CHAPTER XI
SOME LEADING INCIDENTS
"I do hope there's nothing wrong with Mr. Percy, vor Miss Sophy ha' gota letter from him, and she's crying something shocking," remarked Kezia,as she handed George a communication informing him that, not only Mr.Hunter, but the entire firm of Martin and Cross, had been outraged bythe unspeakable conduct of Mr. Drake, who had dishonoured the title ofgentleman by breaking his plighted word, and had stained his own namefor ever by repudiating a contract. During the whole course of hisprofessional career Mr. Hunter was thankful to say he never beforereceived a letter suggesting that he--a solicitor--was capable ofconspiring with another to deprive a third party of his lawfulinheritance. He banished the sinister reflection, and enclosed a freshform of receipt, containing the clause which Mr. Drake unaccountablyregarded as oppressive, after having expressed his entire approval ofthe conditions contained therein, and he pressed for its execution atonce or, failing that, the immediate return of the cheque for twohundred pounds. Mr. Taverner had specifically mentioned he would notpurchase the furniture unless Mr. Drake gave an undertaking in writingto withdraw from Windward House; and now that Mr. Hunter had become moreintimately acquainted with Mr. Drake's character, he was bound toconfess that Mr. Taverner had displayed remarkably shrewd judgment.
"I trapped him, but he doesn't know it; I have trod upon his corn, andhe doesn't like it; now I'll make a fool of him completely," Georgemuttered.
Then Miss Yard came trembling and half tumbling downstairs, supported byNellie, and weeping bitterly in quite a joyful fashion.
"Percy has got a new tomato and he calls it Emily," she announced.
"Emmie Lee," corrected Nellie.
"You mustn't allow that to upset you," said George.
"But he's going to bring her to see me, and he wants me to write to her.Oh dear! I do pray it may be a blessing to him."
"Try not to cry any more, or you will have such a headache," said Nelliesoothingly.
"I should not have thought," remarked George, "that tomatoes were worthcrying about anyhow."
"All the information was there, but rather too condensed," explainedNellie. "Mr. Taverner discovered in one of his glass-houses--"
"Oh, no, Nellie, you are silly, child. It was at a garden party."
"You begin breakfast, and let me tell Mr. Drake in my own ramblingfashion," said Nellie, coaxing the lady into her cushioned chair, thenslipping into her own place behind the tea tray. "Mr. Tavernerdiscovered his foreman had cultivated a particularly fine tomato plantunawares, and he made up his mind it was a new species, so he means tointroduce it to the market under the name of Emmie Lee."
"He's full of dirty little tricks like that," George grumbled.
"And she's the great-grandchild of a clergyman, so there cannot beanything wrong with the family," sobbed Miss Yard.
"You must stop crying at once," said Nellie sternly.
"My dear, I will cry and be happy."
"The truth of the matter is, Percy has got a young woman?" Georgesuggested.
"That's it," said Nellie. "And he's naming the new tomato after her."
"Because it matches her complexion, I suppose. What has he got to bemarried on?"
"It's not love, he says. It's money. I am so thankful."
"It is love, Miss Sophy. Love on both sides, at first sight, and all theway."
"Of course it is, my dear. Poor dear Percy! He was such a gentleman, andhe did work so hard. If I could have seen him once more, just to tellhim how happy I am--"
"Now you are not to say anything more until you have eaten yourbreakfast," Nellie ordered, as she rose to supply the old lady with afresh handkerchief and a piece of buttered toast.
That morning George wrote a curt and final note to Mr. Hunter,announcing his intention of leaving Highfield within the next few days,and enclosing the receipt duly signed. He then approached Nellie,informed her duty was calling him elsewhere, and explained that, beforehis departure, a little cheque from Miss Yard would be acceptable.
"You know the rules," she said. "I have to give an account of mystewardship to the trustees."
"Yes, but Aunt Sophy owes me rent, and you mustn't allow her generousnature to be restrained if she wishes to add a few pounds by way ofbonus," said George.
