by Thomas Hardy
III.
At two o'clock the rain lessened its fury. At half-past two the obscuredmoon shone forth; and at three Havill awoke. The blind had not beenpulled down overnight, and the moonlight streamed into the room, acrossthe bed whereon Dare was sleeping. He lay on his back, his arms thrownout; and his well-curved youthful form looked like an unpedestaledDionysus in the colourless lunar rays.
Sleep had cleared Havill's mind from the drowsing effects of the lastnight's sitting, and he thought of Dare's mysterious manner in speakingof himself. This lad resembled the Etruscan youth Tages, in one respect,that of being a boy with, seemingly, the wisdom of a sage; and theeffect of his presence was now heightened by all those sinister andmystic attributes which are lent by nocturnal environment. He who inbroad daylight might be but a young chevalier d'industrie was now anunlimited possibility in social phenomena. Havill remembered how the ladhad pointed to his breast, and said that his secret was literally keptthere. The architect was too much of a provincial to have quenchedthe common curiosity that was part of his nature by the acquiredmetropolitan indifference to other people's lives which, in essence moreunworthy even than the former, causes less practical inconvenience inits exercise.
Dare was breathing profoundly. Instigated as above mentioned, Havillgot out of bed and stood beside the sleeper. After a moment's pause hegently pulled back the unfastened collar of Dare's nightshirt and sawa word tattooed in distinct characters on his breast. Before there wastime for Havill to decipher it Dare moved slightly, as if conscious ofdisturbance, and Havill hastened back to bed. Dare bestirred himself yetmore, whereupon Havill breathed heavily, though keeping an intent glanceon the lad through his half-closed eyes to learn if he had been aware ofthe investigation.
Dare was certainly conscious of something, for he sat up, rubbed hiseyes, and gazed around the room; then after a few moments of reflectionhe drew some article from beneath his pillow. A blue gleam shone fromthe object as Dare held it in the moonlight, and Havill perceived thatit was a small revolver.
A clammy dew broke out upon the face and body of the architect when,stepping out of bed with the weapon in his hand, Dare looked under thebed, behind the curtains, out of the window, and into a closet, as ifconvinced that something had occurred, but in doubt as to what it was.He then came across to where Havill was lying and still keeping up theappearance of sleep. Watching him awhile and mistrusting the realityof this semblance, Dare brought it to the test by holding the revolverwithin a few inches of Havill's forehead.
Havill could stand no more. Crystallized with terror, he said, withouthowever moving more than his lips, in dread of hasty action on the partof Dare: 'O, good Lord, Dare, Dare, I have done nothing!'
The youth smiled and lowered the pistol. 'I was only finding out whetherit was you or some burglar who had been playing tricks upon me. I findit was you.'
'Do put away that thing! It is too ghastly to produce in a respectablebedroom. Why do you carry it?'
'Cosmopolites always do. Now answer my questions. What were you up to?'and Dare as he spoke played with the pistol again.
Havill had recovered some coolness. 'You could not use it upon me,' hesaid sardonically, watching Dare. 'It would be risking your neck for toolittle an object.'
'I did not think you were shrewd enough to see that,' replied Darecarelessly, as he returned the revolver to its place. 'Well, whether youhave outwitted me or no, you will keep the secret as long as I choose.'
'Why?' said Havill.
'Because I keep your secret of the letter abusing Miss P., and of thepilfered tracing you carry in your pocket.'
'It is quite true,' said Havill.
They went to bed again. Dare was soon asleep; but Havill did not attemptto disturb him again. The elder man slept but fitfully. He was arousedin the morning by a heavy rumbling and jingling along the highwayoverlooked by the window, the front wall of the house being shaken bythe reverberation.
'There is no rest for me here,' he said, rising and going to the window,carefully avoiding the neighbourhood of Mr. Dare. When Havill hadglanced out he returned to dress himself.
'What's that noise?' said Dare, awakened by the same rumble.
'It is the Artillery going away.'
'From where?'
'Markton barracks.'
'Hurrah!' said Dare, jumping up in bed. 'I have been waiting for thatthese six weeks.'
Havill did not ask questions as to the meaning of this unexpectedremark.
