THE FIRST VISIT
The Vicar was in luck, if what he really wanted was an opportunity of
introducing himself to the new-comers. At the end of the village the
high stone wall which enclosed the park of the Abbey began, and curved
away to the right. The entrance was by a pair of fine iron gates flanked
by an ancient stone lodge. A little further on was a gate in the wall,
which led to a path running across the park to the church. When he came
in view of the entrance the car was standing in front of the gates, and
its occupants were just alighting from it to make their way to the
smaller gate.
The Vicar hurried up to them and took off his hat. "Are you trying to
get in to the Abbey?" he said. "The people of the lodge ought to be
there to open the gates."
Grafton turned to him with his pleasant smile. "There doesn't seem to be
anybody there," he said. "We thought we'd go in by this gate, and my man
could go and see if he could get the keys of the house. We want to look
over it."
"But the lodge-keeper certainly ought to be there," said the Vicar, and
hurried back to the larger gate, at which he lifted up his voice in
accents of command. "Mrs. Roeband!" he called, "Mrs. Roeband! Roeband!!
Where are you all? I'm afraid they must be out, sir."
"Yes, I'm afraid they must," said Grafton. "But please don't bother
about it. Perhaps you could tell my man where to get the keys."
"They ought not to leave the place like this," said the Vicar in an
annoyed voice. "It's quite wrong; quite wrong. I must find out the
reason for it. I think the best way, sir, would be for your man to go to
the Estate Office. I'll tell him."
He gave directions to the chauffeur, while Grafton and Caroline stood
by, stealing a glance at one another as some slight failure on the
chauffeur's part to understand him caused the Vicar's voice to be raised
impatiently.
It was a sweet and mild March day, but the long fast drive had chilled
them both in spite of their furs. Caroline's pretty face looked almost
that of a child with its fresh colour, but her long fur coat, very
expensive even to the eye of the uninitiated, and the veil she wore,
made the Vicar take her for the young wife of the 'gentleman from the
City,' as he turned again towards them, especially as she had slipped
her arm into her father's as they stood waiting, and was evidently much
attached to him. Grafton himself looked younger than his years, with his
skin freshened by the cold and his silver hair hidden under his cap. "A
newly married couple," thought the Vicar, now ready to put himself at
their service and do the honours of the place that they had come to see.
"It isn't far to walk to the Abbey," he said. "You will save time. I
will show you the way."
He led them through the gate, and they found themselves in a beechy
glade, with great trees rising on either side of the hollow, and a
little herd of deer grazing not far from the path.
Caroline exclaimed in delight. "Oh, how topping!" she said. "You didn't
tell me there were deer, Dad."
"Oh, father and daughter!" the Vicar corrected himself. "I wonder where
the wife is!"
"I had better introduce myself," he said affably, as they walked through
the glade together. "Salisbury Mercer my name is. I'm the Vicar of the
parish, as I dare say you have gathered. We have been without a resident
Squire here for some years. Naturally a great deal of responsibility
rests upon me, some of which I shouldn't be altogether sorry to be
relieved of. I hope you are thinking of acquiring the place, sir, and if
you are that it will suit you. I should be very glad to see the Abbey
occupied again."
"Well, it seems as if it might be the place for us," said Grafton.
"We're going to have a good look at it anyhow. How long has it been
empty?"
"Mr. Compton-Brett inherited it about six years ago. He comes down
occasionally, but generally shuts himself up when he does. He isn't much
use to anybody. An old couple lived here before him--his cousins. They
weren't much use to anybody either--very cantankerous both of them.
Although the old man had presented me to the living--on the advice of
the bishop--a year before he died, he set himself against me in every
way here, and actually refused to see me when he was dying. The old lady
was a little more amenable afterwards, and I was with her at the
last--she died within six months. But you see I have not been very
fortunate here so far. That is why I am anxious that the right sort of
people should have the place. A clergyman's work is difficult enough
without having complications of that sort added to it."
"Well, I hope we shall be the right sort of people if we do come," said
Grafton genially. "You'll like going about visiting the poor, won't you,
Cara?"
