The Blue Diamond (6 page)

“Oh, ah, I think I have seen it,” Jim said absently, edging nearer the door through which Minnie had already vanished. “I'll be pleased to do what I can for you at any time, Mrs. Parkyns; but if there is nothing more tonight—”

“I should be sorry to keep you if there was,” the housekeeper said with a significant laugh. “You are to let us have the cattleyas for the table to-morrow night, Sir Arthur said.”

“Very good, m'm,” and Jim made his escape without, more ado.

In the wide stone-flagged passage outside he caught a glimpse of Minnie's black skirt as she hurried round the corner, and gave chase at once.

“Why, Minnie,” he said reproachfully as he came up with her, “you are never going off like this without a word? I want to talk to you about that Cottage; but I haven't finished with Mrs. Parkyns yet. However, you come round while they are at dinner and I will tell you all about it.”

Minnie looked frightened.

“I don't know as I dare. It would be as much as my place is worth if her ladyship or Mrs. Parkyns got to hear of it.”

“You won't need to keep the place much longer if we settle on the cottage,” Jim reminded her. “You must come, Minnie; there's the dearest little sitting-room and the regular picture of a kitchen.”

Minnie hesitated, but the wish to hear more of her future home overcame her scruples.

“Well, just this once,” she conceded. “You won't keep me long, Jim?”

A light gleamed in the man's eyes.

“Not a minute longer than you want to stop, Minnie. Now I must go back to Mrs. Parkyns.”

Minnie's face was still flushed as she walked slowly up the backstairs; half-way down the corridor leading to the sick-room one of the other maids ran after her.

“This parcel has just come up from Lockford for Nurse Marston; will you give it to her, Minnie?”

Minnie took it and tapped at the pink-room door.

“Her ladyship will see you in the small library when the guests have gone, nurse,” she announced. “This has come for you.”

Nurse Marston stepped into the passage, pulling the door to behind her.

“Ah, my things for the night!” she said as she took the parcel from the girl's hands. “Mother said she would send them; but I don't think I shall go to bed, though they have given me this room,” nodding to the door of that next the one occupied by her patient. “However, I can't decide that till I have seen her ladyship. But I will put my things out”—unfastening the parcel—“and here's my knitting. If I do sit up I like a bit of work in my hand, and I am anxious to get mother's stockings done before winter. I knit them all myself, Minnie.”

“Do you really?” The girl looked much impressed. “You will ring if you want anything, nurse,” she went on. “Wright will bring your supper up; and I will let you know when the folk are going.”

“Thank you, Minnie!” the nurse responded as she laid her modest belongings in the big wardrobe and the drawers that looked so ludicrously out of proportion with their contents.

A few minutes later she was back with her patient, who was apparently asleep, and stood regarding her with a puzzled expression.

“I cannot be mistaken,” she murmured, “and yet—”

She shrugged her shoulders as she crossed the room and, taking her knitting in her hand, sat down before the fire, watching the flames with absent eyes, while her fingers clicked the steel pins with mechanical regularity.

She had scarcely moved, save to give her patient the required nourishment, when several hours later Mavis tapped at the door.

“You wanted to see mother, nurse,” she began. “The people are going now, so if you—”

The nurse came softly across the room.

“I would go at once, Miss Mavis, but Minnie promised to come and sit with the young lady while I went. I hardly care to leave her alone.”

Mavis came into the room.

“Oh, I will stay, nurse! I dare say Minnie is busy with the cloaks.”

She drew nearer the bed and looked at the fair pale face, at the cloud of golden hair spreading over the pillows.

“How lovely she is,” she said with involuntary admiration.

“She is pretty,” Nurse Marston admitted, with a kind of grudging reservation.

“Is she unconscious?” Mavis went on. “Does she hear anything we say?”

“It is impossible to tell how much she understands,” the nurse said repressively. “She lies for the most part in this kind of stupor, and I must ask you not to talk before her, Miss Mavis. It might do harm.”

“Oh, I am so sorry! “ Mavis exclaimed penitently. “It was very thoughtless of me. You will be afraid now to trust me with her.”

