Joan Haste, H. Rider Haggard [e book reader free .TXT] 📗

attractive girl.”

 

“Handsome and attractive? Eh! she is all that. To me she is what the

sun is to the corn and the water to the fish. I can’t live without

her. Look here: I have watched her for years, ever since she was a

child. I have summered her and wintered her, as the saying is,

thinking that I wouldn’t make no mistake about her, whatever I might

feel, nor give myself away in a hurry, seeing that I wanted to keep

what I earn for myself, and not to spend it on others just because a

pretty face chanced to take my fancy.”

 

“Perhaps you have been a little too careful under the circumstances,

Mr. Rock.”

 

“Maybe I have: anyway, it has come home to me now. A month or so back

I spoke out, because I couldn’t keep myself in no longer.”

 

“To Joan Haste?”

 

“Yes, to Joan Haste. Her aunt knew about it before, but she didn’t

seem able to help me much.”

 

“And what did Joan say?”

 

“She said that she did not love me, and that she never would love me

nor marry me; but she said also that she had no thought for any other

man.”

 

“Excuse me, Mr. Rock, but did this interview happen before Captain

Graves and Joan Haste met with their accident in Ramborough Abbey? I

want to fix the date, that’s all.”

 

“It happened on that same afternoon, sir. The Captain must have come

along just after I left.”

 

And Samuel paused, passing his white hands over each other uneasily,

as though he were washing them, for Mr. Levinger’s question seemed to

suggest some new and unpleasant idea in his mind.

 

“Well?”

 

“Well, there isn’t much more to say, sir, except that I think I was a

bit unlucky in the way I put it to her; for it slipped out of my mouth

about her father never having had a name, and that seemed to anger

her.”

 

“Perhaps it was not the best possible way to ingratiate yourself with

the young woman,” replied Mr. Levinger sweetly. “So you came to no

understanding with her?”

 

“Well, I did and I didn’t. I found out that she is afraid for her life

of her aunt, who favours me; so I made a bargain with her that, if she

would let the matter stand open for six months, I’d promise to say

nothing to Mrs. Gillingwater.”

 

“I see: you played upon the girl’s fears. Doubtful policy again, I

think.”

 

“It was the best I could do, sir; for starving dogs must eat offal, as

the saying is. And now, Mr. Levinger, if you can help me, I shall be a

grateful man all my days. They do say down in Bradmouth that you know

something about Joan’s beginnings, and have charge of her in a way,

and that is why I made bold to speak to you; for I only promised to be

mum to her aunt.”

 

“Do they indeed, Mr. Rock? Truly in Bradmouth their tongues are long

and their ears are open. And yet, as you are seeking to marry her, I

do not mind telling you that there is enough truth in this report to

give it colour. As it chances, I did know something of Joan’s father,

though I am not at liberty to mention his name. He was a gentleman,

and has been dead many years; but he left me, not by deed but in an

informal manner, in a position of some responsibility towards her, and

entrusted me with a sum of money—small, but sufficient—to be

employed for her benefit, at my entire discretion, which was only

hampered by one condition—namely, that she should not be educated as

a lady. Now, Mr. Rock, I have told you so much in order to make

matters clear; but I will add this to it: if you repeat a single word,

either to Joan herself or to anybody else, you need hope for no help

from me in your suit. You see I am perfectly frank with you. I ask no

promises, but I appeal to your interests.”

 

“I understand, sir; but the mischief of it is, whether you wished it

or not, you have made a lady of her, and that is why she looks down

on me; or perhaps, being in her blood, it will out.”

 

“It would be possible to suggest other reasons for her unwillingness

to accept your offer,” replied Mr. Levinger drily; “but this is

neither here nor there. On the whole I approve of your suit, provided

that you are ready to make proper settlements upon Joan, for I know

you are a thriving man, and I see that you are attached to her.”

 

“I’ll do anything that I can, sir, for I have no mind to stint money

in this matter. But though you are so kind as to wish me well, I don’t

see how that sets me any forrarder with Joan.”

 

“Perhaps you will in a few days’ time, though. And now I’ve got a bit

of advice to give you: don’t you bother about that six months’

promise. You go at her again—in a week, let us say. You know how she

is employed now, do you not?”

 

“I have heard that she is helping to nurse the Captain.”

 

“Quite so: she is helping to nurse the Captain. Now, please understand

that I make no imputations, but I don’t know if you consider this a

suitable occupation for a beautiful young woman whom you happen to

wish to marry. Captain Graves is a very fine fellow, and people

sometimes grow intimate under such circumstances. Joan told you that

she cared for no man on the tenth of June. Perhaps if you wait till

the tenth of December she may not be able to say so much.”

 

By this time the poison of Mr. Levinger’s hints had sunk deep into his

hearer’s mind; though had he known Samuel’s character more thoroughly,

he might have thought the danger of distilling it greater than any

advantage that was to be gained thereby. Indeed, a minute later, he

regretted having said so much, for, glancing at him, he saw that Rock

was deeply affected. His sallow face had become red, his quivering

lips were livid, and he was snatching at his thin beard.

 

“Damn him!” he said, springing to his feet; “if he leads her that way,

fine fellow or not, I’ll do for him. I tell you that if he wants to

keep a whole skin, he had better leave my ewe-lamb alone.”

 

In an instant Mr. Levinger saw, that he had set fire to a jealousy

fierce enough to work endless mischief, and too late he tried to stamp

out the flame.

 

“Sit down, sir,” he said quietly, but in the tone of one who at some

time in his career had been accustomed to the command of men; “sit

down, and never dare to speak before me like that again. Now,” he

added, as Samuel obeyed him, “you will apologise to me for those

words, and you will dismiss all such thoughts from your mind.

Otherwise I tell you that I take back everything I have said, and that

you shall never even speak to Joan Haste again.”

 

Samuel’s fit of passion had passed by now, or perhaps it had been

frightened away, for his face grew pale, paler than usual, and the

constant involuntary movement of his furtive hands was the only sign

left of the storm that shook him.

 

“I beg your pardon, sir,” he said in a whining voice: “the Lord knows

I beg your pardon; and what’s more, I didn’t mean nothing of what I

said. It was jealousy that made me speak so, jealousy bitter as the

grave; and when I heard you talk of her getting fond of that

Captain—my Joan fond of another man, a gentleman too, who would be

bound to treat her as her mother was treated by some villain—it

seemed as though all the wickedness in the world bubbled up in my

heart and spoke through my mouth.”

 

“There, that will do,” answered Mr. Levinger testily. “See that you do

not let such wickedness bubble again in your heart, or anywhere else,

that’s all; for at the first sign of it—and remember I shall have my

eye on you—there will be an end of your courtship. And now you had

better go. Take my advice and ask her again in a week or so; you can

come and tell me how you get on. Good-day.”

 

Samuel picked up his broad hat, bowed, and departed, walking

delicately, like Agag, as though he expected at every moment to put

his foot upon an egg.

 

“Upon my word,” thought Mr. Levinger, “I’m half afraid of that fellow!

I wonder if it is safe to let the girl marry him. On the whole I

should think so; he has a great deal to recommend him, and this kind

of thing will pass off. She isn’t the woman to stand much of it.

Anyway, it seems necessary for everybody’s welfare, though somehow I

doubt if good will come of all this scheming.”