the captives-第89章

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re　mightily　mistaken；　and　if　you　aren't　careful　I'll　report　youthat's　what　I'll　do；'　and　he　saidwhat　were　his　exact　words？　I'll　remember　in　a　minute。　I　know　he　was　very　insulting；　and　the　taxi…cabmanwhy；　Paul；　where's　mother's　picture？〃

Grace's　eyes　were　directed　to　a　large　space　high　above　the　mantelpiece。　Maggie　remembered　that　there　had　been　a　big　faded　oil…　painting　of　an　old　lady　in　a　shawl　and　spectacles；　a　hideous　affair　she　had　thought　it。　That　was　now　reposing　in　the　attic。　Why　had　she　not　known　that　it　was　a　picture　of　Paul's　mother？　She　would　never　have　touched　it　had　she　known。　Why　had　Paul　said　nothing？　He　had　not　even　noticed　that　it　was　gone。

Paul　stared；　amazed　and　certainlyyes；　beyond　questionfrightened。

〃Graceupon　my　wordI've　been　so　busy　since　my　return〃

〃Is　that　also　in　the　attic？〃　asked　Grace。

〃Yes；　it　is；〃　said　Maggie。　〃I'm　so　sorry。　I　never　knew　it　was　your　mother。　It　wasn't　a　very　good　painting　I　thought；　so　I　took　it　down。　If　I　had　known；　of　course；　I　never　would　have　touched　it。　Oh　Grace；　I　AM　so　sorry。〃

〃It's　been　there；〃　said　Grace；　〃for　nearly　twenty　years。　What　I　mean　to　say　is　that　it's　always　been　there。　Poor　mother。　Are　there　many　things　in　the　attic；　Maggie？〃

At　that　moment　there　was　a　feeble　scratching　on　the　door。　Paul；　evidently　glad　of　anything　that　would　relieve　the　situation；　opened　the　door。

〃Why；　it's　Mitch！〃　cried　Grace；　forgetting　for　the　moment　her　mother。　〃Fancy！　It's　Mitch！　Mitch；　dear！　Was　she　glad　to　see　her　old　friend　back　again？　Was　she？　Darling！　Fancy　seeing　her　old　friend　again？　Was　she　wanting　her　back？〃

Mitch　stood　shivering　in　the　doorway；　then；　with　her　halting　step；　the　skin　of　her　back　wrinkled　with　anxiety；　she　crossed　the　room。　For　a　moment　she　hesitated；　then　with　shamefaced　terror；　slunk　to　Maggie；　pressed　up　against　her；　and　sat　there　huddled；　staring　at　Grace　with　yellow　unfriendly　eyes。




CHAPTER　IV

GRACE


Not　in　a　day　and　not　in　a　night　did　Maggie　find　a　key　to　that　strange　confusion　of　fears；　superstitions；　and　self…satisfactions　that　was　known　to　the　world　as　Grace　Trenchard。　Perhaps　she　never　found　it；　and　through　all　the　struggle　and　conflict　in　which　she　was　now　to　be　involved　she　was　fighting；　desperately；　in　the　dark。　Fight　she　did；　and　it　was　this　same　conflict；　bitter　and　tragic　enough　at　the　time；　that　transformed　her　into　the　woman　that　she　became　。　。　。　and　through　all　that　conflict　it　may　be　truly　said　of　her　that　she　never　knew　a　moment's　bitternessanger；　dismay；　loneliness；　even　despair…bitterness　never。

It　was　not　strange　that　Maggie　did　not　understand　Grace；　Grace　never　understood　herself　nor　did　she　make　the　slightest　attempt　to　do　so。　It　would　be　easy　enough　to　cover　the　ground　at　once　by　saying　that　she　had　no　imagination；　that　she　never　went　behind　the　thing　that　she　saw；　and　that　she　found　the　grasping　of　external　things　quite　as　much　as　she　could　manage。　But　that　is　not　enough。　Very　early　indeed；　when　she　had　been　a　stolid…faced　little　girl　with　a　hot　desire　for　the　doll　possessed　by　her　neighbour；　she　had　had　for　nurse　a　woman　who　rejoiced　in　supernatural　events。　With　ghost　stories　of　the　most　terrifying　kind　she　besieged　Grace's　young　heart　and　mind。　The　child　had　never　imagination　enough　to　visualise　these　stories　in　the　true　essence；　but　she　seized　upon　external　detail…the　blue　lights；　the　white　shimmering　garments；　the　moon　and　the　church　clock；　the　clanking　chain　and　the　stain　of　blood　upon　the　board。

These　things　were　not　for　her；　and　indeed　did　she　allow　her　fancy　to　dwell；　for　a　moment；　upon　them　she　was　besieged　at　once　by　so　horrid　a　panic　that　she　lost　all　control　and　self…possession。　She　therefore　very　quickly　put　those　things　from　her　and　thenceforth　lived　in　the　world　as　in　a　castle　surrounded　by　a　dark　moat　filled　with　horrible　and　slimy　creatures　who　would　raise　a　head　at　her　did　she　so　much　as　glance　their　way。

