A TREAT FOR NEAL.
Nearly four-and-twenty hours subsequent to that, Dr. Davenal was
pacing the same walk side by side with Lady Oswald. The wedding was
over, the guests were gone, and the house, after the state breakfast,
had resumed its tranquillity. Of the guests, Lady Oswald had alone
remained, with the exception of Mr. Oswald Cray. It was one of those
elaborate breakfast-dinners which take hours to eat, and five o'clock
had struck ere the last carriage drove from the door.
Lady Oswald asked for some tea; Miss Davenal, as great a lover of tea
as herself, partook of it with her. Captain Davenal preferred a cigar,
and went into the garden to smoke it: Mr. Oswald Cray accompanied him,
but he never smoked. Both of them were to return to town by the seven
o'clock train.
By and by, the tea over, the rest came out on the lawn to join
them--Lady Oswald and Miss Davenal in their rich rustling silks, Sara
in her white bridesmaid's dress. The open air of the warm, lovely
evening was inexpressibly grateful after the feasting and fuss of the
day, and they lingered until twilight fell on the earth. Miss Davenal
went in then: but Lady Oswald wrapped her Indian cashmere shawl, worth
a hundred guineas Hallingham said, more closely round her, and
continued to talk to Dr. Davenal as they paced together the sidewalk.
Her chief theme was the one on which you have already heard her
descant--that unwelcome project of the railway sheds. It had dropped
through for a time. There had been a lull in the storm ever since it
was broached in the summer. Lady Oswald complacently believed her
remonstrance had found weight with the authorities of the line, to
whom she had addressed a long, if not a very temperate letter: but, in
point of fact, the commencement of the work had been delayed for some
convenience of their own. Only on this very morning a rumour had
reached Lady Oswald's ears that it was now to be set about
immediately.
"I am not satisfied with Oswald," she was saying to the doctor. "Did
you observe how he avoided the subject at the breakfast-table? When I
told him that he might exercise his influence with the company, and
prevent it if he pleased, he turned it off quietly."
"I think he did not care to defend himself publicly, or to enter upon
the matter," observed the doctor. "Rely upon it, he would prevent it
if he could; but his power does not extend so far."
"I know he _says_ it does not," was the observation of Lady Oswald.
"Do you think he is true?"
"True!" repeated Dr. Davenal, scarcely understanding in his surprise.
"Oswald Cray true! Yes, Lady Oswald. Never man lived yet more honestly
true than Oswald Cray."
He looked towards Oswald Cray as he spoke, pacing the broad middle
walk with his son and Sara; at the calm good face with its earnest
expression, every line, every feature speaking truth and honour; and
the doctor's judgment re-echoed his words.
"Yes, Lady Oswald, he is a _true_ man, whatever else he may be."
"I always deemed him so. But--to protest that he would help me if he
could; and now to let this dreadful threat arise again!"
"But he cannot prevent its arising," returned the doctor, wishing Lady
Oswald would exercise a little common-sense in the matter. "He is but
a servant of the company, and must carry out their wishes."
"I don't believe it," peevishly replied Lady Oswald. "He is the
engineer to the company; and it is well known that an engineer does as
he pleases, and lays his own plans."
"He is one of the engineers; the junior one, it may be said. I suppose
you will not forgive me, Lady Oswald, if I point out, that when your
interests and the line's are at issue, as in this matter, Oswald Cray,
of all others, is forced to obey the former."
"Was there ever so monstrously wicked a project formed?" asked Lady
Oswald, with some agitation.
"It is very unfortunate," was the more temperate reply. "I wish they
had fixed upon any grounds but yours."
"I wish they had! It will send me into my grave!"
Careless words! spoken, as such words mostly are spoken, unmeaningly.
If Lady Oswald could but have known how miserably they were destined
to be marked out! If Dr. Davenal had but foreseen how that marking out
would affect all his after-life--change, as it were, its current, and
that of one who was dear to him!
"And because that worry was not enough, I have had a second to annoy
me today," resumed Lady Oswald. "Jones gave warning to leave."
