II
At last, however, as his eyes grew used to the darkness, he managed to make out what appeared to be some kind of structure nearby, and toward it he stumbled. It was a small shed, in the shelter of which he stopped.
“Good heavens!” he muttered to himself. “What kind of a town can this be?”
His cousin had unfortunately not known when he was to arrive, and the mines, as he knew, were a number of miles away, so he had nothing to hope for from that quarter.
“Perhaps there is only this shed and the road!” he groaned to himself. “Not even a hotel!”
There was no sign of one, at any rate, and the storm did not encourage efforts at exploration. “Perhaps if I give a few yells it will bring somebody,” thought Roberts.
He reflected that it was as likely to bring a wildcat as anything else, but he determined to risk the effort. He had scarcely opened his mouth, however, before his shout was answered; and at the same moment his ear was caught by the sound of a vehicle behind him.
He waited anxiously. He heard the carriage come to a stop and then a couple of men walking about. They came toward the shed, and he found himself confronted by two dark forms, heavily wrapped as a protection against the storm.
“Bien venu, monsieur,” remarked one of the strangers. He extended his hand, and Roberts, supposing that that might be the custom of the country, put out his own and exchanged greetings.
“Monsieur est arrivé?” continued the other. “Un très longue voyage!”
Roberts’s reply to that was only a melancholy shake of his head. “What in the world did I study German for?” he groaned to himself.
“Vous ne comprenez pas?” continued the mysterious Frenchman.
A vigorous shake of the head was the American’s only reply. “Don’t you speak English?”
The only result was likewise a negative shaking of the head, and the American gave a groan.
“I want a hotel!” he exclaimed. “Can you tell me where to go? What in the world am I going to do?”
There was a minute or two more of rather embarrassing silence. Then the spokesman of the two strangers gave a hearty laugh.
“Allons!” he said. “Cela ne fait rien.”
And, to Roberts’s surprise, he stooped down and picked up one of his traveling-bags.
“Allons!” he cried again. “Allons!”
The man took the traveler by the arm and escorted him to the carriage, which had remained standing in the darkness. In a few seconds more the American and his baggage were inside and being rapidly driven off down the muddy road.
“Well, this is an adventure!” thought Roberts to himself. “Either I have come across some charitable stranger or else the hotel here runs a stage—I don’t know which to think!”
During the ride the two men made no further attempt to communicate with him. Roberts heard them speak to each other once or twice in a low voice, but for the most of the time the drive was made in silence.
“At any rate,” he thought, with a chuckle, “it can’t do me any harm, and I shall get out of the rain.”
Before the trip was over, however, Roberts found himself beginning to feel somewhat uncomfortable because of the length of it. “Good heavens!” he muttered, “it can’t be a hotel this distance away, and for all I know, I may be going in exactly the opposite direction from the mines!”
He had already been sitting in the bumping vehicle for an hour when he made that reflection; however, he was given fully another hour to ruminate over it before the drive came to an end. Several times he made an attempt to inquire from the strangers where or how much farther he was going, but his efforts met with no success, and a “Soyez tranquille,” was all he could get, accompanied by a gentle motion of pushing him back into the seat.
He had about made up his mind to trouble himself no further when the carriage suddenly made a sharp turn and came to a stop; one of the men opened the door and stepped out.
There was a few seconds’ wait, during which several voices were heard calling outside; and then suddenly Roberts, who was gazing out of the window with not a little anxiety, caught sight of a light, apparently in the window of a house. Only a short distance from the carriage a flood of light suddenly streamed before his eyes, coming from an open doorway.
He saw several figures moving about, and at the same time the other man in the carriage sprang quickly out.
“Nous sommes arrivés!” he exclaimed. “Voici!”
And Roberts lost no time in taking his other satchel and springing out of the carriage. As he did so he found himself covered by an umbrella held by a shadowy form near him, and under the protection of this he hurried up the path and the steps to the house.