She　decided　then　never　to　look；　and　from　a　very　early　age　those　quarters　of　life　became　to　her　〃queer；〃　indecent；　and　dangerous。　All　the　more　she　fastened　her　grip　upon　the　things　that　she　could　see　and　hold；　and　these　things　repaid　her　devotion　by　never　deceiving　her　or　pretending　to　be　what　they　were　not。　She　believed　intensely　in　forms　and　repetitions；　she　liked　everything　to　be　where　she　expected　it　to　be；　people　to　say　the　things　that　she　expected　them　to　say；　clocks　to　strike　at　the　right　time；　and　trains　to　be　up　to　the　minute。　With　all　this　she　could　never　be　called　an　accurate　or　careful　woman。　She　was　radically　stupid；　stupid　in　the　real　sense　of　the　word；　so　that　her　mind　did　not　grasp　a　new　thought　or　fact　until　it　had　been　repeated　to　her　again　and　again；　so　that　she　had　no　power　of　expressing　herself；　and　a　deep　inaccuracy　about　everything　and　every　one　which　she　endeavoured　to　cover　by　a　stream　of　aimless　lies　that　deceived　no　one。　She　would　of　course　have　been　very　indignant　had　any　one　told　her　that　she　was　stupid。　She　hated　what　she　called　〃clever　people〃　and　never　had　them　near　her　if　she　could　help　it。　She　was　instantly　suspicious　of　any　one　who　liked　ideas　or　wanted　anything　changed。　With　all　this　she　was　of　an　extreme　obstinacy　and　a　deep；　deep　jealousy。　She　clung　to　what　she　had　with　the　tenacity　of　a　mollusc。　What　she　had　was　in　the　main　Paul；　and　her　affection　for　him　was　a　very　real　human　quality　in　her。

He　was　exactly　what　she　would　have　chosen　had　she　been　allowed　at　the　beginning　a　free　choice。　He　was　lazy　and　good…tempered　so　that　he　yielded　to　her　on　every　possible　point；　he　was　absolutely　orthodox　and　never　shocked　her　by　a　thought　or　a　word　out　of　the　ordinary；　he　really　loved　her　and　believed　in　her　and　said；　quite　truly；　that　he　would　not　have　known　what　to　do　without　her。

It　seems　strange　then　that　it　should　have　been　in　the　main　her　urgency　that　led　to　the　acquisition　of　Maggie。　During　the　last　year　she　had　begun　to　be　seriously　uneasy。　Things　were　not　what　they　had　been。　Mrs。　Constantine　and　others　in　the　parish　were　challenging　her　authority；　even　the　Choir　boys　were　scarcely　so　subservient　as　they　had　been；　and；　worst　of　all；　Paul　himself　was　strangely　restive　and　unquiet。　He　talked　at　times　of　getting　married；　wondered　whether　she；　Grace；　wouldn't　like　some　one　to　help　her　in　the　house；　and　even；　on　one　terrifying　occasion；　suggested　leaving　Skeaton　altogether。　A　momentary　vision　of　what　it　would　be　to　live　without　Paul；　to　give　up　her　kingdom　in　Skeaton；　to　have　to　start　all　over　again　to　acquire　dominion　in　some　new　place；　was　enough　for　Grace。

She　must　find　Paul　a　wife；　and　she　must　find　some　one　who　would　depend　upon　her；　look　up　to　her；　obey　her；　who　would；　incidentally；　take　some　of　the　tiresome　and　monotonous　drudgery　off　her　shoulders。　The　moment　she　saw　Maggie　she　was　resolved；　here　was　just　the　creature；　a　mouse　of　a　girl；　no　parents；　no　money；　no　appearance；　nothing　to　make　her　proud　or　above　herself；　some　one　to　be　moulded　and　trained　in　the　way　she　should　go。　To　her　great　surprise　she　discovered　that　Paul　was　at　once　attracted　by　Maggie：　had　she　ever　wondered　at　anything　she　would　have　wondered　at　this；　but　she　decided　that　it　was　because　she　herself　had　made　the　suggestion。　Dear　Paul；　he　was　always　so　eager　to　fall　in　with　any　of　her　proposals。

Her　mind　misgave　her　a　little　when　she　saw　that　he　was　really　in　love。　What　could　he　see　in　that　plain；　gauche；　uncharming　creature？　See　something　he　undoubtedly　did。　However；　that　would　wear　off　very　quickly。　The　Skeaton　atmosphere　was　against　romance　and　Paul　was　too　lazy　to　be　in　love　very　long。　Once　or　twice　in　the　weeks　before　the　wedding　Grace's　suspicions　were　aroused。

Maggie　seemed　to　be　an　utter　little　heathen；　also　it　appeared　that　she　had　had　some　strange　love　affair　that　she　had　taken　so　seriously　as　actually　to　be　ill　over　it。　That　was　odd　and　a　little　alarming；　but　the　child　was　very　young；　and　once　married…there　she'd　be；　so　to　speak！

It　was　not；　in　fact；　until　that　evening　of　her　arrival　in　Skeaton　that　she　was　seriously　alarmed。　To　say　that　that　first　ten　minutes　in　Paul's　study　alarmed　her　is　to　put　it　mildly　indeed。　As　she　looked　at　the　place　where　her　mother's　portrait　had　been；　as　she　stared　at　the　trembling　Mitch　cowering　against　Maggie's　d