Part 6 (1/2)

”I've only been there once, but I did meet Mr Maguire.”

”A man that squints fearfully. They say he's looking out for a wife too, only she must not have a father living, as Mrs Stumfold has.

It's astonis.h.i.+ng how these parsons pick up all the good things that are going in the way of money.” Miss Mackenzie, as she heard this, could not but remember that she might be regarded as a good thing going in the way of money, and became painfully aware that her face betrayed her consciousness.

”You'll have to keep a sharp look out,” continued Mr Rubb, giving her a kind caution, as though he were an old familiar friend.

”I don't think there's any fear of that kind,” said Miss Mackenzie, blus.h.i.+ng.

”I don't know about fear, but I should say that there is great probability; of course I am only joking about Mr Maguire. Like the rest of them, of course, he wishes to feather his own nest; and why shouldn't he? But you may be sure of this, Miss Mackenzie, a lady with your fortune, and, if I may be allowed to say so, with your personal attractions, will not want for admirers.”

Miss Mackenzie was very strongly of opinion that Mr Rubb might not be allowed to say so. She thought that he was behaving with an unwarrantable degree of freedom in saying anything of the kind; but she did not know how to tell him either by words or looks that such was the case. And, perhaps, though the impertinence was almost unendurable, the idea conveyed was not altogether so grievous; it had certainly never hitherto occurred to her that she might become a second Mrs Stumfold; but, after all, why not? What she wanted was simply this, that something of interest should be added to her life. Why should not she also work in the vineyard, in the open quasiclerical vineyard of the Lord's people, and also in the private vineyard of some one of the people's pastors? Mr Rubb was very impertinent, but it might, perhaps, be worth her while to think of what he said. As regarded Mr Maguire, the gentleman whose name had been specially mentioned, it was quite true that he did squint awfully.

”Mr Rubb,” said she, ”if you please, I'd rather not talk about such things as that.”

”Nevertheless, what I say is true, Miss Mackenzie; I hope you don't take it amiss that I venture to feel an interest about you.”

”Oh! no,” said she; ”not that I suppose you do feel any special interest about me.”

”But indeed I do, and isn't it natural? If you will remember that your only brother is the oldest friend that I have in the world, how can it be otherwise? Of course he is much older than me, and very much older than you, Miss Mackenzie.”

”Just twelve years,” said she, very stiffly.

”I thought it had been more, but in that case you and I are nearly of an age. As that is so, how can I fail to feel an interest about you?

I have neither mother, nor sister, nor wife of my own; a sister, indeed, I have, but she's married at Singapore, and I have not seen her for seventeen years.”

”Indeed.”

”No, not for seventeen years; and the heart does crave for some female friend, Miss Mackenzie.”

”You ought to get a wife, Mr Rubb.”

”That's what your brother always says. 'Samuel,' he said to me just before I left town, 'you're settled with us now; your father has as good as given up to you his share of the business, and you ought to get married.' Now, Miss Mackenzie, I wouldn't take that sort of thing from any man but your brother; it's very odd that you should say exactly the same thing too.”

”I hope I have not offended you.”

”Offended me! no, indeed, I'm not such a fool as that. I'd sooner know that you took an interest in me than any woman living. I would, indeed. I dare say you don't think much of it, but when I remember that the names of Rubb and Mackenzie have been joined together for more than twenty years, it seems natural to me that you and I should be friends.”

Miss Mackenzie, in the few moments which were allowed to her for reflection before she was obliged to answer, again admitted to herself that he spoke the truth. If there was any fault in the matter the fault was with her brother Tom, who had joined the name of Mackenzie with the name of Rubb in the first instance. Where was this young man to look for a female friend if not to his partner's family, seeing that he had neither wife nor mother of his own, nor indeed a sister, except one out at Singapore, who was hardly available for any of the purposes of family affection? And yet it was hard upon her. It was through no negligence on her part that poor Mr Rubb was so ill provided. ”Perhaps it might have been so if I had continued to live in London,” said Miss Mackenzie; ”but as I live at Littlebath--” Then she paused, not knowing how to finish her sentence.

”What difference does that make? The distance is nothing if you come to think of it. Your hall door is just two hours and a quarter from our place of business in the New Road; and it's one pound five and nine if you go by first-cla.s.s and cabs, or sixteen and ten if you put up with second-cla.s.s and omnibuses. There's no other way of counting.

Miles mean nothing now-a-days.”

”They don't mean much, certainly.”

”They mean nothing. Why, Miss Mackenzie, I should think it no trouble at all to run down and consult you about anything that occurred, about any matter of business that weighed at all heavily, if nothing prevented me except distance. Thirty s.h.i.+llings more than does it all, with a return ticket, including a bit of lunch at the station.”

”Oh! and as for that--”

”I know what you mean, Miss Mackenzie, and I shall never forget how kind you were to offer me refreshment when I was here before.”