Part 2 (1/2)
”An hour longer, and then I shall pack you off,” he said.
”And you?”
”I shall be up all night.”
”All night?” she exclaimed, in surprise, ”Why?”
”Because it is the night, two years ago, that Ulick left home. I sat up all night on this date last year. I know it will be on a night such as this he will come back.”
”To-night, not to-night? Will he come home to-night?” she asked, eagerly.
”How can I tell, child? If he does not I must wait another year,” he said, sadly.
”You have forgiven him?”
”Yes; but not his sin,” he said.
”Are you sure, quite sure, it is his sin?” she asked.
”Unfortunately, there is no doubt about it.”
”But Eli Todd----” she commenced.
”Is wrong,” he answered. ”He is blinded by his faith in Ulick. Eli would sacrifice even more than he has done for him, and G.o.d knows how he has suffered.”
”I wish we had Eli's faith,” she replied.
CHAPTER II.
THE RUNAWAYS.
There was a stud of thoroughbreds at Hazelwell, not large, but select, some of the mares boasting of blue blood such as can seldom be obtained after much search. Eli Todd was the manager of the stud, and lived in a small but picturesque and comfortable cottage on the estate. He served in the --th Hussars with Colonel Carstone, and during the time they were in India he acquired a considerable knowledge of horses of every description. He handled the Colonel's ”Walers,” and broke them in cleverly; he also trained the Colonel's horses for the races, and on one occasion had the audacity to declare he meant to win the Viceroy's Cup for his master, a feat he all but accomplished, as the Scout ran a good second for that coveted trophy.
When Colonel Carstone died, and Irene was committed to the care of Redmond Maynard, Eli Todd entered his service at the same time. It was owing to Irene that he did so. She persuaded her guardian that Eli was a veritable wonder in the management of horses, and that she was perfectly certain that if his services were secured Hazelwell Stud would benefit thereby.
Ulick Maynard backed up her recommendation, declaring he had cast curious eyes upon Eli ever since he returned from India with the Colonel.
”Lose no time in securing him,” said Ulick; ”such a man will be snapped up at once. Don't lose him whatever you do.”
Redmond Maynard engaged Eli to manage his stud, and also to superintend the hunters and all the horses on the estate--a step he had never regretted. Eli was a widower with one child, a daughter, Janet Todd. She was about the same age as Irene, and a bright, merry, mischievous, exceedingly pretty girl. Vanity was her besetting sin, but apart from this she was of an amiable disposition, and innocent of any desire beyond harmless flirtations. Naturally her father idolised her, and it was mainly on her account he accepted the position Mr. Maynard offered him.
The night that Redmond Maynard sat up, hoping against hope that his son would return, Eli Todd was in a troubled state of mind.
Like his master, he dated the great misfortune of his life two years back from that night. He recalled vividly how his daughter Janet had kissed him good-night and then gone to bed. Her manner gave no indication of what was to befall during the next few hours.
He remembered how he sat waiting for her to come down to breakfast, wondering what kept her so long. Her room was above that in which he sat, and he heard no movement on the floor above. The strain became too great, and at last he could bear it no longer. He did not ring for the housekeeper, but crept upstairs and tapped gently at her door. There was no answer, and as he sat now, two years after, he felt again the throbbing of his heart in antic.i.p.ation of some unknown evil he experienced on that occasion. He knocked again, and then slowly, noiselessly opened the door.
The room was empty, the bed had not been slept upon. Dazed and bewildered, he failed at first to understand what it meant. The stillness stunned him, and he groped his way forward like a blind man.