When they were downstairs Dare's first act was to ring the bell and askif his Army and Navy Gazette had arrived.
While the servant was gone Havill cleared his throat and said, 'I am anarchitect, and I take in the Architect; you are an architect, and youtake in the Army and Navy Gazette.'
'I am not an architect any more than I am a soldier; but I have taken inthe Army and Navy Gazette these many weeks.'
When they were at breakfast the paper came in. Dare hastily tore it openand glanced at the pages.
'I am going to Markton after breakfast!' he said suddenly, beforelooking up; 'we will walk together if you like?'
They walked together as planned, and entered Markton about ten o'clock.
'I have just to make a call here,' said Dare, when they were oppositethe barrack-entrance on the outskirts of the town, where wheel-tracksand a regular chain of hoof-marks left by the departed batteries wereimprinted in the gravel between the open gates. 'I shall not be amoment.' Havill stood still while his companion entered and askedthe commissary in charge, or somebody representing him, when the newbatteries would arrive to take the place of those which had gone away.He was informed that it would be about noon.
'Now I am at your service,' said Dare, 'and will help you to rearrangeyour design by the new intellectual light we have acquired.'
They entered Havill's office and set to work. When contrasted withthe tracing from Somerset's plan, Havill's design, which was not faradvanced, revealed all its weaknesses to him. After seeing Somerset'sscheme the bands of Havill's imagination were loosened: he laid his ownprevious efforts aside, got fresh sheets of drawing-paper and drew withvigour.
'I may as well stay and help you,' said Dare. 'I have nothing to do tilltwelve o'clock; and not much then.'
So there he remained. At a quarter to twelve children and idlers beganto gather against the railings of Havill's house. A few minutes pasttwelve the noise of an arriving host was heard at the entrance to thetown. Thereupon Dare and Havill went to the window.
The X and Y Batteries of the Z Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery, wereentering Markton, each headed by the major with his bugler behind him.In a moment they came abreast and passed, every man in his place; thatis to say:
Six shining horses, in pairs, harnessed by rope-traces white as milk,with a driver on each near horse: two gunners on the lead-colouredstout-wheeled limber, their carcases jolted to a jelly for lack ofsprings: two gunners on the lead-coloured stout-wheeled gun-carriage,in the same personal condition: the nine-pounder gun, dipping its heavyhead to earth, as if ashamed of its office in these enlightened times:the complement of jingling and prancing troopers, riding at the wheelsand elsewhere: six shining horses with their drivers, and traces whiteas milk, as before: two more gallant jolted men, on another joltinglimber, and more stout wheels and lead-coloured paint: two more joltedmen on another drooping gun: more jingling troopers on horseback: againsix shining draught-horses, traces, drivers, gun, gunners, lead paint,stout wheels and troopers as before.
So each detachment lumbered slowly by, all eyes martially forward,except when wandering in quest of female beauty.
'He's a fine fellow, is he not?' said Dare, denoting by a nod a mountedofficer, with a sallow, yet handsome face, and black moustache, who cameup on a bay gelding with the men of his battery.
'What is he?' said Havill.
'A captain who lacks advancement.'
'Do you know him?'
'I know him?'
'Yes; do you?'
Dare made no r
eply; and they watched the captain as he rode past withhis drawn sword in his hand, the sun making a little sun upon its blade,and upon his brilliantly polished long boots and bright spurs; alsowarming his gold cross-belt and braidings, white gloves, busby with itsred bag, and tall white plume.
Havill seemed to be too indifferent to press his questioning; and whenall the soldiers had passed by, Dare observed to his companion that heshould leave him for a short time, but would return in the afternoon ornext day.
After this he walked up the street in the rear of the artillery,following them to the barracks. On reaching the gates he found a crowdof people gathered outside, looking with admiration at the guns andgunners drawn up within the enclosure. When the soldiers were dismissedto their quarters the sightseers dispersed, and Dare went through thegates to the barrack-yard.
The guns were standing on the green; the soldiers and horses werescattered about, and the handsome captain whom Dare had pointed out toHavill was inspecting the buildings in the company of the quartermaster.Dare made a mental note of these things, and, apparently changing aprevious intention, went out from the barracks and returned to the town.