Coward Conscience

Book II

— LIKE FATE ! (COSIISOKD.) CHATTER TAGE X. Violet Hilderbrandt .... 3 XI. The End of the Soiree . . . .13 XU. Coming Events . . . . .31 XIII. Recommending a Friend ... 46 XIV. Tom's Letter 63 XV. After Dinner 72 XVI. The Message 89 XVII. Larry . . . ... . .99 XVIII. PiECONCILIATION 113 XIX. The Night Alarm 124 XX. Mr. Oliver's Losses .... 134 XXI. Two Fathers ...... 149 XXH. Information 163 XXIH. In the Library 169 XXIV. Confession ...... 180 XXV. Waiting . . .... VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE XXVI. The First Meeting .... 200 XXVII. Violet and Ursula . . . .212 XXVIII. Father and Daughter .... 220 XXIX. The New Friend 234

Book III

— MISERERE. I. The New Home 251 II. Sir John is Nervous .... 267 III. The Runaways ■ 276 IV. A Little Strange

BOOK II.

(CONTLNUKD.) LIKE FATE ! VOL. II B

CHAPTER X. VIOLET HILDERBRANDT.

IT ISS HILDERBRANDT rose as Tom Dag -"-*■ nell approached her, and then, as if weak and ill, sank back into her seat. It was a beautiful face into which he gazed, but the brightness of it was not that of the early morning when they had crossed together from Honfleur to Littlehampton. There was hope upon it then, despite the uncertainty of the future ; now, one might have thought that the expression, however spirituelle, was of utter despair. b2 Tom held his hand towards her, and she put hers within it readily. It was a greeting as of old friends ; observers— had there been any — might have thought so to have seen this meeting. He was glad to discover her, and she re joiced in her heart that he had come so far to be of service. He sat down by her side, and said — " At last we meet.'*' "Yes, at last," she murmured.

" You were in danger, and you came here after receiving my message I " he in quired. " Yes. A lady to whom I have given a few music lessons was invited to this party to-night. I asked her to allow me to accompany her. I had a hope," she added, •'you would call herein the first instance, to receive my thanks for all your kindness — all your interest in me. You, a stranger, too !" "Don't say a stranger, please," said Tom, quickly, " I cannot regard you as a stranger. I am interested in your life, aud in the danger by which you are threatened." "Ah! yes," she said, with a little shudder. *" I was in sore need of a friend, Heaven knows, and I could only think of you." " What has been your trouble ." said Tom. *' Tell me in what way I can be of service." " Yes, — one moment."' She stopped to consider, or to frame into words some explanation of which she was afraid.

The white gloved hands clasped themselves together, and the head drooped strangely — it was a fair picture in that cool retreat from the heat and bustle of the ball-room, and the subdued light from the Chinese lanterns above them seemed to be in harmony with the scene, and with the nature of their thoughts. She did not speak for several moments, and Tom Dagnell was content to wait. He was no longer impatient ; she was discovered ; the secret was at an end; the knight-errant had arrived to the rescue of the fair afflicted, and all was well now. It was pleasant to sit and watch the varying play of emotion on her features — it was the old times again, he thought. The old times ! Only a few weeks had intervened since their last, their first meeting — and yet they were like old times, to look back at the voyage by the Honfleur steamer, and to remember what thoughts were in the minds of each of them then.

He had lived an age since ; he had made peace with his father, stepped from poverty to wealth, been welcomed home, found a mother and brother ready to receive him, and Cousin Ursula prepared to take him for her husband. And Violet Hilderbrandt, what had been her history . he wondered. She spoke at last, and in answer to his question. " You ask me in what way you can be of service to me, Mr. Dagnell," she said. " I will tell you frankly, if you will not press me too much with questions iu return." Tom inclined his head as if in half assent. Here were the " unknown " and the " mysterious"' rising up again — was he never to be free from them ? She took a long deep breath, and then said iu a low tone — " I am being pursued, and I must keep in hiding !" " This is free England, Miss Hilderbrandt," Tom replied, " and there is no power in anyone to put a restraint upon your action."

" Ah ! pardon me," she said, with a sigh, "but there is. That is the one awful thought by which I am haunted — from which I cannot escape." •* Then " I can hardly be explicit now. I may never have the courage to tell you all," said Miss Hilderbrandt, more hurriedly and with more excitement, "but you may guess how hard I was beset, to think of you.'" It was scarcely complimentary, but her listener said, aud with a half-bow again, " Yes, I can guess that. For you told me you would not write under any circum stances." **I could not foresee these," she answered, sadly and apologetically. " 1 was being hemmed in — this place was new and foreign to me — and I felt that a strong brave hand, a shrewd clear head, could only help me at such a pass as mine. Ab ! sh* — all very selfish of me. COWARD CONSCIENCE. and inconsiderate for you, but I knew not what to do."

