CHAPTER XVIII

LITTLE by little we drew closer to the shore. First came a headland, then a range of cliff, afterwards a deeply indented bay, and presently a tiny fishing village. As I said at the conclusion of the previous chapter, we showed no lights, consequently it would have required a keen eye to have detected our presence on the water.
Pharos and I stood leaning against the bulwarks, gazing at the land. For my part I must confess that there was a feeling in my heart that was not unlike that of a disgraced son who enters his home by stealth after a long absence. And yet it would be impossible to tell you how my heart warmed to it. Times out of number I had thought of my return to England, and had pictured Valerie standing by my side upon the deck of the steamer, watching the land loom up, and thinking of the happiness that was to be our portion in the days to come. Now Valerie and I were certainly nearing England together; Pharos, however, was with us, and while we were in his power happiness was, to all intents and purposes, unknown to us.
" What do you propose doing when you get ashore ? " I inquired of my companion, more for the sake of
304
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN 303
breaking the silence than for any desire I had for the information.
"That will very much depend upon circumstances," lie replied, still without looking at me. " Our main object must be to reach London as quickly as possible." Then, changing his tone, he turned to me. " Forrester, my dear fellow," he said, almost sorrowfully, "you cannot think how I regret our little disagreement of this morning. I am afraid, while I am touchy, you are headstrong ; and, in consequence, we misunderstand each other. I cannot, of course, tell what you think of me in your heart, but I venture to believe that if you knew everything, you would be the first to own that you have wronged me. Bad as I may be, I am not quite what you would make me out. If I were, do you think, knowing your antagonism as I do, I should have kept you so long with me? You have doubted me from the beginning ; in fact, as you will remember, you once went so far as to accuse me of the crime of murder. You afterwards acknowledged your mistake — in handsome terms, I will own ; but to counterbalance such frankness, you later on accused me of drugging you in Cairo. This was another fallacy, as you your- self will, I am sure, admit. In Prague you ran away from me, taking my ward with you, a very curious pro- ceeding, regarded in whatever light you choose to look at it. What was your object? Why, to reach Eng- land. Well, as soon as I knew that, I again showed my desire to help you. As a proof of that, are we not on board this ship, and is not that the coast of Eng- land over yonder?"
I admitted that it was. But I was not at all pre-
U
306 PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN
pared to subscribe to his generous suggestion that he had only undertaken the voyage for my sake.
" That, however, is not all," he continued, still in the same tone. " As I think I told you in Prague, I am aware that you entertain a sincere affection for my ward. Many men in my position would doubtless have refused their consent to your betrothal, if for no other reason, because of your behaviour to myself. I am, however, cast in a different mould. If you will only play fair by me, you will find that I will do so to you. I like you, as I have so often said, and, though I am doubtless a little hasty in my temper, there is nothing I would not do to help you, either in your heart, your ambition, or your love. And I can assure you my help is not to be despised. If it is fame you seek, you have surely seen enough of me to know that I can give it to you. If it is domestic happiness, who can do so much for you as I ? "
" I hope, Monsieur Pharos," I answered, in as dig- nified a manner as I could assume, " that I appreciate your very kind remarks at their proper value, and also the generous manner in which you have offered to forget and forgive such offences as I have committed against yourself. You must, however, pardon me if I fail to realize the drift of your remarks. There have been times during the last six weeks when you have uttered the most extraordinary threats against myself. Naturally, I have no desire to quarrel with you ; but, remembering what has passed between us, I am com- pelled to show myself a little sceptical of your promises."
He glanced sharply at me, but was wise enough to
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN 307
say nothing. A moment later, making the excuse that he must discover where the mate intended to bring up, he left me and went forward to the bridge. We were gradually closing upon the land, and in less than an hour's time, if all went well, we should be off the plague-stricken vessel and ashore in old England once more. A very different home-coming to that to which I had looked forward.
I was still thinking of my conversation with Pharos, and considering whether I had been wise in letting him see my cards, when a little hand stole into mine, and I found Valerie beside me.
" I could not remain below," she said, " when we were nearing England. I knew the effect the land would have upon you, and I wanted to be with you, not only to share that feeling, but to tell you how bitterly I have been reproaching myself, dear, for the cowardice I betrayed this morning."
