“You know,” he said, measuring his words, “that you’re the same kind of a man, too. And some day, if you’re good, you can marry what I don’t have to marry — —”
He reeled under Quarren’s blow, then struck at him blindly with his walking-stick, leaping at him savagely but recoiling, dizzy, half senseless under another blow so terrific that it almost nauseated him.
He stood for a time, supporting himself against a tree; then as his wits returned he lifted his bruised face and stared murderously about him. Quarren was walking toward Witch-Hollow — half way there already and out of earshot as well as sight.
Against the stars something moved on a near hill-top, and Sprowl reeled forward in pursuit, breaking into a heavy and steady run as the thing disappeared in the darkness. But he had seen it move, just beyond that fence, and he seized the top rail and got over and ran forward in the darkness, clutching his stick and calling to Quarren by name.
Where had he gone? He halted to listen, peering around with swollen eyes. Blood dripped from his lips and cheek; he passed his hand over them, glaring, listening. Suddenly he heard a dull sound close behind him in the night; whirled to confront what was coming with an unseen rush, thundering down on him, shaking the very ground.
He made no outcry; there was no escape, nothing to do but to strike; and he struck with every atom of his strength; and went crashing down into darkness. And over his battered body bellowed and raged the bull.
Even the men who found them there in the morning could scarcely drive away the half-crazed brute. And the little daughter of the gardener, who had discovered what was there in the pasture, cowered in the fence corner, crying her heart out for her father’s dead master who had spoken kindly to her since she had grown up and who had even taken her into his arms and kissed her the day before when she had brought him a rare orchid from the greenhouse.
Every newspaper in America gave up the right-hand columns to huge headlines and an account of the tragedy at South Linden. Every paper in the world chronicled it. There were few richer men in the world than Langly Sprowl. The tragedy moved everybody in various ways; stocks, however, did not move either way to the surprise of everybody. On second thoughts, however, the world realised that his wealth had been too solidly invested to cause a flurry. Besides he had a younger brother financing something or other for the Emperor of China. Now he would return. The great race would not become extinct.
That night Quarren went back to the Wycherlys and found Molly waiting for him in the library.
“What on earth did Mary Ledwith want of Jim this evening?” she asked.
“Sprowl was in the house.”
“What!”
“That’s why the poor child telephoned. She was probably afraid of him, and wanted Jim there.”
Molly’s teeth clicked:
“Jim would have half-killed him. It’s probably a good thing he was in town. What did you do?”
“Nothing. Sprowl went all right.”
“What did Mary say to you?”
“I didn’t see her.”
“You didn’t see her?”
“No.”
Molly’s eyes grew rounder:
“Where is Chester Ledwith? He didn’t go with you into the house, did he?”
“Yes, he did.”
“But where is he? You — you don’t mean to say — —”
“Yes, I do. He went upstairs and didn’t return.... So I waited for a while and then — came back.”
They sat silent for a while, then Molly lifted her eyes to his and they were brimming with curiosity.
“If they become reconciled,” she said, “how are people going to take it, Rix?”
“Characteristically I suppose.”
“You mean that some will be nasty about it?”
“Some.”
“But then — —”
“Oh, Molly, Molly,” he said, smiling, “there are more important things than what a few people are likely to think or say. The girl made a fool of herself, and the man weakened and nearly went to pieces. He’s found himself again; he’s disposed to help her find herself. It was only one of those messes that the papers report every day. Few get out of such pickles, but I believe these two are going to.... And somehow, do you know — from something Sprowl said to-night, I don’t believe that she went the entire limit — took the last ditch.”
Molly reddened: “Why?”
“Because, although they do it in popular fiction, men like Sprowl never really boast of their successes. His sort keep silent — when there’s anything to conceal.”
“Did he boast?”
“He did. I was sure he was lying, and I—” he shrugged.
“Told him so?”
“Well, something of that sort.”
“I believe he was lying, too.... It was just like that romantic little fool to run off to Reno after nothing worse than the imprudence of infatuation. I’ve known her a long while, Rix. She’s too shallow for real passion, too selfish to indulge it anyway. His name and fortune did the business for her — little idiot. Really she annoys me.”
Quarren smiled: “Her late husband seems to like her. Fools feminine have made many a man happy. You’ll be nice to her I’m sure.”
“Of course.... Everybody will on Mrs. Sprowl’s account.”
Quarren laughed again, then:
“Meanwhile this Ledwith business has prevented my talking to Strelsa over the telephone,” he said.
“Oh, Rix! You said you were going to surprise her in the morning!”
“But I want to see her, Molly. I don’t want to wait — —”
“It’s after ten and Strelsa has probably retired. She’s a perfect farmer, I tell you — yawns horribly every evening at nine. Why, I can’t keep her awake long enough to play a hand at Chinese Khan! Be reasonable, Rix. You had planned to surprise her in the morning.... And — I’m lonely without Jim.... Besides, if you are clever enough to burst upon Strelsa’s view in the morning when the day is young and all before her, and when she’s looking her very best, nobody can tell what might happen.... And I’ll whisper in your ear that the child has really missed you.... But don’t be in a hurry with her, will you, Rix?”
