CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
Jenny had not been seated alone many minutes after the carriage haddriven off, dwelling excitedly upon her visitor's words respectingKate's disappearance, when the front door was opened softly, and therewas a tap on the panel of the room where she sat.
"Who's there? Come in."
"Only me," said a familiar voice, and, hunting whip in hand, ClaudWilton stood smiling in the doorway.
"You!" cried Jenny, with flaming cheeks. "How dare you come here?"
"Because I wanted to see you," he said. "Just met the mater, and shetold me how bad you'd been, and that you talked about dying. I say, youknow, none of that nonsense."
"What is that to you, sir, if I did?"
"Oh, lots," he said, twirling the lash of his whip as he stood lookingat her. "If you were to pop off I should go and hang myself in thestable."
"Go away from here directly. How dare you come?" cried Jenny,indignantly.
"Because I love you. You made me, and you can't deny that."
"Oh!" ejaculated the girl, as her cheeks flamed more hotly.
"I can't help it now. I've been ever so miserable ever since I knew youwere so bad; and when the old girl said what she did it regularly turnedme over, and I was obliged to come. I say, I do love you, you know."
"It is not love," she cried hotly; "it is an insult. Go away. Mybrother will be here directly."
"I don't care for your brother," said the young man, sulkily. "I'm asgood as he is. I wanted to see how bad you were."
"Well, you've seen. I've been nearly dead with fever and pain, and itwas all through you that night."
"Yes, it was all through me, dear."
"Silence, sir; how dare you!"
"Because I love you, and 'pon my soul, I'd have been ten times as badsooner than you should."
"It is all false--a pack of cruel, wicked lies."
"No, it ain't. I know I've told lots of lies to girls, but then theywere only fools, and I've been a regular beast, Jenny, but I'm going tobe all square now; am, 'pon my word. I didn't use to know what a realgirl was in those days, but I've woke up now, and I'd do anything toplease you. There, I feel sometimes as if I wish I were your dog."
"Pah! Go and find your rich cousin, and tell her that."
"--My rich cousin," he cried, hotly. "She's gone, and jolly go withher. I know I made up to her--the guv'nor wanted me to, for the sake ofher tin--but I'm sick of the whole business, and I wouldn't marry her ifshe'd got a hundred and fifty millions instead of a hundred and fiftythousand."
"And do you think I'm so weak and silly as to believe all this?" shecried.
"I d'know," he said, quietly. "I think you will. Clever girl like youcan tell when a fellow's speaking the truth."
"Go away at once, before my brother comes."
"Shan't I wouldn't go now for a hundred brothers."
"Oh," panted Jenny. "Can't you see that you will get me in freshtrouble with him, and make me more miserable still?"
"I don't want to," he said, softly, "and I'd go directly if I thought itwould do that, but I wouldn't go because of being afraid. I say, ain'tyou precious hard on a fellow? I know I've been a brute, but I thinkI've got some good stuff in me, and if I could make you care for me Ishouldn't turn out a bad fellow."
"I will not listen to you. Go away."
"I say, you know," he continued, as he stood still in the doorway, "whywon't you listen to me and be soft and nice, same as you were at first?"
"Silence, sir; don't talk about it. It was all a mistake."
"No, it wasn't. You began to fish for me, and you caught me. I've gotthe hook in me tight, and I couldn't get away if I tried. I say, Jenny,please listen to me. I am in earnest, and I'll try so hard to be allthat is square and right. 'Pon my soul I will."
"Where is your cousin?"
"I don't know--and don't want to," he added.
"Yes you do, you took her away."
"Well, it's no use to swear to a thing with a girl; if you won't believeme when I say I don't know, you won't believe me with an oath. What doI want with her? She hated me, and I hated her. There is only one nicegirl in the world, and that's you."
"Pah!" cried Jenny, who was more flushed than ever. "Look at me."
"Well, I am looking at you," he said, smiling, "and it does a fellowgood."
"Can't you see that I've grown thin, and yellow, and ugly?"
"No; and I'll punch any fellow's head who says you are."
"Don't you know that I injured my ankle, and that I'm going to walk withcrutches?"
"Eh?" he cried, starting. "I say, it ain't so bad as that, is it?"
"Yes; I can't put my foot to the ground."
"Phew!" he whistled, with a look of pity and dismay in his countenance;"poor little foot."
"I tell you I shall be a miserable cripple, I'm sure; but I'm goingaway, and you'll never see me again."
"Oh, won't I?" he said, smiling. "You just go away, and I'll follow youlike a shadow. You won't get away from me."
"But don't I tell you I shall be a miserable cripple?"
"Well," he said, thoughtfully; "it is a bad job, and perhaps it'll getbetter. If it don't I can carry you anywhere; I'm as strong as a horse.Look here, it's no use to deny it, you made me love you, and you musthave me now--I mean some day."
