CHAPTER III
CONCERNING A BLACK POSTCHAISE
"Begad, Perry, but that's a vicious brute of yours!" cried Anthony.This as Wildfire curvetted, snorting, sidled and performed animpassioned dance upon the footpath.
"Not exactly vicious, Tony," I demurred when I had quelled thisexuberance, "merely animal spirits. Wildfire is a high-strung creaturerequiring constant thought and attention and is consequentlyinteresting, besides which--"
Here a shriek and hoarse shouts as, by means of whip and curb andspur, I swung the animal in question from the dangerous proximity of ashop window and checked his impulse to walk on his hind legs.
"Scarcely a lady's pad, Peregrine!" grinned Anthony, as I cameperilously near upsetting a coster's barrow, to its owner's vociferousindignation. "Egad, a four-footed devil warranted to banish everyother worry but himself!"
"Precisely," said I, when my steed, moderating his ardour, permittedme coherent speech. "And this is the reason I ride him. No one mountedon Wildfire can think of anything but Wildfire and this is sometimes ablessing."
"How so, Perry?"
"Well, I am harassed of late by two obsessions--the memory of thatpoor--drowned child--I cannot forget her face!"
"But, deuce take it, man--this was days and days ago."
"And the other is, strangely enough--Diana. The thought that I shallmeet her so soon--a nameless doubt--an indefinable dread--"
"Dread, Perry? Doubt? What the dooce d'ye mean?"
"That's the devil of it, Anthony--I--don't know. But I have a vaguefear--a presentiment, if you like. I feel as if there was a dreadfulsomething impending--a shadow--"
"Oh, pshaw, man! Shadow? Tush an' be damned to it! You're in adevilish low state--indubitably stomach--"
Here further converse was ended for the time being by Wildfire takingit into his head to snort and start, to prance and shiver at a largeman in velveteens and a leather hat, whereupon Velveteens backedhastily and swore; Wildfire reared and plunged at him, whereuponVelveteens dodged into a doorway, cursing vehemently; people, at asafe distance, shouted; boys hooted; and then, having thus drawnattention to himself, Wildfire trotted daintily on again, leavingVelveteens spent and breathless with indignant cursings.
So with such minor unpleasantnesses as roaring oaths, curses andpersonal vilification, we won free of the denser traffic and had atlast left the great city behind us and Wildfire's scornful hoofs werespurning the dust of Kent Street.
We rode by New Cross and Lewisham, through Lee Village with its two"Tiger" Inns and the stocks upon the green, through Eltham with thetimeworn gables of its ancient palace rising on our right, dreaming ofpast glories.
"To-morrow night, Perry--to-morrow night we shall see 'em! MyLoveliness! Egad, I'm only just beginning to realise how damnably Imiss her! Wonderful institution, marriage. To-morrow, Perry! And theday after--home at Nettlestead Abbey--she and I. She loves the oldplace--and the roses will be in bloom--she adores roses. This is whyI'm dragging you down to Nettlestead--must see everythingshipshape--the old place ready--with its arms out to welcome her home,d'ye see--as it were."
"It is a glorious old place, Anthony."
"A curst dreary hole without her, Perry! Nothing like marriage, Perry!You'll give up your chambers when you're married, of course?"
"I suppose so, Tony--when I'm married."
"Aha!" he exclaimed, evidently struck by my gloomy tone. "Is it yourdamned shadow again--the blue devils? Oh, curse and confound 'em, I'llrace you t' the next milestone for ten guineas. Come on! Yoicks,boy--hark forward! A touch o' the persuaders--and away!"
With a clatter of eager hoofs Anthony's raking sorrel sprang ahead;but away in pursuit leapt my beautiful roan, shapely head out-thrust,snorting, quivering, passionate for the fray.
Off and away, with the rhythmic swing and beat of swift-gallopinghoofs below and the rush of wind above--a clean, sweet wind, full ofhealth and sanity, to banish haunting dread and gloomy doubts of thefuture together with the devils that begot them, be they blue devils,black, or any other colour.
