by Maud Diver
CHAPTER XIII.
"Ah, Love, but a day, And the world has changed!" --Browning.
An early return journey had been advocated by all experienced weatherprophets of the mushroom colony of Kajiar. The great monsoon wasalready rolling up from the coast-line, and at any moment might breakin thunder over the hills.
By eight of the morning tent-poles were swaying and falling on allsides: and the wide glade that had slept in silver when Quita partedfrom her husband, was astir from end to end. From every corner camethe brisk insistent tapping of hammers on tent-pegs; the shrillneighing of ponies, and shriller chatter of coolies, bargaining forpayment in advance; repudiating loads a few ounces overweight, andtragically prophesying death on the road if the illegal incubus werenot removed.
Peremptory bugle-notes rang out upon the air; and mounted Englishmen,galloping hither and thither, scattered commands right and left in aseries of deep-chested shouts.
Striking camp,--breaking up! It is the key-note of Anglo-Indian life.The chord of change unchanging sounds unceasingly in travel-weary ears.
But experience breeds proficiency; and the native servant is an adeptin the art of so oiling the wheels that his master shall accomplish hisappointed pilgrimage with the least possible damage to his much-triednervous system.
Zyarulla, the indomitable, was a man of this order. In his opinion theSahib had no concern whatever with the minor details of the march: anopinion with which the Sahib in question had not the smallest desire toquarrel. And on this particular morning Lenox had little attention tospare even for the sorting and bestowal of his pricelessmanuscripts,--so impatient was he to verify the dream-like happeningsof the night; to look into his wife's eyes and feel the answeringpressure of her hand. Swallowing a hasty cup of tea and a banana whilehe dressed, he hastened out to the place of their parting seven hoursearlier.
Afar off he caught sight of her, standing, in habit and _terai_, on theopen space where her tent had been, supervising the departure of herlast load of luggage, and listening patiently to tales of coolievillainy and extortion poured forth by her Kashmiri ayah, on a highnote of vituperation.
He checked his advance for the pure pleasure of watching her from adistance: and when the ayah,--denouncing as she ran,--hurried off inthe wake of her refractory army, he went briskly forward and held outhis hand.
She gave him her own without a word, and for a full minute of time theystood thus, hands and eyes inter-locked, oblivious of the noisy worldabout them, which, happily for them, was absorbed in matters of fargreater moment.
"Can't I help you?" Lenox asked; and the simple question, with all thatit implied of his renewed right of service, thrilled her like a caress.
"I wish you could. But I've got through most of it already."
"That's bad luck. Maurice not much use on these occasions, I suppose?"
"Not the smallest use, bless him! He says I have more talent for itthan he! But call him Michael, _cher ami_, only to me."
"Michael then, by all means--Quita.--You can't think what it is to meto be able to call you by your name again," he added with suddenfervour.
She laughed and blushed deliciously.
"I noticed that you never called me by--the other one," she said,looking intently at a distant tree.
"Good Lord, no--I'd have bitten my tongue out sooner!"
He could not keep his eyes from her face; and as the blush died downits pallor smote him.
"Did you sleep at all?" he asked abruptly.
"Yes; for an hour or two. Did you?"
"Didn't even lie down."
"Oh, _mon pauvre_----!"
"Hush!--Don't trouble your dear head about that,"
"But I must. It breaks my heart----"
He laughed. "That's worse than ever! You've got to keep your heartintact--for me."
His eyes travelled from her face to her unadorned left hand. Hersfollowed them; and a half smile parted her lips.
"Where d'you keep them?" he asked under his breath.
Still smiling, she unfastened two buttons of her habit and vouchsafedhim a glimpse of gold and diamonds. "They live on a chain--in there,"she explained softly.
"You have worn them, then, after a fashion?"
"Yes: since I learnt to love--my bondage!"
"Did you really never wish that I might be conveniently wiped out, evenin the early days?"
"No, never:--and I am thankful now that I _can_ say 'No' with perfecttruth."
