At Large

by E. W. Hornung

  XVI

  MILITARY MANOEUVRES

  "Well!" exclaimed Colonel Bristo, after some minutes. He leant back inhis chair and stared sternly at his book-shelves. "It's a nice look-outfor the moors; that's all."

  His reflections were dispiriting. He was thinking that the only two menwhom he had really wanted down in Yorkshire had this morning, almost inthe same breath, declared that they could not go. They were, in fact,both going back to Australia--independently, from widely differentreasons. With Miles the necessity was pressing enough, no doubt; andthen he had only been visiting England, and never contemplated a longstay. But Dick's case was very different. He had come home for good,with his "pile" and his prospects. Could he possibly have been made somiserable during these few weeks that he would be glad to bury himselfagain in the bush? Could his case be really so hopeless as he himselfbelieved it?

  "If so," said Colonel Bristo with irritation, "then Alice has played thedeuce with the best young fellow in England!"

  But how could he tell? How was he, the father, to get at the facts ofthe case? Alice was all the world to him: but for all the world he wouldnot have sought her confidence in such a matter. Then what was he todo?

  He got up from his chair, and paced the floor with the stride of askipper on his poop. He had liked young Edmonstone always--respected himas a mere stripling. Love-sick boys were, as a rule, selfish, if notsly, young fools--that was his experience; but this one had shownhimself upright and fearless--had, in fact, behaved uncommonly well,once the mischief was done. But that liking had developed into affectionsince the night of Dick's arrival. Poor fellow! how grateful he hadbeen! how hopeful! Who could have discouraged him? The Colonel, for hispart, had no reason to do so now. What was there against him? whatagainst "it"? In a word, he had soon--as he saw more of him--set hisheart upon Dick for his son. Secretly, he had already formed certainprojects of parental ingenuity. He had already, in his walks, heldstealthy intercourse with house and estate agents, and otherwise dippedinto the future of other people, further than he had any business. Andhere was the death-blow to it all! The pair had quarrelled so violentlythat the prospective son-in-law was on the point of taking himself backto Australia! One thing was certain: it could be no ordinarydisagreement--she must have jilted him. But if so, for whom? She hadseen nobody for months--nobody but Miles! And Miles--the Colonel smiledindulgently--with all his good points, with all his fine qualities,Miles was no marrying man. Then who could it be? Once more he, herfather, was unable to tell, for the life of him.

  He sat down, rose again in a moment, and rang the bell. Then he sent apolite message to Mrs. Parish, requesting her kind attendance, if not inany way inconvenient.

  "She can at least put me right on one or two points. That is, if shedoesn't go off at a tangent, down some blind-alley of a side issue!"

  The lady appeared after the regulation delay, by which she was in thehabit of italicising the dignity of her office.

  By her greeting, one would have thought the appointment was of hermaking. She observed that she would have come before to inquire how theColonel felt after it all, but understood that he was engaged.

  The Colonel explained with a sigh.

  "He is gone."

  "Ah!" There was unprecedented sympathy in the lady's look and tone.

  "You saw him go?" asked the Colonel, looking up in surprise.

  "I did," sadly; "I did."

  "He said good-bye to you, perhaps?"

  "To be sure he did! He was hardly likely to--"

  "He didn't ask to see Alice, I suppose?"

  "Oh, yes, he did."

  "Dear me!" said the Colonel to himself.

  "But she could not see him, I grieve to say; it was a thousand pities,seeing that he's going straight back to Australia."

  "Oh, he told you that too, did he?"

  "Of course, Colonel Bristo, when he said good-bye."

  "Dear me! But why wouldn't Alice see him?"

  "It was too early."

  "A mere excuse," exclaimed the Colonel angrily, looking at his watch."Too early! It is plain that she has thrown him over. If so, then thebest young fellow in England has been----But perhaps you can tell mewhether it really is so?"

  Mrs. Parish began to feel mystified.

  "A young fellow?" she began doubtfully.

  "Well, young in years; older than his age, I know. But that's not mypoint."

  "Then I really don't know, Colonel Bristo. Alice seldom honors me withher confidence nowadays. Indeed, for the last year--"

  "The point--my dear madam; the point!"

  "Well, then," snapped Mrs. Parish, "to judge by their dances together,last night, I should say you are certainly wrong!"

  "Ah, you thought that at the time, I know. Do you remember mydisagreeing with you when you declared Alice had never been morebrilliant, and so on? Why she only danced with the lad once!"

  Only once! "The lad!" Colonel Bristo must certainly be joking; and jokesat the expense of the lady who had controlled his household for twentyyears were not to be tolerated.

