Scenes and Characters

CHAPTER XXII: THE BARONIAL COURT

'Still in his eyes his soul revealing,

He dreams not, knows not of concealing,

Does all he does with single mind,

And thinks of others that are kind.'

The travellers were expected to arrive at about seven o'clock in the evening, and in accordance with a well-known taste of Eleanor's, Emily had ordered no dinner, but a substantial meal under the name of tea. When the sound of carriage wheels was heard, Jane was with Adeline, Maurice was in his retreat at the Old Court, and it was with no cheerful alacrity that Emily went alone into the hall. Phyllis was already at the front door, and the instant Mr. Mohun set foot on the threshold, her hand grasped his coat, and her shrill voice cried in his ear, 'Papa, I am very sorry I blew up the gunpowder and burnt Ada.'

'What, my dear? where is Ada?'

'In bed. I blew up the gunpowder and burnt her face,' repeated Phyllis.

'We have had an accident,' said Emily, 'but I hope it is nothing very serious, only poor Ada is a sad figure.'

In another moment Mr. Mohun and Eleanor were on the way to the nursery; Lilias was following, but she recollected that a general rush into a sickroom was not desirable, and therefore paused and came back to the hall. The worst was over with Phyllis when the confession had been made. She was in raptures at the sight of the baby, and was presently showing the nurse the way upstairs, but her brother William called her back: 'Phyllis, you have not spoken to any one.'

Phyllis turned, and came down slowly in her most ungainly manner, believing herself in too great disgrace to be noticed by anybody, and she was quite surprised and comforted to be greeted by her brothers and Lily just as usual.

'And how did you meet with this misfortune?' asked Mr. Hawkesworth.

'I banged the door, and made it go off,' said Phyllis.

'What can you mean?' said William, in a tone of surprise, which Phyllis took for anger, and she hid her face to stifle her sobs.

'No, no, do not frighten her,' said Claude's kind voice.

'Run and make friends with your nephew, Phyllis,' said Mr. Hawkesworth; 'do not greet us with crying.'

'First tell me what is become of Maurice,' said Claude, 'is he blown up too?'

'No, he is at the Old Court,' said Phyllis. 'Shall I tell him that you are come?'

'I will look for him,' said Claude, and out he went.

The others dispersed in different directions, and did not assemble again for nearly half an hour, when they all met in the drawing-room to drink tea; Claude and Maurice were the last to appear, and, on entering, the first thing the former said was, 'Where is Phyllis?'

'In the nursery,' said Jane; 'she has had her supper, and chooses to stay with Ada.'

'Has any one found out the history of the accident?' said William.

'I have vainly been trying to make sense of Maurice's account,' said Claude.

'Sense!' said William, 'there is none.'

'I am perfectly bewildered,' said Lily; 'every one has a different story, only consenting in making Phyllis the victim.'

'And,' added Claude, 'I strongly suspect she is not in fault.'

'Why should you doubt what she says herself?' said Eleanor.

'What does she say herself?' said William, 'nothing but that she shut the door, and what does that amount to?-Nothing.'

'She says she touched the powder,' interposed Jane.

'That is another matter,' said William; 'no one told me of her touching the powder. But why do you not ask her? She is publicly condemned without a hearing.'

'Who accuses her?' said Mr. Mohun.

'I can hardly tell,' said Emily; 'she met us, saying she was very sorry. Yes, she accuses herself. Every one has believed it to be her.'

'And why?'

There was a pause, but at last Emily said, 'How would you account for it otherwise?'

'I have not yet heard the circumstances. Maurice, I wish to hear your account. I will not now ask how you procured the powder. Whoever was the immediate cause of the accident, you are chiefly to blame. Where was the powder?'

Maurice gave his theory and his facts, ending with the powder-horn being driven out of the window upon the green.

'I hear,' said Mr. Mohun. 'But, Maurice, did you not say that Phyllis touched the powder? How do you reconcile that with this incomprehensible statement?'

'She might have done that before,' said Maurice.

'Now call Phyllis,' said his father.

'Is it not very formidable for her to be examined before such an assembly?' said Emily.

'The accusation has been public, and the investigation shall be the same,' said Mr. Mohun.

