Little Legacy 
 
 BLUE CLOTH BOOKS
 
 BLUE CLOTH BOOKS 
 
 fc 
 A LITTLE LEGACY
 
 ASOUNO .NEVER HEARD 
 BEFORE BY HIS 
 
 EXTERIOR ft [CLERICAL
 
 A 
 
 LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 <Sr 
 
 OTHER STORIES 
 
 MRS. L. B. WALFORD 
 
 HERBERT S. STONE AND COMPANY 
 
 CHICAGO AND NEW YORK 
 
 MDCCCXCIX
 
 COPYRIGHT 1899, BY 
 HERBERT S. STONE & CO
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY .... 3 
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR ... 55 
 
 ONLY KITTIE 115 
 
 A TERRIULE MOMENT . . . 169 
 
 JEMIMA: A METAMORPHOSIS . . 221 
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT .... 271 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE . . -3" 
 
 2229441
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY
 
 The Little Legacy 
 
 "Y/ealth often sowes in keeping." 
 
 QUARLES. 
 
 "A hundred thousand is such a 
 good round sum, " said Mr. Mapleson, 
 tentatively. "Seems a pity to spoil 
 the symmetry of it, eh? Any little 
 odds and ends that might be over" 
 and he looked at his client, as 
 though feeling his way, with the 
 caution habitual to a confidential 
 adviser upon delicate ground. 
 
 "It might be more than odds and 
 ends," replied the client. 
 
 "Of course of course. Might run 
 up to another 'century,' or to any- 
 thing you please. But as it stands 
 you wish to leave a hundred thou- 
 sand the amount of your actual 
 capital at the present moment to
 
 4 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 your nearest of kin, Mr. Charles 
 Grenoble ; and there are a few hun- 
 dreds over " 
 
 "A thousand," corrected the 
 client. 
 
 "A thousand. And there may be 
 a few more thousands there may 
 be, as I said, anything you like to 
 name. Should it amount to any 
 decent sum say, to ten or twenty- 
 nothing would be easier than to add 
 this on ; but meantime hum, ha is 
 there no one? Have you no poor 
 devil of a relation to whom such a 
 trifle " 
 
 ' ' You have some one in your eye. ' ' 
 Mr. Grenoble, the Mr. Grenoble 
 whose will was being made, was a 
 man of quick intelligence, and knew 
 his old friend in and out. "Out 
 with it, Mapleson. Of whom are 
 you thinking?" 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha! Ton my word " 
 the lawyer laughed, played with his 
 pen, and shot a glance. He had
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 5 
 
 not meant to be detected in a stray 
 impulse; and, moreover, was not 
 precisely sure whether detection 
 might not defeat his object. "You 
 are so uncommonly sharp, ' ' he mur- 
 mured, "that well it's no use 
 beating about the bush with you; I 
 had best own up, I suppose: there 
 is that poor fellow, Tom Hatha- 
 way " 
 
 "Oh, bother Tom Hathaway!" 
 
 "He is some sort of cousin, isn't 
 he?" 
 
 "Cousin? What's a cousin?" 
 The rich Mr. Grenoble frowned and 
 growled over his basin of soup. He 
 was an invalid for the time being, 
 and had summoned his solicitor to 
 his sick-room, having, as he said, a 
 day or two leisure wherein to look 
 into his affairs. 
 
 "If one were to take into consider- 
 ation every poor, shiftless hanger-on 
 who calls himself a cousin " 
 
 "Quite so, quite so. It is simply
 
 6 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 folly to fritter away capital in 
 driblets. I catch your meaning; 
 and we are quite at one on the point. 
 Still" the lawyer yawned and 
 shifted his leg "still, Tom is a 
 decent fellow; and I fancy, with a 
 wife and a large family, must find it 
 rather a struggle ' ' 
 
 "What business has a man in his 
 position with a wife and a large 
 family?" 
 
 "None whatever, of course," said 
 Mr. Mapleson, cheerfully. "You 
 
 and I, two jolly bachelors " and 
 
 he proceeded to enlarge. 
 
 It took an hour's time, but ere the 
 close of the interview he had gained 
 his point. For each objection raised 
 he had a cordial assent ; in all gen- 
 eral condemnation of poor men, and 
 the desirability of ignoring their 
 existence, and leaving them to lie 
 upon the bed themselves had made, 
 he could promptly acquiesce; but 
 insensibly the wealthy testator found
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 7 
 
 himself being led, first to argue the 
 pros and cons of the case in ques- 
 tion, then to yield a sort of tacit 
 consent, fenced in by many a reser- 
 vation; and finally to permit the 
 clause to be added which his legal 
 adviser had intended to add from 
 the beginning of the conversation. 
 
 "Now, what on earth did I do that 
 for?" muttered the latter to himself 
 as, the business concluded, he went 
 his way. "It has cost me a lot of 
 time and trouble; and, except for 
 the pleasure of getting my own 
 way, I can't imagine what object I 
 had in view. Benevolence isn't in 
 my line. And it's a queer sort of 
 thing that the sight of a man's face, 
 and a few ordinary words let fall in 
 my hearing not even addressed to 
 me should have stirred up all this 
 coil! It's not likely to do any good, 
 either. Grenoble may live for 
 twenty years, and pile up his 'cen- 
 turies' like W. G. Grace. He will
 
 8 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 be sending for me again before I can 
 look round, to make a new will, and 
 bowl out poor Tom. Gad ! I wish 
 I had let Tom alone! It is two 
 o'clock now," consulting his watch, 
 "and I ought to have lunched at 
 one; and though I told Grenoble 
 that it was no matter, when he was 
 sitting sipping his slops in his com- 
 fortable armchair, I didn't bargain 
 for having to go without food until 
 an hour beyond my usual time. 
 What did I do it for, I say?" pro- 
 ceeded the lawyer, testily. "Be- 
 cause I am an old fool, and Tom 
 Hathaway's hungry face there he 
 is now, coming out of a tea shop!" 
 suddenly bending forward, as his 
 hansom whirled rapidly along the 
 Strand. "Had a roll and butter for 
 his luncheon, I dare say and some 
 coffee, or disgusting trash of that 
 kind! No wonder he looks white 
 and thin ! Digestion all gone to the 
 dogs, I'll be bound. Faith! Tom,
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 9 
 
 if you knew what I've been doing 
 for you just now," apostrophising 
 the unconscious pedestrian who 
 hurried past, and was soon lost in 
 the crowd, "you'd hold your 
 shoulders a little straighter, my 
 man! But it'll all come to nothing 
 it'll all come to nothing," mused 
 Mr. Herbert Mapleson, his busy 
 mind again at work on contingencies 
 and probabilities. "Tom's little 
 legacy will never come off, I 
 shouldn't mind betting a hundred 
 to one. Lucky he doesn't know of 
 it! 'Blessed are they which expect 
 nothing, for they shall not be disap- 
 pointed. ' " And dismissing the 
 subject from his thoughts, the pros- 
 perous man of business settled down 
 to other matters, which demanded 
 the whole of his time and attention 
 until the close of the day. 
 
 Nothing was further from his 
 anticipations than to have it recalled 
 within the week almost, as he
 
 10 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 declared among his colleagues, 
 before the ink was dry upon the 
 parchment by the swift develop- 
 ment of his old friend's complaint, 
 ending as it did in Mr. Grenoble's 
 decease before the lapse of another 
 month. 
 
 "Bless my soul! if Tom Hathaway 
 hasn't come in for that legacy after 
 all! I 'pon my word I little 
 thought I was doing Tom such a 
 good turn." 
 
 It was not perhaps strictly 
 decorous, but this was, as a fact, Mr. 
 Mapleson's first thought on receiv- 
 ing the intelligence. 
 
 He had been prepared for it. The 
 doctors had looked serious from the 
 day on which a change set in and 
 new symptoms appeared (that being, 
 as we have said, very shortly after 
 the interview above narrated took 
 place) ; in consequence our legal 
 friend had had time to acclimatise 
 himself to the idea, and to ponder
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY II 
 
 at intervals over the contents of the 
 will which he had so recently drawn 
 up ; also to heave an easy sigh now 
 and again on the altar of friendship. 
 
 But he had never known Mr. 
 Grenoble intimately; their relations 
 had always been more or less on a 
 business footing; and he knew so 
 many people met so many familiar 
 countenances every day had such 
 innumerable interests, and such a 
 cool head and heart wherewith to 
 meet them that one loss in the 
 large circle of his acquaintance 
 one, moreover, which did not enter 
 into his daily life could not be 
 expected to affect him deeply. 
 
 Furthermore, there was a "big 
 thing" on the Stock Exchange 
 which interested Mr. Mapleson very 
 keenly indeed. He could not quite 
 make up his mind about it; it might 
 be that he was losing a chance; on 
 the other hand, he was disinclined 
 to meddle with any of his invest-
 
 12 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 ments, and had no loose money 
 handy at the moment. He was almost 
 worried about the matter; and had 
 nearly decided to let things go, and 
 turn a deaf ear to the Growings 
 over their luck which fortunate 
 speculators kept pouring into his 
 ear, when the post brought him a 
 large fee which came in a manner 
 unexpectedly that is to say, he had 
 not reckoned upon its payment 
 before a later date. He took the 
 cheque and looked at it; then he 
 rang the bell. Within half an hour 
 his broker on 'Change had received 
 an order. This was on the day of 
 Mr. Grenoble's demise. 
 
 It was a matter of course that Mr. 
 Mapleson should attend the funeral, 
 which followed within the week; 
 and he reflected that after discharg- 
 ing that unpleasant duty for the 
 day was bitterly cold and raw, and 
 the long, slow drive to Kensal 
 Green, in addition to the rest of the
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 13 
 
 ceremonial, was a detestable pros- 
 pect he should at least have some 
 gratification in the two legal com- 
 munications regarding the nature of 
 the will, which would fall to his 
 pen. One of these, indeed, he 
 dashed off through his clerk as he 
 was putting on his great coat. 
 
 "Poor Tom Hathaway will go 
 home a trifle warmer this wretched 
 evening if he carries this note in 
 his waistcoat pocket," reflected he, 
 briskly moving about and turning 
 over papers to make sure that noth- 
 ing was forgotten. 
 
 "I shan't return to the office, Wil- 
 liams," aloud to the confidential 
 clerk. "It will be late before I get 
 back from the cemetery, and Mr. 
 Charles Grenoble may wish me to go 
 with him to his house. But mind 
 that I get all notes and letters which 
 come in before the office closes, as 
 soon afterwards as possible. Bring 
 them to me yourself. And if Mr.
 
 14 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 So-and-So should send over (naming 
 his broker), 'go and see him your- 
 self; tell him where I am gone, and 
 if he has any message of importance, 
 ask him either to wire or to give you 
 a note. Prepare the draft for Mr. 
 Charles Grenoble, and bring it to 
 me to sign. I don't think there is 
 anything else;" and taking up his 
 hat and gloves the speaker, some- 
 what ruefully, quitted his snug 
 chamber and prepared to brave the 
 raw atmosphere of a November 
 afternoon. 
 
 But few of those who had known 
 the late Mr. Grenoble cared to do 
 the same; and it appeared that on 
 the return journey his nephew and 
 only relation present was about to 
 drive alone in the mourning coach 
 which had followed next the hearse 
 in the outward-bound procession, 
 when on a sudden Mr. Mapleson 
 took a resolution. He had been 
 somewhat coldly greeted by the prin-
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 15 
 
 cipal mourner, for whom he had 
 neither liking nor esteem (and it 
 may be added that he had merely 
 thrown in the suggestion of going to 
 Mr. Charles Grenoble's house, above 
 recorded, as an excuse for not 
 returning to the City, rather than 
 from any real intention of carrying 
 it into effect) but it occurred to 
 him now that it might be rather an 
 amusing experience to try the effect 
 of unbosoming himself regarding the 
 will he had drawn up a month 
 before, when alone with the prin- 
 cipal legatee. 
 
 "Whatever he may expect, he can't 
 be certain of anything," reflected 
 the lawyer, shrewdly, "and I should 
 doubt if he even has any great 
 expectations. There was no love 
 lost between the two. They kept 
 aloof from each other as much as 
 they could, and snapped and snarled 
 when they had to meet. They were 
 as like as two peas a couple of
 
 l6 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 surly, selfish, ill-conditioned peas. 
 But 'tis ill speaking hard words of 
 the dead," hastily covering his head 
 again, as the group moved away 
 from the grave. "I oughtn't to 
 have been thinking of such things 
 just now," with a twinge of re- 
 morse, "and perhaps poor Charles 
 Grenoble," casting a glance in the 
 latter 's direction, "would be hurt 
 and affronted if he knew. He may 
 have some feeling, for all that stucco 
 face. Anyhow, he'll look sweet for 
 once, when he hears he has come in 
 for a hundred thousand pounds. 
 That's a lubrication adamant itself 
 can't resist. He might even give 
 me some of the handling of it, ' ' and 
 Mr. Mapleson was presently by the 
 other's side. 
 
 "If you have no objection, I shall 
 ride home with you?" And a some- 
 what stiff assent having been signi- 
 fied, the coach started with its two 
 occupants.
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 17 
 
 "You will receive a formal com- 
 munication from me in the course 
 of this evening, Mr. Grenoble." 
 ("May as well begin at once," cog- 
 itated the lawyer, feeling that the 
 sooner the ice was broken the bet- 
 ter.) Then he emitted a little 
 preliminary cough, and straightened 
 his collar. "I dare say that its con- 
 tents will be no surprise." Here 
 the speaker paused, awaiting some 
 sign of interest. None came. 
 
 "Being the late Mr. Grenoble's 
 natural heir" (another pause; Mr. 
 Charles Grenoble looked straight in 
 front of him) "you are, of course, 
 prepared to hear that he has made a 
 will in your favour." Still no 
 response. 
 
 ("Won't commit himself," mut- 
 tered Mapleson, internally. "Un- 
 civil brute, as he always was!") 
 
 "I drew it up a month ago," pro- 
 ceeded he, aloud, "and am pleased 
 to be able to inform you (Hanged
 
 l8 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 if I am pleased!" mental comment) 
 "that the amount of your uncle's 
 capital at that time was a hundred 
 thousand pounds ; which sum is left 
 to you unconditionally. Your uncle 
 was worth a hundred thousand odd, 
 I should say for there was a trifle 
 over, how much I don't quite know 
 bequeathed to another and more 
 distant relation. ' ' 
 
 "To whom?" For the first time 
 the fixed, immovable lips parted; 
 but the head did not turn no, 
 not by a hair's breadth towards 
 Mr. Charles Grenoble's compan- 
 ion. 
 
 "To whom? To your cousin, Mr. 
 Thomas Hathaway. Mr. Hatha- 
 way " 
 
 "I have no interest in Mr. Hatha- 
 way. ' ' 
 
 "Ah, indeed; no family inter- 
 course. Yes, I suppose so; I 
 understood as much; but Mr. 
 Grenoble thought "
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 19 
 
 A wave of the other's hand dis- 
 posed of Mr. Grenoble's thoughts. 
 
 ("What on earth is he not going 
 to say anything? Was there ever 
 
 such a Confound it ! I wish I 
 
 had not let myself in for this ! Devil 
 take him and his hundred thou- 
 sand!") The lawyer's temper was 
 rising; Mr. Mapleson was not a man 
 to be treated with indignity; and the 
 present rebuff was the more acutely 
 felt in that he had prepared himself 
 for something altogether different. 
 
 He would have had no objection to 
 a passage at arms with Mr. Charles 
 Grenoble at any time ; even coldness 
 and silence could have had their tit- 
 for-tat on any other occasion. But 
 to have somewhat genially broached 
 a subject, confident of its favourable 
 reception, one which should have 
 obtained at least a civil hearing, and 
 display of interest, if not of warmth 
 and to have been snubbed yes, 
 actually snubbed as though he had
 
 20 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 made an officious and altogether 
 superfluous communication, was 
 intolerable. 
 
 He drew himself upright in his 
 corner, vowing inwardly that he had 
 learned a lesson in mankind. Even 
 the acquisition of a hundred thou- 
 sand pounds would not make a cur 
 less a cur for a single fraction of a 
 minute, than he was by nature. 
 
 Certes, if silence were the order of 
 the day, he would not again essay 
 to break it. He too could look 
 gloomily out of his window, and 
 occupy himself with his own reflec- 
 tions. 
 
 He had enough to think about, in 
 all conscience. Perhaps at that very 
 time he was making a handsome 
 coup on 'Change, one which should 
 bring him in, if not a hundred thou- 
 sand, at any rate what would be a 
 very solid addition to his already 
 flourishing income. He would be 
 pleased enough to net his six or
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 21 
 
 seven thousand, and would not be 
 above owning it. Indeed, he 
 frankly avowed to himself that the 
 telling his friends, and chuckling 
 over his good fortune with them, 
 would be the "milk in the cocoanut" 
 of the whole proceeding. 
 
 Mr. Maple son was not an avari- 
 cious man, and had already all his 
 wants supplied, together with a 
 future comfortably provided for. 
 But it was his theory that no man of 
 sense ever despised wealth ; and 
 since he himself was ready to 
 acknowledge this opinion to pro- 
 claim and justify it, if need were it 
 was unendurable in his eyes that a 
 professed money-grubber, such as he 
 had always held Mr. Charles 
 Grenoble to be, should stroke his 
 impassive face and stare vacantly 
 from the window, affecting indiffer- 
 ence to the important news he had 
 just heard. Worse than all, that he 
 should have the cool audacity to
 
 22 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 imagine that anyone, least of all 
 his clever self, could be deceived by 
 such a clumsy piece of acting. 
 
 As soon as decency permitted, he 
 would end the scene and escape 
 from the thrall of such companion- 
 ship never, he swore to himself, 
 to be caught in such a trap again 
 and accordingly hailed a passing 
 hansom, the first that came in 
 sight. 
 
 "You are getting out here?" Mr. 
 Charles Grenoble involuntarily ex- 
 hibited participation in the other's 
 relief; then, to the lawyer's amaze- 
 ment, held out his hand with actual 
 and undisguised cordiality. "Stop 
 one moment, Mr. Mapleson, before 
 you get out. I believe I ought to 
 beg your pardon for having been 
 rude to you just now. I am afraid 
 you must have thought my conduct 
 somewhat extraordinary, but I 
 assure you it was not intentional 
 that is to say, the fact is I am so
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 23 
 
 bothered with money coming in 
 from here and from there, and from 
 goodness knows where, that some- 
 times I" (putting his hand to his 
 forehead) "the worry of it will 
 drive me distracted some day, I 
 believe! I was just afraid of what 
 my uncle would do. Of course, he 
 could not leave it to anyone else; 
 that would have been highly im- 
 proper; and I can't imagine what 
 could have put it into his head to 
 throw any away upon that poor, 
 unfortunate Tom Hathaway, who 
 has never got on in anything he 
 undertook, has never been the 
 slightest credit to the family, and 
 has not been taken any notice of by 
 either of us for years and years. 
 To rake him up now is a sheer piece 
 of folly, and will lead to endless com- 
 plications. He will fancy he is to 
 begin coming to our houses, and will 
 be expecting invitations and so forth 
 and this when he has been kept at
 
 24 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 arm's length all his life! There was 
 no need to have disturbed the exist- 
 ing state of things none whatever. 
 I must own, Mr. Mapleson, that for 
 a moment I had a sort of suspicion 
 that it was you who had been so 
 inconsiderate as to prompt my 
 uncle" (if Mr. Mapleson experi- 
 enced any internal sensations, at 
 least he did not betray himself) 
 "and that annoyed me," proceeded 
 the speaker, as though now satisfied 
 he had made a wrongful accusation. 
 "The whole thing is annoying; but 
 I must do my best," heaving a sigh. 
 "I must look out some new invest- 
 ments, and go through those the 
 funds are in already. It will be a 
 heap of trouble endless trouble 
 and that just when I was hoping to 
 take things a little more easily. My 
 doctor says that if I don't take care 
 and give myself more holiday, he 
 won't answer for the consequences. 
 Look at my poor uncle! And I
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 25 
 
 have double, treble his responsi- 
 bilities. I have nearly double as 
 much again to manipulate; it's a 
 heavy strain upon a man. I ask 
 you, therefore, to excuse me, Mr. 
 Mapleson, if in the first flush of 
 vexation I could not bring myself 
 to acquiesce cordially in the arrange- 
 ment. I hope you will overlook 
 anything that gave you offence, and 
 and I shall communicate with you 
 later on." 
 
 "JSIow, how much of that was 
 genuine, and how much was hum- 
 bug?" quoth Mapleson to himself, 
 trying to get over his first surprise. 
 "There was some truth in it, but 
 there was a lot of sham. He does 
 grudge the trouble; but he wouldn't 
 let go one stiver of the money no, 
 not even Tom Hathaway 's poor little 
 popgun of a legacy, if by hook or by 
 crook he could have collared it too!" 
 
 "Oh, do, Jenny, not heap up such
 
 26 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 an enormous fire, and knock the 
 ashes about all over the place!" 
 
 Jenny's mamma spoke with a 
 fretful intonation, which was ob- 
 viously foreign to her nature and 
 quickly repented of. "I know you 
 mean well, my dear; and it is nice 
 for your father to see a bright fire 
 and a clean hearth when he comes 
 in especially on anight like this," 
 glancing outside, for the shutters 
 were not yet shut, and the street 
 lamp opposite the window revealed 
 the raw, murky atmosphere and 
 reeking damp of a November even- 
 ing "but there's no need to 
 waste " 
 
 "I didn't mean to waste at all." 
 Jenny, a tall girl of fi/teen, plied 
 tongs and shovel vigorously. "I 
 shan't waste a single cinder; they 
 shall all go on the top," protested 
 she, suiting the action to the word. 
 ' ' But I know poor papa will come in 
 cold and miserable, and you always
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 27 
 
 tell me to make the room look com- 
 fortable for him to cheer him up 
 and give him a welcome. I thought 
 you liked a good fire, ' ' in aggrieved 
 accents. 
 
 "Yes yes, my dear yes, of 
 course ; I am not blaming you, only 
 coals are such a terrible price ; here 
 is an enormous bill just come in;" 
 the speaker sighed and glanced at a 
 paper in her hands. "How it is 
 ever to be paid^ I am sure I don't 
 know!" 
 
 "But you knew it had to come, 
 mamma. ' ' 
 
 "I knew; but I hoped to get some 
 others settled first. There are 
 several that I have been keeping 
 back ; thinking that, as this was the 
 last day of the month, your father 
 would get his salary paid and I 
 could ask him to let me have the 
 money. ' ' 
 
 "Well, can't you, and leave the 
 coals for a little longer?"
 
 28 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 "Oh, yes, I can; in fact, I must" 
 again the speaker sighed and looked 
 dejectedly round "but I could 
 hardly bear to see that great cart- 
 load at the door to-day, just when 
 the cook was telling me that she 
 must have the plumber sent for to 
 the kitchen range, and that some- 
 thing has gone wrong with the tap 
 in the scullery too." 
 
 The door opened and another 
 daughter entered. 
 
 "What a comfort to see a decent 
 fire!" exclaimed she, popping down 
 upon a stool in front. "I am so 
 cold in this thin frock. Mamma, I 
 suppose we may send for patterns 
 of warm things now, mayn't we? 
 You said if we hung on till the end 
 of November we could get our 
 winter frocks in time for Christmas. 
 And I have been thinking " 
 
 "Do you suppose you really must 
 have them? There are so many of 
 you, if we once begin ; and now that
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 29 
 
 skirts are so wide they take such 
 yards and yards of material " 
 
 "I was going to say," said Bertha, 
 looking- thoughtfully into the fire, 
 ' ' that if we could have some stuff for 
 new blouses some really good, nice- 
 looking, warm material, velveteen 
 or corduro) 7 " 
 
 "Corduroy is very expensive," 
 interpolated her mother. 
 
 "It would be nothing compared 
 with the expense of coats and skirts 
 such as other girls have. And we 
 might manage to make our old skirts 
 do by lining them with flannel or 
 flannelette." 
 
 "Oh, Bertha, mine could never 
 do." The younger and less con- 
 siderate Jenny rushed into the arena 
 with a terrified protest. "Mine is 
 all stained and frayed," cried she, 
 exhibiting here and there the 
 deficiencies indicated. 
 
 But Bertha was resolute. "It 
 could be turned," said she,
 
 30 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 decidedly. "You could help to do it 
 yourself, if we had some one in to 
 make the blouses; we could easily 
 work under her direction. But, 
 mamma," in a lower voice, "I am 
 afraid the little ones really must 
 have some new underclothing-. You 
 know how Wynnie has been cough- 
 ing all this week, and when I went 
 into the nursery this morning, Jane 
 told me she did not like to worry 
 you, but that she was sure both the 
 children were not properly clothed 
 for this weather. She showed me 
 
 their things " 
 
 "They shall have what they 
 require; I shall manage it some- 
 how," said Mrs. Hathaway, hur- 
 riedly; "I have still something to 
 sell," involuntarily turning round 
 the diamond ring upon her finger. 
 "Bertha Jenny not a word to your 
 father nor to the boys nor any- 
 one. At least we can spare them 
 this. And if I should get enough,"
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 31 
 
 looking fondly at her sole ornament, 
 "for you, my poor dears, to have " 
 
 "Never mind us. " Bertha came 
 and threw herself across her 
 mother's knees. "We can do very 
 well. I didn't know it was as bad as 
 that, mamma; only the poor chil- 
 dren " 
 
 "Yes, yes; you were quite right to 
 tell me about them. If I were able 
 to go into the nursery myself ! But 
 no one must think of keeping things 
 back from me because of my being 
 an invalid. It would make me worse 
 far worse than anything else, to 
 know that others were suffering 
 from my neglect." 
 
 "Neglect! You did everything in 
 the world for us as long as you 
 could," said Bertha, in a choking 
 voice, whilst Jenny, subdued, also 
 leant tearfully against her mother's 
 chair. "You worked and slaved for 
 us," continued the elder girl, with 
 breath coming and going fast, "sit-
 
 32 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 ting up at nights, and staying at 
 home all the fine summer days, and 
 never taking a holiday, and always 
 pretending that you were so well 
 and strong, until you could pretend 
 
 no longer " 
 
 "Hush! hush! There is your 
 father at the gate." Mrs. Hatha. 
 way, who had been returning 
 tenderly the kisses pressed upon her 
 cheek, suddenly started upright, and 
 dashed the moisture from her eyes. 
 "He must not find us like this," 
 said she, briskly. "There is little 
 enough in his own life to cheer and 
 encourage him; and if he finds us 
 down it will depress him the more, 
 and unfit him for doing the work he 
 has to do. He often has a headache 
 when he comes in. That's right, 
 Bertha, go out and meet him ; and, 
 Jenny, dear, try not to bring for- 
 ward unpleasant subjects; you know 
 what I mean. You have not quite 
 Bertha's tact, though I know your
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 33 
 
 dear, warm heart would not for the 
 world give anyone pain." 
 
 "But, mamma, is there any use in 
 shirking?" 
 
 Mrs. Hathaway held up a warning 
 finger, for the tones of a shrill young 
 voice were somewhat too penetra- 
 ting, and the front door had now 
 admitted the master of the house- 
 hold. 
 
 Then the mother replied in a 
 firm, steady undertone, "There is 
 no use in 'shirking' but neither is 
 there any use in discussions which 
 cannot further the object in view. 
 When there is anything to be done, it 
 would be foolish and cowardly, it 
 would be wrong, to shrink from 
 speaking out and taking counsel 
 together; but merely to bewail our 
 poverty, and indulge in useless 
 aspirations and enumerations of 
 things we need which we cannot 
 get, and must learn to do without, is 
 but waste of breath, and worse. By
 
 34 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 overshadowing our spirits, and turn- 
 ing our thoughts downwards instead 
 of upwards, this kind of talk inter- 
 feres with our going through our 
 daily work diligently, and meeting 
 our troubles cheerfully. Now, . run 
 out and see what they are waiting in 
 the hall for," proceeded the invalid, 
 in a lighter tone ; for Mrs. Hathaway 
 was, for the time being, chained to 
 the little hard couch which did duty 
 for a sofa in her small, plainly- 
 furnished drawing-room. 
 
 Mrs. Hathaway was one who 
 practised what she preached, and in 
 the few moments which elapsed ere 
 figures were again seen in the door- 
 way she had gathered strength from 
 no unfamiliar Source, and composed 
 her features to their usual gentle air 
 of serenity and welcome. 
 
 She had made up her mind that 
 the day had dragged as heavily with 
 her husband as with herself. 
 
 It had been an especially trying
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 35 
 
 one from various points of view in 
 the humble household. We have 
 had a glimpse of its culminating 
 scene; and there had been divers 
 lesser annoyances to contend with, 
 some of one sort, some of another; 
 while, through all, there had grated 
 harshly on the sensitive nerves of 
 the poor prisoner, who could never 
 escape out of hearing, the scrunch- 
 ing and snorting of a loathsome 
 steam roller, which ground endlessly 
 up and down over the newly-repaired 
 suburban road in front. 
 
 Even her gentle soul had been 
 stung to irritation at last, as we 
 know, and the goodly hotbed of coals 
 with which the small apartment 
 was now glowing had nearly had their 
 flames quenched by her at the outset. 
 
 That had passed, and she was now 
 glad they were there ; glad that her 
 poor husband, coming in weary and 
 chilled too often downcast and 
 dispirited also but how was this?
 
 36 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 It was certainly no downcast, 
 dispirited countenance which met 
 her timorous, faintly-investigating 
 smile. It was a voice most unlike 
 her poor Tom's usually subdued 
 tones (poor fellow! he had almost 
 forgotten how to speak jovially) 
 which responded to her wifely 
 inquiries. It was a brisk, alert, 
 upright little grey-headed man who 
 stepped into the room, and who 
 laughingly threw off a couple of 
 excited girls eagerly clamouring for 
 the problem to be unravelled, and 
 the secret, whose existence had been 
 admitted, to be disclosed in the 
 hearing of all. 
 
 "You shall hear it, sure enough." 
 The father and husband bent over 
 the sofa for the never-failing em- 
 brace. "Jenny, love" in his 
 excitement the old name, which had 
 of late been transferred to the 
 younger proprietor, rose to Mr. 
 Hathaway 's lips; and he stroked
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 37 
 
 fondly the head that had once been 
 as glossy and golden as the other 
 Jenny's was now "I have brought 
 home a medicine that will go far to 
 cure thy ailment, poor wifie," and 
 the speaker sat down beside the 
 couch, and held out his other hand 
 to the two impatient ones standing 
 by. 
 
 At the same moment a boy burst 
 in, laden with school books. Quick 
 as thought, Bertha had turned 
 round with an imperative sign, and 
 opened her mouth to bid the intruder 
 retire, when, "No, no," cried her 
 father, beckoning Charlie also within 
 the circle; "come in, my boy, come 
 in. I've got a bit of good news to 
 tell, and you shall hear it with the 
 rest." Then he paused and looked 
 solemnly, yet with radiance shining 
 in his eyes, at each in turn. "A 
 wonderful thing has happened," 
 he said, "a most extraordinary 
 and and wonderful thing. I have
 
 38 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 been left a legacy of a thousand 
 pounds!" 
 
 "There seems no end to what it 
 will do," cried Bertha, over and 
 over again. 
 
 Twenty-four hours had passed, 
 and each had been filled with its 
 own measure of joyful communings 
 and glad anticipations. 
 
 "Mamma, to think how nearly 
 you had lost that!" continued the 
 affectionate girl, touching the beau- 
 tiful ring, whose diamonds seemed 
 to emit a new effulgence as indeed 
 they did, for nothing would serve 
 the enthusiastic Jenny but to clean 
 and brighten them afresh in honour 
 of the occasion. "Oh, mamma, per- 
 haps only another day and it would 
 have gone! The one jewel you 
 possess in the world ! And what we 
 all know you value besides, because 
 of so many associations. . . . 
 Well, now, I have made out the list
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 39 
 
 of bills," and with tenfold the 
 importance of a judge Bertha spread 
 her papers, pencil in hand, "and we 
 will pay every one of them first of 
 all. They don't amount to much in 
 the light of a thousand pounds," 
 continued she, joyously, "although 
 they seemed so overwhelming when 
 we had only poor papa's salary to go 
 upon, and they were to be scrimped 
 one by one out of every month as it 
 came in. Perhaps we may not 
 even need to touch the thousand at 
 all for the bills; as Mr. Mapleson 
 wrote that there was a thousand 
 'odd,' and that 'odd' may quite likely 
 cover the bills, papa thinks. And 
 then we may use a hundred, may we 
 not, in getting put to rights alto- 
 gether? The house really wants it 
 
 dreadfully ' ' 
 
 "Indeed, it does." But Mrs. 
 Hathaway's acquiescence was rather 
 one of pleased anticipation than of 
 regret. "It ought to have been
 
 40 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 painted from top to bottom last 
 year. And had it not been our own 
 we should have been forced to do it ; 
 no landlord would have let us off. 
 We thought that was the one good 
 thing about our having bought this 
 poor little house and mortgaged it so 
 heavily. We shall pay off the mort- 
 gage now," and she looked round 
 with the air of a proud proprietor. 
 "You must remember, children, that 
 we shall not receive Mr. Grenoble's 
 legacy at once; and though your 
 father will have no difficulty in get- 
 ting an advance on the security of 
 Mr. Mapleson's letter, it will only 
 be a few hundreds. Still, a few 
 hundreds, and the rest to follow 
 shortly!" and her eyes shone. 
 
 "I was thinking we really ought 
 to have a little household linen," 
 meditated Bertha aloud. "The 
 towels are so very thin, and there 
 are hardly enough to go round ' ' 
 
 "And the water-cans are in a
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 41 
 
 deplorable state," assented her 
 mother. 
 
 "And, oh, mamma, can't we have 
 the piano tuned?" It was Jenny's 
 turn next. "The tuner has not been 
 here since April." 
 
 "You may send for him at once;" 
 Mrs. Hathaway nodded cheerfully. 
 "And poor Charlie's bed, I will have 
 that mended. The poor boy never 
 complains, but it must have been 
 very uncomfortable. And the lock 
 of his door is broken Oh, there is 
 your father's voice outside!" All 
 paused to listen. "He has brought 
 some one home with him," said Mrs. 
 Hathaway, with a fresh smile. "He 
 used often to bring a friend home in 
 this easy way when we were first 
 married ; but it is so long since we 
 have had anything to offer. That's 
 right, Bertha, make a blaze," and 
 she drew herself up on the couch, 
 and arranged the coverlet over her 
 feet to prepare for company.
 
 42 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 She was hardly prepared, however, 
 for the visitor who was ushered in. 
 Although she knew Mr. Mapleson, 
 she had not seen him hitherto within 
 the walls of her own modest dwell- 
 ing. Here also was a new departure. 
 
 "Mr. Mapleson was good enough 
 to say he would come down with me 
 and call upon you this evening, my 
 dear." It was natural that the 
 speaker's accents should have in 
 them a certain formality in the pres- 
 ence of a stranger, but it did not 
 escape the wife's ear that there was 
 also a nervous intonation and some- 
 thing of the well-known shadow on 
 her husband's brow. He now pro- 
 ceeded. 
 
 "Mr. Mapleson wished to consult 
 with us both on a little matter of 
 business " 
 
 "An investment for the legacy left 
 you by the terms of Mr. Grenoble's 
 will;" the lawyer took up the 
 thread, and seated himself with a
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 43 
 
 courteous inclination towards the 
 young- lady who had hastened to 
 place a chair. 
 
