CHAPTER XVIII
_Molly Comes to Lake Desolate_
During the next two hours, while Molly searched the remainder of theroad, and the lonely country that lay between the road and the hills oneither side, she kept thinking of the letter. And it worried her. Shecould not make up her mind whether the letter was genuine or not. Atfirst she thought it really was from Old Nancy, and then, because shehad resolved to trust no one, she began to suspect that the man on thehorse was another of the Pumpkin's spies and that the letter was faked.
"One part was true," Molly argued to herself. "About the watchmaker ...but then, the spies would know by now that I have found out about thewatchmaker, and _they_ would not mind telling me news I already know ifthey thought it would make the letter seem more genuine. But why shouldthey warn me about this 'blind' woman--unless.... Oh, I don't know. Iwonder if it really _is_ from Old Nancy, after all! I wish I had somemeans of finding out." And then, after another ten minutes' search: "Ibelieve it really is from Old Nancy--I'm getting too distrustful," shesaid. "Anyway, I'll wait until I reach Lake Desolate--and then decide."
Molly climbed to the top of one of the hills, and from there caught herfirst glimpse of the Lake. It was not far away now; but it was actuallyno more than a glimpse of the water that she got, because of the hillsthat surrounded it. She descended the hill, searching all the time--forit would not do to pass by any likely spot in her anxiety to reach someother spot, even if the latter did sound a more probable place for theBlack Leaf to be growing in.
Although the water had not looked far away, yet it seemed a long timeto Molly before she reached Lake Desolate. Climbing round the side ofone of the hills, she at length saw the Lake immediately below her.
It was a great stretch of water, silent, dark, and mysterious, aroundwhich the hills stood like sentinels. Across the surface of thewater strange birds hovered, flapping their wings and uttering weird'screechings,' as Mrs Jennet had said. Every now and again they wouldswoop down on the water, or dart across to some trees and rocks on theopposite shore. Molly glanced anxiously around the shores of the Lake,but could not see anything moving, except the birds.
Gradually she made her way down the hillside and stood for a whilegazing into the dark, still water. It was well named Lake Desolate,thought Molly, for never had she seen such a deserted, lonely place.As she looked across to the hills beyond, a slight sound made her turnher head. Her heart began to beat rapidly, for coming slowly along theshore of the Lake toward her was a woman dressed in a long, grey cloak.She had a stick in her hand, which she tapped on the ground in front ofher, as blind people do.
Molly stood perfectly motionless, so that the blind woman shouldnot hear her move and know that any one was near. The woman cameon hesitatingly, tap, tap, tapping with her stick. Molly watchedher. The woman passed within a short distance of where Molly wasstanding--stopped; listened; then moved on.
At that moment one of Molly's feet slipped a little, and the stones onwhich she was standing moved, and several trickled down and fell witha _plomp_ into the water. The woman stopped immediately; while Mollybit her lip at her own carelessness.
"Is any one there?" asked the woman, turning, and facing in thedirection whence the sound had come.
Molly did not answer, but looked straight at the woman. And as shelooked, a puzzled expression came over Molly's face. Where had she seenthe blind woman's face before? She _had_ seen it; of this she feltcertain, and yet-- Then suddenly Molly knew. It was the same face thatshe had seen in Mrs Jennet's photo album. It was the face of Miss Lydia!
This discovery gave Molly a shock, and sent all her thoughts and planstumbling helter-skelter over each other. What was she to do now?
Meanwhile, as no reply had been given to her question, the blindwoman sighed, and passed on. Molly did not know what to do, or whomto believe. She had never been wrong before in trusting one of herfriend's friends; and this certainly looked like the Miss Lydia ofwhom Mrs Jennet had spoken. But _had_ Old Nancy written that letter?If so, she would, of course, trust her before any one, and obey herinstructions.
"I can't find out who wrote the letter, at least, not yet," thoughtMolly. "But I can find out if she really is Miss Lydia."
Her mind made up, she stepped forward a few paces, and called in aclear voice:
"There _is_ some one here. Can I help you?"
The blind woman turned eagerly, and groped her way back toward thevoice.
"Oh, I am so glad to hear some one speak again--but who are you? Areyou a friend?" asked the woman anxiously. "I am so helpless, you know,and--and----"
"I am willing to be your friend, if-- But who are you?" asked Molly."What is your name?"
"My name is Lydia North," replied the woman. "And I live in a littlecottage--up there--somewhere"--she waved her arm vaguely. "On the sideof the Giant's Head.... Oh, tell me who you are, please!"
"I am a little girl," answered Molly. "And if you are truly MissLydia--I am your friend. Tell me what I can do for you."
"Will you lead me back to my home again? I cannot find my way fromhere, there seem to be hills all round that shut me in. I cannot findthe way out and I am afraid of walking into the water; I nearly fell injust now."
