Chapter 26
'And you're not surprised to hear this, Varden?' said Mr Haredale.'Well! You and she have always been the best friends, and you shouldunderstand her if anybody does.'
'I ask your pardon, sir,' rejoined the locksmith. 'I didn't say Iunderstood her. I wouldn't have the presumption to say that of anywoman. It's not so easily done. But I am not so much surprised, sir, asyou expected me to be, certainly.'
'May I ask why not, my good friend?'
'I have seen, sir,' returned the locksmith with evident reluctance,'I have seen in connection with her, something that has filled me withdistrust and uneasiness. She has made bad friends, how, or when, I don'tknow; but that her house is a refuge for one robber and cut-throat atleast, I am certain. There, sir! Now it's out.'
'Varden!'
'My own eyes, sir, are my witnesses, and for her sake I would bewillingly half-blind, if I could but have the pleasure of mistrusting'em. I have kept the secret till now, and it will go no further thanyourself, I know; but I tell you that with my own eyes--broad awake--Isaw, in the passage of her house one evening after dark, the highwaymanwho robbed and wounded Mr Edward Chester, and on the same nightthreatened me.'
'And you made no effort to detain him?' said Mr Haredale quickly.
'Sir,' returned the locksmith, 'she herself prevented me--held me, withall her strength, and hung about me until he had got clear off.' Andhaving gone so far, he related circumstantially all that had passed uponthe night in question.
This dialogue was held in a low tone in the locksmith's little parlour,into which honest Gabriel had shown his visitor on his arrival. MrHaredale had called upon him to entreat his company to the widow's, thathe might have the assistance of his persuasion and influence; and out ofthis circumstance the conversation had arisen.
'I forbore,' said Gabriel, 'from repeating one word of this to anybody,as it could do her no good and might do her great harm. I thought andhoped, to say the truth, that she would come to me, and talk to me aboutit, and tell me how it was; but though I have purposely put myselfin her way more than once or twice, she has never touched upon thesubject--except by a look. And indeed,' said the good-natured locksmith,'there was a good deal in the look, more than could have been put into agreat many words. It said among other matters "Don't ask me anything"so imploringly, that I didn't ask her anything. You'll think me an oldfool, I know, sir. If it's any relief to call me one, pray do.'
'I am greatly disturbed by what you tell me,' said Mr Haredale, after asilence. 'What meaning do you attach to it?'
The locksmith shook his head, and looked doubtfully out of window at thefailing light.
'She cannot have married again,' said Mr Haredale.
'Not without our knowledge surely, sir.'
'She may have done so, in the fear that it would lead, if known, to someobjection or estrangement. Suppose she married incautiously--it is notimprobable, for her existence has been a lonely and monotonous one formany years--and the man turned out a ruffian, she would be anxious toscreen him, and yet would revolt from his crimes. This might be. Itbears strongly on the whole drift of her discourse yesterday, and wouldquite explain her conduct. Do you suppose Barnaby is privy to thesecircumstances?'
'Quite impossible to say, sir,' returned the locksmith, shaking his headagain: 'and next to impossible to find out from him. If what you supposeis really the case, I tremble for the lad--a notable person, sir, to putto bad uses--'
'It is not possible, Varden,' said Mr Haredale, in a still lower tone ofvoice than he had spoken yet, 'that we have been blinded and deceived bythis woman from the beginning? It is not possible that this connectionwas formed in her husband's lifetime, and led to his and my brother's--'
'Good God, sir,' cried Gabriel, interrupting him, 'don't entertain suchdark thoughts for a moment. Five-and-twenty years ago, where was there agirl like her? A gay, handsome, laughing, bright-eyed damsel! Think whatshe was, sir. It makes my heart ache now, even now, though I'm an oldman, with a woman for a daughter, to think what she was and what she is.We all change, but that's with Time; Time does his work honestly, andI don't mind him. A fig for Time, sir. Use him well, and he's a heartyfellow, and scorns to have you at a disadvantage. But care and suffering(and those have changed her) are devils, sir--secret, stealthy,undermining devils--who tread down the brightest flowers in Eden, and domore havoc in a month than Time does in a year. Picture to yourself forone minute what Mary was before they went to work with her freshheart and face--do her that justice--and say whether such a thing ispossible.'
'You're a good fellow, Varden,' said Mr Haredale, 'and are quite right.I have brooded on that subject so long, that every breath of suspicioncarries me back to it. You are quite right.'
