CHAPTER XIV
The Cousins' Return
''Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest bark Bay deep-mouthed welcome as we draw near home; 'Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark Our coming, and look brighter when we come.'--_Byron._
'Agatha! Clare! I have had an adventure! Where are you? Oh, hereyou are; now listen!'
Elfie ran breathlessly into the house one afternoon in greatexcitement. She had been for a walk, and had come in late for tea.Agatha was writing letters at her davenport in the drawing-room, andClare was still toying with her cup of tea. A book was in her lap, buther thoughts were far away. Her face still wore its sad and somewhatwistful look; yet there was gradually dawning upon it the sense ofrepose and rest. Her sisters noted the old fretfulness andrestlessness had gone out of her tones, and whilst Elfie wondered,Agatha rejoiced that trouble had not hardened or embittered her.
Elfie threw herself into a seat, looking the picture of health andfresh young beauty.
'I have been to the pine woods,' she began eagerly, 'and I wasrejoicing in my solitude, and walking along through the very darkestpart, when I heard voices coming towards me. I wondered if it wouldturn out to be Major Lester and any of his friends, for I knew he had aprivate gate into the wood from his grounds. So, not wanting to meetany one, I turned down a side path, and then if you please came plumpagainst the very man I wanted to avoid--Major Lester himself. He quitestarted when he saw me, but took off his hat and tried to be civil.You know I have been introduced to him at the Millers'. I apologisedif I were trespassing, and then he said with a little bow, "I do notwish to keep my neighbours at a distance, Miss Dane; you are welcome touse any foot-path through my woods. I have no secrets on my property,I am thankful to say!" I thought that rather nasty of him, for I knewhe meant our cupboard, but I murmured something polite, and was justgoing to turn back, when the voices I had heard came nearer, andsuddenly two strange young men came down the path in front of us. Youshould have seen Major Lester's face; he stared as if he couldn'tbelieve his eyes, and his hand resting on his stick trembled as if hehad the palsy. Then he made a step forward,--
"Roger, my boy, is it you, or do my eyes play me false?"
'Before I could get away, one young man said in a most emphatic voice,and rather sternly too, I thought, "I have brought him back to you,uncle, and he will tell you for himself whether my poor father or I hadany hand in his disappearance!" Then I made my escape; I heard themall talking at once. Isn't it exciting? The lost ones have come back.I think they had walked from Brambleton station--taken the short cutthrough the woods. They looked as if they had roughed it. Soweather-beaten and worn!'
'This is an excitement,' Agatha said, turning round from her writing;'what is Alick Lester like, Elfie?'
'Oh, I didn't notice, I hadn't time. They were both tall,broad-shouldered men in rough shooting clothes, I think. Do you thinkthey will be paying us a visit, Agatha?'
'I suppose Mr. Alick Lester will,' and Agatha's face assumed rather ananxious expression, as she remembered her charge.
'Where is he going to live, I wonder?' said Clare; 'it may seem to himthat we are usurpers. Do you think he knows about his father's legacyto you, Agatha?'
Agatha shook her head doubtfully.
'I don't know. I suppose his lawyer will have told him, if he has beento see him. I expect he will stay up at the Hall. Major Lester wouldbe hard-hearted indeed if he did not make him welcome after finding hislong-lost son!'
The next morning the whole village was in excitement with the news.Miss Miller tore here and there, pulling at her bonnet strings, andquite incoherent in her speech.
'The vicar is asking Alick to put up with us,' she said, meeting Agathaout. 'It is very trying for him, poor fellow, to find both his fatherand home taken from him, and it's not to be expected that he would staylong at the Hall, and if his father hadn't died, you wouldn't be whereyou are, and I suppose we did misunderstand him; but if he had come tochurch regularly he would have found us his friends, and what he willdo now I can't think! I can't stop a minute; I must see Major Lesterbefore our quarterly meeting about church expenses, which takes placethis afternoon at two o'clock; and I have just remembered that thebed-hangings of the spare room bed are at the laundry, and if Alick isto sleep there to night I must superintend the cleaning of the roommyself!'
Agatha smiled as she returned home, and wondered if there was anythingin the vicarage or parish that Miss Miller did not superintend.
