After leaving the attorney’s office they called
on Mr. Mainwaring the rector, and found that he knew,
or professed to know, a great deal more about Goarly,
than they had learned from Bearside. According
to his story Nickem, who was clerk to Mr. Masters,
had Goarly in safe keeping somewhere. The rector
indeed was acquainted with all the details. Scrobby
had purchased the red herrings and strychnine, and
had employed Goarly to walk over by night to Rufford
and fetch them. The poison at that time had been
duly packed in the herrings. Goarly had done
this and had, at Scrobby’s instigation, laid
the bait down in Dillsborough Wood. Nickem was
now at work trying to learn where Scrobby had purchased
the poison, as it was feared that Goarly’s evidence
alone would not suffice to convict the man. But
if the strychnine could be traced and the herrings,
then there would be almost a certainty of punishing
Scrobby.
“And what about Goarly?” asked the Senator.
“He would escape of course,” said the
rector. “He would get a little money and
after such an experience would probably become a good
friend to fox-hunting.”
“And quite a respectable man!” The rector
did not guarantee this but seemed to think that there
would at any rate be promise of improved conduct.
“The place ought to be too hot to hold him!”
exclaimed the Senator indignantly. The rector
seemed to think it possible that he might find it
uncomfortable at first, in which case he would sell
the land at a good price to Lord Rufford and every
one concerned would have been benefited by the transaction,—
except Scrobby for whom no one would feel any pity.
The two gentlemen then promised to come and dine with
the rector on the following day. He feared he
said that he could not make up a party as there was,
he declared,—nobody in Dillsborough.
“I never knew such a place,” said the
rector. “Except old Nupper, who is there?
Masters is a very decent fellow himself, but he has
got out of that kind of thing;—and you
can’t ask a man without asking his wife.
As for clergymen, I’m sick of dining with my
own cloth and discussing the troubles of sermons.
There never was such a place as Dillsborough.”
Then he whispered a word to the Squire. Was the
Squire unwilling to meet his cousin Reginald Morton?
Things were said and people never knew what was true
and what was false. Then John Morton declared
that he would be very happy to meet his cousin.
Mr. Mainwaring’s little Dinner
The company at the rector’s house consisted
of the Senator, the two Mortons, Mr. Surtees the curate,
and old Doctor Nupper. Mrs. Mainwaring was not
well enough to appear, and the rector therefore was
able to indulge himself in what he called a bachelor
party. As a rule he disliked clergymen, but at
the last had been driven to invite his curate because
he thought six a better number than five for joviality.
He began by asking questions as to the Trefoils which
were not very fortunate. Of course he had heard
that Morton was to marry Arabella Trefoil, and though
he made no direct allusion to the fact, as Reginald
had done, he spoke in that bland eulogistic tone which
clearly showed his purpose. “They went with
you to Lord Rufford’s, I was told.”
