II

A good deal under the weather and terrible sorry for herself, Jenny set

out to fetch over to Okehampton and see if her husband was alive or not.

And if he was, it looked harder than ever to understand why for he'd left

her. There weren't but one explanation as she could see, and that didn't

make her feel no brighter. He'd done a thing only a madman would have

done, which being so, he must be mad. She shed a good many tears on her

way to find the man when she reached that conclusion; but Nicky mad was

better than no Nicky at all in her opinion, and such was her faithful love

for the ugly little monkey that she held on and prayed to God in the train

all the way from Tavistock to Okehampton that Nicky might yet be saved

alive and be brought back to his right mind. Because Jenny knew folk went

mad and then recovered. So she was pretty cheerful again afore she

alighted off the train at Okehampton; and then she hired a trap down to

the 'White Hart' hotel, and drove out to Meldon Quarry with a fine trust

in her Maker. She left the trap in the vale and climbed over a fence and

began to look about her.

'Twas a great big place with scores of men to work nigh a mighty railway

bridge of steel that be thrown over the river valley and looks no more

than a thread seen up in the sky from below. And then, just when she began

to feel it was a pretty big task to find her husband among that dollop of

navvies and quarrymen, if she didn't run right on top of him! He was the

first man of the lot she saw, and the shock took her in the breathing

parts and very near dropped her. But she soon found that she'd have to

keep all her wits if she wanted to get Nicky back, and the line she took

from the first showed her a fierce battle of wills lay afore 'em.

It was going round a corner into the mouth of the quarries that she ran

upon Spider wheeling a barrow; and she saw he was but little changed, save

that he looked a good bit dirtier and wilder than of old. His hair was

longer than ever and his eyes shone so black as sloes; and to Jenny's mind

there was a touch of stark madness in 'em without doubt. He was strong and

agile seemingly, and he began to gibber and cuss and chatter like an ape

the moment he catched sight of her. He dropped the barrow and stared, and

his jaw dropped and then closed up again. He drew up to his full height,

which weren't above five foot, five inches, and he screamed with rage and

began his talk with several words I ban't going to write down for anybody.

Then he axed her how in the devil's name she dared to find him out and

stand afore him.

"What do you mean, you vile woman?" he screamed. "Who told you I was here?

I'll tear his heart out when I know who 'twas--and yours also--you hateful

hell-cat!"

"Alive! Alive, thank God! They told me true," she cried. "Oh, Nicky!"

"Not alive to you," he answered. "I'm dead to you for evermore, so you can

be gone again, so soon as you mind to. I know all about you and your

goings on, and I ordain to strike at my appointed time and no sooner. And

them as told you I was here shall suffer in their bones for it! So you

clear out, or I'll pitch you over the quarry with these hands."

He picked up his barrow handles to push past her; but she was three inches

taller than him and so strong as a pony; and she knew when you be along

with a madman you've got to stand firm.

"Put that down and listen to me, Nicky," she said. "I ain't come all this

way and spent eight shillings on a railway ticket and a horse and trap to

be turned down without hearing my voice. Listen you shall--it's life and

death for me, if not for you. I got a 'nonymous letter from a well wisher

saying you was here and that's why I be come."

He heaped curses on her head and made horrible faces at her. He threatened

to murder her on the spot if she went an inch nearer, and he picked up a

great stone to do it with. In fact you'd have said he weren't at all the

sort of man for a woman to fret at losing. But woman's taste in man be

like other mysteries, and 'tis no good trying to explain why a nice,

comely she such as his wife had any more use for this black zany.

"Devil--beast!" he yelped at her. "For two pins I'd strangle you! How have

you got the front to dare to breathe the same air with the man you've

outraged and ruined?"

"Do as you please and strangle me and welcome, Nicky; but listen first.

Us'll have everything in order if you please. First read that. Somebody

here--I don't know from Adam who 'twas--wrote to tell me you were working

to Meldon; and that's how I've found you."

He read the letter and grew calmer.

"As to that," he said, "I've told a good few stonemen of my fearful

misfortunes and what I meant to do; and one of 'em has gone back on me and

given my hiding-place away to you; and if I knew which it was, I'd skin

the man alive. But I'll find out."