 "An investment?" Mrs. Hatha- 
 way looked from one to the other with 
 feminine appeal for enlightenment. 
 
 "My wife does not understand 
 much about such things ; neither, to 
 tell the truth, do I." Mr. Hathaway 
 forced a little laugh, which had not 
 a genuine ring. "We did not quite 
 understand, did we, my dear? that 
 this money which our cousin has 
 been kind enough to leave us has to 
 be invested will remain in Mr. 
 Mapleson's charge, to be invested 
 for us so we shall get the interest 
 instead of the capital. Of course, 
 it's all right; no doubt it is better 
 so; it will last longer, and " 
 
 "But perhaps it is a little disap- 
 pointment?" The visitor looked 
 keenly round. "I dare say the 
 ladies have already spent in imagina- 
 tion ' '
 
 44 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 "That's it; just so." The girls' 
 father made a hasty movement, as 
 though to intervene between their 
 faces and the guest. "I was a little 
 over-hasty in telling them ; and they 
 had been reckoning up, as young 
 people will but, of course, we 
 understand," and the poor little man 
 made a dignified movement and 
 straightened himself upon the 
 hearthrug. 
 
 ' ' Yes, we understand. ' ' The voice 
 from the sofa was low and soft, but 
 no tremor was audible. ("A woman 
 who would back up her husband in 
 anything," decided Mr. Mapleson 
 within himself.) "We are greatly 
 obliged to you for taking this 
 trouble," continued the speaker, 
 steadily, "and shall be very glad of 
 any help you can give us. ' ' 
 
 Mr. Mapleson produced some 
 papers from his pocket. As he did 
 so he heard a husky whisper behind 
 his chair.
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 45 
 
 "Are we not to get any of it now, 
 Bertha?" And looking up at the 
 same moment the quick-witted law- 
 yer perceived a spasm upon the 
 father's face, and noted that the 
 mother had averted hers. 
 
 When they spoke, however, no one 
 would have guessed the effort which 
 shaped the syllables of calm pro- 
 priety which fell from the elder's 
 lips. The papers were passed from 
 one to the other. Mr. Mapleson's 
 proposals were hearkened to with 
 deference; his advice was taken, 
 and himself empowered to act in all 
 respects according to his own judg- 
 ment. 
 
 Still he did not go; he seemed 
 unwilling to go. He entered into a 
 discussion about the merits, or 
 demerits, of the neighbourhood; his 
 eye wandered round and round the 
 little room, taking in or at least so 
 poor Bertha fancied the shabby, 
 darned curtains and broken window-
 
 46 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 cord; and though there was more 
 than one prolonged pause, it was not 
 until all had begun to feel the strain 
 almost beyond their powers to bear, 
 that he at length rose. 
 
 "You won't stay to dine with 
 us?" said Mr. Hathaway, faintly. 
 He knew there would be a good 
 dinner the dinner which had been 
 ordered to celebrate the family 
 festival and hospitality prompted 
 the invitation, even while a sick 
 sinking at the heart almost forbade 
 its utterance. 
 
 All the glorious news of yesterday 
 seemed to have turned to a mirage. 
 It was true that forty pounds a year, 
 which Mr. Mapleson considered 
 would be the probable interest of the 
 sum bequeathed, meant a pleasing 
 addition to his annual income. But 
 compared with a thousand pounds 
 down! 
 
 The "odd," too, had faded out of 
 sight. It had only amounted to a
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 47 
 
 trifle, and had been used for ex- 
 penses. He was longing to be rid of 
 another presence, yet shrank from 
 the moment when he and his should 
 be again alone. How happily had 
 he gone forth that morning! How 
 smoothly had the wheels of life 
 rolled throughout the day! And 
 how confidently had he awaited the 
 glad bustle of his return ! 
 
 It had been agreed that a family 
 conclave was to be held, and pros 
 and cons discussed. He could 
 scarcely bear to mark the quietude 
 of the little chamber now. 
 
 "Just step with me a moment out- 
 side, will you?" said Mr. Mapleson. 
 
 "But, my dear sir, I I, really I 
 am so bewildered ! This munificence 
 this extraordinary, unparalleled 
 good fortune!" Poor Tom Hatha- 
 way shook all over, and a narrow 
 slip of paper in his hand wriggled in 
 the lamplight. "It is incredible "
 
 48 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 4 ' Not at all incredible. ' ' A hearty 
 hand patted him on the shoulder. 
 "You think me a cold-blooded indi- 
 vidual, Hathaway; and I dare say 
 wouldn't give me credit for but 
 even a selfish old bachelor may 
 sometimes enjoy giving a pleasant 
 surprise. I didn't come all this way 
 out to shed gloom and disappoint- 
 ment in a place that, to tell the 
 truth, looks dismal enough without 
 the need of anything additional," 
 with an involuntary glance of dis- 
 paragement at the sodden road and 
 monotonous frontage. 
 
 ("God bless my soul! How can 
 people live in such a locality?" mut- 
 tered Mapleson to himself. ) 
 
 Then he continued his cheerful 
 strain aloud, "Let me explain. I 
 meant to have my little joke to 
 tease your wife and daughters for a 
 few minutes', and then to produce 
 this cheque and make them jump. 
 But somehow I couldn't do it.
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 49 
 
 There was that in your wife's face 
 and those poor girls! Well, well, 
 forgive my seeing below the surface, 
 Hathaway; we lawyers can't help 
 prying, you know; and even your 
 mask of cheerful acquiescence didn't 
 take me in. It was a disappoint- 
 ment, eh? I had guessed as much, 
 but I didn't know how much until 
 never mind when. It made me feel 
 queer, I can tell you. Now, my 
 good sir, do you understand that 
 this," tapping the cheque, "is your 
 own earned money (at least if it 
 can be called 'earned,' " sot to voce). 
 "Anyhow, it's made honestly, and 
 I had nothing to do with it beyond 
 the fact that I was the medium of 
 making it for you. Are you listen- 
 ing? I don't suppose you are," jog- 
 ging his dumb companion playfully 
 by the elbow. "But still, as you 
 have got to tell others, you may as 
 well let me tell you once again. On 
 the day of Mr. Grenoble's death,
 
 50 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 when I knew you would come in for 
 this small legacy small as compared 
 with what he left his other relation, 
 that grumbling curmudgeon Charles 
 the Stock Exchange was 'hum- 
 ming' with African shares. I made 
 up my mind to have a fling on your 
 account ; and if it turned up trumps, 
 well and good ; if not, I guaranteed 
 in my own mind to make good the 
 loss. I had just done uncommonly 
 well for myself in the same line, 
 and could afford it. That was a 
 week ago, and the result of the week 
 is that your thousand has made five ! 
 I retain the original sum, to be 
 invested according to Mr. Grenoble's 
 wishes (which I explained just now 
 to yourself and Mrs. Hathaway) 
 and for the other four thousand you 
 hold the cheque in your hands. It 
 is yours absolutely and you can 
 make ducks and drakes with it as 
 soon as you like. Eh? Oh, never 
 mind. No thanks. God bless you,
 
 THE LITTLE LEGACY 51 
 
 my dear fellow; God bless you," 
 and with a parting grip of the hand 
 the speaker vanished in the darkness. 
 Nor did the worthy Mapleson's 
 kindness end here. He had received 
 an impression from the visit never 
 to be effaced. He took an ever- 
 increasing interest in the affairs of 
 the family he had befriended. In 
 the course of time the schoolboy 
 Charlie was received into his office ; 
 and one fine day when his nephew 
 and heir, Herbert Mapleson, 'came 
 and stood before him, bristling with 
 resolution and defiance, to announce 
 that he had offered his hand and 
 heart to Bertha Hathaway, and that 
 neither his people nor hers should 
 put a spoke in his wheel, for marry 
 her he would, &c., &c., with all the 
 usual variations all the formidable 
 uncle did was to hear him to the 
 end, and then say, with a smile 
 which he could not for the life of 
 him make sarcastic, "Bless my soul!
 
 52 THE LITTLE LEGACY 
 
 young man, do you think because 
 people wear spectacles that they 
 can't see an inch beyond their 
 noses? There; get me my hat; and 
 we will go off together to call upon 
 my future niece. I am not such a 
 fool, Herbert Mapleson, but I can 
 still admire a pretty girl, and a good 
 girl, when I see one. I shall have 
 to make another fling one of these 
 days on Tom's account," he cogi- 
 tated. "It all came of that queer 
 little legacy of his. ' '
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR
 
 A Clerical Exterior 
 
 "As for society, my dear fellow, 
 ahem?" said the vicar, significantly. 
 Then he looked at the youthful, seri- 
 ous figure before him, taking in its 
 spare outlines, the slight bend of the 
 neck and the length the extreme 
 length of the new black coat. 
 "Ahem!" he repeated. But in- 
 wardly he made the swift and cheer- 
 ful reflection: "Quite presentable, 
 but absolutely indifferent. Full of 
 zeal and visions. An embryo Loyola 
 or Damien, in short!" with a sar- 
 castic quirk of the lip. "I know the 
 cut. At the present moment it suits 
 me down to the ground." 
 
 "I am not in the least solicitous 
 about society," said the new curate, 
 with gentle decision. 
 
 55
 
 56 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 "No; I thought not. Society is 
 is all very well in its way ; but when 
 a man is beginning his life-work" 
 the speaker shot a glance and marked 
 that it told "society is more or less 
 a hindrance. Later on it is a differ- 
 ent matter. Your object now is to 
 learn all you can, and do all you can ; 
 and this great teeming parish of 
 mine, east of the East of London, 
 will prove, I trust, an excellent mas- 
 ter in the lesson. There is not" he 
 paused, then corrected himself 
 "there is hardly more than one house 
 in it to be visited on equal terms." 
 
 The curate did not even ask whose 
 house it was. 
 
 A few days later, however, Mr. 
 Fairclough himself suggested: "I 
 must take you to call on Lady Mar- 
 garet Whitmore, Bertram. Lady 
 Margaret will expect it. She is not 
 only my principal parishioner, but 
 the largest landowner in the neigh- 
 bourhood. An excellent woman
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 57 
 
 liberal, benevolent. We are lucky 
 in having such a person in this for- 
 saken I mean this queer, out-of- 
 the-way part of the world. Every 
 one else who has ever held property 
 hereabouts has fled the scene; sold 
 it for building purposes, and made 
 off to happier hunting-grounds. The 
 East End of London is not what you 
 can call an agreeable vicinity, and 
 the East End is approaching us 
 Essex folk at a gallop. But Lady 
 Margaret has struck her roots deep, 
 like one of her own elms too deep 
 ever to be torn up ; though one day 
 doubtless she will snap at the stem, 
 as they occasionally do. Long may 
 that day be off! And meantime I 
 must take you with me to Garfords, 
 and present you in due form." 
 
 "When shall we go, sir?" inquired 
 the young man, glancing at a note- 
 book in his hand. "I had better 
 make a note of it " 
 
 "Pooh! Note! Come along now, "
 
 58 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 cried the vicar, with genial alacrity. 
 " 'Tis a nice day for a walk, and 
 the walk to Garfords is the only 
 decent one in the place. ' ' 
 
 "I am afraid this afternoon is full 
 already. I had arranged to call at 
 the schools ' ' 
 
 "My dear boy, the schools can 
 wait." 
 
 "And to take these papers for the 
 magazine ' ' 
 
 "Put them in your pocket, and if 
 we have time we can hand them in 
 as we return. ' ' 
 
 "You wished me to see about the 
 special service " 
 
 "Special service be " Mr. 
 
 Fairclough choked the word 
 "hanged" in his throat. He was 
 too apt to let fall unclerical expres- 
 sions. Aloud, he merely remarked: 
 "My dear Bertram, you are quite 
 right, perfectly right, to map out 
 your time and economize it. There 
 is nothing like method, as I always
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 59 
 
 tell my curates; but all the same, 
 there come occasions when method 
 must go to the wall. It does not do 
 to be a slave to red tape," jogging 
 his young disciple's arm playfully. 
 "I had got my day laid out as well 
 as you, but the sun shines, the birds 
 sing, and the upshot is away with 
 that note-book ! ' ' tapping it with his 
 finger. "There is nothing in it that 
 will not keep till to-morrow or next 
 day; and away we go across the 
 fields to the one house in the neigh- 
 bourhood where there is the prospect 
 of an hour's real enjoyment in the 
 performance of an actual and posi- 
 tive duty visitation." 
 
 He seized his large, important, 
 glossy hat with one hand and his 
 silver-headed cane with the other. 
 Bertram put on a smooth black wide- 
 awake, and was extracting his um- 
 brella from the stand when Mr. 
 Fairclough, with half-humorous irri- 
 tation, pushed it back.
 
 60 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 "No, no; can't stand that. An 
 umbrella when there is not a cloud 
 in the sky! In the month of June, 
 too! Here," opening a side door, 
 (for the two were standing in the 
 inner hall of the vicarage, a spacious, 
 well-planned building, as many of its 
 kind are in that region), "here, take 
 your choice. Here are sticks of 
 every sort : sticks long, sticks short ; 
 sticks lean, sticks stout ; sticks rough, 
 sticks smooth! Some of them 
 haven't been used for twenty years 
 or more, but I go on collecting all 
 the same. Aye, that one will suit 
 you, I dare say; and you handle it 
 as though to the manner born. 
 Come, Bertram, I see you know a 
 good stick. Don't tell me that you 
 prefer to trudge along a country 
 road with that infernal machine, a 
 parson's umbrella." 
 
 "Xo, sir! I I never walked 
 with an umbrella in my life till I 
 took orders. But I thought
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 6l 
 
 the young man smiled suggest- 
 ively. 
 
 "Aye, I know well enough what 
 you thought;" Mr. Fairclough's eyes 
 twinkled. "You are not the first. 
 And, of course, you are quite right 
 in' a way, Bertram; the good folks 
 down here have a great eye for the 
 correct clerical exterior, and Lady 
 Margaret and her daughters espe- 
 cially expect the clergy to be turned 
 out de riguciir. But an umbrella, 
 you know, an umbrella! The fact 
 is, an umbrella is my bete noire, 
 Bertram ; and to tell the honest 
 truth, if I dared I'd pitch both it and 
 that black wide-awake of yours to the 
 back of beyond, and see my curates 
 go about clothed like other gentle- 
 men." 
 
 "But, sir " 
 
 "Oh, I know it can't be done, and, 
 after all, it's a trifle, a mere trifle. 
 Now, then, this way." And cutting 
 short the discussion wherein he
 
 62 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 feared he had been betrayed too far, 
 the older pedestrian hastily opened a 
 side gate, and after the two had 
 passed through, and he had again 
 secured its fastenings, was ready 
 with a fresh topic of conversation. 
 To himself he said, "I must take 
 care not to shock this guileless 
 youth. Suppose he does pin his 
 faith on a coat or a collar, and sup- 
 pose I have outlived that illusion, he 
 would be none the better suited to 
 this place and the work before him 
 for adopting my views and discard- 
 ing his own. As long as he does his 
 part, and fights the world, the flesh, 
 and the devil manfully, what odds 
 if he chooses to look it in his own 
 way? Lady Margaret, at any rate, 
 will think none the worse of him." 
 And he chatted sociably and pleas- 
 antly as they wended their way 
 along. 
 
 "And so I needn't have got this 
 beast of a hat after all," said Ber-
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 63 
 
 tram to himself. "Confound it, and 
 the coat too ! If I had only known ! ' ' 
 
 He had left Oxford one year be- 
 fore, had taken a good degree, and 
 prepared with zest for the life of a 
 hardworking parish clergyman. Of 
 his own free will he had made this 
 choice ; had felt called to it ; discov- 
 ered himself suited to it; and from 
 the bottom of his heart desired noth- 
 ing better than to concentrate his 
 energies and exercise his best 
 powers in the sacred profession. But 
 he was not quite the meek visionary 
 nor the rapt enthusiast imagined 
 by that very muscular Christian, 
 the Rev. Augustus Fairclough. 
 
 "Mary, Mary, how exciting! Two 
 men coming up the lane!" exclaimed 
 the younger Miss Whitmore to her 
 sister, as the two sat lazily upon the 
 lawn at Garfords, with a litter of 
 books and magazines around them. 
 "Two men, actually! Who can they 
 be? Who "
 
 64 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 Mary turned her head slowly, 
 almost contemptuously, round. "It 
 never is anybody, so what is the use 
 of saying 'Who?' There is only 
 Mr. Fairclough who it can be." 
 
 "Mr. Fairclough it is. And the 
 new curate, as I'm a what a pity 
 mamma is out! She is the curate- 
 lover in this house. We must see 
 them though, and do the civil. 
 After all, Mr. Fairclough would 
 never bring any one here who was 
 not passable, barely passable, even 
 to please mamma. He knows what 
 is due to us to you and me and 
 that we can't stand grabs, whatever 
 mamma can. I am rather glad we 
 were at home now. We shall see if 
 this new importation is likely to be 
 any sort of good to us. If only he 
 should be up to the mark for a din- 
 ner or a dance " 
 
 "Nonsense!" Mary Whitmore 
 made a restive movement. She was 
 out-of -sorts that day; vexed be-
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 65 
 
 cause of a certain disappointment, 
 and disinclined to put up with inter- 
 ruptions of her brooding mood. 
 "As if a curate could be any good in 
 that way!" she said, petulantly. 
 "And you know what they are, as a 
 rule. I don't know how they man- 
 age it, but directly they become 
 rectors and vicars they are nice 
 enough, and pleasant enough but 
 curates!" and her nose went up in 
 the air. 
 
 "Still, he might do for a dinner," 
 persisted the younger, "and I don't 
 believe Mr. Fairclough would bring 
 him to call if he would not do for a 
 dinner. You know he has two 
 other inferior creatures he never 
 thinks of bringing." 
 
 "Oh, I don't know; they are all 
 alike," said Mary, indifferently. 
 
 None of the indifference, however, 
 was apparent when Miss Whitmore 
 arose to greet her visitors. No one 
 could ever accuse Lady Margaret's
 
 66 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 daughters of ill-breeding; and cer- 
 tainly neither of the newcomers had 
 any reason to suppose that they were 
 grudged their share of the rustling 
 shade, nor of the luxurious encamp- 
 ment on the velvet turf, which 
 seemed created to invite repose. 
 
 "I have been telling Mr. Bertram 
 that this is the one place in the 
 neighbourhood where you may 
 imagine yourself a thousand miles 
 from London," began the vicar, lay- 
 ing down his stick, and spreading 
 himself out comfortably. "The 
 peace and stillness of Garfords is the 
 one soothing oasis in my great be- 
 wildering desert of a parish. I come 
 here when I want to forget where I 
 live. Ah, how sweet those azaleas 
 smell!" catching a whiff from a 
 large clump near. "And the lilac 
 and may too," sniffing about. 
 "Delicious, the mingling of fra- 
 grance! And that white broom 
 sweeping the water!" his eye going
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 67 
 
 down to a small lake embedded in 
 shrubs. "This is really Paradise," 
 concluded the speaker, taking off his 
 hat, and burrowing down yet deeper 
 in the basket-chair. "Bertram, I 
 told you this was the day for the 
 Garfords, did I not? Young ladies, 
 I trust you will excuse us for break- 
 ing in upon the harmony of such an 
 afternoon, but I think you will agree 
 with me that when a man is to see 
 Garfords for the first time, he ought 
 to see it on a day like this? And 
 now," more briskly, "now, pray, 
 what is the news of the outer world? 
 What have you been hearing? What 
 are you reading?" picking up with 
 the ease of friendship the nearest 
 volume, and plunging instantly into 
 a discussion of its merits. 
 
 The theme was interesting, and 
 the young lady animated and intel- 
 ligent. It only needed the murmur 
 of other voices, and the perception 
 that he was not required to stimu-
 
 63 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 late a lagging dialogue on his other 
 hand, to set the good-natured elderly 
 gentleman free to pursue it; and he 
 was presently so entirely absorbed 
 as to forget any responsibility 
 hitherto felt, connected with the 
 visit. 
 
 All at once, however, Mr. Fair- 
 clough was startled. A clear, nat- 
 ural, hearty laugh rang out close to 
 his ear. He broke off short in the 
 very middle of a sentence, to turn a 
 pair of round, surprised eyes upon 
 Bertram. 
 
 Bertram was sitting upon the edge 
 of his seat twirling his cane between 
 his fingers, and from his parted lips 
 had emanated a sound never heard 
 before by his clerical superior. 
 
 There was nothing disagreeable 
 in the laugh ; it could not have been 
 termed either impertinent or famil- 
 iar; but it was undeniably sponta- 
 neous, frank, and mirthful; and 
 somehow though for the life of him
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 69 
 
 Mr. Fairclough could not have said 
 how it took him aback. A gentle, 
 hesitating smile was the outside he 
 had ever won from this pale-faced 
 student; and though he had been at 
 times a trifle impatient of such 
 pertinacious solemnity, he had been 
 impressed by it, and inclined to con- 
 sider its effect upon his parishioners 
 as distinctly advantageous. 
 
 What then was the meaning of this 
 new departure? He literally stared, 
 and let it be felt that he was staring. 
 
 Margaret Whitmore, who had been 
 the cause of the laugh, and whose 
 own merry eyes were dancing, 
 caught her breath and almost, if 
 not actually, apologised. Bertram's 
 cane fell from his hands, and when 
 he had recovered it, there was a 
 suffusion of colour on his cheek 
 which had certainly not been there 
 before. 
 
 "I have been telling Mr. Bertram 
 a story of one of our old farm
 
 70 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 labourers," and the young lady, with 
 somewhat hurried intonation, re- 
 peated the story, but neither she 
 nor her auditors felt moved to more 
 than a mild appreciation of its 
 flavour on this second narration. 
 
 4 'Ha! ha! ha! Very good!" Mr. 
 Fairclough did indeed emit a faint, 
 commendatory chuckle, and proceed 
 to cap the anecdote on the instant, 
 but, though he was an excellent 
 raconteur, and though his mot was 
 superior to Miss Margaret's, he felt 
 that he had not obliterated the 
 memory of his own lapse, nor re- 
 stored the comfortable unanimity 
 which had preceded it. 
 
 If he had only had the sense to sit 
 still and keep his ears open ! As it 
 was, he was perforce obliged to go 
 on talking for the whole party, since 
 the abashed Bertram could scarce 
 lift up his head again, while Mar- 
 garet Whitmore looked as if she too 
 had met with a rebuke. Neither
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 71 
 
 recovered entirely throughout the 
 remainder of the call. . . . 
 
 "Yes, you were; you were much 
 too free. Mr. Fairclough thought 
 so, and so did I," exclaimed Mary, 
 afterwards. "Talking and laughing 
 like that with a curate ! Of course, 
 the poor man had to laugh back he 
 could not help it and then you saw 
 the look he got." 
 
 "Gracious me! I saw the look, 
 and I could scarcely believe my eyes. 
 I thought it downright cruel; while 
 as for the poor youth, he got as red 
 as a rose. It was the greatest fun!" 
 
 "Fun? Nonsense! Mamma would 
 have been very angry. You know 
 how often she has told you not to be 
 familiar all at once with strangers. 
 The only thing that redeemed it 
 was Mr. Fairclough 's annoyance, 
 and his look of blank amazement." 
 
 "And the dead stop he made," 
 cried Margaret, with intense appre- 
 ciation. "The sort of 'Good heav-
 
 72 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 ens ! What-is-going-to-happen-next?' 
 expression on his face. Oh, it was 
 glorious!" and she threw herself 
 back in her chair, twisting her hand- 
 kerchief into a ball, tossing it into 
 the air, and catching it again. "I 
 must prepare a few more such 
 shocks for our venerable vicar," 
 cried she. "I must lay in a store. 
 After all, why shouldn't a poor 
 young parson see a joke as well as 
 other people? At first you may 
 imagine how furious I was when I 
 saw you had usiirped dear old Mr. 
 Fairclough, who is always worth 
 talking to, and left me to struggle 
 with the other. I, who had never 
 been to a 'Mothers' meeting' or a 
 'Work party' in my life! I could 
 just manage to be interested in 
 the 'Lending Library,' because I 
 thought it would be a good thing to 
 clear the shelves of all our old maga- 
 zines and useless books, now that we 
 have got such a lot of new ones. We
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 73 
 
 want some more room, and there is a 
 perfect accumulation. I told the 
 youth I should look them out and 
 send them down. Unhappily, there 
 are no Lenten services nor anything 
 of that sort to inquire about just 
 now, and I could not venture into the 
 realms of music and the choir boys. 
 I had a flying shot at the Parish 
 Magazine, but that soon dropped, so 
 I made the most of the book-lending. 
 The youth seemed pensively grate- 
 ful, and we worried out the subject. 
 You must have heard how solemnly 
 we conversed. Then I tried him 
 feeling my way on croquet and 
 lawn tennis. If you will believe 
 me, a spasm of disgust shot across 
 his face at the words ! At this point 
 I felt reckless; I let myself loose to 
 talk as I chose, and would no longer 
 attempt to adapt my conversation to 
 my company, as mamma and you 
 think one ought to do. I just gave 
 it him! I told him all we were
 
 74 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 doing and all we were going to do. 
 I didn't care whether he liked it or 
 not. Probably he thinks me an 
 appallingly worldly and frivolous 
 young lady. I ran on exactly as if 
 he had been any other young man, 
 and he bent his gentle head and let 
 the torrent flow over it. But when 
 I got to old Trueman's idea of the 
 Jubilee procession, it found the spot, 
 like Homocea. Some time or other, 
 in the Dark Ages, this spiritual 
 being must have known what it was 
 to laugh, and ever since there has 
 been there must have been a 
 pent-up laugh somewhere. Mary, 
 do you know, I am rather proud of 
 myself for having pricked that hid- 
 den spot. ' ' 
 
 "I don't know what you are talk- 
 ing about," said Mary, fretfully. 
 "Here is mamma at last. Perhaps 
 
 ' ' She rose from her chair and 
 
 stood for a moment ruminating. 
 
 "Perhaps what?"
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 75 
 
 "All that we need to say to 
 mamma is that Mr. Fairclough 
 brought the new curate to call, and 
 that he seems gentleman-like." 
 Again she hesitated. "A man of 
 that sort would be so very useful," 
 she murmured, in conclusion. 
 
 "And mamma likes them cadav- 
 erous," cried Margaret, gaily. 
 "Mamma!" springing forward and 
 getting her voice in first, as the 
 mother's pet had a trick of doing. 
 "Mamma, you're in luck. Mr. 
 Fairclough has got a curate after 
 your own heart. I don't know if he 
 parts his hair down the middle, be- 
 cause he kept on his abomination of 
 a hat all the time he was here, 
 though I am sure he was longing to 
 take it off, as Mr. Fairclough did 
 his. But in every other respect 
 Mary and I can testify that he meets 
 your views, and we foresee that ycu 
 will have him here morning, noon, 
 and night. He is 'just sweet,' as
 
 76 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 they say in America. Now, Mary, 
 tell the truth, .is not this Mr. Ber- 
 tram 'just sweet'?" 
 
 Lady Margaret looked from one 
 daughter to another. 
 
 "I passed the gentlemen at the 
 lodge; I am sorry to have missed 
 them." 
 
 "Of course you are," cried the 
 irrepressible younger, "but you will 
 be glad to hear that we did your part 
 handsomely gave them tea, cooled 
 them down, lent the young man a 
 book, and stuck a flower in the old 
 one's button-hole." 
 
 "Silly child!" But even Lady 
 Margaret smiled a fond rebuke. 
 There were few people who could 
 resist winsome Margaret least of all 
 Margaret's mother. She had, how- 
 ever, a word apart with her elder 
 daughter presently. 
 
 "This Mr. Bertram, I suppose you 
 really did approve of him?" 
 
 ' ' There was nothing to disapprove. "
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 77 
 
 "He seemed a gentleman?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, a gentleman." 
 
 "Well, my dear?" 
 
 "Well, mamma, there is nothing 
 more to say." 
 
 "Then I shall ask him to dinner at 
 once." 
 
 "Ask him as soon as you like; 
 
 only " 
 
 . "Have you anything whatever 
 against the man?" demanded Lady 
 Margaret, impatiently. "Why can 
 you not be open about it if you have? 
 You may surely speak to me, confide 
 in me. ' ' 
 
 "I have nothing to confide, and I 
 have nothing against Mr. Bertram 
 whatever only Margaret is so 
 young and silly." Margaret's 
 mother understood in an instant. 
 
 "She might just try to make a fool 
 of the poor man for the fun of it, ' ' 
 proceeded the elder sister, now that 
 the ice was broken. "You know 
 how heedless she is. She calls him
 
 78 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 a 'youth,' but he is older than she, 
 at any rate. And I could not help 
 fancying once or twice that I saw 
 him looking at her. Mamma, it 
 would be a shame to run any risk of 
 turning that poor curate's head, and 
 yet to say anything to Margaret !" 
 Finally a plan of campaign was 
 arranged. 
 
 By the end of the summer Ber- 
 tram had become quite an habitut of 
 the house, firmly established in the 
 good graces of all, and, as her 
 daughters had predicted, a special 
 favourite with his hostess. 
 
 "Yes, I thought you would like 
 him," observed the vicar, compla- 
 cently, one day. "An excellent fel- 
 low, and throws himself into his 
 work like a man. The only fault I 
 have to complain of if it be a fault, 
 Lady Margaret is that Bertram does 
 not seem to know what relaxation is ! 
 I have suggested his taking a holiday 
 more than once; or even a day or
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 79 
 
 two off, but he does not see it at 
 all. He will be invaluable to me as 
 the winter comes on; the people 
 adore him already; and I am grate- 
 ful to you for all the kindness he has 
 met with at Garfords." 
 
 "Indeed, Mr. Bertram is quite an 
 acquisition," rejoined Lady Mar- 
 garet, briskly. "He has come out 
 so wonderfully of late; and though 
 we really do not see very much of 
 him, that only proves that he is, 
 very properly, too much engaged in 
 parish work to have time for dawd- 
 ling in ladies' drawing-rooms. 
 When we do see Mr. Bertram, he is 
 always welcome." 
 
 "A good preacher too, I think, 
 Lady Margaret?" 
 
 "A remarkably good preacher, 
 Mr. Fairclough. " ("A great deal 
 better preacher than you are your- 
 self," reflected the lady, inwardly. 
 She did not over-rate her vicar's 
 powers in that respect.)
 
 8o A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 "And a good reader, moreover, I 
 think you will also allow?" 
 
 "The best reader we have ever 
 had," said Lady Margaret, with 
 animation. 
 
 "I am delighted with your ap- 
 proval," said the vicar, rising. 
 "Your judgment was all that I 
 needed to confirm my own. We 
 have got a treasure, and I only hope 
 we shall keep him. Bertram dines 
 with you to-night, he tells me?" 
 
 "To meet my future son-in-law, 
 Captain Satterthwayte, " said Lady 
 Margaret, shaking hands. ' ' Captain 
 Satterthwayte has just returned 
 from a voyage, and comes to us 
 to-night; and as the young people 
 have not met for some time, I 
 thought it would be more agreeable 
 to have one other gentleman pres- 
 ent, so that Margaret and I should 
 not be quite neglected," with *a 
 smile. "The marriage will take 
 place, we hope, next month."
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 8l 
 
 to be there?" cried Ber- 
 tram, with almost a shout, when, in 
 the course of the next hour, the 
 name of Lady Margaret's other 
 guest was casually let fall by his 
 superior. 
 
 The tone of his voice recalled 
 something to Mr. Fairclough's ear, 
 and pondering upon it afterwards he 
 knew what that something was; it 
 was the laugh which had startled 
 him out of his equanimity on the 
 lawn at Garfords five months before. 
 
 Since then he had, it is true, 
 grown to recognise the fact that Ber- 
 tram could laugh, even to anticipate 
 with a pleasurable emotion the re- 
 sponse which a droll anecdote or 
 lively narration was sure to call forth 
 when the pensive curate was off his 
 guard when he could be, as it 
 were, surprised into mirth. But 
 Mr. Fairclough had always felt that 
 it required himself as instigator to 
 produce the genial spark. Ber-
 
 82 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 tram's present animation was a puz- 
 zle not to be solved by a somewhat 
 elaborate and incoherent explana- 
 tion. 
 
 "He is a very good fellow, but 
 certainly he is rather a queer fellow 
 at times," muttered the vicar to 
 himself. 
 
 Still queerer would he have 
 thought the young man could he 
 have peeped into the curate's dress- 
 ing-room as the evening hours drew 
 on. 
 
 Bertram was rocking himself to 
 and fro on a little creaking chair 
 that threatened every minute to give 
 way beneath the strain. Coats and 
 waistcoats lay about at random, and 
 the heavy boots, which had just been 
 kicked off, betrayed, by their dis- 
 tance from their owner, the force 
 with which they had been sent fly- 
 ing. The curate's usually sleek 
 brown hair stood on end fierce and 
 rumpled; his hands clasped his
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 83 
 
 knees, and he rocked and groaned 
 in unison. 
 
 "Oh, you fool you fool! You 
 incarnate idiot! You double-dis- 
 tilled idiot, Jack Bertram! To go 
 and let yourself in for this! How 
 are you going to get out of it? 
 You're not going to get out of it at 
 all. . . . You have just done for 
 yourself, intolerable jackass that you 
 are!" . . . Another groan and 
 rock. "After all the wear and tear 
 of it, to end in this! And you knew 
 what it must come to you knew it 
 
 all along, you tenfold son of a ! 
 
 . . . Oh, hold your tongue now, 
 and eat your pie, and be hanged to 
 3 r ou! . . . It's the end, I tell you 
 the end. The game's up. You've 
 played it well too well, by a long 
 chalk. Every week has let you 
 deeper and deeper into the mire, and 
 now the deluge!" 
 
 "Heigho!" With a long sigh the 
 speaker rose at last and walked to
 
 84 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 the mirror on the wall. "He said I 
 had 'the face for it' and, by Jove! 
 he was right ! Never more so than 
 to-night! Lady Margaret will press 
 on me an extra glass of wine, and 
 implore me to wrap my throat up 
 from the night air. Mary Whitmore 
 will condescend to suggest that I 
 should take the warm side of the 
 table at dinner and Margaret? 
 Margaret will be really anxious, and 
 give me one of her troubled looks. 
 Poor darling! She doesn't like it 
 any more than I do, now. It was 
 only a joke at the first. Good heav- 
 ens ! why did we let it get into such 
 deadly earnest? Lady Margaret will 
 never forgive us never ! And if we 
 had only not behaved like two 
 romantic lunatics, we might now 
 have been as happy as Frank Sat- 
 terthwayte and his Maiy. I can 
 pitch into Frank, anyway," he 
 wound up with gloomy vengeance. 
 The gloom, however, did not
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 85 
 
 interfere with Mr. Bertram's being 
 turned out faultlessly when, his 
 toilet complete, he betook himself to 
 the house where, according to his own 
 sensations, the bomb was to burst. 
 
 He knew his old chum Satter- 
 thwayte, knew that it was beyond the 
 power of mortals to divine what that 
 honest sailor would or would not do 
 at any given moment, more espe- 
 cially beneath the spur of unwonted 
 exhilaration and joyous excitement. 
 A thousand to one in the first flush 
 of re-union with his betrothed, he 
 had laid bare without a thought of 
 harm the scheme concocted by the 
 two in a giddy moment, and adhered 
 to by Bertram at first on account of 
 its plausibility and simplicity after- 
 wards, because he had no choice. 
 
