Suspicion. A story

Front matter

PRICE ONE SHILLING Suspicion A Story BY CHRISTIAN LYS ■ — -®« — • LONDON WARD X DOWNEY, PUBLISHERS, 12, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C. WARD & DOWNEY'S CHEAP NOVELS. SIX SHILLING NOVELS. DESPERATE REMEDIES. Bv Thomas Habdy. THE WY7ERN MYSTERY. By J. Sheridan Le Fanu. MRS. RUMBOLD'S SECRET. By Mrs. Macquoid. THE NUN'S CURSE. By Mrs. Riddell. GRETCHEN. By Rita. LUCK AT THE DIAMOND FIELDS. By D. J. Belgrave. JOHN O' LONDON. By Somf.eville Gibney. THE STORY OF ANTHONY GRACE. By G. Manville Fenn. AT THE RED GLOVE. By K. S. Macquoid. A BIRD OF PASSAGE. By B. M. Croker. HIS HELPMATE. Bv Frank Barrett. A TERRIBLE LEGACY. By G. W. Appleton. THE MASTER OF THE CEREMONIES. By G. Manville Fenn. THE ALIENS. By Henry F. Keenan. A LUCKY YOUNG WOMAN. By F. C. Philips. TEMPEST DRIVEN. By Richard Dowling. A MENTAL STRUGGLE.

By the Author of " Molly Bawn." LIL LORRIMER. By Theo. Gift. THE SACRED NUGGET. By B. L. Farjeon. THE CHILCOTES. By Leslie Keith. THREE-AND-SIXPENNY NOVELS. DIANA BARRINGTON. By B. M. Croker. THROUGH GREEN GLASSES. By F. M. Allen. THE LAST HURDLE. By F. Hudson. THE FOX AND THE GOOSE. By J. P. Glynn. A MODERN CIRCE, By the Author of " Molly Bawn." MARVEL. By the Author of " Molly Bawn." CATCHING A TARTAR. By G. W. Appleton. THE TRAGEDY OF FEATHERSTONE. Bv B. L. Farjeon. PASSAGES FROM THE LIFE OF A LADY. By Hamilton Aide IN LUCKS WAY. By Byron Webber. MISS ELVESTER'S GIRLS. Bv M. W. Pixton. WHERE TEMPESTS BLOW. By M. W. Paxton. THE DIAMOND LENS. By Fitzjames O'Brien. THE FOX AND THE GOOSE : A Story of the Curragh of Kildare. FROZEN HEARTS. By G. W. Appleton. JACK ALLYN'S FRIENDS. By G. W. Appleton.

LIEUTENANT BARNABAS. Bv Frank Barrett. TWO PINCHES OF SNUFF. By William Webtall. IN ONE TOWN. By E. Downey. ANCHOR WATCH YARN8. By E. Downey. ATLA. By Mrs. J. Gregory Smith. LESS THAN KIN. By J. E. Panton. THE NEW RIVER. Bv Somerville Gibney. COMEDIES FROM A COUNTRY SIDE. By W. Outeam Tristram 12, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C. FOR THE COMPLEXION. BEETHAM S GLYCERINE AND CUCUMBER Is tbe most perfect Emollient Milk for PRESERVING and BEAUTIFYING the SKIN ever produced ! It entirely removes and prevents all ROUGHNESS, REDNESS, SUNBDRN, CHAPS, &c„ soon renders the SKIN SOFT, SMOOTH, and "WHITE, ami preserves it from the effects of exposure to the SUN, WIND, FROST, or HARD "WATER, &c.,more effectually than any other known preparation. No Lady who values her COMPLEXION should ever be without it, as it is INVALUABLE at all Seasons for keeping the SKIN SOFT and BLOOMING.

