"I"m glad I"ve met you," she said, in her clear dulcet voice, "for you can tell me where I am. I want to get to Sleepy Hollow, Dr. Maybright"s place--am I far away?"
"Two miles, as the crow flies," responded the man.
"But I can"t go as the crow flies. What is the best way to walk? Can"t you show me?"
"No-a. I be sleepy. Have you got a coin about you, Miss?"
"Money? No. I left my purse at home. I have not got a watch either, nor a chain, but I have got a little ring. It is very thin, but it is pure gold, and I am fond of it. I will give it to you if you will take me the very nearest way to Sleepy Hollow."
The man grinned again. "You _be_ a girl!" he said, in a tone of admiration. "Yes, I"ll take you; come."
He turned on his heel, shambled on in front, and Flower followed.
In this manner the two walked for some time. Suddenly they mounted a ridge, and then the man pointed to where the Doctor"s house stood, snug in its own inclosure.
"Thank you," said Flower.
She took a little twist of gold off her smallest finger, dropped it into the man"s dirty, open palm, and began quickly to descend the ridge in the direction of the Hollow. It was nearly three o"clock when she entered the cool, wide entrance-hall. The house felt still and restful.
Flower acknowledged to herself that she was both tired and hungry, but her main idea to revenge herself on Polly was stronger than either fatigue or hunger. She walked into the dining-room, cut a thick slice from a home-made loaf of bread, broke off a small piece to eat at once, and put the rest into her pocket. A dish of apples stood near; she helped herself to two, stowed them away with the bread in the capacious pocket of her green cloth dress, and then looked around her. She had got to Polly"s home, but how was she to accomplish her revenge? How strike Polly through her most vulnerable point?
She walked slowly upstairs, meditating as she went. Her own little bower-like room stood open; she entered it. Polly"s hands had been mainly instrumental in giving choice touches to this room; Polly"s favorite blue vase stood filled with flowers on the dressing-table, and a lovely photograph of the Sistine Madonna which belonged to Polly hung over the mantelpiece. Flower did not look at any of these things. She unlocked a small drawer in a dainty inlaid cabinet, which she had brought with her from Ballarat, took out two magnificent diamond rings, a little watch set with jewels, and a small purse, very dainty in itself, but which only held a few shillings. She put all these treasures into a small black velvet bag, fastened the bag round her neck by a narrow gold chain, and then leaving her room, stood once more in a contemplative att.i.tude on the landing.
She was ready now for flight herself, for when she had revenged herself on Polly, she must certainly fly. But how should she accomplish her revenge? what should she do? She thought hard. She knew she had but little time, for the Doctor and the children might return at any moment.
In the distance she heard the merry laugh of Polly"s little sister, Pearl. Flower suddenly colored, her eyes brightened, and she said to herself:
"That is a good idea; I will go and have a talk with Nurse. I can find out somehow from Nurse what Polly likes best."
She ran at once to the nurseries.
"My dear Miss Flower," exclaimed Nurse. "Why, wherever have you been, Miss? I thought you was with the others. Well! you do look tired and f.a.gged."
"I have walked home," said Flower, carelessly. "I didn"t care to be out so long; picnics are nothing to me; I"m accustomed to that sort of thing on a big scale at Ballarat, you know. I walked home, and then I thought I"d have a chat with you, if you didn"t mind."
"For sure, dear. Sit you down in that easy chair, Miss Flower; and would you like to hold baby for a bit? Isn"t she sweet to-day? I must say I never saw a more knowing child for her age."
"She is very pretty," said Flower, carelessly. "But I don"t think I"ll hold her, Nurse. I"m not accustomed to babies, and I"m afraid she might break or something. Do you know I never had a baby in my arms in my life? I don"t remember David when he was tiny. No, I never saw anything so young and soft and tiny as this little Pearl; she _is_ very pretty."
"Eh, dear lamb," said Nurse, squeezing the baby to her heart, "she"s the very sweetest of the sweet. Now you surprise me, Miss Flower, for I"d have said you"d be took up tremendous with babies, you has them winsome ways. Why, look at the little dear, she"s laughing even now to see you.
She quite takes to you, Miss--the same as she does to Miss Polly."
"She takes to Polly, does she?" said Flower.
"Take to her? I should say so, Miss; and as to Miss Polly, she just worships baby. Two or three times a day she comes into the nursery, and many and many a time she coaxes me to let her bathe her. The fact is, Miss Flower, we was all in a dreadful taking about Miss Polly when her mamma died. She was quite in a stunned sort of state, and it was baby here brought her round. Ever since then our little Miss Pearl has been first of all with Miss Polly."
"Give her to me," said Flower, in a queer, changed voice. "I"ve altered my mind--I"d like to hold her. See, is she not friendly? Yes, baby, kiss me, baby, with your pretty mouth. Does she not coo--isn"t she perfect? You are quite right, Nurse. I do like to hold her, very much indeed."
"I said she"d take to you, Miss," said Nurse, in a gratified voice.
"So she does, and I take to her. Nurse, I wonder if you"d do something for me?"
"Of course I will, my dear."
