The Storyteller

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 6, 5 February 1903, Page 23

The Storyteller

A DEED OF QIFT.

' A lady to see you, sir ; Miss Barry.' ' Miss Barry ? Ask her in at once.' Bernard Warburton rose with alacrity, for, as a lawyer and a man he was interested in the new arrival. She came in hand&omely dressed in deep mourning, so slim and graceful that she looked taller than she really was. She had a pale, well-featured face and blue Irish eyes, which flatly contradicted the set coldness of every line. Sometimes in these professional interviews it is the lady who is emotional, while her adviser remains chilly ; on this occasion the visitor bowed formally, and save for the grace of her action it might have been a doll saluting another doll, so blank was her face and changeless. He, on the contrary, dropped ofliciality and advanced with outstretched hand. ' I think, as we are relatives, we should shake hands.' Courtesy constrained her to follow his lead, but ho thought he had rarely touched so passive a hand, but she was quick in repudiating his claim. 1 We can hardly be related— except merely V" marriage.' 1 Precisely ; but that means a good deal. lam glad to see you. The title deeds of your little estate are ready and waiting.' He spoke smilingly, for her quaint speech had amused him : but her next words took him aback. Like other sensible men he had a horror of women without common sense. ' I came to say that I want neither title deeds nor the estate. I have no use for them.' Sheer amazement kept him dumb, but he looked keenly to see if she was hysterical or out of her mind. Scrutinise as he might, however, he could only see steady purpose underneath her white earnestness. ' But this is sheer nonsense. Nam is left you unconditionally by your grandfather, with the sole exception that you are to take his name. No difficulty about that, is there ? ' ' There is every difDculty ; even the name is hateful to me.' Her breathing quickened, but she spoke calmly as before. ' The name is also mine,' he answered, curtly, and because of her gentle instincts a touch of sensitive color came and went. ' I beg your pardon ; I should have remembered better.' He considered her again attentively, trying *o reckon up this unknown quantity. ' She had a quick Irish temper — a warm Iris-h hoart. What does she mean by sitting there like a little icicle, trying to lead me astray ? There must be something behind all this absurdity, and I must get at it.' Having decided this, he dropped the relative and assumed the man of law. ' Being in temporary charge of Narn, I must ask your reasons for this unprecedented conduct ? ' He was judicial enough for a bag wig, but, having nothing to hide, she was not dismayed. ' I can tell you in a fow sentences. A few months ago my mother was living — she is dead now. For years we had both been battling against the poverty which killed her by inches — not a doubt about it, for she died of want of proper food — of necessary warmth and the lack of all comfort. She had to work almost to the last, and when I wroto to her father telling him of our distress, he left the letter unanswered because my mother had married a poor Irish gentleman. If Narn had been < urs eight months ago she would have been living : ow. If the owner of it had only held out a helping hand I should not be broken-hearted for the loss of her, as I am today.' He know now the sort of apathy that had so dulled her ; it was heart-break, as she had said, and it was only the intensity of. her emotion which kept her low voice from faltering. Ho was genuinely touched, but at his awkwardest in expressing this. ' How did you and your mother live ? ' ' She did art needlework — and starved on it. I painted, and often went hungry to bed. I did not mind, being young and strong, but she — my God ! to watch the slow drowning of the ono you love best on earth, to see her sinking day by day for want of the sheer necessaries of life, yet with sweet patience and smiling lips. I would have died to save her, but neither' my death nor my life could do that. You must pardon me that I cannot speak of these things without — they choke me.' The window" was open and, going to it, she stood for a few moments looking out : then she returned quietly to her seat. He was not without regret that her story had come to his knowledge too late : he would like to have saved this girl's mother from going under, and it would have been so easy, for his own father had been a saving man and the son was able to keep good hunters without crippling his estate. But there was still the girl, and he looked critically at her handsome dress : it looked new, so perhaps he guessed that i tJ had been purchased with a view to this particular interview Tcople do not come threadbare to repudiate property.

