“If he finds me there, there’ll happen be trouble,” he replied; “but I’ve t’ same right to be i’ Gordel that he has. Anyway, I’m going.”
“Will you take Jack with you?” she asked anxiously. “James’ll do you a mischief if he can.”
“Aye, take Jack,” said Hannah. “It’s as well to be on t’ safe side.”
“Two ’ud happen bungle it,” he said. “I’m a match for Jim Inman any day. I’ll go now, before either of ’em gets back.”
Nancy returned home, and the gloom of Gordel settled on her spirits as she bolted herself into her prison-house again. The candle had set fire to its paper packing and burnt itself out; but when she drew up the blind a gleam of light entered from the sky and she had no difficulty in replacing the garments on their hooks. When the work was finished she did not undress. A sense of weariness and hopelessness crushed her. Her husband would know that she had tricked him and would make her pay the penalty. What would it be? How long would this sort of thing continue? The long vista of the road she was destined to travel with a husband who hated her and whom she despised spread itself before her. She was afraid, too, for Jagger, and a hundred times over upbraided herself for having sent him into danger, without adequate cause; a hundred times over lamented the curiosity that had moved her to do it. Once or twice it crossed her mind that it would have been better to have seen Maniwel instead of Jagger; he was so sane and strong and dependable—so safe, too; for Nancy shared the prevalent belief or superstition that no real harm could befall Maniwel Drake; but another inward counsellor brushed the suggestion aside.
“He’d say, ‘What business is it of ours? Let him go his own gait; and get you up to bed!’ ”
Troubled as she was, Nancy smiled, for the voice told her that curiosity was stronger than reason, and that at heart it pleased her to know that Jagger would not shirk the adventure. A moment later a shiver ran through her, and her heart beat painfully as she pictured a struggle between two strong men in that lonely ravine. A bank of clouds quenched the light of the young moon, and with her imagination quickened by the darkness that wrapped her round, the vision became so real that she almost screamed, and the sound in her throat roused her.
“You silly fool!” she said aloud. “You’re getting hysterical. Stir yourself!”
She went over to the window and endeavoured to look out, but there was little to be seen except a few faint stars and the black outline of earth that touched the sky.
“I’ll have it out with him,” she determined. “I’ll tell him we’d better separate. He’s got most of the money, and that’s all he cares about. It’ll be a relief to us both!”