The Marrow of Tradition Page 19
XIX
A MIDNIGHT WALK
Ellis left the office of the Morning Chronicle about eleven o'clock thesame evening and set out to walk home. His boarding-house was only ashort distance beyond old Mr. Delamere's residence, and while he mighthave saved time and labor by a slightly shorter route, he generallyselected this one because it led also by Major Carteret's house.Sometimes there would be a ray of light from Clara's room, which was onone of the front corners; and at any rate he would have the pleasure ofgazing at the outside of the casket that enshrined the jewel of hisheart. It was true that this purely sentimental pleasure was sometimesdashed with bitterness at the thought of his rival; but one in love musttake the bitter with the sweet, and who would say that a spice ofjealousy does not add a certain zest to love? On this particularevening, however, he was in a hopeful mood. At the Clarendon Club, wherehe had gone, a couple of hours before, to verify a certain news item forthe morning paper, he had heard a story about Tom Delamere which, heimagined, would spike that gentleman's guns for all time, so far as MissPemberton was concerned. So grave an affair as cheating at cards couldnever be kept secret,--it was certain to reach her ears; and Ellis wasmorally certain that Clara would never marry a man who had been proveddishonorable. In all probability there would be no great sensationabout the matter. Delamere was too well connected; too many prominentpeople would be involved--even Clara, and the editor himself, of whomDelamere was a distant cousin. The reputation of the club was also to beconsidered. Ellis was not the man to feel a malicious delight in themisfortunes of another, nor was he a pessimist who welcomed scandal anddisgrace with open arms, as confirming a gloomy theory of human life.But, with the best intentions in the world, it was no more than humannature that he should feel a certain elation in the thought that hisrival had been practically disposed of, and the field left clear;especially since this good situation had been brought about merely bythe unmasking of a hypocrite, who had held him at an unfair disadvantagein the race for Clara's favor.
The night was quiet, except for the faint sound of distant music now andthen, or the mellow laughter of some group of revelers. Ellis met butfew pedestrians, but as he neared old Mr. Delamere's, he saw two menwalking in the same direction as his own, on the opposite side of thestreet. He had observed that they kept at about an equal distance apart,and that the second, from the stealthy manner in which he was making hisway, was anxious to keep the first in sight, without disclosing his ownpresence. This aroused Ellis's curiosity, which was satisfied in somedegree when the man in advance stopped beneath a lamp-post and stood fora moment looking across the street, with his face plainly visible in theyellow circle of light. It was a dark face, and Ellis recognized itinstantly as that of old Mr. Delamere's body servant, whose personalappearance had been very vividly impressed upon Ellis at thechristening dinner at Major Carteret's. He had seen Sandy once since,too, at the hotel cakewalk. The negro had a small bundle in his hand,the nature of which Ellis could not make out.
When Sandy had stopped beneath the lamp-post, the man who was followinghim had dodged behind a tree-trunk. When Sandy moved on, Ellis, who hadstopped in turn, saw the man in hiding come out and follow Sandy. Whenthis second man came in range of the light, Ellis wondered that thereshould be two men so much alike. The first of the two had undoubtedlybeen Sandy. Ellis had recognized the peculiar, old-fashioned coat thatSandy had worn upon the two occasions when he had noticed him. Barringthis difference, and the somewhat unsteady gait of the second man, thetwo were as much alike as twin brothers.
When they had entered Mr. Delamere's house, one after the other,--in thestillness of the night Ellis could perceive that each of them tried tomake as little noise as possible,--Ellis supposed that they wereprobably relatives, both employed as servants, or that some youngernegro, taking Sandy for a model, was trying to pattern himself after hissuperior. Why all this mystery, of course he could not imagine, unlessthe younger man had been out without permission and was trying to avoidthe accusing eye of Sandy. Ellis was vaguely conscious that he had seenthe other negro somewhere, but he could not for the moment placehim,--there were so many negroes, nearly three negroes to one white manin the city of Wellington!
The subject, however, while curious, was not important as compared withthe thoughts of his sweetheart which drove it from his mind. Clara hadbeen kind to him the night before,--whatever her motive, she had beenkind, and could not consistently return to her attitude of coldness.With Delamere hopelessly discredited, Ellis hoped to have at least fairplay,--with fair play, he would take his chances of the outcome.