 Chapter 23 of Fuel of Fire, this is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Fuel of Fire by Ellen Thorny-Croft Fowler, Chapter 23. The Professor's Visit. Love, evermore, is fresh and young, so may it please your royal highness to banish from your mother tongue such words as finni. There was great delight all through, steadily, in the neighborhood thereof, when the engagement of Mr. Baxamdale to Ms. Burton was announced. An engagement which one has seen coming on is always so much more flattering to one's self-esteem and therefore more popular in proportion than an engagement which suddenly jumps out upon one and takes one completely by surprise. The former shows us how wise and foreseeing all we onlookers have been, while the latter proves or rather tries to prove that we can see only what is under our own noses and no further through a stone wall than other people, which deduction is, of course, absurd. Although it might be a fine alliance socially for Nancy, it was by no means a brilliant match from a pecuniary point of view, and to this fact Mr. Burton could not close his paternal eyes. But now that Lady Alicia was provided for, Lawrence could justly afford to keep a wife. And, moreover, Nancy's mind was made up to marry him or die, and she had shown such unmistakable signs of actually fulfilling the latter alternative if the former were denied her that her father decided in his own mind that as according to Solomon a living married daughter was better than a dead single one, or was that effect he would not withhold his consent to Nancy's becoming the wife of Lawrence, Max and Dale. As for the two lovers themselves, words could not describe their happiness. It is true that there is no heart sickness harder to bear than that of hope long deferred. But on the other hand, there is no tree of life whereof the fruit is sweeter than that of the long deferred desire at last fulfilled. And now Lawrence and Nancy were enjoying this fruit to the fullest extent of their by no means limited powers. Compensation is one of the great laws of life, and those people whose hearts desires have been given to them at the mere request of their lips have no idea of the ecstasy of bliss vouchsafed to those whose happiness arrives late after having tarried long upon the way. In the sunshine of her restored happiness Nancy soon began to grow strong and well again while Lawrence resolutely put away from him all remembrance of the crime which at once well now wrecked his life and decided that as he had forgiven so much he would forget. Lady Alicia was married very quietly to her old lover in London on the 12th of June. Nancy's wedding was fixed to take place at Tetley Church on the 10th of September. And in the interval it happened that Professor Gottfried, a most distinguished scientist with whom the Arbuthnauts had made friends on their honeymoon, came to stay at the vicarage for a few days. The professor was not one of those clever people whose chins are always in the air. He was one of those men of genius who know that nothing is beneath the notice of man since nothing is beneath the notice of God. So he was immensely interested in everything that was going on around him and having learned much was always longing to learn more. While he was staying at Tetley he heard the story of the burning of Baxendale Hall and the mystery connected with it and his attention was immediately aroused thereby. Over and over again he made Michael and Nora describe to him every detail of the incident with all the evidence that told so strongly against Lawrence until they grew weary of the recital. And then Nora suggested that they should take him up to the ruins of the hall so that he might study the question more minutely upon the very scene of the tragedy. So it came to pass one glorious afternoon in August that the Arbuthnauts, Professor Gottfried Lawrence, Nancy and Nancy's two small brothers, strolled up to examine all that was left at Baxendale Hall. It was a lovely day, just such another day as that which had preceded the catastrophe exactly a year ago, only there was no gale this August as there had been last. One of those perfect summer afternoons when nature seems to be at a standstill simply because there is nothing better to do than she has already done. She is at her wit's end how to find another treat for her already spoiled children. They walked slowly through the lanes, those lanes which were as holy ground, to at least two of the party who considered the others guilty of sacrilege and daring to walk there at all until they reached the park. And then across the velvet grass to the ruins which stood gaunt and grim and blackened, the one inharmonious touch in the idyllic picture of English summertime. Then Lawrence took the professor all over his devastated home, pointing out as fully as he could where the fire broke out and how it traveled. The man of science followed him with absorbing interest. It is most strange, most strange, she kept