"Charteris takes it hard that you intend to keep running, Dane," he said.
"Some other people find it hard that _he_ don"t."
"Hard things affect people differently: they don"t agree with him.
And he announces that he will try how they agree with you."
"I don"t see what he can do to me at present."
"Self-confidence is not one of your undeveloped graces. But I wish you had bought that gore at the top of the Hollow, as I bade you."
"Powder did not care about selling it, at one time; and latterly I have had my hands too full. Why do you wish that just now, Arthur?"
"Because Powder _has_ sold it now. And if I remember, your lease of the water power has not long to run." Wych Hazel was listening, intently, with a sparkle in her eyes at last.
"I have no lease of water power. What I own I own. But anybody above me on the stream could make me trouble. To whom has Powder sold?"
"Just what I cannot find out," said the doctor, "though I went to himself. "It is no matter," he said, "so long as the property was not in the market." But of course it is Charteris. Josephine"s marriage makes that pretty sure."
Rollo laid down his knife and fork for a moment and sat with his head leaning upon his hand.
"As the Lord will!" he said. "But I will not give up until I know more. I do not believe my poor people and I are to be in that man"s power. I will wait and see."
But the interest of the dinner was gone for one member of the party; and the attention he gave to other people or things was a preoccupied and shadowed attention.
Wych Hazel stood it a little while, watching him, much wishing that there was n.o.body else to hear: then she could not bear it any longer. After all, Dr. Arthur was just his brother.
"Mr. Rollo," she said timidly, "what means do you think the Lord can use to prevent this?that you fear?"
It was worth something, to get the look he flashed across the table to her; it was so brilliant with meaning and so sweet with confidence.
"A thousand things!" he said heartily; "and you remind me that I am a fool to allow myself to be disturbed about it. I was thinking of those hundreds of families. And I half forgot for a moment that the Lord thinks of them too. I believe he will take care."
"Would you like to know how?" said Wych Hazel. The tone was indescribably sweet, but the eyes had gone down before his.
"Would I like it?" said Dane watching her. "Yes! I am afraid I am foolish enough still to like to know that, if I could. But I believe it anyhow, Hazel."
"Governor Powder sold the land to me."?
"To you!" said Dane in great amazement. "What did you buy it for?"
"I thought it was well it should be bought," said Hazel demurely.
"When did you do that?"
"A good while ago. Before the sickness in the Hollow."
She got another look, if she could see it, which it was also worth while to get. After which Dane remarked sedately,
"I am curious to know how Mr. Falkirk liked that investment."
"Mr. Falkirk never knew. It is a great comfort sometimes," she went on, the loveliest roses waking up now all over her face, "to have a little independent power. And to be able to act without one"s guardians. Mr. Falkirk was not consulted,?any more than Mr.
Rollo."
Rollo"s lips twitched and curved, but on the whole he maintained a decorous composure.
"We don"t know our privileges, Arthur," he remarked.
"No," said his friend concisely. "How ever in the world came Governor Powder to let the lady have the land? Why he has refused half the county!"
"I do not know," said Wych Hazel. "I think I made him."
Listening to her, looking at her, Dr. Arthur thought that extremely likely.
"And did he tell you Charteris wanted it?" he said.
"O yes,?and that, perhaps, Mr. Rollo might."
"But he did not know that he was playing into my hands, in letting you have it?" Rollo enquired.
"Of course not! I merely told him I wanted it more than Mr. Rollo, and would give more than Mr. Charteris."
"Witchcraft!?when all"s done," said Dr. Arthur. "Dane, when _your_ independent power is in the market, let me know."?He followed them into the red room, and took a cup of coffee there, standing; but then went off at once to see some patient, promising to call for Rollo on his way home.
And for once Wych Hazel would have been quite willing to have him stay. "What would her "other guardian" say to her, for such meddling in his affairs? such tampering with masculine business?"
She retreated behind her salver, and sat there sugaring Mr. Rollo"s empty cup, but not counting the lumps this time. Rollo however hardly justified her fears. He did come and sit own beside her, and he did relieve her hand of the sugar tongs and kiss it, and from there the kiss did come to her lips; but it was all done so gently and gracefully and deferentially, as if he had been a knight and she a lady of olden time.
"How am I going to thank you, Wych?" he said.
"There is never a good way of doing needless things."
"No. But hardly anything at this moment could have given me equal satisfaction. The way is cleared for me to work without hindrance. I"ll plant the banks with wych hazel!"
"You will have a grand clearing away again, if you do. Then you really are glad, Mr. Rollo?"
"You do not mean to say that you will pull up what I plant?"
"I said _you_ would. See," she said, not ready for repartee or discussion or much of anything else to-night, "you have cut short your allowance of sugar, and quite prevented the cream. Give me the sugar tongs, please."
Divining that it was in some sort a help to her, he quietly let her have her way; and did not tell her how fully creamed and sugared he tasted his cup to be that night.
"I have learnt a lesson," he drily said after he had watched her.
"Whenever I want to give you anything, I shall know henceforth that you would like nothing so well as power."
She smiled a little bit, looking down at her folded hands, but she did not say a word. And Dane drank his coffee, for form"s sake, without knowing whether there was either sugar or cream in it.
And then he took Wych Hazel away from the table, and talked of things as far as possible from weddings and journeyings; till Arthur came again.
Dr. Arthur did not come in. But when his friend, in obedience to the summons, had reached the door of the red room, his progress was stayed.
"Mr. Rollo,"?came falteringly from the grave figure he had left standing by the fire,?"could you stop one minute?"