CHAPTER XLII
MASTER WITHYPOOL
At first I was much inclined to run for help, or at least for counsel,either to Lord Castlewood or to Major Hockin; but further considerationkept me from doing any thing of the kind. In the first place, neitherof them would do much good; for my cousin's ill health would prevent himfrom helping me, even if his strange view of the case did not, whilethe excellent Major was much too hot and hasty for a delicate task likethis. And, again, I might lose the most valuable and important of allchances by being away from the spot just now. And so I remained atShoxford for a while, keeping strict watch upon the stranger's haunt,and asking about him by means of Mrs. Busk.
"I have heard more about him, miss," she said one day, when the downletters had been dispatched, which happened about middle-day. "He hasbeen here only those three times this summer, upon excuse of fishingalways. He stays at old Wellham, about five miles down the river, wherethe people are not true Moonites. And one thing that puzzles them is,that although he puts up there simply for the angling, he always choosestimes when the water is so low that to catch fish is next to impossible.He left his fishing quarters upon the very day after you saw himsearching so; and he spoke as if he did not mean to come again thisseason. And they say that they don't want him neither, he is such amorose, close-fisted man; and drinking nothing but water, there is verylittle profit with him."
"And did you find out what his name is? How cleverly you have managed!"
"He passes by the name of 'Captain Brown;' but the landlord of his inn,who has been an old soldier, is sure he was never in the army, norany other branch of the service. He thinks that he lives by inventingthings, for he is always at some experiments, and one of his greatpoints is to make a lamp that will burn and move about under water. Tobe sure you see the object of that, miss?"
"No, really, Mrs. Busk, I can not. I have not your penetration."
"Why, of course, to find what he can not find upon land. There issomething of great importance there, either for its value or itsmeaning. Have you ever been told that your poor grandfather wore anydiamonds or precious jewels?"
"No. I have asked about that most especially. He had nothing about himto tempt a robber. He was a very strong-willed man, and he hated outwardtrumpery."
"Then it must be something that this man himself has dropped, unless itwere a document, or any other token, missing from his lordship. And fewthings of that sort would last for twenty years almost."
"Nineteen years the day after to-morrow," I answered, with a glance atmy pocket-book. "I determined to be here on that very day. No doubt Iam very superstitious. But one thing I can not understand is this--whatreason can there have been for his letting so many years pass, and thenhunting like this?"
"No one can answer that question, miss, without knowing more than weknow. But many reasons might be supposed. He might have been rovingabroad, for instance, just as you and your father have been. Or he mightnot have known that the thing was there; or it might not have been ofimportance till lately; or he might have been afraid, until somethingelse happened. Does he know that you are now in England?"
"How can I possibly tell, Mrs. Busk? He seems to know a great dealtoo much. He found me out when I was at Colonel Gundry's. At least Iconclude so, from what I know now; but I hope he does not know"--and atsuch a dreadful idea I shuddered.
"I am almost sure that he can not know it," the good postmistressanswered, "or he would have found means to put an end to you. That wouldhave been his first object."
"But, Mrs. Busk," I said, being much disturbed by her calmness, "surely,surely he is not to be allowed to make an end of every one! I came tothis country with the full intention of going into every thing. ButI did not mean at all, except in my very best moments, to sacrificemyself. It seems too bad--too bad to think of."
"So it is, Miss Erema," Mrs. Busk replied, without any congenialexcitement. "It does seem hard for them that have the liability on them.But still, miss, you have always shown such a high sense of duty, and ofwhat you were about--"
"I can't--I can not. There are times, I do assure you, when I am fit fornothing, Mrs. Busk, and wish myself back in America. And if this man isto have it all his own way--"
"Not he, miss--not he. Be you in no hurry. Could he even have his waywith our old miller? No; Master Withypool was too many for him."
"That is a new thing. You never told me that. What did he try to do withthe miller?"
