CHAPTER FORTY TWO.
"Still obstinate?"
Kate turned her head and looked gravely at Garstang, but made no reply.
A week had passed since the scene in the library, and during that periodshe had calmly resumed her old position in the house, meeting her enemyat the morning and evening meals; and while completely crushing everyadvance by her manner, shown him that she was waiting in full confidencefor the hour of her release.
She never once showed her weakness, or let him see traces of the miseryor despair which rendered her nights, sleeping or waking, an agony; sheanswered him quietly enough whenever he spoke on ordinary subjects, butat the slightest approach to familiarity, or if he showed a dispositionto argue about the folly, as he called it, of her conduct, she rose andleft the room, and somehow her manner impressed him so, that he darednot try to detain her.
He felt, as she had told him, that it was no longer the weak girl withwhom he was contending, but the firm, imperious woman; while herconfidence in her own power increased as she, on more than one occasion,realised the fact that she had completely mastered.
But the position remained the same, and as soon as she was alone thebattle with another enemy commenced. Despair was always making itsinsidious approaches, sapping her very life, and teaching her that hertriumph was but temporary; and she shuddered often as she thought of thehour when her strength and determination would fail.
Another week commenced, and she noted that there was a marked change inGarstang. Consummate actor as he was, he had returned to his formertreatment, save that he no longer played the amiable guardian, but thechivalrous gentleman, full of deference and respect for her slightestwish. He made no approaches. There was nothing in his behaviour towhich the most scrupulous could have objected; but knowing full well nowthat he had only covered his face with a fresh mask, she was more thanever on her guard, never relaxing her watchfulness of self for a moment.
She could only feel that he was waiting his time, that it was a siegewhich would be long, but undertaken by him in the full belief thatsooner or later she would surrender.
That he left the house sometimes she felt convinced; but how or when shenever knew, and the greater part of his time was passed in the library,where he evidently worked hard over what seemed to be legal business.Japanned tin boxes had made their appearance, and she had more than onceseen the table littered with papers and parchments; but all thesedisappeared into the boxes at night, and the evenings were spent much asof old, though the conversation was distant and brief.
At last, about a fortnight after the setting in of the fresh regime, shewas descending the stairs one afternoon, when she had proof ofGarstang's having been away, for a latch-key rattled in the door, heentered, and stood with it open, while a cabman brought in a large deedbox, set it down in the hall, and the door was closed and locked. Afterthis, Garstang lifted the box to bear it into the library, when hecaught sight of Kate descending to enter the inner room, the one intowhich he had ushered her on the morning of her coming, and in which henow passed a great deal of his time.
As their eyes met she saw that he looked pale and haggard, and it struckher at the moment that something had occurred to disturb him. Her heartleaped, for naturally enough she felt that it must be something relatingto her, and in the momentary fit of exultation she felt that help wascoming, and hurried into the room to hide the agitation from which shewas suffering.
And now for the first time since her attempt to escape, she caught sightof Becky, passing down from the upper part of the staircase, but theglance was only momentary. As soon as she saw that she was observed,the pale-faced woman drew back.
There she stood, panting heavily as if suffering from some severeexertion. For she felt that Garstang would follow her in, that therewould be a scene; but the minutes went by, and all was quite still, andby degrees her firmness was restored; but instinctively she felt thatsomething was about to happen, and the dread of this, whatever it mightbe, set her longing to escape.
And now once more the idea came that it was absurd for her to be inprison there, when it seemed as if she had only to open the door andstep out, or else descend to the basement, wait till one of thetradesmen came down the area, and then seize that opportunity to go.
But she had tried it and failed. The doors were always locked, savewhen tradesmen or postmen came; and then there was the area gate. Noone ever came down.
The dinner time came, and she calmly took her place. Garstang wasquietly cordial, though a little more silent than customary to her; butit was plain enough that he was suffering from some unusual excitement,when he addressed the housekeeper. For he found fault with nearlyeverything, and finally dismissed her in a fit of anger.
"Servants are so thoughtless," he said, with an apologetic smile. "Thatwoman knows perfectly well what I like, and yet if I do not go into afit of anger with her now and then, she grows dilatory and careless.But there, I beg your pardon; I ought to have waited until we werealone."
Kate rose soon after and went into the library, where, as she satreading, she was dimly conscious of voices in the passage; and assumingthat the housekeeper was again being taken to task, she forced herselfto think only of her book, and soon after silence and the closing of thedining-room door told her that Garstang had gone back to his wine.
His stay after dinner had grown longer now, and it was quite half-pastnine before he joined her, sometimes partaking of a cup of tea, but moreoften declining it, and sitting in silence gazing at the fire.
Upon this occasion she sat until the housekeeper brought in the teatray, placed it upon its table, while a low, hissing sound outside toldher that the urn was waiting; and Kate found herself thinking that Beckymust be there until her mother fetched it, and she wondered whether itwould be possible to get a few words with the woman again, and if shewould be too frightened to try and post another letter.
Kate looked up suddenly and found that the housekeeper was watching herin a peculiar manner, but turned hurriedly away in confusion, andfetched the tea-caddy to place beside the tray. And again Kate foundthat she was watching her, and it seemed to her that it was with apitying look in her eyes. This idea soon gave place to another. Thewoman wanted to talk to her, and her theme would be Garstang.
