"Look here, old man, don't be stuffy. How would it do if I took a bag
and changed up in that churchyard? It's locked up after dark, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"You've got a key, I suppose?"
"Yes."
"Well, then, that's it. And I'll leave the bag and the key in the hedge
somewhere."
Jack was silent.
Jack held himself loyally in hand that evening, but he could not talk
much. He consented to explain to his mother that Frank had to be off
after dinner that night, and he also visited the housekeeper's room, and
caused a small bundle, not much larger than a leg of mutton, including
two small bottles which jingled together, to be wrapped up in brown
paper--in which he inserted also a five-pound note (he knew Frank would
not take more)--and the whole placed in the bag in which Frank's old
clothes were already concealed. For the rest of the evening he sat,
mostly silent, in one chair, trying not to watch Frank in another;
pretending to read, but endeavoring to picture to his imagination what
he himself would feel like if he were about to join the Major and Gertie
in the churchyard at nine o'clock.... Frank sat quite quiet all the
evening, reading old volumes of _Punch_.
They dined at half-past seven, by request--Frank still in his homespun
suit. Fanny and Jill were rather difficult. It seemed to them both a
most romantic thing that this black-eyed, sunburned young man, with whom
they had played garden-golf the day before, should really be continuing
his amazing walking-tour, in company with two friends, at nine o'clock
that very night. They wondered innocently why the two friends had not
been asked to join them at dinner. It was exciting, too, and unusual,
that this young man should dine in an old homespun suit. They asked a
quantity of questions. Where was Mr. Guiseley going first? Frank didn't
quite know; Where would he sleep that night? Frank didn't quite know; he
would have to see. When was the walking-tour going to end? Frank didn't
quite know. Did he really like it? Oh, well, Frank thought it was a good
thing to go on a walking tour, even if you were rather uncomfortable
sometimes.
The leave-taking was unemotional. Jack had announced suddenly and
loudly in the smoking-room before dinner that he was going to see the
last of Frank, as far as the churchyard; Frank had protested, but had
yielded. The rest had all said good-by to him in the hall, and at a
quarter to nine the two young men went out into the darkness.
(VI)
It was a clear autumn night--a "wonderful night of stars"--and the skies
blazed softly overhead down to the great blotted masses of the high
moors that stood round Barham. It was perfectly still, too--the wind had
dropped, and the only sound as the two walked down the park was the low
talking of the stream over the stones beyond the belt of trees fifty
yards away from the road.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account