The Firm of Girdlestone

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  A DANGEROUS PROMISE.

  During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had beeneven less eventful than of old. There was a consistency about themerchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man. The houseitself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite ofprofuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air ofdiscomfort. The servants too, were, with one single exception, from thehard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing andmelancholy race. The only departure from this general rule was Kate'sown maid, Rebecca Taylforth, a loudly-dressed, dark-eyed, coarse-voicedyoung woman, who raised up her voice and wept when Ezra departed forAfrica. This damsel's presence was most disagreeable to Kate, and,indeed, to John Girdlestone also, who only retained her on account ofhis son's strong views upon the subject, and out of fear of an explosionwhich might wreck all his plans.

  The old merchant was Kate's only companion during this period, and theirconversation was usually limited to a conventional inquiry at breakfasttime as to each other's health. On his return from the City in theevening Girdlestone was always in a moody humour, and would eat hisdinner hastily and in silence. After dinner he was in the habit ofreading methodically the various financial articles in the day's papers,which would occupy him until bedtime. Occasionally his companion wouldread these aloud to him, and such was the monotony of her uneventfullife that she found herself becoming insensibly interested in thefluctuations of Grand Trunk scrip or Ohio and Delaware shares.The papers once exhausted, a bell was rung to summon the domestics, andwhen all were assembled the merchant, in a hard metallic voice, readthrough the lesson for the day and the evening prayers. On grandoccasions he supplemented this by a short address, in the course ofwhich he would pelt his frightened audience with hard jagged texts untilhe had reduced them to a fitting state of spiritual misery. No wonderthat, under the influence of such an existence, the roses began to fadefrom his ward's cheeks, and her youthful heart to grow sad and heavy.

  One daily tonic there was, however, which never deserted her.Strictly as Girdlestone guarded her, and jealously as he fenced her offfrom the outer world, he was unable to prevent this one little ray oflight penetrating her prison. With an eye to the future he had soplaced her that it seemed to him to be impossible that any sympathycould reach her from the outside world. Visits and visitors were alikeforbidden to her. On no consideration was she to venture out alone.In spite of all his precautions, however, love has many arts and wileswhich defy all opposition, and which can outplot the deepest ofplotters.

  Eccleston Square was by no means in a direct line between Kensington andthe City, yet morning and evening, as sure as the clock pointed tohalf-past nine and to quarter to six, Tom would stride through theold-fashioned square and past the grim house, whose grimness wassoftened to his eyes through its association with the bright dream ofhis life. It was but the momentary glance of a sweet face at the upperwindow and a single wave of a white hand, but it sent him on with afresh heart and courage, and it broke the dull monotony of her drearylife.

  Occasionally, as we have seen, he even managed to find his way into theinterior of this ogre's castle, in which his fair princess was immured.John Girdlestone put an end to this by ordering that business messagesshould never under any circumstances be conveyed to his privateresidence. Nothing daunted, however, the lovers soon devised anothermeans of surmounting the barrier which divided them.

  The centre of the square was taken up by a garden, rectangular anduninviting, fenced round with high forbidding walls which shut out allintruders and gave the place a resemblance to the exercise ground of aprison. Within the rails were clumps of bushes, and here and there afew despondent trees drooped their heads as though mourning over theuncongenial site in which they had been planted. Among these trees andbushes there were scattered seats, and the whole estate was at thedisposal of the inhabitants of Eccleston Square, and was dignified bythe name of the Eccleston Gardens. This was the only spot in which Katewas trusted without the surveillance of a footman, and it was thereforea favourite haunt of hers, where she would read or work for hours underthe shelter of the scanty foliage.

  Hence it came about that one day, as Thomas Dimsdale was making his wayCityward at a rather earlier hour than was customary with him, he missedthe usual apparition at the window. Looking round blankly in search ofsome explanation of this absence, he perceived in the garden a prettywhite bonnet which glinted among the leaves, and on closer inspection apair of bright eyes, which surveyed him merrily from underneath it.The gate was open, and in less time than it takes to tell it thesacrilegious feet of the young man had invaded the sacred domainsdevoted to the sole use and behoof of the Ecclestonians. It may beimagined that he was somewhat late at the office that morning and onmany subsequent mornings, until the clerks began to think that their newemployer was losing the enthusiasm for business which had possessed him.