Chapter I

I entered my house in Cavendish Square one chilly evening in March, and found my wife sitting before the fire in a profound reverie. " How late you are, Teddie ! " she said, brightening at my entrance. " What have you been doing all the afternoon '? " " Sitting in Nettlewood's office most of the time, discussing every residence he has on his list, and I think I have found the house to suit us at last." " Have you ? Where is it? What is it like?" said Edith eagerly, as she drew a chair up to the fire for me, and sat down on a footstool at my feet. I laughed at my wife's enthusiasm, and kissed her before answering her questions. " It is on the Devonshire coast, close to a village called Leak. It is a large, rambling old place, built in an old-fashioned style, has not been inhabited for some time, and is consequently out of repair at present.

The grounds are well grown, very spacious, and I am told that the views from the different windows of the house are magnificent, comprising a perfect panorama of views." "How delightful!" she exclaimed, "I do so long to get out of smoky, dirty London. We must go and see it at once, Teddie." SUSPICION. "Of course I have given you the description as it appears on Nettlewood's list, and as he tells it. It may appear far more beautiful and romantic on paper than it is in reality, you know, and there are many things to be considered before we rush headlong into a purchase of this kind. First, it is a long distance from town, and you may miss the excitement of London when you find yourself buried in a little seaside village." Edith looked at me reproachfully for even suggesting such a thing. " Well, we will consider that settled ; you will not miss the excitement," I said with a smile.

"Secondly, there are not, as far as I can gather, many eligible people in the place of whom we could make friends. The village is small and inhabited by a few fisher men and their families, and apparently contains nobody of im portance." "That is no objection," answered Edith promptly. "You know quite well that I am tired of this endless whirl of society, this end less entertaining and being polite to one's neighbours, of which we have had so much lately. I long to have rest, and have you all to myself." " You may see too much of me then, dear." My wife answered me with a look ; so I consented to have my second difficulty put aside. "Thirdly, there is another serious drawback, Edith, and one which I think wants weighing well before being passed over." " What is it ? I knew there was something serious to come, as a 'thirdly.'" " The place is haunted."

Edith opened her eyes in astonishment, and then laughed heartily. " Haunted ! How very aristocratic ! My dear, I am now perfectly SUSPICION. 5 convinced that this house is exactly what we want. There is nothing I enjoy so much as a mystery— just like a woman, isn't it ? " "Yes," I said doubtfully; "but there seems something more than mere village gossip in the story. Although Nettlewood couldn't, or wouldn't, repeat it in detail, I learnt this much. Some few years ago the gentleman who then lived at the Manor House was found dead in the library. The windows and doors were locked on the inside, and yet there seems every reason to believe that it was murder, and not suicide." " But you know, Edward, if anything happens in an old country house it is always so exaggerated, whilst if the same thing occurs in a London dwelling it is soon forgotten, and no ghost-story becomes popular.

Very likely in the case of this Manor House the door was not found fastened on the inside, and, admitting that a murder was committed there, probably the whole of the mystery attending it is a superstitious fabrication." " It may be so," I answered. " Anyhow, we must see the place before we come to any decision, and I propose we go down next Thursday. As it is a long journey, I will write to the village inn and order a room for the night. I dare say the place can do that much for us. We can look over the house, and come back next day. Will that suit you?" Edith was satisfied with this arrangement, so after dinner I wrote to "The Landlord, The Wheatsheaf, Leak, Devonshire." The reader will probably have gathered from the foregoing con versation that I was a man of considerable means and of no fixed occupation.

I had been married little more than a year, during which time we had mixed freely in London society, until, as my wife said, we had become tired of it, and had decided to move into the country, at least for a time. The house-advertisements in every paper and iu almost every agent's list, had been carefully studied by SUSPICION. us, but until now we had seen nothing to satisfy us, which is not altogether surprising, as anyone who has ever done any house hunting will bear me witness. I had heard of the place at Leak through an agent, who had been looking out for something to suit me for some time, and he told me of it in a half-despairing kind of way, as if it were next thing to impossible to please me. His description of it interested me, and since he told me of its beauties before mentioning the mystery which hung over it, I had determined to think about it, and was not driven from that determination by having a ghost thrown in as one of the necessary fixtures.

