THEPURSUIT
XX
AndnowtotellofMr。Hoopdriver,risingwiththesun,vigilant,active,wonderful,thepracticablehalfofthelead—framedwindowstuckopen,earsalert,aneyeflickeringincessantlyinthecornerpanes,inobliqueglancesattheAngelfront。Mrs。Wardorwantedhimtohavehisbreakfastdownstairsinherkitchen,butthatwouldhavemeantabandoningthewatch,andheheldoutstrongly。Thebicycle,cap—a—pie,occupied,underprotest,astrategicpositionintheshop。Hewasexpectantbysixinthemorning。Byninehorriblefearsoppressedhimthathisquesthadescapedhim,andhehadtoreconnoitretheAngelyardinordertosatisfyhimself。Therehefoundtheostler(Howarethemightyfalleninthesedecadentdays!)brushingdownthebicyclesofthechase,andhereturnedrelievedtoMrs。Wardor’spremises。Andabouttentheyemerged,androdequietlyuptheNorthStreet。Hewatchedthemuntiltheyturnedthecornerofthepostoffice,andthenoutintotheroadandupaftertheminfinestyle!Theywentbytheengine—housewheretheoldstocksandthewhippingpostsare,andontotheChichesterroad,andhefollowedgallantly。Sothisgreatchasebegan。
Theydidnotlookround,andhekeptthemjustwithinsight,gettingdownifhechancedtodrawcloselyuponthemroundacorner。Byridingvigorouslyhekeptquiteconvenientlynearthem,fortheymadebutlittlehurry。Hegrewhotindeed,andhiskneeswerealittlestifftobeginwith,butthatwasall。Therewaslittledangeroflosingthem,forathinchalkydustlayupontheroad,andthetrackofhertirewasmilledlikeashilling,andhiswasachequeredribbonalongtheway。SotheyrodebyCobden’smonumentandthroughtheprettiestofvillages,untilatlastthedownsrosesteeplyahead。Theretheystoppedawhileattheonlyinnintheplace,andMr。Hoopdrivertookupapositionwhichcommandedtheinndoor,andmoppedhisfaceandthirstedandsmokedaRedHerringcigarette。Theyremainedintheinnforsometime。Anumberofchubbyinnocentsreturninghomefromschool,stoppedandformedalineinfrontofhim,andwatchedhimquietlybutfirmlyforthespaceoftenminutesorso。\"Goaway,\"saidhe,andtheyonlyseemedquietlyinterested。Heaskedthemalltheirnamesthen,andtheyansweredindistinctmurmurs。
Hegaveitupatlastandbecamepassiveonhisgate,andsoatlengththeytiredofhim。
ThecoupleunderobservationoccupiedtheinnsolongthatMr。
Hoopdriveratthethoughtoftheirpossibleemploymenthungeredaswellasthirsted。Clearly,theywerelunching。Itwasacloudlessday,andthesunatthemeridianbeatdownuponthetopofMr。Hoopdriver’shead,ashowerbathofsunshine,ahugejetofhotlight。Itmadehisheadswim。Atlasttheyemerged,andtheothermaninbrownlookedbackandsawhim。Theyrodeontothefootofthedown,anddismountingbegantopushtediouslyupthatlongnearlyverticalascentofblindingwhiteroad,Mr。
Hoopdriverhesitated。Itmighttakethemtwentyminutestomountthat。Beyondwasemptydownlandperhapsformiles。Hedecidedtoreturntotheinnandsnatchahastymeal。
Attheinntheygavehimbiscuitsandcheeseandamisleadingpewtermeasureofsturdyale,pleasantunderthepalate,coolinthethroat,butleadeninthelegs,ofahotafternoon。Hefeltamanofsubstanceasheemergedintheblindingsunshine,butevenbythefootofthedownthesunwasinsistingagainthathisskullwastoosmallforhisbrains。Thehillhadgonesteeper,thechalkyroadblazedlikeamagnesiumlight,andhisfrontwheelbegananapparentlyincurablesqueaking。HefeltasamanfromMarswouldfeelifheweresuddenlytransferredtothisplanet,aboutthreetimesasheavyashewaswonttofeel。Thetwolittleblackfigureshadvanishedovertheforeheadofthehill。\"Thetracks’llbeallright,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。
Thatwasacomfortingreflection。Itnotonlyjustifiedaslowprogressupthehill,butatthecrestasprawlontheturfbesidetheroad,tocontemplatetheWealdfromthesouth。Inamatteroftwodayshehadcrossedthatspaciousvalley,withitsfrozensurgeofgreenhills,itslittlevillagesandtownshipshereandthere,itscopsesandcornfields,itspondsandstreamslikejeweleryofdiamondsandsilverglitteringinthesun。TheNorthDownswerehidden,farawaybeyondtheWealdenHeights。
DownbelowwasthelittlevillageofCocking,andhalf—wayupthehill,amileperhapstotheright,hungaflockofsheepgrazingtogether。Overheadananxiouspeewitcircledagainsttheblue,andeverynowandthenemitteditsfeeblecry。Upheretheheatwastemperedbyapleasantbreeze。Mr。Hoopdriverwaspossessedbyunreasonablecontentment;helithimselfacigaretteandloungedmorecomfortably。SurelytheSussexaleismadeofthewatersofLethe,ofpoppiesandpleasantdreams。Drowsinesscoiledinsidiouslyabouthim。
