Читать книгу Gwen Wynn: A Romance of the Wye - Reid Mayne - Страница 9

Captain Ryecroft has lost more than rod and line; his heart is as good as gone too – given to Gwendoline Wynn. He now knows the name of the yellow haired Naiad – for this, with other particulars, she imparted to him on return up stream.

Neither has her confidence thus extended, nor the conversation leading to it, belied the favourable impression made upon him by her appearance. Instead, so strengthened it, that for the first time in his life he contemplates becoming a benedict. He feels that his fate is sealed – or no longer in his hands, but hers.

As Wingate pulls him on homeward, he draws out his cigar case, sets fire to a fresh weed, and, while the blue smoke wreaths up round the rim of his topee, reflects on the incidents of the day, – reviewing them in the order of their occurrence.

Circumstances apparently accidental have been strangely in his favour. Helped as by Heaven’s own hand, working with the rudest instruments. Through the veriest scum of humanity he has made acquaintance with one of its fairest forms. More than mere acquaintance, he hopes; for surely those warm words, and glances far from cold, could not be the sole offspring of gratitude! If so, a little service on the Wye goes a long way. Thus reflects he, in modest appreciation of himself, deeming that he has done but little. How different the value put upon it by Gwen Wynn!

Still he knows not this, or at least cannot be sure of it. If he were, his thoughts would be all rose-coloured, which they are not. Some are dark as the shadows of the April showers now and then drifting across the sun’s disc.

One that has just settled on his brow is no reflection from the firmament above – no vague imagining – but a thing of shape and form – the form of a man, seen at the top of the boat stair, as the ladies were ascending, and not so far off as to have hindered him from observing the man’s face, and noting that he was young, and rather handsome. Already the eyes of love have caught the keenness of jealousy. A gentleman evidently on terms of intimacy with Miss Wynn. Strange, though, that the look with which he regarded her on saluting, seemed to speak of something amiss! What could it mean! Captain Ryecroft has asked this question as his boat was rounding the end of the eyot, with another in the selfsame formulary of interrogation, of which but the moment before he was himself the subject: – “Who the deuce can he be?” Out upon the river, and drawing hard at his Regalia, he goes on: —

“Wonderfully familiar the fellow seemed! Can’t be a brother? I understood her to say she had none. Does he live at Llangorren? No. She said there was no one there in the shape of masculine relative – only an old aunt, and that little dark damsel, who is cousin or something of the kind. But who the deuce is the gentleman? Might he be a cousin?”

So propounding questions without being able to answer them, he at length addresses himself to the waterman, saying:

“Jack, did you observe a gentleman at the head of the stair?”

“Only the head and shoulders o’ one, captain.”

“Head and shoulders; that’s enough. Do you chance to know him?”

“I ain’t thorough sure; but I think he be a Mr Shenstone.”

“Who is Mr Shenstone?”

“The son o’ Sir George.”

“Sir George! What do you know of him?”

“Not much to speak of – only that he be a big gentleman, whose land lies along the river, two or three miles below.”

The information is but slight, and slighter the gratification it gives. Captain Ryecroft has heard of the rich baronet whose estate adjoins that of Llangorren, and whose title, with the property attached, will descend to an only son. It is the torso of this son he has seen above the red sandstone rock. In truth, a formidable rival! So he reflects, smoking away like mad.

After a time, he again observes: – “You’ve said you don’t know the ladies we’ve helped out of their little trouble?”

“Parsonally, I don’t, captain. But, now as I see where they live, I know who they be. I’ve heerd talk ’bout the biggest o’ them – a good deal.”

The biggest of them! As if she were a salmon! In the boatman’s eyes, bulk is evidently her chief recommendation!

Ryecroft smiles, further interrogating: – “What have you heard of her?”

“That she be a tidy young lady. Wonderful fond o’ field sport, such as hunting and that like. Fr’ all, I may say that up to this day, I never set eyes on her afore.”

