lillil "'"ilii III ...Jiiiiil HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP .. J "J^ . V}:-€>99?-f^C<'i'.<2 t- 'f t^^f/4- - '■i/.^^iy- (?^u/- . HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT BY FRANK E. SMEDLEY WITH THIRTY ILLUSTRATIONS BY ''PHIZ'' LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, Limited NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO. CONTENTS OBIFTBR PAGE I. TREATS OV THE PHILOSOPHY OP LIFE ... 1 II. AFFORDS A SPECIMEN OP HARRY'S " QUIET MANNER " WITH HIS TENANTRY .... 5 III. HAZLEHURST PLEADS HIS CAUSE AND WINS IT . 11 IV. CONTAINS, AMONG OTHER "EXQUISITE" SKETCHES, A PORTRAIT OF A PUPPY (NOT BY LANDSEER) . 16 V. PROVES THE ADVISABILITY OP LOOKING BEFORE YOU LEAP 21 VI. JEST AND EARNEST 27 VII. WHEREIN SYMPTOMS OF HARRY'S COURTSHIP BEGIN TO APPEAR ON A STORMY HORIZON ... 33 VIII. HARRY CONDESCENDS TO PLAY THE AGREEABLE . 38 IX. CONTAINS LITTLE ELSE SAVE MOONSHINE. . . 45 X. " EQUO NE CREDITE TEUCRI." — Virgil ... 53 XI. " POST EQUITEM SEDET ATRA CURA."— Horace . . 50 XII. HARRY PUTS HIS FOOT IN IT G2 XIII. "deeper and deeper still" 67 XIV. decidedly embarrassing 73 XV. RELATES THE UNEXPECTED BENEVOLENCE OF HORACE d'ALMAYNE 79 XVI. TREATS OF THINGS IN GENERAL 81 XVII. PLOTTING AND COUNTER-PLOTTING .... 92 XVIII. Alice's first introduction to her husband's "QUIET manner" .96 XIX. A comedy of errors . (i\cy»'^ f0^r-l4p2 . , 106 • 96-i,?r>8 CONTENTS CHAPIEE yiOB XX THE MORNING OF THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER . 109 XXI. THE EVENING OP THE SAME DAY . . . .112 "XXII. KATE SOWS THE WIND 117 XXIII. ADVICE GRATIS 122 XXIV. A STORM BREWING 126 XXV. THE STORM BURSTS 132 XXVI. THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS CLOUDY . . .135 XXVII. THE PLEASURES OF KEEPING UP THE GAME . . 14,1 XXVIII. ALICE SUCCOURS THE DISTRESSED . . . .151 XXIX. HOW TO MAKE HOME HAPPY 158 XXX. INTRODUCES A LORDLY GALLANT .... 163 XXXI. SPIDERS AND FLIES 168 XXXII. A GLIMPSE AT THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER . . 180 XXXIII. TELEMACHUS AND MENTOR 184 XXXIV. CIRCE 193 XXXV. FLOWERS AND THORNS 200 XXXVI. ARCADIA IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY . . 205 XXXVII. A CONCESSION AND A " PARTIE CARRIE " . . 211 XXXVIII. SOME OF THE JOYS OP OUR DANCING DAYS . . 218 XXXIX. ARABELLA 229 XL. DEEPER AND DEEPER STILL 237 XLI. ADVICE GRATIS 244 XLII. L'EMBARRAS DES RICHESSES 250 XLIII. EATING WHITEBAIT 257 XLIV. LORD ALFRED COURTLAND SOWS A FEW WILD OATS 263 XLV. THE OVERTURE TO DON PASQUALE .... 270 XLVI. KATE BEGINS TO REAP THE WHIRLWIND . . 275 XLVII. A GLIMPSE AT THE CLOVEN FOOT . . . .283 XLVIII. MAGNANIMITY 289 XLIX. ALICE PERCEIVES THE ERROR OF HER WAYS . 292 L. THE LETTER 297 LI. OTHELLO VISITS CASSIO 306 LII. A GLEAM OF LIOHT 818 CONTENTS vii OHAPTBB lASB LIII. AFTER THE MANNER OF " BELL'S LIFE " . . , 316 LIV. SETTLING PRELIMINARIES 326 LV. THE RACE 331 LVI. THE CATASTROPHE 335 LVII. AN ANONYMOUS LETTER 339 LVIII. DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND 343 LIX. HORACE WEATHERS THE STORM 350 LX. ANXIETY 355 LXI. ALICE APPOINTS HER SUCCESSOR 363 LXII. MRS. COVERDALE THINKS BETTER OF IT . . . 369 LXIII. LORD ALFRED SEVERS HIS LEADING STRINGS . . 375 LXIV. d'aLMAYNE PLAYS HIS LAST CARD . . . .382 LXV. SETTLES EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING , , « 387 LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS FAOB A "cufnot like to be soon liealed . , . . Frontispiece A promising Fouv-year-olcl Engraved title A Specimen of Harry's " Qiiiet Manner " . . . face page 9 Unaccountable Behaviour of Aunt Sally ... „ 19 A Fencing Lesson „ 24 For tbe last Time „ 31 Harry's quiet manner of taking " the shy " out of him „ 55 Paterfamilias shows his Teeth „ 64 Harry's first appearance as Romeo .... ,, 101 Getting up Steam ! „ 104 Wife-breaking— (Theory) „ 12G Wife-breaking— (Practice) „ 135 The Crime „ 147 The Capture „ 151 Alice's debut as Lady Bountiful ,,153 High Art „ 179 L'Inferno „ 189 Paradise „ 207 A pleasant Sight for a Husband ..... „ 228 An agreeable Prospect for a Wife .... „ 232 Mistrust „ 243 Spitting a Spy ,, 2G5 That dreadful Leg of Mutton! t^ „ 283 Rejected Addresses „ 289 The Wife's Secret „ 300 AClencher „ 311 Starting from the Pandemonium .... ,,320 A foul Stroke „ 331 The tender Mercies of the Wicked .... ,,348 Hope deferred » 364 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT CHAPTER I. TREATS OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE. Habbt Coverdale stood six feet one in or oiit of his stockings, rode something over eleven stone, was unusually good, or, as young ladies term it, interesting-looking, numbered six-and-twenty years last grass, and lived at Coverdale Park when he was at home, with five thousand a year to pay for his housekeeping, of which he spent about two. At the happy moment in which we have the pleasure of introducing him to oiir readers he was not at home, at least not literally, though figuratively he appeared to be making himself so very decidedly. He had arrived in London that morning, and had dined at his club, and strolled down to the Temple afterwards, where, finding that his friend, Arthur Hazlehurst, was expected to return every minute, he had taken possession of his vacant chambers, lighted a cigar, laid hands on a number of " The Sporting Magazine," and flinging himself at full length on the sofa (sofas do occasionally appear in the chambers of the briefless), looked, and was, especially comfortable. He was not, however, allowed to enjoy his position long in peace; for scarcely had he established himself when a man's foot- step was heard running hastily up the interminable staircase, while a quick eager voice, addressing the small boy who did duty for clerk, exclaimed, — " Eh ! a gentleman whom you don't know lying on my sofa and smoking my last cigar 1 that's coming to the point and no mistake ; cool though — I wonder who the deuce it can be — not a client, of course. — Ah ! Harry, my dear old boy, this is an unexpected pleasure ; why, I'm as glad to see you as if you were a client almost. I thought you were in the Red Sea, man, dredging for defunct Egyptians, or chipping old blocks with Layard, or some such slow thing; when did you return ? " Arthur Hazlehurst, the originator of the foregoing speech, was an B ■2* • ■ HARRY CO VERB ALE'S COURTSHIP old college chum of Coverdale's, wLo, when his friend had taken his degree (a highly respectable one) and started on an enlarged edition of the grand tour, had gone to read with a special pleader. Having by a special slice of luck contrived to acquire a knowledge of the law from that process, instead of the more usual result of learning how to spend five hundi-ed per annum out of an allowance of two, and possessing, moreover, an acute intellect, and a fair portion of industry, Arthur Hazlehurst was looked upon as a rising young man. In appearance he was, for a fair man, rather handsome than otherwise, but if his talent for rising could have been exercised bodily, as well as professionally, it would have been as well for him, for his friend had the advantage of him in stature by some three inches ; his manner and way of speaking were quick and eager, and he had altogether a wide-awake look alx)ut him, as though he regarded society at large as perpetually in a witness-bos, and was always prepared to cross-examine and be down upon it. "I returned to England some three weeks since," replied Cover- dale, abstracting the cigar from his mouth, and lazily flipping off the ashes from the lighted end with his finger ; " but I went quietly down to the Park, and have been plodding over accounts with the agent ever since. Shocking bad tobacco they make you put up with here ; you shall try the glorious stuff I've brought back from Constant!, nople — your Turk is the boy to smoke. So you've become learned in the law, I hear, since I went abroad." "Eh! Yes, I believe I've picked up a thing or two," retm-ned Hazlehui-st modestly; "I've found out the great secret of life; the next move is to make the knowledge pay, and that's not so easy." " I didn't know thei'e was a great secret to find out," obseiwed Coverdale, stroking his curly black whiskers, " the rule of life seems easy enough to me— make up your mind what you want to do, and then quietly do it — that's my recipe." " A very good one for you, my dear fellow, you've only to put your hand in your pocket, and, as your money rattles, diflficulties disappear ; but we're not all bom to .