Elster's Folly by Mrs. Henry Wood (buy e reader .TXT) 📕

Ashton,  Near To Whom He Had Drawn,  Looked Up At Him With A Charming

Smile.

"Things May Brighten,  Percival," She Softly Breathed.

"It's To Be Hoped They Will," Gloomily Returned Val. "They Look Dark

Enough Just Now."

"What Have You Done To Your Face?" She Whispered.

"To My Face? Nothing That I Know Of."

"The Forehead Is Red,  As If It Had Been Bruised,  Or Slightly Grazed."

Val Put His Hand Up To His Forehead. "I Did Feel Something When I Washed

Just Now," He Remarked Slowly,  As Though Doubting Whether Anything Was

Wrong Or Not. "It Must Have Been Done--When I--Struck Against That Tree,"

He Added,  Apparently Taxing His Recollection.

"How Was That?"

"I Was Running In The Dusk,  And Did Not Notice The Branch Of A Tree In My

Way. It's Nothing,  Anne,  And Will Soon Go Off."

Mr. Carteret Came In,  Looking Just As Val Elster Had Done--Out Of Sorts.

Questions Were Showered Upon Him As To The Fate Of The Race; But The

Dowager's Voice Was Heard Above All.

"This Is A Pretty Time To Make Your Appearance,  Sir! Where's Lord

Hartledon?"

"In His Room,  I Suppose. Hartledon Never Came," He Added In Sulky Tones,

As He Turned From Her To The Rest. "I Rowed On,  And On,  Thinking How

Nicely I Was Distancing Him,  And Got Down,  The Mischief Knows Where.

Miles,  Nearly,  I Must Have Gone."

"But Why Did You Pass The Turning-Point?" Asked One.

"There Was No Turning-Point," Returned Mr. Carteret; "Some Confounded

Meddler Must Have Unmoored The Boat As Soon As The First Race Was Over,

And I,  Like An Idiot,  Rowed On,  Looking For It. All At Once It Came Into

My Mind What A Way I Must Have Gone,  And I Turned And Waited. And Might

Have Waited Till Now," He Added,  "For Hart Never Came."

"Then His Arm Must Have Failed Him," Exclaimed Captain Dawkes. "I Thought

It Was All Wrong."

"It Wasn't Right,  For I Soon Shot Past Him," Returned Young Carteret.

"But Hart Knew The Spot Where The Boat Ought To Have Been,  Though I

Didn't; What He Did,  I Suppose,  Was To Clear Round It Just As Though It

Had Been There,  And Come In Home Again. It Will Be An Awful Shame If He

Takes An Unfair Advantage Of It,  And Claims The Race."

"Hartledon Never Took An Unfair Advantage In His Life," Spoke Up Val

Elster,  In Clear,  Decisive Tones. "You Need Not Be Afraid,  Carteret.

I Dare Say His Arm Failed Him."

"Well,  He Might Have Hallooed When He Found It Failing,  And Not Have

Suffered Me To Row All That Way For Nothing," Retorted Young Carteret.

"Not A Trace Could I See Of Him As I Came Back; He Had Hastened Home,

I Expect,  To Shut Himself Up In His Room With His Damaged Arm And Foot."

"I'll See What He's Doing There," Said Val.

He Went Out; But Returned Immediately.

"We Are All Under A Mistake," Was His Greeting. "Hartledon Has Not

Returned Yet. His Servant Is In His Room Waiting For Him."

"Then What Do You Mean By Telling Stories?" Demanded The

Countess-Dowager,  Turning Sharply On Mr. Carteret.

"Good Heavens,  Ma'am! You Need Not Begin Upon Me!" Returned Young

Carteret. "I Have Told No Stories. I Said Hart Let Me Go On,  And Never

Came On Himself; If That's A Story,  I'll Swallow Dawkes's Skiff And The

Sculls Too."

"You Said He Was In His Room. You Know You Did."

"I Said I Supposed So. It's Usual For A Man To Go There,  I Believe,  To

Get Ready For Dinner," Added Young Carteret,  Always Ripe For A Wordy War,

In His Antipathy To The Countess-Dowager.

"_You_ Said He Had Come In;" And The Angry Woman Faced Round On Captain

Dawkes. "You Saw Them Going Into Their Rooms,  You Said. Which Was It--You

Did,  Or You Didn't?"

"I Did See Carteret Make His Appearance; And Assumed That Lord Hartledon

Had Gone On To His Room," Replied The Captain,  Suppressing A Laugh. "I Am

Sorry To Have Misled Your Ladyship. I Dare Say Hart Is About The House

Somewhere."

"Then Why Doesn't He Appear?" Stormed The Dowager. "Pretty Behaviour

This,  To Keep Us All Waiting Dinner. I Shall Tell Him So. Val Elster,

Ring For Hedges."

