Sharing Her Crime: A Novel

by May Agnes Fleming

  CHAPTER IX.

  A STORM AT MOUNT SUNSET HALL.

  "At this Sir Knight grew high in wrath, And lifting hands and eyes up both, Three times he smote his stomach stout, From whence, at length, fierce words broke out." HUDIBRAS.

  "Totty! Totty! I say, Totty, where are you? I declare to screech, Inever saw such a provoking darkey in my life. Nobody never can find herwhen she's wanted! Totty! Totty! hallo, Totty! I want you dreadfully,it's a matter of life and death! If that girl doesn't pay more attentionto me, I'll--I'll discharge her; _I will_, so help me Jimmy Johnston!Totty! Totty-y-y!" So called and shouted Gipsy, as she flew in and out,and up and down stairs, banging doors after her with a noise that madethe old house ring, and scolding at the top of her voice all the time.

  "Laws! Miss Roarer, here I is," said Totty, hurrying as fast as possibleinto the presence of the little virago, to get rid of the noise.

  "Oh, it's a wonder you came! I s'pose you'd rather be lounging down inthe kitchen than 'tending to your mistress. How dare you go away, whenyou don't know what minute I may want you? Hey?"

  "Good Lor! Miss Roarer, I only went down to de kitchen to get mybreakfas' 'long o' the res'. How you 'spec I's gwine to live 'thouteatin'? You allers _does_ call jes' the contrariest time, allers----"

  "Hold your tongue!" exclaimed her imperious little mistress; "don'tgive me any of your _imperunce_! There, curl my hair, and put on mypretty purple riding-habit, and make me just as pretty as ever you can.Hurry up!"

  "Make you pretty, indeed!" muttered the indignant Totty; "'deed, when deLord couldn't do it, 'taint very likely I can. Come 'long and keepstill, two or free minutes, if you can. I never knew such a res'lesslittle critter in all my life."

  While Gipsy was standing as quietly as her fidgety nature would allow,to have her hair curled, Mrs. Gower entered.

  "Well, 'Rora, my dear, where are you going this morning, that you aredressing in your best?" said Mrs. Gower, glancing at the gay purpleriding-habit--for dress was a thing Gipsy seldom troubled herself about.

  "Why, aunty, where _would_ I be going; over to Spider's, of course."

  "Oh, Gipsy, my dear, pray don't think of such a thing!" exclaimed thegood woman, in a tone of alarm. "Your guardian will be dreadfullyangry."

  "Lor! aunty, I know that; there wouldn't be any fun in it if he wasn't,"replied the elf.

  "Oh, Aurora, child! you don't know what you're doing. Consider all hehas done for you, and how ungrateful it is of you to disobey him in thismanner. Now, he has set his heart on keeping you from Deep Dale (youknow he never liked the doctor nor his family), and he will be terribly,frightfully angry if he finds you have disobeyed him. Ride over thehills, go out sailing or shooting, but do not go there."

  Gipsy, who had been yawning fearfully during this address, now jerkedherself away from Totty, and replied, impatiently:

  "Well, _let_ him get frightfully angry; I'll get 'frightfully angry'too, and so there will be a pair of us. Do you s'pose I'd miss seeingthat dear, sweet, little girl again, just because Guardy will stamp, andfume, and roar, and scare all mankind into fits? Not I, indeed. Let himcome on, who's afraid," and Gipsy threw herself into a stage attitude,and shouted the words in a voice that was quite imposing, coming as itdid from so small a body.

  "Oh, Gipsy, child! consider," again began Mrs. Gower.

  "Oh, aunty, dear! I won't consider, never did; don't agree with myconstitution, no how you can fix it. Archie told me one day when I wasdoing something he considered a crazy trick, to 'consider.' Well, forhis sake, I tried to, and before ten minutes, aunty, I felt symptoms offalling into a decline. There now!"

  "Oh, my dear! my dear! you are incorrigible," sighed Mrs. Gower; "butwhat would you do if your guardian some day turned you out of doors? Youhave no claim on him, and he _might_ do it, you know, in a fit ofanger."

  "If he did"--exclaimed Gipsy, springing up with flashing eyes.

  "Well, and if he did, what would you do?"

  "Why, I'd defy him to his face, and then I'd run off, and go to sea, andmake my fortune, and come back, and marry you--no, I couldn't do that,but I'd marry Archie. Lor! I'd get along splendidly."

  "Oh, Gipsy! Gipsy! rightly named Gipsy! how little you know what it isto be friendless in the world, you poor little fairy you! Now, child, bequiet, and talk sensibly to me for a few minutes."

  "Oh, bother, aunty! I can't be quiet; and as to talking sensibly, why Irather think I am doing that just now. There, now--now do, please,bottle up that lecture you've got for me, and it'll keep, for I'm off!"And darting past them, she ran down stairs, through the long hall, andwas flying toward the stables in a twinkling.

