CHAPTER XXXVIII.
GIRDLESTONE SENDS FOR THE DOCTOR.
When Kate came to herself after the terrible incident which frustratedher attempt at escape, she found herself in bed in her own little room.By the light which shone in through the window she knew that it must bewell on in the day. Her head was throbbing violently, and she was soweak that she could hardly raise herself in bed. When she looked roundshe found that Rebecca had brought a chair in from her room and wassitting by the fire. At the sound of her movement the maid glanced upand perceived that her mistress had recovered consciousness.
"Lor' bless me!" she cried, "you've given us a pretty fright.We thought you wasn't coming back to your senses no more. You've beena-lyin' there since the middle of the night, and now it's close on totwelve o'clock."
Kate lay silent for some little time, putting together all that hadoccurred. "Oh, Rebecca," she said at last, shivering at therecollection, "I have seen the most dreadful sight. Either I am goingmad, or I have seen a ghost."
"We thought you were a ghost yourself," said the girl reproachfully."What with the screechin' and you lying so white in the middle of thepassage, it was enough to make any one's 'air turn grey.Mr. Girdlestone, he lifted you up, an' carried you back into your room.He was cut to the heart, the good gentleman, when he saw what you'd beenafter, a-tryin' to give him the slip."
"Oh, this dreadful house will kill me--it will kill me!" Kate moaned."I cannot stay in it any longer. What shall I do? Oh, Rebecca,Rebecca, what shall I do?"
The fresh-coloured maid came across with a simper upon her pretty,vulgar face, and sat on the side of the bed. "What's the matter, then?"she asked. "What is it that you have seen?"
"I have seen--oh, Rebecca, it is too dreadful to talk of. I have seenthat poor monk who was killed in the cellars. It was not fancy. I sawhim as plainly as I see you now, with his tall thin figure, and longloose gown, and the brown cowl drawn over his face."
"God preserve us!" cried Rebecca nervously, glancing over her shoulder."It is enough to give one the creeps."
"I pray that I may never see such a sight again. Oh, Rebecca, if youhave the heart of a woman, help me to get away from this place.They mean that I should never go from it alive. I have read it in myguardian's eyes. He longs for my death. Do, do tell me what I shoulddo for the best."
"I'm surprised at you!" the maid said with dignity. "When Mr.Girdlestone and Mr. Ezra is so good to you, and provides you with acountry-house and every convenience as 'eart could wish, all you canfind to do is to go screamin' about at night, and then talk as if youwas a-goin' to be murdered in the day. I really am surprised.There's Mr. Girdlestone a-callin.' He'd be shocked, poor gentleman, ifhe knew how you was abusin' of him." Rebecca's face assumed anexpression of virtuous indignation as she swept out of the room, but herblack eyes shone with the unholy light of cruelty and revenge.
Left to herself, Kate rose and dressed as well as her weakness wouldpermit. Her nerves were so shaken that she started at the least sound,and she could hardly recognize the poor pale face which she saw in theglass as her own. She had scarcely finished her toilet before herguardian came up into her room.
"You are better, then?" he said.
"I am very ill," she answered gently.
"No wonder, after rushing about the corridors in that absurd fashion inthe dead of the night. Rebecca tells me that you imagine you met withsome apparition. You are crying. Are you so unhappy, then?"
"Very, very miserable," Kate answered, sinking her face upon her hands.
"Ah," said Girdlestone softly, "it is only in some higher life that weshall find entire peace and contentment." His voice had altered, sothat a little warm spring of hope began to rise in the girl's heart,that perhaps the sight of her many miseries was beginning to melt thisiron man.
"Beyond the grave is rest," he continued, in the same gentle tones."It has seemed to me sometimes that if it were not for the duties whichI have to perform in this world, and the many who are dependent upon me,I should be tempted to shorten my existence in order to attain the peacewhich is to come. Some precisians have pronounced it to be sinful tocut the thread of life. For my part I have never thought it so, and yetmy view of morals has been a strict one. I hold that of all things inthis world one's life is the thing which belongs most entirely to one'sself, and may therefore most freely be terminated when it seems good tous." He picked up the phial from the mantelpiece and gazed thoughtfullyat it. "How strange," he said, "to think that within the compass ofthis tiny bottle lies a cure for every earthly evil! One draught andthe body slips off like a garment, while the soul walks forth in all itsbeauty and freedom. Trouble is over. One draught, and--Ah, let go, Isay! What have you done?"
