"That will do--Mr. Beauleigh will know. Drive your damnedest, man--SirMiles won't mind. You understand?"
Jack's word was law in the O'Hara household.
"Yes, sir," answered the man, and touched his hat.
On the word, he saw the beautiful straining mare leap forward, and thenext moment both horse and rider were swallowed in the gloom.
"Well I'm--darned," exploded the groom, and turned to fetch thecurricle.
Across the stretch of moorland went Jack at a gallop, Jenny speedingunder him like the wind, and seeming to catch something of her master'sexcitement. Low over her neck he bent, holding the Duke's sword acrosshis saddle-bows with one hand and with the other guiding her. So hecovered some three miles. He reined in then, and forced her to a canter,saving her strength for the long distance ahead of them. She was insplendid condition, glorying in the unrestrained gallop across the turf,and although she was too well-mannered to pull on the rein, Carstarescould see by the eager twitching of her ears how she longed to be goneover the ground. He spoke soothingly to her and guided her on to thevery lane where Diana had ridden that afternoon. She fell into a long,easy stride that seemed to eat up the ground. Now they were off thelane, riding over a field to join another road, leading west. A hedgecut them off, but the mare gathered her legs beneath her and soaredover, alighting as gracefully as a bird, and skimming on again up theroad.
Her responsive ears flickered as he praised her, and pulled her up.
"Easy now, Jenny, easy!"
She was trembling with excitement, but she yielded to his will andtrotted quietly for perhaps another half-hour.
Carstares rose and fell rhythmically in the saddle, taking care to keephis spurred heels from her glossy sides. He guessed the time to be aboutseven o'clock, and his brows drew together worriedly. Jenny was made ofsteel and lightning, but would she manage it? He had never tested herpowers as he was about to now, and he dared not allow her much breathingspace. Every minute was precious if he were to reach Andover before itwas too late.
Assuming that Tracy had captured Diana at four, or thereabouts, hereckoned that it should take a heavy coach four hours or more to reachAndover. Jenny might manage it in two and a half hours, allowing forshort cuts, in which case he ought to arrive not long after the others.
He was tortured by the thought of Diana at the mercy of a man of Tracy'scalibre; Diana in terror; Diana despairing. Unconsciously he pressed hisknees against the smooth flank and once more Jenny fell into that long,swift stride. She seemed to glide over the ground with never a jar nor astumble. Carstares was careful not to irk her in any way, only keeping aguiding, restraining hand on the rein, and for the rest letting her goas she willed. On and on they sped, as the time lagged by, sometimesthrough leafy lanes, at others over fields and rough tracks. Not fornothing had Carstares roamed this country for two years; almost everypath was familiar to him; he never took a wrong turn, never swerved,never hesitated. On and on, past sleeping villages and lonelyhomesteads, skirting woods, riding up hill and down dale, neverslackening his hold on the rein, never taking his eyes off the roadbefore him, except now and then to throw a glance to the side on thelook-out for some hidden by-path. After the first hour a dull pain inhis shoulder reminded him of his wound, still troublesome. He set histeeth and pressed on still faster.
The mare caught her foot on a loose stone and stumbled. His hand heldher together, the muscles standing out like ribbed steel, his voiceencouraged her, and he made her walk again. This time she did not fretagainst the restraint. He shifted the sword under his bridle hand, andpassed the right down her steaming neck, crooning to her softly beneathhis breath.
She answered with a low, throbbing whinny. She could not understand whyhe desired her to gallop on, braving unknown terrors in the dark; allshe could know was that it was his wish. It seemed also that he waspleased with her. She would have cantered on again, but he made her walkfor, perhaps, another five minutes, until they were come to a stretch ofcommon he knew well. It was getting late, and he pressed her with hisknee, adjuring her to do her best, and urging her to a gallop, leaningright forward, the better to pierce the darkness ahead. A gorse bushloomed before them, and Jenny shied at it, redoubling her pace.
With hand and voice he soothed her, and on they sped. He judged the timeto be now about half-past eight, and knew that they must make theremaining miles in an hour. Even now the coach might have arrived, andbeyond that he dared not think.
Another half-hour crept by, and he could feel the mare's breath comingshort and fast, and reined in again, this time to a canter. He was offthe moor now, on a road he remembered well, and knew himself to be notten miles from Wyncham. Five more miles as the crow flies.... He knewhe must give Jenny another rest, and pulled up, dismounting and going toher head.
Her legs were trembling, and the sweat rolled off her satin skin. Shedropped her nose into his hand, sobbingly. He rubbed her ears and pattedher, and she lipped his cheek lovingly, breathing more easily.
Up again then, and forward once more, skimming over the ground.
Leaving Wyncham on his right, Carstares cut west and then north-west, onthe highroad now, leading to Andover. Only two more miles to go....
Jenny stumbled again and broke into a walk. Her master tapped hershoulder, and she picked up her stride again.
She was almost winded, and he knew it, but he had to force her onwards.She responded gallantly to his hand, although her breath came sobbinglyand her great, soft eyes were blurred.
At last the great iron gates were in view; he could see them through thedusk, firmly shut. He pulled up and walked on, looking for a place inthe hedge where Jenny might push through.
CHAPTER XXVII
MY LORD ENTERS BY THE WINDOW
His Grace of Andover made a sign to the footmen, and with a sinkingheart Diana watched them leave the room, discreetly closing the doorbehind them. She affected to eat a peach, skinning it with fingers thatwere stiff and wooden. Tracy leaned back in his chair, surveying herthrough half-shut eyelids. He watched her eat her peach and rise to herfeet standing with her hand on the back of the high, carved chair. Sheaddressed him nervously and with would-be lightness.
"Well, sir, I have eaten, and I protest I am fatigued. Pray have thegoodness to conduct me to your housekeeper."
"My dear," he drawled, "nothing would give me greater pleasure--alwayssupposing that I possessed one."
She raised her eyebrows haughtily.
"I presume you have at least a maidservant," she inquired. "If I am toremain here, I would retire."
"You shall, child, all in good time. But do not be in a hurry to depriveme of your fair company." He rose as he spoke, and taking her hand, ledher dumbly to a low-backed settee at the other end of the great room.