MAY.
As soon as the boys had made satisfactory arrangements about their rooms
they had a long interview with Mrs. Eastwood, and as she was considered
almost one of the Goodchild family, nothing of importance was kept back
from her. It was arranged that Hal should be introduced to Miss
Goodchild at the earliest possible moment. Fortune favoured their plot,
for while they were together the lady herself appeared to enquire for
letters, and with obvious reluctance underwent the ceremony of
introduction to the two visitors.
May Goodchild was a tall, good-looking girl, with fair hair and pleasing
features. Her face shewed her to possess a strong capacity for strong
emotions, an intensity of love or hatred, both equally dangerous when
roused. Hal's sharpened faculties of observation had made him a keen
physiognomist and, in the brief moment of introduction he flattered
himself he had read the chief points of her character.
She was about to leave the room, after looking at the letter-rack, when
Hal who had been gazing at the rack, remarked in a casual manner to Mrs.
Eastwood:
"Wyckliffe must have a large number of correspondents to judge by the
heap of letters waiting for him here."
Miss Goodchild paused. She was on the _qui vive_ instantly.
"You know Mr. Wyckliffe, don't you, Mr. Winter?" said Mrs. Eastwood,
taking the cue.
"Oh yes, rather! known him a long time. I heard from him the other day,"
answered Hal, boldly.
May walked away, but not hurriedly, and Hal, seizing his opportunity,
followed her out of the room.
"What a delightful morning, Miss Goodchild."
"Yes, it is," she answered. Then after a pause, she added, "Mr. Winter,
you said you had heard from Mr. Wyckliffe. Can you tell me when he will
return, as he is a friend of mine."
"Now I remember, Miss Goodchild. I have important news for you
concerning him."
"What! news of him for me. Oh! tell me at once, please," and her whole
face lit up with expectation.
"It is rather a long story," said Hal. "If we could talk together
privately it would be preferable."
"Oh, I'll arrange that. You can come to my sitting-room. I'll just run
and tell Mrs. Eastwood," and away she flew in a happy, childish way,
very different to her languid manner previously. Mrs. Eastwood could
scarcely believe, her eyes as the girl rushed into the office, crying:
"He has news for me. I am taking him to my parlour."
"This way, Mr. Winter," she cried out, as she re-appeared and ran up the
stairs. "Do hurry, I am so anxious. There, come this way and sit down.
Now we are quite private. Go on."
Her haste had left Hal breathless, and he was rather taken aback, as he
had scarcely had time to formulate his plan of action.
"Before I commence, I wish to ask your permission to--"
"It is granted," she said, hurriedly.
"Your permission to speak in an open and candid way, and that you will
hear me out to the end."
"Most decidedly, but why this precaution? You said Wyck was a friend of
yours."
"Pardon me, Miss Goodchild, I never said he was a friend of mine. He is
anything but that."
"But you will bear in mind, sir, he is a friend of mine, and if you have
anything to his disparagement to say I would rather not hear it for I
love him. There now it is out."
"I am obliged for your candour, but as what I have to say is not to his
credit, I had better leave."
"No sir, since you put it that way, I will hear you."
Once more was the tale repeated, but never before with the strength and
pathos that Hal put into his voice now. At the conclusion, neither spoke
for some moments. At last, May broke the silence:
"You can prove your statements, Mr. Winter?"
"Yes, unfortunately for my friend I can. They have left undoubted traces
behind them."
"If you can prove them, and Wyck turns out the villain you say, think
for a moment what the result will be. I am no ordinary girl full of
puling sentiment. I love or I hate, and if my love is trampled on, there
is a dangerous woman to be faced who will thirst for revenge. So be
careful," and her voice took a stern, menacing tone.
"Would you like Mr. Morris to corroborate all I have said?" asked Hal,
struck with the change in her, and feeling she was all she described
herself.
The waiter was summoned, and bidden to fetch Morris.
"Reg, I have told Miss Goodchild all about Wyck. Will you give her your
version?" said Hal, as Reg entered the room.
Reg told his story, and Miss Goodchild listened attentively, and said:
"Your accounts certainly tally, but you can give me, doubtless, further
proof. You have now a desperate woman to deal with, and if you have lied
to me, I will be revenged on both of you."
Hal for a moment was nonplussed. He had not doubted that his statements
would not be believed.
But Reg came to his rescue.
"We could procure that telegram from Port Arthur, and we could get the
landlord to certify to his story."
"That is certainly a small point in your favour, but is it the best
proof you can produce?" asked May.
"No, I have a letter here addressed to Wyckliffe. I know the
hand-writing, and I am confident it would afford you conclusive proof
that he is involved with other ladies."
"Do you mean to say you would be mean enough to suggest that the letter
should be opened?" asked May, in a disgusted tone.
