What did I see in this boy? thought Hazel, as the indignant blood flushed into her cheeks, and then flowed back painfully to her heart. Was he always as weak and thoughtless as this?
Oh, I say, mother, look here, cried a shrill voice as they were passing an open cottage door; thats new teacher, and thats her young man.
There, you hear, whispered Hazels companion, laughing; it was vulgarly put, but very true.
Archibald Graves, said Hazel quietly, have you not the common-sense
to see that your visit here is putting me in a false position?
I know you are in a false position here, he retorted angrily. Whos that fellow, and why does he take off his hat to you, and glare at me?
That is Mr Chute, the master of the boys school, and my fellow-teacher. This is my house, and I cannot ask you to come in. Do you wish me to think with a little less pain of our old acquaintanceship?
Our old love, you mean, he cried.
Our old acquaintanceship, Archibald Graves, she replied firmly. Love is too holy a word to be spoken of in connection with our past.
I I dont understand you, he cried.
You will when you have grown older and more thoughtful, she replied. Now good-bye.
Thoughtful? Older? he blurted out. I am old enough and thoughtful enough to know what I mean, and I wont part like this.
Your presence here is liable to be seriously misconstrued, said Hazel; do you wish to do me a serious injury in the eyes of those with whom it is of vital importance that I should stand well?
Why, of course not. How can you ask me?
Then say good-bye at once, and leave this place.
But I tell you I have come down on purpose to
All that is dead, she said, in a tone that startled him.
Then you never loved me! he cried angrily.
Heaven knows how well! she said softly. But you killed that love, Archibald Graves, and it can never be revived.
She had held out her hand in token of farewell, but he had not taken it; now she let it fall, and before he could frame a fresh appeal she had turned, entered the little house, and the door closed behind her.
Archibald Graves remained standing gazing blankly at the closed door for a few moments, till he heard the click of a latch, and, turning sharply, he saw that the schoolmaster was leisurely walking his garden some fifty yards away. He was not watching the visitor nothing of the kind; but the flowers in the little bed required looking to, and he remained there picking off withered leaves with his new gloves, and making himself very busy, in spite of a reminder from his mother that dinner was getting cold; and it was not until he had seen the stranger stride away that he entered his own place and sat thoughtfully down.
If she thinks I am going to be thrown over like this, said Archibald Graves to himself, she is mistaken. She shall give way, and she shall leave this wretched place, or Ill know the reason why. I wonder who that round-faced fellow was, and where I can get something to eat? By Jove, though, how she has altered! she quite touches a fellow like. Here, boy, wheres the principal inn?
Say?
Wheres the principal inn? cried the visitor again, as the boy addressed stared at him wonderingly, his London speech being somewhat incomprehensible to juveniles at Plumton All Saints.
Dunno.
Where can I get something to eat, then? said the visitor, feeling half amused, his difficulty with Hazel passing rapidly away.
Somut to ee-yut. Why dont yer go ho-um?
Hang the boy! Oh, heres the round-faced chap. I beg your pardon, can you direct me to the best hotel?
Straight past the church, sir, and round into the market-place.
Thanks; I can get some lunch or dinner there, I suppose?
Ye-es, said Mr William Forth Burge. I should think so.
I came down from town by the mail last night, and walked over from Burtwick this morning. Strange in the place, you see.
May I offer you a bit of dinner, sir? I know London well, though Im a native here, and as a friend of our new schoolmistress
Oh, I should hardly like to intrude, cried the young man apologetically.
Pray come, said the ex-butcher eagerly, for he longed to get the young man under his roof. He did not know why: in fact he felt almost hurt at his coming there that morning; and again, he did not know why, but he knew one thing, and that was that he would have given ten pounds that moment to know why Archibald Graves had come down that day, and what he said to Miss Thorne, and yes, he would have given twenty pounds to know what Hazel Thorne said to him.
The result was, that he carried off the stranger to his handsome house, just outside the town, and soon after Archibald Graves was making himself quite at home, drinking the school-patrons sherry, smoking his cigars, and getting moment by moment more fluent of tongue, and ready to lay bare the secrets of his heart, if secrets the facts could be called that he was prepared to make known to any one who would talk.
Has he gone, Bill? said Miss Burge, entering the drawing-room about eight oclock that evening, and finding her brother standing before a glass and sprinkling