"I do not please, at present. I have grieved you, as when I hurt
Buffer. I will not be ruled by any one, but the old man shall live in
his cottage, and have his wages; but he shall not come into the stables
nor near my horses. Does that please you, my brother?"
Cherry had his doubts as to how old Bill might regard or fulfil the
conditions, and certainly forbidding a servant to do any work was rather
an odd way of punishing him; but he answered gratefully,--
"Yes, thank you, you have taken a great weight off my mind."
"You cough," said Alvar, after a few moments; "the weather is getting
too cold for you."
"I thought," said Cherry, forcing himself to take advantage of the
excuse, "that I would go to the sea for a little while before the
winter."
"Yes; where shall we go?" said Alvar, in a tone of interest. "Look," he
continued, with wonderful candour; "here we vex each other because we do
not think the same. We are angry with each other; but we will come
away, and I will take care of you. Then you shall go to London, and I
shall come back, and you will see, I will yet be the squire. Where
shall we go, _mi caro_?"
It was almost a dismissal, and so Cheriton felt it to be; but after all
it was his own decision, and the return of Alvar's old kindness was very
comfortable to him.
"I had hardly thought about that," he said.
"Well," returned Alvar, "we can talk about it. Now, it is cold here in
the window; come nearer to the fire and rest till dinner-time."
As Cheriton sat up and looked out at the stormy sunset, he saw little
Chris Fleming coming up the path that led round to the back door.
"Ah," said Alvar cheerfully, following his eyes, "I do not wish to
punish that boy any more. He has had enough, that little rascal."
Evidently, Alvar's conscience was quite at ease, and he did not suppose
that he had in any way compromised himself. He began to perceive that
Alvar had his own ideas as to what would make him really master of
Oakby.
Just after dinner a note was brought to Alvar.
"If you please, sir, this note was found in the passage, just inside the
back door."
Alvar took the letter, lit one of the candles on the chimney-piece, and
proceeded to read it.
"Moor End Farm, _September 29th_.
"Honoured Sir,--After the events of this morning, I consider it for
the best that my brother Christopher should leave your service at
once. I have no objection to forfeit any wages due to him, as I do
not feel able to give the usual month's notice after what has passed.
"I remain, honoured sir,--
"Your obedient servant,--
"Edward Fleming."
Alvar coloured deeply as he read. "What is this?" he exclaimed. "May I
not punish even a little boy, who insults me? Look!" and he threw the
letter to his brother.
"It is very awkward," said Cheriton.
"I think it is insolent," said Alvar.
"I think there is a great effort to avoid any want of respect in the
letter."
"To take the boy away because he was punished!"
"Well, Alvar, if you or I were in Ned Fleming's place, we shouldn't have
liked it."
"Did you know that this letter was coming?"
"Yes, I did."
"It is perhaps as you have advised Fleming?"
"No. I gave him no advice; but I knew he would not let the boy stay
here."
"Do you then approve?" said Alvar, in a curious sort of voice.
"From their point of view--yes. You are right in saying that you must
make yourself felt as the master; but there is no good in enforcing your
authority in a way that is not customary, to say the least of it. In
England we can't lay hands on other people; and they _might_ have
summoned you for an assault, you know."
"What! before a judge?"
"Before a magistrate."
"I?" exclaimed Alvar, in a tone of such amazement that Cheriton nearly
laughed. "Who would listen to that little boy against me, who am a
gentleman and his master?"
"The little boy is your equal in the eyes of the law, and might meet
with more attention just because you _are_ his master. Not that I mean
to say it would not be regarded as very annoying to convict you," said
Cheriton, thinking of the feelings of Sir John Hubbard on such an
emergency.
"I will myself be a magistrate," said Alvar.
"That you never will," said Cherry, losing patience, "while these
stories get about, for no one would trust you."
"Can I not be a magistrate if I choose?"
"Not unless the Lord Lieutenant gives you a commission, of course."
"I think there is power for every one but me!" said Alvar. "I may not
punish that little--what is your word?--vulgar, common boy. I do not
like so much law. Gentlemen should do as they wish. You talk so much
about my being landlord and squire. What is the use of it if I may not
do as I will? Well, I will send away Fleming from his farm--that is
mine at least."
"I am afraid he has a twenty-one years lease in it," said Cheriton,
rather wickedly, and Alvar, fancying himself laughed at, suddenly put
the letter in his pocket and turned away, as the gong sounded for
dinner. He disappeared afterwards when they went back to the library,
and Cheriton had the forbearance to abstain from giving Jack the benefit
of Alvar's peculiar views on the British constitution, though they could
not fail to speak of the events of the morning, and Jack said,--
"Well, at least he has heard reason about old Bill, and that was of most
consequence; but I should think you would be glad to be back in London,
and out of the way of it all."
"I am not quite sure about London, Jack," said Cheriton, after a moment.
"What, don't you feel well enough?"
"I don't think I shall ever be good for much there; and besides--I think
I should like to talk to you a little, Jack, if you'll listen."
"Well?"
"You know how I always looked forward to settling in London, and how
Uncle Cheriton wished it, and meant to help me on. In fact I never
thought of anything else."
"Yes, I know," said Jack, briefly.
"There was a time when I desired that sort of success intensely, and
when things were very much changed for me, I thought it would still--be
satisfactory."
"Yes?"
"But of course, as you know, I soon perceived that the hard continuous
work, necessary for anything like success, was quite out of the question
for me--I feel sure that it always will be; and, moreover, I never felt
well in London. I was much better here when I first came back."
Poor Jack looked as if the disappointment were much fresher and harder
to him than to the speaker himself.
"You must know," Cheriton continued, "that a doctor once told me at
Oxford that the damp soft air there was very bad for a native of such a
place as this, and I see now that the last few months there began the
mischief; and London has something the same effect on me. That seems to
settle the question."
