RACHEL MAKES A MISTAKE.
Rachel found Polly crying in the kitchen on Sunday after the Morning
Service.
"Why Polly, what is the matter?" she said.
"It's them men in the choir," sobbed the girl. "There won't be none of
them at service to-night. It's a reg'lar shame."
"But how do you know?" asked Rachel.
"I ran home after Church just now and I heard father telling mother
that they had all made up their minds to keep away as the Vicar had
taken no notice of their letters."
"The Vicar never takes any notice of anonymous letters," said Rachel.
"And it's a shame that they've written 'em," said Polly wiping her
eyes, "and you and the Vicar so kind to everybody. I think it's right
mean of 'em. Why the master, he is thinking of 'em all day and as for
that, all night too. He'd give up his dinner and everything else for
the men if he could help them. I'm right ashamed of them."
Rachel was silent, but she did not mean to sit down and do nothing. She
made up her mind that if the men did not come, girls and women should
take their place, and Luke should still have a choir. She said nothing
to Luke at dinner about what Polly had told her, but as soon as it was
over and her husband had gone to open the Sunday School, she started
off to see Mrs. Stone.
"I want you to give me the names and addresses of any girls in the
place who can sing in tune," she said, after telling her of what she
had just heard. "I mean to get up a choir for to-night's service."
"What a good idea," said Mrs. Stone. "But I don't see how you can go
round to them all as they live in different parts of the town and it is
beginning to rain."
"I don't mind the rain, but I do mind that Luke should find himself
without a choir to-night, and I mean to get one together."
"Well then you must let me lend you my cloak," said Mrs. Stone, amused
at the determination in Rachel's voice. She saw her in quite a new
light this afternoon.
The rain came down in torrents as Rachel made her way to different
parts of the town, but she hardly noticed it. She was happy in the
thought that at last she was really helping Luke with his work, and
looked forward to seeing his pleasure and surprise.
Some of those to whom she went had never seen her before. They did not
all belong to St Mark's congregation. But Rachel's charming personality
and persuasive ways won their hearts at once and not one refused her
help. In fact they quite entered into her plan and seemed keen to do
what they could in the matter. When she had found twelve who were
willing to form the choir she returned home. It was only then that she
realised how wet and tired she was. But the happy consciousness that
she was helping Luke made her hurry home in good spirits.
She was a little later than she thought and she found from the fact
that his hat was in the hall that Luke was already back from the Sunday
School and in his study.
"Polly," said Rachel, as she looked into the kitchen on her way
upstairs, "lay the table for tea and put the kettle on. I shall be
downstairs in a few minutes." As she went upstairs she was wondering
when she would tell Luke of the surprise that awaited him. She
determined not to tell him till after tea. She liked the feeling of
anticipation.
"You have been out," said Luke as he sat down to the tea table. "Did
you get very wet?"
"Yes, I got soaked. I hope you did not."
He told her no, as when it was raining the hardest, he took refuge in
his mother's rooms as she had a cold and had not been able to get to
the school that afternoon.
He apparently forgot to ask Rachel where she had been, or what made her
go out in such rain. His mind had started to work on the conversation
he had just had with his mother which put his wife's walk in the rain
out of his thoughts, and Rachel was glad as she did not want to tell
her good news till later. Her husband, she noticed, was rather more
silent than usual, and she began to wonder if he had already heard that
his choir were going to desert him that night. She could not find any
topic of conversation to interest him. But when tea was over and he was
beginning to look at his watch she said:
"Do you know Luke what is going to happen to-night?"
"Yes, I know," he said quietly, "we are to have no choir," He rose as
he spoke and looked at his wife with a smile. "I am not altogether
sorry," he said.
"Not sorry? Why?" said Rachel, a little crestfallen.
"Because I think it will be a good object lesson to those members of
the Town Council who attend my church."
"How do you mean?"
"I mean that they will see for themselves the result of their decision
to have public concerts on Sunday evening in the Public Hall. They will
miss the choir and so of course shall I."
Rachel looked across at her husband with a smile.
"I don't think you will miss it much," she said with a little laugh.
"Perhaps not," he answered. "Possibly the singing may be more hearty in
consequence. But I have no doubt that the Councillors will miss it, and
I hope may feel a little ashamed. Nothing really could have happened
more conveniently than a choir strike at the moment, as it is only the
third Sunday after the concerts have been set on foot. If the men were
going to absent themselves it is as well it should be done at once."
Rachel felt a little uneasy.
"But of course you would like a choir if you could get one," she said.
"I don't think so," he answered.
"But," said Rachel, a little breathlessly, "if some girls were willing
to come and sing you would not object, would you?"
Luke had been watching the rain which was coming down in torrents, but
at Rachel's question he turned round sharply towards her.
"I should very much object," he said rising from the table. "It would
frustrate any little good that may come of the strike. I hope no-one
intends to fill their places."
