The Gold that Glitters Part 6

Mrs Jane lay down again, with an exclamation of dismay.

"I do hope the young man is not weakly," she said. "'Tis most annoying.

I reckoned, entirely, on continuing my journey to-day. Well, there is no help, I suppose, though this news is welcome but as water into a ship. We must make a virtue of necessity. Come, Jenny, we'll take another nap. May as well have what comfort we can."

And, turning round, Mrs Jane went off to sleep again.

For three days Mr Norton reported Jackson quite too poorly to ride; on the fourth he was a little better, and by the evening of the following Sunday it was thought Mrs Jane might venture to resume her journey the next day.

They were up early the next morning, and as Jenny followed her mistress into the hall, Mrs Norton being with them, Pope and Jackson came in from the opposite door. Jackson at once came forward to meet them, and for an instant Jenny was reminded of Millicent's complaint, for he seemed just on the point of shaking hands with the ladies. Suddenly he drew back, took off his hat, and with a low bow informed Mrs Jane that he was ready to do her service.

The departure was fixed to take place after dinner; but before that meal was served, Mrs Norton was seized with sudden and serious illness.

Mrs Jane showed great concern for her cousin, seeming to Jenny's eyes much more distressed than she had been for the previous postponement of her journey. While everything was in confusion, a cavalcade of visitors unexpectedly arrived, and made the confusion still greater. Mrs Jane arranged to stay for some days longer, and act as hostess in Mrs Norton's place.

As the party sat that night at supper, a traveller's horn sounded at the gate, and Pope, having gone to receive the new arrival, returned with a letter, which he gave to Mrs Jane.

"Dear heart!" she exclaimed in surprise, "what have we now here? This is from my mother."

"Pray you open it quickly, cousin," replied Mr Norton. "I trust it is no ill news."

Mrs Jane's reply was to bury her face in her handkerchief. She seemed scarcely able to speak; but Mr Norton, to whom she pa.s.sed the letter, informed the company that it contained very sad news from Bentley Hall.

Mr Lane had become so much worse during the week of his daughter's absence, that her mother desired her to return as soon as she had paid a hurried visit to her cousins in Somersetshire.

"I fear, cousin, we must not keep you with us longer," said Mr Norton, kindly to Jane.

Mrs Jane was understood to sob that she must go on the next morning.

Too much overcome to remain, she left the hall, and went up to the chamber of Mrs Norton, still with her handkerchief at her eyes. Jenny followed her, going into her bedroom, which was near to that of the hostess. She heard voices through the wall, accompanied by sounds which rather puzzled her. Was Mrs Jane weeping? It sounded much more like laughing. But how could anyone expect so devoted a daughter to have the heart to laugh on this sad occasion?

When Mrs Jane came out of her cousin's room, she was apparently calm and comforted. The handkerchief had disappeared; but considering the bitter sobs she had heard, Jenny wondered that her eyes were not redder.

The journey was resumed, and they arrived safely at Trent Hall, the residence of Colonel Wyndham, who was strolling about his grounds, and met them as they came up to the house. Mrs Jane having alighted and shaken hands with her cousin the Colonel, it astonished Jenny to see Will Jackson go familiarly up as if to offer the same greeting.

Remembering himself in an instant, he slunk back as he had done before, and took off his hat with a low bow. Colonel Wyndham, Jenny thought, looked rather offended at Jackson's bad manners, dismissing him by a nod, and calling one of his stable-men to see to him, while he took Mrs Jane into the house. Jenny felt once again that Millicent must have guessed rightly, and that Jackson had never been in service in a gentleman's family before.

CHAPTER FOUR.

SUDDEN CHANGES.

Great was the lamentation among the cousins at Trent House, when it was found that Mrs Jane could stay only two days with them, instead of the two months upon which they had reckoned.

"I am the most to be pitied, Jane," said one of the young ladies, whose name was Juliana Coningsby, "for I start for Lyme in a week hence, and I had hoped to win you to accompany me thither. Now I know not what to do for a convoy."

