Within less than a week of the young man’s arrival at the “Ring o’ Bells,” Minnie was heartily grieved that she had commissioned Mrs. Trout to hint a hope in Elias Bassett’s ear. She and the gamekeeper had indeed been close friends before her uncle’s death, and it troubled her that after the change in her fortunes Elias avoided the old intimacy and feared to be with her alone. Yet she admired him still, and more than ever, contrasted him with those who hummed about her like hungry wasps, since her prosperity. Now, however, to her secret shame, Minnie Merle began to see that she had dropped the handkerchief too soon. Upon the very day—within the actual hour—that Bassett received his polite hint, a greater than Bassett burst upon the vision of Minnie, and soon she hung on her cousin’s words, quite dazzled by the dashing manners of him, reduced to daily blushes by his gallant address and courtly fashion of love-making.
These things, however, Elias did not perceive; nor did the newcomer dazzle him. When the coach from Exeter to Plymouth left a box for Mr. Merle, and he blossomed forth next Sunday in russet and p. 145plum-colour, Bassett called him a popin-jay; and the keeper killed Minnie’s old friendship at a breath by telling her in round terms, with the forceful periods of that time, that her cousin was either less than he proclaimed himself, or more.
“Not a plain-dealer, an’ you’ll live to know it. Ban’t natural to bring chapter an’ verse to everything a man speaks, same as he does. No honest man wants a cloud of witnesses to his least act or word. He goes in fear for all his noise.”
“His way may not be ours, Mr. Bassett, but we’re a good deal behind the times, and it does not become you or any other man to call my cousin in question. He is very superior and genteel, I’m sure, and as for honesty, I never met a more honest man.”
“Ess fay, an’ you have; an’ you’ll find it out after you’m married to un, if not afore,” said Elias, bluntly.
Minnie flamed and frowned angrily upon the speaker.
“That’s a very rude speech, and I never expected to hear you say such a thing.”
“Wish to God I could say different. I’d tell a lot more against your cousin if I didn’t love you wi’ all my heart an’ soul; but, being so set upon you, I can’t speak with a free mind, so I’ll speak nought. Doan’t ’e be vexed wi’ me, my dear woman. You know right well as I’d go ’pon my naked knees from p. 146here to Lunnon town to do your pleasure. Awnly I ban’t blind, an’ I see how this dashing chap’s bold front have cowed us all round about. Love of you would keep a man true an’ honest if ’twas in the nature of un so to be, an’ I doan’t say but Nicholas Merle be right at root; but I mislike un, ’cause I’m very jealous for you, Minnie Merle, an’ I pray you’ll take your time an’ not jump into his arms fust moment he axes you to marry him, as he surely means to do come presently.”
The girl grew a little soothed before this soft answer.
“I’m sure you mean very well, Elias Bassett, an’ I’ll remember what you say, for it’s a foolish softness toward me that makes you say it. We’m auld friends ever since I came to Two Bridges, an’ I doan’t think no worse of you for speaking your mind. But you’m quite out o’ bias. Such a dashing man as my cousin do carry himself civil an’ polite to all, because he can’t help it. ’Tis his smooth custom. He wouldn’t think of me as a wife. Why should he—a maiden so rough of speech an’ manner? An’ li’l enough to look at, I’m sure, to an eye as have often been filled by town-bred girls. Doan’t ’e fret, theer’s a gude man. He’m awnly biding along wi’ us because he likes the strong air an’ the Devonshire cream an’ honey. He’ll be off as he came—all of a sudden some fine day, no doubt.”
p. 147But Bassett shook his head, and, indeed, facts presently proved that he was right, the girl mistaken. Nicholas made no haste to depart from the Moor. He took mighty rides over it upon his brimstone-coloured horse; he endeavoured to win the friendship of all men, and nearly succeeded, for he was generous and a good sportsman—sure credentials to the regard of the folk. Only Bassett and another here and there maintained a stubborn and doglike mistrust. Nor were the sceptics free of reasons for their attitude. Elias was laughed at as a man ousted from hope by a better-equipped rival, and the fact that his undue bitterness was naturally set to the account of defeated love, chastened his tongue; but in truth Mr. Bassett’s regard for Minnie had little............