Thus far everything had gone so well with him and so exactly as his uncle had predicted it would, that he began to gather courage, and even caught himself smiling at his own exaggerated fears. Well, it was his first attempt in that particular line of business, so that every excuse ought to be made for him, and in all sincerity he hoped it would be his last.
By this he had placed the lantern on his grandfather’s desk and had begun to manipulate the picklocks. As the Captain had inferred, the lock was only an ordinary one, and after labouring for about three minutes Luigi succeeded in picking it. His heart gave a great bound as he heard the click of the bolt.
Two seconds later the key of the strong room was in his hand. Taking the lantern in his other hand, he crossed the floor, lifted the metal flap that covered the keyhole, inserted the key, turned it and pulled open the massive iron door. Drawing a deeper breath than common he stepped across the threshold, lifted the lantern above his head and stared around.
The strong room at the Chase had at one time formed part of the room now used by Sir Gilbert as his study. It was his father who had caused the dividing wall to be built, and had turned the smaller chamber into a depository for family papers, leases, deeds, securities and what not. One side of the room was occupied by a row of shelves having a series of cupboards and drawers below them, while two large japanned boxes took up a considerable portion of the floor space; but, even then, there was room enough and to spare to stow away all the archives of the Clare family for generations to come. The room was lighted by a small, barred, oval window high up in the wall.
The drawer in which Luigi had put away the American bonds, on the occasion when his grandfather had claimed his assistance owing to the temporary absence of Everard Lisle, was labelled B, and after his preliminary glance round, he at once made straight for it. Placing his lantern on the nearest shelf, he pulled open the drawer, which was without lock or fastening of any kind.
Yes, there lay the identical bundle of papers which he had placed there several weeks before, and which, in all probability, had never since been touched. The bonds, which were tied together with green tape, must have numbered a score at the least, but it had been decided by Verinder that it would be unadvisable to abstract more than four of them, so that, even should Sir Gilbert have occasion to handle the bundle, he would scarcely discover the loss, unless he should happen to count those that were left. The proceeds of the sale of the four bonds would not only suffice to clear off the note of hand held by the executors of Mr. Henriques, but would, in addition, provide uncle and nephew with a welcome supply of ready money.
Luigi, with the bundle of bonds between his fingers, was stooping over the lantern and examining the knot in the green tape which held them together, when he suddenly became aware that he was no longer alone. He had not heard a sound, and yet, with an indescribable creeping of the flesh and, as it seemed, a stoppage of all the pulses of his being, he felt, he knew, although he could not have told through what channel the knowledge had been conveyed to him, that he was being watched by someone or something from behind. With a gasp that constricted his heart like a vice, he slowly turned his head, to see standing on the threshold, clearly outlined in the semi-darkness, and seeming from the depths of its cowl to be gazing fixedly at him—the figure of the Grey Monk!
A cry of terror broke from his lips, the bundle of bonds dropped from his nerveless fingers, his knees gave way under him, and sinking to the ground, he covered his face with his hands, and so shut out that dread appearance. An instant later he heard the heavy door swing sullenly to, and its bolt shoot into the socket. He was a prisoner in the strong room.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE DEFEAT OF ROGUERY
In the course of the preceding month the apparition of the Grey Monk had been seen on three different occasions after its first appearance to Bessie Ogden, each time by one or another of the domestics at the Chase. Bessie had been scouted and scolded both by Trant and Mrs. Burton, the housekeeper, till at length she was almost ready to believe that she must have been the victim of an optical delusion; and yet, strange to say, it was to no less a person than Trant himself that the Grey Monk next appeared. It was late at night—close upon midnight, in fact—when Trant, who had been some time in bed, but was not yet asleep, suddenly called to mind that he had inadvertently left his bunch of keys downstairs in the servants’ hall. On no account was it advisable that he should leave it there till morning; the other servants rose before he did, and there was no telling, with his keys at their command, in what way they might choose to take advantage of his oversight. It would never do to leave such a temptation in their way. Accordingly, he scrambled into a few clothes, thrust his feet into a pair of slippers, and started to go downstairs.