Greatheart

by Ethel M. Dell

  CHAPTER XI

  THE NET

  When Dinah met her lover in the morning she found him in a surprisinglyindulgent mood. The day was showery, and he announced his intention ofaccompanying them in the car up to town.

  "An excellent opportunity for selecting the wedding-ring," he told herlightly. "You will like that better than a picnic."

  And Dinah in her relief admitted that this was the case.

  Up to the last moment she hoped that Scott would accompany them also, butwhen she came down dressed for the expedition she found that he had goneto the library to write letters. She pursued him thither, but he wouldnot be persuaded to leave his work.

  "Besides, I should only be in the way," he said. And when she vehementlynegatived this, he smiled and fell back upon the plea that he was busy.

  Just at the last she tried to murmur a word of thanks to him forintervening on her behalf to induce Eustace to abandon the picnic, but hegently checked her.

  "Oh, please don't thank me!" he said. "I am not a very good meddler, Iassure you. I hope you are going to have a good day. Take care ofIsabel!"

  Dinah would have lingered to tell him of the night's happening, but SirEustace called her and with a smile of farewell she hastened away.

  She enjoyed that day with a zest that banished all misgivings. SirEustace insisted upon the purchase of the ring at the outset, and thenshe and Isabel went their way alone, and shopped in a fashion that raisedDinah's spirits to giddy heights. She had never seen or imagined suchexquisite things as Isabel ordered on her behalf. The hours slipped awayin one long dream of delight. Sir Eustace had desired them to join him atluncheon, but Isabel had gravely refused. There would not be time, shesaid. They would meet for tea. And somewhat to Dinah's surprise he hadyielded the point.

  They met for tea in a Bond Street restaurant and here Sir Eustace tookaway his _fiancee's_ breath by presenting her with a pearl necklace towear at her wedding.

  She was almost too overwhelmed by the gift to thank him. "Oh, it's toogood--it's too good!" she said, awestruck by its splendour.

  "Nothing is too good for my wife," he said in his imperial fashion.

  Isabel smiled the smile that never reached her shadowed eyes. "A chain ofpearls to bind a bride!" she said.

  And the thought flashed upon Dinah that there was truth in her words.Whether with intention or not, by every gift he gave her he bound her themore closely to him. An odd little sensation of dismay accompanied it,but she put it resolutely from her. Bound or not, what did itmatter--since she had no desire to escape?

  She thanked him again very earnestly that night in the conservatory, andhe pressed her to him and kissed the neck on which his pearls rested withthe hot lips of a thirsty man. But he had himself under control, and whenshe sought to draw herself away he let her go. She wondered at hisforbearance and was mutely grateful for it.

  At Isabel's suggestion she went up to her room early. She was certainlyweary, but she was radiantly happy. It had been a wonderful day. Thebeauty of the pearls dazzled her. She kissed them ere she laid them outof sight. He was good to her. He was much too good.

  There came a knock at the door just as she was getting into bed, andBiddy came softly in, her brown face full of mystery and, Dinah saw at aglance, of anxiety also.

  She put up a warning finger as she advanced. "Whisht, Miss Dinah darlint!For the love of heaven, don't ye make a noise! I just came in to ask ye aquestion, for it's worried to death I am."

  "Why what's the matter, Biddy?" Dinah questioned in surprise.

  "And ye may well ask, Miss Dinah dear!" Tragedy made itself heard inBiddy's rejoinder. "Sure it's them letters of Miss Isabel's that'sdisappeared entirely, and left no trace. And what'll I do at all when shecomes to ask for them? It's not meself that'll dare to tell her asthey've gone, and she setting such store by them. She'll go clean out ofher mind, Miss Dinah, for sure, they've been her only comfort, poor lamb,these seven years."

  "But, Biddy!" Impulsively Dinah broke in upon her, her eyes round withsurprise and consternation. "They can't be--gone! They must be somewhere!Have you hunted for them? She left them on the window-sill, didn't she?They must have got put away."

  "That they have not!" declared Biddy solemnly. "It's my belief that theold gentleman himself must have spirited them away. The window was leftopen, ye know, Miss Dinah, and it was a dark night."

  "Oh, Biddy, nonsense, nonsense! One of the servants must have moved themwhen she was doing the room. Have you asked everyone?"

  "That couldn't have happened, Miss Dinah dear." Unshakable conviction wasin Biddy's voice. "I got up late, and I had to get Miss Isabel up in ahurry to go off in the motor. But I missed the letters directly after shewas gone, and I hadn't left the room--except to call her. No one had beenin--not unless they slipped in in those few minutes while me back wasturned. And for what should anyone take such a thing as them letters,Miss Dinah? There are no thieves in the house. And them love-letters wereworth nothing to nobody saving to Miss Isabel, and they were the verybreath of life to her when the black mood was on her. Whatever she'llsay--whatever she'll do--I don't dare to think."

  Poor Biddy flourished her apron as though she would throw it over herhead. Her parchment face was working painfully.

  Dinah sat on the edge of her bed and watched her, not knowing what tosay.

  "Where is Miss Isabel?" she asked at last.

