CHAPTER XC.
DR. CHILLINGWORTH AT THE HALL.--THE ENCOUNTER OF MYSTERY.--THECONFLICT.--THE RESCUE, AND THE PICTURE.
There have been many events that have passed rapidly in this ournarrative; but more have yet to come before we can arrive at that pointwhich will clear up much that appears to be most mysterious andunaccountable.
Doctor Chillingworth, but ill satisfied with the events that had yettaken place, determined once more upon visiting the Hall, and there toattempt a discovery of something respecting the mysterious apartment inwhich so much has already taken place.
He communicated his design to no one; he resolved to prosecute theinquiry alone. He determined to go there and await whatever might turnup in the shape of events. He would not for once take any companion;such adventures were often best prosecuted alone--they were most easilybrought to something like an explanatory position, one person can oftenconsider matters more coolly than more. At all events, there is moresecrecy than under any other circumstances.
Perhaps this often is of greater consequence than many others; and,moreover, when there is more than one, something is usually overdone.Where one adventurous individual will rather draw back in a pursuit,more than one would induce them to urge each other on.
In fact, one in such a case could act the part of a spy--a secretobserver; and in that case can catch people at times when they could notunder any other circumstances be caught or observed at all.
"I will go," he muttered; "and should I be compelled to run away again,why, nobody knows anything about it and nobody will laugh at me."
This was all very well; but Mr. Chillingworth was not the man to runaway without sufficient cause. But there was so much mystery in all thisthat he felt much interested in the issue of the affair. But this issuehe could not command; at the same time he was determined to sit andwatch, and thus become certain that either something or nothing was totake place.
Even the knowledge of that much--that some inexplicable action was stillgoing on--was far preferable to the uncertainty of not knowing whetherwhat had once been going on was still so or not, because, if it hadceased, it was probable that nothing more would ever be known concerningit, and the mystery would still be a mystery to the end of time.
"It shall be fathomed if there be any possibility of its beingdiscovered," muttered Chillingworth. "Who would have thought that soquiet and orderly a spot as this, our quiet village, would have sufferedso much commotion and disturbance? Far from every cause of noise andstrife, it is quite as great a matter of mystery as the vampyre businessitself.
"I have been so mixed up in this business that I must go through withit. By the way, of the mysteries, the greatest that I have met with isthe fact of the vampyre having anything to do with so quiet a family asthe Bannerworths."
Mr. Chillingworth pondered over the thought; but yet he could makenothing of it. It in no way tended to elucidate anything connected withthe affair, and it was much too strange and singular in all its parts tobe submitted to any process of thought, with any hope of coming toanything like a conclusion upon the subject--that must remain until somefacts were ascertained, and to obtain them Mr. Chillingworth nowdetermined to try.
This was precisely what was most desirable in the present state ofaffairs; while things remained in the present state of uncertainty,there would be much more of mystery than could ever be brought to light.
One or two circumstances cleared up, the minor ones would follow in thesame train, and they would be explained by the others; and if ever thathappy state of things were to come about, why, then there would be aperfect calm in the town.
As Mr. Chillingworth was going along, he thought he observed two mensitting inside a hedge, close to a hay-rick, and thinking neither ofthem had any business there, he determined to listen to theirconversation, and ascertain if it had any evil tendency, or whether itconcerned the late event.
Having approached near the gate, and they being on the other side, hegot over without any noise, and, unperceived by either of them, creptclose up to them.
"So you haven't long come from sea?"
"No; I have just landed."
"How is it you have thrown aside your seaman's clothes and taken tothese?"
"Just to escape being found out."
"Found out! what do you mean by that? Have you been up to anything?"
"Yes, I have, Jack. I have been up to something, worse luck to me; butI'm not to be blamed either."
"What is it all about?" inquired his companion. "I always thought youwere such a steady-going old file that there was no going out of theeven path with you."
"Nor would there have been, but for one simple circumstance."
"What was that?"
"I will tell you, Jack--I will tell you; you will never betray me, I amsure."
"Never, by heavens!"
"Well, then, listen--it was this. I had been some time aboard ourvessel. I had sailed before, but the captain never showed any signs ofbeing a bad man, and I was willing enough to sail with him again.
