"I SEE LIGHT NOW"
Every man's task is his life-preserver.
--EMERSON.
Life is an opportunity for service.
--DR. WESTCOTT.
It is in the silence that follows the storm, and not in
the silence before it, that we should search for the
budding flower.
--Hindu Proverb.
One gray October afternoon, a fortnight later, Malcolm was walking down
Victoria Street, when he came face to face with Colonel Godfrey. The
Colonel, who was full of business as usual, seemed unfeignedly pleased
at the meeting.
"This is a stroke of good luck!" he exclaimed in his hearty way. "You
are just the man I want, Herrick. I was rather in a fix, and was going
to Victoria for one of those boy messengers; but you will do my
business for me, like a good fellow? Have you anything particular to
do?"
"Nothing special. I was only going to the Army and Navy Stores for some
stationery." Then the Colonel looked still more delighted.
"There, I was sure of it! My wife is in the tea-room at this very
minute expecting me to join her. I should have been punctual to the
minute, only I came across Erskine of ours; he wants my advice about a
mare he is thinking of buying, and he was so pressing that I felt I
must send Catherine a message."
"And I am to do the job for you? All right: Barkis is willin'." And
then they both laughed at the familiar words, for Colonel Godfrey loved
and studied his Dickens as some men study their classics.
"Tell her to be at the entrance at a quarter to six, and I will be
there. Well, I must be off, Erskine will be waiting for me." And the
Colonel saluted Malcolm and marched off with his head in the air, while
more than one fashionable lounger turned round to look at the fine
soldierly figure.
At this hour the refreshment-rooms at the Army and Navy Stores were
generally crowded, and for two or three minutes Malcolm searched them
vainly, before he discovered Mrs. Godfrey sitting alone at a table at
the other end of the long room.
She gave an exclamation when she saw him. "Life is full of surprises,"
she said with the bright, vivid smile that always welcomed her
favourite--"Alick promised to join me here!" And Malcolm sat down
beside her and gave her the Colonel's message.
Mrs. Godfrey was evidently well used to these messages, for she
received it with becoming resignation.
"I have ten minutes to spare," she observed serenely, "so you had
better order yourself some tea, and we can tell each other our news. By
the bye, how long have you been in town?" And when Malcolm told her
nearly a month, she seemed surprised.
"I made up my mind you were still at Staplegrove," she replied;
"though, now I come to think of it, there has certainly been no mention
of you in Elizabeth's last two letters. By the bye," turning to him
with her customary quickness--but Malcolm was just then studying the
menu--"what do you think of this engagement?"
"I think it is for me to put the question to you," he returned with
admirable sang-froid; but one hand clenched itself so tightly under the
table that the marks of the nails were in the palm.
"Then I may as well be frank and tell you that I would forbid the banns
if I could. Elizabeth ought to have married better--she is far too fine
a creature to throw herself away on David Carlyon."
"He is a very good fellow," observed Malcolm rather feebly; it was hard
lines that he should be expected to discuss this.
"Oh yes, he is a good fellow," a little contemptuously. "I remember I
liked him very well when we were down at the Wood House this spring;
there is nothing to say against the young man, he is as good as gold,
and an excellent clergyman; and he is gentlemanly too--both the
Carlyons are that; but," very decidedly, "he is not good enough for
Elizabeth."
Malcolm agreed with every word, but he dared not trust himself to say
so; he waited a moment, and then said quietly--
"It seems that Miss Templeton holds a different opinion; she appears
quite satisfied with her choice."
"Satisfied"--and here Mrs. Godfrey gave a little laugh. "To judge from
her letters--and we have been corresponding pretty freely lately--one
would think she was a girl in her teens; she is absurdly happy--even
Dinah says so. But between you and me I don't believe Dinah is a bit
better pleased than the rest of us."
"What does the Colonel think?" asked Malcolm, feeling as though he
ought to say something.
"Oh, Alick always agrees with me, though he expresses his ideas rather
differently. He took quite a fancy to Mr. Carlyon, and they were always
together last spring; so of course he will not say much--only he will
have it that he is not big enough or strong enough for Elizabeth. 'She
will master him, and make him look small,' that was what Alick said.
They are not to be married until Easter, I hear, and Dinah wishes them
to live at the Wood House."
Malcolm had never felt anything like the sudden throb of pain that shot
through him when Mrs. Godfrey said this; he grew so pale that she rose
hastily, thinking the room was too hot for him.
"Shall we go downstairs?" she said kindly; "the atmosphere of this
place is quite suffocating." And Malcolm agreed to this; he was just
thinking that he would make some excuse to leave her, when to his
chagrin she led the way to the little waiting-place by the entrance,
and, seating herself, beckoned to him to follow her example. "There is
something I ought to tell you," she said rather seriously; "it is nice
and quiet here, and there is plenty of fresh air. You are not looking
the thing, Mr. Herrick; you are thinner--much thinner; I am afraid you
have been working too hard."
