The Toll-Gate (30 page)

He opened the door into the bedchamber, and announced formally: "Captain Staple!"

The Captain stepped into the room, and paused, blinking in the unexpected light of many candles. Two great chandeliers stood on the mantelpiece; two more flanked the bed; and two had been set on a side-table, drawn into the middle of the room, and draped with a cloth.

Beside this improvised altar was standing an elderly clergyman, whose mild countenance showed bewilderment, disapproval, and uncertainty. The Squire was lying in bed, banked up by many pillows, his eyes glittering, and a smile twisting one side of his mouth. Rose was standing by the window, and Nell at the head of the bed, in her old green velvet gown. Across the room she stared at John, and he saw that her eyes were stormy in her very white face, and her hands tightly gripped together. She said, in a shaking voice: "No, no! I won't! Grandpapa, I beg of you don't ask it of him!"

"Don't be missish, girl!" Sir Peter said, his utterance slow, and very much more slurred than when John had previously visited him.

"Sir Peter!" said the Vicar nervously. "If Miss Stornaway is reluctant, I must and I will be resolute in declining to perform——"

"You hold your tongue, Thorne!" said Sir Peter. "She ain't reluctant. Nothing but a stupid crotchet! Staple!"

"Sir?" John responded, going to the bedside.

"Told me you'd marry Nell with or without my consent, didn't you?"

"I did."

"Mean it?"

John looked steadily down into those over-bright eyes. "Most certainly!"

Sir Peter gave a little cackle of laughter. "Very well! You shall marry her—now!"

There was a moment's astonished silence. "Tell him it is impossible!" Nell said, in a panting undervoice.

"It ain't impossible," said Sir Peter. "I've seen to that! Special license," he told John, with impish triumph. "Thorne's got it, but I sent for it! Told you I could still keep my horses together!"

"You're at home to a peg, sir!" John assured him, amusement quivering in his voice. He looked up, and stretched out his hand across the bed to Nell. "But how is this? Won't you marry me after all, my love?"

"No, no, unthinkable!" she said, wringing her hands. "You are being forced—forced—into marrying me—in such a way!"

"Am I? But how unnecessary! I don't even need persuading!"

"Told you so!" said Sir Peter. "He don't suffer from distempered freaks!"

"If we are to talk of distempered freaks——!" she exclaimed hotly.

"Yes, but we are not going to talk of any such thing," John interposed.

"That's the way!" approved Sir Peter. "Stand no nonsense! You'll do as you're bid, miss!"

"No, certainly not!" said John. "She will do as she wishes, now and always!" He walked round the end of the bed, and took Nell's tense hand, smiling very kindly at her. "You shall tell me just what you wish, dearest. I ask nothing better than to be allowed to marry you here and now. Indeed, it seems to me an admirable scheme! To receive you from the hands of your grandfather is just what I would myself have chosen. But I'll drag no unwilling bride to the altar, so if your heart misgives you, my love, tell me so!"

"John, John, not my heart!" she whispered chokingly, her fingers clutching his hand.

"No? Some other consideration, then, which naturally you must explain to me. But we really cannot discuss the matter in public! Let us go into the dressing-room, shall we? We must beg you, Sir Peter, to hold us excused for a short space."

He drew Nell's hand through his arm, as he spoke, and led her to the door, which Winkfield opened, and held. As he shut it again behind them, the Squire said, on a note of satisfaction: "Clever in the saddle: he'll handle her!"

"Sir Peter, loth though I must be to disoblige you, I cannot perform this ceremony unless I am fully persuaded that both parties to it are willing!" declared the Vicar, looking more harassed than ever.

"Oh, sir, never say so!" Rose begged involuntarily. She whisked out her handkerchief, and rather defiantly blew her nose. "He is so truly the gentleman, and so kind!" she sobbed.