  On her way she met our old friend, Jupiter.

  "Hallo, Jupe! Oh, there you are! Go and saddle Mignonne _'mediately_. Iwant him; quick, now!"

  "Why, Miss Roarer, honey, I'se sorry for ter diserblige yer, chile, butole mas'r he tole me not to let yer get Minnin to-day," said Jupiter,looking rather uneasily at the dark, wild, little face, and large,lustrous eyes, in which a storm was fast brewing.

  "Do you mean to say he told you not to let me have my pony?" she said,or rather hissed, through her tightly-clenched teeth.

  "Jes' so, Miss Roarer; he tell me so not ten minutes ago."

  "Now, Jupiter, look here; you go right off and saddle Mignonne, or it'llbe the worse for you. D'ye hear?"

  "Miss Roarer, I 'clare for't I dassent. Mas'r'll half kill me."

  "And I'll _whole_ kill you if you don't," said Gipsy, with a wild flashof her black eyes, as she sprang lightly on a high stone bench, andraised her riding-whip over the head of the trembling darkey; "go, sir;go right off and do as I tell you!"

  "Laws! I can't--'deed chile! I can't----"

  Whack! whack! whack! with no gentle hand went the whip across hisshoulders, interrupting his apology.

  "There, you black rascal! will you dare to disobey your mistress again!"Whack! whack! whack!" If you don't bring Mignonne out this minute, I'llshoot you dead as a mackerel! There; does that argument overcome yourscruples?" whack! whack! _whack!_

  With something between a yell and a howl, poor Jupiter sprung back, andcommenced rubbing his afflicted back.

  "Will you go?" demanded Gipsy, raising her whip once more.

  "Yes! yes! Who ever did see such a 'bolical little limb as dat ar. Olemas'r'll kill me, I knows he will," whimpered poor Jupiter as he slunkaway to the stables, closely followed by his vixenish little mistress,still poising the dangerous whip.

  Mignonne, a small, black, fleet-footed, spirited Arabian, was led forth,pawing the ground and tossing his head, as impatient to be off, even, ashis young mistress.

  "That's right, Jupe," said Gipsy, as she sprang into the saddle andgathered up the reins; "but mind, for the future, never dare to disobey_me_, no matter what anybody says. Mind, if you do, look out for apistol-ball, some night, through your head."

  Jupiter, who had not the slightest doubt but what the mad-headed littlewitch would do it as soon as not, began whimpering like a whippedschoolboy. Between the Scylla of his master's wrath, and the Charybdisof his willful little mistress, poor Jupiter knew not which way tosteer.

  "Don't cry, Jupe--there's a good fellow," said Gipsy, touched by hisdistress. "Keep out of your master's sight till I come back, and I'lltake all the blame upon myself. There, now--off we go, Mignonne!"

  And waving her plumed hat above her head, with a shout of triumphantdefiance as she passed the house, Gipsy went galloping down the roadlike a flash.

  The sky, which all the morning had looked threatening, was rapidlygrowing darker and darker. About half an hour after the departure ofGipsy, the storm burst upon them in full fury. The wind howled fiercelythrough the forest, the rain fell in torrents, the lightning flashed inone continued sheet of blue electric flame, the thunder crashed pealupon peal, until heaven and earth seemed rending asunder.

  The frightened inmates of Sunset Hall were huddled together, shiveringwith fe
ar. The doors and windows were closed fast, and the servants,gray with terror, were cowering in alarm down in the kitchen.

  "Lor' have massy 'pon us! who ever seed sich lightnin'? 'Pears as thoughall de worl' was 'luminated, and de las' day come!" said Jupiter, histeeth chattering with terror.

  "An' Miss Roarer, she's out in all de storm, an' ole mas'r don't knowit," said Totty. "She _would_ go, spite of all Missus Scour said. I'clare to man, that dat ar rampin', tarryfyin' little limb's 'nuff todrive one clar 'stracted. I ain't no peace night nor day 'long o' hercapers. Dar!"

  "Won't we cotch it when mas'r finds out she's gone," said acunning-looking, curly-headed little darkey, whom Gipsy had nicknamedBob-o-link, with something like a chuckle; "good Lor! jes' see ole mas'ra swearin' an' tearin' round', an' kickin' de dogs an' niggers, an'smashin' de res' ob de furnitur'. Oh, Lor!" And evidently overcome bythe ludicrous scene which fancy had conjured up, Bob-o-link threwhimself back, and went off into a perfect convulsion of laughter, to thehorror of the rest.

  While this discussion was going on below stairs, a far different scenewas enacting above.

  At the first burst of the storm, Lizzie and Mrs. Gower hastened inaffright to the parlor, where the squire was peacefully snoring in hisarm-chair, and Louis was still finishing his sketch.

  The noise and bustle of their entrance aroused the squire from hisslumbers, and after sundry short snorts he woke up, and seeing thestate of affairs, his first inquiry was for Gipsy.

