CHAPTER X.
THE BASLEHURST GAZETTE.
By one vote! Old Mr. Cornbury when he heard of it gasped with dismay,and in secret regretted that his son had not been beaten. What seatcould be gained by one vote and not be contested, especially whenthe beaten candidate was a Jew clothier rolling in money? And whatsums would not a petition and scrutiny cost? Butler Cornbury himselfwas dismayed, and could hardly participate in the exultation of hismore enthusiastic wife. Mr. Hart of course declared that he wouldpetition, and that he was as sure of the seat as though he alreadyoccupied it. But as it was known that every possible electioneeringdevice had been put in practice on his behalf during the last twohours of the poll, the world at large in Baslehurst believed thatyoung Cornbury's position was secure. Tappitt and some few otherswere of a different opinion. At the present moment Tappitt could notendure to acknowledge to himself that he had been beaten. Nothing butthe prestige and inward support of immediate success could supporthim in that contest, so much more important to himself, in which hewas now about to be engaged. That matter of the petition, however,can hardly be brought into the present story. The political worldwill understand that it would be carried on with great vigour.
The news of the election of Butler Cornbury reached the cottageat Bragg's End by the voice of Mr. Sturt on the same evening; andMrs. Ray, in her quiet way, expressed much joy that Mr. Comfort'sson-in-law should have been successful, and that Baslehurst shouldnot have disgraced itself by any connexion with a Jew. To her it hadappeared monstrous that such a one should have been even permitted toshow himself in the town as a candidate for its representation. Tosuch she would have denied all civil rights, and almost all socialrights. For a true spirit of persecution one should always go to awoman; and the milder, the sweeter, the more loving, the more womanlythe woman, the stronger will be that spirit within her. Strong lovefor the thing loved necessitates strong hatred for the thing hated,and thence comes the spirit of persecution. They in England who arenow keenest against the Jews, who would again take from them rightsthat they have lately won, are certainly those who think most of thefaith of a Christian. The most deadly enemies of the Roman Catholicsare they who love best their religion as Protestants. When we look toindividuals we always find it so, though it hardly suits us to admitas much when we discuss these subjects broadly. To Mrs. Ray it waswonderful that a Jew should have been entertained in Baslehurst as afuture member for the borough, and that he should have been admittedto speak aloud within a few yards of the church tower!
On the day but one after the election Mrs. Sturt brought over tothe cottage an extra sheet of the "Baslehurst Gazette," which hadbeen published out of its course, and which was devoted to thecircumstances of the election. I am not sure that Mrs. Sturt wouldhave regarded this somewhat dull report of the election speeches ashaving any peculiar interest for Mrs. Ray and her daughter had it notbeen for one special passage. Luke Rowan's speech about Baslehurstwas given at length, and in it was contained that public promiseas to his matrimonial intentions. Mrs. Sturt came into the cottageparlour with the paper doubled into four, and with her finger ona particular spot. To her it had seemed that Rowan's promise musthave been intended for Rachel, and it seemed also that nothing couldbe more manly, straightforward, or gallant than that assurance. Itsuited her idea of chivalry. But she was not quite sure that Rachelwould enjoy the publicity of the declaration, and therefore she wasprepared to point the passage out more particularly to Mrs. Ray."I've brought 'ee the account of it all," said she, still holding thepaper in her hand. "The gudeman,--he's done with t' paper, and you'llkeep it for good and all. One young man that we know of has made t'finest speech of 'em all to my mind. Luik at that, Mrs. Ray." Then,with a knowing wink at the mother, and a poke at the special wordswith her finger, she left the sheet in Mrs. Ray's hand, and went herway.
Mrs. Ray, who had not quite understood the pantomime, and whose eyehad not caught the words relating to marriage, saw however that thecolumn indicated contained the report of a speech made by Luke Rowan,and she began it at the beginning and read it throughout. Luke hadidentified himself with the paper, and therefore received from italmost more than justice. His words were given at very full length,and for some ten minutes she was reading before she came to the wordswhich Mrs. Sturt had hoped would be so delightful.
"What is it, mamma?" Rachel asked.
"A speech, my dear, made at the election."
"And who made it, mamma?"
Mrs. Ray hesitated for a moment before she answered, thereby lettingRachel know full well who made the speech before the word was spoken.But at last she did speak the word--"Mr. Rowan, my dear."
