XXXVI. DERRIMAN SEES CHANCES
Meanwhile Sailor Cornick had gone on his way as far as the forking roads,where he met Festus Derriman on foot. The latter, attracted by theseaman's dress, and by seeing him come from the mill, at once accostedhim. Jim, with the greatest readiness, fell into conversation, and toldthe same story as that he had related at the mill.
'Bob Loveday going to be married?' repeated Festus.
'You all seem struck of a heap wi' that.'
'No; I never heard news that pleased me more.'
When Cornick was gone, Festus, instead of passing straight on, halted onthe little bridge and meditated. Bob, being now interested elsewhere,would probably not resent the siege of Anne's heart by another; therecould, at any rate, be no further possibility of that looming duel whichhad troubled the yeoman's mind ever since his horse-play on Anne at thehouse on the down. To march into the mill and propose to Mrs. Lovedayfor Anne before John's interest could revive in her was, to this hero'sthinking, excellent discretion.
The day had already begun to darken when he entered, and the cheerfulfire shone red upon the floor and walls. Mrs. Loveday received himalone, and asked him to take a seat by the chimney-corner, a little ofthe old hankering for him as a son-in-law having permanently remainedwith her.
'Your servant, Mrs. Loveday,' he said, 'and I will tell you at once whatI come for. You will say that I take time by the forelock when I informyou that it is to push on my long-wished-for alliance wi' your daughter,as I believe she is now a free woman again.'
'Thank you, Mr. Derriman,' said the mother placably. 'But she is ill atpresent. I'll mention it to her when she is better.'
'Ask her to alter her cruel, cruel resolves against me, on the scoreof--of my consuming passion for her. In short,' continued Festus,dropping his parlour language in his warmth, 'I'll tell thee what, DameLoveday, I want the maid, and must have her.'
Mrs. Loveday replied that that was very plain speaking.
'Well, 'tis. But Bob has given her up. He never meant to marry her.I'll tell you, Mrs. Loveday, what I have never told a soul before. I wasstanding upon Budmouth Quay on that very day in last September that Bobset sail, and I heard him say to his brother John that he gave yourdaughter up.'
'Then it was very unmannerly of him to trifle with her so,' said Mrs.Loveday warmly. 'Who did he give her up to?'
Festus replied with hesitation, 'He gave her up to John.'
'To John? How could he give her up to a man already over head and earsin love with that actress woman?'
'O? You surprise me. Which actress is it?'
'That Miss Johnson. Anne tells me that he loves her hopelessly.'
Festus arose. Miss Johnson seemed suddenly to acquire high value as asweetheart at this announcement. He had himself felt a namelessattractiveness in her, and John had done likewise. John crossed his pathin all possible ways.
Before the yeoman had replied somebody opened the door, and the firelightshone upon the uniform of the person they discussed. Festus nodded onrecognizing him, wished Mrs. Loveday good evening, and went outprecipitately.
'So Bob told you he meant to break off with my Anne when he went away?'Mrs. Loveday remarked to the trumpet-major. 'I wish I had known of itbefore.'
John appeared disturbed at the sudden charge. He murmured that he couldnot deny it, and then hastily turned from her and followed Derriman, whomhe saw before him on the bridge.
'Derriman!' he shouted.
Festus started and looked round. 'Well, trumpet-major,' he said blandly.
'When will you have sense enough to mind your own business, and not comehere telling things you have heard by sneaking behind people's backs?'demanded John hotly. 'If you can't learn in any other way, I shall haveto pull your ears again, as I did the other day!'
'_You_ pull my ears? How can you tell that lie, when you know 'twassomebody else pulled 'em?'
'O no, no. I pulled your ears, and thrashed you in a mild way.'
'You'll swear to it? Surely 'twas another man?'
'It was in the parlour at the public-house; you were almost in the dark.'And John added a few details as to the particular blows, which amountedto proof itself.
'Then I heartily ask your pardon for saying 'twas a lie!' cried Festus,advancing with extended hand and a genial smile. 'Sure, if I had known_'twas_ you, I wouldn't have insulted you by denying it.'
'That was why you didn't challenge me, then?'
'That was it! I wouldn't for the world have hurt your nice sense ofhonour by letting 'ee go unchallenged, if I had known! And now, you see,unfortunately I can't mend the mistake. So long a time has passed sinceit happened that the heat of my temper is gone off. I couldn't oblige'ee, try how I might, for I am not a man, trumpet-major, that can butcherin cold blood--no, not I, nor you neither, from what I know of 'ee. So,willy-nilly, we must fain let it pass, eh?'
'We must, I suppose,' said John, smiling grimly. 'Who did you think Iwas, then, that night when I boxed you all round?'
'No, don't press me,' replied the yeoman. 'I can't reveal; it would bedisgracing myself to show how very wide of the truth the mockery of winewas able to lead my senses. We will let it be buried in eternal mixensof forgetfulness.'
