Greatheart

by Ethel M. Dell

  CHAPTER XIV

  THE WRATH OF THE GODS

  The paroxysm did not last long, and in that fact most poignantly didDinah realize the waning strength.

  Dumbly she stood and watched Biddy lay the inanimate figure back upon thepillows. Isabel had sunk into a state of exhaustion that was almosttorpor.

  "She'll sleep now, dear lamb," said Biddy, and tenderly covered her overas though she had been a child.

  She turned round to Dinah, looking at her with shrewd darting eyes. "Ye'dbetter be getting along to your lover, Miss Dinah," she said. "He'll bewanting ye to dance with him."

  But Dinah stood her ground with a little shiver. The bare thought ofdancing at that moment made her feel physically sick. "Biddy! Biddy!" shewhispered, "what has happened to make her--like this?"

  "And ye may well ask!" said Biddy darkly. "But it's not for me to tellye. Ye'd best run along, Miss Dinah dear, and be happy while ye can."

  "But I'm not happy!" broke from Dinah. "How can I be? Biddy, what hashappened? You must tell me if you can. She wasn't like this a fortnightago. She has never been--quite like this--before."

  Biddy pursed her lips. "Sure, we none of us travel the same road twice,Miss Dinah," she said.

  But Dinah would not be satisfied with so vague an axiom.

  "Something has happened," she said. "Come into the next room and tell meall about it! Please, Biddy!"

  Biddy glanced at the bed. "She'll not hear ye in here, Miss Dinah," shesaid. "And what for should I be telling ye at all? Ye'll be Sir Eustace'sbride in less than forty-eight hours from now, so it's maybe better yeshouldn't know."

  "I must know," Dinah said, and with the words a great wave of resolutionwent through her, uplifting her, inspiring her. "I've got to know," shesaid. "Whatever happens, I've got to know."

  Biddy left the bedside and came close to her. "If ye insist, MissDinah--" she said.

  "I do--I do insist." Never in her life before had Dinah spoken with suchauthority, but a force within was urging her--a force irresistible; shespoke as one compelled.

  Biddy came closer still. "Ye'll not tell Master Scott--nor any of 'em--ifI tell ye?" she whispered.

  "No, no; of course--no!" Dinah's voice came breathlessly; she had not thepower to draw back.

  "Ye promise, Miss Dinah?" Biddy could be insistent too; her eyes burnedlike live coals.

  "I promise, yes." Dinah held out an impulsive hand. "You can trust me,"she said.

  Biddy's fingers closed claw-like upon it. "Whist now, Miss Dinah!" shesaid. "If Sir Eustace was to hear me, sure, he'd wring the neck on melike as if I was an old fowl. But ye've asked me what's happened,mavourneen, and sure, I'll tell ye. For it's the pretty young lady thatye are and a cruel shame that ye should ever belong to the likes of him.It's his doing, Miss Dinah, every bit of it, and it's the truth I'mspeaking, as the Almighty Himself could tell ye if He'd a mind to. Thepoor lamb was fading away aisy like, but he came along and broke herheart. It was them letters, Miss Dinah. He took 'em. And he burned 'em,my dear, he burned 'em, and when ye were gone she missed 'em, and then hetold her what he'd done, told her brutal-like that it was time she'd donewith such litter. He said it was all damn' nonsense that she was wastingher life over 'em and over the dead. Oh, it was wicked, it was cruel. Andshe--poor innocent--she locked herself up when he'd gone and cried andcried and cried till the poor heart of her was broke entirely. She saidshe'd lost touch with her darling husband and he'd never come back to heragain."

  "Biddy!" Horror undisguised sounded in Dinah's low voice. "He never didsuch a thing as that!"

