CHAPTER XX
THE PHILTRE
"Going to give myself a holiday to-morrow, Ma, and take Miss Innesskating on the Hotwells Lough," said Ninian when they were assembled attheir midday dinner. "Isn't that a good plan?"
Madam looked furtively first at him then at the girl, as though tryingto surprise the expression on both faces. "The question seems to me tobe--does Miss Innes think it a good plan?" said she.
Olwen thus appealed to was in her usual difficulty. She had learned thatMadam did not like her to say "No" to her son's invitations. On theother hand, she was always very careful not to seem anxious to forsakeher duties and go off with the young man. It had lately become the rulefor them to go out together of an afternoon, since Madam still kept tothe house. The skating was, however, to be a whole day's expedition.Added to the girl's doubts as to the propriety of spending so much timein his society, was the distasteful memory of the thing she had foundthat morning. She was diligently telling herself that it did notmatter. Why _should_ it matter? She had never thought highly of Mr.Guyse. The knowledge that he had grossly slurred the truth, if he hadnot actually lied, in his account to her of what had passed betweenhimself and Miss Martin was simply a conclusive proof that she had beenfrom the first right to distrust him, and that she must revert with himto their former more distant terms, since he might and almost certainlywould misinterpret her present attitude of friendliness.
Friendliness! Of course it was nothing more. It could not be more.
The most cursory consideration of the facts sufficed to show howimpossible a thing it was that the impoverished young master of the Peleshould contemplate marriage with his mother's companion.
Rose Kendall had thirty thousand pounds. Though her first attempt at areconciliation had been coldly received, it was not likely that it wouldbe her last. She was probably glad that her discarded suitor had notbeen ready to jump down her throat; but she would not, for that reason,give up hope; and by degrees her efforts must be crowned with success.To put it plainly, the Guyse family could not afford to let thirtythousand pounds go a-begging.
This being understood, why should the knowledge of Ninian's treachery toone woman deprive another of a day's pleasure in a life which could notbut be described as monotonous?
Rather did it insure her safety, since it must harden her heart againstthe young scamp's nonsense.
These considerations all passed through the mind of Madam's companion asshe gently replied: "I think the expedition will take too long. Weshould be too many hours absent."
"How did you intend to go, Nin?" asked Madam. "There's nowhere to put upthe horse."
"I know. But Miss Innes is some walker. My idea is to set out earlywith a package of sandwiches and drive there, taking Ezra with us tobring the horse back. We will skate for a couple of hours or so--Ishould think that would be long enough--and then eat our lunch and walkhome. It is well inside ten miles, the roads are in good condition, andif we start back about two we should get home to supper."
"That sounds feasible," said Madam, "and I could spare Miss Innes if shelikes to go."
Ninian looked at Olwen, and seeing her hesitation, insinuated what heknew would be an inducement. "The Lough is only about half a mile fromthe Roman Wall." said he. "There's a mile-castle close by."
"Oh! I have always wanted so much to see the Roman Wall!" cried Olwenimpetuously.
"And, please, Teacher, you might continue my education by instructing mea little bit about it," put in the incorrigible meekly.
"Well, my dear, the decision rests with you," said Madam in an oddvoice.
Sunia was standing just behind her mistress's chair. As Olwen raised hereyes to answer she encountered the soft gaze of the clearcoffee-coloured eyes.
She felt inclined to say straight out: "It is of no use your trying tohypnotise me." That being impossible, she merely declared:
"I think I must stay at home and go on with my work in the library."
"Tell you what it is," said Ninian confidentially to Madam. "She'safraid. She thinks that if she spends a whole day with me she'llsuccumb to my fascinations; and from the bottom of her school-marm heartshe disapproves of me."
"Everything is feudal here at the Pele," was Olwen's instant retort."We even keep a court jester."
Madam laughed. "She's a match for you, Ninian."
"Is she?" said Ninian, his bold eyes fixed fully upon the girl.
Olwen did not change countenance, but she could not meet his look. Hisprevious words had had their intended effect. She was not going to"funk," as she put it to herself.
"You will have plenty of time for the library; but the frost will notkeep," observed Madam.
