CHAPTER XXXVII
VINDICATED
In the gay morning air the car rushed over the high plain, carrying twolovers to the grim Pele.
Olwen had informed Parkinson that she was going to stay a few days withMrs. Guyse, but that she must leave her behind, as she was not sure ofthere being the necessary accommodation. She therefore wished her toremain at the Seven Spears until further orders. As a fact, she feltmost uncertain of the treatment her maid would be likely to receive atthe hands of the ayah.
Parkinson listened grimly, with an offended air that made Miss Innesfeel that a month's notice must be impending. She hoped it was, for sheknew that this woman could never be an inmate of her future home.
Early that morning Ezra had ridden into Caryngston upon one of the farmhorses. He came to bring news of the sudden grave increase of Madam'sillness, and to fetch Dr. Balmayne.
Olwen's experience of sickness, gained so recently, caused her to bevery prompt in action. She telegraphed to Newcastle for a nurse, beggedDr. Balmayne to send his car to Picton Bars to bring her up when shearrived, and offered to take him now to the Pele in her own fast car,and to send him back by the same means.
She also insisted that Ninian should telegraph to Wolf the news of hismother's condition before leaving the town.
There was embarrassment on both sides at the first meeting between MissInnes and the doctor, especially when Ninian, at her special request,announced to him the fact of their engagement.
He warmly congratulated the bridegroom elect, but was unable to feelthat the lady was to be congratulated. However, he concealed his opinionas best he could. Having regard as much to his feeling as to their own,Olwen placed him beside Goddard on the journey, so that Nin and shemight sit together. The night seemed to have worked a miracle in herlover. The light had come back to his eye, the glow to his cheek; helooked ten years younger already, as she assured him when she came downto breakfast and found him hungrily in wait for her. He commenced theday's amenities by the remark that he hardly knew which he wanted most,his girl or his breakfast.
"I object to being lifted up like a baby," said she reprovingly, as shesmoothed her rumpled hair after his fervent greeting.
"I always did think what fun it would be to carry you about," was theunabashed reply. "I very nearly tried, that last evening at the Pele,when you declared you had a great mind to say 'Yes.'"
"If you had, Nin, I should never have run away," she whispered. "Youcould have held me with one hand, with a word, a look. You knew that,didn't you?"
"No, I didn't. I only knew that I couldn't, somehow. I had to let yougo. But in my heart I thought--if you did care--and Sunia kept ontelling me you did--that you would forgive me. Oh, my aunt, if you knewhow I hoped and craved and expected day after day. It never dawned onme that you would drop me utterly. I don't know what I expected, butnot that!"
"If you had known beforehand that I should drop you utterly, would youstill have told Grandpapa?"
"Oh, I had to tell him in any case," he answered simply.
She then described how her grandfather had received from him theimpression that he felt no attachment to her, but had been tempted onlyby her fortune. She made him understand something of her own agony ofhumiliation, and of what she had gone through before her impulsiveflight.
He had no idea that Madam had told her of her own loveless marriage--ofhow another Ninian Guyse had wedded her for her fortune. "It was alwaysrunning in my head," the girl confessed, "I could never forget the exactwords she used--'_He was as deep in debt as I in love._' You canunderstand how exactly it seemed to apply."
"The thing I thought you would find it hardest to forgive," said he, "ifyou ever found it out, was our tampering with your correspondence. Iloathed the necessity, but having once started on the beastly plot, ithad to be done thoroughly, for we knew we had very little time--you musthear before long that you were an heiress, which would shut mymouth--and, after all our care, the one letter which gave the show awaycame straight to your hands through Dr. Balmayne! I think the knowledgeof that was what made me throw up the dirty game. I said, Providence istaking care of this little girl. Am I such a hound as to interfere?"
"It was too late then," was her low reply. "You had done the mischief."
"I somehow felt that it was so, wild as it sounded. It seemedimpossible to believe that you were not feeling something of the stormthat was shaking me. I thought if I could take you and hold you tight,I might make you believe in me, even when I had told you the truth. Butyou were too wise----"
"Too cowardly!"
"Too well protected by guardian angels!"
So they talked; and by the time they reached the tower they had talkedout all remnants of misunderstanding.
Mrs. Baxter had been on the watch for the doctor's car, and came outinto the courtyard. Her face, as she saw who sat with the master, was acurious study.
"Why, if it isn't oor yoong leddy!" said she, staring.
Olwen, lifted out like a doll by Ninian, and set down upon the stones,ran to the good woman and gave her gay greeting.
"Oh, I am glad to see you! How's poor Madam?"