"He knew I was engaged to a young woman in this country, and that I waswilling to work hard to save money to make up a comfortable home for usboth, and that I would not sail again, but that I intended to remainashore, and make up my mind to a shore life."
"Well, you would have a house then?"
"Exactly; and that's what I wished to do. Well, I made a small venturein the cargo, and thought, by so doing, that I should have a chance ofrealizing a sum of money that would put us both in a comfortable line ofbusiness.
"Well, we went on very smoothly until we were coming back. We haddisposed of the cargo, and I had received some money, and this seemed tocause our captain to hate me, because I had been successful; but Ithought there was something else in it than that, but I could not tellwhat it was that made him so intolerably cross and tyrannous.
"Well, I found out, at length, he knew my intended wife. He knew hervery well, and at the same time he made every effort he could to induceme to commit some act of disobedience and insubordination; but I wouldnot, for it seemed to me he was trying all he could to prevent my doingmy duty with anything like comfort.
"However, I learned the cause of all this afterwards. It was told me byone of the crew.
"'Bill,' said my mate, 'look out for yourself.'
"'What's in the wind?' said I.
"'Only the captain has made a dead set at you, and you'll be a lucky manif you escape.'
"'What's it all about?' said I. 'I cannot understand what he means. Ihave done nothing wrong. I don't see why I should suddenly be treated inthis way.'
"'It's all about your girl, Bill.'
"'Indeed!' said I. 'What can that have to do with the captain? he knowsnothing of her.'
"'Oh, yes, he does,' he said. 'If it were not for you he would have thegirl himself.'
"'I see now,' said I.
"'Ay, and so can a blind man if you open his eyes; but he wants to makeyou do wrong--to goad you on to do something that will give him thepower of disgracing you, and, perhaps, of punishing you.'
"'He won't do that,' said I.
"'I am glad to hear you say so, Bill; for, to my mind, he has made uphis mind to go the whole length against you. I can't make it out, unlesshe wishes you were dead.'
"'I dare say he does,' said I; 'but I will take care I will live toexact a reckoning when he comes ashore.'
"'That is the best; and when we are paid off, Bill, if you will take itout of him, and pay him off, why, I don't care if I lend you a hand.'
"'We'll say more about that, Dick,' said I, 'when we get ashore and arepaid off. If we are overheard now, it will be said that we areconspiring, or committing mutiny, or something of that sort.'
"'You are right, Bill,' he said--'you are right. We'll say no more aboutthis now, but you may reckon upon me when we are no longer under hisorders.'
"'Then there's no danger, you know.'
"Well, we said nothing about this, but I thought of it, and I had causeenou
gh, too, to think of it; for each day the captain grew more and moretyrannous and brutal. I knew not what to do, but kept my resolution ofdoing my duty in spite of all he could do, though I don't mind admittingI had more than one mind to kill him and myself afterwards.
"However, I contrived to hold out for another week or two, and then wecame into port, and were released from his tyranny. I got paid off, andthen I met my messmate, and we had some talk about the matter.
"'The worst of it is,' said I, 'we shall have some difficulty to catchhim; and, if we can, I'll be sworn we shall give him enough to last himfor at least a voyage or two.'
"'He ought to have it smart,' said my messmate; 'and I know where he isto be found.'
"'Do you?--at what hour?'
"'Late at night, when he may be met with as he comes from a house wherehe spends his evenings."
"'That will be the best time in the world, when we shall have lessinterference than at any other time in the day. But we'll have a turnto-night if you will be with me, as he will be able to make too good adefence to one. It will be a fight, and not a chastisement.'
"'It will. I will be with you; you know where to meet me. I shall be atthe old spot at the usual time, and then we will go.'
"We parted; and, in the evening, we both went together, and sought theplace where we should find him out, and set upon him to advantage.
"He was nearly two hours before he came; but when he did come, wesaluted him with a rap on the head, that made him hold his tongue; andthen we set to, and gave him such a tremendous drubbing, that we lefthim insensible; but he was soon taken away by some watchmen, and weheard that he was doing well; but he was dreadfully beaten; indeed, itwould take him some weeks before he could be about in his duties.
"He was fearfully enraged, and offered fifty pounds reward to any onewho could give him information as to who it was that assaulted him.
"I believe he had a pretty good notion of who it was; but he could notswear to me; but still, seeing he was busying himself too much about me,I at once walked away, and went on my way to another part of thecountry."
