Thanks to the care of Dr James, and the nursing of Mrs Jeal, the sick girl took a turn for the better. In a short space of time she began to improve, and when Leo arrived back in Colester she was on a fair way of recovery. Although the doctor did not like Mrs Jeal, he could not but admit that no mother could have been kinder than the midwife. She waited hand and foot, day and night, on Pearl, and refused to let anyone take her place, even when she was worn out with watching. In the middle of her trouble she was called away to London.
One day shortly after the theft of the cup she received a telegram from Town informing her that her father was seriously ill, and that she was to come up at once if she wanted to see him alive. Now, if there was one strong feeling Mrs Jeal it was love for her father, of whom she often . Much as she liked Pearl, she was not prepared to stay beside her in the face of such a summons. The old man might die if she delayed.
"I can get Joan Barker in to nurse Pearl," she said to the doctor, "and go at once to London. I may be away a week or two."
"Humph!" said James, running his eye over the telegram. "I suppose you must go; the matter seems urgent. Mrs Barker is not so good a nurse as you, though."
"But Pearl is much better, doctor," said Mrs Jeal, anxiously.
"Yes, I'll pull her through. Well, pack your traps, Mrs Jeal. Myself and Mr Raston will attend to Pearl with the assistance of Mrs Barker. You must leave me some address, though, in case anything goes wrong during your absence. Not that I think anything will; Pearl is mending rapidly."
Mrs Jeal gave an address in a Battersea street, and in a few hours was ready for the road. She took a tender leave of Pearl, to whom she appeared to be sincerely attached, and that same morning left for Portfront by a carrier's . When she departed the village was still filled with anxiety regarding the loss of the cup.
As has been said before, no railway had yet opened up the of Colester and King's-meadows. But those who wished to get quickly to London took the steamer from Portfront, and in a few hours came to Worthing, at which place a train was easily . Mrs Jeal took this route, and having started early she arrived in Town that same night. She sent a wire telling of her arrival to Dr James. He showed it to Sir Frank Hale.
"Quick work," said James; "yet we are far enough away from the world here."
"That's true," replied the baronet. "So Mrs Jeal has gone to Town! I saw her at Portfront when I was there yesterday morning. It is not often she goes to Town. I suppose she does not wish to lose the money."
"The money, Hale? What do you mean?"
"Why, it seems, from what Mrs Jeal told me, that her father is not badly off, and if he dies she will come into a tidy bit of money. There are other relatives, though, and she was afraid lest they should get the old man to leave the fortune to them."
"Fortune!" said James, with a smile; "a large word for a small ."
"I don't know so much about that," responded the cripple, snappishly. "From what the woman told me, her father is well off. He was a porter or something in a stockbroker's office, and in mines himself. It seems he was lucky in his and made money. By the way, James, has Haverleigh turned up yet?"
"No, but I heard that Mr Pratt had sent a telegram to him. I expect he will wonder what is the matter that Pratt should ask him to come back."
"Not he!" Hale. "He knows well enough."
"Why, Hale, you don't believe he stole the cup?"
The cripple remained silent for a time. "It is a difficult thing for me to say," he finally remarked. "You know, James, that my sister Edith is deeply in love with the man. I don't like him myself; I never did. But if he would marry my sister I should not decline the alliance. I put her happiness before my own feelings. Well, under the circumstances, I really am not prepared to give an opinion. I know that Leo was in debt, and it is common talk that Mrs Gabriel refused to pay his debts; yet she informed me that he went up to London to settle them. Now, he must have got the money from somewhere, and who would trust him?"
"It looks black against him, I confess," replied James, shaking his head; "still, I cannot believe that Haverleigh would sink to being a common thief. You will see when he returns that he will be able to explain."
"If he ever does return," growled Hale, doubtfully.
"He will. Why, Miss Tempest believes in him, and he must come back if only to her faith. I believe those two are in love with one another, Hale. Well, they will make a handsome couple."
"He will have to get back his good name first," retorted Hale, jealously. "And as to there being anything between them—I don't believe it. Good-day, James. Don't go spreading cock-and-bull stories."
As the baronet walked off the doctor looked after him with a smile of contempt. He knew that Hale was madly in love with the vicar's daughter, and that he regarded Leo as a too successful rival. "You'll be delighted if the poor chap comes to harm," muttered James; "you are a ! But I am sure Haverleigh will clear himself. A girl like Sybil Tempest is not likely to be deceived in the character of the man she loves. I would rather believe her than you, Sir Frank Hale!" And James, who had no great love for the spiteful little cripple, walked away to see Pearl.
By this time the opinion was that Leo would not return. It was positive, said the gossips, that he had stolen the cup in order to money for the payment of his debts. The most likely thing was that he would clear out of the country.
"What fools these people are," said Pratt, who heard this. "If the man intended to leave the country he certainly would not pay his debts. Only a heaven-born would do that. He would take the money himself and leave his ." But the gossips did not see matters in that light. They were upon thinking the worst of Leo.
All this time Mrs Gabriel said nothing, but remained shut up in the castle. She knew well enough what was being said about Leo, and could not bear to face anyone, the more particularly as she did not know how to defend him. She denied herself to everyone, even to Pratt, although he called several times to interview her on behalf of her nephew. The young man had a strong in Pratt. He went about everywhere insisting on Haverleigh's . In this opinion he was supported by Sybil, by the curate, and, strange to say, by Mrs Bathurst.
"The whole thing is absolute nonsense," said Mrs Bathurst. "Why should Mr Haverleigh be such a fool? Mrs Gabriel would have paid his debts in the long run. And then if he had not wished to pay them himself, he could have and slipped away to Africa without anyone being the wiser. Then there's another thing. He would not commit a crime for such a purpose. If he was in difficulties before, he would not make them worse by putting himself within reach of the law." All of which was common-sense, although Leo's enemies were too much bent on thinking the worst of him to accept such a reasonable view.
It was while matters were in this state that Leo Haverleigh returned. He drove up to the castle one night without informing anyone of his coming. Mrs Gabriel was amazed when he presented himself before her. He looked bright and cheerful, not at all like a man who had been accused of a crime. But it must be remembered that Leo knew nothing of his new reputation. All he knew was that Pratt, at the instance of Sybil, had recalled him to Colester. He thought that this telegram had to do with some new difficulty with regard to his love affairs.
"Good evening, mother," he said as he marched into the room where Mrs Gabriel was sitting. "I have returned, you see."
"And are you not ashamed?" cried Mrs Gabriel, rising, with a wrathful expression. "I thought some feeling of would have kept you away."
"Oh, come now, mother," returned Leo, trying to keep his temper, "I am not so bad as all that. If I have been foolish and , surely you can forgive. Besides, my debts are paid. I am a free man."
"You won't be a free man long," said Mrs Gabriel, grimly. "I am willing to do what I can for you, badly as you have treated me. But I cannot a felony! That is out of the questi............