"A little easier-like this morning," was the answer. Nin went off atonce to take the doctor upstairs, after asking Mrs. Baxter to showGoddard where to keep the car, and to provide for his sleepingaccommodation.
"Where's ayah?" asked Olwen eagerly.
"She was upstairs with Madam," said Mrs. Baxter. Olwen guessed that Ninwould send her down, but without telling her who was awaiting her. Infact this was just what he did.
"You're wanted below, ayah," he said to her, when Balmayne had beenushered into the sick room.
Olwen stood in the hall, talking softly to Mrs. Baxter, and noiselesslythe curtains parted and the little brown face, framed in its saree, madeits appearance.
The Hindu stopped short. For a moment the surprise was overwhelming.She had wondered what had come to her sahib, dashing off on horsebackquite late in the evening, and not returning all night--a thing he hadnot done since she could remember. Just now as he spoke to herupstairs, the light in his eyes, the thrill in his voice had moved heras she had not been moved since first he had come home from his Germanprison, broken, changed, despairing.
Here stood the answer to the puzzle, and in a swift moment Sunia was onher knees, holding Olwen's hands, kissing them repeatedly, murmuringsoft Hindustani words of caressing.
"Ah, Sunia, you have been at your wicked spells," laughed the girl, "allthe time I have been away! I have heard you calling, calling, neverceasing. I have struggled hard, but I am here at last--and I am never,never going away again!"
The woman threw up her hands with a wild gesture. "Oh, Missee, myMissee, if only one little week--few days ago! You come too late! Mysahib lost his castle! He never be really happy now, even with you!"
"I'm so vain that I think he _would_ be really happy, even without thecastle, as long as he had me! But never mind, dear, it isn't too late!He has got back his old tower all right! I _was_ in time, only just intime!"
For the first time she saw Sunia overpowered. Sinking to the floor, thewoman wrapped herself in the folds of her saree and her thin form shookwith the intensity of her feeling.
"Sunia," softly said Olwen presently, "do you feel better? Can youlisten?"
The woman raised her face, all quivering. "And I ask my gods to cursemy Missee!" she cried in anguish.
"Well, but they knew I didn't deserve to be cursed, so they took nonotice," cried Olwen playfully. "Here I am, alive and well, and all therest of my life I am just going to try and make your sahib happy. Nowyou must wipe your eyes and get up, because I have brought my luggagewith me, and I am going to stay here."
Sunia bounded to her feet. "Ayah dear," laughed the soft little voice,"I am rich now, very rich, and I have a maid who waits on me. May Isend for her to come and be my maid here?"
Violent rag
e transformed Sunia's face. "She not come here," mutteredshe; "I see to my Missee, I dress my Missee for her wedding."
"You shall, I promise you," replied the girl, fairly hugging the littlewoman.
It was a busy day. They had the nurse installed by soon after midday,and at about three Olwen was admitted to kiss and smile at her futuremother-in-law.
Mrs. Guyse was looking terribly ill and thin, but she was fullyconscious and evidently took great pleasure in the sight of the girl.
Olwen told her that she must make haste and get strong enough to bemoved, so that she could go away to the south of Europe and grow quitewell. Would she not like that? Wolf could take her, while Nin and shewent for their wedding journey.
Madam seemed quite pleased, and smiled; but there was a curiousexpression in her eyes as she turned them on the girl. She pressed thehand that held hers. "You are good and kind, my child. We treated youvery badly. You have returned good for evil, and I could not bear foryou to be--unhappy."
"Unhappy, dear? I hope there is little chance of that. Nobody in theworld was ever so happy as I."
"I have been very ill," said Madam faintly, "and that makes one think.I have lain here and thought ... and there is something ... somethingyou ought to know. Will you send Nin to me, my dear?"
"Don't you think," urged Olwen, "that you should wait until you arestronger? It is very likely that Nin will tell me the thing you have inmind. We have had so little time as yet to talk things over. Try notto worry."
Madam hesitated. "Well, perhaps. But I think he will not tell you. Hehas never told me, often as I have begged him to. However, you can askhim. Ask him--as a message from me--tell him that I adjure him, beforemarrying you, to tell you the truth about--about Lily Martin."
Lily Martin! Her name had vanished from Olwen's very thoughts. Thatstory, which had so occupied her mind formerly as to blot out any otheridea, had now receded into the dim background. However, she hastened toreassure Madam. "Dear, he told me all about that, long, long ago, whileI was here."
Madam smiled. "I think not."
