The Pagan's Cup Part 37

Half-an-hour later the vicar and his father went in search of him. They found him sitting hand in hand with Sybil in the drawing-room. "It's really wonderful, wonderful!" she was saying.

"And your father will let me marry you now, darling," said Leo.

"If you will grant him your pardon," said the voice of Mr Tempest.

Leo shook the vicar's hand, kissed Sybil, and Kilspindie smiled, well-pleased.

CHAPTER XX

MRS GABRIEL'S SECRET

Mrs Jeal was not pleased. She was a woman who liked to make mischief, and preferred to leave sorrow rather than joy behind her. In her time she had caused a good deal of misery, and she had always rejoiced over it. But now that she had been forced to undo the evil she had committed, her heart ached. Bad as Pratt was, his wife was worse, and if he had indeed killed her, as he had threatened, he would have been doing a service to mankind. Mrs Jeal was a noxious snake who should have been killed without pity.

On leaving the Vicarage she went home at once and found the cottage empty, as Pearl had not yet returned. Mrs Jeal brought out the letter and again read it. Then she turned white and shivered; finally she put it into the fire, and watched it burn to black ashes. Afterwards she filled herself a gla.s.s of brandy and drank it neat. Yet she was an abstemious woman as a rule. There must have been something very terrible in that letter to make her take to strong drink. And what was in it no one in Colester ever found out. Having burned it, Mrs Jeal put it out of her mind as well as she was able. Yet often afterwards she shivered to think of what would have happened had it been opened in the Vicarage library. "A narrow shave that," muttered Mrs Jeal.

Shortly, when she had recovered herself in some measure, Pearl danced into the room. She was now quite her old happy self. The restoration of the cup made her believe that G.o.d had forgiven her, and that the Master believed her worthy to be the guardian of the Holy Grail. Raston had arranged the matter in order to save her from further misery. Early on Sunday morning he had taken the cup across the moor and had placed it on the turf altar, knowing that there Pearl, as was her custom, would come and seek it. He had not antic.i.p.ated such a dramatic scene as had taken place in the chapel. Pearl believed in her own weak mind that the Master had brought the cup down again from Heaven. She was therefore glad and merry, and her singing and dancing annoyed Mrs Jeal.

"Keep quiet, you minx!" she cried savagely, "or I'll have you shut up.

Where have you been after making an exhibition of yourself?"

"I have been looking at the cup," said Pearl, gaily. "It is on the altar. I am pleased the Master has given it again into my charge. He has forgiven me, and some day I shall be with Him in Paradise."

It was in Mrs Jeal's wicked mind to tell the truth to the girl. But she knew that Pearl would not accept the explanation. Besides, strange as it may seem, even Mrs Jeal had some compunction in making the girl miserable. The woman was evil to the core, but she must have had some good in her. Therefore she held her tongue on the subject of the cup.

"Where were you so early this morning?" she asked. "I found your bed empty at six o'clock."

"I went to the altar to find the cup brought down by the dear Master,"

replied Pearl, "and I was watching Sir Frank Hale and his sister going away. They drove with two horses and many boxes. I did not--"

Mrs Jeal jumped up and seized Pearl's arm. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Has Sir Frank Hale gone?"

"And his sister," said Pearl, twisting away with a frightened face.

"They have left Colester and gone away--away, oh, far away! Oh! Oh! what are--"

"Hold your tongue," said Mrs Jeal, thrusting her into a chair, "and sit you there till I come back." She hurriedly put on her bonnet and shawl.

"If you stir I'll kill you," and she hurried out of the house.

Pearl's news was true. There was no one in the Hale's house save an old woman who was to act as caretaker. She explained that Sir Frank and his sister had left early that morning, and by this time were on their way to London, whence they departed in a few days for the Continent.

"Did they leave no message for me?" asked Mrs Jeal, her face growing black as she clenched her hand.

"No; why should they?" asked the crone, contemptuously. "What have fine folks like them to do with a woman like you?"

"I'll slap your face if you talk to me like that," raged Mrs Jeal, her worst nature coming uppermost.

"I have influence with your master. I can have you turned away."

"No, you can't," replied the other hag. "Why I heard Sir Frank say how glad he was to get away without seeing you. He called you a witch. He!

He!"

"He did, did he?" muttered Mrs Jeal, furiously. "Now just you--" She was going on to threaten the caretaker when she found the door banged in her face and heard the mocking laughter of the old woman behind it.

Treated thus scornfully, Mrs Jeal stamped and raged like one possessed.

