Dr Nikola Returns | Page 6

my lodgings, had my tea, and about
eight o'clock donned my hat again and set off in the direction of the
French Concession. It was not a pleasant night, being unusually dark
and inclined towards showery. The wind blew in fitful gusts, and drove
the dust like hail against one's face. Though I stood a good chance of
obtaining what I wanted so much--employment, I cannot affirm with
any degree of truth that I felt easy in my mind. Was I not seeking to
become connected with a man who was almost universally feared, and
whose reputation was not such as would make most people desire a
closer acquaintance with him? This thought in itself was not of a
reassuring nature. But in the face of my poverty I could not afford to be
too squeamish. So leaving the Rue de la Paix on my left hand I turned
into the Rue de la Fayette, where Nikola's bungalow was situated, and
having picked it out from its fellows, made my way towards it.
The compound and the house itself were in total darkness, but after I
had twice knocked at the door a light came slowly down the passage
towards me. The door was opened, and a China boy stood before me
holding a candle in his hand.
"Does Dr. Nikola live here?" I inquired, in very much the same tone as
our boyhood's hero, Jack of Beanstalk climbing fame, might have used
when he asked to be admitted to the residence of the giant Fee-fo-fum.
The boy nodded, whereupon I handed him my letter, and ordered him
to convey it to his master without delay. With such celerity did he

accomplish his mission that in less than two minutes he had returned
and was beckoning me to follow him. Accordingly I accompanied him
down the passage towards a small room on the left hand side. When I
had entered it the door was immediately closed behind me. There was
no one in the apartment, and I was thus permitted an opportunity of
examining it to my satisfaction, and drawing my own conclusions
before Dr Nikola should enter.
As I have said, it was not large, nor was its furniture, with a few
exceptions, in any way extraordinary. The greater part of it was of the
usual bungalow type, neither better nor worse. On the left hand as one
entered was a window, which I observed was heavily barred and
shuttered; between that and the door stood a tall bookshelf, filled with
works, standard and otherwise, on almost every conceivable subject,
from the elementary principles of Bimetallism to abstract Confucianism.
A thick matting covered the floor and a heavy curtain sheltered a
doorway on the side opposite to that by which I had entered. On the
walls were several fine engravings, but I noticed that they were all
based on uncommon subjects, such as the visit of Saul to the Witch of
Endor, a performance of the magicians before Pharaoh, and the
converting of the dry bones into men in the desert. A clock ticked on
the bookcase, but with that exception there was nothing to disturb the
silence of the room.
I suppose I must have waited fully five minutes before my ears caught
the sound of a soft footstep in an adjoining apartment, then the second
door opened, the curtain which covered it was drawn slowly aside, and
a man, who could have been none other than Dr. Nikola, made his
appearance. His description was exactly what Barkston had given me,
even to the peculiar eyes and, what proved to be an apt illustration, the
white toad-coloured skin. He was attired in faultless evening dress, and
its deep black harmonized well with his dark eyes and hair. What his
age might have been I could not possibly tell, but I afterwards
discovered that he was barely thirty-eight. He crossed the room to
where I stood, holding out his hand as he did so and saying--
"Mr. Wilfred Bruce?"

"That is my name," I answered, "and I believe you are Dr. Nikola?"
"Exactly," he said, "I am Dr. Nikola; and now that we know each other,
shall we proceed to business?"
As he spoke he moved with that peculiar grace which always
characterized him across to the door by which he had entered, and
having opened it, signed to me to pass through. I did so, and found
myself in another large room, possibly forty feet long by twenty wide.
Ac the further end was a lofty window, containing some good stained
glass; the walls were hung with Japanese tapestry, and were
ornamented with swords, battle-axes, two or three specimens of Rajput
armour, books galore, and a quantity of exceedingly valuable china.
The apartment was lit by three hanging lamps of