"I am the last person in the world, Rebecca, to interfere," said
Beatrice, as she busied herself making a series of holes with some thick
white cotton, which she wriggled till something like a pattern was
contrived; "but I cannot sit still and see that young person misbehaving
as she does."
"I quite agree with you, dear, and it shocks me to see into what a state
of moral blindness poor Henry has plunged."
"Ah!" sighed her sister, "it is very sad;" and she sighed again and
thought of a certain scarlet woman. "What would he say if he knew that
Miss Thorne openly sent letters to Mr William Forth Burge?"
"But they might be business letters," said Rebecca.
"Miss Thorne has no right to send business letters to Mr William Forth
Burge," said Beatrice angrily. "If there are any business matters in
connection with the school, the letter, if letter there be--for it would
be much more in accordance with Miss Thorne's duty if she came in all
due humility--"
"Suitably dressed," said Rebecca.
"Exactly," assented her sister. "--to the Vicarage and stated what was
required. Or if she wrote, it should be to the vicar, when the letter
would be in due course referred to us, and we should see what ought to
be done."
"Exactly so," assented Rebecca.
"Mr William Forth Burge has been a great benefactor to the schools; but
they are the Church schools, and, for my part, I do not approve of
everything being referred to him."
"I--I think you are right, Beatrice," assented Rebecca; "but Mr William
Forth Burge has, as you say, been a great benefactor to the schools."
"Exactly; a very great benefactor, Rebecca; but that is no reason why
Miss Thorne should write to him."
"I quite agree with you there, Beatrice; and now I have something more
to tell you, which I have just heard as I came up the town."
"About the schools?"
"Well, not exactly about the schools, but about the school-cottage. I
heard, on very good authority, that the Thornes have a young man staying
in the house."
"A young man!"
"Yes; he arrived there yesterday afternoon, and Mr Chute, who was my
informant, looked quite scandalised."
"We must tell Henry at once," cried Beatrice.
"Of what use would it be?" said Rebecca viciously. "He would only be
angry, and tell us it was Miss Thorne's brother, or something of that
sort."
"It is very, very terrible," sighed Beatrice, "Of what could Henry be
thinking to admit such a girl to our quiet country district?"
Just at the same time their brother also was much exercised in his own
mind on account of the letter that he had seen in Hazel's handwriting
directed to Mr Burge, and he was troubled the more on finding that she
should appeal to Mr Burge instead of to him--the head of the parish,
and one who had shown so great a disposition to be her friend--for even
then he could not own that he desired a closer intimacy.
The Reverend Henry Lambent knit his brows and asked himself again
whether this was not some temptation that had come upon him, similar to
those which had attacked the holy men of old; and as he sat and thought
it seemed to him that it could not be, for Hazel Thorne grew to him
fairer and more attractive day by day, and, fight hard as he would
against those thoughts, they grew stronger and more masterful, while he
became less able to cope with them.
And all this time Mr William Forth Burge, the stout and plain and
ordinary, was working away on Hazel's behalf. He was showing the
business side of his nature, and any one who had studied him now would
easily have understood why it was that he had become so wealthy. For
there was a straightforward promptness in all he did that impressed
Percy a good deal; and when, after keeping him for some hours at his
villa, wondering what was to happen next--hours that were employed in
copying letters for his new friend--the said new friend announced that
they were going up to London, Percy, with all the disposition to resist
obeyed without a word, and followed to the station.
"Don't seem very well off," thought Percy, as Mr William Forth Burge
took a couple of third-class tickets for London.