  "She's still downstairs with Master Scott, and I'm expecting her up everyminute. It's herself that ought to be in bed by now, for she's tired outafter her long day; but he'll be bringing her up directly and then she'llask for her love-letters. There's never a night goes by but what shekisses them before she lies down. When ye were ill, Miss Dinah dear,she'd forget sometimes, but ever since she's been alone again she's nevermissed, not once."

  "Have you told Master Scott?" asked Dinah.

  Biddy shook her head. "Would I add to his burdens, poor young gentleman?He'll know soon enough."

  "And are you sure you've looked everywhere--everywhere?" insisted Dinah."If no one has taken them--"

  "Miss Dinah, I've turned the whole room upside down and shaken it,"declared Biddy. "I'll take my dying oath that them letters have gone."

  "Could they--could they possibly have fallen out of the window?" hazardedDinah.

  "Miss Dinah dear, no!" A hint of impatience born of her distress wasperceptible in the old woman's tone; she turned to the door. "Well, well,it's no good talking. Don't ye fret yourself! What must be, will be."

  "But I think Scott ought to know," said Dinah.

  "No, no, Miss Dinah! We'll not tell him before we need. He's got his owntroubles. But I wonder--I wonder--" Biddy paused with the door-handle inher bony old fingers--"how would it be now," she said slowly, "if ye wasto get Miss Isabel to sleep with ye again? She forgot last night. It'slikely she may forget again--unless he calls her."

  "Biddy!" exclaimed Dinah, startled.

  Biddy's beady eyes gleamed mysteriously. "Arrah, but it's the truth I'mtelling ye, Miss Dinah. He does call her. I've known him call her whenshe's been lying in a deep sleep, and she'll rise up with her armsstretched out and that look in her eyes!" Biddy's face crumpledmomentarily, but was swiftly straightened again. "Will ye do it then,Miss Dinah? Ye needn't be afraid. I'll be within call. But when she's gotyou, she don't seem to be craving for anyone else. What was it she calledye only last night? Her good angel! And so ye be, me jewel; so ye be!"

  Dinah stood debating the matter. Biddy's expedient was of too temporaryan order to recommend itself to her. She wondered why Scott should not beconsulted, and it was with some vague intention of laying the matterbefore him if an opportunity should occur that she finally gave hersomewhat hesitating consent.

  "I will do it of course, Biddy. I love her to sleep with me. But, youknow, it is bound to come out some time, unless you manage to find theletters again. They must be somewhere."

  Biddy shook her head. "We must just leave that to the Almighty, MissDinah dear," she said pio
usly. "There's nothing else we can do at all.I'll get back to her room now, and when she comes up, I'll tell her ye'refeeling lonely, and will she please to sleep with ye again. She won'tthink of anything else then ye may be sure. Why, she worships the veryground under your feet, mavourneen, like--like someone else I know."

  She was gone with the words, leaving upon Dinah a dim impression that herlast words were intended to convey something which she would havetranslated into simpler language had she been at liberty to do so.

  She did not pay much attention to them. She was too troubled over herformer revelation to think seriously of anything else. Into her mind,all unbidden, had flashed a sudden memory, and it held her like anightmare-vision. She saw Sir Eustace with that imperious frown on hisface holding out Isabel's treasure with a curt, "Take this thing away!"She saw herself leap up and seize it from his intolerant grasp. She sawIsabel's outstretched, pleading hands, and the piteous hunger in hereyes....

  When Isabel came to her that night, her face was all softened withmother-love. She drew Dinah to her breast, kissing her very tenderly.

  "Did you want me to come and take care of you, my darling?"

  Dinah's heart smote her for the deception, but she answered bravelyenough, "Oh, Isabel, yes, yes! You are so good to me, I want you always."

  "Dear heart!" Isabel said, with a sigh, and folded her closer as thoughshe would guard her against all the world.

  She was the first to fall asleep notwithstanding, while Dinah laymotionless and troubled far into the night. She wished that Biddy wouldgive her permission to tell Scott, for without that permission such astep seemed like a betrayal of confidence. But for some reason Biddyevidently thought that Scott had enough on his shoulders just then. Andso it seemed, she could only wait--only wait.

  She did not want to burden Scott unduly either, and there was somethingabout him just now, something of a repressing nature, that held her backfrom confiding in him too freely. He seemed to have raised a barrierbetween them since their return to England which no intimacy ever quitesucceeded in scaling. Full of brotherly kindness though he was, the oldfrank fellowship was gone. It was as though he had realized herdependence upon him, and were trying with the utmost gentleness to makeher stand alone.

  Dinah slept at last from sheer weariness, and forgot her troubles. Shemust not tell Scott, she could not tell Eustace, and so there was noother course but silence. But the anxiety of it weighed upon her eventhrough her slumber. Life was far more interesting than of yore. Butnever, never before had it been so full of doubts and fears. Thecomplexity of it all was like an endless net, enmeshing her howeverwarily she stepped.

  And always, and always, at the back of her mind there lurked the dreadconviction that one day the net would be drawn close, and she would findherself a helpless prisoner in the grip of a giant.