WAITING FOR NEWS
When Edith Dove and Miss Chain met on the morning after the storm, the
weather had much improved, and they eagerly awaited Goodall’s joining
them at the breakfast table, to hear how the balloon had fared during
the night. Their surprise was, therefore, very great when the squire
came in and announced that they might look for Goodall in vain, at
anyrate for the present, as he had ascended soon after sunrise, the
atmosphere being so inviting that he preferred to dry his balloon in
the sun’s rays instead of retaining it in the wet park.
“And do you think, my dear father, that Mr Goodall would act in that
way without any intimation of leaving us so suddenly?” said Edith, with
some degree of feeling.
“He left us most affectionate remembrances,” replied the squire, “so
Bennet tells me, for I have been down the park and have only this
minute returned.”
“Did Mr Goodall go alone, papa?”
“Oh, dear no, Trigger was with him, but he made no mention, that I
heard, as to how far he was going, and it was amusing to hear how he
gave the doctor the slip. Peters, it appears, came in very early and
was prying about, wanting in a more friendly spirit to know this, that
and the other, when our friend Harry, in a humorous way, sent him off
on a fool’s errand. After breakfast, we may get some news as to where
they descended.”
“They will have to make,” said Miss Chain, with evident anxiety, “an
exceedingly short trip.”
“I should think so,” said Edith, “considering that the wind blows
towards the sea. Surely they would not drop near the Channel.”
The squire, who wanted his breakfast, replied curtly,--
“I daresay they will; but pray, Edith, do not let us enter upon
fruitless speculations, as we may hear at any moment that they are
perfectly safe.”
“I’m not at all sure that this ascent of Mr Goodall’s was not
premeditated,” said Miss Dove, seriously, “for I noticed when Mr
Goodall and you, father, left us in the carriage for Lewes, that you
both were evidently hatching some mysterious plan, and I passed a most
restless night in consequence, but I hope that no wild adventure has
taken place.”
“My dear, Edith, if we fail to receive good news before dinner, I will
readily grant that I was wrong for not advising Harry Goodall to let
out the gas before the storm came on,” replied her father, evasively.
“How I wish it had been,” said Edith, who looked at Miss Chain, with
anxiety depicted on her face.
“I knew,” added the squire, “that our brave young friend would
sooner--well, I won’t say what. Be patient. It will all be right in the
end, depend on it.”
“Now, don’t take a gloomy view of things, dear Edith,” said Miss Chain,
“for, even if he were to attempt to cross the Channel, I have heard Mr
Goodall say that if ever a balloon was fitted for service of that kind,
his new silk balloon was the one. But you are eating nothing, dear.”
“Thanks, but I don’t seem to have any appetite.”
The squire did not choose to explain himself further, although he
inferred from Miss Chain’s demeanour that she, to some extent, shared
Edith’s fears.
Soon after Doctor Peters arrived, and before he could be stopped, he
blurted out that he “had news in more ways than one, and had just had
a message from a friend who lived near Newhaven to say that a balloon,
reported to have ascended from Wedwell Park, failed to effect a landing
near the South Coast, and had been driven out to sea.”
“I, for one,” cried the squire, with great vehemence, “am not in the
least alarmed by what you state, Peters, though I do not thank you
for offering this intelligence to my daughter instead of to me, as
it savours of the pessimism which is your ruling complaint, and I
don’t believe a word of it, and can assure you that I have thorough
confidence in the aeronaut’s skill and feel assured of his safety.”
“That is all very well, squire, if the balloon has sustained no injury.”
“I insist upon it, Peters, that just now, in my daughter’s presence
you keep your croaking tongue within your teeth, and if you in any way
further espouse Falcon’s cause, or anyone belonging to him, I shall
hold you guilty of being connected with him in some way or other.”
“Hold me guilty, squire! why, I am now quite on another tack, being in
possession of fresh information.”
“You may or may not be, but if I thought you had in any way
communicated with him since he has proved himself a villain, I would,
notwithstanding my position, turn you out of the house!”
“Stop, stop, squire. A threat to commit a breach of the peace from a
magistrate--that is too dreadful to think about.”
“Is it? Well, you had better take yourself off with your forebodings of
evil. You would raise the blood of a saint.”
“Indeed, squire, I was just going to tell you how I have been myself
treated by Falcon.”
But Squire Dove, whose back was up, ignored the remark, regretting,
however, when he was cooler, that he had not heard the doctor out. For,
as Edith Dove said, “Falcon might have done the doctor some harm; he
had certainly something on his mind.”
“If so, Edith, we shall soon hear about it; and one can always feel and
express regret for hasty behaviour. If I have done Peters the least
injustice, I shall be the first to apologize.”
At length the post arrived, bringing an important letter from Mr
William Goodall, Harry’s uncle. It was addressed to the squire, who
read it out to the ladies with a view of diverting their minds from
the disagreeable impressions which had been produced by the doctor’s
ill-timed visit. The letter was as follows:--
“MY DEAR DOVE,--I was much pleased with your account of the
sensational version of my nephew’s unpremeditated visit to you, which
appeared in a Sussex newspaper.