She drew in a long breath of ecstasy. The morning cheerfulness of theworld at large, the music of her own pulses, and of the man's voice,vibrant with things inexpressible, filled her with a very oppression ofhappiness.
"Oh, Eldred," she breathed. "It still feels like a dream. Let's talksheer prose just to make it feel real!--Are you and the Desmonds ridingback with Colonel and Miss Mayhew?"
"Yes."
"So are we."
"And Garth?"
"I suppose so. But I want _you_ to ride with me. Will you--darling?"
She added the entreaty of her eyes to the last word, and he hesitated.
"It will look a little odd, and sudden, of course. But I don't see whyI shouldn't."
"Nor do I. We can at least begin our courtship--can't we?--to preparepeople for what is to come! Besides--if it isn't you, it will be MajorGarth, and . . . I'm a little afraid of him after last night."
"Why? What the devil did he do?"
"Nothing--nothing definite. He only spoke rather strangely before Isent him away; and I don't want to be alone with him, if I can help it.You see, he . . . he cares for me, Eldred; and I am afraid he thinksnow that I--care for him. Oh, I feel contemptuously wicked! But Ihave been rather desperate this week, all on account of you; and Ireally think it's your business to protect me from the consequences!"
"Of course it is my business, and my privilege to protect you," heanswered fervently. Her confession of dependence was sweeter to himthan honey in the honeycomb. "But you gave me an almighty snubbing theother day when I made a clumsy attempt at it."
"Make allowances, _mon cher_, and don't fail me now."
"Fail you?" He flashed a reproachful glance at her. "I hope I maynever do that, while there's breath in my body! Trust me to be at yourright hand when we start. Mrs Desmond will have wit enough tocapture--your friend, if she sees that I want you."
"Why? Does she know all about it?"
"Just the bare facts. I told her myself."
"And he?"
"Certainly. They are one, those two, if ever man and woman achievedthe miracle."
"Does that account for his flattering attentions to me since Chumba?"
"Quite possibly."
"But that wasn't fair play! He is such a grand fellow; and I was soproud of my small conquest!"
Her lighter mood was even more irresistible than her seriousness hadbeen: but Lenox palled himself together.
"Tell him so, and you'll make your conquest at once, if you've not madeit already! Hullo--there is the last breakfast bugle. Shall we go intogether? If I am doomed to fall in love with you, I may as well setabout it at once!"
Her answering look set a crown on him.
"Ah, my dear," she whispered. "In spite of all you said last night, Iam happy beyond words."
"So am I," he answered simply. "Come."
From her own area of luggage-strewn ground, Honor Desmond,--carryinglittle Paul, whom she had insisted on bringing into camp,--looked afterthem as they went, her glad heart in her eyes; and Desmond, coming upfrom behind, took her lightly by the arm.
"Well, old lady," he asked. "Are you satisfied yet?"
"Abundantly."
"And am I to get my wife back again as a reward for distinguishedservices rendered?"
"I imagine so!" she answered, laughing happily. "Unless you wouldrather keep your grievance!--Now go on to breakfast, darling; and I'llfollow when I have packed this priceless person into his dandy.Whatever happens, he and Parbutti must
run no risk of getting drenched."
Breakfast was half through before Garth sauntered into the mess-tent:and Honor, who had watched for his coming, felt an unbidden pang ofpity at sight of his blank face, when he beheld Quita sitting besideher husband, a bright spot of colour in either cheek, her eyesradiating a light that refused to be hidden under a bushel.
The unexpected blow roused all the devil in him. Man of prudencethough he was, he could have murdered Lenox at that moment. But liferarely lends itself to melodrama: and instead he sat down at the farend of the table; and, for once in his life, ate a meal without beingaware of its quality. His brain was busy reviewing the events of theprevious day; putting two and two together, and trying not to see thatthey made four. A physical chill took him as he realised how narrowlyhe had escaped the ignominy of betraying the fact that he had countedon the consent of this proudest among women to the only proposalspossible in the circumstances.
