THE HAVEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14133, 7 August 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE HAVEN.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.]

BY EDEN PHILLPOTTS, Author of " Sons of the Morning." " Children of the Mist," " The Whirlwind," " The Secret Woman." " The Mother." etc.. eto.

[COPYRIGHT.]

CHAPTER XXXV.—(Continued). Mb. Peach came in at this moment, and Lydia referred to him.

"Here's father came for Samuel's character," she £2id. "And I've told him that I'm prejudiced in my husband's favour, perhaps, but that you can give him the truth."

"I canl can,"answered Titus. "And the 'ivhole truth, and nothing but the truth, I can relate. In a word, Samuel has come to his own character at last, and, as a bit of a student of human nature, I've proved that 'tis a case where the * sea was a bad companion for a man, and led him into mischief. * You shake your head, Major, but I'm right for once in a way. The sea may drive the fear of God into some natures, and I don't deny it; but for some there's no place like the shore, and a character that's flighty with the sea dancing under it will settle down on thesolid earth and become a credit to his friends and neighbours. Samuel was faulty in the pastnobody would admit it quicker than him; but that was only because he hadn't found his proper calling. He was on the wrong roadjust like Ned ■was, only he didn't see so quick as Ned. But now 'tis clear as light that my nephew was born to be a sail-tanner; and though he've come into the profession late in life, as you might say, still 'tis in him; and I believe hell make inventions and be known widely, in the sail-tan-ning world afore any of us' are much older. Where is he now, for instance?" - " Gadding about London, they tell me," said Mr. Major. • ■ v .- " Not at alt," answered the trustful Titus. "In London he certainly ' is; but' ■why? Not to gad about-, I do,assure you'.' He s looking into the way they dress" the sails of the Thames barges, and I'll 'lay my life he'll pick up a few useful crumbs

'. ' ' ' ', - •! ■ V;;|| of learning—all on my account. You , ;i can't deny Samuel that he's thorough, and when he wants to know about a thing he leaves no' stone unturned, to come at it. Why, such is his zeal on my account, that he's away from home as often, if notj|J oftener, than a fishermanisn't he, Lyd- Si dy?" . . ; ■ >%?$ " He's away a great deal now," she admitted. , ■';$ "Here, there, and everywhere," con-71 tinued Titus, " busy as a bird bringing food to its young. And already we be) r | taking up with new ideas at the works— d me and Samuel." - ;

"Very laTge-minded in you," said Mr. Major, " for men at our age find it hard ' • to do with new-fangled notions and, be>:| it as 'twill, allow Samuel or any other J man to meddle with it." " Have no fear. He knows what my 7 system be worth." / 1 Lydia, had left her father and uncle to- l gether, and Mr. Major took the opportunity to ask a further question. <«

"My sister was hinting, as she often: do, that she'd heard Sam was a little :-,s neglectful of his wife, and didn't pay | her all the attention she ought to have. < They live along with you, Titus, .'so perhaps you'll tell me if 'tis so." 1

"No, most certainly not," declared Mr.-;;; Peach stoutly. "I speak as a bachelor, and know nought of the married state and j its _ secrets," he added; "but I can ay this : that my nephew's a loving husband ' .; and a most affectionate father. Lydia has < the best his purse can bring; and , r he's frank and open and cheerful, and, 3 in fact, a very reasonable, proper man >• since he's come ashore. And though you- ] 've got his first-born, don't you think he -3 isn't keen as a hawk about the child. a He often inquires at the school how he's jj getting on, and he often, unseen, has a j peep of him; and Lydia has to tell him I everything about the boy from week to j week. Not that Johnny's a pitch on my ; i Titus, as I've always said. Why, Titus j have passed John in book-larning a'ready, j and he've a head for figures that's far ; beyond his father's!" ' ' 4

'*He gets it from Lyddy," answered the > fisherman. "She has a touch with 'rith- • metic unknown in my family, but common 3; in her mother's. I'm very glad it have 4 come down to your Titus, for 'twould have j been a pity for Such a useful art to drop | out of the race." .- ' '1i The chat did not terminate immediate- | ly, but Mr. Peach, from his own somewhat sexless standpoint, quite reassured Sam's {j father-in-law. He applauded Samuel's en- | ergies, and did not dream that his motives j were double, or that private need for J money was possibly responsible for increased activity in making it. VJ

