"Yes," she said, ""tis the very tune."
She stood among them-my lord Duke remembered it later-the centre figure of a sort of circle, some sitting, some standing-his Grace of Marlborough, Mistress Anne, Osmonde himself, the country gentlemen, my Lady Betty and her swains, and others who drew near. She was the centre, standing in the starlight, her rose held in her hand.
"Lord, "twas a strange thing," said Sir Christopher, thoughtfully, "that a man could disappear like that and leave no trace-no trace."
"Has-all enquiry-ceased?" her Grace asked, quietly.
"There was not much even at first, save from his creditors," said Lord Charles, with a laugh.
"Ay, but "twas strange," said old Sir Christopher. "I"ve thought and thought what could have come of him. Why, Clo, thou wast the one who saw him last. What dost thou think?"
In the park below there was a sudden sweet swelling of the music: the dancers had joined in with their voices.
"Yes," said the d.u.c.h.ess, ""twas I who saw him last." And for a few seconds all paused to listen to the melody in the air. But Sir Christopher came back to his theme.
"What sort of humour was the man in?" he asked. "Did he complain of "s lot?"
Her Grace hesitated a second, as one who thought, and then shook her head.
"No," she answered, and no other word.
"Did he speak of taking a journey?" said Lady Betty.
And the d.u.c.h.ess shook her head slow again, and answered as before, "No."
And the music swelled with fresh added voices, and floated up gayer and more sweet.
"Was he dressed for travel?" asked Lord Charles, he being likely to think first of the meaning of a man"s dress.
"No," said her Grace.
And then my lord Duke drew near behind her, and spoke over her shoulder.
"Did he bid you any farewell?" he said.
She had not known he was so close, and gave a great start and dropped her rose upon the terrace. Before she answered, she stooped herself and picked it up.
"No," she said, very low. "No; none."
"Then," his Grace said, "I will tell you what I think."
"You!" said my Lady Betty. "Has your Grace thought?"
"Often," he answered. "Who has not, at some time? I-knew more of the man than many. More than once his life touched mine."
"Yours!" they cried.
He waved his hand with the gesture of a man who would sweep away some memory.
"Yes," he said; "once I saw the end of a poor soul he had maddened, and "twas a cruel thing." He turned his face towards his wife.
"The morning that he left your Grace," he said, ""tis my thought he went not far."
"Not far?" the party exclaimed, but the d.u.c.h.ess joined not in the chorus.
"Between Dunstanwolde House and his lodgings," he went on, "lie some of the worst haunts in London. He was well known there, and not by friends but by enemies. Perchance some tortured creature who owed him a bitter debt may have lain in wait and paid it."
The d.u.c.h.ess turned and gazed at him with large eyes.
"What-" she said, almost hoa.r.s.ely, "what do you mean?"
"There were men," he answered, gravely-"husbands, fathers, and brothers-there were women he had driven to despair and madness, who might well have struck him down."
"You mean," said her Grace, almost in a whisper, "you mean that he-was murdered?"
"Nay," he replied, "not murdered-struck a frenzied blow and killed, and it might have been by one driven mad with anguish and unknowing what he did."
Her Grace caught her breath.
"As "twas with the poor man I told you of," she broke forth as if in eagerness, "the one who died on Tyburn Tree?"
"Yes," was his answer.
"Perhaps-you are right," she said, and pa.s.sed her hand across her brow; "perhaps-you-are right."
"But there was found no trace," Sir Christopher cried out; "no trace."
"Ah!" said my lord Duke, slowly, "that is the mystery. A dead man"s body is not easy hid."
The d.u.c.h.ess broke forth laughing-almost wildly. The whole group started at the sound.
"Nay, nay!" she cried. "What dark things do we talk of! Sir Christopher, Sir Christopher, "twas you who set us on. A dead man"s body is not easy hid!"
""Tis enough to make a woman shudder," cried Lady Betty, hysterically.
"Yes," said her Grace. "See, I am shuddering-I, who am built of Wildairs iron and steel." And she held out her hands to them-her white hands-and indeed they were trembling like leaves.
The evil thing they had spoke of had surely sunk deep into her soul and troubled it, though she had so laughed and lightly changed the subject of their talk, for in the night she had an awful dream, and her lord, wakened from deep slumber-as he had been once before-started up to behold her standing in the middle of the chamber-a tall white figure with its arms outflung as if in wild despair, while she cried out in frenzy to the darkness.
"I have killed thee-I have killed thee," she wailed, "though I meant it not-even h.e.l.l itself doth know. Thou art a dead man-and this is the worst of all!"
""Tis a dream," he cried aloud to her and clutched her in his warm, strong arms. ""Tis a dream-a dream! Awake!-Awake!-Awake!"
And she awoke and fell upon her knees, sobbing as those sob who are roused from such a horror.
"A dream!-a dream!-a dream!" she cried. "And "tis you awake me! You-Gerald-Gerald!-And I have been ten years-ten years your wife!"