Chapter IX: Smelling Death

by Bram Stoker

　　Adam Salton, though he talked little, did not let the grass growunder his feet in any matter which he had undertaken, or in which hewas interested. He had agreed with Sir Nathaniel that they shouldnot do anything with regard to the mystery of Lady Arabella's fearof the mongoose, but he steadily pursued his course in beingprepared to act whenever the opportunity might come. He was in hisown mind perpetually casting about for information or clues whichmight lead to possible lines of action. Baffled by the killing ofthe mongoose, he looked around for another line to follow. He wasfascinated by the idea of there being a mysterious link between thewoman and the animal, but he was already preparing a second stringto his bow. His new idea was to use the faculties of Oolanga, sofar as he could, in the service of discovery. His first move was tosend Davenport to Liverpool to try to find the steward of the WestAfrican, who had told him about Oolanga, and if possible secure anyfurther information, and then try to induce (by bribery or othermeans) the nigger to come to the Brow. So soon as he himself couldhave speech of the Voodoo-man he would be able to learn from himsomething useful. Davenport was successful in his missions, for hehad to get another mongoose, and he was able to tell Adam that hehad seen the steward, who told him much that he wanted to know, andhad also arranged for Oolanga to come to Lesser Hill the followingday. At this point Adam saw his way sufficiently clear to admitDavenport to some extent into his confidence. He had come to theconclusion that it would be better--certainly at first--not himselfto appear in the matter, with which Davenport was fully competent todeal. It would be time for himself to take a personal part whenmatters had advanced a little further.If what the nigger said was in any wise true, the man had a raregift which might be useful in the quest they were after. He could,as it were, "smell death." If any one was dead, if any one haddied, or if a place had been used in connection with death, heseemed to know the broad fact by intuition. Adam made up his mindthat to test this faculty with regard to several places would be hisfirst task. Naturally he was anxious, and the time passed slowly.The only comfort was the arrival the next morning of a strongpacking case, locked, from Ross, the key being in the custody ofDavenport. In the case were two smaller boxes, both locked. One ofthem contained a mongoose to replace that killed by Lady Arabella;the other was the special mongoose which had already killed theking-cobra in Nepaul. When both the animals had been safely putunder lock and key, he felt that he might breathe more freely. Noone was allowed to know the secret of their existence in the house,except himself and Davenport. He arranged that Davenport shouldtake Oolanga round the neighbourhood for a walk, stopping at each ofthe places which he designated. Having gone all along the Brow, hewas to return the same way and induce him to touch on the samesubjects in talking with Adam, who was to meet them as if by chanceat the farthest part--that beyond Mercy Farm.The incidents of the day proved much as Adam expected. At MercyFarm, at Diana's Grove, at Castra Regis, and a few other spots, thenegro stopped and, opening his wide nostrils as if to sniff boldly,said that he smelled death. It was not always in the same form. AtMercy Farm he said there were many small deaths. At Diana's Grovehis bearing was different. There was a distinct sense of enjoymentabout him, especially when he spoke of many great deaths. Here,too, he sniffed in a strange way, like a bloodhound at check, andlooked puzzled. He said no word in either praise or disparagement,but in the centre of the Grove, where, hidden amongst ancient oakstumps, was a block of granite slightly hollowed on the top, he bentlow and placed his forehead on the ground. This was the only placewhere he showed distinct reverence. At the Castle, though he spokeof much death, he showed no sign of respect.There was evidently something about Diana's Grove which bothinterested and baffled him. Before leaving, he moved all over theplace unsatisfied, and in one spot, close to the edge of the Brow,where there was a deep hollow, he appeared to be afraid. Afterreturning several times to this place, he suddenly turned and ran ina panic of fear to the higher ground, crossing as he did so theoutcropping rock. Then he seemed to breathe more freely, andrecovered some of his jaunty impudence.All this seemed to satisfy Adam's