Heawokewithaguiltystart,tofindhimselfsprawlingproneontheturfwithhiscapoveroneeye。Hesatup,rubbedhiseyes,andrealisedthathehadslept。Hisheadwasstillatrifleheavy。Andthechase?Hejumpedtohisfeetandstoopedtopick。
uphisoverturnedmachine。Hewhippedouthiswatchandsawthatitwaspasttwoo’clock。\"Lordloveus,fancythat!——Butthetracks’llbeallright,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,wheelinghismachinebacktothechalkyroad。\"ImustscorchtillIovertakethem。\"
Hemountedandrodeasrapidlyastheheatandalingeringlassitudepermitted。Nowandthenhehadtodismounttoexaminethesurfacewheretheroadforked。Heenjoyedthatrather。
\"Trackin’,\"hesaidaloud,anddecidedintheprivacyofhisownmindthathehadawonderfulinstinctfor’spoor。’SohecamepastGoodwoodstationandLavant,andapproachedChichestertowardsfouro’clock。Andthencameaterriblething。Inplacestheroadbecamehard,inplaceswerethecrowdedindentationsofarecentflockofsheep,andatlastinthethroatofthetowncobblesandthestonystreetsbranchingeast,west,north,andsouth,atastonecrossundertheshadowofthecathedralthetracksvanished。\"OCricky!\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,dismountingindismayandstandingagape。\"Droppedanything?\"saidaninhabitantatthekerb。\"Yes,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,\"I’velostthespoor,\"
andwalkeduponhisway,leavingtheinhabitantmarvellingwhatpartofabicycleaspoormightbe。Mr。Hoopdriver,abandoningtracking,beganaskingpeopleiftheyhadseenaYoungLadyinGreyonabicycle。Sixcasualpeoplehadn’t,andhebegantofeeltheinquirywasconspicuous,anddesisted。Butwhatwastobedone?
Hoopdriverwashot,tired,andhungry,andfullofthefirstgnawingsofamonstrousremorse。Hedecidedtogethimselfsometeaandmeat,andintheRoyalGeorgehemeditatedoverthebusinessinamelancholyframeenough。Theyhadpassedoutofhisworld——vanished,andallhiswonderfuldreamsofsomevague,crucialinterferencecollapsedlikeacastleofcards。Whatafoolhehadbeennottosticktothemlikealeech!Hemighthavethought!Butthere!——whatWASthegoodofthatsortofthingnow?
Hethoughtofhertears,ofherhelplessness,ofthebearingoftheothermaninbrown,andhiswrathanddisappointmentsurgedhigher。\"WhatCANIdo?\"saidMr。Hoopdriveraloud,bringinghisfistdownbesidetheteapot。
WhatwouldSherlockHolmeshavedone?Perhaps,afterall,theremightbesuchthingsascluesintheworld,albeittheageofmiracleswaspast。Buttolookforaclueinthisintricatenetworkofcobbledstreets,toexamineeverymuddyinterstice!
Therewasachancebylookingaboutandinquiryatthevariousinns。Uponthathebegan。Butofcoursetheymighthaveriddenstraightthroughandscarcelyasoulhavemarkedthem。Andthencameapositivelybrilliantidea。\"’OwmanywaysarethereoutofChichester?\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。ItwasreallyequaltoSherlockHolmes——that。\"Ifthey’vemadetracks,Ishallfindthosetracks。
Ifnot——they’reinthetown。\"HewastheninEastStreet,andhestartedatoncetomakethecircuitoftheplace,discoveringincidentallythatChichesterisawalledcity。Inpassing,hemadeinquiriesattheBlackSwan,theCrown,andtheRedLionHotel。Atsixo’clockintheevening,hewaswalkingdowncast,intent,asonewhohaddroppedmoney,alongtheroadtowardsBognor,kickingupthedustwithhisshoesandfrettingwithdisappointedpugnacity。Athwarted,crestfallenHoopdriveritwas,asyoumaywellimagine。Andthensuddenlytherejumpeduponhisattention——abroadlineribbedlikeashilling,andclosebesideitonechequered,thateverandagainsplitintotwo。
\"Found!\"saidMr。Hoopdriverandswungroundonhisheelatonce,andbacktotheRoyalGeorge,helterskelter,forthebicycletheyweremindingforhim。Theostlerthoughthewasconfoundedlyimperious,consideringhismachine。
ATBOGNOR
XXI
Thatseductivegentleman,Bechamel,hadbeenworkinguptoacrisis。Hehadstarteduponthiselopementinaveinoffineromance,immenselyproudofhiswickedness,andreallyasmuchinloveasanartificialoversoulcanbe,withJessie。ButeithershewastheprofoundestofcoquettesorshehadnottheslightestelementofPassion(withalargeP)inhercomposition。Itwarredwithallhisideasofhimselfandthefemininemindtothinkthatundertheirflatteringcircumstancesshereallycouldbesovitallydeficient。Hefoundherpersistentcoolness,hermoreorlessevidentcontemptforhimself,exasperatinginthehighestdegree。Heputittohimselfthatshewasenoughtoprovokeasaint,andtriedtothinkthatwaspiquantandenjoyable,buttheblistersonhisvanityassertedthemselves。Thefactis,hewas,underthisstandingirritation,gettingdowntothenaturalmaninhimselfforonce,andthenaturalmaninhimself,inspiteofOxfordandthejuniorReviewers’Club,wasaPalaeolithiccreatureofsimpletastesandviolentmethods。\"I’llbelevelwithyouyet,\"ranlikeaploughthroughthesoilofhisthoughts。
