Johnny Ludlow Sixth Series Part 12

"What did I tell you, Johnny?" said Tod, turning to me, as soon as they were out of hearing. "It is a regular case of over-head-and-ears: cut and dried and pickled."

"I don't see what you judge by, Tod."

"_Don't you!_ You'll be a m.u.f.f to the end, lad. Fancy a fine young fellow like Reste, a man of the world, staying on at that pokey little place of Barbary's unless he had some strong motive to keep him there!

I dare say he pays Barbary well for the accommodation."

"I dare say Barbary could not afford to entertain him unless he did."

"He stops there to make love to her. It must be a poor look-out, though, for Katrine, pretty little dimpled girl! As much chance of a wedding, I should say, as of a blue moon."

"Why not?"

"Why not! Want of funds. I'd start for London, if I were you, Johnny, and set the Thames on fire. A man must be uncommonly hard up when he lets all the birds go beside him for want of taking out a licence."

They were walking onwards slowly, Mr. Reste bending to talk to her.

And of course it will be understood that a good deal of that which I have said, and am about to say, is only related from what came to my knowledge later on.

"Is it true that you had meant to go abroad this year?" Katrine was asking him.

"Yes, I once thought of it," he answered. "I have friends living at Dieppe, and they wanted me to go to them. But I have stayed on here instead. Another week of it, ten days perhaps, and then I must leave Worcestershire and you, Katrine."

"But why?"

"Why, to work, my dear little girl. That is getting in arrears shamefully. We are told that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy; but all play and no work would have worse results for Jack than dullness. Ah, Katrine, what a world this might be if we could only do as we like in it!"

"When shall you come again?"

"Perhaps never," he answered, incautiously.

"Never!" she repeated, her face turning white before she could hide it from him. It was a great shock.

"Katrine, my dear," he said with some emotion, his tones low and earnest, "I could stay at Caramel Cottage for my whole life and never wish to quit it, unless I carried somebody else away from it with me.

But there are things which a poor man, a man without money in the present or prospect of it in the future, may not as much as glance at: he must put the temptation from him and hold it at arm's length. I had a dream the other night," he added, after a pause: "I thought I was a Q.C. and stood in my silk, haranguing a full bench of judges at Westminster--who listened to me with attentive suavity. When I awoke I burst out laughing."

"At the contrast it presented to reality?" she breathed.

"Just at that. If I were only making enough to set up a snug little nest of a home, though ever so small, it would be--something: but I am not.

And so, Katrine, you see that many things I would do I cannot do; cannot even think of. And there it lies, and there it ends."

"Yes, I see, Edgar," she answered, softly sighing.

"Shall you miss me when I am gone?"

Some queer feeling took her throat; she could not speak. Mr. Reste stopped to pick a little pale blue-bell that grew under the hedge.

"I do not know how I shall bear with the loneliness then," she said in answer, seemingly more to herself than to him, or to the blue sky right before her, on which her eyes were fixed. "And I shall be more afraid when you are no longer in the house."

"Afraid!" he exclaimed, turning to her in blank surprise. "What are you afraid of, Katrine?"

"It--it is all so solitary for me.... Old Joan is too deaf to be talked to much; and papa is either at work in the garden or shut up in the gun-room, busy with his things. Please don't laugh at my childishness!"

She had paused, just to get over her embarra.s.sment, the avowal having slipped from her unwittingly. The fact was, poor Katrine Barbary had been rudely awakened from her state of innocent security. Some days back, when in the cottage hut of Mary Standish, for Katrine liked to go about and make friends with the people, that ill-doing husband of Mary's, Jim, chanced to be at home. Jim had just been had up before the magistrates at Alcester on some suspicion connected with snares and gins, but there was no certain proof forthcoming, and he had to be discharged. Katrine remarked that if she were Jim she should leave off poaching, which must be a very dreadful thing, and frightfully hazardous. Mr. Jim replied that it was not a dreadful thing, nor hazardous either, for them that knew what they were about, and he referred her to her father for confirmation of this a.s.sertion. One word led to another. Jim Standish, his ideas loose and lawless, never thought to hurt the young lady by what he disclosed, for he was kind enough when he had no motive to be the contrary, but when Katrine left the hut, she carried with her the terrible knowledge that her father was as fond of poaching as the worst of them. Since then she had lived in a state of chronic terror.