" I am only too glad to be here," said Tom, " tell me in what way — or in any way — I can be of assistance." "I have suffered much in sending for you. I feel a strange hypocrite of a woman sitting in your friend's house, and affecting to be calm and at my ease when I am half mad with sus pense and horror. At any moment," she con tinued, her hand trembling as for an instant it was laid nervously upon his arm, " they may come in there — through that door and take me away !" She shivered, and the fair young face seemed cut in marble for a while. •• Courage, Miss Hilderbrandt — you alarm yourself unnecessarily, I am sure," said Tom. He was perplexed ; the warning of the man whom he had met upon the sands at Little hampton, who had tracked them to Birmingham, vibrated in his ears again. " She is mad!

She is in no way accountable for her actions — she is the victim of illusions ivhich are gaining strength with wery day !" Was this — could this be the possible solution to it all? He did not think so for more than an instant — looking into her thought ful face was looking into a fair page of woman's history. " When I parted with you at Littlehampton," she continued, in the same low voice, "I did not have these fears. I had left home because " she paused, and then went on again — *"* because home was unhappy, and I Avas best away from it. ' Here is the end of it/ I thought, ' I will begin my life afresh in England, and forget all but the mother.' My fears were only of the world before me, — this world — and I thought they would not be sorry I had gone away, after they had had time to think of it.

I believed," she added, very thoughtfully, "that they would have left me to myself from that day — caring but little for me." "" And who are ' they ' ." asked the listener. "My father and his friends, or the people whom he calls his friends," she replied. Tom did not tell her at once that he had met her father ; he preferred to listen quietly, COWARD CONSCIENCE. and to follow, if possible, the clue to her young life. '• They can do you no harm," Tom repeated. "You are your own mistress in England. It would require a strong motive for any inter ference with you 1" " It is a strong motive," she answered. ■• You will not trust me with your story, " said Tom, regretfully, " you will not tell me what this motive is ." " No, impossible !" she cried. " Not even that portion of it which bears upon the reason for your message to me?" he answered, paying no heed to her excitement.

" I am to fight for you in the dark ?" " Yes, yes," she answered, " though you might be a better friend and of more help to me, if I could trust you." Tom's face darkened quickly, and her keen womanly instinct saw that she had pained him. " You forget there is no reason why I should wholly trust you, Mr. Dagnell," she said, gently. " I have seen you but once in my life. On that occasion you were interested in me, and proffered me your help. Well, sir, if you will help me now to get from Birmingham — get away anywhere — so that I may not be traced again. I will thank you very much. I will be grateful for your kindness, I will remember you for ever as the one true friend I have had. But don't ask me for my history. It will only pain and shock you." " No." " It will set you against me." " On my honour — no !"

" I could not explain everything. I should not expect you to put faith in me," she con tinued. " It is not the same story even which I could have related to you last March. It has become lurid and threatening. I feared danger then so slightly that I never thought to change my name in coming here, or that there was need for a disguise in leaving them for good. But I was mistaken, God knows ! I was very much mistaken."' " Well, well, I will not implore you for your confidence, Miss Hilderbrandt," said Tom, " and I will wait patiently for your confidence. I am only a stranger at present, and you are right to be on guard against me. But at least," he added, " I will trust you — with all my heart." '• Thank you," she murmured, with tears suddenly swimming* in her dark eyes, " I will not be ungrateful.

And/' she added, after another minute's reflection, " there will be less mystery between us soon."' " I am glad of that. For you may remember that I hate mystery," Tom confessed. " I have been fighting against it for the last five weeks."' " With every day I shall be gathering strength to tell you something of my life, and you will be learning to know me as I am, and not with this poor glamour round about me." With every day ! She spoke as if she were to be the companion of him for all time now, as if from that hour dated a new and closer inti macy between them. What could he think of that ? and what would Ursula Dagnell think of it presently ?

CHAPTER XI. THE END OF THE SOIREE.

Tl/TANY men as unsuspicious as Tom Dagnell, -L'-*- as ready as he to take upon trust the first confession of a pretty woman, would have hesitated as to the expediency of the next step, and resented, if not by speech, at least by action, the want of confidence which had been dis played on her side. But our hero was a man who trusted with his whole heart; he had told her that he would do so only a few minutes since, and it was not in his nature — he thought, scarcely in human nature — to doubt the earnest ness of this fair girl's intentions. She was in trouble — in danger, but she shrank from stating at present what the danger was. He could save her from it without humi liating her by a revelation ; she had wished for his consideration, his mercy in this matter, and he had agreed to it. The compact was signed and sealed between them.

