CHAPTER XIV. THE SPREAD OF THE BLIGHT.
It may be that Laura did not look upon the removal of her father as anunmixed misfortune. Nothing was said to her as to the manner of the oldman's seizure, but Robert informed her at breakfast that he had thoughtit best, acting under medical advice, to place him for a time undersome restraint. She had herself frequently remarked upon the growingeccentricity of his manner, so that the announcement could have beenno great surprise to her. It is certain that it did not diminish herappetite for the coffee and the scrambled eggs, nor prevent her fromchatting a good deal about her approaching wedding.
But it was very different with Raffles Haw. The incident had shockedhim to his inmost soul. He had often feared lest his money should doindirect evil, but here were crime and madness arising before his veryeyes from its influence. In vain he tried to choke down his feelings,and to persuade himself that this attack of old McIntyre's was somethingwhich came of itself--something which had no connection with himself orhis wealth. He remembered the man as he had first met him, garrulous,foolish, but with no obvious vices. He recalled the change which, weekby week, had come over him--his greedy eye, his furtive manner, hishints and innuendoes, ending only the day before in a positive demandfor money. It was too certain that there was a chain of events thereleading direct to the horrible encounter in the laboratory. His moneyhad cast a blight where he had hoped to shed a blessing.
Mr. Spurling, the vicar, was up shortly after breakfast, some rumour ofevil having come to his ears. It was good for Haw to talk with him, forthe fresh breezy manner of the old clergyman was a corrective to his ownsombre and introspective mood.
"Prut, tut!" said he. "This is very bad--very bad indeed! Mind unhinged,you say, and not likely to get over it! Dear, dear! I have noticeda change in him these last few weeks. He looked like a man who hadsomething upon his mind. And how is Mr. Robert McIntyre?"
"He is very well. He was with me this morning when his father had thisattack."
"Ha! There is a change in that young man. I observe an alteration inhim. You will forgive me, Mr. Raffles Haw, if I say a few serious wordsof advice to you. Apart from my spiritual functions I am old enoughto be your father. You are a very wealthy man, and you have used yourwealth nobly--yes, sir, nobly. I do not think that there is a man in athousand who would have done as well. But don't you think sometimes thatit has a dangerous influence upon those who are around you?"
"I have sometimes feared so." "We may pass over old Mr. McIntyre. Itwould hardly be just, perhaps, to mention him in this connection. Butthere is Robert. He used to take such an interest in his profession.He was so keen about art. If you met him, the first words he said wereusually some reference to his plans, or the progress he was making inhis latest picture. He was ambitious, pushing, self-reliant. Now he doesnothing. I know for a fact that it is two months since he put brush tocanvas. He has turned from a student into an idler, and, what is worse,I fear into a parasite. You will forgive me for speaking so plainly?"
Raffles Haw said nothing, but he threw out his hands with a gesture ofpain.
"And then there is something to be said about the country folk," saidthe vicar. "Your kindness has been, perhaps, a little indiscriminatethere. They don't seem to be as helpful or as self-reliant as they used.There was old Blaxton, whose cowhouse roof was blown off the other day.He used to be a man who was full of energy and resource. Three monthsago he would have got a ladder and had that roof on again in two days'work. But now he must sit down, and wring his hands, and write letters,because he knew that it would come to your ears, and that you would makeit good. There's old Ellary, too! Well, of course he was always poor,but at least he did something, and so kept himself out of mischief. Nota stroke will he do now, but smokes and talks scandal from morning tonight. And the worst of it is, that it not only hurts those who havehad your help, but it unsettles those who have not. They all have aninjured, surly feeling as if other folk were getting what they had anequal right to. It has really come to such a pitch that I thought it wasa duty to speak to you about it. Well, it is a new experience to me.I have often had to reprove my parishioners for not being charitableenough, but it is very strange to find one who is too charitable. It isa noble error."
"I thank you very much for letting me know about it," answered RafflesHaw, as he shook the good old clergyman's hand. "I shall certainlyreconsider my conduct in that respect."
