Kitabı oku: «This Man's Wife», sayfa 29
Volume Four – Chapter Nine.
Lieutenant Eaton is in the Way
(This page missing.)
Panting, and with his throat dry with excitement as much as with exertion, he toiled on, feeling as if every few paces had brought him nearly to a haven of refuge, but only on raising his eyes to see the house apparently as far off as ever, and to hear the voices of the convicts close at hand, the gully acting as a kind of tube to convey the sound. He paused for a moment to get a better hold of his burden, and Eaton uttered a low groan, but he managed to get him in an easier position, and started off once more, toiling on till the gully opened on his left, and he saw O’Hara rise from behind some bushes, where he had been creeping, and begin to run. Then his blood seemed to turn cold, his heart to stop beating, for quicker than it can be told, there was a shout, a dead silence, and then the sharp report of a musket, as O’Hara went down, and rolled out of his sight as well.
Bayle ground his teeth, and a chill of despair came over him as he realised that the Irishman had been making for the town to give the alarm and bring help, while now the news might not reach Sydney till the hour when the draft and their guard should return.
“Those poor fellows!” moaned Eaton, piteously, as Bayle toiled on with him, seeing now that Hallam and Crellock were outside the verandah, looking curiously towards him, but not taking a step to his aid.
“I can’t ask their help if they do not offer it,” muttered Bayle, as he staggered on, growing weaker with his exertion, and finally stopping for a moment or two so as to get his breath.
Then came the confused murmur of voices, when, looking back, he saw that he was pursued; and as he pressed forward again the horrible thought flashed through his brain that he was leading the savage band of utterly reckless men right to the house where two tender women might even then be trembling witnesses of what was going on. The agony he suffered at this thought was so great that he stopped short, his brain swimming; and, in spite of the fact that the convicts were close behind, he would have staggered off to the left, had not a white figure suddenly appeared on the side farthest from where Hallam and Crellock had backed close to the window, and ran swiftly to meet him.
It was like some episode in a dream to Bayle, as that white figure flew to his side.
“Quick, Mr Bayle, quick!” and, catching at Eaton in the belief that she was helping to bear him, Julia pressed towards the house.
“Julie! are you mad?” roared Hallam, as soon as she was seen; and Crellock started out after her.
“Quick! help! help!” she cried in a sharp imperious manner; and, as is so often the case where one quick order is given, those who would not, if they had time to think, stir a finger in a cause, feel themselves moved by some irresistible influence, and obey. So Crellock seized Eaton, and helped bear him into the dining-room, Hallam banging to the window and fastening it as Eaton was thrown upon the couch.
“You are mad!” cried Hallam passionately. “They’ll wreck the place now.”
“They won’t hurt us,” said Crellock coolly; and to Julia’s horror he threw open the window as the convicts came up at the double and rushed into the room.
“Steady, mates, steady!” shouted Hallam. “You know us.”
The leading men hesitated a moment, and then one of them made a dash at Eaton.
“Now, boys, have him out,” he cried.
Julia shrieked, and threw herself before the helpless man, when the convict rudely caught her by the arms to swing her aside, but was sent staggering sideways from a blow dealt by Bayle.
“Save him, Mr Bayle,” shrieked Julia, as she clung to Eaton. “Father! oh, father, help!”
Neither Hallam nor Crellock stirred as the man whom Bayle had struck uttered an oath which was echoed by his companions, who seized Bayle and held him as others of the party dragged out Eaton, fortunately insensible to all that was going on.
In their insensate fury believing that they had a long list of injuries to repay the convict guard, who in guarding them had only done their duty, in another minute Eaton’s life would have been sacrificed, when there was the tramp of feet, an order given in a loud voice, and a party of soldiers led by Captain Otway dashed up with bayonets fixed. And then two wounded convicts were lying on the floor, the others were in full flight down the gully, pursued by the troops, a shot every now and then breaking the silence that had fallen upon the group.
