The Hundredth Chance

by Ethel M. Dell

  CHAPTER XIX

  THE DAY AFTER

  When Maud slept that night, it was the deep, deep sleep of exhaustion.All the pressing cares of the past few months, all the strenuousefforts, the unremitting anxieties, had culminated in one vast burdenwhich had at last overweighted her strength. Against her will theburden had been lifted from her, but now that it was gone she slept andslept. No dreams pierced that intense repose. She lay withoutstirring, as though the ancient spell had been renewed and laid uponher.

  The room in which she lay overlooked the whole stone-paved length of thestable-yard, but no voice or stamping of hoofs awaked her. The cheerysounds of the coming day did not even vaguely penetrate her rest. Bodyand soul were wrapped in complete oblivion while hour after hour wentby.

  There had been snow in the night, and the sun arose upon a world ofdazzling whiteness. The toy fir-trees were mantled in it. Thestable-roofs gleamed in a thousand sparkles.

  She had pulled up the blind before lying down, and the reflection lit upthe room with an ever-growing brightness. She opened her eyes at lastquite suddenly and stared at the oak-beamed ceiling.

  The next instant she turned sharply on her side, aware of a furtivemovement in the room. Someone--a man--was on his knees before thegrate, stealthily coaxing the fire to burn. She had a glimpse of brownleggings and a rough tweed suit. There were spurs on his heels thatshone like silver. His red-brown head was on a level with the bars atwhich he was softly blowing.

  As she moved a flame shot up in response to his efforts and he turned,still kneeling, and looked at her.

  "Say, you've had a real good night for once," he said in a voice of softapproval. "How do you feel yourself this morning?"

  Maud, crimson-faced, searched for words and found none. It was one ofthe most difficult moments she had ever had to endure.

  Jake glanced at the fire, pushed the poker into it, and got to his feet.He came to her side.

  "Don't be mad with me!" he pleaded humbly. "Someone had to light thefire, and old Lovelace is busy."

  He smiled as he said it, and when Jake smiled he was hard to resist.Maud suddenly found the difficulties of the situation swept away. WithJake in a docile mood she found it comparatively easy to deal.

  "Thank you," she said after a moment, and with slight hesitationextended a hand to him. "It was kind of you to light the fire though Icould have done very well without it."

  He took the hand very respectfully. She even had a faint suspicion thathe also was secretly embarrassed. "The room faces due north," he said."It had to be done, though I hoped you wouldn't wake."

  "Thank you," she said again, and withdrew her hand from his steady,all-enveloping grasp. "How--how is Bunny?"

  He smiled again with more assurance. His strong white teeth were verygood to see. "He had a splendid night. I've got him up and dressed. Heis downstairs, waiting for you to take him out."

  This piece of diplomacy obviously came to Jake as an inspiration. Hissmile broadened at the brightening of her face.

  Maud raised herself on her elbow and pushed the thick hair back from herforehead. "You are very good," she said gratefully. "Please, will yougo now, and let me get up?"

  He turned at once to the door, but paused as he reached it. "Say,Maud," he said tentatively; "there's a breakfast-tray waiting for you.May I bring it up?"

  "Oh, please don't!" she said hurriedly. "I never breakfast in bed.Besides----"

  "I'll put it outside the door then," said Jake, and was gone.

  She heard him clatter down the uncarpeted stairs, whistling as ifwell-pleased with himself, and as she reviewed his unceremoniousbehaviour she decided to treat it with the simplicity with which heevidently regarded it himself. There was that advantage in the situationat least. His character and his conduct were wholly withoutsubtleties--or so she imagined. When he dumped down the breakfast-trayin the passage a little later she called her thanks to him through theclosed door as though he had been an old and intimate friend. Perhapsafter all she had been over-fanciful the night before!

  She ate her breakfast with a growing sense of reassurance, dressed, andwent downstairs.

  Something of an ordeal here awaited her in the form of an encounter withMrs. Lovelace, who greeted her deferentially but with a reticence thatcertainly did not veil any good-will. She presented her with thehousehold keys with the stiff remark that Mr. Bolton had desired her todo so.

  Maud received them with an odd dismay. Somehow she had not visualizedherself as the mistress of the establishment.

  "Mr. Bolton also wished me to take your orders for dinner, ma'am," saidMrs. Lovelace, with stiff dignity. "He is accustomed to dine in themiddle of the day, but I was to tell you that if you preferred a latedinner it was all one to him."

  The slight emphasis on the last word did not escape Maud, and she saw atonce that Mrs. Lovelace could not be considered equally indifferent onthe subject.

  "But of course we will dine in the middle of the day," she said at once,and was rewarded by a faint flicker of amiability on the old woman'ssevere countenance.

  "That is as you please, ma'am," she said, with less formality, and Maudfelt that she had scored a point.

  She escaped from the interview at length with a sensation of relief, andhastened to Bunny whom she found awaiting her with some impatience.

  The boy was in excellent spirits. He had enjoyed having Jake inattendance, and unhesitatingly he let her know it.

  "Why, there's no trouble at all in being lifted by him," he said. "And,by the way, he says you're not to lift me any more. It's too much foryou. I'm ready to go out now, but he will put me in the chair. He saidyou were to call him. He's somewhere in the stables."

  Bunny's fashion of expressing himself was not a diplomatic one. Mauddid not argue the matter, but as she went in search of Jake a deepresentment kindled and burned within her. So this was to be the firstconsequence of her rash step--the gradual removal of Bunny from hercare! Bunny--her Bunny--for whose dear sake she had made the sacrifice!

