Chapter XXI: Green Light

by Bram Stoker

　　When old Mr. Salton had retired for the night, Adam and SirNathaniel returned to the study. Things went with great regularityat Lesser Hill, so they knew that there would be no interruption totheir talk.When their cigars were lighted, Sir Nathaniel began."I hope, Adam, that you do not think me either slack or changeableof purpose. I mean to go through this business to the bitter end--whatever it may be. Be satisfied that my first care is, and shallbe, the protection of Mimi Watford. To that I am pledged; my dearboy, 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--youand me certainly, and probably your uncle. I wanted especially totalk with you to-night, for I cannot help thinking that the time isfast coming--if it has not come already--when we must take youruncle into our confidence. It was one thing when fancied evilsthreatened, but now he is probably marked for death, and it is onlyright that he should know all.""I am with you, sir. Things have changed since we agreed to keephim out of the trouble. Now we dare not; consideration for hisfeelings might cost his life. It is a duty--and no light orpleasant one, either. I have not a shadow of doubt that he willwant 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 toput things in order for the killing, and in such a way that wecannot 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 thoughtthis fighting an antediluvian monster would be such a complicatedjob. This one is a woman, with all a woman's wit, combined with theheartlessness of a cocotte. She has the strength and impregnabilityof a diplodocus. We may be sure that in the fight that is before usthere will be no semblance of fair-play. Also that our unscrupulousopponent will not betray herself!""That is so--but being feminine, she will probably over-reachherself. Now, Adam, it strikes me that, as we have to protectourselves and others against feminine nature, our strong game willbe to play our masculine against her feminine. Perhaps we hadbetter sleep on it. She is a thing of the night; and the night maygive 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 inhis hand. Sir Nathaniel sat up in bed."Well!""I should like to read you a few letters, but, of course, I shallnot send them unless you approve. In fact"--with a smile and ablush--"there are several things which I want to do; but I hold myhand and my tongue till I have your approval.""Go on!" said the other kindly. "Tell me all, and count at any rateon 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 inthe foreground that Mimi Watford should, for the sake of her ownsafety, be removed--and that the monster which had wrought all theharm 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. Mimi should have someprotector whom all the world would recognise. The only formrecognised by convention is marriage!"Sir Nathaniel smiled in a fatherly way."To marry, a husband is required. And that husband should be you.""Yes, yes.""And the marriage should be immediate and secret--or, at least, notspoken of outside ourselves. Would the young lady be agreeable tothat proceeding?""I do not know, sir!""Then how are we to proceed?""I suppose that we--or one of us--must ask her.""Is this a sudden idea, Adam, a sudden resolution?""A sudden resolution, sir, but not a sudden idea. If she agrees,all is well and good. The sequence is obvious.""And it is to be kept a secret amongst ourselves?""I want no secret, sir, except for Mimi's good. For myself, Ishould like to shout it from the house-tops! But we must bediscreet; untimely knowledge to our enemy might work incalculableharm.""And how would you suggest, Adam, that we could combine themomentous question with secrecy?"Adam grew red and moved uneasily."Someone must ask her--as soon as possible!""And that someone?""I thought that you, sir, would be so good!""God bless my soul! This is a new kind of duty to take on--at mytime of life. Adam, I hope you know that you can count on me tohelp in any way I can!""I have already counted on you, sir, when I ventured to make such asuggestion. I can only ask," he added, "that you will be more thanever kind to me--to us--and look on the painful duty as a voluntaryact of grace, prompted by kindness and affection.""Painful duty!""Yes," said Adam boldly. "Painful to you, though to me it would beall joyful.""It is a strange job for an early morning! Well, we all live andlearn. I suppose the sooner I go the better. You had better writea line for me to take with me. For, you see, this is to be asomewhat unusual transaction, and it may be embarrassing to thelady, even to myself. So we ought to have some sort of warrant,something to show that we have been mindful of her feelings. Itwill not do to take acquiescence for granted--although we act forher good.""Sir Nathaniel, you are a true friend; I am sure that both Mimi andI shall be grateful to you for all our lives--however long they maybe!"So the two talked it over and agreed as to points to be borne inmind by the ambassador. It was striking ten when Sir Nathaniel leftthe house, Adam seeing him quietly off.As the young man followed him with wistful eyes--almost jealous ofthe privilege which his kind deed was about to bring him--he feltthat his own heart was in his friend's breast.The memory of that morning was like a dream to all those concernedin it. Sir Nathaniel had a confused recollection of detail