Read Begumbagh: A Tale of the Indian Mutiny Page 30
STORY TWO, CHAPTER SIX.
A SUDDEN CHANGE.
If any one says I played spy, I am ready to speak up pretty strongly inmy self-defence, for my aim always was to do my duty by Sir John mymaster; but I could not help seeing two or three things during the nextfortnight, and they all had to do with a kind of telegraphing going onfrom our house to the one over the way, where Miss Adela generallyappeared to be on the watch; and her looks always seemed to me to say:"No; you mustn't think of such a thing," and to be inviting him all thetime. Then, all at once I thought I was wrong, for I went up as usualat half-past seven to take Mr Barclay's boots and his clothes which hadbeen brought down the night before, after he had dressed for dinner. Itapped and went in, just as I'd always done ever since he was a boy, andwent across to the window and drew the curtains. "Nice morning, MasterBarclay," I said. "Half-past--" There I stopped, and stared at the bed,which all lay smooth and neat, as the housemaid had turned it down, forno one had slept in it that night. I was struck all of a heap, anddidn't know what to think. To me it was just like a silver spoon orfork being missing, and setting one's head to work to think whether itwas anywhere about the house.
He hadn't stopped to take his wine with Sir John after dinner; but thatwas nothing fresh, for they'd been very cool lately. Then I hadn't seenhim in the drawing-room; but that was nothing fresh neither, for he hadavoided Miss Virginia for some little time.
"It is very strange," I thought, for I had not seen him go out; andthen, all at once I gave quite a start, for I felt that he must havedone what Sir John had told him to do--gone.
"That won't do," I said directly after. "He wouldn't have gone likethat;" and I went straight to Sir John's room and told him, as in dutybound, what I had found out, for Mr Barclay was not the young man to befast and stop out of nights and want the servants to screen him. Therewas something wrong, I felt sure, and so I said.
"No," said the old gentleman, as he sat up in bed, and then began todress; "he wouldn't go at my wish; but that girl over the way is playingwith him, and he is too proud to stand it any longer, besides beingmortified at making such an ass of himself. There's nothing wrong,Burdon. He has gone, and a good job too."
Of course, I couldn't contradict my master; but I went up and examinedMr Barclay's room, to find nothing missing, not so much as a shirt or apair of socks, only his crush-hat, and the light overcoat from the brasspeg in the front hall; and I shook my head.
Miss Virginia looked paler than ever at breakfast; but nothing more wassaid up-stairs. Of course, the servants gossiped; and as it was settledthat Mr Barclay had done what his father had told him, a week passedaway, and matters settled down with Miss Adela Mimpriss sitting at thewindow just as usual, doing worsted-work, and the old house looking asgrim as ever, and as if a bit of paint and a man to clean the windowswould have been a blessing to us all.
Every time the postman knocked, Miss Virginia would start; and her eyesused to look so wild and large, that when I'd been to the little box andfound nothing from Mr Barclay, I used to give quite a gulp; and many'sthe time I've stood back in the dining-room and shook my fist at MissAdela sitting so smooth and handsome at the opposite house, and wishedshe'd been at the world's end before she came there.