eManorHousehadwithinfiveyearswonhimselfquiteareputationinBirlstone.
Hiswife,too,waspopularwiththosewhohadmadeheracquaintancethough,aftertheEnglishfashion,thecallersuponastrangerwhosettledinthecountywithoutintroductionswerefewandfarbetween.Thismatteredthelesstoher,asshewasretiringbydisposition,andverymuchabsorbed,toallappearance,inherhusbandandherdomesticduties.ItwasknownthatshewasanEnglishladywhohadmetMr.DouglasinLondon,hebeingatthattimeawidower.Shewasabeautifulwoman,tall,dark,andslender,sometwentyyearsyoungerthanherhusbandadisparitywhichseemedinnowisetomarthecontentmentoftheirfamilylife.
Itwasremarkedsometimes,however,bythosewhoknewthembest,thattheconfidencebetweenthetwodidnotappeartobecomplete,sincethewifewaseitherveryreticentaboutherhusband'spastlife,orelse,asseemedmorelikely,wasimperfectlyinformedaboutit.Ithadalsobeennotedandcommenteduponbyafewobservantpeoplethatthereweresignssometimesofsomenerve-strainuponthepartofMrs.Douglas,andthatshewoulddisplayacuteuneasinessifherabsenthusbandshouldeverbeparticularlylateinhisreturn.Onaquietcountryside,whereallgossipiswelcome,thisweaknessoftheladyoftheManorHousedidnotpasswithoutremark,anditbulkedlargeruponpeople'smemorywhentheeventsarosewhichgaveitaveryspecialsignificance.
Therewasyetanotherindividualwhoseresidenceunderthatroofwas,itistrue,onlyanintermittentone,butwhosepresenceatthetimeofthestrangehappeningswhichwillnowbenarratedbroughthisnameprominentlybeforethepublic.ThiswasCecilJamesBarker,ofHalesLodge,Hampstead.
CecilBarker'stall,loose-jointedfigurewasafamiliaroneinthemainstreetofBirlstonevillageforhewasafrequentandwelcomevisitorattheManorHouse.HewasthemorenoticedasbeingtheonlyfriendofthepastunknownlifeofMr.DouglaswhowaseverseeninhisnewEnglishsurroundings.BarkerwashimselfanundoubtedEnglishmanbutbyhisremarksitwasclearthathehadfirstknownDouglasinAmericaandhadtherelivedonintimatetermswithhim.Heappearedtobeamanofconsiderablewealth,andwasreputed