"There are to be no additions whatever," she said firmly. "I'll let MissSophy give you a quarter's rent, but no more. She can't afford it, asher bank account is low."
"Because she gives all her money to Percy. You let her do that," criedGeorge wrathfully.
"How can I prevent it? Mr. Taverner does bleed her frightfully, but he'sa trustee, and her nephew."
"So he can levy blackmail, grab all his aunt's money, ransack my home!He's above the law, while I'm crushed down by it. The kindest thing Ican say about Percy is to call him a kleptomaniac, though I believe he'sa pirate."
"I want you to tell me who really does own the house and furniture. Andwhy are you going? I'm sure you wouldn't leave Highfield unless you hadto. I promise not to tell anyone," said Nellie eagerly.
"Not even Sidney Brock?"
"You are not to mention his name to me. You know quite well I never seehim now that he's given up the choir," said Nellie, flushing with shame,indignation, and other things.
"I should have said nothing if he hadn't written to you. I saw thepostmark was Highfield--and of course I felt jealous," said Georgecomposedly.
"Yes, he did write, and asked me to meet him again. Just a selfishletter," snapped Nellie. "I'm not going to answer it. Now I've told youmy secrets, and I expect to hear yours."
"I never did like the idea of keeping anything from you," said Georgedoubtfully.
"Especially as Mr. Hunter would tell me everything, if I liked to writeand inform him I cannot undertake my new duties until I have the wholeposition explained to me."
"If you tell Kezia and Bessie there will be a fearful rumpus."
"I won't say a word to either. I don't care much about them, now I seehow grasping they are, though it's only natural I suppose. Mrs. Draketreated them more like relations than servants, and they are quite sureshe meant them to own everything."
"They know my aunt left a will," said George.
"She left about a hundred," laughed Nellie. "Kezia has fifty, Bessie hasforty, Miss Sophy has two, and I have one."
"But the will in my favour is the only legal one; and it's the only onethe trustees know about."
"Some of the papers were signed and dated, though none were witnessed.Anyhow, they are all later than your will," said Nellie.
George thought he could see what she was driving at. Miss Yard wouldleave the entire property to Nellie if she could; and his aunt hadcertainly left a scrap of paper expressing a wish that her sister shouldown the house. No doubt Nellie has this document hidden away safely. Itdid not matter much, and yet George felt uncomfortable at the idea ofhis wife owning the property.
"I'll tell you the truth," he said boldly. "My aunt lost her affectionfor me rather during the last years of her life, as she thought I didn'tput my whole heart into my work, and perhaps she didn't want me to ownthe property. Still, she never destroyed the will, and that leaves thehouse to me."
"But who owns the furniture?"
"Last week it was mine. Now it belongs to Aunt Sophy."
"You never gave it her!"
"She has bought it. I offered it to her through Hunter, and he advisedPercy to buy it with her money."
"That means the furniture belongs to Mr. Taverner."
"Aunt Sophy paid every penny of the purchase money, therefore it belongsto her. I have you as a witness to prove it."
"She advanced the money to Mr. Taverner. She didn't even know what hewanted it for," cried Nellie.
"It will come out at her death, when Percy claims the furniture. We mustkeep the cheque, produce it to Percy, and demand an explanation. If herefuses to withdraw his claim, we will threaten to expose his knavishtricks before his high-minded Emmie, the whole of her virtuous family,and t
he immaculate firm of Cross and Martin."
"We!" laughed Nellie. "Do you suppose I will be the accomplice of yourvillainy?"
"This afternoon," said George, "I am going into town, and there I shallbuy a sixpenny printed form of Will. I shall then insert what isnecessary, words to the effect that all the furniture, with everythingthat Aunt Sophy dies possessed of, are to come to you. I have kept acopy of aunt's will, which was properly drawn up by a lawyer, so I shallknow how to do it. Then you must ask Aunt Sophy to sign it. Kezia andBessie ought to be the witnesses. It would serve them right," saidGeorge, chuckling vastly.
"I'll have nothing to do with it," cried Nellie.