Hallam was the first to speak, and he turned angrily upon Bayle.
“Were you mad to bring him here?” he snarled.
“Father!” cried Julia with a reproachful look, as she knelt down beside Eaton to hold her handkerchief to his wounded head.
Bayle made no reply to the question, but said sternly:
“Mr Hallam, you had better send for medical aid. My dear Julia, you must go.”
“No,” she cried with a quick, imperious look; “send for help.”
Bayle’s brow contracted, but he concealed the pain he suffered as he saw Julia bending over Eaton, and was hurrying out, but was met by Captain Otway, who came in breathless, followed by O’Hara, and a couple of his men.
“Is he much hurt?” he cried anxiously. “Carry out these two, my lads.”
He bent down over Eaton as Julia sobbed out, “He is killed! he is killed!”
“Oh, no: not so bad as that; only stunned. Here, you two,” he continued sharply, turning to Hallam and Crellock, “don’t stand there staring. Lift this gentleman on to the sofa.”
Years of slavish obedience to authority had left their traces, and as if moved by one impulse, they sprang to where Eaton was lying and lifted him to the couch. The moment this was done though, Hallam gave an impatient stamp of the foot and gazed at Crellock, who ground out something between his teeth.
“Now fetch water – a sponge,” said Otway, sheathing his sword, throwing off his cap, and turning up his sleeves.
“This is my house – ”
Hallam said no more. He had begun in a fierce, loud voice, and then he stopped as Captain Otway turned upon him with an imperious —
“What’s that you say?” Then he seemed to recall where he was, for he glanced at Julia and Bayle. “Look here,” he said quietly, and he took a step or two towards Hallam to whisper something in his ear.
Hallam made no reply, but left the room, and did not return, Thisbe hurrying in directly after with basin and towels, and helping eagerly.
“Oh, come, come, my dear Miss Hallam,” said Otway, after cleverly bandaging the wound. “You must not take on like that. I can’t do anything to the shoulder – at least, I will not. Our doctor will soon put him right. There, see! he is coming to.”
“I have been trying very hard,” said Julia with a gasp; “but it is so dreadful.”
“No, no, no! Why, my wife would have seen it all without shedding a tear. It’s only dreadful when some one is killed, and, thank heaven! I don’t think one of the men has met that fate.”
“I wish I could feel the same about the convicts,” said Bayle softly.
“The convicts? Well, I wish so, too, Mr Bayle; but law and order must be maintained, and they know their lives are forfeit if they attempt to escape.”
Bayle nodded in acquiescence as he glanced at where Julia knelt beside Eaton, crying softly, and fanning his face.
“There, you have nothing to fear, Miss Hallam,” continued the Captain kindly. “Eaton has only had a few hard knocks – soldier’s salary, I call them. As to the rising, the poor wretches are, I expect, all taken by this time. Yes, here they come.”
He had walked to the window and gazed out to see the greater part of the convict gang, hot, bleeding some of them, and dejected, coming along, guarded by the soldiers under the command of a boyish-looking ensign.
“Ah, Mr O’Hara,” he said, stepping out, and laying his hand on the young Irishman’s shoulder, “I think we may thank you for getting up in time. Your message set us off, and we met you just in the nick. Why, man, you are hurt.”
“Not much, sir. They shot at me, and the bullet grazed my arm.”
“Come in,” he said, “and let me see.”
O’Hara followed unwillingly, but had to submit to have his wound dressed.
“Where is your master?” said the Captain at last, turning to Thisbe.
“In his room, sir.”
“Fetch him.”
Hallam uttered a furious oath when the message was given, and swore he would not come. Then, rising from his chair, he followed Thisbe to the dining-room like one compelled to obey.
