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Till the Clock Stops, a fiction by John Joy Bell |
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Chapter 3 |
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_ CHAPTER III It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master. Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard. The Green Box was open again. "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch. "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down." He pointed to the chair recently occupied by the Frenchman. "I have something to say to you, Caw." As he placed the tea on the table Caw winced slightly. "Mr. Craig," he said imploringly, "won't you have the doctor now?" "Sit down," said Christopher a trifle irritably, "and pay attention to what I am about to say. Dr. Handyside," he proceeded, "cannot help me, and you can. In the first place, you have already given me your word to remain in my service for a year and a day after I am gone from here--in other words, until the clock stops." "Yes, sir," said Caw in a low voice. "And it is perfectly clear to you how and when you are to set the clock going?" "By carefully cutting and removing the thread at the first hour of twelve following your--oh, sir, need you talk about it now?" Christopher took a sip and set the cup down with a little clatter. "And in the event of my nephew, Mr. Alan Craig, returning within the year, you will serve him also as you would me, giving him all assistance and information in your power." "Yes, sir." "I have recommended you to him in a letter left with Mr. Harvie, the lawyer in Glasgow, to whom you registered the packet this afternoon. Mr. Harvie is acquainted with certain of my affairs, but not by any means all. It is not necessary that he should know all that you know or will know. I am leaving much to your discretion, Caw. You will find your instructions in this envelope.... Among other things, it is not my wish that you should live alone in this house, and until my nephew returns I have arranged that you shall have quarters in Dr. Handyside's house, and I do not doubt that you will make yourself useful there, helping him with his car and so on. If expedient, you may trust the doctor, but do not trouble him without grave cause. The passage will remain available, and you will make inspections of this house at intervals." He paused for a moment, took another sip, and resumed. "Things may happen in this house, Caw; but you are not to think of that as more than a mere possibility, nor are you to consider yourself tied to the place. As a matter of fact, I would as soon have certain things happen as not, and, short of murder itself, I count on your avoiding or preventing any police interference. By the way, your own future is provided for." Caw made an attempt to speak, but his master proceeded-- "There are two men whom it seems necessary to warn you against--the two who were here to-day." "Sir," said Caw with sudden strength and warmth of voice, "I have long wished I might warn you against Mr. Bullard. Only a sort of instinct, sir, on my part, but I never could trust that man. As for Lancaster--" "Your instinct was right. Lancaster is chiefly a fool, but Bullard is utterly rotten. You remember my younger brother, Caw?" "Yes, sir"--rather awkwardly. "Those two, particularly Bullard, brought him to ruin. They cheated him--legitimately of course! Mr. Alan is ignorant of the tragedy surrounding the end of his father--his mother, too--and I hope he may remain so." Surprise as well as indignation was in the servant's expression. "But, sir, you were quite friendly--" "You shall see! You remember Marvel coming here three months ago?" "Yes, I do--and I wondered at his impudence, the dirty--" "He brought me the truth, anyway. I suspect his silence had already been bought by Bullard, but that would be nothing to Marvel's conscience. Well, he sold himself and certain papers to me. They proved that Bullard deliberately ruined my brother for his own profit, and Lancaster assisted, probably in ignorance." "And--those two don't know that you know!" cried Caw. "Your pardon, sir, but it's a bit--exciting." "They do not know. They do not suspect. While they were here to-day they could think of nothing but those diamonds. They are still thinking of diamonds--of that I am sure; and for the next year they will think of nothing else. And they were my trusted friends!" "Do you mean the diamonds--there, in that box, sir?" "Just so." "They are of great value, no doubt." "My diamonds are worth over half a million sterling." Caw drew a long breath. "That box would be safer in the bank, sir," he said respectfully, at last. "I daresay. But it is going to remain in this drawer." Christopher reached out, closed the lid, locked it, and handed the key to Caw. "Listen! Immediately you have set the clock going, you will go down to the shore and throw that key far into the loch. A duplicate key will be available when the clock stops. Now place the box in the drawer and shut the drawer, and then sit down again." With a resigned expression Caw