Cardo's face blanched, as with trembling fingers he turned the envelope
round and round.
"What is the meaning of this, father?" he asked at last an angry flush
rising to his pale face, "Did I count too much upon your forgiveness
when I asked you to give this to Valmai?"
"No, my dear boy, I would gladly have given it to her, and I grieve for
your disappointment, but she has left this neighbourhood many, many
months, and nobody knows where she has gone."
"Gone!" was all Cardo could exclaim, as he flung himself into a chair
and hid his face in his hands.
"Yes. Much has happened since you left, and you may as well know it
now. There is nothing to hide from your uncle and aunt?"
"No, no, tell me at once."
"Well, much had happened before she left."
Here Cardo started up excitedly.
"Why, she has gone to her Uncle John, of course. Where else should she
go, dear innocent, without another friend in the world?"
The Vicar shook his head.
"She is not there, Cardo, for he died some months ago and left all his
money to his niece."
But Cardo heard not the latter information. He was stunned by the news
of old Captain Powell's death; he had never thought of this
possibility, and was thrown into despair by the blow. Valmai wandering
about the world friendless and alone! The thought was distracting, and
in desperation he rushed out of the house.
"Poor fellow," said Lewis Wynne, "this is a terrible blow to him."
"Yes, yes, indeed! Perhaps he will be able to get some clue in the
village."
Cardo flew over the beach and up the well-known path to Dinas. Shoni
was standing in the farm-yard.
"Caton pawb! wass it you, Cardo Wynne?" he said. "Well, I was swear to
make you feel the weight of my fist; but if the news is true that
Valmai is marry to you, I will shake hands instead."
Cardo wrung his hand.
"Yes, yes, man, she is my wife, safe and sound--but where is she? Tell
me for heaven's sake where has she gone?"
"Well, indeed, that I donno--Essec Powell donno--an' nobody know. You
look here now," said Shoni, "an' if you listen to me you will see
everything quite plain. After you gone away Valmai wass go down to
Fordsea to take care on her uncle, John Powell. He wass broke his leg,
and when he cum better Valmai cum back to Dinas."
"Well," said Cardo, "what then? Tell me in Welsh, you'll get on
quicker."
But Shoni indignantly declined to give up the language which he
considered he had so completely mastered.
"What then!" he continued severely, "you know very well what then. It
wass three or four months before she cum back from Fordsea, and she
wass look pale and thin and every day more like a spirit angel. Well,
everybody see very soon what wass the matter with her, and at last
somebody told Essec Powell. It was just the same time Captain Powell
died, and when Essec Powell cum home from the funeral and find out his
brother leave all his money to Valmai he go to chapel and somebody tell
him about Valmai--"