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

"As I Will Be," Said The Barrister,  His Tone More Earnest Than The

Occasion Seemed To Call For.

Lady Hartledon,  With A Graciousness She Was Little In The Habit Of

Showing To Mr. Carr,  Made Room For Him Beside Her,  And He Sat Down. The

Baby Lay On His Back,  His Wide-Open Eyes Looking Upwards,  Good As Gold.

"How Quiet He Is! How He Stares!" Reiterated The Barrister,  Who Did Not

Understand Much About Babies,  Except For A Shadowy Idea That They Lived

In A State Of Crying For The First Six Months.

"He Is The Best Child In The World; Every One Says So," She Returned.

"He Is Not The Least--Hey-Day! What Do You Mean By Contradicting Mamma

Like That? Behave Yourself,  Sir."

For The Infant,  As If To Deny His Goodness,  Set Up A Sudden Cry. Mr. Carr

Laughed. He Put Down His Finger Again,  And The Little Fingers Clasped

Round It,  And The Cry Ceased.

"He Does Not Like To Lose His Friend,  You See,  Lady Hartledon."

"I Wish You Would Be My Friend As Well As His," She Rejoined; And The Low

Meaning Tones Struck On Mr. Carr's Ear.

"I Trust I Am Your Friend," He Answered.

She Was Still For A Few Moments; Her Pale Beautiful Face Inclining

Towards The Child's; Her Large Dark Eyes Bent Upon Him. She Turned Them

On Mr. Carr.

"This Has Been A Sad Day."

"Yes,  For You. It Is Grievous To Lose A Brother."

"And To Lose Him Without The Opportunity Of A Last Look,  A Last Farewell.

Robert Was My Best And Favourite Brother. But The Day Has Been Marked As

Unhappy For Other Causes Than That."

Was It An Uncomfortable Prevision Of What Was Coming That Caused Mr. Carr

Not To Answer Her? He Talked To The Unconscious Baby,  And Played With Its

Cheeks.

"What Secret Is This That You And My Husband Have Between You,  Mr. Carr?"

She Asked Abruptly.

He Ceased His Laughing With The Baby,  Said Something About Its Soft Face,

Was Altogether Easy And Careless In His Manner,  And Then Answered In

Half-Jesting Tones:

"Which One,  Lady Hartledon?"

"Which One! Have You More Than One?" She Continued,  Taking The Words

Literally.

"We Might Count Up Half-A-Dozen,  I Daresay. I Cannot Tell You How Many

Things I Have Not Confided To Him. We Are Quite--"

"I Mean The Secret That Affects _Him_" She Interrupted,  In Aggrieved

Tones,  Feeling That Mr. Carr Was Playing With Her.

"There Is Some Dread Upon Him That's Wearing Him To A Shadow,  Poisoning

His Happiness,  Making His Days And Nights One Long Restlessness. Do You

Think It Right To Keep It From Me,  Mr. Carr? Is It What You And He Are

Both Doing--And Are In League With Each Other To Do?"

"_I_ Am Not Keeping Any Secret From You,  Lady Hartledon."

"You Know You Are. Nonsense! Do You Think I Have Forgotten That Evening

That Was The Beginning Of It,  When A Tall Strange Man Dressed As A

Clergyman,  Came Here,  And You Both Were Shut Up With Him For I Can't Tell

How Long,  And Lord Hartledon Came Out From It Looking Like A Ghost? You

And He Both Misled Me,  Causing Me To Believe That The Ashtons Were

Entering An Action Against Him For Breach Of Promise; Laying The Damages

At Ten Thousand Pounds. I Mean _That_ Secret,  Mr. Carr," She Added With

Emphasis. "The Same Man Was Here On Friday Night Again; And When You Came

To The House Afterwards,  You And Lord Hartledon Sat Up Until Nearly

Daylight."

Mr. Carr,  Who Had His Eyes On The Exacting Baby,  Shook His Head,  And

Intimated That He Was Really Unable To Understand Her.

"When You Are In Town He Is Always At Your Chambers; When You Are Away He

Receives Long Letters From You That I May Not Read."

"Yes,  We Have Been On Terms Of Close Friendship For Years. And Lord

Hartledon Is An Idle Man,  You Know,  And Looks Me Up."

"He Said You Were Arranging Some Business For Him Last Autumn."

"Last Autumn? Let Me See. Yes,  I Think I Was."

