Prescott of Saskatchewan Part 35

"That implies a doubt. And your sister; is she on my side?"

"She's reserving her opinion."

"You can't say that the Jernynghams are convinced of my innocence."

"No," said Muriel. "I think they're cruelly and unreasonably bitter."

"Then that leaves only one person with unshaken faith." His eyes rested on the girl with deep grat.i.tude and tenderness. "Miss Hurst, I think I may say it's quite enough."

She looked up fearlessly, with heightened color.

"We won't pay each other compliments. Will you tell me why you went away?"

"Yes; I went to look for Cyril Jernyngham."

Muriel made an abrupt movement and her eyes sparkled with relief which she did not try to hide.

"Oh," she said, "that's such a complete explanation; it answers everything! But why didn't you tell people the reason you were going? You must have known that stealing away, as you did, would count against you!"

"I told Miss Jernyngham."

"Gertrude knew?" Muriel started. Then her face hardened. "After all, that doesn't matter; there are much more important things. You didn't find Cyril?"

"I followed him across three provinces and lost him in the end."

"Ah!" she said. "How unfortunate, how terribly disappointing! But tell me all you did; I'm not asking from mere curiosity." She hesitated. "I think you owe me that."

He told her the story of his wanderings and what he had learned about Kermode's adventures. She listened with eager attention, and laughed now and then.

"It's convincing on the face of it," she declared. "One feels that everything is exactly what Cyril Jernyngham must have done. Will you tell his father?"

"No," Prescott answered gravely. "He wouldn't believe the tale."

"But I feel it can't be doubted, after what I have heard of Cyril's character and his conduct in England."

"You have an open mind. I think you hate injustice; you try to be fair.

That, I guess, is why you came to see me."

Muriel glanced at him sharply, and then smiled.

"I suppose it was; I felt that you have been badly treated. But I only meant to stay a minute or two, and you seem to be busy."

He did not deny it. Conscious as he was of her charm and his longing for her, he feared to detain her lest he should be driven into some rash avowal.

"I'm very grateful for your confidence," he answered slowly.

"Well," said Muriel, "I must go." She rose, but stood still a moment.

"Mr. Prescott, it hurts me to see suspicion fall on my friends. You must clear yourself somehow."

"Ah," he said moodily, "how am I to set about it?"

"For one thing, you must not go away again. That would look bad." She hesitated. "And, from a few words I heard, I fear it would bring the police after you."

"It seems very probable; I'll stay while I'm allowed," he said with some bitterness and turned toward the door with her. Then a little color crept into his face as she held out her hand. "Miss Hurst," he added, "you are a very staunch friend."

Muriel smiled.

"It really looks as if staunchness were one of my virtues; but you see I venture to act on my opinions without paying much attention to what other people think. After all, that would be foolish, wouldn't it?"

Then she got into the sleigh and left him wondering what she could have meant. He knew her friends regarded him as a man of inferior station, who, if cleared from suspicion, might perhaps be tolerated so long as he recognized his limitations and did not presume. Had Muriel wished to hint that she differed from them in this respect? The thought of it set his heart to beating fast and when he went back to his books he found it singularly difficult to fix his mind on them.

Muriel drove rapidly to the Leslie homestead and, reaching it after dark, joined the others at supper. During the meal, a reference to Jernyngham's interview with the police officer gave her the opportunity she was waiting for.

"When Mr. Prescott went away it told badly against him, because people didn't know what his object was," she said.

She fixed her eyes on Gertrude, but the latter's face was expressionless as she moved her plate.

"He went to find Cyril," she added.

Mrs. Colston looked up sharply; her husband started.

"If true, it's a strong point in his favor," Colston declared.

Gertrude still made no sign; but her father broke into an incredulous smile.

"An excellent motive! It's a pity he didn't mention it before he went! It would have carried more weight then!"

There was an awkward silence; and then Muriel said firmly:

"Still, that was why he went away."

Jernyngham looked hard at her and made a gesture which suggested that the matter would not bear discussion. Then Colston began to talk to her, and he was glad when the meal was finished. Muriel waited until she found Gertrude alone in her room.

"You knew Mr. Prescott went to look for your brother, and yet you would not say a word," she said.

"Ah!" exclaimed Gertrude sharply. "So you have seen him! You drove over this afternoon--one might have expected that."

Muriel's eyes sparkled, but she answered calmly:

"Yes, I went to see him; but you're evading the point. What reason could you have had for trying to injure an innocent man?"

Gertrude made an uneasy movement.

"Aren't you taking too much for granted? To begin with, his innocence is very doubtful."

"Yet, I think you must have been convinced of it. That he told you why he was going proves that you were on friendly terms, which would have been impossible if you had thought him guilty. What has made you change?"

The girl's voice was stingingly scornful. It looked as if she suspected something, and Gertrude broke into a cold smile.