The Claverton Affair by John Rhode

Author:John Rhode
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Dr Priestley and Oldland left the house in silence, and entered the car. Oldland seemed to feel the cold. He shivered, and wrapped the fur rug tightly round himself. And then suddenly he swore. “Damn it!” he exclaimed. “If there’s anything in demoniacal possession, that old woman’s an example of it!”

That Oldland’s nerves had received a violent shock would have been apparent to a less acute observer than Dr Priestley. He shivered convulsively at intervals, and his eyes, magnified by his powerful spectacles, had a queer, wandering look. It could hardly be supposed that a doctor of his ability and experience would be disturbed by a mere spiritualistic seance, however impressively staged. Dr Priestley guessed that it was that mysterious reference to his wife which had so completely thrown him off his balance.

But of this he said nothing. “Mrs Littlecote?” he replied. “A most remarkable personality. I am quite sure that she would repay very careful study. I must confess to having spent a thoroughly instructive evening.”

“Instructive,” exclaimed Oldland bitterly. “I dare say you found it so. I wish I knew—. Look here, Priestley, I don’t suppose there’s much sleep for either of us tonight. Do you mind if I come round to your place? I would ask you to come to me, but Milverly is still with me, and I don’t want to talk about this business before a third person.”

“I was about to suggest it myself,” replied Dr Priestley readily. “There are several points in connexion with what we have heard this evening that I should like to discuss with you.”

A few minutes later, they were again seated in Dr Priestley’s study. On his host’s invitation, Oldland poured himself out a stiff drink, and drank it off eagerly. The spirit seemed to soothe him, for his expression softened, and for a while he sat staring moodily into the fire. Then suddenly he spoke. “What did it all mean, Priestley?” he asked abruptly.

“That is a very difficult question to answer off-hand,” replied Dr Priestley. “Personally, I have never been convinced of the reality of occult manifestations, and I see nothing in our experiences of this evening to shake that belief. Whether Mrs Littlecote was in her normal condition, or whether she was to some extent self-hypnotized, is a matter for you to decide rather than me.

“The assumption of Claverton’s voice was certainly startling at first. But there was one rather significant thing about that. It was Claverton’s voice as we knew it many years ago, not as we have heard it recently. Does that suggest nothing to you?”

Oldland shook his head. “I was more concerned with what was being said than with the voice,” he replied. “But, now you mention it, it was the voice of a comparatively young man.”

“Exactly. Now, we believe that Mrs Littlecote had not seen Claverton since her marriage, and therefore, in all probability had not heard his voice. It is not a difficult matter for certain people, with sufficient practice, to imitate very closely another person’s voice.

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