CHAPTER XVII
'Duke Radford's New Friend
Mr. Selincourt suffered but little ill effects from his accident.He stayed in bed two days to ward off any danger of swamp fever,but on the third morning got up at his usual hour, and afterbreakfast had himself rowed across the river, and paid a visit tothe store. Early as it was, Katherine and Phil had already startedfor an Indian encampment on Ochre Lake, so Mr. Selincourt foundonly Miles in the store, and he was busy sweeping dead flies fromthe molasses traps, and spreading fresh molasses for the catchingof another batch.
"Hullo, young man! is it you who pulled me out of the mud the otherday?" he asked.
"No, sir," replied Miles promptly; "I'm as heavy as Katherine, sonot adapted for walking on soft spots. It was Phil who put therope round you, but Katherine pulled you out."
"A plucky pair they were too, for it must have been difficult work.Are they at home?" Mr. Selincourt asked, as he gazed round thestore, and thought what a bare-looking place it was.
"No, they started for Ochre Lake a good time ago. Where there isportage work it is easiest to get it done in the morning this hotweather. Can I have the pleasure of showing you anything thismorning, sir?" Miles asked, with his very best business manner,which always had its due effect on the Seal Cove people.
Mr. Selincourt laughed. "I am afraid my wants would have to bemoderate, there is so little left to buy," he said, wondering if itwere poverty on the part of the Radfords which kept the stock solow.
"We are not so nearly cleared out as you would think," Milesanswered, in a confidential tone. "We always like the shelves tolook thin at this time of the year; then when the first shipmentcomes to hand we bring all our surplus stock out of the cellar, andit sells nearly as fast as we can serve it out."
"Well, that is one way of doing business; a shrewd way too,"remarked Mr. Selincourt, nodding his head. "I shouldn't wonder ifyou make a pile some day of your own; you look wideawake enough.What are you going to be when you grow up?"
"A storekeeper; this store keeper, if Katherine can keep thebusiness going until I'm old enough to take the work over," Milesanswered, with the same promptness as had arrested Mr. Selincourt'sattention at the first.
"It is a hard life for a girl, I should think," he said, as he satdown on a sugar barrel and watched Miles finishing with the traps.
"Yes, it is very hard. You see, there is so much tramping overportages, rowing up and down river, and all that sort of thing. Icould manage most of it with Phil's help, only there is pricing theskins, the feathers, and the fish which we take in barter from theIndians. They wouldn't accept my prices, but would declare theywere being cheated by the papoose;" and the boy threw so much scorninto his tone that Mr. Selincourt laughed aloud.
"How do you manage when the Indians come here to buy and yoursister is away?" he asked.
"Oh, I just call Nellie, that is Mrs. Burton, you know! Shedoesn't know a thing about business, and is ignorant as a babyabout the value of skins, but she is grown-up, so they believe whatshe says, only I have to tell her first."
"Your father can't attend to anything, then?" Mr. Selincourtenquired pitifully. He had heard a little of 'Duke Radford'saffliction, and sympathized keenly with the children who had such aheavy weight of responsibility to carry.
Miles shook his head. "Since his stroke, Father has not been ableto do anything at all. His memory is entirely gone, yet he is sopleased to see people, and he always seems happy and content. Haveyou time to go and talk to him for a little while, sir? He wouldlike to see you, I know."
Mr. Selincourt rose from his barrel with alacrity. "Oh, yes! Iwill pay him a little visit; in fact, I have nothing else to do forthe next hour, for I promised Mary that I would not go wanderinground in soft spots to-day."
Miles opened the door of the kitchen and ushered the visitor in.Mrs. Burton was making a batch of bread, and had to limit herwelcome to cheery words and smiles; but the twins immediatelyclaimed him as an old friend, rushing upon him with a freedom fromshyness which was surprising, until one knew that they were nevertroubled with that complaint at home.
"Father, Mr. Selincourt has come to see you. He is the new ownerof the fleet, you know," Mrs. Burton said, speaking in raised tonesto a tall, worn man who sat in the sunshine by the open door, andsmiled serenely at the pleasant world outside.
'Duke Radford was not deaf, but they always raised their voiceswhen speaking to him, in order to attract his attention. He seemedto live in a world apart, and it was only by touching him orshouting that he could be brought back to the realities of life.At the sound of his daughter's voice he looked round, and, seeing astranger in the room, at once rose and came forward withoutstretched hand. "I am very glad to see you, sir," he said, incourteous greeting.
Mr. Selincourt was so surprised that he could not hide it. He hadexpected to see a miserable-looking invalid, with imbecile writlarge all over him; instead of whom he was confronted by adignified, courteous gentleman, whose infirmity was only hinted atby a certain languor of movement and wistfulness of expression.
"I am glad to see you looking so much better than I expected tofind you," Mr. Selincourt said, taking the proffered hand andshaking it warmly.