saying, I cannot at all find it out. It never will be found out now, I expect replied Lawrence, adding under his breath and hope. But professor Gottfried had no such wish. It was his business to solve problems and to make discoveries, and he did not like to be beaten. It must have been set on fire from the inside. He continued, there is no doubt of that, to set a house on fire from the outside and to be in on the upper story is most impossible and not to be believed in thing. Yet the ground floor by the fire quite untouched has been. But why did you not this floor roof over again before everything was spoiled? Because I couldn't afford to do so, said Lawrence simply, ah, but it is a bother, not things to be able to afford. It is, there's no doubt of that, and the master Baxendale laughed somewhat bitterly. And there was no one in the house living, you tell me at the time, even the caretakers had for a short holiday gone away? Was that not so? Yes. And they had all keys into your hands before going given. So did our bot not tell me. That is so. Lawrence hated this endeavor to discover a secret, which his chief desire now was to keep invalid. He had forgiven Nancy with all his heart, but he was by no means sure that the world, if it found out her guilt, would be equally ready to forgive her. And he was quite certain that he did not wish the world ever to have the chance. So he tried to divert the professor's attention. If you will come with me across the lawn to that clump of beech trees, on the other side I will give you a glimpse into five counties, he said. But he required a stronger man than Baxendale to divert the professorial mind, when once it had set itself to the solution of a particular problem. I do not want to see five counties, no, nor fifty counties. I do want the mystery of this house to solve. It's no good trying to do that, Professor. We've all tried and have given it up as a bad job. And you'll be compelled to do the same. What nonsense, you young men do talk and how idle you are. A bad job indeed, whoever heard in mathematics, a bad job. To every question there is an answer if only one can find it. And I mean this one to find out before I go. It's no good, Professor. You better take my advice and give it up. But the professor was not to be balked. He potted about the ruins for another hour with Lawrence at his heels and then was so hot and tired that he was obliged to join the group sitting under the beech trees in partake of a tea which Mrs. Candy had carried up from her cottage in a basket. What a perfect afternoon it is, exclaimed Nora, with a sigh of absolute contentment, laying her hand upon her husband and looking at her sister from whose face joy was already beginning to play the part of India rubber and erase sorrow's handwriting. Nancy, dear, do you ever wonder what you have done to deserve such happiness? Nancy, sugarhead, no, but I sometimes wonder what Lawrence has. Isn't it funny that food always tastes so much nicer out of doors than it does indoors, remarked that young lady when the meal was well underway. I believe that even boiled mutton or rice pudding would seem regular delicacies in the open air. Food, eaten out of doors, is nice even to read about in books, said Nora. Her sister agreed, yes, isn't it? Now when you read about Robin Hood and people of that sort, taking venison pasties and stoops of claret in the merry greenwood spelled with IE instead of Y, it sounds the most delicious fare, yet I'm certain that claret handed round in stoops, whatever a stoop may be, would taste awfully sour in a modern dining room and as for venison. Well, what's wrong with venison, asked Lawrence with a smile as Nancy paused. He was already unconsciously acquiring the manner peculiar to those men who were blessed with brilliant wives. He led up to her best stories, played up to her smartest repartees, and when she was in full swing his lips moved slightly as do the lips of promptors in amateur theatricals. Oh, venison is nothing but mutton with its head turned and it's as troublesome as are all the people whose heads have been turned. You never can catch it at the right moment like a pear or an eclipse, don't you know? It has either not been kept long enough when it is mutton or too tough to eat or else it has been kept too long in which case either it or you has to leave the house at once in favor of the other and then to return to your mutton is dangerous to life from a sanitary point of view. While Nancy was rattling on in her old airy inconsequent fashion with nobody but Lawrence paying much attention to what she said, Professor Gottfried was showing the little boys some grass and flowers through a powerful magnifying glass which he happened to have in his pocket. Suddenly Arthur raised the glass and regarded the surrounding landscape through it. I say, Amby, he cried, do come here and see how funny all the trees and everything looked through this. Ambrose flew to his brother's side and gazed through the