‘qui peut sous le soleil tromper sa destinee?’
churchill was waiting at the inn door to receive his wife. he had ridden across on his favourite horse tarpan—a long-necked, raking bay, over sixteen hands, and a great jumper—a horse with a tremendous stride, just such a brute as lenore’s lover might have bestridden in that awful nightride.
‘is the man here, churchill?’ madge asked, anxiously.
‘yes, love. there is nothing to be uneasy about,’ answered her husband, replying to her looks rather than to her words.
‘yet you seem anxious, churchill.’
‘only in my magisterial capacity. tresillian is here. we shall commit this fellow in no time. it will only need a few words from viola and sir lewis.’
not a syllable about the diamond necklace had mr. penwyn said to his wife. he had replaced the gems in her dressing-case while she slept peacefully in the adjoining room, and no one but himself and the burglar knew how far the attempted robbery had gone.
they all went up the narrow little staircase, mr. penwyn leading his wife up the steep stairs, viola and sir lewis following. the justice-room was full of people—or at least that end of it devoted to the public. the other end of it was fenced off, and here at a table sat mr. tresillian, j. p., and his clerk—ready for action.
‘look, churchill,’ whispered madge, as her husband put her hand through his arm and led her towards this end of the room, ‘there is the woman at the lodge. what can have brought her here?’
mr. penwyn’s glance followed his wife’s for a moment. yes, there stood rebecca, of the north lodge, sullen, even threatening of aspect, or seeming so to the eye that looked at her now. what a horrible likeness she bore to that ruffian he had dealt with last night!
mr. tresillian shook hands with the two ladies. he was a tall, stout man, with a florid countenance, who rode to hounds all the season, and devoted himself to the pleasures of the table for the rest of the year. it was something awful to the crowd to see him shake hands, and smile, and talk about the weather, just like a common mortal; to see him pretend to be so good-natured too, when it was his function—the very rule of his being—to inflict summary punishment upon his fellow-men, to have no compassion for pleasant social vices, and to be as hard on a drunkard as upon a thief.
there was only one case to be heard this morning, and the thrilling interest of that one case held the spectators breathless. women stood on tiptoe peering over the shoulders of the men—women who ought to have been at their washtubs, or baking homely satisfying pasties for the family supper.
the ruffian was brought in closely guarded by a couple of rural policemen, and looking considerably the worse for last night’s recapture. he had fought like a wild cat for his freedom, had given and taken a couple of black eyes, had furthermore received a formidable cut across his forehead, and had had his clothes torn in the scuffle.
the two tyrrels, father and son, also in a damaged condition, were there to relate proudly how they had pounced upon the offender just as he was clambering over a fence. they had told their story already so many times, in an informal manner, to curious friends and acquaintances, that they were prepared to give it with effect presently when they should be put upon oath.
mr. tresillian, who went to work in a very slow and ponderous way, was still conferring with his clerk in a bass undertone, which sounded like distant organ music, when rebecca mason pushed her way through the crowd, and came to that privileged portion of the room where mr. penwyn and his wife were sitting.
‘i want to know if you’re going to press this charge, mr. penwyn,’ she asked, quietly enough, but hardily.
‘of course he is,’ answered madge, with a flash of anger. ‘do you suppose we are going to overlook such an attempt—a man breaking into our house after midnight, and frightening my sister nearly out of her wits? we should never feel secure at the manor if this man were not made an example of. pray what interest have you in pleading for him?’
‘i’ll tell you that by and by, ma’am. i did not ask the question of you, but of my master.’
‘your master and i have but one thought in the matter.’
‘do you mean to prosecute that man, mr. penwyn,’ asked rebecca, looking steadfastly at the squire. even while addressing madge she had kept her eyes on churchill’s face. the brief dialogue had been carried on in an undertone, while mr. tresillian and the clerk were still muttering to each other.
‘the case is out of my hands. i have no power to prevent the man’s committal.’
‘yes, you have,’ answered rebecca, doggedly. ‘you have power to do anything here. what is law or justice against a great landowner, in a place like this? you are lord and master here.’
‘why do you bother me about this burglar?’
‘he is my son.’
‘i am sorry any servant of mine should be related to such a scoundrel.’