Val Rang The Bell. "Has Lord Hartledon Come In?" He Asked,  When The

Butler Appeared.

"No,  Sir."

"And Dinner's Spoiling,  Isn't It,  Hedges?" Broke In The Dowager.

"It Won't Be Any The Better For Waiting,  My Lady."

"No. I Must Exercise My Privilege And Order It Served. At Once,  Hedges,

Do You Hear? If Hartledon Grumbles,  I Shall Tell Him It Serves Him

Right."

"But Where Can Hartledon Be?" Cried Captain Dawkes.

"That's What I Am Wondering," Said Val. "He Can't Be On The River All

This Time; Carteret Would Have Seen Him In Coming Home."

A Strangely Grave Shade,  Looking Almost Like A Prevision Of Evil,  Arose

To Dr. Ashton's Face. "I Trust Nothing Has Happened To Him," He

Exclaimed. "Where Did You Part Company With Him,  Mr. Carteret?"

"That's More Than I Can Tell You,  Sir. You Must Have Seen--At Least--No,

You Were Not There; But Those Looking On Must Have Seen Me Get Ahead Of

Him Within View Of The Starting-Point; Soon After That I Lost Sight Of

Him. The River Winds,  You Know; And Of Course I Thought He Was Coming On

Behind Me. Very Daft Of Me,  Not To Divine That The Boat Had Been

Removed!"

"Do You Think He Passed The Mill?"

"The Mill?"

"That Place Where The River Forms What Might Almost Be Called A Miniature

Harbour. A Mill Is Built There Which The Stream Serves. You Could Not

Fail To See It."

"I Remember Now. Yes,  I Saw The Mill. What Of It?"

"Did Lord Hartledon Pass It?"

"How Should I Know!" Cried The Boy. "I Had Lost Sight Of Him Ages Before

That."

"The Current Is Extremely Rapid There," Observed Dr. Ashton. "If He Found

His Arm Failing,  He Might Strike Down To The Mill And Land There; And His

Ankle May Be Keeping Him A Prisoner."

"And That's What It Is!" Exclaimed Val.

They Were Crossing The Hall To The Dining-Room. Without The Slightest

Ceremony,  The Countess-Dowager Pushed Herself Foremost And Advanced To

The Head Of The Table.

"I Shall Occupy This Seat In My Nephew's Absence," Said She. "Dr. Ashton,

Will You Be So Good As To Take The Foot? There's No One Else."

"Nay,  Madam; Though Lord Hartledon May Not Be Here,  Mr. Elster Is."

She Had Actually Forgotten Val; And Would Have Liked To Ignore Him Now

That He Was Recalled To Remembrance; But That Might Not Be. As Much

Contempt As Could Be Expressed In Her Face Was There,  As She Turned Her

Snub Nose And Small Round Eyes Defiantly Upon That Unoffending Younger

Brother.

"I Was Going To Request You To Take It,  Sir," Said Percival,  In Low

Tones,  To Dr. Ashton. "I Shall Go Off In The Pony-Carriage For Edward.

He Must Think We Are Neglecting Him."

"Very Well. I Hate These Rowing Matches," Heartily Added The Rector.

"What A Curious Old Fish That Parson Must Be!" Ejaculated Young Carteret

To His Next Neighbour. "He Says He Doesn't Like Boating."

It Happened To Be Arthur Ashton,  And The Lad's Brow Lowered. "You Are

Speaking Of My Father," He Said. "But I'll Tell You Why He Does Not Like

It. He Had A Brother Once,  A Good Deal Older Than Himself; They Had No

Father,  And Arthur--That Was The Elder--Was Very Fond Of Him: There Were

Only Those Two. He Took Him Out In A Boat One Day,  And There Was An

Accident: The Eldest Was Drowned,  The Little One Saved. Do You Wonder

That My Father Has Dreaded Boating Ever Since? He Seems To Have The Same

Sort Of Dread Of It That A Child Who Has Been Frightened By Its Nurse Has

Of The Dark."

"By Jove! That Was A Go,  Though!" Was The Sympathising Comment Of Mr.

Carteret.

The Doctor Said Grace,  And Dinner Proceeded. It Was Not Half Over When

Mr. Elster Came In,  In His Light Overcoat. Walking Straight Up To The

Table,  He Stood By It,  His Face Wearing A Blank,  Perplexed Look. A

Momentary Silence Of Expectation,  And Then Many Tongues Spoke Together.

"Where's Your Brother? Where's Lord Hartledon? Has He Not Come?"

"I Don't Know Where He Is," Answered Val. "I Was In Hopes He Had Reached

Home Before Me,  But I Find He Has Not. I Can't Make It Out At All."

"Did He Land At The Mill?" Asked Dr. Ashton.

