He sprang to his feet. "Oh I say!" he cried. "Oh--I say!"
But there was nothing to say; and no one to whom to say it.
Poor David!
He sat down again, put his elbows on the table, and dropped his head into his hands.
Diana Rivers of Riverscourt! Patron of four livings! Acknowledged leader of the gayest set in the county; known far and wide for her independence of character and advanced views!
Bones came shuffling up the chancel, rattling the church keys. There was also a sovereign of Diana"s in _his_ waistcoat pocket, and he showed no irritation as he locked up the vestry book, and returned David"s good-night.
"A "appy Christmas, sir," he said, "an" many of "em; if they "ave "em in them wild parts."
As David plodded home through the snow, his mind dwelt, with curious persistence, on one question: "Now who on earth is "Chappie"?"
CHAPTER V
THE NOISELESS NAPIER
"I am morally certain "Chappie" is a poodle," thought David to himself, at breakfast. "It would be just like her to have a large black poodle, abnormally clever, perfectly clipped, tied up with green ribbons to match her hat, and treated in all respects as a human being; excepting that, of course, his opinion on the cut of her guests" clothes would not matter. "Chappie does not count," she said; but I"ll be bound he counts a lot, in most respects. I hope Chappie will like me. How does one whistle to a poodle?"
David was standing on the hearthrug, practising various seductive ways of whistling to Chappie, when Sarah came in, to clear the breakfast table.
Sarah had put a Christmas card on David"s plate that morning, and had kept nervously out of the way, while he opened the envelope. The card had evidently been chosen with great care, and an eye to its suitability. A large bunch of forget-me-nots figured in the centre, tied with a lover"s knot of blue ribbon. Above this, two embossed hands--Sarah"s and David"s of course--were clasped. Above these again, flew two turtle-doves. They carried a scroll between them, depending from either beak, bearing in gold lettering, "The Compliments of the Season." At the bottom of the card were two blank lines beginning with "To ----" and "From ----". Sarah had filled in, with much labour, and rather brown ink:
To _the Reverant David rivers_
From _Yours rispectfully Sarah_
David, delighted, stood the card in the place of honour on the mantel-piece, in front of the clock. When Sarah came in, he stopped whistling to Chappie, went forward at once and shook hands with her, thanking her warmly for the Christmas card.
"The only one I received, Sarah; and I do think it most awfully pretty."
Sarah admitted that it _was_ that; explained at great length where she got it, and why she chose it; and described a good many other cards she had nearly bought but eventually rejected in favour of the forget-me-nots, thinking they would "look home-like in them outlandish places," and ensure David"s kind remembrance of her.
David protested that, card or no card, he would never forget Sarah, and all her thoughtful care of him; and Sarah wiped her eyes with a corner of her ap.r.o.n, and only wished there was more of him to care for.
David felt this rather embarra.s.singly personal, and walked over to the window to throw crumbs to a robin. Then he turned, as Sarah, having folded the cloth, was preparing to leave the room.
"Sarah," he said, "I have had an invitation. I am dining out to-night."
Sarah"s face fell. "Oh, Mr. Rivers, sir! And me going to a chicking, being as it was Christmas!"
"Well, Sarah, you see my friend thought it was dull that I should dine by myself on Christmas night. And if you had gone to a chicken, I should indeed be left alone."
"Get along, sir!" chuckled Sarah. "You know my meaning. And, if it"s Smiths or Joneses, I mis...o...b.. if you"ll get so good a dinner----"
"It isn"t Smiths or Joneses, Sarah. It is Miss Rivers, of Riverscourt.
And she has promised me a turkey, and a plum-pudding, and possibly--only I must not count too much on those--possibly, mince-pies!"
Sarah"s face expanded. "Oh, if it"s Miss Diana, sir, you can"t do better. There"s none like Miss Diana, to my thinking. And we can have the chicking on Boxing-day. And, with your leave, if I"m not wanted, I"m asked out to friends this evening, which I hadn"t no intention of mentioning. And Mr. Rivers, sir; mark my words. You can"t do better than Miss Diana. We"ve known her from a babe, master an" me. Folks talk, because she don"t hold with getting married, and because she don"t do much church-going; but, begging your pardon, sir, I don"t hold with either, m"self. Marriage means slaving away, with few thanks and fewer ha"pence; and church-going mostly means, for women-folk, a vieing with one another"s bonnets. I don"t go to feathers, m"self; always having been well-content with beads. And I pay my respects to Almighty G.o.d, at home."
""Not forsaking the a.s.sembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is,"" quoted David. "You forget the injunction of the writer to the Hebrews, Sarah."
"That don"t hold good for now, Mr. Rivers, sir," replied Sarah, with conviction; "any more than many other _h_epistolic remarks."
"They all hold good for now, Sarah," said David, gravely.
"Then what about "let your women keep silence in the churches"? Hark to them rowdy Miss Joneses in the choir!"
"They _do_ make a row," admitted David, off his guard.
"And "if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home"?" Sarah was evidently well up in her Bible.
"Well, why not?" queried David.
"Why not, Mr. Rivers, sir?" repeated Sarah, scornfully. "Why not? Why because stay-at-home husbands ain"t likely to be able to teach go-to-church wives! And, even if they did, how about me an" Miss Diana, as has none?"
This seemed unanswerable, though it had nothing whatever to do with the point at issue. But David had no suggestions to offer concerning the limitations contingent on the spinsterhood of Sarah and of Miss Diana.
It therefore gave Sarah the last word; which, to the female mind, means victory; and she bore away the breakfast cloth in triumph.
When she brought in tea that afternoon, she lingered a few minutes, giving the fire a little unnecessary attention, and furtively watching David, as he put salt on his hot-b.u.t.tered toast.
Then she said tentatively: "Mr. Rivers, sir, there are one or two things about Miss Diana you might as well know, before you go over there."
"No, thank you, Sarah," said David, with decision. "Whatever Miss Rivers wishes me to know, she will tell me herself. Anything she does not herself tell me, I prefer not to hear from others."
Sarah surveyed him; and her look expressed amazement and disapproval.
"Well I never!" she exclaimed. "You _are_ different from master! All I hear in the village I tell master while I wait on him at dinner. He says: "You may as well tell me what you hear, my good Sarah; and then I can judge how to act.""
David smiled. He had already discovered the good Rector"s love of gossip.
"But you see, Sarah," he said, "being only a _loc.u.m tenens_, I do not, fortunately, have to act."
"Don"t disparage yourself, sir," advised Sarah, still disappointed, almost aggrieved. "And even if folks here _have_ called you so, you won"t be that to Miss Diana."
"Oh, no," said David, cheerfully. "I do not propose to be a _loc.u.m tenens_ to Miss Diana!"