" Cowardice ! " I said. " Pray in what way did you show yourself a coward ? "
Before she answered, she looked round her as if she were afraid that Pharos might be within hearing distance.
" He laughed at the idea of our refusing to enter England," she said, "and hinted that I would rather allow you to do that and carry the infection with us, than permit you to run the risk of remaining on board this fever-stricken vessel."
" Well," I asked, " and what of that ? He is welcome to his own opinions."
" Yes," she answered ; " but — but, oh, dearest, it hurts me the more because it is true ! I did not know, when
308 PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN
I said it, that the pestilence had broken out upon this boat, and that you might any moment catch the in- fection. Directly I did hear it, however, nothing else mattered. I remembered only that you were the man I loved, and I wanted you ashore and out of reach of danger. You see I am a coward, after all."
I slipped my arm around her waist and pressed her closer to me.
"If you are a coward, I will love you all the better for it," I said. " The truth is, we are in the hands of a remorseless fate, and are being dragged along by it, powerless to help ourselves. But, as I said this morn- ing, we have one consolation of which nothing can deprive us — we are together, and we love each other."
4 answered, with a gentle pressure of my arm.
I then gave her an account of the interview I had had with Pharos, and of all he had said to me and I to him. She listened attentively enough ; but I could sec that she was far from being impressed.
"Do not trust him," she said. "Surely you know him well enough by this time not to do so ? You may be very sure he has some reason for saying this, other- wise he would not trouble himself to speak about it."
" I shall not trust him," I replied. " You need have no fear of that. My experience of him has taught me that it is in such moments as these that he is most dangerous. When he is in one of his bad humours, one is on the alert and prepared for anything he may do or say ; but when he repents and appears so anxious to be friendly, one scarcely knows how to take him. Sus- picion is lulled to sleep for the moment, there is a
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN 309
feeling of security, and it is then the mischief is accom- plished."
" We will watch him together," she continued ; " but, whether he is friendly or otherwise, we will not trust him even for a moment."
So close were we by this time to the shore, and so still was the night, that we could even hear the wavelets breaking upon the beach. Then the screw of the steamer ceased to revolve, and when it was quite still, Pharos and the second mate descended from the bridge and joined us.
" This has been a bad business — a very bad business," the mate was saying. " The skipper, the chief engineer, the steward, and three of the hands all dead, and no port to put into for assistance. I wish I was going ashore like you."
Callous as it may appear to say so, none of us paid very much attention to his lamentations, for the reason that we were watching the hands lowering a boat. When it was safely in the water, and the accommoda- tion ladder had been rigged, the mate turned to Pharos.
" If you are ready, sir," he said, "you had better not waste any more time than you can help in getting ashore. There's no knowing who may not have seen us from the cliffs yonder. The coastguards are un- common sharp just about here, and the sooner you're off and the boat is back, the sooner I can get away again."
We shook hands with him in turn, and then descended the ladder to the boat alongside. The thought of the mate's position on board that plague-stricken vessel may possibly have accounted for the silence in which
310 PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN
we pushed off and headed for the shore ; at any rate, not a word was spoken. The sea was as calm as a mill-pond, and for the reason that the night was dark, and we were all dressed in sombre colours, while the boat chosen for the work of landing us was painted a deep black, it was scarcely likely our presence would be detected. Be that as it may, no coastguard greeted us on our arrival. Therefore, as soon as the boat was aground, we made our way into the bows, and with the assistance of the sailors reached the beach. Once more I stood on English soil ; but what a different being to the Forrester who had left it! Pharos rewarded the men, and remained standing beside the water until he had seen them safely embarked on their return journey to the steamer. Then, without a word to us, he turned himself about, crossed the beach, and carrying his beloved monkey in his arms, began slowly to ascend the steep path which led to the high land on which the village was situated. We did not, however, venture to approach the place itself. Had we been gaol-breakers of the most desperate description, we could scarcely have shown more anxiety not to let our presence be discovered. We walked in silence, as we had come ashore, and once when a hare, startled by our approach, rose from her form and sped away into the darkness, you might have supposed, from the way we stopped and shrank back into the bushes, that we had come near being caught red-handed in the committal of a deed of the most determined atrocity.
