CHAPTER XVII
_A Warning_
Meanwhile, after walking along for a short distance, Molly thoughtit would be wise to look up the names of Mrs Rose's friends, as thedaylight was beginning to fade and already the moon was mounting thesky; she had scribbled the names and addresses down on a slip of paper.She noted, with a slight thrill of pleasure, the jingle of the silverbracelet as she took the paper out of her pocket. Poor Molly, she couldnot feel very happy about the bracelet, of course, as the weight ofJack's misfortune still crushed her down; but she was certainly pleasedto possess such a bracelet. Having discovered that one of Mrs Rose'sfriends lived about a quarter of a mile farther on, she determinedto search the road until she came to this house, and then ask if MrsJennet, for that was the friend's name, would kindly put her up for thenight.
The road now began to grow wilder and more rugged, while here andthere, beside the way, were huge rocks and piles of stones. She passedan occasional tree, but these had few leaves on their branches, andwere much twisted and bent as though lashed by many storms.
Molly continued to search, but, instead of hurrying along as she hadmeant to, she found herself moving slower, and gradually slower still,and became aware that she was suddenly very tired. She dragged on for ashort distance.
"I can't do any more searching to-night," she thought to herself. "I'mtoo tired. I'll just make straight for the house--only I wish it wasn'tsuch a long way off. I'll never get there."
Molly found great difficulty in keeping her eyes open now; and if shehadn't been so thoroughly exhausted and tired she might have beensuspicious of this overwhelming wave of sleep that had seized her. Shewas too tired to think or reason, too tired to be suspicious. She onlyknew that her feet felt as if they were made of lead, and the onlything she wanted to do was to lie down and go to sleep at once.
"Can't reach the house," she murmured, drowsily. "Must go to sleep."
She stumbled across the road, and threw herself down on the grass bythe wayside. Oh, how delicious it was, just to lie down and go tosleep! But as her head was sinking back a last wave of consciousnessflashed through Molly's mind of the foolishness of the thing that shewas doing ... going to sleep by the roadside ... and if the Pumpkincame along ... she would never be able to save Jack now. At thisthought--she rallied for a moment and pulled herself up into a kneelingposition. She remained thus for a moment or two, with her head droopingforward. Then she struggled to fight off the wave of sleep that wascoming over her again, and managed to crawl a few paces further on.
Although Molly did not know it at the time, this was one of the mostcritical moments in her adventure. If she had given in and gonecomfortably to sleep by the roadside, this story would have had a verydifferent ending. But Molly did not give in, her desire to find theBlack Leaf and save her brother was so strong, that in spite of thegreat odds against her she was able to make one last effort to reacha place of safety. Though there was still no sign of Mrs Jennet'shouse, there was fortunately a tree close by. And it was toward thistree that Molly slowly groped her way. She never knew how long ittook her to reach that tree, although it was standing only a few feetaway from her. But with repeated efforts she at length reached it,and with a great struggle pulled herself up into a standing position,leaning against the trunk. For some time she stood leaning against thetree; she could not remember afterward whether she went to sleep for awhile or not--she thought she must have gone to sleep ("Like a horse,standing up," she told herself). But she had barely lost consciousnesswhen again her desire urged her to make another effort.
This was the last effort, and the hardest of all. Molly scarcely knewhow she managed it, but manage she did, to pull herself up into thetree, and curl up among the lower branches. Then, immediately, she wasasleep.
All through the moonlit night she slept and did not move. And if anyonepassed on the road beneath the tree that night--Molly never knew. Andnobody guessed there was a little girl lying asleep in the gnarled oldtree by the side of the road that led to Lake Desolate. For littlegirls who are as tired as Molly must have been have not usually thestrength, nor the will, to climb trees.
At daybreak Molly stirred and threw out her right arm, so that it hungdown a little, over the edge of one of the branches: and the bracelet,the jingly, silver bracelet, slipped down over her wrist, and as shemoved again, it slid over her hand and fell on to the ground at thefoot of the tree.
