CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
CONFIDENCES.
While Mollie was busy at the vicarage, Ruth took her book to herfavourite seat, and prepared to spend a quiet morning; but to herdelight, Victor joined her, and took his place by her side, before shehad been seated more than a few minutes.
"He will see Lady Margot this afternoon. He need not ride ahead in thehope of meeting her," came the involuntary bitter thought; but it wasimpossible to harbour jealousy for more than a minute when alone inVictor's company. Every word, every look, every tone, was filled with asubtle flattery which was not only soothing but inspiring into thebargain, for we are always at our best in the society of those whoappreciate us.
Ruth gazed, with the old delightful sense of well-being, across thebeautiful grounds, in which the long slopes of green and wide-spreadingtrees had already grown dear and familiar as old friends. Surely everyday it became more certain that this would be her home of the future,since Jack was still determined to return to town the moment he wassufficiently recovered from his accident, and Mollie's extravagance wasplainly distasteful to Uncle Bernard. As for Victor, if he really--really meant... Ruth did not finish the sentence even to herself, butat the bottom of her mind lurked the inevitable reflection that shestood a double chance.
Evidently Victor's thoughts had, to a certain extent, followed her own,for he broke the silence by saying suddenly--
"That was an extraordinary statement of Mr Farrell's the other day,--that he had already made a will. I suppose it is a wise precautionunder the circumstances, but it gave one rather a shock to know thatthings were already settled."
"Yes, poor old man! one hates to realise how ill he must be. He doesnot seem to have grown any worse since we came, so far as an outsidercan judge, but he must feel his weakness increasing."
Ruth puckered her brows in a distressed fashion, too much occupied withher own thoughts to notice Victor's quick glance of inquiry.
His concern had not been for Mr Farrell or his sufferings, but he wasquick to change his tone in response to hers.
"I expect he does," said Victor, "though he is too well-plucked tocomplain. The doctor told me the other day that these fluctuations arepart of the disease, and mean no real improvement. He does not give himlong, though he thinks it will probably be six months or more. It mustbe more or less of an effort to him having us here, and if his mind isalready made up, I wonder he does not prefer to go back to hissolitude."
"He said he might still change, you remember. The will is only made incase of accidents. It does seem strange to think of it lying there allthe time, and that one peep at it would end all our wonderings. I_should_ like to see it!" cried Ruth with an outspoken honesty whichapparently shocked her companion.
"Be careful what you say, Miss Ruth! Farrell is just the sort of cross-grained old fellow to take all sorts of ideas into his head if he heardyou. And, besides, you can surely guess for yourself what name youwould find!"
Ruth lifted her face to his in quick inquiry. The brown eyes were foronce fully open and looking down at her with an expression half smiling,half melancholy. "You know it would be your own!" he said softly, andshe flushed in quick denial.
"No, no; it's impossible to be certain. I hope, of course, but-- Atfirst I thought Uncle Bernard liked me best, but lately Mollie seems tohave cut me out."
"But we are told that liking has nothing to do with the great decision."
"I know, and that does away at once with so many qualities with one fellswoop, that one can hardly tell what is left. It puts amiability out ofthe question, and unselfishness and cheerfulness, and--and tact, andeverything which makes us care for a person or not. When they are gone,what is left?"
"A great many things, just as Mr Farrell's knowledge of our charactersand actions is far more extensive than you suspect. We meet at meals,and in the evening, and for the rest of the day one would imagine thatwe are beyond his ken, but I have discovered that to be a mistake. Insome mysterious fashion he knows all that we do, and guesses fairlyaccurately what we think! ... Would you imagine, for instance, that heknew that this seat was our favourite resort, and that we have enjoyedsome very pleasant _tete-a-tetes_ here during the last few weeks? Wouldyou imagine that he knew who gave me that white rosebud which I wore asa button-hole last night?"
Ruth's face was a rose itself at that moment, a red, red rose, as thecolour flew from her cheeks up to the roots of her hair. Her eyeswavered, and fell.
"How can he know? How do you know he knows?" she queried confusedly;and Victor shrugged his shoulders.
"How, I can't tell you, but I suspect his man James is a useful sourceof information. I know that he knows, because of several causticremarks which he has let fall from time to time, to which my legalexperience easily gives me the clue. I have come to the conclusion thathe knows pretty well what we are about every hour of the day!"
"Even when you go out riding by yourself, and meet Lady Margot in thelanes?" questioned Ruth, stung by a sudden rising of jealousy, which shewas unable to control. The words were no sooner spoken than regretted,and regret deepened into shame as Victor turned his calmly surprisedeyes upon her.
"Certainly! as I told him myself in the first instance. Since then Ihave been fortunate enough to meet her again once or twice. The goodvicar saw us together on one occasion; I presume he hurried homeforthwith to spread the news over the parish. In these dead-aliveplaces the most casual acquaintance is magnified into a scandal, butfortunately Lady Margot is a woman of the world who is unaffected bysilly chatter. She has a dull time at the Moat, and is glad to meet afellow-creature with whom she can have a few minutes' conversation.Personally, I don't care what the whole parish pleases to say. There isonly one person whose opinion matters. ... Ruth! what are you trying toimply?" He moved nearer to her as he spoke, until the arm which restedon the back of the seat almost touched her shoulder. "Lady Margot ispleased to be friendly and gracious, but she does not belong to myworld. She is a star far above the head of a poor struggling barrister,even if he were fool enough to aspire to her, which he certainly wouldnot do so long as there are inhabitants of his own sphere a hundredtimes more beautiful and more attractive."
Ruth shook her head, her eyes fixed shyly on the ground.
"If the barrister were the heir to the Court, it would make all thedifference in the world. Uncle Bernard spoke very warmly of the Blountfamily. It might increase your chance," she urged, compelled by someimpulse which she could not understand to argue against her own wishes."Perhaps the condition has something to do with ambition, and pride ofrace."
"In that case, again you score the advantage, for you are his directdescendant. I think myself, however, that it refers entirely to money.He has warned us that he has peculiar ideas on the subject. Probably heis on the look-out for a similar peculiarity. He has consulted me, andMelland also, I believe, on several matters in connection with theestate; but my ideas are purely businesslike, and Melland is hopelesslyhappy-go-lucky, so there was nothing original in either his advice ormine. No! from whichever point of view I consider the question, Ialways come to the same conclusion. You are the nearest heir; you are aFarrell in name as well as appearance. You are not extravagant northoughtless like your sister. To Melland, as well as to myself, theresult is a foregone conclusion. I would congratulate you on the spotif I could do so honestly.--I wonder if you will in the least understandwhat I mean, when I say that I wish it had been any one of the fourrather than yourself?"
The face that was raised to his was for a moment simply shocked andsurprised, but under his steady gaze comprehension dawned, and Ruthturned hastily aside, saying, in a tremulous voice which vainlystruggled to be defiant--
"I shall remind you of that unkind speech when you are living in state,and I am toiling for my daily bread. I could not have believed youwould be so unkind."
"I am not afraid, for that day will never dawn. Remember it, rather,when you are reigning here, and a poor fel
low stifling up in townrefuses the invitations because he longs to accept, and dare not,remembering the difference between us!"
It was pretty plain speaking, and Ruth did not pretend to misunderstandits meaning. At that moment all doubts died away. She believed herselfto be loved, and as her lover considered himself in an inferior positionto her own, she was generous enough to show him her own feelings inreturn. The dark lashes rested upon her cheeks, her lips quivered likea child's, as she said softly--
"If I did own the Court, if Uncle Bernard left me everything hepossessed, it would be worthless to me if--if I were separated from thefriends I cared for most."