Cursed by a Fortune Part 44

"What? Not at all, my child. Do them good; they want rousing out of their lethargy. I have told them to prepare a bedroom for you, and I should advise you to retire as soon as they say it is ready. There is no fear of damp, for the rooms are constantly having fires in them, and Sarah Plant is most trustworthy. Go and have a good long sleep, and some time in the afternoon we will have a discussion on ways and means.

You will have to go shopping, and I shall have to play guardian and carry the parcels. By the way, you will want some money. Have you any?"

"I have a few pounds, Mr Garstang."

"Perhaps that will do for the present; if not, please bear in mind that you have unlimited credit with your banker. I am that banker till you can declare yourself independent, so have no compunction whatever about asking for what you need Is there anything more that I can do for you?"

"No, Mr Garstang; only to contrive a way of getting Eliza here."

"Oh, yes, of course, I will not forget that; but we must be careful. We don't want any more quarrelling. It is bad for you, and it upsets me.

Ah, they're ready."

For at that moment there was a soft tapping at the door.

"Your bedroom is the one over this, and I hope you will find it comfortable. No trees to look out upon; no flowers; no bright full moon; plenty of bricks, mortar, and chimney-pots; but there are rest and peace for you, my child; so go, and believe that I am ready to fight your battles and to make you happy here. I can if you will only help."

"I shall try, Mr Garstang," she said, with a faint smile.

"Then _c'est un fait accompli_," he replied, holding out his hand.

"Good-night--I mean, good morning. Sarah is waiting to show you to your room."

She placed her hand in his for a few moments, and then with heart too full for words she hurried to the door and pa.s.sed through into the hall, to find a strange-looking, dry, elderly woman standing on the skin mat at the foot of the stairs, holding a ma.s.sive silver bedroom candlestick in her hand, and peering at her curiously, but ready to lower her eyes directly.

"This way, please, miss," she said, in a lachrymose tone of voice; and she began to ascend the low, wide, thickly-carpeted stairs, holding the candle before her, and showing her gaunt, angular body against a faint halo of light.

Kate followed, wondering, and feeling as if she were in a dream, while Garstang was slowly walking up and down among his cabinets, rubbing his hands softly, and smiling in a peculiar way.

"Promises well," he said softly; "promises well, but I have my work cut out, and I have not reckoned with Harry Dasent yet."

He stopped short, thinking, and then involuntarily raised his eyes, to find that he was exactly opposite a curious old Venetian mirror, which reflected clearly the upper portion of his form.

He started slightly, and then stood watching the clearly seen image of his face, ending by smiling at it in a peculiar way.

"Not so very old yet," he said softly; "a woman is a woman, and it only depends upon how you play your cards."

"But there is Harry. Ah, I must not reckon without him."

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

Kate's conductress had stopped at a door on the first floor, above which an old portrait hung, so that when the woman held the candle which she carried above the level of her head, the bodily and mentally weary girl felt that two people were peering cautiously at her, and she gladly entered the old-fashioned, handsomely-furnished room, and stood by the newly-lit fire, which, with the candles lit on the chimney-piece and dressing-table, gave it a cheerful welcoming aspect.

She could not have explained why, but the aspect of the woman would suggest dead leaves, and the saddened plaintive tone of her voice brought up the sighing of the wind in the windows of the old house at Northwood.

"I took some of the k.n.o.bs of coal off, miss, for Becky always will put on too much," said the woman plaintively, as she took her former att.i.tude, holding the candle on high, and gazed at the new-comer. "I always say to her that when she gets married and pays for coals herself she'll know what they cost, though I don't know who'd marry her, I'm sure. I'll put 'em back if you like."

"There will be plenty of fire--none was needed," said Kate, wearily. "I only want to rest."

"Of course you do, miss," said the woman, still watching her, with face wrinkled and eyes half closed. "And you needn't be afraid of the bed.

Everything's as dry as a bone. Becky and me slep' in it two nights ago.

We sleep in a different bed every night so as to keep 'em all aired, as master's very particular about the damp."

