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Page 36
I thought of Greba Eltham's statements, reminding my friend
of her description of the thing which she had seen passing
into this strangely haunted shrubbery.
"That line of speculation soon takes us out of our depth, Petrie," he said.
"Let us stick to what we can understand, and that may help us
to a clearer idea of what, at present, is incomprehensible.
My view of the case to date stands thus:
"(1) Eltham, having rashly decided to return to the interior of China,
is warned by an official whose friendship he has won in some way
to stay in England.
"(2) I know this official for one of the Yellow group represented
in England by Dr. Fu-Manchu.
"(3) Several attempts, of which we know but little, to get at
Eltham are frustrated, presumably by his curious `defenses.'
An attempt in a train fails owing to Miss Eltham's distaste
for refreshment-room coffee. An attempt here fails owing
to her insomnia.
"(4) During Eltham's absence from Redmoat certain preparations
are made for his return. These lead to:
"(a) The death of Denby's collie;
"(b) The things heard and seen by Miss Eltham;
"(c) The things heard and seen by us all last night.
"So that the clearing up of my fourth point--id est, the discovery
of the nature of these preparations--becomes our immediate concern.
The prime object of these preparations, Petrie, was to enable someone
to gain access to Eltham's room. The other events are incidental.
The dogs HAD to be got rid of, for instance; and there is no doubt
that Miss Eltham's wakefulness saved her father a second time."
"But from what? For Heaven's sake, from what?"
Smith glanced about into the light-patched shadows.
"From a visit by someone--perhaps by Fu-Manchu himself," he said in a
hushed voice. "The object of that visit I hope we may never learn;
for that would mean that it had been achieved."
"Smith," I said, "I do not altogether understand you; but do you
think he has some incredible creature hidden here somewhere?
It would be like him."
"I begin to suspect the most formidable creature in the known world
to be hidden here. I believe Fu-Manchu is somewhere inside Redmoat!"
Our conversation was interrupted at this point by Denby,
who came to report that he had examined the moat, the roadside,
and the bank of the stream, but found no footprints or clew
of any kind.
"No one left the grounds of Redmoat last night, I think," he said.
And his voice had awe in it.
That day dragged slowly on. A party of us scoured the neighborhood
for traces of strangers, examining every foot of the Roman ruin
hard by; but vainly.
"May not your presence here induce Fu-Manchu to abandon his plans?"
I asked Smith.
"I think not," he replied. "You see, unless we can prevail upon him,
Eltham sails in a fortnight. So the Doctor has no time to waste.
Furthermore, I have an idea that his arrangements are of such a character
that they MUST go forward. He might turn aside, of course,
to assassinate me, if opportunity arose! But we know, from experience,
that he permits nothing to interfere with his schemes."
There are few states, I suppose, which exact so severe a toll from one's
nervous system as the ANTICIPATION of calamity.
All anticipation is keener, be it of joy or pain, than the reality
whereof it is a mental forecast; but that inactive waiting at Redmoat,
for the blow which we knew full well to be pending exceeded in its
nerve taxation, anything I hitherto had experienced.
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