April 18, 1896. 
538 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
She had to pass Lord Bewdley’s suite of apart¬ 
ments ; just as she got to the door of his study, he 
came out quickly, knocking up against her, thereby 
upsetting the cup she was carrying, which fell to the 
ground and broke to pieces. 
“ Really, Arthur," she exclaimed, angrily, " I wish 
you would not be so clumsy, rushing along without 
looking in the least where you are going. I thought 
you had gone to bed. That is Eiley's beef tea you 
have upset; I must give the poor child some egg and 
milk now instead.’’ 
■ ■ Do not trouble,’’ replied Lord Bewdley, calmly, 
taking out his handkerchief and wiping some soup 
from his coat sleeve, “ I met Susan a few minutes 
since, and she told me that Eiley was asleep. I would 
not on any account have her awakened ; sleep will do 
her more good than food, so I would prefer you not 
to go up again to-night. I have told Susan to sit up 
with her as I think it is better she should not be left 
alone." 
" My dear Arthur, why did you not say so betore ; 
you know I would only be too pleased to sit up with 
the poor child.” 
•' Thank you, Lady Bewdley ; Susan will do very 
well. I could not think of allowing your ladyship 
to sit up all night; I fear you have already over¬ 
taxed your strength, you look pale and tired, and had 
better retire to your room and rest. To-morrow you 
must take a day off; Susan will look after Eiley. _ I 
have to go up to London for a few hours, but will 
return in the evening.” 
" My dear boy, I could not think of leaving our 
little Eiley to the mercies of rough Susan for so long 
a time.” 
"Iam only ‘ a dear boy ’ when I have my own 
way, Lady Bewdley. Susan is a good girl and very 
much attached to Eiley. I insist upon your taking a 
day’s rest; in fact I shall give Susan strict orders 
not to admit you to the sick-room, or allow you to do 
anything for the invalid during my absence. It 
would never do to have two invalids." 
Lady Bewdley gave a low laugh. 
" Well, as you please, Arthur. You were always a 
wilful feliow. Good-night." 
Upon returning to his room, Lord Bewdley, 
pressing his hands to his head exclaimed, “ Good 
heavens ! I* could not have believed it possible. 
Blind fool that I have been! I see it all now clear 
as noon-day. First my poor father, and now my 
darling Eiley! I was not in time to save the old 
man, but I can prevent this; it is not too late, thank 
heaven ! ' Too late! 1 the very words Hardman 
used, ‘ decide quickly or you may be too late ! ' I did 
not see his meaning at the time, or of his questions ; 
I see it now, he evidently suspected poison and 
wished to give me the hint. Fool! blind fool that I 
was ! How lucky I went on the terrace to smoke. 
I nearly betrayed myself when she poured the con¬ 
tents of that bottle into my darling's broth. If the 
curtain had been fully drawn I should never have 
known ; I caught the diabolical expression of her 
face as I passed, it arrested my steps, and now I 
know the cause of Eiley’s illness." 
■ • i w ill get a special license to-morrow ; make my 
will in Eiley’s favour, and marry her at once After 
that I will deal with her ladyship.” 
The next morning after breakfast, Lord Bewdley 
knocked gently at Eiley's door. Susan promptly 
made her appearance. 
Good morning, Susan ; how is Miss Eiley J ” 
“She do seem a bit better, my lord; though 
dreadful weak. She be asleep just now. my lord.” 
" I have to go to London, Susan ; I hope to return 
this evening. Now I want you to take entire charge 
of Miss Eiley during my absence. Do you think 
you can manage it, in case I should not return until 
the morning ? Were you obliged to sit up the whole 
of the last night, or did you get some sleep ? ” 
" Oh yes, if you please, my lord, Miss^Eiley made 
me lie alongside of her, and the poor dear went to 
sleep quite comfortable like a-holding of my hand . ’ 
“I am glad of that, Susan. Now I want you to 
quite understand that you are to be complete 
mistress of the sick room ; you are not to allow any¬ 
one else to give her food or even to prepare it ; 
you are to do it with your own hands in 
Miss Eiley’s room. She has not been progressing 
favourably under Lady Bewdley’s nursing, so I do 
not wish her to attend Miss Eiley in the future ; I 
would rather she did not go into the room at all. 
Will you undertake it, Susan ? ” 
" Thank you, my lord. You may trust me for I 
will serve you faithful. I will get the things up as 
I'll want to give Miss Eiley afore you goes, and then 
I’ll never leave the room fcr nobody until your lord- 
ship comes back, and I’ll see as no one gives her 
nothing but meself. I promise, honour bright! " 
" I will trust you, Susan; but remember this, if 
you do not obey my orders to the letter, Miss Eiley 
will die ! ” 
" Oh, my lord ; please don't go for to say nothing 
so dreadful! I won’t leave Miss Eiley for sure, and 
if anyone tries for to give her anything, even if it be 
Lady Bewdley herself, I’ll—I’ll^would you mind 
a-leaving of Carlo to help me, my lord ? ” 
“ A very good idea, Susan ; you shall keep Carlo 
up here whilst I am gone. Give these flowers and 
this note to Miss Eiley when she wakes." 