“Well, I am rather anxious to speak to her ladyship, so if you really don't mind staying a few minutes I shall be very grateful to you, Miss Mavis.”

“Oh, that will be all right!” Mavis tiptoed across the soft carpet to the nurse's big easy-chair. “Don't hurry yourself at all on my account, nurse,” she added pleasantly. “Just tell me, is there anything I ought to give her?”

Nurse Marston considered a little.

“There's her draught, but that is not for half an hour, and I shall be back in plenty of time for that. No, there is nothing now, thank you, Miss Mavis—only just to give an eye to her every now and then.”

“I see.” And Mavis settled herself comfortably in her chair. “Tell mother not to stay up gossiping too long,” she said lightly as, with a half-reluctant backward glance, the nurse left the room.

Mavis's glance lingered a while on the straight white figure lying so still and motionless in the big bed, then her thoughts wandered to Garth, and the little smile which certain memories of the evening evoked was still lingering round her lips when a weak voice spoke from the bed.

“Who is there? Who are you?”

Mavis sprang to her feet and hurried to the bedside, starting as she met the gaze of a brilliant pair of blue eyes.

“Who are you?” the soft voice went on insistently.

“I am Mavis Hargreave. You saw me last night. Don't you remember now?”

The girl pressed her hand over her forehead. “I —I think I have seen you somewhere,” she said perplexedly. “But I don't remember. Where am I?”

Moved by a sudden impulse of pity, Mavis took one of the slim trembling hands in hers and held it tenderly.

“You are at Hargreave Manor—we found you in the park last night.”

The girl tossed restlessly about.

“I don't seem to remember anything,” she said, her mouth trembling pitifully. “But I think you are being very good to me, and I thank you very much.” Her fingers closed on Mavis's and her eyelids drooped.

Mavis glanced across the room longingly at the bell. She was uncertain how this interval of consciousness should be treated and felt anxious to summon Nurse Marston back to her duties, but the hold on her hand detained her. She stooped over the invalid gently.

“Hilda—may I call you Hilda?—will you let me go for one moment? I want to call some one who will know just what you ought to have now.”

The weak clasp did not slacken.

“No—I want you—to stay with me,” the invalid said wilfully. “It—Where was I last night?”

Mavis was uncertain how far the question should be answered; her eyes sought the clock as she hesitated. Already the nurse had been away twenty minutes. Surely she would soon be back now?

“I—When do you mean?” she parried.

Big tears came into the blue eyes.

“Ah, why will you not tell me? I cannot remember, try as I will. All I can recall is a sort of medley, like a bad dream—trouble—and I was all alone—and darkness and difficulties all around me.”

There was a low tap at the door, but Mavis was too much interested to notice it.

“Then out of all that was vague and indefinite,” the girl continued, “one face seemed to shape itself, looking down at me with pity—a man's face—and I was borne away into light and warmth.”

“My brother Arthur found you in the park and carried you to the carriage,” Mavis returned prosaically. “We were very glad we heard you; it might have killed you to stay there all night.”

The knock at the door was repeated, and a voice called: “Nurse!”

Mavis recognized her mother's voice and tried to draw her hand away.

“It is my mother,” she said.” I must speak to her.”

But the other girl still clung to her.

“You must not go,” she said. “I am not strong enough to see anyone else to-night—indeed, I am not. Promise you will not let anyone come in.”

W
ITH A
jerk Mavis freed herself.

“Indeed I must—”

At the same moment the door opened and Lady Laura looked into the room.

“I have been waiting for you for quite a quarter of an hour, nurse,” she said in a distinctly aggrieved tone. “If anything prevented your coming you ought at least to have sent me word. I told my daughter—Mavis! You are here still! Where is Nurse?” glancing round in surprise.

“I don't know. She left to come to you, mother. She —Hilda is better; she has been talking to me.”

Lady Laura stepped up to the bedside and smiled reassuringly into the eyes raised imploringly to her.

