The Splendid Spur

by Arthur Quiller-Couch

  CHAPTER XIV.

  I DO NO GOOD IN THE HOUSE OF GLEYS.

  Very early next morning I awoke, and hearing no sound in the loft above(whither, since my coming, Joan had carried her bed), concluded her tobe still asleep. But in this I was mistaken: for going to the well atthe back to wash, I found her there, studying her face in the mirror.

  "Luckily met, Jack," she said, when I was cleansed and freshly glowing:"Now fill another bucket and sarve me the same."

  "Cannot you wash yourself?" I ask'd, as I did so.

  "Lost the knack, I reckon. Stand thee so, an' slush the water over me."

  "But your clothes!" I cried out, "they'll be soaking wet!"

  "Clothes won't be worse for a wash, neither. So slush away."

  Therefore, standing at three paces' distance, I sent a bucketful overher, and then another and another. Six times I filled and emptied thebucket in all: and at the end she was satisfied, and went, dripping,back to the kitchen to get me my breakfast.

  "Art early abroad," she said, as we sat together over the meal.

  "Yes, for I must ride to Gleys this morning."

  "Shan't be sorry to miss thee for a while. Makes me feel so shy--thiscleanliness." So, promising to be back by nightfall, I went presently tosaddle Molly: and following Joan's directions and her warnings againstquags and pitfalls, was soon riding south across the moor and well on myroad to the House of Gleys.

  My way leading me by Braddock Down, I turned aside for a while toexamine the ground of the late fight (tho' by now little was to be seenbut a piece of earthwork left unfinish'd by the rebels, and the freshmounds where the dead were laid); and so 'twas high noon--and a dull,cheerless day--before the hills broke and let me have sight of the sea.Nor, till the noise of the surf was in my ears, did I mark the chimneysand naked grey walls of the house I was bound for.

  'Twas a gloomy, savage pile of granite, perch'd at the extremity of anarrow neck of land, where every wind might sweep it, and the waves beaton three sides the cliff below. The tide was now at the full, almost,and the spray flying in my face, as we crossed the head of a smallbeach, forded a stream, and scrambled up the rough road to the entrancegate.

  A thin line of smoke blown level from one chimney was all the sign oflife in the building: for the narrow lights of the upper story weremostly shuttered, and the lower floor was hid from me by a high wallenclosing a courtlage in front. One stunted ash, with boughs torturedand bent toward the mainland, stood by the gate, which was lock'd. Asmaller door, also lock'd, was let into the gate, and in this again ashuttered iron grating. Hard by, dangled a rusty bell-pull, at which Itugg'd sturdily.

  On this, a crack'd bell sounded, far in the house, and scared a flock ofstarlings out of a disused chimney. Their cries died away presently, andleft no sound but that of the gulls wailing about the cliff at my feet.This was all the answer I won.

  I rang again, and a third time: and now at last came the sound offootsteps shuffling across the court within. The shutter of the gratingwas slipp'd back, and a voice, crack'd as the bell, asked my business.

  "To see Master Hannibal Tingcomb," answered I.

  "Thy name?"

  "He shall hear it in time. Say that I come on business concerning theestate."

  The voice mutter'd something, and the footsteps went back. I had beenkicking my heels there for twenty minutes or more when they returned,and the voice repeated the question---

  "Thy name?"

  Being by this time angered, I did a foolish thing; which was, to clapthe muzzle of my pistol against the grating, close to the fellow's nose.Singular to say, the trick serv'd me. A bolt was slipp'd hastily backand the wicket door opened stealthily.

  "I want," said I, "room for my horse to pass."

  Thereupon more grumbling follow'd, and a prodigious creaking of boltsand chains; after which the big gate swung stiffly back.

  "Sure, you must be worth a deal," I said, "that shut yourselves in socareful."

  Before me stood a strange fellow--extraordinary old and bent, with awizen'd face, one eye only, and a chin that almost touched his nose. Hewore a dirty suit of livery, that once had been canary-yellow; and shookwith the palsy.

  "Master Tingcomb will see the young man," he squeak'd, nodding his head;"but is a-reading just now in his Bible."

  "A pretty habit," answered I, leading in Molly--"if unseasonable. Butwhy not have said so?"

  He seem'd to consider this for a while, and then said abruptly--

  "Have some pasty and some good cider?"

  "Why yes," I said, "with all my heart, when I have stabled the sorrelhere."

