Lawrence Clavering

' Pillars in Piccadilly, went down with my letter to Richmond. On my return I supplie

ere, Ashlock had informed me of a bridle-path leading by Harrop Tarn and Watendlath, which would greatly shorten the journey, and since my impatience had grow

Now and again our voices waked a sleepy echo. A little hamlet of white cottages--Stonethwaite they called it--was clustered within view, and towards the centre of Borrowdale, but so small was it and so s

ting downwards with his whip. "T

acted my eyes, however, far more than the house, was the garden, of which I had the plainest view, since it was built up from the slope at the east end of Blackladies, and not so much on account of its beauty as because of the laborious care which had been bestowed upon it. It was laid out in the artificial fashion of half a century ago, with terraces and stone staircases, and the lawns cut into quincunces and etoiles, and I know not what geometrical figures. The box-trees, too, were fashione

y, and bethinking me of what service it might p

y elbow, and he spoke in a tone of anxious inquiry, as though he w

o match?" I asked no less ea

e. I turned and saw Ashlock's face stretched fo

n man finds it difficult to understand how the heir could sacrifice it

so as to look him squarely between the eyes. He drew himself straight on the

, I will say a word to you. In Paris you showed me a way

oke," he interrupted hurriedly, "and bec

t for this cousin of mine, Mr. Jervas Rookley. I have said so, and I need no mentor at my elbow to remind me of a pledge I gave to myself. Least of all will

nger see his face, and replied with all the

e you. But it was your reluctance that put the thought of Mr. Jervas into my head; and once it was there,

of himself in the hearts of his dependents. I was for saying something of the sort, when a movement which Ashlock made arrested me. It was an insignificant movement--just the reaching out of his hand to the snaffle of his b

your horse!" I

, as well he might. I repea

lic or Protest

surprise

, sir," h

k. So much hangs on your silence and mine as you can have no notion of. You came to Paris, and from Paris I returned with you. Th

se," he

ere's better chance of your keeping it. Down on your knees here, and swear to me

some diversion or excuse. But the blue, sunlit sky was above us

ear it! Swear it by the Cross;

began, holdi

pon him. "On your k

n some strange way, that we were pitted in a contest for the mastery of Blackladies, and I was minded to settle that contest before I set foot across its door. I looked upon this oath that he would swear before m

e away from him. It ran past me, and, leaning over as

many days on which I can see th

d that he did not venture. So with a very ill grace he plumped

carried it. But my elation was short-lived, for so engaged was I in pluming myself, that I took little care of how my horse set his feet,

here was Ashlock sitting his horse and holding mine by the bridle, precisely as I had sat and held his. In a word, we had just changed places, by the purest accident, no doubt, but I had set such great store upon bringing about that earlier position and relationship, that this complete reversal of it within th

?" he asked gravel

I, rising

om me, and stooped down, par

sked, setting a f

u dropped when you fell

turning that something over in his

wards him. "Give it to me at once;" and

King had given me. I looked it over carefully, noticing certain scratches upon t

or me, and I would not lose it;" and with that we got

these steps the parterre spread out, and beyond the parterre was a space of meadow-land, fringed by a grove of trees which they called the wilderness. The strangest device of all, however, was a sort of labyrinth beyond the trees at the extreme end of the garden. The labyrinth, in fact, was a number of little gardens, each with a tiny plot of grass, and flowers planted about it, like so many rows of buttons. These gardens were shut in by hedges of quickset ten feet or more in height, and led from one to the other by such a perp

f half an hour or more. At last, by the merest chance, I happened upon the rig

wondered, and gone quietly about his business, leaving me there? I walked up the step

m the ceiling to the ground; its roof, indeed, was the roof of th

g and dying away down the corridors. Then came the so

n, past the middle age, I should say, and was called Jonnage Aron. I s

ad hit upon the path before

heard me

a few minutes after you had parted from m

the estate, which he did, laying considerable stress upon t

ad finished, "lives at Keswick. It will

here to Keswick," he assent

shlock shot a quick glance at me. "We will go over these matter

is head down u

he held one in his hand so long that I believed he must be learnin

vice to be followed or not, as occasion pointed, rather than as a command. On the whole, I believed that it would be best, considering the ends I had in view, to express myself moderately as favouring the Stuart claims. Moderately, I say, because I could not avow myself an emissary of King James without stating the special business on which I had come, and that I was forbidden to do. At the same time, I had to carry that business

ittle attorney, who had never been so honoured before by the courtesy of his clients. Also, I made it my business to attend the otter-hunts, coursing matches, fairs, and wrestling-bouts, of which there

eat house upon Lord's island of that lake, and from them I received great courtesy when they came to know of my rel

ough August, Lord Derwentwater showed to me a portrait of his wife, newly painted and but that day brought

d Derwentwater. "The man is young and,

name, though, were he better known, I should doubtless be

rk," said I, looking c

" replied he, "for one's attention is fi

with a bow to Lady Derwentwater, "when su

she laid her hand upon her husband's

continued. "That is how I chanced on him. He came h

y himself about my errand. But, in the first place, I was the youngest scholar of conspiracy certainly in experience, if not quite in years, and I was on that account inclined to exaggerate the value of a mysterious secrecy. I took my responsibilities au plus grand sérieux, shrouding them from gaze with an elaborate care, when no one suspected so much as their existence. Moreover, it was the habit of the people in those parts to stay much within their native boundaries; they rarely went afield; indeed, I have heard a dalesman of Howray, by Keswick, confidently assert that at Seatoller, a littl