 If Satterthwayte had told? He 
 felt that he should know the moment 
 the drawing-room door opened, 
 whether Satterthwayte had told, or 
 not.
 
 86 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 The room seemed to spin round, 
 and 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Bertram, I wish I had 
 sent the carriage for you," exclaimed 
 Lady Margaret's voice in its most 
 gracious accents. "I am so sorry. 
 It could so easily have called for you 
 when Captain Satterthwayte was 
 fetched from the station. And you 
 look so tired to-night;" he was 
 pale and shaking, bewildered too by 
 a sense of reprieve, and a desperate 
 anxiety to turn it to account. "You 
 must have the carriage to take you 
 home, ' ' concluded Lady Margaret, in 
 her kindest manner. 
 
 She thought that his lips mur- 
 mured gratitude. He himself did 
 not know what they said. 
 
 When Captain Satterthwayte came 
 down, big, bronzed, and bearded, 
 making the furniture rattle as he 
 burst in, and betraying no less his 
 surprise than his satisfaction at the 
 sight of the guest whom Lady Mar-
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 87 
 
 garet had risen to present, Ber- 
 tram's face was a sight to see. 
 Happily in real life such a face does 
 not attract the attention it ought to 
 do, and aware of this, the young man 
 was possibly even afraid that it 
 might not be significant enough. 
 He clutched the other's hand, and 
 wrung it in an agony. 
 
 Then he saw that all was so far 
 safe, as the sailor, tenderly with- 
 drawing his wounded member, eyed 
 it and him alternately. The look 
 said: "I understand. But you need 
 not have broken my wrist, all the 
 same." 
 
 "I did not know you two were 
 acquainted," said Lady Margaret, 
 taking the young clergyman's arm, 
 and letting him lead her as by 
 virtue of his cloth she loved to 
 do to the head of her table. "We 
 have never heard you mention Cap- 
 tain Satterthwayte. But then, of 
 course," answering herself, "we
 
 88 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 may never have mentioned Captain 
 Satterthwayte to you." Then she 
 let the subject drop; it was not one 
 likely to interest Mr. Bertram. 
 
 She congratulated herself, how- 
 ever, on the coincidence. It was 
 quite a lucky hit her having made 
 the addition to their party, especially 
 when it proved that the young men 
 had not only been schoolfellows, but 
 had kept up a close friendship as 
 close a friendship as circumstances 
 permitted ever since; Bertram had 
 stayed at Sir Philip Satterthwayte 's 
 and apparently Sir Philip had a 
 warm regard for his son's friend 
 there were hints about the family 
 living which Lady Margaret could 
 hardly comprehend. 
 
 The hints, it is true, were all on 
 one side. Captain Satterthwayte 
 was bubbling over with them, and 
 with arch significance. But it did 
 seem odd that if there were any- 
 thing of that kind in prospect, no
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 89 
 
 one at Garfords should ever have 
 heard Mr. Bertram so much as men- 
 tion the name of Satterthwayte. 
 She must talk the matter over with 
 Mary, and find out if Mary could 
 throw any light upon it. 
 
 Mary was sitting upright as usual, 
 immaculate in dress and demeanour 
 as usual, but there was a soft light 
 in her blue eye, and a smile upon 
 her lips which was not often there. 
 Lady Margaret was herself conscious 
 of an expansion of the heart beneath 
 the jolly uproar which made itself 
 felt wherever Frank Satterthwayte 
 was to be found. It would have 
 been natural that Margaret also 
 should have shared the general ani- 
 mation, but Margaret, strange to 
 say, was out of spirits and paler than 
 her wont. Margaret's mother could 
 only suppose that her darling, like 
 poor dear Mr. Bertram, was feeling 
 tired ; possibly a little overdone with 
 too long a ride in the afternoon ; and
 
 90 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 as she looked from one to the other, 
 the robust dowager wondered what 
 young people could be made of now- 
 adays. 
 
 Still the dinner passed off cheerily, 
 and in due time came to a close. 
 The ladies rustled away, the door 
 was shut behind them, and Ber- 
 tram, with a new expression, turned 
 and faced his friend. 
 
 "Good heavens! Frank, it has 
 been a close thing! Why didn't you 
 let me know you were coming? I 
 have been expecting you for weeks ; 
 and then to be taken by surprise at 
 the last!" 
 
 "Very jolly surprise," said the 
 sailor, coolly. "Nice to meet old 
 friends on the first day of one's 
 return. Well, and how goes it?" 
 dropping significance and smiling 
 frankly. "How has it turned out? 
 You seem quite at home here, and 
 all that. And my respected 
 mother-in-law-to-be beams upon you
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 91 
 
 through her eyeglasses as I hoped 
 and expected she would. Well, and 
 Margaret? Am I to congratulate 
 you and Margaret? You didn't look 
 quite the engaged couple to-night, 
 to be sure I might say that one 
 wore a more hang-dog expression 
 than the other, but that's a detail. 
 Come, out with it! Is it all right?" 
 "All right?" echoed Bertram, bit- 
 terly. "Frank, if you had known 
 what you were doing, or if I had 
 known what I was doing, when you 
 planned and I agreed to carry out 
 
 this devilish plot " 
 
 "Devilish! Oh, come, Bertram!" 
 "I say it is devilish. It was of 
 the devil's own making. He em- 
 ployed you to tempt me; and me 
 again to tempt Margaret. We 
 should never have thought of such a 
 thing for ourselves. And you, 
 Frank you, who are as open as the 
 day, to suggest that I should play 
 the hypocrite "
 
 92 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 "All's fair in love and war, you 
 know," said Frank, a trifle uneasily. 
 "I upon my word, I thought I was 
 doing you a good turn. It seemed 
 to me there was no chance for you, 
 unless you crept up Lady Margaret's 
 sleeve, and we all know her lady- 
 ship's proclivities. She adores par- 
 sons but they must be parsons of a 
 certain cut at any rate, while they 
 are on their promotion. As you had 
 decided on becoming a parson be- 
 fore ever you met Margaret Whit- 
 more, I saw no harm in your suiting 
 yourself to the taste of Margaret's 
 mother in the cut of your jib, and all 
 that goes with it. Then we agreed 
 that it would be best to begin the 
 acquaintanceship on that level, and 
 not refer to a certain jolly Oxford 
 week, and a subsequent meeting at 
 Henley, when Margaret was under 
 other chaperonage. Her mother 
 never cares to hear about that sum- 
 mer, as it is. She thought Miss Meg
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 93 
 
 got out her horns too far, and had 
 too good a time altogether. Even 
 Mary my beautiful Mary shakes 
 her elder-sisterly head over the 
 want of starch in poor little Maggie's 
 nature. They would have been 
 horrified had they known all that 
 went on, eh, Bertram? That moon- 
 light night on the river and the 
 couple that were left behind on the 
 island eh? We won't talk about 
 it. Why, what's the matter? 
 You're not going to funk now, are 
 you? Now, when we've brought it 
 all so nearly to a conclusion a glo- 
 rious conclusion? You've played 
 
 your part " 
 
 "And taught her hers," said Ber- 
 tram, suddenly rising and flinging 
 himself into a fresh attitude like a 
 man stung beyond endurance. "Do 
 you know, Frank it's almost 
 incredible but I swear to you that 
 until I saw you here to-night, or 
 even until I heard you speak just
 
 94 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 now, the whole black hypocrisy of 
 this detestable proceeding never 
 once showed itself before my eyes. 
 Margaret and I fell in love with each 
 other as a boy and girl will do in the 
 course of a few days almost within 
 a few hours. One long summer 
 evening, and the thing was done " 
 
 "Very natural, I'm sure. Did it 
 myself at your age." The bearded 
 sailor nodded approval. 
 
 "Oh! but hear me out, and don't 
 jest," quoth poor Bertram, writhing 
 in the pangs of a tardy awakenment. 
 "You are older than I, and know the 
 world. I was your little chap at 
 school, and you were good to me. 
 And I would have licked the black- 
 ing off your shoes you know I 
 would. You've always meant to be 
 my friend, Frank ; and you meant it 
 for the best when you cautioned me 
 that if once a whisper of that happy 
 time reached the ears of Margaret's 
 mother it would never be anything
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 95 
 
 but a memory a wretched, sorrow- 
 ful memory for us both. ' ' 
 
 "True bill," said Captain Satter- 
 thwayte, complacently, "I did." 
 
 "And you suggested that we 
 should both drop all appearance of 
 ever having met before, when I 
 came here to learn parish work as 
 Mr. Fairclough's curate. That I 
 should be introduced as a perfect 
 stranger to Lady Margaret and her 
 daughters, and make my way with 
 them until oh, Frank, why did you 
 do it why why did you do it?" 
 On a sudden a groan that was almost 
 a sob burst from the young man's 
 lips, his head fell down upon his 
 hands, and the tremor which shook 
 his slender frame betrayed the 
 strength of the emotions within. 
 
 The cigar fell from between Frank 
 Satterthwayte's fingers. 
 
 "Why did you do it?" repeated 
 Bertram, in a fierce undertone. 
 "You might have seen, you might
 
 96 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 have guessed what it would lead to. 
 It has been a lie from beginning to 
 end. We have never met, she and I 
 never interchanged a word or look 
 never touched each other's hand in 
 the presence of a third person, with- 
 out acting a falsehood. And the 
 worst of it is that I do not believe 
 either of us has realised this! I 
 doubt if we have not even looked 
 upon it as legitimate and romantic. 
 It has been a pleasant pastime. 
 Sometimes I have felt as if the edge 
 of the precipice were perhaps rather 
 too thin, but the very danger was 
 exhilarating, while as for Margaret, 
 the poor guileless child, she thinks it 
 must be right because / approve! 
 God forgive me! Her crime lies at 
 my door as well as my own. ' ' 
 
 "Come, come, this this is all 
 nonsense, you know, Bertram." 
 Captain Satterthwayte pulled him- 
 self together and shook off an un- 
 comfortable sensation. "You are
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 97 
 
 growing the least little bit absurd, 
 don't you think? Call a trifle like 
 this a 'crime'? Oh, come, you 
 know," laying a remonstrating hand 
 on the other's shoulder, "I expect 
 my sudden appearance on the scene 
 gave you a bit of a shake ; and you 
 thought that perhaps I, in the 
 exuberance of this merry meeting, 
 might have blurted out the truth to 
 Margaret's sister." 
 
 "Would to heaven you had!" 
 
 "Would to heaven I had?" Satter- 
 thwayte stared. "And pray, why?" 
 
 "Because it would have saved me 
 from doing so," said Bertram, 
 slowly, "to Margaret's mother." 
 
 "Humph! That's it, is it? I sup- 
 pose you know," looking at him 
 keenly, "what the upshot of such a 
 move would be?" 
 
 "I know. Yes. I have been 
 knowing for the last hour. I am 
 going now," with a move towards 
 the door, "to do it."
 
 98 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 For the moment it seemed as if he 
 were to be allowed to do it. Then 
 with a hasty step Satterthwayte was 
 between him and the door handle. 
 
 "Look here, Jack. I don't want 
 you to ruin yourself, and lay the 
 blame on my shoulders! As you 
 listened to me once perhaps to 
 your cost you are bound to listen 
 again." 
 
 "I am not bound." 
 
 "You are, and don't be a fool." 
 He was pushed gently backwards 
 towards the fireplace. ' ' This is a bad 
 business, I allow. I didn't think the 
 thing out, when I let you in for it. 
 But it's done, and can't be undone. 
 You have Margaret to consider as 
 well as yourself. The poor girl is 
 head and ears in love, as anyone can 
 see anyone at least with half an 
 eye a thing which, begging her 
 pardon, Margaret's lady mother does 
 not possess; but I hold the key 
 which will unlock her ladyship's
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 99 
 
 heart. It was to put this into 
 your hands," with slow, deliberate 
 emphasis, "that I came down upon 
 you so sharp to-night. I would not 
 wait to write. And besides, I 
 wanted to be in at the death. Do 
 you take me?" 
 
 "No," said poor Bertram, be- 
 wildered. "But, for God's sake, 
 Frank, don't propose any more " 
 
 1 ' I am not going to propose any- 
 thing. It is you who are going to 
 propose;" the jolly sailor laughed 
 with keen enjoyment of his own 
 quip. "You shall make two pro- 
 posals before this evening is over, 
 my dear fellow. You shall go to 
 Lady Margaret as vicar-designate of 
 Satterthwayte aye, you may jump, 
 but the old boy has given his word 
 that he will retire in six months, 
 and my father has given his that you 
 shall have the living. Eh! D'ye 
 hear that? It's true, and you may 
 believe it ; so that long physiognomy
 
 100 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 of yours may shorten again. The 
 living of Satterthwayte is good 
 enough for anyone to marry upon, 
 and though our good hostess may be 
 taken aback for a moment, I shall 
 be astonished if between us we can- 
 not work upon her to consent to 
 your speaking to Meg this very 
 night. Think of it, Bertram! By 
 George! You shall go home an 
 engaged man ! And though it would 
 be too much to expect that we 
 should have both weddings on the 
 same day, still, by the spring, when 
 you are installed parish priest among 
 the old folks at home, and take pos- 
 session of your pretty vicarage, it 
 could be made ready for a bride; 
 and I might leave my wife with her 
 sister if I have to be off to sea again. 
 At any rate, I fancy it would weigh 
 something with my future mother- 
 in-law that in years to come her girls 
 would no more be separated than 
 in years past. The vicarage is
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR IOI 
 
 actually within the park palings, you 
 
 know, " 
 
 "Stop," said Bertram, hoarsely. 
 As the other spoke he had been look- 
 ing from side to side with the air of 
 a hunted animal round whom the 
 toils were gathering fast, and twice 
 had opened his mouth to speak, and 
 twice had closed it again. Both 
 hands were fast clenched. "Stop 
 tempter." Then with instant com- 
 punction: "No, no, Frank, I did not 
 mean it. Forgive the word. But, 
 Frank, you who are an honest fel- 
 low, do you know what you are 
 doing? You have drawn a picture" 
 his eyes gleamed; "it would be 
 simply everything to me," he mur- 
 mured. "I love you and yours. I 
 love that part of the country. I 
 hope and trust I could do my duty 
 among you all, and yet be myself 
 my own true self as you have known 
 me in years gone by. And with 
 Margaret for my wife "
 
 102 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 "You would be as happy as the 
 day is long. All right. I thought 
 you'd see it so. Well, now, you 
 can't reproach me any more " 
 
 "I said 'Stop,' " said Bertram, in 
 a low voice. "Have you thought of 
 the price which has to be paid for 
 it all?" 
 
 "The price?" 
 
 "I am to go to Margaret's mother 
 with a lie in my hand. I, a Chris- 
 tian gentleman! A man who has 
 taken upon himself to live a higher 
 life even than that of ordinary 
 Christians ! I am to ' ' 
 
 "Cock-a-doodle-doo-o-o! Cut it, 
 Jack! Don't let us in for any more 
 of that high falutin rot. You are 
 simply to go on as you are doing. 
 To be as you have been for the past 
 four or five months. Some day or 
 other, when all is squared up be- 
 tween you two, Margaret may con- 
 fess ' ' 
 
 "Margaret? Poor child! You
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 103 
 
 think I would be a coward, too, 
 Frank?" 
 
 "Confess yourself, then, if you 
 like the job. Only take your own 
 time and place. When the engage- 
 ment is given out and everybody has 
 heard of it, you will have Lady 
 Margaret at your mercy. She 
 wouldn't dare back out. And 
 though you might, and probably 
 would both have a mauvais quart 
 d'henre, you could look on that as 
 the proper penance for your iniquity, 
 if you're so keen on penance. I 
 should wait till Mary was out of the 
 way," added the speaker, after a 
 pause. "It would be easier for Mar- 
 garet. And if you like to depute me 
 to break it to my girl, I think I 
 could manage her," he concluded, 
 with the confidence of a happy lover. 
 
 There was a long silence. Each 
 knew that the crucial moment had 
 arrived. "If he is obstinate now," 
 quoth Frank Satterthwayte to him-
 
 104 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 self, "Heaven have mercy on us 
 both!" He would not try another 
 syllable of argument ; he felt he had 
 said all he could say. And now? 
 
 Bertram's features, drawn and 
 stiffened, repelled alike sympathy 
 and counsel. It was plain that the 
 fight within must be fought out by 
 himself alone. 
 
 Only a few minutes by the clock 
 ticking on the mantelpiece, yet to 
 each the interval seemed an age, ere 
 by a sudden electrical shock the eyes 
 of both flashed into each other, and 
 something very like an oath escaped 
 from the lips of one. Bertram 
 simply nodded his head, and walked 
 from the room. 
 
 Captain Satterthwayte lit another 
 cigar. "I shall hear him go out of 
 the front door presently," muttered 
 he. 
 
 How it all ended has long been a 
 matter of history. No one beyond
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 105 
 
 the initiated few ever heard the tale 
 of that strange evening at Garfords 
 that evening which brought to 
 light such surprises for all; which 
 began with such suffering and 
 humiliation, such storm and stress, 
 and en'ded in such a heaven of peace 
 and joy. 
 
 Bertram himself felt as if another 
 Power than his own were at work on 
 his behalf; as if the victory which 
 he had gained in that dumb struggle 
 with his baser self had expiated 
 after some fashion of its own all that 
 had gone before, and rendered him 
 strong to brave the downfall of his 
 hopes, as well as the scorn and 
 reproaches which he too well knew 
 would deservedly fall to his share. 
 
 He went into Lady Margaret's 
 presence prepared for this prepared 
 for everything. In his heart there 
 was but one thought, to confess his 
 fault without an iota of reservation, 
 and to take upon his own head the
 
 106 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 blame of it in every respect. He 
 would not mention Frank Satter- 
 thwayte's name, and he would plead 
 for Margaret; a stab went through 
 his heart when he guessed how it 
 would be when he began to plead for 
 Margaret. He would be desired not 
 to mention the name of Lady Mar- 
 garet Whitmore's daughter. He 
 would be accused, and rightly, of 
 perverting her conscience and her 
 judgment. He would have his holy 
 profession thrown in his teeth 
 rightly also. He would be bidden to 
 leave the house, and have it hinted 
 that he would do well to withdraw 
 from the neighbourhood also. 
 
 Would Lady Margaret insist upon 
 Mr. Fairclough's being informed of 
 his curate's disgraceful conduct? 
 He felt that he would have to obey 
 any demands and comply with any 
 terms dictated. It . all passed 
 through Bertram's mind like a flash 
 of revelation as he walked across the
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 107 
 
 short space between the doors of the 
 two rooms. But he never wavered. 
 One moment he stood still, his hand 
 upon the door handle. One quick 
 sigh escaped as a burst of sweet 
 music from within assailed his ears; 
 and one upward glance implored pity 
 and aid for a poor soul in its 
 extremity, and then 
 
 "Lady Margaret," said Bertram, 
 walking up to a distant armchair, 
 "would you be good enough to grant 
 me a few minutes' private conversa- 
 tion? May we retire into the back 
 drawing-room?" 
 
 Looking back, he beheld the scene 
 with dazed and incredulous eyes. 
 Lady Margaret's start of surprise; 
 next her gracious signification of 
 assent; then her frozen muteness 
 of amazement; finally what took 
 place finally he could scarce, even in 
 the retrospect, behold at all. Could 
 it have been his own voice which so 
 steadily proclaimed his own base-
 
 108 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 ness? Could it have been he himself 
 who so unflinchingly painted its 
 darkest colours, and called upon his 
 auditor to note how black they were? 
 He had hidden nothing, extenuated 
 nothing, and through it all a rigid, 
 upright figure sat and listened as 
 though petrified. When the end 
 came he waited in vain for the pent- 
 up outburst which must follow. 
 
 Then he realised that Lady Mar- 
 garet was a woman of a finer nature 
 than he had given her credit for 
 being. She would not stoop to add 
 her reproaches to his own. It was 
 sufficient that he had abased him- 
 self; she would not heap added 
 humiliation upon his head. He per- 
 ceived that he was to be allowed to 
 depart without further torture. 
 
 And he had turned to do so, and 
 even advanced a pace towards re- 
 treat, when a thin hand was put out 
 with a motion of arrest, and a faint, 
 quavering voice curiously unlike
 
 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR IOQ 
 
 Lady Margaret's voice pronounced 
 his name. Looking round he saw, 
 not the stately lady of the manor, 
 the awe-inspiring mistress of Gar- 
 fords, but an old, old woman, with 
 tears running down her cheeks. 
 
 "Stay a moment, sir, until until 
 I am able to speak." Then the 
 jewelled hand beckoned him to ap- 
 proach, and with faltering steps he 
 obeyed. Lady Margaret was seek- 
 ing for her handkerchief; seeking 
 hither and thither in vain. Ber- 
 tram, with the gesture of a son, drew 
 an unfolded one from his pocket 
 and reverently tendered it. As he 
 did so, she caught him fast, as 
 though afraid he would again essay 
 to depart, ere she could compose her 
 broken breath and subdue the 
 quivering muscles of her face. He 
 wondered what was coming what 
 could be coming? 
 
 And at length marvel of marvels 
 a whisper the most extraordinary,
 
 110 A CLERICAL EXTERIOR 
 
 the most incredible, fell upon his 
 ear. Was it Lady Margaret speak- 
 ing? Or was it a Diviner Voice 
 which breathed through her lips the 
 words just faintly audible: "If ye 
 do not forgive, neither will your 
 Father which is in heaven forgive 
 your trespasses." 
 
 Nor from that moment, nor to the 
 very end of her days, was the subject 
 ever again alluded to by Bertram's 
 mother-in-law. Where Lady Mar- 
 garet forgave, she forgave freely; 
 when she trusted, she trusted im- 
 plicitly. Bertram's voluntary con- 
 fession, supplemented as it was by 
 Captain Satterthwayte's account of 
 his own share in the affair an ac- 
 count which in justice it should be 
 said was rendered with strict truth- 
 fulness, Frank having been more 
 impressed than he cared to own by 
 the example of his friend all so 
 wrought upon a nature nobler than
 
 A CLERICAL EXTEKlOR III 
 
 the world had ever guessed it to be, 
 and upon a spirit genuinely influ- 
 enced by the great doctrines of 
 Christianity, that in her anxiety to 
 restore the penitent to himself, to 
 mark her appreciation of the true 
 worth of his character, and to show 
 that its solitary lapse from integrity 
 was to be no bar to her renewed and 
 even deepened esteem, Lady Mar- 
 garet evinced an overflowing tender- 
 ness of generosity which amazed all 
 who knew her. 
 
 Bertram became her favourite son- 
 in-law, albeit she soon discovered 
 him to be by nature the merriest, 
 lightest-hearted fellow alive. She 
 secretly comforted herself for this by 
 the reflection that, in spite of all, he 
 still did undeniably possess a clerical 
 exterior.
 
 ONLY KITTY
 
 Only Kitty 
 
 KODAK" OF LONDON LIFE 
 
 Kitty was pretty, 
 
 And Kitty was witty, 
 
 But Kitty, alack ! was only Kitty. 
 
 It was "only Kitty" who had 
 received such a very odd invitation, 
 that all the feminine heads of the 
 family were gathered together to 
 smile over the letter which conveyed 
 it. If it had been either of the two 
 elder Miss Masterdons who had been 
 invited to spend a month in Gordon 
 Square, Bloomsbury, during the 
 height of the London season, all 
 concerned would almost have felt as 
 if Maud and Ethel had been in- 
 sulted. Maud and Ethel were such 
 very grand young ladies. 
 
 "5
 
 Il6 ONLY KITTY 
 
 But now that it was only Kitty to 
 whom kind old Mrs. Benetfink (the 
 wealthy and worthy kinswoman 
 whom no one wished to offend, but 
 whom it was sometimes rather awk- 
 ward to evade) had extended the 
 finger of hospitality, Mrs. Masterdon 
 and her daughters looked at each 
 other, as we have said, with a smile, 
 while Kitty raised a shout of joy. 
 
 "Oh, let me go! Let me go!" 
 cried she, prancing up and down. 
 "Father, say I'm to go," darting up 
 to the old squire, who, all uncon- 
 scious, placidly opened the door of 
 the room. "Father, do be on my 
 side," seizing him by the arm and 
 shaking it vigorously. "You know 
 you always are on my side, aren't 
 you? And if you say I am to go, 
 mother won't refuse. " 
 
 "Eh?" said he, stopping short, and 
 looking from one to the other. 
 "What?" 
 
 "Oh now, father, do promise me
 
 ONLY KIT T Y 117 
 
 before they begin. Don't listen to 
 anyone but me. You say that I'm 
 to go, " 
 
 "But how can I say? I upon my 
 word I don't know what it is all 
 about. Do some of you explain." 
 And the poor gentleman looked 
 round for aid; though it is note- 
 worthy that he did not attempt to 
 shake off the vehement little gadfly 
 which had fastened upon him. 
 "What is she rushing at me like this 
 for?" he demanded, finally. 
 
 "It is only Kitty, you know, ' ' be- 
 gan his eldest daughter, with the 
 usual condescending intonation. 
 "She always flies into a fever about 
 everything. Kitty, don't worry 
 father. Of course he will agree to 
 whatever mother thinks right. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, of course!" assented he, with 
 a touch of quiet grimness. 
 
 "And so if you will let mother 
 think it over, and not be in such a 
 hurry, I dare say you will get what
 
 Il8 ONLY KITTY 
 
 you want. It is an invitation from 
 Mrs. Benetfmk, father." 
 
 "Mrs. Benetfink? Oh!" 
 
 "She wants Kitty to go to her 
 next Monday to spend a few weeks." 
 
 "A month," bursts in Kitty 
 
 "A few weeks or a month," 
 amended the narrator. "It is really 
 very kind of Mrs. Benetfink, and 
 well meant, and all that; and, of 
 course, she does not know any 
 better." 
 
 "Know any better?" echoed 
 Kitty's little shrill voice. 
 
 ' ' Oh, we all know how you feel ! ' ' 
 continued Miss Maud, not unkindly. 
 ' ' You are wild to go anywhere and 
 everywhere. It's all one to you 
 whether it is Belgravia or Blooms- 
 bury, Mayf air or Wapping ; I believe 
 you would cheerfully start for -Beth- 
 nal Green to-morrow if anybody 
 would put you into the train." 
 
 "Well, well, it's only Kitty," 
 quoth Mrs. Masterdon, with the
 
 ONLY KITTY 119 
 
 usual half indulgent, half con- 
 temptuous smile, "and she is so 
 young and inexperienced!" Kitty 
 nodded delightedly at each adjective 
 "that all neighbourhoods are alike 
 to her. And really it does not mat- 
 ter, you know, where an tin-come-out 
 girl goes" pausing for reflection. 
 
 "I think she ought to go," said 
 Ethel, slowly. Ethel's decisions 
 were final at Monk's Gary. Kitty 
 nearly fell at her sister's feet. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Masterdon, albeit 
 people of family and fortune, had no 
 town-house of their own, and were 
 indisposed to rent one, and undergo 
 all the fatigue and turmoil of the 
 London season during the months of 
 the year when their own beautiful 
 country-seat was most congenial to 
 them, and when the effort was not 
 absolutely necessary from other 
 motives than those of enjoyment. 
 
 According to their views or, to
 
 120 ONLY KITTY 
 
 be strictly correct, according to Mrs. 
 Masterdon's views it would have 
 been their bounden duty to make an 
 annual move as soon as the ages of 
 her daughters seemed to demand 
 recognition, had she not by good hap 
 been exempt from pressing the point 
 in the case of her eldest, who had 
 been engaged and married married 
 handsomely, too before ever she 
 had been presented at Court. 
 
 A few county balls and shooting 
 dinner parties had done the business 
 almost ere the young lady's parents 
 themselves had opened their eyes to 
 the fact that there was a suitor in the 
 case; and since then there had 
 always been Lady Latimer's house 
 in South Street for Maud and Mabel 
 to resort to when the month of May 
 came round. 
 
 Letitia was well pleased to have 
 her sisters. She was an amiable girl, 
 perfectly well-conducted, perfectly 
 satisfied with her own position, and
 
 ONLY KITTY 121 
 
 benevolently ready to do what she 
 could towards helping the younger 
 ones to similar good fortune. 
 
 Her husband, usually called ' ' Little 
 Bob," was a good-natured, gossipy 
 little fellow, with plenty of friends, 
 nothing to do, and all day to do 
 it in. 
 
 To the care, then, of this young 
 couple Mrs. Masterdon was well 
 pleased to despatch her daughters 
 whenever they desired to exchange 
 the woods and fields of Monk's Gary 
 for the glitter and gloss of Rotten 
 Row, the while she herself remained 
 behind to attend to_ her flower bor- 
 ders, cut her lavender, and dry her 
 rose-leaves ; and on the occasion with 
 which this little story opens, Maud 
 and Ethel were just preparing to 
 depart for their annual sojourn. 
 
 "I shall go up with you \vhen I go 
 to Mrs. Benetfink's," said Kitty, 
 gleefully. "I shall go with you as 
 far as the station, but I sha'n't want
 
 122 ONLY KITTY 
 
 you a bit beyond. Mrs. Benetfink 
 is going to send her own carriage 
 for me, and I shall drive off in it all 
 by my self; and then I'm to see no 
 more of you all the time I'm in Gor- 
 don Square isn't that it? You 
 won't come prowling after me, and 
 wanting to know what I'm doing, 
 and where I'm going?" (She did 
 not perceive the covert amusement 
 in two pairs of eyes as she spoke. ) 
 "Because, you know, though I am 
 very fond of you both, I do want to 
 be quite on my own hook, ' ' pursued 
 she, anxiously. "I think it will be 
 such fun; and I think it's a splendid 
 idea not to tell Mrs. Benetfink an)*- 
 thing about your being up, if we can 
 only keep from meeting; and Lon- 
 don is such a very big place that I 
 dare say we shall be able to manage 
 that," she added, reflectively; 
 "though, of course, I shall see you 
 sometimes in the Park but oh, I 
 say, Maud," breaking off short,
 
 ONLY KITTY 123 
 
 "what if Mrs. Benetfink sees you 
 tool" 
 
 Maud took her sister's hand. 
 "Now, Kitty, listen; and try to be a 
 little grown-up, and reasonable, and 
 sensible. Though you are only 
 seventeen, you are not a child; and 
 you can surely begin to understand 
 things. We think it will be easiest 
 to say nothing about our being in 
 Town ; but if Mrs. Benetfink recog- 
 nizes us anywhere when she is out 
 driving with you, all you need say 
 is that we are staying with Letitia, 
 and that you will write and let us 
 know if she would like us to call. 
 Don't do this unless you are obliged, ' ' 
 emphatically. "You see, Mrs. 
 Benetfink is not quite- quite " 
 
 "Oh, I know she's rather vulgar!" 
 said Kitty, frankly. "/ don't 
 mind ; but I dare say Letitia would 
 curl up sometimes. I'll take care," 
 nodding merrily. "We vulgarians 
 sha'n't cross the path of you
 
 124 ONLY KITTY 
 
 grandees. We are going to enjoy 
 ourselves in our own way; and we 
 don't want you, any more than you 
 want us; and if I pass you sitting 
 aloft behind your powdered and 
 cockaded men when I am in my 
 humbler carriage, I shall just wink 
 to you and grin to myself as I go 
 by." 
 
 "For goodness' sake, don't wink, 
 Kitty!" 
 
 "Mayn't I wink? Well, then, I 
 shall give you a fearfully knowing 
 look, and you shall see that I am 
 laughing to myself. Or, suppose I 
 drop my parasol between Mrs. 
 Benetfink and you, and make a 
 face like this," puckering up her 
 mouth, "for your and Letitia's 
 benefit?" 
 
 "You understand, Kitty, that it is 
 only on Letitia's account that we 
 we, of course Letitia has Bob's 
 people to think of. In London one 
 has to be so very particular whom
 
 ONLY KITTY 125 
 
 one knows. No doubt Mrs. Benet- 
 fink would like to know Letitia very 
 much " 
 
 "No doubt she would do nothing 
 of the kind," thrust in Kitty. 
 "Letitia's a fine lady, and Mrs. 
 Benetfink is just a dear, old, rather 
 common one ; as nice as she can be, 
 and not at all troubling her head 
 about doing the 'right thing,' and 
 going to the 'right places,' as you 
 swells do." 
 
 "Kitty, dear child, don't say 'you 
 swells.' " 
 
 "Why not? You are swells, you 
 and Ethel. I always think how 
 gorgeous you look when you set 
 forth all in your best, holding your 
 heads in the air, for some grand 
 party or other; and I am sure to 
 hear afterwards how you've been 
 admired and made a fuss about. 
 But you will never turn me into a 
 swagger Miss Masterdon. I'm only 
 Kitty, and I like to enjoy myself;
 
 126 ONLY KITTY 
 
 and though Mrs. Benetfink does 
 sometimes make me laugh a little 
 down in my throat, it's not her I'm 
 laughing at, it's only her way of 
 looking at things. And as for letting 
 her go to a house where she wasn't 
 wanted' ' the colour rose in Kitty's 
 cheek "you may be very sure I 
 shall take care she doesn't do tJiat!" 
 she concluded, proudly. 
 
 "Say no more," whispered Maud 
 to Ethel. She perceived the right 
 chord had been touched. 
 
 Directly the train stopped at 
 Waterloo Station, Kitty was on the 
 alert to bid her sisters farewell, and 
 be off by herself with her own foot- 
 man, whom her quick eyes espied in 
 a twinkling, and whom she had 
 been instructed how to distinguish 
 by a ribbon passed through his 
 buttonhole. Mrs. Benetfink had 
 herself tied the ribbon there, and 
 impressed upon Andrew, a raw 
 Scotch youth, good of heart but
 
 ONLY KITTY 127 
 
 sluggish of brain, to be as clever as 
 he could in picking out her young 
 lady visitor from among the train's 
 passengers. 
 
 What Andrew's cleverness might 
 have amounted to boots not here to 
 inquire, for Kitty saved him the 
 trouble of exerting it. 
 
 "There he is! That's my man!" 
 she cried, with keen exultation; 
 "and just where he should be just 
 where I was looking for him ! And 
 I dare say that's your creature, all 
 painted and powdered, gaping up 
 and down, and hardly taking the 
 trouble to turn his head this way! 
 Isn't that your creature? I knew it 
 was ! As like Letitia as he can be 
 I mean as like Letitia' s footman I 
 mean never mind, I'm off. Good- 
 bye to you both. Bless you"! bless 
 you! I hope you'll enjoy yourselves 
 one half as much as I mean to do. 
 I say," turning back with a momen- 
 tary hesitation, "you might just drop
 
 128 ONLY KIT TY 
 
 me a line now and then to tell me 
 what you are about. ' ' 
 
 "Of course we shall write to you, 
 child!" said Maud, kindly. "What 
 an absurd girl you are ! You speak 
 almost as if we should be ashamed of 
 you, and you know it is not that at 
 all." 
 
 "Oh, I know it is not that!" said 
 Kitty, cheerfully, though her eye- 
 lids quivered a little. "I know all 
 about it. But it just seemed rather 
 odd to be saying 'Good-bye' and yet 
 to be stopping in the same place." 
 
