CHAPTER XXIII
On entering the house, Kitty went at once to her own room, though sheknew Helen Eversleigh would think it strange, perhaps even unkind. "Butshe will never imagine why it is," thought the girl; "she will supposeBennet had something painful to tell me about my father."
Kitty Thornton was a brave woman, and she had brains as well as courage;she sat down in her room, and deliberately set herself to consider thesituation in which she now found herself. The conversation with Bennethad occupied but a short while, and she had hardly realized all it meantfor her. Now, sitting there quietly, she went over it again. On the faceof it, what he had told her about Eversleigh seemed improbable in theextreme, but she recalled the positiveness of his assertions and the airof truthfulness and certainty with which he had made them. It was clearto her that Bennet believed he did hold the fate of Eversleigh in hishands.
Then she thought of Francis Eversleigh. In her mind's eye she saw him ashe had appeared to her in her girlhood--handsome, generous,large-hearted, kindness itself. Her instinct told her that he was notformed of the stuff out of which the thief and the swindler were made.And she recalled Bennet's words, "Mr. Eversleigh put the blame of thesale on his dead partner Silwood"--Silwood, the man in whose chambersher father's body had been found; yes, Kitty had no doubt whatever thatif any one was guilty, he was the criminal. She remembered Silwood'sappearance very well, and she contrasted it with that of Eversleigh, tothe great advantage of the latter. It was incredible that Eversleigh wasa bad man. But though not actually guilty, was he a party to the guiltof Silwood all along, and therefore guilty in that sense? Or had hediscovered what Silwood had done only after Silwood's death? Well, shemust wait until she had heard what Francis Eversleigh had to say.
For, after all, these were minor points. In all likelihood, sheconcluded, Eversleigh would confirm Bennet's statements. If so, whatthen?
And, now, Kitty Thornton had need of all her courage.
The fate of the Eversleighs was in her hands; she could save them, butat what a price!
The sacrifice of her own happiness.
She could save them, but only by condemning herself to misery for therest of her life.
As she sat thinking, thinking of the wretchedness that must be hers asthe wife of Bennet, the poor girl closed her eyes, as if thus she couldshut out that blank and dreary prospect. She had no illusions as to thenature of the man. In her heart she called him a bully and a brute, andshe knew he was a desperate gambler. Her life with him could be nothingbut one long horror.
"I cannot marry him," she said, rebelling against the harshness andbitterness of the dilemma thrust upon her.
"But what then?" she asked herself.
She knew Bennet would keep his word did she refuse to marry him; FrancisEversleigh would be arrested, and he and his family overwhelmed in onecommon ruin.
"How can I permit it?" she said.
Hitherto she had striven to keep the thought of her lover, Gilbert, outof her mind, so as to be able to reason more clearly, but in itsbackground Gilbert had always been. She loved him with her whole heart,and it was seldom that, consciously or unconsciously, she was notthinking about him. She had looked forward with pride and joy to beinghis wife. And now?
Bennet had declared that Gilbert's father's ruin would be Gilbert's ruintoo.
And she could save him.
"I must, I must," said Kitty, bravely, but her heart was cold as ice."Cost me what it may, I must save him from ruin."
She told herself that it was her duty to make this sacrifice for herlover's sake, and she tried to steel herself to the idea. But when shethought of the long and bitter years that lay before her as the wife ofHarry Bennet, her courage grew less and less.
"I must not think of _that_," she said; "if I do, I shall break down. Imust think, and think only, of saving them from the ruin which threatensthem all."
Still the tears would come into her eyes. She wiped them away, however,and when she went down to dinner showed no traces of them. Her eyes weresuspiciously bright, and the spots of colour on her cheeks were lessbrilliant than usual, but her aspect was so little different from whatit generally was that even Helen Eversleigh, who looked at herinquiringly when they met, did not observe any change in her appearance.
Francis Eversleigh was at the head of the table, and from time to timehe shot a quick glance at her. He had heard from his daughter, Helen,that Bennet had called that afternoon, and he felt sure Bennet had toldthe girl all. He expected she would speak to him on the subject afterdinner, and he dreaded it. What would she say to him? What would she do?What had she said to Bennet?
Kitty had always been fond of Francis Eversleigh, and as she caught oneor two of these glances of his, and knew the secret of his anxiety, shepitied him and smiled at him encouragingly. Like the other members ofthe Eversleigh household, she had noticed for weeks how poorly he hadlooked. Now, as she sat at table with him she told herself she knew whyit was--he had been carrying in his breast the knowledge of hispartner's crime. She felt so sorry for him, that for a time she almostforgot how black her own future was likely to be.
After dinner she and Eversleigh withdrew from the dining-room together,and went into the library. This move excited no surprise in the others,who supposed it accounted for by there being some fresh development withregard to her late father's affairs which required immediate attention.
Eversleigh left it to Kitty to begin the conversation.
"Mr. Bennet was here this afternoon," she said, steadily; "and he toldme something which astonished and pained me more than I can express."
