the hand of ethelberta-第94章

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supernatural　legerdemain　had　to　do　with　these　periodic　impacts　of
Picotee　on　his　path。　　She　sat　mute　and　melancholy　till　they　were
within　half…a…mile　of　Corvsgate。

'Thank　you；'　she　said　then；　perceiving　Sol　upon　the　road；　'there　is
my　brother；　I　will　get　down　now。'

'He　was　going　to　ride　on　to　Anglebury　with　me；'　said　Julian。

Picotee　did　not　reply；　and　Sol　turned　round。　　Seeing　her　he
instantly　exclaimed；　'What's　the　matter；　Picotee？'

She　explained　to　him　that　he　was　to　go　back　immediately；　and　meet
her　sister　at　the　door　by　the　yew；　as　Ethelberta　had　charged　her。
Christopher；　knowing　them　so　well；　was　too　much　an　interested　member
of　the　group　to　be　left　out　of　confidence；　and　she　included　him　in
her　audience。

'And　what　are　you　to　do？'　said　Sol　to　her。

'I　am　to　wait　at　Corvsgate　till　you　come　to　me。'

'I　can't　understand　it；'　Sol　muttered；　with　a　gloomy　face。　　'There's
something　wrong；　and　it　was　only　to　be　expected；　that's　what　I　say；
Mr。　Julian。'

'If　necessary　I　can　take　care　of　Miss　Chickerel　till　you　come；'　said
Christopher。

'Thank　you；'　said　Sol。　　'Then　I　will　return　to　you　as　soon　as　I　can；
at　the　〃Castle〃　Inn；　just　ahead。　　'Tis　very　awkward　for　you　to　be　so
burdened　by　us；　Mr。　Julian；　but　we　are　in　a　trouble　that　I　don't　yet
see　the　bottom　of。'

'I　know；'　said　Christopher　kindly。　　'We　will　wait　for　you。'

He　then　drove　on　with　Picotee　to　the　inn；　which　was　not　far　off；　and
Sol　returned　again　to　Enckworth。　　Feeling　somewhat　like　a　thief　in
the　night；　he　zigzagged　through　the　park；　behind　belts　and　knots　of
trees；　until　he　saw　the　yew；　dark　and　clear；　as　if　drawn　in　ink　upon
the　fair　face　of　the　mansion。　　The　way　up　to　it　was　in　a　little
cutting　between　shrubs；　the　door　being　a　private　entrance；　sunk
below　the　surface　of　the　lawn；　and　invisible　from　other　parts　of　the
same　front。　　As　soon　as　he　reached　it；　Ethelberta　opened　it　at　once；
as　if　she　had　listened　for　his　footsteps。

She　took　him　along　a　passage　in　the　basement；　up　a　flight　of　steps；
and　into　a　huge；　solitary；　chill　apartment。　　It　was　the　ball…room。
Spacious　mirrors　in　gilt　frames　formed　panels　in　the　lower　part　of
the　walls；　the　remainder　being　toned　in　sage…green。　　In　a　recess
between　each　mirror　was　a　statue。　　The　ceiling　rose　in　a　segmental
curve；　and　bore　sprawling　upon　its　face　gilt　figures　of　wanton
goddesses；　cupids；　satyrs　with　tambourines；　drums；　and　trumpets；　the
whole　ceiling　seeming　alive　with　them。　　But　the　room　was　very　gloomy
now；　there　being　little　light　admitted　from　without；　and　the
reflections　from　the　mirrors　gave　a　depressing　coldness　to　the
scene。　　It　was　a　place　intended　to　look　joyous　by　night；　and
whatever　it　chose　to　look　by　day。

'We　are　safe　here；'　said　she。　　'But　we　must　listen　for　footsteps。　　I
have　only　five　minutes：　　Lord　Mountclere　is　waiting　for　me。　　I　mean
to　leave　this　place；　come　what　may。'

'Why？'　said　Sol；　in　astonishment。

'I　cannot　tell　yousomething　has　occurred。　　God　has　got　me　in　his
power　at　last；　and　is　going　to　scourge　me　for　my　bad　doingsthat's
what　it　seems　like。　　Sol；　listen　to　me；　and　do　exactly　what　I　say。
Go　to　Anglebury；　hire　a　brougham；　bring　it　on　as　far　as　Little
Enckworth：　　you　will　have　to　meet　me　with　it　at　one　of　the　park
gates　later　in　the　eveningprobably　the　west；　at　half…past　seven。
Leave　it　at　the　village　with　the　man；　come　on　here　on　foot；　and　stay
under　the　trees　till　just　before　six：　　it　will　then　be　quite　dark；
and　you　must　stand　under　the　projecting　balustrade　a　little　further
on　than　the　door　you　came　in　by。　　I　will　just　step　upon　the　balcony
over　it；　and　tell　you　more　exactly　than　I　can　now　the　precise　time
that　I　shall　be　able　to　slip　out；　and　where　the　carriage　is　to　be
waiting。　　But　it　may　not　be　safe　to　speak　on　account　of　his
closeness　to　meI　will　hand　down　a　note。　　I　find　it　is　impossible
to　leave　the　house　by　daylightI　am　certain　to　be　pursuedhe
already　suspects　something。　　Now　I　must　be　going；　or　he　will　be
here；　for　he　watches　my　movements　because　of　some　accidental　words
that　escaped　me。'