"I don't justly know what it was, Miss Erema. I never spoke to millerabout it, and, indeed, I have had no time since I heard of it. But thosethat told me said that the tall strange gentleman was terribly put out,and left the gate with a black cloud upon his face, and the very nextday the miller's daughter died, quite sudden and mysterious."
"How very strange! But now I have got a new idea. Has the miller astrong high dam to his pond, and a good stout sluice-gate at the end!"
"Yes, miss, to be sure he has," said Mrs. Busk; "otherwise how could hegrind at all, when the river is so low as it is sometimes?"
"Then I know what he wanted, and I will take a leaf out of his ownbook--the miscreant! He wanted the miller to stop back the water andleave the pool dry at the 'Murder-bridge.' Would it be possible for himto do that?"
"I can not tell you, miss; but your thought is very clever. It is likelyenough that he did want that, though he never would dare to ask withoutsome pretense--some other cause I mean, to show for it. He may have beenthinking that whatever he was wanting was likely to be under water. Andthat shows another thing, if it is so."
"Mrs. Busk, my head goes round with such a host of complications. I domy best to think them out--and then there comes another!"
"No, miss; this only clears things up a little. If the man can not besure whether what he is looking for is on land or under water, it seemsto me almost to show that it was lost at the murder time in the darkand flurry. A man would know if he dropped any thing in the water bydaylight, from the splash and the ripple, and so on, for the stream isquite slow at that corner. He dropped it, miss, when he did the deed, orelse it came away from his lordship."
"Nothing was lost, as I said before, from the body of my grandfather,so far at least as our knowledge goes. Whatever was lost was themurderer's. Now please to tell me all about the miller, and how I mayget round him."
"You make me laugh in the middle of black things, miss, by the wayyou have of putting them. But as to the miller--Master Withypool is awonder, as concerns the ladies. He is one of those men that stand up forevery thing when a man tries upper side of them. But let a woman come,and get up under, and there he is--a pie crust lifted. Why, I, at myage, could get round him, as you call it. But you, miss--and more thanthat, you are something like his daughter; and the old man frets afterher terrible. Go you into his yard, and just smile upon him, miss, andif the Moon River can be stopped, he'll stop it for you."
This seemed a very easy way to do it. But I told Mrs. Busk that I wouldpay well also, for the loss of a day's work at the mill was more thanfifty smiles could make up.
But she told me, above all things, not to do that. For old MasterWithypool was of that sort that he would stand for an hour with hishands in his pocket for a half-penny, if not justly owing from him. Butnothing more angered him than a bribe to step outside of his duty. Hehad plenty of money, and was proud of it. But sooner would he lose aday's work to do a kindness, when he was sure of having right behind it,than take a week's profit without earning it. And very likely that waswhere the dark man failed, from presuming that money would do everything. However, there was nothing like judging for one's self; and ifI would like to be introduced, she could do it for me with the besteffect; taking as she did a good hundred-weight of best "households"from him every week, although not herself in the baking line, but alwayskeeping quartern bags, because the new baker did adulterate so.
I thought of her father, and how things work round; but that they woulddo without remarks of mine. So I said nothing on that point, but askedwhet
her Master Withypool would require any introduction. And to thisMrs. Busk said, "Oh dear, no!" And her throat had been a little roughsince Sunday, and the dog was chained tight, even if any dog would bitea sweet young lady; and to her mind the miller would be more taken upand less fit to vapor into obstacles, if I were to hit upon him allalone, just when he came out to the bank of his cabbage garden, notso very long after his dinner, to smoke his pipe and to see his thingsa-growing.
It was time to get ready if I meant to catch him then, for he alwaysdined at one o'clock, and the mill was some three or four meadows up thestream; therefore as soon as Mrs. Busk had re-assured me that she wasquite certain of my enemy's departure, I took my drawing things and setforth to call upon Master Withypool.
