CHAPTER XXVII.
ARDSHIEL TO THE RESCUE
Wild indeed was the excitement when the facts of that terrible night were known; when the Duke of Ardshiel himself, who was to give away the prizes – the beautiful prizes with his Grace's crest – arrived on the scene and found no Hollyhock, but a distracted head-mistress and a lot of miserable-looking girls.
Now, as it happened, Ardshiel loved Hollyhock as he had never loved a girl since Viola Cameron, long ago, had disappointed him. He was often at another great castle of his, close to the Palace of the Kings, and on these occasions he frequently saw his little kinswoman riding on Lightning Speed beside her father, who looked very noble himself on his great black charger, which he called Ardshiel, after the Duke.
The Duke used to nod civilly enough to Lennox; but his eyes and his thoughts were all for Hollyhock, the black-eyed lass who rode so superbly. When she was with her father he never spoke to her; but on the occasions when she happened to be alone, he invariably drew up and had a 'crack' with the lass, admiring her sparkling eyes, her smart appearance, her wonderful life and love and bravery, all of which shone in her face. The Duke, alas! had no children, and whenever he saw Hollyhock he sighed at the thought of the joy which would have been his had he possessed so fine a lass.
Hollyhock had that sort of nature which thought nothing at all of rank for rank's sake, but she admired the dear old man, as she called the Duke, and flashed her bright, sparkling, naughty eyes into his face, and talked nonsense to him, which filled his Grace with delight. Little did Miss Delacour guess or Mrs Macintyre conceive that it was because of this brave lassie, and because of her alone, that the great Palace of the Kings had been turned into a school.
The Duke came to Ardshiel on this occasion with his heart beating a trifle loud for so old a man. He cared little or nothing for the other girls; but he would see his favourite, and secretly he had resolved that the diamonds in the locket which she was sure to win should be larger, finer, more brilliant than those which were presented to the other girls.
But, alack and alas, what horrible news met him! The head-mistress, Mrs Macintyre, came out with tears in her eyes to tell him what had occurred in the watches of the night. The Duke, a white-haired old man, looked very solemn as he listened. His heart was sick within him.
'Now, listen,' he said when he could find his voice. 'Is there danger of her life?'
'We don't know; we are not sure,' said Mrs Macintyre. 'She is at present in a very high fever, and the doctor has been to see her, your Grace.'
'I tell you, madam, that I 'll send, at my own expense, for the best doctors in Edinburgh, even in London. That lassie's life has got to be saved, and my pocket is wide open for the purpose. I wonder, now, if I could peep at her. I 'd very much like to.'
'I greatly fear not to-day, your Grace. She has to be kept very quiet.'
'Ah, well! The bravery of the girl! Who else but herself would ride Lightning Speed with the moon at the full? Here's her locket. I chose it a little finer than the others, because she 's a finer lass, and I guessed her deed of daring would be a deed of daring, truly. Keep it for her, madam, and send for the specialists.'
The Duke abruptly left the house, and Mrs Macintyre, with her eyes full of tears, put Hollyhock's special locket aside without even opening it, and gave orders in the Duke's name that the greatest doctors be summoned to the bedside of the sick girl. Then she called her most esteemed English teacher to her side.
'You must do it, my dear,' she said.
'Do what, dear Mrs Macintyre?'
'Why, I'm nearly as much broken down as the Duke. The poor lassie! You have read the essays, and know the deeds of daring, and have gone through the different subjects very carefully, Miss Graham. Then, will you now give the lockets to the girls you think most deserving? The locket given for valour is Hollyhock's by every right. The Duke desires that she shall have it, and I 'll put it away for her until she is well enough to receive it.'
The Duke, who hated motor-cars, and still kept to the old-fashioned magnificent carriage with its pair of spirited horses, was driving down the avenue. He was nearly heart-broken with grief. If that girlie died, he felt that his gray hairs would go down with sorrow to the grave. He had come up that avenue so full of hope, he was driving down equally full of despair. He was not content to trust wholly to Mrs Macintyre. He himself would telephone immediately to the best doctors in the land. On his way down the avenue he was startled by hearing the bitter sobbing of a girl. The sobbing was so terrible in its intensity that he could not forbear from drawing the check-string, pushing his snowy head through the open window of the great carriage, and calling out, 'Who 's there? Who's making that noise?'