After this Molly seemed more restless, and did not sleep so soundly,though many hours went by, and it was nearly noon before she wasaroused at length by some one exclaiming loudly and persistently frombeneath the tree, and something cold and hard grabbing at her arms andlegs.
Molly sat up, rubbing her eyes, and then became aware that a chubby,startled-looking little woman in a black and white check dress and ablack bonnet was calling up to her while she made frantic efforts tocatch hold of Molly with the crooked handle of her umbrella.
"Oh, thank goodness, you _'ave_ woke up, which I thought you never wasgoing to!" cried the plump little woman, dabbing her face with herhandkerchief. "Such a fright as you give me, lying quite still thereand me a-hollering at you for a hour or more, though I'd never a-seenyou if it hadn't been for your 'and and arm 'anging down out of thetree...."
"Who are you?" asked Molly drowsily. "I'm glad you did wake me up."
"Maria Jennet is my name," was the answer. "I done my best to wake youup, but my! you do want a bit of waking. Made me quite 'ot, you 'ave."
"Oh, are you Mrs Jennet?" said Molly. "Mrs Rose's friend?"
"I am," said Mrs Jennet emphatically.
"Why, I was on my way to your house last night, when--when ... Oh!"Molly gave a scream.
"Oh!" screamed Mrs Jennet. "What is it now? You do give a body thejumps, you do!"
But Molly did not answer. She was gazing with horrified eyes at herright arm. On the wrist was a long grey stain!
How had it come there? What did it mean? Molly rubbed her armvigorously with her pocket-handkerchief--but she could not remove thestain. She had seen a grey stain like this before; but where?... Andthen she remembered. It was on Old Nancy's finger, the evening sheslept through the sunset hour. Molly then realized what had happened.
"THANK GOODNESS YOU _'AVE_ WOKE UP!"]
"Of course, he was another of them. What a stupid girl I was to trusthim," she exclaimed. "But where has my bracelet gone! Wait a minuteplease," she continued, in reply to Mrs Jennet's excited questioning."I'll tell you all about it in a minute." She climbed down from thetree and searched about in the grass beneath. "Ah, here it is!" shecried, and snatched up her bracelet, only to drop it again instantly,as if it were red-hot coals. For on the inner side of the bracelet shesaw the remains of a dull grey powder still clinging to it. "So that'show he did it!" Molly nodded to herself. "That explains things."
She understood now that the watchmaker was another spy employed by thePumpkin, and the bracelet which she had accepted from him had containedthis magic powder which had rubbed off on to her arm, and sent her tosleep. The old watchmaker was evidently relying on the powder actingquickly, and Molly, overwhelmed by sleep, being compelled to rest bythe side of the road--or somewhere where the Pumpkin could easilycatch her. Luckily for Molly, she had had enough will power to fighther way to a place of safety; and luckily, also, the bracelet hadslipped off and so gradually she had regained consciousness again.Molly had had a very narrow escape, and she felt decidedly bewilderedas to the best way of winning through the difficulties around her. Ofone thing she felt certain, she must be very distrustful of everythingand everybody--except, of course, where people were recommended toher by some one she could trust. So far, all the links in her chainof friends had proved good and true; Glan--Old Nancy--Aunt Janet--TheGoblin--Miss Marigold--Mr Papingay--Mrs Rose--and now, Mrs Jennet. Shecould trust Mrs Jennet, surely.
Mrs Jennet was bubbling over with curiosity about the stain and thebracelet, and Molly answering some of her numerous questions, asked herto lend her the umbrella for a
minute. Mrs Jennet watched breathlesslywhile Molly dug a little hole with the point, then picked up thebracelet on the tip of the umbrella and dropped it in the hole andpiled earth and stones on it.
"It might only bring trouble to some one else if I leave it here," shesaid.
