CHAPTER VI
"Look into your own heart and write!" said Herr Cant; and earth'scuckoos echoed the cry. Look into the Rhine where it is deepest, and theThames where it is thickest, and paint the bottom. Lower a bucket intoa well of self-deception, and what comes up must be immortal truth,mustn't it? Now, in the first place, no son of Adam ever reads his ownheart at all, except by the habit acquired, and the light gained, fromsome years perusal of other hearts; and even then, with his acquiredsagacity and reflected light, he can but spell and decipher his ownheart, not read it fluently. Half way to Sevenbergen Gerard looked intohis own heart, and asked it why he was going to Sevenbergen. His heartreplied without a moment's hesitation, "We are going out of curiosityto know why she jilted us, and to show her it has not broken our hearts,and that we are quite content with our honours and our benefice inprospectu, and don't want her nor ally of her fickle sex."
He soon found out Peter Brandt's cottage; and there sat a girl in thedoorway, plying her needle, and a stalwart figure leaned on a long bowand talked to her. Gerard felt an unaccountable pang at the sight ofhim. However, the man turned out to be past fifty years of age, an oldsoldier, whom Gerard remembered to have seen shoot at the butts withadmirable force and skill. Another minute and the youth stood beforethem. Margaret looked up and dropped her work, and uttered a faint cry,and was white and red by turns. But these signs of emotion were swiftlydismissed, and she turned far more chill and indifferent than she wouldif she had not betrayed this agitation.
"What! is it you, Master Gerard? What on earth brings you here, Iwonder?"
"I was passing by and saw you; so I thought I would give you good day,and ask after your father."
"My father is well. He will be here anon."
"Then I may as well stay till he comes."
"As you will. Good Martin, step into the village and tell my father hereis a friend of his."
"And not of yours?"
"My father's friends are mine."
"That is doubtful. It was not like a friend to promise to wait for me,and then make off the moment my back was turned. Cruel Margaret youlittle know how I searched the town for you; how for want of you nothingwas pleasant to me."
"These are idle words; if you had desired my father's company, or mine,you would have come back. There I had a bed laid for you, sir, at mycousin's, and he would have made much of you, and, who knows, I mighthave made much of you too. I was in the humour that day. You willnot catch me in the same mind again, neither you nor any young man, Iwarrant me."
"Margaret, I came back the moment the Countess let me go; but you werenot there."
"Nay, you did not, or you had seen Hans Cloterman at our table; we lefthim to bring you on."
"I saw no one there, but only a drunken man, that had just tumbleddown."
"At our table? How was he clad?"
"Nay, I took little heed: in sad-coloured garb."
At this Margaret's face gradually warmed; but presently, assumingincredulity and severity, she put many shrewd questions, all of whichGerard answered most loyally. Finally, the clouds cleared, and theyguessed how the misunderstanding had come about. Then came a revulsionof tenderness, all the more powerful that they had done each otherwrong; and then, more dangerous still, came mutual confessions. Neitherhad been happy since; neither ever would have been happy but for thisfortunate meeting.
And Gerard found a MS. Vulgate lying open on the table, and pounced uponit like a hawk. MSS. were his delight; but before he could get to it twowhite hands quickly came flat upon the page, and a red face over them.
"Nay, take away your hands, Margaret, that I may see where you arereading, and I will read there too at home; so shall my soul meet yoursin the sacred page. You will not? Nay, then I must kiss them away." Andhe kissed them so often, that for very shame they were fain to withdraw,and, lo! the sacred book lay open at,
"An apple of gold in a network of silver."
"There, now," said she, "I had been hunting for it ever so long,and found it but even now--and to be caught!" and with a touch ofinconsistency she pointed it out to Gerard with her white finger.
"Ay," said he, "but to-day it is all hidden in that great cap."
"It is a comely cap, I'm told by some."
"Maybe; but what it hides is beautiful."
"It is not: it is hideous."
"Well, it was beautiful at Rotterdam."
"Ay, everything was beautiful that day" (with a little sigh).
And now Peter came in, and welcomed Gerard cordially, and would have himto stay supper. And Margaret disappeared; and Gerard had a nice learnedchat with Peter; and Margaret reappeared with her hair in her silvernet, and shot a glance half arch, half coy, and glided about them, andspread supper, and beamed bright with gaiety and happiness. And inthe cool evening Gerard coaxed her out, and she objected and came; andcoaxed her on to the road to Tergou, and she declined, and came; andthere they strolled up and down, hand in hand; and when he must go, theypledged each other never to quarrel or misunderstand one another again;and they sealed the promise with a long loving kiss, and Gerard wenthome on wings.
From that day Gerard spent most of his evenings with Margaret, and theattachment deepened and deepened on both sides, till the hours theyspent together were the hours they lived; the rest they counted andunderwent. And at the outset of this deep attachment all went smoothly.Obstacles there were, but they seemed distant and small to the eyes ofhope, youth, and love. The feelings and passions of so many persons,that this attachment would thwart, gave no warning smoke to showtheir volcanic nature and power. The course of true love ran smoothly,placidly, until it had drawn these two young hearts into its current forever.
And then--
The Cloister and the Hearth Page 6