glass with one blue eye, puckering up the other until every muscle on that side of his small face was taught. It is awfully queer, he exclaimed, everything looks so big and wobbly, doesn't it? As if the world was full of water, let's pretend we're at the bottom of the sea and the trees are made of seaweed. Let me look, said Nancy, whose finger was not long out of any pie, she could not bear to be outside of things. After she had gazed her fill, which was a very short run, Lawrence took the glass from her, more for the pleasure of touching her fingers it must be admitted than from any desire to behold the phenomenon which it presented and idly raised it to his eyes. It makes me feel like a child again, he remarked after a moment. There used to be a flaw in the nursery window here which magnified things when you look through it and as Ambrose said, made everything wobbly and watery. I likewise remember pretending the world was the bottom of the sea in those days when I looked through that particular pain in the old nursery window. A, what is that? What is that? Cried the professor with suddenly awakened interest. I was only saying that looking through your glass at this view reminded me of looking through my old nursery window as there was a flaw in one of the pains there that magnified everything, replied Lawrence languidly. The professor's almost childish interest in trifles and curiosity regarding the same bored him considerably. Professor Gottfried started to his feet and clapped his hands in an ecstasy of enthusiasm thereby upsetting his tea and bread and butter in one fell crash. I have it, I have it, he cried. The mystery of the fire at last is clear. The never to be solved problem is solved. The bad job is not to be given up any more but is a very good job after all. What on earth do you mean, professor? Asked the vicar in amazement while the others looked on, imagining that too much learning had made the little German mad. I mean that to me it has been given the great mystery of this house to solve. I mean that I do know how Baxendale Hall was by accident burned. That is what I do mean and the professor fairly skipped with excitement. Lawrence's face turned as white as a sheet. For heaven's sake tell us what you are driving at, he said between his teeth. Listen, pay attention and I will tell you all, cried the professor. See, the thing is quite simple but tell me first, was the nursery to the library at all near. Who is next to it replied Lawrence and on the same floor and for what was it after the hall was shut up, used. As a sort of overflow meeting for the library, Lawrence answered some books and papers for which there wasn't room in the library were stored there. He kept himself well in hand but he could not quite hide the trembling of the fingers that twirled his mustache in a vain show of indifference. Then it is all as Charles play simple, barely shouted professor Gottfried when the sun did shine upon the able to magnify flaw. In the window the flaw did become a fire glass. And so the great son himself did thus to the books and papers in the room set fire, see here. And while they stood breathless with surprise at the professor's discovery he held his magnifying glass where the hot August sunlight could fall upon it and quickly burned a large hole in Mrs. Candy's best tablecloth. Nancy was the first to find words. Then you believe it was the sun that set fire to Baxendale Hall and if so the old prophecy was actually fulfilled for the sun is thrice as great as king or state and a thousand times stronger and higher. I make no doubt dear young lady that it was none other than the great son himself that did the crime commit. Who else could have the library entered without first opening the door and walking up the stairs the fire would in the afternoon begin when the sun at the southwest windows was shining in and for hours it would smolder and then it would into a flame burst and the strong wind would fan it and the books and the papers would like so much tender burn. Nancy's face was pale with excitement and her eyes were dim with joyful tears, yes, yes, I'm sure you are right and oh I'm so glad that the secret has been found out at last. Suddenly the professor's jaw fell but stop. I do not see why did the sun that particular afternoon to Baxendale Hall set fire when for a hundred years or more he had been on that very window shining every day. I know cried Nancy the great tree at the back of the hall was blown down by the gay of the day before so that the sun shone for the first time on the nursery window that particular afternoon. Professor Gottfried positively flung his arms round Nancy in his exuberance, that is it. That is it clever, clever girl, that does everything most clearly explain the tree which had always that window shaded did fall. The sun on the floor in the glass did shine. The floor on the window did as the sunglass act and did to the books and papers on which the sunlight fell set fire. The books and