"Never!" cried Jenny, fiercely.
"Ah, that's a long time to wait; but I'll wait. Look here, little one,"he cried, passionate in his earnestness now, "I love you, and I'm sorryfor all that's gone by; but I'm getting squarer every day."
"But I tell you it is impossible. I'm going away; it was all a mistake.I can't listen to you, and I tell you once more I'm going to be amiserable, peevish cripple all my life."
"No, you're not," said the lad, drawing himself up and tightening hislips. "You're not going to be miserable, because I'd make you happy;and I like a girl to be sharp with a fellow like you can; it does onegood. And as to being a cripple, why, Jenny, my dear, I love you sothat I'd marry you to-morrow, if you had no legs at all."
Jenny looked at him in horror, as he still stood framed in the doorway;but averted her eyes, turning them to the window, as she found howeagerly he was watching her, while her heart began to beat rapidly, asshe felt now fully how dangerous a game was that upon which she had solightly entered. Rough as his manner was, she could not help feelingthat it was genuine in its respect for her, though all the same she feltalarmed; but directly after, the dread passed away in a feeling ofrelief, and a look of malicious glee made her eyes flash, as she saw herbrother coming along the road.
But the flash died out, and in repentance for her wish that Pierce mightpounce suddenly upon the intruder, she said, quickly:
"Mr Wilton, don't stop here; go--go, please, directly. Here's mybrother coming."
She blushed, and felt annoyed directly after, angry with herself andangry at her lame words, the more so upon Claud bursting out laughing.
"Not he," cried the lad. "You said that to frighten me."
"No, indeed; pray go. He will be so angry," she cried.
"I don't care, so long as you are not."
"But I am," she cried, "horribly angry."
"You don't look it. I never saw you seem so pretty before."
"But he is close here, and--and, and I am so ill--it will make me worse.Pray, pray, go."
"I say, do you mean that?" he said, eagerly. "If I thought you reallydid, I'd--"
"You insolent dog! How dare you?" roared Pierce, catching him by thecollar and forcing him into the room. "You dare to come here and insultmy sister like this!"
"Who has insulted her?" cried Claud, hotly.
"You, sir. It is insufferable. How dare you come here?"
"Gently, doctor," said Claud, coolly; "mind what you are saying."
"Why are you here, sir?"
"Come to see how your sister was."
"What is it to you, puppy? Leave the house," cried, Pierce, snatchingthe
hunting whip from the young man's hand, "or I'll flog you as youdeserve."
"No, you won't," said Claud, looking him full in the eyes, with his lipstightening together. "You can't be such a coward before her, and upsether more. Ask her if I've insulted her."
"No, no, indeed, Pierce; Mr Wilton has been most kind and gentlemanly--more so than I could have expected," stammered Jenny, in fear.
"Gentlemanly," cried Pierce scornfully. "Then it is by your invitationhe is here. Oh, shame upon you."
"No, it isn't," cried Claud stoutly. "She didn't know I was coming, andwhen I did come she ordered me off--so now then."
"Then leave this house."
"No, I won't, till I've said what I've got to say; so put down that whipbefore you hurt somebody, more, perhaps, than you will me. You're nother father."
"I stand in the place of her father, sir, and I order you to go."
"Look here, Doctor, don't forget that you are a gentleman, please, andthat I'm one, too."
"A gentleman!" cried Pierce angrily, "and dare to come here in myabsence and insult my sister!"
"It isn't insulting her to come and tell her how sorry I am she has beenill."
"A paltry lie and subterfuge!" cried Pierce.
"No, it isn't either of them, but the truth, and I don't care whetheryou're at home, Doctor, or whether you're out I came here to tell heroutright, like a man, that I love her; and I don't care what you say ordo, I shall go on loving her, in spite of you or a dozen brothers.--Nowgive me my whip."
His brave outspoken way took Pierce completely aback, and the whip wassnatched from his hand, Claud standing quietly swishing it round andround till he held the point in his fingers, looking hard at Jenny thewhile.
"There," he said, "I don't mean to quarrel; I'm going now. Good-bye,Jenny; I mean it all, every word, and I hope you'll soon be better.There," he said, facing round to Leigh. "I shan't offer to shake hands,because I know that you won't but when you like I will. You hate menow, like some of your own poisons, because you think I'm after CousinKate, but you needn't. There, you needn't flinch; I'm not blind. Ismelt that rat precious soon. She never cared for me, and I never caredfor her, and you may marry her and have her fortune if you can find her,for anything I'll ever do to stop it--so there."
He nodded sharply, stuck his hat defiantly on his head, and marched out,leaving Pierce Leigh half stunned by his words; and the next minute theyheard him striding down the road, leaving brother and sister gazing ateach other with flashing eyes.
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