CHAPTER XI
_Of the "Man with the Tiger Mark"_
It is a moot question as to whether a curl can be more alluring when itglows beneath the fiery kisses of the sun, or shines demurely in thetender radiance of the moon. As Bellew looked at it now,--that samesmall curl that nodded and beckoned to him above Anthea's left ear,--hestrongly inclined to the latter opinion.
"Adam tells me that you are going out, Miss Anthea."
"Only as far as Mrs. Dibbin's cottage,--just across the meadow."
"Adam also informs me that Mrs. Dibbin is a witch."
"People call her so."
"Never in all my days have I seen a genuine, old witch,--so I'll comewith you, if I may?"
"Oh, this is a very gentle old witch, and she is neither humpbacked, nordoes she ride a broom-stick,--so I'm afraid you'll be disappointed,Mr. Bellew."
"Then, at least, I can carry your basket,--allow me!" And so, in hisquiet, masterful fashion he took the basket from her arm, and walked onbeside her, through the orchard.
"What a glorious night it is!" exclaimed Anthea suddenly, drawing a deepbreath of the fragrant air,--"Oh! it is good to be alive! In spite ofall the cares, and worries, life is very sweet!"
After this, they walked on some distance in silence, she gazingwistfully upon the beauties of the familiar world about her while hewatched the curl above her ear until she, becoming aware of it all atonce, promptly sent it back into retirement, with a quick, deft littlepat of her fingers.
"I hope," said Bellew at last, "I do sincerely hope that you 'tucked up'my nephew safe in bed,--you see--"
"Your nephew, indeed!"
"Our nephew, then; I ask because he tells me that he can't possiblysleep unless you go to 'tuck him up,'--and I can quite believe it."
"Do you know, Mr. Bellew, I'm growing quite jealous of you, he can'tmove a step without you, and he is for ever talking, and lauding yournumberless virtues!"
"But then--I'm only an uncle, after all, and if he talks of me to you,he talks of you to me, all day long."
"Oh, does he!"
"And, among other things, he told me that I ought to see you when yourhair is down, and all about you."
"Oh!" exclaimed Anthea.
"Indeed, our nephew is much luckier than I, because I never had an auntof my own to come and 'tuck me up' at night with her hair hanging allabout her--like a beautiful cloak. So, you see, I have no boyishrecollections to go upon, but I think I can imagine--"
"And what do you think of the Sergeant?" Anthea enquired, changing thesubject abruptly.
"I like him so much that I am going to take him at his word, and callupon him at the first opportunity."
"Did Aunt Priscilla tell you that he comes marching along regularlyevery day, at exactly the same hour?"
"Yes,--to see how the peaches are getting on!" nodded Bellew.
"For such a very brave soldier he is a dreadful coward," said Anthea,smiling, "it has taken him five years to screw up courage enough to tellher that she's uncommonly young for her age. And yet, I think it is justthat diffidence that makes him so lovable. And he is so simple, and sogentle--in spite of all his war medals. When I am moody, and cross, thevery sight of him is enough to put me in humour again."
"Has he never--spoken to Miss Priscilla,--?"
"Never,--though, of course, she knows, and has done from the very first.I asked him once, why he had never told her what it was brought him soregularly,--to look at the peaches,--and he said, in his quick, sharpway: 'Miss Anthea,--can't be done, mam,--a poor, battered, oldsoldier,--only one arm,--no mam.'"
"I wonder if one could find just such another Sergeant outside Arcadia,"said Bellew, "I wonder!"
Now they were approaching a stile towards which Bellew had directed hiseyes, from time to time, as, for that matter, curiously enough, hadAnthea; but to him it seemed that it never would be reached, while toher, it seemed that it would be reached much too soon. Therefore shebegan to rack her mind trying to remember some gate, or any gap in thehedge that should obviate the necessity of climbing it. But, before shecould recall any such gate, or gap, they were at the stile, and Bellew,leaping over, had set down the basket, and stretched out his hand to aidher over. But Anthea, tall, and lithe, active and vigorous with heroutdoor life, and used to such things from her infancy, stood a momenthesitating. To be sure, the stile was rather high, yet she could havevaulted it nearly, if not quite, as easily as Bellew himself, had shebeen alone. But then, she was not alone, moreover, be it remembered,this was in Arcadia of a mid-summer night. Thus, she hesitated, only amoment, it is true, for, seeing the quizzical look in his eyes thatalways made her vaguely rebellious,--with a quick, light movement, shemounted the stile, and there paused to shake her head in laughingdisdain of his out-stretched hand; then--there was the sound of rendingcambric, she tripped, and, next moment, he had caught her in his arms.It was for but a very brief instant that she lay, soft and yielding, inhis embrace, yet she was conscious of how strong were the arms that heldher so easily, ere they set her down.