The subsequent conversation with my wife I have given, and so I can commence my story at once. One word about myself will, perhaps, not be out of place. I have spoken of my private means and my having no fixed occupation, but I am not an idle man. I make my hobby my employment, which hobby is literature, and although the name of Edward Wade is not altogether unknown in the much coveted field of fame, it is not in my case a very lucrative profession, but it is intensely amusing. If, then, with the strange things which actually happened to me, I can weave a story interesting to my readers, I shall consider myself amply rewarded for committing my exciting experiences to paper. Late in the afternoon on the following Thursday we were in possession of the private parlour of The Wheatsheaf at Leak.

First impressions go a long way, it is said, and certainly our first impression of the village was hicrhly favourable. It stands in a little hollow in the downs, entirely shut out from the surrounding country, but open to the sea, and the village street runs with a rather steep declivity to the beach. Touched as the scene was by the rays of the setting sun, our future surroundings were most en chanting. The sea was as blue as sapphire, the downs as green as au emerald, whilst round the huge black-und-grey rocks which lay SUSPICION. 7 in confusion on tbe beach the waves broke in a lazy foam, and made most refreshing music Then over this harmony of colour and massive beauty of cliff and ocean the sun cast a rich golden light as he sank in the western sky, making of earth a paradise far more lovely than words can paint.

The Wheatsheaf was not commodious, but its landlord did all in his power to make us comfortable. I had told him, when I wrote, the object of our visit, and he had apparently repeated my information to everyone in the village, for we were the object of considerable interest to the inhabitants, many of whom were standing round the inn-door when we arrived. I could easily guess the cause of this interest. " What do you think of our village, sir ? " asked the landlord after we had had our dinner. " It is very lovely ! " " It's well enough," he replied, as if he were contradicting my too extravagant expression. " You see, it's calm and all that just now, but it blows mighty hard sometimes, and then the beauties you admire look anything but lovely. So you've come to look at the Manor House, sir ?

" I answered in the affirmative. "Strange, isn't it, that you should come to an out-of-the-way place like this ? " " No ; I don't think there is anything strange about it." " You won't stay, sir," he said decidedly. " Why not ? " asked Edith. " What is there against the house ? " " It's haunted, ma'am— that's what it is. There isn't a man in the village who'd go up to the Manor House after dark, and most of 'em don't care about it in broad daylight. They ain't nervous chaps neither in these parts ; but there's something unnatural always stirring about that house." <. SUSPICION. 8 " Whereabouts is it ? " asked my wife with interest. The landlord moved to the window. " You see that path there across the downs ; that's the short cut to it. The road goes a long way round." " Then it is not in the village ?

" I said. " No, sir ; it lies on the other side of the downs, and stands high above sea-level. There are three houses over there. The one farthest inland belongs to Mr. Gaythorne ; the one nearest the sea is Captain Vincent's ; and between the two is the Manor House." " And is it the only haunted one ? " Edith asked. "Yes, ma'am — at least, I never heard anything against the others. It's perfectly true about the Manor House, though. There are always strange and queer sounds there after dark, which make the blood run cold, and sometimes they are heard in the daytime. Then the figure of a man has often been seen to glide down the avenue, and disappear in the shadow of the house. Everyone is frightened of the place. It has long been empty, and, I think, will remain 30." " What is the story about it ?

" enquired Edith after a moment's silence. " Well," said the landlord slowly ; " a Mr. Morsland, who lived there some few years back, was found dead one morning. Some say he committed suicide ; in fact, most people say so ; and the coroner said so, because he was found in a room with the windows and door bolted on the inside ; but there are a good many who still think he was murdered, and they do say that it wasn't done by a man, but by a spirit. Now Mr. Morsland's ghost is often seen about the place — sometimes standing at the gate, sometimes gliding rapidly down the avenue, sometimes looking out from one of the dark windows ; and, as I have said, strange sounds come from the house, and are heard in the woods which surround it." SUSPICION. 9 This was a lively description of our new home ; and, although I am not at all superstitious, I must confess that I was conscious of an unpleasant sensation as I listened to the man's story.

