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

Wrong I Had Been,  His Tone Changed; He Was Truly Grieved And Concerned

For Me. Nothing Was Decided: Except That Dr. Mair,  In His Compassion

Towards Lady Maude,  Promised Not To Be The First To Take Legal Steps.

It Seemed That There Was Only Him To Fear: George Gordon Was Reported

To Have Gone To Australia; The Old Housekeeper Was Dead; Agnes Was

Deranged. Dr. Mair Left,  And Carr And I Sat On Till Midnight. Carr Took

What I Thought A Harsh View Of The Matter; He Urged Me To Separate From

Maude--"

"I Think You Should Have Done So For Her Sake," Came The Gentle

Interruption.

"For Her Sake! The Words Carr Used. But,  Anne,  Surely There Were Two

Sides To The Question. If I Disclosed The Facts,  And Put Her Away From

Me,  What Was She? Besides,  The Law Might Be Against Me--Scotland's

Iniquitous Law; But In Heaven's Sight _Maude_ Was My Wife,  Not The Other.

So I Temporized,  Hoping That Time Might Bring About A Relief,  For Dr.

Mair Told Me That Miss Waterlow's Health Was Failing. However,  She

Lived On,  And--"

Lady Hartledon Started Up,  Her Face Blanching.

"Is She Not Dead Now? Was She Living When You Married Me? Am _I_ Your

Wife?"

He Could Hardly Help Smiling. His Calm Touch Reassured Her.

"Do You Think You Need Ask,  Anne? The Next Year Dr. Mair Called Upon Me

Again--It Was The Evening Before The Boy Was Christened; He Had Come To

London On Business Of His Own. To My Dismay,  He Told Me That A Change For

The Better Was Appearing In Miss Waterlow's Mental Condition; And He

Thought It Likely She Might Be Restored To Health. Of Course,  It

Increased The Perplexities And My Horror,  Had That Been Needed; But The

Hope Or Fear,  Or What You Like To Call It,  Was Not Borne Out. Three Years

Later,  The Doctor Came To Me For The Third And Final Time,  To Bring Me

The News That Agnes Was Dead."

As The Relief Had Been To Him Then,  So Did It Almost Seem Now To Anne. A

Sigh Of Infinite Pain Broke From Her. She Had Not Seen Where All This Was

Tending.

"Imagine,  If You Can,  What It Was For Me All Those Years With The

Knowledge Daily And Nightly Upon Me That The Disgraceful Truth Might At

Any Moment Come Out To Maude--To Her Children,  To The World! Living In

The Dread Of Arrest Myself,  Should The Man Gordon Show Himself On The

Scene! And Now You See What It Is That Has Marred My Peace,  And Broken

The Happiness Of Our Married Life. How Could I Bear To Cross Those Two

Deeply-Injured Children,  Who Were Ever Rising Up In Judgment Against Me?

How Take Our Children's Part Against Them,  Little Unconscious Things? It

Seemed That I Had Always,  Daily,  Hourly,  Some Wrong To Make Up To Them.

The Poor Boy Was Heir To Hartledon In The Eyes Of The World; But,  Anne,

Your Boy Was The True Heir."

"Why Did You Not Tell Me?--All This Time!"

"I Could Not. I Dared Not. You Might Not Have Liked To Put Reginald Out

Of His Rights."

"Oh,  Percival; How Can You So Misjudge Me?" She Asked,  In Tones Of Pain.

"I Would Have Guarded The Secret As Jealously As You. I Must Still Do It

For Maude."

"Poor Maude!" He Sighed. "Her Mother Forgave Me Before She Died--"

"She Knew It,  Then?"

"Yes. She Learned--"

Sounds Of Drumming On The Door,  And The Countess-Dowager's Voice,  Stopped

Lord Hartledon.

"I Had Better Face Her," He Said,  As He Unlocked It. "She Will Arouse The

Household."

Wild,  Intemperate,  She Met Him With A Volley Of Abuse That Startled Lady

Hartledon. He Got Her To A Sofa,  And Gently Held Her Down There.

"It's What I've Been Obliged To Do All Along," Said Thomas Carr; "I Don't

Believe She Has Heard Ten Words Of My Explanation."

"Pray Be Calm,  Lady Kirton," Said Hartledon,  Soothingly; "Be Calm,  As You

Value Your Daughter's Memory. We Shall Have The Servants At The Doors."

"I Won't Be Calm; I Will Know The Worst."

"I Wish You To Know It; But Not Others."

"Was Maude Your Wife?"

"No," He Answered,  In Low Tones. "Not--"

"And You Are Not Ashamed To Confess It?" She Interrupted,  Not Allowing

Him To Continue. But She Was A Little Calmer In Manner; And Val Stood

Upright Before Her With Folded Arms.

