Fergus Hume

“ But even he could not be angry at rosy, laughing Mrs Jeal. "Though I don't like her," confessed Dr James; "the devil looks out of her eyes. Dangerous woman, very dangerous."
Pratt had no chance of proving this remark of the doctor's to be true, for Mrs Jeal never looked at him. She kept her wicked eyes on the kindly vicar and smiled constantly, punctuating such smiles with an occasional curtsey. "Pearl is not with you?" said Mr Tempest.
"No, bless her poor heart!" cried Mrs Jeal, "she is up at the chapel. Her favourite place is the chapel, as your reverence knows." ”

“ She loves beautiful things for the altar, and as she attends to the decorating of the chapel, it will be a constant pleasure to her to keep this cup bright and spotless."
"I hope it will be safe with her!" cried Mrs Bathurst. "These insane people are like magpies, and steal anything glittering that attracts their weak fancies. Are you sure she will not take it away, Mr Raston?"
The curate was indignant. "Pearl would no more do such a thing than take her own life, poor soul," he said. "She is devoted to the church. Religion, so far as her own poor brain understands it, is her one consolation." ”

“ Mrs Gabriel was going too far.
"That you are in love with Sibyl Tempest."
"That is true. She is a beautiful and charming girl." [37]
"And a beggar!" burst out Mrs Gabriel, savagely. "Her father has nothing beyond his stipend, and that he spends on books. When he dies she will be a beggar. If you married her she would bring you no dowry."
"She will bring me herself," replied Haverleigh, "and that is good enough for me. I love Sybil with my whole soul."
"And how do you propose to keep her?" sneered Mrs Gabriel.
"Not as the heir to your property," said Leo, wrathfully. ”

“ Sybil grew angry.
"You have behaved very wickedly in putting these ideas into Pearl's head, Mrs Jeal," she said severely. "The poor creature is not responsible. She does not understand."
"She understands more than you give her credit for, miss," retorted Mrs Jeal, coolly, "and she is not fit to be left alone. But when I go away I shall put her in an asylum."
"Indeed, you will do nothing of the sort!" cried Miss Tempest, indignantly. "The poor thing would die. Liberty is all in all to her. When are you going away?"
"I go with Sir Frank Hale, miss. I am going to be the maid of his sister." ”

“ When Pratt came I was afraid; I was always afraid of Pratt. No one knows but myself what a devil he is. He told me to hold my tongue, and I was too frightened of him to disobey. Now I'll go away from here with the Hales, since Miss Sybil has promised to look after Pearl. I want to put the seas between myself and that man. He terrifies me, and I am not a woman easily terrified."
"Why did you tell that lie about my having pawned the cup?" asked Leo.
Mrs Jeal shook her head. "I can say no more," she said. ”

“ It had two handles formed of twisted snakes with ruby eyes and round its broadest part ran an inscription in Latin. The vicar held the goblet to the light and translated the inscription. "'To the great God, who maketh the heart joyful,'" he said, then added dubiously, "Does that refer to a pagan god, or to the Maker of all things?"
"If the cup is Roman, probably it is an inscription to Bacchus," said the curate, a shadow on his face. "If so, we cannot use it as a communion cup." Pratt laughed and raised his eyebrows at this scrupulous regard. "You can set your mind at rest," he said. ”

“ When you discovered him at the castle on that night he was afraid lest you might do so, therefore he said you were his son, so as to put such a betrayal out of your power."
"As if I would ever have betrayed him!" said Leo. "There was good in Pratt."
"There is no good in him," cried Mrs Jeal, fiercely. "How dare you say so? He is a bad and wicked man. I hate him with all my soul! But never will I set eyes on him again. He might kill me as he has often [274] threatened to do. But I have told all; I have proved your identity, Lord Morven, and you have the cup, my Lord Kilspindie. ”

“ There was a scene, and Mrs Jeal proved herself to be more than equal to the official from Portfront.
"I never heard anything so wicked in my life," cried Mrs Jeal. "The poor child may be mad, but not mad enough to take what is not her own. I wonder at you, sir, that you should come here on such an errand."
"My duty is clearly before me," replied the inspector, stiffly. "Is the girl really and truly ill?"
"You can take my word for that, Mr German," said Raston. "Or, if you do not believe me, here is Dr James!" ”

