THE THUNDERBOLT
Juliet lunched at the Court in Dick's absence. They thought her somewhat
graver and quieter than usual, but there was a gentle aloofness about her
that checked all intimate enquiry.
"You are not feeling anxious about the miners?" Vera asked her once.
To which Juliet replied, "Oh no! Not in the least. Dick has such a
wonderful influence over the men. They would never do any brawling with
him there."
"He has no business to drag you into it all the same," said the squire.
She looked at him, faintly smiling. "Do you imagine for one moment that I
would stay behind? Besides, there is really no danger. His only fear is
possible friction between the miners and the fishermen. They never have
loved each other, and in their present mood it wouldn't take much to set
the miners alight."
"I'd let 'em burn!" said the squire.
"They have some cause for grievance," she urged. "At least Dick
thinks so."
"Well, and who hasn't, I should like to know?" he returned with warmth.
"How many people are there in the world who don't feel that if they had
their rights they'd be a good deal better off in one respect or another
than they are? But there's no sense in trying to stop the world going
round on that account. That's always the way with these miner chaps.
What's the rest of the community matter so long as they get all they
want? They're not sportsmen. They hit below the belt every time."
"That's just it," Juliet said. "Dick is trying to teach them to be
sportsmen."
"Oh, Dick!" said the squire. "He'd reform the world if he could. But he's
wasting his time. They won't be satisfied till they've had their fling.
Lord Wilchester is a wise man to keep out of the way till it's over."
"I'm afraid I don't agree with you there," Juliet said, flushing a
little. "He might at least hear what they have to say. But they can't get
hold of him. He is abroad."
"But Yardley is left," said the squire. "I suppose he has power to act."
"Perhaps," she said, the moment's animation passing. "But it is
Wilchester's business--not his. He shirks his duty."
"I notice you never have a good word for any of the Farringmore family,"
said the squire quizzically.
She shook her head. "They are all so selfish. It's the family failing,
I'm afraid."
"You don't share it anyhow," said Vera.
"Ah! You don't know me," said Juliet.
They went for a long motor-ride when the meal was over, but at the end of
it, it seemed to Vera that they had talked solely of her affairs
throughout. She knew Juliet's quiet reticence of old and made no attempt
to pierce it. But, thinking it over later, it seemed to her that there
was something more than her usual reserve behind it, and a vague sense
of uneasiness awoke within her. She wondered if Juliet were happy.
They had tea on their return, but Juliet would not stay any later. She
must be back, she said, to meet Dick and be sure that the supper was
ready in good time. So, regretfully, still with that inexplicable feeling
of doubt upon her, Vera let her go.
Just at the last she detained her for a moment to say with an effort that
was plainly no light one, "Juliet, don't forget I am here if--if you ever
need a friend!"
And then Juliet surprised her by a sudden, close embrace and a
low-spoken, "I shall never forget you--or your goodness to me."
But a second later she was gone, and Vera was left to wonder.
As for Juliet, she hastened away as one in a fever to escape, yet
before she reached the end of the avenue her feet moved as if weighted
with chains.
A mist was creeping up from the sea and through it there came the long
call of a distant syren. The waves were no longer roaring along the
shore. The sound of them came muffled and vague, and she knew that the
storm had gone down.
There was something very desolate in that atmosphere of dimmed sight and
muted sound. It was barely sunset, but the chill of the dying year was in
the air. The thought came to her, suddenly and very poignantly, of that
wonderful night of spring, when she had first wandered along the cliff
with the scent of the gorse-bushes rising like incense all around her,
when she had first heard that magic, flute-like call of youth and love. A
deep and passionate emotion filled and overfilled her heart with the
memory. As she went up the little path to the school-house, her face was
wet with tears.
Dick had not returned, and she went into the little dining-room and
busied herself with laying the cloth for supper. Their only indoor
servant--a young village girl--was out that evening, but she could hear
Mrs. Rickett who often came up to help moving about the kitchen. She did
not feel in the mood for the good woman's chatter and delayed going in
her direction as long as possible.
So it came about that, pausing for a few moments at the window before
doing so, she heard the click of the gate and saw the old postman coming
up the path.
He moved slowly and with some difficulty, being heavily laden as well as
bowed with age and rheumatism. She went quickly to the outer door, and,
accompanied by the growling Columbus, moved to meet him.
"Evening, ma'am! Here's a parcel for you!" the old man said. "It's books,
and it's all come to bits, but I don't think as I've dropped any of 'em.
You'd best let me bring 'em straight in for I'm all fixed up with 'em
now, and they'll only scatter if you tries to take 'em."
She led the way within, commiserating him on the weight of his burden
which he thumped down without ceremony on the white cloth that she had
just spread. The parcel was certainly badly damaged, and books in white
covers began to slide out of it the moment they were released.
"I'll leave you to sort 'em, ma'am," he said airily. "Daresay as they're
not much the worse. Schoolmaster's truck I've no doubt. If there was
fewer books in the world, the postman would have an easier life than what
he does and no one much worse off than they be now--except the clever
folks as writes 'em! Well, I'll be getting along to the Court, ma'am, and
I wish you a very good-night."
