Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Beetle-Hunter
Ihaveengagedacarriage,forIamparticularlyanxioustoimpressoneortwothingsuponyouwhilewetraveldown."
Andyetallthathehadtoimpressuponmemighthavebeensaidinasentence,foritwasthatIwastorememberthatIwasthereasaprotectiontohimself,andthatIwasnotonanyconsiderationtoleavehimforaninstant.Thisherepeatedagainandagainasourjourneydrewtoaclose,withaninsistencewhichshowedthathisnerveswerethoroughlyshaken.
"Yes,"hesaidatlast,inanswertomylooksratherthantomywords,"IAMnervous,Dr.Hamilton.Ihavealwaysbeenatimidman,andmytimiditydependsuponmyfrailphysicalhealth.Butmysoulisfirm,andIcanbringmyselfuptofaceadangerwhichaless-nervousmanmightshrinkfrom.WhatIamdoingnowisdonefromnocompulsion,butentirelyfromasenseofduty,andyetitis,beyonddoubt,adesperaterisk.Ifthingsshouldgowrong,Iwillhavesomeclaimstothetitleofmartyr."
Thiseternalreadingofriddleswastoomuchforme.IfeltthatImustputatermtoit.
"Ithinkitwouldverymuchbetter,sir,ifyouweretotrustmeentirely,"saidI."Itisimpossibleformetoacteffectively,whenIdonotknowwhataretheobjectswhichwehaveinview,orevenwherewearegoing."
"Oh,astowherewearegoing,thereneedbenomysteryaboutthat,"saidhe;"wearegoingtoDelamereCourt,theresidenceofSirThomasRossiter,withwhoseworkyouaresoconversant.Astotheexactobjectofourvisit,Idonotknowthatatthisstageoftheproceedingsanythingwouldbegained,Dr.
