Mrs. Otway

“ Mrs. Otway already knew the fact; whence her habitual coldness to Piers, and the silent acerbity with which she behaved to him at this juncture.
"Mrs. Otway," said Piers to her, on the day of the inquest, "I shall stay for my father's funeral, and to avoid gossip I still ask your hospitality. I do it with reluctance, but you will very soon see the last of me."
"You are of course welcome to stay in the house," replied the lady. ”

“ How comforted she would have been could an angel have come and told her with what eyes England was henceforth to regard her “common soldiers.”
Rose Otway was very young, and, like most young things, very ignorant of life. But there was, as Miss Forsyth had shrewdly said, a great deal in the girl. Even now she faced life steadily, unhelped by the many pleasant illusions cherished by her mother. Rose was as naturally reserved as her mother was naturally confiding, and Mrs. Otway was therefore far more popular in their little world than her daughter. ”

“ Otway? So it’s only fair that now and again a bachelor should do something towards bringing a couple together again.”
She looked at him, surprised. What odd—and yes, rather improper things—Sir Jacques sometimes said! But—but he was a very kind man. Mrs. Otway was a simple woman, though she would have felt a good deal nettled had anyone told her so.
“I rather wonder,” she said impulsively, “why you never married. You seem to approve of marriage, Sir Jacques?” ”

“ Otway started round. The change was now real, absolute. The stricken, awful figure sat upright. Like some ghastly, galvanized image of death, it pointed at him, its shaking, bloodless lips forming words which had as yet no sound. Otway sprang across the intervening space. The outstretched hand gripped and held him. The fleshless fingers drove themselves into his flesh with the strength of despair. ”

“ Otway as though she had been a near relation of the deceased lady. What, however, increased his belief that his original theory was correct, was the fact that there was no mention of Mrs. Otway’s name in Mrs. Guthrie’s will. The old lady, like so many women, had preferred to keep her will in her own possession. It had been made many years before, and in it she had left everything to her son, with the exception of a few trinkets which were to be distributed among certain old friends and acquaintances, fully half of whom, it was found on reference to Ponting, had predeceased the testator. ”

“ Those who met her for the first time were always surprised to find that Mrs. Otway had a grown-up daughter.
As a girl she had spent two very happy years in Germany, at Weimar, and she had kept from those far-off days a very warm and affectionate feeling towards the Fatherland, as also a rather exceptionally good knowledge both of the German language and of old-fashioned German literature. Then had come a short engagement, followed by five years of placid, happy marriage with a minor canon of Witanbury Cathedral. ”

“ Guthrie had no idea how very often her son went to the Trellis House, but even had she known it she would only have smiled satirically. She had but little sympathy with platonic friendships, and she recognised, with that shrewd mother-sense so many women acquire late in life, that Mrs. Otway was a most undesigning widow. ”

“ Otway?” She stopped, and answered, not very graciously, [Page 211] “Yes, I’m Mrs. Otway—who is it?”
There came a bubble of laughter, and she knew that this was a very old acquaintance indeed, a Mrs. Riddick, whom she had not seen for some time.
“I don’t wonder you didn’t know me! It’s impossible to see anything by this light. I’ve been having such an adventure! I only came back from Holland yesterday. I went to meet a young niece of mine there—you know, the girl who was in Germany so long.”
“In Germany?” Mrs. Otway turned round eagerly. “Is she with you now? How I should like to see her!” ”

“ Otway was fortunate. There was plenty of hard work to do that winter in Witanbury, and, in spite of her supposed lack of interest in the War, Mrs. Otway had a wonderful way with soldiers’ wives and mothers, so much so that in time all the more difficult cases were handed over to her.
“This is to warn you that you are being watched. A friend of England is keeping an eye on you, not ostentatiously, but none the less very closely. Dismiss the German woman who has already been too long in your employment. England can take no risks.” ”

“ Otway had the inestimable advantage of being quite sure that she knew what it was best for Anna to do, the old German woman herself was cruelly torn between what was due to her mistress, to her married daughter, and, yes, to herself. [Page 29]
How unutterably amazed Mrs. Otway would have been this morning had she known that more than a month ago Anna had received a word of warning from Berlin. But so it was: her niece had written to her, “It is believed that war this summer there is to be. Willi has been warned that something shortly will happen.” ”

