Lair of the White Worm

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!"