The Mystery of the Green Ray Part 18

So then the oculist made her sit down again and questioned and cross-questioned her at considerable length.

"I'm puzzled, but delighted," he admitted finally. "It's strange, but it is at the same time decidedly hopeful."

"I suppose it means that she will always be able to see in a red light at any rate?" I suggested.

"Probably it does," he agreed, "and, of course, her sight may be completely restored. There is also a middle course; she may be able to see perfectly after a course of treatment in red light. I will get her a pair of red gla.s.ses made at once. We can see how that goes. But I feel that it would be advisable to introduce her to daylight in gradual stages, in case of any risk."

"Oh, if we could only find poor old Sholto!" Myra exclaimed eagerly.

Garnesk turned to her with a look of frank admiration.

"You're a lucky young dog, Ewart," he whispered to me, "by Jove you are!"

So Myra graciously, but a little regretfully I think, placed herself in the hands of the young specialist and replaced her shade. Then we left the dark-room, allowing the films to develop out on the floor, and went downstairs. We took her out on to the verandah and removed the shade for a moment, but the chill air of the highland night made her eyes smart after their unaccustomed imprisonment, and we gave up the experiment for that night.

As Garnesk and I bathed together in the morning we were both brighter and more cheerful than we had been since his arrival.

"I shall catch the train from Mallaig," he declared. "Can you take me in and meet your friend without having long to wait?"

"If you insist on going," I replied, "I can get you there in time to meet him and you will have an hour or more to wait for your train."

"Oh, so much the better! We can tell him everything and give him all the news in the interval."

"Are you still determined to go?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, "I _must_ go. It will be necessary for me to make one or two inquiries and get a pair of gla.s.ses made for Miss McLeod."

"I shall be very sorry to lose you, Garnesk," I said earnestly. "Don't you think you could write or wire for the gla.s.ses? You see, if we have come to the conclusion that this green ray is some chemical production of Nature una.s.sisted there isn't the same reason for you to leave us."

"No, that's true," he agreed, "but we were both a bit scared yesterday, old chap, and the more I think of this dog business the less I like it. It was mere conceit on my part that made me say it was bound to be some natural phenomenon merely because I couldn't understand how the effect could have been humanly produced."

"Perhaps," I suggested, "our best course would be to keep an open mind about the whole thing."

"Yes," he replied, "I'm with you entirely. And in that case my going away is not going to aggravate the effects of a natural phenomenon, while it may restrain the human agency by removing the necessity for further activity."

"Well, that's sound enough," I acquiesced; "but I shall hear from you, I hope?"

"Of course, my dear fellow," he laughed, "we're in this thing together. You'll hear from me as often as you want, and who knows what else besides. I have no intention of dropping this for a minute, Ewart. But I think I can do more if I am not on the spot. We're agreed that my presence here may be a source of danger to you all."

"Yes," I said, "I think yours is the best plan. What do you propose to do?"

"Well, to begin with, I shall devote an hour or two to knocking our panic theory on the head."

"You mean the natural phenomenon idea?"

"Precisely," said he. "I don't think that it will be able to exist very long in the light of physical knowledge--not that that is a very powerful light, but it should be strong enough for our purpose. As soon as I have convinced myself that our enemy is a mere human being I shall take such steps as I may think necessary at the time. Then, of course, I shall acquaint you with the steps that I have taken, and we shall work together and round up our man, and, figuratively speaking, make him swallow his hideous green ray."

"What sort of steps do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, that all depends," my friend answered, "on what sort of man we have to deal with. But it will certainly include providing ourselves with the necessary means of self-defence, and may run to calling in the a.s.sistance of the authorities."

"I'm not sure that the presence of the police in a quiet spot like this might not have a disastrous effect on our plans," I pointed out.

"I shouldn't worry about the police," he laughed. "I should make for the naval chaps. I'm rather pally with them just now; I'm booked up to do some work of various descriptions for the period of the war, and I think if I can give them the promise of a little fun and excitement they would be willing to help."

"Which indeed they could," I agreed readily. "Any attempt our enemy might make to get away from us would probably mean a bolt for the open sea, and a few dozen dreadnoughts would be cheerful companionship."

Garnesk laughed, and we strolled up to the house, putting the finishing touches to our toilet as we went. Shortly after breakfast we made ready for our trip to Mallaig. Myra was very anxious to come with us until I explained that we should have to wait there till we had met Dennis and seen the specialist off. She was naturally sensitive about appearing in public with the shade on, poor child, so she readily gave up the idea.

"I'm very sorry you're going, Mr. Garnesk," said Myra, as she shook hands.

"I shall see you again soon," he replied. "I have by no means finished with your case, and as soon as you report the effect of the gla.s.ses I shall send you'll see me come tripping in one afternoon, or else I shall ask you to come down to me."

"It's very good of you to take so much trouble about it," said Myra gratefully.

"Not at all," he responded lightly. "It is a pleasure, Miss McLeod, I a.s.sure you."

The old general was still more effusive of his grat.i.tude, and as he waved good-bye from the landing-stage his face was almost comically eloquent of regret.

"By the way," said Garnesk as we pa.s.sed Glasnabinnie, "don't tell Hilderman much about what has happened. We feel we can trust him, but you never know a man's propensity for talking until you know him very well."

"Right," I agreed. "I'll take care of that. We can't afford to get this talked about. It would be very painful for Myra and her father if it became the chatter of the country-side."

"Besides," Garnesk pointed out, "it will be much safer to be quiet about it. If we are dealing with men they will probably prove to be desperate men, and we don't want to run any risks that we can avoid."

"No," said I, "this is going to be quite unpleasant enough without looking for trouble."

So when we arrived in Mallaig and met Hilderman on the fish-table I was careful to remember my companion's advice.

"Ah, Mr. Ewart!" the American exclaimed in surprise, "How are you? And you, Professor? I hope your visit has proved entirely satisfactory.

How is Miss McLeod?"

"Just the same, I am sorry to say," Garnesk replied glibly. "There is no sign at all of her sight returning. I can make nothing of it whatever."

"Dear, dear, Professor!" Hilderman exclaimed, with a shake of the head. "That is very bad, very bad indeed. Haven't you even any idea as to how the poor young lady lost her sight?"

"None whatever," said Garnesk, with a hopeless little shrug. "I can't imagine anything, and I'm not above admitting that I know nothing.

There is no use my pretending I can do anything for poor Miss McLeod when I feel convinced that I can't."

"So you've given it up altogether, Mr. Garnesk?" Hilderman asked, as we strolled to the station.

"What else can I do?" the oculist replied. "I can't stop up here for ever, much as I should prefer to stay until I had done something for my patient."

"You have my sympathy, Mr. Ewart," said Hilderman in a friendly voice.

"It is a terrible blow for you all. I fervently hope that something may yet be done for the poor young lady."

"I hope so too," I answered, with a heavy sigh, but the sigh was merely a convincing response to the lead Garnesk had given me, for, as a matter of fact, I was quite certain that we had found the basis of complete cure.

"Yes," Hilderman muttered, as if thinking aloud, "it is a very terrible and strange affair altogether. Have you had any news about the dog?"