"we must deal," said norcot, "with the relations of four people each to the others. and first let us examine my relations with grace malherb. i loved her; i loved her with a whole-hearted, true and deep love that can only find the faintest echo in poetry. herrick's 'to anthea, who may command him anything,' comes closest to the real sentiment. but love grows sick like an ill-grown tree, if it grows one-sided. a dark hour struck when with acute sorrow and grief i discovered that i could never win grace's heart. the bitter truth was stamped into my soul. she would never love me; she risked her life to escape from me; frankly, i was odious to her. yet i had observed that this emotion of loathing was not always excited in the female heart by my presence. i was blessed, even in the moment of desolation, by discovering that i was loved by another woman.
"'who'er she be,
that not impossible she
that shall command my heart and me'
does not matter. suffice it that she exists; and she is beautiful and virtuous.
"as a matter of fact, i had given up all thought of marrying when once i discovered that grace malherb could never love me. i had faced the existence of a bachelor with an indifference bred from disappointment. i had said with shakespeare—
"'the sweet embraces of a loving wife
loaden with kisses, arm'd with thousand cupids,
shall never clasp our necks.'
but now i think otherwise. to put it conventionally, i am consoled. you will, i know, express your gratification at this, even as grace did. she kissed me and enjoyed doing it! think of that! what a piece of work is the feminine throne of the emotions!—eh? she kissed me and wished me abundant blessings—only yesterday.
"''tis done; i yield; adieu, thou cruel fair!
adieu, th' averted face, th' ungracious cheek!
from thee i fly to end my grief and care,
to hang—to hang?—yes, round another's neck!'
so i made light of the matter, and now leave it for ever.
"you ask what next? next comes grace's relation to you. i knew that she loved you with all her heart and soul. for you she suffered the cruel indignities of the past; for you she starved; for you she fled and risked her life rather than marry me. her father was the sole obstacle between you when i dropped out and came over to your side. he is both hard and senseless—a difficult type of man. one must not say 'by your leave' to such as he, because to ask is to be refused. so i propose to take without asking, and allow him to digest facts only after the occurrence. he is dangerous now, and those who fear all strike at all. yet we've more than one surprise in store for malherb. is it nothing to think yourself a murderer and find yourself innocent? that's the trump card! there'll be little room for anger in his bosom on the day when he learns that.
"well, i'm working without him—for love of his daughter. 'tis settled betwixt you that you must marry though the heavens fall. you shall. i'm as set on it as either of you. the day after to-morrow you are man and wife. so much good news will bewilder you; but there's bad to go as a tonic with it. you naturally ask why these great matters do not come to you under grace's own hand and seal. alas! she is blind!"
"good god! my grace!"
"be patient. the fault was entirely mine. those appointed to bring her hither at any cost, discovered that she was young and strong and valiant. an old man and an old woman, albeit tough enough, found it as much as they could do, and before they had prevailed and hidden her in the depths of an ancient wood, all three were scratched and wounded with the briars and brambles, in which they had struggled. she fought with true malherb spirit, but the conquerors came best off; miss malherb was torn, and badly torn, across the face. i have had the first advice both from plymouth and from exeter. for the present she lives in a dead darkness, and must continue so to do for a week or more."
"but she will recover her sight? oh, do not tell me that those wonderful eyes will see no more."
"i could hardly have borne to jest over the past, my dear stark, had the future held anything so terrible. your lady's lovely eyes are but dimmed for a time. i spoke with sir george jenning only yesterday. he has little fear of the ultimate result; but blackest possible night must hem her in for the present. a gleam might work terrible havoc; the optic nerve is affected, and such sympathy prevails between the eyes that injury to one may quickly involve both."
"i hope you look to this yourself. 'tis hard to avoid daylight in april."
"my sister gertrude is nurse."
"if i could but see grace!"
"see her you certainly cannot. nobody can. never sibyl was wrapped in gleam more cimmerian; but marry her you may and shall, if that will suffice you."
the rapidity of these revelations; the intense seriousness and most kindly expression upon norcot's face; the bewildering rush and hurry of his own life during the past few days, all combined to move cecil stark. his wits swooned; his emotions yearned to believe this marvellous story. he pressed his hand to his forehead, then noticed the wine at his elbow, picked up the glass and drained it.
"man," he said solemnly, "surely it is not in humanity to juggle upon such a theme? you cannot be deceiving me?"
