At the grasp of his strong hand the girl felt a great
gush of confidence rise in her heart; she did exactly
as he told her, scrambled to her feet, and walked
up the slippery way without one slide, holding fast
by Malcolm’s hand, while Joseph kept just feeling
her waist with the loop of the rope as he drew it in.
When she reached the top, she fell, almost fainting,
into her father’s arms; but was recalled to
herself by an exclamation from Blue Peter: just
as Malcolm relinquished her hand, his foot slipped.
But he slid down the side of the mound only some six
or seven feet to the bottom of the chamber, whence
his voice came cheerily, saying he would be with them
in a moment. When, however, ascending by another
way, he rejoined them, they were shocked to see blood
pouring from his foot: he had lighted amongst
broken glass, and had felt a sting, but only now was
aware that the cut was a serious one. He made
little of it, however, bound it up, and, as the marquis
would not now hear of bringing the luncheon to the
top, having, he said, had more than enough of the
place, limped painfully after them down to the shore.
Knowing whither they were bound, and even better acquainted
with the place than Malcolm himself; Mrs Catanach,
the moment she had drawn down her blinds in mourning
for her dog, had put her breakfast in her pocket,
and set out from her back door, contriving mischief
on her way. Arrived at the castle, she waited
a long time before they made their appearance, but
was rewarded for her patience, as she said to herself;
by the luck which had so wonderfully seconded her
cunning. From a broken loophole in the foundation
of a round tower, she now watched them go down the
hill. The moment they were out of sight, she
crept like a fox from his earth, and having actually
crawled beyond danger of discovery, hurried away inland,
to reach Portlossie by footpaths and byways, and there
show herself on her own doorstep.
The woman’s consuming ambition was to possess
power over others —power to hurt them if
she chose—power to pull hidden strings
fastened to their hearts or consciences or history
or foibles or crimes, and so reduce them, in her knowledge,
if not in theirs, to the condition of being, more
or less, her slaves. Hence she pounced upon a
secret as one would on a diamond in the dust, any fact
even was precious, for it might be allied to some
secret—might, in combination with other
facts, become potent. How far this vice may have
had its origin in the fact that she had secrets of
her own, might be an interesting question.
As to the mysterious communication she had made to
her, Lady Florimel was not able to turn her mind to
it—nor indeed for some time was she able
to think of anything.
CHAPTER XLI: THE CLOUDED SAPPHIRES
Before they reached the bottom of the hill, however,
Florimel had recovered her spirits a little, and had
even attempted a laugh at the ridiculousness of her
late situation; but she continued very pale.
They sat down beside the baskets—on some
great stones, fallen from the building above.
Because of his foot, they would not allow Malcolm
to serve them, but told Mair and him to have their
dinner near, and called the former when they wanted
anything.
