CHAPTER VI.
CONTAINS A FURTHER ENIGMA.
Back again at King's Cross. I seemed to have been travelling on theline all my life. Myra turned to Dennis to say good-bye.
"I hope," she said bravely, "that when we meet again, Mr. Burnham, Ishall be able to tell you that I can see you looking well."
"I do hope so, indeed, Miss McLeod," said Dennis fervently, with aquick glance at me. He was lost in admiration at the quiet calm withwhich my poor darling took her terrible affliction.
"Good-bye, old chap," my friend said to me cheerily. "I hope to hearin a day or two that Miss McLeod is quite well again. And," he addedin a whisper, "wire me if I can be of the slightest use."
I readily agreed, and I was beginning, even at that early stage, to bevery thankful that my friend was free to help me in case of need.
When at last we reached Invermalluch Lodge again I sat for an hour inthe library with the old General, telling him in detail the result ofthe specialist's examination, but I took care to put Dennis's point ofview to him at the outset. I was glad I had done so, for he seized onthe faint hope it offered, and clung to it in despair.
"What is your own impression of Olvery?" he asked.
"I fancy his knighthood has got into his head," I replied. "He gave methe impression that he was quite certain he knew everything there wasto be known, and that the mere fact of his not being sure about thereturn of her sight made him positive that it must be complete andabsolute blindness. Of course he hedged and left himself a loophole inthe event of her recovery, but I could have told him just as much ashe told me."
"You say you took it on yourself to take Myra out of his handsaltogether. Why?"
"When I received your wire, I rang him up at once, and asked him tosee me immediately," I replied. "Eventually he agreed, and I took ataxi to his place, and told him about Sholto. He gave his opinionwithout any consideration whatever. He said: 'The merest coincidence,Mr. Ewart--the merest coincidence--and you may even find that the doghas not actually lost his sight at all.' So naturally I thanked him,gave him his fee, and came away. I propose now that you should try andget this man--Garnish, is it----?"
"Garnesk," interposed the General, consulting a note Dr. Whitehousehad left--"Herbert Garnesk."
"Well, I want you to try and get him sufficiently interested to comehere--and stop here--until he has come to some decision, no matterwhat it is."
"A thundering good idea, Ronald," agreed the old man. "But we can'ttell him this extraordinary story in writing."
"I'll go and find him, and fetch him back with me, if I have to hold agun to his head."
Accordingly I dashed off to Mallaig again, and caught the eveningtrain to Glasgow. I spent an unhappy night at the Central StationHotel--though it was certainly not the fault of the hotel--and lookedup Mr. Garnesk as early in the morning as I dared disturb a celebratedconsultant oculist. I took a fancy to the man at once. He wasyoung--in the early 'forties--very alert-looking, and exceedinglybusinesslike. His prematurely grey hair gave an added air ofimportance to the clever eye and clean-cut features, and he had acharm of manner which would have made his fortune had he been almostignorant of the rudiments of his calling.
"So that's the complete story of Miss McLeod and her dog Sholto," hemused, when I had finished speaking. For a brief second I thought hewas about to laugh at the apparent absurdity of the yarn, but before Ihad time to answer he spoke again.
"Miss McLeod and her dog are apparently blind, and Mr. Ewart is abundle of nerves--and this is very excellent brandy, Mr. Ewart. Allowme."
I accepted the proffered glass with a laugh, in spite of myself.
"What do you think of it?" I asked.
He sat on the edge of the table and swung his leg, wrapt in thoughtfor a moment.
"I'm very glad to say I don't know what to think of it," he repliedpresently.
"Why glad?" I asked anxiously.
"Because, my dear sir, this is so remarkable that if I thought I couldsee a solution I should probably be making a mistake. This issomething I am learning about for the first time; and, frankly, itinterests me intensely."
Suddenly he sat down abruptly, with a muttered "Now, then," and beganto catechise me in a most extraordinarily searching manner, firing offquestion after question with the rapidity of a maxim gun.
I shall not detain the reader with details of this catechism. Hisinquiries ranged from the system on which the house was lighted andthe number of hours Myra averaged per week on the sea to the make ofthe engine in her motor-boat. His last question was: "Does anybodydrink the river water?"
"Windows that flash in the sun seem to me to be confusing the issue,"he said at last. "Windows must always reflect light in a certaindirection at a certain time, and though they may be irritating theycould not possibly produce even temporary blindness. Still, we won'tforget them, Mr. Ewart, though we had better put them aside for amoment. Now, how soon can you bring Miss McLeod to see me?"
"We had hoped," I ventured to suggest, "that you would be able to runup and see her, and have a look at the ground. You could then examinethe dog as well."
"I'll be perfectly candid with you, Mr. Ewart," he replied. "I wasjust going to start on a short holiday. I was going to Switzerland;but the war has knocked that on the head, so I am just running up toPerthshire for a week's fishing. I need a holiday very badly, moreespecially as I have undertaken some Government work in connectionwith the war. Fortunately, I am a bachelor, and I will willingly giveup a couple of days to Miss McLeod."