 But in a few minutes she had forgot- 
 ten all about the oddness. Kitty had 
 such a sweet, frank nature, and such 
 perfect trustfulness in the good will 
 of all about her, that it only needed 
 an affectionate kiss from either sis- 
 ter, and the repeated assurance that 
 she would be thought of and com- 
 municated with (at intervals), for 
 her to cast off the little cloud which 
 had for a moment overshadowed her
 
 ONLY KITTY 129 
 
 spirits, and for all to be sunshine 
 once more. 
 
 As she drove off in Mrs. Benet- 
 fmk's solid, comfortable carriage, 
 which, to her glee, was empty, her 
 hostess having been detained at the 
 last moment, she indulged herself 
 by making the promised "face" as 
 she passed Lady Latimer's elegant 
 victoria, and neither Maud nor 
 Ethel could resist laughing in 
 response. 
 
 It was only Kitty and their hearts 
 felt rather soft towards Kitty as she 
 rolled away. 
 
 By the time Kitty arrived in Gor- 
 don Square her happiness, impor- 
 tance, and pleasurable anticipation 
 were a treat to see. The friends, 
 whose unexpected call had detained 
 Mrs. Benetfmk in her own drawing- 
 room, fell in love with her young 
 visitor on the spot. They had never 
 beheld anything prettier than Kitty's 
 bounding rush into the old lady's
 
 130 ONLY KITTY 
 
 arms. "And wasn't it kind of her 
 to think of me?" she appealed to the 
 other two, whose sympathising faces 
 betokened appreciation and begot 
 confidence. "And to have me all by 
 myself! Just what I like best! To 
 go about with her, you know, all 
 day long ! And no one else to inter- 
 fere! No one else to be talked to! 
 Just we two together! Won't it be 
 delightful?" 
 
 The visitors gone, "Now let us 
 talk," cried Kitty, settling down. 
 "Let us plan it all out. It begins 
 with to-morrow, doesn't it?" 
 
 "Well, I took tickets for to- 
 night " 
 
 For to-night!" screamed Kitty. 
 
 "For the Botanic Fete," nodded 
 Mrs. Benetfink. "So now, shall we 
 go up and see your room? My maid 
 is putting out your things; and, 
 Kitty," nervously, "I I just took 
 
 the liberty of getting in these " 
 
 for laid upon the bed in Kitty's room
 
 ONLY KITTY 131 
 
 were three lovely new made-up 
 skirts; one with a neat little bodice, 
 the other two with materials await- 
 ing construction. ' ' Being a relation 
 and an old body, and your own par- 
 ticular friend, I thought your mamma 
 would allow me," murmured Mrs. 
 Benetfink, trying not to look guilty. 
 "You see, it's so difficult to get 
 things attended to for all ; and your 
 sisters so I just took it on myself. 
 And there's a nice little dressmaker 
 at Marshall's," smiling across the 
 bed, "who is coming in to-morrow 
 morning, first thing after breakfast. 
 Well now, I am glad you're pleased. 
 I thought you would be, " returning 
 a rapturous embrace. "And here is 
 Blossom to look after you and settle 
 you in. Blossom says if you mind 
 sleeping alone in this big room that 
 Lizzie that's the under-girl can 
 have a bed in the dressing-room 
 here," opening a side door. "Oh, 
 the bed's there already, I see! And
 
 132 ONLY KI TT'Y 
 
 quite right too, Blossom. I am glad 
 you went and did it without stopping 
 to ask questions. So now I'll be off, 
 and you take your time, and shake 
 off all your dust. If you would like 
 a warm bath, the bath-room's next 
 door, and it might freshen you up 
 for the evening? Blossom will get it 
 ready, and you can pop in while she's 
 unpacking. See to it, Blossom. 
 And oh, Kitty! there's one thing 
 more these roses," turning to a 
 bunch on the toilet-table. "Al- 
 though you come from a land of 
 roses, I dare say you won't despise 
 them, and I like to see a young girl 
 with a posy. Put them in your belt 
 to-night, my dear; and you'll always 
 have a flower to wear whenever 
 you're going out. If I forget, just 
 ask me for it. There now," looking 
 round, "is that all?" 
 
 ' ' I should think it must be all, ' ' 
 said Kitty, looking straight at her 
 with moist eyes, "because there
 
 ONLY KITTY 133 
 
 really isn't anything else left to 
 wish for." 
 
 It was one of the hottest days of 
 the year, so that there was perhaps 
 some excuse for people being lan- 
 guid and peevish, especially people 
 who had been toiling after pleasure 
 for many days and nights together, 
 and who, if they had found it, were 
 scarcely inclined to allow as much. 
 
 By their listless attitudes and dis- 
 jointed conversation if conversa- 
 tion it could be called any one 
 could have told that it was a family 
 party which was gathered together, 
 or, strictly speaking, which drooped 
 in company within the shaded win- 
 dows of a small house in Mayfair. 
 One by one they had strayed in from 
 the flowering balcony, vowing that 
 it was hotter without than within; 
 and now the three sisters, Letitia, 
 Maud, and Ethel, fanned themselves 
 with their pocket-handkerchiefs, or
 
 134 ONLY KITTY 
 
 hung their arms by their sides, as 
 they endeavoured by absolute rest 
 from every sort of exertion to pre- 
 pare for the moment when effort 
 must again be made. 
 
 Yet no one suggested the idea of 
 abandoning the effort. Of course 
 they would go to the Embassy Ball ; 
 and of course it would be like every 
 other ball, crowded and gorgeous, 
 and unsatisfactory; and they would 
 come away fatigued to death, and fit 
 only to drop on to their pillows, and 
 remain there till to-morrow's sun 
 should be high in the heavens, mak- 
 ing fresh demands, which were yet 
 the demands of -all its predecessors. 
 
 "This London season is really very 
 hard work," observed Letitia, at 
 last, as sapiently as though the re- 
 mark had never been made before. 
 "I am sure I don't know how one 
 ever lives through it. If one could 
 pick and choose but that's just 
 what one can't do. People talk
 
 ONLY KITTY 135 
 
 about going out ' a little. ' But who 
 ever does go out 'a little'? You are 
 either in if, or you are out of it at 
 least that's what I find." 
 
 "It is certainly better to be 'in it' 
 than 'out of it.' " This was Ethel's 
 wisdom. 
 
 "Of course one could enjoy it 
 more if it could be taken by inches," 
 subjoined Maud; "for instance, if 
 one could turn weeks into months 
 
 "Oh, I don't know that I want 
 months of this!" interposed Lady 
 Latimer, hastily, missing the point. 
 "I am always thankful when the 
 season is over, and the order is given 
 to pack up and be off. I really 
 think" but what she really thought 
 was never destined to be known. 
 
 The door opened. 
 
 "Ha, I thought I'd find you all 
 melting away in here," quoth Sir 
 Robert, poking in a little brisk face. 
 "Here's Syd saying the weather's
 
 136 ONLY KITTY 
 
 glorious," indicating a handsome 
 sunburnt edition of himself. "Syd 
 likes the heat, ' ' continued little Bob, 
 dropping into a chair. "He says it 
 makes him feel more fit than he has 
 done since he came home from the 
 East." 
 
 "I should not mind the heat if I 
 could take things as easily as Cap- 
 tain Latimer does," said Maud Mas- 
 terdon, throwing a half-reproachful 
 glance at Sir Robert's brother. "If 
 one could make up one's mind to go 
 nowhere, live at a club " 
 
 "That's what he does lives at his 
 club," dashed in her brother-in-law. 
 "He is to be found standing about in 
 that nice cool hall, morning, noon, 
 and night. I'm hanged if he isn't in 
 the right of it too. It's beastly being 
 on the rush all the time ; only I say, 
 doesn't it get a bit monotonous, 
 Syd?" 
 
 "It does, rather," said Syd, cheer- 
 fully.
 
 ONLY KITTY 137 
 
 "Then why not come with us 
 sometimes, Sydney?" Here was a 
 chance for which Letitia had been 
 longing. "You know how often we 
 have asked you. ' ' 
 
 "I know you're awfully good," 
 said he. 
 
 "But you won't come, all the 
 same." 
 
 Then little Bob laughed aloud. 
 "You won't catch him, not you. Do 
 you suppose it hasn't been tried 
 before? He never answers his invi- 
 tations. I believe it's too much 
 trouble even to tear them up ; they 
 are just left to accumulate." 
 
 "Oh, he's simply too fine for any- 
 thing!" Letitia tossed her head a 
 little, whilst her sisters maintained 
 the silence of discreet yoiing women 
 who feel their charms unappreciated. 
 
 ' ' I come to your parties, you know, 
 Letitia " began Captain Latimer. 
 
 "When?" shot like a cannon-ball 
 from Letitia's lips.
 
 138 ONLY KITTY 
 
 "To be sure, I did not come, but I 
 meant to, last week 
 
 "And you refused my dinner invi- 
 tation for next. ' ' 
 
 "That's it! At him, Letitia!" 
 Sir Robert rubbed his hands in 
 glee. "He's too big a swell alto- 
 gether. He always was too grand 
 for me; and I believe he never 
 would come near the house, if I 
 didn't go myself and hook him right 
 out of that old club door." As he 
 spoke he made an affectionate 
 grimace which betokened a perfect 
 understanding between the brothers. 
 "He only came now because he 
 wants to know if I may go with him 
 to-night," concluded the speaker. 
 
 "To-night? Go with him to- 
 night?" Letitia sat bolt upright in 
 an instant. Her husband go with 
 his brother, instead of his brother 
 going with them all! And she 
 would have been so particularly 
 pleased to take Captain Sydney Lati-
 
 ONLY KITTY 139 
 
 mer to the Embassy Ball, for which 
 he had his own invitation, and 
 where, if he did not know more 
 people than she herself did, he would 
 be welcomed by some of high im- 
 portance, and would be intimate 
 with several to whom an introduc- 
 tion might be useful. She was now 
 really vexed as well as alarmed. 
 
 "Bob told me he was going with 
 you to a ball," said Captain Lati- 
 mer, patting on the head a little dog 
 which had run up to him. "Balls 
 aren't much sport, at least to a man 
 who doesn't dance. I am going to a 
 play no, I believe it ought not to 
 be called a play; it's an 'Entertain- 
 ment,' that's the dodge; but all the 
 same, I hear it is awfully funny, and 
 I want to see Corney Grain in it. I 
 hear he is awfully good in his new 
 piece " 
 
 "Corney Grain!" exclaimed three 
 pairs of lips at once. "Why, that is 
 at the German Reeds!" appended
 
 140 ONLY KITTY 
 
 Lady Latimer, almost in a whisper. 
 Then she turned upon her husband 
 such a face of blank consternation as 
 made him leap into the air and wring 
 his hands in ecstasy. 
 
 "It is the German Reeds, by 
 Jove!" he cried. "The murder's 
 out, by Jove! I thought it would 
 nearly kill 'em!" to his brother. 
 Then to his wife : ' ' He won't go near 
 your Embassy Ball. He won't go to 
 any of the first parties in London. 
 He can hardly be got even for a din- 
 ner, and even by his best friends, 
 and here he has set his heart on 
 going to laugh at the most squalid 
 show in the whole place, and wants 
 me to go with him ; and, by Jove ! T 
 am going too!" 
 
 The ladies sat absolutely mute. 
 
 "I'll do my level best to bring him 
 on to the ball afterwards, " proceeded 
 little Bob, anxiously. 
 
 "We ought to be much honoured," 
 replied his wife, dropping her eyelids.
 
 ONLY KITTY 141 
 
 But the shot told. She made no 
 further opposition; and Sir Rob- 
 ert, saying he would not be ten min- 
 utes dressing, flew upstairs three 
 steps at a time; while Captain Lati- 
 mer explained that it had been 
 arranged that the two were to dine 
 together at his much-reviled club, in 
 order that the early hour at which 
 the "squalid show" commenced 
 might not inconvenience the Mayfair 
 household. 
 
 As it was, the two arrived late at 
 the entertainment for which they 
 were bound ; and the piece was in full 
 swing as they took their seats in the 
 somewhat dingy hall, full in every 
 part, and proportionately warm. 
 The audience was not a smart one, 
 and Kitty Masterdon had her eye in 
 a moment on the two figures who 
 seated themselves in the vacant 
 places on the other side of the aisle, 
 within a few feet of where she and 
 Mrs. Benetfink were enjoying them-
 
 142 ONLY KITTY 
 
 selves to their hearts' content. 
 "Two swells," said Kitty to herself, 
 then the next moment: "Oh, I 
 say, one is Bob!" She could not 
 have been more surprised if Bob had 
 walked into the drawing-room in 
 Gordon Square. 
 
 "That is Bob," she repeated, 
 watching the two with interested 
 eyes, "and that other thing's his 
 brother that Letitia thinks so much 
 of. Well, now, this is a joke! They 
 will never see me the brother 
 would never know me if he did 
 and I shall tell Maud and Ethel 
 afterwards that my places cannot be 
 so vulgar after all, when this grand 
 Captain Latimer thinks them worth 
 coming to;" and she chuckled with 
 renewed delight. "He looks quite 
 festive," she proceeded, presently, 
 "and there is Bob laughing like any- 
 thing! Whenever there is anything 
 very good, w r e shall all laugh to- 
 gether, and nobody be any the
 
 ONLY KITTY 143 
 
 wiser!" She then gave herself up 
 to the play. 
 
 "There's a little girl over there 
 enjoying herself hugely," thought 
 Captain Latimer, and he could not 
 resist looking round once or twice 
 when an infectious trill of merriment 
 from the other side of the aisle broke 
 upon his ear. Kitty had a charming 
 laugh. 
 
 Kitty had on her new rose-coloured 
 dress, which matched exactly the 
 bright tint in her cheeks, and en- 
 hanced the blue of her limpid eyes 
 and the gold of her overflowing 
 hair. She looked what she was a 
 lovely, happy young girl, without a 
 care in the world, without a thought 
 which could not be laid bare to every 
 eye. 
 
 So radiant, so animated, so full 
 of sparkling life and vivacity did 
 she seem, that it was hardly to be 
 wondered at if even amongst a 
 crowd of other youthful faces hers
 
 144 ONLY KITTY 
 
 seemed to stand out pre-eminently, 
 especially when viewed in conjunc- 
 tion with the benevolent glances of 
 a silvery-haired old lady who. obvi- 
 ously regarded her charge with more 
 than favour. At length it came to 
 this, that there was quite a little ring 
 formed as it were involuntarily, of 
 which Kitty was the centre, who all 
 looked to her, and laughed and 
 applauded whenever anything spe- 
 cially droll on the stage made them 
 sure of the joyous response it would 
 call forth. 
 
 "By Jove! she has the jolliest 
 little laugh I ever heard!" And 
 Captain Latimer began quite to 
 listen for the laugh. 
 
 But he did not tell Bob about it; 
 and Bob, who was entirely occupied 
 with what was going forward, drink- 
 ing it all in as though the wit \vere 
 the most wonderful and the comedy 
 the most absorbing to which he had 
 ever hearkened, missed the by-play.
 
 ONLY KITTY 145 
 
 "Bob's all right," Kitty told her- 
 self. "Good little Bob; he will 
 never see me across that big brother 
 of his. Sydney must be nearly a 
 foot taller, and he's ever so much 
 better-looking. What fun it is ! We 
 must get away as quick as we can 
 when it is over, though, or I should 
 never hear the last of it from the 
 girls." (Kitty was wont to desig- 
 nate her august sisters as "the girls" 
 in internal colloquy, her reverence 
 for them and their opinions being 
 only skin-deep.) 
 
 She rather surprised Mrs. Benet- 
 fink now by the precipitation with 
 which she sprang to her feet almost 
 before the curtain fell, and the 
 urgency with which she caught up 
 her own wrap, and whirled the old 
 lady's round her shoulders. 
 
 "There's no hurry, my dear;" but 
 Kitty could not be made to under- 
 stand that there was no hurry. She 
 was halfway down the aisle before
 
 1 46 ONLYKITTY 
 
 her good-humoured chaperon was 
 well out of her chair, and in her 
 heart was saying: "She can catch 
 me lip outside; I sha'n't go beyond 
 the hall. I can sneak behind the 
 people there, and watch my two 
 swells go by ; then I can pounce on 
 Mrs. Benetfink, and we'll toddle 
 merrily home together." 
 
 But there was destined to be a 
 hitch in the programme. Within 
 the next few minutes there was a 
 disturbance in the outer hall which 
 somewhat blocked the exit of those 
 within. 
 
 "What a jolly long time it takes to 
 empty this place!" exclaimed Cap- 
 tain Latimer to his brother, as the 
 two leisurely strolled down, staring 
 about them, and passing here and 
 there a comment. "Rum place, 
 isn't it? Looks a bit dusty. One 
 would think it paid well enough to 
 be kept in better repair. And they 
 might open a few more doors,
 
 ONLY KITTY 147 
 
 and not keep us all night getting 
 out." 
 
 "They are saying somebody's met 
 with an accident outside," replied 
 his brother. "Some woman has 
 fallen down, and hurt herself. 
 Hallo! Who's here?" as the figure 
 of a young girl, by this time quite 
 familiar to Captain Latimer, pressed 
 its way back through the out-stream- 
 ing current, and to the latter's 
 amazement the voice which he had 
 heard rippling so merrily throughout 
 the evening, now in piteous accents 
 accosted his brother, and that by the 
 familiar appellation of "Bob." 
 
 'Why, Kitty!" exclaimed Bob. 
 "Why what on earth? I did not 
 know you were in town ! It is my 
 sister-in-law," in explanation aside. 
 "Kitty, this is my brother Sydney " 
 
 "Oh, yes!" Kitty disposed of the 
 introduction with a nod, having no 
 time to think about it. "Oh, Bob, 
 do come!" seizing him by the hand.
 
 148 ONLY KITTY 
 
 "Come quickly and help me; I don't 
 know what to do. Mrs. Benetfink 
 has fallen and hurt her ankle she 
 was hurrying after me there was 
 such a crowd, she didn't see the step, 
 and now I can't find the footman, 
 and and I don't know what to 
 
 do " almost crying. 
 
 "All right all right," said Bob, 
 soothingly; "you tell Mrs. Benetfink 
 who I am, and I will take care of 
 her; and Syd will find the footman. 
 Is that the old lady?" in a lower 
 tone, as they came up with a little 
 sympathising group of which the 
 hapless Mrs. Benetfink was the 
 object. "Sorry to hear you have 
 had a fall, ma'am. Pray let me see 
 you to your carriage." In a 
 moment Sir Robert Latimer stared 
 away all intruders and took posses- 
 sion of the situation ; and presently 
 but we really have no time to tell 
 how it all happened Kitty found 
 herself seated opposite the poor old
 
 ONLY KITTY 149 
 
 lady, her momentary trouble over, 
 but with, alas! a black outlook for 
 the future. Her kind friend was in 
 great pain, and there was no doubt 
 that the fall had been a serious one. 
 A doctor must instantly be sum- 
 moned. 
 
 "You must let me see you home," 
 said Sir Robert, seating himself by 
 Kitty's side. u And Syd will go for 
 the doctor if you will tell him 
 where." 
 
 "No, indeed, there's Andrew," 
 gasped Andrew's mistress, strug- 
 gling with herself. "Andrew knows 
 where to go;" her eyes closing, 
 as she could with difficulty articulate 
 the last words. 
 
 "Go at once then," supplemented 
 Sir Robert, turning to the said 
 Andrew. "You know the doctor's 
 house. Bring him back with you 
 then; bring somebody, anyway. 
 Don't you be alarmed, Kitty," turn- 
 ing to her; "I'm here to stand by
 
 150 ONLY KITTY 
 
 you, and I will see you through. I 
 say, what is Syd doing?" turning 
 round to look. 
 
 Captain Latimer was mounting 
 the box seat, the footman having 
 already hailed a hansom, in which he 
 was driving off. 
 
 "Well, that's cool," murmured 
 Bob. Then in a lower aside: "But, 
 I suppose, she won't mind," nodding 
 opposite. "We will just come to the 
 house, and help you to get her out. 
 It is all right, Kitty," he added, 
 after a pause, for he saw that Kitty 
 could hardly speak. 
 
 Although Mrs. Benetfink remained 
 to all appearance almost insensible 
 to the night's proceedings, she was 
 wont to recur to them afterwards in 
 a manner that showed she was by 
 no means so oblivious as was sup- 
 posed. 
 
 "I could not speak," she would 
 aver, "and I was very bad, but I 
 was not so bad as to be quite knocked
 
 ONLY KITTY 151 
 
 stupid. I knew well enough that I 
 had two fine young men to look after 
 me, and to help me up my own 
 steps, and even to my own room 
 with Joseph's assisting, of course; 
 and as for that husband of Letitia's 
 I declare I could have kissed his 
 honest face, he looked so "much con- 
 cerned, and as if he could have cried 
 too whenever I cried out. And 
 there he sat with me, hand in hand, 
 till the doctor came, insisting upon 
 it that Kitty was too young, and that 
 she had much better be out of the 
 room till I was more myself. And I 
 do think a dearer man there never 
 lived. And what Kitty would do 
 now without him, I don't know." 
 
 The latter remark had reference to 
 the black outlook which, it has been 
 hinted, loomed before the hapless 
 Kitty's vision directly her immediate 
 anxieties were over, and the nature 
 of the accident ascertained. 
 
 "Yes, I am afraid it's all up with
 
 152 ONLY KITTY 
 
 you, Kitty." Sir Robert shook his 
 head after hearing the doctor's ver- 
 dict. "No more larks going in this 
 house. Now, I tell you what you 
 will do. You will come straight off 
 to us to-morrow. Letitia shall fetch 
 you " 
 
 Kitty's eyes opened, and her lips 
 parted. 
 
 "That will make it all right, won't 
 it?" said Bob, kindly. And he pro- 
 ceeded to dilate. 
 
 "Stop," said Kitty, suddenly. 
 "Don't ask me; don't say another 
 word; it's awfully kind of you, and 
 you know how I should like it but 
 it would look oh, you know what it 
 would look like! She's the dearest 
 and the kindest and to have me go 
 and leave her the moment she can't 
 take me about to things, as if I cared 
 
 for nothing else " she broke off 
 
 with a little sob. "Don't you think 
 anything more about me, Bob. I 
 shall be quite happy here. I am
 
 ONLY KITTY IS3 
 
 going to show Mrs. Benetfink that I 
 love her for herself and ' ' 
 
 "And I tell you what it is," said 
 Bob, suddenly stepping forward, and 
 seizing her hand in both of his. 
 "You're a thundering good little girl 
 that's what you are; and I sha'n't 
 say another word to tempt you 
 away. You're quite right not to 
 desert the old lady. Upon my word, 
 I am proud of you. And I tell you 
 what, Kitty; I will come every sin- 
 gle day, and take you to every 
 single place that Mrs. Benetfink had 
 promised you' ' (for confidences 
 had passed by this time); "she 
 won't mind my doing that, will 
 she?" 
 
 "Oh, no!" Kitty was joyfully 
 sure that, so far from minding, noth- 
 ing would please Mrs. Benetfink 
 better. 
 
 "Well, then, I'll come," said Bob; 
 "and I can come in and see her and 
 tell her the news, and Letitia shall
 
 154 ONLY KITTY 
 
 call. Why she hasn't called already 
 I'm sure I don't know. I don't 
 understand these things. But now, 
 where shall we go to-morrow?" 
 
 "We were going," said Kitty, 
 glancing at him, "to the Crystal 
 Palace. ' ' 
 
 "The Crystal Palace!" cried Sir 
 Robert, "the very thing! I haven't 
 been to the Crystal Palace since I 
 was in petticoats. What time were 
 you going?" 
 
 ' ' We had been going, ' ' said Kitty, 
 with the same dubious emphasis, 
 "about three o'clock. We were to 
 drive down and have tea, and then 
 go to things; and have dinner, and 
 go to things again ; and drive back 
 after the fireworks. To-morrow is a 
 firework night, and poor Mrs. Benet- 
 fink and I did want so dreadfully 
 to go!" 
 
 "I am sorry for Mrs. Benetfink, " 
 said Bob, pleasantly; "but anyhow, 
 you and I will go and enjoy our-
 
 ONLY KITTY 155 
 
 selves. May I borrow your phaeton, 
 Syd?" 
 
 "I want it for myself," said Syd, 
 "if this young lady will give me the 
 pleasure of driving her." 
 
 And now began the most wonder- 
 ful period of Kitty's life. She had 
 been so happy before, so content 
 with all the simple pleasures pro- 
 vided for her, so grateful for all the 
 loving kindness lavished upon her, 
 that it might have seemed as though 
 there were hardly any room left in 
 her heart for further emotions of a 
 like nature. But somehow it was a 
 different thing to dash off from her 
 own door in an elegant park phaeton, 
 behind a pair of high-stepping 
 horses, who never seemed to need 
 more than an infinitesimal share of 
 their master's attention, from rolling 
 solemnly away within a large landau 
 with only an old lady, however 
 cheerful and amiable, as her com- 
 panion on the jaunt. It was a new
 
 156 ONLY KITTY 
 
 and exhilarating experience to be 
 escorted hither and thither by two 
 smart men, who were yet not "smart" 
 in any way that would have lessened 
 them in her estimation, or detracted 
 from her comfort. 
 
 Letitia thought that as it was 
 "only Kitty," she need not put her- 
 self out to combat Sir Robert's whim 
 of making up to his young sister-in- 
 law for the loss she had sustained. If 
 Kitty liked to go with Bob, and Bob 
 chose to take her, and Sydney Lati- 
 mer chose to be of the party, there 
 was really no harm in it. Kitty did 
 not require to be chaperoned as yet, 
 and though, as it was "only Kitty," 
 it hardly mattered that she had been 
 unearthed in her present "impos- 
 sible" quarters, whose very impossi- 
 bility roused Captain Latimer's com- 
 passion, still the very fact of its being 
 "only Kitty" made it too certain 
 that the feeling was compassion 
 nothing more.
 
 ONLY KITTY 157 
 
 This was Letitia's view of the 
 case. 
 
 But Letitia did not know every- 
 thing. She did not know, for 
 instance, that the leafy garden within 
 the quaint old square was a pleasant 
 place to sit in on a summer after- 
 noon, and that a cheery little party 
 often camped out there for hours 
 together, of whom one would be an 
 old lady in an invalid chair, one a 
 fair girl in the first flush of youth, 
 and another a tawny- visaged soldier, 
 whose mission it seemed to be to 
 entertain and interest them both. 
 Sometimes the whole afternoon 
 would pass away thus. 
 
 On other occasions the trio would 
 await the arrival of a fourth, prepar- 
 atory to one of the excursions prom- 
 ised by Sir Robert, which he now 
 showed an unexpected and most 
 ingenious fertility in devising. Late 
 though Bob would always be, no one 
 would ever express the slightest
 
 158 ONLY KITTY 
 
 impatience at his unpunctuality. 
 Captain Latimer's phaeton would 
 crawl round and round the square, 
 or draw up beneath the rustling 
 shade of overhanging boughs, until 
 horses and men alike grew drowsy 
 "twixt heat and inactivity, but Syd 
 himself was having a good time on 
 the other side of the railings. 
 
 He always came first, and came 
 by himself ; he had invariably some 
 good reason to give for doing so. 
 His brother had so many engage- 
 ments, whereas he had none. Bob 
 was "rushed" from morning to night 
 in the season; for his part, he liked 
 to take things easy. It was so jolly 
 sitting still, and it would be cooler 
 driving by-and-by when the sun had 
 begun to go down a little. As for 
 his horses, they were better standing 
 out under the trees than in their own 
 stuffy stable. He hoped Mrs. 
 Benetfink did not think him a nui- 
 sance for coming before the time,
 
 ONLY KITTY 159 
 
 but it was really so so jolly sitting 
 there. Evidently there was no other 
 excuse to offer. 
 
 Of all this, Letitia, as we say, knew 
 nothing. Neither did any of them 
 know that when chirpy little Sir 
 Robert perched himself on the back 
 seat of the phaeton and smoked 
 cigar upon cigar as he was trotted 
 down to Kew, or Richmond, or 
 Kingston Hill anywhere and every- 
 where that Kitty had a mind to go 
 he was saying to himself that 
 playing gooseberry was by no means 
 such bad fun as people made out. 
 Kitty was "only a child," was she? 
 All right. Sydney was "never 
 thinking of her," was he not? All 
 right. It was satisfactory to have 
 those beliefs prevail in his own 
 home ; they kept everything smooth 
 there, while permitting him a free 
 hand. 
 
 And he meant to have a free hand 
 whether permitted or not. ' ' Syd is
 
 160 ONLY KITTY 
 
 a queer fellow," he nodded to him- 
 self, "and you have got to go his 
 way, not expect him to go yours. 
 Letitia wanted him for one of her 
 sisters," with a grin; "but, by 
 Jove! she will nearly have a fit 
 when, after going through half the 
 women she knows, she learns that it 
 is only Kitty!" 
 
 Accordingly little Bob kept his 
 secret close, and permitted not the 
 faintest suspicion of it to leak out. 
 Indeed, at this juncture he exhibited 
 a cleverness unknown before; and 
 Letitia, as well as her sisters, grew 
 to think that there was something 
 almost babyish in Kitty's silly de- 
 mands upon her too good-natured 
 brother-in-law. 
 
 "I really should not give in to her 
 as you do," Lady Latimer would 
 exclaim now and again; "you quite 
 spoil that child. ' ' 
 
 Maud and Ethel had proposed 
 Kitty's returning home, but Bob
 
 ONLY KITTY l6l 
 
 stoutly combated the idea; and cer- 
 tainly when Kitty came to South 
 Street there was no shadow upon 
 her bright face, and nothing to indi- 
 cate that all was not going well with 
 her in spite of the misadventure of 
 her hostess. 
 
 Every one in South Street was too 
 busy to see much of Kitty which 
 was perhaps as well, all things con- 
 sidered but Bob gravely assured 
 them he was doing the best he could 
 for her, and happily no one ever 
 inquired minutely into what that 
 "best" was. "They think that Syd 
 still stands all day long in the hall 
 of that old club, '' chuckled Sir Rob- 
 ert to himself, "and I don't see that 
 it's my business to peach. Of course 
 I could not take a full-blown young 
 lady about like this ; but Letitia says 
 herself it is 'only Kitty,' and I sup- 
 pose I am about equal to managing 
 Kitty's affairs. They shall not be 
 botched by interference anyway."
 
 162 ONLY KITTY 
 
 Never in his life had he enjoyed 
 himself so much. He and Sydney 
 took Kitty up the river, and gave her 
 tea in the gardens of the old-fash- 
 ioned inn beneath the Clieveden 
 Woods, Sir Robert going off for a 
 stroll by himself before the party 
 took to the water again. He 
 escorted her over Hampton Court, 
 and was not at all surprised to find 
 that she and Syd missed him from 
 among the sightseers in the great 
 tapestry hall, and went to look for 
 him down by the water-lily pond. 
 He piloted his inquisitive young 
 sister-in-law down to Gravesend to 
 lunch on board an ocean "liner," 
 and thought the expedition quite 
 one to suit Syd; indeed, considered 
 it the most natural thing imaginable 
 that his brother should find the ves- 
 sel and its equipment so interesting, 
 and such a novelty (although Captain 
 Latimer had sailed to every quarter 
 of the globe), that he must needs fol-
 
 ONLY KITTY 163 
 
 low Kitty up and down and round 
 and round, from the captain's cabin 
 to the engineer's gangway. "I am 
 about running dry now," he told 
 himself, however, at the close of this 
 last excursion. "By Jove! I can't 
 think of much more," shaking his 
 head wisely. 
 
 He took his brother into confidence 
 as they trotted home from Gordon 
 Square in a hansom. 
 
 "I think I have done pretty well 
 for you, Syd. Don't you think that 
 n o w h urn ah ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes, I do think that now hum 
 ah "; retorted Syd, frankly. 
 "To-morrow is Sunday, you know. 
 You need not come along this 
 way on Sunday," pointing back- 
 wards with his thumb, "but I will 
 look you up in the evening. Shall 
 you be in about say eight o'clock?" 
 
 About eight o'clock Sir Robert 
 was pacing his front drawing-room 
 restlessly to and fro, and absolutely
 
 164 ONLY KITTY 
 
 refusing to go in to dinner, alleging 
 that Sunday evening dinner could 
 surely wait five minutes when a man 
 was expecting his brother, and when 
 no one was particularly hungry for it. 
 
 "You are generally hungry 
 enough," said Letitia. 
 
 "Well, I am not to-night," said 
 Bob. 
 
 The next moment he had his head 
 out of the window, and, with a cry 
 that was almost a whoop of exulta- 
 tion, dashed down the staircase be- 
 fore the door-bell rang. 
 
 "There is Syd, and and a lady 
 with him ! " he flung back as he dis- 
 appeared through the doorway. 
 
 "A lady? Who can it be?" 
 Letitia looked round at the other 
 two. "Bob seems quite excited. 
 What a noise he is making in the 
 hall! Is he going to bring them up? 
 Or shall we go down, and. take them 
 into the dining-room? What can be 
 the meaning of all that noise?" as
 
 ONLY KITTY 165 
 
 voices and laughter in joyous con- 
 fusion grew more and more distinctly 
 audible above stairs, the door having 
 been left ajar by Sir Robert in his 
 flight. 
 
 "They are coming up, I think," 
 said Maud, listening; and she and 
 Ethel glanced at each other. They 
 thought they were prepared for what 
 was to follow, and guessed what 
 would be expected of them when 
 Captain Sydney Latimer should be 
 ushered in, and present the lady 
 whose arrival had caused such a 
 commotion. They were ready with 
 the best smiles they could muster, 
 when a swift patter of steps was 
 heard upon the staircase, and were 
 almost disappointed when the light 
 form which darted in, all smiles, 
 tears, and incoherence all em- 
 braces, excuses, and extravagances 
 proved to be that of only Kitty ! 
 
 Had Kitty gone crazed? What 
 was there to kiss, and hug, and cry
 
 166 ONLY KITTY 
 
 about? What had happened? What 
 was what could be the meaning 
 of it all? 
 
 If it had been any one else! 
 But "But, by Jove! I thought 
 it would make you sit up!" cried 
 little Bob, almost beside himself 
 with excitement. "I knew how 
 you'd feel! It is 'only Kitty,' is it? 
 Ask this fellow here," pushing Cap- 
 tain Latimer forward, "what he has 
 to say to that. He doesn't say 'only 
 Kitty,' I can tell you. He oh, I 
 say, Letitia, " all in a moment the 
 speaker's face changed, his eyelids 
 fell, a contrite seriousness over- 
 spread his whole countenance, "I 
 am so sorry I kept dinner waiting 
 for only Kitty," he sighed, peni- 
 tently.
 
 A Terrible Moment 
 
 "Great floods have flown from simple 
 sources." 
 
 All's Well that Ends Well. 
 
 Lina sat frowning over her house- 
 books. Who does not frown over 
 house-books? Who does not know 
 the look of the hateful little pile, 
 always neatly adjusted, with the 
 red-glazed, gilt-lettered one the 
 bctc noire of the whole collection 
 the butcher's book, lying blatantly 
 on the top? Why is it always in the 
 front, leading, as it were, its 
 minions in the rear? Let house- 
 keepers say. 
 