By this time more lights had appeared in the windows, and by the single glance which he had Roberts saw that he was in front of a very large building, consisting of at least two stories, and with extremely broad and, at present, brilliantly lighted windows. It was only a few seconds later before he found himself in the entrance, which he discovered to be apparently that of an elegant mansion.
“Good gracious!” he thought, “I wasn’t prepared for a house like this!”
But there were still greater surprises in store for him. He found that on either side of the doorway two domestics were standing, bowing obsequiously at his entrance. The person who had obligingly covered him with the umbrella proved to be an attendant, similarly attired, and as Roberts entered the house one stepped forward for his satchel, and the other took his rain-soaked hat as he removed it; a second later the astonished man found himself being graciously relieved of his dripping overcoat by yet another obliging personage.
In the meantime he was gazing about him; what he saw fairly took his breath away. He was no more prepared for such things than if he had been traveling in the wilds of Africa. He found himself in the midst of a broad, well-lighted hallway, on either side of which opened splendid parlors containing every conceivable kind of luxurious appointment—splendid furniture and tapestry, mirrors and pictures. In the hall he saw a broad, open fireplace, in which a great log was blazing, casting a glow in every direction.
While Roberts was staring at it, and feeling his heart expand with satisfaction, one of his traveling companions carrying the other satchel, had come hurrying into the room. He took off his hat and flung back his heavy coat, disclosing to the American’s view a rather stout and short elderly personage, with a gray beard and an extremely pleasant countenance.
“He looks promising, at any rate,” thought Roberts, “even if I can’t understand what he says!”
The man, after handing his coat to one of the domestics, bowed graciously to Roberts with another “Bien venu, monsieur!” Then he signaled the American to make himself comfortable before the fire, and Roberts lost no time in following his host’s suggestion, as he had been wet and cold for many hours.
“If this is an inn,” the stranger thought in the meantime—“gee whiz! but what will the bill be!”
All his belongings had by this time been carried away by the servants and he was left alone with his obliging host. The latter, after rubbing his hands a few times before the fire and surveying his guest with considerable interest, suddenly demanded:
“Avez-vous faim, monsieur?”
The American, of course, did not understand that, but he comprehended the signal a second later, and nodded his head vigorously. The other called for one of the servants and gave him a command.
The latter signed to Roberts to precede him up the broad staircase which opened into the hallway, and he soon found himself in front of an open door which led into a beautifully furnished bedroom. He entered, and the man followed, closing the door behind him.
Roberts gazed about him with something of a gasp of consternation. Here also was a grate fire, before which his hat and coat had been hung. The rest of his baggage had been brought into the room, and lying upon the bed he found a complete change of clothing, lacking nothing, from necktie down to evening slippers.
Almost before he had half succeeded in comprehending the state of affairs the servant, after several profuse bows, had set to work calmly removing his clothing.
Roberts was not used to a valet, but he concluded to keep the secret as well as possible and meekly allowed himself to be dressed. Half an hour later he was completely equipped, and the servant darted briskly to the door and opened it with an overwhelming bow.
“If this is a hotel, it beats anything New York can show,” was the traveler’s decision by this time. “And if it is not a hotel, it can only be a fairy-story!”
However, without troubling his head any further, he followed the servant down the stairs, at the end of which he found his genial host awaiting his arrival. The latter immediately took his arm and escorted him through one of the parlors, at the other end of which a door was flung open by the servant.
A little dining-room was disclosed to his view—a dining-room so perfect in all its furnishings that it cost him an effort to restrain an exclamation. The table was a small one, but was perfectly appointed, with cut-glass and silver, and there were several small lamps upon it.
There were seats for only two, and after the Frenchman had seated his guest he himself took the other chair. Then a dinner was served which was the first respectable meal the American had eaten since he left home.
