CHAPTER XI
SOMETHING GREAT
On the day succeeding Nap's return Dot went to tea at Baronmead. She wasa very constant visitor there. Lucas always enjoyed her bright presenceand welcomed her with warmth. But Dot was not feeling very bright thatday. She looked preoccupied, almost worried.
She found that Mrs. Errol and Anne had gone out, and, as her custom waswhen she found the house deserted, she went straight to herbrother-in-law's room.
Tawny Hudson answered her knock at the outer door, and she was struck bythe lowering look the great half-breed wore. His expression waspositively villainous, and sharp as a pin-prick there darted through herthe memory of her first visit to Baronmead, and the hatred of Nap Errolshe had that day seen revealed in the man's eyes. She had never given thematter a thought since. To-day it awoke to life, stirring within her avague apprehension.
"How is your master, Tawny?" she asked.
"He is not so well, madam," said Tawny Hudson, but he opened the doorwide notwithstanding, inviting her to enter.
She went in. The room adjoined that in which Lucas lay, and Hudson wasalways there when not actually in attendance upon his master, except inhis off hours, which were as few as Lucas would permit.
"May I see him?" said Dot. "Or would he rather not be disturbed?"
Hudson stepped to the closed door and listened, his great red head bentalmost to the keyhole.
After a few moments he stood up and softly turned the handle. He made abrief sign to her and passed noiselessly into the room.
Dot remained where she was. She heard Lucas accost him at once, andcaught the murmur of the man's low-spoken reply. And then in a momentHudson came back to her.
"Will you go in, madam?" he said, in his careful English that always madeher think of an animal that had been taught to speak.
She went in, treading lightly, relieved to leave the man's heavy scowlingvisage behind her.
"Come right in," said Lucas hospitably. "It's real good of you to comeand see me like this."
She took his outstretched hand, looking at him anxiously. She saw that hehad not slept for many hours. Though he smiled at her, there was a greylook about his lips that made her wonder if he were in pain.
"Sit down," he said gently. "It's nothing. Only another bad night. Ican't expect to sleep soundly always."
"How disappointing!" Dot murmured.
"Not surprising though. I had an exciting day yesterday. You heard ofNap's return?"
"Yes." There was a very decided cloud upon Dot's face. "I saw him."
"Well?" said Lucas.
She turned to him impulsively. "Isn't it horrid when the thing you'vebeen planning for and wanting ever so long happens and everyone elseis cross?"
The blue eyes looked quizzical. "Very, I should say," said Lucas. "Wouldit be presumptuous to ask what has been happening and who is cross?"
Dot's answering smile held more of pathos than mirth. Her lips took aquivering, downward droop. "It's Nap," she said.
He raised his brows a little. "Nap seems the general pivot on which allgrievances turn," he remarked.
Dot leaned her chin on her hand. "I do so hate making mistakes," shesaid.
"We all do it," said Lucas.
"Oh, you don't!" She turned and gravely regarded him. "You are alwayswise," she said, "never headlong."
"Which only demonstrates your ignorance and the kindness of your heart,"said Lucas. "But go on, won't you? What has Nap been doing?"
"Oh, nothing. Nap is all right. It isn't Nap I mind." Again that dolefuldroop of the lips became apparent, together with a little quiver of thevoice undeniably piteous. "It--it's Bertie," whispered Dot. "I--I--it'svery ridiculous, isn't it? I'm a wee bit afraid of Bertie, do you know?"
"St. Christopher!" said Lucas, in astonishment.
"Yes. But you won't ever tell him, will you?" she pleaded anxiously."If--if he knew or guessed--all my prestige would be gone. I shouldn'tbe able to manage him at all. He--he is rather difficult to managesometimes, don't you think?"
Lucas was frowning slightly. "I guess I can manage him," he said.
"No doubt you could. I expect you always have. He respects you," saidDot, with unwitting wistfulness.
Lucas turned his head and looked at her very steadily. "Will you tell mesomething, Dot?" he said.
She nodded.
"Why are you afraid of Bertie?"
She hesitated.
"Come!" he said. "Surely you're not afraid of me too!"
The banter in his voice was touched with a tenderness that went straightto Dot's young heart. She leaned down impetuously and held his hand.
