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Varney the Vampire by Thomas Preskett Prest

T >> Thomas Preskett Prest >> Varney the Vampire




Thus admonished, Mr. Leek was now quiet, and allowed the baron in his
own way to make what investigation he pleased concerning Anderbury
House.

The investigation was not one that could be gone over in ten minutes;
for the house was extremely extensive, and the estate altogether
presented so many features of beauty and interest, that it was
impossible not to linger over it for a considerable period of time.

The grounds were most extensive, and planted with such a regard to order
and regularity, everything being in its proper place, that it was a
pleasure to see an estate so well kept. And although the baron was not a
man who said much, it was quite evident, by what little he did utter,
that he was very well pleased with Anderbury-on-the-Mount.

"And now," said Mr. Leek, "I will do myself the pleasure, sir, of
showing your grace the subterranean passage."

At this moment a loud ring at one of the entrance gates was heard, and
upon the man who had charge of the house answering the summons for
admission, he found that it was a gentleman, who gave a card on which
was the name of Sir John Westlake, and who desired to see the premises.

"Sir John Westlake," said Mr. Leek; "oh! I recollect he did call at my
office, and say that he thought of taking Anderbury-on-the-Mount. A
gentleman of great and taste is Sir John, but I must tell him, baron,
that you have the preference if you choose to embrace it."

At this moment the stranger advanced, and when he saw the baron, he
bowed courteously, upon which Mr. Leek said,--

"I regret, Sir John, that if you should take a fancy to the place, I am
compelled first of all to give this gentleman the refusal of it."

"Certainly," said Sir John Westlake; "do not let me interfere with any
one. I have nearly made up my mind, and came to look over the property
again; but of course, if this gentleman is beforehand with me, I must be
content. I wish particularly to go down to the subterranean passage to
the beach, if it is not too much trouble."

"Trouble! certainly not, sir. Here, Davis, get some links, and we can go
at once; and as this gentleman likewise has seen everything but that
strange excavation, he will probably descend with us."

"Certainly," said the baron; "I shall have great pleasure;" and he said
it with so free and unembarrassed an air, that no one could have
believed for a moment in the possibility that such a subject of fearful
interest to him was there to be found.

The entrance from the grounds into this deep cavernous place was in a
small but neat building, that looked like a summer-house; and now,
torches being procured, and one lit, a door was opened, which conducted
at once into the commencement of the excavation; and Mr. Leek heading
the way, the distinguished party, as that gentleman loved afterwards to
call it in his accounts of the transaction, proceeded into the very
bowels of the earth, as it were, and quickly lost all traces of the
daylight.

The place did not descend by steps, but by a gentle slope, which it
required tome caution to traverse, because, being cut in the chalk,
which in some places was worn very smooth, it was extremely slippery;
but this was a difficulty that a little practice soon overcame, and as
they went on the place became more interesting every minute.

Even the baron allowed Mr. Leek to make a speech upon the occasion, and
that gentleman said,--

"You will perceive that this excavation must have been made, at a great
expense, out of the solid cliff, and in making it some of the most
curious specimens of petrifaction and fossil remains were found. You see
that the roof is vaulted, and that it is only now and then a lump of
chalk has fallen in, or a great piece of flint; and now we come to one
of the ice-wells."

They came to a deep excavation, down which they looked, and when the man
held the torch beneath its surface, they could dimly see the bottom of
it, where there was a number of large pieces of flint stone, and,
apparently, likewise, the remains of broken bottles.

"There used to be a windlass at the top of this," said Mr. Leek, "and
the things were let down in a basket. They do say that ice will keep for
two years in one of these places."

"And are there more of these excavations?" said the baron.

"Oh, dear, yes, sir; there are five or six of them for different
purposes; for when the family that used to live in Anderbury House had
grand entertainments, which they sometimes had in the summer season,
they always had a lot of men down here, cooling wines, and passing them
up from hand to hand to the house."

From the gradual slope of this passage down to the cliffs, and the
zigzag character of it, it may be well supposed that it was of
considerable extent. Indeed, Mr. Leek asserted that it was half a mile
in actual measured length.

