The Crowned Skull

A Project Gutenberg of Australia eBook Title: The Crowned Skull Author: Fergus Hume eBook No.: 0200401.txt Edition: 1 Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII Date first posted: June 2002 Date most recently updated: June 2002
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A Project Gutenberg of Australia eBook
Title: The Crowned Skull Author: Fergus Hume

CONTENTS
I The Tent of Mystery II The Prophecy Fulfilled III Queer Evidence IV The Will V After-Events VI Mrs. Krent's Diplomacy VII Retreat VIII An Amateur Detective IX The Steward's Story X A Strange Disappearance XI The Quarryman XII News XIII Mrs. Krent's Story XIV An Unexpected Meeting XV Husband and Wife XVI The Letter XVII Under the Earth XVIII A Discovery XIX What Happened Next XX A Terrible Night XXI Anne's Defence XXII The Red Skull XXIII Anak's Mother XXIV A Thorough Rascal XXV Disaster XXVI The Deluge
Chapter I
The Tent of Mystery
Sir Hannibal Trevick was a personage at St. Ewalds. Certainly he lacked money to support the dignity of his name, and therefore had been compelled to let Trevick Grange to a South African millionaire, and take up his abode in the Dower House at the Cornish watering-place. But he came of an old and distinguished family, and possessed to all appearances great force of character. Also, he was an ardent churchman, and a philanthropist. Finally, he had a most charming daughter, who was both clever and beautiful: two things not invariably found together.
Dericka Trevick--her quaint Christian name was a source of wonder to archaeologists, since it was that of the Babylonian fish-goddess, could have figured as Titania at a fairy solemnity. She was small and slender, golden-haired and blue-eyed, with a bright manner and a mercurial temperament. Such a description gives an impression of insipidity and shallowness. But Dericka was neither insipid nor shallow. Her will was strong, her judgement quick and unerring, and she ruled the Dower House. Sir Hannibal obeyed her, although he saved his dignity by pretending that such obedience was but fatherly kindness, which could refuse nothing to his household fairy. She dominated the mild, lean governess, Miss Warry, who had taught her everything, and she kept a tight hand over the three domestics who formed Sir Hannibal's modest establishment. In spite of her looks and manner Dericka was strong, and could have passed for an Elizabeth or Catherine in embryo.
All the same, she was popular, and therefore all the young men of St. Ewalds were bound to her chariot-wheels. But she favoured none of these as they were too bucolic and tame. Her heart had been given for over six months to a smart young barrister from London, who was called Oswald Forde. Sir Hannibal approved, for Forde was a rising man, and might yet become a K. C. or a judge; but as yet there was no open engagement. Dericka was only twenty, and Forde twenty-seven, so there was time enough for a mutual experiment as to whether they would suit one another before before attempting matrimony.
Forde came to St. Ewalds to bask in the smiles of beauty whenever he could manage, and thus found himself at the fete given by Sir Hannibal in aid of the Fishermen's Chapel, which was being built on a promontory just outside the town. It was a splendidly warm autumn day, and the spacious grounds of the Dower House were occupied by all the fashion and wealth of the place. The square, ugly building--it was Georgian and comfortable--looked out over the waters of St. Ewalds Bay, and possessed garden far too large for the size of the mansion. These sloped down to a fringe of ragged rocks, barricading smooth stretches of sand upon which broke the white Atlantic billows. What with foreign plants and native trees, and late blooming flowers of all kinds bordering the green lawns, the place was very lovely, and the tents erected here and there for the fete made it look like an encampment. People were buying and selling, and eating and drinking, and dancing, and playing games