“ The young man laughed. "Fairly hit," he said; "but really, Sybil, I don't think you need trouble about Hale. No man of his build and weakness would insult a woman by asking her hand in marriage. He is a queer little creature, but for all his cross-grained temper his heart is in the right place. I am sorry for him, and I feel his kindness in offering to help me. To be sure he is well off, but the kindness is all the same."
"And what about his sister? She is in love with you."
"So Mrs Gabriel says," responded Leo, coolly. "But that is all nonsense—much the same as your suspicions of Hale. ”

“ Thus advised, Leo sat down again, but in rather a sulky humour. "I am a trifle tired of being called a blackguard," he said, frowning at Marton, who regarded him with a friendly smile. "I know absolutely nothing about Mr Pratt, save that he was a friend of Mrs Gabriel's, and that he has been very good to me. I always thought he was what he represented himself to be."
"Small wonder you did," said Marton, coolly. "Angel would deceive a much cleverer man than you appear to be, Mr Haverleigh! And look here, I may as well tell you at once that I am certain you knew nothing about him. ”

“ He was most embarrassed by the looks of Edith, and escaped as speedily as courtesy permitted. When they left the house and were some distance on the road, Marton spoke. "I think there is insanity in that family," he said.
"Why do you think so?"
"The girl is queer. No woman in her sane senses would give herself away as she does. The brother is a cripple, and queer too. Never you marry into that lot, Haverleigh! They have some hereditary taint."
"I have no intention of marrying anyone but Sybil," said Leo, dryly; "but did you see how Hale backed out of his false position?" ”

“ I shall not leave Colester. Here I stay until my innocence is acknowledged."
"But the evidence against you," urged the vicar, sorely perplexed. "You were seen about the chapel on the night the cup was stolen. Your debts are paid, yet Mrs Gabriel did not give you the money, and you have none of your own. And now Mrs Jeal says she saw you pawn the sacred vessel."
"I admit that the evidence is strong," said Leo, recovering his calmness. "All the same I am guiltless. I was at the chapel on that night. I was to meet Sybil since you had forbidden me to meet her." ”

“ I refuse to believe anything against you until I hear what you have to say in your own defence."
"I make no defence, Mr Tempest," rejoined Leo. "Sybil believes me guiltless; so does Pratt; Raston also is my friend. I can only wait until I am vindicated by time. Or perhaps Mrs Jeal will prove to you that I did not steal the cup," and Leo looked at the crafty face of the woman.
Mrs Jeal at a nod from the vicar, rose and folded her hands. "I can prove that you did steal it, Mr Haverleigh," she said. "I saw you pawn the cup in London." ”

“ I wanted you to be a gentleman and marry the girl of your heart. Sybil loves you, and I thought when the vicar knew you were innocent that he would let you marry her."
"He might have done so," said Leo, sitting down in absolute despair; "but since Mrs Gabriel told him [209] that I was illegitimate, he has never been the same. He is a proud man."
"Too proud to let the son of a thief marry his child!" taunted the woman.
"He doesn't know that Leo is my son," said Pratt, fiercely. ”

“ I don't say I haven't a decent income, but as to being a millionaire—no, sir."
"In the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed is king, Mr Pratt. You are a millionaire in this poor place. But I fear you find it dull."
"Why, no, vicar. I'm glad to be out of the buzz. The world's made up of nerves and machinery nowadays. At fifty-two years of age I can't stand the racket. ”

“ Leo coloured a little at this very direct remark. "I believe she is," said he, with an embarrassed laugh; "but I assure you, Pratt, the feeling is not reciprocal. The only woman I have ever loved, whom I shall ever love, is Sybil Tempest. And the course of our true love does not run smooth," he finished, with a sigh.
"A conspiracy," repeated Pratt, who was not paying much attention to what Leo was saying. "Yes! I believe it to be one. By lending you that money Hale hoped to get you into his power, so as to induce you to give up Sibyl to him and marry Edith." ”

