________________________________________________
Her absence from chapel on the next Sunday disagreed with him.
However, Robert was away nearly all the week, and he had the house
to himself to dream in. It frequently happened to him to pass by
Miss Emery's shop, but he caught no glimpse of her, and though he
really was in serious need of writing-paper and envelopes, he
dared not enter. Robert returned on the Friday.
On the morning of the second Sunday, John got up early, in order
to cope with a new necktie that he had purchased in Hanbridge.
Nevertheless he found Robert afoot before him, and Robert, by some
unlucky chance, was wearing not merely a new necktie, but a new
suit of clothes. They breakfasted in their usual august silence,
and John gathered from a remark of Robert's to Maggie when she
brought in the boots that Robert meant to go to chapel. Now,
Robert, being a commercial traveller and therefore a bit of a
caution, did not attend chapel with any remarkable assiduity. And
John, in the privacy of his own mind, blamed him for having been
so clumsy as to choose that particular morning for breaking the
habits of a lifetime. Still, the presence of Robert in the pew
could not prejudicially affect John, and so there was no genuine
cause for gloominess.
After a time it became apparent that each was waiting for the
other to go. John began to get annoyed. At last he made the plunge
and went. Turning his head halfway up Oldcastle Street, opposite
the mansion which is called 'Miss Peel's', he perceived Robert
fifty yards behind. It was a glorious June day.
He blushed as he entered chapel. If he was nervous, it may be
accorded to him as excuse that the happiness of his life depended
on what he should see within the next few minutes. However, he
felt pretty sure, though it was exciting all the same.
To reach the Hessian pew he was obliged to pass Miss Emery's. And
it was empty! Robert arrived.
The organist finished the voluntary. The leading tenor of the
choir put up the number of the first hymn. The minister ascended
the staircase of the great mahogany pulpit, and prayed silently,
and arranged his papers in the leaves of the hymn-book, and
glanced about to see who was there and who was presumably still in
bed, and coughed; and then Miss Annie Emery sailed in with that
air of false calm which is worn by the experienced traveller who
catches a train by the fifth of a second. The service commenced.
John looked.
She was wearing white roses. There could be no mistake as to that.
There were about a hundred and fifty-five white roses in the
garden of her hat.
What a thrill ran through John's heart! He had won Annie, and he
had won the fortune. Yes, he would give Robert the odd five
thousand pounds. His state of mind might even lead him to make it
guineas. He heard not a word of the sermon, and throughout the
service he rose up and sat down several instants after the rest of
the congregation, because he was so absent-minded.
After service he waited for everybody else to leave, in order not
to break his promise to the divine Annie. So did Robert. This ill-
timed rudeness on Robert's part somewhat retarded the growth of a
young desire in John's heart to make friends with poor Bob. Then
he got up and left, and Robert followed.
They dined in silence, John deciding that he would begin his
overtures of friendship after he had seen Annie, and could tell
Robert that he was formally engaged. The brothers ate little. They
both improved their minds during their repast--John with the
Christian Commonwealth, and Robert with the Saturday cricket
edition of the Signal (I regret it).
Then, after pipes, they both went out for a walk, naturally not in
the same direction. The magnificence of the weather filled them
both with the joy of life. As for John, he went out for a walk
simply because he could not contain himself within the house. He
could not wait immovable till four-thirty, the hour at which he
meant to call on Annie for tea and the betrothal kiss. Therefore
he ascended to Hillport and wandered as far as Oldcastle, all in a
silk hat and a frock-coat.
It was precisely half-past four as he turned, unassumingly, from
Brick Street into Brick Passage, and so approached the side door
of Annie Emery's. And his astonishment and anger were immense when
he saw Robert, likewise in silk hat and frock-coat, penetrating
into Brick Passage from the other end.
They met, and their inflamed spirits collided.
'What's the meaning of this?' John demanded, furious; and,
simultaneously, Robert demanded: 'What in Hades are YOU doing
here?'
Only Sunday and the fine clothes and the proximity to Annie
prevented actual warfare.
'I'm calling on Annie,' said John.
'So am I,' said Robert.
'Well, you're too late,' said John.
'Oh, I'm too late, am I?' said Robert, with a disdainful laugh.
Thanks!'
'I tell you you're too late,' said John. 'You may as well know at
once that I've proposed to Annie and she's accepted me.'
'I like that! I like that!' said Robert.
'Don't shout!' said John.
'I'm not shouting,' said Robert. 'But you may as well know that
you're mistaken, my boy. It's me that's proposed to Annie and been
accepted. You must be off your chump.'
'When did you propose to her?' said John.
'On Friday, if you must know,' said Robert.
'And she accepted you at once?' said John.
'No. She said that if she was wearing white roses in her hat this
morning at chapel, that would mean she accepted,' said Robert.
'Liar!' said John.
'I suppose you'll admit she WAS wearing white roses in her hat?'
said Robert, controlling himself.
'Liar!' said John, and continued breathless: 'That was what she
said to ME. She must have told you that white roses meant a
refusal.'
'Oh no, she didn't!' said Robert, quailing secretly, but keeping
up a formidable show of courage. 'You're an old fool!' he added
vindictively.
They were both breathing hard, and staring hard at each other.
'Come away,' said John. 'Come away! We can't talk here. She may
look out of the window.'
So they went away. They walked very quickly home, and, once in the
parlour, they began to have it out. And, before they had done, the
reading of cricket news on Sunday was as nothing compared to the
desecrating iniquity which they committed. The scene was not such
as can be decently recounted. But about six o'clock Maggie
entered, and, at considerable personal risk, brought them back to
a sense of what was due to their name, the town, and the day. She
then stated that she would not remain in such a house, and she
departed.
Read next: PART III - THE SILENT BROTHERS: CHAPTER IV
Read previous: PART III - THE SILENT BROTHERS: CHAPTER II
Table of content of Grim Smile of the Five Towns
GO TO TOP OF SCREEN
Post your review
Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book
