"What does it all mean?" Miss Graham asked herself. "Surely she cannot
intend to elope with this Carrington. She may be wicked; but she cannot
be so insane as to throw away wealth and position for the sake of this
foreign adventurer."
She waited, almost breathless with excitement, crouching amongst the
brushwood at the top of the woody bank, and looking downward towards
the fir-grove, with watchful eyes. She had not to wait long. Victor
appeared in a few minutes, out of breath from running.
"Have you given orders about the carriage?"
"Yes, I have given all necessary orders."
No more was said. Victor handed Lady Eversleigh into the vehicle, and
drove away--slowly while they were still on the edge of the wood; but
accelerating his pace as they emerged upon the moorland.
"It _is_ an elopement!" exclaimed Miss Graham, whose astonishment was
unbounded. "It _is_ an elopement! The infamous creature has gone off
with that penniless young man. And now, Sir Oswald, I think you will
have good reason to repent your fine romantic marriage with a base-born
adventuress, whom nobody ever heard of until she burst forth upon the
world as Lady Eversleigh of Raynham Castle."
Filled with the triumphant delight of gratified malice, Lydia Graham
went back to the broad greensward by the Wizard's Cave. The gentlemen
had now left the marquee; the full moon was rising, round and yellow,
on the horizon, like a great globe of molten gold.
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