Elster's Folly by Mrs. Henry Wood (most important books to read TXT) 📖
- Author: Mrs. Henry Wood
Book online «Elster's Folly by Mrs. Henry Wood (most important books to read TXT) 📖». Author Mrs. Henry Wood
"As I Will Be," Said The Barrister, His Tone More Earnest Than The
Occasion Seemed To Call For.
Lady Hartledon, With A Graciousness She Was Little In The Habit Of
Showing To Mr. Carr, Made Room For Him Beside Her, And He Sat Down. The
Baby Lay On His Back, His Wide-Open Eyes Looking Upwards, Good As Gold.
"How Quiet He Is! How He Stares!" Reiterated The Barrister, Who Did Not
Understand Much About Babies, Except For A Shadowy Idea That They Lived
In A State Of Crying For The First Six Months.
"He Is The Best Child In The World; Every One Says So," She Returned.
"He Is Not The Least--Hey-Day! What Do You Mean By Contradicting Mamma
Like That? Behave Yourself, Sir."
For The Infant, As If To Deny His Goodness, Set Up A Sudden Cry. Mr. Carr
Laughed. He Put Down His Finger Again, And The Little Fingers Clasped
Round It, And The Cry Ceased.
"He Does Not Like To Lose His Friend, You See, Lady Hartledon."
"I Wish You Would Be My Friend As Well As His," She Rejoined; And The Low
Meaning Tones Struck On Mr. Carr's Ear.
"I Trust I Am Your Friend," He Answered.
She Was Still For A Few Moments; Her Pale Beautiful Face Inclining
Towards The Child's; Her Large Dark Eyes Bent Upon Him. She Turned Them
On Mr. Carr.
"This Has Been A Sad Day."
"Yes, For You. It Is Grievous To Lose A Brother."
"And To Lose Him Without The Opportunity Of A Last Look, A Last Farewell.
Robert Was My Best And Favourite Brother. But The Day Has Been Marked As
Unhappy For Other Causes Than That."
Was It An Uncomfortable Prevision Of What Was Coming That Caused Mr. Carr
Not To Answer Her? He Talked To The Unconscious Baby, And Played With Its
Cheeks.
"What Secret Is This That You And My Husband Have Between You, Mr. Carr?"
She Asked Abruptly.
He Ceased His Laughing With The Baby, Said Something About Its Soft Face,
Was Altogether Easy And Careless In His Manner, And Then Answered In
Half-Jesting Tones:
"Which One, Lady Hartledon?"
"Which One! Have You More Than One?" She Continued, Taking The Words
Literally.
"We Might Count Up Half-A-Dozen, I Daresay. I Cannot Tell You How Many
Things I Have Not Confided To Him. We Are Quite--"
"I Mean The Secret That Affects _Him_" She Interrupted, In Aggrieved
Tones, Feeling That Mr. Carr Was Playing With Her.
"There Is Some Dread Upon Him That's Wearing Him To A Shadow, Poisoning
His Happiness, Making His Days And Nights One Long Restlessness. Do You
Think It Right To Keep It From Me, Mr. Carr? Is It What You And He Are
Both Doing--And Are In League With Each Other To Do?"
"_I_ Am Not Keeping Any Secret From You, Lady Hartledon."
"You Know You Are. Nonsense! Do You Think I Have Forgotten That Evening
That Was The Beginning Of It, When A Tall Strange Man Dressed As A
Clergyman, Came Here, And You Both Were Shut Up With Him For I Can't Tell
How Long, And Lord Hartledon Came Out From It Looking Like A Ghost? You
And He Both Misled Me, Causing Me To Believe That The Ashtons Were
Entering An Action Against Him For Breach Of Promise; Laying The Damages
At Ten Thousand Pounds. I Mean _That_ Secret, Mr. Carr," She Added With
Emphasis. "The Same Man Was Here On Friday Night Again; And When You Came
To The House Afterwards, You And Lord Hartledon Sat Up Until Nearly
Daylight."
Mr. Carr, Who Had His Eyes On The Exacting Baby, Shook His Head, And
Intimated That He Was Really Unable To Understand Her.
"When You Are In Town He Is Always At Your Chambers; When You Are Away He
Receives Long Letters From You That I May Not Read."
"Yes, We Have Been On Terms Of Close Friendship For Years. And Lord
Hartledon Is An Idle Man, You Know, And Looks Me Up."
