She found the horse and buggy where the woman had indicated, and with hands trembling with nervous excitement untied the bridle.
The animal scarcely gave her time to climb into the vehicle, ere he was off with the speed of the wind through the stubble fields of the old deserted farm and on to the high-road.
It was all that Bernardine could do to cling to the reins, let alone attempt to guide the animal, whose speed was increasing perceptibly at every step he took.
The trees, the wild flowers by the road-side, the dark pines and mile-posts, seemed to whirl past her, and she realized, with a terrible quaking of the heart, that the horse was getting beyond her control and was running away.
The light buggy seemed to fairly spin over the road without touching it.
From a run, the horse had broken into a mad gallop, which the small white hands clinging to the reins was powerless to stop.
Suddenly from a bend in the road, as she reached it, she saw a horseman riding leisurely toward her on a chestnut mare which she recognized at once as belonging to the Gardiner stables. He could not be one of the grooms, nor could he be one of the guests astir at that hour; still, there was something familiar in the form of the man advancing toward her at an easy canter.
He seemed to take in the situation at a glance, and quickly drew back into the bushes to give the runaway horse full swing in the narrow road.
But as Bernardine advanced at that mad, flying pace, she heard the man shout:
"My horse, by all that is wonderful! But that isn"t Mag in the buggy.
Who in thunder can it be in that wagon, anyhow?"
That loud, harsh voice! No wonder Bernardine"s heart almost ceased beating as she heard it. It was the voice of Jasper Wilde.
Only Heaven"s mercy kept her from swooning outright, for she knew Jasper Wilde would recognize her as soon as he came abreast of her.
This proved to be the case.
"Bernardine Moore!" he shouted, hardly believing he had seen aright.
For one moment of time he was taken so completely by surprise that he was quite incapable of action, and in that moment Bernardine"s horse was many rods past him.
"Yes, it is Bernardine Moore!" he cried out, excitedly.
He did not ask himself how she happened to be there; he had no time for that.
Cursing himself for the time he had lost through his astonishment at the discovery, he wheeled his horse about with so sharp a jerk that it almost brought the animal upon its haunches; then started in mad pursuit of the girl, shouting at the top of his voice to Bernardine to saw hard on both lines, and jerk quickly backward.
To his intense rage, he saw Bernardine take out the whip and lay it on the back of the runaway horse, and it flashed across his mind what that meant.
She had seen and recognized him as she flew past him. She knew he was hurrying after her, and she preferred death rather than that he should overtake her.
Curses loud and deep broke from his lips. He yelled to her to draw rein; but she only urged the horse on the faster.
He had searched the world over to find Bernardine Moore, and now that he had come across her by chance, she should not escape him like this.
A mere chit of a girl should not outwit him in that fashion.
A mad thought occurred to him.
There was but one way of stopping that horse and overtaking Bernardine, and that was to draw his revolver and shoot the animal dead in its tracks.
He liked the horse; but nothing on earth should prevent him from capturing the girl he still loved to desperation.
To think, with him, was to act; and quick as a flash, he drew a weapon from his hip-pocket, and the loud report of a shot instantly followed.
CHAPTER LVIII.
The shot which rang out so clearly on the early morning air missed its mark, and the noise only succeeded in sending Bernardine"s horse along the faster. Taking one terrified glance backward, Bernardine saw Jasper Wilde"s horse suddenly swerve, unseating her rider, and the next instant he was measuring his length in the dusty road-side.
The girl did not pause to look again, nor did she draw rein upon the panting steed, until, covered with foam, and panting for breath, he drew up of his own accord at the gate of Gardiner mansion.
One of the grooms came running forward, and Bernardine saw that he was greatly excited.
"The maids missed you, and feared something had happened to you, Miss Moore," he said; "but we were all so alarmed about young master, it caused us to forget everything else, we all love Master Jay so well."
A sharp pain, like that caused by a dagger"s thrust, seemed to flash through Bernardine"s heart as those words fell upon her startled ear.
"What has happened to your master, John?" she asked, huskily; and her voice sounded terribly unnatural.
In a voice husky with emotion the groom explained to her what was occurring--how young Mrs. Gardiner stood guard over her husband, refusing to allow the doctor to perform an operation which might save their young master, who was dying by inches with each pa.s.sing moment of time--how she had caught up a thin, sharp-bladed knife which the doctor had just taken from his surgical case, and, brandishing it before her with the fury of a fiend incarnate, defied any one to dare approach.
Both Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Margaret had gone into hysterics, and had to be removed from the apartment to an adjoining room.
"Oh, Miss Moore, surely your services were never so much needed as now, you seem so clever! Oh, if you could, by any means in earthly power, coax young Mrs. Gardiner from her husband"s bedside, the operation would be performed, whether she consented or not! In G.o.d"s name, see what you can do!"
Bernardine waited to hear no more, but, like a storm-driven swallow, fairly flew across the lawn to the house, without even stopping a moment to give the least explanation concerning the strange horse and buggy which she had left in the groom"s hands.
As the man had said, the greatest excitement pervaded the mansion.
Servants were running about hither and thither, wringing their hands, expecting to hear each moment--they knew not what.
Like one fairly dazed, Bernardine flew along the corridor toward the blue and gold room which she knew had been set apart for Jay Gardiner"s use.
She could hear the murmur of excited voices as she reached the door.
She saw that it was ajar. A draught of wind blew it open as she approached.
As she reached the threshold, Bernardine stood rooted to the spot at the spectacle that met her gaze.
Young Mrs. Gardiner was bending over her hapless husband with a face so transformed by hate--yes, hate--there was no mistaking the expression--that it nearly took Bernardine"s breath away. In her right hand she held the gleaming blade, the end of which rested against Jay"s bared breast.
The doctor had sunk into the nearest seat, and in that unfortunate moment had taken his eyes off the sufferer, whose life was ebbing so swiftly, and had dropped his face in his trembling hands to think out what he had best do in this dire moment of horror.
All this Bernardine took in at a single glance.
Jay Gardiner"s life hung in the balance. She forgot her surroundings, forgot everything, but that she must save him even though at the risk of her own life. She would have gladly given a hundred lives, if she had them, to save him.
She did not stop an instant to formulate any plan, but with a cry of the most intense horror, born of acute agony, she had cleared the s.p.a.ce which divided her from young Mrs. Gardiner at a single bound, and in a twinkling had hurled the blade from her hands.