The Lonely Stronghold by Mrs. Baillie Reynolds
CHAPTER XIV
A FRESH START
When Olwen came into her room that evening to prepare for supper, Suniawas curled up as usual upon the rug before the fire, mending some tinyrent in one of the young lady's garments. The room was now always warmand fragrant, a well-trimmed lamp on a bracket made a soft effulgence oflight, candles were lit on the toilet table, and the carving on theancient furniture shone with polish.
Olwen tried to shut her eyes to all this creature comfort. As shewalked in, she left the door open behind her, and halting in the middleof the room, she pointed to the way out. "You may go, Sunia," said shecoldly.
Sunia looked up. Evidently she was unprepared for this, but almostimmediately she had herself completely in hand. She rose to her knees.
"My Missee not want me this night?"
"No, nor any other night. Go, please."
The woman's eyes dwelt as if in admiration on the determined littleface. "What poor ole ayah done?" she asked.
"You don't need to be told that. You are a spy, and I won't have spiesabout me."
"Who say Sunia spy?"
"Your own sahib. He told me all about it. You come pretending to loveme, and then go and make mischief. I have done with you. Please go."
The Hindu prostrated herself, laying her forehead upon the buckle ofOlwen's shoe.
"Missee forgive her--forgive ole ayah this one time. She not do itagain. Only because she frightened of pretty doctor, he look at Misseewith too kind eyes, and Sunia seen pictures in the stars--pictures thatsay the doctor he come between Missee and my sahib. Ole ayah obliged towarn her sahib--and good thing too, very good thing she done it."
"Why is it a good thing? What are you talking about?"
It was very rarely that the ayah smiled, but the ghost of a smilecrossed her lips as she replied, "My sahib angry, and Missee and himthey have it out together, and now they friends. Good thing that, eh?"
"Then you were listening behind the curtain in the dining-room while wetalked!"
"I was not. I tell you, no! How can I be leesten when I busy unpackall my Missee's things and put 'em away?"
Olwen gave an exclamation of surprise. She was not aware that her heavyluggage had arrived, but now she noticed that all her small possessionshad been unpacked, and arranged with some taste about the room.
"Why, how did you unlock my trunk? Where is it? It could not comeupstairs?"
The ayah laughed low. "All trunks got to stay in kitchen-houseoutside," said she. "Ole ayah find Missee key right enough, and carrythings up in her arms. Missee tell her how she want 'em, eh?"
She rose from the ground, quivering with delight at having turned thesubject, and her eyes were alight with eagerness.
Olwen shrugged her shoulders. "I am much obliged for all the troubleyou have taken, and for putting away my things so carefully; but for allthat, I cannot forget that you are not to be trusted. You make believeto love me, and then act treacherously."
"No, that wrong," said the woman earnestly. "Ole ayah serve Missee andserve sahib too. Missee don't really think ole ayah tell about her toanybody else? Only to the sahib, because all Missee do is right for himto know."
"How absurd!" cried Olwen; but she could catch a glimpse, she thought,of the Hindu's logic. The house of Guyse was what she served. Shedevoted herself to Olwen only because the girl was for a time part ofthe Guyse household. She suspected Balmayne of being anxious toundermine Miss Innes's opinion of her beloved sahib. To protect him,she went eavesdropping.
The girl gave a long sigh as she sank into her usual chair, and felt ina moment the ayah's eager hands busy with the fastenings of her dress.
"Missee trust ole ayah! She can trust her always, except Missee unkindto my sahib."
Olwen passed a hand across her eyes as if to clear away mist. The faceof Madam, as she eagerly urged her not to place confidence in Sunia, waspresent to her fancy. She knew that the past hour had materially alteredher opinion of Ninian. He had succeeded in diminishing, if not indispersing her dislike. She was sorry for him. Yet something deepwithin her kept on uttering a warning....
She was like one upon whom a spell is being cast. It was as thoughSunia had prepared a deep bath and had urged her to plunge therein,assuring her that it was what she needed, that it would do her good andmake her happy. As yet she had barely dipped her foot into the flood,the water was laving but her feet and ankles, but even so, she knew thatit was having some mysterious effect. She foresaw that she would notemerge as she went in. Something within her was changing ... and thefeel of the waters was delicious....
Sunia's brush was slipping through her torrent of hair, hypnotising asit passed. It seemed to thrill as it touched the sentient scalp,engendering a feeling of perfect well-being as though all life were justsensation.
She discerned danger, yet she yielded. When the ayah had completed hercoiffure, she brought a hand-glass that her Missee might study theeffect.
The subdued tints of her complexion were fitly framed in the dusky goldof the hair. The eyes were clear, pale in their dark setting. Was shereally growing prettier, or was it part of Sunia's magic, that sheshould think so?
Rebelliously she struggled against the feeling that she was beautiful.She had always held herself to be one of those lucky beings who can gothrough life quite unobserved, without noticeable beauty or noticeabledefect. The reflection in the little mirror hardly bore out such anidea. The charm it revealed was perhaps subtle, but it was neverthelessapparent.
