Chapter 6
As it befell, that day at Balcarras was the last of the bright days, in every sense, for the time being. Wet weather set in, as even the most partial witness must allow does occasionally happen in Scotland, and the domestic barometer seemed to go down accordingly. The girls grumbled at being kept in-doors, and would willingly have gone out golfing under umbrellas, but Auntie was remorseless. They were delicate girls at best, so that her watch over them was never-ceasing, and her patience inexhaustible.
David Dalziel also was in a very trouble-some mood, quite unusual for him. He came and went, complained bitterly that the girls were not allowed to go out with him; abused the place, the climate, and did all those sort of bearish things which young gentlemen are sometimes in the habit of doing, when--when that wicked little boy whom they read about at school and college makes himself known to them as a pleasant, or unpleasant, reality.
Miss Williams, whom, I am afraid, was far too simple a woman for the new generation, which has become so extraordinarily wise and wide-awake, opened her eyes and wondered why David was so unlike his usual self. Mr.
Roy, too, to whom he behaved worse than to any one else, only the elder man quietly ignored it all, and was very patient and gentle with the restless, ill-tempered boy--Mr. Roy even remarked that he thought David would be happier at his work again; idling was a bad thing for young fellows at his age, or any age.
At last it came out, the bitterness which rankled in the poor lad"s breast; with another secret, which, foolish woman that she was, Miss Williams had never in the smallest degree suspected. Very odd that she had not, but so it was. We all find it difficult to realize the moment when our children cease to be children. Still more difficult is it for very serious and earnest natures to recognize that there are other natures who take things in a totally different way, and yet it may be the right and natural way for them. Such is the fact; we must learn it, and the sooner we learn it, the better.
One day, when the rain had a little abated, David appeared, greatly disappointed to find the girls had gone out, down to the West Sands with Mr. Roy.
"Always Mr. Roy! I am sick of his very name," muttered David, and then caught Miss Williams by the dress as she was rising. She had a gentle but rather dignified way with her of repressing bad manners in young people, either by perfect silence, or by putting the door between her and them. "Don"t go! One never can get a quiet word with you, you are always so preternaturally busy."
It was true. To be always busy was her only shield against--certain things which the young man was never likely to know, and would not understand if he did know.
"Do sit down, if you ever can sit down, for a minute," said he, imploringly; "I want to speak to you seriously, very seriously."
She sat down, a little uneasy. The young fellow was such a good fellow; and yet he might have got into a sc.r.a.pe of some sort. Debt, perhaps, for he was a trifle extravagant; but then life had been all roses to him. He had never known a want since he was born.
"Speak, then, David; I am listening. Nothing very wrong, I hope!" said she, with a smile.
"Nothing at all wrong, only--When is Mr. Roy going away"?
The question was so unexpected that she felt her color changing a little; not much, she was too old for that.
"Mr. Roy leaving St. Andrews, you mean? How can I tell? He has never told me. Why do you ask?"
"Because until he gone, I stay," said the young man, doggedly. "I"m not going back to Oxford leaving him master of the field. I have stood him as long as I possibly can, and I"ll not stand him any longer."
"David! you forget yourself."
"There--now you are offended; I know you are, when you draw yourself up in that way, my dear little auntie. But just hear me. You are such an innocent woman, you don"t know the world as men do. Can"t you see--no, of course you can"t--that very soon all St. Andrews will be talking about you?"
"About me?"
"Not about you exactly, but about the family. A single man--a marrying man, as all the world says he is, or ought to be, with his money--can not go in and out, like a tame cat, in a household of women, without having, or being supposed to have--ahem!--intentions. I a.s.sure you"--and he swung himself on the arm of her chair, and looked into her face with an angry earnestness quite unmistakable--"I a.s.sure you, I never go into the club without being asked, twenty times a day, which of the Miss Moseleys Mr. Roy is going to marry."
"Which of the Miss Moseleys Mr. Roy is going to marry!"
She repeated the words, as if to gain time and to be certain she heard them rightly. No fear of her blushing now; every pulse in her heart stood dead still; and then she nerved herself to meet the necessity of the occasion.
"David, you surely do not consider what you are saying. This is a most extraordinary idea."
