CHAPTER XIV
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, slipped away, and on Tuesday there seemed noreason why Godfrey Radmore should leave Old Place. And so he stayed on,nominally from day to day, settling down, as none of them would havethought possible that anyone now a stranger could settle down, to thedaily round and common task of the life led by the Tosswill family. Aftertwo or three days he even began to take command of the younger ones, andJanet was secretly amused to see how he shamed both Rosamund and Dollyinto doing something like their full share of the housework.
In relation to the two younger girls, his attitude was far more thatof a good-natured, rather cynical, elder brother than was his attitudeto Betty. Into her special department, the kitchen, he seldom intruded,though when he did so it was to real purpose. Thus, Dolly's twentiethbirthday was made by him the excuse for ordering from a famous Londoncaterer a hamper containing enough cold and half-cooked food to keep themjunketing for two or three days. Janet was rather puzzled to note thatBetty, alone of them all, seemed to look askance at the way Radmore spenthis substance in showering fairy-godfather-like gifts on the inmates ofOld Place.
The happiest of them all was Timmy. Most men would have been bored byhaving so much of a child's company, but Radmore was touched andflattered by the boy's devotion, and that though there was a side of hisgodson which puzzled and disturbed him. Now and again Timmy would saysomething which made Radmore wonder for a moment if he had heard thewords aright, but he followed the example silently set him by all theothers of taking no notice of Timmy's claim both to see and foresee morethan is vouchsafed to the ordinary mortal.
Miss Crofton had also stayed on in Beechfield, but only a day longer thanshe had intended to do--that is, till the Tuesday. She and Miss Pendarthhad met more than once, striking up something like a real friendship. Butthis, instead of modifying, had intensified Miss Pendarth's growingprejudice against the new tenant of The Trellis House. She felt convincedthat the pretty young widow had made her kind sister-in-law believe thatshe was far poorer, and more to be pitied, than she really was.
Life in an English village is in some ways like a quiet pool--and, justas the throwing of a pebble into such a pool causes what appears tocreate an extraordinary amount of commotion on the surface of the water,so the advent of any human being who happens to be a little out of thecommon produces an amount of discussion, public and private, which mightwell seem to those outside the circle of gossip, extravagant, as well asunnecessary.
The general verdict on Mrs. Crofton had begun by being favourable. Bothwith gentle and simple her appealing beauty told in her favour, and verysoon the village people smiled, and looked knowingly at one another, asthey noted the perpetual coming and going of Jack Tosswill to The TrellisHouse. No day went by without the young man making some more or lessplausible excuse to call there once, twice, and sometimes thrice.
It was noticed, too, by those interested in such matters--and inBeechfield they were in the majority--that Mr. Godfrey Radmore, whosereturn to Old Place had naturally caused a good deal of talk andspeculation--was also a frequent visitor at The Trellis House. Now andagain he would call there in his car, and take Mrs. Crofton for a longdrive; but they never went out alone--either Dolly or Rosamund, andinvariably Timmy, would be of the party.
As the days went on, each member of the Tosswill family began to have adefinite and, so to speak, crystallised view of Enid Crofton. Rosamundhad become her champion, thus earning for the first time in her life thewarm approval of her brother Jack; but Dolly and Tom grew rather jealousof their sister's absorption in the stranger. Rosamund was so very oftenat The Trellis House. In fact, when Jack was not to be found there,Rosamund generally was. But she had soon discovered that her new friendpreferred to see her visitors singly. Betty kept her thoughts as to Mrs.Crofton to herself--for one thing the two very seldom met. But JanetTosswill was more frank. With her, tepid liking had turned into dislike,and when she alluded to the pretty widow, which was not often, she wouldtersely describe her as "second-rate."
Now there is no word in the English language more deadly in its vagueimport than that apparently harmless adjective. As applied to a humanbeing, it generally conveys every kind of odious significance, andcuriously enough it is seldom applied without good reason.
Mrs. Crofton had gentle, pretty manners, but her manner lacked sincerity.She was not content to leave her real beauty of colouring and feature totake care of itself; her eye-brows were "touched up," and when shefancied herself to be "off colour" she would put on a suspicion of rouge.But what perhaps unduly irritated the mistress of Old Place were Mrs.Crofton's clothes! To such shrewd, feminine eyes as were JanetTosswill's, it was plain that the new tenant of The Trellis House hadtaken as much pains over her widow's mourning as a coquettish bride takesover her trousseau.
Janet Tosswill was far too busy a woman to indulge in the village gameof constant informal calls on her neighbours. She left all that sort ofthing to her younger step-daughters; and as Mrs. Crofton never came toOld Place--making her nervous fear of the dogs the excuse--Janet only sawthe new tenant of The Trellis House when she happened to be walking aboutthe village or at church.
But for a while, at any rate, an untoward event drove the thoughtsof most of the inmates of Old Place far from Mrs. Crofton and herpeculiarities, attractive or other.
* * * * *
One day, when Radmore had already been at Beechfield for close on afortnight, Timmy drew him aside, and said mysteriously: "Godfrey, I wantto tell you something."
