Charles sat quite still where Ruth had left him, looking straight in
front of him. He had not thought for a moment of following her, of
speaking to her again. Her decision was final, and he knew it. And now
he also knew how much he had built upon the wild new hope of the last
two days.
Presently a slight discreet cough broke upon his ear, apparently close
at hand.
He started up, and, wheeling round in the direction of the sound, called
out, in sudden anger, "Who is there?"
If there is a time when we feel that a fellow-creature is entirely out
of harmony with ourselves, it is when we discover that he has overheard
or overseen us at a moment when we imagined we were alone, or--almost
alone.
Charles was furious.
"Come out!" he said, in a tone that would have made any ordinary
creature stay as far _in_ as it could. And hearing a slight crackling
in the nearest horse-box, of which the door stood open, he shook the
door violently.
"Come out," he repeated, "this instant!"
"Stop that noise, then," said a voice sharply from the inside, "and keep
quiet. By ----, a violent temper, what a thing it is; always raising a
dust, and kicking up a row, just when it's least wanted."
The voice made Charles start.
"Great God!" he said, "it's not--"
"Yes, it is," was the reply; "and when you have taken a seat on the
farther end of that bench, and recovered your temper, I'll show, and not
before."
Charles walked to the bench and sat down.
"You can come out," he said, in a carefully lowered voice, in which
there was contempt as well as anger.
Accordingly there was a little more crackling among the fagots, and a
slight, shabbily dressed man came to the door and peered warily out,
shading his blinking eyes with his hand.
"If there is a thing I hate," he said, with a curious mixture of
recklessness and anxiety, "it is a noise. Sit so that you face the left,
will you, and I'll look after the right, and if you see any one coming
you may as well mention it. I am only at home to old friends."
He took his hand from his eyes as they became more accustomed to the
light, and showed a shrewd, dissipated face, that yet had a kind of
ruined good looks about it, and, what was more hateful to Charles than
anything else, a decided resemblance to Ruth. Though he was shabby in
the extreme, his clothes sat upon him as they always and only do sit
upon a gentleman; and, though his face and voice showed that he had
severed himself effectually from the class in which he had been born, a
certain unsuitability remained between his appearance and his evidently
disreputable circumstances. When Charles looked at him he was somehow
reminded of a broken-down thorough-bred in a hansom cab.
"It is a quiet spot," remarked Raymond Deyncourt, for he it was,
standing in the door-way, his watchful eyes scanning the deserted
court-yard and strip of green. "A retired and peaceful spot. I'm sorry
if my cough annoyed you, coming when it did, but I thought you seemed
before to be engaged in conversation which I felt a certain diffidence
in interrupting."
"So you listened, I suppose?"
"Yes, I listened. I did not hear as much as I could have wished, but it
was your best manner, Danvers. You certainly have a gift, though you
dropped your voice unnecessarily once or twice, I thought. If I had had
your talents, I should not be here now. Eh? Dear me! you can swear
still, can you? How refreshing. I fancied you had quite reformed."
"Why are you here now?" asked Charles, sternly.
Raymond shrugged his shoulders.
"Why are you here?" continued Charles, bitterly, "when you swore to me
in July that if I would pay your passage out again to America you would
let her alone in future? Why are you here, when I wrote to tell you that
she had promised me she would never give you money again without advice?
But I might have known you could break a promise as easily as make one.
I might have known you would only keep it as long as it suited
yourself."
"Well, now, I'm glad to hear you say that," said Raymond, airily,
"because it takes off any feeling of surprise I was afraid you might
feel at seeing me back here. There's nothing like a good understanding
between friends. I'm precious hard up, I can tell you, or I should not
have come; and when a fellow has got into as tight a place as I have he
has got to think of other things besides keeping promises. Have you seen
to-day's papers?" with sudden eagerness.
"Yes."
"Any news about the 'Frisco forgery case?" and Raymond leaned forward
through the door, and spoke in a whisper.
"Nothing much," said Charles, trying to recollect. "Nothing new to-day,
I think. You know they got one of them two days ago, followed him down
to Birmingham, and took him in the train."
Raymond drew in his breath.
"I don't hold with trains," he said, after a pause; "at least, not with
passengers. I told him as much at the time. And the--the other
one--Stephens? Any news of him?"
