CHAPTER XV.
CORA AND THE FRENCH MAID MEASURE SWORDS.
During the day, Miss Arthur communicated to her maid the fact that Mr.Percy would remain in Bellair for the present. He was going away for aday on business; then he would return and take up his abode at theBellair inn.
"Would monsieur be absent to-morrow?"
"Yes."
Then, as mademoiselle would not especially need her, would shegraciously give her the day? Her sister had just returned from Paris,and would very soon leave the city _en route_ for Washington. Hersister was in the service of Mrs. General Delonne--of coursemademoiselle had heard of Madame Delonne; knew her, perhaps. Celinemuch desired to see this sister, and expected to get some valuablehints from her regarding the very latest French _coiffeurs_, etc.,etc. In short, could mademoiselle spare her to-morrow, just for onelittle day?
Mademoiselle, after due deliberation, perhaps in consideration of thenew _coiffeurs_, graciously consented. This matter was settled whilethe dinner toilet of the lady was in progress; and Celine spared nopains to make her mistress satisfied with herself and all about her.
"How long had Mr. Percy been in the little parlor, Celine, before Icame down?" questioned the lady.
She was still a trifle dissatisfied at having found her lover socosily _tete-a-tete_ with her fascinating sister-in-law.
"Oh, a very short time, my lady--I mean mademoiselle."
"And how did he meet Mrs. Arthur?" anxiously.
"Madame was just entering from the terrace; they met in the hall,"glibly.
"And did they meet like old friends, Celine?"
"Oh, no! mademoiselle; quite formally. At first I fancied he wasreally displeased at meeting her--but of course mademoiselle knew thereason for that," slyly.
"Hush, you foolish girl," said the flattered spinster; "it's allright, of course." And she relapsed into reverie.
Miss Arthur had exhausted her patience waiting for her tardy admirer,and, finding her own apartments dull, had come down to the parlor,thus interrupting the interview, to the disgust of more than one ofthose interested.
Mr. Percy had many questions yet to propound to his newly-found wife,as he called her, and she, knowing him so well, felt a trifle moreuneasy than was comfortable, wondering what use, if any, he intendedto make of the small amount of power he still possessed over her. Shemust hold another interview with him, and that soon. Meantime, sheleft him to the tender mercies of the happy spinster.
It was late in the evening when she at last found a convenientopportunity, and crossed the hall in the direction of Miss Arthur'sdressing-room. She was about to open the door and enter, when hermovement was anticipated by Celine, who appeared upon the threshold inhat and shawl.
Mrs. Arthur seemed not at all abashed, but pushing the girl back intothe room, stepped in herself and closed the door. "You were going out,Celine?" smiling sweetly.
"Yes, madame," respectfully.
"May I ask where?"
"Certainly, madame. I have leave to go and see my sister to-morrow. Iam going to telegraph her that she may expect me. Can I serve madame?"
Madame pondered a moment.
"Celine," she said, abruptly. "Why did you pretend to answer a ringthis morning, when your mistress came down to the little parlor?"
"I trust madame was not offended," deprecatingly.
"No, no," impatiently; "but I want to understand you."
"Madame shall. Madame must know that my mistress is not always smoothin temper?"
"Yes," laughing wickedly.
"This morning she bade me admit the gentleman, tell him she was in thegrounds, and then come to her. He came, and almost immediately sawyou, madame, walking on the terrace."
"Stop. How did he act when he saw me, Celine?"
The girl looked at her in apparent hesitation. "Madame will not beangry with me?"
"No, no."
"He looked almost frightened, and took his hat, as if about to go."
Cora uttered a low, triumphant, "Ah, did he?"
"Then he called me back as I was leaving the room to summon mymistress, and asked me who you were. I told him. He looked relieved,said he had mistaken you for an old acquaintance, and bade me ask youto come to him, and say nothing to Miss Arthur until he desired it."
"I see; but why did you follow her, when she came down? Did she knowwe were there?"
"No, madame."
