Dolly faltered and turned paler yet; then answered that he waswrapped in a loose coat and had his face hidden by a handkerchiefand that she could give no other description of him.
"You wouldn"t know him if you saw him then, belike?" said Hugh with a malicious grin.
"I should not," answered Dolly, bursting into tears again. "Idon"t wish to see him. I can"t bear to think of him. I can"t talkabout him any more. Don"t go to look for these things, Mr Joe,pray don"t. I entreat you not to go with that man."
"Not to go with me!" cried Hugh. "I"m too rough for them all.
They"re all afraid of me. Why, bless you mistress, I"ve thetenderest heart alive. I love all the ladies, ma"am," said Hugh,turning to the locksmith"s wife.
Mrs Varden opined that if he did, he ought to be ashamed ofhimself; such sentiments being more consistent (so she argued) witha benighted Mussulman or wild Islander than with a stanchProtestant. Arguing from this imperfect state of his morals, MrsVarden further opined that he had never studied the Manual. Hughadmitting that he never had, and moreover that he couldn"t read,Mrs Varden declared with much severity, that he ought to he evenmore ashamed of himself than before, and strongly recommended himto save up his pocket-money for the purchase of one, and further toteach himself the contents with all convenient diligence. She wasstill pursuing this train of discourse, when Hugh, somewhat unceremoniously and irreverently, followed his young master out,and left her to edify the rest of the company. This she proceededto do, and finding that Mr Willet"s eyes were fixed upon her withan appearance of deep attention, gradually addressed the whole ofher discourse to him, whom she entertained with a moral andtheological lecture of considerable length, in the conviction thatgreat workings were taking place in his spirit. The simple truthwas, however, that Mr Willet, although his eyes were wide open andhe saw a woman before him whose head by long and steady looking atseemed to grow bigger and bigger until it filled the whole bar, wasto all other intents and purposes fast asleep; and so sat leaningback in his chair with his hands in his pockets until his son"sreturn caused him to wake up with a deep sigh, and a faintimpression that he had been dreaming about pickled pork and greens-avision of his slumbers which was no doubt referable to thecircumstance of Mrs Varden"s having frequently pronounced the word"Grace" with much emphasis; which word, entering the portals of MrWillet"s brain as they stood ajar, and coupling itself with thewords "before meat," which were there ranging about, did in timesuggest a particular kind of meat together with that description ofvegetable which is usually its companion.
The search was wholly unsuccessful. Joe had groped along the path a dozen times, and among the grass, and in the dry ditch, and inthe hedge, but all in vain. Dolly, who was quite inconsolable forher loss, wrote a note to Miss Haredale giving her the same accountof it that she had given at the Maypole, which Joe undertook todeliver as soon as the family were stirring next day. That done,they sat down to tea in the bar, where there was an uncommondisplay of buttered toast, and--in order that they might not growfaint for want of sustenance, and might have a decent halting-place or halfway house between dinner and supper--a few savourytrifles in the shape of great rashers of broiled ham, which beingwell cured, done to a turn, and smoking hot, sent forth a temptingand delicious fragrance.
Mrs Varden was seldom very Protestant at meals, unless it happenedthat they were underdone, or overdone, or indeed that anythingoccurred to put her out of humour. Her spirits rose considerablyon beholding these goodly preparations, and from the nothingness ofgood works, she passed to the somethingness of ham and toast withgreat cheerfulness. Nay, under the influence of these wholesomestimulants, she sharply reproved her daughter for being low anddespondent (which she considered an unacceptable frame of mind),and remarked, as she held her own plate for a fresh supply, that itwould be well for Dolly, who pined over the loss of a toy and a sheet of paper, if she would reflect upon the voluntary sacrificesof the missionaries in foreign parts who lived chiefly on salads.
The proceedings of such a day occasion various fluctuations in thehuman thermometer, and especially in instruments so sensitively anddelicately constructed as Mrs Varden. Thus, at dinner Mrs V. stoodat summer heat; genial, smiling, and delightful. After dinner, inthe sunshine of the wine, she went up at least half-a-dozendegrees, and was perfectly enchanting. As its effect subsided, shefell rapidly, went to sleep for an hour or so at temperate, andwoke at something below freezing. Now she was at summer heatagain, in the shade; and when tea was over, and old John, producinga bottle of cordial from one of the oaken cases, insisted on hersipping two glasses thereof in slow succession, she stood steadilyat ninety for one hour and a quarter. Profiting by experience, thelocksmith took advantage of this genial weather to smoke his pipein the porch, and in consequence of this prudent management, he wasfully prepared, when the glass went down again, to start homewardsdirectly.
The horse was accordingly put in, and the chaise brought round tothe door. Joe, who would on no account be dissuaded from escortingthem until they had passed the most dreary and solitary part of the road, led out the grey mare at the same time; and having helpedDolly into her seat (more happiness!) sprung gaily into the saddle.
Then, after many good nights, and admonitions to wrap up, andglancing of lights, and handing in of cloaks and shawls, the chaiserolled away, and Joe trotted beside it--on Dolly"s side, no doubt,and pretty close to the wheel too.