£5000 a year, worse luck ; fathers have flinty hearts, and even the amenities of the nineteenth century have failed to macadamize them—' I've given you an ex]jensive education, sir, and I expect to see you turn it to account.' That's about the style of blessing we inherit now-a-day ; however, my secret of life is this : everytliing has a culminating point, and the dodge is to hit upon it yourself, and bring others to it with the least delay possible ; In these four words — come to the point, is embodied the whole philosophy of existence." " WeU, yes, I dare say there is something in it," returned Cover- dale meditatively, " it never exactly struck me before, but there's a beautiful simplicity about it that I rather admire — a little too rail- roadish, perhaps, unless a man's in an awful huiTy; you lose the bright sujmy peeps and the joUy old roadside alehouses of life by i-ushing BO straight to your object." AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 3 "Sunny nonsenses," was tlie uncourteoiis rejoinder — "none of your old slow-coaching days for me ; life's not long enough for dreaming — Pan-'s life pills are a swindle, and Methuselah died without leaving his recipe behind him ; — so come to the point say I." " Though I won't promise to adopt your philosophy for a perma- nency, I'll act upon it for once, at all events," replied Coverdale, smiling (and a nice, genial, pleasant smile it was too, showing a white, even row of teeth, and lighting np a pair of large, dark, intelligent eyes, and making the " smiler " look particularly hand- some). "So to come to the point, I'm here to enlist you in my service for what the women call a ' day's shopping ' to-morrow : I've no clothes to my back, no horses to ride, no dog-cart to knock about in — in. fact, none of the necessaries of life ; — then, having benefited by your advice and experience, I mean to carry you ofE to Coverdale for a crack at the rabbits ; thank goodness ! they've got the game up and the poachers down since I've been abroad : that was the only thing I made a row about when I came into the property. "Why, there are no preserves like the Coverdale woods in the county, and yet my poor uncle never had a pheasant on his table. Things are rather different now, my boy, and my only real sorrow at the present moment is, that there are two whole months to be got rid of before the first of September : well ! what do you say to my proposal P " " Done, along with you," replied Hazlehurst ; "but on one condition only, viz., that when we've polished off the rabbits, you'll come with me to the Grange, and make acquaintance with those members of the worthy family of Hazlehurst, whose virtues are as yet unknown to you." " Yoii're very kind ; but you've a lot of sisters, or she-cousins, or some creatures of that dangerous nature, haven't you P Of course I mean no disparagement to the ladies of your family in particular ; but 'pon my word, my dear fellow, I cannot stand women : in Turkey they shut 'em np, you know, so that I'm not accustomed to them ; I've given tip flirting and dangling, and all the rest of it, long ago ; it's very well for green boys, but at my time of life a man has something better to think about : " and, as he spoke, Coverdale flung the end of his cigar into the empty fireplace, pitched " The Sporting Maga- zine" unceremoniously on the table, and, looking at his watch, continued, "It's eight o'clock; I took a couple of stalls for the 'Prophete' this morning, on the chance of catching you; so jump into a pair of black trousers and let us be off." " Not a bad move," replied his companion, " I'll adorn and be with you in — " " ' Einem augenblick,' " suggested the grand tourist, philologically. " If that's Germon for the twinkling of a bed-post, yes ! " was the rejoinder, and in less than ten minutes the friends descended the staircase arm-in-arm, Hazlehurst leaving strict directions with the small clerk to inform any one who might ask for him, that he was summoned to attend a vei'y important consultation. 4 HARRY COVERDALE'S CX)URTSHIP The next day was devoted to the purchase of Coverdale's neces- saries of life. Owing to Hazlehurst's perseverance in bringing all the tradesmen to the point, a vast deal of business was transacted, and before nightfall HaiTy was the fortunate possessor of a spicy dog-cart, a blood mare to run in it, who could trot fourteen miles an hour, and really did perform ten miles in that space of time, equally to her own satisfaction and to that of her new master — two showy saddle-horses, the best being up to fifteen stone with any hounds — a double-barrelled gun, by a famous maker— a brace of thorough-bred pointers— and a whole host of the minor " necessaries " animate and inanimate, all of which, put together, made a considerable