if griffith gaunt suffered anguish, he inflicted agony. mrs. gaunt was a high-spirited, proud, and sensitive woman; and he crushed her with foul words. leonard was a delicate, vain, and sensitive man, accustomed to veneration. imagine such a man hurled to the ground, and trampled upon.
griffith should not have fled; he should have stayed and enjoyed his vengeance on these two persons. it might have cooled him a little had he stopped and seen the immediate consequences of his savage act.
the priest rose from the ground, pale as ashes, and trembling with fear and hate.
the lady was leaning, white as a sheet, against a tree, and holding it with her very nails for a little support.
they looked round at one another; a piteous glance of anguish and horror: then mrs. gaunt turned and flung her arm round so that the palm of her hand, high raised, confronted leonard. i am thus particular, because it was a gesture grand and terrible as the occasion that called it forth: a gesture that spoke; and said, "put the whole earth and sea between us for ever after this."
the next moment she bent her head and rushed away, cowering and wringing her hands: she made for her house as naturally as a scared animal for its lair; but, ere she could reach it, she tottered under the shame, the distress, and the mere terror, and fell fainting with her fair forehead on the grass.
caroline ryder was crouched in the doorway, and did not see her come out of the grove, but only heard a rustle, and then saw her proud mistress totter forward and lie white, senseless, helpless at her very feet.
ryder littered a scream, but did not lose her presence of mind. she instantly kneeled over mrs. gaunt, and loosened her stays with quick and dexterous hand.
it was very like the hawk perched over and clawing the ringdove she has struck down.
but people with brains are never quite inhuman: a drop of lukewarm pity entered even ryder's heart as she assisted her victim. she called no one to help her; for she saw something very serious had happened, and she felt sure mrs. gaunt would say something imprudent in that dangerous period when the patient recovers consciousness but has not all her wits about her. now ryder was equally determined to know her mistress's secrets, and not to share the knowledge with any other person.
it was a long swoon; and, when mrs. gaunt came to, the first thing she saw was ryder leaning over her, with a face of much curiosity, and some concern.
in that moment of weakness the poor lady, who had keen so roughly handled, saw a woman close to her, and being a little kind to her; so what did she do but throw her arms round ryder's neck and burst out sobbing as if her heart would break.
then that unprincipled woman shed a tear or two with her, half-crocodile, half impulse.
mrs. gaunt not only cried on her servant's neck; she justified ryder's forecast by speaking unguardedly: "i've been insulted—insulted—insulted!"
but, even while uttering these words, she was recovering her pride: so the first "insulted" seemed to come from a broken-hearted child, the second from an indignant lady the third from a wounded queen.
no more words than this; but rose, with ryder's assistance, and went, leaning on that faithful creature's shoulder, to her own bedroom. there she sank into a chair, and said, in a voice to melt a stone, "my child! bring me my little rose."
ryder ran and fetched the little girl and mrs. gaunt held out both arms to her, angelically, and clasped her so passionately and piteously to her bosom, that rose cried for fear, and never forgot the scene all her days: and mrs. ryder, who was secretly a mother, felt a genuine twinge of pity and remorse. curiosity, however, was the dominant sentiment: she was impatient to get all these convulsions over, and learn what had actually passed between mr. and mrs. gaunt.
she waited till her mistress appeared calmer: and then, in soft caressing tones, asked her what had happened.
"never ask me that question again," cried mrs. gaunt, wildly: then, with inexpressible dignity, "my good girl, you have done all you could for me; now you must leave me alone with my daughter, and my god, who knows the truth."
ryder curtsied and retired, burning with baffled curiosity.
towards dusk thomas leicester came into the kitchen, and brought her news with a vengeance. he told her and the other maids that the squire had gone raving mad, and fled the country. "oh, lasses," said he, "if you had seen the poor soul's face, a riding headlong through the fair all one as if it was a ploughed field; 'twas white as your smocks: and his eyes glowering on t'other world. we shall ne'er see that face alive again."
and this was her doing.
it surprised and overpowered ryder; she threw her apron over her head, and went off in hysterics, and betrayed her lawless attachment to every woman in the kitchen, she who was so clever at probing others.
this day of violent emotions was followed by a sullen and sorrowful gloom.
mrs. gaunt kept her bedroom, and admitted nobody; till, at last, the servants consulted together, and sent little rose to knock at her door, with a basin of chocolate, while they watched on the stairs.
"it's only me, mamma," said rose.