"Oh, no, I cannot lay that flattering unction to my soul," he returned.
"Is this what you have to tell me? for in that case I must remark that
I have about a ton of stationery on my mind."
"No, do be quiet a moment," and her faultlessly gloved hand rested on
his arm. "There is really something I want to say. You know we saw
Cedric when he was staying at Fettercairn?" Malcolm's forced rigidity
relaxed.
"Oh, yes, Cedric told me that in one of his letters."
"The Wallaces are nice people, and in our cramped quarters the Hall was
rather a find. Sir Richard and my husband took to each other, and Lady
Wallace and I followed suit."
"That must have been a pleasant sort of arrangement," observed Malcolm.
"I liked the girls too, they were so honestly, frankly ugly; and they
were so good-natured, and so delightfully aware of their shortcomings,
that they were quite refreshing. Fancy Martha, the eldest girl, saying
to me seriously, 'Dick is the only one who takes after mother and
father; he is really nice-looking, you know, but Ailie and I are a
couple of squat little toads. Now, please don't laugh, Mrs. Godfrey,'
she went on, 'for we are very fond of toads, and they have such bright,
projecting eyes.' What on earth could I say! for indeed poor Martha is
almost grotesque-looking, and yet one can't help loving her. I know I
had a fit of laughing, and both of them laughed with me."
"Cedric always said they were good sort of girls."
"Cedric--oh, he is their hero. By the bye, Mr. Herrick, did you know
the Jacobis were staying a mile and a half from Fettercairn? Ah I
thought so"--as Malcolm started and frowned--"I was sure that bad boy
never let any of you know."
"Were they there all the time?"
"Yes, they all travelled together. Mr. Jacobi had taken the cottage
they call Shepherd's Hut, because at one time Sir Richard's shepherd
lived there; but a room or two has been added, and people take it for
the fishing. Alick rather thought of it himself, only the rooms are so
small, and one of the chimneys smoked; we were far more comfortable at
the shooting-lodge."
"I suppose Miss Jacobi was there too?"
"Of course she was there," in a significant tone, "and Cedric and Dick
Wallace spent most of their time with them. I believe they fished, and
wandered over the moors, and when they were not at Shepherd's Hut the
Jacobis were at the Hall. Mr. Herrick, I am afraid--I am really afraid
that that foolish boy Cedric is head over ears in love with Leah
Jacobi."
"It looks rather shady," acknowledged Malcolm; "he is not the sort of
fellow to keep things to himself." Then with a sudden change of
tone--"Did you tell his sisters?"
"I just mentioned the fact of their being there; and then Elizabeth's
engagement occupied my attention. Young Dick was half in love too. Miss
Jacobi is really very handsome, but, as Alick says, she ought to marry
a man at least ten years older."
"My dear lady, she will never marry Cedric; she is only fooling him a
bit."
"Don't be too sure of that," returned Mrs. Godfrey quietly; "you know I
am rather observant, and it struck me more than once that Mr. Jacobi
was playing a double game. He seemed at one time to take a great deal
of notice of Dick Wallace, and Cedric was rather shunted. But one
Sunday afternoon, when Mr. Jacobi and Sir Richard had been having a
long walk together, he suddenly changed, and Cedric was in favour
again."
"I am afraid I don't quite follow you," returned Malcolm, who certainly
did not understand what she meant to convey to him.
Mrs. Godfrey arched her eyebrows in surprise.
"My dear friend, you are not generally so dense. Don't you see the poor
man had never heard of the existence of Ralph Wallace, and so he
thought Master Dick was heir to the baronetcy--voila, tout."
"Oh, I see light now."
"Sir Richard, who is immensely proud of his eldest son, entertained his
companion with graphic descriptions of Ralph, Mrs. Ralph, and all the
Ralph olive branches; and of course Mr. Jacobi was immensely
interested. But he was rather cool to poor Dick that evening, and now
Cedric is in the ascendant again."
Malcolm reflected for a moment; then he said in rather a puzzled tone--
"Of course I see my bearings now, but all the same I am not out of the
fog. At the garden-party at the Wood House Jacobi was evidently fishing
for information; but he got precious little, I can tell you. But I
remember he seemed to know far more than I did about the
Templetons"--here Malcolm's voice unconsciously changed; "he even told
me about the tin mine that had been discovered on a Cornish farm that
belonged to them."
"I wonder where he got his information," observed Mrs. Godfrey
thoughtfully. "But he was quite correct. Mr. Templeton was not a rich
man by any means; he was just a country squire, with a moderate income,
which his first wife brought him, and of course her money was left to
her daughters. Cedric is absolutely dependent on his sisters."
"Oh, Jacobi quite understands that."
"So much the better. Well, then, three or four years ago this mine was
discovered, and that beggarly little farm has brought them quite a
fortune. Elizabeth told me that their income was nearly doubled."
