CHAPTER II
Four Verses
'In preparing a guide to immortality, Infinite Wisdom gave not adictionary, nor a grammar, but a Bible--a book of heavenly doctrine,but withal of earthly adaptation.'--_J. Hamilton._
The old woman looked through her glasses at her four nurslings with aloving eye; then she said very quietly, 'I have been hearing all aboutyour plans, Miss Agatha, and I'm thinking you have shown your wisdom inkeeping a home together. Forgive my plain speaking. I know 'tis anage for young ladies to make homes for themselves, anywhere andeverywhere, but unless a woman is married, 'tis a risky undertakin'!I've been inclined to fret that my working days are over, for dearlywould I like to have gone with you, and done what I could to make youcomfortable; but 'tis the Lord's will, and my age and helplessnessdoesn't prevent me from prayin' for you all! You have the same psalmin your mind, Miss Agatha, that I have been readin' and studyin' thisafternoon. I would dearly like to give you each a verse out of it, ifyou won't take offence.'
'We're in for one of Nannie's preaches!' said Gwen, laughing, as sheplaced a large-print Bible before her old nurse; 'but we shan't have achance of many more, so we promise to be attentive!'
'Ay, dear Miss Gwen, it isn't a preach! How often you come up here tohave a cup o' tea to refresh your bodies! and 'tis a bit of refreshmentto your souls that I'm now makin' so bold as to offer.' Nannie turnedover the pages of her beloved Bible with a reverent hand, then shelooked across at Agatha.
'My dear Miss Agatha, there are four verses here, with a command and apromise. I should like to give you each one to think of, through allthe troubles and trials that may come to you. Will you mark it in yourown Bibles, and live it out, remembering it was Nannie's verse for you,so that when I'm dead and gone you may still have the comfort andteachin' of it?'
Agatha was touched by the old woman's solemn earnestness.
'Yes, Nannie, give it to me, and I will try and put it "into practice."'
Nannie's voice rang out in the dusky firelit room, as she repeated,more from memory than by sight,--
'Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, andverily thou shalt be fed!'
'Thank you, Nannie,' said Agatha after a pause, 'I will look it up andremember it.'
'Now mine, please,' said Gwen, looking over the old woman's shoulder.'Is it the next verse for me?'
'No, my dear, I think not. It seems to me that this must be the Lord'sword to you: "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and Heshall bring it to pass."'
'You have given me that because you think I like choosing my own waythrough life, now haven't you?'
'Maybe I have. Choosing our own ways and goin' in them always bringtrouble in the end. Now, Miss Clare, your verse is the beginning ofthe one Miss Agatha was sayin': "Rest in the Lord, and wait patientlyfor Him"; and, Miss Elfie, this is for you, "Delight thyself also inthe Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."'
'And I am the only one that has got a command without a promise,' saidClare reproachfully.
Nannie looked at Clare, then at her big Bible again.
'You have a promise further on, Miss Clare, "Those that wait upon theLord, they shalt inherit the earth."'
'Ah, Nannie, that is too big a promise to realize. If it was toinherit Dane Hall now!'
'My dear, since you were a little wee child, you have always beenlooking for something big. You will inherit more from God Almighty, ifyou wait for Him, than ever you could inherit without Him!'
There was silence for a few minutes; then Gwen said, trying to speaklightly, 'We shan't forget your verses, Nannie; and though I'm afraidnone of us will ever grow into such a saint as yourself, it won't befor want of an example before us. Now may we turn to business? Jacobhas gone, and we must bestir ourselves. I have cut out anadvertisement from the _Morning Post_, which I think sounds tempting.And as Agatha seems so slow in making up her mind, I think I shall takethe train to-morrow morning and go and inspect the place myself.Doesn't it sound as if it ought to suit us? "To Let. An old-fashionedcottage residence, four bedrooms, two attics, three reception-rooms,well-stocked fruit and vegetable garden. Owner called abroad suddenly;will let on reasonable terms!"'
'Where is it?' asked Elfie.
'Hampshire. I wrote to the agent who advertises, and he said the rentwould be about 40 pounds. It is close to some pine woods, and onlythree miles from a town. It sounds nice, I think; at any rate, it isworth seeing about.'
'Do you like old-fashioned cottage residences?' said Clare verydubiously; 'they always remind me of rotten floors, rats and mice, anddamp musty rooms.'
