"I shall have to go away from here."
Eileen's hand turned cold in his.
"Why?" she whispered; but she knew.
"Because if we wait here we shall wait forever. The last curate in Much
Moreham--what happened to him?"
"He died."
"Yes--at fifty-five; and he had been here for thirty years. Preferment
does not come in sleepy villages. I must go back to London."
"The East End?"
"East or south or north--it doesn't signify. Anywhere but west. In the
east and south and north there is always work to be done--hard work. And
if a parson has no money and no brains and no influence, and can only
work--run clothing clubs and soup kitchens, and reclaim
drunkards--London is the place for him. So off I go to London, my
beloved, to lay the foundations of Paradise for you and me--for you and
me!"
There was a long silence. Then the pair rose to their feet and smiled on
each other extremely cheerfully, because each suspected the
other--rightly--of low spirits.
"Shall we tell people?" asked the curate.
Eileen thought, and shook her head.
"No," she said; "nicer not. It will make a splendid secret."
"Just between us two, eh?" said the curate, kindling at the thought.
"Just between us two," agreed Eileen. And the curate kissed her very
solemnly. A secret is a comfortable thing to lovers, especially when
they are young and about to be lonely.
At this moment a leonine head, supported on a lumbering and ill-balanced
body, was thrust in between them. It was Excalibur, taking sanctuary
with the Church from the vengeance of the Law.
"We might tell Scally, I think," said Eileen.
"Rather!" assented the curate. "He introduced us."
So Eileen communicated the great news to Excalibur.
"You do approve, dear--don't you?" she said.
Excalibur, instinctively realizing that this was an occasion when
liberties might be taken, stood up on his hind legs and placed his
forepaws on his mistress's shoulders. The curate supported them both.
"And you will use your influence to get us a living wage from
somewhere--won't you, old man?" added the curate.
Excalibur tried to lick both their faces at once--and succeeded.