Peter's Mother, Page 3

  CHAPTER II

  The justice-room was a small apartment in the older portion ofBarracombe House; the low windows were heavily latticed, and facedwest.

  Sir Timothy sat before his writing-table, which was heaped withpapers, directories, and maps; but he could no longer see to read orwrite. He made a stiff pretence of rising to greet the doctor as heentered, and then resumed his elbow-chair.

  The rapidly failing daylight showed a large elderly, rather pompousgentleman, with a bald head, grizzled whiskers, and heavy plebeianfeatures.

  His face was smooth and unwrinkled, as the faces of prosperous andself-satisfied persons sometimes are, even after sixty, which was theage Sir Timothy had attained.

  Dr. Blundell, who sat opposite his patient, was neither prosperous norself-satisfied.

  His dark clean-shaven face was deeply lined; care or over-work hadfurrowed his brow; and the rather unkempt locks of black hair whichfell over it were streaked with white. From the deep-set brown eyeslooked sadness and fatigue, as well as a great kindness for hisfellow-men.

  "I came the moment I received your letter," he said. "I had no ideayou were back from London already."

  "Dr. Blundell," said Sir Timothy, pompously, "when I took the veryunusual step of leaving home the day before yesterday, I had resolvedto follow the advice you gave me. I went to fulfil an appointment Ihad made with a specialist."

  "With Sir James Power?"

  "No, with a man named Herslett. You may have heard of him."

  "Heard of him!" ejaculated Blundell. "Why, he's world-famous! A newman. Very clever, of course. If anything, a greater authority. Only Ifancied you would perhaps prefer an older, graver man."

  "No doubt I committed a breach of medical etiquette," said SirTimothy, in self-satisfied tones. "But I fancied you might havewritten _your_ version of the case to Power. Ah, you did? Exactly. ButI was determined to have an absolutely unbiassed opinion."

  "Well," said Blundell, gently.

  "Well--I got it, that's all," said Sir Timothy. The triumph seemed todie out of his voice.

  "Was it--unsatisfactory?"

  "Not from your point of view," said the squire, with a heavyjocularity which did not move the doctor to mirth. "I'm bound to sayhe confirmed your opinion exactly. But he took a far more serious viewof my case than you do."

  "Did he?" said Blundell, turning away his head.

  "The operation you suggested as a possible necessity must beimmediate. He spoke of it quite frankly as the only possible chance ofsaving my life, which is further endangered by every hour of delay."

  "Fortunately," said Blundell, cheerfully, "you have a fineconstitution, and you have lived a healthy abstemious life. That isall in your favour."

  "I am over sixty years of age," said Sir Timothy, coldly, "and theordeal before me is a very severe one, as you must be well aware. Imust take the risk of course, but the less said about the matter thebetter."

  Dr. Blundell had always regarded Sir Timothy Crewys as a commonplacecontradictory gentleman, beset by prejudices which belonged properlyto an earlier generation, and of singularly narrow sympathies andinterests. He believed him to be an upright man according to hislights, which were not perhaps very brilliant lights after all; but heknew him to be one whom few people found it possible to like, partlyon account of his arrogance, which was excessive; and partly onaccount of his want of consideration for the feelings of others, whicharose from lack of perception.

  People are disliked more often for a bad manner than for a bad heart.The one is their private possession--the other they obtrude on theiracquaintance.

  Sir Timothy's heart was not bad, and he cared less for being likedthan for being respected. He was the offspring of a _mesalliance_; andgreatly over-estimating the importance in which his family was held,he imagined he would be looked down upon for this mischance, unless hekept people at a distance and in awe of him. The idea was a foolishone, no doubt, but then Sir Timothy was not a wise man; on thecontrary, his lifelong determination to keep himself loftily apartfrom his fellow-men had resulted in an almost extraordinary ignoranceof the world he lived in--a world which Sir Timothy regarded as a wildand misty place, peopled largely and unnecessarily with savages andforeigners, and chiefly remarkable for containing England; as Englandjustified its existence by holding Devonshire, and more especiallyBarracombe.

  Sir Timothy had never been sent to school, and owed such education ashe possessed almost entirely to his half-sisters. These ladieswere considerably his seniors, and had in turn been brought up atBarracombe by their grandmother; whose maxims they still quoted, andwhose ideas they had scarcely outgrown. Under the circumstances, thenarrowness of his outlook was perhaps hardly to be wondered at.