  "He did that!" A queer species of triumph was apparent in Biddy'srejoinder; malice twinkled for a second in her eyes. "I've told ye! I'vetold ye!" she said. And then, with sharp anxiety. "But ye'll not tellanyone as ye know, Miss Dinah. Ye promised, now didn't ye? Miss Isabelwouldn't that any should know--not even Master Scott. He was away when ithappened, dining down at the Vicarage he was. And Miss Isabel she says tome, 'For the life of ye, don't tell Master Scott! He'd be that angry,'she says, 'and Sir Eustace would murder him entirely if it came to aquarrel.' She was that insistent, Miss Dinah, and I knew there was truthin what she said. Master Scott has the heart of a lion. He never knew themeaning of fear from his babyhood. And Sir Eustace is a monster ofdestruction when once his blood's up. And he minds what Master Scott saysmore than anyone. So I promised, Miss Dinah dear, the same as you have.And so he doesn't know to this day. Sir Eustace, ye see, has been in atouchy mood all along, ever since ye left. Like gunpowder he's been, andMaster Scott has had a difficult enough time with him; and Miss Isabelhas kept it from him so that he thinks it was just your going again thatmade her fret so. There, now ye know all, Miss Dinah dear, and don't yefor the love of heaven tell a soul what I've told ye! Miss Isabel wouldnever forgive me if she came to know. Ah, the saints preserve us, what'sthat?"

  A brisk tap at the door had made her jump with violence. She went toparley with a guilty air.

  In a moment or two she shut the door and came back. "It's that flightyyoung French hussy, Miss Dinah; her they call Yvonne. She says SirEustace is waiting for ye downstairs."

  A great revulsion of feeling went through Dinah. It shook her like anoverwhelming tempest and passed, leaving her deadly cold. She turnedwhite to the lips.

  "I can't go to him, Biddy," she said. "I can't dance to-night. Yvonnemust tell him."

  Biddy gave her a searching look. "Ye won't let him find out, Miss Dinah?"she urged. "Won't he guess now if ye stay up here?"

  The earnest entreaty of the old bright eyes moved her. She turned to thedoor. "Oh, very well. I'll go myself and tell him."

  "Ye won't let him suspect, mavourneen--mavourneen?" pleaded Biddydesperately.

  "No, Biddy, no! Haven't I sworn it a dozen times already?" Dinah hadreached the door; she looked back for a moment and her look was steadfastnotwithstanding the deathly pallor of her face. Then she passed slowlyforth, and heard old Biddy softly turn the key behind her, makingassurance doubly sure.

  Slowly she moved along the passage. It was deserted, but the sound oflaughing voices and the tuning of violins floated up from below. Againthat feeling that was akin to physical sickness assailed Dinah. Downthere he was waiting for her, waiting to be intoxicated into headlong,devouring passion by her dancing. She seemed to feel his arms alreadyholding her, straining her to him, so that the warmth of him was as afiery atmosphere all about her, encompassing her, possessing her. Herwhole body burned at the thought, and then again was cold--cold as thoughshe had drunk a draught of poison. She stood still, feeling too sick togo on.

  And then, while she waited, she heard a step. Her heart seemed to springinto her throat, throbbing wildly like a caged bird seeking freedom. Shedrew back against the wall, trembling from head to foot.

  He came along the passage, magnificent, princely, confident, swinging hisshoulders with that semi-conscious swagger she knew so well. He spied herwhere she stood, and she heard his brief, half-mocking laugh as he strodeto her.

  "Ah, Daphne! Hiding as usual!" he said.

  He took her between his hands, and she felt the mastery of him in thatfree hold. She stood as a prisoner in his grasp. Her new-found resolutionwas gone at the first contact with that overwhelming personality of his.She hung her head in quivering distress.

  He bent down, bringing his face close to hers. He tried to look into theeyes that she kept downcast.

  And suddenly he spoke again, softly into her ear. "Why so shy, littlesweetheart? Are you getting frightened now the time is so near?"

  Her breathing quickened at his tone. Possessive though it was, it heldthat tender note that was harder to bear than all his fiercest passion.She could not speak in answer. No words would come.

