And as she lay.there she thought she heard sounds outside—slow stealthy footsteps.
It could not be Fermor. He would not leave Caroline on their wedding night. It was someone going downstairs for something. She must remember that there were many people in the house.
But it seemed to her that the footsteps paused outside her door.
She was trembling and tense, aware of immense relief because she had locked the door.
Then she saw something white lying on the carpet. The faint creaking of boards outside her door told her that whoever had come along the corridor had slipped that note under her door.
She got out of bed and picked it up. A little flower fell from it.
On the paper was scrawled in a bold hand which she knew at once must be his: "They say these flowers cure madness. They bring a state of calm reason. It is only a Christmas rose, but all flowers are the same inasmuch as they share the common fate of all things rare."
She wrapped up the flower in the paper and burned them in the candle flame.
He was callous and brutal. She was thankful that she could turn to L£on and never think of him again.
In the early hours of the next day, the storm began to rise. The rain lashed the windows and the wind moaned and howled about the house.
Melisande was unable to sleep for long; all through the hours of that morning she had dozed and been awakened by the gusts of wind that seemed to shake even Trevenning to its foundations.
Each time she woke it was as though in a panic. Afterwards she thought that the storm had been like a dramatic herald of tragedy.
When she rose from her bed and stood at the window, she could see the roaring raging sea tossing the foam in the air; she could see it frothing about the rocks that looked like angry black guards defending the land against the seething monster.
Everyone was sleepy after the revels of the preceding night. Sir Charles warned his guests that it would be unwise to go near the edge of the cliffs in such weather; in a wind like this one, people had been blown over and into the sea.
No one ventured out of doors, for all through the morning the rain was beating down; but in the afternoon it stopped, though the wind was as furious as ever.
Melisande was about to go out to meet Leon when Sir Charles intercepted her.
"Surely you are not going out in this?"
"Just a litde way."
"I shouldn't if I were you . . . unless it is very important."
"Well, I suppose it is not really important. It could wait until to-morrow."
He smiled at her in the wistful way he did when they were alone. "Then let it wait. The gusts are terrific on the cliffs. By to-morrow it may have calmed down. Our storms soon tire themselves out."
She thanked him and went back to her room. She stood for some time at the window watching the angry waves. The storm continued and it grew too late to think of going out that day. But how she wished next day that she had gone out to meet Leon. She could not help feeling then that had she gone everything might have turned out differently.
There was more merrymaking in the great hall and in the servants' hall that night, but Melisande joined neither party. She pleaded a headache and stayed in her room. She could not have borne to exchange words with Fermor at that time.
That night she slept well, being tired out; and when she awoke in the morning, the sun was shining and the fields and stubby fir trees were a glistening green; the sea was almost as calm as a lake—a pale blue-green.
When Peg brought her breakfast to the little room in which she had her meals, she knew at once that something had happened. Peg's face expressed that excitement which was in people's faces when they had exciting news to impart, whether the news was pleasant or unpleasant. But as Peg caught her eye she set her face into tragic lines, so Melisande knew that this was tragic news.
Peg burst out: "Oh, Mamazel, there be terrible news. One of the men has come straight back with it. Mrs. Soady said to prepare you gentle like."
"What is it, Peg?"
How long she seemed to take to speak, and why did Melisande immediately think of Fermor and Caroline. Peg's next words dispelled that picture which was forming. "It's the little boy . . . the little duke . . . the French duke."
"What, Peg?"
"A terrible accident. It were yesterday afternoon when the winds was so fierce. He was out with the Mounseer. They was on the jetty. 'Twas a foolish place to go when all do know it be special dangerous. He were blown into the sea."
"Both.* . .ofthem?"
"No, only the little one. He were lost... in the sea."
"And Monsieur de la Roche?"
"Well, he could do nothing, you see. It seems he b'ain't no swimmer. Not that he'd have had all that chance if he'd been as fine a life-saver as Jack Pengelly."
"But . . . tell me, Peg. Tell me everything."
"The little body was washed up in the night."
"Dead!"
"Couldn't be no other . . . seeing as he'd been in the sea nigh on ten hours."
"And . . ."
"The Mounseer . . . he's heart-broken, they do say. You see, the little 'un was blown over and he not being able to swim could only run for help. He got hold of Jack Pengelly and he dived in twice. 'Twere like a boiling cauldron, they do say. Mark Biddle went in too. 'Twere no good."
"I must go and see him."
"Mrs. Soady said she reckoned that's what you'd want to do."
Meiisande picked up her cloak and ran downstairs. She heard Mrs. Soady talking as she came into the servants' hall. Mrs. Soady was saying: "Well, that's what I heard, and 'twould seem to be so. Out on the jetty on an afternoon like that! And the little 'un going in and him just running for help. Of course, there's a fortune in it. So perhaps ..."
No! thought Meiisande. No! It's not true.
Mrs. Soady had abruptly stopped talking.
"So, my dear, you have heard the news?"
"Peg told me. You mustn't think ... He wouldn't . . ."
"Oh, 'twas a terrible tragedy. They do say the Mounseer be well nigh heart-broken. Where be going, Mamazel?"
"I'm going to see him. I must see him."
"William will take 'ee in the carriage. I be sure Sir Charles would not say no to that. Bet, you run and tell William."
"Thank you, Mrs. Soady."
"There, my dear, don't 'ee take on. 'Tis the sort of thing that do happen in these terrible storms. There's been many lost on that jetty. A snare it be, and should by rights be roped off on such days."
"What did you mean when you said there was a fortune in it?"
"My dear life! Did I say that? You must have misunderstood me. I just said what a bit of bad fortune, I reckon, and how the Mounseer was heart-broken at what have happened."
Meiisande stared before her. She thought: They will say cruel things about him. Even kind people like Mrs. Soady will believe those cruel things about him.
Mrs. Soady looked at Mr. Meaker and shook her head. There were times, thought Mrs. Soady, when silence was a virtue. Least said was soonest mended. She didn't like this. She didn't like it at all; and she had taken the little Mamazel under her wing and would protect her from the wickedness of the world.
176 IT BEGAN IN VAUXHALL GARDENS
Bet came in to say that the carriage was waiting, and hastily Melisande ran out to it.