He stared, his blue eyes prominent. "I know?"
"Of course you know. We quarrelled about you".
"Well, all I can say is, you were damn silly women".
"We were. But that is our nature, and our misfortune. She was lucky that I did no more than take my riding-crop to her back".
Philip stood transfixed. "Good God!" he exclaimed.
Adeline laughed. "Oh, she struck back at me! She was not at all crushed. She rode off in a rage. She is probably playing a game of being lost in the forest, just to frighten me".
"A risky game. Adeline, you may be sorry for this".
She flung out, "Sorry for punishing a base female who tried to seduce my husband! No-if a thousand wolves, bears or wildcats tear her to bits, I shall not be sorry! In any case I did not lose her. She lost herself. And she will be found. I’m certain of that".
They joined the others who were mounted for the search. All the labourers from the estate, the farm-hands from the neighbourhood, the men and boys from the village, armed with guns or lanterns, riding or on foot, were gathered by nightfall to help in the recovery of Daisy.
Adeline led them to the spot where the two horses had risen on their hind legs to face each other like symbolic beasts on a coat-of-arms. A good deal of speculation was caused by the scattered and uneven hoofprints. What had the two ladies been doing? She herself was surprised by the hoofprints. What had passed now seemed like a dream.
It was easy to follow Pixie’s hoofprints to where she had turned homeward. They ran on smoothly for about three miles, following the path, then abruptly wheeled. The ground was trodden a little as though she had stood for a space. But there was no trace of Daisy. Adeline returned to Jalna with her brothers for escort. All night, in moonlight and after the moon sank, the search went on. Guns were fired; the men shouted; the beams of lanterns penetrated dark thickets where the foot of man had not yet trodden. A thousand birds were startled from their sleep. A thousand wild creatures trembled in their burrows. But there was no trace of Daisy.
When the searchers returned the next morning, worn out, a fresh party was formed. It was headed by Colonel Vaughan and, though Philip had been out all night, he returned to the search. Men came from a distance. The whole countryside was aroused. Daisy’s tragic case laid a shadow across every hearth.
At the end of the fourth day, Philip came into the library where Adeline was embroidering an altar-cloth for the new church. He looked tired out. He threw himself into a chair opposite her and remarked:
"You look nice and cool".
"I am", she returned, putting her needle into the heart of a lily. But her hand trembled.
"It is well", he observed severely, "to be able to detach yourself so completely from what is going on about you".
"If you mean that I should be rending my garments in anguish over Daisy, I don’t see any sense in it. She will be found".
"I wish you’d go out and find her, if you’re so damned sure. Egad, I’m tired enough!"
"She’ll come back". Adeline spoke doggedly.
"How can you know?"
"I feel it". Never must she let go that feeling!
"You have never before pretended to any occult power".
"It isn’t occult. It’s just a feeling".
"Well, I wish the rest of us felt that way. We are getting discouraged. The farmers are neglecting their crops. David Vaughan has offered a hundred pounds’ reward for her discovery".
"That ought to help".
"Your attitude", he said, rising, "is odious".
"So is Daisy", she returned hotly.
The next day Wilmott came to see Adeline. He looked pale and anxious. Adeline was wheeling the perambulator up and down in front of the house with her two sons in it. After greeting her and admiring the babies, Wilmott fell into step with her and exclaimed:
"I am worried almost to death".
She turned to him in dismay. "Have you heard from Henrietta?"
"No, no, not that. But bad enough".
"What then, James?"
"It’s about Tite. He has disappeared".
"Since when?"
"Since the morning Miss Vaughan was lost. He set out that morning to spend two days with his relations. He has not come back. I grew so anxious yesterday that I rode to where the Indians live. I found his grandmother and she told me very vaguely that he had gone to an Indian Reserve to visit some cousins. He had left no message. That wasn’t like Tite. It is now five days since he left. My God, I’m afraid something terrible has happened".
"But Indians are vague as to time, aren’t they?"
"Not Tite. He has a cool, clear-cut mind. What is tormenting me is the thought-the suspicion-well, I may as well tell you… Daisy Vaughan was attracted by him. She let him see that she was attracted. He repeated things she had said to him. To be sure he is only a boy. But he is of mixed blood-savage blood! What if he discovered her that morning in the woods?"
Thoughts of rape and murder flashed like horrid lightning through Adeline’s mind. Her heart trembled. Still she said as sturdily as before:
"Daisy will be found alive. I’m sure of it".
She was right. Two days later Philip came to her, almost running in his excitement.
"She is found!" he cried, his blue eyes bright in his relief. "Daisy Vaughan is safe at her uncle’s!"
"I told you!" she cried, her voice very young and clear. "I told you! Who found her?"
"That half-breed boy of Wilmott’s. Young Tite. He’d been visiting his people and he was on his way back. He found her in a shelter some Indians had once built of boughs when they were hunting. She’d lived on berries all the while".
"Have you seen her?"
"No. Robert Vaughan just galloped over to tell us. There’ll be great rejoicing. Come, and he’ll tell us all about it".
"Is she well?"
"Quite uninjured but pretty bedraggled, poor girl. Oh, Adeline, when I think of your part in this, I’m thankful she is found, I can tell you!"
"So am I!" she cried. Bursting into tears, she flung herself into his arms. "Oh, Philip, let this be a lesson to you!"
XXI. The Reward
Adeline and Philip found Robert Vaughan sitting on the porch. He did not look as elated as she had expected. But he smiled as he rose and came to shake hands.
"I could not go indoors", he said. "My boots were so muddy. Well, what do you think of the news? We’re thankful, you may be sure. My mother especially. She has worried herself ill".
"I know", said Adeline, "and so have I. Even though I felt from the first that Daisy would be found".
"It’s a miracle she survived", said Philip. "Now sit down and tell us all about it. Is she pretty weak?"
"No, she’s not particularly weak", answered Robert almost guardedly. "But she’s very thin. Her riding-habit is fairly torn to ribbons by the brambles".
They sat down on the oak bench and Adeline’s eyes searched Robert’s face. She wished she had him alone. She said, "Now begin at the very beginning and tell all-when did you get the first word of her?"
"My father was dozing in his armchair on the verandah. He was done out, for he’d been away from home for the last two days and had almost no sleep or rest. He’s not a young man, you know. Well, he heard a step and he gave a great start because he was always hoping Daisy would walk in just that way. But it was Mr. Wilmott’s half-breed boy, Tite, and he came right up to father and said, ’Boss, I’ve found your lost girl’".
"What a moment!" exclaimed Adeline. "Ah, I wish I’d been there!"
"My father could scarcely believe Tite at first but he was soon convinced. Tite had been visiting in the Reserve and on the way home he heard a voice crying in a sort of wigwam of boughs and saplings that Indians had made a long while ago. He went in and there was Daisy lying on the ground weeping. She’d given up all hope".