"Do you think she likes him?"
"Oh, sir, I would rather die than have to tell it to you."
"I cannot listen to your sentimentalisms. Does my wife seem happy when Adrian Carr calls upon her?"
"I think she is interested in him, Brother Jerome."
"Does she see him alone?"
"Often alone."
"And you say she seems pleased?"
"I think so. It is incomprehensible to me."
"Never mind whether you understand it or not. Do you know that by this news you are turning me into a devil? I"ll risk everything--everything.
I"ll expose the whole vile conspiracy if my wife is entrapped into engaging herself to Adrian Carr."
Brother Jerome was no longer a weak-looking invalid; he began to pace his attic floor; a fire burnt in his sunken eyes, and he clenched his thin hands. For the time he was strong.
"Listen to me, Esther Helps. My wife shall run no risk of that kind. It was in the contract that _that_ should be prevented. I sinned for her--yes, I willingly sinned for her--but she shall never sin for me.
Rather than that we"ll all go to penal servitude. I, and your father, and her father."
"Do quiet yourself, Mr. Wyndham. There may be nothing in what I told you."
Esther felt really frightened.
"Perhaps the gentleman comes to see your sister, Miss Wyndham. He certainly comes, but--but----"
"Esther, the whole thing must be put a stop to--the faintest shadow of risk must not be run. My wife thinks herself a widow, but she must retain the feelings of a wife. It must be impossible for her, while I live, to think of another man."
"Can you not bring yourself back to her memory, sir? Is there no way?"
"That is a good thought. Don"t speak for a little. Let me think."
Wyndham continued to pace the floor. Esther softly built up the fire with trembling fingers. In this mood she was afraid of Wyndham. That fire in his eyes was new to her. She was cowed--she shivered. With her mental vision she already saw her grey-headed father in the prisoner"s dock.
"Esther," said Wyndham, coming up to her suddenly. "I have thought of a plan. It won"t implicate anyone, and if a chord in Valentine"s heart still beats true to me this must touch it. At what hour does Carr generally call to see my wife?"
"He is a busy man; he comes mostly at night, about nine o"clock. He has a cup of tea, and goes away at ten. When Miss Wyndham is there he sometimes stays on till nearly eleven."
"He comes every night?"
"Almost every night."
"And he leaves at ten?"
"A few minutes after ten. When the clock strikes ten it seems to be a sort of a signal to him, and he gets up and goes away."
"Thank you. Ten, then, will be the hour. Esther, something else may happen at ten of the clock. You need not look so white. I said no risk would be run. It is possible, however, that my wife may be agitated.
No, you don"t suppose I am going to reveal myself to her--nothing of the sort. Still, something will happen which may break down her nerve and her calm. In that case she may even appeal to you, Esther, you will be very guarded. You must remember that on the success of this scheme of mine depends your father"s safety, for if she engages herself to Carr I swear by the G.o.d above me that we three, Paget, your father, and I, go to prison."
"Sir, I must own that I feel dreadfully frightened."
"Poor Esther! And you don"t deserve it, for you are the best of girls and quite innocent. But that is ever the way. The innocent bear the sins of the guilty. In this matter, however, Esther, you must trust me, and keep your own counsel. Now, I want to know if you have any money you can lend me?"
"I have two sovereigns in my purse, sir. Will that do?"
"Plentifully. I will tell you what I want the money for. I want to hire a violin--a good one. Once, Esther, I used to express my feelings through the violin. It talked for me. It revealed some of the tortures of my soul. The violin shall speak again and to my wife. Now you are prepared at all points. Good-bye. Be as brave as you are good, and the worst may be averted."
CHAPTER XLV.
On the following night, as Esther was preparing to go to bed, the nursery door was suddenly opened and Mrs. Wyndham entered.
"Esther," she said, "I want baby."
"He is sound asleep, madam. You would not wake him?"
"He can be moved without disturbing him. I want him to sleep in my bed.
I want his company. My little child?"
She was trembling. She caught hold of the rails of the baby"s cot.
"Little children are sacred innocent things, aren"t they, nurse? I want my little child to-night."
"Strange," thought Esther. "I listened with all my might, and I could not hear anything except the usual barrel organs and German bands in the street. But she has heard something, there isn"t a doubt. How queer and shaken she looks. Poor young thing, I do pity her; she can"t help thinking she is a widow when she is a wife."
Aloud Esther complied with Mrs. Wyndham"s request cheerfully.
"Certainly, madam. The child will never know that we are moving him. If you will go on to your room, ma"am, I"ll follow with master baby."
Mrs. Wyndham turned away at once.
When the nurse entered her mistress" room with the child, there was a soft nest made in the big bed to receive him, and the fire in the grate cast a cheerful glow over everything.
"Let me kiss him," said the mother. "My darling, my beloved. I"ll take him into my arms presently, nurse, and then all fears will fly away."
"Fears, Mrs. Wyndham? No one ought to fear in this cheerful room."
"Perhaps not, nurse; but sometimes I am superst.i.tious--painfully so.
Yes, put baby there. Is he not a handsome boy? Although I could wish he were more like his father."
"He seems to feature your sister-in-law, Miss Lilias Wyndham, madam."
"How queer that you should find that out! He is not like what Lilias is now, but they all say she was just such another little child. Nurse, I hate high winds--there is going to be a storm to-night."