The Cousins' Return
''Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest bark
Bay deep-mouthed welcome as we draw near home;
'Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark
Our coming, and look brighter when we come.'--_Byron._
'Agatha! Clare! I have had an adventure! Where are you? Oh, here
you are; now listen!'
Elfie ran breathlessly into the house one afternoon in great
excitement. She had been for a walk, and had come in late for tea.
Agatha was writing letters at her davenport in the drawing-room, and
Clare was still toying with her cup of tea. A book was in her lap, but
her thoughts were far away. Her face still wore its sad and somewhat
wistful look; yet there was gradually dawning upon it the sense of
repose and rest. Her sisters noted the old fretfulness and
restlessness had gone out of her tones, and whilst Elfie wondered,
Agatha rejoiced that trouble had not hardened or embittered her.
Elfie threw herself into a seat, looking the picture of health and
fresh young beauty.
'I have been to the pine woods,' she began eagerly, 'and I was
rejoicing in my solitude, and walking along through the very darkest
part, when I heard voices coming towards me. I wondered if it would
turn out to be Major Lester and any of his friends, for I knew he had a
private gate into the wood from his grounds. So, not wanting to meet
any one, I turned down a side path, and then if you please came plump
against the very man I wanted to avoid--Major Lester himself. He quite
started when he saw me, but took off his hat and tried to be civil.
You know I have been introduced to him at the Millers'. I apologised
if I were trespassing, and then he said with a little bow, "I do not
wish to keep my neighbours at a distance, Miss Dane; you are welcome to
use any foot-path through my woods. I have no secrets on my property,
I am thankful to say!" I thought that rather nasty of him, for I knew
he meant our cupboard, but I murmured something polite, and was just
going to turn back, when the voices I had heard came nearer, and
suddenly two strange young men came down the path in front of us. You
should have seen Major Lester's face; he stared as if he couldn't
believe his eyes, and his hand resting on his stick trembled as if he
had the palsy. Then he made a step forward,--
"Roger, my boy, is it you, or do my eyes play me false?"
'Before I could get away, one young man said in a most emphatic voice,
and rather sternly too, I thought, "I have brought him back to you,
uncle, and he will tell you for himself whether my poor father or I had
any hand in his disappearance!" Then I made my escape; I heard them
all talking at once. Isn't it exciting? The lost ones have come back.
I think they had walked from Brambleton station--taken the short cut
through the woods. They looked as if they had roughed it. So
weather-beaten and worn!'
'This is an excitement,' Agatha said, turning round from her writing;
'what is Alick Lester like, Elfie?'
'Oh, I didn't notice, I hadn't time. They were both tall,
broad-shouldered men in rough shooting clothes, I think. Do you think
they will be paying us a visit, Agatha?'
'I suppose Mr. Alick Lester will,' and Agatha's face assumed rather an
anxious expression, as she remembered her charge.
'Where is he going to live, I wonder?' said Clare; 'it may seem to him
that we are usurpers. Do you think he knows about his father's legacy
to you, Agatha?'
Agatha shook her head doubtfully.
'I don't know. I suppose his lawyer will have told him, if he has been
to see him. I expect he will stay up at the Hall. Major Lester would
be hard-hearted indeed if he did not make him welcome after finding his
long-lost son!'
The next morning the whole village was in excitement with the news.
Miss Miller tore here and there, pulling at her bonnet strings, and
quite incoherent in her speech.
'The vicar is asking Alick to put up with us,' she said, meeting Agatha
out. 'It is very trying for him, poor fellow, to find both his father
and home taken from him, and it's not to be expected that he would stay
long at the Hall, and if his father hadn't died, you wouldn't be where
you are, and I suppose we did misunderstand him; but if he had come to
church regularly he would have found us his friends, and what he will
do now I can't think! I can't stop a minute; I must see Major Lester
before our quarterly meeting about church expenses, which takes place
this afternoon at two o'clock; and I have just remembered that the
bed-hangings of the spare room bed are at the laundry, and if Alick is
to sleep there to night I must superintend the cleaning of the room
myself!'
Agatha smiled as she returned home, and wondered if there was anything
in the vicarage or parish that Miss Miller did not superintend.
