VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

"I WISH YOU SUCCESS."

"Gone at last, my dear!" exclaimed Mrs Bolter. "I'm sure that woman will drive me mad." Then, turning to the Resident--"I feel now, Mr Harley, as if I ought to have opposed it much more strenuously. I don't like his running up and down the country like this, and I'm very much troubled about it. Of course I don't put any faith in what such a woman as that Mrs Barlow would say, but she would keep hinting that there is more in these journeys than we know of. I feel, of course, that I ought not to stoop to notice such remarks, but when one is left like this they will make an impression. I don't think the doctor ought to have gone away and left me alone."

"I sincerely wish that he had not gone," said the Resident; "but Doctor Bolter's ardent love of natural history and his belief in discovery must be his excuses for a great deal."

"Yes, yes, I know!" cried the little woman excitedly; and a severe mental struggle was evidently going on to keep back something upon her mind. But it was all in vain. The pa.s.sionate feeling of jealousy that had been lit by the foolish tongue of the woman who had been constantly coming in and harping upon the theme, now began to glow, and in spite of her efforts the anger fanned the flame, till, in a gust of pa.s.sion that made her cheeks burn with shame for her question, she turned suddenly upon the Resident.

"I know it is a shame and a sin to say such a thing, but I can't help it now. I think it's your hot climate here has changed me, and made me what I am--but you are going up the river on this expedition Mr Harley?"

"Yes, of course."

"Will you wait for him?"

"For the doctor? I'm afraid we must not wait much longer."

"Then will you go to that woman's as you pa.s.s up the river, and make a thorough search? I'm ashamed to say it, but I feel perfectly sure that Doctor Bolter is there."

"Where? At the Inche Maida's?" said the Resident, wonderingly.

"Yes. I am sure he is there."

"And I am certain that he is not!" cried Hilton, so warmly that the Resident glanced at him.

"But I--I'm greatly afraid he is," panted Mrs Bolter. "Mrs Barlow said that she felt sure it must be so, and I've made a very, very great mistake in leaving my quiet little home in England, and letting my brother accept this chaplaincy."

"Dear Mrs Bolter--pray hush!" whispered Grey, as her cheeks burned with shame. "It cannot be as you say."

"My dear Mrs Bolter!" cried the Resident.

"He would not of course of his own ideas," sobbed Mrs Bolter, who was now thoroughly unhinged; "but he must have called there when looking for gold, or insects, or birds, and been deluded into staying at that dreadful woman's house."

"I'll swear it is not so," said Hilton, warmly. "There, there, my dear Mrs Bolter, you may make yourself easy on that score! I'll answer for our old friend the doctor."

"Bless you, Mr Hilton!" sobbed the little woman, catching at his hands; "it is very, very good of you to say this. I never liked you one-half so well before."

"You are upset," said Hilton, warmly, "and no wonder. Your anxiety must be terrible, and I can understand that you feel ready to s.n.a.t.c.h at any explanation of his long absence; but my dear Mrs Bolter, give us men the credit of being a little too strong to be so easily led away."

He spoke in so frank and manly a tone, as he stood holding Mrs Bolter's hands, that Grey's eyes lit up, and she darted a look at him full of pride and thanks. But it was not seen, for Hilton was looking down at poor, troubled little Mrs Bolter, whose secret, one of which she felt bitterly ashamed, was now out.

She was burning with jealousy, for she idolised her husband; and the love that had so long lain latent seemed to be all the stronger for its long quiescence. She disowned the idea of being jealous to herself, and was about to burst into a furious speech; but her effort to govern herself succeeded.

Shame and vexation covered her as with a garment; and hiding her face in her hands, she sank back in her chair, sobbing as if her heart would break!

Grey knelt down at her side as Hilton drew back, wrinkling his brow, half with vexation, half with contempt, as he looked now at the Resident.

Mr Harley returned the glance, and they both stood looking on, wanting to leave but hardly liking to stir, as poor little Mrs Bolter sobbed forth her trouble, with her head buried now in Grey Stuart's breast.