andsequence, though the main facts stood out in his memory boldly andclearly. Adam Salton's recollection was of an illimitable wait,filled with anxiety, hope, and chagrin, all dominated by a sense ofthe slow passage of time and accompanied by vague fears. Mimi couldnot for a long time think at all, or recollect anything, except thatAdam loved her and was saving her from a terrible danger. When shehad time to think, later on, she wondered when she had any ignoranceof the fact that Adam loved her, and that she loved him with all herheart. Everything, every recollection however small, every feeling,seemed to fit into those elemental facts as though they had all beenmoulded together. The main and crowning recollection was her sayinggoodbye to Sir Nathaniel, and entrusting to him loving messages,straight from her heart, to Adam Salton, and of his bearing when--with an impulse which she could not check--she put her lips to hisand kissed him. Later, when she was alone and had time to think, itwas a passing grief to her that she would have to be silent, for atime, to Lilla on the happy events of that strange mission.She had, of course, agreed to keep all secret until Adam should giveher leave to speak.The advice and assistance of Sir Nathaniel was a great help to Adamin carrying out his idea of marrying Mimi Watford without publicity.He went with him to London, and, with his influence, the young manobtained the license of the Archbishop of Canterbury for a privatemarriage. Sir Nathaniel then persuaded old Mr. Salton to allow hisnephew to spend a few weeks with him at Doom Tower, and it was herethat Mimi became Adam's wife. But that was only the first step intheir plans; before going further, however, Adam took his bride offto the Isle of Man. He wished to place a stretch of sea betweenMimi and the White Worm, while things matured. On their return, SirNathaniel met them and drove them at once to Doom, taking care toavoid any one that he knew on the journey.Sir Nathaniel had taken care to have the doors and windows shut andlocked--all but the door used for their entry. The shutters were upand the blinds down. Moreover, heavy curtains were drawn across thewindows. When Adam commented on this, Sir Nathaniel said in awhisper:"Wait till we are alone, and I'll tell you why this is done; in themeantime not a word or a sign. You will approve when we have had atalk together."They said no more on the subject till after dinner, when they wereensconced in Sir Nathaniel's study, which was on the top storey.Doom Tower was a lofty structure, situated on an eminence high up inthe Peak. The top commanded a wide prospect, ranging from the hillsabove the Ribble to the near side of the Brow, which marked thenorthern bound of ancient Mercia. It was of the early Normanperiod, less than a century younger than Castra Regis. The windowsof the study were barred and locked, and heavy dark curtains closedthem in. When this was done not a gleam of light from the towercould be seen from outside.When they were alone, Sir Nathaniel explained that he had taken hisold friend, Mr. Salton, into full confidence, and that in future allwould work together."It is important for you to be extremely careful. In spite of thefact that our marriage was kept secret, as also your temporaryabsence, both are known.""How? To whom?""How, I know not; but I am beginning to have an idea.""To her?" asked Adam, in momentary consternation.Sir Nathaniel shivered perceptibly."The White Worm--yes!"Adam noticed that from now on, his friend never spoke of LadyArabella otherwise, except when he wished to divert the suspicion ofothers.Sir Nathaniel switched off the electric light, and when the room waspitch dark, he came to Adam, took him by the hand, and led him to aseat set in the southern window. Then he softly drew back a pieceof the curtain and motioned his companion to look out.Adam did so, and immediately shrank back as though his eyes hadopened on pressing danger. His companion set his mind at rest bysaying in a low voice:"It is all right; you may speak, but speak low. There is no dangerhere--at present!"Adam leaned forward, taking care, however, not to press his faceagainst the glass. What he saw would not under ordinarycircumstances have caused concern to anybody. With his specialknowledge, it was appalling--though the night was now so dark thatin reality there was little to be seen.On the western side of the tower stood a grove of old trees, offorest dimensions. They were not grouped closely, but stood alittle apart from each other, producing the effect of a row widelyplanted. Over the tops of them was seen a green light, somethinglike the danger signal at a railway-crossing. It seemed at firstquite still; but presently, when Adam's eye became accustomed to it,he could see that it moved as if trembling. This at once recalledto Adam's mind the light quivering above the well-hole in thedarkness of that inner room at Diana's Grove, Oolanga's awfulshriek, and the hideous black face, now grown grey with terror,disappearing into the impenetrable gloom of the mysterious orifice.Instinctively he laid his hand on his revolver, and stood up readyto protect his wife. Then, seeing that nothing happened, and thatthe light and all outside the tower remained the same, he softlypulled the curtain over the window.Sir Nathaniel switched on the light again, and in its comfortingglow they began to talk freely.