"Not a penny," she muttered, "and he promised--ugh, the miser--the beast! I'll be even with him. There's the money for the cup. I can follow. I can--but I want more. Now that I have given up my secret"--her face grew dark as she thought of the burnt letter--"I shall be poor.

Ha!" She stopped, and biting her finger looked towards the castle. "I can make her pay. This evening, then. It will be worth more than the cup. One secret is of no use. But I have another--another."

She shook her fist at the house of Sir Frank, said something about him that was not exactly a blessing, then returned home with her mind made up. She wished to leave Colester, which was now too hot for her. As Sybil would look after Pearl, there would be no difficulty in that quarter. She had saved money, and with what she had got from p.a.w.ning the cup she was fairly well off for her station in life. But Mrs Jeal was greedy and wanted more. Mrs Gabriel was to be the milch cow this time.

Thus it came about that Mrs Gabriel was informed that evening that Mrs Jeal wished to see her at once on important business.

The underlying insolence of the message annoyed Mrs Gabriel, who always prided herself on keeping the lower orders in what she called their proper place, which was under her heel. And Mrs Gabriel was in no mood to be merciful to insolence. Some kind friend had informed her of the discovery of Leo's true position. She was savagely angry. On account of Pratt she had hated the young man, and later on, when he came to defy her, she had disliked him on his own account. That he should have a t.i.tle, and that he should marry Sybil Tempest! These things were all gall and bitterness to the haughty woman. She wanted Leo to be her slave, to punish him for Pratt's misdemeanours. But her slave had escaped, and she could do nothing save sit in the empty room, eating out her heart in the bitterness of impotent anger. She could do nothing. Leo was gone; Pratt was gone, and she was left a lonely woman. She had not even the comfort of feeling that she could revenge herself.

Feeling in this mood, she was not unwilling to see Mrs Jeal. Here, at least, was someone on whom she could vent her rage. With an imperious gesture she ordered the woman to be admitted, and received her with a stormy brow. Mrs Jeal smiled. She knew that she had the upper hand, and was not to be intimidated by stormy looks. Waiting till the servant had departed and the door was closed, she introduced herself.

"I have to speak to you on important business, my lady," she said, with a.s.sumed meekness, and addressing Mrs Gabriel by a t.i.tle to which she laid no claim. This was done to accentuate the later part of the interview. Mrs Jeal was quite as well prepared as was Mrs Gabriel to make herself disagreeable. She also was out of tune.

"What business can a woman like you have with me?" demanded Mrs Gabriel, with scorn, and put up a _lorgnette_ to freeze Mrs Jeal with a look.

But Mrs Jeal had borne the looks of even greater ladies than Mrs Gabriel. "It is strange, is it not, my lady?" she sn.i.g.g.e.red; "but I have something to talk about which will interest your ladyship very much."

"Indeed!" Mrs Gabriel looked more scornful than ever. "And I believe you have to do with this precious discovery?"

"I have, my lady. Mr Haverleigh is now Lord Morven. I proved his right to the t.i.tle. You see, my lady, I was a nurse at Kilspindie Castle, and I stole his lordship when a child."

"How dare you speak to me like this?" cried Mrs Gabriel. "Do you not know that I can have you arrested for such an admission?"

"Oh, no; you cannot, my lady," retorted Mrs Jeal, coolly; "only Lord Kilspindie can do that, and he has let me go free."

"Then you leave this place," said Mrs Gabriel, haughtily. "I'll have no one in Colester likely to corrupt the morals of the people."

"Ah, you have great power here, my lady--great power," mocked Mrs Jeal.

Mrs Gabriel's blood grew cold as she saw the look in the woman's eye. "I don't understand you. Leave the room and the place," she said.

"All in good time, my lady," replied Mrs Jeal, calmly, and took a seat.

As this was more than Mrs Gabriel could bear, she rose.

"You infamous creature!" she cried furiously. "Out of my house, or I'll have you thrown out by my servants."

"_My_ house, _my_ servants, _my_ estates!" sneered Mrs Jeal, keeping an eye on her victim. "Are you sure you can talk like that, my lady?"

"I repeat I don't understand you," stammered Mrs Gabriel, sitting down.

She was beginning to be afraid. Mrs Jeal would not dare to speak so unless she possessed some information dangerous to the lady of the castle.

"I shall leave the parish to-morrow," went on Mrs Jeal, coolly. "I have no wish to remain. Miss Tempest will take charge of Pearl, and--"