CHAPTER THIRTY.
The days passed calmly enough with Kate Wilton, and no more was said oneither side about communicating with anyone. Garstang was there atbreakfast, and left till dinner time, when he returned punctually.
Kate read and worked, and waited for him to speak, striving the while byher manner to let her guardian see that she was trying to show hergratitude to him for all that he had done. And so a fortnight glidedby, and then, unable to bear it longer, she determined to question him.
That evening Garstang came in looking weary and careworn. There wasevidently some trouble on the way, and as she rose to meet him she feltthat she must not speak that night, for her new guardian had caresenough of his own to deal with.
But he began at once as he took her hands, smiling gravely as he lookedin her eyes.
"Well, my poor little prisoner," he said, half-banteringly, "aren't youutterly worn out, and longing, little bird, to begin beating your breastagainst the bars of your cage?"
"No," she said, gently; "I am getting used to it now."
"Brave little bird!" he said, raising both her hands to his lips andkissing them, before letting them fall; "then I shall come back someevening and hear you warbling once again. I have not heard you singsince the last evening I spent in Bedford Square long months ago."
He saw her countenance change, and he went on hastily:
"By the way, has Sarah Plant bought everything for you that yourequire?"
"Oh, yes," she said; "far more."
"That's right. I am so ignorant about such matters. Pray do nothesitate to give her orders. Do you know," he continued, as he sat downand began to warm his hands, gazing the while with wrinkled brow at thefire, "I have been doing something to-day in fear and trembling."
"Indeed?" she said, anxiously.
"Yes," he said, thoughtfully, as he took up the poker and began tosoftly tap pieces of unburned coal into glowing holes. "My consciencehas been smiting me horribly about you, my child. I come back afterfidgeting all day about your being so lonely and dull, with nothing butthose serious books about you--by the way, did they send in that parcelfrom the library?"
"Yes. Thank you for being so thoughtful about me, Mr Garstang."
"Oh, nonsense! But I think, my child, we could get rid of that formalMr Garstang. Do you think you could call me guardian, little maid?"
"Yes, guardian," she said, smiling at him, as he turned to look at heranxiously.
"Hah! Come, that's better," he cried; and he set down the poker andrubbed his hands softly, as he gazed once more thoughtfully at the fire."That sounds more as if you felt at home, and I shall dare to tell youwhat I have done. You see, I have been obliged to beg of you not to goout for a bit without me, and I have not liked to propose taking you ofan evening to any place of entertainment--not a theatre, of course yetawhile, but a concert, say."
"Oh no, Mr Garstang!" she said, hastily, with the tears coming to hereyes.
He coughed, and looked at her in a perplexed way.
"Oh no, guardian," she said, smiling sadly.
"Hah! that's better. Of course not; of course not. Forgive me for evenreferring to it. But er--you will not feel hurt at what I have done?"
She looked at him anxiously.
"Yes," he said, speaking as if he had been suddenly damped. "I oughtnot to have done it yet. It will seem as if I were making it appearthat you will have to stop some time."
"What have you done?" asked Kate, gravely.
"Well, my child, I know how musical you used to be, and as I was passingthe maker's to-day the thought struck me that you would like a piano.`It would make the place less dull for her,' I said, and--don't be hurt,my dear--I--I told him to send a good one in."
"Mr Garstang!--guardian!" she said, starting up, with the tears nowbeginning to fall.
"There, there, fought to have known better," he cried, catching up thepoker, and beginning to use it hurriedly. "Men are so stupid. Don'ttake any notice, my dear. I'll counter-order it."
"No, no," she said gently, as she advanced to him and held out her hand"I am not hurt; I am pleased and grateful."
"You are--really?" he cried, letting the poker drop, and catching herhand in his.
"Of course I am," she said, simply. "How could I be otherwise? Don'tthink me so thoughtless, and that I do not feel deeply all yourkindness."
"Kindness, nonsense!" he said, dropping her hand again, and turningaway. "But will it help to make the time pass better?"
"Yes, I shall be very glad to have it."
"And, er--you'll sing and play to me sometimes when I come back here?"
"Yes," she said, smiling through her tears; "and I would to-night, nowthat you have come back tired and careworn, if it were here."
"Tired and careworn? Who is?"
"You are. Do you think I could not see?"
He looked at her with his eyes full of admiration, and then turned tothe fire again.
"I am most grateful, guardian," she said. "But shall I have to be aprisoner long?"
"Hah!" he said with a sigh, and as if not hearing her question, "you areright, my child. I have had a very, very worrying day."
"I thought so," said Kate, resuming her seat, and looking at him in acommiserating way. "I hope it is nothing very serious."
