A College Girl by Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE.
One of the privileges gained by the alliance between aunt and niece wasthat the former veto against bicycle riding was withdrawn, and thatDarsie was set free each afternoon for an hour's enjoyment of thisfavourite exercise.
In deference to Lady Hayes's nervousness and sense of responsibility thehigh-road was avoided as much as possible, and detours taken throughquiet lanes, where traffic was reduced to a minimum; and it was alongone of these lanes that Darsie rode joyously some five or six days afterher visit to the Percivals, bearing in her pocket a return invitation toher new friends. She had been longing to meet them again, had keenlyregretted a domestic upset which had delayed the invitation until now,but all the same the last days had passed wonderfully quickly andhappily. Afire with resolution to "begin again" and show herself in thelight of a cheerful and cheering companion, she had neglected noopportunity to make herself agreeable to her hostess, while Aunt Mariain return had been sweetly considerate, and on occasions quite startlingin her divination of hidden wishes and desires. The eyes behind thegold-rimmed spectacles would rest upon the girl's face with an intentscrutiny which seemed to have the power to draw free confidences, tillto her own surprise Darsie found herself discussing fluently the all-important subject of her own future, and setting forth her hopes andfears in relation to a scholarship for Newnham. On this, as on almostevery topic which came up for discussion, the old woman and the girlheld almost diametrically opposite opinions, but so far Darsie hadcontrived to subdue her impatience, and to listen with some appearanceof humility to Lady Hayes's somewhat sententious criticism.
"But I wonder if it can last!" she was asking herself doubtfully thisafternoon, as she pedalled through the sweet-smelling lanes. "I wonderif I can possibly go on being so unnaturally good without falling illfrom the strain! How I hope the Percival girls will be at home! If Ican let off steam for an hour, and make as much noise as I like, it willbe no end of a relief, and help me to last out without a relapse. I'dhate to have a relapse and spoil it all, just when I'm trying so hard;and she's really a dear, _quite_ an old dear! I love to please her.Whenever I begin to feel scratchy I must make an excuse and get over tothe Percivals for an hour to be soothed down. I do _hope_ they are into-day!"
But alas! the butler announced "Not at home," in reply to Darsie'sinquiry, then, seeing the blank disappointment on the young face, headded graciously: "The young ladies are out for a ride. They willprobably be home about four o'clock. Will you not step in and wait?"
Darsie brightened instantly. Four o'clock, and she had promised to beback by five. Yes, she could enjoy half an hour's talk, and still leaveample time for the ride home, but as it was now barely three o'clock shedid not feel tempted by the prospect of sitting cooped in the house forso long a time.
"Thank you," she said briskly. "I should like to wait, but I think I'llstay in the garden. Perhaps you would be kind enough to tell them whenthey return."
The man bowed and withdrew, and Darsie strolled away in the direction ofthe rose pergola, the beauty of which had attracted her so greatly onher first visit. She wandered up and down the archways, sniffed at thefragrance of the late blooms which still remained, indulged in a littleof the sentimental poetising which seems to flow so readily when one is"alone among the roses," began to grow bored, wandered aimlessly ahead,grew very bored indeed, and, consulting her watch, was dismayed to findthat only fifteen minutes had passed away. Fifteen! and there stillremained forty-five before her companions were likely to arrive! Whatcould she find to do to while away a whole forty-five minutes? As amatter of prudence Darsie put the suggestion of the fruit gardenresolutely aside. It would not be _safe_ to put herself in proximitywith those tempting strawberries, since on a second visit to a house onewas, unfortunately, not on sufficiently intimate terms to take withoutbeing asked.
She was contemplating getting on her bicycle and taking a short rideround the lanes, when the brilliant alternative of the river darted intoher mind. Of course, the river! Nothing could be more delightful. Sheset off at a trot, taking in her inexperience many wrong turnings, butarriving at last at the river, or rather the peaceful backwater of theriver which bordered the Percival grounds. To Darsie's mind the spotwas the most picturesque on the whole estate, and a good many peoplecould be found ready to agree with her in the conclusion; for thebackwater though narrow was bordered by banks rich in reeds andbulrushes, while a hundred yards or so below the miniature jetty a pairof ancient wooden gates spanned the stream, through whose decaying beamscould be seen fascinating peeps of a baby waterfall, and a great moss-covered wheel which proclaimed the former use of the old grey buildingof which it was a part. In olden times this quiet backwater had been abusy centre of industry, but the modern inventions of machinery had leftit hopelessly in the rear. The mill-owner had been ruined long ago, andthe mill-house, with its great panelled rooms, was given up to theoccupancy of the rats, while the disused wheel was green with moss, andthe wooden gateway threatened every day to fall free of its hinges.
The young Percivals could not remember the day when the mill had beenworking, but from a personal point of view they deeply regretted itscessation, for, deprived of the healthy action of the wheel, the littlebackwater was becoming every year more choked with weeds, until at somepoints it was difficult to navigate the punt.
At long intervals strange men came to investigate the mill and itsmachinery, and the Percivals were cheered by rumours of a certain "let,"but as one rumour after another died away without bringing any tangibleresult their hopes had reached a vanishing point, and they paid littleattention to the occasional stirring into life of the dreamy backwater.