I hate modern villas,' retorted Gwen, 'with gimcrack walls and smokychimneys and bad drainage! This has an old-world sound. Let us, if welive out of town, choose an Arcadia, with nothing to remind us of theovercrowded suburbs. Are you willing I should go, Agatha, and comeback and report the land?'
Yes,' said Agatha; 'better you should do it than I, for what suits youwill suit me, but what would suit me might not suit you. We will talkit over when you come back.'
And so it was settled; and after an early breakfast next day, Gwenstarted on her quest.
She did not come back till between seven and eight o'clock in theevening, and seemed so tired that Agatha insisted upon her eating agood dinner before she gave an account of herself. Then, rested andrefreshed, she came into the drawing-room and settled herself in acomfortable chair by the fire to give her experiences.
'I really think it will do,' she began. 'I arrived at the stationabout twelve o'clock, and walked out the three miles, to see what thecountry was like. Brambleton is a clean, empty little town, with noone in the streets but a few tottering old men and children, a few goodshops, and there is a market every Friday. I walked along the highroad for a couple of miles, then turned up a lane with a ragged pieceof common at the end of it, passed one or two nice houses standing backin their own grounds, a little country church with parsonage adjoiningin the orthodox fashion, a cluster of thatched cottages, and finallycame to the "cottage residence."'
'Is it in a village street?' asked Agatha.
'No, not exactly. It is in a side road leading to a farm. It is a lowwhite house with a great box hedge hiding it from the road, and astone-flagged path leading up to the door. A blue trellis verandahruns right round it, which I rather liked, and a row of straw bee-hivesin front delighted me. There was an old woman in charge, who showed meall over, and talked unceasingly.'
'Now describe the rooms exactly,' said Elfie eagerly; 'and did thehouse smell musty and damp?'
'No, I shouldn't say it was at all damp; of course rooms that have beenshut up always seem fusty and close. It is a little place; you mustnot think the rooms are anything like this. On one side of the door isa long low room, the width of the house, with a window at each end; theother side of the passage there are two smaller rooms; the kitchens,etcetera, lie out at the back; and the stairs go up in the middle ofthe passage. Four fair-sized bedrooms are above, and the two atticsare quite habitable. The back of the house has the best view; itoverlooks a hill with a cluster of pines, and woods in the distance.Fields are round it, but the back garden has a good high brick wall,with plenty of fruit trees, and all laid out as a kitchen garden. Thefront piece is in grass, with a dear old elm in the corner.'
I don't like the sound of the box hedge,' said Agatha thoughtfully; 'itseems so shut in, and very lonely, I should say.'
'Of course we shall not have many passers-by, except the carters to andfrom the farm; but if you are in the country, what can you expect? Wecan cut down the hedge. I like the place myself, and it is in goodrepair, for the owner has only just left it. I must tell you abouthim, for there is quite a story about him. Old Mrs. Tucker was hiscook. He is an eccentric widower, and has a brother with a lot ofproperty in the neighbourhood. He spends his time in carving,painting, and writing about old manuscripts. That is one thing youwill like, Clare; all the doors and cupboards i
n the house are carvedmost beautifully, even the low window sills, and mantelpieces. Aboutfour months ago he had a dreadful quarrel with his brother, and toldMrs. Tucker that he was going abroad till his temper cooled. He storedall his furniture, and said he would let the house, but only to ayearly tenant, as he might wish to return again. That is thedisadvantage of the house; but I think he will not be in a hurry toreturn. There is an old carved cupboard let into the wall in the roomwhich was his study, and this he has left locked, and wishes any tenantto understand that it is not to be opened. They take the house underthis condition.'
'A Bluebeard's cupboard,' said Clare delightedly. 'Why, this is mostinteresting. I am longing to take the house now.'
'That is indeed a woman's speech,' said a voice behind her, and a tallbroad-shouldered man laid his hand gently on her shoulder.
Clare turned round, with a pretty pink colour in her cheeks.
'Oh, Hugh, is it you? Come and sit down, and hear about the cottage wemeditate taking. Gwen is our business man, and seems to have foundjust the place we wanted.'
Captain Knox took a seat by his betrothed, and was soon hearing aboutit all. Then after it was discussed afresh, and he agreed that itmight prove suitable, the other girls slipped away to the innerdrawing-room, and left the young couple alone.
Clare's wistful dreaminess had vanished now, and she was bright andanimated.
