Prince Zaleski | Page 5

it for the purpose of effecting some alterations. Asked
by Hester Dyett, as he was leaving the house, what was the nature of
his operations, the man replied that he had been applying a patent

arrangement to the window looking out on the balcony, for the better
protection of the room against burglars, several robberies having
recently been committed in the neighbourhood. The sudden death of
this man, however, before the occurrence of the tragedy, prevented his
evidence being heard. On the next day--the 7th--Hester, entering the
room with Lord Pharanx's dinner, fancies, though she cannot tell why
(inasmuch as his back is towards her, he sitting in an arm-chair by the
fire), that Lord Pharanx has been "drinking heavily."
'On the 8th a singular thing befell. The earl was at last induced to see
Maude Cibras, and during the morning of that day, with his own hand,
wrote a note informing her of his decision, Randolph handing the note
to a messenger. That note also has been made public. It reads as
follows:
'"Maude Cibras.--You may come here to-night after dark. Walk to the
south side of the house, come up the steps to the balcony, and pass in
through the open window to my room. Remember, however, that you
have nothing to expect from me, and that from to-night I blot you
eternally from my mind: but I will hear your story, which I know
beforehand to be false. Destroy this note. PHARANX."'
As I progressed with my tale, I came to notice that over the
countenance of Prince Zaleski there grew little by little a singular fixed
aspect. His small, keen features distorted themselves into an expression
of what I can only describe as an abnormal inquisitiveness --an
inquisitiveness most impatient, arrogant, in its intensity. His pupils,
contracted each to a dot, became the central puncta of two rings of fiery
light; his little sharp teeth seemed to gnash. Once before I had seen him
look thus greedily, when, grasping a Troglodyte tablet covered with
half-effaced hieroglyphics--his fingers livid with the fixity of his
grip--he bent on it that strenuous inquisition, that ardent questioning
gaze, till, by a species of mesmeric dominancy, he seemed to wrench
from it the arcanum it hid from other eyes; then he lay back, pale and
faint from the too arduous victory.
When I had read Lord Pharanx's letter, he took the paper eagerly from
my hand, and ran his eyes over the passage.

'Tell me--the end,' he said.
'Maude Cibras,' I went on, 'thus invited to a meeting with the earl,
failed to make her appearance at the appointed time. It happened that
she had left her lodgings in the village early that very morning, and, for
some purpose or other, had travelled to the town of Bath. Randolph, too,
went away the same day in the opposite direction to Plymouth. He
returned on the following morning, the 9th; soon after walked over to
Lee; and entered into conversation with the keeper of the inn where
Cibras lodged; asked if she was at home, and on being told that she had
gone away, asked further if she had taken her luggage with her; was
informed that she had, and had also announced her intention of at once
leaving England. He then walked away in the direction of the Hall. On
this day Hester Dyett noticed that there were many articles of value
scattered about the earl's room, notably a tiara of old Brazilian brilliants,
sometimes worn by the late Lady Pharanx. Randolph--who was present
at the time--further drew her attention to these by telling her that Lord
Pharanx had chosen to bring together in his apartment many of the
family jewels; and she was instructed to tell the other servants of this
fact, in case they should notice any suspicious-looking loafers about the
estate.
'On the 10th, both father and son remained in their rooms all day,
except when the latter came down to meals; at which times he would
lock his door behind him, and with his own hands take in the earl's food,
giving as his reason that his father was writing a very important
document, and did not wish to be disturbed by the presence of a servant.
During the forenoon, Hester Dyett, hearing loud noises in Randolph's
room, as if furniture was being removed from place to place, found
some pretext for knocking at his door, when he ordered her on no
account to interrupt him again, as he was busy packing his clothes in
view of a journey to London on the next day. The subsequent conduct
of the woman shows that her curiosity must have been excited to the
utmost by the undoubtedly strange spectacle of Randolph packing his
own clothes. During the afternoon a lad from