  "Colonel Bristo, I fail to understand you. If it were not preposterous,I should imagine you had stooped to ridicule. Allow me, please, to statethat your daughter danced three times, if not four, with Mr. Miles--Isee nothing to smile at, Colonel Bristo!"

  "My good--my dear Mrs. Parish," said he, correcting himself hastily, andrising urbanely from his chair, "we are at cross purposes. I mean youngEdmonstone; you mean, I suppose, Mr. Miles. A thousand apologies."

  Mrs. Parish was only partially appeased.

  "Oh, if you mean that young gentleman, I can assure you he hasabsolutely no chance. Has he said good-bye, too, then?"

  "Yes. He says he is going back to Australia."

  "I said he would!" exclaimed Mrs. Parish with gusto.

  "But--I say! You surely don't mean that it is Mr. Miles Alice caresfor?"

  Mrs. Parish smiled superior.

  "Has it not been patent?"

  "Not to me, madam!" said Colonel Bristo warmly.

  "Love on both sides; I might say at first sight. I watched it dawn, andlast night I thought it had reached high noon," the old lady declaredwith emotion. "But this unfortunate summons! Still, I think we shall seehim again before he sails, and I think he will come back to England forgood before long."

  "You mean you hope so, Mrs. Parish," said the Colonel dryly. He seatedhimself at his desk with unmistakable meaning. "Confound her!" hemuttered when the door closed; "the thing is plausible enough. Yet Idon't believe it. What's more, much as I like Miles, I don't wish it!No. Now what am I to do about Dick?"

  This question occupied his thoughts for the rest of the morning. Hecould not answer it to his satisfaction. In the afternoon he sent wordto Iris Lodge, begging Dick to come over in the evening for an hour. Themessenger brought back the news that Mr. Edmonstone was from home--had,in fact, left for abroad that afternoon.

  "Abroad!" thought Colonel Bristo. "He has lost no time! But 'abroad'only means the Continent--it is 'out' when you go farther. And yet thatis one way out--the quickest! Is he capable of such madness at amoment's notice? Never; impossible. But I had better look into thematter myself."

  And this the Colonel did in the course of a few days, by himself callingat Iris Lodge. There was a little coldness, or it may have been merelyself-consciousness, in his reception. But when, after a fewpreliminaries, the visitor began to speak of Dick, this soon wore off;for his regard was too warmly expressed, and his praise too obviouslygenuine, not to win and melt hearts half as loving as those of Mrs.Edmonstone and her daughter. The Colonel, for his part, was sufficientlyrewarded when he learnt that Dick had merely joined an old Australianfriend in Italy, and would be back at the beginning of August.

  "I was half afraid," he observed tentatively, "that he was tired ofEngland already, and was on his way out again."

  The horror with which this notion was instantly demolished caused theold gentleman to smile wi
th unconcealed satisfaction; for it assured himthat Dick's intention (if it was an intention, and not merely the wildidea of a heated moment) had at least not yet been breathed to hisfamily. He took up his hat and cane with a light heart. And he stoppedto add a rider to his gracious adieu:

  "We shall be tramping the moors when your son returns, Mrs. Edmonstone,so I beg you will forward him on to us. And pray, Miss Fanny, use yourinfluence as well, for we have lost our other Australian, and I don'tsee how we can get on without Dick."

  He went out in good spirits.

  Thereafter, as far as the Colonel was concerned, young Edmonstone mightbake himself to his heart's content--until the Twelfth--abroad. As ithappened, Colonel Bristo found a far more immediate cause for anxiety athome. This was the appearance of Alice.

  As July drew near its latter days, the change in her looks passed theperceptible stage to the noticeable. Her colouring had been called herbest point by some, her only good one by others (possibly according tothe sex of the critic); yet now her face was wholly void of colour. Theflower-like complexion was, if possible, more delicate than before, butnow it resembled the waxen lily instead of the glowing wild rose. Eventhe full, firm lips were pale and pinched. Her eyes were either dull orrestless, and their dark setting seemed more prominent: shadows laybelow them where no shadows should have been. For the rest, any realactivity of mind or body seemed as impossible to her as any real repose;she appeared to have gained only in thoughtfulness--as indicated bysilence. On fine days, though the river could not charm her, she woulddress for walking, and come back tired out in twenty minutes. On wetones she divided her time between the first few pages of a book, and thefirst few bars of a waltz; between the two she never got any farther ineither. Perhaps experience had taught her that all the tune of a waltzis at the beginning; and I suppose she failed to "get into" her novels.Her ear was sensitive, attuned to her temper; common sounds startled herpainfully; the unexpected opening or shutting of a door went far tounhinge both nerves and temper. The latter, indeed, was less sweet atthis period than ever in her life before, and none knew it so well asshe herself, who bore the brunt of it in her own heart.

