CHAPTER XXVII
It was now the second week of September. Kitty Thornton was staying atBuckhurst House, near Selby, in Yorkshire, not many miles fromDoncaster, with her relative, Mrs. Joicey, a widow lady.
The girl, though she felt as if her heart was broken and there nevercould be any happiness in the world for her again, still adhered firmlyto her determination to do what she considered her duty. Since she hadcome to Yorkshire she had heard but once from the Eversleighs. Themessage came in a short note from Gilbert, which ran--
"My father has told me all. God bless you and keep you."
The words were brief, but Kitty read into them a depth of meaning. Shepictured to herself Gilbert writing this letter in much the same spiritof renunciation of joy and acceptance of inevitable evil, as hadinspired her own action. And again she told herself, as she had had totell herself very often, that in life there were higher things thanlove. But she treasured up Gilbert's words and even the piece of paperon which they were written.
Meanwhile she had another interview with Bennet, who, following theround of the races, as usual, had gone down to Yorkshire for the greatDoncaster September meeting, in which his horse, Go Nap, was expected tocut no small figure.
Although Bennet had not been able to get the ten thousand pounds fromFrancis Eversleigh which he had asked him for, he yet had experiencedvery little difficulty in obtaining all the funds he wanted for hispurposes. More than once before this time he had had recourse to acertain Jew, Joel Levy by name, for loans, which Bennet had alwaysheretofore repaid punctiliously; he was therefore in excellent creditwith this money-lender.
When Bennet told Levy he was engaged to marry Kitty Thornton, thedaughter of Thornton, the Missing Millionaire, whose remarkable storywas known to everybody, Levy offered no objection when he was asked fora fresh loan. He merely inquired when the marriage was to take place,and was satisfied on hearing it was arranged for an early date--as soon,in fact, as the lady's mourning for her father would decently permit.
Levy congratulated Bennet on his good fortune, wished him equal luck inhis racing, and, having obtained his signature to bills carryinginterest at fifty per cent., wrote out a cheque.
Thereafter Bennet liquidated his most pressing liabilities, and with thebalance, still a considerable sum, set off in high spirits forYorkshire.
But before going north he had seen Francis Eversleigh, been told theexact sum for which Beauclerk Mansions had been sold by Silwood, and hadhad prepared a discharge to the firm for the same. This he took with himunsigned, and when he presented himself at Buckhurst House, and askedfor Miss Thornton, he had the document in his pocket.
He had made a bargain with the girl for it, and his pulses beat fiercelyas he thought he would at last hold her in his arms and embrace her. Heknew well enough that her response was likely to be of the coldest, butassured himself that from the moment he touched her lips, he shouldbegin to dominate and bend her to his will.
Kitty received him much more graciously than he expected, but this wasmerely because she felt that, with a man of Bennet's character anddisposition, the Eversleighs would not be safe until her sacrifice wascomplete. She was afraid, too, that in some way she might be tricked byhim.
When he handed her the document which was to cancel the obligations ofEversleigh's firm, he was careful to tell her it had been drawn up byFrancis Eversleigh himself, who had also sent with it a covering letter,expressing its effect in formal terms.
"I think," said he to her, "I have done exactly what you would havewished me to do. Nothing remains now except for me to sign it andtransfer it to you."
Kitty nodded gravely, and brought him pen and ink, that he might affixhis signature to the discharge.
He signed his name with a flourish.
"I would do a great deal more than this for you, Kitty," he cried, as,holding the paper in his hand, he advanced towards her.
Giving it to her, he said, eagerly, "You remember the bargain we made?"
"Yes," she replied, and unresistingly allowed him to take her in hisarms. He clutched her to his breast in an almost savage embrace, whilehe showered kisses on her lips. Passively she submitted to his caresses,though she loathed them and him from the bottom of her soul. By a strongeffort of will, she managed to control herself so as not to show therepulsion with which he filled her.
"And I have promised to marry this man!" she thought. "How shall I everbe able to live with him!"
As she gently disengaged herself from him, he saw that she was deathlywhite.
"Oh, Kitty!" he exclaimed. "If you would only love me!"
"Love was not in our compact," she said, with a tremor.
"You shall love me," he responded. "When we are married, you must loveme."
But the girl said nothing.
Then he asked if she would not accompany him to the races. "You are sureto bring me luck," he cried.
Reminding him that she was still in the deepest of mourning, shedeclined, wondering how the man should be so unfeeling.
"For the moment I had forgotten," he returned, apologetically. "It wasvery thoughtless of me--pray forgive me; but wish me luck all the same,will you not, Kitty?"
Kitty, however, was hurt, and would give him no answer. Bennet regardedher for an instant or two, a heavy frown gathering on his face.
"You refuse to wish me luck!" he cried. "I do everything you ask me todo, and yet you won't wish me good luck! For your sake I have forgonemy claim on the Eversleighs, and you haven't one good word for me!Kitty, I warn you not to cross me, not to make me angry. Thanks to you,the Eversleighs owe me no money--that is true, but remember that if Iwere to whisper in certain quarters what I know about the firm, itscredit would not last very long."