"Thank you; I am sure you have done what is necessary," said Kate, who in her low nervous state was troubled by the woman's persistent inquiring stare.

"Is there anything I can do for you, miss?"

"Thank you, no. I am very tired, and will try and sleep."

"Because I can soon get you a cup of tea, miss."

"Not now, thank you. In the morning. I will not trouble you now."

"It's to-morrow morning a'ready, my dear, and nothing's a trouble to me," said the woman, despondently, "'cept Becky."

"Thank you very much, but please leave me now."

"Yes, miss, of course. There's the bells: one rings upstairs and the other down, so it will be safest to ring 'em both, for it's a big house--yes," she continued, thoughtfully, "a very big house, and there's no knowing where Becky and me may be."

"Ah," sighed Kate, as at last she was relieved from the pertinacious curious stare, for the door had closed; but as she sank wearily in a lounge chair the housekeeper seemed photographed upon her brain, and one moment she was staring at her with candle held above her head, the next it was the face of the handsome woman above the door, peering inquiringly down as if wondering to see her there.

The candles burned brightly and the fire crackled and blazed, and then there was a peculiar roaring sound as of the train rushing along through the black night; the room grew darker, and shrank in its proportions till it was the gloomy first-cla.s.s carriage, with the oil washing to and fro in the thick gla.s.s bubble lamp, while John Garstang sat back in the corner, and Kate started up, to shake her head and stare about her wonderingly, as she mentally asked herself where she was, and shivered as she recognised the fire, and the candles upon the mantelpiece.

She glanced round at the turned-down bed, looking inviting beneath the thick dark hangings, and felt that it would be better to lie down and rest, but thought that she would first fasten the door.

She rose, after waiting for a few moments to let her head get clearer, and walked on over the soft carpet toward the dark door, which kept on receding as she went, while the power seemed to be given her to see through it as if it were some strange transparency. Away beyond it was John Garstang, waving her on towards him, always keeping the same distance off, till it grew darker and darker, and then lighter, for the fire was blazing up and the wood was crackling, as there was the sound of a poker being placed back in the fender; and there, as she opened her eyes widely, stood the woman with the chamber candlestick held high above her head, gazing at her in the former inquiring way.

"It is a part of a nightmare-like dream," said Kate to herself; "my head is confused with trouble and want of rest;" and as in a troubled way she lay back in the chair, she fully expected to see the face of the woman give place to that over the door, and then to John Garstang moving slowly on and on and beckoning her to come away from Northwood Manor House, where her aunt and uncle were trying to hurry her off to the church, where Claud was waiting, and Doctor Leigh and his sister stood in deep mourning, gazing at her with reproachful eyes.

As her thoughts ran in that way she mentally pictured everything with a vividness that was most strange, and she was rapidly gliding back into insensibility when the woman spoke, and she started back, with her head quite clear, while a strange feeling of irritability and anger made her features contract.

"Awake, miss?" said the woman, plaintively.

"Yes, yes; why did you come back? I will ring when I want you--both bells."

"There was the fire, miss; I couldn't let that go out I was obliged to come every hour, and I left it too long now, and had to start it with a bundle of wood."

Kate sat up and stared back at her, then round the room, to see that the candles were burning--four--on mantelpiece and dressing-table.

"Didn't hear me set the fresh ones up, miss, did you?" said the woman, noticing the direction of her eyes. "T'others only burned till twelve."

"Burned till twelve--come every hour? Why, what time is it?"

"Just struck three, miss. Breakfast will be ready as soon as you are; but you'd ha' been a deal better if you'd gone to bed. I did put you a clean night-dress, and it was beautifully aired. Becky held it before the kitchen fire ever so long, for it only wanted poking together and burned up well."

"I--I don't understand," faltered Kate. "Three o'clock?"

"Yes, miss; and as black as pitch outside. Reg'lar London fog, but master's gone out in it all the same. He said he'd be back to dinner, and you wasn't to be disturbed on no account, for all you wanted was plenty of sleep."