Faster and faster sped the road beneath me, hedges spun by, tree andgate flitted past as, untouched by whip or spur, Wildfire fell to hislong, racing stride, an easy, stretching gallop. And ever he gainedupon the sorrel, creeping up inch by inch, crupper and withers andnose; and thus we raced awhile, neck and neck. And now abovequick-thudding hoofs and creaking leather I heard Anthony's voiceurging his animal to fiercer effort, for slowly but surely, we weredrawing away; slowly the sorrel's great crest and flaring nostrilsfell to the rear, back and back, level with my gloved hands, my knee,my elbow, out of my view, and presently, glancing behind, I sawAnthony riding like a centaur--a wildly-galloping figure blurred in astorm of dust.
But on I rode, heedless of all but the exhilaration of rushing wind,of back-whirling hedgerows and trees, on and on until before us was ahill up which a chaise was crawling.
Now as I watched this vehicle carelessly enough, out from the windowcame a hatless head--an arm that waved imperiously, and the postboy,glancing back, began to flog his animals to swifter gait. ButWildfire, snorting scorn on all hills and this in particular, never somuch as checked or faltered in his long stride and thus we approachedthe lumbering chaise rapidly.
We were close upon it when once again the head projected itself fromthe window, but now the face was turned towards me, and in thesefeatures I seemed to read a very lively apprehension, nay, as I drewnearer, I saw above the bushy, scowling brows the gleam of sweat; buton I came with loosened rein, heedless of the gentleman's threateninglook and wondering at his very evident perturbation; and now I sawthat he grasped something half-hidden in the fold of his coat thatbulked remarkably like a pistol. But all at once, as he peered at methrough the rolling smother of dust, his apprehensive expressionvanished and, next moment, his head also, and as I drew level with thechaise, I saw him leaning back in one corner, the pistol upon hisknees, and in the other corner the form of a woman wrapped in apelisse and heavily veiled and who, judging by her posture, seemedasleep.
It was but a glimpse I caught of the interior and then I was by, hadreached the summit of the hill and was galloping down the descent, buteven so it seemed to me that the gentleman's face was vaguelyfamiliar.
Mile upon mile I held on at this wild speed until Anthony and hissorrel had diminished to a faint, oncoming dust-cloud and Wildfirebegan to abate his ardour somewhat; as he breasted a long and steepascent crowned by a hostelry, I, blinking at it through dust-whitenedlashes, saw it bore a sign with the words: The Porto Bello Inn. Here Idismounted from my chastened steed, who, if a little blown, was nowhit distressed, and forthwith led him to the stables myself, to seehim rubbed down and cared for, the while a hissing ostler knocked,shook and brushed from my garments clouds of Kentish dust. In themidst of which performance up rode Anthony.
"Well--damme!" he exclaimed, as he swung to earth, "I said amilestone--"
"True, Anthony, but I felt inclined for a gallop--"
"I believe you!" he laughed. "And now I'm more than inclined for apot, a tankard, a flagon, Perry--or say a dozen. Damme, I've beenbreathing nothing but circumambient Kent for the last half-hour--Ale,Perry, ale's the word! This way! And by that same token, here's yourmoney. 'T is a glorious beast, your Wildfire, and curst well ridden,begad!"
"And I ride stones lighter than you do, Goliath!" said I, followinghim into the sanded parlour.
"I never drink a tankard of ale," gasped Anthony, setting down hisvessel with a bang, "no, never, Perry, without remembering the firstdrink we had together--the ale you paid for! And the ham and eggs--oh,curse and confound it, I shall never taste anything so deliciousagain, of course. Everything is vastly changed since then,Peregrine--everything except yourself."
"I am two inches taller!" said I.
"Ah, to be sure! And, thanks to Jessamy Todd, a man of your hands.What's become of Jessamy these days--and your friend the Tinker?"
"I shame to say I don't know. I used to see them frequently up
to ayear ago, but since then, London and its follies have engulfed me."
"We'll devote ourselves to looking 'em up one o' these days!" saidAnthony. "Meantime I'm devilish hungry and I always dine at 'The Bull'at Wrotham, so if you're quite ready, let's push on. By the way," hecontinued, as I followed him into the yard, "did you notice thatchaise we passed just beyond Farningham--a black-bodied chaise, pickedout in yellow, with red wheels?"
"I did, Anthony--why?"
"Fool of a fellow seemed infernally agitated, actually had a pistolready for me, or so it seemed."
"I noticed his desperate attitude also,--and thought it verysingular."