“I was truly glad to hear that Harry Goodall made a favourable
impression on you and your daughter, and that he and his companions
had been invited to remain for a time at Wedwell Hall.
“The fact of Harry having made your acquaintance through the medium
of his balloon, was indeed a great surprise to me, especially as I
had told him that you and Miss Dove would never receive him as a
visitor whilst he was addicted to ballooning; and when I heard that
it was in that character he won your good opinion, I was delighted
though astounded at the news, as it convinced me that ‘Nothing is so
certain as the unexpected.’
“And it seems that it was through Harry that you were led to finding
out what a designing rascal that man Falcon is, so that I cannot
reasonably take my nephew to task for pursuing his favourite pastime,
after all is said and done. As I shall be down your way shortly, I
will do myself the pleasure of calling at Wedwell Park when we can
talk over Falcon’s misdeeds.
“I myself happen to possess a photograph of the lake incident at the
Crystal Palace to which you allude. It was through my advice that my
nephew suppressed the circulation of it, but I detected the likeness
of Falcon in the boat, though I was not sure as to the identity of
your daughter being the lady who was rescued by Harry Goodall. I now
congratulate Miss Edith and yourself on the event, and I thank you
for your polite attention to Captain Link and to his lady friend,
whom Miss Dove is so much charmed with. I am expecting to hear of
Link’s arrival in Cherbourg, and am glad to say that he stands very
high in my estimation, and is the most trustworthy captain in my
employ.
“I will not dilate on the good opinions formed of him in Sydney, as
the revelations I shall have to make in reference to Falcon, will be
connected with the ship _Neptune_ which Link commanded.
“At this moment, I cannot fix the day on which I hope to see you, as
it will depend upon the arrival of a steamer with two passengers on
board from the Cape. With kind regards to yourself and Miss Dove,--I
remain, faithfully yours,
“WILLIAM GOODALL.”
“I think after that letter,” said the squire, “we shall have to await
philosophically the full tide of events. In the meantime, I shall be
glad to know, Edith, if you have heard anything from Lucy that will
throw any more light on the situation.”
“Well, my dear father, Lucy did not think that Trigger knew what was
his master’s real aim in ascending. He must have been hurrying on the
preparations for what appeared to be a complete voyage of discovery.
But she had no hint from Trigger, and the gamekeeper could not fathom
what their objects were or their destination.”
“No, I don’t suppose they had,” said the squire.
“But it must have been something, papa, beyond the mere drying
process, as they were equipped as if for an aggressive expedition.”
“I do hope, dear,” said Miss Chain, “that you were wrongly informed
there. They might have had instruments for observations and
meteorological research.”
“Oh, they had very different implements from what you mention, my
dear,” said Miss Dove. “There were strange-looking appliances outside
the car, and within there were guns, pistols, an air-gun and I don’t
know what besides.”
“Let me,” said the squire, “say a word about that part of the story.
Bennet explained that he had provided firearms in case any attack was
made on the balloon by night, and these weapons were for safety placed
in the car; but when Mr Goodall resolved upon baulking the doctor’s
curiosity, he would not wait to have the balloon pulled down for that
purpose, and I think, under the circumstances, Harry was right to slip
cable, for the doctor might have terrified you more by any reference to
the firearms than he did by his message that a balloon had been seen
going out to sea.”
“Tell me, Miss Chain, were there firearms in the car when you ascended
from Sydenham?”
“Oh, dear no, I am quite sure there were not.”
“How now, Lucy?” asked the squire, as the maid entered with a letter.
“It is from the harbour-master at Newhaven, sir. Shall the man wait for
an answer?”
“Yes, by all means. This is what he writes,” said the squire:--
“‘I am glad to say that the detective from Sydenham and Wedwell Hall
has been on the lookout for the two men wanted. One was seen to go on
board a foreign vessel which was lying off the port. He was a little
man, but had a bag with him. Have you dispatched a balloon from the
park? If so, it is going across the Channel splendidly; it made a
temporary halt at Bishopstone. Please reply.’
“Yes, certainly I will, and thank our friend at Newhaven for such very
welcome news.”
“Welcome news, papa?”
“Why not, Edith, it is far more reassuring than the doctor’s version.
What say you, Miss Chain?”
“It accords with Mr Goodall’s views as to the competency of his
balloon.”
“Just so,” cried the squire. “I regard it as a promising instalment of
good news, and shall look for better in the morning.” Then turning to
Lucy, the squire said,--“Tell the bearer that if he will sit down I’ll
speak with him.”
After the squire had gone below, Miss Chain said,--
“I really do sympathise with you, Miss Dove, and cannot understand
what Mr Goodall is bent on accomplishing.”
“He is perhaps attempting to cross the Channel with the idea of
pursuing the fugitives in France, but to me,” said Miss Dove,
hysterically, “it seems fearfully venturesome.”
“Let us hope it will all end well,” said Miss Chain.