CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
A GENTLEMAN TO SEE GERTRUDE.
"Great Heavens! my child, what is the matter?"
"Nothing, nothing, Mr Hampton," cried Gertrude. "Something touched myhand. Oh, Bruno, you bad dog, how you frightened me!"
The cry brought Mrs Denton to the door, and she hurried away directlyto return with a light, just as the dog set up another mournful howlwhich echoed dismally in the gloomy ranges of cellars.
As the light shone in, the old woman holding it high above her head,Gertrude was clinging to the old lawyer's arm, and the dog was crouchedin the sawdust close to the broken bottle of port, whose rich contentshad made a broad stain upon the floor.
"Well," said the old man, "I must not scold you, my dear, for beingstartled, but you made me jump. Come along."
"No, no," said Gertrude hastily. "You must reach down another bottle ofport."
"What, after we have wasted one!" Gertrude responded by taking thecandle from Mrs Denton's hand, and fetching another bottle from thebin, the dog following her uneasily, whining and tottering on his legs,and showing great unwillingness to follow, till Gertrude coaxed him backto his bed in the corner of the hall, after the cellar had been dulylocked up, and the keys replaced in the cabinet drawer.
"I suppose we must blame George Harrington for upsetting us, and makingus so nervous," said Mrs Hampton, with a forced laugh, as Gertrudere-entered the drawing-room; "but, good gracious, child! there's adress! You look as if you had been committing a murder."
Gertrude turned ghastly pale, and looked down at her soft, light dress,which was splashed and stained in great patches with the wine.
"Mrs Hampton!"
"What a stupid thing to say, my dear," cried the old lady excitedly."Don't take any notice of it. There, let's go to dinner."
That meal was not a success, for every one seemed troubled and nervous,one infecting the other, but no allusion was made to the absentee, tillthey were seated alone over dessert, when, as the old lawyer sipped hisclaret, he said suddenly:
"You are right. I've been thinking it over. Saul Harrington'sinvitation was too much for him. He repented of his refusal, and hasgone off after him."
"Yes," said Mrs Hampton, "that's it."
Gertrude was silent. Her thoughts seemed to enchain the power ofspeech.
"Don't look so troubled about it, my dear. He is a bachelor yet, and ismaking use of his last few days or weeks of freedom. We shall be havinga letter from him soon. Con--bless that dog! Are you going to keep himin the house all night, my dear?"
"I did mean to, Mr Hampton," said Gertrude, as a low, piteous,moan-like howl came from the hall.
"Like my impudence to speak," muttered the old lawyer; "seemed to thinkI was at home."
"He shall be taken to the stables, poor fellow," said Gertrude, rising."Mrs Hampton, shall we go to the drawing-room?"
"To be sure, my dear. And Hampton, don't stop long."
"No, my love," said the old man gallantly, holding open the door; "andwhen I come up I hope we are to have some music."
This was promised, and the lawyer returned to his seat, filled hisglass, held it up brow high, looked full at the portrait of his oldclient, and nodded gravely.
"Your health, Harrington, old friend," he said; and he half emptied hisglass, and set it down.
"Absurd thing to wish a dead man health," he continued, as he gazed fullat the portrait. "Ought to have said welfare. Hallo! What's that?"
He turned his face to the door, and sat listening to a faint whining,and the pattering of claw-armed feet on the floor.
"Humph! Poor brute, getting him to the stables, I suppose. Betterthere."
Then, as silence once more reigned in the place, he sat back, and gazedup at the portrait.
"You meant well, old friend," he said, "but you understood the care ofmoney better than the workings of human nature. James Harrington, youunderstood laying down good wine, too; but, between ourselves, you madeas bad a will as ever I helped to draw up."
"Ah," he continued, after a pause, "you may look as stern as you please;you know I'm telling the truth, and I shall do everything I can to upsetyour plans."
He nodded, and sat sipping his wine.
"A scamp!" he said. "But one might have expected some good in him,perhaps, such as tempted him to send the old man money, but an utter,reckless scoundrel at heart. I loathe him, and he must not be allowedto marry our poor little girl. It would be too cruel."
There was another sip or two of wine taken, as the old man gazedthoughtfully before him.
"No; he has not gone with Saul Harrington, but on some expedition of hisown. Well, I can do nothing in that direction--I wish I could; but themoney is his, and he has a right to spend it as he pleases. A pity,though--a pity. Eh?"
"Coffee, sir."
"Oh, I beg your pardon, Denton. Yes; thank you."
The old man helped himself to sugar and milk, before taking the cup fromthe tray, when he found the housekeeper's eyes fixed upon himpleadingly.
"Yes, Denton; you wanted to say something."
"Oh, yes, sir--so much. You knew master so well and he trusted in you."
"Not so much as I could have wished, Denton, but what is it?"
"Can't you do something, sir?"
"Something, Denton?"
"Something to persuade my poor dear young mistress; to alter her mind.There, sir," cried the old woman, changing her tone from one of pleadingto one of anger and dislike, "I'd sooner see the poor child in her gravethan Master George's wife."
The old lawyer looked at her gravely for a few moments, and was about tospeak out as he felt, but directly after, with the cultivated caution ofhis profession, he said slowly: "We must see, Mrs Denton--we must see."
Then, swallowing his coffee at a draught, he set down the cup, andplacing his hands behind him, as if to preserve his balance, he left theroom.
Denton stood looking after him till he was gone, and then turned, andgazed up at the portrait.
"Oh, master," she half sobbed, "you ought to have known better--youought to have known better. She'll marry him unless something is done,and all to please you."
Tea was on the way soon after, and, forgetful of the coffee he had justswallowed, the old lawyer took a cup, and wandered all over the roomwith it, pausing thoughtfully to stir it in different corners, his brainbusy the while.
At last he laid the spoon in the saucer, and was raising the cup to sipthe half-cold contents, when there was a sharp ring at the greatgate-bell.
"A letter," said Mrs Hampton sharply.
"Or a telegram," said the old lawyer.
Then there was a pause, in the midst of which the iron gate was heard toclang, and footsteps sounded on the gravel.
"A visitor--so late!" said Gertrude in a trembling voice.
"George Harrington come back," said the old lawyer shortly.
His words had a strange effect upon Gertrude, who sank back in her seat,and half closed her eyes, while a faint shudder ran through her.
"Not much like a lover," muttered Mrs Hampton, watching her in asidelong way, as her eyes closed more and more, and a long-drawn sighescaped her breast.
Meanwhile, the front door was heard to close, and there were steps inthe hall, as if some one was being shown into the study.
"It is not Mr Harrington," said Gertrude, starting up; and, as theremembrance of the old housekeeper's ominous declarations came back, shecaught at Mrs Hampton's outstretched hand.
"Be calm, my dear."
"But it is some bad news," whispered Gertrude; and the feeling gainedstrength as the old housekeeper tapped at the door, and entered, lookingwild and scared.
The old lawyer grasped in an instant that something was wrong, and hecame forward.
"Leave it to me, my dear," he said with quick firmness. "Now, MrsDenton, what is it?"
"A gentleman, sir."
"To see me?"
"No, sir; he asked to see Miss Gertrude."
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"Well, what does he want? Did he send in a card?"
"No, sir."
"Then who is he?"
"If you please, sir," stammered the old woman, "he said he was MasterGeorge."
The Mynns' Mystery Page 24