Carette of Sark Part 53

"As soon as may be then," and I drew her close into my arms, the richest treasure any man might have, and thanked G.o.d for his mercies.

It was a glorious evening, with a moon like a silver sickle floating over Guernsey. The sky was of a rare depth and purity, which changed from palest blue to faintest green, and away to the north-west, above the outer isles, the sun was sinking behind a bank of plum-coloured clouds which faded away in long thin bands along the water line. The clouds were rimmed with golden fire, and wherever an opening was, the golden glory streamed through and lit the darkening waters between, and set our bold Sercq headlands all aflame. And up above, the little wind-drawn clouds were rosy red, and right back into the east the sky was flushed with colour. It was a very low tide, too, and every rock was bared, so that from the white spit of Herm it seemed as though a long dark line of s.h.i.+ps sped northwards towards the Casquets. Brecqhou lay dark before us, and the Gouliot Pa.s.s was black with its coiling tide. A flake of light glimmered through the cave behind, and now and again came the boom of a wave under some low ledge below. Up above us the sky was full of larks, and their sweet sharp notes came down to us like peals of little silver bells. And down in Havre Gosselin the gulls were wheeling noisily as they settled themselves for the night.

I have always thought that view one of the most beautiful in the world, but all its glories were as nothing to the greater glory in our two hearts. We had had our cloudy days and our times of storm and strife; and now they were past, our clouds were turned into golden glories and our hearts were glad. We had been parted. We had looked death in the face. And now we were together and we would part no more.

We sat there in the heather till all the glories faded save our own,--till Guernsey and Herm and Jethou sank into the night--till Brecqhou was only a shadow, and the Gouliot stream only a sound; and then we went down the scented lanes close-linked, as were our hearts.

Jean Le Marchant was sitting in the kitchen with Aunt Jeanne. He was recovered of his wound, and Martin also, but for the elder, at all events, active life was over, and he would have to be content with the land, and his memories.

We came in arm in arm.

"Do you see any objection to our marrying at once, M. Le Marchant?" I asked. "We are of one mind in the matter."

"B'en!" said Aunt Jeanne, with a face like a globe of light. "We will have it on Wednesday. You can go over to the Dean for a license, mon gars, and I'll be all ready--Wednesday--you understand."

And Jean Le Marchant smiled and said, "At Beaumanoir Mistress Falla rules the roost. Everyone does as she says."

"I should think so," said Aunt Jeanne, with an emphatic nod. "If they don't I know the reason why. So we'll say Wednesday. Have you had the news, Phil?"

"What news then, Aunt Jeanne?"

"Ah then, you've not heard. George Hamon was in from Guernsey. He says you are to get the reward offered by the London Merchants for the upsetting of Monsieur Torode."

"I?"

"And who better, mon gars? If it hadn't been for you, he'd be there yet gobbling their s.h.i.+ps at his will. Now don't you be a fool, my dear. Take what the good G.o.d sends you with a good grace. You'll find a use for it when the babies begin coming, I warrant you. Little pigs don't fatten on water. Ma fe, non!"--at which bit of Aunt Jeanne, Carette only laughed, with a fine colour in her face.

And to make an end of that, in due time the five thousand pounds was indeed sent to me, and I put it in the bank in Guernsey for the use of Carette "and the children" as Aunt Jeanne said--and of the interest I reserved a portion for the provision of such small comforts as were possible to the lonely one on the Ecrehous.

And so, by no merit of my own, I became a man of substance and not dependent on Aunt Jeanne's bounty, which I think she would have preferred.

We were married in the little church alongside the Seigneurie at the head of the valley, by M. Pierre Paul Secretan, and Aunt Jeanne's enjoyment therein and in the feast that followed was, I am certain, greater than any she had felt when she was married herself.

We continued to live with her at Beaumanoir, and she gave me of her wisdom in all matters relating to the land and its treatment, as she did also to Carette in household matters and the proper bringing up of a family, about which latter subject she knew far more than any mother that ever was born.

In me she found an apt pupil, and so came to leave matters more and more in my hands, with sharp criticism of all mistakes and ample advice for setting things right.

Carette drank in all her wisdom--until the babies came, and then she took her own way with them, and, judging by results, it was an excellent way.

George Hamon still brought me word from time to time of the exile on the Ecrehous.

We were sitting over the fire, one cold night in the spring, Carette and I, Aunt Jeanne having gone to bed to get warm, when a knock came on the door, and when I opened it George Hamon came in and stood before the hearth. He looked pinched and cold, and yet aglow with some inner warmth, and his first word told why.

"He is dead, Phil. I found him lying in his bed as if asleep, but he was dead."

I nodded soberly. He was better dead, but I was glad he had not died by my hand.

"I have got him here--" said Uncle George.

"Here?" and I jumped up quickly.

"In my boat down in Port du Moulin."

"But why?"

"Because--" and he stood looking at us, and Carette nodded understandingly.

And at that he went on quickly--"Because I have waited over twenty years, Phil, and I am going to wait no longer," and I understood.

"You are going to tell her?" I asked.

"Yes--now. I must. But not all, I think. We will see. But not all if we can help it. It will open the old wound, but, please G.o.d, I will heal it and she shall be happy yet."

"Yes," I said. "I think you can heal the wound, Uncle George. What do you want me to do?"

"Come with me, if you will;" and I kissed my wife and followed him out.

"You understand," he said, as we went across the fields to Belfontaine. "He was among Torode's men. I recognised him, and we smuggled him off so that he should not be hanged;" and on that understanding we knocked on the door and went in.

My grandfather was reading in one of his big books, my mother was at her knitting, and Krok was busy over a fis.h.i.+ng-net.

"Ah, you two!" said my mother. "What mischief are you plotting now? It is like old times to see you with your heads together. But, ma fe, you seem to have changed places. What trouble have you been getting into, George?"

"Aw then, Rachel!--It is out of trouble I am getting. I bring you strange news;" and she sat looking up at him with deep wonder in her eyes.

Perhaps she saw behind his face into his thoughts--into his heart. For, as she gazed, a startled look came over her, and her face flushed and made her young again.

"What is it?"

"Paul Martel died yesterday."

"Paul?" and her hand went quickly to her heart, as though to still a sudden stab of pain, and for the moment her face whitened and then dyed red again.

Krok had eyed Uncle George keenly from the moment he entered. Now he did a strange thing. He got up quietly and took down a lantern and went to the fire to light it. Perhaps it had been an understood thing between them. I do not know.

My mother looked at Krok and then at Uncle George, and my grandfather stood up.

"Yes," said Uncle George with a grave nod. "I have got him here--in my boat in Port du Moulin, for I knew you could not credit it unless you saw him yourself."

"But how--?" she faltered.

"He was among Torode's crew--he was wounded. I recognised him, and we got him away lest--well, you understand? He has been living on the Ecrehous, and he died there yesterday. Will you see him?" and he looked at her very earnestly, and she knew all that his look meant.

Her silence seemed long, while Uncle George looked at her entreatingly, and she looked at the floor, and seemed lost in thought.

"Yes," she said at last, and Went towards the door.

"Put on a shawl. The night is cold," said Uncle George, and it seemed to me that there was something of a new and gentle right in his tone, something of proprietors.h.i.+p in his manner.

And so we went along the footpaths past La Moinerie and down the zigzag into Port du Moulin, the only bay along that coast into which my mother could possibly have gone by night, and that was why Uncle George had brought him there.