The Highwayman Page 6

  CHAPTER VI

  HARRY IS NOT GRATEFUL

  Where the lane from Fortis Green crosses the high road there stood anale-house. On the wettest days, and some others, the place was Harry'sresort. Not that he had a liking for ale-house company--or indeed anycompany. But within the precincts of the Wavertons' house tobacco wasforbidden and--all the more for that--tobacco he loved with a soliddevotion. The alehouse of the cross roads offered a clean floor, a cleanfire, air not too foul, a tolerable chair, a landlord who did not talk,and until evening, sufficient solitude. There Harry smoked many pipes intranquillity until the day when on his entry he found Mr. Hadley'ssardonic face waiting for him. He liked Charles Hadley less than many menwhom he more despised. Nobody in a position just better than menial canbe expected to like the condescending mockery which was Mr. Hadley's_metier_. But Harry--it is one of his most noble qualities--bore beinglaughed at well enough. What most annoyed him was Mr. Hadley's parade ofa surly, austere virtue. He did not doubt that it was sincere. He couldmore easily have forgiven it if it had been hypocritical. A man had nobusiness to be so mighty honest.

  Mr. Hadley nodded at Harry, who said it was a dirty day, and called forhis pot of small ale and his pennyworth of Spanish tobacco. Mr. Hadleywas civil enough to pass him a pipe from the box. Both gentlemen smokedin grave silence.

  "So you are still with us," said Mr. Hadley.

  "By your good leave, sir."

  "I had an apprehension the Colonel was going to ravish you away."

  "I hope I am still of some use to Mr. Waverton."

  "Damme, you might be the old family retainer. 'Faithful service of theantique world,' egad. I suppose you will end your days with Geoffrey, andbe buried at his feet like a trusty hound."

  "If you please, sir."

  They looked at each other. "Well, Mr. Boyce, I beg your pardon," Hadleysaid. "But you'll allow you are irritating to a plain man."

  "I do not desire it, sir."

  "I may hold my tongue and mind my own business, eh? Why not take mefriendly?"

  "I intend you no harm, Mr. Hadley."

  "That's devilish good of you, Mr. Boyce. To be plain with you, what doyou want here?"

  "Here? Oh Lord, sir, I come to smoke my pipe!"

  "And what if I come to smoke you? Odds life, I know you are no fool. Dome the honour to take me for none. And tell me, if you please, why do youchoose to be Master Geoffrey's gentleman in waiting? You are good forbetter than that, Mr. Boyce."

  "No doubt, sir. But it brings me bread and butter."

  "You could earn that fighting in Flanders."

  Harry shrugged. "I am not very brave, Mr. Hadley."

  "You count upon staying here, do you?"

  "If I can satisfy Mr. Waverton," said Harry meekly.

  Hadley's face grew harder. "I vow I do my best to wish you well,Mr. Boyce. I should be glad to hear that you'll give up walking inthe woods."

  There was a moment of silence. "I did not know that I had asked for youradvice, sir." Harry said. "I am not grateful for it."

  "Damme, that's the first honest answer you have made," Hadley cried."Look 'e, Mr. Boyce, I am as much your friend as I may be. I have anuncle which was the lady's guardian. If I said a word to him he wouldcarry it to Lady Waverton in a gouty rage. There would be a swift end ofMr. Boyce the tutor. Well, I would not desire that. For all your airs,I'll believe you a man of honour. And I ask you what's to become of Mr.Boyce the tutor seeking private meetings with the Lambourne heiress?Egad, sir, you were made for better things than such a mean business."

  "Honour!" Harry sneered. "Were you talking of men of honour? I supposethere is good cover in the woods, Mr. Hadley."

  Hadley stared at him. "It was not good enough, you see, sir." He knockedout his pipe and stood up. "Bah, this is childish. You don't think me aknave, nor I you. I have said my say, and I mean you well."

  "I believe that, Mr. Hadley"--Harry met him with level eyes--"and I amnot grateful."

  "You know who she is meant for."

  "I know that the lady might call us both impudent."

  "Would that break your bones? Come, sir, the lady hath been destined forMaster Geoffrey since she had hair and never has rebelled."

  "Lord, Mr. Hadley, are you destiny?"

  Mr. Hadley let that by with an impatient shrug. "So if you be fool enoughto have ambitions after her, you would wear a better face in eating nomore of Master Geoffrey's bread."

  "It's a good day for walking, Mr. Hadley. Which way do you go? For I gothe other."

  "I hope so," Mr. Hadley agreed, and on that the two gentlemen parted,both something warm.

  We should flatter him in supposing Harry Boyce of a chivalrous delicacy.Whether the lady's fair fame might be the worse for him was a question ofwhich he never thought. It is certain that he did not blame himself forusing his place as Geoffrey's paid servant to damage Geoffrey in hisaffections. And indeed you will agree that he was innocent of anydesigned attack upon the lady. Yet Mr. Hadley succeeded in making himvery uncomfortable.

  What most troubled him, I conceive, was the fear of being ridiculous. Theposition of a poor tutor aspiring to the favours of the heiress destinedfor his master invites the unkind gibe. And Harry could not be sure thatAlison herself was free from the desire to make him a figure of scorn.Such a suspicion might disconcert the most ardent of lovers. HarryBoyce, whatever his abilities in the profession, was not that yet. Butthe very fact that he had come to feel an ache of longing for Alison madehim for once dread laughter. If he had been manoeuvring for what he couldget by her, or if he had been merely taken by her good looks, he mighthave met jeering with a brazen face. But she had engaged his most privateemotions, and to have them made ludicrous would be of all possiblepunishments most intolerable. The precise truth of what he felt for herthen was, I suppose, that he wanted to make her his own--wanted to haveall of her in his power; and a gentleman whom the world--and thelady--are laughing at for an aspiring menial cannot comfortably thinkabout his right to possess her.

  There was something else. He was not meticulously delicate, but he had acomplete practical sanity. He saw very well that even if Alison, by thechance of circumstance, had some infatuation for him, she might soonrepent: he saw that even if the affair went with romantic success--athing hardly possible--his position and hers might be awkward enough.Her friends would be long in forgiving either of them, and find waysenough to hurt them both. Mr. Hadley, confound him, spoke the commonsense of mankind.

  There was one solution--that estimable father. By the time he came backto the house on Tether-down, Harry was resolved to enlist under theambiguous banner of Colonel Boyce.