Bat Wing

the luxurious life of this queer household hidden away in the Surrey Hills the less I wondered at any one's consenting to share such exile. I had hitherto counted an American freak dinner,

purse. The excellence of one of the courses upon

efforts of my chef

of his employe

valierly fashion and Madame de S

e was with me in Cuba, but has no reputation in

the speaker

not leaving

bited a momentar

"I was only thinking that he-" there was a scarcely percep

by Paul Harley that afternoon, respecting the Colonel's will t

ghtly but cleverly made up, with all the exquisite art of the Parisienne, but even through the artificial bloom I saw her cheeks blanch. Her face grew haggard

from a menace which he, Paul Harley, evidently recognized to be real, although to me it appeared wildly chimerical, and the very person upon whose act

known. Realizing that I had already revealed my interest in the girl, I was oddly self-conscious, and a hundred times during the progress of dinner I glanced across at Harley, expecting to detect his quizzical smile. He was very stern, however, an

this one lapse, our host throughout talked gaily and entertainingly, I was obsessed by a memory

an's eyes, it looked out of the eyes of Don Juan Sarmiento Menendez. Why, then, did he lie down to the menace o

he perplexity of my friend, and no longer wondered that even his

latter at a disadvantage, and I knew well enough that many a genius has been also a drunkard. But although I was prepared to find that Colin Camber possessed genius, I found it hard

this haunted Cuban was one of those strange coincidences which in

s glances, which were pathetically apol

look perfectly sweet to-night. Don't you t

f entreaty from t

tly," I

encourage her? She says embarrassing thing

t a professional "companion" was clear enough. I assumed that her father had left her suitably provided for, since she wore such

that I would give my strin

Colonel Menendez, "I have

ose Bernhardt gestures, "I blushed my last blush when my

n you say such things?" She turned to me.

renew our yout

el Menendez; "our

ame, immediately. "Old age is only trag

his tragic face on the veranda that morning I felt again in detecting this look of Madame d

and gallantly kissed his hand to her, "we

of this truly historic di

welled hand, and holding the fingers characteristica

ley. My heart was beating delightfully, for in the moment of departure the latter had favoured me w

am blessed in the autumn of my life with such charming companionship. Beauty

e," said Har

some wonderful crusted port, an

to Harley, "and if this is so, I know that you will prefe

to whom no more delicate com

is briar. His mood was more restful, and covertly I watched him studying our host. The night remained very warm and one of the two windows of the dining ro

fell, to be brok

trust you do not regret

st of my days in such ideal sur

d in ag

, "I have to remember that I am here upon business, an

y hard at Col

learned all that there is to be learned about the person unknown who gained admittance to the

have you come?" asked Co

total absorption in the topic under discussion was revealed by the fact that from a pocket in his dinner jacket he had t

ne," replied Harley, "if you wou

this qu

y idea who nailed the b

d very widely, and his face b

," he replied, softly. "If I know th

pipe. His expression did n

picions tended in the directio

n Cam

served me aright then his pronouncing of the words "Colin Camber" occasioned him positive agony. He clutched the arms of his

ular reason for your

rstand me. I suggest nothing against Mr. Camber. I should

ve nev

ly know him

be perfectly frank, I have little in co

high, thin voice, became perceptible now, and the a

tered and delivered a message in Spanish to the Colonel, whereupon the latter aro

e had

d Paul Harley. "Carry on with your old duties to-d

ful or annoyed. However, it did not take me long to find my way to the drawing room where the tw

Madame as I entered, "have

I think. They are

leave," murmur

fered her a cigarette, which she accepted, and as I was lighting it with elaborate care, every moment find

" she said; "I wi

lifting her with an ease which spoke of long practice, placed h

ey, "because I feel sure that Mr. Knox will do his very b

e went wheeling out, and I foun

deration, it must have presented rather curious features. The call first of host and then of hostess was inconsistent with the courtesy of the mas

I had time to speak, the girl sta

ng?" she whispered, "

ied, "what k

nd, almost like-the

sed before: that her life at Cray's Folly was a constant fight against some haunting shadow. Her

hand reassuringly, "you alarm me. Wh

not come-" she corrected herself-"if someone had not come, I do

ary alarmed you?" I suggested,

led unmirthfully. "

say so, Mi

ieve me, I know-I know. I, too, saw the bat's wing nailed to the door, Mr. K

lf beside her

d. "Believe me, I quite underst

or?" she asked, wit

to a sympathetic observer

reassured her, and was mu

about it," I continued; "or wou

I suppose, of the Colonel's, we have had so few visitors since we have been at Cray's Folly. Apart from all sorts of queer happenings which really"-

entertain ver

e! They concluded that they did not understand him, and of everything they don't understand they disapprove. So after the first month or so it became very lonely at Cray's Folly. Our foreign servants-there are five of them altogether-go

d?-in w

in some subtle way she changed. Underneath all her vivacity she is a tragic w

ed, "that she seemed to becom

eagerly. "Has Colonel Menendez tol

ely in the dark. But you say he went abro

seemed to come to a head. I confess I became horribly frightened, but to have le

ny of the episodes which to

ley shook

hing really defin

her saw or heard someth

, but it is so dif

u try to

to someone about it. For instance, on several occasions

ni

at n

ge foo

no

e grows with the footsteps of persons living in the same

they passed

at is on the southeast corner of the building, is Colonel Menendez's bedroom, and fac

el Menend

e light, furti

place lat

ng after everyo

me with a sort of embar

s those of a man o

and that look of fear began to creep into her eyes

stranger t

de St?mer had told me that morning that the Colonel had seen someone lurking about the lawns on the previous night. Then, a

I exclaimed. "

ust lay still with my heart beating horribly, and

ur door

ly. "But it has been lock

s were repeated

is that all the servants sleep out in the west wing, as you know,

inly strange

er. "For what can it mean except that there is someone

t is inc

g house like this. Besides, what

reassuringly. "Have you spoke

es

s expression

y explanati

ed me more than ever by her very silence. I grew to dread the coming of each night. Then-"

kind o

asleep when it has come, but I have sat up trembling and d

dea from whenc

hey can be explained in quite a simple way. But this feeling of something pending h

speaking and flushe

er is in love with her cousin, I

Beverley. She laughed to cover her confusion.

ête was interrupted by the

ted this evening. He is threatened with one of his attacks and I have insisted upo

ed my con

lonel Menendez's healt

uch of the road of life on top speed, Mr. Knox." She snapped her wh

Val Beverley, and taking the gir

" she said. "All this bogey busin

he girl. "It is very mysteri

t is all about," concluded Madame. "Yes, I trust

hanges which five years of war had brought about. Her comments, although brilliant, were superficial, the only point I recollect being her reference to a certain Baron Bergmann

d laughed and gesticulated, but on this occasion she was overa

evident desire to do likewise surprised me very greatly; for from the point of view of the investigation the day had been an unsatisfactory one. I knew that there must be a hundred and one things which my friend desired to know

as he paused at my door. "I

d not another word he passed