hole in a thousand pounds ; but, as Harry sapiently observed, " a man could not live in the country without them, so where was the use of bothering." On the following morning the two young men and all the pur- chases, horses included, started by the Midland Counties Railway, and dinner-time found them safely deposited at Coverdale Park, a fine old x^lace, which, with its picturesque mansion, beautiful view, and goodly extent of wood and water, field and fell, was as desirable a property as any English gentleman need wish to possess. After dinner the gamekeeper was summoned : he was a sturdy, good-looking fellow, who had filled the post of under-keeper in the time of Admiral Coverdale (Han-y's deceased uncle, an old bachelor, to whose in- vincible hatred of matrimony his nephew was indebted for his present position). Harry, befoi-e he went abroad, had discovered the head- keeper to be in league with a gang of poachers, receiving a per- centage on all the game they sold; he had accordingly dismissed him, and elected his subordinate to fill the vacant situation — an experiment which had proved eminently successful. " Take a glass of wine, Markum ; this is my friend, Mr. Hazle- hiu-st. "We mean to have a slap at the rabbits to-morrow ; so be here at eight o'clock, and then we shall get a good long day : any more poachers since we caught those last fellows ? " And, as Coverdale spoke, he filled a large claret glass to the brim with splendid old port, and handed it to the keejDer, who received it bashfully, and then, scraping with his foot and ducking his head twice with an expression of countenance as of a sheep about to butt) replied, — " Your 'ealth, Mr. Coverdale, sir — your 'ealth, gents both," tossed it off at a draught — "there ain't been no reglur poarchin a-goin on, sir," he continued, setting down his glass as if it burned his fingers, a.nd then jibbing away from the table as though he had shied at it " but that 'are young Styles has been a-shooting rabids on Wild Acre farm, and seems to say as he considers he's a right so to do." " Styles P who is he P " inquired Harry, quickly. " Well, he's the son of old Farmer Styles, and he used to shoot just when and where he liked in the Admiral's time, and that's how he fancies he's got a sort of right, do you see, Mr. 'Enery— that is, Mr. Coverdale, sir." AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 5 " Rabbits are not game, so you can't toucli bim on tbe score of poaching, Harry ; but, to come to tbe point, if be's on your land without your permission, he's trespassing, and that's where you can be down upon him," interrupted Hazlehurst, sententiously, " Then I shall have the law o' my side in pitching into him, I suppose, sir ? " inquired Markum, eagerly. " No, no, my good fellow ; I don't wish to quarrel with any of my tenantry, about here," exclaimed Coverdale hastily, " they'll be breaking pheasants' eggs, and playing up all sorts of mischief, — no : we must have nothing of that kind— I'll speak to the young man myself ; there's a quiet way of doing these things, as I must teach you all. Good-night; remember eight o'clock to-morrow :" and Mai'kum, looking sheepish and rebuked, quitted the room, to tell the tale in the kitchen with the following reflection appended, " And if that 'are young Styles happens to be as cheeky to master as he is to other folks, it strikes me the quiet dodge won't pay." CHAPTER II. AFFORDS A SPECIMEN OF HARRY'S " QUIET MANNER" WITH HIS TENANTRY. By two o'clock next day, Coverdale and Hazlehurst had walked for some six hours, and conjointly taken the lives of seven couple of rabbits, ten unfortunates having fallen victims to the now double- ban-el, while Hazlehurst had disposed of the remaining four. A sumptuous luncheon, with unlimited pale ale and brown stout, awaited them at the gamekeeper's cottage, to which repast they did ample justice. " I tell you what it is, Harry," exclaimed Hazlehurst, setting down an empty tumbler, " if I eat any more luncheon, you will have to send me home in a wheelbarrow, for to walk I shall not be able— as it is, I feel like an alderman after a city feast." " In that case, you'd require a very capacious wheelbarrow, and I should pity the individual who had to trundle it. Come ! finish the bottle — you won't ? then I will — and now we'll be off — it strikes me fatigue has something to do with it, as well as the luncheon ; you've been smoke-diying in