He stumped away, and in the failing evening light Juliet began to gather
up the confusion he had left behind. She found it was not a collection
of paper-backed school-books as she had at first imagined, and since the
contents of the parcel were very thoroughly scattered she glanced at them
with idle curiosity as she laid them together.
Then with a sudden violent start she picked up one of the volumes and
looked at it closely. The title stood out with arresting clearness on the
white paper jacket: _Gold of the Desert_ by _Dene Strange_. Author of
_The Valley of Dry Bones_, _Marionettes_, etc.
She caught her breath. Something sprang up within her--something that
clamoured grotesque and incoherent things. Her heart was beating so fast
that it seemed continuous like the dull roar of the sea. The volumes were
all alike--all copies of one book.
A sheet of paper fluttered from the one she held. She snatched at it
with a curious desperation--as though, sinking in deep waters, she
clutched at a straw.
_Author's Copies_--_With Compliments_, were the words that stood out
before her widening gaze. She remained as one transfixed, staring at
them. It was as if a thunderbolt had fallen in the quiet room....
It must have been many minutes later that she came to herself and found
herself huddled in a chair by the table, shivering from head to foot. She
was conscious of a horrible feeling of sickness, and her heart was
beating slowly, with thick, uneven strokes.
The room was growing dark. The chill desolation of the world outside
seemed to have followed her in. She could not remember that she had ever
felt so deadly cold before. She could not keep her teeth from chattering.
Something moved close to her, and she realized what had roused her.
Columbus was standing up by her side, his forepaws against her, his
grizzled nose nudging her arm. She stirred stiffly, and put the arm
about him.
"Oh--Christopher!" she said, and gasped as if she had not breathed for a
long time. "Oh--Christopher!"
He leaned up against her, stretching his warm tongue to reach her cheek,
his whole body wriggling with gushing solicitude under her hand.
She looked down at him with the dazed eyes of one who has received a
stunning blow. "I don't know what we shall do, my doggie," she said.
And then very suddenly she was on her feet, tense, palpitating, her
head turned to listen. The gate had clicked again, and someone was
coming up the path.
It was Dick, and he moved with the step of an eager man, reached the
door, opened it, and entered. She heard him in the passage, heard his
tread upon the threshold, heard his voice greeting her.
"Hullo, darling! All alone in the dark? I've had a beast of a day away
from you."
His hands reached out and clasped her. She was actually in his arms
before she found her voice.
"Dick! Dick! Please! I want to speak to you," she said.
He clasped her close. His lips pressed hers, stopping all utterance for a
while with a mastery that would not be held in check. She could not
resist him, but there was no rapture in her yielding. His love was like a
flame about her, but she was cold--cold as ice. Suddenly, with his face
against her neck, he spoke: "What's the matter, Juliet?"
She quivered in response, made an attempt to release herself, felt his
arms tighten, and was still. "I have--found out--something," she said,
her voice very low.
"What is it?" he said.
She did not answer. A great impulse arose in her to wrench herself
from him, to thrust him back but she could not. She stood--a
prisoner--in his hold.
He waited a moment, still with his face bent over her, his lips close to
her neck. "Is it anything that--matters?" he asked.
She felt his arms drawing her and quivered again like a trapped bird.
"Yes," she whispered.
"Very much?"
"Yes," she said again.
"Then you are angry with me," he said.
She was silent.
He pressed her suddenly very close. "Juliet, you don't hate me, do you?"
She caught her breath with a sob that sounded painfully hard and dry.
"I--couldn't have married you--if I had known," she said.
He started a little and lifted his head. "As bad as that!" he said.
For a space there was silence between them while his eyes dwelt sombrely
upon the litter of books upon the table, and still his arms enfolded her
though he did not hold her close. When at last she made as if she would
release herself, he still would not let her go.
"Will you listen to me?" he said. "Give me a hearing--just for a minute?
You have forgiven so much in me that is really bad that I can't feel this
last to be--quite unpardonable. Juliet, I haven't really wronged you. You
have got a false impression of the man who wrote those books. It's a
prejudice which I have promised myself to overcome. But I must have time.
Will you defer judgment--for my sake--till you have read this latest
book, written when you first came into my life? Will you--Juliet, will
you have patience till I have proved myself?"
She shivered as she stood. "You don't know--what you have done," she
said.
He made a quick gesture of protest. "Yes, I do know. I know quite well.
I have hurt you, deceived you. But hear my defence anyway! I never meant
to marry you in the first place without telling you, but I always wanted
you to read this book of mine first. It's different from the others. I
wanted you to see the difference. But then I got carried away as you
know. I loved you so tremendously. I couldn't hold myself in. Then--when
you came to me in my misery--it was all up with me, and I fell. I
couldn't tell you then, Juliet, I wasn't ready for you to know. So I
waited--till the book could be published and you could read it. I am
infernally sorry you found out like this. I wanted you--so badly--to
read it with an open mind. And now--whichever way you look at it--you
certainly won't do that."
