wessex tales-第42章

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error。　　Belief　in　it　was　so　persistent　that　it　demanded　several　days
of　letter…writing　to　set　matters　straight；　and　persuade　the　world
that　he　was　as　solvent　as　ever　he　had　been　in　his　life。　　He　had
hardly　concluded　this　worrying　task　when；　to　his　delight；　another
letter　arrived　in　the　handwriting　of　Sally。

Darton　tore　it　open；　it　was　very　short。


'DEAR　MR。　DARTON；We　have　been　so　alarmed　these　last　few　days　by
the　report　that　you　were　ruined　by　the　stoppage　of　's　Bank；　that；
now　it　is　contradicted　I　hasten；　by　my　mother's　wish；　to　say　how
truly　glad　we　are　to　find　there　is　no　foundation　for　the　report。
After　your　kindness　to　my　poor　brother's　children；　I　can　do　no　less
than　write　at　such　a　moment。　　We　had　a　letter　from　each　of　them　a
few　days　ago。Your　faithful　friend；

'SALLY　HALL。'


'Mercenary　little　woman！'　said　Darton　to　himself　with　a　smile。
'Then　that　was　the　secret　of　her　refusal　this　timeshe　thought　I
was　ruined。'

Now；　such　was　Darton；　that　as　hours　went　on　he　could　not　help
feeling　too　generously　towards　Sally　to　condemn　her　in　this。　　What
did　he　want　in　a　wife？　he　asked　himself。　　Love　and　integrity。　　What
next？　　Worldly　wisdom。　　And　was　there　really　more　than　worldly
wisdom　in　her　refusal　to　go　aboard　a　sinking　ship？　　She　now　knew　it
was　otherwise。　　'Begad；'　he　said；　'I'll　try　her　again。'

The　fact　was　he　had　so　set　his　heart　upon　Sally；　and　Sally　alone；
that　nothing　was　to　be　allowed　to　baulk　him；　and　his　reasoning　was
purely　formal。

Anniversaries　having　been　unpropitious；　he　waited　on　till　a　bright
day　late　in　Maya　day　when　all　animate　nature　was　fancying；　in　its
trusting；　foolish　way；　that　it　was　going　to　bask　out　of　doors　for
evermore。　　As　he　rode　through　Long…Ash　Lane　it　was　scarce
recognizable　as　the　track　of　his　two　winter　journeys。　　No　mistake
could　be　made　now；　even　with　his　eyes　shut。　　The　cuckoo's　note　was
at　its　best；　between　April　tentativeness　and　midsummer　decrepitude；
and　the　reptiles　in　the　sun　behaved　as　winningly　as　kittens　on　a
hearth。　　Though　afternoon；　and　about　the　same　time　as　on　the　last
occasion；　it　was　broad　day　and　sunshine　when　he　entered　Hintock；　and
the　details　of　the　Knap　dairy…house　were　visible　far　up　the　road。
He　saw　Sally　in　the　garden；　and　was　set　vibrating。　　He　had　first
intended　to　go　on　to　the　inn；　but　'No；'　he　said；　'I'll　tie　my　horse
to　the　garden…gate。　　If　all　goes　well　it　can　soon　be　taken　round：
if　not；　I　mount　and　ride　away'

The　tall　shade　of　the　horseman　darkened　the　room　in　which　Mrs。　Hall
sat；　and　made　her　start；　for　he　had　ridden　by　a　side　path　to　the　top
of　the　slope；　where　riders　seldom　came。　　In　a　few　seconds　he　was　in
the　garden　with　Sally。

Fiveay；　three　minutesdid　the　business　at　the　back　of　that　row　of
bees。　　Though　spring　had　come；　and　heavenly　blue　consecrated　the
scene；　Darton　succeeded　not。　　'NO；'　said　Sally　firmly。　　'I　will
never；　never　marry　you；　Mr。　Darton。　　I　would　have　done　it　once；　but
now　I　never　can。'

'But！'implored　Mr。　Darton。　　And　with　a　burst　of　real　eloquence　he
went　on　to　declare　all　sorts　of　things　that　he　would　do　for　her。　　He
would　drive　her　to　see　her　mother　every　weektake　her　to　London
settle　so　much　money　upon　herHeaven　knows　what　he　did　not　promise；
suggest；　and　tempt　her　with。　　But　it　availed　nothing。　　She
interposed　with　a　stout　negative；　which　closed　the　course　of　his
argument　like　an　iron　gate　across　a　highway。　　Darton　paused。

'Then；'　said　he　simply；　'you　hadn't　heard　of　my　supposed　failure
when　you　declined　last　time？'

'I　had　not；'　she　said。　　'But　if　I　had　'twould　have　been　all　the
same。'

'And　'tis　not　because　of　any　soreness　from　my　slighting　you　years
ago？'

'No。　　That　soreness　is　long　past。'

'Ahthen　you　despise　me；　Sally？'

'No；'　she　slowly　answered。　　'I　don't　altogether　despise　you。　　I
don't　think　you　quite　such　a　hero　as　I　once　didthat's　all。　　The
truth　is；　I　am　happy　enough　as　I　am；　and　I　don't　mean　to　marry　at
all。　　Now；　may　_I_　ask　a　favour；　sir？'　　She　spoke　with　an　ineffable
charm；　which；　whenever　he　thought　of　it；　made　him　curse　his　loss　of
her　as　long　as　he　lived。

