Sir Nathaniel recognised this, and,
like an old diplomatist, turned it to present use. "Tell me now, Adam, what is the outcome, in your own mind, of our
conversation?" "That the whole difficulty already assumes practical shape; but with
added dangers, that at first I did not imagine." "What is the practical shape, and what are the added dangers? I am not
disputing, but only trying to clear my own ideas by the consideration of
yours--"

So Adam went on:

"In the past, in the early days of the world, there were monsters who
were so vast that they could exist for thousands of years. Some of them
must have overlapped the Christian era. They may have progressed
intellectually in process of time. If they had in any way so progressed,
or even got the most rudimentary form of brain, they would be the most
dangerous things that ever were in the world. Tradition says that one of
these monsters lived in the Marsh of the East, and came up to a cave in
Diana's Grove, which was also called the Lair of the White Worm. Such
creatures may have grown down as well as up. They _may_ have grown into,
or something like, human beings. Lady Arabella March is of snake nature. She has committed crimes to our knowledge. She retains something of the
vast strength of her primal being--can see in the dark--has the eyes of a
snake. She used the nigger, and then dragged him through the snake's
hole down to the swamp; she is intent on evil, and hates some one we
love. Result . . . " "Yes, the result?" "First, that Mimi Watford should be taken away at once--then--"

"Yes?" "The monster must be destroyed." "Bravo! That is a true and fearless conclusion. At whatever cost, it
must be carried out." "At once?" "Soon, at all events. That creature's very existence is a danger. Her
presence in this neighbourhood makes the danger immediate." As he spoke, Sir Nathaniel's mouth hardened and his eyebrows came down
till they met. There was no doubting his concurrence in the resolution,
or his readiness to help in carrying it out. But he was an elderly man
with much experience and knowledge of law and diplomacy. It seemed to
him to be a stern duty to prevent anything irrevocable taking place till
it had been thought out and all was ready. There were all sorts of legal
cruxes to be thought out, not only regarding the taking of life, even of
a monstrosity in human form, but also of property. Lady Arabella, be she
woman or snake or devil, owned the ground she moved in, according to
British law, and the law is jealous and swift to avenge wrongs done
within its ken. All such difficulties should be--must be--avoided for
Mr. Salton's sake, for Adam's own sake, and, most of all, for Mimi
Watford's sake. Before he spoke again, Sir Nathaniel had made up his mind that he must
try to postpone decisive action until the circumstances on which they
depended--which, after all, were only problematical--should have been
tested satisfactorily, one way or another. When he did speak, Adam at
first thought that his friend was wavering in his intention, or "funking"
the responsibility. However, his respect for Sir Nathaniel was so great
that he would not act, or even come to a conclusion on a vital point,
without his sanction. He came close and whispered in his ear:

"We will prepare our plans to combat and destroy this horrible menace,
after we have cleared up some of the more baffling points. Meanwhile, we
must wait for the night--I hear my uncle's footsteps echoing down the
hall." Sir Nathaniel nodded his approval. CHAPTER XXI--GREEN LIGHT


When old Mr. Salton had retired for the night, Adam and Sir Nathaniel
returned to the study. Things went with great regularity at Lesser Hill,
so they knew that there would be no interruption to their talk. When their cigars were lighted, Sir Nathaniel began. "I hope, Adam, that you do not think me either slack or changeable of
purpose. I mean to go through this business to the bitter end--whatever
it may be. Be satisfied that my first care is, and shall be, the
protection of Mimi Watford. To that I am pledged; my dear boy, we who
are interested are all in the same danger. That semi-human monster out
of the pit hates and means to destroy us all--you and me certainly, and
probably your uncle. I wanted especially to talk with you to-night, for
I cannot help thinking that the time is fast coming--if it has not come
already--when we must take your uncle into our confidence. It was one
thing when fancied evils threatened, but now he is probably marked for
death, and it is only right that he should know all." "I am with you, sir. Things have changed since we agreed to keep him out
of the trouble. Now we dare not; consideration for his feelings might
cost his life. It is a duty--and no light or pleasant one, either. I
have not a shadow of doubt that he will want to be one with us in this. But remember, we are his guests; his name, his honour, have to be thought
of as well as his safety." "All shall be as you wish, Adam. And now as to what we are to do? We
cannot murder Lady Arabella off-hand. Therefore we shall have to put
things in order for the killing, and in such a way that we cannot be
taxed with a crime." "It seems to me, sir, that we are in an exceedingly tight place. Our
first difficulty is to know where to begin. I never thought this
fighting an antediluvian monster would be such a complicated job. This
one is a woman, with all a woman's wit, combined with the heartlessness
of a _cocotte_. She has the strength and impregnability of a diplodocus. We may be sure that in the fight that is before us there will be no
semblance of fair-play. Also that our unscrupulous opponent will not
betray herself!" "That is so--but being feminine, she will probably over-reach herself. Now, Adam, it strikes me that, as we have to protect ourselves and others
against feminine nature, our strong game will be to play our masculine
against her feminine. Perhaps we had better sleep on it. She is a thing
of the night; and the night may give us some ideas." So they both turned in. Adam knocked at Sir Nathaniel's door in the grey of the morning, and, on
being bidden, came into the room. He had several letters in his hand. Sir Nathaniel sat up in bed. "Well!" "I should like to read you a few letters, but, of course, I shall not
send them unless you approve. In fact"--with a smile and a blush--"there
are several things which I want to do; but I hold my hand and my tongue
till I have your approval." "Go on!" said the other kindly. "Tell me all, and count at any rate on
my sympathy, and on my approval and help if I can see my way." Accordingly Adam proceeded:

"When I told you the conclusions at which I had arrived, I put in the
foreground that Mimi Watford should, for the sake of her own safety, be
removed--and that the monster which had wrought all the harm should be
destroyed." "Yes, that is so." "To carry this into practice, sir, one preliminary is required--unless
harm of another kind is to be faced.