The valet went into the bedchamber without a word, his face rather set. Nell looked up at John. “Do you think—do you think he is better, John?”
He did not hesitate. “No, dearest,” he replied gently.
“I see.” She went slowly towards him, and leaned against his shoulder as he put his arm round her. “I couldn’t wish it, of course. It is only that there have been just the two of us for so long.”
“I know.”
She put her hand up to touch his cheek. “And now there is you, and—and so much happiness in my heart that there seems to be hardly room enough for anything else. Am I really married, or is it a dream?”
“You are really married, my wife. It is the strangest wedding ever two people had, but the knot was well and truly tied.”
“I think, even though you would not say so, you must have disliked it very much.”
“No.” He turned her face up, and kissed her. “Only to be obliged to leave you, my wife. That—I do indeed dislike!”
Chapter 15
THE Captain, having stabled Beau, walked back to the toll-house across the field, and entered it by the backdoor. He found Mr. Babbacombe alone, seated by the fire, and sipping brandy and water. Mr. Babbacombe raised a weary eyebrow, and said: “What, didn’t they offer you a bed? How shabby!”
The Captain grinned at him. “I beg pardon! Have I been away so long? Where’s Ben? Have you murdered him?”
“No, but I found him such a dead bore that I sent him to bed. Pike-keeping couldn’t be worse than playing casino with that bird-witted boy. I only had to open the gate twice—each time to your groom-acquaintance. Happily he knew what the toll was, for I did not.”
“Yes, I met Joseph on my way back,” John said, rather absently. He poured himself out some brandy, while his friend sleepily watched him. He glanced down at Babbacombe. “Did Chirk come?”
“I imagine he did, since Ben slid from the place in what he no doubt considered to be an unobtrusive fashion.”
“I hope he means to come again tomorrow. If not, I must go in search of him, and I fancy that will mean a twenty-mile ride, if not more.”
“If you’re trying to tell me, Jack, that you want me to make a cake of myself, minding the pike while you’re away——”
“No, Ben can attend to it during the day. But I don’t want you to go back to Edenhope tomorrow!”
Mr. Babbacombe yawned. “Dear boy—not the slightest intention of doing so! Someone must carry the news to your mother that you’ve been taken off to Newgate.”
“You’re a devilish good fellow, Bab!” said the Captain gratefully.
“I’m not. Don’t choose to have it said of me that I’m the sort of queer fish who leaves his friends in the lurch. Now perhaps you’ll tell me what you’ve been doing up at the Manor? For one who has come from attending a deathbed you’ve a mighty cheerful appearance.”
“I haven’t. At least, the Squire’s alive still. I’ve come from a wedding!”
Mr. Babbacombe sat up with a jerk. “You’ve come from——Whose wedding?” he demanded uneasily.
“My own!”
“Oh, my God!” ejaculated Mr. Babbacombe. “Now I know you’re touched in your upper works!”
“Oh, no, I’m not!” John said, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards.
Mr. Babbacombe saw it, and groaned. “If you think that is the news I’ll carry to your mother, you’re mightily mistaken!” he declared. “It’s the girl you mentioned, I collect? Miss Stornaway? So that’s why you’re so devilish anxious to keep Henry Stornaway’s name clean! Lord, what made you do such a thing, you crazy gudgeon?”
“I fell in love with her the instant I saw her,” replied John, with a simplicity that defied disbelief. He smiled, as Mr. Babbacombe’s jaw dropped. “Did you think I was indulging in a fit of quixotry? Oh, no! She is—well, never mind that! You will meet her presently, and then you will understand. I am the happiest man on earth!”
“In that case, dear boy,” said Mr. Babbacombe, rising nobly to the occasion, “nothing for it but to drink your health!”
“Thank you! That is why I must do my possible to rescue young Stornaway. It ain’t that I care what sort of a hell-born babe Nell’s cousin may be——Good God, haven’t we all got relations that are precious loose fish? From anything I’ve ever heard, Bab, most of our grandfathers were nothing more than a set of Bingo-club boys!—but Nell would! So Sir Peter knew: that’s why he got a special license, and had us married out of hand. And that’s why I may need you here!” He finished the brandy in his glass, and stood for a moment, thinking. Then he set down the glass, and said: “The Squire’s had notice to quit, and I think it may be only a matter of hours now, and the devil’s in it that until I’ve settled this business with that pair of rogues I can’t leave this place, or claim my wife. To let Coate know that she is my wife would be to hamstring the only plan I’ve got. I hardly think that he could be black enough—or foolish enough!—to force his suit upon her while her grandfather is still unburied, but I won’t have her subjected to the slightest annoyance! If Henry tries to make it uncomfortable for her, I’ll have her away from the Manor instantly, and give her into your charge, until I have finished what I have to do here.”
“Eh?” said Mr. Babbacombe, startled. “Do you mean you want me to take your wife to Mildenhurst?”
“Good God, no! I’ll take her to Mildenhurst myself, I thank you! At need, you’ll take her to Buxton, and install her at the best inn there, and take care of her until I come.”
“No, really, Jack!” protested Mr. Babbacombe, quite horrified.
“Lord, Bab, don’t be such a sapskull! She’ll have her maid, and her groom, and her major-domo too, if Winkfield will go with her. All I want you to do is to bear her company, and to see that she doesn’t fret. And that puts me in mind of something else! I hope you came here flush in the pocket, because I shall soon be cleaned out, and I must borrow from you.”
Mr. Babbacombe thrust a hand into his pocket, and drew forth a fat bundle.
“A roll of soft!” said the Captain admiringly. “I guessed it! What a thing it is to have a well-blunted friend! No, no, I don’t want it now!—only if I should be obliged to send Nell to Buxton!”
Mr. Babbacombe restored the roll to his pocket. “Well, I’d as lief you didn’t send her!” he said frankly. “It ain’t in my line of country, Jack, dangling after females! What’s more, it seems to me I should be of more use to you if I stayed here, for I can tell by the way you’re looking that you’ve got some dashed dangerous scheme in your head!”
John laughed. “Oh, no! I think I shall come about safely enough!”
“Well, what are you planning to do?” insisted Mr. Babbacombe.
“I can’t tell you that at present, but——”
“Don’t you try to hoax me, Jack!” interrupted his incensed friend. “If you can’t tell me, it means you’re bent on some crack-brained dangerous thing you know dashed well I wouldn’t hear of!”
“Well, you aren’t going to hear of it,” replied John consolingly. “Oh, don’t look so horrified! I don’t mean to cock up my toes, I assure you! However, any bold stroke must carry with it a certain risk, and I’m glad you’ve put me in mind of it. I must make a Will, and you can witness it, and take charge of it. Tomorrow will be time enough for that. Lord, how late it is! Go back to the Blue Boar, old fellow, and don’t have nightmares on my account!”
Nothing more could be got out of him, and since he was plainly thinking of something else while he appeared to listen politely to Mr. Babbacombe’s earnest representations, that ill-used gentleman presently abandoned the losing fight, and departed, freely prophesying disaster. Upon which the Captain went to bed, and dropped into the sleep of one without a care in the world.
He was relieved to learn from Ben, on the following morning, that Chirk proposed to visit the toll-house again that evening, and was able to devote his attention to a more pressing problem. After turning the matter over in his mind while he groomed his horse, he came to the conclusion that his next action must be to reach an understanding with Gabriel Stogumber; and with this end in view he left Ben and Mrs. Skeffling to mind the gate between them, and set off down the road to the village.