 Poor little Caroline Lambert was 
 not much of a housekeeper; indeed, 
 nature never designed her for a 
 169
 
 1 70 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 housekeeper at all. But when her 
 mother died, and Lina had been 
 taken into confidence about the fam- 
 ily affairs that is, had been openly 
 confided in, for from earliest child- 
 hood she had silently understood 
 many things which had sobered gay 
 insouciance she had taken a great 
 resolve: she was going to fight the 
 world as her poor, brave, gentle par- 
 ent had done, and be the real, though 
 unacknowledged head of her father's 
 house. 
 
 The world with her the world 
 which had to be fought and con- 
 quered resolved itself mainly into 
 the detestable above-mentioned 
 house-books ; they lay at the root of 
 the thoughtful brow, the too-serious 
 eye, and the somewhat sad expres- 
 sion of a little mouth which seemed 
 as though it had been formed only 
 to smile or pout. 
 
 Lina was a very pretty girl, and 
 knew it knew also that it was not
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 171 
 
 only the bereavement she had sus- 
 tained which debarred her from the 
 triumphs and enjoyments of fair 
 girlhood. She had learnt even be- 
 fore the days of mourning that many 
 an invitation had to be refused, and 
 many a brilliant scene foregone 
 which would have cost money; and 
 that although she lived in a fairly 
 good house, and what would have 
 been called comfortable circum- 
 stances, there was always an under- 
 lying current running dead against 
 her and hers, which had to be 
 stemmed as she and they might. 
 
 For prudence' sake appearances 
 had to be maintained ; Mr. Lambert 
 argued that nothing would have a 
 more fatal effect on his professional 
 career, nothing make clients more 
 shy of putting their affairs into his 
 hands than the fact of his having to 
 move into a cheaper residence in a 
 humbler part of London. He must 
 preserve a decent exterior ; he must
 
 172 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 affect to be doing well; now and 
 again he must entertain. It was a 
 cruel necessity, but the tide would 
 turn some day ; and if they could but 
 manage to keep their heads above 
 water for the present, a time would 
 come when they should swim easily 
 upon the surface. 
 
 ' ' But, oh ! it is so long in coming, ' ' 
 sighed his young daughter to herself 
 on the grim November afternoon, 
 when she sat down to her weekly 
 task with the house-books on her lap. 
 
 She had just finished, and finished 
 with a sigh, and was sitting looking 
 before her with the dull dejection of 
 spirit the occupation seldom failed to 
 produce, when the door burst open, 
 and swift as thought the little heap 
 was thrown into a work-basket by 
 her side, and concealed beneath an 
 embroidered coverlet. She would 
 not vex her father by the sight. 
 
 It was not, however, Mr. Lambert 
 who had returned before his time ; it
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 173 
 
 was two little rosy, chubby, merry 
 creatures who precipitated them- 
 selves on to their sister's vacant lap 
 without dreaming that it had been 
 previously occupied by intruders less 
 welcome than themselves. 
 
 "Are you alone? We thought you 
 would be alone," cried little Gladys, 
 bustling up; "and nurse said we 
 might come if there was nobody 
 here. ' ' 
 
 "Nurse only said we were to come 
 if you wanted us," corrected the 
 elder, (she was only seven, while 
 Gladys was but four); "but we 
 thought you would be sure to want 
 us, if there were no nasty people 
 here." And she mounted on 
 Lina's other knee with the confi- 
 dence of proprietorship. The elder 
 sister put an arm round each. 
 
 "And we do so want to tell you 
 what we have been talking about, ' ' 
 the little one struck in again; "it 
 was about shoes. Nurse says we
 
 174 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 really must have shoes;" sitting 
 upright in order to be still more 
 impressive and important. "She 
 says we really must; because, you 
 see, the Christmas parties will^ be 
 coming on, and our old shoes will 
 hardly hold together," unbuttoning 
 with eager satisfaction a little squat 
 strap-shoe, and looking at it fondly, 
 as though its state of dilapidation 
 were creditable and endearing. 
 
 "Mine are as bad, and they have 
 been patched over and over again," 
 said Florence, taking her sister's face 
 between her hands to make sure of 
 attention and sympathy. "Nurse 
 says the shoemaker won't undertake 
 to do them any more. He says it's 
 no use wasting more work upon 
 them, for they're not worth it. 
 That's what he says; and nurse says 
 she can't mend them herself, for 
 there's just one thing she can't man- 
 age, and that is boots and shoes. 
 She can make everything else."
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 175 
 
 "And she is going to make us the 
 most beautiful frocks out of mother's 
 old white petticoat." Gladys 
 caressed her shoe, her blue eyes 
 beaming. 
 
 "Oh, hush!" Florence looked 
 shocked, and glanced apprehensively 
 at her sister. "Nurse wouldn't like 
 you to speak like that, Gladdie," 
 remonstrated she, shaking her 
 severe head. "It's only that Glad- 
 die's so little, you know," she 
 added, feeling all the weight of her 
 maturer years. "/ knew whose 
 petticoat it was, because it came out 
 of the big wardrobe drawer, and / 
 never said anything." Then she 
 turned her face round again: "But 
 Gladdie would know what it was, 
 and what -nurse was going to do 
 with it." 
 
 "And they will be beautiful frocks 
 oh! beautiful." The little one 
 stroked her sister's hair and peered 
 into her eyes, holding up the eyelids
 
 176 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 with her tiny fingers to make sure 
 that all was right. "Nurse is to get 
 some more of the holey work. ' ' 
 
 "Only a very little more," said 
 Florence, anxiously. "Only just 
 enough to go round the neck and 
 sleeves. ' ' 
 
 "And white ribbons to tie up the 
 arms," struck in Gladys, with 
 rapture. 
 
 "You won't mind, will you, 
 dear?" whispered a soft little voice 
 on her sister's shoulder; while Flor- 
 ence laid down her head contentedly, 
 and shook back her fleece of shining 
 hair. 
 
 All the time Lina never said a 
 word; she could not find it in her 
 heart to check the innocent outpour- 
 ings, and she knew that the faithful 
 creature who provided for her 
 darlings' wants and necessities 
 would not spend a penny which 
 could be saved; but white "party" 
 frocks, and new morocco shoes.
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 177 
 
 pointed to Christmas dissipations, in 
 which she foresaw the one black 
 word, "expense"; and although her 
 little Florrie and Gladdie should not 
 be grudged any pleasures she could 
 give them, she looked somewhat 
 ruefully at the little, patched shoe, 
 which the latter still dangled by 
 the button with a triumphant air, 
 and thought for she was but a girl 
 herself that she needed to be fitted 
 out as much as the little ones, and 
 had no chance of supplying her 
 wants as she could theirs. 
 
 Presently she drew them on to 
 talk of other things, though this was 
 not easy, for their imaginations had 
 been dazzled, and the thought of the 
 cutting and shaping going on over- 
 head drew their thoughts like a mag- 
 net from any other topic presented 
 to them. Lina knew by the 
 absent-mindedness which made Flor- 
 ence unable to think of any appro- 
 priate adjective wherewith to "Love
 
 178 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 her Love" in the time-honoured 
 nursery game, and little Gladys out 
 of countenance to find it was her 
 turn so soon again, that the thoughts 
 of both were roving; and although 
 she tried various other distractions 
 equally in favour with the little 
 couple, she was half-amused, half- 
 vexed, to be asked over and over 
 again what o'clock it was, and finally 
 to have it suggested that nurse 
 would be glad to have them go 
 upstairs earlier than usual in order 
 to set her free for the all-important 
 business of the frocks. 
 
 "She has got so much to do;" 
 Gladys jumped off her sister's knee 
 at last. "If she can, she is going to 
 contrive us some little white slips 
 too that is, if you will let her have 
 the things. She is going to " 
 
 "But she wants to talk to Lina 
 about that herself," Florence con- 
 scientiously averted every premature 
 disclosure, "so we won't tease poor
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 179 
 
 Lina to-night," hugging and kiss- 
 ing fondly; and with "Good-night, 
 darling, good-night," from each 
 rosebud mouth, the two sprang 
 away into the darkness of the large, 
 gloomy room, and, scarce waiting to 
 close the door in their excitement, 
 tore upstairs with echoing childish 
 mirth, which lasted until their own 
 upper regions were regained, and 
 the intervention of the nursery door 
 made further sounds inaudible. 
 Lina looked after them with a 
 smileless face. 
 
 That afternoon in Regent Street 
 she had seen a ball-dress which an- 
 other girl was buying. The other 
 girl was not sure whether she 
 wanted it or not. When the shop- 
 woman's back was turned, she con- 
 sulted with her chaperon, (obviously 
 a guardian, or relation, whose mis- 
 sion it was to advise, but certainly 
 not to control), enumerating the 
 dresses she already possessed the
 
 l8o A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 white satin and tulle, the cream satin 
 and spotted net, the flowered silk 
 and next inquired, would she have 
 any real use for more in the im- 
 mediate future ; and, if not, would it 
 not be a pity to be encumbered with 
 a stale robe, after a newer fashion 
 had set in? Poor Lina had listened 
 involuntarily to it all. 
 
 She would not have minded about 
 a newer fashion, nor called a three- 
 months-old costume out of date. A 
 trifling commission had been made 
 her excuse for strolling round the 
 gay department, and she had 
 watched the scene wistfully from 
 behind a voluminously draped lay 
 figure. A vague, foolish curiosity to 
 know how it would end detained her 
 there. Not that she doubted for a 
 moment, not even from the outset. 
 She told herself with a faint, irre- 
 pressible bitterness, that there did 
 not exist a girl a girl young and 
 pretty like herself who would
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT l8l 
 
 voluntarily refrain from the acquisi- 
 tion of that shining, shimmering 
 vision of loveliness, when it came to 
 the point. 
 
 "And really, I think you are 
 right." The portly dowager nodded 
 approbation when the purchase was 
 made. "You will never see any- 
 thing to suit your taste better ; and 
 with so many gay visits before you, 
 you are sure to find it come in handy 
 sometime." 
 
 Gay visits! Again Caroline 
 Lambert breathed a soft, hopeless 
 note of longing. She had no visits, 
 gay or otherwise, before her; her 
 acquaintance was not large, and was 
 mainly composed of people who, 
 although they might have agreeable 
 engagements for themselves during 
 the forthcoming festal season, were 
 not in a position to be entertainers. 
 She might be invited to a few dull 
 dinners with her father, or perhaps 
 to accompany her little sisters to
 
 182 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 a children's party; but Lina was 
 nineteen, and craved for something 
 which was not precisely met by 
 either prospect. The vision called 
 up by the elder lady's prudent 
 exultation was inexpressibly tanta- 
 lising. Caroline knew what her 
 Christmas would bring. Not many 
 bills, perhaps; for she had steadily 
 kept these down, refusing to make a 
 purchase which could not be paid 
 for then and there, and by this reso- 
 lution denying herself more than 
 any one ever knew, for the house- 
 hold money had to be given account 
 of to no one ; but if Christmas-time 
 brought not the duns of trades- 
 people, it would resolve itself, never- 
 theless, into a tame, commonplace 
 affair in Mr. Lambert's household; 
 and his young daughter knew that 
 the holiday period, wont to lavish so 
 much on others of her age, such 
 thrilling possibilities, such unmeas- 
 ured, unexplored delights, meant to
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 183 
 
 her only a flickering ray of mild 
 domestic sunshine, all very well in 
 its way, but lacking something, I 
 need hardly tell my youthful readers 
 what. 
 
 One may be an affectionate 
 daughter and sister, but it does not 
 fill up the measure of one's content 
 to have a whole merry-making season 
 go by in making happy the hearts of 
 two little cherubs already happy 
 enough, or interchanging pleas- 
 antries with an easy, kindly, elderly 
 parent, with whom, but for the tie 
 of blood, one has nothing in com- 
 mon. Mr. Lambert often provoked 
 his daughter not consciously, for 
 he would not have hurt the feelings 
 of a fly but their two natures were 
 intrinsically and diametrically op- 
 posed ; and whilst the seriousness of 
 her demeanour and over-anxieties 
 about what he called trifles would 
 occasionally be felt by him as a 
 damper to cheerfulness and a hin-
 
 184 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 drance to hopeful effort, she did 
 scant justice to the elasticity of his 
 amiable, if somewhat volatile, dispo- 
 sition. Each meant well, and both 
 had a part to play in family life. 
 
 Caroline's part was the hardest, 
 or she thought so. 
 
 "Lina? Sitting alone? Where 
 are the children?" Mr. Lambert's 
 voice, a blithe, lively voice, sounded 
 in the doorway. "I expected to 
 have found the children here," con- 
 tinued he, producing a brown paper 
 parcel. "I have brought them each 
 a toy." 
 
 "Oh, papa!" 
 
 "Only a penny toy, my dear. Of 
 one of the men in the streets. But 
 I know it will please the little folks ; 
 I was quite taken with it myself; 
 most amusing and ingenious. Let 
 me show you how it goes along the 
 carpet" suiting the action to the 
 words. "There now! Ha, ha, ha! 
 Is it not comical? Can't imagine
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 185 
 
 how these things are made for the 
 money. Shall we have the children 
 down again, eh? I dare say they 
 are not undressed yet." 
 
 "Better keep the toys for their 
 Christmas presents. ' ' Caroline eyed 
 with reproachful disdain two little 
 painted men with carts racing over 
 the floor. "I did not mean for 
 their only presents," she made haste 
 to add, for her own heart responded 
 to the quick glance of her father's 
 eye. "But we can only give them 
 such very little things ' ' 
 
 "Surely I am not reduced to giv- 
 ing my own children penny toys for 
 their Christmas presents," said he, 
 pained by her tone. "I know how 
 good and economical you are, my 
 dear child ; but there is such a thing 
 as going too far." 
 
 And Lina felt there was. She 
 had been absurd, exaggerating her 
 own envious longings, her own sense 
 of mortification and deprivation, to a
 
 l86 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 pitch that made the sight of her 
 father, engrossed and amused, for- 
 getful alike of home cares and busi- 
 ness worries, rouse indignation, and 
 cause her to overstep the bounds of 
 common-sense, and mistake poverty 
 for destitution. 
 
 The shade which passed across 
 her father's brow restored her to 
 herself. 
 
 "Papa, I am silly. Don't listen to 
 me. I always have a bad hour or 
 two after going through those 
 wretched accounts." 
 
 "They are not worse than usual, 
 are they, my dear?" 
 
 "Not at all worse, rather better; 
 
 only " She paused, and then the 
 
 truth burst out. "Only, papa, we 
 never get any good of it all ; we pay 
 and pay, and it takes every farthing 
 we possess just to live to keep a 
 roof over our heads, and have food 
 on the table, and clothes to wear. 
 And they are only common, neces-
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 187 
 
 sary clothes only clothes we cannot 
 possibly do without. I hardly dare 
 look in at a shop window " 
 
 Mr. Lambert looked scared; he 
 was easily scared. 
 
 "Is it as bad as that, my poor 
 child? You have not proper clothes?" 
 
 "Oh, I did not say proper clothes; 
 I have a hat, and a jacket, and a 
 frock. I have even two frocks, 
 wonderful to relate, and a shabby 
 old dinner-dress." 
 
 "In which you always look re- 
 markably pretty. For all their 
 finery, I never see that other girls 
 cut you put." 
 
 Alas! Something of the same 
 thought had been playing the mis- 
 chief in poor little Lina's bosom all 
 the afternoon. She knew she could 
 have shone, held her head with as 
 high an air, danced with as light a 
 step, and prattled with as musical a 
 voice, as any one in the gay assem- 
 blages of which as yet she had only
 
 l88 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 beheld reflections reflections which 
 did but invest her with desire for the 
 unattainable: how unattainable she 
 alone seemed to realise. 
 
 "Papa, I try" a little struggle 
 with herself "I try not to be dis- 
 contented ; but it is so hard to have 
 to put everything aside even the 
 chances that do come now and then 
 because we cannot afford to go 
 about like other people " 
 
 "Of course, my dear, it is a depri- 
 vation; I feel it so myself." 
 
 "But not as I do," cried she, 
 breathing quickly. "You have 
 seen, and known, and lived ; but I 
 the world is beyond me I long to 
 feel it, and touch it, and I can't. 
 Whichever way I turn we are so 
 hemmed in by poverty." 
 
 "Just so. 'Hemmed in,' " as- 
 sented he, with approbation. 
 
 "Poverty that no one sees or 
 recognises; that you yourself hardly 
 seem to feel. ' ' Again an irrepress-
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 1 89 
 
 ible bitterness crept into the speak- 
 er's tone. "You go, and come, and 
 meet with people " 
 
 "Aye, to be sure, I meet with 
 people." Mr. Lambert smiled com- 
 placently. "That reminds me, I 
 met that nice fellow, Wycliffe, again 
 to-day, and he was so friendly and 
 pleasant I asked him to call. I told 
 him he must come to dinner. " 
 
 "Papa! To dinner?" 
 
 "He accepted at once. Said he 
 didn't know many people in Town at 
 this time of year; only chanced to 
 be up on business." 
 
 "And you asked him to dinner? 
 And you know we can't have dinner- 
 parties ' ' 
 
 "Pho! pho! Who talked of 
 dinner-parties?" 
 
 Then the torrent burst forth. 
 
 "You tell me to keep the house- 
 keeping down, and every week it is 
 all I can do to pay the books. I 
 never have a farthing over; and
 
 190 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 here is a man to whom we owe noth- 
 ing, whom I have never even 
 seen " 
 
 "You will see him; he is to call 
 first." 
 
 "Why should he call? Why 
 should he come near us?" cried she, 
 excitedly. "We are not the sort of 
 people he imagines. He hears of a 
 good house, and you invite him in 
 an offhand manner, and he expects a 
 gay family, a smart household, and 
 a fine, well-set-out dinner; and and 
 when he comes, there there is 
 only me!" Her shrill young voice 
 quavered and broke at the word. 
 Ere he could reply she had pushed 
 past, and vanished through the open 
 door. 
 
 "This housekeeping mania really 
 gets upon her nerves," said Mr. 
 Lambert, raising his eyebrows, and 
 shaking his head sagaciously. Noth- 
 ing ever got upon his nerves. 
 
 When we are at a low ebb it is sel-
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 1QI 
 
 dom that anything happens to cheer 
 us; oftener far, some small worry 
 takes the opportunity for making its 
 presence known, or some blow from 
 an unexpected quarter, falls. Caro- 
 line's "worry" had its innings first, 
 starting with the break of day. A 
 servant was ill, and the others con- 
 siderately waited to inform their 
 young mistress of the fact till their 
 master had left the house, by which 
 means the burden, with all its con- 
 comitants, was (as burdens usually 
 were in that house) thrown on her 
 shoulders. It had to be carried 
 she carried it. By afternoon the 
 doctor had pronounced the case one 
 for a hospital; and in place of the 
 respectable cook, hitherto one of her 
 young mistress' few comforts, their 
 reigned below stairs a charwoman, 
 upon whom, but for the pressure of 
 necessity, she would have looked 
 askance. 
 
 She was just considering what
 
 192 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 was to be done next, when, with 
 a loud peal of the front-door 
 bell, the "blow" took possession of 
 the field. This consisted of a letter 
 from her godmother, and a parcel; 
 the former explaining that the latter 
 Lina's Christmas present had 
 been sent thus early, owing to the 
 donor's departure for wintering in a 
 warmer clime. 
 
 Now on this very impending 
 departure my hapless heroine had 
 been innocently building. Once 
 before it had happened that when 
 starting betimes for the Riviera, her 
 relation had found no opportunity 
 for selecting her annual gift, and 
 had substituted a cheque; and "If 
 only she would do so again, " had been 
 the subject of many anxious musings. 
 
 But alas! here was a handsome, 
 useless, expensive toy, which Lady 
 Beaumont thought "so clever," and 
 would help "to amuse the children 
 on winter evenings."
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 193 
 
 Poor, poor Lina! She almost 
 dashed the riddling Neapolitan with 
 his basket of mock fruits to the floor. 
 She spurned him with her foot as he 
 lay grinning there. Five pounds! 
 five precious golden sovereigns, that 
 would have been what would they 
 not have been to her? to be thus 
 cruelly, wantonly, mercilessly flung 
 away! 
 
 And presently, in the dusk for 
 the light was waning and the lamps 
 were lit outside hot, blinding tears 
 welled unheeded from her eyes, and 
 streamed over the hand on which 
 her burning cheek was pressed. She 
 must be miserable; who could say 
 she ought not to be miserable? Who 
 could rebuke her for giving way at 
 last beneath such an accumulation 
 of calamities shared by none? 
 
 And anon arose from out the last 
 bitter reflection a still more bitter 
 resolution. Why should her griefs 
 be shared by none? Why should not
 
 194 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 her father for once be forced into 
 sympathy, and have his eyes opened 
 to the hardships of his lot and hers? 
 He ought to feel, as she never could 
 make him feel, that it was one 
 deserving of resentment and rebel- 
 lion. She would tell him so now; 
 tell him the truth in plainest terms 
 before he could stop her; before any 
 qualms of filial duty could bind her 
 tongue. 
 
 Hark! there was the door-bell! 
 To her excited imagination its harsh, 
 discordant clang sounded like a war- 
 note to battle! It was the time of 
 Mr. Lambert's usual return, and the 
 next thing would be his brisk, alert 
 entrance and cheerful greeting. 
 
 Cheerfulness at the moment was 
 an actual crime to one whose heart 
 was as heavy as Lina Lambert's; 
 and scarce had the door opened and 
 the expected step sounded on the 
 floor, than, without raising her head 
 or changing the crouching attitude
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 195 
 
 into which she had sunk, the piteous 
 outcry made itself heard, which was 
 to arouse at least some spark of 
 fellow-feeling, if it could do nothing 
 else, within her parent's breast. 
 
 "Papa, you wonder to find me 
 crying? I dare say you think I have 
 nothing to cry for? You often tell 
 me how well I am off compared with 
 others, and you never will see that 
 there are things besides food, and 
 clothes, and a roof over one's head; 
 and that it is hard, it is hard, to see 
 so much that is just beyond one's 
 reach at every turn. You say we are 
 not so very poor, but I say we are 
 poor, and it seems as if ours were al- 
 most the worst kind of poverty oh, 
 don't speak!" catching an indistinct 
 sound which she took to be a protest. 
 "Don't speak; for I can't bear it. I 
 know what you would say perfectly 
 well. You would tell me it is very 
 wrong to be so 'ungrateful to Provi- 
 dence,' and so 'discontented with my
 
 196 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 home. ' You think it is all for my- 
 self that I care. But it is not. I 
 know it is not. It is for dear little 
 Florrie and Gladdie, too, whom I 
 have to refuse continually when 
 they ask for things I know they 
 ought to have. And they are such 
 dear children, and I do love them 
 so; I can't bear it." 
 
 Again an interruption was at- 
 tempted, but again Caroline held 
 up a passionate, imperative hand. 
 
 "Oh, do be quiet, and don't say I 
 am 'undutiful' and 'disrespectful.' 
 I don't mean to be; but to-day I feel 
 as if I must speak out. Everything 
 has gone wrong to-day. I thought 
 we were at our lowest pass before, 
 but now here is the cook ill and gone 
 off to a hospital. And that," sud- 
 denly swerving round towards the 
 toy, with its box and wrappings, 
 which lay by her side, "that is Lady 
 Beaumont's Christmas present! Yes, 
 indeed it is ! And you know what I
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 1 97 
 
 had thought, what I hoped it might 
 be. Papa, I feel that if you have 
 asked that man that Mr. Wycliffe 
 to dinner, it would be the last drop 
 in the cup! Papa, I cannot have 
 him ; I will not ! ' ' 
 
 "Ahem." 
 
 This time it is a protest too reso- 
 lute and significant to be borne 
 down. Furthermore, it was uttered,, 
 as she for the first time perceived, 
 in an unknown voice. 
 
 "Papa!" 
 
 Papa? It was it must be her 
 father who was standing there in the 
 flickering firelight ; who had entered 
 unannounced through the folding 
 doors, and made his way in silence 
 till he reached the point at which 
 she had lifted up her voice to arrest 
 further progress and command 
 attention. 
 
 It could not, dared not, be any 
 one else, before whom had been 
 poured forth the pent-up flood the
 
 198 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 outpourings of a sore and angry 
 heart. 
 
 It could not be a stranger and, 
 oh, worst of all ! most frightful, most 
 incredible of all ! the stranger. The 
 very man whose name had been 
 horror of horrors! the head and 
 front, the centre, the apex of her 
 denunciation. 
 
 "Papa?" She trembled from head to 
 foot. Involuntarily she clung to the 
 illusion, but the hoarse, faltering ac- 
 cents betrayed their own uncertainty. 
 
 Slowly she left her seat, and stag- 
 gered upright; and then it seemed 
 as though some one else, not 
 herself, had risen, and was holding 
 by the back of the low chair, con- 
 fronting with a stupefied gaze a tall 
 figure which should have been differ- 
 ent, absolutely, unmistakably differ- 
 ent from what it was. 
 
 Foolishly she wondered why it 
 should still wear an overcoat, and 
 hold its hat in its hands. The figure
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 199 
 
 that should have been, was wont to 
 disencumber itself of both in the hall 
 below. Besides it, the other, would 
 have greeted her, chidingly, it might 
 be, but yet in proper paternal 
 fashion. It would not have stood 
 mute, stock-still, with a sealed face 
 and rigid outline. 
 
 It was she herself who made the 
 first motion in the stony silence and 
 frozen immobility of the scene. She 
 attempted something ; she knew not 
 what. 
 
 Probably it was to escape the 
 hideous instant of re-animation by 
 one swift rush ; to be gone ere she 
 could be overtaken by it? 
 
 But treacherous Nature refused 
 her aid. Her knees shook, the floor 
 seemed to sink from beneath her 
 feet. Like a vengeful giant the 
 apparition of the stranger loomed 
 between her and safety, seemed to 
 tower overhead, to approach nearer, 
 to bend closer and then one last
 
 200 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 conscious sensation, she was being 
 caught in arms that she was power- 
 less to shake off. 
 
 "Ha, Wycliffe? Glad to see you 
 here." Mr. Lambert, genial and 
 cordial, greeted his guest an hour 
 later. "Lina, you should have 
 had up some tea. Or, better still, 
 stay to dinner, now you are here?" 
 turning again to the visitor. "We 
 dine at seven ; keep early hours, you 
 see, and are quite by ourselves to- 
 night. If you will stay and take pot- 
 luck " 
 
 "Thank you. I shall be very glad 
 to stay." 
 
 But he would not stay as he was ; 
 he would go home and change, and 
 re-appear in correct dress, with a 
 flower in his button-hole, and a smile 
 in his heart. 
 
 A strange experience. Wycliffe 
 had never known its equal. Never 
 felt anything like the thrill of pity,
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 2OI 
 
 tenderness, and anxiety with which 
 he had watched the first dawnings 
 of re-awakened life in the fair 
 young form of which he had invol- 
 untarily taken possession, as it 
 swayed and slipped from its foothold, 
 and, but for him, would have fallen 
 on the floor. 
 
 After the first pang of natural 
 alarm and consternation, he had not 
 pined for interference in the part 
 allotted to him. He had gently 
 borne his fair burden to a neighbour- 
 ing sofa ; laid her thereon ; and then, 
 in default of other restoratives, 
 placed upon her brow her own hand- 
 kerchief wet with her own tears. 
 
 Poor little weeper! He had sat 
 down and scanned the pale face upon 
 the pillow; and almost smiled, recall- 
 ing the moment which had at first, 
 it must be owned, sent an electric 
 shock through his own veins, but 
 which now, within the last sixty 
 seconds, had by some magical meta-
 
 2O2 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 morphosis, been transformed into a 
 pathetic memory. 
 
 Almost ere her eyelids had un- 
 closed he had felt the language of 
 imploring penitence in the gaze 
 turned upon him. He had returned 
 it with a look of encouragement. 
 Then the penitent had struggled to 
 draw herself upright. This he had 
 forbidden sternly. Then she had 
 striven to speak. This also had been 
 forbidden. Finally, he had laid his 
 hand on hers, and in slow, soothing 
 accents, as one who would compose 
 and comfort a bewildered child, had 
 spoken. Gracious powers 1 , how he 
 had spoken! Looking back upon 
 the scene it seemed to him as though 
 he had been inspired. Where was 
 diffidence? Where embarrassment? 
 Surely his position ought to have 
 been awkward enough in having to 
 confess that he had not only heark- 
 ened, however involuntarily, to con- 
 fidences meant for another, but had
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 203 
 
 actually heard himself alluded to as 
 a principal ingredient in a cup whose 
 bitterness had caused floods of tears. 
 
 And yet he was sure, positive, that 
 he had experienced no sense of vexa- 
 tion, no confusion of spirit, whilst 
 engaged in the absorbing task. 
 
 He had been bent upon reassuring 
 and consoling. As soon as she was 
 able, he had allowed his patient 
 (using the term with an air of 
 medical authority) to tell her own 
 tale, and listened to her broken 
 explanations and stammering apolo- 
 gies with perfect patience, nay, with 
 scarcely an interruption. He saw 
 that it relieved her to make a full 
 confession. 
 
 And by-and-by a compact had 
 been entered into between the two. 
 No one was to be told what had hap- 
 pened; not another human being 
 was to be cognisant of Lina Lam- 
 bert's awful misdemeanour, and its 
 still more appalling sequel. It must
 
 204 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 remain forever a secret between 
 them; never to be alluded to, and 
 if possible to be obliterated from 
 the very memory of each. 
 
 Lina had been the speaker, the 
 arranger, the dictator; all he had 
 had to do was to promise implicit 
 obedience. 
 
 With a seriousness equal to her 
 own he had taken the vows. She 
 had then proceeded: would Mr. 
 Wycliffe give his solemn word that 
 he would not presume, upon his 
 knowledge of the secret? Would he, 
 for her sake, (she had been near cry- 
 ing again as she spoke), for her 
 sake, would he not now refuse the 
 hospitality he had openly heard him- 
 self begrudged? She could never do 
 away with the shocking fact that he 
 had heard it ; never cease to feel the 
 shame of that terrible moment; but 
 he could at least assure her of his 
 forgiveness by affording her an 
 opportunity of of . He had
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 205 
 
 gravely protested he would grant 
 the opportunity. 
 
 At last Lina had looked at him. 
 For the first time since the begin- 
 ning of the interview, she had let slip 
 a shy glance of curiosity, and he had 
 fancied, though it might have been 
 only fancy, that speech came more 
 readily thereafter. But there was 
 not much time to improve the ad- 
 vance, if advance there were; for 
 the next ten minutes, and just as a 
 quiet conversation had been entered 
 into, designed to show that the inti- 
 macy begun under such unfortunate 
 auspices might now be proceeded 
 with more happily, the interruption 
 occurred whose anticipation had 
 given rise to the whole. The master 
 of the house, who had been detained 
 later than usual at his office, made 
 his appearance, and greeted his 
 daughter's visitor in the manner we 
 have already heard. Without hesi- 
 tation, and without so much as a
 
 2O6 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 side glance, Wycliffe had met the 
 test, and responded to it as we also 
 know. 
 
 With an inward sense of deep- 
 breathed exultation he now made 
 ready for the evening in store. He 
 was conscious of standing on the 
 brink of his fate. Perhaps for the 
 first time in his life he had now a 
 chance of making his way on his 
 own merits with a pretty, charm- 
 ing, natural, and lovable girl. 
 Hitherto he had been too heavily 
 weighted. 
 
 But from his first haphazard en- 
 counter with Mr. Lambert, it had 
 been obvious that he was being taken 
 merely as a pleasant fellow, of whose 
 position and fortune his new ac- 
 quaintance was entirely ignorant. 
 The ignorance amused Wycliffe; 
 once or twice he had chuckled in- 
 wardly on finding it taken for 
 granted that he was some insignifi- 
 cant unit in the great working hive,
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 207 
 
 and at its being hinted, kindly and 
 artlessly, that he was, perchance, an 
 unsuccessful one. 
 
 Upon this he had ventured further, 
 and cultivated Mr. Lambert's inti- 
 mac) 7 , always carefully keeping his 
 own secret. He liked the little, 
 cheery, volatile man who so unsus- 
 piciously bade him to his dreary 
 house. That it must be a dreary 
 house he knew; a dull, dingy resi- 
 dence in a vile situation. But some- 
 how his feet had carried him thither 
 unaccountably, in spite of himself, 
 as it were ; and he now looked back 
 upon the impulse with an almost 
 superstitious reverence. 
 
 It was no longer to him as if he 
 were about to revisit an ordinary 
 house in a common street, for the 
 sake of passing an uneventful even- 
 ing with two every-day acquaint- 
 ances. No, he was going to see 
 her, and what that meant to Barring- 
 ton Wycliffe he alone knew. A
 
 208 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 glamour was cast over the present; 
 the future shone beneath a halo. 
 
 But to all outward seeming the 
 next few hours passed as unremark- 
 ably as hours could do. The fair 
 young hostess was shy, serious, and 
 restrained, yet gentle, and responsive 
 withal. The host was animated and 
 easy; the guest, perhaps a shade 
 more earnest in his endeavours to 
 please than so simple an occasion 
 might have seemed to warrant. 
 
 But then, "Poor fellow, I dare say 
 he doesn't often dine out," nodded 
 Mr. Lambert to himself; "and 
 though it's not much of a dinner, 
 still it is nicely set out, and Lina 
 has been a good girl, and done her 
 best. Anyhow, it must be better to 
 put your feet under a gentleman's 
 mahogany than to grub in lodgings, 
 or snatch your food in the clatter of 
 a restaurant." 
 
 He rejoiced to perceive no sign of 
 sullenness in his daughter's face.
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 209 
 
 On the contrary, although she often 
 sat with downcast eyes, and her 
 speech was lower and more hesi- 
 tating than its wont, he could not but 
 fancy that Wycliffe had no fault to 
 find. He felt proud of his girl ; she 
 had never shown to greater advan- 
 tage. It ended in his pluming him- 
 self upon his own cleverness; he 
 would know how to manage in 
 future; the way with Lina was to 
 whack out an invitation before her 
 face when she was powerless to 
 gainsay it. That done, she was all 
 the better afterwards for a cheerful 
 evening. 
 
 Then his self -congratulation pro- 
 ceeded. Poor little Florrie and 
 Gladdie had been allowed to come 
 down, dressed in their best, and 
 frolic about the drawing-room be- 
 fore dinner; and it was a nice 
 change for them. Wycliffe must 
 have seen what a pretty picture it 
 made, the two fair-haired little
 
 210 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 things clinging about their elder 
 sister, and their evident devotion to 
 her. They had exhibited their little 
 painted men and carts, and Wycliffe 
 had gone down on the floor to assist 
 at the performance. 
 
 He had told them he had no little 
 sisters, and they had commiserated 
 his hard case. They had demanded 
 to know if he had no sisters at all. 
 
 No, he had none at all. 
 
 "Not even a Lina?" said little 
 Gladys, twining her fingers fondly 
 round her sister's, and looking first 
 with adoring gaze upwards, and then 
 dolefully at the sisterless, destitute 
 new friend. "Well, we wouldn't 
 like to give you our Lina, you 
 know," and she shook her head with 
 significant emphasis; "we couldn't 
 possibly spare you our Lina." 
 The little speaker had turned very 
 red, because every one laughed, and 
 Lina said quickly that it was the 
 children's bed-time.
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 211 
 
 Lina had blushed, as was natural, 
 and the blush had not been lost upon 
 her father, nor, he opined, upon 
 another pair of eyes either. He 
 fancied that Wycliffe's gaze rested a 
 full minute on his daughter's 
 abashed and half-averted counte- 
 nance. 
 
