CHAPTER XIII.
THE PONY CARRIAGE
So soon as daylight came, I made a swift cold water toilet, and got outinto the open air, with a solemn resolution to see the hated interior ofthat bed-room no more. When I met Lord Chelford in his early walk thatmorning, I'm sure I looked myself like a ghost--at all events, very wildand seedy--for he asked me, more seriously than usual, how I was; and Ithink I would have told him the story of my adventure, despite the secretridicule with which, I fancied, he would receive it, had it not been fora certain insurmountable disgust and horror which held me tongue-tiedupon the affair.
I told him, however, that I had dreamed dreams, and was restless anduncomfortable in my present berth, and begged his interest with thehousekeeper to have my quarters changed to the lower storey--quiteresolved to remove to the 'Brandon Arms,' rather than encounter anothersuch night as I had passed.
Stanley Lake did not appear that day; Wylder was glowering andabstracted--worse company than usual; and Rachel seemed to have quitepassed from his recollection.
While Rachel Lake was, as usual, busy in her little garden that day, LordChelford, on his way to the town, by the pretty mill-road, took off hishat to her with a smiling salutation, and leaning on the paling, hesaid--
'I often wonder how you make your flowers grow here--you have so littlesun among the trees--and yet, it is so pretty and flowery; it remains inmy memory as if the sun were always shining specially on this littlegarden.'
Miss Lake laughed.
'I am very proud of it. They try not to blow, but I never let them alonetill they do. See all my watering-pots, and pruning-scissors, my sticks,and bass-mat, and glass covers. Skill and industry conquer churlishnature--and this is my Versailles.'
'I don't believe in those sticks, and scissors, and watering-pots. Youwon't tell your secret; but I'm sure it's an influence--you smile andwhisper to them.'
She smiled--without raising her eyes--on the flower she was tying up;and, indeed, it was such a smile as must have made it happy--and shesaid, gaily--
'You forget that Lord Chelford passes this way sometimes, and shines uponthem, too.'
'No, he's a dull, earthly dog; and if he shines here, it is only inreflected light'
'Margery, child, fetch me the scissors.'
And a hobble-de-hoy of a girl, with round eyes, and a long white-apron,and bare arms, came down the little walk, and--eyeing the peer with anawful curiosity--presented the shears to the charming Atropos, whoclipped off the withered blossoms that had bloomed their hour, and wereto cumber the stalk no more.
'Now, you see what art may do; how _passee_ this creature was till I madeher toilet, and how wonderfully the poor old beauty looks now,' and sheglanced complacently at the plant she had just trimmed.
'Well, it is young again and beautiful; but no--I have no faith in thescissors; I still believe in the influence--from the tips of yourfingers, your looks, and tones. Flowers, like fairies, have theirfavourites, whom they smile on and obey; and I think this is a hauntedglen--trees, flowers, all have an intelligence and a feeling--and I amsure you see wonderful things, by moonlight, from your window.'
With a strange meaning echo, those words returned to her afterwards--'I'msure you see wonderful things, by moonlight, from your window.'
But no matter; the winged words--making pleasant music--flew pleasantlyaway, now among transparent leaves and glimmering sun; by-and-by, inmoonlight, they will return to the casement piping the same tune, inghostly tones.
And as they chatted in this strain, Rachel paused on a sudden, withupraised hand, listening pleasantly.
'I hear the pony-carriage; Dorcas is coming,' she said.
And the tinkle of tiny wheels, coming down the road, was audible.
'There's a pleasant sense of adventure, too, in the midst of yourseclusion. Sudden arrivals and passing pilgrims, like me, leaning overthe paling, and refreshed by the glimpse the rogue steals of thischarming oratory. Yes; here comes the fair Brunnisende.'
And he made his salutation. Miss Brandon smiled from under her gipsy-hatvery pleasantly for her.
'Will you come with me for a drive, Radie?' she asked.
'Yes, dear--delighted. Margery, bring my gloves and cloak.' And sheunpinned the faded silk shawl that did duty in the garden, and drew offher gauntlets, and showed her pretty hands; and Margery popped her cloakon her shoulders, and the young lady pulled on her gloves. All ready in amoment, like a young lady of energy; and chatting merrily she sat downbeside her cousin, who held the reins. As there were no more gates toopen, Miss Brandon dismissed the servant, who stood at the ponies' heads,and who, touching his hat with his white glove, received his _conge_, andstrode with willing steps up the road.
'Will you take me for your footman as far as the town?' asked LordChelford; so, with permission, up he jumped behind, and away theywhirled, close over the ground, on toy wheels ringing merrily on theshingle, he leaning over the back and chatting pleasantly with the youngladies as they drove on.
They drew up at the Brandon Arms, and little girls courtesied at doors,and householders peeped from their windows, not standing close to thepanes, but respectfully back, at the great lady and the nobleman, who wasnow taking his leave.
