BOUT ten minutes later, the bell rang for tea, and, as
Virginia did not come down, Mrs. Otis sent up one of the footmen
to tell her. After a little time he returned and said that he
could not find Miss Virginia anywhere. As she was in the habit
of going out to the garden every evening to get flowers for the
dinner-table, Mrs. Otis was not at all alarmed at first, but
when six o'clock struck, and Virginia did not appear, she became
really agitated, and sent the boys out to look for her, while
she herself and Mr. Otis searched every room in the house. At
half-past six the boys came back and said that they could find
no trace of their sister anywhere. They were all now in the greatest
state of excitement, and did not know what to do, when Mr. Otis
suddenly remembered that, some few days before, he had given
a band of gypsies permission to camp in the park. He accordingly
at once set off for Blackfell Hollow, where he knew they were,
accompanied by his eldest son and two of the farm-servants. The
little Duke of Cheshire, who was perfectly frantic with anxiety,
begged hard to be allowed to go too, but Mr. Otis would not allow
him, as he was afraid there might be a scuffle. On arriving at
the spot, however, he found that the gypsies had gone, and it
was evident that their departure had been rather sudden, as the
fire was still burning, and some plates were lying on the grass.
Having sent off Washington and the two men to scour the district,
he ran home, and despatched telegrams to all the police inspectors
in the county, telling them to look out for a little girl who
had been kidnapped by tramps or gypsies. He then ordered his
horse to be brought round, and, after insisting on his wife and
the three boys sitting down to dinner, rode off down the Ascot
Road with a groom. He had hardly, however, gone a couple of miles
when he heard somebody galloping after him, and, looking round,
saw the little Duke coming up on his pony, with his face very
flushed and no hat. 'I'm awfully sorry, Mr. Otis,' gasped out
the boy, 'but I can't eat any dinner as long as Virginia is lost.
Please, don't be angry with me; if you had let us be engaged
last year, there would never have been all this trouble. You
won't send me back, will you? I can't go! I won't go!'The Minister could not help smiling
at the handsome young scapegrace, and was a good deal touched
at his devotion to Virginia, so leaning down from his horse,
he patted him kindly on the shoulders, and said, 'Well, Cecil,
if you won't go back I suppose you must come with me, but I must
get you a hat at Ascot.' 'Oh, bother my hat! I want Virginia!'
cried the little Duke, laughing, and they galloped on to the
railway station. There Mr. Otis inquired of the station-master
if any one answering the description of Virginia had been seen
on the platform, but could get no news of her. The station-master,
however, wired up and down the line, and assured him that a strict
watch would be kept for her, and, after having bought a hat for
the little Duke from a linen-draper, who was just putting up
his shutters, Mr. Otis rode off to Bexley, a village about four
miles away, which he was told was a well-known haunt of the gypsies,
as there was a large common next to it. Here they roused up the
rural policeman, but could get no information from him, and,
after riding all over the common, they turned their horses' heads
homewards, and reached the Chase about eleven o'clock, dead-tired
and almost heart-broken. They found Washington and the twins
waiting for them at the gate-house with lanterns, as the avenue
was very dark. Not the slightest trace of Virginia had been discovered.
The gypsies had been caught on Brockley meadows, but she was
not with them, and they had explained their sudden departure
by saying that they had mistaken the date of Chorton Fair, and
had gone off in a hurry for fear they might be late. Indeed,
they had been quite distressed at hearing of Virginia's disappearance,
as they were very grateful to Mr. Otis for having allowed them
to camp in his park, and four of their number had stayed behind
to help in the search. The carp-pond had been dragged, and the
whole Chase thoroughly gone over, but without any result. It
was evident that, for that night at any rate, Virginia was lost
to them; and it was in a state of the deepest depression that
Mr Otis and the boys walked up to the house, the groom following
behind with the two horses and the pony. In the hall they found
a group of frightened servants, and lying on a sofa in the library
was poor Mrs. Otis, almost out of her mind with terror and anxiety,
and having her forehead bathed with eau-de- cologne by the old
housekeeper. Mr. Otis at once insisted on her having something
to eat, and ordered up supper for the whole party. It was a melancholy
meal, as hardly any one spoke, and even the twins were awestruck
and subdued, as they were very fond of their sister. When they
had finished, Mr. Otis, in spite of the entreaties of the little
Duke, ordered them all to bed, saying that nothing more could
be done that night, and that he would telegraph in the morning
to Scotland Yard for some detectives to be sent down immediately.
Just as they were passing out of the dining-room, midnight began
to boom from the clock tower, and when the last stroke sounded
they heard a crash and a sudden shrill cry; a dreadful peal of
thunder shook the house, a strain of unearthly music floated
through the air, a panel at the top of the staircase flew back
with a loud noise, and out on the landing, looking very pale
and white, with a little casket in her hand, stepped Virginia.
In a moment they had all rushed up to her. Mrs. Otis clasped
her passionately in her arms, the Duke smothered her with violent
kisses, and the twins executed a wild war-dance round the group. 'Good heavens! child, where have
you been?' said Mr. Otis, rather angrily, thinking that she had
been playing some foolish trick on them. 'Cecil and I have been
riding all over the country looking for you, and your mother
has been frightened to death. You must never play these practical
jokes any more.' 'Except on the Ghost! except
on the Ghost!' shrieked the twins, as they capered about. 'My own darling, thank God you
are found; you must never leave my side again,' murmured Mrs.
Otis, as she kissed the trembling child, and smoothed the tangled
gold of her hair. 'Papa,' said Virginia quietly,
'I have been with the Ghost. He is dead, and you must come and
see him. He had been very wicked, but he was really sorry for
all that he had done, and he gave me this box of beautiful jewels
before he died.' The whole family gazed at her
in mute amazement, but she was quite grave and serious; and,
turning round, she led them through the opening in the wainscoting
down a narrow secret corridor, Washington following with a lighted
candle, which he had caught up from the table. Finally, they
came to a great oak door, studded with rusty nails. When Virginia
touched it, it swung back on its heavy hinges, and they found
themselves in a little low room, with a vaulted ceiling, and
one tiny grated window. Imbedded in the wall was a huge iron
ring, and chained to it was a gaunt skeleton, that was stretched
out at full length on the stone floor, and seemed to be trying
to grasp with its long fleshless fingers an old-fashioned trencher
and ewer, that were placed just out of its reach. The jug had
evidently been once filled with water, as it was covered inside
with green mould. There was nothing on the trencher but a pile
of dust. Virginia knelt down beside the skeleton, and, folding
her little hands together, began to pray silently, while the
rest of the party looked on in wonder at the terrible tragedy
whose secret was now disclosed to them. 'Hallo!' suddenly exclaimed one
of the twins, who had been looking out of the window to try and
discover in what wing of the house the room was situated. 'Hallo!
the old withered almond-tree has blossomed. I can see the flowers
quite plainly in the moonlight.' 'God has forgiven him,' said
Virginia gravely, as she rose to her feet, and a beautiful light
seemed to illumine her face. 'What an angel you are!' cried
the young Duke, and he put his arm round her neck and kissed
her.
[Chapter Seven]
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