He kept a rigid and unmoved face until his visitor had gone, and thenretiring to his own little room, he threw himself upon the bed and burstout sobbing with his face buried in the pillow. Of all men in England,this, the richest, was on that day the most miserable. How could he usethis great power which he held? Every blessing which he tried to giveturned itself into a curse. His intentions were so good, and yet theresults were so terrible. It was as if he had some foul leprosy of themind which all caught who were exposed to his influence. His charity,so well meant, so carefully bestowed, had yet poisoned the wholecountryside. And if in small things his results were so evil, how couldhe tell that they would be better in the larger plans which he hadformed? If he could not pay the debts of a simple yokel withoutdisturbing the great laws of cause and effect which lie at the base ofall things, what could he hope for when he came to fill the treasuryof nations, to interfere with the complex conditions of trade, or toprovide for great masses of the population? He drew back with horror ashe dimly saw that vast problems faced him in which he might make errorswhich all his money could not repair. The way of Providence was thestraight way. Yet he, a half-blind creature, must needs push in andstrive to alter and correct it. Would he be a benefactor? Might he notrather prove to be the greatest malefactor that the world had seen?
But soon a calmer mood came upon him, and he rose and bathed his flushedface and fevered brow. After all, was not there a field where all wereagreed that money might be well spent? It was not the way of nature, butrather the way of man which he would alter. It was not Providence thathad ordained that folk should live half-starved and overcrowded indreary slums. That was the result of artificial conditions, and itmight well be healed by artificial means. Why should not his plansbe successful after all, and the world better for his discovery? Thenagain, it was not the truth that he cast a blight on those with whom hewas brought in contact. There was Laura; who knew more of him than shedid, and yet how good and sweet and true she was! She at least had lostnothing through knowing him. He would go down and see her. It would besoothing to hear her voice, and to turn to her for words of sympathy inthis his hour of darkness.
The storm had died away, but a soft wind was blowing, and the smack ofthe coming spring was in the air. He drew in the aromatic scent of thefir-trees as he passed down the curving drive. Before him lay the longsloping countryside, all dotted over with the farmsteadings and littlered cottages, with the morning sun striking slantwise upon their greyroofs and glimmering windows. His heart yearned over all these peoplewith their manifold troubles, their little sordid miseries, theirstrivings and hopings and petty soul-killing cares. How could he getat them? How could he manage to lift the burden from them, and yet nothinder them in their life aim? For more and more could he see that allrefinement is through sorrow, and that the life which does not refine isthe life without an aim.
Laura was alone in the sitting-room at Elmdene, for Robert had gone outto make some final arrangements about his father. She sprang up as herlover entered, and ran forward with a pretty girlish gesture to greethim.
"Oh, Raffles!" she cried, "I knew that you would come. Is it notdreadful about papa?"
"You must not fret, dearest," he answered gently. "It may not prove tobe so very grave after all."
"But it all happened before I was stirring. I knew nothing about ituntil breakfast-time. They must have gone up to the Hall very early."
"Yes, they did come up rather early."
"What is the matter with you, Raffles?" cried Laura, looking up into hisface. "You look so sad and weary!"
"I have been a
little in the blues. The fact is, Laura, that I have hada long talk with Mr. Spurling this morning."
The girl started, and turned white to the lips. A long talk with Mr.Spurling! Did that mean that he had learned her secret?
"Well?" she gasped.
"He tells me that my charity has done more harm than good, and in fact,that I have had an evil influence upon every one whom I have comenear. He said it in the most delicate way, but that was really what itamounted to."
"Oh, is that all?" said Laura, with a long sigh of relief. "You must notthink of minding what Mr. Spurling says. Why, it is absurd on the faceof it! Everybody knows that there are dozens of men all over the countrywho would have been ruined and turned out of their houses if you had notstood their friend. How could they be the worse for having known you? Iwonder that Mr. Spurling can talk such nonsense!"
"How is Robert's picture getting on?"
"Oh, he has a lazy fit on him. He has not touched it for ever so long.But why do you ask that? You have that furrow on your brow again. Put itaway, sir!"
She smoothed it away with her little white hand.
"Well, at any rate, I don't think that quite everybody is the worse,"said he, looking down at her. "There is one, at least, who is beyondtaint, one who is good, and pure, and true, and who would love me aswell if I were a poor clerk struggling for a livelihood. You would,would you not, Laura?"
"You foolish boy! of course I would."