  None of these signs escaped the watchful eyes about her. But while, onthe one hand, Mrs. Parish noted them with incomplete sympathy andimpartial confidence in the justice of consequences (believing thatAlice's indecision had brought this on her own head, and that a littleuncertainty would do her no harm), the father's heart became more andmore distressed as each new symptom was made plain to him. He was bothworried and perplexed. He called in a local doctor. That move made herill-health no better, and her ill-temper worse. What, then, could thefather do? Always loving and indulgent--never intimate--with his child,it had been his practice, when serious matters arose, to employ theambassador always at hand; thus there had never, during all the years,been a word of contention between father and daughter; and to thispractice the father resorted now.

  Late one afternoon they were all three sitting in the garden, when Alicerose, without breaking her long silence, and slowly walked towards thehouse. The Colonel followed her with his eyes; he held a glowingcigarette between his fingers; the distance was short enough, but beforeAlice reached the house the cigarette was out.

  "Look at her now! Is that the step of a healthy girl? See her climbthose six steps--they might be the top flight of St. Paul's! Mrs.Parish"--with sudden decision--"Mrs. Parish, you must see to the root ofthis matter before it gets any worse. I must know exactly what is at thebottom of it. I desire you to speak to Alice, for I cannot. Youunderstand me, I think? Very well, then, pray watch your opportunity."

  The very next morning the housekeeper came to the study. She had spokento Alice. She did not require much questioning.

  "Oh, as to young Mr. Richard. I could elicit nothing--nothing at all. Heseemed quite outside her thoughts."

  Mrs. Parish made this statement with a smack of satisfaction. ColonelBristo, however, must have given it a construction of his own, for hedid not look displeased. He simply said:

  "Well?"

  "Well, she was almost as reticent about Mr. Miles; though we know whatthat signifies!" (But here the Colonel shook his head.) "What she didsay, however, is not worth repeating."

  "Still, I should like to hear it."

  "It does not affect matters in the least."

  "Pray go on, Mrs. Parish."

  "Of course, if you insist, Colonel Bristo! Well, then, Alice tells methat, two days after Mr. Miles went, a shabby kind of woman had theimpudence to walk into the garden, accost her, and ask if Mr. Miles (howshe had got his name, one cannot tell) was still here. Alice said 'No,'and was weak enough to give her money, because she seemed wretched, shesays, and so got rid of her."

  "One of the beggars he helped," said the Colonel. "He used to have longconversations with them, and tell them to emigrate."

  "Why, to be sure!" cried Mrs. Parish, at once enlightened and relieved.And now she was as eager to tell the rest as before she had been slow tospeak. "The very next day after that, Alice saw a man watching the housefrom the tow-path. He seemed to be there all day; so at last she rowedacross and asked him if he wanted anyone. He said, 'Yes, the gentlemanwho's been staying there; where is he?' She told him he was on his wayback to Australia. The man did not seem to believe it. In the end shegave money to him too, and soon she saw him go."

  "Another of his beggars!" laughed Colonel Bristo. "Their name is legion,no doubt, and we shall see more of them yet. For the credit of theMother Country, we can't shut the door in their faces after a Colonialhas given them a taste of real downright generosity. Poor Miles!"

  "Well, Alice, for her part, seems ready enough to carry on his works ofcharity," said Mrs. Parish, adroitly, with an emphasis ever so slight onthe possessive pronoun.

  The Colonel smiled. Then he thanked her graciously for the service.

  "I am extremely obliged to you, Mrs. Parish, for the hundredth time. Youhave saved me yet another interview. That is, I should have made itawkward, but you, with your usual tact, have got at precisely what Iwanted. I am perfectly satisfied."

  Mrs. Parish bowed. She was not a little pleased with the compliment toher tact, on which she plumed herself above everything; but her pleasurewas less than her surprise--that the Colonel should be so easilysatisfied! She moved with dignity to the door. As she was shutting it,the Colonel rubbed his hands and exclaimed aloud:

  "It is Dick!"

  The door, which was at that moment swinging to, stopped, trembled, thenshut with a vicious little bang. The Colonel could make a near enoughguess at the expression of the face on the other side of it. He smiledbenevolently.

  "Silly lady! She thinks I have turned against my friend Miles--whom, bythe way, she worships on her own account. Far from it, I miss himabominably. But when it comes to a choice between him and Dick--andwhere my girl is concerned--why, then, I confess, I'm all for theyounger man and the older suitor."