We thanked him for his information, and he promised to look for the Manor House keys, which were in his possession, but which he said he had mislaid. " Folks don't flock to look alter the place," he said in explanation. Just as we were starting next morning to go to the house, under the guidance of our host, a gentleman came up the village street, and, lifting his hat, introduced himself as Captain Vincent. " You have come to look over the Manor House, I hear," he said. " Yes ; we are now going there." Everybody in the neighbourhood seemed to have heard of the object of our visit. " And have you plucked up courage to go ? " he said to the landlord rather sarcastically. " I thought you were frightened of the place." " So I am, Captain, but someone must go." "Your would-be guide is a bad one," continued the Captain, turning to me.

" Everybody about here is in terror of the house. May I offer myself instead ? " Of course I said that we should be grateful to him ; and with mir new companion we started across the downs, leaving the landluid at his inn-door looking after us. I was convinced that he was very pleased to get out of the expedition. We were certainly the gainers by the exchange, and I was glad to find that after all we should have a presentable neighbour. SUSPICION. 10

Chapter II

Captain Vincent appeared to be a man of importance in the place, and although he was most pleasant, he gave one the idea that he was conscious of his own superiority to his surroundings. He was tall, dark, rather good-looking than otherwise, and he was bronzed by long exposure to the weather. His face was a very expressive one, and his conversation, besides being that of a cultivated man, was interesting and amusing. There was, besides, something fascinating about him. I think it was his genuineness. There was a merry ring in his laugh, and he seemed to have a real, almost boyish delight in everything he did and said. About the Manor House he said a good deal. He told us many stories connected with it. He gave us glowing accounts of its beauties ; but he might have been an agent trying to get the place off his hands for all he said about the mystery attached to it.

My wife's presence had, no doubt, something to do with this reticence ; but, since the house was the abode of a local legend, I rather wondered that hedid not mention it. The view from the summit of the downs was glorious. Behind us was the village, nestled in its little hollow, the white thatched cottages looking most picturesque in the morning sunlight. To our left was a magnificent stretch of country where the fields on the hill-sides presented every different shade of green, relieved here and there by the sombre colour of one newly ploughed or unsown, or one brilliant with the colour of some wild flower. To our right was a broad expanse of ocean dancing and sparkling in the sunlight, the crested waves reflecting here the sunbeams, and there the fleecy clouds which sailed across the sky.

Before us the downs undulated as far as we could see, whilst at our feet lay a valley, long and narrow, SUSPICION. 11 plentifully wooded with pine-trees. This valley, unlike the Leak one, did not terminate in the beach, but ended in a rocky precipice against the base of which the sea broke continually. Even at our present distance we could hear the sound of the breakers as they dashed their waters into spray against its unyielding front. As the landlord had said, three houses gave life to the valley. Nearest the sea, and perched apparently on the very edge of the above-mentioned precipice, stood a little cottage, surrounded by pine woods, and this our companion informed us belonged to him. At the upper end of the valley, a large and seemingly new house was built on the side of the down. It looked rather bare in spite of its fine position.

"That belongs to a Mr. Gaythorne," said Captain Vincent, pointing it out to us. " There is only a son at home at present, I believe. The old people are abroad somewhere for the benefit of their health, and I fancy their absence is likely to be a protracted one. Below us, in the centra of the wood, you can just see the Manor House." Our attention was centred on this spot at once. Buried in a dark tangled mass of woods lay a house, picturesque enough, but uncanny in the extreme. From our elevated position it could not be seen to advantage, but it was evident, at the first glance, that the place was much out of repair. The grounds, which might at one time have been pretty and well cultivated, had long since degenerated into their wilderness of former times, and were overgrown with every imagin able weed and undergrowth.

The yew hedges presented a mournful and untrimmed appearance, and the surrounding woods were so dark and dense that it was doubtful whether the sun could ever pierce through them to gladden the ground beneath with light and warmth. " The first view is not prepossessing," I said to our companion. " No ; but you can hardly form a fair judgement from this position. Shall we go down ? " SUSPICION. A steep descent led down to the road which traversed the valley from one end to the other, and which was the main road to Leak ; and opposite to the path we had come down was the boundary hedge of the Manor. This had in some places grown to an extra ordinary height, and in others had died for want of care. The heavy iron gates which opened to the road were red with rust, and creaked ominously on their long disused hinges as we opened them.