Early in the afternoon Clare, who was doing a little gardening, was
startled by the sudden appearance of Agatha in the greatest distress of
mind, and quite shaken out of her usual composure.
'Oh, Clare, whatever shall I do? I have lost a most important little
packet, and I am dreadfully afraid it has been stolen from me.'
'What packet?'
'A small packet Mr. Lester gave to me. I did not say anything about
it, because he did not wish me to. I put it in my dressing-case, which
always stands on my dressing-table, and I placed it in the secret
drawer. The drawer is empty, and the paper gone. I was to give it to
his son when he returned, and I promised to keep it safely. I cannot
imagine what can have become of it! What shall I do? I wonder how any
one could have found it. It is a perfect mystery to me!'
'You must have forgotten where you put it,' said Clare; 'let me come
and look. It is quite impossible for any one to have stolen it.'
But Clare's search was quite as unsuccessful as Agatha's, and the
latter became almost tearful in her agitation and distress.
'Mr. Alick Lester will be sure to call, and it was his father's wish he
should open the cupboard. How can he do it, when I have lost the
directions?'
'Is that all the packet contained?' asked Clare, looking relieved. 'I
had no idea you possessed the key to it! How quiet you have kept it!
And now I will surprise you by telling you that I have found out myself
the way to open that cupboard, so am quite independent of any written
instructions!'
Agatha certainly was surprised, and though thankful when Clare related
her experience to her, did not feel more at ease.
'I have been careless of my charge,' she said. 'What will Mr. Alick
think of me? And it is alarming to think that some one has got
possession of the secret. They may have opened the cupboard already,
for all I know, or may be going to do it this very night. I wonder if
our maids are to be trusted! Perhaps Jane has been tampering with my
case.'
'I am sure she wouldn't. You don't walk in your sleep, do you?'
Agatha gave a little laugh.
'No, you know I do not. I remember looking at it only a week ago, and
putting it carefully back again.'
'Was any one in the room when you did it?'
'No--at least Jane came in, I remember, for she startled me, but she
would never know what it was.'
There was silence; then Agatha said more slowly, 'It does look rather
suspicious, now I have remembered about Jane, because she has been such
friends lately with Major Lester's valet. You know she always walks
home from church with him. Elfie was laughing about it, and saying she
had soon picked up a follower.'
'I don't see the connection between those two threads,' said Clare,
'unless you think Major Lester is a thief himself!'
'I don't know what I think,' said Agatha hopelessly, sitting down on a
chair, and looking the picture of woe; 'I only know I have lost what I
promised to keep safely, and I know that Major Lester's great desire
has been to get at that cupboard. We won't say anything about it to
the maids, Clare, but I will write a little note to Mr. Alick, asking
him to come and see me the first thing to-morrow morning. I will tell
him exactly what has happened, and then with your help he can open the
cupboard, and we shall no longer have the responsibility of it.'
With this wise decision Agatha brightened up, and Clare, who loved
nothing better than a mystery, grew quite animated in discussing the
matter, and offering her advice. Elfie was taken into counsel, and the
three resolved to say nothing till they laid the facts before Alick
Lester.
One of the maids was despatched with a note to the Hall, and Agatha
received a polite reply from the young man, saying that he hoped to
call on her about eleven o'clock the next morning.
But Agatha could get no sleep that night; she was anxious and ill at
ease, and after tossing about in bed, long after the rest of the
household were deep in sleep, she rose to pace her room, as she
sometimes did when wakeful.
Her lips were moving in prayer, and she was endeavouring, as was her
custom, to commit her trouble to One above, when she was distinctly
conscious of stealthy footsteps treading the gravel path below her
window. It was a bright moonlight night, and she had no light burning.
For one moment she hesitated; then quietly she walked to the window,
which was partly open, and cautiously moving the blind looked out.
The shadow of a man turning the corner of the house towards the study
window met her gaze, and Agatha realized that the time had come for
immediate action. She was naturally a brave woman; yet for an instant,
when she remembered they were but a houseful of women, her courage
faltered. Only for an instant. Her motto, 'Trust in the Lord,'
flashed like a light across her path, and throwing on her dressing
gown, she left her room with quiet, steady steps. She roused Clare,
who slept in the next room, and who, full of nerves and fancies as she
was, delighted in any nocturnal adventure.