"He Said You Were Arranging Some Business For Him Last Autumn."
"Last Autumn? Let Me See. Yes, I Think I Was."
"Mr. Carr, Is It Of Any Use Playing With Me? Do You Think It Right Or
Kind To Do So?"
His Manner Changed At Once; He Turned To Her With Eyes As Earnest As Her
Own.
"Lady Hartledon, I Would Tell You Anything That I Could And Ought To Tell
You. That Your Husband Has Been Engaged In Some Complicated Business,
Which I Have Been--Which I Have Taken Upon Myself To Arrange For Him, Is
Very True. I Know That He Does Not Wish It Mentioned, And Therefore My
Lips Are Sealed: But It Is As Well You Did Not Know It, For It Would Give
You No Satisfaction."
"Does It Involve Anything Very Frightful?"
"It Might Involve The--The Loss Of A Large Sum Of Money," He Answered,
Making The Best Reply He Could.
Lady Hartledon Sank Her Voice To A Whisper. "Does It Involve The Possible
Loss Of His Title?--Of Hartledon?"
"No," Said Mr. Carr, Looking At Her With Surprise.
"You Are Sure?"
"Certain. I Give You My Word. What Can Have Got Into Your Head, Lady
Hartledon?"
She Gave A Sigh Of Relief. "I Thought It Just Possible--But I Will Not
Tell You Why I Thought It--That Some Claimant Might Be Springing Up To
The Title And Property."
Mr. Carr Laughed. "That Would Be A Calamity. Hartledon Is As Surely Your
Husband's As This Watch"--Taking It Out To Look At The Time--"Is Mine.
When His Brother Died, He Succeeded To Him Of Indisputable Right. And Now
I Must Go, For My Time Is Up; And When Next I See You, Young Gentleman,
I Shall Expect A Good Account Of Your Behaviour. Why, Sir, The Finger's
Mine, Not Yours. Good-Bye, Lady Hartledon."
She Gave Him Her Hand Coolly, For She Was Not Pleased. The Baby Began To
Cry, And Was Sent Away With Its Nurse.
And Then Lady Hartledon Sat On Alone, Feeling That If She Were Ever To
Arrive At The Solution Of The Mystery, It Would Not Be By The Help Of Mr.
Carr. Other Questions Had Been Upon Her Lips--Who The Stranger Was--What
He Wanted--Five Hundred Of Them: But She Saw That She Might As Well Have
Put Them To The Moon.
And Lord Hartledon Went Out With Mr. Carr In The Inclement Night, And Saw
Him Off By A Great-Western Train.
Chapter 28 (Maude's Disobedience)Again The Months Went On, It May Almost Be Said The Years, And Little
Took Place Worthy Of Record. Time Obliterates As Well As Soothes; And
Lady Hartledon Had Almost Forgotten The Circumstances Which Had Perplexed
And Troubled Her, For Nothing More Had Come Of Them.
And Lord Hartledon? But For A Certain Restlessness, A Hectic Flush And A
Worn Frame, Betraying That The Inward Fever Was Not Quenched, A Startled
Movement If Approached Or Spoken To Unexpectedly, It Might Be Thought
That He Also Was At Rest. There Were No More Anxious Visits To Thomas
Carr's Chambers; He Went About His Ordinary Duties, Sat Out His Hours
In The House Of Lords, And Did As Other Men. There Was Nothing Very
Obvious To Betray Mental Apprehension; And Maude Had Certainly Dismissed
The Past, So Far, From Her Mind.
Not Again Had Val Gone Down To Hartledon. With The Exception Of That
Short Visit Of A Day Or Two, Already Recorded, He Had Not Been There
Since His Marriage. He Would Not Go: His Wife, Though She Had Her Way In
Most Things, Could Not Induce Him To Go. She Went Once Or Twice, In A
Spirit Of Defiance, It May Be Said, And Meanwhile He Remained In
London, Or Took A Short Trip To The Continent, As The Whim Prompted Him.
Once They Had Gone Abroad Together, And Remained For Some Months; Taking
Servants And The Children, For There Were Two Children Now; And The
Little Fellow Who Had Clasped The Finger Of Mr. Carr Was A Sturdy Boy Of
Three Years Old.
