The Story of Antony Grace Part 95

I used to notice that he and Mr Peter had a great deal to say to each other, but I was too much taken up with my troubles about Hallett and the machine to pay much heed; for sometimes the idea forced itself upon me that my poor friend would never live to realise his hopes.

Time glided on, and I used to sit with him in an evening, and tell him how we had progressed during the day; but it made no impression whatever; he used only to lie and dream, never referring once to Miss Carr's behaviour on that wretched day; in fact, I used to fancy sometimes that he was in such a state from his injury that he had not thoroughly realised what did occur.

It was indeed a dreary time; for poor Mrs Hallett, when, led by a sense of duty, I used to go and sit with her, always had a reproachful look for me, and, no matter what I said, she always seemed to make the worst of matters.

But for Linny and Tom Girtley, the place would have been gloomy indeed, but the latter was always bright and cheerful, and Linny entirely changed. There was no open love-making, but a quiet feeling of respect seemed to have sprung up between them, and I hardly knew what was going on, only when it was brought to my attention by Mr Jabez, or Revitts, or Mary.

"I should have thought as you wouldn't have liked that there friend of yourn cutting you out in the way he do, Ant'ny," said Revitts, one day; "I don't want to make mischief, but this here is my--our--house," he added by way of correction, "and I don't think as a young man as is a friend of yourn ought to come down my stairs with his arm round a certain young lady's waist."

"Go along, do, with your stuff and nonsense, William," exclaimed Mary sharply. "What do you know about such things?"

"Lots," said Bill, grinning with delight, and then becoming preternaturally serious; "I felt it to be my dooty to tell Ant'ny, and I have."

"You don't know nothing about it," said Mary, t.i.ttering; "he don't know what we know, do he, Master Antony?"

"I don't know what you mean, Mary," I replied.

"Oh do, of course not, Master Antony; but I shouldn't like a certain young lady down at Rowford to hear you say so."

"Phew!" whistled Revitts, and feeling very boyish and conscious, I made my retreat, for I was bound for Westmouth Street, and had stopped to have ten minutes' chat downstairs with my old friends on the way.

I found Miss Carr looking very thin and anxious, and she listened eagerly to my account of howl was progressing at the works.

"Mr Girtley tells me that you are doing wonders, Antony," she said, in a curious, hesitating way, for we both seemed to be fencing, and as if we disliked to talk of the subject nearest to our hearts.

She was the first to cast off the foolish reserve though, and to ask after Hallett's health.

"The doctors don't seem to help him a bit," I said sadly. "Poor fellow!

he thinks so much about the failure of his hopes, and it is heart-breaking to see him. He toiled for it so long. Oh, Miss Carr, if I only knew for certain that it was John Lister who caused the breakdown, I should almost feel as if I could kill him."

"Kill him with your contempt, Antony," she said sternly; and then, as we went on talking about Hallett's illness, she became very much agitated, and I saw that she was in tears, which she hastily repressed as her sister entered the room.

The next evening when I went, I found her alone, for her sister had gone to stay a few days with some friends. My news was worse than ever, and there was no fencing the question that night, as she turned very pale when I gave my report.

"But the invention, Antony," she exclaimed excitedly; "tell me how it is going on."

"We are working at it as fast as possible," I replied; "it takes a long time, but that is unavoidable."

"If you love Stephen Hallett," she said suddenly, and she looked full in my face, "get his invention finished and perfect. Let it succeed, and you will have done more for him than any doctor. Work, Antony, work. I ask you for--for--Pray, pray strive on."

"I will--I am striving," I said, "with all my might. It was a cruel blow for him though, just as success was in his grasp."

"Mr Lister is here, ma'am," said the servant, entering the room.

"I have forbidden Mr Lister my house," said Miss Carr sternly.

"Yes, ma'am, but he forced his way in, and--"

Before the man could finish his sentence, John Lister was in the room, looking flushed and excited, and he almost thrust the servant out and closed the door.

As he caught sight of me his face turned white with rage, but he controlled himself, and turned to where Miss Carr was standing, looking very beautiful in her anger.

I had started up, and stepped between them, but she motioned me back to my seat, while he joined his hands in a piteous way, and said in a low voice:

"I could not help it. I was obliged to come. Pray, pray, Miriam, hear me now."

"Mr Lister!" she said, with a look of contempt that should have driven him away--"Mr Lister! and once more here?"

"Miriam," he exclaimed, "you drive me to distraction. Do you think that such a love as mine is to be crushed?"

"Love!" she said, looking: at him contemptuously.

"Yes; love," he cried. "I'll prove to you my love by saying that now-- even now, knowing what I do, I will forgive the past, and will try to save you from disgrace."

"Mr Lister, you force me to listen to you," she replied, "for I will not degrade you by ringing for the servants and having you removed.

Pray say what you mean. Hush, Antony, let him speak. Perhaps after he has said all he wishes, he may leave me in peace."

"Leave you in peace--you will not degrade me!" he cried, stung to madness and despair by her looks and words. "Look here, Miriam Carr, you compel me to speak as I do before this wretched boy."

"Hush, Antony, be silent," she cried, as I started up, stung in my turn by his contemptuous tone.

"Yes: sit down, spaniel, lap-dog--miserable cur!" he cried; and I felt my teeth grit together with such a sensation of rage a as I had never known before. "And now, as for you--you blind, foolish woman," he continued, as I awakened to the fact that he had been drinking heavily, "since fair means will not succeed, foul means shall."

"Say what you wish to say, Mr Lister," she replied coldly, "for I warn you that this is the last time you shall speak to me. If you force yourself into my presence again, my servants shall hand you over to the police."

"What!" he cried, with a forced laugh, "me?--hand me over to the police?

You--you think I have been drinking, but you are wrong."

No one had hinted at such a thing, but he felt it, and went on.

"I came to tell you to-night, that I will ignore the past, that I will overlook your disgraceful intimacy with this low, contemptible compositor, the blackguardly friend of this boy--the man who has obtained a hold upon you, and who, with his companions, is draining your purse--I say I will overlook all this, and, ignoring the past, take you for my wife, if you will promise to give up this wretched crew."

There was no answer, but I sat there feeling as if I must fling myself at him, young and slight as I was, in her defence, but she stood there like a statue, fixing him with her eyes, while he went on raving. His face was flushed, and there was a hot, fiery look in his eyes, while his lips were white and parched.

"You shall not go on like this," he continued. "You are my betrothed wife, and I will not stand by and see your name dragged in the mire by these wretched adventurers. Even now your name has become a by-word and a shame, the talk in every pot-house where low-cla.s.s printers meet, and it is to save you from this that I would still take you to be my wife."

Still she did not speak, and a look from her restrained me, when I would have done something to protect her from his insults, every one of which seemed to sting me to the heart.

"I know I am to blame," he said pa.s.sionately, "for letting you take and warm that young viper into life; but I could not tell. It shall end, though, now. I have written to your brother-in-law, and he will help to drag you from amongst this swindling crew."

"Have you said all you wish to say, Mr Lister?" she replied coldly.

"No," he cried, stung into a fresh burst by her words; "no, I have not.

No, I tell you," he cried, taking a step forward, as if believing in his drunken fit that she was shrinking from him, and being conquered by his importunities; "No, I tell you--no: and I never shall give up till you consent to be my wife. Do you take me for a drivelling boy, to be put off like this, Miriam?" he cried, catching at her hand, but she drew it back. "Do you wish to save your name from disgrace?"

She did not answer, while he approached closer.

"You don't speak," he said hoa.r.s.ely. "Do you know what they say about you and this fellow Hallett?"