The Keeper of the Door

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Keeper of the Door, by Ethel M. Dell This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Keeper of the Door Author: Ethel M. Dell Release Date: February 10, 2005 [EBook #15013] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KEEPER OF THE DOOR *** Produced by Suzanne Shell, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. THE KEEPER OF THE DOOR By ETHEL M. DELL AUTHOR OF "The Way of an Eagle," "The Knave of Diamonds," "The Rocks of Valpre," Etc. A.L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by Arrangements with G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS, 1915 BY ETHEL M. DELL Fourth Impression BY ETHEL M. DELL The Way of an Eagle The Knave of Diamonds The Rocks of Valpré The Swindler The Keeper of the Door Bars of Iron Rosa Mundi The Obstacle Race Tetherstones The Passerby and Other Stories The Hundredth Chance The Safety Curtain Greatheart The Lamp in the Desert The Tidal Wave The Top of the World The Odds and Other Stories Charles Rex The Unknown Quantity A Man Under Authority This edition is issued under arrangement with the publishers G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS, NEW YORK AND LONDON The Knickerbocker Press, New York Made in the United States of AmericaI DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THE DEAR MEMORY OF ONE WHO WAITS BEYOND THE DOOR FOR THOSE HE LOVES "And the keepers before the door kept the prison." Acts xii. 6. "A deep below the deep And a height beyond the height! Our hearing is not hearing, And our seeing is not sight." The Voice and the Peak. ALFRED TENNYSON.CONTENTS PART ONE CHAPTER PAGE I. THE LESSON 1 II. THE ALLY 16 III. THE OBSTACLE 27 IV. THE SETTING OF THE WATCH 37 V. THE CHAPERON 47 VI. THE PAIN-KILLER 62 VII. THE PUZZLE 74 VIII. THE ELASTIC BOND 86 IX. THE PROJECT 97 X. THE DOOR 108 XI. THE IMPOSSIBLE 120 XII. THE PAL 129 XIII. HER FATE 149 XIV. THE DARK HOUR 155 XV. THE AWAKENING 167 XVI. SECRETS 177 XVII. THE VERDICT 189 XVIII. SOMETHING LOST 198 XIX. THE REVELATION 205 XX. THE SEARCH 217 XXI. ON THE BRINK 228 XXII. OVER THE EDGE 235 XXIII. AS GOOD AS DEAD 243 XXIV. THE OPENING OF THE DOOR 252 XXV. THE PRICE 264 PART TWO I. COURTSHIP 281 II. THE SELF-INVITED GUEST 287 III. THE NEW LIFE 297 IV. THE PHANTOM 305 V. THE EVERLASTING CHAIN 317 VI. CHRISTMAS MORNING 327 VII. THE WILDERNESS OF NASTY POSSIBILITIES 340VIII. THE SOUL OF A HERO 350 IX. THE MAN WITH THE GUN 357 X. A TALK IN THE OPEN 367 XI. THE FAITHFUL WOUND OF A FRIEND 376 XII. A LETTER FROM AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE 390 XIII. A WOMAN'S PREJUDICE 403 XIV. SMOKE FROM THE FIRE 414 XV. THE SPREADING OF THE FLAME 426 XVI. THE GAP 437 XVII. THE EASIEST COURSE 452 XVIII. ONE MAN'S LOSS 462 XIX. A FIGHT WITHOUT A FINISH 472 XX. THE POWER OF THE ENEMY 487 XXI. THE GATHERING STORM 503 XXII. THE REPRIEVE 510 XXIII. THE GIFT OF THE RAJAH 518 XXIV. THE BIG, BIG GAME OF LIFE 528 XXV. MEMORIES THAT HURT 537 XXVI. A FOOL'S ERRAND 548 XXVII. LOVE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE 556 XXVIII. A SOLDIER AND A GENTLEMAN 570 XXIX. THE MAN'S POINT OF VIEW 578 XXX. THE LINE OF RETREAT 588PART I CHAPTER I THE LESSON "Then he's such a prig!" said Olga. "You should never use a word you can't define," observed Nick, from the depths of the hammock in which his meagre person reposed at length. She made a face at him, and gave the hammock a vicious twitch which caused him to rock with some violence for several seconds. As he was wont pathetically to remark, everyone bullied him because he was small and possessed only one arm, having shed the other by inadvertence somewhere on the borders of the Indian Empire. Certainly Olga—his half-brother's eldest child—treated him with scant respect, though she never allowed anyone else to be other than polite to him in her hearing. But then she and Nick had been pals from the beginning of things, and this surely entitled her to a certain licence in her dealings with him. Nick, too, was such a darling; he never minded anything. Having duly punished him for snubbing her, she returned with serenity to the work upon her lap. "You see," she remarked thoughtfully, "the worst of it is he really is a bit of a genius. And one can't sit on genius—with comfort. It sort of flames out where you least expect it." "Highly unpleasant, I should think," agreed Nick. "Yes; and he has such a disgusting fashion of behaving as if—as if one were miles beneath his notice," proceeded Olga. "And I'm not a chicken, you know, Nick, I'm twenty." "A vast age!" said Nick. For which remark she gave him another jerk which set him swinging like a pendulum. "Well, I've got a little sense anyhow," she remarked. "But not much," said Nick. "Or you would know that that sort of treatment after muffins for tea is calculated to produce indigestion in a very acute form, peculiarly distressing to the