‘i am not proud of the relationship,’ answered the lodge-keeper, coolly. ‘yet there are men capable of worse crimes than entering another man’s house—criminals who wear smooth faces and fine broadcloth—and stand high in the world. i’d rather have that vagabond for my son than some of them.’
churchill glanced at his wife, as if to consult her feelings. but madge, so tender and pitying to the destitute and afflicted, had an inflexible look just now. rebecca was her particular antipathy, a blot upon the fair face of penwyn manor, which she was most anxious to see removed; and now this rebecca appeared in a new and still more disagreeable light as the mother of a burglar. it was hardly strange, therefore, that mrs. penwyn should be indisposed to see the law outraged in the cause of mercy.
‘i regret that my wish to serve you will not allow me to condone a felony on behalf of your son, said churchill, with slow distinctness, and meeting that piercing gaze of the gipsy’s with as steady a look in his own grey eyes. ‘the attempt was too daring to be overlooked. a man breaks into my house at midnight, naturally with some evil intent.’
still not a word about the diamonds which he had recovered from the burglar’s person.
‘he did not break into your house,’ argued rebecca, ‘you left your windows open, and he walked in. he had been drinking, i know, and hardly knew where he was going, or what he was doing. if he had had his wits about him, he wouldn’t have allowed himself to be caught by a girl,’ she added, contemptuously.
‘he may have been drunk,’ said churchill, with a thoughtful look, ‘but that hardly mends the matter. it isn’t pleasant to have a drunken vagabond prowling about one’s house. what do you say, my queen?’ he asked, turning to madge, with a smile, but not quite the smile which was wont to brighten his face when he looked at her. ‘will you exercise your prerogative of mercy? shall i try what i can do to get this vagabond off with a few days in penwyn lock-up, instead of having him committed for trial?’
‘i have no compassion for a man who lifted his hand against my sister,’ answered madge, warmly. ‘sir lewis told me all about it, churchill. he saw that villain raise his clenched fist to strike viola’s face. he would have disfigured her for life, or killed her perhaps, if sir lewis had not caught his arm. so you suppose i am going to plead for such a scoundrel as that?’
‘come, mrs. penwyn, you are a woman and a mother,’ pleaded rebecca, ‘you ought to be merciful.’
‘not at the expense of society. justice and order would, indeed, be outraged if the law were stretched in favour of such a ruffian as your son.’
‘you’re hard, lady,’ said the gipsy, ‘but i think i can say a word that will soften you. let me speak to you in the next room,’ looking towards a half-open door that communicated with a small parlour adjoining. ‘let me speak with you alone for five minutes—you’d better not say no, for his sake,’ she urged, with a glance at churchill.
mr. penwyn rose suddenly with darkening brow, and seized madge by the arm, as if he would hold her away from the woman.
‘i will not suffer any communication between you and my wife,’ he exclaimed. ‘you have said your say and have been answered. i will do anything i can for you, grant anything you choose to ask for yourself,’ with emphasis, ‘but your son must take his chance.—tresillian, we are ready.’
‘lady, you’d better hear me,’ pleaded the gipsy.
that plea weighed lightly enough with madge penwyn. she was watching her husband’s face, and it was a look in that which alone influenced her decision.
‘i will hear you,’ she said to the gipsy. ‘ask mr. tresillian to wait for a few minutes, churchill.’
‘madge, what are you thinking of?’ cried her husband. ‘she can have nothing to say that has not been said already. she has had her answer.’
‘i will hear her, churchill, and alone.’
that ‘i will’ was accompanied by an imperious look not often seen in madge penwyn’s face—never before seen by him she looked at now.
‘as you will, love,’ he answered, very quietly, and made way for her to pass into the adjoining room.
rebecca followed, and shut the door between the two rooms. there was a faint stir, and then the low hum of the little crowd sank into silence. every eye turned to that closed door; every mind was curious to know what those two women were saying on the other side of it.
there was a pause of about ten minutes. churchill sat by the official table, silent and thoughtful. mr. tresillian fidgeted with the stationery, and yawned once or twice. the ruffian stood in his place, dogged and imperturbable, looking as if he were the individual least concerned in the day’s proceedings.
at last the door opened, and madge appeared. she came slowly into the room,—slowly, and like a person who only walked steadily by an effort. so white and wan was the face turned appealingly towards churchill, that she looked like one newly risen from some sickness unto death. churchill rose to go to her, but hesitatingly, as if he were doubtful whether to approach her—almost as if they had been strangers.
‘churchill,’ she said faintly, looking at him with pathetic eyes—a gaze in which deepest love and despair were mingled. at that look and word he went to her, put his arm round her, and led her gently back to her seat.
