If any one says I played spy, I am ready to speak up pretty strongly in
my self-defence, for my aim always was to do my duty by Sir John my
master; but I could not help seeing two or three things during the next
fortnight, and they all had to do with a kind of telegraphing going on
from our house to the one over the way, where Miss Adela generally
appeared to be on the watch; and her looks always seemed to me to say:
"No; you mustn't think of such a thing," and to be inviting him all the
time. Then, all at once I thought I was wrong, for I went up as usual
at half-past seven to take Mr Barclay's boots and his clothes which had
been brought down the night before, after he had dressed for dinner. I
tapped and went in, just as I'd always done ever since he was a boy, and
went across to the window and drew the curtains. "Nice morning, Master
Barclay," I said. "Half-past--" There I stopped, and stared at the bed,
which all lay smooth and neat, as the housemaid had turned it down, for
no one had slept in it that night. I was struck all of a heap, and
didn't know what to think. To me it was just like a silver spoon or
fork being missing, and setting one's head to work to think whether it
was anywhere about the house.
He hadn't stopped to take his wine with Sir John after dinner; but that
was nothing fresh, for they'd been very cool lately. Then I hadn't seen
him in the drawing-room; but that was nothing fresh neither, for he had
avoided Miss Virginia for some little time.
"It is very strange," I thought, for I had not seen him go out; and
then, all at once I gave quite a start, for I felt that he must have
done what Sir John had told him to do--gone.
"That won't do," I said directly after. "He wouldn't have gone like
that;" and I went straight to Sir John's room and told him, as in duty
bound, what I had found out, for Mr Barclay was not the young man to be
fast and stop out of nights and want the servants to screen him. There
was something wrong, I felt sure, and so I said.
"No," said the old gentleman, as he sat up in bed, and then began to
dress; "he wouldn't go at my wish; but that girl over the way is playing
with him, and he is too proud to stand it any longer, besides being
mortified at making such an ass of himself. There's nothing wrong,
Burdon. He has gone, and a good job too."
Of course, I couldn't contradict my master; but I went up and examined
Mr Barclay's room, to find nothing missing, not so much as a shirt or a
pair of socks, only his crush-hat, and the light overcoat from the brass
peg in the front hall; and I shook my head.
Miss Virginia looked paler than ever at breakfast; but nothing more was
said up-stairs. Of course, the servants gossiped; and as it was settled
that Mr Barclay had done what his father had told him, a week passed
away, and matters settled down with Miss Adela Mimpriss sitting at the
window just as usual, doing worsted-work, and the old house looking as
grim as ever, and as if a bit of paint and a man to clean the windows
would have been a blessing to us all.
Every time the postman knocked, Miss Virginia would start; and her eyes
used to look so wild and large, that when I'd been to the little box and
found nothing from Mr Barclay, I used to give quite a gulp; and many's
the time I've stood back in the dining-room and shook my fist at Miss
Adela sitting so smooth and handsome at the opposite house, and wished
she'd been at the world's end before she came there.