expectations. He went back toLesser Hill with a serene and settled calm upon him. Sir Nathanielfollowed him into his study."By the way, I forgot to ask you details about one thing. When thatextraordinary staring episode of Mr. Caswall went on, how did Lillatake it--how did she bear herself?""She looked frightened, and trembled just as I have seen a pigeonwith a hawk, or a bird with a serpent.""Thanks. It is just as I expected. There have been circumstancesin the Caswall family which lead one to believe that they have hadfrom the earliest times some extraordinary mesmeric or hypnoticfaculty. Indeed, a skilled eye could read so much in theirphysiognomy. That shot of yours, whether by instinct or intention,of the hawk and the pigeon was peculiarly apposite. I think we maysettle on that as a fixed trait to be accepted throughout ourinvestigation."When dusk had fallen, Adam took the new mongoose--not the one fromNepaul--and, carrying the box slung over his shoulder, strolledtowards Diana's Grove. Close to the gateway he met Lady Arabella,clad as usual in tightly fitting white, which showed off her slimfigure.To his intense astonishment the mongoose allowed her to pet him,take him up in her arms and fondle him. As she was going in hisdirection, they walked on together.Round the roadway between the entrances of Diana's Grove and LesserHill were many trees, with not much foliage except at the top. Inthe dusk this place was shadowy, and the view was hampered by theclustering trunks. In the uncertain, tremulous light which fellthrough the tree-tops, it was hard to distinguish anything clearly,and at last, somehow, he lost sight of her altogether, and turnedback on his track to find her. Presently he came across her closeto her own gate. She was leaning over the paling of split oakbranches which formed the paling of the avenue. He could not seethe mongoose, so he asked her where it had gone."He slipt out of my arms while I was petting him," she answered,"and disappeared under the hedges."They found him at a place where the avenue widened so as to letcarriages pass each other. The little creature seemed quitechanged. He had been ebulliently active; now he was dull andspiritless--seemed to be dazed. He allowed himself to be lifted byeither of the pair; but when he was alone with Lady Arabella he keptlooking round him in a strange way, as though trying to escape.When they had come out on the roadway Adam held the mongoose tightto him, and, lifting his hat to his companion, moved quickly towardsLesser Hill; he and Lady Arabella lost sight of each other in thethickening gloom.When Adam got home, he put the mongoose in his box, and locked thedoor of the room. The other mongoose--the one from Nepaul--wassafely locked in his own box, but he lay quiet and did not stir.When he got to his study Sir Nathaniel came in, shutting the doorbehind him."I have come," he said, "while we have an opportunity of beingalone, to tell you something of the Caswall family which I thinkwill interest you. There is, or used to be, a belief in this partof the world that the Caswall family had some strange power ofmaking the wills of other persons subservient to their own. Thereare many allusions to the subject in memoirs and other unimportantworks, but I only know of one where the subject is spoken ofdefinitely. It is Mercia and its Worthies, written by Ezra Tomsmore than a hundred years ago. The author goes into the question ofthe close association of the then Edgar Caswall with Mesmer inParis. He speaks of Caswall being a pupil and the fellow worker ofMesmer, and states that though, when the latter left France, he tookaway with him a vast quantity of philosophical and electricinstruments, he was never known to use them again. He once made itknown to a friend that he had given them to his old pupil. The termhe used was odd, for it was 'bequeathed,' but no such bequest ofMesmer was ever made known. At any rate the instruments weremissing, and never turned up."A servant came into the room to tell Adam that there was somestrange noise coming from the locked room into which he had gonewhen he came in. He hurried off to the place at once, Sir Nathanielgoing with him. Having locked the door behind them, Adam opened thepacking-case where the boxes of the two mongooses were locked up.There was no sound from one of them, but from the other a queerrestless struggling. Having opened both boxes, he found that thenoise was from the Nepaul animal, which, however, became quiet atonce. In the other box the new mongoose lay dead, with everyappearance of having been strangled!