Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (82 page)

"The Dyke?" said Strange, frowning, "That is a steep ride - even in summer - and a very lonely place if any thing were to happen to you. I do not think I would have attempted it. But I dare say you know these hills and their temper better than I."

"Perhaps you are wiser than I was, sir. As I rode up to the Dyke a hard, high wind began to blow and it caught up the snow that had already fallen and carried it up into the air. The snow stuck to my horse's coat and to my own greatcoat so that when I looked down we were as white as the hillside, as white as the air. As white as everything. The wind made eerie shapes with the snow so that I seemed to be surrounded by spinning ghosts and the kind of evil spirits and bad angels that are in the Arabian lady's stories. My poor horse - who is not generally a nervous beast - seemed to be seeing all manner of things to frighten him. As you may imagine, I was beginning to wish very heartily that I had accepted Mrs Evans's hospitality when I heard the sound of a bell tolling."

"A bell?" said Strange.

"Yes, sir."

"But what bell could there have been?"

"Well, none at all, sir, in that lonely place. Indeed it is a wonder to me that I could have heard any thing at all what with the horse snorting and the wind howling."

Strange, who imagined that Mr Hyde must have come in order to have this queer bell explained to him, began to talk of the magical significance of bells: how bells were used as a protection against fairies and other evil spirits and how a bad fairy might sometimes be frightened away by the sound of a church bell. And yet, at the same time, it was well known that fairies loved bells; fairy magic was often accompanied by the tolling of a bell; and bells often sounded when fairies appeared. "I cannot explain this odd contradiction," he said. "Theoretical magicians have puzzled over it for centuries."

Mr Hyde listened to this speech with every appearance of politeness and attentiveness. When Strange had finished, Mr Hyde said, "But the bell was just the beginning, sir."

"Oh!" said Strange, a little annoyed. "Very well. Continue."

"I got so far up the hill that I could see the Dyke where it runs along the top. There were a few bent trees, some broken-down walls of loose stones. I looked to the south and I saw a lady walking very fast along the Dyke towards me . . ."

"A lady!"

"I saw her very clearly. Her hair was loose and the wind was setting it on end and making it writhe about her head." Mr Hyde gestured with his hands to shew how the lady's hair had danced in the snowy air. "I think I called out to her. I know that she turned her head and looked at me, but she did not stop or slow her pace. She turned away again and walked on along the Dyke with all the snowy wraiths around her. She wore only a black gown. No shawl. No pelisse. And that made me very afraid for her. I thought that some dreadful accident must have befallen her. So I urged my horse up the hill, as fast as the poor creature could go. I tried to keep her in sight the whole time, but the wind kept carrying the snow into my eyes. I reached the Dyke and she was nowhere to be seen. So I rode back and forth along the Dyke. I searched and cried myself hoarse - I was sure she must have fallen down behind a heap of stones or snow, or tripped in some rabbit-hole. Or perhaps been carried away by the person who had done her the evil in the first place."

"The evil?"

"Well, sir, I supposed that she must have been carried to the Dyke by someone who meant her harm. One hears such terrible things nowadays."

"You knew the lady?"

"Yes, sir."

"Who was it?"

"Mrs Strange."

There was a moment's silence.

"But it could not have been," said Strange, perplexed. "Mr Hyde, if any thing of a distressing nature had happened to Mrs Strange, I think someone would have told me. I am not so shut up with my books as that. I am sorry, Mr Hyde, but you are mistaken. Whoever this poor woman was, it was not Mrs Strange."

Mr Hyde shook his head. "If I saw you, sir, in Shrewsbury or Ludlow, I might not know you immediately. But Mrs Strange's father was curate of my parish for forty-seven years. I have known Mrs Strange - Miss Woodhope as she was then - since she was an infant taking her first steps in Clunbury churchyard. Even if she had not looked at me I would have known her. I would have known her by her figure, by her way of walking, by her every- thing."

"What did you do after you had lost sight of the woman?"

"I rode straight here - but your servant would not let me in."

"Jeremy? The man you spoke to just now?"

"Yes. He told me that Mrs Strange was safe within. I confess that I did not believe him and so I walked around your house and looked in at all the windows, until I saw her seated upon a sopha in this very room." Mr Hyde pointed to the sopha in question. "She was wearing a pale blue gown - not black at all."

