warningly. “Do not approach the Goddess. If anyone lays a hand on me it is death.”
‘“You are wonderful, Diana,” cried Haydon, “but do stop it. Somehow or other I—I don’t like it.”
‘He was moving towards her across the grass and she flung out a hand towards him.
‘“Stop,” she cried. “One step nearer and I will smite you with the magic of Astarte.”
‘Richard Haydon laughed and quickened his pace, when all at once a curious thing happened. He hesitated for a moment, then seemed to stumble and fall headlong.
‘He did not get up again, but lay where he had fallen prone on the ground.
‘Suddenly Diana began to laugh hysterically. It was a strange horrible sound breaking the silence of the glade.
‘With an oath Elliot sprang forward.
‘“I can’t stand this,” he cried, “get up, Dick, get up, man.”
‘But still Richard Haydon lay where he had fallen. Elliot Haydon reached his side, knelt by him and turned him gently over. He bent over him, peering in his face.
‘Then he rose sharply to his feet and stood swaying a little.
‘“Doctor,” he said. “Doctor, for God’s sake come. I—I think he is dead.”
‘Symonds ran forward and Elliot rejoined us walking very slowly. He was looking down at his hands in a way I didn’t understand.
‘At that moment there was a wild scream from Diana.
‘“I have killed him,” she cried. “Oh, my God! I didn’t mean to, but I have killed him.”
‘And she fainted dead away, falling in a crumpled heap on the grass.
‘There was a cry from Mrs Rogers.
‘“Oh, do let us get away from this dreadful place,” she wailed, “anything might happen to us here. Oh, it’s awful!”
‘Elliot got hold of me by the shoulder.
‘“It can’t be, man,” he murmured. “I tell you it can’t be. A man cannot be killed like that. It is—it’s against Nature.”
‘I tried to soothe him.
‘“There is some explanation,” I said. “Your cousin must have had some unsuspected weakness of the heart. The shock and excitement—”
‘He interrupted me.
‘“You don’t understand,” he said. He held up his hands for me to see and I noticed a red stain on them.
‘“Dick didn’t die of shock, he was stabbed—stabbed to the heart, and there is no weapon.”
‘I stared at him incredulously. At that moment Symonds rose from his examination of the body and came towards us. He was pale and shaking all over.
‘“Are we all mad?” he said. “What is this place—that things like this can happen in it?”
‘“Then it is true,” I said.
‘He nodded.
‘“The wound is such as would be made by a long thin dagger, but—there is no dagger there.”
‘We all looked at each other.
‘“But it must be there,” cried Elliot Haydon. “It must have dropped out. It must be on the ground somewhere. Let us look.”
‘We peered about vainly on the ground. Violet Mannering said suddenly:
‘“Diana had something in her hand. A kind of dagger. I saw it. I saw it glitter when she threatened him.”
‘Elliot Haydon shook his head.
‘“He never even got within three yards of her,” he objected.
‘Lady Mannering was bending over the prostrate girl on the ground.
‘“There is nothing in her hand now,” she announced, “and I can’t see anything on the ground. Are you sure you saw it, Violet? I didn’t.”
‘Dr Symonds came over to the girl.
‘“We must get her to the house,” he said. “Rogers, will you help?”
‘Between us we carried the unconscious girl back to the house. Then we returned and fetched the body of Sir Richard.’
Dr Pender broke off apologetically and looked round.
‘One would know better nowadays,’ he said, ‘owing to the prevalence of detective fiction. Every street boy knows that a body must be left where it is found. But in these days we had not the same knowledge, and accordingly we carried the body of Richard Haydon back to his bedroom in the square granite house and the butler was despatched on a bicycle in search of the police—a ride of some twelve miles.
‘It was then that Elliot Haydon drew me aside.
‘“Look here,” he said. “I am going back to the grove. That weapon has got to be found.”
‘“If there was a weapon,” I said doubtfully.
‘He seized my arm and shook it fiercely. “You have got that superstitious stuff into your head. You think his death was supernatural; well, I am going back to the grove to find out.”
‘I was curiously averse to his doing so. I did my utmost to dissuade him, but without result. The mere idea of that thick circle of trees was abhorrent to me and I felt a strong premonition of further disaster. But Elliot was entirely pig-headed. He was, I think, scared himself, but would not admit it. He went off fully armed with determination to get to the bottom of the mystery.
‘It was a very dreadful night, none of us could sleep, or attempt to do so. The police, when they arrived, were frankly incredulous of the whole thing. They evinced a strong desire to cross-examine Miss Ashley, but there they had to reckon with Dr Symonds, who opposed the idea vehemently. Miss Ashley had come out of her faint or trance and he had given her a long sleeping draught. She was on no account to be disturbed until the following day.
‘It was not until about seven o’clock in the morning that anyone thought about Elliot Haydon, and then Symonds suddenly asked where he was. I explained what Elliot had done and Symonds’s grave face grew a shade graver. “I wish he hadn’t. It is—it is foolhardy,” he said.
‘“You don’t think any harm can have happened to him?”
‘“I hope not. I think, Padre, that you and I had better go and see.”
‘I knew he was right, but it took all the courage in my command to nerve myself for the task. We set out together and entered once more that ill-fated grove of trees. We called him twice and got no reply. In a minute or two we came into the clearing, which looked pale and ghostly in the early