“ He has sometimes been most kind in giving me advice about my money matters.”
“Ah, well, he does that to a good many people. You’d be amused to know how often he’s asked to be [Page 159] trustee to a marriage settlement, and so on. But I’ve lately supposed, Mrs. Otway, that Alick has made a kind of—well, what shall I say?—a kind of sister of you. He seems so fond of your girl, too; he always has liked young people.”
“Yes, that’s very true,” said Mrs. Otway eagerly. “Major Guthrie has always been most kind to Rose.” And then she smiled happily, and added, as if to herself, “Most people are.” ”

“ May not a man then trifle out an hour With a kind woman, and not wrong his calling? Pier. Not in a cause like ours. Jaf. Then, friend, our cause Is in a damn'd condition: for I'll tell thee, That cankerworm, call'd lechery, has touch'd it; 'Tis tainted vilely. Wouldst thou think it? Renault (That mortify'd, old, wither'd, winter rogue,) He visited her last night, like a kind guardian: Faith! she has some temptation, that's the truth on't. Pier. He durst not wrong his trust. ”

“ There were probably no lengths to which a teacher might not be allowed to go, even by so particular a person as Grandma Otway.
"Why, what is there so very daring about that?" asked Miss Dorothy. "It isn't like walking a tight-rope, or shooting Niagara Falls in a canoe." There was a saucy look in her eyes as she spoke, and a dimple came and went as she strove to keep her face grave.
"It isn't like that, of course," said Marian feebly. "It will be your own room, and you are a grown-up lady who can do as you please. ”

“ Otway and Rose were passing through the porch, Mrs. Otway felt herself touched on the arm. She turned round quickly to find Mrs. Haworth close to her.
“I’ve been wondering if Rose would come back with me and see Edith? I’m sorry to say the poor child isn’t at all well to-day. And so we persuaded her to stay in bed. You see”—she lowered her voice, and that though there was no one listening to them [Page 184] —“you see, we hear privately that the cavalry were very heavily engaged last Wednesday, and that the casualties have been terribly heavy. ”

“ But, O Monimia! when thou hast banish'd me, No creeping slave, though tractable and dull As artful woman for her ends would choose, Shall ever dote as I have done. Mon. Castalio, stay! we must not part. I find My rage ebbs out, and love flows in apace. These little quarrels love must needs forgive. Oh! charm me with the music of thy tongue, I'm ne'er so blest as when I hear thy vows, And listen to the language of thy heart. ”

“ Otway perceived George’s ideal malady: she was a silly woman, who fancied she was wise, and thought she never could do wrong because she always intended to do right. She proposed to Maria a most desperate remedy to cure her husband of his jealousy, though she did not reflect that it might probably be at the expense of his existence, and certainly of her daughter’s duty. They conspired together, and wrote two or three letters directed to Mrs. Hartpole, without signature, but professing love and designating meetings. ”

“ She saw a great deal of the world after she became a widow, while she was keeping house for a brother—when I was in India. She’d like to see Rose, too”—unconsciously he dropped the “Miss.” “She likes young people, especially pretty girls.”
“Of course I’ll go and see her, and so will Rose! You know I’ve always liked Mrs. Guthrie better than she liked me. I’m not ‘smart’ enough for her.” Mrs. Otway laughed without a trace of bitterness. ”

“ Some girl, of delicate instinct, of purpose sweet and pure, wasting her unloved life in toil and want and indignity; some man, whose youth and courage strove against a mean environment, whose eyes grew haggard in the vain search for a companion promised in his dreams; they lived, these two, parted perchance only by the wall of neighbour houses, yet all huge London was between them, and their hands would never touch. Beside this hunger for love, what was the stomach-famine of a multitude that knew no other?
The spring drew nigh, and Otway dreaded its coming. ”

“ He stepped firmly on, delighted to be here, eager to perceive his hostess. Mrs. Jacks, for a moment, failed to remember him; but needless to say that this did not appear in her greeting, which, as she recollected, dropped upon a tone of special friendliness. To her, Piers Otway was the least interesting of young men; but her husband had spoken of him very favourably, and Mrs. Jacks had a fine sense of her duty on such points. Piers was dazzled by the lady's personal charm; her brilliantly pure complexion, her faultless shoulders and soft white arms, her pose of consummate dignity and courtesy. ”