"I am so awfully hungry. Would you go down" to the kitchen and choose a nice little dinner for me?"
"I"ll ring the bell, Miss Dalrymple. Alice shall bring it to you on a tray here, if you"ve a mind to eat it in the nursery."
"But I do want you to choose something; do go yourself, and find something dainty. Do, Nursie, please Nursie. I want to be spoiled a little bit; no one ever spoils me now that my mamma is dead."
"Bless the child!" said good-natured and unsuspicious Nurse. "Of course I"ll go, if you put it that way, Missy. Well, take care of baby, Miss Flower. Don"t attempt to carry her; hold her steady with your arm firm round her back. I"ll bring you your dinner in ten minutes at latest, Miss."
CHAPTER V.
FORSAKEN.
The moment Nurse"s footsteps died away Flower sprang to her feet, s.n.a.t.c.hed up a white wool shawl, which lay over the baby"s cot, wrapped it round her, and flew downstairs with the little creature in her arms.
Out through a side door which stood open ran Flower, down by the shrubbery, over the stile, and in a few moments she was out again on the wide, wild, lonely moor with Polly"s pet pressed close to her beating heart. Long before Nurse had returned to the nursery Flower had reached the moor, and when poor, distracted Nurse discovered her loss, Flower had wriggled herself into the middle of a clump of young oak-trees, and was fondling and petting little Pearl, who sat upright on her knee. From her hiding-place Flower could presently hear footsteps and voices, but none of them came near her, and for the present baby was contented, and did not cry. After a time the footsteps moved further off, and Flower peeped from her shelter.
"Now, baby, come on," she said. She wrapped the shawl again firmly round the little one, and started with a kind of trotting motion over the outskirts of the moor. She was intensely excited, and her cheeks were flushed with the first delicious glow of victory. Oh, how sorry Polly would be now for having attempted to oppose her. Yes, Polly would know now that Flower Dalrymple was not a person to be trifled with.
She was really a strong girl, though she had a peculiarly fragile look.
The weight of the three months" old baby was not very great, and for a time she made quite rapid progress. After she had walked about a mile she stood still to consider and to make her plans. No more ignorant girl in all England could perhaps be found than this same poor silly, revengeful Flower; but even she, with all her ideas Australian, and her knowledge of English life and ways simply null and void, even she knew that the baby could not live for a long time without food and shelter on the wide common land which lay around. She did not mean to steal baby for always, but she thought she would keep her for a month or two, until Polly was well frightened and repentant, and then she would send her back by some kind, motherly woman whom she was sure to come across. As to herself, she had fully made up her mind never again to enter the doors of Sleepy Hollow, for it would be impossible for her, she felt, to a.s.sociate with any people who had sat down to dinner with the kitchen-maid. Holding the baby firmly in her arms, Flower stood and hesitated. The warm fleecy white shawl sheltered little Pearl from all cold, and for the present she slept peacefully.
"I must try and find some town," thought Flower. "I must walk to some town--the nearest, I suppose--with baby. Then I will sell one of my rings, and try to get a nice woman to give me a lodging. If she is a motherly person--and I shall certainly look out for some one that is--I can give her little Pearl when I get tired of her, and she can take her back to Sleepy Hollow. But I won"t give Pearl up for the present; for, in the first place she amuses me, and in the next I wish Polly to be well punished. Now I wonder which is the nearest way to the town? If I were at Ballarat, I should know quickly enough by the sign-posts placed at intervals all over the country, but they don"t seem to have anything of the sort here in barbarous England. Now, how shall I get to the nearest town without meeting any one who would be likely to tell Dr. Maybright?"
Flower had scarcely expressed herself in this fashion before once again the rough-looking man crossed her path. She greeted him quite joyfully.
"Oh! you"re just the person I want," she exclaimed. "I"ve got my purse now, and a little money in it. Would you like to earn a shilling?"
"Sure-_ly_," said the man. "But I"d a sight rather "arn two," he added.
"I"ll give you two. I have not got much money, but I"ll certainly give you two shillings if you"ll help me now. I have got a little baby here--a dear little baby, but she"s rather heavy. I am running away with her to revenge myself on somebody. I don"t mind telling you that, for you look like an outlaw yourself, and you"ll sympathize with me. I want you to carry baby for me, and to take us both to the nearest town.
Do you hear? Will you do it?"
"Sure-_ly_," said the man, favoring Flower with a long, peculiar glance.
"Well, here"s baby; you must be very careful of her. I"ll give you _three_ shillings after you have taken her and me to the nearest town; and if you are really kind, and walk quickly, and take us to a nice restaurant where I can have a good dinner--for I am awfully hungry--you shall have something to eat yourself as well. Now walk on in front of me, please, and don"t waste any more time, for it would be dreadful if we were discovered."
The man shambled on at once in front of Flower; his strong arms supported little Pearl comfortably, and she slumbered on in an unbroken dream.
The bright sunlight had now faded, the short October day was drawing in, the glory and heat of the morning had long departed, and Flower, whose green cloth dress was very light in texture, felt herself shivering in the sudden cold.
"Are you certain you are going to the nearest town?" she called out to the man.