V. All members shall obey the President.

“ Well?” said Frank, after a long pause.
“Ts that all?” said Nora contemptuously. “I don’t see the use of having only five little rules like these ; I thought there would be a long list, like what there is on father’s bowling-club card.”
“Oh, we don’t need so many as that,” explained Frank ; “but there must be some, or it wouldn’t be a proper society.”
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“But why should there be only three members ?”
“To keep it secret, of course.”
“But every member has to swear to keep it secret.”
This did not appear to have struck Frank, and after some discussion Rule I. was amended, with the words “or more” added to it. Rule II. was passed unanimously, as it was felt that there would be no fun in a society that was not secret. Rule III. was then put to the vote.
“What is an entrance-fee for?” asked the prac- tical Nora. “I don’t see why we should pay for hunting ghosts and helping people.”
“Ob, we might have to buy matches or pistols, or things like that,” explained the founder of the society vaguely. “There is always an entrance-fee.”
“T shan’t join if there’s pistols,” replied the cook, stirring vigorously ; “and we can always get a box of matches from Jane.”
“You must do what the president tells you,” said Frank sternly.
“ But we haven't elected a president yet!”
In the end it was decided that the rule should stand, but that it need not be enforced, as none of the intending members could rise to the subscription.
“Then ‘as to Rule IV., I suppose I had better be
60 THE SECRET SOCIETY.
president,” suggested Frank modestly; and as the cook’s attention was taken up with the toffee for the moment, Rule IV. passed without opposition.
Rule V. followed as a matter of course, for, as Frank ingenuously put it, there was no use electing a president unless you meant to obey him. Then followed the signing of the document. The president led off, Nora followed, and I brought up the rear.
“You surely didn’t get this in my pocket, Frank,” I said, examining the piece of paper when it came to my turn to sign; “I never saw it before.”
“Yes, I did. It was in your pocket with a lot of others.” |
Turning over the paper curiously, I read on the other side, scrawled in pencil, “Ware beeks. The cap. wants oof.” ‘The remainder was almost illegible, but I seemed to make out something about “tens” and “fivers.”
“Never mind about that,” exclaimed Frank, when I drew his attention to the writing; “hurry up and sign.”
This I did, and the precious document was then handed over to my safe keeping, the president remarking that, if left in his charge, it was almost
certain to be lost.
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The cook’s announcement that the toffee was ready distracted our attention, and when the pan had been emptied and carefully scraped of the last morsel, Frank offered to carry the dish and put it in the bathroom to cool quickly.
“Do you know why I joined the society ?” asked Nora, turning to me as her brother left the room.
“To find out ghosts and things,”
“No, I’m frightened of ghosts; but I want to find out who I really am. Will you help me?”
“Of course; but I don’t think I can do much.”
“But you promise ?”
“Yes, I promise.”
The bathroom door slammed, and the president was heard approaching, whistling ostentatiously to prove that he had refrained from further tasting.
“Oh, thank you so much,’ whispered Nora hurriedly; “I’m sorry I called you a sneak this morning.” |
About four o'clock the weather cleared up, and the president, anxious to show off his recently acquired authority, issued orders for a general inspection of Fareham Castle; and the newly formed Sherlock Holmes Society loyally obeyed his commands, and set forth on their bicycles.
62 THE SECRET SOCIETY.
“This is Peter’s cottage,” announced Frank, as we dismounted at the avenue gates; “but before I knock we had better decide who we are. Of course I’m Sherlock Holmes, and you’re Dr. Watson, Humphrey ; but who can Nora be ?”
“ Mycroft,’ I suggested, not altogether relishing the part assigned to me.
“But he was rather a rotter,’ objected Frank, “and had an awful idea of himself.’ Which was another way of saying that he might take the shine out of Sherlock.
“There is no one else any use,” I observed.
“No; Dll be Mycroft,” said Nora decisively. “I remember about him. He simply sat still and let Sherlock do all the work. You can discover all the ghosts, Frank.”
“ All right,” said the president, “ that will do; but remember, don’t let Peter know what we're after— it’s a secret.”
We nodded, and followed him inside the gate. Propping our bicycles against the ivy-covered lodge, we waited in the little porch while Frank plied the knocker.
“ Ahoy!” shouted a voice, in answer to the deafen-
ing summons, “I’m coming;” and next minute the
THE SECRET SOCIETY. 63
door was opened by a red-faced old man with a white beard.
“Well, Peter, how are you?” said Frank, holding out his hand.
“Why, Master Frank, is that you? What a big boy you’ve grown, to be sure! Come in—Come in, Miss Nora.”
“We've come to see over the castle, Peter. This is Dr.—I mean Humphrey—Verney, my chum. We want to show him over the place. Can you come with us now, or will you let us have the keys?”
“Tl come with you, and welcome,” was the reply ; but the speaker’s looks belied his words.
“Don’t bother about coming if you are busy with anything,” said Frank, as the old man slowly took down a large bunch of keys from a nail on the wall.
