Chapter XXXII:
The Tidings of Lucretia's Death Reach Lord Winslow
AFTER Lucretia left the cabin, Zina and the deaf fisherman changed the drowned woman's clothing, placed the chain and claw around her neck and returned her where she was formerly. They capsized his boat in the surf and Zina ran to bear the news to the castle.
Lord Winslow and the Earl of Dubley reached the scene together upon horseback. Zina explained that Lucretia and she had tried to row out in the surf when the boat capsized, and Lucretia drowned before she could be saved.
Lord Winslow examined the body and surprised Lord Dubley when he calmly announced that the body was not that of Lucretia. He removed the leopard's claw, however, and seemed almost to doubt his own mind.
"But the claw," he said, holding it in his hand, she would not have parted from this under any circumstances. Strange, I don't understand it," he spoke aloud as he shook his head.
Lord Dubley and several friends, who were among the curious crowd surrounding the body, patted him upon the shoulders pityingly and drew him away. No one else had the least doubt as to the real identity.
Lord Winslow kept the claw continually in his possession, but showed very little interest in the preparation of the funeral.
He accompanied the body to Worcestershire and attended the interment in an almost dazed condition. As soon as he could leave England he crossed over to Paris with an impression that he would find his wife alive.
His friends began to believe that he had lost his mind and always shook their heads pityingly whenever he would leave the club or their society.
The Countess was very disappointed at the turn of things, and lost no opportunity of following him upon the continent, against her parents' advice and wishes. At the meeting in Rome Lord Winslow thought that he had recognized Lucretia and was much chagrined when the Countess caused him to lose sight of her.
He left the Countess standing in surprise while he looked around for his wife and, failing to find her, almost believed that he had seen a phantom. He sailed from Rome that night for Freetown, West Africa, and inquired of the surprised sisters and old acquaintances for news of Zina.
He left the very morning that Lucretia entered the Freetown port, and they would have recognized each other as the ships passed by had Lucretia arrived upon the deck in time.
After Reverend Jones had parted from Oliver, he was not unmindful of his promise and prepared for the expedition, which was delayed by the heavy rains.
He finally started with a large number of Mission boys, camping necessities and Yanga. When he reached the regions of the Kong Mountains, where Oliver was so long wandering about, he found that King Dofella was still waging war and ravaging the neighboring towns.
As luck would have it they came across Varnee one day as he gathered wild fruit in the woods. He soon recognized Yanga and told them the story of the escape from the leopard rite and the refuge in a neighboring town where Eva had won the gratitude and loyalty of the king's old mother by her kindness to her favorite granddaughter, who was the object of abuse by the king's favorite.
That Dofella's war had reached the town two days previously, and that Eva had escaped with the old woman and child and lived in a cave upon the fruit and food Varnee supplied.
Varnee led the party to the hiding place and Eva was enfolded in the arms of her devoted maid. But the party had not progressed far when they discovered that they were pursued by a war party. Determined to remain together they took to the woods, when they met Twe coming in their direction.
They had eluded their pursuers temporarily and halted for a rest. Twe produced the map and told of his pursuit of Alpha and the latter's final end.
Rev. Jones examined the map and made a rough estimate of their present location. "We should be near the gold diggers," he said to Twe.
They heard the sound of their pursuers drawing near and resumed their flight.
Two called out to Reverend Jones and pointing towards a hill exclaimed, "That is the cave where the gold-diggers live. Varnee, take up Miss Montcrief and run with us. Quick, quick, before they see us. Stoop down and here is the hole."
The last of the party had just disappeared into the hole after abandoning most of the supplies in the woods when the war party came into view. Fahn recognized Eva, Yanga, Varnee and Twe. And the other workers recognized Twe and mistook at first Reverend Jones for Oliver.
The party received a protection and were compelled to remain the guests of the hospitable gold workers for over a year before the war and heavy rains permitted their return.
When they reached the mission and found no news of Oliver they concluded that he had taken the interior route and was searching for Eva or lost again in the Kong Mountains. Reverend Jones had set out upon false reports several times and spent considerable time following misleading trails. While Eva, now garbed in suitable clothes and having the companionship of a woman of her own race, spent the time hoping and waiting for Oliver's return.