And next they pulled up at that official rendezvous, with white-washedfront--and 'post-office,' in white letters on a brown board over itsdoor, and its black, hinged window-pane, through which Mr. Driver--or, inhis absence, Miss Anne Driver--answered questions, and transacted affairsofficially.
In the rear of this establishment were kept some dogs of Lawyer Larkin's;and just as the ladies arrived, that person emerged, lookingoverpoweringly gentlemanlike, in a white hat, gray paletot, lavendertrowsers, and white riding gloves. He was in a righteous and dignifiedway pleased to present himself in so becoming a costume, and moreover ingood company, for Stanley Lake was going with him to Dutton for a day'ssport, which neither of them cared for. But Stanley hoped to pump theattorney, and the attorney, I'm afraid, liked being associated with thefashionable captain; and so they were each pleased in the way that suitedthem.
The attorney, being long as well as lank, had to stoop under the doorway,but drew himself up handsomely on coming out, and assumed his easy,high-bred style, which, although he was not aware of it, was very nearlyinsupportable, and smiled very engagingly, and meant to talk a littleabout the weather; but Miss Brandon made him one of her gravest andslightest bows, and suddenly saw Mrs. Brown at her shop door on the otherside, and had a word to say to her.
And now Stanley Lake drew up in the tax-cart, and greeted the ladies, andtold them how he meant to pass the day; and the dogs being put in, andthe attorney, I'm afraid a little spited at his reception, in possessionof the reins, they drove down the little street at a great pace, anddisappeared round the corner; and in a minute more the young ladies, inthe opposite direction, resumed their drive. The ponies, being grave andtrustworthy, and having the road quite to themselves, needed littlelooking after, and Miss Brandon was free to converse with her companion.
'I think, Rachel, you have a lover,' she said.
'Only a bachelor, I'm afraid, as my poor Margery calls the younggentleman who takes her out for a walk on a Sunday, and I fear meansnothing more.'
'This is the second time I've found Chelford talking to you, Rachel, atthe door of your pretty little garden.'
Rachel laughed.
'Suppose, some fine day, he should put his hand over the paling, and takeyours, and make you a speech.'
'You romantic darling,' she said, 'don't you know that peers and princeshave quite given over marrying simple maidens of low estate for love andliking, and understand match-making better than you or I; though I couldgive a tolerable account of myself, after the manner of the white cat inthe story, which I think is a pattern of frankness and modest dignity.I'd say with a courtesy--"Think not, prince, that I have always been acat, and that my birth is obscure; my father was king of six kingdoms,and loved my mother tenderly," and so forth.'
'Rachel, I like you,' interrupted the dark beauty, fixing her large eyes,from which not light, but, as it were, a rich shadow fell softly on hercompanion. It was the first time she had made any such confession. Rachelreturned her look as frankly, with an amused smile, and then said, with acomic little toss of her head--
'Well, Dorcas, I don't see why you should not, though I don't know whyyou say so.'
'You're not like other people; you don't complain, and you're not bitter,although you have had great misfortunes, my poor Rachel.'
There be ladies, young and old, who, the moment they are pitied, thoughnever so cheerful before, will forthwith dissolve in tears. But that wasnot Rachel's way; she only looked at her with a good-humoured but gravecuriosity for a few seconds, and then said, with rather a kindly smile--
'And now, Dorcas, I like you.'
Dorcas made no answer, but put her arm round Rachel's neck, and kissedher; Dorcas made two kisses of it, and Rachel one, but it was cousinlyand kindly; and Rachel laughed a soft little laugh after it, lookingamused and very lovingly on her cousin; but she was a bold lass, and notgiven in anywise to the melting mood, and said gaily, with her open handstill caressingly on Dorcas's waist--
'I make a very good nun, Dorcas, as I told Stanley the other day. Isometimes, indeed, receive a male visitor, at the other side of thepaling, which is my grille; but to change my way of life is a dream thatdoes not trouble me. Happy the girl--and I am one--who cannot like untilshe is first beloved. Don't you remember poor, pale Winnie, the maid whoused to take us on our walks all the summer at Dawling; how she used topluck the leaves from the flowers, like Faust's Marguerite, saying, "Heloves me a little--passionately, not at all." Now if I were lovedpassionately, I might love a little; and if loved a little--it should benot at all.'
They had the road all to themselves, and were going at a walk up anascent, so the reins lay loosely on the ponies' necks and Dorcas lookedwith an untold meaning in her proud face, on her cousin, and seemed onthe point of speaking, but she changed her mind.
'And so Dorcas, as swains are seldom passionately in love with so small apittance as mine, I think I shall mature into a queer old maid, and takeall the little Wylders, masters and misses, with your leave, for theirwalks, and help to make their pinafores.' Whereupon Miss Dorcas put herponies into a very quick trot, and became absorbed in her driving.
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