CHAPTER XXIV--A STARTLING PROPOSITION
The more Mimi thought over the late events, the more puzzled she
was. What did it all mean--what could it mean, except that there
was an error of fact somewhere. Could it be possible that some of
them--all of them had been mistaken, that there had been no White
Worm at all? On either side of her was a belief impossible of
reception. Not to believe in what seemed apparent was to destroy
the very foundations of belief. . . yet in old days there had been
monsters on the earth, and certainly some people had believed in
just such mysterious changes of identity. It was all very strange.
Just fancy how any stranger--say a doctor--would regard her, if she
were to tell him that she had been to a tea-party with an
antediluvian monster, and that they had been waited on by up-to-date
men-servants.
Adam had returned, exhilarated by his walk, and more settled in his
mind than he had been for some time. Like Mimi, he had gone through
the phase of doubt and inability to believe in the reality of
things, though it had not affected him to the same extent. The
idea, however, that his wife was suffering ill-effects from her
terrible ordeal, braced him up. He remained with her for a time,
then he sought Sir Nathaniel in order to talk over the matter with
him. He knew that the calm common sense and self-reliance of the
old man, as well as his experience, would be helpful to them all.
Sir Nathaniel had come to the conclusion that, for some reason which
he did not understand, Lady Arabella had changed her plans, and, for
the present at all events, was pacific. He was inclined to
attribute her changed demeanour to the fact that her influence over
Edgar Caswall was so far increased, as to justify a more fixed
belief in his submission to her charms.
As a matter of fact, she had seen Caswall that morning when she
visited Castra Regis, and they had had a long talk together, during
which the possibility of their union had been discussed. Caswall,
without being enthusiastic on the subject, had been courteous and
attentive; as she had walked back to Diana's Grove, she almost
congratulated herself on her new settlement in life. That the idea
was becoming fixed in her mind, was shown by a letter which she
wrote later in the day to Adam Salton, and sent to him by hand. It
ran as follows:
"DEAR MR. SALTON,
"I wonder if you would kindly advise, and, if possible, help me in a
matter of business. I have been for some time trying to make up my
mind to sell Diana's Grove, I have put off and put off the doing of
it till now. The place is my own property, and no one has to be
consulted with regard to what I may wish to do about it. It was
bought by my late husband, Captain Adolphus Ranger March, who had
another residence, The Crest, Appleby. He acquired all rights of
all kinds, including mining and sporting. When he died, he left his
whole property to me. I shall feel leaving this place, which has
become endeared to me by many sacred memories and affections--the
recollection of many happy days of my young married life, and the
more than happy memories of the man I loved and who loved me so
much. I should be willing to sell the place for any fair price--so
long, of course, as the purchaser was one I liked and of whom I
approved. May I say that you yourself would be the ideal person.
But I dare not hope for so much. It strikes me, however, that among
your Australian friends may be someone who wishes to make a
settlement in the Old Country, and would care to fix the spot in one
of the most historic regions in England, full of romance and legend,
and with a never-ending vista of historical interest--an estate
which, though small, is in perfect condition and with illimitable
possibilities of development, and many doubtful--or unsettled--
rights which have existed before the time of the Romans or even
Celts, who were the original possessors. In addition, the house has
been kept up to the DERNIER CRI. Immediate possession can be
arranged. My lawyers can provide you, or whoever you may suggest,
with all business and historical details. A word from you of
acceptance or refusal is all that is necessary, and we can leave
details to be thrashed out by our agents. Forgive me, won't you,
for troubling you in the matter, and believe me, yours very
sincerely.
"ARABELLA MARCH."
Adam read this over several times, and then, his mind being made up,
he went to Mimi and asked if she had any objection. She answered--
after a shudder--that she was, in this, as in all things, willing to
do whatever he might wish.
"Dearest, I am willing that you should judge what is best for us.
Be quite free to act as you see your duty, and as your inclination
calls. We are in the hands of God, and He has hitherto guided us,
and will do so to His own end."
From his wife's room Adam Salton went straight to the study in the
tower, where he knew Sir Nathaniel would be at that hour. The old
man was alone, so, when he had entered in obedience to the "Come
in," which answered his query, he closed the door and sat down
beside him.
"Do you think, sir, that it would be well for me to buy Diana's
Grove?"
"God bless my soul!" said the old man, startled, "why on earth would
you want to do that?"
"Well, I have vowed to destroy that White Worm, and my being able to
do whatever I may choose with the Lair would facilitate matters and
avoid complications."
Sir Nathaniel hesitated longer than usual before speaking. He was
thinking deeply.
"Yes, Adam, there is much common sense in your suggestion, though it
startled me at first. I think that, for all reasons, you would do
well to buy the property and to have the conveyance settled at once.
If you want more money than is immediately convenient, let me know,
so that I may be your banker."
"Thank you, sir, most heartily; but I have more money at immediate
call than I shall want. I am glad you approve."