The remembrance of that strange night often returns to me now. In my mind's eye I can see the squat figure of Pharos tramping on ahead, Valerie following
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN 311
a few steps behind him, and myself bringing up the rear, and all this with the brilliant stars overhead, the lights of the village showing dimly across the sandhills to our right, and the continuous murmur of the sea behind us. For the time of year the night was bitterly cold, and the spirits of two of us at least were at their lowest. In the same order we reached the top of the cliff, crossed the strip of moorland, dotted here and there with tufts of rushes and coarse grass, and finally struck the high-road at a point where it branched off a mile or so above the village. Here we paused for a few minutes beside a stile, while Pharos, still without speaking, made up his mind in which direction we should next proceed. To this day I have no notion whether he was acquainted with the country, or whether he was merely trusting to chance and his own peculiar instinct to bring him out at a railway station. At last, however, he came to a decision, and we accordingly set off along that road which turned to the left. From the dust that lay upon it, it was evident they had had no rain in these parts for some time past ; and as we trudged along, I wondered in a vague sort of fashion what sort of appearance we should present by the time we found a train and reached our destination.
For upwards of an hour we tramped on in this fashion, and in that time scarcely covered a distance of four miles. Had it occurred at the commencement of our acquaintance, I should not have been able to under- stand how Pharos, considering his age and infirm appearance, could have accomplished even so much. Since then, however, I had been permitted so many opportunities of noting the enormous strength and
312 PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN
vitality contained in his meagre frame that I was past any feeling of wonderment. Valerie it was who caused me most anxiety. Only two days before she had been stricken by the plague; yesterday she was still con- fined to her cabin. Now here she was, subjected to intense excitement and no small amount of physical exertion. Pharos must have had the same thought in his mind, for more than once he stopped and inquired if she felt capable of proceeding, and on one occasion he poured out for her from a flask he carried in his pocket a small cupful of some fluid he had doubtless brought with him for that purpose. At last the welcome sight of a railway line came into view. It crossed the road, and as soon as we saw it we stopped and took counsel together. The question for us to consider was whether it would be wiser to continue our walk along the high-road, on the chance of its bringing us to a station, or whether we should clamber up the embankment to the railway line itself, and follow that along in the hope of achieving the same result. On the one side there was the likelihood of our having to go a long way round, and on the other the suspicion that might possibly be aroused in the minds of the railway officials should we make an appearance at the station in such an unorthodox fashion. Eventu- ally, however, we decided for the railway line. Accord- ingly we mounted the stile beside the arch, and having clambered up the embankment to the footpath beside the permanent way, resumed our march, one behind the other as before. We had not, however, as it turned out, very much farther to go, for on emerging from the cutting, which began at a short distance from the arch
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN 313
just referred to, we saw before us a glimmering light, emanating, so we discovered later, from the signal-box on the farther side of the station. I could not help wondering how Pharos would explain our presence at such an hour; but I knew him well enough by this time to feel sure that he would be able to do so, not to his own, but to everybody else's satisfaction. The place itself proved to be a primitive roadside affair, with a small galvanized shelter for passengers, and a cottage ;it the farther end, which we set down rightly enough as the residence of the station-master. The only lights to be seen were an oil-lamp above the cottage door, and another in the waiting-room. No sign of any official could be discovered.
" We must now find out," said Pharos, " at what time the next train leaves for civilization. Even in such a hole as this they must surely have a time-table."
So saying, he went into the shelter before described and turned up the lamp. His guess proved to be cor- rect, for a number of notices were pasted upon the wall.
" Did you happen to see the name of the station as you came along the platform ? " he inquired of me, as he knelt upon the seat and ran his eye along the printed sheets.
" I did not," I replied ; " but I will very soon find out."
Leaving them, I made my way along the platform towards the cottage. Here on a board suspended upon the fence was the name " Tebworth " in large letters. I returned and informed Pharos, who im- mediately placed his skinny finger upon the placard before him.
314 PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN
" Tebworth," he said. " Here it is. The next train for Norwich leaves at 2.48. What is the time now? "
I consulted my watch.
" Ten minutes to two," I replied. " Roughly speak- ing, we have an hour to wait."
" We are lucky in not having longer," Pharos replied. " It is a piece of good fortune to get a train at all at such an early hour."