'I believe you girls are rejoicing in your sudden downfall,' saidCaptain Knox at length; 'I hear no moans now over your lost fortunes.It is the outside world that is pitying you. "Those poor girls," Ihear on all sides, "after the very marked way in which old Miss Danetold everybody they would be heiresses at her death. It is mostincomprehensible."'
It is no laughing matter, Hugh,' said Clare gravely. 'We are going totry and make the best of it; but when we think of James, our bloodboils!'
'Well, darling, you will never know actual want, that is my comfort.How I wish I could offer you a home now! but I have been advised sostrongly to go with this party that I feel I ought not to refuse. Itwill only be a matter of six months, I hope, and then I shall take youaway from your country retreat altogether.'
'I sometimes wish----' Clare stopped.
'Well, what?'
'I was going to say I wish you were not in the army, but that is wrong.I do so much prefer a settled home to the incessant change in theservice.'
Captain Knox's brows clouded a little, for he was a keen soldier, andwas devoted to his corps, which was the Royal Engineers.
'But, Clare, I have heard you say before that you do not care for a gaytown life, nor a quiet country one; so what do you like?'
'I don't know what I like,' she said, laughing; 'generally it is what Ihaven't got. Don't mind my grumblings. I shall be so tired of thecountry, and the dull monotony of it all, by the time you come back,that I shall fly to you with open arms, and entreat you to take me intothe very midst of garrison gaiety.'
Captain Knox smiled, though he still looked perplexed. Clare's moods,and contradictions of humour, were inexplicable to a man of his frank,straightforward nature. Yet she was so sweetly penitent after a fit ofdiscontent, and so delightful in her waywardness, that he only lovedher the more, and found, as so many others do, that woman is a problemthat few masculine brains can solve.
Whilst the two lovers were enjoying their _tete-a-tete_, Elfie hadcrept upstairs to see Nannie, and a gravity had settled on her usuallysunny face as she entered her nurse's room.
'Have you come for a chat, Miss Elfie?' inquired the old woman,brightening at the sight of her.
'Yes, Nannie. I have been thinking over my verse that you gave me. Ican't get it out of my head. It is a very lovely one, but verydifficult to put into practice, I should think.'
'Why, surely, no, my dear! And for you 'tis easier than most.'
'That is because I always say I find it is easy to be happy. But,Nannie, delighting oneself in the Lord is a very different thing.'
'Ay, but the lark that rises with his song, and the flowers that turntheir faces to the sun, or soft refreshing showers, don't find itdifficult to delight themselves in the air and sunshine. I think, MissElfie, you are one of the Lord's dear children, are you not?'
Elfie's face flushed; then sitting down in a low chair, she rested herhead against Nannie's knees.
'Yes,' she said softly. 'I told you how different everything had beenwith me when last I was home, Nannie. That German governess was such ahelp to me. But what I feel is this: I enjoy everything in life so; itall seems so bright and sunny to me, that I feel the pleasure I take ineverything may be such a snare. I ought to have my enjoyment in theLord apart from it all. And I sometimes ask myself if I could be happyshut up in a prison cell, away from all I love, and--and I almost thinkI couldn't. Nannie smiled.
'You are a foolish child. Do you think the Lord loves to put Hischildren in miserable circumstances and keep them there? Your youthand your gladness and your hopes are all gifts from Him. He loves tosee us happy. Doesn't the sun, and the brightness, and all the lovelybits o' nature, come straight from Him? He didn't make London with itssmoke and fog and misery, 'tis us that have done that.'
'But I like London,' put in Elfie. 'I love the shops and the peopleand the bustle, and at first I didn't like the idea of the country atall, but now I am beginning to.'
'Wherever you may be, Miss Elfie, delight yourself in yoursurroundings, unless they be sinful; but be sure o' this, you candelight yourself in the Lord in the midst of it all, and have no needto separate Him from all your innocent joys. Doesn't your verse say asmuch? Will the Lord take all that is pleasant away from you, if you doHis command? No; "He will give thee the desires of thine heart." Couldyou want more proof of His love? You may later on in life have anotherlesson to learn, but 'twill come easier then, and you'll be able to saywith Habakkuk, "Although everything else fails, yet I will rejoice inthe Lord."'
Elfie was silent. Then she got up and kissed her old nurse.
'You're an old saint; you always do me such a world of good. I thinkyou have given me the best verse of them all, and I will try and makeit my motto. Now I must go. I only ran up to have a peep at you.'