"Oh!" said Rachel; she longed to get hold of the newspaper, but shewould utter no word expressive of such longing. Since that evening onwhich she had been bidden to look at the clouds she had regarded Lukeas a special hero, cleverer than other men around her, as a man bornto achieve things and make himself known. It was not astonishingto her that a speech of his should be reported at length in thenewspaper. He was a man certain to rise, to make speeches, and to bereported. So she thought of him; and so thinking had almost wishedthat it were not so. Could she expect that such a one would stoopto her? or that if he did so that she could be fit for him? He hadnow perceived that himself, and therefore had taken her at her word,and had left her. Had he been more like other men around her;--morehomely, less prone to rise, with less about him of fire and genius,she might have won him and kept him. The prize would not have beenso precious; but still, she thought, it might have been sufficientfor her heart. A young man who could find printers and publishers toreport his words in that way, on the first moment of his coming amongthem, would he turn aside from his path to look after her? Would henot bring with him some grand lady down from London as his wife?
"Dear me!" said Mrs. Ray, quite startled. "Oh, dear! What do youthink he says?"
"What does he say, mamma?"
"Well, I don't know. Perhaps he mayn't mean it. I don't think I oughtto have spoken of it."
"If it's in the newspaper I suppose I should have heard of it, unlessyou sent it back without letting me see it."
"She said we were to keep it, and it's because of that, I'm sure. Shewas always the most good-natured woman in the world. I don't knowwhat we should have done if we hadn't found such a neighbour as Mrs.Sturt."
"But what is it, mamma, that you are speaking of in the newspapers?"
"Mr. Rowan says--Oh, dear! I wish I'd let you come to it yourself.How very odd that he should get up and say that kind of thing inpublic before all the people. He says;--but any way I know he meansit because he's so honest. And after all if he means it, it doesn'tmuch matter where he says it. Handsome is that handsome does. There,my dear; I don't know how to tell it you, so you had better read ityourself."
Rachel with eager hands took the paper, and began the speech as hermother had done, and read it through. She read it through till shecame to those words, and then she put the paper down beside her. "Iunderstand what you mean, mamma, and what Mrs. Sturt meant; but Mr.Rowan did not mean that."
"What did he mean, my dear?"
"He meant them to understand that he intended to become a man ofBaslehurst like one of themselves."
"But then why did he talk about finding a wife there?"
"He wouldn't have said that, mamma, if he had meant anythingparticular. If anything of that sort had been at all in his mind, itwould have kept him from saying what he did say."
"But didn't he mean that he intended to marry a Baslehurst lady?"
"He meant it in that sort of way in which men do mean such things. Itwas his way to make them think well of him. But don't let us talk anymore about it, mamma. It isn't nice."
"Well, I'm sure I can't understand it," said Mrs. Ray. But she becamesilent on the subject, and the reading of the newspaper was passedover to Rachel.
This had not been completed when a step was heard on the gravel walkoutside, and Mrs. Ray, jumping up, declared it to be the step of
her eldest daughter. It was so, and Mrs. Prime was very soon in theroom. It was at this time about four o'clock in the afternoon, andtherefore, as the hour for tea at the cottage was half-past five, itwas naturally understood that Mrs. Prime had come there to join themat their evening meal. After their first greeting she had seatedherself on the sofa, and there was that in her manner which showedboth to her mother and sister that she was somewhat confused,--thatshe had something to say as to which there was some hesitation. "Dotake off your bonnet, Dorothea," said her mother.
"Will you come up-stairs, Dolly," said her sister, "and put your hairstraight after your walk?"
But Dolly did not care whether her hair was straight or tossed, asthe Irish girls say when the smoothness of their locks has beendisarranged. She took off her bonnet, however, and laid it on thesofa beside her. "Mother," she said, "I've got something particularthat I want to say to you."
"I hope it's not anything serious the matter," said Mrs. Ray.
"Well, mother, it is serious. Things are serious mostly, I think,--orshould be."
"Shall I go into the garden while you are speaking to mamma?" saidRachel.
"No, Rachel; not on my account. What I've got to say should be saidto you as well as to mother. It's all over between me and Mr. Prong."
"No!" said Mrs. Ray.
"I thought it would be," said Rachel.
"And why did you think so?" said Mrs. Prime, turning round upon hersister, almost angrily.
"I felt that he wouldn't suit you, Dolly; that's why I thought so. Ifit's all over now, I suppose there's no harm in saying that I didn'tlike him well enough to hope he'd be my brother-in-law."