"Nothing more about him, as far as I can remember. They were both traced
together from Boston to London, but there they parted company. Stephens
is at large still."
"Is he?" said Raymond. "By George, I'm glad to hear it! I hope he'll
keep so, that's all. I am glad I left that fool. He'd not my notions at
all. We split two days ago, and I made tracks for the old diggings; got
down as far as Tarbury under a tarpaulin in a goods train--there's some
sense in a goods train--and then lay close by a weir of the canal, and
got aboard a barge after dark. Nothing breaks a scent like a barge. And
it went the right way for my business too, and travelled all night. I
kept close all next day, and then struck across country for this place
at night. If I hadn't known the lie of the land from a boy, when I used
to spend the holidays with old Alwynn, I couldn't have done it, or if
I'd been as dog lame as I was in July; but I was pushed for time, and I
footed it up here, and got in just before dawn. And not too soon either,
for I'm cleaned out, and food is precious hard to come by if you don't
care to go shopping for it. I am only waiting till it's dark to go and
get something from the old woman at the lodge. She looked after me
before, but it wasn't so serious then as it is now."
"It will be penal servitude for life this time for--Stephens," said
Charles.
"Yes," said Raymond, thoughtfully. "It's playing deuced high. I knew
that at the time, but I thought it was worth it. It was a beautiful
thing, and there was a mint of money in it if it had gone straight--a
mint of money;" and he shook his head regretfully. "But the luck is
bound to change in the end," he went on, after a moment of mournful
retrospection. "You'll see, I shall make my pile yet, Danvers. One can't
go on turning up tails all the time."
"You will turn them up once too often," said Charles, "and get your
affairs wound up for you some day in a way you won't like. But I suppose
it's no earthly use my saying anything."
"Not much," replied the other. "I guess I've heard it all before. Don't
you remember how you held forth that night in the wood? You came out too
strong. I felt as if I were in church; but you forked out handsomely at
the collection afterwards. I will say that for you."
"And what are you going to do now you've got here?" interrupted Charles,
sharply.
"Lie by."
"How long?"
"Perhaps a week, perhaps ten days. Can't say."
"And after that?"
"After that, some one, I don't say who, but some one will have to
provide me with the 'ready' to nip across to France. I have friends in
Paris where I can manage to scratch along for a bit till things have
blown over."
Charles considered for a few moments, and then said:
"Are you going to dun your sister for money again, or give her another
fright by lying in wait for her? Of course, if you broke your word
about coming back, you might break it about trying to get money out of
her."
"I might," assented Raymond; "in fact, I was on the point of making my
presence known to her, and suggesting a pecuniary advance, when you came
up. I don't know at present what I shall do, as I let that opportunity
slip. It just depends."
Charles considered again.
"It's a pity to trouble her, isn't it?" said Raymond, his shrewd eyes
watching him; "and women are best out of money-matters. Besides, if she
has promised you she won't pay up without advice, she'll stick to it.
Nothing will turn her when she once settles on anything, if she is at
all like what she used to be. She has got dollars of her own. You had
better settle with me, and pay yourself back when you are married. Dear
me! There's no occasion to look so murderous. I suppose I'm at liberty
to draw my own conclusions."
"You had better draw them a little more carefully in future," said
Charles, savagely. "Your sister is engaged to be married to a man
without a sixpence."
"By George," said Raymond, "that won't suit my book at all. I'd
rather"--with another glance at Charles--"I'd rather she'd marry a man
with money."
If Charles was of the same opinion he did not express it. He remained
silent for a few minutes to give weight to his last remark, and then
said, slowly:
"So you see you won't get anything more from that quarter. You had
better make the most you can out of me."
Raymond nodded.
"The most you will get, in fact, I may say _all_ you will get from me,
is enough ready money to carry you to Paris, and a check for twenty
pounds to follow, when I hear you have arrived there."
"It's mean," said Raymond; "it's cursed mean; and from a man like you,
too, whom I feel for as a brother. I'd rather try my luck with Ruth.
She's not married yet, anyway."
"You will do as you like," said Charles, getting up. "If I find you have
been trying your luck with her, as you call it, you won't get a farthing
from me afterwards. And you may remember, she can't help you without
consulting her friends. And your complaint is one that requires absolute
quiet, or I'm very much mistaken."
