She really spoke as if she had been rebuking some infringement of
decorum, and Rachel was quite startled. She asked Grace why the mother
was so bent on making her vindictive, but Grace only answered that every
one must be very much shocked, and turned away the subject.
Prudent Grace! Her whole soul was in a tumult of wrath and shame at what
she knew to be the county gossip, but she was aware that Rachel's total
ignorance of it was the only chance of her so comporting herself in
court as to silence the rumour, and she and her mother were resolutely
discreet.
Mrs. Curtis, between nursing, anxiety, and worry, looked lamentably
knocked up, and at last Grace and Rachel prevailed on her to take a
drive, leaving Rachel on a sofa in her sitting-room, to what was
no small luxury to her just at present--that of being miserable
alone--without meeting any one's anxious eyes, or knowing that her
listlessness was wounding the mother's heart. Yet the privilege only
resulted in a fresh perturbation about the title-deeds, and longing to
consult some one who could advise and sympathize. Ermine Williams would
have understood and made her Colonel give help, but Ermine seemed as
unattainable as Nova Zembla, and she only heard that the Colonel was
absent. Her head as aching with the weary load of doubt, and she tried
to cheat her woe by a restless movement to the windows. She saw Captain
Keith riding to the door. It suddenly darted into her mind that here was
one who could and would help her. He could see Mauleverer and ascertain
what had become of the deeds; he could guess at the amount of danger!
She could not forget his kindness on the night of Lovedy's illness,
or the gentleness of his manner about the woodcuts, and with a sudden
impulse she rang the bell and desired that Captain Keith might be shown
in. She was still standing leaning on the table when he entered.
"This is very good in you," he said; "I met your mother and sister on
my way up, and they asked me to leave word of Conrade being better, but
they did not tell me I should see you."
"Conrade is better?" said Rachel, sitting down, unable to stand longer.
"Yes, his throat is better. Miss Williams's firmness saved him. They
think him quite out of danger."
"Thank Heaven! Oh, I could never have seen his mother again! Oh, she has
been the heroine!"
"In the truest sense of the word," he answered. And Rachel looked up
with one moment's brightening at the old allusion, but her oppression
was too great for cheerfulness, and she answered-"Dear Fanny, yes, she will be a rebuke to me for ever! But," she added,
before he had time to inquire for her health, "I wanted--I wanted to beg
you to do me a service. You were so kind the other night."