; but in the very instant of greeting her, Robert Cairn stopped suddenly as if transfixed.
Dr. Cairn also pulled up just within the door, his nostrils21 quivering and his clear grey eyes turning right and left—searching the shadows.
Miss Saunderson detected this sudden restraint.
"Is anything the matter?" she asked anxiously.
Myra, standing22 beside Mr. Saunderson, began to look frightened. But Dr. Cairn, shaking off the incubus23
[144]
"Wake up, my boy! I know it is good to be back in England again, but keep your day-dreaming for after lunch!"
Robert Cairn forced a ghostly smile in return, and the odd incident promised soon to be forgotten.
"How good of you," said Myra as the party entered the dining-room, "to come right from the station to see us. And you must be expected in Half-Moon Street, Dr. Cairn?"
"Of course we came to see you first," replied Robert Cairn significantly.
Myra lowered her face and pursued that subject no further.
No mention was made of Antony Ferrara, and neither Dr. Cairn nor his son cared to broach25 the subject. The lunch passed off, then, without any reference to the very matter which had brought them there that day.
It was not until nearly an hour later that Dr. Cairn and his son found themselves alone for a moment. Then, with a furtive26 glance about him, the doctor spoke27 of that which had occupied his mind, to the exclusion28 of all else, since first they had entered the house of James Saunderson.
"You noticed it, Rob?" he whispered.
"My God! it nearly choked me!"
Dr. Cairn nodded grimly.
"It is all over the house," he continued, "in every room that I have entered. They are used to it, and evidently do not notice it, but coming in from the clean air, it is—"
"Abominable29, unclean—unholy!"
"We know it," continued Dr. Cairn softly—"that smell of unholiness; we have good reason to know it. It heralded30 the death of Sir Michael Ferrara. It heralded the death of—another."
"With a just God in heaven, can such things be?"
"It is the secret incense31 of Ancient Egypt," whispered Dr. Cairn, glancing towards the open door; "it is the odour of that Black Magic which, by all natural law,
[145]
should be buried and lost for ever in the tombs of the ancient wizards. Only two living men within my knowledge know the use and the hidden meaning of that perfume; only one living man has ever dared to make it—to use it...."
"Antony Ferrara—"
"We knew he was here, boy; now we know that he is using his powers here. Something tells me that we come to the end of the fight. May victory be with the just."
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1
charing
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| n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣 | |
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2
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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3
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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4
vistas
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| 长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景 | |
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5
malign
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| adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑 | |
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ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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7
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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8
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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9
blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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10
inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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11
breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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12
scouring
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| 擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤 | |
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13
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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14
diplomacy
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| n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕 | |
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15
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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16
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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17
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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21
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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22
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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incubus
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| n.负担；恶梦 | |
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24
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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25
broach
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| v.开瓶，提出(题目) | |
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furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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27
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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28
exclusion
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| n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行 | |
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29
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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30
heralded
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| v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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31
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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