  Tom frequently begged permission to inform Mr. Girdlestone of hisengagement, but Kate was inflexible upon that point. The fact is, thatshe knew her guardian's character very much better than her lover did,and remembering his frequent exhortations upon the subject of the vanityand wickedness of such things, she feared the effects of his anger whenhe learned the truth. In a year or so she would be of age and her ownmistress, but at present she was entirely in his power. Why should shesubject herself to the certainty of constant harshness and unkindnesswhich would await her? Had her guardian really fulfilled the functionsof a father towards her he would have a right to be informed, but as itwas she felt that she owed him no such duty. She therefore made up hermind that he should know nothing of the matter; but the fatesunfortunately willed otherwise.

  It chanced that one morning the interview between the lovers had lastedrather longer than usual, and had been concluded by Kate's returning tothe house, while Tom remained sitting upon the garden seat lost in sucha reverie as affects men in his position. While thus pleasantlyemployed, his thoughts were suddenly recalled to earth by the appearanceof a dark shadow on the gravel in front of him, and looking up he sawthe senior partner standing a short distance away and regarding him withanything but an amiable expression upon his face. He had himself beenhaving a morning stroll in the garden, and had overseen the whole of therecent interview without the preoccupied lovers being aware of hispresence.

  "Are you coming to the office?" he asked sternly. "If so, we can gotogether."

  Tom rose and followed him out of the gardens without a word. He knewfrom the other's expression that all was known to him, and in his hearthe was not sorry. His only fear was that the old man's anger might fallupon his ward and this he determined to prevent. They walked side byside as far as the station in complete silence, but on reachingFenchurch Street Girdlestone asked his young partner to step into hisprivate sanctum.

  "Now, sir," he said, as he closed the door behind him "I think that Ihave a right to inquire what the meaning may be of the scene of which Iwas an involuntary witness this morning?"

  "It means," Tom answered firmly but gently, "that I am engaged to MissHarston, and have been for some time."

  "Oh, indeed," Girdlestone answered coldly, sitting down at his desk andturning over the pile of letters.

  "At my request," said Tom, "our engagement was kept from your knowledge.I had reason to believe that you objected to early engagements, and Ifeared that ours might be disagreeable to you." I trust that therecording angel will not register a very black mark against our friendfor this, the one and only falsehood that ever passed his lips.

  During the long silent walk the merchant had been revolving in his mindwhat course he should pursue, and he had come to the conclusion that itwas more easy to guide this impetuous stream of youth than to attempt tostem it. He did not realize the strength of the tie that bound thesetwo young people together, and imagined that with judgment and patienceit might yet be snapped. It was, therefore, with as good an imitationof geniality as his ang
ular visage would permit of that he answered hiscompanion's confession.

  "You can hardly wonder at my being surprised," he said. "Such a thingnever entered my mind for a moment. You would have done better to haveconfided in me before."

  "I must ask your pardon for not having done so."

  "As far as you are concerned," said John Girdlestone affably, "Ibelieve you to be hard-working and right-principled. Your conduct sinceyou have joined the firm has been everything which I could desire."

  Tom bowed his acknowledgments, much pleased by this preamble.

  "With regard to my ward," continued the senior partner, speaking veryslowly and evidently weighing his words, "I could not wish her to have abetter husband. In considering such a question I have, however, as youmay imagine, to consult above everything else the wishes of my deadfriend, Mr. John Harston, the father of the young lady to whom you saythat you are engaged. A trust has been reposed in me, and that trustmust, of course, be fulfilled to the letter."

  "Certainly," said Tom, wondering in his own mind how he could ever havebrought himself for one moment to think evil of this kindly andrighteous old man.