  But the dull immovability and sense of importance which characterizedhim now seemed to the doctor to be almost tragically charged with thetypical matter-of-fact courage of the Englishman; who displays neitherfear nor emotion; and who would regard with horror the suspicion thatsuch repression might be heroic.

  "When is it to be?" said Blundell.

  "To-morrow."

  "To-morrow!"

  "And here," said Sir Timothy; "Dr. Herslett objected, but I insisted.I won't be ill in a strange house. I shall recover far morerapidly--if I am to recover--among my people, in my native air. Londonstifles me. I dislike crowds and noise. I hate novelty. If I am todie, I will die at home."

  "Herslett himself performs the operation, of course?"

  "Yes. He is to arrive at Brawnton to-night, and sleep there. I shallsend the carriage over for him and his assistants early to-morrowmorning. You, of course, will meet him here, and the operation is totake place at eleven o'clock."

  In his alarm lest the doctor might be moved to express sympathy, SirTimothy spoke with unusual severity.

  Dr. Blundell understood, and was silent.

  "I sent for you, of course, to let you know all this," said SirTimothy, "but I wished, also, to introduce you to my cousin, JohnCrewys, who came down with me."

  "The Q.C.?"

  "Exactly. I have made him my executor and trustee, and guardian of myson."

  "Jointly with Lady Mary, I presume?" said the doctor, unguardedly.

  "Certainly not," said Sir Timothy, stiffly. "Lady Mary has never beentroubled with business matters. That is why I urged John to come downwith me. In case--anything--happens to-morrow, his support will beinvaluable to her. I have a high opinion of him. He has succeeded inlife through his own energy, and he is the only member of my familywho has never applied to me for assistance. I inquired the reason onthe journey down, for I know that at one time he was in very poorcircumstances; and he replied that he would rather have starved thanhave asked me for sixpence. I call that a very proper spirit."

  The doctor made no comment on the anecdote. "May I ask how Lady Maryis bearing this suspense?" he asked.

  "Lady Mary knows nothing of the matter," said the squire, ratherpeevishly.

  "You have not prepared her?"

  "No; and I particularly desire she and my sisters should hear nothingof it. If this is to be my last evening on earth, I should not wish itto be clouded by tears and lamentations, which might make it difficultfor me to maintain my own self-command. Herslett said I was not tobe agitated. I shall bid them all good night just as usual. Inthe morning I beg you will be good enough to make the necessaryexplanations. Lady Mary need hear nothing of it till it is over, foryou know she never leaves her room before twelve--a habit I have oftendeplored, but which is highly convenient on this occasion."

  Dr. Blundell reflected for a moment. "May I venture to remonstratewith you, Sir Timothy?" he said. "I fear Lady Mary may be deeplyshocked and hurt at being thus excluded from your confidence in soserious a case. Should anything go wrong," he added bluntly, "it wouldbe difficult to account to her even for my own reticence."

  Sir Timothy rose majestic from his chair. "You will say that _I_forbade you to make the communication," he said, with rather adispleased air.

  "I beg your
pardon," said Dr. Blundell, "but--"

  "I am not offended," interrupted Sir Timothy, mistaking remonstrancefor apology. He was quite honestly incapable of supposing that hisphysician would presume to argue with him.

  "You do not, very naturally, understand Lady Mary's disposition aswell as I do," he said, almost graciously. "She has been shelteredfrom anxiety, from trouble of every kind, since her childhood. To me,more than a quarter of a century her senior, she seems, indeed, stillalmost a child."

  Dr. Blundell coloured. "Yet she is the mother of a grown-up son," hesaid.

  "Peter grown-up! Nonsense! A schoolboy."

  "Eighteen," said the doctor, shortly. "You don't wish him sent for?"

  "Most certainly not. The Christmas holidays are only just over. Restassured, Dr. Blundell," said Sir Timothy, with grim emphasis, "that Ishall give Peter no excuse for leaving his work, if I can help it."

  There was a tap at the door. The squire lowered his voice and spokehurriedly.