It was an awkward corner for James Garth; and in his chequeredexperience of awkward corners the _role_ of victim had rarely been his.Even the witness of his eyes did not carry conviction. By some meanshe must contrive to ride home with her, and learn from her lips the'wherefore' of this astonishing change of front. He reflected thatLenox had little _finesse_, and anticipated small trouble incircumventing him.
But he reckoned without Honor Desmond, whose strategical skill came toher from a long line of distinguished soldiers, and whose sympathieshad been touched to the quick by the grave contentment in EldredLenox's eyes when they lingered on his wife's face and figure.
Breakfast over, she accosted Garth straightway with a cheerful morninggreeting: and from that moment, to the time of their departure, shetook charge of him, gently yet irresistibly; keeping him well away fromQuita's neighbourhood; and so isolating him that he could not deserther without open rudeness: proceedings that at once mystified andflattered him, as Honor herself was delightedly aware.
For a full hour the exodus of man and beast went noisily forward. ButColonel Mayhew's departure was delayed by his desire to see the Chumbacontingent well under weigh before leaving: and by the time heannounced his readiness to start, the last remaining units of the GreatCamp were out of sight, trotting briskly along the shadowed road thatwinds up through the forest to Bukrota Mall.
"If we push along briskly we may get in with dry skins yet," he said,scanning the sky, where a vanguard of tattered cloud trailed aimlesslyacross the blue.
"And I was actually hoping we might get caught!" Quita confessed on amock note of apology. "It would make such a thrilling _finale_: and Idelight in your Indian storms."
Colonel Mayhew laughed and shook his head.
"When you have seen and heard as many of them as I have, Miss Maurice,you will simply find them 'demnition damp and disagreeable,' likeMantalini's dead body! And even at the risk of disappointing you, Iintend to make a bolt for it.--Come on, my contingent!"
Lenox was at his wife's right hand, as he had promised: and Garth hadso far succumbed as to lift Mrs Desmond into her saddle.
"You are a practised hand at it!" she said, smiling down upon hisobvious annoyance at the fate in store for him. "Why shouldn't you andI head the contingent? Some one must go first!"
There was nothing for it but to acquiesce; and to endure, as best hemight, the torment of Quita's clear tones close behind, alternatingwith her husband's bass; both voices pitched too low to be articulate,Desmond followed with Mayhew, while Maurice and Elsie, and thecustomary string of coolies, brought up the rear.
For the first few miles splashes of sunlight gleamed and quivered onthe rough pathway, on red-pine stems, and moss-coated rocks. Butbefore half their journey was accomplished, it became evident that theywere not to escape the opening storm of the great monsoon.
A shuddering wind set the dense pines above and below them swaying andmoaning, a sound of strange and infinite melancholy. The sunlight wentout like a snuffed candle; battalions of clouds, charged withelectricity, rolled silently northward, obliterating all things; and anochreous twilight settled down upon the forest. Save for thewhispering of wind-tossed trees, all Nature seemed hushed, expectant,holding her breath.
The dusky stillness wrought upon the nerves of the riders, producing avague, discomfortable sense of foreboding. Talk grew fitful; and wasinstinctively carried on in lowered tones.
"Push on a bit faster, Mrs Desmond. It would be as well to get outwhere the trees are thinner before the worst is upon us."
Colonel Mayhew's voice had an anxious note. He had weathered theopening storm of many monsoons; but his daughter's presence wakened inhim a new fear of the thunderbolts of the gods.
Even as he spoke, a phosphorescent gleam sped through the trees, like apassing soul; and a threatening growl rumbled up from the South. Itwas the prelude. Two minutes later, rocks, stems, branches, and theminutest fir-needles that flickered against the grey, showed likeink-strokes on tarnished silver as a forked flash, leaped, quivering,from the heart of a blue-black cloud. The report that followed, afterscarce five seconds of stillness, was smart, crisp, short as arevolver-shot; and long before a hundred peaks had made an end offlinging back the sound, a second flash and crash--in swiftersuccession--smote the eyes and ears of the riders, who now urged theirhorses to a canter, _saises_, coolies, and three devoted dogs pantingzealously behind them.
