AN ARROW FROM THE IMPATIENT GOD
On an afternoon three or four days after the recovery of Sam, matters became complicated. George, as usual, discovered that he had been in the portals of his desires, when the doors came to with a bang. Then he hastened to knock.
"Tell her," he said, "I will come up tomorrow after milking—tell her I'm coming to see her."
On the evening of that morrow, the first person to put in an appearance was a spinster who had called ostensibly to inquire into the absence of the family from church: "I said to Elizabeth, 'Now what a thing if anything happens to them just now, and the wedding is put off.' I felt I must come and make myself sure—that nothing had happened. We all feel so interested in Lettie just now. I'm sure everybody is talking of her, she seems in the air.—I really think we shall have thunder: I hope we shan't.—Yes, we are all so glad that Mr. Tempest is content with a wife from at home—the others, his father and Mr. Robert and the rest—they were none of them to be suited at home, though to be sure the wives they brought were nothing—indeed they were not—as many a one said—Mrs. Robert was a choice—neither in looks or manner had she anything to boast of—if her family was older than mine. Family wasn't much to make up for what she lacked in other things, that I could easily have supplied her with; and, oh, dear, what an object she is now, with her wisp of hair and her spectacles! She for one hasn't kept much of her youth. But when is the exact date, dear?—Some say this and some that, but as I always say, I never trust a 'they say.' It is so nice that you have that cousin a canon to come down for the service, Mrs. Beardsall, and Sir Walter Houghton for the groom's man! What?—You don't think so—oh, but I know, dear, I know; you do like to treasure up these secrets, don't you; you are greedy for all the good things just now."
She shook her head at Lettie, and the jet on her twittered like a thousand wagging little tongues. Then she sighed, and was about to recommence her song, when she happened to turn her head and to a telegraph boy coming up the path.
"Oh, I hope nothing is wrong, dear—I hope nothing is wrong! I always feel so terrified of a telegram. You'd better not open it yourself, dear—don't now—let your brother go."
Lettie, who had turned pale, hurried to the door. The sky was very dark—there was a mutter of thunder.
"It's all right," said Lettie, trembling, "it's only to say he's coming to-night."
"I'm very thankful, very thankful," cried the spinster. "It might have been so much worse. I'm sure I never open a telegram without feeling as if I was opening a death-blow. I'm so glad, dear; it must have upset you. What news to take back to the village, supposing something had happened!" she sighed again, and the jet drops twinkled in the thunder light, as if declaring they would make something of it yet.
It was six o'clock. The air relaxed a little, and the thunder was silent. George would be coming about seven; and the spinster showed no signs of departure; and Leslie might arrive at any moment. Lettie and fidgeted, and the old woman gabbled on. I looked out of the window at the water and the sky.
The day had been uncertain. In the morning it was warm, and the sunshine had played and raced among the cloud-shadows on the hills. Later, great cloud masses had stalked up from the northwest and crowded thick across the sky; in this little night, and wind, and rain whirled furiously. Then the sky had laughed at us again. In the sunshine came the spinster. But as she talked, over the hilltop rose the wide forehead of the cloud, rearing slowly, ominously higher. A first messenger of storm passed darkly over the sky, leaving the way clear again.
"I will go round to Highclose," said Lettie. "I am sure it will be stormy again. Are you coming down the road, Miss Slaighter, or do you mind if I leave you?"
"I will go, dear, if you think there is going to be another storm—I it so. Perhaps I had better wait——"
"Oh, it will not come over for an hour, I am sure. We read the weather well out here, don't we, Cyril? You'll come with me, won't you?"
We three set off, the gossip leaning on her toes, tripping between us. She was much gratified by Lettie's information concerning the proposals for the new home. We left her in a glow of congratulatory smiles on the highway. But the clouds had upreared, and stretched in two great arms, reaching overhead. The little spinster hurried along, but the black hands of the clouds kept pace and clutched her. A sudden of wind in the trees, and rushed upon her cloak, blowing its .
An icy raindrop into her cheek. She hurried on, praying for her bonnet's sake that she might reach Widow Harriman's cottage before the burst came. But the thunder crashed in her ear, and a host of hailstones flew at her. In despair and she fled from under the ash trees; she reached the widow's garden gate, when out leapt the lightning full at her. "Put me in the stair-hole!" she cried. "Where is the stair-hole?"
Glancing wildly round, she saw a ghost. It was the reflection of the sainted spinster, Hilda Slaighter, in the widow's mirror; a reflection with a bonnet fallen , and to it attached a thick rope of grey-brown hair. The author of the ghost twisted to look at the back of her head. She saw some ends of grey hair, and fled into the open stair-hole as into a grave.
We had gone back home till the storm was over, and then, restless, afraid of the arrival of George, we set out again into the wet evening. It was fine and , and already a mist was rising from Nethermere, veiling the farther shore, where the trees rose loftily, suggesting beyond the Nile. The birds were singing . The fresh green hedge and glowed again with intense green. Looking at the water, I perceived a delicate flush from the west hiding along it. The mist licked and wreathed up the shores; from the hidden white distance came the mournful cry of water . We went slowly along behind a heavy cart, which clanked and under the dripping trees, with the of the horse moving with broad thuds in front. We passed over black patches where the ash flowers were beaten down, and under great massed clouds of green sycamore. At the sudden curve of the road, near the foot of the hill, I stopped to break off a spray of , where the soft were heavy as raspberries, and gay like flowers with . The shaken spattered a heavy shower on my face, of drops so cold that they seemed to sink into my blood and chill it.
"Hark!" said Lettie, as I was drying my face. There was the quick patter of a motor-car coming downhill. The heavy cart was across the road to rest, and the driver hurried to turn the horse back. It moved with painful slowness, and we stood in the road in . Suddenly, before we knew it, the car was dropping down on us, coming at us in a curve, having rounded the horse and cart. Lettie stood faced with terror. Leslie saw her, and swung round the wheels on the sharp, curving hill-side; looking only to see that he should miss her. The car slid sideways; the mud crackled under the wheels, and the machine went crashing into Nethermere. It caught the edge of the old stone wall with a smash. Then for a few moments I think I was blind. When I saw again, Leslie was lying across the broken hedge, his head hanging down the bank, his face covered with blood; the car rested strangely on the of the water, as if it had sunk down to rest.
Lettie, with hands , was wiping the blood from his eyes with a piece of her underskirt. In a moment she said:
"He is not dead—let us take him home—let us take him quickly."
I ran and took the wicket gate off its hinges and laid him on that. His legs trailed down, but we carried him thus, she at............