Cursed by a Fortune Part 47

Sarah Plant did not finish her sentence, but stood looking appealingly at the visitor.

"It is impossible for you to go out, Mrs Plant."

"Sarah, if you wouldn't mind, ma'am, and it's very good of you to say so."

"Well, then, Sarah," said Kate, smiling, and feeling more at ease, "you shall help me to get over the difficulty. Now go and see to your duties. I do not wish Mr Garstang to be troubled by my visit."

"Troubled, my dear young lady! I'm sure he'd be pleased to do anything.

I'm not given to chatter and gossip, and, as I've often told Becky, if she'd been more obedient to me, and not been so foolish as to talk to milkmen, she'd have been a happier girl. But I can't help telling you what I heard master say this morning to himself, after he'd been giving me my orders: 'Ah,' he says, quite soft like, 'if I had had a child like that!' and of course, miss, he meant you."

Speaking dramatically, this formed Sarah Plant's exit, but Kate called her back.

"Would you mind and see that these two letters are posted? Have you any stamps?"

"There's lots, ma'am, in that little stand," said the woman, pointing to the table; and a couple being affixed the woman took the letters out with her.

About half an hour later Garstang entered, smiling pleasantly, and offering his arm.

"Dinner is waiting," he said, and he led his guest into the dining-room, where over a well-served meal, with everything in the best of taste, he laid himself out to increase the feeling of confidence he saw growing in Kate's eyes.

His conversation was clever, if not brilliant; he showed that he had an amply stored mind, and his bearing was full of chivalrous respect; while feeling more at rest, Kate felt drawn to him, and the magnitude of her step grew less in her troubled eyes.

The dinner was at an end, and they were seated over the dessert, Garstang sipping most temperately at his one gla.s.s of claret from time to time, and for some minutes there had been silence, during which he had been gazing thoughtfully at the girl.

"The most pleasant meal I have had for years," he said suddenly, "and I feel loath to break the charm, but it is time for the lady of the house to rise. Will you make the curiosity place the drawing-room, and when the tea has been brought up, send for me? I shall be longing to come, for I enjoy so little of the simple domestic."

Sarah Plant's words came to Kate's mind, "Ah, if I had had a child like that!" and the feeling of rest and confidence still grew, as Garstang rose and crossed the room to open the door for her.

"By the way, there is one little thing, my dear child," he said gravely.

Kate started, and her hand went to her breast.

"Don't be alarmed," he said, smiling, "a mere trifle in your interest.

You are rapidly getting over the shock caused by the troubles of the past twenty-four hours or so, but you are not in a condition to bear more."

"My uncle!" cried Kate, excitedly.

"Exactly," said Garstang firmly. "You see, the very mention of trouble sends the blood rus.h.i.+ng to your heart. Those letters that were lying on the hall table ready for posting: is it wise to send them and bring him here post haste, with his gentlemanly son? Yes, I know neither is to him, but he would know where you were as soon as he saw your letter in the bag."

"Mr Garstang, you do not think he would dare to open a letter addressed to my maid?"

"Yes," said Garstang, quietly; "unfortunately I do."

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

Claud Wilton took to the search for his cousin with the greater eagerness that he found it much more pleasant to be where he was not likely to come in contact with Pierce Leigh, for there was something about that gentleman's manner which he did not like. He knew of his ability in mending bones, for he had become aware of what was done when one labourer fell off a haystack, and when another went to sleep when riding on the shafts of a wagon, dived under the wheels, and had both his legs broken; but all this was suggestive of his ability to break bones as well, and recalling a horse-whipping, received in the hunting field, from the brother of a young lady to whom he had been too polite, he scrupulously avoided running further risks. Consequently, after the unpleasant interruption of his meeting with Jenny Leigh, he lost no time in getting up to town, being pretty well supplied with money by his father, who was to follow next day.

"I'm short of cash, my boy," said Wilton; "but this is a case in which we must not spare expense."

"Go to Scotland Yard, and set the detectives to work?"

"In heaven's name no, boy! We must be our own detectives, and hunt them out. Curse the young scoundrel. I might have known he would be after no good. An infernal poacher on our preserves, boy."

"Yes, guv'nor; and he has got clear off with the game."

"Then you must run him down, and when you have found out where he is, communicate with me; I must be there at the meeting."

"What? Lose time like that! No, guv'nor; I'll half kill him--hang me if I don't."

"No, no! I know you feel ready to--a villain--but that won't do.

You'll only frighten the poor girl more, and she'll cling to him instead of coming away with you."

"But, guv'nor--"

"Don't hesitate, boy; I tell you I'm right. Let's get Kate away from him, and then you may break every bone in his skin if you like."

"But I want to give him a lesson at once."

"Yes, of course you do--but Kate and her fortune, my boy. Once you're on the scent, telegraph to me. I'll come and stay at Day's, in Surrey Street."

"Suppose they're gone abroad, guv'nor?"

"Well, follow them--all round the world if it's necessary. By the way, you've always been very thick with Harry; now, between men of the world, has there ever been any affair going on? You know what I mean."

"Lots, dad."

"Ah!--Ever married either of them?"

"Not he."

"That's a pity," said Wilton, "because it would have made matters so easy. Well, there, be off. The dog-cart's at the door."

Claud slapped his pocket, started for the station, and went up to stay at a bigger hotel than the quiet little place affected by his father; and about twelve o'clock the next day he presented himself at Garstang's office, where Barlow, the old clerk, was busy answering letters for his employer to sign.

"Morning, Barlow," said Claud, "Mr Harry in his room?"

"Mr Harry, sir? No, sir. I thought he was down with you, shooting and hunting."

"Eh? Did he say that he was going down to Northwood?"

"Well, dear me! Really, Mr Claud Wilton, sir, I can't be sure. I think I did hear him say something about Northwood; but whether it was that he was going there or had come back from there I really am not sure. Many pheasants this season?"

"Oh, never mind the pheasants," cried Claud, impatiently. "When was that?"

"Dear me now," said the man, thoughtfully; "now when was that--Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday--?"