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THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
A
<T\
9
MAIDENHOOD
MAIDENHOOD.
BY
MRS. SARA ANNA MARSH,
AUTHOR OF
HRONICLES OF DARTMOOR."
d-c, 4c _
• Maidens should be mild and meek,
Swifl to hoar and slow to speak."
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
SUCCESSORS TO HIAIIV COLBURN,
13, UREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
18C7.
Tli.- right nf Translation it >■ .<■ n
LONDON :
PUINTED BY MACDONALD AND TUGWELL, BLENHEIM HOUSE,
BLENHEIM STREET, OXFORD STREET.
4"
>
ft
i
TO
MY DEAR NIECES-
CATHARINE JANE AND MARY GRACE CHRISTIAN ;
AND ALSO
TO MY DEAR GODCHILDREN —
AMY SOPHIA,
KATHARINE ALEXANDRA,
AND
MILDRED.
8G4517
ENGLISH
INTRODUCTORY.
" TO A YOUNG LADY ABOUT TO WRITE A NOVEL."
" Y^Oj my girl, try and give us a story without
±J a villain. I assure you I never saw a
villain. I am bound to believe such creatures
exist, but I am as sure as I am that I hold this
pen, that the greatest amount of real suffering in
life is not produced by villainy. Life is made up
of two elements — an element of will and an ele-
ment of fatality. The misery which is struck
out in the conflict, or rather the interaction of the
two, has usually for its apparent and efficient
excuse the misunderstandings of people of average
— and sometimes more than average — goodness.
" Let me earnestly dissuade you from writing
a novel of the detective order. A long sensation
storv, whose movement is carried forward stage
by stage, puzzle after puzzle, in the manner of a
detective officer playing the novelist, and to le:
on the mind, even of any one who has been en-
tertained by it, a strong emotion of disgust. It
must do so if it makes its way for any Length
time among the domesticities," &c. — From 1 1<
Holbeach, Student in Life and Philosophy.
VOL. I. B
CHAPTER I.
'• BELLS CALL OTHERS TO CHURCH, BUT GO NOT THEM-
SELVES."
WE will not write a chapter on bells, and the
impressions they make on susceptible or
even on passionless natures ; we shall content
ourselves by saying that the bells rang merrily
from the old church-tower of Prellsthorpe, and
the listeners thereto were very variably influenced
thereby.
" Our time will be taken up with dinners, balls,
visitings here and there, and goodness only knows
for what!" murmured the learned Rector of Prells-
thorpe, as he paced with his hands behind him,
backwards and forwards through the shrubberies.
" And I do not think those very sweet bells ever
sounded so wearisome or so discordant to mine
ear."
There were at the same time two fair girls in
the flower-garden, and they also made their re-
marks on the same subject.
" How glad and playful the bells are to-night,"
said Brenda Cheetham, the Rector's daughter.
MAIDENHOOD. 3
" How merry and joyous ! ; ' said the Lady Grel
Stuart. "I love bells, Brenda, they are almost
like human beings, they seem to tell us so much —
and they are indeed jocund and exultant now.
Listen, Brenda, listen !"
The girls stood for a moment or two in motion-
less silence, then the stillness was broken by the
Lady Grel, who said :
" Yet sometimes, Brenda, these same bells weep
— positively weep."
" That is pure nonsense, Grel. They are
always glad, and happy-sounding, and mirthful to
me," said Brenda Cheetham — " only excepting
the lugubrious time of ' tolling, tolling.' '
" Hush, Brenda ! — do not mingle a sorrowful
omen with joy-bells."
Brenda Cheetham did not reply. She was oc-
cupied in trying to bring into order the vigorous
and lengthv trailing shoots of choice Avrshire
roses that grew in that part of the garden, and
the Lady Grel walked on alone.
"I cannot quite restrain my delight at the
knowledge that my relatives are indeed at Prells-
thorpe Park — even in Brenda Cheetham's pre-
sence this joyfulness on my part will peep out ;
gladness — gladness and joy of heart make me an-
ticipate a future happy career — that I shall now
enter the world — that I shall not always live here
in this quiet Rectory."
And, in spite of some reproach of conscience as
4 MAIDENHOOD.
to her desire to leave a place that had always been
a home and a haven of rest to her, she moved
rapidly from one path to another, skipping now
here now there, in a pleasurable state of excite-
ment, now touching this flower, now that, gather-
ing here one and there one, inhaling their com-
bined sweetness, and still listening — listening to
the bells pealing merrily on.
" I could dance — positively dance gleefully at
the ever-recurring chime of those gay joy-bells !
How glad they are, nay, how merrily clanging ;
there is not a single tear — no, not one !" and again
the Lady Grel paused and listened.
Had she been as learned as ourselves who write
her veracious history, perhaps she had not uttered
the next sentence we have to record from her lips.
We know that moisture in the atmosphere pro-
duces an effect upon the sound of bells, in some
instances and in some low localities, so to lower
the tone of each bell as to make the peal sound
more of a minor than a major octave ; and the
unlearned, and, in this matter, superstitiously-
minded Lady Grel Stuart, records this fact in the
following speech :
" Why, the very last marriage-peal rung from
that belfry, was a weeping, weeping chime ! And
where is the bride now f
In some counties the old crones in the villages
say, " The bells are crying — the marriage will not
be a happy one." We conclude the Lady Grel
had been brought up in this lore.
MAIDENHOOD.
"I have no remembrance of my uncle and
aunt," resumed she, " and but little of Irene and
Danby — it must be some nine or ten years since
-we met." Then, after a little pause, her thoughts
again turned to the bells. " There again — there
again," said she, "the joyously clamouring peal.
Those sweet bells, those learned bells ! They
foretell happy meetings, heartfelt greetings, danc-
ing and song, hearths and homes, hope and love —
I know it and feel it — I feel it. Ye bells, oh ! ye
bells, ye sportive bells, ye make me glad and
merrie-hearted ! Ah ! I am formed for com-
panionship, not for isolation.
" If anyone could read my thoughts," continued
she, musingly — " if they could see into my desires,
and look upon me thus elated, they might wrongly
interpret my character. I have been happy here
in this peaceful Rectory — I love and reverence my
kind and excellent tutor and guardian, Mr. Cheet-
ham, and also I love and esteem Mrs. Cheetham.
For Brenda, though I feel and know she and I
are very different, yet while we have been
together we have agreed well enough — or per-
haps, I should say, we do not quarrel. It is
rather change of companionship than actual
distaste for my present position — rather a longing
for novelty, and, also, rather a wish to enter that
far-off world my cousin Irene describes so charm-
ingly in her letters, than a desire to forget these,
my kind friends, under whose hospitable roof I
have lived so peaceably."
6 MAIDENHOOD.
But the lady's further musings were interrupted
by the appearance of Mrs. Cheetham, who said :
" How these bells do weary me ! "
" Then, indeed, I do wish they would stop,"
said Lady Grel, raising her eyes to the belfry ;
and, to her amazement, suddenly, as she spoke, the
clamour ceased.
" Now, if every wish of my dear ward's could be
answered as quickly and as favourably as this,"
said the Rector, who now joined the ladies.
" You would consider it highly proper to coun-
sel me always to wish for things good in them-
selves — ay, so good, that the attainment of them
should neither do harm to me nor to others.
Now, do not shake your head so mysteriously ; you
know you consider it a duty to counsel me," said
the Lady Grel, playfully.
" A privilege — indeed, a privilege which, I fear,
will soon be taken from me. We shall lose our
sweet ward ; she longs for the grand and the gay.
Already she "
" Hush ! — hush !" said the Lady Grel, deprecat-
ingly — " I know I wish to see the world — I know
I rejoice that my own relatives will dwell so near
to this Rectory, and I acknowledge my inward
happiness, and my aspiring hopefulness. But if
you, my dear sir, or, indeed, if any here think I
shall leave my present pleasurable and tranquil
home without regret, they are mistaken. Indeed,
as you know, I still intend to make this residence
my real home, though I admit I wish to know
MAIDENHOOD. 7
more of the world at large. I pray you, think not
ill of me," and here the young lady stepped back a
little from the group, which now consisted of Mr.
and Mrs. Cheetham and Brenda, and her figure
dilated, and her eye kindled, as she continued, in
eager and hurried tones : " Here the very stones
speak to me of the past — the past, that delights
me to remember, and to dwell upon ; there," and
she raised her arm, and pointed in the direction of
Prellsthorpe Park, " the ground is untrodden ; it
may — and I trust it will — bring companionship,
peace, and love, but it has no enduring past.
Here I have truth, nature, reality, kind friends,
and affectionate hearts — these I have proved.
There, I have relations and novelty, a new and
unaccustomed routine of my daily life ; it is the
untried freshness that brings the charm."
" The dews are heavy — we will not remain
longer in the open air," said the good Rector,
approaching his ward, taking her kindly by the
hand, and drawing her arm through his own, as
he left the garden, followed by Mrs. Cheetham
and Brenda.
The Reverend Charles John Cheetham had
been tutor to the late Earl of Prellsthorpe, who,
on coming to the title, had taken the earliest
opportunity of bestowing one of the many livings
in his gift upon his friend, and who was all the
better pleased that the living of Prellsthorpe fell
so opportunely, since it would be the means of
continuing to him the society of a gentleman
8 MAIDENHOOD.
for whom he had a strong personal regard.
The late Earl was a man of letters. Left a
widower with an only child, and mourning the
loss of his Countess deeply, he retired prematurely
from the world, in which he had hitherto lived
with so much honour to himself, and took refuge
in a life of quiet study in the country, his only
companions his baby daughter and Mr. Cheet-
ham, then residing at the Rectory. If he ever
felt a regret that this child was a girl, and, conse-
quently, could never succeed him in his titles, and
the wealth belonging to them, he, at least, never
expressed so much. He was ardently attached to
her in her babyhood, and saw more of her
infantine doings, and heard more of her childish
sayings, than most fathers. Delighting in the
literature of the day as well as in that of past
ages, enjoying the society of learned men, and
yet, by his early loss in his Countess, debarred for
a time from entering the world, his great and
well-stored mind turned for relaxation to the
pretty sayings and doings of his little daughter,
Grel.
At about the age of five years the little lady
was consigned to the care of the first Mrs. Cheet-
ham for one hour each day, this lady undertaking
her education jointly with that of her own daugh-
ter, Brenda.
Lord Prellsthorpe had never been of a vigorous
constitution, and whether from his great love of,
and devotion to, literature, or his rather unwise and
MAIDENHOOD. 'J
lengthened seclusion, or his grief for the loss of
his lady, or for all these causes together, or for
any other cause, certain it is his health gradually
declined, and he became aware he should not live
to see his little child grow to womanhood.
He consigned her, in the event of his death —
which happened shortly after — to the guardian-
ship and protection of his friend, Mr. Cheetham,
to be brought up by him in the bosom of his own
family, with his own and only daughter. The
Earl was not an ambitious man. He did not sti-
pulate that at a given period his high-born child
should enter the walks of fashion and take her
place among her equals. She was under the
entire control of Mr. Cheetham until her eigh-
teenth year. The Earl had only a moderate per-
sonalty to bestow upon her, and if at the time of
his death, as the daughter of a nobleman of high
rank, the young lady's portion was not large, in
the strict integrity of her guardian, and her own
somewhat long minority, her wealth had nearly
doubled ; and on her coming of age at eighteen,
she would not longer be regarded as a portionless,
if those of her own rank did not consider her a
rich young lady. At the opening of this chronicle
the Lady Grel had passed her seventeenth birth-
day. Prellsthorpe Park had been uninhabited
from the time of the death of the late Earl. His
brother, the present peer, after consigning his
relative to the family vault, made over the dwell-
ing-house to the care of servants. His time since
10 MAIDENHOOD.
that period had been spent for the most part in
occasional sojourns in the various capitals of
Europe, though this was not so much by his own
wish as by that of his lady, who was a great in-
valid, and dependent on a large circle of acquaint-
ance for her daily amusement, and who delighted
in the change from one place to another.
Early in the London season of the year 18 — ,
this lady had been recommended by her medical
attendant to try the bracing air of Prellsthorpe,
and to put herself under the care of a physician of
repute in that neighbourhood, a Dr. Quinn. This
advice she had very reluctantly followed, but life
is clear to all, and, reassured by the promise that
Lord Prellsthorpe and her son and daughter would
leave London for her sake, and take up their resi-
dence in the country, she at length consented to
abide by the opinions of her physicians.
And thus it happened that the Lady Grel
Stuart was in expectation of meeting with her
nearest relatives, and of having a change in the
ordinary routine of her life.
Another death caused a great sorrow for the
time being at Prellsthorpe Rectory — Mrs. Cheet-
ham died soon after Lord Prellsthorpe. In the
course of a year or two her place was filled by the
present Mrs. Cheetham, already introduced to the
reader.
It is true, as we have recorded, that Lord Danby
and the Lady Irene Stuart had consented to ac-
company then- invalid • mother to Prellsthorpe
MAIDENHOOD.
11
Park, but their ideas of country life were widely
at variance with such, as they very early discovered
it to be at this season of the year. "The country "
in their experience meant large baronial or ducal
residences, filled with the nobility and gentry of
the land, with a change in the usual routine of
their amusements — riding to cover with a pleasant
party instead of the Bois de Boulogne, &c. ; but
to retire to the country to hear the cuckoo, when
London was fast filling, was almost too much for
their patience. The lady mourned over London
lost to her for this season, at least ; and the gentle-
man wondered if the month of August would ever
arrive, or if it could even be possible to live until
grouse-shooting commenced, at which time he
might hope to flee from the wearisomeness and
tameness of Prellsthorpe to better employment and
more congenial society.
11 1 yawn whenever I turn my eyes around this
heavy saloon ; do not you, D. ?" said the lady.
"I do not so much care for the heavy and faded
furniture as I do for faces — faces, Irene — human
faces. If one had only some stupid girl to tease,
or some pretty one to please, the house and its
sombreness might do well enough. Hei^ho !
Ren — Ren, I say, what on earth shall I do with
myself t"
"What shall / do, D.? Wood says there is
not a living creature within twenty miles, excepting
only the stupid old Rector and his wife, who have
had our cousin Grel all these years; and a Mr.
12 MAIDENHOOD.
Hamilton, a recluse — a bookworm, a sort of dig-
nified stolid old bachelor, who goes nowhere, sees
nobody, and — I daresay does nothing."
"Then I will give him something to do. Where
does he live, Ken ? Tell me, and I will play off
upon him a few practical jokes, that may serve
for the time being to amuse me, and — and help to
enliven him. Ha ! ha ! — ha ! the very thought
raises my spirits !"
" You remember Prellsthorpe Abbey ?"
"Yes, Ren. The old sinner lives there, does
he ? But your information is not entirely to be
relied upon. There is a wonderful old gentleman
living at Heraldstowe ; he is as old as the hills,
and there are other marvellous human beings on
that side of the Park. Let me explain to you,
Ren. The village of Prellsthorpe and the Rectory
are on one side of the Park ; the Abbey, with its
grounds, on the other. And on the same side as
the Abbey, but some miles distant, dwell sundry
neighbours of different degrees of rank.
" Then we shall not have much to do with that
stupid and stony village, D. ?"
" Only to drive through it when we wish to
visit on that side of the county ; but the best
people live on the other side."
" And who are the best people ?"
" The Barrymores of Heraldstowe ; the Fortes-
cues ; and the great Catholic Maynooths of Wolfs-
craig. When I was here some six or seven years
ago, I became intimate with several first-rate speci-
MAIDENHOOD. 13
mens of dulness belonging to these families. We
will look them up in clue time, Ren, amuse our-
selves, and sharpen their wits somewhat."
" They must look us up, D.," said the lady
yawning.
" But now that I look into that past, say seven
years since, I recall my cousin Orel's sweet face.
Ren, suppose we go to the Rectory, and so take a
peep at Grel. She will turn out a queer little
countrified dot, no doubt. When I saw her last,
Ren, she was growing up after the pattern of the
Cheethams, round, and dumpy, nothing of the
Stuart in her ; her sweet face soured by rustic
learning, her high birth lowered by consorting with
strange individuals. A smile would be a boon to
your features at this moment, Ren ; but we shall
enjoy a hearty laugh if we only look up Grel :
come, Irene, come ?"
" Nonsense, D., the Rectory ought to come to
the Park. And besides, I hate walking, and I
could not walk so far if 1 made the attempt."
" True, Ren, true. The Rectory ought to come
to the Park ; but Rectories do not always as they
ought, and in this instance it is a little too early
to expect even a Rectory to make a call upon a
Park. Ah ! ah ! ah ! do you not know, Ren, that
the Rectory sent to inquire after the Park? And
a long reply was concocted between the excellent
butler and the gracious housekeeper belonging to
this establishment here, to the purport, 'That my
lady was very ill with the effects of the journey,
14 MAIDENHOOD.
that Dr. Quinn had desired her ladyship to keep
her room ; that my young lord and my young lady
were very tired, and quite unused to such trouble-
some journeys,' &c, &c. — and upon these crumbs
the Rectory will naturally subsist for a day or two
longer, if we do not break in upon their dreams.
And so, Ren, if the Park goes to the Rectory at so
critical a time, only imagine the astonishment of
the natives ! How they will be taken aback !
How very wide they will open their surpassingly
ugly eyes ! Do not say me nay, Irene ; I will
drive you. It will be something to do."
" It will surely turn out stupid, D."
" It will surely release us from our present
stupidity. Come, Irene, come, rouse yourself ; you
will die of the malady of yawns, if I do not rescue
you by this drive. I shall ring for my horses."
CHAPTER II.
FOLLY IS THE PRODUCT OF ALL COUNTRIES AND AGES.
"1 TAVE you seen Mr. Hamilton, mamma?"
1 i said Brenda Cheetham. " He called about
half an hour ago, and said if he did not meet with
you in the village he would call again."
" No, love, I have not seen him. In all proba-
bility he wanted to make some arrangement for
the school-feast. Was that it V
MAIDENHOOD. 15
" Oh ! no ! I ventured to hint as much, but he
pooh-poohed me in his usual manner."
" Nonsense, Brenda. He is an ex "
" My dear mother, Mr. Hamilton will not be
without a supporter while you live, although he
does pooh-pooh your daughter most abominably."
" Is that the Mr. Hamilton who has lately ar-
rived in this neighbourhood?" said the lady Grel.
" Lately arrived, ray dear," said Brenda mock-
ingly-
"He is an excellent well-meaning and gen-
tlemanly man, my dear," said Mrs. Cheetham,
" and if he would only marry, there might be a
nice lady companion at the Abbey for you and
Brenda, as well as for our new comers at the
Park."
" We must send again to inquire for your rela-
tives, Grel," continued she : " I fear the journey
has been very trying to the Countess."
" And he is not married," said the lady Grel,
referring to Mr. Hamilton ; "why, I really thought
he was a staid father of a family."
"Looks staid, Grel," said Brenda again mock-
ingly ; " and is not married, at least to the best of
our knowledge in these parts. Only think, dear
Grel, that very dignified, very excellent, very
handsome, and certainly ' staid ' Mr. Hamilton has
never loved ! — proof, not married !"
"Never to love, and never to marry, are two
things, Brenda; not married is no proof of nol
loving," said Grel.
16 MAIDENHOOD.
Brencla elevated her eyebrows, and stooped her
head in the attitude of listening.
"And yet it is true, a man may love without
even intending to marry ; and also marry without
being in love," said Grel, replying to Brenda's atti-
tude.
" Is it possible ! — the base creature !" said
Brenda, affecting to discredit Grel's remarks.
" But I, as a woman," resumed Grel, not at all
seeing that Brenda was drawing out her opinions
on this subject — " I, as a woman, determine "
Now the expression of Brenda's face arrested
her attention, and she suddenly ceased speaking.
" Determine what, Grel, dear ?" said Brenda,
in a more agreeable tone and manner, which
together reassured Grel, and gave her courage to
finish the sentence.
" I determine, Brenda, that I will not marry
unless I love most devotedly. I cannot say I will
not love unless I marry, because, you see, it might
happen that "
Grel again paused, and blushed, and Brenda
resumed :
" Charmingly sentimental, my dear, and I only
wish that ' staid ' Mr. Hamilton heard you."
" Hush, Brenda ! — hush !" said Grel, her brow
and cheeks crimsoning with annoyance — " I was
only talking a little nonsense with you, and was
not thinking of Mr. Hamilton."
" My dear girls, do not quarrel on such foolish
matters," said Mrs. Cheetham, " and more espe-
MAIDENHOOD. 17
cially now, for is not that the Prellsthorpe livery?"
— she pointed to the open window.
The surprise and conjectures of the three ladies
at the sight of a carriage from the Park were
speedily put an end to by the announcement of
Lord Danby and the Lady Irene Stuart.
" My dear Irene ! — how very kind !" said Grel,
approaching her cousin with empressement.
" Kind ! — to be sure — very kind. Did we not
know Mrs. Cheetham's kindness was perennial ?"
said Lord Danby, purposely perverting the mean-
ing of his cousin's words. " Were we not sure
she would receive old friends at any hour ?"
continued he, as he retained Mrs. Cheetham's
hand, and stooped to her in a friendly manner ;
when she attempted to speak, he interrupted her
by saying, "Not a word, my dear madam —
your tongue is of no value to you," and he gently
pressed her hand in a kind manner, " for your
eyes are windows, by the means of which we read
your heart, and we there discover that we are
welcome. I see even more — I see that you not
only forgive the rashness of this unearthly-houred
intrusion ; but more still — even that you have
forgotten and forgiven the boyish follies of your
very devoted friend, Danby."
" Indeed, I am truly glad to see you again,"
said Mrs. Cheetham.
" I know you are — say no more — say no more.
Here, Irene," continued lie, as he transferred the
hand he had persisted in retaining to his sister —
VOL. I. c
18 MAIDENHOOD.
" this is the Mistress Cheetham, the benevolent, of
whom you have so frequently heard me speak.
Take her to your heart — she is worthy thereof ;"
and then, turning to Mrs. Cheetham, and chang-
ing his mockingly-playful manner to one of mock
solemnity, he said : " This, madam, is my very
beautiful sister, the Lady Irene Stuart, commonly
called Ken."
Mrs. Cheetham turned to the Lady Irene, and
said all that was necessary on so auspicious an occa-
sion. When the two ladies had seated themselves,
Lord Danby turned to Brenda Cheetham, who
had been standing looking on, with an expression
of astonishment in her countenance, and said :
" I am Hen's brother, Danby — pray who are
you r
" Your long and eccentric speeches, and
unusual mode of proceeding, have so terrified me,
I shall have a difficulty in remembering my own
name, thus suddenly called upon," said Brenda,
mockingly.
" Then we will graciously allow your ladyship
time to recover your self-possession," said Lord
Danby, with a low bow, " and give our attention,
for the time being, to our very charming cousin,
Grel," continued he, as he approached Lady Grel,
and offered his hand.
" What a love Grel has grown !" said the Lady
Irene to Mrs. Cheetham.
" A love, Ren — a perfect love ! And now it is
ail up with me !" said Lord Danby — " curious,
MAIDENHOOD. 19
Ren, is it not ?" continued he, as he retained the
Lady Grel's hand, and turned to his sister. " I
would come and see her. Bear witness, lien, was
I not eager to come ?"
" Indeed you were," said Lady Irene, laughing.
But she did not explain that Lord Danby's eager-
ness arose from the desire to have " some stupid
girl to tease, or some pretty one to please."
" Yes, I insisted upon breaking through all
rules of etiquette, and following the dictates of
our hearts ; and it turns out I came to take note
of the wondrous improvement these last few years
have wrought," and Lord Danby seated himself
by Grel's side, still retaining her hand.
" I am glad you came so kindly," said Grel,
with a smile and a bright blush.
" To be sure you arc. Always speak the truth,
Grel, in spite of the example of fashion. Perhaps
you do. And you surely perceive that I am the
very quintessence of plain-speaking V And then
he stooped, and saitl, in soft, low tones — " I love
you, Grel."
Grel started and blushed, and turned away
without speaking.
" I love you, and I shall take you for my own,"
said he again, in low tones, which were only heard
by Grel.
Lord Danbv was amusing himself with his
cousin's simplicity.
" You must have my consent first," said Grel,
with some spirit, blushing still more ; and yet, in
c 2
20 MAIDENHOOD.
spite of herself, feeling flattered by her cousin's
attentions.
" That is very easily gained, for no lady would
dream of refusing me — would she, my Lady
Thorhilda 1"
Lord Danby had turned to Brenda Cheetham.
" I say my cousin Grel may go farther and
fare worse. Now, what say you to that, my Lady
Thorhilda V said he, again addressing Brenda
Cheetham.
" I quite agree with you, my lord," said Brenda,
mimicking so exactly Lord Danby's manner, as to
cause the lookers-on to smile.
" You quite agree with me !" said Lord Danby
in a tone of surprise, and fixing his eye on Brenda;
" and I quite agree with myself, that I can bring
back to your terrified-away memory the knowledge
of your own name ! I thought / had some recol-
lection of you, though you were unable to remem-
ber yourself," said he, laughing. " You are
Brenda Cheetham. Oh ! Brenda, Brenda, short-
memoried Brenda, recall the past ! — recall those
days, nay, that day — that very day ! Why,
Brenda, you pulled the rosy-cheeked apple from
between my very teeth, and said I had stolen it
from the favourite tree in your favourite garden.
And so I had. But, Miss Brenda, it is my turn
now. I am come to make good my residence at
Prellsthorpe Park. I shall henceforth be one of
your nearest neighbours — will not I visit that bitter-
sweet past upon you !" continued he, holding up
MAIDENHOOD. 21
his finger ; while Brenda Cheetham, by lier
blushes, seemed to acknowledge the truth of the
accusation, and, by her smiles, to take pleasure in
Lord Danby's notice. She was sitting by the
open window, and at this moment turned to reply
to some one who had spoken to her from the lawn.
Then she said to Mrs. Cheetham,
"Mamma, Mr. Hamilton wishes to speak to
you."
" Perhaps you will excuse me I" said Mrs.
Cheetham, as she left the room.
" Is that the Mr. Hamilton of Prellsthorpe
Abbey?" said Lady Irene.
" Yes ; your nearest neighbour at the Park,"
said Brenda.
" Why, Grel, you blush as if Mr. Hamilton
were somebody of consequence in your eyes," said
Lord Danby in a whisper. " Tell me, is he a
favourite ?"
" I do not know him," said Grel ; but she knew
that the mention of his name had disturbed her,
because it recalled the conversation she and Brenda
had had before the arrival of her cousins. Grel
had been so accustomed to hear Mr. Hamilton
spoken highly of by both Mr. and Mrs. Cheetham,
that she was quite prepared to think well of him
herself when she did meet with him, and admire
him as much as she durst admire a handsome man
who had never once spoken to her. Lord Danby
sat for a second or two scrutinizing his cousin
with keen eyes, and then he said,
22 MAIDENHOOD.
" What sort of creature is he V
"One to excite your pity; for some foolish
people make a great lion of him, because he has
some ten or twenty thousand a year," said
Brencla.
"Is it possible!" said Lord Danby. "Now,
which do you wish me to pity, for I am not
clear on the subject — the foolish people, or the
great lion ?"
"Mrs. Cheetham thinks most highly of him,
and he is certainly a good man !" said the Lady
Grel.
" Good according to the times, Grel," said
Brenda; "and these are wonderful times. No
one can be called good now-a-days who does not
build schools, cram the poor children with know-
ledge they cannot understand, and the fathers and
mothers on beef and beer on high-days and holi-
days ; who does not give yearly doles of blankets
to every cottage in the village, and loads of coal
and fagots of wood to make each cottage-fire
burn ; and, after all this, even barrels of meal and
bags of potatoes to keep life in the bodies of these
our hard-worked and hardly-treated peasantry !"
"And Mr. Hamilton does all this with his
twenty or thirty thousand a year?" said Lady
Irene. " And what else, for a man who does so
much must surely do more?"
" Restore the church, of course," said Brenda
laughing ; " and equally, of course, give two or
three bells, by way of pulling down the old tower.
MAIDENHOOD. 23
And then he builds soup kitchens, and fills them
with soup ; and baths and wash-houses, all for the
poor ; and — and I told mamma one day I half
expected he would not finish until he had lodged
them all in his grand old Abbey."
" Lodged all whom ?" said Lord Danby in a voice
of consternation. " Do you mean lodge the poor?"
" Yes, the poor. You need not be so astonished,"
said Brenda; "there are not more than two hun-
dred in the whole parish, and the Abbey contains
I cannot tell how many beds, but surely quite
enough for our village."
" A very original idea ; I commend you for it,
Brenda the marvellous !" said Lord Danby.
" Now, if he would only lodge all the poor for
a month or so in his grand old Abbev, there can
be little doubt but that he would have done
enough to make himself famous, and he might
then quietly repose upon his laurels for the re-
mainder of his charitable life !"
" Brenda ! — Brenda ! you are the most satiri-
cally amusing young lady it has ever been my
good fortune to meet," said Lord Danby, laughing.
"lie never goes to balls, or races, or any places
of amusement, I suppose?" said the Lady Irene.
'• Do not tell her. Brenda — do not tell her,"
said Lord Danby. "Ren is making up her mind
to the best way of spreading her nets to catch the
lion, and of course if he does not dance Ren will
eschew balls; so do not tell her."
"I will tell you all I know," said Brenda, turn-
24 MAIDENHOOD.
ing to the Lady Irene, "and give you my powerful
help. He dances well, and at the last Prellsthorpe
ball "
"Prellsthorpe ball !" said Lord Danby, starting
up. " Do you mean sincerely that this horrible
Prellsthorpe village gets up a ball V'
" Indeed, yes, on especial occasions," said
Brenda laughing. " The last was got up by the
Kifles, and Mr. Hamilton danced with all the old
maids in the room ! — yes, all the well-known wall-
flowers — all the very, very old maids who had not
been ashed "
" Patience, patience, I can bear no more !" said
Lord Danby, affecting to stop his ears.
"Asked to dance," resumed Brenda, "within
the memory of man ; and who were very much
puzzled what answer to make in the first place,
what steps to make in the second, and to know
what to do with the honour thus forced upon them
in the third."
" He did not dance with charming Brenda, the
satirical V said Lord Danby.
" He anticipated my refusal, and did not ask
me," said Brenda, quietly. " No, no, I confess it,
he did not ask me to dance ; and he is often un-
civil to me. But the Rifles .had got up a bazaar,
to be followed by a ball, to meet expenses of some
kind, and that was the real reason for a ball in
Prellsthorpe. Yes, he is uncivil to me !"
"Uncivil to you! — what can he mean f said
Lord Danby.
MAIDENHOOD. 25
" He tells my mother I do not help her enough
in visiting the poor ; and he avers he often sees me
enjoying a ride on my pony."
" Wicked little Brenda, the marvellous ; why do
not you ride over him 1" said Lord Danby.
"He thinks me 'as full of faults as an egg is
full of meat.' I differ from him on that point,"
said Brenda. "I think he has no business with
my faults or my perfections ; and I just toss my —
as you, of course, would say — ' very pretty head,'
and do as I please."
" Excuse me, indeed you are wrong," said Lord
Danby ; " I should not call your head ' very pretty,'
or even pretty."
" The greater the proof that it is so," said Brenda,
demurely.
" Ah ! vou forget my talent for truth," said
Lord Danby.
" It seems to me, Mr. Hamilton is certainly good
and charitably disposed," said Lady Irene.
"He will do. Will he, Ken?" said Lord
Danby. " Bashf ulness is not one of Ren's faults.
Now, it would not surprise me if Ken attracted this
great lion from "
"From lesser stars," said Brenda. "Ah ! when
you have seen as much of him as I, you will be
glad to resign him."
"Irene thinks fifty thousand a year worth hav-
ing," said Lord Danby, laughing.
"Ten thousand, D.," said Grel, correctively.
" Most modest cousin. Ken would spoil the
26 MAIDENHOOD.
shape of her nose at the thought of so paltry a
sum," said Lord Danby.
The lady Grel looked puzzled, but did not
reply.
" Fifty thousand would be worth the considera-
tion of most ladies," said Lady Irene.
" Well, then, lien, what say you % Miss Brenda
is willing to resign the lion — Grel must have no-
thing to do with him — that is on my account,"
added he, sotto voce, to Grel ; " and }^ou require
amusement. Suppose, now, by way of attracting
the notice of the lion, you commit yourself to a
few absurdities, such as 'clothing' and 'firing' a few
old women."
" Yes," said Lady Irene, now laughing heartily,
" a few old women, D. ; and so curry favour with
this great lion, Miss Cheetham."
" You and Grel are not very likely to try to
curry favour with anyone," said Brenda, mock-
ingly ; " and yet, as I gaze upon you, the fact
seems to strike me that you will both interest this
very fastidious Mr. Hamilton."
"Oh! Grel, Grel, do not smile and plume
yourself on your attractions — you are mine," said
Lord Danby.
" Mr. Hamilton has not condescended yet to
notice Grel ; he visits his old Abbey once or, twice
a year for about ten days or a fortnight ; and,
hitherto, something has happened to keep Grel out
of the way," said Brenda.
" Quite right. The fates knew she was meant
MAIDENHOOD. 27
for me," said Lord Danby. " You see, Brenda,
Grel is not sufficiently wicked to attract his notice.
She rides Iter pony too well to call down his cen-
sure. Is it not so, Grel, the very beautiful I"
" I have not seen Mr. Hamilton three times, D.,
nor spoken to him once," said Grel, blushing
brightly.
" But, then, Brenda, knowing there was in this
neighbourhood such a person as Mr. Hamilton,"
said Lord Danby, "who sees to everything, takes
care of everybody, asks the old maids, poor things,
soups, coals, meats, breads, potatoes, blankets, baths,
and washes the poor ; and that he does all this
work in ten days or a fortnight, and then hies him-
self away to commit greater marvels in other
places, — I say, knowing as you dp of this gentle-
man's residence at Prellsthorpe for the time being,
why do not you lay up your pony in clover, pull a
very long face out of that very round, rosy-cheeked
one, and allow the lion to catch you in a dirty
cottage now and then f "
"Because I choose to make my visits to the
poor when Mr. Hamilton is out of sight and out of
hearing; and I also choose to ride my pony every
day while he is at the Abbey, to give him the
pleasure of seeing how entirely I abide by his
opinion."
" Von are the most amiable and original young
lady I have had the pleasure of meeting for many
a long year," said Lord Danby^ rising, as he saw
Lady Irene taking leave of Grel ; "and that affair
28 MAIDENHOOD.
of the rosy-cheeked apple, that you pulled from
between my very teeth, was the precursor of — of —
your present smile. Good morning, Brenda, the
wilful. Grel, dear Grel," continued he, in low-
tones, as he held her hand, " we shall meet again."
And the brother and sister returned to the Park.
CHAPTER III.
" READ, TRY, JUDGE, AND SPEAK AS YOU FIND."
From the Diary of the Lady Grel Stuart.
" QURELY I never experienced so intense a
O stillness ! Not a sound, not a breath of air,
no moon — but myriads of glittering stars. The
sky clear, and blue, and bright, the stars number-
less, gleaming and scintillating. I enjoy this
silence, and apparent loneliness at this late hour.
One seems to have more companionship with
heaven, when one has so little of the noise of earth,
of its worries and confusions !
"But now, I must record it is just one week since
that memorable day in which Irene and D. came
so kindly to see us. And in that one week I have
known more of earth's bustles, perplexities, and
chafings than in all my previous life befox'etime !
I almost feel it necessary to ask myself — since I
wished so heartily for change — to ask myself what
MAIDENHOOD. 29
sort of change I had set my heart upon ? Not
noise and clatter, that is certain ; because D.'s
attacks make me sad. Not eternally running be-
tween the Park and the Rectory, only to have a
lioht-tongued, somewhat foolish talk as the result.
Certainly not the fact that is every day making
itself more strongly felt ; not the feeling of dislike,
positive dislike of D., and something very like in-
difference towards Irene. A conviction that almost
makes me wish my cousins were not at the Park !
" I suppose it was foolish to be discontented with
my quiet life, and to long for change. Now that
I have had this one week of fusses, I turn to my
books and music with rapture, and I greatly solace
myself with them, as a relief to my disappointed
expectations.
" But books and music do not fill every corner of
my heart ; I have some longings that must still be
deferred ; since I do not satisfy them in the com
panionship of my two cousins.
" It is true I shall see more society ; perhaps in
time meet with others, more congenial to me and
my tastes than they are. We dine at the Park
soon ; there I shall meet Mr. Hamilton, and this I
desire very much, although to myself, I may con-
fess, I stand in some little awe of him. I intend,
when I meet him, to be very silent myself, and to
listen to him, and watch him ; that I may form
my own opinion from my own observations, and so
not allow myself to be biassed by Brenda Chce-
tham's ill-nature.
30 MAIDENHOOD.
" I am sorry to say it, even to myself, but I am
daily conscious of more and more dislike towards
Brenda. She is clever, but in some things vindictive.
Often meanly jealous of trifles; trifles that cannot be
altered, and for which no one is accountable, or to
blame. She wishes to be tall and slight, like me ;
she is short and rather stout. I wish I could make
her tall and slight ; I would to make her happy.
But as I cannot, then I wish she would not be
unamiable and spiteful to me, and dislike me be-
cause I am taller and slighter than herself.
" How she does admire D. ! I wish he would
talk to her, instead of to me. Nothing seems to
go right. Soon I shall be longing for my old
quiet life to return upon me ; for the Park to be
again shut up, and myself left in peace to pursue
such occupations as please me. Ah, me !" —
End of extract from Diary.
•
"You find your cousins very much to your lik-
ing, Grel," said Mrs. Cheetham one morning, when
the two ladies were alone.
" Somewhat different from my preconceived
ideas," said Grel.
And then, fearing she had confessed, or was
on the verge of admitting too much, she added,
" Irene is very handsome ; but then this she was
sure to be, or "
" Or she would not be a Stuart," said Mrs.
Cheetham laughing, as the Lady Grel hesitated to
complete the sentence. " You and she are very
MAIDENHOOD. 31
much alike. Oh ! pray excuse me, you will think
I am following the lead of your flattering cousin
Danby ! I rather meant to say you might easily
be taken for sisters. The black hair, the fair-
complexion, the darkly fringed eyelids, even the
outline of the features and the movement of the
figure, are strikingly alike."
" Is D. redeeming himself in my uncle's good
graces 1" said Grel abruptly. " There was some-
thing sadly wrong a year or two since, was there
not?"
" I know no particulars. Lord Prellsthorpe has
had a good deal of anxiety ; and we have been
told your cousin has occasionally met with strange
treatment; but we quiet people know very little of
the affairs of the fashionable world."
" Do you not remember, a few years ago there
were reports to D.'s disadvantage ? These things
recur to me now, like old sorrows."
" I do not believe all I hear, my dear. People
unconsciously exaggerate the reports they carry
about, like the fable of the three black crows. The
worst I ever heard, and even that admitted of
doubt, was that Lord Danby was cut on the race-
course, by some very old friends of your uncle's
family. Mr. Cheatham and I agreed at the time,
that probably there was but little truth in the re-
port ; and as your cousin has continued to hold up
his head, 1 feel sure we were right. Have you
heard Lady Irene is already supposed to be a great
attraction to Mr. Hamilton ?"
32 MAIDENHOOD.
" Yes ; Brenda told me. I think Irene will
hardly condescend to marry a commoner. When
ladies of her rank accept a lower, it is generally
for— for "
" Too often, my dear, for the sake of the wealth
they do not themselves possess ; but this, you
think, could not be the case with Lady Irene.
She has a private fortune of her own, sufficient to
prevent the necessity of such a step. She was
heiress to your aunt, the late Lady Clementina
Stuart."
" Yes, Irene was Aunt Clem's heiress. And
you think Mr. Hamilton has already — what shall
I say? — fallen in love with her?"
" Ah, my clear, strange things are said, and odd
remarks made even in this quiet part of the world.
I am told — but, Grel, dear, I do not like to repeat
such things — and yet I have been told the admira-
tion is from her -to him ! And another thing, my
dear, it is whispered that the Lady Irene is not so
rich as she ought to be, after coming into pos-
session of the great wealth of her aunt. She has
lived much abroad, in Paris and Vienna, and, like
Lord Danby, not been very prudent — of course, I
only mean in money matters. It is said the Lady
Irene has been accustomed t<f play for as high
stakes even as Lord Danby."
" What a terrible thing to say of a lady !"
" Yes, my clear, very terrible ; let us hope it is
not entirely true. I think there must be some
exaggeration. Indeed, I have only mentioned the
MAIDENHOOD. 33
subject to show that your cousin may even be in
as much need to many some rich commoner, as
other ladies of her rank have been before now.
But, my dear, we are letting time slip through
our fingers. Lord Prellsthorpe dines at seven, and
we have still to attend to our dress."
"I will not keep you waiting," said Grel, as
both ladies left the room.
CHxiPTER TV.
" ONE STORY IS GOOD TILL ANOTHER IS TOLD."
PRELLSTHORPE ABBEY was a place of
some importance. The grounds were exten-
sive and well kept up ; the estate large, and under
the surveillance of its owner.
The house was of a period some two or three
hundred years preceding this chronicle, but well
cared for by the constant residence of a house-
keeper and major-domo, with a proper establish-
ment of domestics. It was a show place, and only
tenanted by its owner for a few days, or a week or
two at a time ; though, on certain days in the
week, always accessible to visitors.
Mr. Hamilton had, for the last year or two,
made the Abbey more of an abiding place than
formerly — he had returned more frequently, and
remained longer at a time. lie was from this cause
VOL. I. D
34 MAIDENHOOD.
beginning to be better known in the county of
Z , and to mis himself up more with county-
matters. Indeed, for the last twelve or fifteen
weeks he had been so constantly resident, as to
take his place at the magisterial board, not only
regularly, but with very much influence. He was
found to be well-versed in our common English
law, and in all business connected with courts of
session and assize — that is to say, with the know-
ledge an influential magistrate ought to possess.
Also, the judgments he gave, when on the bench,
had the basis of justice in a remarkable degree ;
and the punishments he awarded were tempered by
mercy. And thus, Mr. Hamilton, in the course
of the last month or two, had risen to an import-
ance in the county of Z he had not before
enjoyed.
On the arrival at the Park of the Earl and
Countess of Prellsthorpe, Mr. Hamilton soon be-
came on more intimate terms there than he had
been with any of the surrounding gentry. Not
that he was not well known to the county gentle-
men generally. But, we must add, that though
Mr. Hamilton met the aristocracy of the neigh-
bourhood on all public occasions, he had not
hitherto condescended to visit them in private,
beyond the formality of a morning call, alleging,
as an excuse, " that he had no suitable establish-
ment at the Abbey, and that, until he was better
prepared to receive visitors, he must himself decline
to visit."
MAIDENHOOD. 35
For the on dits of the county of Z , as to
Mr. Hamilton's occupations, they were man}-.
Some gave him credit for an ability equal to
Glendower's, to
" Call spirits from the vasty deep."
Some even averred "the spirits" came when they
were called ! Some said he gathered gold from
the hills on his estate — they had seen him at work
with a hammer, chipping off pieces of something
here and there, and carrying away in his basket.
Some said he made gods and goddesses of the stars,
for that there was a room in the Abbey formerly
used by the lordly abbots, fitted up with a tele-
scope, always ready, pointed to the heavens ; and,
by means of which, Mr. Hamilton communed with
the distant inhabitants of the starry spheres, and
made himself able to tell of their doings. Some
said he wrote learned treatises on all the difficult
topics of the day, for he was never seen in his own
"sanctum" without a pen in his hand; and had
not unfrequentlv been caught in the very act of
correcting a proof.
There was also a rumour that Mr. Hamilton
was a married man, and that in some one of the
houses on his distant possessions his wife was shut
up in strict privacy. No one could tell how this
strange report had arisen. Most people had heard
of it. Some credited it, and these latter said thai
there was some foundation for the rumour, inas-
much as when his very ancient housekeeper,
D 2
36 MAIDENHOOD.
Mistress Age, had been questioned by the curious
among the many visitors to the Abbey, as to the
probability of her master, Mr. Hamilton, chang-
ing the life of a bachelor for that of a married
man, the elderly lady would shake her wise old
head, and say :
"Not yet a bit — no, not yet. There was a
reason why her master just did not change his
condition then." The old lady added: "She
could not exactly explain, but it was her opinion
that Mr. Hamilton would wait until — until — why,
in fact, she could not say more."
But garrulous age often forgets, like early
youth, how much it admits by only telling a little,
and Mistress Age, in her old age, was no excep-
tion to this rule.
It is true, the whole county of Z were
open-mouthed at the fact that Mr. Hamilton had
really become intimate at Prellsthorpe Park!
Intimate I It was even said he made excuses to
call there often — that he never refused an invita-
tion from the Park. All this was premature, and
much of it absurd; but then we are penning a
truthful chronicle, and must perforce note down
the bad with the good, the absurd with the real,
&c, &c.
MAIDENHOOD. 37
CHAPTER V.
" HE WTO CONCEALS A USEFUL TRUTH, IS EQUALLY
GUILTY WITH TLTE PROPAGATOR OF AN INJURIOUS
FALSEHOOD." A UfJUStilie.
11 Y17ELL, Grel, and what now do you think of
1 T Mr. Hamilton, for I saw you observing
him t" said Brenda Cheetham, when the two girls
were at length alone together, a day or two after
the dinner at Prellsthorpe Park.
" My opinion is unchanged : in the first place,
I think him handsome and dignified, but in the
second, I do not think him in love with Irene — I
hear most people have that opinion."
" And then, Grel, your cousin Danby ; he is
certainly in love with you," Brenda sighed.
u Do not say so, Brenda ; you ought to know
better. I admit he chooses to profess love to me
in public. But, Brenda, think, think ! Do we
not know that real love likes not lookers-on? And
D.'s love is always most visible when others are
present."
" Indeed, Grel, we ' lookers'-on,' as you call us,
can treasure up quite enough to understand many
things. You say Lord Danby' s professions of
love to you are not real ?" — Brenda spoke
bitterly — " /, as a ' looker-on,' would wish no
brighter or more real to me," and now she spoke
enthusiastically.
38 MAIDENHOOD.
" Brenda, are you serious ?" said Grel, in asto-
nishment — " I assure you he only talks nonsense."
" He does not look nonsense," said Brenda,
again bitterly. " I never saw a greater expression
of admiration in my life, from man to woman, than
from Lord Danby to you."
" Then, Brenda, I wish he would transfer it all
to you — all, Brenda !" and now Grel spoke
enthusiastically.
" I wish he would," said Brenda, fervently.
Whether Brenda's wish was written down by
the " Recording Angel," we, who chronicle, are
not able to say of our own absolute knowledge.
But Brenda had her wish — that much we may
chronicle for the advantage or satisfaction of our
CD
readers. Brenda Cheetham eventually had Lord
Danby' s love and admiration exactly as Grel had
it now. Brenda had heartily desired this — her
desire was granted. But to return to the conver-
sation between the two girls :
" Admiration is not love," said Grel ; " and,
Brenda, how you do worry me about D. ! He
does not love me. Do you not know love is silent
and secret ? — it is love I should like, and, believe
me, admiration is only a bore."
" And do you mean to tell me, Grel, that you
do not like Lord Danby f ' said Brenda.
" He is my cousin, remember that, otherwise I
should not like him," said Grel.
" Why, then, do you allow him to devote him-
self so entirely to you ?" said Brenda.
MAIDENHOOD. 39
"I have nothing to do with his ' devoting him-
self,' as you call it. He chooses to make a butt of
me for his own amusement."
" How blind you are, Grel ! — he adores you ;
and how often it happens that men love us whom
we cannot love ; while he, to whom we could give
a heart, is caught by some other."
" Who is sentimental now, I wonder ?" said
Grel, with a smile — " and all this came to light
by your asking me what I thought of Mr.
Hamilton."
" Well, then, Grel, to return to the great lion,
Mr. Hamilton," said Brenda. " He has told
mamma he shall be present at the distribution of
prizes in the school-room — he will even be present
while the children are examined. In short, he
will now begin to do just all those things he has
omitted up to this time. And so, Grel, you are
at fault in your judgment of Mr. Hamilton and
Lady Irene ; and if you are at fault there, you
may also be at fault as to the i love and admira-
tion ' of another, who shall be nameless," and
Brenda sighed and paused. " It is the Lady
Irene," resumed she, " who has prevailed upon
Mr. Hamilton to step aside from his ordinary
routine, and you think he is not in love with her !
Grel, you are very blind."'
The conversation was interrupted by Mrs.
Cheetham and Lord Danby.
" We have been arranging for the drive to the
Abbey grounds," said Mrs. Cheetham.
40 MAIDENHOOD.
"I have ordered my phaeton for four o'clock,
Grel. Will that suit you f " said Lord Danby.
" I do not understand you, D.," said Grel in a
tone of surprise.
" Why, my dear Grel, I drive you to the fete
in the Abbey grounds !" said Lord Danby.
"Not you — not you, D. !" said Grel impatiently;
" indeed, I made no engagement with you !"
" I did not accuse you of engaging yourself — I
merely state the fact. I drive you to the Abbey
grounds — when shall you be ready V
"I am obliged by your kindness," said Grel
suavely, and trying not to offend her cousin, " but
I wish to go with Mrs. Cheetham."
" My dear Grel," said Mrs. Cheetham, " what a
mistake I have made ! I sent to tell Miss Stone
I had a place for her. Poor thing ! it is so far for
her to walk — nearly two miles — and I quite under-
stood from Lord Danby he had arranged to take
care of you. What can I do?" Mrs. Cheetham
was evidently in great distress, and so also was the
Lady Grel.
" What, flashing up again, Grel !" said Lord
Danby. "Mrs. Cheetham, is she not handsome
in her anger ? I pride myself on your indignation,
love," added he sotto voce to the Lady Grel ; " it
calls up your beauty marvellously — and when shall
I come I " said he, again speaking aloud.
" I do not wish to go to the Abbey," said Grel,
hoping, by the self-denial of remaining at home,
to avoid the drive there with her cousin.
• MAIDENHOOD. 41
"Nonsense, Grel," said he, taking her hand
and carrying it to his lips. " I shall drive you."
" You have no right to treat me so, D., and I
will not go," Grel spoke more angrily than was
usual with her; she turned away, as if to leave
the room, and Lord Dan by said in quiet tones,
" Grel, I said nothing about ' right.' You take
things so strangely, like a half-educated girl. It
is true I understand ' might.' However, to please
you, I confess myself beaten. Addio !"
And, bowing and smiling, Lord Danby left
the room, and eventually mounted his horse and
rode away.
"Do not fret yourself, my dear," said Mrs.
Oheetham, " we must manage to take you."
And Grel seated herself in an attitude of deep
thought. She had looked forward to the enjoy-
ment of this fite in the Abbey grounds, as a young
girl who had seen but little of the world would
naturally. But she had not calculated upon being
tormented by her cousin, or upon being prevented
by him from watching and observing in her own
quiet way the different county people assembled
there. Mr. Hamilton himself, the lord of the
feast, she had, as it were, set her heart upon ex-
amining leisurely during those intervals which
were sure to be at her own command; and now,
as she sat quietly thinking over her disappoint-
ment, she felt she would rather stay at home than
go with Lord Danby, and have him at her side for
the evening.