"Mr. Carr,  Is It Of Any Use Playing With Me? Do You Think It Right Or

Kind To Do So?"

His Manner Changed At Once; He Turned To Her With Eyes As Earnest As Her

Own.

"Lady Hartledon,  I Would Tell You Anything That I Could And Ought To Tell

You. That Your Husband Has Been Engaged In Some Complicated Business,

Which I Have Been--Which I Have Taken Upon Myself To Arrange For Him,  Is

Very True. I Know That He Does Not Wish It Mentioned,  And Therefore My

Lips Are Sealed: But It Is As Well You Did Not Know It,  For It Would Give

You No Satisfaction."

"Does It Involve Anything Very Frightful?"

"It Might Involve The--The Loss Of A Large Sum Of Money," He Answered,

Making The Best Reply He Could.

Lady Hartledon Sank Her Voice To A Whisper. "Does It Involve The Possible

Loss Of His Title?--Of Hartledon?"

"No," Said Mr. Carr,  Looking At Her With Surprise.

"You Are Sure?"

"Certain. I Give You My Word. What Can Have Got Into Your Head,  Lady

Hartledon?"

She Gave A Sigh Of Relief. "I Thought It Just Possible--But I Will Not

Tell You Why I Thought It--That Some Claimant Might Be Springing Up To

The Title And Property."

Mr. Carr Laughed. "That Would Be A Calamity. Hartledon Is As Surely Your

Husband's As This Watch"--Taking It Out To Look At The Time--"Is Mine.

When His Brother Died,  He Succeeded To Him Of Indisputable Right. And Now

I Must Go,  For My Time Is Up; And When Next I See You,  Young Gentleman,

I Shall Expect A Good Account Of Your Behaviour. Why,  Sir,  The Finger's

Mine,  Not Yours. Good-Bye,  Lady Hartledon."

She Gave Him Her Hand Coolly,  For She Was Not Pleased. The Baby Began To

Cry,  And Was Sent Away With Its Nurse.

And Then Lady Hartledon Sat On Alone,  Feeling That If She Were Ever To

Arrive At The Solution Of The Mystery,  It Would Not Be By The Help Of Mr.

Carr. Other Questions Had Been Upon Her Lips--Who The Stranger Was--What

He Wanted--Five Hundred Of Them: But She Saw That She Might As Well Have

Put Them To The Moon.

And Lord Hartledon Went Out With Mr. Carr In The Inclement Night,  And Saw

Him Off By A Great-Western Train.

Again The Months Went On,  It May Almost Be Said The Years,  And Little

Took Place Worthy Of Record. Time Obliterates As Well As Soothes; And

Lady Hartledon Had Almost Forgotten The Circumstances Which Had Perplexed

And Troubled Her,  For Nothing More Had Come Of Them.

And Lord Hartledon? But For A Certain Restlessness,  A Hectic Flush And A

Worn Frame,  Betraying That The Inward Fever Was Not Quenched,  A Startled

Movement If Approached Or Spoken To Unexpectedly,  It Might Be Thought

That He Also Was At Rest. There Were No More Anxious Visits To Thomas

Carr's Chambers; He Went About His Ordinary Duties,  Sat Out His Hours

In The House Of Lords,  And Did As Other Men. There Was Nothing Very

Obvious To Betray Mental Apprehension; And Maude Had Certainly Dismissed

The Past,  So Far,  From Her Mind.

Not Again Had Val Gone Down To Hartledon. With The Exception Of That

Short Visit Of A Day Or Two,  Already Recorded,  He Had Not Been There

Since His Marriage. He Would Not Go: His Wife,  Though She Had Her Way In

Most Things,  Could Not Induce Him To Go. She Went Once Or Twice,  In A

Spirit Of Defiance,  It May Be Said,  And Meanwhile He Remained In

London,  Or Took A Short Trip To The Continent,  As The Whim Prompted Him.

Once They Had Gone Abroad Together,  And Remained For Some Months; Taking

Servants And The Children,  For There Were Two Children Now; And The

Little Fellow Who Had Clasped The Finger Of Mr. Carr Was A Sturdy Boy Of

Three Years Old.

Lady Hartledon's Health Was Beginning To Fail. The Doctors Told Her She

Must Be More Quiet; She Went Out A Great Deal,  And Seemed To Live Only

In The World. Her Husband Remonstrated With Her On The Score Of Health;

But She Laughed,  And Said She Was Not Going To Give Up Pleasure Just Yet.

