"Then," said Mrs. Lambert, rising from the heather on which they had seated themselves, "it will be best to face Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l and Kara in order to learn what all this spying means."
Lambert approved of this suggestion, and the two returned to Mrs.
"Anak"s" abode to watch for the gypsies. But, although they saw two or three, or even more during the next few days, they did not set eyes on the Servian dwarf, or on Gentilla Stanley. Then--since it never rains but it pours--the two came together to the inn. Agnes saw them through the sitting-room window, and walked out boldly to confront them. Noel was absent at the moment, so she had to conduct the examination entirely alone.
"Gentilla, why are you spying on me and my husband?" asked Agnes abruptly.
The respectable woman dropped a curtsey and clutched the shoulder of Kara, who showed a disposition to run away. "I"m no spy, my angel," said the old creature with a cunning glint in her eyes. "It"s this one who keeps watch."
"For what reason?"
"Bless you, my lady--"
"Don"t call me by my t.i.tle. I"ve dropped it."
"Only for a time, my dear. I have read your fortune in the stars, my Gorgio one, and higher you will be with money and rank than ever you have been in past days. But not with the child"s approval."
"The child. What child?"
"Chaldea, no less. She"s raging mad, as the golden rye has made you his romi, my sweet one, and she has set many besides Kara to overlook you."
"So Mr. Lambert and I thought. And Chaldea"s reason?"
"She would make trouble," replied Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l mysteriously. "But Kara does not wish her to love the golden rye--as she still does--since he would have the child to himself." She turned and spoke rapidly in Romany to the small man in the faded green coat.
Kara listened with twinkling eyes, and pulling at his heavy beard with one hand, while he held the neck of his violin with the other. When Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l ceased he poured out a flood of the kalo jib with much gesticulation, and in a voice which boomed like a gong. Of course, Mrs. Lambert did not understand a word of his speech, and looked inquiringly at Gentilla.
"Kara says," translated the woman hurriedly, "that he is your friend, since he is glad you are the golden rye"s romi. Ever since you left Lundra the child has set him and others to spy on you. She makes mischief, does the child in her witchly way."
"Ask him," said Agnes, indicating the dwarf, "if he knows who murdered my late husband?"
Gentilla asked the question and translated the reply. "He knows nothing, but the child knows much. I go back to the wood in Hengishire, my dear, to bring about much that will astonish Chaldea--curses on her evil heart. Tell the rye to meet me at his old cottage in a week. Then the wrong will be made right," ended Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l, speaking quite in the style of Meg Merrilees, and very grandiloquently. "And happiness will be yours. By this and this I bless you, my precious lady," making several mystical signs, she turned away, forcing the reluctant Kara to follow her.
"But, Gentilla?" Agnes hurried in pursuit.
"No! no, my Gorgious. It is not the time. Seven days, and seven hours, and seven minutes will hear the striking of the moment. Sarishan, my deary."
Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l hobbled away with surprising alacrity, and Mrs.
Lambert returned thoughtfully to the inn. Evidently the old woman knew of something which would solve the mystery, else she would scarcely have asked Noel to meet her in Hengishire. And being an enemy to Chaldea, who had deposed her, Agnes was quite sure that Gentilla would work her hardest to thwart the younger gypsy"s plans. It flashed across her mind that Chaldea herself might have murdered Pine. But since his death would have removed the barrier between Lambert and herself, Agnes could not believe that Chaldea was guilty. The affair seemed to become more involved every time it was looked into.
However, Mrs. Lambert related to her husband that same evening all that had taken place, and duly delivered the old gypsy"s message. Noel listened quietly and nodded. He made up his mind to keep the appointment in Abbot"s Wood the moment he received the intelligence. "And you can stay here, Agnes," he said.
"No, no," she pleaded. "I wish to be beside you."
"There may be danger, my dear. Chaldea will not stick at a trifle to revenge herself, you know."