  He led the way across the court, well paved but chok'd with weeds,toward the stable. I found it a spacious building, and counted sixteenstalls there; but all were empty save two, where stood the horses I hadseen in Bodmin the day before. Having stabled Molly, I left the place(which was thick with cobwebs) and follow'd the old servant into thehouse.

  He took me into a great stone kitchen, and brought out the pasty andcider, but poured out half a glass only.

  "Have a care, young man: 'tis a luscious, thick, seductive drink," andhe chuckled.

  "'Twould turn the edge of a knife," said I, tasting it and looking athim: but his one blear'd eye was inscrutable. The pasty also was mouldy,and I soon laid it down.

  "Hast a proud stomach that cometh of faring sumptuously: the beeftherein is our own killing," said he. "Young sir, art a man of blood, Igreatly fear, by thy long sword and handiness with the firearms."

  "Shall be presently," answered I, "if you lead me not to MasterTingcomb."

  He scrambled up briskly and totter'd out of the kitchen into a stonecorridor, I after him. Along this he hurried, muttering all the way, andhalted before a door at the end. Without knocking he pushed it open, andmotioning me to enter, hasten'd back as he had come.

  "Come in," said a voice that seem'd familiar to me.

  Though, as you know, 'twas still high day, in the room where now I foundmyself was every appearance of night: the shutters being closed, andsix lighted candles standing on the table. Behind them sat the venerablegentleman whom I had seen in the coach, now wearing a plain suit ofblack, and reading in a great book that lay open on the table. I guess'dit to be the Bible; but noted that the candles had shades about them,so disposed as to throw the light, not on the page, but on the doorwaywhere I stood.

  Yet the old gentleman, having bid me enter, went on reading for a whileas though wholly unaware of me: which I found somewhat nettling, sobegan---

  "I speak, I believe, to Master Hannibal Tingcomb, steward to Sir DeakinKilligrew."

  He went on, as if ending his sentence aloud: "... And my darling fromthe power of the dog." Here he paused with finger on the place andlooked up. "Yes, young sir, that is my name--steward to the late SirDeakin Killigrew."

  "The late?" cried I: "Then you know--"

  "Surely I know that Sir Deakin is dead: else should I be but an unworthysteward." He open'd his grave eyes as if in wonder.

  "And his son, also?"

  "Also his son Anthony, a headstrong boy, I fear me, a consorter withvile characters. Alas? that I should say it."

  "And his daughter, Mistress Delia?"

  "Alas!" and he fetched a deep sigh.

  "Do you mean, sir, that she too is dead!"

  "Why, to be sure-but let us talk on less painful matters."

  "In one moment, sir: but first tell me--where did she die, and when?"

  For my heart stood still, and I was fain to clutch the table between usto keep me from falling. I think this did not escape him, for he gave mea sharp look, and then spoke very quiet and hush'd,

  "She was cruelly kill'd by highwaymen, at the 'Three Cups' inn, somemiles out of Hungerford. The date given me is the 3d of December last."

  With this a great rush of joy came over me, and I blurted out,delighted--

  "There, sir, you are wrong! Her father was kill'd on the night of whichyou speak--cruelly enough, as you say: but Mistress Delia Killig
rewescaped, and after the most incredible adventures--"

  I was expecting him to start up with joy at my announcement; but insteadof this, he gaz'd at me very sorrowfully and shook his head; whichbrought me to a stand.

  "Sir," I said, changing my tone, "I speak but what I know: for 'twas Ihad the happy fortune to help her to escape, and, under God's hand, tobring her safe to Cornwall."

  "Then, where is she now?"

  Now this was just what I could not tell. So, standing before him, Igave him my name and a history of all my adventures in my dear comrade'scompany, from the hour when I saw her first in the inn at Hungerford.Still keeping his finger on the page, he heard me to the endattentively, but with a curling of the lips toward the close, such as Idid not like. And when I had done, to my amaze he spoke out sharply, andas if to a whipp'd schoolboy.

  "'Tis a cock-and-bull story, sir, of which I could hope to make youashamed. Six weeks in your company? and in boy's habit? Surely 'twasenough the pure unhappy maid should be dead--without such vile slanderon her fame, and from you, that were known, sir, to have been at thatinn, and on that night, with her murderers. Boy, I have evidence that,taken with your confession, would weave you a halter; and am a Justiceof the Peace. Be thankful, then, that I am a merciful man; yet beabash'd."

