CHAPTER XX
Jacob, sleepy-eyed and desperately hungry, tumbled out of the train, afew mornings later, on to a lone stretch of platform, to find himselfconfronted by an exceedingly pleasant sight. Only a few yards away, onthe other side of some white palings, Lady Mary, in a tartan skirt,light coat and tartan tam-o'-shanter, was seated in a four-wheeleddogcart, doing her best to control a pair of shaggy, excited ponies.
"Come along, Mr. Pratt," she called out, "and jump in as quickly asyou can. These little beggars aren't properly broken. The men herewill look after your luggage."
Jacob vaulted lightly over the paling and clambered up by her side.
"Capital!" she laughed. "Now I shall see what your nerves are like."
Jacob took off his hat and drew in a long breath of the fresh morningair.
"I don't think you're going to frighten me," he said. "What acountry!"
Almost directly they turned off the main road into what was littlebetter than a cart track, across a great open moor, dotted everywherewith huge granite stones, marvellous clumps of heather and streaks ofgorse. The sky was perfectly blue, and the wind came booming up fromwhere the moorland seemed to drop into the sea. There were no rubbertyres on the wheels, and apparently no springs to speak of on thecart. They swayed from side to side in perilous fashion, went downinto ruts, over small boulders of stone, through a stretch of swamp,across a patch of stones, always at the same half gallop. Lady Marylooked down and smiled at the enjoyment in her companion's face.
"You've passed the first test," she declared, "but then I knew youwould. I brought Mr. Montague along here yesterday morning, and hecried like a child."
"Mr. Who?" Jacob gasped.
"Mr. Montague and a friend of his. They came down with father lastnight. Perfectly abominable men. I hope you won't leave me to theirtender mercies for a single moment, Mr. Pratt."
To Jacob, the warmth seemed to have gone from the sunlight, and thetearing wind was no longer bringing him joy. Up above him, the longwhite front of Kelsoton Castle had come into view. His wonderfulholiday, then, had come to this--that he must walk, minute by minute,in fear of his liberty, perhaps his life. He was to spend the days hehad looked forward to so much in this lonely spot with the men whowere his sworn enemies. He looked behind him for a moment. The trainby which he had come had disappeared long ago across a dark stretch ofbarren moor. Escape, even if he had thought of it, was cut off.
"I gather that you don't care much for Mr. Montague, either," sheremarked, flicking one of the pony's ears.
Jacob roused himself.
"Not exactly my choice of a holiday companion," he admitted.
She leaned towards him.
"You are only going to have one companion," she told him. "I havedemanded your head upon a charger--or rather your body in tennisflannels--for the rest of the day. The others are all going for apicnic."
"Is that fellow Maurice somebody coming down?" Jacob asked anxiously.
"He hasn't even been asked," she assured him, with a flash of her blueeyes. "Here we are at the first lodge. Now for a gallop up theavenue."
The Marquis in kilts, the very prototype of the somewhat worn Scottishchieftain of ancient lineage, welcomed his visitor on the threshold,from which the great oak doors had been thrown back.
"So sorry we haven't the bagpipes," he apologised, as he shook Jacob'shand. "We shall get into form in a day or two. Now you'll have a bathand some breakfast, won't you? Your things will be up in a fewmoments. You'll find some old friends here," he added, as he pilotedJacob across the huge, bare hall, "but my daughter tells me that sheclaims you for tennis--to-day, at any rate."
Everything seemed cheerful and reassuring. His room looked straightout on to a magnificent, rock-strewn sea. The bathroom which openedfrom it was a model of comfort and even luxury. The Marchionesswelcomed him cordially, later on, and Mr. Dane Montague and Mr.Hartwell seemed very harmless in their ill-chosen country clothes, andingratiating almost to the point of fulsomeness. Lady Mary glancedapprovingly at Jacob's tennis flannels.
"I'm sure you'll be far too good for me," she sighed, as she gave himhis coffee. "My racquet's simply horrible, too. It's three years oldand wants restringing badly."
"I hope you won't think it a liberty," Jacob said simply, "but I hadto call at Tate's to get one of mine which I'd had restrung, and I sawsuch a delightfully balanced lady's racquet that I ventured to bringit down. I thought you might play with it, at any rate, if you didn'tfeel like doing me the honour of accepting it."
"You dear person!" she exclaimed joyfully. "If father and motherweren't here, and my mouth weren't full of scone, I believe I shouldkiss you. There isn't anything in the world I wanted so much as a Tateracquet."