Another topic rose before the old men parted, and the owner of Laburnum Villa spoke of his new neighbour, Nicholas Honeywill. " 'Tis strange how we be all wrapped up together— family and mine," he declar-.. ed. "For, since farmer left Berry Head . and came down beside me, I've seen a deal of his daughter and your son. And their child have took to the grotto something wonderfuljust like all children do. In fact, if a child didn't like my grotto, I should guess there was something wrong with its nature. And Honeywill himself ban't above smoking a pipe in it of a Sunday after-. noon." . "I hope you say the word in season, Titus, and try and get him into a proper ?' view of religion." " "No," answered,the other "I havnrfc. your cleverness in that direction. Honey- f will bo fixed in. his opinions, and, what's,:! more, there's something you can say jfor|i them." " " i .... : ' "" Mr. Major was perturbed. , "If you can't shake him, for God's sake don't let him shake you," he said. - " See | what his views do for a man in sorrow. Look how his wife's death wrecked ; him. Whereas, if he'd known what it all meant —< a? , I did when mine went on , before—he'd |; have —" ... - , . u " .." Make no ;mistake," interrupted Mr. Peach k "The ; man's going •on very well, and he's a deal more cheerful alstttSo much have :he improved and steadied down that Ned : tells' •me"'.he talks of tactually going up to Berry Farm and spending a t day. or twji { there presently."' • " You astonish me, for he vowed, not two months ago, as nothing would ever drag him 9 there no more. 'I should see her at every turn, I should fancy I heard her voice calling from every corner.' > That was his word to me, Titus. And he meant it, for tears .• failed down his whiskers as ho spoke." •- "Time works wonders, ■ and the merciful God who invented time meant it to do so," S? answered Peach, ,*•" No doubt Honeywill § felt like that a bit ago, and the spirit often|j returns yet; and v ; sometimes, 'if r. we'iail sitting late, as our manner ie, and the lira burns low,; and he'd; had his 'second "tot — which always does, away the, : good of \ the -; first—he'll sink > back > and take the " dark view. ; But, "speakwi ing ;• generally, when .< the . rheumatism holds off him and the weather's fait and Ned's news is good, Honeywill takes brighter views. He's fatter " since his wife died," and though lie seems to hold 'tis treason to her in a measure that he should be so, yet he can't deny it. And fat means an easy 6pirit t when all's said." . But "though'the widower had in truth {»• promised to visit, Ned at Berry Farm audi-; even stop some days with his own; the ? actual event was put" off from . monthfto;i| monthJuntil another half-year ; had ) slipped by. Then, yielding to the importunities- of S Deborah, Mr. Honeywill hervld himself for what was destined to be no small ordeal, and returned to his old home. >•; He purposed staying for a week, if his sentiment*S rendered it possible, and he little. guessed the plot which Ned and his wife had hatch-f ed in secret. Their urgent hope and ambition was to bring the old man back again to Berry; and tb<y trusted that renewed--; experience of the ancient life and its comforts and familiar happenings might achieve a change in Nicholas Honeywill and - tempt jj him to return. They believed; that the;< vision of his wife had dimmed for him, and that now, after more than a year was spent, it might be possible for him to live again amid the scenes whfere her days had passed;^ Ho came, and found the sharpest pinch , at first. The young people had more love; than tact, and the things that hurt Mr. |j Honeywill they could neither feel nor guess. ",fe A thousand strands bound him to the inanimate objects round about him;' a thousand heartstrings vibrated to the spectacle of this familiar environment. To them a chair or a table was no more than the thing ? that it appeared; _ to them a picture or »| china ornament said nothing but what they ; said to any other beholder; but to the man. ; these household things dated back full often . to a time before his children were born: they awakened memories, some gracious,| some beautiful, all sad from his, present; standpoint. Despite his rational survey of life, despite the fact that his wife had never filled hisU days or made the joy of them, now he mourned her, and believed that his grief% was largely remorse. He accused himself of '% having valued her too little; lie judged| himself very hardly; his discomfort was.too _ acute to endure. t The old man, indeed, erred in his estimates, and attributed to his wife's death; much cf the discomfort of .'his return home ,: i that belonged rightly to other causes. He missed her indeed, but he missed more the J atmosphere which she had created and ,: which had now vanished for ever from the home of his youth. Deborah and Ned strove to hearten him, J and while unconsciously they hurt also, yet . the balance was to the good. In process i of time Nicholas began to be accustomed to | the new order and less often regret the old.' With admirable intentions Deborah had,;! 1 hidden away numberless memorials of her [ mother, but Mr. Honeywill seemed to reI tain each one of them in his memory,' and-' desired them again in their familiar places. Thus, little by little, he brought back the old conditions and set things as they, were, •wont to stand. His selfishness hid" from | him the fact that by so doing he altered the • arrangements that seemed good to Ned and J Deborah; ■ but the/ grudged no rehabilitation, for each seemed, to promise that the J old man was becoming reconciled to return.;; Now, Bome pang or discomfort prompted -j Nicholas to depart; and now, some agreeable incident tempted him to stay.' ; y. Deborah never wearied of pressing her father j to ' leave them no more; and Ned, too, was j Very anxious that he should remain. 'PISM | Mr. Honeywill hesitated 1 long, and finid)i| determined to come hick. " 1 jlf§||| (To be continued. daily,) - "1