papers did so quickly burn that the fire of the house did itself extend. The strong wind did fan the flames so fast that they like wildfire did travel and so in one day and night Baxendale Hall was down burned. Then no one entered the hall that afternoon. It was Lawrence that spoke but the voice was not his own. No one, no one if they had the fire discovered would have been. When you as you told me in the morning of that day here the sun had not on the window shown and the fire had not begun it was when the sun on the west front of the house was shining that the floor in the pane of glass to the hall did set fire and then no one even into the house again did come. And this explains why the fire started from the upper story continued Lawrence in the same unnatural voice it does all things connected with this matter explain replied the professor. It does explain how the fire from inside and upstairs to begin and how it did begin though all the doors were locked for the sun can without any keys enter. Professor Gottfried's words brought full conviction to the minds of all his hearers and the sudden enormous relief was almost more than Lawrence could bear so he turned away in silence and went down into the beach with that fringe the lawns of his old home and struggled to regain that self control over his feelings of which the unexpected joy produced by the professor's discovery had almost robbed him. After a few minutes Nancy left the group that was so busily engaged in discussing professor Gottfried's solution of the Baxendale mystery finding fresh proofs of its truth in every new aspect and consideration and followed her lover into the wood darling she said laying a caressing hand upon his arm which was still trembling I am so glad Lawrence could not speak but he raised a little hand to his lips and covered it with kisses so it came to pass that the mystery of Baxendale Hall was solved at last by the ingenuity of professor Gottfried all the false suspicions and the heart burnings which they had caused were over forever and everybody was hardly ashamed of having suspected everybody else. The professor's discovery made a considerable sensation both socially and scientifically and for a time people were almost as much afraid of magnifying glasses as they were of gunpowder and dynamite. The insurance company was so thoroughly satisfied with the professor's explanation of the otherwise inexplicable mystery that it again expressed its willingness to pay to Mr. Baxendale the sum to which he was entitled and this time he had no option and no desire but to avail himself of his rights and after much consideration and discussion Ian Nancy decided that they would invest 70,000 pounds and live upon the income thereof setting the capital upon the estate and that they would spend the other 30,000 pounds in building a new house upon the old foundations. A house not too large for their present means and yet capable of being added to should further prosperity shine in the future upon the Baxendale family. One sunny afternoon about a fortnight before their marriage Lawrence and Nancy were sitting together upon the old style which had proved such an important stage property in the drama of their lives and they were going over for the 250th time the story of the burning of Baxendale. They had just gone over for the 2000th and 50th time the story of their love for each other and the peculiar unsmoothness of its course so they turned their attention to the fire as a slight diversion before beginning the 2000th and 51st recital of the more interesting narrative. You were awfully silly to mind all the nonsense that stupid people talked about your having done it yourself remarked Nancy in conclusion. I dare say I was I often am awfully silly you know it is a way I have but I did mind it confoundedly nevertheless foolish boy as if anybody who had ever had so much as a bird's eye view of you could seriously suspect you of doing anything that Sir Richard Loveless and the Chevalier Bayard hadn't done every day of their lives but they did suspect me my sweetheart and those who have enjoyed considerably more than a bird's eye view of me and example speaks louder than precept you know but they didn't really suspect you they only pretended they did just for the fun of the thing because it's always so interesting to suspect people of doing what you know they couldn't possibly have done half the fun of being good is that it gives such flavor and point to your few lapses while the lapses of habitually faulty people entirely lack this charm. Lawrence stroke Nancy's cheek with his forefinger what shockingly immoral teaching well it's quite true think how glorious it is when mother upsets her tea or father has clared on the tablecloth yet if I or the boys do such a thing there is no real joy in it at all and that is why people pretended that they thought you had set fire to the hall if you'd been less somper and some reproachy that have been no point in even suggesting