Their hope was to gain shelter in the Government woodsheds, two milesahead, before the inevitable downpour came to drench their bodies andimpede their progress. But fate was in a merciless mood on that Junemorning.
The third flash split up the sky as a stone splits a window pane.Pulsating streaks of fire, red, green, and blue, radiated in alldirections, half-blinding them with the brazen glare. And before itfaded, a crackling detonation seemed to rip the very heavens from margeto marge.
As yet no rain had fallen: and for ten deafening minutes the littleparty rode in silence through an inferno of reiterate light and sound.Once or twice Quita glanced at her husband, cantering beside her, andwondered vaguely when she would hear him speak again; wondered, too, ather own matter-of-fact acceptance of that which a week ago had appearedimpossible. But the storm stunned heart and brain, as well as eye andear. Everything human,--life, death, love itself,--seemed trivial inface of this stupendous battle of the elements. Above them, and on allsides of them, the lightning leaped and darted, like a live thingseeking its prey. It was as if the sombre heavens were bringing forthbrood upon brood of fiery serpents, and greeting the birth of each withear-splitting peals of Titanic laughter.
Then came the rain:--not in mere drops, but in a solid sheet of water,blinding, drenching, stupefying. At the same instant the fury of thestorm culminated in a blaze of white light that seemed to spring uponthem from all sides at once, with a shout as of fiends let loose; and,through the echoing after-roll of thunder, came a sharper, harshersound,--the death note of a mighty tree.
Lenox and his wife faced one another involuntarily with startled looks.
"How appalling!--What was it?" she asked between two breaths.
"A pine struck somewhere up the _khud_. Not frightened, are you,lass?" he added with tender concern. "It's the very thing you wanted.You've got your thrilling finale with a vengeance!"
A clatter of breaking branches made him look up. "Great God!" hecried, on a note of alarm. "Back your pony sharp. It's coming down onthe top of us!"
And as she obeyed, with the swift instinct of fear, Desmond's voicereached him through the rush of the rain.
"Look out for yourself, Lenox! She's safe enough."
But before the words were out, the upper half of a great deodar crasheddown upon the narrow path, and a long branch struck the Galloway'sshoulder with tremendous force. For an instant Shaitan staggered underthe blow:--then horse, and man, and tree were hurled headlong down thesteep, rain-lashed ravine.
A great cry broke from Quita: and in that cry, and the white, rigidrepression that followed it, Garth had his answer to the qu
estion hehad never asked.
For the hundredth part of a second all seven sat paralysed by thehideous thing that had happened before their eyes, and by the hopelessnature of the drop down which Lenox had disappeared:--wiped out, asthough he had never been.
Then Desmond's practical vigour asserted itself, and he sprang lightlyto the ground.
"Here, take hold of the Demon, some one!"
And it was Quita who leant forward and grasped the bridle with a steadyhand. Her action gave him the chance he wanted of getting close enoughto speak a few words of encouragement in a hurried undertone.
"Don't lose heart. It's an ugly drop. But he fell clear of the tree;and these _khuds_ are the most chancy things imaginable. I'm off afterhim, as fast as hands and feet can take me."
Speech was beyond her; but she thanked him with her eyes.
A moment later he was kneeling in the mud, rapidly unfastening bootsand gaiters; for one downward glance had convinced him that it would bea matter of climbing, and difficult climbing at that.
By now Colonel Mayhew had dismounted also; and as Desmond stoodupright--in socks and breeches--and flung aside his dripping helmet,the older man drew him to the path's edge.
"Look here, my dear chap," he mid, when they were out of earshot of thegroup, who sat spellbound in the grip of tragedy, "are you justified inrunning a serious risk, probably--to no purpose? For I'm afraid poorLenox hasn't a ghost of a chance. You're a married man, remember; andit looks to me uncommonly like madness to attempt that _khud_ in suchweather. It'll be a case of holding on with your eyelids; and there'sa coolie track not far from here, that leads down to the valley."