Olwen's heart beat. To Madam in her weak state she dare not sayanything of what she knew. The patient lay still for a few minutes,then in a weak voice, gave some directions. Olwen was to find a key,unlock the bureau in Madam's sitting-room, take thence a dispatch-box,open that, and bring the envelope it contained to her.
Carefully carrying out instructions, the girl easily found the requiredpaper, and brought it to the bedside.
"Open it--look," whispered Madam.
Olwen drew from the envelope another, which had been partially burned.This was the remains of a letter which had been through the post. Itwas thus addressed:
Mrs. Ninian Guyse, 3, Lockerbie Terra Southamp
The remains of the address had been burned away. She looked at it insome bewilderment.
"The day that Miss Martin tried to kill herself, she burnt a lot of oldletters in the billiard-room grate," whispered the sick woman. "I camein and found this, which had fallen out of the fire. I picked it up,thinking that some day--some day--I would have the truth from Ninian. Ihid it carefully, and was thankful it was I who found it. If there hadbeen an inquest, it would have been terribly strong evidence. As itwas, it all passed off. I suppose he has been keeping her ever since,and that is how he gets rid of so much money; but I have never spoken tohim of it."
"Is it his writing?" asked the girl.
"Yes."
"I will talk to him about it," said Olwen quietly; "but I think you maybe certain that he is not to blame."
"If I could be! In other ways, he has been a good son, in spite of hisodd manner. You really love him, in spite of his manners, my dear?"
"Because of them, I believe," laughed the girl, bending to kiss her andto hide the colour in her cheeks. "I wouldn't change him."
She said nothing to Ninian of what had passed until after tea thatevening. They had it in the dining-room, and grew very foolish overtheir memories of the last time they had shared the function.
Afterwards, resisting the lure of his desire to play and be silly liketwo children, she told him there was something she must speak about, ofa not particularly pleasant character; and that she demanded his fullattention.
"Madam surprised me to-day," she went on, "by speaking on a subjectwhich I would far rather were not mentioned between us; but what shesaid makes it necessary that the whole matter should be cleared up. Sheand you have never understood each other. You think she loves you lessthan Wolf, because she has a feeling of resentment against you, formaking her live here, contrary to her inclination. But that's onlypartly true. She has something else to charge you with; and she has toldme what it is."
He was evidently surprised, and asked for an explanation with all theseriousness that she could desire.
"Before I say anything of what Madam showed me to-day," she continued,"I want you to read a letter which reached me in London some days ago.Its contents may not be news to you. I am inclined to suppose that theyare not. The affair had faded from my mind, for the thought of youdrives out everything else; but after what your mother said, I am sureyou ought to know the whole truth."
So saying, she put into his hands the letter she had received from the_ci-devant_ Lily Martin.
She watched his face with acute curiosity as he read, and she could seethat he was unprepared for what he found.
"_Wolf's wife!_ ... That girl!" was all he said; but his voice expressedextreme distaste.
Laying down the letter he propped his chin on his hands, and puckeredhis mouth into a soundless whistle; then, flinging himself back in hischair, "This is a facer for me," he muttered.
Leaning forward, she laid a hand caressingly on his forehead, strokingback the hair. "Nin, did you know nothing of it?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, no, I didn't. I don't say that Ididn't know he was in some matrimonial scrape, for I did. If it hadn'tbeen that he was not free he wouldn't have allowed me to have the firstinnings with you. He was awfully fed up about that. He has drained meof every penny I could spare, and most of those I couldn't spare, inorder to continue her allowance. He always said she was consumptive,and that it was only an affair of a few years. I never knew it was LilyMartin. Why, she must have been married to him when she first came tous! Help!"
There was consternation in his accents. Olwen looked into the depths ofhis eyes, so limpid and boyish. How could she ever have thought thisman untrustworthy?
After a while she produced the burnt envelope, telling him where hismother had found it.
To her relief, he seemed to attach small importance to it.
"If she is really Wolf's wife," he said absently, "that explains things.She wrote Mrs. Ninian Guyse on the back of a photo which she must haveleft by accident in the pages of a book. I thought when I found it thatit was just her confounded cheek; but she had right on her side. Youknow that Ninian is the typical Guyse name in our senior branch of thefamily. Thus my father named his twin sons Ninian Wilfrid and WilfridNinian respectively, so that if one of us got knocked out the survivormight still be a Ninian Guyse. Wolf's wife might almost as well callherself Mrs. Ninian Guyse as you might. As he wanted the thing keptdark, he would be very likely to use his other name. It was an obviousprecaution. As to the writing, Wolf and I write so alike that our handsare often mistaken for one another. There is, however, one letter thatwe make quite differently, and that is our initial N. I always write itplain like a printed N, and Wolf writes it as on this address. Mymother might not notice that, because I am always with her and shedoesn't often see my signature. But I think I could easily convince anyimpartial person that I didn't write that address." He felt in hispocket, brought out some letters from his brother addressed to himself,and showed the initial N exactly as it appeared on the letter. Then hewent to the bureau and fetched out a letter which he had just written toa local correspondent. The N at the foot, where his signature appe
ared,was, as he had said, quite different. "Rather tiresome, isn't it, thatI can only clear myself in Madam's eyes by incriminating Wolf? Shethinks a hundred times more of him than she does of me. I can't telltales of him."