Susan was left in undisturbed possession of the 
sick room until after luncheon, when Lady Bewdley 
made her appearance. 
" I have come to sit with Miss Deane for a few 
minutes, Susan. I cannot remain long as I am not 
feeling very well and Lord Bewdley wished me to rest 
to-day. I will stop with her for fifteen minutes, so 
you can go and get a little fresh air during that 
time." 
" Thank you, my lady, but I don't want no fresh 
air till to-morrow, I'm a-going to stop with Miss 
Eiley." 
Lady Bewdley’s straight brows contracted slightly 
as she replied, coldly, " As you please, Susan.” 
She sat talking to Eiley for nearly half an hour 
and then said, "It is time you had something to take, 
child ; what is there here ? ” 
She walked across to a table which stood behind 
a screen near the door. Carlo, who was lying on the 
rug before the fire, growled as she passed him. 
"Ah, here is some wine and cake.” 
She poured out a glass of wine and was going 
towards Eiley with it when Susan stepped up to her. 
"I beg your pardon, my lady; but Miss Eiley 
mustn’t have that.” 
“What do you mean, girl?" replied Lady 
Bewdley, angrily. 
" I promised bis lordship as no one should give 
Miss Eiley nothing but meself.” 
"Nonsense, girl; his lordship meant when I was 
not present.” 
“ I ain’t a-going to let you give Miss Eiley that 
wine,” said Susan, doggedly, standing between Lady 
Bewdley and the bed. 
" How dare you speak so to me, you impertinent 
girl. Stand aside immediately.” 
Lady Bewdley tried to pass her, but Susan would 
not allow her, and endeavoured to take the glass 
from her hand. 
At this moment, Carlo, who been watching them, 
gave a growl and sprang upon Lady Bewdley, 
knocking her down. 
Susan scolded the dog and sent him back, growl¬ 
ing, to the rug. Turning round to assist Lady 
Bewdley, she found her already risen from the floor ; 
the front of her white gown was stained with the 
wine; her hands were clenched, her lips tightly 
compressed, and her gray eyes looked almost black 
from the intensity of the rage she felt. 
She stood thus for a moment, and then, without 
uttering a word, she swept from the room I he 
folds of her robe caught in the handle of the door 
as she passed; she stopped to disentangle it and 
then disappeared. 
•* My eye, wasn't she in a temper, just! "exclaimed 
Susan. " You naughty Carlo, why did you go for to 
knock her down without my a-telling of you ? I 
hope it didn’t frighten of you, Miss Eiley—oh lor’, 
she’ve been and fainted ! ” 
The excitement had been too much for the sick 
girl. Susan applied restoratives, and after some 
time Eiley recovered consciousness. 
Lady Bewdley did not return, and the remainder 
of the day passed quietly. 
CHAPTER XVI. 
The Fire. 
Lord Bewdley, having obtained a special marriage 
license, went to his solicitor, where he had a will 
drawn up, in which he left all his property, personal 
and real, to Eiley, whether he died before or after 
his marriage with her. This being duly signed, 
attested and securely locked up in one of the safes 
in the office, he drove to Wilfred Graham s lodg¬ 
ings. The curate was in, and delighted to see his 
friend. 
" First of all, allow me to congratulate the future 
Vicar of Bewdley,” cried Lord Bewdley. " Andrews 
leaves next week, so I shall hope to see my dear 
Wilfred and his pretty Gertrude installed at 
Bewdley Vicarage very shortly. Do not thank me, 
old man. I am in trouble and want your assistance ; 
so just listen, there's a good fellow, whilst 1 give 
you an outline of what has been taking place at the 
Manor." 
The curate was inexpressibly shocked at what 
his friend then told him about Lady Bewdley. 
“ Good heavens ! ” he exclaimed, “ Are you quite 
certain, Arthur ? It seems so horrible. Poison! I 
cannot realise it." 
I am quite certain, Wilfred. I saw Lady 
Bewdley put it into the broth, and distinctly over¬ 
heard her say, ‘ I should like to put it all in, but it 
would not be safe just yet! ’ No, there is not any 
mistake about it, Wilfred ; it is too true." 
" But were you not afraid to leave Miss Deane 
alone at the Manor under the circumstances ? ” 
“ I was compelled to come up to town to get a 
special marriage license. I purpose marrying Eiley 
to-morrow, and want you to unite us, Wilfred. Will 
you be free to come to Bewdley ? ” 
“ Yes, I will make arrangements. But would it 
not be advisable to go down to-night, Arthur ? ” 
" Certainly, I wish we could, for although I have 
left Eiley in good and honest hands, I have a sort of 
uncomfortable feeling, as if things were not going 
quite right. However, it is of no use talking about it, 
as the last train leaves at 8.5, and it is now too late 
to catch it. That prosy old lawyer kept me such an 
unconscionable time.” 
