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CHAPTER LII
THE WAY TO MAKE THE CREAM RISE
That night the reverend Counsellor, not being in such
state of mind as ought to go alone, kindly took our
best old bedstead, carved in panels, well enough, with
the woman of Samaria. I set him up, both straight and
heavy, so that he need but close both eyes, and keep
his mouth just open; and in the morning he was thankful
for all that he could remember.
I, for my part, scarcely knew whether he really had
begun to feel goodwill towards us, and to see that
nothing else could be of any use to him; or whether he
was merely acting, so as to deceive us. And it had
struck me, several times, that he had made a great deal
more of the spirit he had taken than the quantity would
warrant, with a man so wise and solid. Neither did I
quite understand a little story which Lorna told me,
how that in the night awaking, she had heard, or seemed
to hear, a sound of feeling in her room; as if there
had been some one groping carefully among the things
within her drawers or wardrobe-closet. But the noise
had ceased at once, she said, when she sat up in bed
and listened; and knowing how many mice we had, she
took courage and fell asleep again.
After breakfast, the Counsellor (who looked no whit the
worse for schnapps, but even more grave and venerable)
followed our Annie into the dairy, to see how we
managed the clotted cream, of which he had eaten a
basinful. And thereupon they talked a little; and
Annie thought him a fine old gentleman, and a very just
one; for he had nobly condemned the people who spoke
against Tom Faggus.
'Your honour must plainly understand,' said Annie,
being now alone with him, and spreading out her light
quick hands over the pans, like butterflies, 'that they
are brought in here to cool, after being set in the
basin-holes, with the wood-ash under them, which I
showed you in the back-kitchen. And they must have
very little heat, not enough to simmer even; only just
to make the bubbles rise, and the scum upon the top set
thick; and after that, it clots as firm--oh, as firm as
my two hands be.'
'Have you ever heard,' asked the Counsellor, who
enjoyed this talk with Annie, 'that if you pass across
the top, without breaking the surface, a string of
beads, or polished glass, or anything of that kind, the
cream will set three times as solid, and in thrice the
quantity?'
'No, sir; I have never heard that,' said Annie, staring
with all her simple eyes; 'what a thing it is to read
books, and grow learned! But it is very easy to try it:
I will get my coral necklace; it will not be
witchcraft, will it, sir?'
'Certainly not,' the old man replied; 'I will make the
experiment myself; and you may trust me not to be hurt,
my dear. But coral will not do, my child, neither will
anything coloured. The beads must be of plain common
glass; but the brighter they are the better.'
'Then I know the very thing,' cried Annie; 'as bright
as bright can be, and without any colour in it, except
in the sun or candle light. Dearest Lorna has the very
thing, a necklace of some old glass-beads, or I think
they called them jewels: she will be too glad to lend
it to us. I will go for it, in a moment.'
'My dear, it cannot be half so bright as your own
pretty eyes. But remember one thing, Annie, you must
not say what it is for; or even that I am going to use
it, or anything at all about it; else the charm will be
broken. Bring it here, without a word; if you know
where she keeps it.'
'To be sure I do,' she answered; 'John used to keep it
for her. But she took it away from him last week, and
she wore it when--I mean when somebody was here; and he
said it was very valuable, and spoke with great
learning about it, and called it by some particular
name, which I forget at this moment. But valuable or
not, we cannot hurt it, can we, sir, by passing it over
the cream-pan?'
'Hurt it!' cried the Counsellor: 'nay, we shall do it
good, my dear. It will help to raise the cream: and
you may take my word for it, young maiden, none can do
good in this world, without in turn receiving it.'
Pronouncing this great sentiment, he looked so grand
and benevolent, that Annie (as she said afterwards)
could scarce forbear from kissing him, yet feared to
take the liberty. Therefore, she only ran away to
fetch my Lorna's necklace.