"I don't know," said Caroline. "I've never tried it."
The Vicar looked at her critically. He did not quite like her tone; and
so young a girl as she now showed herself to be should not have been
looking away from him with an air almost of boredom. But she was a
'lady'; that was quite evident to him. She walked with her long coat
thrown open, showing her beautifully cut tweed coat and skirt and her
neat country boots--country boots from Bond Street, or thereabouts. A
very well-dressed, very pretty girl--really a remarkably pretty girl
when you came to look at her, though off-hand in her manners and no
doubt rather spoilt. The Vicar had an eye for a pretty girl--as the
shape of his mouth and chin might have indicated to an acute observer.
Perhaps it might be worth while to make himself pleasant to this one.
The hard lot of vicars is sometimes alleviated by the devotion of the
younger female members of their flock, in whom they can take an
affectionate and fatherly, or at least avuncular, interest.
"There isn't much actual visiting of the poor as poor in a parish like
this," he said. "It isn't like a district in London. But I'm sure a lot
of the cottagers will like to see you when you get to know them." He had
thought of adding 'my dear,' but cut it out of his address as Caroline
turned her clear uninterested gaze upon them.
"Oh, of course I shall hope to get to know some of them as friends," she
said, "if we come here. Oh, look, Dad. Isn't it ripping?"
The wide two-storied front of the house stood revealed to them at the
end of another vista among the beeches. It stood on a level piece of
ground with the church just across the road which ran past it. The
churchyard was surrounded by a low stone wall, and the grass of the park
came right up to it. The front of the house was regular, with a fine
doorway in the middle, and either end slightly advanced. But on the
nearer side a long line of ancient irregular buildings ran back and
covered more ground than the front itself. They were faced by a lawn
contained within a sunk fence. The main road through the park ran along
one side of it, and along the other was a road leading to stables and
back premises. This lawn was of considerable size, but had no garden
decoration except an ancient sun-dial. It made a beautiful setting for
the little old stone and red-brick and red-tiled buildings which seemed
to have been strung out with no design, and yet made a perfect and
entrancing whole. Tall trees, amongst which showed the sombre tones of
deodars and yews, rising above and behind the roofs and chimneys, showed
the gardens to be on the other side of the house.
"Perhaps you would like to look at the church first," said the Vicar,
"while the keys are being fetched. It is well worth seeing. We are proud
of our church here. And if I may say so it will be a great convenience
to you to have it so close."
Caroline was all eagerness to see what there was to be seen of this
entrancing house, even before the keys came. She didn't in the least
want to spend time over the church at this stage. Nor did her father.
But this Vicar seemed to have taken possession of them. They both began
to wonder how, if ever, they were to shake him off, and intimated the
same by mutual glances as he unlocked the door of the church, explaining
that he did not keep it open while the house was empty, as it was so far
from everywhere, but that he should be pleased to do so when the Abbey
was once more occupied. He was quite at his ease now, and rather
enjoying himself. The amenity which the two of them had shown in
following him into the church inclined him to the belief that they would
be easy to get on with and to direct in the paths that lay within his
domain. He had dropped his preformed ideas of them. They were not
'new,' nor half-educated, and obviously they couldn't be Dissenters. But
Londoners they had been announced to be, and he still took it for
granted that they would want a good deal of shepherding. Well, that was
what he was there for, and it would be quite a pleasant task, with
people obviously so well endowed with this world's goods, and able to
give something in return that would redound to the dignity of the
church, and his as representing it. His heart warmed to them as he
pointed out what there was of interest in the ancient well-preserved
building, and indicated now and then the part they would be expected to
play in the activities that lay within his province to direct.
"Those will be your pews," he said, pointing to the chancel. "I shall be
glad to see them filled again regularly. It will be a good example to
the villagers. And I shall have you under my own eye, you see, from my
reading-desk opposite."
This was said to Caroline, in a tone that meant a pleasantry, and
invited one in return. She again met his smile with a clear unconcerned
look, and wondered when the keys of the house would come, and they would
be relieved of this tiresome person.
