Miss Million's Maid: A Romance of Love and Fortune

by Berta Ruck

  CHAPTER XXIII

  I START ON THE QUEST

  AND now to set about sorting out some of these "clothes," after which myyoung mistress inquires so peremptorily! It won't take me long, thanksto the apple-pie order in which I keep them all. (So much easier to be"tidy" with new and gorgeous garments than it is with a chest of drawersfull of makeshifts!)

  I shall take her dressing-bag with the crystal-and-ivory fittings. Thatought to impress even the Fourcastles' menage, assuming that LordFourcastles has carried her off to his people's. I wonder whose dressingthings and whose dress Miss Million made use of to-day? For, seriously,of course, she can't have gone "prancing about" in "me ceriseevenin'-one." She must have worn borrowed plumes for the day--plumesprobably miles too long for the sturdy little barn-door chicken thatMillion is! I wonder, I wonder from whom those plumes were borrowed?Please Heaven I shall know by this time to-morrow night!...

  Here's her week-end case packed up. The choice of two costumes; the bluecloth and the tobacco-brown taffeta; blouses; a complete set ofluxurious undies. Even the slip petticoat was an "under-dress" accordingto the shops Miss Million patronised! Shoes; a hat; a motor-veil andwrap. Yes, that's all.

  That ought to do her--when we get the things to her!

  But now to bed and to sleep the sleep of exhaustion after quite the mostcrowded day of my whole life.

  To-morrow for Lewes--and more adventure!

  We were shadowed on our Lewes journey, though scarcely in the way that Ihad anticipated. However, to begin at the beginning.

  At nine o'clock this morning, in spite of all difficulties, I did findmyself free of the "Cecil" and away in a two-seater with my mistress'sluggage, sitting beside my mistress's cousin and whirling through thedull and domesticated streets of South London.

  It was a gorgeous June day, just the very day for a quick flight outinto the country. In spite of my anxiety about my mistress my spiritsrose and rose. I could have sung aloud for joy as we left grimy Londonbehind us and found ourselves whirling nearer the green heart of thecountry.

  "This is better than your first idea of the railroad trip, Miss Smith?"said the young American at my side.

  "Oh, far more enjoyable," I agreed so eagerly that he laughed.

  "There is another thing about that," he said. "I suppose you haven'tthought of what they would do if they saw you going off by trainanywhere?"

  "What?" I asked, looking up at him with startled eyes.

  "Why, they would wire to every station along the line to take noticewhere you got off before Lewes, and to follow up all your movements,you real, artful, detective-dodging little diamond thief you," declaredmy companion teasingly.

  And I saw him simply shaking with laughter over the steering-wheel as hewent on.

  "The brilliant idea of Rats, and the manager, that you and my littlecousin Nellie should have gotten hold of his old ruby!"

  "You knew at once," I said, "that we hadn't!"

  And he laughed easily and said: "It didn't take much guessing when hehad seen me and knew that Nellie Million was a relative of his and aniece of the old man's."

  "Jewel thieves, not much!" he said in his quick, reassuring accent.

  I said: "Well! I hope you put in a good word for us with that odiouslittle Jew man that lost the ruby."

  "Not on your life! I just love to watch somebody who thinks they are tooquick and clever to live go over-reaching themselves some," said theAmerican good-humouredly.

  How funny it felt to be sitting there beside him, while the hedgeswhirled past--I, who had never set eyes on the young man beforeyesterday, now joining him in this wild quest of a cousin whom he hadnever yet seen!

  "Oh, dear! I wonder if we shall find her!" I murmured.

  "Why, I am determined not to close an eye to-night until we do, MissSmith," said the missing heiress's cousin, gravely looking ahead at thesliding ribbon of white road. "It's a matter of some little importanceto me that we find her soon. It is also no less important what I thinkof her when we do meet!"

  I was a little surprised to hear him speak so impressively. Naturally,when one is going to meet a relative for the first time one wonders whatsort of a mutual impression will be made. But why had this young mansaid so seriously that this was "important"?

  He seemed to read my thoughts, for, as we cleared a village and came outinto a long stretch of wide and empty road, he turned to me and said:"You know, it is as a matter of business that I am coming to see thiscousin of mine and this mistress of yours. I have got to have a littleserious heart-to-heart talk with her on the subject of the old man'smoney."