"Then I must work alone as usual. I'm not going to let you be defrauded.The only way to get justice is to help yourself," declared George."There's Hunter now! He would give twopence with one hand and steal yourlast sovereign with the other. And, if you caught the rascal, he wouldswear you had dropped the sovereign in his pocket. And he wouldn't restuntil he had got back the twopence. Hunter stands for justice; he dealsin it like Percy, who puts his sound tomatoes on top of the basket tohide the rotten ones underneath."
"I'm afraid you don't love Mr. Hunter," laughed Nellie. "Is it becausehe has ordered you to clear out?"
"He and Percy between them hatched the dirty plot. They know I wantmoney--"
"A few days ago you were refusing it."
"Ah, but that was tact. The pair of rascals offered to buy thefurniture, if I would promise to leave my own home. That was bribery andcorruption. They want to get rid of me; they would like me to starve ina ditch, and they would prefer the ditch to have water in it. Hunter'snot quite so bad as Percy, I think. Hunter has to be a scoundrel, or hecouldn't make a living. But Percy is just a homicidal maniac."
"They are afraid you might try to influence Miss Sophy," suggestedNellie, when she had done laughing.
"It's Percy's doing entirely. He's a common malefactor himself, so hethinks I must be the same. He's not going to have any one else milkinghis golden goose. Besides, he knows how fond I am of Aunt Sophy, andwhat great care I take of her. I have saved her from serious injury manya time, and that doesn't suit Percy at all. He wants the dear old ladyto fall about, and hurt herself, and die of shock, so that he can gether money, which I hope will be a curse to him."
"I understand the position," said Nellie. "You really are going?" sheadded.
"I must go," replied George gloomily. "It is hard on both of us, but youmust try to be brave, for we shall soon meet again. Aunt Sophy won'tlive long when she hasn't me to look after her."
"Thank you for another compliment," cried Nellie.
"You deserve them all," said George, with more tenderness than usual.
He set off presently, carrying the precious vases wrapped up liketwin-babies and, arriving at the market-town, he entered the shop of theprincipal ironmonger, who dealt also in all kinds of earthenware goods,and had the notice, "Art pottery a Specialty," posted in one of hiswindows. The proprietor advanced to meet him, and was highly flatteredwhen George remarked he had come to obtain the impartial opinion of aspecialist regarding the value of some Chinese vases.
"If I can't give it ye, sir, I don't know who can. I ha' handled cloamall my life, as my father did avore me, and I'll quote ye a fair marketprice vor anything you like to show me. They are amazing ugly things,sure enough, wi' they old snakes all twisted round 'em," said the honesttradesman when George had undressed his babies.
"They're beautifully glazed," said the owner proudly.
"Yes, they'm nice and shiny. 'Tis done by baking 'em. Now you want me totell you how much they'm worth?"
"Suppose I asked you to buy them, how much would you offer?"
"I might give ye eighteen pence vor the pair, though I should fancy Iwur doing ye a favour. Some folks like these ugly things--I sell a loto' they china cats wi' the eyes starting out o' their heads--but I wouldbe satisfied if I got a shilling each vor these old vases."
"A gentleman told me the other day they were worth a lot ofmoney--hundreds of pounds in fact," said the astounded George.
"I believe ye, sir. Plenty o' gentlemen, when they see a bit o' cloamthat ain't quite the same as ordinary cloam, will tell ye it's worthmoney. Cloam is wonderful cheap just now, sir. I can show ye someamazing bargains in vases at half a crown the pair, and far better valuethan these old china things."
"But the gentleman, who told me they were valuable, came from London,"George protested.
"Well, sir," replied the little provincial, smiling broadly, "ain't thatjust where all the vules do come from?"
There was another china shop in the town, so George tried his fortunethere. This shop was kept by a fat lady, who turned sour when Georgeinformed her he had not come to purchase anything; and passed intoindignation when he had unveiled the vases.