Early in the afternoon Clare, who was doing a little gardening, wasstartled by the sudden appearance of Agatha in the greatest distress ofmind, and quite shaken out of her usual composure.
'Oh, Clare, whatever shall I do? I have lost a most important littlepacket, and I am dreadfully afraid it has been stolen from me.'
'What packet?'
'A small packet Mr. Lester gave to me. I did not say anything aboutit, because he did not wish me to. I put it in my dressing-case, whichalways stands on my dressing-table, and I placed it in the secretdrawer. The drawer is empty, and the paper gone. I was to give it tohis son when he returned, and I promised to keep it safely. I cannotimagine what can have become of it! What shall I do? I wonder how anyone could have found it. It is a perfect mystery to me!'
'You must have forgotten where you put it,' said Clare; 'let me comeand look. It is quite impossible for any one to have stolen it.'
But Clare's search was quite as unsuccessful as Agatha's, and thelatter became almost tearful in her agitation and distress.
'Mr. Alick Lester will be sure to call, and it was his father's wish heshould open the cupboard. How can he do it, when I have lost thedirections?'
'Is that all the packet contained?' asked Clare, looking relieved. 'Ihad no idea you possessed the key to it! How quiet you have kept it!And now I will surprise you by telling you that I have found out myselfthe way to open that cupboard, so am quite independent of any writteninstructions!'
Agatha certainly was surprised, and though thankful when Clare relatedher experience to her, did not feel more at ease.
'I have been careless of my charge,' she said. 'What will Mr. Alickthink of me? And it is alarming to think that some one has gotpossession of the secret. They may have opened the cupboard already,for all I know, or may be going to do it this very night. I wonder ifour maids are to be trusted! Perhaps Jane has been tampering with mycase.'
'I am sure she wouldn't. You don't walk in your sleep, do you?'
Agatha gave a little laugh.
'No, you know I do not. I remember looking at it only a week ago, andputting it carefully back again.'
'Was any one in the room when you did it?'
'No--at least Jane came in, I remember, for she startled me, but shewould never know what it was.'
There was silence; then Agatha said more slowly, 'It does look rathersuspicious, now I have remembered about Jane, because she has been suchfriends lately with Major Lester's valet. You know she always walkshome from church with him. Elfie was laughing about it, and saying shehad soon picked up a follower.'
'I don't see the connection between those two threads,' said Clare,'unless you think Major Lester is a thief himself!'
'I don't know what I think,' said Agatha hopelessly, sitting down on achair, and looking the picture of woe; 'I only know I have lost what Ipromised to keep safely, and I know that Major Lester's great desirehas been to get at that cupboard. We won't say anything about it tothe maids, Clare, but I will write a little note to Mr. Alick, askinghim to come and see me the first thing to-morrow morning. I will tellhim exactly what has happened, and then with your help he can open thecupboard, and we shall no longer have the responsibility of it.'
With this wise decision Agatha brightened up, and Clare, who lovednothing better than a mystery, grew quite animated in discussing thematter, and offering her advice. Elfie was taken into counsel, and thethree resolved to say nothing till they laid the facts before AlickLeste
r.
One of the maids was despatched with a note to the Hall, and Agathareceived a polite reply from the young man, saying that he hoped tocall on her about eleven o'clock the next morning.
But Agatha could get no sleep that night; she was anxious and ill atease, and after tossing about in bed, long after the rest of thehousehold were deep in sleep, she rose to pace her room, as shesometimes did when wakeful.
Her lips were moving in prayer, and she was endeavouring, as was hercustom, to commit her trouble to One above, when she was distinctlyconscious of stealthy footsteps treading the gravel path below herwindow. It was a bright moonlight night, and she had no light burning.For one moment she hesitated; then quietly she walked to the window,which was partly open, and cautiously moving the blind looked out.
The shadow of a man turning the corner of the house towards the studywindow met her gaze, and Agatha realized that the time had come forimmediate action. She was naturally a brave woman; yet for an instant,when she remembered they were but a houseful of women, her couragefaltered. Only for an instant. Her motto, 'Trust in the Lord,'flashed like a light across her path, and throwing on her dressinggown, she left her room with quiet, steady steps. She roused Clare,who slept in the next room, and who, full of nerves and fancies as shewas, delighted in any nocturnal adventure.