Now as luck would have it--whether good luck or
otherwise, you must not judge too hastily,--my darling
had taken it into her head, only a day or two before,
that I was far too valuable to be trusted with her
necklace. Now that she had some idea of its price and
quality, she had begun to fear that some one, perhaps
even Squire Faggus (in whom her faith was illiberal),
might form designs against my health, to win the bauble
from me. So, with many pretty coaxings, she had led me
to give it up; which, except for her own sake, I was
glad enough to do, misliking a charge of such
importance.
Therefore Annie found it sparkling in the little secret
hole, near the head of Lorna's bed, which she herself
had recommended for its safer custody; and without a
word to any one she brought it down, and danced it in
the air before the Counsellor, for him to admire its
lustre.
'Oh, that old thing!' said the gentleman, in a tone of
some contempt; 'I remember that old thing well enough.
However, for want of a better, no doubt it will answer
our purpose. Three times three, I pass it over.
Crinkleum, crankum, grass and clover! What are you
feared of, you silly child?'
'Good sir, it is perfect witchcraft! I am sure of that,
because it rhymes. Oh, what would mother say to me?
Shall I ever go to heaven again? Oh, I see the cream
already!'
'To be sure you do; but you must not look, or the whole
charm will be broken, and the devil will fly away with
the pan, and drown every cow you have got in it.'
'Oh, sir, it is too horrible. How could you lead me to
such a sin? Away with thee, witch of Endor!'
For the door began to creak, and a broom appeared
suddenly in the opening, with our Betty, no doubt,
behind it. But Annie, in the greatest terror, slammed
the door, and bolted it, and then turned again to the
Counsellor; yet looking at his face, had not the
courage to reproach him. For his eyes rolled like two
blazing barrels, and his white shagged brows were knit
across them, and his forehead scowled in black furrows,
so that Annie said that if she ever saw the devil, she
saw him then, and no mistake. Whether the old man
wished to scare her, or whether he was trying not to
laugh, is more than I can tell you.
'Now,' he said, in a deep stern whisper; 'not a word of
this to a living soul; neither must you, nor any other
enter this place for three hours at least. By that
time the charm will have done its work: the pan will be
cream to the bottom; and you will bless me for a secret
which will make your fortune. Put the bauble under
this pannikin; which none must lift for a day and a
night. Have no fear, my simple wench; not a breath of
harm shall come to you, if you obey my orders'
'Oh, that I will, sir, that I will: if you will only
tell me what to do.'
'Go to your room, without so much as a single word to
any one. Bolt yourself in, and for three hours now,
read the Lord's Prayer backwards.'
Poor Annie was only too glad to escape, upon these
conditions; and the Counsellor kissed her upon the
forehead and told her not to make her eyes red, because
they were much too sweet and pretty. She dropped them
at this, with a sob and a curtsey, and ran away to her
bedroom; but as for reading the Lord's Prayer
backwards, that was much beyond her; and she had not
done three words quite right, before the three hours
expired.
Meanwhile the Counsellor was gone. He bade our mother
adieu, with so much dignity of bearing, and such warmth
of gratitude, and the high-bred courtesy of the old
school (now fast disappearing), that when he was gone,
dear mother fell back on the chair which he had used
last night, as if it would teach her the graces. And
for more than an hour she made believe not to know what
there was for dinner.
'Oh, the wickedness of the world! Oh, the lies that are
told of people--or rather I mean the
falsehoods--because a man is better born, and has
better manners! Why, Lorna, how is it that you never
speak about your charming uncle? Did you notice,
Lizzie, how his silver hair was waving upon his velvet
collar, and how white his hands were, and every nail
like an acorn; only pink like shell-fish, or at least
like shells? And the way he bowed, and dropped his
eyes, from his pure respect for me! And then, that he
would not even speak, on account of his emotion; but
pressed my hand in silence! Oh, Lizzie, you have read
me beautiful things about Sir Gallyhead, and the rest;
but nothing to equal Sir Counsellor.'