Lady Hartledon's Health Was Beginning To Fail. The Doctors Told Her She
Must Be More Quiet; She Went Out A Great Deal, And Seemed To Live Only
In The World. Her Husband Remonstrated With Her On The Score Of Health;
But She Laughed, And Said She Was Not Going To Give Up Pleasure Just Yet.
Of Course These Gay Habits Are More Easily Acquired Than Relinquished.
Lady Hartledon Had Fainting-Fits; She Felt Occasional Pain And
Palpitation In The Region Of The Heart; And She Grew Thin Without
Apparent Cause. She Said Nothing About It, Lest It Should Be Made A Plea
For Living More Quietly; Never Dreaming Of Danger. Had She Known What
Caused Her Brother's Death Her Fears Might Possibly Have Been Awakened.
Lord Hartledon Suspected Mischief Might Be Arising, And Cautiously
Questioned Her; She Denied That Anything Was The Matter, And He Felt
Reassured. His Chief Care Was To Keep Her Free From Excitement; And In
This Hope He Gave Way To Her More Than He Would Otherwise Have Done. But
Alas! The Moment Was Approaching When All His Care Would Be In Vain; When
The Built-Up Security Of Years Was Destroyed By A Single Act Of Wilful
Disobedience To Him. The Sword So Long Suspended Over His Head, Was To
Fall On Hers At Last.
One Spring Afternoon, In London, He Was In His Wife's Sitting-Room; The
Little Room Where You Have Seen Her Before, Looking Upon The Park. The
Children Were Playing On The Carpet--Two Pretty Little Things; The Girl
Eighteen Months Old.
"Take Care!" Suddenly Called Out Lady Hartledon.
Some One Was Opening The Door, And The Little Maude Was Too Near To It.
She Ran And Picked Up The Child, And Hedges Came In With A Card For His
Master, Saying At The Same Time That The Gentleman Was Waiting. Lord
Hartledon Held It To The Fire To Read The Name.
"Who Is It?" Asked Lady Hartledon, Putting The Little Girl Down By The
Window, And Approaching Her Husband. But There Came No Answer.
Whether The Silence Aroused Her Suspicions--Whether Any Look In Her
Husband's Face Recalled That Evening Of Terror Long Ago--Or Whether
Some Malicious Instinct Whispered The Truth, Can Never Be Known. Certain
It Was That The Past Rose Up As In A Mirror Before Lady Hartledon's
Imagination, And She Connected This Visitor With The Former. She Bent
Over His Shoulder To Peep At The Card; And Her Husband, Startled Out
Of His Presence Of Mind, Tore It In Two And Threw The Pieces Into The
Fire.
"Oh, Very Well!" She Exclaimed, Mortally Offended. "But You Cannot Blind
Me: It Is Your Mysterious Visitor Again."
"I Don't Know What You Mean, Maude. It Is Only Someone On Business."
"Then I Will Go And Ask Him His Business," She Said, Moving To The Door
With Angry Resolve.
Val Was Too Quick For Her. He Placed His Back Against The Door, And
Lifted His Hands In Agitation. It Was A Great Fault Of His, Or Perhaps
A Misfortune--For He Could Not Help It--This Want Of Self-Control In
Moments Of Emergency.
"Maude, I Forbid You To Interfere In This; You Must Not. For Heaven's
Sake, Sit Down And Remain Quiet."
"I'll See Your Visitor, And Know, At Last, What This Strange Trouble Is.
I Will, Lord Hartledon."
"You Must Not: Do You Hear Me?" He Reiterated With Deep Emotion, For She
Was Trying To Force Her Way Out Of The Room. "Maude--Listen--I Do Not
Mean To Be Harsh, But For Your Own Good I Conjure You To Be Still. I
Forbid You, By The Obedience You Promised Me Before God, To Inquire Into
Or Stir In This Matter. It Is A Private Affair Of My Own, And Not Yours.
Stay Here Until I Return."
Maude Drew Back, As If In Compliance; And Lord Hartledon, Supposing
He Had Prevailed, Quitted The Room And Closed The Door. He Was Quite
Mistaken. Never Had Her Solemn Vows Of Obedience Been So Utterly
Despised; Never Had The Temptation To Evil Been So Rife In Her Heart.
She Unlatched The Door And Listened. Lord Hartledon Went Downstairs And
Into The Library, Just As He Had Done The Evening Before The Christening.
And Lady Hartledon Was Certain The Same Man Awaited Him There. Ringing
The Nursery-Bell, She Took
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