"What! You would do such a thing!"
"It depends on you, Kitty, and on you alone. Be my friend--I know youcannot, perhaps, love me all at once, but be my friend; in ourcircumstances surely this is not much to ask from you."
"What would you have me do?"
"Wish me luck, Kitty--that's a very little thing!"
"I have always heard, Mr. Bennet," the girl said, looking at himsteadily, "that this racing is your ruin."
"Oh, you preach, do you!" ejaculated Bennet, with a scowl, and, withoutanother word, turned on his heel and left her, while Kitty bitterlyasked herself if her sacrifice was to go for nothing.
An hour or two later, Bennet was at Doncaster, in close confabulationwith Bob Deans, the jockey who was to ride Go Nap.
"You understand thoroughly?" inquired Bennet, as he was going back tohis hotel.
"Yes, guv'nor, I understand perfectly," replied the jockey. "You candepend on me."
But Bob Deans made a face behind the other's back.
"He's a daisy," he said to himself, "that's what he is!"
The first day of the Doncaster September meeting passed by withoutspecial incident. Bennet had several bets on the different events, butat the end his book nearly balanced; it was a trifle against him.
"It will be all right to-morrow," he said to an acquaintance, with whomhe was discussing the fortunes of the day. "I expect that Go Nap willpull me through handsomely."
"You believe he'll win?"
"I feel absolutely confident of it," said Bennet, with emphasis.
"You are not alone in that," remarked the other. "I noticed your horseis going up in the betting; it now stands at five to one against; a fewdays ago it was ten to one."
Bennet smiled; indeed, his face showed every sign of pleasure.
"You might do worse," said he, "than put a bit on him."
"Yes, I think I shall," responded the other; "it looks pretty good."
And to all whom he met Bennet spoke well of his horse, and took anysmall bets that were offered, but, contrary to his usual practice, hewould not risk any large sum. And all the while, secretly, throughagents he thought he could trust, he was laying heavily against Go Nap,until he stood to win L20,000 if the horse _lost_.
Bright sunshine, a c
ool breeze, and a perfect track combined to make thesecond day of the races peculiarly enjoyable to the devotees of theturf. The race in which Bennet's horse was to run was the third on thelist. The fine appearance of the animal that morning as he went for ashort gallop had gained for him many supporters, and an immense amountof money was forthcoming on him, with the result that he fartherimproved his position in the betting. When the flag fell, the price wasonly three to two against him.
To the huge delight of his backers, Go Nap won easily. Taking the leadfrom the start, he was never seriously challenged, and reached the post"with plenty to spare."
Bennet, who was watching the race from one of the stands, had followedhis horse from start to finish with anxious eyes. He had given Bob Deanscertain instructions, and he believed they would be obeyed implicitly bythe jockey. Bennet saw the horse leading at the beginning. That wasnothing, he said to himself, as Deans knew what to do, and was the bestjudge of when to do it. But as Go Nap sailed along steadily in front,apparently without effort, Bennet commenced to see the race as through amist. When his horse won, and his friends were offering him theircongratulations, he could scarcely speak for rage. His passioncompletely blinded him to the impolicy of his behaviour, and everythingthat was worst in the man came to the surface. Hardly noticing what wassaid to him, he rushed from the stand.
"He takes it queerly," said a bystander.
"His head's a bit turned, though that's perhaps not to be wondered at,"said a second.
As for Bennet, he literally saw red.
"Deans has sold me!" was the savage cry in his heart.
Thrusting those aside who happened to be in his path, he made his way tothe jockey, who saw him coming. Bob Deans viewed with alarm the furyand despair in Bennet's face, and turned to run away, but with two orthree quick bounds Bennet was upon him.
Grasping the jockey by the shoulder, Bennet, who had utterly lostcontrol of himself, and was wholly blind to consequences, shook him as aterrier shakes a rat. Bennet was a tall, athletic man, and the tinyfigure of Bob Deans was as nothing to him.
Instantly several of those standing about tried to interfere andseparate the two men.
But Bennet, who was now to all intents and purposes a madman, shook themoff fiercely, without letting go his hold on Deans.
"Leave me alone," the jockey spluttered, "or I'll give you away! Let mego!"
"Let you go, you hound!" cried Bennet in a terrible voice, and, his facehideously distorted, he shouted, "By ----, I'll kill you!"
The onlookers again strove to pull the two men apart, and succeededsufficiently for Bob Deans to cry so that every one heard him--
"He wished me to pull the horse; he offered me a big bribe, but I woulddo nothing crooked."
Bennet heard the words as well as the others.
Putting forth all his strength, and quite beside himself, he sprangforward with uplifted fist, and catching the unfortunate jockey afrightful blow under the chin, felled him to the ground.
Many now ran up to the group. Bob Deans was a popular jockey, and thevictory of Go Nap had been popular. Soon there was a great crowd.
A short examination showed that Bob Deans was dead.