第80章 A MERE INTERLUDE(7)

It was now growing clear even to herself that Charles being dead,she had not determination sufficient within her to break tidings which,had he been alive,would have imperatively announced themselves.And thus with the stroke of midnight came the turning of the scale;her story should remain untold.It was not that upon the whole she thought it best not to attempt to tell it;but that she could not undertake so explosive a matter.To stop the wedding now would cause a convulsion in Giant's Town little short of volcanic.Weakened,tired,and terrified as she had been by the day's adventures,she could not make herself the author of such a catastrophe.But how refuse Heddegan without telling?It really seemed to her as if her marriage with Mr.Heddegan were about to take place as if nothing had intervened.

Morning came.The events of the previous days were cut off from her present existence by scene and sentiment more completely than ever.

Charles Stow had grown to be a special being of whom,owing to his character,she entertained rather fearful than loving memory.

Baptista could hear when she awoke that her parents were already moving about downstairs.But she did not rise till her mother's rather rough voice resounded up the staircase as it had done on the preceding evening.

'Baptista!Come,time to be stirring!The man will be here,by heaven's blessing,in three-quarters of an hour.He has looked in already for a minute or two--and says he's going to the church to see if things be well forward.'

Baptista arose,looked out of the window,and took the easy course.

When she emerged from the regions above she was arrayed in her new silk frock and best stockings,wearing a linen jacket over the former for breakfasting,and her common slippers over the latter,not to spoil the new ones on the rough precincts of the dwelling.

It is unnecessary to dwell at any great length on this part of the morning's proceedings.She revealed nothing;and married Heddegan,as she had given her word to do,on that appointed August day.

CHAPTER V

Mr.Heddegan forgave the coldness of his bride's manner during and after the wedding ceremony,full well aware that there had been considerable reluctance on her part to acquiesce in this neighbourly arrangement,and,as a philosopher of long standing,holding that whatever Baptista's attitude now,the conditions would probably be much the same six months hence as those which ruled among other married couples.

An absolutely unexpected shock was given to Baptista's listless mind about an hour after the wedding service.They had nearly finished the mid-day dinner when the now husband said to her father,'We think of starting about two.And the breeze being so fair we shall bring up inside Pen-zephyr new pier about six at least.'

'What--are we going to Pen-zephyr?'said Baptista.'I don't know anything of it.''Didn't you tell her?'asked her father of Heddegan.

It transpired that,owing to the delay in her arrival,this proposal too,among other things,had in the hurry not been mentioned to her,except some time ago as a general suggestion that they would go somewhere.Heddegan had imagined that any trip would be pleasant,and one to the mainland the pleasantest of all.

She looked so distressed at the announcement that her husband willingly offered to give it up,though he had not had a holiday off the island for a whole year.Then she pondered on the inconvenience of staying at Giant's Town,where all the inhabitants were bonded,by the circumstances of their situation,into a sort of family party,which permitted and encouraged on such occasions as these oral criticism that was apt to disturb the equanimity of newly married girls,and would especially worry Baptista in her strange situation.

Hence,unexpectedly,she agreed not to disorganize her husband's plans for the wedding jaunt,and it was settled that,as originally intended,they should proceed in a neighbour's sailing boat to the metropolis of the district.

In this way they arrived at Pen-zephyr without difficulty or mishap.

Bidding adieu to Jenkin and his man,who had sailed them over,they strolled arm in arm off the pier,Baptista silent,cold,and obedient.Heddegan had arranged to take her as far as Plymouth before their return,but to go no further than where they had landed that day.Their first business was to find an inn;and in this they had unexpected difficulty,since for some reason or other--possibly the fine weather--many of the nearest at hand were full of tourists and commercial travellers.He led her on till he reached a tavern which,though comparatively unpretending,stood in as attractive a spot as any in the town;and this,somewhat to their surprise after their previous experience,they found apparently empty.The considerate old man,thinking that Baptista was educated to artistic notions,though he himself was deficient in them,had decided that it was most desirable to have,on such an occasion as the present,an apartment with 'a good view'(the expression being one he had often heard in use among tourists);and he therefore asked for a favourite room on the first floor,from which a bow-window protruded,for the express purpose of affording such an outlook.

The landlady,after some hesitation,said she was sorry that particular apartment was engaged;the next one,however,or any other in the house,was unoccupied.

'The gentleman who has the best one will give it up to-morrow,and then you can change into it,'she added,as Mr.Heddegan hesitated about taking the adjoining and less commanding one.

'We shall be gone to-morrow,and shan't want it,'he said.

Wishing not to lose customers,the landlady earnestly continued that since he was bent on having the best room,perhaps the other gentleman would not object to move at once into the one they despised,since,though nothing could be seen from the window,the room was equally large.