Chapter VI: An Unanswered Question

NOT many days had elapsed after Dick's arrival at Holton before he felt really at home at No. 8 Fore Street. Every morning he accompanied the doctor on his round of visits, and soon grew to talk to him with but little reserve. He had told him his impressions of the Manor House, and had acknowledged that he did not much care for his grandfather; whereupon Dr. Warren had advised him not to be too hasty in forming an opinion of Sir Richard.

"Do you think my grandfather will ask me to spend a day with him again?" Dick asked Miss Warren one afternoon, as he walked down the village street by her side on their way to the post-office.

"I really cannot tell, my dear," she answered. "Did he say anything about it?"

"No; nothing. What a grand place the Manor House is; isn't it? I know now what mother meant when she said grandfather must be lonely; any one would be in such a big house! Do you ever go to see him, Aunt Mary Ann?"

"Go to see your grandfather? No, dear; never!"

"Why not?" Dick inquired. "I suppose you don't like him?" he added after a moment's reflection, as Miss Warren made no response.

"Oh, that is not the reason!" she exclaimed hurriedly. "I never knew much of Sir Richard. You see, Dick, he is not very sociable; and though your Uncle Theophilus attends him when he is ill, we cannot call him a friend of ours. He was never inside our doors until he came to see you the other day."

"Oh!" cried Dick, in great surprise. "Wouldn't you like to see the Manor House, Aunt Mary Ann?"

"Yes, I should," Miss Warren acknowledged; "but I beg you will never tell your grandfather I said so, Dick. The fact is, dear, Sir Richard is in a different position in life to us—to your Uncle Theophilus and me. I don't suppose you understand what I mean, and it is a little difficult to explain. Your Uncle Theophilus is only a hard-working surgeon, whilst your grandfather is a large landowner and a country gentleman."

"But Uncle Theophilus is a gentleman too!" Dick cried, lifting a pair of wondering eyes to Miss Warren's face. "I think he's much more of a gentleman than grandfather! Uncle Theophilus is always kind and polite to people; and the day I spent with grandfather he was so cross to the servants—as disagreeable and nasty as he could be to them! Mother says a real gentleman never does anything to hurt people. Oh, Aunt Mary Ann, I don't call grandfather a gentleman at all!"

"Hush! You must not say that!" Miss Warren remonstrated, looking quite distressed. "Little boys should not be so quick to judge grown-up people. You must always try to think of Sir Richard with respect, as well as treat him with respect, because he's your grandfather and an old man. He was very kind to you the other day, was he not? He showed you the picture-gallery himself, so he evidently tried to entertain you."

"He told me I ought to be proud of my ancestors," Dick remarked thoughtfully; "but they were not all good—he said so."

"You can be proud of the good ones," Miss Warren replied smiling; "just as you are proud of your father."

"Oh, father's splendid!" Dick cried, his eyes shining. "Of course I'm proud of him! I mean to grow up like him if I can!"

"Well, you can be proud of your ancestors who lived worthy of honour, and were honest, honourable men just in the same way. That Paul Gidley, for instance, who died for the sake of truth."

"I wish you could see his picture, Aunt Mary Ann! Oh, here we are at the post-office!"

They entered, and were greeted by Miss Tidy from her position behind the counter.

"Good afternoon, ma'am! Good afternoon, sir! I declare the young gentleman is looking better already. Did you see Sir Richard Gidley as you came down the street? No! Now, how could you have missed him, I wonder? He was here only five minutes ago!"

"We did not notice his carriage anywhere," Miss Warren remarked.

"He is walking," Miss Tidy replied. "I always say that in spite of his age, he is the finest man in the district. Ah!" bending across the counter and fixing her keen eyes on Dick, "as I told the doctor the other day, your little nephew's a Gidley, every inch of him."

"He resembles his father in features," Miss Warren allowed; "but he is like his mother, too. I want some notepaper, if you please."

Whilst Miss Warren was selecting what she required, the post-mistress kept up a run of small talk. She had seen little Dick driven past in Sir Richard's carriage, and would fain have known how he was received at the Manor House. However, she contented herself with asking him how he liked his grandfather's home, and if he had ever seen so fine an abode in India.

"No; never," Dick answered promptly. "I think it's a lovely place, but a great deal too big for one person to live in."

"So it is," Miss Tidy agreed, laughing. "And Sir Richard only keeps a few women-servants now instead of a proper establishment. I often think it's not right there should be no able-bodied man in the house. Groves, the coachman, lives at the lodge, and the stableman sleeps over the stables, right away from the house. Suppose anything happened—a burglary, or a fire!"

"We must hope nothing of the kind will ever happen," Miss Warren said, smiling at the look of concern on Miss Tidy's face. "I think that is all I require to-day."

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll send the parcel up to your house this evening. Good afternoon, ma'am! I daresay you'll meet Sir Richard before you reach home; he must have been in a shop as you came down the street."

But, as it happened, Miss Warren was not at all anxious to meet Sir Richard. Accordingly, she turned in the direction of the beach, where she found a shady spot, and sat down to rest, whilst her little nephew roamed about within call and sight.

The sea always had a great attraction for Dick. To-day, the tide being out, he wandered between the rocks, delighted with the treasures he discovered—beautiful shells, delicately-tinted anemones, and sea-weeds of various hues; but, at length, tired himself, he returned to Miss Warren, and a short while later they retraced their footsteps homewards.

Almost the first person they met in the village street was Sir Richard Gidley. He lifted his hat courteously to Miss Warren, and explained that he had called at the doctor's house to inquire for his grandson.

