第62章

He heard her musical pants.

The old tower of West Endelstow Church had reached the last weeks of its existence.It was to be replaced by a new one from the designs of Mr.Hewby,the architect who had sent down Stephen.

Planks and poles had arrived in the churchyard,iron bars had been thrust into the venerable crack extending down the belfry wall to the foundation,the bells had been taken down,the owls had forsaken this home of their forefathers,and six iconoclasts in white fustian,to whom a cracked edifice was a species of Mumbo Jumbo,had taken lodgings in the village previous to beginning the actual removal of the stones.

This was the day after Knights arrival.To enjoy for the last time the prospect seaward from the summit,the vicar,Mrs.

Swancourt,Knight,and Elfride,all ascended the winding turret--

Mr.Swancourt stepping forward with many loud breaths,his wife struggling along silently,but suffering none the less.They had hardly reached the top when a large lurid cloud,palpably a reservoir of rain,thunder,and lightning,was seen to be advancing overhead from the north.

The two cautious elders suggested an immediate return,and proceeded to put it in practice as regarded themselves.

Dear me,I wish I had not come up,exclaimed Mrs.Swancourt.

We shall be slower than you two in going down,the vicar said over his shoulder,and so,dont you start till we are nearly at the bottom,or you will run over us and break our necks somewhere in the darkness of the turret.

Accordingly Elfride and Knight waited on the leads till the staircase should be clear.Knight was not in a talkative mood that morning.Elfride was rather wilful,by reason of his inattention,which she privately set down to his thinking her not worth talking to.Whilst Knight stood watching the rise of the cloud,she sauntered to the other side of the tower,and there remembered a giddy feat she had performed the year before.It was to walk round upon the parapet of the tower--which was quite without battlement or pinnacle,and presented a smooth flat surface about two feet wide,forming a pathway on all the four sides.Without reflecting in the least upon what she was doing she now stepped upon the parapet in the old way,and began walking along.

We are down,cousin Henry,cried Mrs.Swancourt up the turret.

Knight turned and saw Elfride beginning her elevated promenade.

His face flushed with mingled concern and anger at her rashness.

I certainly gave you credit for more common sense,he said.

She reddened a little and walked on.

Miss Swancourt,I insist upon your coming down,he exclaimed.

I will in a minute.I am safe enough.I have done it often.

At that moment,by reason of a slight perturbation his words had caused in her,Elfrides foot caught itself in a little tuft of grass growing in a joint of the stone-work,and she almost lost her balance.Knight sprang forward with a face of horror.By what seemed the special interposition of a considerate Providence she tottered to the inner edge of the parapet instead of to the outer,and reeled over upon the lead roof two or three feet below the wall.

Knight seized her as in a vice,and he said,panting,That ever I should have met a woman fool enough to do a thing of that kind!

Good God,you ought to be ashamed of yourself!

The close proximity of the Shadow of Death had made her sick and pale as a corpse before he spoke.Already lowered to that state,his words completely over-powered her,and she swooned away as he held her.

Elfrides eyes were not closed for more than forty seconds.She opened them,and remembered the position instantly.His face had altered its expression from stern anger to pity.But his severe remarks had rather frightened her,and she struggled to be free.

If you can stand,of course you may,he said,and loosened his arms.I hardly know whether most to laugh at your freak or to chide you for its folly.

She immediately sank upon the lead-work.Knight lifted her again.

Are you hurt?he said.

She murmured an incoherent expression,and tried to smile;saying,with a fitful aversion of her face,I am only frightened.Put me down,do put me down!

But you cant walk,said Knight.

You dont know that;how can you?I am only frightened,I tell you,she answered petulantly,and raised her hand to her forehead.Knight then saw that she was bleeding from a severe cut in her wrist,apparently where it had descended upon a salient corner of the lead-work.Elfride,too,seemed to perceive and feel this now for the first time,and for a minute nearly lost consciousness again.Knight rapidly bound his handkerchief round the place,and to add to the complication,the thundercloud he had been watching began to shed some heavy drops of rain.Knight looked up and saw the vicar striding towards the house,and Mrs.

Swancourt waddling beside him like a hard-driven duck.

As you are so faint,it will be much better to let me carry you down,said Knight;or at any rate inside out of the rain.But her objection to be lifted made it impossible for him to support her for more than five steps.

This is folly,great folly,he exclaimed,setting her down.

Indeed!she murmured,with tears in her eyes.I say I will not be carried,and you say this is folly!

So it is.

No,it isnt!

It is folly,I think.At any rate,the origin of it all is.

I dont agree to it.And you neednt get so angry with me;I am not worth it.

Indeed you are.You are worth the enmity of princes,as was said of such another.Now,then,will you clasp your hands behind my neck,that I may carry you down without hurting you?

No,no.

You had better,or I shall foreclose.

Whats that!

Deprive you of your chance.

Elfride gave a little toss.

Now,dont writhe so when I attempt to carry you.

I cant help it.

Then submit quietly.

I dont care.I dont care,she murmured in languid tones and with closed eyes.

He took her into his arms,entered the turret,and with slow and cautious steps descended round and round.Then,with the gentleness of a nursing mother,he attended to the cut on her arm.