CHAPTER XLIII.
THE BAIT ON THE HOOK.
The grey winter evening was beginning to steal in before the details hadall been arranged by the conspirators. It had grown so chill that Katehad abandoned her attempt at gardening, and had gone back to her room.Ezra left his father and Burt by the fire and came out to the openhall-door. The grim old trees looked gaunt and eerie as they wavedtheir naked arms about in the cutting wind. A slight fog had come upfrom the sea and lay in light wreaths over the upper branches, like athin veil of gauze. Ezra was shivering as he surveyed the dreary scene,when he felt a hand on his arm, and looking round saw that the maidRebecca was standing beside him.
"Haven't you got one word for me?" she said sadly, looking up into hisface. "It's but once a week, and then never a word of greeting."
"I didn't see you, my lass," Ezra answered. "How does the Priory suityou?"
"One place is the same as another to me," she said drearily. "You askedme to come here, and I have come. You said once that you would let meknow how I could serve you down here. When am I to know?"
"Why, there's no secret about that. You do serve me when you look aftermy father as you have done these weeks back. That old woman isn't fitto manage the whole place by herself."
"That wasn't what you meant, though," said the girl, looking at him withquestioning eyes. "I remember your face now as you spoke the words.You have something on your mind, and have now, only you keep it toyourself. Why won't you trust me with it?"
"Don't be a fool!" answered Ezra curtly. "I have a great deal to worryme in business matters. Much good it would do telling you about them!"
"It's more than that," said Rebecca doggedly. "Who is that man who hascome down?"
"A business man from London. He has come to consult my father aboutmoney matters. Any more questions you would like to ask?"
"I should like to know how long we are to be kept down here, and whatthe meaning of it all may be."
"We are going back before the end of the winter, and the meaning of itis that Miss Harston was not well and needed a change of air. Now areyou satisfied?" He was determined to allay as far as possible anysuspicions that the girl might have previously formed.
"And what brings _you_ down here?" she asked, with the same searchinglook. "You don't come down into this hole without some good reason.I did think at first that you might come down in order to see me, butyou soon showed me that it wasn't that. There was a time when you wasfond of me."
"So I am now, lass."
"Ay, very fond! Not a word nor a look from you last time you came.You must have some reason, though, that brings you here."
"There's nothing wonderful in a man coming to see his own father,"
"Much you cared for him in London," she cried, with a shrill laugh."If he was under the sod you would not be the sadder. It's my belief asyou come down after that doll-faced missy upstairs."
"Dry up, now!" said Ezra roughly. "I've had enough of your confoundednonsense."
"You don't talk in that style to her," she said excitedly. "You scornme, but I know this, that if I can't have your love no one else shall.I've got a dash of the gipsy in me, as you know. Rather than that girlshould have you, I would knife her and you, too!" She shook herclenched right hand as she spoke, and her face was so full of vindictivepassion that Ezra was astonished.
"I always knew that you were a spitfire," he said, "but you never cameit quite so strong as this before."
The reaction had already come upon her, however, and tears were runningdown her cheeks. "You'll never leave me entirely?" she cried, claspinghis arm. "I could bear to share your love with another, but I wouldn'thave you turn altogether against me."
"You'll have my father out presently with your damned noise!" said Ezra."Get away, and wash your face."
His word was law to her, and she turned away, still weeping bitterly.In her poor, dim, eventless life the sole bright spot had been theattention which the young merchant had occasionally shown her. To herdistorted fancy he was a man among men, a hero, all that was admirableand magnificent. What was there which she would not do for him?She had the faithfulness of a dog, but like a dog she would snarlfiercely at any one who came between her master's affection and herself.Deep down in her heart rankled the one suspicion which no assurancescould remove, that an understanding existed between the man she lovedand the woman she hated. As she withdrew to her room she determinedthat during this visit of Ezra's she would manage in such a way that nocommunication could pass between them without her knowledge. She knewthat it was a dangerous thing to play the spy upon the young man, for hehad shown her before now that her sex was no precaution against hisbrutality. Nevertheless, she set herself to do it, with all the cunningand perseverance of a jealous woman.
