CHAPTER XVII--ZERLINA
When they reached Ten Eyck Hall, it was with relief that the youngpeople learned that the others had gone motoring for the afternoon, andwould probably not be back until dinner time. Stephen put Jimmie underthe care of the housekeeper, who bound up his wounds in absorbent cottonsaturated with witch hazel. The girls disappeared into their own room,but not before Bab had cautioned Stephen to bring them word about Jose.
The information came in the form of a few scribbled lines on the teatray.
"John tells me," the note ran, "that Jose was off on his motor cycleuntil lunch time. S."
The two girls read the note excitedly.
"Bab, dear," cried Ruth, "I simply can't believe it of that nice boy,can you?"
"I don't want to believe it," replied Bab, "even though appearances areagainst him."
"But who could the joker in the woods have been, if not Jose?" continuedRuth. "And, come to think of it, he might have been the highwayman, too.It would not have been difficult for him to have found out at the hotelwhere we were going. I am afraid he is in an awful mess, yet, in spiteof everything, there is something about him that disarms suspicion."
Ruth was a loyal friend to people she liked. She believed that herchosen circle consisted of a superior class of beings, and she was asblind to their faults as a mother to those of her favorite child. Therewas a tap on the door, and the maid informed them that Zerlina, theGypsy girl, wished to speak to them.
"Send her up," said Ruth, and presently Zerlina was ushered into theroom.
There was a scared look in her eyes as they wandered hastily around thecharming apartment and finally rested on the two girls who werestretched on the bed in muslin kimonos.
"How do you do, Zerlina?" said Ruth. "Excuse our not getting up. We arejust dead tired. Won't you have a cup of tea?"
"Thank you," replied the Gypsy stiffly, "I do not care for tea. Icame----" she paused. "I thought----" she hesitated again.
"Well, Zerlina, what did you think?" asked Ruth.
Bab was looking at the girl curiously.
"I came because you asked me," she said finally.
"So we did," replied Ruth, "and we are delighted to see you. Did yourgrandmother come with you?"
"No," answered Zerlina and paused again.
"Perhaps you had some special reason for coming, Zerlina," hinted Bab."Was it to ask us a question?"
The girl's face took on the same stubborn expression it had worn whenBab had asked her to show the knife used in the dance.
"I came because you asked me," she repeated, in the same sing-song tone.
Again there was a tap at the door and Bridget appeared, bringing a notefor Bab.
"Another note from Stephen," observed Bab, reading it carefully andhanding it to Ruth. The note said:
"If you and Ruth don't mind, kindly keep the fight, if possible, asecret from everybody for a day or two. It would be necessary to explainabout the pistols, and if Jose is the man who owns them, telling wouldgive everything away. I shall tell uncle, of course. People will thinkthat Jimmie fell out of a tree or down into a hollow. Keep as quiet aspossible about the particulars of our adventure. S."
"I'm sorry," exclaimed Ruth; "it would have been such fun to tell itall."
"The telling is only a pleasure deferred for a while," said her friend.
In the meantime, the Gypsy girl had lost nothing of the conversationexcept the contents of the note, which Bab had rolled into a little balland thrown into a waste paper basket.
"Will the ladies not show me some of their beautiful dresses?" askedZerlina presently.
"We haven't much to show," replied Ruth, "but we'll be glad to show whatwe have." She pulled herself lazily from the bed and opened the door ofa wardrobe at one side of the room.
"Ruth, you show her your fine things," called Bab. "I haven't a ragworth seeing. Get out your pink lingerie and your leghorn with theshaded roses. They would please her eye."
"Why don't you show her your organdie, Bab?" asked Ruth. "It's just aspretty as my pink, any day."
"Oh, very well," returned Bab, opening her side of the massive clothespress and spreading the dress on the bed before the admiring eyes ofZerlina. "'A poor thing, but mine own,'" she said. "I certainly neverthought to be displaying my rich wardrobe to anyone. It's entirely a newsensation."
In the meantime Ruth had piled her own gauzy finery on the bed besideBab's, and Zerlina feasted her gaze on the pink lace-trimmed princessdresses and the flower bedecked hats.
"Some day you must have pretty dresses, too, Zerlina," said Ruth fromthe depths of the wardrobe, as she replaced the things; "some day whenyou are a great singer."
There was no reply, and Bab, who was busy folding her dress, lookedquickly around. Zerlina's arm was in the scrap basket. She had looked upas Ruth spoke, and catching Bab's eye, dropped the crumpled note she hadjust seized. An angry blush overspread her face and she bit her lip inembarrassment.
"I must be going," she said. "It is late."
Bab did not answer. She was thinking deeply. Here was positive proofthat Zerlina and Jose were working together in some way.