"Then if you approve, Madam, I should like to go." Sunia let loose asoft sigh of relief.
When Miss Innes entered her room that night she knew by the weirdperfume that the ayah had been at her divinations. The little potsstood in the ashes, and a faint blue smoke, fragrant and making atroubling appeal to the emotions, lingered on the air.
"Oh, Sunia, in mischief again!" said she, laughing, as she came in.
Sunia rose, in her lithe, soundless fashion, and stood gazing upon thegirl. "Change coming," she murmured. "Change in missee's life. A greatchange." Her wide eyes were mournful, and she shook her head. "I notsee well this night," she remarked; a thing she usually said when herincantations had not shown the desired result She fussed and petted thegirl beyond her wont that night, massaging her limbs, rubbing her feetin anticipation of the next day's walk. She liked Olwen's little pinkfeet, and often spoke in admiration of them. When at last the girl wastucked up in bed, the ayah brought her a glass containing a smalldraught of pale amber fluid.
"What's that?" said Olwen sharply.
"Something ole ayah want missee take," murmured the woman coaxingly.She added that it was a tonic--a strengthening draught which wouldinvigorate her for the morrow's walk. Olwen was very sleepy, andhalf-hypnotised by her toilet and by the mystic fragrance of the air.Yet the sight of that little draught gave a shock to her pulses and puther on her guard.
It was as though something or some one quite near whispered a word inher ear--_philtre_!
Sunia had not said a word about Ninian, but she had seemed depressed, asthough she feared that things were not going right. That she shouldprepare a love potion was by no means unlikely.
Not for worlds--not for anything that life might have to offer, wouldOlwen drink it. Yet she felt that it would be wiser not to refuse itopenly.
"Thanks, ayah dear. Put it there. I am going to read my chapter, andthen I will drink it last thing before I go to sleep."
"Missee drink it now, I wash the glass."
"All right, I will. Get me a clean hanshif, please, out of mydrawer--one of those at the back--underneath."
The moment the woman's back was turned, as she bent her head to searchin the drawer, Olwen took up the glass resolutely. She felt afraid, butknew she had but an instant in which to act. With steady hand shepoured the drug away into an earthen vase containing flowers which stoodupon her bed table. When Sunia turned, she was holding the empty glasstilted against her lips. The single drop that passed them reminded herof Chartreuse liqueur, which Mr. Holroyd had made her taste one NewYear's Eve. It was exquisite, but fiery.
When the woman had gone away she slipped out of bed and poured away thetainted water from the flowers.
Owing to the nature of the stairs and the difficulty of carrying pailsup and down, each room had a kind of sink or semi-circular stone basinin the outer wall for the reception of waste water. This enabled her todispose of the highly perfumed fluid, and to wash out the vase withdisinfectant. This done she lay down in bed, trembling.
Why should Sunia wish her to love Ninian? The only answer that rose toher mind was too horrible for her to accept. The ayah had beeninvariably good to her, invariably respectful. That she should beseeking to compass her
downfall was unthinkable. Yet what else could beher object?
Olwen knew well that Sunia had the most exalted ideas of the rank andstation of her sahib, and of what was due to him in the way of a wife.That she could deliberately wish him to marry his mother's companion waspreposterous. Then it must be true that she desired the girl to fall avictim.
There came a sense of insecurity--of suspicion--of terror even. Therewas something uncanny in this place, something unaccountable in thesepeople. She ought not to have remained. She ought to leave. It was noplace for her. Curled up in the downy softness of her bed, thefirelight flickering upon the thick curtained walls, and on the coursesof harsh, savage stone visible above them, she wondered how she daresleep in such a place. Misgivings thronged upon her mind--the warningsshe had received, the way in which Sunia spied upon her. The idea thatshe was a prisoner in the Pele stole over her--a premonition that,should she try to leave, they would prevent her.
After a while calmer thoughts succeeded. Such an idea as her captivitywas merely silly. For what reason, what conceivable reason, should theGuyses have designs upon her, a young, harmless, powerless creature; butone, as she reflected with satisfaction, who had a home and relatives toback her.