The car was heard outside at that moment, and Grafton said: "Well, thank
you very much. We mustn't keep you any longer. Yes, it's a fine old
church; I hope we shall know it better by and by."
He never went to church in London, and seldom in the country, and had
not thought of becoming a regular churchgoer if he should buy Abington.
But the girls and Miss Waterhouse would go on Sunday mornings and he
would occupy the chancel pew with them occasionally. He meant no more
than that, but the Vicar put him down gratefully as probably 'a keen
churchman,' and his heart warmed to him still further. An incumbent's
path was made so much easier if his Squire backed him up, and it made
such a tie between them. It would be a most pleasant state of things if
there was real sympathy and community of interest between the Vicarage
and the great house. He knew of Rectories and Vicarages in which the
Squire of the parish was never seen, with the converse disadvantage that
the rector or vicar was never seen in the Squire's house. Evidently
nothing of the sort was to be feared here. He would do all he could to
create a good understanding at the outset. As for leaving these nice
people to make their way about the Abbey with only the lodge-keeper's
wife, now arrived breathless and apologetic on the scene, it was not to
be thought of. He would rather lose his lunch than forsake them at this
stage.
It was in fact nearly lunch time. Grafton, hitherto so amenable to
suggestion, exercised decision. "We have brought a luncheon-basket with
us," he said, standing before the door of the house, which the
lodge-keeper was unlocking. "We shall picnic somewhere here before we
look over the house. So I'll say good-bye, and thank you very much
indeed for all the trouble you've taken."
He held out his hand, but the Vicar was not ready to take it yet,
though dismissal, for the present, he would take, under the
circumstances. "Oh, but I can't say good-bye like this," he said. "I
feel I haven't done half enough for you. There's such a lot you may want
to know about things in general, your new neighbours and so on. Couldn't
you both come to tea at the Vicarage? I'm sure my wife would be very
pleased to make your acquaintance, and that of this young lady."
"It's very kind of you," said Grafton. "But it will take us some hours
to get back to London, and we don't want to get there much after dark.
We shall have to start fairly early."
But the Vicar would take no denial. Tea could be as early as they
liked--three o'clock, if that would suit them. Really, he must insist
upon their coming. So they had to promise, and at last he took himself
off.
The house was a joy to them both. They got rid of the lodge-keeper, who
was anxious to go home and prepare her husband's dinner. She was
apologetic at having been away from her lodge, but explained that she
had only been down to the Estate office to draw her money.
"Is there a regular Agent?" asked Grafton. "If so, I should like to see
him before I go."
She explained that Mr. Worthing was agent both for Abington and
Wilborough, Sir Alexander Mansergh's place, which adjoined it. He lived
at High Wood Farm about a mile away. He wasn't so often at Abington as
at Wilborough, but could be summoned by telephone if he was wanted.
Grafton asked her to get a message to him, and she left them alone.
Then they started their investigations, while the chauffeur laid out
lunch for them on a table in the hall.
The hall was large and stone-floored, and took up the middle part of the
later regular building. The sun streamed into it obliquely through tall
small-paned windows at this hour of the day; otherwise it had the air of
being rather sombre, with its cumbrous dark-coloured furniture. There
was a great fire-place at one end of it, with a dark almost
indecipherable canvas over it. It was not a hall to sit about in, except
perhaps in the height of summer, for the front door opened straight into
it, and the inner hall and staircase opened out of it without doors or
curtains. A massive oak table took up a lot of room in the middle, and
there were ancient oak chairs and presses and benches disposed stiffly
against the walls.
"Doesn't it smell good," said Caroline. "Rather like graves; but the
nicest sort of graves. It's rather dull, though. I suppose this
furniture is very valuable. It looks as if it ought to be."
Grafton looked a little doubtful. "I suppose we'd better have it, if
they don't want a terrific price," he said. "It's the right sort of
thing, no doubt; but I'd rather have a little less of it. Let's go and
see if there's another room big enough to get some fun out of. What
about the long gallery? I wonder where that is."