Then she accepted Mrs Jennet's kind and vigorous invitation to go homewith her and 'have a bite of something' before proceeding on her way.As they walked along Molly told her companion a little of what hadalready taken place, and what had happened to Jack. At which Mrs Jennetprotested loudly and even wept a little; then stood still in the middleof the roadway while she told Molly all the horrible things she wouldlike to do to the Pumpkin if she caught him.
Mrs Jennet's house was only a short distance away, and stood withseveral other houses by the side of the main road--the last dwellingsthese before you reached Lake Desolate, which was about two milesfurther on, she told Molly. Molly learned that the men from thesehouses worked in the mines near by. Mrs Jennet's husband worked thereand would not be home till evening.
While Mrs Jennet was bustling about, laying the table, and fryingeggs and bacon, Molly got out her map and looked to see where themines were. They were not marked on her map at all, and Mrs Jennetexplained, when Molly showed her the map, that the mines were just overthe border of Molly's square; at which Molly was rather relieved, asit had struck her that she might have to go down the mines perhaps tosearch for the Black Leaf. But on second thoughts she remembered--ofcourse, the Black Leaf could only grow above ground. This incident,however, called Molly's attention to the fact that she was nearinganother border-line of her square. It stretched away to the left ofthe road she was soon to go along; so she would not have much countryto search on that side. But there was still a large piece of countryaround Lake Desolate.
"Are there no more houses beyond this group?" Molly asked Mrs Jennet,as they sat down to their meal.
"No. Yes," said Mrs Jennet. "That is, not until you've passed LakeDesolate. Then there are one or two sheep-farms and cottages on the'ills. Very lonely they must be, too. There's very few go to LakeDesolate now--the road's so bad--and so lonely. And what's the goodof going there, there's nothing to see but the Lake and the 'ills....'Ave some more bread, duckie.... And there's all them wild birdsscreeching over the Lake. Ugh! Fair gives me the creeps, it does. Butthere--I forgot you was going there. Fancy, a bit of a girl like you!Well, well! P'r'aps you ain't afraid of being alone though? Eh?"
Molly said she didn't think she was.
"I'm fond of my own company when I'm with other people," remarked MrsJennet. "You know what I mean--I feel a little bit lost by myself."
Everything in Mrs Jennet's room seemed like herself--plain and plumpand loud, but nevertheless good-natured. The chubby-looking horse-hairsofa with the round large-patterned cushions reminded Molly strangelyof its owner; and so did the round-backed chairs with their thick arms;even the carpet was just like Mrs Jennet would have looked if she hadbeen a carpet. Molly began to wonder what Mr Jennet was like.
"I've got a photo of 'im--up there on the mantelshelf--I'll show you,"said Mrs Jennet in reply to a question from Molly.
But even as Mrs Jennet handed the photo down, Molly felt she knew whathe would be like. And she was right. He was exactly like Mrs Jennetwould have been if she had been a man.
"He's a dear old lad," said Mrs Jennet, eyeing the photoaffectionately. "I wish you could have waited to see 'im--but if you dofind the old Black Leaf 'e'll get a 'oliday I expect--every one will.My! Won't there be celebrations! And we'll all come down to the Cityand see you! 'Ave some more milk, duckie?"
Mrs Jennet chattered gaily on, asking and answering numberlessquestions. Molly asked her if she could tell her of any one she couldtrust, who lived in the little cottages or farms beyond Lake Desolate.
"Yes, yes. There's a very nice lady I know lives in one of them--in alittle cottage on the side of the Giant's 'Ead--that's the name of the'ill--it's shaped on top like a huge 'ead. She's got a sweet, prettycottage--stays there for 'er 'ealth. She's away sometimes staying with'er sister in the City, but I should think she'd be 'ome this time ofyear. 'Er name's Lydia North--Miss Lydia we always call 'er. 'Ere, I'vegot a photo of 'er in my album. I'll show you. She very kindly giveme one when she knew I collected photos, bless 'er 'eart!" said MrsJennet.
The photo was of a refined, sweet-faced lady. Molly studied it intentlyso that she would know Miss Lydia when she saw her.