  "Why?" I asked, startled. "Isn't it safe in that factory place where Mr.Chesterton said it had better be kept?"

  "Oh, it is safe enough there," he said. "The question is, is all thatmoney going to be allowed to remain in the hands of one littledark-haired girl without let or hindrance, as the lawyers say?"

  "Allowed?" I echoed. "But who is to disallow it?"

  There was a moment's silence.

  Then the young American said meditatively: "I might! That is, I mighthave a try. True, it mightn't come off. I don't say that it is bound tocome off. But, between you and me, the old gentleman was remarkablyqueer in his head when he made that second will, leaving the whole pileto his niece, Miss Nellie Million. The will he made a couple of yearsbefore, leaving everything to his nephew, Hiram P. Jessop, might beproved to be the valid one yet, if I liked to go setting things towork."

  At the sound of this a dark cloud seemed to blot out some of the Junesunshine that was steeping the white roads and the hawthorn hedges andthe emerald-green fields of corn "shot" with scarlet poppies.

  Poor little unsuspecting Million! Wherever she was, she had not an ideaof this--that the fortune which she had only just begun to enjoy mightbe yet snapped out of her hands, leaving no trace of it behind but thecostly new trousseau of clothes, a gorgeous array of trunks, and anunpaid hotel bill!

  How terrible! It would be worse than if she had never had any money atall! For it is odd how quickly we women acclimatise ourselves topersonal luxuries, even though we have not been brought up to them. Forinstance, already since I had had my own new things I felt that I couldnever bear to go back to lisle thread or cashmere stockings again. Onlysilk were possible for Miss Million's maid! Another awful thought.Supposing Miss Million ceased to be an heiress? She would then cease torequire the services of a lady's-maid. And then I should be indeed uponthe rocks!

  Again that weird young American seemed to read my thoughts. Dryly hesaid: "You see yourself out of a job already, Miss Smith?"

  "No, indeed, I don't," I said with spirit. "You have not got the moneyyet, my mistress is still in possession of it."

  "And possession is nine-tenths of the law, you mean," he took up; "stillI might choose to fight on the tenth point, mightn't I?"

  He put back his head and laughed.

  "Perhaps I shan't have to fight. This entirely depends upon how Nellieand I are going to fix it up when we do meet," he said cheerily.

  "We have got to find her first," I said, with a feeling of apprehensioncoming over me again. And this young American who may have control ofour future (mine and Miss Million's) said cheerfully: "We are going tofind her or know why, I guess. Don't you get worrying."

  Such an easy thing to say: "Don't worry"!

  As if I hadn't had enough to worry me already! Now this freshapprehension! I felt my face getting longer and longer and moredespondent inside the frame of the thin black motor-scarf with which Ihad wreathed my hat. The young American glanced at it and smiledencouragingly.

  "I guess you are starving with hunger," he said; "I'll wager you hadn'tthe horse sense to eat a decent breakfast before you started away fromthe 'Cess'? Tea and toast, what? I knew it. Now, see here, we are goingto climb right down and have a nice early lunch at the first hostelrythat we come to, with honeysuckle and English roses climbing over theporch."

  It was hardly
a mile further on that we came to a wayside inn such ashe had described. There it was, a white-washed, low-roofed house, withroses and creepers, with a little bit of green in front of it, and aswinging painted sign, and a pond not far off, with a big white duck anda procession of little yellow ducklings waddling towards it across theroad.

  It looked quite like a page out of a Caldecott picture-book. The onlytwentieth-century detail in it was the other two-seater car that wasdrawn up just in front of the porch. This was a car very much moregorgeous than the hireling in which we were setting forth on our quest.She--this other car--appeared to be glitteringly new. The hedge-sparrowblue enamel and the brass work were a dazzlement to the eyes in thebrilliant June sunshine. In front there was affixed the mascot, abeautiful copy of "The Winged Victory," modelled in silver.

  I wondered for a moment who the lucky owner of such a gem of cars mightbe.

  And then, even as I descended from the hireling, and entered the innerporch with my companion, I thought of the last time that I had heard asmall car mentioned.

  That was Lord Fourcastles's!

  The gnarled-looking old woman who kept this decorative-looking inn shookher head doubtfully over the idea of being able to let us have lunch asearly as all that.

  "Mid-day dinner," she informed us rather reproachfully, "was atmid-day!"