The Hussar officer has been long enough in Herefordshire to have learnt the local signification of “tidy” – synonymous with “well-behaved.” That Miss Wynn is fond of field sports – flood pastimes included – he has gathered from herself while rowing her up the river.

One thing strikes him as strange – that the waterman should not be acquainted with every one dwelling on the river’s bank, at least for a dozen miles up and down. He seeks an explanation: —

“How is it, Jack, that you, living but a short league above, don’t know all about these people?”

He is unaware that Wingate, though born on the Wye’s banks, as he has told him, is comparatively a stranger to its middle waters – his birthplace being far up in the shire of Brecon. Still, that is not the solution of the enigma, which the young waterman gives in his own way, —

“Lord love ye, sir! That shows how little you understand this river. Why, captain; it crooks an’ crooks, and goes wobblin’ about in such a way, that folks as lives less’n a mile apart knows no more o’ one the other than if they wor ten. It comes o’ the bridges bein’ so few and far between. There’s the ferry boats, true; but people don’t take to ’em more’n they can help; ’specially women – seein’ there be some danger at all times, and a good deal o’t when the river’s a-flood. That’s frequent, summer well as winter.”

The explanation is reasonable; and, satisfied with it, Ryecroft remains for a time wrapt in a dreamy reverie, from which he is aroused as his eyes rest upon a house – a quaint antiquated structure, half timber, half stone, standing not on the river’s edge, but at some distance from it up a dingle. The sight is not new to him; he has before noticed the house – struck with its appearance, so different from the ordinary dwellings.

“Whose is it, Jack?” he asks.

“B’longs to a man, name o’ Murdock.”

“Odd-looking domicile!”

“’Ta’nt a bit more that way than he be – if half what they say ’bout him be true.”

“Ah! Mr Murdock’s a character, then?”

“Ay; an’ a queery one.”

“In what respect? what way?”

“More’n one – a goodish many.”

“Specify, Jack?”

“Well; for one thing, he a’nt sober to say half o’ his time.”

“Addicted to dipsomania?”

“’Dicted to getting dead drunk. I’ve seen him so, scores o’ ’casions.”

“That’s not wise of Mr Murdock.”

“No, captain; ’ta’nt neyther wise nor well. All the worse, considerin’ the place where mostly he go to do his drinkin’.”

“Where may that be?”

“The Welsh Harp – up at Rogue’s Ferry.”

“Rogue’s Ferry? Strange appellation! What sort of place is it? Not very nice, I should say – if the name be at all appropriate.”

“It’s parfitly ’propriate, though I b’lieve it wa’nt that way bestowed. It got so called after a man the name o’ Rugg, who once keeped the Welsh Harp and the ferry too. It’s about two mile above, a little ways back. Besides the tavern, there be a cluster o’ houses, a bit scattered about, wi’ a chapel an’ a grocery shop – one as deals trackways, an’ a’nt partickler as to what they take in change – stolen goods welcome as any – ay, welcomer, if they be o’ worth. They got plenty o’ them, too. The place be a regular nest o’ poachers, an’ worse than that – a good many as have sarved their spell in the Penitentiary.”

“Why, Wingate, you astonish me! I was under the impression your Wyeside was a sort of Arcadia, where one only met with innocence and primitive simplicity.”

“You won’t meet much o’ either at Rogue’s Ferry. If there be an uninnocent set on earth it’s they as live there. Them Forest chaps we came ’cross a’nt no ways their match in wickedness. Just possible drink made them behave as they did – some o’ ’em. But drink or no drink it be all the same wi’ the Ferry people – maybe worse when they’re sober. Any ways they’re a rough lot.”

“With a place of worship in their midst! That ought to do something towards refining them.”

“Ought; and would, I dare say, if ’twar the right sort – which it a’nt. Instead, o’ a kind as only the more corrupts ’em – being Roman.”

“Oh! A Roman Catholic chapel. But how does it corrupt them?”

