CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
THE TREASURE HUNT.
The invitations for the garden-party arrived in due course: one for LadyHayes, another for Miss Darsie Garnett, and in the corner of each,beside the name of a celebrated military band, appeared the magic words"_Treasure Hunt_." Darsie felt something of the proud interest of theauthor who beholds in print the maiden effort of his brain, as she gazedupon those words, and reflected that but for her own suggestion theywould never have appeared. Lady Hayes also seemed to feel a reflectedpride in her niece's ingenuity, which pride showed itself in a mostagreeable anxiety about the girl's toilette for the occasion.
After a survey of the few simple dresses which composed Darsie'swardrobe, it was pronounced that nothing was suitable for garden-partywear, and a dressmaker was summoned from the country town to takemeasurements for a dainty white dress and hat to match. The dress wasmade to reach right down to the ankles, in deference to Lady Hayes'sideas of propriety, and Darsie felt prodigiously fine and grown-up asshe peacocked about before the long glass of her bedroom wardrobe on theday of the garden-party itself. Never in her life before had shepossessed a gown made by an expert dressmaker, and the result wassurprisingly flattering. She expatiated on the same with a candourstartling to the audience of aunt and her maid.
"Don't I look s-weet? So slim! I'd no idea I was such a nice shape. Idon't know which looks nicest, the frock on me or me in the frock!Aren't I tall? Isn't it graceful when I stand like this, and show thepleats? The hat's a duck! I must say I do look most scrumptiouslynice!"
"My dear!" Lady Hayes looked both shocked and alarmed. "My dear, how_can_ you? I shall begin to regret my purchases if they encourage aspirit of vanity. I was always taught to allow others to praise me andto keep silent myself."
"But you _thought_ all the time, Aunt Maria, you couldn't help thinking,and it's worse to bottle it up. I'm always quite candid on the subjectof my appearance," returned Darsie calmly. "On principle! Why shouldyou speak the truth on every other subject, and humbug about that? WhenI've a plain fit I know it, and grovel accordingly, and when I'm niceI'm as pleased as Punch. I _am_ nice to-day, thanks to you and Mason,and if other people admire me, why shouldn't I admire myself? I _like_to admire myself! It's like the cocoa advertisements, `grateful andcomforting.' Honest Ingin, Aunt Maria! Didn't _you_ admire yourselfwhen you saw yourself in the glass _in_ that ducky grey bonnet?"
Evidently the question hit home, for Lady Hayes made a swift change offront.
"My dear, my dear, moderate your language! Your expressions areunsuitable for a young gentlewoman. You are growing up. Try, I beg, tocultivate a more ladylike demeanour!"
Darsie made a little face at the charming reflection in the glass, thewhich Lady Hayes wisely affected not to see, and presently aunt andniece were seated side by side in the big old barouche, forming one of aconcourse of vehicles which were converging together out of every crossroad, and turning in a seemingly endless string in the direction of theHall. Shut carriages, open carriages, motors of different sizes andmakes, dog-carts, pony carriages, governess carts--on they came, oneafter another, stirring up the dust of the road till the air seemed fullof a powdery mist, through which unhappy pedestrians ploughed along inthe shadow of the hedgerows, their skirts held high in white-glovedhands.
Darsie thought it inhuman of her aunt not to fill the carriage tooverflowing with these unfortunates, but she made no attempt to do so,but sat up stiff and straight in her seat, a typical old lady of theolden times, in her large bonnet, grey satin gown, and richlyembroidered China crape shawl.
"If you're not proud of yourself, I'm proud of you!" the girl declared,smoothing the satin folds with an approving hand. "You look just whatyou are, a dear old fairy godmother who pretends to be proud and fierce,and is really a lump of kindness and generosity. All the other oldladies look dowds beside you."
"Don't flatter me, my dear. I dislike it extremely," returned LadyHayes with such an obvious look of satisfaction the while that Darsielaughed in her face, and laughed unreproved.