'We really ought to have revolvers,' she said, as she rapidly prepared
to follow Agatha downstairs. 'What have you got in your hand? A
poker?'
'Don't make a noise; I think we shall frighten any one away without
rousing the whole house.'
Clare valiantly seized both poker and tongs in her room, and crept
downstairs. Agatha led the way, a candle in hand. They reached the
study, and Agatha threw open the door. To her horror the French window
was wide open, and a man was on his knees by the cupboard, a lantern on
the ground. He started to his feet; then, bewildered and utterly
unprepared for their sudden intrusion, dashed out on the verandah and
disappeared, but not before both Agatha and Clare had plainly
recognised him. He was Major Lester's valet!
[Illustration: AND SAW A MAN ON HIS KNEES BY THE CUPBOARD]
Agatha hastily closed the window and shutters, then looked at Clare,
who was now white and trembling.
'This looks bad, Clare,' she said gravely. 'This window and shutters
must have been purposely left unfastened. He could never have
unfastened them from outside.'
But now the danger was over Clare's courage had vanished. She grasped
hold of Agatha's arm.
'Come upstairs, quick! He may come back and murder us! I won't stay
downstairs another minute.'
'There is nothing to fear now. He has gone. I don't think he would
dare face us after being recognised. Wait a minute. Look! He has
left an envelope lying by his lantern, and I believe--yes, it is mine.
And in Mr. Lester's handwriting. Jane must be at the bottom of this!'
'Come upstairs. I won't stay down here a minute longer!'
And Clare fled trembling to her room. Agatha did not go up till she
had made sure the windows and shutters were securely fastened, and had
also been the round of the house. Then she went to Clare, who was in
such a panic of fright that she persuaded her to come and share her
bed; and after she had grown calmer and finally dropped asleep, Agatha
lay quiet and sleepless, revolving the events of the night, and praying
for wisdom in dealing with the suspected Jane.
The next morning, immediately after breakfast, she called her into her
room, and the very sight of her white trembling face proved her guilt.
By dint of cross questioning, and much entreaty, Agatha was at last
possessed of all information.
Watson, Major Lester's valet, was a devoted admirer of Jane. Together
they often talked over their respective master and mistress, and Watson
had told her of Major Lester's unsatisfactory interview with Agatha.
'It's some family papers that is locked up in that there cupboard he is
wild to get at, and he says he has a right to 'em; and so he has, for
he told a gentleman who was visitin' him that they would do him a
mischief if they got into wrong hands. And it seems that Mr. Tom told
Miss Dane all about 'em, and gave her the secret of opening that
cupboard.'
From this statement Watson went on to work upon Jane's love of
discovering a mystery and her insatiable curiosity; and at last led her
to thoroughly search Agatha's room for any papers bearing on the
subject. Quite by accident she came upon the secret drawer in the
dressing-case. The fastening had become insecure, and, trembling at
her audacity, Jane carried the packet to her lover, begging him to
return it to her when he had possessed himself of its secret. The next
move was to get her to leave the study windows unfastened, and here
Jane's fortitude gave way.
'I know it was wicked, ma'am, but Watson, he told me it couldn't do you
a injury; he wasn't a housebreaker, he wouldn't lay his finger on any
property of yours! he only wanted to get his master what rightfully
belonged to him. Major Lester, he would handsomely reward him for it,
and so I did as he told me, but I never slept a wink all last night,
and when I heard you go downstairs, I could have screamed out "Murder!"
I was that scared.'
Then Jane begged and prayed with heartfelt sobs for forgiveness, and
Agatha, feeling a pity for her, told her she would not dismiss her
without a character, as at first she had determined to do, but would
let her stay on for the month, at the end of which time she must go, as
she could never keep a maid who had proved so utterly untrustworthy.
Coming downstairs from this interview with a worn face and anxious
heart, Agatha was met by Elfie.
'Mr. Lester has come, Agatha. I met him in the garden, and he is in
the drawing-room waiting for you.'