"So much for that then," answered his wife, "and the next thing be to know

why you are in a hiding-place and what you're hiding from. And if I was

you, I'd come home this instant moment and explain after you get back."

"Home!" he screamed. "You say 'home!' A nice home! D'you think I don't

know all--every tricky wicked item of your plots and your wickedness?

D'you think I don't know you be going to marry Solomon Chuff? You stare,

you foul slut; but I know, and that's what I'm waiting for. So soon as the

man have took you, then I was coming back to turn you out of my house--my

house, you understand! I was only waiting for that, and when Chuff thinks

he's settled in my shoes, I'll be on to him like a flame of fire, and

he'll call on the hills to cover him. And I won't take you back--don't

think it. I'm done with you for evermore and all other beasts of women."

"Aw Jimmery!" cried his wife. "I'm hearing things! And where did you larn

these fine lies if I ban't axing too much?"

"From a friend," he said. "I've got one good and faithful friend left at

Postbridge, and thanks to him, I've had the bitter truth these many days."

"Would it surprise you to hear, Nicky, that Solomon Chuff's tokened to

Miller Ley's oldest daughter? They be going to wed at Easter, and 'twas

Alice Ley herself that told me about it a month ago and I wished her joy."

"Liar I know better, and Bill Westaway knows better. Yes, you may gape

your hateful eyes out of your head; but Bill Westaway's my friend; and

he's straight; and he's took good care to keep me in touch with the facts

ever since I came here--so now then! You was after Chuff from the minute

he went to Vitifer Tin Mine, and I knew it. I weren't blind to the man and

I soon saw my revenge--fearful though it was."

"A funny sort of revenge," said Jenny, smiling at him. "I'm afraid, my

poor little man, your revenge have come back on your own silly head.

You've seen Bill Westaway, have you?"

"Yes, I have. And you needn't think to bluff it off. Every three months

since I went away he's been over here to tell me how my vengeance was

working."

"He knew all about your plot then, and that you weren't in the river?"

"He did so. A likely thing a man like me would drown hisself for a woman

like you. And terrible sorry he felt to bring me the fatal news of what

you was up to, though well I knew you would be. Nought astonished me. I

knew you'd wait a year, to save your shameful face, and then take Chuff."

"What a world!" said Jenny. "What dark, hookemsnivey creatures be in

it--men most times. Do you know who's been pestering me to marry him ever

since the people all thought you'd falled in the river and was drownded,

Nicky? Not Mr. Chuff, but Billy Westaway himself. He's your rival, my

dear, and none other. Fifty times has that man called on me to take him."

"You cunning liar! He hates women worse than I do."

"D'you know where he is this minute? Down on Dart pretending to hunt for

your bones. God's my judge, Nicholas White, if I ain't telling you the

truth."

The little wretch stared at her, and saw truth in her eyes, and felt all

his idiotic vengeance slipping away from him. He didn't want to believe in

her and made another struggle.

"What rummage be you talking, woman? Do you think you can sloke me off

with this stuff? Westaway's my friend through thick and thin. Be you mad,

or me?"

"Neither one nor t'other," she answered. "I thought to find you mad

naturally; but I'm not the sort to shirk my duty, whatever you are. For

better, for worse I took you, and I'd meant, if I found you cracked, to

put you away nice and comfortable in a proper asylum, where they'd look

after you, as became an unfortunate man with good friends. But you're not

mad, only deceived by a damned rascal. Drop that rock and come here and

listen to me."

He obeyed her and crept a foot or two nearer.

"What's happened be this," she said. "The Almighty have punished us for

loving each other too well. I've worshipped you and, till Solomon Chuff

came along, you worshipped me. And God wouldn't stand for such wickedness

on our part, so He threw dust in your eyes and led you out into the

wilderness--to home with a lot of navvies and be deceived by a rare

rascal. And you've had your dose by the look of you; and I've had mine;

and what I've suffered you'll never know, I assure you."