“I am so glad you are better, my dear,” she said in a cheery, comfortable fashion. “But you ought to have something now. Mavis, give me that glass. Ah, that is right!” with a confidence born of experience as the girl swallowed a few drops of the champagne. “Now if you can get some sleep, my dear, I think it will be the best thing for you. What is this you say about Nurse Marston, Mavis—that she left here to come to me? Poor thing, she must have gone into the wrong room, and I dare say is abusing me for keeping her from her patient all this time!” with a laugh. She rang the bell. “Oh, Minnie! Find Nurse Marston and tell her that I am here, and ask her to come up. She must have gone into some other room.”

Minnie looked puzzled.

“I showed her the small library myself, my lady. I had been helping Lady Davenant with her cloak. I came out as Nurse Marston passed and I went as far as the bend in the passage with her and pointed out the door.”

“Then she must have mistaken you,” Lady Laura decided easily, “and you will find her in one of the adjoining rooms. Be as quick as you can, Minnie.”

“Yes, my lady,” and the girl hurried off.

Lady Laura turned to Mavis.

“Now, Mavis, it is time you were in bed, or you will lose your beauty sleep. Come, I will stay with Hilda”—and she smiled at the girl—“until Nurse Marston comes.”

Mavis glanced at Hilda's white face, at the suspiciously bright eyes in which there lay no shadow of sleep, and then, moved by some sudden impulse, she leaned over and kissed the girl.

“Good night, dear, and sleep well!”

Outside in the passage she encountered Minnie.

“Oh, Miss Mavis, has the nurse come back?” she began excitedly. “I can't find her anywhere. She isn't anywhere downstairs, as far as I can see.”

Mavis looked perplexed for a moment, then her face brightened up.

“I dare say she is in her room. Perhaps she is not well.” She tapped at the door, which was left ajar, but there was no response, and a glance was sufficient to show them that the room was untenanted.

Minnie looked troubled.

“I can't think where she can be, Miss Mavis. I have been everywhere downstairs except in the billiard-room and the smoking-room, and not a sign of her can I find. If her lady—”

The door of the invalid's room opened noiselessly, and Lady Laura herself looked out.

“Is Nurse there? I want to—”

“My lady, I can't find her anywhere!” Minnie burst out.

But signing to her to be silent, Lady Laura came into the passage.

“What do you say, Minnie—you cannot find her? Have you looked in the morning-room? She has probably turned in there in mistake for the small library.''

“I have been in all those rooms, my lady, and she isn't there. I can't think where she can have got to. And she was that anxious to speak to you, my lady! ‘‘

For a moment Lady Laura looked vaguely disturbed, then she smiled at Minnie's evident perturbation.

“Well, I don't suppose she is lost, Minnie,'' she said cheerfully. “Probably she did not feel well, and is sitting down quietly somewhere; but I think I will just go down and speak to Mrs. Parkyns, and look into the rooms myself, and I think we must turn you into a nurse for the time being, Minnie. Be sure you let me know as soon as Nurse Marston comes back.''

“Yes, my lady.'' But the girl still looked uneasy and worried.

Mavis followed Lady Laura and tucked her hand under her arm.

“I am coming with you, mother dear. Yes, really you must let me,” as Lady Laura began to remonstrate. “Indeed, I could not sleep until we have found the nurse and heard what she has to say. Isn't Hilda perfectly lovely, mother? Much prettier than we thought her last night.”

“She is very beautiful,” Lady Laura said abstractedly. “I fancy that Nurse Marston wished to speak to me about her. Perhaps she has discovered some clue to her identity. Ah, here is Parkyns!” as that functionary appeared, looking portly and important in her rich black silk. “Well, Parkyns, have you seen anything of Nurse Marston yet?”

“No, my lady,” the housekeeper replied with dignity. “Where the young woman can have put herself I can't imagine. We have looked all over the bottom part of the house ourselves, me and Mr. Jenkins, as soon as Minnie said she couldn't be found, and one of the maids has been upstairs. It really doesn't seem as if she could be in the house.”

Lady Laura felt bewildered.

“It is impossible that she can have gone out at this time of night without telling anyone!” she exclaimed. “You are sure she is not downstairs, you say, Parkyns?”