"Very thoughtful and kind of Mr. Pratt, I am sure," the Marchionessechoed graciously.
Jacob was never quite sure as to the meaning of that day, on which heand Lady Mary were left almost entirely alone, and the others,starting for an excursion soon after breakfast, did not return untilan hour before dinner. They played tennis, bathed, played tennisagain, lounged in a wonderful corner of a many-hundred-year-oldgarden, and afterwards sailed for a couple of hours in a little skiffwhich Lady Mary managed with the utmost skill. Sunburnt, tired, butcompletely happy, Jacob watched the returning carriages with scarcelyan atom of apprehension.
"I think," he declared, "that this has been one of the happiest daysof my life."
"That is a great deal to say, Mr. Pratt," said Lady Mary.
She seemed suddenly to have lost her high spirits. He looked at heralmost in surprise. A queer little impulse of jealousy crept into hisbrain.
"You are tired," he said,--"or is it that you are thinking of some oneelse?"
She shook her head.
"I felt a little shiver," she confided. "I don't know why. I loathethose two men father has here, and I have an idea, somehow, that theydon't like you."
"I have more than an idea about that," he answered half lightly. "Ibelieve they'd murder me if they could. You'll protect me, won't you,Lady Mary?"
"I will," she answered quite gravely.
Nevertheless, the rest of the day passed without any untoward event.No one could have been more polite or harmless than Mr. Dane Montagueat dinner; no one, except that he drank a little more wine than wasgood for him, more genial than Joe Hartwell. They played snooker pool,a game at which Jacob excelled, after dinner, and not one of the partymade the least objection when Jacob excused himself early and retiredto his room. He locked his door, and, sitting down by the open window,lit a last cigarette before turning in. Before him was the bay withits rock-strewn shore, and the quaint little tower, said to be sixhundred years old, situated on a little island about fifty yards fromthe shore. On either side two heather-covered slopes, strewn withrocks, tumbled almost to the sea; and beyond, the ocean. The view waswonderful, the air soft and delicious. It was an hour or more laterbefore Jacob turned reluctantly away. He was about to take off hisdinner coat when he heard a soft yet firm knocking at his door. Theold fears rushed back. It was well past midnight. The great houseseemed strangely silent. The servants' wing was far out of hearing.Jacob felt a curious sensation of friendlessness. The knocking wasrepeated. He hesitated for a moment and then crossed the room.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
"I, your host," was the low reply,--"Delchester. Let me in for amoment, Pratt."
Jacob unlocked the door, opened it to admit his host, and closed itagain. Somewhat to his surprise, the Marquis himself turned the key.He was looking grave and a little perturbed.
"Pratt," he said, "you will forgive my intrusion, but you are a guestin my house, and I feel that I have a somewhat painful duty toperform."
"Painful?" Jacob repeated.
"Painful because it will seem like a breach of hospitality, which itis not," the Marquis continued. "I am here, Pratt, to beg that youwill leave my house early to-morrow morning."
"But I have only just arrived!" Jacob exclaimed. "What have I do
ne?"
"You have done nothing," his host assured him. "Your deportment hasbeen in every respect exemplary, and believe me I regret very much theposition I am obliged to take up. But let me add that it is entirelyin your own interests. I have become aware of certain designs on thepart of Mr. Dane Montague and his friend, which would make yourfurther stay here, to say the least of it, dangerous."
"This is very kind of you, Lord Delchester," Jacob said, "but doesn'tit seem to you that, if this is the case, the persons who ought toleave are Mr. Dane Montague and Hartwell?"
"You are quite right," the Marquis acknowledged. "You are absolutelyright. But I will be frank with you. I am under great obligations toMr. Dane Montague, obligations which I expect will be increased ratherthan diminished. I am exceedingly anxious not to quarrel with him. Icannot possibly countenance the scheme which he and his friend have onfoot against you, so under the circumstances my only alternative is tobeg you to leave by the first train to-morrow morning."
Jacob sighed. Somehow or other, the dangers which had failed tomaterialise had become small things.
"I can only do as you desire, Marquis," he consented. "For myself, Iam not afraid. I am perfectly content to take my chance."
The Marquis shook his head.
"There is too much cunning on the other side," he declared. "Thestruggle would not be equal. You will be called at six o'clock, and Ishall give myself the pleasure of breakfasting with you at half-pastsix downstairs. And, I have a further favour to ask you. I do not wishmy wife or daughter to be aware of the circumstances which have led tomy having to make you this regrettable request. I should be glad ifyou would write a line, say to my daughter, regretting that you arecompelled to return to town on business."
