Part 24 (1/2)

But the people in the street were saying that Merton's was ”broke.”

The constable said so, and he was a recognised authority on matters pertaining to dry land and the law. The door was locked on the inside, the shutters were up, the blinds down, as if mourning the death of a good East county credit.

”And them a drivin' behind their two horses,” said one old weather- beaten fisherman, who was suspected of voting on the wrong side at electioneering time.

Some shook their heads, but the word went no farther, for the man who does his business on the great waters has a vast respect for ancient inst.i.tutions. And Merton's had been a good bank for many generations.

”P'raps,” said an old woman who had nothing to lose--for the sea had even kept her corpses from her--”p'raps what they say 'bout reconstruction may be all right. But here comes the capt'n.”

The crowd turned like one man and watched the advent of Captain Bontnor.

The old man was dressed in his best pilot cloth suit. He had worn it quite recklessly for the last month, ever since Eve had come to live with him. He had been interrupted in his morning walk--his quarter-deck tramp--forty times the length of his own railing in front of Malabar Cottage. The postman bringing letters for Eve, had told him that there was trouble down in the town, and that he would likely be wanted.

When he saw where the crowd was stationed he caught his breath.

”No,” he said aloud to himself, ”no, it can't be Merton's.”

And when he joined the townspeople they saw that his sunburnt, rugged face was grey as ashes.

”Mates,” he said, ”what is it?”

”Merton's is broke--Merton's is broke!” they answered, clearing a way for him to read the notice for himself. In Somarsh Captain Bontnor was considered quite a scholar. As such he might, perhaps, have deciphered the clerkly handwriting in a shorter time than he now required, but on the east coast a reputation is not easily shaken.

They waited for the verdict in silence. After five minutes he turned round and his face gave some of them a shock. His kindly blue eyes had a painfully puzzled, incompetent look, which had often come across them in Barcelona and in London. But in Somarsh only Eve was familiar with it.

”Yes, mates,” he said, falling back into his old seafaring vernacular, forgetful of his best suit, ”yes, s.h.i.+pmates, as far as I rightly understand it, the bank's broken. And--and there's some of us that's ruined men.”

He stood for a moment looking straight in front of him--looking very old and not quite fit for life's battle. Then he moved away.

”I'll just go and tell my niece,” he said.

They watched him stump away--st.u.r.dy, unbroken, upright--still a man.

”It's a hard end to a hard life,” said the old woman who had suggested hope; and being only human, they fell to discussing the event from the point at which it affected their own lives.

Malabar Cottage stood at the top end of the High Street--almost by itself--looking out over the little green plot of common land, where the coastguard flagpost stands towards the sea. It was a low- roofed, solidly built cottage--once a coastguard station, but superseded in the heyday of east coast smuggling by a larger station further up the hill. There was a little garden in front, which the captain kept himself, growing such old-fas.h.i.+oned flowers as were content with his ignorant handling. The white jasmine ran riot over the portico.

Eve had apparently received a letter of some importance, for she was standing at the gate waiting for him. She ran out hatless to see him on his quarter-deck, and to her surprise found him not. She soon saw him coming, however, and to beguile the time fell to reading her letter a second time, with a little frown, as if the caligraphy gave her trouble.

She did not look up until he was quite close.

”Uncle,” she cried, ”what is the matter?”

He gave a smile, which was painfully out of place on his bluff features--it was wan and twisted.

”Nothing, my dearie; nothing.”

He fumbled at the gate, and she had to find the latch for him.

”Just come below--I mean indoors, my dear. I've had some news. I dare say it will be all right--but just at first, you understand, it is a little--keen.”

He bustled through the porch, and Eve followed him. She watched him hang up his old straw hat, standing on tiptoe with a grunt, as was his wont.