Spring Days Part 30

"I have proposed to your sister Maggie."

"I am sure I am delighted to hear it, old chap; but I can't help thinking that I could have congratulated you equally as well, if not better, in the morning." Then, noticing the distressed look in Frank's face, he said: "I hope she has not refused you."

"No; she asked me to wait, she said it would depend--"

"Then you may depend it is all right; now go away and let me go to sleep, we'll talk about it in the morning. You can't get back to- night. You are sleeping in Brighton, I suppose? You'll come and breakfast here?"

"Yes, with pleasure, but it wasn't exactly to tell that I had proposed to Maggie that I came here to-night; there is something more than that. You know that fellow she calls Charlie? I don't know his other name."

"Stracey?"

"I dare say. I mean the man you said you hated more than any man alive; I hate him, too."

"You don't mean to say she is still thinking of that fellow. Has he come back?"

"He was at the Manor House all day yesterday."

"If she marries that fellow I'll never speak to her again, it will be dead cuts."

"It is only natural that I should love Maggie. You remember the first day I came down to the Manor House? How young I was then--how young we all were; there are no days like the old days! There is a beautiful poem by Wordsworth; I only remember one line now--

"'When every day was long As twenty days are now'--

Do you remember the poem?" w.i.l.l.y did not answer, and noticing that his eyes were blinking, Frank hastily returned to more recent events." I wrote to her this afternoon telling her how much I loved her, and I said that I would call about nine in the evening at the Manor House, and that I hoped to find her in the drawing-room where we could talk without being disturbed. However, I was too excited, and could not hold out till nine; I thought I had better hear my fate at once, and as I was walking across the field--you know, at the back of Mrs.

Heald's--I met her half way. She had a letter in her hand, which she said she was going to leave at Mrs. Heald's for me--She admitted that the letter was in point of fact a refusal, and when I questioned her she admitted that she was obliged to refuse me because she had half promised Charlie. We went for a walk on the beach; we sat on the beach and watched the sunset, and I told her all. I spoke to her about the past, how we had grown up together--how we had been, as it were, from the first fated for each other; for you must admit, w.i.l.l.y, that it is very curious--I don't know if you ever think of it, but I do--how we have met again even when the chances of life seemed to have put us for ever apart. "Here a slight sound warned Frank that the present moment was one as equally unfitted for psychological a.n.a.lysis as for poetry, and he hurried to his story, hoping that the incident of the lock would secure him attention. "w.i.l.l.y, I think I convinced her that I liked her better than that other fellow. We were standing by the lock --w.i.l.l.y, I really do think you might listen."

"My dear fellow, I am listening. You were both looking at the sunset."

"It really is too bad. Of course, if you don't want to hear, and would prefer to go to sleep, you have only to say so."

"My dear fellow, I a.s.sure you I wasn't asleep. I only closed my eyes because I can't bear the glare of that candle. I know where you were-- you were looking at the sunset."

"No, we weren't."

"Weren't they, Jessie? Are you asleep?"

"No, I am not asleep. Do hold your tongue, w.i.l.l.y, I want to hear the story. You were standing by the lock, Mr. Escott."

"Ah, yes, so they were."

"I felt it was my duty, so I told her that I felt it was my mission to save--to save her from that man, and I made her promise me not to see him again."

"Then it is all right. n.o.body can be more glad than I am. I hate the fellow."

"She will not keep her promise. Of course she may only have done it to tease me; but as we were going home she said she could not walk out of the room if she happened to be there when he called, nor could she leave word with the servants to say that they were not at home. She made a lot of excuses. What are you laughing at, Mrs. Brookes?"

"I am really very sorry, Mr. Escott, but I couldn't help wondering if she would change her mind again if you were to go back to the lock."

Frank took up the candle and turned to go.

"Don't go," w.i.l.l.y murmured faintly.

"I am very sorry, Mr. Escott--if circ.u.mstances permitted, I would do all I could to help you."

This was delicate ground, and w.i.l.l.y woke up.

"What do you want me to do? Have you anything to suggest?"

"Yes, it struck me that we might both go round to the fellow's hotel-- Stracey, you call him, I think--and you might tell him that his visits must cease at the Manor House, and that he must not speak to your sister if he should happen to meet her. That should bring the matter to an end. He is in Brighton--he is staying at the 'Grand.' We might go round there to-morrow morning."

"He might kick us out."

"I only hope he may try. I would give him such a hammering. But you need not be afraid of that. It wouldn't do to have Maggie's name mentioned in connection with a vulgar brawl--people are not too charitable. My idea is that this business should be conducted in the quietest and most gentlemanly manner possible."

"I think I had better speak to father first."

"No necessity; he will be only too glad to get rid of the penniless brute. Don't you think so, Mrs. Brookes?"

"I do."

They then spoke of other things--of the shop, the profit they had made on tomatoes, and the losses that had resulted from over-stocking themselves with flour. At last a loud snore brought the conversation to a full stop, and Frank hurriedly bade them good-night.

"Cissy will let you out," said w.i.l.l.y, with a sigh of relief.

The little girl had pulled on her stockings and tied a petticoat round her waist. "So you are going to be married."

"O Cissy, you have been listening!"

"Is she very nice? She must be very nice for you to marry her. I should like to marry you."

"Would you, Cissy, and why?"

"Oh, because you are so very handsome. But you will come and see us all the same, and let me sit on your knee?"

"Of course I will, Cissy, and now good-night."

Next morning w.i.l.l.y declared himself ready to go and see Mr. Charles Stracey, and to tell him that he was not to call any more at the Manor House, or speak to Miss Brookes if he should happen to meet her. Frank wondered if this decision was owing to Mrs. Brookes's influence.

"I slept last night at the 'Grand' It seemed odd sleeping in the same house--perhaps within a few doors of him. If you only knew how I love her, if I could only tell you, you would pity me. You ought to know what I feel--the anxiety, the heart-ache. I know you have gone through it all."

"Yes, I think I know what it is," w.i.l.l.y replied thoughtfully.

"Mr. Stracey is staying here?"

"Will you enquire at the office, sir?"

While the books were being searched the young men consulted together.

Frank said: "Send up your card, and say you will be glad to speak to him on a matter of importance. Of course he will see you, but before you speak about Maggie you must apologise for my presence; you must say that I am a very particular friend, and that you thought it better that the interview should take place in the presence of a witness."