Part 27 (1/2)
”Heaven preserve me!” interjected the housekeeper, turning her back upon the unholy vision; ”I do think Colonel Brand the wickedest-looking man ever I saw. Heaven send poor Miss Margaret a better husband.”
Meantime Margaret, struck with a mortal panic, was walking fast down the road to Regis, quite unmindful of the calls of etiquette which prescribed for her the part of hostess to the visitor.
She left the Waaste with its grim, bare trees and its battlemented towers behind her; she left the lodge, clinging to its nook of ivy wall, behind her; she tried to shake off the crawling terror which oppressed her, and drank in the freshening gusts of wind as if her throat had been constrained by an iron hand.
”What have I dared to do?” she thought. ”Have I thrown the gauntlet of defiance at him? And if he takes it up, what will become of me? But to imagine he could personate the brave St. Udo! Reptile!” she exclaimed, with a suddenly clenched hand, ”I could crush you beneath my heel: You have no right to live, you monster!”
Faster she walked, although she was so thin and weak with her recent ill health that her limbs trembled beneath her; and in the urgent alarm which had taken possession of her, she marched straight through the village to the law-office of Mr. Davenport.
”My dear lady,” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed that functionary, arising in consternation, ”what brings you here? I hope nothing annoying has occurred; but you do look very ill.”
”Mr. Davenport, will you send for Dr. Gay? I have something of importance to communicate to you both.”
”Certainly--certainly. I'll send immediately. No, I'll go myself. You won't object to sitting by my nice warm fire here until I come back? And I'll lock you in, if you like.”'
”I don't object.”
In a very short time the two executors entered, both breathing hard, and each having an anxious air about him.
”Good day, my dear Miss Walsingham,” said the little doctor, drawing a chair close beside her; ”I hear you have something on your mind to tell us. I think you might have sent for us, instead of walking here in your state of health; it scarcely looks well, my dear, especially--especially as it is you, my dear.”
”I cannot help it. What I have to say outweighs in importance the trivial question of whether I come to you, or you visit me. You both, I have no doubt, were surprised at the manner in which I insisted on leaving your house, Dr. Gay, and taking up my abode at Seven-Oak Waaste?”
Both executors admitted that they had been surprised, very much surprised, the lawyer amended.
”I had a secret reason for my course of action,” continued the ward, looking from one to the other, ”which I did not feel at liberty to divulge until I had a.s.sured myself whether the motives that actuated me were just or not. I am now a.s.sured that they were, and I desire to divulge them to you, that you may prevent a fraud.”
”My dear,” said the lawyer, ”isn't all this going to lead us to Colonel Brand?”
”It is going to lead you to the man whom I left at Seven-Oak Waaste.”
”Is the colonel at Seven-Oak Waaste?”
”Yes.”
”And you here?”
”In spite of etiquette--yes.”
The two executors looked at each other as if prepared to hear any insanity after this.
”Have you made a deed of gift of Seven-Oaks to St. Udo, and are you here for more testimonials?” asked Mr. Davenport, helping himself to snuff.
”You have not fathomed my secret at all,” answered Margaret, in a repressed tone, though she was in a state of high excitement; ”when I willfully left the shelter and the protection of your house, Dr. Gay, it was to fulfil that clause of the will, which says, 'Should St. Udo Brand or Margaret Walsingham die within the year, the property shall revert to the survivor.' I left your house to take possession of Castle Brand.”
The executors stared.
”But, my dear girl, St. Udo is not dead!” said Dr. Gay, imploringly.
”Good gracious, what do you mean?” sputtered the lawyer. ”You may take the property by refusing to marry the colonel, or you may keep the property by quarreling with him and making him glad to leave you, but you can't take the property on the plea of his death, when he is by your own showing sitting in Castle Brand at this moment.”