  Abash'd, indeed, I was; or at least taken aback, to see his holyindignation and the flush on his waxen cheek. Like a fool I stoodstaggered, and wondered dimly where I had heard that thin voice before.In the confusion of my senses I heard it say solemnly---

  "The sins of her fathers have overtaken her, as the Book of Exodusproclaim'd: therefore is her inheritance wasted, and given to the satyrand the wild ass."

  "What did you in Oxford last November?"--Page 219.]

  "And which of the twain be you, sir?"

  I cannot tell what forced this violent rudeness from me, for he seem'dan honest, good man; but my heart was boiling that any should put soill a construction on my Delia. As for him, he had risen, and was movingwith dignity to the door--to show me out, as I guess. When suddenly I,that had been staring stupidly, leap'd upon him and hurled him back intohis chair.

  For I had marked his left foot trailing, and, by the token, knew him forthe white hair'd man of the bowling-green.

  "Master Hannibal Tingcomb," I spoke in his ear, "--dog and murderer!What did you in Oxford last November? And how of Captain Lucius Higgs,otherwise Captain Luke Settle, otherwise Mr. X.? Speak, before I serveyou as the dog was served that night!"

  I dream yet, in my sick nights, of the change that came over the vile,hypocritical knave at these words of mine. To see his pale venerableface turn green and livid, his eyeball start, his hands clutch atair--it frighten'd me.

  "Brandy!" he gasped. "Brandy! there--quick--for God's sake!"

  And the next moment he had slipp'd from my grasp, and was wallowing ina fit on the floor. I ran to the cupboard at which he had pointed, andfinding there a bottle of strong waters, forced some drops between histeeth; and hard work it was, he gnashing at me all the time and foamingat the mouth.

  Presently he ceased to writhe and bite: and lifting, I set him in hischair, where he lay, a mere limp bundle, staring and blinking. So I satdown facing him, and waited his recovery.

  "Dear young sir," he began at length feebly, his fingers searching theBible before him, from force of habit. "Kind young sir--I am an old,dying man, and my sins have found me out. Only yesterday, the physicianat Bodmin told me that my days are numbered. This is the second attack,and the third will kill me."

  "Well?" said I.

  "If--if Mistress Delia be alive (as indeed I did not think), I will makerestitution--I will confess--only tell me what to do, that I may die inpeace."

  Indeed, he look'd pitiable, sitting there and stammering: but I harden'dmy heart to say---

  "I must have a confession, then, written before I leave the room."

  "But, dear young friend, you will not use it if I give up all? You willnot seek my life? that already is worthless, as you see."

  "Why, 'tis what you deserve. But Delia shall say when I find her--asI shall go straight to seek her. If she be lost, I shall use it--neverfear: if she be found, it shall be hers to say what mercy she candiscover in her heart; but I promise you I shall advise none."

  The tears by this were coursing down his shrunken cheeks, but I observ'dhim watch me narrowly, as though to find out how much I knew. So Ipull'd out my pistol, and setting pen and paper before him, obtainedat the end of an hour a very pretty confession of his sins, which liesamong my papers to this day. When 'twas written and sign'd, in a weak,rambling hand, I read it through, folded it, placed it inside my coat,and prepared to take my leave.

  But he called out an order to the old servant to saddle my mare, andstood softly praying and beseeching me in the courtyard till the lastmoment. Nor when I was mounted would anything serve but he must followat my stirrup to the gate. But when I had briefly taken leave, and theheavy doors had creaked behind me, I heard a voice calling after me downthe road---

  "Dear young sir! Dear friend!--I had forgotten somewhat."

  Returning, I found the gate fastened, and the iron shutter slipp'd back.

  "Well?" I asked, leaning toward it.

  "Dear young friend, I pity thee, for thy paper is worthless. To-day, bymy advices, the army of our most Christian Parliament, more than twentythousand strong, under the Earl of Stamford, have overtaken thy friends,the malignant gentry, near Stratton Heath, in the northeast. They aremore than two to one. By this hour to-morrow, the Papists all will berunning like conies to their burrows, and little chance wilt thou haveto seek Delia Killigrew, much less to find her. And remember, I knowenough of thy late services to hang thee: mercy then will lie in myfriends' hands; but be sure I shall advise none."

  And with a mocking laugh he clapp'd--to the grating in my face.