XVIII
Entering the garden by a sidepath, Felise heard two voices in loud altercation, or rather one voice stridently asserting itself over the other, and she paused where she could see the disputants through the open window.
Goring in the whitest of white shirtsleevesтБатАФjust as he had left his spadeтБатАФwas standing by the mantelpiece, resting his firm chin on his hand, and steadfastly regarding the steward. His high forehead, partly bald, and flecked at the temples with grey among the brown of his hair, expressed calm intellect reposing in itself. Not the nervous, eager brain which seeks preferment and must thrust itself to the front; the intellect which reposes and reflects.
There was almost too much mind for action behind that noble forehead; it was the thinker, not the doer. The clear, steel-blue eyes under their thick eyebrows, the set mouth and the firm chin, at the same time indicated an immovable will; a man who would have his way without the least outward noise or ostentation. His strong frameтБатАФa trifle bowed, as those of men usually are who work with their hands for pleasure or profitтБатАФand great breadth were fully exposed by his negligent costume; his brawny throat, indeed, was visible.
тАЬIf only papa would work among men instead of among trees, what a leader he would be!тАЭ thought Felise.
Mr.┬аGodwin, with his hat on (not an intentional rudeness), stood by the table on which he struck his fist, clad in dark brown and wearing gaiters. He was of full average height, stout, and strongly built; he appeared capable of exceptional endurance. His fist on the table was brown as a piece of oak that had been exposed all the winter to the action of the weather. His face was neither ruddy, brown, nor black, but a mixture of the three; it was ruddy from a fullness of blood; it was brown from wind and rain; it was black from sun. His face might have been cast in bronze, so remarkable was the appearance of hardihood.
His features were regular, and, except that the cheeks were somewhat too full, might even have been said to be handsome, but they were cast in a set expression; his mouthтБатАФthe worst feature, being without curveтБатАФdid not smile; his brow had a line constantly there. This fixidity, and the extremely weather-beaten hue of his complexion, seemed to announce a concentration of character that made most people shrink from him. Mr.┬аGoring was brown from the sun, yet beside Godwin he looked fair.
GodwinтАЩs voice was loud; he hurled his words and shut his lips tight immediately; but his language was correct, for he was well educated. Possibly his exceptionally hardy nature had something to do with his pitiless character. A man with thousands in his pocket, but who was content with a coarse fare of bread and bacon, or even bread and cheese, was not likely to feel much sentimental sympathy for weaker beings.
His family had all been alike; тАЬhard as crab-applesтАЭ was the saying of the countryside.
Every tenant upon the estate spoke in the highest terms of Mr.┬аGodwin to his neighbour. At the public dinners Mr.┬аGodwin was mentioned with the deepest respect. тАЬA shrewd, first-rate man, Godwin; knows his business; a good fellow, too, at bottom.тАЭ Alone, in private, there was not a man who did not hate him; but not a man would have dared to admit as much even to his wife.
In Mr.┬аGoringтАЩs calm glance there was perhaps some little admixture of amused disdain. Godwin glared with his colourless grey eyes, the angrier because he could not impress the person he was attacking.
тАЬYou cannot show a scrap of paper,тАЭ Felise heard Godwin saying. тАЬIтАЩm certain there is no such deed. You have no more right to fish than you have to give that rascally labourer of yours more money than anyone else.тАЭ
тАЬI believe,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGoring, тАЬthat the law permits me to pay what wages I please.тАЭ
тАЬIt does not permit you to trespass and to leave gates open, so that cattle stray and do damage. YouтАЩll have to pay for it, GoringтБатАФmark my words! What right has she to trample down the grass and do every species of mischief? Even if you do possess, or claim to possess a right to fish, it does not extend to her.тАЭ
тАЬWas it me, then?тАЭ asked Felise suddenly, coming to the window.
тАЬYou are the culprit,тАЭ laughed her uncle. тАЬWhy, you have the rod in your handтБатАФyouтАЩre caught.тАЭ
Godwin looked at her, and instinctively removed his hat. He growled something in his throat. He did not speak, but he had the grace to be silent.
тАЬYou are accused of poaching, trespassing, and doing every species of mischief,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGoring. тАЬCome in and defend yourself.тАЭ
Felise smiled, and went round the house to the front door; but on turning the corner started, became pale, flushed again, and then stepped quickly towards a horse Abner had care of. It was RuyтБатАФMartialтАЩs horse.
Was he here, then?
She stroked RuyтАЩs neck, looked inside the hall, returned, stroked him again; in her agitation she scarce knew what to do, or say, or think.
