第10章 THE FIRST COUNTESS OF WESSEX(9)

Stephen Reynard formed the completest of possible contrasts to Dornell as they stood confronting each other in the best parlour of the Bristol tavern.The Squire,hot-tempered,gouty,impulsive,generous,reckless;the younger man,pale,tall,sedate,self-possessed--a man of the world,fully bearing out at least one couplet in his epitaph,still extant in King's-Hintock church,which places in the inventory of his good qualities 'Engaging Manners,cultivated Mind,Adorn'd by Letters,and in Courts refin'd.'

He was at this time about five-and-thirty,though careful living and an even,unemotional temperament caused him to look much younger than his years.

Squire Dornell plunged into his errand without much ceremony or preface.

'I am your humble servant,sir,'he said.'I have read your letter writ to my wife and myself,and considered that the best way to answer it would be to do so in person.'

'I am vastly honoured by your visit,sir,'said Mr.Stephen Reynard,bowing.

'Well,what's done can't be undone,'said Dornell,'though it was mighty early,and was no doing of mine.She's your wife;and there's an end on't.But in brief,sir,she's too young for you to claim yet;we mustn't reckon by years;we must reckon by nature.

She's still a girl;'tis onpolite of 'ee to come yet;next year will be full soon enough for you to take her to you.'

Now,courteous as Reynard could be,he was a little obstinate when his resolution had once been formed.She had been promised him by her eighteenth birthday at latest--sooner if she were in robust health.Her mother had fixed the time on her own judgment,without a word of interference on his part.He had been hanging about foreign courts till he was weary.Betty was now as woman,if she would ever be one,and there was not,in his mind,the shadow of an excuse for putting him off longer.Therefore,fortified as he was by the support of her mother,he blandly but firmly told the Squire that he had been willing to waive his rights,out of deference to her parents,to any reasonable extent,but must now,in justice to himself and her insist on maintaining them.He therefore,since she had not come to meet him,should proceed to King's-Hintock in a few days to fetch her.

This announcement,in spite of the urbanity with which it was delivered,set Dornell in a passion.

'Oh dammy,sir;you talk about rights,you do,after stealing her away,a mere child,against my will and knowledge!If we'd begged and prayed 'ee to take her,you could say no more.'

'Upon my honour,your charge is quite baseless,sir,'said his son-in-law.'You must know by this time--or if you do not,it has been a monstrous cruel injustice to me that I should have been allowed to remain in your mind with such a stain upon my character--you must know that I used no seductiveness or temptation of any kind.Her mother assented;she assented.I took them at their word.That you was really opposed to the marriage was not known to me till afterwards.'

Dornell professed to believe not a word of it.'You sha'n't have her till she's dree sixes full--no maid ought to be married till she's dree sixes!--and my daughter sha'n't be treated out of nater!'

So he stormed on till Tupcombe,who had been alarmedly listening in the next room,entered suddenly,declaring to Reynard that his master's life was in danger if the interview were prolonged,he being subject to apoplectic strokes at these crises.Reynard immediately said that he would be the last to wish to injure Squire Dornell,and left the room,and as soon as the Squire had recovered breath and equanimity,he went out of the inn,leaning on the arm of Tupcombe.

Tupcombe was for sleeping in Bristol that night,but Dornell,whose energy seemed as invincible as it was sudden,insisted upon mounting and getting back as far as Falls-Park,to continue the journey to King's-Hintock on the following day.At five they started,and took the southern road toward the Mendip Hills.The evening was dry and windy,and,excepting that the sun did not shine,strongly reminded Tupcombe of the evening of that March month,nearly five years earlier,when news had been brought to King's-Hintock Court of the child Betty's marriage in London--news which had produced upon Dornell such a marked effect for the worse ever since,and indirectly upon the household of which he was the head.Before that time the winters were lively at Falls-Park,as well as at King's-Hintock,although the Squire had ceased to make it his regular residence.Hunting-guests and shooting-guests came and went,and open house was kept.Tupcombe disliked the clever courtier who had put a stop to this by taking away from the Squire the only treasure he valued.

It grew darker with their progress along the lanes,and Tupcombe discovered from Mr.Dornell's manner of riding that his strength was giving way;and spurring his own horse close alongside,he asked him how he felt.

'Oh,bad;damn bad,Tupcombe!I can hardly keep my seat.I shall never be any better,I fear!Have we passed Three-Man-Gibbet yet?'

'Not yet by a long ways,sir.'

'I wish we had.I can hardly hold on.'The Squire could not repress a groan now and then,and Tupcombe knew he was in great pain.'I wish I was underground--that's the place for such fools as I!I'd gladly be there if it were not for Mistress Betty.He's coming on to King's-Hintock to-morrow--he won't put it off any longer;he'll set out and reach there to-morrow night,without stopping at Falls;and he'll take her unawares,and I want to be there before him.'

'I hope you may be well enough to do it,sir.But really--'

'I MUST,Tupcombe!You don't know what my trouble is;it is not so much that she is married to this man without my agreeing--for,after all,there's nothing to say against him,so far as I know;but that she don't take to him at all,seems to fear him--in fact,cares nothing about him;and if he comes forcing himself into the house upon her,why,'twill be rank cruelty.Would to the Lord something would happen to prevent him!'