beholder." "Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot the muffins." Olga laid a restraining hand upon the hammock. "But do you like him, Nick? Honestly now!" "My dear child, I never like anyone till I've seen him at his worst. Drawing-room manners never attract me." "But this man hasn't got any manners at all," objected Olga. "And he's so horribly satirical. It's like having a stinging-nettle in the house. I believe—just because he's clever in his own line—that he's been spoilt. As if everybody couldn't do something!" "Ah! That's the point," said Nick sententiously. "Everybody can, but it isn't everybody who does. Now this young man apparently knows how to make the most of his opportunities. He plays a rattling hand at bridge, by the way." "I wonder if he cheats," said Olga. "I'm sure he's quite unscrupulous." Nick turned his head, and surveyed her from under his restless eyelids. "I begin to think you must be falling in love with the young man," he observed. "Don't be absurd, Nick!" Olga did not even trouble to look up. She was stitching with neat rapidity. "I'm not. That's just how my wife fell in love with me. I assure you it often begins that way." Nick shook his head wisely. "I should take steps to be nice to him if I were you, before the mischief spreads." Olga tossed her head. She was slightly flushed. "I shall never make a fool of myself over any man, Nick," she said. "I'm quite determined on that point." "Dear, dear!" said Nick. "How old did you say you were?" "I am woman enough to know my own mind," said Olga. "Heaven forbid!" said Nick. "You wouldn't be a woman at all if you did that." "I don't think you are a good judge on that subject, Nick," remarked his niece judiciously. "In fact, even Dr. Wyndhamknows better than that. I assure you the antipathy is quite mutual. He regards everyone who isn't desperately ill as superfluous and uninteresting. He was absolutely disappointed the other day because, when I slipped on the stairs, I didn't break any bones." "What a fiend!" said Nick. "And yet Dad likes him," said Olga. "I can't understand it. The poor people like him too in a way. Isn't it odd? They seem to have such faith in him." "I believe Jim has faith in him," remarked Nick. "He wouldn't turn him loose on his patients if he hadn't." "Of course, Sir Kersley Whitton recommended him," conceded Olga. "And he is an absolutely wonderful man, Dad says. He calls him the greatest medicine-man in England. He took up Max Wyndham years ago, when he was only a medical student. And he has been like a father to him ever since. In fact, I don't believe Dr. Wyndham would ever have come here if Sir Kersley hadn't made him. He was overworked and wouldn't take a rest, so Sir Kersley literally forced him to come and be Dad's assistant for a while. He told Dad that he was too brilliant a man to stay long in the country, and Dad gathered that he contemplated making him his own partner in the course of time. The sooner the better, I should say. He obviously thinks himself quite thrown away on the likes of us." "Altogether he seems to be a very interesting young man," said Nick. "I must really cultivate his acquaintance. Is he going to be present to-night?" "Oh, I suppose so. It's a great drawback having him living in the house. You see, being his hostess, I have to be more or less civil to him. It's very horrid," said Olga, upon whom, in consequence of her mother's death three years before, the duties of housekeeper had devolved. "And Dad is so fearfully strict too. He won't let me be the least little bit rude, though he is often quite rude himself. You know Dad." "I know him," said Nick. "He's licked me many a time, bless his heart, and richly I deserved it. Help me to get out of this like a good kid! I see James the Second and the twins awaiting me on the tennis-court. I promised them a sett after tea." He rolled on to his feet with careless agility, his one arm encircling his young niece's shoulders. "I shouldn't worry if I were you," protested Olga. "It's much too hot. Don't waste your energies amusing the children! They can quite well play about by themselves." "And get up to mischief," said Nick. "No, I'm on the job, overlooking the whole crowd of you, and I'll do it thoroughly. When old Jim comes home he'll find a model household awaiting him. By the way, I had a letter from him this afternoon. The kiddie is stronger already, and Muriel as happy as a queen. I shall hear from her to-morrow." "Don't you wish you were with them?" questioned Olga. "It would be much more fun than staying here to chaperone me." Nick looked quizzical. "Oh, there's plenty of fun to be had out of that too," he assured her. "I take a lively interest in you, my child; always have." "You're a darling," said Olga, raising her face impulsively. "I shall write and tell Dad what care you are taking of us all." She kissed him warmly and let him go, smiling at the tuneless humming that accompanied his departure. Who at a casual