Chapter 18
"Take away your hand," said Chris, in a low, husky whisper.
"What! No insolence. Out with you!"
"Take away your hand."
"Do you hear me? Now then, out."
"Curse you, you will have it, then," cried Chris, shaking himself free; and then, as Glyddyr recovered himself, and tried to seize him again, Chris's left fist darted out from his shoulder, there was a low, dull sound, and Glyddyr staggered back for a couple of yards, to fall with a heavy crash, just as, with a shriek of horror, Claude, closely followed by Mary, rushed into the room.
"Chris Lisle, what have you done?" cried Claude, while Mary, whom fate had made the busy help of the family, hurried to Glyddyr's side, and helped him to rise to a sitting position. He did not attempt to get upon his feet.
"Lost my temper, I suppose," said Chris, who began to calm down as he saw the effect of his blow. "But it was his own doing. I warned him to keep his hands off."
"Leave my house, ruffian, before I send for the police."
"You'll be sorry for all this, Mr Gartram," said Chris. "Claude--"
"Silence!" shouted Gartram. "Recollect, my girl, that henceforth this man and we are strangers. Everything between us is at an end. Once more, sir, will you leave my house?"
"Yes, I'll go," replied Chris slowly, as his eyes rested on Claude's.
"Don't think ill of me," he said to her huskily. "I have done nothing wrong."
Gartram came between them, and, feeling that time alone could heal the terrible breach, Chris made a gesticulation and walked slowly to the door, where he turned.
"Mr Gartram," he said, "you'll bitterly repent this. But don't think that I shall give up. I'll go now. One of these days, when you have thought all over, you will ask me to come back, and we shall be friends again. Claude--Mary, all this was not my seeking. Good-bye."
"Not his seeking!" cried Gartram, sinking into a chair and dabbing his face with his handkerchief. "He wants to kill me: that's what he's trying to do. How are you now, Glyddyr? Pray forgive me for bringing this upon you. The scoundrel must be mad."
"Getting better now, sir," said Glyddyr; and, as his enemy had gone, beginning with a great show of suffering and effort to suppress it, as his eyes sought sympathy from Claude. He found none, so directed his eyes at Mary, who offered him her hand as he made slowly for the nearest easy chair.
"I don't know how to apologise enough," cried Gartram; "and you two girls, have you nothing to say? An outrageous a.s.sault on my guest! But he shall smart for it. I'll have him summoned."
"No, no, Mr Gartram, I'm getting all right fast," said Glyddyr, quickly seizing the opportunity to be magnanimous in Claudes eyes. "Mr Lisle was excited, and he struck me. A blow like that is nothing."
"Mr Christopher Lisle will find out that a blow such as you've received means a great deal more than he thinks, sir. Claude, ring the bell.
Have the spirit stand and soda-water brought in. Are you sure you are not seriously hurt, Glyddyr?"
"Quite, sir: a mere nothing. Great pity it happened. Why, ladies, it must have regularly startled you. Miss Gartram, I am very sorry. You look pale."
"Enough to startle any woman, Glyddyr. But there, it's all over for the present. You had better leave us now, girls."
"No, no," cried Glyddyr, "don't let me drive them away, sir."
"It is not driving them away, Mr Glyddyr," said Gartram shortly. "I wish them to go."
"I beg pardon, I am sure."
"Granted, sir; but I like to be master in my own house."
"Papa, dear, pray, pray be calm," whispered Claude, who had crept to his side.
"Calm! Of course. I am calm. There, there, there; don't talk to me, but go, and I said ring for the spirit stand."
"Yes, papa, I did. I'll go and send it in."
"Yes, quickly. You are sure you would not like the doctor fetched, Glyddyr?"
"Oh, certain, sir. There, let it pa.s.s now. A mere nothing."
"Oh, my poor darling Claude," whispered Mary, taking her cousin's hand as they went out, and kissing her pale face as the large dark eyes gazed pitifully down in hers.
"Do you understand what it all means, Mary?"
"Only too well, coz: poor Chris has been telling uncle he loved you, and that put our dear tyrant in a pa.s.sion. Then Mr Glyddyr came, and poor Chris got in a pa.s.sion too, and knocked him down."
"Yes," sighed Claude; "I'm afraid that must be it."
"Yes, my dear, it's all cut and dried. You are to be Mrs Glyddyr as soon as they have settled it all."
"Never," said Claude, frowning and looking like a softened edition of her father.
"And as that sets poor Chris at liberty," continued Mary, with one of her mischievous looks, "and you don't want him, there may be a bit of a chance for poor little me."
"Mary, dear!" said Claude, in a voice full of remonstrance.
"It's rather bad taste of you, for though Mr Glyddyr is very handsome, I think Chris is the better man. Mr Glyddyr seems to me quite a coward making all that fuss, so that we might sympathise with him. Better have had poor Chris."
"Mary, dear, how can you make fun of everything when I am in such terrible trouble?"
"It's because I can't help it, Claude, I suppose. But oh, I am sorry for you if uncle makes you marry handsome Mr Glyddyr."
"Mary!"
"I cannot help it, dear; I must say it. He's a coward. He was hurt, of course, but not so much as he pretended. Chris Lisle knocked him right down, and he wouldn't get up for fear he should get knocked down again.
Didn't Chris look like a lion?"
"It is all very, very terrible, Mary, and I want your help and sympathy so badly."
"I can't help you, coz; I'm too bad. And all this was my fault."
"No; not all," said Claude sadly. "Papa has been thinking about Mr Glyddyr for a long time, and dropping hints to me about him."
"Yes; and you'll have to take him."
"No," said Claude, with quiet firmness; and her father's stern, determined look came into her eyes. "No, I will never be Mr Glyddyr's wife."
"But uncle will never forgive poor Mr Lisle."
"Don't say that, Mary. Never is a terrible word. Papa loves me, and he would like to see me happy."