v««»l a 2a 2 n J X v mne ! y sorry to hear this •' I s h I had known it earlier. As regards your refusal of Narn, I am more in the dark than ever.' •nils was not so true as it sounded, but she was urced to full confession. ™, Ji No * W i* is v t0 °* lttt^ ; the tlde has turned. I have pupils to teach and orders to execute ; it means hard work, and fpr that I am thankful ' ' But you might work, bard at Narn ; I could not imagine any place better suited to an artist. It is only •a few miles away ; may I not take you to see it ? ' .Never ! It is enough to be there in dreams, as I so often am. In those dreams she is not dead, but livS?7 < t >i1 £ u ?i back to heal £ h an d strength in the old house \Bh&\ 8h& } 1 n + ev « r see ' J? go there without her and to remember in it the want in which she died would be too bitter ; I could not bear it.' . ' A i? d I^l the E lac l *? worth * visit - At this time of year the little valley below Narn is all gold, and a tiny river threads it like silver. ' I have no further need of gold, and the river would only flash my own loneliness back to me.' Narn stands high and sees the sun long after the valley has bid it good-night.' 'The Narn sun would only dazzle my eyes until they ached ; I should be loncrmg for the night ' <v 'uT^ er !u is a ™ se garden nestled into the shelter of the hill ; the cottage is covered with roses, too, 00 that you may gather them from the open window.' ' These things are not for me ; don't you see that to work for my daily bread is the only solace left me ? If I once dropped the threads I should never pick them up again. r Now, he knew well enough that there was method in her madness, and that hard, necessary work might be the only tonic for her state. But there was Narri, and he was a lawyer and not an artist, although he had tried to speak her language. ' Then what do you intend doing ? I must warn you that any property, however small, brings some responsibility with it.' ' I know ; that is why lam here to-da TT There is seed time and harvest that must not be neglected. I know nothing about these things, but you do, and you are next-of-kin, although remotely so.' A sudden light flashed into his face which might have been greed, for much can easily do with more. He had certainly no wish to see Narn thrown away by the folly of a girl. ' I am the next-of-kin ; do you think of giving Narn to me ? ' For the first time he saw a flicker of satisfaction in her face, as though a troublesome business were nearly disposed of. ' Yes ; I should like you to have it. I want you to draw out a deed of gift, so that I can sign it before I go away.' He bowed with inscrutable gravity, and, taking a huge folio, scratched away upon it with a q,uill pen at some length. When his scribing was finished he found her at his elbow, eager to sign and have done with it. ' Before you sign it, Miss Barry, let me warn you that you arc doing an extremely foolish thing.' She shook her head, and, taking up a pen, was about to sign, when she noticed an omission. 'It ought to be over a stamp., surely. Did you forget ?' 'It would be just as legal,' he answered ; but you shall have your stamp.' Ho produced a penny one and then affixed by its red tape a clumsy waxen seal which had an imposing effect. In all good faith she was about to sign for the second time, when another serious omission occurred to her. ' There should be witnesses surely ? ' Her manner rebuked him for his singularly unbusinesslike habits ; nor was she without an innocent vanity in knowing so well what ought to be done. ' You would prefer a witness ? You shall have one. So he called in his head clerk, who stared agape at the strange document, with its penny stamp and dangling seal. On being asked to witness the lady's signature, he was about to make some sort of expostulation, when he was silenced by an imperative gesture from his employer. So Miss Barry wrote boldly across the Queen's countenance, and the head clerk witnessed with as much professional dignity as sheer amazement left at his disposal. ' Is one witness sufficient ? ' she asked, doubtfully. ' Amply sufficient. Thank you, Simpson ;. that is all I want.' So Simpson retired helplessly, while Warburton, producing a formidable bunch of keys opened the iron safe and deposited the deed of eift within. As he clanged the door to sharply he saw that she was duly impressed with his stern custody of an important document. The mere rattling of the keys suggested severe gaoling, and she was satisfied with her part. Apparently he was satisfied too, only his manner changed, and for one who was popularly accredited with being a gentleman he be.came somewhat bullying. ' Now that the thing is irrevocably done, I am going to give you advice gratis. You have a fatal habit of believing in people. I warn you against this. Here, of course, you have walked obligingly into the open Jaws of the wolf, and he has snapped you up. It's nothing to me now, so I can warn you not to let other wolves do it ' ' But you did your best to dissuade me from it. No real wolf would have done that.' ' It is evident that you do not kjiow much about them There is an old proverb about going to Saltash backward, and I was dealing with a woman. You un-