“No,” he said absently.
Molly picked up her knitting.
“If Chester Ledwith doesn’t return by twelve I’m going to have the house locked,” she said, stifling a yawn.
At twelve o’clock the house was accordingly locked for the night.
“It’s enough to compromise her,” said Molly, crossly. “What a pair of fools they are.”
CHAPTER XVII
Strelsa, a pink apron pinned about her, a trowel in her gloved hand, stood superintending the transplanting of some purple asters which not very difficult exploit was being attempted by a local yokel acting as her “hired man.”
The garden, a big one with a wall fronting the road, ran back all the way to the terrace in the rear of the house beyond which stretched the western veranda.
And it was out on this veranda that Quarren stepped in the wake of Strelsa’s maid, and from there he caught his first view of Strelsa’s garden, and of Strelsa herself, fully armed and caparisoned for the perennial fray with old Dame Nature.
“You need not go down there to announce me,” he said; “I’ll speak to Mrs. Leeds myself.”
But before he could move, Strelsa, happening to turn around, saw him on the veranda, gazed at him incredulously for a moment, then brandished her trowel with a clear, distant cry of greeting, and came toward him, laughing in her excitement and surprise. They met midway, and she whipped off her glove and gave him her hand in a firm, cool clasp.
“Why the dickens didn’t you wire!” she said. “You’re a fraud, Rix! I might easily have been away! — You might have missed me — we might have missed each other.... Is that all you care about seeing me? — after all these weeks!”
“I wanted to surprise you,” he explained feebly.
“‘I wanted to surprise y
ou,’ he explained feebly.”
“Well, you didn’t! That is — not much. I’d been thinking of you — and I glanced up and saw you. You’re stopping at Molly’s I suppose.”
“Yes.”
“When did you arrive?”
“L-last night,” he admitted.
“What! And didn’t call me up! I refuse to believe it of you!”
She really seemed indignant, and he followed her into the pretty house where presently she became slightly mollified by his exuberant admiration of the place.
“Are you in earnest?” she said. “Do you really think it so pretty? If you do I’ll take you upstairs and show you my room, and the three beautiful spick and span guest rooms. But you’ll never occupy one!” she added, still wrathful at his apparent neglect of her. “I don’t want anybody here who isn’t perfectly devoted to me. And it’s very plain that you are not.”
He mildly insisted that he was but she denied it, hotly.
“And I shall never get over it,” she added. “But you may come upstairs and see what you have missed.”
They went over the renovated house thoroughly; she, secretly enchanted at his admiration and praise of everything, pointed out any object that seemed to have escaped his attention merely to hear him approve it. Finally she relented.
“You are satisfactory,” she said as they returned to the front veranda and seated themselves. “And really, Rix, I’m so terribly glad to see you that I forgive your neglect.... Are you well? You don’t look very well,” she added earnestly. “Why are you so white?”
“I’m in fine shape, thank you.”
“I didn’t mean your figure,” she laughed— “Oh, that was a common kind of a joke, wasn’t it? But I’m only a farmer, Rix. You must expect the ruder and simpler forms of speech from a lady of the woodshed!... Why are you so pale?”
“Do I seem particularly underdone?”
“That’s horrid, too. Are you and I going to degenerate just because you work for a living? You are unusually thin, anyway; and the New York pallor is very noticeable. Will you stay and get sun-burnt?”
“I could stay a few days.”
“How many?”
“How many do you want me? Two whole days, Strelsa?”
She laughed at him, then looked at him a trifle shyly, but laughed again as she answered:
“I want you to stay always, of course. Don’t pretend that you don’t know it, because you are perfectly aware that I never tire of you. But if you can stay only two days don’t let us waste any time — —”
“We’re not wasting it here together, are we?”
“Don’t you want to walk? I haven’t a horse yet, except for agricultural purposes. I’ll rinse my hands and take off this apron—” She stood unpinning and untying it, her gray eyes never leaving him in their unabashed delight in him.
Then she disappeared for a few minutes only to reappear wearing a pair of stout little shoes and carrying a walking-stick which she said she used in rough country.
And first they visited her garden where all the old-fashioned autumn flowers were in riotous bloom — scarlet sage, rockets, thickets of gladiolus, heavy borders of asters, marigolds, and coreopsis; and here she gave a few verbal directions to the yokel who gaped toothlessly in reply.
After that, side by side, they swung off together across the hill, she, lithe and slender, setting the springy pace and twirling her walking-stick, he, less accustomed to the open and more so to the smooth hot streets of the city, slackening pace first.
She chided and derided him and bantered him scornfully, then with sudden sweet concern halted, reproaching herself for setting too hot a pace for a city-worn and work-worn man.
But the cool shadows of the woods were near, and she made him rest on the little footbridge — the same bridge where he had encountered Ledwith for the first time in years. He recognised the spot.
After they had seated themselves and Strelsa, resting on the back of the bridge seat, was contentedly dabbling in the stream with her cane, Quarren said, slowly:
“Shall I tell you why I did not disturb you last night, Strelsa?”