Immediately a very frightened and plain little girl stepped into view. It was Leucha Villiers. All things possible had been tried to win her stubborn heart, but it was melted at last. It was she – she felt it was she – who had been the means of destroying Hollyhock.
'What ails you, girl?' asked the Duke. 'I'm Ardshiel, and I am in a hurry. What makes you weep such bitter tears?'
He looked her up and down with some contempt.
'Oh, your Grace, it was really my fault. I 'm sure it was.'
'What – what?' said the Duke. 'Speak out, lass.'
'I've always been unkind to Hollyhock, although she was so good to me – oh! so good; but I – I was jealous of her; and now she is going to be taken away, and last evening she came to my room and asked me for one kiss, and I refused – I refused. Oh! my heart is broken. Oh! I am a bad girl. There never was Hollyhock's like in the school.'
'Keep your broken heart, lass,' said the Duke. 'I cannot waste time with you now. I'm off for the doctors.'
Leucha crawled back toward the house, and the Duke went immediately to his own stately palace and telephoned to the cleverest medical men he knew: 'Come at once to Constable's, a place they call The Paddock or the Annex. There's a lass there like to die. She's a near relative of mine, and I 'll save her if it costs me half of my fortune.'
A couple of famous specialists accepted the Duke's command; and, having so far relieved his soul, he went to Mrs Constable and begged to be allowed to remain at The Paddock until the arrival of the physicians.
During this long time of waiting he had an interview with Jasper, who gave him a vivid and most modest account of what had occurred the night before.
'You are a brave lad,' said the Duke. 'I 'll never forget it – never. And that fine horse – that bonnie beastie – if she doesn't ride him again, no one else shall. He 'll browse in my grounds, and live happy till his dying day.'
'Oh, but he 'd die!' cried Jasper. 'Dear Duke of Ardshiel, I think, down deep in my heart, that Hollyhock will recover.'
Meanwhile, in the sickroom, the girl who had gone through so much raved and moaned, and went over and over again the terrible feat she had achieved, and over and over again one special name came to her lips. 'Leuchy, you might have kissed me. I do think you might have kissed me. I 'm wondering if she 'd kiss me now, before I go away.'
Hollyhock kept up this fearful moaning until both the great doctors arrived. They saw that Hollyhock was quite delirious, and they listened to her wild and rambling words. Of course, George Lennox was in the child's room, his heart in truth nearly broken; but Hollyhock did not know that he was there. She was thinking more of that kiss which had been refused than of anything else just then.
Ah! why was Leuchy so hard – harder than a rock?'
The doctors noticed the constant repetition of the girl's remark, and having spoken very gravely of the case to Mrs Constable, and to the poor stricken father, went down to interview the Duke.
'Well, your Grace,' Sir Alexander Macalister said, 'we have no good news for you. The lassie is ill – very ill. She's fretting over and over for a girl she calls Leucha. We think that if, perhaps, she saw Leucha, it might do her good, and calm her, and tend to bring down her fever. It runs very high at present. She talks of a girl who refuses to kiss her.'
'My word!' said Ardshiel; 'and you think she ought to see that creature?'
'It might be wise,' said Sir Alexander Macalister. 'It might be the means of saving her life.'
'Then run, my lad, run for your bare life, and bring that girl to her. I met the girl in the avenue crying like anything. I gave her no sort of comfort; but if the doctors think that she may save brave Hollyhock, she shall come. Go at once, laddie; go at once. You know who she is.'
'Oh yes, I know,' said Jasper. 'She's a horrid, detestable girl.'
'There, you hear him,' said the Duke. 'I thought so myself; but if a poor worm can help to pull her round, why, that worm shall come and do her duty. Bring her along with you, Jasper, my boy.'
Thus it happened, to the astonishment of the unhappy school, that young Jasper Constable arrived on the scene, took Leucha roughly by the hand, gave her a look of the most unutterable contempt, and told her to come away at once.
Nobody interfered, for nobody was doing her ordinary work that day in the school; and on their way between the Palace of the Kings and The Paddock, Jasper had the pleasure of giving Leucha a piece of his mind. He did it with all his boyish wrath.
'She asked to kiss you, and you refused. She wonders now on her deathbed whether you 'll still refuse.'
