Still, the severe and prolonged struggle for self-control told uponLilla. She looked, as she felt, ill and weak. She was really in anerveless and prostrate condition, with black circles round her eyes,pale even to her lips, and with an instinctive trembling which she wasquite unable to repress. It was for her a sad mischance that Mimi wasaway, for her love would have seen through all obscuring causes, and havebrought to light the girl's unhappy condition of health. Lilla wasutterly unable to do anything to escape from the ordeal before her; buther cousin, with the experience of her former struggles with Mr. Caswalland of the condition in which these left her, would have taken steps--evenperemptory ones, if necessary--to prevent a repetition.
Edgar arrived punctually to the time appointed by herself. When Lilla,through the great window, saw him approaching the house, her condition ofnervous upset was pitiable. She braced herself up, however, and managedto get through the interview in its preliminary stages without anyperceptible change in her normal appearance and bearing. It had been toher an added terror that the black shadow of Oolanga, whom she dreaded,would follow hard on his master. A load was lifted from her mind when hedid not make his usual stealthy approach. She had also feared, though inlesser degree, lest Lady Arabella should be present to make trouble forher as before.
With a woman's natural forethought in a difficult position, she hadprovided the furnishing of the tea-table as a subtle indication of thesocial difference between her and her guest. She had chosen theimplements of service, as well as all the provender set forth, of thehumblest kind. Instead of arranging the silver teapot and china cups,she had set out an earthen teapot, such as was in common use in the farmkitchen. The same idea was carried out in the cups and saucers of thickhomely delft, and in the cream-jug of similar kind. The bread was ofsimple whole-meal, home-baked. The butter was good, since she had madeit herself, while the preserves and honey came from her own garden. Herface beamed with satisfaction when the guest eyed the appointments with asupercilious glance. It was a shock to the poor girl herself, for sheenjoyed offering to a guest the little hospitalities possible to her; butthat had to be sacrificed with other pleasures.
Caswall's face was more set and iron-clad than ever--his piercing eyesseemed from the very beginning to look her through and through.
Herheart quailed when she thought of what would follow--of what would be theend, when this was only the beginning. As some protection, though itcould be only of a sentimental kind, she brought from her own room thephotographs of Mimi, of her grandfather, and of Adam Salton, whom by nowshe had grown to look on with reliance, as a brother whom she couldtrust. She kept the pictures near her heart, to which her hand naturallystrayed when her feelings of constraint, distrust, or fear became sopoignant as to interfere with the calm which she felt was necessary tohelp her through her ordeal.
At first Edgar Caswall was courteous and polite, even thoughtful; butafter a little while, when he found her resistance to his dominationgrow, he abandoned all forms of self-control and appeared in the samedominance as he had previously shown. She was prepared, however, forthis, both by her former experience and the natural fighting instinctwithin her. By this means, as the minutes went on, both developed thepower and preserved the equality in which they had begun.
Without warning, the psychic battle between the two individualities beganafresh. This time both the positive and negative causes were all infavour of the man. The woman was alone and in bad spirits, unsupported;nothing at all was in her favour except the memory of the two victoriouscontests; whereas the man, though unaided, as before, by either LadyArabella or Oolanga, was in full strength, well rested, and inflourishing circumstances. It was not, therefore, to be wondered at thathis native dominance of character had full opportunity of assertingitself. He began his preliminary stare with a conscious sense of power,and, as it appeared to have immediate effect on the girl, he felt an ever-growing conviction of ultimate victory.
After a little Lilla's resolution began to flag. She felt that thecontest was unequal--that she was unable to put forth her best efforts.As she was an unselfish person, she could not fight so well in her ownbattle as in that of someone whom she loved and to whom she was devoted.Edgar saw the relaxing of the muscles of face and brow, and the almostcollapse of the heavy eyelids which seemed tumbling downward in sleep.Lilla made gallant efforts to brace her dwindling powers, but for a timeunsuccessfully. At length there came an interruption, which seemed likea powerful stimulant. Through the wide window she saw Lady Arabellaenter the plain gateway of the farm, and advance towards the hall door.She was clad as usual in tight-fitting white, which accentuated her thin,sinuous figure.
The sight did for Lilla what no voluntary effort could have done. Hereyes flashed, and in an instant she felt as though a new life hadsuddenly developed within her. Lady Arabella's entry, in her usualunconcerned, haughty, supercilious way, heightened the effect, so thatwhen the two stood close to each other battle was joined. Mr. Caswall,too, took new courage from her coming, and all his masterfulness andpower came back to him. His looks, intensified, had more obvious effectthan had been noticeable that day. Lilla seemed at last overcome by hisdominance. Her face became red and pale--violently red and ghastlypale--by rapid turns. Her strength seemed gone. Her knees collapsed,and she was actually sinking on the floor, when to her surprise and joyMimi came into the room, running hurriedly and breathing heavily.
