MARION FAY.
CHAPTER I.
THE IRREPRESSIBLE CROCKER.
Hampstead remained nearly a fortnight down at Trafford, returning toHendon only a few days before Christmas. Crocker, the Post Officeclerk, came back to his duties at the same time, but, as was thecustom with him, stole a day more than belonged to him, and thusincurred the frowns of Mr. Jerningham and the heavy wrath of thegreat Aeolus. The Aeoluses of the Civil Service are necessarily muchexercised in their minds by such irregularities. To them personallyit matters not at all whether one or another young man may beneglectful. It may be known to such a one that a Crocker may bemissed from his seat without any great injury,--possibly with noinjury at all,--to the Queen's service. There are Crockers whom itwould be better to pay for their absence than their presence. ThisAeolus thought it was so with this Crocker. Then why not dismissCrocker, and thus save the waste of public money? But there is anecessity,--almost a necessity,--that the Crockers of the worldshould live. They have mothers, or perhaps even wives, with backsto be clothed and stomachs to be fed, or perhaps with hearts to bebroken. There is, at any rate, a dislike to proceed to the ultimateresort of what may be called the capital punishment of the CivilService. To threaten, to frown, to scold, to make a young man's lifea burden to him, are all within the compass of an official Aeolus.You would think occasionally that such a one was resolved to turnhalf the clerks in his office out into the streets,--so loud arethe threats. In regard to individuals he often is resolved to do soat the very next fault. But when the time comes his heart misgiveshim. Even an Aeolus is subject to mercy, and at last his consciencebecomes so callous to his first imperative duty of protecting thepublic service, that it grows to be a settled thing with him, thatthough a man's life is to be made a burden to him, the man is notto be actually dismissed. But there are men to whom you cannotmake their life a burden,--men upon whom no frowns, no scoldings,no threats operate at all; and men unfortunately sharp enough toperceive what is that ultimate decision to which their Aeolus hadbeen brought. Such a one was our Crocker, who cared very little forthe blusterings. On this occasion he had remained away for the sakeof having an additional day with the Braeside Harriers, and when hepleaded a bilious headache no one believed him for an instant. Itwas in vain for Aeolus to tell him that a man subject to health soprecarious was altogether unfitted for the Civil Service. Crockerhad known beforehand exactly what was going to be said to him, andhad discounted it at its exact worth. Even in the presence of Mr.Jerningham he spoke openly of the day's hunting, knowing that Mr.Jerningham would prefer his own ease to the trouble of renewedcomplaint. "If you would sit at your desk now that you have comeback, and go on with your docketing, instead of making everybody elseidle, it would be a great deal better," said Mr. Jerningham.
"Then my horse took the wall in a fly, and old Amblethwaite creptover afterwards," continued Crocker, standing with his back to thefire, utterly disregarding Mr. Jerningham's admonitions.
On his first entrance into the room Crocker had shaken hands withMr. Jerningham, then with Bobbin and Geraghty, and at last he cameto Roden, with whom he would willingly have struck up terms ofaffectionate friendship had it been possible for him to do so. He hadresolved that it should be so, but when the moment came his couragea little failed him. He had made himself very offensive to Roden attheir last interview, and could see at a glance that Roden rememberedit. As far as his own feelings were concerned such "tiffs," as hecalled them, went for nothing. He had, indeed, no feelings, and wasaccustomed to say that he liked the system of give and take,--meaningthat he liked being impudent to others, and did not care how impudentothers might be to him. This toughness and insolence are as sharpas needles to others who do not possess the same gifts. Roden hadlearned to detest the presence of the young man, to be sore when hewas even spoken to, and yet did not know how to put him down. You mayhave a fierce bull shut up. You may muzzle a dog that will bite. Youmay shoot a horse that you cannot cure of biting and tearing. But youcannot bring yourself to spend a morning in hunting a bug or killinga flea. Crocker had made himself a serious annoyance even to LordHampstead, though their presence together had only been for a veryshort time. But Roden had to pass his life at the same desk withthe odious companion. Absolutely to cut him, to let it be known allthrough the office that they two did not speak, was to make toomuch of the matter. But yet it was essentially necessary for hispeace that some step should be taken to save himself from the man'sinsolence. On the present occasion he nodded his head to Crocker,being careful not to lay the pen down from his fingers. "Ain't yougoing to give us your hand, old fellow?" said Crocker, putting on hisbest show of courage.
"I don't know that I am," said Roden. "Perhaps some of these days youmay learn to make yourself less disagreeable."
"I'm sure I've always meant to be very friendly, especially withyou," said Crocker; "but it is so hard to get what one says taken inthe proper sense."
After this not a word was spoken between the two all the morning.This happened on a Saturday,--Saturday, the 20th of December, onwhich day Hampstead was to return to his own house. Punctually atone Crocker left his desk, and with a comic bow of mock courtesyto Mr. Jerningham, stuck his hat on the side of his head, and leftthe office. His mind, as he took himself home to his lodgings, wasfull of Roden's demeanour towards him. Since he had become assuredthat his brother clerk was engaged to marry Lady Frances Trafford,he was quite determined to cultivate an enduring and affectionatefriendship. But what steps should he take to recover the ground whichhe had lost? It occurred to him now that while he was in Cumberlandhe had established quite an intimacy with Lord Hampstead, and hethought that it would be well to use Lord Hampstead's acknowledgedgood-nature for recovering the ground which he had lost with hisbrother clerk.