"Demmit, yes, and what's more singular, I recognised the fool fellowfor the fellow I thrashed two years ago at the 'Jolly Waggoner'--Danbyhis name is."
"Ah, to be sure!" I exclaimed. "I knew his face was familiar. Did yousee he had a lady with him?"
"No, what was she like?"
"I only caught the briefest glimpse--besides, she was heavily veiledand seemed to be asleep--"
"Asleep!" exclaimed Anthony fiercely. "Asleep! By God, Perry, I'mhalf-minded to wait until that damned chaise comes up and see formyself."
"I beg you will do no such thing!" said I, abhorring the idea ofviolence and possible bloodshed. "If you are hungry--so am I. Let usget on to Wrotham and dinner." So we mounted and in due time descendedthe steep hill into the pleasant village of Wrotham.
The "Bull" welcomed us, or more particularly Anthony, with cheerinesstempered with respect; such a bustling of ostlers, running to and froof serving men; such a dimpling and curtseying of buxom, neat-cappedmaids; such beaming obeisances from mine host, all to welcome "Mr.Anthony": indeed such a reception as might have warmed the heart ofany man save your embittered, cold-hearted cynic or one who rode withdemons on his shoulders.
Though the fare was excellent my appetite was poor and I ate and drankbut little, to Anthony's evident concern; and when at last we took theroad again, I rode with a jibbering devil on either shoulder, fillingme again with nameless fears and vague, unreasoning doubts of I knewnot what. Above and around me seemed an ever-growing shadow, aforeboding expectancy of an oncoming evil I could neither define norshake off, try how I would.
Anthony seemed to sense something of this and (like the good fellow hewas) strove valiantly to banish my uncanny gloom, though my attentionoften wandered and I answered at random or not at all.
"Clothes go a damned long way with a woman, Perry!" he was saying."I'm married and I know! That evening suit o' yours with thelavender-flowered waistcoat is bound to rivet her eye--nail herregard, d'ye see! Then there's your new riding suit, I mean thebottle-green frock with the gold-crested buttons. She must see you inthat and there's few look better astride a horse than yourself--" hereI became lost again in the vile gibbering of my demons until thesewords of Anthony's brought me back again:
"--dev'lish solitary place with an unsavoury reputation. The countryfolk say it's haunted."
"I beg your pardon, Tony, but what were you telling me?"
"My poor ass," said Anthony, edging nearer the better to peer into myface, "I have been endeavouring to give you a brief description ofRaydon Manor--the house peeping amid the trees yonder."
We were climbing a hill and from this eminence could behold a fairsweep of landscape, a rolling, richly wooded countryside very pleasantto behold, and, following the direction pointed by Anthony's whip, Idescried the gables of a great, grey house bowered in dense-growingtrees that seemed to shut the building in on every side, the wholefurther enclosed by a lofty wall.
"Ah, a haunted house, Anthony," said I, glancing at the place withperfunctory interest.
"So the yokels say hereabouts, Perry, but if half what I hear is true,it is haunted by things far worse--more evil than ghosts."
"Meaning what?" I questioned.
"Well, it is owned by a person of the name of Trenchard who seems tobe a rich mixture of gentlemanly ruffian, Turkish bashaw and thedevil. Anyhow, the place has a demned unsavoury reputation and abutson my land."
"Indeed!" said I, stifling a yawn. "And what manner of neighbour ishe--to look at?"
"Don't know--never clapped eyes on the fellow--nobody ever sees him.Fellow rarely stirs abroad and when he does, always in closedcarriage--muffled to the eyes--queer fish and demned unpleasant, byall accounts."
"Evidently!" said I, then uttered an exclamation as Wildfire trippedand off spun his near foreshoe.
"Curse and confound it!" exclaimed Anthony ruefully. "And no smithnearer than five miles!"
"That being so," quoth I, dismounting, "confound and curse it with allmy heart."
"There's the 'Soaring Lark' not half a mile away--a small inn, kept bya friend of mine."
"And a ridiculous name for any inn!" said I.
"Wait till you see it, Perry."
