CHAPTER V
_How Bellew came to Arcadia_
So, they set out together, Big Porges and Small Porges, walking side byside over sun-kissed field and meadow, slowly and thoughtfully, to besure, for Bellew disliked hurry; often pausing to listen to the music ofrunning waters, or to stare away across the purple valley, for the sunwas getting low. And, ever as they went, they talked to one anotherwhole-heartedly as good friends should.
And, from the boy's eager lips, Bellew heard much of "Auntie Anthea,"and learned, little by little, something of the brave fight she hadmade, lonely and unaided, and burdened with ancient debt, to make thefarm of Dapplemere pay. Likewise Small Porges spoke learnedly of thecondition of the markets, and of the distressing fall in prices inregard to hay, and wheat.
"Old Adam,--he's our man, you know, he says that farming isn't what itwas in his young days, 'specially if you happen to be a woman, like myAuntie Anthea, an' he told me yesterday that if he were Auntie he'd giveup trying, an' take Mr. Cassilis at his word."
"Cassilis, ah!--And who is Mr. Cassilis?"
"He lives at 'Brampton Court'--a great, big house 'bout a mile fromDapplemere; an' he's always asking my Auntie to marry him, but 'courseshe won't you know."
"Why not?"
"Well, I think it's 'cause he's got such big, white teeth when hesmiles,--an' he's always smiling, you know; but Old Adam says that ifhe'd been born a woman he'd marry a man all teeth, or no teeth at all,if he had as much money as Mr. Cassilis."
The sun was low in the West as, skirting a wood, they came out upon agrassy lane that presently led them into the great, broad highway.
Now, as they trudged along together, Small Porges with one hand claspedin Bellew's, and the other supporting the bundle on his shoulder, thereappeared, galloping towards them a man on a fine black horse, at sightof whom, Porges' clasp tightened, and he drew nearer to Bellew's side.
When he was nearly abreast of them, the horse-man checked his career sosuddenly that his animal was thrown back on his haunches.
"Why--Georgy!" he exclaimed.
"Good evening, Mr. Cassilis!" said Small Porges, lifting his cap.
Mr. Cassilis was tall, handsome, well built, and very particular as todress. Bellew noticed that his teeth were, indeed, very large and white,beneath the small, carefully trained moustache; also his eyes seemedjust a trifle too close together, perhaps.
"Why--what in the world have you been up to, boy?" he enquired,regarding Bellew with no very friendly eye. "Your Aunt is worryingherself ill on your account,--what have you been doing with yourselfall day?"
Again Bellew felt the small fingers tighten round his, and the smallfigure shrink a little closer to him, as Small Porges answered,
"I've been with Uncle Porges, Mr. Cassilis."
"With whom?" demanded Mr. Cassilis, more sharply.
"With his Uncle Porges, sir," Bellew rejoined, "a trustworthy person,and very much at your service."
Mr. Cassilis stared, his hand began to stroke and caress his small,black moustache, and he viewed Bellew from his dusty boots up to thecrown of his dusty hat, and down again, with supercilious eyes.
"Uncle?" he repeated incredulously.
"Porges," nodded Bellew.
"I wasn't aware," began Mr. Cassilis, "that--er--George was so veryfortunate--"
"Baptismal name--George," continued Bellew, "lately of New York,Newport, and--er--other places in America, U.S.A., at present ofNowhere-in-Particular."
"Ah!" said Mr. Cassilis, his eyes seeming to grow a trifle nearertogether, "an American Uncle? Still, I was not aware of even thatrelationship."
"It is a singularly pleasing thought," smiled Bellew, "to know that wemay learn something every day,--that one never knows what the day maybring forth; to-morrow, for instance, you also may find yourself anephew--somewhere or other, though, personally, I--er doubt it, yes, Igreatly doubt it; still, one never knows, you know, and while there'slife, there's hope. A very good afternoon to you, sir. Come, nephewmine, the evening falls apace, and I grow aweary,--let uson--Excelsior!"
Mr. Cassilis's cheek grew suddenly red, he twirled his moustacheangrily, and seemed about to speak, then he smiled instead, and turninghis horse, spurred him savagely, and galloped back down the road in acloud of dust.
"Did you see his teeth, Uncle Porges?"
"I did."
"He only smiles like that when he's awful' angry," said Small Porgesshaking his head as the galloping hoof-strokes died away in thedistance, "An' what do you s'pose he went back for?"
