Part 28 (1/2)
He pa.s.sed his arm about her waist, and seemed to sweep her into the library, where he closed the door, and pushed her down into an easy chair.
”There is no worst,” he said, in a low voice. ”Now, look here; you must keep your mouth shut, and be as surprised as I am. It's all right. She was only a bit scared yesterday. The boy knew what he was about. The cunning jade has bolted with him.”
”Gone--Kate?” cried Mrs Wilton.
”Yes; Claud was throwing dust in our stupid old eyes. The money won't go out of the family, old girl. They're on the way to be married now, and as for John Garstang--let him do his worst.”
”Pierce, darling, what has happened?” cried Jenny, as her brother entered the room and sank into a chair. ”Oh,” she cried wildly, as she flew to him to throw her arms about his neck and gazed in his ghastly face, ”it was for Kate. Oh, Pierce, don't say she's dead!”
”Yes,” he said, in a voice full of agony; ”dead to me.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
”Dead? Dead to you? Pierce, speak to me,” cried Jenny. ”What do you mean?”
”What I say. They are a curious mixture of weakness and duplicity.”
”Who are, dear?” said Jenny, with a warm colour taking the place of the pallor which her brother's words had produced. ”Why will you go on talking in riddles?”
”Women. Their soft, quiet ways force you to believe in them, and then comes some sudden enlightening to prove what I say.”
Jenny caught him by the shoulder as he sat in his chair, looking ghastly.
”Tell me what you mean,” she cried excitedly.
”Only the falling to pieces of your castle in the air,” he said, with a mocking laugh. ”The marriage you arranged between the pauper physician and the rich heiress. I can easily be strictly honorable now.”
”Will you tell me what you mean, Pierce?” cried the girl, angrily.
”What has happened? Is someone ill at the Manor House?”
”No,” he said, bitterly.
”Then why were you sent for?”
”To see an imaginary patient.”
”Pierce, if you do not wish me to go into a fit of hysterical pa.s.sion,”
cried the girl, ”tell me what you mean. Why--were--you--sent--for?”
”Because,” replied Leigh, imitating his sister's manner of speaking, ”Mise--Katherine--Wilton--and--Mr Claud--were--supposed--to--be-- lying--speechless in their rooms, and--ha-ha-ha! their doors could not be forced.”
”Pierce, what is the matter with you?” cried Jenny, excitedly; ”do you know what you are saying?”
”Perfectly,” he cried, his manner changing from its mocking tone to one of fierce pa.s.sion. ”When I reached the place, a way was found in, and the birds were flown.”
”Birds--flown,” cried Jenny, looking more and more as if she doubted her brother's sanity; ”what birds?”
”The fair Katherine, and that admirable Crichton, Claud.”