Harry's ship had been paid off, and Headland having received his
promotion, the two friends started in a post-chaise and four for London.
It would have been unbecoming for two naval officers, with their
pockets full of prize money, to travel in a less dignified way. The
last time Harry had come that road it had been on the top of a coach.
Captain Headland had been very little on shore in England, and
everything was new to him and full of interest. The country girls at
the cottage doors struck him especially.
"I had no idea English women were so pretty," he observed.
Harry laughed.
"I thought your philosophy would soon be capsized. If you think them
attractive, I suspect that you will find the girls of higher rank
enchanting."
They remained in town to attend a levee, when Captain Headland was
presented on his promotion, and Harry on his return from foreign
service. Headland was in no hurry to leave London, for never having
before been in the big city, he found so much to interest him; but Harry
was anxious to be at home. Julia had written him word that they hoped
to have a number of visitors, and intended to give a fete in honour of
his return.
They posted to Texford, agreeing that a pair of horses would take them
there as fast as four, which their dignity no longer required.
Headland received a warm welcome from Sir Ralph and Lady Castleton as
their son's friend, and Julia extended her hand as if she had known him
all her life. He thought her a very charming girl, and wondered that
Harry had never spoken to him of her beauty. Her frankness soon set him
at his ease. He had mixed but little in ladies' society, and at first
felt awkward. Algernon was kind and polite, but was somewhat cold and
stiff in his manner, like his father, and Headland suspected that he
should never be very intimate with him.
Next morning Julia volunteered to show several of the guests who had
lately arrived, including Captain Headland, over the grounds. Algernon
had in the meantime asked Harry to ride with him, and invited their
guest to join them.
"Miss Castleton has engaged me to be one of the walking party, and as I
am no great horseman you will, I hope, excuse me."
Harry begged that he would do as he had promised. He wished to ride
with Algernon to enjoy some private conversation. He had been struck by
his brother's changed appearance. He had a short teasing cough, of
which, however, he made light, observing that it generally disappeared
with the warm weather, though it annoyed him a little longer that year.
The brothers had much to talk about after their long separation. Harry
enquired if any authentic account of their uncle's death had been
received. Algernon replied that though their father and Mr Shallard
had made every possible enquiry, the only fact they had learned was that
the ship he had sailed in had never been heard of, and that there was no
doubt she had gone down in a hurricane which had occurred during the
time she must have been at sea.
"It would be a trying state of things if our uncle were after all to
make his appearance and claim the title and property," observed
Algernon. "I suspect that our father would be very unwilling to give
them up, and possession is nine-tenths of the law."
"Surely he would not hesitate if convinced of our uncle's identity,"
said Harry, "and would be thankful to welcome his brother back to life."
"He is so firmly convinced of his death that it would be difficult to
persuade him to the contrary," replied Algernon. "For my own part I am
not ambitious of becoming a baronet, and as far as I am individually
concerned I should be ready to welcome with sincerity our long lost
uncle."
"So should I," cried Harry warmly, "and surely our father with his
political interest can, if he chooses, obtain a baronetcy for himself."
"He would prefer exerting that influence in gaining a higher rank,"
observed Algernon with a sigh. "He wished me to be in parliament, but
he only a few days ago, greatly to my relief, acknowledged that he was
afraid my health for the present would not enable me to stand the wear
and tear I should have to undergo in the `house.' I am afraid that it
has greatly disappointed him. He probably will wish you to take the
place he intended for me."
Harry laughed heartily.
"I in parliament," he exclaimed, "I should indeed feel like a fish out
of water. I wish to stick to the service, and hope to get my flag some
day."
"But there are naval men in parliament, and you may do that
notwithstanding," said Algernon.
"I do not wish to disobey him, but the very thoughts of the life I
should have to lead, talking and debating, or worse, listening to long
debates in the close atmosphere of the House of Commons, would make me
miserable. So, pray, if he suggests such a thing to you, tell him you
are sure that I should not like it, and beg him to let me off."
Algernon promised to do as his brother wished.
They had taken the way to the downs to the south of Hurlston.