"Well, Porges, it's in my mind that he has gone back to warn our AuntieAnthea of our coming."
Small Porges sighed, and his feet dragged in the dust.
"Tired, my Porges?"
"Just a bit, you know,--but it isn't that. I was thinking that the dayhas almost gone, an' I haven't found a bit of the fortune yet."
"Why there's always to-morrow to live for, my Porges."
"Yes, 'course--there's always to-morrow; an' then,--I did find you, youknow, Uncle Porges."
"To be sure you did, and an uncle is better than nothing at all, isn'the,--even if he is rather dusty and disreputable of exterior. Onedoesn't find an uncle every day of one's life, my Porges, no sir!"
"An' you are so nice an' big, you know!" said Porges, viewing Bellewwith a bright, approving eye.
"Long, would be a better word, perhaps," suggested Bellew, smiling downat him.
"An' wide, too!" nodded Small Porges. And, from these two facts heseemed to derive a deal of solid comfort, and satisfaction for he strodeon manfully once more.
Leaving the high-road, he guided Bellew by divers winding paths, throughcorn-fields, and over stiles, until, at length, they were come to anorchard. Such an orchard as surely may only be found in Kent,--wheregreat apple-trees, gnarled, and knotted, shot out huge branches thatseemed to twist, and writhe; where were stately pear trees; wherepeaches, and apricots, ripened against time-worn walls whose red bricksstill glowed rosily for all their years; where the air was sweet withthe scent of fruit, and fragrant with thyme, and sage, and marjoram; andwhere the black-birds, bold marauders that they are, piped gloriouslyall day long. In the midst of this orchard they stopped, and SmallPorges rested one hand against the rugged bole of a great, oldapple tree.
"This," said he, "is my very own tree, because he's so very big, an' sovery, very old,--Adam says he's the oldest tree in the orchard. I callhim 'King Arthur' 'cause he is so big, an' strong,--just like a kingshould be, you know,--an' all the other trees are his Knights of theRound Table."
But Bellew was not looking at "King Arthur" just then; his eyes wereturned to where one came towards them through the green,--one surely astall, and gracious, as proud and beautiful, as Enid, or Guinevere, orany of those lovely ladies, for all her simple gown of blue, and thesunbonnet that shaded the beauty of her face. Yes, as he gazed, Bellewwas sure and certain that she who, all unconscious of their presence,came slowly towards them with the red glow of the sunset about her, washandsomer, lovelier, statelier, and altogether more desirable than allthe beautiful ladies of King Arthur's court,--or any other court so-ever.
But now Small Porges finding him so silent, and seeing where he looked,must needs behold her too, and gave a sudden, glad cry, and ran out frombehind the great bulk of "King Arthur," and she, hearing his voice,turned and ran to meet him, and sank upon her knees before him, andclasped him against her heart, and rejoiced, and wept, and scolded him,all in a breath. Wherefore Bellew, unobserved, as yet in "King Arthur's"shadow, watching the proud head with its wayward curls, (for thesunbonnet had been tossed back upon her shoulders), watching the quick,passionate caress of those slender, brown hands, and listening to thethrilling tenderness of that low, soft voice, felt, all at once,strangely lonely, and friendless, and out of place, very rough andawkward, and very much aware of his dusty person,--felt, indeed, as anyother ordinary human might, who had tumbled unexpectedly into Arcadia;therefore he turned, thinking to steal quietly away.
"You see, Auntie, I went out to try an' find a fortune for you," SmallPorges was explaining, "an' I looked, an' looked, but I didn't finda bit--"
"My dear, dear, brave Georgy!" said Anthea, and would have kissed himagain, but he put her off:
"Wait a minute, please Auntie," he said excitedly, "'cause I didfind--something,--just as I was growing very tired an' disappointed, Ifound Uncle Porges--under a hedge, you know."
"Uncle Porges!" said Anthea, starting, "Oh! that must be the man Mr.Cassilis mentioned--"
"So I brought him with me," pursued Small Porges, "an' there he is!" andhe pointed triumphantly towards "King Arthur."
Glancing thither, Anthea beheld a tall, dusty figure moving off amongthe trees.
"Oh,--wait, please!" she called, rising to her feet, and, with SmallPorges' hand in hers, approached Bellew who had stopped with his dustyback to them.
