The same questions were asked day by day, on either side, when Mr
Hampton returned to The Mynns from his daily visits to town.
"Any news?"
"No."
"Any news?"
"No."
But, somehow, it was observed that Gertrude did not appear at all
low-spirited. In fact, as each day glided by she seemed to become more
hopeful and buoyant. There was a new light in her eyes, and as Mrs
Hampton watched she often caught sight of a pleasant, satisfied smile
playing about the girl's lips which had never appeared before.
Every now and then her voice rang through the old house, as she sang
some ballad; but her happiest moments seemed to be those when she daily
took Bruno down the garden for his bask on the lawn, and a dreamy look
stole over the girl's face as she knelt down by the dog, and laid her
hand on his damaged head just in the same way as she had seen other
hands laid one day, that seemed now long ago.
She could kneel thus and dream happy day-dreams, again and again--dreams
of which she never tired, and all the time the sun shone down and
glorified her luxuriant hair, gave beauty to her graceful form, and made
the dark yew hedge glisten as if frosted with silver, the velvet lawn
seem of golden green, and the great, red brick wall, that lay between
her and the road, glow and show up the neatly-trained trees.
A new life seemed to have dawned for her, and the sunshine brightened
her darkened heart as she bent over and caressed the dog--lifting
playfully first one and then the other of his long, soft, hairy ears to
whisper with girlish glee:
"Yes, some day, Bruno--some day he will come again." Then she looked
round, almost with a guilty start, but only for the former restful look
of happiness to come back.
"Such a change, ma'am; such a change. Poor darling! If that other
business had gone on, it would have broken her poor, dear heart."
"Yes, Denton," said Mrs Hampton, as she went on knitting. And then to
herself: "Well, somehow, it's very pleasant to be down here in the
quaint old place."
"What does the doctor say about Mr Saul, ma'am?" asked Denton another
time, for there was nothing she enjoyed better than respectfully asking
a few questions, and leading the lady guest of the place into a long
chat.
"That he is very bad, Denton."
"Poor young man! Do you think I ought to go and nurse him, ma'am?"
"No, Denton," said the old lady so decidedly, that the housekeeper
started, and looked at her wonderingly.
Their further conversation was stopped by the sound of Gertrude's voice
singing as she came in from the garden, and the old housekeeper stood
with her hands clasped, gazing towards the door.
"Like a bird," she said softly--"like a bird. It does my old heart good
to hear her sing again. Its just like old times, ma'am; while lately,
since poor, dear old master's death and those marriage troubles came
upon her, she has not been like the same."
"She seems merry enough now, Denton."
"Yes, ma'am," said the old woman, pausing at the door as she opened it,
"she's merry enough now. And I know why--and I know why," she added to
herself, with a pleasant little laugh. "Poor darling! If she marries
now, it will be the man who has stolen away her heart."
There was no news that evening when the lawyer came from town, seeming
quite to have settled down now to the place, and making but rare
references to his departure. Gertrude had just come in from a visit to
Bruno, who had altered wonderfully during the past few days; and as she
came in, it was plain to see the heart was light which animated her
step, telling the thoughtful of the calm and satisfied waiting of the
heart for that which was to be.
"I thought Doctor Lawrence was coming down with you, Mr Hampton?" she
cried.
"Eh? Yes, my dear; but he preferred going and seeing a patient first.
He said he'd catch the next train, and ought to be here as--There he
is."
Gertrude ran to the window to wave her hand to the amiable old man, but
shrank back covered with confusion, and looking suspiciously from one to
the other.
"Anything the matter, my dear?" said Mrs Hampton wonderingly.
"Matter? No," said the lawyer, glancing towards the window. "Why, hang
it all! he has brought down Mr Blank."
"And, pray, who is Mr Blank?" said the old lady, adjusting her glasses.
"Why, Phineas, what do you mean? It's Mr George Harrington."
"Good-evening, ladies. There, you need not look so severe, Hampton; I
brought our young friend down, and if the ladies consider that I have
exceeded my rights, we'll go back again."
"Such nonsense!" said Mrs Hampton sharply.
"I hope you will forgive my coming," the doctor's companion was saying
to Gertrude, as she shook hands.
Silence is said to give consent. That must have been the interpretation
placed upon Gertrude's silence, for her heart was too full to speak, and
their visitor stayed and dined.
"No," he said, in the course of the conversation, as to his proceedings,
for imperceptibly he had won so upon all present that they seemed now to
accept his words as those of the truth: "I have worked very hard and
traced our friend to all his haunts, where he is well-known, but I
cannot find that he has been there since the night he left here. I have
been over to Paris, and on to Switzerland."
"With ten pounds?" said the old lawyer sharply.
