THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
"I at least will do my duty."--_Caesar_.
Young Mrs. Luttrell stood at the window one November afternoon,
buttoning her gloves in an absent and perfunctory manner, as she looked
out at the slushy road and greasy pavement. There was a crinkle on her
smooth broad forehead, and an uneasy expression in her eyes--as though
some troublesome thought had obtruded itself--presently the crinkle
deepened and widened into a frown, and she walked impatiently to the
fireplace, where a black, uninviting fire smouldered in a cheerless
sort of way, and took up the poker in rather an aggressive manner, then
shook her head, as she glanced at the half-empty coal-scuttle.
She was cold, and the clinging damp peculiar to November made her
shiver; but a cheery blaze would be too great a self-indulgence; left
to itself the fire would last until tea-time--she would be back in
plenty of time for Marcus's late tea--he should have a warm clear fire
to welcome him and a plate of smoking French toast, because it was so
economical and only took half the amount of butter. It had been a
favourite delicacy in her nursery days, and the revival had given her
great solace.
Yes, he should have his tea first, and then she would bring in the
vexed subject for argument; in spite of Aunt Madge's well-meant advice,
it was a foregone conclusion in Olivia's mind that Martha must go. Of
course it was a pity. She liked the girl, she was so willing and
good-tempered; and her round childish face was always well washed and
free from smudges, and she was so good to Dot, caring for her as if she
were a baby sister of her own. Nevertheless, stern in her youthful
integrity, Olivia had already decided that Martha's hours at the corner
house were numbered.
And then there was the stuff for Dot's new winter pelisse. Marcus
would give her the few shillings without a murmur, she was sure of
that, but he would sigh furtively as he counted out the coins.
Whatever deprivations they might be called upon to endure their little
one must be warmly clad.
She must do without her new pair of gloves, that was all, and here
Olivia looked disconsolately at her worn finger-tips; she could ink the
seams and use her old muff, and no one would notice; what was the use
of buying new gloves, when her hands would soon be as red and rough as
Martha's. Olivia was just a little vain of her hands; they were not
small, but the long slender fingers with almond-shaped nails were full
of character, and Marcus had often praised them.
For his sake she would try to take care of them, but black-leading
stoves and washing Dot's little garments would not help to beautify
them. Of course, it was nonsense to care about such trifles, she must
be strong-minded and live above such sublunary things. Marcus would
only honour her the more for her self-forgetfulness and labours of
love. Here the pucker vanished from Olivia's brow, and a sweet,
earnest look came to her face.
The next moment her attention was distracted; a tall old man in a
great-coat with a fur-lined collar passed the window; he was a little
bent and walked feebly, leaning on a gold-headed stick.
Olivia watched him until he was out of sight; for some occult reason,
not comprehensible even to her, she felt interested in the old man,
although she had never spoken to him; but he looked old and ill and
lonely; three decided claims on Olivia's bountiful and sympathetic
nature.
She knew his name--Mr. Gaythorne--he was a neighbour of theirs, and he
lived at Galvaston House, the dull-looking red brick house, with two
stone lions on the gate-posts.
Olivia had amused her husband more than once with imaginary stories
about their neighbour. "He was a miser--a recluse--a misanthrope--he
had a wife in a lunatic asylum--he had known some great trouble that
had embittered his life; he had made a vow never to let a human being
cross his threshold; he was a Roman Catholic priest in disguise, an
Agnostic, a Nihilist." There was no end to Olivia's quaint surmises,
but she could only be certain of two facts--that the mysterious Mr.
Gaythorne was methodical by nature, and whatever might be the weather
always took his exercise at the same hour, and also that only
tradespeople entered the lion-guarded portals of Galvaston House.
Olivia had only once come face to face with him. She was hurrying
along one afternoon, when in turning a corner she almost ran against
him, and pulled herself up with a confused word of apology.
A suppressed grunt answered her, a singular old face, with bright,
deeply-sunken eyes, and a white, peaked beard and moustache seemed to
rise stiffly from the fur-lined collar; then the old man's hand touched
his slouched hat mechanically, and he walked on. It was that night
that Olivia was convinced that Mr. Gaythorne was a Nihilist and an
Agnostic, and hinted darkly at the storage of dynamite and infernal
machines in the cellars of Galvaston House.
"My dear child, you might write a novel," had been her husband's remark
on this. "Your imagination is really immense," but in spite of sarcasm
and gibes on Marcus's part, Olivia chose to indulge in these harmless
fancies. She had always enjoyed making up stories about her
neighbours, and it did no one any harm.
