A Double Knot Part 63

Gertrude shrank back towards the couch, as the woman slowly entered, with her eyes fixed fiercely upon her, and the door swung to.

"Who is this?" she cried, in a low angry voice.

"Take no notice of her. I will get her away," whispered Huish, crossing to Gertrude's side. "She is mad!"

"No, girl, I am not mad," said the woman sternly; for her hearing seemed to have been sharpened by her illness, and she had heard every word.

"John Huish," she said sternly, "answer me--who is this?"

Gertrude's eyes dilated with horror. She was confused and startled.

She could not comprehend her position or why they were there; and as the recollection of the happy evening she had spent came to mingle with the chaos of fancies and surmises that bewildered her brain, it seemed to her like some strange nightmare, from which she felt that she would soon awake into peace and repose.

To make the scene more impressive, the heavy, deep booming of a clock striking midnight floated into the room with a strange jangle of other bells, some slow, some hurried, all bent on proclaiming the same fact-- that another day was dead, another being born.

As the woman repeated her question, Huish's eyes grew dark with rage, and he pointed to the door.

"Go down," he said, "at once, or--"

She shrank from him for a moment as she saw his look; but her jealous rage mastered her fear, and she stepped farther into the room.

Huish seemed undecided what to do; he glanced at Gertrude, then at the woman, and then back to see that the former was looking at him imploringly, as if asking him to end the scene.

"Go back to bed," he said firmly; "you are ill!" and he laid his hand upon the woman's arm.

"Worse in mind than in body!" she cried, starting away. "Girl," she continued pa.s.sionately, "you look truthful and unspoiled; tell me who you are."

"Oh yes!" said Gertrude quickly, as she advanced with extended hand, and a look of pity in her face. "I am Mrs Huish."

The woman's lower jaw dropped, and a blank, stony look came into her eyes.

"Married!" she said hoa.r.s.ely. "Are you his wife--to-day?"

"Oh no!" said Gertrude wonderingly; "for some time now. You are ill and delicate. Can I do anything for you?"

"No, no--no, no! Don't touch me; I could not bear it. Tell me once more."

"Here, enough of this!" cried Huish angrily. "Go down!"

"Don't touch her," said Gertrude excitedly; and she interposed. "She is ill--very ill. I am Mrs John Huish," she repeated.

"The woman he has wronged?"

"No, no!" said Gertrude, beginning to tremble, as she thought of the scene upon the stairs; "but you are--"

"That man's lawful wife, whom he now casts aside for some pretty baby face that takes his fancy."

"It is not true!" cried Gertrude with spirit; "my husband is a gentleman and the soul of honour."

"It is true! and that man is a liar--a cheat--a scoun--O G.o.d, I cannot bear it! Let me die!"

The woman threw up her hands and reeled. In another instant she would have fallen, but Huish stepped forward, caught her in his arms, and bore her out of the room, carrying her down to the next floor, while Gertrude, as she heard his receding steps, sank into a chair, and gazed blankly before her.

She started up though, as Huish returned with a smile upon his face, and closed and locked the door.

"Poor thing!" he said lightly; "I am sorry she came up. Ill, you know.

Her baby. Reason temporarily gone. She accuses everybody like that."

"John," cried Gertrude, trembling, "cannot understand you to-night: you are so strange and unlike yourself. Is what that poor creature says true? Oh, I cannot bear to hear such words!"

"True? is it likely?" he said, approaching her. "Why, are you not my little wife?"

"Yes, yes!" cried Gertrude, shrinking from him; "but tell--"

She stopped short, gazing at him wonderingly. Her hands went to her dilating eyes, and as the light of the lamp fell for the first time full upon him now, she uttered a cry of horror, her face became convulsed, and she ran to the door.

"It is not--" she paused wildly.

"Are you mad, too?" he cried, pursuing her and catching her wrists.

"Yes--no--I don't know," she cried excitedly. "Don't touch me. I cannot bear it."

"Silence!" he cried. "Do you want to alarm the house?"

"Oh no, no!" she panted; "but you frighten--you horrify me!"

"Hus.h.!.+ Be silent!"

"No, no!" cried Gertrude, struggling, as he again seized her in his arms. "Oh, help--help--help!"

Volume 3, Chapter II.

POLICE BUSINESS.

d.i.c.k Millet became quite the military officer as he reached the police-station with his father, and proved that, if he possessed a very small body, it contained plenty of soul. He was staggered at the charge brought against his brother-in-law, that of being a party to a serious attempt at burglary on the previous night, and soon found that there was nothing to be done till the next day. He listened to Huish's a.s.severations of innocence very quietly, but said nothing till he exclaimed:

"Why, d.i.c.k, you cannot believe me guilty of this monstrous charge!"

"I can only believe one thing just now, John Huish," he replied; "and that is that you are my dear sister's husband, and that for her sake everything possible must be done to help you out of this dreadful sc.r.a.pe."

"Yes," cried Sir Humphrey feebly, "of course--of course. And, John, my boy, I always liked you; it's a cursed impertinent lie, isn't it?"

"It is indeed," cried Huish earnestly; "unless--unless--"

He stopped, gazing from one to the other in a curiously bewildered fas.h.i.+on.

"Unless--unless what, my boy? Why don't you speak out?"

"Let it rest to-night, sir," said Huish, in an altered voice. "I am confused--shocked. Get me some good advice to-morrow, d.i.c.k, and when the examination comes off, you will, of course, find bail."

d.i.c.k nodded, but did not shake hands.