‘you must get this man off, churchill,’ she whispered faintly. ‘you must.’
he bent his head, but spoke not a word, only pressed her hand with a grip strong as pain or death. and then he went to mr. tresillian, who was growing tired of the whole business, and was at all times plastic as wax in the hands of his brother magistrate, not being troubled with ideas of his own in a general way. indeed, he had expended so much brain-power in the endeavour to out-man?uvre the manifold artifices of certain veteran dog foxes in the district, that he could hardly be supposed to have much intellectual force left for the bench.
‘i find there has been a good deal of muddle in this business,’ said churchill to him confidentially. ‘the man is the son of my lodge-keeper, and a decent hard-working fellow enough, it seems. he had been drinking, and strayed into the manor house in an obfuscated condition last night—my servants are most to blame for leaving doors open—and viola saw him, and was frightened, and made a good deal of unnecessary fuss. and then my keepers knocked the fellow about more than they need have done. so i really think if you were to let him off with a day or two in the lock-up, or even a severe reprimand——’
‘yes—yes—yes—yes—yes,’ said mr. tresillian, keeping up a running fire of muttered affirmatives throughout churchill’s speech. ‘certainly. let the fellow off, by all means, if he had no felonious intention, and mrs. penwyn wishes it. ladies are so compassionate. yes, yes, yes, yes.’
mr. tresillian was thinking rather more about a certain fifteen-acre wheat-field now ready for the sickle than of the business in hand. reapers were scarce in the land just now, and he was not clear in his mind about getting in that corn.
so, instead of swearing in witnesses and holding a ceremonious examination, mr. tresillian disappointed the assembled audience by merely addressing a few sharpish words to the delinquent, and sending him about his business, with a warning never more to create trouble in that particular neighbourhood, lest it should be worse for him. the offender was further enjoined to be grateful to mr. and mrs. penwyn for their kindness in not pressing the charge. and thus the business was over, and the court rose. the crowd dispersed slowly, grumbling not a little about justice’s justice, and deeply disappointed at not having seen the strange offender committed for trial.
‘if it had been one of us,’ a man remarked to a neighbour, ‘we shouldn’t have got off so easy.’
‘no,’ growled another. ‘if it had been some poor devil had up for licking his wife, he’d have got it hot.’
all was over. viola and sir lewis dallas, who had been indulging in a little quiet flirtation by an open window, and not attending to the progress of events, were beyond measure surprised at the abrupt close of the proceedings, and not a little disappointed, for viola had quite looked forward to appearing in the witness-box at bodmin assize court, and being cross-examined by an impertinent barrister, and then complimented upon her heroism by the judge, and perhaps cheered by the multitude. nothing could be flatter than this ending.
‘it’s just like madge,’ exclaimed viola. ‘she may make believe to be angry for half an hour or so, but that soft heart of hers is melted at the first piteous appeal. that horrid woman at the lodge has begged off her horrid son.’
madge, whiter than summer lilies, did not look in a condition to be questioned just now.
‘see how ill she looks,’ said viola to sir lewis. ‘they have worried her into a nervous state with their goings on. let us get her away.’
there was no need for sir lewis’s intervention. churchill led his wife out of the room. erect, and facing the crowd firmly enough both of them, but one pale as death.
‘are you going to ride home, churchill?’ asked madge, as her husband handed her into the carriage.
‘yes, love, i may as well go back as i came on tarpan.’
‘i had rather you came with us,’ she said, with an appealing look.
‘as you like, dear. lewis, will you ride tarpan?’
sir lewis looked at viola and then at his boots. it was an honour to ride tarpan, but hardly a pleasant thing to ride him without straps; and then sir lewis would have liked that homeward drive, with viola for his vis-à-vis.
‘by all means, if mrs. penwyn would rather you went back in the carriage,’ he said good-naturedly, but with a look at viola which meant ‘you know what a sacrifice i am making.’
that drive home was a very silent one. viola was suffering from reaction after excitement, and leaned back with a listless air. madge looked straight before her, with grave fixed eyes, gazing into space. and still there was not a cloud in the blue bright sky, and the reapers standing amongst the tawny corn turned their swart faces towards the squire’s carriage, and pulled their moistened forelocks, and thought what a fine thing it was for the gentry to be driving swiftly through the clear warm air, lolling back upon soft cushions, and with no more exertion than was involved in holding a silk umbrella.
‘but how white madam penwyn looks!’ said one of the men, a native of the place, to his mate. ‘she doant look as if the good things of this life agreed with her. she looks paler and more tired like than you nor me.’
