Part 20 (1/2)

At the time of John Thornton's illness, he had been ordained about a year and a-half. He had got a t.i.tle for orders, as a curate, in a remote part of Devon, but had left it in consequence of a violent disagreement with his rector, in which he had been most fully borne out by his uncle, who, by the bye, was not the sort of man who would have supported his own brother, had he been in the wrong. Since then Frank Maberly had been staying with his uncle, and, as he expressed it, ”working the slums” at Exeter.

Miss Thornton sat in the drawing-room at Drumston the day after Tom's visit to the Bishop, waiting dinner for the new Curate. Tom and she had been wondering how he would come. Miss Thornton said, probably in the Bishop's carriage; but Tom was inclined to think he would ride over.

The dinner time was past some ten minutes, when they saw a man in black put his hand on the garden-gate, vault over, and run breathless up to the hall-door. Tom had recognised him and dashed out to receive him, but ere he had time to say ”good day” even, the new comer pulled out his watch, and, having looked at it, said in a tone of vexation:--

”Twenty-one minutes, as near as possible; nay, a little over. By Jove!

how pursy a fellow gets mewed up in town! How far do you call it, now, from the Buller Arms?”

”It is close upon four miles,” said Tom, highly amused.

”So they told me,” replied Frank Maberly. ”I left my portmanteau there, and the landlord-fellow had the audacity to say in conversation that I couldn't run the four miles in twenty minutes. It's lucky a parson can't bet, or I should have lost my money. But the last mile is very much up-hill, as you must allow.”

”I'll tell you what, sir,” said Tom; ”there isn't a man in this parish would go that four mile under twenty minutes. If any man could, I ought to know of it.”

Miss Thornton had listened to this conversation with wonder not unmixed with amus.e.m.e.nt. At first she had concluded that the Bishop's carriage was upset, and that Frank was the breathless messenger sent forward to chronicle the mishap. But her tact soon showed the sort of person she had to deal with, for she was not unacquainted with the performances of public schoolboys. She laughed when she called to mind the BOULEVERs.e.m.e.nT that used to take place when Lord Charles and Lord Frederick came home from Harrow, and invaded her quiet school-room. So she advanced into the pa.s.sage to meet the new-comer with one of her pleasantest smiles.

”I must claim an old woman's privilege of introducing myself, Mr.

Maberly,” she said. ”Your uncle was tutor to the B----s, when I was governess to the D----s; so we are old acquaintances.”

”Can you forgive me, Miss Thornton?” he said, ”for running up to the house in this lunatic sort of way? I am still half a school-boy, you know. What an old jewel she is!” he added to himself.

Tom said: ”May I show you your room, Mr. Maberly?”

”If you please, do,” said Frank; and added, ”Get out, Fly; what are you doing here?”

But Miss Thornton interceded for the dog, a beautiful little black and tan terrier, whose points Tom was examining with profound admiration.

”That's a brave little thing, Mr. Maberly,” said he, as he showed him to his room. ”I should like to put in my name for a pup.”

They stood face to face in the bed-room as he said this, and Frank, not answering him, said abruptly:--

”By Jove! what a splendid man you are! What do you weigh, now?”

”Close upon eighteen stone, just now, I should think;” said Tom.

”Ah, but you are carrying a little flesh,” said Frank.

”Why, yes;” said Tom. ”I've been to London for a fortnight.”

”That accounts for it,” said Frank. ”Many dissenters in this parish?”

”A sight of all sorts,” said Tom. ”They want attracting to church here; they don't go naturally, as they do in some parts.”

”I see,” said Frank; ”I suppose they'll come next Sunday though, to see the new parson; my best plan will be to give them a stinger, so that they'll come again.”

”Why, you see,” said Tom, ”it's got about that there'll be no service next Sunday, so they'll make an excuse for going to Meeting. Our best plan will be, for you and I to go about and let them know that there's a new minister. Then you'll get them together, and after that I leave it to you to keep them. Shall we go down to dinner?”

They came together going out of the door, and Frank turned and said:--

”Will you shake hands with me? I think we shall suit one another.”