She ended with a cry: "Oh! my dear, my own sister! I wish you were safe.
Get her here to me and I"ll do what I can, if you"re not hard on her.
She"s so beautiful, she can"t do wrong. My Dahlia"s in some trouble. Mr.
Robert, you might really be her friend?"
"Drop the Mister," said Robert.
"Father will listen to you," she pleaded. "You won"t leave us? Tell him you know I am safe. But I haven"t a feeling of any kind while my sister"s away. I will call you Robert, if you like." She reached her hand forth.
"That"s right," he said, taking it with a show of heartiness: "that"s a beginning, I suppose."
She shrank a little in his sensitive touch, and he added: "Oh never fear. I"ve spoken out, and don"t do the thing too often. Now you know me, that"s enough. I trust you, so trust me. I"ll talk to your father.
I"ve got a dad of my own, who isn"t so easily managed. You and I, Rhoda--we"re about the right size for a couple. There--don"t be frightened! I was only thinking--I"ll let go your hand in a minute. If Dahlia"s to be found, I"ll find her. Thank you for that squeeze. You"d wake a dead man to life, if you wanted to. To-morrow I set about the business. That"s settled. Now your hand"s loose. Are you going to say good night? You must give me your hand again for that. What a rough fellow I must seem to you! Different from the man you thought I was? I"m just what you choose to make me, Rhoda; remember that. By heaven! go at once, for you"re an armful--"
She took a candle and started for the door.
"Aha! you can look fearful as a doe. Out! make haste!"
In her hurry at his speeding gestures, the candle dropped; she was going to pick it up, but as he approached, she stood away frightened.
"One kiss, my girl," he said. "Don"t keep me jealous as fire. One! and I"m a plighted man. One!--or I shall swear you know what kisses are. Why did you go out to meet that fellow? Do you think there"s no danger in it? Doesn"t he go about boasting of it now, and saying--that girl! But kiss me and I"ll forget it; I"ll forgive you. Kiss me only once, and I shall be certain you don"t care for him. That"s the thought maddens me outright. I can"t bear it now I"ve seen you look soft. I"m stronger than you, mind." He caught her by the waist.
"Yes," Rhoda gasped, "you are. You are only a brute."
"A brute"s a lucky dog, then, for I"ve got you!"
"Will you touch me?"
"You"re in my power."
"It"s a miserable thing, Robert."
"Why don"t you struggle, my girl? I shall kiss you in a minute."
"You"re never my friend again."
"I"m not a gentleman, I suppose!"
"Never! after this."
"It isn"t done. And first you"re like a white rose, and next you"re like a red. Will you submit?"
"Oh! shame!" Rhoda uttered.
"Because I"m not a gentleman?"
"You are not."
"So, if I could make you a lady--eh? the lips "d be ready in a trice.
You think of being made a lady--a lady!"
His arm relaxed in the clutch of her figure.
She got herself free, and said: "We saw Mr. Blancove at the theatre with Dahlia."
It was her way of meeting his accusation that she had cherished an ambitious feminine dream.
He, to hide a confusion that had come upon him, was righting the fallen candle.
"Now I know you can be relied on; you can defend yourself," he said, and handed it to her, lighted. "You keep your kisses for this or that young gentleman. Quite right. You really can defend yourself. That"s all I was up to. So let us hear that you forgive me. The door"s open. You won"t be bothered by me any more; and don"t hate me overmuch."
"You might have learned to trust me without insulting me, Robert," she said.
"Do you fancy I"d take such a world of trouble for a kiss of your lips, sweet as they are?"
His bl.u.s.terous beginning ended in a speculating glance at her mouth.
She saw it would be wise to accept him in his present mood, and go; and with a gentle "Good night," that might sound like pardon, she pa.s.sed through the doorway.
CHAPTER XV
Next day, while Squire Blancove was superintending the laying down of lines for a new carriage drive in his park, as he walked slowly up the green slope he perceived Farmer Fleming, supported by a tall young man; and when the pair were nearer, he had the gratification of noting likewise that the worthy yeoman was very much bent, as with an acute attack of his well-known chronic malady of a want of money.
The squire greatly coveted the freehold of Queen Anne"s Farm. He had made offers to purchase it till he was tired, and had gained for himself the credit of being at the bottom of numerous hypothetical cabals to injure and oust the farmer from his possession. But if Naboth came with his vineyard in his hand, not even Wrexby"s rector (his quarrel with whom haunted every turn in his life) could quote Scripture against him for taking it at a proper valuation.
The squire had employed his leisure time during service in church to discover a text that might be used against him in the event of the farmer"s reduction to a state of distress, and his, the squire"s, making the most of it. On the contrary, according to his heathenish reading of some of the patriarchal doings, there was more to be said in his favour than not, if he increased his territorial property: nor could he, throughout the Old Testament, hit on one sentence that looked like a personal foe to his projects, likely to fit into the mouth of the rector of Wrexby.
"Well, farmer," he said, with cheerful familiarity, "winter crops looking well? There"s a good show of green in the fields from my windows, as good as that land of yours will allow in heavy seasons."
To this the farmer replied, "I"ve not heart or will to be round about, squire. If you"ll listen to me--here, or where you give command."
"Has it anything to do with pen and paper, Fleming? In that case you"d better be in my study," said the squire.
"I don"t know that it have. I don"t know that it have." The farmer sought Robert"s face.
"Best where there"s no chance of interruption," Robert counselled, and lifted his hat to the squire.
"Eh? Well, you see I"m busy." The latter affected a particular indifference, that in such cases, when well acted (as lords of money can do--squires equally with usurers), may be valued at hundreds of pounds in the pocket. "Can"t you put it off? Come again to-morrow."
"To-morrow"s a day too late," said the farmer, gravely. Whereto replying, "Oh! well, come along in, then," the squire led the way.
"You"re two to one, if it"s a transaction," he said, nodding to Robert to close the library door. "Take seats. Now then, what is it? And if I make a face, just oblige me by thinking nothing about it, for my gout"s beginning to settle in the leg again, and shoots like an electric telegraph from purgatory."
He wheezed and lowered himself into his arm-chair; but the farmer and Robert remained standing, and the farmer spoke:--
"My words are going to be few, squire. I"ve got a fact to bring to your knowledge, and a question to ask."