"Well, I cannot go, Gillian," was the answer, "yet may I help you at this pinch. Take you my man as your guard; I can contrive without him, since my good cousin, Mr Lascelles, is to return with me."

A little friendly altercation followed, Mrs Juliana protesting that she could not dream of depriving her cousin of so needful a servant, and Mrs Jane a.s.suring her that the pleasure of helping her out of a difficulty was more than compensation for so slight an inconvenience; but in the end it was agreed that Jackson should proceed with Mrs Juliana, returning to Bentley Hall when she should no longer require his services.

The party of eight, therefore, who had left Bentley, were reduced to four on their return, Mrs Jane and Mr Lascelles on one horse, Jenny and Mr Lascelles' groom upon another.

They reached the Hall late on a Thursday evening, Mr Lascelles suggesting when they came to the lodge that Mrs Jane should sit and rest for a few minutes, while he rode up to the house to hear the latest news of Mr Lane's health.

The woman who kept the lodge came out courtesying to meet them, and Jenny wondered why they did not ask her how the old gentleman was.

Mr Lascelles, however, had ridden hastily forward, and he soon returned with cheering news. Mr Lane had "got well over this brunt," he said; and Mrs Jane professed herself much cheered and comforted to hear it.

In the hall, as they entered, was Millicent.

"Well, Millicent, I'm not murdered, you see!" cried Mrs Jane cheerily.

"Indeed, Mrs Jane, I'm glad to see it, in especial considering all the warnings we've had. Three times of a night hath old Cupid bayed the moon; and a magpie lighted on the tree beside my window only this morning; and last night I heard the death-watch, as plain as plain could be!"

"Oh, then, that's for you, not me," responded Mrs Jane quite cheerfully; "so look Jackson doth not murder you on his return, as he has left me unharmed."

Millicent looked horrified.

"Oh me! Mrs Jane, is the fellow coming back?"

Mrs Jane only laughed, and said, "Look out!"

Considering the chain of shocks and disappointments which Mrs Jane had suffered, Jenny was astonished to see how extremely bright and mirthful she was, and still more surprised to perceive that this light-heartedness appeared to infect the Colonel. It was not, however, shared by Mrs Lane.

"Well, Jane, child," she said one morning to her daughter, "I am truly glad to see thee so light of heart, in especial after all the troubles and discomfitures thou hast gone through. 'Tis a blessing to have a hopeful nature."

"Oh, I never trouble over past clouds when the sun shines again, madam,"

said Mrs Jane cheerily.

"I marvel what we can make of your man, when he cometh back," resumed Mrs Lane. "If you go not now again into Somerset, you will have no work for him to do."

"Maybe, Madam, he shall not return hither," answered her daughter.

"My cousin, Colonel Wyndham, had some notion he could find him a good place down yonder, and I thought you would judge it best to leave the matter to his discretion."

"Oh, very good," a.s.sented Mrs Lane. "So much the better. I would not have the young man feel himself ill-used, when my Lord Wilmot spake so well of him."

"There is no fear of that, I hope," replied Mrs Jane.

"O Mrs Jane! I am so thankful to hear that creature may not come back, after all!" cried Millicent.

"Ay, Millicent, you may sleep at ease in your bed," said Mrs Jane, looking amused. "But I marvel why you feared him thus. I found him a right decent fellow, I can a.s.sure you."

"Then I can a.s.sure you solemnly, madam," answered Millicent, with a look to match her words, "that is more than I did. Never can I forget the horrid moment when I thought that nasty black creature went about to take me by the hand. It made me feel creepy all over--faugh! I cannot find words to tell you!"

"Pray don't trouble yourself," calmly responded Mrs Jane. "I am going upstairs, so you need not give yourself the labour to look for them."

Before many weeks were over, Colonel Lane came one evening into the drawing-room, to report a wonderful piece of good news.

"His Majesty hath escaped the realm!" cried he, "and is now clean over sea to France."

"G.o.d be praised!" exclaimed his mother. "This is indeed good news."