CHAPTER VIII. Woman in a Trance

CHAPTER VIII

Woman in a Trance

“I HAD no idea the carving was so valuable, ” Nancy said.

“Unfortunately, I am not an ivory expert, ” Professor Stackpole said with a frown. “Yet it is obvious even to one with my slight experience that this charm at one time must have belonged to a person of great wealth—probably a maharaja. At any rate, your charm is valuable and should be safeguarded. ”

“I’ll take good care of it, ” Nancy promised.

“The ancient ones are especially interesting, ” Dr. Stackpole remarked. “Some of them are said to have contained precious jewels; others held a poison to be used against enemies; and some, a unique life-giving balm. ”

“How could one tell the difference in the nature of the fluid? ” Nancy asked curiously.

“The poison was dark in color, the life-giving balm of light hue. But, of course, such things belong to the past. The modern charms have no cavities. ”

Nancy had been fascinated by Professor Stackpole’s tales of India, but she did not forget the purpose of his visit. Rishi was summoned to meet the distinguished gentleman.

The boy’s behavior was regal. Upon entering the room he joined his hands in front of him, palms together, fingers pointing upward, and bowed respectfully to the professor. Then, seating himself cross-legged upon a cushion, he conversed with the teacher in his own language. Professor Stackpole nodded approvingly from time to time.

After the boy had been dismissed, the tutor said warmly to Nancy, “It will be a pleasure to instruct him. He is unusually bright for his years, and I feel confident that he will make quick progress with our language. His English may be faulty but in his native Hindi he speaks with poetic beauty. ”

While Hannah served tea and cakes, Nancy finally brought up the subject of payment for Professor Stackpole’s services. The gentleman named a sum so low that she felt inclined to protest.

“I tutor only because I enjoy the work, ” the professor explained. “If I had not thought Rishi could do it, I should have declined the task. ”

Before Dr. Stackpole left the house, arrangements were made for Rishi to begin his studies soon. The following day, after church, Nancy accompanied the boy to the professor’s home, where he secured a list of the books that would be required.

“Rishi, you must study hard, ” she told him earnestly. “Kind Professor Stackpole will not teach you otherwise. ”

“Rishi burn much midnight oil. ” The boy smiled.

“If you learn other things as quickly as you do American phrases, I’m sure the professor will be highly pleased. ” Nancy laughed.

In the days immediately following, Rishi delighted everyone by devoting himself to his studies with great zeal. When he was not working about the garden, he would retire to his room, where he could often be heard reciting his lessons aloud.

The Drews were still worried about Rishi’s so-called father, Rai. Nothing had been heard from him, and the police had no inkling as to his whereabouts. Since the animal trainer had vanished, tracing him was proving to be very difficult.

Nancy thought it might be wise in the meantime to visit the abandoned house again and see how Jasper Batt was. She also wanted to question the old caretaker about his knowledge of Mrs. Allison and Rai. Recalling her promise to Mr. Drew not to go alone, she phoned Bess and George. Bess agreed to go but she would not enter the house. George was game for any adventure.

Early one afternoon the three girls drove to the Allison property. Nancy parked as close as possible to the empty house, then circled through the woods toward the building. They emerged from among the trees.

Nancy, who was in the lead, halted abruptly. Directly in front of the house, engaged in earnest conversation, stood a man and a woman.

“It’s Anita Allison, ” Nancy whispered. “But I don’t recognize the man. I wonder who he is? ”

The three young detectives drew near the old house, making no secret of their presence, yet approaching quietly. Mrs. Allison and her companion were so engrossed in their conversation that they did not observe the girls.

“Your price, Mrs. Allison, is far too high, ” the man declared firmly. “We’re willing to pay a fair sum for the place, but the amount you ask is unreasonable. As it stands, the property is useless to you, and in its present untended condition it is an eyesore to the community. If you sell to our firm you’ll be doing River Heights a favor by making possible a fine new golf course, and at the same time you will assure yourself of a handsome profit. ”

“The stars are not in a favorable position for a sale at this time, Mr. Bruce, ” Mrs Allison said.

Nancy reflected that this was not the realtor who had been at her father’s office.

“The stars? ” the man repeated impatiently. “What do you mean? ”

“I must have an omen. A favorable omen, ” the woman replied.

“That’s ridiculous, ” Mr. Bruce snapped. “I never heard of such talk. This is a straight business deal. ”

“Your price is too low, ” Mrs. Allison insisted.

