It was a vain effort, for such an event was sure to be known to others
besides the parties concerned.
Sent on a special mission by her aunt that morning, to see whether Mr
Miggles had any fish, and with a basket to obtain a small bottle of a
peculiar water that Fisherman Dick secretly supplied to a few friends
whom he could trust, simple-faced Annie picked up some news.
"You don't want any more brandy, aunty," the girl had said; "there are
two bottles not opened, and you said you wouldn't have any more fish for
ever so long."
"Oh, Annie!" cried Miss Clode, "I thought you were beginning to be of a
little use to me."
The girl's mouth opened wide, and her nose turned red; but directly
after a cunning smile came in her face, and her eyes nearly closed.
"Oh, I say, aunty," she said softly, "I know what you mean now. You
mean go and make that an excuse for getting to know about pretty Miss
Denville going to see about the little girl."
"Worse and worse, Annie," cried Miss Clode. "Don't you understand that
a still tongue makes a wise head?"
"Oh, yes, aunty, I know now;" and nodding her head very knowingly, Annie
went off on her mission.
She returned very quickly, with a face quite scarlet with heat and
excitement, full of the news she had picked up from Mrs Miggles, who
had determined not to say a word of what she knew, and ended by telling
all.
Miss Clode was in a state of excitement, for she had heard from a
customer that young Mr Linnell, of the Parade, had fallen from the
cliff that morning and cut his head, and the news turned the little
woman pale, and she staggered and felt sick. When Annie came back she
had recovered, but only ready on hearing her niece's news to faint dead
away and lie insensible, just as stout Mrs Barclay came in about a new
account-book, and to purchase a couple of pounds' worth of bill-stamps.
"Poor little woman!" cried Mrs Barclay sympathetically. "Here, don't
make a fuss, my dear; I'll help you. Let's get her on the sofa. It's
only fainting, and the smelling-salts will bring her round. That's the
way," she panted and puffed as she helped to carry the slight little
woman into the inner room. "Worse disasters at sea. Not so bad as Mr
Linnell tumbling off the cliff this morning and cutting his head."
"He didn't tumble off the cliff," said Annie, round-eyed and trembling
with eagerness, as she whispered in Mrs Barclay's ear.
"Oh, yes, he did, my dear."
"No, he didn't," whispered Annie, as Miss Clode lay quite senseless.
"Hearing about it all upset aunty."
"Did it? What, his fall?"
"No, no, it wasn't a fall; but I mustn't say anything."
"You don't know anything," said Mrs Barclay contemptuously.
"Oh yes, I do," whispered Annie. "It's very horrid. Major Rockley shot
him in a duel this morning for horse-whipping him after Major Rockley
had insulted Miss Denville. There!"
"Hush!" whispered Mrs Barclay, whose face was now as red as Annie's.
"Your aunt is coming to."
"Don't say I told you. She would be so cross."
Mrs Barclay nodded; and, after saying a few comforting words to the
sufferer as she came to, contented herself with buying the bill-stamps,
and left the shop, while, as soon as she had recovered sufficiently,
Miss Clode wrote a few hasty lines to Colonel Mellersh, and strictly
enjoining her to hold her tongue, sent her niece off to deliver the note
on the Parade.
Colonel Mellersh was not within, but Cora Dean and her mother were
alighting from the pony-carriage, and Annie greeted them with a smile
and a curtsey, which made Mrs Dean tap the girl on the shoulder with a
formidable fan.
"Here, you come in, and walk upstairs. I want a word with you."
"No, no, not now, mother," said Cora hastily.
"Now, just you let me have my own way for once in my life, please,
Betsy," said Mrs Dean; and to avoid having words in the hall, where
they could easily be overheard, Cora gave way, and in due time, to her
intense delight, Annie was seated in one of Josiah Barclay's gilded
easy-chairs, with a piece of cake in her hand, and a glass of ginger
wine before her.
"Which is quite good enough for her," Mrs Dean had said to herself.
Cora had not taken off her things, but had gone to the window, to stand
looking out, and biting her lips with shame and rage, as she heard her
mother's words to the girl.
"Trust me, ma'am?" Annie said, with her mouth half full of sweet
Madeira cake, "that you may, ma'am, as much as you would aunty. Oh,
yes, I'm sure aunty gave his lordship the notes, and he only laughed."
Cora's beautiful white teeth gritted together as, ill-bred as she was,
she knew well enough that had she wished Lord Carboro's
openly-manifested admiration to ripen to her profit, her mother's open
invitations to him to call would have destroyed her chance.