  "If it is the canon, tell him, in confidence, what I have told you,and say that I should wish him to be present to-morrow, in hisofficial capacity, in case of--"

  It was the canon, whose rosy good-humoured countenance appeared in thedoorway whilst Sir Timothy was yet speaking.

  "I hope I am not interrupting," he said, "but the ladies desiredme--that is, Lady Belstone and Miss Crewys desired me--to let you knowthat tea was ready."

  The canon had an innocent surprised face like a baby; he wasconstitutionally timid and amiable, and his dislike of argument, or ofa loud voice, almost amounted to fear.

  Sir Timothy mistook his nervousness for proper respect, and maintaineda distant but condescending graciousness towards him.

  "I hear you came back by the afternoon train, Sir Timothy. A Londonouting is a rare thing for you. I hope you enjoyed yourself," said thecanon, with a meaningless laugh.

  "I transacted my business successfully, thank you," said Sir Timothy,gravely.

  "Brought back any fresh news of the war?"

  "None at all."

  "I hear the call for more men has been responded to all over thecountry. It's a fine thing, so many young fellows ready and willing tolay down their lives for their country."

  "Very few young men, I believe," said Sir Timothy, frigidly, "canresist any opportunity to be concerned in brawling and bloodshed,especially when it is legalized under the name of war. My respect isreserved for the steady workers at home."

  "And how much peace would the steady workers at home enjoy without thebrawlers abroad to defend them, I wonder!" cried the canon, flushingall over his rosy face, and then suddenly faltering as he met the coldsurprise of the squire's grey eyes.

  "I have some letters to finish before post time," said Sir Timothy,after an impressive short pause of displeasure. "I will join youpresently, Dr. Blundell, at the tea-table, if you will return to theladies with Canon Birch."

  Sir Timothy rang for lights, and his visitors closed the door of thestudy behind them. Dr. Blundell's backward glance showed him the talland portly form silhouetted against the window; the last gleam ofdaylight illuminating the iron-grey hair; the face turned towardsthe hilltop, where the spires of the skeleton larches were sharplyoutlined against a clear western sky.

  "What made you harp upon the war, man, knowing what his opinionsare?" the doctor asked vexedly, as he stumbled along the uneven stonepassage towards the hall.

  "I did not exactly intend to do so; but I declare, the moment I seeSir Timothy, every subject I wish to avoid seems to fly to the tipof my tongue," said the poor canon, apologetically; "though I had areason for alluding to the war to-night--a good reason, as I think youwill acknowledge presently. I want your advice, doctor."

  "Not for yourself, I hope," said the doctor, absently.

  "Come into the gun-room for one moment," said Birch. "It is veryimportant. Do you know I've a letter from Peter?"

  "From Peter! Why should _you_ have a letter from Peter?" said thedoctor, and his uninterested tone became alert.

  "I'm sure I don't know why not. I was always fond of Peter," said thecanon, humbly. "Will you cast your eye over it? You see, it's writtenfrom Eton, and posted two days later in London."

  Dr. Blundell read the letter, which was written in a schoolboy hand,and not guiltless of mistakes in spelling.

  "_DEAR CANON BIRCH_,

  "_As my father wouldn't hear of my going out to South Africa, I'vetaken the law into my own hands. I wrote to my mother's cousin, LordFerries, to ask him to include me in his yeomanry corps. Of courseI let him suppose papa was willing and anxious, which perhaps was alow-down game, but I remembered that all's fair in love and war; andbesides, I consider papa very nearly a pro-Boer. We've orders to sailon Friday, which is sharp work; but I should be eternally disgracednow if they stopped me. As my father never listens to reason, far lessto me, you had better explain to him that if he's any regard for thehonour of our name, he's no choice left. I expect my mother had betternot be told till I'm gone, or she will only fret over what can't behelped. I'll write to her on board, once we're safely started. I knowyou're all right about the war, so you can tell papa I was ashamed tobe playing football while fellows younger than me, and fellows whocan't shoot or ride as I can, are going off to South Africa everyday._

  "_Yours affectionately_,

  "_PETER CREWYS_.

  "_P.S._--_Hope you won't mind this job. I did try to get papa's leavefair and square first_."

  "I always said Peter was a fine fellow at bottom," said Canon Birch,anxiously scanning the doctor's frowning face.

