CHAPTER II
THE WANDERER RETURNS
The hour was growing late, and the family were dining in the great hall.Rupert Ravenspur sat at the head of the table, with Gordon's wifeopposite him. The lovers sat smiling and happy side by side. Across thetable Marion beamed gently upon the company. Nothing ever seemed toeclipse her quiet gaiety; she was the life and soul of the party. Therewas something angelic about the girl as she sat there clad in softdiaphanous white.
Lamps gleamed on the fair damask, on the feathery daintiness of flowers,and on the lush purple and gold and russet of grapes and peaches. Fromthe walls long lines of bygone Ravenspurs looked down--fair women inhoops and farthingale, men in armor. There was a flash of color from thepainted roof.
Presently the soft-footed servants would quit the castle for the night,for under the new order of things nobody slept in the castle exceptingthe family. Also, it was the solemn duty of each servitor to taste everydish as it came to table. A strange precaution, but necessary in thecircumstances.
For the moment the haunting terror was forgotten. Wines red and whitegleamed and sparkled in crystal glasses. Rupert Ravenspur's worn, whiteface relaxed. They were a doomed race and they knew it; yet laughter wasthere, a little saddened, but eyes brightened as they looked from one toanother.
By and by the servants began to withdraw. The cloth was drawn in theold-fashioned way, a long row of decanters stood before the head of thehouse and was reflected in the shining, brown pool of mahogany. Big logfires danced and glowed from the deep ingle nooks; from outside came thesense of the silence.
An aged butler stood before Ravenspur with a key on a salver.
"I fancy that is all, sir," he said.
Ravenspur rose and made his way along the corridor to the outer doorway.Here he counted the whole of the domestic staff, carefully passed thedrawbridge and then the portcullis was raised. Ravenspur Castle and itsinhabitants were cut off from the outer world. Nobody could molest themtill morning.
And yet the curl of a bitter smile was on Ravenspur's face as hereturned to the dining-hall. Even in the face of these precautions twoof the garrison had gone down before the unseen hand of the assassin.There was some comfort in the reflection that the outer world was barredoff, but it was futile, childish, in vain.
The young people, with Mrs. Charles, had risen from the table and hadgathered on the pile of skins and cushions in one of the ingle nooks.Gordon Ravenspur was sipping his claret and holding a cigar with a handthat trembled.
Hardy man as he was, the shadow lay upon him also; indeed, it lay uponthem all. If the black death failed to strike, then madness would comecreeping in its track. Thus it was that evening generally found thefamily all together. There was something soothing in the presence ofnumbers.
They were talking quietly, almost in whispers. Occasionally a laughwould break from Vera, only to be suppressed with a smile of apology.Ravenspur looked fondly into the blue eyes of the dainty little beautywhom they all loved so dearly.
"I hope I didn't offend you, grandfather," she said.
In that big hall voices sounded strained and loud. Ravenspur smiled.
"Nothing you could do would offend me," he said. "It may be possiblethat a kindly Providence will permit me to hear the old roof ringingwith laughter again. It may be, perhaps, that that is reserved forstrangers when we are all gone."
"Only seven left," Gordon murmured.
"Eight, father," Vera suggested. She looked up from the lounge on thefloor with the flicker of the wood fire in her violet eyes. "Do you knowI had a strange dream last night. I dreamt that Uncle Ralph came homeagain. He had a great black bundle in his arms, and when the bundleburst open it filled the hall with a gleaming light, and in the centerof that light was the clue to the mystery."
Ravenspur's face clouded. Nobody but Vera would have dared to allude tohis son Ralph in his presence.
For over Ralph Ravenspur hung the shadow of disgrace--a disgrace he hadtried to shift on to the shoulders of his dead brother Charles, Marion'sfather. Of that dark business none knew the truth but the head of thefamily. For twenty years he had never mentioned his erring son's name.
"It is to be hoped that Ralph is dead," he said harshly.
A somber light gleamed in his eyes. Vera glanced at him half timidly.But she knew how deeply her grandfather loved her, and this gave hercourage to proceed. "I don't like to hear you talk like that," she said."It is no time to be harsh or hard on anybody. I don't know what he did,but I have always been sorry for Uncle Ralph. And something tells me heis coming home again. Grandfather, you would not turn him away?"
"If he were ill, if he were dying, if he suffered from some gravephysical affliction, perhaps not. Otherwise----"
Ravenspur ceased to talk. The brooding look was still in his eyes; hiswhite head was bent low on his breast.
Marion's white fingers touched his hand caressingly. The deepest bondof sympathy existed between these two. And at the smile in Marion's eyeRavenspur's face cleared.
"You would do all that is good and kind," Marion said. "You cannotdeceive me: oh, I know you too well for that. And if Uncle Ralph camenow!"
Marion paused, and the whole group looked one to the other with startledeyes. With nerves strung tightly like theirs, the slightest deviationfrom the established order of things was followed by a feeling of dreadand alarm. And now, on the heavy silence of the night, the great bellgave clamorous and brazen tongue.
Ravenspur started to his feet.
"Strange that anyone should come at this time of night," he said. "No,Gordon, I will go. There can be no danger, for this is tangible."
He passed along the halls and passages till he came to the outer oak. Helet down the portcullis.
"Come into the light," he cried, "and let me see who you are."
A halting, shuffling step advanced, and presently the gleam of the halllantern shone down upon the face of a man whose features were strangelyseamed and scarred. It seemed as if the whole of his visage had beenscored and carved in criss-cross lines until not one inch ofuncontaminated flesh remained.
His eyes were closed; he came forward with fumbling, outstretched handsas if searching for some familiar object. The features wereexpressionless, but this might have been the result of those cruelscars. But the whole aspect of the man spoke of dogged, almost pathetic,determination.
"You look strange and yet familiar to me," said Ravenspur. "Who are youand whence do you come?"
"I know you," the stranger replied in a strangled whisper. "I couldrecognize your voice anywhere. You are my father."
"And you are Ralph, Ralph, come back again!"
There was horror, indignation, surprise in the cry. The words rang loudand clear, so loud and clear that they reached the dining-hall andbrought the rest of the party hurrying out into the hall.
Vera came forward with swift, elastic stride. With a glance ofshuddering pity at the scarred face she laid a hand on Ravenspur's arm.
"My dream," she whispered. "It may be the hand of God. Oh, let himstay!"
"There is no place here for Ralph Ravenspur," the old man cried.
The outcast still fumbled his way forward. A sudden light ofintelligence flashed over Gordon as he looked curiously at his brother.
"I think, sir," he said, "that my brother is suffering from some greataffliction. Ralph, what is it? Why do you feel for things in that way?"
"I must," the wanderer replied. "I know every inch of the castle. Icould find my way in the darkest night over every nook and corner.Father, I have come back to you. I was only to come back to you if Iwere in sore need or if I was deeply afflicted. Look at me! Does my facetell you nothing?"
"Your face is--is dreadful. And, as for your eyes, I cannot see them."
"You cannot see them," Ralph said in that dreadful, thrilling, strangledwhisper, "because I have no sight; because I am blind."
Without a word Ravenspur caught his unhappy son by the hand and led himto the dining-hall, the family foll
owing in awed silence.