"Yes, I mean it, since you doubt our word."
Here Reg deliberately tore open the envelope.
"Mr. Morris, you are a thief," cried May, excitedly. "Had I known you
were capable of such a low action, I would never have received you
here."
"Miss Goodchild, your hard words are uncalled for, but in spite of them
I shall go farther yet. We met your father when your conduct had left
him heart-broken, and we promised him to save you from the clutches of
this scoundrel Wyckliffe. And we will keep our word with or without your
assistance. Your conduct to your father has been disgraceful, and it is
not for your sake that we do this, but for his. And now I shall put the
police on Wyck's tracks, and have him arrested. It is not the course I
wanted to pursue, but having gone thus far I will go on to the end. Are
you coming, Hal?" said Reg, as he got up to leave.
"Really, Reg, I think you ought to control yourself in this lady's
presence, and not be too strong in your expressions," said Hal, going to
him.
"Stay, Mr. Morris," said May, rising. "You are quite right in every word
you have said about me. It is quite enough to convince me you are in
earnest and, to show my belief I will read that letter."
Reg passed it to her, without a word, and she read aloud:
"Melbourne,
"Sunday.
"My own darling Wyck,
"Your poor little Kitty is crying and fretting for you; come back
to her, my darling. I received your last letter, and roared over
the contents. What fun you must have had with that old chap Goody,
and his daughter. I would have given anything to have seen the old
fellow lying on the deck yelling. But I say, my darling, I'm not
jealous, but I did not like the other part of it. What a hussey the
daughter must be! You say you are going to take her yachting, and
that's she's a proud sort. I guess she won't be so proud when she
comes back. You are a terror for girls, but I won't be jealous, as
I know you only love me. But be quick and come back. I forgot to
say that two fellows looking like toffs have been enquiring for
you, and from what I can learn they don't mean you any good. They
tried to pump Dick, and he sent you a wire, which you will have had
long ago. My dear boy, do be careful. I am rather busy, but your
little wife sends you hundreds of kisses. Good-bye, my own darling,
"Your ever loving
"KITTY HARRIS."
May read the letter through calmly, without a tremor in her voice. There
was a supercilious curl of contempt on her lips as she finished. She
gave vent to neither grief nor rage, for she was made of sterner stuff
than those of her sex who faint and give way under stress of
disappointment. A change had come over her whole being, one of those
subtle changes that a moment of crisis can produce. The fickle,
light-hearted girl had disappeared, the injured woman came to the front.
There is this peculiarity about Australian girls. Outsiders consider
them empty-headed and frivolous, for they have a light, lackadaisical
manner of spending their lives, but lying dormant beneath is a nature
with a purpose which once roused is relentless in its desire for
exacting satisfaction. May Goodchild was a typical daughter of her land.
She had given her heart honestly and wholly to the man she loved; she
found he had accepted it only to trifle with it and dishonour her. It
was enough. There was no trait in her nature to lead her to repine; it
was entirely controlled by a dominant desire to punish the traitor. Hal
could scarcely believe that this stern, resolute woman was the same
woe-begone inanimate girl he had interviewed. She examined the letter
carefully, noting its date and post-mark, and putting it into her
pocket, said:
"I will keep this letter, Mr. Morris."
"I do not want it," said Reg. "Pray please yourself."
"I must apologise for my rudeness," she said, simply. "But you must
allow I should not be the woman I am if under the original circumstances
I had not defended the absent. Now all is changed; you have convinced me
of his duplicity, and gentlemen"--here she held out one hand
appealingly, and tears welled in her eyes--"an Australian girl thanks
you with her whole heart for saving what is her most precious
possession. By your help I have been able to free myself from a spell
that bound me hand and foot. You have opened my eyes, and believe me,
you will not find me ungrateful. Now, one more favour; will you kindly
send for my father at once."
"We will wire at once," said Hal, leaving the room with his friend.
They despatched the message, and started for a stroll in the open air.
"Reg," said Hal, "you are improving. By what lucky chance did you get
hold of that letter?"
"I am afraid it was hardly justifiable, but things were desperate," he
said. "You see, when you and the girl went upstairs, I felt that your
impetuous nature might have let you overlook the fact that we had no
proofs against Wyck, so I determined to lay hands on some of his
letters, and use them against him. By means of a little steaming I
opened three; two were invitations, the third, which you have heard
read, answered my requirements."
"Then you knew its contents all the time?"
"Of course, or I should not have presented it."
"Well, it has done our business for us," said Hal, satisfied.
"Yes, and Wyck has a dangerous customer to meet should he cross her path
again. Her nature is of different construction to my Amy's, for she has
strength and determination to shake herself free, and to turn the
strength of her love into bitter hatred, whereas my poor girl
succumbed."