"Curse you! Do you hear what I say?" roared Garstang, furiously; "leave
the room!"
"No, sir, I won't!" cried the housekeeper, as she stood sobbing and
wringing her hands by Kate's side. "It's horrible; it's shameful!"
"Silence!"
"No, I won't be silenced now," cried the woman. "You're my master, and
I've done everything you told me up to now, for I thought she was only
holding back, and that at last she'd consent and be happy with you; but
you're not the good man I thought you were, and the poor dear knew you
better than I did; and I wouldn't leave her now, not if I died for it--
so there!"
"Come, come," said Garstang, hurriedly; "don't be absurd, Sarah. You
are excited, and don't know what you are saying."
"I never knew better what I was saying, sir," cried the woman,
passionately. "Absurd! Oh, God forgive you--you wicked wretch! And
forgive me too for listening to you to-day. You took me by surprise,
you did, and I didn't see the full meaning of it all. Oh, it's
shameful!--it's horrible! And I believe you've killed her; and we shall
all be hung, and serve us right, only I hope poor Becky, who is innocent
as a lamb, will get off."
"Look here, Sarah, my good woman; you are frightened, and without
cause."
"Without cause? Oh, look at her--look at her! She's dying--she's
dying!"
"Hush, you silly woman! There, I won't be cross with you; you're
startled and hysterical. Run into the dining-room and fetch the brandy
from the cellaret."
"No. If you want brandy, sir, fetch it yourself. I don't stir from
here till this poor dear has come to, or lies stiff and cold."
Garstang ground his teeth, and rushed upon the woman savagely, but she
did not shrink; and he mastered himself and took a turn or two up and
down the room before facing her again, and beginning to temporise.
"Look here, Sarah," he said, in a low, husky voice; "I've been a good
friend to you."
"Yes, sir, always," said the woman, with a sob.
"And I've made a home here for your idiot child."
"Which she ain't an idiot at all, sir, but she ain't everybody's money;
and grateful I've always been for your kindness, and you know how I've
tried to show it. Haven't I backed you up in this? Of course, you
wanted to marry such a dear, sweet, young creature; but for it to come
to that! Oh! shame upon you, shame!"
Garstang made a fierce gesture, but he controlled himself and stopped by
her again.
"Now just try and listen to me, and let me talk to you, not as my old
servant, but as my old friend, whom I have trusted in this delicate
affair, and whom I want to go on trusting to help me."
"No, sir, no. You've broken all that, and I'll never leave the poor
dear--there!"
"Will you hear me speak first?" said Garstang, making a tremendous
effort to keep down his rage.
"Yes, sir, I'll listen," said the woman; "but I'll stop here."
"Now, let me tell you, then--as a friend, mind--how I am situated. It
is vital to me that we should be married at once, and you must see as a
woman, that for her reputation's sake, after being here with me so long,
she ought to give up all opposition. Now, you see that--"
"I'd have said `Yes' to it yesterday, sir," said the woman, firmly; "but
I can't say it to-night."
"Nonsense! I tell you it is for her benefit. I only want her to feel
that further resistance is useless. There, now, I have spoken out to
you. You see it is for the best. To-morrow or next day we shall be
married by special license. I have made all the arrangements."
"Then, now go and make all the arrangements for the poor dear's funeral,
you bad, wicked wretch!" cried the woman passionately, as she sank on
her knees and clasped Kate about the waist. "Oh, my poor dear, my poor
dear, he has murdered you!"
"Silence, idiot!" cried Garstang, in a fierce whisper. "Can't you see
that she is only asleep?"
"Asleep? Do you call this sleep? Look at her poor staring eyes. Feel
her hands.--No, no, keep back. You shan't touch her."
She turned upon him with so savage and cat-like a gesture that he
stopped short with his brows rugged and his hands clenched.
There was a few moments' pause, but the woman did not wince; and
Garstang felt more than ever that he must temporise again. He burst
into a mocking laugh.
"Oh, you silly woman," he said. "All this nonsense about a girl's
holding off for a time. You've often heard her say how she liked me.
You know she came here of her own free will. And I know you feel that I
mean to marry her as soon as I can persuade her to come to the church.
What a storm you are making about nothing! She has taken something.
Well, you consented to its being given her; and you are going as frantic
as if I had poisoned her."
"I know, I know," cried the woman, "and I was a vile wretch to consent
to help you."
"Stuff and nonsense, Sarah, old friend. Now look here; suppose instead
of its being a harmless sleeping draught, it had been the effect of her
drinking an extra glass or two of champagne. Would you have gone on
then like this?"