"come in, my precious," said a trembling voice, and so rose got in with her chocolate.
the next day she was sent for early: and at noon, mrs. gaunt and rose came downstairs; but their appearance startled the whole household.
the mother was dressed all in black, and so was her daughter, whom she led by the hand. mrs. gaunt's face was pale, and sad, and stem; a monument of deep suffering, and high-strung resolution.
it soon transpired that griffith had left his home for good: and friends called on mrs. gaunt to slake their curiosity under the mask of sympathy.
not one of them was admitted. no false excuses were made. "my mistress sees no one for the present," was the reply.
curiosity, thus baffled, took up the pen; but was met with a short unvarying formula: "there is an unhappy misunderstanding between my husband and me. but i shall neither accuse him behind his back, nor justify myself."
thus the proud lady carried herself before the world; but secretly she writhed. a wife abandoned is a woman insulted, and makes the wives, that are not abandoned—cluck.
ryder was dejected for a time, and, though not honestly penitent, suffered some remorse at the miserable issue of her intrigues. but her elastic nature soon shook it off, and she felt a certain satisfaction at having reduced mrs. gaunt to her own level. this disarmed, her hostility: she watched her as keenly as ever, but out of pure curiosity.
one thing puzzled her strangely. leonard did not visit the house; nor could she even detect any communication between the parties.
at last, one day, her mistress told her to put on her hat and go to father leonard.
ryder's eyes sparkled; and she was soon equipped. mrs. gaunt put a parcel and a letter into her hands. ryder no sooner got out of her sight than she proceeded to tamper with the letter. but to her just indignation she found it so ingeniously folded and sealed that she could not read a word.
the parcel, however, she easily undid, and it contained forty pounds in gold and small notes. "oho! my lady," said ryder.
she was received by leonard with a tender emotion he in vain tried to conceal.
on reading the letter his features contracted sharply, and he seemed to suffer agony. he would not even open the parcel. "you will take that hack," said he, bitterly.
"what, without a word?"
"without a word. but i will write, when i am able."
"don't be long, sir," suggested ryder. "i am sure my mistress is wearying for you. consider, sir, she is all alone now."
"not so much alone as i am," said the priest: "nor half so unfortunate."
and with this he leaned his head despairingly on his hand, and motioned to ryder to leave him.
"here's a couple of fools," said she to herself, as she went home.
that very evening thomas leicester caught her alone, and asked her to marry him.
she stared at first, and then treated it as a jest.
"you come at the wrong time, young man," said she. "marriage is put out of countenance. no, no, i will never marry, after what i have seen in this house."
leicester would not take this for an answer, and pressed her hard.
"thomas," said this plausible jade, "i like you very well; but i couldn't leave my mistress in her trouble. time to talk of marrying when master comes here alive and well."
"nay," said leicester, "my only chance is while he is away: you care more for his little finger than for my whole body; that they all say."
"who says?"
"jane, and all the lasses."
"you simple man, they want you for themselves; that is why they belie me."
"nay, nay; i saw how you carried on, when i brought word he was gone. you let your heart out for once. don't take me for a fool: i see how 'tis: but i'll face it: for i worship the ground you walk on. take a thought, my lass. what good can come of your setting your heart on him? i'm young, i'm healthy, and not ugly enough to set the dogs a barking: i've got a good place; i love you dear; i'll cure you of that fancy, and make you as happy as the day is long. i'll try and make you as happy as you will make me, my beauty."
he was so earnest, and so much in love, that mrs. ryder pitied him, and wished her husband was in heaven.
"i am very sorry, tom," said she, softly: "dear me, i did not think you cared so much for me as this. i must just tell you the truth. i have got one in my own country, and i've promised him. i don't care to break my word: and, if i did, he is such a man, i am sure he would kill me for it. indeed he has told me as much, more than once or twice."
"killing is a game that two can play at."
"ah! but 'tis an ugly game: and i'll have no hand in it. and—don't you be angry with me, tom—i've known him longest, and—i love him best."
by pertinacity and variety in lying, she hit the mark at last. tom swallowed this figment whole.
"that is but reason," said he. "i take my answer, and i wish ye both many happy days together, and well spent."
with this he retired, and blubbered a good hour in an outhouse.
tom avoided the castle, and fell into low spirits. he told his mother all, and she advised him to change the air. "you have been too long in one place," said she; "i hate being too long in one place myself."
this fired tom's gipsy blood, and he said he would travel to-morrow, if he could but scrape together money enough to fill a pedlar's pack.
he applied for a loan in several quarters, but was denied in all.
at last the poor fellow summoned courage to lay his case before mrs. gaunt.
ryder's influence procured him an interview. she took him into the drawing-room, and bade him wait there. by and by a pale lady, all in black, glided into the room.
he pulled his front hair, and began to stammer something or other.
she interrupted him. "ryder has told me," said she, softly. "i am sorry for you: and i will do what you require. and, to be sure, we need no gamekeeper here now."
she then gave him some money, and said she would look him up a few trifles besides, to put in his pack.
toni's mother helped him to lay out this money to advantage, and one day he called at hernshaw, pack and all, to bid farewell.
the servants all laid out something with him for luck: and mrs. gaunt sent for him, and gave him a gold thimble, and a pound of tea, and several yards of gold lace, slightly tarnished, and a queen anne's guinea.
he thanked her heartily. "ay, dame," said he, "you had always an open hand, married or single. my heart is heavy at leaving you. but i miss the squire's kindly face too. hernshaw is not what it used to be."
mrs. gaunt turned her head aside, and the man could see his words had made her cry.