He went whiter than a dog's tooth behind his black hair, and his eyes

bulged on her. He crept a bit nearer and she held out her hand. But the

little loony had got his pride yet.

"I ban't so sure," he said. "No doubt you've come with a tale; but you'll

have to hear me first. Your tongue be running a thought too smooth I

reckon. How do I know this is truth? Why should I believe you afore Bill?

He's sworn on his oath that Chuff spends half his time along with you and

the banns be called. He's come, as I tell you, off and on, to let me know

everything, and never a good word for you."

"You ought to break his neck," said Jenny. "However, you ain't heard all

yet. It may interest you to know that at last I've promised to marry--not

Chuff--he's old enough to be my father--but Bill himself."

"And you've come here to tell me that?"

Nicky looked round for his stone again.

"No, I have not. I've come firstly to forgive you, which be a lot more

than you deserve, and secondly to take you home."

"'Tis for me to forgive you I reckon; and why for should I?"

"I've worn black for a year and prayed for your soul and eaten the bread

of tears and lived like the widow-woman I thought I was--just lived in the

memory of our beautiful life together," she says. "That's all you've got

to forgive, Nicky. And it didn't ought to be partickler hard I should

think. Poison--poison--that's what you've been taking--poison--sucking it

down from Bill Westaway, like a little child sucks cream."

"And you tell me you're going to marry the man--or think you are? What's

that mean?"

Spider had come right alongside of her now.

"On one condition I shall certainly marry him, so you needn't pull no more

faces. I told him I'd take him if he found all that was left _of you in

the river_! And so I will." "But I ban't in the Dart! I ban't in the Dart!

I'm alive!" cried Nicky--as if she didn't know it.

"Working along with these quarry men have made you dull seemingly," she

answered. "It is true no doubt that you ban't in the Dart; but that's no

reason why Billy Westaway shouldn't find you there. He's quite clever

enough for that. He's a cunning, deep rogue, and I'll lay my life he'll

find you there. He's separated us for a whole bitter year, to gain his own

wicked ends, and if you can't see what he's done you must be mad after

all."

"And what if I refuse to come back?" he asked, his monkey face still

working.

"Then I'll marry Bill--rascal though he is. When I look into the past and

think how he used to tell me you were running after the girls behind my

back! But did I believe him? No! I boxed his ears and told him where the

liars go. I didn't run away and hide from my lawful husband."

Nicky took it all in very slow.

"I'll have such a fearful vengeance on that dog as never was heard about!"

he swore. "Strike me blind if I don't! I'll strangle him with these hands

afore the nation."

"You can tell about that later," she said. "Meantime you'd best forget

your kit and come home this minute. You've grown cruel rough and wild

seemingly. You want me after you."

"I shall calm in fullness of time," he told her, "and no doubt be the same

as ever I was before this fearful affair happened. I never thought to take

off my clothes, nor yet wash again. I've been like a savage animal with

such troubles as I've suffered; but now, thank the watching God, my woes

be very near passed seemingly, and I've got my honour and my pride and a

wife and a home also."

"Come back to 'em then!" begged Jenny, and the little creature put his

spider arms around her and pressed her to his shirt.

"You must certainly wash again, and the sooner the better," she said; then

she kissed his hairy muzzle and patted his head and thanked the Lord for

all His blessings. As for Spider, he pawed her and called upon heaven and

wept out of his dirty eyes.

"It is almost too much," he said; "but mark me, I'll never rest no more

till I've took my revenge on that anointed devil from hell and torn his

throat out!" Knowing the nature of the man, however, Jenny didn't fret too

much about that. They went afore the master of the works presently, and

being a human sort of chap, he took a sporting view of the situation and

let Spider go along with his wife; which he did do. He had certainly

suffered a good bit one way and another, owing to his own weak-minded

foolishness, and found himself meek as a worm afore Jenny and terrible

thankful to be in sight of better times.

"I wanted to die, too," his silly wife assured him; "but Providence knew

better and saw the end from the beginning."

"Providence shan't be forgot," promised Nicky. "I'll turn over a new leaf

and even go to chapel I shouldn't wonder--after I've done in William

Westaway."