"I--I want to thank you for--taking care of my nephew. If you will comeup to the house cook shall give you a good meal, and, if you are in needof work, I--I--" her voice faltered uncertainly, and she stopped.
"Thank you!" said Bellew, turning and lifting his hat.
"Oh!--I beg your pardon!" said Anthea.
Now as their eyes met, it seemed to Bellew as though he had lived allhis life in expectation of this moment, and he knew that all his life heshould never forget this moment. But now, even while he looked at her,he saw her cheeks flush painfully, and her dark eyes grow troubled.
"I beg your pardon!" said she again, "I--I thought--Mr. Cassilis gave meto understand that you were--"
"A very dusty, hungry-looking fellow, perhaps," smiled Bellew, "and hewas quite right, you know; the dust you can see for yourself, but thehunger you must take my word for. As for the work, I assure you exerciseis precisely what I am looking for."
"But--" said Anthea, and stopped, and tapped the grass nervously withher foot, and twisted one of her bonnet-strings, and meeting Bellew'ssteady gaze, flushed again, "but you--you are--"
"My Uncle Porges," her nephew chimed in, "an' I brought him home with me'cause he's going to help me to find a fortune, an' he hasn't got anyplace to go to 'cause his home's far, far beyond the 'boundingbillow,'--so you will let him stay, won't you, Auntie Anthea?"
"Why--Georgy--" she began, but seeing her distressed look, Bellew cameto her rescue.
"Pray do, Miss Anthea," said he in his quiet, easy manner. "My name isBellew," he went on to explain, "I am an American, without family orfriends, here, there or anywhere, and with nothing in the world to dobut follow the path of the winds. Indeed, I am rather a solitary fellow,at least--I was, until I met my nephew Porges here. Since then, I'vebeen wondering if there would be--er--room for such as I, atDapplemere?"
"Oh, there would be plenty of room," said Anthea, hesitating, andwrinkling her white brow, for a lodger was something entirely new in herexperience.
"As to my character," pursued Bellew, "though something of a vagabond, Iam not a rogue,--at least, I hope not, and I could pay--er--four or fivepounds a week--"
"Oh!" exclaimed Anthea, with a little gasp.
"If that would be sufficient--"
"It is--a great deal too much!" said Anthea who would have scarcelydared to ask three.
"Pardon me!--but I think not," said Bellew, shaking his head, "you see,I am--er--rather extravagant in my eating,--eggs, you know, lots of 'em,and ham, and beef, and--er--(a duck quacked loudly from the vicinity ofa neighbouring pond),--certainly,--an occasional duck! Indeed, fivepounds a week would scarcely--"
"Three would be ample!" said Anthea with a little nod of finality.
"Very well," said Bellew, "we'll make it four, and have done with it."
Anthea Devine, being absolute mistress of Dapplemere, was in the habitof exerting her authority, and having her own way in most things;therefore, she glanced up, in some surprise, at this tall, dusty, ratherlazy looking personage; and she noticed, even as had Small Porges, thathe was indeed very big and wide; she noticed also that, despite the easycourtesy of his manner, and the quizzical light of his gray eyes, hischin was very square, and that, despite his gentle voice, he had the airof one who meant exactly what he said. Nevertheless she was muchinclined to take issue with him upon the matter; plainly observingwhich, Bellew smiled, and shook his head.
"Pray be reasonable," he said in his gentle voice, "if you send me awayto some horrible inn or other, it will cost me--being an American,--more than that every week, in tips and things,--so let's shake handson it, and call it settled," and he held out his hand to her.
Four pounds a week! It would be a veritable God-send just at present,while she was so hard put to it to make both ends meet. Four pounds aweek! So Anthea stood, lost in frowning thought until meeting his franksmile, she laughed.
"You are dreadfully persistent!" she said, "and I know it is toomuch,--but--we'll try to make you as comfortable as we can," and shelaid her hand in his.
And thus it was that George Bellew came to Dapplemere in the glory ofthe after-glow of an August afternoon, breathing the magic air ofArcadia which is, and always has been, of that rare quality warranted togo to the head, sooner, or later.
And thus it was that Small Porges with his bundle on his shoulder,viewed this tall, dusty Uncle with the eye of possession which isoft-times an eye of rapture.
And Anthea? She was busy calculating to a scrupulous nicety the veryvexed question as to exactly how far four pounds per week might be madeto go to the best possible advantage of all concerned.