“By makin’ ’em believe they can get cleared of their sins, hows’ever black they be. Men as think that way a’nt like to stick at any sort of crime – ’specialty if it brings ’em the money to buy what they calls absolution.”

“Well, Jack; it’s very evident you’re no friend, or follower, of the Pope.”

“Neyther o’ Pope nor priest. Ah! captain; if you seed him o’ the Rogue’s Ferry Chapel, you wouldn’t wonder at my havin’ a dislike for the whole kit o’ them.”

“What is there specially repulsive about him?”

“Don’t know as there be any thin’ very special, in partickler. Them priests all look bout the same – such o’ ’em as I’ve ever set eyes on. And that’s like stoats and weasels, shootin’ out o’ one hole into another. As for him we’re speakin’ about, he’s here, there, an’ everywhere; sneakin’ along the roads an’ paths, hidin’ behind bushes like a cat after birds, an’ poppin’ out where nobody expects him. If ever there war a spy meaner than another it’s the priest of Rogue’s Ferry.”

“No?” he adds, correcting himself. “There be one other in these parts worse than he – if that’s possible. A different sort o’ man, true; and yet they be a good deal thegither.”

“Who is this other?”

“Dick Dempsey – better known by the name of Coracle Dick.”

“Ah, Coracle Dick! He appears to occupy a conspicuous place in your thoughts, Jack; and rather a low one in your estimation. Why, may I ask? What sort of fellow is he?”

“The biggest blaggard as lives on the Wye, from where it springs out o’ Plinlimmon to its emptying into the Bristol Channel. Talk o’ poachers an’ night netters. He goes out by night to catch somethin’ beside salmon. ’Taint all fish as comes into his net, I know.”

The young waterman speaks in such hostile tone both about priest and poacher, that Ryecroft suspects a motive beyond the ordinary prejudice against men who wear the sacerdotal garb, or go trespassing after game. Not caring to inquire into it now, he returns to the original topic, saying: —

“We’ve strayed from our subject, Jack – which was the hard drinking owner of yonder house.”

“Not so far, captain; seein’ as he be the most intimate friend the priest have in these parts; though if what’s said be true, not nigh so much as his Missus.”

“Murdock is married, then?”

“I won’t say that – leastwise I shouldn’t like to swear it. All I know is, a woman lives wi’ him, s’posed to be his wife. Odd thing she.”

“Why odd?”

“’Cause she beant like any other o’ womankind ’bout here.”

“Explain yourself, Jack. In what does Mrs Murdock differ from the rest of your Herefordshire fair?”

“One way, captain, in her not bein’ fair at all. ’Stead, she be dark complected; most as much as one o’ them women I’ve seed ’bout Cheltenham, nursin’ the children o’ old officers as brought ’em from India —ayers they call ’em. She a’nt one o’ ’em, but French, I’ve heerd say; which in part, I suppose explains the thickness ’tween her an’ the priest – he bein’ the same.”

“Oh! His reverence is a Frenchman, is he?”

“All o’ that, captain. If he wor English, he wouldn’t – couldn’t – be the contemptible sneakin’ hound he is. As for Mrs Murdock, I can’t say I’ve seed her more’n twice in my life. She keeps close to the house; goes nowhere; an’ it’s said nobody visits her nor him – leastwise none o’ the old gentry. For all Mr Murdock belongs to the best of them.”

“He’s a gentleman, is he?”

“Ought to be – if he took after his father.”

“Why so?”

“Because he wor a squire – regular of the old sort. He’s not been so long dead. I can remember him myself, though I hadn’t been here such a many years – the old lady too – this Murdock’s mother. Ah! now I think on’t, she wor t’other squire’s sister – father to the tallest o’ them two young ladies – the one with the reddish hair.”

“What! Miss Wynn?”

“Yes, captain; her they calls Gwen.”

Ryecroft questions no farther. He has learnt enough to give him food for reflection – not only during the rest of that day, but for a week, a month – it may be throughout the remainder of his life.