Arrived at the Hall, the guests were escorted through the perilouslyslippery hall, on which the mats seemed to turn into fresh pitfalls andslide beneath the feet; then through a side-door on to a miniature lawn,in the centre of which stood Mrs Percival, sweetly smiling, andejaculating endlessly: "Delighted to see you! _So_ nice of you tocome!" before passing the visitors on to her husband and children whowere ranged at discreet intervals along the sweep of the lawn. Thegirls whispered dramatically to Darsie that for the time being they weretied, literally tied by the heels, so she sat demurely by her aunt'sside under the shade of a great beech-tree, listened to the band, spiltdrops of hot tea down the front of her white dress, buttered the thumbsof her white kid gloves, and discovered the unwelcome but no doubtwholesome fact that there were other girls present who appeared just asattractive, or even more so than herself! Then the band began to playitem number four on the programme, and Noreen Percival came forward witha sigh of relief.
"At last I am free! They've all come, or practically all, and we can'twait for the laggards. The Hunt begins at three o'clock. Motherthought we'd better have it early, as it would shake them up and makethem more lively and sociable. You'll have to search by yourself,Darsie, for as we have all done some of the hiding, it wouldn't be fairto us to go about in pairs. There are piles of presents, and your eyesare so sharp that you are sure to find two or three. You mustn't openthem on the spot, but bring them up to the cedar lawn, where mother willbe waiting with the old fogies who are too old to run about, but whowould like to see the fun of opening. I _do hope_ I find the rightthing! There's the sweetest oxydised buckle with a cairngorm in thecentre that would be the making of my grey dress. I have set my heartupon it, but I haven't the least notion where it's stowed. It may evenhave been among my own parcels, and of course I can't go near those..."
"If I get it, we'll swop! I wish I knew the garden better. I don'tknow of _one_ good hiding-place except those I made myself... Perhaps Ishan't find anything at all."
"Oh, nonsense! Keep your eyes open and poke about with your feet andhands, and you can't go wrong. The paper's just a shade lighter thanthe grass. Remember!"
Noreen flew off again to move a chair for an old lady who wished toescape the rays of the sun, and once more Darsie was left to her ownresources. By her side Lady Hayes was deep in conversation with anotherold lady on the well-worn subject of a forthcoming agricultural show,and the town-bred visitor, failing to take an intelligent interest inprize carrots and potatoes, turned her attention to the group on theright, where Ralph Percival was making himself agreeable to threefashionable-looking girls of about her own age.
He wore an immaculate grey suit and a Panama hat, and regarding himcritically, Darsie felt another shock of surprise at being compelled toadmire a _man_! Hitherto she had regarded the race as useful,intelligent creatures, strictly utilitarian in looks, as in attire, butto-day it was impossible to deny that the beauty was on Ralph's sidemore than on that of his companions. The poise of the tall, slim figurewas so graceful and easy that it was a pleasure to behold; the perfectlines of aquiline nose, and dented chin, the little kink and wave whichrefused to be banished from the clipped hair, the long narrow eyes, andwell-shaped lips made up a whole which was quite startlingly handsomeand attractive. The three girls looked back at him with undisguisedadmiration and vied with one another in animated conversation, in returnfor which he drawled out slow replies in a tone of languid boredom.
During the fortnight which had elapsed since the date of hermisadventure on the river, Darsie had had frequent meetings with thePercivals, and now felt on the footing of a friend rather than anacquaintance. Concerning the girls, there was no question in her mind.They were dears, not dears of the same calibre as Vie and plain Hannah,dears of a less interesting, more conventional description, but dearsall the same, lively, good-tempered, and affectionate. The only brotherwas a far more complex charac
ter, with regard to whom Darsie changed hermind a dozen times a day. At one time he was all that was delightful,full of natural, boy-like good-comradeships at another he was a boredand supercilious dandy, looking down on schoolgirls from an intolerableheight of patronage, and evidently priding himself on a _blase_indifference. The present moment showed him in the latter mood, andDarsie's lips curled as she watched and listened, and in her eyes theredanced a mocking light. "Like a vain, affected girl!" was the mentalcomment, as her thoughts flew back to Harry and Russell, uncompromisingand blunt, and to Dan Vernon in his shaggy strength. Even as thethought passed through her mind Ralph turned, met the dancing light ofthe grey eyes, and turned impatiently aside. He would not look at her,but he could _feel_! Darsie watched with a malicious triumph the flushcreeping slowly over the smooth pale cheek, the hitch of the shoulders,the restless movement of the hands which betrayed the hidden discomfort.Presently some friends came forward to join the three ladies, whenRalph immediately joined her with an invitation which sounded more likea command--
"Come for a walk round the gardens!"
