Of High Descent Part 107

"Yes; Mr Leslie may hear," said Madelaine sadly, and then in spite of the long years of dislike engendered by Aunt Marguerite's treatment, she felt her heart stirred by pity for the lonely, suffering old creature upon whose head was being visited the sufferings of the stricken household.

"Let me go with you to your room," she said gently.

"No, no!" cried Aunt Marguerite, with a frightened look. "You hate me too, and you will join the others in condemning me. Let me go to my brother now."

"It would be madness," said Madelaine gently; and she tried to take the old woman's hand, but at that last word, Aunt Marguerite started from her, and stretched out her hands to keep her off.

"Don't say that," she said in a low voice, and with a quick glance at her brother and at Leslie, to see if they had heard. Then catching Madelaine's hand, she whispered, "It is such a horrible word. Luke said it to me before you came. He said I must be mad, and George might hear it and think so too."

"Let me go with you to your room."

"But--but," faltered the old woman, with her lips quivering, and a wildly appealing look in her eyes, "you--you don't think that."

"No," said Madelaine quietly; "I do not think that."

Aunt Marguerite uttered a sigh full of relief.

"I only think," continued Madelaine in her matter-of-fact, straightforward way, "that you have been very vain, prejudiced, and foolish, but I am wrong to reproach you now."

"No, no," whispered Aunt Marguerite, clinging to her, and looking at her in an abject, piteous way; "you are quite right, my dear. Come with me, talk to me, my child. I deserve what you say, and--and I feel so lonely now."

She glanced again at her brother and Leslie, and her grasp of Madelaine's arm grew painful.

"Yes," she whispered, with an excited look; "you are right, I must not go to him now. Don't let them think that of me. I know--I've been very--very foolish, but don't--don't let them think that."

She drew Madelainc toward the door, and in pursuance of her helpful _role_, the latter went with her patiently, any resentment which she might have felt toward her old enemy, falling away at the pitiful signs of abject misery and dread before her; the reigning idea in the old lady's mind now being that her brothers would nurture some plan to get rid of her, whose result would be one at which she shuddered, as in her heart of hearts she knew that if such extreme measures were taken, her conduct for years would give plenty of excuse.

Volume 3, Chapter XIII.

HALF CONVERTED.

"Well, Leslie," said Uncle Luke, as he stood gazing at the closed door through which the two women had pa.s.sed, "what do you think of that?"

"Think of that?" said Leslie absently.

"Those two. Deadly enemies grown friends. My sister will be adopting you directly, you miserable, low-born Scotch pleb, without a drop of n.o.ble French blood in your veins."

"Poor old woman!" said Leslie absently.

"Ah, poor old woman! Margaret and I ought to be shut up together in some private asylum. Well, you have slept on all that?"

"No," said Leslie sadly. "I have not slept."

"You're--well, I won't say what you are--well?"

"Well?" said Leslie sadly.

"You have come to your senses I hope."

"Had I lost them?"

"_Pro tem._, young man. And it is a usurpation of our rights. One lunatic family is enough in a town. We're all off our heads, so you had better keep sane."

Leslie remained silently thinking over Madelaine's words.

"Look here," said Uncle Luke, "I have slept upon it, and I am cool."

"What have you learned, sir?"

"Nothing but what I knew last night--at present."

"And what do you propose doing?"

"I propose trying to act as nearly like a quite sensible man as one of my family can."

"And Mr Vine?"

"As much like a lunatic as he can. You had better take his side and leave me alone. He is of your opinion."

"And you remain steadfast in yours?"

"Of course, sir. I've known my niece from a child, as I told you last night; and she could not behave like a weak, foolish, brainless girl, infatuated over some handsome scoundrel."

"But Miss Marguerite--have you questioned her?"

"Might as well question a weather-c.o.c.k. Knows nothing, or pretends she knows nothing. There, I'm going to start at once and see if I cannot trace her out. While I'm gone I should feel obliged if you would keep an eye on my cottage; one way and another there are quite a couple of pounds' worth of things up yonder which I should not like to have stolen. You may as well come down here too, and see how my brother is going on. Now then, I'll just step down to Van Heldre's and say a word before I start."

"By what train shall you go?"

"Train? Oh, yes, I had almost forgotten trains. Hateful way of travelling, but saves time. Must arrange to be driven over to catch one at mid-day. Come and see me off."

"Yes," said Leslie, "I'll come and see you off. What shall you take with you?"

"Tooth-brush and comb," grunted Uncle Luke. "Dessay I shall find a bit of soap somewhere. Now then, have you anything to say before I go?"

"There is no occasion; we can make our plans as we go up."

"We?"

"Yes: I am going with you."

Uncle Luke smiled.

"I knew you would," he said, quietly chuckling.

"You knew I should? Why did you think that?"

"Because you're only a big boy after all, Duncan, and show how fond you are of Louie at every turn."