dersttund ? I should have been a fool not to annex property when I had merely to draft out a deed and expend a penny stamp.' His change of manner perplexed her, but fine had a latent confidence in him that would not easily take fright. 'But, as you said, every property Irings its own trouble You will have to cultivate the land and be kind to the cottagers who work for rou. 1 Ho ga-ve a hard, short laugh, as -.hough lor simplicity began to be irritating. 'You must not be kind to 'hose s rt of people. They encroach at once and take liberties. But at least under my management they shall pay (heir rent ; I pro.-ni<3O you that Give me your address, please. 1 n>.iv hove occasion to write to see you about certain things.' So, having disencumbered herself of those things which make for ease of body nnd sloth of mud, Nora Barry went back to the battle of life. She had need to fight it strenuously and so get ease for her heartache and partial forgetfulness of those happy things which might have been had a hard, unforgiving old man died a lew months earlier. From a worldly point of view she lad ncted d'sastrously, and yet, after all, she had known what was best for herself, and in fighting and overcoming difficulties the keenness and zest of youth came back to her. Through pressing forward in so eager a race, she slowly c\ertook the shadows and passed beyond them into the cheerful sunlight. Bernard Warburton, who always saw her when he was in town, noticed the gradual brightening of hen eyes, and perhaps vanity suggested that he Himself had something to do with this happy change At any rate he was very cousinly attentive, and she frankly appreciated his society, for ho was a man of Darts, and art was no dead letter to him. Sometimes — but not often — she would let him take her hero and there, and those rare holidays wero very pleasant to her. She wondered that a man without sisters could make himself so companionable, and on ono subject only did they seem to strike a discordant n< te. Whenever they talked about business or of Narn he scorned to change at once into a hard, money-loving man. So striking was this that she rarely mentioned either, leaving it to him to come out occasionally with a sentiment only worthy of old Scrooge or a man who found pleasure and profit in grinding the faces of the poor. In spite of her faith in him she would wince then, although putting it all down to the hard facts of legal training. She did not believe in his hard sayings until on* bitter day when she could not help herself ; he convicted himself out of his own mouth — and perhaps no other kind of evidence could have convinced her. Her small suburban room looked very cramped that May morning, and he made mention of thd primroses that ho had left behind him in the country. ' The pi imroses ' Ah ! I remember how i,hey used to grow in Ireland when I was a little girl ' She looked dreamily beyond the bricks nnd mortar as she spoke, and he wondered if ever she regr >tt'Kl Nam Quite suddenly he struck the discordant note ' I suppose primroses are not bad in their way, but the country is not Arcadia after all. The bailiff of that wretched little Narn — you aro well quit of it — has boon spreading reports that I have no real right to the place I havo not been able to bring it home to him, but I saved him seven-and-sixpence by shooting 1 is doc- ' She came back from her primrose 'noraonos with a na inful shock ; the bad taste of his joke fct her teeth on edge ' You did it — by accident, of course "> ' 1 By accident ' I never aimed more carefully in mv life I do not say that I would ha\e done it f 1 had liked the dog, but it was an ugly, ill-cpnditioned cur ' It was impossible to doubt that ho spoke 1 Iho tiuth, and for her the light of tho May day went MiddenU' cut ' But tho dog was not yours — ho may h.uo loved it — may have thought there was no dog in '.ho world like it. Oh ! T could not have believed that ' So keenly did disillusion sting her «hat words f;.iled He shrugged his shoulders as one 'vho had JIUle patience with sentimental folly. 'It is quite as well you gave 'ip Narn 'hoy would have fleeced you right and loft. Only Ihc oth->r d.w I had to distrain upon an old widow's pig ; it is not pleasant, but rent must "bo paid ' This time she regarded him with real lion or, md tho quick, Irish temper of which ho had suspect «'d t'io existence, on their first mooting bla7ed up into lnr f m' ' ' Do you mean to say that you actually robbed a poor old woman of her pig *> ' Robbed ; nonsense ' Tho old humbug could not pay her rout — or would not — the one more rH-celv than tho other, so I made six-and-eightpence a scoic — not a bad price for a good bacon pig.' Thiore was a pause, and then she spoko rt a v;hite heat of sorrowful indignation : ' You shall five mo back Narn I see you are not fit to ha\e any sort of power l ' ' Oive you' back Narn? ' he answered, sroinfrllv ' What ! rob myself of what is legally mine 9 Remember tho stamp across which you signed. Romembor S imps on, a witness of full age and well acquainted with the nature of an oath.' ' I doubt if tho stamp means anything T have thought since that it ought to have been quite another sort of stamp ' He had to laugh outright— he could not help himself, and to her tho laugh sounded mocking and insolent ' What- about tho great waxen seal with its red tape "> How do you suppose to get over that 9 ' ' I don't know now — it is all so cruelly sudden ; but that deed fchall be annulled if there is law in England ' '

