AN UNANSWERED QUESTION
NOT many days had elapsed after Dick's arrival at Holton before
he felt really at home at No. 8 Fore Street. Every morning he
accompanied the doctor on his round of visits, and soon grew to talk
to him with but little reserve. He had told him his impressions
of the Manor House, and had acknowledged that he did not much care
for his grandfather; whereupon Dr. Warren had advised him not to be
too hasty in forming an opinion of Sir Richard.
"Do you think my grandfather will ask me to spend a day with him
again?" Dick asked Miss Warren one afternoon, as he walked down the
village street by her side on their way to the post-office.
"I really cannot tell, my dear," she answered. "Did he say anything
about it?"
"No; nothing. What a grand place the Manor House is; isn't it? I know
now what mother meant when she said grandfather must be lonely;
any one would be in such a big house! Do you ever go to see him,
Aunt Mary Ann?"
"Go to see your grandfather? No, dear; never!"
"Why not?" Dick inquired. "I suppose you don't like him?" he added
after a moment's reflection, as Miss Warren made no response.
"Oh, that is not the reason!" she exclaimed hurriedly. "I never knew
much of Sir Richard. You see, Dick, he is not very sociable; and
though your Uncle Theophilus attends him when he is ill, we cannot
call him a friend of ours. He was never inside our doors until he
came to see you the other day."
"Oh!" cried Dick, in great surprise. "Wouldn't you like to see the
Manor House, Aunt Mary Ann?"
"Yes, I should," Miss Warren acknowledged; "but I beg you will never
tell your grandfather I said so, Dick. The fact is, dear, Sir Richard
is in a different position in life to us—to your Uncle Theophilus
and me. I don't suppose you understand what I mean, and it is a
little difficult to explain. Your Uncle Theophilus is only
a hard-working surgeon, whilst your grandfather is a large landowner
and a country gentleman."
"But Uncle Theophilus is a gentleman too!" Dick cried, lifting a pair
of wondering eyes to Miss Warren's face. "I think he's much more of a
gentleman than grandfather! Uncle Theophilus is always kind and
polite to people; and the day I spent with grandfather he was so
cross to the servants—as disagreeable and nasty as he could be
to them! Mother says a real gentleman never does anything to hurt
people. Oh, Aunt Mary Ann, I don't call grandfather a gentleman
at all!"
"Hush! You must not say that!" Miss Warren remonstrated, looking
quite distressed. "Little boys should not be so quick to judge
grown-up people. You must always try to think of Sir Richard
with respect, as well as treat him with respect, because he's your
grandfather and an old man. He was very kind to you the other day,
was he not? He showed you the picture-gallery himself, so he
evidently tried to entertain you."
"He told me I ought to be proud of my ancestors," Dick remarked
thoughtfully; "but they were not all good—he said so."
"You can be proud of the good ones," Miss Warren replied smiling;
"just as you are proud of your father."
"Oh, father's splendid!" Dick cried, his eyes shining. "Of course
I'm proud of him! I mean to grow up like him if I can!"
"Well, you can be proud of your ancestors who lived worthy of honour,
and were honest, honourable men just in the same way. That Paul
Gidley, for instance, who died for the sake of truth."
"I wish you could see his picture, Aunt Mary Ann! Oh, here we are
at the post-office!"
They entered, and were greeted by Miss Tidy from her position behind
the counter.
"Good afternoon, ma'am! Good afternoon, sir! I declare the young
gentleman is looking better already. Did you see Sir Richard Gidley
as you came down the street? No! Now, how could you have missed him,
I wonder? He was here only five minutes ago!"
"We did not notice his carriage anywhere," Miss Warren remarked.
"He is walking," Miss Tidy replied. "I always say that in spite of
his age, he is the finest man in the district. Ah!" bending across
the counter and fixing her keen eyes on Dick, "as I told the doctor
the other day, your little nephew's a Gidley, every inch of him."