'Oh Jasper, have pity on me – have pity! I 'm in agony,' said Leucha; but neither Jasper nor the Duke of Ardshiel had any pity to spare for Leucha. She was, however, by order of the doctors, who remained to see the effect, allowed to enter the spacious sickroom where Hollyhock was lying.
Hollyhock felt confused. She did not recognise her father or Jasper or Aunt Cecilia, and she was not in the least put out by the great doctors; but when Leucha entered, a quick and quieting change came over her face.
'Well, Leuchy, perhaps you'll kiss me now,' she muttered; and Leucha knelt down by her bedside and kissed her softly, gently, tears pouring from her eyes.
'Oh Holly, Holly, I love you, I love you,' sobbed Leuchy; 'I love you!'
'Gently, gently; that's enough, my lass,' said Sir Alexander. 'Don't cry, or make a fuss, but sit softly by her, and if she asks for another kiss, why, give it; but no tears, mind.'
So Leucha, the hopelessly naughty one, was established in the sickroom. Oh, how happy she felt again; how glad, how more than glad, that Hollyhock should have called out to her in her illness and trouble!
CHAPTER XXVIII.
WHAT LOVE CAN DO
Why and wherefore the fever went down and the girl got better no one could quite tell. Of course, it was supposed to be the work of Leucha, and perhaps in a measure it was; for when a very warm heart longs for one thing, and that thing is denied her by passion, ill-temper, and spite, and then at the critical moment – the most critical moment of all – is given to her, the effect cannot but be immense. It began by a great soothing, a happy light in the troubled eyes, a smile round the sweet, nobly formed lips, the words coming again and yet again, 'Leuchy, Leuchy, I have got you, after all!'
In less than a week Hollyhock was quite out of danger. She recognised her father; she recognised Jasper; she recognised dear Aunt Cecilia. She was gentle and sweet to every one. Only once she asked in an anxious tone, 'Leuchy, is my Lightning Speed all right?'
'Oh yes, you may be sure of that,' replied Leucha. 'There never was a horse so fussed over.'
'Then I 'm happy,' whispered Hollyhock. 'Hold my hand, Leuchy.' Leucha did so, and the sick girl dreamt happy dreams, during which her fever quite departed.
The doctors – for the Duke insisted on their coming constantly – said that it was a strange and remarkable case of recovery by the power of love. They looked with a puzzled expression at the object of that love, but held their peace, for Leucha had done what none of them could have achieved.
Just before Christmas-time the Duke of Ardshiel insisted on having an interview with Hollyhock.
'Oh, my dear, my darling,' he said; and his old lips trembled and his great, dark, magnificent eyes flashed with a very subdued and very softened fire. 'Oh, my love, the Almighty has given you back to the old man.'
'Sit close to me, Ardshiel,' exclaimed Hollyhock, 'and hold my hand. I love you so well, Ardshiel.'
'I want you to do something for me, my Hollyhock, I have got your father's consent and also the doctors' consent, and they say – the doctors do – that a long, long rest will be best for you; so I have my plans all formed. I want you to come, to come away to be company to the old man for Christmas; and afterwards, when you are a bit stronger, I mean to take you to the Riviera, where the sun shines all day and the flowers bloom. Will you come with the old man, my dear?'
'Oh Ardshiel, I would, I would; but listen, Ardshiel dear, and don't be angry. I cannot leave Leuchy behind, for you know she saved my life, no less.'
'I 'll have her at the Castle, but I 'll not take her to the Riviera,' said the Duke. 'You'll be strong enough, my bonnie lass, to be back at the Palace of the Kings at Easter; but, to tell the honest truth, I have no liking for the maid you call Leucha. However, she has done good work for you, and I have a special locket and crest to give her. I 'll take Jasmine to keep you company when we go to the Riviera, and you 'll meet your friend again at Easter. Will you oblige a very old man so far, my blessing?'
'Oh Duke, oh Ardshiel, you are the blessedest and the best,' said Hollyhock. 'How pleased Leuchy will be about the locket! And may I tell her my own self? And may she really come to your castle with me?'
'Yes, my bonnie one, she may. She 'll come with you as a sort of nurse, I take it; and you may tell her what you like, Holly, for there 's nought that I wouldn't do for you.'
So Hollyhock was moved on Christmas Eve to Ardshiel's great castle, and the Duke was nearly beside himself with delight. He was a little sharp, however, with wee Leuchy, for he had managed to pick out all her poor story by now, and had learned how Hollyhock had once frightened and then nursed her, and he guessed by the look on her face that Leuchy belonged to the unforgiving of the earth.