“I am going to leave my brother officer in your charge, Mr Hallam,” said the Captain in the quick manner of one giving an order. “You will see that he has every attention! The regimental surgeon will be up in an hour or so. Miss Hallam, thank you for your kindness,” he continued, turning his back on Hallam. “Good-morning, Mr Bayle. I’m sorry you have had such an upset. You stay here, I suppose?”
“No,” said Bayle quietly; “I am going back to the town.”
“Come with me, then.”
He stepped out, and Bayle followed, but turned to look at Julia, who gave him one quick look that seemed to say “Good bye,” and then as he stepped out into the verandah he saw her bending over Eaton again.
“Nice little girl that,” said the Captain, as they marched down behind the guards and the wretched men they drove before them almost at the bayonet’s point.
Bayle bowed.
“Sweet and innocent, and all that. Really, Mr Bayle, I agree with my wife.”
“Indeed!” said Bayle.
“Yes; she thinks that at any cost her friends ought to have kept her in England, and not brought her here.”
Christie Bayle made no reply, for he was thinking of Philip Eaton lying wounded up at the house, and Julia installing herself as his nurse.
But she was not bending over him at that time, for no sooner had the last of the party gone, than Crellock said something fiercely to Hallam.
“No, no, never mind,” the latter said, savagely.
“I tell you I won’t have it,” cried Crellock. “Ah, you needn’t scowl like that. I’m not afraid of your looks. Will you go and fetch her out?”
“No, I shall not interfere.”
“Then I will,” cried Crellock, passionately. “I’ve been played with too long.”
“Played with!” cried Hallam. “Look here, Steve, if I put up with the bullying of that officer fellow, don’t you think I’m going to let you say and do what – ”
He stopped short and literally flinched, as if he expected a blow, for Crellock turned upon him sharply, but merely looked him full in the face.
“Well, I – that is – I – ”
He faltered and stopped. The old days of his domination had gone by; Crellock had ceased to be slave to the self-indulgent man, who had become servant, first to the strong drinks in which he indulged, and then, as his nerve failed, the obedient tool of him who had once trembled before him, worshipped him almost as the very perfection of what a man should be, and now made him tremble before him in his turn.
“Do you want to quarrel and get rid of me?” said Crellock, sharply.
“Don’t talk like that, my lad,” said Hallam, piteously. “You know how my health’s going, and how nervous I am. It makes me irritable when you are so unreasonable.”
“Yes, very unreasonable to bear what I do,” snarled Crellock. “But reasonable or no, I’m not going to back out of it, and I am not going to let you.”
Hallam’s flushed face turned of a sodden white.
“I’d just as soon be back with the gang,” continued Crellock, “as be trifled with in this way by a man who used to be one to say a thing and do it. Now he’s becoming a miserable, feeble driveller, afraid of every one who speaks to him.”
“So were you just now, when that Otway gave his orders.”
“Force of habit,” said Crellock, with a grim smile. “Anyhow, I’m not afraid of you, and if you have not strength of mind enough to carry out what I say, I shall do it without you.”
“No, no, Steve; you are so hasty,” said Hallam, in a feeble, whimpering tone.
“Hasty!”
“Well, as I keep telling you, there’s plenty of time.”
“And I keep telling you there is not. Look here, Hallam. I’m not blind. That miserable parson wants her.”
“Now you are getting ridiculous.”
“And this officer fellow will be making such way with her, if I don’t mind, that I shall have no chance.”
“You’re frightening yourself with bogies, Steve.”
“You’re playing such a double game, Robert Hallam, that either I shall have to take the reins in my own hands, or we shall come to a breakdown.”
“Nonsense! What’s the use of talking like that?”
“What’s the use of a man setting his mind upon something, and then letting a weak thing like you play with him? I’ll have no more of it. Now you have to do as I say or break, and that means – ”
“Hush, Steve!” cried Hallam, looking sharply round; but Crellock paid no heed to his words, and swung out of the study to walk straight into the room where Julia was kneeling by Eaton, with Thisbe on the other side.
“Come here, Julia,” he said roughly; “I want you.”