When Mr. Gaythorne was out of sight she went to the kitchen to take a
last look at Dot, who was slumbering peacefully in her cot; the kitchen
was the warmest place, and Martha could clean her knives and wash her
plates and keep an eye on her.
Martha gave her usual broad grin when her mistress entered; the little
handmaid adored her master and mistress and Dot. During her rare
holiday she always entertained her mother and brothers and sisters with
wonderful descriptions of her mistress's cleverness and Miss Baby's
ways.
Martha had eleven brothers and sisters, and the house in Somers Row was
not a luxurious abode. Her mother took in washing, and eleven brothers
and sisters of all ages, and of every variety of snub-nose, made any
sort of privacy impossible. Nevertheless, on her previous holiday, as
Martha, or Patty, as they called her at home, sat in her best blue
merino frock, with her youngest sister on her lap and a paper-bag of
sugar-sticks for distribution to the family, there were few happier
girls to be found anywhere.
"And I have brought you half-a-pound of really good tea, mother,"
observed Martha, proudly. "I knew what a treat that would be to you
and father."
"You are a good girl, Patty," returned her mother, winking away the
moisture in her eyes, as she went on with her ironing. "Amabel, don't
you be trampling on Patty's best dress, there's a good little lass.
Well, as I was saying, Patty, only the children do interrupt so.
There, Joe and Ben, just take your sugar-sticks and be off to play. I
think I have found a nice little place for Susan. She is to sleep at
home, but will have all her meals and half-a-crown a week, and the lady
will teach her everything; that is pretty fair for a beginning, and as
father says, the money will just find her in shoe-leather and aprons.
Father's looking out for a place for Joe now."
"I wish Susan could have a place like mine, mother," returned Martha,
proudly. "They are real gentlefolks, that is what they are. 'Will you
be so good as to clean my boots, Martha?' or 'Thank you, Martha,' when
I dry the paper of a morning. Oh, it is like play living at the corner
house, and as for that darling Miss Baby----" but here words failed
Martha.
It could not be denied that Olivia was unusually depressed that
afternoon, fog and damp always had this effect on her. Her nature
needed sunshine and crisp, bracing air.
There was no buoyancy and elasticity in her tread. When people looked
at her, as they often did, for her pliant, slim figure rather attracted
notice, she thought they were only commenting on her old black hat and
jacket. Only one article of her dress satisfied her; her boots were
neat and strong. Marcus had found her one wet day warming her feet at
the fire and had gone off to examine her boots without a word. Olivia
had flushed up and looked uncomfortable when he came back with the
boots in his hand.
"Do you want to be laid up with bronchitis or congestion of the lungs?"
he asked, rather sadly, as he showed her the thin, worn soles; "do you
think that will make things easier for me, Livy?" The next day he had
taken her himself to the bootmaker's and had had her fitted with a
serviceable stout pair.
Somehow in spite of her pleasure in the boots and Marcus's
thoughtfulness she had felt rather like a scolded child.
Her unusual pessimism had a moment's distraction, for as she passed the
print-shop, at the corner of Harbut Street, she saw her mysterious old
gentleman standing still on the pavement fixedly regarding a small
oil-painting.
Olivia had a good view of the lean, cadaverous face and peaked white
beard; the heavy grey eyebrows seemed to beetle over the dark sunken
eyes.
"After all he looks more like a Spaniard than a Russian," she thought,
and again her theory of the Roman Catholic priest came into her mind.
"If I could only see him without his hat, I should know if he had a
tonsure," and then with youthful curiosity she looked to see what
picture had interested him.
It was a small painting of the Prodigal Son, but was evidently by no
amateur, the face of both father and son were admirably portrayed. The
strong Syrian faces were mellowed by the ruddy gleams of sunset. A
tame kid was gambolling behind them, and two women were grinding corn,
with the millstone between them. On the flat white roof of the house,
another woman had just laid aside her distaff in a hurry. The father's
arms with their gold bracelets were clasping the gaunt, sharp shoulders
of the starving youth.
Olivia knew the picture well. Marcus had been very much struck with
it, it was good work, he said; the Syrian faces were perfect types, and
he had made Olivia notice the strong resemblance between father and son.
"That is the mother, I suppose?" had been her comment; "she has just
caught sight of them, there is a puzzled look in her eyes as she lays
aside her distaff, as though she is not quite sure that that
wild-looking figure in sheep-skin is her own long-lost son."