The thought of having supper alone with Ninian made her self-consciousuntil she took herself to task for a weak-minded fool.
She went in to see Madam on her way down. She found her far morecomfortable, and able to enjoy a cup full of Mrs. Baxter's daintily madegruel. Olwen settled her comfortably for the night before going down.
Ninian was awaiting her, but he greeted her with such a change of manneras reassured her at once. No more half-sneering compliments, no more ofwhat she now supposed to have been _ballons d'essai_, designed to makeher show her hand. His manner was open, and almost pleasant. Was Suniaright after all? Was it a good thing that they should have arrived atan understanding?
They talked about the procuring of the folding lounge for Madam, andNinian explained that there was a station much nearer than Picton Bars,but that it was practically useless to the dwellers in the Pele becausethe only road which approached their eyrie came from a totally differentdirection. They had to drive so far round to Raefell station, upon suchbad roads, that it was easier as a rule for them to go via Caryngston.
Lachanrigg, his farm, whose tenant, John Kay, had married the Baxters'only daughter, was on the way, or not much off the road, to this otherstation. It was quite easy to fetch goods from Raefell to Lachanrigg,but from Lachanrigg to the Pele the only possible route was on foot.
Ninian was quite ready to carry the packed-up lounge from Lachanrigg upthrough the Guyseburn woods, and suggested that he should walk down toLachanrigg next day, drive thence to Raefell, and telephone from thestation to Leeds, ordering the couch to be sent at once.
She was eager in her thanks, and inquired whether he would have to godown the steep hill immediately underneath the windows.
He said yes, that was the only way; and added, "I suppose you would notcare to come too? It's quite a pleasant walk to Lachanrigg and back,and would not keep you out too long."
"I'll go," she said, "if you are kind enough to take me, and if Madamwill spare me. The doctor isn't coming to-morrow."
"You won't find it so dull, walking with me, now that I am beginning totalk the language," said Nin insinuatingly.
She laughed. "You have made strides in education to-day."
"Nothing like a Reformatory after all. Training seems harsh at first,but good results are soon perceptible."
"Sorry I was harsh. I never had a pupil before who required that kindof training."
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"What was my method?"
"Knocked him down, stamped on him, rolled him out quite flat, picked himup, dusted him, put him in the corner----"
"And here he is, sitting up and taking nourishment quite comfortably!In fact, the process has exhausted the teacher far more than the pupil!She hopes another application will never, never be necessary."
"It won't. I've sworn off, taken the pledge, and intend to wear thewhite flower of the Innes Brigade all my life!"
There were a few Christmas roses in a vase upon the table, and in amoment of impulse Olwen took out one and handed it to him.
"I found these in the garden to-day, and thought we might as well havethe sight of them," said she. "The white flower of the Innes Brigade,conferred by the founder herself!"
Nin fastened the big white star in his coat.
Sunia, waiting silently upon them, seemed to notice nothing.
"Didn't you say you would like to look down the well?" asked Nin, asthey strolled out into the hall together.
"Yes, I did, but, please, if it is a bother, don't think of troubling."
"Bother? Of course not. If you like this sort of stuff, there areheaps of things I can show you." He was rolling back one of the rugs ashe spoke. "This is used every morning, we get our drinking water fromit. The water I brought up the hill is all right for householdpurposes, but this is better."
He disclosed a circular hole, fitted with a flat cover. They both kneltdown, while he lifted the lid, and he held a lighted taper over theblack abyss thus revealed.
"At one of the other Peles they have a tame electric light at the end ofa rope," said he, "and they let it down till it hangs just above thewater. You get a fine effect then; I wish we could do it."
For the first time in his company Olwen forgot herself and spoke as to afriend. "Oh, wouldn't it be grand! Fancy having electric light here,all up the corkscrew and in those fascinating little passages!"
He sat back upon his heels, looking at her oddly. "You like this oldplace, then?"
"Like is hardly the right word. It grips me. It is so unlike anythingI ever saw----"
"You never could see anything just like it unique."
"Are you not glad that it is yours?" she went on, carried away by thethought. "Guyses built it, Guyses dwelt in it, and still it stands, andstill a Guyse holds it Don't you wish another bull would jump down theBull-drop and the luck come back to you?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I hardly know. I don't want the humbuggingtitle. There was no Lord Caryngston a hundred and fifty years ago; butthere have been Guyses at Guysewyke since Domesday. My cousin, thepresent Baron, would give his eyes to own this place. He hopes that Ishall be driven to sell it one day."
"Oh, _don't_!" cried Olwen so fervently that he laughed.
"You wouldn't sell, in my place?"
"In your place, I would live on a shilling a week, but I wouldn't sell."
He gave a sigh which was almost a groan. "God knows I think as you do,"he answered, "but it's not so simple as that." He replaced the cover,and rose, with lips close set. "One day perhaps I may tell you aboutit," said he.