"It's of no use for you to talk; I know what a smooth winning tongue
you've got, as would bring a bird down out of a tree; but I know you
thoroughly now; and Becky was right; you're a base man, and you did
worry and worry poor dear Mr Jenour till he shot himself. You robbed
him till you'd got everything that was his, and now you've murdered this
poor darling girl."
"That will do," cried Garstang, stung now to the quick. "If you will be
a fool you must suffer for it. Now, listen to me, woman; this is my
house, and this is my wife. She came to me, and she is mine. I have
told you that I will take her to the church. Now, go up to your room--I
am desperate now--and if you dare to make a sound or to leave it till
to-morrow morning, I'll shoot you and your girl too."
The woman stared at him, her lips parted, and with dilated eyes.
"You know what this place is. Not a sound can reach the outside. You
have not a soul who would come to inquire after you, and the world would
never know what had become of you. Now go."
She stood up, trembling like a leaf, fascinated by his fierce eyes, and
began to walk slowly round to the other side of the table, sidewise, so
as to keep as far from him as she could.
"Hah!" he said, through his set teeth, "you understand me then at last.
Upstairs with you at once," and as he spoke he stepped quickly to Kate's
side, dropped on one knee, and took hold of her icy hand. But he sprang
to his feet, half stunned, the next moment, for with a wild cry, the
woman threw open the door as if to escape from him, but tore out the
key.
"Becky! Becky!" she shrieked.
"Yes, mother!" came from where the tied-up face was stretched over the
balustrade on the first floor.
"Lock yourself in master's room, open the window, and shriek murder
until the police come."
"Damnation!" roared Garstang; and he rushed at and seized the woman, who
clung to one of the bookshelves, bringing it down with a crash, and a
shriek came from the upper floor.
"Stop her," roared Garstang. "There, I give in. Here, Becky, your
mother will speak to you."
"Lock yourself in the room, but don't scream till I tell you, or he
comes," cried the woman.
"That will do," said Garstang, savagely, and he loosed his hold, with
the result that the woman ran back to the insensible girl, and once more
clasped her in her arms.
Garstang began to pace up and down the room, but paused at the door, to
reach out and see Becky's white face and eyes displaying the white rings
round them, peering down from above.
At the sight of him she rushed to his bedroom, and stood half inside,
ready to lock herself in if he attempted to ascend.
A wild cry from Sarah Plant took Garstang back to her side.
"I knew it--I knew it!" she cried, bursting into a passionate fit of
sobbing; "you've killed her. Look at her, sir, look. Oh, my poor dear,
my poor dear! God forgive me! What shall I do?"
A chill of horror ran through Garstang, and he bent down over his
victim, trembling violently now, as he raised one eyelid with his
finger, then the other, bent lower so that his cheek was close to her
lips, and then caught her hand, and tried to feel her pulse.
"No, no; she is only sleeping," he said, hoarsely.
"Sleeping!" moaned the woman, hysterically; "do you call that sleep?"
Garstang drew a deep breath, and his horror increased.
"Help me to lay her on the couch," he said, huskily.
"No, no, I'm strong enough," groaned the woman. "Oh, my poor dear--my
poor dear! he has murdered you."
She rose quickly, and in her nervous exaltation, passed her arms round
the helpless figure, and lifted it like a child, to bear it to the
couch, and lay it helplessly down.
"Oh, help, help!" she groaned, in a piteous wail. "A doctor--fetch a
doctor at once."
"No, no, go for brandy--for cold water to bathe her face."
"I don't leave her again," cried the woman, passionately; "I'd sooner
die."
Garstang gazed down at them wildly for a few moments, and then rushed
across into the dining-room, obtained the brandy, a glass, and a carafe
of water, and returned, to begin bathing Kate's temples and hands, but
without the slightest result, save that her breathing became fainter,
and the ghastly symptoms of collapse slowly increased.
"She's going--she's going!" moaned the shuddering woman, who knelt by
the couch, holding Kate tightly as if to keep her there. "We've
poisoned her! we've poisoned her!"
The panic which had seized upon Garstang increased, as he gazed wildly
at his work. Strong man as he was, and accustomed to control himself,
he began now to lose his head; and at last, thoroughly aghast, he caught
the housekeeper by the shoulder and shook her.
"Don't leave her," he said, in a husky whisper. "I'm going out."
"What!" cried the woman, turning and catching his arm; "going to try and
escape, and leave me here?"
"No, no," he whispered; "a doctor--to fetch a doctor."
"Yes, yes," moaned the woman; "a doctor--fetch a doctor; but it is too
late--it is too late!"
Garstang hardly heard her words, as he bent down and took a hurried look
at Kate's face. Then hurrying to the door, he caught sight of Becky
still watching.
"Go down and help your mother," he cried, excitedly; and unfastening the
door, he rushed out.