|When Edith and Miss Santley reached the Vicarage, they went into
the parlour, which, besides having a western exposure, commanded to
a considerable distance a view of the high-road along which the vicar
had passed.
“I always think this is the pleasantest room in the house,” said Miss
Santley, as she drew an armchair into the recess of the open window,
and Edith seated herself on the couch. “Charles prefers an eastern
frontage, for the sake of the early morning, he says; but I am always.
busy in the morning, so I suppose I like the afternoon light best,
when I have a little time to sit and bask.”
“Isn’t it natural, too,” suggested Edith, “that men should prefer
sunrise and women sunset? Men are so active and sanguine, and have
so many interests to engage their attention, and women--well, as a
rule--are such dreamers! Is it not almost constitutional?”
“And when did you ever see me dreaming, may I ask?” inquired Miss
Santley.
“Oh no; you are not one of the dreamers,” replied Edith, quickly. “You
should have been called Martha instead of Mary.”
“Insinuating that I am a bit of a busybody, eh?” said Miss Santley,
with a sly twinkle of humour.
“You know I did not mean to insinuate that.”
“Or that you had yourself chosen the better part, eh?” she continued
gaily.
Edith coloured deeply, and cast her eyes on the floor, while an
expression of pain passed across her face.
“Nay, my dear, do not look hurt. You know that was only said in jest.”
“You cannot tell how such jests hurt me,” replied the girl, her lips
beginning to tremble.
“Even between our two selves?” asked Miss Santley, taking Edith’s hand
gently and stroking it with both of hers. “You know, my dear little
girl, how I love you, and how pleased I was when I discovered the way
in which that poor little heart of yours was beating. You know that
there is no one in the world whom I would more gladly--ay, or a
thousandth part so gladly--take for a sister. Don’t you, Edith? Answer
me, dear.”
“Yes,” replied the girl, letting her head hang upon her bosom, and
feeling her face on flame.
“And have I not tried to help you? I know Charles is fond of you--I am
sure of that. I have eyes in my head, my dear, though they are not so
young and pretty as yours. And I know, too, that a little while ago
he was anxious to know what I would say if he should propose to take
a wife. I shall be only too pleased when he makes up his mind. It will
relieve me of a great deal of care and anxiety. And he could not in
the wide world choose a better or a dearer little girl.”
Miss Santley was not ordinarily of a demonstrative disposition, but as
she uttered those last words she drew Edith towards her and kissed her
on the forehead.
The vicar’s sister was some twelve years his senior. A stout, homely,
motherly little woman, with plain but pleasing features, brown hair,
a shrewd but kindly expression, clear grey eyes, and a firm mouth and
chin, she was as unlike the Vicar in personal appearance as she was
unlike him in character and temperament. This family unlikeness,
however, had had no prejudicial effect on their mutual affection,
though in Miss Santley’s case it was the source of much secret
uneasiness on her brother’s account. As unimaginative as she was
practical, she was at a loss to understand her brother’s emotional
mysticism and dreamy idealism; but her knowledge of human nature made
her timorously aware of the dangers which beset the combination of a
splendid physique with a glowing temperament which was almost febrile
in its sensuous impulsiveness. She was spared the torture of sharing
that darker secret of unbelief; but she was sufficiently conscious of
the strong fervid nature of the vicar, to feel thankful that Edith had
made a deep impression on him, and that when he did marry it would be
a bright and congenial young creature who would be worthy of him and
attached to herself.
“So why should it hurt you, if I do jest a little?” asked Miss
Santley, as she kissed Edith. “Love cannot always be transcendental,
otherwise two people will never come closely together. The best gift a
couple of lovers can possess in common, is a capacity for a little fun
and affectionate wit. Your solemn lovers are always misunderstanding
each other, and quarrelling and making it up again.”
“But we are not lovers yet, Mary,” said Edith in a timid whisper.
“Not yet, perhaps; but you will be soon, if I am capable of forming
any opinion.”