Thentherewasthisinfernaldetective。BechamelhadtoldhiswifehewasgoingtoDavostoseeCarter。Tothathehadfanciedshewasreconciled,buthowshewouldtakethisexploitwasentirelyproblematical。Shewasawomanofpeculiarmoralviews,andshemeasuredmaritalinfidelitylargelybyitsproximitytoherself。Outofhersight,andmoreparticularlyoutofthesightoftheotherwomenofherset,viceoftherecogniseddescriptionwas,perhaps,permissibletothosecontemptibleweaklings,men,butthiswasEvilontheHighRoads。Shewasboundtomakeafuss,andthesefussesinvariablytookthefinalformofatightnessofmoneyforBechamel。Albeit,andhefeltitwasheroicofhimtoresolveso,itwasworthdoingifitwastobedone。HisimaginationworkedonakindofmatronlyValkyrie,andthenoiseofpursuitandvengeancewasintheair。Theidyllstillhadthefrontofthestage。Thataccurseddetective,itseemed,hadbeenthrownoffthescent,andthat,atanyrate,gaveanight’srespite。Butthingsmustbebroughttoanissueforthwith。
Byeighto’clockintheevening,inalittledining—roomintheVicunaHotel,Bognor,thecrisishadcome,andJessie,flushedandangryinthefaceandwithherheartsinking,facedhimagainforherlastst,rugglewithhim。Hehadtrickedherthistime,effectually,andluckhadbeenonhisside。ShewasbookedasMrs。Beaumont。Saveforherrefusaltoentertheirroom,andhereccentricityofeatingwithunwashedhands,shehadsofarkeptuptheappearancesofthingsbeforethewaiter。Butthedinnerwasgrimenough。Nowinturnsheappealedtohisbetternatureandmadeextravagantstatementsofherplanstofoolhim。
Hewaswhiteandviciousbythistime,andhisangerquiveredthroughhisposeofbrilliantwickedness。
\"Iwillgotothestation,\"shesaid。\"Iwillgoback——\"
\"Thelasttrainforanywhereleavesat7。42。\"
\"Iwillappealtothepolice——\"
\"Youdon’tknowthem。\"
\"Iwilltellthesehotelpeople。\"
\"Theywillturnyououtofdoors。You’reinsuchathoroughlyfalsepositionnow。Theydon’tunderstandunconventionality,downhere。\"
Shestampedherfoot。\"IfIwanderaboutthestreetsallnight——\"
shesaid。
\"Youwhohaveneverbeenoutaloneafterdusk?Doyouknowwhatthestreetsofacharminglittleholidayresortarelike——\"
\"Idon’tcare,\"shesaid。\"Icangototheclergymanhere。\"
\"He’sacharmingman。Unmarried。Andmenarereallymorealikethanyouthink。Andanyhow——\"
\"Well?\"
\"HowCANyouexplainthelasttwonightstoanyonenow?Themischiefisdone,Jessie。\"
\"YouCUR,\"shesaid,andsuddenlyputherhandtoherbreast。Hethoughtshemeanttofaint,butshestood,withthecolourgonefromherface。
\"No,\"hesaid。\"Iloveyou。\"
\"Love!\"saidshe。
\"Yes——love。\"
\"Therearewaysyet,\"shesaid,afterapause。
\"Notforyou。Youaretoofulloflifeandhopeyetfor,whatisit?——notthedarkarchnortheblackflowingriver。Don’tyouthinkofit。You’llonlyshirkitwhenthemomentcomes,andturnitallintocomedy。\"
Sheturnedroundabruptlyfromhimandstoodlookingoutacrosstheparadeattheshiningseaoverwhichtheafterglowofdayfledbeforetherisingmoon。Hemaintainedhisattitude。Theblindswerestillup,forshehadtoldthewaiternottodrawthem。Therewassilenceforsomemoments。
Atlasthespokeinaspersuasiveavoiceashecouldsummon。
\"Takeitsensibly,Jessie。Whyshouldwe,whohavesomuchincommon,quarrelintomelodrama?IswearIloveyou。Youareallthatisbrightanddesirabletome。Iamstrongerthanyou,older;mantoyourwoman。TofindYOUtoo——conventional!\"
Shelookedathimoverhershoulder,andhenoticedwithatwingeofdelighthowherlittlechincameoutbeneaththecurveofhercheek。
\"MAN!\"shesaid。\"MantoMYwoman!DoMENlie?WouldaMANusehisfiveandthirtyyears’experiencetooutwitagirlofseventeen?Mantomywomanindeed!Thatsurelyisthelastinsult!\"
\"Yourreparteeisadmirable,Jessie。Ishouldsaytheydo,though——allthatandmorealsowhentheirheartsweresetonsuchagirlasyourself。ForGod’ssakedropthisshrewishness!Whyshouldyoubeso——difficulttome?HereamIwithMYreputation,MYcareer,atyourfeet。Lookhere,Jessie——onmyhonour,Iwillmarryyou——\"
\"Godforbid,\"shesaid,sopromptlythatsheneverlearnthehadawife,eventhen。Itoccurredtohimthenforthefirsttime,intheflashofherretort,thatshedidnotknowhewasmarried。
\"’Tisonlyapre—nuptialsettlement,\"hesaid,followingthathint。
