The Mystery of Cloomber

his family snub, it was a very passing emotion

t and wondering what could have induced our neighbours to take such an outrageous step, when I became suddenly aware of a sweet, girlish face which peeped out at me from betw

dignity to which you and your family were subjected yesterday. My brother was in the avenue and saw it all, but he is powerless to interfere. I assu

augh, "Britain is a free country, and if a man chooses to warn of

the foot. "To think that your sister, too, should have such an unprovoked

said I earnestly, for I was grieved at her evident distress. "I am sur

ver, he knows best, and it is impossible for us to judge. But who is this?" she exclaimed, anxiously, peering up the dark avenue. "Oh, it is my brother Mord

see your sister and your father as well as yourself, to tell them how sorry I am. I think you had better run up to

tripped up the avenue, while her brother unbolted the gate, an

heroots from his pocket and handed one to me. "You'll find they are not bad," he said. "I became a connoisse

red, "I am very glad

"This is the first time that I have been outs

our si

t's a whim of his that we should keep ourselves entirely to ourselves. At least, some people would call it a whim, for my own part I

ldn't you manage to slip down at times and have a s

dearly like to run over now and again. With the exception of Israel Stake

ng in my heart that my new acquaintance made rather too much

than for a woman. Look at me, now. I am three-and-twenty next March, and yet I have never been to a university, nor to a school for that matter. I am a

faced round to me, throwing

nd muscular, with a keen, dark face, and sharp, finely cut features, he might have stepped out of a canvas of Murillo or Velasquez.

said I sententiously. "If you have less of your share of the one, perhaps you have more o

I saw that his black hair was all decked and dashed with streaks of grey. "

rible illness in your youth. Or perhaps it arises from a more chronic cause-a co

he muttered.

d bring Miss Heatherstone with you. I know that my father and my sister would be

"However, if I see a chance I shall bring her down. It might be managed s

ich branches off from the high road and leads

this interest in us. I am very grateful to you, and so will Gabriel be when she hears of your ki

the road, but he came running afte

y upon my part not to satisfy your curiosity, but I have promised my father to be silent about it. And indeed if I were to tell you all that I know you might not be very much the wiser after all. I would have you understand this, however-that my fat

nger, then?"

s in const

ion?" I asked. "If he is afraid of any one, he has only t

ather is threatened is one that cannot be averted by any human inter

t that it is supernatura

here," he continued, "I have said rather more than I should,

s soon out of sight round a

to be averted by human means, and yet hard

ad just told me, I could no longer doubt that some dark and sinister meaning underlay all their actions. The more I

y to my imagination. All that evening, and late into the night, I sat moodily by the fire, pondering over what