She contemplated his serious, absorbed face, and laughed out aloud inthe completeness of her relief. "Oh, Nin," said she, "you _are_ adarling!"
His expression changed like lightning to its most wicked twinkle.
"Come," he said, "we're getting on. That's the very first pretty nameyou ever called me--are you aware of that, my porcelain rogue?"
"I prefer being a school-marm and a white crane and a blue thing with ared nose to any amount of darlings," was her contented reply.
Madam's condition changed for the better that evening. The followingafternoon, when the Colonel arrived, he found her much improved.
He had been a good deal mystified, upon his arrival at Picton Bars, tofind Miss Innes's Rolls-Royce and chauffeur awaiting him.
Goddard told him that the young lady was staying at the Pele, and thushe was more or less prepared for the state of affairs which he foundupon arrival.
Ninian and Olwen were having tea in the banqueting-hall. They weresitting in the oriel, and at the moment of his entry, Ninian was whollyabsorbed in demonstrating that he could fold his fiancee's hand withinhis own, so that it was completely concealed, and could be withdrawnwithout his unlocking a single finger.
Olwen received her future brother-in-law graciously enough, but with anew reserve in her manner which he felt uncomfortably.
Ninian explained to him their plan, which was to be married at oncewithout any kind of pomp, so that he might take his bride to Italy orthe Pyrenees until his health was thoroughly re-established.
"I shall invite nobody but my grandfather and my two unmarried aunts,"said Olwen; "but there is one person whose presence I particularlydesire, and that is your wife, Wilfrid."
"My wife!" he said, with first a flash of anger, and then a hesitation,a dark look at his twin. There was a pause, which they left it to himto break.
"I had no idea that my brother knew," he said at last, very coldly.
"He did not until I told him," replied Miss Innes. "Your wife wrote tome. I feel sure that she wrote for my sake, not for her own. Ithappened that I had been kind to some cousin of hers, and she thoughtshe ought to warn me that you were not free."
His eyes flashed. "If I had been free, what price Ninian's chance?" heasked, with a sneer.
"No human creature has a chance as long as Nin is above ground," was hertender reply. "I only liked talking to you because every now and thenyou are so astonishingly like him--superficially."
"Well, Nin, I congratulate you, from the bottom of my heart," said Wolf,in a softer tone.
"I feel as if, seeing that I am going to be one of the family, I oughtto scold you, Wolf," said Olwen. "But somehow I can't. I feel toohappy to scold. However, there is one thing I must do, and that is, toset you a penance. I want you to go upstairs to Madam--she is muchbetter this evening--and tell her, quite quietly and simply, that Lilyis your wife. You owe this to Ninian, for she is quite sure that it ishe who has done what you have done. I must tell you frankly that, untilyou do this, and acknowledge your wife, you and I won't be friends."
Ninian interposed, in a bashful, muttering fashion. "Don't ask him totell her! She loves him best, and it doesn't hurt her half as much tothink I have done a shabby thing as it would to think that he had."
Olwen lifted her gaze to the Colonel's moody, handsome face. Her eyeswere alight with joy and pride in her lover. "You hear that, Wolf?" sheasked a little chokily. "That's your brother--your twin; won't you showyourself worthy of him? Must all the generosity be his to the veryend?"
His look dwelt upon her, half resentment, half admiration. "By jove,Ninian, you and I are going to be shown our places now, aren't we?" hesneered.
"Always told her she was a school-marm," replied Nin, his mouth curvedsideways into his most crooked grin.
Wolf turned away, with an envious look under his eyelashes. He walkedthe length of the room, came slowly back half-way, wavered a minute,then went out, closing the door behind him.
"It won't hurt her, Nin," said Olwen gently; "she likes Lily, and shehas brooded for so long over what she imagined to be your deceit. It isbest to tell her the truth, and then I can write to Lily to-night andinvite her to the wedding."
"Trust you to manage it all," remarked he, with a chuckle of intensesatisfaction.
THE END
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