CHAPTER XIII
A TANGLED WEB
Bessie's eyes were full of fear and dismay as she looked at Mrs. Chesterand Eleanor. At first she hadn't thought it even possible that theycould think she had done anything so cruel as to frighten the birds andsteal their eggs, but there was a grave look on their faces thatterrified her.
"No, Bessie," said Mrs. Chester, "I don't believe you did--certainly, Idon't want to believe anything of the sort."
"I _know_ you didn't do it, Bessie!" cried Eleanor Mercer.
"But General Seeley is very indignant about it, Bessie," Mrs. Chesterwent on to say. "And some of the men told him that one of the girls fromthe camp was around very early this morning, before anyone else was up,walking about, and looking at things. So he seemed to think right awaythat she must have done it. And he sent for me and asked me if I couldfind out which of you girls had been out."
"Bessie went out openly, and she came back when we were all up," saidEleanor, stoutly. "If she'd been doing anything wrong, Mrs. Chester, shewould have tried to get here without being seen, wouldn't she?"
"I know, Eleanor, I know," said Mrs. Chester, kindly. "You think shecouldn't have had anything to do with it--and so do I, really. But forBessie's own sake we want to clear it up, don't we?"
Bessie stood her ground bravely, and kept back the tears, although ithurt her more to have these friends who had been so good to her botheredabout her than it would had almost anything happened to her.
"Oh, I wish I'd never seen you, Miss Eleanor!" she cried. "I've donenothing but make trouble for you ever since you found us. I'm so sorry!Zara wanted to come with me this morning, and if I'd let her, she couldhave told you that I didn't even see the birds."
"It'll all come out right, Bessie," said Mrs. Chester. "I thoughtperhaps you might have done it by accident, but if you weren't therewe'll find out who really did do it, never fear. Now, you had bettercome with me. General Seeley asked me to bring any of the girls who hadbeen out this morning with me when I went to see him. He will want totalk to you himself, I think."
So Bessie, tears in her eyes, which she tried bravely to keep back, hadto go up to the big house that they could see through the trees. It wasa big, rambling house, built of grey stone, with many windows, and allabout it were beds of flowers. Bessie had never seen a house that waseven half so fine.
"General Seeley is very particular about his birds, and all the animalson the place," explained Mrs. Chester, as they made their way toward thehouse. "Some men keep pheasants just so that they can shoot them in theautumn, and they call that sport. But General Seeley doesn't allow that.He's a kind and gentle man, although he's a soldier."
"Has he ever been in a war, Mrs. Chester?"
"Yes. He's a real patriot, and when his country needed him he went outto fight, like many other brave and gentle men. But, like most men whoare really brave, he hates to see anyone or even any animal, hurt.Soldiers aren't rough and brutal just because they sometimes have to goto war and fight. They know so much about how horrible war is thatthey're really the best friends of peace."
"I never knew that. I thought they liked to fight."
"No, it's just the other way round. When you hear men talk about howfine war is, and how they hope this country will have one some timesoon, you can make up your mind that they are boasters and bullies, andthat if a war really came they'd stay home and let someone else do thefighting. It isn't the people who talk the most and brag the loudest whostep to the front when there's something really hard to be done. Theyleave that to the quiet people."
Then they walked along in silence. The place seemed even more beautifulnow, but Bessie was too upset to appreciate its loveliness. She wonderedif General Seeley would believe her, or if he would be more like MawHoover than Mrs. Chester.
"We'll find him on the porch in the back of the house, I think, Bessie.If he's there we can find him without going inside and bothering theservants. So we'll go around and see."
General Seeley was a small man, with white beard and moustache, and ather first look at him Bessie thought he looked very fierce indeed, andevery inch a soldier, though there were so few inches. He had sharp blueeyes that were keen and piercing, and after he had risen and bowed toMrs. Chester, which he did as soon as he saw her, he looked sharply atBessie--so sharply that she was sure at once that he had judged heralready, and was very angry at her.
"Well, well, so you've found the poacher and brought her with you, eh?"he said. "Sit down, ma'am, sit down, while I talk to her!"
And now Bessie saw that there was really a twinkle in the keen eyes, andthat he wasn't as angry as he looked.
"What's her name? Bessie, eh? Bessie King? Well, sit down, Bessie, andwe'll have a talk. No use standing up--none at all! Might as well becomfortable!"
"Thank you, sir," said Bessie, and sat down. She was still nervous, buther fright was lessened. He was much more kindly than she had expectedhim to be, somehow.
"Now, let's find out all about this, Bessie. Didn't you know yououghtn't to frighten the birds? Or didn't you think they'd befrightened--eh, what?"
Bessie didn't understand, fully, at first.
"But I didn't frighten them, sir," she said.
"They thought so. Stupid birds, eh, to think they were frightened whenthey weren't? But you remember they didn't know any better."
He laughed merrily at his own joke, and glanced at Mrs. Chester, as ifhe expected her to laugh, too, and to be amused, but her eyes weretroubled, and she was very thoughtful.
