"EMPTY!"
Meanwhile the merry quartette in the Rolls-Royce had reached their
destination rather late, but before she rushed off to dress, Mrs.
Speyde eagerly inquired if Miss Travers, and Sir Dudley had arrived?
"No, ma'am, not yet," replied Sutton, the butler.
"Hooray!" she cried, turning to Mayne, "I win five pounds, and I'll
gamble it away to-night, on weak, no trumpers."
There happened to be a considerable gathering at the Court that
evening. Besides the guests in the house, not a few neighbours were
present; and the beautiful old mahogany table loaded with fine silver,
and softly shaded candelabra, surrounded by smart and well-favoured
young people, looked very gay indeed. The racing party, who had
scrambled into their clothes, gradually dropped in between soup, and
the second entrée, and heartlessly announced that "the others had
evidently lost their way!" It certainly looked like it, for as time
advanced, no one appeared to fill the two vacant places;--and vacant
places, make a gap, and spoil the symmetry of a dinner table, much as a
missing front tooth, mars a pretty face!
"They certainly ought to be here by _this_ time," remarked Mrs. De
Wolfe, consulting her wristlet watch, "it's just half-past nine."
"Perhaps the car has broken down?" suggested Major Horne, "and they are
walking home!"
"A fairly long walk," said Billy Miller, "and a hatefully lonely road."
"Oh! Dudley won't mind _that_," said Josie, in an intimate aside.
It had been a lively and festive meal, the guests were all in high good
humour. Dessert had been disposed of, and the ladies were awaiting
Mrs. De Wolfe's "eye," when Sutton, the butler, entered with unusual
solemnity, and bending his head, made some grave announcement in the
immediate vicinity of her left ear.
"Nonsense!" she exclaimed in a startled tone, "nonsense!"
"What is it?" demanded Mayne, and his voice sounded masterful, and
imperious.
"Sutton tells me, that the car has come back, and that it is
_empty_!"--Meanwhile Sutton stood by, with a face as expressionless as
a dinner plate!
"Empty!" echoed Mrs. Horne; "what does he mean?--where are Nancy, and
Sir Dudley?"
Sutton cleared his voice twice, and with an overwhelming importance
suitable to the occasion, said: "When the footman ran down to open the
door just now, there was no one inside the car--nothing but the dust
knee cover, and Miss Travers' feather boa."
After a deadly silence, Mrs. De Wolfe pulled herself together, rose and
said, as she looked round, "Of course we shall find some ridiculous
explanation; meanwhile, let us adjourn,--I will interview Saxton
myself."
Whilst the ladies in the drawing-room were whispering, and wondering,
and the men in the dining-room were "lighting up" and passing round the
port, Mrs. De Wolfe entered the library, there to await her chauffeur.
She was accompanied by Roger, and was not a little astonished, when
Captain Mayne joined them. He made no excuse whatever, and looked
serious, and unlike his usual cheery self. After a short delay, Saxton
was ushered in,--a middle-aged, clean-shaven man,--of few words.
"Pray explain, Saxton, where you left Miss Travers, and Sir Dudley?"
said his mistress.
"That's more than I can say, ma'am," and there was a moment's silence.
"Well, say _something_!" urged Mayne impatiently (thrusting a spoon
into what was not his porridge).
"All I can say, is, that I never laid an eye on either, from the time
we left the race stand--till now."
"Where did you stop?" asked Mayne; promptly forestalling Mrs. De
Wolfe's anxious questions.
"At a little old farm by the road, to get water for the engine. I ran
round to the pump and wasn't away two minutes--later on we had a fairly
long wait, maybe a quarter of an hour, at Harraby railway crossing."
"And you never happened to look back into the car?" suggested Roger De
Wolfe.
"No, I never does,--I want all my eyes the other way."
"Very true, all right, go on."
"Well I was just staggered, when Fox opened the door of the car, and
turned to me, and said, 'Why didn't you go round to the garage? there's
no one inside'--and that's all _I_ know!"
"Very well, Saxton, that will do," said his mistress, "go now and get
your supper," and with a military salute, Saxton departed.
"It is the strangest, most extraordinary affair," declared Mrs. De
Wolfe. "I expect Nancy has done something wild, and giddy, and we shall
have her arriving to-night, in the musty old station fly, full of her
adventure, and apologies. I'm not really alarmed,--only puzzled. Well!"
rising as she spoke, "I must return to the ladies; you two, have not
had your smoke. Don't forget that we are playing Bridge,--and want to
make up four tables."