"No. I wrote to Doctor Lawrence when that sum was expended. Did he not
tell you?"
"No; I've been so busy and anxious over Saul Harrington's case that I
forgot to name it, Hampton."
The lawyer grunted.
"I have traced Mr Saul Harrington's course over on the Continent as
easily as could be, but I did not hear a word about his accident."
"That's strange," said Mrs Hampton.
"Neither could I find that mine enemy had been with him. He was alone
all through; and, after spending a lot of money, time, and thought, I am
forced to come back and say to you that I must seem in your eyes a
greater impostor than ever."
"You must try again," said the doctor cheerfully. "The position remains
the same."
"Yes, I must try again," said the young man thoughtfully. "But I begin
to fancy that I have been working from the wrong end. We shall see."
The dinner passed off without further allusion to the search for the
missing man; but it was plain enough that the visitor's every movement
was being critically scanned, the three elders unconsciously seeking for
suspicious movements, or words that might indicate their visitor was
playing a part, but with the result that they grew greater partisans
than ever.
"You'll join us in the drawing-room?" said Mrs Hampton, as the ladies
rose from the table; and she looked direct at the visitor.
"You are very kind," he replied, "but I was going to talk business with
these gentlemen for a few minutes, and then go back to town."
"You will have plenty of time for both," said the old lady; and then as
they left the room: "I look your place then, Gertie, and acted as your
mouthpiece," she whispered. "Did I play my part correctly?"
Gertrude tried to answer, but the words would not come; and, escaping
from her companion in dread lest she would break down, she ran off to
the stable to make Bruno her confidant, and ended by bringing him with
her to let him lie down upon the grass just outside the drawing-room
window.
Meanwhile, the gentlemen were discussing the topic uppermost in their
minds, and the result of the conversation was a declaration from the
visitor that Saul Harrington must be made to speak out.
"Must?" said the old lawyer. "Easily said, sir; but suppose it is
against Saul Harrington's interest to speak. A cross-examining
barrister might do a great deal, but you could do nothing."
"I don't know; so much depends upon accident. At all events I shall see
him at once."
"That would be useless just now," said the doctor. "He is seriously
ill, and half delirious at times. You could do no good by seeing him
now."
"Let's join the ladies," said the lawyer. "I wish you would not come
down here, sir. It seems to me that you place me in a very peculiar
position."
"One for which you will be grateful some day, Mr Hampton," said the
young man laughing. "How hard it is to get elderly people to do their
duty."
They were on the way to the drawing-room, and the doctor had just opened
the door.
There was a loud bark, and the sound of something being overturned.
"Bruno! Bruno!" cried Gertrude, as she caught the dog by his collar.
"Bless us and save us, my dear!" cried Mrs Hampton. "Do have that dog
locked up."
"What's that? My patient!" said the young man, as he entered the
drawing-room.
Gertrude's ears tingled, for this was all new to those present.
There was a volley of barks and the dog stood panting and listening.
"Well, Bruno, old fellow; how's the head?"
The dog gave a joyful whine, ran to him, and tried to raise himself up
so as to place his paws upon the speaker's breast, but failed.
"Come, you are ten times better than when I saw you last--ever so much
stronger, too. Why, the head's getting all right again."
"When did he see him last?" thought Mrs Hampton.
"Why, you seem old friends," said Doctor Lawrence.
"Yes," said Gertrude quickly. "Mr George Harrington saw me when I was
down the garden one day with the dog."
The lawyer coughed.
"No, sir, don't do that," said the young man laughing, as he sat with
the dog resting his heavy head upon his knee.
"Do what, sir?"
"Cough in that meaning way. It is a reflection upon the lady."
"Oh, indeed!"
"Either upon her seeing me one day by accident, or upon her calling me
Mr George Harrington. Come, Mr Hampton it is of no use your holding
back. Never mind the lawyer. The man believes I am George Harrington,
and surely there can be no harm in two affianced folk having half an
hour's chat about a dog."
The position was most painful for Gertrude, but there was a sudden
diversion, for the gate-bell rang, and Mrs Hampton came to her help.
"Visitors! and to-night. Why, my dear, whom do you expect?"
A pause ensued as steps were heard, and directly after the old
housekeeper entered quickly to whisper to Gertrude:
"Mr Saul, miss, and he does seem so strange."
Saul Harrington had entered close behind her, a strange, ghastly-looking
object, the more strange in aspect from his hair clinging above his dark
brow, and his dress consisting mainly of an overcoat tightly-buttoned
about his throat.
"My dear sir!" cried the doctor, as he hurried to his side; but at that
moment there was an ominous sound, and Saul seized a chair and whirled
it above his head.