An avenue led from the gates to the house ; but what had once been a spacious carriage-drive was now hardly discernible as such, being thickly covered with dead leaves and fallen pine-cones, the accumulation of many winters. On either side the woods stretched away into darkness, the red rough trunks of the pine-trees looking even more ruddy against the sombre background ; and the only sound which broke the stillness was the rustling of the dead leaves as some frightened rabbit scurried through them at our approach. In the open spaces the grass had grown rank and coarse, and the paths had become as green as turf. In the centre of the wilderness the house stood mournful and desolate. Many of the windows were broken, and some of the brickwork and mortar had fallen from parts of the copings and parapet, but the house was too substantially built for a few years to make it a ruin.

It was indeed a picture, with its dark-coloured brickwork creeper grown, its many gables, and its deeply-set windows. " How lovely it is ! " exclaimed Edith, as she gazed critically at the mansion. " What a shame it is to let it go to ruin ! " " Its ruin is not irretrievable, although it has been getting into a bad state for years. Even in the last occupant's time nothing was done to it," returned Captain Vincent. " Shall we go in ? " After brushing away the cobwebs which hung across the porch, our guide opened the door, and we entered. An empty dwelling is never a pleasing spectacle, and where, SUSPICION. 13 added to its emptiness, there is a vastness and gra**§Senr of propor tion, and a rumour that it is the aottcle of unearthly things, it becomes at once very depressing and unpleasantly impressive.

The interior of the Manor House was magnificent. A spacious hall, which was open to the top of the house, and lighted by two large stained glass windows on either side of the hall door, opened into large and lofty rooms, oak-panelled, extensively decorated, and with windows set in deep embrasures. A handsome staircase led up to a landing, from which ran many corridor?, and the bedrooms were scarcely less rich in decoration than the rooms below. " What do you think of it, Teddie ? " asked my wife, as we wandered from room to room. " Very beautiful, but hardly lively enough for us." "Lively enough ! Why, the very reason we are moving from town is to be quiet." " The neighbourhood is certainly quiet, if that is an attraction," said Vincent ; " and I may add that it is very dreary in winter. This, I believe, is the library and the haunted apartment," he con tinued as we entered a room on the ground-floor.

" I must confess I do not think it very inviting." The room was, perhaps, more handsome than any in the house. It ran from back to front, being lighted at each end by a large French-window. The massive book-cases were plentiful, making one despair of ever being able to fill them, and between each set of shelves, oak-panels reached from floor to ceiling. A huge fireplace, with a large square hearthstone and an elaborate mantelpiece, stood opposite the door. The room was dusty and dreary, of course, but in good repair. One of the bookcases had a large piece of carving broken off the top, but this was the chief dilapidation as far as I could see. " So this is tbe haunted room, is it !" said Edith with a rather SUSPICION. 14 contemptuous laugh. " I cannot say that I experience any feeling of nervousness.

To my mind it is simply perfect ; and just imagine what a grand Christmas-log will burn on that wide hearth. It will be like living back in the good old days, the only incongruous things being ourselves, with our nineteenth-century dress and manners. Ghosts ! I don't believe there are such things." Captain Vincent then spoke of the mystery for the first time. " I do not believe much in these legends myself," he said ; but he spoke rather doubtfully. " They have generally a very common place explanation. Still, if I must be truthful, I have a certain feeling against this house. There was a suicide or a murder in this room some years back, and nothing very satisfactory was ever found out about it. Probably you have heard of it." " Yes. From the landlord r the inn this morning." "He would make the most of . ., I have no doubt," he continued.