"It is a most extraordinary idea; in fact, I call it ridiculous, monstrous: an old battered fellow like him, who has knocked about the world, Heaven knows where, all these years, to come home, and, because he has got a lot of money, think to go and marry one of these nice, pretty girls. They wouldn"t have him, I believe that; but n.o.body else believes it; and every body seems to think it the most natural thing possible.
What do you say?"
"I?"
"Surely you don"t think it right, or even possible? But, Auntie, it might turn out a rather awkward affair, and you ought to take my advice, and stop it in time."
"How?"
"Why, by stepping him out of the house. You and he are great friends: if he had any notion of marrying, I suppose he would mention it to you--he ought. It would be a cowardly trick to come and steal one of your chickens from under your wing. Wouldn"t it? Do say something, instead of merely echoing what I say. It really is a serious matter, though you don"t think so."
"Yes, I do think so," said Miss Williams, at last; "and I would stop it if I thought I had any right. But Mr. Roy is quite able to manage his own affairs; and he is not so very old--not more than five-and-twenty years older than--Helen."
"Bother Helen! I beg her pardon, she is a dear good girl. But do you think any man would look at Helen when there was Janetta?"
It was out now, out with a burning blush over all the lad"s honest face, and the sudden crick-crack of a pretty Indian paper-cutter he unfortunately was twiddling in his fingers. Miss Williams must have been blind indeed not to have guessed the state of the case.
"What! Janetta? Oh, David!" was all she said.
He nodded. "Yes, that"s it, just it. I thought you must have found it out long ago: though I kept myself to myself pretty close, still you might have guessed."
"I never did. I had not the remotest idea. Oh, how remiss I have been!
It is all my fault."
"Excuse me, I can not see that it is any body"s fault, or any body"s misfortune, either," said the young fellow, with a not unbecoming pride.
"I hope I should not be a bad husband to any girl, when it comes to that.
But it has not come; I have never said a single word to her. I wanted to be quite clear of Oxford, and in a way to win my own position first. And really we are so very jolly together as it is. What are you smiling for?"
She could not help it. There was something so funny in the whole affair.
They seemed such babies, playing at love; and their love-making, if such it was, had been carried on in such an exceedingly open and lively way, not a bit of tragedy about it, rather genteel comedy, bordering on farce.
It was such a contrast to--certain other love stories that she had known, quite buried out of sight now.
Gentle "Auntie"--the grave maiden lady, the old hen with all these young ducklings who would take to the water so soon--held out her hand to the impetuous David.
"I don"t know what to say to you, my boy: you really are little more than a boy, and to be taking upon yourself the responsibilities of life so soon! Still, I am glad you have said nothing to her about it yet. She is a mere child, only eighteen."
"Quite old enough to marry, and to marry Mr. Roy even, the St. Andrews folks think. But I won"t stand it. I won"t tamely sit by and see her sacrificed. He might persuade her; he has a very winning way with him sometimes. Auntie, I have not spoken, but I won"t promise not to speak.
It is all very well for you; you are old, and your blood runs cold, as you said to us one day--no, I don"t mean that; you are a real brick still, and you"ll never be old to us, but you are not in love, and you can"t understand what it is to be a young fellow like me to see an old fellow like Roy coming in and just walking over the course. But he sha"nt do it! Long ago, when I was quite a lad, I made up my mind to get her; and get her I will, spite of Mr. Roy or any body."
Fortune was touched. That strong will which she too had had, able, like faith, to "remove mountains," sympathized involuntarily with the lad. It was just what she would have said and done, had she been a man and loved a woman. She gave David"s hand a warm clasp, which he returned.
"Forgive me," said he, affectionately. "I did not mean to bother you; but as things stand, the matter is better out than in. I hate underhandedness. I may have made an awful fool of myself, but at least I have not made a fool of her. I have been as careful as possible not to compromise her in any way; for I know how people do talk, and a man has no right to let the girl he loves be talked about. The more he loves her, the more he ought to take care of her. Don"t you think so?"
"Yes."
"I"d cut myself up into little pieces for Janetta"s sake," he went on, "and I"d do a deal for Helen too, the sisters are so fond of one another.
She shall always have a home with us, when we are married."
"Then," said Miss Williams, hardly able again to resist a smile, "you are quite certain you will be married? You have no doubt about her caring for you?"
David pulled his whiskers, not very voluminous yet, looked conscious, and yet humble.