Radmore looked down and said pleasantly, though with a queer inwardforeboding in his mind: "Go ahead, boy--I'm listening."
"Something's going to happen to someone here. I saw Dr. O'Farrell lastnight, I mean in a dream. You were driving him in your car through ourgate. Last time I dreamt about him Dolly had measles; she was awfullyill; she nearly died."
As he spoke, Timmy kept looking round, as if afraid of being overheard."I don't mean to tell anyone else," he added confidentially. "You see itupsets Mum, and makes the others cross, if I say things like that. Butstill, I just thought I'd tell _you_."
Radmore was impressed, disagreeably so, in spite of himself; but: "Lookhere, Timmy," he said chaffingly. "The Greeks have a proverb about thebearer of ill-tidings; don't let yourself ever become that, old man!Have you ever heard, by the by, about 'the long arm of coincidence'?"
Timmy nodded.
"Don't you think it possible that your having dreamt about Dr. O'Farrelljust before Dolly was taken ill may have been that long arm ofcoincidence--and nothing more? I can't help thinking that probably yourmother said something about sending for Dr. O'Farrell--for people don'tget measles in a minute, you know; they are seedy for some daysbeforehand--and that made you dream of him. Eh?"
But Timmy answered obliquely, as was rather his way when brought to bookby some older person than himself. "I think this time it's going to be anaccident," he said thoughtfully.
And an accident it was! Old Nanna, who, in spite of her age, had becomethe corner-stone of the household as regarded its material well-being,slipped on the back staircase, and sprained her leg, and of course it wasRadmore who went off in his car to fetch and bring back Dr. O'Farrell.
A slight alleviation to their troubles was brought about by MissPendarth, who was going off on a visit the very day the accidenthappened, and who practically compelled Janet to accept the temporaryservice of her own excellent servant. It was her readiness to give thatsort of quick, kindly, decisive help which made so many of those who hadthe privilege of her acquaintance regard Miss Pendarth with the solidliking which is founded on gratitude.
But the help, offered and accepted in the same spirit, could not go onfor long, for Miss Pendarth came home after a four days' absence; and,for the first time in many months, Janet Tosswill made time to pay aformal call at Rose Cottage in order that she might thank her old friend.She intended to stay only the time that strict civility enjoined, and shewould have been surprised
indeed had she been able to foresee what apregnant and, to her, personally, painful train of events were to followas a result of the quarter of an hour she spent in Miss Pendarth'sold-fashioned upstairs sitting-room where only privileged visitors wereever made welcome.
"Will you come upstairs to-day, Janet? I have something about which Iwant to consult you."
And then, when they had sat down, Miss Pendarth said abruptly: "While Iwas in Essex I came across some people who had been acquainted with Mrs.Crofton and her husband."
Janet looked across at the speaker with some surprise. "What an oddthing!" she exclaimed, and she did think it rather odd.
But Olivia Pendarth was a very honest woman--too honest, some peoplemight have said. "It was not exactly odd," she said quickly, "for, totell you the truth, I made it my business while there to make certainenquiries about the Croftons. In fact, I partly went to Essex for thatpurpose, though I did not tell my friends so."
The visitor felt rather shocked, as well as surprised. Surely OliviaPendarth's interest in her neighbours' concerns was, to say the leastof it, excessive. But the other's next words modified her censoriousthoughts.
"Colonel Crofton and one of my brothers were in the same regimenttogether. I knew him quite well when he and I were both young, and whenMiss Crofton came to see her sister-in-law a fortnight ago, I offered tomake certain enquiries for her."
There was a touch of mystery, of hesitation in the older lady's voice,and Janet Tosswill "rose" as she was perhaps meant to do. "What sort ofenquiries?" she asked. "I thought Miss Crofton was on the best of termswith her sister-in-law."
"So she is; but she wanted to know more than Mrs. Crofton was inclined totell her about the circumstances--the really extraordinary circumstances,Janet--concerning Colonel Crofton's death. And now I'm rather in aquandary as to whether I ought to tell her what I heard, and indeed as towhether I ought even to send her the report of the inquest which appearedin a local paper, and which I at last managed to secure."
"Of course I know that Colonel Crofton committed suicide." Janet Tosswilllowered her voice instinctively. "That poor, second-rate little womanseems to have told Rosamund as much, and Godfrey Radmore confirmed it."
"Yes, I suppose one ought to say that there is no real doubt that hecommitted suicide." Yet Miss Pendarth's voice seemed to imply that therewas some doubt.
She went on: "It was suggested at the inquest that the chemist who madeup a certain heart tonic Colonel Crofton had been in the habit of takingfor some time, had put in a far larger dose of strychnine than wasright."
Janet Tosswill repeated in a startled tone: "Strychnine! You don't meanto say the poor man committed suicide with that horrible poison?"
Miss Pendarth looked up, and Janet was struck by her pallor and look ofpain. "Yes, Janet; he died of a big dose of strychnine, and the medicalevidence given at the inquest makes most painful reading."