The baron was not at all anxious to run any risk of a discovery of the
dead body which he had cast into that ice-well which was nearest to the
opening on to the beach, so, as he went on, he negatived the different
proposals that were made to look down into the excavations, and
succeeded in putting a stop to that species of inquiry in the majority
of instances, but he could not wholly do so.

Perhaps it would have been better for his purpose if he had encouraged a
look into every one of the ice-wells; for, in that case, their
similarity of appearance might have tired out Sir John Westlake before
they got to the last one; but as it was, when they reached the one down
which the body had been precipitated, he had the mortification to hear
Mr. Leek say,--

"And now, Sir John, and you, my lord baron, as we have looked at the
first of these ice wells and at none of the others, suppose we look at
the last."

The baron was afraid to say anything; because, if the body were
discovered, and identified as that of the visitor at the inn, and who
had been seen last with him, any reluctance on his part to have that
ice-well examined, might easily afterwards be construed into a very
powerful piece of circumstantial evidence against him.

He therefore merely bowed his assent, thinking that the examination
would be but a superficial one, and that, in consequence, he should
escape easily from any disagreeable consequences.

But this the fates ordained otherwise; and there seemed no hope of that
ice-well in particular escaping such an investigation as was sure to
induce some uncomfortable results.

"Davis," said Mr. Leek, "these places are not deep, you see, and I was
thinking that if you went down one of them, it would be as well; for
then you would be able to tell the gentlemen what the bottom was fairly
composed of, you understand."

"Oh, I don't mind, sir," said Davis. "I have been down one of them
before to-day, I can tell you, sir."

"I do not see the necessity," said Sir John Westlake, "exactly, of such
a thing; but still if you please, and this gentleman wishes--"

"I have no wish upon the occasion," said the baron; "and, like yourself,
cannot see the necessity."

"Oh, there is no trouble," said Mr. Leek; "and it's better, now you are
here, that you see and understand all about it. How can you get down,
Davis?"

"Why, sir, it ain't above fourteen feet altogether; so I sha'n't have
any difficulty, for I can hang by my hands about half the distance, and
drop the remainder."

As he spoke he took off his coat, and then stuck the link he carried
into a cleft of the rock, that was beside the brink of the excavation.

The baron now saw that there would be no such thing as avoiding a
discovery of the fact of the dead body being in that place, and his only
hope was, that in its descent it might have become so injured as to defy
identification.

But this was a faint hope, because he recollected that he had himself
seen the face, which was turned upwards, and the period after death was
by far too short for him to have any hope that decomposition could have
taken place even to the most limited extent.

The light, which was stuck in a niche, shed but a few inefficient rays
down into the pit, and, as the baron stood, with folded arms, looking
calmly on, he expected each moment a scene of surprise and terror would
ensue.

Nor was he wrong; for scarcely had the man plunged down into that deep
place, than he uttered a cry of alarm and terror, and shouted,--

"Murder! murder! Lift me out. There is a dead man down here, and I have
jumped upon him."

"A dead man!" cried Mr. Leek and Sir John Westlake in a breath.

"How very strange!" said the baron.

"Lend me a hand," cried Davis; "lend me a hand out; I cannot stand this,
you know. Lend me a hand out, I say, at once."

This was easier to speak of than to do, and Mr. Davis began to discover
that it was easier by far to get into a deep pit, than to get out of
one, notwithstanding that his assertion of having been down into those
places was perfectly true; but then he had met with nothing alarming,
and had been able perfectly at his leisure to scramble out the best way
he could.

Now, however, his frantic efforts to release himself from a much more
uncomfortable situation than he had imagined it possible for him to get
into, were of so frantic a nature, that he only half buried himself in
pieces of chalk, which he kept pulling down with vehemence from the
sides of the pit, and succeeded in accomplishing nothing towards his
rescue.

"Oh! the fellow is only joking," said the baron, "and amusing himself at
our expense."

But the manner in which the man cried for help, and the marked terror
which was in every tone, was quite sufficient to prove that he was not
acting; for if he were, a more accomplished mimic could not have been
found on the stage than he was.

"This is serious," said Sir John Westlake, "and cannot be allowed. Have
you any ropes here by which we can assist him from the pit? Don't be
alarmed, my man, for if there be a dead body in the pit, it can't harm
you. Take your time quietly and easily, and you will assuredly get out."