"All the more reason that I should be with you," insisted Agnes.
"Besides, these wretches are plotting against me as much as against you, so it is only fair that I should be on the spot to defend myself."
"You have a husband to defend you now, Agnes. Still, as I know you will be anxious if I leave you in this out-of-the-way place, it will be best for us both to go to London. There is a telephone at Wanbury, and I can communicate with you at once should it be necessary."
"Of course it will be necessary," said Mrs. Lambert with fond impatience. "I shall worry dreadfully to think that you are in danger.
I don"t wish to lose you now that we are together."
"You can depend upon my keeping out of danger, for your sake, dear,"
said the young man, caressing her. "Moreover, Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l will look after me should Chaldea try any of her Romany tricks. Stay in town, darling."
"Oh, dear me, that flat is so dingy, and lonely, and disagreeable."
"You shan"t remain at the flat. There"s a very pleasant hotel near Hyde Park where we can put up."
"It"s so expensive."
"Never mind the expense, just now. When everything is square we can consider economy. But I shall not be easy in my mind until poor Pine"s murderer is in custody."
"I only hope Garvington won"t be found to be an accomplice," said Agnes, with a shiver. "Bad as he is, I can"t help remembering that he is my brother."
"And the head of the Lamberts," added her husband gravely. "You may be sure that I shall try and save the name from disgrace."
"It"s a dismal ending to our honeymoon."
"Let us look upon it as the last hedge of trouble which has to be jumped."
Agnes laughed at this quaint way of putting things, and cheered up. For the next few days they did their best to enjoy to the full the golden hours of love, and peace which remained, and then departed, to the unfeigned regret of Mrs. "Anak." But present pleasure meant future trouble, so the happy pair--and they were happy in spite of the lowering clouds--were forced to leave their temporary paradise in order to baffle their enemies. Miss Greeby, Chaldea, Silver, and perhaps Garvington, were all arrayed against them, so a conflict could not possibly be avoided.
Agnes took up her abode in the private hotel near the Park which Lambert had referred to, and was very comfortable, although she did not enjoy that luxury with which Pine"s care had formerly surrounded her. Having seen that she had all she required, Noel took the train to Wanbury, and thence drove in a hired fly to Garvington, where he put up at the village inn. It was late at night when he arrived, so it might have been expected that few would have noted his coming. This was true, but among the few was Chaldea, who still camped with her tribe in Abbot"s Wood.
Whosoever now owned the property on mortgage, evidently did not desire to send the gypsies packing, and, of course, Garvington, not having the power, could not do so.
Thus it happened that while Lambert was breakfasting next morning, somewhere about ten o"clock, word was brought to him by the landlady that a gypsy wished to see him. The young man at once thought that Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l had called to adjust the situation, and gave orders that she should be admitted. He was startled and ill-pleased when Chaldea made her appearance. She looked as handsome as ever, but her face wore a sullen, vicious look, which augured ill for a peaceful interview.
"So you cheated me after all, rye?" was her greeting, and her eyes sparkled with anger at the sight of the man she had lost.
"Don"t be a fool, girl," said Lambert, purposely rough, for her persistence irritated him. "You know that I never loved you."
"Am I so ugly then?" demanded the girl bitterly.
"That remark is beside the point," said the man coldly. "And I am not going to discuss such things with you. But I should like to know why you set spies on me when I was in Devonshire?"
Chaldea"s eyes sparkled still more, and she taunted him. "Oh, the clever one that you are, to know that I had you watched. Aye, and I did, my rye. From the time you left the cottage you were under the looks of my people."
"Why, may I ask?"
"Because I want revenge," cried Chaldea, stepping forward and striking so hard a blow on the table that the dishes jumped. "You scorned me, and now you shall pay for that scorn."
"Don"t be melodramatic, please. What can you do to harm me, I should like to know, you silly creature?"
"I can prove that you murdered my brother Hearne."
"Oh, can you, and in what way?"