It was necessary now to act, and that speedily. The morning on the Littlehampton sands recurred to him, and the time seemed to have come with it, now that she was more composed, to relate his own story. " I saw your father this morning," he re marked. The colour left her face again, and she turned with a new eagerness to listen. "My father ; did he say he was my father?" she inquired. "Yes." " It would not follow that that should be the truth," she said, very thoughtfully. " Will you describe him, please?" Tom did so, to the best of his ability. " Yes, it is he,"' she answered ; '• he is in England, then, with the rest ?" " Pardon me — with She hastened to interrupt him. " Now tell me what he said to you. All that he said to you. Remember, you must have no secrets from me !" " That is hardly fair," said Tom, half re proachfully, " but here are the facts of the case.

They will show you what is going on — they will put you on your guard." " Yes, I hope so," she replied. Tom Dagnell quickly detailed the adventures of the day, commencing from the advent upon the scene of Mr. Hilderbrandt, and concluding with his own journey to Birmingham, and the difficulties he had had to elude the vigilance of those by whom he was watched. Violet Hilder brandt listened attentively. When he had finished, she said, " You did not wait for my telegram before beginning to act in my cause. You thought there was danger when you telegraphed to your brother?" "Yes." '• It was kind to think of me, " she murmured; "I am grateful to you, Mr. Dagnell." "Don't say a word more," entreated Tom. " I was anxious to act in your defence in some way. " Thank you. And now," — she paused again, and looked steadily at him — " did you believe I was mad, the victim of a delusion, in going away from home ?"

" I did not believe a word your father said," answered Tom, very frankly ; " it struck me at once that he was an awful liar, and — never mind — forgive me, please, he is your father, after all." ■'Yes," she replied, sorrowfully, "he is T Strange that we both have had to look for troubles from our fathers. When I can think less selfishly, breathe more freely, you must tell me something of your present life." "It is common-place enough," was Tom's reply. " The prodigal has returned ; the fatted calf has been killed — and there is peace at Broadlands." "And happiness?" she asked, as if led on to consider his affairs, despite herself. " Yes — just as you prophesied there would be." She shrugged her shoulders in the foreign fashion which he had noticed once before in her, and said, " I am the worst of prophets — but I am glad that I was right for once.

And now — " dart ing at a tangent from the topic to which she had been led — " how can I get away from here ? — in what way can I elude the spies who are coming thick and fast upon me?" " You must not return to Bath-row." " It will not be safe," she answered. " My mother urged me to get away at once." " You are in communication with your mother ?" " Yes, when it is possible." " Is she aware your father is spreading abroad a report of your insanity ?" asked Tom. " He is not doing so," answered Violet Hilder brandt. " No one has ever said or thought of that. It was the impulse of the moment on his part to deceive you — to interest you in the ' father/ and throw you off your guard." VOL. II. C "Mr Hilderbrandt is a tolerably artful cus tomer," said Tom, reflectively. " He is an actor — a few years ago he might have been a great actor."

" Has he been a clerk in a London firm ?" " I do not know. It is likely. He has been everything," she replied. "Has he " You must not cross-question me," she said, with a faint smile, ''remember you must wait my time to tell you all. Here is Miss Oliver." The lady in the pink silk and white lace was before them, and Marcus Dagnell was seen also approaching leisurely from the ball-room. "My dear Miss Hilderbrandt, I have been looking for you everywhere," the lady said, and Tom thought this was scarcely a correct statement, " and you will forgive my intrusion on your tetfi-a-tite ; but, if you will kindly play once more, only once more before we separate, we should be so very much obliged ! Papa and mamma beg that you will favour us — pray do!" " The hour is very late, — Miss Hilderbrandt is fatigued," said Tom, answering for her.

" I know it is very selfish of us," said Miss Oliver, still urgently. " That it is not in rule, at a dance, — that we are all very rude and en croaching with our provincial manners ; but then Miss Hilderbrandt is a genius whom we are not fortunate enough to secure every da}*. You will favour us — I know you will," she ex claimed, clapping her gloved hands together. " Yes, I will play if you wish,"' said Miss Hilderbrandt, rising. " Oh ! how kind of you," cried Fanny Oliver, wreathing one arm round the waist of Miss Hilderbrandt. " How good of you, to be sure! Mr. Dagnell," shaking her head archly at our hero, " you will never forgive my intrusion, but they were all dying to hear Miss Hilderbrandt >» again. " I would sooner they had died than worried her like this, Marcus," said Tom roughly, as the ladies passed from the conservatory.