"We cannot wait longer," said the Resident at last; "we must go and risk it. If we have any casualties, we must trust to our own surgical knowledge, and do the best we can."

"Yes," said Hilton; "every minute is precious; but I am afraid that we are going to a war of words, and not to a war of weapons. Let us go.

Perhaps Mrs Bolter will beg of the doctor to come after us in one of the small boats if we miss him on our way up."

"Stop a minute," said Mrs Bolter, recovering herself by an effort, and standing up, red of eye and cheek. "He will not come back here while you are gone, and I will hesitate no longer. I shall go with you!"

"Go with us?" cried the Resident and Hilton in a breath.

"Yes," said the little woman, decidedly. "I shall go!"

"But it is impossible!" cried the Resident. "There may be fighting!"

"Then you would want help. I do know a little surgery, and more nursing; so I could be of great service."

"But, my dear Mrs Bolter!" cried Hilton.

"Now, it is of no use for you to talk!" cried the little lady. "I feel it is a duty that I am called upon to fulfil. There is my brother somewhere up in those dreadful jungles, as thoughtless and as helpless as a child. He is all strength in goodness and spiritual matters; but as to taking care of himself, he is like a baby. I know he is lost!"

"It is very good of you," said the Resident, warmly; "but, my dear Mrs Bolter, pray trust to us to find all our missing people. You know what Doctor Bolter is."

"Yes--no--yes--no!" she cried, pa.s.sionately. "I don't quite know him yet; but I know my duty as his--his--wife. I shall go: for if he has, through his weakness, been led into any entanglement with that wretched, wicked black creature, I know and I feel, that at any suffering to myself, I ought to go and fetch him back--and I will!"

As she said this in a fierce determined way, the two officers gazed again in each other's faces, amused, vexed, troubled, puzzled; for what, they silently asked each other, were they to do?

"Mrs Bolter--dear Mrs Bolter!" said Grey Stuart, solving the problem for them, as, in a tender, womanly way, she pa.s.sed her arm round the determined little lady, and drew her to her breast, "you are angry and upset by your trouble; but you will--no--you cannot do this thing! You love dear Doctor Bolter too well to misjudge him. Pray, pray think of the pain it would give him, did he know that you had thought and spoken like this!"

"And--and as I never did before--before--he came and--and disturbed my quiet life at home!" cried the little woman. "You--you are right, my darling! I--I couldn't do such a thing; and I wouldn't have said it only--only--I am half mad! Don't--don't recollect all this, Harley-- Captain Hilton! It is of course impossible! Go at once--and--bring him back to me, for this suspense is more than I can bear!"

"We'll do our best," said the Resident. "There, cheer up. We'll forget all this, and so will you when our dear old friend is back. Tell him we wanted his help and counsel badly, but we could not wait. Tell him, too, that I share his suspicions."

"Suspicions?" cried little Mrs Bolter, firing up once more.

"Yes, on the subject we discussed," said the Resident, gravely, as he shook hands. "There, good-bye. Wish us success."

"Yes, wish us success," said Hilton, taking her hand. "I pledge you my word that you are right in what you now think about the doctor, who is as true a little gentleman as ever breathed!"

Poor little Mrs Bolter uttered a sob, and raised Hilton's hand to her lips and kissed it for the words he had uttered, for she dared not trust herself to speak!

"Good-bye," said the Resident again. "All this is as good as dead, and quite forgotten!"

"Yes, yes," said little Mrs Bolter. "You will keep a sharp look-out for dear Arthur. I feel sure he is wandering about somewhere, half-starved, but loaded with specimens that he has found."

"Good-bye, Miss Stuart," said Hilton, in a low, grave voice, for he felt deeply moved, and his heart had seemed to swell within his breast as he looked on while she had seemed to lead and control her excited, pa.s.sion-swayed friend. "Wish me success, for I shall try, while I have life, to restore to you your unfortunate friend."

"Yes," she said, softly; and the sad tears stood in her eyes. "I wish you success."