Harry enquired for their cousins, the Miss Pembertons. On hearing that
they were still living there he proposed paying them a visit.
"To tell you the truth, I have not called since we came to Texford,"
answered Algernon. "You know that they have peculiar notions. Our
father, looking upon them as puritanical dissenters, has no wish to have
them at the house. I have not seen the old ladies for some years. I
remember that they did not make a very favourable impression on me when
I met them last."
"I suppose I may call on them," said Harry. "They were kind to me when
I was a boy, and I liked cousin Mary, as we called her."
"Yes, there can be no objection to your going," answered Algernon.
"They will not consider it necessary to return your visit, and will look
upon it as a kindness."
The young men had been riding on further than they had intended, and
being engaged in conversation while passing along lanes with high hedges
on either side, they had not observed a storm gathering in the sky.
Emerging from the lanes Harry invited his brother to take a gallop
across the wide extended downs spread out before them, and thus they did
not observe till they turned the thunder clouds sweeping up rapidly
towards them.
"We shall get wet jackets, I suspect, before we reach home," observed
Harry.
"I hope not," answered his brother, "for I have been especially charged
to avoid the damp and cold, and I feel somewhat heated. I wish there
was some place where we could get shelter."
"I am very sorry that I led you on, for I see no shed or cottage
anywhere," said Harry, gazing round; "and I am afraid we shall have the
rain down upon us before many minutes. Our shortest way to the nearest
house at Hurlston will, I suspect, be across the downs. Come along,
there is no time to spare."
They put their horses into a gallop. The downs though at a distance
appearing to be level, were intercepted by several deep ravines, and the
young men had not gone far before they were compelled to turn inland by
coming to one of the most rugged and wild of these ravines, the side of
which was too steep to allow them to ride down it.
A little further Harry observed a place which he thought they could
descend without difficulty, and thus save some distance. As he reached
the bottom, followed by Algernon, he saw nestling under a rock on one
side a hut built party of rough stones, and partly of the planks of some
wreck cast on shore. At the same moment a bright flash of lightning
darted from the clouds, followed by a crashing peal of thunder, when
immediately down came the rain.
"We may, at all events, find shelter in yonder hut," said Harry, "though
it seems scarcely large enough to admit our horses, but I will hold them
while you go inside."
They made their way down the ravine, when Algernon dismounting pushed
open the door and ran in, while Harry leading the horses followed him.
At the further end of the hut a woman was seated on a stool before the
wood fire blazing on the hearth, over which she bent, apparently engaged
in watching the contents of an iron pot boiling on it.
"Who dares intrude unbidden into my mansion," she shrieked out in a wild
unearthly tone, which made Algernon start back.
Her long grey hair hung down on either side of her colourless face, from
which beamed forth a pair of wild eyes, glowing with the fire of
madness. Her dress being of the same sombre hue as was everything in
the hut, had as Algernon entered prevented him from observing her till
she turned her face full upon him.
She rose as she spoke, confronting the two young men. "Who are you?"
she repeated; "speak, or begone, and trouble me not."
"I beg your pardon for entering without leave," said Algernon; "but the
rain is coming down so heavily that we should have been wet through in
another minute, and there is no other shelter at hand."
"That's no answer to my question," she exclaimed. "What care I for rain
or storm; let the lightning flash and the thunder roar, and do its
worst. Go your way, I say, and leave me to my solitude."
"My brother would suffer should he get wet," said Harry, stepping in.
"And I must beg you, my good lady, not to be annoyed if we remain till
the storm is over; it will probably pass away in half an hour, and we
beg not to interrupt you in what you are about."
"You are fair spoken, young sir, but you have not answered my question.
Who are you, I ask again?"
"We are the sons of Sir Ralph Castleton, and we discovered your hut by
chance, while looking for a place to obtain shelter from the rain."
"Spawn of the viper, how dare ye come hither to seek for shelter beneath
my roof?" exclaimed the woman in a voice which made the young men start,
so shrill and fierce did it sound, high above the roar of the thunder,
the howling of the wind, and the pattering of the rain.