'You had better marry him, madam,' said I, coming in
very sternly; though I knew I ought not to say it: 'he
can repay your adoration. He has stolen a hundred
thousand pounds.'
'John,' cried my mother, 'you are mad!' And yet she
turned as pale as death; for women are so quick at
turning; and she inkled what it was.
'Of course I am, mother; mad about the marvels of Sir
Galahad. He has gone off with my Lorna's necklace.
Fifty farms like ours can never make it good to Lorna.'
Hereupon ensued grim silence. Mother looked at
Lizzie's face, for she could not look at me; and Lizzie
looked at me, to know: and as for me, I could have
stamped almost on the heart of any one. It was not the
value of the necklace--I am not so low a hound as
that--nor was it even the damned folly shown by every
one of us--it was the thought of Lorna's sorrow for
her ancient plaything; and even more, my fury at the
breach of hospitality.
But Lorna came up to me softly, as a woman should
always come; and she laid one hand upon my shoulder;
and she only looked at me. She even seemed to fear to
look, and dropped her eyes, and sighed at me. Without
a word, I knew by that, how I must have looked like
Satan; and the evil spirit left my heart; when she had
made me think of it.
'Darling John, did you want me to think that you cared
for my money, more than for me?'
I led her away from the rest of them, being desirous of
explaining things, when I saw the depth of her nature
opened, like an everlasting well, to me. But she would
not let me say a word, or do anything by ourselves, as
it were: she said, 'Your duty is to your mother: this
blow is on her, and not on me.'
I saw that she was right; though how she knew it is
beyond me; and I asked her just to go in front, and
bring my mother round a little. For I must let my
passion pass: it may drop its weapons quickly; but it
cannot come and go, before a man has time to think.
Then Lorna went up to my mother, who was still in the
chair of elegance; and she took her by both hands, and
said,--
'Dearest mother, I shall fret so, if I see you
fretting. And to fret will kill me, mother. They have
always told me so.'
Poor mother bent on Lorna's shoulder, without thought
of attitude, and laid her cheek on Lorna's breast, and
sobbed till Lizzie was jealous, and came with two
pocket-handkerchiefs. As for me, my heart was lighter
(if they would only dry their eyes, and come round by
dinnertime) than it had been since the day on which Tom
Faggus discovered the value of that blessed and cursed
necklace. None could say that I wanted Lorna for her
money now. And perhaps the Doones would let me have
her; now that her property was gone.
But who shall tell of Annie's grief? The poor little
thing would have staked her life upon finding the
trinket, in all its beauty, lying under the pannikin.
She proudly challenged me to lift it--which I had
done, long ere that, of course--if only I would take
the risk of the spell for my incredulity. I told her
not to talk of spells, until she could spell a word
backwards; and then to look into the pan where the
charmed cream should be. She would not acknowledge
that the cream was the same as all the rest was: and
indeed it was not quite the same, for the points of
poor Lorna's diamonds had made a few star-rays across
the rich firm crust of yellow.
But when we raised the pannikin, and there was nothing
under it, poor Annie fell against the wall, which had
been whitened lately; and her face put all the white to
scorn. My love, who was as fond of her, as if she had
known her for fifty years, hereupon ran up and caught
her, and abused all diamonds. I will dwell no more
upon Annie's grief, because we felt it all so much.
But I could not help telling her, if she wanted a
witch, to seek good Mother Melldrum, a legitimate
performer.
That same night Master Jeremy Stickles (of whose
absence the Counsellor must have known) came back, with
all equipment ready for the grand attack. Now the
Doones knew, quite as well as we did, that this attack
was threatening; and that but for the wonderful weather
it would have been made long ago. Therefore we, or at
least our people (for I was doubtful about going), were
sure to meet with a good resistance, and due
preparation.
