"Certainly," said Laurier. "I should recommend Mr. Thesiger to retire at once; he looks quite worn out."
"I shall go presently — presently," said Thesiger, in a somewhat curt voice. "Leave us, Helen; there's a good child; go, my dear."
"Go, Helen; don't irritate him," I heard Bagwell say.
She gave a quick, despairing glance from one man to the other; then, turning, left the room.
"And now, Mr. Thesiger," I said, "will you not grant me the favour of a séance?"
Mr. Thesiger remained gravely silent for a moment; then he said:
"By virtue of your power as a medium, you may be able to hear the voice, and so convince Dr. Laurier of its reality."
He then proceeded to go through some elaborate operations, and finally kneeling at the altar, began to speak Hindustanee.
It was about the strangest scene I had ever witnessed; and though I stood almost at his elbow, I could hear no sound whatever but his own voice.
"Siva will not speak to-night," he said, rising; "there must be some one here whose influence is adverse. I cannot hear him. It is strange!"
He looked puzzled, and more relieved than otherwise.
"You will go to bed now, sir," said Bagwell; "you look very tired."
"I am," he replied. "I will leave my friends with you, Jasper. You will see that they have all they want." He bade Laurier and me a courteous good-night, nodded to his nephew, and left the room.
"This is the most extraordinary phase of mental delusion I ever heard of," I said. "If you will permit me, Mr. Bagwell, I will examine this idol more particularly."
"You can do so if you please," he said, but he did not speak in a cordial tone.
"Examine it to your heart's content," he continued a moment later; "only pray don't disarrange it — he seems to know by instinct if it is touched. Bah! it is sickening. Shall we go into another room, gentlemen?"
Watching his face carefully, I resolved to make my examination in private, and now followed him into the smoking-room. We stayed there for a short time, talking in a desultory manner, and soon afterwards retired for the night.
On my dressing-table a note awaited me. I opened it hastily, and saw to my surprise that it was from Miss Thesiger.
"I could not get the opportunity I needed to-night," she wrote, "but will you meet me in the Laurel Walk to-morrow morning at five o'clock?"
I tore up the letter after reading it, and soon afterwards got into bed. I must confess that I slept badly that night; I felt worried and anxious. There was not the least doubt that Thesiger was mad; it was all too apparent that his madness was daily and hourly assuming a more and more dangerous form. The affectionate girl who clung to him ought undoubtedly to be removed from his neighbourhood.
At the hour named by Miss Thesiger, I rose, dressed, and stole downstairs through the silent house. I found her as she had indicated in the Laurel Walk.
"How good of you to come!" she said. "But we must not talk here; it would not be safe."
"What do you mean?" I answered. "No one can possibly watch us at this hour."
"Jasper may be about," she said; "as far as I can tell he seems never to sleep. I believe he paces outside my room the greater part of the night."
"You can scarcely blame him for that," I said; "he does it in order to ensure your safety."
She gave me an impatient glance.
"I see he has been talking to you," she replied; "but now it is necessary for you to hear my side of the story. Come into this summer-house; he will never guess that we are here."
Turning abruptly, she led the way into a small, tastefully arranged summer-house. Shutting the door behind her, she turned at once and faced me.
"Now," she said in an eager voice, "I will tell you everything. There is an unexplained mystery about all this, and I am convinced that Jasper is at the bottom of it."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I have nothing whatever but a woman's intuition to guide me, but, all the same, I am convinced of what I am saying. Before Jasper came home Uncle Edward was a Brahmin beyond doubt. His séances were intensely disagreeable to me, and I took care never to witness them nor to speak to him on the terrible subject of Siva; but, beyond the fact that he was a Brahmin deeply imbued with the mysteries of his so-called religion, he was a perfectly sane, happy, intelligent, and affectionate man. He loved me devotedly, as I am the child of his favourite brother, and told me just before Jasper's arrival that he had made me his heiress, leaving me all that he possessed in the world. He had never liked Jasper, and was annoyed when he came here and made this house his headquarters. I had not met my cousin since I was a little child, and when he arrived on the scene took a great dislike to him. He began at once to pay me hateful attentions, and to question me eagerly with regard to Uncle Edward and his ways. By a curious coincidence, he had known this house before he went to India, having stayed here as a boy. He showed particular interest in the oval gallery, and encouraged Uncle Edward to talk of Siva, although he saw that the subject excited him considerably.
"Jasper had been about a fortnight in the house when my poor uncle made, as he considered, the astounding discovery that Siva could speak to him. I shall never forget the first day when he told me of this, the sparkle in his eyes, the tremble of his hands, the nervous energy which seemed to animate him. From that hour day by day came the gradual diminution of strength both of mind and body, the loss of appetite, the feverish touch. All these things puzzled and distressed me, but I could not bear to confide my fears to Jasper.
"These things went on for over a month, and Uncle Edward certainly deteriorated in every way. He spent the greater part of both day and night in the gallery, begging of me to come with him, imploring me to listen for the voice. During that month he spent a large fortune in precious stones for Siva, showing them to me first before he decorated the hideous thing with them. I felt wild with misery, and all the time Jasper was here watching and watching. At the end of the first month there came a distinct change. Uncle Edward, who had been devoted to me up to then, began to show a new attitude. He now began to dislike to have me in his presence, often asking me as a special favour to leave the room. One day he said to me:
"'Do you keep your door locked at night?'
"I laughed when he spoke.
"'Certainly not,' I answered.
"'I wish you would do so,' he said very earnestly; 'will you, as a personal favour to me?'
"Jasper was in the room when he spoke. I saw a queer light flashing through his eyes, and then he bent over his book as if he had not heard.
"'As a special favour to me, keep your door locked, Helen,' said Uncle Edward.
"I made him a soothing answer, and pretended to assent. Of course I never locked my door. Then Jasper began to talk to me. He said that Uncle Edward was not only mad, but that his mania was assuming a terrible form, and against me. He said that my life was in danger — he thought to frighten me — little he knew!"
Here the brave girl drew herself up, indignation sweeping over her face and filling her eyes.
"I told him I did not believe a word of what he said; I declared that Uncle Edward could not hate me — is he not the one I love best in the world? Jasper grew very angry.
"'Look here, Helen,' he said, 'I know enough to lock him up.'
"'To lock him up in a lunatic asylum?' I cried.
"'Yes,' he answered. 'I have only to get two doctors to certify to the fact of his insanity, and the deed is done. I have made up my mind to do it.'