"I beg your pardon!--how awkward I am!" she exclaimed, in hotmortification.
"No," said Bellew, shaking his head, "it was a nail, you know, a bent,and rusty nail,--here, under the top bar. Is your dress much torn?"
"Oh, that is nothing, thank you!"
So they went on again, but now they were silent once more, and verynaturally, for Anthea was mightily angry,--with herself, the stile,Bellew, and everything concerned; while he was thinking of the sudden,warm clasp of her arms, of the alluring fragrance of her hair, and ofthe shy droop of her lashes as she lay in his embrace. Therefore, as hewalked on beside her, saying nothing, within his secret soul he pouredbenedictions upon the head of that bent, and rusty nail.
And presently, having turned down a grassy lane and crossed a small butvery noisy brook that chattered impertinences among the stones andchuckled at them slyly from the shadows, they eventually came upon asmall, and very lonely little cottage bowered in roses andhoneysuckle,--as are all the cottages hereabouts. But now Anthea paused,looking at Bellew with a dubious brow.
"I ought to warn you that Mrs. Dibbin is very old, and sometimes alittle queer, and sometimes says very--surprising things."
"Excellent!" nodded Bellew, holding the little gate open for her, "veryright and proper conduct in a witch, and I love surprises aboveall things."
But Anthea still hesitated, while Bellew stood with his hand upon thegate, waiting for her to enter. Now he had left his hat behind him, and,as the moon shone down on his bare head, she could not but notice howbright, and yellow was his hair, despite the thick, black brows below.
"I think I--would rather you waited outside,--if you don't mind, Mr.Bellew."
"You mean that I am to be denied the joy of conversing with a real,live, old witch, and having my fortune told?" he sighed. "Well, if suchis your will--so be it," said he obediently, and handed her the basket.
"I won't keep you waiting very long,--and--thank you!" she smiled, and,hurrying up the narrow path, she tapped at the cottage door.
"Come in! come in!" cried an old, quavering voice, albeit, very sharp,and piercing. "That be my own soft dove of a maid,--my proud, beautiful,white lady! Come in! come in!--and bring him wi' you,--him as is so big,and strong,--him as I've expected so long,--the tall, golden man fromover seas. Bid him come in, Miss Anthea, that Goody Dibbin's old eyesmay look at him at last."
Hereupon, at a sign from Anthea, Bellew turned in at the gate, andstriding up the path, entered the cottage.
Despite the season, a fire burned upon the hearth, and crouched overthis, in a great elbow-chair, sat a very bent, and aged woman. Her facewas furrowed, and seamed with numberless lines and wrinkles, but hereyes were still bright, and she wore no spectacles; likewise her whitehair was wonderfully thick, and abundant, as could plainly be seenbeneath the frill of her cap, for, like the very small room of this verysmall cottage, she was extremely neat, and tidy. She had a great,curving nose, and a great, curvi
ng chin, and what with this and herbright, black eyes, and stooping figure, she was very much like what awitch should be,--albeit a very superior kind of old witch.
She sat, for a while, staring up at Bellew who stood tall, andbare-headed, smiling down at her; and then, all at once, she nodded herhead three several, and distinct times.
"Right!" she quavered, "right! right,--it be all right!--the golden manas I've watched this many an' many a day, wi' the curly hair, and thesleepy eye, and the Tiger-mark upon his arm,--right! right!"
"What do you mean by 'Tiger-mark?'" enquired Bellew.