"emphatically no," answered norcot. "i am no juggler, but a simple wool-merchant of some character and renown in these parts. in fact, a big toad in a small puddle, as the saying is. my heart went out to you when first we met, and i resolved, if opportunity offered, to do you a service. i failed; but it was your own action that defeated my good offices. this time i shall succeed, because nobody on this earth can break a marriage contract if the conditions are within the law of the land."
"she is willing?"
"for a thousand reasons; and, first, before any thought of you, that her parents may suffer no more. they have undoubtedly endured a good deal."
"'tis an insult to the family to wed so."
"she is not of that opinion. the ceremony once complete, you can go back to prison with a cheerful heart; or, better still, obtain a passport. i shall ride off instantly to grace's parents and explain all. upon her recovery, and before you depart to your own land the richer by this lovely rose, a marriage ceremony as splendid as malherb's purse can bear may take place. would that he would forget to play lucifer for once and let me bear the cost."
"such things as this don't happen," said stark slowly.
"they don't," answered the other. "such things can only be found within the pages of poetry. and yet you see how one romantic ass, out of the dead love of his past, has planned this little fairy tale. i am that ass, mr. stark. such things don't happen; yet this thing is going to happen if you are of the same mind as grace malherb. she has forgiven me everything—even robbing her of daylight. 'what is the sun compared with him?' cried she. my god, how she loves you!"
yet something in cecil stark's heart still doubted and cried for proof positive. norcot's perfect voice, flowing on like an oily river, hurt his nerves. he felt that he was being muffled up and choked in honey. he dashed his hand on the table.
"proofs—facts—realities—give me these!" he cried. "show me how this can be, and i will bless your name for ever."
"i was waiting for you to come to your senses. this astounding news has acted like strong drink on a hungry man. proofs are here—facts—realities too. read this. you never heard of charles manners sutton? yet, 'tis a very well-known name among respectable people. this word he wrote. 'tis the sign-manual of his grace the archbishop of canterbury, mr. stark."
"go on—explain."
"there's your worthy name also, and that of grace sibella malherb. you knew not that she was called sibella too? an old family name on the mother's side. she was a carew and my mother was also a carew. but this family history won't interest you?"
"not now."
"well, having determined to see you married to my grace, i sought the means. there are but three ways in this kingdom to be married, and all demand the co-operation of the church. we lack a purely civil rite, but there is a talk of establishing such. first comes marriage by banns, which necessitates three weeks' notice in a place of worship. this i tried myself, with results not unfamiliar to you. 'twas for the best. marriage by ordinary license requires but a fifteen days' residence in the parish where the ceremony is to take place. doctors' commons can supply this document at a moment's notice, or the bishop of the diocese will do so through his chancellor and surrogates. another glass of wine? you look as if you wanted it. now this method is equally out of place, because we cannot entertain you here for the next fifteen days, much as we should like to do so. the secret of grace's whereabouts must be hidden no more. there remains marriage by special license—a ceremony permission to perform which can only be given by the archbishop of canterbury himself. it allows the contracting parties to be married anywhere they please: in a church, or on a high road, or within a private dwelling, or at the top of dartmoor. a priest of the church of england and two witnesses complete the entire necessary conditions. how witnesses can witness a wedding in the dark is doubtful; but they must do their best, and trust to their ears if not their eyes.
"that document, beaming upon you there, is the special license which will permit you to marry miss malherb. i have friends at court. his grace was easily convinced of the propriety of my application. and fate favoured me, for he loves your country with a christian charity very proper in a primate. it was enough for him that you desired instantly to return home after your long incarceration, and that your future wife was both eager and willing to accompany you. feel it, read it, touch it! has it not the very odour of sanctity? all this have i done for you and for her. you see, i'm not quite the rascal you thought me.
"'i never bark when out of season,
i never bite without a reason.'
indeed, barking and biting are quite foreign to my nature."
stark stared at the special license without speaking.
"still you find it difficult to believe in such a torrent of hard facts. there remains to point out the necessity for a speedy marriage. i supposed that you would be free a fortnight ago at latest. consequently i named a date which will expire in two days. you must marry the day after to-morrow, if you can bring yourself to the ordeal so soon. you will stop here, i trust, or if not here, then at my lodge, which will be safer. as a leading man among the americans, they'll seek you sharply. they might find you in my house; but in my lodge you will be safe. now what say you? you must believe or not—all or none. accept my simple good faith or reject it."
"your honour upon it?"
"may i perish miserably, and vanish from among men, and from the book of life, if i am lying to you."