"A fit time ye have chosen to come and mock at me; but I have powers at
my command to overwhelm you in a moment. See, the heavens fight on my
side."
As she spoke a bright flash of lightning darted down the glen, which,
with the crashing peal of thunder that followed, made the horses snort
and plunge so violently, that Harry had no little difficulty in holding
them, and was drawn out from the doorway in which he had been standing.
"And you deem yourself the heir of Texford," she continued in the same
tone, gazing with her wild eyes intently fixed on Algernon. "Though you
rejoice in youth and wealth, I see death stamped on your brow; and
before many months have passed away, instead of dwelling in your proud
and lordly hall, you will have become a tenant of the silent tomb. I
can command the elements, and can read the future. It was I who
summoned this storm to drive you hither that you might hear your fate,
that fate which the stars last night revealed to me. Ah! ah! ah! you
now wish that you had passed by instead of seeking shelter beneath my
roof; but your destiny drove you hither, and against that you fight in
vain."
Algernon feeling that it would be wiser not to reply to the wild ravings
of the strange creature looked anxiously out of the hut, strongly
inclined, in spite of the rain, to make his escape. Harry, who, having
been engaged with the horses, had not heard what she first said, now
brought them back again, and stood once more beneath the roof of the
hut.
"At all events now we are here, my good woman, I hope you will not
object to our remaining till the storm is over," he said, hoping that by
speaking in a quiet tone he might calm her temper.
"I invited you not to come, I welcomed you not when you did come, and my
curses will follow you when you go," she shrieked out.
"We really had better not stay," said Algernon to Harry. "I cannot
understand what has irritated the poor woman, and I fear nothing we can
say will have the effect of soothing her."
"I cannot consent to your going out and getting wet through," said
Harry; "so notwithstanding what she says we must stay till the rain has
ceased."
"My good woman, I really think you are mistaken with regard to us," said
Harry, turning to the mad woman. "When we saw your cottage we were not
aware that it was inhabited, and as we have taken up your time in
interrupting you in what you were about, we shall be glad if you will
accept a present as a recompense;" and Harry, giving the reins to
Algernon to hold, took out half-a-guinea, and offered it to their
hostess.
"You cannot bribe me to reverse the orders of fate," she shrieked out,
snatching the coin from his hand and throwing it into the fire, and
uttering a piercing shriek she frantically waved about her arms, now
high above her head, now pointing at them with threatening gestures,
till Algernon declared that he could stand it no longer. In vain Harry
entreated him to remain till the rain had altogether ceased.
The old woman shouted and shrieked louder and louder, encouraged
possibly by observing the effect her behaviour had produced on the
eldest of the brothers. At last the rain moderating, Algernon rushed
out of the hut.
"This is not to be endured," he exclaimed, as he mounted his horse.
Harry followed his example, and they rode up the glen as fast as the
rugged nature of the road would allow them, the wild shrieks and cries
of Mad Sal, as she watched them from the door of her hut, sounding in
their ears till they gained the open downs.
"I am glad we are out of hearing of that dreadful old creature," said
Algernon, as they galloped along. "I hope she will not prove a true
prophetess."
"I don't believe in wizards or witches," answered Harry, "although
sometimes by chance their predictions may appear to be fulfilled; and we
should be foolish if we allowed the nonsense she talked to weigh on our
spirits. I am very sure that the thread of our lives will not be cut
shorter from anything she can do, and she certainly will not make me the
less willing to go afloat, and fight as readily as I should have done
had we not fallen in with her. She has evidently some dislike to the
name of Castleton, and hearing us mention it, vented her feelings by
trying to frighten us."
"Poor woman, she is perfectly mad. I am curious to learn who she is,"
observed Algernon. "Perhaps Groocock or some of the Hurlston people may
know."
Although the rain had moderated, the young men were nearly wet through
before they had made their way across the down; and instead of stopping
at Hurlston, as they had intended, they rode on to Texford.
In spite of the exercise he had taken, Algernon complained of the cold,
and Harry observed that he shivered several times. As he, however,
hurried to his room immediately on his arrival, and changed his wet
things, his brother hoped he would not suffer.