Touching the shore of England, Will stamped like a man who returns from
exile. It was a blustering afternoon, more like November than August;
livid clouds pelted him with rain, and the wind chilled his face; but
this suited very well with the mood which possessed him. He had been
away on a holiday--a more expensive holiday than he ought to have
allowed himself, and was back full of vigour. Instead of making him
qualmish, the green roarers of the Channel had braced his nerves, and
put him in good heart; the boat could not roll and pitch half enough
for his spirits. A holiday--a run to the Pyrenees and back; who durst
say that it had been anything else? The only person who could see the
matter in another light was little likely to disclose her thoughts.
At Dover he telegraphed to Godfrey Sherwood: "Come and see me
to-night." True, he had been absent only a week, but the time seemed to
him so long that he felt it must have teemed with events. In the
railway carriage he glowed with good fellowship toward the other
passengers; the rain-beaten hop-lands rejoiced his eyes, and the first
houses of London were so many friendly faces greeting his return. From
the station he drove to his shop. Allchin, engaged in serving a lady,
forgot himself at the sight of Mr. Jollyman, and gave a shout of
welcome. All was right, nothing troublesome had happened; trade better
than usual at this time of year.
"He'll have to put up the shutters," said Allchin confidentially, with
a nod in the direction of the rival grocer. "His wife's been making a
row in the shop again--disgraceful scene--talk of the 'ole
neighbourhood. She began throwing things at customers, and somebody as
was badly hit on the jaw with a tin of sardines complained to the
police. We shall be rid of him very soon, you'll see, sir."
This gave Warburton small satisfaction, but he kept his human thoughts
to himself, and presently went home. Here his landlady met him with the
announcement that only a few hours ago she had forwarded a letter
delivered by the post this morning. This was vexatious; several days
must elapse before he could have the letter back again from St. Jean de
Luz. Sure that Mrs. Wick must have closely scrutinised the envelope, he
questioned her as to handwriting and postmark, but the woman declared
that she had given not a glance to these things, which were not her
business. Couldn't she even remember whether the writing looked
masculine or feminine? No; she had not the slightest idea; it was not
her business to "pry" and Mrs. Wick closed her bloodless lips with
virtuous severity.
He had tea and walked back again to the shop, where as he girt himself
with his apron, he chuckled contentedly.
"Has Mrs. Cross looked in?" he inquired.
"Yes, sir," answered his henchman, "she was here day before yes'day,
and asked where you was. I said you was travelling for your health in
foreign parts."
"And what did she say to that?"
"She said 'Oh'--that's all, sir. It was a very small order she gave. I
can't make out how she manages to use so little sugar in her 'ouse.
It's certain the servant doesn't have her tea too sweet--what do _you_
think, sir?"
Warburton spoke of something else.
At nine o'clock he sat at home awaiting his visitor. The expected knock
soon sounded and Sherwood was shown into the room. Will grasped his
hand, calling out: "What news?
"News?" echoed Godfrey, in a voice of no good omen. "Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"But your telegram--? Wasn't that what it meant?"
"What do _you_ mean?" cried Will. "Speak, man! I've been abroad for a
week. I know nothing; I telegraphed because I wanted to see you, that
was all."
"Confound it! I hoped you knew the worst. Strangwyn is dead."
"He's dead? Well, isn't that what we've been waiting for?"
"Not the old man," groaned Sherwood, "not the old man. It's Ted
Strangwyn that's dead. Never was such an extraordinary case of bad
luck. And his death--the most astounding you ever heard of. He was down
in Yorkshire for the grouse. The dogcart came round in the morning, and
as he stood beside it, stowing away a gun or something, the horse made
a movement forward, and the wheel went over his toe. He thought nothing
of it. The next day he was ill; it turned to tetanus; and in a few
hours he died. Did you ever in your life hear anything like that?"
Warburton had listened gravely. Towards the end, his features began to
twitch, and, a moment after Godfrey had ceased, a spasm of laughter
overcame him.
