said the caller, quietly entering. "You need notsay I'm here. I shall go up soon, and you have got to go on to my housefor another basket like this, only bigger."
She patted the one she carried--one which she had crammed with suchthings as she thought would be useful at such a time.
Isaac gave way, allowed Mrs Barclay to go up to the drawing-room, anddirectly after called Eliza into his pantry to tell her that his mindwas made up, and that they must go at once.
Mrs Barclay did not hesitate for a moment, but went softly up to thebedroom, tapped gently, and turned the handle to enter on tip-toe.
"I've only come to help, my dear," she said softly, as she claspedClaire in her arms. "We weren't quick enough, my dear," she whispered,"or we might have saved all this."
There was no reply, and after a time, in respect to Claire's wishes,Mrs Barclay went downstairs.
"I shall be there if you want me, my dear. Don't you go and think thatyou are left alone."
Mrs Barclay had hardly seated herself in the dining-room, and takensome rather grubby work from her pocket, when she heard a peculiarnoise, and the bump of something being placed heavily upon the floor.
She listened, and heard some one ascend the stairs again, and there wasa whispering, which ceased as the whisperers ascended, and then therewas silence, and Mrs Barclay took a stitch, and thought and wonderedwhether Cora Dean would come, or whether the Denvilles would be cut byeveryone now.
Then she took another stitch, and nibbed her nose, which itched.
"Poor little soul!" she said to herself, "it's come home to her at last.I never thought any good of her, but I'm not one to go on punishingthose who've done wrong."
Mrs Barclay took another stitch and began to think again.
"Jo-si-ah says if they catch the little Italian fellow, he'll betransported for life, and if poor little Mrs Burnett dies, they'll hanghim. Well, I don't hold with hanging people, so I hope she won't die."
She took another stitch and drew the thread through very slowly.
"Jo-si-ah says Sir Harry isn't very bad, and the constable and amagistrate have been to see him, but he says he knows nothing hardlyabout it. Poor Claire! What a house this is! What trouble!"
She took another stitch.
"I wonder whether Richard Linnell will come. I shall begin to hate himif he doesn't stand by the poor girl in her distress. He's a poorshilly-shally sort of a fellow, or he'd believe in her as I do."
There was quite a vicious stitch here.
"Perhaps, it isn't his fault. She kept him at a distance terribly, andno wonder with the troubles she's had; but of course he can't understandall that, being impetuous, like my Jo-si-ah was, and I dessay it willall come right at last. Now, what are they lumping down the stairs,making a noise, and that poor child so ill?"
She threw her work on the table, got up softly, and, just as there was afresh bump and a whispering, she opened the door to find Isaac and Elizastanding over a box which they had just set down in the passage besideanother, while Isaac in plain clothes and Eliza with her bonnet in herhand started at seeing the visitor.
"Why, highty-tighty, who's going away?" cried Mrs Barclay wonderingly.
Eliza glanced at Isaac, who cleared his throat.
"The fact is, ma'am, this young person and I have come to the conclusionthat seeing how we suffered from arrears, and what goings on there arehere, Mr Denville's isn't the service in which we care to stop anylonger."
"Oh," said Mrs Barclay; "and have you told Mr Denville you are going?"
"Well, ma'am; no, ma'am. We have thought it is not necessary under thecircumstances, and--"
"Nor yet, Miss Claire?"
"No, ma'am; she is too busy."
"Then just you take those boxes up again, young man, and take off thatfinery, and put on your livery," said Mrs Barclay in a low angry voice."Now, no words. You do as I say--there take those boxes up."
The tone of voice, manner, and a hint about the wages had their effect.Isaac and Eliza glanced at each other, and took the boxes away without aword, Isaac coming back in livery a quarter of an hour later to tellMrs Barclay that "that soldier" was at the back door.
Mrs Barclay started and followed Isaac, to stare in wonder at the finesoldierly young fellow, who eagerly asked her a score of questions aboutClaire and May, and, declining to be questioned in turn, hurried awaywith troubled mien.
Volume Three, Chapter IX.
MAY BEGINS TO SEE.
"Claire."
It was the faintest whisper of a call, but she to whom it was addressedheard it, and leaned over the bed to lay a cool hand upon the littlewistful face looking up from the pillow.
"How long have I been lying here, Claire?"
"Hush, dear; don't talk," said Claire tenderly, "you are still so weak."
"Yes, but I must know. If you do not answer my questions, I shall fretand die sooner than I should do if you told me."
"Six weeks, dear."
"Six weeks!" sighed May; "and it seems like a dream. Since I seemed towake up the day before yesterday, I have been thinking about it all, andI recollect everything now."
She spoke with perfect calmness, and as she went on, Claire's browwrinkled.
"Poor old dad! How fond he is of me, and how ready to forgive me," shewent on quietly. "Has Frank Burnett been?"
Claire shook her head.
"Not once?"
"No."
"Ah, well, I suppose he would not come. He felt that I was not hiswife, and he was glad to cut himself clear from such an unhappy family.Has Sir Harry sent?"
"May! dear May!"
"I only wanted to know, Claire," said May quietly. "Don't be angry withme, dear. It's all over now. Is he better?"
"I believe so. He has gone away."
"Thank God!" said May fervently.
Claire turned upon her with wondering eyes.
"Yes," she said again. "Thank God! I should not have liked to see himagain, nor to know that he had been to ask for me. I am so weak,Claire. I always--I was so different to you."
Claire sighed, and bent down and kissed the white forehead, beneathwhich the large eyes look unnaturally bright.
"That's nice," said May, with a sigh of content. "I wish I had beenborn such a girl as you. Always so calm and grave. I was so different.I used to feel, and I am sure of it now, that I was like one of thepretty little boats out there at sea, with the great white sails, thatare blown over sometimes for want of ballast. I never had any ballast,Claire, and that made me giddy."
"Had you not better be silent now, May dear?" whispered Claire.
"No. Perhaps I may not be able to talk to you again, and I should liketo tell you everything that is in my mind."
"May, dear!" cried Claire, kissing her lovingly.
"You forgive me, then?" sighed May. "I'm glad of that, for I want adeal of forgiving--here--and there," she added, after a pause.
"Which may come the easier, dear, for a life spent in repenting what ispast."
"Yes; that would be easy, Claire, easy enough; but it is better as it iswith me. I should be so weak and foolish again if I got well.--Claire."
"Yes, dear."
"Has poor Louis been seen again?"
"No: not since that night."
May lay silent for a few minutes, and then said softly:
"It seems very cruel of him to strike me like that, but he had been trueto me, Claire, and I was so weak I couldn't be true to him, and he isnot like us; he is foreign, and loves and hates so passionately. Itmade him angry and mad against me. As soon as I saw him in the street,after I had written to ask Sir Harry to take me away, I knew there wasdanger, and I tried so hard to escape. I felt obliged then. Sir Harryhad often before begged me to go, but I never would."
"Hush! May, I beg of you."
"No: I must talk," said May. "I will speak softly so that it shall nothurt me much; but I want to be made happy by telling you everything andgetting you to freely forgive me."
; "I do--I do freely forgive you, everything, May, dear sister," whisperedClaire, "and you must get well quickly, so that we may go far away fromhere, and begin life afresh."
"Yes," said May, with a peculiar smile, "far away, and begin lifeafresh."
Claire saw her peculiar look, and held her tightly to her breast.
"Yes," said May softly, "it means that, dear. I've always been like aspoiled child. Poor papa has made me his idol, and I've been so weakand foolish. I can see it all now, since I have been ill. Claire, Ihope they will not take poor Louis
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