"But that couldn't make you think it. However, it's all over betweenus. We agreed that it should be so this morning; and I thought itright to come out and let you know at once."
"I'm glad you've told us," said Mrs. Ray.
"Was there any quarrel?" asked Rachel.
"No, Rachel, there was no quarrel; not what you call a quarrel,I suppose. We found there were subjects of disagreement betweenus,--matters on which we had adverse opinions; and therefore it wasbetter that we should part."
"It was about the money, perhaps?" said Mrs. Ray.
"Well, yes; it was in part about the money. Had I known then as muchas I do now about the law in such matters, I should have told Mr.Prong from the first that it could not be. He is a good man, and Ihope I have not disturbed his happiness."
"I used to be afraid that he would disturb yours," said Rachel, "andtherefore I cannot pretend to regret it."
"That's not charitable, Rachel. But if you please we won't sayanything more about it. It's over, and that is enough. And now,mother, I want to know if you will object to my returning here andliving at the cottage again."
Mrs. Ray could not bethink herself at the moment what answer shemight best make, and therefore for some moments she made none. Forherself she would have been delighted that her eldest daughter shouldreturn to the cottage. Under no circumstances could she refuse herown child a home under her own roof. But at the present moment shecould not forget the circumstances under which Mrs. Prime had gone,and it militated sorely against Mrs. Ray's sense of justice that thereturn should be made to depend on other circumstances. Mrs. Primehad gone away in loud disapproval of Rachel's conduct; and now sheproposed to return, on this breaking up of her own matrimonialarrangements, as though she had left the cottage because of herproposed marriage. Mrs. Prime should be welcomed back, but her returnshould be accompanied by a withdrawal of her accusation againstRachel. Mrs. Ray did not know how to put her demand into words, buther mind was clear on the subject.
"Well, mother," said Mrs. Prime; "is there any objection?"
"No, my dear; no objection at all: of course not. I shall bedelighted to have you back, and so, I'm sure, will Rachel; but--"
"But what? Is it about money?"
"Oh, dear, no! Nothing about money at all. If you do come back,--andI'm sure I hope you will; and indeed it seems quite unnatural thatyou should be staying in Baslehurst, while we are living here. ButI think you ought to say, my dear, that Rachel behaved just as sheought to behave in all that matter about,--about Mr. Rowan, youknow."
"Don't mind me, mamma," said Rachel,--who could, however, havesmothered her mother with kisses, on hearing these words.
"But I think we all ought to understand each other, Rachel. You andyour sister can't go on comfortably together, if there's to be moreblack looks about that."
"I don't know that there have been any black looks," said Mrs. Prime,looking very black as she spoke.
"At any rate we should understand each other," continued Mrs. Ray,with admirable courage. "I've thought a great deal about it sinceyou've been away. Indeed I haven't thought about much else. And Idon't think I shall ever forgive myself for having let a hard word besaid to Rachel about it."
"Oh, mamma, don't,--don't," said Rachel. But those meditated embraceswere continued in her imagination.
"I don't want to say any hard words," said Mrs. Prime.
"No; I'm sure you don't;--only they were said,--weren't they, now?Didn't we blame her about being out there in the churchyard thatevening?"
"Mamma!" exclaimed Rachel.
"Well, my dear, I won't say any more;--only this. Your sister wentaway because she thought you weren't good enough for her to livewith; and if she comes back again,--which I'm sure I hope shewill,--I think she ought to say that she's been mistaken."
Mrs. Prime looked very black, and no word fell from her. She satthere silent and gloomy, while Mrs. Ray looked at the fireplace, lostin wonder at her own effort. Whether she would have given way or not,had she and Mrs. Prime been alone, I cannot say. That Mrs. Primewould have uttered no outspoken recantation I feel sure. It wasRachel at last who settled the matter.
"If Dolly comes back to live here, mamma," said she, "I shall takethat as an acknowledgment on her part that she thinks I am goodenough to live with."
"Well, my dear," said Mrs. Ray, "perhaps that'll do; only thereshould be an understanding, you know."
Mrs. Prime at the moment said nothing; but when next she spoke herwords showed her intention of having her things brought back to thecottage on the next day. I think it must be felt that Rachel hadwon the victory. She felt it so herself, and was conscious that nofurther attempt would be made to carry her off to Dorcas meetingsagainst her own will.