I have often thought since upon the magnanimity of Hallett's character.
Loving Miss Carr, as he did, with a passionate, hopeless love, he knew
her to be engaged to John Lister, and feeling bound in honour to be just
to the man he served, he crushed down his passion, and hid it in his
breast. Hopeless he knew it was, from his position; but, however
hopeless, it must have been agony to him to hear of his rival's success.
How much greater, then, must his sufferings have been when he found
that the man to whom the woman he adored had promised to give her hand
was a scoundrel of the basest kind!
He loved her so well that her future happiness must have been his
constant thought, and now he learned that she was bound to the man who
cared so little for the treasure of her love that he was ready to engage
in any intrigue; while the very fact that the object chosen for this
cruel intrigue was Hallett's own sister must have been maddening.
He must have felt fettered by his position, for he could not accuse John
Lister to the woman he loved. He felt that he was too full of
self-interest, and besides, how could he speak words that would inflict
such a sorrow upon the peaceful life of Miriam Carr?
No: he felt bound in honour to be silent, and, crushing down his love
and his honest indignation against John Lister, he sought employment
elsewhere, and spent his leisure in keeping watch over his home.
He took one step, though, that I did not know of till long afterwards;
he wrote to John Lister, telling him that his perfidy was known, and
uttering so fierce a warning against him if he pursued Linny, or even
wrote to her again, that the careful watch and ward kept over the house
in Great Ormond Street proved to be unnecessary, for the sensual tiger,
foiled in his spring, had slunk away.
On the day after my talk with Hallett, and Revitts' visit to the house,
I made my way after office-hours to Miss Carr's, to find my welcome
warmer than ever; for she flushed with pleasure, and sat for some time
talking to me of her sister, who had written to her from abroad.
"Now, Antony," she exclaimed, "you and I will dine together, and after
that you shall be my escort to a concert at Saint James's Hall."
"A concert!" I exclaimed eagerly.
"Yes; I was about to send the tickets away, but you have come in most
opportunely."
I was delighted; for I had never heard any of our best singers, and we
chatted through dinner of the music we were to hear, after which I was
left in the drawing-room, to amuse myself, while Miss Carr went up to
dress.
I took up a book, and began to read; but the thoughts of Linny Hallett
and Mr Lister kept coming into my head, and I asked myself whether I
ought not to tell Miss Carr.
No; I felt that I could not, and then I began wondering whether the
engagement that had been extended might not after all come to nothing,
as I hoped it would. It was horrible to me now, that John Lister should
be allowed to keep up ties with my patroness, knowing what I did of his
character; and yet I felt could not, I dared not, tell. At last, in the
midst of my contending thoughts, some of which were for telling, some
against, I forced myself into reading the book I had taken up, striving
so hard to obtain the mastery over self that I succeeded--so well that I
did not hear a cab stop, nor the quick step of him who had occupied so
large a share of my thoughts.
"Ah, Grace," said John Lister cavalierly, as he entered the room
unannounced, completely taking me by surprise as I started up from the
book. "You here again! Well, how's engineering? Like it as well as
printing, eh? Why, you are growing quite the gentleman, you lucky dog!
I suppose we must shake hands now."
I felt as if all the blood in my body had rushed to my face, and a
strange sensation of rage half choked me as I drew back.
"Why, what's the matter with you, boy?" he exclaimed. "Hold out your
hand."
"I'll not," I exclaimed indignantly; "how dare you ask me!"
"Dare I ask you--puppy!" he exclaimed, with an insolent laugh. "Why,
what do you mean?"
"How dare you come here?" I cried, my indignation getting the mastery
of me.
"Dare I come here!" he exclaimed, frowning. "Why, you insolent young
upstart, what do you mean?"
"I mean that you ought to be ashamed to show your face here again after
your behaviour to Mr Hallett's sister."
"Hush!"
As he uttered that word he caught me by the throat, thrust his face
close to mine, and I saw that he was deadly pale.
"You dog!" he whispered; "if you dare to utter another word, I'll--"
He did not finish, but gave me a vindictive look that was full of
threatenings of ill.
But unfortunately for him, he had hurt me severely as he caught me by
the throat, and the pain, instead of cowing me, filled me full of rage.
With one quick wrest I was free, and turning upon him fiercely, I
exclaimed:
"I will speak in spite of what you say. You are a coward, and
treacherous, and no gentleman!"
"Silence, dog!" he cried, in a hoarse whisper. "Have you dared to tell
Miss Carr lies about me?"
"I'm not a tell-tale," I cried scornfully, "and I'm not afraid of you,
Mr Lister. I would not tell Miss Carr, but I dare tell you that you
are a coward and a scoundrel!"
He raised his fist, and I believe that he would have struck me, but just
then his hand fell to his side, and his lips seemed to turn blue as he
stared straight over my shoulder, and turning hastily, I saw Miriam Carr
standing white and stern in the doorway, dressed ready for the concert.
"Ah, Miriam," he exclaimed, recovering himself; and he forced a smile to
his lips; "Grace and I were engaged in a dispute."
She did not answer him, but turned to me. "Antony," she said sternly,
"repeat those words you just said."
"No, no; mere nonsense," exclaimed John Lister playfully. "It was
nothing--nothing at all."
"Repeat those words, Antony Grace," cried Miss Carr, without seeming to
heed him: and she came towards where I stood, while I felt as if I would
gladly have sunk through the floor.
For a few moments I hesitated, then a feeling of strength seemed to come
to me, and I looked up at her firmly as I said:
"Don't ask me, Miss Carr! I cannot tell."
"Antony!" she exclaimed.
"My dear Miriam--" began John Lister; but she turned from him.
"Antony," she cried imperiously, and her handsome eyes flashed as she
stamped her foot; "I insist upon knowing the meaning of those words."