There is, and I am one of its most able expounders. I warn you that no judge in the kingdom would venture to negative the binding powers of seal and stamp. Then, again, if you recovered Narn you would have to assume the hated name.' ' I would do anything,' she returned, passionately,' to prevent your merciless hand from oppressing the weak. And to think that it is I who have delivered them over to you.' He flushed uneasily, and then went on in the same mocking way : ' There is one action you could take that might pave tho way to annulling the" deed— mind you, I do not promise that it would— but to do this you would have to swear that black was white before a clergyman.' You are trading on my ignorance ; if you mean anything you mean a magistrate. People do not swear before clergymen.' ' I happen to know what I am speaking about, and I mean a clergyman. See ! it is done like this— having your hand 1 repeat this oath : ' I, Bernard, take thee, Nora, and you answer -' With burning indignation she wrenched her hand from his. 'I answer. Do you think anything on this earth would make me promise to love and honor — a wolf. And to think I believed in you so utterly as a good man.' ' And so you will again when you are a better woman of business and understand that you must either bite or get bitten. I suppose under tragic circumstances you will come and inspect Narn ? ' ' I am going there to-morrow, and then I shall consult the ablest lawyers in England.' He bowed sarcastically. ' You do me too much honor ; then I shall expect you. But remember, a dog— a wolf if you prefer it— doea not readily give up a bone that has been once given him.' He met her at the station, and although she shrank painfully and visibly from the companionship of this sordid man, there seemed no other means of travelling the necessary miles save by his side ; for Narn, peaceful little Narn, nestled away amongst its hills, knew nothing of such restless things as trains. At first they had to follow tho silver thread of the river as it babbled and prattled its laughing way through its primrose banks. Cuckoos singing against each other grew hysterical in emulation as to which should have tho last liquid word; the wood pigeons, too, had plenty to say, but in a lower, more wooing key, so that the harmony of the woods remained perfect. The earth, new born, so fresh and tender and exquisite had an influence hard to resist, but Nora, mindful of her sad errand, could only look on wistfully as one who had no part in these delights. He was just as silent as she, feeling perhaps, at last, the ungraciousness of his position. Once or twice she looked at him, as though trying to accustom herself to his new character, and the last time he noticed it. ' T am sorry, Miss Barry ; but you know the fate of tho foolish Red Riding Hoods ? ' She winced back from his hardness and nothing more was said imtil they had left the valley below them and were almost on tho brow of the hill. Then he turned his horse into a gateway, and the quiet beauty of the place made her forget her silence. ' Whose house is this ? ' ' Mine,' he answered, curtly. 'If you will come in for a moment we will do the rest on foot. As we are to visit the injured Widow Morris, I may as well take her tho receipt for her rent.' She did not cross his threshold willingly, but, having done so, she would have been no artist if an interior so l ich in oak carvings — so quaintly fashioned and adorned with the grace of a day that is lied— had not appealed to her strongly The place was neither stately nor g,rand, but just homely in the best and most delicious sense of tho world, and no ideal of her could have improved upon it. But she forgot art on approaching the window, from which the ground fell softly away into the smiling valley. The west wind greeting her was as though, it had been wafted across violet beds, and the white lilac showed delicately against the vividness of crimson May. But tho humming, happy bees had richer spoil than either, knowing just where the sweet peas could peep over the sheltering wall, and they were many colored as Joseph's coat. So for a few merciful moments she forgot everything save the beauty with which she was surrounded, and in those moments Narn — peaceful, happy little Narn — stole into her heart forever and nestled there just as it nestled into the warm protecting hills. At his brusque summons she turned heavily away. ' Ts it possible that you can live here — here, where e\ervthmg seems to prench the love of God — and yet have, so hard a heart towards His poor ? I wonder how many pentle, kindly souls have moved about this house ; 1 should think there must be many footprints of angels.' She looked for no answer. What could he know about such gentle visitants ? And together they passed into the fields that were fields of flowers. In among the mowing grass— almost ready for the reapers — the great white daisies stood thickly, and over the higher ground, where the young corn was springing vigorously up, hovered larks singing gloriously. To the gjrazing meadows, where the grass was fed down industriously by deeply contented cattle, great dazzling patches of bluebells reflected tho cloudless sky. The whole scene was pure poetry : but they discovered prose at the very heart of the idyl in the shape of a bluff yeo-

