"Leave this place, sir, this instant!" exclaimed Sir Murray, fiercely; and muttering still, but with a supercilious leer at all present, Gurdon slouched off, pa.s.sing between the a.s.sembled guests, who, alarmed by the crash and loud, angry words, were now inquiring the cause.

"Nothing--nothing wrong," exclaimed Sir Murray, with a ghastly show of being at ease. "A drunken servant, that is all. Lady Gernon, let me take you into the drawing-room."

Glances were exchanged; but the sullen countenance of Gurdon, the spilled tea, and the broken cups and saucers, afforded sufficient explanation, and the visitors slowly filtered back into the different rooms, in one of which another accident had taken place.

As Sir Murray, trembling with suppressed anger, entered the inner drawing-room, known as the blue-room, he saw Gurdon, napkin and tray in hand, standing as if waiting his coming, his face breaking into a mocking smile upon his master's entrance, closely followed by Captain Norton, who, so far, had not spoken a word.

"Go to your mother, Marion," said Sir Murray. "I must have a few more words with this man."

"With whom?" exclaimed Lady Gernon. "With my servant, madam," said Sir Murray, loudly. "Not with Captain Norton now. But where is your cross?"

"My cross!" stammered Lady Gernon; and her hand involuntarily sought the place where it had hung. "I had it when I--when--"

"Yes, when you entered the conservatory," said Sir Murray, a suspicion crossing his breast; "but where is it now?"

"I do not know!" exclaimed Lady Gernon, whose agitation became extreme.

The rumour of the failing mines; Captain Norton's poverty; his own jealousy; thought after thought flashed across Sir Murray Gernon's brain in an instant of time.

"Go to your guests," he said sternly. "There are people coming this way, and I wish to avoid a scene. James," he said, beckoning to a footman, "see that man, Gurdon, into the little garden-room, lock him up, and then fetch a constable."

"What for--what for?" said Gurdon, loudly. "You don't think, do you, that I've got the cross?"

"Silence, sir! Take him away!" exclaimed Sir Murray, sternly. Then, turning to Captain Norton, he said in a whisper, "There are two things in this world, Philip Norton, that I value: my honour and those old family jewels."

"I am attending to your words," said Norton, coldly; for he had just met an imploring look from Marion.

"I told you, Lady Gernon, to go to your guests!" said Sir Murray, in an angry whisper.

"No, Murray," she said. "I shall stay!"

"In Heaven's name, then, stay!" he said, angrily, "and hear what I would say. I value my honour and those family jewels, Captain Norton," he continued, facing his guest; "and the man who filches from me one or the other does so at the risk of his life!"

"What!" exclaimed Lady Gernon, with a horrified aspect, "do you for a moment suppose, Murray, that Captain Norton--"

"Where is that sapphire cross?" exclaimed Sir Murray.

"Indeed--indeed--"

"Silence, madam! I will have no scene!" hissed Sir Murray, angrily.

"You, as my wife, hold those jewels in trust for me; and I should hold him who took them, even as a gift, as a robber of what is mine."

"Sir Murray Gernon, you are mad!" exclaimed Norton--"you know not what you say, and--Hush! sir, no words. Lady Gernon has fainted!"

Book 1, Chapter XVI.

AN ENCOUNTER.

Sir Murray Gernon had expressed a desire that there should be no scene, but his wish was of no avail, for in a few moments an excited group had collected round his wife. Salts, vinegar, and cold water were sought and applied; but, fortunately, one of the guests was the medical adviser of the family.

"Bed, Sir Murray--empty house--quiet--and," he said, meaningly, "all going well, I may be able to offer you congratulations before morning."

Half an hour after, the house was vacated by the last guest, and before morning had dawned the tidings were borne to Sir Murray Gernon that his lady had given birth to a daughter, but that from her ladyship's critical state Dr Challen wished for further advice, and for a fellow-pract.i.tioner to share the burden of his responsibility.

Messages were sent; and in the course of a few hours there was a consultation held respecting Lady Gernon's state--a consultation over which the medical pract.i.tioners shook their heads solemnly. The child was healthy; but its mother still existed, that was all.

Mrs Norton was at her side, where she insisted upon staying for days, in spite of a request from Sir Murray that she would leave; and now it was that for the first time she heard of the loss of the jewels from Jane Barker, who told her, with many sobs, that Gurdon had been suspected by Sir Murray, who had sent for a constable; but after having him searched that morning, his wages had been paid him, and he had been discharged, "threatening horrible things."