Raymond bit his finger, and looked irresolute.
"To-day is Wednesday," said Charles; "on Saturday I shall come back
here in the afternoon, and if you have come to my terms by that time you
can cough after I do. I shall have the money on me. If you make any
attempt to write or speak to your sister, I shall take care to hear of
it, and you need not expect me on Saturday. That is the last remark I
have to make, so good-afternoon;" and, without waiting for a reply,
Charles walked away, conscious that Raymond would not dare either to
call or run after him.
He walked slowly along the grass-grown road that led into the
carriage-drive, and was about to let himself out of the grounds by a
crazy gate, which rather took away from the usefulness of the large iron
locked ones at the lodge, when he perceived an old man with a pail of
water fumbling at it. He did not turn as Charles drew near, and even
when the latter came up with him, and said "Good-afternoon," he made no
sign. Charles watched him groping for the hasp, and, when he had got the
gate open, feel about for the pail of water, which when he found he
struck against the gate-post as he carried it through. Charles looked
after the old man as he shambled off in the direction of the lodge.
"Blind and deaf! He'll tell no tales, at any rate," he said to himself.
"Raymond is in luck there."
It had turned very cold; and, suddenly remembering that his absence
might be noticed, he set off through the woods to Slumberleigh at a good
pace. His nearest way took him through the church-yard and across the
adjoining high-road, on the farther side of which stood the little
red-faced lodge, which belonged to the great new red-faced seat of the
Thursbys at a short distance. He came rapidly round the corner of the
old church tower, and was already swinging down the worn sandstone steps
which led into the road, when he saw below him at the foot of the steps
a little group of people standing talking. It was Mr. Alwynn and Ruth
and Dare, who had evidently met them on his return from shooting, and
who, standing at ease with one elegantly gaitered leg on the lowest
step, and a cartridge-bag slung over his shoulders in a way that had
aroused Charles's indignation earlier in the day, was recounting to
them, with vivid action of the hands on an imaginary gun, his own
performances to right and left at some particularly hot corner.
Mr. Alwynn was listening with a benignant smile. Charles saw that Ruth
was leaning heavily against the low stone-wall. Before he had time to
turn back, Mr. Alwynn had seen him, and had gone forward a step to meet
him, holding out a welcoming hand. Charles was obliged to stop a moment
while his hand was inquired after, and a new treatment, which Mr.
Alwynn had found useful on a similar occasion, was enjoined upon him. As
they stood together on the church steps a fly, heavily laden with
luggage, came slowly up the road towards them.
"What," said Mr. Alwynn, "more visitors! I thought all the Slumberleigh
party arrived yesterday."
The fly plodded past the Slumberleigh lodge, however, and as it reached
the steps a shrill voice suddenly called to the driver to stop. As it
came grinding to a stand-still, the glass was hastily put down, and a
little woman with a very bold pair of black eyes, and a somewhat
laced-in figure, got out and came towards them.
"Well, Mr. Dare!" she said, in a high distinct voice, with a strong
American accent. "I guess you did not expect to see me riding up this
way, or you'd have sent the carriage to bring your wife up from the
station. But I'm not one to bear malice; so if you want a lift home
to--what's the name of your fine new place?--you can get in, and ride up
along with me."
Dare looked straight in front of him. No one spoke. Her quick eye
glanced from one to another of the little group, and she gave a short
constrained laugh.
"Well," she said, "if you ain't coming, you can stop with your friends.
I've had a deal of travelling one way and another, and I'll go on
without you." And, turning quickly away, she told the driver in the same
distinct high key to go on to Vandon, and got into the fly again.
The grinning man chucked at the horse's bridle, and the fly rattled
heavily away.
No one spoke as it drove away. Charles glanced once at Ruth; but her set
white face told him nothing. As the fly disappeared up the road, Dare
moved a step forward. His face under his brown skin was ashen gray. He
took off his cap, and extending it at arm's-length, not towards the sky,
but, like a good churchman, towards the church, outside of which, as he
knew, his Maker was not to be found, he said, solemnly, "I swear before
God what she says is one--great--_lie_!"