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” Edith replied with a sigh; and her soft
blue eyes filled with tears. Then raising her eyes imploringly to Miss
Santley, and nervously taking her hand, she continued: “Oh, Mary, do
not think me too forward and eager and unwomanly. Do not judge me too
hardly. I know a girl should not give her heart away till she is asked
for it. But I cannot help it--I love him--I love him so! I have done
all I could to prevent myself from loving him, but it is no use--oh!
it is no use.”
She burst into a paroxysm of passionate sobbing, and Miss Santley,
without saying a word, put her arms about her and softly caressed her
soft flaxen hair.
The outburst was gradually subdued, and Edith, with a hot glowing
face hidden on her friend’s shoulder, was too ashamed to change her
position.
“Do you feel better now, dear? asked Miss Santley in a kindly voice.
“Oh, Mary, are you not ashamed of me--disgusted?”
Miss Santley replied in a woman’s way with another kiss, and again
fondled the girl’s head.
After a pause of a few moments, she gently raised her face and
regarded it affectionately.
“You must come upstairs and wash away those tell-tales before he
returns. And”--she added a little hesitatingly--“will you not trust me
with the cause of all this trouble?”
“I am afraid you will laugh at me, dear, it must seem such a foolish
cause to you. And I know you will say it was all simply my fancy.”
“What was it?”
“You know, dear, where I sit in church?” Edith began, nervously
playing with the lace on Miss Santley’s dress. “Well, he always used
to turn twice or thrice in my direction during the sermon. I used
to think he did it because he knew I was there. And he did it this
afternoon. But in the evening he never looked once during the whole
time.”
Miss Santley began to smile in spite of herself.
“Then when he came out of the church he saw you and me waiting for
him--I saw him give one single sharp look--and then he went on as if
he had not perceived us. He would not have gone away like that, Mary,
if I had not been with you.”
“And is that all?” inquired Mary as Edith paused.
“I think it is quite enough,” the latter replied sorrowfully. “It
means that he is tired of me; he was displeased that I was with you;
he did not want to speak to me.”
“My dear girl, all this is simply silly fancy; you will make your
whole life miserable if you imagine things in this way.”
“I knew you would say that; but you do not understand. I hardly
understand myself; but I know what I say is true. You remember old
Harry Wilson down in the village--he has a wooden leg, you know, but
when there is going to be a bad change of weather, he says he can feel
it in the foot he has lost; and he is always right. I think I am like
him, dear; I have lost something, and it makes me feel when there is a
change, long before the storm breaks.”
“All this is nothing but nonsense, my little woman!” said Miss Santley
reassuringly. “Come with me upstairs, and let us make ourselves
presentable.” When Edith had bathed her face, the two came downstairs
again, but instead of returning to the parlour they went into the
library. This was specially the vicar’s room, and, more than any
other, it indicated the tastes and character of its occupant. The
whole house, indeed, was tinged with the mediaeval colouring of
the church, and in all parts of it you came upon indications of the
ecclesiastical spirit of the owner; but here the vicar had given
fullest expression to his fancy, and the room had as much the
appearance of an oratory as of a library. At one end a small alcove
jutted out into the plantation, and the windows were filled with
stained glass. On the walls hung several of Raphael’s cartoons; on the
mantelpiece stood, under glass, a marble group of The Dead Christ;
the furniture, which was of carved oak, suggested the stalls in
the chancel; the brass gasalier and brackets were of ecclesiastical
design; and, lastly, the library shelves were solemnly weighted with
long rows of theology, sermons, and Biblical literature in several
languages. In a separate bookcase, which was kept locked, were
gathered together a number of scientific works and volumes of modern
speculative philosophy. A third bookcase was devoted to history,
poetry, travels, and miscellaneous works. The great bulk of the
library, however, was clerical, and the vicar had within arm’s reach
a fair epitome of all that the good men of all ages and many countries
had discovered regarding the mystery of the world and the relationship
of man.