“Hush! Not so loud,” she whispered, raising her hand.
“Come here!” he cried, with a stamp of the foot, “at once.”
Julia started to her feet with an angry look flashing from her eyes; and as she faced him, her countenance full of resentment, Thisbe rose, thinking of her mistress in bygone days.
“What do you want?” she said firmly.
“Your father wants you in the study at once.”
Julia flushed slightly, and glanced at Thisbe, whose face looked as hard as if cut in stone, while the resemblance was increased by the position of her eyelids, which were drawn down, as if to veil the anger that was burning in her breast.
Then, without a word Julia left the room, closely followed by Crellock, and Thisbe was left with the wounded man alone.
Volume Four – Chapter Ten.
In the Night
Julia escaped the interview that she dreaded; for, just as they entered the hall, there was the thudding of horses’ feet coming over the road, and Hallam came out of his room with a curious startled look in his face, to catch Crellock by the arm.
“There’s something wrong, Steve,” he whispered hoarsely; “a stranger coming up, and the Captain with him.”
“Bah! You shivering coward,” said Crellock, with a look of contempt which made Julia bite her lip, though she could not hear the words. “You have drunk bad brandy till you see a warder in every man who comes to the house. Have a little pluck in you, if you can.”
The door was opened directly without ceremony by Captain Otway, who held it back for his companion, who had just dismounted, to enter.
“Sorry to intrude so unceremoniously, Miss Hallam,” said the Captain, ignoring the presence of the two men, “but I met my friend here coming up, Mr Woodhouse, our doctor.”
Julia bowed, and the doctor, a little, rubicund-looking man, took off his cap.
“I’m a bit of a vulture in my way,” he said pleasantly. “I always mount and come out to see whenever anything of this kind goes on. Which room, please?” he added quickly. “I want to get back.”
Julia hastily opened the door, and was about to follow them, but the doctor said quietly:
“No, no. You shall hear how he is afterwards.”
Julia coloured, for the visitor spoke in a very meaning tone; and, leaving the hall, she hurried to her mother’s side, while Hallam angrily backed into his room, followed by Crellock.
“They treat me as if I were nobody,” he cried, grinding his teeth; and then going to a cupboard he took out a bottle and glass, poured out some liquid and drank it off with a sigh of relief.
“Yes,” said Crellock slowly; “they don’t forget about our past, old fellow. Never mind. No, thank you: I promised Julie to leave the stuff alone;” and he thrust back the offered glass.
“You promised her that?” said Hallam.
“Yes, and I’m going to keep my word. Hang it, Bob Hallam, I wouldn’t drink myself into such a wreck as you’re getting to be for the whole world.”
The spirit was rapidly giving Hallam temporary confidence, and he turned upon his companion sharply.
“Don’t speak to me like that,” he said, “or you’ll regret it.”
“Don’t speak to you like that?” retorted Crellock, scornfully. “Bah! I shall speak as I please. Look here, Robert Hallam, some of us must be masters, some servants. You’ve made yourself servant, so keep your place. I’m not going to be turned out of my purpose by a little Dutch courage.”
Hallam came at him furiously, but Crellock took him by the shoulders and thrust him back into his chair, and then stood over him.
“It won’t do, old fellow,” he said; “the nerve has gone, and the more you drink to get it up, the weaker it grows. Now then, we understand each other, so let’s settle this matter quietly, and get it over. No more excuses; no more shuffling. Understand me, I don’t mean to wait. What’s that?”
It was the voice of Captain Otway summoning some one to come; and Julia, who had been anxiously waiting, hastened down at the same time as Thisbe hurried to the room.
“The doctor wants to give a few instructions,” he said. “Eaton is going on all right, but he thinks he had better not be moved to-night, Miss Hallam, so we must beg your hospitality till to-morrow.”
“And there is no danger?” said Julia eagerly.
