第100章 EVENTS OF TUESDAY: THE TOILS CLOSING(2)

'St.Ives!' he cried, 'why do you make it so hard for me? and where's the use of insulting other people? The plain English is, that I can't hear of any proposal of marriage from a man under a charge like that.You must see it for yourself, man! It's the most absurd thing I ever heard of! And you go on forcing me to argue with you, too!'

'Because I have had an affair of honour which terminated unhappily, you - a young soldier, or next-door to it - refuse my offer? Do I understand you aright?' said I.

'My dear fellow!' he wailed, 'of course you can twist my words, if you like.You SAY it was an affair of honour.Well, I can't, of course, tell you that - I can't - I mean, you must see that that's just the point! Was it? I don't know.'

'I have the honour to inform you,' said I.

'Well, other people say the reverse, you see!'

'They lie, Ronald, and I will prove it in time.'

'The short and the long of it is, that any man who is so unfortunate as to have such things said about him is not the man to be my brother-in-law!' he cried.

'Do you know who will be my first witness at the court? Arthur Chevenix!' said I.

'I don't care!' he cried, rising from his chair and beginning to pace outrageously about the room.'What do you mean, St.Ives?

What is this about? It's like a dream, I declare! You made an offer, and I have refused it.I don't like it, I don't want it;

and whatever I did, or didn't, wouldn't matter - my aunt wouldn't bear of it anyway! Can't you take your answer, man?'

'You must remember, Ronald, that we are playing with edged tools,'

said I.'An offer of marriage is a delicate subject to handle.

You have refused, and you have justified your refusal by several statements: first, that I was an impostor; second, that our countries were at war; and third - No, I will speak,' said I; 'you can answer when I have done, - and third, that I had dishonourably killed - or was said to have done so - the man Goguelat.Now, my dear fellow, these are very awkward grounds to be taking.From any one else's lips I need scarce tell you how I should resent them;

but my hands are tied.I have so much gratitude to you, without talking of the love I bear your sister, that you insult me, when you do so, under the cover of a complete impunity.I must feel the pain - and I do feel it acutely - I can do nothing to protect myself.' He had been anxious enough to interrupt me in the beginning; but now, and after I had ceased, he stood a long while silent.

'St.Ives,' he said at last, 'I think I had better go away.This has been very irritating.I never at all meant to say anything of the kind, and I apologise to you.I have all the esteem for you that one gentleman should have for another.I only meant to tell you - to show you what had influenced my mind; and that, in short, the thing was impossible.One thing you may be quite sure of: I shall do nothing against you.Will you shake hands before I go away?' he blurted out.

'Yes,' said I, 'I agree with you - the interview has been irritating.Let bygones be bygones.Good-bye, Ronald.'

'Good-bye, St.Ives!' he returned.'I'm heartily sorry.'

And with that he was gone.

The windows of my own sitting-room looked towards the north; but the entrance passage drew its light from the direction of the square.Hence I was able to observe Ronald's departure, his very disheartened gait, and the fact that he was joined, about half-way, by no less a man than Major Chevenix.At this, I could scarce keep from smiling; so unpalatable an interview must be before the pair of them, and I could hear their voices, clashing like crossed swords, in that eternal antiphony of 'I told you,' and 'I told you not.' Without doubt, they had gained very little by their visit;

but then I had gained less than nothing, and had been bitterly dispirited into the bargain.Ronald had stuck to his guns and refused me to the last.It was no news; but, on the other hand, it could not be contorted into good news.I was now certain that during my temporary absence in France, all irons would be put into the fire, and the world turned upside down, to make Flora disown the obtrusive Frenchman and accept Chevenix.Without doubt she would resist these instances: but the thought of them did not please me, and I felt she should be warned and prepared for the battle.

It was no use to try and see her now, but I promised myself early that evening to return to Swanston.In the meantime I had to make all my preparations, and look the coming journey in the face.Here in Edinburgh I was within four miles of the sea, yet the business of approaching random fishermen with my hat in the one hand and a knife in the other, appeared so desperate, that I saw nothing for it but to retrace my steps over the northern counties, and knock a second time at the doors of Birchell Fenn.To do this, money would be necessary; and after leaving my paper in the hands of Flora I had still a balance of about fifteen hundred pounds.Or rather I may say I had them and I had them not; for after my luncheon with Mr.Robbie I had placed the amount, all but thirty pounds of change, in a bank in George Street, on a deposit receipt in the name of Mr.Rowley.This I had designed to be my gift to him, in case I must suddenly depart.But now, thinking better of the arrangement, I despatched my little man, cockade and all, to lift the fifteen hundred.

He was not long gone, and returned with a flushed face, and the deposit receipt still in his hand.

'No go, Mr.Anne,' says he.

'How's that?' I inquired, 'Well, sir, I found the place all right, and no mistake,' said he.

'But I tell you what gave me a blue fright! There was a customer standing by the door, and I reckonised him! Who do you think it was, Mr.Anne? W'y, that same Red-Breast - him I had breakfast with near Aylesbury.'

'You are sure you are not mistaken? ' I asked.

'Certain sure,' he replied.'Not Mr.Lavender, I don't mean, sir;

I mean the other party."Wot's he doing here?' says I.It don't look right."'

'Not by any means,' I agreed.