"I Am Ashamed And Grieved To Confess It; But I Did Not Knowingly Inflict

The Injury. In Scotland--"

"Don't Repeat The Shameful Tale," She Cried; "I Have Heard From Your

Confederate,  Carr,  As Much As I Want To Hear. What Do You Deserve For

Your Treachery To Maude?"

"All I Have Reaped--And More. But It Was Not Intentional Treachery; And

Maude Forgave Me Before She Died."

"She Knew It! You Told Her? Oh,  You Cruel Monster!"

"I Did Not Tell Her. She Did As You Have Just Done--Interfered In What

Did Not Concern Her,  In Direct Disobedience To My Desire; And She Found

It Out For Herself,  As You,  Ma'am,  Have Found It Out."

"When?"

"The Winter Before Her Death."

"Then The Knowledge Killed Her!"

"No. Something Else Killed Her,  As You Know. It Preyed Upon Her Spirits."

"Lord Hartledon,  I Can Have You Up For Fraud And Forgery,  And I'll Do It.

It Will Be The Consideration Of Maude's Fame Against Your Punishment,  And

I'll Make A Sacrifice To Revenge,  And Prosecute You."

"There Is No Fraud Where An Offence Is Committed Unwittingly," Returned

Lord Hartledon; "And Forgery Is Certainly Not Amongst My Catalogue Of

Sins."

"You Are Liable For Both," Suddenly Retorted The Dowager; "You Have Stuck

Up 'Maude,  Countess Of Hartledon,' On Her Monument In The Church; And

What's That But Fraud And Forgery?"

"It Is Neither. If Maude Did Not Live Countess Of Hartledon,  She At Least

So Went To Her Grave. We Were Remarried,  Privately,  Before She Died. Mr.

Carr Can Tell You So."

"It's False!" Raved The Dowager.

"I Arranged It,  Ma'am," Interposed Mr. Carr. "Lord Hartledon And Your

Daughter Confided The Management To Me,  And The Ceremony Was Performed In

Secrecy In London"

The Dowager Looked From One To The Other,  As If She Were Bewildered.

"Married Her Again! Why,  That Was Making Bad Worse. Two False Marriages!

Did You Do It To Impose Upon Her?"

"I See You Do Not Understand," Said Lord Hartledon. "The--My--The Person

In Scotland Was Dead Then. She Was Dead,  I Am Thankful To Say,  Before

Maude Knew Anything Of The Affair."

Up Started The Dowager. "Then Is The Woman Dead Now? Was She Dead When

You Married _Her_?" Laying Her Hand Upon Lady Hartledon's Arm. "Are Her

Children Different From Maude's?"

"They Are. It Could Not Be Otherwise."

"Her Boy Is Really Lord Elster?"

She Flung Lady Hartledon's Arm From Her. Her Voice Rose To A Shriek.

"Maude Is Not Lady Maude?"

Val Shook His Head Sadly.

"And Your Children Are Lords And Ladies And Honourables," Darting A Look

Of Consternation At Anne,  "Whilst My Daughter's--"

"Peace,  Lady Kirton!" Sternly Interrupted Val. "Let The Child,  Maude,  Be

Lady Maude Still To The World; Let Your Daughter's Memory Be Held Sacred.

The Facts Need Never Come Out: I Do Not Fear Now That They Ever Will. I

And My Wife And Thomas Carr,  Will Guard The Secret Safely: Take You Care

To Do So."

"I Wish You Had Been Hung Before You Married Maude!" Responded The

Aggrieved Dowager.

"I Wish I Had," Said He.

"Ugh!" She Grunted Wrathfully,  The Ready Assent Not Pleasing Her.

"With My Poor Boy's Death The Chief Difficulty Has Passed Away. How

Things Would Have Turned Out,  Or What Would Have Been Done,  Had He Lived,

It Has Well-Nigh Worn Away My Brain To Dwell Upon. Carr Knows That It Has

Nearly Killed Me: My Wife Knows It."

"Yes,  You Could Tell Her Things,  And Keep The Diabolical Secret From Poor

Maude And From Me," She Returned,  Rather Inconsistently. "I Don't Doubt

You And Your Wife Have Exulted Enough Over It."

"I Never Knew It Until To-Night," Said Anne,  Gently Turning To The

Dowager. "It Has Grieved Me Deeply. I Shall Never Cease To Feel For Your

Daughter's Wrongs; And It Will Only Make Me More Tender And Loving To Her

Child. The World Will Never Know That She Is Not Lady Maude."

"And The Other Name--Elster--Because You Know She Has No Right To It,"

Was The Spiteful Retort. "I Wish To My Heart You Had Been Drowned In Your

Brother's Place,  Lord Hartledon; I Wished It At The Time."

"I Know You Did."