“Not if he is kept quiet,” said the doctor, putting on his gloves. “Let him sleep all he can. Some one ought to sit up with him to-night.”
“I’ll do that,” said Crellock, who had been standing in the doorway.
Julia started slightly, but Crellock’s countenance was quite unmoved.
“That will do,” said the doctor. “Come, Otway.”
The latter raised his cap, and they left the house.
“I don’t much like leaving Eaton with a ticket-of-leave man for nurse,” said the Captain, as they descended the hill towards their quarters.
“Oh, he’ll be right enough there,” replied the doctor chuckling. “The young lady will take care of him. I say, does Phil mean to marry her?”
“I don’t know,” said Otway shortly. “Let’s get on.”
They hurried away, and for the next two hours the doctor was busy with the injured people; the convicts being safe in the prison, groaning over their wounds and the ill-success of their attempt.
Julia felt a strange anxiety about their patient, as the night drew near; and her anxiety was increased by the behaviour of Mrs Hallam, who, after keeping her room for some days, declared herself well enough to come down.
Opposition from Thisbe and her child was useless, and she descended to sit with the latter, watching by Eaton’s couch, which was made up for him in the dining-room, where he lay apparently insensible to all that was going on around.
It was a strange afternoon and evening, the excitement of the early portion of the day having unnerved every one in the house. The meals were partaken of hastily, and the attention of all was centred on the sleeping man in the dining-room.
Julia, in her anxiety, was for staying with Thisbe and continuing the watch; but Crellock showed that he had not forgotten his promise, and a nameless dread took possession of the girl’s breast.
She told herself that it was absurd – that in spite of his roughness there seemed to be something genuine about her father’s companion; but, all the same, her dread increased, and it was the more painful, that she did not dare to communicate it to Mrs Hallam.
In fact, she was at a loss to explain her reasons for feeling alarmed to herself. Eaton seemed to be sleeping comfortably, and Crellock, when he came into the room, was gentle and respectful, more than was his wont.
“You two had better go to bed,” said Hallam at last roughly; and, pale and troubled looking, Mrs Hallam rose without a word, took Julia’s hand, and they left the room, but not to sleep; while Crellock’s watch began by his taking a candle, snuffing it, and holding it down close to Eaton’s face, scanning his features well before setting it on the chimney-piece, lighting a cigar, and going out into the verandah, to walk up and down, thinking deeply.
Sometimes he stopped to lean his arms on the wooden rail, and stare up at the great mellow stars that burned in the deep purple sky; but only to start as from a dream, to go back into the room, and see if the wounded man had moved.
When in the verandah he ground his teeth and clenched his hands.
“The fools!” he muttered; “they might have hit a little harder, and then – Pooh! what does he matter?”
At the end of an hour he stole back softly into the room to look at the sleeping man again.
“He’s not much hurt,” he muttered. “Who’s there?”
“Only me,” said Hallam, in a hoarse whisper. “Just coming to see how you were getting on.”
“No, you were not. You were watching me,” said Crellock, in an angry whisper. “Did you think I was going to kill him – to get him out of the way?”
“No, no. Nothing of the kind, my dear boy,” whispered Hallam. “There, I’ll go back to my room.”
“You’ll go up to bed,” said Crellock firmly. “You’ve been drinking too much.”
“Indeed, no. Just a little to steady me.”
“You go up to bed,” said Crellock, taking him by the shoulder. “I’m not going to have my dear father-in-law elect drive himself mad with brandy. Come, no nonsense! Bed!”
Hallam made a few feeble protests, and then suffered himself to be led up to his bedroom, Julia and Mrs Hallam sitting trembling in the next, and watching the light flash beneath their door, as they listened to the ascending and descending steps, followed by a rustling in Hallam’s room, the low angry muttering he indulged in, and then there was silence once again.
A quarter of an hour passed, and they were listening to the heavy, stertorous breathing, when a soft tap came at their door, the handle was turned, and Thisbe appeared.