Darsie rose, nothing loath, conscious that she was about to be reproved,and finding an agreeable sense of support in her lengthened skirts, andthe semblance of grown-up-ness which they imparted.
"What did you mean by staring at me like that?"
"Like which?"
"You know very well. You did it on purpose to annoy me, and make meuncomfortable."
"Oh no, I didn't! I didn't do anything. It did itself. It was justthe outward and visible expression of my inward and invisible thoughts."
"Pretty middling disagreeable thoughts they must have been!"
"Humph! Not disagreeable exactly. Hardly strong enough for that. Justamused!"
"Amused!" The flush deepened on the lad's cheek. Unwittingly Darsiehad hit upon the most scathing of all indictments. To be an object of_amusement_ to others! What could be more lacerating to the dignity ofnineteen years. "I had no idea that I was being so funny. Will youhave the goodness to point out what you found so amusing?"
"Your airs," replied Darsie bluntly. "And graces! You asked me, youknow, so I'm bound to tell you. It's so odd to see a boy like that.But you needn't be cross. I'm speaking only for myself. Those othergirls liked it very much... You could see that for yourself."
"Just so. We are talking of _your_ opinion at the moment, however, notof theirs. What sort of--er--_boys_ are you accustomed to meet, if onemay ask?"
The strong accent thrown on the word "boys" showed a fresh ground ofcomplaint. Darsie felt a twinge of compunction, remembering the episodeof the punt and her own great cause for gratitude. The answer came withstartling earnestness.
"Not a bit braver than you, nor quicker and cleverer in an emergency.Perhaps not so good. If you'd hesitated one moment I mightn't have beenhere to criticise. But, just big, simple boys, not an ounce ofaffectation between them. Of course, they are not handsome. That makesa difference..."
But Ralph was not to be mollified by a compliment on his good looks. Hewas irritated, and considered that he had good reason for being so.Darsie Garnett was an unusually pretty and attractive girl, and havingsaved her from a perilous position but a fortnight earlier, it had beenan agreeable delusion to imagine himself ensconced for life in herestimation as a gallant young rescuer, the object of her undyinggratitude and admiration--a delusion indeed, since the criticism ofthose mocking eyes was more than equalled by the explicitness of herexplanations!
Ralph looked injured and melancholy, and Darsie, with characteristicsoftness of heart, was instantly seized with compunction. She wasfinding out for herself what every one who came in contact with RalphPercival discovered sooner or later--that it was exceedingly difficultto keep up a feeling of offence against any one who showed hisdispleasure in so interesting and attractive a fashion.
He was so handsome, so graceful in movement, he had the art ofconcealing the most ordinary emotions behind a cloak of bafflingsuperiority. To-day, as he paced the garden paths by Darsie's side,Ralph wore the air of a lovelorn poet, of a patriot sorrowing for hiscountry, an artist wrestling over a life's masterpiece, like anything oreverything, in fact, but just what he was--a sulky and empty-headedyoung gentleman, wounded in his own conceit!
To her own amazement Darsie presently found herself engaged in thehumble position of "making it up," and in taking back one after anothereach disparaging remark which she had made, which, being done, Ralphgraciously consented to "think no more about it!" and strolled off tospeak to a friend, leaving her stranded by herself at the far end of thegarden.
The position would have been an uncomfortable one had it not happenedthat just at that moment a bell rang loudly, followed by a suddengathering together of the guests upon the cedar lawn. Mr Percival wasmaking some announcement which was greeted by bursts of approvinglaughter. The words of the announcement were inaudible to Darsie'sears, but the purport was unmistakable. The treasure hunt had begun!With one accord the guests turned and streamed in the direction of thegardens, turning to right and to left, peering beneath bushes, pokingdelicately among the foliage of flower-beds with the ferules of walking-sticks and parasols...
