"My Dear Cousin: Death has relieved you of the task I imposed upon you.John Darrow's body is in the well in the cave on Malabar Hill, where, before this reaches you, my body will have also gone to meet it.To this fragment of paper, then, must I confide the debt of gratitude I owe to you and to him who will bear it to you, Nana Kandia.Good-bye.If I had had two hearts, I should have given you one.Do not mourn me, but rather rejoice that my struggle and its agony are over.John has already gone - one tomb shall inclose both our bodies - how could it have been better?
"LONA."
No sooner had Kandia grasped the import of this letter than he rushed with all speed to Malabar Hill, but he was too late, for scarcely had he left the house upon Lona's errand before she had sprung out of the window by which he had placed her.Ragobah's wound prevented his following her, and when he had summoned others to pursue her, the darkness had closed about her form and none knew the way she had taken.At the edge of the fatal well Kandia found a piece of paper beneath a stone and on it these words:
"Farewell, Moro and Nana, the only beings on earth I regret to leave!
- Lona."
The body was never recovered.The news of his wife's death, and the knowledge that he was the cause of it, produced an effect upon Ragobah from which he never recovered.More than twenty years have passed since then, yet from that day to this he has never been known to smile.Long before his mangled limb had healed it became evident to all who knew him that he had henceforth but one purpose in life, - revenge, and that nothing save death could turn him from his purpose, so long as his rival lived.The knowledge of this made my search for Darrow Sahib more than ever difficult from the fact that it must be prosecuted secretly.I could only learn that he had left Bombay for the interior, nothing more.My inquiries in all the Indian cities proved fruitless, and in many instances, I was informed that Ragobah had instituted a search for the same man.Ithink, in spite of my precautions, some of my agents ultimately told Ragobah of my efforts, for I found myself so closely watched by men in his interests that I was at length compelled to give up the personal conduct of the search, and to continue it through a deputy, unknown to him.All my endeavours to find the Sahib were, as you are already aware, fruitless, and, until I met you, I had no doubt Ragobah's efforts were equally unproductive.You have now all the information I can offer upon the subject.If I can be of any further service to you, you need not hesitate to command me.
As he said this he rose to depart and I promised to keep him informed of what occurred.I have nothing now to do but to await, with such patience as I can command, the arrival of the Dalmatia.
It does not seem to me altogether probable that Ragobah will return upon this boat, but if he should I shall have him arrested the moment he sets foot on shore.If he escape the net that has been woven about him, I shall be a convert to Eastern occultism and no mistake.I trust Miss Darrow is well and hopeful.I know she will religiously keep the promise she made, for she is one of those women who fully understand the nature of a covenant, and I am easier, therefore, than I otherwise could be regarding her condition.
Give her my kind regards and tell her that she may expect news of importance by my next communication.It is very late, so good-bye, until the arrival of the Dalmatia.
Your friend, GEORGE MAITLAND.
This letter was delivered one morning when Gwen, my sister Alice, and I were at breakfast.As I broke the seal I noticed that both ladies put down their knives and forks and ceased to eat.A glance at Gwen's eager face convinced me that she had no appetite for anything but my letter, and I accordingly read it aloud.When Icame to the last part of it, where Maitland referred to her, a flush, of pride I thought at the time, overspread her face, and when I had finished she said with some show of excitement, "If Mr.Maitland succeed in bringing Ragobah to justice I - I shall owe him a debt of gratitude I can never repay! It all seems like a romance, only so frightfully real.We may expect another letter in a few days, may we not? And Mr.Maitland, when may we expect him?"I replied that I thought we might reasonably expect news of importance within five or six days, and that, so far as Maitland's return was concerned, I did not look for it for as many weeks, as he would doubtless have to cope with the law's delay there, as he would if here, and to comply with many tedious formalities before the government would allow Ragobah to be brought to this country for trial.The only reply Gwen vouchsafed to this statement was a long-drawn unconscious sigh, which I interpreted as meaning, "Will it never end!"CHAPTER II
He who shakes the tree of Vengeance but harvests apples of Sodom in whose fruit of ashes he becomes buried, for the wage of the sinner is death.
There was no doubt of Ragobah's guilt in any of our minds, so that action at our end of the line seemed entirely useless, and nothing was left us but to quietly await whatever developments Maitland should disclose.We were not kept long in suspense, for in less than a week his next letter arrived.I broke its seal in the presence of Gwen and my sister who, if possible, were even more excited than Imyself.Is it to be wondered at? Here was the letter which was to tell us whether or not the murderer of John Darrow had been caught.
We felt that if Ragobah had returned to India, according to his expressed intention, there could be no doubt upon this point.But had he so returned? I read as follows:
MY DEAR DOCTOR:
The Dalmatia arrived as expected on Thursday, and on her came Ragobah.