"Serious?" he said, turning to her, sharply. "Well, yes it is, but Iought not to worry you about it."
"They say that sometimes relief comes in speaking of our troubles."
"But suppose one gets relief, and the other pain?" he said, looking ather quickly.
"Then it is something about me?"
He turned and looked at the fire again.
"Please tell me, guardian," she said.
"Only make you unhappy, my dear, just when you are getting back to yourold self."
She looked at him in a troubled way for some moments, and then with asudden outburst:
"You have seen Uncle James?"
He did not answer for a while, but sat gazing at the fire.
"Yes," he said, at last; "I have seen your Uncle James."
"And he knows I am here," she cried, clasping her hands, and looking athim in horror.
He turned slowly and met her eyes.
"Then you don't repent the step you have taken, and want to go back toNorthwood?" he said.
"How could I when you have protected me as you have, and saved me fromso much suffering and insult?"
"Hah!" he said, with a sigh of relief, "thank you, my child. I wasafraid that you would be ready to return to him."
"Mr Garstang!" she cried.
"Guardian."
"Then, guardian, how could you think it? If I have seemed dull andunhappy, surely it was not strange, considering my position."
"Of course not; but I was flattering myself with the belief that youwere really getting reconciled to your fate."
"I am reconciled," said Kate, warmly; "but I can not help longing totake my old nurse by the hand again, and to see my friends."
"Friends?" he said, looking at her curiously.
"Yes; I made two friends down there whose society was pleasant to me,and whom I have missed."
"Indeed! I did not know."
"But tell me, is uncle coming? Does he know I am here?" cried Kate,excitedly.
"No, he is not coming, my child, and he does not know you are here,"said Garstang, watching her searchingly.
"Ah!" ejaculated the girl, with a sigh of relief. "I could not--I darenot meet him."
"That is what I felt. You can not meet him for some time to come, butthere are unpleasant complications, my dear, which trouble me a greatdeal."
"Yes?" said Kate, excitedly.
"Such as will, I fear, make it necessary for you to remain stillsecluded."
"But, Mr Garstang, suppose that he should come to see you one day whenyou were out, and he were shown in to me."
"Ah, yes," he said, dryly, watching her troubled face narrowly, "what Ionce said: that would be awkwa
rd."
"Oh, it would be horrible," cried Kate, springing to her feet. "I couldnot go back with him. And he has a right to claim me, and he wouldinsist."
She began to pace the room excitedly, with her hands clasped before her.
"Yes, my child, it would be horrible," said Garstang, gently, "and thatis why, in spite of its giving you pain, I have been so particular lestby any letter of yours he should learn where you were."
"But he might come as I said--to see you, in your absence," she cried.
"No, my dear," he said, reaching out one hand as she was passing theback of his chair; and she stopped at once, and placed hers trustinglywithin. "Don't be alarmed. I am an old man of the world, and for yearspast I have had to set my wits to work to battle with other people's.Uncle James does not know that you are here, and unless you tell him heis not likely to know, for the simple reason that he is not aware that Ihave such a place."
Kate uttered a sigh of relief, and let her hand rest in his.
"Poor fellow, he is horribly disappointed, and he is leaving no stoneunturned to trace you, and his hopeful son is helping him and watchingme."
"Oh!" ejaculated Kate, excitedly. "Yes, but they do not know of thisplace, and are keeping an eye upon my offices in Bedford Row and myhouse down in Kent. I little thought when my poor old friend and clientdied and this place fell to me that it would one day prove so useful.So there, try and stop this fluttering of the pulses, little maid; solong as we are careful, and you wish it, you can remain in sanctuary.Now let's dismiss the tiresome business altogether. I am glad, though,that you are pleased about the piano."
"No, no; don't dismiss it yet," cried Kate, eagerly. "Tell me what hesaid."
"Humph!" said Garstang, frowning; "shall I? No; better not."
"Yes, please; I can not help wanting to know."
"But I'm afraid of upsetting you, my dear."
"It will not now; I am growing firmer, Mr Garstang, my guardian," shesaid. "Better tell me than leave me to think, and perhaps lie awaketo-night imagining things that may not be true."
"Well, yes--that would be bad," he said, nodding his head. "There, sitdown then, and draw your chair to the fender. Your face is burning, butyour hands are cold. That's better," he continued, as he took up thepoker again, and sat forward, gazing at the fire, and once more tappingthe pieces of coal into the glowing caverns. "You see, he has been tome three times."
"And I did not know!" cried Kate.
"No, you did not know, my dear, because I did not want to upset you.What do you think he says?"
"That I fled to you, and placed myself under your protection?"
"Wrong," said Garstang, looking round and smiling in the beautiful faceacross the hearth, as he played the part of an amiable fatherlyindividual to perfection. "Shall I say guess again?"