at Keswick. And w

aid Lady Derwentwater;

not ill-looking; and he is very jealous. I would warn you to pay no such compliments to her as

irst courses, and his wife

enly. "I was thinking," and then he stopped with a wh

ed her hands and gave a

Clavering. He is like any old maid that sits by the window planning matrimony for every couple that pas

difference between the old maid and me--she is

a shyish glance towards me, another to her husband--and all her heart was pulsing in that--and so again to her plate, with a ripple of happy laughter. I seemed to be trespassing upon the intimacy of a

g absolutely disconcerted, and no wonder. Darby and Joan may be well enough by

of Darby and Joan to sicken him for his lifetime, though it is a Darby and Jo

e truth, I was thinking of the bi

ut of his own mouth he justifies me. We must marry him. Now, to whom?" and once

ke into a ri

re incorrigib

ss Burthwait

he says nothing but 'O La!' and 'Well, t

," he allowed "But there's

ars," I

ng," he corrected. "But

for a man to think of marrying. For who knows but what the count

ch that year of 1715 was heavy, and near its time, for her, for him--ay, and for me, too, projected its shadow over our heads. I looked into their faces, grown at once grave and predestinate; the shadow was there, a cloud upon the

, without heat. But the simplicity had in i

nst him, as though there he read the picture of his destiny. And so he drained his

houghts turned inwards. Once or twice his wife sought to break through the spell with some trivial word about the country-side, but ever her eyes turned with concern towards her husband's face, and ever the words flickered out upon her

umphantly, bringing his f

his wife, le

he repeated,

I asked

gh the unexpected rejoinder had been the wittiest sally in the world. "It would be very appropriate, too," he continued, with a laugh,

ously. "You knew him, of cours

nt there w

onesty, Mr. Clavering, is all on the outside of him, like the virtues of a cinnamon tree. He shou

y, he went, with the King's name upon his tongue, to the block on Tower Hill. I recalled his wife's loving glance and happy laugh--with what pity!--when, dressed as a fishwife, she crept to Temple Bar and bribed the guardians of that gate

even in August I felt at times the nights fall chilly there--and the glow of the flames played upon the portraits of the Rookleys, dancing them into frowns and smiles and glances, as though the faces lived. Father and son, maste

Ashlock

nk," he answered in some doubt o

elf." And I cr

d as if all time was against him. It was doubtless a fancy, but it seemed to me to run ever quicker and quicker as I stood in the doorway. Behind me the house was very dark and silent; only this

ss in my factor's office. At last in a jerky, trembling voice, resting o

shlock I need

ltered Aron, looking abou

at for myself

onfusion increased, "in bed, m

as though he would escape

aper he had been writing; the ink was still wet upon it, and I saw that it was a letter to o

steward for," I said. "A

busy. It is not well done," and he made as though he would take the paper from my h

arp, precise chara

heat, "and that is your excuse. The handwriting here tells of

and plucked the pen from behind his ear; and the impuls

hlock in the future to provide you with the excuse

tched forward, peering in front of me. I could see well nigh the length of the house. The corridor in which I stood ran straight to the hall. On the far side of the hall, opposite to me, there opened a wide gallery, which was closed at the end by a parlour, and this parlour lay at the east end of the house, and gave on to the topmost terrace of the garden. The door of the parlour stood open, so that I saw right through it to the moonlight shining white upon the window-panes. But I saw more than this. I saw the window opening--it was the catch of the window which I had heard--and a man, with his hat pulled down upon his brows and a heavy cloak about him, stealing in. I was the mo

said more, but Aron held up a fing

bang and leaned against its panel

so late from his bed?" I asked; and added pleas

ken aback, as my steward was then, and I

and came all at once to a dead stop. For th

rd, and Aron's brows went up into his forehead, as well they mi

"that you kept Aron up so late wri

His face puckered for a second and then smoothed again. He read

ron, and then turned to me with a smile. "T

necessary one

"will hold it the reverse. I presume, si

d myself w

ugh at some distance, Aron stumbled in the dark. So we came into the hall. I held up the lamp above my head. At one point, in the lower row of pictures, there

ed an a

vacant space le

anced shar

," he replied in a rising tone, which claimed the pr

is the fashion of the house that the master's portrait should ha

t between me and the wall, and turned upon me such a look of perplexity a

d gave the lamp to him to hold, bidding him stand further off, and I said

splace it when his time comes to inherit, bu

The distrust faded out of his face, bu

tone, as though he would be asking what in th

g air, which I doubt not was vilely overdon

be painted fi

sented itself, that it would be folly to disregard it For a painter has but lately come to Keswick

gan to die off his face, and it was succeeded by an eager curiosity. It seemed as though the name

d, anxious to colour my pretext with all the plausibil

bert?" questione

. Herbert has painted a portrait of Lady Derwentwater," and I turned away and got me to my room, with Aron to light the way. I left A

!"--and he shook his

t silver stripes upon the floor. I stood for a little and listened. Once or twice a board of the staircase cracked; once or twice an ember spurted into flame and chattered on the hearth, but that was all. I stole downstairs, not without a queer shame that I should b

ered a room in the upper part of the house which I had found locked, and was told the key was lost. Why had the picture been removed? Was it so that I might not recognize it? Well, it did not matter so long as I never stumbled across it. I groped my way up the staircase, repeating to myself one sentence from the will, "I must not knowingly support Mr. Jervas Rookley." I did not know, I said to myself. I might suspect, I might believe, but I had no proof; I did not know. I clutched the phrase to m

thought, as I recalled that hour