Hepaused。
\"Youmustbesensible。Thething’syourowndoing。Comeoutonthebeachnowthebeachhereissplendid,andthemoonwillsoonbehigh。\"
\"_I_WON’T\"shesaid,stampingherfoot。
\"Well,well——\"
\"Oh!leavemealone。Letmethink——\"
\"Think,\"hesaid,\"ifyouwantto。It’syourcryalways。Butyoucan’tsaveyourselfbythinking,mydeargirl。Youcan’tsaveyourselfinanywaynow。Ifsavingitis——thisparsimony——\"
\"Oh,go——go。\"
\"Verywell。Iwillgo。Iwillgoandsmokeacigar。Andthinkofyou,dear……ButdoyouthinkIshoulddoallthisifIdidnotcare?\"
\"Go,\"shewhispered,withoutglancinground。Shecontinuedtostareoutofthewindow。Hestoodlookingatherforamoment,withastrangelightinhiseyes。Hemadeasteptowardsher。\"I
HAVEyou,\",hesaid。\"Youaremine。Netted——caught。Butmine。\"Hewouldhavegoneuptoherandlaidhishanduponher,buthedidnotdaretodothatyet。\"Ihaveyouinmyhand,\"hesaid,\"inmypower。Doyouhear——POWER!\"
Sheremainedimpassive。Hestaredatherforhalfaminute,andthen,withasuperbgesturethatwaslostuponher,wenttothedoor。SurelytheinstinctiveabasementofhersexbeforeStrengthwasuponhisside。Hetoldhimselfthathisbattlewaswon。Sheheardthehandlemoveandthecatchclickasthedoorclosedbehindhim。
XXII
AndnowwithoutinthetwilightbeholdMr。Hoopdriver,hischeekshot,hiseyebright!Hisbrainisinatumult。Thenervous,obsequiousHoopdriver,towhomIintroducedyousomedayssince,hasundergoneawonderfulchange。Eversincehelostthat’spoor’
inChichester,hehasbeentormentedbythemosthorriblevisionsoftheshamefulinsultsthatmaybehappening。Thestrangenessofnewsurroundingshasbeenworkingtostripoffthehabitualservilefromhim。Herewasmoonlightrisingoverthememoryofaredsunset,darkshadowsandglowingorangelamps,beautysomewheremysteriouslyraptawayfromhim,tangiblewronginabrownsuitandanunpleasantface,floutinghim。Mr。Hoopdriverforthetime,wasintheworldofRomanceandKnight—errantry,divinelyforgetfulofhissocialpositionorhers;forgetting,too,forthetimeanyofthewretchedtimiditiesthathadtiedhimlongsincebehindthecounterinhisproperplace。Hewasangryandadventurous。Itwasallabouthim,thisvividdramahehadfalleninto,anditwaseludinghim。Hewasfartoogrimlyinearnesttopickupthatlostthreadandmakeaplayofitnow。
Themanwasliving。Hedidnotposewhenhealightedatthecofeetaverneven,norwhenhemadehishastymeal。
AsBechamelcrossedfromtheVicunatowardstheesplanade,Hoopdriver,disappointedandexasperated,camehurryingroundthecornerfromtheTemperanceHotel。AtthesightofBechamel,hisheartjumped,andthetensionofhisangrysuspenseexplodedinto,ratherthangaveplaceto,anexcitedactivityofmind。
TheywereattheVicuna,andshewastherenowalone。Itwastheoccasionhesought。ButhewouldgiveChancenochanceagainsthim。Hewentbackroundthecorner,satdownontheseat,andwatchedBechamelrecedeintothedimnessuptheesplanade,beforehegotupandwalkedintothehotelentrance。\"Aladycyclistingrey,\"heaskedfor,andfollowedboldlyonthewaiter’sheels。
Thedoorofthedining—roomwasopeningbeforehefeltaqualm。
Andthensuddenlyhewasnearlymindedtoturnandrunforit,andhisfeaturesseemedtohimtobeconvulsed。
Sheturnedwithastart,andlookedathimwithsomethingbetweenterrorandhopeinhereyes。
\"CanI——haveafewwords——withyou,alone?\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,controllinghisbreathwithdifficulty。Shehesitated,andthenmotionedthewaitertowithdraw。
Mr。Hoopdriverwatchedthedoorshut。Hehadintendedtostepoutintothemiddleoftheroom,foldhisarmsandsay,\"Youareintrouble。IamaFriend。Trustme。\"Insteadofwhichhestoodpantingandthenspokewithsuddenfamiliarity,hastily,guiltily:\"Lookhere。Idon’tknowwhatthejuiceisup,butI
thinkthere’ssomethingwrong。Excusemyintruding——ifitisn’tso。I’lldoanythingyouliketohelpyououtofthescrape——ifyou’reinone。That’smymeaning,Ibelieve。WhatcanIdo?I
woulddoanythingtohelpyou。\"
Herbrowpuckered,asshewatchedhimmake,withinfiniteemotion,thisremarkablespeech。\"YOU!\"shesaid。Shewastumultuouslyweighingpossibilitiesinhermind,andhehadscarcelyceasedwhenshehadmadeherresolve。
Shesteppedapaceforward。\"Youareagentleman,\"shesaid。
\"Yes,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。
\"CanItrustyou?\"
Shedidnotwaitforhisassurance。\"Imustleavethishotelatonce。Comehere。\"
Shetookhisarmandledhimtothewindow。
\"Youcanjustseethegate。Itisstillopen。Throughthatareourbicycles。Godown,getthemout,andIwillcomedowntoyou。
Dareyou?