42 MAIDENHOOD.
Punctually at four o'clock, and just as Mr.
Cheetham's horse and the Rectory carriage came
round, Lord Dan by arrived in his phaeton.
"Now, what shall I do f said Lady Grel,
clasping her hands together, and speaking in a
tone of much annoyance. " Brenda, let him
drive you." Brenda's reply was lost by Lord
Danby's entrance.
" Now, Grel, love, will you allow Mr. Cheet-
ham to drive you ? You see," said he in a kind
voice, " that will leave Mrs. Cheetham the power
to take Miss Stone, and if you agree to my pro-
posal, I can ride Mr. Cheetham's horse."
Now, could any one have been more kind or
more considerate for the feelings and comfort of
the entire party than Lord Danby had been, by
this thoughtful conduct ! Grel felt ashamed of
her ill-temper, and impulsively made repara-
tion.
" Thanks, dear D. ; you are so courteous," and
she offered him her hand, which he accepted, and
retained during their conversation. " You will
excuse my hastiness, D., I will behave better for
the future."
" You are always charming, Grel," said he.
" And Mr. Cheetham will drive me, you say ?"
said Grel.
" I am sure papa will not attempt to drive those
spirited horses," said Brenda ; but Grel heard her
not, and Lord Danby, as he continued to hold her
hand, said,
.MAIDENHOOD. 43
"Come, then, darling; let me place you
nicely."
They left the room together, Grel delighted
with the turn affairs had taken, Brenda watching
from the open window. Mr. Cheetham was in
the hall, evidently preparing for the drive.
" So like your good-natured self, my dear sir,"
said Grel, stopping to speak to him. But Lord
Danby hurried her on, as Mr. Cheetham said,
" Eh ? What, my dear "
Grel turned and nodded smilingly to her guar-
dian, while Lord Danby pressed her hand gently,
and said,
" Now, Grel, I will make you comfortable," as
he handed her into the carriage, and affected to
pull the carriage-rug into its place ; this done, he
seized the reins, and, without allowing a moment
for remonstrance, jumped up by her side, and,
lashing his horses, drove rapidly away.
Grel did not scream; but she had some diffi-
culty in restraining the expression of her annoy-
ance. She tried to speak quietly, for she had an
instinctive dread, which was unusual, of giving
offence.
" You said Mr. Cheetham should drive me, D.,'"
said she at length, breaking the silence.
"I asked if you would allow him to drive
you ?"
" And 1 said I would — I said yes — do you hear
me, D.?"
" I hear you, and I know what you said ; but
44 MAIDENHOOD.
if you would allow Mr. Cheetham to drive you in
my carriage, Grel, I certainly would not. It
pleasures me, Grel, to look upon you when you
are angry, and I knew I should put you in a ter-
rible rage. However, the longer you rage, the
further I'll drive," said he, deliberately turning his
horses from the road that led to the Abbey.
" Where are you going, D. V
Lord Danby put his horses on, and did not
reply.
" I ask you why you drive this way ?" said
Grel in her turn, putting her hand on the reins.
Lord Danby first removed her hand, and then
turning to her, said,
"Let me caution you against touching my
ribbons, neither myself nor my horses will stand
it. But I have not replied to your query. I drive
from instead of to the Abbey, to allow you time to
cool. I do not choose to take you into society
with such flaming red cheeks ; a little colour is all
very well, indeed rather becoming, with your daz-
zlingly fair complexion. But red, hot-looking cheeks,
and proud, flashing, and defiant-looking eyes, with
an angry and snappish tone of voice — these are not
meet for the educated and the courtly. You must
cool, Grel — and then "
After a silence of a few seconds, Grel said,
"And what then, D.T'
" Ah ! you are coming round, I can hear it in the
tone of your voice. ' And what then,' did you say?
— then you will be the better able, and probably
MAIDENHOOD. 45
the more willing, to listen to my love. You flout
me heartily in public, pray take your fill of flout-
ing now, while there are no witnesses. And when
you have scoffed out all your spleen, you may per-
chance listen, not only with more patience, but
with more politeness."
" But you are driving from the Abbey, D. —
why should you do that ?"
Grel tried hard to speak calmly.
" I have already told yon," said he quietly.
" Take me to the Abbey, D. — I insist upon it,
that you take me there !"
Alas ! she felt very angry.
" Yes — insist as much as you please," said he,
putting his horses on to a very fast pace.
"I will throw myself from the carriage," said
she with a desperate start.
Lord Danby was tall, and rather spare than
stout. He rapidly passed the reins from his left
to his right hand, and then putting his arm round
Grel's waist, said,
" And now, my beautiful Grel, what is your next
move !"
She felt his hot breath upon her cheek, and
shudderingly turned her excited countenance upon
him, as she said,
" How dare you, D. ! Let me go, you have no
right to torment me so."
And she struggled to free herself.
"I dare anything, Grel; and I will soon make
myself a right from which there shall be no appeal.
4ti MAIDENHOOD.
But you shudder, and fret, and fume, and storm,
and rage, as if I were some highwayman of the
last century, running off with your dainty lady-
ship ! Why, Grel, I am your cousin ! I have
had a cousin's privileges thousands and thousands
of times ! And I expected them ; nay, looked for-
ward to them again, on my return to the Park !
Grel in her inmost heart acknowledged the
truth of all this. And yet strangely enough " the
cousin's privileges," that had been so agreeable to
her in years gone by, were not agreeable now.
Sometimes, when she was examining herself and
her feelings, Grel wondered which was the most
changed, Lord Danby or herself.
" I did indeed suppose," pursued Lord Danby,
" that D. might have been treated with common
civility by his own cousin Grel — the little Grel
Stuart of former happy clays. And you say you
will throw yourself from his carriage ! will you 1
Ah ! ah !"
Lord Danby' s laugh was not pleasant, Grel
heard it and felt more dismayed still.
" You treat me scurvily in the presence of
Brenda Cheetham, who is truly a kind-hearted
and charming girl. You turn me adrift in this
lady's presence, and think I shall keep my temper!
You are mistaken ; the Stuarts are all alike. I am
as fiery as you, though, perhaps, I do not choose
that every pretty girl shall know it ; and I have as
strong a will of my own as you, Grel ! And you
think because you are a beauty, a born beauty, as
MAIDENHOOD. 47
ai'e all the females of our house, that you will not
gratify your own cousin — also born handsome as
are all the men Stuarts — gratify your cousin with a
little play ! I say you shall, Grel !"
The horses still trotted on, and Grel knew she
was in Lord Danby's power. If she did not
speak, it appeared to her as if he would still talk
on, through the long hours ; and if she did speak,
she feared to anger him more.
" It seems to me an arbitrary game you are
playing now, D. — and why do you not set me free?"
for he still had his arm round her waist.
"You may play more strange games before the end
of your life; and if I have any insight into futurity,
I say you will. In reply to the latter part of your
question, I shall not set you free till — till you en-
treat me, love; ah! ah ! — entreat me with daintv
words, and sweet smiles, and loving "lances."
''That I shall never do !" said Grel, giving way
to her long restrained anger.
"Time is of no value to me," said he with much
nonchalance. " I can afford to drive you on, and
on, till nightfall, ay, and through the long night
also. If you can afford a like drive, we are in for
a like pleasure."
Grel turned away her head to hide the tear that
Started into her eye, caused by her dismay at Lord
Danby's cruel speech. Drive her through the
whole long night ! What would become of
her?
" There are some things I cannot afford. One
O'
48 MAIDENHOOD.
is, to be humbled by one woman in the presence
of another. You have your answer, and know
your fate ;" and then Lord Danby again put his
horses into a fast trot, while he himself hummed
the favourite air from the last new opera.
Poor Grel ! she was in a sore strait.
a
CHAPTEE VI.
" MANY HAVE COME TO A PORT AFTER A STORM."
I TELL you to unhand me, D. ; you shall be
made to repent your rude behaviour !" said
Grel.
" I rather think you will be the first to repent,
Grel!" •
" Do you, then, wish to offend me, D. ?"
"I care nothing either for your moodiness or
your smiles here — here, while we are alone ; but
in the presence of others I will not be treated ill ;
and whenever in the future you dare so to treat
me, you shall have the bitter repentance, my
cousin !"
"I really did not at any time mean to displease
you, D. Oh, do set me free!" said she, struggling
in his grasp.
" Free ! I would as soon pitch you out of the
carriage myself as set you free, until I have
humbled you !"
MAIDENHOOD. 49
" At least, be reasonable, D., and tell me what
you wish ? Pray do not drive so fast ! —oh, pray
do turn your horses !" Poor Grel ! she was com-
pelled to entreat.
" Ha ! ha ! we are coming round, are we?" said
he in a mocking tone, and urging his horses until
they seemed almost to fly along the road. " First,
my sweet coz," resumed he, as he turned and
gazed upon her, "you understand, I shall tell you
I love whenever I please ; next, I will say what I
please to you, or to any one. I will speak when I
please, and always do as I please, in the presence
of any one, and you shall not say me nay."
" You have no business to say anything you please
to me, either when you are alone, or in the pre-
sence of others !*' said Grel, trying to keep up her
courage.
" I am not saying I have ' business,' or I have
' no business ' to do such and such things. I say
I will do them, and no one shall say me nay !"
" Set me free, I). ; indeed you hurt me keeping
me so long in one position," said Grel.
" Have I not said I will humble you? — and I
tell you again, I will."
"What is your will? — prav, oh, pray tell
me!"
" I have already told you. I will not be dic-
tated to — I will not be scorned ; and I will be
treated kindly and well in the presence of others,
always"
" It is your ill-behaviour that has called forth
Vol.. I. E
50 MAIDENHOOD.
mine — if, indeed, 1 have ever behaved ill," said
Grel meekly.
" That has nothing to do with the matter. I
do not say ' I will behave well ;' I say I will be
treated well."
" And you call this play ! D., I do not like
such play."
"I have said," resumed he, "may I not play
with my coz ? And I say again I will play with
her, and a charming game we will have together,
Grel ! But, to dare to put me down in the pre-
sence of Brenda Cheetham !"
" Oh ! pray do not hold me so tight — I cannot
breathe. And what of Brenda — Brenda Cheet-
ham ?" gasped Grel.
" She is a charming girl ! I love her. I do
not choose that the lady I love shall have a chance
of thinking ill of me."
" Love her !" said Grel, now in much astonish-
ment, and remembering his professions of love for
herself. " How many do you, then, profess to
love ?"
" I never count hearts, nor ladies," said he.
" Why, there is another mile-stone !" said Grel.
" Oh ! do, pray, turn your horses round ! What
shall I do !" continued she struggling. " D., do
tell me, what is this mighty will of yours that is so
to humble me V
"First, promise obedience to my wishes, and
then seal the promise by a kiss Oh ! yes, how
full of wrath we are !" said he mockingly. "Why,
MAIDENHOOD. 51
Grel Stuart has kissed her cousin D. some hun-
dreds of times ! But it matters not ; mv horses
will run on, and if I keep to this pace we shall be
in Landeswold by six o'clock."
" Do have some pity, D. What will the as-
sembled world at the Abbey say V said Grel, try-
ing hard to restrain her tears.
" What do I care what people say of you ! But
if you wish me to set you free, humble your proud
heart, express your sorrow for the past, promise
obedience for the future whenever your cousin
wishes for a little play, then kiss me, and I will
turn my horses' heads towards the Abbey."
" Just heaven ! D., what are vou asking !"
u I ask you to kiss me."
" I will not, D."
" Will not what, GreH"
" I will not kiss you — do as you will, or as you
can, / will not kiss you." Grel emphasised the
last few words, but she spoke with more of dignity
than of anger.
" Then, coz, you know you will lose cast by
driving with me to Landeswold — with me alone —
and at this late hour."
"I know I feel offended," said Grel ; " I think
your treatment of me deserves my indignant
anger. But, D., I have not placed myself in this
miserable position by any intentional wrong-
doing of my own. I cannot prevent you driving
me to Landeswold, and by that one cruel act of
yours laving me at once at the feet of the hard-
E 2
52 MAIDENHOOD.
judging, as an erring and perhaps self-willed girl !
Bat my faith saves me, and I trust in a Power
greater and more abiding than yours, that shall
over-rule all for my good. I will not kiss you.
And I care no more for the expression of your
will, nor for your artfulness in betraying me into
this misery, probably than you do for my refusal.
Murder me ! — stifle me ! — I am sufficiently hum-
bled by being your prisoner. I will not willingly
allow my own actions to lower me in my own
opinion ! I tell you, D., sooner or later your own
base deeds will recoil upon yourself; and once
again I tell you, D. — I will not kiss you I"
"By Jove, Grel ! Why, you are worth hun-
dreds and thousands of other women ! You shall
not kiss me ; and I will set you free, and kiss you.
But you will not throw yourself from the car-
riage ?" said he, as he was about to withdraw his
arm, which had hitherto been round Grel's waist.
" Noj I will not," said Grel, and she felt herself
free. " But still, D., you drive on and on," added
Grel ; " will you ever return to the Abbey ?"
Lord Danby did not reply. He turned his
horses' heads, and began to trot sharply back.
This was such a relief to Grel after the strain
upon her nerves of the last few minutes, that she
suddenly burst into tears.
" Why, Grel, darling, in tears ! I expected
thanks."
" Thanks, D.," said Grel meekly, and still
weeping, for, in spite of her recent courage, she
MAIDENHOOD. 53
did not wish to offend him by neglecting anything
he expected from her.
" Bless me, how grand we are ! But do not
weep — do not weep, tears will not do any good.
Do you not know I am in play ? — that, truth to
tell, I play a game ?"
" Yes, you have told me so. But what is the
game ?"
Lord Danby did not reply. They sat silent
some considerable time, and then suddenly, as it
seemed, came within sight of one of the entrances
to the Abbey grounds.
" What, home so soon ! — how can it be ?" said
Grel.
" I knew you wished it, Grel ; now, if you do
think me 'base,' and 'artful,' and in full possession
of all the bad qualities you so unsparingly heaped
upon me in your grand speech a short time since —
if you do think so ill of me, at least never say I
cross your will when you agree to mine."
" But I do not, and did not agree to yours,"
said Grel, forgetting that she might offend Lord
Danby again.
"Hush — hush! When I allow myself van-
quished by your pluck — well, that is a term used
by men, and, to tell you the honest truth, I do not
know another so entirely expressive of my mean-
ing — when I allow you have conquered by }'our
1 pluck,' you should not chafe me by petty contra-
dictions. But, Grel, do not weep. I will trot
back again if you do not dry up your tears."
54 MAIDENHOOD.
" I am quite recovered," said she.
" You will dance the first and last dances with
me, Grel !"
The lady did not reply.
" Do you hear me ? — the first dance and the
last?"
" I shall not dance, D. — I am tired."
Lord Danby deliberately turned his horses
round, and again trotted back on the road to Lan-
deswold.
" What are you doing, D. I" said Grel almost
in despair. To be within sight of the Abbey
gates, to see the assembled crowds on the lawns,
or in the distance in the grounds, and then to be
turned away, and again feel herself driving swiftly
on the road to Landeswold, almost took away her
courage, and certainly again excited her resent-
ment.
" I am driving to Landeswold ; if you are tired,
you can rest quietly in the carriage," said Lord
Danby.
" Now, what can you mean, D. f" said Grel.
" 1 mean what I say. I am going to Landes-
wold. It is only five o'clock," added he, consult-
ing his watch. " What, • weeping again, Grel !
Why, you are a man in your ' pluck,' but a very
woman in your tears !"
" In my weakness, D. I am not strong as you
are, and so perhaps, as you say, a very woman in
my weakness, or in the expression of it. Do not
take me to Landeswold !"
MAIDENHOOD. 55
Unconsciously Grel spoke entreatingly, and
Lord Dauby smiled as he said,
" Then dance the first and last dances with
me?"
" Yes, I will," said Grel, feeling it was wiser to
yield than suffer herself to be longer detained from
the party at the Abbey.
Lord Danby turned his horses immediately, and
again drove towards the Abbey.
" Never mind, Grel — I will not teaze you ;
you yielded your will to mine in that last
promise ; but you are a ' brick ' for all that."
"A brick!— what is a brick ?"
" Here we are ; now look around you."
The gates were standing wide open, and Lord
Danbv drove in.
" Did vou think we were lost ?" said Lord
Danby to Mr. Hamilton, who, with Lady Irene
and some others, was in the act of entering the
conservatory at the south entrance of the Abbey
grounds.
" Allow me, Lady Grel," said Mr. Hamilton,
coming hastily forward, and handing her from the
carriage. " Ah ! I fear you are not well. Danby,
do not drive away ; there are men somewhere near
to take your horses."
" Not well, love ? — what is the matter t" said
Lady Irene.
" I have put her out, Ren — teazed her ; oh !
Grel, do not betray me," said Lord Danby.
" You surely do not mind D. ? — -what nonsense
56 MAIDENHOOD.
to fuss yourself for anything he says or does !"
said Lady Irene.
Meanwhile Mr. Hamilton had busied himself
with silent attentions to the Lady Grel. A
garden seat had been rolled forward, and in the
course of a few minutes wine and biscuits were
handed to her.
" Place the tray on the seat, and leave it," said
Mr. Hamilton to the man who brought refresh-
ment. " Now, Lady Grel, if you have had a
fright from Dauby' s fiery horses, let me advise
you to restore your nerves," said Mr. Hamilton, as
he poured out and presented wine to her.
CHAPTER VII.
" DEEP RIVERS MOVE IN SILENCE SHALLOW BROOKS
ARE NOISY."
B REND A CHEETHAM, will you ever stop
carrying cake and tea to those dirty little
bumpkins ?" said Lord Danby, who had left the
party at the conservatory, and walked on alone.
" Yes, when I see you employed in a like
manner," said Brenda.
" Thanks, Miss Repartee — my back is not made
to be broken for or by bumpkins, or my tongue to
waste its sweetness on absent vouncr crad-a-wavs !
And, Brenda, as we meet so seldom uncontrolled
MAIDENHOOD. 0(
by the watchful eyes of others, I should think you
might put down the tea and cake, and come and
stroll with me."
" There are others more worthy of companion-
ship in your eyes — to such I recommend you at
this present time, and then I, poor Brenda Cheet-
ham, can attend to my duties."
" Humph ! — now she is imitating Grel. How
soon one woman spoils another ! And Brenda
will attend to her duties, will she 1 ? 1 ' soliloquised
Lord Danby, " which duties Brenda would have
no scruple in setting aside for the time being, if —
if she were sure of her admirer !
" Oh ! woman, woman ! — arch little creatures ;
but I consider such conduct forgiveable ; and
Brenda Cheetham is a charming woman, and
simple, in spite of her wit ; and, it seems to me,
unsuspicious of evil. She would credit a down-
right declaration of love at once. And there, as
she is at this moment, tripping along among the
rows of bumpkins, how prettily innocent she
looks ! She is too short, and too stout, and too
black-haired, for my individual taste. But it
would be easy to persuade her to the contrary, and
very amusing to me.
"Ah! indeed, and so Hamilton has turned
guardian to Grel ! — I see the large party coming
away from the conservatory. Ren will not like
that — indeed, it must not be. Ken must win
Hamilton, and let him marry her, while I make
Grel think she must marry me, even though she
58 MAIDENHOOD.
should win others ; but I shall not marry her — I
like Gwen better. Ren, Ren, where can your
foolish thoughts be gadding? And why are you
leaning on the arm of the handsome Maynooth,
and looking your very loveliest % Irene, this will
not do. Hamilton is a proud man : you will lose
him if you try to propitiate others ; but the May-
nooth is good, as a match for you — the Hamilton
better.
" ' Oh ! my prophetic soul !' and there is the
good boy, Almeric Barrymore — ' oh ! my prophetic
soul !' I said he would fall. I was sure he
would fall, because he was so determined to
become a pattern gentleman — one whose doings
should be an example to the world. He would
never do this and that — of course not !" and here
Lord Danby laughed, and shook his head con-
temptuously. " No, no, he would not, a valiant man
he was then ! But now there is a cloud upon his
brow — a shadow on his heart ! Well, well, this is
excellent. c My prophetic soul ! — my prophetic
soul !' " and when Almeric Barrymore passed out
of sight, Lord Danby made his remarks on others
who were near.
"Pretty girl that Thorn, but a — hum — mali-
cious, or envious, or something. And there is the
other, Sarah — ah ! I remember, there are three
Sarahs somewhere. Common and ugly name,
accounts for common and ugly people — but the
Thorn is pretty, she is a Sara. I see them all —
first the Barrymore, and she, by-the-bye, has at-
MAIDENHOOD. 59
tained a queenly height and bearing ; second the
Fortescue, and she is sadly too short ; she will
grow into a hen partridge, or a dame partlet ; and
third the Thorn — Sara Thorn — ugly name, ought
to have been ugly girl ; is not — and yet I feel sure
she is rightly named Thorn. She will often be a
thorn to less handsome women. Some day I will
make love to her. She, I am sure, is vain enough
to believe anything ; all pretty women are vain ;
all handsome women are — but what fools they are
to hand tea and cake to such a set of village
bumpkins. What on earth shall I do? I am
abominably tired of looking on ; I must do some-
thing to save my nerves from giving way — either
please Brenda, or teaze Grel, or look after the
Sarahs — " and Lord Danby yawned, and walked
slowly on — " Ah !" said he, " I am saved ! — there is
the Rectory Mother Bountiful !"
" Mistress Cheetham ! and M?ioccupied," con-
tinued he, as he walked to meet her. " Now this
is something to talk about, and ' make mouths at,'
— and I am glad to see you alone, for I want your
private opinion of my Grel? Is she not a sweet
creature ?"
" She is indeed a lovely creature ; and quite
fulfils the promise of her childhood. 1 do not
wonder at your admiration ; but I do at your treat-
ment," said Mrs. Cheetham.
" What can you mean ? What have I done to
my dear Grel, to cause a remark of that sort?
Tell me— pray tell me ?"
60 MAIDENHOOD.
" She is even now suffering from some alarm in
her drive with you from the Rectory here," said
Mrs. Cheetham. " I blame myself that I did not
prevent you from running away with her, as we
all know you did. Indeed, we were more or less
uncomfortable at your prolonged absence from the
Abbey grounds ; and when we saw you enter by
the South Gate we knew you must have driven
considerably round. Grel does not tell us what has
happened. Some mad freak or other of yours, I
said to Mr. Cheetham."
" Did you, indeed ! — that was very unkind ! —
Grel did not understand me," said Lord Danby.
"So Mr. Cheetham said. And Brenda said,
Grel's nerves must be of the weakest, if she could
not endure the spirit of your horses, when you
held them."
"Brenda is a brave girl," said he.
" We all know your horses are mettlesome ;
but we also know the power and skill of their
master."
" But Grel did not; — and besides, I teazed her,"
said Lord Danby, "yes, I did. Nay, do not
shake your head and look almost as handsome, as
your superlatively handsome daughter — or step-
daughter — but the good looks are all the same ; and
in truth, I teazed Grel shamefully. I told her I
would drive her to Landeswold ! Ah ! ah ! ah ! —
and she thought I was in earnest ! You would
have been wiser; — well, the darling became ill, and
I relented, turned my horses round, shortened my
MAIDENHOOD. 61
charming tete-a-tete with my lovely coz, and
brought her to the Abbey."
" You really are very "
" Hush, hush ! I have not told you half, and I
want you to help me ; will you, Mistress Gentle-
heart? I am promised to Brenda for the first
dance — indeed, Brenda likes to dance with me, per-
haps you already know that — yes, she likes to
dance with me, and I with her, and we are
mutually pleased to gratify each other ; and when
we run away with each other you will forgive us,
will you not ? Ah ! I see you will by that quiet,
amused, and unaffected laugh ; — but to return,
Brenda and I made up our minds to show off to
the bumpkins in tlu "
" The what ?— or the who ?" said Mrs. Cheet-
ham.
" The rosy-cheeked bumpkins attended by
Houris! Well — how you do laugh ! I shall never
finish if you interrupt me so frequently ! Now,
when Orel fell ill I was obliged to try to make
her happy, and tell her she should danc,e the first
quadrille with me ; you will allow Grel felt com-
forted ? But you perceive Brenda' s pleasure and
mine are delayed 'cause of Grel's illness ! We
cannot help that, we are the victims of circum-
stances. Will you tell Brenda ; give my love to
her — well then compliments, Mistress Cheetham,
Shake-the-head ! Hal ha! However, do you blame
me for making it up with Grel when I had so
teazed her i"
G2 MAIDENHOOD.
" Not at all. And whether Brenda dances the
first dance or not, I will answer for her wish, that
you should in this instance have resigned her for
Orel."
" Remember you, Mistress Cheetham of the
Smiling Countenance, remember you are Brenda' s
friend, and mine also when we run awav together.
Yes — you laugh — but never deny that you are in
the secret !"
The lady's reply is not worth recording; she
felt sure Lord Danby was only amusing himself
by talking " nonsense," that he would forget in
the next minute. But Mrs. Cheetham lived to
be reminded by Lord Danby that he had told her
of his intention to run away with Brenda ; and
that though she did not actually promise to assist
the run-a-ways, she certainly approved of their
plans. As soon, however, as Mrs. Cheetham and
Lord Danby separated, he said,
11 A restless old fool, who takes me for one of
the same genus as herself ; but, if I had not wit
enough ( to fool her,' I should indeed be a fool."
Soon after this, Lord Danby saw Mr. Almeric
Barrymore standing alone, apparently watching
the children. He went up to him, and said,
abruptly :
" And so the Ghosts of Heraldstowe have
visited you since I saw you last ? How do you
do?"
This was certainly a strange greeting after
many years of absence, and Mr. Barrymore
MAIDENHOOD. 63
seemed to think so. He started, and turned pale ;
mechanically and silently he accepted Lord
Danby's offered hand.
" Come, tell me," said Lord Danby, laughing,
" have the Ghosts of Heraldstowe caught their
mediaeval worshipper napping f"
" Are }-ou, then, the originator of these practi-
cal jokes ?" said Mr. Barrymore. " Let me
advise you to stay your hand ; I shall not show
you — I mean it is "
" You mean, if you catch me playing off
practical jokes at Heraldstowe, that you will shoot
me?"
" You have hit the truth so far, that any person
intruding into our private grounds, who will not
tell his name when spoken to, stands a good
chance of being "
" Shot dead as a door nail," said Lord Danby ;
" and since such is your intention, I may as well
have a witness to the fact in our old friend and
neighbour, Mr. Thorn. How do you do ?" said
he to a gentleman who came hastily up. " What
do you think ? — as a greeting to my return to the
county of Z , Almeric says he will shoot me
dead as a door nail."
" Hush !— hush !" said Mr. Thorn, the Vicar of
Stowe-in-the- Valley.
"I did not," said Mr. Barrymore, in an indig-
nant tone
" Of course not," said Mr. Thorn ; " we all
know our friend, Lord Danby, exaggerates a
64 MAIDENHOOD.
little " — and the old gentleman laughed plea-
santly, and seemed to take the accusation as a
joke.
Mr. Barrymore turned away, but Lord Danby
said :
" Do not go until }'ou have explained to Mr.
Thorn " '
" I said I would shoot anyone found trespassing
in our grounds after dark who would not give his
name," and Mr. Barrymore made his escape, and
the Vicar said quietly,
" I knew you were wrong — Almeric never uses
such strong language."
" You knew I was wrong — I assure you you are
wrong ; you have a wrong idea altogether of what
has been said."
And now that the children have had as much
plumcake and tea as they like — as they have
enjoyed their merry games, and sung their last
hymn, and been dismissed with their teachers
from the Abbey grounds — now the quadrilles
form, and dancing begins. And while some
continue to saunter hither and thither — some to
stand and gaze at the dancers, and some to rest
on the seats around — suppose we, as privileged
pryers into hearts, just take a peep at the state of
Mr. Hamilton's, and listen to his unexpressed
thoughts.
" These cousins are very handsome," thought
he, as he stood watching the quadrille — " Lady
Orel the handsomer — so much more character.
MAIDENHOOD. 65
The unsophisticated cousin queens it over the
brilliant woman of the world."
Mr. Hamilton was supposed to be in conversa-
tion with Lord Prellsthorpe, Mr. Thorn, and
Captain Fortescue ; this was the ostensible reason
for not joining in the quadrille. But it happened
the three gentlemen standing with him did all the
talking, while Mr. Hamilton, wisely affecting to
listen, allowed his own thoughts to run upon the
two Ladies Stuart and their doings.
" What could Dauby have done, during their
drive, with the Lady Grel ? She was nervous,
timid, and ill on her arrival. I mistrust Danby,
as well as that beautiful Lady Irene. I have seen
her very haughty, and heard her very dictatorial ;
she is not so with me — that is one reason for ray
mistrust. But my mind dwells on that handsome
cousin, the violet-eyed Grel — the weeping maiden
of my feast this day. Tears from a woman, if
called forth by a man, tell tales. One thing is
clear — she and Danby have not quarrelled ; it was
not a stormy drive, for they are dancing together
now ; he does not hide either his love for her, or
a4miration of her beauty, and she looks shy and
timid.
" Yes, I read it all. Danby has made love to
her, and she, the simple maiden — the truthful girl
— has credited him. But it is all wrong. Danby
is a man without a heart ; he has pulsation, which
ministers to his selfishness, but no heart. And so
you wept, Grel, at the first words of love!"
vol. i. r
66 MAIDENHOOD.
mentally apostrophised Mr. Hamilton — " so like a
woman ! I wish I had spoken those words. How
I gazed upon you at dinner, when I met you at
the Park, and, oddly enough, I thought then that
Danby's attentions were painful to you. I was
mistaken. You fulfil some of my ideas about
women ; you combine beauty, goodness, graceful-
ness, and innocence, and with all these perfections,
you love Danby.
" Woman, in her goodness and beauty, given to
liqr so bountifully by her Maker, queens it mightily
over our hearts. But woman, in her helplessness,
and, above all, her innocence — her want of the com-
prehension of evil — too often falls a prey to evil-
disposed men."
Mr. Hamilton had many interruptions to these
his sober day-dreams ; but we have preferred to
give them without " let or but," and to suffer them
to close the long day's fete in the Abbey grounds.
CHAPTER VIII.
" A LIE, THOUGH IT PROMISE GOOD, WILL DO THEE
HARM, AND TRUTH WILL DO THEE GOOD AT THE
LAST."
AND now it is necessary to introduce more par-
ticularly the characters — incidentally men-
tioned or spoken to by Lord Danby — who were
present at the Abbey fete.
MAIDEXnOOD. 67
First of Mr. Almeric Barry-Barrymore. He
is the grandson of Sir Hildebrand Barry-Barry-
more of Heraldstowe. This gentleman was ad-
vanced in years, and of somewhat delicate health,
in consequence of which Almeric had not been
sent to a public school, or, at a later period of his
life, to college. The old gentleman liked to see
young faces about him ; he enjoyed the sound of
their merry voices, their playfulness and unsophis-
tication. It will be remembered Lord Danbv
made a somewhat strange quotation from Shake-
speare when he first saw Almeric Barrymore in
the Abbey grounds — " Oh ! my prophetic soul !"
Almeric was a boy of some twelve or fourteen
years of age when Lord Danbv was last at Prells-
thorpe. Almeric was as fond of fun and frolic as
any other boy, in a reasonable way, but he could
not be brought to join Lord Danby in scenes of
dissipation, and in such other practices as would
cause certain annoyance to his tutor and kind re-
latives. Almeric honoured his tutor, who was
both a scholar and :i gentleman, and whose excel-
lent principles and highly-cultivated tastes had
directed the energies of his pupil into somewhat
different channels from those pursued by Lord
Danby, who, on this account, felt no hesitation in
calling Almeric "a muff." But Almeric, in spite
of rude epithets, or slang terms, combined with a
good deal of quiet badgering, stood his ground,
and would not suffer himself to be tempted into
scenes uncongenial to him. If the matter had
V _>
68 MAIDENHOOD.
ended there, perhaps all might have been well ;
but Almeric, not content with avoiding for him-
self the dissipation into which Lord Danby so
recklessly plunged, made repeated attempts to
turn his friend from such disagreeable pursuits.
As may easily be understood, this excited Lord
Danby's anger, and he at length replied with a
bitterness of speech for which he had always been
more or less remarkable,
" That he should not disgrace his noble name
and high lineage by following in the wake of such
a 'slow-coach' as Almeric B. Barry more, who spent
his time in reading musty old chronicles of the
Middle Ages, descriptive of wonderful people, who
went about the world fighting for some one thing,
that all their opponents declared to be 'a lie !' '
A great war of words arose upon this, and Lord
Danby argued on his part with much sophistry,
and turning all mediaeval worthies into ridicule.
Almeric, more sincere, and better read in these
subjects, contended that the days of chivalry were
also days of truth and honour.
" Your head is full of mediaeval folly," said
Lord Danby. " You yourself are at this moment
doing battle for ' a lie,' when you talk of the
Middle Ages as the days of truth and honour."
But Almeric was not to be talked out of his
conviction. He contended that he did not do
battle for " a lie " — that a lie was the meanest
subterfuge that was known or practised — a lie
was the very death-blow of all chivalric feeling.
MAIDENHOOD. 69
Lord Danby called Almeric " the preacher," and
Almeric thought Lord Danby a reprobate. From
time to time, as they met here and there, one be-
came still more sneering and taunting, the other
more prosy and preaching, until at length — as it
seemed by tacit agreement — they seldom met.
But it is still necessary to record, that on several
occasions Lord Danby had tried the effects of
superstition on Almeric's nerves, and on one par-
ticular occasion he had taunted Almeric by saying,
" You are afraid of the ghosts in the old house
at home, for you know well enough that the
ghostly remains of your worthy ancestors tenant
the coats of armour that stand in the hall, or on
the stairs, or in the long galleries ; and you dare
not, for the life of you, confess the truth as to
those mediaeval days, and swear the men were liars
and the women faithless, in the fear of the
watchers and warders dogging your footsteps and
doing you some ill."
" The old barons will never harm me !" said
Almeric with some pride.
" You cannot deny that you have a strong wish
to propitiate them ? I have even thought it pos-
sible that Sir Hildebrand follows the goodly ex-
ample of ' Sir Brian of the fiery eyes,' and has
the old barons, as you call them, to dine with him
occasionally."*
" I do not seek to propitiate my ancestors," said
Almeric again proudly, and without replying to
* See Note 1.
70 MAIDENHOOD.
the latter part of Lord Danby's speech. "If I
did ill, or acted in opposition to the dictates of a
good conscience, I might naturally have a certain
fear of the ghosts of the worthy barons. For the
ghosts of men so loyal and true would abominate
a descendant who would disgrace their name ; and
therefore, if such beings are permitted to plague
living men, I might in that case expect to come in
for a goodly share of torment."
This was, of course, mere boy's talk. And yet of
the two, Almeric was sincere in all he said, Lord
Danby — to use his own words — "only chaffing the
Mediaeval."
Almeric felt that, as far as he knew good from
evil, he would never lower himself by doing ill ;
and though he had no actual belief in the appear-
ance on earth of such myths as ghosts, he had
no objection to invite them to come and warn him
of the consequences if he should do wrong —
but then he felt himself so strong in his good in-
tentions !
But now it is time that Almeric should himself
explain — what the astute Lord Danby has already
discovered — viz. :
That he has a troubled conscience ; or that his
mind is full of care.
MAIDENHOOD. 71
CHAPTER IX.
" NO ONE KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIM BEFORE
SUNSET."
ON one occasion Almeric had entered the
library at Heraldstowe, through the con-
servatorv. He had found the book he wanted,
and on turning to leave the room, inadvertently
O 7 ml
came in contact with the open door of a cabinet.
A small bunch of keys was dangling in the lock.
As this was a very unusual circumstance, Almeric
stoo4 hesitating as to what would be the best thing
to do. To lock the doors and take away the keys
might cause annoyance to Sir Ilildebrand, when
he made his appearance; but to leave the keys in
the lock might, besides vexing him, be the cause
of a serious rebuke to his sister, who had the charge
of the cabinets.
While these thoughts were passing through his
mind he had listlessly opened and closed the tiny
drawers one by one, and allowed his eye to run over
a number of valuable coins as they lay in their
small recesses; and, he was about to close the doors
of the cabinet, lock them, and take the keys to his
sister, when he caught sight of a coin that riveted
his attention. He took it up, looked earnestly at
it for a second or two, and then said — at first in-
quiringly —
" Is it the six-angel piece ?"* and af forwards en-
*See Note 2.
12 MAIDENHOOD.
thusiastically — " It is — it is the very coin !" He
moved nearer to the open door of the conserva-
tory the better to catch the light — for the library
was rather a dull than a cheerful apartment — and
after again examining it, he said, " It is, in posi-
tive truth, the ' six-angel piece of Edward VI.' and
my dear grandfather "
But he heard footsteps approaching, and with a
a little start, yet still retaining the coin, he walked
through the conservatory and re-entered the lawn.
And once there without turning to ascertain by
whom he had been interrupted, in the full blaze
of the sun's liffht he stood and re-examined the
coin, convincing himself that he really held in his
hand that unique coin, "The six-angel piece of
Edward VI."
The interruption had been caused by a servant
who came to look for Miss Barry more, and seeing
only Mr. Almeric retreating through the conserva-
tory, he had immediately retired. But Almeric,
after, perhaps, a minute or two of study over the
coin, recollected himself. He perceived that he
was walking away from the house, and he had in-
tended to go to his own room ; but he had done
this unconsciously, and while still scrutinising the
coin ; and besides, he had no intention of leaving
the precious contents of the cabinet exposed — as
he himself had found them — to any chance visitor
to the library. Not that he absolutely expected
either to find thieves in his grandfather's house-
hold, or that marauders who understood coins and
MAIDENHOOD. 73
their value should accidentally enter the library
while the cabinet doors stood open ! He knew
they ought not to be standing open, and this thought
pressed upon him as he stopped in his somewhat
hasty retreat, and said,
" But I have this coin in my hand, and it be-
longs to that cabinet. Now it was only the other
day, my dear old grandfather assured me, that he
never had had this coin in his collection : though I
even remembered the purchase of it ! Poor dear
old man, his memory is very treacherous ! I have
long known he is not aware of one-half of the
treasures he has in his possession. And then
again, sometimes he takes it into his dear old head
to give away a number of duplicates — duplicates !
Yes — when they are really so, all very well , but T
have known him give others — not duplicates — be-
cause in some lights he can scarcely distinguish
one coin from another — and — he does not like to
have his mistakes pointed out to him. Now — I
should wish to keep this piece in our cabinet, be-
cause it is unique."
Almeric stopped in his walk, stood hesitating
for a second or two, and then turned to retrace his
Steps towards the house. As he walked on he
muttered to himself,
" It is of no use to restore this to the cabinet.
The dear old man may give it away any day, be-
cause In- docs not know that he has it. And then
again he cannot miss what he is quite sure he does
not posssess ! "
74 MAIDENHOOD.
And Almeric laughed, tossed up the coin, and
caught it several times in succession ; and then he
seemed suddenly to recollect — for he again stood
still as if thinking — that if he determined to keep
the coin, he ought to do something about the cabi-
net ; he ought, at least, to seek out his sister and
tell her the cabinet was unlocked. He would do so.
He quickened his pace, and walked on towards the
windows of the drawing-room which opened upon
the lawn.
" I wonder now if, strictly speaking, this would
be called a theft ?" thought he. " I certainly do
not wish to thieve," and he smiled, and once more
tossed the coin into the air and caught it — "and I
certainly do not hide my treasure, nor — nor run
away, as a thief most certainly would," and Almeric
laughed aloud. " But now I will just suppose,
the grandson and heir of Sir Hildebrand Barry-
Barrymore caught in the act of robbing the old
man's cabinets of a gold coin ! Why, it would
set the world in a blaze! Talk of a capital hit
for a melodrama ! — it would make the fortunes of
newspaper proprietors, and of the editors of periodi-
cals ! I'll keep the coin against all comers," said
he aloud, and purposely using the language of
chivalry — " I'll keep it," added he, " just to see
what will come of it."
And still he continued to toss up the coin, each
time higher and higher, and to catch it, laughing,
and as if enjoying the idea — "Of keeping it against
all comers, just to see what would come of it ! "
MAIDENHOOD. 7«T
Almoric had walked on while these thoughts
arose in his mind ; but when he arrived at the
open drawing-room windows he ceased to toss up
the coin, put his hand to his waistcoat pocket with
an intention of placing it there ; but, instead of
this, he held it tightly between his finger and
thumb, and did not withdraw his hand from his
pocket, while, on attempting to enter the room, he
stood as if spell-bound, one foot in the room the
other on the lawn, and his finger and thumb in his
waistcoat- pocket.
"Almeric, what is the matter V said Miss
Barrymore, who stood at the piano apparently
turning over the leaves of a music-book, but who,
on seeing her brother, advanced to meet him.
Ahneric's tongue was as silent as his figure was
motionless. He said not a word, but continued to
stand in an awkward position, one foot on the
carpet, the other on the lawn — one hand in his
waistcoat-pocket, a small book in the other, and
staring at his sister in an earnest and serious man-
ner.
" Almeric — dear Almeric !" said Miss Barry-
more, as she still drew nearer to him, " what is the
matter? Are you ill 1 ?"
" What do you mean ?" said he in an uncour-
tcous tone. " I am not ill," and he entered the
drawing-room.
But, in explanation of Almeric's unusual be-
haviour, it must be told that Miss Barrymore's
position in the drawing-room commanded — through
76 MAIDENHOOD.
the half-open door into the library — a view of that
very cabinet from which he had just taken the
coin. His conscience suddenly whispered to him,
" Perhaps my sister saw me take it?" and hence
the paralyzation of speech and motion.
" Something must be the matter," said she as
she returned to the piano, " for you are out of
temper, and this is unlike yourself."
Almeric became suddenly red in the face, when
he admitted to himself " that he had behaved in
an exceptional manner," and that that alone would
account for the alteration in his appearance. He
knitted his brows, and unwittingly nipped the coin
the closer — for he had not taken his hand from
his waistcoat pocket ; but ere he could reply in the
bitter words that again arose uppermost, a sound
of a door shutting violently arrested their atten-
tion, and Miss Barrymore went into the library.
Almeric followed. She went direct from the
drawing-room door to the door of the conservatory
— which two doors were opposite to each other —
while Almeric, unperceived by her, closed the
small drawer in the cabinet from which he had
taken the coin. Meanwhile Miss Barrymore had
opened the door leading into the conservatory, to
ascertain the cause of its having been closed with
such violence.
" I beg your pardon," said a voice from the con-
servatory.
" Is it you, Johnson I" said Miss Barrymore ;
" no harm done, I hope ?"
MAIDENHOOD. 77
" Oh ! no, ma'am ; no harm."
Miss Barrymore re-closed the door of the con-
servatory, and, turning round, saw — the doors of
the cabinet standing wide open !
Almeric had felt indignant with himself for the
uncomfortable feeling he had had, under the sup-
position that Miss Barrymore had seen him take
the coin. " I do not mean to steal," were the very
words he said to himself when he closed the
drawer while Miss Barry more's attention was at-
tracted elsewhere. " I do not mean to keep the
coin," thought he, " if my grandfather wishes for
it. And I only do not replace it in the cabinet, .
because I fear it may be given away in a moment
of generosity, from a want of the knowledge of its
real value."
We are not defending Mr. Almeric B. Barry-
more's position — only chronicling facts !
CHAPTER X.
" THAT MISCHIEF COMES JUSTLY THAT IS OF YOUR 'OWN
SEEKING."
" f\R ■" said Miss Barrymore, clasping her
\J hands together as she turned, and saw the
cabinet doors open — " I had forgotten !"
" The fact is, Zara, I went to the drawing-room
on purpose to tell you I had seen the cabinet
open," said Almeric. " I came here to fetch this
78 MAIDENHOOD.
book," showing her the one in his hand, " but,
somehow, when I saw you at the piano I thought
perhaps you knew all about it."
Almeric meant — " perhaps you knew I had taken
the com — perhaps you saw me take it." But Miss
Barrymore, who thought Almeric meant that she
knew the cabinet doors -were open, said, in a tone of
annoyance :
" Indeed, I did not know all about it ; you
might have felt sure, Almeric, that there was a
mistake somewhere."
" I am sure of it," said he, with a smile, as he
now, for the first time, dropped the coin into his
waistcoat pocket, which, up to this time, he had
retained between his finger and thumb, and he
rapidly thought as he did so :
" There were three mistakes : dear old grand-
father made the first : he said he had not the ' six-
angel piece.' I made the second ; I thought Zara
had seen me take it. She made the third ; she
left the cabinet doors open."
At this moment steps were heard in the draw-
ing-room. Almeric re-entered it, and saw his
grandfather, Sir Hildebrand Barry-Barrymore,
leaning on the arm of his man Jasper.
" My dear grandfather, good morning," said
Almeric, hastening to his assistance.
" Sir Hildebrand is not so well this morning,"
said Jasper.
" I am only fatigued with the effort of dressing
— rest will re\*ive me," said the old gentleman, as,
MAIDENHOOD. 79
supported by Almeric on one side, and his attend-
ant on the other, he entered the library.
Almeric saw at a glance that the cabinet doors
were closed and locked. Curiously enough, he
then wondered if his sister had opened the
drawers, and taken note of the missing coin ! —
forgetting that the cabinet was not suspected of
enshrining so great a treasure. When Sir Hilde-
brand was at length seated, Miss Barrymore went
up to him, and putting her arm affectionately
on his shoulder, kissed his forehead, as she said :
" I need not open the cabinet yet — my dear
papa must rest a little. Am I right ?"
" Yes, darling; I will sit quiet for half an hour,
and then if I do not ring come to me."
After ascertaining that the light was tempered
to Sir Ilildebrand's liking, he was left to the
repose he seemed so much to need, and Almeric
and his sister entered the dra\vin<r-room.
"Almeric — dear Almeric, what an escape I
have had !" said Miss Barrymore.
Almeric raised his eyebrows, as if expressive of
surprise, bat he did not speak, lie had silently
made up his mind to let Miss Barrymore talk, that
he might the more easily Hud out how much or
how little she really knew on the subject of tin-
six-angel piece.
" What a sin I have committed !" said she,
raising her arms, and standing in an attitude of
consternation.
" A sin !" said he, in a doubtful tone.
80 MAIDENHOOD.
He was not thinking of her, but of himself.
The desire to keep the coin was gaining upon
him, and he had again asked himself if he could
lawfully do so.
" Yes — a sin," resumed she. " But I will tell
you all about it, for things happen so strangely."
" They do indeed," said he, as he thought of
the coin in his pocket.
" Dear grandpapa is so particular about the
keys of his cabinets "
" Of course," said Almeric, " and so he ought
to be — indeed, he cannot be too careful, if he
would keep his valuables."
Almeric said this with a strong feeling of
regret that one of these " valuables " was at that
moment in his own pocket ; he felt a great
temptation to pull it from its hiding-place, and
throw it on the carpet, but he did not.
" Ah ! I have so sincerely promised him, dear
old man, never to allow these keys to be lying
about "
" Or in the door of the cabinet," said he,
reproachfully ; for, with a foolish inconsistence,
as it seemed to him, he wished he had not been
tempted by the open door ; but then he scouted
the idea that he had any wish to steal, and yet he
felt a sort of, what appeared to him, an unworthy
alarm at the thought of retaining the coin.
" You are right," said she, " or in the door.
You will not betray me, Almeric, for grandpapa
would not trust me to be the keeper of his keys
MAIDENHOOD. 81
if he suspected me of the carelessness of this
morning."
" Betray you ?" said he, with some dignity ; and
then he added, in a quiet tone : " Do you think
I would betray myself I "
He was replying to the thought in his own
mind, that to reveal Miss Banymore's negligence
to Sir Hildebrand would also, in all probability,
expose the fact that he had taken the coin. She
did not understand him in this sense, and said :
" Ah ! dear Almeric — I know you are the very
soul of honour !"
Even that speech from his sister grated upon
Almeric' s nerves, as if, somehow or other, he did
not deserve it !
" But you shall hear how it happened. Jasper
came from grandpapa, rather early this morn-
ing, with a message to the purport, that he wish-
ed me to be in readiness to open the cabinet
as soon as he came down. He wished to begin
immediately to re-arrange certain drawers."
"The British Series of Gold," said Almeric
hastily, and in a slight tone of alarm — for he felt
at once that the drawer from which he had taken
the coin would be the very one his grandfather
had fixed his attention upon, and probably that he
had seen the " six-angel piece !"
" No, Almeric, no ; how excited you are ! Grand-
papa has had so many recent additions to his
collection of the ' silver coins of the Romans,' that
they will certainly be the better for a careful re-
VOL. I. G
82 MAIDENHOOD.
adjustment. But the British gold are so nearly
perfect, and so beautifully arranged, I should think
he will not waste his time over them. However, I
was to be ready in the library to unlock the
cabinet and take out the trays he might ask for.
I went, therefore, in good time, and placed his
chair and table ; opened the window, and tried to
fill the room with fresh air before he came down.
I unlocked the cabinet, leaving the keys in the
lock, and then sat down with my crochet in my
hand, patiently to wait "
" You were actually in the room ?" said Almeric
in an agitated manner, and for the moment feeling
as if his sister had seen him take the coin !
"Of course," said she; "I never unlock the
cabinet and leave the room unless dear grandpapa
is there."
Now Almeric knew she had seen him ; impul-
sively, with a humbled and unusual feeling of
shame, he buried his face in his hands ; and then
in a second or two recollecting himself, he raised
his head, and with a flush of pride on his hand-
some features, drew the coin from his pocket,
opened his lips to tell her how and why he had
taken it, when she prevented him by saying, with-
out having noticed his action or altered manner,
" I sat at my crochet, I cannot say how long, a
few minutes, perhaps, and then Mrs. Palmer came
to me for work for the school. Forgetting I had
placed the cabinet doors wide open, I hurried off
with her, and "
MAIDENHOOD. 83
" Then you were not in the room," said Almeric
in low tones of content.
And now he again placed his fingers in his
waistcoat-pocket, and again nipped the coin with
a feeling of desire.
" I tell you I went with Mrs. Palmer," said
Miss Barrymore, in some natural surprise at
Almeric's peculiar manner, " and on my return I
went to the piano in the drawing-room, thinking
no more, for the time being, of dear grandpapa
and his curious cabinets of wonderful coins than
I did of the man in the moon ! You found me
there, dear Almeric, and when the conservatory
door closed with a bang, fortunately / went to see
what was the matter ! Matter enough ! Not
with the conservatory, but with the cabinet of
coins ! I had just time to re-lock the doors, and
take out the keys, before dear grandfather entered
the room I"
" And yet, Zara, why lock them at that par-
ticular minute? You say grandpapa sent to
desire }*ou to have them open ready for him."
" He sent to ask me to be in the library, r<
to open them. But you see I was in a fright, and
so I closed them. We do such eccentric thing.-.
when we are fussed, do we not, Almeric .' I
really meant to open the doors, instead of which I
closed them."