"I can't help it, Sherwood," he gasped. "It's brutal, I know, but I
can't help it."
"My dear boy," exclaimed the other, with a countenance of relief, "I'm
delighted you can laugh. Talk about the irony of fate--eh? I couldn't
believe my eyes when I saw the paragraph in the paper yesterday. But,
you know," he added earnestly, "I don't absolutely give up hope.
According to the latest news, it almost looks as if old Strangwyn might
recover; and, if he does, I shall certainly try to get this money out
of him. If he has any sense of honour--"
Will again laughed, but not so spontaneously.
"My boy," he said, "it's all up, and you know it. You'll never see a
penny of your ten thousand pounds."
"Oh, but I can't help hoping--"
"Hope as much as you like. How goes the other affair?"
"Why, there, too, odd things have been happening. Milligan has just got
engaged, and, to tell you the truth, to a girl I shouldn't have thought
he'd ever have looked twice at. It's a Miss Parker, the daughter of a
City man. Pretty enough if you like, but as far as I can see, no more
brains than a teapot, and I can't for the life of me understand how a
man like Milligan--. But of course, it makes no difference; our work
goes on. We have an enormous correspondence."
"Does Miss Parker interest herself in it?" asked Will.
"Oh, yes, in a way, you know; as far as she can. She has turned
vegetarian, of course. To tell you the truth, Warburton, it vexes me a
good deal. I didn't think Milligan could do such a silly thing. I hope
he'll get married quickly. Just at present, the fact is, he isn't quite
himself."
Again Warburton was subdued by laughter.
"Well, I thought things might have been happening whilst I was away,"
he said, "and I wasn't mistaken. Luckily, I have come back with a
renewed gusto for the shop. By the bye, I'm going to keep that secret
no longer. I'm a grocer, and probably shall be a grocer all my life,
and the sooner people know it the better. I'm sick of hiding away. Tell
Milligan the story; it will amuse Miss Parker, And, talking of Miss
Parker, do you know that Norbert Franks is married? His old love--Miss
Elvan. Of course it was the sensible thing to do. They're off to Tyrol.
As soon as I have their address, I shall write and tell him all about
Jollyman's."
"Of course, if you really feel you must," said Godfrey, with
reluctance. "But remember that I still hope to recover the money. Old
Strangwyn has the reputation of being an honourable man--"
"Like Brutus," broke in Warburton, cheerfully. "Let us hope. Of course
we will hope. Hope springs eternal--"
Days went by, and at length the desired letter came back from St. Jean
de Luz. Seeing at a glance that it was from his sister, Will reproached
himself for having let more than a month elapse without writing to St.
Neots. Of his recent "holiday" he had no intention of saying a word.
Jane wrote a longer letter than usual, and its tenor was disquieting.
Their mother had not been at all well lately; Jane noticed that she was
becoming very weak. "You know how she dreads to give trouble, and
cannot bear to have any one worry about her. She has seen Dr. Edge
twice in the last few days, but not in my presence, and I feel sure
that she has forbidden him to tell me the truth about her. I dare not
let her guess how anxious I am, and have to go on in my usual way, just
doing what I can for her comfort. If you would come over for a day, I
should feel very glad. Not having seen mother for some time, you would
be better able than I to judge how she looks." After reading this
Will's self-reproaches were doubled. At once he set off for St. Neots.
On arriving at The Haws, he found Jane gardening, and spoke with her
before he went in to see his mother.
He had been away from home, he said, and her letter had strayed in
pursuit of him.
"I wondered," said Jane, her honest eyes searching his countenance.
"And it's so long since you sent a word; I should have written again
this afternoon."
"I've been abominably neglectful," he replied, "and time goes so
quickly."
"There's something strange in your look," said the girl. "What is it, I
wonder? You've altered in some way I don't know how."
"Think so? but never mind me; tell me about mother."