  Out in the stable-yard she came upon Sam Vickers sucking a straw thewhile he cleaned a saddle. He greeted her with a smile, and informedher that the boss was in one of the loose boxes round the corner.

  Maud followed his directions, passing down a narrow passage betweenstalls to an open stone-paved space beyond that was surrounded by looseboxes. Here she paused, catching the sound of voices, and uncertainwhence they proceeded. A bony red setter came up to her and poked afriendly nose into her hand.

  She bent to fondle him, and as she did so she heard Jake speaking in abuilding close to her. She turned towards the voice with the intentionof joining him; but, so turning, she heard the words he uttered andstood petrified. For Jake, albeit with the utmost calmness anddeliberation, was speaking a language that made her blood run cold. Hiswords came with a fluency and distinctness that made them all the moreterrible. If he had been stuttering with rage, she felt it would havehorrified her less. She stood rooted to the spot, white-faced andpowerless, while the kindly setter fawned about her knees.

  She thought the soft voice would never stop. Someone had done wrong andwas being cursed for it with appalling thoroughness. Such oaths as Jakeuttered she had never before heard or dreamed of, and the scathingcruelty of his speech was like a stinging lash.

  No remonstrance or protest of any sort was offered in return; but afterwhat seemed to her an intolerable length of time there came the sound ofheavy, shuffling feet, and a small sandy-haired stable-lad of aboutseventeen came blundering out into the yard. His face was crimson andscrewed up like the face of a crying baby. He sniffed emotionally as hewent past her.

  Maud remained where she was. She was sick with disgust. Her wholebeing physical and mental was in revolt. She wanted to turn and go, butsomething kept her there. She stood like an outraged princess, clothedin a dignity that was wholly unconscious, while Despair, grim,relentless, forced a w
ay to her quivering heart. This--this was herhusband! This coarse-mouthed brute--this monster of evil eloquence!This was the man to whom she had fled for protection, to whosechivalrous instincts she had entrusted herself! Oh, what had she done?

  And then suddenly he came out upon her, striding forth, his riding-whipclenched in his hand, his brows drawn in a ruddy, threatening line.

  He saw her and in a moment, magically, his face changed. The cruel,lynx-like vindictiveness went out of it. He came to her smiling.

  "Hullo, Maud!" he said.

  And Maud shrank, shrank visibly, so that he could not fail to see; thendrew herself together, instinctively summoning her pride.

  "I came to look for you," she told him, with icy aloofness. "Bunny iswaiting to be moved."

  "Right O!" said Jake.

  He moved towards the passage by which she had entered the yard, and shewalked beside him, very pale, very erect, yet tingling with a disgustthat almost amounted to loathing.

  They went a few yards in silence, then silence became a burden. Shespoke.

  "It is really quite unnecessary to trouble you. I am fully capable ofmoving him myself."

  He turned his head towards her. "Say, Princess, what's wrong?" he said.

  She quivered afresh at his tone; it had the possessive quality that sheso dreaded--was beginning to abhor.

  She did not answer, and he passed on with scarcely a pause. "I know youcan lift the boy; but it's very bad for you, and not over good for him.Where's the point of it anyway when you've got me at hand to do it foryou?"

  "It is quite unnecessary to trouble you," she said again, "unnecessaryand absurd."

  "All right, my girl," he said unexpectedly. "Call it just one of mywhims and--humour it!"

  She felt herself flush. His tone--though perfectly good-tempered--hadbeen almost one of command. As they emerged from the stone passage intothe outer yard she gave abrupt rein to her indignation.

  "I really cannot submit to any interference in my care of Bunny. I toldyou so last night, and I meant it. He has always been my especialcharge, and I cannot give him up."

  Jake's eyes were upon her, vigilant, intent, dominant. He spoke in adrawl that sounded to her slightly derisive. "Say, now, what will you doif Bunny is cured?"

  She turned her face sharply from him. What would she do indeed? Butthe thing was an impossibility. She put the thought away from her.

  "I am not discussing that," she said, speaking with a grim effort atcalmness that cost her all her strength. "It is the present with which Iam dealing now. I believe you mean to be kind, but----"

  "You don't say!" interjected Jake softly.

  "But," she said again, with emphasis, "it is a mistaken kindness. I amvery grateful to you for your help, but really you must let me do myshare."

  An involuntary note of wistfulness in the last words softened the lookin Jake's eyes. He even smiled a little as he said: "Bunny being theonly person in the world for whom you entertain the smallest spark ofaffection?"

  She looked at him quickly. "He is all that I have," she said, in a lowtone of protest.

  "That so?" said Jake deliberately. "Well,--I'm sorry."

  She felt the flush deepen to crimson in her face, and she quickened hersteps as they neared the house, longing to put an end to an encounterthat had brought her nothing but discomfiture.

  Jake lengthened his stride. He looked no longer at her, but straightahead with the eyes of a man who reads the future. Evidently theprospect was a pleasing one, for the faint smile still lingered abouthis lips. She was thankful that he had not observed that painful blushof hers.

  At the door of his house he paused and stood back for her to precedehim; and so standing, suddenly and softly he gave utterance to thethought in his mind.

  "Say, Maud," he said into her ear, "some day--when the boy is well andoff your hands--I'd just enjoy to see you with a child of your own inyour arms."

  She started away from the whispered words, started and quivered like awild thing trapped. For a single instant her eyes met his in open,passionate revolt; then swiftly she passed him by.

  Jake followed with his lips pursed to a whistle, and a certain hardglitter replacing the dream in his eyes.