" Cannot Miss Oliver, cannot any of you, see that Miss Hilderbrandt is unwell ? Why should she play to amuse these people?" C2 "She is really a great pianiste, Tom," said Marcus. "Slitherwick tells me that he has heard her abroad, dozens of times, I think he said ; but I wasn't listening attentively. I can't listen to Slitherwick very attentively, somehow. He is an awful bore." " Y7es, he looks like it," answered Tom, absently. Meanwhile Miss Hilderbrandt had been led to the grand piano, and the guests, still dis inclined to go home, thronged round her immediately. •' It's so very kind of you," said Fanny Oliver. " I don't know how we shall ever thank you enough — I don't, indeed ! And perhaps you hate me already?" All this in an undertone whilst searching for some music in a portfolio. Miss Hilderbrandt glanced at Miss Oliver, inquiringly.

" Hate you ! — why ?" she asked. " I took you from him, you know — and he will never forgive me. I saw revenge on his countenance," said Fanny. " Oh ! he has been so dreadfully cross." Miss Hilderbrandt looked at the music which had been tendered her, and did not answer. There was no response needed, and it was not in her power to give one, had it been requisite. It was strange, she thought, that Thomas Dagnell should be set down so quickly as her lover — she who had had no time for love in all her busy life — she who had only guessed at what love might be ! She was vexed to think this light, chattering young lady at her side should have quickly taken for a fact that which had 110 existence save in her own frivolous brain; but there was no time to deny, or assert, or de fend herself. In the house of the dish-cover merchant there was a part to assume, and she must go on with it at any cost to her feelings.

She touched lightly the keys of the piano, and drifted into melody — strange and complicated and full of wild sweet sounds which held one spell-bound at the witchery of the music, and the consummate skill of the player. Yes, this was no amateur, thought Tom, rather a genius, leagues away from the honour able body of respectable incapacity. Here was one who loved music, and made it part, and the greater part, of her existence ; who lived for it, and by it, and had already become celebrated by its practice. Tom possessed but little musi cal knowledge, but he was spell-bound with the rest of the guests. He could see the mem bers of the little orchestra whom Mr. Oliver had engaged for his ball poised on tiptoe, and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the fingering ; the guests stood in one silent com pact crowd of listeners — there was more than one visitor transfixed and open-mouthed ; it reminded Tom of the old legends of the power of sound, from which story-books and operas have had more than one theme.

At the con clusion, there was a rapturous burst of ap plause, as though a theatre or opera-house had been the scene of Miss Hilderbrandt's perform ance ; but it was a genuine and unaffected compliment to the player, if hardly in the best taste. The pianiste was, however, insensible to her success, the trial had been too great, the day's excitement and suspense too acute ; and she had hardly risen, pale and trembling, from the instrument, when she closed her eyes and fell back into the arms of Miss Oliver. There was confusion in the ball-room, and Miss Oliver, always at high pressure, began to scream. " She's dead, I'm sure she's dead. Oh ! Mr. Slitherwick, pray assist me !" Mr. Slitherwick rushed forward to take Miss Hilderbrandt from Miss Oliver's embrace, when he was unceremoniously thrust aside by Tom Dagnell, a gentleman also on the qui vive, and generally a trifle impulsive.

" Stand back, please, don't press round her !" he demanded, sternly ; " you should have had more consideration for this lady, all of you, than to have asked her to play. You could see how ill she was — open the windows, Marcus, or smash them open, will you ?" " No, no, don't smash anything," shouted Mr. Oliver, in alarm. " God bless my soul, what an extraordinary young man ! The conservatory is the nearest, and all the sashes slide, Mr. Dagnell, on the newest principle. You eau get as much air as you like there." Tom listed his fair burden and carried her off to the conservatory, followed by many sympa thising ladies and gentlemen. In the cooler retreat, with windows open and the morning air blowing in upon her, Miss Hilderbrandt came quickly to herself. " Did I faint away ?" she asked, looking hard at Tom.

