|By this time, all traces of tears had disappeared, and Emmeline's dark
eyes looked lustrous as ever.
Judging from her lively manner, no one would have dreamed that she
nourished a secret attachment. But she kept it carefully locked up in
the recesses of her heart, and had no confidante except Mildred.
Captain Danvers rose to meet them, but Mrs. Calverley retained her seat.
“We shall see now how he acts,” she thought.
He did not leave her long in doubt. He immediately began an animated
conversation with Mildred, and kept by her side as they walked round the
garden, leaving Emmeline to amuse Mrs. Calverley.
No doubt the handsome captain could make himself extremely agreeable if
he chose, and he now exerted himself to the utmost, and succeeded.
Having expatiated upon the beauty of the formal old garden they were
surveying, and saying how much he preferred it to the landscape style,
he turned the discourse to the amusements and gaieties of London, and
soon found that Mildred was really anxious to spend a season in
town; whereupon he expressed the greatest satisfaction, as he should
frequently have an opportunity of meeting her.
By this time Lady Barfleur had made her appearance, and as she could
report nothing of Sir Leycester, she suggested a visit to the mere.
“It is a nice shady walk there through the wood,” she said; “and if you
have not seen the mere, I think you will be struck by it.”
“Not by its beauty, mamma,” remarked Emmeline, “but rather by its
blackness.”
“Well, such blackness as that water boasts _is_ a beauty,” said Captain
Danvers. “In my opinion, the mere is well worth seeing.”
“There are all sorts of legends attached to it,” said Emmeline. “Amongst
others, there is a superstition, that when anything is about to happen
to our house, a great piece of black oak, that has been sunk for ages at
the bottom of the lake, floats to the surface.”
“An idle story,” remarked Lady Barfleur.
“You excite my curiosity,” said Mrs. Calverley. “I should like to see
this mysterious lake.”
“You must excuse my accompanying you,” said Lady Barfleur. “Captain
Danvers will conduct you there.”
“With the greatest pleasure,” said the captain. “I hope you will go too,
Miss Calverley?”
“Oh, of course!” she replied.
So they all set off, with the exception of Lady Barfleur, who rarely got
beyond the garden.
In a very few minutes, they had plunged into a wood, through which a
narrow road led to the mere.
In some places, the path was overarched by trees, and the branches
formed a delightful screen on that hot day.
Captain Danvers led the way with Mildred, and the path being only wide
enough for two, the others were obliged to follow. As the wood seemed to
inspire such a tone, his accents became low and tender.
Suddenly they burst upon the lake in all its sombre grandeur. The water
looked intensely black, but when examined, it was found to be perfectly
clear. The broad expanse was surrounded by trees, which, in some
instances, advanced beyond the bank.
The surface of the mere was unruffled, for not a breath of wind was
stirring, and reflected the trees as in a mirror. Occasionally, however,
a fish would leap up, and the smooth water was, for a moment, rippled.
But the effect of the scene was not cheerful. An air of gloom brooded
over the place, that impressed the beholder with melancholy. Both Mrs.
Calverley and Mildred acknowledged the feeling.
At the point where the visitors had approached it, the lake was shallow,
and occupied by a large bed of reeds and bullrushes; but, at the opposite
extremity, the water was profoundly deep, and supposed, by the common
folk, to be unfathomable.
On the left, and not far from where they stood, was a boat-house, and
Captain Danvers offered to row them to the further end of the lake, so
that they might have an opportunity of completely surveying it.
The proposal was gladly accepted.
Repairing to the shed, they embarked in a large flat-bottomed boat,
better adapted for fishing than moving rapidly through the water.
However, it answered the purpose. Captain Danvers took the sculls, and
contrived to get Mildred next him. The clumsy craft moved slowly on, and
was now and then stopped that the ladies might look around.
As they drew near the lower end, the lake seemed to become darker, and
the trees that shut it in assumed a yet more sombre appearance.
Here it was deepest.
Captain Danvers was tugging at the sculls, but still making very slow
progress, when the boat struck against something in the water that gave
it a great shock.
The captain ceased rowing, and looking round to see what he had come in
contact with, to his surprise and consternation, he beheld the blackened
trunk of a huge oak.
Hitherto, the dusky mass had scarcely appeared above the surface, but on
being thus forcibly struck, it rolled round in such manner as to display
its enormous bulk, and then gradually sank.
All three ladies saw the ill-omened piece of timber at the same time as
Captain Danvers.
Uttering a cry of fright, Emmeline stood up, and, pointing to it,
exclaimed:
“'Tis the black oak I told you of. One of my father's house is doomed!”
The others looked aghast, but spoke not. Even Captain Danvers seemed
struck dumb.
Without a word, he turned the boat's head, and began to row back.
While he was moving round, Emmeline sat down, and covered her eyes, to
shut the hideous object from her view.
“It is gone,” said Mildred, in a low tone. “Try not to think about it.”
“I ought to think about it,” rejoined Emmeline, scarcely above her
breath. “It is a death-warning!”
“But not to you, dearest girl,” said Mildred.
“I would rather it applied to me than to those I love,” she returned.
Silence prevailed among the party till they landed. No more jesting on
the part of the captain. He looked very gloomy.
When they got out of the boat, he tried to cheer up his fair cousin, but
did not succeed.
They walked back quietly to the Hall, where a painful surprise awaited
them.