\"Getyourbicycleoutintheroad?\"
\"Both。Minealoneisnogood。Atonce。Dareyou?\"
\"Whichway?\"
\"Gooutbythefrontdoorandround。Iwillfollowinoneminute。\"
\"Right!\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,andwent。
Hehadtogetthosebicycles。HadhebeentoldtogooutandkillBechamelhewouldhavedoneit。HisheadwasaMaeIstromnow。Hewalkedoutofthehotel,alongthefront,andintothebig,blackshadowedcoachyard。Helookedround。Therewerenobicyclesvisible。Thenamanemergedfromthedark,ashortmaninashort,black,shinyjacket。Hoopdriverwascaught。Hemadenoattempttoturnandrunforit。\"I’vebeengivingyourmachinesawipeover,sir,\"saidtheman,recognisingthesuit,andtouchinghiscap。Hoopdriver’sintelligencenowwasasoaringeagle;heswoopedonthesituationatonce。\"That’sright,\"hesaid,andadded,beforethepausebecamemarked,\"Whereismine?Iwanttolookatthechain。\"
Themanledhimintoanopenshed,andwentfumblingforalantern。Hoopdrivermovedthelady’smachineoutofhiswaytothedoor,andthenlaidhandsontheman’smachineandwheeleditoutoftheshedintotheyard。Thegatestoodopenandbeyondwasthepaleroadandaclumpoftreesblackinthetwilight。Hestoopedandexaminedthechainwithtremblingfingers。Howwasittobedone?Somethingbehindthegateseemedtoflutter。Themanmustbegotridofanyhow。
\"Isay,\"saidHoopdriver,withaninspiration,\"canyougetmeascrewdriver?\"
Themansimplywalkedacrosstheshed,openedandshutabox,andcameuptothekneelingHoopdriverwithascrewdriverinhishand。Hoopdriverfelthimselfalostman。Hetookthescrewdriverwithatepid\"Thanks,\"andincontinentlyhadanotherinspiration。
\"Isay,\"hesaidagain。
\"Well?\"
\"Thisismilestoobig。\"
Themanlitthelantern,broughtituptoHoopdriverandputitdownontheground。\"Wantasmallerscrewdriver?\"hesaid。
HoopdriverhadhishandkerchiefoutandsneezedapromptATICHEW。
Itistheorthodoxthingwhenyouwishtoavoidrecognition。\"Assmallasyouhave,\"hesaid,outofhispockethandkerchief。
\"Iain’tgotnonesmallerthanthat,\"saidtheostler。
\"Won’tdo,really,\"saidHoopdriver,stillwallowinginhishandkerchief。
\"I’llseewottheygotinthe’ouse,ifyoulike,sir,\"saidtheman。\"Ifyouwould,\"saidHoopdriver。Andastheman’sheavilynailedbootswentclatteringdowntheyard,Hoopdriverstoodup,tookanoiselesssteptothelady’smachine,laidtremblinghandsonitshandleandsaddle,andpreparedforarush。
Thescullerydooropenedmomentarilyandsentabeamofwarm,yellowlightuptheroad,shutagainbehindtheman,andforthwithHoopdriverrushedthemachinestowardsthegate。Adarkgreyformcameflutteringtomeethim。\"Givemethis,\"shesaid,\"andbringyours。\"
Hepassedthethingtoher,touchedherhandinthedarkness,ranback,seizedBechamel’smachine,andfollowed。
Theyellowlightofthescullerydoorsuddenlyflasheduponthecobblesagain。Itwastoolatenowtodoanythingbutescape。Heheardtheostlershoutbehindhim,andcameintotheroad。Shewasupanddimalready。Hegotintothesaddlewithoutablunder。