such a thing my darling said Lawrence after a pause still fondling the cheek which he had made so pale did you ever think I had done it Nancy's blue eyes grew round with amazement I good gracious know I'm not such a goose as all that though I was so foolish as to fall in love with you I've still since enough left not to suspect you of any redeeming fallibility and honesty enough not to pretend that I do let my folly stand out in its true colors having discovered a man who is absolutely perfect I have been idiotic enough to promise to marry him although he never attempted to conceal any of his virtues nor assumed any faults which he was not so fortunate as actually to possess my dearest I've something horrible to confess to you I wonder if you can ever forgive me of course I can I'm silly enough for anything where you are concerned what is it far away Lawrence do down and hit his face and Nancy's lap I know I was a brute a devil you can't be more disgusted with me than I am with myself and if you refuse to marry me after you hear what I'm going to say I cannot blame you my darling I actually believed all the time that it was you who had set fire to the hall more ashamed to me now can you ever bring yourself to forgive me there was a pause then Nancy said slowly you believed that it was me all the time Lawrence grown yes curse my blind folly when did you find out that it wasn't me after all when all Godfried found out how it really had been done not till then no not till then and you asked me to marry you believing that I was the guilty person I couldn't help it I loved you so that I meant to marry you whatever you had done guilty or not guilty you were the only woman in the world for me but I shall never forgive myself for thinking you guilty and I feel I cannot ask you to forgive me oh my darling what a brute I have been to you and although I was so violent to respect you my own innocent angel you were believing in me all the time my sweetheart I am not fit to touch the hem of your garment and poor Lawrence grown once more in the anguish of his soul but Nancy did not grown she laid her hand on her lover's head while her eyes shown like stars my dear I've nothing to forgive you have made me prouder than I ever was in my life before I don't blame you for suspecting me because I'd once suggested that you should burn the hall yourself if you remember though I only said it in fun and then I'd got the keys so there was nothing in that but what makes me so proud and happy is that your love for me was great enough to overcome all obstacles even your suspicion that I had done the thing which you afford oh my darling my darling I know now how much you love me God grant that I may prove myself worthy of such love and Nancy took the bout head into her arms and covered it with passionate kisses a new house stands now on the side of old Baxondale Hall a picturesque red brick house designed after the fashion of the Elizabethans but with every Victorian comfort and convenience and it smiles across the valley at Silver Hampton Church on the opposite hill as its three predecessors smile before it but now there is no shadow on its smile no shadow of a curse as yet unfulfilled into those who have eyes to see and ears to hear the new house and the old church bring the same message the message that good is stronger than evil and therefore is bound to conquer in the end be the warfare never so long in the battle never so bitter to all who possess their souls and patience it is given to see the morning joy which is the sure successor of the night of weeping to behold the marvelous light which must finally disperse all clouds and darkness either here now where there fall other shadows and where fresh clouds return after the rain or else in that fairer country where there is no need of the sun to lighten it and where the winter is over and past forever more so the story of the Baxondales ends well as all stories must inevitably end if we will only wait long enough but the end is not always yet and we are in such a hurry since good is stronger than evil and true then falsehood and blessing then cursing no story can possibly end badly while it is going on badly we know that this is not the end just as we know that the end of anything is only the beginning of something better and always must be as long as God's in his heaven and all's right with the world once more the Baxondales can dwell under their own roof tree until their own lands in peace unhampered by the conviction that again their home will be destroyed by fire and their house left unto them desolate that age long fears over and past the old curse has exhausted itself and the ancient prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter for first by the king and then by the state and thirdly by that which is thrice is great as these and a thousand full stronger and higher as Baxondale and the hall then made fuel of fire the end end of section 23 and a fuel of fire by Ellen Thornycroft Fowler