A week after Sidney"s departure, Maurice Hinchford appeared once more in the neighbourhood of Peckham. This was in the afternoon, and he had reached Peckham in the morning, and therefore wasted a considerable portion of the day. But then Mr. Gray had been at home in the morning, and it had struck Maurice that that gentleman"s excitable temperament would not allow of a long sojourn in-doors, with no one to preach to but his daughter. He would not chance meeting Mr. Gray yet a while; he would wait and watch.
Mr. Gray really found it dull work that afternoon, and business being slack, he started immediately after his dinner in search of a convert of whom he had heard in the neighbourhood of his chapel. Maurice, who had noted him turn the corner of the street, uttered a short prayer of thanks, and crossed over to the stationer"s shop.
Mattie turned very pale at the first sight of Maurice.
"I am wanted--and, oh dear, my father has just gone out!"
"No, you are not wanted yet a while, Miss Gray. Pray, compose yourself, I bring you very little news."
"Sidney--he is well?"
"Very well--Dr. Bario has not given him notice to prepare for the great experiment yet awhile," said Maurice; "but I thought that you might be anxious about him, Miss Gray, and that any little news might be acceptable."
"You are very kind--yes, any news of Sidney is ever most acceptable."
"Even from such a scamp as I am?" he said, with his eyes twinkling.
"Sidney has forgiven you--that is enough, sir."
"Ah! but yours was a left-handed wrong, and the heaviest share of it might have fallen to your lot."
"But it has not. Pray don"t talk of it again."
"All"s well that ends well," said Maurice, taking his seat on the high chair on the shop side of the counter, facing our heroine, "and if it has ended in my doing no harm, and turning out a better fellow myself, why there"s not much to regret. And you would not believe to what an extraordinary pitch of excellence I am attaining."
"I shall believe nothing if you jest, sir."
"It was not a jest--I"ve a way of talking like that."
"It"s a very stupid way."
"Is it, though?--well, perhaps you"re right enough."
Mattie wondered what he was staying for; was even still a little nervous that he had something more to communicate concerning Sidney. But he continued talking in this new desultory way, and remained on his perch there, observant of customers, the goods they purchased, and the remarks they made, and showing no inclination to depart. He rendered Mattie fidgety after a while, for he was in a fidgety humour himself, and tilted his chair backwards and forwards, and examined everything minutely on the counter, dropping an article or two on the floor, and endeavouring to pick it up with his varnished boots, _a la_ Miss Biffin.
"Does this business answer, Miss?" he asked at last.
"It is improving--I think it will answer."
"Rather slow for old Sid, it must have been."
"We did our best to make him happy here, sir; I think that we succeeded."
"My dear Miss Gray, I do not doubt _that_, for an instant!" Maurice hastened to apologize; "more than that, Sidney has told me the same himself. But _was_ he happy?"
"Have you any reason to think otherwise?" was Mattie"s quick, almost suspicious question.
"Scarcely a reason, perhaps. Still _I_ don"t think that he was happy."
"I am sorry to hear you say so, Mr. Hinchford."
"He tried to feel as happy as you wished to make him, but I think he failed. Under the circ.u.mstances, heavily afflicted as he was, you must own that that was natural."
"I own that."
"But his mind was never at ease--there was much to perplex it. Now, Miss Gray," leaning over the counter very earnestly, "let me ask you if you honestly believe that he has given up every thought of making Harriet Wesden his wife?"
"Every thought of it, I think he has."
"You and he have been like brother and sister together, and the truth must have escaped him," said Maurice, doubtfully; "or you are less quick-witted than somehow I have given you credit for. You would promote his true happiness, Miss Gray, by every means in your power, I am sure?"
"Yes," answered Mattie.
"Then you and I acting together, might bring about that match between them yet."
"You and I acting together for that purpose!" Mattie e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. She clutched the counter with her nervous fingers, and regarded Maurice Hinchford attentively; she was no longer doubtful of that man"s visit to her; he had come to steal her Sidney away--to teach her, by his indirect a.s.sertions, that it was better to resign her thoughts of happiness rather than mar his cousin"s.
"There only requires one fair meeting between them--one candid explanation of what was false, and what was true--to show each to the other in a better light. That is my object in life now--I have done harm to those two--I will do good if I can!"
"You speak as though you were certain of the success of Dr. Bario"s remedies."
"I am perfectly certain, Miss Gray! Dr. Bario is certain too--although he speaks of the risk, and of the hundredth chance against him, rather than of the ninety and nine in his favour. That"s his way."
"Suppose him successful, and Sidney well again--what are we to do?"
asked the curious Mattie.
She was anxious to sift this theory to the bottom--to know upon what facts, or fancies, Maurice Hinchford based his cruel idea. She spoke coolly and sisterly now; no evidence of intense excitement was likely to betray her again that day. On the inner heart had shut, with a clang which vibrated still within her, the iron gates of her inflexible resolve.
"First of all, let me ask you a question. You have lived with Miss Wesden--you understand her--you have loved her. You can a.s.sure me that there was no doubt of her affection for him being true and fervent?"
"There was no doubt of that."
"I can answer for the present time."
"You can?" said Mattie. She spoke very quickly, but her heart leaped into her throat for an instant, and took away her breath.
"Miss Wesden confessed to me, only a week back, that she loved Sidney Hinchford still."
"Impossible!"
"You doubt my word, Miss Gray. Why should I attempt to deceive you?"
"What possible object could she have in telling you that?"
"I made her an offer of marriage," said Maurice, coolly, "and she rejected me. She did not scruple to confess to me her reasons; she was excited I must own, and, therefore, thrown off her guard."
"What did she say?"
"That she had never loved me, and that she would have died for Sidney.