The Secrets of Dr. Taverner Read Free Page A

the greenhouses at shutting-up time last night," she declared. "I recognized him by his flat cap and grey uniform."
     
    I mentioned this to Taverner.
     
    "Tell Craigie he is on no account to go out after sundown," he said, "and tell Miss Wynter she had better keep away for the present."
     
    A night or two later, as I was strolling round the grounds smoking an after-dinner cigarette, I met Craigie hurrying through the shrubbery.
     
    "You will have Dr. Taverner on your trail," I called after him.
     
    "I missed the post-bag," he replied, "and I am going down to the pillar-box."
     
    Next evening I again found Craigie in the grounds after dark. I bore down on him.
     
    "Look here, Craigie," I said, "if you come to this place you must keep the rules, and Dr. Taverner wants you to stay indoors after sundown."
     
    Craigie bared his teeth and snarled at me like a dog. I took him by the arm and marched him into the house and reported the incident to Taverner.
     
    "The creature has re-established its influence over him," he said. `We cannot evidently starve it out of existence by keeping it away from him; we shall have to use other methods. Where is Craigie at the present moment?"
     
    "Playing the piano in the drawing-room," I replied. "Then we will go up to his room and unseal it." As I followed Taverner upstairs he said to me: "Did it ever occur to you to wonder why Craigie jibbed on the doorstep?"
     
    "I paid no attention," I said. "Such a thing is common enough with mental cases."
     
    "There is a sphere of influence, a kind of psychic bell jar, over this house to keep out evil entities, what might in popular language be called a `spell.' Craigie's familiar could not come inside, and did not like being left behind. I thought we might be able to tire it out by keeping Craigie away from its influences, but it has got too strong a hold over him, and he deliberately co-operates with it. Evil communications corrupt good manners, and you can't keep company with a thing like that and not be tainted, especially if you are a sensitive Celt like Craigie."
     
    When we reached the room Taverner went over to the window and passed his hand across the sill, as if sweeping something aside.
     
    "There," he said. "It can come in now and fetch him out, and we will see what it does."
     
    At the doorway he paused again and made a sign on the lintel.
     
    "I don't think it will pass that," he said.
     
    When I returned to the office I found the village policeman waiting to see me.
     
    "I should be glad if you would keep an eye on your dog, sir," he said. `We have been having complaints of sheepkilling lately, and whatever animal is doing it is working in a three-mile radius with this as the centre."
     
    "Our dog is an Airedale," I said. "I should not think he is likely to be guilty. It is usually collies that take to sheepkilling."
     
    At eleven o'clock we turned out the lights and herded our patients off to bed. At Taverner's request I changed into an old suit and rubber-soled tennis shoes and joined him in the smoking-room, which was under Craigie's bedroom. We sat in the darkness awaiting events.
     
    "I don't want you to do anything," said Taverner, "but just to follow and see what happens."
     
    We had not long to wait.
     
    In about a quarter-of-an-hour we heard a rustling in the creepers, and down came Craigie hand over fist, swinging himself along by the great ropes of wisteria that clothed the wall. As he disappeared into the shrubbery I slipped after him, keeping in the shadow of the house.
     
    He moved at a stealthy dog-trot over the heather paths towards Frensham.
     
    At first I ran and ducked, taking advantage of every patch of shadow, but presently I saw that this caution was unnecessary. Craigie was absorbed in his own affairs, and thereupon I drew closer to him, following at a distance of some sixty yards.
     
    He moved at a swinging pace, a kind of loping trot that put me in mind of a bloodhound. The wide, empty levels