As the light faded and the greys of evening deepened into darkness, Katesat patiently in her bare little room. A coal fire sputtered andsparkled in the rusty grate, and there was a tin bucket full of coalsbeside the fender from which to replenish it. She was very cold, so shedrew her single chair up to the blaze and held her hands over it.It was a lonesome and melancholy vigil, while the wind whistled throughthe branches of the trees and moaned drearily in the cracks and cranniesof the old house. When were her friends coming? Perhaps something hadoccurred to detain them to-day. This morning such a thing would haveappeared to her to be an impossibility, but now that the time had comewhen she had expected them, it appeared probable enough that somethingmight have delayed them. To-morrow at latest they could not fail tocome. She wondered what they would do if they did arrive. Would theycome boldly up the avenue and claim her from the Girdlestones, or wouldthey endeavour to communicate with her first? Whatever they decidedupon would be sure to be for the best.
She went to the window once and looked out. It promised to be a wildnight. Far away in the south-west lay a great cumulus of rugged cloudsfrom which dark streamers radiated over the sky, like the advance guardof an army. Here and there a pale star twinkled dimly out through therifts, but the greater part of the heavens was black and threatening.It was so dark that she could no longer see the sea, but the crashing,booming sound of the great waves filled the air and the salt spray camedriving in through the open window. She shut it and resumed her seat bythe fire, shivering partly from cold and partly from some vaguepresentiment of evil.
An hour or more had passed when she heard a step upon the stairs and aknock came to her door. It was Rebecca, with a cup of tea upon a trayand some bread-and-butter. Kate was grateful at this attention, for itsaved her from having to go down to the dining-room and face Ezra andhis unpleasant-looking companion. Rebecca laid down the tray, andthen, to her mistress's surprise, turned back and shut the door.The girl's face was very pale, and her manner was wild and excited.
"Here's a note for you," she said. "It was given Mrs. Jorrocks to giveyou, but I am better at climbing stairs than she is, so I brought itup." She handed Kate a little slip of paper as she spoke.
A note for her! Could it be that her friends had arrived and hadmanaged to send a message to her? It must be so. She took it from themaid. As she did so she noticed that the other's hands were shaking asthough she had the ague. "You are not well, Rebecca," said Kate kindly."Oh yes, I am. You read your note and don't mind me," the girlanswered, in her usual surly fashion. Instead of leaving the room, shewas bustling about the bed as though putting things in order.
Kate's impatience was too great to allow her to wait, so she untwistedthe paper, which had no seal or fastening. She had hoped in her heartto see the name of her lover at the end of it. Instead of that, her eyefell upon the signature of Ezra Girdlestone. What could he have to sayto her? She moved the solitary candle on to the mantelpiece, and readthe following note, roughly scribbled upon a coarse piece of paper:--
"MY DEAR MISS HARSTON."
"I am afraid your confinement here has been very irksome to you. I have repeatedly requested my father to allev
iate or modify it, but he has invariably refused. As he still persists in his refusal, I wish to offer you my aid, and, to show you that I am your sincere friend in spite of all that has passed, it you could slip out to-night at nine o'clock and meet me by the withered oak at the head of the avenue, I shall see you safe to Bedsworth, and you can, if you wish, go on to Portsmouth by the next train. I shall manage so that you may find the door open by that time. I shall not, of course, go to Portsmouth with you, but shall return here after dropping you at the station. I do this small thing to show you that, hopeless as it may be, the affection which I bear you is still as deep as ever."
"Yours,"
"E. GIRDLESTONE."
Our heroine was so surprised at this epistle that she sat for some timedangling the slip of paper between her fingers and lost in thought.When she glanced round, Rebecca had left the room. She rolled the paperup and threw it into the fire. Ezra, then, was not so hard-hearted asshe had thought him. He had used his influence to soften his father.Should she accept this chance of escape, or should she wait some wordfrom her friends? Perhaps they were already in Bedsworth, but did notknow how to communicate with her. If so, this offer of Ezra's was justwhat was needed. In any case, she could go on to Portsmouth andtelegraph from there to the Dimsdales. It was too good an offer to berefused. She made up her mind that she would accept it. It was pasteight now, and nine was the hour. She stood up with the intention ofputting on her cloak and her bonnet.