Darsie turned and fled like a lapwing along the path leading past thetennis-lawn and rose and vegetable gardens, to the shaded fern grottowhich formed one of the boundaries of the grounds. The idea had come toher to begin, so to speak, at the end and have the field to herself,but, as is usually the case, she was to discover that others were asingenious as herself, for she had soon quite a string of followers alongthe narrow paths.
The thickly growing ferns seemed to offer endless hiding-places, but aprinted notice to the effect that "It is not necessary to walk upon theBeds!" seemed to limit the possible area to that within reach of hand orstick. Darsie poked and peered, lifted the hanging fronds which fellover the rockwork border of the lily pond, stood on tiptoe on the rusticseat to peer between the branches of surrounding trees, but coulddiscover nothing in the semblance of a paper packet. It was the samestory in the rose garden, though the thick foliage on the pergolasseemed to offer numberless hiding-places for dainty packets, containinggreat gear in little bulk; it was the same story in the wide, herbaceousborder, though pathways on either side offered double opportunities forsearch. For the first few minutes the search was pursued in almostcomplete silence, but as time went on there came the sound of onetriumphant cry after another, as a busy searcher was rewarded by asudden sight of the longed-for paper wrapping. Darsie's envious eyesbeheld one young girl running gaily past, with no less than threetrophies carried bag-like in the folds of a chiffon scarf. _Three_!And she herself had not yet discovered one! What would the Percivalssay if at the end of the hunt she returned empty-handed? The surprisedincredulity of the girls, the patronising condolences of Ralph, seemedin prospect equally unwelcome. Desire for a present itself becamesubservient to anxiety for the credit of her own sharp-sightedness andintuition. She _must_ and would discover a parcel before the time limitwas past.
The next half-hour passed in a search ever more eager and strenuous, aswith every moment that passed the chance of success diminished. So manytreasures had already been discovered that Darsie began to think with apang that perhaps there were no more to be found. Every third or fourthvisitor seemed to be carrying a trophy; some with airs of would-bemodesty were wending their way back to the cedar lawn carrying as manyas three or four, declaring that really and really they must not lookany more--it was altogether _too_ greedy! As they passed by the spotwhere Darsie pursued her ceaseless search, they would pause with wordsof maddening advice or condolence.
"Not found anything yet? How unfortunate! Look beneath the leaves..."Once Ralph passed by and arched his eyebrows in eloquent surprise. Heseemed on the point of offering advice, but Darsie whisked off in theopposite direction, to take refuge in the least frequented portion ofthe grounds, the orchard.
Only ten minutes left! The bell of warning was pealing lou
dly from thecedar lawn, she could hear the merry chatter of the returning guests.
Darsie lifted her muslin skirts and ran quickly in and out between thetrees, searching for some hiding-place as yet undiscovered. The gnarledbranches seemed to offer endless convenient niches, but in none of themcould anything in the shape of a parcel be discovered. She was on thepoint of abandoning the search and returning empty-handed, when, liftingup a heavy branch, her eyes suddenly lit upon a cavity in the trunk ofone of the oldest trees. When the branch remained in its ordinaryposition, the hollow was completely hidden from sight; moreover itsposition facing the wall made it doubly invisible. It hardly seemedpossible that so very obscure a hiding-place would be chosen under thecircumstances, but at this last moment no chance could be neglected.
Darsie rolled back her dainty net sleeve, plunged her hand deep into thehollow trunk, and flushed with triumph as her fingers came in contactwith something loose and soft. It was not a paper parcel, it felt morelike cloth--cloth with knotted ends all ready to pull. Darsie pulledwith a will, found an unexpected weight, put up a second hand to aid thefirst, and with a tug and a cloud of dust brought to light nothing moreexciting than a workman's handkerchief, knotted round a lumpy parcelwhich seemed obviously a midday meal.
It was a disappointment, but the next moment an inherent sense of humourhad discovered its possibilities of the position and gallantly accepteda second best.
Since she might not possess a proper present, she could at least be thehappy proprietor of a joke! Into the middle of the ring of guests shewould march, handkerchief bundle in hand, and to her credit wouldremain, if not the greatest applause, at least the biggest laugh of theafternoon! Darsie drew down her sleeve, brushed the top coating of dustfrom the handkerchief, and hurried onwards towards the cedar lawn.