"I mean, young master wi' your golden curls,--I mean as, sitting hereday in, and day out, staring down into my fire, I has mydreams,--leastways, I calls 'em my dreams, though there's them as callsit the 'second sight.' But pray sit down, tall sir, on the stool there;and you, my tender maid, my dark lady, come you here--upon my right,and, if you wish, I'll look into the ink, or read your pretty hand, ortell you what I see down there in the fire. But no,--first, show whatyou have brought for Old Nannie in the blessed basket,--the fine, strongbasket as holds so much. Yes, set it down here--where I can open itmyself, tall sir. Eh,--what's this?--Tea! God bless you for the tea, mydear! And eggs, and butter,--and a cold chicken!--the Lord bless yourkind heart, Miss Anthea! Ah, my proud lady, happy the man who shall winye! Happy the man who shall wed ye, my dark, beautiful maid. And strongmust he be, aye, and masterful he who shall wake the love-light in thosedark, great, passionate eyes of yours. And there is no man in all thisworld can do it but he must be a golden man--wi' the Tiger-markupon him."
"Why--oh Nannie--!"
"Aye,--blush if ye will, my dark lady, but Mother Dibbin knows she'sseen it in the fire, dreamed it in her dreams, and read it in the ink.The path lies very dark afore ye, my lady,--aye very dark it be, andfull o' cares, and troubles, but there's the sun shiningbeyond,--bright, and golden. You be proud, and high, and scornful, mylady,--'tis in your blood,--you'll need a strong hand to guide ye,--andthe strong hand shall come. By force you shall be wooed, and by forceyou shall be wed,--and there be no man strong enough to woo, and wed ye,but him as I've told ye of--him as bears the Tiger-mark."
"But Nannie," said Anthea again, gently interrupting her, and pattingthe old woman's shrivelled hand, "you're forgetting the basket,--youhaven't found all we've brought you, yet."
"Aye, aye!" nodded old Nannie, "the fine, strong basket,--let's see whatmore be in the good, kind basket. Here's bread, and sugar,--and--"
"A pound of your favourite tobacco!" said Anthea, with a smiling nod.
"Oh the good weed! The blessed weed!" cried the old woman, clutching thepackage with trembling fingers. "Ah! who can tell the comfort it hasbeen to me in the long, long days, and the long, long nights,--theblessed weed! when I've sat here a looking and a looking into the fire.God bless you, my sweet maid, for your kindly thought!" and, with asudden gesture, she caught Anthea's hand to her lips, and then, just assuddenly turned upon Bellew.
"And now, tall sir, can I do ought for ye? Shall I look into the firefor ye, or the ink, or read your hand?"
"Why yes," answered Bellew, stretching out his hand to her, "you shalltell me two things, if you will; first, shall one ever find his way intothe 'Castle of Heart's Desire,' and secondly;--When?"
"Oh, but I don't need to look into your hand to tell you that, tall sir,nor yet in the ink, or in the fire, for I've dreamed it all in mydreams. And now, see you, 'tis a strong place, this Castle,--wi' thickdoors, and great locks, and bars. But I have seen those doors broke'down,--those great locks, and bars burst asunder,--but--there is nonecan do this but him as bears the Tiger-Mark. So much for the first. And,for the second,--Happiness shall come a riding to you on the fullmoon,--but you must reach up--and take it for yourself,--if you betall enough."
"And--even you are not tall enough to do that, Mr. Bellew!" laughedAnthea, as she rose to bid Old Nannie "Good-night," while Bellew,unnoticed, slipped certain coins upon a corner of the chimney-piece. So,old Nannie blessed them, and theirs,--past, present, and future,thoroughly and completely, with a fine comprehensiveness that only agenuinely accomplished old witch might hope to attain to, and, followingthem to the door, paused there with one shrivelled, claw-like handup-lifted towards the sky:
"At the full o' the moon, tall sir!" she repeated, "at the full o' themoon! As for you, my dark-eyed lady, I say, by force you shall be wooed,and by force ye shall be wed, aye! aye!--but there is no man strongenough except he have the Tiger-Mark upon him. Old Nannie knows,--she'sseen it in the ink, dreamed it in the fire, and read it all in yourpretty hand. And now--thank ye for the tea, my pretty, and God bless yefor the good weed, and just so sure as you've been good, and kind to oldNannie, so shall Fortune be good and kind to you, Miss Anthea."