There was a whimsical note in his voice despite its obvious sincerity as
he ended, and Juliet winced as she heard it, and in a moment with
resolution freed herself from his hold.
She did it in silence, but there was that in the action that deeply
wounded him. He stood motionless, looking at her, a glitter of sternness
in his eyes.
"Juliet," he said after a moment, "you are not treating this matter
reasonably. I admit I tricked you; but my love for you was my excuse. And
those books of mine--especially the one I didn't want you to read--were
never intended for such as you."
She looked back at him with a kind of frozen wonder. "Then who were they
meant for?" she said.
He made a slight movement of impatience. "You know. You know very well.
They were meant for the people whom you yourself despise--the crowd you
broke away from--men and women like the Farringmores who live for nothing
but their own beastly pleasures and don't care the toss of a halfpenny
for anyone else under the sun."
She went back against the table and stood there, supporting herself while
she still faced him. "You forget--" she said, her voice very low,--"I
think you forget--that they are my people--I belong to them!"
"No, you don't!" he flung back almost fiercely. "You belong to me!"
A great shiver went through her. She clenched her hands to repress it. "I
don't see," she said, "how I can--possibly--stay with you--after this."
"What?" He strode forward and caught her by the shoulders. She was aware
of a sudden hot blaze of anger in him that made her think of the squire.
He held her in a grip that was merciless. "Do you know what you are
saying?" he asked.
She tried to hold him from her, but he pressed her to him with a
dominance that would not brook resistance.
"Do you?" he said. "Do you?"
His face was terrible. She felt the hard hammer of his heart against her
own, and a sense of struggling against overwhelming odds came upon her.
She bowed her head against his shoulder. "Oh, Dick!" she said. "It is
you--who--don't--know!"
His hold did not relax, and for a space he said no word, but stood
breathing deeply as a man who faces some deadly peril.
He spoke at length, and in his voice was something she had never heard
before--something from which she shrank uncontrollably, as the victim
shrinks from the branding-iron.
"And so you think you can leave me--as lightly as Lady Joanna
Farringmore left that man I went to see today?"
She lifted her head with a gasp. "No!" she said. "Oh, no!
Not--like that!"
His eyes pierced her with their appalling brightness. "No, not quite like
that," he said, with awful grimness. "There is a difference. An engaged
woman can cut the cable and be free without assistance. A married woman
needs a lover to help her!"
She shrank afresh from the scorching cynicism of his words. "Dick!" she
said. "Have I asked for--freedom?"
"You had better not ask!" he flashed back. "You have gone too far
already. I tell you, Juliet, when you gave yourself to me it was
irrevocable. There's no going back now. You have got to put up with
me--whatever the cost."
"Ah!" she whispered.
"Listen!" he said. "This thing is going to make no difference between
us--no difference whatever. You cared for me enough to marry me, and I am
the same man now that I was then. The man you have conjured up in your
own mind as the writer of those books is nothing to me--or to you now. I
am the man who wrote them--and you belong to me. And if you leave
me--well, I shall follow you--and bring you back."
His lips closed implacably upon the words; he held her as though
challenging her to free herself. But Juliet neither moved nor spoke. She
stood absolutely passive in his hold, waiting in utter silence.
He waited also, trying to read her face in the dimness, but seeing only a
pale still mask.
At last: "You understand me?" he said.
She bent her head. "Yes--I understand."
He stood for a moment longer, then abruptly his hold tightened upon her.
She lifted her face then sharply, resisting him almost instinctively, and
in that instant his passion burst its bonds. He crushed her to him with
sudden mastery, and, so compelling, he kissed her hotly, possessively,
dominatingly, holding her lips with his own, till she strained against
him no longer, but hung, burning and quivering, at his mercy.
Then at length very slowly he put her down into the chair from which she
had risen at his entrance, and released her. She leaned upon the table,
trembling, her hands covering her face. And he stood behind her,
breathing heavily, saying no word.
So for a space they remained in darkness and silence, till the
brisk opening of the kitchen-door brought them back to the small
things of life.
Dick moved. "Go upstairs!" he said, under his breath.
She stirred and rose unsteadily. He put out a hand to help her. She did
not take it, did not seem even to see it.
Gropingly, she turned to the door, went out slowly, still as if
feeling her way, reached the narrow stairs and went up them, clutching
at the rail.
He followed her to the foot and stood there watching her. As she reached
the top he heard her sob.
An impulse caught him to follow her, to take her again--but how
differently!--into his arms,--to soothe her, to comfort her, to win her
back to him. But sternly he put it from him. She had got to learn her
lesson, to realize her obligations,--she who talked so readily of leaving
him! And for what?
A wave of hot blood rose to his forehead, and he clenched his hands. He
went back into the room, knowing that he could not trust himself.
When Mrs. Rickett entered with a lamp a few moments later, he was
gathering up the litter of books and paper from the table, his face white
and sternly set. He gave her a brief word of greeting, and went across to
the school with his burden.