Now it seems that during the day the Baron had been unable to learn
the result of his attempt to return Margery in time for the event he
had interrupted. Wishing, for obvious reasons, to avoid direct
inquiry by messenger, and being too unwell to go far himself, he
could learn no particulars. He was sitting in thought after a lonely
dinner when the parcel intimating failure as brought in. The
footman, whose curiosity had been excited by the mode of its arrival,
peeped through the keyhole after closing the door, to learn what the
packet meant. Directly the Baron had opened it he thrust out his
feet vehemently from his chair, and began cursing his ruinous conduct
in bringing about such a disaster, for the return of the locket
denoted not only no wedding that day, but none to-morrow, or at any
time.
'I have done that innocent woman a great wrong!' he murmured.
'Deprived her of, perhaps, her only opportunity of becoming mistress
of a happy home!'
CHAPTER X
A considerable period of inaction followed among all concerned.
Nothing tended to dissipate the obscurity which veiled the life of
the Baron. The position he occupied in the minds of the country-folk
around was one which combined the mysteriousness of a legendary
character with the unobtrusive deeds of a modern gentleman. To this
day whoever takes the trouble to go down to Silverthorn in Lower
Wessex and make inquiries will find existing there almost a
superstitious feeling for the moody melancholy stranger who resided
in the Lodge some forty years ago.
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