But Beatrice thought little of herself. He was in danger, and how could she protect him? Why here in the letter was the answer! "If you care for him sever all connection with him utterly, and for ever. Otherwise, he will live to curse and hate you." No, no! Geoffrey would never do that.
But Lady Honoria was quite right; in his interest, for his sake, she must sever all connection with him--sever it utterly and for ever. But how--how?
She thrust the letter into her dress--a viper would have been a more welcome guest--and opened Geoffrey"s.
It told the same tale, but offered a different solution. The tears started to her eyes as she read his offer to take her to him for good and all, and go away with her to begin life afresh. It seemed a wonderful thing to Beatrice that he should be willing to sacrifice so much upon such a worthless altar as her love--a wonderful and most generous thing. She pressed the senseless paper to her heart, then kissed it again and again. But she never thought of yielding to this great temptation, never for one second. He prayed her to come, but that she would not do while her will remained. What, _she_ bring Geoffrey to ruin? No, she had rather starve in the streets or perish by slow torture. How could he ever think that she would consent to such a scheme? Indeed she never would; she had brought enough trouble on him already. But oh, she blessed him for that letter. How deeply must he love her when he could offer to do this for her sake!
Hark! the children were waiting; she must go and teach. The letter, Geoffrey"s dear letter, could be answered in the afternoon. So she thrust it in her breast with the other, but closer to her heart, and went.
That afternoon as Mr. Granger, in a happy frame of mind--for were not his debts paid, and had he not found a most convenient way of providing against future embarra.s.sment?--was engaged peaceably in contemplating his stock over the gate of his little farm buildings, he was much astonished suddenly to discover Owen Davies at his elbow.
"How do you do, Mr. Davies?" he said; "how quietly you must have come."
"Yes," answered Owen absently. "The fact is, I have followed you because I want to speak to you alone--quite alone."
"Indeed, Mr. Davies--well, I am at your service. What is wrong? You don"t look very well."
"Oh, I am quite well, thank you. I never was better; and there"s nothing wrong, nothing at all. Everything is going to be bright now, I know that full surely."
"Indeed," said Mr. Granger, again looking at him with a puzzled air, "and what may you want to see me about? Not but what I am always at your service, as you know," he added apologetically.
"This," he answered, suddenly seizing the clergyman by the coat in a way that made him start.
"What--my coat, do you mean?"
"Don"t be so foolish, Mr. Granger. No, about Beatrice."
"Oh. indeed, Mr. Davies. Nothing wrong at the school, I hope? I think that she does her duties to the satisfaction of the committee, though I admit that the arithmetic----"
"No! no, no! It is not about the school. I don"t wish her to go to the school any more. I love her, Mr. Granger, I love her dearly, and I want to marry her."
The old man flushed with pleasure. Was it possible? Did he hear aright?
Owen Davies, the richest man in that part of Wales, wanted to marry his daughter, who had nothing but her beauty. It must be too good to be true!
"I am indeed flattered," he said. "It is more than she could expect--not but what Beatrice is very good-looking and very clever," he added hastily, fearing lest he was detracting from his daughter"s market value.
"Good-looking--clever; she is an angel," murmured Owen.
"Oh, yes, of course she is," said her father, "that is, if a woman--yes, of course--and what is more, I think she"s very fond of you. I think she is pining for you. I"ve though so for a long time."
"Is she?" said Owen anxiously. "Then all I have to say is that she takes a very curious way of showing it. She won"t say a word to me; she puts me off on every occasion. But it will be all right now--all right now."
"Oh, there, there, Mr. Davies, maids will be maids until they are wives.
We know about all that," said Mr. Granger sententiously.
His would-be son-in-law looked as though he knew very little about it indeed, although the inference was sufficiently obvious.
"Mr. Granger," he said, seizing his hand, "I want to make Beatrice my wife--I do indeed."
"Well, I did not suppose otherwise, Mr. Davies."
"If you help me in this I will do whatever you like as to money matters and that sort of thing, you know. She shall have as fine a settlement as any woman in Wales. I know that goes a long way with a father, and I shall raise no difficulties."
"Very right and proper, I am sure," said Mr. Granger, adopting a loftier tone as he discovered the advantages of his position. "But of course on such matters I shall take the advice of a lawyer. I daresay that Mr. Bingham would advise me," he added, "as a friend of the family, you know. He is a very clever lawyer, and, besides, he wouldn"t charge anything."
"Oh, no, not Mr. Bingham," answered Owen anxiously. "I will do anything you like, or if you wish to have a lawyer I"ll pay the bill myself. But never mind about that now. Let us settle it with Beatrice first. Come along at once."
"Eh, but hadn"t you better arrange that part of the business privately?"
"No, no. She always snubs me when I try to speak to her alone. You had better be there, and Miss Elizabeth too, if she likes. I won"t speak to her again alone. I will speak to her in the face of G.o.d and man, as G.o.d directed me to do, and then it will be all right--I know it will."
Mr. Granger stared at him. He was a clergyman of a very practical sort, and did not quite see what the Power above had to do with Owen Davies"s matrimonial intentions.
"Ah, well," he said, "I see what you mean; marriages are made in heaven; yes, of course. Well, if you want to get on with the matter, I daresay that we shall find Beatrice in."
So they walked back to the Vicarage, Mr. Granger exultant and yet perplexed, for it struck him that there was something a little odd about the proceeding, and Owen Davies in silence or muttering occasionally to himself.
In the sitting-room they found Elizabeth.
"Where is Beatrice?" asked her father.
"I don"t know," she answered, and at that moment Beatrice, pale and troubled, walked into the room, like a lamb to the slaughter.
"Ah, Beatrice," said her father, "we were just asking for you."
She glanced round, and with the quick wit of a human animal, instantly perceived that some new danger threatened her.
"Indeed," she said, sinking into a chair in an access of feebleness born of fear. "What is it, father?"
Mr. Granger looked at Owen Davies and then took a step towards the door.
It struck him forcibly that this scene should be private to the two persons princ.i.p.ally concerned.
"Don"t go," said Owen Davies excitedly, "don"t go, either of you; what I have to say had better be said before you both. I should like to say it before the whole world; to cry it from the mountain tops."
Elizabeth glared at him fiercely--glared first at him and then at the innocent Beatrice. Could he be going to propose to her, then? Ah, why had she hesitated? Why had she not told him the whole truth before?
But the heart of Beatrice, who sat momentarily expecting to be publicly denounced, grew ever fainter. The waters of desolation were closing in over her soul.
Mr. Granger sat down firmly and worked himself into the seat of his chair, as though to secure an additional fixedness of tenure. Elizabeth set her teeth, and leaned her elbow on the table, holding her hand so as to shade her face. Beatrice drooped upon her seat like a fading lily, or a prisoner in the dock. She was opposite to them, and Owen Davies, his face alight with wild enthusiasm, stood up and addressed them all like the counsel for the prosecution.
"Last autumn," he began, speaking to Mr. Granger, who might have been a judge uncertain as to the merits of the case, "I asked your daughter Beatrice to marry me."
Beatrice gave a sigh, and collected her scattered energies. The storm had burst at last, and she must face it.
"I asked her to marry me, and she told me to wait a year. I have waited as long as I could, but I could not wait the whole year. I have prayed a great deal, and I am bidden to speak."
Elizabeth made a gesture of impatience. She was a person of strong common sense, and this mixture of religion and eroticism disgusted her.
She also know that the storm had burst, and that _she_ must face it.