Bridge proved to be unusually engrossing, and it was only when the
players happened to be Dummy, that their thoughts wandered to the
missing couple. Mayne was not among the card party, he seemed restless,
and unsettled, and wandered into the big hall, where he concealed
himself in one of the largest arm chairs, behind a newspaper. By twelve
o'clock, the last lady guests had retired,--early hours were the rule
at the Court.
And just about this time, a sinister whisper began to creep up from
the lower regions; it reached Mrs. De Wolfe, as she was taking off
her pearls. In spite of her attitude, the old lady was painfully
anxious. "Thank God," she said to herself, "there was no fear of an
accident,--the car and Saxton had come home intact; but where were
Nancy and Dudley? Surely they must know the misery their absence was
causing."
Turning to Haynes, her confidential treasure, she said, "Is it not
extraordinary about Miss Travers? Although I have said nothing
downstairs, I am very uneasy, and half inclined to telephone to the
police station. I don't think there's much use in my going to bed, for
I shall certainly not sleep. Why, Haynes, what's the matter, your face
is all blotches,--you've been crying! Don't be foolish, don't you
know, that half the troubles in the world, are those that have never
happened."
"But this _has_ happened, ma'am," rejoined the maid with a sniff.
"Martin tells me, that Antonio got a wire from his master about eight
o'clock telling him where to bring his own car; and to pack his
clothes, and get Miss Travers' warm coat, and a few things in a suit
case. He said they were going off to Paris together."
The old lady gave a sharp exclamation, then suddenly sat down. "You
must be out of your mind!" she cried.
"Martin wouldn't give him a stitch," continued Haynes triumphantly,
"not as much as a pocket-handkerchief; she said she didn't believe a
word he said--and I know myself, that I've caught him out in awful
lies! However, he went and helped himself to a coat out of the
hall--one of _yours_, I think--took most of Sir Dudley's luggage,
and went off with the car about ten o'clock: all the men saw him--!
Here, wait a second, and I'll get a drop of brandy; keep up, my dear
lady, and don't faint if you can help it, and Mrs. De Wolfe did keep
up,--although she looked like death.
"I'm too old for these shocks, Haynes," she muttered, after a long
silence, "I thought I was hardened! I suppose so far, this story is
only known downstairs."
"That's all, ma'am; and I needn't tell you, that not one of the
servants would breathe it."
The tale was nevertheless stealing through the house. Mrs. Speyde heard
it from her maid; and was at first rudely incredulous. After taking two
or three turns up and down the room, she said, "Wait a moment, I'll not
undress yet--I've forgotten something downstairs."
"Can't I fetch it, ma'am?"
"No!" waving her back, "I know where it is myself!"
She went softly out along the corridor, and stood looking over the
balustrade into the great lounge. Mayne was the only individual
below--the other men were assembled in the smoking-room--suddenly he
glanced up, and beheld Josie in her flame-coloured garment, drifting
down the stairs. She paused half-way, and beckoned to him.
"Derek, I've something to tell you," she whispered, as she halted
on the lowest step. Glancing round, she leant forward, and said:
"Something _dreadful_ has happened!--_Dudley and Nancy have run away to
Paris!_"
Mayne stood very still--he might have been a stone.
"His own car, and chauffeur have gone to meet them with their
luggage--what a terrible blow for the old lady!"
What a terrible blow for Mayne! This was the second time that Nancy
had, so to speak, made him to pass through fire. How false, how
treacherous, was that young, and innocent face!
As Mayne remained speechless, Josie continued: "So still waters run
deep--not that Nancy was ever very _still_. Although he is my own
cousin, I always knew, that Dudley was a bad lot; a regular rotter! but
as for the girl, I must confess I'm surprised.--Aren't you?"
"I am," he assented, in a strange dry voice, "surprised in one way, but
not in another. It's not the _first_ time, that Miss Travers has run
away."
Josie opened her great black eyes, to their widest extent.
"And _you_ knew all about it--so that is the secret between you!" but
Mayne made no reply, and to her great astonishment, walked across the
hall, snatched his cap from a peg, opened the great door, and went out.