"Thank you very much," said Molly. "This will be a great help to me. Iknow one person I can trust anyway."
But Molly was not to get away as easily as that. Once Mrs Jennet hadgot her beloved album open she insisted on showing Molly all the photosof her relatives and friends, including Mrs Rose and Farmer Rose.
"I wish you had a photo of yourself about you," said Mrs Jennet. "I'dlike you in the album."
Molly was sorry she couldn't oblige her hostess, but admired thecollection of photographs with such enthusiasm that Mrs Jennet wasenraptured. At length Molly managed to tear herself away, and biddinggood-bye to Mrs Jennet, and thanking her warmly for all her kindness,Molly started out once more.
It was now early afternoon. Searching carefully along the road and oneither side of it she proceeded slowly. As she went on, the countrygrew wilder and lonelier. The hills rose up on every side, bare,gaunt hills on which nothing seemed to grow, and at the foot of thehills great rocks and stones were strewn. Molly soon left all signs ofthe miners' houses behind her, and as she looked back and could seenothing but the wild scenery all around her--no smoke from a chimney,no sign of human beings at all--she began to feel very small and lostand lonely. But she was not afraid. She realized, after thinking thingsover, that in the ordinary way the Pumpkin's spies could not touchher or make her do things by force; it had to be some carelessness orweakness in herself which enabled them to obtain a power over her. Shewould be very careful in future, and would not trust any one but thosepeople who she _knew_ were her friends. She would be on her guard allthe time.
She searched carefully for about an hour, in every likely place alongthe way, keeping her eyes and ears constantly on the alert. Andpresently the latter informed her of the galloping of horse's hoofs inthe distance. Looking back along the road she saw a cloud of dust, andby and by a big black horse, on which was seated a man in a slouchhat and flying cape, became visible. Molly glanced round for a placeof escape, if necessary, or a place to hide; but there was no place tohide in this barren spot, and no trees near by. So she walked steadilyon. So long as it wasn't the Pumpkin, the man on the horse could nottouch her against her will--that is, if he was an enemy. Poor Mollyexpected every stranger to be an enemy now, of course. Maybe the horseand rider had no business with her at all. Anyway, they came dashingalong at full speed, thundering on the road behind her.
Molly drew to the side of the road to let them pass. But they did notpass. She heard, with a sinking heart, the horse gradually slacken itspace till it came alongside her. The man quickly dismounted, made Mollya sweeping bow, and handed her a sealed envelope. Then, without a word,he sprang into the saddle and, turning his horse's head, galloped backalong the road by which he had come, leaving Molly gazing in surpriseat the envelope in her hand.
It was all over in a minute. The man and the horse had come and gone.Molly turned the envelope over and over. There was no address on it tosay who it was for or where it had come from. Only the word 'Immediate'was printed in the top corner. What ought she to do, she wondered.Should she open it? Was it meant for her? Was it from a friend--or wasit another trick of the Pumpkin's? She hesitated, standing still inthe middle of the lonely road. Supposing it was a message--somethingabout Jack--something really true. Supposing she didn't open theenvelope--what was she to do with it?
This decided the matter; as she couldn't think what to do with it ifshe didn't open it, she opened it, very cautiously. And this was theletter inside it:
DEAR CHILD,
I know all that has happened. This is to tell you t
hat I have overheard that the Pumpkin has sent out many spies to stop you. One of them is a little old man; a watchmaker he pretends to be. Do not trust him.
Another (and this one is the most dangerous of all) is a certain 'blind' woman who has been sent out to meet you on the shores of Lake Desolate. As you value your quest, as you value your poor brother's life, do not trust this 'blind' woman. Have nothing to do with her--do not believe a word she says--but go straight on past the Lake to the Brown Hills beyond. Otherwise, all is at an end for us.
With affectionate remembrance from OLD NANCY
Molly read the letter through several times, very carefully. Then shefolded it up and put it in her satchel.