“Tm not busy,” answered the old man; “and I’m real glad of company, Master Frank, and that’s the truth. I was telling Miss Nora here about it the other day.”
“Do tell us again,” said Frank eagerly. “We heard in the village that you had heard ghosts, and we came here to—” But a judicious pinch from
Mycroft stopped further disclosures.
64 THE SECRET SOCIETY.
“ Ay, ay,” muttered our guide, as we trooped after him up the avenue. “They.laugh at old Peter’s stories, but none of them will come here o’ nights to find out the truth of them or bear me company.”
For a few minutes we trudged along in silence, waiting for the old man to continue.
“Master Frank,” he said at length, turning and gripping the president’s arm so suddenly that the latter started visibly—‘“ Master Frank, it was from this very spot that I first saw the ghost!”
All agog with excitement, we crept closer together, glancing apprehensively round at the neighbouring bushes,
“One night last winter I was coming up here, as I do every night to see that everything is right at the castle, when a light suddenly shone out in the west wing. Look! through that clump of rhododendrons you can see the very window.”
With our gaze we followed his outstretched finger, and saw the gray walls of the castle close at hand. Opposite where we were standing a small, rounded turret jutted out, and near the foot appeared a small, low basement.
“JT thought the place was on fire,” resumed Peter, “and ran on quickly; but suddenly the light seemed
THE SECRET SOCIETY. 65
to go out. Hurrying round I unlocked the door; but on reaching the room where the light had appeared I found—nothing. Everything seemed to be just as usual. The window was fastened ; there was no sign of fire nor of any recent occupation.”
The old man paused, and looked at us solemnly.
“Maybe you'll not believe me, Master Frank; but as I stood there wondering if my old eyes had played me false, I suddenly heard the sound of bolts being drawn, and chains rattled somewhere down in the cellars. There came a kind of shriek and a loud bang, and then all was silent again.”
I don’t know how the rest of the society felt, but I can vouch for it that Dr. Watson was thankful that the sun shone brightly and, lighting up the gray walls of the castle, seemed to mock at the old man’s story.
“T can tell you I was near mad with fright,” went on Peter, “and rushed helter-skelter out of the castle. Next morning, when it was broad daylight, I came back and searched the cellars, and found nothing ; but since then I have often heard the same sounds— sometimes by day, sometimes by night. Several times there were whisperings, and once—once I saw
a white figure vanish down a corridor. So I am (1,471) 5
66 THE SECRET SOCIETY.
afraid to be by myself, Master Frank; but with company it’s not so bad.”
By this time we had reached the little side-entrance which Peter generally used. It led through the gun- room and billiard-room to the portrait gallery, and as we entered a sudden hush fell on us all. The blinds were drawn, and in the dim light the eerie stillness of the huge empty building caused the ardour of the Sherlock Holmes Society to droop visibly. The members kept very close together, and the president followed hard on the heels of his guide. Just before we entered the portrait gallery Peter drew our atten- tion to a little passage leading off the main corridor. “That leads to the turret,’ he announced; “ would you like to go there ?”
The president hurriedly assured him that it was the pictures he wished me to see, and we passed on into the gallery, a long, gloomy chamber. Peter’s knowledge of the family history was not extensive, and we were forced to rely on our own imaginations for the most part regarding the portraits, in lieu of definite information. Starting at the end we entered, we scanned the long rows of knights and ladies, and marvelled at their strange dress and appearance. Near the centre of the gallery Peter pointed out a
THE SECRET SOCIETY. 67
full-length portrait of a young lady, who, he in- formed us, was the grandmother of the present Lord Gresham.
“A great beauty she was, too, in her day, though she’s dead and gone now,” he informed us, “Old Martha remembers seeing her. Many a noble wished to marry her, and her father, ’tis said, promised her hand to a duke. But my lady had a will of her own, and one fine day, when she was only seventeen, she ran off with her lover to Gretna Green, and a terrible to-do there was.”
Frank listened carelessly, and moved on to examine the painting of an armoured knight, which interested him much more; but Nora stood gazing at the lady, and begged Peter to tell her all he knew about the story. The old man readily complied, and when he saw how interested she seemed, he stepped over to the windows and pulled up several of the blinds. From the first glance at the portrait I had been haunted by the curious feeling that the lady’s features were strangely familiar, and as the light fell on the face the reason flashed across my mind.
“Why, she is as like you as possible, Nora,” I exclaimed; and indeed the resemblance was remark-
able. The golden brown hair, the smiling gray eyes,
68 THE SECRET SOCIETY.
and the saucy little nose and mouth, were unmistak- ably reproduced in my companion.
“JT think she @s very like me,” answered Nora, with heightened colour.
“Oh, rot!” ejaculated Frank, coming back; “you're always thinking you're a fairy or princess or some- thing, you know. But, I say, it zs a bit like you with your hair up, only you’re not half so pretty.”
The three of us were gazing curiously from the portrait to the girl, when Nora, who had turned to let the light fall on her face, suddenly gave a cry, and pointed down the room behind us,
“Look! Peter, some one crossed the corridor and
went down the passage to the turret!”