"my good thomas," said she, at last, "you are going to travel the country: you might fall in with him."
"i might," said leicester, incredulously.
"god grant you may: and, if ever you should, think of your poor mistress, and give him—this." she put her finger into her bosom and drew out a bullet wrapped in silver paper. "you will never lose this," said she. "i value it more than gold or silver. oh, if ever you should see him, think of me and my daughter, and just put it in his hand without a word."
as he went out of the room ryder intercepted him, and said, "mayhap you will fall in with our master: if ever you do, tell him he is under a mistake, and the sooner he comes home the better." tom leicester departed: and, for days and weeks, nothing occurred to break the sorrowful monotony of the place.
but the mourner had written to her old friend and confessor francis: and, after some delay, involuntary on his part, he came to see her.
they were often closeted together, and spoke so low that ryder could not catch a word.
francis also paid several visits to leonard; and the final result of these visits was that the latter left england.
francis remained at hernshaw as long as he could; and it was mrs. gaunt's hourly prayer that griffith might return while francis was with her.
ho did, at her earnest request, stay much longer than he had intended; but, at length, he was obliged to fix next monday to return to his own place.
it was on thursday he made this arrangement; but the very next day the postman brought a letter to the castle, thus addressed:—
"to mistress caroline ryder,
"living servant with griffith gaunt, esq.,
"at his house, called hernshaw castle,
"near wigeonmoor,
"in the county of cumberland.
"these with speed."
the address was in a feigned hand. ryder opened it in the kitchen, and uttered a scream.
instantly three female throats opened upon her with questions.
she looked them contemptously in them faces, put the letter into her pocket; and, soon after, slipped away to her own room, and locked herself in while she read it. it ran thus:——
"good mistress ryder,—i am alive yet, by the blessing; though somewhat battered; being now risen from a fever, wherein i lost my wits for a time. and, on coming to myself, i found them making of my shroud; whereby you shall learn how near i was to death. and all this i owe to that false perjured woman that was my wife, and is your mistress.
"know that i have donned russet and doffed gentility; for i find a heavy heart's best cure is occupation. i have taken a wayside inn, and think of renting a small farm, which two things go well together. now you are, of all those i know, most fitted to manage the inn, and i the farm. you were always my good friend: and, if you be so still, then i charge you most solemnly that you utter no word to any living soul about this letter; but meet me privately where we can talk fully of these matters; for i will not set foot in hernshaw castle. moreover, she told me once 'twas hers; and so be it. on friday i shall be at stapleton, and the next day, by an easy journey, to the place where i once was so happy.
"so then at seven of the clock on saturday evening, be the same wet or dry, prithee come to the gate of the grove unbeknown, and speak to
"your faithful friend
"and most unhappy master,
"griffith gaunt.
"be secret as the grave. would i were in it."
this letter set caroline ryder in a tumult. griffith alive and well, and set against his wife, and coming to her for assistance!
after the first agitation she read it again, and weighed every syllable. there was one book she had studied more than most of us—the heart. and she soon read griffith's in this letter. it was no love-letter: he really intended business: but, weak in health, and broken in spirit, and alone in the world, he naturally turned to one who had confessed an affection for him, and would therefore be true to his interests, and study his happiness.
the proposal was every way satisfactory to mrs. ryder. to be mistress of an inn, and have servants under her instead of being one herself. and then, if griffith and she began as allies in business, she felt very sure she could make herself, first necessary to him, and then dear to him.
she was so elated she could hardly contain herself; and all her fellow servants remarked that mrs. ryder had heard good news.
saturday came, and never did hours seem to creep so slowly.
but at last the sun set, and the stars came out: there was no moon. ryder opened the window and looked out: it was an admirable night for an assignation.
she washed her face again, put on her grey silk gown, and purple petticoat—mrs. gaunt had given them to her—and, at the last moment, went and made up her mistress's fire, and put out everything she thought could be wanted, and, five minutes after seven o'clock, tied a scarlet hand-kerchief over her head, and stepped out at the back door.
what with her coal black hair, so streaked with red, her black eyes, flashing in the starlight, and her glowing cheeks, she looked bewitching.
and, thus armed for conquest, wily, yet impassioned, she stole out, with noiseless foot and beating heart, to her appointment with her imprudent master.