"Take 'em away, sir," she said sternly. "I wouldn't show such vulgarstuff in my window if you paid me for it. My establishment is noted forchaste designs--flowers, and birds, and butterflies--little lambs, andshepherdesses--and I deal wi' gentlefolk."
"A thing can be ugly, and yet priceless," said George.
"It's not the ugliness so much as the obscenity," replied the stoutlady, who was herself no gracious object. "They were made, I fancy, bypoor benighted heathens; though why people ship such stuff into England,when they can buy cheap and beautiful Christian home-made vases fromsuch establishments as mine, I can't tell ye," she declared, handlingone of the treasures so recklessly that George darted forward in greatterror.
"Oh, you needn't be alarmed," she went on. "If I did break it, I'd giveye another pair, and something to be proud of. I should smash thesenasty old things into crocks and put 'em in my flower-pots."
George returned to Highfield, wondering greatly. He knew nothingwhatever concerning china, and apparently the local experts were nobetter informed than himself. Crampy, on the other hand, had valued thevases at a thousand pounds, although he admitted the possibility oftheir being forgeries; he was, however, prepared to pay the money andtake the risk. Before reaching home George had fully decided to securethe thousand pounds before he commenced his pilgrimage.
He was absent from the village about three hours, and during that shortperiod all manner of things had happened. The Yellow Leaf had oftennoted with regret that a strong leading incident rarely occurred inHighfield; but, when one did take place, it was almost sure to beaccompanied by another, to the great confusion of the inhabitants whowere compelled to discuss two incidents at the same time.
The first, and by far the most startling, incident took place quiteearly in the afternoon. Nellie had gone into Miss Yard's bedroom to lookup some mending, and presently seated herself beside the window whichoverlooked the village street. That letter from Sidney worried her, butthe knowledge of his loose principles troubled her far more. Sheremembered the words of his defence, indeed there was nothing much abouthim she had forgotten, as her memory was much better than Miss Yard's;and still she could not decide whether to answer the letter or to ignoreit; whether to meet him once more or to let him go; whether to go onthinking of him--but that she had to do; or to hate him--though shecouldn't.
"It's a dreary outlook," she murmured. "Little work and no love makes mea dull maid. I'm alone in the world, and somebody loves me, but he's abad somebody. And another somebody is willing to marry me, but he's asilly old somebody. And I want the bad somebody."
"Hook it!" shrieked a parrot from the garden, addressing a bumblebeewhich was threatening to enter its cage.
"Polly gives me advice," she murmured. "Hook it! Hook George, and pourout rivers of tea, and put on his slippers in respectable humility. No,thankye, Poll! I won't hook it. I'll fish for something better, else,when Miss Sophy dies, I must find another job, and go on jobbing it,"she whispered, looking into the glass, "until I don't look anything likeso saucy as I'm doing now."
"Nellie, where be to?" called the equally saucy parrot.
"Here she be!" answered the girl from the window. "He
r's going to writeto the bad somebody, and her's going to meet him, and her's going to bea soft dafty little vule and believe his nonsense."
While she spoke a rumbling of wheels heralded the approach of theincident, which had already occurred with disastrous results along themore important reaches of the street. Nellie remained at the openwindow out of curiosity until the incident, which was of no importanceto her at the moment, became revealed in the form of a young and prettygirl, gazing about in a highly interested fashion as she swept past inan open wagonette; a beautifully dressed young lady, certainly no morethan eighteen, who looked quite capable of travelling round the worldwithout an escort.
"Whoever can she be?" Nellie murmured, as she went towards her own room,to get that letter written before she changed her mind again.
She could hear voices buzzing in the kitchen, where Kezia and Bessiewere discussing the incident; presently she opened the door andlistened, for the air was thrilling with unpleasant sounds of propernouns and most improper adjectives; finally she went downstairs andpresented herself at the kitchen door.
"Oh, Miss Nellie!" cried Kezia. "Did you see the person driving past?"
"I did see her," replied Nellie. "Who is she?"
"Ah, that's what every one's asking. I shouldn't like to say who she be.See how bold she stared as she drove along!" said Bessie.