“I only came to see if you were both quite safe,” she said. “I could not sleep.”
“Dear old Thisbe,” said Julia, kissing her.
“Do, do, please go to bed, my dears,” said Thisbe. “I’ll sit and watch by you;” and at last, in obedience to her prayer, mother and daughter lay down, but not to sleep, for the dread of some impending calamity that they fancied was about to befall them.
Meanwhile Crellock had returned to the dining-room and examined the wounded man again.
“It wouldn’t be hard,” he said to himself, with a laugh. “He is half killed, so it would only be half a murder. Why shouldn’t I? He would be out of his misery; and that drunken wretch gave me the credit of being about to do it.”
He stood gazing down at the sleeping face faintly seen by the candle-light; and then turned away to go out through the glass door, and pace the verandah again.
“I wonder whether that’s what they call a temptation,” he thought. “It would be very easy, and then – ”
He stopped to lean over the rails again, and gaze before him out into the night.
“No,” he said softly. “I told the little lass I wouldn’t drink again, so as to be more fit to come nigh her, and I don’t think I should do to go nigh her if I killed that spark of a fellow so as to be sure of getting a wife. It’s curious what a woman can do,” he went on musing. “They can make anything of a man – go through fire and water to get her, but it must be fire and water such as she’d be glad to see me go through. A year or so ago I’d got to that state with the prison life and the lash, that I’d have given any soldier or warder a crack on the head and killed him, and felt the happier for doing it. Since I’ve been nigh her – since that day she hung over me, and gave me water, and wiped the sweat from my face, I’ve seemed as if I must make myself cleaner about the heart; and I have, all but the drink, and that was his fault, for he was never happy when he wasn’t forcing it on one.
“No, my fine fellow,” he said with a sigh, “you’re safe enough for me. I won’t hurt you; and as to her liking you – bah! If she does, I’ll soon make her forget that.”
He took a cigar from his pocket, and was in the act of placing it between his lips when his gaze became fixed, and he stood staring straight before him.
“Who’s there?” he said in a quick, sharp whisper. “I can see you. You there!”
He sprang over the rail, and his hand went by old habit into his pocket in search of a weapon; but the answer that came disarmed him.
“It is I.”
“What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” cried Crellock.
“I am watching,” said Bayle.
“Yes,” cried Crellock wearily. “Me, I suppose. Well, what have you seen? Do you think I was going to finish young Eaton? There – speak out.”
“I came up because I could not sleep,” said Bayle quietly. “I was anxious about my friends. How is Mr Eaton?”
“Go in and see,” said Crellock roughly; and he led the way through the verandah.
Bayle made no reply, but walked straight to the couch, after taking the candle from the chimney-piece, and examined the injured man.
“He is sleeping comfortably and well,” he said in a whisper, as he replaced the candle.
“Of course he is,” sneered Crellock. “You seem very fond of him.” Bayle paid no heed to his manner, but stood as if thinking. “Well, are you going to stop? Have a cigar?”
“I will stay and watch with you if you are tired, and relieve you for an hour or two,” said Bayle, at last.
“I’m not tired. You can stop if you like. You won’t find me very good company.” Bayle walked to the couch again, and stood looking down at the handsome dimly-seen face for a few minutes, while, with an impatient gesture, Crellock walked back into the verandah. At the end of a few minutes Bayle joined him. “You are going to stay then?” said Crellock.
“No,” replied Bayle, “I am going home.”
“Better stop,” sneered Crellock. “He’ll be safer if you do. I might do him some mischief.”
“No, Stephen Crellock,” said Bayle calmly, “I am not afraid of that; bad as you are. Good-night.”
Crellock started at the words “Bad as you are,” but the friendly sound of the “good-night” checked him.
“Good-night,” he said, hoarsely; and he stood watching the dark figure till it disappeared amongst the trees, and then paced the verandah, and sat and smoked till morning.