'As you wish,' said the trumpet-major loftily. 'But if you ever _should_think you knew it was me, why, you know where to find me?' And Lovedaywalked away.
The instant that he was gone Festus shook his fist at the evening star,which happened to lie in the same direction as that taken by the dragoon.
'Now for my revenge! Duels? Lifelong disgrace to me if ever I fightwith a man of blood below my own! There are other remedies for upper-class souls!. . . Matilda--that's my way.'
Festus strode along till he reached the Hall, where Cripplestraw appearedgazing at him from under the arch of the porter's lodge. Derriman dashedopen the entrance-hurdle with such violence that the whole row of themfell flat in the mud.
'Mercy, Maister Festus!' said Cripplestraw. '"Surely," I says to myselfwhen I see ye a-coming, "surely Maister Festus is fuming like thatbecause there's no chance of the enemy coming this year after all."'
'Cr-r-ripplestraw! I have been wounded to the heart,' replied Derriman,with a lurid brow.
'And the man yet lives, and you wants yer horse-pistols instantly?Certainly, Maister F---'
'No, Cripplestraw, not my pistols, but my new-cut clothes, my heavy goldseals, my silver-topped cane, and my buckles that cost more money than heever saw! Yes, I must tell somebody, and I'll tell you, because there'sno other fool near. He loves her heart and soul. He's poor; she's tip-top genteel, and not rich. I am rich, by comparison. I'll court thepretty play-actress, and win her before his eyes.'
'Play-actress, Maister Derriman?'
'Yes. I saw her this very day, met her by accident, and spoke to her.She's still in the town--perhaps because of him. I can meet her at anyhour of the day-- But I don't mean to marry her; not I. I will courther for my pastime, and to annoy him. It will be all the more death tohim that I don't want her. Then perhaps he will say to me, "You havetaken my one ewe lamb"--meaning that I am the king, and he's the poorman, as in the church verse; and he'll beg for mercy when 'tis toolate--unless, meanwhile, I shall have tired of my new toy. Saddle thehorse, Cripplestraw, to-morrow at ten.'
Full of this resolve to scourge John Loveday to the quick through hispassion for Miss Johnson, Festus came out booted and spurred at the timeappointed, and set off on his morning ride.
Miss Johnson's theatrical engagement having long ago terminated, shewould have left the Royal watering-place with the rest of the visitorshad not matrimonial hopes detained her there. These had nothing whateverto do with John Loveday, as may be imagined, but with a stout, staid boat-builder in Cove Row by the quay, who had shown much interest in herimpersonations. Unfortunately this substantial man had not been quite soattentive since the end of the season as his previous manner led her toexpect; and it was a great pleasure t
o the lady to see Mr. Derrimanleaning over the harbour bridge with his eyes fixed upon her as she cametowards it after a stroll past her elderly wooer's house.
'Od take it, ma'am, you didn't tell me when I saw you last that thetooting man with the blue jacket and lace was yours devoted?' beganFestus.
'Who do you mean?' In Matilda's ever-changing emotional interests, JohnLoveday was a stale and unprofitable personality.
'Why, that trumpet-major man.'
'O! What of him?'
'Come; he loves you, and you know it, ma'am.'
She knew, at any rate, how to take the current when it served. So sheglanced at Festus, folded her lips meaningly, and nodded.
'I've come to cut him out.'
She shook her head, it being unsafe to speak till she knew a little moreof the subject.
'What!' said Festus, reddening, 'do you mean to say that you think of himseriously--you, who might look so much higher?'
'Constant dropping will wear away a stone; and you should only hear hispleading! His handsome face is impressive, and his manners are--O, sogenteel! I am not rich; I am, in short, a poor lady of decayed family,who has nothing to boast of but my blood and ancestors, and they won'tfind a body in food and clothing!--I hold the world but as the world,Derrimanio--a stage where every man must play a part, and mine a sadone!' She dropped her eyes thoughtfully and sighed.
'We will talk of this,' said Festus, much affected. 'Let us walk to theLook-out.'
She made no objection, and said, as they turned that way, 'Mr. Derriman,a long time ago I found something belonging to you; but I have never yetremembered to return it.' And she drew from her bosom the paper whichAnne had dropped in the meadow when eluding the grasp of Festus on thatsummer day.
'Zounds, I smell fresh meat!' cried Festus when he had looked it over.''Tis in my uncle's writing, and 'tis what I heard him singing on the daythe French didn't come, and afterwards saw him marking in the road. 'Tissomething he's got hid away. Give me the paper, there's a dear; 'tisworth sterling gold!'
'Halves, then?' said Matilda tenderly.
'Gad, yes--anything!' replied Festus, blazing into a smile, for she hadlooked up in her best new manner at the possibility that he might beworth the winning. They went up the steps to the summit of the cliff,and dwindled over it against the sky.