"I suppose so," said Jack, so disconsolately, that Cherry half smiled,
as he resumed,--
"Otherwise the pleasant idle life there might have its charms. Though,
after all, Jack, I shouldn't like it as things are now. When I expected
to be a London man, I expected, as you know--a good deal else. And
afterwards even, while all home ties here were safe and sound, one would
not get selfish and aimless. But now I couldn't be happy, I think,
without a home-world that really belonged to me."
"And so home is being spoilt for you too?" said Jack.
"I see," returned Cheriton, "that it won't do. If Alvar is left to
himself here, he will fight his way now, I think, to some means of
managing proper to himself."
"Or improper," said Jack.
"Well, to be honest, I am afraid he will make a great many mistakes, and
do a great deal of mischief. But if I were here--I mean if this place
were still to be home to me so that I still felt--as I should feel--a
personal concern in all the old interests, Alvar would quarrel with me.
I might prevent individual evils; but in the long run I should do harm.
He thought at first that I should guide him. Perhaps I thought so too;
but it is a false and impossible relation, and it must be put a stop
to."
"But, Cherry, I think father looked to you to keep things straight."
"Yes," said Cherry, "but not to make them more crooked, by such disputes
as we have had lately."
Cheriton spoke resolutely, though with a quiver of the lip, and Jack
could guess well enough at the pain the resolve was costing him. "Alvar
is quite changed to you!" he said, savagely.
"Yes, because he himself is changing. He is different in many ways, and
conscious of all sorts of difficulties."
"But what do you mean to do?"
"Oh, nothing desperate, nothing till the winter is over. Probably I
shall go to the sea with Alvar, as he suggests. Then if I am pretty
well, I shall go and see granny. I have a notion that I should be
better here in the cold weather than in London. I want to try."
"Had you all this in your mind when you settled to buy Uplands?" said
Jack suddenly. "Yes--in part I had."
"But, you are not thinking of living _there_! What are you driving at,
Cherry, I can't understand you?"
"Well, Jack," said Cherry, slowly and with rising colour, "I will tell
you, but I wanted to show you the process. And you must remember that
it is only an idea known to no one, and very probably may prove
impossible, perhaps undesirable."
"Tell me," said Jack, more gently. Any scheme for the future was a
relief from listening to the laying aside of hopes which he knew had
been so much a part of Cheriton's being.
"Well," said Cherry again, "I'm afraid my motives are rather poor ones.
You see, after Oakby there's no place for me like Elderthwaite. I want
the feeling, as I say, of a place and neighbours of my own. I suppose I
am used to playing first fiddle, and to looking after other people's
concerns. Granny always said I was a gossip. Then I'm narrow-minded,
perhaps I have had too much taken out of me to think of starting fresh.
And you know the old parson will always put up with me, and so will
Elderthwaite people. And I want an object in life--if you knew how
dreary it is to be without one! If they had a strange curate he would
set them all by the ears, and the parson would make a fool of himself!
So if Mr Ellesmere thinks the bishop would consent, and approves, and
if I am fit for anything, I thought that I would try."
Jack was silent for some moments. He understood Cheriton well enough to
"follow the process," but it affected him strongly, and at last he said,
gravely,--
"I am afraid all the vexation here has put this into your head."
"Partly," said Cherry, simply, "this actual thing. I can't say anything
of other motives of course, Jack. I know that it looks like, that in
fact it _is_ turning to this--which ought to be the offering of all
one's best--when other careers have failed me. And I know that those
who sympathise the least will be the most inclined to say so. But it is
not quite so. I _have_ always wished to be of use, of service, here
especially. I thought I saw how. I have the same wish still, and this
seems to offer me a way. It is but a gathering up of the fragments, but
I trust He will accept."
Jack's view rather was that the plan was not good enough for his
brother, than that his brother was not good enough for it.
"You were always good enough for anything, if that is what you mean," he
said. "But I do understand, Cherry, about wanting an object; only--only
it's such an odd one."
"I tell you," said Cherry, brightly, for the disclosure was a great
relief to him, "that that's the very point. I don't think I get on
amiss with any one, even with the _Sevillanos_, but down at the bottom
of my heart, Jack, I'm not far removed--we none of us are--from `There's
a stranger, 'eave 'alf a brick at him,' and when I think of any direct
dealing with people, anything like clerical work, why, except to my own
kith and kin, I should have nothing to say. The self-denial of
missionaries seems to me incredible. I could not do as Bob means to do,
I think, if health and strength were to be the reward of it. It's a
very unworthy weakness, I know, but I can't help it."
"You would get on very well anywhere," said Jack; "that is all nonsense.
I don't believe Elderthwaite would agree with you, and you could
overwork yourself just as well there as anywhere else."
"Well, as to the place agreeing with me, that remains to be proved.
It's a very small church, and a small place; and I hope I might be able
to do the little they are fit for--at present. But I know it may prove
to be out of the question."
Jack was silent. He could not bear to vex Cherry by opposing a scheme
which seemed to offer him some pleasure in the midst of his annoyances,
and if his brother had proposed to take orders with more ordinary
expectations, it would have been quite in accordance with the Oakby code
of what was fitting. But there was something in the consecration of
what Cheriton evidently viewed as a probably short life and failing
powers to an object so unselfish, and yet, as it seemed to Jack, so
commonplace, it was so like Cherry, and yet showed such a conquest of
himself--there was such humility in the acknowledgment that he was only
just fit for the sort of imperfect work that offered itself, and yet
such a complete sense that no one else could manage that particular bit
of work so well--it was, as Jack said, "so odd," that it thrilled him
through and through, and he was glad that Alvar's entrance saved him
from a reply.