"Wait a minute, Zerlina," called Ruth, kindly. "Won't you accept thisred velvet bow? It would look pretty in your black hair."
"Thank you," exclaimed the girl, her eyes filling with tears. "You arevery good to me." Her lip trembled as if she were about to burst intotears, but she conquered them with an effort and started to the door."Good-bye," she said, looking at Bab so reproachfully that the latter'sheart was melted to pity.
At dinner that night there was much concern expressed for poor Jimmiewho, with his face swathed in bandages, was sound asleep in his ownroom. Stephen had been closeted with his uncle for half an hour beforethe gong sounded, and the major's usually placid face was haunted by anexpression of deep worry.
"Do tell us about the hermit, Stephen," cried Grace, and that being asafe subject the four adventurers plunged into a description of thestrange old man and the miniature that so resembled Bab.
"Do you remember when he came, Major?" asked Miss Stuart.
"Only vaguely," replied the major, "I was quite a little chap then,eight or ten, I think I was, and we were living in France at the time.He had become a fixture when we came back, but he always shunnedadvances from my family. Undoubtedly he was a fugitive from somewhere.However, this is not such an out-of-the-way place but that he could havebeen found if they had looked for him very hard. I have not seen him formany years. How does he look?"
"Like an exiled prince," answered Ruth. "He is a very noble looking oldman."
"Jose, did you play croquet with the girls this morning?" asked Stephen.
"Wasn't he mean?" interrupted Mollie. "No sooner had you gone than hewas off on his motor cycle."
The young Spaniard's face had flushed scarlet at the question, but hesmiled at Mollie's teasing reply and looked Stephen squarely in the eye.
"It must have been rather hot work motoring this morning, wasn't it,Jose?" went on Stephen.
"I went only to the forest," answered Jose.
The four friends stirred uneasily, and the major looked down at hisplate. It hurt him deeply to see Jose put on the rack in this way.
"How far did you go into the woods, Jose? It's curious we didn't meetyou."
"Only to the haunted pool," replied Jose.
"You were not far off, then," said Stephen. "Did you hear us yodeling?"
"No," answered Jose; "er--that is, yes. I did hear something like that,but I was not there long." His face was still flushed and he looked asif he would like to run away from his inquisitors; but the soft-heartedmajor could endure the painful situation no longer and he changed theconversation to another topic.
"Why don't you young people ever dance?" he asked. "I had planned to seeyoung couples whirling around the red drawing room. It would be a prettysight, Sallie. Would it not?"
"I have a plan," broke in Mollie, "but I can't tell it now. It's to be asurprise for Miss
Sallie and the major."
"Dear me!" exclaimed Miss Sallie. "Are we to feel honored or slighted,Major?"
"Oh, not slighted," protested Mollie. "It is something that will amuseyou."
"What is it?" asked a voice from the doorway. "I am palpitating toknow."
Everybody looked up in surprise at the apparition of Jimmie regardingthe company gravely with his one good eye. His other eye was swathed ina bandage, and his nose was swollen and red. There was a joyous peal oflaughter from the assembled party.
"Why, Jimmie," cried Martin, "you look like an exhausted Dutchman."
"Don't throw stones, my son," replied Jimmie. "You're a Dutchmanyourself, remember."
"Come in and have some dinner, Jimmie," coaxed the major.
"I've dined, thank you, sir. My kind nurse saw to that, and I feelconsiderably better."
"How did you happen to black your eye, you poor boy?" asked Mollie.
Stephen cleared his throat audibly. Why on earth had he not cautionedMollie not to ask Jimmie any questions? But Ruth came to the rescue andhe breathed a sigh of relief.
"You mustn't ask Jimmie embarrassing questions, Mollie. A black eye anda red nose are enough to bear for the present."
The major relieved the situation by saying:
"Now, Mistress Mollie, we are ready to be surprised."
"Come on," said Stephen, taking Jimmie by the arm, and as they stoodaside, he whispered into his ear: "Keep it dark about the tramps. Unclewill explain."
"The surprise is this," explained Mollie, detaining the young people inthe hall. "Why not give our masquerade to-night?"
"This is as good a time as any other," agreed Martin.
"Oh, you children!" exclaimed Stephen.
"Don't be a wet blanket, Stephen," said Martin.
"Oh, I simply thought perhaps the girls might be tired or something,"replied Stephen. "We'll all dress up if you like."
"What fun!" cried Mollie. "Jose, you're to be a pirate, remember."
"I think Jose would make a good highwayman," observed Bab, "with a knifein his belt and a slouch hat on." She had no sooner spoken than sherepented her words.
"Perhaps I would, Mademoiselle," he replied gently, with a deep sigh.