'It isn't, sir,' cried the locksmith with brightened eyes, and sturdy,honest voice; 'it isn't because I courted her before Rudge, and failed,that I say she was too good for him. She would have been as much toogood for me. But she WAS too good for him; he wasn't free and frankenough for her. I don't reproach his memory with it, poor fellow; I onlywant to put her before you as she really was. For myself, I'll keep herold picture in my mind; and thinking of that, and what has altered her,I'll stand her friend, and try to win her back to peace. And damme,sir,' cried Gabriel, 'with your pardon for the word, I'd do the same ifshe had married fifty highwaymen in a twelvemonth; and think it in theProtestant Manual too, though Martha said it wasn't, tooth and nail,till doomsday!'
If the dark little parlour had been filled with a dense fog, which,clearing away in an instant, left it all radiance and brightness, itcould not have been more suddenly cheered than by this outbreak on thepart of the hearty locksmith. In a voice nearly as full and round as hisown, Mr Haredale cried 'Well said!' and bade him come away without moreparley. The locksmith complied right willingly; and both getting into ahackney coach which was waiting at the door, drove off straightway.
They alighted at the street corner, and dismissing their conveyance,walked to the house. To their first knock at the door there was noresponse. A second met with the like result. But in answer to the third,which was of a more vigorous kind, the parlour window-sash was gentlyraised, and a musical voice cried:
'Haredale, my dear fellow, I am extremely glad to see you. How very muchyou have improved in your appearance since our last meeting! I never sawyou looking better. HOW do you do?'
Mr Haredale turned his eyes towards the casement whence the voiceproceeded, though there was no need to do so, to recognise the speaker,and Mr Chester waved his hand, and smiled a courteous welcome.
'The door will be opened immediately,' he said. 'There is nobody buta very dilapidated female to perform such offices. You will excuse herinfirmities? If she were in a more elevated station of society, shewould be gouty. Being but a hewer of wood and drawer of water, sheis rheumatic. My dear Haredale, these are natural class distinctions,depend upon it.'
Mr Haredale, whose face resumed its lowering and distrustful look themoment he heard the voice, inclined his head stiffly, and turned hisback upon the speaker.
'Not opened yet,' said Mr Chester. 'Dear me! I hope the aged soul hasnot caught her foot in some unlucky cobweb by the way. She is there atlast! Come in, I beg!'
Mr Haredale entered, followed by the locksmith. Turning with a look ofgreat astonishment to the old woman who had opened the door, he inquiredfor Mrs Rudge--for Barnaby. They were both gone, she replied, waggingher ancient head, for good. There was a gentleman in the parlour, whoperhaps could tell them more. That was all SHE knew.
'Pray, sir,' said Mr Haredale, presenting himself before this newtenant, 'where is the person whom I came here to see?'
'My dear friend,' he returned, 'I have not the least idea.'
'Your trifling is ill-timed,' retorted the other in a suppressed toneand voice, 'and its subject ill-chosen. Reserve it for those whoare your friends, and do not expend it on me. I lay no claim to thedistinction, and have the self-denial to reject it.'
'My dear, good sir,' sai
d Mr Chester, 'you are heated with walking. Sitdown, I beg. Our friend is--'
'Is but a plain honest man,' returned Mr Haredale, 'and quite unworthyof your notice.'
'Gabriel Varden by name, sir,' said the locksmith bluntly.
'A worthy English yeoman!' said Mr Chester. 'A most worthy yeoman, ofwhom I have frequently heard my son Ned--darling fellow--speak, and haveoften wished to see. Varden, my good friend, I am glad to know you. Youwonder now,' he said, turning languidly to Mr Haredale, 'to see me here.Now, I am sure you do.'
Mr Haredale glanced at him--not fondly or admiringly--smiled, and heldhis peace.
'The mystery is solved in a moment,' said Mr Chester; 'in a moment. Willyou step aside with me one instant. You remember our little compact inreference to Ned, and your dear niece, Haredale? You remember the listof assistants in their innocent intrigue? You remember these two peoplebeing among them? My dear fellow, congratulate yourself, and me. I havebought them off.'
'You have done what?' said Mr Haredale.
'Bought them off,' returned his smiling friend. 'I have found itnecessary to take some active steps towards setting this boy and girlattachment quite at rest, and have begun by removing these two agents.You are surprised? Who CAN withstand the influence of a little money!They wanted it, and have been bought off. We have nothing more to fearfrom them. They are gone.'
'Gone!' echoed Mr Haredale. 'Where?'
'My dear fellow--and you must permit me to say again, that you neverlooked so young; so positively boyish as you do to-night--the Lord knowswhere; I believe Columbus himself wouldn't find them. Between you andme they have their hidden reasons, but upon that point I have pledgedmyself to secrecy. She appointed to see you here to-night, I know, butfound it inconvenient, and couldn't wait. Here is the key of the door.I am afraid you'll find it inconveniently large; but as the tenement isyours, your good-nature will excuse that, Haredale, I am certain!'