* * * * * *
At about three o'clock that afternoon, when Lady Frances wasbeginning to think that the time of her brother's arrival was nearat hand, the servant came into the drawing-room, and told her thata gentleman had called, and was desirous of seeing her. "Whatgentleman?" asked Lady Frances. "Has he sent his name?"
"No, my lady; but he says,--he says that he is a clerk from the PostOffice." Lady Frances was at the moment so dismayed that she did notknow what answer to give. There could be but one Post Office clerkwho should be anxious to see her, and she had felt from the tone ofthe servant's voice that he had known that it was her lover who hadcalled. Everybody knew that the Post Office clerk was her lover. Someimmediate answer was necessary. She quite understood the pledge thather brother had made on her behalf; and, though she had not herselfmade any actual promise, she felt that she was bound not to receiveGeorge Roden. But yet she could not bring herself to turn him awayfrom the door, and so to let the servant suppose that she was ashamedto see him to whom she had given the promise of her hand. "You hadbetter show the gentleman in," she said at last, with a voice thatalmost trembled. A moment afterwards the door was opened, and Mr.Crocker entered the room!
She had endeavoured in the minute which had been allowed her to studythe manner in which she should receive her lover. As she heard theapproaching footsteps, she prepared herself. She had just risen fromher seat, nearly risen, when the strange man appeared. It has to beacknowledged that she was grievously disappointed, although she hadtold herself that Roden ought not to have come to her. What woman isthere will not forgive her lover for coming, even though he certainlyshould not have come? What woman is there will fail to receive astranger with hard looks when a stranger shall appear to her insteadof an expected lover? "Sir?" she said, standing as he walked up theroom and made a low bow to her as he took his position before her.
Crocker was dressed up to the eyes, and wore yellow kid gloves. "LadyFrances," he said, "I am Mr. Crocker, Mr. Samuel Crocker, of theGeneral Post Office. You may not perhaps have heard of me from myfriend, Mr. Roden?"
"No, indeed, sir."
"You might have done so, as we sit in the same room and at the samedesk. Or you may
remember meeting me at dinner at your uncle's castlein Cumberland."
"Is anything,--anything the matter with Mr. Roden?"
"Not in the least, my lady. I had the pleasure of leaving him invery good health about two hours since. There is nothing at all tooccasion your ladyship the slightest uneasiness." A dark frown cameacross her brow as she heard the man talk thus freely of her interestin George Roden's condition. She no doubt had betrayed her own secretas far as there was a secret; but she was not on that account theless angry because he had forced her to do so.
"Has Mr. Roden sent you as a messenger?" she asked.
"No, my lady; no. That would not be at all probable. I am sure hewould very much rather come with any message of his own." At thishe sniggered most offensively. "I called with a hope of seeing yourbrother, Lord Hampstead, with whom I may take the liberty of sayingthat I have a slight acquaintance."
"Lord Hampstead is not at home."
"So the servant told me. Then it occurred to me that as I had comeall the way down from London for a certain purpose, to ask a littlefavour from his lordship, and as I was not fortunate enough to findhis lordship at home, I might ask the same from your ladyship."
"There can be nothing that I can do for you, sir."
"You can do it, my lady, much better than any one else in the world.You can be more powerful in this matter even than his lordship."
"What can it be?" asked Lady Frances.
"If your ladyship will allow me I will sit down, as the story Ihave to tell is somewhat particular." It was impossible to refusehim the use of a chair, and she could therefore only bow as heseated himself. "I and George Roden, my lady, have known each otherintimately for these ever so many years." Again she bowed her head."And I may say that we used to be quite pals. When two men sit at thesame desk together they ought to be thick as thieves. See what a catand dog life it is else! Don't you think so, my lady?"
"I know nothing of office life. As I don't think that I can help you,perhaps you wouldn't mind--going away?"
"Oh, my lady, you must hear me to the end, because you are just theperson who can help me. Of course as you two are situated he would doanything you were to bid him. Now he has taken it into his head to bevery huffy with me."
"Indeed I can do nothing in the matter," she said, in a tone of deepdistress.
"If you would only just tell him that I have never meant to offendhim! I am sure I don't know what it is that has come up. It may bethat I said a word in joke about Lord Hampstead, only that therereally could not have been anything in that. Nobody could have a moreprofound respect for his lordship's qualities than I have, and I maysay the same for your ladyship most sincerely. I have always thoughtit a great feather in Roden's cap that he should be so closelyconnected,--more than closely, I may say,--with your noble family."
What on earth was she to do with a man who would go on talking toher, making at every moment insolent allusions to the most cherishedsecret of her heart! "I must beg you to go away and leave me, sir,"she said. "My brother will be here almost immediately."
