""And did you not?" cried the eager old woman, breathless with curiosity.
""I took the bribe. But the child died a natural death, and I was saved the commission of a frightful crime, which you and your master were constantly writing to me, to urge me to commit. Now, listen, mother."
"What she said was in tones so low, that, though I strained every nerve to listen, as I should have done, had it been a ghost story, or any tale of horror, the beating of my own heart frustrated all my endeavours.
"Rachel"s communication appeared to astonish her mother. Her dark, wrinkled brows contracted until not a particle of the eyes were visible, and she sat for a long while in deep thought, rocking herself to and fro on the bed, whilst the dying woman regarded her with expanded eyes and raised hands, locked tightly together. At last she spoke.
""Dinah! make no ill use of my confidence, or there will come a day of vengeance for both you and me. What shall we gain by being tools in the hands of a wicked man like Robert Moncton. Why should we sell our souls for naught, to do his dirty work."
""Not to serve him will I do aught to injure the child. No, no. Dinah North is not such a fool. If I do it to gratify my own revenge, that"s another thing. I have this bad, bold Robert in my power. This secret will be a fortune in itself--will extort from his mean, avaricious soul, a portion of his ill-gotten wealth. Ha, my child! you did well and wisely, and may die in peace, without the stain of blood upon your soul."
"Rachel shook her head despondingly.
""There is no peace, saith my G.o.d, for the wicked. My soul consented to the crime, and whilst the thought was uppermost in my heart, the bolt of the Almighty smote me, and my resolution wavered; but, the guilt, at this moment, appears to me the same. It is a dreadful thing to die without hope. Where is Alice?"
""Sleeping. Shall I bring her to you?"
""Let her sleep. I feel sleepy, too. Smooth my pillow, mother. Give me a little water. I feel easy now. Perhaps, I shall awake in the morning better."
"The pillows were arranged--the draught given; but the sleeper never awoke again.
"Her mysterious communications, which only came by halves to my ears, filled my mind with vague conjectures, and I cannot help thinking, to this hour, that the young heir of Moncton came to an untimely death, and she blamed herself so bitterly for not having me supply his place.
"Stern as my mother had been during her life, her death was a severe blow to us all, especially to Alice and me; as it removed from our humble home an object most dear to us both, the little lady of the manor, to whom we had ever given the endearing name of sister.
"After Margaret left us, how dull did all our pastimes appear. Alice and I wandered sadly and silently among our old haunts; the song of the birds cheered us no longer; the flowers seemed less fair; the murmur of the willow-crowned brook less musical; the presiding genius of the place had vanished; we felt that we were alone.
"I had now reached my fourteenth year, and Sir Alexander, true to the promise made to his wife, sent me to an excellent school in the city of York. Here I made such good use of my time, that before three years had elapsed I was second boy in the head cla.s.s, and had won the respect of the master and ushers. My munificent patron was greatly pleased with the progress I had made, and hinted at sending me to college, if I continued to deserve his good opinion.
"Ah, Geoffrey! those were halcyon days, when I returned to spend the vacations at the Lodge, and found myself ever a welcome visitor at the Hall. With a proud heart I recounted to Sir Alexander, all my boyish triumphs at school, and the good baronet listened to my enthusiastic details with the most intense interest, and fought all his juvenile battles over again, with boyish ardour, to the infinite delight of our admiring audience, Margaret and Alice. The latter spent most of her time with Miss Moncton, who was so much attached to her foster-sister, and shed so many tears at parting from her, that Sir Alexander yielded to her earnest request for Alice to remain with her, and the young heiress and the huntsman"s blooming daughter were seldom apart. Miss Moncton"s governess, an amiable and highly accomplished woman, took as much pains in teaching Alice as she did in superintending the education of her high-born pupil. The beautiful girl acquired her tasks so rapidly, and with such an intense desire for improvement, that Sir Alexander declared, that she beat his Madge hollow.
"Dinah North exulted in the growing charms of her grand-daughter. If the old woman regarded anything on earth with affection, it was the tall, fair girl so unlike herself. And Alice, too--I have often wondered how it were possible--Alice loved with the most ardent affection, that forbidding-looking, odious creature.
"To me, since the death of my mother, she had been civil but reserved--never addressing me without occasion required--and I neither sought nor cared for her regard.
"It was on the return of one of those holidays, when I returned home full of eager antic.i.p.ations of happiness, of joyous days spent at the Park in company with Margaret and Alice, that I first beheld that artful villain, Robert Moncton.
"It was a lovely July evening. The York coach set me down at the Park gates, and I entered the pretty cottage with my scanty luggage on my back, and found the lawyer engaged in earnest conversation with my grandmother.