"Aye," said the baron, "the more haste, the worst speed, is an English
proverb, and in this case it will be fully exemplified. This man would
easily leave the pit, if he would have the patience, with care and
quietness, to clamber up its sides."

It would appear that Davis felt the truth of these exhortations, for
although he trembled excessively, he did begin to make some progress in
his ascent, and get so high, that Mr. Leek was enabled to get hold of
his hand, and give him a little assistance, so that, in another minute
or so, he was rescued from his situation, which was not one of peril,
although it was certainly one of fright.

He trembled so excessively, and stuttered and stammered, that for some
minutes no one could understand very well what he said; but at length,
upon making himself intelligible, he exclaimed,--

"There has been a murder! there has been a murder committed, and the
body thrown into the ice pit. I felt that I jumped down upon something
soft, and when I put down my hand to feel what it was, it came across a
dead man's face, and then, of course, I called out."

"You certainly did call out."

"Yes, and so would anybody, I think, under such circumstances. I suppose
I shall be hung now, because I had charge of the house?"

"That did not strike me until this moment," said the baron; "but if
there be a dead body in that pit, it certainly places this man in a very
awkward position."

"What the deuce do you mean?" said Davis; "I don't know no more about it
than the child unborn. There is a dead man in the ice-well, and that is
all I know about it; but whether he has been there a long time, or a
short time, I don't know any more than the moon, so it's no use
bothering me about it."

"My good man," said the baron, "it would be very wrong indeed to impute
to you any amount of criminality in this business, since you may be
entirely innocent; and I, for one, believe that you are so, for I cannot
think that any guilty man would venture into the place where he had put
the body of his victim, in the way that you ventured into that pit. I
say I cannot believe it possible, and therefore I think you innocent,
and will take care to see that no injustice is done you; but at the same
time I cannot help adding, that I think, of course, you will find
yourself suspected in some way."

"I am very much obliged to you, sir," said Davis; "but as I happen to be
quite innocent, I am very easy about it, and don't care one straw what
people say. I have not been in this excavation for Heaven knows how
long."

"But what's to be done?" said Mr. Leek. "I suppose it's our duty to do
something, under such circumstances."

"Unquestionably," said the baron; "and the first thing to be done, is to
inform the police of what has happened, so that the body may be got up;
and as I have now seen enough of the estate to satisfy me as regards its
capabilities, I decide at once upon taking it, it I can agree upon the
conditions of the tenancy, and I will purchase it, if the price be such
as I think suitable."

"Well," said Mr. Leek, "if anything could reconcile me to the
extraordinary circumstance that has just occurred, it certainly is,
baron, the having so desirable a tenant for Anderbury-on-the-Mount as
yourself. But we need not traverse all this passage again, for it is
much nearer now to get out upon the sea-coast at once, as we are so
close to the other opening upon the beach. It seems to me that we ought
to proceed at once to the town, and give information to the authorities
of the discovery which we have made."

"It is absolutely necessary," said the baron, "so to do; so come along
at once. I shall proceed to my inn, and as, of course, I have seen
nothing more than yourselves, and consequently could only repeat your
evidence, I do not see that my presence is called for. Nevertheless, of
course, if the justices think it absolutely necessary that I should
appear, I can have no possible objection to so do."

This was as straightforward as anything that could be desired, and,
moreover, it was rather artfully put together, for it seemed to imply
that he, Mr. Leek, would be slighted, if his evidence was not considered
sufficient.

"Of course," said Mr. Leek; "I don't see at all why, as you, sir, have
only the same thing to say as myself, I should not be sufficient."

"Don't call upon me on any account," said Sir John Westlake.

"Oh! no, no," cried Mr. Leek; "there is no occasion. I won't, you may
depend, if it can be helped."

Sir John, in rather a nervous and excited manner, bade them good day,
before they got quite into the town, and hurried off; while the baron,
with a dignified bow, when he reached the door of his hotel, said to Mr.
Leek,--

"Of course I do not like the trouble of judicial investigations more
than anybody else, and therefore, unless it is imperatively necessary
that I should appear, I shall take it as a favour to be released from
such a trouble."