Inamomenttheostlerwasinthegatewaywithafull—throated\"HI!sir!Thatain’tallowed;\"andHoopdriverwasovertakingtheYoungLadyinGrey。Forsomemomentstheearthseemedalivewithshoutsof,\"Stop’em!\"andtheshadowswithambuscadesofpolice。
Theroadsweptround,andtheywereridingoutofsightofthehotel,andbehinddarkhedges,sidebyside。
Shewasweepingwithexcitementasheovertookher。\"Brave,\"shesaid,\"brave!\"andheceasedtofeellikeahuntedthief。Helookedoverhisshoulderandabouthim,andsawthattheywerealreadyoutofBognor——fortheVicunastandsattheverywesternmostextremityoftheseafront——andridingonafairwideroad。
XXIII
Theostler(beingafool)rushedviolentlydowntheroadvociferatingafterthem。ThenhereturnedpantingtotheVicunaHotel,andfindingagroupofmenoutsidetheentrance,whowantedtoknowwhatwasUP,stoppedtogivethemthecreamoftheadventure。Thatgavethefugitivesfiveminutes。Thenpushingbreathlesslyintothebar,hehadtomakeitcleartothebarmaidwhatthematterwas,andthe’gov’nor’beingout,theyspentsomemoreprecioustimewondering’what——EVER’wastobedone!inwhichthetwocustomersreturningfromoutsidejoinedwithanimation。Therewerealsomoralremarksandotherirrelevantcontributions。Therewereconflictingideasoftellingthepoliceandpursuingtheflyingcoupleonahorse。Thatmadetenminutes。
ThenStephen,thewaiter,whohadshownHoopdriverup,camedownandlitwonderfullightsandstartedquiteafreshdiscussionbythesimplequestion\"WHICH?\"Thatturnedtenminutesintoaquarterofanhour。Andinthemidstofthisdiscussion,makingasuddenandawestrickensilence,appearedBechamelinthehallbeyondthebar,walkedwitharesoluteairtothefootofthestaircase,andpassedoutofsight。Youconceivethebackwardpitchofthatexceptionallyshapedcranium?Incredulouseyesstaredintooneanother’sinthebar,ashispaces,muffledbythestaircarpet,wentuptothelanding,turned,reachedthepassageandwalkedintothedining—roomoverhead。
\"Itwasn’tthatoneatall,miss,\"saidtheostler,\"I’dSWEAR\"
\"Well,that’sMr。Beaumont,\"saidthebarmaid,\"——anyhow。\"
Theirconversationhungcomatoseintheair,switchedupbyBechamel。Theylistenedtogether。Hisfeetstopped。Turned。Wentoutofthediningroom。Downthepassagetothebedroom。Stoppedagain。
\"Poorchap!\"saidthebarmaid。\"She’sawickedwoman!\"
\"Sssh!\"saidStephen。
AfterapauseBechamelwentbacktothedining—room。Theyheardachaircreakunderhim。Interludeofconversationaleyebrows。
\"I’mgoingup,\"saidStephen,\"tobreakthemelancholynewstohim。\"
Bechamellookedupfromaweek—oldnewspaperas,withoutknocking,Stephenentered。Bechamel’sfacesuggestedadifferentexpectation。\"Begpardon,sir,\"saidStephen,withadiplomaticcough。
\"Well?\"saidBechamel,wonderingsuddenlyifJessiehadkeptsomeofherthreats。Ifso,hewasinforanexplanation。Buthehaditready。Shewasamonomaniac。\"Leavemealonewithher,\"hewouldsay;\"Iknowhowtocalmher。\"
\"Mrs。Beaumont,\"saidStephen。
\"WELL?\"
\"Hasgone。\"
Herosewithafinesurprise。\"Gone!\"hesaidwithahalflaugh。
\"Gone,sir。Onherbicycle。\"
\"Onherbicycle!Why?\"
\"Shewent,sir,withAnotherGentleman。\"
ThistimeBechamelwasreallystartled。\"An——otherGentlemen!
