CHAPTER XXII
DESCRIBING THE HOSPITALITY OF ONE JERRY JARVIS A TINKER
We stood upon a hill beneath an orbed moon whose splendour dimmed thestars; below us lay a mystery of sombre woods with a prospect of hilland dale beyond, and never a sound to disturb the all-pervadingstillness save the soft, bubbling notes of a nightjar and the distantmurmur of the brook that flowed in the valley at our feet, hereleaping in glory, there gliding,--a smooth and placid mirror to Dian'sbeauty, a brook that wound amid light and shadow until it lost itselfin the gloom of trees thick-clustered about a little hamlet that sleptin the shadow of hoary church tower.
Thus as we descended the hill, I walked reverently, my soul upraisedin chaste and fervent ecstasy. However, this fine, poetical rhapsodywas banished, suddenly and most unpleasantly, by my companion who,setting fingers to mouth, emitted a shrill whistle,--threeear-piercing blasts that shattered the night's holy calm and startledme to indignant protest.
"Heavens, Diana!" I exclaimed, "why do that? It was desecration!"
"You'll know if you listen, Peregrine!" As she spoke there came ananswering whistle from the woods before us. "It's Jerry!" she nodded."It's Jerry Jarvis--hark, he be coming to meet me!"
"Then he knows it is you?"
"Of course! He learned me to whistle for him so when I was a littlechild and--" She turned suddenly, and with a little, glad cry of "OJerry!" ran forward into the shadows and was clasped and hugged in apair of dim arms.
"Why, Ann--why, Anna, dear child--have ye come a-seeking your oldJeremy? What is it this time, dear lass; tell your trouble to your oldpal--"
"O Jerry, I'm free, I'm free of 'em at last!"
"Free o' the Folk, lass? Lord, here's j'y! But what of old Azor--thatwitch o' darkness?"
"Her too, Jerry."
"How, lass, how so?" Here Diana reached her hand to me and I steppedinto the Tinker's purview.
"He did it for me, Jerry."
"Lord!" exclaimed the Tinker, falling back a step. "Lord love me--aboy! A lad at last! Well, well, 't is nat'ral, I suppose, though whatI can see of him bean't much to look at, Ann--but no more am I, forthat matter! And he ain't exactly a Goliath of Gath--though no more amI again. But then I've noticed that great men be generally of acomfortable, middling size. And if he be your _chal_, my dear--"
"Have you forgotten me so soon, Mr. Jarvis?" said I at this juncture,whereupon he turned to peer into my face, then caught and wrung myhand.
"Strike me blue!" he exclaimed. "It's the bang-up young gent in thejerry 'at 'as left a home luxoorious to see the world and l'arn to bea man!"
"That very same!" said I.
"Why, then, Lord love me, here's j'y again!" cried he, grasping myhand with a heartiness there was no mistaking. "But how come youhereabouts and along of Anna, too? And how comes Anna free o' the Folkat last and along wi' a young _gorgio_ gent wi' nothing flashabout him? And what's come o' your bang-up duds? And I'd like toknow--but wait a bit! Are ye hungry?"
"We are!" answered Diana.
"Good!" exclaimed the Tinker. "Then come your ways to my fire,children; I've a couple o' rabbits in the pot wi' a lump o' pork andan onion or so for comp'ny, which is a supper fit for any king."
"You are very kind, Mr. Jarvis," said I, a little awkwardly, "but Iought to tell you that I am as poor as I look--I haven't one penny--"
"Well, that don't make me speechless wi' surprise, young sir; moneyhas a habit o' going, 'specially when you're young, but a fullstomach's better than a full purse, I think."
"But," said I, "having no money, how may I repay your hospitality?"
"By eating hearty! And as for money, Lord love my eyes and limbs--whowants your money?"
"There, there, Jerry--don't get peppery!" said Diana soothingly."Peregrine don't understand the likes of us, yet."
"Why no, Ann, I was forgetting the poor, misfort'nate young gent hasnever known the blessings of hardship, never suffered, never lackedfor anything all his days and consequently knows nothing o' truehospitality or the brotherhood o' the roadside--how should he?"
"Then you shall teach me, if you will, Mr. Jarvis," said I, humbly.
"Then, sir--come and eat," he answered, "and don't go 'mistering' me;I'm Tinker Jarvis and Jerry to my friends."
"Then please don't call me 'sir'--my name is Peregrine."
"Then it's a bargain, friend Peregrine!" said he, and led us into thedeeps of the wood where was a small clearing well shut in by bush andthicket; and here burned a fire that crackled cheerily beneath abubbling pot, a fire whose dancing light showed me the three-leggedstool, the dingy tent and Diogenes the pony tethered near by, who,having lifted shaggy head to snuff towards us enquiringly, fell tocropping the grass again. And beholding all this, the Tinker's shrewdand kindly face and Diana smiling at me across the fire, I felt asense of rest and companionship vastly comforting.