"Indeed!" returned Mr. Davenal, and the tone of his voice betrayed his
concern. He knew how minor vexations were made troubles of by Lady
Oswald; and the parting with Jones, her steady coachman of many years,
would be a trouble not much less great than this threatened building
of the sheds.
"Why is Jones leaving?" he inquired.
"Because he does not know when he's well off," was the retort, spoken
querulously. "The servants latterly have been all quarrelling
together, I find, and Jones says he won't remain. I asked Parkins what
she was good for not to stop their quarrelling, and she burst into
tears in my face, and said it was not her fault. You are best off,
doctor. Your servants are treasures. Look at Neal!"
"I don't know that Neal is much of a treasure," was the doctor's
answer. "I'd make him over to your ladyship with all the pleasure in
life. Do you feel the chill of the evening air?"
Lady Oswald looked up at the clear sky, at the evening star, just
visible, and said she did not feel the chill yet.
Dr. Davenal resumed.
"I have grown to dislike Neal, Lady Oswald. In strict correctness,
however, 'grown to dislike' is not the best term, for I have disliked
him ever since he has been with me. He"----
"Disliked Neal!" interrupted Lady Oswald, wondering whether she might
trust her ears. "You dislike Neal! Why?"
"I can scarcely tell you why. I don't think I know, myself. But I do
very much dislike him; and the dislike grows upon me."
"You never mentioned this. I thought you were so satisfied with Neal."
"I have not mentioned it. I have felt a sort of repugnance to mention
what would appear so unfounded a prejudice. Neal is an efficient
servant, and the dislike arose to me without cause, just as instincts
do. Latterly, however, I begin to doubt whether Neal is so desirable a
retainer as we have deemed him."
"In what way do you doubt him!"
Dr. Davenal smiled. "A doubt has arisen to me whether he is _true_--as
you have just said by Mr. Oswald Cray. I shall watch the man; and, now
that my suspicions are awakened, detection will be more easy. Should
he turn out to be what I fear--a deceitful fellow, worse than
worthless--he will be sent out of my house head foremost, at a
minute's warning, and get his true character. Lady Oswald, I think I
could pardon anything rather than deceit."
"How angrily you speak!" breathlessly exclaimed Lady Oswald. The words
recalled him to courtesy.
"I fear I did; and I ought to have remembered that he was a respected
servant once of Sir John's, that it was you who recommended him to me.
You will pardon my warmth, Lady Oswald. To any less close friend than
yourself I should not have mentioned this. The fact is, a most
unjustifiable trick was played me yesterday, and it is impossible for
me to suspect anybody but Neal. I shall watch him."
"What trick was it?" asked Lady Oswald.
Dr. Davenal hesitated before he spoke. "Perhaps it would be scarcely
fair to mention it, even to you, Lady Oswald. I am not certain:
there's just a loophole of possibility. If I find I am wrong, I will
honestly confess it to you; if the contrary, you and the world will
know what a worthless scamp we have nourished in Neal."
Very agreeable words indeed! especially to Neal himself, who had the
satisfaction of hearing them. Mr. Neal, with his soft tread, was
gingerly pacing the narrow path behind the privet-hedge, his steps
keeping level with theirs; he having strolled out to take the evening
air, and to hear all that he could hear.
They were interrupted by the approach of Captain Davenal and Mr.
Oswald Cray. It was getting towards the hour of their departure. Sara
came up with them. The doctor laid his hand on his daughter's
shoulder, and she walked by his side.
"Going? Nonsense!" said the doctor. "There's no hurry yet."
"When shall you be down again, Oswald?" asked my lady.
"I believe very shortly. I must be down---- about these alterations,"
he had been on the point of saying, but stopped himself in time. There
was no cause for bringing up the sore story oftener to her than was
necessary.
"Will you promise that they shall not build those horrible sheds?"
"If it lay with me, I would willingly promise it," was his reply, "I
wish you would believe me, dear Lady Oswald."
"Of course I have no claim upon you," she fretfully continued. "I
know that. It is not my fault if I am unable to leave my fortune to
you--what little I may have to leave. There are others who, in my
opinion, have a greater claim upon me."