"He resembles his father in features," Miss Warren allowed; "but he
is like his mother, too. I want some notepaper, if you please."
Whilst Miss Warren was selecting what she required, the post-mistress
kept up a run of small talk. She had seen little Dick driven past in
Sir Richard's carriage, and would fain have known how he was received
at the Manor House. However, she contented herself with asking him
how he liked his grandfather's home, and if he had ever seen so fine
an abode in India.
"No; never," Dick answered promptly. "I think it's a lovely place,
but a great deal too big for one person to live in."
"So it is," Miss Tidy agreed, laughing. "And Sir Richard only keeps
a few women-servants now instead of a proper establishment. I often
think it's not right there should be no able-bodied man in the house.
Groves, the coachman, lives at the lodge, and the stableman sleeps
over the stables, right away from the house. Suppose anything
happened—a burglary, or a fire!"
"We must hope nothing of the kind will ever happen," Miss Warren
said, smiling at the look of concern on Miss Tidy's face. "I think
that is all I require to-day."
"Thank you, ma'am. I'll send the parcel up to your house this
evening. Good afternoon, ma'am! I daresay you'll meet Sir Richard
before you reach home; he must have been in a shop as you came down
the street."
But, as it happened, Miss Warren was not at all anxious to meet
Sir Richard. Accordingly, she turned in the direction of the beach,
where she found a shady spot, and sat down to rest, whilst her little
nephew roamed about within call and sight.
The sea always had a great attraction for Dick. To-day, the tide
being out, he wandered between the rocks, delighted with the
treasures he discovered—beautiful shells, delicately-tinted
anemones, and sea-weeds of various hues; but, at length, tired
himself, he returned to Miss Warren, and a short while later they
retraced their footsteps homewards.
Almost the first person they met in the village street was Sir
Richard Gidley. He lifted his hat courteously to Miss Warren, and
explained that he had called at the doctor's house to inquire for his
grandson.
"Oh, I am very well, thank you," Dick said brightly. "Aunt Mary Ann
and I have been down on the beach; it's lovely there!"
"When are you coming to see me again?" the old man asked, his stern
face softening a little as his eyes met his grandson's, which were
regarding him frankly and fearlessly.
"Whenever you like, grandfather," Dick replied politely.
"I give you an open invitation. Come to the Manor House whenever you
please, and you shall be welcomed. I suppose you are getting to know
your way about the district now, eh?"
"Oh, yes! I drive out with Uncle Theophilus every morning. Sometimes
he lets me drive; and he says, with practice, I shall be a capital
whip! We often pass near the Manor House. I could find the way there
by myself—I know I could. I should like to see the picture-gallery
again."
"Well, ask Dr. Warren to drop you at my door now and then,"
Sir Richard said graciously. "You have no objection, I suppose?"
he added, turning to Miss Warren.
"Oh, no," she answered. "I will tell my brother, and I am sure
he will do as you request."
"And if I tire of the boy I can send him away," Sir Richard remarked;
"but he does not appear a noisy child. He is looking better than
he was, Miss Warren."
"I am glad you think so," she responded, her manner growing more
cordial; "my brother hopes he will become quite robust in a very
short while. We mean him to spend most of the time in the open air
this summer."
Sir Richard nodded approval, then he moved away whilst Miss Warren
and Dick returned home to tea. The little boy wondered why his aunt
had looked so ill at ease as she had conversed with his grandfather,
but he did not ask her the reason.
There were several matters puzzling him which he had not liked
to mention to either Aunt Mary Ann or Uncle Theophilus; but that
night he made up his mind to question the latter upon some of those
points which bewildered him. Therefore when the doctor paid him
his accustomed visit after he was in bed, he began to unburden
his mind.
"Uncle Theophilus, I want to ask you some questions," he commenced
seriously, "and to tell you something grandfather said to me when
I was at the Manor House the other day; because I can't help thinking
about it, and it makes me very unhappy. He said father had offended
him—oh, I hated him for saying it. I don't believe father would do
anything wrong. You don't think it, do you?"
