"Go and put up the pony," said Mrs. Failing rather sharply.
"Agnes, give me some tea."
"It is rather strong," said Agnes as the carriage drove off and left them alone. Then she noticed that Mrs. Failing herself was agitated. Her lips were trembling, and she saw the boy depart with manifest relief.
"Do you know," she said hurriedly, as if talking against time--"Do you know what upset Rickie?"
"I do indeed know."
"Has he told any one else?"
"I believe not."
"Agnes--have I been a fool?"
"You have been very unkind," said the girl, and her eyes filled with tears.
For a moment Mrs. Failing was annoyed. "Unkind? I do not see that at all. I believe in looking facts in the face. Rickie must know his ghosts some time. Why not this afternoon?"
She rose with quiet dignity, but her tears came faster. "That is not so.
You told him to hurt him. I cannot think what you did it for. I suppose because he was rude to you after church. It is a mean, cowardly revenge.
"What--what if it"s a lie?"
"Then, Mrs. Failing, it is sickening of you. There is no other word.
Sickening. I am sorry--a n.o.body like myself--to speak like this. How COULD you, oh, how could you demean yourself? Why, not even a poor person--Her indignation was fine and genuine. But her tears fell no longer. Nothing menaced her if they were not really brothers.
"It is not a lie, my clear; sit down. I will swear so much solemnly. It is not a lie, but--"
Agnes waited.
"--we can call it a lie if we choose."
"I am not so childish. You have said it, and we must all suffer. You have had your fun: I conclude you did it for fun. You cannot go back. He--" She pointed towards the stables, and could not finish her sentence.
"I have not been a fool twice."
Agnes did not understand.
"My dense lady, can"t you follow? I have not told Stephen one single word, neither before nor now."
There was a long silence.
Indeed, Mrs. Failing was in an awkward position.
Rickie had irritated her, and, in her desire to shock him, she had imperilled her own peace. She had felt so unconventional upon the hillside, when she loosed the horror against him; but now it was darting at her as well. Suppose the scandal came out. Stephen, who was absolutely without delicacy, would tell it to the people as soon as tell them the time. His paganism would be too a.s.sertive; it might even be in bad taste. After all, she had a prominent position in the neighbourhood; she was talked about, respected, looked up to. After all, she was growing old. And therefore, though she had no true regard for Rickie, nor for Agnes, nor for Stephen, nor for Stephen"s parents, in whose tragedy she had a.s.sisted, yet she did feel that if the scandal revived it would disturb the harmony of Cadover, and therefore tried to retrace her steps. It is easy to say shocking things: it is so different to be connected with anything shocking. Life and death were not involved, but comfort and discomfort were.
The silence was broken by the sound of feet on the gravel. Agnes said hastily, "Is that really true--that he knows nothing?"
"You, Rickie, and I are the only people alive that know. He realizes what he is--with a precision that is sometimes alarming. Who he is, he doesn"t know and doesn"t care. I suppose he would know when I"m dead.
There are papers."
"Aunt Emily, before he comes, may I say to you I"m sorry I was so rude?"
Mrs. Failing had not disliked her courage. "My dear, you may. We"re all off our hinges this Sunday. Sit down by me again."
Agnes obeyed, and they awaited the arrival of Stephen. They were clever enough to understand each other. The thing must be hushed up. The matron must repair the consequences of her petulance. The girl must hide the stain in her future husband"s family. Why not? Who was injured? What does a grown-up man want with a grown brother? Rickie upstairs, how grateful he would be to them for saving him.
"Stephen!"
"Yes."
"I"m tired of you. Go and bathe in the sea."
"All right."
And the whole thing was settled. She liked no fuss, and so did he. He sat down on the step to tighten his bootlaces. Then he would be ready.
Mrs. Failing laid two or three sovereigns on the step above him. Agnes tried to make conversation, and said, with averted eyes, that the sea was a long way off.
"The sea"s downhill. That"s all I know about it." He swept up the money with a word of pleasure: he was kept like a baby in such things. Then he started off, but slowly, for he meant to walk till the morning.
"He will be gone days," said Mrs. Failing. "The comedy is finished. Let us come in."
She went to her room. The storm that she had raised had shattered her. Yet, because it was stilled for a moment, she resumed her old emanc.i.p.ated manner, and spoke of it as a comedy.
As for Miss Pembroke, she pretended to be emanc.i.p.ated no longer. People like "Stephen Wonham" were social thunderbolts, to be shunned at all costs, or at almost all costs. Her joy was now unfeigned, and she hurried upstairs to impart it to Rickie.
"I don"t think we are rewarded if we do right, but we are punished if we lie. It"s the fashion to laugh at poetic justice, but I do believe in half of it. Cast bitter bread upon the waters, and after many days it really will come back to you." These were the words of Mr. Failing. They were also the opinions of Stewart Ansell, another unpractical person.
Rickie was trying to write to him when she entered with the good news.
"Dear, we"re saved! He doesn"t know, and he never is to know. I can"t tell you how glad I am. All the time we saw them standing together up there, she wasn"t telling him at all. She was keeping him out of the way, in case you let it out. Oh, I like her! She may be unwise, but she is nice, really. She said, "I"ve been a fool but I haven"t been a fool twice." You must forgive her, Rickie. I"ve forgiven her, and she me; for at first I was so angry with her. Oh, my darling boy, I am so glad!"
He was shivering all over, and could not reply. At last he said, "Why hasn"t she told him?"
"Because she has come to her senses."
"But she can"t behave to people like that. She must tell him."
"Because he must be told such a real thing."
"Such a real thing?" the girl echoed, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up her forehead.
"But--but you don"t mean you"re glad about it?"
His head bowed over the letter. "My G.o.d--no! But it"s a real thing. She must tell him. I nearly told him myself--up there--when he made me look at the ground, but you happened to prevent me."
How Providence had watched over them!
"She won"t tell him. I know that much."