He seemed not to understand her. He turned his glance full upon her.
"I beg your pardon. What did you say, Lady Oswald?"
"Oswald, I have never spoken distinctly to you about my money," she
resumed. "I like you very much, and should have been glad to leave
some to you; it is natural you should be looking out for it, but"----
Every line of his pale face was ablaze with pride as he interrupted
her; his voice, calm, low, terribly stern, was ten times more
impressive in its truth than one loud and angry could have been.
"Allow me to set you right, Lady Oswald. I have never in my life
looked for one shilling of money from you: I do not recognise, or
believe in, or see any claim I can by possibility have upon it: of the
whole world, the Oswalds are those upon whom I could least recognise
it--from whom I would the least accept it. I pray your ladyship to
understand me in the fullest sense of the words--_from whom I would
never accept it_."
Never had he looked so like the Oswalds as he looked then. The red
colour came into Sara's cheeks, and a faint sense of dread (did it
come as a prophetic warning?) stole into her heart--that that pride
might prove her deadliest enemy; perhaps his. Lady Oswald's mood
changed, and she laughed.
"You are independent, Oswald."
"I am self-dependent," was his answer. "A fair field and no favour are
all I ask. I believe I can make my way in the world far better than
money could make it for me. It is what I mean to try at--and do,
Heaven helping me."
"But you need not have glared at me in that way," she said, relapsing
into fretfulness. "I declare I thought it was old Sir Oswald of
Thorndyke come out of his grave. My nerves are not strong, and that
you know."
A better feeling came over him, and he held out his hand to Lady
Oswald, his atoning smile wonderfully frank and sweet. "Forgive me if
anything in my speech or manner has offended you, dear Lady Oswald.
But I believe you vexed me more than I have ever been vexed in my
life."
"Well, well; you shall be as independent as you please," said Lady
Oswald. "Let us change the subject. When do you intend to follow
Mark's example and marry?"
"Not until I can afford it better than----than Mark could, I was going
to say," he added, glancing at Dr. Davenal and laughing.
"You do mean to marry some time, Oswald?"
"I hope so."
The answer was spoken so fervently, that they looked at him in
surprise. Sara contrived to draw behind, and began plucking one of the
flowers, already closing to the night. He resumed carelessly, as if
conscious that his tones had been too earnest for general ears.
"Men do marry for the most part in this good old-fashioned land of
ours, and my turn may come some time. I think our time is nearly up,
Davenal."
The captain took out his watch. "In a minute or two. We can walk it in
ten minutes, if we put out our best speed."
As they went in, Oswald Cray looked round for Sara, and found she had
not followed them. He turned back to her.
"I must say goodbye to you. Sara! you are crying!"
"O no," she answered, brushing away the rebellious tears. "It's
nothing."
He took her hand and placed it within his arm, and they advanced
slowly to the house. "Will you tell me what the 'nothing' is?" he
asked in a low tone, which of itself was sufficient to invite
confidence.
"I cannot bear to part with Edward," she answered. "Nothing has been
said about it; but he brought down bad news. They are ordered to
Malta; and thence, he thinks, they shall go to India. Edward said he
should tell you as you went back tonight."
It was entire news to him, and he thought how greatly Dr. Davenal must
feel it. Few admired that fine young officer, Edward Davenal, more
than Oswald Cray. But he had no time to discuss it now, scarcely to
say a word of sympathy.
"Goodbye," he whispered, as they halted on the threshold and he turned
to press her hand in both of his, bending his face a little down.
"Goodbye. And remember."
"Remember what?" she asked.
"That you don't belong quite to yourself now."
He hastened in, leaving Sara standing there: standing there with the
significant words and their meaning beating pleasant changes on her
heart Captain Davenal came springing out.
"Hush, darling, be brave!" he said, as he took the kiss from his
sister's lips. "Leave all that until I come down for my real
farewell."
And Sara was brave, and dried her tears, and confided in the prospect
of that real farewell; little dreaming that it was destined never to
be spoken.