"The property is historic, and as time goes on it will increase in
value. Moreover, I may tell you something, which indeed is only a
surmise, but which, if I am right, will add great value to the
place." Adam listened. "Has it ever struck you why the old name,
'The Lair of the White Worm,' was given? We know that there was a
snake which in early days was called a worm; but why white?"
"I really don't know, sir; I never thought of it. I simply took it
for granted."
"So did I at first--long ago. But later I puzzled my brain for a
reason."
"And what was the reason, sir?"
"Simply and solely because the snake or worm WAS white. We are near
the county of Stafford, where the great industry of china-burning
was originated and grew. Stafford owes much of its wealth to the
large deposits of the rare china clay found in it from time to time.
These deposits become in time pretty well exhausted; but for
centuries Stafford adventurers looked for the special clay, as Ohio
and Pennsylvania farmers and explorers looked for oil. Anyone
owning real estate on which china clay can be discovered strikes a
sort of gold mine."
"Yes, and then--" The young man looked puzzled.
"The original 'Worm' so-called, from which the name of the place
came, had to find a direct way down to the marshes and the mud-
holes. Now, the clay is easily penetrable, and the original hole
probably pierced a bed of china clay. When once the way was made it
would become a sort of highway for the Worm. But as much movement
was necessary to ascend such a great height, some of the clay would
become attached to its rough skin by attrition. The downway must
have been easy work, but the ascent was different, and when the
monster came to view in the upper world, it would be fresh from
contact with the white clay. Hence the name, which has no cryptic
significance, but only fact. Now, if that surmise be true--and I do
not see why not--there must be a deposit of valuable clay--possibly
of immense depth."
Adam's comment pleased the old gentleman.
"I have it in my bones, sir, that you have struck--or rather
reasoned out--a great truth."
Sir Nathaniel went on cheerfully. "When the world of commerce wakes
up to the value of your find, it will be as well that your title to
ownership has been perfectly secured. If anyone ever deserved such
a gain, it is you."
With his friend's aid, Adam secured the property without loss of
time. Then he went to see his uncle, and told him about it. Mr.
Salton was delighted to find his young relative already
constructively the owner of so fine an estate--one which gave him an
important status in the county. He made many anxious enquiries
about Mimi, and the doings of the White Worm, but Adam re-assured
him.
The next morning, when Adam went to his host in the smoking-room,
Sir Nathaniel asked him how he purposed to proceed with regard to
keeping his vow.
"It is a difficult matter which you have undertaken. To destroy
such a monster is something like one of the labours of Hercules, in
that not only its size and weight and power of using them in little-
known ways are against you, but the occult side is alone an
unsurpassable difficulty. The Worm is already master of all the
elements except fire--and I do not see how fire can be used for the
attack. It has only to sink into the earth in its usual way, and
you could not overtake it if you had the resources of the biggest
coal-mine in existence. But I daresay you have mapped out some plan
in your mind," he added courteously.
"I have, sir. But, of course, it may not stand the test of
practice."
"May I know the idea?"
"Well, sir, this was my argument: At the time of the Chartist
trouble, an idea spread amongst financial circles that an attack was
going to be made on the Bank of England. Accordingly, the directors
of that institution consulted many persons who were supposed to know
what steps should be taken, and it was finally decided that the best
protection against fire--which is what was feared--was not water but
sand. To carry the scheme into practice great store of fine sea-
sand--the kind that blows about and is used to fill hour-glasses--
was provided throughout the building, especially at the points
liable to attack, from which it could be brought into use.
"I propose to provide at Diana's Grove, as soon as it comes into my
possession, an enormous amount of such sand, and shall take an early
occasion of pouring it into the well-hole, which it will in time
choke. Thus Lady Arabella, in her guise of the White Worm, will
find herself cut off from her refuge. The hole is a narrow one, and
is some hundreds of feet deep. The weight of the sand this can
contain would not in itself be sufficient to obstruct; but the
friction of such a body working up against it would be tremendous."
"One moment. What use would the sand be for destruction?"
"None, directly; but it would hold the struggling body in place till
the rest of my scheme came into practice."
"And what is the rest?"
"As the sand is being poured into the well-hole, quantities of
dynamite can also be thrown in!"
"Good. But how would the dynamite explode--for, of course, that is
what you intend. Would not some sort of wire or fuse he required
for each parcel of dynamite?"
Adam smiled.
"Not in these days, sir. That was proved in New York. A thousand
pounds of dynamite, in sealed canisters, was placed about some
workings. At the last a charge of gunpowder was fired, and the
concussion exploded the dynamite. It was most successful. Those
who were non-experts in high explosives expected that every pane of
glass in New York would be shattered. But, in reality, the
explosive did no harm outside the area intended, although sixteen
acres of rock had been mined and only the supporting walls and
pillars had been left intact. The whole of the rocks were
shattered."
Sir Nathaniel nodded approval.
"That seems a good plan--a very excellent one. But if it has to
tear down so many feet of precipice, it may wreck the whole
neighbourhood."
"And free it for ever from a monster," added Adam, as he left the
room to find his wife.