Sunia was perhaps a little cracked, having been born with the traditionsof the ayah, trained for generations to wait upon, almost to venerate,the conquering race. In her lonely, dull existence the coming of theyoung girl had been an event. It might have slightly disturbed hermental balance. Thinking back upon all Ninian's eccentricity, Olwencould not recall a single word, a single look of his which had suggestedvicious desires. He had been impertinent, even rude--never offensive inthat other sense. He merely laughed at Sunia. Madam also, odd as shewas, had never seemed to her to be morally delinquent. Although theconfidence between them which her short illness had begun had notcontinued since she was about again, still Olwen had the impression offriendliness, of some amusement. She thought she could say withoutconceit that Madam found her likeable.
By the time she fell asleep she was reproaching herself with folly.Sunia and Sunia's tricks might be ignored. Ninian had in fact offered totell the woman to let her alone. She wished she had accepted the offer.Her refusal was based partly upon the feeling that things might beuncomfortable in the house were the ayah her enemy, and partly, sheowned it with shame, upon her own pleasure in being waited upon hand andfoot. Until this devoted service began she had no idea how much itwould appeal to her. So Spartan had been her upbringing that the mereidea of personal attendance had a startling novelty. Now, after oneshort month, she was beginning to wonder how she would get on withoutSunia's ministrations.
... Well, she had poured away the philtre! ...
... So that was all right! ...
She sank away into dreamland.
Next morning, when she and young Guyse met in the dining-room forbreakfast, his breezy, early morning manner made her ashamed of herover-night panic. Something in Sunia's spells must, she thought, havebeen responsible for such horrible thoughts.
Admitted that Ninian had minimised his own blame-worthiness where LilyMartin was concerned--what had that to do with Olwen Innes? She hadassured him that it was no concern of hers.
In the days wherein Olwen looked back upon this phase in her life, shewondered that she could have quieted her fears thus easily. At the timethere seemed so many other things to think about.
Ninian ground her skates beautifully, and as she was particular aboutthis, she had to watch the process. Then there was lunch to pack intohis rucksack, her own bad-weather coat to roll up and sling across herback, various small things to arrange, before walking through thecourtyard and out across the Bull-drop, to where Ezra stood holdingDeloraine's head beside the dogcart.
Ezra was told to get up behind, the two young people settled themselvescomfortably, and off they spun, due south, striking after a couple ofmiles a good road leading right across the fells.
The gay morning had made them both a little wild. They hardly talked aword of sense all the way to the Lough.
Olwen had not expected to find this place so solitary. It was, shethought, the most desolate spot she had ever seen. It lay in the lee ofa lofty, almost precipitous crag, standing up from the rolling fells indark ferocity. No human habitation was in sight anywhere along to thehorizon.
The road passed within a half-mile of the water, and at the nearestpoint they stopped, possessed themselves of their skates and theirdinner, and dismissed Ezra.
The scramble over fawn-coloured tussocks of grass, with muddy icebetween, proved enough to warm all their blood. At the Lough's edgeNinian adjusted first her skates, then his own. With a curt order toher to wait till he returned, he went coursing all around the surface ofthe ice, making sure of its trustworthiness. It was absolutely safe,and he came rushing back, his eyes sparkling with the joy of the rapidmotion.
"Simply great," he said, "come along!"
In a moment she was up, and they were off together, hands crossed, feetmoving in unison, bodies swaying to the delight of it all. The ice waslike black armour, as Olwen said, fantastically smooth, except where atthe edges the withered reeds drooped their heads and made it lumpy hereand there.
They were like a couple of children, playing all kinds of silly tricks.First they wrote each other's names with all kinds of flourishes. Thenthey did figures of eight, following each other's line of marks withinan inch or two. Then rocking turns, and finally waltzing round andround.
They had brought sticks with a view to the walk home, and presentlyNinian produced a little ball out of his pocket, and they played a kindof hockey.
It seemed impossible that the morning should have slipped away soimperceptibly. When Ninian proclaimed it to be lunch-time, Olwen couldnot believe it.
Both were glowing with health and enjoyment as at last they camereluctantly to the edge of the Lough, removed their skates, and lookedabout for a good place in which to eat their lunch.
The Lonely Stronghold Page 20
