The White Virgin Part 26

"Major Gurdon--my brother," said Clive coldly.

"Gurdon? Then you are papa," cried Jessop boisterously.

"Yes, sir, I am papa," said the Major coldly.

"Then I have to thank you, sir, as well as this young lady, for your kindly hospitality to a tired traveller. I had no idea that it was so far across from Matlock to the mine, or I would not have attempted to walk."

"Mr Clive Reed's brother is quite welcome to any hospitality I can afford him," said the Major, rather stiffly. "Pray make this your home during your stay."

Clive winced, and noticed as he changed his position that Dinah's eyes were fixed upon him.

"Oh, thank you. It is very good of you," cried Jessop. "You see my brother is so much down here, that one can't get a glimpse of him in town; so having a little business matter to settle with him, and wanting a bit of change, I thought I would run down for a day or two."

"A very wise proceeding," said the Major quietly. "Our Derbys.h.i.+re hills and dales are worth a good look. Dinah, my dear, these gentlemen have a little business to transact. The drawing-room is at your disposal.

After you have done, we can have our chat, Mr Reed."

"Eh?" said Jessop.

"I meant your brother," said the Major, smiling; and, taking Dinah's arm, he went slowly into the house, with Jessop watching them till they were out of sight.

"By George, Clive, old fellow, you have good taste," he said, with an unpleasant little laugh and a peculiar look.

"You said that you had business with me, which brought you down. What is it?" cried Clive sternly.

"Oh, come, that will do," said Jessop. "Recollect that we're brothers.

What's the good of your cutting up rough?"

"What is your business?"

"I'll tell you directly. But look here, old fellow, aren't you a bit greedy? You can't have everything, you know. You've got all the old man's money, and I knew that you were to have it, so wasn't it natural that I should play for Janet?"

"Will you state your business, sir?"

"Sir? Oh, come, I say, isn't it time to forget and forgive? I wanted Janet, and I won. You didn't care much, or you wouldn't have so jolly soon consoled yourself with another girl. I say, though, do they grow many wenches like that here?"

Clive's eyes blazed, and he felt as if he could strike his brother down where he stood; for he fancied him going back to his young wife, and sneeringly telling her of what he had seen. The thought of this made Clive's blood boil; and his looks were so ominous that Jessop glanced covertly toward the door where the Major had entered.

"Now, sir, if you please," said Clive, in low and angry tones, "your business--what is it?"

"Why, you know, old fellow," cried Jessop, "Janet and I have been talking it over, and she is upset and shocked that we two, with our father only just cold in his grave, should be at enmity. She agreed that I ought to come down and make it up with you, so that we could meet like brothers again."

"Leave Janet's name out of everything which you have to say to me," said Clive, in a husky voice which betrayed how he was moved. "Man, have you no respect for your wife?"

"Respect! Of course I have. Come, I say, when a fellow acts like a brother and comes down on purpose to make it up--"

"You lie, sir," said Clive, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper, as he moved closer to his brother. "I have known you from a boy, Jessop, and I never found you suffer from pangs of fraternal affection. You have come down here for some purpose of your own--as a spy; but you will get no information from me, and under pain of dismissal no man will give you the information you seek."

"Well, of all--" began Jessop in an injured tone; but he said no more.

"That will do, and I warn you that if you get speculating in any way over the shares of this company, it will be on your own knowledge. Take my advice, Jessop: leave me and my affairs alone, and, above all, leave this place to-morrow. If you do not, I shall be compelled to tell Major Gurdon that he is harbouring a treacherous scoundrel beneath his roof."

"Two can play at that game, Master Clive. What if I give the Major a few words of warning concerning his daughter?"

"As many as you please, sir. He will choose between us," said Clive sternly.

"Not gammoning the poor old man into taking shares, are you?"

Clive, gave so sudden a look that his brother laughed.

"All right! I thought as much, my lad. Then you won't shake hands?"

Clive turned his back and walked into the cottage, gazing at Dinah with a newly awakened interest aroused by his brother's words.

Yes, she was very beautiful--it was the sad, pensive beauty of one who had known trouble, and a curious sensation attacked Clive as he listened to the Major, and then felt angry and ready to oppose. For the Major said--

"Go and talk to our visitor, my dear. Show him the garden while Mr Clive Reed and I settle a little business."

Dinah smiled and went out. The next minute she walked by the window with Jessop, making the blood flush up into Clive's face, as he now felt a shrinking regarding the taking of the money for the shares.

It was all like a dream. The Major kept on talking, and Clive took the cheque given to him and placed it dreamily in his pocket, wondering the while whether his brother would try to depreciate the mine in his new friend's eyes.

And all the time he was listening for voices in the garden, and suffering agony at his brother's presence near Dinah, till, making a savage effort over self, he forced himself to finish the business, and mastered the intense desire to go and watch the pair.

"From what?" he asked himself. "Her father can protect her, and she is nothing to me."

Then he was seated, as if in a continuance of his dream, at the pleasant evening meal, noting his brother's conversation as he tried to make himself agreeable, Dinah listening the while. But she met his eyes from time to time with a sweet, pleasant look of innocency; and it was only after making a fresh effort that he said good-night, and then suffered from a fresh pang. For the Major said he would walk half a mile with him, and did.

"Dinah alone with my brother!" thought Clive, as he tried to grasp what the Major said, but did not comprehend a word.

Then at parting--

"I have been very rude to your brother," said the Major. "Let me have my shares as soon as you can."

"Yes; he shall have his shares, and they shall double his income,"

thought Clive.

Walking as swiftly as he could, he soon reached the mine, and found Sturgess standing by the new cottage he occupied in his capacity of foreman and guardian of the place.

The man seemed to be scowling savagely at him, or else it was the shadow cast by the porch as he stood listening to his chief's words, nodding from time to time.

"You understand: no one is to inspect the mine without my permission.

No one is to have any information given to him whatever."

"Yes, I understand," growled Sturgess.

"I shall hold you accountable."

The man made no reply, and Clive continued his walk of two miles more over the hills, to the farmhouse where he lodged temporarily.