"Struck with the appearance of the man, which at first sight is very remarkable, I paused for some minutes on the threshold, un.o.bserved by the parties. Like you, Geoffrey, I shall never forget the impression his countenance made upon me. The features so handsome, the colouring so fine, the person that of a finished gentleman; and yet, all this pleasing combination of form and face marred by that cold, cruel, merciless eye. Its expression so dead, so joyless, sent a chill through my whole frame, and I shrank from encountering its icy gaze, and was about quietly to retire by a back door, when my attention was arrested by the following brief conversation.
""I should like to see the lad."
""We expect him home from school by the coach to-night."
""What age is he?"
""Just sixteen."
""What does Sir Alexander mean to do for him?"
""Send him to college, I believe. He is very fond of him."
""Humph!--and then to London to make a lawyer of him. Leave him to me, Dinah, I will make a solicitor of him in earnest. I have taught many a bold heart and reckless hand to solicit the charity of others."
""Devil doubt you!" rejoined the fiend with a hollow, cackling laugh.
"But you may find the boy one too many for you, with all your cunning.
He"ll not start at shadows, nor stumble over straws. I have tamed many a proud spirit in my day, but this boy defies my power. I fear and hate him, but I cannot crush him. But hush!--here he is."
"I bustled forward and flung my portmanteau heavily to the ground. "How are you, grandmother? How"s Alice? All well, I hope?"
""Do you see the gentleman, Philip?"
""Gentleman! I beg his pardon. A fine evening, sir; but very hot and dusty travelling by the coach. I have not tasted anything since breakfast, grandmother; and I am tired and hungry."
""Yours is the hungry age," said the lawyer, staring me full in the face, as if he was taking a proof impression for legal purposes. His cold, searching look brought the blood to my cheeks, and I returned the impertinent scrutiny with a glance of defiance.
"He rose; nodded meaningly to Dinah, bowed slightly to me, and left the cottage.
"The next minute Alice was in my arms.
""Brother! dear, darling brother! welcome, welcome a thousand times."
"Oh, what a contrast to the dark, joyless countenance of Dinah North, was the cherub face of Alice--laughing in the irresistible glee of her young heart. I forgot my long, tiresome journey, dust, heat, and hunger, as I pulled her on my knee, and covered her rosy cheeks with kisses.
""What news since I left, Alice?"
""Sad news, Philip. Dear Madge is in London on a visit to her aunt; and there is a dull, cross boy staying at the Hall, with a very hard name--Theophilus Moncton--Margaret"s cousin. But he is nothing like her, though he calls her his little wife. But Madge says that she will never have him, though his father is very rich."
""I am sure _you will_ hate him, Philip, for he calls us beggar"s brats, and wonders that Sir Alexander suffers his daughter to play with us. I told him that he was very rude; and that he had better not affront you, for you would soon teach him better manners. But he only sneered at me, and said, "My father"s a _gentleman_. He never suffers me to a.s.sociate with people _beneath_ us. Your brother had better keep out of my way, or I will order my groom to horsewhip him." I felt very angry and began to cry, and Sir Alexander came in and reproved the boy, and told me I had better return to grandmamma until Mr. Moncton and his son had left the Hall."
"While little Alice, ran on thus to me, I felt stung to the quick; and all the pride of my nature warring within. For the first time in my life, I became painfully conscious of the difference of rank which existed between me and my benefactor; I was restless and unhappy, and determined not to go near the Hall, until Sir Alexander bade me do so himself.
"But days pa.s.sed, and I saw nothing of the good Baronet, and Alice and I were obliged to content ourselves by roaming through all the old beloved haunts, and talking of Margaret. We were returning one evening through the fine avenue of oaks, which led to the front entrance of the demesne, when a pony rushed past us at full gallop. A boyish impulse, tempted me to give a loud halloo, in order to set the beautiful animal off at its wildest speed. In a few minutes we met a lad of my own age, booted and spurred, with a whip in his hand, running in the same direction the pony had taken. He was in a towering pa.s.sion, and coming up to us, he cried out, with a menacing air--
""You impudent rascal! how dared you to shout in that way, to frighten my horse, when you saw me endeavouring to catch him?"
""I saw no such thing," I replied, drily. "I admired the pony, and shouted to see how much faster he could run."
""You deserve a good thrashing," quoth he. "Go and catch the horse for me, or I will complain to Sir Alexander of your conduct."
""Sir Alexander is not my master, neither are you. I shall do no such thing."
""Do it instantly!" stamping with his foot.
""Do it yourself. You look quite as fit for a groom as I do."
"I tried to pa.s.s him, but he stepped into the centre of the path, and hindered me. To avoid a collision was now impossible.