'Berta；　I　shan't　have　anything　to　do　with　this；'　said　Sol。　　'It　is
not　right！'

'I　am　only　going　to　Rouen；　to　Aunt　Charlotte！'　she　implored。　　'I
want　to　get　to　Southampton；　to　be　in　time　for　the　midnight　steamer。
When　I　am　at　Rouen　I　can　negotiate　with　Lord　Mountclere　the　terms　on
which　I　will　return　to　him。　　It　is　the　only　chance　I　have　of　rooting
out　a　scandal　and　a　disgrace　which　threatens　the　beginning　of　my
life　here！　　My　letters　to　him；　and　his　to　me；　can　be　forwarded
through　you　or　through　father；　and　he　will　not　know　where　I　am。　　Any
woman　is　justified　in　adopting　such　a　course　to　bring　her　husband　to
a　sense　of　her　dignity。　　If　I　don't　go　away　now；　it　will　end　in　a
permanent　separation。　　If　I　leave　at　once；　and　stipulate　that　he
gets　rid　of　her；　we　may　be　reconciled。'

'I　can't　help　you：　　you　must　stick　to　your　husband。　　I　don't　like
them；　or　any　of　their　sort；　barring　about　three　or　four；　for　the
reason　that　they　despise　me　and　all　my　sort。　　But；　Ethelberta；　for
all　that　I'll　play　fair　with　them。　　No　half…and…half　trimming
business。　　You　have　joined　'em；　and　'rayed　yourself　against　us；　and
there　you'd　better　bide。　　You　have　married　your　man；　and　your　duty
is　towards　him。　　I　know　what　he　is　and　so　does　father；　but　if　I　were
to　help　you　to　run　away　now；　I　should　scorn　myself　more　than　I　scorn
him。'

'I　don't　care　for　that；　or　for　any　such　politics！　　The　Mountclere
line　is　noble；　and　how　was　I　to　know　that　this　member　was　not　noble；
too？　　As　the　representative　of　an　illustrious　family　I　was　taken
with　him；　but　as　a　manI　must　shun　him。'

'How　can　you　shun　him？　　You　have　married　him！'

'Nevertheless；　I　won't　stay！　　Neither　law　nor　gospel　demands　it　of
me　after　what　I　have　learnt。　　And　if　law　and　gospel　did　demand　it；　I
would　not　stay。　　And　if　you　will　not　help　me　to　escape；　I　go　alone。'

'You　had　better　not　try　any　such　wild　thing。'

The　creaking　of　a　door　was　heard。　'O　Sol；'　she　said　appealingly；
'don't　go　into　the　question　whether　I　am　right　or　wrongonly
remember　that　I　am　very　unhappy。　　Do　help　meI　have　no　other　person
in　the　world　to　ask！　　Be　under　the　balcony　at　six　o'clock。　　Say　you
willI　must　gosay　you　will！'

'I'll　think；'　said　Sol；　very　much　disturbed。　　'There；　don't　cry；
I'll　try　to　be　under　the　balcony；　at　any　rate。　　I　cannot　promise
more；　but　I'll　try　to　be　there。'

She　opened　in　the　panelling　one　of　the　old…fashioned　concealed　modes
of　exit　known　as　jib…doors；　which　it　was　once　the　custom　to
construct　without　architraves　in　the　walls　of　large　apartments；　so
as　not　to　interfere　with　the　general　design　of　the　room。　　Sol　found
himself　in　a　narrow　passage；　running　down　the　whole　length　of　the
ball…room；　and　at　the　same　time　he　heard　Lord　Mountclere's　voice
within；　talking　to　Ethelberta。　　Sol's　escape　had　been　marvellous：
as　it　was　the　viscount　might　have　seen　her　tears。　　He　passed　down
some　steps；　along　an　area　from　which　he　could　see　into　a　row　of
servants'　offices；　among　them　a　kitchen　with　a　fireplace　flaming
like　an　altar　of　sacrifice。　　Nobody　seemed　to　be　concerned　about
him；　there　were　workmen　upon　the　premises；　and　he　nearly　matched
them。　　At　last　he　got　again　into　the　shrubberies　and　to　the　side　of
the　park　by　which　he　had　entered。

On　reaching　Corvsgate　he　found　Picotee　in　the　parlour　of　the　little
inn；　as　he　had　directed。　　Mr。　Julian；　she　said；　had　walked　up　to　the
ruins；　and　would　be　back　again　in　a　few　minutes。　　Sol　ordered　the
horse　to　be　put　in；　and　by　the　time　it　was　ready　Christopher　came
down　from　the　hill。　　Room　was　made　for　Sol　by　opening　the　flap　of
the　dogcart；　and　Christopher　drove　on。

He　was　anxious　to　know　the　trouble；　and　Sol　was　not　reluctant　to
share　the　burden　of　it　with　one　whom　he　believed　to　be　a　friend。　　He
told；　scrap　by　scrap；　the　strange　request　of　Ethelberta。
Christopher；　though　ignorant　of　Ethelberta's　experience　that
morning；　instantly　assumed　that　the　discovery　of　some　concealed
spectre　had　led　to　this　precipitancy。

'When　does　she　wish　you　to　meet　her　with　the　carriage？'

'Probably　at　half…past　seven；　at　the　west　lodge；　but　that　is　to　be
finally　fixed　by　a　note　she　will　hand　down