"And yet how strange it is that it should be so. That you, who are theonly woman whom I have ever loved, should be the only one in whom I alsohave raised an affection which is free from greed or interest. I wonderwhether you may not have been sent by Providence simply to restore myconfidence in the world. How barren a place would it not be if it werenot for woman's love! When all seemed black around me this morning, Itell you, Laura, that I seemed to turn to you and to your love as theone thing on earth upon which I could rely. All else seemed shifting,unstable, influenced by this or that base consideration. In you, and youonly, could I trust."
"And I in you, dear Raffles! I never knew what love was until I metyou."
She took a step towards him, her hands advanced, love shining in herfeatures, when in an instant Raffles saw the colour struck from herface, and a staring horror spring into her eyes. Her blanched and rigidface was turned towards the open door, while he, standing partly behindit, could not see what it was that had so moved her.
"Hector!" she gasped, with dry lips.
A quick step in the hall, and a slim, weather-tanned young man sprangforward into the room, and caught her up in his arms as if she had beena feather.
"You darling!" he said; "I knew that I would surprise you. I came rightup from Plymouth by the night train. And I have long leave, and plentyof time to get married. Isn't it jolly, dear Laura?"
He pirouetted round with her in the exuberance of his delight. As hespun round, however, his eyes fell suddenly upon the pale and silentstranger who stood by the door. Hector blushed furiously, and made anawkward sailor bow, standing with Laura's cold and unresponsive handstill clasped in his.
"Very sorry, sir--didn't see you," he said. "You'll excuse my going onin this mad sort of way, but if you had served you would know what itis to get away from quarter-deck manners, and to be a free man. MissMcIntyre will tell you that we have known each other since we werechildren, and as we are to be married in, I hope, a month at the latest,we understand each other pretty well."
Raffles Haw still stood cold and motionless. He was stunned, benumbed,by what he saw and heard. Laura drew away from Hector, and tried to freeher hand from his grasp.
"Didn't you get my letter at Gibraltar?" she asked.
"Never went to Gibraltar. Were ordered home by wire from Madeira.Those chaps at the Admiralty never know their own minds for two hourstogether. But what matter about a letter, Laura, so long as I can seeyou and speak with you? You have not introduced me to your friend here."
"One word, sir," cried Raffles Haw in a quivering voice. "Do I entirelyunderstand you? Let me be sure that there is no mistake. You say thatyou are engaged to be married to Miss McIntyre?"
"Of course I am. I've just come back from a four months' cruise, and Iam going to be married before I drag my anchor again."
"Four months!" gasped Haw. "Why, it is just four months since I camehere. And one last question, sir. Does Robert McIntyre know of yourengagement?"
"Does Bob know? Of course he knows. Why, it was to his care I left Laurawhen I started. But what is the meaning of all this? What is the matterwith you, Laura? Why are you so white and silent? And--hallo! Hold up,sir! The man is fainting!"
"It is all right!" gasped Haw, steadying himself against the edge of thedoor.
He was as white as paper, and his hand was pressed close to his side asthough some sudden pain had shot through him. For a moment he totteredthere like a stricken man, and then, with a hoarse cry, he turned andfled out through the open door.
"Poor devil!" said Hector, gazing in amazement after him. "He seems hardhit anyhow. But what is the meaning of all this, Laura?"
His face had darkened, and his mouth had set.
She had not said a word, but had stood with a face like a mask lookingblankly in front of her. Now she tore herself away from him, and,casting herself down with her face buried in the cushion of the sofa,she burst into a passion of sobbing.
"It means that you have ruined me," she cried. "That you haveruined-ruined--ruined me! Could you not leave us alone? Why must youcome at the last moment? A few more days, and we were safe. And younever had my letter."
"And what was in your letter, then?" he asked coldly, standing with hisarms folded, looking down at her.
"It was to tell you that I released you. I love Raffles Haw, and I wasto have been his wife. And now it is all gone. Oh, Hector, I hate you,and I shall always hate you as long as I live, for you have steppedbetween me and the only good fortune that ever came to me. Leave mealone, and I hope that you will never cross our threshold again."
"Is that your last word, Laura?"
"The last that I shall ever speak to you."
"Then, good-bye. I shall see the Dad, and go straight back to Plymouth."He waited an instant, in hopes of an answer, and then walked sadly fromthe room.