"No, no, pray don't trifle with me, guardian."
"Trifle with you?" he cried, growing stern of aspect. "No. There, itmust come out. He did not say that, and he did not accuse me offetching you away, for he and Master Claud are upon a wrong scent."
"Yes--yes," said Kate, eagerly.
"They say that Harry Dasent made an excuse of his friendship with Claudto go down to Northwood with another object in view."
"Yes--what?" she said, looking at him wonderingly.
"You, my child."
"Me?" she cried, aghast.
"Well, to speak more correctly, your money, my dear; and that,despairing of winning you in a straightforward way, he either came andcaught you in the humour for being persuaded to leave with him, havingon his other visits paved the way by making love to you--"
"Oh!" ejaculated Kate; "I never noticed anything particular in hismanner to me--yes, I did, once or twice he was very, very attentive."
"Indeed," said Garstang, frowning.
"But you said `either,'" cried Kate, anxiously.
"Yes; either that he had persuaded you to elope with him, or he hadclimbed to your window and by some means forced you to come away."
"What madness!" cried Kate.
"Yes, and there's more behind; they accuse me of conniving at it, andsay they are sure you are married, and that I know where you are."
"Mr Dasent!" exclaimed Kate, gazing at Garstang wonderingly.
"Yes, Harry Dasent," he said, drawing himself up. "He is my poor deadwife's son, my dear, and it so happens that he is giving colour to theidea by his absence from home on one of his reckless, ne'er-do-weelexpeditions; but between ourselves, my child, I'd rather see you marriedto Claud Wilton, your cousin, than to him; and," he added warmly, "Ithink I would sooner follow you to your grave than--Yes--what is it?"
"I beg pardon, sir," said the housekeeper, "but the dinner's spoiling,and I've been waiting half an hour and more for you to ring."
"Then bring it up directly, Mrs Plant, for we are terribly ready."
"Yes, sir."
"At least I am, my dear; I was faint for want of it when I came in.Shall we shelve the unpleasant business now?"
"It is so dreadful," said Kate.
"Well, yes, it is; so it used to be with the poor folks who werebesieged by the enemy. You are besieged, but you have a strong castlein which to defend yourself, and you can laugh your enemies to scorn.Really, Kate, my child, this is something like being cursed by afortune."
She nodded her head quickly.
"Money is useful, of course, and I once had a very eager longing topossess it; but, like a great many other things, when once it ispossessed it is--well, only so much hard cash, after all. It won't buythe love and esteem of your fellow-creatures. Do you know, my dear, ifit were not for something I should be ready to say to you--`Let UncleJames have your paltry fortune and pay off his debts.' That's what hewants, not you. As for Claud, he'd break your heart in a month."
"Could I deliver the money over to him?" said Kate, looking anxiously inher new guardian's face.
"Oh, yes, my dear, that would be easy enough. And then--I tell youwhat: I have plenty, and I'm tired of the worry and care of asolicitor's life. Why shouldn't I take a few years' holiday and go onthe Continent with my adopted daughter and her old maid? Paris, Berlin,Vienna, Switzerland, Italy, Egypt--what would you say to that? It wouldbe delightful."
"Yes," said Kate, eagerly, "and then I could be at rest. No," she said,suddenly, with the colour once more rising in her cheeks, "that would beimpossible."
"Yes," said Garstang, watching her narrowly, as she averted her face, togaze now in the fire. "Castles in the air, my dear."
"Yes," she said, dreamily, "castles in the air;" but she was seeinggolden castles in the glowing fire, and her face grew hotter as, inspite of herself, she peopled one of those golden castles in a peculiarway which made her pulses begin to flutter, and she felt that she darednot gaze in her companion's face.
"Yes, castles in the air, my child," said Garstang again. "For thatfortune was amassed by your father for the benefit of his child and herhusband, and she must not lightly throw it away to benefit a foolish,grasping, impecunious relative."
"The dinner is served, sir," said Mrs Plant.
Garstang rose and offered his arm, which Kate took at once.
"We may dismiss the unpleasant business now," he said, with a smile.
"Yes, yes, of course," she said.
"But tell me, you do feel satisfied and safe--at rest?"
"Quite," she said, looking smilingly in his face.
"Then now for dinner," he said, leading her to the door.
That evening John Garstang sat over his modest glass of wine alone,fitting together the pieces of his plans, and as he did so he smiled andseemed content.
"No," he said, softly, "you will not pocket brother Robert's money,friend James, for I hold the winning trump. What beautiful soft wax itis to mould! Only patience--patience! The fruit is not quite ripe yet.A hundred and fifty thou--a hundred and fifty thou!"