They stood among the garden scents, amid the flowers, which told of
parting summer, and conversed with voices softened by tender
solicitude. Jane was above all anxious that her brother's visit should
seem spontaneous, and Will promised not to hint at the news she had
sent him. They entered the house together. Mrs. Warburton, after her
usual morning occupations, had lain down on the couch in the parlour,
and fallen asleep; as soon as he beheld her face, Will understood his
sister's fears. White, motionless, beautiful in its absolute calm, the
visage might have been that of the dead; after gazing for a moment,
both, on the same impulse, put forth a hand to touch the unconscious
form. The eyelids rose a look of confused trouble darkened the features
then the lips relaxed in a happy smile.
"Will--and you find me asleep?--I appeal to Jane; she will tell you
it's only an accident. Did you ever before see me asleep like this,
Jane?"
At once she rose, and moved about, and strove to be herself; but the
effort it cost her was too obvious; presently she had to sit down, with
tremulous limbs, and Will noticed that her forehead was moist.
Not till evening did he find it possible to lead the conversation to
the subject of her health. Jane had purposely left them alone. Her son
having said that he feared she was not so well as usual, Mrs. Warburton
quietly admitted that she had recently consulted her doctor.
"I am not young, Will, you know. Sixty-five next birthday."
"But you don't call that old!" exclaimed her son.
"Yes, it's old for one of my family, dear, None of us, that I know of,
lived to be much more than sixty, and most died long before. Don't let
us wear melancholy faces," she added, with that winning smile which had
ever been the blessing of all about her. "You and I, dear, are too
sensible, I hope, to complain or be frightened because life must have
an end. When my time comes, I trust to my children not to make me
unhappy by forgetting what I have always tried to teach them. I should
like to think--and I know--that you would be sorry to lose me; but to
see you miserable on my account, or to think you miserable after I have
gone--I couldn't bear that."
Will was silent, deeply impressed by the calm voice, the noble thought.
He had always felt no less respect than love for his mother, especially
during the latter years, when experience of life better enabled him to
understand her rare qualities; but a deeper reverence took possession
of him whilst she was speaking. Her words not only extended his
knowledge of her character; they helped him to an understanding of
himself, to a clearer view of life, and its possibilities.
"I want to speak to you of Jane," continued Mrs. Warburton, with a look
of pleasant reflection. "You know she went to see her friend, Miss
Winter, a few weeks ago. Has she told you anything about it?"
"Nothing at all."
"Well, do you know that Miss Winter has taken up flower-growing as a
business, and it looks as if she would be very successful. She is
renting more land, to make gardens of, and has two girls with her, as
apprentices. I think that's what Jane will turn to some day. Of course
she won't be really obliged to work for her living, but, when she is
alone, I'm certain she won't be content to live just as she does
now--she is far too active; but for me, I daresay she would go and join
Miss Winter at once."
"I don't much care for that idea of girls going out to work when they
could live quietly at home," said Will.
"I used to have the same feeling," answered his mother, "but Jane and I
have often talked about it, and I see there is something to be said for
the other view. At all events, I wanted to prevent you from wondering
what was to become of her when she was left alone. To be sure," she
added, with a bright smile, "Jane may marry. I hope she will. But I
know she won't easily be persuaded to give up her independence. Jane is
a very independent little person."
"If she has that in mind," said Will, "why shouldn't you both go and
live over there, in Suffolk? You could find a house, no doubt--"
Mrs. Warburton gently shook her head.
"I don't think I could leave The Haws. And--for the short time--"
"Short time? but you are not seriously ill, mother."
"If I get stronger," said Mrs. Warburton, without raising her eyes, "we
must manage to send Jane into Suffolk. I could get along very well
alone. But there--we have talked enough for this evening, Will. Can you
stay over tomorrow? Do, if you could manage it. I am glad to have you
near me."
When they parted for the night, Will asked his sister to meet him in
the garden before breakfast, and Jane nodded assent.