With that he seated himself in a corner and closed his eyes, as if preparatory to slumber. A more curious picture than that meagre little waiting-room presented ten minutes later could scarcely have been discovered. In the right-hand corner was Pharos, his always ugly countenance looking in sleep even more diabolical than usual, with the pathetic little face of the monkey, Pehtes, gazing out at us from beneath his master's coat In the centre Valerie was seated, a woman whose beauty and music was famous from St. Petersburg to Dublin. I occupied the corner on her left again. Ptahmes, the king's magician, Valerie de Vocxqal, the finest violinist in Europe, and Cyril Forrester, an Associate of the Royal Academy. And here we all were, at two in the morning, sitting in semi-darkness in a roadside station of the very name of which we had been ignorant until a very few moments before. I suppose I must have dozed off after a while, for I have no remem- brance of anything further until I was awakened by hearing the steps of a man on the platform outside, and his voice calling to a certain Joel, whoever he might be, to know if there was any news of the train for which we were waiting.
Before the other had time to answer, Pharos had risen
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN 315
and gone out. The exclamation of surprise, to say nothing of the look of astonishment upon the station- master's face, — for the badge upon his cap told me it was he, — when he found Pharos standing before him, was comical in the extreme.
" Good-evening," said the latter in his most urbane manner, "or rather, since it is getting on for three o'clock, I suppose I should say 'Good-morning.' Is your train likely to be late, do you think?"
" I don't fancy so, sir," the man replied. " She always runs up to time."
Then, unable to contain the curiosity our presence on his platform at such an hour occasioned him, he con- tinued : " No offence, I hope, sir, but we don't have many passengers of your kind by it as a general rule. It's full early for ladies and gentlemen Tebworth way to be travelling about the country."
" Very likely," said Pharos, with more than his usual sweetness ; " but you see, my friend, our case is peculiar. We have a poor lady with us whom we are anxious to get up to London as quickly as possible. The excite- ment of travelling by day would be too much for her, so we choose the quiet of the early morning. Of course you understand."
Pharos tapped his forehead in a significant manner, and his intelligence being thus complimented, the man glanced into the shelter, and seeing Valerie seated there with a sad expression upon her face, turned to Pharos and said : —
" Poor young thing ! And such a sweet-looking lady, too. Well, well, we none of us know what's in store for us, do we, sir ? My wife's sister now was the same way
316 PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN
a year or so back. Melancholy, the doctor called it, which is not to be wondered at, seeing that her young man went and drowned himself, being in liquor at the time. That being so, I can understand your wanting to travel by night. I am sure I should do the same me- self, I make no doubt. When the train comes in, sir, you leave it to me, and I'll see if I can't find you a carriage which you can have to yourselves right through. You'll be in Norwich at three-twenty."
We followed him along the platform to the booking- office, and Pharos had scarcely taken the tickets before the whistle of the train, sounding as it entered the cut- ting by which we had reached the station, warned us to prepare for departure.
" Ah, here she is, running well up to time ! " said the station-master. " Now, sir, you come with me."
Pharos beckoned us to follow ; the other opened the door of a first-class coach. We all got in. Pharos slipped a sovereign into the man's hand ; the train started, and a minute later we were safely out of Teb- worth and on the road once more. Our arrival in Norwich was punctual almost to the moment, and within twenty minutes of our arrival there we had changed trains and were speeding towards London at a rate of fifty miles an hour.
From Norwich, as from Tebworth, we were fortunate enough to have a carriage to ourselves, and during the journey I found occasion to discuss with Pharos the question as to what he thought of doing when we reached town. In my own mind I had made sure that as soon as we got there he would take Valerie away to the house he had occupied on the occasion of his last visit,
PHAROS THE EGYPTLIX 317
while I should return to my own studio. This, however, I discovered was by no means what he intended.
" I could not hear of it, my dear Forrester," he said emphatically. " Is it possible that you can imagine, after all we have been through together, I should per- mit you to leave me ? No ! no ! Such a thing is not to be thought of for an instant. I appreciate your com- pany, even though you told me so plainly last evening that you do not believe it. You are also about to become the husband of my ward, and for that reason alone I have no desire to lose sight of you in the short time that is left me. I arranged with my agents before I left London in June, and I heard from them in Cairo that they had found a suitable residence for me in a fashionable locality. Valerie and I do not require very much room, and if you will take up your abode with us — that is to say, of course, until you are married — I assure you we shall both be delighted. What do you say, my dear ? "
I saw Valerie's face brighten on hearing that we were not destined to be separated, and that decided me. I lowever, for the reason that I did not for an instant believe in his expressions of friendship, I was not going to appear too anxious to accept his proposal. There was something behind it all that I did not know, and before I pledged myself I desired to find out what that something was.