This had escaped from her with a vain idea that the man would receiveit as a threat,--that he would think probably that her brotherwould turn him out of the house for his insolence. In this she wasaltogether mistaken. He had no idea that he was insolent. "Thenperhaps you will allow me to wait for his lordship," he said.
"Oh dear, no! He may come or he may not. You really cannot wait. Youought not to have come at all."
"But for the sake of peace, my lady! One word from your fair lips--."Lady Frances could endure it no longer. She got up from her seat andwalked out of the room, leaving Mr. Crocker planted in his chair. Inthe hall she found one of the servants, whom she told to "take thatman to the front door at once." The servant did as he was bid, andCrocker was ushered out of the house without any feeling on his partthat he had misbehaved himself.
Crocker had hardly got beyond the grounds when Hampstead did in truthreturn. The first words spoken between him and his sister of coursereferred to their father's health. "He is unhappy rather than ill,"said Hampstead.
"Is it about me?" she asked.
"No; not at all about you in the first instance."
"What does that mean?"
"It is not because of you; but from what others say about you."
"Mamma?" she asked.
"Yes; and Mr. Greenwood."
"Does he interfere?"
"I am afraid he does;--not directly with my father, but through herladyship, who daily tells my father what the stupid old man says.Lady Kingsbury is most irrational and harassing. I have alwaysthought her to be silly, but now I cannot keep myself from feelingthat she misbehaves herself grievously. She does everything she canto add to his annoyance."
"That is very bad."
"It is bad. He can turn Mr. Greenwood out of the house if Mr.Greenwood becomes unbearable. But he cannot turn his wife out."
"Could he not come here?"
"I am afraid not,--without bringing her too. She has taken it intoher stupid head that you and I are disgracing the family. As for me,she seems to think that I am actually robbing her own boys of theirrights. I would do anything for them, or even for her, if I couldcomfort her; but she is determined to look upon us as enemies. Myfather says that it will worry him into his grave."
"Poor papa!"
"We can run away, but he can not. I became very angry when I wasthere, both with her ladyship and that pestilential old clergyman,and told them both pretty much what I thought. I have the comfort ofknowing that I have two bitter enemies in the house."
"Can they hurt you?"
"Not in the least,--except in this, that they can teach those littleboys to regard me as an enemy. I would fain have had my brothersleft to me. Mr. Greenwood, and I must now say her ladyship also, arenothing to me."
It was not till after dinner that the story was told about Crocker."Think what I must have felt when I was told that a clerk from thePost Office wanted to see me!"
"And then that brute Crocker was shown in?" asked Hampstead.
"Do you really know him?"
"Know him! I should rather think so. Don't you remember him at CastleHautboy?"
"Not in the least. But he told me that he had been there."
"He never would leave me. He absolutely drove me out of the countrybecause he would follow me about when we were hunting. He insulted meso grievously that I had to turn tail and run away from him. What didhe want of me?"
"To intercede for him with George Roden."
"He is an abominable man, irrepressible, so thick-skinned that youcannot possibly get at him so as to hurt him. It is of no use tellinghim to keep his distance, for he does not in the least know what youmean. I do not doubt that he has left the house with a convictionthat he has gained a sincere friend in you."
* * * * * *
It was now more than a fortnight since Marion Fay had dined atHendon, and Hampstead felt that unless he could succeed in carryingon the attack which he had commenced, any little beginning of afriendship which he had made with the Quaker would be obliterated bythe length of time. If she thought about him at all, she must thinkthat he was very indifferent to let so long a time pass by withoutany struggle on his part to see her again. There had been no wordof love spoken. He had been sure of that. But still there had beensomething of affectionate intercourse which she could not have failedto recognize. What must she think of him if he allowed that to passaway without any renewal, without an attempt at carrying it further?When she had bade him go in out of the cold there had been somethingin her voice which had made him feel that she was in truth anxiousfor him. Now more than a fortnight had gone, and there had been norenewal! "Fanny," he said, "how would it be if we were to ask thoseQuakers to dine here on Christmas Day?"
"It would be odd, wouldn't it, as they are strangers, and dined hereso lately?"
"People like that do not stand on ceremony at all. I don't seewhy they shouldn't come. I could say that you
want to make theiracquaintance."
"Would you ask them alone?"
In that he felt that the great difficulty lay. The Fays would hardlycome without Mrs. Roden, and the Rodens could not be asked. "Onedoesn't always ask the same people to meet each other."
"It would be very odd, and I don't think they'd come," said LadyFrances, gravely. Then after a pause she went on. "I fear, John, thatthere is more in it than mere dinner company."
"Certainly there is," he said boldly;--"much more in it."
"You are not in love with the Quaker's daughter?"
"I rather think I am. When I have seen her three or four times more,I shall be able to find out. You may be sure of this, that I mean tosee her three or four times more, and at any rate one of the timesmust be before I go down to Gorse Hall." Then of course she knew thewhole truth. He did, however, give up the idea as to the Christmasdinner-party, having arrived at the belief, after turning the matterover in his mind, that Zachary Fay would not bring his daughter againso soon.