 The awkwardness passed, how- 
 ever, by the latter's putting in his 
 word for the revocation of the 
 nursery edict, and in the end the 
 little pair had trotted joyously off, 
 consoled by promises of chocolate- 
 boxes, and divers other whispered 
 visions of delight. 
 
 It was not until just before the 
 close of the evening and it did not 
 close early, we may be sure that 
 the guest found himself to all intents 
 and purposes once more alone with 
 his young entertainer. In a party 
 of three it is not easy to let fall 
 asides, more especially when these 
 resolve themselves into a question to
 
 212 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 which an answer is imperatively 
 demanded. But at length Oppor- 
 tunity, ever kind to the youngest of 
 her devotees, beckoned Wycliffe, 
 and hejnade haste to embrace her. 
 
 Lina was standing by the distant 
 piano, putting up her music, her 
 eyes large and soft, a bright tint 
 upon either cheek. 
 
 "I am going to encroach," mur- 
 mured a voice in her ear. She 
 started; then listened with beating 
 heart, and poor attempt at uncon- 
 cern. "You made me promise to 
 forget what I heard and saw to- 
 day," said Wycliffe, slowly. He had 
 turned his back upon the room, and 
 was leaning over the piano towards 
 her. "May I dare now to ask to 
 be allowed to remember it?" 
 
 "Remember it?" 
 
 "All unwittingly, I unlocked a 
 treasure," continued he, gazing at 
 her with steadfast, longing eyes. 
 "I had but one peep, and now I
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 213 
 
 crave for more. We might have 
 known each other, as other people 
 do, superficially, artificially, on the 
 surface, for months and years with- 
 out having learned as much" he 
 corrected himself "without my hav- 
 ing learned as much of you your- 
 self, of your real, true self, as was 
 revealed to me in one flash this 
 afternoon. That terrible moment! 
 It is no longer terrible to me. Is it 
 to you? And I can't forget it. 
 And I know I never shall. Is it too 
 presumptuous to hope that it may be 
 
 the beginning ?" He paused for 
 
 a response. 
 
 None came. 
 
 "At any rate, absolve me from my 
 promise," he whispered; and caught 
 the shadow of a monosyllable, and 
 took it for an absolution. 
 
 "Well, now, you see what I did 
 for you!" cried Lina's father, 
 radiant, a month later. "There
 
 214 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 were you moaning 1 and groaning, 
 and declaring we were too poor 
 even to have a friend come and dine 
 with us! Quite annoyed because I 
 had asked this very Wycliffe, who 
 I thought would be glad of a meal, 
 and who now turns out to be as rich 
 as Croesus ! Quite in a state because 
 I had asked him to a family dinner! 
 I must say you did the civil to him 
 when he came; but he little knew 
 what I had had to go through before- 
 hand on his account. Phew ! There 
 was a regular hail-storm ! And if I 
 had known who and what Wycliffe 
 really was, I confess I should never 
 have dared to risk an invitation 
 that is the joke of it! I thought he 
 was a mere waif and stray; cast 
 ashore and stranded in this great, 
 cold-blooded London; whom it 
 would be charity to ' ' 
 
 "Dear papa, you were always so 
 kind-hearted. ' ' 
 
 "Aye, aye ! It is 'dear papa' now,
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 2 I 5 
 
 is it? And I am 'kind-hearted' now, 
 am I? But I rather think it was 
 only a week or two ago that I was all 
 that was reckless and extravagant." 
 
 "Papa, I am sorry I ever said or 
 thought so. I was unhappy and 
 over-anxious. ' ' 
 
 "So you were, my girl; so you 
 were. But now it is all right, and 
 your poor little harassed mind may 
 be easy at last. You have a glorious 
 future before you the best fellow 
 in the world for your husband, and 
 his fine country-seat for your home. 
 A lucky girl you are, to be sure! 
 But now, my dear," added the lit- 
 tle man, with a soberer look on his 
 kindly face, "just one word, Lina, 
 and don't take it amiss. You have 
 got rid of the house-books at least 
 of any worry connected with them; 
 it will be all smooth sailing in that 
 quarter now, I fancy; but remem- 
 ber, dear girl, that by-and-by there 
 will be other cares and crosses no
 
 2l6 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 
 
 life is without them and when these 
 come, try not to fret and pine; 
 resolve not to brood over trials and 
 vexations; set yourself with your 
 face to the sun, Lina, my darling; 
 think of the blessings, not of the 
 shortcomings of your lot; and see 
 that you honour your God and do 
 credit to His service by rendering 
 it with a cheerful heart." 
 
 His daughter kissed him silently. 
 She had never understood her father 
 before. 
 
 "As for me, I must do the best I 
 can without you," proceeded he, in 
 a lighter tone ; "but I can always get 
 along, you know. And Wycliffe has 
 a post in his eye for me ; but it is not 
 to be talked about at present. Any- 
 how, the tide has turned for both of 
 us I said it would. As for the poor 
 little lassies, I expect they feel as if 
 heaven had opened, such wonderful 
 things happen to them every day, 
 and they are already talking of high
 
 A TERRIBLE MOMENT 217 
 
 times at 'Lina's home.' So, my 
 dear, I give you joy, and I think you 
 have the fairest prospect of the wish 
 being fulfilled that ever woman 
 had." 
 
 But he never knew, for no one 
 ever told him it remained, and 
 continued to remain, a secret be- 
 tween the lovers, too sacred to be 
 divulged to any one that the whole 
 structure of their love and happiness 
 had been built upon the grim foun- 
 dation-stone of "a terrible moment. "
 
 JEMIMA: A METAMORPHOSIS
 
 Jemima: 
 A Metamorphosis 
 
 Miss Jemima Sillacombe frankly 
 owned that she did not like to be 
 "put out of her way." Very few 
 people who have "ways" do. 
 
 And as there are still fewer indi- 
 viduals of either sex who, having 
 entered upon their fourth decade of 
 existence, are not possessed of these 
 early harbingers of maturity espe- 
 cially when the soil has been favour- 
 able for their development it 
 follows that there is a vast crop of 
 small idiosyncrasies, fancies, and 
 foibles flourishing in the world, 
 which are harmless enough in them- 
 selves, but which often exert an ex- 
 traordinary influence on human life.
 
 222 JEMIMA: 
 
 In the case of Jemima Sillacombe, 
 no one ever thought of denying that 
 Jemima had her share and a little 
 more of this unknown quantity. 
 As a matter of fact, she was to the 
 manner born. Method, punctuality, 
 order, routine these were the very 
 breath of her nostrils. 
 
 But then, if a lady who has lived 
 in the same house, in the same 
 style, with the same surroundings 
 and general environment for thirty 
 summers, may not be allowed to 
 cherish her own little "ways," and 
 map out her own little days, and rise 
 and dress, and drive and dine, and 
 potter about among her birds and 
 flowers, exactly how and when she 
 pleases, who may? 
 
 Jemima hurt nobody. Defrauded 
 nobody. Nay, she was an excellent, 
 pious creature, whose ear was ever 
 open to the cry of the needy, whose 
 heart was true, and whose life was 
 pure, and no one who knew Miss
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 223 
 
 Sillacombe had ever a hard word for 
 her. 
 
 As we have said, she still lived on 
 in the home of her childhood, the 
 only tmwedded member of a large 
 family, and also the youngest. 
 From the age of twenty she had been 
 practically in possession of both 
 house and mother, and the pleasant, 
 easy existence then inaugurated, had 
 flowed on ever since. 
 
 There was really nothing to ruf- 
 fle it. 
 
 Mrs. Sillacombe, an ample dowa- 
 ger, whose husband had been dead 
 so long that she had almost for- 
 gotten what it was not to be a 
 widow, was just the person for 
 whose comfort a daughter could be 
 properly solicitous without any very 
 severe strain on her own. When 
 Jemima had written dear mamma's 
 notes, reminded her of her medicine, 
 and read aloud to her the chief items 
 of the Court Circular column of the
 
 224 JEMIMA: 
 
 morning paper, she had performed 
 the principal daughterly functions of 
 the day. It only remained to hold 
 an occasional consultation as to calls 
 and shopping, and to inquire what 
 books should be exchanged at the 
 circulating library. 
 
 Mrs. Sillacombe saw everything 
 through Jemima's eyes, or, to be 
 more correct, saw all she cared to 
 see. Nothing beyond the range of 
 her House, her servants, her meals, 
 her daily drive, and her occasional 
 doctor's visit, had any real hold on 
 her attention. Even the affairs of 
 her married daughters she had no 
 sons elicited but a flickering and 
 uncertain interest; and if a more 
 than ordinarily startling piece of gos- 
 sip were brought to her ken, and she 
 were sufficiently roused to put a 
 question or two, and pass a comment 
 on the replies received, Jemima 
 would delightedly exclaim that "dear 
 mamma was quite excited."
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 225 
 
 To be plain, the old lady led a 
 stupid, animal existence; and only 
 the genuine sweetness of her daugh- 
 ter's nature could have cast over it 
 any sort of halo. 
 
 Jemima was, however, perfectly 
 content. She had never known her 
 mother different; she had never 
 known much of her sisters at all; 
 she felt no lack, had no unsatisfied 
 yearnings. 
 
 On the contrary, it seemed to her 
 that she was one of the luckiest 
 persons imaginable, in that she 
 was still an inmate of the beauti- 
 ful, old, well-appointed domain; 
 still supported in her authority by 
 the grey-headed butler and house- 
 keeper, who had come in her 
 infancy; could still step into the 
 high-swung barouche as regularly as 
 three o'clock came round every 
 afternoon, and, with parcels, books, 
 and letters piled upon the front seat, 
 roll off in state to call at one familiar
 
 226 JEMIMA: 
 
 door after another, and still, on her 
 return at the accustomed hour, note 
 no other change than what the 
 seasons brought in the scene which 
 met her eyes, as the drawing-room 
 door opened on the cheerful tea- 
 table and kindly urn ready waiting. 
 
 But extend her drive, or take tea 
 elsewhere? Not she! Not Jemima 
 Sillacombe! 
 
 She put it upon her mother; but 
 dear mamma would have eaten her 
 muffin peacefully enough half an 
 hour later, if it had been suggested 
 to make a detour on the homeward 
 path. No; it was Jemima herself 
 whose watch came out by instinct 
 as the light began to wane on an 
 autumn afternoon, and who would 
 out with the order "Home" before 
 Mrs. Sillacombe could be heard on 
 behalf of a neglected parcel still on 
 the seat opposite. 
 
 The parcel could be left another 
 day, Jemima would affirm, wrapping
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 227 
 
 herself briskly in her driving-cloak. 
 It was too late to do more that 
 day. 
 
 Jemima had an hour for every- 
 thing, and a season for everything. 
 Five minutes with her was a very 
 much longer period than five min- 
 utes with most people. 
 
 Then she always knew exactly 
 where she ought to be upon the 
 staircase when Thomas issued forth 
 from the back regions to roll the 
 gong for dinner, and what she 
 should be doing when he was heard 
 placing the bedroom candles in the 
 anteroom, preparatory to the night's 
 rest. She remembered on what 
 days the housemaids reigned su- 
 preme in their several rooms, she 
 never invited people to dine on 
 Thursdays, devoted to special plate- 
 cleaning in the pantry, and she 
 would not have kept coachman and 
 footman out beyond their own tea 
 hour for the world.
 
 228 JEMIMA: 
 
 "The kindest, oonsideratist young 
 lady as ever was," Hubbard, the 
 butler, would declare in proof of 
 which he would loftily abstract the 
 newspaper from under Jemima's 
 very nose. But a young and pert 
 housemaid was heard to cry shrilly 
 back on one occasion, "Lor 1 , she 
 ain't nothen but an old maid born, " 
 which made Hubbard very angry 
 indeed. 
 
 "I declare, Jemima, I think you 
 are the most enviable person in the 
 world." The speaker was Jemima's 
 eldest sister, a matron of forty-five, 
 who had early left the nest, and was 
 now every inch the mother of a fam- 
 ily and mistress of a household. 
 "You are always so cool and com- 
 fortable," proceeded Lady Franklin, 
 fanning herself, for she was stout, 
 and the warm weather tried her 
 severely, "and you seem to have time 
 for everything, while I am in a 
 'drive' from morning till midnight.
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 229 
 
 And there is Lenny's tea-party this 
 afternoon," she subjoined in an 
 aggrieved tone, which might have 
 been interpreted, "That is the last 
 straw. ' ' 
 
 "To be sure. His birthday 
 party." Jemima nodded cheerful 
 comprehension. "I am coming, 
 Caroline." 
 
 "Are you? So good of you." 
 Lady Franklin paused and hesitated. 
 "I don't know how I am ever to get 
 it in, I am sure. I did promise the 
 child, but I did not take in that it 
 meant my flying home after the lec- 
 ture, and we are dining out, and " 
 
 "You gay person!" 
 
 "Indeed, I am not gay, but I am 
 so hurried and worried. Jemima, if 
 I should be late you know what 
 lectures are they will go on and on, 
 and the Dewhursts are particularly 
 anxious to introduce Professor 
 Grimsel afterwards that is the real 
 reason of my going could you,
 
 230 JEMIMA: 
 
 would you mind, if I were not 
 there, sitting down with the chil- 
 dren and pouring out tea? I mean 
 to be back, of course; only, if I am 
 not " 
 
 "You can depend on me. Don't 
 trouble about it, Caroline. I have 
 arranged to be at your house by 
 four o'clock, and " 
 
 "And that means you will be 
 there." The elder lady's brow 
 cleared, and she gave a sigh of 
 relief. ' ' Lucky you ! You have no 
 one to throw all your plans into con- 
 fusion at the last moment, as mine 
 are a dozen times in a week. You 
 can go and come as you choose. 
 Well, it is something off my mind, at 
 any rate, to know that if I am late 
 you are such a favourite that Lenny 
 will be quite satisfied if I say Aunt 
 Jemima is .due at four o'clock for 
 certain and and it doesn't put you 
 out of your way?" having now a 
 moment for the afterthought.
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 23! 
 
 "Not at all out of my way. I 
 have kept it in my mind ever since 
 you told me you were giving the 
 party; and the carriage is to be 
 round half an hour earlier than 
 usual, and dear mamma is quite 
 pleased to lunch a little tiny bit 
 sooner in order to be ready. Then I 
 am to be dropped at the Grange as 
 we drive home, and Thomas will 
 bring the pony-cart for me at six, 
 so that I shall just get home in time 
 to dress for dinner." 
 
 A twinkle in the other's eye was 
 lost upon the speaker. ("Goodness 
 gracious! To hear her!" Lady 
 Franklin was saying to herself, be- 
 twixt contempt and a species of 
 envy, "she might have been going 
 to Court and a State ball afterwards, 
 for all the forethought bestowed!") 
 "You have certainly a genius for 
 organisation. Jemima, ' ' observed 
 she, drily. 
 
 "I do like to have things fit in,"
 
 232 JEMIMA: 
 
 Jemima bridled, with modest elation, 
 "and it is quite easy by just giving 
 one's mind to it." 
 
 "Humph!" 
 
 "I don't speak for you, Caroline. 
 In a household like yours there must 
 be many interruptions and hin- 
 drances. But with me," the spin- 
 ster proceeded, complacently, "it is 
 quite different. I have only dear 
 mamma to consider; and really our 
 servants are so good, and under- 
 stand our ways so thoroughly " 
 
 "I know I know. Everything 
 goes on oiled wheels. You roll 
 through life on easy cushions." 
 Lady Franklin evinced a momentary 
 impatience. "And you always look 
 so trim and smart," glancing down 
 at herself, and again back at the 
 fresh, flowering muslin which made 
 her own far handsomer dress look 
 dusty and shabby. "I really have 
 had no time to think about summer 
 clothes, but you are always in the
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 233 
 
 van. I said yesterday, when I saw 
 the first light bonnet in the street 
 I was inside Atkinson's and I just 
 saw the bonnet, not the carriage, 
 through the fallals in the window I 
 said to Wynnie, 'That must be 
 Aunt Jemima.' ' 
 
 "Too bad of you. I am sure I 
 am not a great dresser." 
 
 "It isn't that. No; I don't think 
 you dress more than other people. 
 We all get the things in the long- 
 run only, you are the first. You 
 have the time to attend to it, and to 
 notice that the season is here. 
 There you are now, in that pretty 
 muslin and it is very becoming, 
 Jemima you can wear a muslin 
 still I wish / could. A great hot 
 silk I wonder if I could not have a 
 muslin made a little elaborately, just 
 for the very warm days? I shall ask 
 Miss Johnston; she is such a good 
 dressmaker, she could But I must 
 not run on, I have a thousand things
 
 234 JEMIMA : 
 
 to do. You are not going out this 
 morning?" 
 
 "Only to the garden. The roses 
 are ready for cutting " 
 
 "Cutting roses? How old fash- 
 ioned and leisurely it sounds ! Dear 
 me, if my roses were to wait till I 
 had time to cut them " 
 
 "Yours are wasted, Caroline. I 
 always lament when I go to your 
 rose garden that no one thinks of 
 drying them for the rooms " 
 
 "My dear, who should think?" 
 Again the elder sister manifested a 
 certain pettishness. "Who in our 
 house has time for those fiddy-faddy 
 businesses? / haven't. The girls 
 are at their lessons, the servants at 
 their work. If we have visitors, 
 they want to be taken here, there, 
 and everywhere. It is only you, you 
 fortunate mortal, you petted-by-the- 
 gods Jemima Sillacombe, who can 
 take into your scheme of life even 
 the preservation of the crumpled
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 235 
 
 rose-leaf, which is not allowed to dis- 
 turb the surface of your bed of down. " 
 
 Laughing, and kissing her sister 
 affectionately, Lady Franklin, with 
 recovered good - humour, rustled 
 away; and Jemima, having first 
 restored to its place an antimacassar 
 which had been caught on the point 
 of the departing parasol, and other- 
 wise smoothed down disarrange- 
 ments for Caroline never failed to 
 leave disarrangements, to the orderly 
 eye picked up her basket and 
 scissors, and tripped off to her con- 
 genial occupation among the flower 
 borders. 
 
 She had been detained for half an 
 hour ; but then, she always reckoned 
 on such a chance detention ; so told 
 herself, with a sense of being sis- 
 terly and indulgent, that it did not 
 put her out of her way, for one must 
 always take into account a married 
 sister living within a few miles in a 
 country neighbourhood.
 
 236 JEMIMA: 
 
 "I don't suppose Jemima will ever 
 marry," cogitated the latter, as she 
 consulted her watch at the same 
 moment as Jemima smoothed out 
 the antimacassar; "she is far too 
 well off as she is. Nothing to worry 
 her, no one to interfere with her ; no 
 cares, no troubles, no anxieties. 
 Even when our mother is taken from 
 us and that we need not anticipate 
 for long enough, with her good 
 health, and easy, regular life; still, 
 she must go some day but even 
 then Jemima will reign on here 
 happily enough. She will be quite 
 able to afford it; and with the old 
 servants about her, and us so near, 
 and so many neighbours besides, she 
 need never feel lonely. One of us 
 sisters could always spare her a girl 
 to stop with her, if it came to that ; 
 or Matilda would come for good, 
 if wanted. She has her poor people, 
 too, and her parish interests ; and is 
 on such good terms with everybody
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 237 
 
 round that, upon my word, most 
 people would consider her the 
 luckiest creature alive. And I fancy 
 she would call herself so." A 
 pause. Then, "I wonder, now I 
 wonder if a single woman like 
 Jemima really is lucky?" cogitated 
 the matron, as a softer expression 
 stole across her brow. "She always 
 appears to be absolutely content 
 and serene. Yet, looking at the 
 case dispassionately, it seems, if one 
 were to speak plainly, rather a 
 selfish sort of happiness. Not that 
 poor, dear Jemima is selfish, only 
 she knows no better, and is so 
 entrenched in her own funny little 
 state, that well, well, it can't be 
 helped. And I don't know what 
 possesses me to think there is any- 
 thing that needs help, when I am 
 always pretending to envy my sis- 
 ter's easy lot, and sometimes do 
 actually, at the moment, believe my 
 own words! I wonder, now ?"
 
 238 JEMIMA: 
 
 But she soon forgot to wonder. Her 
 own multifarious concerns, which 
 for the moment had been in abey- 
 ance, were again buzzing about her 
 like so many flies, and shut out 
 every other point of the landscape. 
 As usual, she was late in arriving 
 at her little son's birthday party. 
 
 The party was in full swing, and a 
 tremendous chattering and laughing 
 sounded through the open door of 
 the room in which it was assembled. 
 
 "That cannot be only Jemima," 
 swiftly concluded Jemima's sister. 
 The next minute "Oh, Bobby!" 
 she exclaimed, in surprise, recognis- 
 ing in Sir William's youngest brother 
 the author of the merriment. 
 "When did you arrive? We had no 
 idea you were in England." 
 
 Captain Franklin chuckled like a 
 boy. "No more has any one else, 
 my dear. Hold hard. Give us a 
 fraternal salute," kissing the 
 matronly cheek, which blushed
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 239 
 
 beneath the unaccustomed tribute. 
 "I have been kissing 'em all round," 
 proceeded the sailor, triumphantly. 
 "Had to, to find out which were my 
 nieces and which weren't. Crime 
 first punishment afterwards. ' ' 
 
 "But he didn't kiss Auntie Jem, 
 and she was the only one he missed 
 out," the hero of the day shouted 
 from his birthday seat of honour 
 with the full force of his seven-year- 
 old lungs, an announcement which 
 really seemed in a measure neces- 
 sary. "And he's brought me a par- 
 rot and a tortoise, and he says " 
 
 "He's going to dance a horn- 
 pipe," broke in a still shriller 
 treble, "and he says " 
 
 "He's going to take us all to the 
 Circus," a third took up the cry, 
 "and he says " 
 
 "And he says," appeared to be the 
 catch-word. 
 
 Lady Franklin strove in vain to 
 be heard above the tumult; she
 
 240 JEMIMA 
 
 wanted to be hospitable, genial, 
 welcoming-, but she had no chance 
 of being anything. And there was 
 Jemima, too the din must be abso- 
 lutely deafening to poor Jemima! 
 
 A vision of the dainty figure in its 
 crisp flounces and frills, framed by 
 the large, solemn, massively-fur- 
 nished drawing-room, which had 
 been present to her mind's eye by 
 fits and starts all through the inter- 
 vening hours, stood out clearly at 
 the moment. She felt as if she 
 must rescue her gentle, bewildered, 
 little old maid of a sister from this 
 pandemonium. 
 
 Tea was over, and she could at 
 least suggest an adjournment. 
 "You are terribly hot in here, and I 
 see you have finished ; will not some 
 of you like to come to another room, 
 or " 
 
 "Uncle Bobby is going to dance a 
 hornpipe." A dozen small voices 
 rang forth together like a peal of
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 241 
 
 bells; while Uncle Bobby himself, 
 big, brown-bearded, jolly, and sun- 
 burnt, beamed acquiescence. 
 
 "How kind! But perhaps 
 Jemima " 
 
 "Aunt Jem wants to see the horn- 
 pipe as much as any of us." And 
 Aunt Jem smiled assent. 
 
 "You poor dear!" murmured 
 Lady Franklin, aside. "Sailors 
 have such overpowering spirits," 
 she added later, putting her hand to 
 her forehead. 
 
 "Quite delightful," responded 
 Jemima, as though she had been 
 called upon to acclaim. 
 
 Lady Franklin looked at her. 
 "Oh, I did not mean that. Yes, of 
 course. Sir William always says 
 Bobby makes him laugh more than 
 any one. But I do wish Bobby's 
 voice is so very loud, and his laugh 
 is perfectly stentorian, and he never 
 minds who is here, or what he does, 
 but of course I know he is a dear
 
 242 JEMIMA; 
 
 fellow, and as good as gold, and has 
 the kindest heart in the world. But, 
 my dear Jemima, I did feel for you. 
 I am sure if my head aches, yours 
 must be ten times as bad. And 
 after your putting yourself out to 
 come, and we all know you don't like 
 to be put out of your way " 
 
 "No, no; I am going to convoy 
 Miss Jemima home." A voice in 
 the rear a frank, bold, confident 
 voice made both ladies start as if it 
 had been a pistol-shot. 
 
 "I'm coming back, you ruffians," 
 continued the same speaker, as the 
 swarming crew were shaken off a big 
 central figure, and Captain Franklin 
 emerged to view. "You'll have 
 enough of me, never fear. I'll give 
 you some fun before I'm done with 
 you; but sheer off now. Miss 
 Jemima, it is long since we've met, 
 but we are relations all the same, or 
 what amounts to the same thing 
 you must let me see you across the
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 243 
 
 fields; it is such a jolly evening for 
 a walk, and that fellow" lowering 
 his tone, and eyeing a young and 
 callow footman who had been sent to 
 escort his mistress home, and who 
 was now endeavouring to assume the 
 correct statuesque attitude with only 
 indifferent success "he can be dis- 
 pensed with, can't he? We don't 
 want him, do we? 'Tis ever so much 
 pleasanter walking than driving; 
 may I tell him to trot off again?" 
 
 "Good heavens! What an odd 
 couple!" cried Lady Franklin, to the 
 group who stood looking after the 
 pair that started presently. "Poor 
 Jemima! There was no way out of 
 it. I could hardly help laughing at 
 her look of utter confusion. She 
 who never sees a man far less talks 
 to one what must she feel to find 
 herself let in for a two-mile walk all 
 alone with such an extraordinary 
 specimen of the genus sailor as Bob?" 
 
 "Now, do tell me, Jemima, what
 
 244 JEMIMA; 
 
 you found to talk about, and how 
 you got on," demanded she the next 
 day, having driven over on purpose. 
 "Bobby declared you got on 'like a 
 house on fire. ' But then, he always 
 4 gets on like a house on fire' with 
 everybody, and imagines every one 
 else does the same. He is such a 
 rattle " 
 
 "I don't think you should call 
 him a rattle, Caroline. ' ' 
 
 ''''Not? Not a boisterous, bluster- 
 ing " 
 
 "He can talk most sensibly and 
 agreeably. As soon as we were 
 alone," proceeded Jemima, with 
 animation, "he quite dropped his 
 jokes and and chaff; and I assure 
 you I never met with any one who 
 that is to say, we found plenty of 
 subjects in common, and we agreed 
 upon some of them, and, when we 
 did not, I was quite willing to be 
 corrected, for he has seen more of 
 life than I "
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 245 
 
 "That is not saying very rmich, is 
 it? However, I am glad if your 
 ignorance came in handy on the 
 occasion. I have always heard that 
 any and every kind of knowledge is 
 sure to come in useful at some time 
 or other, but I never knew before 
 that want of it would. So Bobby 
 instructed you? On what points?" 
 
 "Ever so many. What a wonder- 
 ful career he has had! And how 
 much he has seen and done! I do 
 think a sailor's must be a most 
 interesting life. We were looking 
 at the Cathedral tower " 
 
 "The Cathedral tower? From 
 where did you see the Cathedral 
 tower?" 
 
 "From from the Beacon Hill," 
 faltered Jemima; then gathered 
 courage and proceeded: "I hope, 
 Caroline, that I did not do anything 
 impru unconventional I mean 
 anything I ought not, in walking 
 round the Beacon with your brother-
 
 246 JEMIMA; 
 
 in-law. Of course, if I had been a 
 girl but at my age, and he is over 
 forty and Sir William's brother it 
 seemed to me it would have been 
 ridiculous if I had made an objec- 
 tion when Captain Franklin proposed 
 it. I did hesitate, and then his evi- 
 dent wonder and absolute uncon- 
 sciousness of having suggested 
 anything unusual showed me at 
 once that it would be quite silly to 
 make a fuss. ' ' 
 
 "Of course." Lady Franklin 
 smiled a little to herself. ("Make a 
 fuss, indeed! Poor dear thing! 
 She is actually blushing! What a 
 perfect innocent she is!") "Now, 
 Jemima, there is something I want 
 to ask you to do for me. I drove 
 over at this unearthly hour on pur- 
 pose; I knew you would not have 
 stirred out of doors yet. Well, now, 
 listen to me, there's a dear. I am 
 taking Bob to the lawn-tennis party 
 at the Worthingtons this afternoon
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 247 
 
 I had not meant to go, but his 
 turning up so unexpectedly puts out 
 all my plans, and Sir William would 
 not like it if I were to turn him 
 adrift. So I must sacrifice myself, 
 as usual, and drive in exactly the 
 opposite direction to what I had 
 intended. But as I know you 
 always go into Maltburgh on a Tues- 
 day, will you call at the library and 
 leave this list, and also this order at 
 the butcher's, and this prescription 
 at the chemist's? It does not mat- 
 ter about waiting to have it the 
 prescription made up. They can 
 send it out ; only, it ought to be left 
 early in the afternoon;" and she 
 proceeded to enlarge. 
 
 Jemima in silence accepted the 
 commissions. She certainly did 
 drive into Maltburgh on Tuesdays; 
 it was her invariable rule to do so ; 
 and any deviation from her rule 
 would have no, she was not pre- 
 pared to deviate.
 
 248 JEMIMA: 
 
 "Now, Bobby, I am going to 
 introduce you to all the pretty girls 
 in the neighbourhood," quoth 
 Bobby's hostess, a few hours later, 
 as she took her seat in an open 
 barouche and unfurled her parasol. 
 "Rose Hall, Thomas." 
 
 "Always ready for pretty girls," 
 responded her companion, promptly. 
 "And you are right to do it sharp, 
 Caroline. A week is my limit, and 
 then I'm off." 
 
 "Only a week?" 
 
 The sailor laughed. "A week is a 
 week to us jack-tars. We're bound 
 to scud through life with our topsails 
 flying. I shall be friends with every 
 friend of yours by the end of my 
 week, and I say, I've begun 
 already. Began yesterday with 
 Miss Jemima, and we're quite 
 chummy to-day " 
 
 "To-day? But you haven't seen 
 her to-day?" 
 
 "Haven't I though?" Captain
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 249 
 
 Bob laughed again. "You had not 
 quitted the field ten minutes before 
 I was on it. We've had another 
 walk " 
 
 "No?" 
 
 "I strolled over to pay my respects 
 to your mother, as I was not allowed 
 to go in yesterday, and found your 
 sister just starting for her round of 
 poor people in the village. I went 
 round with her." 
 
 "My dear Bob! With Jemima? 
 Why, she never allows any one to go 
 with her to her poor people. It 
 must have put her dreadfully out of 
 her way. ' ' 
 
 "I dare say it did, but she didn't 
 say so. I asked if she were going to 
 this tennis party ' ' 
 
 "Jemima at a tennis party! I 
 wish I had heard you. What did 
 she say? Was she not amused?" 
 
 "Not at all. What was there to 
 amuse? I thought everybody went 
 to tennis parties. I thought it was
 
 250 JEMIMA: 
 
 the favourite, not to say the only, 
 form of dissipation in a country 
 place. ' ' 
 
 "But Jemima never goes in for 
 dissipation. I don't mean to say 
 that she absolutely abjures tennis 
 parties; only, if she appears at 
 them, she stays about half an hour, 
 keeping the carriage waiting all the 
 time, takes a sip of tea and a stroll 
 round the garden, and retreats be- 
 fore any of the real fun of the fair 
 begins. She never goes to the 
 Worthingtons' at all, because it is so 
 far off. You must know that 
 Jemima never keeps coachman and 
 horses out beyond a certain hour; 
 and if a house is ever so pleasant, 
 and old Jenkyns declares and I 
 believe he often invents, too that 
 it is a mile beyond what he con- 
 siders his horses can do, there is an 
 end of the matter. Between our- 
 selves, Jemima is the veriest old 
 maid "
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 251 
 
 "/? she?" said Bob, significantly. 
 His eyes danced above his brown 
 beard; he had found a stimulus 
 hitherto wanting in his smooth 
 career. 
 
 Five days passed, and Sunday 
 came a midsummer Sunday, sweet 
 and heavy with odorous blossoms, 
 fiercely hot in the sun, but delicious 
 in the shade. Morning service and 
 the early dinner which followed in 
 Mrs. Sillacombe's well-regulated 
 household were over, and the old 
 lady had retired to doze in her bed- 
 room. 
 
 Jemima had put on a cooler dress, 
 and laid bonnet, gloves, parasol, 
 and prayer-book on her bed, in 
 readiness for six o'clock, at which 
 time she would again sally forth in 
 response to the chiming of church 
 bells. Jemima never had her 
 accoutrements put back in wardrobe 
 and drawers on Sundays; her 
 maid's services were dispensed with
 
 252 JEMIMA: 
 
 till night; and she invariably laid 
 out the little array upon the bed in 
 exact parallel lines. 
 
 Having done so on the present 
 occasion, there was a slight, a very 
 slight, deviation from her usual 
 method of procedure: instead of 
 walking straight to the arm-chair by 
 the open window, as was her wont, 
 she made a movement, an absent- 
 minded movement, in the direction 
 of the mirror, and from her toilet- 
 table took up a comb. Jemima's 
 hair curled a little, naturally, upon 
 her forehead. With the tail of the 
 tortoise-shell comb Jemima drew 
 down the little curls on either side 
 of the parting, and poked them 
 about. 
 
 She then took up a hand-glass, and 
 deliberately examined the side view 
 of her head and profile. 
 
 Finally, she turned straight round 
 and looked at her back. 
 
 There was nothing amiss with the
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 253 
 
 back, nor yet with the ruffled frill at 
 the neck; while as for the hair, it 
 was glossy, trim, and dressed to per- 
 fection as she esteemed perfection. 
 A shade too stiff it had been where 
 the rippling waves drew back from 
 the still smooth and somewhat pen- 
 sive brow, but this, as we know, had 
 been rectified, and yet it was a full 
 half-hour ere the occupant of the 
 luxurious bedchamber quitted it, 
 and, gliding downstairs, passed 
 through a side door which opened 
 into the garden. 
 
 Jemima was going to read her 
 book out of doors. Here was inno- 
 vation number two within the space 
 of sixty minutes. 
 
 Tripping lightly through the 
 flower borders, scarcely distinguish- 
 able amidst their brilliant profusion, 
 Miss Sillacombe made her way to a 
 wooded bank which sloped towards 
 the west, from whence a lovely view 
 of the country beyond could be
 
 254 JEMIMA; 
 
 obtained, including but of that 
 she made no account, of course 
 the path which any one coming 
 from the Grange would probably 
 traverse. 
 
 Here the little lady paused and 
 instinctively scrutinised the rustic 
 seat which, under the cool shade of 
 overspreading boughs, invited a 
 sojourn. 
 
 Jemima was not very fond of 
 rustic benches with ragged pieces 
 of bark protruding, to say nothing 
 of earwigs and spiders. She would 
 have preferred a nice clean garden 
 chair, and could easily have carried 
 one, or had it carried for her, from 
 the cupboard in the hall, but she 
 could not exactly have suggested any 
 necessity for more than one, and 
 such necessity might just possibly 
 arise. She preferred to run the 
 gauntlet of spiders and bark, and, 
 after a moment's hesitation and a 
 little careful arrangement of her
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 255 
 
 spotless flounces, settled herself and 
 opened her book. 
 