Rachel turned pale. A sudden mad idea of going round to every girl she
had called on that afternoon and asking them not to come crossed her
mind, in the hope that Luke would never find out what she had done. But
she put the suggestion away at once, not only because to do so in such
a short time as she had at her disposal was impossible, but because it
would be a cowardly thing to do. She must confess at once what she had
been doing.
"I'm afraid you will be vexed," she said looking him straight in the
face. "But I have got a choir of girls together and they will be at the
church to-night."
Luke did not speak but stood looking at his wife, a look that Rachel
did not understand. But it had the effect of making her say steadily,
and with dignity:
"I did it for your sake Luke. I knew how much you would feel the loss
of your choir."
"Another time," said Luke slowly, and with a smile that somehow hurt
Rachel more than any number of words could have done, "I hope you will
ask my advice before acting." He moved towards the door.
"Luke, just wait a minute," said Rachel, "If only you had talked over
with me about the choir I probably would have been wiser. But I only
knew from Polly that the men were not coming. I wish, oh I wish you
would talk things over with me. You never tell me anything."
Luke stood with his hand on the door. He looked round at his wife's
words. The sight of her anxious face touched him.
"I am sure that you thought you were doing wisely," he said, "but
you see that my hopes are absolutely frustrated. They will say, if
you can get another choir together so easily let the men off the
evening service. You must not be surprised at my disappointment and
indeed vexation. But before you do anything rash another time ask me,
or indeed my mother. She could have given you excellent advice, and
knowing all the circumstances she would not be so likely to make a
mistake."
Rachel rose, she felt now was her opportunity to speak of what had been
long on her mind.
"If you would only talk things out with me instead of keeping me in
such complete ignorance of parish matters," she said with a little
sob which Luke did not notice as his mind was full of his hopes being
frustrated. "I can't help making mistakes when I know nothing. Why
don't you sometimes consult with me?" The effort to speak and yet to
say nothing that would give him a hint of her feelings towards his
mother was so great, that she found herself trembling and leant against
the mantle piece for support.
Luke hesitated before answering. If he had said what was at that moment
in his mind he would have reminded her of her unwise action this
afternoon, adding that he scarcely felt she was competent of giving him
advice, or indeed of discussing any subject of importance with him; He
had, moreover, slowly come to his mother's opinion that Rachel was not
fitted in any way for parish work. The home was her sphere and no-one
could possibly keep his home better for him. And if this afternoon's
work was a specimen of Rachel's wisdom, he was thankful to his mother
for opening his eyes to his wife's incapacity although occasionally he
had doubted her judgment. But glancing at his wife as she stood leaning
against the mantle piece, and, noticing the worried anxious expression
of her face, he kept his thoughts to himself, saying:
"You have quite enough to worry you with the housekeeping bills I am
sure. I don't want to add a grain of anxiety."
"But don't you see how much less I should worry if I knew a little of
what is passing in your mind. I often wonder and wonder what you are
thinking of when you sit silent and deep in thought. If you would only
tell me sometimes."
He gave a little laugh.
"Oh well don't worry now any more about this," he said. "It will
all be the same a hundred years hence." Then he added with forced
cheerfulness, "It's no use crying over spilt milk. The thing is done
and it can't be helped; and I know it has been done in kindness. Cheer
up dear."
As he left the room Rachel sat down on the sofa. His last words had
stung her.
"Done in kindness!" Why it had been done in the warmth of passionate
love. She had braved the rain coming down in torrents, and had
overtired herself just because she wanted to save him pain and to give
him pleasure. And he had spoken coldly of kindness! She could scarcely
bear it. Yet her pride was too much touched at the moment to allow of
tears to come. For the first time she was sitting in judgment on her
husband. Her idol had fallen from his throne. Had he been what she had
fancied him to be he would never have allowed her to know all that his
disappointment meant to him; and she could have borne it; but now the
lack of gratitude on his part for her efforts, mistaken though they had
been, struck her as astonishingly unlike the Luke of her dreams. It
made her feel almost indignant. She felt sure his mother's influence
was at the back of it. All her own tender feelings had disappeared. A
cold pride had taken their place, and unconscious of any emotion she
made her way upstairs to get ready for Church. She did not hurry, and
when Luke called out that they ought to be starting as it was getting
late, she told him not to wait for her. It was the first time they had
not walked to evening service together.
Rachel had promised the girls that she would sit with them in the choir
and lead the singing. She was astonished to find herself walking calmly
up the aisle and taking her place in the Choir benches.
The singing went exceedingly well. The girls had good strong voices,
and Rachel's voice, of which the congregation had been in ignorance,
filled the Church. Now and then Luke found himself wondering to whom
the sweet and full voice belonged, and it was only toward the end of
the service that he discovered that it belonged to his wife.
[Illustration: THE MISTRESS HAD GONE TO BED WITH A HEADACHE, POLLY
INFORMED HIM.]
He made no allusion to the absence of the men in his sermon; but when
the service was over and most of the congregation had gone, he thanked
the girls for their help. But Rachel was not there. She did not wait to
walk home with him.
[Illustration]