'To　any　extent。'

'Please　do　not　put　this　question　to　me　any　more。　　Friends　as　long　as
you　like；　but　lovers　and　married　never。'

'I　never　will；'　said　Darton。　　'Not　if　I　live　a　hundred　years。'

And　he　never　did。　　That　he　had　worn　out　his　welcome　in　her　heart　was
only　too　plain。

When　his　step…children　had　grown　up；　and　were　placed　out　in　life；
all　communication　between　Darton　and　the　Hall　family　ceased。　　It　was
only　by　chance　that；　years　after；　he　learnt　that　Sally；
notwithstanding　the　solicitations　her　attractions　drew　down　upon
her；　had　refused　several　offers　of　marriage；　and　steadily　adhered　to
her　purpose　of　leading　a　single　life

May　1884。




THE　DISTRACTED　PREACHER




CHAPTER　IHOW　HIS　COLD　WAS　CURED



Something　delayed　the　arrival　of　the　Wesleyan　minister；　and　a　young
man　came　temporarily　in　his　stead。　　It　was　on　the　thirteenth　of
January　183…　that　Mr。　Stockdale；　the　young　man　in　question；　made　his
humble　entry　into　the　village；　unknown；　and　almost　unseen。　　But　when
those　of　the　inhabitants　who　styled　themselves　of　his　connection
became　acquainted　with　him；　they　were　rather　pleased　with　the
substitute　than　otherwise；　though　he　had　scarcely　as　yet　acquired
ballast　of　character　sufficient　to　steady　the　consciences　of　the
hundred…and…forty　Methodists　of　pure　blood　who；　at　this　time；　lived
in　Nether…Moynton；　and　to　give　in　addition　supplementary　support　to
the　mixed　race　which　went　to　church　in　the　morning　and　chapel　in　the
evening；　or　when　there　was　a　teaas　many　as　a　hundred…and…ten
people　more；　all　told；　and　including　the　parish…clerk　in　the　winter…
time；　when　it　was　too　dark　for　the　vicar　to　observe　who　passed　up
the　street　at　seven　o'clockwhich；　to　be　just　to　him；　he　was　never
anxious　to　do。

It　was　owing　to　this　overlapping　of　creeds　that　the　celebrated
population…puzzle　arose　among　the　denser　gentry　of　the　district
around　Nether…Moynton：　　how　could　it　be　that　a　parish　containing
fifteen　score　of　strong　full…grown　Episcopalians；　and　nearly
thirteen　score　of　well…matured　Dissenters；　numbered　barely　two…and…
twenty　score　adults　in　all？

The　young　man　being　personally　interesting；　those　with　whom　he　came
in　contact　were　content　to　waive　for　a　while　the　graver　question　of
his　sufficiency。　　It　is　said　that　at　this　time　of　his　life　his　eyes
were　affectionate；　though　without　a　ray　of　levity；　that　his　hair　was
curly；　and　his　figure　tall；　that　he　was；　in　short；　a　very　lovable
youth；　who　won　upon　his　female　hearers　as　soon　as　they　saw　and　heard
him；　and　caused　them　to　say；　'Why　didn't　we　know　of　this　before　he
came；　that　we　might　have　gied　him　a　warmer　welcome！'

The　fact　was　that；　knowing　him　to　be　only　provisionally　selected；
and　expecting　nothing　remarkable　in　his　person　or　doctrine；　they　and
the　rest　of　his　flock　in　Nether…Moynton　had　felt　almost　as
indifferent　about　his　advent　as　if　they　had　been　the　soundest
church…going　parishioners　in　the　country；　and　he　their　true　and
appointed　parson。　　Thus　when　Stockdale　set　foot　in　the　place　nobody
had　secured　a　lodging　for　him；　and　though　his　journey　had　given　him
a　bad　cold　in　the　head；　he　was　forced　to　attend　to　that　business
himself。　　On　inquiry　he　learnt　that　the　only　possible　accommodation
in　the　village　would　be　found　at　the　house　of　one　Mrs。　Lizzy
Newberry；　at　the　upper　end　of　the　street。

It　was　a　youth　who　gave　this　information；　and　Stockdale　asked　him
who　Mrs。　Newberry　might　be。

The　boy　said　that　she　was　a　widow…woman；　who　had　got　no　husband；
because　he　was　dead。　　Mr。　Newberry；　he　added；　had　been　a　well…to…do
man　enough；　as　the　saying　was；　and　a　farmer；　but　he　had　gone　off　in
a　decline。　　As　regarded　Mrs。　Newberry's　serious　side；　Stockdale
gathered　that　she　was　one　of　the　trimmers　who　went　to　church　and
chapel　both。

'I'll　go　there；'　said　Stockdale；　feeling　that；　in　the　absence　of
purely　sectarian　lodgings；　he　could　do　no　better。

'She's　a　little　particular；　and　won't　hae　gover'ment　folks；　or
curates；　or　the　pa'son's　friends；　or　such　like；'　said　the　lad
dubiously。

'Ah；　that　may　be　a　promising　sign：　　I'll　call。　　Or　no；　just