It is needless to follow her wanderings, always toward London, where was her husband, and her home. A weary but happy, and almost no longer an anxious woman, she reached at length a certain populous suburb, and was soon in the arms of her husband.

— Forty-Two —

Gone

It was the middle of the day before they were missed. Their absence caused no commotion at Mortgrange for a time. The servants said the nurse must have taken the child for his usual walk.

But the nurse from London arrived. After renewed search and inquiry, nothing was heard of them, and their disappearance could no longer be kept from lady Ann. She sent a servant to inform her husband.

Sir Wilton asked a question or two of her messenger, said the thing must be seen to, finished his cigar, threw the stump in the fire, and went to his wife. They at once began to discuss, not steps to be taken for the recovery of the child, but the woman’s motive for stealing him. The lady insisted it was revenge for having been turned away. She would no doubt, she said, put an end to his life as soon as she reached a suitable place—she had seen murder in her eyes! The father’s opinion was that there was no such danger. Though he did not mention it, he remembered the peculiarity of the woman’s behaviour when he first saw her.

There was no limit, he said, to the unnatural fancies of women. Some were disgustingly fond of children, even of other women’s children. Plain as the infant was, he did not doubt she had taken a fancy to him and therefore could not bear to part with him. True, the element of revenge could have some small share in the deed. As far as he was concerned, he concluded, she was welcome to the child!

Lady Ann gave no answer. She was not easily shocked, and it would have caused her no particular consternation simply to regard the disappearance as final. But something must at least appear to be done! If they just let the matter drop, unpleasant things might be said, and uncertainty was always full of annoyance!

“You must be careful, sir Wilton,” she remarked. “Nobody thinks you believe the child your own.”

Sir Wilton laughed.

“I never had a doubt on the subject. I wish I had—he’s not to my credit. If we never hear of him again, all the better for the next!”

“True!” rejoined lady Ann. “But what if, after we have forgotten all about him, he were to turn up again?”

“That would be unpleasant—and is indeed a reason why we should look for him. Better to find him than live in doubt! Besides, the world would be cruel enough to hint that you had made away with him. It’s what ought to have been done when he first appeared. I give you my word, Ann, he was a positive monster, actually web-footed—like any frog!”