"Then why--"
"Pardon," with a sidelong glance at her face, "but madame isbeautiful, and my mistress is jealous. I thought you might wish me todo as I did, and I desired to serve you, madame."
Cora eyed her keenly. "But why serve me, Celine?"
"Madame has ever been gracious to Celine," said the girl, lowering hereyes. "Even a servant appreciates kindness--my mistress neverconsiders that."
Cora's thoughts flew fast. If she could trust this girl, she mightmake her very useful. She had sought this interview to question herconcerning the adventure of the morning, and now might she not be ofstill more service?
A few more sharply-put questions were asked, and answered withcorresponding shrewdness. Then Celine detailed, in her own way, herinterview with her mistress on the subject of Mr. Percy's visit.
Cora was at last fully satisfied that, for some reason, Miss Arthurhad aroused a feeling of antagonism in the breast of her maid. Sheresolved to profit by this state of affairs. Accordingly, a fewmoments later, Celine Leroque flitted out from the house the bearer oftwo important messages.
One, in writing, was a telegram to be sent to Lucian Davlin.
The other was a verbal message to be delivered, in some way, to Mr.Percy before he quitted the grounds of Oakley.
Pausing at a safe distance from the house, Celine produced from herpocket some waxen matches. She lighted one, having looked cautiouslyabout her, and spreading open the telegram to Mr. Davlin, read thesewords:
Come down to-morrow without fail. It is most important.
C.
"So," muttered Miss Arthur's maid as, flinging away the match, shehurried on her way; "so he must be consulted; he must come down. Inthe absence of Percy, too. I wonder if he knows, this Percy, thatLucian Davlin at present personates the dutiful brother of his fairlost love." Such a sneer rested on the face of the French maid. "Well!Mr. Davlin must come and, unfortunately, I can't be present at thisinterview. However, I shall be able to judge pretty accurately bytheir future movements what was its portent."
Edward Percy, as he chose to call himself, was not aware of theposition held by Lucian Davlin in that household. Cora had seized anopportunity to murmur to Miss Arthur a soft warning.
"Ellen, dear!" she had said, "pray don't mention Lucian to Mr. Percy,unless you wish to shorten his stay with us. The fact is, the two hada slight misunderstanding while we were all at Long Branch, about ahorse or something. Lucian was very much to blame, I think, but theyparted bad friends. It is best never to interfere in men's quarrels,so I have not mentioned Lucian's name to him at all."
Cunning Celine! Her tact had made this explanation seem a quiteprobable one; and as Miss Arthur certainly had no desire to drive Mr.Percy from Oakley, she assured her "kind, thoughtful Cora," that shewould be very guarded and never once mention Mr. Davlin's name in hisenemy's presence.
Of this fact, of course, Celine was in total ignorance, as sheproceeded on her way, which was not to the telegraph office; at leastnot yet.
Hurrying through the Oakley wood in the opposite direction from thevillage, she crossed the meadow and approached the cottage of NurseHagar. A light was dimly visible through the paper curtains, but nosound was heard from within. The girl listened at the door a moment,and then tapped softly.
Presently slip-shod feet could be heard crossing the uncarpeted floor,and a key creaked in its lock, after which the door opened, a verylittle way, and the old woman's face peered cautiously out into thenight. Then she hastily opened the door wide and admitted the visitor.
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"Is it you, dearie?" she asked, rather unnecessarily, surveying hercritically by the light of a flaring tallow candle.
"No, Aunt Hagar, it's not I," laughed the girl; "it's Miss Arthur'sFrench maid that you see before you. And don't drop that tallow on herdevoted head," lifting a deprecating hand.
"Umph! we seem in great spirits to-night," leading the way back to thefire-place, beside which stood her easy splint-bottomed chair.
"So we are," assented the girl; "and why shouldn't we be, pray? Aren'twe a very happy French maid, and a very skillful one, and a very luckyone?"
"How should I know?" grumbled the old woman; "what do I know? I'm onlyold Hagar; don't mind explaining anything to me!"