" The story is universally believed in the village, and many say they have seen a ghost here." Edith, however, continued to laugh at the mystery, and became so excited over her prospective arrangements for furnishing the Manor House in a style worthy of it, that I had some difficulty in getting her away in time to have lunch and catch our train back to town. The Captain walked back to the inn with us, but would not come in to lunch. After shaking hands with my wife, he motioned me to remain behind a minute. " What do you think of the place ?" he said. " It is very pretty." " Yes ; but I mean about taking it ? " " That will depend entirely upon my wife." "Mrs. Wade seems very delighted with it," he answered ; "but if SUSPICION. 15 you take my advice, you will not live there. I would not say any thing to frighten her, although I tried to warn her against it.

I am not in the least superstitious ; but I have certainly, on more than one occasion, seen a figure move swiftly up the avenue as I have passed. I saw it first after nightfall, and put it down to imagination; but I saw it again in the broad daylight, and I knew it was no fancy then." " Are you certain of this ? " " As certain as I am that you are standing before me now." I thanked him, and we parted. In the afternoon we returned to town, Edith perfectly delighted with the result of our visit, and longing to take the house ; and I very doubtful as to the desirability of doing so.

Chapter III

I have always been led to believe that man, as compared to woman, is the superior animal, but I think, judging from my own personal experience, that such is not the case. I fancy that a man's wife, presuming, of course, that there is deep and true affection between them, generally manages to guide him as she pleases, and by her caresses makes him consider her wishes commands. It was so with me. After many long consultations concerning the Manor House, and lengthy arguments both for and against, I yielded to Ed ith '8 wishes, and went to the agent to take the house on a three years' lease. The owner, whose name I forget, seemed quite indifferent as to whether the house had a tenant or remained empty, and since it had got a bad name, and was out of the way, the rent was ridiculously small. During the necessary negotiations one circumstance occurred which caused me some surprise.

Someone SUSPICION. 16 else had apparently taken a sudden fancy to the property, and, moreover, offered to pay a higher rent than that at which it had been offered to me. Not being very anxious about the place myself, I made this serve as an excuse to my wife, but in vain. "You must out-bid him, Edward," she said with determination when I told her. " Now, do, dear, to please me. I have set my heart upon it, and I shall be miserable if I don't go there ; I shall, indeed." This wish was certainly a command, and when it was enforced by Edith putting her arms round my neck, of course there was nothing to be done but obey. Beyond causing me surprise my rival gave me little annoyance. I had obtained the first refusal of the house, and finally settled to take it at the price originally agreed upon.

I at once put a London builder to work, giving him carte blanche to put the house in thorough repair, but, by Edith's desire, giving him strict injunctions not to remove any of the panelling or to alter the old-fashioned appearance of the place in any way. For the next few weeks our time was occupied in making numerous arrangements, in buying furniture, and in taking sundry journeys down to Leak to inspect progress. Progress in anything, I imagine, means change. It certainly did in this case. Never have I seen such a metamorphosis as took place in and round the Manor House under the hands of the workmen. The place certainly looked very lovely in its restored condition, and with its garden cleared of leaves and rubbish. Outside and inside the transformation was wonderful, and when my little wife's artistic mind was brought to bear on the arrangement of the interior it is impossible to describe how charming the rooms looked with their harmonious furniture, old china, and bric-d-brac.

In its new aspect SUSPICION. 17 I became quite reconciled to my new home, and almost forgot all the queer stories connected with it. Indeed it is not so easy to associate a ghost with a newly-swept and garnished mansion, as to imagine it roaming about an old and ruined dwelling surrounded by a weedy aud leaf-covered garden. Spring had ripened into summer when we took up our abode at Leak, and for some weeks our chief delight was to wander about our new home and admire it. Everything, outdoors and in, was fresh and delicious. Captain Vincent was the first to make his duty-call, and, having once got over that ceremony, he was continually at the Manor House, making himself most agreeable in every way. A nearer acquaint ance greatly increased my liking for him. I don't exactly know why — and I suppose it would puzzle anyone to explain it — but some men and women appear to go through the world surrounded by a halo of romatic mystery, although the circumstances of their lives may, after all, be quiet commonplace.