The Ancient Allan | Page 7

both destroys and buries Ragnall
so effectually that nothing of him is ever seen again: he just vanishes
into another man's grave and remains there.
A common sort of catastrophe enough, it is true, though people of
superstitious mind might have thought that it looked as though the
goddess, or whatever force was behind the goddess, was working
vengeance on the man who desecrated her ancient shrine. And, by the
way, though I cannot remember whether or no I mentioned it in "The
Ivory Child," I recall that the old priest of the Kendah, Harût, once told
me he was sure Ragnall would meet with a violent death. This seemed
likely enough in that country under our circumstances there, still I
asked him why. He answered,
"Because he has laid hands on that which is holy and not meant for
man," and he looked at Lady Ragnall.
I remarked that all women were holy, whereon he replied that he did
not think so and changed the subject.
Well, Ragnall, who had married the lady who once served as the last
priestess of Isis upon earth, was killed, whereas she, the priestess, was
almost miraculously preserved from harm. And--oh! the whole story
was deuced odd and that is all. Poor Ragnall! He was a great English
gentleman and one whom when first I knew him, I held to be the most
fortunate person I ever met, endowed as he was with every advantage
of mind, body and estate. Yet in the end this did not prove to be the
case. Well, while he lived he was a good friend and a good fellow and
none can hope for a better epitaph in a world where all things are soon

forgotten.
And now, what was I to do? To tell the truth I did not altogether desire
to reopen this chapter in past history, or to have to listen to painful
reminiscences from the lips of a bereaved woman. Moreover, beautiful
as she had been, for doubtless she was /passée/ now, and charming as
of course she remained--I do not think I ever knew anyone who was
quite so charming--there was something about Lady Ragnall which
alarmed me. She did not resemble any other woman. Of course no
woman is ever quite like another, but in her case the separateness, if I
may so call it, was very marked. It was as though she had walked out of
a different age, or even world, and been but superficially clothed with
the attributes of our own. I felt that from the first moment I set eyes
upon her and while reading her letter the sensation returned with added
force.
Also for me she had a peculiar attraction and not one of the ordinary
kind. It is curious to find oneself strangely intimate with a person of
whom after all one does not know much, just as if one really knew a
great deal that was shut off by a thin but quite impassable door. If so, I
did not want to open that door for who could tell what might be on the
other side of it? And intimate conversations with a lady in whose
company one has shared very strange experiences, not infrequently lead
to the opening of every kind of door.
Further I had made up my mind some time ago to have no more
friendships with women who are so full of surprises, but to live out the
rest of my life in a kind of monastery of men who have few surprises,
being creatures whose thoughts are nearly always open and whose
actions can always be foretold.
Lastly there was that /Taduki/ business. Well, there at any rate I was
clear and decided. No earthly power would induce me to have anything
more to do with /Taduki/ smoke. Of course I remembered that Lady
Ragnall once told me kindly but firmly that I would if she wished. But
that was just where she made a mistake. For the rest it seemed unkind
to refuse her invitation now when she was in trouble, especially as I
had once promised that if ever I could be of help, she had only to

command me. No, I must go. But if that word--/Taduki/--were so much
as mentioned I would leave again in a hurry. Moreover it would not be,
for doubtless she had forgotten all about the stuff by now, even if it
were not lost.
The end of it was that as I did not wish to write a long letter entering
into all that Lady Ragnall had told me, I sent her a telegram, saying that
if convenient to her, I would arrive at the Castle on the following
Saturday evening and adding that I must be back here on the Tuesday