Jan Vedder's Wife Part 22

"That he was going to Wick. But how then did he go? There was no steamer due."

"Lord Lynne took him in his yacht."

"That is strange!" and Margaret looked steadily at Dr. Balloch. "It seems to me, that Lord Lynne's yacht was at Lerwick, on that night; thou knowest."

"When Skager and Jan quarreled?"

She bowed her head, and continued to gaze inquisitively at him.

"No, thou art mistaken. On that night he was far off on the Norway coast. It must have been two weeks afterward, when he was in Lerwick."

"When will Lord Lynne be here again?"

"I know not; perhaps in a few weeks, perhaps not until the end of summer. He may not come again this year. He is more uncertain than the weather."

Margaret sighed, and gathering her treasures together she went away.

As she had been desired, she called at Snorro's house. The key was on the outside of the door, she turned it, and went in. The fire had been carefully extinguished, and the books and simple treasures he valued locked up in his wooden chest. It had evidently been quite filled with these, for his clothes hung against the wall of an inner apartment.

Before these clothes Margaret stood in a kind of amazement. She was very slow of thought, but gradually certain facts in relation to them fixed themselves in her mind with a conviction which no reasoning could change.

Snorro had gone away in his best clothes; his fis.h.i.+ng suit and his working suit he had left behind. It was clear, then, that he had not gone to the Wick fisheries; equally clear that he had not gone away with any purpose of following his occupation in loading and unloading vessels. Why had he gone then? Margaret was sure that he had no friends beyond the Shetlands. Who was there in all the world that could tempt Snorro from the little home he had made and loved; and who, or what could induce him to leave little Jan?

_Only Jan's father!_

She came to this conclusion at last with a clearness and rapidity that almost frightened her. Her cheeks burned, her heart beat wildly, and then a kind of anger took possession of her. If Snorro knew any thing, Dr. Balloch did also. Why was she kept in anxiety and uncertainty? "I will be very quiet and watch," she thought, "and when Lord Lynne comes again, I will follow him into the manse, and ask him where my husband is."

As she took a final look at Snorro's belongings, she thought pitifully, "How little he has! And yet who was so good and helpful to every one? I might have taken more interest in his housekeeping! How many little things I could easily have added to his comforts! What a selfish woman I must be! Little wonder that he despised me!" And she determined that hour to make Jan's friend her friend when he came back, and to look better after his household pleasures and needs.

She had plenty now to think about, and she was on the alert morning, noon, and night; but nothing further transpired to feed her hope for nearly a month. The fis.h.i.+ng season was then in full business, and Peter Fae, as usual, full of its cares. There had been no formal reconciliation between Margaret and her father and stepmother, and there was no social intercourse between the houses, but still they were on apparent terms of friends.h.i.+p with each other. The anger and ill-will had gradually worn away, and both Peter and Suneva looked with respect upon a woman so much in the minister's favor and company.

Peter sent her frequent presents from the store, and really looked upon his handsome little grandson with longing and pride. When he was a few years older he intended to propose to pay for his education.

"We'll send him to Edinburgh, Suneva," he frequently said, "and we will grudge nothing that is for his welfare."

And Suneva, who had carefully fostered this scheme, would reply, "That is what I have always said, Peter. It is a poor family that has not one gentleman in it, and, please G.o.d and thy pocket-book, we will make a gentleman and a minister of our little Jan;" and the thought of his grandson filling a pulpit satisfied Peter's highest ambition.

So, though there had been no visiting between the two houses, there were frequent tokens of courtesy and good-will, and Margaret, pa.s.sing through the town, and seeing her father at his shop-door, stopped to speak to him.

"Where hast thou been, and where is thy boy?" he asked.

"He is at home with Elga. I have been to read with Mary Venn; she is failing fast, and not long for this life."

As they spoke Tulloch approached, and, with a cold bow to Peter, turned to Margaret and said, "I will walk with thee, Mistress Vedder, as I have some business matter to speak of." Then, after they had turned to Margaret's home: "It was about the interest of the seven hundred pounds placed to thy credit a few days since. I will count the interest from the first of the month."

Margaret was completely amazed. "Seven hundred pounds!" she said, in a low trembling voice. "I know nothing about it. Surely thou art dreaming. Who brought it to thee?"