тАЬIs Mr.┬аBarnard here?тАЭ she said at last.
тАЬNo, miss,тАЭ replied Abner.
тАЬButтБатАФbutтБатАФтАЭ
тАЬMr.┬аGodwin came on him,тАЭ said the man.
Godwin riding MartialтАЩs favouriteтБатАФhow was this? Felise instantly felt that there was something wrong, and GodwinтАЩs dark face appearing at that moment in the hall seemed sinister to her. His pale grey eyesтБатАФcolourless like waterтБатАФshone in the shadow of the doorway. She could not ask him any questions, but she did not withdraw her hand from RuyтАЩs neck. The horse rubbed his face against her shoulder.
тАЬIтАЩve just bought him,тАЭ said Godwin, softening his voice as much as he could. тАЬDo you like him?тАЭ
тАЬYes.тАЭ
He began to gather the bridle in his hand, taking it from Abner. Godwin was so near her that her dress touched him. She felt his direct glance beating upon her, as the hard sun beats on an exposed rock. There was no cessation in his glance.
She remembered the remark of the cottager that Barnard was not rich, that young blood spent money. Could it be that Martial was in difficulty? How else came he to part with his horse? Her heart quailed; quick sympathy confused her. She did not move aside that Godwin might mount, but stood by Ruy.
GodwinтАЩs colourless eyes were bent unswervingly upon her face; he had the bridle in his hand, but he was in no haste.
In her agitation Felise did nothing but stroke Ruy, who was growing impatient for his mangerтБатАФso affection is wasted upon those whose sole thought is provender.
тАЬI am afraid I gave too much for him,тАЭ said Godwin.
Mr.┬аGoring smiled; the idea of Godwin giving too much for anything was good.
Felise was running over in her mind everything she could think of that would be likely to draw out the truth, yet without betraying her interest in Barnard.
тАЬHave you had him long?тАЭ she asked.
тАЬNo, only a week or two.тАЭ
тАЬFrom whom did you buy him?тАЭтБатАФas if she did not know.
тАЬBarnard of Manor House.тАЭ
тАЬDid you give much?тАЭ
тАЬSeventy pounds.тАЭ
тАЬWhy did he want to sell?тАЭ
тАЬWanted the money; but I dare say thereтАЩs something wrong with the horse. I shanтАЩt find it out for a month or twoтБатАФBarnardтАЩs too sharp for me.тАЭ
Mr.┬аGoring, in the porch, smiled sarcastically. If Godwin gave a man the character of sharpness, it went without asking that he was anything but shrewd at such matters as a horse-deal.
Still stroking RuyтБатАФher dress rustling against Godwin, Felise for the second time delayed the impatient horse; just as she had on the hills one morning.
тАЬMr.┬аGodwin wants to mount,тАЭ said Goring at last.
тАЬI forgot,тАЭ said Felise, and moved away; the steward, however, did not seem in any great hurry. He got up leisurely enough, but reined Ruy with so powerful a hand that the horse stood quiet, and Felise touched his neck once more.
тАЬWill you come over and see us?тАЭ said Godwin. тАЬMy sister would be very pleased if you would; the meadows are dry now, and the path easy.тАЭ
тАЬI will come,тАЭ said Felise, to her uncleтАЩs astonishment.
тАЬSoon?тАЭ
тАЬTomorrow morning.тАЭ
Then she looked up at GodwinтАЩs cast-bronze face, and asked in the most matter-of-fact tone she could assume:
тАЬWhy did Barnard sellтБатАФwhy did he want money?тАЭ
тАЬBecause heтАЩs a fool,тАЭ said Godwin rudely. She flushedтБатАФhe thought it was because of his rudeness.
тАЬBeg pardon,тАЭ he said. тАЬYou will be sure to come tomorrow morning?тАЭ
тАЬI will.тАЭ
Still Godwin lingered, Ruy fidgeted; Goring wished to go to his garden-work, but Godwin did not start. A moment passed without a word being spoken, when Felise slightly bowed and went in; Godwin immediately rode off without a word.
тАЬAre you really going to visit them?тАЭ asked Mr.┬аGoring.
тАЬYes, papa; unless you object.тАЭ
тАЬNo, I donтАЩt objectтБатАФstill, you know the manтАЩs character.тАЭ
тАЬThat he is a tyrant, yes; but I am going to see Ruy.тАЭ
тАЬRuy?тАЭ
тАЬOh, I mean the horse. I heard his name just now. He is a beautiful horse, isnтАЩt he?тАЭ