At this moment, the sound of loud and jovial voices approaching,
warned her, that the smoking-room party were about to disperse, so she
turned about, ran lightly up the stairs, and disappeared into her own
apartment. As for Mayne, he went round into the stable-yard, where men
were still hanging about: one of the neighbours had not yet taken his
departure; he noticed a group of two or three grooms, and a couple of
white-capped women in close conference,--they looked like a gang of
conspirators. The doors of the great garage had not been closed, and as
the moon made everything as bright as day, he saw, that Sir Dudley's
big Mercédès had vanished!
As she had prognosticated, Mrs. De Wolfe never slept that night. She
looked a wrinkled old wreck, when Haynes brought her her early tea;
nevertheless this Spartan matron, insisted upon getting up and having
herself dressed as usual. In spite of Haynes' expostulations, she
declared, "I'll go down to breakfast, if it costs me my life! The
people upstairs know nothing: so far no one knows the truth, except
the servants, and I feel sure that they will keep this terrible matter
to themselves. All my guests will have departed by twelve o'clock, and
then I shall take to my bed. You may call it a chill, or whatever you
like, but I depend upon you, to allow _no one_ to come near me."
The old lady's voice was unusually weak: her hands, as she put on her
rings, trembled alarmingly. At last she was ready, and just as she
was about to leave her room, a familiar figure came flying along the
passage, with outstretched hands.
"Nancy!"
"Here I am at last!" she gasped out, "and so dreadfully, dreadfully,
sorry, to have tortured you--darling Auntie," embracing her as she
spoke.
"Where have you been?" said the trembling old lady, endeavouring to
thrust her away.
"Let me come into your room, and tell you all about it." Taking her
forcibly by the arm, she added, "Do sit down,--you are shaking all
over!"
Mrs. De Wolfe made no reply, but signalled for her to speak.
"I spent last night in a cottage near Lofty.--You've heard about the
car having left us behind. This morning, I got up at four o'clock, and
walked over the wet fields, to a little station, and caught a milk
train; I gave the guard five shillings,--and he dropped me at Haygate.
Then I got the old fly,--and here I am!"
"And Dudley,--what has become of Dudley?"
"Haynes," said Nancy, suddenly turning towards her, "would you mind
asking Martin to get my bath ready,--I do feel such a grub!"
Yes, for the first time in her life, Nancy appeared positively
draggled: her hat was battered, her muslin race-gown torn and soiled,
her smart shoes were covered with mud,--whilst her face looked worn,
and almost haggard.
As soon as Haynes had departed, she sat down on the sofa by Mrs.
De Wolfe, and taking her hand, she said, "Auntie, Sir Dudley has
shown himself in his true colours, at last. He is a horrible,
false, evil-minded wretch--yes, he _is_," then very rapidly she
told how she could not resist the temptation to inspect the old
chest, of the departure of the motor, and the wire dispatched to
recall Saxton--sometimes speaking breathlessly, sometimes speaking
deliberately, always with a great agitation, Nancy related the story
of her experience in Mrs. Bode's front parlour;--to all of which her
companion listened with an expression of incredulous horror.
When at last Nancy ceased to speak, she said: "Oh, to think of Dudley:
Dudley, whom I've almost thought of as a son,--_what_ a traitor! If
anyone but you, had told me this--I would not have believed it. I must
confess, this adventure of yours, has been a terrible revelation,
another illusion destroyed. I have lost a life-long belief. Well, what
you and I, have now to do, is to conceal this escapade. I shall go
down, and announce your return. What cock and a bull story am I to tell
them, Nancy?"
She rose as she spoke, and confronted her young friend,--looking
terribly old, and shaken.
"Tell them?" repeated Nancy, "let me think! Tell them, that Sir Dudley
and I were left behind,--thanks to Saxton's mistake, and that I was
obliged to remain at the cottage for the night; but that Sir Dudley
made his way to the nearest station, and went up to London. Do you
think that will do?"
"It may pass! but what about his sending for his own car?"
"I don't suppose that will come out till later."
"No! Of course the servants will talk,--but their masters and
mistresses who are leaving me to-day are bound to believe _my_ version
of the adventure,--the least they can do after a week's hospitality!"
"Then I shall hurry off and have my bath, and dress," said Nancy, "and
come down as soon as possible, and show myself. It will be rather a
strain, all things considered, for just at present, I should like to go
away, and have a really good comfortable cry."