"Your watch must be fast, Arthur,” said the 
curate, taking his own from his pocket. “It wants five 
minutes to eight now, so there is just ten minutes ; 
we could catch it easily ” 
"We will try, anyhow, Wilfred,” cried Lord 
Bewdley, excitedly. 
The curate wrote a hurried note to his Vicar, and 
in a quarter of an hour the two friends were in a 
first-class compartment en route for Bewdley. 
It was a quarter short of midnight when the train 
steamed into the little country station. Lord Bewdley 
was surprised not to find his carriage waiting, as he 
had sent a telegram ordering it. 
" There is nothing for it, Wilfred, but to walk. I 
hope you do not feel very tired old man ; it is a good 
four miles to the Manor." 
"I shall enjoy it,” replied his friend.” "The 
walk will do us good.” 
" How red the sky looks to night," remarked the 
curate ; " do you notice it Arthur ?” 
" Yes, now you mention it. It looks almost as if 
there was a fire somewhere. Some unfortunate 
farmer's rick 1 expect.” 
They had covered about another half mile of the 
road, when passing a labourer’s cottage they over¬ 
heard the man, who was standing at the gate with 
his wife, talking about a fire. ' 
Lord Bewdley, stopping, called to him : 
“What makes the sky so red, Thornton ? Is there 
a fire anywhere ?” 
“ Lor', my lord, is it you ? “Don’t your lordship 
know; it be the Manor afire! John, the gardener, 
told me as he rode p3st agoing for the fire engine— 
Here, wife ! bring a drink of water, I think his lord- 
ship be a bit faint.” 
Lord Bewdley had staggered, and would have 
fallen to the ground if his friend had not supported 
him. 
"Thank you, my good woman,” he said faintly as 
he took the water she offered him ; "I shall be all 
right directly. I turned a little giddy, that is all.” 
The cold water quickly revived him ; asking 
Thornton to come with them, the three men ran as 
fast as they could for the burning house. 
It was a grand though terrible sight which met 
their view when they arrived. The fire had got a 
tremendous hold upon the handsome building ; large 
tongues of flame were issuing from the lower 
windows, reddening the sky, illuminating the park, 
and throwing a lurid light upon the faces of the 
scared servants and villagers who looked on. The 
fire was raging the fiercest in the left wing of the 
mansion ; some of the men were playing upon it with 
a hose which had no more effect than if it had been 
a child's toy. 
"Is everyone out of the Manor?” shouted Lord 
Bewdley, rushing upon the scene. 
“ All but the young lady and Susan, my lord,” 
replied one of the men excitedly. " And we can’t 
get near them for the flames. Susan w as up at that 
window calling for help till a few minutes ago, when 
the fire and smoke from the lower window drove her 
back. Its too high for her to jump, and the stair¬ 
case is all ablaze.” 
Arthur Bewdley heard little more than the first 
few words of what the man said. Seeing it was 
impossible to get into the burning house by the 
front, he rushed round to the back. Here he succeeded 
in forcing an entrance through ODe of the windows ; 
passing swiftly through the passage, he reached the 
back staircase ; this he mounted rapidly as far as the 
second landing, where he was met by a rush of fire 
and smoke issuing from one of the rooms. He 
staggered for a moment almost stifled ; then making 
a desperate rush he passed the landing and gained 
the stairs. Another moment and he was at Eiley’s 
door ; it was locked ! 
“Susan!” he shouted, "Susan, open the door! 
For heaven’s sake make haste ! ” 
There was no response save a smothered whine 
from Carlo. He tried to force the door, but without 
success. 
" Susan ! ” he called again in despair, " Susan ! I 
cannot save you if you do not unlock the door. Make 
an effort, there's a brave girl ! ’’ 
An answer came like a whisper through the 
roaring of the flames : “ It's locked on the outside, 
my lord. Oh, we’re a-smothering ! ” 
Locked on the outside—then where was the key ? 
" It must have been done purposely, Arthur. 
Perhaps our combined strengtb»may force the door.” 
"You here, Wilfred ! Thank Heaven ! ” 
" I followed you. Now let’s try the door. Quick, 
or we shall be too late : I qgm scarcely breathe 
now! ” 
They were both strong men, but the first blow 
made not the least impression upon the door ; a 
second—third. 
" It gives ! ” cried the curate. " Now ! " They gave 
another tremendous blow and the door fell in with a 
crash. The two friends rushed in, quite unable to 
distinguish anything on account of the dense smoke. 
They went upon their hands and knees to get a little 
more air. 
Calling the girls by name, they groped along the 
floor, but there was no answer. They were beginning 
to fear the heat and smoke would overcome them, 
when Arthur felt his sleeve gently pulled ; stretching 
out his hand he felt Carlo. " Where are they, old 
man? Take me to them, good dog,” he said ex¬ 
citedly. 
The poor beast could only just crawl; nevertheless 
he led his master to the prostrate bodies of 
Eiley and Susjn which were lying near the window. 
" Get a blanket from the bed, Wilfred," cried 