"Oh, I am very well, thank you," Dick said brightly. "Aunt Mary Ann and I have been down on the beach; it's lovely there!"

"When are you coming to see me again?" the old man asked, his stern face softening a little as his eyes met his grandson's, which were regarding him frankly and fearlessly.

"Whenever you like, grandfather," Dick replied politely.

"I give you an open invitation. Come to the Manor House whenever you please, and you shall be welcomed. I suppose you are getting to know your way about the district now, eh?"

"Oh, yes! I drive out with Uncle Theophilus every morning. Sometimes he lets me drive; and he says, with practice, I shall be a capital whip! We often pass near the Manor House. I could find the way there by myself—I know I could. I should like to see the picture-gallery again."

"Well, ask Dr. Warren to drop you at my door now and then," Sir Richard said graciously. "You have no objection, I suppose?" he added, turning to Miss Warren.

"Oh, no," she answered. "I will tell my brother, and I am sure he will do as you request."

"And if I tire of the boy I can send him away," Sir Richard remarked; "but he does not appear a noisy child. He is looking better than he was, Miss Warren."

"I am glad you think so," she responded, her manner growing more cordial; "my brother hopes he will become quite robust in a very short while. We mean him to spend most of the time in the open air this summer."

Sir Richard nodded approval, then he moved away whilst Miss Warren and Dick returned home to tea. The little boy wondered why his aunt had looked so ill at ease as she had conversed with his grandfather, but he did not ask her the reason.

There were several matters puzzling him which he had not liked to mention to either Aunt Mary Ann or Uncle Theophilus; but that night he made up his mind to question the latter upon some of those points which bewildered him. Therefore when the doctor paid him his accustomed visit after he was in bed, he began to unburden his mind.

"Uncle Theophilus, I want to ask you some questions," he commenced seriously, "and to tell you something grandfather said to me when I was at the Manor House the other day; because I can't help thinking about it, and it makes me very unhappy. He said father had offended him—oh, I hated him for saying it. I don't believe father would do anything wrong. You don't think it, do you?"

"We all do wrong sometimes," Dr. Warren answered, after a moment's silence; "but I certainly do not believe your father would wilfully do wrong, if that is what you mean. You know, Dick, people do not all think alike; and it is a fact that your father offended Sir Richard."

"Won't you tell me what father did?" Dick questioned excitedly.

"No, my boy; if your father had desired you to know he would have told you. I wonder Sir Richard mentioned the matter."

"He was so cross about it, especially when I said I didn't believe father had done anything wrong."

"Well, there is no necessity for you to argue about it, especially as you are ignorant of the facts."

"He said he had not forgiven father!" Dick cried indignantly. "How can he be so wicked!"

"Please God he will forgive him some day," Dr. Warren said earnestly. "Meanwhile, do not trouble about it, there's a good boy! Try to forget it!"

"So many things worry me," Dick acknowledged, sighing. "It is so very odd that mother did not tell me grandfather was angry with father. Perhaps she does not know?"

"Yes, she does; but she did not wish you to know. That is why I want you to let the matter rest. I feel certain your parents would wish it. I am sure you will ask no questions they would rather not have answered. Now, what else have you to say to me? I see there is something more on your mind?"

"It is so strange that mother never told me about the Manor House, Uncle Theophilus!"

"Not strange at all! She was never inside the walls of the Manor House in her life, and, I believe, only once saw Sir Richard to speak to. He was abroad when your parents were married."

Dick was not satisfied; but he perceived Dr. Warren meant to tell him no more, so he wisely refrained from putting further questions.

"I do believe you are beginning to feel quite at home with us now," the doctor continued, changing the conversation. "You are happier than you were at first, are you not?"

"Oh, yes!" Dick replied earnestly. "You and Aunt Mary Ann are so kind—mother said you would be! Oh, Uncle Theophilus, I can't tell you how thankful I am grandfather did not want me to live at the Manor House! I am sure I should have run away!"

"No, my boy; I am sure you would have done nothing so wrong or foolish if duty had called you there; but what is, is always best, you know. We have talked quite long enough now, so I will say good-night."

"Good-night!" Dick returned, shutting his eyes, and making up his mind to try to think no more of his father's offence, and his grandfather's unforgiveness.

Meanwhile Dr. Warren went downstairs, and repeated the foregoing conversation to his sister.

"I cannot think how Sir Richard could have been so unwise as to speak thus of his son," he said vexedly, in conclusion; "but it is like him not to consider another's feelings. I could not tell Dick that his grandfather considered his mother beneath his father in position. Really, I cannot understand how the old man can be so bitter and unforgiving!"

"He would not be if he really knew Margaret," Miss Warren returned, her face flushing with indignation. "He is a proud, disagreeable old man," she continued, her anger rising; "and I have no patience with him! I suppose we must let Dick go to see him occasionally? I hope he will not put wrong ideas into the boy's head!"

"What do you mean?" her brother asked anxiously.

"I mean I hope he will not teach him to be proud and overbearing like himself. At present, Dick is such a sweet, lovable little fellow, and Margaret has evidently taken great pains to make him good and obedient. Fancy, Theophilus, she has taught him the very same prayer I taught her when she could only lisp. I overheard Dick saying it last night:—"

"'Gentle Jesus, meek and mild.'"

"You must have heard her repeat it often."

The doctor nodded, whilst the cloud of anxious thought left his face, and he smiled his slow, sweet smile. "We won't worry as to the effect Sir Richard's teaching may have upon Dick," he said; "the boy loves his mother and will remember what she has taught him. Perhaps, instead of Sir Richard doing Dick harm, Dick may do Sir Richard good."