One evening just after Reverend Jones returned from a long and unsuccessful expedition which nearly cost his life, Eva remarked, as they sat at the supper table: "Reverend Jones, it is unwise for you to continue to follow the reports of the natives as you have been doing for the last three or four years unsuccessfully. There is something strange about the actions of the folks at home. Oliver surely must have left your address with the Earl of Dubley, as Twe tells us they were together. I cannot think why neither he nor Governor Row writes nor sends an expedition to see what becomes of us. Twe says Oliver left upon the same day he followed Alpha, and I am sure Oliver lost no time in returning. We must send Twe to Sierra Leone to obtain some information concerning Lucretia and to notify Lord Dubley of his brother's loss in the jungles. I shall continue to remain here because something tells me Oliver is alive and will meet me here."
Reverend Jones agreed with her decision and sent Twe in care of a caravan to the coast bearing letters from Eva to her relatives.
Zina located Sally George's cabin as she promised, and Lucretia remained with Sally until a nice cottage could be fitted up for their dwelling. Thanks to Mr. Wilson's generosity Lucretia was soon settled in very comfortable quarters with Zina and Sally's devoted attention. She was not very long in her new quarters, however, before a new event happened in her life, in the advent of a son and heir. "Oh, Zina, see what I have done to my innocent baby; oh, mother, won't you come to your poor silly daughter," Lucretia sobbed to Zina, when she looked upon her son.
"Zina, I am going to take little Reggie to his father as soon as I am strong enough. I have no right to deprive my child of his name and inheritance," she repeated in a new tone of matured responsibility.
"Why don't you write him and Lord Dubley and explain it to them first," Zina replied.
"No; no one will know or see little Reggie until he has pleaded for me with his father."
"You do not realize the enormity of the crime we have committed, Zina. No letter could explain and put things right. My only hope now is my son. If Lord Winslow refuses to forgive me, he must receive his innocent son and give him his rights."
After arriving at this decision Lucretia improved in health and quickly recovered her good spirits in the joy of her new responsibility and anticipation of the reunion and forgiveness.
As soon as young Reginald was two months old Lucretia embarked with her son and Zina in the late fall for England. They parted from old Sally, who stood upon the wharf shaking her short, fat, black body as she sobbed and watched the steamer heave anchor and disappear from view.
One afternoon the steamer was off Cape Blanco and Lucretia reclined in a deck chair as she lazily watched the Portuguese fishermen bantering with the ship's crew and trying to sell their large red snappers.
"Don't stand too near the rail, Zina," she called out, as Zina walked near the rails in order to watch the scene, holding young Reginald in her arms.
After Zina returned to her seat, Lucretia looked around with a sigh of satisfaction and picked up an old copy of the London Times one of the passengers had left upon a Madeira chair near by her.
She had been out of touch with the English news so long that the old paper was as eagerly read as a late edition would have been. In reading over the society columns she read: "Lord Reginald Winslow and his bride sailed for Japan on the 10th inst."
Lucretia's heartrending sigh attracted the attention of several of the passengers, who ran to her as Zina screamed out as she fainted. When they reached the Canaries, Lucretia informed Zina that they would get off at Las Palmas.
"I shall return to Freetown and write Elaine for advice," she remarked to Zina as they were being towed to the shore. Just as they landed Twe ran toward them.
"I was just going to take that steamer you just came from aboard, to go to England in search of you all," he remarked after Lucretia had recognized him in his new European outfit.
The party drove to a hotel when Twe informed Lucretia of her mother's safety and gave her the letter she had sent.
"I lost the others in the water and just saved yours because I held it between my teeth as I swam. I was obliged to work aboard the ship as steward boy and had no chance to stop at Freetown, as this was the first port it entered. I found work in a hotel and made enough to buy this suit of clothes. I was going to work my way to England and go to your uncle's place to look for you," he explained. After Lucretia read her mother's letter she brightened up and announced her intention to go directly on to the mission. "But I hate to think of taking Reggie into the interior with no prospects of a future," Lucretia remarked aloud in soliloquy.
"Don't worry about money, mam, the gold-diggers gave your ma plenty of gold and when they hear of the baby, you will have more than you will need. Your father buried plenty of pearls and a big diamond somewhere. I thought it was on the paper that Alpha had, but Reverend Jones says that it was only a map of the country," Twe remarked, as he thought she referred to the lack of money.
Twe suggested the necessary things that would be needed at the mission to make them comfortable, while
Lucretia selected her mother a nice supply of clothes and toilet articles. She was determined they would enjoy as much of the luxuries of civilization in their voluntary exile as possible, because she felt somehow that it would only be temporary and that her mother or Elaine would think of a way to set matters right.
She intended that her son should be trained in proper etiquette although they lived in Africa. Mr. Wilson's liberal check enabled her to secure the things which she desired and to return with a large stock of provisions, furniture and large sybaritic stores so pleasing to the female sex.