Then she tried to shut her ears to what was going on, and stood there
wondering whether Richard Linnell would go out while she stood there--
why it was the house had been so quiet that morning, for she generally
listened for an hour to him playing duets with his father.
Then she wondered rather bitterly whether he would ever care for her,
and his coldly polite way be changed. He was always civil and pleasant,
and chatted with her when they met, but that was all, and at times it
mortified her, as she thought how beautiful she was, making her vow that
she would be revenged upon him, while at other times all this made her
sit down and sob by the hour together.
"Why should I trouble about him?" she was asking herself just then, as
she gazed from the window, and ignored the low buzzing of Annie's voice,
which came huskily through Madeira cake, "I, who might accept almost any
man I like. I've good looks, and money, and there are hundreds of men
who would be only too glad of a smile. As for--"
"Mr Linnell, ma'am? Oh, yes, it's quite true," Annie was whispering,
and the name sent a thrill through Cora.
"But he lives downstairs, girl, and we should have known."
"Oh, yes, ma'am, I learn by heart--aunty makes me--where all the
fashionable people live. I know Mr Linnell--two Mr Linnells--live
downstairs. It's in our visitor's list, along with you, and Colonel
Mellersh, and it's quite true."
What was quite true about Richard Linnell? If it was about Claire
Denville, she would tear him from her; she would crush her. How dare
she presume to think of her idol--the true, brave fellow who had dashed
into the sea and saved her when she was drowning?
Poor Fisherman Dick, like many more, not being young and handsome, was
forgotten after that ten-pound note.
Cora's eyes flashed, her cheeks burned, and she looked as beautiful as
an artist's idea of Juno, listening now with all the concentration of
her passionate nature.
"I oughtn't to talk about it, ma'am, and I wouldn't tell anyone but
you," Annie went on. "They said he fell over the cliff this morning and
cut his head."
Cora Dean saw blood upon a white forehead, and she clutched the back of
a chair, for the room seemed to be turning, and she felt sick.
"But he didn't, ma'am."
"Isn't he hurt, then?"
"Yes, ma'am, badly. I wonder you didn't know. You see, he met Major
Rockley--you know him, ma'am?--handsome dark gentleman with mustachios."
"Yes, yes, I know," said Mrs Dean, revelling in the bit of gossip.
"Have some more cake."
"Thank you, ma'am. Major Rockley was out walking with Miss Claire
Denville out on the Downs--"
Cora's faintness passed away, and the room ceased to glide round as her
eyes brightened, and she felt as if she could have embraced that
handsome _roue_, who always, bowed to her with such a look of insolent
contempt.
"And then Mr Linnell came up and took Major Rockley's whip away and
beat him."
Cora's cheeks burned with jealous rage now. How dare Richard Linnell do
that? And yet she liked him for it. He was so brave. But for Claire
Denville! Her eyes flashed again.
"Then they met this morning, ma'am, down on the sands, and fought a real
duel, and Major Rockley shot Mr Linnell."
"It is not true!" cried Cora excitedly, and once more the room began to
turn.
"Yes, ma'am, it's quite true," said Annie, with her mouth now full of
cake.
Shot!--injured by Major Rockley! and she--she could not go down to him
to wait upon him, and show him by her every act how she loved him.
A minute before she had been ready to bless Major Rockley. Now, curses
were in her heart, as she thought of him raising his hand against
Richard Linnell to strike him down.
"No, ma'am, he isn't very bad," Annie went on, in answer to a question
of Mrs Dean.
"It can't be true," Cora said to herself, as her brain seemed to become
a chaos of love, jealousy, hatred, and pride in the brave young fellow
who had saved her life, and, civilian though he was, showed himself
ready to meet such a notorious fire-eater as the Major.
Just then she gave a gasp, for she saw a stiff, military-looking man,
whom she knew to be the regimental surgeon, come up to the door.
It was true, then; and it was all she could do to keep from bursting
into an hysterical fit of sobbing.
But a thought came directly that gave her strength, and she felt joy and
elation together as she said to herself:
"He found them together, and horsewhipped the Major. Well, so much the
better. He can never think of Claire Denville again. If he did--"
She uttered a low unpleasant laugh, as Annie found that she must go
back, for she could eat no more cake; and as soon as they were alone
Mrs Dean exclaimed:
"Don't, for goodness' sake, laugh like that, my dear; it gives me the
cold shivers all down my back. It's just like Metalina in `The Haunted
Vampire,' where she takes an oath as she'll kill her rival or perish in
the attempt."
Volume Two, Chapter VIII.