So saying, Anthony turned aside down an unexpected and rutted by-lane,I leading my horse; and, rounding a sharp bend in this narrow track,we came upon a small inn. It stood well back amid the green and wasfurther shaded by three great trees; and surely the prettiest,brightest, cosiest little inn that the eye of wearied traveller mightbehold. Its twinkling lattices open to the sunny air showed a visionof homely comfort within; its hospitable door gaped wide upon aninviting chamber floored with red tile, and before it stood a tall,youngish man in shirtsleeves with the brightest eyes, the cheeriestsmile and the blackest whiskers I had ever seen.
"O Mary, lass!" he cried, "Mr. Anthony!" And then, as he hurriedforward to take our horses: "Why, Lord, Mr. Anthony, sir, we du betur'ble glad to see 'ee--eh, old lady?" This last to her who hadhurried to his call--a youngish woman, as bright, as cosy, as cheery,but far prettier than the inn itself.
"Oh, but indeed we be j'yful to see 'ee, Mr. Anthony; us was talkin'o' you an' your bonny lady this very day. She do be well, sir, I 'ope,an' comin' home to the great house soon, Mr. Anthony?"
"Thank you, yes, Mary," answered Anthony, baring his head and givingher his hand, "we shall be coming home next week. And here, George andMary, is my friend Mr. Vereker. His horse has cast a shoe, send it toJoe at Hadlow to be shod. Meanwhile we will drink a flagon of yourOctober."
So while George led away my horse, his pretty wife brought us into thesanded parlour, where, having despatched a shock-headed boy with myhorse, George presently joined us.
The ale duly drunk, Anthony proposed he should ride on to Nettlesteadwhile Wildfire was being shod and return for me in an hour or so, towhich I perforce agreeing, he rode away, leaving me to await him,nothing loath. For what with the spirit of Happiness that seemed topervade this little inn of the "Soaring Lark" and the cheery goodhumour of its buxom host and hostess, my haunting demons fled awhileand in their place was restored peace. Sitting with George in thislow-raftered kitchen while his pretty wife bustled comfortably to andfro, we talked and grew acquainted.
"By the way, George," said I, "Mr. Vere-Manville showed me a hauntedhouse called, I think, Raydon Manor, do you know anything of it?"
Now at this innocent question, to my surprise George's good humourvanished, his comely features were suddenly overcast, and he exchangedmeaning glances with his wife.
"Why, sir," he answered at last, speaking in a lowered voice as iffearful of being overheard, "there's some as do say 't is hauntedsure-ly."
"How?" I demanded.
"Well--things 'as been seed, ah, an' heerd in that theer ghastlywood."
"What things?"
"Well--things as flits an' things as wails--ah, fit to break your'eart an' chill a man's good flesh. Ghost-lights has been seed at deado' night, an' folks has 'eer'd music at dead o' night an' screams o'devil-laughter, ah, an' screams as wasn't laughter. Old Gaffer Dick 'edu ha' seed things an' there's me, I've 'eer'd an' seed things--an'lots o' folk beside."
"What did you see, George?"
"I dunno rightly, sir, an' never shall this side o' glory, but 'twerea shape, a thing--I might call it a ghost an' I might call it aphanitum; hows'ever 't were a shape, si
r, as I seed a-floatin' an'a-wailin'--Lord, I'll never forget 'ow it wailed!"
Here he mopped his brow at the mere recollection.
"But do you never see any one about by day?"
"Aye, sir, there be a great, sooty black man for one, a hugeousniggermoor with devil's eyes as roll an' teeth like a dog--there's'im! An' there's three or four desp'rit-seemin' coves as looks likeprize fighters--though they ain't often seed abroad an' then mostlydrivin' be'ind fast 'orses, sir--coach, sir."
"And what of the owner of the place, Mr. Trenchard, I think his nameis?"
"Very seldom stirs abroad, sir, an' then allus in a fast-travellin'closed carriage; though there's a-plenty o' company now an' then,'ard-ridin' gentlemen--specially one as usually travels down fromLunnon in a chaise wi' red wheels--"
"What--a black-bodied chaise picked out in yellow?" I enquiredsharply.
"Aye, sir, the same."
"And are there lady visitors as well as gentlemen?"
"Aye, there are so, sir--coveys of 'em, very fine feathers an' prettyas pictoors t' look at but--"
"Ah!" said I, as he paused, "that kind?"
"Aye, sir, if ye know what I mean."