Desmond's month took the dogged line that his _sowars_ knew and loved;and a combatant light flashed in his eyes.
"Your blood's cooler than mine, sir," he answered quietly. "But I havea fairly steady head; and my wife would be the last person in the worldto hold me back, thank God. In such cases five or ten minutes may meanjust the difference between life . . . and death. If you will gettogether some sort of a stretcher--a good strong one--and come onpost-haste down the coolie track, I'll be grateful. I suppose wehaven't a drop of brandy among us?--bad luck to it!"
"There's a provision _kilter_ on one of the coolies. Shall we have itturned out, on the chance?"
"Good Lord, yes. Get it done at once, please." Then he turned toGarth. "I say, Major, gallop on, will you, and catch up Dr O'Malley.I saw him start with the last contingent. They can't be more than twomiles ahead."
And as Garth obeyed the peremptory request, the devil himself must havewhispered to his heart the despicable suggestion that possibly Fate hadstruck a blow in his favour after all.
Colonel Mayhew, meanwhile, rummaging feverishly in the depths of the_kilter_ with scant hope of success, bestrewed the wet earth on allsides of him with canned fruits, sardines, greasy jharrons, andcrumpled wads of newspaper: till at length, like Hope out of Pandora'scasket, there came forth from an unsuspicious-looking bundle of clotheshalf a bottle of brandy, stowed carefully away by the kitmutgar, forprivate ends best known to himself.
Desmond, who stood by fuming with impatience to be gone, laid eagerhands on it.
"Lord, what a miracle! Pity there's no flask handy," he muttered,buttoning his coat, and thrusting the unwieldly impediment into aside-pocket. Then, catching sight of a horn tumbler among the_debris_, he picked it up, and drew out the bottle.
"Better leave you some for the women,--if you can get 'em to drink itdiluted with a trifle of rain!--There now, I'm off. For God's sake,Colonel, look sharp after me."
Without waiting for an answer, he swung round on his heel, and for thefirst time looked at his wife, whose eyes had never left him since hesprang from the saddle. Now, as his own challenged them, they gave himin full the approval he craved; and, for the space of a few seconds,their spirits clung together in an embrace more intimate than anycommunion of the lips.
Then Theo Desmond wrenched himself away.
Stepping deliberately backward, over a short, sheer drop, he lethimself down by his hands on to a tumbled mass of boulders, and beganhis perilous descent in earnest. Whereupon Brutus,--who stood at the_khud's_ edge peering into space, ears and tail dumbly demandingexplanation,--lunged forward, as if to follow so practical a lead; andonly Colonel Mayhew's prompt clutch at his collar saved him fromjoining the master who had so basely deserted him. Both he andDesmond's distracted Aberdeen were handed over to a _sais_; and aftermuch ineffectual choking and gurgling, subsided into apathetic despair.
Already half a dozen natives were busy devising an impromptu stretcherfrom fir branches, ropes, and strips of coolie blanket,--drenched andevil-smelling, yet acceptable enough; while Quita sat watching itsconstruction in a dazed stillness; her eyes dry and wide; her artist'sbrain picturing too vividly that which lay awaiting it down there inthe pitiless rain, that seemed to add a refinement of cruelty to thehorse-play of lightning and thunder.
But Colonel Mayhew, unaware of the morning's double tragedy, had eyesonly for his daughter; and, in his first free moment, hurried to herside. She had hidden her face, and was crying softly, to Michael'sopen dismay. Once or twice he had even laid a hand on her, unheeded,and unrebuked. But her father's touch roused her, and she tookconvulsive hold of him. She was still little more than a child; andthis was her first face-to-face encounter with the brutality of God'suniverse.
"Don't upset yourself, girlie," he said kindly. "The damage may beless than we think for. I must stay here and help; but you must be agood child, and ride on at once. You'll see her safe home for me,won't you, Maurice?"
Michael acquiesced eagerly. Unrelieved tragedy upset his nerves. Helonged to escape from the consciousness of Quita's dumb despair; andwhen Elsie had been induced to swallow a drop of brandy that would nothave warmed a sparrow, they rode off briskly through the sullendownpour.