“ My friend, where art thou? Pier. Here, my honour's brother. Jaf. Is Belvidera gone? Pier. Renault has led her Back to her own apartment; but, by heav'n, Thou must not see her more, till our work's over. Jaf. No! Pier. Not for your life. Jaf. Oh, Pierre, wert thou but she, How I would pull thee down into my heart, Gaze on thee, till my eye-strings crack'd with love; Then, swelling, sighing, raging to be blest, Come like a panting turtle to thy breast; On thy soft bosom hovering, bill and play, Confess the cause why last I fled away ”

“ The common cheat of beggars; every day They flock about our doors, pretend to gifts Of prophecy, and telling fools their fortunes. Cham. Oh! but she told me such a tale, Monimia, As in it bore great circumstance of truth: Castalio and Polydore, my sister. Mon. Ha! Cham. What, alter'd? does your courage fail you? Now, by my father's soul, the witch was honest. Answer me, if thou hast not lost them Thy honour at a sordid game? Mon. I will, I must, so hardly my misfortune loads me:— That both have offer'd me their love's most true. Cham. And 'tis as true too they have both undone thee. ”

“ A faint smile softened the rugged severity of Otway's face.
“You need have no fear. I am the last person to risk my neck by experimenting without permission. And with permission”—he laughed—“I do not suppose there is a single man who realizes that he is either useless or an impediment, or who, having realized it, would sacrifice himself for the sake of others.”
It was by the merest chance, perhaps, that his eyes fastened themselves on Peter's, and for an instant the two men remained motionless, as though paralyzed by the recognition of their antagonism. ”

“ I told her once, quite plainly, that Daniel Otway wasn't the kind of man she ought to be friendly with. She was offended: it was one of the reasons why we couldn't go on living together. I believe, if the truth were known, it was worry about him that caused her breakdown in health. She's a weak, soft-natured woman, and he—I know very well what he is. He and the other one—both Piers Otway's brothers—have always been worthless creatures. ”

“ Bruce touched his cap to the pale-faced, violet-eyed clergyman's wife, and turning to the break of the poop, at once gave orders to "heave short," leaving the field clear to Mr. Charles Otway, the supercargo of the Tucopia , who was twenty-two years of age, had had seven years' experience of general wickedness in the South Seas, thought he was in love with Mrs. Lacy, and that, before the barque reached Samoa, he would make the lady feel that the Reverend Wilfrid was a serious mistake, and that he, Charles Otway, was the one man in the world whom she could love and be happy with for ever. ”

“ A girl came to them a fortnight ago in dreadful trouble, every one round her saying her lover had been killed at Mons, though she herself hoped against hope. Well, only yesterday morning they were able to wire to her that he was safe and well, being kindly treated too, in a fortress, far away, close to the borders of Prussia and Poland! Wasn’t that splendid?”
“What is the address of the place,” asked Mrs. Otway in a low tone, “where Mrs. Vereker works?”
“It’s in Arlington Street—No. 20, I think.”
Mrs. Otway hastened on, her heart filled with a new, eager hope. ”

“ Can’t you see? It’s all over me, and Tellifer, too—only I don’t believe he knows it." The younger man’s wrath dissolved in a sudden giggle. "Niggers! Sweeps! Is my face as bad as his?"
"You don’t understand," persisted Otway eagerly. "I mean, is it dry, powdery, like the residue of burned wood, or is it—er—greasy soot, as if fat had been burned there? What I’m getting at," he peered owlishly around his own pillar toward Waring’s, "is that sacrifices may have been made in this pit. Either animal or human. ”

“ Here, in a small, plain cottage, stone-walled, stone-roofed, looking over the wide and deep hollow of a stream—a beck in the local language—which at this point makes a sounding cataract on its course from the great moor above, lived Jerome Otway. It had been his home for some ten years. He lived as a man of small but sufficient means, amid very plain household furniture, and with no sort of social pretence. ”