"Indeed, I must own myself agreeably surprised in him," acknowledged Mr. Thorne. "I do not perfectly understand why he should be taking Brean's place—in fact, I do not understand it at all! There is something in such eccentric behaviour which one cannot quite like, but I must suppose him to have good and sufficient reason for indulging in what bears the appearance of a mere prank, for there is nothing wild or unstable in his face or in his bearing. But if Miss Stornaway is, I repeat, reluctant, I must decline to perform my office!"

"She ain't," said the Squire. "Mere female scruples! She's head over ears in love with the fellow! Winkfield, my cordial!"

In the dressing-room, Nell was folded in the fellow's arms, saying agitatedly: "John, I cannot, I cannot!"

"Then you shall not," he replied comfortingly. "But tell me why you cannot!"

"There are so many reasons—you must perceive! Oh, I couldn't do it!"

"It's too sudden? Of course, you have had no time to prepare for it! What a selfish fellow I am! The thing is that I should like a private wedding so much myself that I forgot that you would wish for something in quite a different style. All girls do, I collect, and God forbid I should deny you anything you want, my treasure!"

This had the effect of making her lift her head from his shoulder. "No, no! Oh, how can you think me so stupid?" she demanded indignantly. "As though I care for bride-clothes, or any flummery! Oh, John, how infamous you are!"

He laughed. "But what else am I to think, unless that you mean to cry off?"

She tried to shake him, gripping the lapels of his coat. "You know I don't! Cannot you perceive how wrong it would be in me to marry you like this?"

"No," he replied simply.

"How can I be sure that you did not say you were willing only to oblige a dying man?"

His answer to this left her too breathless to speak, and with a strong suspicion that at least three of her ribs had been broken.

"Have you any more nonsensical questions you would like to ask me, my love?" asked John, a little unsteadily.

"I d-dare not!" she said, between tears and laughter.

"Good! Because I think we should not keep the Vicar waiting, or your grandfather either. And if the only qualms you have are on my behalf there is no reason why we should. Can you wear this signet-ring of mine?"

"John, I am persuaded I ought not to do this!"

"If you feel that I shall turn out to be the devil of a husband, undoubtedly you ought not," cordially agreed John, sliding his ring on to her finger, and off again. "This is too loose, but it will have to serve until I can buy a wedding-ring. If, on the other hand, you mean to abide by our engagement, I shall think you have less than common sense if you cannot recognise the advantages attaching to this charmingly unusual wedding."

"And if I have less than common sense I daresay you will cry off?" she murmured, snuggling her cheek into the hollow of his shoulder.

"Very likely. Now, consider, my love! If we are to wait until your grandfather is dead, how awkward in every respect must be our situation! You will then scruple to marry me until you are out of your blacks, and what the deuce are we to do for a whole year? Where will you go? How will you support yourself? With so many scruples you would never permit me to do that!"

"No, indeed! I hope I have a little more propriety than that! Perhaps I could take a situation as a governess, or some such thing," she said doubtfully.

"No one in possession of her senses would engage you," he assured her. "Besides, I have a great deal of pride, and it would not suit me to marry a governess!" A stifled gurgle sounded. "You may laugh!" he said severely. "But I have some pretty stiff notions of what is due to my consequence, let me tell you!"

"I wonder what can have put it into my head that you had none?"

"There is no telling that. Well, my darling? Shall we go?"

She lifted her head, and looked up at him. "Yes, John. But afterwards?"

"Are you afraid I mean to carry you off to the toll-house? You will remain here, of course, while you are needed."

"I must, you know," she said, a little wistfully.

"Yes, I know. If I were living in a palace, I would not ask you to leave your grandfather now. But henceforth I shall have the right to protect you. Come, let us go and tell Sir Peter that we are very willing to oblige him!"

The Squire was lying with closed eyes, watched intently by Winkfield, and in pity and doubt by the Vicar; but he roused at the sound of the opening door, and turned his head slightly on the pillow. The Vicar, rising to his feet, and looking anxiously at Nell, was astonished to see that the rigid and decidedly wrathful young Amazon had vanished. She was leaning on the Captain's arm, one hand lost in his larger one, her face softly glowing, and the tenderest of smiles hovering round her mouth as she glanced up at him.