'Then you do not think she did it, papa?' cried Lily.

'Not by shutting the door,' said William.

Phyllis entered, and Mr. Mohun, holding out both hands to her, drew her towards him, and placing her with her back to the others, still retained her hands, while he said, 'Phyllis, do not be frightened, but tell me where you were when the powder exploded?'

'Coming into the room,' said Phyllis, in a trembling voice.

'Where had you been?'

'Fetching a wafer out of the drawing-room.'

'What was the wafer for?'

'To put on Emily's letter, which she told us to send.'

'And where was Ada?'

'In the schoolroom, reading the direction of the letter.'

'Tell me exactly what happened when you came back.'

'I opened the door, and there was a flash, and a bang, and a smoke, and Ada tumbled down.'

'I have one more question to ask. When did you touch the powder?'

'Then,' said Phyllis.

'When it had exploded? Take care what you say.'

'Was it naughty? I am very sorry,' said Phyllis, beginning to cry.

'What powder did you touch? I do not understand you, tell me quietly.'

'I touched the powder-horn. What went off was only a little in a paper on the table, and there was a great deal more. When the rocket blew up there was a great noise, and Ada and I both screamed, and Hannah ran in and took up Ada in her arms. Then I saw a great fire, and looked, and saw Emily's music-book, and all the papers blazing. So I thought if it got to the powder it would blow up again, and I laid hold of the horn and threw it out of the window. That is all I know, papa, only I hope you are not very angry with me.'

She looked into his face, not knowing how to interpret the unusual expression she saw there.

'Angry with you!' said he. 'No, my dear child, you have acted with great presence of mind. You have saved your sister and Hannah from great danger, and I am very sorry that you have been unjustly treated.'

He then gave his little daughter a kiss, and putting his hand on her head, added, 'Whoever caused the explosion, Phyllis is quite free from blame, and I wish every one to understand this, because she has been unjustly accused, without examination, and because she has borne it patiently, and without attempting to justify herself.'

'Very right,' observed Eleanor.

'Shake hands, Phyllis,' said William.

The others said more with their eyes than with their lips. Phyllis stood like one in a dream, and fixing her bewildered looks upon Claude, said, 'Did not I do it?'

'No, Phyllis, you had nothing to do with it,' was the general exclamation.

'Maurice said it was the door,' said Phyllis.

'Maurice talked nonsense,' said Claude; 'you were only foolish in believing him.'

Phyllis went up to Claude, and laid her head on his arm; Mr. Hawkesworth held out his hand to her, but she did not look up, and Claude withdrawing his arm, and raising her head, found that she was crying. Eleanor and Lilias both rose, and came towards her but Claude made them a sign, and led her away.

'What a fine story this will be for Reginald,' said William.

'And for Rotherwood,' said Mr. Mohun.

'I do not see how it happened,' said Eleanor.

'Of course Ada did it herself,' said William.

'Of course,' said Maurice. 'It was all from Emily's setting them to seal her letter, that is plain now.'

'Would not Ada have said so?' asked Eleanor.

Lily sighed at the thought of what Eleanor had yet to learn.

'Did you tell them to seal your letter, Emily?' said Mr. Mohun.

'I am sorry to say that I did tell them to send it,' said Emily, 'but I said nothing about sealing, as Jane remembers, and I forgot that Maurice's gunpowder was in the room.'

Eleanor shook her head sorrowfully, and looked down at her knitting, and Lily knew that her mind was made up respecting little Henry's dwelling-place.

It was some comfort to have raised no false expectations.

'Ada must not be frightened and agitated to-night,' said Mr. Mohun, 'but I hope you will talk to her to-morrow, Eleanor. Well, Claude, have you made Phyllis understand that she is acquitted?'

'Scarcely,' said Claude; 'she is so overcome and worn out, that I thought she had better go to bed, and wake in her proper senses to-morrow.'

'A very unconscious heroine,' said William. 'She is a wonder-I never thought her anything but an honest sort of romp.'

'I have long thought her a wonderful specimen of obedience,' said Mr. Mohun.

William and Claude now walked to the parsonage, and the council broke up; but it must not be supposed that this was the last that Emily and Maurice heard on the subject.