"By which you mean, beware of your wrath if I don't explain things toyou; eh, auntie?"
"Celine looked cautiously around her."--page 159.]
Hagar mumbled something, not exactly intended to be a speech butsimply a small growl, illustrative of her mood. Then, as if herdignity had been sufficiently asserted, she relaxed her grimness,and looking kindly down upon the girl, and pushing her toward the bigchair, said:
"But law! child, you look fagged out. Sit down, sit down, and don'tmind an old woman's grumbling."
"Did I ever?" laughed the girl, sinking into the big chair as ifindeed willing to rest. "But I can't sit here long, nursie; my day'swork, or rather my night's work, is not yet finished."
"Not yet? Oh, Madeline, my little nursling, give up these wild plansand plots; they will bring you no good."
"Won't they?" nodding significantly. "I think they will do me good,and you, too, Nurse Hagar; and before very long, too. Why, bless you,these precious plotters won't wait for me to bring them into my net;they are tumbling in headlong--all of them. They are helping me, withall their might, to bring about their own downfall. Hagar," and thegirl leaned suddenly forward and looked closely into the old woman'sface, "I want you to come back to Oakley."
Hagar started back as if struck by a knife. She was about to open herlips and set free a torrent of indignant protest, when the girl liftedher hand, interrupting her in the old characteristic way.
"Wait until I explain, auntie. I want you to go to Oakley to-morrow,at the hour when Mr. John Arthur is always supposed to be taking hisafter-dinner nap. Just after dinner, I want you to see Madame Cora;manage it in your own way, but see her you must."
"I won't!" broke in the old woman.
"You will," said the girl, quietly, "when I have told you why."
Drawing her chair close to that occupied by her companion, she resumedin a low voice:
"Yesterday Miss Arthur sent me to the village to purchase sometrifling articles for the adornment of her precious person. Returningthrough the woods, I came upon Mr. Davlin and his 'sister,' conversingvery earnestly, just at the lower end of the terrace. I arrived at thehedgerow stile just in time to hear madame say, very emphatically,that something must be done immediately. They were going down theterrace steps when I passed them, pretending to be in a great hurry.As soon as their backs were toward me, I turned quickly, and withoutnoise crossed the stile, followed them on the opposite side of thehedge, and listened."
Here the speaker paused and looked up, but her auditor was gazingmoodily into the fire, and never stirred nor spoke.
"Madame was saying," resumed the narrator, "that she was heartilyweary of the part she was playing; that its monotony sickened her;that they had secured the victims, and fate had been kind enough toremove the only stumbling block in their path, save the old manhimself; that she considered my very sensible demise a direct answerto her pious prayers."
The old woman shuddered and cast a look of horror upon the speaker.
"They had evidently discussed this matter before, and partiallysettled their plans, only the man seemed to think it was too soon tobegin to act. But madame declared that she should do worse if they didnot commence operations at once, and finally she overruled him."
"Of course," savagely.
"Of course. Well, I now lost a little of their conversation, but Ikept the thread of it. You see, I had to move very cautiously, andsometimes fall behind them a bit, when the leafage became less thick."
Hagar nodded.
"Their plan was a beautiful one, and they have already set it inmotion."
"Already?"
"Already; don't interrupt, please; I will tell you how in good time.First, then, madame is to fall ill--not desperately ill, but just illenough to be interesting, and to alarm the old man. By the way, Mr.Davlin left this morning for the city; that is one move. He is toremain in the city until after the illness of madame, who is to refuseto receive any of the village doctors. Finally, he is to be sent for,and admonished to bring with him their old family physician, who hasbut just returned from Europe. Well, they come, the brother and thefamily physician--do you follow me?"
"Yes, yes!" nodding eagerly.
"They come. And the doctor says madame is threatened with a malignantfever, and orders everybody out of the house. It is needless to saythat Miss Arthur flies instantly; but _le docteur_, interviewing thehalf-sick, fidgety old man, discovers that he, too, is threatened withthe fever. Of course, he can not leave then."
