This Man's Wife Part 112

They walked on slowly and cautiously in and out among the trees of what was, in the darkness, a complete wilderness. At times they were struggling through bushes that impeded their progress, and though time after time the track seemed to be found, they were deceived. It was as if Nature were fighting against them to keep them within reach of Hallam and his friend, and, though they toiled on, a second hour had elapsed and found them still astray.

But now, as they climbed a steep slope, the wind came with a gust, the clouds were chased before it, there was the glint of a star or two, and Mrs Hallam uttered an exclamation.

"There!" she cried, "to the left. I can see the lights now."

Catching Julia's hand more firmly, she hurried on, for the night was now comparatively light, but neither uttered a word of their thoughts as they gave a frightened glance back at a dim object on the hill behind, for they awoke to the fact that they had been wandering round and about the hill and gully, returning on their steps, and were not five hundred yards away from their starting-point.

At the end of a quarter of an hour the stars were out over half the vault of heaven, and to their great joy the path was found--the rough track leading over the unoccupied land to the town.

"Courage! my child," whispered Mrs Hallam; "another hour or two and we shall be there."

"I am trying to be brave, dear," whispered back Julia as the track descended into another gully; "but this feeling of dread seems to chill me, and--oh! listen!"

Mrs Hallam stopped, and plainly enough behind them there was the sound of bushes rustling; but the sound ceased directly.

"Some animal--that is all," said Mrs Hallam, and they pa.s.sed on.

Once more they heard the sound, and then, as they were ascending a little eminence before descending another of the undulations of the land, there came the quick beat of feet, and mother and daughter had joined in a convulsive grasp.

"We are followed," panted Mrs Hallam. "We must hide."

As she spoke they were on the summit of the slope, with their figures against the sky-line to any one below, and in proof of this there was a shout from a short distance below, and a cry of "Stop!"

"Crellock!" muttered Mrs Hallam, and she glanced from side to side for a place of concealment, but only to see that the attempt to hide would be only folly.

"Can you run, Julie?" she whispered.

For answer Julia started off, and for about a hundred yards they ran down the slope, and then stopped, panting. They could make no further effort save that of facing their pursuer, who dashed down to them breathless.

"A pretty foolish trick," he cried. "Mercy I found you gone, and came.

What did you expect would become of you out here in the night?"

"Loose my hand," cried Julia angrily; "I will not come back."

"Indeed, but you will, little wifie. There, it's of no use to struggle; you are mine, and must."

"Julia, hold by me," cried Mrs Hallam frantically. "Help!"

"Hah!"

That e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n was from Crellock, for as Mrs Hallam's appeal for help rang out amongst the trees of the gully into which they had descended, there was the dull sound of a heavy blow, and their a.s.sailant fell with a crash amongst the low growth of scrub.

"This way," said a familiar voice. "Do you want to join Thisbe King?"

"Yes, yes," cried Julia, sobbing now; "but how did you know?"

"How did I know!" was the reply, half sadly, half laughingly. "Oh, I have played the spy: waiting till you wanted help."

"Christie Bayle!" wailed Mrs Hallam; "my friend in need."

He did not answer. He hardly heard her words as Mrs Hallam staggered on by his side, for two little hands were clinging to his arm, Julia's head was resting against him, as she nestled closer and closer, and his heart beat madly, for it seemed to him as if it was in his breast that Julia Hallam would seek for safety in her time of need.

VOLUME FOUR, CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

IN SANCTUARY.

"Let them come if they dare, my dear," said Thisbe stoutly. "I've only waited for this. You know how I've never said word against him, but have seen and borne everything."

"Yes, yes," sighed Mrs Hallam.

"For, I said to myself, the day will come when she will see everything in its true light, and then--"

Thisbe said no more, but cut her sentence in half by closing her lips more tightly than they had ever been closed before, as, with a smile, she busied herself about Julia and her mother.

"I was in a way last night," she said cheerily, as she straightened first one thing and then another in the modest lodgings she had secured, "but I daren't come away for fear you might get here while I was looking for you. You don't know the relief I felt when Mr Bayle knocked at the door with you two poor tired things. There, you needn't say a word, only be quiet and rest."

Thisbe nodded from one to the other, and smiled as if there was not a trouble in the world. Then she stood rolling up her ap.r.o.n, and moistening her lips, as if there was something she wanted to say but hesitated. At last she went to Mrs Hallam's side, and took hold of the sleeve of her dress.

"Let me go and ask Mr Bayle to take berths for you on board the first ship that's going to sail, and get taken away from this dreadful place."

Mrs Hallam gazed at her wistfully, but did not answer for a few moments.

"I must think, Thibs," she said. "_I_ must think; and now I cannot, for I feel as if I am stunned."

"Then lie down a bit, my dear Miss Milly. Do, dear. She ought to, oughtn't she, Miss Julie? There, I knew she would. It's to make her strong."

It was as if old girlish days had come back, for Mrs Hallam yielded with a sigh to the stronger will of the faithful old servant, letting her lift and lay her down, and closing her eyes with a weary sigh.

"Now I may go to Mr Bayle, mayn't I?"

"No," said Mrs Hallam sternly.

"Then to Sir Gordon, and ask him to help us?"

"No," said Mrs Hallam again; "I must work alone in this--and I will."

She closed her eyes, and in a few minutes seemed to have dropped off asleep, when Thisbe signed to Julia to accompany her out of the room.

"Don't you fret and trouble yourself, my darling," she whispered. "I'll take care no one comes and troubles you. She's worn out with suffering, and no doctor would do her good, or we'd soon have the best in the town.

What she wants is rest and peace, and your dear loving hands to hold her. If anything will ease her that's it."

She kissed Julia, and the next moment the girl's arms were clasped about her neck, and she sobbed upon her breast.

"It's so terrible," she cried. "I can't bear it! I can't bear it! I tried so hard to love him, but--but--"

"An angel with wings couldn't have loved such a father as that, my dear."

"Thibs!"