" We do eccentric things, indeed," said he,
"sometimes in a very eool manner," — b
thinking of himself.
G .
84 MAIDENHOOD.
" Yes, we do. It was very foolish to lock the
doors at that particular minute ; my terror made
me do exactly the thing I ought not to have done,"
said she.
" Suppose, during your absence, any one had
surreptitiously entered the library, and stolen — "
Almeric paused, he was again thinking of himself.
" Lots of valuable coins !" said she, jingling the
keys and laughing.
" I went to the library for the ' Eikon Basilike,'
and after seeing the cabinet open, I determined to
seek you, and know the reason of so unusual an oc-
currence."
"Why did you not come into this room, instead
of going all round by the lawn, and entering
through the window V
" I went to the conservatory for the sake of
light, and "
" For the sake of light ! oh, to examine the book
in your hand."
Almeric blushed up to the very roots of his hair,
and stood silent ! Was it come to this ! — had he
then stolen the coin, and was he at that moment
acting a lie ! — for he remembered it was the coin
for which he required light.
" The library is always dark," said Miss Barry-
more. " Well, go on, dear."
" I fancied I heard footsteps approaching," said
he with a sigh.
" Well, Almeric, do, pray, go on," said Miss
Barrymore, impatiently.
MAIDEXHOOD. 85
And Almeric recovered himself, for lie laughed
as he said, " Why, my dear, I was like you — I did
exactly the contrary to my own intention. First, I
walked away from the library; then, I remember, I
intended to seek you "
" How strange and odd ! But what had alarmed
you? It was my fright made me act oddly — what
had for the moment unnerved you ?"
" The footsteps. I had gone to the door of the
conservatory to catch the light — " again Almeric
stopped as he remembered the sun's rays on the
coin in his hand.
" To catch the light ?" said Miss Barrymore ;
" ah, yes, on the book in your hand. And so you
walked away reading, as you often do, dear Al-
meric ; and then suddenly found — found "
" Found I had walked wrong. Because, though
I did not know you were in the drawing-room, it
is certain I should not have gone to seek you on
the lawn at this hour."
"And that accounts for your extraordinary
stare of surprise when you saw me at the piano,"
said she.
"Does it?" said he listlessly.
" Yes ; because you did not expect to see me
there."
" Certainly I did not ; and I cannot even now
understand why you did not see me, or hear me
in the library?"
"I had only that moment returned; indeed, I
had not had time to know or hear anything."
86 MAIDENIIOOD.
GHAPTEE XI.
" CONSIDERATION GETS AS MANY VICTORIES AS RASH-
NESS LOSES."
THE conversation between the brother and sister
was interrupted by the sound of a " silver
call " or whistle that Sir Hildebrand was in the
habit of using.
" I must go," said Miss Barrymore. And Al-
meric took up his hat and walked out of the open
window on to the lawn. When there, he recol-
lected he meant to go to his own room, and he
went slowly round the house to the hall-door,
where he stood for a few seconds again atten-
tively scrutinizing " the six-angel piece," in the
full glare of the sun. He held the coin between
his finger and thumb, as he musingly crossed to
the large staircase — opposite the great entrance
doors of the hall — and which branched to the
right and left on either side. Just as he placed
his foot on the first stair, he accidentally touched
the outstretched arm of one of the many coats of
armour standing there.
" I always said that arm was in an unsafe posi-
tion, and so it is," said he, stopping to look at it.
He tried to bend the arm of the statue more to his
satisfaction, but failed. He would not allow him-
self to be conquered ; he made another attempt,
which was more successful, only that in gaining
MAIDENHOOD. 87
one point he lost another, for the coin slipped
from between his finger and thumb. " Humph !"
said Almeric, as he saw it caught in the hollow
of the arm at the elbow joint. He contin-
ued to alter the position of the arm without ob-
serving that, by this movement, the coin was
gradually sucked out of sight between the padding
and the metal. Eventually he placed the statue
in a position that satisfied him, and then he put
his finger in at the elbow joint to poke out the
coin ; unfortunately he only touched the ed^e of
it, and pushed it lower down. " Now, this is
careless of me," said he, " but I do not mean to
be beaten, even by ' six angels.' " He laughed at
his own wit, and went more carefully to work.
He had no better success ; by some means or
other it always happened that, instead of drawing
the coin back to the edge, where it had been so
accidentally drawn in, he pushed it lower down.
He distinctly heard it rub or grate against the
metal of that part of the arm called the " re re-
brace," as with his long linger he tried to recover
it. He desisted, and stood for a few seconds con-
sidering what would be the best thine to do.
"Perhaps I might draw it forth with a small pair
of pincers, otherwise I must take off the gauntlet,
and push the coin out at the wrist." With this
thought he ceased from his labours.
As he went up the stairs and through the long
corridors, a feeling of annoyance at this new
trouble took possession of him. Almeric was by
88 MAIDENHOOD.
nature good-tempered — by disposition thoughtful ;
but within this last hour or so he had felt more
inclined to irritability than in all his former life.
In his own room, he seated himself in his cozy
armchair at the open window, and fell into a train
of thought.
" If it had been a shilling, or even a sovereign,
I should have told one of the men-servants to see
to it, and bring it to me. But — and it seems
strange — I cannot like to ask anyone to look for
the ' six-angel piece.' '
Insensibly he began to enjoy the scene from
the window, which opened upon an extensive view
of Heraldstowe Park. Almeric was fond of
natural history, and Sir Hildebrand was one of
the few gentlemen in England who would not
allow a shot to be fired in his grounds, except for
the necessary destruction of rabbits. The conse-
quence of which was, that many rare birds were
found at Heraldstowe, and all birds were tame.
At a great distance from the house, and in the
valley, lay a lake of some considerable size ; water-
fowl were plentiful there. Almeric took a field
glass, and sat watching a pair of herons, perched
on the topmost boughs of one of the tall trees on
the margin of the lake. Yet every now and then,
and in spite of the home-scene, his thoughts went
back to the coin. " I have been very foolish to
let it slip into the arm of the Sieur Almeric Mar-
maduke Barry-Barrymore," said he — for the suits
of armour standing in the long galleries, and in
MAIDENHOOD. 89
the hall at Heraldstowe, were named after the
wearers of them in the days of chivalry.
The Barrymores, from generation to generation,
religiously believed that these very suits of armour
had been worn by the barons in the Crusades, and
these suits stood in such excellent preservation in
the hall and galleries, as to excite the surprise and
veneration of those who had the privilege of
examining them. If there were any doubt in the
minds of the " privileged " as to whether these
suits of armour were used at this period of time,
or that, no one ventured to hint so much to Sir
Hildebrand.
There is indeed excellent authority to prove
— in spite of the faith of the Barrymores in
their relics of the olden time — that there is no
complete suit of armour in England of a date
anterior to Henry VII., 1485 — 1509.* Never-
theless, the armoury in the Tower shows the effigy
of Edward I., 1272, and of many others previous
to the reign of Henry VII. How, then, did this
extraordinary mystification, with regard to suits of
armour, arise ? Let the sins of the Barrymores,
and of the Tower of London, in this respect lie
upon the conscience of the Emperor Charles
v.t
But to return to Almeric. He stretched out his
legs, crossed one over the other, and fell, appa-
rently, into profound thought. lie went back to
the time when, as a boy, he had talked to these
* See NoteS. t See NTote4.
90 MAIDENHOOD.
very suits of armour, and told them " that if he
ever did an evil deed, he hoped they would come
in all their panoply and punish him."
" Curious," said he aloud, " that I should think
of this nonsense now. This is not an evil deed."
He remembered that in the olden time, and
even clown to a late period in the present century,
Heraldstowe was said to be well tenanted by
ghosts. He had read the legends connected with
the house, which explained that every evil-doing
Barrymore was always tormented by these beings
from another world ! He himself had no belief in
ghosts, and he had laughed heartily at some of the
legends ; but assuredly at this moment he did not
feel inclined either to laugh at what he had read,
or to dispute the truth thereof.
" I believe it to be in the power of the imagina-
tion to fancy objects are present when there is, in
fact, only empty space," said he, musingly.
And now, partly as an experiment, and partly
with a feeling of defiance against the doctrine of
" ghosts," he set his inventive faculty and his will
to work to conjure up some unsightly sprite whom
he might expect to meet in the dark, or on any
unprecedented and unlooked-for occasion — that is
to say, that he might expect to meet if he had
committed a sin by taking the coin I
" Black, of course," said he, with a smile —
" humpbacked, glaring fiery eyes, lame, malicious-
looking, grinning, and showing its huge and hide-
ous teeth."
MAIDENHOOD. 91
He again fell into a reverie, chiefly upon the
gallant deeds of his ancestors, who, by their suits
of armour, were so well represented at Herald-
stowe. Presently he closed his eyes, and with-
drew from the glare of the sun ; only a moment
were they closed, but when he opened them,
turning his head, at the same time, away from the
open window, he started, and arose from his chair,
eagerly gazing on some object in the distant part
of the room.
" I really thought," said he, knitting his brows,
and shading his eyes with his hand — " I really
thought I saw the venerable Baron Almeric,
whose panoply stands in the hall."
He reseated himself, but pushed his chair out
of the reach of the sun's rays, as he said, with a
genial smile :
" If the worthy Baron supposes I shall take
him for a hobgoblin, he is mistaken. Neverthe-
less, I will keep him in my mind, for that was
one of the most curious deceits I ever saw.
Certainly, when I opened my eves, there stood the
Baron ; but the longer I looked, and the harder I
stared, the quicker the good gentleman vanished.
No! I have not defined his movements— he did not
vanish, which is to go suddenly; he melted away
gradually, until at length I could see the objects
in the room, at first hidden by his burly figure.
I declare positively I have seen this sight !"*
Almeric remained seated a few minutes loneer,
* Set • ■ 5.
92 MAIDENHOOD.
every now and then gazing round the room, half
expecting — indeed, half hoping to see the Baron
again.
" I wonder, now, if the old Baron is uneasy
with those ' six angels ' in his sleeve ! If I were
to see him again, and if he were to point to his
arm that I had handled so roughly this morning —
and, by-the-bye, the legends say that the barons
do not like to have their panoplies disturbed — I
should understand he was mutely imploring me to
take away the thing that was useless to him ! If
he himself were only as clever as the greater
number of these old barons are said to be, he
would find the coin without troubling me to go to
work, and offer it to me when next I pass through
the hall."
And then Almeric sat wondering how such a
posture would suit. In his mind's eye he altered
the attitude of the Baron, as he was known to be
then standing in the hall, and placed him in
another, with the golden coin held between the
finger and the thumb. At this moment the gong
sounded through the house, and Almeric went to
luncheon.
I
CHAPTER XII.
" NAETHING FREER THAN A GIFT."
T is recorded somewhere in this chronicle that
Sir Hildebrand Barry-Barrymore is an old
MAIDENHOOD. 93
man, and that Almeric is his grandson and heir.
Of the Barrymores who lie dead and buried under
their grand marble tombs in the church of St.
Mary-on-the-Knoll, no account will be given.
Almeric's father and mother and elder brothers lie
there, but they and their lives have had no influ-
ence on him. He and his sister Zara were left
orphans at an early age, and Sir Hildebrand
brought them up. Almeric was approaching his
twenty-first birthday, Zara her nineteenth. They
both possessed in no small degree the gifts heredi-
tary in the Barrymores. Like most in their
position in the world, they were well bred, and
well educated. The shades of character that
invariably distinguish one human being from
another will be duly chronicled. Nevertheless, it
may be admitted even now that they were plea-
sant-spoken and agreeable young people, and
general favourites throughout the county of
Z .
There are three " Sarahs " to be introduced to
the reader in this chapter. Sarah Fortescue is
the only child of Captain and Mrs. Fortescue.
They reside in a handsome house called "The
Pynes," at the south entrance of the town of
Stowe-in-the-Valley ; which town by the high road
is fully four miles distant from Heraldstowe ; but
through the woods and fields, from the "Pynes" to
Heraldstowe only about two. Captain and Mrs.
Fortescue have no grand relations in this part of
tlie county of Z , and no grand marble tombs
94 MAIDENHOOD.
to be mentioned in this chronicle ; but they are
very excellent people, and visit with all the neigh-
bouring gentry.
t Of Sarah, their only child, it is necessary to say
something. It wili be remembered that she had
the honour of being noticed by Lord Danby at
the Ahheyfete, who prophesied she would eventually
become, by the appearance of her figure, a " Dame
Partlet." '
Sarah was neither tall nor short ; nor fair nor
dark ; nor thin nor stout. She was a creature of
negatives. She was not ungraceful, for she had
the elegant easy movements of a harmonious whole.
Lord Danby might not agree with the expression,
" a harmonious whole," and particularly as applied
to Sarah Fortescue ; but the mind is indicated by
the motion of the body, and we do not admit
Lord Danby as any great authority in such
matters.
Sarah Fortescue's complexion would not bear
the light of day : and yet, strange to say, it looked
clear and well at night. Her face was freckled,
and her skin had a smudged and shady look by
day ; but at night the unsightly freckles vanished,
and Sarah's face — comparatively speaking — looked
white. Her hair was brown, not too plentiful, and
yet it was far from being scant. Her eyes were
grey and her features small. She was on an in-
troduction a plain-looking, well-dressed young
lady, with just enough of fashion in her toilette
to shew her standing in the county ; and just
MAIDENHOOD. 95
enough of shyness, to make clear to observing
people that she had no personal friend ; for com-
panionship usually gives support, and promotes
confidence in one's self. Sarah was an industrious,
moderately accomplished, and useful girl ; but as
truthful chroniclers we cannot place her on a high
pedestal.
The next of the three " Sarahs" is Sara
Thorn.
She, too, was pointed out by Lord Danby at the
Abbey fete. His opinion of her was also un-
favourable. And here, in justice to ourselves, we
must state it is our duty to chronicle Lord Dan-
by's sayings and doings, but we do not vouch for
the truth of any one single word he may utter !
In our judgment, Sara Thorn was tall and
slender, ami fair and fresh and blooming ; we feel
we can make something of her ; perhaps even a
heroine ; who shall say?
Sara Thorn was the daughter of the Reverend
Ulric Thorn, Vicar of Stowe-in-the- Valley. He
came from a distant county to take the living of
Stowe, some ten years prior to the opening of this
chronicle. Stowe Church, sometimes called "St.
Mary's,'' is the same as that previously mentioned
as " St. Mary's-on-the-Knoll."
There were three remarkable " knolls " on the
Ileraldstowe estate. "The Cedar knoll/" stan. I-
ing in the cedar grove in a distant part of the
Park ; and the two knolls near to the Vicarage,
upon one of which the church was built, and
96 MAIDENHOOD.
hence the name " St. Mary-on-the-Knoll." The
other was in the precincts of the Park itself,
and crowned by a splendid group of forest trees.
These two last -mentioned knolls were divided
by the high road, which skirted one side of the
churchyard, and which was within a stone's throw
of " St. Mary's ;" but the " knoll " in the Park
was nearly half a mile distant from the road.
The handsome Vicarage, standing in its own
grounds just outside the Park Gates, and near to
the church, was the link between the town of
Stowe-in-the- Valley, and the county of Z .
" County people " visited at the Vicarage, and
the humbler gentry living in the town of Stowe
were also received there. Mr. Thorn was a
widower. He had a family of three — Sara about
nineteen, Gerald about fourteen, and Rosa twelve.
They were all good-looking ; but Sara was a
beauty, a belle, an accomplished, well-read, and
clever young woman — perhaps not free from faults
of character; but these, when they appear, will cer-
tainly be entered in this chronicle — but yet a very
general favourite in the large and aristocratic
county of Z "
The third Sarah is partly known to the reader.
Zara Barry-Barrymore was tall, even taller
than Sara Thorn. Her complexion was dark, toned
by the clear rich blood mantling in her cheeks.
Her hair was of a glossy dark brown, her eyes
also were dark and large. It is right to record
that Zara Barrymore was very handsome. She
MAIDENHOOD. 97
had a fine figure, a courtly manner, and the clearly
chiselled features possessed by the Barrymores
from generation to generation. She, too, was
clever and accomplished.
There were reasons why the simple name of Sa-
rah was spelt by these ladies in three different ways.
With the Barrymores it was a family name, and
always written " Zara." In days of old — that is, in
the times of the crusading Barons, whose panoplies
peopled the halls and galleries of Heraldstowe —
the name had not unfrequently belonged to ladies
of great beauty and of high degree in their own
far-off countries ; who had married into the house
of Barrymore, and whose savings and doings had
been recorded by the minstrelsy of that age. Hence
the name Zara as a family name. When Miss
Thorn grew up into young-ladyhood, and found
that " Zara" was identical with her own name in
its meaning, she, too, made as near an approach
to that orthography as she reasonably could, and
ever after signed herself " Sara."
Miss Fortescue, on the contrary, saw no poetry
in " Zara," no improvement in " Sara ;" she con-
tinued to be the old-fashioned " Sarah."
The meaning of the name is " Princess."
Now, Sir llildebrand Barrymore said they were
all three "Princesses" — ay, "Princesses" upon
whose names and doings fairy tales ought to be
written. Indeed, he was prone to say a great
deal both to the young ladies themselves, and also
on the subject of their names.
VOL. I. 11
98 MAIDENHOOD.
He called Miss Forteseue his " gracious Prin-
cess," because her name was "Sarah Anna." Now,
"Anna," by some authors, means "grace," but
Sir Hildebrand averred it meant "gracious."
Miss Thorn he called his " winsome Princess,"
because she had been christened " Emily Sara,"
but the first name was dropped, for it was Mrs.
Thorn's, and might have created confusion.
" Emily " meant, according to some translators,
"of winning speech," but Sir Hildebrand said
" winsome" was a just meaning.
" Zara " meant " Princess," but we have no
means of recording truthfully that Sir Hildebrand
thought Miss Barrymore more of a " Princess "
than the two other ladies ; if he did think so, he
was too courteous to express his thoughts.
Now, there were occasions in which Sir Hilde-
brand would talk very learnedly to these three
young ladies ; and on one of these he told them that
" All the Sarahs who inhabited this world were
in the possession of three gifts. He had lived a
long life, but he had never known a Zara, Sara,
or Sarah without these three gifts."
Charming " Sara" Thorne ventured to dispute
with him, upon the principle that " there was no
rule without exception." Sir Hildebrand said,
" She, Miss Thorn, ought to be that exception in
her own proper person, for having dared to suggest
such a thing. But pray," continued he, " do you
know what these three gifts are that pre-eminently
grace the Sarahs?"
MAIDENHOOD. 99
Miss Thorn confessed her ignorance ; Miss
Barrymore and Miss Fortescue each pleaded utter
unconsciousness of any superior gift belonging to
herself. And yet Miss Barrymore was handsome,
and knew it. But Miss Fortescue had the grace
of modesty as regarded any high opinion of her-
self.
"Listen," said Sir Hildebrand, holding up his
finger. " All Sarahs are * handsome, clever, and
good ;' here and there you see an instance of one
gift outshining the other two, but, as a rule, all
Sarahs are ' handsome," and he bowed to Miss
Barrymore; 'clever,' and he bowed to Miss Thorn ;
"and 'good,' like my 'gracious Princess' here,"
continued he, as he patted Miss Fortescue on the
back.
Miss Thorn and Miss Barrvmore bejmn to dis-
pute the position that Sir Hildebrand had taken
up ; and if anyone had heard how gallantly the
old gentleman defended himself, no doubt his
courage would have been admired, even though
exercised on so unstable a cause.
Now, Miss Barrymore, who was herself so hand-
some, positively averred that " all Sarahs " w
not handsome ; and the ' clever ' Miss Thorn said
that "all Sarahs" were not clever, — and this, too, in
the very presence of Sir Hildebrand ! Miss For-
tescue said not a word. The epithet "good" had
been distinctly given to her. Perhaps then
thought that all the Sarahs in the world were
"good" in right of their Christian name; it iscer-
II 2
100 MAIDENHOOD.
tain she did not attempt to dispute the matter.
Will it be credited that a little harmless non-
sense of this sort, uttered playfully by an elderly
gentleman, created bickerings, jealousies, quarrel-
ings, heartburnings, and such like? It did.
Miss Barrymore, as we have said, was very
handsome. And because she was so pre-emi-
nently handsome herself, she contended that Miss
Fortescue was not handsome — never had been —
never could be !
Miss Thorn made just as great an outcry after
the gift of " cleverness " as Miss Barrymore had
done after that of beauty. She averred Miss
Fortescue was not talented; it was absurd of Sir
Hildebrand to so puff her up with the idea of pos-
sessing " three gifts." It was clear to all people of
sense and judgment that of beauty she had none, of
talent she had less, and of goodness she had it all to
grow ! Surely here, then, was the " exception "
that proved the rule of the " three gifts to the
Sarahs !"
Sometimes "Maidenhood" is a little spiteful
to its sisters. We regret the necessity to chronicle
this.
The " three Sarahs " living in the neighbour-
hood of Prellsthorpe, and mentioned by Lord
Danby at the Abbey fete, are now all introduced.
MAIDENHOOD. 101
CHAPTER XIII.
" ALL IS NOT LOST THAT IS IN DANGER."
OF the library at Heraldstowe we may say that,
as regards velvet pile carpets, rich velvet
chairs and sofas, carved oak furniture, stone
mullioned windows filled Avith richly-coloured
glass, through which the sun's rays glimmer and
glitter now and then upon golden inkstands,
carved ivory paper-knives, jewelled pen trays,
charming statuettes in bronze and silver, elegant
chandeliers, numerous books in dainty bindings —
we say again that, as regards all these, and many
more articles of use and luxury to be seen in the
well-stocked libraries of wealthy, old gentlemen,
we leave them, one and all, to the imagination of
the reader. It is, however, necessary to make
clear the geography of the room. First, then,
there was but one window, and that a large.
capacious oriel. This window was at that end of
the library that looked upon the lawn. At the
other end of the room was the fireplace, and the
magnificently-carved oaken chimney-piece reach-
ing to the ceiling. Midway in the length of the
room was a door, opening from the conservatory ;
precisely opposite to this was the door from the
drawing-room. When these doors were closed,
they presented huge mirrors, and exactly filled up
the space between the bookcases. These book-
102 MAIDENHOOD,
cases reached to the ceiling, and filled the entire
length of the room, if we except here and the re a
recess for a cabinet of costly workmanship.
There was a small door at the ricrht hand of the
fireplace, used by the domestics in passing to and
fro ; this was masked by fictitious bookshelves,
apparently filled with books, painted on the side
next the library, and preventing, when closed, any
blot or want of unity in the appearance of the room.
And now we will return to Almeric Barrymore,
whom we left descending the stairs to luncheon.
The three Sarahs were present, but not Sir
Hilclebrand ; a tray was carried to him in the
library.
" Grandpapa wants us all as soon as we have
finished luncheon," said Miss Barrymore.
" What for V said Almeric ; " you must do
without me — I am going to Stowe."
" Oh ! nothing particular," said Miss Barry-
more, " only Miss Fortescue has called with a
message from her father, and as it is on the
subject of coins, grandpapa is proportionately
impatient."
" Are they, then, so very wonderful ?" said Miss
Thorn.
" I do not know," said Miss Fortescue.
" Did Captain Fortescue get them from one of
the Jews who come this way sometimes ?" said
Almeric.
" I do not know," said Miss Fortescue.
" II., you are certainly one of the class of ' don't
MAIDENHOOD. 103
knows ' and ( can't tells,' ' said Miss Thorn,
laughing.
" Yes," said Miss Barrrymore to Miss Fortescue
— "you are always careful of committing yourself :
but perhaps that is rather worthy of praise than
blame."
" Why do you call Miss Fortescue H. V said
Almeric — " I have noticed this before to-day."
The two ladies who had transgressed laughed,
while Miss Fortescue turned away to hide the
pain she felt at being the subject of so many
remarks.
" We call her H. because it is her i gift,' '" said
Miss Thorn.
" No, Almeric ; we call her H. because she
spells Sarah with an II.," said Miss Barrymore.
" She is quite right," said Almeric, " to spell
her own name as she pleases ; she ought to retort,
and call you Z.," said he, rather brusquely.
" Excuse me," said Miss Barrymore to Miss
Fortescue — "I only spoke in play."
She had followed Miss Thorn's lead, and felt
ashamed of herself. Sir Hildebrand's "'call" was
heard at this moment.
"There," said Miss Barrymore — "grandpapa is
impatient. Shall we go? Almeric, do come in
just for a few minutes," and the three ladies left
the room.
" And so your papa wants to see me, my dear '."
said Sir Hildebrand to Miss Fortescue, as soon as
the usual greetings were over.
1 04 MAIDENHOOD.
" Yes ; he wants to show you his additions to
his collection of coins."
" And I want to see your papa, my dear ; for
yesterday, amid a heap of gold and silver stowed
away as duplicates, or coins, perhaps, of small
value, I discovered two that I did not know I
possessed. Will you tell him, my dear, I have
the ' six-angel piece ' of Edward VI., and the
' first gold sovereign of Henry VII. V The six-
angel piece was never in circulation."
" Never put into circulation !" said Miss Fortes-
cue, in a tone of surprise ; and she was going to
add, " then how did it come into your possession?"
for she was not aware that collectors of coins often
purchase from the Mint for the sake of rare and
perfect specimens ; but Sir Hildebrand prevented
this, for he said :
"Never in circulation, my dear. It is a
pattern piece — would you like to see it ?"
Miss Fortescue at once expressed a wish to see
the coin.
" And then you can tell Captain Fortescue the
show will not be all on his side," said Sir Hilde-
brand laughing.
Almeric entered the library at this moment.
He intended to ride to Stowe — indeed, he had
ordered his horse — but, to oblige his sister, he
joined the party for a few minutes, meaning to
retire as soon as he conveniently could.
" Ah ! Almeric, you are come at the right mo-
ment," said Sir Hildebrand. " Just open the
MAIDENHOOD. 105
cabinet and give me the third tray from the top.
I want to shew the ladies my 'six-angel piece,' and
'first gold sovereign.'"
Almeric stood silent from astonishment. He
could scarcely credit that he heard aright.
" Reach down the third drawer, my dear boy,"
said Sir Hildebrand.
" Did you ask me to do something V said Al-
meric. " I beg your pardon," added he, recover-
ing himself a little, and scarcely knowing what to
do in this sudden dilemma.
Meanwhile Miss Barrymore was in the act of
unlocking the cabinet, and he remained standing
by his grandfather's chair. Instinctivelv he
turned away his eyes with a sickening feeling of
dread at he knew not what; then he wondered
what he should say or do as soon as the discovery
was made that the coin had been taken from the
drawer. He looked furtively at the two young
ladies, Miss Fortescue and Miss Thorn, and wished
they were not present. lie felt that he would at
once declare to his grandfather and sister the
actual facts, but somehow he could not do this in
the presence of visitors. These thoughts passed
through his mind much more rapidly than the
pen can jot them down ; and just as he saw Miss
Barrymore take the drawer from the cabinet, he
turned, with the double hope of escaping from his
uncomfortable position, and of going to the hall
to set the coin at liberty, and restore it, when a
loud exclamation, followed by a continued clatter
106 MAIDENHOOD.
as of something falling, recalled him to himself,
and he comprehended in a moment that Miss
Barrymore had let the tray fall and that the coins
were rolling over the carpet ! Thought is rapid,
and Almeric instantaneonsly felt that this mishap
would assist him for the time being in concealing
the absence of the coin, and probably give him
time to liberate and restore it.
" They will fancy it is lying somewhere on the
carpet hidden from their researches ; and mean-
while I will go to work and — " and he turned to
leave the room.
"Almeric, where are you going?" said Miss
Barrymore. " Do, pray, help us."
Thus recalled to the actual scene before him,
he saw the three ladies on their knees, searching
for and picking up the coins. He imitated the
ladies, and employed himself in searching for
those specimens still missing, and congratulating
himself on the fortunate fall of the tray, that
would give him time to act, and to replace, or to
restore the coin to his grandfather. The coins
were carried to Sir Hildebrand as soon as they
were found, and he occupied himself by re-arrang-
ing them. At length he said joyfully,
"All found!"
"All found!" said Almeric in a tone of very
genuine surprise.
" Yes, my dear boy, all found ! What is there
remarkable in that ?"
Almeric did not reply. His mind was trying
MAIDENHOOD. 107
to fathom the mystery of "the six-angel piece"
having been restored to the cabinet without his
assistance !
" You have given me the wrong drawer, my
dear," said Sir Hildebrand quietly. " Replace
this, which is the fourth drawer, and give me the
third."
Did Almeric hear aright? Then his position
was unaltered, and the coin would be missed !
Again he turned to the door with the desire of
escaping, if possible, from this second dilemma.
Ahneric's steps were arrested by a sharp cry from
several voices, followed by the same clatter, clatter
he had so recently heard. On the first alarm
Almeric turned, and raised his eyes to the cabinet.
Yes, he could confidently assure himself now that
the right tray had been taken out, and that the
coins were scattered over the carpet.
" What on earth is the matter with you, Al-
meric?" said Sir Hildebrand.
"Matter with me! — nothing," said Almeric,
quite unaware that there was anything unusual in
his manner or appearance.
"Almeric is fussing himself about the coins,"
said Miss Barrymore laughing. " I think, dear
grandpapa, he is even more tenacious than your-
self of the possession of rare and beautiful coins !
lie is vexed at our clumsiness in upsetting the
trays.
" Is that it, my dear boy?" said Sir Hildebrand
kindly. " I am glad and proud to find in you a
108 MAIDENHOOD.
taste similar to my own. It is rare in one so
young. You shall have carte-blanche in the
matter of coins, Almeric, in addition to your own
income."
" I shall restore it, of course," said Almeric to
himself, a feeling of shame dyeing his cheeks for
the moment. " It is unfortunate, it is, for the
time being, in the clutches of the Sieur Almeric,
otherwise I would fetch it ! "
So thought Almeric, as he assisted the ladies to
pick up and restore the coins to Sir Hildebrand ;
but he soon found that he would not have had
the power to leave the room unless he had first
stated his reason ; for Sir Hildebrand was always
calling to him, to look here, and look there, to
stoop down and put his long arm under this
cabinet, and then under that, &c, &c.
And strange, indeed, did it seem to the whole
party so eagerly searching over the carpet, that
the only coins they could not find were — " the first
gold sovereign of Henry VII.," and "the six-
angel piece of Edward VI." •
" I wonder where that gold sovereign can have
hidden itself V said Almeric, growing impatient at
the time he lost in crawling over the carpet.
"Exactly where the 'the six angels' have
hidden themselves, to be sure," said Miss Barry-
more laughing.
" No, no, I deny that," said Almeric, eagerly
and truthfully, and forgetting that he might there-
by betray himself.
MAIDENHOOD. 109
" My dear boy, how anxious you are !" said Sir
Hildebrand, unsuspiciously.
" But they may be found lying close together,
for all your positive denial," said Miss Thorn ;
" ' birds of a feather flock together,' and these are
rare and valuable birds."
" Where can they have rolled ?" said Sir Hilde-
brand.
The young ladies crushed and rumpled their
pretty "French organdies" by kneeling on the
carpet, and creeping hither and thither ; and Al-
meric's head grew dizzy with stooping about, and
affecting to look for a coin which he knew was in
a very different place.
Sir Hildebrand himself joined in the search at
length — for he, too, felt impatient with the delay,
and tired of looking on. lie even kneeled down
in the oriel window, to examine closely the inlaid
work ; for the floor of the oriel was the only part
of the room uncarpeted, and it was tricked out in
beautiful patterns with different kinds of real woods,
polished, and arranged in mosaic.
" Dear grandpapa, we cannot allow you to fatigue
yourself 1" said Miss Barrymore ; " surely we are
able to look about until we find the missing trea-
sures."
" They must be in the room," said Miss Thorn,
" that is one comfort."
Sir Hildebrand re-seated himself in his easy-
chair, and said,
" True, my ' winsome Princess/ the} must, as
110 MAIDENHOOD.
you say, be in the room. Almeric, lock the door
near the fireplace and bring me the key."
Almeric obeyed.
" And now lock also the conservatory and draw-
ing-room doors, and bring me the keys."
Almeric stood staring with astonishment at this
new request from Sir Hildebrand. At that moment
he was thinking over in his own mind the quietest
and easiest means of making his escape, and of
trying to coax that avaricious old Baron Almeric
to restore to him the "six angels." But if his
grandfather insisted upon locking the doors this
chance would be lost. At this moment his eye
fell upon Miss Barrymore, standing in a distant
part of the room, pale raid irresolute ; then she
put her hand to her brow as a spasm of alarm
crossed her features ; he saw that the possibility of
these coins having been stolen while the cabinet
doors were left open, had now pressed itself upon
her mind.
"Now," said Sir Hildebrand, "bring me the
keys, Almeric, and then we five are made prisoners
here until the coins are found."
Tins was rather arbitrary on the part of Sir
Hildebrand, and rather uncourteous. It appeared
more than usually so from him, who was remark-
able for his polished manners and high-breeding,
Almeric slowly obeyed this disagreeable command.
And then it became evident that this refined old
gentleman of the old school had for the moment
laid aside his dignity ; for he took the keys from
MAIDENHOOD. Ill
Almeric, and put them into his pocket! This act
seemed to have a curious effect on the three ladies —
they ceased their search over the carpet, and stood
silent and inactive. An exceptional occurrence
almost always arrests the flow of our thoughts and
actions ; it was unusual to find themselves " locked
in," and, for the time being, that one subject took
possession of their thoughts. But Sir Hildebrand
had observed Almeric's attempts to escape — and
had taken this means of preventing him from
leaving the room.
u Are you sure the coins were actually in the
tray?" said Almeric to his sister.
He asked this question because the " first gold
sovereign of Henry VII." was missing, as well
as the " six-angel piece," and he had not taken
both !
" Ah ! my dear Almeric !" said Miss Barrymore,
who fancied he was hinting at her neglect of the
morning, in leaving the cabinet doors open. She
Avas mistaken, he had no such thought — but now she
felt almost overpowered with the nervous dread of
what, perhaps, had happened through her own
carelessness !
Almeric read his sister's thoughts, and moreover
knew tiiat one coin had been taken ; for the mo-
ment an unworthy idea tenaciously pressed itself
upon him — even that he might keep the coin and
remain unsuspected !
"Deliver me from temptation" is one petition
of our daily prayer. Only a minute or two pre-
112 MAIDENHOOD.
viously, Almeric's most earnest wish had been to
leave the room for the purpose of liberating the
coin and restoring it ; and now, tempted by the
sight of his sister's inward acknowledgement of her
fault, and certainty that the loss had been occa-
sioned by her neglect, he resigned himself to his
present position with less anxiety as to the result.
But all this time we are leaving Sir Hildebrand
under the ban of acting uncourteously to his
guests. After a short pause he turned to Miss
Fortescue, and said,
" I am very much grieved, my dear ' gracious
princess,' at this little contretemps. The coins must
eventually be found, because they have not feet
wherewith to walk away, neither have they
wings-
" You forget the invisible ' angel's wings,' my
dear sir," said Miss Thorn, playfully interrupting
him, " and also the immense power in the hands
of the first sovereign in the land !"
She alluded to the fact that this was the first
sovereign coined in England.*
"It seems almost incredible," said Sir Hilde-
brand, " that ' angels ' should have the power to
ruffle my temper ; but I am afraid I shall not like
the 'invisible wings' you speak of to cause my
' six angels ' to become invisible to me."
" Why, my dear sir, they are only playing at
hide-and-seek," said Miss Thorn ; " ' the sovereign '
trying to capture ' the six angels,' or ' the six
* See Xote 6.
MAIDENHOOD. 113
5 »
angels ' to fly away with the l sovereign
"True, true, my winsome lady — very well put,"
said Sir Hildebrand laughing ; " therefore I shall
keep up my spirits, bide my time, and not have
the floor of the oriel taken up just yet."
"But I do not see that the coins are more
likely to be lost in the bay-window than on the
carpet," said Miss Fortescue in her simplicity.
She did not know the difference between a bow,
a bay, or an oriel-window.
" The floor of the ' oriel,' " said Miss Thorn in
her wisdom, and attempting to shew that she
knew an oriel from an aureole, " is a sort of par-
quetage, so to speak, and if any small piece should
by chance be displaced, the coin or coins might
roll into the hole thus made, and there remain con-
cealed. That is Sir Hildebrand' s meaning, I think."
" True, true again, my i princesses,' " said Sir
Hildebrand, evidently trying, by his gracious
speeches now, to make up for his want of courtesy
only a few minutes previously.
" I wish the coins could be found," said Miss
Fortescue once again in her simplicity, " because
I know papa wishes to ride to Thorny-dyke, and
he will not leave dear mamma until I return."
This was, of course, a hint to Sir Hildebrand
that he was detaining her an unwilling prisoner.
Miss Thorn turned away with a smile; but Sir
Hildebrand, with much urbanity of manner, came
forward to redeem himself in the opinion of his
visitors, as he said,
VOL. I. I
114 MAIDENHOOD.
" Tell Captain Fortescue I have no particular
engagement on my list at present. I hope he
will come soon ; I am impatient to behold the re-
cent additions to his collection. And also tell
him he will have the advantage of me, and be
able to shew much better trays than I, unless, in-
deed, I can recover my lost treasures."
Almeric and Zara had never given up the
search. They were still feeling under, and
behind cabinets, and conversing in low tones on
the annoyances of the morning.
" Now, Almeric, take the key and let out the
Princesses. They disdain to bestow their sweet
smiles any longer on an old worn-out knight like
myself. Set them free — set them free !"
" I am afraid I must go," said Miss Fortescue
deferentially.
" Yes ; papa waits for his morning's ride. And
my ' winsome princess ' is longing to shake out
her flounces and furbelows, that have been' so
sadly crushed by her kind search over my carpet.
Good morning, I bow you both out," and Sir Hil-
debrand arose and bowed in an old-fashioned,
stately manner. " You may well wish to get out
of this hot and close room !" continued he to Miss
Fortescue. " Tell me, have I not been unmerci-
ful r
By this time Almeric had unlocked the door.
" Good morning," said Miss Thorn, as she shook
hands with her friends. " I do hope you will soon
find the coins."
MAIDENHOOD. 115
" Good morning," said Miss Fortescue. " I wish
I could stay longer and help you."
And the two young ladies walked away to-
gether.
CHAPTER XIV.
"ANGER BEGINS WITH FOLLY, AND ENDS WITn REPENT-
ANCE."
rpHE two friends walked through the lawns and
A shrubberies of Heraldstowe, and across a
corner of the Park, on the way to their homes,
when they at length arrived at a stile that sepa-
rated the Park from a wood through which their
path lay. This was a large, old-fashioned stone
stile, consisting of two deep steps of stone, and
two upright stones at the top, through which very
obese people might find some difficulty in passing.
Miss Thorn went first ; unfortunately as she
passed through the narrow opening at the top, she
entangled her dress. On setting it at liberty, and
shaking it, something dropped with a ringing
sound, and rolled to the edge of the stone step,
bumping down upon the second, and again rolling
along, eventually to drop upon the ground. By
this time Miss Fortescue was at the top of the
stile, pressing through the niche, and Miss Thorn
had descended on the other side, and, turning,
said to her companion,
I 2
116 MAIDENHOOD.
" What have you dropped V
" Not anything. It was you when you shook
out your dress," said Miss Fortescue. " I dis-
tinctly heard something fall."
" I !" said Miss Thorn in a tone of astonish-
ment ; "no, indeed, it was you," and she began to
look about eagerly ; but as she could not see any-
thing, she turned to her companion, and said, " I
cannot see anything."
" When you shook out your dress, I heard
something fall upon the stone step."
Miss Thorn's countenance was expressive of
annoyance, but she remained silent.
" It had quite a metallic sound, and rolled "
" I heard that metallic sound," said Miss Thorn,
interrupting, " but I am sure I have no purse, nor
money of any kind about me."
There was, perhaps, more vexation expressed in
Miss Thorn's voice than in her countenance, but
Miss Fortescue had no clue to either. Miss
Thorn, for her part, felt sure she had not dropped
anything, and this very positive feeling made her
mistrust her friend's statement.
" Let us, at least, try to find it," said Miss
Fortescue — " if yours or mine, it will be a pity to
leave it here."
The two ladies searched for some little time
unsuccessfully.
" I am weary with stooping, and trying to
discover invisible articles," said Miss Thorn, in
rather an unamiable tone, but she recrossed the
MAIDENHOOD. 117
stile, and continued her investigation there.
After only a few seconds, she picked up some-
thing, as she said, in joyful tones,
lt I am right — I knew I was right — look, look,
look here !" and she held up something between
her finger and thumb.
Miss Fortescue now recrossed the stile, and saw
in Miss Thorn's hand the " first gold sovereign of
Henry VII."
" The first gold sovereign ! — ah, then, it fell
from your dress," said Miss Fortescue.
" Now, what will you say next against the
positive proof iu my hand?" said Miss Thorn, in
rather an irritable tone.
" It fell from your dress when you shook it at
the top of the stile," said Miss Fortescue, as
thoroughly convinced of the truth of the words
she uttered as her friend of the contrary, but she
was less angry than Miss Thorn.
"It fell from yours, if, indeed, it fell from a
dress, as you began to mount the stile," said Miss
Thorn, growing more impatient of contradiction ;
"you see it is on this side, not on that. I was
there — you were here."
" I had not put my foot upon the first step
when I distinctly heard it fall.*'
" True, most ' gracious princess,' " said Miss
Thorn, in tones of irony, " and here it is, just
where you were standing/'
" But I heard it roll from one step to another.
I tell you I heard it fall as you shook out your
118 MAIDENHOOD.
dress : it must have lodged in some part of the
trimmings as it fell from the tray."
" You are really very clever, so easily to under-
stand what the sovereign has been doing with
himself while we have so anxiously made our
search," said Miss Thorn, the very pertinacity of
her companion only adding to her own displea-
sure ; " and now, since you can so coolly account
for his hiding-place, perhaps you will inform me
what has become of the 'six angels?' '
It is to be understood here that Miss Thorn had
no belief in the coin having fallen from her own
dress. The fact that it was found lying exactly
where Miss Fortescue had been standing, seemed
to her sufficiently to prove this. Miss Thorn was
not habitually unladylike in manner, or harsh in
her judgment of others. But on this occasion she
was both, from the conviction in her own mind
that she had not let the coin fall. Even when
Miss Fortescue pointed out to her that she had
heard the ring of the metal on the stone step —
had also heard the coin roll, and drop upon the
second step — Miss Thorn was unconvinced. But
to return.
Miss Fortescue stood gazing on Miss Thorn in
mute astonishment. First wondering why she
should object to declare the actual truth — that it
had been accidentally caught and retained in the
trimmings of her dress ; and secondly, paralysed
into silence and consternation by being almost
accused of knowing where to find the ' six-angel '
MAIDENHOOD. 119
piece. At length she gasped out, " What can you
mean I"
"I mean, }*ou have just dropped this gold
sovereign ! — perhaps, if you shake yourself
again-
Miss Thorn was now much excited in manner.
" It was you who shook your robe !" said Miss
Fortescue, interrupting her friend in a tone of
indignation.
"If you shake yourself again, and with a hearty
good-will," resumed Miss Thorn, " perhaps you
may then drop the ' six angels.' "
This was unpardonable ; even under the influ-
ence of anger, it was a very unwarrantable
accusation, and the only excuse that can be made
for Miss Thorn is that she was not at the time
conscious of the full power of her own words ; her
mind was warped from its customary rectitude by
the pertinacity, and as it even appeared to her,
the unjustifiable charge of Miss Fortescue against
herself.
" I did not drop that gold sovereign," said Miss
Fortescue, " and I know no more of the ' six
angels' than you do, nor perhaps even so much."
These last were unlucky words, because they
onlv increased Miss Thorn's anger. And we
must again record the fact that, as a rule, she was
courteous in manner, and scrupulous in the use of
proper expressions ; but in this instance her
displeasure overcame both her politeness and her
language.
120 MAIDENHOOD.
" O — o — h ! ' nor perhaps even so much !'
Then you deliberately mean to accuse me of
carrying away Sir Hildebrand's coins ? But you
shall return with me, if you please, to Herald-
stowe, and speak of me in my own presence."
And now she took hold of her adversary, as if
she would compel her to do as she had said.
" Do let me alone ! How can you be so rude V
said Miss Fortescue, disengaging herself.
" Let us go together — let us restore both the
coins at one time," said Miss Thorn.
Rapidly it had flashed through her mind that
where one had been caught up, and retained when
it fell, so, also, might the other have been, and
this idea, properly explained, could not have given
offence to anyone ; but unfortunately, independent
of her excited countenance, her cold, sneering
manner, coupled with the hint that Miss Fortes-
cue had also in her possession the other lost coin,
was more than enough to arouse so gentle a person
even as Miss Fortescue. She almost shouted an
indignant denial of any knowledge of the " six-
angel piece," for her companion's ungracious
demeanour had made even her lose temporary
control over herself. But, at the sight of Miss
Fortescue's aroused wrath, Miss Thorn cooled,
and took immediate advantage of her own
improved position.
" Then I may tell Sir Hiledbrand — since you
refuse to return with me — that you have not the
other coin ?" said she in a subdued and ladylike
MAIDENHOOD. 121
manner, and as if she were saying the most trifling
thing in the world.
"You may tell him what you like. I have not
the coin, you know I have not. I cannot return,
you know I cannot. And you will not tell the
truth, you know you will not !"
Here Miss Fortescue's temper overbalanced
her judgment — it is the case sometimes with
" Maidenhood." She, in seeking to defend her-
self, really accused her friend ! It was unpardon-
able to say, " You will not tell the truth, you
knoiv you will not." It may seem strange that
this recrimination did not chafe Miss Thorn still
more. It did not. On the contrary, she enjoyed
the fact that Miss Fortescue had forgotten her
customary propriety of manner. The two stood
on the same pedestal now, and could not, there-
fore, the one accuse the other ! And so Miss
Thorn replied,
" Hoity toity ! here is a tragedy queen ! Bene,
bene, bene, bene!" and she playfully danced a few
steps backward as she spoke. Then she paused
and took breath, and said coolly and deliberately,
"I do not know that you have not 'the six angels,'
I should think, yes, you have, because as they fell to-
gether, peradventure they might have been caught
up together. I do not know that you cannot re-
turn with me to Heraldstowe. 1 should think on
an occasion of such importance, yes, you can.
And as for whether I will or will not tell the truth,
judge what I shall say at Heraldstowe, by my cour-
122 MAIDENHOOD.
age in replying so fully to you now." She turned
as she spoke, and with the first gold sovereign in her
hand, retraced her steps to Heraldstowe.
For a moment or two Miss Fortescue stood spell-
bound. She felt conscious she had given up all
power to her adversary. She had been unguarded
in speech, unrestrained in temper, and now she
was left unable to act for herself — at least, to act
in the matter of the coins, for she knew she was
nearly an hour later on her return home than she
had intended to be. As she walked on, she felt
she ought to have propitiated Miss Thorn, and
made a friend of her, or she ought to have re-
turned to Heraldstowe. Not that she, or even
that Miss Thorn, had been in fault in the matter
of the coins, for clearly it was an accidental carry-
ing off — unknown even to the lady who had been
so unfortunate as to purloin, for the time being,
so great a treasure. But these facts did not add
to her comfort, and she hurried to "The Pines"
in an unhappy mood.
Captain Fortescue's handsome grey stood im-
patiently pawing the earth when Miss Fortescue at
length arrived.
" I am so sorry to be late," said she apologeti-
cally, and looking heated and uncomfortable with
her hasty walk; and, indeed, almost unable to re-
strain her tears, as she thought over the vexatious
events of the morning.
" Is anything the matter ? — has anything hap-
pened?" said Captain Fortescue, scrutinizing her
attentively.
MAIDENHOOD. 123
u I have hurried home — dear papa, that makes
me look so hot, and unlike my natural self."
Sarah did not say this evasively, or with any wish
to turn aside Captain Fortescue's query. Miss
Fortescue deserved the epithet " good " bestowed
upon her by Sir Hildebrand, and had no conceal-
ments from her parents. She knew Captain For-
tescue's ride had been delayed for fully an hour
by her unavoidable detention at Heraldstowe, and
therefore she tried now to delay explanation until
a more convenient opportunity.
Captain Fortescue was an affectionate husband
and kind father; he patted Sarah on the head as
he said,
"Never mind, my dear; Grey Bessie must make
up for the time you have lost." And Sarah was
left with her mother and her perplexed thoughts.
Meanwhile Miss Thorn made the best of her
way back to Heraldstowe. She found Ahneric
and Zara greatly fatigued by their continued and
unsuccessful search for the missing coins.
" You are surprised to see me return I" said
she.
" We are proud to receive you," said Sir Hilde-
brand with his accustomed courtesy.
u Look here !" said she, and she held up the
coin.
" Good heavens !" said Sir Hildebrand, startled
out of his politeness, "the first gold sovereign!
Where did you find it? — and how could it escape
from this room I" lie took her hand as he spoke,
124 MAIDENHOOD.
and led her up to the window, examining the coin
as they went up the room.
" You see, dear sir," said she, as she cast her
eyes on the rich mozaic-work of the floor — " you
see, dear sir, I shall save you from the sin of de-
stroying this exquisite marquetry."
"But how and where did you find this, my
missing < first gold sovereign?'" said Sir Hilde-
brand in much astonishment ; and then he added
before she could reply, " Have you also the six-
angel piece ?"
Miss Thorn shook her head, but did not speak.
" My dear young lady," said he caressingly, " I
implore you not to keep me in suspense. This is
too serious a subject to be turned into tricks and
legerdemain !"
" I have only this one coin, dear sir, and perhaps
you will allow me to tell you how it came into my
possession."
Sir Hildebrand graciously nodded assent. And
with faces in which curiosity and surprise were
blended, Almeric and Zara stood listening to
Miss Thorn.
" You may remember H. and I went off to-
gether ?"
" Miss Fortescue and you," said Sir Hildebrand
correctively.
" Yes ; we walked on, talking of the mischances
of the morning, through the shrubberies and Park,
until we came to the stile at the bottom of the
hill. I went over first, for we all know H. is none
MAIDENHOOD. 125
of the quickest," added she with a little playful
laugh, and something fell, with a ringing metallic
sound. Miss Fortescue thought 1 had dropped
something. I thought she had dropped her purse,
and we stood for a second or two each accusing
the other. We examined the spot where we then
were ; there was nothing to be seen — no purse, no
money, no anything. At length I re-crossed the
stile, and searched on that side ; and there, where
Miss Fortescue was standing when we heard the
sound, there lay the coin !"
" Wonderful !" said Almeric, " how fortunate
she should drop it where it could so easily be seen
and recovered."
" It seems surprising she should even have walked
so far before dropping it," said Miss Barrymore.
" Very much so," said Sir Ilildebrand, as he
stooped to re-examine the coin, and stood turning
it over and over — " but now about the ' six-angel
piece'?" said he, looking up interrogatively.
" She did not let that fall," said Miss Thorn ;
" at least, not while we walked together, or to be
known to either of us."
For the thought crossed her mind that it might
have fallen, and so have been lost in some part of
their walk.