"I do! Raydon Manor seems haunted in many ways."
"Aye, sir, an' this is very sure--if Innocence ever goes in, it nevercomes out!"
Thus we talked, George the landlord and I, while his pretty, buxomwife bustled quietly to and fro or vanished into the mysteries of herdairy, whence came the creak of churn, the chink of pot or pan andsuchlike homely sounds where her two trim maids laughed and chatteredover their labours.
It was a glorious afternoon and, at my suggestion, George brought meinto a garden behind the inn where flowers rioted, filling the airwith their mingled perfumes, and so to a well-stocked orchard beyond,whence came the warm odour of ripening fruit.
"You have a very beautiful home, George."
"An' all thanks to my little old woman, sir. I were a soldier once an'a tur'ble drinker, but Mary--Lord, sir, 'tis wonnerful how good a goodwoman can be an' how bad a bad 'un can be--though she's generally madebad, I've noticed! Damme, sir, axin' your parding but dammenotwithstanding, there's some men as I'd like to 'ave wrigglin' on theend of a bagnet!" And he turned to scowl fiercely towards a stretch ofdark woodland that gloomed beyond a rolling stretch of sunny meadowland.
"The sentiment is a little bloody, George," said I, glancing at thisstretch of dark wood, "but under the circumstances, I think it doesyou credit. And now, seeing I have a full hour to wait for Mr.Vere-Manville, I will take a little stroll and waste no more of yourtime;" and smiling down his protestations to the contrary, I saunteredoff through the golden afternoon.
To-morrow the term of my patient waiting was to be accomplished; Dianawas coming back to me! At this thought there rushed over me such aneager, passionate joy that my breath caught and I paused to leanacross a gate, endeavouring to picture her to myself as she now was,'a changed Diana and yet the same', even as she had written. And as Istood thus, down to me through the sunny air came the song of amounting lark who, as if knowing my thought, seemed striving to singforth something of the ineffable happiness that thrilled me. The songended, I went on again, walking slowly, my head bowed, lost in a happydream. And presently I found myself walking amid trees, through anever-deepening shadow, and, looking up, saw I had entered the pinewood. For a moment I hesitated, minded to turn back into the sunshine,then I went on, picking my way among these gloomy trees, the pineneedles soft beneath my tread; thus, since there was no wind, I walkedin silence broken only by the faint jingle of my spurs and the rustleof my advance, a silence that affected me with a vague unease. Thereseemed something stealthy in this uncanny stillness so that I grewstealthy also and set myself to keep my spurs from jingling, forunseen eyes seemed to be watching me. The deeper I penetrated thisdismal wood, the darker it grew, and I advanced, cautious and silent,and with a vague sense of expectancy though of what I could notdetermine. With the glad sunshine my joyousness had vanished, in itsstead came again doubt and foreboding with my devil that gibbered uponmy heels; demons and evil things seemed all about me.
But suddenly I came out upon a narrow track or rather footpath andthough the kindly sun contrived to send down a fugitive shaft ever andanon, yet my depression was in no wise abated and I began to hurry mysteps, anxious to be out of these dismal shadows. All at once Ihalted, for before me was a lofty wall and I saw that the path led toa low-arched doorway or postern, a small door but of great apparentstrength, that seemed to scowl upon me between its deep buttresses.And now as I gazed there grew within me an indefinable feeling, agrowing certainty of something very threatening and sinister aboutthis door, and turning, I hasted back along the path, turning neitherto right nor left, hurrying as from something beyond expression evil.Nor did I stop or glance back until I was out in the pure sunshine andthe cosy inn of the "Soaring Lark" seemed to smile at me beyond broadmeadows, blinking its bright casements like so many bright eyes incheery welcome. But even so I shivered, for the gloomy shadow of thewood seemed all about me still and therewith a growing depression thatwould not be banished but held me in thrall despite sunshine andcheery inn. What was it that I feared? I asked myself, andwhy--why--why?
I found Anthony awaiting me, but even his cheer presence failed todispel my gloom. And so in a while, my horse being ready, we set outfor London with hearty "God-speeds" from George and his wife Mary. Butall the way back, my mind still laboured with these same perplexingquestions:
What was it that I feared? And why--why--why?
And thereto I found no answer.
Peregrine's Progress Page 45