"Well, there is nothing remarkable in that. Mrs Strange never wears black. It is not a colour I like to see a young woman wear."

Mr Hyde shook his head and frowned. "I wish I could convince you, sir, of what I saw. But I see that I cannot."

"And I wish I could explain it to you. But I cannot."

They shook hands at parting. Mr Hyde looked solemnly at Strange and said, "I never wished her harm, Mr Strange. Nobody could be more thankful that she is safe."

Strange bowed slightly. "And we intend to keep her so."

The door closed upon Mr Hyde's back.

Strange waited a moment and then went to find Jeremy. "Why did not you tell me that he had been here before?"

Jeremy made a sort of snorting noise of derision. "I believe I know better, sir, than to trouble you with such nonsense! Ladies in black dresses walking about in snow-storms!"

"I hope you did not speak too harshly to him."

"Me, sir? No, indeed!"

"Perhaps he was drunk. Yes, I expect that was it. I dare say he and David Evans were celebrating the successful conclusion of their business."

Jeremy frowned. "I do not think so, sir. David Evans is a Methodist preacher."

"Oh! Well, yes. I suppose you are right. And indeed it is not much like a hallucination brought on by drunkenness. It is more the sort of thing one might imagine if one took opium after reading one of Mrs Radcliffe's novels."

Strange found himself unsettled by Mr Hyde's visit. The thought of Arabella - even an ideal, imaginary Arabella - lost in the snow, wandering upon the hilltops, was disturbing. He could not help but be reminded of his own mother, who had taken to walking those same hills alone to escape the miseries of an unhappy marriage and who had caught a chill in a rainstorm and died.

That evening at dinner he said to Arabella, "I saw John Hyde today. He thought he saw you walking upon the Dyke last Tuesday in the middle of a snow-storm."

"No!"

"Yes."

"Poor man! He must have been a good deal startled."

"I believe he was."

"I shall certainly visit Mr and Mrs Hyde when Henry is here."

"You seem intent upon visiting every body in Shropshire when Henry is here," said Strange. "I hope you will not be disap- pointed."

"Disappointed! What do you mean?"

"Only that the weather is bad."

"Then we will tell Harris to drive slowly and carefully. But he would do that anyway. And Starling is a very steady horse. It takes a great deal of snow and ice to frighten Starling. He is not easily daunted. Besides, you know, there are people whom Henry
must
visit - people who would be most unhappy if he did not. Jenny and Alwen - my father's two old servants. They talk of nothing but Henry's coming. It is five years since they saw him last and they are scarcely likely to last another five years, poor things."

"Very well! Very well! I only said that the weather would be bad. That is all."

But that was not quite all. Strange was aware that Arabella had high hopes of this visit. She had seen her brother only rarely since her marriage. He had not come to Soho-square as often as she would have liked and, once there, he had never stayed as long as she wished. But this Christmas visit would restore all their old intimacy. They would be together among all the scenes of their childhood and Henry had promised to stay almost a month.

Henry arrived and at first it seemed that Arabella's dearest wishes would all be answered. The conversation at dinner that evening was very animated. Henry had a great deal of news to relate about Great Hitherden, the Northamptonshire village where he was Rector.
²

Great Hitherden was a large and prosperous village. There were several gentlemen's families in the neighbourhood. Henry was highly pleased with the respectable place he occupied in its society. After a long description of his friends and their dinner-parties and balls, he ended by saying, "But I would not have you think that we neglect charitable works. We are a very active neighbourhood. There is much to do and many distressed persons. The day before yesterday I paid a visit to a poor, sick family and I found Miss Watkins already at the cottage, dispensing money and good advice. Miss Watkins is a very compassionate young lady." Here he paused as if expecting someone to say something.

Strange looked blank; then, suddenly, a thought seemed to strike him. "Why, Henry, I do beg your pardon. You will think us very remiss. You have now mentioned Miss Watkins five times in ten minutes and neither Bell nor I have made the least inquiry about her. We are both a little slow tonight - it is this cold Welsh air - it chills the brain - but now that I have awoken to your meaning I shall be happy to quiz you about her quite as much as you could wish for. Is she fair or dark? A brown complexion or a pale one? Does she favour the piano or the harp? What are her favourite books?"