He had by this time determined to enjoy himself and let his cousin pay the bill, if necessary; so he made no attempt to restrain his appetite. His host evidently expected him to be hungry after his journey, for he plied him with every conceivable variety of eatables.
“Where in the world can they get them all from?” Roberts thought. “I have been expecting to live on beans and bacon up at the mines!”
To be sure it was rather an embarrassing meal, from one point of view, for the utmost in the way of conversation which could be managed was an occasional exchange of smiles between the two persons. “But if we could talk there might be an end to this state of affairs!” thought Roberts. “And I have no mind to be turned out until daylight, anyway.”
By this time his cogitations over the strange condition of things had resulted in the conclusion that it could not possibly be an inn to which he had come. “It must be some kind of a private house,” he thought. “But what in the world is it doing away off up here in this lonely, God-forsaken country, and what the people want to do with me is more than I can imagine. I can’t help thinking it is a mistake of some kind; and I wonder who can live here—surely, not this queer little fellow, all by himself!”
Roberts had seen no one else except the servants, but this did not seem strange when he came to think of it, for on the mantelpiece was a clock which informed him that it was then nearly two in the morning.
“Perhaps I will find out more when day comes,” he thought. “I am safe for tonight, anyhow, I think.”
And so it proved, for when at last the meal was over, the Frenchman rose and politely bowed his new acquaintance to the door. There he summoned one of the servants, again bowed to Roberts with a “Bonne nuit, monsieur!” and, after shaking hands, Roberts turned to follow the servant up the stairway.
The two made their way into the bedroom which the American had visited before, and where he found that his baggage had been all unpacked and neatly stowed away in a bureau in the room. The servant bowed his departure at the door, which was closed behind him, and then the astounded stranger sat down on the bed and, as the ludicrousness of the situation and the whole proceedings flashed over him, he flung himself back and gave vent to a silent fit of laughter.
“This will certainly be a story to tell if I ever get home again!” he thought.
But he was too sleepy by this time to trouble himself any further, and he rose and prepared to make the most of the opportunity afforded him for slumber. “I guess I will just take off my coat,” he thought, “for I don’t know when the mistake may be discovered.”
As he performed that operation his hand happened to strike upon his back-pocket, where he had safely stowed away a small revolver. “If there should turn out to be anything wrong!” he thought, with a laugh.
All during that evening the man had been racking his brains trying to think of some possible explanation of his strange reception. During the drive he had been somewhat alarmed, but his welcome had served to remove any suspicion of possible danger. But just then, as he gazed about the room, he suddenly observed something which gave a most unexpected turn to his thoughts.
The room to which he had been ushered was a large bedroom, perfectly furnished in every way, and having two broad windows; it was the latter which suddenly caught Roberts’s eye, and as they did so he experienced a start of emotion that was very different from his former state.
He had noticed the startling fact that both of the two windows were protected by heavy iron bars!
For a minute or two Roberts stood gazing at them, scarcely able to realize the full significance of the discovery. He darted a swift glance about the room to make sure that he was alone, and then he sprang quickly forward to test them. He found that they were firmly set in the heavy masonry of the window-sill, and that they were scarcely wide enough apart to permit his arms to pass through.
Then the very decidedly sobered American sank back in a chair and again gazed about him.
“I can scarcely think it means any danger,” he muttered to himself, “for I am unable to think what kind of danger it could be—but yet, it is most extraordinary!”
Suddenly another idea came to his mind and brought him to his feet with a jump. He sprang toward the door, and as he approached it half instinctively he began stepping more quietly until as he neared it he was advancing on tiptoe.
“One of those fellows in livery may be outside,” he thought.
Then he took hold of the knob and very softly and silently turned it. When it was turned all the way he gave a slight push at the door, which opened outward.
And as he did so he felt the blood rush to his forehead and his breath almost stopped. He flung his weight against the door violently, but it did not move. Almost overcome with his discovery, he staggered back against the wall.
“By Jove!” he panted, “I am locked in!”