"And oh! ma'am," whispered Jane, "you were always like my dear lady's sister; if you should hear anything said about her, it isn't true. You won't believe it, I'm sure."

"You know I should never believe words uttered by an angry servant, Jane," was the reply; "and if you take my advice you will be silent."

"I would, ma'am; and I should not have said a word now, only Gurdon went away full of such threatenings, and talked so loudly, that I was afraid it might come to your ears without preparation, for he spoke of Captain Norton, and--"

"Silence, woman!" exclaimed Ada, fiercely, as she caught the startled maid by the arm. "How dare you bandy about such talk! I will not hear another word."

Jane stopped, gazing aghast at her mistress's cousin, as, with her hands pressed upon her bosom, she seemed to be striving to keep back the painful emotion which oppressed her.

"Don't be angry with me, ma'am, please." Jane whispered humbly. "I would not have spoken had I known."

Mrs Norton made her a motion to be silent; and for awhile the girl stood watching her agitated countenance, as she strove to conquer her emotion. She was herself unsuspicious to a degree. She had full faith in her husband, but now thick and fast came blow after blow. She found how calumny was at work--how Sir Murray Gernon's name was talked of in connection with her husband's, and at last she felt that for his sake, much as she loved her cousin, her place was at his side; for once more in her life there came the shuddering dread of a great evil, and obtaining from Jane a promise that if her mistress grew worse she should be informed, she returned to the Hall.

It was evening when she reached home, to find the servant looking excited, while, as soon as she entered the house, the sound of a loud and angry voice reached her ear.

"Who is in the drawing-room?" she hastily inquired of the servant.

"Oh'm, I'm so glad you've come," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the girl. "It's Sir Murray Gernon."

For a moment Ada felt as if she could not proceed. Her heart accused her of neglecting home for the past few days, and she told herself that, with the rumours she knew of floating around, she ought not to have stayed away. But at last, with an effort, she hurried forward, opened the door, and entered the room just as, with a cry of rage, Sir Murray Gernon raised the hunting-whip he held in his hand, and struck her husband furiously across the face.

"Dog!" he exclaimed. "I gave you the chance of meeting me as a gentleman, and you refused, driving me to horsewhip you as the scoundrel and thief you are. Ha!"

He paused, for Ada Norton was clinging to the arm that held the whip, while her husband--

Was he a coward? Was that the man of whose daring she had heard in India, performing deeds of valour that had been chronicled again and again in the despatches sent home? She was no lover of strife, but it was with something akin to shame that she saw her husband stand motionless, with one hand pressed to the red weal across his face. He was very pale, and the old scar and the new seemed to intersect one another, the latter like a bar sinister across honourable quarterings.

He was trembling, too, but it was with a sigh of relief that she heard him break the silence at last.

"Sir Murray Gernon," he said, in a cracked voice that she hardly knew, "when your poor dying wife came here with you, we walked through that window into the garden, where, in memory of our old love, she made me swear that I would never injure you, a promise--I hardly know why--that, though I made, I never even mentioned to my wife."

Sir Murray laughed scornfully.

"I tell you now again, in the presence of my wife here, that your suspicions are baseless, that you wrong Lady Gernon most cruelly; and that, but for the fact that you dared call me--a poor, but honourable soldier--thief, your last charge is so contemptible that it would not be worthy of an answer. Go now and try to undo the wrong you have done.

Thief! robber!" he exclaimed, excitedly. "Who was the thief of my love--of my life? But there; I have done," he said, calmly. "I thought," he continued, tenderly, "that hope was crushed out of my existence; that there was to be no future for me. That day, when I cast myself down in the churchyard with the feeling of despair heavy upon me, it seemed as if, with one harsh blow, my life had been snapped in two.

And it was nearly so; but Heaven sent his angel to save me, and to prove that there was hope, and rest, and happiness for me yet in this world."

Ere he had finished speaking Ada had thrown herself into his arms, and was looking proudly in his scarred face.

"Sir Murray Gernon," he continued, after an instant's pause, "I refused to meet you, and I have now told you the true reason for my having done so. In this world we shall probably never meet again. Our paths lie, as they ought, in different directions. It is fit they should. But once more, I swear before Heaven that your base charges are false. Go, and by honest, manly confession, try and win her back to life, and obtain her forgiveness. Tell her that I kept my word, even to making myself for her sake a coward in the eyes of the world."