"Come, come," he went on. "It's not so very terrible, after all! We'veall of us done things we were sorry for--eh, Mrs. Chester? I'll wagerthat even you have--and I know very well that there are lots of things Ican think of that I did just because I didn't think there was any harmin them."
"Some people wouldn't admit that, General Seeley, but it's very true,"said Mrs. Chester. "I know it is in my case."
"Well, well, can't you talk, Bessie? Aren't you going to tell me you'resorry and that you won't do it again?"
"I'm sorry the birds were frightened," said Bessie, bravely. "But Ican't say that I won't do it again--"
"What's that? What's that? Bless me, what's the use of saying you'resorry if you mean to do it the next time you get a chance?"
The general was flushed as he spoke, and his eyes held the same angrylook they had worn at first. Mrs. Chester sighed and decided that it wastime for her to speak.
"I don't think that was just what Bessie meant, General. I think youdidn't understand her--"
"Well, well, perhaps not! What do you mean, Bessie?"
"I mean I can't promise not to do it again, sir, because I didn't do itat all, in the first place. Really, I didn't--"
"Oh, nonsense!" said the general, testily. "I'm ready to overlookit--don't you understand that? All I want you to do is to confess, andto say you're sorry. Nothing's going to happen to you!"
"I can't confess when I didn't do it," pleaded Bessie. "And if I haddone it, I'd say so, whether anything was going to happen to me or not.That wouldn't make any difference."
General Seeley jumped to his feet.
"Oh, come, come! That's nonsense!" he said. "Who else could have doneit, eh? Answer me that! I've said I'd forgive you--"
"But, General," protested Mrs. Chester, "if Bessie didn't do it, she'dbe telling you an untruth if she said she had--and you wouldn't have herdo that?"
"I'm a just man, Mrs. Chester, but I know what's what. She must havedone it--she was around the place. And I know that none of my men didit. They know better! No one but the game-keepers are allowed to go intothe preserve, and they all know they'd be dismissed at once if theydisobeyed my rules about that. I'm strict--very strict! I insist uponobedience of orders and truthfulness--learned the need of them when Iwas in the army. Don't you think I can tell what's going on here,ma'am?"
"I think you're mistaken, General--that's all. I'm sure Bessie istelling the truth. Why shouldn't she? You've told her that she needn'tbe afraid to confe
ss if she did frighten the birds, and that was verykind and generous of you. So, if she had, she wouldn't have anything tolose by saying so, and promising not to be careless that way again."
"What do you know about her, ma'am? Isn't it true that she's one of thetwo girls you told me about last night--that Miss Mercer had found?If--"
"I know she's a brave, honest girl, General. She's proved that already."
"I disagree with you, Mrs. Chester," said the general, stiffly. "You'rea lady, and you naturally think well of everyone. I've learned by bitterexperience that we can't always do that. I've trusted men, and had themgo wrong, despite that. If she was one of the girls like the others,that you'd always known about, it would be different. Then I'd be happyto take your word for it. But when I think you aren't in any betterposition to judge than I am, I've got to use my own judgment."
"I'm sorry, General," said Mrs. Chester. "I can't tell you how sorry Iam--but I'm sure you're wrong."
"She can't stay here, that's certain," said the general, testily. "Ican't have a girl about the place who frightens my birds and thentells--lies--"
Bessie cried out sharply at that word.
"Oh--oh!" she said. "Really, I've told the truth--I have, indeed! If Isaid what you want me to say, than I'd be lying--but I'm not."
"Silence, please!" said General Seeley, sternly. "I'm talking with Mrs.Chester now, young woman. You've had your chance--and you wouldn't takeit. Now I'm done with you!"
"What do you mean, General?" asked Mrs. Chester, looking very grave.
"You'll have to send her away--where she came from, Mrs. Chester. Youand the girls you can vouch for are welcome, but I can't have herhere."
"I can't do that, General," said Mrs. Chester, not angrily, but gravely,and looking him straight in the eyes.
"But you must! I won't let her stay here! And these are my grounds,aren't they?"
"Certainly! But if Bessie goes, we all go with her. It's not our way todesert those we've once befriended and taken in, General."
"That is for you to decide, ma'am," he said, stiffly. He got up andbowed to her. "I'm sorry that this should cause a quarrel--"
"It hasn't," said Mrs. Chester, smiling. "It takes two to make aquarrel, and I simply won't quarrel with you, General. I know you'll besorry for what you've said when you think it over. Come, Bessie!"
Bessie, quite stunned by the trouble that had come upon them so suddenlyout of a clear sky, couldn't speak for a minute.
"Oh," she said, then, "you don't mean that all the girls will have toleave this lovely place because of me?"
"Not because of you, but because of a mistake that's not your fault,Bessie. You mustn't worry about it. Just leave it to me. I'm sure you'retelling the truth, and I'm going to stick by you."