Beyond The Blue Mountains - Plaidy Jean (бесплатные онлайн книги читаем полные .TXT) 📗

Carolan turned to him with shining eyes.

“Oh! That is good of you! I am sure he would be so grateful. I know that it is just because of what happened to him that he has found it difficult. Do you think you could …”

Jonathan leaned forward in his chair. Then he sat back and thoughtfully stirred his chocolate.

“I suppose,” he said very slowly, ‘he has not been in any sort of trouble before?” He lifted his eyes and saw the hot flush run from the lace at her neck to her creamy forehead. He saw the disappointment in her eyes.

“Well,” she said reluctantly, ‘there was some trouble.”

“Newgate?” he questioned. That is where that sort of trouble leads.”

“And more …” she began.

“He was not transported! You must tell me this, because it adds a complication: but perhaps we can get over it.”

She nodded.

“Does it matter so much?” she asked earnestly.

“It matters a great deal!”

“You do not think they will engage him? Is it necessary to tell them?”

He was weighing up the situation carefully.

“It is a responsibility to introduce a thief into a respectable business.”

“I believe we could trust Marcus.”

“I wonder. Once a thief … I only thought that if that was his first offence…”

“But … could you not explain to your master? Perhaps he would be willing to help. If you knew the whole story, you would realize as I do that Marcus would be saved.”

“You know his story then.”

“He told me last night. He came here to see me. I… I told him outright what we had seen.”

“You mentioned me?”

“I… I don’t think I did.”

“That is well. It would have embarrassed us both.”

“He told me a little,” she said, ‘about losing his money and coming to London, and falling in with terrible people, and then being caught and sent to Newgate and Botany Bay. He says that, if I meet him outside the shop at three o’clock today, he will tell me more.”

“When you meet him, do not speak of our conversation. I would prefer to make sure that I can help before telling him so.” She seized his hand and looked into his eyes. Why had she thought them cold?

“You are so good!”

“I am trying to do something worth while, that is all.”

“I shall always be grateful to you.”

“But if I am unable to help him?”

“Then I shall remember that you tried.”

“Do not tell him of this at three o’clock, remember.”

“Of course I will not.”.

He stood up and laid his cup upon the table.

“No,” he said slowly, ‘of course you will not.” He walked to the door.

“Thank you,” said Carolan. She stood at the door, watching him go up the street. He did not look back; he was so intent upon his thoughts. A good man! He trod softly, like a cat, but that was because he had to work all day in a dark office; and he probably walked quietly in order not to disturb his superiors.

“I have misjudged him somewhat,” said Carolan to herself. She would be careful not to mention this to Marcus, for it was a secret and she must guard her tongue. Impetuosity was a grave fault of hers; and so eager would she be to impart good news!

Poor Marcus How wonderful if she could do this for him, put him on the right load before Everard came for her! Then she would know there was some meaning in life. All she had endured at Haredon would have led her to the saving of Marcus. It would be like a pattern; it would give her a great faith in life and living. In spite of her cultivation of serenity, she was full of eager excitement as the hands of the grandfather dock crept up from the half-hour to three o’clock. On the stroke of three she opened the door and looked out into the street. There was no sign of Marcus. She stood there at the open door while the clock ticked away the minutes. Ten minutes past three! Fifteen minutes past. Twenty minutes past. And at half past he had still not come.

Kitty peeped round the door of Carolan’s room.

“Ah! Not ready yet? I declare you take longer than I do.” Carolan turned from the mirror, before which she had been sitting for the last ten minutes, without being aware of what she saw there. She had fallen into a reverie from which her mother’s knock at the door had aroused her.

“I am ready, Mammal’ “I am glad to hear it. I should hate not to arrive for the start.” Kitty sat on the bed and eyed her daughter appraisingly.

“You look very charming, my child. And how does it feel to be going to the play the real play for the first time in your life?”

“Very exciting,” said Carolan.

“We have good seats, and the carriage will be here at any moment. I could wish that we had another gentleman escort. Mamma, papa and the young daughter! It is not quite as exciting as it might be. What do you think?”

“I like it very well,” said Carolan.

“And what,” demanded Kitty, ‘has become of friend Marcus these last days, I should like to know?”

Carolan would have liked to know too, but she was silent, for she could very well guess. He had left the Grape Street area. Had she not gone to the rooms he occupied, and boldly asked for him! A slut with hair that hung about her shoulders like black snakes, and a coarse mouth, had whispered that she did not know what had become of her lodger. He had been there, and he had gone … disappeared, owing a week’s rent. Tenants did not usually owe just one week’s rent; they more likely owed ten, for such was what a poor honest woman had to put up with. He had left in a great hurry, indeed he had, and if the lady were a friend of his, could she see her way to paying a poor woman who needed it. that one week’s rent? Carolan explained that she had no money, and with that was quickly made to understand that her presence in the lodging-house was redundant.

Yes, it was only too obvious to Carolan what had happened to Marcus. He had no intention of giving up his life of crime. He was probably under suspicion, so he had moved to a fresh district. There was no real good in him. He was a thief and a liar. Perhaps the story he had told her had had no truth in it. But he had charmed her oddly; but then, the perfidious often had the power to charm. She would forget him as soon as she could. But often during the week she had dreamed of his calling out to her because he was in trouble, and once she dreamed that she saw him on the platform outside Newgate prison, and that the hangman was putting the rope about his neck.

If only she could have seen him once, have told him that Jonathan Crew was going to give him a chancel She had seen Jonathan only once in the past week; that was the day after Marcus had failed to keep his appointment.

“You have no idea what can have happened to him?” asked Jonathan.

“I can guess.”

“Ah! A life of crime can only lead to one end, Miss Carolan.” She had lost her temper then.

“Oh, it is easy for you to talk! How can you know what he had suffered, what temptations came in his way?”

“You are too sympathetic towards the rogue, Miss Carolan; too sympathetic by a long way.”

She had felt really angry until she remembered all he had tried to do for Marcus; then her anger vanished as quickly as it had come.

“Perhaps you will see him again one day,” said Jonathan. She shook her head.

“Very soon I shall be leaving here. My affianced husband is coming for me very soon.”

Then Kitty had come in and chatted brightly about the play which Darrell had promised them they should see. And now here they were, ready to set out for it.

“Now, tell me how I look,” said Kitty, turning round and about to show her gown.

“You look very lovely,” said Carolan.

“And what a handsome brooch!”

Kitty dimpled and put a finger to her lips.

“Does it not match the blue of my gown?”

“Admirably, Mamma. I have not seen it before.”

“Indeed you have not! And I still have to get your father’s permission to wear it.”