"Yes,  He Must Have Done So,  For The Skiff Is Moored There."

"Then He's All Right," Cried The Doctor; And There Was A Strangely-Marked

Sound Of Relief In His Tones.

"Oh,  He Is All Right," Confidently Asserted Percival. "The Only Question

Is,  Where He Can Be. The Miller Was Out This Afternoon,  And Left His

Place Locked Up; So That Hartledon Could Not Get In,  And Had Nothing For

It But To Start Home With His Lameness,  Or Sit Down On The Bank Until

Some One Found Him."

"He Must Have Set Off To Walk."

"I Should Think So. But Where Has He Walked To?" Added Val. "I Drove

Slowly Home,  Looking On Either Side Of The Road,  But Could See Nothing Of

Him."

"What Should Bring Him On The Side Of The Road?" Demanded The Dowager.

"Do You Think He Would Turn Tramp,  And Take His Seat On A Heap Of Stones?

Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?"

"From Common Sense,  Ma'am. If He Set Out To Walk,  And His Foot Failed Him

Half-Way,  There'd Be Nothing For It But To Sit Down And Wait. But He Is

_Not_ On The Road: That Is The Curious Part Of The Business."

"Would He Come The Other Way?"

"Hardly. It Is So Much Further By The River Than By The Road."

"You May Depend Upon It That Is What He Has Done," Said Dr. Ashton. "He

Might Think He Should Meet Some Of You That Way,  And Get An Arm To Help

Him."

"I Declare I Never Thought Of That," Exclaimed Val,  His Face Brightening.

"There He Is,  No Doubt; Perched Somewhere Between This And The Mill,  Like

Patience On A Monument,  Unable To Put Foot To The Ground."

He Turned Away. Some Of The Men Offered To Accompany Him: But He Declined

Their Help,  And Begged Them To Go On With Their Dinner,  Saying He Would

Take Sufficient Servants With Him,  Even Though They Had To Carry

Hartledon.

So Mr. Elster Went,  Taking Servants And Lanterns; For In Some Parts Of

This Road The Trees Overhung,  And Rendered It Dark. But They Could Not

Find Lord Hartledon. They Searched,  And Shouted,  And Waved Their

Lanterns: All In Vain. Very Much Perplexed Indeed Did Val Elster Look

When He Got Back Again.

"Where In The World Can He Have Gone To?" Angrily Questioned The

Countess-Dowager; And She Glared From Her Seat At The Head Of The Table

On The Offender Val,  As She Asked It. "I Must Say All This Is Most

Unseemly,  And Hartledon Ought To Be Brought To His Senses For Causing It.

I Suppose He Has Taken Himself Off To A Surgeon's."

It Was Possible,  But Unlikely,  As None Knew Better Than Val Elster. To

Get To The Surgeon's He Would Have To Pass His Own House,  And Would Be

More Likely To Go In,  And Send For Mr. Hillary,  Than Walk On With A

Disabled Foot. Besides,  If He Had Gone To The Surgeon's,  He Would Not

Stay There All This Time. "I Don't Know What To Do," Said Percival

Elster; And There Was The Same Blank,  Perplexed Look On His Face That Was

Observed The First Time He Came In. "I Don't Much Like The Appearance Of

Things."

"Why,  You Don't Think Anything's Wrong With Him!" Exclaimed Young

Carteret,  Starting-Up With An Alarmed Face. "He's Safe To Turn Up,  Isn't

He?"

"Of Course He Will Turn Up," Answered Val,  In A Dreamy Tone. "Only This

Uncertainty,  As To Where To Look For Him,  Is Not Pleasant."

Dr. Ashton Motioned Val To His Side. "Are You Fearing An Accident?" He

Asked In Low Tones.

"No,  Sir."

"I Am. That Current By The Mill Is So Fearfully Strong; And If Your

Brother Had Not The Use Of His One Arm--And The Boat Was Drawn Onwards,

Beyond His Control--And Upset--"

Dr. Ashton Paused. Val Elster Looked Rather Surprised.

"How Could It Upset,  Sir? The Skiffs Are As Safe As This Floor. I Don't

Fear That In The Least: What I Do Fear Is That Edward May Be In Some

Out-Of-The-Way Nook,  Insensible From Pain,  And Won't Be Found Until

Daylight. Fancy,  A Whole Night Out Of Doors,  In That State! He Might Be

Half-Dead With Cold By The Morning."

Dr. Ashton Shook His Head In Dissent. His Dislike Of Boating Seemed Just

Now To Be Rising Into Horror.

"What Are You Going To Do Now,  Elster?" Inquired Captain Dawkes.

"Go To The Mill Again,  I Think,  And Find Out If Any One Saw Hartledon

Leave The Skiff,  And Which Way He Took. One Of