"it is enough! no false man would take such an oath as that."
stark leapt to his feet, pressed the other's hand and shook it warmly.
"god reward you for your deed, peter norcot. generations to come shall bless you as i do. i believe you with all my heart. i trust you with all that makes life best living to me."
"so be it. now get you gone. for safety i'll hold this document until after your marriage. i have planned the ceremony for the morning of the day after to-morrow. if possible you shall speak to grace to-morrow, but malherb has his spies here, and you'll be followed too. therefore we must run no risk. see john lee and send him about his business once and for all; next repair to my lodge, where you are expected. there a meal awaits you. keep close within doors meantime, and i shall come again to you after dark."
a few moments later norcot himself took the american to his door, showed him the lodge at his avenue gates not a quarter of a mile distant and left him there.
then he returned to his study, lighted a taper and carefully destroyed the special license by fire.
"a neat enough copy," he said, as it curled and flamed and vanished; "so like the real thing that a man may be forgiven for calming his mind through the perception of his senses."
next norcot went to his desk and drew therefrom another document in most respects resembling the first. but it was set out upon thicker paper and the seal was of black wax, not red, as in the case of the destroyed forgery.
meanwhile stark met lee, and the hollow unreality of his story fell sinister and threatening upon john's ear.
"you don't believe this nonsense," he asked simply when the tale was told.
"every word of it! he has taken a solemn—a terrific oath. he is a man of the highest honour, or i never yet met with one!"
"you can credit these unheard-of deeds and believe that he performed them simply that you may get what you wanted?"
"not so. 'tis all done for her sake. he loved her. even in losing her, he shows the noble character of his love for ever. his one thought is her happiness."
"i will never believe it. this is a gigantic lie. there's some foul deed hiding behind it, and you will live to see that i'm right."
"we shall not agree there, john. don't think that i undervalue your great services to me. don't think that i can ever forget your grand loyalty to your mistress. but in this matter, as a man of the world not lacking for sense and experience, i know that i am right. i am not clever, yet i feel that i can trust him. norcot is a rare figure; but it heartens one, it enlarges one's ideas to know that such men exist. he himself is loved elsewhere; and now he desires to make us happy. i have told you all; i need only add that i believe him as i believe in heaven, and i trust him absolutely. he has always been a true friend to me. for the present i remain here at this lodge, and on the night after our marriage, if the doctor allows it, i convey my wife back to her home. now what shall i do for you, john lee? the best can only be a shadow of what you have done for me."
"you're wrong; you're madly wrong! where is miss grace herself? did he tell you that?"
"no; but i gathered that she is in his house."
"go your way then, and ask me no questions, for i shall go mine. you are mad in this and will live to repent such trust bitterly. his life—his whole life and behaviour towards her cry on my side."
"you forget his past behaviour to me. is that to count for nothing? he has always wished me well. for you, john, i have to thank you for much," he said; "for much, much more than i can ever pay you back; yet now i ask for another favour. i am older than you, and perhaps more experienced in the ways of men. i am not deceived in peter norcot. at any rate, the future now lies with me. let me ask you to renounce the affair entirely from this moment, and leave the rest to me. if i am content, you should be also."
"never! what do i care for you, or norcot either? 'tis only her that i care for; only her i'm here for. go your way, but don't dictate to me. i'll do what i can for her against you both; and though fifty thousand norcots took their oath that they meant you fair, i'd not believe one of 'em. there's no truth in that man. he's trapped her for himself—not for you. oh, how clear it is to me! i was the bait to bring her here; now providence has made me bring you; and in some dark, magic way this devil will make you serve his turn too."
"go!" said stark, solemnly and sternly. "i mourn that you can so misread an honourable man. i am not concerned with his methods now, but his motives. he planned to lead my love into happiness by a rough road. i came in the nick of time. he has expected me. do you understand? he expected me! he has foreseen every step in these events. i bid you leave my affairs in my own hands henceforth, john lee; and i say here from my heart that, do what you will, you are my friend for ever."
"so be it then. follow your own fool's way and see whether it will lead you back to the war prison, or into the arms of grace malherb, or into your grave. and i, too, will go my way. her happiness is my life; not you, or any man living, shall deny me to strive and fight for her to the end. i marvel and mourn for you. your wits are dulled by the cruel prison yonder. your senses are held captive by this man."
he spoke sorrowfully, then turned away, and before stark had time to beg for patience and consideration, john lee hastened into the woods and disappeared.