"No," she said tremulously. "I'm not such a little idiot as that, Luke.I'm afraid of Bertie because I've done something he wouldn't like. It'sa very little thing, Luke. It is, really. But--but it's bothered me offand on all the winter. And now that Nap is home, I feel much worse--asif--as if it had been really wrong. And--and"--she broke downsuddenly--"I know I ought to tell him. But--I can't."
"Tell me," said Lucas gently.
"And you will tell him for me?"
"If you wish me to do so."
"I don't like it," sobbed Dot. "It's so despicable of me. I've wanted totell him for ever so long. But he has been so good to me all this time,and--and somehow I couldn't face it. We haven't even squabbled for monthsnow. It--it seemed such a pity to spoil everything when it really didn'tmake any difference to anyone if he knew or not."
"Don't cry," interposed Lucas. "It would hurt Bertie if he knew."
"Dear Bertie!" whispered Dot. "Isn't it horrid of me to be such a coward?I haven't done anything really wrong either. In fact at the time itseemed almost right."
"Almost!" said Lucas, faintly smiling.
She smiled also through her tears. "Why don't you call me a humbug? Well,listen! It was like this. One night in the beginning of the winter Bertieand I had a disagreement about Nap. It wasn't at all important. But I hadto stick up for him, because I had chanced to see him just before heleft in the summer--you remember--when he was very, very miserable?"
"I remember," said Lucas.
He spoke rather wearily, but his eyes never left her face. He waslistening intently.
"And I was frightfully sorry for him," proceeded Dot, "though at thetime I didn't know what was the matter. And I couldn't let Bertie sayhorrid things about him. So I fired up. And then Bertie told me"--shefaltered a little--"about Nap caring for Lady Carfax. And that was wherethe trouble began. He didn't give him credit for really loving her,whereas I knew he did."
Strong conviction sounded in Dot's voice. The blue eyes that watched heropened a little.
"That so?" said Lucas.
"Oh, I was sure," she said. "I was sure. There are some things a womancan't help knowing. It was the key to what I knew before. Iunderstood--at once."
"And then?" said Lucas.
"Then, of course, I remembered that Lady Carfax was free. And I askedBertie if he knew. You see, I thought it possible that in her heart shemight be caring for him too. I knew they had always been friends. And SirGiles was such a brute to her. No woman could ever have loved him. Ithink most people couldn't help knowing that. And it seemed only fairthat Nap should know that Sir Giles was dead. I told Bertie so. He didn'tagree with me." Dot paused and vigorously dried her eyes. "I still don'tthink he was right," she said.
"P'r'aps not." Lucas spoke meditatively. "There's a good deal to be saidfor woman's intuition," he said.
"It seemed to me a matter of fair play," maintained Dot. "He didn't knowwhere Nap was, only his club address. And he wouldn't write himself, soI just wrote a single line telling Nap that Sir Giles was dead, and sentit off that night. I didn't tell Bertie. It didn't seem to matter muchthen, and I knew it might be ages before Nap got it. But now that thatline has brought him back, I feel as if he ought to know--particularlyas Bertie is so angry with him for returning. And Anne too--Anne nearlyfainted when she saw him. I felt as if I had landed everybody in ahopeless muddle." Again
Dot wiped her eyes. "And I had so wanted him tocome," she ended.
"Don't fret," said Lucas very kindly. "I wanted him too."
She looked at him eagerly. "You think as I do? You think he caresfor Anne?"
"I guess so," he answered, "since your letter brought him back."
"And--and Anne? Do you think--do you really think--?"
"I guess so," he said again.
He lay silent for a while, his eyes drooping heavily, till she even beganto wonder if he were falling asleep.
At length, "Dot," he said, "have I your permission to make what use Ilike of this?"
She gave a slight start. "You are going to tell Bertie?"
He looked at her. "My dear," he said, "I think Bertie had better know."
She nodded. "I know he ought. But he will be furious with me."
"Not if I talk to him," said Lucas, with his quiet smile.
"But it's so mean of me," she protested. "And I'm sure it's bad for you."
He reached out his hand to her. "No, it isn't bad for me, Dot. It's justthe best thing possible. You've put me in the way of something great."
She squeezed his hand. "Do you really think you can make things goright?"
"Under God," said Lucas gravely.
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