Cursed by a Fortune Part 53

"I thought so," said Kate, resuming her seat, and looking at him in a commiserating way. "I hope it is nothing very serious."

"Serious?" he said, turning to her, sharply. "Well, yes it is, but I ought not to worry you about it."

"They say that sometimes relief comes in speaking of our troubles."

"But suppose one gets relief, and the other pain?" he said, looking at her quickly.

"Then it is something about me?"

He turned and looked at the fire again.

"Please tell me, guardian," she said.

"Only make you unhappy, my dear, just when you are getting back to your old self."

She looked at him in a troubled way for some moments, and then with a sudden outburst:

"You have seen Uncle James?"

He did not answer for a while, but sat gazing at the fire.

"Yes," he said, at last; "I have seen your Uncle James."

"And he knows I am here," she cried, clasping her hands, and looking at him in horror.

He turned slowly and met her eyes.

"Then you don't repent the step you have taken, and want to go back to Northwood?" he said.

"How could I when you have protected me as you have, and saved me from so much suffering and insult?"

"Hah!" he said, with a sigh of relief, "thank you, my child. I was afraid that you would be ready to return to him."

"Mr Garstang!" she cried.

"Guardian."

"Then, guardian, how could you think it? If I have seemed dull and unhappy, surely it was not strange, considering my position."

"Of course not; but I was flattering myself with the belief that you were really getting reconciled to your fate."

"I am reconciled," said Kate, warmly; "but I can not help longing to take my old nurse by the hand again, and to see my friends."

"Friends?" he said, looking at her curiously.

"Yes; I made two friends down there whose society was pleasant to me, and whom I have missed."

"Indeed! I did not know."

"But tell me, is uncle coming? Does he know I am here?" cried Kate, excitedly.

"No, he is not coming, my child, and he does not know you are here,"

said Garstang, watching her searchingly.

"Ah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the girl, with a sigh of relief. "I could not--I dare not meet him."

"That is what I felt. You can not meet him for some time to come, but there are unpleasant complications, my dear, which trouble me a great deal."

"Yes?" said Kate, excitedly.

"Such as will, I fear, make it necessary for you to remain still secluded."

"But, Mr Garstang, suppose that he should come to see you one day when you were out, and he were shown in to me."

"Ah, yes," he said, dryly, watching her troubled face narrowly, "what I once said: that would be awkward."

"Oh, it would be horrible," cried Kate, springing to her feet. "I could not go back with him. And he has a right to claim me, and he would insist."

She began to pace the room excitedly, with her hands clasped before her.

"Yes, my child, it would be horrible," said Garstang, gently, "and that is why, in spite of its giving you pain, I have been so particular lest by any letter of yours he should learn where you were."

"But he might come as I said--to see you, in your absence," she cried.

"No, my dear," he said, reaching out one hand as she was pa.s.sing the back of his chair; and she stopped at once, and placed hers trustingly within. "Don't be alarmed. I am an old man of the world, and for years past I have had to set my wits to work to battle with other people's.

Uncle James does not know that you are here, and unless you tell him he is not likely to know, for the simple reason that he is not aware that I have such a place."

Kate uttered a sigh of relief, and let her hand rest in his.

"Poor fellow, he is horribly disappointed, and he is leaving no stone unturned to trace you, and his hopeful son is helping him and watching me."

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Kate, excitedly. "Yes, but they do not know of this place, and are keeping an eye upon my offices in Bedford Row and my house down in Kent. I little thought when my poor old friend and client died and this place fell to me that it would one day prove so useful.

So there, try and stop this fluttering of the pulses, little maid; so long as we are careful, and you wish it, you can remain in sanctuary.

Now let's dismiss the tiresome business altogether. I am glad, though, that you are pleased about the piano."

"No, no; don't dismiss it yet," cried Kate, eagerly. "Tell me what he said."

"Humph!" said Garstang, frowning; "shall I? No; better not."

"Yes, please; I can not help wanting to know."

"But I'm afraid of upsetting you, my dear."

"It will not now; I am growing firmer, Mr Garstang, my guardian," she said. "Better tell me than leave me to think, and perhaps lie awake to-night imagining things that may not be true."

"Well, yes--that would be bad," he said, nodding his head. "There, sit down then, and draw your chair to the fender. Your face is burning, but your hands are cold. That's better," he continued, as he took up the poker again, and sat forward, gazing at the fire, and once more tapping the pieces of coal into the glowing caverns. "You see, he has been to me three times."

"And I did not know!" cried Kate.