"Well?" said Sir Peter.

"We are very happy to obey you, sir," John replied.

"Is this indeed so, Miss Stornaway?" the Vicar asked.

"Oh, yes!" she sighed. "If you don't think it wrong of me!"

"Wrong? Why should he?" said the Squire snappishly. "Let's have no more time wasted! I'm tired!"

So Miss Helen Stornaway and Captain John Staple were made man and wife in that candle-lit bedroom, watched by a dying man, and attended by a nurse and a valet. The Vicar had to look up to their faces, and thought he had never married a more splendid couple, though the lady's dress was shabby, and the gentleman's leathers were stained. They made their responses firmly; and they looked so happy that Rose (as she afterwards explained) could not help crying a little, and even Winkfield admitted that it was a very touching ceremony.

When it was over, they kissed, and John led Nell back to the bed.

Everyone could see that already the Squire's face had altered subtly.

The sharpened look had been smoothed, and the eyes had lost some of their unnatural glitter; he looked more peaceful, but when he lifted his right hand, it was with an effort, and it shook perceptibly. Nell hung over him for a minute; he smiled at her; and said indistinctly: "You'll do now!"

Then he ordered Winkfield to bring wine and glasses, so that the bride's and groom's healths could be duly pledged. "I feel as though I shall sleep sound tonight," he remarked. His gaze fell upon the Vicar, and a gleam of amusement shone in it. "Much obliged to you, old friend! Thought you was here on a different errand, didn't you? You should have guessed I'd surprise you yet! Don't look so glum: I know what I've done, and, damme, it's the best deed of my life, and atones for a deal of past folly! Whatever happens now, my girl's safe. I'll bid you good-night now. I want a word or two with this new grandson of mine before I go to sleep, and I'm tired, very tired."

The Captain drew his wife a little to one side, and said in her ear: "Take him away, Nell, and leave me alone with your grandfather! He is very much exhausted, and the sooner he has said what he desires to say to me the better it will be."

She nodded, and moved away from his side, glancing significantly at Winkfield. In a very few moments, only John was left with the Squire. He returned to the big four-poster, drawing the curtains along the foot of it, to shut off the glare of the candles.

"It wasn't you I forced into it," Sir Peter said. "It was Nell. I don't know what it is Henry has done, but it's something damnable. The dog threatened me—threatened me!—Said if I would not give orders Coate must be treated with extraordinary civility he and I and Nell would be ruined! By God, I——"

"Let me assure you, sir," interposed the Captain calmly, "that there is not the slightest danger of such a thing! Nor does Master Henry's attempt to conjure up bogeys in any way impress me."

"What are he and Coate doing?" demanded the Squire.

"I'm not in a position to tell you that, though I have some inklings. Henry, I think, is nothing more than a tool, and I have every expectation of being able to bring him off without public scandal."

The Squire's eyes narrowed. "You know more than you mean to tell me, eh? Coate will drag Henry into it, if there's a discovery."

"Not if his mouth is shut, sir."

"Very likely! And, pray, how is that to be achieved?"

"I think, sir," replied John, smiling down at him, "that that is something you had best leave to me."

One corner of the Squire's mouth lifted a little. "You do, do you? Know how to do the trick?"

"Yes," John said.

The deep, imperturbable voice had its effect. The Squire sighed, and seemed to relax. "I daresay you'll handle it," he said. "I've shot my bolt. But I've made all safe for Nell. If Henry's disgraced us, she wouldn't have married you, you know. Forced you into this, of course. If you disliked it——"

"I did not," interrupted John. He bent over the bed, gently taking the old man's hand, and holding it. "Indeed, I'm grateful to you, sir, and I swear to you Nell shall never have cause to regret this night's work."

He added, with a twinkle: "It was, besides, an education to see how a difficult team could be driven to an inch!"