Jacob sighed once more, sat down and wrote as desired. His host thrustthe note into his pocket.
"I wish you good night," he said. "We shall meet in the morning, and,if I might ask it, would you make as little noise as possible in yourmovements? I do not wish those fellows to know that you are leavinguntil you are safe in the train. Your luggage can be sent after you."
The Marquis made a dignified exit, and Jacob, with a shrug of theshoulders, undressed and tumbled into bed. On the whole, he wassurprised to find that his chief sensation was one of disappointment.When he was called in the morning and found the sunshine filling theroom, he felt half inclined to make a further appeal to his host'shospitality. The Marquis gave him little opportunity, however. He wasfully dressed and presided with dignity at a bountiful breakfast. Hewas looking a little tired, and he confessed that he had slept badly.
"I find myself," he told Jacob, as the meal was concluded, "in anexceedingly painful situation. I have never before had to ask a guestto leave my house, and I resent very much the necessity."
"I am willing to take my risk," Jacob suggested.
The Marquis shook his head.
"You do not know what the risks are," he answered. "I do. Come andwalk outside with me, Mr. Pratt. We have half an hour before we leave.My people were more than ordinarily punctual."
They strolled down towards the sea. Jacob asked curious questionsabout the little tower, and the Marquis unfastened a rope which held aflat-bottomed boat.
"I will take you across the channel," he proposed, "and we will visitit. We have never had a visitor yet who has departed without seeingthe keep. As a matter of fact, it is far older than the house, andquite a curiosity of architecture."
They crossed the tidal channel, the Marquis paddling with slow butgraceful strokes. Arrived on the other side, he secured the boat andled the way up a precipitous ledge to a nail-studded door, which heopened with a key from a bunch which he had drawn from his pocket.
"The downstairs rooms are scarcely safe," he said, "there is so muchfallen masonry, but the one I am going to show you is our great pride.You will find our visitors' book there."
He preceded his guest up a circular staircase, lit only by some narrowslits in the walls. At the top he opened another door and Jacobstepped into a great bare room. At the further end, through a broadaperture, was a magnificent view of the open sea. Jacob steppedforward to peer out. As he passed across the room, through anotheraperture, facing landwards, he saw the dogcart driven out of thestable yard, down the avenue, towards the moorland road which led tothe station.
"Hullo," he called out, "isn't that my carriage over there?"
He turned around. He was alone in the room, and from outside came theominous sound of the key turning in the lock. He strode towards it andshouted through the grating which was let into the top part of thedoor.
"Hi! Lord Delchester!"
The Marquis's face appeared on the other side of the grating. Hecarefully shook the door, to be sure that it was locked.
"Mr. Pratt," he said, "you enter now upon a new phase of your stay atKelsoton Castle. If you look around the walls, you will find theinitials of your predecessors carved in many different forms. I trustthat you will make yourself as comfortable as possible under thecircumstances."
"Am I a prisoner?" Jacob asked.
The Marquis coughed.
"I prefer to follow the example of my ancestors and look upon you as ahostage awaiting ransom."
"Then all that talk of yours about getting me out of danger wasbunkum?"
"Your phraseology is offensively modern, but your conclusions arecorrect," the Marquis acknowledged. "We could think of no other way inwhich you might be induced to enter the prison tower of Kelsoton,bearing in mind your suspicions of Montague and Hartwell."
Jacob stood on tiptoe and looked through the bars. The mien of theMarquis was as composed as his tone. A paste stone in the buckle whichfastened his tartan glittered in the dim light.
"Lord Delchester," he said, "I have only a commoner's ideas ofhospitality. Is it in accordance with your sense of honour to decoyand imprison a guest in order to subject him to ill-treatment from acouple of curs like Montague and Hartwell?"
The Marquis was unperturbed.
"My dear Mr. Pratt," he replied, "conduct which would perhaps notcommend itself to you, with your more limited outlook, has beenhallowed to the members of my family by the customs of a thousandyears. The great Roderick Currie, my grandfather many times removed inthe direct line, invited here once seven lairds of the neighbouringcountry for some marriage celebrations. You will find their initialscarved somewhere near the right-hand window. Four of them escaped withthe loss of half their estates. The remaining three, I regret to say,were unreasonable. Two of them were drowned and one was stabbed."
"What are the terms of my release?" Jacob demanded.
"It is not within my province to discuss financial details," theMarquis answered stiffly. "Mr. Montague will probably visit you duringthe day. I bid you good morning."