Chapter XIII: Oolanga's Hallucinations

by Bram Stoker

　　During the last few days Lady Arabella had been getting exceedinglyimpatient. Her debts, always pressing, were growing to anembarrassing amount. The only hope she had of comfort in life was agood marriage; but the good marriage on which she had fixed her eyedid not seem to move quickly enough--indeed, it did not seem to moveat all--in the right direction. Edgar Caswall was not an ardentwooer. From the very first he seemed difficile, but he had beenkeeping to his own room ever since his struggle with Mimi Watford.On that occasion Lady Arabella had shown him in an unmistakable waywhat her feelings were; indeed, she had made it known to him, in amore overt way than pride should allow, that she wished to help andsupport him. The moment when she had gone across the room to standbeside him in his mesmeric struggle, had been the very limit of hervoluntary action. It was quite bitter enough, she felt, that he didnot come to her, but now that she had made that advance, she feltthat any withdrawal on his part would, to a woman of her class, benothing less than a flaming insult. Had she not classed herselfwith his nigger servant, an unreformed savage? Had she not shownher preference for him at the festival of his home-coming? Had shenot. . . Lady Arabella was cold-blooded, and she was prepared to gothrough all that might be necessary of indifference, and eveninsult, to become chatelaine of Castra Regis. In the meantime, shewould show no hurry--she must wait. She might, in an unostentatiousway, come to him again. She knew him now, and could make a keenguess at his desires with regard to Lilla Watford. With that secretin her possession, she could bring pressure to bear on Caswall whichwould make it no easy matter for him to evade her. The greatdifficulty was how to get near him. He was shut up within hisCastle, and guarded by a defence of convention which she could notpass without danger of ill repute to herself. Over this questionshe thought and thought for days and nights. At last she decidedthat the only way would be to go to him openly at Castra Regis. Herrank and position would make such a thing possible, if carefullydone. She could explain matters afterwards if necessary. Then whenthey were alone, she would use her arts and her experience to makehim commit himself. After all, he was only a man, with a man'sdislike of difficult or awkward situations. She felt quitesufficient confidence in her own womanhood to carry her through anydifficulty which might arise.From Diana's Grove she heard each day the luncheon-gong from CastraRegis sound, and knew the hour when the servants would be in theback of the house. She would enter the house at that hour, and,pretending that she could not make anyone hear her, would seek himin his own rooms. The tower was, she knew, away from all the usualsounds of the house, and moreover she knew that the servants hadstrict orders not to interrupt him when he was in the turretchamber. She had found out, partly by the aid of an opera-glass andpartly by judicious questioning, that several times lately a heavychest had been carried to and from his room, and that it rested inthe room each night. She was, therefore, confident that he had someimportant work on hand which would keep him busy for long spells.Meanwhile, another member of the household at Castra Regis hadschemes which he thought were working to fruition. A man in theposition of a servant has plenty of opportunity of watching hisbetters and forming opinions regarding them. Oolanga was in his waya clever, unscrupulous rogue, and he felt that with things movinground him in this great household there should be opportunities ofself-advancement. Being unscrupulous and stealthy--and a savage--helooked to dishonest means. He saw plainly enough that Lady Arabellawas making a dead set at his master, and he was watchful of theslightest sign of anything which might enhance this knowledge. Likethe other men in the house, he knew of the carrying to and fro ofthe great chest, and had got it into his head that the careexercised in its porterage indicated that it was full of treasure.He was for ever lurking around the turret-rooms on the chance ofmaking some useful discovery. But he was as cautious as he wasstealthy, and took care that no one else watched him.It was thus that the negro became aware of Lady Arabella's ventureinto the house, as she thought, unseen. He took more care thanever, since he was watching another, that the positions were notreversed. More than ever he kept his eyes and ears open and hismouth shut. Seeing Lady Arabella gliding up the stairs towards hismaster's room, he took it for granted that she was there for nogood, and doubled his watching intentness and caution.Oolanga was disappointed, but he dared not exhibit any feeling lestit should betray that he was hiding. Therefore he slunk downstairsagain noiselessly, and waited for a more favourable opportunity offurthering his plans. It must be borne in mind that he thought thatthe heavy trunk was full of valuables, and that he believed thatLady Arabella had come to try to steal it. His purpose of using forhis own advantage the combination of these two ideas was seen laterin the day. Oolanga secretly followed her home. He was an expertat this game, and succeeded admirably on this occasion. He watchedher enter the private gate of Diana's Grove, and then, taking aroundabout course and keeping out of her sight, he at last overtookher in a thick part of the Grove where no one could see the meeting.Lady Arabella was much surprised. She had not seen the negro forseveral days, and had almost forgotten his existence. Oolanga wouldhave been startled had he known and been capable of understandingthe real value placed on him, his beauty, his worthiness, by otherpersons, and compared it with the value in these matters in which heheld himself. Doubtless Oolanga had his dreams like other men. Insuch cases he saw himself as a young sun-god, as beautiful as theeye of dusky or even white womanhood had ever dwelt upon. He wouldhave been filled with all noble and captivating qualities--or thoseregarded as such in West Africa. Women would have loved him, andwould have told him so in the overt and fervid manner usual inaffairs of the heart in the shadowy depths of the forest of the GoldCoast.Oolanga came close behind Lady Arabella, and in a hushed voice,suitable to the importance of his task, and in deference to therespect he had for her and the place, began to unfold the story ofhis love. Lady Arabella was not usually a humorous person, but noman or woman of the white race could have checked the laughter whichrose spontaneously to her lips. The circumstances were toogrotesque, the contrast too violent, for subdued mirth. The man adebased specimen of one of the most primitive races of the earth,and of an ugliness which was simply devilish; the woman of highdegree, beautiful, accomplished. She thought that her firstmoment's consideration of the outrage--it was nothing less in hereyes--had given her the full material for thought. But everyinstant after threw new and varied lights on the affront. Herindignation was too great for passion; only irony or satire wouldmeet the situation. Her cold, cruel nature helped, and she did notshrink to subject this ignorant savage to the merciless fire-lash ofher scorn.Oolanga was dimly conscious that he was being flouted; but his angerwas no less keen because of the measure of his ignorance. So hegave way to it, as does a tortured beast. He ground his great teethtogether, raved, stamped, and swore in barbarous tongues and withbarbarous imagery. Even Lady Arabella felt that it was well she waswithin reach of help, or he might have offered her brutal violence--even have killed her."Am I to understand," she said with cold disdain, so much moreeffective to wound than hot passion, "that you are offering me yourlove? Your--love?"For reply he nodded his head. The scorn of her voice, in a sort ofbaleful hiss, sounded--and felt--like the lash of a whip."And you dared! you--a savage--a slave--the basest thing in theworld of vermin! Take care! I don't value your worthless life morethan I do that of a rat or a spider. Don't let me ever see yourhideous face here again, or I shall rid the earth of you."As she was speaking, she had taken out her revolver and was pointingit at him. In the immediate presence of death his impudence forsookhim, and he made a weak effort to justify himself. His speech wasshort, consisting of single words. To Lady Arabella it sounded meregibberish, but it was in his own dialect, and meant love, marriage,wife. From the intonation of the words, she guessed, with herwoman's quick intuition, at their meaning; but she quite failed tofollow, when, becoming more pressing, he continued to urge his suitin a mixture of the grossest animal passion and ridiculous threats.He warned her that he knew she had tried to steal his master'streasure, and that he had caught her in the act. But if she wouldbe his, he would share the treasure with her, and they could live inluxury in the African forests. But if she refused, he would tellhis master, who would flog and torture her and then give her to thepolice, who would kill her.