"Yes, I am getting stronger. I have been ill, you know, and it hasupset me in many ways; my mind is not what it was, and I cannotremember a great many things which it is very awkward to forget.For instance, I cannot remember, sir, whether I have heard yourname or seen your face before;" and as he spoke, 'Duke Radfordlooked up with wistful uncertainty into the face of the man whomyears ago he had wronged so heavily.
"My name you have heard, I dare say, but I do not suppose you haveseen me before, because I am an Englishman, and I have only been inCanada for a year," Mr. Selincourt answered gently.
Mrs. Burton had left the room momentarily, or she might have saidthat her father was an Englishman also. 'Duke Radford had probablyforgotten the fact himself, and after a moment of silence, in whichhe seemed to be gathering up his scattered faculties, he asked:
"Do you think you are going to like Canada, sir?"
"I like it immensely. I intend settling in the countrypermanently. I have nothing to hold me in England, nor anythingwhich interests me enough to make me want to stay there. But herethere is so much to be done; the country is crying out fordevelopment, and I--well, I think I want to have a hand in thedoing of it," Mr. Selincourt answered.
'Duke Radford nodded his head in complete understanding; somethingof his old vigour seemed to have returned to him, and for themoment the clouds were swept from his brain.
"Canada is a fine country;" he said. "Even her waste placespossess untold sources of wealth. Take this place, for instance:there are fish enough in the rivers and the bay to feed amultitude; there is timber enough to build a dozen towns, andconstruct a navy as well; yet it continues almost as solitary aswhen I came here, I can't remember how many years ago."
"It is a great pity; but that may be altered with time. We shallsee," replied Mr. Selincourt, then plunged into talk about theresources of the immediate neighbourhood, the possibilities of vastcoalfields underlying the forest lands, of minerals lurking inbarren hillsides, and many other things.
'Duke Radford came out of his absorption and talked as he had notdone for many months, and when the visitor rose to go, after acouple of hours' sitting in the pleasant, homely kitchen, with theappetizing smell of new-baked bread perfuming the air, the invalidbegged him to come again very soon.
"Indeed I will, if Mrs. Burton will let me; but if I have tired youwith such a long talk she may refuse to allow me in," Mr.Selincourt replied.
"Nellie won't do that. My children are very good to me, althoughit is very hard on them that I should be left a log on their handslike this. But I hope you will come soon, for you have given me avery happy morning," the invalid said; and rising to his feet hewalked slowly into the sunshine, supporting himself on a stoutstick, to watch his visitor get into the waiting boat and be ro
wedaway to the opposite bank of the river.
When Katherine and Phil came down from Ochre Lake three hourslater, the invalid was still out-of-doors, only now he was seatedon a bank in the shade of a spreading spruce, while the twinsplayed round him, building houses of fir cones, and laying outgardens in patterns of pine needles.
"Why, Father, it is pleasant to see you out-of-doors again, and Iam sure the air will do you good!" Katherine exclaimed in pleasedsurprise, as she came down the portage path, laden with a greatreed basket filled with ptarmigan eggs.
"Katherine, I have had such a nice morning!" he said with childisheagerness. "Mr. Selincourt has been to see me, and I like him sovery much."
Katherine nearly dropped her basket of eggs, being so muchastonished; then, pulling herself together with an effort, shemanaged to say in a natural tone, although her face was ratherwhite: "I am glad you liked him. Did he stay long?"
"Yes, ever so long, and he is coming again soon. He thinks ofsettling here, and building a house. I am so glad, for I think Inever met a man whom I liked better," he replied.
"Then it is lucky that I pulled him out of the mud," put in Phil,who was very much disposed to swagger about his share in rescuingMr. Selincourt. "But if he'd been a disagreeable animal, I mighthave been sorry that I had not left him there."
Katherine stood in a dumb amazement at the miracle which had beenwrought. All these months she had been dreading the coming of Mr.Selincourt, because of its effect upon her father, and behold, itwas the one thing which had brought him happiness!
"Did you pull him out of the mud? What mud?" asked 'Duke Radfordin an interested tone, whereupon Phil promptly dropped the bundlehe was carrying and launched into a detailed account of the rescueof Mr. Selincourt from the muskeg.
But Katherine went on to the store with her head in a whirl; almostshe was disposed to believe that dark story from her father's pastto be only a dream, or some conjured-up vision of a diseasedfancy--almost, but not quite. Only too well she knew that it wasthe dread of Mr. Selincourt's coming which had induced her father'sstroke, and now--well, it was just the irony of fate, that what hadbeen so terrible in perspective should bring such pleasure inreality.
Jervis Ferrars came in quite early that evening, and suggested thatKatherine should go with him to Ochre Lake, as he had some businessat the Indian encampment, and wanted a companion.
"But I have been to Ochre Lake once to-day; Phil and I went thismorning. I brought home a hundred eggs in one basket, and had tocarry them over both portages myself," she said, laughing.
"Never mind; another journey in the same direction won't hurt you,because I will do the work," he answered. "I want to borrow yourboat, don't you see? and of course it lessens a little my burden ofindebtedness if you are there too."
