Part 5 (1/2)
Garton detected the note of bitterness in his companion's voice, and did not question him any further just then. When at length within the house, and taken possession of by the Garton ”kids”--two boys and a girl--Douglas became entirely changed. There was a lively romp first of all, and it was with difficulty that Mrs. Garton could induce the children to release their victim long enough to come to dinner. Then, at the table there was a contest as to who should sit next to the guest.
It was a happy family into which Douglas had entered. This was the one home in the whole city where he could feel perfectly at his ease, for he knew that he was sincerely welcome. Ever since his coming to St.
Margaret's, Charles Garton had been his firm friend. Notwithstanding his big legal practice, this brilliant lawyer was always ready and willing to a.s.sist the young curate, and Douglas found it a great comfort to go to him for advice.
”I am afraid that I am a great intruder to-night,” he told Mrs. Garton.
”But you must blame your husband this time.”
”I shall absolve him from all his past sins for bringing you,” was the smiling reply. ”We were afraid that you were going to leave the city without coming to bid us good-bye.”
”I hope I am not so ungrateful as that, after all your kindness to me.”
”We shall miss you very much, Mr. Stanton. I hardly know how the children will get along without you.”
”Oh, I shall drop in on you one of these days when you're least expecting me.”
”Are you going far away?”
”Merely to Rixton.”
”Rixton!” Mr. Garton exclaimed.
”Yes, why not? Some one must go there.”
”Do you know anything about the place?”
”Very little. I have been told that it is a hard parish, and that the last rector was forced to leave.”
”I should say it is. Why, they've killed several men there already, and do you want to be added to the number?”
”Killed them! did you say?” Douglas asked in surprise. ”I never heard it was as bad as that.”
”Oh, well, they didn't actually kill them, but they tried to do so, it appears, and you know what the Bible says about having murder in the heart.”
Douglas made no reply to these words but went on with his dinner. It was only when he and Mr. Garton were comfortably ensconced in big chairs in the library, enjoying a quiet smoke, that Douglas referred to the subject which had been abruptly dropped.
”Do you know much about Rixton?” he asked.
”Quite a bit, from hearsay. It's a queer community, so I understand, and the Church has had a mighty hard struggle there.”
”What's wrong with it, anyway?”
”I can't exactly say. But no clergyman has been able to hold his own there for years. It may have been their fault, and perhaps if the right man goes to the parish, things might be all right. I wish to goodness you were going anywhere else than to Rixton. I wonder what the Bishop is thinking about to send you to that place.”
”Merely because he thinks that I know the ways of such people, as I was brought up in the country.”
”We want you here in the city, though,” and Garton savagely blew a great cloud of smoke across the room.
”But Dr. Rannage and the majority of the people of St. Margaret's don't want me. They are delighted to think that I am going.”
”Yes, so I understand, confound their skins! They want some little snipper-snapper who can dance attendance upon all the pink-teas that are held, and s.h.i.+ne in social circles.”