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And so the first stage of Rupert Sent Leger's inheritance iscompletedThe next step will not have to be undertaken on my partuntil the expiration of six months from his entry on his estate atVissarionAs he announces his intention of going within afortnight, this will mean practically a little over six months fromnow

BOOK II: VISSARION

_Letter froer_, _Castle of Vissarion_, _the Spear ofIvan_, _Land of the Blue Mountains_, _to Miss Janet MacKelpie_, _CroomCastle_, _Ross-shire_, _NB_

_January_ 23, 1907

MY DEAREST AUNT JANET,

As you see, I aot my for arrival to Sir Colin andMr Trent are lying sealed in front of o before yours)--I am free to speak to you

This is a most lovely place, and I hope you will like itI a from Trieste toDurazzoI knew the locality from the chart, and it was pointed outto me by one of the officers hom I had beco places whenever we got withinsight of shoreThe Spear of Ivan, on which the Castle stands, is aheadland running well out into the seaIt is quite a peculiarplace--a sort of headland on a headland, jutting out into a deep,wide bay, so that, though it is a promontory, it is as far away fro you can conceiveThe e of , a mass of sapphire blueI can wellunderstand how the country came to be called the "Land of the BlueMountains," for it is all nificent--what is called "iron-bound"--being allrocky; so spursof rock; again little rocky islets, now and again clad with trees andverdure, at other places stark and bareElsewhere are little rockybays and indentations--always rock, and often with long, interestingcavesSoes ofbeautiful pebbles, where the waves make endless murmur

But of all the places I have seen--in this land or any other--themost absolutely beautiful is VissarionIt stands at the ultimatepoint of the promontory--I mean the little, or, rather, lesserproeForthe lesser promontory or extension of thethe sea-front is not less than acouple of hundred feet highThat point of rock is really verypeculiarI think Da--or, rather, house-_building_--have intended to give herlittle child, man, a rudimentary lesson in self-protectionIt isjust a natural bastion such as a titanic Vauban nedin primeval timesSo far as the Castle is concerned, it is alonevisible fro could see only thatfrowning wall of black rock, of vast height and perpendicularsteepnessEven the old fortifications which crown it are not built,but cut in the solid rockA long narrow creek of very deep water,walled in by high, steep cliffs, runs in behind the Castle, bendingnorth and west, eInto the creekfalls over a precipice a mountain-stream, which never fails in volumeof waterOn the western shore of that creek is the Castle, a hugepile of buildings of every style of architecture, fros seemed to stop in this dear old-worldland--about the time of Queen ElizabethSo it is prettypicturesqueI can tell youWhen we got the first glimpse of theplace froe,pointed towards it and said:

"That is wherethe dead wo, so I asked hi from an Italian paper, which he handed to meAs I can read and speak Italian fairly well, it was all right; but asyou, es, and as I doubtif there is any assistance of the kind to be had at Croom, I do notsend itBut as I have heard that the item has been produced in thelast number of _The Journal of Occultiset itAs he handedhe said: "I aood many questions about itHe answeredstoutly to the e,no drea"We were four in all who sawit," he said--"three frolishreed esawCaptain Mirolani and Falaoodtrilasses, which are lasses for the east shore of theAdriatic and for a the islands to the southThere was a fullhtOf course ere a little way off, forthough the Spear of Ivan is in deep water, one has to be careful ofcurrents, for it is in just such places that the dangerous currentsrun"The agent of Lloyd's told ed investigation of the tidal and sea currentsthat the house decided to except from ordinary sea risks losses dueto a too close course by the Spear of IvanWhen I tried to get alittle more definite account of the coffin-boat and the dead ladythat is given in _The Journal of Occultisnor, it is all," he said"That English"

So you see, my dear, that our new home is not without superstitiousinterests of its ownIt is rather a nice idea, is it not, to have adead wo round our promontory in a coffin?I doubt ifeven at Croom you can beat that"Makes the place kind of homey," asan American would sayWhen you come, Aunt Janet, you will not feellonesosohosts to make you feel at hoht ask the stiff to come to tea withusOf course, it would be a late teaSohtand cock-croould be about the etiquette of the thing, I fancy!

But I must tell you all the realities of the Castle and around itSo I rite again within a day or two, and try to let you knowenough to prepare you for co hereTill then adieu, my dear

Your lovingRUPERT

_Froer_, _Vissarion_, _to Janet MacKelpie_, _Croom_

_January_ 25, 1907

I hope I did not frighten you, dear Aunt Janet, by the yarn of thelady in the coffinBut I know you are not afraid; you have told metoo many weird stories for ht--latent, at all eventsHowever, there won't be anyhosts, in this letterI want to tell you allabout our new hoinning to feel so lonesohts drifting in such an odd wayIf I didn't knowbetter, I in to think I was in love!There is no one hereto be in love with; so make your mind easy, Aunt JanetNot that youwould be unhappy, I know, dear, if I _did_ fall in loveI suppose Imust marry some dayIt is a duty now, I knohen there is such anestate as Uncle Roger has left meAnd I know this: I shall neverht sure that if I dolove her you will love her, too, Aunt Janet!Won't you, dear?Itwouldn't be half a delight if you didn'tIt won't if you don'tThere, now!