"Yes, it must be very solitary for you," a.s.sented Mr. Reste in a grave tone, and he had no idea that her answer was an evasive one, or its lightness put on; "but I cannot help you, Katrine. Should you ever need counsel, or--or protection in any way, apply for it to your friends at d.y.k.e Manor. They seem kind, good people, and would be strong to aid."

Turning in at the little side gate as he spoke, they saw Mr. Barbary at work in the garden. He was digging up a plot of ground some seven or eight feet square under the branches of the summer-apple tree, which grew at this upper end of the garden, nearly close to the yard.

"What is he going to plant there, I wonder?" listlessly spoke Mr. Reste, glancing at the freshness of the turned-up mould.

"Winter cabbages, perhaps; but I am sure I don't know," returned Katrine. "I do not understand the seasons for planting vegetables as papa does."

This, as I have just said, was on Sat.u.r.day. We saw Mr. Reste and Katrine at church the next day: a place Barbary did not often trouble with his presence; and walked with them, on coming out, as far as the two ways lay. Our people liked the look of Edgar Reste, but had not put themselves forward to make much acquaintance with him, on account of Barbary. One Tuesday, when the Squire was driving to Alcester, he had overtaken Mr. Reste walking thither to have a look at the market, and he invited him to a seat in the carriage. They drove in and drove back together, and had between the times a snack of bread and cheese at the Angel. The Squire took quite a fancy to the young barrister, and openly said to him he wished he was staying anywhere but at Caramel Cottage.

"You are thinking of leaving soon, I hear," said the Squire, as we halted in a group when parting, on this same walk from church.

"In about a week," replied Mr. Reste. "I may go on Sat.u.r.day next; certainly not later than the following Monday."

"Shall you like a drive to Evesham between this and then?" went on the Squire. "I am going over there one of these days."

"I shall like it very much indeed."

"Then I will let you know which day I go. Good-bye."

"Good-bye," answered Mr. Reste, lifting his hat in salute to us all, as he walked on with Katrine.

Am I lingering over these various trifling details? I suppose it will seem so. But the truth is, a dreadful part of the story is coming on (as poor Katrine said of the poaching) and my pen holds back from it.

A day or two had gone on. It was Tuesday morning, warm and bright with sunshine. Katrine sat in the parlour at Caramel Cottage, pouring out the coffee at the breakfast-table.

"Will you take some ham, Katrine?"

"No, thank you, papa; I have no appet.i.te."

"No appet.i.te! nonsense!" and Mr. Barbary put a slice of ham on her plate. "Do you feel inclined for a walk as far as Church Leet this morning, Edgar?"

"I don't mind," said Mr. Reste. "About three miles, is it not?"

"Three miles across the fields as straight as the crow flies. I want to see a man who lives there. He--why, that's Pettipher coming here!--the postman," broke off Mr. Barbary. Letters were not written every day then, and very few found their way to Caramel Cottage.

Old Joan went to the door, and then came in. She was like a picture. A dark-blue linsey gown down to her ancles, neat black stockings and low, tied shoes, a check ap.r.o.n, and a bow of black ribbon perched in front behind the flapping border of her white muslin mob-cap.

"Pettipher says 'tis for the gentleman," said Joan, putting the letter, a thick one, on the table by Mr. Reste.

"Why, it is from Amphlett!" he exclaimed, as he took it up, looking at the great sprawling writing. "What on earth has he got to say?"

Opening the letter, a roll of bank-notes fell out. Mr. Reste stared at them with intense curiosity.