Only One Love, or Who Was the Heir Part 4

"And you were going to stay at Arkdale? 'Tis but a dull place," said Mrs. Rolfe.

"No; I meant taking the train from there to Hurst Leigh----Hurst Leigh," repeated the young man. "Do you know it? Ah," he went on, "don't suppose you would; it's some distance from here. Pretty place. I am going to see a relative. My name is Newcombe--Jack Newcombe I am generally called--and I am going on a visit to Squire Davenant."

Gideon Rolfe sprang to his feet, suddenly, knocking his chair over, and strode into the lamplight.

The young man looked up in surprise.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

With an effort Gideon Rolfe recovered himself.

"I--I want a light," he said; and leaning over the lamp, he lit his pipe. Then turning toward the window, he said: "Una, it is late; go to bed now."

She rose at once and kissed the old couple, then pausing a moment, held out her hand to the young man, who had risen, and stood regarding her with an intent, but wholly respectful look.

But before their hands could join, the woodman stepped in between them, and waving her to the stairs with one hand, forced the youth into his seat with the other.

CHAPTER III.

A hearty meal after a long fast invariably produces intense sleepiness.

No sooner had the young gentleman who was called, according to his own account, Jack Newcombe, finished his supper than he began to show palpable signs of exhaustion.

He felt, indeed, remarkably tired, or be sure he would have demanded the reason of the woodman's refusal to allow his daughter to shake hands.

For once in a way, Jack--who was also called "The Savage" by his intimate friends--allowed the opportunity for a quarrel to slide by, and very soon also allowed the pipe to slide from his mouth, and his body from the chair.

Rousing himself with a muttered apology, he found that the woodman alone remained, and that he was sitting apparently forgetful of his guest's presence.

"Did you speak?" said Jack, rubbing his eyes, and struggling with a very giant of a yawn. Gideon looked round.

"You are tired," he said, slowly.

"Rather," a.s.sented the Savage, with half-closed eyes; "it must have been the wind. I can't keep my head up."

The woodman rose, and taking down from a cupboard a bundle of fox-skins, arranged them on the floor, put a couple of chair-cus.h.i.+ons at the head to serve as pillows, and threw a riding-cloak--which, by the way, did not correspond with a woodman's usual attire, and pointed to the impromptu bed.

"Thanks," said Jack, getting up and taking off his coat and boots.

"It is a poor bed," remarked the woodman, but the Savage interrupted him with a cheerful though sleepy a.s.surance that it needed no apologies.

"I could sleep on a rail to-night," he said, "and that looks comfortable enough for a king! Fine skins! Good-night!" and he held out his hand.

Gideon looked at it, but refusing it, nodded gravely.

"You won't shake hands!" exclaimed the Savage, with a little flush and an aggrieved tone. "Come, isn't that carrying the high and imposing rather too far, old fellow? Makes one feel more ashamed than ever, you know. Perhaps I'd better march, after all."

"No," said Gideon, slowly. "It is not that I owe you any ill-will for your presence here. You are welcome, but I cannot take your hand.

Good-night," and he went to the stairs.

At the door, however, he paused, and looked over his shoulder.

"Did you say that--Squire Davenant was your uncle, Mr. Newcombe?"

"Eh--uncle? Well, scarcely. It's rather difficult to tell what relations.h.i.+p there is between us. He's a sort of cousin, I believe,"

answered Jack, carelessly, but yet with a touch of gravity that had something comical about it. "Rum old boy, isn't he? You know him, don't you?"

Gideon shook his head.

"Oh, I thought you did by the way you looked when I mentioned his name just now. Good thing you don't, for you might have something to say about him that is not pleasant, and though the old man and I are not turtle doves just now, I'm bound to stand up for him for the sake of old times."

"You have quarreled?" the old man said; but the Savage had already curled himself up in the fox-skins, and was incapable of further conversation.

Gideon Rolfe crossed the room, and holding the candle above his head, looked down at the sleeper.

"Yes," he muttered, "it's the same face--they are alike! Faces of angels and the hearts of devils. What fate has sent him here to-night?"

Though Jack Newcombe was by no means one of those impossible, perfect heroes whom we have sometimes met in history, and was, alas! as full of imperfections as a sieve is of holes, he was a gentleman, and for a savage, was possessed of a considerable amount of delicacy.

"Seems to me," he mused, "that the best thing I can do is to take my objectionable self out of the way before any of the good folks put in an appearance. The old fellow will be sure to order me off the premises directly after the breakfast; and I, in common grat.i.tude, ought to save him the trouble."

To resolve and to act were one and the same thing with Jack Newcombe.

Going into the adjoining room, he got out of the woodman's and into his own clothes, and carefully restored the skins and the cloak to the cupboard. Then he put the remainder of the loaf into his pocket, to serve as breakfast later on, then paused.

"Can't go without saying good-by, and much obliged," he muttered.

A bright idea struck him; he tore the blank leaf from an old letter which he happened to have with him, and after a few minutes'

consideration--for epistolary composition was one of the Savage's weakest points--scribbled the following brief thanks, apology, and farewell:

"Very much obliged for your kindness, and sorry to have been such a bore; shouldn't have intruded if I'd known ladies were present. Will you oblige me by accepting the inclosed"--he hesitated a moment, put back the sovereign which he had taken from his pocket, and filled up the line--"for your wife."

Instead of the coin, he wrapped up a ring, which he took from his little finger.

He smiled, as he wrapped it up, for he remembered that the wife had particularly large hands; and he thought, cunningly, "_she_ will get it."

Having placed this packet on the top of the cheese, he took a last look round the room, glanced toward the stairs rather wistfully--it was neither the woodman nor his wife that he longed to see--gently unbarred the door, and started on his road.

Choosing a sheltered spot, the Savage pulled out his crust, ate it uncomplainingly, and then lay down at full length, with his soft hat over his eyes, and while revolving the strange events of the preceding night, and striving to recall the face of the young girl, fell asleep.

CHAPTER IV.