"Why not combine business with pleasure?" I suggested. "There's goodfishing at Invermalluch, gorgeous scenery, a golf-course a mile or twoaway, and you can do just as you please on the General's estate. He'llbe delighted."
"Are you sure?" he asked. "Well, anyway, I can go to the Glenelg Hoteland fish up Glenmore. Now, Mr. Ewart, we will catch the afternoontrain, the earliest there is--though I suppose there's only one."
"I can't tell you how grateful I am, Mr. Garnesk," I said. "It maymean a very great deal to us that you are so anxious to see MissMcLeod."
"I am not anxious to see Miss McLeod," he answered, cryptically. "I'manxious to see the dog."
I left him, to telegraph to the General that I was arriving that nightbringing the specialist with me; and I need hardly say that I left thetelegraph office with a comparatively light heart. The journey toMallaig was one of the most interesting afternoons I have spent.Garnesk was consulting oculist to all the big chemical, machine, navaland other manufacturers in the great industrial centre on the Clyde,and he kept me enthralled with his accounts of the sudden attacks ofvarious eye diseases which were occasionally the fate of the workers.The effects of chemicals, the indigenous generation of gases in thefurnace-rooms, and so on, had afforded him ample scope for experiment;and, fortunately for us all, he was delighted to have found new groundfor enlarging his experience. The mixture of professional anecdote andpiscatorial prophecy with which he entertained me, now and thenrushing across the carriage to get a glimpse of a salmon-pool in someriver over which we happened to be passing, gave me an amusing insightinto the character of one whom I have since learned to regard as avery brilliant and charming man. When we arrived at the landing-stageat the Lodge, the General greeted him with undisguised joy.
"Begad! Mr. Garnesk," he blurted, "I'm thundering glad to see you,sir. It's good of you to come, sir--extremely good."
"That remains to be seen, General," said Garnesk, solemnly--"whethermy visit will do any good. I hope so, with all my heart."
"Amen to that!" said the old man, pathetically, with a heavy sigh.
"How is Miss McLeod?" asked the scientist.
"Her eyes are no better," the General replied. "She cannot see at all.Otherwise she is in perfect health. She says she feels as well as evershe did. I can't understand it," he finished helplessly.
A suit-case, a bag of golf-clubs, and a square deal box completedGarnesk's outfit.
"Steady with that--here, let me take it?" he
cried, as Angus waslifting the last item ashore. "Business and pleasure," he continued,raising the box in his arms and indicating his clubs and fishing-rodswith a jerk of the head. "I've one or two things here that may help mein my work, and as they are very delicate instruments I would rathercarry them myself."
As we approached the house the sound of the piano greeted us in thedistance; and soon we could distinguish the strains of that mostbeautiful and understanding of all burial marches, Grieg's "Aase'sTod."
"My daughter can even welcome us with a tune," said the old manproudly. To him all music came under the category of "tunes," with thesole exception of "God Save the King," which was a nationalinstitution.
Garnesk stopped and stood on the path, the deal box clasped carefullyin his arms, his head on one side, listening.
"We have the right sort of patient to deal with, anyway," he remarked,with a sigh of relief. But to me the melancholy insistence of theexquisite harmonies was fraught with ill-omen, and I could notrestrain the shudder of an unaccountable fear as we resumed our walk.Later on, when I found an opportunity to ask her why she had chosenthat particular music, I was only partially relieved by her ingenuousanswer:
"Oh! just because I love it, Ronnie," she said, "and there are nodifficult intervals to play with your eyes shut. I thought it wasrather clever of me to think of it. I shall soon be able to play moretricky things. It will cure me of looking at the notes when I can seeagain."
Myra and the young specialist were introduced; and, though he chattedgaily with her, and touched on innumerable subjects, he never oncealluded to her misfortune. Though the General was evidently anxiousthat Garnesk should make his examination as soon as possible,hospitality forced him to suggest dinner first, and I was surprised atthe alacrity with which the visitor concurred, knowing, as I did, hisintense interest in the case. But, after a few conventional remarks tothe General and Myra, I was about to show him to his room when heseized my arm excitedly.
"Quick!" he whispered. "Where's the dog?"
I led him to a room above the coach-house where poor Sholto was apitiful prisoner. Garnesk deposited his precious packing-case on thefloor, and called the dog to him. Sholto sprang forward in a moment,recognising the tone of friendship in the voice, and planted his pawson my companion's chest. For twenty minutes the examination lasted.One strange test after another was applied to the poor animal; but hewas very good about it, and seemed to understand that we were tryingto help him.
"I should hate to have to kill that dog, but it may be necessarybefore long," said the specialist. "But why didn't you tell MissMcLeod her dog was blind?"
"We were afraid it would upset her too much," I answered, and thensuddenly realising the point of the question, I added, "but how onearth did you know we hadn't?"
"Because," he said thoughtfully, "if you had, she strikes me as thesort of girl who would have asked me straight away what I thought Icould do for him."