With a breath of relief, Colonel Mayhew went up to Honor Desmond, whohad just dismounted.
"What's that for?" he asked anxiously. "You and Miss Maurice are goingon too, of course."
Honor shook her head.
"But you can do no earthly good by waiting. We may be an hour or morebefore we get up here again. It will be slow work, if . . . if Lenoxis alive;--and you will be drenched to the skin."
"There are worse evils than that!" she answered with gentle immobility."Don't trouble about me, please. I _must_ stay here till I know whathas happened; and I think Miss Maurice will wish to stay too. We shallcome to no harm. We women have nine lives, you know!"
"And if you will--you will. . . . I know that also! But at least takea nip to keep out the damp. Your husband gave me this at the lastmoment for the three of you."
"How like him to think of it!" she murmured, smiling unsteadily.
"Yes--it _was_ like him,"--and in the expansion of the moment thewarm-hearted Resident put a fatherly hand on her shoulder. "He's adeuced fine fellow, my dear, and he has found a wife that's worthy ofhim."
Honor blushed rose-red, and took the proffered stimulant.
"I'll give Miss Maurice some too," she said. "Don't lose a second onour account, please."
Thus urged, the good man hurried away; and Honor went straight toQuita, whose unnatural apathy cut her to the heart.
"Miss Maurice, here's brandy," she said softly. "Drink all of it,before I help you down."
Quita emptied the tumbler; and Honor, grasping her waist with bothhands, lifted her out of the saddle.
"How strong you are," she said, in the toneless voice of asleep-walker. Then her frozen anguish melted suddenly and completely.For Honor Desmond, instead of releasing her, clasped her close, kissingher, with passionate tenderness, on cheeks and brows, like wet marble:and in the midst of her bewildered misery Quita realised dimly what itmight mean to possess a mother.
"Theo and I know about it all," Honor explained at length; and Quitanodded. The fact that she was crying her heart out on the shoulder ofher detested rival made the whole inci
dent dreamlike to the verge ofstupefaction: and it was Honor who spoke again.
"We'll just wait here together till they come back; and shut--the worstout of our thoughts. You have splendid courage, my dear, and I think Ilove nothing in the world more than courage. Sit down with me now onthis pile of fir-needles. It looks a little less saturated than therest of the world."
Still keeping an arm round her, she drew her down unresisting to herside: and Quita, choking back the tears that had probably saved herbrain from after-effects of the shock, looked with awakened interest ather new-found friend.
"I don't deserve that you should be so good to me," she said, humourflashing through her pain like a watery sunbeam on a day of mist. "Ihave hated you, with all my heart, ever since I first saw you!"
At which confession Honor pressed her closer. "Bless you for tellingme!--I take it simply as the measure of--your love for him."
"_Mon Dieu_, no! Not now," she answered very low.
"I am glad of that too. For I want very much to be good friends withCaptain Lenox's wife."
On the last word a slow colour crept back into Quita's cheeks.
"You mustn't speak of it--yet, to any one else. There aredifficulties--big difficulties . . ."
"I know;--but you may trust him to conquer them. One feels in him thesort of force that moves mountains."
Again Quita nodded. "You seem to know everything," she added, a lastspark flickering in the ashes of her jealousy. "And I suppose youblame _me_ for it all."
"I am too ignorant of the facts to blame either of you. I only knowthat even if he wronged you in any way, he has been more thansufficiently punished."
At that Quita's lips quivered, and the storm of her grief broke outafresh: while the greater storm overhead, having accomplished its evilwork, rolled rapidly northward, with the colossal unconcern of a giantwho crushes a beetle in his path; and the first stupendous downrush ofwater subsided into a melancholy drizzle of rain.
In that endless hour of looking and waiting for those who seemed as ifthey had been blotted out for all time, Quita learned once and for allwhat manner of woman Honor Desmond was; learnt also something of theloyalty and reserve that had marked Eldred's intercourse with her whomhe had spoken of as his best friend.