Darsie walked to the end of the jetty, stepped lightly into the punt,and sank down on the soft red cushions. One might not eat one'sneighbour's fruit, but one might sit in his punt, and arrange hiscushions to fit comfily into the crick in one's back, without infringingthe laws of hospitality. Darsie poked and wriggled, and finally lay atease, deliciously comfortable, blinking up at the sunshine overhead, andcongratulating herself on having hit on the spot of all others in whichto spend the time of waiting. She could lie here for hours withoutfeeling bored; it was the most deliciously lazy, drowsy sensation shehad ever experienced. At the end of five minutes, however, the drowsyfeeling threatened to become altogether too pronounced, and having nowish either to be discovered fast asleep, or to sleep on undiscoveredtill past the hour for her return. Darsie sat up hurriedly and began tolook around for fresh distractions.
At the very first glimpse the usual temptation for idle hands stared herin the face, for there on the jetty lay, not only the long punt-pole,but also the dainty little paddle which she had handled under Ralph'sinstructions the week before. It had been quite easy, ridiculouslyeasy; the girls declared that she took to it as to the manner born; shehad paddled the whole boatload for quite a considerable distance.Naturally it would be much easier and lighter to paddle for oneselfalone. The chain holding the punt to the jetty could easily be slippedfrom its ring; there was not, _could_ not be, any danger in paddlingpeacefully along a quiet little backwater. Of course, prudent peoplewould say--Aunt Maria would say-- But then if you waited until all theprudent people on earth approved of all that you did, you might sit withyour hands crossed in your lap for the rest of your life!
Darsie tossed her head with the defiant little jerk which meant that shewas _going_ to do it, and she didn't care, and the consequences couldlook after themselves. In another moment the punt was free from thechain, and was being paddled slowly down the stream. Really, she toldherself, the solid old craft was as safe as a house; so big, so heavilybuilt was it that it seemed curious, not that its progress should beslow but that it should move at all in response to the efforts of oneinexperienced girl! Glancing over, Darsie could see the weeds risingfrom the bed of the stream, sometimes so high that they caught in thepaddle as it worked and greatly impeded its force; still she wasst
Well, it was good to lie back against the cushions and rest one's wearyarms and back! Darsie peeped at her watch, saw with relief that she hadstill a good quarter of an hour to spare, and abandoned herself to alazy enjoyment of the situation.
And then the inevitable happened, for the soothing influence of theshaded light lulled the tired senses into deeper and deeperunconsciousness, until at last the fringed eyelids ceased to flicker,and remained peacefully closed, and, like a happy, tired child, Darsierested her cheek on her hand and slept.
Subsequent comparisons proved that her doze might have lasted for halfan hour or more, before a sudden movement of the punt roused her with astart. She sat up, blinked sleepily around, and discovered to hersurprise that the punt had moved from its anchorage and drifted into thecentre of the stream. It had appeared so safely moored against the treethat she was puzzled to understand how this had come about, but as themovement had roused her from sleep she was glad that it had occurred,and, seating herself steadily, lifted her paddle to work her way back tothe jetty.
As she settled herself, however, Darsie's attention was arrested by themanner in which the banks seemed to be slipping past; she turned herhead over her shoulder, and discovered that in the minute which hadelapsed since she had awakened from sleep the willow-tree had been leftseveral yards behind. Some mysterious change seemed to have passed overthe surface of the still, almost stagnant, waters; they were flowing aswith a tide, the rippling movement stirring the weedy banks. Darsieused her paddle automatically, but its puny force seemed superfluous,for the punt was moving of itself, quickly and still more quickly,swinging broadside to the stream in defiance of her efforts to keep itstraight. Darsie ceased to struggle and leaned forward on the paddle toconsider the situation. Then, for the first time, she became aware thatthe former stillness of the stream was replaced by a harsh, continuousnoise, which seemed momentarily to increase in volume. What could itbe? She stared around with puzzled eyes, but there was no hint of alarmin her bewilderment. A child of the city, she was inured to sudden andinexplicable noises; it was only when the punt swung heavily round abend that she realised the seriousness of her position. The mill wasworking! One of the infrequent experimental trials of which she hadheard was even now in process, the great moss-covered wheel wasrevolving creakily on its axle, waking the sleeping river into life, andthe heavy punt was bearing down, more and more rapidly towards the crazywooden gates!
In a second all that she had heard on this subject from the Percivalfamily flashed through Darsie's brain. The gates were frail, so eatenby long action of water, that at the impact of a heavy mass they wouldalmost certainly burst apart, and then--what would happen to the puntand to its hapless occupant? Would she be hurled against a brokenboulder, wedged helplessly beneath the debris, or rushed forward intothe swirl of the millpond itself? Whatever happened it seemed certainthat danger--and serious danger--loomed close at hand, unless she couldsucceed in overmastering the current and landing the punt safely at thelittle jetty. At this moment it was not fear but rather an exhilaratingtingling of excitement of which Darsie was most aware. Here was anadventure--a full-fledged adventure, such as came but seldom to breakthe monotony of life!
For the sake of her future credit she must bear herself bravely, beswift, resourceful, energetic. With all her strength she plied thepaddle to and fro, but for all the effect produced she might as wellhave sat still upon her cushions. It would have required an experiencedhand to guide the heavy punt through the sweeping current, and underDarsie's unpractised strokes it twisted, and turned, and revolved inaimless and disconcerting circles... No matter! she was determined towin; by hook or by crook she must make the left side of the stream andgain an anchorage. The jetty or the millpond--that was the alternative,and it was one to put power into the arm and give staying power to thelaboured breath! The moments were flying now, the banks seemed to beflitting past more quickly than ever. Darsie tried to convert thepaddle into an oar, with which to steer more vigorously for the desiredbank; then came a breathless second of suspense, followed by a sickeningrealisation of failure. The punt had swept past the jetty at a distancejust wide enough to make it impossible to grasp the chain, and was nowbearing straight for the wooden gates!