Lilla rushed to her, and the two clasped hands. With that, a new senseof power, greater than Lilla had ever seen in her, seemed to quicken hercousin. Her hand swept the air in front of Edgar Caswall, seeming todrive him backward more and more by each movement, till at last he seemedto be actually hurled through the door which Mimi's entrance had leftopen, and fell at full length on the gravel path without.
Then came the final and complete collapse of Lilla, who, without a sound,sank down on the floor.
CHAPTER XXVI--FACE TO FACE
Mimi was greatly distressed when she saw her cousin lying prone. She hada few times in her life seen Lilla on the verge of fainting, but neversenseless; and now she was frightened. She threw herself on her kneesbeside Lilla, and tried, by rubbing her hands and other measures commonlyknown, to restore her. But all her efforts were unavailing. Lilla stilllay white and senseless. In fact, each moment she looked worse; herbreast, that had been heaving with the stress, became still, and thepallor of her face grew like marble.
At these succeeding changes Mimi's fright grew, till it altogethermastered her. She succeeded in controlling herself only to the extentthat she did not scream.
Lady Arabella had followed Caswall, when he had recovered sufficiently toget up and walk--though stumblingly--in the direction of Castra Regis.When Mimi was quite alone with Lilla and the need for effort had ceased,she felt weak and trembled. In her own mind, she attributed it to asudden change in the weather--it was momentarily becoming apparent that astorm was coming on.
She raised Lilla's head and laid it on her warm young breast, but all invain. The cold of the white features thrilled through her, and sheutterly collapsed when it was borne in on her that Lilla had passed away.
The dusk gradually deepened and the shades of evening closed in, but Mimidid not seem to notice or to care. She sat on the floor with her armsround the body of the girl whom she loved. Darker and blacker grew thesky as the coming storm and the closing night joined forces. Still shesat on--alone--tearless--unable to think. Mimi did not know how long shesat there. Though it seemed to her that ages had passed, it could nothave been more than half-an-hour. She suddenly came to herself, and wassurprised to find that her grandfather had not returned. For a while shelay quiet, thinking of the immediate past. Lilla's hand was still inhers, and to her surprise it was still warm. Somehow this helped herconsciousness, and without any special act of will she stood up. She lita lamp and looked at her cousin. There was no doubt that Lilla was dead;but when the lamp-light fell on her eyes, they seemed to look at Mimiwith intent--with meaning. In this state of dark isolation a newresolution came to her, and grew and grew until it became a fixeddefinite purpose. She would face Caswall and call him to account for hismurder of Lilla--that was what she called it to herself. She would alsotake steps--she knew not what or how--to avenge the part taken by LadyArabella.
In this frame of mind she lit all the lamps in the room, got water andlinen from her room, and set about the decent ordering of Lilla's body.This took some time; but when it was finished, she put on her hat andcloak, put out the lights, and set out quietly for Castra Regis.
As Mimi drew near the Castle, she saw no lights except those in andaround the tower room. The lights showed her that Mr. Caswall was there,so she entered by the hall door, which as usual was open, and felt herway in the darkness up the staircase to the lobby of the room. The doorwas ajar, and the light from within showed brilliantly through theopening. She saw Edgar Caswall walking restlessly to and fro in theroom, with his hands clasped behind his back. She opened the doorwithout knocking, and walked right into the room. As she entered, heceased walking, and stared at her in surprise. She made no remark, nocomment, but continued the fixed look which he had seen on her entrance.
For a time silence reigned, and the two stood looking fixedly at eachother. Mimi was the first to speak.
"You murderer! Lilla is dead!"
"Dead! Good God! When did she die?"
"She died this afternoon, just after you left her."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes--and so are you--or you ought to be. You killed her!"
"I killed her! Be careful what you say!"
"As God sees us, it is true; and you know it. You came to Mercy Farm onpurpose to break her--if you could. And the accomplice of your guilt,Lady Arabella March, came for the same purpose."
"Be careful, woman," he said hotly. "Do not use such names in that way,or you shall suffer for it."
"I am suffering for it--have suffered for it--shall suffer for it. Notfor speaking the truth as I have done, but because you two, with devilishmalignity, did my darling to death. It is you and your accomplice whohave to dread punishment, not I."
"Take care!" he said again.