 A hum of insects and the tapping 
 of a woodpecker on the dry stem of 
 a fir tree close behind, alone fell 
 upon her ear for some lapse of time ; 
 yet it is notable that even the snap 
 of a dry twig or the rustle of a 
 withered leaf caused the reader to 
 catch her breath and bend a little 
 lower the head, which was resolved 
 to show it was not going to incline 
 towards intrusive sounds. "He 
 shall find me calmly reading," said 
 Miss Jemima, to herself. 
 
 And at length there could be no 
 mistake. The calmness, the de- 
 corum, the feint of entire absorp- 
 tion in the volume which lay upon 
 the lady's spotless lap, were to be 
 called into play. Steps were cer- 
 tainly approaching. 
 
 Pit-a-pat goes Jemima's heart. 
 Nearer and nearer they come so 
 near are they now that a more wily
 
 256 JEMIMA: 
 
 diplomatist would have raised a 
 languid eye and dreamily investi- 
 gated; but those of our modest 
 spinster were still nailed to the open 
 page, when, "Upon my word, my 
 dear sister, you are deaf as a post!" 
 was shouted almost into her hat 
 brim. 
 
 ' ' I came through the wood, ' ' pur- 
 sued Lady Franklin, dropping ex- 
 haustedly on the seat, which had 
 been brushed with a view to another 
 occupant. "Though it is so much 
 longer, it is everything to have 
 shade on a day like this. But if I 
 had known it was so hot, I should 
 have let Bob come instead of me, as 
 he offered to do. I did half let him ; 
 only, I thought it would have put 
 you out of your way, as you never 
 do have visitors on 3unda3 r s. ' ' 
 
 She then divulged her business, 
 which was of the ordinary type 
 between sisters living in close prox- 
 imity, and proceeded:
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 257 
 
 "But how is it you are sitting out 
 here? I thought you all went to 
 sleep in your rooms on Sunday after- 
 noons. It is not your way to " 
 
 "My way?" For once the poor 
 badgered Jemima turned a red cheek 
 and a frown upon her tormentor. 
 "To hear you talk, Caroline, one 
 would think I was a perfect machine ! 
 Can I do nothing that is not 'my 
 way' ? I do wish' ' then the speaker 
 recollected herself. "It is not my 
 'way' to be cross, at any rate, is it, 
 dear?" she smiled a little ruefully; 
 "but, to tell the truth, you startled 
 me just now, and you know I am not 
 accustomed to being taken by sur- 
 prise ' ' 
 
 "So I told Bob. I caught him 
 sloping off in this direction, and he 
 owned he was just going to look 
 round here, you know he always 
 'drops in' and 'looks round' on 
 people, and never dreams of not 
 being welcome anywhere, and I
 
 258 JEMIMA: 
 
 said, 'You will only put Jemima out 
 of her way, ' oh, my dear, I forgot 
 it vexed you to hear this, but the 
 fact is, we always do say it. And if 
 it hadn't been for me, the tiresome 
 fellow would have been over this 
 evening, just when you were start- 
 ing for church! He declared he 
 must say 'Good-bye,' as he is off 
 to-morrow, and Goodness knows 
 when we shall see him again! for 
 though he is leaving the Navy after 
 this cruise, no one has the slightest 
 notion where he proposes to settle 
 down, and it may be at the utter- 
 most parts of the earth, but I said 
 I would carry all messages, for you 
 always went to church on Sunday 
 evenings, and would not like to be 
 put out of Ha! ha! ha! I am afraid 
 I did say it, Jemima; and I assure 
 you Bob was quite as indignant as 
 you are. He muttered something as 
 if he thought he knew better than 
 I about it. Perhaps you really would
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 259 
 
 have liked him to come and say 
 'Good-bye'?" she suggested, as with 
 a momentary afterthought. 
 
 "It it doesn't matter, Caroline." 
 
 A low, faintly-uttered response. 
 
 "I will take any message you like, 
 you know." 
 
 Jemima was silent. 
 
 "Shall I wish him Bon voyage?" 
 
 Jemima turned away her head. 
 
 "Jemima Jemima shall I let 
 him come here to-night?" 
 
 A running tear splashed on to the 
 page of Jemima's book. 
 
 "Yes, go go in, and win!" cried 
 Lady Franklin, waving her handker- 
 chief in triumph to an expectant 
 figure, as she almost flew home, 
 stout and heavy as she was, ten 
 minutes afterwards. "Go, and God 
 speed you. Don't lose a minute 
 not a minute. My dear Bob, I am so 
 glad so happy. I can hardly speak. 
 What are you doing out here in the
 
 260 JEMIMA: 
 
 open sun?" for he had come half- 
 way to meet her in his impatience, 
 and was now standing open-mouthed 
 in the midst of a broiling, dusty 
 road, all unconscious of its demerits. 
 "Find me an ounce of shade, and I 
 will tell you all about it, and you 
 shall own I am cleverer than you 
 ever dreamed, and " 
 
 "And kinder," cried the sailor, 
 seizing both her hands and wringing 
 them with terrific fervour. ("Oh, 
 my rings!" she moaned to herself, 
 as they dug into her soft flesh. But 
 she uttered no syllable aloud.) 
 
 "But for your putting me on my 
 mettle," continued the grateful 
 brother, "I don't know that the first 
 idea of such a thing would ever have 
 occurred even to my presumption. 
 You piqued and provoked me, 
 Caroline. I know now you did it on 
 purpose. Then, when you had pre- 
 pared the ground, you let fall a 
 seed of hope, without which I should
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 261 
 
 never but no matter. Out with 
 your tale ! Bless you for it ! Go on 
 
 with your finding your sister " 
 
 "Sitting outside, on the edge of 
 the wood, with a book before her 
 upside down! A fact; it was. So 
 deeply interested that she never 
 heard me till I was looking over her 
 shoulder! Then such a start, and 
 such blank, instantaneous, unmis- 
 takable disappointment! It is too 
 bad of me to reveal the secret of that 
 dear innocent heart; and if I had not 
 
 known your feelings ! But, my 
 
 dear brother, you must never betray 
 me. No, indeed ; not through years 
 and years to come. Jemima pos- 
 sesses what is a very rare treasure 
 in these days, a real sense of 
 delicacy; and it would be outraged 
 I am quite in earnest when I say 
 this by her knowing that I went 
 there this afternoon for no other 
 purpose than to spy out the land for 
 you. We must keep our own secret
 
 262 JEMIMA: 
 
 at any rate until the wedding is 
 over. I thought it was all right; but 
 with a person like my sister I could 
 not be sure she was so very careful, 
 so very anxious not to betray her- 
 self. And then, you know, I feared 
 that from her point of view she had 
 so much to lose. ' ' 
 
 ' ' So she has. " Captain Franklin ' s 
 brow slightly clouded. 
 
 "Not a bit of it. She will gain a 
 hundred thousand times the value of 
 every item. Look at the two sides of 
 the question. Would you put would 
 any true-hearted man or woman put 
 comfort, luxury, leisure, and an 
 empty, barren life (for that is what it 
 amounts to in dear Jemima's case) 
 against the love of a good man, the 
 devotion of a warm, honest heart, 
 the pleasures of companionship, the 
 fresh sympathies and interests, the 
 myriads of new friends, the very 
 self-sacrifices so dear to a gentle, 
 womanly soul?" (She had been say-
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 263 
 
 ing this so often to herself that it 
 now poured out as from a pent 
 fountain-head.) "Oh, my dear 
 Bob," cried the affectionate crea- 
 ture, her eye moist before the pic- 
 ture she had conjured up, "have no 
 fears; there will not be a happier 
 woman in all the countryside than 
 your wife. You may have to live in 
 a cottage, and jog her about in a 
 pony-cart, and rake your own 
 gravel, and mow your own lawn 
 she will find it all delightful. Her 
 sweet nature is cramped and warped 
 as it is ; it will expand beneath your 
 so-called privations. Jemima will 
 grow younger every year " 
 
 "She will she will." 
 
 "Of course she will. Instead of 
 rule and rhythm, starched primness 
 and narrow-mindedness (those are 
 not the real fruits of Jemima's 
 nature, only the weeds of the soil) 
 we shall have her joining in every 
 freak, trotting at your heels to every
 
 264 JEMIMA: 
 
 gathering, turning upside down all 
 her old notions, you are the very 
 man for her; I long to see the day. 
 Away with you now; you will catch 
 her somewhere, somehow. I leave 
 it in your hands; only, if I don't see 
 you both come smiling in to supper 
 this evening " 
 
 And in they came. 
 
 And every prediction above re- 
 corded was fulfilled to the letter. 
 Indeed, it was quite a joke to the 
 county the fashion in which Captain 
 and Mrs. Franklin conducted their 
 married life. They never did any- 
 thing like other people; they never 
 knew where they were going or what 
 they were likely to be about. They 
 dashed hither and thither always 
 together always radiantly happy 
 and good-humoured always ready 
 for anything and everything that 
 turned up. When Jemima saw her 
 sister Matilda (a widow, who thank- 
 fully succeeded to her place as
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 265 
 
 daughter at home, only bargaining 
 that her children should be estab- 
 lished there also, which Lady Frank- 
 lin said was quite proper and 
 natural), when Jemima saw the 
 widow roll off in the well-known 
 barouche from a social gathering, 
 long before any one else thought of 
 moving, and remembered that 
 Matilda was now as punctilious 
 about servants' meals and horses' 
 legs as she had once been, she 
 chuckled to herself as she gaily 
 waved a parting hand; and she 
 smiled again broadly and contentedly 
 as she jogged home beneath the 
 moon, four or five hours later, she 
 and her husband having been kept 
 almost by force to an impromptu 
 supper and a merry evening. These 
 sort of impromptus rapidly grew to 
 be the most natural things in the 
 world, in her eyes. 
 
 When a voice would be heard peal- 
 ing through the small domain,
 
 266 JEMIMA: 
 
 "Jemima Jemima get on your 
 togs, and come for a day's outing," 
 at the smallest possible notice, 
 Jemima flew to obey, and flew 
 past the clock without ever once 
 glancing at it. 
 
 And she never troubled to inquire 
 how or when she was to find time 
 for this and that, which had to be 
 done sometime. She dashed off 
 notes instead of writing letters. 
 She kept whole flower borders in 
 blossom instead of snipping roses. 
 She read newspapers and magazines, 
 and knew what was going on in all 
 sorts of out-of-the-way places, in- 
 stead of contenting herself with the 
 Court Circular and the leading para- 
 graphs. 
 
 She revelled in hospitality, and 
 Bob's friends wired they were com- 
 ing down upon her to luncheon 
 or dinner without an instant's hesi- 
 tation. She walked through the 
 mud to meet them at the station, if
 
 A METAMORPHOSIS 267 
 
 Bob couldn't go and the pony was 
 needed. 
 
 One and all agreed she was the 
 j oiliest little bride and when the 
 baby came !
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT
 
 The Jubilee Seat 
 
 Kent is a pleasant, sweet-smelling 
 county to dwell in; it is also cheap 
 and convenient for a battered old 
 sea captain, who has done with tar 
 and pitch and ocean waves, and has 
 a wife and family to think of. Cap- 
 tain Butterworth good old Tom, of 
 the Mary Jane, who had faithfully 
 served her owners for many a year, 
 and was now pensioned off and rheu- 
 matic had fancied that the ruddy 
 woods and chalky hollows of his 
 birthplace would suit him in more 
 respects than one when looking 
 about for some quiet haven in which 
 to cast his final anchor ; and he had 
 found as snug a berth, according to 
 himself, as ever an old decrepit 
 
 salt could swing his hammock in. 
 271
 
 272 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 In other words, he had succeeded 
 in turning a pretty and comfortable 
 farmhouse into as close a resem- 
 blance to a taut merchantman as 
 masts, figureheads, and every sort of 
 marine relic erected at intervals 
 could. Purfoy Farm was the amuse- 
 ment of the neighbours, and its 
 decoration and embellishment the 
 very breath of old Butterworth's 
 nostrils. 
 
 The captain himself was the only 
 man about the place. He had a 
 wife and several daughters, while a 
 couple of country lasses did the 
 rough work of the establishment; 
 but as the worthy fellow had been 
 shrewd enough to shut his eyes to 
 the blandishments of agricultural 
 agents, and positively limit his 
 energies and his expenditure to the 
 small garden and paddock which 
 went with the farmhouse permit- 
 ting others to annex its hop-fields 
 and pasture-lands he had no need
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 273 
 
 of male hands other than his own ; 
 and mowed his own grass, cut his 
 own vegetables, and shook down the 
 fruit from his own orchards year in 
 and year out, with a cheery zest and 
 independence, that it did one's heart 
 good to see. 
 
 Inside, it is true, Mrs. Butter- 
 worth held her sway, and it was the 
 by no means inconsiderable one of 
 an invalid an invalid to whom was 
 brought every item of household 
 intelligence, before whom every 
 plan was laid, and without whose 
 sanction nothing could be under- 
 taken. 
 
 From her couch in the low parlour 
 window, round which in summer the 
 roses swung and clustered, the pale 
 sweet face was ready with its smile, 
 and the thin white hand with its 
 wave of recognition to every passing 
 figure, and there were two at least of 
 the home circle who never failed to 
 look round and shout a greeting or
 
 274 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 remark, whenever they came within 
 range of those patient, watchful 
 eyes. 
 
 "Ho, old girl, got you a nice 
 bunch of turnips this morning!" 
 The captain would pause in his 
 trudge up the little path, put down 
 his basket, and hold up in review its 
 contents. ("She likes to see every- 
 thing," he would say to himself.) 
 Anon it would be, "Now, Bess, I'm 
 off to take a turn with the mowing- 
 machine. I sha'n't be round here for 
 a bit yet; but you'll hear me and it 
 going along. You'll know where we 
 are. We start at the far end of the 
 grass, and work this way, in and out. 
 When you hear us stop, we shall be 
 at the walnut tree. We turn there 
 and go back. (She likes to hear all 
 about it," he would nod himself off, 
 his sunburnt face glazing gaily in the 
 sun.) 
 
 Molly, too, remembered that her 
 mother liked to hear about things.
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 275 
 
 Molly would bring peas and goose- 
 berries to shell or husk beneath the 
 window, and always took care to 
 have something on hand, which 
 brought her there, at what time 
 her father's manifold duties lay in 
 other directions. They arranged 
 this together. Ernestine, the next 
 daughter, was not to be depended 
 upon. Ernestine would promise and 
 forget. 
 
 Moreover, Ernestine could not see 
 why her mother could not sometimes 
 be left alone for an hour or two, 
 since mother herself declared she 
 was happy and content with her 
 books and work. Could she not take 
 a nap, if her eyes were tired? 
 
 And Ernestine did think it was 
 rather absurd the way in which her 
 father and Molly flew to the window 
 with every silly piece of news, how- 
 ever trifling; as if it could possibly 
 interest any one to hear that a Sun- 
 day school treat was passing along
 
 276 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 the lane, or that the miller's cart 
 had broken down going over the 
 bridge where the two streams met! 
 Ernestine, or Nesta, as she was 
 called in the home circle, was, to tell 
 the truth at once, the only discordant 
 member of it. The younger sisters, 
 the school-girls, Amy and Prilly, 
 were as full of spirits, as good- 
 humoured, amiable, and affectionate 
 as the jolly captain and his first- 
 born; but Nesta was "difficult " 
 
 "We put it down to her having 
 been brought up by an aunt owing 
 to my being away in the West 
 Indies, and mother ill. " This from 
 the worthy captain in confidence. 
 "We think the good lady to be 
 sure, she meant well, and Nesta is 
 her god-daughter but the fact re- 
 mains that Mrs. Miller put ideas 
 into our girl's head. Seems as if she 
 couldn't settle down to our small 
 ways and be comfortable, after the 
 grand house in St. George's Square.
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 277 
 
 She always harps upon London. 
 But Mrs. M. has girls of her own to 
 take about now, and Nesta don't get 
 asked as she used to. Her cousins 
 ain't exactly handsome, d'ye see? 
 Well, it's not for me to say, but they 
 tell me folks who ought to know 
 do that Nesta is too pretty a crea- 
 ture to be made free of any house 
 full of daughters. And she is not 
 just what you may call easy to get 
 on with. There's Molly now that 
 lassie never wants anything for her- 
 self. It's always, 'Oh, that will just 
 do for mother,' or, 'That's the very 
 thing Nesta was longing for,' and 
 Miss Nesta takes it as if it were her 
 right! Still, I am not denying she's 
 a pretty creature at least, so folks 
 tell me" hastily correcting himself 
 "and if she had never been at 
 that horrid house if Jessie Miller 
 had never taken her up, and put 
 it into her head to look down on 
 plain ways, and fret after finery and
 
 278 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 tomfoolery, she would never have 
 thought of it for herself. But there ! 
 She's our daughter, mother's and 
 mine, and she must have some stuff 
 in her, bless her!" the old voice 
 would round off in a contented 
 chirrup, and the momentary cloud 
 which the thought of Nesta's aunt 
 and the house in St. George's Square 
 (to his simple mind the apex of 
 fashion) never failed to evoke, would 
 pass from the speaker's brow. 
 
 "It is a pity she always reads the 
 London papers," said Mrs. Butter- 
 worth. 
 
 But Ernestine refused to see that 
 any harm could come from London 
 papers. Her father read, and why 
 not she? 
 
 Moreover, she took in the Queen; 
 and it is safe to say that not an 
 entertainment was given, not an 
 engagement announced, nor a piece 
 of society gossip chronicled that 
 Ernestine Butterworth albeit the
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 279 
 
 names of those concerned were to 
 her but names and nothing more 
 did not pore over the lines, and 
 find in them food for envy and 
 desire. 
 
 And now we must proceed with 
 our little story. 
 
 The month was June, and the year 
 the recent one of glorious com- 
 memoration. Nothing was being- 
 thought of or talked of but the 
 Diamond Jubilee, and ways and 
 means of viewing the Royal Prog- 
 ress. 
 
 "That settles it," said Captain 
 Butterworth, laying down paper and 
 spectacles at one and the same time. 
 "I had thought well", I didn't see 
 the last Jubilee, being at sea; and 
 none of you girls saw it either so I 
 did think that maybe if a guinea 
 would have done the lot " 
 
 "A guinea!" It was Ernestine's 
 scornful voice which struck in. "A 
 guinea! Why, dear me, father, one
 
 280 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 would suppose you never read any- 
 thing, and never even heard people 
 talk. The seats are to be " 
 
 "Aye, aye, lass, hold hard; the old 
 man is neither so blind nor so deaf 
 as you think. I know well enough 
 it is plain enough here," tapping 
 with his glasses the outspread sheet 
 upon his knee, "what folks will have 
 to pay who want to see their Queen 
 on Jubilee Day, and what I say is, 
 that settles the question. The sight 
 is not for us; not for poor people, 
 who haven't strength to stand in the 
 streets " 
 
 ' ' To stand in the streets ! I should 
 think not, indeed." 
 
 "You are as like to stand as you 
 are to sit, my girl," said the old cap- 
 tain, quietly ; and took out his pipe. 
 An obstinate look had stolen over 
 his features ; the lips protruded, the 
 shaggy eyebrows knitted themselves 
 together. 
 
 "It's all up now," muttered Ernes-
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 281 
 
 tine, beneath her breath. She knew 
 the signs. 
 
 But although the case was desper- 
 ate, she could not bring herself to 
 hold her tongue. 
 
 "You need not at least tantalise us 
 by saying what might have been, ' ' 
 she cried, passionately. "It is bad 
 enough, as it is. And here is Cousin 
 Mat coming home from Australia 
 coming, he says, on purpose to see 
 the Procession, and the part their 
 fellows take in it. He will think it 
 odd that not one of us, his own rela- 
 tions and the only ones he has, can 
 even go up from here an hour's 
 journey while he crosses the ocean, 
 travels thousands and thousands of 
 miles " 
 
 "With thousands and thousands of 
 pounds to do it on. Mat's a rich 
 man, I am a poor one. He can 
 afford whatever he chooses; and I 
 think all the better of him for being 
 keen enough about the honour of his
 
 282 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 colony and all that; I think he is 
 doing the right thing to make a dash 
 for the old country, and send up his 
 cheer for the Queen among the rest 
 of us." 
 
 "The rest of us? I wish it were." 
 
 "Even though he has to start off 
 in a fortnight's time," pursued the 
 old seaman, unheeding. "He calls 
 it a 'short stay, ' I don't see that. 
 We were rarely longer at any port ; 
 and no doubt Mat will put enough 
 into that blessed fortnight to last 
 him for a lifelong memory. 'Twill 
 be something to look back upon all 
 his days. ' ' 
 
 ' ' But we are to see nothing of it, ' ' 
 said Ernestine, bitterly. "And he 
 wrote that he hoped to 'join our 
 party,' and would 'help to escort his 
 fair cousins.' How mean and 
 shabby he will think us! How 
 amazed and disgusted he will be!" 
 
 "Can't help that, my girl;" the 
 captain, whose pipe was now alight,
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 283- 
 
 smoked in affected unconcern which 
 hid, as it was meant to do, a not 
 inconsiderable share of his own per- 
 turbation. He did not mean to give 
 in ; and the best armour in which he 
 could encase this resolution was that 
 of outward indifference. Let Nesta 
 once perceive that he was vulnerable 
 on the point of supposed meanness, 
 that he dreaded confessing to his 
 prosperous nephew the scantiness 
 of resources which compelled him 
 to forego witnessing the Royal Pro- 
 cession, and she would certainly take 
 advantage of his weakness. Happily 
 she had some pride; she could be 
 depended upon not to let fall the 
 slightest hint which could be con- 
 strued into an appeal, when Mat, the 
 Australian, turned up; but she 
 would give her own people no peace. 
 He must hold her at bay. 
 
 Accordingly, he smoked either in 
 silence or with an occasional sarcasm 
 which had all the effect he could
 
 284 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 have hoped. The beauty was in 
 tears at last, tears of mortification 
 and anger. 
 
 "If he even minded, it would not 
 seem so cruel," sobbed she to Molly, 
 recounting the interview, "but father 
 is so hard-hearted. One would think 
 he had never been young and and 
 pretty. " 
 
 Molly laughed at her ; turned the 
 joke against her; finally gave her 
 one gentle, positive assurance that 
 the thing could not be done and a 
 sudden sigh escaped as she spoke. 
 
 "I know you care," quoth Nesta, 
 slightly mollified, "you have been 
 thinking and thinking of it as well 
 as I. What I thought was, if we two 
 could have gone, and Mat with us " 
 
 "It would have been nice, awfully 
 nice. He would have known so 
 much about it. And he would have 
 told us who the big people were; 
 and we would have cheered his 
 Colonials."
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 285 
 
 "And we would have worn our 
 white hats and frocks," Ernestine 
 shook her brown curls sorrowfully. 
 "We have been keeping them for 
 this all along. And, Molly, what 
 vexes me more than anything is that 
 all those Miller girls, every single 
 one of them, is going; they have 
 had their seats for ever so long 
 in the Borough; not the best, of 
 course ; but as good as any of their 
 set have got, and I did think father 
 could have afforded us the same. 
 Two guineas each is not so very 
 much; and if Mat " 
 
 "I doubt if Mat would be content 
 with those seats," quoth Molly, 
 shrewdly. 
 
 "Oh, " said her sister. Ernestine, 
 for all her experience in St. George's 
 Square, was not as wise in the 
 world's ways as the keener-witted, 
 more observant girl by her side. 
 
 "I think you are wrong," she said, 
 however, after a minute's pause.
 
 286 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 "Any one would be willing to do 
 what the Millers do; they know 
 what's what; and if we had a chance 
 of seats in the Borough ' ' 
 
 "Of course we would jump at 
 them. My dear, who am I, or who 
 are you, to turn up our noses at seats 
 in the gutter, let alone the Borough, 
 if they came in our way? But the 
 thing is, Nett, that we haven't the 
 money. We have not got it;" very 
 emphatically. "It isn't only the 
 seats, there would be the train tick- 
 ets both ways; and we should have 
 to sleep in town, and the getting to 
 our places what are the Millers 
 doing about that?" she inquired, 
 suddenly. 
 
 "They are breakfasting at five, 
 and are to be in their room by six 
 o'clock," owned Nesta, reluctantly. 
 "They have made out the whole 
 thing, and kept talking about it be- 
 fore me all the time I was there on 
 Thursday. When I said we had
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 287 
 
 nothing arranged, they looked at 
 each other, and Ethel and Annie 
 exclaimed both at once: 'You poor 
 things!' I said something about our 
 running up for the day, and you 
 should have seen Aunt Jessie's face. 
 Oh, of course, we should have to 
 sleep in London." 
 
 "There, you see!" 
 
 "All the same, it is too bad. We 
 are not as poor as hundreds of people 
 who are going; those dreadful little 
 Spratts have seats in St. James's 
 Palace, think of it! St. James's 
 Palace! No one knows how they 
 got them; but I suppose through 
 some of the servants. And Mar- 
 garet Robsen is to be at the War 
 Office ; and it seems as if everybody 
 could get in somewhere except our- 
 selves," tears again rising, "it will 
 seem to Mat as if only his relations 
 of all the people in England could 
 not crawl into a corner to see the 
 great Jubilee Procession."
 
 288 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 Molly turned away without speak- 
 ing. She felt as if for once her 
 sister, the sister who often talked so 
 foolishly and irrelevantly, were in 
 the right. 
 
 "Is there no way in which it could 
 be managed?" was now Nesta's cry, 
 recurred to at shorter and shorter 
 intervals. The poor girl really 
 suffered; and there was nothing to 
 distract her thoughts, for every one 
 who came to Purfoy Farm was full 
 of the one theme, and she had to 
 hear its changes rung from every 
 point of view. 
 
 "The thing is growing into a per- 
 fect nuisance!" muttered Captain 
 Butterworth at last. 
 
 Only Molly felt for and with 
 Ernestine. "It is hard to be so 
 pretty and bright, and feel that she 
 could enjoy everything so much, and 
 that perhaps Mat would admire her 
 and fall in love with her; oh, what 
 nonsense I am talking!" cried the
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 289 
 
 little homely sister, blushing at her- 
 self, "but I do think Nett has more 
 to be said for her than father and 
 mother imagine. They cannot 
 enter into a girl's feelings. They 
 do not even see, because I don't 
 grumble aloud as poor Nesta does, 
 that I am in my heart hankering 
 after the fun too. I don't know 
 when I have cared about anything 
 so much." 
 
 This "caring" of her sister \vas in 
 truth Ernestine's only consolation. 
 The two for once felt alike, and drew 
 together in a common grief. In- 
 stead of going to bed each apart in 
 her own little chamber, Nesta half- 
 shyly at first, more confidently after- 
 wards, was heard to tap at Molly's 
 door, and, brush in hand, suggest 
 that the night was too hot for bed all 
 at once, and that the two might talk 
 for a while in Molly's little dormer 
 window which stood open. Perhaps 
 it was these talks which drew from
 
 290 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 Molly that gentle defence of her 
 sister and those excuses which at 
 once exasperated her father and 
 moved him to admiration. "If that 
 isn't the sweetest little nature in the 
 whole world!" he would exclaim. 
 But he found Ernestine more and 
 more "difficult." 
 
 ' Ton my word, you don't deserve 
 it!" But pleasure shone in Captain 
 Butterworth's eyes as he hurried up 
 from the small gate of his domain 
 with an open telegram in his hand. 
 "Here, you monkey," throwing it to 
 his younger daughter, and still keep- 
 ing up a pretence of high disdain, 
 "here's your precious Jubilee seat 
 come at last. You have worried for 
 it enough in all conscience." 
 
 "Oh, father father, it really is! 
 Mother, do you hear?" Nesta with 
 blazing blue orbs turned to one and 
 the other in her ecstasy of exulta- 
 tion. "And to go with them the
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 291 
 
 Millers and sleep at their house 
 both nights and perhaps longer! 
 Oh, how good, how kind! Dear 
 Aunt Jessie! Molly," as Molly, 
 attracted by the outcry, came flying 
 up, "Molly, dear, only hear the news 
 Aunt Jessie has sent for one of us" 
 on a sudden the speaker's voice 
 stopped short as though it had seen 
 a ghost. 
 
 Molly, however, perceived noth- 
 ing. 
 
 "For the Jubilee?" cried she, in 
 answering excitement. "Oh, how 
 glorious, how delightful! Let me 
 see the telegram. Why, it is to go 
 up this afternoon ! Father, we must 
 send to Surrey's about the pony-cart 
 at once. I can go. Only," she 
 paused. "I ought to help you with 
 your packing, Nett. But if you 
 could run up now, and put out your 
 things, I could be back in time to do 
 the rest. The 5 :3o train will do. 
 Is there any answer, father?"
 
 2p2 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 4 'Answer went straight away, my 
 lass. Your old dad knew what it 
 would be. There was no need to 
 consult you this time, and the reply 
 was pre-paid. ' ' 
 
 "What did you say?" demanded 
 Ernestine, in rather a low voice. 
 
 "Say? Said 'All right, and many 
 thanks.' Short and sweet. There 
 was nothing more wanted. ' ' 
 
 "You you did not say which 
 daughter?" 
 
 "Which daughter? Nay, there is 
 no need for that," the captain 
 laughed. "No need to tell the 
 Millers, or any one who knows this 
 house, which daughter gets all the 
 good things. ' ' 
 
 Ernestine hastily left the room. 
 
 "Eh?" said the captain, opening 
 his eyes. "She felt that, did she? 
 But 'tis as well she should hear it for 
 once, poor child. And maybe she 
 will think of it even in her fine 
 Jubilee seat."
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 293 
 
 "Father, don't be hard; dear 
 father, you do not mean it, but that 
 was a cruel thought. Nesta is not so 
 selfish as you think ; she is only ' ' 
 
 "Look here, Moll, truth is truth. 
 Was there ever any question either 
 with Nesta herself or with any single 
 one of us who should be the person 
 to accept your aunt's invitation? 
 You are the elder. The telegram 
 says 'One of your daughters,' yet no 
 one for a moment hesitated between 
 the two. That speaks for itself, my 
 girl," as there ensued a pause during 
 which Molly hung her head in 
 silence. "However, I'll say no 
 more," pursued her father, "and to 
 be sure, I dare say the Millers 
 meant Nesta, though they would not 
 pass you over. And now that she 
 has got her way, she will be more 
 peaceable; for I dare say it has 
 fretted her a bit, being as she is a 
 pretty creature at least, so folks 
 tell me" and he rambled on.
 
 294 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 Molly was half-way across the fields, 
 ere he had said his say for the time 
 being. 
 
 The day was broiling, and the 
 ground heavy from recent thundery 
 rain (we all remember how unsettled 
 was the weather during that tumul- 
 tuous Jubilee week), so that it took 
 the willing little messenger longer 
 than she had expected to reach the 
 village inn, whence a pony-cart could 
 be hired, and by the time she had 
 hurried back across the miry field- 
 path, Molly expected to find an 
 expectant head prospecting from 
 Nesta's bedroom window; but no 
 head was there. "She is too happy 
 to be impatient," concluded the 
 sister, "and I can pack while she 
 dresses. There is plenty of time." 
 
 Accordingly she pattered upstairs, 
 taking off her hat as she went, and 
 thankful for the shade within the 
 cool farmhouse; and there on the 
 landing was Nesta, and
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 295 
 
 "Hush!" said a voice, Nesta's 
 voice, but suppressed in a strange 
 fashion, "come in here, quick; I have 
 got everything ready, and you are 
 not to say a word." 
 
 The door closed, and we will not 
 open it to spy. 
 
 "Heyday, what's this?" the old 
 captain opened his mouth and shut 
 it again, confounded beyond the 
 power of speech. He was standing 
 in the porch, the pony-cart was at 
 the door, and the luggage was in. 
 But the traveller who who was 
 the traveller? 
 
 "Oh, father, dear, she would make 
 me go ; father, I could not help it ; 
 I begged and prayed, and all Nesta 
 would say was " 
 
 "Never mind what Nesta said." 
 Nesta was busy tucking a bunch of 
 roses into the pretty shirt front 
 which was her own, yet now peep- 
 ing from Molly's little coat.
 
 296 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 "There, doesn't she look nice? Let 
 mother see you, Mollkins, and I will 
 run for a glass of milk, for I know 
 you can't eat;" and she vanished. 
 
 "Shiver my timbers!" exclaimed 
 the captain, nailed to the spot. 
 
 Molly it was who was trembling 
 all over, as deeply ashamed and 
 remorseful as though detected in a 
 crime, scarcely even yet to be forced 
 into compliance. "Father mother 
 she would not let me ask you, she 
 would not even let me tell you. 
 Everything was ready when I went 
 upstairs; she would put in all her 
 own best things that she thought I 
 would want; and she was so dear 
 and kind," an irrepressible sob, the 
 father turned his head and whistled 
 softly, the mother's eyes glistened 
 "what could I do?" proceeded the 
 criminal (she really felt herself to be 
 one), "she hustled me into my 
 clothes, and did my hair herself." 
 
 "Now, then, time's up!" a gay
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 297 
 
 reminder from the doorway. 
 "Drink, sister mine, and be off! 
 Happiness go with you!" an affec- 
 tionate kiss. No one was supposed 
 to see that Nesta's eyes were moist 
 or that there was any suspicious red- 
 ness in the lids. 
 
 ' ' Really, father, she must go ; you 
 know how full the train will be!" 
 And all in a bustle, poor Molly, still 
 in a kind of dream, was swept from 
 the door. 
 
 Captain Butterworth took one 
 stride up to his remaining daughter 
 and held out a sunburnt hand. Not 
 a word did he say, but its grasp and 
 the look and nod by which it was 
 accompanied were felt to the girl's 
 inmost soul. 
 
 She would not allow herself to feel 
 dull when the excitement was over. 
 
 "If Moll is taking my place, I have 
 got to take hers." And in and out 
 went the light figure Nesta here, 
 Nesta there no one had ever known
 
 298 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 Nesta so busy and so cheerful until 
 at last there came a pause in house- 
 hold tasks, and from the lower gar- 
 den, among the sweet peas and 
 mignonette, there rose into the pure 
 evening air the sound of a woman's 
 singing. 
 
 "I scarcely expected to find any of 
 my fair cousins at home!" 
 
 An unmistakable arrival had taken 
 place. Day after day the inmates of 
 Purfoy Farm had hoped to see their 
 expected relation appear from the 
 Antipodes, until at last it became so 
 obvious that something had hap- 
 pened to delay his journey that the 
 sisters had come almost to hope it 
 might be selfishly, but they could not 
 help it that he would not appear 
 upon the scene till Jubilee Day was 
 over. 
 
 "At least we maybe spared that!" 
 Nesta had sighed, with doleful resig- 
 nation. 
 
 But now here was Mat, and it was
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 299 
 
 only Jubilee Eve. Her heart, in 
 spite of a sudden thump, sank a 
 little. 
 
 It was something, however, that 
 one of them should have gone, and, 
 Molly being the elder, all would 
 seem natural; and and she had on 
 a clean sprigged muslin, ready for 
 anything that might turn up (it had 
 been donned on purpose to show to 
 all whom it might concern that Nesta 
 was not moping). So, putting a 
 brave front upon it, up she rose from 
 the strawberry-bed, over which she 
 had been stooping, and 
 
 "How do you do, Cousin Mat?" 
 said she, readily. "We have been 
 expecting you for ever so long!" 
 
 Expecting him, had she? "Faith," 
 thought Mat Butterworth to him- 
 self, "if I had known I was being 
 'expected,' and by such a goddess!" 
 And he sat down in the rose-arbour 
 by Ernestine's side. 
 