WHO?\"
\"Anothergentlemaninbrown,sir。Wentintotheyard,sir,gotoutthetwobicycles,sir,andwentoff,sir——abouttwentyminutesago。\"
Bechamelstoodwithhiseyesroundandhisknuckleonhiships。
Stephen,watchinghimwithimmenseenjoyment,speculatedwhetherthisabandonedhusbandwouldweeporcurse,orrushoffatonceinfuriouspursuit。Butasyetheseemedmerelystunned。
\"Brownclothes?\"hesaid。\"Andfairish?\"
\"Alittlelikeyourself,sir——inthedark。Theostler,sir,JimDuke——\"
Bechamellaughedawry。Then,withinfinitefervour,hesaid——Butletusputinblankcartridge——hesaid,\"——————!\"
\"Imighthavethought!\"
Heflunghimselfintothearmchair。
\"Damnher,\"saidBechamel,foralltheworldlikeacommonman。
\"I’llchuckthisinfernalbusiness!They’vegone,eigh?\"
\"Yessir。\"
Well,let’emGO,\"saidBechamel,makingamemorablesaying。\"Let’emGO。Whocares?AndIwishhimluck。AndbringmesomeBourbonasfastasyoucan,there’sagoodchap。I’lltakethat,andthenI’llhaveanotherlookroundBognorbeforeIturnin。\"
Stephenwastoosurprisedtosayanythingbut\"Bourbon,sir?\"
\"Goon,\"saidBechamel。\"Damnyou!\"
Stephen’ssympathieschangedatonce。\"Yessir,\"hemurmured,fumblingforthedoorhandle,andlefttheroom,marvelling。
Bechamel,havinginthiswaysatisfiedhissenseofappearances,andcomportedhimselfasaPaganshould,sosoonasthewaiter’sfootstepshadpassed,ventedthecreamofhisfeelingsinastreamofblasphemousindecency。WhetherhiswifeorHER
stepmotherhadsentthedetective,SHEhadevidentlygoneoffwithhim,andthatlittlebusinesswasover。Andhewashere,strandedandsold,anass,andasitwere,thesonofmanygenerationsofasses。Andhisonlyrayofhopewasthatitseemedmoreprobable,afterall,thatthegirlhadescapedthroughherstepmother。Inwhichcasethebusinessmightbehushedupyet,andtheevilhourofexplanationwithhiswifeindefinitelypostponed。Thenabruptlytheimageofthatlithefigureingreyknickerbockerswentfriskingacrosshismindagain,andherevertedtohisblasphemies。Hestartedupinagustyfrenzywithavagueideaofpursuit,andincontinentlysatdownagainwithaconcussionthatstirredthebarbelowtoitsdepths。Hebangedthearmsofthechairwithhisfist,andsworeagain。\"Ofalltheaccursedfoolsthatwereeverspawned,\"hewaschanting,\"I,Bechamel——\"whenwithanabrupttapandpromptopeningofthedoor,StephenenteredwiththeBourbon。
THEMOONLIGHTRIDE
XXIV
Andsothetwentyminutes’lawpassedintoaninfinity。WeleavethewickedBechamelclothinghimselfwithcursingaswithagarment,——thewretchedcreaturehasalreadysufficientlysulliedourmodestbuttruthfulpages,——weleavetheeagerlittlegroupinthebaroftheVicunaHotel,weleaveallBognoraswehaveleftallChichesterandMidhurstandHaslemereandGuildfordandRipleyandPutney,andfollowthisdearfoolofaHoopdriverofoursandhisYoungLadyinGreyoutuponthemoonlightroad。Howtheyrode!Howtheirheartsbeattogetherandtheirbreathcamefast,andhoweveryshadowwasanticipationandeverynoisepursuit!ForallthatflightMr。HoopdriverwasintheworldofRomance。Hadapolicemanintervenedbecausetheirlampswerenotlit,Hoopdriverhadcuthimdownandriddenon,afterthefashionofaheroborn。HadBechamelariseninthewaywithrapiersforaduel,HoopdriverhadfoughtasonetowhomAgincourtwasarealityanddraperyadream。ItwasRescue,Elopement,Glory!Andshebythesideofhim!Hehadseenherfaceinshadow,withthemorningsunlighttangledinherhair,hehadseenhersympatheticwiththatwarmlightinherface,hehadseenhertroubledandhereyesbrightwithtears。Butwhatlightistherelightingafacelikehers,tocomparewiththesoftglamourofthemidsummermoon?
Theroadturnednorthward,goingroundthroughtheoutskirtsofBognor,inoneplacedarkandheavyunderathickgrowthoftrees,thenamidstvillasagain,somewarmandlamplit,somewhiteandsleepinginthemoonlight;thenbetweenhedges,overwhichtheysawbroadwanmeadowsshroudedinalow—lyingmist。
Theyscarcelyheededwhithertheyrodeatfirst,beingonlyanxioustogetaway,turningoncewestwardwhenthespireofChichestercathedralrosesuddenlynearthemoutofthedewynight,paleandintricateandhigh。Theyrode,speakinglittle,justararewordnowandthen,ataturning,atafootfall,ataroughnessintheroad。
Sheseemedtobetoointentuponescapetogivemuchthoughttohim,butafterthefirsttumultoftheadventure,asflightpassedintomeresteadyridin@@hismindbecameanenormousappreciationoftheposition。Thenightwasawarmwhitesilencesaveforthesubtilerunningoftheirchains。Helookedsidewaysatherasshesatbesidehimwithheranklesgracefullyrulingthetreadles。Nowtheroadturnedwestward,andshewasadarkgreyoutlineagainsttheshimmerofthemoon;andnowtheyfacednorthwards,andthesoftcoldlightpassedcaressinglyoverherhairandtouchedherbrowandcheek。