Old Hagar's eyes were twinkling, and she was bending forward now in aneagerly attentive attitude. "No," she breathed, unconsciously.
"Well, the heroic brother will refuse to fly from the fever, and willimplore the skillful man of medicine to remain and minister unto thesick. The good doctor stays. Of course, such of the servants as are atall likely to prove troublesome, through possessing a trifle morebrains than is usually alloted to an idiot, will be kindly told that,rather than endanger their lives, the household will dispense withtheir valuable services. Then a nurse, perhaps two, will come downfrom the city, and the plotters have the game in their own hands."
Here the girl paused, and leaned back in her chair as if her storywere done.
"And then?" exclaimed Hagar.
"And then!" echoed her companion, bending forward and resting her handupon the old woman's wrist; "and then madame will recover--but JohnArthur will remain an invalid and a prisoner! It will be said in thevillage that the fever has affected his brain, and his unpopularity,arising from the fact that he has always shunned and scorned thevillage folk, will insure them against intrusive investigators.Auntie, they have hatched a pretty plot."
"But," objected Hagar, "they will have to stay at Oakley, if he is tobe a prisoner. They won't dare leave him with keepers and--"
"True," the girl interrupted. "I don't know how they will manage therest; but having settled this much, madame and her 'brother' paused atthe end of the path. I saw her as she looked up into his face, andthis is what she said: 'When he is once a prisoner, what could be morenatural than that a crazy, sick old man should _die_ some day?' Thenthe man replied, 'Nothing;' and they both returned to the house,without another word."
For some moments silence reigned in Hagar's dwelling. The old womanseemed either unable, or unwilling, to utter a word of comment uponthe story to which she had been so attentive a listener.
Celine at length arose and said, as she began pacing to and fro beforethe old woman. "Well, have you anything to say to this?"
"Yes," quietly.
"Then why don't you speak out? Are you horribly shocked?"
"No."
"No? Well, so much the better!"
Hagar arose, pushed back her chair, crossed the room, and, pullingback the curtain, looked out into the night. Then turning herinscrutable old face upon the girl she said, quite calmly:
"Why should not others measure out to John Arthur the same bitterdraught that he filled for your mother, years ago? Bah! it is onlyretribution!"
"True," said the girl, sternly. Then, in a guarded tone: "And youwould make no attempt to overturn their finely laid plans?"
"I? _No!_" fiercely. "You? I thought you wanted revenge."
"And so I do,--and will have it."
"How, then?"
"Will yo
u go to Madame Arthur?"
"What for?"
"Ah, now you reason. I will tell you."
Hurriedly she unfolded her plan; and after some differences ofopinion, dame Hagar agreed to play her part in the coming drama.Having finally arranged Hagar's _role_ to their mutual satisfaction,Celine hurriedly recounted her day's adventures, saying, by way of_finale_:
"So now you see, nursie, I must hasten and send madame's message onits way. I shall depend upon you to tell me if Mr. Davlin comes toBellair to-morrow, for I have a fancy that madame will manage, in someway, to prevent his coming to the house, as it was fully settled thathe was not to appear at Oakley until summoned to his sister'ssick-bed."
"I can easily learn if he appears at the Bellair station."
"Exactly; that is all I wish to know. Now I must go and waylay Mr.Percy. So good night, auntie, and cheer up; our time is coming fast."
"And trouble coming, too; God help us."
The girl turned upon her swiftly, with flashing eyes. "Are you afraid?Do you want to give it up?"
"I am afraid for you. But give up now; never!"
"Brave old nursie!"
The girl flung both arms about the old woman, and kissed her witheredcheeks.
"Never fear for me; my star is rising. Don't forget your mission,auntie; good-night."
The "good-night" came back over her shoulder, as the girl was hurryingdown the cottage steps, and Hagar closed the door behind herretreating figure.
Madeline Payne, the Detective's Daughter Page 16
