Peregrine's Progress

by Jeffery Farnol

  CHAPTER XXIX

  TELLS OF AN OMINOUS MEETING

  Precisely upon the stroke of half-past four I turned under the arch ofthe "Chequers" inn and, coming into the yard, looked about for Diana.The place was fairly a-throng with vehicles, farmers' gigs, carts,curricles and the like; in one corner of the long penthouse I espiedthe Tinker's cart with Diogenes champing philosophically at a truss ofhay, but Diana herself was nowhere to be seen. Therefore, havingdeposited my parcel in the cart among divers other packages (which Itook to be the stores Jeremy had mentioned), I seated myself in aremote and shady corner and glanced around. Horses munched and snortedall about me, unseen hostlers hissed and whistled, and a man in asmart livery hung upon the bridles of two horses harnessed to ahandsome closed travelling carriage, blood-horses that tossed proudheads and stamped impatient hoofs, insomuch that the groom alternatelycursed and coaxed them, turning his head ever and anon to glancetowards a certain back door of the inn with impatient expectancy. Andthus it befell that I began to watch this door also and as the momentselapsed there waked within me a strange and bodeful tremblingeagerness, a growing anxiety to behold what manner of person that doorwould soon open for. So altogether unaccountable and disquieting wasthis feeling that I rose to my feet and in this moment the door swungwide and a man appeared.

  He was tall and slim and superlatively well clad, his garments of thatquiet elegance which is the mark of exceeding good taste; but it washis face that drew and held my gaze, a handsome face, paler bycontrast with the raven blackness of flowing, curled hair, adelicate-nostrilled, aquiline nose, a thin-lipped mouth and smooth jutof pointed chin. All this I saw as he stood as if awaiting some one,half-turned upon the steps, a magnificent and shapely figure, tappingimpatiently at glittering, be-tasselled boot with slender,gold-mounted cane. And then--Diana appeared and paused in the doorwayto stare up at him while he smiled down on her, and I saw his smilinglips move in soft speech as, with a hateful and assured deliberation,his white fingers closed upon her round, sunburned arm and he gesturedgracefully towards the carriage with his cane.

  "Ah, damn you--stand off!" I cried, and clenching my fists I sprangforward, raging. As I came he swung about to meet me, the slender canequivering in his grip, and thus for a moment we faced each other. Andnow I saw he was older than I had thought and, meeting the intensityof these smouldering eyes, beholding quivering nostrils and relentlessmouth and chin, my flesh crept with a fierce and unaccountableloathing of the man and, unheeding the threat of the cane, I leapt onhim like a mad creature. I felt the sharp pain of a blow as the canesnapped asunder on my body and I was upon him, pounding and smitingwith murder in my heart. Then the long white hand seized my collar andwhirled me aside with such incredible strength that I fell and lay fora moment half-stunned as, without a glance towards me, he opened thecarriage door and imperiously motioned Diana to enter.

  "Come, my goddess, let us fly!" said he, soft-voiced and smiling. Butas he approached her, she tossed aside her basket, stooped, and I sawthe evil glitter of her little knife; the gentleman merely laughedsoftly and made deliberately towards her; then, as she crouched tospring, I scrambled to my feet.

  "Don't!" I cried. "Don't! Not you, Diana! Throw me your knife--leavehim to me--"

  At this the gentleman paused to glance from Diana to me and backagain.

  "Aha, Diana, is it?" said he. "You'll be worth the taming--anothertime, chaste goddess! Venus give you to my arms some day! Here's foryour torn coat, my sorry Endymion!" Saying which, he tossed a guineato me and, stepping into the carriage, closed the door. The staringgroom mounted, the horses pranced, but, as the carriage moved off, Isnatched up the coin and, leaping forward, hurled it through the openwindow into the gentleman's pale, smiling face.

  "Damn you!" I panted. "God's curse on you--I'll see you dead--someday!" And then the carriage was gone and I, gasping and trembling,stood appalled at the wild passion of murderous hate that surgedwithin me. And in this awful moment, sick with horrified amaze since Iknew myself a murderer in my soul, I was aware that Diana had pickedup my new hat whence it had fallen and was tenderly wiping the dustfrom it.