"Dr. Balloch. He said it was conscience money and not to be talked about. I suppose thy father sent it, for it is well known that he made his will a few days ago."

Margaret, however, did not believe that it was her father. She was sure Jan had sent the money. It was her 600, with 100 for interest.

And oh, how it pained her! Somewhere on earth Jan was alive, and he would neither come to her, nor write to her. He sent her gold instead of love, as if gold were all she wanted. He could scarcely have contrived a more cruel revenge, she thought. For once she absolutely hated money; but it put into her mind a purpose which would not leave it. If Snorro could find Jan, she could. The money Jan had sent she would use for that purpose.

She was cautious and suspicious by nature, and she determined to keep her intention close in her own heart. All summer she watched anxiously for the return of "The Lapwing," but it came not. One day, in the latter part of August, Dr. Balloch asked her to answer for him a letter which he had received from Lord Lynne. She noted the address carefully. It was in Hyde Park, London. Very well, she would go to London. Perhaps she would be nearer to Jan if she did.

She had now nearly 1,000 of her own. If she spent every farthing of it in the search and failed, she yet felt that she would be happier for having made the effort. The scheme took entire possession of her, and the difficulties in the way of its accomplishment only made her more stubbornly determined. The first, was that of reaching the mainland without encountering opposition. She was sure that both her father and Dr. Balloch would endeavor to dissuade her; she feared they would influence her against her heart and judgment. After August, the mail boats would be irregular and infrequent; there was really not a day to be lost.

In the morning she went to see Tulloch. He was eating his breakfast and he was not at all astonished to see her. He thought she had come to talk to him about the investment of her money.

"Good morning, Mistress Vedder! Thou hast been much on my mind, thou and thy money, and no doubt it is a matter of some consequence what thou will do with it."

"I am come to speak to thee as a friend, in whom I may confide a secret. Wilt thou hear, and keep it, and give me good advice?"

"I do not like to have to do with women's secrets, but thou art a woman by thyself. Tell me all, then, but do not make more of the matter than it is worth."

"When Jan Vedder had no other friend, thou stood by him."

"What then? Jan was a good man. I say that yet, and I say it to thy face, Margaret Vedder. I think, too, that he had many wrongs."

"I think that too, and I shall be a miserable woman until I have found Jan, and can tell him to his face how sorry I am. So then, I am going away to find him."

"What art thou talking of? Poor Jan is dead. I am sure that is so."

"I am sure it is not so. Now let me tell thee all." Then she went over the circ.u.mstances which had fed her convictions, with a clearness and certainty which brought conviction to Tulloch's mind also.

"I am sure thou are right," he answered gravely, "and I have nothing at all to say against thy plan. It is a very good plan if it has good management. Now, then, where will thou go first?"

"I have Lord Lynne's address in London. I will go first of all to him.

Jan sent me that money, I am sure. It must have been a person of wealth and power who helped him to make such a sum, or he must have lent Jan the money. I think this person was Lord Lynne."

"I think that too. Now about thy money?"

"I will take it with me. Money in the pocket is a ready friend."

"No, it will be a great care to thee. The best plan for thee is this: take fifty pounds in thy pocket, and I will give thee a letter of credit for the balance on a banking firm in London. I will also write to them, and then, if thou wants advice on any matter, or a friend in any case, there they will be to help thee."

"That is good. I will leave also with thee twenty-five pounds for Elga. Thou art to pay her five s.h.i.+llings every week. She will care for my house until I return."

"And thy child?"

"I will take him with me. If Jan is hard to me, he may forgive me for the child's sake."

"Build not thy hopes too high. Jan had a great heart, but men are men, and not G.o.d. Jan may have forgotten thee."

"I have deserved to be forgotten."

"He may not desire to live with thee any more."

"If he will only listen to me while I say, 'I am sorry with all my heart, Jan;' if he will only forgive my unkindness to him, I shall count the journey well made, though I go to the ends of the earth to see him."

"G.o.d go with thee, and make all thy plans to prosper. Here is the table of the mail boats. One leaves next Sat.u.r.day morning at six o'clock. My advice is to take it. I will send on Thursday afternoon for thy trunk, and Friday night I will find some stranger fisher-boy to take it to the boat. Come thou to my house when all is quiet, and I will see thee safely on board. At six in the morning, when she sails, the quay will be crowded."

"I will do all this. Speak not of the matter, I ask thee."