"There was news to-day," returned Hugh. "Your son was at ourhouse--came down on horseback. He tried to see the young woman,but couldn"t get sight of her. He left some letter or some message which our Joe had charge of, but he and the old one quarrelledabout it when your son had gone, and the old one wouldn"t let it bedelivered. He says (that"s the old one does) that none of hispeople shall interfere and get him into trouble. He"s a landlord,he says, and lives on everybody"s custom."
"He"s a jewel," smiled Mr Chester, "and the better for being a dullone.--Well?"
"Varden"s daughter--that"s the girl I kissed--"
"--and stole the bracelet from upon the king"s highway," said MrChester, composedly. "Yes; what of her?"
"She wrote a note at our house to the young woman, saying she lostthe letter I brought to you, and you burnt. Our Joe was to carryit, but the old one kept him at home all next day, on purpose thathe shouldn"t. Next morning he gave it to me to take; and here itis."
"You didn"t deliver it then, my good friend?" said Mr Chester,twirling Dolly"s note between his finger and thumb, and feigning tobe surprised.
"I supposed you"d want to have it," retorted Hugh. "Burn one, burnall, I thought."
"My devil-may-care acquaintance," said Mr Chester--"really if youdo not draw some nicer distinctions, your career will be cut shortwith most surprising suddenness. Don"t you know that the letteryou brought to me, was directed to my son who resides in this veryplace? And can you descry no difference between his letters andthose addressed to other people?"
"If you don"t want it," said Hugh, disconcerted by this reproof,for he had expected high praise, "give it me back, and I"ll deliverit. I don"t know how to please you, master."
"I shall deliver it," returned his patron, putting it away after amoment"s consideration, "myself. Does the young lady walk out, onfine mornings?"
"Mostly--about noon is her usual time."
"Alone?"
"Yes, alone."
"Where?"
"In the grounds before the house.--Them that the footpath crosses."
"If the weather should be fine, I may throw myself in her way tomorrow,perhaps," said Mr Chester, as coolly as if she were one ofhis ordinary acquaintance. "Mr Hugh, if I should ride up to theMaypole door, you will do me the favour only to have seen me once.
You must suppress your gratitude, and endeavour to forget myforbearance in the matter of the bracelet. It is natural it shouldbreak out, and it does you honour; but when other folks are by, youmust, for your own sake and safety, be as like your usual self asthough you owed me no obligation whatever, and had never stoodwithin these walls. You comprehend me?"
Hugh understood him perfectly. After a pause he muttered that hehoped his patron would involve him in no trouble about this lastletter; for he had kept it back solely with the view of pleasinghim. He was continuing in this strain, when Mr Chester with amost beneficent and patronising air cut him short by saying:
"My good fellow, you have my promise, my word, my sealed bond (fora verbal pledge with me is quite as good), that I will alwaysprotect you so long as you deserve it. Now, do set your mind atrest. Keep it at ease, I beg of you. When a man puts himself inmy power so thoroughly as you have done, I really feel as though hehad a kind of claim upon me. I am more disposed to mercy andforbearance under such circumstances than I can tell you, Hugh. Dolook upon me as your protector, and rest assured, I entreat you,that on the subject of that indiscretion, you may preserve, as longas you and I are friends, the lightest heart that ever beat withina human breast. Fill that glass once more to cheer you on yourroad homewards--I am really quite ashamed to think how far you haveto go--and then God bless you for the night."
"They think," said Hugh, when he had tossed the liquor down, "thatI am sleeping soundly in the stable. Ha ha ha! The stable door isshut, but the steed"s gone, master."
"You are a most convivial fellow," returned his friend, "and I loveyour humour of all things. Good night! Take the greatestpossible care of yourself, for my sake!"
It was remarkable that during the whole interview, each had endeavoured to catch stolen glances of the other"s face, and hadnever looked full at it. They interchanged one brief and hastyglance as Hugh went out, averted their eyes directly, and soseparated. Hugh closed the double doors behind him, carefully andwithout noise; and Mr Chester remained in his easy-chair, with hisgaze intently fixed upon the fire.
"Well!" he said, after meditating for a long time--and said with adeep sigh and an uneasy shifting of his attitude, as though hedismissed some other subject from his thoughts, and returned tothat which had held possession of them all the day--the plotthickens; I have thrown the shell; it will explode, I think, ineight-and-forty hours, and should scatter these good folksamazingly. We shall see!"
He went to bed and fell asleep, but had not slept long when hestarted up and thought that Hugh was at the outer door, calling ina strange voice, very different from his own, to be admitted. Thedelusion was so strong upon him, and was so full of that vagueterror of the night in which such visions have their being, that herose, and taking his sheathed sword in his hand, opened the door,and looked out upon the staircase, and towards the spot where Hughhad lain asleep; and even spoke to him by name. But all was dark and quiet, and creeping back to bed again, he fell, after an hour"suneasy watching, into a second sleep, and woke no more tillmorning.