Nevertheless, she had saved Hollyhock now, and he was bound to be good to her for that reason. His nephew, the next heir to the title, was staying at the Castle, and this Cameron had a son of his own, 'the bonniest lad you could clap eyes on,' who would, all in good time, be Duke and owner of great possessions.
The old Duke twinkled his eyes when he saw Leucha making up to the goodly youth; but he said no words, for he had other plans for his grand-nephew – very different plans. As for young Cameron, he took such a very violent dislike to poor Leucha on the spot that she soon ceased to pay him attention.
Lady Crossways, hearing of this delightful visit, had sent down a whole boxful of gaudy and unsuitable clothes for Leucha; but Hollyhock, with her true and rare eye for colour, would not let Leucha be so attired. She spoke privately to the Duke.
'Ardshiel,' she remarked, 'is your purse still wide open?'
'For you, my lassie; for you.'
'But I want it to be wide open for another,' said Holly.
'Well, I must do as you wish, Hollyhock, my blessing. I suppose you want me to' —
'Hark and I 'll tell you,' said Hollyhock, putting her pretty mouth to the old man's ear.
The result of that whisper was that two boxes of clothes arrived from the most expensive dressmaker in London, and the old Duke, who had a passion for dress and for good taste in all respects, presented the contents of one box to his beloved Holly, and the contents of the other to Leucha.
'There, lass; there,' he said. 'Your mother won't mind your wearing a present from the Duke of Ardshiel. Take them and wear them while you are here. They were chosen by Holly, who has the best taste in the whole country round.'
Leucha forced herself to admire the rich, quiet clothing which the Duke and Hollyhock had chosen for her, and wonderful was the change for the better in her appearance. She had her own maid, too, while at the Castle, who managed to make the most of her scanty locks.
On the whole Leucha was not quite unhappy while at this noble mansion, but neither was she quite happy. The Duke had a piercing eye, and when it flashed on her she seemed to shrink into herself.
Young Cameron, the next heir but one to the dukedom, endeavoured to be polite to her, but found the task too much for him; whereas Hollyhock's gay black eyes and more than merry peals of delight charmed the young man's heart.
Before long Hollyhock was strong enough to go out of doors; and then, in a very few days, to her exquisite delight, she was permitted to ride once again on Lightning Speed. Oh, the joy of mounting her beloved horse! Oh, the joy of the meeting between that horse and his mistress!
The Duke was, as he expressed it, in high feather. The young Lennoxes – that is, the rest of them – and the young Constables were all invited to spend many days at the Castle, until at last the Christmas holidays passed by, and Leucha went back to school; and the Duke, the Duke's nephew, that nephew's son, and dear, gentle Jasmine, as well as Hollyhock, all went off on an expedition to the Riviera. There, at the favoured spot called Beaulieu, the Duke had a villa – a most magnificent place. Never, never had Hollyhock even dreamed of such splendour, such sunshine, such joy.
The two men walked about a good deal together. Young Cameron accompanied Jasmine and Hollyhock wherever they went; but there was an unmistakable look in his eyes when he glanced at Hollyhock – Hollyhock, the maid so brave, so beautiful. The Duke read that secret in his eyes and chuckled inwardly to himself; but Hollyhock was far too young to notice it, and the wise old Duke kept his secret to himself. 'Time enough,' he muttered; 'time in plenty; let them remain children yet for many a long day. Oh, but my old heart feels young again when I look at her. No wonder the rascal feels as he does, but time —the time has not come yet – "My love she's but a lassie yet." Why, here she is, her very self, coming to meet me.'
'Ardshiel,' exclaimed Hollyhock, 'may I walk with you a wee while? You are such a dear old man, Ardshiel, and I like to feel the touch of your hand on my shoulder. Oh, but I love you, Ardshiel.'
'And what have you done with my grand-nephew and Jasmine?' asked the old Duke.
'I do not know,' replied Hollyhock. 'He's a bonnie lad, but I like you the best of all, Duke of Ardshiel! I love my own people, and the Precious Stones, and my schoolmates, and the English lass that saved my life – you are not hurt, Ardshiel? for I cannot but love the English lass – but of all men, except my Daddy Dumps, you come first, Ardshiel, my darling man!'