 "She has told you all about it, I
 
 300 THE T UBILEE SEAT 
 
 suppose," said the old captain, stroll- 
 ing down to call them in presently. 
 "My word, those Jubilee seats! 
 Swindles, that's what I call them ! I 
 hope, nephew, I do hope you have 
 not been let in for anything out- 
 rageous ; though, of course, you 
 know your own business best. But 
 five, ten, fifteen guineas anything 
 you like to name is the order of 
 the day. And for what? Eighteen 
 inches of hard board! And there 
 you have to sit frying in dust and 
 heat!" 
 
 "Certainly, it is a vast deal pleas- 
 anter here," said the young man, 
 frankly. And, being of an open 
 nature and bred to straightforward 
 dealing, he saw no harm in adding 
 presently, "I am fortunate, uncle, 
 to find one of my cousins at home ; 
 and though, no doubt, she would 
 rather be in London " 
 
 "She let Molly go," said Captain 
 Butterworth, quickly. "What? Am
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 301 
 
 not I to say it? Oh, but it's only 
 fair! It was between them, d'ye 
 see. And, poor things, they were 
 both simply off their heads to go; 
 but well, well, I say no more. What 
 about yourself, Mat? Are you off 
 to-night, or will the morning train 
 do for you?" 
 
 "Certainly not to-night. Yes, 
 yes, the morning; any morning 
 train will do." 
 
 The captain stared. " 'Any' 
 morning train! What are you 
 thinking of, young man? If you 
 
 don't start before break of day " 
 
 ' ' I have my seat, you know, sir. ' ' 
 
 "You have? And a good one, I'll 
 
 be bound. But how are you going 
 
 to get to it? That's the point. If 
 
 it's in the Borough " 
 
 "It is not in the Borough." 
 "Humph, the Strand, then? Or 
 Fleet Street? The cram will be 
 still worse in Fleet Street or the 
 Strand."
 
 302 THE JUBILEE SEAT - 
 
 "It is in a corner window of Pic- 
 cadilly looking down St. James's 
 Street," said Mat, the colour suffus- 
 ing his brown cheek, for he had 
 meant to keep this back if he could. 
 "So, you see, any time will do." 
 
 "Fifteen or twenty guineas, eh?" 
 The captain swallowed something in 
 his throat. "And you seem as 
 indifferent about getting there " 
 
 "I am indifferent." 
 
 Now, how was it that, though 
 Nesta was looking the other way, 
 she not only heard an underlying 
 meaning in the accents, but knew 
 that a certain pair of dark eyes were 
 turned full upon her face and rested 
 there while her cousin spoke? She 
 twisted off a moss-rose and smelt it. 
 
 "I am so jolly indifferent," con- 
 tinued the bronzed Australian, 
 deliberately, "that I doubt very 
 much if I shall take the trouble to 
 attempt it. Why should I? You'are 
 not going, my aunt is not going" a
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 303 
 
 pause, then "and Ernestine is not 
 going," concluded the speaker, 
 softly. 
 
 After the evening meal, he asked 
 Ernestine to go out again with him. 
 Why not? She was his cousin; and, 
 besides, if a man is not to have a 
 girl to himself, how can he tell 
 whether the pretty face be nothing 
 but a pretty face, or whether the 
 dawnings of a deeper feeling than 
 mere admiration within his bosom 
 may dare expand into maturity? 
 
 Round and round the little 
 gravelled garden the two sauntered 
 in the scented dusk. 
 
 "I wonder whether I did not 
 dream of something like this, ' ' said 
 Mat, at last. ' ' I think if I had found 
 you all agog for the Jubilee with its 
 fun and fume, I should have been 
 almost disappointed. At least, it 
 seems so to me now. Of course, I 
 hope your sister will enjoy herself, 
 and I am sure she will; but I am so
 
 304 THE' JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 glad she went, and" again the 
 softer, more significant note "so 
 very glad you let her go. " 
 
 Poor Nesta had never felt so 
 much ashamed and yet so happy in 
 her life. It was of no avail to 
 stammer out a confused explanation 
 which only served to show her to 
 more advantage than ever in her 
 companion's eyes. She had to 
 accept his homage and his obvious 
 conviction of her unselfish character, 
 and inwardly resolve that, in the 
 future, she would try to deserve it. 
 
 "And you are not going up at 
 all?" 
 
 It was perfectly incredible to Cap- 
 tain Butterworth that a man who 
 had paid twenty guineas for his seat 
 should not go near it when, more- 
 over, there was not even a chance of 
 getting his money back; but it 
 appeared that this was his strange 
 nephew's intention. Mat had made 
 up his mind in the night. The idea
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 305 
 
 of Ernestine wandering lonely 
 among her sweet peas, of leaving 
 her behind in however sweet a spot 
 while he ruffled it among grandees 
 in his costly place at the great 
 Jubilee show, was not to be borne. 
 
 "If I could have taken her with 
 me!" he thought; but that could 
 not, of course, be done. 
 
 "Then, here goes!" cried Mat 
 Butterworth, and tore up his ticket 
 into small pieces. 
 
 Space forbids us to tell how that 
 long summer day passed for him and 
 for Ernestine. Wherever she went, 
 there went he. Whatever duties 
 and occupations she engaged in, he 
 shared. She showed him her 
 favourite walk; and they sat to- 
 gether in a shady nook by a bub- 
 bling stream at the very hour when, 
 had things fallen out otherwise, each 
 would have been differently en- 
 sconced, "And not together," as 
 Mat significantly observed.
 
 306 THE JUBILEE SEAT 
 
 He pulled out his watch and told 
 her exactly what would be passing as 
 the moments flew by ; he hoped Molly 
 would be able to remember and tell 
 him if his conjectures were correct. 
 He did not seem at all to mind when 
 a new telegram arrived this time 
 from Molly herself to the effect 
 that, as the party durst not venture 
 forth to see the illuminations the 
 same night, the crowd being too 
 great, her aunt insisted on keeping 
 her till Thursday. As for Nesta? 
 Nesta was almost frightened to feel 
 as she did. That telegram was like 
 a reprieve. 
 
 So the next day it was the same 
 thing over again; and by evening 
 Nesta had learned all about her 
 cousin's home-life in that far land, 
 perceived that, in spite of his wealth 
 and the luxury in which he lived, he 
 was a solitary man with starved 
 affections, and a large heart longing 
 to be filled; and scarce daring to
 
 THE JUBILEE SEAT 307 
 
 believe it was so, yet had a convic- 
 tion which thrilled every vein, 
 namely, that he had already decided 
 who could fill it. 
 
 "Seems tome you didn't lose so 
 much through giving up your 
 Jubilee seat after all," said the old 
 captain, when they told him.
 
 THOSE SORT OP PEOPLE
 
 Those Sort of People 
 
 "I really cannot see why you 
 should be so set upon going there," 
 said Mrs. Boscastle, with a con- 
 temptuous intonation on the last 
 word, which directly indicated its 
 status. "You have been determined 
 about it from the very first. I 
 never knew you so obstinate about 
 anything." She paused, but as 
 there was no response, took up the 
 theme with renewed animation. "It 
 is not as if you were always so par- 
 ticular about engagements. I am 
 sure I wish you were. When you 
 are asked to other houses when 
 'Miss Boscastle' is distinctly men- 
 tioned beneath your father's and my 
 name as often as not you insist on 
 Mary's going." 
 
 3"
 
 312 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 "Only in fair turn, mamma. 
 'Miss Boscastle' on an ordinary card 
 means either of us. In this case it 
 does not as you know. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, I know; I know very well. 
 Those sort of people must always 
 have the best. They want to show 
 you off, of course. ' ' 
 
 An impatient movement, but the 
 speaker either did not or would not 
 perceive it. "A tea party in West 
 Kensington!" Again the disdainful 
 inflection, this time, if possible, more 
 accentuated than before. "In West 
 Kensington! In Shepherd's Bush, I 
 suppose, if the truth were told. In 
 a little semi-detached villa facing the 
 green, I dare say. It is too absurd 
 to give up Ranelagh on a lovely 
 June afternoon for such a wretched, 
 such an absolutely squalid entertain- 
 ment." 
 
 "You would have had me say this?" 
 
 "Edith, don't be ridiculous. And 
 there is no need to get angry over
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 313 
 
 it. If you had done as I told you to 
 do at the first, accepted condition- 
 ally agreed to go if nothing pre- 
 vented you " 
 
 "If nothing better turned up." 
 "Precisely. You would have 
 meant that, and they would have 
 understood it, and it would have 
 been as much as they could have 
 expected. You know I am quite 
 glad ahem! I entirely approve of 
 your affection for your old govern- 
 ess ," Edith Boscastle raised 
 
 her eyes, and her step-mother pro- 
 ceeded somewhat hurriedly, "It is 
 all right and proper; Miss Peters 
 was an excellent instructress, who 
 deserved all the esteem you could 
 give her; but, having ceased to have 
 any connection with this house pro- 
 fessionally, I must say I think it 
 rather a pity that is to say, we are 
 always glad to see her here, without 
 there being any occasion for your 
 going among her people."
 
 314 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 "This is the first time she has ever 
 asked it ; and she inquired privately 
 of you, if either papa or you would 
 have any objection, before she men- 
 tioned the subject to me." 
 
 "She did, very properly. And if 
 only it had not been for a Saturday, 
 and we had not had Ranelagh 
 tickets " 
 
 "That need not matter, surely. 
 You will take Mary; and Mary 
 would greatly like to go. ' ' 
 
 Mrs. Boscastle fidgeted. What 
 she longed to say, and did not dare 
 to say, was, that while her plainer 
 step-daughter would make no sensa- 
 tion, attract no admiring glances 
 from the gay crowds in the haunt of 
 fashion, she would have been per- 
 fectly good enough for the suburban 
 studio, on which it was a shame to 
 waste her sister. Debarred from 
 giving vent to the sentiment, she 
 could only feebly return to her 
 first charge. "I could not have
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 315 
 
 believed you would be so tiresome, 
 Edith." 
 
 Now Edith Boscastle was a wise 
 girl; she did not attempt to argue 
 the point. To have done so would 
 have been to inflame opposition, and 
 opposition occasionally led to a 
 battle-royal in the doctor's house, 
 subsequent to which peace would 
 only be restored by giving up the 
 point at issue. This she did not 
 mean to do. 
 
 In her heart of hearts she not only 
 felt the full force of her step-mother's 
 argument, but it was backed up by 
 a secret consciousness which had 
 already caused more than one sigh 
 to escape since the arrival of the 
 coveted tickets. Some one had sent 
 them some one whom Edith liked 
 very much indeed. 
 
 Under other circumstances she 
 would have flown to her chamber to 
 don her prettiest dress and hat, and 
 joyful anticipation would have
 
 316 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 painted a tint upon her cheek, and 
 sparkle in her eye; but disappoint 
 her poor, dear, humble little friend 
 who had so long before arranged the 
 day and hour, talked of it, planned 
 for it, and whose preparations were 
 doubtless now complete? She could 
 not do this. 
 
 She had herself named a Saturday 
 as being usually a free day ; and the 
 present Saturday had been abso- 
 lutely barren of engagements three 
 weeks before, at which time the 
 quondam governess made her 
 modest appeal. An artist brother 
 (married, and entirely unobjection- 
 able, as Mrs. Boscastle took care to 
 note) was setting up his small studio 
 on the outskirts of London, and 
 having brought with him from 
 abroad a collection of pictures and 
 sketches, fancied it would be to him 
 something of the coveted "start" so 
 important in every career, if these 
 could be viewed by friends likely
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 317 
 
 either to become themselves patrons, 
 or to interest others more artistically 
 disposed. 
 
 It was an acknowledged fact that 
 no one could interest the head of the 
 house in Harley Street as could the 
 eldest daughter. 
 
 "We thought perhaps if you would 
 come, Edith?" said Jane Peters, 
 wistfully ; and neither Edith nor any 
 one else wondered why the speaker 
 said you. 
 
 So that, on the whole, it was 
 manifestly unfair in Mrs. Boscastle 
 to profess a species of ignorance 
 which could only be sheltered be- 
 neath insinuations totally wide of the 
 mark, and yet unanswerable ; because 
 the girl who was both prettier and 
 wittier than her sister could no more 
 have alleged, "I am wanted because 
 my father thinks more of one word 
 from me than of a thousand from 
 Mary," than she could have pro- 
 tested, "You, on your part, want me
 
 318 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 because I reflect credit on you by 
 my appearance, and Mary does not. 
 
 Nothing could be said openly, and 
 she was obliged to trust to her step- 
 mother's good taste and good feeling 
 prevailing in the long run. Taste 
 perhaps would hardly have effected 
 much in Mrs. Boscastle's case, but 
 she had, with all her defects and 
 theyVere patent to the dullest intel- 
 ligence heart enough to make her 
 just stop short of giving pain to 
 the simple girl who was so ready 
 to acknowledge herself her sister's 
 inferior, and so affectionately proud 
 of the fact. 
 
 "Mary does not mind," Mrs. 
 Boscastle would exclaim, with easy 
 indifference. "Mary is a good girl, 
 and of course she can't help seeing. " 
 1 On ordinary occasions she would 
 herself be touched by Mary's ready 
 acquiescence in any putting forward 
 of the show member of the family. 
 (We may be sure from whom this
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 319 
 
 idea emanated.) The lady would be 
 touched and pleased, we say, and in 
 high good humour would pat poor 
 Mary's cheek for a "dear, unselfish 
 creature," assuring her moreover 
 that looks were nothing, and that 
 many of the best marriages were 
 made by the plainest girls. If the 
 cheek flushed a little beneath such 
 consolation, Mary's step-mother 
 never saw it. 
 
 She was kind to both the girls in 
 her way. Luckily for them, and 
 perhaps for herself, she had no chil- 
 dren of her own, and they were thus 
 able to retain through subsequent 
 years the place they had been 
 accorded in her estimation, when in 
 the first gush of her marriage pros- 
 perity she had swallowed with joy 
 anything and anybody connected 
 with the elderly widower whose pro- 
 posals secured her future comfort 
 and independence. Previously she 
 had earned her own living, and a
 
 320 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 hard and precarious livelihood it 
 had been. 
 
 Accordingly, the two little ones 
 who constituted Dr. Boscastle's sole 
 family were hardly felt to be even in 
 the way she would have accepted 
 him if there had been a dozen of 
 them and as the elder of the two 
 bloomed and budded into lovely 
 maidenhood, and as both were docile 
 under her rule had no spite against 
 her no desire to throw off her 
 yoke did not even seek to jostle her 
 aside as she saw others with the gen- 
 uine claim of motherhood jostled 
 she grew to entertain a warmer feel- 
 ing towards them both than pupils 
 who had known her in her capacity 
 of governess could have believed 
 possible. 
 
 In Edith her pride might be cen- 
 tred; but where vanity and social 
 ambition did not bar the way, there 
 was as much, if not positively more, 
 affection for Mary.
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 32! 
 
 Pride and social ambition those 
 two ever-green demons did, how- 
 ever, not infrequently rumple up the 
 waves when otherwise all might 
 have been smooth sailing between 
 the three with whom our little story 
 is most concerned. Mrs. Boscastle 
 could not look at Edith without 
 noting the elegance of her shape, 
 the pose of her head, and the deli- 
 cate curves of her chin and brow. 
 She was forever making comparisons 
 between her and others of her age 
 and sex. She watched them go out 
 and in, took stock of their clothes, 
 their movements, their manners and 
 affectations. She did not like it if a 
 young visitor were taller or smarter. 
 
 In her own mind the conviction 
 was assured that Edith at her best, 
 in lively spirits and becoming 
 raiment, could out-distance any of 
 her peers; but she knew that it be- 
 hoved Edith to be at her best. It 
 was therefore imperative that she
 
 322 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 should go into public of her own 
 accord, gladly and willingly not to 
 be dragged thither because Mrs. 
 Boscastle would not go without her. 
 
 It was also necessary to let her 
 alone when there; to permit her to 
 talk to whom she chose, walk or sit, 
 as she preferred. Edith's step- 
 mother made quite a study of her 
 charge during the first year after she 
 "came out" and at the end of that 
 year she fully expected never to 
 have another of the kind. 
 
 "I shall have no such credit in 
 poor Mary," she sighed, in dole- 
 ful prediction, but she was not as 
 well content as she might have been 
 to find that although "poor Mary" 
 was ready to step on the stage, the 
 stage was not cleared for her, as 
 prophets united in foretelling it 
 would be. The beautiful Edith was 
 still on hand. 
 
 So that now, in the middle of 
 Edith's second London season, little
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 323 
 
 scenes such as we have hearkened to 
 above were not altogether infrequent 
 in the doctor's house, and it only 
 remains to say one thing more. 
 Although Edith Boscastle had her 
 own reason for finding the path of 
 fidelity and kindness a hard one to 
 tread on in the day in question, she 
 would sooner have died than con- 
 fided this to her step-mother. There 
 was plenty of goodwill but no real 
 sympathy between natures so oppo- 
 site. 
 
 "Do you think she will come?" 
 said Mr. Harold Peters, in his thin, 
 nervous voice. He had been ham- 
 mering and hanging, and wearing 
 himself out ever since morning in 
 the little, hot double-room now 
 turned into a picture-gallery. 
 "Young ladies are so forgetful." 
 
 "Edith will not forget. She is as 
 true as steel," asserted Edith's 
 sponsor, confidently ; ' ' when she was
 
 324 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 in the schoolroom, if she promised 
 to do a thing she would do it, though 
 a thousand lions stood in the path." 
 "Lions? Oh, well, we hardly run 
 to 'lions' in West Kensington; I wish 
 we did." The artist laughed a 
 feeble, high-pitched, anxious little 
 pretence of a laugh. "Even one 
 lion would be a 'draw' worth any 
 money to us at the present moment. 
 But this ex-pupil of yours you 
 speak as if she were rather a de- 
 termined, dare-devil sort of char- 
 acter, eh? Suppose she takes a 
 wrong turn? Suppose she is in a 
 carping, fault-finding humour? Sup- 
 pose " 
 
 "Nay, dear brother, with idle sup- 
 positions we need not cumber our- 
 selves. Real facts are hard enough 
 to deal with. " The gentle creature 
 heaved a patient sigh. "We have 
 been successful so far," she con- 
 tinued, more briskly. "Everybody 
 has been kind in promising to come
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 325 
 
 to-day; the weather is cool and 
 fresh outside, though our little house 
 is rather warm; as for the tea and 
 strawberries' ' looking complacently 
 at a small set-out, which had been 
 arranged with care, and sent forth 
 a delicious odour, tempting to the 
 most jaded palate. "Grace has 
 surpassed herself," continued the 
 speaker, smiling round at another 
 slight, colourless figure which glided 
 forward from back regions at the 
 moment. 
 
 It was characteristic of all three 
 that they spoke in muffled tones, and 
 moved as afraid of free, unre- 
 strained action. With many tremors 
 they had approached this day in 
 their lives which meant to them a 
 crisis. 
 
 And one of the three, she who 
 had boldly conceived the project and 
 thrown her whole soul into it, had 
 to keep to herself the trump card 
 with which her sleeve was trembling!
 
 326 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 She had it there; now and then 
 it almost peeped out; had there 
 been a Harold without his Grace, or 
 a Grace without her Harold, it must 
 have been produced in moments of 
 dire secrecy, but stickler as she was 
 for absolute confidence between hus- 
 band and wife, how could she expect 
 aught than that a discovery upon 
 which she had alit by sheerest acci- 
 dent, but which might now be 
 turned to rare account, would not 
 have been the subject of conversa- 
 tion and conjecture between the 
 fond pair? 
 
 This was not to be borne. Her 
 dear Edith's name was not to be 
 bandied about by strangers, even 
 with no ill intent; and no one 
 guessed that the staunch espouser 
 of the brother's cause and prophet- 
 ess of his fame, had a little wire to 
 pull on her own account, which' no 
 other fingers must presume to touch. 
 
 "Lady Victoria Swallowfield ! "
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 327 
 
 Good gracious! Her ladyship to 
 be the first to arrive, and no one to 
 hear her announced ! 
 
 This, it must be confessed, was the 
 first thought which sent a thrill of 
 disappointment through the breast of 
 the artist's poor little wife. 
 
 Possibly it was a vulgar thought, 
 but Grace was but a homely trades- 
 man's daughter, and she had never 
 spoken to a "Lady" Anybody in her 
 life. And she had counted, poor 
 soul, on the sensation in her little 
 room when the door should open to 
 admit such a guest, and on the faces 
 of the others when Jane should go 
 forward in her quiet, composed man- 
 ner to receive her own especial friend. 
 
 Jane would show nothing. She 
 might feel the honour, perhaps she 
 might even murmur her sense of it 
 into Lady Victoria's ear, but out- 
 wardly, she would be as calm as if 
 such an event were of everyday 
 occurrence.
 
 328 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 Harold and his wife had been 
 assured when in doubts as to the 
 propriety of sending an invitation to 
 the stately dame of quality, that 
 Jane would see them through, and 
 with that rod on which to lean, 
 they had been able to bear the 
 anticipation. 
 
 But here was the terrible moment, 
 with all its pangs and none of its 
 sweets ! She felt the ill-luck to the 
 bottom of her soul. 
 
 She did her best, however; and 
 those who knew Lady Victoria 
 would have told her that this august 
 personage was unusually gracious. 
 Ordinarily there was an atmosphere 
 surrounding her ladyship in which 
 it was not easy to breathe. She was 
 shy, she was proud, she had a repel- 
 lent manner, and a poker back. 
 Even when most pleased to meet a 
 neighbour or acquaintance, the 
 slowly extended fingers and the 
 frigid greeting made cordiality diffi-
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 329 
 
 cult on the part of the recipient. 
 She would say, "I am so glad to see 
 you," in tones that would more 
 fittingly have expressed, "I wish 
 3 T ou were at the other end of the 
 earth. ' ' 
 
 But beneath the crust there were 
 those who knew that a true heart 
 beat, and that once admitted to 
 Lady Victoria's esteem, the place 
 was held in perpetuity. Jane 
 Peters, when begging the favour of 
 her kind friend's presence at the 
 studio, had faithfully delineated its 
 locality, and prepared her for its 
 insignificance, and Jane knew that 
 she could not better have secured 
 her object than by such a course. 
 Benevolence now softened a coun- 
 tenance usually severe. 
 
 The one large chair in the room 
 had been placed in its coolest part, 
 and through the little window at the 
 back a faint breeze fanned a meagre 
 tree-top. "I am so thankful to get
 
 33 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 into this pleasant shade, ' ' said Lady 
 Victoria, cheerfully. 
 
 "How splendid she looks!" 
 thought Grace Peters, from afar. 
 "All that black silk and lace so 
 effective ! And I am glad her lady- 
 ship is stout; somehow it makes so 
 much more of her than if she were a 
 thin woman. No one can help see- 
 ing her even if she did come 
 rather soon for her name to be 
 heard." 
 
 Jane, too, took occasion to whisper 
 that Lady Victoria was not going to 
 hurry away. Lady Victoria would 
 not have her tea just yet; she would 
 like to sit and chat a while; and 
 then go round the pictures and see 
 the portfolio, and be ready for tea 
 when others came in. 
 
 "So they will all see the carriage 
 at the door," thought Grace. 
 
 She could not resist a peep out- 
 side, as she stood nervously by her 
 teapots, there being nothing for her
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 331 
 
 to do the while Jane composedly con- 
 versed with the guest, and Harold 
 hovered near, waiting the right 
 moment for Art to be appealed to. 
 
 The big barouche, with its glitter- 
 ing harness and champing horses, 
 gave an air to the whole neighbour- 
 hood. It seemed a shame that it 
 should have to move aside pres- 
 ently, even for the very good little 
 brougham with its glossy chestnut, 
 which was the next arrival. 
 ' And more vehicles followed. 
 People whom Grace had certainly 
 expected to appear either on foot, 
 or at best in cabs and hansoms, 
 turned up in well-appointed equip- 
 ages, with smart liveried servants on 
 their box-seats so that by the time 
 the apartment within was full (and 
 it held more than could have been 
 supposed), there was quite a festive 
 little crowd in front, and the suc- 
 cess of Mr. Peters' studio tea was 
 assured.
 
 332 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 Last of all to arrive was Miss 
 Edith Boscastle. In she came, 
 blushing like a rose, and looking 
 very like a rose altogether in her 
 freshest and fairest dress, all eager- 
 ness to explain a delay which must 
 not be allowed to appear of set pur- 
 pose, especially since there could 
 be no mistaking the pause which 
 made her silver tones audible on 
 every side. 
 
 "How horrible! It looks as if I 
 meant to make a grand entrte!" 
 cried she to herself. 
 
 And she had tried to be there 
 an hour before, and it was pure 
 accident which had hindered her, 
 and caused the sensation of the 
 hour! 
 
 The sensation penetrated to the 
 innermost recesses of the back room 
 where Lady Victoria Swallowfield 
 still clung to her big chair, though 
 she was now contentedly sipping tea 
 and munching cake. She had
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 333 
 
 accomplished the purpose for which 
 she had come ; admired and praised 
 and given a handsome order; 
 furthermore, she had promised to 
 speak to her brother, the duke, who 
 was on the point of having his larg- 
 est country seat newly decorated, 
 and had spoken about frescoes on the 
 walls (Harold's breath went and 
 came as he listened) Lady Victoria 
 thought, yes, she certainly thought 
 the duke would give attention to her 
 recommendation, however he might 
 eventually decide. She could, of 
 course, promise nothing, but there 
 was enough without the promise 
 to make the poor artist's eyes 
 kindle. 
 
 Business done, the old lady en- 
 joyed her tea, and at the moment of 
 Edith Boscas tie's appearance on the 
 scene was hearkening favourably to 
 a suggestion of strawberries; but 
 somehow and she remembered this 
 afterwards with satisfaction, for her
 
 334 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 doctor might have looked grave she 
 never got the strawberries. 
 
 "Who is that?" she exclaimed, 
 suddenly. "What name did you 
 say, my dear?" 
 
 Jane Peters, who was never very 
 far from her ladyship's chair, bent 
 over the speaker in a moment. 
 Edith had been in the room for 
 about ten minutes. 
 
 "A former pupil of yours? I did 
 not know that. I never heard you 
 mention the Boscastles. " 
 
 Jane was silent. It had not been 
 her business to mention the 
 Boscastles. 
 
 "She is certainly a very pretty 
 girl," murmured Lady Victoria, 
 scanning through her eyeglass the 
 light figure in its rosebud dra- 
 peries. 
 
 "She is as good as she is pretty," 
 said Miss Peters, in a low, distinct, 
 emphatic voice. She was pulling 
 her wire now.
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 335 
 
 The old lady dropped her eyeglass 
 with a jerk, and turned round as 
 though surprised. "Good, did you 
 say? Good, Jane? And you speak 
 from knowledge, of course. Your 
 position would enable you to judge. 
 But I thought, I certainly both 
 thought and heard that these Bos- 
 castles " she moved uneasily in 
 
 her chair. 
 
 "Edith ought not to be con- 
 founded with her step-mother, Lady 
 Victoria. She ought not to make 
 one when you talk of 'these Bos- 
 castles. ' Not that it is for me to say 
 a word against Mrs. Boscastle, who 
 was always kind to me, but " 
 
 "I understand; I understand. A 
 forward, pushing woman. And wild 
 to be taken up by society to fly 
 in at every open door. They tell 
 me she is determined to marry off 
 those girls, and hawks them about 
 in the most barefaced manner. I 
 am old-fashioned and strict in my
 
 336 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 notions, I suppose ; but I must con- 
 fess that ever since my son took to 
 visiting at the Boscastles' I have 
 worried over his being so intimate 
 with people of whom I disliked 
 everything I ever heard." 
 
 The governess was wisely silent. 
 
 "But she certainly has a sweet 
 face!" said Lady Victoria, slowly 
 raising the eyeglass a second time. 
 
 After a moment she beckoned 
 down Jane's ear again. "How 
 comes it that she is here to-day? I 
 know my son expected to meet her 
 at Ranelagh. He sent them tickets; 
 I was annoyed with him for doing 
 so. And Jane oh, I wish I could 
 speak to you alone it is so difficult, 
 young men are so tiresome to man- 
 age, and he says he is not a young 
 man now. Jane, I wish you would 
 tell me what you think. " (No won- 
 der strawberries and cream vanished 
 from her ladyship's thoughts.) "I 
 had no idea you could help me, ' ' she
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 337 
 
 murmured at last, almost reproach- 
 fully. 
 
 "Dear Lady Victoria, my help 
 would be to bring up Edith, and let 
 you judge her for yourself. " 
 
 "It could do no harm, could it? 
 And Victor would be pleased. And 
 she does look she really has a 
 charming face" (eyeglass again in 
 requisition). "Yes, I think I should 
 like to speak to her ; but one word, 
 Jane, before you go. Did she know 
 I was coming? Did you talk it over 
 with her? Was there any scheme? 
 Oh, dear, what am I saying? For- 
 give me, my dear, I did not mean to 
 be rude and stupid; and of course 
 you I could trust you anywhere. 
 All I want is to know whether 
 she " 
 
 "Was absolutely ignorant of my 
 having even invited you, Lady Vic- 
 toria. It is not my place to tattle of 
 the friendship with which you honour 
 me; and I do not see Edith often
 
 338 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 enough to make the mention of your 
 name spontaneous. This dear, kind 
 girl gave up her own pleasure and 
 toiled out all this way to-day, purely 
 from the same motive that you did 
 yourself. ' ' 
 
 Lady Victoria pressed the hand 
 which lay on the arm of her chair. 
 Her ear, albeit by no means a quick 
 one, caught a falter of emotion in 
 the words which appealed at once to 
 her best impulses. 
 
 "I gave up nothing, Jane. I had 
 no gay parties waiting for me; no 
 gallant admirer ahem! Jane, 
 could you have done it? He may 
 take it amiss, you know. Men are 
 so tiresome and foolish; and a man 
 in love oh, you are discretion itself 
 you will never repeat. I can tell 
 you that Victor is in love, desper- 
 ately in love, with this girl, and will 
 not hear a word against her. And I 
 have been so put out and worried; 
 for the idea certainly is that I
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 339 
 
 hardly like to suggest it of that 
 innocent-looking creature but they 
 do tell me she is throwing herself, 
 or being thrown, at my son's head." 
 
 " 'Being thrown,' Lady Victoria, 
 possibly! 'Throwing herself?' Never. 
 One has but to know Edith Bos- 
 castle " 
 
 "Then let me know her," quoth 
 Lady Victoria, cutting the matter 
 short. 
 
 "And now to pull wire No. 2," 
 nodded Jane Peters to herself, as she 
 threaded her way through the talk- 
 ing, tea-drinking assemblage. (She 
 noted how brisk the chatter was, 
 and how well everything was going, 
 as she did so.) "Now, poor Edith, 
 for your start and shock!" 
 
 But there was neither start nor 
 shock. 
 
 Edith had long before descried the 
 black figure in the large armchair, 
 and recognised it. 
 
 Of course she did; of course she
 
 340 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 quailed before such an apparition! 
 How strange, how extraordinary, to 
 meet it here ! To run across Victor 
 Swallowfield's proud, impenetrable 
 mother, who was supposed never to 
 go anywhere never, at least, to any 
 ordinary house, and whom Mrs. 
 Boscastle had in vain hoped to meet 
 at any public or private entertain- 
 ment to find her in this dingy little 
 dwelling, in this back-of-beyond 
 neighbourhood! 
 
 And how peaceful the great lady 
 looked, sitting well back in her 
 comfortable chair, placidly bearing 
 her prominent part in the festivity. 
 [N. B. This was before she saw 
 Edith. Edith, as we know, had 
 been present for some small space of 
 time ere the vision of her, decked in 
 all the charms of youth and beauty, 
 so moved Lady Victoria that she 
 inquired of Jane Peters, "Who is 
 she?"] Subsequently no one could 
 have said that either the old face or
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 341 
 
 figure looked "placid." The face 
 worked strangely, the figure moved 
 incessantly. 
 
 The truth was that Fate, whimsical 
 Fate, had pierced between joints of 
 armour already rattling. Lady 
 Victoria had had a bad night, fol- 
 lowed by an unhappy morning. 
 Her only son, the darling of her 
 heart, had defied her, and if that 
 defiance were to last and she could 
 not find some means by which to 
 break it down, she might as well 
 give up the ghost at once. Whom 
 had she on earth but Victor? 
 
 And now, Victor had told her 
 plainly what he, shy and reticent as 
 herself, had only permitted to be 
 guessed before, that her worst fears 
 respecting a family she disliked and 
 disapproved were to be realised 
 forthwith. 
 
 Victor was a proud man; he did 
 not deign to say, "You misjudge 
 Edith Boscastle; you are unfair
 
 342 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 and prejudiced. You might trust 
 me to choose my own wife." In- 
 stead of this, he rather chuckled 
 inwardly, monster that he was, at 
 the thought of the triumph which 
 lay before him, supposing all went 
 well. His poor mother would strike 
 her colours on the instant. A single 
 interview would do it. But he 
 meanly withheld that interview. 
 
 The two had been really angry 
 with each other that morning; and 
 Lady Victoria, outwardly serene as 
 she appeared, was sore at heart as 
 she drove along the dusty, noisy 
 Uxbridge Road ; and so and so no 
 wonder the fine old lady now shook 
 and trembled, her soul big with a 
 new purpose. 
 
 She rose and curtseyed as Edith 
 was led up to the arm-chair. 
 
 Then she took the small hand in 
 hers. ' ' My dear, ' ' she said, and the 
 young girl was emboldened to raise 
 her eyes by the soft accents, "I
 
 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 343 
 
 know you very well by name, and 
 perhaps you know me equally well. 
 
 My son " A pause. A scarlet 
 
 blush on the remorselessly exposed 
 countenance before the speaker. 
 
 ("It is all right," cried Lady Vic- 
 toria to herself.) 
 
 And she needed no eyeglass to tell 
 her how becoming was the blush 
 she must needs break off short, and 
 fly to the point at once. "He is 
 looking for you at Ranelagh to-day, 
 and you are here instead?" she mur- 
 mured interrogatively. 
 
 "I could not help it, Lady 
 Victoria; I could not disappoint 
 them." 
 
 "Was that forgive my asking it 
 your only reason, Miss Boscastle?" 
 
 "Indeed it was," earnestly, almost 
 tearfully. "I they it was an old 
 engagement, and I knew they 
 cared, it was not like an ordi- 
 nary party, it would have been 
 unkind, ^cruel, to throw them over.
 
 344 THOSE SORT OF PEOPLE 
 
 Oh, you know, Lady Victoria. You 
 would not have done it yourself. ' ' 
 
 Lady Victoria nodded, her eyes 
 shining. Then she slowly rose from 
 her chair, to hold out her hand 
 anew. "Miss Boscastle, I have a 
 proposal to make. My son invited 
 you to Ranelagh to-day, and you did 
 not go ; will you come there with me 
 now, because his mother does?" 
 
 "Oh, Lady Victoria is carrying off 
 Edith," said little Miss Peters, 
 easily.
 
 PRINTED BY R. R. DONNELLEY 
 AND SONS COMPANY AT THE 
 LAKESIDE PRESS, CHICAGO, ILL.
 
 Little Legacy 
 
 Mrs.L.B.Walford 
 
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