"It must be a grand thing to be an artist," was Marcus's reply to this.
"Goddard, I do not know the name; the picture is cheap, too, only 25
pounds, but I would wager any money that it was painted in Syria."
Olivia stole a second glance at the old man, but he never moved; then
she shivered, and walked faster. It was bitterly cold, a miserable
afternoon for Marcus, who was visiting his poor patients in the squalid
back streets and slums that fringed Brompton.
Mayfield Villas were about ten minutes' walk from Galvaston Terrace;
the villas had verandahs and long, narrow gardens, but most of them had
lodgings to let.
Mrs. Broderick and her maid occupied the first floor at number six, the
drawing-room and back bedroom belonged to the invalid, and Deborah had
a tiny room close by her mistress, the other room had been converted
into a kitchen; none of the rooms were large, but they were
well-furnished, and thoroughly comfortable. During her husband's
lifetime Mrs. Broderick had been comfortably off, and had had a good
house--the carved book-cases, Turkey-carpet, and deep easy-chairs, and
a few proof-engravings handsomely framed, all spoke of better days.
When Olivia's foot sounded on the stairs, a tall, hard-featured woman
came out of the kitchen.
"I knew it was you," she said. "Come in. My mistress is just wearying
for you. She never sleeps in daylight, and it is ill-reading and
working in the fading light. I will soon have the tea ready. I have
been baking some scones."
Olivia sniffed the warm perfume delightedly. She was hungry, oh, so
hungry! although two hours had not elapsed since dinner-time, and Deb's
scones, with sweet, fresh country butter, was ambrosial food.
"Don't let Deb keep you with her chatter, come ben, my woman, as my
poor Fergus would have said."
The voice was peculiarly youthful and melodious, the timbre exquisite
in modulation and volume, but the face belonged to a woman aged more by
pain and trouble than years.
Madge Broderick had never been a handsome woman, her nose was too long,
and her skin too sallow for beauty, but her bright eyes and a certain
gracefulness of figure, and her beautiful voice had been her charms.
Fergus Broderick, a rough Scotchman, with a tongue as uncouth as his
native dales, had fallen in love with her at their first meeting; he
had been invited to dine at the house of the senior partner, in whose
employ he was, and as the awkward, bashful young Scotchman entered the
firelit room, a clear laugh from amongst a group of girls gathered
round the hearth penetrated like music to his ear.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow," said the voice, with much pathos, "that
I could say good-bye until the morrow; those are your sentiments,
Katie, are they not?"
"Hush, Madge! here is Mr. Broderick waiting for us to speak to him,"
and the daughter of the house rose with a laugh to greet him.
When the lamps were lighted Fergus Broderick had scanned all the
girlish faces with furtive eagerness. He had felt a shock of
disappointment when the owner of the exquisite voice had revealed her
identity. Madge's long nose and sallow skin were no beauties
certainly; nevertheless, before the evening was over, Fergus Broderick
knew he had found his mate; and for eight blissful years Madge dwelt in
her woman's kingdom, and gathered more roses than thorns.
Her first trouble had been the loss of her boy; he had succumbed to
some childish ailment; her husband's death--the result of an
accident--had followed a few months later.
The strain of the long nursing and excessive grief had broken down
Madge Broderick's strength. The seeds of an unsuspected disease latent
in her system now showed itself, and for some two or three years her
sufferings, both mental and physical, would have killed most women.
Then came alleviation and the lull that resembles peace; the pain was
no longer so acute; the disease had reached a stage when there would be
days and even weeks of tolerable comfort; then Madge courageously set
herself to make the most of her life.
With a courage that was almost heroic, she divided and subdivided the
hours of each day--so many duties, so many hours of recreation. She
had her charity work, her fancy work, her heavy and light reading;
books and flowers were her luxuries; the newest books, the sweetest
flowers, were always to be found on the table beside her couch.
Madge often said laughingly that she lived in a world of her own. "But
I have very good society," she would add; "the best and wisest of all
ages give me their company. This morning I was listening to Plato's
Dialogues, and this afternoon Sir Edwin Arnold was entertaining me at
the Maple Club in Tokio. This evening--well, please do not think me
frivolous, but affairs at Rome and a certain Prince Saracinesca claim
my attention.
"A good novel puts me in a better humour and disposes me to sleep, you
know," she would finish, brightly, "that I always read aloud to Fergus
in the evening; we were going through a course of Thackeray--we were in
the middle of 'Philip on his way through the world' when the accident
happened. After that he could only bear a few verses or a psalm."