"I shall also be useful in getting the boat over the portage,"laughed Katherine, then ran away to get ready. There was reallynothing to keep her at the store this evening, and so few pleasurescame her way that it would have been foolish to refuse.
"Nellie, I am going to Ochre Lake with Mr. Ferrars. Do you mind?"she asked, as she hurriedly shed her working frock and clothedherself anew.
"No, dear, of course I don't. Good-bye! I hope you will have apleasant time," said Mrs. Burton, then kissed her sisteraffectionately.
Katherine was a little surprised. Mrs. Burton was not given toover-much demonstration of feeling, and so the kiss was out of theordinary. But then the evening was out of the ordinary too. As arule she hurried along the portage path, laden with burdens asheavy as she could carry. To-night she sauntered at a leisurelypace with no burdens at all; even the cares of the day were thrustinto the background for the moment, and she was genuinelylighthearted and happy. It was pleasant, too, to sit at ease whileJervis pulled the boat up river with long, swinging strokes thatnever suggested tired arms in even the remotest connection; and ifthey did not talk much, it was only because the river and thesunset seemed suggestive of silence. They had passed the secondportage, and waved a greeting to Mrs. M'Kree, who was sitting atease in her garden while Astor lounged beside her. Then Jervisbegan to talk about himself, which was unusual, the subjectapparently having but little interest for him in a general way.
"I have been writing to my mother to-day. It seems strange tothink we shall have a post out from here once a month all thesummer," he remarked, rowing slower now, as if he were tired ofviolent exercise, and desired to take things easy.
"How glad your mother will be to get the letters!" exclaimedKatherine, wondering how the poor woman had borne the weary waitingof the past weeks.
"It has been hard on her, poor little Mother!" he said softly, thenwent on with a hardness in his tone that grated on the ears of thelistener: "Few women have had to know greater contrasts in lifethan my mother. She was brought up in the purple, a maid to brushher hair and tie her shoestrings, but for the last six years shehas lived in a four-roomed cottage, and has done the familywashing."
"Oh, how hard for her!" exclaimed Katherine.
"It was hard, poor Mother!" Jervis said, and his voice grew sotender that the listener understood the previous hardness must havebeen meant for someone else. He was silent for some time afterthat, and, pulling slowly up the river, kept his eyes fixed on thewater which was gliding past.
Katherine sat with her gaze fixed on the treetops, whilst herfancies were busy with the poor lady who had fallen from the luxuryof having a lady's maid to doing the work of a washerwoman.
"I was to have been a doctor," Jervis said abruptly, taking up thetalk just where he had dropped it. "We were very poor, so I hadworked my way on scholarships and that sort of thing. I was verykeen on study, for I meant to make a name for myself. I believe Ishould have done too, but----"
He broke off suddenly, and, after a pause, Katherine venturedgently: "Don't you think it is the 'buts' which really make us liveto some purpose?"
"At least they make a mighty difference in our outlook," headmitted with a smile. "The particular 'but' which stopped mymedical studies, and drove me into the first situation where Icould earn money was the death of my father, and the consequentcessation of the income which had been his allowance under hisgrandfather's will. We had been poor before; after that we weredestitute."
Katherine nodded sympathetically. Her life had been hard, andthere was plenty of rough work in it, but she had never been withinseeing distance of destitution, and she had plenty of pity forthose whose lives had been fuller of care than her own.
"I tried keeping near home first," went on Jervis; "but it was ofno use. There was no room for me anywhere; the only thing I couldget to do was a miserable clerkship at twelve shillings a week.Just think of it! Twelve shillings a week, and there were four ofus to live! I bore it for six months, and then I cleared out. Mynext brother, who is four years younger, got work which brought inenough to buy his food, and I have managed to send home somethingto help to keep my mother and the youngest boy, who is still atschool."
"Perhaps the necessity to do your utmost has been very good foryou," Katherine ventured demurely.
"I think it has," he answered with emphasis. "At any rate, I don'tfeel disposed to quarrel now with the destiny which has knocked meabout the world, and brought me eventually to an anchorage likethis."
Katherine's face flamed scarlet, to her intense mortification.What would this man think of her, what must he think of her, if shechanged colour at every word he said?
But Jervis did not appear to notice her confusion, for which shewas devoutly thankful, and in a moment he went on talking: "It isgoing to make a very great difference to me if Mr. Selincourtdecides to spend money in developing this place. The fisheries,properly worked, will yield a cent-per-cent interest on the outlay,and that is going to make a big difference to me, because I am notmanager merely, but I have a share in the profits also."
"A working partner," suggested Katherine.
"Something of the kind," he replied. Then turning his head he sawthat the
y were close to the Indian encampment, for long lines offish were stretched in all directions, drying in the sun.
"The end of our journey," he said lightly. "Do you sit here in theboat and I will have my business finished in about ten minutes."
Katherine's gaze went to the treetops again, only now it was nottrees and sky that she saw, but a rose-hued future of happinessstretching out before her.