It was very strange to hear and see, and quite
impossible to account for, that now some hundreds of
country people (who feared to whisper so much as a word
against the Doones a year ago, and would sooner have
thought of attacking a church, in service time, than
Glen Doone) now sharpened their old cutlasses, and laid
pitch-forks on the grindstone, and bragged at every
village cross, as if each would kill ten Doones
himself, neither care to wipe his hands afterwards.
And this fierce bravery, and tall contempt, had been
growing ever since the news of the attack upon our
premises had taken good people by surprise; at least as
concerned the issue.
Jeremy Stickles laughed heartily about Annie's new
manner of charming the cream; but he looked very grave
at the loss of the jewels, so soon as he knew their
value.
'My son,' he exclaimed, 'this is very heavy. It will
go ill with all of you to make good this loss, as I
fear that you will have to do.'
'What!' cried I, with my blood running cold. 'We make
good the loss, Master Stickles! Every farthing we have
in the world, and the labour of our lives to boot, will
never make good the tenth of it.'
'It would cut me to the heart,' he answered, laying his
hand on mine, 'to hear of such a deadly blow to you and
your good mother. And this farm; how long, John, has
it been in your family?'
'For at least six hundred years,' I said, with a
foolish pride that was only too like to end in groans;
'and some people say, by a Royal grant, in the time of
the great King Alfred. At any rate, a Ridd was with
him throughout all his hiding-time. We have always
held by the King and crown: surely none will turn us
out, unless we are guilty of treason?'
'My son,' replied Jeremy very gently, so that I could
love him for it, 'not a word to your good mother of
this unlucky matter. Keep it to yourself, my boy, and
try to think but little of it. After all, I may be
wrong: at any rate, least said best mended.'
'But Jeremy, dear Jeremy, how can I bear to leave it
so? Do you suppose that I can sleep, and eat my food,
and go about, and look at other people, as if nothing
at all had happened? And all the time have it on my
mind, that not an acre of all the land, nor even our
old sheep-dog, belongs to us, of right at all! It is
more than I can do, Jeremy. Let me talk, and know the
worst of it.'
'Very well,' replied Master Stickles, seeing that both
the doors were closed; 'I thought that nothing could
move you, John; or I never would have told you. Likely
enough I am quite wrong; and God send that I be so.
But what I guessed at some time back seems more than a
guess, now that you have told me about these wondrous
jewels. Now will you keep, as close as death, every
word I tell you?'
'By the honour of a man, I will. Until you yourself
release me.'
'That is quite enough, John. From you I want no oath;
which, according to my experience, tempts a man to lie
the more, by making it more important. I know you now
too well to swear you, though I have the power. Now,
my lad, what I have to say will scare your mind in one
way, and ease it in another. I think that you have
been hard pressed--I can read you like a book, John--by
something which that old villain said, before he stole
the necklace. You have tried not to dwell upon it; you
have even tried to make light of it for the sake of the
women: but on the whole it has grieved you more than
even this dastard robbery.'
'It would have done so, Jeremy Stickles, if I could
once have believed it. And even without much belief,
it is so against our manners, that it makes me
miserable. Only think of loving Lorna, only think of
kissing her; and then remembering that her father had
destroyed the life of mine!'
'Only think,' said Master Stickles, imitating my very
voice, 'of Lorna loving you, John, of Lorna kissing
you, John; and all the while saying to herself, "this
man's father murdered mine." Now look at it in Lorna's
way as well as in your own way. How one-sided all men
are!'
'I may look at it in fifty ways, and yet no good will
come of it. Jeremy, I confess to you, that I tried to
make the best of it; partly to baffle the Counsellor,
and partly because my darling needed my help, and bore
it so, and behaved to me so nobly. But to you in
secret, I am not ashamed to say that a woman may look
over this easier than a man may.'
'Because her nature is larger, my son, when she truly
loves; although her mind be smaller. Now, if I can
ease you from this secret burden, will you bear, with
strength and courage, the other which I plant on you?'
'I will do my best,' said I.
'No man can do more,' said he and so began his story.
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