Thereisamagicqualityinmoonshine;ittouchesallthatissweetandbeautiful,andtherestofthenightishidden。Ithascreatedthefairies,whomthesunlightkills,andfairylandrisesagaininourheartsatthesightofit,thevoicesofthefilmyroute,andtheirfaint,soul—piercingmelodies。Bythemoonlighteveryman,dullclodthoughhebebyday,tastessomethingofEndymion,takessomethingoftheyouthandstrengthofEnidymion,andseesthedearwhitegoddessshiningathimfromhisLady’seyes。Thefirmsubstantialdaylightthingsbecomeghostlyandelusive,thehillsbeyondareaseaofunsubstantialtexture,theworldavisiblespirit,thespiritualwithinusrisesoutofitsdarkness,losessomethingofitsweightandbody,andswimsuptowardsheaven。Thisroadthatwasamereruttedwhitedust,hotunderfoot,blindingtotheeye,isnowasoftgreysilence,withtheglitterofacrystalgrainsetstarlikeinitssilverhereandthere。Overhead,ridingserenelythroughthespaciousblue,isthemotherofthesilence,shewhohasspiritualisedtheworld,alonesavefortwoattendantsteadyshiningstars。Andinsilenceunderherbenigninfluence,underthebenedictionofherlight,rodeourtwowandererssidebysidethroughthetransfiguredandtransfiguringnight。
NowherewasthemoonshiningquitesobrightlyasinMr。
Hoopdriver’sskull。Attheturningsoftheroadhemadehisdecisionswithanairofprofoundpromptitude(andquitehaphazard)。\"TheRight,\"hewouldsay。Oragain\"TheLeft,\"asonewhoknew。Soitwasthatinthespaceofanhourtheycameabruptlydownalittlelane,fulltiltuponthesea。Greybeachtotherightofthemandtotheleft,andalittlewhitecottagefastasleepinlandofasleepingfishing—boat。\"Hullo!\"saidMr。
Hoopdriver,sottovoce。Theydismountedabruptly。Stuntedoaksandthornsroseoutofthehazeofmoonlightthatwastangledinthehedgeoneitherside。
\"Youaresafe,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,sweepingoffhiscapwithanairandbowingcourtly。
\"Wherearewe?\"
\"SAFE。\"
\"ButWHERE?\"
\"ChichesterHarbour。\"Hewavedhisarmseawardasthoughitwasagoal。
\"Doyouthinktheywillfollowus?\"
\"Wehaveturnedandturnedagain。\"
ItseemedtoHoopdriverthatheheardhersob。Shestooddimlythere,holdinghermachine,andhe,holdinghis,couldgononearertohertoseeifshesobbedforweepingorforwantofbreath。\"Whatarewetodonow?\"hervoiceasked。
\"Areyoutired?\"heasked。
\"Iwilldowhathastobedone。\"
Thetwoblackfiguresinthebrokenlightweresilentforaspace。\"Doyouknow,\"shesaid,\"Iamnotafraidofyou。Iamsureyouarehonesttome。AndIdonotevenknowyourname!\"
Hewastakenwithasuddenshameofhishomelypatronymic。\"It’sanuglyname,\"hesaid。\"Butyouarerightintrustingme。I
would——Iwoulddoanythingforyou……Thisisnothing。\"
Shecaughtatherbreath。Shedidnotcaretoaskwhy。ButcomparedwithBechamel!——\"Wetakeeachotherontrust,\"shesaid。
\"Doyouwanttoknow——howthingsarewithme?\"
\"Thatman,\"shewenton,aftertheassentofhislisteningsilence,\"promisedtohelpandprotectme。Iwasunhappyathome——nevermindwhy。Astepmother——Idle,unoccupied,hindered,cramped,thatisenough,perhaps。Thenhecameintomylife,andtalkedtomeofartandliterature,andsetmybrainonfire。I
wantedtocomeoutintotheworld,tobeahumanbeing——notathinginahutch。Andhe——\"
\"Iknow,\"saidHoopdriver。
\"AndnowhereIam——\"
\"Iwilldoanything,\"saidHoopdriver。
Shethought。\"Youcannotimaginemystepmother。No!Icouldnotdescribeher——\"
\"Iamentirelyatyourservice。Iwillhelpyouwithallmypower。\"
\"IhavelostanIllusionandfoundaKnight—errant。\"ShespokeofBechamelastheIllusion。
Mr。Hoopdriverfeltflattered。Buthehadnoadequateanswer。
\"I’mthinking,\"hesaid,fullofaraptureofprotectiveresponsibility,\"whatwehadbestbedoing。Youaretired,youknow。Andwecan’twanderallnight——afterthedaywe’vehad。\"
\"ThatwasChichesterwewerenear?\"sheasked。
\"If,\"hemeditated,withatrembleinhisvoice,\"youwouldmakeMEyourbrother,MISSBEAUMONT。\"
\"Yes?\"
\"Wecouldstoptheretogether——\"
Shetookaminutetoanswer。\"Iamgoingtolighttheselamps,\"
saidHoopdriver。Hebentdowntohisown,andstruckamatchonhisshoe。Shelookedathisfaceinitslight,graveandintent。
Howcouldsheeverhavethoughthimcommonorabsurd?
\"Butyoumusttellmeyourname——brother,\"shesaid,\"Er——Carrington,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,afteramomentarypause。
WhowouldbeHoopdriveronanightlikethis?
\"ButtheChristianname?\"
\"Christianname?MYChristianname。Well——Chris。\"Hesnappedhislampandstoodup。\"Ifyouwillholdmymachine,Iwilllightyours,\"hesaid。
Shecameroundobedientlyandtookhismachine,andforamomenttheystoodfacetoface。\"Myname,brotherChris,\"shesaid,\"isJessie。\"
Helookedintohereyes,andhisexcitementseemedarrested。