"It does not follow because she accidentally
carried away one coin," said Almeric, " that she
also carried off the other !"
He said this because he knew where the " six-
angel piece" lay bid.
126 MAIDENHOOD.
" Then you think perhaps-
But Miss Thorn was interrupted by Miss Barry-
more, who said,
" They both fell at the same time, and from the
same tray."
" Yes !" said Miss Thorn ; " and if one became
entangled in her dress, as I conclude was the case
with the sovereign, it is quite fair to infer so also
did the other."
" It is really unfair," said Almeric in a posi-
tive tone ; " I am sure it was not caught up by her
trimmings."
He spoke thus decisively, from his own certain
knowledge that the coin was in the possession of
Baron Almeric !
" Almeric !" said Sir Hildebrand in a tone of
astonishment. " Why, I can see nothing more
probable ! You cannot find the coin on the carpet,
and as one has by chance been carried away, pray
wiry not the other ?"
Almeric at once felt he had spoken imprudently,
and trying to recover his false move, he said in a
deferential tone,
" You are right, my dear grandfather ; it may
have\been — indeed, it has been carried away, by
one means or another."
He turned away as he spoke, devoutly wishing
he could get the coin from the clutches of Baron
Almeric, that he might restore it to Sir Hildebrand
without more ado.
" I really think, Zara, we had better go to the
MAIDENHOOD. 127
stile, and make a good search for the { six angels.'
It is so naturally to be expected that if the coins
were caught and retained in the same trimming,
that they should fall at the same moment !"
Sir Hildebrand spoke eagerly and hopefully, but
Aimer ic said,
" What nonsense !"
And then remembering he ought not to involve
himself in the discussion, he turned away.
" I do not see any ' nonsense ' in my proposal,"
said Sir Hildebrand.-
Miss Barrymore and Almeric were walking down
the room together.
"I am quite sure it could not have been taken
from the cabinet," said she to her brother, sotto
voce.
" And I am quite sure that it could," said he,
impatiently.
Miss Barrymore spoke from a conviction of the
improbability — that any thief could enter the
library, and commit such a depredation unknown
to any member of the family ; but Almeric replied
from the certainty of his own knowledge.
The discussion went on for some time longer;
but no satisfactory arrangement could be made.
Almeric objected to the waste of time; and Sir
Hildebrand thought time of no value in comparison
with the coin. He feared, if he did not make im-
mediate search, that it would be lost to him for
ever; but Almeric had no such fear — he knew the
coin was safe.
128 MAIDENHOOD.
" Any one might pick it up, pocket it, spend it,
and know nothing of its "real value," said Sir.
Hildebrand.
" That is impossible," said Almeric.
" What is impossible, my dear boy % I say very
few would understand the value of that unique
coin, because so few have any knowledge of numis-
matics — and, indeed, an uneducated man might
find it, and fancy it was one of the old guineas !"
"Nothing of the sort !" said Almeric, " and, my
dear father, I am quite sorry to see you so grieved
for the temporary loss of the "
"Temporary!" interrupted Sir Hildebrand.
" How can we expect it to be only a temporary
loss, if we neglect to search % I could have the
patience of Job if I felt sure it would be restored
to me; but the very fact of one coin having
been found at so great a distance from the house,
proves "
" Proves nothing at all," said Almeric. " I am
sanguine that we shall find the coin, if we only
have a little patience."
But now that the excitement had been so great
with the loss of the two coins, and the recovery of
one, he felt still more averse to explain the real
circumstances, and especially in the presence of
Miss Thorn.
" My clear boy, the very fact speaks for itself,"
said Sir Hildebrand. " Our young friend
dropped one coin, fortunately, where it could be
seen and found. But as the other was not seen
MAIDENHOOD. 129
at that time, a good search ought to be made over
that locality to prevent the terrible misfortune of
any stranger finding and keeping the coin !"
" No stranger will have the chance of that,"
said Almeric, with a smile. " I feel sure the coin
will be restored to you."
Miss Thorn now left Heraldstowe, promising to
look well at the stile as she passed it on her way
home, and Miss Barrymore said,
" Thanks ; you are very kind. As one coin has
been found in the accidental possession of a
visitor, I feel sure that, by some great good
chance, the other may ' drop down,' or ' turn up,'
and eventually be found."
Sir Hildebrand cast his eyes wistfully on the
carpet, and did not seem willing that the search
should be discontinued even in the library.
" The doors shall all be locked," said he to
Almeric.
And then the hours were allowed to roll on in
their customary fashion. The carriage came
round at the usual time, and Sir Hildebrand left
Heraldstowe with the keys of the three doors that
communicated with the library in his pocket.
VOL. I.
130 MAIDENHOOD.
CHAPTER XV.
"fear can keep a man out of danger, but courage
only can support him in it."
SIR HILDE BRAND, on his return from his
drive, told Almeric and Zara that he had
thought the matter well over, and he now felt
convinced the " six-angel piece " had been carried
off unconsciously by Miss Fortescue, and that he
should never see it again. Almeric was uncom-
fortable, because he feared he could not recover
the coin from the statue without assistance, and
until he could produce it he was unwilling to
mention that he had had any hand in its disap-
pearance. He was doubly cautious, and unwilling
to state the real circumstances, because of the fuss
that had been created when the trays fell, and of
the presence at that time of Miss Fortescue and
Miss Thorn. If these two ladies had been absent
when the coins were scattered over the carpet, and
afterwards all recovered, excepting the two valua-
ble coins, Almeric felt that then he should imme-
diately have told his grandfather and sister exactly
where the six angels lay hidden ! But then, if
these ladies had not called, the trays would not
have been taken from the cabinet — the coins
would not have been scattered over the floor, and
the six-angel piece, in all probability, would not
have been missed. Under existing circumstances,
MAIDENHOOD. 131
Almeric decided to let things take their course,
and not trouble himself more than he could help.
In fact, at this time his mind was more occupied
by the curious appearance of his ancestor to him
in his own room, than by the supposed loss of the
" six-angel piece."
" I wonder if, by the power of my imagination,
I had painted the figure of my ancestor on the
retina ! Would he, or ought he, in that case, to
appear to me inverted ? — 1 cannot say. I am not
learned in this branch of science."
Thus thought Almeric as he renewed his
toilette for dinner. After dinner Sir Hildebrand
missed his snuff-box.
" I will fetch it," said Almeric, for it was in the
library, the doors of which were still locked.
" No, no, Almeric ; there is always a box in the
sideboard," said Miss Barrymore.
This was given to Sir Hildebrand, and then he
turned to Almeric, and said :
" Here are the keys of the library ; when you
go that way, unlock all the doors — 1 feel sure the
coin is not there."
" So do I," said Almeric.
"Do not go on purpose, but in the course of the
evening; when you unlock the doors, just look
on the little table for my snuff-box, and bring
it.
For it was now late, and they were sitting
cosily together, a family party, over their wine
and fruit — for Miss Barrymore had not left the
K 2
132 MAIDENHOOD.
room — watching the moon's beams light up the
tops of the trees, and flash here and there between
this shrub and that — even making the jets from
the fountain sparkle like silver ; for no lamp or
artificial light was permitted to break the spell of
the gradual decline of a hot summer s day into the
silence and repose of a cool evening. Almeric
promised to remember the snuff-box, and after a
little more talk, he said :
" I think I will have a stroll in the shrub-
beries."
He wanted to be alone, to think on the singular
appearance of his ancestor, and to make out in his
mind a list of books he thought likely to help him
to the solution of the wonder. He took up the
keys and left the room, going to the library
before taking his walk, that he might unlock the
doors, and give the domestics access there, accord-
ing to custom, and also take his grandfather's box
at once. But the room was then quite dark, for,
be it remembered, that as there was but one win-
dow in the library, and that filled with stained
glass, it was at all times a dark room ; and as the
beautiful oriel window, from its nature, did not
open with doors upon the flowering lawn, as did
those in the dining-room, and as the moonbeams
could neither have such free entrance, nor gleam
so brilliantly, it followed, as a matter of course,
that even in searching for a snuff-box set with
diamonds, and said to have been left on a particu-
lar table, it would be necessary to have a light.
MAIDENHOOD. 133
He rang the drawing-room bell, and on the
appearance of a domestic, asked for a taper.
Then, while waiting, he sauntered out of the open
windows of the drawing-room, and amused himself
by recalling the figure of Baron Almeric, now
standing here, now there, but always with the coin
between his finger and thumb, and not in the
position in which the suit of armour was known
to be standing in the hall.
Presently he was attracted by the sight of a
number of peacocks. Eight or ten of these beau-
tiful creatures, with their many-coloured elegant
trains and brilliant colours, were perched, some on
the edges of the fountains, here and there one on
a marble statue, some two or three flying up to
the branches of the trees on which the}' meant to
roost.
Almeric knew that a small number of these
birds often came up to roost near the house, but
in the cedar grove, which skirted the edge of the
lake, they were in large numbers, and very tame.
They seemed to his contemplative mind at this
moment to have more than their usual elegance
and beauty, amongst the statues and fountains,
and in the lustrous light of the moon. The per-
fume of the night flowers wafted on the breeze,
combined with the magic of lin-ht and shadow to
attract him still further from the house. With
his hands in his pockets, no hat on, watching the
peacocks as one by one they at length retired to
roost, he forgot his mediaeval ancestor, and the
134 MAIDENHOOD.
loss of the " six-angel piece," and gave himself up
to the enjoyment of the present scene.
The last bird had put its head under its wing,
and seated itself securely for the night, when Al-
meric, now at a considerable distance from the
house, turned to retrace his steps. Soon he caught
sight of what appeared to him to be something un-
usual.
" What star is that ?" said he, keeping his eye
upon it. "Ah! I see, it is the taper I sent for
before I stepped out upon the lawn. I had for-
gotten all about unlocking the doors and getting
the snuff-box. What a long time I must have
been strolling here ! — and just catching the light
glimmering like a star, I did not for a moment or
two perceive that it was only a candle burning in
the drawing-room."
On reaching the house, Almeric saw that the
taper would die out in a few minutes.
" Perhaps it will last while I unlock the doors
and get the box." He entered the library hastily,
placed the taper on a table, and crossed the room,
to place the key in the lock of the conservatory
door, when tire light suddenly went out.
" This is tiresome," said he, turning to cross the
room and ring. As he turned, his attention was
attracted by the moon's rays streaming faintly
through the coloured glass in the oriel, and falling
more especially on the snuff-box. " Ah ! that is
well," said he ; " I see the glistening box — I will
not ring." He tried to grope his way to the table,
MAIDENHOOD. 135
but stumbled over a chair, and hurt his ankle ; he
sat down and rubbed his foot to relieve the pain.
When. he raised his eyes the room had become
dark — a cloud was passing over the moon. He
still saw the box, even in the darkness, but it was
like an ignm fatuus — if he moved his head the
box seemed to move ; and, besides, his foot still
pained him. " I will wait till the clouds have
sailed away," said he, " and then I shall see better,
and perhaps not stumble over more furniture."
He leaned back in his chair, and his thoughts re-
verted to his mediaeval ancestor. The moon re-
turned, or rather the clouds were gone, and Almeric
half raised himself with an intention of finding
the box, but — he stood, as it were, spell-bound !
There, in his grandfather's easy armchair, sat
the Sieur Almeric Barry-Barrymore ! Alrneric
stood spell-bound for a few seconds, and during
this time he wondered if the Baron's armour was
still standing in the hall, or if it had really
managed to escape and seat itself thus eozily in
the library! With some small feeling of alarm,
he tried to rush hastily to the door, but before he
could re-cross the room, the Baron had hurriedly
left his chair, anticipating Almeric's intention,
;tnd placed himself in such a position as to prevent
him leaving the room.
The Baron now tapped the snuff-box — Sir Hil-
debrand's snuff-box studded with diamonds, which
he held in his hand — and solaced himself with a
pinch of snuff, after the fashion of Sir llildebrand;
136 MAIDENHOOD.
then, with a courteous bow, he presented the open
box to Ahnericj that he, too, might follow so good
an example.
Almeric's anger and consternation got the better
of his good behaviour ; he hit the box a thump,
with an intention of dashing it to the ground.
It fell from the Baron's hand, turned over and
over, emptied its contents on the carpet, and was
then recovered by the Sieur Almeric, who care-
fully closed it, and placed it in a breast-pocket.
Almeric thought within himself, " I never knew
until now that these suits of armour were furnished
with pockets I" But he said in loud tones of dis-
may,
" Good heavens ! put down the box," for he
now feared that the snuff-box micht share the
fate of the u six-angel piece," and be hidden in
some part of the armour, that might make it diffi-
cult to him to recover ; therefore, with a view of
preventing such a catastrophe, he said, now in
tones of entreaty,
" Give it me back — it is my grandfather's !"
The Baron apparently took no notice of this
request, but stretched out his mailed hand, and in
the open palm exhibited the " six-angel piece,"
now glittering in the moonlight. Almeric joyfully
struck the hand, that he might thereby recover
the coin. He succeeded in his intention — it fell
to the ground, and rolled to Almeric's feet. He
stooped to take it up, and started at the opening
of the door. He made an exclamation, half in
MAIDENHOOD. ] 37
terror, half in surprise, as Miss Barrymore said,
" What, in the dark, Almeric ! We thought
you would have ordered the lamp in the drawing-
room; and grandpapa wonders what you are about."
"Do fetch a light, Zara ; here is the coin — I
saw it lying on the carpet."
" Really, Almeric ! I am glad, indeed !" said
she, as she retreated into the drawin<j-room and
rang the bell for assistance.
The moon's light streamed in — faintly and my-
stically through the oriel window — brilliantly
through the open door of the drawing-room, and
Almeric saw that his revered ancestor had left the
apartment. When Miss Barrymore returned,
Almeric was kneeling on the carpet feeling about
for the coin he had so plainly seen.
"Mind the snuff, Zara," said he.
" The snuff !— why, my dear ?"
A servant brought a light ; but after searchino;
for a length of time the coin was not to be found.
Almeric looked up in wonder and annoyance.
" I must take grandpapa his snuff," said Miss
Barrymore.
" You need not look for the box, Zara, he put it
in his pocket," said Almeric.
He was thinking of the intrusive Baron, whom
he had so lately seen. But Miss Barrymore thought
he meant Sir Hildebrand.
" No, dear Almeric ! — if he had it in his pocket
he would not ask us to fetch it for him. See —
here it is !"
138 MAIDENHOOD.
And she took the box from the table where Sir
Hildebrand had left it.
"Is it there?" said Almeric in astonishment;
" then he must have thought better of it, for I saw
him pocket it !"
"What nonsense are you talking?" said Miss
Barrymore, as she moved towards the door with
the box in her hand.
" Nonsense ! I tell you the truth. Probably he
thought better of it, and replaced it. It is empty ;
I saw the snuff fall on the carpet," said Almeric.
Miss Barrymore turned and said,
" I know it, Almeric ; but 1 re-filled it after
luncheon."
She still thought he alluded to Sir Hildebrand,
who had spilt the snuff on the carpet during the
search for the " six-angel piece."
"I tell you it is empty now," said Almeric,
trying to take the box from her.
Miss Barrymore successfully resisted this attempt,
and opening the box, said,
"Now, will you be convinced?"
Almeric looked— and, lo ! the box was quite
full!
On this same evening, when they met in the
drawing-room, Sir Hildebrand challenged Almeric
to a game of chess. Almeric assented; but it was
evident to the watchful eye of Miss Barrymore
that he played without having much interest in the
game. He looked pale, seemed restless, and
nervous. He started at the smallest sound, and
MAIDENHOOD. 139
often gazed around as if expecting to see some un-
usual sight. Sir Hildebrand, on the contrary, did
not appear to notice his altered manner. At times
his mind was pre-occupied with the events of the
morning, and occasionally, even during their game,
he referred to them. lie again expressed his ex-
treme astonishment that the "first gold sovereign"
should have travelled so far as the stile at the foot
of the hill; while still clinging to Miss Fortescue's
dress, the marvel seemed to be, that it had not
fallen long before, and been buried in the grass.
As for u the six-angel piece," the best beloved, and
in that sense the most valuable of his coins, he felt
sure in his own mind that he should never see it
again : nevertheless, just for the sake of doing all
that could be done, he thought it might be wise to
have the carpet in the library taken up, and the
most careful search made.
Almeric restrained himself from expressing any
objection to this plan — he tried quietly to acquiesce
in all his grandfather said, while he made up his
mind what would be the best to do on the morrow,
so as to prevent all unnecessary disarrangement.
"1 must take off the gauntlet, and push the
coin until it comes out at the wrist," thought he.
But now, he began to feel uncomfortable at the
repeated appearance of the Sieur Almeric ! True,
in this last instance he had not carried off tin;
snuff-box, though Almeric had seen him pocket it !
Neither was the snuff lying on the carpet, though
Almeric had so certainly seen it in a little heap !
140 MAIDENHOOD.
These things were bewildering, and he felt un-
able to account for them. All through the evening,
though apparently playing at chess with his grand-
father, his mind was pre-occupied with these
vexatious thoughts. Not for one moment did he
suppose that the Heraldstowe ghosts were suffici-
ently awake to take an interest in valuable coins,
or snuff-boxes set with diamonds. That he might
be the victim of a pratical joke he thought possi-
ble ; but he would think the matter well over when
he was again alone.
The real fact was, that while Almeric sat wait-
ing in the easy-chair, and watching, as well as he
was able, the passing of the clouds between himself
and the moon, he had fallen asleep ! Miss Barry-
more had opened the door rather hastily, as she at
the same time said, "Almeric, Almeric," to ascer-
tain if he were there or on the lawn ; and he,
starting with a sudden noise, was unconscious that
he had even closed his eyes ! His waking thoughts
had been carried on in his dream, with much
exaggeration, as is common in dreams ; but the
locality and the hour were the same as when he
was actually awake, and these had combined to
stamp his dream with a feeling of undeniable
reality.*
But, as we have said, between the positive presence
of the real in the library, and his own conviction
of the positive presence of a shadow, he turned his
thoughts to the subject of " practical jokes," and
* See Note 8.
MAIDENHOOD. 141
tried to solve the mystery by that means. It is
true, he felt very highly indignant at the thought
that any one should dare to take so great a
liberty with Heraldstowe, and play tricks, and
perhaps stand invisible to him — that is, so concealed
as to see him without himself being seen — looking
upon his pale cheek, the better to laugh at him on
the morrow. All the time that he sat mutely
attending to the game of chess, and apparently
calculating the chance of this move or that, he was,
in fact, turning over the future in his own mind, as
to the best means of discovering the trick.
" Yes, the trick I" said he aloud, unconsciously
giving utterance to his troubled thoughts.
" No, my dear boy ; indeed it is a fair move,"
said Sir Ilildebrand, wonderingly.
" Oh ! quite fair, my dear father. Excuse me,
you see "
"Checkmate," said Sir Ilildebrand joyously.
" Pooh, pooh, nonsense ! Can you mean it ? —
am I really beaten?" said Almeric, bending over
the board.
" To be sure — to be sure you are, in spite of all
your deep thought and your slow moves. To tell
you the truth, Almeric, I felt quite up to the
mark to-night — quite equal to the conquering of
the best of players."
But the fact was, Almeric had been careless and
inattentive; and this loss of power in his adversary
had given to Sir Ilildebrand a consciousness of
superiority in the game not always present with him.
142 MAIDENHOOD.
Sir Hildebrand retired for the night, and Zara
and Almeric were left together.
" I am weary — weary," said Almeric despond-
ingly ; " the fuss of the day has knocked me up."
" I am sure you look sufficiently weary," said
Zara ; " indeed, you have looked ill all day — from
the moment you stepped in at the window this
morning until now you have been quite unlike
your real or your former self."
" Well, Zara, the fuss about this coin worries
me."
11 Ay, so it does me. But there had not been a
fuss when you came in this morning, and you
looked pale and careworn then," said Zara.
"Did I?" said Almeric. And then he recol-
lected the annoyance he had felt on seeing his sister
at the piano, and his dread that she had seen him
take the coin through the half-open door. " But
perhaps the coin was gone even then," continued
he defiantly, and speaking from his own truthful
knowledge of the fact. And then, feeling that
somehow this seemed to criminate himself, he
added, " or it was intended to be lost, set down in
the annals of futurity ; and so it was the evil pre-
sentiment of this tiresome loss that worried me
then," and Almeric sighed heavily. " But let us
change the subject ; and let me tell you I do not
like Miss Thorn "
" Not like Miss Thorn ! She is a lovely crea-
ture, Almeric, and all the world admires her !"
" She is . unamiable ; I did not think so until
MAIDENHOOD. 143
to-day. She is jealous of that little Fortescue.
I almost think she would be glad to cover her with
opprobrium ! She hates her; I saw it in her eye
when she gave us the scene at the stile."
"Your zeal misleads you, Almeric ; you were
always partial to that stupid Miss Fortescue. I
do not wish to blame her for the accident of carry-
ing off the coins, but I must say, when you depre-
ciate Sara Thorn for the purpose of exalting
Sarah Fortescue, you do them both injustice !"
" Ah ! well," said he, " I like straightforward,
well-meaning people. I think the Thorn is nei-
ther — the Fortescue both."
" Almeric, hoVv uncourteous you are !" Almeric
rarely used slang terms, or spoke of a lady without
using her proper title, hence Miss Barrymore's
surprise.
" I cannot imagine how the coins could be
caught up in her plain, simple muslin," continued
Miss Barrymore. " If you would solve that pro-
blem, you would do something clever."
" I am not clever to-night ; but I promise you
that in the future it shall be proved Miss Fortescue
did not carry off the coins."
Almeric used the word in the plural, because
he, in common with others, thought Miss Fortescue
had accidentally taken away the first gold sove-
reign : but he knew she had not had the "six-
angel piece," and this he intended to liberate and
produce. Miss Barrymore, as she had no key to
the whereabouts of the latter coin, thought her
144 MAIDENHOOD.
brother was only trying to exalt Miss Fortescue
undeservedly ; and she replied, with more satire in
her tone than was usual,
" I am sure Miss Fortescue ought to be very
grateful to her champion !"
" Good night — good night," said Almeric, as he
hurried out of the room.
" There, now 1 have vexed him ! I wish I had
not," said she. She opened the drawing-room door,
and followed him.
" Kiss me, dear Almeric," said she, as she put
her hand on his arm.
"Good night, my dear sisse," said he, as he
stooped and complied with her request.
CHAPTER XVI.
" MORE THINGS AFFRIGHT THAN HURT US."
AS soon as Almeric reached his own room, he
lighted a large moderator lamp, which he
was accustomed to use when he intended to study
before retiring to rest. On this occasion the lamp
alone did not content him. He lighted the tapers
at the dressing-glasses, those in the lustres on the
mantel-piece, and two others standing on a side-
table.
He then put back the drapery, drew up the
blinds, and opened both windows wide. We have
said it was summer, and the moon still shed her
MAIDENHOOD. 145
bright lio-ht over the beautiful shrubs and many-
coloured flowers — over the handsome groups of
trees in.the park, marking distinctly on the green
sward their dark shadows, as they stood pictur-
esquely placed here and there, and tipping the top-
most boughs with a hue of silver.
This seene did not seem to give any pleasure to
Almeric. He seemed nervous and restless — we
might almost say anxious. Pie did not attempt to
undress, neither did he sit down to read as he had
beforetime frequently done at night. He opened
a drawer, took out a revolver, examined it care-
fully, and saw that it was loaded, and ready for
use. He placed a table close to the window, put
the revolver upon it, and then began to pace the
room backwards and forwards, occasionally stop-
ping, now at one window, now at the other, and
gazing well round the lawns, as they lay flooded
with the moonlight ; but the more distant parts of
the Park did not seem to attract his attention.
The stillness would to most watchers have appear-
ed profound, but Almeric detected the slight
whisper of the grasshopper lark ; he heard its
" chirp, chirp," from the moment he opened the
windows, and he knew that this tiny creature
" sings through the whole summer night."*
u Alauda minium voce locustce" said he, "the
ventriloquist of birds. It seems so near often
when it is so far off. When we are close to it, its
song is no louder ; when it is far, far away, we
* White of Selboume.
VOL. I. L
146 MAIDENHOOD.
fancy it near. It is the quality of the note, no
doubt, as we say of the human voice. It is not
the loudest that can be heard the most clearly, but
the voice of the best quality of tone, whose lightest
whisper can "
" Borne, borne, borne !" went the huge clock in
the stable court, and Almeric started from his
reverie.
"Twelve o'clock only," said he, with a deep
sigh. " I wish the man would come, if he means
to come, for I will certainly try if he be mortal !"
He had hastily snatched up the revolver at the
first stroke of the hour ; he now put it on the
window-sill, and sat for some little time watching
the changing shadows caused by the moon's nearer
approach to the horizon.
" She will soon be gone," said he, impatiently,
and alluding to the moon, " and then the whole
landscape will be in darkness."
He crossed the room to a book-shelf at the
other end, from which he took an almanac, and,
rapidly turning over its pages, found that the
moon did not set till one thirty a.m. He replaced
the book, and resumed his walk up and down the
room.
"So far good," said he, in a voice of satisfaction.
And then he occupied his time alternately in
gazing through the open window, and walking up
and down the room.
" Ti, dum," said the great clock, giving the first
quarter past twelve.
MAIDENHOOD. 147
Almeric again started, and again seized the
revolver. And so he did from quarter to quarter of
eacli hour, never prepared for the sudden sound of
the clock, though, as it seemed to himself, always
in expectation of hearing the stroke, noting down
carefully in his mind every lengthening shadow
caused by the moon's decline, and counting the
minutes till the sun would rise. Light — the
broad light of day — that he might see the
approach, if possible, of the Sieur Almeric, was
what Almeric most desired.
"Total eclipse — no sun, no moon," would have
made him still more excitable and nervous.
He heard the woodlark, " Alauda arborea"
join her song to the chirp of her connection, the
grasshopper lark. He heard the loud song of the
thrush, and he saw the blackbirds pick up those
incautious worms that are fond of late hours, of
the dew just tempered by the sun's rays, and of a
good sniff of fine fresh morning air, before they
retire to their subterranean dwellings.
Almeric paced his room up and down, and
"watched through the open windows, until he had
seen all this, and much more. And when " the
curly birds" had made an excellent breakfast, and
the singing-birds had tried to vie with each other
in tli" melody and charm of their strains; when
the lowing of cattle came upon the breeze in the
awakening morning; when rural sounds were
joined to the sounds of living creatures ; when the
moon was gone fairly to bed, and the sun shining
I. 1
148 MAIDENHOOD.
high above the ground — then Almeric threw
himself on the bed, the revolver placed on a table
by his side.
Of Miss Barrymore, we may say she was not
kept awake in the expectation of a visit from some
one of her ancestors, as Almeric had been. She
did not expect to see, at any unknown minute, a
strange, unearthly visitor, who came when he
pleased, and retired in like manner. She was
disturbed and anxious in mind from the loss of
the " six-angel piece ;" and though she blamed
herself for the negligence of the morning in
having left the cabinet doors open, the more
she reflected, the more she felt satisfied that the
coin could not have been stolen — that is to say,
that it would have been next to an impossibility
for the sort of person who understood coins, and
their value, and who would probably know where
to look for them, to enter the library through the
conservatory unknown to anyone of the establish-
ment, and commit his depredations, and leave the
grounds unseen. No ; this was impossible, in
spite of her conviction that Almeric believed in
it. The coin had been carried away — uninten-
tionally, of course — by one of the ladies, and, in
all probability, lost in the grass during their walk
through the Park.
" And yet," said Miss Barrymore to herself, " it
puzzles me to think that Sarah Fortescue's dress
caught up the coins, because her muslin was so
MAIDENHOOD. 140
slight, and so plain, and so simple — not a frill, nor
a flounce !"
And- so, though the same sounds might have
been heard by any listener from Miss Barrymore's
windows, and the same sights — or nearly so — seen,
she neither saw the one, nor heard the other.
Even the loud striking of the stable-clock did not
arrest her attention, nor make her start. She was
grieved, for her grandpapa's sake, at the loss of
the coin, and slightly put out of temper by the
fusses of the day, as well as by Almeric's cham-
pionship of the merits of Miss Fortescue, and
arbitrary depreciation of the charms of Sara
Thorn ; these, combined with the anticipated worry
of the morrow, had ruffled her customary well-
regulated temper. But she lay down to sleep
quietly. She did not require the light of half a
dozen candles and a moderator-lamp to dispel the
darkness of the night, nor was she wishful to de-
tain the moon, nor anxious for the rising of the sun.
If she had contemplated a visit from her restless
ancestor, we are not prepared to say what she might
have required. As it was, Miss Barry more slept!
She awoke at her usual hour, 6 a.m. She
rang, and her maid brought tea. By half-past six
she was so sufficiently dressed as to be able, in
dressing-gown and slippers, to go and inquire after
Almeric.
"Poor fellow!" said she, "he was so unlike
himself yesterday, 1 am sure he is not well. I will
take him a cup of tea."
150 MAIDENHOOD.
She tapped gently at his door. He did not
speak. She tapped again. Still no reply.
" Ah ! I knew he was ill," said she to herself.
" He was so pale and restless yesterday — so unlike
himself. I hope he has not locked the door." She
tried the handle ; to her great joy the door opened
easily. She entered, but she was not prepared for
the sight that greeted her.
The windows were wide open ; there was a
blight in the air, and that in addition to the other
things made the scent in the room disagreeable.
The light of the six wax candles still cast their
dim glare over the room and through the broad
light of day. The lamp was out, but the large
black wick and the eddies of smoke on the ceiling
told that it had not been turned off — of the per-
fume of its expiring agonies Miss Barrymore very
uncomfortably became aware. A revolver was on
the table, and on the bed, extended at his full
length, and in evening costume, lay her brother —
fast asleep !
To note down these particulars takes a little
time. Miss Barrymore saw them at a glance.
She silently placed the cup of tea on the table,
and removed the revolver. She extinguished the
flickering candles, and closed the windows. Then
she turned to gaze upon her brother, and wonder
what could have changed him so ! He was rest-
less even in his sleep. He looked haggard and
pale. And then what could be the meaning of
this strange arrangement of his room? Of the
MAIDENHOOD. 151
candles burning throughout the night ? — of the
lamp having been left burning ? — of the open win-
dows, and the revolver on the table, and Almeric
stretched on the bed in evening dress ?
This sleep was not dispelled immediately by her
intrusion into his room. As she stood watching
him, restlessly turning and muttering indistinctly,
her thoughts recurred to the extraordinary change
in his conduct throughout the preceding day. An
incipient dread began to creep over her ; she feared
that this unusual manner, and this present disquiet,
might herald the approach of fever, or — or even
insanity !
" Fever would be a terrible infliction !" said she
to herself. " I have never heard of any case of
dementation in our family ! Poor fellow !" added
she with a deep sigh ; " I will send for advice. I
seem to love him the more, the more I see him
helpless, and know him to be wayward."
The revolver she put into its case. She placed
the case in a drawer, and locked it and took away
the key, as she said to herself,
" This is better both out of his sight and out of
his power."
She left the room, taking with her the cup of
tea, and leaving no trace of her intrusion. She
thought very seriously of the sad change in the
appearance and bearing of her brother, and deter-
mined to have Dr. Quinn's opinion as soon as she
could manage it, without exciting any undue alarm
in the mind of her grandfather. Sir Hildebrand.
152 MAIDENHOOD.
Meanwhile Almeric awoke. He was not a little
surprised to see himself still in evening costume.
That part of the adventures of the preceding night
he had quite forgotten — that is to say, the fact
that he had thrown himself on the bed for the
sake of momentary rest to his aching limbs, and,
from very weariness of mind and body, had fallen
asleep !
He looked round for his revolver — he felt sure
he had placed it on the table by his side. It was
not to be found !
" Perhaps I replaced it in its case when daylight
came," said he to himself, as he walked across the
room to the drawer in which it was usually put.
The drawer was locked, the key gone. Almeric
was puzzled.
" I had it last night," said he whisperingly, as
he pushed the hair from his brow. " Has he been
here while I slept, and so disarmed me? — taken
away the weapon by which I would have saved
myself from his torturing surveillance by — by — "
thought is rapid, and supplied the unspoken word,
" murder." " Yes," resumed he, speaking aloud,
" if it be a practical joke, I might actually kill a
man ! But if, on the contrary, this extraordinary
appearance is not produced by some abominable
human person, it would not be murder to kill
a — a " He stopped and seated himself.
" Now this is absurd," resumed he, as he leaned
his head upon his hand. " I know that superna-
tural beings do not return to this earth. I know,
MAIDENHOOD. 153
that the being whom we call ' Satan,' has no
palpable form by which to be seen by ns ; nor do I
believe that he is permitted to visit this world — that
is to say, in an absolute form — why, therefore, does
my mind run on to such thoughts, and mingle the
idea of supernatural beings with the tricks of — "
But then these words arose unbidden in his
mind —
" Our adversary goeth about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour."
" But not to be actually seen by our eyes, and
in the garb of one of our own ancestors !" said he.
A loud knock at the door of his room 'startled
him from his very agreeable reverie.
" Come in," said he, impulsively.
And then he regretted his hospitality, for he
expected to see his unwelcome visitor ; but no,
it was only his attendant with hot water for
his toilette. The man, however much he saw,
took no notice of his master's perplexed manner.
He was a well-trained domestic, who simply attend-
ed to his duties, and then left the room.
" I am sure I had my revolver last night," said
Almeric. "Let me think — let me think." During
the process of dressing, his mind gradually recalled
the events of the preceding night. " Ah ! yes ; I
had it on the table by the bed ; I can remember
ascertaining that it was conveniently within my
reach !"
Clang, clang, clang, went the gong, the sum-
mons to breakfast ; and before Almeric had com-
154 MAIDENHOOD.
pleted his toilette, Miss Barrymore had again
knocked at his door.
" Who is there ?" said he, in a peremptory
tone.
"Almeric, dear, shall you come down soon?"
said she.
" My clear Sisse," said he, rushing to open the
door, " I am just ready — in one or two minutes I
will come."
"Ah! that is right — there are several letters,"
said she, as she turned and retraced her steps to the
breakfast-room.
Ahnetic's spirits rose at the sound of his sister's
voice.
"I really did not think of dear Zara — though,
in truth, her tap at my door is no unusual thing.
But then my thoughts are so full of him. And yet
I wonder that I feel this sort of dismay. It is true
I tried hard to conjure up an ugly sprite ; but this
is not the sort of sprite I meant to will to see !
This looks so like absolute reality as to excite in me
much wonder.
If it at all resembled the sprite I — by my imag-
ination — had tried to call up, I should feel satisfied
that it was a shadow, born of my own will, to come
and go when I pleased. This is the reverse — for it
comes when 1 least expect it ; commits actions that
annoy me, and goes away at its own time."
It seemed to Almeric that a low chuckling laugh
resounded through the room ; he started, and half
feared to raise his eyes or gaze around ; he did
MAIDENHOOD. 155
not relish these inopportune and intrusive visits
from his great ancestor. The Sieur Almeric was
not to be seen ; and his descendant walked hastily
to the window and opened it. The same sound
again smote upon his ear, but this time he knew it
came from the garden. He looked out, — there was
Williamson the head gardener in conversation with
some one whose features were hidden from him.
He watched the two men for some little time, but
they continued to walk further from the house.
"I wonder if they made that queer chuckling
noise?" said he to himself with a deep sigh, and
not liking to gaze round the room, while he com-
pleted his toilette ; " and yet, after all, I feel sure
it is some trick — some practical joke. I am vexed
that I feel unnerved, for I am sure I am very in-
dignant !"
On leaving his room, Almeric purposely passed
through the hall, lie had a great curiosity to see
if his renowned ancestor remained standing on his
pedestal ; or if he had decamped, carrying off the
valuable " six-angel piece*' in his sleeve ! In spite of
Almeric's repeated assertions to himself, " that he
was not nervous ;" that he had no fear of, nor belief
in, the presence of beings from another world ; that
ghosts were myths, and he had to deal witli realities,
— in spite of all this, it was witli a sensation of awe
creeping over him that lie entered the hall, and
turned to gaze on the well-remembered statue !
But there he stood : "The Sieur Almeric Mar-
maduke Barry-Barryniore of Heraldstowe, in the
156 MAIDENHOOD.
County of Z " &c, &c. as he was mentioned
in all chronicles connected with the House of
Barrymore. And he remained standing in the
self-same position in which Almeric recollected to
have left him ; with his left arm, that retained the
coin, placed by his side ; and the right pressed to
his chest ! Ahneric's awe fled, and his courage
returned when he saw the old gentleman had not
changed his attitude ; he even went boldly up to
him and took hold of his mailed hand. His sat-
isfaction was so great he forgot his sister was
waiting breakfast, and again made many unsuc-
cessful attempts for the recovery of the coin ;
and only unwillingly desisted upon calling to
mind the breast-pocket in which he had seen the
Sieur thrust the snuff-box on the preceding even-
ing. He gazed now with great astonishment ;
there was no appearance of anything of the kind !
At this moment a servant came with a message
from Miss Barrymore.
More than ever, now, he felt that the appearance
of the Baron to him, in such unexpected places,
and at such exceptional times, must be the work of
some inveterate practical joker — skilful in optical
delusions.
" I must find out who this clever person is," said
he to himself ; " and yet though he has added a
pocket to the armour which is not there, why does
he fix upon this particular Baron? Why not
Baron Guy ? Why not Anselmo ?"
Meanwhile, Miss Barrymore had writtten to Dr.
MAIDENHOOD. 157
Quinn, who was the usual medical attendant at
Heraldstowe, and entreated him to make an early
call. And when the brother and sister met at
breakfast, and discussed their letters, and made
arrangements for the day, Miss Barry more still
watched Almeric with a scrutinizing eye, noting
in her mind his pallid, careworn face, his want of
repose of manner, and his hurried and desultory
conversation.
" The Baron Almeric Martnaduke " was never
absent from the thoughts of " the Mr. Almeric
Barrymore " of the present day. Voices were
heard on the lawn, near to the windows.
" Who is with Williamson ?" said Almeric,
jumping up hastily, and rushing to the open glass
doors.
" Veitch, from Landeswold," said Miss Barry-
more ; " he has some new idea about the treatment
of orchids that Williamson wishes to introduce
here; he came yesterday morning, and they
l mv c "
" Came yesterday !" said Almeric, returning to
the breakfast table — " why, I asked you most
particularly if there were any strange workmen
about the house, and you said ' no.' '
lie thought now he had some clue to the means
that bad been taken to disturb him. "A practical
joker," and especially in " optical delusions," must
have an assistant.
" Veitch is not a workman," said Miss Barry-
more ; '• indeed, my dear Almeric, he is a highly
158 MAIDENHOOD.
respectable tradesman, quite above doing a mean
action, and most certainly above theft."
Almeric raised his eyes with a hard stare at his
sister's intelligent countenance ; he almost wonder-
ed she should explain to him that this tradesman
was " above theft," because he, in his own mind,
had never thought of accusing him ; he knew
exactly where the coin lay hid.
" She is thinking of the lost ' six-angel piece,' "
thought he ; " but it is not for the loss of the coin,
but for the appearance of the Baron, that I wish
to find some exciting cause."
It is true, Miss Barrymore was thinking of the
lost coin. She concluded Almeric meant to
imply to her that some strange workman had
carried off the " six-angel piece." And acting
still upon this supposition, and wishful to show to
her brother its utter fallacy, she said :
" And, Almeric, I must tell you I cannot for
one moment suppose that any person could have
the power to extract that coin from the cabinet.
It is, in fact, an utterly impossible thing that
anyone could enter the library through the
conservatory, go to the very tray containing that
unique coin, and purloin it in that instant of time,
and unknown to us all, and still leave the grounds
without being seen."
Miss Barrymore spoke in a more decided tone
than was habitual, the result of her strong feeling
on the subject. Almeric noticed this change, and
MAIDENHOOD. 159
because he knew the real hiding-place of the coin,
said, with a smile :
" You argue thus to save yourself from the
consequences of your own neglect, Zara." And
then, feeling mischievously inclined to mystify his
sister, he added : " 1 am sure that the coin could
be stolen in that small moment of time, and the
thief get clear off with his booty. Ill deeds do
not take long to do, and when done, they cannot
be undone — that is the worst of it. You would
think the thief a pattern thief if he first stole the
coin, and then restored it to its owner, would you
not ?" And then, perceiving he had said what
was very painful to Miss Barrymore, and that she,
to some extent, relied upon his words, he added :
" But, indeed, Zara, I only argue for the sake of
overturning your theory. You said it could not
have been stolen in that short time — I say that it
certainly could."
At this instant the conversation was interrupted
by the entrance of a domestic to ask if Miss
Barrymore had any further commands for Vcitch,
who was on the point of returning to Laudes-
wold.
" Yes, yes," said Almeric to the man ; and then,
turning to his sister, he added : " I should like
to have a little talk with him, not only about the
orchids, but as to the rearrangement of the paths
from the shrubberies to the lawns — will you meet
him with me I"
Miss Barrymore at once agreed to accompany
160 MAIDENHOOD.
her brother — the more because she saw him so
unusually excited, and hoped that her presence
would have power to restrain him, or, at least, to
put such a check upon him, as to prevent any
untoward act, rather than from an} r wish on her
part to see Veitch again.
But Ahneric thought of the Baron, his ancestor,
and fancied Veitch might be an accomplice, and
an agent employed by some one fond of "practical
jokes."
CHAPTER XVII.
" CALUMNY AND CONJECTURE MAT INJURE INNOCENCY
ITSELF."
BUT to return to Miss Fortescue. On her
arrival at the " Pines," Captain Fortescue
set off for his ride to Thorney Dyke, unknowing
of the loss of the coins at Heraldstowe, or of the
misunderstanding between Miss Thorn and his
own daughter. He had no presentiment of evil,
and eventually returned home, but too late for
Sarah to unburden her mind. On the morrow
the same thing occurred — Sarah had no opportu-
nity of speaking to her father alone. Mrs. For-
tescue was a great invalid, very dependant on her
husband and daughter. She was a nervous and
very sensitive person, and easily made uncomfort-
able by any unprecedented occurrence.
MAIDENHOOD. 1G1
Sarah, therefore, though she told her of the loss
of the two coins, and that she had necessarily been
detained- at Heraldstowe during the search that
ensued, and yet obliged to come away before they
were found, did not tell her that she had been
disturbed by Miss Thorn's loss of temper. Miss
Fortescue felt that Miss Thorn had been more
angry than the occasion seemed to call forth, even
if she herself had happened accidentally to have
carried off the coin. She knew she had not, be-
cause she distinctly heard the coin fall when Miss
Thorn shook her dress. If it had only rolled to,
the other side of the stile, it seemed that there
could have been no doubt of the matter. But as
it was, Miss Thorn had used intemperate language
— she had been satirical and accusatory, and Miss
Fortescue felt proportionately aggrieved. All
this she would have explained to Captain Fortes-
cue, but she had not had the chance.
On this day — the day after the fall of the trays
in the library at Heraldstowe — Captain Fortescue
had promised Mr. Thorn, the Vicar of Stowe-in-
the- Valley, to support him at a vestry meeting which
was announced for ten o'clock that morning. Put-
ting, therefore, his fresh purchase of coins in his
pocket, with the intention of walking to Herald-
stowe after the meeting, he left home immediately
after breakfast, without having heard one word of
all the fuss that had so upset the Barrymores on
the day before.
And the vestry met, and came to an end ; and
VOL. I. M
162 MAIDENHOOD.
then Captain Fortescue walked to Heraldstowe.
He arrived as Sir Hildebrand was in the act of
entering his library — that is to say, he had just
made his appearance from his dressing-room, when
Captain Fortescue was announced.
They were very old friends, though Sir Hilde-
brand was very much the senior, and their meet-
ings were always very cordial and enjoyable to
both. But on this morning Sir Hildebrand had
not his customary agreeable manner. In point of
fact, he was under the nervous dread that Captain
Fortescue would make some allusion to the un-
toward events of the preceding day ; and as the
" six-angel piece " had not been restored to him,
the subject was distasteful.
Miss Barrymore had not hesitated to point out,
both to Sir Hildebrand and to Almeric, the start-
ling anomaly that had so forcibly struck herself —
when she recalled the scene of the falling coins,
and remembered that one at least had travelled to
the stone stile — for she had not failed to point out
to them the fact that Miss Fortescue wore a very
thin muslin, without trimming or flounce of any
kind, as also a plain jacket of the same, without
pockets ! How could heavy gold coins be carried
away unknown to the wearer in such slight
material ? Miss Barrymore had no suspicion ini-
mical to the integrity of Miss Fortescue, but she
could not shut her eyes to this extraordinary fact,
that somehow one coin had reached the stile and
been found there.
MAIDENHOOD. 163
Of Sir Hildebrand, we may say, he was a gen-
tleman of the " old school !" that school that had
precedence of " the people's this," and "the people's
that." And though we give our hearty and cor-
dial support to the rights of " the people," and
wish them all health, and peace, and plenty, we
cannot but be aware that when barriers are once
removed, and the high tide of any fresh state of
things sets in, old manners and customs blend with
the new, or die a natural death by becoming obso-
lete. Sir Hildebrand had not marched with the
times, as many gentlemen of equal rank had ; and
in Sir Ilildebrand's day there was perhaps a greater
worship, even of the trappings of rank, to say no-
thing of the position for itself, than in our own.
There was, too, a conviction on the minds of most
country gentlemen, that the only really wicked
people on the face of the earth were ' k trespassers
on their lands," " poachers," and such like. And
if " the divine right of kings " was a little on the
wane in their belief, the supposition that any one
of " gentle blood " could commit a crime, was still
a special unbelief. Sir Hildebrand, therefore,
even if Miss Barrymore had wished to cast a slur
on the uprightness of .Miss Fortescue — which she
did not — would not have supported her. But he
had been made sensitive and uncomfortable from
the fact of these very remarks, and hence his ner-
vousness on the arrival of Captain Fortescue.
This gentleman did not notice Sir Hildebrand's
reserve ; he thought him looking ill, as he really
M 2
164 MAIDENHOOD.
was from the anxieties and troubles of the previous
day. With great good-nature, therefore, and a
sincere desire to draw him from dwelling upon
himself and his indisposition — as the best method
of being of service to an invalid — Captain Fortes-
cue gave him the news of the day, and for the
space of an hour sat talking on all the topics he
thought would be interesting, until at length Sir
Hildebrand quite forgot his annoyances, and be-
came hearty in manner, and to all appearance his
customary self. He had been thoroughly talked
away from the thoughts that had oppressed him,
and Captain Fortescue saw, with a feeling of satis-
faction, that his old friend flourished under the
treatment to which he had been subjected. Then,
and then only, he drew forth his case of coins.
" There," said he, as he placed a small coin be-
fore Sir Hildebrand, " what do you say to that I "
Sir Hildebrand examined it attentively with a
glass of great power, and, after a minute or two, said,
11 The King Cymbeline of Shakespeare !"
" Even so ; C V N O for Cunobelinus, on the
reverse C A M V for Camulodunum, or
Colchester, which was his capital,"* said Captain
Fortescue ; " and, once more, I ask what have you
to say to that ?"
" That you are a most fortunate man," said Sir
Hildebrand, with great cordiality, the vexatious
occurrences of yesterday forgotten, and his whole
heart and soul in the present moment.
* " Coins of England," by Noel Humphreys.
MAIDENHOOD. 165
u I believe you, my boy," said Captain Fortes-
cue, rubbing his hands together.
" I congratulate you with all my heart," said
Sir Hildebrand ; " and pray what else have you
added to your already excellent collection I"
" A gold Boadicea, and some few specimens in
silver of about the same date," said Captain
Fortescue.
" Did you meet with a Richard I. V said Sir
Hildebrand.
" Why, you were right on that subject, as you
very generally are on most," said Captain Fortes-
cue, with a smile. " The three coins that were
offered to me proved to have been struck on the
Continent, and call Richard Duke of Aquitaine, as
well as King of England."
" No ; Richard did not coin monev in England ;
but let me see what you have," said Sir Hilde-
brand.
" I do not think much of them, for, in addition
to my doubts as to the genuineness, they are not
in such very good preservation "
" I should not lack faith in this," said Sir
Hildebrand, after a careful examination of one of
the coins. " It is worn a little, but I think it a
treasure."
He replaced the coin on the table as he spoke,
and took up the other two, of which, after care-
fully scrutinizing, he said joyously,
" Why, these are in still better preservation !"
" Then do me the favour to add these to your
166 MAIDENHOOD.
own collection," said Captain Fortescue, selecting
the two best of the three ; " and I have also
duplicates of some others, which I hope you will
accept."
" My dear friend, have you just received your
pay I" said Sir Hildebrand, jocosely. " We know
sailors throw away money so soon as it comes
into their possession, and you are no exception —
eh? But, indeed, I thank you much."
Sir Hildebrand had before this entirely
recovered his good looks, and his customary
happy manner, and Captain Fortescue displayed
his remaining treasures.
When luncheon was announced, Almeric made
his appearance, and gave his arm to Sir Hilde-
brand ; but as Captain Fortescue could not be
prevailed upon to remain, he took leave, and set
off on his return. Soon he overtook Miss
Barrymore in her walk through the Park ; she
was on her way to the Vicarage, to lunch with her
friend, Miss Thorn. It was perhaps natural that
she should introduce the subject of coins, and ask
Captain Fortescue what recent additions he had
made; and he, pleased with the interest she
appeared to take, very willingly gave her the
information she required ; and he also explained
to her that it was not that his late acquisitions
were in themselves very valuable coins, but that
they were precious to him because they exactly
filled up such and such gaps in such and such
series. And very pleasantly they walked and
MAIDENHOOD. 1G7
talked together, until Miss Barrymore said,
somewhat brusquely,
u Grandpapa has had a sad loss."
" A sad loss ! — Sir Hildebrand, did you say ?
What has he had the misfortune to lose V
" Did he not tell you V '
" No," said Captain Fortescue, in some surprise,
and an incipient dread of something unpleasant
creeping over him.
"Did not Sarah tell you ?" said Miss Barry-
more, now in a marked tone of astonishment.
" Sarah ! — no, indeed. What has Sir Ililde-
brand lost ? — and what has my daughter to do with
it?"
Miss Barrymore now related the conversation
Sir Hildebrand had had with the two young
ladies, and spoke of his kind offer to show them
the two famous coins — the " first gold sovereign of
Henry VII.," and the " six-angel piece of Edward
VI. ;" and she told how the first tray had been
upset,, and all the coins recovered and replaced,
and that the second tray had also fallen, but that
the whole of the coins were not replaced, &c. At
this point she added, with more vehemence than
was natural :
" I really do wonder Sarah did not tell you, for
it was my dear grandfathers kind wish to show
them to her and to Miss Thorn that was the
cause of his loss."
"The cause of his loss! — Sarah the cause?"
said Captain Fortescue, in a tone of indignant
168 MAIDENHOOD.
surprise ; and he stopped in his walk, and gazed
sternly at his companion as he added, " Then, for
heaven's sake, Miss Barrymore, tell me what are
the coins that are lost !" — for he had high ideas of
the duty of children to parents, and he had
believed his own the most good and dutiful child
in the whole world, and now, by Miss Barrymore's
asseveration, it appeared that Sarah had wilfully
concealed what ought to have been mentioned
immediately on her return.
