‘the drowsy night grows on the world.’
the advent of the manor house family made life all the more pleasant to mr. clissold at borcel end. it imparted variety to his existence, and the homely comfort of the farmhouse was agreeably contrasted by the refinement of mr. penwyn’s surroundings. he dined at penwyn twice during the week, and as he became more familiar with the interior of churchill’s home, only saw fresh proofs of its perfect happiness. here were a man and a woman who made the most and the best of wealth and position, and shed an atmosphere of contentment around them.
with martin for his companion, maurice saw all that was worth seeing within the reach of borcel end. they drove to seacomb, the nearest market town, and explored the church there, which was old and full of interest. here, in looking over the register for some name of world-wide renown, maurice stumbled upon an entry that aroused his curiosity.
it was in the register of baptisms,—
‘emily jane, daughter of matthew elgood, comedian, and jane elgood his wife.’ the date was just eighteen years ago.
‘matthew elgood. that girl’s father was matthew,’ thought maurice, ‘can it be the same man, i wonder? yes, matthew elgood, comedian. there would hardly be two men of the same name and calling. his daughter must be the age of the child baptized here, for i remember james telling me that she was just seventeen.’
the infant was certainly recorded in the register as emily jane, and the young actress’s name was justina. but mr. clissold concluded that this was merely a fictitious appellation, chosen for euphony. he made up his mind that the child entered in these old yellow pages, and the girl he had seen weeping for his friend’s untimely death, were one and the same. strange that the sweetheart of james penwyn’s choice had been born so near the cradle of his own race. it was as if there had been some subtle sympathy between these children of the same soil, and their hearts had gone forth to each other spontaneously.
‘is there a theatre at seacomb?’ asked maurice, wondering how that quiet old town could have afforded a field for mr. elgood’s talents.
‘not now,’ replied martin. ‘there used to be, some years ago. the building exists still, but it has been converted into a chapel. it answers better than the theatre did, i believe.’
the week came to an end. maurice attended a second service at penwyn church, and paid a farewell visit to the manor house on sunday afternoon. this time he refused mr. penwyn’s hearty invitation to dinner, and wished his new friends good-bye shortly after luncheon, with cordial expressions of friendship on both sides.
he walked across the hills, ruminating upon all that had happened since he first followed that track, with elspeth for his guide. he had made acquaintance with the interior of two families since then, in both of which he felt considerable interest.
‘churchill penwyn must be a thoroughly good fellow,’ he said to himself, ‘or he would never have behaved so well as he has to me. it would have been so natural for him to be prejudiced against me by that business at eborsham. but he has not only done me the justice to disbelieve the accusation from the very first; he has taken pains to let me see i am in no way damaged in his opinion by the suspicion that has attached to me.’
maurice had made up his mind to leave borcel end next day. he had thoroughly explored the neighbourhood, and thoroughly enjoyed the tranquil pastoral life at the farmhouse, and he saw no reason for delaying his departure to fresher scenes. mrs. trevanard had heard of his resolution with indifference, her husband with civil regret, martin with actual sorrow.
‘i don’t know how i shall get on when you are gone,’ he said. ‘it has been so nice to have some one to talk to, whose ideas rise above threshing-machines and surface drainage. father’s a good old soul, but he and i have precious little to say to each other. now, with you, the longest day seems short. i think you’ve taught me more since we’ve been together than all i learnt at helstone.’
‘no, martin, i haven’t taught you anything. i’ve only stirred up the old knowledge that was in you, hidden like stagnant water under duckweed,’ answered maurice. ‘but we are not going to bid each other good-bye for ever. i shall come down to borcel end again, you may be very sure, if your people will let me; and whenever you come to london you must take up your quarters with me, and i’ll show you some of the pleasantest part of london life.’
maurice really regretted parting from the young man who had been the brightest and most light-hearted of companions, and he regretted leaving borcel end without knowing a little more of muriel trevanard’s history.
he had thought a good deal upon this family secret during the past week, though in all his wanderings about the old neglected garden, or down in the wilderness of hazel by the pond—and he had smoked many a cigar there in the interval—he had never again encountered muriel. he had no reason to suppose there was any undue restraint placed upon her movements, or that she was unkindly treated by any one. yet the thought that she was there, a part of the family, yet divided from it, banished from the home circle, yet so near, cut off from all the simple pleasures of her father’s hearth, haunted him at all times. he was thinking of her this afternoon during his lonely walk across the hills. she was more in his thoughts than the people he had left.
it was past six o’clock when he entered the old hall at borcel end, and he was struck at once by the quietude of the place. the corner where old mrs. trevanard was wont to sit was empty this evening. the hearth was newly swept, as it always seemed to be, and the fire, not unacceptable on this dull grey afternoon, burned bright and red. the table was laid with a composite kind of meal, on one side a small tea-tray, on the other the ponderous sunday sirloin and a tempting salad, a meal prepared for himself, maurice felt sure. the maid-servant entered from the adjoining kitchen at the sound of his footsteps.
‘oh, if you please, sir, they’re all gone to tea at limestone farm. mr. spurcombe, at limestone, is an old friend of master’s. and missus said if you should happen to come home before they did, would you please to make yourself comfortable, and i was to lay tea for you.’
‘your mistress hardly expected me, i suppose?’
‘i don’t think she did, sir. she said she thought you’d dine up at penwyn, most likely.’
maurice was not long about his evening meal. perhaps he made shorter work of it than he might have done otherwise, perceiving that the maid was longing for the moment when she might clear the table, and slip away by the back door to her sunday evening tryst. maid-servants at borcel were kept very close, and were almost always under the eye of their mistress, yet as a rule the borcel end domestic always had her ‘young man.’ maurice heard the back door shut, stealthily, and felt very sure that the kitchen was deserted. he drew his chair nearer to the hearth, lighted a cigar, and abandoned himself to idle thought.