man who seemed hardly able to take his eyes off one of the animals which munched so happily near him With an effort he wrenched away his eyes to pass the time of day, and then they returned lovingly to the object of his admiration. c A 'u M^ rn ,l"' sir ' you be come J ust lucky to see the last of the bulhck. I'll warrant you'll not see a finer butcher beast in the whole market.' He gave a poke here and a prod there to show the animal s unlimited capacities for beef, and his employer looked critically on. 'Itis a very fair bullock— very fair, indeed. Y-ou remember, Warren, you thought it would not fatten on that sort of cake, but 1 knew better ? ' The bailiff gave a grunting assent. ' I'd always been used to the other, and some cattle is like some folks. No matter what you do or what you don't do, they will fatten to spite you.' ' Have you got another dog yet ? ' Warren shook his head sorrowfully. ' No, I ain't, sir. I've had the refusal, of many, but one to match what I've lost is hard to come by I s'pose you wouldn't believe that I miss it almost like a child, and sometimes o' nights I zim I hear it scratching at t' dairy door.' There were almost tears in the man's eyes, and after leaving him Nora turned scathingly upon her companion. ' Of course, ho cannot know how cruel you have been or he would not speak so nicely to you ? ' ' Why did you not ask him ? He was there to speak for himself. Asi to speaking nicely, he must do that to my face, whatever he does behind my back ; he has a wife and family.' By this time they had crossed the stile and were in the little hamlet of about half a dozen cottages. Even to the prejudiced eve they looked comfortable dwellings, and there was evidently a friendly rivalry between the cottagers as to whom the most dazzling garden should belong to. The owner of this apparent prosperity may have been a skinflint — nay, he was on his own showing — but the women and children seemed very anxious to propitiate their hard landlord by coming out of their cottage to do the honors of the place withi smiles and friendly words. Nora could not understand this until she declared that they were afraid of him and had inexorable rent day in their scared minds. Be this as it may, they were extremely voluble; — as frightened women often are — and he answered them back in a neighborly way that might have deceived the most acute. Mrs. Morris' cottage was the last one of all, and before they reached it a stout figure showed itself at the gate with a welcoming face wreathed and dimpled with smiles. ' Come in — come in, sir ; you and the young lady. You hevn't a horse to mind thease mainen ? ' Lost in wonder, Nora studied this persecuted widow while Warburton answered her as cordially as she herself had spoken. ' Not to-day, thank you, Mrs. Mo,rris ; I merely called to bring you the money for your pig.' ' Thank you, sir ; I'm sure I'm turr'ble grateful to you ; and the bit of money for the rent— you've kept that back, I hope ? ' Yes. You asked me to, if you remember.' ' 'Ess, for sure I did.' Then she turned to Nora to politely include her in the conversation. ' Mr. Warburton knows me well enough; he never presses me for my bit of rent money, knowing that I'll pay it just as soon as 1 can, don't you sir ? ' He nodded. We are old friends. Mrs. Morris, and understand each other.' Mrs Morris corroborated this with vigor. ' And that's just what I said to the pork butcher when he came and offered me four-and-sixpence a score for as good a bacon pig as over ate victuals. I let 'un have it sharp for coming to best a widow wummau — and he a bachelor without let or hindrance. " Pigs is cheap, missus," he do say, and I answers back, " Cheap' They be better than cheap when they come to be (riven away with the worth of two sacks of meal. You can folly on your cheating ways, and I can take my pig to a better market. Mr Warburton won't stand by and see me bested by such "trashy yolk as you " Oh," I did say all that and worser, too, till he couldn't bide no longer, but were fo'ced to whip up and be gone ' Her merry old eyes twinkled over the rout of the pork butcher, and then a newer interest prevailed us she Looked at Nora ' And is this the young lady you've told me about '>' ' Yes ; she has come to look at her property ; I think Narn will no longer have an absentee landlady. She is beginning to understand us country folk better.' * Ah, she do look as though she needed Narn air to set her up. Come in, my dear, do'ee now ; you bo all of a shake like.' Nora shook her head, and taking the kind old hand pressed it warmly before going silently on her way. She could not trust her voice, but already her heart was singIng as joyously as the larks and the veil fell away from the sun. It is much, so much to the idealist to have a hero returned to his pedestal, especially when that eminence is higher than ever. Presently Warburton overtook her, and face and voice were full of tender laughter. ' About the dog ? I do not understand ' ' The dog went dangerously mad ; if I had not fortunately shot it tho thing would have bitten Warren's child. That you should think so hardly of me, Nora, even on my own showing ! Well, we have successfully annulled tho powers of that binding stamp — that rampant seal ; there remains only tho difficulty of the name. You remember that we were to stand so before before a

Nom^and^hpV l^ B ] lolll^ B^' ' *• Bernard, take thee. *?J* i Q and .. that . you were to answer—but 1 must not S^^SSS.I - Narn ! m&t wm ™*™> her hand^ufungl^^to l^ mm ° ment ' ™ d then * he put m and Y o7w S o^.^.i n O ntr n i^a^in h e^ c * *""