"Poor old Nannie!" said Anthea, as they went on down the grassy lane,"she is so very grateful for so little. And she is such a gentle oldcreature really, though the country folk do call her a witch and areafraid of her because they say she has the 'evil eye,'--which isridiculous, of course! But nobody ever goes near her, and she isdreadfully lonely, poor old thing!"
"And so that is why you come to sit with her, and let her talk to you?"enquired Bellew, staring up at the moon.
"Yes."
"And do you believe in her dreams, and visions?"
"No,--of course not!" answered Anthea, rather hurriedly, and with adeeper colour in her cheeks, though Bellew was still intent upon themoon. "You don't either,--do you?" she enquired, seeing he was silent.
"Well, I don't quite know," he answered slowly, "but she is rather awonderful old lady, I think."
"Yes, she has wonderful thick hair still," nodded Anthea, "and she's nota bit deaf, and her eyes are as clear, and sharp as ever they were."
"Yes, but I wasn't meaning her eyes, or her hair, or her hearing."
"Oh,--then pray what were you pleased to mean?"
"Did you happen to notice what she said about a--er--Man with,a--Tiger-Mark?" enquired Bellew, still gazing up at the moon.
Anthea laughed:
"The Man with the Tiger-Mark,--of course! he has been much in herdreams, lately, and she has talked of him a great deal,--"
"Has she?" said Bellew, "ha!"
"Yes,--her mind is full of strange twists, and fancies,--you see she isso very old,--and she loves to tell me her dreams, and read thefuture for me."
"Though, of course, you don't believe it," said Bellew.
"Believe it!" Anthea repeated, and walked some dozen paces, or so,before she answered,--"no, of course not."
"Then--none of your fortune,--nothing she told you has ever come true?"
Once more Anthea hesitated, this time so long that Bellew turned fromhis moon-gazing to look at her.
"I mean," he went on, "has none of it ever come true,--about this Manwith the Tiger-Mark, for instance?"
"No,--oh no!" answered Anthea, rather hastily, and laughed again. "OldNannie has seen him in her dreams--everywhere,--in India, and Africa,and China; in hot countries, and cold countries--oh! Nannie has seen himeverywhere, but I have seen him--nowhere, and, of course, Inever shall."
"Ah!" said Bellew, "and she reads him always in your fortune, does she?"
"And I listen very patiently," Anthea nodded, "because it pleases her somuch, and it is all so very harmless, after all, isn't it?"
"Yes," answered Bellew, "and very wonderful!"
"Wonderful?--poor old Nannie's fancies!--What do you mean by wonderful?"
"Upon my word, I hardly know," said Bellew, shaking his head, "but'there are more things in heaven, and earth,' etc., you know, and thisis one of them."
"Really!--now you grow mysterious, Mr. Bellew."
"Like the night!" he answered, turning to aid her across the impertinentbrook that chuckled at them, and laughed after them, as only such a veryimpertinent brook possibly could.
So, betimes, they reached the stile, and crossed it, this time withoutmishap, despite the lurking nail and, all too soon for Bellew, h
adtraversed the orchard, and were come to the garden where the roses allhung so still upon their stems that they might have been asleep, andfilling the air with the perfume of their dreams.
And here they paused, perhaps because of the witchery of the moon,perhaps to listen to the voice of the nightingale who sang on moregloriously than ever. Yet, though they stood so close together, theirglances seldom met, and they were very silent. But at last, as thoughmaking up her mind, Anthea spoke:
"What did you mean when you said Old Nannie's dreams were so wonderful?"she asked.
"I'll show you!" he answered, and, while he spoke, slipped off his coat,and drawing up his shirt-sleeve, held out a muscular, white arm towardsher. He held it out in the full radiance of the moon, and thus, lookingdown at it, her eyes grew suddenly wide, and her breath caught strangelyas surprise gave place to something else; for there, plain to be seenupon the white flesh, were three long scars that wound up from elbow toshoulder. And so, for a while, they stood thus, she looking at his arm,and he at her.
"Why--" said she at last, finding voice in a little gasp,--"why then--"
"I am the Man with the Tiger Mark!" he said, smiling his slow, placidsmile. Now, as his eyes looked down into hers, she flushed sudden, andhot, and her glance wavered, and fell beneath his.
"Oh!" she cried, and, with the word, turned about, and fled from himinto the house.