"That will do, Mrs Plant," she said; when the woman darted anotherpeculiar look at her, and Kate saw the woman's lips move, but she saidnothing aloud, and left the room, leaving its occupant thoughtful andrepentant. For it struck her that the woman's eyes had a pityingsympathetic aspect, and that perhaps a few words of appeal to her betterfeelings would be of no avail, and that help might come through herafter all.
Should she ring and try?
A few minutes' thought, and the idea grew less and less vivid, till itdied away.
"She dare not, even if she would," thought Kate; and calmly andmethodically she proceeded to make the tea, just casually noticing thatthe screw which held in its place the ornamental knob on the lid of thesilver tea-pot had been off and was secured in its place again with whatappeared to be resin.
It was a trifle which seemed to be of no importance then, as she turnedon the hot water from the urn, rinsed out the pot made the tea and satthinking while she gave it time to draw. Her thoughts were upon the oldtheme, the way of escape, or to find a way of sending letters to bothJenny and her uncle.
She started from her reverie, poured out a cupful, took up her bookagain, grew immersed in it, and sat back sipping her tea from time totime, till about half the cup was finished, before she noticed that ithad a peculiar flavour, but concluded that it was fresh tea, and she hadmade it a little too strong.
The old German book was interesting, and she still read on and sippedher tea till she had finished the cup, and then sat frowning, for thelast spoonful or two had the peculiar flavour intensified.
It was very strange. The tea was very different. She smelt the dregsin her cup, and the odour was strongly herbaceous.
She tasted it again,
and it was stronger, while the flavour was nowclinging to her palate.
She sat thinking for a few moments, laid her book aside, and let alittle water from the urn flow into the spare cup, and examined it.
Pure and tasteless, just boiled water; there was nothing there; so shedrew the pot to her side, opened the lid and smelt it.
The odour was plain enough. A dull, vapid, flat scent, which seemedfamiliar, but she could not give it a name.
"What strange tea!" she thought; and then the mystery was out, for shecaught sight of the fastening of the lid handle. It was as it usuallyappeared; but the screw was loose, and it turned and rattled in herfingers. The dark, resinous patch which had held it firmly had gone,melted by the heat and steam, and hence the peculiar flavour of the tea.
"How stupid!" she exclaimed; and rising from her seat, she rang thebell.
The housekeeper was longer than usual in answering, and Kate was aboutto ring again, when the woman appeared, looking nervous and scared.
"Did you ring, ma'am?" she asked; and her voice sounded weak and husky.
"Yes; look at that tea-pot, Mrs Plant; smell the tea."
"Is--is anything the matter with it, ma'am?" faltered the woman.
"Matter? Yes! How could you be so foolish! I noticed that somethinghad been used to fasten the knob on the lid."
"Yes--yes, ma'am; it has worn loose. The screw has got old."
"What did you use to fasten it with--resin?"
"I--I did not do anything to it, ma'am," faltered the woman, whose facewas now ghastly.
"Someone did, and it melted down into the tea. It tastes horrible.Take the pot, and wash it out I must make some fresh."
"Yes, ma'am," said the woman eagerly, glancing from the tea-pot to herand back again. "You had better make some fresh, of course."
She uttered a sigh, as if relieved, but Kate saw that her hands trembledas she took up the pot.
"There, be quick. I shall not complain to Mr Garstang, and get youanother scolding."
"Thank you, ma'am--no ma'am," said the woman faintly, and she glancedbehind her toward the door, and then caught at the table to supportherself.
"What is the matter? Are you unwell?" asked Kate.
"N-no, ma'am--a little faint and giddy, that's all," she faltered. "I--am gettin' better now--it's going off."
"You are ill?" said Kate kindly. "Never mind the tea. I will go to thecellaret and get you a little brandy. There, sit down for a fewmoments. Yes, sit down; your face is covered with cold perspiration.Are you in the habit of turning like this?"
The woman did not answer, but sat back in the chair into which she hadbeen pressed, moaning slightly, and wringing her hands.
"No-no," she whispered wildly; "don't go. He's there. I dursen't. Ishall be better directly. Miss Wilton, I couldn't help it, dear; he--hedid it. Don't say you've drunk any of that tea!"
It was Kate's turn to snatch at something to support her, as thehorrible truth flashed upon her; and she stood there with her faceghastly and her eyes wild and staring at the woman, who had nowstruggled to her feet.
For some moments she could not stir, but at last the reaction came, andshe caught the housekeeper tightly by the arm, and placed her lips toher ear.
"You are a woman--a mother; for God's sake, help me! Quick, while thereis time. Take me with you now."
"I can't--I can't," came back faintly; "I daren't; it's impossible."
Kate thrust the woman from her, and with a sudden movement clapped herhands to her head to try and collect herself, for a strange singing hadcome in her ears, and objects in the room seemed a long distance off.
The sensation was momentary and was succeeded by a feeling of wildexhilaration and strength, but almost instantaneously this too passedoff; and she reeled, and saved herself from falling by catching at oneof the easy chairs, into which she sank, and sat staring helplessly atthe woman, who was now speaking to someone--she could not see whom--butthe words spoken rang in her ears above the strange metallic singingwhich filled them.
"Oh, sir, pray--pray, only think! For God's sake, sir!"
"Curse you, hold your tongue, and go! Dare to say another word, and--doyou hear me?--go!"
Kate was sensible of a thin cold hand clutching at hers for a moment;then a wave of misty light which she could not penetrate passed softlybefore her eyes, and this gradually deepened; the voices grew more andmore distant and then everything seemed to have passed away.