obeyed. "Burglars," he muttered, as if to himself, resuming his seat. "Yes; they may try it--after I am gone. But mark this, Caw, you are not responsible in this particular matter, and even should you be aware that the persons whom I have named are attempting burglary, you must not violently interfere in any way." "Not interfere! Good God, sir, half a million and not interfere!" Caw peered at his master in the firelight "Why, Mr. Craig, you could not trust me to obey that order!" "If I can trust you with the diamonds--and I tell you that no one knows of their existence here excepting those two men and yourself--I can surely trust you to obey--not a master's order, but a dying man's request. Later on you will understand everything. Give me your word that you will do nothing violent to secure what you may consider the safety of that Green Box. ... Come, Caw." "Will the diamonds--excuse the question--belong to Mr. Alan?" "That is a question that shall be answered when the clock stops. Your word?" "I am bound to trust to your wisdom, sir," said Caw, slowly. "I promise, sir. But if Mr. Bullard gives me a chance apart from diamonds, I hope--" "I hope nothing may happen to Mr. Bullard before the clock stops," said Christopher firmly. "And now I think that is all. Other details you will find in your written instructions. Give me some of that medicine--five drops--quickly!" Caw sprang up, ran to the door and switched on the shaded light over the table, ran back and administered the dose. Then with something like a sob he cried: "Mr. Craig, oh, my dear master, I can't stand it any longer," and pressed one of the white buttons. "All right, Caw, all right," said Christopher kindly--and the glass fell from his fingers. He did not appear to notice the mishap. "I'm afraid Handyside will be annoyed, but I had to get the whole business finished." "Don't exhaust yourself, sir. Just try to think that everything will be done as you wish." "One thing more--failing the doctor, you may trust Miss Marjorie Handyside in an emergency. And, Caw, don't forget--" The door in the back wall opened noiselessly; and a tall bearded man in tweeds, with the complexion of an outdoor worker, entered. Closing the door he came quickly to the table. "Sorry to trouble you, Handyside," said Christopher with a faltering smile, "but the interfering Caw insisted." The newcomer glanced a question at the servant. "No, sir," said Caw. "No attack, but--" "Have his bed made ready," interrupted the doctor, softly, and Caw left the room. "I've been overdoing it a little," the invalid said, apologetically, "but it was in doing things that had to be done. I'll be all right presently, my friend.... I say, Handyside, I want you and your daughter to come along and take supper with me to-night. I haven't seen Marjorie for more than a week." "She has been away at her sister's for a few days. Only came home an hour ago." Handyside let go his patient's wrist and moved over to the hearth. As he stared into the fire his face betrayed disappointment and grave concern, but when he turned it was cheerful enough. "Yes, Craig, you've overdone it to-day. However, I'll try to forgive you. Only I'd like you to see Carslaw again--to-morrow." "He can't do anything more for me--anything you can't do." "Possibly not. Still, we must remember that I've been out of harness for five years." "I remember only that you have virtually kept me alive for the last two." "Your constitution did that," the doctor replied untruthfully. "And you've been a good patient, you know, except once in a while." "You've been a good friend, Handyside, though we met for the first time only five years ago. Yes; I'll see Carslaw to please you. Now there are several things I want to say to you--" "They must keep," Handyside said firmly. "You are going to bed now." "But I've asked you to fetch Marjorie--" "That pleasure for her must keep also." "Bed?" muttered Christopher. Then he looked straight at his friend, a question at his lips. At that moment Caw reappeared. "I'm ready," said his master. "I say, Handyside, what do you think of my new clock?" he asked as he was being wheeled to the door. "I'll have a look at it later, Craig. It's not going yet." "No"--gently--"not yet. Stop, Caw! Take me over to the window and put out the lights." Caw looked towards the doctor, who nodded as one who should say, "What after all, can it matter now?" At the window, for the space of five minutes, Christopher sat silent. A full moon shone clear on the still waters and calm hills. From across the loch twinkled little yellow homely lights. The evening steamer exhibited what seemed a string of pale gems and a solitary emerald. "Almost as beautiful," he murmured at last, "as diamonds." He chuckled softly, then sighed. "Bed, Caw." Within the hour he had a bad heart attack, and it was the forerunner of worse. Precisely at midnight Caw stole into the sitting-room and released the pendulum. Thereafter he went down to the shore. "Hard orders, dear master," he sighed, "but I'll carry them out to the letter." _ |
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