'We really ought to have revolvers,' she said, as she rapidly preparedto follow Agatha downstairs. 'What have you got in your hand? Apoker?'
'Don't make a noise; I think we shall frighten any one away withoutrousing the whole house.'
Clare valiantly seized both poker and tongs in her room, and creptdownstairs. Agatha led the way, a candle in hand. They reached thestudy, and Agatha threw open the door. To her horror the French windowwas wide open, and a man was on his knees by the cupboard, a lantern onthe ground. He started to his feet; then, bewildered and utterlyunprepared for their sudden intrusion, dashed out on the verandah anddisappeared, but not before both Agatha and Clare had plainlyrecognised him. He was Major Lester's valet!
AND SAW A MAN ON HIS KNEES BY THE CUPBOARD]
Agatha hastily closed the window and shutters, then looked at Clare,who was now white and trembling.
'This looks bad, Clare,' she said gravely. 'This window and shuttersmust have been purposely left unfastened. He could never haveunfastened them from outside.'
But now the danger was over Clare's courage had vanished. She graspedhold of Agatha's arm.
'Come upstairs, quick! He may come back and murder us! I won't staydownstairs another minute.'
'There is nothing to fear now. He has gone. I don't think he woulddare face us after being recognised. Wait a minute. Look! He hasleft an envelope lying by his lantern, and I believe--yes, it is mine.And in Mr. Lester's handwriting. Jane must be at the bottom of this!'
'Come upstairs. I won't stay down here a minute longer!'
And Clare fled trembling to her room. Agatha did not go up till shehad made sure the windows and shutters were securely fastened, and hadalso been the round of the house. Then she went to Clare, who was insuch a panic of fright that she persuaded her to come and share herbed; and after she had grown calmer and finally dropped asleep, Agathalay quiet and sleepless, revolving the events of the night, and prayingfor wisdom in dealing with the suspected Jane.
The next morning, immediately after breakfast, she called her into herroom, and the very sight of her white trembling face proved her guilt.By dint of cross questioning, and much entreaty, Agatha was at lastpossessed of all information.
Watson, Major Lester's valet, was a devoted admirer of Jane. Togetherthey often talked over their respective master and mistress, and Watsonhad told her of Major Lester's unsatisfactory interview with Agatha.
'It's some family papers that is locked up in that there cupboard he iswild to get at, and he says he has a right to 'em; and so he has, forhe told a gentleman who was visitin' him that they would do him amischief if they got into wrong hands. And it seems that Mr. Tom toldMiss Dane all about 'em, and gave her the secret of opening thatcupboard.'
From this statement Watson went on to work upon Jane's love ofdiscovering a mystery and her insatiable curiosity; and at last led herto thoroughly search Agatha's room for any papers bearing on thesubject. Quite by accident she came upon the secret drawer in thedressing-case. The fastening had become insecure, and, trembling ather audacity, Jane carried the packet to her lover, begging him toreturn it to her when he had possessed himself of its secret. The nextmove was to get her to leave the study windows unfastened, and hereJane's fortitude gave way.
'I know it was wicked, ma'am, but Watson, he told me it couldn't do youa injury; he wasn't a housebreaker, he wouldn't lay his finger on anyproperty of yours! he only wanted to get his master what rightfullybelonged to him. Major Lester, he would handsomely reward him for it,and so I did as he told me, but I never slept a wink all last night,and when I heard you go downstairs, I could have screamed out "Murder!"I was that scared.'
Then Jane begged and prayed with heartfelt sobs for forgiveness, andAgatha, feeling a pity for her, told her she would not dismiss herwithout a character, as at first she had determined to do, but wouldlet her stay on for the month, at the end of which time she must go, asshe could never keep a maid who had proved so utterly untrustworthy.
Coming downstairs from this interview with a worn face and anxiousheart, Agatha was met by Elfie.
'Mr. Lester has come, Agatha. I met him in the garden, and he is inthe drawing-room waiting for you.'