"How did you get here, Miss Lydia?" asked Molly. "I was hoping to meetyou at your cottage--Mrs Jennet told me about you--told me to call andsee you.... But I didn't know that you were--blind."
"I wasn't--until the day before yesterday--I think it was the daybefore yesterday; it seems a long time ago. I am not used to beingblind yet, and feel so helpless. I'm so glad you are a friend of goodMrs Jennet's--then I can trust you," said Miss Lydia.
This was something new for Molly to have people doubtful whether shecould be trusted; it was generally the other way about. But when shehad heard Miss Lydia's story she quite understood. It seemed that MissLydia had been away from home for a fortnight, staying with her sisterin the City, and had returned home the day before yesterday.
"When I reached my cottage gate," she continued, "I heard somethingcoming behind me--a sort of soft, rolling sound. Then something touchedme--and I could not see any more. I found my way into the cottagesomehow--I live alone. I kept thinking my sight would come back. But itdid not come back. And this morning--I knew it was morning by the cockscrowing and the clock striking--I started out, determined to find myway down to the High Road which runs below the hill, so that I mightget help. But I lost my way. Presently I heard some one walking pastme, and they offered to set me right for the High Road, but they led mehere, and then they laughed and went away...."
"I suppose you knew who it was that touched you and made you blind?"said Molly.
"I didn't see any one," answered Miss Lydia. "But I can guess."
Poor Miss Lydia, another of the Pumpkin's victims! Molly felt verysorry for her helplessness in this deserted place. Molly was fairlycertain now that the letter she had received was not from Old Nancy.But why had the spies wished to prevent her from helping Miss Lydia?She would find out. If she had not felt sure that this was indeed MissLydia, she would have obeyed the letter and gone straight on to theBrown Hills.
"I will lead you home, Miss Lydia," she said, "if you will trust me.Which is the nearest way?"
"Where are we now?" asked Miss Lydia.
"This is Lake Desolate," Molly informed her.
"There are several lakes near here," said Miss Lydia. "But I thought wewere somewhere near Lake Desolate, because of the birds."
So she told Molly to look for a big hill shaped like a head, which wassomewhere on the west side of the lake. When Molly saw it, towering upbehind the other hills, she took Miss Lydia by the hand and led heraway from Lake Desolate.
They passed out of the ring of hills around Lake Desolate, and mounteda hilly path that led toward the Giant's Head. The country was verybeautiful on this side of the Lake, but Molly had no eyes for thebeauty of the scene at present. She was trying to puzzle out themeaning of her letter, and the meaning of Miss Lydia's story. Had thePu
mpkin any special purpose in making Miss Lydia blind--or was it justone of his wicked whims? And why had his spies led Miss Lydia to thisLake, and then tried to prevent Molly from helping her? Surely, if thespies had wished to prevent Molly from helping the blind lady it wouldhave been an easy matter for them to keep Miss Lydia out of the way... to have led her to another lake. On the other hand, if they didwant her to help Miss Lydia, why had they sent that letter; the chanceswere that Molly would obey the instructions in the letter. Yes, shecertainly might have obeyed them--if she hadn't seen Miss Lydia's photoin Mrs Jennet's album. It was all very puzzling to Molly.
It was rather slow work leading Miss Lydia, as she walked hesitatinglyover the rough, uneven ground, but after a time--a long, long time, itseemed to Molly--they reached the Giant's Head, and started to worktheir way up and round the side of the hill. Molly sighed as she lookedback and thought of all the ground she would have to go over again andsearch--right from here to the Brown Hills in the distance. But shemust see Miss Lydia safely home first, and do anything she could tohelp her. She found herself wondering how all the other searchers weregetting on and whether any of them had finished searching their partof the country yet--or whether any of them were, unknowingly, nearingsuccess.
Rounding the hill, they came in sight of Miss Lydia's cottage. Apretty, creeper-clad cottage, perched on the hillside, it peeped outof its bushy garden down at the road far below. Behind the cottage theGiant's Head rose up against the sky. It was a lovely, lonely spot.
Molly led Miss Lydia to the gate. "This is right, isn't it?" she asked.
Miss Lydia felt the top of the gate. "Yes, this is home," she said."Thank you ... my dear. I don't know how to thank you. You'll come inwith me, won't you? Oh, don't leave me till I'm indoors."
"I won't leave you till you're indoors," said Molly, genuinely sorryfor Miss Lydia in her helpless plight.
She helped Miss Lydia to open her front door, and the two entered thecottage together.
What would Molly's feelings have been had she looked out into thegarden a moment later, and seen the crouching figure that rose, andemerged from behind a clump of bushes as soon as the door was shut? Itwas an old woman with little darting eyes and a red scarf wound roundher head. Creeping along, the old woman pushed her way through a brokenfence at the end of the garden, and, darting behind a group of treesclose by, began to signal wildly to some one at the bottom of the hill.