"To get married?"
"Ay, and to get into business."
"Then, things are not quite so bad as I thought for at first."
"No--no, not so bad but what they might have been worse a great deal;only I cannot go to sea any more, that's quite certain."
"You needn't regret that."
"I don't know."
"Why not know? Are you not going to be married?--ain't that muchbetter?"
"I can't say," replied the sailor; "there's no knowing how my bargainmay turn out; if she does well, why, then the cruising is over; butnothing short of that will satisfy me; for if my wife is at all not whatI wish her to be, why, I shall be off to sea."
"I don't blame you, either; I would do so too, if it were possible; butyou see, we can't do so well on land as you do at sea; we can befollowed about from pillar to post, and no bounds set to ourpersecution."
"That's true enough," said the other; "we can cut and run when we havehad enough of it. However, I must get to the village, as I shall sleepthere to-night, if I find my quarters comfortable enough."
"Come on, then, at once," said his companion; "it's getting dark now;and you have no time to lose."
These two now got up, and walked away towards the village; andChillingworth arose also, and pursued his way towards the Hall, while heremarked to himself,--
"Well--well, they have nothing to do with that affair at all events.By-the-bye, I wonder what amount of females are deserted in the navy;they certainly have an advantage over landsmen, in the respect of beingtied to tiresome partners; they can, at least, for a season, get arelease from their troubles, and be free at sea."
However, Mr. Chillingworth got to the Hall, and unobserved, for he hadbeen especially careful not to be seen; he had watched on all sides, andno signs of a solitary human being had he seen, that could in any waymake the slightest observation upon him.
Indeed, he had sheltered himself from observation at every point of hisroad, especially so when near Bannerworth Hall, where there were plentyof corners to enable him to do so; and when he arrived there, he enteredat the usual spot, and then sat down a few moments in the bower.
"I will not sit here," he muttered. "I will go and have a watch at thatmysterious picture; there is the centre of attraction, be it what itmay."
As he spoke, he arose and walked into the house, and entered the sameapartment which has been so often mentioned to the reader.
Here he took a chair, and sat down full before the picture, and began tocontemplate it.
"Well, for a good likeness, I cannot say I ever saw anything moreunprepossessing. I am sure such a countenance as that could never havewon a female heart. Surely, it is more calculated to terrify theimagination, than to soothe the affections of the timid and shrinkingfemale.
"However, I will have an inspection of the picture, and see if I canmake anything of it."
As he spoke, he put his hand upon the picture with the intention ofremoving it, when it suddenly was thrust open, and a man stepped down.
The doctor was for a moment completely staggered, it was so utterlyunexpected, and he stepped back a pace or two in the first emotion ofhis surprise; but this soon passed by, and he prepared to close with hisantagonist, which he did without speaking a word.
There was a fair struggle for more than two or three minutes, duringwhich the doctor struggled and fought most manfully; but it was evidentthat Mr. Chillingworth had met with a man who was his superior in pointof strength, for he not only withstood the utmost force thatChillingworth could bring against him, but maintained himself, andturned his strength against the doctor.
Chillingworth panted with exertion, and found himself gradually losingground, and was upon the point of being thrown down at the mercy of hisadversary, who appeared to be inclined to take all advantages of him,when an occurrence happened that altered the state of affairsaltogether.
While they were struggling, the doctor borne partially to the earth--butyet struggling, suddenly his antagonist released his hold, and staggeredback a few paces.
"There, you swab--take that; I am yard-arm and yard-arm with you, youpiratical-looking craft--you lubberly, buccaneering son of a fish-fag."
Before, however, Jack Pringle, for it was he who came so opportunely tothe rescue of Doctor Chillingworth, could find time to finish thesentence, he found himself assailed by the very man who, but a minutebefore, he had, as he thought, placed _hors de combat_.
A desperate fight ensued, and the stranger made the greatest efforts toescape with the picture, but found he could not get off without adesperate struggle. He was, at length, compelled to relinquish the hopeof carrying that off, for both Mr. Chillingworth and Jack Pringle wereengaged hand to hand; but the stranger struck Jack so heavy a blow onthe head, that made him reel a few yards, and then he escaped throughthe window, leaving Jack and Mr. Chillingworth masters of the field, butby no means unscathed by the conflict in which they had been engaged.