  However, if bread and cheese and cider would do us those we could have.She had taken a tray with those on already to the gentleman who haddriven up in a small car, if we wouldn't mind having it in the littlecoffee-room with him.

  Thankfully enough I preceded Mr. Jessop into the coffee-room. It waslong, and low-ceilinged, and dark from the screen of tangled ivy andhoneysuckle and jasmine that grew up about the low window. Inside was aframed picture of Queen Victoria as a blonde girl in a dressing-gownreceiving the news of her accession to the English throne. Anotherpicture showed her in Jubilee robes. There were also cases of stuffedbirds and squirrels, padded chairs with woollen antimacassars. At thefurther table there loomed against the light the broad back of a maneating bread and cheese and reading a newspaper. From the look of him,he was the owner of that sumptuous car.

  My American friend exclaimed in delight.

  "Well, now, if any one had told me there still existed anything so realold-fashioned and quaint right close up to the most sophisticated oldtown in Europe I would never have believed them!" he ejaculated. "Ittakes Old England to supply anything in the nature of a setting forromance. Doesn't this look the exact parlour where the runaway couplewould be fixing things up with the relenting pa on the way back fromGretna Green, Miss Smith?"

  I laughed as I said: "It is rather a long way from here to Gret----"

  Here there was a sudden noise of a man springing quickly to his feet.

  The guest, who had been sitting there over his bread and cheese andcider, swung swiftly round.

  "By the powers, but this is a delightful surprise!" he exclaimed.

  I stared up at him with eyes now grown accustomed to the dimness of theinn parlour. I beheld, handsomer and more debonnaire than ever, no lessa person than the Honourable Jim Burke!

  As I shook hands I wondered swiftly from whom this blue-eyed pirate hadborrowed the brand-new, spick-and-span little car that stood outsidethere with her nose and the mascot that was its ornament turned towardsLondon.

  I saw young Mr. Jessop staring with all his shrewd yet boyish eyes. Iwondered what on earth he thought of my very conspicuous-looking friend;no, I can't call him "friend" exactly, my conspicuous-lookingacquaintance to whom I hurriedly introduced him?

  "Very happy to meet you," said the American, bowing. Mr. Burke, with themost extraordinary flavour of an American accent tinging his brogue,added: "Delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr. Jessop."

  Without my seeing how he did it exactly, Mr. Burke had arranged thechairs about his table so that we all sat at lunch there together. Buthe changed his seat so that it was Mr. Jessop who sat with his face tothe light, opposite to the man I had known just a very little longer.

  Really, it does seem odd to think that I am the same Beatrice Lovelacewho used to live at No. 45 Laburnum Grove! There, from year's end toyear's end, I never exchanged a single word with anything that youcould describe as a young man!

  And now, to parody the old story about the 'bus driver, "Young men areno treat to me!" Within forty-eight hours I have had one propose to me,one taking me out for a walk on the Embankment and arranging to bring mefor this motor expedition to-day, and a third having lunch with me andthe second!

  It was a very funny lunch. And not a very comfortable one. The two mentalked without ceasing about automobiles, and "makes," and garages, andspeeds, and the difference between American and English workmen. (Mr.Burke really does seem to know something about America.) But I felt thatthe air of that shady coffee-room was simply quivering with the thoughtsof both of them on very different subjects. Mr. Jessop was thinking:"Now, see here! Who's this young Irish aristocrat? He seems to be onsuch perfectly friendly terms of equality with my cousin's maid. How'sthis?"

  Mr. Burke was thinking: "Who the dickens is this fellow? How is it thatMiss Million's maid seems to be let loose for the whole day without hermistress, and a young man and a car to herself?"

  The keynote of the next half-hour might be summed up in Kipling'sphrase, "Man's timid heart is bursting with the things he dare not say!"

  My heart meanwhile was bursting with the wild longing to find out if Mr.Burke knew anything at all of the whereabouts of my mistress.

  I decided that he did not, for if he had wouldn't he have mentionedsomething to do with her?

  As it was, which I am sure was buzzing in all of our brains, the nameMillion did not pass any of our lips!

  The men went out together, apparently on the most friendly terms, to paythe landlady and exchange inspection of the "automobiles." By somemanoeuvring or other Mr. Burke contrived to come back first into thecoffee-room where I stood alone before the mirror readjusting the blackgauze scarf.