Passing through the church-yard, which was my nearest way, and glancingsadly at the "fairy ring," I began to have some uneasiness about thepossible issue of my new scheme. Such a thing required more thinkingout than I had given to it. For instance, what reason could I give themiller for asking so strange a thing of him? And how could the whole ofthe valley be hindered from making the greatest talk about the stoppageof their own beloved Moon, even if the Moon could be stopped withoutevery one of them rushing down to see it? And if it was so talked of,would it not be certain to come to the ears of that awful man? And ifso, how long before he found me out, and sent me to rejoin my family?
These thoughts compelled me to be more discreet; and having latelydone a most honorable thing, in refusing to read that letter, I felt acertain right to play a little trick now of a purely harmless character.I ran back therefore to my writing-desk, and took from its secret drawera beautiful golden American eagle, a large coin, larger and handsomerthan any in the English coinage. Uncle Sam gave it to me on my birthday,and I would not have taken 50 pounds for it. With this I hurried to thatbridge of fear, which I had not yet brought myself to go across; andthen, not to tell any story about it, I snipped a little hole in thecorner of my pocket, while my hand was still steady ere I had to mountthe bridge. Then pinching that hole up with a squeeze, I ran and gotupon that wicked bridge, and then let go. The heavy gold coin fell uponthe rotten plank, and happily rolled into the water, as if it were gladnot to tempt its makers to any more sin for the sake of it.
Shutting up thought, for fear of despising myself for the coinage ofsuch a little trick, I hurried across the long meadow to the mill, andwent through the cow-gate into the yard, and the dog began to bark atme. Seeing that he had a strong chain on, I regarded him with loftyindignation. "Do you know what Jowler would do to you?" I said; "Jowler,a dog worth ten of you. He would take you by the neck and drop you intothat pond for daring to insult his mistress!" The dog appeared to feelthe force of my remarks, for he lay down again, and with one eye watchedme in a manner amusing, but insidious. Then, taking good care to keepout of his reach, I went to the mill-pond and examined it.
It looked like a very nice pond indeed, long, and large, and well bankedup, not made into any particular shape, but producing little rushyelbows. The water was now rather low, and very bright (though the Moonitself is not a crystal stream), and a school of young minnows, justwatching a water-spider with desirous awe, at sight of me broke away,and reunited, with a speed and precision that might shame the whole ofour very best modern fighting. Then many other things made a dart away,and furrowed the shadow of the willows, till distance quieted the fearof man--that most mysterious thing in nature--and the shallow pool wasat peace again, and bright with unruffled reflections.
"What ails the dog?" said a deep gruff voice; and the poor dog receiveda contemptuous push, not enough to hurt him, but to wound his feelingsfor doing his primary duty. "Servant, miss. What can I do for you?Foot-path is t'other side of that there hedge."
"Yes, but I left the foot-path on purpose. I came to have a talk withyou, if you will allow me."
"Sartain! sartain," the miller replied, lifting a broad floury hat andshowing a large gray head. "Will you come into house, miss, or intogearden?"
I chose the garden, and he led the way, and set me down upon an old oakbench, where the tinkle of the water through the flood-gates could beheard.
"So you be come to paint the mill at last," he said. "Many a time I'velooked out for you. The young leddy down to Mother Busk's, of course.Many's the time we've longed for you to come, you reminds us so ofsomebody. Why, my old missus can't set eyes on you in church, miss,without being forced to sit down a'most. But we thought it very prettyof you not to come, miss, while the trouble was so new upon us."
Something in my look or voice made the old man often turn away, whileI told him that I would make the very best drawing of his mill that Icould manage, and would beg him to accept it.
"Her ought to 'a been on the plank," he said, with trouble in gettinghis words out. "But there! what good? Her never will stand on that plankno more. No, nor any other plank."
I told him that I would put her on the plank, if he had any portrait ofher showing her dress and her attitude. Without saying what he had, heled me to the house, and stood behind me, while I went inside. And thenhe could not keep his voice as I went from one picture of his darling toanother, not thinking (as I should have done) of what his feelings mightbe, but trying, as no two were at all alike, to extract a general ideaof her.