" Have I really been insensible ?" Tom answered in the affirmative. " How I detest a scene," she said ; " they must have thought I did it on purpose. For theatrical effect, probably," she added, a little scornfully. " Nonsense ! They are not uncharitable people here. In fact, they have nearly smother ed you with their sympathy. Besides," said Tom, " you looked like death itself." "Like death itself!"' she repeated, slowly. " Ah, if it had been !" " You must not leave us to-night, Miss Hil derbrandt,"' cried Fanny Oliver, foremost ou the scene again. " You must not fatigue yourself any more. I insist upon it ; papa and mamma insist upon it, and Mrs. Damper, I am sure, will excuse your returning with her. Will you not, Mrs. Damper ?" Tom answered at once, both for Mrs. Damper and Miss Hilderbrandt.

He seized the advan tage which Violet Hilderbrandt's sudden indis position had offered. " It will be the better plan," he said. " Thank you, Miss Oliver, it is very kind and considerate of you. She will stay, I am sure she will." " If I should not be troubling you too much," said Violet Hilderbrandt, " I — I should be glad to remain to-night." " Troubling us ! Why, we've as many spare rooms as a hospital !" cried Mr. Oliver from the rear, " and we are only too proud of so distin guished a guest, ma'am, I assure you." Violet murmured her thanks, and then sat back in her chair with half-closed eyes. "You would like to get away from this?" said Tom, in a whisper, " you are tired and weak?" '•' Yes. I should be glad to rest," she murmured. Fanny Oliver was quick to respond, and a few minutes afterwards Violet Hilderbrandt was moving from the ball-room with her.

" Good night,*' Violet said to Tom Dagnell, extending her hand to him, "and thank you very much.*" She left him to guess at that which she was thanking him for; it was for all interest and fore thought in her service, he knew, and Tom bowed low over the cold, little hand which had been left in his for a moment, like a gentleman of the old school. "I shall see you to-morrow," he said. " Yes," was her answer, " early to-morrow I shall be stirring, I hope, or rather," she correct ed, " early to-day." '* I had forgotten the day was upon us," answered Tom. " Yes, another day ! " she said. Violet Hilderbrandt and Fanny Oliver depart ed, and it was the signal for a rapid dispersion of the guests. They were busy with the car riages in the front of Hagley-road ; there was a great deal of calling and shoutiug without, which woke up Cabbage, who began barking vigorously for the next quarter of an hour ; there were farewells between guests and host, and between the guests themselves even a few fond, foolish promises, born of ball-room pro grammes ; the musicians packed up their instru ments and took their fees and parting glasses, and the daylight was very bright and strong now, and could not be hidden away.

The market carts were coming in from the country, and a milkman, a policeman, and one or two stragglers stood on the other side of the road, interested in the visitors as they were whirled homewards in their various equipages. Tom remained in the hall watching the guests depart, or anxious for the fresh morning air that came in through the open doorway, where one or two of the servants were posted also, looking sharply out for shillings. " Safe for this time, at least, and time to think of the next step," Tom muttered, in a half soliloquy. " I beg pardon, what did you say ?" inquired Marcus, who was at his elbow, " Nothing particular ; I was musing a la Ham let," replied his brother. *' A la Bravo of Venice it sounded to me — something about being safe for the time, wasn't it?" " It was," Tom confessed, "but you shouldn't listen, Marcus, — it's a bad habit."

" I never listen to anything, 'pon my honour, Tom,"' said Marcus, slowly. " I was coming to ask you if you would oblige us all by slip ping into Cabbage with a stick for half a minute ; he's kicking up a most confounded row. "Let him be." " He'll wake the whole house up next," said Marcus, " there's Miss Hilderbrandt and Fan " " Oh, by Jove ! yes, we must stop his noise — a word will do it," and Tom went round with alacrity to the stables. The great side gates were wide open to the street— people who had come long journeys had availed themselves of Mr. Oliver's range of stabling aud put up their horses and carriages for a while, and taken them away again, leaving the gates open. After a word of remonstrance with Cabbage, Tom glanced out at the open street. The car riages were thinning fast, the loiterers had gone, only the policeman and the milkman were still curious.

The birds were singing in the big trees in front of the house, the sun was shining, the sky was blue and faintly flecked with soft white clouds. Tom looked up at the sky, as if interested in the weather for the day, glanced across the road, aud then turned away. " They've had a swell kick up there;" said the milkman to the policeman, " I wish I had a quarter of the money they've chucked away to-night." " Ah !" replied the policeman, with a grin, "it would have done us a sight more good." "Right you are, guv'nor, in that," said the milkman, poising his pails and preparing to de part on his rounds. "That's Mr. Owen's crib, isn't it ?" " I don't know any Owens in Hagley Road." " Whose place is it, then ?" " Mr. Oliver's, to be sure." "Ah! I don't have his custom — I wish I did." " You're a new hand altogether about here." said the officer.