"She warn't so bold looking as that other one," remarked Kezia.
"She wur just a bit o' painted brass," said Bessie. "This gal's terribleyoung. Oh, ain't it awful to see 'em all so wicked! Folks are sayingthey won't ha' much more of it."
"Where was she going?" asked Nellie impatiently.
"To Black Anchor Farm. Where else would she be going? The driver stoppedby the green and asked the way to Black Anchor."
"'Tis three o'clock. She can't get away tonight," Kezia whispered.
"She brought a bag--she's going to stay a long while," muttered Bessie,covering her face for shame.
"Policeman ought to get hold of her and lock her up," cried Keziawrathfully.
"Ah, that he ought," agreed Bessie. "If me and Robert wur to have a fewwords, he'd be round quick enough and tell us to keep our mouths shut.Pity I b'ain't an actress! I could do what I liked then. The folks won'tstand much more of it. I wish Captain Drake wur back again; he'd havethey Brocks out of the country in no time."
Nellie crept back to her room and destroyed the unfinished letter. Thenshe drew down the blind.
The second incident commenced about an hour later, when anotherconveyance reached Highfield and proceeded at once to Windward House. Agentleman stepped out and inquired for Mr. Drake. Having learnt fromKezia that George was absent, but expected home at any time, thegentleman said he would take a stroll round the village and await hiscoming.
This incident would have passed almost unnoticed, so far as the generalpublic were concerned, had the stranger been of the usual speechlesstype of tourist, content to stare deferentially at the local antiquitiesand to wander aimlessly round the churchyard. But he was not, as hehimself admitted, within measurable distance of an ordinary man; for hejoined a group of villagers, who were discussing the latest tragedy inwhispers, and insisted upon introducing himself and asking questionsabout themselves.
In the first place he came from America, and he lost no time ininforming his listeners that an American gentleman was the only perfectspecimen of humanity to be found upon the face of the globe. In thesecond place he was a millionaire, and had no bashfulness aboutadvertising the fact. Finally, he enjoyed use of the name Josiah P.Jenkins, and his business premises, or at least some of them, weresituated in Philadelphia, which, he explained, was the city of brotherlylove, where Irish toasted English, whites embraced negroes, Jews dinedwith Christians, and sharp practice was unknown.
By this time the poor little actress, driving in solitary state towardsBlack Anchor, was almost forgotten. Actresses had occurred before,unhappily, but this was the first occasion during the entire history ofthe universe upon which a millionaire had walked and talked inHighfield. Mr. Jenkins was bestowing a new tradition upon the village;he was quite the equal of Queen Elizabeth, who had slept, and very muchsuperior to King Charles, who had hidden, somewhere in theneighbourhood. Here was an individual who reckoned the weekly wage, notby a few shillings, according to local custom, but by innumerabledollars every moment. The people gazed upon him with reverence, whilechildren approached to touch him, and discover what metal he was madeof, while some of the more intelligent made remarks concerning copperwhich the great man did not seem to understand. The Yellow Leaf admittedafterwards he was thankful he had lived to see it, although he wouldhave respected millionaires far more had he never set eyes upon thecorporeal presence of Mr. Jenkins. It was wonderful, he added, howquickly these Americans acquired a superficial knowledge of the Englishlanguage.
"What might be your occupation, sir?" asked the Dumpy Philosopher.
"Railways, my friend, with patent medicines as a side-line," replied Mr.Jenkins.
"I hope you ain't come here to build none, nor make none," said theYellow Leaf.
"I have come here in my private capacity as art lover, collector,connoisseur. I am awaiting the arrival of one of your leading citizens,Mr. Drake of Windward House."
"And here he be, bringing home the washing," cried Squinting Jack, asGeorge at the moment appeared upon the road with a fantastic whitebundle beneath each arm.
"Don't you believe his tale," whispered the Dumpy Philosopher to hisfriends, as the American started forward to meet George. "He'm going tomake that railway across Dartmoor what'll ruin the whole lot of us--andMr. Drake ha' been and brought 'en here."