"Nobody knows what her were to me," the old man said, with a quietlittle noise and a sniff behind my shoulder. "And with one day's illnessher died--her died."
"But you have others left. She was not the only one. Please, Mr.Withypool, to try to think of that. And your dear wife still aliveto share your trouble. Just think for a moment of what happened to myfather. His wife and six children all swept off in a month--and I justborn, to be brought up with a bottle!"
I never meant, of course, to have said a word of this, but was carriedaway by that common old idea of consoling great sorrow with a greaterone. And the sense of my imprudence broke vexatiously upon me when theold man came and stood between me and his daughter's portraits.
"Well, I never!" he exclaimed, with his bright eyes steadfast withamazement. "I know you now, miss. Now I knows you. To think what a setof blind newts us must be! And you the very moral of your poor father,in a female kind of way! To be sure, how well I knew the Captain! Anicer man never walked the earth, neither a more unlucky one."
"I beg you--let me beg you," I began to say; "since you have found meout like this--"
"Hush, miss, hush! Not my own wife shall know, unless your own tonguetelleth her. A proud man I shall be, Miss Raumur," he continued, withemphasis on my local name, "if aught can be found in my power to serveyou. Why, Lord bless you, miss," he whispered, looking round, "yourfather and I has spent hours together! He were that pleasant in his waysand words, he would drop in from his fishing, when the water was toolow, and sit on that very same bench where you sat, and smoke his pipewith me, and tell me about battles, and ask me about bread. And many atime I have slipped up the gate, to give him more water for his fliesto play, and the fish not to see him so plainly. Ah, we have had manypleasant spells together; and his eldest boy and girl, Master George andMiss Henrietta, used to come and fetch our eggs. My Polly there was inlove with him, we said; she sat upon his lap so, when she were two yearsold, and played with his beautiful hair, and blubbered--oh, she didblubber, when the Captain went away!"
This invested Polly with new interest for me, and made me determine tospare no pains in putting her pretty figure well upon the plank. ThenI said to the miller, "How kind of you to draw up your sluice-gates tooblige my father! Now will you put them down and keep them down, to do agreat service both to him and me?"
Without a moment's hesitation, he promised that any thing he could doshould be done, if I would only tell him what I wanted. But perhaps itwould be better to have our talk outside. Taking this hint, I followedhim back to the bench in the open garden, and there explained what Iwished to have done, and no longer concealed the true reason. The goodmiller answered that with all his heart he would do that much to obligeme, and a
hundred times more than that; but some little thought and carewere needful. With the river so low as it was now, he could easily stopthe back-water, and receive the whole of the current in his dam, andkeep it from flowing down his wheel trough, and thus dry the lowerchannel for perhaps half an hour, which would be ample for my purpose.Engineering difficulties there were none; but two or three other thingsmust be heeded. Miller Sims, a mile or so down river, must be settledwith, to fill his dam well, and begin to discharge, when the upper waterfailed, so as not to dry the Moon all down the valley, which wouldhave caused a commotion. Miller Sims being own brother-in-law to MasterWithypool, that could be arranged easily enough, after one day's notice.But a harder thing to manage would be to do the business without rousingcuriosity, and setting abroad a rumor which would be sure to reach myenemy. And the hardest thing of all, said Master Withypool, smiling ashe thought of what himself had once been, would be to keep those blessedboys away, who find out every thing, and go every where. Not a boyof Shoxford but would be in the river, or dancing upon its empty bed,screeching and scolloping up into his cap any poor bewildered troutchased into the puddles, if it were allowed to leak out, however feebly,that the Moon water was to stop running. And then how was I to seek forany thing?
This was a puzzle. But, with counsel, we did solve it. And we quietlystopped the Moon, without man or boy being much the wiser.