Kitty stopped, expecting Eversleigh to speak, but he only looked at hersorrowfully.
"He told me," said Kitty after a pause, "that some house property ofhis, which was entrusted to your firm, had been sold without his consentor knowledge, and that the money had been misappropriated. Is it true?"
"I regret to have to answer, Kitty, that it is too true," repliedEversleigh, falteringly. "It is only too true," he repeated, shaking hishead sadly, "too true."
"Won't you tell me all about it?" asked the girl. "I do so wish to helpyou if I can," she cried earnestly.
"Kitty, you are, as you always have been, a dear sweet girl," respondedEversleigh, with twitching lips and tears standing in his eyes; "but Iam afraid you can do nothing."
"Perhaps I can. But let me know, will you not, how this frightful thinghas come about?" she urged.
"It is a dreadful story, a shameful story, Kitty. I have tried to actfor the best----"
He broke off with a sob.
"I shall never believe you were guilty of anything criminal!" sheexclaimed.
"I did not steal the money; you are right, if that is what you mean,dear; but the law will hold me guilty."
"I did not imagine for a single instant that you had taken any one'smoney wrongfully. Mr. Bennet said that you told him the money was takenby Mr. Silwood."
"Yes, yes," returned Eversleigh; "that is true."
"Besides yourself and Mr. Bennet and me, does any other person knowabout this--trouble?"
"No, not a soul."
"Then it is only Mr. Bennet you have to fear?"
"Yes; but is that not sufficient?"
"I am afraid it is. Still, if there was to be found a way of satisfyinghim, would that release you from further worries of the same kind?"
"Kitty," said Eversleigh, speaking with much emotion; "Kitty, I shallnot pretend not to understand what you refer to when you talk of findinga way to satisfy Bennet. He told me what he intended doing--how he wasto disclose to you that my fate was in his hands, and to declare to youhe would not prosecute me if you would promise to marry him. It seems tome a monstrous proposition--that you should sacrifice yourself for me.No, Kitty, you must not marry him. You must leave us to our fate."
As Eversleigh said these words, there was a ring in his voice that hadlong been absent from it. He really meant what he said.
"I shall not leave you and the others to thei
r fate," cried Kitty; "youare all dear to me--and then," she said shyly, "there is Gilbert. Mr.Bennet declares Gilbert will be involved in your ruin; that is," sheadded gently, "if you were found to be a party to--irregularities; then,in that case he would be compelled to give up the Bar."
Eversleigh nodded gloomily.
"I fear that would be so," he said with a gasp.
"Gilbert is dearer to me than myself," Kitty went on, blushing a little,"and I must save him if I can."
Neither spoke for a few minutes.
"You are a brave, heroic woman," said Eversleigh, at last. "But Gilbertwill never consent to your sacrificing yourself in this way."
"Gilbert need not know until you are safe out of Bennet's grasp,"suggested Kitty. "And do you not see that I am between two fires," shecontinued; "so that I must yield myself? If the worst befall you, thenyou, dear Mrs. Eversleigh who has been a mother to me, your sons andyour daughter, will be made miserable for ever! Oh, I cannot think ofit! And then there is my love for Gilbert! No," she sighed in a whisper;"I cannot ruin him."
"You are a noble girl," said Eversleigh, with deep feeling; "but I,we--even Gilbert--have no right to expect such a sacrifice from you,Kitty."
The girl did not at once reply. Instead she gazed thoughtfully at him.
"I wonder if there is no other way of satisfying Mr. Bennet?" she asked.
"I do not know of any."
"Could you not take the money you owe him out of my fortune? Oh, I wouldgive him the half of all I possess--nay, the whole of it, if that wouldsatisfy him."
"Kitty," said Eversleigh, in so despairing a voice, that it made herstart in a sudden terror that he was about to do something desperate."Kitty, I see I must tell you everything. Indeed, I should have told youeverything sooner, but I am a weak, cowardly wretch. For nearly twomonths I have endured tortures every hour and every moment, ever sincethe day Silwood told me that he had embezzled--that is the bitterword--and appropriated to his own use for speculations on the StockExchange the money and property of our clients--yours, Kitty, alongwith the rest. And I, fool that I was, never knew anything of it! Isuspected nothing. It was the expected coming of your father which madeSilwood speak out. Kitty, the part of your fortune which was in ourcharge has gone--it does not exist."
Kitty was silent.
"Why do you not reproach me?" inquired Eversleigh. "There is nothing youwould say that I should not deserve."
And then he saw she was crying quietly. But it was not for the loss ofthe greater part of her fortune.
"How you must have suffered!" she said, through her tears.
And now the man broke down helplessly and wept like a child.
"I must save him," she said to herself with determination. "If there isno other way, then I must marry Mr. Bennet."
But even while she felt strong enough to carry out her purpose, therewas a great cry of desolation in her heart; she tried to still it withthe thought that there was something in the world even higher thanlove.