WHEN, some time after, Kenelm quitted the room and joined Mrs. Bowles
below, he said cheerily, "All right; Tom and I are sworn friends. We
are going together to Luscombe the day after to-morrow,--Sunday; just
write a line to his uncle to prepare him for Tom's visit, and send
thither his clothes, as we shall walk, and steal forth unobserved
betimes in the morning. Now go up and talk to him; he wants a
mother's soothing and petting. He is a noble fellow at heart, and we
shall be all proud of him some day or other."
As he walked towards the farmhouse, Kenelm encountered Mr. Lethbridge,
who said, "I have come from Mr. Saunderson's, where I went in search
of you. There is an unexpected hitch in the negotiation for Mrs.
Bawtrey's shop. After seeing you this morning I fell in with Mr.
Travers's bailiff, and he tells me that her lease does not give her
the power to sublet without the Squire's consent; and that as the
premises were originally let on very low terms to a favoured and
responsible tenant, Mr. Travers cannot be expected to sanction the
transfer of the lease to a poor basket-marker: in fact, though he will
accept Mrs. Bawtrey's resignation, it must be in favour of an
applicant whom he desires to oblige. On hearing this, I rode over to
the Park and saw Mr. Travers himself. But he was obdurate to my
pleadings. All I could get him to say was, 'Let the stranger who
interests himself in the matter come and talk to me. I should like to
see the man who thrashed that brute Tom Bowles: if he got the better
of him perhaps he may get the better of me. Bring him with you to my
harvest-supper to-morrow evening.' Now, will you come?"
"Nay," said Kenelm, reluctantly; "but if he only asks me in order to
gratify a very vulgar curiosity, I don't think I have much chance of
serving Will Somers. What do you say?"
"The Squire is a good man of business, and, though no one can call him
unjust or grasping, still he is very little touched by sentiment; and
we must own that a sickly cripple like poor Will is not a very
eligible tenant. If, therefore, it depended only on your chance with
the Squire, I should not be very sanguine. But we have an ally in his
daughter. She is very fond of Jessie Wiles, and she has shown great
kindness to Will. In fact, a sweeter, more benevolent, sympathizing
nature than that of Cecilia Travers does not exist. She has great
influence with her father, and through her you may win him."
"I particularly dislike having anything to do with women," said
Kenelm, churlishly. "Parsons are accustomed to get round them.
Surely, my dear sir, you are more fit for that work than I am."
"Permit me humbly to doubt that proposition; one does n't get very
quickly round the women when one carries the weight of years on one's
back. But whenever you want the aid of a parson to bring your own
wooing to a happy conclusion, I shall be happy, in my special capacity
of parson, to perform the ceremony required."
"/Dii meliora/!" said Kenelm, gravely. "Some ills are too serious to
be approached even in joke. As for Miss Travers, the moment you call
her benevolent you inspire me with horror. I know too well what a
benevolent girl is,--officious, restless, fidgety, with a snub nose,
and her pocket full of tracts. I will not go to the harvest-supper."
"Hist!" said the Parson, softly. They were now passing the cottage
of Mrs. Somers; and while Kenelm was haranguing against benevolent
girls, Mr. Lethbridge had paused before it, and was furtively looking
in at the window. "Hist! and come here,--gently."
Kenelm obeyed, and looked in through the window. Will was seated;
Jessie Wiles had nestled herself at his feet, and was holding his hand
in both hers, looking up into his face. Her profile alone was seen,
but its expression was unutterably soft and tender. His face, bent
downwards towards her, wore a mournful expression; nay, the tears were
rolling silently down his cheeks. Kenelm listened and heard her say,
"Don't talk so, Will, you break my heart; it is I who am not worthy of
you."
"Parson," said Kenelm, as they walked on, "I must go to that
confounded harvest-supper. I begin to think there is something true
in the venerable platitude about love in a cottage. And Will Somers
must be married in haste, in order to repent at leisure."
"I don't see why a man should repent having married a good girl whom
he loves."
"You don't? Answer me candidly. Did you ever meet a man who repented
having married?"
"Of course I have; very often."
"Well, think again, and answer as candidly. Did you ever meet a man
who repented not having married?"
The Parson mused, and was silent.
"Sir," said Kenelm, "your reticence proves your honesty, and I respect
it." So saying, he bounded off, and left the Parson crying out
wildly, "But--but--"