Detective and mystery stories; England -- Fiction; Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction
The girl looked puzzled. "My name is Mavis Durham," she said simply.
Haskins knew that he was awake, for he had grazed his knee while
climbing and the pain assured him of material existence. Otherwise, he
would certainly have believed that the whole thing was a delicious
dream. But on looking downward more intently he saw that, although the
image of Charity in physical appearance, this girl who declared
herself to be Mavis Durham had a more spiritual look on her face. Her
eyes were turquoise-blue like the dancer's: she possessed the same
wonderful hair, the color of ripe corn, about which Miss Bird's
admirers raved, and her features were cast in the same classic mold;
but she had a mystical, etherial, evanescent look about her, which
hinted at more spirituality than was apparent in Charity's
pronouncedly material charms. It might have been the dying light of
the evening, or the exalted state of mind consequent on emotion, that
raised Gerald to a high plane, but the girl looked as though she would
vanish like a wreath of mist under the influence of the newly risen
sun.
The resemblance between Mavis and Charity was certainly marvelous, and
Haskins could not account for the similarity; but after a long and
searching look he became certain that the girls were two different
flesh and blood human beings, and not one, as he had momentarily
supposed. On acquiring this assurance in his innermost being the young
man drew a breath of relief, since Charity was more or less engaged to
Tod, and he did not wish to poach on Tod's preserves. The question of
the resemblance he determined swiftly to leave to a later date for
answer, and meanwhile surrendered himself entirely to the incredible
romance of the adventure. Surely no more poetic happening had taken
place since King Cophetua had gone a-wooing his Beggar Maid.
But by the time his reflections had reached this point the Princess of
Fairyland--for that she certainly was--betrayed excitement and
uneasiness, waving her hands to intimate that he should hide behind
the ruddy leaves of a copper beech, which over topped the wall and
leaned against it. "Bellaria will catch you," called up Mavis softly,
"and then I'll never see you again. Get behind the beech. I'll return
soon."
She sped lightly away, while Haskins, still trying to assure himself
that he was not dreaming, shuffled along the wall until he gained the
covert of the spreading branches. Here he was safe from any espial,
and while Mavis was absent he gently parted the leaves to view her
enchanted palace, whither she had called him. A phonograph and
Fairyland! it was an odd mixture of poetry and science. A page with a
silken-bound parchment; a dragon-chariot to waft a mortal prince to a
spellbound queen; these were natural in the circumstances. But to be
summoned by a phonograph! Why, it linked the age of motor cars with
that of King Arthur.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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