  He put his arm around her and held her close. "But you mustn't be afraidof me," he said. "Don't you know I love you? Don't you know I am going tomake you the happiest little woman in the world?"

  Dinah choked down some scalding tears. She longed to escape from theholding o
f his arm, and yet her torn spirit felt the comfort of it. Shestood silent, shaken, unnerved, piteously conscious of her utterweakness--the weakness wrought by that iron discipline that had neversuffered her to have any will of her own.

  He put up a hand and pressed her drooping head against his shoulder."There's nothing very dreadful in being married, dear," he told her. "I'mnot such a devouring monster as I may seem. Why, I wouldn't hurt a hairof your head. They are all precious to me."

  She quivered at his use of the word that Biddy had employed with suchvenom only a few minutes before; but still she said nothing. What couldshe say? Against this new weapon of his she was more helpless than ever.She hid her face against him and strove for self-control.

  He kissed her temple and the clustering hair above it. "There now! Youare not going to be a silly little scared fawn any more. Come along anddance it off!"

  His arm encircled her shoulders; he began to lead her to the stairs.

  And Dinah went, slave-like in her submission, but hating herself the morefor every step she took.

  They went to the ballroom, and presently they danced. But the old subtlecharm was absent. Her feet moved to the rhythm of the music, her bodyswayed and pulsed to the behest of his; but her spirit stood apart,bruised and downcast and very much alone. Her gilded palace had fallenall about her in ruins. The deliverance to which she had looked forwardso eagerly was but another bondage that would prove more cruel and moreenslaving than the first. She longed with all her quivering heart to runaway and hide.

  He was very kind to her, more considerate than she had ever known him.Perhaps he missed the fairy abandonment which had so delighted him in herdancing of old; but he found no fault; and when the dance was over he didnot lead her away to some private corner as she had dreaded, but took herinstead to her father and stood with him for some time in talk.

  She saw Scott in the distance, but he did not approach her while Eustacewas with them, and when her _fiance_ turned away at length he haddisappeared.

  They were left comparatively alone, and Dinah slipped an urgent hand intoher father's. "I want to go home, Daddy. I'm so tired."

  He looked at her in surprise, but she managed to muster a smile in reply,and he was not observant enough to note the distress that lay behind it.

  "Had enough of it, eh?" he questioned. "Well, I think you're wise. You'llbe busy to-morrow. By all means, let's go!"

  It was not till the very last moment that she saw Scott again. He cameforward just as she was passing through the hall to the front door.

  He took the hand she held out to him, looking at her with those straight,steady eyes of his that there was no evading, but he made no comment ofany sort.

  "Mr. Grey is coming by a morning train to-morrow," he said. "May I bringhim to call upon you in the afternoon? I believe he wants to run throughthe wedding-service with you beforehand."

  He smiled as he said it, but Dinah could not smile in answer. There wassomething ominous to her in that last sentence, something that made herthink of the clanking of chains. She was relieved to hear her fatheranswer for her.

  "Come by all means! Nothing like a dress rehearsal to make things gosmoothly. I'll tell my wife to expect you."

  Scott's hand relinquished hers, and she felt suddenly cold. She murmureda barely audible "Good night!" and turned away.

  From the portico she glanced back and saw Sir Eustace leading Rose deVigne to the ballroom. The light shone full upon them. They made asplendid couple. And a sudden bizarre thought smote her. This was whatthe gods had willed. This had been the weaving of destiny; andshe--she--had dared to intervene, frustrating, tearing the gilded,smooth-wrought threads apart.

  Ah well! It was done now. It was too late to draw back. But the wrath ofthe gods remained to be faced. Already it was upon her, and there was noescape.

  As one who hears a voice speaking from a far distance, she heard herselftelling her father that all was well with her and she had spent anenjoyable evening.

  Then she lay back in the car with clenched hands, and listened tremblingto the thundering wheels of Destiny.