"My lord baron," said Mr. Leek, "you may depend that I shall mention
that to the magistrates and the coroner, and all those sort of people;"
and then Mr. Leek walked away, but he muttered to himself, as he did so,
"They will have him, as sure as fate, just because he is a baron; and
his name will look well in the 'County Chronicle.'"

Mr. Leek then repaired immediately to the house of one of the principal
magistrates, and related what had occurred, to the great surprise of
that gentleman, who suggested immediately the propriety of making the
fact known to the coroner of the district, as it was more his business,
than a magistrate's, in the first instance, since nobody was accused of
the offence.

This suggestion was immediately followed, and that functionary directed
that the body should be removed from where it was to the nearest
public-house, and immediately issued his precept for an inquiry into the
case.

By this time the matter had begun to get bruited about in the town, and
of course it went from mouth to mouth with many exaggerations; and
although it by no means did follow that a murder had been committed
because a dead body had been found, yet, such was the universal
impression; and the matter began to be talked about as the murder in the
subterranean passage leading to Anderbury House, with all the gusto
which the full particulars of some deed of blood was calculated to
inspire. And how it spread about was thus:--

The fact was, that Mr. Leek was so anxious to let Anderbury-on-the-Mount
to the rich Baron Stolmuyer, of Saltzburgh, that he got a friend of his
to come and personate Sir John Westlake, while he, the baron, was
looking at the premises, in order to drive him at once to a conclusion
upon the matter; so that what made Sir John so very anxious that he
should not be called forward in the matter, consisted in the simple fact
that he was nothing else than plain Mr. Brown, who kept a hatter's shop
in the town; but he could not keep his own counsel, and, instead of
holding his tongue, as he ought to have done, about the matter, he told
it to every one he met, so that in a short time it was generally known
that something serious and startling had occurred in the subterranean
passage to Anderbury House, and a great mob of persons thronged the
beach in anxious expectation of getting more information on the matter.

The men, likewise, who had been ordered by the coroner to remove the
body, soon reached the spot, and they gave an increased impetus to the
proceedings, by opening the door of the subterranean passage, and then
looking earnestly along the beach as if in expectation of something or
somebody of importance.

When eagerly questioned by the mob, for the throng of persons now
assembled quite amounted to a mob, to know what they waited for, one of
them said,--

"A coffin was to have been brought down to take the body in."

This announcement at once removed anything doubtful that might be in the
minds of any of them upon the subject, and at once proclaimed the fact
not only that there was a dead body, but that if they looked out they
would see it forthwith.

The throng thickened, and by the time two men were observed approaching
with a coffin on their shoulders, there was scarcely anybody left in the
town, except a few rare persons, indeed, who were not so curious as
their neighbours.

It was not an agreeable job, even to those men who were not the most
particular in the world, to be removing so loathsome a spectacle as that
which they were pretty sure to encounter in the ice-well; but they did
not shrink from it, and, by setting about it as a duty, they got through
it tolerably well.

They took with them several large torches, and then, one having
descended into the pit, fastened a rope under the arms of the dead man,
and so he was hauled out, and placed in the shell that was ready to
receive him.

They were all surprised at the fresh and almost healthful appearance of
the countenance, and it was quite evident to everybody that if any one
had known him in life, they could not have the least possible difficulty
in recognising him now that he was no more.

And the only appearance of injury which he exhibited was in that
dreadful wound which had certainly proved his death, and which was
observable in his throat the moment they looked upon him.

[Illustration]

The crush to obtain a sight of the body was tremendous at the moment it
was brought out, and a vast concourse of persons followed it in
procession to the town, where the greatest excitement prevailed. It was
easily discovered that no known person was missing, and some who had
caught a sight of the body, went so far as to assert that it must have
been in the ice-well for years, and that the extreme cold had preserved
it in all its original freshness.

The news, of course, came round, although not through the baron, for he
did not condescend to say one word about it at the inn, and it was the
landlord who first started the suggestion of--"What suppose it is the
gentleman who left his horse here?"

This idea had no sooner got possession of his brain, than it each moment
seemed to him to assume a more reasonable and tangible form, and without
saying any more to any one else about it, he at once started off to
where the body lay awaiting an inquest, to see if his suspicions were
correct.

