Chapter X.
At the “Black Horse”
Halley knocked at the door of the Black Horse and Mrs. Southgate opened to him. He raised his hat politely, saying “Have you a room here I could have for a few days?”
She looked at him dubiously. “We don’t take in people as a rule, sir, you see it is hard to get things out here.”
Then seeing how tired he looked, she added, “I’ll go and ask my husband.”
“Thank you, I have walked from Portham Junction with this bag.”
He entered and sat down in the kitchen, and gazed round with interest at the old room.
From the inside quarters he heard the sound of a conversation, and presently the landlord emerged with a scowl on his face.
“I am sorry, sir,” he began, and stopped dead. His jaw dropped, and he looked in amazement at Halley. “I beg your pardon, my … Oh Lord! Who are you?”
“My name is Halley, and I asked your good wife if you could put me up for a few days, I shall be very little trouble.”
The landlord stood with a puzzled look on his face.
“I’m darned if I understand it,” he muttered “are you sure you are not playing a joke on me, my lord, I could have sworn …”
“For whom did you take me, then?”
“Why, Lord Reckavile, you’re ’is living image.”
Halley smiled. “I am sure you can accommodate me, even though I am not Lord Reckavile.”
“Why yes, sir, if you don’t mind roughing it a bit; we are plain folk.”
So the bargain was struck, but Halley noticed that every time the landlord came in he fixed his eyes on him in the same bewildered fashion.
When he had set the table for a simple lunch in the old timbered room Halley asked casually:
“Who is this Lord Reckavile for whom you took me? I should like to see him.”
“You must be a stranger in these parts; why, ’is Lordship ’as a place near ’ere, Reckavile Castle.”
“And is he here now?” Halley asked eagerly.
“No, ’e is ’ardly ever at ’ome, but we expect ’im as ’e comes about this time as a rule.”
“I must have a look at this castle then, it ought to be an interesting place.”
Southgate cast a shrewd glance at his visitor.
“I dunno if you ’ad better,” he said sullenly “they be ’ard on poachers there; no, I shouldn’t go if I were you.”
Halley stretched himself before the fire while Southgate cleared away.
He thought it peculiar that he should do this himself, instead of getting a servant to perform the office, but when he had finished he came and stood beside Halley’s chair, fidgetting awkwardly.
“Sit down, landlord, and join me with something if you can spare the time,” said Halley taking a sudden resolve.
“Thank you kindly, sir, I don’t mind if I do. Things be powerful quiet nowadays, except in the evenings there be nothing doing.”
When he had fetched a bottle and glasses, Halley turned to him, and asked abruptly.
“Will you answer me a straight question?”
“If I can, sir.”
“I believe you acted as valet to the late Lord Reckavile many years ago?”
The landlord’s face set like a mask.
“I may ’ave done,” he said evasively.
“I want to ask you plain and straight, were you present at his marriage to his first wife, an Italian lady with whom he had eloped.”
Southgate leapt to his feet with a snarl.
“What do you want to know?”
“Sit down, please, I will tell you. I am his son, born in Italy, and she was my mother—now you know.”
Southgate covered his head with his hands, and something like a sob escaped him.
“My God! If I ’ad only known,” he cried.
He remained so long silent that Halley could stand it no more.
“Well?” he said.
“To think that Miss Carlotta ’ad a son. I tell ’ee sir, afore God, that if I ’ad known I would ’ave spoken. When ’is Lordship was drownded trying to land at this very spot, and the present lord was born the same night, I didn’t know what to do, I thought as ’ow poor Miss Carlotta must be dead. It seemed no good saying anything and getting into trouble, and not being believed, so I thought I best let matters bide, and if she were alive, she would come along; but time went and nothing ’appened, so I just kept quiet. When I saw you come in that ’ere door, I thought you was ’is Lordship, and then I suppose I must ’ave guessed. You are like ’im, but also like your mother, poor sweet young lady!”
“I understand,” said Halley gently “I cannot blame you. It was a difficult position. But tell me, where was my mother married?”
“I wish I could say, sir, indeed I do. That was one reason why I kept quiet. You see we ’urried off from ’ere as was always ’is way, and travelled to Dover. I didn’t know anything about the wedding till we stops at a village. It was such a rush, and we all ’ad as much as we could carry. I may ’ave ’eard the name, but I’ve clean forgot it.”
Halley groaned.
“And this was before he married—the late Lady Reckavile?”
Halley stuck over the title.
“Oh, yes sir, for I remember them all coming down after the wedding, and of course, I thought poor Miss Carlotta was dead. But why didn’t you come before, sir?”
There was a note of suspicion in his tone, which Halley noticed, and he told him as much of his story as he thought expedient.
“Well this be a pretty mess,” said Southgate “what are you going to do?”
“I must see Lord Reckavile, but I cannot stay here after what you have told me about the likeness. Can you find somewhere for me to go until Lord Reckavile comes back?”
Southgate smoked in silence for some minutes, at last he said:
“I was allers fond of the old master wild as ’e was, and your mother was a sweet young thing. Lady Reckavile I never could abide…. I got a cottage on the shore, we sometimes uses for … well least said the better, and we sometimes lets it in the summer. You can go there if you don’t mind things rough, tomorrow. Mrs. Southgate can look after you.”
Halley took the other’s hand gratefully.
“This is most good of you, and I hope one day I may be able to repay you.”
The landlord was embarrassed. “I don’t see why you should be a done out of your rights, but you’ll ’ave a tough time with Lord Reckavile; ’ese a nasty customer to get foul of.”
“Only let me know when he comes back, and I’ll see him.”
The next day Halley moved to the lonely little cottage on the shore. Its isolation and the numerous entrances gave a hint as to its use for revenue dodging purposes in the old days, but he was glad of any place of refuge for his tell-tale face, and with the issues at stake. For days he waited consumed with feverish impatience. Now that he had come so far he was determined to see the thing through, regardless of consequences.
At last when his nerves were nearly gone, Southgate came with the momentous news that Lord Reckavile had come home.
They sat long over the fire in converse. Halley now had Southgate as a willing slave, who would follow him to the death, and a plan was arranged between them.
“We must try and see whether we can get an interview with him privately,” said Halley.
“We must not delay matters, for ’e is off like a flash,” said the other “it’s almost as though ’e was afeared to stay long.”
“Tonight, then,” said Halley.