"Oh, then Jacobi was right when he said they were rich." And then
Malcolm smiled bitterly as he remembered the two maiden ladies of
uncertain age.
"Of course he was right. Dinah was talking to me on this very subject
last May. She said then that she felt that Elizabeth would marry, and
that in that case she would like her to have the Wood House. Of course,
I am telling you this in confidence. 'Cedric will be my heir,' she
continued; 'but I do not wish him to know this at present. It will be
better for him to work, and not eat the bread of idleness;' and of
course I approved of this. Now, Mr. Herrick, I must not wait a moment
longer. Why do you not come down to the Manor House for a quiet
Sunday?" But Malcolm excused himself. He was busy; he had been away so
much, he could not take any more holidays, and so on. Mrs. Godfrey
looked as though she hardly believed him.
"It would do you good," she persisted, looking at him very kindly.
"This week we have a young American coming to us for two or three
nights--Hugh Rossiter, the famous bear-hunter. I have often mentioned
him to you. Alick is devoted to him; he says of all the acute Yankees
he is the acutest, and that he could see through any number of brick
walls. No, I will not ask you to meet him. Bears are not in your line.
Come the week after." But Malcolm shook his head.
Much as he valued his friends, and dearly as he loved to be with them,
the Manor House was the last place for him just then. Elizabeth's name
would be frequently mentioned, and there would be constant references
to the Wood House, and he fancied that at some unguarded moment he
might betray himself. At present Mrs. Godfrey had no suspicion. She
very naturally attributed his jaded looks to overwork, and he had been
able to mask his feelings, except at that one dreadful moment. When she
spoke of the intended marriage the sudden sickening pain at his heart
told him that he could not trust himself. As he walked towards the
station, when he had done his business, he pondered over all Mrs.
Godfrey had told him.
Was it possible that the sisters had known all these weeks that Cedric
had been thrown into daily and hourly contact with Leah Jacobi and her
brother? Was it likely that Cedric had told them that there was even
such a place as Shepherd's Hut?
Perhaps he did not mean to wilfully deceive them. Very probably he had
his excuse ready. Malcolm could almost hear his words. "I said nothing
about the Jacobis because I knew your prejudice, and I did not want to
fluster you. I thought Mrs. Godfrey would spin her yarn, and I left it
to her. It was not my fault if the Wallaces took to them, and that they
were often up at Fettercairn." Some such words Cedric would say when he
saw his sisters.
What a blessing term had begun and he was back at Oxford! He was safe
from the Jacobis there. They would be in town probably; and then the
fancy came into his head that he would find that out for himself before
he went home. His evening hours always hung heavily on his hands, and a
walk more or less would not hurt him, That was the best of living with
Bohemians. No one questioned his movements, or took it amiss if he were
an hour or two late for meals.
He knew where the Jacobis lived--Cedric had told him--at 12 Gresham
Gardens; so he went on to Queen's Road by train.
It was quite dark by that time, but he would just pass by the house and
see if it were lighted up. His curiosity to know if they were there
rather surprised himself. When he came in sight of No. 12 the door
opened, and, unwilling to be seen, he stole into the portico of the
next house, which was dark and uninhabited, and waited there for a
moment.
He could hear Saul Jacobi's voice distinctly, smooth and unctuous as
usual, and Leah's deep, flute-like tones chiming in. Somebody, a young
man he guessed, was answering her. "You will not be late on Monday. I
always like to be in good time for a new piece."
"That is so like a woman," interrupted her brother in a jeering voice.
"Don't attend to her, old fellow; we have seats in the stalls, and you
can please yourself."
"You bet, I always do that!" was the answer, in a slightly nasal tone.
"Ta-ta, Jacobi;" and then a muscular, active-looking young man ran down
the steps. Malcolm had just a glimpse of a lean brown face and
deeply-set eyes, and then the door closed.
"Another string to the Jacobi bow," he thought as he followed him
slowly. "I wonder how many he has." And then, as he walked back to the
station, he made up his mind that as soon as possible he would run down
to Oxford and have a talk with Cedric. "I think I could manage it on
Friday or Saturday," he thought. "I should soon find out for myself if
those people have done him any mischief."
Malcolm felt his conscience easier when he had planned this. Mrs.
Godfrey had really made him very anxious about the boy. That evening he
was less self-centred; the conversation had roused him; it gave him a
dreary sort of satisfaction to know that there was still something that
he could do for her.
He ate his supper with something of his old appetite, and the next
evening he went to Queen's Gate and made himself very pleasant to his
mother and Anna. "I think I shall run down to Oxford to-morrow or the
next day," he said casually as he bade them good-night, "and look up
Cedric Templeton," and he was still in the same mind when he woke the
next morning. He would go to Lincoln's Inn and open his letters and see
if he could get away that afternoon. But as he entered his chambers
Malachi handed him a telegram that had just come. It was from the Manor
House. "Please come at once. Hugh Rossiter here. Important news about
Jacobi.--GODFREY."