armed, and can take care of ourselves, I think.”
As they rode away he tapped the bags before him and explained:
“Guineas, Tony. I knew my uncle kept a store of them locked in his
vault. On our return to Dymchurch, old Wraight the builder is to meet
me at the Vicarage. I wish to settle his account today. It is the
first step of my Odyssey. Each hour I must do something to advance it.
I wonder, now, how many years it will take, and how many land and sea
miles I shall cover?”
“I still hope,” said Tony sadly, “that God will show you there is
something better than revenge.”
But the Doctor shook his head and answered, “There can be nothing
better in the world.”
When they had handed their horses to the Court-House grooms, Tony
insisted upon carrying the guinea-bags to the Vicarage, where they found
the good old builder awaiting their pleasure.
“There was not this need of hasty payment, sir, as far as I’m
concerned,” said the old man respectfully.
- 63 -
“I know, but I wish to get it settled,” replied Syn. “I see that you
have the detailed list of items with you. Give it to Mr. Cobtree to
look over, while you and I take a final look at the improvements.”
So Tony sat down to the library table and checked the inventory,
while Wraight followed the Vicar from room to room, and out into the
garden, the builder talking proudly of the various results of his work,
and the Doctor vouchsafing not a word of comment. Neither praise nor
censure did he speak, till his silence worried the old man. Unable to
stand it longer, he asked:
“I hope, sir, that my work meets with your approval?”
“Of course. Of course,” replied Syn, but in a tone that showed the
builder that his mind was elsewhere. “The work has been faithfully
carried out, according to my instructions, and whatever mistake has been
made, it is mine, and not yours, and I will take the blame.”
“Mistake? The blame?” repeated Wraight. “I beg, sir, that you will
point out any mistake, that I can rectify it.”
The Doctor changed the subject suddenly, and pointing to a ladder
that leaned against the new wing in which Imogene had planned her
nurseries, he asked what it was there for. “I see it gives access to
the roof. Is it not finished?”
Wraight explained that he had been up there before the Doctor’s
arrival to inspect the new red tiles.
“Did you find them satisfactory?” asked the Doctor.
“I did, sir. Very pleased with them I was. I wager they’ll keep out
wind and water for a century.”
“I wonder now,” said Syn, with a smile.
Bridled that his work should be thus criticized, the old man was
anger, but before he could speak, Syn left him abruptly, and walked
quickly to a tool shed from which he brought a heavy pick-ax. Then he
climbed the ladder and stood upon the gently sloping tiles. Suddenly he
laughed, and, to Wraight’s astonishment and indignation, he swung the
pick above his head and brought the flat blade of it down with a
sweeping blow. Using the implement as a lever, he forced the tiles from
their pegs and sent them crashing down into the garden below. In a
minute he had torn a hole in the roof through which he cast the pick,
and with such force that it tore its way with falling plaster into the
room below which was to have been the nursery. Dusting his clothes
deliberately, he climbed down the ladder and told the amazed Wraight to
follow him into the house.
Tony, who had heaped up the requisite pile of guineas on the table,
crossed to the window to find out the cause of the noise, but seeing the
grim expression upon the two men’s faces as they entered, he kept
silence and waited for an explanation.
“I have thoroughly satisfied myself, Tony,” said the Doctor, “that
Mr. Wraight has carried out the work I gave him faithfully. I see you
have the guineas waiting for him, so if you will count it, Mr. Wraight,
Mr. Cobtree will give you a receipt to sign, I then shall want from you,
my good Wraight, another estimate, which I will pay for now, as soon as
we agree. I want all the work which you have executed to be removed as
soon as possible. In short, I wish this good Vicara ge to be put back
exactly as it was. As I told you, I am willing to abide by my mistake,
and I do not chose to saddle my successors with so large a house as now
it stands. Dilapidation become a heavy charge for outgoing incumbents.
You need not question my authority for this, since I have gained the
permission of my patron, Sir Charles Cobtree, who, as you know, is
warden of this Living. Will you undertake this at once?”
- 64 -
Wraight nodded. “It be the strangest job I ever had.”
“Ah, Wraight, old friend,” said the Doctor sadly, “there are the
strangest circumstances connected with it, I assure you, and in giving
you this order, I confess I am not thinking only of my successors here.”
“We are not wanting your successors, sir,” replied Wraight. “As to
any other motive you may have, I respect your silence, sir. And in that
I know I speak for the whole village, sir.”
“God has at least possessed me with many faithful friends,” replied
the Doctor.
Thus did old Wraight voice for the village their unspoken sympathy.
A few days later Doctor Syn rode back to Oxford. In returning the
borrowed pack-horse to Iffley, he found that the estate was up for sale.
So the fox will not return to that hole , he wrote to Tony. He also
described the or deal he undertook while visiting White Friars.
The deeper I plumb the depths of their deception, the higher must I soar
in the Heaven of my Vengeance. It appears that the sudden illness of my
wife was for the most part feigned. And I dare swear at his suggestion.
Hardly had I left her, but he was there and welcomed. He wrote to me
each day of her improvement, as you know, and she did improve to him.
Why did I not obey a loving instinct that came to me when but a mile
outside town? It was a compelling urge to gallop back and kiss her.
Thinking she would be sleeping, I conquered the desire. Had I not done
so, I should have found her up and singing with him to those damned
guitars. More could I tell you, but why abuse good ink and paper with
things so damnable? One fact enraged me at the time, I think almost as
much as their worst sinning, for when I asked for my account of
accommodation, I found that the rascal had had the impertinence to
settle this for me. Since the good lady honestly refused my double
payment, I took the amount into St. Giles’ and gave it to the first
beggar I encountered. My few possessions here I have packed and sent by
coach, and I intend to ride back within the next day or so. But I must
first glean what information I can concerning our rascal from the
servants at Iffley. Disgruntled at their abrupt discharge, they will
not doubt be bribable.
On returning to Dymchurch, Doctor Syn continued to reside at the
Court-House. When the Vicarage had been restored according to his
direction, he installed there, at his expense, a married parson, who
should act as his curate, and be ready to take over his duties when he
was ready to set out upon his vengeance. Tony and his wife, who lived
in a separate wing of the Court-House, n ever dared to ask him when this
would be, and as the months went by, and still he carried on his work,
they hoped he might in time forget. But all the while the Doctor was