I scrambled out of the bandages and sheet and rolled them into a bundle.
Sabina came running back into the room.
"They're all fussing round Theodosia," she informed us, and added rather gleefully: "They're all angry with you two."
"It was my idea," I said, "wasn't it, Hadrian?"
Hadrian agreed that it was.
"It's nothing to be proud of," said Sabina severely. "You might have killed her."
"She's all right?" I said anxiously.
"She's sitting up now, but she looks pale and she's gasping."
"She was only a bit frightened," I said.
"People can die of fright."
"Well, she isn't going to."
Tybalt came into the room. He still looked angry.
"What on earth did you think you two were doing?"
I looked at Hadrian who waited as usual for me to speak. "I was only being a mummy," I said.
"Aren't you a little old for such tricks?"
I felt small and bitterly humiliated.
"You didn't think, I suppose, of the effect this might have on those who were not in the joke?"
"No," I said, "I didn't think."
"It's quite a good habit. I should try it sometime."
If anyone else had said that to me I should have been ready with a pert answer. But he was different . . . right from the beginning I knew it.
He had turned to Hadrian. "And what have you to say?"
"Only the same as Judith. We didn't mean to hurt her."
"You've behaved very stupidly," he said; and turned and left us.
"So that's the great Tybalt!" said Hadrian waiting until he was out of earshot.
"Yes," I said, "the great Tybalt!"
"You said he stooped and wore glasses."
"Well, I was wrong. He doesn't. We'd better go now."
I heard Tybalt's voice as we went down the stairs.
"Who is that insolent girl?"
He was referring to me of course.
Sabina joined us in the hall. "Theodosia is to go back in the carriage," she said. "You two are to walk back. There's going to be trouble." She seemed rather pleased about it.
There was trouble. Miss Graham was waiting for us in the schoolroom.
She looked worried—but then she often did. She was constantly afraid, I realized later, that she would be blamed and dismissed.
"Young Mr. Travers came over in the carriage, with Theodosia," she said. "He has told Sir Ralph all about your wickedness. You are both going to be severely punished. Theodosia has gone to bed. Her ladyship is most anxious and has sent for the doctor. Theodosia is not very strong."
I couldn't help feeling that Theodosia was making the most of the occasion. After all what was she worried about? She knew now that I had been the mummy.
We went into the library, that room where three of the walls were lined with books and the other was almost all window—large, mullion, window-seated, and with heavy dark green curtains. It was a somewhat oppressive room because so many objects seemed to be huddled together under the enormous glass chandelier. There were carved wooden tables from India and figures with similar carving. Chinese vases and an ornate Louis Quinze table supported by gilded cherubs. Sir Ralph had had this assortment of treasures brought to him from all parts of the world and had gathered them together here irrespective of their suitability. All this I noticed later. At this time I was aware only of the two men in the room. Sir Ralph and Tybalt.
"What is all this, eh?" demanded Sir Ralph.
Hadrian always seemed to be struck dumb in the presence of his uncle so it was up to me to speak. I tried to explain.
"No right to be in that room! No right to play such silly tricks. You're going to be punished for this. And you won't like it."
I did not want Tybalt to see that I was afraid. I was thinking of the worst punishment that could befall me. No more lessons with Evan Callum.
"Have you nothing to say for yourself?" Sir Ralph was glaring at Hadrian.
"We only . . . pretended."
"Speak up!"
"It was my idea," I said.
"Let the boy speak for himself, if he can."
"We ... we thought it would be a good idea for Judith to dress up . . ."
Sir Ralph made an impatient noise. Then he turned to me. "So you were the ring leader, eh?"
I nodded and I was suddenly relieved because I was sure I saw his chin move.
"All right," he said. "You'll see what happens to people who play such tricks. You go back to the rectory now and you'll see what's in store for you." Then to Hadrian, "And you, sir. You go to your room. You're going to have the whipping of your life because I'm going to administer it myself. Get out."
Poor Hadrian! It was so humiliating—and in front of Tybalt too!
Hadrian was severely beaten which at sixteen was hard to endure.
When I arrived back at the rectory it was to find Dorcas and Alison very disturbed, as they had been already informed of my sinful folly.
"Why Judith, what if Sir Ralph had refused to have you at Keverall Court again?"
"Has he?" I asked anxiously.
"No, but orders are that you are to be punished and we daren't go against that."
The Reverend James had retired to his study muttering something about pressure of work. This was trouble and he was going to be out of it.
"Well," I demanded, "what are they going to do to me?"
"You are to go to your room and read a book which Mr. Callum has sent for you. You are to write an essay on its contents and to have nothing but bread and water until the task is completed. You are to do this if you stay in your room for a week."
It was no real punishment for me. Dear Evan! The book he chose for me was The Dynasties of Ancient Egypt which fascinated me; and our cook at the rectory in the safety of her kitchen declared that she was not taking orders from Keverall Court; nor was she having me on bread and water. The next thing, she prophesied, would be Dr. Gunwen's brougham at the door and nobody was going to make her starve little children. I was amused that I who had often been called a limb of Satan should have suddenly become a little child. However during that period some of my favorite foods were smuggled in to me. There was a hot steamy pasty I remember, and one of her special miniature squab pies.
I had quite a pleasant two days for my task was finished in record time; and I learned later from Evan that Sir Ralph, far from expressing his disapproval of my exploit, was rather pleased about it.
We were growing up and changes came, but so gradually that one scarcely noticed them.
Tybalt was frequently at Giza House. One of my favorite dreams at that time was that I made a great discovery. This varied. Sometimes I dug up an object of inestimable value; at others I found some tremendous significance in the hieroglyphs about the sarcophagus at Giza House, and this discovery of mine so shook the archaeological world that Tybalt was overcome with admiration. He asked me to marry him and we went off to Egypt together where for the rest of our lives we lived happily ever after piling up discovery after discovery, so that we became famous. "I owe it all to you," said Tybalt, at the end of the dream.
The truth was that he scarcely noticed me, and I believed that if ever he thought of me it was as the silly girl who had dressed up as a mummy and frightened Theodosia.
It was different with Theodosia. Instead of despising her for fainting he seemed to like her for it. She had opportunities for knowing him which were denied me. After lessons were over I went back to the rectory while she, now that she was growing up, joined the family at dinner and the guests were often Tybalt and his father.
Hadrian went off to the university to study archaeology, which was his uncle's choice rather than his. Hadrian had confided to me that he was dependent on his uncle, for his parents were in meager circumstances. His father—Sir Ralph's brother—had married without the family's consent. As Hadrian was the eldest of four brothers and Sir Ralph, having no son of his own had offered to take him and educate him—so Sir Ralph had to be placated.