The Novel of the White Powder | Page 6

had looked at me.
Suddenly I remembered; as I lifted my face the blind was being drawn
back, and I had had an instant's glance of the thing that was moving it,
and in my recollection I knew that a hideous image was engraved
forever on my brain. It was not a hand; there were no fingers that held
the blind, but a black stump pushed it aside, the mouldering outline and
the clumsy movement as of a beast's paw had glowed into my senses
before the darkling waves of terror had overwhelmed me as I went
down quick into the pit. My mind was aghast at the thought of this, and

of the awful presence that dwelt with my brother in his room; I went to
his door and cried to him again, but no answer came. That night one of
the servants came up to me and told me in a whisper that for three days
food had been regularly placed at the door and left untouched; the maid
had knocked but had received no answer; she had heard the noise of
shuffling feet that I had noticed. Day after day went by, and still my
brother's meals were brought to his door and left untouched; and
though I knocked and called again and again, I could get no answer.
The servants began to talk to me; it appeared they were as alarmed as I;
the cook said that when my brother first shut himself up in his room she
used to hear him come out at night and go about the house; and once,
she said, the hall door had opened and closed again, but for several
nights she had heard no sound.
The climax came at last; it was in the dusk of the evening, and I was
sitting in the darkening dreary room when a terrible shriek jarred and
rang harshly out of the silence, and I heard a frightened scurry of feet
dashing down the stairs. I waited, and the servant-maid staggered into
the room and faced me, white and trembling.
"Oh, Miss Helen!" she whispered; "oh! for the Lord's sake, Miss Helen,
what has happened?
Look at my hand, miss; look at that hand!" I drew her to the window,
and saw there was a black wet stain upon her hand.
"I do not understand you," I said. "Will you explain to me?"
"I was doing your room just now," she began. "I was turning down the
bed-clothes, and all of a sudden there was something fell upon my hand,
wet, and I looked up, and the ceiling was black and dripping on me."
I looked hard at her and bit my lip.
"Come with me," I said. "Bring your candle with you."
The room I slept in was beneath my brother's, and as I went in I felt I
was trembling. I looked up at the ceiling, and saw a patch, all black and

wet, and a dew of black drops upon it, and a pool of horrible liquor
soaking into the white bed-clothes.
I ran upstairs and knocked loudly.
"Oh, Francis, Francis, my dear brother," I cried, "what has happened to
you?"
And I listened. There was a sound of choking, and a noise like water
bubbling and regurgitating, but nothing else, and I called louder, but no
answer came.
In spite of what Dr. Haberden had said, I went to him; with tears
streaming down my cheeks I told him all that had happened, and he
listened to me with a face set hard and grim.
"For your father's sake," he said at last, "I will go with you, though I
can do nothing."
We went out together; the streets were dark and silent, and heavy with
heat and a drought of many weeks. I saw the doctor's face white under
the gas-lamps, and when we reached the house his hand was shaking.
We did not hesitate, but went upstairs directly. I held the lamp, and he
called out in a loud, determined voiceÑ
"Mr. Leicester, do you hear me? I insist on seeing you. Answer me at
once."
There was no answer, but we both heard that choking noise I have
mentioned.
"Mr. Leicester, I am waiting for you. Open the door this instant, or I
shall break it down." And he called a third time in a voice that rang and
echoed from the wallsÑ "Mr. Leicester! For the last time I order you to
open the door." "Ah!" he said, after a pause of heavy silence, "we are
wasting time here. Will you be so kind as to get me a poker, or
something of the kind?"

I ran into a little room at the back where odd articles were kept, and
found a heavy adze-like tool that I thought