When he arrived at the public-house and asked to see the body, he was at
once permitted to do so; for the landlord knew him, and was as curious
as he could be upon the subject by any possibility. One glance, of
course, was sufficient, and the landlord at once said,--

"Yes, I have seen him before, though I don't know his name. He came to
my house last night, and left his horse there; and, although I only saw
him for a moment as he passed through the hall, I am certain I am not
mistaken. I dare say all my waiters will recognise him, as well as the
Baron Stolmuyer of Saltzburgh, who is staying with me, and who no doubt
knows very well who he is, for he went out with him late and came home
alone, and I ordered one of my men to wait up all night in order to let
in this very person who is now lying dead before us."

"The deuce you did! But you don't suppose the baron murdered him, do
you?"

"It's a mystery to me altogether--quite a profound mystery. It's very
unlikely, certainly; and what's the most extraordinary part of the whole
affair is, how the deuce could he come into one of the ice-wells
belonging to Anderbury House. That's what puzzles me altogether."

"Well, it will all come out, I hope, at the inquest, which is to be held
at four o'clock to day. There must have been foul play somewhere, but
the mystery is where, and that Heaven only knows, perhaps."

"I shall attend," said the landlord, "of course, to identify him; and I
suppose, unless anybody claims the horse, I may as well keep possession
of it."

"Don't you flatter yourself that you will get the horse out of the
transaction. Don't you know quite well that the government takes
possession of everything as don't belong to nobody?"

"Yes; but I have got him, and possession, you know, is nine points of
the law."

"It may be so; but their tenth point will get the better of you for all
that. You take my word for it, the horse will be claimed of you; but I
don't mind, as an old acquaintance, putting you up to a dodge."

"In what way?"

"Why, I'll tell you what happened with a friend of mine; but don't think
it was me for if it was I would tell you at once, so don't think it. He
kept a country public-house; and, one day, an elderly gentleman came in,
and appeared to be unwell. He just uttered a word or two, and then
dropped down dead. He happened to have in his fob a gold repeater, that
was worth, at least a hundred guineas, and my friend, before anybody
came, took it out, and popped in, in its stead, an old watch that he
had, which was not worth a couple of pounds."

"It was running a risk."

"It was; but it turned out very well, because the old gentleman happened
to be a very eccentric person, and was living alone, so that his friends
really did not know what he had, or what he had not, but took it for
granted that any watch produced belonged to him. So, if I were you in
this case, when the gentleman's horse is claimed. I'd get the d--dest
old screw I could, and let them have that."

"You would?"

"Indeed would I, and glory in it, too, as the very best thing that could
be done. Now, a horse is of use to you?"

"I believe ye, it is."

"Exactly; but what's the use of it to government? and, what's more, if
it went to the government, there might be some excuse; but the
government will know no more about it, and make not so much as I shall.
Some Jack-in-office will lay hold of it as a thing of course and a
perquisite, when you might just as well, and a great deal better, too,
keep it yourself, for it would do you some good, as you say, and none to
them."

"I'll do it; it is a good and a happy thought. There is no reason on
earth why I shouldn't do it, and I will. I have made up my mind to it
now."

"Well, I am glad you have. What do you think now the dead man's horse is
worth?"

"Oh! fifty or sixty guineas value."

"Then very good. Then, when the affair is all settled, I will trouble
you for twenty pounds.

"You?"

"Yes, to be sure. Who else do you suppose is going to interfere with
you? One is enough, ain't it, at a time; and I think, after giving you
such advice as I have, that I am entitled, at all events, to something."

"I tell you what," said the landlord of the hotel, "taking all things
into consideration, I have altered my mind rather, and won't do it."

"Very good. You need not; only mind, if you do, I am down upon you like
a shot."

The excitement contingent upon the inquest was very great; indeed, the
large room in the public-house, where it was held, was crowded to
suffocation with persons who were anxious to be present at the
proceedings. When the landlord reached home, of course he told his
guest, the baron, of the discovery he had made, that the murdered man
was the strange visitor of the previous night; for now, from the
frightful wound he had received in his throat, the belief that he was
murdered became too rational a one to admit of any doubts, and was that
which was universally adopted in preference to any other suggestion upon
the occasion; although, no doubt, people would be found who would not
scruple to aver that he had cut his own throat, after making his way
into the well belonging to Anderbury House.

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