Truly it was all amazing--utterly astounding.
I watched Craig's receding figure in startled wonder, holding my breath, and trying to convince myself that I had been mistaken in some resemblance.
But I was not. The man who had passed me was Edward Craig in the flesh--the man upon whose death twelve honest tradesmen of Cromer had delivered their verdict--the man who had been placed in his coffin and buried.
Was ever there incident such as this, I wondered? Had ever man met with a similar experience?
By the light of the street-lamp I saw him glance anxiously up and down that quiet, dark road. Then satisfying himself that he was unobserved, he crept in at the gate, crossed the lawn noiselessly, and peered in at the window through the chink between the windowframe and the blind.
For fully five minutes he remained with his eyes glued to the window. In the light which fell upon him I saw that his face had assumed an angry, vengeful look, and that his gloved hands were clenched.
Yes. He certainly meant mischief. He was watching her as she sat, all unconsciously, at the piano, singing the gay _chansons_ of the boulevards, "Mimi d'Amour," "Le tic-tac du Moulin," "Petit Pierre," and others, so popular in Paris at the moment.
The family of the retired excise-officer knew but little French, but they evidently enjoyed the spontaneous gaiety of the songs.
That Edward Craig, after his mysterious death, should reappear as a shadow in the night was certainly most astounding. At first I tried to convince myself that only a strong resemblance existed, but his gait, his figure, his face, the manner in which he held his cane, and the slight angle at which he wore his hat--the angle affected by those elegant young men who in these days are termed "nuts"--were all the same.
And yet, who was the man who so suddenly lost his life while masquerading in the clothes of old Gregory Vernon?
With strained eyes I watched and saw him change his position in order to obtain a better view of the interior of the room. There was no sign of Rayner, who, I supposed, had not risked following him, knowing that I was lurking close to the house.
That his intentions were evil ones I could not doubt, and yet the light shining upon his countenance revealed a strange, almost fascinated expression, as his eyes were fixed into the room, and upon her without a doubt.