  "Why, Peregrine," sighed she reproachfully, "you've had all your curlscut off!"

  "To the devil with my curls! Come, let us go!" And snatching my hat Iclapped it on and led the way across the yard and, heedless of thespectators who gaped and nudged each other, we got into the cart, paidour dues, and drove out into the High Street, nor did we exchange aword until we had left the town behind us; then:

  "Why are you so frightful angry, Peregrine?"

  "Ah, why?" I groaned. "What madness was it that would have driven meto murder? Had you but thrown me your knife I should have stabbedhim--killed him where he stood--and loved the doing of it. Oh,horrible!"

  "No, wonderful!" sighed she, laying her hand on my drooping shoulder."I--I liked you for it! You weren't afraid this time. Did he hurtyou?"

  "Not much."

  "And he tore your fine new coat--the beast! Never mind, I'll mend itfor you to-night, if you like."

  "I can buy another," said I gloomily.

  "No, that would be wicked, wasteful extravagance, Peregrine, and I canmend it beautifully."

  "Very well!" I sighed.

  "That's three times you fights for me, Peregrine."

  "And been worsted on each occasion!" said I.

  "No, you beats Gabbing Dick, remember," said she consolingly, her handon my shoulder again. "And I--I likes you in your new clothes, thoughI wish you had your curls back again because--"

  "How came you at the inn with that man?" I demanded suddenly.

  "I had been selling my last few baskets."

  "And he saw you?"

  "Yes."

  "And spoke to you?"

  "Yes."

  "And he--tried to--kiss you, I suppose?"

  "Yes--but what's it matter; don't let's talk of it any more,Peregrine."

  "And did he kiss you--did he?" At this she began to frown. "Did hekiss you, Diana--answer me?"

  "I'll not!" said she, setting her chin.

  "Ah, but you shall!"

  "Oh, but I won't! Who are you to question me so?"

  "Tell me, or by God I'll make you!"

  "Ah, don't talk, you couldn't--no, not if--" I seized her, wrenchedand swung her down across my knees (careless alike in my sudden frenzyof fallen reins, of danger or death itself) and having her thushelpless, set my hand about her soft, round throat.

  "By God!" I gasped, "but you shall tell me, Diana; you shall tell meif he dared sully you with his vile touch--speak--speak!"

  And now as I glared down at her I saw her eyes grow wide and suddenlyfearful.

  "Oh, Peregrine," she whispered. "Don't--don't look at me so--as if youhated me--don't, ah, don't!" And then, oh, wonder of wonders! Her armswere about my neck, drawing me lower and lower until her soft cheekmet mine and, clasping me thus, she spoke under her breath:

  "He didn't. Peregrine--he didn't! No man shall ever kiss me in lineexcept--just--one!"

  "Who?" I questioned, grasping her to me. "Who is that one?"

  "Loose me, now," she pleaded. "You'll make me cry in a minute, and Ihates to cry." So I obeyed her and sitting up, saw that Diogenes, likethe four-footed philosopher he was, had come to a halt and wasserenely cropping the grass by the roadside. And so we presently droveon again, but though Diana frowned no more, she persistently avoidedmy glance.

  "Diana," said I at last, vainly endeavouring to meet her gaze, "who isthe--one man?"

  "Him as I shall marry, of course--if I ever do!" she answered.

  "Then that man is myself, of course!"

  "You are a sight too cocksure!"

  "Am I?"

  "Yes, and--very rough, I think."

  "Oh, forgive me--did I hurt you--just now, when I--"

  "You did!"

  "Where?"

  "Here, on the throat, Peregrine."

  "Let me look," said I, peering. Then, "The wound is not apparent,Diana, unless it is-
-here!" and leaning closer, I touched her softneck with my lips. "Did I hurt you anywhere else?"

  "No!" said she hastily and with sudden shy look.

  "I could almost regret my gentleness!" I sighed. After this we drovein silence awhile; that is to say Diogenes ambled along at his ownleisurely gait, as if he very well knew that 'time was made forslaves'.