"You Could Not Then Have Made Fools Of Me And My Dear Daughter; And The

Darling Little Cherub In The Churchyard Would Have Been The Real Heir.

There'd Have Been A Good Riddance Of You."

"It Might Have Been Better For Me In The Long Run," Said He,  Quietly,

Passing Over The Inconsistencies Of Her Speech. "Little Peace Or

Happiness Have I Had In Living. Do Not Let Us Recriminate,  Lady Kirton,

Or On Some Scores I Might Reproach You. Maude Loved My Brother,  And You

Knew It; I Loved Miss Ashton,  And You Knew That; Yet From The Very Hour

The Breath Was Out Of My Brother's Body You Laid Your Plans And Began

Your Schemes Upon Me. I Was Weak As Water In Your Hands,  And Fell Into

The Snare. The Marriage Was Your Work Entirely; And In The Fruits It Has

Brought Forth There Might Arise A Nice Question,  Lady Kirton,  Which Of Us

Is Most To Blame: I,  Who Erred Unwittingly,  Or You Who--"

"Will You Have Done?" She Cried.

"I Have Nearly Done. I Only Wish You To Remember That Others May Have

Been Wrong,  As Well As Myself. Dr. Ashton Warned Us That Night That The

Marriage Might Not Bring A Blessing. Anne,  It Was A Cruel Wrong Upon

You," He Added,  Impulsively Turning To Her; "You Felt It Bitterly,  I

Shamefully; But,  My Dear Wife,  You Have Lived To See That It Was In

Reality A Mercy In Disguise."

The Countess-Dowager,  Not Finding Words Strong Enough To Express Her

Feelings At This,  Made A Grimace At Him.

"Let Us Be Friends,  Lady Kirton! Let Us Join Together Silently In

Guarding Maude's Good Name,  And In Burying The Past. In Time Perhaps Even

I May Live It Down. Not A Human Being Knows Of It Except We Who Are Here

And Dr. Mair,  Who Will For His Own Sake Guard The Secret. Maude Was My

Wife Always In The Eyes Of The World; And Maude Certainly Died So: All

Peace And Respect To Her Memory! As For My Share,  Retribution Has Held

Its Heavy Hand Upon Me; It Is Upon Me Still,  Heaven Knows. It Was For

Maude I Suffered; For Maude I Felt; And If My Life Could Have Repaired

The Wrong Upon Her,  I Would Willingly Have Sacrificed It. Let Us Be

Friends: It May Be To The Interest Of Both."

He Held Out His Hand,  And The Dowager Did Not Repulse It. She Had Caught

The Word "Interest."

"_Now_ You Might Allow Me Maude And That Income!"

"I Think I Had Better Allow You The Income Without Maude."

"Eh? What?" Cried The Dowager,  Briskly. "Do You Mean It?"

"Indeed I Do. I Have Been Thinking For Some Little Time That You Would Be

More Comfortable In A Home Of Your Own,  And I Am Willing To Help You To

One. I'll Pay The Rent Of A Nice Little Place In Ireland,  And Give You

Six Hundred A-Year,  Paid Quarterly,  And--Yes--Make You A Yearly Present

Of Ten Dozen Of Port Wine."

Ah,  The Crafty Man! The Last Item Had A Golden Sound In It.

"Honour Bright,  Hartledon?"

"Honour Bright! You Shall Never Want For Anything As Long As You Live.

But You Must Not"--He Seemed To Search For His Words--"You Must Undertake

Not To Come Here,  Upsetting And Indulging The Children."

"I'll Undertake It. Good Vintage,  Mind."

"The Same That You Have Here."

The Countess-Dowager Beamed. In The Midst Of Her Happiness--And It Was

What She Had Not Felt For Many A Long Day,  For Really The Poor Old

Creature Had Been Put About Sadly--She Bethought Herself Of Propriety.

Melting Into Tears,  She Presently Bewailed Her Exhaustion,  And Said She

Should Like Some Tea: Perhaps Good Mr. Carr Would Bring Her A Teaspoonful

Of Brandy To Put Into It.

They Brought Her Hot Tea,  And Mr. Carr Put The Brandy Into It,  And

Anne Took It To Her On The Sofa,  And Administered It,  Her Own Tears

Overflowing. She Was Thinking What An Awful Blow This Would Have Been

To Her Own Mother.

"Little Maude Shall Be Very Dear To Me Always,  Val," She Whispered. "This

Knowledge Will Make Me Doubly Tender With Her."

He Laid His Hand Fondly Upon Her,  Giving Her One Of His Sweet Sad Smiles

In Answer. She Could At Length Understand What Feelings,  In Regard To The

Children,  Had Actuated Him. But From Henceforth He Would Be Just To All

Alike; And Maude Would Receive Her Share Of Correction For