They started together over the fields, but the men"s long strides gained upon them at every step.
"I say, my dear," hiccoughed one, laying his big hand on Kate"s shoulder, "you musn"t run away, you know. By George! you"re a pretty girl! give us a kiss!"
He put his arms round her waist. Only for an instant; the next, with all the blood of all the Dantons flushing her cheeks, she had sprung back and struck him a blow in the face that made him reel. The blood started from the drunken soldier"s nose, and he stood for a second stunned by the surprise blow; the next, with an imprecation, he would have caught her, but that something caught him from behind, and held him as in a vise. A big dog had come over the fields in vast bounds, and two rows of formidable ivory held the warrior fast. The dog was not alone; his master, a tall and stalwart gentleman, was beside the frightened girls, with his strong grasp on the other soldier"s collar.
"You drunken rascal!" said the owner of the dog, "you shall get the black hole for this to-morrow. Tiger, my boy, let go." The dog with a growl released his hold. "And now be off, both of you, or my dog shall tear you into mince-meat!"
The drunken ruffians shrunk away discomfited, and Eeny held out both her hands to their hero.
"Oh, Doctor Danton! What should we have done without you?"
"I don"t know," said the Doctor. "You would have been in a very disagreeable predicament, I am afraid. It is hardly safe for young ladies to venture so far from the village unattended, while these drunken soldiers are quartered here."
"I often came alone before," said Eeny, "and no one molested me. Let me make you acquainted with my sister--Kate, Doctor Danton."
Kate held out her hand with that bewitching smile of hers.
"Thank you and Tiger very much. I was not aware I had a namesake in St.
Croix."
"He is Grace"s brother," said Eeny, "and he is only here on a visit--he is just from Germany."
Kate bowed, patting Tiger"s big head with her snowflake of a hand.
"This is another friend we have to thank," she said. "How came you to be so opportunely at hand, Doctor Danton?"
"By the merest chance. Tiger and I take our morning const.i.tutional along these desolate fields and flats. I"ll have these fellows properly punished for their rudeness."
"No, no," said Kate, "let them go. It is not likely to happen again.
Besides," laughing and blushing, "I punished one of them already, and Tiger came to my a.s.sistance with the other."
"You served him right," said the Doctor. "If you will permit me, Miss Danton, I will escort you to the village."
"Come home with us," said Eeny, "we will just be in time for luncheon, and I know you want to see Grace."
"A thousand thanks, Mademoiselle--but no--not this morning."
Kate seconded the invitation; but Doctor Danton politely persisted in refusing. He walked with them as far as St. Croix, then raised his hat, said good-bye, whistled for Tiger, and was gone.
The young ladies reached the hall in safety, in time to brush their hair before luncheon, where, of course, nothing was talked of but their adventure and their champion.
"By George! if I catch these fellows, I"ll break every bone in their drunken skins," cried the irate Captain. "A pretty fix you two would have been in, but for the Doctor. I"ll ride down to the parsonage, or whatever you call it, immediately after luncheon, and bring him back to dinner, will he nill he--the Cure, too, if he"ll come, for the Cure is a very old friend."
Captain Danton was as good as his word. As soon as luncheon was over, he mounted his horse and rode away, humming a tune. Kate stood on the steps, with the pale November sunlight gilding the delicate rose-bloom cheeks, and making an aureole round the tinsel hair watching him out of sight. Eeny was clinging round her as usual, and Grace stopped to speak to her on her way across the hall.
"You ought to go and practise, Eeny. You have not touched the piano to-day, and to-morrow your teacher comes."
"Yes, Eeny," said Kate, "go attend to your music. I am going upstairs, to my room."
She smiled, kissed her, opened the parlour door, pushed her in, and ran up the broad staircase. Not to her own room, though, but along the quiet corridor leading to the green baize door. The key of that door was in her pocket; she opened it, locked it behind her, and was shut up with the, as yet, invisible Mr. Richards.
Eeny practised conscientiously three hours. It was then nearly five o"clock, and the afternoon sun was dropping low in the level sky. She rose up, closed the piano, and went in search of her sister. Upstairs and down stairs and in my lady"s chamber, but my lady was nowhere to be found. Grace didn"t know where she was. Eunice, the rosy English maid, didn"t know. Eeny was perplexed and provoked. Five o"clock struck, and she started out in the twilight to hunt the grounds--all in vain. She gave it up in half an hour, and came back to the house. The hall lamps were lighted upstairs and down, and Eeny, going along the upper hall, found what she wanted. The green baize door was unlocked, and her sister Kate came out, relocked it, and put the key in her pocket.
Eeny stood still, looking at her, too much surprised to speak. While she had been hunting everywhere for her, Kate had been closeted with the mysterious invalid all the afternoon.
"Time to dress for dinner, I suppose, Eeny," she said looking at her watch. "One must dress, if papa brings company. Did you see Eunice? Is she in my room?"
"I don"t know. Have you been in there with Mr. Richards all the afternoon?"
"Yes; he gets lonely, poor fellow! Run away and dress."
Eunice was waiting in her young lady"s boudoir, where the fire shone bright, the wax candles burned, the curtains were drawn, and everything looked deliciously comfortable. Kate sank into an easy-chair, and Eunice took the pins out of the beautiful glittering hair, and let it fall in a shining shower around her.
"What dress will you please to wear, miss?"
"The black lace, I think, since there is to be company, and the pearls."
She lay listlessly while Eunice combed out the soft, thick hair, and twisted it coronet-wise, as she best liked to wear it. She stood listless while her dress was being fastened, her eyes misty and dreamy, fixed on the diamond ring she wore. Very lovely she looked in the soft, rich lace, pale pearls on the exquisite throat; and she smiled her approval of Eunice"s skill when it was all over.
"That will do, Eunice, thank you. You can go now."
The girl went out, and Kate sank back in her chair, her blue eyes, tender and dreamy, still fixed on the fire. Drifting into dream-land, she lay twisting her flashing diamond round and round on her finger, and heedless of the pa.s.sing moments. The loud ringing of the dinner-bell aroused her, and she arose with a little sigh from her pleasant reverie, shook out her lace flounces, and tripped away down stairs.
They were all in the dining-room when she entered--papa, Eeny, Grace and strangers--Doctor Danton and a clerical-looking young man, with a pale scholarly face and penetrating eyes, and who was presented as Father Francis.
"The Cure couldn"t come," said the Captain. "A sick call. Very sorry.
Capital company, the Cure. Why can"t people take sick at reasonable hours, Father Francis?"
"Ask Doctor Danton," said Father Francis. "I am not a physician--of the bodies of men."
"Don"t ask me anything while the first course is in progress," said the Doctor. "You ought to know better. I trust you have quite recovered from your recent fright, Miss Danton."
"A Danton frightened!" exclaimed her father. "The daughter of all the Dantons that ever fought and fell, turn coward! Kate, deny the charge!"
"Miss Danton is no coward," said the Doctor. "She gave battle like a heroine."
Kate blushed vividly.
"As you are strong, be merciful," she said. "I own to being so thoroughly frightened that I shall never go there alone again. I hope, my preserver, Herr Tiger, is well."
"Quite well. Had he known I was coming here, he would doubtless have sent his regards."
"Who is Herr Tiger?" asked the Captain.
"A big Livonian blood-hound of mine, and my most intimate friend, with the exception of Father Francis here."
"Birds of a feather," said the young priest. "Not that I cla.s.s myself with Doctors and blood-hounds. You should have allowed Tiger to give those fellows a lesson they would remember, Danton. Their drunken insolence is growing unbearable."