In one corner of the room stood a tall richly carved triangular
cupboard of black oak, and it too, like the bookcase of science, was
kept perpetually locked.
As Edith entered the room her eyes fell upon it, and turning to her
companion she asked--
“Oh, Mary, have you discovered the skeleton yet?”
“No,” replied Miss Santley, with a laugh. “Charles is forgetful enough
in some things, but he has never yet left the key in that lock. I once
asked him what it was he concealed so carefully, but he refused
to satisfy my curiosity; so I resolved to trust to chance and his
carelessness. I have waited so long, however, that my curiosity has at
last been tired out. I don’t suppose, after all, it is anything worth
knowing.”
“And why does he always keep this bookcase locked too? The books all
look so fresh and new, and they are much more attractive than those
dusty old fellows any one can look into. I should like to read several
of those, one hears so much about them. There is Darwin, ‘The Descent
of Man’--I have read articles about that book in the magazines, and I
know he believes Adam and Eve were apes in Paradise or something like
that.”
“Oh, my dear, Charles would never allow you to read those books on any
account. They are all dreadfully wicked and blasphemous. He only
reads them himself to refute them and to be able to show how false and
dangerous they are.”
Edith, who had approached the window, now suddenly started back, and a
bright flush rose to her face.
“Here is Mr. Santley, Mary! How pale and wearied he looks!”
A moment or two later the vicar entered the library. At the sight of
Miss Dove he paused for an instant, and then advancing, held out his
hand to her.
“You here, Miss Edith!” he said coldly. “How are you, and how is your
aunt?”
He did not wait for an answer, but went to his writing-table and sat
down.
The two women exchanged glances of surprise, and Edith’s face grew sad
and white.
“Are you not well, Charles?” his sister asked, going up to him and
looking solicitously into his face.
“I am not very well this evening,” replied the vicar; “it is the
weather, I think. If Miss Edith will excuse me, I think I will leave
you and lie down. I feel tired.”
He rose again abruptly, and Edith stood regarding him with large,
wistful eyes. He moved towards the door, and then suddenly stopped and
turned to her.
“Good evening,” he said once more, holding out his hand and speaking
in a cold, distant manner. “Present my compliments to your aunt.”
“I hope you will be well in the morning,” said Edith, timidly.
“Thanks. Yes; I expect I shall be all right again after a little
rest.”
He turned and left her, and Miss Santley, glancing at her
significantly, followed him to his room.
“He has over-exerted himself to-day,” said Mary a little later, as she
accompanied Miss Dove to the garden gate. “He had a sick call in the
afternoon, and was unable to take his usual rest. You will excuse my
not accompanying you home, will you not?”
“Oh certainly,” said Edith. “I hope it is nothing serious. Would you
not like to see Dr. Spruce? I can call, you know.”
“He says he does not need the doctor; he knows what is the matter with
him, and only requires rest. Good night, dear! I am so sorry I cannot
go part of the way with you.”
“Do not think of that,” said Edith, shaking hands. “It is not late,
and you must not leave him.”
The sunset had lowered down to its last red embers, but it was still
quite light as Edith turned away from the Vicarage gate. She proceeded
slowly down the road towards the village for a few moments, and then
paused and looked back. No one was on the road. Retracing her steps,
she passed the Vicarage at a quick pace, and took the direction which
the vicar had taken an hour before. Strangely enough, she stopped at
the top of the rising ground where he had stopped; went through the
same gate, into the same field, and, following the same path, reached
the stile on which he had sat. Here she sat down, with the great sea
of corn whispering and murmuring about her, and the distant landscape
growing-gradually more and more indistinct in the bluish vapour of the
twilight. Alone and hidden from observation, she sat on the step with
her arms on the cross-bar of the stile and her head laid on them,
weeping bitterly.
“I have lost something, and it makes, me feel when there is a change!”