They found it on the side of the house opposite to that from which they
had first approached it--a delightful oak-panelled oak-floored room with
a long row of latticed windows looking out on to a delicious old-world
garden, all clipped yews and shaven turf and ordered beds, with a
backing of trees and an invitation to more delights beyond, in the lie
of the grass and flagged paths, and the arched and arcaded yews. It was
big enough to take the furniture of three or four good-sized rooms and
make separate groupings of it, although what furniture there was, was
disposed stiffly, as in the case of the hall.
"Oh, what a heavenly room!" Caroline exclaimed. "I can see it at a
glance, George darling. We'll keep nearly all this furniture, and add to
it chintzy sofas and easy chairs. A grand piano up at that end. Won't it
be jolly to have all the flowers we want? I suppose there are hot-houses
for the winter. You won't have any excuse for accusing me of
extravagance about flowers any longer, darling."
She babbled on delightedly. The sun threw the patterns of the latticed
windows on the dark and polished oak floor. She opened one of the
casements, and let in the soft sweet spring air. The birds were singing
gaily in the garden. "It's all heavenly," she said. "This room sums it
up. Oh, why does anybody live in a town?"
Her father was hardly less pleased than she. Except for the blow dealt
him fifteen years before by the death of his wife, the fates had been
very kind to him. The acuteness of that sorrow had long since passed
away, and the tenderness in his nature had diffused itself over the
children that her love had given him. The satisfaction of his life--his
successful work, his friendships, his pastimes, the numerous interests
which no lack of money or opportunity ever prevented his following
up--were all sweetened to him by the affection and devotion that was his
in his home. And his home was the best of all the good things in his
life. It came to him now, as he stood by the window with his
daughter,--the beautiful spacious room which they would adapt to their
happy life on one side of him, the peaceful sunlit bird-haunted charm of
the garden on the other,--that this new setting would heighten and
centralise the sweet intimacies of their home life. Abington Abbey would
be much more to them than an increase of opportunities for enjoyment. It
would be the warm nest of their love for one another, as no house in a
city could be. He was not a particularly demonstrative man, though he
had caresses for his children, and would greatly have missed their
pretty demonstrations of affection for him; but he loved them dearly,
and found no society as pleasant as theirs. There would be a great deal
of entertaining at Abington Abbey, but the happiest hours spent there
would be those of family life.
They lunched in the big hall, with the door wide open, the sun coming in
and the stillness of the country and the empty house all about them.
Then they made their detailed investigations. It was all just what they
wanted--some big rooms and many fascinating small ones. The furniture
was the usual mixture to be found in old-established, long-inhabited
houses. Some of it was very fine, some of it very ordinary. But there
was an air about the whole house that could not have been created by new
furnishing, however carefully it might be done. Caroline saw it. "I
think we'd better leave it alone as much as possible," she said. "We can
get what we want extra for comfort, and add to the good things here and
there. We don't want to make it look new, do we?"
"Just as you like, darling," said her father. "It's your show. We can
string it up a bit where it's shabby, and make it comfortable and
convenient. Otherwise it will do all right. I don't want it too smart.
We're going to be country people here, not Londoners in the country."
They wandered about the gardens. It was just that time of year, and just
the day, in which spring seems most visibly and blessedly coming. The
crocuses were in masses of purple and gold, violets and primroses and
hepaticas bloomed shyly in sheltered corners, daffodils were beginning
to lower their buds and show yellow at their tips. They took as much
interest in the garden as in the house. It was to be one of their
delights. They had the garden taste, and some knowledge, as many
Londoners of their sort have. They made plans, walking along the garden
paths, Caroline's arm slipped affectionately into her father's. This was
to be their garden to play with, which is a very different thing from
admiring other people's gardens, however beautiful and interesting they
may be.
"George darling, I don't think we _can_ miss all this in the spring and
early summer," said Caroline. "Let's get into the house as soon as we
can, and cut all the tiresome London parties altogether."