"Was there anything strange about the place--any queer smell, for
instance?" "Queer smell--yes! Like bilge or a rank swamp. It was distinctly
nauseating; when I came out I felt as if I had just been going to be
sick. I shall try back on my visit and see if I can recall any more of
what I saw or felt." "Then perhaps, sir, later in the day you will tell me anything you may
chance to recollect." "I shall be delighted, Adam. If your uncle has not returned by then,
I'll join you in the study after dinner, and we can resume this
interesting chat." CHAPTER XVII--THE MYSTERY OF "THE GROVE"


That afternoon Adam decided to do a little exploring. As he passed
through the wood outside the gate of Diana's Grove, he thought he saw the
African's face for an instant. So he went deeper into the undergrowth,
and followed along parallel to the avenue to the house. He was glad that
there was no workman or servant about, for he did not care that any of
Lady Arabella's people should find him wandering about her grounds. Taking advantage of the denseness of the trees, he came close to the
house and skirted round it. He was repaid for his trouble, for on the
far side of the house, close to where the rocky frontage of the cliff
fell away, he saw Oolanga crouched behind the irregular trunk of a great
oak. The man was so intent on watching someone, or something, that he
did not guard against being himself watched. This suited Adam, for he
could thus make scrutiny at will. The thick wood, though the trees were mostly of small girth, threw a
heavy shadow, so that the steep declension, in front of which grew the
tree behind which the African lurked, was almost in darkness. Adam drew
as close as he could, and was amazed to see a patch of light on the
ground before him; when he realised what it was, he was determined, more
than ever to follow on his quest. The nigger had a dark lantern in his
hand, and was throwing the light down the steep incline. The glare
showed a series of stone steps, which ended in a low-lying heavy iron
door fixed against the side of the house. All the strange things he had
heard from Sir Nathaniel, and all those, little and big, which he had
himself noticed, crowded into his mind in a chaotic way. Instinctively
he took refuge behind a thick oak stem, and set himself down, to watch
what might occur. After a short time it became apparent that the African was trying to find
out what was behind the heavy door. There was no way of looking in, for
the door fitted tight into the massive stone slabs. The only opportunity
for the entrance of light was through a small hole between the great
stones above the door. This hole was too high up to look through from
the ground level. Oolanga, having tried standing tiptoe on the highest
point near, and holding the lantern as high as he could, threw the light
round the edges of the door to see if he could find anywhere a hole or a
flaw in the metal through which he could obtain a glimpse. Foiled in
this, he brought from the shrubbery a plank, which he leant against the
top of the door and then climbed up with great dexterity. This did not
bring him near enough to the window-hole to look in, or even to throw the
light of the lantern through it, so he climbed down and carried the plank
back to the place from which he had got it. Then he concealed himself
near the iron door and waited, manifestly with the intent of remaining
there till someone came near. Presently Lady Arabella, moving
noiselessly through the shade, approached the door. When he saw her
close enough to touch it, Oolanga stepped forward from his concealment,
and spoke in a whisper, which through the gloom sounded like a hiss. "I want to see you, missy--soon and secret." "What do you want?" "You know well, missy; I told you already." She turned on him with blazing eyes, the green tint in them glowing like
emeralds. "Come, none of that. If there is anything sensible which you wish to say
to me, you can see me here, just where we are, at seven o'clock." He made no reply in words, but, putting the backs of his hands together,
bent lower and lower till his forehead touched the earth. Then he rose
and went slowly away. Adam Salton, from his hiding-place, saw and wondered. In a few minutes
he moved from his place and went home to Lesser Hill, fully determined
that seven o'clock would find him in some hidden place behind Diana's
Grove. At a little before seven Adam stole softly out of the house and took the
back-way to the rear of Diana's Grove. The place seemed silent and
deserted, so he took the opportunity of concealing himself near the spot
whence he had seen Oolanga trying to investigate whatever was concealed
behind the iron door. He waited, perfectly still, and at last saw a
gleam of white passing soundlessly through the undergrowth. He was not
surprised when he recognised the colour of Lady Arabella's dress. She
came close and waited, with her face to the iron door. From some place
of concealment near at hand Oolanga appeared, and came close to her. Adam
noticed, with surprised amusement, that over his shoulder was the box
with the mongoose. Of course the African did not know that he was seen
by anyone, least of all by the man whose property he had with him. Silent-footed as he was, Lady Arabella heard him coming, and turned to
meet him. It was somewhat hard to see in the gloom, for, as usual, he
was all in black, only his collar and cuffs showing white. Lady Arabella
opened the conversation which ensued between the two. "What do you want? To rob me, or murder me?" "No, to lub you!" This frightened her a little, and she tried to change the tone. "Is that a coffin you have with you? If so, you are wasting your time. It would not hold me." When a nigger suspects he is being laughed at, all the ferocity of his
nature comes to the front; and this man was of the lowest kind. "Dis ain't no coffin for nobody. Dis box is for you. Somefin you lub. Me give him to you!" Still anxious to keep off the subject of affection, on which she believed
him to have become crazed, she made another effort to keep his mind
elsewhere. "Is this why you want to see me?" He nodded. "Then come round to the
other door. But be quiet. I have no desire to be seen so close to my
own house in conversation with a--a--a nigger like you!" She had chosen the word deliberately. She wished to meet his passion
with another kind. Such would, at all events, help to keep him quiet. In
the deep gloom she could not see the anger which suffused his face. Rolling eyeballs and grinding teeth are, however, sufficient signs of
anger to be decipherable in the dark. She moved round the corner of the
house to her right. Oolanga was following her, when she stopped him by
raising her hand. "No, not that door," she said; "that is not for niggers. The other door
will do well enough for you!"