  He came behind and spoke to my reflection in the mirror, smiling intothe eyes that met his own blue and unabashed ones in the glass.

  "Child, a word with you," murmured the Honourable Jim in his flatteringand confidential tones. "Will you tell me something? Does all this mean,now, that my good services are no longer required in the way ofintroducing to you with a view to matrimony the wealthy alien that Imentioned at that charming tea the day before yesterday, was it?"

  "What do you mean, Mr. Burke?" I said. "What do you mean by all this?"

  The Honourable Jim jerked his smooth black head towards the window,whence he could get a glimpse of the waiting cars.

  "I mean our friend, the American Eaglet, who is so highly favoured thathe doesn't even have to wait until Friday afternoon off," said theHonourable Jim softly, watching my face, "for his flights with thelittle black-plumaged pigeon."

  Naturally when one is watched one colours up. Who could help it? TheHonourable Jim said rather more loudly: "I'll tell you something. Youhave every symptom about you of a girl who has had a proposal ofmarriage in the last couple of days. Didn't I see it at lunch? The wayyou held your head! The new pride in your voice! Something in the verymovement of the hand----"

  He caught me very gently by the wrist of my left hand as he spoke. Ihadn't yet put on my gloves.

  "No ring there," said the Honourable Jim, dropping the hand again."But--Miss Lovelace, child! Will you deny to me that some one has notproposed to you since you and I had tea together?"

  At that I could not help thinking of poor Mr. Brace in Paris. He wouldbe coming over at the end of the week to receive the answer which I hadnot yet had time to think about. I was so amazed at Mr. Burke'sperspicacity that I could not help reddening even deeper with puresurprise. The Irishman said softly: "I am answered! Tell me, when areyou going over to the Stars and Stripes?"

  Good heavens! what an idiotic mistake. He really imagined that the manwho had proposed to me was not Mr. Brace, but Mr. Hiram P. J
essop, ofChicago! I protested incoherently: "Why! I only met him last night."

  "What is time to love?" laughed Mr. Burke.

  "But don't be so ridiculous," I besought him. "This Mr. Jessop hasnothing to do with me! He is----" Here the conversation was stopped bythe entrance of Mr. Jessop himself.

  I think Mr. Hiram P. Jessop soon discovered that Mr. Burke had made uphis mind about one thing.

  Namely, that he meant to start first from the inn where we'd lunched!

  He rose to say good-bye, and to add that he must be "off" so veryfirmly, and just after he had helped me to another plateful ofraspberries drowned in cream.

  We shook hands, and in a few seconds we heard him starting his motor--orrather, the Super-car that I conclude he had borrowed, or "wangled," orwhatever he calls it, from one of his many wealthy friends. Through thewindow I caught a flashing glimpse of this hedge-sparrow-blue car withher silver mascot whizzing past--on the road to Lewes.

  This was odd, I thought.

  For there was no doubt that when we pulled up at the inn, that car'snose had been towards home, and London.

  Then we, too, started off for Lewes, and the inquiries we had to makethere.

  This was when I discovered that Mr. Jessop and I were, as I've said,"shadowed."

  Mr. Burke, in that gorgeous car of his, had evidently determined, forsome obscure reason, not to lose sight of us.

  We overtook him, tooling leisurely along, a mile this side of Uckfield.

  We waved; we caught a cheery gleam of his white teeth and black-lashedblue eyes. I thought that would be the last of him. Oh, dear, no. Aquarter of a mile further on he appeared to the right by somecross-road. And from then on he and the light-blue car kept appearingand disappearing in our field of vision.

  At one moment the light-blue and silver gleam of his motor would flashthrough the midsummer green of trees overshadowing some lane ahead ofus. Again he would appear a little behind and to the left. Presently,again, to the right....

  "That friend of yours seems to know the country considerable well,"remarked the American to me. "Looks like as if he was chasingbutterflies all over it. Is he a great Nature-lover, Miss Smith?"

  "I couldn't tell you," I said vaguely, and feeling rather annoyed. "Idon't know this Mr. Burke at all well."

  "Is that so?" said the young American gravely.

  Near Lewes we lost sight of that glittering car; it seemed finally.

  I felt thoroughly relieved at that. He was a most embarrassing sort oftravelling companion, the Honourable Jim!