One Maid's Mischief Part 48

"Go and see if Arthur is awake, and tell him to get up directly."

The doctor went slowly and sleepily out of the door, fumbling with his studs the while; and without pausing to knock, walked straight into his brother-in-law's room.

"Here, Arthur, old man, rouse up!" he cried. "We're going on to--hullo!

Here, Mary, he hasn't been to bed!" he shouted.

"Not been to bed!" cried the little lady. "Why, Arthur, you foolish--"

"He isn't here, my dear," said the doctor.

"But--but he was here when we came back, was he not?" said Mrs Bolter.

"I don't know; I only knocked at his door. I was too sleepy to speak, my dear."

"Oh! Henry," exclaimed Mrs Bolter, excitedly, "something must have happened, or dear Arthur would not have stopped away like this."

"I--I hope not," said the doctor. "There, be calm, my dear; we know nothing yet."

"Yes--yes, I will be calm," said the little lady, fighting hard to master her excitement; "but, Henry, if we have brought my poor brother over here to be the victim of some terrible accident, I shall never forgive myself."

"Oh, stuff--stuff!" cried the doctor, as they looked round the room to find that the bed had not been touched. "Don't jump at conclusions.

What did Harley say?"

"That Arthur was seen last with Helen Perowne--in the garden, I suppose."

"What? Our Arthur was seen with her last? She missing--he missing-- why, by jingo, Mary, that handsome puss has run away with him!"

The doctor burst into a hearty, chuckling laugh.

"Is this a time for jesting, Henry?" said Mrs Bolter, angrily.

"Not at all, my dear," replied the doctor, "only it looks as if Arthur had made up his mind to do something startling."

"Arthur--something startling! What do you mean?"

"That he seems to have bolted with Helen Perowne!"

"Henry!"

"Well, my dear, they were seen together last, and they are now missing.

What is one to say?"

"If you cannot say words of greater wisdom than that, Henry, pray be silent."

"All right, my dear--come along."

But if the doctor was disposed to be silent, so was not his lady, who began to find out cause after cause for her brother's absence.

"Someone is ill, I'm sure, Henry, and Arthur has been summoned to the bedside."

"Nonsense! If anyone were ill," said the doctor, testily, "I should be sent for; and there is no one ill now, though we shall have half a dozen poorly to-morrow after that supper of Perowne's."

"Then some terrible accident has happened," said Mrs Bolter. "Arthur would never have stopped away like this without some special reason."

"Well, we shall see," said the doctor.

"Henry," said the lady, suddenly; and she came to a full stop.

"Yes, my dear."

"Do you think it likely that Helen Perowne--poor foolish girl--would do such a thing?"

"What, as to run off with Arthur?" chuckled the little doctor.

"For shame, Henry! I say do you think she is likely to have walked down to the river-side because it is cool and slipped in? There is not the slightest protection."

"No, my dear, I do not think anything of the sort," replied the doctor, angrily. "She is a deal more likely to be courting some c.o.xcomb or another in a shady walk, and they have forgotten all about the time."

"Absurd!" exclaimed Mrs Bolter. "Absurd, eh? Why, that's what she is always thinking about. How many fellows has she been flirting with since we knew her?"

"I am waiting for you, Dr Bolter," said the lady, austerely, "and I must say that I think your words are very unfeeling indeed."

"I'll bleed her if she has fainted!" said the doctor, grimly. "I should like to bleed that girl, old-fas.h.i.+oned as the notion is! If I don't, I'll give her such a dosing as she shan't forget in a hurry--calling a fellow up like this!"

They hurried out into the star-lit night, with everything seeming hushed and strange. The trees whispered low from time to time; then came a sullen splash from the river, as if some huge creature had just plunged in. Once or twice came a peculiar, weird-sounding cry from the jungle-- one which made Mrs Doctor forget her annoyance with her husband and creep close to his side. Just then they heard hurried footsteps. "Did you bring your pistols with you, dear?" whispered Mrs Bolter.

"No," he said, sharply; "I've got a rhubarb draught, a bottle of chlorodyne, the sal-volatile, and a lancet. That will be enough. Think I meant to shoot the girl?"

"Don't be absurd, dear! Take care, there is someone coming."

"Another call for me!" grumbled the doctor, sleepily. "That's the effect of giving parties in a hot climate. Hullo!"

"Yes, doctor," said a familiar voice.

"Oh! it's you two. Well have you found her all right?"

"We've been to Stuart's," said the Resident, sharply.

"Well, what news?"

"They have not seen or heard of either of them," replied the Resident.

"Do you know that my--"

"Oh, hus.h.!.+" whispered Mrs Doctor, excitedly, "you had better not--"

"Why, they must know it, my dear," he whispered back. "It is of no use to hide anything."

"I did not understand you, doctor," said the Resident.