  "He's an infernal self-willed, obstinate, heartless young cub on top,then," said Blundell.

  "He's a chip of the old block, no doubt," said the canon; "butstill"--his admiration of Peter's boldness was perceptible in hisvoice--"he doesn't share his father's reprehensible opinions on thesubject of the war."

  "Sons generally begin life by differing from their fathers, and end byimitating them," said Blundell, sharply. "Birch, we must stop him."

  "I don't see how," said the canon; and he indulged in a gentlechuckle. "The young rascal has laid his plans too well. He sailsto-morrow. I telegraphed inquiries. Ferries' Horse are going by the_Rosmore Castle_ to-morrow morning at eleven o'clock."

  Dr. Blundell made an involuntary movement, which the canon did notperceive.

  "I don't relish the notion of breaking this news to Sir Timothy. But Ithought we could consult together, you and me, how to do it," said theinnocent gentleman. "There's no doubt, you know, that it must be doneat once, or he can't get to Southampton in time to see the boy off andforgive him. I suppose even Sir Timothy will forgive him at such amoment. God bless the lad!"

  Dr. Blundell uttered an exclamation that did not sound like ablessing.

  "Look here, Birch," he said, "this is no time to mince matters. Ifthe boy can't be stopped--and under the circumstances he's got us ontoast--he can't cry off active service--_as_ the boy can't be stopped,you must just keep this news to yourself."

  "But I must tell Sir Timothy!"

  "You must _not_ tell Sir Timothy."

  "Though all my sympathies are with the boy--for I'm a patriot first,and a parson afterwards--God forgive me for saying so," said Birch,in a trembling voice, "yet I can't take the responsibility of keepingPeter's father in ignorance of his action. I see exactly what youmean, of course. Sir Timothy will make unpleasantness, and very likelytelegraph to his commanding officer, and disgrace the poor boy beforehis comrades; and shout at me, a thing I can't bear; and you kindlythink to spare me--and Peter. But I can't take the responsibilityof keeping it dark, for all that," said the canon, shaking his headregretfully.

  "_I_ take the responsibility," said the doctor, shortly. "As SirTimothy's physician, I forbid you to tell him."

  "Is Sir Timothy ill?" The canon's light eyes grew rounder with alarm.

  "He is to undergo a dangerous operation to-morrow morning."

  "God bless my soul!"

  "He desires this evening--possi
bly his last on earth--to be a calm andunclouded one," said the doctor. "Respect his wishes, Birch, as youwould respect the wishes of a dying man."

  "Do you mean he won't get over it?" said the canon, in a horrifiedwhisper.

  "You always want the _t's_ crossed and the _i's_ dotted," saidBlundell, impatiently. "Of course there is a chance--his only chance.He's a d----d plucky old fellow. I never thought to like Sir Timothyhalf so well as I do at this moment."

  "I hope I don't _dislike_ any man," faltered the canon. "But--"

  "Exactly," said the doctor, dryly.

  "But what shall I do with Peter's letter?" said the unhappy recipient.

  "Not one word to Sir Timothy. Agitation or distress of mind at such amoment would be the worst thing in the world for him."

  "But I can't let Peter sail without a word to his people. And hismother. Good God, Blundell! Is Lady Mary to lose husband and son inone day?"

  "Lady Mary," said the doctor, bitterly, "is to be treated, as usual,like a child, and told nothing of her husband's danger till it's over.As for Peter--well, devoted mother as she is, she must be pretty wellaccustomed by this time to the captious indifference of her spoiltboy. She won't be surprised, though she may be hurt, that he shouldcoolly propose to set off without bidding her good-bye."

  "Couldn't we tell her in confidence about Peter?" said the canon,struck with a brilliant idea.

  "Certainly not; she would fly to him at once, and leave Sir Timothyalone in his extremity."

  "Couldn't we tell her in confidence about Sir Timothy?"

  "I have allowed Sir Timothy to understand that neither you nor I willbetray his secret."

  "I'm no hand at keeping a secret," said the canon, unhappily.

  "Nonsense, canon, nonsense," said Dr. Blundell, laying a friendly handon his shoulder. "No man in your profession, or in mine, ought to beable to say that. Pull yourself together, hope for the best, and playyour part."