THE BATTLE OF SKEATON
SECOND YEAR
Strangely enough Maggie felt happier after this disturbance.Grace, in the weeks that followed, was an interesting confusion of silent and offended dignity and sudden capitulations because she had some news of fussing interest that she must impart.Nevertheless she was deeply hurt.She was as tenacious of her grievances as a limpet is of its rock, and she had never been so severely wounded before.
Maggie, on her side, liked Grace better after the quarrel.She had never really disliked her, she had only been irritated by her.
She thought it very natural of her to be angry and jealous about Paul.She was determined that this month at Little Harben should put everything right.Looking back over these past years she blamed herself severely.She had been proud, self-centred, unfeeling.She remembered that day so long ago at St.Dreot's when Aunt Anne had appealed for her affection and she had made no reply.There had been many days, too, in London when she had been rebellious and hard.She thought of that night when Aunt Anne had suffered so terribly and she had wanted only her own escape.Yes--hard and unselfish that was what she had been, and she had been punished by losing Martin.
Already here, just as before in London, she was complaining and angry, and unsympathetic.She did care for Paul--she could even love Grace if she would let her.She would make everything right this summer and try and be a better, kinder woman.
Then, one morning, she found a letter on the breakfast table.She did not recognise the handwriting; when she opened it and saw the signature at the end for a moment she also did not recognise that.
"William Magnus."...Then--why, of course! Mr.Magnus! She saw him standing looking down at her with his mild eyes, staring through his large spectacles.
Her heart beat furiously.She waited until breakfast was over, then she took it up to her bedroom.
The letter was as follows:
Dear Miss Maggie, I know you are not "Miss Maggie" now, but that is the only way that I can think of you.I expect that you have quite forgotten me, and perhaps you don't want to hear from me, but I must not lose sight of you altogether.I haven't so many friends that I can lose one without a word.I don't know quite what to begin by telling you.Iought to ask you questions about yourself, I suppose, but I know that your aunts hear from you from time to time and they give me news from your letters.I hear that you are happily married and are quite settled down to your new life.I'm very glad to hear that, although it isn't quite the life that I would have prophesied for you.Do you like Skeaton? I've never cared much for seaside resorts myself, but then I'm a queer cranky old man, and I deserve all Iget.I wish I could tell you something cheerful about all your friends here, but I'm afraid I can't.Your aunt is so brave and plucky that probably she said nothing to you in her last letter about how ill she has been, but she's just had a very bad bout, and at one time we were afraid that we were going to lose her.You can imagine how anxious we all were.But she is better again now, although very much shattered.The Chapel is closed.There's a piece of news for you! It never recovered from poor Warlock's death; he was the spirit that gave it life, and although he may have had his dreams and imaginations that deceived him, there was some life in that building that I have never found anywhere else and shall never find again.You remember that Amy Warlock married that scamp Thurston.Well, she has left him and has come back to live with her mother.She had a rather bad experience, I'm afraid, poor woman, but she says nothing to any one about it.She and the old lady have moved from this part of London and have gone to live somewhere in Kensington.Some one saw Martin Warlock in Paris the other day.Ihear that he has been very seriously ill and is greatly changed, looking years older.I can say, now that you are happily married, that I am greatly relieved that you were not engaged to him.You won't think this presumptuous of a man old enough to be your father, will you? I am sure he had many good things in him, but he was very weak and not fitted to look after you.But he had a good heart, I'm sure, and his father's death was a great shock to him.Thurston, Ihear, is having revival meetings up and down the country.Miss Avies, I believe, is with him.You remember Miss Pyncheon? She and many other regular attendants at the Chapel have left this neighbourhood.The Chapel is to be a cinematograph theatre, Ibelieve.There! I have given you all the gossip.I have not said more about your aunts because I want you to come up one day to London, when you have time, and see them.You will do that, won't you? I expect you are very busy--I hope you are.I would like to have a line from you, but please don't bother if you have too much to do.
Always your friend, WILLIAM MAGNUS.
When Maggie saw Martin's name the other writing on the page transformed itself suddenly into a strange pattern of webs and squares.Nevertheless she pursued her way through this, but without her own agency, as though some outside person were reading to her and she was not listening.
She repeated the last words "Always your friend, William Magnus"aloud solemnly twice.Her thoughts ran in leaps and runs, hurdle-race-wise across the flat level of her brain.Martin.Old.Ill.
Paris.Those walls out there and the road-man with a spade--little boy walking with him--chattering--it's going to be hot.The light across the lawn is almost blue and the beds are dry.His room.The looking-glass.Always tilts back when one tries to see one's hair.
Meant to speak about it.Martin.Ill.Paris.Paris.Trains.Boats.
How quickly could one be there? No time at all.Paris.Never been to Paris.Perhaps he isn't there now...