The Ancient Allan | Page 3

me with some force. Shortly after I came

to England to spend my remaining days far from the temptations of
adventure, I was beguiled into becoming a steward of a Charity dinner
and, what was worse, into attending the said dinner. Although its
objects were admirable, it proved one of the most dreadful functions in
which I was ever called upon to share. There was a vast number of
people, some of them highly distinguished, who had come to support
the Charity or to show off their Orders, I don't know which, and others
like myself, not at all distinguished, just common subscribers, who had
no Orders and stood about the crowded room like waiters looking for a
job.
At the dinner, which was very bad, I sat at a table so remote that I could
hear but little of the interminable speeches, which was perhaps
fortunate for me. In these circumstances I drifted into conversation with
my neighbour, a queer, wizened, black-bearded man who somehow or
other had found out that I was acquainted with the wilder parts of
Africa. He proved to be a wealthy scientist whose passion it was to
study the properties of herbs, especially of such as grow in the interior
of South America where he had been travelling for some years.
Presently he mentioned a root named Yagé, known to the Indians
which, when pounded up into a paste and taken in the form of pills, had
the effect of enabling the patient to see events that were passing at a
distance. Indeed he alleged that a vision thus produced had caused him
to return home, since in it he saw that some relative of his, I think a
twin-sister, was dangerously ill. In fact, however, he might as well have
stayed away, as he only arrived in London on the day after her funeral.
As I saw that he was really interested in the subject and observed that
he was a very temperate man who did not seem to be romancing, I told
him something of my experiences with /Taduki/, to which he listened
with a kind of rapt but suppressed excitement. When I affected
disbelief in the whole business, he differed from me almost rudely,
asking why I rejected phenomena simply because I was too dense to
understand them. I answered perhaps because such phenomena were
inconvenient and upset one's ideas. To this he replied that all progress
involved the upsetting of existent ideas. Moreover he implored me, if
the chance should ever come my way, to pursue experiments with
/Taduki/ fumes and let him know the results.
Here our conversation came to an end for suddenly a band that was

braying near by, struck up "God save the Queen," and we hastily
exchanged cards and parted. I only mention it because, had it not
occurred, I think it probable that I should never have been in a position
to write this history.
The remarks of my acquaintance remained in my mind and influenced
it so much that when the occasion came, I did as a kind of duty what,
however much I was pressed, I am almost sure I should never have
done for any other reason, just because I thought that I ought to take an
opportunity of trying to discover what was the truth of the matter. As it
chanced it was quick in coming.
Here I should explain that I attended the dinner of which I have spoken
not very long after a very lengthy absence from England, whither I had
come to live when King Solomon's Mines had made me rich. Therefore
it happened that between the conclusion of my Kendah adventure some
years before and this time I saw nothing and heard little of Lord and
Lady Ragnall. Once a rumour did reach me, however, I think through
Sir Henry Curtis or Captain Good, that the former had died as a result
of an accident. What the accident was my informant did not know and
as I was just starting on a far journey at the time, I had no opportunity
of making inquiries. My talk with the botanical scientist determined me
to do so; indeed a few days later I discovered from a book of reference
that Lord Ragnall was dead, leaving no heir; also that his wife survived
him.
I was working myself up to write to her when one morning the postman
brought me here at the Grange a letter which had "Ragnall Castle"
printed on the flap of the envelope. I did not know the writing which
was very clear and firm, for as it chanced, to the best of my recollection,
I had never seen that of Lady Ragnall. Here is a copy of the letter it
contained:
"My dear Mr. Quatermain,--Very strangely