" I speak of the loss of the ' six-angel piece,' "
said she.
" The ' six-angel !' ' said he, in a voice of
consternation — " what, the ' six-angel piece ' of
Edward VI. ! Do you mean to tell me Sir
Hildebrand once possessed a coin of that value,
and that it is now lost ?" And then, after a
pause of a few seconds, he added, without waiting
for a reply : " How on earth could it have been
lost? Lost, say you? That is simply impossible !
You recovered every coin from the fall of the
first tray, and why not of the second ? It seems
to me absurd," and he now recommenced his walk
— " positively absurd, to talk of anything being
' lost ' that has fallen upon the carpet in your own
library !"
" So it may appear to you, and, indeed, I do not
wonder at your opinion. I kept up my spirits and
hoped we should find the two coins that were
missing — until "
Captain Fortescue again stood still, for the tone
MAIDENHOOD. 169
of Miss Barrymore's voice was not agreeable.
" Until," persisted Miss Barrymore, and speak-
ing very rapidly, " until Miss Thorn came back
from the stile at the bottom of the hill, with the
' first gold sovereign.' She and Miss Fortescue
bad walked away together, and the sovereign fell
from — why, we suppose it fell from Sarah's dress !"
And here we must observe, Miss Barrymore says
u she kept up her spirits." This shows us she was
certainly anxious, and perhaps also to some extent
hopeful, that the coins might still be found in
the library ; and we may also infer from her con-
versation that only when the " gold sovereign " was
restored by Miss Thorn did she actually lose all
hope of recovering the " six-angel piece !" In
addition to the loss of this hope, the wrong infor-
mation given to her, that the coin had fallen from
Miss Fortescue's dress, made her wrathful and
sceptical. She felt convinced a thin muslin, with-
out frill or flounce, could not have harboured two
heavy gold coins at any time unknown to the
wearer ! Still less could they had been carried by
such slight means so far as the stile in the wood !
Miss Barrymore's intellect was of the practical
order, and she made her conclusions accordingly.
If Miss Barrymore had asked herself this question,
" Do you think Miss Fortescue pocketed the coins ?"
she would not have been prepared to reply in
the affirmative. Unfortunately she did not so
question herself ; but she suffered her annoyance
at the loss of " the six-angel piece " to vent itself
170 MAIDENHOOD.
in covert inuendo and hard speeches, that were
alike unworthy of herself and undeserved by her
friend. The real truth, that the first gold sovereign
had been caught and retained in the niched head-
ing to Miss Thorns flounce, never for one moment
struck her as possible ! And so Miss Barrymore's
manner to Captain Fortescue, and her insinuations,
were such as at some future period she will recall
with regret. But to return :
" Sarah's dress !" repeated Captain Fortescue
slowly, and as if he did not understand what Miss
Barrymore meant. " How could it fall from Sarah's
dress ? 'What had her dress to do with it 1 ? I con-
fess I do not comprehend."
" When the tray fell, the probability is that the
coins lodged in some of the trimmings of — " but
Miss Barrymore paused with a sensation of chok-
ing in her throat, for she knew that the dress was
quite plain — " if her dress were trimmed, or *'
" Whata strange and unprecedented occurrence!"
said Captain Fortescue, " that valuable coins
should be accidentally lodged in the flounces and
furbelows of a lady's dress — alight summer material,
such as is generally worn at this time of the year,"
continued he, as he turned and scrutinised Miss
Barrymore's pretty muslin, " and should actually
remain concealed in that trimming during so long
a walk, only to fall out at the very spot where they
could be instantaneously secured, appears to me a
wonderful violation of the laws of chance ! For
the chances certainly were that the coins would
MAIDENHOOD. 171
have fallen long before then, and been absolutely
lost, beyond recovery, in the long grass in the
wood !"
Captain Fortescue was decidedly pleased with
this curious fact of the " violation of the laws of
chance," and he walked on once more in high
good-humour, talking for some little time most
learnedly on this law and that, and not being in
the least aware that the more he proved the im-
possibility — or the improbability — of the gold coins
being able to travel so far, in so insecure a position,
the more he supported Miss Barrymore's theory
also — viz., That the coins could not have been
caught and carried away accidentally in Miss For-
tescue's very /Jain muslin dress.
" But only one coin was recovered," said Miss
Barrymore, as soon as she could interrupt the
torrent of eloquence that had imposed silence upon
herself for a time.
" Only one ? Ah ! I remember," and now the
expression of Captain Fortescue's countenance
suddenly changed. And in proportion as he had
been gratified by the recovery of the " first gold
sovereign " under such exceptional circumstances,
so was he now startled and grieved at the recollec-
tion of the loss of the still more valuable coin !
u And you say the 'six-angel piece' of Edward
VI. is missing ?"
"Unfortunately, yes," said Miss Barrymore.
"But perhaps Miss Fortescue may yet find it, and
the good and wonderful chance that has restored to
1 72 MAIDENHOOD.
my dear "grandfather one coin, may in time even
give him back the other."
Captain Fortescue did not comprehend Miss
Barrymore's meaning. Neither was she herself
aware of the force of her own words. She had no
intention of accusing Miss Fortescue of theft ; and
yet, carried away by her own annoyance at the loss
of the coin, she implied the possibility that her
friend might yet find and restore it. Captain
Fortescue was mystified by her ungracious manner,
and he said rather brusquely,
„ It must have fallen in the long grass ; what
could prevent it ! And in that case it is indeed
lost !— lost !"
" Why did not the sovereign fall 1 What pre-
vented that !" said Miss Barrymore. " You have
proved beyond a doubt that nothing short of a
miracle caused the recovery of the sovereign, why
may not another miracle, or even the very same,
have prevented the fall of the " six-angel " in the
long grass ? Perhaps it is even still clinging to
some part of — of "
" To some part of Sarah's dress ! Impossible —
impossible — or, at all events, very improbable !"
" And Sarah did not tell you of our vexatious
loss?"
" No. I wonder she did not," said he.
" It was wrong not to tell you. But do ask her
to look well over her dress," said Miss Barrymore.
" Ask Sarah ! I confess I do not understand
you. Do you really cling to the hope that ' the
MAIDENHOOD. 173
six-angel piece' may yet be found on Sarah's
dress? How can a gold coin stick to a muslin
dress !"
" I have repeatedly asked myself the same ques-
tion," said Miss Barrymore — ;" ' how can a gold coin
stick to a muslin dress V and yet by that wondrous
anomaly we recovered the ' first gold sovereign !'
Therefore, though I cannot reply to that query
with any feeling of satisfaction, I can hope that
what has been once may be again." She stopped
in her walk, for they had now reached that part
of the road that branched off to the Vicarage.
And, notwithstanding the very evident frown on
Captain Fortescue's brow, she added, " You have
been very eloquent on the laws of chance, and if
Sarah can but manage to find the coin still stick-
ing to her muslin dress, you and I will have ano-
ther miracle to discuss. Good morning." She
turned away as she spoke, and walked rapidly
on, leaving Captain Fortescue wrathful and indig-
nant. Her manner almost insinuated the fact
that she thought evil of Miss Fortescue ! lucre-
dible as this appeared, Captain Fortescue could
not entirely dismiss the idea, and he hurried home
in an unusually irritable state of mind, determined
to see Sarah immediately, and hear her version of
this very disagreeable affair. We are sorry to add
that the fact that his daughter had concealed from
him the occurrences of the previous day, and had
even allowed him to 120 to Heraldstowe uncon-
scious of Sir Hildebrand's heavy loss, greatly ex-
1 74 MAIDENHOOD.
asperated him against her. She, whom he so
loved and trusted, to so deceive him !
And then again, what would his old friend Sir
Hildehrand think ? He had not sympathised, he
had not condoled with him on so irreparable a
loss ; and a loss — as it had been stated to him
— caused by his own child ! Captain Fortescue
felt he had a right to be angry.
" As for the sin ' of theft,' why, that was im-
possible — absurdly impossible," said he to himself ;
" but it was wrong not to tell me ; it was also
wrong to allow me to go to Heraldstowe unpre-
pared ;" and, after a little thought, he added, " and
now that I recall the fact, Sarah did look heated
and agitated on her return yesterday !"
Captain Fortescue bowed his head as this last
recollection arose in his mind ; then he silently
breathed a prayer, " that God had kept his child
innocent !"
CHAPTER XVIII.
" A GOOD SAILOR MAY MISTAKE IN A DARK NIGHT.'
WHEN Captain Fortescue reached home, he
found Sarah at the piano, quietly practising
a sonata of Beethoven's, unknowing of the doubt
cast upon her integrity.
" What is all this about Sir Hildebrand's loss
of valuable coins?" said he, as he stood by her
MAIDENHOOD. 175
side with his hat in his hand. " Why did you
not tell me, Sarah, that something unpleasant had
happened yesterday ? I feel more out of temper
than I like to acknowledge, for circumstances are
against you ; and until now I had the most perfect
trust in and reliance upon you."
"My dear father!"' said Sarah in accents of
dismay, as she hastily left the piano.
" Since Miss Barrymore left me," resumed he,
"I have been recalling the facts of vour return
from Heraldstowe yesterday. They were these —
that you were much later than I expected, that
when you did arrive you looked anxious and care-
worn, as well as hot and fatigued with your walk.
But you allowed me to ride away without giving
any explanation of these signs of discomfort or
unhappiness, and my entire trust in my only child
prevented me from being disturbed by them."
Captain Fortescue unconsciously spoke with
more severity than was natural to him ; and even
the astonishment expressed in Sarah's countenance,
and her pleadingly clasped hands and tearful eyes,
did not prevent him from adding,
" Have I cause to feel that my love and my con-
fidence are misplaced?"
"Misplaced! My dear father, what can you
mean? I have not a thought unknown to you;
why are you so extremely severe?"
At Captain Fortescue's desire, Sarah now re-
counted to him most circumstantially all that had
occurred at the stile, lie was then con vine l
176 MAIDENHOOD.
that the coins must have been carried away unin-
tentionally by Miss Thorn, and not by Miss For-
tescue. He could see no reason why Miss Thorn
should try to fix this fact upon her companion,
instead of allowing that the coins had fallen from
her own robe ; but then he was entirely oblivious
of the jealousy both Zara Barrymore and Sara
Thorn had for the third Sarah, Miss Fortescue.
And after a short silence he resumed,
" You ought to have seen me before I went to
Heraldstowe."
" I did not know of your intention. I thought
you were to meet Mr. Thorn in the vestry at ' St.
Mary's.' "
"And so I did. No, my dear, you were not
likely to know that I intended to walk through
the Park. Miss Barrymore says Sara Thorn was
at a distance from the stile when the coin fell.
Now, your version does not agree with this," said
Captain Fortescue.
" I assure you Sara Thorn was at the top of the
stile when I distinctly "
" There, that will do ; you need not tell me
again. Put on your hat," said he, looking at his
watch ; " we can go to the Vicarage and back
before dinner. Thorn is a sensible man ; he will
see things in their true light, and put down that
impudent daughter of his better than anyone.
Come — come along."
Captain Fortescue had never until now applied
such epithets to Miss Thorn. She was a leading
MAIDENHOOD. 177
belle in that immediate neighbourhood. A little
vain of her personal appearance, perhaps, and a
little jealous of the favour shown to Miss Fortes-
cue by Sir Hildebrand. But she was not
considered an ill-natured, gossiping young lady,
prone to speak evil of her neighbours. She was a
little bit scornful in her manner towards Miss
Fortescue, whom she looked upon as a plain,
rather stupid companion, but that was all. She
was not detractive, or otherwise .unamiable. It so
happened that Captain Fortescue had often
noticed this ungracious manner to his daughter,
and now that he himself was angry, and more
angry than the occasion justified, he remembered
Miss Thorn's sins of the past, and indemnified
himself for his former provocations by using
scornful terms to her now.
Miss Fortescue quickly prepared for a walk,
and she and her father set off for the Vicarage.
Captain Fortescue was very much excited, and
took such lengthy strides, and walked so fast,
it was almost as much as Sarah's strength could
bear to keep up with him. When they were
within sight of the Vicarage gate, Rosa, a younger
sister of Miss Thorn, and her governess, were seen
coming out into the road. Rosa was a clever
but a forward child, a great pet with her father,
and, therefore, often unchecked, when perhaps a
little restraint would have been the better both for
her present behaviour and her future career. In
this instance she rushed up to Miss Fortescue, and
VOL. I. N
178 MAIDENHOOD.
exclaimed loudly, " Oh ! Miss Fortescue, they are
talking about you."
" About me 1 — who is doing me so much
honour I"
" Miss Barrymore and Sara ; they are talking
about the gold coins you dropped at the stile."
" I did not drop them," said Miss Fortescue,
retreating from the child's caresses.
" No — so they say ; they say you only dropped
one."
Miss Fortescue made no reply, and the child
resumed :
" They say there were two coins lost at the
same time, but you only let one fall at the stile.
Have you found the other ? Show it to me, will
you ? — I do so want to see it."
The poor child must have been very much
astonished at the result of this query, for at this
moment Captain Fortescue, who had heard every
word, could not longer restrain his indignation ;
he caught hold of the child, and giving her a
hearty good shake, said, in loud, angry tones,
" What do you mean ?"
Without waiting for a reply to this unexpected
question, Captain Fortescue released the child
and strode hastily on towards the Vicarage. But
now his resentment overpowered his judgment,
and when he arrived at the entrance porch he
pulled the bell with so sharp a jerk as to make it
peal forth a startlingly hasty and discordant
summons. Sarah could not restrain her tears, for
MAIDENHOOD. 179
she had never before seen her father give wav to
such passionate bursts of temper, or known him
unjust in his reproaches to herself. Her tears only
irritated him the more, and with this unwonted
exposure of the agitation of both, and in this great
excitement of mind, they were shown in to the
Rev. Ulric Thorn. Now, Mr. Thorn knew
nothing about the loss of the coins, and, there-
fore, Captain Fortescue's anger and Sarah's tears
were alike inexplicable to him. After some
discussion, Miss Thorn was sent for, but her
presence seemed to make the mystification greater
instead of less, when, at length, Captain Fortescue
turned to her, and said :
" Will you have the goodness to describe to me
your own position, and the position of my daugh-
ter, with regard to the stone stile at the bottom of
the hill, when you heard the coin fall ? — that coin,
whatever its name or value, that you afterwards
restored to Sir Hildebrand Barryraore."
" Stone stile !" said the Vicar — " what has this
to do with our present discussion?"
" Everything," said Captain Fortescue, impa-
tiently.
And then followed a long conversation between
the two ladies, as to the facts that occurred at the
stile. But as Miss Fortescue was agitated, and in
dread of what her father, in his present excite-
ment, might do or say next, and as Miss Thorn
was full of displeasure at Captain Fortescue's
treatment of her darling little sister, and, more-
N 2
180 MAIDENHOOD.
over, very much provoked at this moment with
Miss Fortescue, it came to pass that the listeners
could neither make head nor tail of all the talk,
and it was eventually put an end to by the Vicar ;
who made a sign to his daughter to prevent her
speaking again, and who then said :
" Listen to me — listen to me. It appears — and
it has always appeared to me — that these stupid
coins — I wish there were no such things on the
face of the earth " — it is evident the Vicar has no
taste for numismatics — " that these stupid,
battered, hammered, defaced, even bent, and
certainly worthless coins — for they are worthless,
except to feed the vanity of a few — they are
worthless, I say, and, therefore, it is the more
senseless to hoard them, and harangue learnedly
over them. Confound it all !" — even the Vicar
was losing the customary equanimity of his temper
in the excitement of the subject, and his own
position as connected with it — " it has always
appeared to me that the less said about them the
better ; for it comes to this — it must come to this,
even in the very best specimens that can be
collected together from one end of the kingdom to
the other — ay," added he, waxing eloquent with
his subject, " from one end of the whole earth to
the other — it must come to this, that either they
are, or they are not, genuine. If they are
not what they are supposed to be, that is genuine,
they are not worth a snap of your fingers ! And
if they are genuine, or have the credit of being
MAIDENHOOD. 181
so, they are just worth a little hiding place in a
very shallow drawer ! "
Here the Vicar paused, and looked from one to
the other of his listeners — and then resuming, he
said,
" And for this shall we, whohave been hearty good
friends ever since our first introduction to each
other, shall we become foes ? Nonsense, Captain
Fortescue ! — this cannot be."
" But it is not for this or for that, allow me to
say," said Captain Fortescue. " It is not the real
or the reputed value of 'the six-angel piece,' or of
'the first gold sovereign of Henry VII.' — but
that you — you," turning to Miss Thorn, " or any
one, should dare to cast a stain upon the integrity
of my daughter ; or even in thought fancy that
she would take a penny reel of cotton knowingly."
And he tossed a half-used reel from Sara's
workbox as he spoke.
" And no one here does dare so black a thought,"'
said the Vicar, impulsively, as he arose and offered
his hand to Sarah Fortescue. " Do not weep, my
dear young lady; what have you to weep for?
Dry up your tears, and content yourself with your
position in our estimation."
But Sarah was disturbed by her father's anger.
" But then tell me," said Captain Fortescue,
"how did this unaccountable report get bruited
about ?"
He was totally oblivious of the fact that he him-
self had made all the commotion.
182 MAIDENHOOD.
"I do not understand you," said Mr. Thorn ;
" but I may even say that, in my own private
opinion, I should have thought my own Sara more
likely to have carried off the coins, in some of the
many trammels of her dress, rather than that this
plain muslin," touching Miss Fortescue's robe,
"should have been able to attract to itself and take
away anything so heavy as gold coins !"
" Even as now there is something in your
flounce," said Captain Fortescue interrupting, and
pointing to Sara Thorn's dress.
" Yes, my dear," said the Vicar stooping.
He tried to extricate a thin slip of paper that
seemed to cling to the ruched heading ; but as he
did not succeed, Captain Fortescue said,
" Let me try ?" And in a second or two he had
drawn out the paper. "It is written upon,'
added he, looking up at Sara Thorn with a mis-
chievous smile, " and it is parchment or vellum ;
certainly not paper. I think I ought to read what
is written, for the trouble I have taken to dislodge
it."
" Pray do — I have no idea what it is. Some-
thing I have caught up from the rubbish in the
work-room probably. But parchment, do you say ?
Oh ! then, from the housekeeper's room, she has
been re-labelling her keys, in all probability ; but
it cannot be anything of importance, and it must
have been dragged away by the ruche in passing."
" How very eloquent young ladies can become
when it suits their purpose," said Captain Fortescue.
MAIDENHOOD. 183
" Indeed I have no purpose to suit," said Sara,
blushing brightly, but in most perfect good-humour.
"I do not think I need much eloquence to shield
myself from any discovery that can be made by
an old label."
" Well, I do not wish to accuse you," said Cap-
tain Fortescne, evidently trying to become less
morose in manner, as he apparently took some
trouble to smooth out the slip of parchment on the
palm of his hand.
" The first gold sovereign coined in England,"
said he, reading aloud. " In the reign of Henry
VII., a.d. 1485—1509."
For a few seconds a dead silence fell on the
party, each turning to gaze on another with
looks of surprise. Then the stillness was broken
by Sara Thorn, who rushed impetuously up to Cap-
tain Fortescue, and said,
" You are trying to tease me ; let me see the
label — it cannot be so."
" It is so," said Captain Fortescue, as he held
the label between his thumb and finger high above
Sara's head.
" Then I am the thief !" said Sara Thorn, clasp-
ing her hands together, as in mockery of her posi-
tion ; while Sarah Fortescue put her hand on her
fathers arm, and said,
" Is it really the label to the coin found at the
stile .'-
"Tell us — tell us truly," said the Vicar, as ho
approached Captain Fortescue ; " does that slip of
184 MAIDENHOOD.
parchment indeed throw any light upon the miss-
ing coins {
" I should say," replied Captain Fortescue, now
in firm and pleasant tones — " I should say, unhesi-
tatingly, that this is the label in which ' the first
gold sovereign ' was folded when it fell from the
drawer. Allow me once more to touch your dress,"
continued he to Sara Thorn, "for it appears that
this — this "
" Ruche," said Sara.
" That this ruche caught the coin in its fall,
wrapped in this slip of parchment ; and that in
process of time the natural weight of the coin
worked its way through the slight obstacles that
had detained it, and it fell, while the parchment
still remained entangled in the ruche."
" Then you really mean deliberately to tell me
that I am the thief?" said Miss Thorn.
" I do mean to say, if there have been any pur-
loining in the case, that you have been the thief —
and a very pretty thief you are, Miss Thorn," said
Captain Fortescue with a low bow.
" Spare me !" said Miss Thorn, covering her
face with both hands, in an affectation of terror.
" Humph !" said the Vicar, " and so I was right
in the main ; and my daughter actually did carry
off those little bits of mildewed ore ! I shall not
put. myself out of temper for her sake, as you have
done for the sake of your daughter ; but then I
do not pretend to any degree of taste or — " but
feeling instinctively that it would not be wise to
MAIDENHOOD. 185
create a fresh misunderstanding, he turned to his
daughter and said laughingly, " but since there
can be no doubt of your guilt, pray may I ask
what reparation you mean to make to these my
very ill-used friends ?"
" But, dear sir, it is so plain she could not help
it !" said Miss Fortescue appealingly to the Vicar.
"God bless you, my generous darling!" said
Captain Fortescue whisperingly in her car. For
he remembered but too well how differently Miss
Thorn had acted, in her sarcastic accusation at the
stone stile. And then gently putting aside his
own daughter, and extending his hand to Miss
Thorn, grasping hers, and heartily shaking it, he
said,
" Will I not torment you for this ! I will have
you put in the stocks, set in the pillory, pelted
with hard words, black-balled "
" All for my innocence ?" said she.
11 Because you are one of those wnconscious
thieves who infest this neighbourhood, and com-
mit terrible depredations on the property of elderly
gentlemen, and also on the hearts of "
" Stop, stop !" said Miss Thorn. " You will
black-ball me, put me in the pillory, pelt me with
hard words, but — all for my innocence?"
" For your innocence, of course," repliad Cap-
tain Fortescue; "for, my dear young lady, learn
now, from one who has seen a great deal of the
world, that the innocent too often suffer for the
guilty ; and as you are so really, truly, and heartily
186 MAIDENHOOD.
innocent of breaking the seventh commandment,
'Thou shalt not steal,' or even the ninth, 'Thou
shalt not bear false witness against thy neigh-
bour,' you must prepare yourself to suffer in the
place of him or her who has committed such crimes.
The law must have its example — crime must have
its victim ; and as the innocent ■ are very heedless
of consequences, the consequence of their inno-
cence, they too often become the prey of more re-
probate minds."
In all this Captain Fortescue was very satirical ;
and Miss Thorn, though too wise to remark upon
it, felt that he was so.
" Well, I am as thankful as I can be," said the
Vicar heartily, "that we have this proof-positive
of the way in which those worn-out bits of bat-
tered coin found their way to their mother earth
once more !" and then he looked round deprecat-
ingly as he continued, " and to fancy a father — a
well-grown father of my unwieldy proportions" —
the Vicar was both tall and stout — " feeling thank-
ful, under the circumstances, for the fact that his
beloved daughter is proved to have carried off a
golden sovereign, the property of his personal
friend ! One of those very valuable, begrimed,
cracked, and worthless bits of metal that very
worthy count}'' gentleman," bowing low to Captain
Fortescue, " put away safely, in a very shallow
tray or drawer, guarded by a patent Bramah, and
most graciously exhibit — but only on Very state
occasions — to their very well-beloved friends !"
MAIDENHOOD. 187
Everybody laughed. But the Yicar had proved
he could be as satirical as Captain Fortescue.
" I shall not resign this parchment," said Cap-
tain Fortescue, exhibiting it triumphantly. " In-
deed, I shall go to Heraldstowe, turn informer,
proudly bring forward the witness to the delin-
quency of a certain lady, and call upon Sir Hilde-
brand to prosecute her with the utmost rigour of
the law."
" Shall you go to Heraldstowe to-day V* said the
Vicar.
"Dear father, take me!" said Miss Thorn,
" for I foresee you intend to accompany Captain
Fortescue."
" You will be afraid to pass the stocks on the
village-green," said Captain Fortescue.
" Not with you for my champion," replied she.
"Ah! now you are artfully trying to interest
the most chivalrous feelings of my nature," re-
plied he ; "you know it is my ardent wish to pro-
tect the innocent, and give homage to beauty."
"Let us all go together," said the Vicar.
"And all tell of each other," said Miss Thorn.
"No; we condemn you to tell of yourself," said
Captain Captain Fortescue, " and to shew yourself
no favour."
"Hard-hearted man ! is this your chivalry? — do
you thus protect the innocent? — is it thus you
give — " but Miss Thorn stopped.
"Pray go on," said the Vicar.
"Give homage to beauty?" continued Miss
158 MAIDENHOOD.
Thorn. " Why, on the contrary, you will delight
yourself in my terror — you will revel in my de-
spair !"
" If I saw you exhibit a symptom of real
terror," replied Captain Fortescue, " I would pity
you. If I saw you in despair, I would comfort
you ; but I do not think you will otherwise draw
largely upon my stores of compassion or consola-
tion."
Miss Thorn could not mistake the tone of irony
with which Captain Fortescue spoke, and she felt
very keenly that her foolish and uncalled-for fit of
annoyance at the stone stile on the previous day
was the first great cause of his resentment.
" But seriously, we all go to Heraldstowe, and
explain the actual facts to Sir Hildebrand,"
suggested the Vicar.
" By all means," replied Captain Fortescue.
" Suppose you and Sarah stay and dine with us,
and then, in the cool of the evening "
" Thanks — that is impossible," said Captain
Fortescue, interrupting the Vicar. " Mrs. Fortes-
cue will wait for us ; nevertheless, I agree with
you in the opinion that it will be as well to see Sir
Hildebrand as soon as possible."
" Yes — I do think, for the sake of all parties,
we had better meet at Heraldstowe to-night."
" I will drive Sarah after dinner ; there is
a charming moon, in addition to the long summer
evening twilight — between eight and nine. Will
that do T
MAIDENHOOD. 189
" To be at Heraldstowe not later tlian nine."
CHAPTER XIX.
" TOO MUCH FEAR COTS ALL THE NERVES ASUNDER."
AT Heraldstowe, the long day that had been so
prolific of vexations to the Fortescues and
Thorns, had quietly jogged on in its customary
routine.
After dinner Sir Hildebrand, as was sometimes
the case, fell asleep in his cosy arm-chair, and
Miss Barrymore proposed to Almeric to stroll out
upon the lawns, among the fountains and flowers,
and enjoy the cool evening air. Soon they
entered the Park.
" We will go to the squirrels," said Almeric.
The moon was sailing high up in the heavens,
casting a shimmering light on the boughs that
were stirred by a gentle breeze. Here and there
stood handsome groups of trees, casting deep
shadows on the earth.
" There is my favourite squirrel," said Almeric,
suddenly stopping in his walk — a do you see him
on that topmost bough ?"
The squirrels were a colony of themselves in a
particular part of the Park.
" Favourite ! — why, how can you tell one
squirrel from another 1 And what excellent long
sight you must have, Almeric, to see distinctly so
190 MAIDENHOOD.
tiny a creature on so large and lofty a tree ; it is
true, I see him, but not to see any difference
between him and any other."
" Come with me under the trees, Zara."
" We are getting too far from the house," said
she.
" Oh ! nonsense — grandpapa will not miss us ;
and, besides, Jasper saw us strolling on the lawns ;
he will look in upon him. Come with me under
the trees : the little things conmwate round these
trees in the cool of the evening, and hold their
revels."
Miss Barrymore thought, as she seated herself,
and listened to her brother, and his admiration of
the squirrels, it was a singular fact that it should
be recorded of their ancestor, Almeric Marmaduke
Barry-Barrymore, that he also had had a great
love for these tiny animals, and that he it was who
in his day had made the squirrels in the Park at
Heraldstowe tame.
" See how the beautiful creatures leap from
bough to bough, from tree to tree," said Almeric.
" If you watched nature in all her haunts, as I do,
you would know, Zara, that this is their custom in
the cool evenings of summer. See how they
pursue each other ! — how they revel in the fresh
air, and enjoy the healthful exercise !"
Suddenly, from the branches of the ti*ee under
which they were ^sitting, one alighted on Almeric's
shoulder.
" Here he is," said he, taking hold of the
MAIDENHOOD. 191
squirrel, caressing him, and showing him to Miss
Barrymore.
" Oh ! you beauty ! — you darling beauty !" said
she, admiringly ; u but how shy ! — why, he will
not let me poke a finger at him without showing
symptoms of fear."
" Their nature is timid and retiring, and yet
they are very affectionate little creatures when
once they become tame," said he, still fondling his
pet.
" But how do you know this squirrel from the
multitude I see at play now ? Is he the only one
that is so brave V
" He is at present the only one who allows me
to touch him, but his example will in time give
confidence to the remainder of the fraternity,"
said Almeric. " But now, Zara, look at his large
and very handsome tail, really superior to any you
see around us. See, again, the rich shade of dark
red upon the brown of his soft fur ; and then the
small amount of white upon the breast. Compare
him with an}' other that comes in your sight for
the whole evening, and you will convince yourself
he is the largest and the finest of the whole
community ; he has a fur of the richest in colour,
and softest to the touch. Oil ! he is easily
distinguishable from his brethren."
Miss Barrymore sat silent for a few moments
watching her brother play with the squirrel, an 1
again recalling the chronicle of the Sieur Almeric
and his love for squirrels, and marvelling in her
192 MAIDENHOOD.
own mind if such tastes could be transmitted from
generation to generation ; through, as it seemed to
her, countless generations.
" Does he often come to you ?" said she at length,
breaking the silence. " And have you a name for
him % I would call him Almeric, after our famous
ancestor."
" I call him ' the Baron,' " said Almeric hastily.
" I suppose whenever you are alone in the Park,
your little friends surround youf
" Oh ! no, no, Zara ; they cannot stand the
heat of the day — the sun is too much for them —
they do not disport themselves in the daytime."
" They do not hide themselves, Almeric, for I
often see them as I "
" Ah ! you misunderstand me," said Almeric,
interrupting, " of course you, or any one in pass-
ing through the Park, may occasionally see a
squirrel in the daytime. But you never see them
holding their revels, congregated m i ar rr e numbers
in one place, pursuing each other, leaping from
tree to tree, and thoroughly enjoying their games,
as they do always in the cool of the evening, to
their very heart's content. The day is too hot, the
sun too ardent."
The brother and sister sat some time amusing
themselves by watching the squirrels at play, until
the gradual lengthening of the shadows of evening
arrested Miss Barrymore's attention, and she start-
ed up hastily, as she said,
" I am forgetting myself in this charming scene
MAIDENHOOD. 193
and enjoyable talk with you, dear Almeric ; grand-
papa will awake and want coffee."
"I will follow you presently," said he ; " I can-
not toss this little creature too hastily from my
arms ; he has resigned his revels with his own kith
and kin to come to me — I must give him another
sweet nut."
" You must not stay long, dear Almeric — already
the Park begins to look gloom v."
" I will not, dear Zara."
Miss Barrymore walked quickly away from
under the shade of the trees, and Almeric was left
alone with his pet. He was so charmed by the
perfect confidence the squirrel seemed to have
in him, that he, for the moment, forgot he was
at a distance from the house, and without a com-
panion; indeed, he had forgotten that he was
liable to be intruded upon at any minute by his
restless ancestor. lie continued to watch the
gambols of the many squirrels holding their revels
there, and to encourage the confidence and affec-
tion of the one he still had seated on his arm, when
suddenly he heard the sharp snapping of a bough
somewhere near. lie started from his reverie,
remembered his lonely position — seated under the
shade of trees almost in darkness — and determined
to return home immediately. For this purpose he
arose, and turned to place the squirrel on the
trunk of a tree — to his horror and astonishment it
was seized by the hand of some person standing
behind the tree. Almeric peered through the dark-
VOL. I.
194 MAIDENHOOD.
ness, and saw the Sieur Almeric holding in his
mailed hand the handsome squirrel ! Suddenly
the darkness vanished — it became light as day.
Almeric gazed round, and was conscious that the
squirrels, in spite of the heat and glare of the day
— or of the light that had seemed to turn night
into day — were still carrying 4 on their revels ; but
his pet and favourite struggled in the iron hand of
his captor.
It turned its brilliantly sparkling eyes on Al-
meric, as if it sought his protection, and wished to
be set free from its present uncomfortable position.
With a hard stern stare Almeric watched his
revered ancestor, and saw, to his dismay, that
every instant he seemed to press him closer and
still closer in his mailed grasp. Almeric saw —
but felt himself spell-bound and helpless. With a
desperate effort he at length shouted,
" Let him go ! — let him go !"
The Baron knocked the little creature's head
against the hard trunk of the tree, once, twice,
thrice — and then threw him down quivering in his
death-throes at Almeric's feet !
" You villainous knight ! you "
Almeric had again shouted loudly, but he stopp-
ed in the middle of his speech from sheer aston-
ishment ! He saw the squirrels stop their gambols
and come nearer and nearer to their dead compan-
ion ; and as they came one by one within reach of
the Baron, he put out his hand and caught them,
dashed their tiny heads against the tree, and threw
MAIDENHOOD. 195
them, struggling, bleeding, and dying, to their so
lately living companion !
A heap of squirrels lay close to Almeric ! Higher
and still higher with dead squirrels did the Baron
raise the mound, cutting Almeric himself — as it
seemed to him — off from the rest of the world !
Subdued, patient, and speechless as much bv
the horror of the scene as by the feeling of his
own helplessness, he felt himself almost crushed
by the dead bodies ; for more and more, faster and
yet faster, came the tiny animals ; and higher, and
even yet higher, rose the mound of dead around
him !
Involuntarily he put out his hands to push away
the carcases, and prevent them from smothering
him, when again, with a mighty effort, speech re-
turned.
u You dastardly coward, cease your murders!"
and, struggling to disentangle himself, he saw the
glare of day abruptly grow dim — become darker,
until there was a thick darkness; he breathed hard
— he thought he was dying, though he still
stretched out his hands, and tried to push away
the dead objects that so oppressed him, when sud-
denly he was startled by the sound of a voice. He.
listened.
" Miss Barrymore has sent me, sir, to tell you
tea is ready." One of the footmen had spoken.
" She said I should probably find you under this
tree.''
" Yes, yes," said Almeric, as he felt himself
o 2
196 MAIDENHOOD.
breathe easily ; and he stepped from under the
dark shadow of the trees into the clear moonlight,
and gazed anxiously around for some signs of his
excellent ancestor. There were none.
" Captain and Miss Fortescue have just arrived,
sir, and Mr. and Miss Thorn."
" The Thorns and the Fortescues at this time
of night !" said Almeric, hurrying on, and glad
of an excuse to hasten away from a scene of so
much pain.
But the footman, who had awaked him from
a sound sleep, thought he was eager to greet his
visitors.
" Did you see the squirrels I" said Almeric. He
meant the large mound of dead.
" Only one, sir ; it ran up the tree."
u Only one remaining !" thought Almeric, but he
said no more. " To-morrow 1 must take assist-
ance, and see what can be done with the poor
dead things I" But he did not tell the footman
his thoughts.
CHAPTER XX.
"ASA MAN IS FRIENDED, SO THE LAW IS ENDED."
" "II AY we come in ?" said Captain Fortescue to
jLtL Sir Hildebrand, as he and Sarah entered
the drawing-room at Heraldstowe, on this same
evening — "may we intrude ourselves into your
MAIDENHOOD. 197
peaceful home, and destroy the comfort of your
evening !
" And here am I," said the Vicar, " and here is
my daughter. What do you say to us ? — sad in-
truders at an unusual hour."
" How many more?" said Sir Hildebrand, rising
and coming forward to receive his visitors ; " the
more the merrier, my worthy friends — the more
the merrier, and all welcome as the evening dew
to the thirsty flowers, or young faces and kind
hearts to the old, old man."
Sir Hildebrand was alone. He shook each
guest by the hand heartily, and busied himself in
little acts of courtesy until Miss Barrymore re-
turned from her walk in the Park. Then the
three ladies absented themselves for a short time.
When they reappeared, Miss Barrymore walked
hastily up to Sir Hildebrand, and said,
" What do you think, dear grandpapa ; we know
now how the "
" Stop !" said Captain Fortescue in a loud and
authoritative tone ; and then, suddenly changing
to his habitually subdued and decorous voice, he
turned to Miss Barrymore, and said, " I beg your
pardon — pray excuse the rough manners of a
sailor, and allow me to explain ; that we have
decreed, as one part of the punishment of our
charming young friend," nodding to Miss Thorn,
" that she shall herself confess her mighty delin-
quencies to the honourable gentleman she has so
wilfully" — with a strong accent on the word —
" wronged I"
198 MAIDENHOOD.
Sir Hildebrand had listened in wonder and
amazement, but he made no remark. Miss
Barrymore smiled as she turned to Miss Thorn,
and said,
" Quite right. I will not help her in the least."
The Vicar seated himself in a large easy-chair,
and, like Sir Hildebrand, looked on, and remained
silent.
And now Miss Thorn placed herself in the
centre of the room, and stood in an attitude of
deep humility. Her eyes were cast down upon the
carpet, as if she feared to look around ; her arms
drooped listlessly by her side, and the pone of her
figure was expressive of meekness and resignation
to her lot. Her spirits and good-humour rose with
the occasion ! She felt that Captain Fortescue
would shew her no mercy ; and she determined
that, as far as she could rule events, he should
have all his own way, as perhaps the best method
of allaying the angry feeling she knew he nursed
against her. Therefore, she purposely assumed
an attitude of humility, and overcast her features
with an expression of hopelessness, the better to
meet the occasion, and succumb to circumstances
she could not control.
Sir Hildebrand leaned forward in his chair,
turning his head inquiringly from one to another,
for he did not understand the scene. He, how-
ever, beckoned to Sarah Fortescue, and on her
replying to his summons, he caused her to seat
herself by his side, for he was gradually making
MAIDENHOOD. 199
up his mind to the fact that something the reverse
of agreeable was likely to be the subject of the
evening. He had never heard Captain Fortescue
speak in so loud a tone of authority, nor seen Sara
Thorn so submissively unqueened. What could it
all mean % Instinctively ho remembered Miss
Barn-more' s description of Miss Fortescue's plain
muslin dress, and of its inability to secrete or carry
off coins unknown to the wearer. It was with a
desire to protect her from the consequences of any
rude attack that he had placed her by his side ;
and as soon as she was seated, he took her hand,
and said, as he held it caressingly,
" Do not fear, ray gracious princess — I will keep
the world in order.' 7
Miss Fortescue did not comprehend what Sir
Hildebrand meant; happily she knew nothing of
the many disagreeable remarks that had been
made at Ileraldstowe. She smiled, and blushed,
and remained silent. And Sir Hildebrand
resolved, as he still retained her hand, that he
would rather lose his entire collection of coins
than hear against her one word of disparage-
ment.
" Now," snid the Vicar, leaning back in his
chair, and turning to Captain Fortescue — " now it
is time the play should begin, is it not ?"
" Yes, yes," replied Captain Fortescue, with an
affectation of sternness in his manner, and speak-
ing to Sara Thorn, he added : " Allow me to
suggest that you make what may be called ' a
200 MAIDENHOOD.
clean breast of it.' Confess the enormity of your
iniquity, and — and hope not for mercy ; if I am
well supported in my opinion of your conduct,
you will be condemned to — penal servitude for
life !"
Sir Hildebrand was evidently distressed at what
— if he had spoken — he would have called most
inopportune language at such a time, and in such
a presence ; but Captain Fortescue felt a positive
pleasure in what he in his own mind called " turn-
ing the tables on Miss Thorn," while Miss Barry-
more said aloud, in a tone of compassion :
" Poor thing ! — poor thing ! But surely she
may be allowed to sit ? She looks so forlorn, and
so like a — a friendless and — indeed, it pains me
to see her stand so disconsolately. Do let her sit
down !"
The Vicar laughed, and shook his head, as if he
thought Miss Barrymore's compassion was ill-
timed ; but Captain Fortescue came forward, and
said, in the most courteous tones,
" Your will is law ; the prisoner — we have proof
of her ill-doing, and do not, therefore, misapply
the term — she is our prisoner, and by your wish
she shall be accommodated with a seat."
He then searched round and round the room
for the smallest footstool, and carrying it to Miss
Thorn, and placing it by her side, said :
" For the present, the stool of repentance shall
be your throne."
The Vicar again laughed. Miss Barrymore
MAIDENHOOD. 201
turned away, feeling she had done more harm
than good, and Sir Hildebrand gazed with an
expression of dissatisfaction overspreading his
features. Miss Thorn herself was unmoved by
all the interest she excited, or the trouble she
caused. She did not smile, but as certainly she
did not frown ; she still retained her attitude of
humility ; but even these outward signs of
patience and resignation were translated in her
disfavour by Captain Fortescue. He saw that
she was standing opposite to a very large mirror,
in which her whole figure was reflected, and he
could not but acknowledge that when she stood
motionless, she looked like a graceful and well-
executed statue of despondency and regret. Sara
had occasionally, but accidentally, raised her eyes
to the mirror — Captain Fortescue thought she was
admiring herself ! He did her injustice ; she was
thinking only on the best means of disarming his,
to all appearance, vindictive resentment.
Meanwhile, Sir Hildebrand' s discontent ex-
pressed itself by queries in most gracious and
conciliatory tones.
"My winsome princess! — my winsome princess!
— my beautiful and disconsolate princess, why
does our friend, Captain Fortescue, play the
tyrant over you ? — and why are you called by the
opprobious term of prisoner ?"
Miss Thorn slightly raised her head, and as a
statue would turn on a pivot, so she turned to Sir
Hildebrand, as she said, in low and tremulous tones,
202 MAIDENHOOD.
" For my misdeeds."
" Misdeeds !" replied Sir Hildebrand, in a voice
of astonishment.
"Misdeeds," reiterated Sara; and then, feeling
that the ice was broken, and that she was expected
to make a full confession, she continued, in rather
firmer tones and louder voice : " You, my
honoured sir, will easily recall the dilemmas of
yesterday."
Sir Hildebrand bowed.
" The fall of the two trays with the coins, the
recovery of all that fell from the first tray, the
loss of the two valuable coins from the second
tray, the consternation at this loss, the strictness
of the search, and the time consumed by it. You
may remember that every nook and corner of the
library possible to reach while the furniture
remained in the room, underwent the most rigid
examination, and only produced disappointment to
all."
Sir Hildebrand leaned forward in his chair, and
in an attitude of profound attention he again
mutely bowed, while Captain Fortescue said in a
positive tone,
le You searched all places but the right one !"
And the Vicar, with a view to support Captain
Fortescue, and, like his daughter, wishing to turn
aside his anger, added in rather a jocose tone,
" Sir Hildebrand should have searched you, my
dear Sara, and then he would have found the
coins."
MAIDENHOOD. 203
Sara bowed her head the lower, and remained
silent.
" Hush, hush !" said Sir Hildebrand, as he
leaned back in his chair, with a countenance ex-
pressive of much annoyance.
" And also, most honoured sir," resumed Sara,
again addressing Sir Hildebrand, "you may re-
member that my friend Sarah Fortescue and my-
self, after walking through the wood, eventually
arrived at the stone stile "
" Stop, stop !" said Sir Hildebrand, holding up
his finger, and in fear of an attack upon Miss For-
tescue ; " I am quite sure that -"
" Allow me to proceed, my dear sir," said Miss
Thorn, interrupting him, "for I am compelled, by
the authority of that gentleman," bowing to Cap-
tain Fortescue, " to shew myself no mercy. I am
compelled — but not ashamed — to have to confess
to vou that I am the thief! — I carried off the coin,
or coins."
Miss Thorn had used the word "thief" ad-
visedly, thinking it would be acceptable to Captain
Fortescue; but Sir Hildebrand was totally unpre-
pared either for so bold an avowal, or — in his
opinion — the use of such harsh language. Never-
theless, the courtesy of the gentleman prevailed
over all other feelings. It is true the disagreeable
sentence, so criminatory of herself, made him start
in dismay ; but in the next instant he half rose
from his chair, extended his hand to Miss Thorn,
who said with a smile as she advanced and allowed
204 MAIDENHOOD.
him to take hers. "But a very unintentional thief!"
" I am sure of that — most sure of that, my win-
some princess," said he, shaking her hand heartily.
" Oh ! this will not do at all," said Captain For-
tescue, rising and approaching them ; " we have
brought a prisoner to our senior magistrate ; we
did not commit her to prison, or give her up to
punishment, or allow the law of the land to take
its course, upon condition that she should herself
confess the whole of her wickedness to the kind
old friend she had so shamefully injured !"
" She says she is a ' thief,' " said Miss Barry-
more ; " what more would you have ?"
" I would have all her wickedness confessed,"
said he. Now Captain Fortescue thought she
ought to confess she had accused another wrong-
fully ; but Miss Thorn never had had any inten-
tion of accusing Miss Fortescue, and was almost
unable to account for his great umbrage against
herself. Miss Thorn thought, if anyone had ac-
cused Miss Fortescue, it had been Miss Barry-
more. But that lady also felt herself innocent ;
and yet, strange to say, it seemed as if some one
had been very greatly to blame. One thing had
entirely slipped Miss Thorn's memory, but it was
ever present with Captain Fortescue, viz., that she
had been rudely satirical with his daughter at the
stone stile.
" Surely that is all !" said Miss Barrymore in
reply. "Her own conscience cannot accuse her
of more V
MAIDENHOOD. 20^
" And may not I protect her, now that she has
confessed?" said Sir Hildebrand, still retaining her
hand.
" Ah ! I see how it will all end," replied Cap-
tain Fortescue, shrugging his shoulders. " She
will escape — I see it — she will escape. But now
listen to me, Sir Hildebrand," continued he. "If
she had been innocent she would not have escaped
— she would have found a foe in every pretended
friend, a slanderous tongue under every smiling
Sir Hildebrand did not understand this harsh
language. He knew nothing of Captain Fortes-
cue's churlishness at supposed slights to his daugh-
ter — he knew nothing of all that had been said
and done at the Vicarage on that day ; he replied,
therefore, in accents of great surprise,
" But she is innocent — innocent of intentional
wrong. And allow me to say, my dear young
lady," turning to Miss Thorn, whoso hand he still
retained, "my princess — my winsome princess!"
becoming more and more earnest with each suc-
cessive phrase, " I cannot for one moment see the
necessity of doubt or difficulty. Am I not your
friend? — do I not love and cherish you, trust and
honour you as one of my own children ? Why,
then, on erring as you say — very unintentionally
— why mistrust my indulgence ?" Sir Hildebrand
was now making a serious matter of that that
Miss Barrvmore had supposed would amuse him,
and she felt some anxiety that he should not bu fur-
206 MAIDENHOOD.
ther mystified. She was prevented from speaking
by Captain Fortescue, who said,
" The guilty always find friends, while the
really innocent suffer in their stead."
"The innocent also find friends, my dear," re-
plied Sir Hildebrand, "and I will befriend you
and your innocence."
"Then you did not take the coins, Miss Thorn?"
said Captain Fortescue. " If you are innocent
you did not carry them away ? Come, tell us ;
did you or did you not carry off the two coins ? —
the ' first gold sovereign of Henry VII.,' and the
' six-angel piece of Edward VI. V "
" To the best of my belief I did," said Sara in
tones of marked decision.
" You did !" said Sir Hildebrand, now relin-
guishing her hand with a start ; for Captain For-
tescue had succeeded, by the pertinacity of his
accusation of Miss Thorn, in for the moment con-
ve}*ing an impression of wilful secretion.
It was but momentary, however ; and then he
remained standing and listening to all that was
said.
"She did," said Captain Fortescue, coming for-
ward, " the prisoner has confessed ;, now gentlemen
of the jury," addressing an imaginary audience,
"your verdict 1"
" Guilty, certainly guilty," said the Vicar, with
a slow shake of his head.
"Guilty, certainly guilty," reiterated Captain
Fortescue.
MAIDENHOOD. 207
"My lord," addressing Sir Hildebrand, "we
find the prisoner guilty !"
Sir Hildebrand, who did not at all comprehend
what was true, and what was not true, remained
silent. And after a pause of a few moments, the
Vicar said,
" Now, my lord, pass sentence ; what shall be
done to this — this "
He hesitated, between his unwillingness to use
an opprobrious epithet, and his desire to say some-
thing that should put an end to a scene that was
evidently becoming irksome to Sir Hildebrand,
when Miss Barrymore came to his assistance, and
said,
" Recommend her to mercy."
"No, no — that we shall not do; we think her
deserving of the full penalty of the law," said
Captain Fortescue.
"That must be because of my innocence," said
Miss Thorn.
" But I fear we are fatiguing grandpapa," said
Miss Barrymore, in a low voice to Captain For-
tescue.
Sir Hildebrand seated himself, and Captain
Fortescue offered his hand to Miss Thorn, at the
same time saving in playful tones —
" Come, come along, Miss Innocence."
And leading her to Sir Hildebrand, he took from
his pocket a small piece of paper, and presented it
to him, saying,
'' Do you know tin., label?"
208 MAIDENHOOD.
Sir Hildebrand took the paper, and after care-
fully examining it, replied in a voice of astonish-
ment,
" This is, in truth, the very label, in my own
handwriting, in which was folded ' the first gold
sovereign !' "
" I thought as much," said Captain Fortescue.
" And it was found here," said Miss Thorn, ex-
hibiting the trimming of her dress.
The pros and cons were all talked over again ; the
wonderful chance that " the sovereign " had been
carried so far before being liberated was once
more eloquently dwelt upon — and the absolute
certainty of the loss of ''the six-angel piece" made
matter for much discussion.
Miss Thorn stated that the ruches of her dress
had been searched most minutely, since the dis-
covery of this label, in the renewed hope of finding
either the still missing " six angels" or the label
that had belonged to it.
" There was no label with that unique coin,"
said Sir Hildebrand.
" Then, my dear old friend, it would the sooner
disentangle itself from the slight confinement of
the muslin ruche," said the Vicar with a sigh.
Not that he cared for the coin ; but that he sym-
pathised with Sir Hildebrand.
"I am afraid so."
" Meanwhile shall we adjourn to coffee ?" said
Miss Barrymore.
Captain Fortescue seated himself by Miss Thorn,
MAIDENHOOD. 209
and began to converse with his customary ease
and courtesy. While the Vicar looked on as he
said to himself,
" I hope he will not harbour an ill-natured feel-
ing against Sara — he has certainly been much
more intolerant than the occasion — in my judg-
ment — required."
But then the vicar did not know of Miss Thorn's
rudeness at the stone stile! — and Captain Fortescue
did.
It was at this moment that Almeric entered the
drawing-room. Miss Barrymore said to herself as
soon as she saw him,
"Ah ! I should not have left him ! What can
be the matter with him? How haggard and pale
he looks !"
Almeric went forward and cordially greeted his
friends ; coming last to Miss Fortescue, who was
still seated by Sir Hildebrand, and at a distance
from the large table.
