The Revellers Part 5

She rented a suite at The Elms, a once pretentious country mansion owned by a family named Walker. The males had died, the revenues had dwindled, and two elderly maiden ladies, after taking counsel with the vicar, had advertised their house in a society newspaper.

Mrs. Saumarez said she was an invalid. She required rest and good air.

Franoise, since Angle had outgrown the attentions of a nurse, was employed mainly as her mistress's confidential servant. Franoise either could not or would not speak English; Mrs. Saumarez gave excellent references and no information as to her past, while Angle's volatile reminiscences of continental society had no meaning for Elmsdale.

But it was abundantly clear that Mrs. Saumarez was rich. She swept aside the arrangements made by the Misses Walker for her comfort, chose her own set of apartments, ordered things wholly her own way, and paid double the terms originally demanded.

The day following her visit to the White House she descended on the chief grocer, whose shop was an emporium of many articles outside his trade, but mostly of a cheap order.

"Mr. Webster," she said in her grand manner, "few of the goods you stock will meet my requirements. I prefer to deal with local tradesmen, but they must meet my wants. Now, if you are prepared to cater for me, you will not only save me the trouble of ordering supplies from London, but make some extra profit. You have proper agents, no doubt, so you must obtain everything of the best quality. You understand. I shall never grumble at the prices; but the least inferiority will lead me to withdraw my custom."

It was a sore point with Mr. Webster that "the squire" dealt with the Stores. He promised implicit obedience, and wrote such instructions to Leeds, his supply town, that the wholesale house there wondered who had come to live at Elmsdale.

The proprietress of the "Black Lion," hearing the golden tales that circulated through the village, dressed in her best one afternoon and called at The Elms in the hope of obtaining patronage for wines, bottled beer, and mineral waters. Mrs. Saumarez was resting. The elder Miss Walker conveyed Mrs. Atkinson's name and business. Some conversation took place between Mrs. Saumarez and Franoise, with the result that Mrs. Atkinson was instructed to supply Schweppe's soda water, but "no intoxicants."

So Mrs. Saumarez was a teetotaller. The secretary of the local branch of the Good Templars donned a faded black coat and a rusty tall hat and sent in a subscription list. It came out with a guinea. The vicar was at The Elms next day. Mrs. Saumarez received him graciously and gave him a five-pound note toward the funds of the bazaar which would be opened next week. Most decidedly the lady was an acquisition. When Miss Martha Walker was enjoined by her sister, Miss Emmy, to find out how long Mrs.

Saumarez intended to remain at Elmsdale--on the plausible pretext that the terms would be lowered for a monthly tenancy--she was given a curt reply.

"I am a creature of moods. I may be here a day, a year. At present the place suits me. And Angle is br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with health. But it is fatal if I am told I must remain a precise period anywhere. That is why I never go to Carlsbad."

Miss Martha did not understand the reference to Carlsbad; but the nature of the reply stopped effectually all further curiosity as to Mrs.

Saumarez's plans. It also insured unflagging service.

Hardly a day pa.s.sed that the newcomer did not call at the White House.

She astounded John Bolland by the accuracy of her knowledge concerning stock, and annoyed him, too, by remarking that some of his land required draining.

"Your lower pastures are too rank," she said. "So long as there is a succession of fine seasons it does not matter, but a wet spring and summer will trouble you. You will have fifty acres of water-sodden meadows, and nothing breeds disease more quickly."

"None o' my cattle hev had a day's illness, short o' bein' a trifle overfed wi' oil cake," he said testily.

"Quite so. You told me that in former years you raised wheat and oats there. I'm talking about gra.s.s."

Martin and Angle became close friends. The only children of the girl's social rank in the neighborhood were the vicar's daughter, Elsie Herbert, and the squire's two sons, Frank and Ernest Beckett-Smythe. Mr.

Beckett-Smythe was a widower. He lived at the Hall, three-quarters of a mile away, and had not as yet met Mrs. Saumarez. Angle would have nothing to do with Elsie.

"I don't like her," she confided to Martin. "She doesn't care for boys, and I adore them. She's trop regle for me."

"What is that?"

"Well, she holds her nose--so."

Angle tilted her head and cast down her eyes.

"Of course, I don't know her, but she seems to be a nice girl," said Martin.

"Why do you say, 'Of course, I don't know her'? She lives here, doesn't she?"

"Yes, but my father is a farmer. She has a governess, and goes to tea at the Hall. I've met her driving from the Castle. She's above me, you see."

Angle laughed maliciously.

"O l l! c'est pour rire! I'm sorry. She is--what do you say--a little sn.o.b."

"No, no," protested Martin. "I think she would be very nice, if I knew her. You'll like her fine when you play with her."

"Me! Play with her, so prim, so pious. I prefer Jim Bates. He winked at me yesterday."

"Did he? Next time I see him I'll make it hard for him to wink."

Angle clapped her hands and pirouetted.

"What," she cried, "you will fight him, and for me! What joy! It's just like a story book. You must kick him, so, and he will fall down, and I will kiss you."

"I will not kick him," said the indignant Martin. "Boys don't kick in England. And I don't want to be kissed."

"Don't boys kiss in England?"

"Well ... anyhow, I don't."

"Then we are not sweethearts. I shan't kiss you, and you must just leave Jim Bates alone."

Martin was humiliated. He remained silent and angry during the next minute. By a quick turn in the conversation Angle had placed him in a position of rivalry with another boy, one with whom she had not exchanged a word.

"Look here," he said, after taking thought, "if I kiss your cheek, may I lick Jim Bates?"

This magnanimous offer was received with derision.

"I forbid you to do either. If you do, I'll tell your father."

The child had discovered already the fear with which Martin regarded the stern, uncompromising Methodist yeoman--a fear, almost a resentment, due to Bolland's injudicious attempts to guide a mere boy into the path of serious and precise religion. Never had Martin found the daily reading of Scripture such a burden as during the past few days. The preparations for the feast, the cricket-playing, running and jumping of the boys practicing for prizes--these disturbing influences interfered sadly with the record of David's declining years.

Even now, with Angle's sarcastic laughter ringing in his ears, he was compelled to leave her and hurry to the front kitchen, where the farmer was waiting with the Bible opened. At the back door he paused and looked at her. She blew him a kiss.

"Good boy!" she cried. "Mind you learn your lesson."

"And mind you keep away from those cowsheds. Your nurse ought to have been here. It's tea time."

"I don't want any tea. I'm going to smell the milk. I love the smell of a farmyard. Don't you? But, there! You have never smelt anything else.

Every place has its own smell. Paris smells like smoky wood. London smells of beer. Here there is always the smell of cows...."

"Martin!" called a harsh voice from the interior, and the boy perforce brought his wandering wits to bear on the wrongdoing of David in taking a census of the people of Israel.

He read steadily through the chapter which described how a pestilence swept from Dan to Beersheba and destroyed seventy thousand men, all because David wished to know how many troops he could muster.

He could hear Angle talking to the maids and making them laugh. A caravan lumbered through the street; he caught a glimpse of carved wooden horses' heads and gilded moldings. His quick and retentive brain mastered the words of the chapter, but to-day there was no mysterious and soul-awakening glimpse of its spirit.

"What did David say te t' Lord when t' angel smote t' people?" said Bolland when the moment came to question his pupil.

"He said, 'Lo, I have sinned; but what have these sheep done?'"