“ Raston stopped short.
"What's the matter, Raston?"
"Suppose you should be the long-lost son of Lord Kilspindie?"
"Ridiculous!" said Leo, shaking his head and flushing.
"It is no more ridiculous than that you should be the son of a thief—or, rather, believe yourself to be so. Why should you believe the bad and doubt the good? See here, Leo"—Raston was much excited—"the cup was lost along with the child. Pratt has the cup, why should you not be the child? The woman who stole both might have died and passed them on to Pratt. For his own purposes he says that he is your father." ”

“ Have you had to put on mourning for this Haverleigh?"
"No. He has been a trifle wild, and has got into debt; but otherwise there is nothing wrong about him. Besides," added the curate, "Miss Tempest is in love with him, and they are engaged. She is a noble girl, and would not love a scoundrel."
"Ah!" said Marton, cynically, "I have seen a remark of that sort in novels, my good man. In real life—But that is neither here nor there. I should like to meet this young man."
"I can take you with me to-night. He is staying with Mr Pratt at The Nun's House. It is no very great distance away." ”

“ In this dilemma it struck Sybil that she might see Raston; he was a kindly creature, and all through the dark day had believed in Haverleigh's innocence. She thought that Raston might be induced to bring Leo back from Portfront, so Sybil put on her hat and sought out the curate. He was at home and delighted to see her.
"This is an unexpected pleasure, Miss Tempest," he said, wheeling the armchair forward. "I hope there is nothing wrong."
"Why should there be anything wrong?" asked Sybil, smiling. ”

“ Mrs Gabriel looked with secret contempt on the deformed man, and wondered how he could have the impertinence to think that any woman could take him for her husband. However, she was pleased to hear of this new complication. If Sybil could be induced to marry the baronet—and from a worldly point of view the match was a good one—she would be out of the way. In despair Leo might marry Edith, and thus all would be as Mrs Gabriel wanted. She wished to move human beings as puppets to suit her own ends, and never thought that she might be thwarted by the individual will of those with whom she played. ”

“ She only laughed insultingly, and said that Mr Tempest was of her opinion about this ridiculous marriage. Leo saw Mr Pratt, and consulted him.
"I guess you'd better leave it to me," said Pratt, who was on the side of the lovers. "I'll bring Mrs Gabriel to reason."
"But it is more the vicar that needs bringing to reason," argued Leo. "He has changed wholly towards me."
"Perhaps he has heard of your debts," suggested Pratt, pondering.
"What if he had! He knows that I am not so wild as everyone tries to make out. No. It is something else. ”

“ I may take a fancy to resume my travels."
"You are like Ulysses," put in the vicar, "you know men and cities."
"And, like Ulysses, I don't think much of either, Mr Tempest."
"Come now!" cried Leo, laughing. "I never heard that Ulysses was a cynic."
"He was not modern enough," said Sybil, who was looking particularly charming, much to the anger of Mrs Gabriel, who saw in her a man-trap for her adopted son.
"I don't think cynicism is altogether a modern disease," remarked Sir Frank Hale. "Solomon had not much belief in human nature."
"What could you expect from a man who had so many wives?" ”

“ We only have one life."
"I wonder you care to spend it in such a dull place as Colester. If Mr Bathurst were rich I should make him take me to London."
"You would soon get tired of the roar of that city."
Here Peggy, who was fair and pretty and fond of gaiety, shook her blonde head vigorously. "I should never get tired of fun," she said. "I could go to a dance every night and still want more."
"Ah, Miss Peggy, you are young and active!"
"Well, dear Mr Pratt, you are not old," said Mrs Bathurst, flatteringly; "we must make you happy here. I am sure you are quite an acquisition. ”

“ Mrs Gabriel laughed. "I thought he might take a fancy to Sibyl Tempest."
"Why, he's old enough to be her father. Besides—"
"Besides you love her," finished Mrs Gabriel, with a shrug. "Well, do not get angry, Leo. I should like to see Mr Pratt marry Sybil and you the husband of Edith Hale. Then everything would be right."
"I don't think so at all," commenced Haverleigh in vexed tones. "But don't let us quarrel any more. I have the greatest regard for Pratt, but I do not care to go the length of letting him marry the girl I love." ”