Henry, who suspected he was being teased, frowned and seemed inclined to say no more about the lady.

Arabella, with a cool look at her husband, took up the inquiries in a gentler style and soon got out of Henry the following information - that Miss Watkins had only lately removed to the neighbourhood of Great Hitherden - that her Christian name was Sophronia - that she lived with her guardians, Mr and Mrs Swoonfirst (persons to whom she was distantly related) - that she was fond of reading (though Henry could not say precisely what) - that her favourite colour was yellow - and that she had a particular dislike of pineapples.

"And her looks? Is she pretty?" asked Strange.

The question seemed to embarrass Henry.

"Miss Watkins is not generally considered one of the first in beauty, no. But then upon further acquaintance, you know - that is worth a great deal. People of both sexes, whose looks are very indifferent at the beginning, may appear almost handsome on further acquaintance. A well-informed mind, nice manners and a gentle nature - all of these are much more likely to contribute to a husband's happiness than mere transient beauty."

Strange and Arabella were a little surprized at this speech. There was a pause and then Strange asked, "Money?"

Henry looked quietly triumphant. "Ten thousand pounds," he said.

"My dear Henry!" cried Strange.

Later, when they were alone, Strange said to Arabella, "As I understand it, Henry is to be congratulated upon his cleverness. It seems that he has found the lady before any one else could. I take it that she has not been overpowered by offers - there is something in her face or figure that protects her from a too universal admira- tion."

"But I do not think that it can be only the money," said Arabella, who was inclined to defend her brother. "I think there must be some liking too. Or Henry would not have thought of it."

"Oh, I dare say," said Strange. "Henry is a very good fellow. And, besides, I never interfere, as you know."

"You are smiling," said Arabella, "which you have no right to do.
I
was just as clever as Henry in my time. I do not believe that 616 any one had thought of marrying you, with your long nose and unamiable disposition, until it occurred to me to do so."

"That is true," said Strange thoughtfully. "I had forgotten that. It is a family failing."

The next day Strange stayed in the library while Arabella and Henry drove out to visit Jenny and Alwen. But the enjoyment of the first few days did not last long. Arabella soon discovered that she no longer had a great deal in common with her brother. Henry had passed the last seven years in a small country village. She, on the other hand, had been in London where she had observed at close hand some of the most important events of recent years. She had the friendship of more than one Cabinet Minister. She was acquainted with the Prime Minister and had danced several times with the Duke of Wellington. She had met the Royal Dukes, curtsied to the Princesses and could always rely upon a smile and a word from the Prince Regent whenever she happened to be at Carlton House. As for her large acquaintance with every one connected with the glorious revival of English magic,
that
went without saying.

But, while she was greatly interested in all her brother's news, he had next to no interest in hers. Her descriptions of London life drew no more than a polite, "Ah, indeed?" from him. Once when she was speaking of something the Duke of Wellington had said to her and relating what she had said in reply, Henry turned and looked at her with a raised eye-brow and a bland smile - a look and smile which said very plainly, "I do not believe you." Such behaviour wounded her. She did not believe she was boasting - such encounters had been part of the daily tenor of her London life. She realized with a little pang that whereas his letters had always delighted her, he must have found her replies tedious and affected.

Meanwhile, poor Henry had dissatisfactions of his own. When he had been a boy he had greatly admired Ashfair House. Its size, its situation and the great importance of its owner in the neigh- bourhood of Clun, had all seemed equally wonderful to him. He had always looked forward to the day when Jonathan Strange would inherit and he could visit Ashfair in the important character of Friend of The Master. Now that all of this had come to pass he discovered that he did not really enjoy being there. Ashfair was inferior to many houses that he had seen in the intervening years. It had almost as many gables as windows. Its rooms were all low- ceilinged and oddly shaped. The many generations of inhabitants had placed the windows in the walls just as it had pleased them - without any thought to the general appearance of the house - and the windows themselves were darkened, every one, by the roses and ivy growing up the walls. It was an old-fashioned house - the sort of house in fact, as Strange expressed it, which a lady in a novel might like to be persecuted in.