mrs. rent might have possessed all the strength and determination for which she gave herself credit, but she lost no time in responding to the call of duty directly she heard that her son had met with an accident. she had waited till nearly daybreak for rent's return on that eventful night when he had gone out in search of kate charlock. she had waited, too, with an anxiety which she strove in vain to conceal. but there came no sign of rent until a letter reached her in a day or two saying that he had reconsidered the whole position and had come to the conclusion that she was right and he was altogether wrong. the letter was couched in terms of due filial affection, and was none the less convincing for being a tissue of lies from beginning to end.
but mrs. rent read it all the more lovingly because she wanted to believe that her son meant every word he wrote. he told her how he had talked the matter over with kate charlock and how the latter had agreed that his mother had acted entirely for the best. no doubt she had appeared to be harsh and cruel, but she was only cruel to be kind. mrs. charlock was going back to her husband and she and arnold rent were not likely to meet in the future. meanwhile, the writer would work as he had never worked before and try to wipe out every suggestion of his folly.
for the next two or three days life had resumed its old peacefulness at alton lee. then came a few curt lines from swift to the effect that rent had met with a nasty accident and that it would be as well if his mother came at once. within twenty-four hours mrs. rent was installed by her son's bedside, with ethel hargrave in close attendance. it never struck either of them that there was anything sinister about the patient's constant complaint that he had something to do which he could not remember. there were hours and almost days together when he sat in sullen silence, taking no notice of anybody and apparently trying to work out some problem in his clouded mind. at such times mrs. rent preferred to be alone with her son, and urged ethel to go out of doors as much as possible.
it was lonely for the girl, but she had not forgotten the events of the last few days, and found herself thinking a good deal about john charlock. there was a romantic vein in her nature which rendered her different from most girls, and her solitary life at alton lee had given her plenty of time to think and form her own conclusions. from the very first she had taken a fancy to john charlock. his rugged austerity and reserve did not repel her as it did most people. she saw beneath it a depth and sincerity of feeling with which she was in absolute sympathy. and simultaneously with the appearance of john charlock her idol in the form of arnold rent had fallen to the ground. she had been asking herself many questions lately, and when the first shock was over she knew in her heart of hearts that she did not care for arnold in the way in which a woman should care for the man she hoped to marry. she had heard both sides of the question, too. she had interviewed john charlock and his wife, and the more her mind dwelt upon the matter the more convinced she was that the woman had been to blame. of course, ethel had heard of the tragic death of kate charlock, and now that she was in the neighbourhood she felt herself irresistibly drawn towards the house where charlock had spent some of his unhappiest days. ethel thought that it would be safe to stroll through the beautiful grounds, for the house was still empty, and she had not the least idea that charlock was in the district.
on the third day of her visit she ventured to pass the lodge gate and walk down the drive towards the house. the place looked blank with its staring windows, but there was no sign of neglect in the garden. here the lawns were cut and trimmed, and there were beds luxuriant with flowers. here, too, gleaming in the sunshine, was the white marble of the sundial on the fountain, near to which those two terrible tragedies had taken place. it was impossible to connect so fair a spot with mystery and horror. as ethel was standing almost fascinated, she heard a step on the gravel behind her, and when she turned she saw john charlock watching her.
"you startled me," she said, a faint wave of colour tingeing her face. "i am ashamed you should find me here."
"and why?" charlock demanded in his imperious way.
"well, it seems so unfeeling. it suggests impertinent curiosity. believe me, i would not have come had i known you were here."
"well, i am glad you didn't know," charlock retorted. "you see, i have to stay here for the present. i am doing my best to let the house, but so far without success. it is possible that i may come back again. my wife is dead and i must say nothing about her, but i think that, seeing i have no longer any reason to fear her extravagance, i might manage with economy to remain here until i am free of debt. i suppose you came with mrs. rent to look after your invalid. i hope he is progressing favourably."
"well, no," ethel said. "he doesn't seem to get any better. to all appearances he is well, but he seems to be suffering in his mind. there is something which he has to do, but he can't remember what it is. mrs. rent and i are taking turns nursing him. the doctor says the cloud may lift at any moment and then arnold will be himself again. what a lovely place you have!"
"i thought so at one time," charlock said. "i had dreams of being happy here, but, in fact, it is here i have passed the most miserable days of my life. oh, i am not complaining. i am not blaming the place. but, tell me, did you happen to see my wife after i left alton lee?"
charlock asked the question in his abrupt fashion. his eyes were fixed steadily upon his companion.
"yes, i saw her," ethel said. "a beautiful woman."
"no fairer on god's earth. and i suppose she managed to persuade you that she was an injured innocent and i an absolute monster. still, i am glad you saw her, because it is well to hear both sides of a question. and yet i am conceited enough to think that you cannot imagine so much evil of me, or you would not be talking as you are at this moment."
"i am still of the same opinion," ethel murmured. "i think your wife had the peculiar temperament which can sincerely make out that wrong is right. certain men justify dishonourable actions in the same way. i might have been prejudiced. i might have been offended by your wife's coming to alton lee at all. but i told you that night in the garden that i was sorry for you and i see no cause to change my opinion."
the words cost ethel somewhat of an effort, but she uttered them bravely. then she turned away as if the conversation were ended, and charlock sought to detain her no longer. there was that in his silence, a suggestion of delicacy of feeling, for which the girl was grateful. she shook hands with him by the lodge gate, and the favourable impression he had created in her mind was not lessened by the absence on his part of any suggestion that they should meet again.
but all thoughts of charlock faded from the girl's mind when she reached home and saw how pale and worried mrs. rent was. the doctor was coming down the stairs and was urging his patient's mother to rest for an hour or so. ethel cordially supported this suggestion.
"i ought to have been back before," she said contritely. "oh, surely you can leave arnold to me for a little while. it isn't the first time that i have had him in my care."
with obvious reluctance mrs. rent gave way. there was little or nothing to do, for the patient was sitting in his armchair, with his head in his hands as usual, pondering the problem which occupied his mind to the exclusion of everything else. he made no reply to ethel's question as to how he felt. the girl picked up a book and gradually became interested in the story. she was roused presently by a loud exclamation on the part of the patient. he was standing upright, his eyes gleaming, a peculiar fixed smile on his face. he crossed the room with rapid strides and proceeded to open a cupboard door with a key which he took from his pocket. somewhat alarmed, ethel watched him with dazed astonishment. she saw he held in his hand a mass of india-rubber bandages and something that looked like a pair of gloves. from the expression of his eyes and the way he looked over her head he seemed to be oblivious of her presence. yet he held the gloves out towards her.
"come along," he said hoarsely. "thank heaven, i recollect it at last. but we have not a moment to lose, for the secret might be discovered at any moment. why are you standing there staring? why don't you do what i tell you? you have been drinking again."
ethel sprang to the wall and rang the bell. at the same moment rent dropped his burden on the floor and once more lapsed into the old sullen state of mind.
