Cursed by a Fortune Part 30

"Yes, dear. Nothing at all but her hat, scarf, and cloak. Such a shabby way of getting married."

"Never mind that," said Wilton; and he went into the hall, through the porch and on to the place where the ladder had been found.

There was little to find there but the deep impressions made by the heels, except that a man's footprints were plainly to be seen; and Wilton returned to his wife, rang the bell, and a.s.suming his most judicial air waited.

"Send Miss Kate's maid here," he said, sternly.

"Yes, sir."

"Stop. Look here, Samuel, you are my servant, and I call upon you to speak the whole truth to me about this matter, one which, on further thought, I feel it to be my duty to investigate. Now, tell me, did you know anything about this proceeding on Mr Claud's part?"

"No, sir; 'strue as goodness, I didn't."

"Mr Claud did not speak to you about it?"

"No, sir."

"Didn't you see him last night?"

"No, sir; I went up to his room to fetch his boots to bring down and dry, but the door was locked, but when I knocked and asked for them he did say something then."

"Yes, what did he say?"

Samuel glanced at his mistress and hesitated.

"Don't look at me, Samuel," said Mrs Wilton; "speak the whole truth."

"Yes; what did he say?" cried Wilton, sternly.

"Well, sir, he told me to go to the devil."

Wilton coughed.

"That will do. Go and fetch Miss Wilton's maid."

Eliza came, looking red-eyed and pale, but she could give no information, only a.s.sure them that she did not understand it, but was certain something must be wrong, for Miss Kate would never have taken such a step without consulting her.

And so on, and so on. A regular examination of the servants remaining followed in quite a judicial manner, and once more Kate's aunt and uncle were alone.

"There," he said; "I think I have done my duty, my dear. Perhaps, though, I ought to drive over to the station and make inquiries there; but I don't see what good it would do. I could only at the most find out that they had gone to London."

"Don't you think, dear, that you ought to communicate with the police?"

"No; what for?"

"To trace them, dear. The police are so clever; they would be sure to find them out."

Wilton coughed.

"Perhaps we had better wait, my dear. I fully antic.i.p.ate that they will come back to-night--or to-morrow morning, full of repentance to ask our forgiveness; and er--I suppose we shall have to look over it."

"Well, yes, my dear," said Mrs Wilton. "What's done can't be undone; but I'm sure I don't know what people will say."

"I shall be very stern with Claud, though, for it is a most disgraceful act. I wonder at Kate."

"Well, I did, my dear, till I began to think, and then I did not; for Claud has such a masterful way with him. He was always too much for me."

"Yes," said Wilton dryly; "always. Well, we had better wait and see if they come back."

"I am terribly disappointed, though, my dear, for we could have had such a grand wedding. To go off like that and get married, just like a footman and housemaid. Don't you remember James and Sarah?"

"Bah! No, I don't remember James and Sarah," said Wilton irascibly.

"Yes, you do, my dear. It's just ten years ago, and you must remember about them both wanting a holiday on the same day, and coming back at night, and Sarah saying so demurely: 'Please, ma'am, we've been married.'"

Wilton twisted his chair round and kicked a piece of coal on the top of the fire which required breaking.

"James, my dear, you shouldn't do that," said his wife, reprovingly.

"You're as bad as Claud, only he always does it with his heel. There is a poker, my dear."

"I thought you always wanted it kept bright."

"Well, it does look better so, dear. But I do hope going off in the night like that won't give Kate a cold."

Wilton ground his teeth and was about to burst into a furious fit of anger against his wife's tongue, but matters seemed to have taken so satisfactory a turn since the previous day that the bite was wanting, and he planted his heels on the great hob, warmed himself, and started involuntarily as he saw in the future mortgages, first, second and third, paid off, and himself free from the meshes which he gave Garstang the credit of having spun round him. As for Claud, he could, he felt, mould him like wax. So long as he had some ready money to spend he would be quiet enough, and, of course, it was all for his benefit, for he would succeed to the unenc.u.mbered estates.

Altogether the future looked so rosy that Wilton chuckled at the glowing fire and rubbed his hands, without noticing that the fire dogs were grinning at him like a pair of malignant brazen imps; and just then Mrs Wilton let her work fall into her lap and gave vent to a merry laugh.

"What now?" said Wilton, facing round sharply. "Don't do that. Suppose one of the servants came in and saw you grinning. Just recollect that we are in great trouble and anxiety about this--this--what you may call it--escapade."

"Yes, dear; I forgot. But it does seem so funny."

"Didn't seem very funny last night."

"No, dear, of course not; and I never could have thought our troubles would come right so soon. But only think of it; those two coming back together, and Kate not having changed her name. There won't be a thing in her linen that will want marking again."

"Bah!" growled Wilton. "Yes, what is it?" he cried, as the footman appeared.

"Beg pardon, sir, but Tom Jonson had to go to the village shop for some harness paste, and it's all over the place."

"Oh, is it?" growled Wilton. "Of course, if Mr Tom Jonson goes out on purpose to spread it."

"I don't think he said a word, sir, but they were talking about it at the shop, and young Barker saw 'em last."

"Barker--Barker? Not--"

"Yes, sir, him as you give a month to for stealing pheasants' eggs.

That loafing chap."