by G. A. Henty
Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Thisfile was produced from images generously made availableby The Internet Archive)
DOROTHY'S DOUBLE
BY G. A. HENTY
AUTHOR OF 'RUJUB THE JUGGLER' 'IN THE DAYS OF THE MUTINY' 'THE CURSE OFCARNE'S HOLD' ETC.
IN THREE VOLUMES--VOL. I.
London CHATTO & WINDUS PICCADILLY 1894
PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE LONDON
DOROTHY'S DOUBLE
PROLOGUE
A dark night on the banks of the Thames; the south-west wind, heavilycharged with sleet, was blowing strongly, causing little waves to lapagainst the side of a punt moored by the bank. Its head-rope was tiedround a weeping willow which had shed most of its leaves, and whosependent boughs swayed and waved in the gusts, sending at times a showerof heavy drops upon a man leaning against its trunk. Beyond stretched abroad lawn with clumps of shrubs, and behind loomed the shadow of amansion, but so faintly that it might have passed unnoticed in thedarkness had it not been for some lights in the upper windows.
At times the man changed his position, muttering impatiently as thewater made its way down between his collar and neck and soaked throughhis clothes to the shoulders.
'I must have been waiting an hour!' he exclaimed at last. 'If shedoesn't come soon I shall begin to think that something has preventedher getting out. It will be no joke to have to come again to-morrownight if it keeps on like this. It has been raining for the last threedays without a stop, and looks as if it would keep on as much longer.'
A few minutes later he started as he made out a figure in the darkness.It approached him, and stopped ten yards away.
'Are you there?' a female voice asked.
'Of course I am,' he replied, 'and a nice place it is to be waiting infor over an hour on such a night as this. Have you got it?'
'Yes.'
'That is all right. Well, chuck your bonnet down there, three or fourfeet from the edge of the water.'
'And my cloak? I have brought that and a shawl, as you told me.'
'No; give it to me. Now get into the boat, and we will shove off.'
As soon as the woman had seated herself in the punt the man unfastenedthe head-rope and stepped in; then, taking a long pole in his hand, helet the boat drift down with the strong stream, keeping close to thebank. Where the lawn ended there was a clump of bushes overhanging thewater. He caught hold of these, broke off two branches that dipped intothe stream, then, hauling the punt a little farther in, he took thecloak the woman had handed to him and hitched it fast round a stump thatprojected an inch or two above the swollen stream.
'That will do the trick,' he said. 'They will find it there when theriver falls.' Then he poled the boat out and let her drift again. 'Youhave brought another bonnet, I see, Polly.'
'You don't suppose I was going to be such a fool as to leave myselfbareheaded on such a night as this,' she said sullenly.
'Well, there is no occasion to be bad-tempered; it has been a deal worsefor me than it has for you, waiting an hour and a half there, besidesbeing a good half-hour poling this tub up against the stream. I supposeit went off all right?'
'Yes, there was no difficulty about it. I kicked up a row and pretendedto be drunk. Not too bad, or they would have turned me straight out ofthe house, but I was told I was to go the first thing in the morning.The rest was easy enough. I had only to slip down, get it, and be off,but I had to wait some time at the door. I opened it about an inch ortwo, and had to stand there listening until I was sure they were bothasleep. I am sorry I ever did it. I had half a mind to chuck it up threeor four times, but----'
'But you thought better of it, Polly. Well, you were perfectly right;fifty pounds down and a pound a week regular, that ain't so bad youknow, especially as you were out of a place, and had no character toshow.'
'But mind,' she said threateningly, 'no harm is to come to it. I don'tknow what your game is, but you promised me that, and if you break yourword I will peach, as true as my name is Polly Green. I don't care whatthey do to me, but I will split on you and tell the whole business.'
'Don't you alarm yourself about nothing,' he said, good-temperedly. 'Iknow what my game is, and that is enough for you. Why, if I wanted toget rid of it and you too I have only to drive my heel through the sideof this rotten old craft. I could swim to shore easily enough, but whenthey got the drags out to-morrow they would bring something up in them.Here is the end of the island.'
A few pushes with the pole, and the punt glided in among several othercraft lying at the strand opposite Isleworth Church. The man helped thewoman with her burden ashore, and knotted the head-rope to that of theboat next to it.
'That is how it was tied when I borrowed it,' he said; 'her owner willnever dream that she has been out to-night.'
'What next?' the woman asked.
'We have got to walk to Brentford. I have got a light trap waiting forme there. It is a little crib I use sometimes, and they gave me the keyof the stable-door, so I can get the horse out and put him in the trapmyself. I said I was starting early in the morning, and they won't knowwhether it is at two or five that I go out. I brought down a couple ofrugs, so you will be able to keep pretty dry, and I have got adriving-coat for myself. We shall be down at Greenwich at that littlecrib you have taken by six o'clock. You have got the key, I suppose?'
'Yes. The fire is laid, and we can have a cup of tea before you driveback. Then I shall turn in for a good long sleep.'
An hour later they were driving rapidly towards London.