  "Where's that little abomination, now?" he abruptly demanded, in a tonethat denoted his temper was not improved by the sudden breaking up ofhis nap.

  All were silent. Mrs. Gower through fear, and the others throughignorance.

  "Where is she? where is she, I say?" thundered the squire. "Doesn'tsomebody know?"

  "Most likely up stairs somewhere," said Louis. "Shall I go and see?"

  "No, you sha'n't 'go and see.' It's the duty of the women there to lookafter her, but they don't do it. She might be lost, or murdered, orkilled, fifty times a day, for all they care. 'Who trusteth in theungodly shall be deceived,' as Solomon says. Ring that bell."

  Louis obeyed; and in a few minutes Totty, quaking with terror, made herappearance.

  "Where's your young mistress? Where's Miss Gipsy, eh?" demanded thesquire, in an awful voice.

  "Deed, mas'r, she's rode off. I couldn't stop her nohow, 'deed----"

  "Rode off!" shouted the squire, as, forgetful of his gouty leg, hesprang to his feet; "rode off in this storm? Villains! wretches! demons!I'll murder every one of you! Out in this storm! Good Lord! Clear out,every living soul of you, and if one of you return without her,I'll--I'll blow his brains out!" roared the old man, purple with rage.

  "Why, grandfather," said Louis, while the rest cowered with fear, "it isnot likely Gipsy is out exposed to the storm. There are many places ofshelter well-known to her among the hills, and there she will stay untilthis hurricane is over. It would be impossible for any one to find hernow, even though they could ride through this storm."

  "Silence!" thundered the squire; "they must find her! Here, Jupe, Jake,Bob, and the rest of you, mount, and off in search of Miss Aurora overthe hills, and at the peril of your life, return without her. Be off!go! vanish! and mind ye, be sure to bring her home."

  "Law! mas'r, Miss Roarer ain't over de hills. She's gone over to DeepDale," said Totty.

  "WHAT!" exclaimed the squire, pausing in his rage, aghast, thunderstruckat the news.

  "'Deed, Lord knows, mas'r, I couldn't stop her."

  "You--you--you--diabolical imp you!" roared the old man, seizing hiscrutch, and hurling it at her head, as Totty, in mortal alarm, dodgedand fled from the room. "Oh, the little demon! the little wretch! won'tI pay her for this, when I get hold of her! the--the disobedient,ungrateful, undutiful hussy! I'll cane her within an inch of her life!I'll lock her up on bread and water! I'll keep her in the house day andnight! I'll--oh, Lord, my leg," he exclaimed, with a groan, as he fellback, powerless, between rage and despair, in his seat.

  Mrs. Gower and Lizzie, still quaking with terror, drew farther into thecorner to escape his notice, while Louis bent still lower over hisdrawing to hide a smile that was breaking over his face.

  At this moment a fresh burst of rain and wind shook the doors andwindows of the old house, and with it the squire's rage broke outafresh.

  "Call Jupe! Be off, Louis, and tell him to ride over to Deep Dale thisinstant, and bring that little fiend home! And tell him if he doesn'treturn with her in less than half an hour, I'll break every bone in hisbody! Go!"

  Louis accordingly repaired to the kitchen and delivered the order topoor Jupiter--who, bemoaning his hard fate in being obliged to serve sowhimsical a master, was forced to set out in the storm in search of thecapricious Gipsy.

  Half an hour, three-quarters passed, and then Jupiter, soaking withrain, and reeking with sweat, came galloping back; but like youngLochinvar, immortalized in the song:

  "He rode unattended and rode all alone,"

  and gray, and shaking, and trembling with fear and expectation of the"wrath which was to come," he presented himself before his master.

  "Well, sir, where's Miss Gipsy?" shouted the old man, as he entered.

  "Mas'r, I couldn't bring her, to save my precious life; she wouldn'tcome, nohow. I tell her you wanted her in a desprit hurry; and she said,s'posin' you waited till your hurry was over. I said you tole me not tocome home 'thout her; and she said, very well, I might stay all night,if I liked, 'cause she warn't comin' home till to-morrer. I tole her youwas t'arin' mad; and she said, you'd better have patience, and smokeyour pipe. I couldn't do nothin' 'tall with her, so I left, an' comeback, an' dat's all." And without waiting for the burst of wrath whichhe saw coming, Jupiter beat a precipitate retreat to the lower regions.

  You should have seen the wrath of Squire Erliston then. How he stamped,and raged, and swore, and threatened, until he nearly frightened Lizzieinto hysterics, used as she was to his fits of passion. And then, atlast, when utterly exhausted, he ordered the servants to go and preparea large, empty room, which had long been unused, as a prison for Gipsy,upon her return. Everything was taken out of it, and here the squirevowed she should remain until she had learned to obey him for thefuture. Then, relapsing into sulky silence, he sat down, "nursing hiswrath to keep it warm," until the return of the little delinquent.