Kate had snatched the bottle from him, and with a quick feminine gesturehad hurled it against the wall, where it splintered to pieces, sending astrong turpentiney odour through the apartment. Her strength was soimpaired that she staggered back after this feat, and sat down on theside of the bed, while her guardian, grim and threatening, stood overher with his long, bony fingers opening and shutting, as though he foundit difficult to keep them from her throat.
"I will not help you in it," she said, in a low but firm voice."You would kill my soul as well."
The mask had fairly dropped from Girdlestone. No gaunt old wolf couldhave glared down with fiercer eyes or a more cruel mouth. "You fool!"he hissed.
"I am not afraid to die," she said, looking up at him with brave,steadfast eyes.
Girdlestone recovered his self-possession by an effort. "It is clear tome," he said calmly, "that your reason is unhinged. What is all thisnonsense about death? There is nothing that will harm you except yourown evil actions." He turned abruptly and strode out of the room withthe firm and decided step of a man who has taken an irrevocableresolution.
With a set and rigid face he ascended the steps which led to hisbedroom, and, rummaging in his desk, produced a telegram form. This hefilled up and took with him downstairs. There he put on his hat andstarted off to the Bedsworth Post-office at full speed.
At the avenue gate he met his sentinel, who was sitting on his campstool as grim as ever.
"She is very bad, Stevens," Girdlestone said, stopping and jerking hishead in the direction of the house. "She is going downhill. I amafraid that she can't last long. If any one asks you about her, you cansay that she was despaired of. I am just sending off a telegram to adoctor in London, so that she may have the best advice."
Stevens touched his greasy-peaked cap as a token of respect. "She wasdown here behavin' outrageous the other day," said he. "'Let me pass,'says she, 'and you shall have ten golden guineas.' Them's her verywords. 'Not for ten hundred golden guineas,' I answers, 'would WilliamStevens, hesquire, do what he didn't ought to.'"
"Very proper, very proper indeed," said Girdlestone approvingly."Every man in his own station has his own duties to fulfil, and he willbe judged as he has fulfilled them, well or ill. I shall see that youare no loser by your staunchness."
"Thank ye, guv'nor."
"She is wild and delirious, and can get about in spite of her low stateof health. It is possible that she may make some effort to get away, sobe vigilant. Good day to you."
"Good day, sir." William Stevens stood at the gate, looking pensivelyafter his employer; then he reseated himself upon his camp-stool, and,lighting his pipe, resumed his meditations. "I can't make nought ofit," he muttered, scratching his head, "It do seem uncommon queer, to besure. The boss he says, 'She's very low,' says he, and then next minutehe says, 'She may be comin' down and tryin' to escape. 'I've seen dierso' all shapes and sizes, but I've never seed one as went a galivantin'about like this--at least, not among them as died a nat'ral death.It do seem uncommon strange. Then, again, he's off telegrayphin' for adoctor to Lunnon, when there's Doctor Corbett, o' Claxton, or DoctorHutton, o' Bedsworth, would come quick enough if he wanted them.I can't make no sense of it. Why, bust my buttons!" he cont
inued,taking his pipe out of his mouth in a paroxysm of astonishment,"if here hain't the dier herself!"
It was, indeed, Kate, who, learning that her guardian was gone, had comeout with some vague idea of making a last struggle for her life andfreedom. With the courage of despair, she came straight down the avenueto the sole spot where escape seemed possible.
"Good mornin', missy," cried Stevens, as she approached. "You don'tlook extra bright this mornin', but you ain't as bad as your goodguardian made me think. You don't seem to feel no difficulty in gettin'about."