Of Course These Gay Habits Are More Easily Acquired Than Relinquished.

Lady Hartledon Had Fainting-Fits; She Felt Occasional Pain And

Palpitation In The Region Of The Heart; And She Grew Thin Without

Apparent Cause. She Said Nothing About It,  Lest It Should Be Made A Plea

For Living More Quietly; Never Dreaming Of Danger. Had She Known What

Caused Her Brother's Death Her Fears Might Possibly Have Been Awakened.

Lord Hartledon Suspected Mischief Might Be Arising,  And Cautiously

Questioned Her; She Denied That Anything Was The Matter,  And He Felt

Reassured. His Chief Care Was To Keep Her Free From Excitement; And In

This Hope He Gave Way To Her More Than He Would Otherwise Have Done. But

Alas! The Moment Was Approaching When All His Care Would Be In Vain; When

The Built-Up Security Of Years Was Destroyed By A Single Act Of Wilful

Disobedience To Him. The Sword So Long Suspended Over His Head,  Was To

Fall On Hers At Last.

One Spring Afternoon,  In London,  He Was In His Wife's Sitting-Room; The

Little Room Where You Have Seen Her Before,  Looking Upon The Park. The

Children Were Playing On The Carpet--Two Pretty Little Things; The Girl

Eighteen Months Old.

"Take Care!" Suddenly Called Out Lady Hartledon.

Some One Was Opening The Door,  And The Little Maude Was Too Near To It.

She Ran And Picked Up The Child,  And Hedges Came In With A Card For His

Master,  Saying At The Same Time That The Gentleman Was Waiting. Lord

Hartledon Held It To The Fire To Read The Name.

"Who Is It?" Asked Lady Hartledon,  Putting The Little Girl Down By The

Window,  And Approaching Her Husband. But There Came No Answer.

Whether The Silence Aroused Her Suspicions--Whether Any Look In Her

Husband's Face Recalled That Evening Of Terror Long Ago--Or Whether

Some Malicious Instinct Whispered The Truth,  Can Never Be Known. Certain

It Was That The Past Rose Up As In A Mirror Before Lady Hartledon's

Imagination,  And She Connected This Visitor With The Former. She Bent

Over His Shoulder To Peep At The Card; And Her Husband,  Startled Out

Of His Presence Of Mind,  Tore It In Two And Threw The Pieces Into The

Fire.

"Oh,  Very Well!" She Exclaimed,  Mortally Offended. "But You Cannot Blind

Me: It Is Your Mysterious Visitor Again."

"I Don't Know What You Mean,  Maude. It Is Only Someone On Business."

"Then I Will Go And Ask Him His Business," She Said,  Moving To The Door

With Angry Resolve.

Val Was Too Quick For Her. He Placed His Back Against The Door,  And

Lifted His Hands In Agitation. It Was A Great Fault Of His,  Or Perhaps

A Misfortune--For He Could Not Help It--This Want Of Self-Control In

Moments Of Emergency.

"Maude,  I Forbid You To Interfere In This; You Must Not. For Heaven's

Sake,  Sit Down And Remain Quiet."

"I'll See Your Visitor,  And Know,  At Last,  What This Strange Trouble Is.

I Will,  Lord Hartledon."

"You Must Not: Do You Hear Me?" He Reiterated With Deep Emotion,  For She

Was Trying To Force Her Way Out Of The Room. "Maude--Listen--I Do Not

Mean To Be Harsh,  But For Your Own Good I Conjure You To Be Still. I

Forbid You,  By The Obedience You Promised Me Before God,  To Inquire Into

Or Stir In This Matter. It Is A Private Affair Of My Own,  And Not Yours.

Stay Here Until I Return."

Maude Drew Back,  As If In Compliance; And Lord Hartledon,  Supposing

He Had Prevailed,  Quitted The Room And Closed The Door. He Was Quite

Mistaken. Never Had Her Solemn Vows Of Obedience Been So Utterly

Despised; Never Had The Temptation To Evil Been So Rife In Her Heart.

She Unlatched The Door And Listened. Lord Hartledon Went Downstairs And

Into The Library,  Just As He Had Done The Evening Before The Christening.

And Lady Hartledon Was Certain The Same Man Awaited Him There. Ringing

The Nursery-Bell,  She Took