“You’ll never receive a better offer. Ask anyone if it isn’t a fair price. Consult Carson Drew—he knows the value of real estate. ”

“I’d rather consult the stars, ” Mrs. Allison said dreamily.

Mr. Bruce shook his head, baffled. Apparently he was at his wits’ end in dealing with this woman.

“I must confess I’m at a loss to understand your attitude, Mrs. Allison. For the last time, will you accept my offer? ”

“I am sorry. I cannot consider it at the moment. ”

“I warn you, Mrs. Allison, you may not have another opportunity. I will give you until tomorrow to change your mind. If you do, telephone me at my real estate office—you know the name —John Bruce. ”

The dealer turned and walked away indignantly. As Mrs. Allison stood staring indifferently after the man, the girls hurried forward. Nancy spoke to her, but realized instantly that the woman did not recall her face.

“I don’t believe you remember me, ” Nancy remarked. “I am Nancy Drew—Carson Drew’s daughter. ”

“Oh! ” Mrs. Allison exclaimed in a strained, tense voice. “Now I remember. I was interested in—”

“A white ivory charm, ” Nancy finished eagerly, hoping the woman would acknowledge her interest in it.

She became aware that Mrs. Allison was no longer gazing at her. The misty brown eyes were fastened upon a faraway hillside, and a strange expression came over the woman’s face. As if in a trance she began to murmur, “The elephant—the sacred elephant. Yes, yes, we were speaking of it—Rai and I—the sacred elephant! ”

From a handsome white beaded bag, the woman removed a small gold-covered book. The girls could not take their eyes off it. They had never seen such a handsome volume. It was inlaid with semiprecious jewels spelling out the word “Sanskrit. ”

Nancy and her friends were further bewildered when Mrs. Allison began to chant sections from the tiny book in a musical voice. The passages she selected were elaborate, poetic translations.

Bess plucked at Nancy’s sleeve, whispering nervously, “Let’s get away from here. That woman gives me the creeps. ”

“She has some sort of psychic obsession, ” George added in an undertone.

Nancy was equally disturbed by Mrs. Allison’s unexplained actions. The girl detective had never met anyone like her. Nancy had no intention, however, of leaving the scene. She believed that by listening intently to the passages she might pick up a valuable clue.

“Do read on, ” she urged Mrs. Allison as the woman paused.

Bess and George were completely baffled and a trifle annoyed by their friend’s apparent absorption in the translations. They could make no sense of the passages, and after trying to listen for a time they became bored.

“I think Nancy has gone into a trance, too, ” Bess whispered to George. “Let’s go off by ourselves until she recovers! ”

The two girls slipped away quietly. Neither Nancy nor Mrs. Allison noticed their absence. The reading continued. Nancy was not bored. She listened, fascinated. The excerpts, which seemed to be taken from an ancient Hindu legend, related the tale of an Indian prince who had been spirited away from his parents. With her usual ability to make shrewd deductions, Nancy had gone directly to the heart of the situation.

“This story Mrs. Allison is reading must have something to do with the ivory charm, ” she reasoned. “And I believe it has a connection with Rai and Rishi. ”

Nancy had not forgotten Jasper Batt’s hint that Mrs. Allison and Rai were acquainted. The woman might even know about Rishi’s true parentage.

In her mutterings, Mrs. Allison spoke frequently of a little-known province of India. Nancy asked the name of its governor.

“LamaTogara, ” Mrs. Allison murmured dreamily. “He will rule with far more wisdom than his opponent. I have read it in the sands of time. ”

At this significant scrap of information Nancy turned to look at her friends. She was surprised to discover that they had gone.

“Tell me, Mrs. Allison, ” Nancy asked quickly, “is Rishi the son of a rajah? ”

Before the woman could reply, an irritating interruption stopped her. Jasper Batt emerged from the house, walking directly toward the pair. Observing the man, Mrs. Allison seemed to recover from her trancelike state. She closed the gold-covered book and hastily replaced it in her purse.

“Is Rishi a rajah’s son? ” Nancy repeated her question hurriedly.

Mrs. Allison’s eyes had lost their faraway expression. Now she looked at the girl with a cold, impersonal stare.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss Drew. ”

By this time the caretaker had approached close enough to recognize Nancy.

“Oh, it’s you! ” he exclaimed in a quarrelsome tone. “I suppose you’ve come to make trouble. Well, scram before you get hurt! ”

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