The Essential George Meredith Collection. George Meredith
son of a baronet--married by special licence. A--the point is," he now brightened and spoke from his own element, "the point is whether the marriage can be annulled, as she's of the Catholic persuasion and he's a Protestant, and they're both married under age. That's the point."
Having come to the point he breathed extreme relief, and saw things more distinctly; not a little amazed at his leader's horrified face.
The two elders were making various absurd inquiries, when Richard sent his chair to the floor, crying, "What a muddle you're in, Rip! You're mixing half-a-dozen stories together. The old lady I told you about was old Dame Bakewell, and the dispute was concerning a neighbour of hers who encroached on her garden, and I said I'd pay the money to see her righted!"
"Ah," said Ripton, humbly, "I was thinking of the other. Her garden! Cabbages don't interest me"--
"Here, come along," Richard beckoned to him savagely. "I'll be back in five minutes, uncle," he nodded coolly to either.
The young men left the room. In the hall-passage they met Berry, dressed to return to Raynham. Richard dropped a helper to the intelligence into his hand, and warned him not to gossip much of London. Berry bowed perfect discreetness.
"What on earth induced you to talk about Protestants and Catholics marrying, Rip?" said Richard, as soon as they were in the street.
"Why," Ripton answered, "I was so hard pushed for it, 'pon my honour, I didn't know what to say. I ain't an author, you know; I can't make a story. I was trying to invent a point, and I couldn't think of any other, and I thought that was just the point likely to make a jolly good dispute. Capital dinners they give at those crack hotels. Why did you throw it all upon me? I didn't begin on the old lady."
The hero mused, "It's odd! It's impossible you could have known! I'll tell you why, Rip! I wanted to try you. You fib well at long range, but you don't do at close quarters and single combat. You're good behind walls, but not worth a shot in the open. I just see what you're fit for. You're staunch--that I am certain of. You always were. Lead the way to one of the parks--down in that direction. You know?--where she is!"
Ripton led the way. His dinner had prepared this young Englishman to defy the whole artillery of established morals. With the muffled roar of London around them, alone in a dark slope of green, the hero, leaning on his henchman, and speaking in a harsh clear undertone, delivered his explanations. Doubtless the true heroic insignia and point of view will be discerned, albeit in common private's uniform.
"They've been plotting against me for a year, Rip! When you see her, you'll know what it was to have such a creature taken away from you. It nearly killed me. Never mind what she is. She's the most perfect and noble creature God ever made! It's not only her beauty--I don't care so much about that!--but when you've once seen her, she seems to draw music from all the nerves of your body; but she's such an angel. I worship her. And her mind's like her face. She's pure gold. There, you'll see her to-night.
"Well," he pursued, after inflating Ripton with this rapturous prospect, "they got her away, and I recovered. It was Mister Adrian's work. What's my father's objection to her? Because of her birth? She's educated; her manners are beautiful--full of refinement--quick and soft! Can they show me one of their ladies like her?--she's the daughter of a naval lieutenant! Because she's a Catholic? What has religion to do with"--he pronounced "Love!" a little modestly--as it were a blush in his voice.
"Well, when I recovered I thought I did not care for her. It shows how we know ourselves! And I cared for nothing. I felt as if I had no blood. I tried to imitate my dear Austin. I wish to God he were here. I love Austin. He would understand her. He's coming back this year, and then--but it'll be too late then.--Well, my father's always scheming to make me perfect--he has never spoken to me a word about her, but I can see her in his eyes--he wanted to give me a change, he said, and asked me to come to town with my uncle Hippy, and I consented. It was another plot to get me out of the way! As I live, I had no more idea of meeting her than of flying to heaven!"
He lifted his face. "Look at those old elm branches! How they seem to mix among the stars!--glittering fruits of Winter!"
Ripton tipped his comical nose upward, and was in duty bound to say, Yes! though he observed no connection between them and the narrative.
"Well," the hero went on, "I came to town. There I heard she was coming, too--coming home. It must have been fate, Ripton! Heaven forgive me! I was angry with her, and I thought I should like to see her once--only once--and reproach her for being false--for she never wrote to me. And, oh, the dear angel! what she must have suffered!--I gave my uncle the slip, and got to the railway she was coming by. There was a fellow going to meet her--a farmer's son--and, good God! they were going to try and make her marry him! I remembered it all then. A servant of the farm had told me. That fellow went to the wrong station, I suppose, for we saw nothing of him. There she was--not changed a bit!--looking lovelier than ever! And when she saw me, I knew in a minute that she must love me till death!--You don't know what it is yet, Rip!--Will you believe, it?--Though I was as sure she loved me and had been true as steel, as that I shall see her to-night, I spoke bitterly to her. And she bore it meekly--she looked like a saint. I told her there was but one hope of life for me--she must prove she was true, and as I give up all, so must she. I don't know what I said. The thought of losing her made me mad. She tried to plead with me to wait--it was for my sake, I know. I pretended, like a miserable hypocrite, that she did not love me at all. I think I said shameful things. Oh what noble creatures women are! She hardly had strength to move. I took her to that place where you found us, Rip! she went down on her knees to me, I never dreamed of anything in life so lovely as she looked then. Her eyes were thrown up, bright with a crowd of tears--her dark brows bent together, like Pain and Beauty meeting in one; and her glorious golden hair swept off her shoulders as she hung forward to my hands.--Could I lose such a prize.--If anything could have persuaded me, would not that?--I thought of Dante's Madonna--Guido's Magdalen.--Is there sin in it? I see none! And if there is, it's all mine! I swear she's spotless of a thought of sin. I see her very soul? Cease to love her? Who dares ask me? Cease to love her? Why, I live on her!--To see her little chin straining up from her throat, as she knelt to me!--there was one curl that fell across her throat"....
Ripton listened for more. Richard had gone off in a muse at the picture.
"Well?" said Ripton, "and how about that young farmer fellow?"
The hero's head was again contemplating the starry branches. His lieutenant's question came to him after an interval.
"Young Tom? Why, it's young Torn Blaize--son of our old enemy, Rip! I like the old man now. Oh! I saw nothing of the fellow."
"Lord!" cried Ripton, "are we going to get into a mess with Blaizes again? I don't like that!"
His commander quietly passed his likes or dislikes.
"But when he goes to the train, and finds she's not there?" Ripton suggested.
"I've provided for that. The fool went to the South-east instead of the South-west. All warmth, all sweetness, comes with the South-west!--I've provided for that, friend Rip. My trusty Tom awaits him there, as if by accident. He tells him he has not seen her, and advises him to remain in town, and go for her there to-morrow, and the day following. Tom has money for the work. Young Tom ought to see London, you know, Rip!--like you. We shall gain some good clear days. And when old Blaize hears of it--what then? I have her! she's mine!--Besides, he won't hear for a week. This Tom beats that Tom in cunning, I'll wager. Ha! ha!" the hero burst out at a recollection. "What do you think, Rip? My father has some sort of System with me, it appears, and when I came to town the time before, he took me to some people--the Grandisons--and what do you think? one of the daughters is a little girl--a nice little thing enough very funny--and he wants me to wait for her! He hasn't said so, but I know it. I know what he means. Nobody understands him but me. I know he loves me, and is one of the best of men--but just consider!--a little girl who just comes up to my elbow. Isn't it ridiculous? Did you ever hear such nonsense?"
Ripton emphasized