"You seem to understand human nature as well as you do science," Isaid admiringly.
"The two are identical, or at least co-incident, Mr. Ewart," hereplied solemnly. "But what was it you _did_ tell her?"
"We said he was suffering from a sort of eczema, which looked as ifit might be infectious, and we thought she ought not to be near himfor a bit. Otherwise, of course, she would have wanted him with herall the time."
When the examination was over for the time being, I chained Sholtoto a hook in an old harness-rack, for he was strong and unused tocaptivity, and the door had no lock, only a small bolt outside.Garnesk packed away his instruments, carried them carefully to thehouse, and then we sprinted upstairs to dress hurriedly for dinner.
Myra, poor child, was sensitive about joining us, but the specialistwas very anxious that she should do so, and we all dined together.There was no allusion whatever to the strange events which had broughtus together, but, with my professional knowledge of the mysteries ofcross-examination, I noticed that Garnesk contrived to acquire moreknowledge of various circumstances on which he seemed to wish to beenlightened than Sir Gaire Olvery had gleaned from forty minutes'blunt questioning.
Myra had hardly left us after the meal was over when the butler handedthe General a card, and almost simultaneously a tall, shadowy figurepassed the window along the verandah.
"'Pon my soul, that's kind of him," said the simple-hearted old man."Run after him, Ronald, and fetch him back."
"Who is it?" I asked, rising.
"'Mr. J. G. Hilderman wishes to express his sympathy with GeneralMcLeod in his daughter's illness.' Very neighbourly indeed."
I ran out after Hilderman, and found that his long legs had taken himnearly half-way to the landing-stage by the time I overtook him. Hestopped as I called his name.
"Why, Mr. Ewart," he exclaimed in surprise, "you back again already? Ihope you had a very satisfactory interview with the specialist."
I told him briefly that our visit to London had given us nosatisfaction at all, and gave him the General's invitation to comeup to the house.
"I wouldn't think of it, Mr. Ewart," he declared emphatically. "Verykind of General McLeod, but he don't want to worry with strangers justnow."
He was very determined; but I insisted, and he eventually gave way. Iwas glad he had come. I had a somewhat unreasonable esteem for hisabilities and resource, and every assistance was welcomed with openarms at Invermalluch Lodge at that time. His extensive knowledge evenincluded some slight acquaintance with the body's most wonderfulorgan, for he told us some very interesting eye cases he had heard ofin the States. He was genuinely dumbfoundered when we told him thatSholto was an additional victim.
"You don't say so!" he exclaimed. "Well, that _is_ remarkable. Itsounds as if it came out of a book. In broad daylight a young ladygoes out, and is as well as can be. An hour later she is stone blind.Two days afterwards her dog goes out, and _he_ comes in blind. Yes,it's got me beaten."
"It's got us all beaten," said Garnesk deliberately, and I was shockedto hear him say it. I reflected that he had not even examined Myra,and my disappointment was the keener that he should admit himselfnonplussed so early. But he left me no loophole of doubt.
"I can make nothing whatever of it," he added, ruefully shaking hishead. "I wonder if I ever shall?"
"Come, come! my dear sir," said Hilderman cheerily. "You scientistfellows have a knack of making your difficulties a little greater thanthey really are, in order to get more credit for surmounting them. Iknow your little ways. I'm an American, you know, professor; you can'tget me that way."
Garnesk laughed--fortunately. And again I was grateful to Hildermanfor his timely tact, for it cheered the old man immensely, and helpedme a little, too. Presently the General left the room, and Garneskleaned forward.
"Mr. Hilderman," he said earnestly, "do everything in your power to keepthe old man's spirits up. I can give him no hope, professionally--Idare not. But you, a layman, can. It is difficult in the circumstancesfor Mr. Ewart to give much encouragement, but I know he will do hisbest."
"J. G. Hilderman is yours to command," said the American, with a bowthat included us both. And then the oculist suggested that we shouldhave a look at Sholto. I led the way to the coach-house with a heavyheart. I should not have minded a mystery which would have endangeredmy own life. Apart from any altruism, the personal peril would haveafforded a welcome stimulant. But this unseen horror, which stabbed inthe dark and robbed my beautiful Myra of her sight, chilled my verysoul. I climbed wearily up the wooden stair to Sholto's new den,carrying a stable lantern in my hand, for it was getting late, and thecarefully darkened room would be as black as ink. The other twofollowed close on my heels. I opened the door and called to the dog. Afaint, sickly-sweet odour met me as I did so.
"You give your dogs elaborate kennels," said Hilderman, as he climbedthe stairs, and I laughed in reply.
At that instant Garnesk stood still and sniffed the air. With a suddenjerk he wrenched the lantern from my hand and strode into the room.Sholto was gone. Only h
alf his chain dangled from the hook, cutthrough the middle with a pair of strong wire-nippers.
The oculist turned to us with an expression of acute interest.
"Chloroform," he said quietly.