"We all do wrong sometimes," Dr. Warren answered, after a moment's
silence; "but I certainly do not believe your father would wilfully
do wrong, if that is what you mean. You know, Dick, people do not all
think alike; and it is a fact that your father offended Sir Richard."
"Won't you tell me what father did?" Dick questioned excitedly.
"No, my boy; if your father had desired you to know he would have
told you. I wonder Sir Richard mentioned the matter."
"He was so cross about it, especially when I said I didn't believe
father had done anything wrong."
"Well, there is no necessity for you to argue about it, especially
as you are ignorant of the facts."
"He said he had not forgiven father!" Dick cried indignantly. "How
can he be so wicked!"
"Please God he will forgive him some day," Dr. Warren said earnestly.
"Meanwhile, do not trouble about it, there's a good boy! Try to
forget it!"
"So many things worry me," Dick acknowledged, sighing. "It is so very
odd that mother did not tell me grandfather was angry with father.
Perhaps she does not know?"
"Yes, she does; but she did not wish you to know. That is why I want
you to let the matter rest. I feel certain your parents would wish
it. I am sure you will ask no questions they would rather not have
answered. Now, what else have you to say to me? I see there is
something more on your mind?"
"It is so strange that mother never told me about the Manor House,
Uncle Theophilus!"
"Not strange at all! She was never inside the walls of the Manor
House in her life, and, I believe, only once saw Sir Richard to speak
to. He was abroad when your parents were married."
Dick was not satisfied; but he perceived Dr. Warren meant to tell him
no more, so he wisely refrained from putting further questions.
"I do believe you are beginning to feel quite at home with us now,"
the doctor continued, changing the conversation. "You are happier
than you were at first, are you not?"
"Oh, yes!" Dick replied earnestly. "You and Aunt Mary Ann are so
kind—mother said you would be! Oh, Uncle Theophilus, I can't tell
you how thankful I am grandfather did not want me to live at the
Manor House! I am sure I should have run away!"
"No, my boy; I am sure you would have done nothing so wrong
or foolish if duty had called you there; but what is, is always best,
you know. We have talked quite long enough now, so I will say
good-night."
"Good-night!" Dick returned, shutting his eyes, and making up his
mind to try to think no more of his father's offence, and his
grandfather's unforgiveness.
Meanwhile Dr. Warren went downstairs, and repeated the foregoing
conversation to his sister.
"I cannot think how Sir Richard could have been so unwise as to speak
thus of his son," he said vexedly, in conclusion; "but it is like him
not to consider another's feelings. I could not tell Dick that his
grandfather considered his mother beneath his father in position.
Really, I cannot understand how the old man can be so bitter and
unforgiving!"
"He would not be if he really knew Margaret," Miss Warren returned,
her face flushing with indignation. "He is a proud, disagreeable
old man," she continued, her anger rising; "and I have no patience
with him! I suppose we must let Dick go to see him occasionally?
I hope he will not put wrong ideas into the boy's head!"
"What do you mean?" her brother asked anxiously.
"I mean I hope he will not teach him to be proud and overbearing
like himself. At present, Dick is such a sweet, lovable little
fellow, and Margaret has evidently taken great pains to make him good
and obedient. Fancy, Theophilus, she has taught him the very same
prayer I taught her when she could only lisp. I overheard Dick saying
it last night:—"
"'Gentle Jesus, meek and mild.'"
"You must have heard her repeat it often."
The doctor nodded, whilst the cloud of anxious thought left his face,
and he smiled his slow, sweet smile. "We won't worry as to the effect
Sir Richard's teaching may have upon Dick," he said; "the boy loves
his mother and will remember what she has taught him. Perhaps,
instead of Sir Richard doing Dick harm, Dick may do Sir Richard
good."