“You can’t excuse it — —”
“You shall be judge and jury. It’s rather a long story, though — —”
“I am listening.”
“Then, it has to do with Ledwith. He’s not very well but he’s better than he was. You see he wanted to take a course of treatment to regain his health, and there seemed to be nobody else, so — I offered to see him through.”
“That’s like you, Rix,” she said, looking at him.
“Oh, it wasn’t anything — I had nothing to do — —”
“That’s like you, too. Did you pull him through?”
“He pulled himself through.... It was strenuous for two or three days — and hot as the devil in that sanitarium.” ... He laughed. “We both were wrecks when we came out two weeks later — oh, a bit groggy, that’s really all.... And he had no place to go — and seemed to be inclined to keep hold of my sleeve — so I telephoned Molly. And she said to bring him up. That was nice of her, wasn’t it?”
“Everybody is wonderful except you,” she said.
“Nonsense,” he said, “it wasn’t I who went through a modified hell. He’s got a lot of backbone, Ledwith.... And so we came up last night.... And — now here’s the interesting part, Strelsa! We strolled over to call on Mrs. Ledwith — —”
“What!”
“Certainly. I myself didn’t see her but—” he laughed— “she seemed to be at home to her ex-husband.”
“Rix!”
“It’s a fact. He went back there for breakfast this morning after he’d changed his clothes.”
“After — what?”
“Yes. It seems that they started out in a canoe about midnight and he didn’t turn up at Witch-Hollow until just before breakfast — and then he only stayed long enough to change to boating flannels.... You should see him; he’s twenty years younger.... I fancy they’ll get along together in future.”
“Oh, Rix!” she said, “that was darling of you! You are wonderful even if you don’t seem to know it!... And to think — to think that Mary Ledwith is going to be happy again!... Oh, you don’t know how it has been with her — the silly, unhappy little thing!
“Why, after Mrs. Sprowl left, the girl went all to pieces. Molly and I did what we could — but Molly isn’t strong and Mrs. Ledwith was at my house almost all the time — Oh, it was quite dreadful, and I’m sure she was really losing her senses — because — I think I’ll tell you — I tell you everything—” She hesitated, and then, lowering her voice:
“She had come to see me, and she was lying on the lounge in my dressing-room, crying; and I was doing my hair. And first I knew she sobbed out that she had killed her husband and wanted to die, and she caught up that pistol that Sir Charles gave me at the Bazaar last winter — it looked like a real one — and the next thing I knew she had fired a charge of Japanese perfume at her temple, and it was all over her face and hair!... Don’t laugh, Rix; she thought she had killed herself, and I had a horrid, messy time of it reviving her.”
“You poor child,” he exclaimed trying not to laugh— “she had no brains to blow out anyway.... That’s a low thing to say. Ledwith likes her.... I really believe she’s been scared into life-long good behaviour.”
“She wasn’t — really — horrid,” said Strelsa in a low voice. “She told me so.”
“I don’t doubt it,” he said. “But one way or the other you might as well reproach a humming-bird for its morals. There are such people.”
After a short silence she said:
“Tell me about people in town.”
“There are few there. Besides,” he added smilingly, “I don’t see much of your sort of people.”
“My sort?” she repeated, lifting her gray eyes. “Am I not your sort, Rix?”
“Are you? You should see me in my overalls and shirt-sleeves, stained with solvents and varnish, sticky w
ith glue and reeking turpentine, ironing out a canvas with a warm flat-iron!... Am I your kind, Strelsa?”
“Yes.... Am I your kind?”
“You always were. You know that.”
“Yes, I do know it, now.” She sat very still, hands folded, considering him with gray and speculative eyes.
“From the very beginning,” she said, “you have never once disappointed me.”
“What!” he exclaimed incredulously.
“Never,” she repeated.
“Why — why, I got in wrong the very first time!” he said.
“You mean that wager we made?”
“Yes.”
“But you behaved like a good sportsman.”
“Well, I wasn’t exactly a bounder. But you were annoyed.”
She smiled: “Was I?”
“You seemed to be.”
“Yet I sat in a corner behind some palms with you until daylight.”
They looked at each other and laughed over the reminiscence. Then he said:
“I did disappoint you when you found out what sort of a man I was.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I proved it, too,” he said under his breath.
Her lips were set firmly, almost primly, but she blushed.
“You meant to be nice to me,” she said. “You meant to do me honour.”
“The honour of offering you such a man as I was,” he said with smiling bitterness.
“Rix! I was the fool — the silly little prig! I have blushed and blushed to remember how I behaved; how I snubbed you and — good heavens! — even lectured and admonished you! — How I ran away from you with all the self-possession and savoir-faire of a country schoolgirl! What on earth you thought of me in those days I dread to surmise — —”
“But Strelsa, what was there to do except what you did?”
“If I’d known anything I could have thanked you for caring that way for me and dismissed you as a friend instead of fleeing as though you had affronted me — —”
“I did affront you.”
“You didn’t intend to.... It would have been easy enough to tell you that I liked you — but not that way.... And all those miserable, lonely, unhappy months could have been spared me — —”
Works of Robert W Chambers Page 615