" I do not know what to say," I answered, as soon as I had come to the conclusion that for the moment it would be better to appear to have forgotten and forgiven the past. " I have trespassed too much upon your hospitality already."
31 8 PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN
" You have not trespassed upon it at all," he answered. " I have derived great pleasure from your society, and I shall be still more pleased if you can see your way to fall in with my plan."
Thereupon I withdrew my refusal, and promised to take up my residence with him at least until the arrange- ments should be made for our wedding.
As it turned out, my astonishment on hearing that he had taken a London house was not the only surprise in store for me, for on reaching Liverpool Street, who should come forward to meet us but the same peculiar footman who had ridden beside the coachman on that memorable return journey from Pompeii. He was dressed in the same dark and unpretentious livery he had worn then, and, while he greeted his master, mistress, and myself with the most obsequious respect, did not betray the least sign of either pleasure or astonishment. Having ascertained that we had brought no luggage with us, he led us from the platform to the yard outside, where we found a fine landau awaiting us, drawn by a pair of jet-black horses, and driven by the same coachman I had seen in Naples on the occasion referred to above. Having helped Valerie to enter, and as soon as I had installed myself with my back to the horses, Pharos said something in an undertone to the footman, and then took his place opposite me. The door was immediately closed, and we drove out of the yard.
I cannot tell you how the first glimpse of the streets affected me. In bygone days I had often said that I would rather live anywhere than in the Metropolis Now, however, after all I had been through in the last
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN 3*9
few months, I was firmly convinced that there was no other place like London in the world. In Naples, Cairo, Prague, Berlin, and Hamburg, I had been a stranger in strange lands ; now I was in my own birth-place once more, and I derived an indescribable sense of security from the crowded streets, and even from the stalwart policemen on duty at the crossings. Under the influence of this feeling, it seemed to me as if I could have listened to the roar and rattle of the traffic, and have watched the hurrying figures on the pavements, the crowd of 'buses and other vehicles drawn up opposite the Mansion House, for hours without growing weary. And when we left the City and reached the West End, Pharos's reference to my marriage, the knowledge of my darling's love, and the feeling that I was back once more in my own land, all combined to make me one of the happiest men alive. The past, if not forgotten, was, at least, consigned to oblivion for the time being.
Leaving the Embankment, the carriage proceeded along Victoria Street, and so by way 6f Grosvenor Place to Park Lane, where it drew up before a house at which, in the days when it had been the residence of the famous Lord Tollingtower, I had been a constant visitor.
" I presume, since we have stopped here, that this must be the place," said Pharos, gazing up at it.
"Do you mean that this is the house you have taken ? " I asked in astonishment, for it was one of the finest residences in London.
" I mean that this is the house that my agents have taken for me," Pharos replied. " Personally I know nothing whatsoever about it."
320 PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN
" But surely you do not take a place without making some inquiries about it ? " I continued.
"Why not?" he inquired. " I have servants whom I can trust, and they know that it is more than their lives are worth to deceive me. Strangely enough, however, it is recalled to my mind that this house and I do happen to be acquainted. The late owner was a personal friend. As a matter of fact, I stayed with him throughout his last illness and was with him when he died."
You may be sure I pricked up my ears on hearing this, for, as every one knew, the late Lord Tollingtower had reached the end of his extraordinary career under circumstances that had created rather a sensation at the time. Something, however, warned me to ask no questions.
" Let us alight," said Pharos, and when the footman had opened the door we accordingly did so.
On entering the house, I was surprised to find that considerable architectural changes had been made in it. Nor was my wonderment destined to cease there, for when I was shown to the bedroom which had been pre- pared for me, there, awaiting me at the foot of the bed, was the luggage I had left at the hotel in Prague, and which I had made up my mind I had lost sight of for ever. Here, at least, was evidence to prove that Pharos had never intended that I should leave him.