"It _must_ have been a mistake on the part of the chemist. No sane manwould take strychnine in order to commit suicide. Besides, how could hehave got it?"
"There was strychnine in the house," said Miss Pendarth slowly. "WhenMrs. Crofton was in Egypt it was prescribed for her. You know how peopletake it by the drop? A chemist out there seems to have given her a muchgreater quantity than was needed, and in an ordinary, unlabelled medicinebottle, too." The speaker waited a moment, then went on: "Though shebrought it back to England with her, she seems to have quite forgottenthat she had it. But _he_ must have known it was there, for after hisdeath the bottle was found in his dressing room."
"What a dreadful thing! And how painful it must have been for her!"
"Yes, I think she did go through a very dreadful time. But, Janet, whatimpressed me most painfully, and what I am sure would much distress MissCrofton were I to tell her even only a part of what I heard, was the factthat the husband and wife were on very bad terms. This was testified to,and very strongly, by the only woman servant they had at the time of hisdeath."
"I never believe servants' evidence," observed Janet Tosswill drily.
"The Coroner, who I suppose naturally wished to spare Mrs. Crofton'sfeelings, told the jury that it was plain that Colonel Crofton was a verybad-tempered man. But the people with whom I was staying, and who droveme over to look at the God-forsaken old house where the Croftons lived,said that local feeling was very much against her. It was thought thatshe really caused him to take his life by her neglect and unkindness."
"What a terrible idea!"
"I fear it's true. And now comes the question--ought I to tell his sisterthis? Some of the gossip I heard was very unpleasant."
"Do you mean that there was another man?"
"Other men--rather than another man. She was always going up to London toenjoy herself with the various men friends she had made during the War,and the only guests they ever entertained were young men who were more orless in love with her."
Janet smiled a little wryly. "There's safety in numbers, and after allshe's extraordinarily attractive to men."
"Yes," said Miss Pendarth, "there _is_ safety in numbers, and it's saidthat Colonel Crofton was almost insanely jealous. They seem to have led amiserable existence, constantly quarrelling about money, too, and oftenchanging their servants. On at least one occasion Mrs. Crofton went away,leaving him quite alone, with only their odd man to look after him, forsomething like a fortnight. Colonel Crofton's only interest in life wasthe terriers which he apparently bred with a view to increasing hisincome."
"They can't have been so very poor," said Janet abruptly. "Look at theway she's living now."
"I feel sure she's living on capital," said Miss Pendarth slowly, "and Ithink--forgive me for saying so--that she hopes to marry Godfrey Radmore.I'm sure that's why she came to Beechfield."
"You're wrong there! She settled to come here before Godfrey came home."
"I'm convinced that she knew he was coming home soon."
Janet got up. "I must be going now," she exclaimed. "There's a great dealto do, and only Betty and I to do it."
"I suppose Godfrey Radmore will be leaving now?"
"I hope not, for he's a help rather than a hindrance. He takes Timmy offour hands--"
"--And he's so much at The Trellis House. I hear he dined there lastnight."
"Yes, with Rosamund," answered Janet shortly.
Miss Pendarth accompanied her visitor down and out to the wrought-irongate. There the two lingered for a moment, and than Janet Tosswillreceived one of the real surprises of her life.
"Colonel Crofton and I were once engaged. I went out to India to staywith my brother, and it happened there. _Now_ we should have married. Butthings were very different _then_. When my father found Captain Croftonwas not in a position to make what was then regarded as a propersettlement, he declared the engagement at an end."
Janet felt touched. There was such a depth of restrained feeling in herold friend's voice. Somehow it had never occurred to her that OliviaPendarth could ever have been in love!
"It must be very painful for you to have her here," she saidinvoluntarily.
"In a way, yes. But I suspected she was his widow from the first."
"I think that, if I were you, I would say nothing to his sister,"observed Janet.
"Very well. I will take your advice."
She changed the subject abruptly. "Let me know if Kate can be of any moreuse. She's quite anxious to go on helping you all. She's got so fond ofBetty: she says she'd do anything for her."
"We're managing all right now, and Godfrey really is a help, instead of ahindrance. He actually suggested that he should do the washing-up thismorning!"
"That's the best thing I've ever heard of Godfrey Radmore," exclaimedMiss Pendarth. "I sincerely hope--forgive me for saying so, Janet--thatthere's really nothing between him and Enid Crofton. I should be sorryfor my worst enemy to marry that woman, if the things I was told abouther were true."
"I don't believe that he is thinking of her, consciously--" JanetTosswill spoke slowly, c
hoosing her words.
"Of course she's making a dead set at him. But there's safety in numbers,even here," observed the other, grimly. "I hear that your Jack simplylives at The Trellis House. The whole village is talking about it."
Jack? Janet Tosswill felt vexed by what she considered a bit of stupid,vulgar, village gossip. "Jack's the most level-headed young man aboutwomen I've ever known," she said, trying to speak pleasantly. "If anyonehas fallen in love with Mrs. Crofton, it's our silly little Rosamund!"