CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
Wilton pere and mere had not been gone five minutes when there was agentle tap at Kate's door, and she started and turned her fearful facein that direction, but made no reply. The tap was repeated,
"Miss Kate," came in a sharp whisper; "it is only me, my dear."
"Ah," sighed the girl, as if in relief; and she nearly ran to the door,turned the key, and admitted the old servant, locked the door again, andflung her arms about the woman's neck, to bury her face in her breast,and sob as if her heart would break.
"There, there, there," cooed the woman, as if to the little child shehad nursed long years before; and she led her gently to a couch, anddrew the weeping girt down half reclining upon her breast. "Cry then,my precious; it will do you good; and then you must tell Liza all aboutit--what has been the matter, dear?"
"Matter!" cried Kate, starting up, and gazing angrily in the woman'sface. "Liza, it's horrible. Why did I ever come to this dreadfulhouse?"
"Hush, hush, my own; you will make yourself had again. We must not haveyou ill."
"Bad--ill?" cried Kate. "Better dead and at rest. Oh, I hate him! Ihate him! How dare he touch me like that! It was horrible--anoutrage!"
The woman's face flushed, and her eyes sparkled angrily, then her lipsmoved as if to question, but she closed them tightly into a thin lineand waited, knowing from old experience that it would not be long beforeher young mistress' grief and trouble would be poured into er ear.
She was quiet, and clasping the agitated girl once lore in her arms, shebegan to rock herself slowly to and fro.
"No, no! don't," cried Kate, peevishly, and she raised her head oncemore, looking handsomer than ever in her anger and indignation. "I amno longer a child. Aunt and uncle have encouraged it. This hatefulmoney is at the bottom of it all. They wish me to marry him. Pah! hemakes me shudder with disgust. And how could I even think of such ahorror with all this terrible trouble so new."
Eliza half closed her eyes and nodded her head, while her mouth seemedalmost to disappear.
"It is cruel--it is horrible," Kate continued. "They have encouraged itall through. Even aunt, with her sickly worship of her wretched spoiledboy. Oh, what a poor, pitiful, weak creature she must have thought me.No one seemed to understand me but Mr Garstang."
Eliza knit her brows a little at his name, but she remained silent, andby slow degrees she was put in possession of all that had taken place;and then, faint and weary, Kate let her head sink down till her foreheadrested once more upon the breast where she had so often sunk to rest.
"Oh, the hateful money!" she sighed, as the tears came at last. "Lethim have it. What is it to me? But I cannot stop here, nurse; it isimpossible. We must go at once. Uncle is my guardian, but surely hecannot force me to stay against my inclination. If I remained here itwould kill me. Nurse," she cried, with a display of determination thatthe woman had never seen in her before, "you must pack up what isnecessary, and to-morrow we will go. It would be easy to stay at somehotel till we found a place--a furnished cottage just big enough for ustwo; anywhere so that we could be at peace. We could be happier then--Why don't you speak to me when I want comfort in my trouble?"
"Because no words of mine could give you the comfort you need, my dear.Don't you know that my heart bleeds for you, and that always when mypoor darling child has suffered I have suffered, too?"
"Yes, yes, dear; I know," said Kate, raising her face to kiss the womanpassionately. "I do know. Don't take any notice of what I said. Allthis has made me feel so wickedly angry, and as if I hated the wholeworld."
"Don't I know my darling too well to mind a few hasty words?" said thewoman, softly. "Say what you please. If it is angry I know it onlycomes from the lips, and there is something for me always in mydarling's heart."
"That does me good, nurse," said the girl, clinging to heraffectionately for a few moments, and then once more sitting up, tospeak firmly. "It makes me feel after all that I am not alone, and thatmy dear, dead mother was right when she said, `Never part from Eliza.She is not our servant; she has always been our faithful, humble, trustyfriend.'"
The woman's face softened now, and a couple of tears stole down hercheeks.
"Now, nurse, we must talk and make our plans. I wish I could see MrGarstang, and ask his advice."
"Do you like Mr Garstang, my dear?" said the woman, gently.
"Yes; he is a gentleman. He seems to me the only one who can talk to meas what I am, and without thinking I am what they call me--an heiress."
"But poor dear master never trusted Mr Garstang."
"Perhaps he had no need to. He always treated him as a friend, and hehas proved himself one to-day by the brave way in which he defended me,and spoke out to open my eyes to all this iniquity."
"But dear master did not make him his executor."
"How could he when he had his brother to think of? How could my dearfather suspect that Uncle James would prove so base? It was a mistake.You ought to have heard Mr Garstang speak to-day."
Eliza sighed.
"I don't think I should put all my trust in Mr Garstang, my dear," shesaid.
"Is not that prejudice, nurse?"
"I hope not my dear; but my heart never warmed to Mr Garstang, and ithas always felt very cold toward that young man, his stepson."
"Harry Dasent? Well," said Kate, with a faint smile, "perhaps mine hasbeen as cold. But why should we trouble about this? It would be noharm if I asked Mr Garstang's advice; but if we do not like it, nurse,we can take our own. One thing we decide upon at once: we will leavehere."
"Can we, my dear? You have money, but--"
"Oh, don't talk about the hateful thing," cried the girl, passionately.
"I must, my dear. We cannot take even a cottage without. This money isin your uncle's charge; you, as a girl under age, can not touch a pennywithout your Uncle James' consent."
"But surely he can not keep me here against my will--a prisoner?"
"I don't know, my dear," said the woman, with a sigh.
"Then that is where we want help and advice--that is where Mr Garstangcould assist me and tell me what to do."
Eliza sighed.
"Well, if the worst comes to the worst, I can take a humble place whereyou can keep house and do needlework to help, while I go out as dailygoverness."
"You! A daily governess?"
"Well," said the girl, proudly, "I can play--brilliantly, they say--Iknow three languages, and--"
"You have a hundred and fifty thousand pounds in your own right."
"What are a hundred and fifty thousand pounds to a miserable prisonerwho is being persecuted? Liberty is worth millions, and come what may,I will be free."
"Yes, you shall be free, darling; but you must do nothing rash. To-dayhas taught me that my dear girl is a woman of firmness and spirit; and,please God, all will come right in the end. There, this is enough. Youare fluttered and feverish now, and delicate as you are, you requirerest. It is getting late. Let me help you to undress for a good longnight's rest. Sleep on it all, my child; out of the evil good willcome, and you have shown them that they have not a baby to deal with,but a true woman, so matters are not so bad as they seem. Come, mylittle one."
"I must and will leave here, nurse," said Kate, firmly.
"Sleep on it, my child, and remember that after all you have won theday. Come, let me help you."
"No, Liza, go now. I must sit for a while and think."
"Better sleep, and think after a long rest."
"No, dear; I wish to sit here in the quiet and silence first. Look, themoon is rising over the trees, and it seems to bring light into my wearybrain. I'll go to bed soon. Please do as I wish, and leave me now--Nurse, dear, do you think those who have gone from us ever come back inspirit to help us when we are in need?"
"Heaven only knows, my darling," said the woman, looking startled. "Butplease don't talk like this--You really wish me to go?"
"Yes, leave me now. I am going to make my plans for to-morrow."
"To-morrow."
"No, before I lie down to rest. Good-night."
"You are mistress, and I am servant, my child. Good-night, then--good-night."
"Good-night," said Kate, and a minute later she had closed and re-lockedthe door, to turn and stand gazing at the window, whose blind wassuffused with the soft silvery light of the slowly rising moon.