  So I looked at Diana, drinking in this new, shy beauty of her, and shelooked at earth and sky, at hedgerow and rolling meadow but with nevera glance at me.

  "It was wrong of you to think the gentleman kissed me!" said shesuddenly, beginning to frown.

  "It was!" I admitted. "Very wrong indeed!"

  "Then why did you?"

  "Because I was a fool!"

  "Well, I don't like fools!"

  "Then I will endeavour to be wiser."

  "'T will need a lot o' trying, I think," said she, scowling.

  "Good heavens!" said I. "Are _you_ angry now?"

  "Yes, I can be angry as well as you, I s'pose?"

  "Of course!" said I. "You have contrived to be very ill-temperedlately."

  "Oh, have I?"

  "You have! And very slipshod in your speech--indeed, your diction isworse than ever--"

  "Oh, stow your gab!"

  "Now you are coarse and vulgar in the extreme!"

  "Well, that's better than pretending to be what I ain't. And if youdon't like my talk--hold your tongue and I'll hold mine!"

  "I will!" said I.

  "Do!" she snapped. And so was silence again, wherein the birds seemedto sing quite out of tune and Diogenes a lazy quadruped very muchneeding the whip.

  "Cannot you drive a little faster?" I suggested.

  For answer she lashed Diogenes to a gallop so that the cart lurchedand swayed in highly unpleasant fashion; but presently, this speedabating somewhat, I ventured to loose my grip of the seat andthrusting hands into pockets, felt the case containing the locket andchain.

  "Are you any better tempered yet?" I enquired.

  "No--nor like to be--"

  "That's a pity!"

  "Oh--why?"

  "Because you look prettier when you don't frown--"

  "Oh tush!"

  "Though you're handsome always. And besides I--I brought you a smallpresent--"

  "Well, you can keep it--"

  "You haven't looked at it yet!"

  "Don't want to!"

  "Here it is," said I, opening the case. "Do you like it?"

  "No!"

  "Won't you accept it?"

  "No, I won't!"

  "Why, very well!" said I, and shutting the case I threw it into theroad.

  "Ah, don't! How could you!" she cried and reined Diogenes to abruptstandstill. "Go and pick it up--this instant!"

  "If you don't want it--I won't!" said I, folding my arms.

  "I didn't say I didn't want it--"

  "But you wouldn't accept it--"

  "No more I will--yet--"

  "Now of all the ridiculous, unreasonable creatures--"

  "So please go an' pick it up, Peregrine."

  "If I do, will you let me put it round your neck?"

  "Wait till--till I feels a little kinder to you!"

  "That will be a unique occasion and one to remember!" said I bitterly,and springing from the cart, I went and took up my despised gift,though with very ill grace. "And pray, madam," I enquired, thrustingthe case into my pocket and frowning up at her where she leaned, chinon fist, viewing me with her sombre gaze, "when are you likely to feelany kinder?"

  "How should I know--and you look s' strange and different in your newclo'es--"

  "It is to be hoped so!" said I.

  "And your curls all cut off!"

  "I never thought you'd notice--"

  "And you seem more cocksure than ever--"

  "Cocksure is an ugly word, Diana."

  "So I think I liked you better as you were."

  "Good!" said I, climbing back into the cart. "It remains for me tomake you like me best--as I am."

  "How?"

  "By marrying you."

  "But you don't--we ain't in love with each other or any suchsilliness," said she, flicking idly at the hedge with the whip.

  "I'm not so sure, Diana. Indeed, I begin to think I do--love you in away--or may do soon."

  "Oh, do you?"

  "I do!"

  "Have you ever been in love?"

  "Never."

  "Then you don't know nothin' about it."

  "Do you?" I questioned.

  "More than you!" she nodded.

  "Ah, do you mean that you have loved--some man--"

  "Of course not, silly!"

  "Good!" said I. "And you have promised faithfully never to kiss anyother man but me--"

  "I said the man I married--"

  "Well, that _is_ me."

  "Oh, is it?"

  "Of course!"