" And so we have discovered the real thief at
last!" said Sir Hildebrand to him.
When the little drama was concluded by produc-
ing the label of the first gold sovereign, Sir Hilde-
brand understood it had been got up in sport,
more for the sake, he supposed, of amusing him,
than for any other reason. For Sir Hildebrand
was entirely unaware of the real reason of that
evening's recreation ; namely, Miss Barrymor
and Miss Thorn's supposed ill-behaviour to Miss
Fortescue. And though the innate refinement of
VOL. I. P
210 MAIDENHOOD.
his mind and habits felt jarred by the use of
language to which he was unaccustomed, and
which he thought sadly out of place in his
own drawing-room, and applied to his personal
friends ; now that he felt sure the divertissement
had been got up entirely for his gratification, he
thought he could not better show his appreciation
of these efforts than by still carrying on the joke.
And as we have recorded, he said to Almeric :
" We have discovered the real thief !"
But Almeric had not yet recovered from the
scene in the Park, and could not, therefore, com-
prehend what Sir Hildebrand meant. The loss of
the two coins had no abiding-place in his mind,
for two reasons. First, that the " gold sovereign "
had been found and restored ; and second, that he
knew exactly where to put his hand on the " six-
angel piece !" It would be vain and foolish to
say that Almeric's present sufferings were caused
by a dream !
Absolute reality was firmly impressed upon him,
from the two facts, as in the former case, that the
locality was the same as that he occupied, and the
subject of the dream was only a continuation of
his waking employment, but certainly — as is the
case with most dreams — strangely travestied and
exaggerated beyond the endurance of any one
really awake. And yet this dream was embued
with a positiveness and a verity that no power
could overturn in Almeric's mind.
" Yes, yes," said the Vicar, coming forward and
MAIDENHOOD. 211
giving Almeric a playful tap on the shoulder, " we
are all right now. The thief is discovered, and
has made a public confession."
"I do not understand," said Almeric wearily.
"My dear boy, it is all a joke," said Sir Hilde-
brand, as he fancied he saw signs of languor and
exhaustion almost overpower him.
"He is not well," said Miss Barrymore in a
whisper to Captain Fortescue ; " but I say as little
as I can, for fear of making dear grandpapa
anxious."
"It is all a joke," reiterated Sir Hildebrand,
seizing Almeric's hand, and looking earnestly at
him.
" A joke ! — far too serious for a joke, I fear,"
said Almeric, thinking of the scene in the Park.
" He is ill," said Miss Barrymore, coming for-
ward. " Sit down, my dear Almeric ; you look
tired.
Captain Fortescue drew forward a large easv
chair; the Vicar busied himself by ringing for
restoratives, wine or brandy; Sir Hildebrand tried
to explain, and then Sara Tliorn came to Almeric,
and said,
"I am the thief, Almeric; the label was found
in my dress."
Almeric listened, but he could not comprehend.
For, as we have said, lie lied no memory for the
two lost coins ; and his mind was still painfully
full of his cruel ancestor Sir Almeric and of the
dead squirrels in the Park.
I- 2
212 MAIDENHOOD.
" Still, I tell you I am in the dark," said he.
Meanwhile, wine had been brought, and Al-
meric drank eagerly, one, two, three glasses. The
exhausting scenes through which he had just passed,
in which he had been an unwilling witness to a
hecatomb of murdered squirrels, rendered some
powerful elixir necessary to restore him in some
measure to his ordinary state of mind.
"There, that will do," said Miss Barrymore,
when she saw him drain the third glass.
" It cannot harm him," said the Vicar, " in his
present plight."
" He has suffered more than any of us from
the loss of these coins," said Miss Barrymore.
" Dear boy !" said Sir Hildebrand, as he stood
by the side of Almeric's chair, and once again
seized his hand, and held it caressingly in his
own.
The wine assisted in restoring Almeric, not
only to some degree of physical strength and moral
courage — both of which had been overpowered for
the time being by the supposed presence of his
ancestor — but also to some comprehension of his
present position, for he began slowly to remember
that he must come back to civilized life — forget
for the time being the actions of his extraordinary
ancestor, and make one in heart and mind of the
present party of friends assembled there.
"What is it? — something I have not under-
stood ?" said he.
"He always had the kindest heart," said Sir
MAIDENHOOD. 213
Ilildebrand, " and now he cannot bear to hear
this epithet applied to my winsome princess."
"You have a better opinion of me, Almeric;
have you notf said Miss Thorn.
" I confess I do not know to what you allude,"
said Almeric quietly.
" No, poor dear fellow ! how should you V said
Miss Barrymore caressingly. " And, dear grand-
papa, you will fatigue yourself; go to your cozy
chair."
Sir Hildebrand hesitated, seemingly unwilling
to leave Almeric, and Captain Fortescue said,
" I will push Almeric's chair close to yours ;"
and he suited the action to the word, and the chairs
were placed side by side.
"But, you see, Almeric, we were just holding
our court when you came in," said Sir Ilildebrand,
" or it was just over, or — we were "
"And Almeric was so astounded at the sound of
the word 'thief in so refined a circle as the pre-
sent," said Captain Fortescue, as he brought a cup
of coffee to Sir Ilildebrand, "that I, for one, do
not wonder he could not understand."
"But suppose we tell xVhneric the real circum-
stances?" said Miss Fortescue.
And then by degrees he understood that Miss
Thorn had been convicted of carrying off the coins.
That she had lost — or was supposed to have lost —
the " six-angel piece " in her walk from Ilerald-
stowe to the stone stile; but that by accidentally
dropping "the first gold sovereign " there, it had
214 MAIDENHOOD.
been recovered and returned to Sir Hildebrand.
All this was said to be " proved " by the discovery
of the label in the ruche of her muslin dress.
After this the conversation gradually fell off
upon other topics. Mr. Thorn said he had heard
that Prellsthorpe was preparing for the reception
of Lord and Lady Prellsthorpe — and Miss Fortes-
cue had a lono - talk with Sir Hildebrand on the
expected j^e in the grounds of Prellsthorpe Abbey,
which would take place on the following Thurs-
day.
" We shall all meet there, I suppose," said Miss
Barrymore.
" Yes," said Miss Thorn, " and I am told by Mrs.
Cheetham the fete is to be on a grand scale."
" Mrs. Cheetham idolizes Mr. Hamilton," said
Miss Fortescue ; " for my part I hope he will
make himself more agreeable than is usual with
him — he is almost too stately to please me."
And the/ete took place on the appointed day.-
The details of which have been given in one of
the early chapters.
CHAPTER XXI.
" TRUTH AND HONESTY HAVE NO NEED OP LOUD PRO-
TESTATIONS."
A DAY or two after the fete at Prellsthorpe
Abbey, Lord Danby and the Lady Irene
MAIDENHOOD 215
Stuart talked over at their ease the incidents that
had occurred, and the people they had met.
" That Barrymore girl has grown very queenly
and handsome since I was here some six years ago,"
said Lord Danby.
il I did not see much of her, but your friend
Almeric is a remarkably handsome man," said the
Lady Irene, " with much more of spirit and point
in his remarks than I should have expected from
your description of him."
" Undoubtedly ' the muff' has grown well-look-
ing, but, oh ! Ren — he has touched pitch !" said
Lord Danby.
" Touched pitch ! Now what do you mean,
D.l"
" The youth hath sinned !"
" We all do that."
" But we do not all lament our sins, Ren. Now
this excellent youth — one of the Excelsior class —
instead of climbing to the top of his high moun-
tain, has somehow or other tumbled over a preci •
pice! — and, my dear Ren, he laments his fall.
Either this or the ghosts — it maybe the latter —
but something has alarmed the mediaeval ' muff !'
He had the audacity to say a few threatening
words to me, but as 1 know he is a fool who does
not mean half he says, I called in the aid of that
mild Sir Vicar Stowe, and turned his own tables
on himself !"
" Who is Sir Vicar Stowe, D. ?"
"That skim-milk Parson; the Vicar of Stowe-
216 MAIDENHOOD.
in-the- Valley — you must have seen him, Ren."
" Mr. Thorn, I suppose you mean."
" He jogs through the world with the laudable
intention of making everybody comfortable."
" A very praiseworthy intention, indeed, D. "
" Oh ! commend me to such wise-acres ! I can-
not endure them."
" Did you see much of the Maynooths ?"
" Now, why did your serene ladyship make
such a fuss with those great staring Maynooths V
" And now, may I ask, why do you depreciate
them ? You told me on your return from Prells-
thorpe, the last time you were here, that Miss
Maynooth was very beautiful, extremely accom-
plished also, and altogether an acquisition to a
very dull neighbourhood. Of her brother — I for-
get his name "
" Raymond," said Lord Danby.
" Yes, Raymond, a charming name — and you
said of him that he was beyond all praise, or words
to that effect."
" No doubt it was my pleasure to mystify you,
my dear Sisse ; for which sin, then, I humbly
crave your pardon now. Listen, Ren — Raymond
Maynooth out-Herods Herod ! He lies so magni-
ficently, you will absolutely marvel at the great-
ness of his imagination, and the boldness of his
words !"
" He must be very diverting," said Lady Irene,
laughing ; " but yesterday I heard none of these
MAIDENHOOD. 217
grand conceptions ; he was like all other country
gentlemen who "
" Oh ! nonsense, Ren ; he is not like any other.
Sometimes I confess he is amusing ; but sometimes
one has not the patience to sit and listen," added
Lord Danby with a yawn.
" Has he still this great gift, do you think?"
" Still, my dear, this large Maynooth amuses
himself, and affects to amuse his hearers by the
most arrant lies to which your ears ever listened."
"In what way, D. % Cannot you cheer me now
by repeating these extraordinary exaggerations V
11 Impossible," replied he, again yawning ; " I
could not take the trouble to repeat his tom-
fooleries — even if I could remember them — no,
not for the wealth of the Indies. It is true I put
him on at the Abbey, in the very middle of the
fete, so he attracted a great crowd around us, and
he curvetted and pranced, and blew his horn in
the old fashion."
While the Lady Irene was indulging in a
hearty peal of laughter, the door of the saloon
was thrown open, and Mr. and Miss Maynooth
were announced.
" Talk of the angels, and they flap their wings,"
said Lord Dauby, as he offered his hand to the
lady.
" We had not heard of your arrival," said Mr.
Maynooth, " and you may judge of our surprise
on meeting you at the Abbey so unexpectedly."
" We left London suddenly. Change of air
218 MAIDENHOOD.
was so very necessary for our dear mother," said
Lady Irene ; " and the air of Prellsthorpe at this
particular season of the year is so bracing, that
Dr. Campion would not listen to her wish to
remain in town."
" Ah ! that we who dwell in these remote
districts for the greater part of the year, should
have to thank the good Countess for her very
opportune illness !" replied Mr. Maynooth, with
some gallantry of manner.
" But we know you are a great traveller — a
great wanderer from these remote places," said
Lord Danby.
" I have been away a good deal, but not very
recently," replied Mr. Maynooth, in quiet and
courteous tones.
" Have been ! — yes ; but you do not stay at
home all the year round ? Your brother could
not spend his life in so small a place as England,
could he I" said Lord Danby to Miss Maynooth.
" I think Raymond prefers England as a
residence," said she.
" Triste place for a sojourn of any length of
time ; but Mr. Maynooth has travelled all over
Europe, I think."
" Europe ! — oh ! yes, over all the world," said
she with enthusiasm.
" The world ! — bless me," said Lord Danby, " I
no longer wonder at the extent of his knowledge,
or at the marvels he recounts." And then, turn-
ing to his sister, and interrupting her dialogue
MAIDENHOOD. 219
with Mr. Maynooth, he said : " Ren, dear, Mr.
Maynooth surpasses all travellers of all centuries ;
he goes — but only occasionally, I suppose — to
another world."
Mr. Maynooth slightly raised his eyebrows, and
looked at his sister, while Lady Irene said :
11 Is it possible % — then let me hope it is to the
higher, not the lower, of the two worlds left to our
choice."
No one replied. Miss Maynooth looked
uneasily, and with an expression of surprise, at
Lord Danby, and after a few moments of silence,
Mr. Maynooth turned to him, and asked, with a
smile,
"To which of those worlds have you travelled?"
"I? — oh! bless my heart, do not ask such
intemperate cmestions. It is all I can possibly do
to continue to live in this world. I assure you I
do not follow your example — I have no fancy for
exploring any other world."
" Indeed, 1 have no fancy for other worlds,"
said Mr. Maynooth, in a serious tone.
Again a short silence fell on the party. It was
eventually broken by Lord Danby, who said :
"No. You do not fancy another world as you
do this — that is to say, you do not like it so well.
I can understand that. Some of the visions you
are reported to have seen in other worlds quite
bear me out in that idea."
"I have not travelled so far as you have b
led to believe," said Mr. Maynooth at length, and
220 MAIDENHOOD.
in a tone that was calculated to disarm irony or
misunderstanding, and he turned to Lady Irene
as he said : " You spoke of the higher and the
lower worlds. If by the second you mean to
specify the place of eternal punishment, I do not
3 r et feel myself sufficiently wicked to deserve its
thraldom ; consequently, I have never seen its
dread portal, nor read inscribed there, ' Lasciat
ogni speranza' And if by the higher world you
mean to point out heaven, I confess I have
hitherto found my heaven upon earth ; and I may
add that I do not feel myself good enough for a
better ' heaven ' yet. If, however, you meant to
say I had travelled in more worlds than one, you
could not be contradicted with truth."
He was now addressing Lord Danby.
" For assuredly, long after the days of Colum-
bus, America was called the ' New World ;' and
even in our own day we often speak of Europe as
the < Old World.' "
" Then, was it you or Columbus who saw the
spider you told us of the other night V said Lord
Danby.
" I only recount the marvels I have myself
seen," replied Mr. Maynooth, with much suavity.
" You saw that spider with your own eyes ?"
asked Lord Danby, in a tone of strong disbelief.
" If you mean a large spider, of the species
Mi/gale a vicularia "
" Oh ! it might have been a Mygale, for
anything I know to the contrary ; not that you
MAIDENHOOD. 221
spoke of it as Mygale — at least, I cannot
remember that. And in the avuncular matter,
I am unlearned — I have no uncle living," said
Lord Danby.
" Some are born without uncles ; they are not a
state necessity, and you may be so situated," said
Mr. Maynooth, complacently.
" I am," said Lord Danby. " Did you see that
abominable spider ?" continued he to Miss May-
nooth.
" I did not travel with my brother," said she,
simply.
" That does not impugn the fact of the spider, I
suppose t" said he.
" I do not understaiKryou."
" You mean I mystify you ; it is a peculiar
talent — I have it largely given to me. But, Ren,
you have not heard of this Uncle Spider, who
jumps upon birds, and sucks away their lives?"
" Never ! — never !" said she — " what, a strange
creature ! And you have seen this spider actually
suck away the life from a lovely bird ?"
"No," replied Mr. Maynooth in a decided tone,
and with a shake of his head. "Lord Danby has
travelled further, and seen more than I."
"Nonsense," said Lord Danby laughing; "now
do not be so modest. I assure you I have not been
to t'other world."
Mr. Maynooth very adroitly changed the topic
of conversation, and addressed his remarks to the
Lady Irene, and when Lord Danby again at-
222 MAIDENHOOD.
tempted to introduce the subject of " another
world," the Maynooths arose and took their depar-
ture.
" You were rude, D.," said Lady Irene, as soon
as their visitors had departed.
" The man would not lie in your presence ; did
you observe that, Ren ?"
" I observed that he was a remarkably hand-
some man, and courteous as a perfect gentleman !
His eyes are most expressive ; and I admire that
light hair, and that long silken beard !"
" Ah ! Ren, Ren ! And so you were so serenely
charmed with the man, that you would not take
my hints, and draw the ' lion ' into talk. And
talking of 'lions,' Ren, this travelled Maynooth
ought to be quite as much of 'a lion' as that
grand bookworm, Hamilton. I honour this man
for his courage ; he tells, or I have heard him tell,
such superb lies with the gravest face, they ought
to be framed and glazed, and handed down to
posterity. But the Hamilton has a smooth sort of
taciturnity, that provokes a man of my ardent dis-
position. I bear with him for your sake, Ren, but
I do not like him."
"I like Mr. Maynooth better than Mr. Hamil-
ton, D. ; there is something very sterling in his
manner — he impressed me with a faith in his sin-
cerity."
" All liars do that, Ren, or where would be the
use of lies % They would go out of fashion. But
now, Ren, listen to me. You must not admire
MAIDENHOOD. 223
this man. Those Maynooths are Roman Catholics.
They have been so from Paul downwards — I mean
from the times of Peter and Paul. They keep a
heterogeneous staff of priests about their dwelling-
houses. They are considered by the elite of the
county of Z as great hobgoblins; they have
chapels attached to their residences, and — oh !
lien, what shall I do?" added he slowly, as he
yawned and finally stretched himself at full length
on the sofa. " This place bores me to death, and
the people are such intolerable idiots."
" You have just driven away the Mavnooths.
They are not idiots, and I am sorry they are gone,"
said she. " I am much pleased with him — so tall, so
handsome, so dignified and well-bred. And Miss
Maynooth is certainly imi so lovely as vou led me
to expect !"
" Your imagination led you to endow her with
a beauty she did not possess. The young creature
is well enough, but" — yawning — "stupid, Ren —
stupid !"
"You made her so by your own rudeness."
"There, Ren, that will do," again yawning.
"I wish somebody else would come — somebody
with " the next yawn was nipped in the bud.
The saloon door was thrown open, and Dr. Quinn
announced. After the customary greetings, he said,
" I have the pleasure of assuring you her lady-
ship is decidedly better. She seems to dread the
fatigue of a drive "
"She is like me — very tired," said Lord Danby.
224 MAIDENHOOD.
" But, indeed, she will be all the better for fresh
air," said Dr. Quinn, without noticing Lord Dan-
by's interruption.
" She was so shaken by the great stones, when
we passed through the village of Prellsthorpe, she
has not had courage to leave the house," said Lady
Irene.
" Then do not drive that way ; avoid the village
by all means. Good morning. I am off to
Heraldstowe," said he, rising ; " Mr. Barrymore is
ill."
" No !" said Lord Danby in a tone of surprise.
"We ntet him and Miss Barrymore at the Abbey
fete." Dr. Quinn shook his head.
" That is no proof that he is in good health,"
said he with a smile.
" You rather mean, no proof that he does not
require your professional skill V said Lord Danby,
also with a smile.
" I certainly mean I must say good morning,
and explain about Mr. Barrymore at some future
time."
As Mr. and Miss Maynooth drove from Prells-
thorpe to Heraldstowe — where they intended to
call — they indulged largely in remarks upon the
Lady Irene and Lord Danby.
" He certainly intended to be rude, Raymond."
" That is his concern."
" I feel indignant. I did not like him when we
met him at the Abbey ; he was less agreeable than
when he was last in this neighbourhood, and that
MAIDENHOOD. 225
is very condemnatory, for I did not like him even
then."
"Dear Yolande, why fuss yourself for this
man's extravagant behaviour ? It does not move
me."
" Nothing moves you, Raymond !" replied she
in a tone of pique, " you take everything quietly.
But 1 am vexed that you, Raymond, who are so
superior, should be so rudely treated."
Mr. Maynooth smiled. And then, bending his
large blue eyes with a kindly look upon his sister,
he said,
" But suppose we change the subject — of the
two I largely prefer the lady to the lord. Now,
what think you, Yolande, of the Lady Irene I"
"She is very charming, Raymond. Her manner
is so queenly, and yet — I had almost said love-
able."
" It is more queenly than hearty, more conde-
scending than loveable," said he.
" You are so hard to please ; I do hope you
admire her ?"
" I hard to please !" said he in a tone of ex-
treme surprise. "There isno greater admirer of
the sex than 1 "
And he broke into a merry laugh.
" Ah ! Raymond !" said his sister with a sigh.
" Come, Yolande, dearest ; now do not be
foolish, you know I am a great worshipper of
ladies," said he still laughing.
" Of what use is that ?"
VOL. I. Q
226 MAIDENHOOD.
" Use ! — why, the greatest possible use ; I am
pleased with their pretty faces, God bless them all
— all" he added with an additional laugh, " and
they are pleased with me !"
" But that is the worst of it, Raymond !"
" Worst of what !" said he again in a tone of
surprise.
" Why that ladies always admire you so."
"I am very much obliged to them, my dear ;
but what then makes that the ' worst ' of the mat-
ter."
" You know you never care — really care — for
any one of them — even the prettiest, or the hand-
somest, or the cleverest, or the "
" Wisest !" said Mr. Maynooth. " Yolande, love,
you are mistaken ; T care for them all."
" Oh ! nonsense, Raymond ! that will not do.
And then you really must marry some time !"
" I see no ' must ' on that subject."
" Then what is to become of our fine property,
and our fine old name I "
" You shall marry, Yolande, and keep the name,
and have the estates, and I will roam the world
again !
Miss Maynooth did not reply. And after a few
moments of silence, Mr. Maynooth continued in a
gentle tone,
" Forgive me, my dear ; I did not mean to touch
that sensitive chord. And yet I must say, that
for your own sake I wish you would let the past
take care of itself — " and after another slight
MAIDENHOOD. 227
pause, he said in a cheerful tone — " hut now, dar-
ling, I will tell you something that will please you
— since you are so thoughtful for my future. I
admire the Lady Irene Stuart more than any lady
I have ever seen in my whole life !"
" Ah !" said she in a glad tone, " now that
is something to tell me ; it makes me feel quite
happy, dear Raymond !"
" She is remarkably handsome — and "
"And what else, Raymond 1 — do go on."
"It is not necessary to dissect her, by way of
proving how much I really admire her. But what
I mean most to impress upon you, is that she is
the only woman I ever wish to see again I"
" Raymond !"
"I do not explain myself well."
" I think not, indeed."
" I cannot tell how it is, Yolande, but women,
as a rule, have never touched the sensibilities of
my nature to make me care for them."
" You dreadful sinner ! I know all that, and
I believe you to be incorrigible ; pray do not
waste your time in the confession of such sins to
me:'
"I do not dislike women; quite the reverse, I
like to have them about me, to see them at table, in
theball-room, at the banquet, at all times. But then
I cannot care, or wish, or long — as some men do —
to see such or such a face again. I have often
tried, Yolande, to select from a bevy of lovely —
mind, whom I allow to be most exquisitiv
Q2
228 MAIDENHOOD.
lovely girls — to choose one with whom I could
spend my life. It would not do. I never could
stand it !"
"I know you are such a dreadful reprobate !
And then, Raymond, the women do adore you so !
oh dear, oh dear !"
"Very kind of then. I beg to present' to them
my very best compliments and thanks."
" Oh ! Raymond !"
" But, Yolande — now listen, I wish to see the
Lady Irene again."
" You think you could spend your life with
her?"
" Ah ! I have not asked myself that question
yet — in fact, Lord Danby quite destroyed my
pleasure this morning. I admire the Lady Irene
so much, I should like to take every opportunity
of knowing her better, but if, when I go to see her,
I am to be "
" Rudely treated by him ? What did he mean
about the spider ?"
" When we were at Prellsthorpe Abbey, I saw
some curious and rare spiders amongst the foliage
in the grounds. This led to a discussion on the
subject of spiders, and I happened to speak of the
Mygale avicularia, and the death of the two
finches."*
" Lord Danby evidently mistrusted the truth of
the incident, Raymond — and certainly perverted
the words you used."
*SeeNote9.
MAIDENHOOD. 229
" That is his concern ; it does not affect the
fact. But here we are at Heraldstowe ; and tell
me, Yolande, shall we drive to Aunt Nuala's after
we have seen Sir Hildebrand % I shall not have
time for Wolf serai g to-morrow."
" It will be of no use to drive to Wolfscraig to-
dav."
" I tell you, Yolande, I shall be very much en-
gaged to-morrow."
" Very well, Raymond, I cannot help that. But
we have promised Aunt Nuala to take her to
Prellsthorpe Abbey when we call there upon Mrs.
Hamilton — and it must be clear even to you, we
cannot call at the Abbey to-day. But any day
this week will do ; and Aunt Nuala and I will
await your convenience."
CHAPTER XXIT.
" A YOUNG TWIG IS EASIER TWISTED THAN AN OLD
TREE."
THE families of Barrymore and Maynooth lived
within a few miles of each other, ami on the
most friendly terms. Sir Hildebrand, as we have
seen, is a type of a school fast passing away — Mr.
Maynooth a representative of the present day.
His intellect is of a more practical nature, and his
manners are less exclusive than Sir Hildebrand' s,
but his tastes are very much the same, and espe-
230 MAIDENHOOD.
cially as regards valuable collections of various
kinds, for the long galleries at Mytreberris are
filled with magnificent specimens of natural his-
tory, and he is thought on the subject of " coins "
to be even more enthusiastic than either Captain
Fortescue or Sir Hildebrand himself, and the
worthy Vicar of Stowe-in-the- Valley has been
known to say of him that — ■
" Maynooth choked himself with learning that
was of no use, and his cabinets with specimens of
less use still. For the latter were either so minute
nobody could see them without straining their
eyes, or such worthless bits of battered metal, that
even a travelling tinker would not think them
worthy of melting down in his kettle."
But then it was well known that the Vicar had
a sort of spite against valuables of this kind ; and
Mr. Maynooth delighted himself by always ex-
hibiting, when the Vicar was present, those coins
that had the most worn and lugubrious appear-
ance, and in expatiating upon them in very learned
language, and at a very great length.
So that on the announcement at Heraldstowe of
"Mr. and Miss Maynooth," Sir Hildebrand's
thoughts at once went back to the irreparable loss
he had had in " the six-angel piece." And, as a
matter of course, as soon as the compliments of
greeting were over, and that his friends were
comfortably seated, Sir Hildebrand said,
" You have heard, no doubt, of my loss ?"
"Indeed, I am here to ask what has happened?
MAIDENHOOD. 231
Rumour is at all times so vague and unsatisfac*
tory. But I hope it is nothing very serious ?" said
Mr. Maynooth.
" Alas ! yes," said Sir Hildebrand, with a lugu-
brious shake of the head.
"Veiteh came to us direct from Herald stowe,"
said Mr. Maynooth, " and from him we learned
there had been a great fuss, but he could not give
us any particulars."
" And then came Whitworth to tune the piano,"
said Miss Maynooth, " and he said he had had his
news from a very authentic source, and "
"You see we were expressing our wonder aloud
to each other in Whitworth' s presence," chimed in
Mr. Maynooth ; " we were marvelling what you
had lost, and how, when the man's countenance
became suddenly expressive of knowing more on
the subject than we ourselves, and then Yolande's
native curiosity led her to question him."
" Whitworth, the music-master from Stowe-in-
the-Valley !" said Sir Hildebrand sternly ;" and,
pray, what could he know about me and my do-
ings ?"
" In point of fact, it turned out he knew no-
thing," said Yolande.
" Oh ! said Sir Hildebrand, " then he is simply
on a par with all the people who come from Stowe.
He was pricking up his ears to learn all he could
from you, and so astonish the county as he went
his rounds by the accuracy of the news he had to
promulgate! Those Stowe-in-the- Valley people
232 MAIDENHOOD.
are the most gossiping and mischief-making in the
whole world !"
" He knew something," said Mr. Maynooth
laughing, " for he knew there had been a scene of
an unusual kind at Heraldstowe. He seemed
also to know that something had been stolen,
but "
" Stolen !" said Sir Hildebrand in a tone of dis-
pleasure. " What could he mean ?"
11 His impression was that you had been robbed
— but he did not say your loss was in coins."
" I have not been robbed," said Sir Hildebrand
in a positive manner.
" Have you not ?" said Miss Maynooth. " Our
information comes from the wandering minstrels
of the countv, for Veitch of Landeswold came
from you to us. Your servants told him you had
let fall a drawer full of coins, and some could not
be found."
" If we could have dumb servants, as I under-
stand some people have dumb-waiters, we might
sometimes find ourselves more comfortably off,"
said Sir Hildebrand.
" You see, Yolande and I used the word ' coin '
in Whitworth's presence, because Veitch had told
us that 'coins' were lost. And, as you say, ' he
pricked up his ears,' tuned his fifths so falsely as
to take away one's breath, and hugely admonish
any sensitive person to leave him and his discords
to resolve themselves into harmony at their own
leisure ; but after I left the room, Yolande, having
MAIDENHOOD. 23o
the inborn curiosity of a woman, questioned the
man."
" And what did he know, Yolande V said Miss
Barrymore. Miss Maynooth did not reply imme-
diately, and then Sir Hildebrand said,
" But how could such a man as ' Whitworth
the tuner' know what had happened in my
house f
"It appears he had to give a lesson to Miss
Rosa Thorn, and she was in some trouble, and in
some way unhappy about the loss of the coins.
Her sister, Miss Thorn, was present when the trays
were upset," said Yolande.
" Poor little Rosa Thorn !" said Sir Hildebrand
musingly. " And pray how did she get into
trouble about my coins ? I have not seen the
child for some weeks. "
" Even Whitworth could not tell us that," said
Yolande. " He seemed to know just enough to
make him wish to know more, but not by any
means enough to carry as ' a good budget' round
the county — unless, indeed, he painted highly from
his own imagination."
"But how shamefully some seem to meddle
with other people's concerns !" said Sir Hilde-
brand. " Why need the county of Z lose
their precious time in gossip because I have lost a
coin or two 1 These things annoy me, and I would
rather lose all my entire collection of coins than
have 'gardeners' and ' tuners ' prying into
my household concerns ! And then — poor little
234 MAIDENHOOD.
Rosa Thorn of all people in the world — what had
she done to be drawn into the trouble?"
"That reminds me," said Mr. Maynooth, "that
we do not know, and that we wish to know, the
pros and cons and ins and outs of all this recent
fuss."
And then the Maynooths were told all that the
reader already knows ; and much discussion en-
sued afterwards between them and the Barrymores.
" You have had the path searched, of course ?"
said Mr. Maynooth.
" Almeric and Zara occupied much time in ex-
amining the path, and peering into the long grass
before the boy's illness," said Sir Hildebrand.
" Almeric is not well — he is in Dr. Quinn's hands,
and our anxiety on his account has, for the time
being, put aside our regret for the ' six-angel
piece.
" Yes, so it would, naturally. But I hope Al-
meric is not seriously ill ?" said Mr. Maynooth.
" Oh ! no, Raymond, nothing serious," said
Miss Barrymore ; " but still, we are just a little
anxious."
"Yes, of course you will be apprehensive, Zara;
but we must not let this valuable coin slip from
our thoughts. How strange that so unique a coin
should be the very one to be carried off in that
chance way !"
" You are so enthusiastic on this subject, Ray-
mond !"
" But you will recover it, Zara," replied he,
MAIDENHOOD. 235
you will — that is, I mean if you are tolerably care-
ful in your search."
" Indeed, Raymond, it is very desirable that I
should recover that matchless coin, " said Sir Hil-
debrand. " And though dear Almeric is as wish-
ful as myself, and, if possible, even more so, yet
he very greatly objects — and so do I — to cutting
up the park, and having workmen about the place.
And then again, Raymond, the chances of recover-
ing the coin are very small, as in my conversation
with Almeric he proved to me."
And here it must be remarked that Almeric
k new — though Sir Ilildebrand did not — that the
comfort and enjoyment of the Park would be de-
stroyed, and no adequate result arise, because
Baron Almeric had the coin.
"Ah! you and I think so 'differently on such
matters," said Mr. Maynooth. "I agree with you
in that, the quiet beauty of the Park will be de-
stroyed for the time being. For if you only em-
ploy one or two men, to begin from the house, and
quietly work their way to the stile, it will occupy
a long time, and the nuisance will be ever present;
but if you employ large numbers, one day or two
at the most, will settle the matter — and, of course,
a reward must be offered, over and above his
labour, to the man who is fortunate in finding the
coin. I should have diggers and delvers at work
immediately."
" It would so spoil the Park, Raymond l" said
Miss Barry m ore.
236 MAIDENHOOD.
" Yes, it will spoil the appearance of the Park
for the time being, according to your notions, but
we must give and take in this world. The Park
will eventually be improved, though its aristocratic
and classical beauty may be put aside for the
time."
Mr. Maynooth knew such sentiments were pain-
ful to Sir Hildebrand, but he himself was of too
practical a nature to decline a future good for the
sake of a present discomfort, or to weigh, as Sir
Hildebrand and Miss Barrymore did, the existing
appearance of the Park against the result to be
expected. He knew, also, the difference between
himself and Sir Hildebrand. The latter had
lived a long life in one position, and in one lo-
cality, with only an occasional visit to the Conti-
nent. He had grown old with his trees, made his
Park and its belongings part of himself, and felt
that the rest of the world should not show much
less honour to his lands than to himself! Sir
Hildebrand had been educated in these ideas, and
he had not " moved on " with the times.
But Mr. Maynooth was of a younger genera-
tion ; he had not been brought up to expect
" worship " from those born in a lower grade of
society ; and yet he was as fond and as proud of
his estates as Sir Hildebrand. Neither had he
lived almost entirely in one residence ; he had
travelled much, and travelled with his eyes open :
not as Sir Hildebrand had in the early part of this
century, " the grand Milord Anglais " of that
MAIDENHOOD. 237
period, in his own carriages, with his own atten-
dants, but on foot, with his knapsack, when it
pleased him, alone, unattended, and to all parts of
the earth. Mr. Maynooth, therefore, never felt
fettered by distinctions of rank — he had made him-
self familfar with many phases of life, and felt
himself at home in all. And yet we must do him
the justice to add, that though always affable to his
inferiors, and always willing to help, where help
was needed, he had no intimate companions beneath
his own rank in life. He seemed, so to speak, to
be quite as well aware of his own position in the
world as Sir Hildebrand himself ; but this rank
or place was not a means of separating him from
his kind, nor a cause that he should entrench him-
self and his belongings behind barriers of etiquette
and of present comfort at the expense of future good.
Meanwhile Sir Hildebrand leaned his head upon
his hand and closed his eyes, as if he would will-
ingly shut out unpleasant ideas. He felt that he
valued "the six-angel piece, " but he also valued
his Park. He agreed in opinion with Almeric ; he
did not wish to see the Park invaded by myriads
of workmen, whether for a period short or long.
He did not like to have his privacy intruded upon,
or even the present appearance of the Park chang-
ed. He himself set great value upon that great
heirloom that had descended to him intact from
generation to generation ; it sounded little less than
sacrilege in the ears of Sir Hildebrand to hear his
Park spoken of thus slightingly.
238
MAIDENHOOD.
" The ladies can easily point out exactly the
road they took," said Mr. Maynooth ; and it seemed
to the Barrymores as if he were almost determined
not to let the subject drop — " or rather they can
say if the) r deviated at all from the direct road,
and where — and the rest will be all plain sailing.
Hire a huge number of workmen — the more
the merrier, and the sooner the fuss will be over
— turn up the soil, sift it."
"You think, Raymond, that 'a huge number of
workmen ' can be employed in the Park and not
do it permanent injury," said Miss Barrymore;
"remember the birds, they are now so tame
and "
" Zara, again I say we must give and take in
this world ; and as for 'permanent injury, no injury
whatever will be done. How can the soil upon
which we tread be injured?" said he with a smile.
" On the contrary it will be improved by being
broken up, and by letting in fresh air. If you mean
the road will be closed for the time ; it is your
own road ; you can do as you please with it. For my
part, I think a host of workmen in their rough
jackets, or no jackets at all, with their cradles,
their tools, their wheelbarrows, and their sieves —
their wives and daughters bringing them their
dinners, and their children at play under the
trees — the merry gambols of children are so
amusing — would make a pretty picture — a very
pretty picture."
Miss Maynooth strongly suspected her brother
MAIDENHOOD. 239
of great exaggeration in all this. She thought if
it had been a case for his own Park, he would not
have "hired a huge number of workmen," but
that he would, perhaps, have employed so many as
he could himself superintend, or in some degree
watch over.
Miss Barrymore, also, was silent from a feeling
of great annoyance. It must be confessed that it
was more for the sake of the future career of the
future Baronet Almeric, that Mr. Maynooth stood
his ground so manfully, than for the sake of the
recovery of the coin. Both Almeric and Zara
were, in his opinion, too much trammelled by
the etiquette of a past age, too much surrounded
by that state in which Sir Hildebrand had been
brought up. His real desire was to break through
these hedges of exclusiveness, and fit the minds of
The young people for the work of the present day.
Hence it may perhaps be admitted he pressed the
subject of sending workmen into the Park in a
strong manner.
But to return to Sir Hildebrand. Did he hear
aright ! Was the classical beautv of the Park, its
magnificent trees, in groups, or otherwise, its
shady groves, its undulating ground, its charming
vistas here and there, its sunny slopes, its lengthy
avenues and lofty shade, its plarid waters, its herds
of deer, either capriciously frisking along in a fast
race, as it seemed, or steadily feeding in peaceful
content; and the distant view of " St. Mary-on-
the-Knoll" standing on its outskirts — were all
240 MAIDENHOOD.
these to be made " pretty " by groups of ill-man-
nered and vulgar men and women in the fore-
ground ! Eating their dinners while their tatter-
demalion and ragamuffin children were at play.
At play ! — and such play ! Climbing the trees,
breaking the branches, stealing the bird's nests,
terrifying the deer, probably running after them,
certainly killing and carrying off the fawns !
There was sacrilege in the very thought ! — and
Sir Hildebrand remained silent. The lost "six-
angel piece " was dear to him, the privacy and
stillness of the Park dearer.
Perhaps Sir Hildebrand had never before felt
the difference between himself and Mr. Maynooth
so strongly. The latter saw this, and partly apolo-
gized for having given his opinion so freely — add-
ing in very suave tones,
" You see, my dear Sir Hildebrand, the longer
we remain in one place, the better we like it, and
the less we wish to see any change around us. I
allow you have naturally a great love for this
place as it is ; and so have I, and so must all who
look upon it. I can understand that you do not
wish for any change, and, therefore, I must ask
you to pardon my enthusiasm, because / have
travelled so far, and seen so much, that I, unlike
you, enjoy change. This opinion, however, need
not influence you ; only somehow, as the piece is
unique, it will be a great loss, and prevent any
perfect collection of English coins for the fu-
ture."
MAIDENHOOD. 241
" The coin may have fallen on the turf,
Raymond," said Miss Barrymore.
" That would not prove any obstacle ; it could
be found on the turf as well as in the path."
It was evident Mr. Maynooth would not yield a
hair's breadth ; his conviction was that the coin
could be found, and he persisted in saying so.
" Raymond, you are right," said Sir Hildebrand,
with a deep sigh, as he now raised his head from
his long reverie. " I cannot, for the sake of the
stillness and beauty of my own Park — I cannot
allow this unique coin to remain buried on my
lands."
" I rejoice to hear you say so. And if you will
allow me, my dear Sir Hildebrand, to be of use,
I think we can manage with very little fuss — very
little fuss indeed."
" Fewer workmen, Raymond ?" suggested Miss
Maynooth.
" We will think the matter over," said Sir
Hildebrand, and the party separated.
CHAPTER XXIII.
" BEAR AND FORBEAR IS GOOD PniLOSOBlIY."
MR. and Mrs. Cheetham were seated at break-
fast at the Rectory, when Lord Danby was
announced.
"Mrs. Cheetham, you are mine for the day — is
VOL. I. B
242 MAIDENHOOD.
she not, my lord?" said he to Mr. Cheetham,
whom he sometimes mockingly addressed as if he
were a bishop.
" No, my lord," said Mr. Cheetham, with a
good-natured smile — " I cannot spare her ; she
must stay at home. She seems to me to spend
her life in chaperoning young ladies hither and
thither, to. the no small discomfort of her stay-at-
home husband."
" I have always said it is a great shame to take
wives from their husbands, merely to shut their
eyes while we converse with our enchantresses —
eh, Miss Brenda % Ah ! I know you, you little
Queen of the Rectory — do I not, my lord %
However, what are we to do % — just remark the
state of this neighbourhood. There is Irene, a
poor, motherless thing, or to be so considered, for
you all know my lady Countess cannot dissipate ;
Grel in a like plight — at least, no mother ; the
Barrymore girl in the same predicament — 1
suppose the Catholic Maynooth is considered to be
sufficiently protected by her hirsute brother ; and,
I may add, the Thorn and the Pine have their
worthy fathers, for the most part, looking on."
By the " Thorn," Lord Danby meant Miss
Thorn, and by the " Pine," he meant Miss
Fortescue, because Captain Fortescue's residence
was called the " Pines."
" Only Miss Brenda — charming Miss Brenda,"
said Lord Danby, bowing to her, " has a mother
to keep her out of harm's way. You are
MAIDENHOOD. 243
extremely well off, Miss Brenda ; if you do
wrong, your lady mother will bear the blame ; and
so you may run away with me, if you like, or with
anyone else who pleases you better, and you will
bear no blame — it will fall on your mother. Now
if Irene, or Grel, or the Thorn, or the Pine, or the
queenly Barrymore go wrong, each must bear the
blame for herself. See how truthful I am ! —
listen to my words — think of what I have said —
lay this flattering unction to your soul, Miss
Brenda — attractive Miss Brenda ! And so, then,
none of these charming young women can see the
grand Poultry Show at Landeswuld, because they
are motherless, and your lordship hard-hearted ?
Why, a score or so of us meant to ride, and
Hamilton has promised to horse tin- break for the
ladies. Fancy that sage Hamilton driving such a
lot of beauties in his own break ! — Grel, and
Irene, and Brenda, and then the Thorn ; but L
object to thorns, even on the stem of the rose. I
think it one of Nature's mistakes to have given
thorns to the lovely rose. But to return : the
Pine an<l the Thorn are with Irene by this time.
Their wise fathers have consented to put them
under her queenly care till to-morrow, because she
is supposed to be under your care for to-day,
Mistress Cheetham the amiable."
" But, I tell you, Mrs. Cheetham cannot g<>,
and Grel is ill in bed," said Mr. Cheetham.
"Never mind these opinions of yours, mv lord
— or, rather, I mean in spite of them — the break
R 2
244 MAIDENHOOD.
will be at the Rectory at twelve of the clock ; and
as we expect to see his lordship, the Bishop of
Prellsthorpe, join the riding party, we feel pretty
sure that "
Mr. Cheetham laughed, and shook his head,
but Brenda jumped up, and put her arms round
him coaxingly, as she whispered,
" Dear papa, how can you refuse ?"
" But, my love, you forget Lady Grel is ill in
bed ; she cannot go."
" If you will promise not to teaze her, I feel
sure the drive would do her good," said Brenda to
Lord Danby ; "and I will use my influence with
her, for, of course, if Grel remains at home,
neither mamma nor I can go."
" If you, Brenda, will promise to ride on the
box with Hamilton," replied Lord Danby, with a
mischievous smile, " I will agree not to speak to
Grel for the whole day."
" I !— I sit by Mr. Hamilton's side % Thanks—
a very pleasant day I should have !" said Brenda,
with the habitual sneer, so often seen on her
handsome face.
"Just as you please, Brenda, only the break
will be here by twelve o'clock," and Lord Dauby
went away.
A silence of some minutes fell upon the trio at
breakfast after Lord Danby's departure. Mr.
Cheetham looked serious, Brenda pouting, and
Mrs. Cheetham anxious.
" I do not like this Danby coming and going in
MAIDENHOOD. 245
my house as he does. I have said this before, but
as I am not supported, he still seems to do pretty
much as he pleases. I acknowledge, conisdering
Grel's residence here, and the intimacy there al-
ways has been between Prellsthorpe Park and the
Rectory, it is sometimes difficult to know where to
draw the line. But again, I think, when I put
forth a plain refusal to a jaunt of this kind, you,
Brenda, should support me, instead of using your
influence in a contrary direction."
Brenda' s pouting did not lessen by this reproach,
and Mr. Cheetham continued,
" I know you will shelter yourself — as you have
done before — under my laughter at lord Danby's
idle words. But it is wiser to laugh at follies you
cannot correct than rebuke them in the presence
of others. There is no reliance to be placed on
his words at any time. lie eternally wears this
mask of folly. He may be better than he really seems
— he does not want intellect ; but I would see as
little of him, and hear also as little from him, as
possible."
Mr. Cheetham ceased speaking, but no one re-
plied, lie then resumed :
"I should wonder at so quiet a person as Ha-
milton horsing his break to take ladies twenty
miles to a poultry show, only that I suppose the
Lady Irene is the getter up of the party, and the
tempter and reward to him ! But I must say I
am sorry we are so eternally interrupted; quiet
seems to be gone from our home since the party
246 MAIDENHOOD.
arrived at Prellsthorpe Park. Neither, my love,
do I like, as I have before said, always to lose
you," continued he to Mrs. Cheetham. "I know
your tastes too well to suppose you would willingly
jaunt off here, or get up a fete there, except as a
matter of duty. I know you go for Brenda's
sake ; but believe me, though I thank you, I am
sorry for the necessity."
" I quite agree with you as to the idle life Lord
Danby's intimacy brings upon us, and I have no
more pleasure in such a life than you," replied
Mrs. Cheetham ; " and yet, indeed, I never know
how to evade a party of this sort. Lord Danby is
right, this immediate neighbourhood is strangely
short of matrons. Often and often have I felt
that to refuse is to break up a party. This I am
at all times sorry to do; and again, I cannot help
having some pleasure and interest in young
people."
" You are right, my love, though I confess to a
certain degree of annoyance at this constant up-
setting of one's plans. However, I suppose you
must go to-day. Brenda is gone to carry the
news to Grel, and they will both be eager to enjoy
the drive, and see the show.
" And you will ride? — you really require a good
gallop."
" Not to-day. There is a good deal in Prells-
thorpe awaiting my time and attention, and this
is one of the days I can best spare from — even
higher duties — therefore, my love, I can only hope
MAIDENHOOD. 247
that you will return for dinner, for not the least
of our troubles, as it seems to me, is, that when we
once set off with Danby, we never know when we
shall return."
" True, but Mr. Hamilton is coachman to-day ;
I fancy, therefore, we are in better hands."
Mrs. Cheetham was, as we have before said, the
second wife of the good Rector, and Brenda, his
only daughter — his only child, indeed, and by his
former wife. Brenda had gained great power
over her father's affectionate heart before his se-
cond marriage, and retained it even after that
event. Mrs. Cheetham had early seen the wilful-
ness inherent in Brenda, but, finding no good re-
sult from her own interference, had very wisely
ceased to interfere.
A stepmother is always in a false position be-
tween the daughters of the first wife and her own
husband. Brenda had the will, and she certainly
exercised her power, to make her stepmother un-
comfortable. Mrs. Cheetham gave up this un-
seemly struggle, contented herself with the Rec-
tor's esteem, and regard, and avoided as much as
possible at all times putting herself in opposition to
his loved daughter Brenda.
And, we need hardly add, fostered by her
father, not interfered with by her mother, Brenda
Cheetham's wilfulness increased, and eventually
became a prolific source of discomfort to all
three.
Just as Mr. Cheetham had foreseen, Brenda
248 MAIDENHOOD.
had sought the Lady Grel, and entreated her to
rise and try to join the party.
At first Grel gave a positive refusal, and added,
" Brenda, I am so unhappy in the presence of
D., that I am turning through my brain all avail-
able friends, or relatives, or places, with a view to
leaving this neighbourhood, and so escaping from
the sort of thraldom in which I feel myself held."
" Would you make me believe you do not value
his attentions, Grel ? You know he got up the
fete at Martindale on purpose for you ; he drove
you to the dale-head and pointed out to you all
the more remarkable beauties, and "
" There Brenda, that will do. I went to Mar-
tindale entirely to please you, and now you want
me to go to Landeswold ! What is ' a grand
poultry show' to me, who so much want rest and
peace. Brenda, you do not know, and," she added
with a sigh, " I cannot tell you." Lady Grel
meant, she could not explain to Brenda, that Lord
Danby paid her great homage in the presence of
others, and tyrannised over her when they were
alone.
" You are very unselfish, Grel — very," said
Brenda with her habitual sneer. " You know
very well, if you remain at home, neither mamma
nor I can go. Indeed / cannot," continued she in
reply to Grel's look of astonishment. " Mamma
cannot go if you are ill in bed, I cannot go with-
out mamma, and, for that matter, nor can any of
us. Mamma only goes to take care of us — what
MAIDENITOOD. 249
Lady Irene calls ' play propriety ;' what Lord Dan-
by calls 'look stupid !' And so this charming party
must be put aside, Mr. Hamilton may drive an
empty break to Landeswold, the county of Z
may stare at the poultry-show, minus the Prells-
thorpe party — and all because the Lady Grel
Stuart has a headache !"
Grel felt very indignant ; but she did not reply.
She knew Brenda had put the case thus strongly
on purpose to act upon her want of selfishness, and
cause her to consent to go.
" Now there is mamma," recommenced Brenda.
"She wishes to see von, Grel. She does not wish
to go to Landeswold, but I think, and do not you
also, that it is rather selfish to keep Lady Irene
and all the rest of us at home because she does not
wish to go ?"
The door opened and Mrs. Cheetham entered,
unseen by Grel.
"To say nothing of the untimely headache of
the Lady Grel Stuart," said Grel, with more
vexation in her tone than was often heard.
" It will do her good, mamma," said Brenda,
trying to distract Mrs. Cheetham's attention ; "you
know it will, mamma, it is only a nervous tit, she
says, brought on by Lord Danny's wild ways.
But she will be safe with Mr. Hamilton, will she
not r
Grel hid her face on the pillow and smiled.
"I should like to go with Mr. Hamilton,"
thought she.
250 MAIDENHOOD.
She had forgotten he was her cousin Irene's de-
voted admirer.
"Mr. Hamilton is quiet enough, and silent
enough, and stupid enough," resumed Brenda,
though she had not seen Grel's satisfaction at the
sound of Mr. Hamilton's name.
"And so Grel, love, you have a sad headache,"
said Mrs. Cheetham.
" But I do not wish to be a cause of breaking up
the party," said she.
" You give up all idea of making one ? You
will not o;o with us *?"
Grel smiled, and evidently was shaken in her
resolution.
A name had done a great deal — almost removed
her headache. Grel longed to know more of Mr.
Hamilton ; to watch him, unknown to himself, to
listen to him, and judge for herself if he were
really worthy the high opinion the Cheethams had
of him.
" Do not so trouble yourself about Lord Danby;
there will be more to attract his notice to-day,
certainly Miss Thorn and Miss Fortescue. And
then we shall meet all the world at Landeswold."
" As Brenda says, the county of Z would
not be complete on these public occasions without
the ' Prellsthorpe party,' I suppose I must go,"
said the Lady Grel.
" Believe me, my love, I think it very necessary
to sacrifice largely at the shrine of duty. I would
stay at home willingly, most willingly ; but then
MAIDENHOOD. 251
if by my presence I create the happiness of others,
I am contented to go."
« Yes — I will soon be ready," said Grel, as she
rang for her maid.
CHAPTER XXIV.
" FRIENDSHIP THAT FLAMES, GOES OUT IN A FLASH."