"There is nothing the matter with me," the girl answered earnestly."I assure you there is not. My mind is as sound as yours."
"That's what they all says," said the ex-warder with a chuckle.
"But it is so. I cannot stay in that house longer. I cannot, Mr.Stevens, I cannot! It is haunted, and my guardian will murder me.He means to. I read it in his eyes. He as good as tried this morning.To die without one word to those I love--without any explanation of whathas passed--that would give a sting to death."
"Well, if this ain't outragis!" cried the one-eyed man; "perfectlyoutragis! Going to murder you, says you! What's he a-goin' to do thatfor?"
"God knows! He hates me for some reason. I have never gone against hiswishes, save in one respect, and in that I can never obey him, for it isa matter in which he has no right to command."
"Quite so!" said Stevens, winking his one eye. "I knows the feelingmyself, cuss me, but I do! 'Thine for once and thine for never,' as thesong says."
"Why won't you let me pass?" pleaded Kate. "You may have had daughtersof your own. What would you do if they were treated as I have been?If I had money you should have it, but I have none. Do, do let me go!God will reward you for it. Perhaps when you are on your last bed ofsickness the memory of this one good deed may outweigh all the evil thatyou have done."
"Lor', don't she speak!" said Stevens, appealing confidentially to thenearest tree. "It's like a dictionary."
"And you won't lose by it in this life," the girl added eagerly."See, here is my watch and my chain. You shall have that if you willlet me through?"
"Let's see it." He opened it and examined it critically."Eighteen carat--it's only a Geneva, though. What can you expect for aGeneva?"
"And you shall have fifty pounds when I get back to my friends.Do let me pass, good Mr. Stevens, for my guardian may return at anymoment."
"See here, miss," Stevens said solemnly; "dooty is dooty, and if everyhair of your 'ead was tagged wi' a jewel, and you offered to make meyour barber, I wouldn't let you through that gate. As to this 'erewatch, if so be as you would like to write a line to your friends, I'llpost it for you at Bedsworth in exchange for it, though it be only aGeneva."
"You good, kind man!" cried Kate, all excitement and delight. "I have apencil in my pocket. What shall I do for paper?" She looked eagerlyround and spied a small piece which lay among the brushwood. With a cryof joy she picked it out. It was very coarse and very dirty, but shemanaged to scrawl a few lines upon it, describing her situation andasking for aid. "I will write the address upon the back," she said."When you get to Bedsworth you must buy an envelope and ask thepost-office people to copy the address on to it."
"I bargained to post it for the Geneva," he said. "I didn't bargain tobuy envelopes and copy addresses. That's a nice pencil-case of yourn.Now I'll make a clean job of it if you'll throw that in."
Kate handed it over without a murmur. At last a small ray of lightseemed to be finding its way through the darkness which had so longsurrounded her. Stevens put the watch and pencil-case in his pocket,and took the little scrap of paper on which so much depended. As Katehanded it to him she saw over his shoulder that coming up the lane was asmall pony-carriage, in which sat a buxom lady and a very small page.The sleek little brown pony which drew it ambled along at a methodicalpace which showed that it was entirely master of the situation, whilethe whole turnout had an indescribable air of comfort and good nature.Poor Kate had been so separated from her kind that the sight of peoplewho, if not friendly, were at least not hostile to her, sent a thrill ofpleasure into her heart. There was something wholesome and prosaic tooabout this homely equipage, which was inexpressibly soothing to a mindso worn by successive terrors.
"Here's some one a-comin'," cried Stevens. "Clear out from here--it'sthe governor's orders."
"Oh, do let me stay and say one word to the lady!" Stevens seized hisgreat stick savagely. "Clear out!" he cried in a hoarse, angry voice,and made a step towards her as if he would strike her. She shrank awayfrom him, and then, a sudden thought seizing her, she turned and ranthrough the woods as fast as her feeble strength would allow. Theinstant that she was out of sight, Stevens very deliberately andcarefully tore up the little slip of paper with which she had entrustedhim, and scattered the pieces to the wind.