Part 41 (1/2)

All this made Mrs. Ray's task the more difficult. During the last two or three weeks she had been wis.h.i.+ng that she had not gone to Mr. Comfort,--wis.h.i.+ng that she had allowed Rachel to answer Rowan's letter in any terms of warmest love that she might have chosen,--wis.h.i.+ng, in fact, that she had permitted the engagement to go on. But now she began again to think that she had been right.

If this man were in truth a harum-scarum fellow was it not well that Rachel should be quit of him,--even with any amount of present sorrow? Thinking of this on her way back to Baslehurst she again made up her mind that Rowan was a wolf. But she had not made up her mind as to what she would, or what she would not tell Rachel about the meeting, even when she reached her own door. ”I will send her no message,” he had said. ”As things are at present no message would be of service.” What had he meant by this? What purpose on his part did these words indicate? These questions Mrs. Ray had asked herself, but had failed to answer them.

But no resolution on Mrs. Ray's part to keep the meeting secret would have been of avail, even had she made such resolution. The fact would have fallen from her as easily as water falls from a sieve. Rachel would have extracted from her the information, had she been ever so determined not to impart it. As things had turned out she had at once given Rachel to understand that she had met some one in Exeter whom she had not expected to meet.

”But, mamma, whom did you see except Mr. Goodall?” Rachel asked. ”I know you saw somebody, and you must tell me.”

”That's nonsense, Rachel; you can't know that I saw anybody.”

After that there was a pause for some moments, and then Rachel persisted in her inquiry. ”But, mamma, I do know that you met somebody.”--Then there was another pause.--”Mamma, was it Mr. Rowan?”

Mrs. Ray stood convicted at once. Had she not spoken a word, the form of her countenance when the question was asked would have answered it with sufficient clearness. But she did speak a word. ”Well; yes, it was Mr. Rowan. He had come down to Exeter on business.”

”And what did he say, mamma?”

”He didn't say anything,--at least, nothing particular. It is he that has bought the cottages, and he had come down from London about that.

He told me that he wanted some ground near Baslehurst, because he couldn't get the brewery.”

”And what else did he say, mamma?”

”I tell you that he said nothing else.”

”He didn't--didn't mention me then?”

Mrs. Ray had been looking away from Rachel during this conversation,--had been purposely looking away from her. But now there was a tone of agony in her child's voice which forced her to glance round. Ah me! She beheld so piteous an expression of woe in Rachel's face that her whole heart was melted within her, and she began to wish instantly that they might have Rowan back again with all his faults.

”Tell me the truth, mamma; I may as well know it.”

”Well, my dear, he didn't mention your name, but he did say a word about you.”

”What word, mamma?”

”He said he would send no message because it would be no good.”

”He said that, did he?”

”Yes, he said that. And so I suppose he meant it would be no good sending anything till he came himself.”

”No, mamma; he didn't mean quite that. I understand what he meant. As it is to be so, he was quite right. No message could be of any use.

It has been my own doing, and I have no right to blame him. Mamma, if you don't mind, I think I'll go to bed.”

”My dear, you're wrong. I'm sure you're wrong. He didn't mean that.”

”Didn't he, mamma?” And as she spoke a sad, weary, wobegone smile came over her face,--a smile so sad and piteous that it went to her mother's heart more keenly than would have done any sound of sorrow, any sobs, or wail of grief. ”But I think he did mean that, mamma.

It's no good doubting or fearing any longer. It's all over now.”

”And it has been my fault!”

”No, dearest. It has not been your fault, nor do I think that it has been mine. I think we'd better not talk of faults. Ah dear;--I do wish he had never come here!”