TT7IIEN the break arrived the Lady Irene, Mis s
Y T Thorn and Miss Fortescue were there, the
former on the box by Mr. Hamilton's side. Lord
Danby, Captain Fortescue, and others were on
horseback, and grooms were in attendance on the
party.
When Mrs. Chcctham, Lady Grel, and Brenda
made their appearance, Mr. Hamilton said,
"Where is the Rector? Of course 1 depend
upon him."
" No," said Mrs. Cheetham, " he cannot spare the
time."
"Entreat him to give me this day — this one
day."
Mr. Hamilton called to his attendants —
"Here, hold the horses, I must try my skill,"
and he alighted from the break. " Why, my dear
madam, we shall not reach home until three or
four o'clock in the morning. A moonlight drive !
I have pledged my word !"
252 MAIDENHOOD.
" Indeed he has, Mrs. Cheetham," said Lady
Irene.
" Ho, ho! Grel, ho! why need you look so in-
tensely handsome? Have I not told you I ac-
knowledge your power? Quite right, love, always
drop your veil when the men stare," added Lord
Dan by in a whisper, as he handed her into the
carriage.
" Grel, love, do not mind D.," said Lady Irene,
" he will leave off plaguing you when he sees you
do not care."
" She is handsomer to-day with her pale cheeks,
than beforetime with her roses, Ren," said Lord
Dan by.
"Oh! yes, certainly," said Lady Irene, " and so
is Mrs. Cheetham also. What makes you two look
so pale ?"
" Brenda has stolen the roses from both," said
Lord Danby.
" But you look so very serious, my dear Mrs.
Cheetham," said Lady Irene, laughing. " Are
you meditating flight ? What shall we do for a
chaperon ? Shall I take off my hat and tie a
large shawl round my head, and pretend to be a
very old lady keeping the young ladies in
order?"
" We had no intention of remaining away be-
yond the morning. I have ordered dinner at eight,
an hour later than usual, to give time for our
return. Mr. Cheetham will be uncomfortable ; I
was thinking — and that accounts for my serious
MAIDENHOOD. 253
face — I was thinking I wished I had not altered
the hour — for fear "
Mr. Hamilton returned at this moment, and said
to the Lady Irene,
" What will you say if I ask you to resign the
box and join the ladies ?"
" I shall say I have lost the favour of our coach-
man, and so 1 will not wear his colours," said she,
throwing into the body of the break a bouquet she
had in her hand.
" Ah ! but hear me — and pray accept my apolo-
gies. Our friend Cheetham has consented to go
with us. I explained our plans for the day, and
the utter impossibility of getting away early.
But he does not wish to ride. Now, I thought
perhaps you would allow me to offer the box to
him, just as a fit bribe for the occasion ; of 'course
I entirely deprive myself of the "
" Pleasure of my smiles — certainly. And so pray
help me to alight," said Lady Irene.
" Pallid Cousin Grel, allow me to present to
you the ' cast offs ' of your Cousin Irene," said
Lord Dan by, offering the bouquet that had been
discarded by the Lady Irene.
" It is a pity to waste or destroy such lovely
flowers," said Grel; "thanks, D."
" Well, upon my word, you do amaze me ! — you
are a humble cousin, indeed! And so you will
even take up with Ken's leavings I"
Mr. Hamilton had again mounted the box, and
as he stood there, with the reins in his hand, he
254 MAIDENHOOD.
turned to speak to the ladies. After Lord Danby
ceased speaking, he said, with a smile :
" You are kind to notice the fallen Lady Grel,
but you are fond of flowers, I see. With your
permission I will send some to the Rectory
to-morrow."
"There, Grel — first hand — yes, you may well
smile, and plume yourself," said Lord Danby.
" But do not let your little head be turned by
admiration and dainty words from others ; you are
mine — promised to me. And I do not mean to
worry and terrify you to-day — I mean to •"
" I mean to lav my whip over your shoulders, if
you do not move from your position," said Mr.
Hamilton, affecting to suit the action to the word,
for Lord Danby was leaning on the side of the
break," and thus pi'eventing the start.
The ladies were all comfortably placed, and Mr.
Cheetham by Mr. Hamilton's side on the box.
" That Thorn is a monstrously lovely girl !"
said Lord Danby to himself.
And then, turning to speak to Captain Fortes-
cue as he mounted his horse, and as the cavalcade
began to move on, he added, with a laugh :
" I have half a mind to teaze that Thorn for
my own especial pleasure to-day. There is some-
thing irresistibly ludicrous in a woman's despair,
when she finds herself in a fix. You should have
seen Grel the other day, when I drove her away
from the Abbey !"
" But it is hard upon the lady to what you call
MAIDEXnOOD. 255
' put her in a fix,' " said Captain Fortescue, " and
then leave her to struggle in her chains."
on
" Women, by their struggles, increase their
beauty for the time being," replied Lord Dan-
by.
"Have we twenty miles to ride?" asked Captain
Fortescue, with a laudable desire to change the
subject of conversation.
" Circa twenty," said Lord Danbv.
The day was line, the drive enjoyable. Mr.
Hamilton drove at a steady pace, up hill and down,
the same even trotting on, let the valley be ever so
level, or the hills even ever so steep. On arriving
in Landeswold, the party prepared to go immedi-
ately to the show. There they met other "county
people," but only two families of whom it will be
necessary to speak — the Barrymores and the
Maynooths. Mr. Maynooth was a great admirer
of the beautiful birds, spending much more time
over them, and expatiating much more learnedly
upon them, than some of the ladies of the party
thought necessary.
Ahneric Barrvmore looked very pale, and he
was unusually silent. He had, too, an air of
discontent, and an appearance of languor that
was not customary. Miss Barn more looked
anxious, and did not enjoy the show or the
company; her thoughts were full of her brother,
and the recent change in his health. Dinner hail
been ordered at the Landeswold Hotel, and they
all congregated there at a given hour. Lord
256 MAIDENHOOD.
Danby had taken Miss Thorn to dinner, and
placed himself by her side.
" What is the matter with your neighbour, the
mediaeval Baron?"
" Do you mean Mr. Barrymore ?" said Miss
Thorn.
"I mean the white youth with the mournful
visage," said Lord Danby.
" He has never recovered from the vexatious
loss of the ' six angels,' " replied she.
" Six angels ! — Miss Rose, what can you
mean ?"
" I am not christened Rose," said she.
"You are misnamed Thorn," said Lord Danby,
with a smile.
" That is not my fault, and I really cannot call
it a misfortune," replied she.
" You have no fault, and I am sure I hope
misfortune will always keep a long distance from
you."
Miss Thorn felt flattered by Lord Danby's
attentions.
" But tell me," resumed he, " did the mediaeval
youth possess ' six angels ' at one time ? — not fair
— certainly not fair."
"No; he has not the 'six angels' now; the
piece — the 'six-angel piece' — it is lost, and Mr.
Barrymore is much vexed."
" I am sure I should vex myself for the loss of
one angel — I cannot longer marvel, therefore, that
upon so heavy a loss he has so absurd a visage.
MAIDENHOOD. 257
It is curious," added he, as he gazed slowly round
the table — " it is curious, on such occasions as
these, to note the anxiety of each one to creep into
the wrong place."
" I do not know what you mean," replied Miss
Thorn, in her turn looking round ; but she saw no
incongruity.
" Ah ! you do not feel in the wrong place —
good !" said he, with a little laugh, which sounded
unpleasant in the ears of his companion.
Up to this time Miss Thorn had felt very
comfortable in her place by Lord Danby's side,
but now she began to fear he was only amusing
himself at her expense.
" Look round, and I will explain. You see
Hamilton has Irene by his side, and he is very silent
and very solemn. The mediaeval has Grel — he too
is silent, and very solemn. Maynooth has the
Barrymore, and though she is ever so handsome,
he does not care one straw ; he has seen larger
spiders ! The Bishop holds the Roman Catholic
in pious conversation ; he is very tired, and she
very sleepy."
" Do you mean Mr. Cheetham, when you sav
the 'Bishop?' — and is Miss Maynooth the 'Koman
Catholic V "
" I mean what I have said ; then, you see,
Captain Fortescue has that curious little piece of
young 'Maidenhood,' Brenda Cheet-thein — all on
the dexter side, and the village mother on the
sinister — not that she is sinister ; and Brenda does
VOL. I. S
258 MAIDENHOOD.
not care for the posted Captain — how should she?
— he is married. As for the ' Pine,' in my
judgment she is too modest to live ; she will melt
away before she comes to maturity, because she is
so afraid of everything and everybody."
" I do not understand half you have said to me."
" Then / am indeed mistaken ; I thought you,
Miss Rose, were wiser than you admit. I should
have thought, to look at you, that you were not at
all dull ; quite the reverse — rather sharp. But
since you confess your own short-comings, why, I
will give in. I also will become silent, which is a
difficulty, solemn, which is out of my line, and
dull, for the first time in my life. Miss Rose, you
ought to become very unhappy."
Lord Danby ceased his remarks, and Miss
Thorn reflected that when it suited him to talk
"nonsense" she should accept it only for its value,
and not assume that he really meant her to credit
his actual words. It was a species of conversation
to which she was entirely unaccustomed ; but she
determined to improve herself if the occasion again
offered.
Soon afterwards Lord Danby said,
" You know we go to the theatre V
" Yes ; Lady Irene told me the arrangements
for the day. It will be late before we can turn
our faces homewards."
" Circa twelve of the clock ; and then, Miss
Thorn, at what hour, think you, shall we arrive at
Prellsthorpe V
MAIDENHOOD. 259
" Circa three, ante-meridian — but there is a
moon !" said she.
i4 Charming! — charming, Miss Rose!" said he
now, with so broad a stare of admiration at his
companion as to bring the colour vividly into her
cheeks. "I knew you could not be dull — you
are, in truth, most agreeable and piquante ! Those
few moments of silence so refreshed you — you
dug deep down among the depths of your intellect,
and discovered the word 'circa' — keep it. I in-
tend to introduce it into private life — why should
it be applied to dates only ? — utter nonsense !"
And this was the beginning of Miss Thorn's in-
timacy with Lord Danby.
CHAPTER XXV.
" LOVE SEES NO FAULTS."
AS Lord Danby had said to Miss Thorn, it was
curious that several had contrived to be
seated exactly where he or she did not wish. T) it-
facts were that —
Mr. Hamilton wished to have the Lady Grel by
his side. But he could not without rudeness leave
the Lady Irene — with whom he happened to be
conversing when dinner was announced — to o
the room for Grel. Mr. Maynooth had riveted
his attention upon the Lady Irene ever after leav-
s 2
2 GO MAIDENHOOD.
ing the poultry-show. No other face had made
even so small an impression upon him as to make
him conscious of its presence, although he spoke
to and shook hands with all, and apparently be-
haved as if he were as much present in mind as
he was in body. He was the tallest, and, for that
style of beauty, the handsomest gentleman of the
party; well made, on a large scale, and without any
superabundance of flesh. Erect in carriage, and
courteous and affable in manner, rather than dig-
nified, he had many more admirers from this very
affability than Mr. Hamilton. His complexion,
originally fair, was now bronzed by exposure under
a tropical sun, but his hair still retained its light
colour, and its great luxuriance. His beard was
a marvel, even in these days of beards — very long
and silky, and wavy. Mr. Maynooth was a strong
contrast to the other handsome gentlemen of the
party, for they were all dark, with dark hair, or nearly
so. It happened that Mr. Maynooth took Miss Barry-
more, and placed her by his side at dinner. She
was an old friend, and would not be offended at
his neglect, for he had set his heart upon watch-
ing " the lovely Lady Irene." Almeric Barry-
more conducted Lady Grel — not for any particu-
lar reason, it so happened; and, indeed, he was
now too much out of health, and too low-spirited
to care to make himself agreeable, and Lady Grel
did not notice this, for she was watching Mr.
Hamilton !
The Lady Grel is only just seventeen and a
MAIDENHOOD. 2G1
few months. She has seen no society but that of
Prellsthorpe Rectory — a society of the dullest and
most confined circle. That she had raised her
hopes in the future very high, on the arrival of
her relatives at the Park, is certain. That these
had died a natural death, through the persecution
she underwent from her cousin Lord Danby, is
also certain. The Lady Grel Stuart is naturally
of a thoughtful turn of mind, a great but indis-
criminate reader, and, as the phrase goes, an ac-
complished young lady. But she is inexperienced
in the society of gentlemen, and has a little incli-
nation in her own mind to deify, to herself, hand-
some, clever, and those whom she supposes to be —
good men. Mr. Hamilton stood so high in the
estimation of her friends the Cheethams that, un-
consciously, she had formed her own opinion upon
theirs. And because she had this high apprecia-
tion of him, it was a pleasure to her to sit silent, and,
amid the hubbub of the dinner, to watch him —
Mr. Hamilton ! — to listen to every word he ut-
tered, to note the musical inflections of his voice,
and mark his courtesy and polished manners. The
Lady Grel was glad that Mr. Barrymore was so
silent and inattentive, because she could the more
easily exercise her own will, and watch Mr. Hamil-
ton unknown to any one but herself.
This is not an uncommon trait in " Maiden-
hood." The Lady Grel had by no means given
her heart — unasked as it would have been — to
Mr. Hamilton. She had only set up a shrine,
2(32 MAIDENHOOD.
as 6t Maidenhood " will, for her own secret admi-
ration and worship !
Now, it so happened that Almeric and the Lady
Grel were seated exactly opposite to Miss Barry-
more and Mr. Maynooth, and when the dinner
was nearly over, by a mere accident, the Lady
Grel bowed her head in acknowledgment of some
trifling, and almost unconscious, courtesy from
Mr. Maynooth, and their eyes met. Mindful of
the Lad}' Irene alone, as he had been up to this
time, for the moment he allowed his eyes to rest
upon a face like that very one, already so powerful
an attraction.
Wonderingly he returned again and again to
this second face, and then a new charm was
added, and the large man felt his chest heave
and his cheeks tingle with a sudden glow, as he
heard the dulcet tones of her voice in conversation,
for a few minutes only, with Almeric Barrymore.
Another sense had been touched. Always sensi-
tive to melodious sounds, Mr. Maynooth listened
for the rise and fall of that voice that had so
powerfully, combined with the face, attracted him.
Well might Lord Danby say, " Though the
Barrymore was ever so handsome, the traveller
had seen larger spiders in his day." Mr.
Maynooth was utterly unconscious of Miss
Barry more's presence, for while he watched the
Lady Grel, and listened to her gentle and most
musically-toned voice, he was powerfully aware of
a certain witchery over his senses, and thraldom
MAIDENHOOD. 263
over his will, he had never before experienced.
The quiet hum of the dinner proceeded ; the large
man raised his head, and gazed round the room,
as he said to himself,
" This will never do — I declare I cannot tell
what is the matter with me."
He felt as if he should like — nay, as if it were
necessary to conceal these new emotions from the
penetrating eyes of lookers-on. He pulled his
coat tightly round him, and began to button it, as
if to button his coat would necessarily shut out I lis
inexplicable sensations from those that were
present.
"Are you cold, Raymond?" said Miss Barry-
more, with a smile.
" I beg your pardon," said he, stooping from his
erect position.
" Are you cold ?" said she again, " for I see you
have buttoned up your coat."
" Ah ! I beg your pardon once more," said he,
now thoroughly aroused from his reverie. " You
may well ask if I am cold," added he, rapidly
unbuttoning his coat. "No, Zara, I certainly have
not a cold fit at this moment. I may have been
'absent,' for which I pray your compassion."
He then exerted himself to converse with Miss
Barrymore, but more for the purpose, as he
acknowledged to himself, of hiding his unprece-
dented sensitiveness from her. than for any other
reason. And thru again, his desire to watch
those lovely sisters, as he concluded the cousins
264 MAIDENHOOD.
were, made him — much to Zara's amusement,
though she knew not the cause — give unexpected
and out-of-the-way replies, as well as ask startling
questions.
Only the Barrymores drove home immediately
after dinner. The remainder of the party were to
appear at the theatre — places had been taken.
Lord Danby contrived that the Lady Irene should
be under Mr. Hamilton's care ; he himself secured
the Lady Grel, in spite of his delight in the
companionship of Miss Thorn. The rest of the
party were seated as they pleased, excepting only
Mr. Maynooth, who deliberately left them to
enjoy the spectacle as much as they pleased, and
walked away. Later in the evening, he entered
an opposite box, and with his lorgnette, contrived
to gaze on " those exquisitely lovely sisters."
When the festivities of the evening were over
in Landeswold, the break came round, and the
party set off for the moonlight drive to Prells-
thorpe. But Mr. and Miss Maynooth took leave
of their friends, and drove home in their own
carriage.
" Dear Raymond, though I am so tired, I must
tell you how much pleased I am with the Lady
Irene ; and it is my happy conviction that you
admire her as much now as you did when you saw
her at Prellsthorpe."
" I think, Yolande, I admire her sister more."
" Her sister ! — oh ! if you change about in this
MAIDENHOOD. 265
way, no good can ever come ; but what sister do
you mean V
" Why, that very lovely Lady Grel."
"Lady Grel ! — she is only a cousin of the
Prellsthorpes."
" I do not care if she be a cousin, or only a
quarter cousin — I say I admire her more than the
Lady Irene."
" How strange you are, Raymond ! — I quite
despair of any woman ever fixing your wayward
fancy."
" I marvel we did not see this lovely cousin
when we called at Prellsthorpe."
11 Nonsense, Raymond ; she lives at the
Rectory."
"How can that be, Yolande?"
Miss Maynooth then explained to her brother
the reason for the Lady Orel's former and
continued residence at the Rectory.
"Then why have not we known her before this,
Yolande? Bv-the-bye, why do we not call at
Prellsthorpe Rectory?"
" The Cheethams do not profess to visit, and
they are a terribly long way from us," said
Yolande.
" Then why do they act contrary to their
profession? — they do visit, for we have met them
several times lately."
" While the Earl and Countess are at the Park,
the Cheethams are necessarily there a good deal,
266 MAIDENHOOD.
and are thus drawn into more visiting than is
usual with them."
" But why do not we visit them ?" asked he, still
thinking of the Lady Grel.
" We never have done, Raymond ; they are out
of our line."
" Oh ! nonsense ; no one is out of my line — no
one who is respectable ; and now, if it be only for
the sake of the Lady Irene's lovely sister, I
must call."
" Well, Eaymond, you are more than ever outre.
For all your whole life, you say, you have never
seen a woman worth caring for, and now you
suddenly fall in love with every woman you meet !
Lady Grel is no handsomer than Lady Irene, only
you perversely fancy so."
" Fall in love with every woman ! — 7, Yolande ?
— God help the women, then ; but good night.
There is something new and peculiar about me ;
perhaps I shall have come to my senses by
to-morrow ; and so, good night."
Once in his own apartment, Mr. Maynooth
threw open the glass doors and seated himself in
an easy-chair. Mytreberris — the name of Mr.
Maynooth's residence — was beautifully situated,
and equally distant from three small towns,
Thorny-dyke, Stowe-in-the-Valley, and Prells-
thorpe ; it crowned the summit of a hill, looking
down upon Stowe, lying like a gem in the valley
beneath. The room Mr. Maynooth had entered
was on the ground-floor, the windows opened upon
MAIDENHOOD. 2()7
a flowery lawn, adorned — in the prevailing tastes
— by statues and fountains, with which the moon
now made merry by travesties of all kinds, as she
partially lighted up the scene here and there, the
better to bring out the contrast with the stern
dark shadows. Apparently Mr. Maynooth sat
listening to the splash of the fountains, and watch-
ing the vagaries caused by the moon ; but suddenly
he spoke,
"It comes to this; that I am a fool! After
wandering over hundreds of thousands of miles, and
gazing on all the women in all the near and all
the remote parts of the earth, to come home and
suddenly be struck all of a heap by two lovely
sisters — cousins I mean, can savour of nothing but
folly — egregious folly !"
We have recorded Mr. Maynooth's delight in
natural history. On this occasion the night birds
held their revels, the grasshopper-warbler con-
tinued its sibilous note — the sylvia locustella of
Latham; the quail called perdrix coturnix, the
corn-crake, the night-jar or fern owl — there was a
considerable hooting also from the white owl. All
these broke on the stillness of the early part of
the night; but, unlike Almeric Barrymore, whose
vigil we have described, Mr. Maynooth heard
them not. It must be admitted Mr. Barrymore
was not in love.
"When a man is a fool it is all up,'" resumed
he;"] declare I have never once had that face
and those eyes out of my foolish head since I heard
268 MAIDENHOOD.
the sound of her mellifluous voice ! It went
through me like a shot ! I do not wonder that I
took to buttoning up my coat, to hide my sensations
from the assembled throng. I am ashamed of them
at this moment, when I sit here alone — positively
blushing at nothing, like a girl in her teens.
If my beard is not ashamed of me, it ought to be,"
and then he stroked it down with much gentleness.
" Fancy a great big fellow like me, six feet four, if
he is an inch, with a beard eighteen inches long
from the root to the point — fancy me, sitting
mooning for a woman 1"
" I suppose there never was on the face of the
earth, since Adam, a fellow in such a fix ! Now
Adam had some reason to feel in a ' fix,' because
there was but one woman then ; and if she would
not have him, he was pretty well ' fixed ' for the
rest of his life. But here, on this blessed earth of
ours, I suppose if there is one woman there are
millions — millions of women ! That there should
be millions of women from whom a man may
pick and choose, and be as dainty as he pleases ;
and that I should seat myself here, and make a
fool of myself for the sake of one only, seems
strange ! I have read somewhere of a ' wise fool.'
Did he then get out of the scrape % When I can
recall his name and station, I will look him up ;
his example may be of use to me in this dilemma.
I declare I deserve to be painted and exhibited by
the Royal Academy, as ' the man with the woman
in his head !' I wonder how I look !" Mr. May-
MAIDENHOOD. 269
nooth arose, and took a deliberate survey of him-
self in a large mirror ; walking up and down the
room, and returning again and again to the glass.
" Sleep," resumed he, " oh, it is all a humbug, how
can a man sleep with a woman in his head !" He
reseated himself, and crossing one leg over the
other, sat musing. "I know what I will do," said
he, at length starting up eagerly, " I will smoke
her out." He took a meershaum and began to fill
it as he went on with his talk, " I never knew a
woman yet who could stand smoke, if you only
give her enough of it ! I will give her enough —
I will gut rid of her. But, bless her sweet angel
looking face, and her thrilling and dulcet-toned
voice — I do not like to part with her," and he
placed the pipe on a table. " She is so unlike
all others — a man would put his finger upon her,
and pick her out from millions of other women.
But what am I to do? I cannot waste my days in
mooning. Ah ! I see — I must smoke her out to-
night, and then go and see her to-morrow, as a
reward for my manliness." He then seated himself
comfortably in his easy-chair, and lighted his pipe.
" Not gone yet," said he, as he knocked the ashes
out of his pipe and re-filled it. And so he went
on throughout the night, smoking pipe after pipe
without getting rid of the image of his fair tor-
es o o
mentor. The morning broke, the night-birds
vanished, the singing birds awoke, insect life
hummed through the air, rural sounds were added
to those of the birds and insects ; but still Mr.
270 MAIDENHOOD.
Maynooth smoked on. At six a.m. his dressing-
room, which adjoined, was intruded upon by his
servant, who prepared his bath, &c., and then he
put aside the meershaum, as he said, " It is no go,
she is such a charming creature, smoke has no
effect ; in this, too, she differs from all other
women ! I have smoked out some thousands in
my day — but she is too wise to permit such a
liberty. I admire her the more for the stand she
makes ; women ought to stand up for themselves
until they are married. I wonder now if she is
one of those whom Yolande said adored me, or
does she dtffer from all other women in this also %
I must hope not ; or what is to become of me ! I
will ask YoJande while I think of it."
Mr. Maynooth went rapidly from his own room
to the drawing-room, where he had left his sister
on the previous evening ; but, to his surprise, he
only stumbled on the housemaids at work. He
stood for a second or two staring at them, and
they ceased their work, and made their curtsies to
him. Pie was going to say, " What on earth are
you doing here ?" but- he suddenly recollected
himself, and said :
" I want Miss Maynooth."
" She has not left her room yet, sir."
" Oh ! never mind," said he ; and he went back
to his own apartments.
" I said I was a fool," said he, seating himself,
and leaning his head upon his hand. " But I had
no idea of the extent of my folly. If Almeric
MAIDENHOOD. 271
Barrymore had done this, it would have been
nothing to marvel at, for lie is always in the
clouds ; but I, Raymond Maynooth, deliberately
to sit up a whole night thinking only of this one
charming woman, and forget that others are wise,
and retire to their beds and sleep. I must dress
first, and examine myself after."
When his morning toilette was completed, he
resumed his soliloquy.
" I must ask Yolande if these lovely sisters —
cousins, I mean — admired or adored me ; she says
all the girls admire me. God help them !" added
he, stroking his beard — "if to fall in love, or to
' adore,' be to feel as I feel. Heigho ! — I shall
split the ceiling with my stentorian sighs."
Mr. Maynooth went to breakfast at the usual
hour, and after the customary greetings of the
morning, he said :
" It is no go, Yolande ; she stands smoke like a
chimney — the more you smoke her, the warmer
she grows."
Miss Maynooth smiled, and shook her head, but
made no reply.
" Was she one of that large lot you said ' adored
me T' "
" You keep me quite in the dark, Raymond,"
said she.
" You told me yesterday * all the women adored
me.'"
" So they do — that is the misfortune/ 1 said
Yolande.
272 MAIDENHOOD.
" Never mind the misfortune. What I want
more particularly to know is — do the two lovely
sisters — that is, cousins, adore me V
" Oh ! the two ladies Stuart ? I never heard
either of them speak of you in any way," replied
she.
" Of course not ; I concluded she would be the
exception. Give me some coffee."
CHAPTER XXVI.
" NO RAILLERY IS WORSE THAN THAT THAT IS TRUE.
YOLANDE had said but the truth to her
brother — " the women adored him." Before
retiring to rest after the long day at Landeswold,
the Lady Irene had communed with herself, and
acknowledged that she preferred Mr. Maynooth to
Mr. Hamilton. She knew that by her own family
the latter would be considered the more eligible
match for her, and, therefore, she determined that
she would keep her own counsel, and not betray
her incipient liking for the Master of Mitreberris,
and owner of Wolfscrag to any one. She had
observed his patient watching of herself in the
early part of the day, but she had not noticed the
transfer of his allegiance to her cousin, Lady
Grel. She knew it was in her own power to
become upon very intimate terms with all these
MAIDENHOOD. 273
houses — Prellsthorpe Abbey, Mitreberris, and
Wolfscrag — this latter, for the present, in the
occupation of Mistress Nuala Maynooth. She
determined that while she would never put a
slight upon Mr. Hamilton, nor let him see his
attentions were not valued, she would, by every
means in her power, increase her intercourse with
the Maynooths. She acknowledged Mr. Hamilton
was a remarkably handsome, and very gentleman-
ly man — one whom she must on no account put
aside. It is true, he had much more reserve of
manner than Mr. Maynooth, and she was by no
means so sure of his devotion to herself as the
neighbourhood had given him credit for. Ladies
generally had some slight awe of Mr. Hamilton,
and this gave him a greater value still in the eyes
of any lady he was supposed to prefer. This
enviable position the Lady Irene had now, and
she felt it would be unwise to resign it. But with
Mr. Maynooth the case was different. No one
stood in awe of him, and all ladies admired him.
His manners were affable, but at present he was
fancy free, unless she herself had been the
fortunate lady to touch his hitherto insensate
heart, as his constant, though quiet watchings in
the morning led her to infer. Most ladies talked
of him very unreservedly to his sister, and
declared their admiration. Yolande said they
were thus open-hearted, because she had so
sincerely made known " Raymond's infirmity" —
viz., " that he admired all the women under the
VOL I. T
274 MAIDENHOOD.
sun, that he loved them all, but that he could
never dare to single out one, in the fear of offend-
ing all the others, and so he made much of his
beard, and meant to live a bachelor."
It is true, he had a large number of " little
sweethearts " up and down, and here and there in
the county of Z , from the ages of four to
ten ; but year by year, as these grew into
" Maidenhood," they grew out of the notice of
Raymond Maynooth.
" It would be something to attract such a man,"
said the Lady Irene, as she placed her head on
her pillow ; and as for his being a Roman
Catholic, I determine that shall not stand in my
way !" and the lady slept.
Miss Thorn and Miss Fortescue had returned in
the break with the Lady Irene to Prellsthorpe ;
and it had been arranged that on the morrow Mr.
Thorn and Captain Fortescue should lunch at
Prellsthorpe, and take their daughters home.
Lord Danby had made very good use of his time,
and greatly increased his intimacy with Miss Thorn
— many lookers-on would have said that the Lady
Grel Stuart had now a powerful rival. He called
Miss Thorn by many different names, but never
Sara, and amused himself and her by his peculiar
style of conversation, which at times — and with a
laudable wish not to appear stupid in his eyes —
she encouraged by adopting. It happened that
Miss Thorn had complained in the course of the
morning of a slight headache, and when they were
MAIDENHOOD. 275
all seated at luncheon, Lord Danby said to Mr.
Thorn,
" The ' York and Lancaster ' does not flourish
at Prellsthorpe. Our air is not suited to such
delicate plants. Sto\ve-in-the-Valley is very
mild."
" Milder, certainly, than the air of Prellsthorpe,"
said the Vicar.
" I should think so, upon the principle that all
valleys are more temperate than hills, and the in-
habitants of lowlands slightly given to mildness of
temperament also !"
There was a little satire in Lord Danby's tone,
but the good Vicar heard nothing wrong, and im-
mediately asked,
11 But what do you mean by the ' York and
Lancaster 1 ?' The old rose of that name ? 1
thought it was gone, even from the gardens of our
cottagers !"
" The rose, of course," said Lord Danby.
"Indeed, that will bloom anywhere," said the
Vicar; "it is a hardy flower. I never cared much
for it. Do you ?"
"I admire the 'York and Lancaster," said
Lord Danby adroitly, bowing to Miss Thorn, who
blushed brilliantly ; but again the Vicar saw no-
thing.
" Now. Miss Rose," resumed Lord Danby, " is
there nothing here to suit your taste ! We have
no squirrel's eggs, I am sorry to say."
T t?
276 MAIDENHOOD.
" Squirrel's eggs !" said the Vicar in a tone of
surprise.
" The egg of a lady bantam is far too large for
Miss Rose's delicate appetite."
" Her name is Sara," said the matter-of-fact
Vicar with a smile; "my daughter Rosa is at home
with her governess."
Lord Danby bowed, and then said to Mr.
Thorn,
" But the reason I would get squirrels' eggs if
I could for Miss — this daughter — is, that they
might chance to be of a suitable size, and might
sufficiently appease her small inclination to eat."
" But squirrels do not lay eggs," said the Vicar.
" That is a vulgar error, as you will find re-
corded by Mr. W. H. Edwards in his voyage up
the River Amazon."
" Impossible !" said the Vicar in a tone of much
surprise.
" D. read us the passage this morning," said the
Lady Irene. " Miss Thorn and I were alike in-
credulous, until "
" Until I gave them chapter and verse," inter-
rupted Lord Danby ; " and here it is again. Will
you allow me to read it to you I "
" Do, pray do, D.," said the Lady Irene ; and,
accordingly, Lord Danby read aloud a part of the
passage referred to.*
" I remember the passage well," said Captain
Fortescue, " and I have always thought that
* See Note 10
MAIDENHOOD. 277
writer's account of the River Amazon very inter-
esting."
"Yes, it is interesting," said Lord Danby ; "but
then it beats Maynooth hollow ! Does it not?"
The Vicar was mystified, and did not reply.
" This must be true," said the Lady Irene.
" True !" said the Vicar ; " impossible !"
" You look at the book as if you thought I had
printed it !" said Lord Danby, offering it to the
Vicar, who, upon taking it, said courteously,
" No, indeed ! I should never suspect you of
anything so tedious, and altogether out of your
line, as to print a book. I thought, it is true, that
you had misread the passage," said the straight-
forward and honest old Vicar.
" You did !" said Lord Danby.
"Yes. I should not have wondered at — but — I
beg your pardon," added he heartily; "I see the
passage is literally "
" Word for word," interrupted Lord Danby.
" Exactly as you read it," said the Vicar, re-
turning the book.
" Now, that beats Maynooth hollow," said Lord
Danby.
" Because it is true," said the Lady Irene. "But
Mr. Maynooth is a great favourite of mine, and I
will not hear a word against him."
" He is always a favourite with ladies," said the
Vicar.
" Except the 'York and Lancaster;' she prefers
me," said Lord Danby. Sara Thorn blushed,
278 MAIDENHOOD.
Captain Fortescue smiled and bowed to her, but
the Vicar looked puzzled.
" D. has such strange ways of expressing him-
self, no wonder you do not understand him," said
Lady Irene.
" It is all my own fault," said the humble-
minded Vicar.
" No, indeed, it is all D.'s fault ; is it not, Miss
Thorn ?"
" Lord Danby says I am misnamed Thorn,
papa," said Sara.
"Does he, my dear? I make no doubt you
will have plenty of opportunities to mend that ac-
cident," replied the Vicar, with a gratified laugh
at his own wit.
" Yes, he says she is misnamed Thorn, and so
he calls her Rose," said the Lady Irene.
" Ay, indeed," said the Vicar, " very good ; but
I though he meant her name was Rose."
" And it is not ; it is Sara, which makes her a
princess. Rose is only a flower," said Captain
Fortescue, laughing. " But now tell us about the
York and Lancaster V
" He further deduces ' York and Lancaster '
from her pink and white complexion," said Lady
Irene.
" For the complexion," said the Vicar.
" Papa is always so matter-of-fact," said Miss
Thorn.
" I understood you to say," said the Vicar, but
Lord Danby interrupted him.
MAIDENHOOD. 279
"Yes, you are right. I deduce 'York and
Lancaster ' from the complexion."
u From the complexion ! Allow me to say I do
not understand — what has the old rose to do with
the complexion ?" said the Vicar.
" Do you not see how it blooms on the Thorn I"
said Lord Danby, pointing to Sara.
"Ah ! my Lord, you are much too clever for
me," said the Vicar, with a shake of the head.
" Do you believe in Maynooth ?" said Lord
Danby.
Now, if the good Vicar had answered impul-
sively, he would have said, "I believe in God,"
&c, — but fortunately he drew in a long breath,
and said,
" I like Mr. Maynooth very much. He is a
neighbour — I mean not a very distant neighbour,
and "
" And he is very hospitable and very charitable,"
interrupted Lord Danby.
" He is, he is," said the Vicar in a glad tone, as
if it were a relief to say something that really
pleased him ; " but as he is a Roman Catholic, we
should naturally expert "
"That he would speak the truth," added Lord
Danby.
" The truth ! of course. That was not what I
meant to say," said Mr. Thorn.
"Your meaning to 'say' and mine may differ,"'
said Lord Danby with a smile.
" l>ut has he told you of any of the wonderful
280 MAIDENHOOD.
sights he has seen in his travels?" said Lady
Irene.
" I do not remember just at this moment," re-
plied the Viear in an attitude of thought.
" Mild — very," said Lord Danby to Captain
Fortescue, who, if he heard, took no notice.
"But, Sir Vicar Stowe," said Lord Danby,
"have you ever heard of the Sipo Matador?"*
The Vicar paused as if calling upon his memory,
and then said,
" Do you mean the Spanish Picadors at the
bull-fights ? Of course, we have all heard of
them."
" Ah ! Sir Vicar, that will not do."
" My name is Ulric — rather a singular name,"
said the Vicar laughing ; " and I have no lay title,
I am neither Knight nor Baronet."
" Nor Knight Banneret made on the field of
battle, I dare swear !" said Lord Danby.
" No," said the Vicar, stretching himself up,
" only a plain parson."
"You misjudge yourself; you are handsome,"
replied Lord Danby, " only that has nothing to do
with Maynooth."
" He is very handsome," said the Vicar,
" When Maynooth was travelling somewhere, he
says, he saw a parasite grow up by the side of a
tree and kill it."
" Kill it," said the Vicar. " How was that !"
" Yes, kill it. He described it to us when we
* See Note 11.
MAIDENHOOD. 281
were at the Abbey fete, or at Landeswold — or
somewhere."
" He has been a great traveller," said Captain
Fortescue.
" Yes, his spiders are very large," said Lord
Dan by.
" And I assure you he saw one tree deliberately
kill another. Now do you believe in Maynooth ?"
"I never heard him recount such marvels," said
the Vicar, " and I did not know he had seen such
sights."
" Oh ! yes, indeed he has," said Lady Irene, de-
termined in her own mind to defend him against
Lord Danby's attacks.
"Now do you believe in Maynooth?" persisted
Lord Danby.
" You mean do I believe the story ?" said the
Vicar.
" No, indeed ! I should not expect you to be-
lieve a lie — if you knew it— but do you not think
this sounds more like invention than reality," said
Lord Danby.
"I think travellers see wonderful things, and
tell wonderful tales," said the Vicar; "think of
Bruce, and Irby, and Mangles, and — "
"Thanks I do not wish/' said Lord Danby.
"Mr. Maynooth lias certainly been a great
traveller," added the Vicar. " Will you allow me to
ring for my carriage?"
And thus he tried to put an end to the conver-
sation that had been more painful than pleasant,
282 MAIDENHOOD.
from first to last ; for he did not understand one
half Lord Danby said.
The Thorns and the Fortescues drove away at
the same time. And Lord Danby declared to
Lady Irene that the " Pine girl " was a fool, or
deaf, or dumb, or, in all probability, all these.
(The real truth was that she was shy !) That the
Thorn was a beauty, a belle, a charming specimen
of " Maidenhood," who amused him immensely,
and who had more real talent than the better half
of the county of Z . That her excellent father
was " too mild " to be endured, and that for the
future the intimacy between Prellsthorpe and the
Vicarage of Stowe-in-the-Vallev must all be con-
fined to the luxuriantly budding and gracious
female Thorn ! and that the " Pines," father,
mother, and stupid daughter, might all become
"coffins" as soon as they pleased for what he
cared about them.
CHAPTER XXVII.
"possession is eleven points in the law, and they
sat there are but twelve "
AND now we must return to Heraldstowe, and
chronicle all that has taken place there from
the time of the Abbey fete. For though Almeric
MAIDENHOOD. 28
• >
and Zara were present at the grand Poultry Show
at Landeswold, they were both shown to be out of
spirits, and unable to enjoy the day. One thing
had occurred there that was favourable to
Almeric's peculiar state of health, and this was
that he came to an understanding with Lord
Danby, to the purport that he had not played off
any practical joke at Heraldstowe, nor in any way
been a party to any such ill-behaviour in others.
It may seem strange that this was a source of
great comfort to Almeric ; he had the greatest
dread of being an object of ridicule to the county
in general, and he was glad to be relieved from
this dx*ead. But then, if he was not the victim of
a joke, what was the matter? He literally
wanted time to think over all that had happened
to him, and in the presence of his friends at
Landeswold, as Lord Danby had said to Miss
Thorn, u he sat silent, solemn, and sad."
After the scene with his great ancestor in
Heraldstowe Park, Almeric became puzzled.
But this took place before the poultry show — even
before the Abbey fete. He was totally uncon-
scious that he had slept, and he treated his dream
as a terrible reality. He Still persisted to himself
that he did not believe in ghosts, in spite of all
that was said of Heraldstowe, and of the presence
there of such brings. He still continued to light
up his rooms in the evening, and through the
night; sometimes he watched till a late
hour ; sometimes he threw himself on a sofa in
284 MAIDENHOOD.
a train of thought, and afterwards dropped off to
sleep unconsciously, and slept many hours. Miss
Barrymore observed that he continued this
practice of lighting up his rooms through the
night, and at Dr. Quinn's request, attempted to
ascertain from her brother the reason for so extra-
ordinary a proceeding.
" Has he been dabbling in German metaphy-
sics ?" said Dr. Quinn. "Do you think he has
been studying too hard, and so touched the
nervous system ? This attempt ' to throw light
on the subject' in the hours of darkness, savours
of nocturnal visitors. I rather mean, as if he
were preparing himself at all points for some
unusual, or, if not unusual, at least, not very
desirable visitor."
" I have not heard him say," said Miss Barry-
more.
" Of course you have not," said Dr. Quinn,
with a smile. " If our patients would condescend
to give us any clue to their vagaries, we might
have a chance of soon bringing them round. At
present his general health is but little altered —
perhaps the pulse a little quicker, showing a little
excitement in the system ; otherwise But
pray, my dear Miss Barrymore," said he, extend-
ing his hand as he rose to go, " do not let your
usual spirits desert you. I must confess your
brother is a little out of sorts — just a little. But
we will soon put that right, I assure you — a mere
nothing to me, though it does seem so formidable
MAIDENHOOD. 285
to yon. Sir Hiklebrand, he is a wonder— a
perfect wonder, at his age, in the enjoyment of
such excellent health. Good morning — keep up
your spirits — good morning."
But this conversation, though in part so
hopeful, was not satisfactory to Miss Barrymore.
She determined to be very watchful over her
brother, and for this purpose she gave immediate
orders for the dismantling of her own apartments,
and for the arrangement for her use of those
rooms that joined her brother's, the dressing-room
of which opened into a small sitting-room, fitted
up for Almeric's use, and, indeed, en suite with
the rooms he occupied. Miss Barrymore did not
make known to her brother this contemplated
change in her locality until she had entirely
completed her arrangements. She took the
opportunity of their continued absence at the
Abbey fete for many consecutive hours, to have
all finally arranged to her satisfaction.
On their return home from this fete, Almeric
was particularly talkative, and for him, who was
usually quiet in manner, very imperious, and very
irritable. He thought he had now discovered a
solution to all that had puzzled him.
" If I had known that we should meet Lord
Danby at Prellsthorpe Abbey, I would have
remained at home."
"You and Lord Danby were formerly such
good friends," replied Miss Barrymore.
" Yes ; but if there is one thing I hate more
286 MAIDENHOOD.
than another, it is a practical joke ; and if there is
one thing D. likes more than another, it is a hard
practical joke. All is made clear to me now —
clear as the sun at noonday. If I had only-
known of D.'s presence in the neighbourhood, I
should have understood the matter long before
this."
"What has puzzled you, Ahneric?"
" He is very clever, and very lazy," replied he,
following out his own thoughts, rather than reply-
ing to his sister's query ; " and because he has
nothing to do himself, he tries to make others lazy
also. How very angry and discomfited I should
have been if I had fallen into his trap !"
"What has he done, Almeric?" said Miss
Barrymore.
" Oh ! never mind, my dear sisse ; I spoke rather
sharply to him, and perhaps he will- feel *he has
gone far enough."
And then, with a view to change the subject,
he added,
" We must call at Prellsthorpe as soon as we
can. I told Lady Irene that though our father
did not fuss himself with the duties of morning
calls, that I felt sure he would call at the Park !"
"Indeed he will not, Almeric; he has quite for-
gotten the Lady Irene, and he does not like Lord
Danby. And as he never knew this Earl Prells-
thorpe, I do not think dear father likely to make a
call at the Park."
" Well, never mind all that; you and I must
MAIDENHOOD. 287
call soon. And, Zara, Raymond Maynooth ad-
mires the Lady Irene."
" 1 am glad be admires somebody. Hitherto
be has been a cold, insensate sort of — very hand-
some man."
And then, when Almeric and his sister alighted
from their carriage — for all this talk had been as
they drove home from the Abbey fefe — and went
np the stairs, and through the long corridors of
Heraldstowe together, Miss Barrvmore made
known to her brother, " that her rooms were in an
unusual state of decay, and that it was necessary
to dismantle them entirely, and have them at-
tended to. And that, meanwhile, she should take
up her residence in the wing that he occupied,
and in apartments contiguous to his, and Almeric
was very much pleased with this arrangement.
By meeting with Lord Danby at Prellsthorpe
Abbey the idea of a practical joke had been as-
sured, and Almeric then felt certain that he had
been the victim of a joke of this nature.
But yet, in spite of the warning he had given
Lord Danby. viz., "that he would shoot him if he
again intruded into the grounds at Heraldstowe,"
and also, in spite of his sister's presence in the
same wing that he was accustomed to occupy,
Almeric did not feel inclined to retire to rest
without lighting np his apartments as has been
before described. Miss Barrymore wisely made
no remark, and this night also passed without any
molestation from the Sieur Almeric.
288 MAIDENHOOD.
Almeric arose the next morning in better health
and in excellent spirits. We have omitted to
make known that in passing through the hall, as
he did several times a day — if he were alone — he
invariably went up to his renowned ancestor and
examined him, to try and discover if he had been
in any way tampered with, and to prove to his
own satisfaction that the coin still remained in the
rerebrace.
He always found the statue in the same atti-
tude, and if he touched the cloth sleeve that filled
up the hollow in the rerebrace, he heard something
rub or grate against the metal that convinced him
the coin was still there.
On this day, that is, a few days after the Abbey
fete, Sir Hildebrand had again mooted the ques-
tion of sifting the soil in the Park, prompted, as
we have seen, by Mr. Maynooth, to try to recover
the coin ; and Almeric, as he listened to his grand-
father's remarks, determined to walk to Stowe-in-
the-Valley and bring back a smith, who should
take off the gauntlet, and thus, in all probability,
set " the six-angel piece " at liberty, which, to pre-
serve the Park from being broken up and intruded
upon by workmen, he determined to take at once
to Sir Hildebrand.
With this determination came a fresh tempta-
tion.
The well-known fact that the " first gold sove-
reign of Henry VII." had been carried off in the
trimming of Miss Thorn's dress suggested the hope
MAIDENHOOD. 289
of recovering " the six-angel piece " by disturbing
and sifting the soil in the Park. The supposed
loss of the " six-angels," and the probable search
through the Park, had already, as Almeric said to
himself, " raised a hubbub in the County of Z — ".
On this account he felt unwilling to explain that
he had all along had the " six-angels" in his own
possession ! We must do him the justice to ac-
knowledge he wished most heartily to state the
real circumstances exactly and truthfully to his
sister and to Sir Hildebrand. But he felt an
uneasy sense of ridicule creep over him, as he
fancied himself questioned and bantered by the
whole county. He wished to escape this ordeal
if possible. And yet he did not feel equal to the
making up of a lie ! So contemptible a practice
was opposed to his habits and principles. And
yet, to state to his grandfather the actual facts of
the case, would be to make them known to the
county of Z . Sir Hildebrand was so straight-
forward by nature, as well as so simple-minded,
that if he promised, for Alraeric's sake, never to
repeat the history of the supposed loss of the coin,
he would certainly be caught, on some occasion or
other, telling somebody all about it. These con-
siderations tempted Almeric at this moment to
keep the " six angels," and not restore the coin to
his grandfather.
As Almeric passed through the hall, with an
intention of walking to Stowe-in-the- Valley, he
made one more attempt to remove the gauntlet,
VOL. I. U
290 MAIDENHOOD.
fly
and save himself the journey. He did not suc-
ceed, and then he went his way to fetch a smith,
musing to himself how he could best give back
the coin if he decided to do so, but totally unob-
servant that he had so far disturbed the gauntlet
as to allow its own weight gradually to drag it
lower, and that it would eventually fall off !
" If I walk in with the coin in my hand, Zara
and grandpapa may probably assume I have found
it in the Park. I could not confirm them in this,
indeed I should not know what to say. I wish I
had never seen the coin — never touched it — never
troubled myself about it ! If I do not return it,
the Park will be molested — if I do give it back, I
myself shall become a martyr to the queries of the
neighbourhood ! If I were to repeat the history
of this coin, from the moment I took it from the
tray until this present moment, only my own near
and dear relatives would really credit my words.
It slipped into the rearbrace and I could not re-
cover it. Yet I saw the Sieur Almeric throw it
down on the carpet in the library ! Only the
clouds passing over the moon prevented me from
seeing where it lay, and seizing it at once. Who
would credit this ? But it was so, of that I am
morally certain."
On his return with the smith, the man set to
work, and soon took off the gauntlet. It was
easy then to push anything out at the wrist that
had slipped in at the elbow joint ; but strangely
enough the coin could not be found. Almeric
MAIDENHOOD. 291
began to feel extremely annoyed and impatient ;
but he directed the man to remove the rearbrace
from the elbow piece. This was done, and the
rearbrace drawn off. There was no coin to be
seen — none inside the piece of armour just re-
moved, none about the cloth sleeve, or to be seen
anywhere about the armour !
The smith stood looking on, while Almeric,
forgetting the man's presence, became angry with
his ancestor, with " the six-angel piece," with
himself, and even with the poor smith standing
there so humbly. At length, after some little lapse
of time, and much ill-temper, and many hard
words, Almeric felt that it would not do to keep
the man waiting; in the hall at Ileraldstowe if he
could be of no use, neither would it be wise to leave
the statue without its arm !
He then explained to the man that some time
previously he had dropped a coin into the arm
through the joint at the elbow, and that it was for
the purpose of recovering this coin, he had had
the gauntlet and rearbrace removed.
The smith, like most of his fraternity, was a
clever, clear-headed man, ami after examining
the statue and the padded arm, and the pieces of
armour he had taken off, he assured Almeric there
was no space nor interstice anywhere to conceal a
coin, even so large as a sixpence ! Reluctantly
Almeric had the pieces of armour replaced and the
statue put into his customary attitude. Then lie
allowed the smith to return to Stowe-in-the-Yalley.
I 'I
292 MAIDENHOOD.
Left alone, Almeric walked up and down the
hall in a strange perturbation of spirit. Now he
returned strongly to his former supposition — he was
the victim of a practical joke ! What else could it
be? He had seen Lord Danby at Prellsthorpe
Abbey, and felt convinced then that he it was
who was amusing himself at Almeric's expense !
But these were the real facts — hardly had Al-
meric passed out of sight, on his journey to Stowe
to fetch a smith, before Palmer, the butler at
Heraldstowe, happened to cross the hall, and saw
the gauntlet fall from the hand of the Sieur Al-
meric. He took it up with an intention of re-
placing it, and then saw the edge of " the six-
angel piece " protruding from the armour at the
wrist !
"Now what coin can this be?" said he, as he
drew it forth. "I do think the 'old witch'
has dropped her glove * on the roof as she passed
over Heraldstowe on her broom ; and that she
must have had an especial dislike to ancient coins
is clear ; for all her ill-will falls upon that depart-
ment of the arts." He stood closely examining the
coin while he spoke. "A very wonderful coin,
indeed ; I dare say Sir Hildebrand will be glad to
see it, perhaps it has been in that statue ever
since the old gentleman came from the Crusad-
ing Wars ! I should not much wonder ; indeed, if
one is to believe all one hears of these worthy barons
in armour, one need not strain much to credit so
small a thing as that "
* See Note 12.
MAIDENHOOD. 293
A bell rang at this moment.
" I must replace this gauntlet temporarily, for
Sir Hildebrand cannot bear to see anything out of
order."
In his hasty attempts to draw on the gaunt-
let he dropped the coin ; the bell rang again, and
he put down the gauntlet and followed the coin
with his eye, as he turned to leave the hall, but it
rolled away from his sight, and he hastened to
reply to the summons. On his return he thought
it better to replace the gauntlet first. He did so,
leaving it in a safe position ; then he turned to
pick up the coin ; it was nowhere visible ! He had
seen it roll across the hall, and thought he should
surely be able to find it as soon as he had time to
look for it. But no — it was not to be seen !