  "It was one of Mr. Harston's most clearly expressed wishes that no wordsor even thoughts of such matters should be allowed to come in hisdaughter's way until she had attained maturity, by which he meant theage of one-and-twenty."

  "But he could not foresee the circumstances," Tom pleaded. "I am surethat a year or so will make no difference in her sentiments in thismatter."

  "My duty is to carry out his instructions to the letter. I won't say,however," continued Mr. Girdlestone, "that circumstances might not arisewhich might induce me to shorten this probationary period. If myfurther acquaintance with you confirms the high impression which I nowhave of your commercial ability, that, of course, would have weight withme; and, again, if I find Miss Harston's mind is made up upon the point,that also would influence my judgment."

  "And what are we to do in the mean time?" asked the junior partneranxiously.

  "In the mean time neither you nor your people must write to her, orspeak to her, or hold any communication with her whatever. If I findyou or them doing so, I shall be compelled in justice to Mr. Harston'slast request to send her to some establishment abroad where she shall beentirely out of your way. My mind is irrevocably made up upon thatpoint. It is not a matter of personal inclination, but of conscience."

  "And how long is this to last?" cried Tom.

  "It will depend upon yourselves. If you prove yourself to be a man ofhonour in this matter, I may be inclined to sanction your addresses.In the mean time you must give me your word to let it rest, and neitherto attempt to speak to Miss Harston, nor to see her, nor to allow yourparents to communicate with her. The last condition may seem to you tobe hard, but, in my eyes, it is a very important one. Unless you canbring yourself to promise all this, my duty will compel me to remove myward entirely out of your reach, a course which would be painful to herand inconvenient to myself."

  "But I must let her know of this arrangement. I must tell her that youhold out hopes to us on condition that we keep apart for a time."

  "It would be cruel not to allow you to do that," Girdlestone answered."You may send her _one_ letter, but remember there shall be no reply toit."

  "Thank you, sir; thank you!" Tom cried fervently. "I have something tolive for now. This separation will but make our hearts grow fonder.What change can time make in either of us?"

  "Quite so," said John Girdlestone, with a smile. "Remember there mustbe no more walking through the square. You must remain absolutely apartif you wish to gain my consent."

  "It is hard, very, very hard. But I will promise to do it. What wouldI not promise which would lead to our earlier union?"

  "That is settled then. In the mean time, I should be obliged if youwould go down to the docks and look after the loading of thetransferable corrugated iron houses for New Calabar."

  "All right, sir, and thank you for your kindness," said Tom, bowinghimself out. He hardly knew whether to be pleased or grieved over theresult of his interview; but, on the whole, satisfaction prevailed,since at the worst it was but to wait for a year or so, while thereseemed to be some hopes of gaining the guardian's consent before that.On the other hand, he had pledged himself to separate from Kate; butthat would, he reflected, only make their re-union the sweeter.

  All the morning he was engaged in superintending the stowing of greatslabs of iron in the capacious hold of the _Maid of Athens_. When thehour of luncheon arrived no thought of food was in the lad's head, but,burying himself in the back parlour of a little Blackwall public-house,he called for pen, ink, and paper, and proceeded to indite a letter tohis sweetheart. Never was so much love and comfort and advice and hopecompressed into the limits of four sheets of paper or contained in thenarrow boundary of a single envelope. Tom read it over after he hadfinished, and felt that it feebly expressed his thoughts; but, then,what lover ever yet did succeed in getting his thoughts satisfactorilyrepresented upon paper. Having posted this effusion, in which he hadcarefully explained the conditions imposed upon him, Tom feltconsiderably more light-hearted, and returned with renewed vigour to theloading of the corrugated iron. He would hardly have felt so satisfiedhad he seen John Girdlestone receiving that same letter from the handsof the footman, and reading it afterwards in the privacy of his bedroomwith a sardonic smile upon his face. Still less contented would he havebeen had he beheld the merchant tearing it into small fragments andmaking a bonfire of it in his capacious grate. Next morning Kate lookedin vain out of the accustomed window, and was sore at heart when no tallfigure appeared in sight and no friendly hand waved a morningsalutation.