Meanwhile Mrs. Quiggin had been going through similar torments. "I don"t blame _him_," she had thought. "It"s that mischief-making huzzy. Why did I ask her? I wonder what in the world I ever saw in her. If I were not going away myself she should pack out of the house in the morning. The sly thing! How clever she thinks herself, too! But she"ll be surprised when I come down on her. I"ll watch her; she sha"n"t escape me. And as for _him_--well, we"ll see, Mr. David, we"ll see!"
As the clock in the hall in Castle Mona was striking eight these good souls in these wise humors were making their several ways to the waterfall under the cliff, in the darkest part of the hotel grounds.
Davy got there first, going in by the gate at the Onchan end. It struck him with astonishment that Lovibond was not there already. "The man bragged of coming, but I don"t see him," he thought. He felt half inclined to be wroth with Lovibond for daring to run the risk of being late. "I know someone who would have been early enough if he had been coming to meet with somebody," he thought.
Presently he saw a female form approaching from the thick darkness at the Douglas end of the house. It was a tall figure in a long cloak, with the hood drawn over the head. Through the opening of the cloak in front a light dress beneath gleamed and glinted in the brightening starlight.
"It"s herself," Davy muttered, under his breath. "She"s like the silvery fir tree with her little dark head agen the sky. Trust me for knowing her! I"d be doing that if I was blind. Yes, would I though, if I was only the gra.s.s under her feet, and she walked on me. She"s coming! My G.o.d, then, it"s true! It"s true, Davy! Hould hard, boy! She"s a woman for all! She"s here! She sees me! She thinks I"m the man?"
In the strange mood of the moment he was half sorry to take her by surprise.
Davy was right that Mrs. Quiggin saw him. While still in the shadow of the house she recognized his dark figure among the trees. "But he"s alone," she thought. "Then the huzzy must have gone back to her room when I thought she slipped out at the porch. He"s waiting for her.
Should I wait, too? No! That he is there is enough. He sees me. He is coming. He thinks I am she. Umph! Now to astonish him!"
Thus thinking, and both trembling with rage and indignation, and both quivering with love and fear, the two came face to face.
But neither betrayed the least surprise.
"I"m sorry, ma"am, if I"m not the man------" faltered Davy.
"It"s a pity, sir, if I"m not the woman------" stammered Nelly.
"Hope I don"t interrupt any terterta-tie," continued Davy.
"I trust you won"t allow _me_----" began Nelly.
And then, having launched these shafts of impotent irony in vain, they came to a stand with an uneasy feeling that something unlooked for was amiss.
"What d"ye mane, ma"am?" said Davy.
"What do _you_ mean, sir?" said Nelly.
"I mane, that you"re here to meet with a man," said Davy.
"I!" cried Nelly. "I? Did you say that I was here to meet----"
"Don"t go to deny it, ma"am," said Davy.
"I do deny it," said Nelly. "And what"s more, sir, I know why you are here. You are here to meet with a woman."
"Me! To meet with a woman! Me?" cried Davy.
"Oh, _you_ needn"t deny it, sir," said Nelly. "Your presence here is proof enough against you."
"And _your_ presence here is proof enough agen you," said Davy.
"You had to meet her at eight," said Nelly.
"That"s a reg"lar bluff, ma"am," said Davy, "for it was at eight you had to meet with _him_?
"How dare you say so?" cried Nelly.
"I had it from the man himself," said Davy.
"It"s false, sir, for there _is_ no man; but I had it from the woman,"
said Nelly.
"And did you believe her?" said Davy.
"Did _you_ believe _him?_" said Nelly. "Were you simple enough to trust a man who told you that he was going to meet your own wife?"
"He wasn"t for knowing it was my own wife," said Davy. "But were _you_ simple enough to trust the woman who was telling you she was going to meet your own husband?"
"She didn"t know it was my own husband," said Nelly. "But that wasn"t the only thing she told me."
"And it wasn"t the only thing _he_ tould _me_." said Davy. "He tould me all your secrets--that your husband had deserted you because he was a brute and a blackguard."
"I have never said so," cried Nelly. "Who dares to say I have? I have never opened my lips to any living man against you. But you are measuring me by your own yard, sir; for you led _her_ to believe that I was a cat and a shrew and a nagger, and a thankless wretch who ought to be put down by the law just as it puts down biting dogs."
"Now, begging you pardon, ma"am," said Davy; "but that"s a d.a.m.ned lie, whoever made it."
After this burst there was a pause and a hush, and then Nelly said, "It"s easy to say that when she isn"t here to contradict you; but wait, sir, only wait."
"And it"s aisy for you to say yonder," said Davy, "when he isn"t come to deny it--but take your time, ma"am, take your time."
"Who is it?" said Nelly.
"No matter," said Davy.
"Who is the man," demanded Nelly.
"My friend Lovibond," answered Davy.
"Lovibond!" cried Nelly.
"The same," groaned Davy.
"Mr. Lovibond!" cried Nelly again.
"Aw--keep it up, ma"am; keep it up!" said Davy. "And, manewhile, if you plaze, who is the woman?"
"My friend Jenny Crow," said Nelly.
Then there was another pause.
"And did she tell you that I had agreed to meet her?" said Davy.
"She did," said Nelly. "And did _he_ tell _you_ that I had appointed to meet _him?_"