" The house is ' bewitched ' in the matter of
coins, as I have before said — the old lady has a
spite against them. Humph ! perhaps it has rolled
under some one of these statues, or at the baek of
some shield or other piece of armour."' He fetched
a long stick, and for some length of time poked
under all the likely and unlikely places, but with-
out any result, lie never saw the coin again.
Because he could not find the coin he never men-
tioned the fact that he had liberated it from the
statue at the time the gauntlet fell off. Indeed
he did not mention that the gauntlet had fallen ;
he kept his own counsel in the fear of the conse-
quences, ami Ahneric lost the coin.
The day after was the day of the grand Poultry
294 MAIDENHOOD.
Show at Landeswold. As we have before
recorded, Almeric and Zara met their friends
there, and Lord Danby then convinced the
former he had had no hand in the strange things
that occurred at Heraldstowe.
The moment he met Almeric under the tent at
the poultry show he grasped his hand heartily,
and held him fast, in spite of his very reserved
looks. He told him he must be labouring under
some mistake.
" No, old friend, I will not resign your hand,"
said Lord Danby ; " and though this is no place
for explanations, I must insist that you will allow
me to tell you you misjudge me in some way or
other."
" I suspect you of a practical joke," said
Almeric, even in his resentment too honest to
conceal the truth.
" I see you suspect something ; but you have
hit upon an innocent person this time. I have
not been near Heraldstowe, except once with
Irene, to leave cards, for even the good Sir
Hildebrand was not at home. And as we were
absent when you and Miss Barrymore called at
Prellsthorpe, I have had no opportunity until now
of disabusing your mind of some wrong idea."
Almeric was easily appeased, and, besides, he
had no reason to suspect Lord Danby of a
deliberate falsehood ; and, oddly enough, the fact
that he was not the victim of a practical joke — for
he could not reasonably suspect any other person —
MAIDENHOOD. 295
and, therefore, not likely to become a laughing-
stock to the county, was, for the time being, a
positive relief. He left the poultry show almost
immediately after this conversation with Lord
Danby. He wanted to be alone, to reflect on all
the peculiar circumstances that had happened to
him. If, then, he was not the victim of a
practical joke, what was the matter with him ?
The armour in the hall could not move of its own
accord ! Ghosts he must put out of the question
— he never would be brought to believe in such
myths. Optical delusions were possible, but
hardly practicable at Heraldstowe, and certainly
not without apparatus of some kind — at least, not
such as had troubled him. And then he recalled
the morning on which he had first seen the form
of his ancestor in his own room ; he remembered
how very little this appearance had disturbed him
— indeed, he suffered his mind to dwell upon it as
a curious illusion, probably to be accounted for by
the vividness of his own imagination. The scene
in the library arose before him with such startling
clearness, he impulsively looked round, and almost
expected to see his ancestor walking by his side.
On his recollection of the scene in the Park, he
shuddered, though he acknowledged that the
squirrels were as plentiful as before he had seen
them so unsparingly murdered, and he was quite
sure he had seen his pet as he drove through the
Park.
All these occurrences were wonderful, and he
296 MAIDENHOOD.
felt he could not account for them. If he had
spoken at the time, they could have been
explained, but Almeric always said to himself,
" Who but my father and my sister will credit
me if I recount such very strange events ?"
And, besides, he had no thought that there
could be any explanation given that could prove
these incidents to be only ordinary accidents,
capable of a very simple solution.
And then, what had become of the coin 1 — that
was more extraordinary than all the rest, because
he himself had let it slip into the armour, and he
himself had seen the Baron Almeric throw it
down on the carpet ! Had he, the Baron, then
thought better on that subject ! He had pocketed
the snuff-box, and then changed his mind, and
replaced it on the table. He had thrown down
the coin on the carpet — had he then taken it back,
and put it into his pocket ! But the suit of armour
had not a pocket ! And as these thoughts and
many others went through his brain as he sat at
dinner at Landeswold, it is no marvel that Lord
Danby pointed him out to Miss Thorn as
" solemn, silent, and gloomy." But as they drove
home, Miss Barrymore, who had not noticed him
so much in Landeswold, discovered that her
brother had quite lost his usual buoyant spirits.
He was almost too much absorbed in his own
thoughts to converse at all. Nevertheless, she
made many attempts to draw him out of himself.
" He has been reading some strange Grerman
MAIDENHOOD. 297
books, I feel sure," said she to herself ; " he has
filled his mind with the tricks of some Mephisto-
pheles, and now half dreads being carried off like
some second Faust."
Ahneric at length, out of pure good-nature to
his sister, made an attempt at cheerfulness ; but
he did not succeed in blinding his amiable relative
to the fact that he was suffering from some severe
depression of mind. For some days after the
grand Poultry Show this depression appeared to
increase. Even Sir Hildebrand at length took
alarm at the strangeness in Almeric's appearance.
But Ahneric himself always declared he was
perfectly well. He was indignant at being placed
in the hands of Dr. Quinn, and that excellent
gentleman was therefore requested by Miss
Bariymore to discontinue his visits until she could
fix a day to receive him at dinner. Then, strange
to say, in the course of only a day or two after-
wards, and before Dr. Quinn dined at Herald-
Btowe, Ahneric recovered his spirits entirely, and
his good looks in part. The reason for this
change lay in the following facts : —
Miss Barrymore had given him a new purse,
and he stood in the hall admiring it, as he was
passing through to the Park.
" I might as well transfer my money at once,"
said he.
He placed his hat and cane on the table, and
took out his old purse. II.' removed the gold
from one end, and placed it in the new purse.
298 MAIDENHOOD.
Then, in attempting to transfer the silver from one
purse to the other, he dropped a florin, and he
saw it slowly roll round one of the famous
ancestral suits of armour standing there. Almeric
stooped, and with his cane tried to poke out the
florin. He was fortunate, out it came, glittering
in the sunshine. He stooped to take it up — lo !
the " six-angel piece !"
If Almeric did rub his eyes, and gaze upon it
with some degree of astonishment, it is no marvel.
He stood for a second or two silent, examining the
coin. Then he put it into his waistcoat pocket, and
walked up to the renowned Sieur Almeric, and
scanned the suit of armour from top to toe, as if
he thought that, by some species of legerdemain
unknown to himself, the Baron had put his hand
into the pocket he had used on a former occasion,
fetched out the coin, and deliberately chucked it
behind the statue of his brother baron, on purpose
to give Almeric a chance of recovering it.
" I shall begin to believe in ghosts soon," said
Almeric, with a smile, as he finished his survey of
the Baron.
He took the coin from his pocket and scruti-
nized it once more. Yes, it was undoubtedly the
" six-angel piece of Edward VI." By what a
wonderful chance he had again recovered the
coin ! He replaced it in his waistcoat pocket, and
then stood some minutes silently rapt in thought.
He decided that the circumstances that restored it
to him were so peculiar, that it would be unadvis-
1
MAIDENHOOD. 299
able to speak of them to any one, satisfied as he
felt in his own mind that to state what had really
happened, with the most exact truth, would only
be to cause a doubt of his word in the minds of
those who did not know him as Sir Hildebrand
and Zara did ; and to tell these two all that had
happened would be to bring them, in all proba-
bility, into the same focus of strange events as
those that surrounded himself. He decided to
place the coin in his own cabinet, but he recovered
his spirits almost immediately after.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
" physician's faults are COVERED avitii earth, and
i;i< II MEN'S WITH .MONEY."
"\JEVEKTHELESS, as had been pre-arranged,
±\ Dr. Quinn came to dine at Heraldstowe.
The dinner proceeded much as all dinners do, and
the conversation was unchecked in its easy flow,
until a message was delivered to Miss Barrymore
by one of the domestics, and as Almeric heard
only a part, and that part excited his curiosity, he
questioned his sister as to the meaning of it.
"Lee cannot come till Monday ; he is engaged
at the waterworks near Stowe," said she.
" What do you want with Lee ?" asked Al-
meric.
300 MAIDENHOOD.
" To overlook the men, and keep them from
committing depredations," replied she.
"Overlook what men f ' said Almeric in a voice
of astonishment.
" Dear Almeric, do not question me so," said
Miss Barrymore, as she turned to converse with
Dr. Quinn.
Sir Hildebrand and Miss Barrymore had agreed
that now that Almeric's health seemed in a fair
way of recovery, that — if the Park must be dis-
turbed — it had better be immediately. But they
had not taken Almeric into their counsels, from a
wish to keep him as free from anxiety as possible.
Unfortunately, he had now gathered enough to ex-
cite his suspicions, and make himself very uncom-
fortable.
He sat moody and silent, annoyed that Zara
would not explain, and marvelling what set of
workmen were to come to Heraldstowe, and for
what kind of employment they had been engaged.
But now, as on all occasions of discomfort since
the loss of " the six-angel piece," his mind at once
reverted to the coin, and again he began to run
over in his thoughts how he could best restore it
without explaining all the strange incidents con-
nected with it. He feared the " workmen " were
meant to be employed in the Park. This made
him feel very angry, for though he had not been
present when the Maynooths called, he had very
strongly dissuaded Sir Hildebrand from this plan,
and thought he had succeeded. As soon as an
MAIDENHOOD. 301
opportunity offered, he spoke again to Miss Barry-
more.
" What men are coming, Zara ? — and what are
they to do ?"
For one second Miss Barrymore hesitated as to
whether she should again try to divert his atten-
tion from the subject, or tell him the truth at once,
she decided on the latter.
" They are to dig up the path through the Park,
and search for the missing " six-angel piece."
" It shall not be ! — it must not be ! Who has
ordered this?"' said he in louder and more angry
tones than usual with him, and entirely forgetting
the halo of the dinner, and the presence of Dr.
Quinn.
Sir Hildebrand and his guest were both for the
moment dumb, through the effects of that well-
bred surprise, incited by so extraordinary an in-
fringement of the manners usual at dinner. This
was succeeded in the former by alarm for the
state of Almeric's health, and in the latter by a
professional satisfaction but little comprehended
by Sir Hildebrand and Miss Barrymore.
It will now be necessary to explain the words
"professional satisfaction," which may otherwise
be misunderstood. There are several kinds of
" professional satisfaction," one of which belongs
to members at the fag end of the host, whose
" professional satisfaction" is gratified by a case of
any kind, and any nature — so it do but " put
money in their pockets." Sueh " professional
302 MAIDENHOOD.
satisfaction" is often tempted to keep a case in hand,
to suit its own purpose. That is not what is meant.
Then there is the " professional satisfaction " of
the able and experienced surgeon, when he is
called to attend to a compound fracture of this or
that, and who knows he must exert his utmost skill to
save a limb, or perhaps even life itself to a patient.
It is not an exaggeration to say that such a man
has a " professional satisfaction " in the case itself,
independant entirely of any feeling of compassion
for the sufferer ; in his estimation it is an extra-
ordinary case — there was a marvellous escape from
this or that, and he has as much enjoyment in
all the horrid detail of his work as an architect in
the exquisite finish of this croquet or the wonder-
ful sharpness of such finials. This is not what is
meant. Dr. Quinn stood high in the profession,
and he was also a man of a kind heart and sym-
pathising mind. He saw Almeric's sudden change
of temper with that kind of " professional satisfac-
tion" that is ever on the watch for traits of
manner, that more or less betray to the profes-
sional eye those hidden springs of human nature
that are the exciting cause of many diseases.
" Hush ! Almeric, dear," said Miss Barry more,
as the blush of well-bred astonishment mantled in
her cheeks.
" It is of no use, dear Sir, to dig up the Park !"
said Almeric to Sir Hildebrand, and still speaking
loudly. " The coin is not there ! — it is not there,
I assure you !"
MAIDENHOOD. 303
Almeric spoke from his positive knowledge that
the coin was safely placed in his own cabinet. But
Dr. Quinn said to himself with that " professional
satisfaction " and professional sagacity we have
before mentioned,
" Here is the mischief — here is strong annoy-
ance on some particular subject; hallucination
perhaps."
And then, though it might appear to lookers-on
that Dr. Quinn gave the best part of his time and
attention to the excellent viands offered to him, it is,
nevertheless, certain that no word or look from
Almeric escaped his " professional penetration."
"Indeed, my dear boy," said Sir Hildebrand
deprecatingly, " it is quite against my wish. I de-
clare I have the most decided objection to have
my Park so destroyed, and made no better, for
the time being, than a Village green, where
village children play. But then Raymond May-
nooth put the case so strongly ami so wisely, I
saw the necessity of yielding ; and if I must yield,
let me do it graciously, and let the men have a
chance to do their work well."
Dr. Quinn had not heard of the accident to the
" six-angel piece" He was at a loss, therefore,
for the moment, to account for the anxiety ex-
pressed on the countenances of the three, Sir
Hildebrand, Miss Barrvmoiv, and Almeric.
"I wish Raymond Maynooth would attend to
his own park, and leave Heraldstowe to its own
master. 1 shall tell him I dislike this interference
304 MAIDENHOOD.
and turning everything wrong. You, my dear
grandfather, object to having the Park cut up — I
have the strongest dislike to the plan, and Zara
agrees with us — why then are we to be annoyed
for the sake of Raymond Maynooth's opinion t"
Miss Barrymore turned to Dr. Quinn, and ex-
plained that they had been vexed by the loss of a
valuable coin.
" It will indeed be a great pity to destroy the
superb appearance of Heraldstowe Park, even
temporarily," said Dr. Quinn, in a tone of sym-
pathy.
" And for no purpose !" said Almeric, " that is
what so discomposes me; that they will do this
thing when I tell them the coin is not there."
In his anxiety to prevent what he called the
desecration of the Park, he did not see he was on
the very verge of calumniating himself.
" No purpose whatever !" said Dr Quinn, with
"professional tact" coinciding with Almeric's
views.
" Exactly so," replied Almeric, " the coin is not
there. "
" You see, my dear boy," said Sir Hildebrand
again in a deprecating tone, " Maynooth thinks I
owe it to the world at large, to-the world of science
and art, to leave no stone unturned in my efforts
to recover ' the six-angel piece ;' I appear to my-
self selfish, when I refuse to stir in this matter."
" And so he persuaded you ' to turn over the
stones ' in your Park," said Dr. Quinn, laughing ;
MAIDENHOOD. 305
"but since, as my friend Alraeric says, the coin
is not to be found there, it seems a pity — a great
pity."
" It cannot be found there," said Almeric in a
positive tone, " it is not there."
" My dear Almeric, why should you give so
decisive an opinion !" said Miss Barrymore. " Each
one who has heard the story agrees that the proba-
bility is, it fell from Miss Thorn's dress as she
traversed the Park. And though I object as much
as you or dear grandpapa can possibly — yet I also
agree with Raymond Maynooth that the Park is
the place to search ; and that, if we search well, we
may have a good chance of finding the coin.*'
"True, true," said Dr. Quinn, "there is cer-
tainly a chance."
" Why do you persist in saying it is not there ?"
said Miss Barrymore to Almeric.
He did not reply ; and here again Dr. Quinn's
"professional sagacity" was called into play. He
observed that Miss Barrymore's abrupt question
had caused his patient to change countenance, that
he lost immediately that Animated and almost
angry decision of manner that had been promi-
nent but just before ; he bowed his head, half
turned away, and looked almost as if some inward
thought had deprived him of the power to reply.
Miss Barrymore looked from Almeric to Sir
Ilildebrand, who sat evidently awaiting Alnieric's
reply, and from Sir Ilildebrand to Dr. Quinn,
who adroitly turned to Sir Ilildebrand, and im-
VOL. I. X
306 MAIDENHOOD.
provised with li professional tact " an anecdote of a
similar loss that had happened to a friend of his.
This led the subject into a different channel. Al-
meric recovered from the shock of his own sur-
prise at his own, as he said to himself, folly.
But Dr. Quinn's "professional wisdom" pointed
out to him that there was a something on Almeric's
mind that ought to be removed — that is, that must
be removed before his health could be re-estab-
lished.
" His mind has received a shock that, for the
time being, has upset it — he has some false idea of
the whereabouts of the coin, but the freaks of
derangement of intellect are numberless. I am
satisfied in my own mind that something con-
nected with this coin is the cause of his illness —
nothing extraordinary !" concluded professional
nonchalance to itself.
Before Dr. Quinn took his departure from
Heraldstowe, he had a private conversation with
Miss Barrymore. He then ascertained positively
that Almeric's illness commenced with the loss of
the coins, and that he had always been an enthu-
siastic numismatist.
"We must humour him," said Dr. Quinn ; "the
shock has been too great for his strength ; the dis-
appointment of not recovering a coin dropped on
your own carpet seems to have tilled his mind with
a strange sort of dismay. It was so simple a thing
— none could doubt that the coins would all be
recovered in a few minutes. And yet, you see,
MAIDENHOOD. 307
even weeks have passed, and one — and that, I am
told, the most valuable — is still missing. It is
this exceptional occurrence that has so upset him ;
it is the having seen the coins fall in the library —
on the carpet in your own library, mark you — that
makes him steadily set aside the supposition that
it can be anywhere else. He is sure it is there on
the carpet and not in the Park — we must humour
him !"
But when he has had positive proof that one
coin was carried away in the trimming of a lady's
dress, can he not infer from that the possibility
also of a second taking a like trip?"
Dr. Quinn did not reply immediately; he was
unwilling to acknowledge the extent of the mis-
chief he thought he saw in Almeric's wilful tena-
city to "one idea," in spite of the proof that had
been offered to his intellect by the finding of "the
first gold sovereign " at the stile. " Monomania "'
is a disagreeable word to use, and Dr. Quinn did
not wish to distress Miss Barrymore needlessly.
" I should rather advise that, for the present at
least, you defer to his opinion. If he says ' the
coin is not there,' affect to rely upon his state-
ment. Humour his vagaries ; do not argue with
and excite him."
"Would you, then, advise us, for the sake of
Almeric's health, to put aside the search in the
Park T
Dr. Quinn smiled his "professional smile," and
spoke in his habitual]}- low-toned voice, as lie said,
x 2
308 MAIDENHOOD.
" It is not my wish to dictate to Sir Hildebrand
what he shall or shall not do with his own pro-
perty, or even to attempt to curb his efforts for
the recovery of the coin in any way ; my business
is with my patient, and whatever I think likely to
disturb the quiet of his mind I feel it a duty to
point out. Therefere, if the search in the Park
could be delayed for a week or ten days, and you
could by that time make arrangements for Mr.
Barrymore to change the scene, to travel about,
see the world, enjoy himself, I think his health
would have a better chance of re-establishment,
and also he would escape the annoyance of seeing
the Park in an uncomfortable state. Sir Hilde-
brand could then, after Mr. Barrymore's depar-
ture, proceed with his own plans, and my patient
would be free from the clanger of a resistance to
his will."
Miss Barrymore did not reply. Dr. Quinn had
hinted to her before this interview that it might
be necessary to send Almeric away from home.
She felt the responsibility, in his present state of
health, of allowing him to go alone, and she knew
Sir Hildebrand himself was not able to leave
Heraldstowe and the comforts which had now be-
come necessities to him.
" I can see into your difficulty," said Dr. Quinn
with " professional penetration ;" " you cannot be
in two places at once, and you are necessary to the
comfort both of your brother and Sir Hildebrand.
But allow me to suggest that Mr. Barrymore may
MAIDENHOOD. 309
very well be permitted to travel with his personal at-
tendant. He is by no means so ill as to require
your care, though that may be considered an un-
courteous opinion, for I freely admit we of the
masculine gender are but in a desolate state when
we are left to ourselves. But undoubtedly the
grand desideratum for my young friend is to leave
Heraldstowe — to leave the scene of his misadven-
ture. The nervous system is shaken, no doubt by
the continued absence of this one coin, that ought
to have been found in one moment after its fall.
You see he must have been annoyed with the sight
of the treasures rolling over the carpet ; then he was
worried by the long search ; then much startled, I
make no doubt, by the recovery of one from an
unlooked for or unthought of locality ; and then
he finally settles down with the conviction that the
most valuable coin is lodged in some place either
out of reach or out of sight."
Was Dr. Quinn's " professional penetration " at
fault, or did Miss Barrymore really change
colour? The learned physician paused in his
long and recapitulatory speech, to treasure up in
his memory these new signs. Miss Barry more's
distress increased rather than diminished. She
did not speak, but the troubled state of her mind
was expressed on her countenance.
" Have you any clue to this idea of mine ? —
that your brother has the notion the coin is lodged
in some unattainable place ? . — or, perhaps, only
attainable by some great discomfort, or destruc-
tion of some "
310 MAIDENHOOD.
Miss Barrymore prevented more suggestions
from the learned and amiable physician by at once
confessing her own carelessness on the morning
that the coins were lost. And though she assured
Dr. Quinn it would have been quite impossible
that any person could have entered the library
and stolen that particular coin, and remain
undiscovered, he put up his finger deprecatingly,
as he said, in a voice of satisfaction that astonish-
ed his listener,
" Excuse me, excuse me — I have it now ;" and
then he added, in more gentle tones : " I thank
you very much, my dear Miss Barrymore, for this
revelation. Undoubtedly, your brother has from
the first held to that ' one idea ' — undoubtedly, he
has all along felt convinced that the coin was
stolen during the time the cabinet was left open."
Miss Barrymore clasped her hands together in
mute distress of mind.
" Nothing at all unusual, I assure you," said
Dr. Quinn ; " but it is of much importance to me
to know these facts. Has he never hinted to you
that he has this opinion V
" Yes ; on several occasions he has given me to
understand he thought the coin had been stolen,
but I have always explained to him it could not
have been stolen."
" All wrong — quite wrong," replied Dr. Quinn,
with a lugubrious shake of the head. " Humour
him, agree with him ; he has i a fixed idea ' — let
him tell you all about it. For, indeed, you might
MAIDENHOOD. 311
as well attempt to change the course of a hurri-
cane by opposition, as to alter his opinion on this
subject. We call it monomania. Ah ! do not be
disheartened with the word ; there is nothing at
all uncommon — indeed, monomania is much more
frequent than the community at large suppose."
Dr. Quinn ceased speaking, but Miss Barry-
more could not prevent the expression of her own
sorrow from being visible ; her eyes filled with
tears, though she courageously restrained them
from overflowing their boundaries.
" My dear young lady, you distress yourself
unnecessarily. Mr. Barrymore, I make no doubt,
will soon .recover. For the time being, his mind
is unequal to the daily demand ; change of scene
will restore him. New countries will fill his
thoughts with new subjects ; his physical strength
will increase as this wear and tear of mind is done
away with. And when we have him again in
robust health of body, you will see this ' one idea '
will have been pushed aside amid the crowd of
new notions that he has seized upon in his travels."
" But Almeric has already seen so much of the
world," suggested Miss Barrymore ; " few young
men have travelled more — that is in Europe."
" Humph ! lias he been to Siberia V
This was "professional irritability' at the
continued opposition made to his decrees, and yet
Dr. Quinn repented almost as soon as he had
spoken. He resumed, therefore, in his ordinary
tone, and with his usual courtesy,
312 MAIDENHOOD.
"My meaning is this, to be quite plain and
intelligible to you — my meaning is this : if Mr.
Barrymore does not leave home, he may grow
worse instead of better."
And thus " professional wisdom " spoke, at last,
the absolute truth.
" If your brother has been all over the world,
he must st '^ leave Heraldstowe. I trust you now
comprehend me, my dear young lady," added he,
rising to depart.
And Dr. Quinn grasped Miss Barrymore's hand
warmly as he took leave, and said :
" I have detained you too long already, but you
will think over my words."
CHAPTER XXIX.
" CRAFT, COUNTING ALL THINGS, BRINGS NOTHING
HOME."
ON the morning after the grand Poultry Show
at Landeswold, Prellsthorpe Rectory was in
an unusual state of repose. The inmates had not
reached their home until nearly three o'clock, and
then they were so exhausted by the long drive and
the night air, as to render some kind of restorative
necessary before retiring to rest. One conse-
quence of these late hours was that the Lady
Irene Stuart called at the Rectory and found
Grel still in bed at four p.m. !
MAIDENHOOD. 313
Strange times these for the Lady Grel, and a
strange way, she thought, of spending her time.
Accustomed all her life to rise early, these long
mornings spent in bed could not be otherwise than
destructive to her health. But Grel was unhappy,
and, moreover, peculiarly situated. She could not
open her heart to Brenda Cheetham, for Brenda
was unamiable and satirical, and matters were not
mended when they were submitted to Brenda.
She could not make a confidante of her cousin
Irene, for though she was not spiteful or mali-
cious, like Brenda — at least, so Grel thought —
there was a something in the character of each of
the cousins that prevented harmony of thought or
opinion between them.
She could not intrude her troubles upon Mrs.
Cheetham because they were of a nature to cause
a feeling of shyness in sensitive " Maidenhood,"
and, of course, to hold converse with her guardian,
Mr. Cheetham, on such subjects was out of the
question. Poor Grel! She envied her cousin,
who was on friendly terms with Miss Barrymore,
Miss Thorn, Miss Fortescue, and many others.
In such cases — that is where companionship could
be had — sensitive " Maidenhood" could whisper its
troubles to a sister-maiden, and probably receive in
return both counsel and advice.
Grel's great trouble was her cousin Danby.
She had enjoyed the early part of the day at
Landeswold, because she had been allowed to
follow the bent of her own inclination. She had — as
314 MAIDENHOOD.
we have before said — secretly watched Mr. Hamil-
ton. It is true he had not spoken to her, oftener
than two or three times throughout the whole
day. But she had caught his eye once or
twice during dinner, and been satisfied with the
expression she read there. Grel was not conscious
of Mr. Maynooth's admiration of her cousin in the
early part of the day as Irene herself was ; but
Irene was conscious of Mr. Hamilton's occasional
glances at Grel. At the time, Irene cared not
to fix Mr. Hamilton's attention upon herself, be-
cause she was satisfied she had attracted another,
and in her estimation a greater prize. Mean-
while, as we have seen, Grel proved a more per-
fect magnet to Mr. Maynooth than Irene. Of this
the cousins were both unconscious.
At the theatre — as we have stated — Lord Danby
monopolized his cousin Grel, and in his peculiar
way charged her with having attempted to make
herself agreeable to Mr. Hamilton, though she had
been so positively told he and Irene were very
likely to become affianced. Grel winced at these
words, and Lord Danby saw it ; he charged her
with, as he termed it, " that vilest conduct of Maid-
enhood," the loving a man before he had proposed
to her. Grel was covered with burning blushes
of shame — partly that Lord Danby should dare to
take such liberties with her, and partly from a
sort of wonder and almost awe — for she could not
entirely deny even to herself — that she had "thought
much of Mr. Hamilton." It is true she did not
MAIDENHOOD. 315
understand her own sensations, she had never
attempted to analize them. But thus probed to
the quick as she was by Lord Danby, Grel's posi-
tion increased in misery the longer she remained
in the theatre. Lord Danby had also upbraided
her for taking the flowers Irene had thrown down
in her pettishness before they drove off in the
morning. Altogether Grel's innocent worship of
Mr. Hamilton had been the cause of much un-
easiness to herself; she was too honest to deny
that her thoughts had wandered very much to Mr.
Hamilton, and her cousin unfeelingly made the
most of his penetration.
And before she slept, Grel wept at the memory of
all the miseries the day in Landeswold had brought
upon her ; and when she awoke after her sleep,
she wept again ; as she. remembered her own
isolated position, her little knowledge of the world,
and the few chances she had of increasing that
knowledge. But she would not arise, and show her
troubled face and tearful eyes to the Oheethams,
and also to the domestics at the Rectory. Grel
was too sensitive to exhibit herself thus.
But Irene came, and found her in bed at four
p.m. ! Poor Grel ! how much she would have
to explain to Irene that she would like to keep con-
cealed ! At least, as soon as she saw her cousin
standing by the bed the dread that she should be
forced into some kind of uncongenial explanation
was rife within her.
Now Irene was not in the most amiable mood
316 MAIDENHOOD.
when she thus intruded herself upon Grel. If truth
must be told — and, at least, we may hope these
chronicles are truthful — though Irene had not
noticed the change in Mr. Maynooth's admiration
of herself to her cousin Lady Grel, Miss Thorn had
— and this had given rise to a conversation between
the two ladies that greatly angered Irene. She
then recalled to herself the facts of the previous
day — Mr. Hamilton had been silent and inattentive
during dinner, which she had allowed to pass un-
noticed, because she had seen she was an attraction
to Mr. Maynooth ; but then she had not supposed
Grel was an absolute " loadstar " to Mr. Hamilton
— neither had she for one moment suspected her
new admirer, Mr. Maynooth, of transfering his
allegiance !
But when Miss Thorn made clear to her — first,
that Mr. Hamilton's glances had been directed
towards Grel during the greater part of the time
occupied by the dinner, and that Mr. Maynooth's
were " actually rivetted " upon her at the close of
the dinner, the Lady Irene became intensely ill-
tempered. " Was that child Grel, so much less well-
educated than herself, and in so much a more
humble position — that very child, so much younger
than herself " — she was four-and-twenty — " was
she — this child — to attract the great prizes of the
neighbourhood from her, so much more worthy
the regard and the notice of worthy men I" Irene
was angry, she felt powerfully within herself — not
without great cause.
MAIDEXHOOD. 317
But here she is at the Rectory, apparently
trying to smother her displeasure, for Grel does
not see it.
" I blush for my laziness," said Grel, hiding her
face.
"What can be the matter, Grel? Are you
really ill V '
The Lady Irene asked this in a tone that was
not pleasant to Grel, she felt instantaneously that
she was in the hands of her cousin Irene, as she
always was with her cousin Danby ; that however
great her wish to conceal her thoughts and inten-
tions, it was utterly impossible ; by some sort of
freemasonry entirely unknown to Grel her two
cousins could always by their worldly lore probe
her heart through and through.
" Irene, I am tired of my life."
This was real and truthful in Grel, and acknow-
ledged from the conviction that Irene would know
even if she, Grel, did not confess. But Irene did
not so consider it.
" We are very sentimental after our great con-
quests !" said Irene with a sneer, for she thought
Grel knew she had been an attraction to Mr.
Maynooth and to Mr. Hamilton. But Grel did
not know this. "And I see you have preserved
the flowers," added she, as she alluded to the
bouquet she herself had thrown away in the break,
and that Grel had rescued from being trampled
upon. "Tired of your life, Grel? — what has
tired you ?"
318 MAIDENHOOD.
" D.," said Grel, again hiding her face.
" Why, D. adores you, Grel," said Irene with a
sinister smile, to try how far Grel credited this.
" It is not fair that D. should treat me so, Irene.
You know it is not fair. He means nothing him-
self ; but, then, if he makes this display of ad-
miration or — or what he calls worship, in the
presence of others, what others, pray, will worship
me?"
In this also the Lady Grel was truthful, accord-
ing to her own knowledge, and in accordance with
her own aspirations in the future. She had re-
flected on the subject, and she felt sure, as long as
her cousin D. professed this worship to herself, no
other gentleman would come forward. If this was
a little precocious on the part of " Maidenhood," it
had arisen from the peculiar circumstances in
which the maiden was placed. But yet, truthfully
to chronicle, Grel had felt that this was her posi-
tion at the present time.
Irene thought that surely Grel had seen Mr.
Hamilton's glances during dinner, and seen also
that transfer of the worship Mr. Maynooth had
certainly given to herself in the early part of the
day. She thought then that Grel was deeply
deceitful, to know all this, and to conceal it from
her kindhearted cousin !
But Grel did not know.
" Ah ! Grel," she at length said, " then I am to
understand that D.'s love and worship of yourself
prevent others more welcome to you from coming
MAIDENHOOD. 319
forward. Mr. Hamilton, perhaps!" and she
laughed a little laugh ; " Mr. Maynooth it may be!
Oh ! no, I am mistaken there, Grel ; he is a Roman
Catholic, and so you would not think of him — at
least I, kindly thinking of you, hope not. For
your guardian would not allow you to marry a
Roman Catholic, and "
"Irene," interrupted Grel, "do you mean to
point out to me that very tall gentleman with such
a magnificent beard ?"
" Yes, Grel. Mr. Maynooth."
"And is he a Roman Catholic? What a pity!"
"And why, pray, a pity?" said Irene pettishly,
and suspecting Grel of a liking for Mr. May-
nooth.
" Why a pity?" said Grel wonderingly. " Oh !
I am sure I do not know, only he is so handsome
and courteous, I think it is a great pity he is a
Roman Catholic."
" Then you are not affianced to him, Grel ?"
said Irene.
" Irene, you know I have no admirer. Nor
am I likely to have while D. bars — prevents "
"Oh! yes. Then Mr. Hamilton, Grel?" said
Irene, determined to dive into her cousin's thoughts.
"Mr. Hamilton is engaged to you, Irene. I do
not know why you should insult me by that query,"
ami Grel sighed.
"Dear me 1 how sentimental we arc with our
sighs and our denials. But now, Grel, will 3-011
be Lady Grel Barrymore \ — tell me that."
320 MAIDENHOOD.
" Irene, leave me. I am unhappy — I am tired
of my life."
" Grel, love," said Irene, now coaxingly, and
wishing to have her cousin under her own eye,
and so make her of no account to the gentlemen
of the neighbourhood by the strong contrast with
her much more elegant and much better educated
self — " Grel, love, dear papa sent me expressly this
morning to ask you to stay at the Park. I should
have been here earlier, but Mr. Thorn and Cap-
tain Fortescue came to luncheon, and I could not
leave home until after they had taken their depar-
ture. But about D., Grel. Papa says, if you
live in the same house with him for a few weeks
you will become accustomed to his manner, which,
really, is only playful, though you, I know, think
differently. You cannot refuse my father, Grel ;
it would be so rude."
" I will tell my uncle I cannot come. I mean,
Irene, I do not wish to be under the same roof
with D. You look surprised, but you ought to
know how very much he troubles me."
Irene, suppressed the hasty words that arose to
her lips, and said in gentler tones,
" If you come to Prellsthorpe and see D. as we
see him, you will see his really good and amiable
qualities, as well as the better understand those
fits of playfulness that ought not to distress you,
any more than Miss Thorn, or Brenda, or any of
us. D. does not alarm his relatives by the prac-
tice of vices to which some of his age and rank
MAIDENHOOD. 321
are prone ; call his actions ' follies ' if you will,
but then we laugh at folly. Why will you lay it
so to heart ?"
" I am glad to hear he has really resigned cer-
tain vices to which he succumbed a year or two
since."
" Now, who could have told you this scandal of
D. ?" said Irene in a harsh tone, and then she
added with a sneer, " Of course, these very excel-
lent Cheethams !"
" Aunt Juliana wrote to me from Paris," said
Grel, already lamenting her own honesty.
" Aunt Juliana might have employed her time
better than by telling you such nonsense ; and her
heart might have been considered the kinder if
she had refused her own belief in such levit} 1 ,
instead of adding to her own hardness by creating
vours."
" Then I have been misinformed, Irene '? — is it
so ?" said Grel.
" Oh ! Grel, Grel," said Irene, shaking her
head, "you know you credit the accusation ! — you
cannot deceive me. But pray why do you not
accuse me as well as D. V
Lady Grel, who had been sitting up in bed,
now changed colour so perceptibly, as to arouse
the Lady Irene's suspicions.
" Indeed ! — indeed !" said she. as sh<- arose from
her chair, and approached Grel: "then Aunt
Juliana said ill of me also? Oh! fie upon 1 her,
for her shameful gossips, and for you, Grel, for
VOL. I. 1
322 MAIDENHOOD.
you to listen to such things, and credit them, is
beyond my powers of "
" You are wrong, Irene. Aunt Juliana did not
say anything to me against you — pray calm your-
self, and at least believe "
" Oh ! yes — I understand," said Irene, impa-
tiently — " believe you are nervous and alarmed
when D. attempts to amuse you with a little play.
You hate him, Grel — my dear and only brother,
full of life, and love, and kindness — real kindness
of heart ; you hate him, and affect to fear his
nonsense. You may well blush, Grel — you ought
to feel ashamed. You hate me also — I often see
it in your face."
Impulsively Grel covered her face with her
hands.
"But why do I stay here ? — I will go — I will
leave you to the repose you must certainly
require," added Irene, in tones of strange
mockery. " I will go to my dear father, and tell
him of your hate towards your nearest relatives,
and of your love for these very worthy Cheethams,
who think it so right to allow your mind to be
thus warped from its allegiance to its own kith
and kin."
" Oh ! stay, Irene — stay !" said Grel, stretching
out her arms beseechingly ; but the Lady Irene
left the room with an angry toss of her head, and
soon afterwards Grel heard her carriage drive
away.-
" Now what am I to do ?" said Grel, springing
MAIDENHOOD. 323
out of bed. " It is of no use to lie here to rid
myself of my troubles by that means — I suppose,
after all, I shall have to face them, and fight
them."
This resolution was so unlike Grel's naturally
amiable and pacific character, that at first she
started at her own words.
" I sit and weep, because I do not know what to
do. I feel as if I were in a net from which I
could never escape. Why should Irene be so
discomposed? — she knows I have only said the
truth with regard to D.'s behaviour in past years.
And it was Mrs. Cheetham, and not Aunt
Juliana, who told me about Irene — that she, when
she was in Paris, played as high as 1). And then
again, by some means unknown to me, both Irene
and 1). have the power of reading my very
thoughts — I cannot conceal the most trifling thins
from either of them. Not that I feel there is
anything in myself or my thoughts that requires
concealment ; but that somehow, what I think,
and what I do, seem to jar with their preconceived
ideas of right and wrong. I have no one to
advise me — I have no wish to do wrong ; but, I
am afraid, I must confess I do not like either
Irene or I). And though I have so carefully
tried always to be kind and amiable to them, and
so to hide my want of affection, yet they see
through all my poor attempts, and know that I do
not love them. What shall I do I This will
cause such quarrels, and torments, and troubles —
\ 2
324 MAIDENHOOD.
this unpleasant conversation with Irene this morn-
ing."
But we must leave Grel to finish her toilette?
and follow the Lady Irene as she drove away from
Prellsthorpe Rectory.
" These Cheethams are the most abominable
people under the sun," said she to herself, as soon
as she was seated in the carriage. " Undoubtedly
they support Grel in those stupid opinions of hers
as to the proprieties of this life, that quite excite
my resentment. What business has Grel to
comment on D.'s behaviour here and there % I
suppose he may do as he pleases without her
consent — a little, puny-faced, foolish girl, as she
is. And then, too, to bring me into the scrape !
And who but these Cheethams can have told her,
if Aunt Juliana have not 1 Grel affects great
modesty as to her powers of attraction — it is all
affectation ; she knows she attracts. As for my
friend, Mr. Hamilton, I am highly displeased with
him. How well for me that Miss Thorn saw,
though I did not, all that was going on. The
glances of the Abbot" — Lord Danby and his
sister, when alone together, spoke of Mr. Hamil-
ton as the Abbot — " the desertion of the Spider "
— Mr. Maynooth is indicated by the Spider —
" and the clear, sharp eyes of Brenda Cheetham
fixed upon dear D. Yes, as D. says, there is
something in the ' Thorn,' and on that account I
will befriend and make much of her ; and the
' Pine ' is a little stupid fool, as he also says, and
MAIDENHOOD. 325
I am sure / do not care how soon she becomes ' a
coffin ' — so clever of dear D. !" and the Lady Irene
laughed at the recollection of the conversation
they had had at luncheon on that day. " It was
a foolish, thoughtless slip of the hand, to throw
away the Abbot's bouquet. He is a proud man,
and proud men do not like to have their favours
scorned. True, he ought not to have dethroned
me — I rather mean, I felt that at the time, and I
was wrong to show that I felt it, Grel might
have done it, and looked the prettier for her
waywardness. But / betrayed myself — betrayed
my momentary annoyance, and opened the
Abbot's eyes needlessly to that small imperfection
in temper. The Abbot is a thoughtful man ; he
will turn me over in his sagacious mind, and
perhaps not like me the better for my discourtesy ;
but he certainly thanked Grel in his heart for
rescuing his flowers from — they were valuable and
beautiful flowers — death. I have only myself to
thank for having given Grel that advantage over
me. She, I make no doubt, thinks more than she
says on these matters ; but I will probe her to the
very quick, and dear D. shall help me. But I am
vexed about the flowers, because the conservatory
at the Park is not yet in good bearing order, and
the Abbot has all such things in perfection. I
might as well — indeed, I must recover my false
move — have profited by his stores until our own
are in better order. But I mast not allow this
very proud and very wise Abbot to drive away
32 G MAIDENHOOD.
from my mind the very large, and very handsome
' Spider.' The ' Thorn,' says Grel, was a perfect
1 loadstar ' to him for a few minutes. It mi^ht be
so, and the ' Thorn ' was right to tell me — right,
because it is either a proof of her great simplicity
of character, or of her greater comprehension of
the ways of the world, and of what it will be
proper for me to do to keep the ' Spider ' and the
1 Pearl ' apart " — Grel means pearl, and the Lady
Grel was sometimes called " Pearl" by her cousin
Danby. " But who comes here ? — we shall meet
at the turn in the road. It is he — Mr. May-
nooth."
With a feeling of gladness that quite sent away
the vexations she had had in the course of the
morning, Lady Irene smiled, and acknowledged
the gentleman's bow.
NOTES.
Note 1. — "Biorn was sitting all alone at a huge table,
with many flagons and glasses before him. It was his daily
custom, by way of company, to have the armour of his
ancestors, with closed vizors, placed all round the table at
which he sat." — " Sintram and his Companions" from the
German of De la Motte Fouque.
Note 2. — "The six-angel piece is of beautiful workman-
ship ; the figure of the angel is quite in the high Italian
school, and might almost be termed Raffaelesque. The re-
verse — instead of an old ship or galley of the time of Ed-
ward III., accurately copied on some gold pieces up to this
period, with a man whose scale reduces the ship to about
the dimensions of a slipper-bath — has a fine ship of the
sixteenth century, the grand original type of our three-
deckers of the present day. It has a shield with the royal
arms, on the side, behind which is a figure approaching to
a proper proportion, and other figures are seen in the rig-
ging, giving due effect to the dimensions of the vessel.
This is, perhaps, the finesl piece in the annals of English
coinage, prior to the reform and introduction of the mill and
screw under the government of Cromwell ; it is, however,
only a pattern, and, as coin, was never issued." — "TheCoins
of England" jifth edition, Is is, by Henry Noel Humphreys.
Note 3. — "There is not a suit in the Tower older than
the time of Benry VII." — "Critical Inquiry into Ancient
Armour" by Sir S. Meyrick.
Quoting from memory, we should say, the same writer
328 NOTES.
records, " That there is not in England a complete suit of
armour before the time of Henry VII." But we have not
the " Critical Inquiry" to refer to.
Note 4. — " It was the Emperor Charles V. who, with all
the ideas of parade that had distinguished Maximilian, first
collected armour for the purpose of show, and this he placed
in the Castle of Ambras in the Tyrol, Ferdinand, his bro-
ther and successor, adding to its extent. Previously the
arsenals contained weapons and munitions of war for actual
service, and the suits were kept in closets, thence termed
armouries. This new mode, however, being commenced by
an Emperor whose renown not only made him envied but
imitated through a spirit of rivalship, was speedily adopted
by the sovereigns his neighbours and the petty princes of
his own empire. But few specimens earlier than the time
of his father were in existence, but it was easy to use con-
temporary ones either as they were, or with some fanciful
alterations suggested by the pageants of the time, and
assign to them names of antiquity. This idea, instead of
being censured, was as readily copied as had been the spirit
of collecting, and the more sedulously, as other parts of
Europe do not appear to have possessed suits of armour of
so old a date as those in Germany." — "Ancient Arms and
Armour at Goodrich Court, Herefordshire,''' 1 from the Preface.
Note 5. — " It is well known, for instance, that in certain
states of the brain or nerves images of objects not present
are perceived by the mind with a distinctness equal to
reality. Now, when a person in the full exercise of his
faculties perceives a figure which has no tangible existence,
such an illusion requires for its production not only an im-
pression to be made on the mind sufficiently strong to excite
the idea of an apparition, but also of sufficient power tc
efface the impressions conveyed to the retina by the rays of
light issuing from the objects that the apparition seems to
conceal from sight. For suppose the figure appeared to be
NOTES. 329
standing near a wall, then as every ray of light from the
wall that previously produced an impression on the retina
continues to act with a force equal to that imparted before
the figure was seen, those rays which proceed from the
points apparently covered by the apparition must, in some
manner, be prevented from producing their accustomed im-
pressions on the mind. Were this not the case, as really
there is no object between the eye and the wall, the perfect
vision of every point sending forth rays of light would pre-
clude the possibility of the perception of any illusion. It
must be evident, therefore, that in all spectral illusions
visible in conjunction with real objects, the mind must pos-
sess the power of seeing not only images which have no
tangible existence, but of seeing them also in opposition to
the direct impressions of the perceptive organs." — "Argu-
ment from Prubahiltty" by Fr,,h rick C. Bakewell.
Note 6. — u The great feature of the gold coins of this
reign is, that Henry VII. first coined the double real (or
royal). Twenty-two and a half such pieces to be coined
out of the pound weight tower. On this piece the king is
represented in the royal robes, as on the rials of France, and
it thus might receive the name more legitimately than those
of Edward IV. ; but to distinguish it from the previous rial
it was determined to call it a 'sovereign.' a term which dis-
appeared after a few reigns, not to be again adopted till the
great new coinage of 1 s 1 7 . Specimen 105, is the gold
sovereign of this reign — the firs! coin bearing that name ;
the legend is ' Henricus Dei Gracia rex Anglie et France,
Dns Ibar.' "—"TJu < 'oins of England."
Note 8. — "A vision may take place in the course of a
lively dream, in which the patient, except in respect to the
single subject of one strong impression, is <>r seems sensible
of ther.al particulars of the scene around him. a stai
slumber which often occurs- if he is so far conscious, for
example, as to know that he is lying n his own bed, and
330 NOTES.
surrounded by his own familiar furniture, at the time when
the supposed apparition is manifested— it becomes almost
in vain to argue with the visionary against the reality of
his dream, since the spectre, though itself purely fanciful,
is inserted amidst so many circumstances which he feels to
be true beyond all doubt or question. That which is unde-
niably real becomes in a manner the warrant for the reality
of the apiDearance to which doubt would otherwise be at-
tached." — " The Living and the Dead" by Sir Walter Scott.
Note 9. — " Species Mygale Avicidaria — a large spider.
Two inches in length of body, but the legs expanded several
inches, and the entire body and legs were covered with
coarse grey and reddish hairs. I was attracted by a move-
ment of the monster on a tree trunk, it was close beneath
a deep crevice in a tree, across which was stretched a dense
white web. The lower part of the web was broken, and
two small birds, finches, were entangled in the pieces ; they
were about the size of the English siskin, and I judged the
two to be male and female. One was quite dead, the other
lay under the body of the spider not quite dead, and was
smeared with the filthy liquor or saliva exuded by the mon-
ster. I drove away the spider and took the birds, but the
second soon died. The fact of Mygale sallying forth at
night, mounting trees, and sucking the eggs and young of
humming birds, was recorded long ago by Madame Merian
and Pallissot de Beauvois, but, in the absence of confirma-
tion, has come to be discredited." — " Naturalist on the River
Amazon," by Henry Walter Bates.
Note 10. — "A letter from Senhor Godinho to his wife
requested her to send us a singular pet animal, which the
Senhor described as small, having a broad tail, with which,
umbrella-like, it shielded itself from the rain, and a light-
ning-like capacity for moving among the trees, now at the
bottom, and quicker than thought at the top. But most
curious of all, and most positively certain, this little quad-
ruped was hatched from an egg. We suggested to the
NOTES. 331
Senhor various animals, but our description of none an-
swered. Of course curiosity was at boiling point. We had
heard of furred animals with ducks bills, and hairy fish that
chewed the cud ; of other fishes that went on shore and
climbed trees ; of two-headed calves, and Siamese twins ;
but here at last was something unique — an animal hatched
from an egg — more wonderful than Hydrargoses, and a
speculation to make the fortunes of young men of enterprise.
All day we waited and nothing came ; the next morning
dawned, the noon bell tolled, and we at last concluded that
the Senhora had been loth to part with so singular a pet,
and that the instructions of her honoured lord were to be
unheeded. Dinner came, soup was on our plates, spoons
were in our hands, and curiosity had expended itself by its
own lashings, when a strange footstep was heard at the
doorway, and a well-dressed, dusky Rachel appeared, bearing
a carefully covered cuija intuitively to A . Here was
the wonder. What is it? — what can it be? — what is it
like? Down went soup-spoons; suspense was painful.
First unrolled a clean little white sheet, second another (if
the same, the slightest possible end of a tail protruded from
under a third, a little round nose and a whisker peeped from
the remaining cotton, and up leaped one of the prettiest
little squirrels in the world. The little darling ! Everj
body wanted him — everybody played with him ; and for a
long time he was the pet of the family, running about the
house as he listed." — "A Voyage up the River Amazon" by
William 11. Edwards.
Note 11. — " Sipb Matador, or the murderer of Lima. It
belongs to the tig older, and lias been described and figured
by Von .Martins in the At I.l> in S|.i\ and Martina's Travels.
Ii is obliged to support itself on a tree of another species.
'The way it sets about claiming support is peculiar and un-
like other [plants, and produces a certain disagreeable im-
pression. It springs up el,,-., to the tree on which it intends
to fix itself like a plastic mould over one side of the trunk
332 NOTES.
of its supporter. It then puts forth from each side an arm-
like branch, which grows rapidly, and looks as though a
stream of sap were flowing and hardening as it went. This
adheres closely to the trunk of the victim and the two arms
meet on the opposite side and blend together. These arms
are put forth at some regular intervals in mounting upwards,
and the victim, when its stranger is full grown, becomes
tightly clasped by a number of inflexible rings. These
rings gradually grow larger as the murderer flourishes,
rearing its crown of foliage to the sky mingled with that of
its neighbour, and in course of time they kill it by stopping
the flow of its sap. The strange spectacle then remains of
the selfish parasite clasping in its arms the lifeless and
decaying body of its victim which had been a help to its
own growth. Its ends have been served — it has flowered
and fruited, reproduced and disseminated its kind ; and now
when the dead trunk moulders away, its own end ap-
proaches ; its support is gone, and itself also falls.
" The murderer Sipo exhibits in a more conspicuous man-
ner than usual the struggle which necessarily exists amongst
vegetable forms in these crowded forests, where individual
is competing with individual and species with species, all
striving to reach light and air in order to unfold their leaves
and perfect their organs of fructification. All species entail
in their successful struggles the injury or destruction of
many of their neighbours or supporters, but the process in
others is not so speaking to the eye as it is in the case of
the Matador. The efforts to spread their roots are as
strenuous in some plants and trees as the struggle to mount
upwards is in others." — "Naturalist on the River Amazon."
Note 12. — In the Northern and Midland Counties, when
things happen untowardly, the common people say, M The
old witch has dropped her glove on the roof."
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
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