London, young man, till you're out of condi- tion," returned Coverdale, laughing, as he remarked the stiff manner in which his friend rose and walked across the cottage. Anothei hour'? sti-idin^; through high grass and fern proved the 6 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP correctness of this assertion ! for Hazlehurst, -unaccnstomed to such severe exercise, began to show unmistakable symptoms of knocking up. His friend observed him with attention — " You really are tired, Ai-thur," he said good-naturedly, " you'll be fit for nothing to-moiTow, if you walk much farther. Go back, Markum, and send one of your boys for the shooting pony ; let him bring it to us at the bridge foot —I am going over Wild Acre farm next : I shall try through the spinney and round the large meadow, so you can cut across and join us again in half an hour— and, Markum — wait one moment :— What sort of i)erson is this man Styles ? How should I know him if I should happen to run against him ? " " Well, he be a tall, broad-shouldered, roughish-looking chap, rather an orkard customer for to tackle, Mr. Ooverdale, sir, and he generally have a sort of cross-bred, lurcher-like dog along with him, if you please, Mr. 'Enry, that is, Mr. Ooverdale, sir" — and so saying, Markum etai-ted at a swinging trot to execute his master's •wishes. " The fellow looks as if he could go on at that pace for a fortnight without turning a hair," observed Hazlehurst, pausing to wipe his brow ; " I never saw such a cast-iron animal." " He's at it every day, and that keeps him in good order," replied Ooverdale : " but I've walked him down before now, and should not wonder if I were to do so to-day — I'm just getting what the jockeys call my ' second wind,' and am good for the next four hours at least — ha ! there's a rabbit sitting, pull at it when I clap my hands." " It's too long a shot for me," replied Hazlehm-st, " bag him yourself." Thus urged, Ooverdale brought his gun to his shoiilder and drew the trigger, but the cap was a bad one, and would not go off, and his second barrel being loaded with small shot, in the hope of picking up a landrail (of which Markum had reported the pi'obable whereabouts), the rabbit skipped away uninjured. It had not proceeded ten paces, however, when it sprang into the air, and rolled over dead — at the same moment the report of a gun rang out from behind some low bushes, and a lurcher dog dashed forward, and picked up the defunct rabbit. Ooverdale's face flushed with anger, and hastily exchanging the defective percussion cap for a sound one, he raised his gun with the intenticm of shooting the dog; but, though quick -tempered, Han-y was a thoroughly kind-hearted fellow, and a moment's reflection caused him to relinquish his purpose ; recovering his gun, he muttered — " Poor brute, why should I kill itP — it's not his fault, but his master's." As he spoke a tall figure rose from behind the bushes, whence the shot had proceeded, and whistling to the dog, took the rabbit from him, and put it in the pocket of a voluminous-skirted shooting, jacket. " That's the redoubtable Mr. Styles, ' in propria person^,' I imagine," observed Hazlohui-st. AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 7 "And a cool hand he seems too," returned Coverdale, scowling at the delinquent, who stood quietly reloading his gun, as though he were " monarch of all he surveyed," — " however, I'm not going to lose my temper about it ; it's a great object with me, just now, to eonciliate all the neighbouring farmers." " Then are you going to give him ' cai-te blanche ' to spiflicate rabbits when and where he likes P " inquired his friend. " Not a bit of it ! " was the reply, " I mean to put a stop once for all to such practices ; but there is a quiet way of managing these matters quite as effectual as putting oneself into a rage." " Don't be a week about it, that's all— come to the point at once, there's a good fellow, for I want to knock over another rabbit or two before my Bucephalus arrives," rejoined Hazlehiirst. Thus urged, Coverdale advanced towards the stranger, and slightly raising his wide-awake as he approached him, said with an air of Grandisonian politeness — " Mr. Styles, I presume ? " " Yes, young man, my name's Styles. What's youi'n P " was the uncei^emonious reply. He does not know me, thought Harry : now for astonishing him — rather ! "My name, sir, is— ahem! — Henry Coverdale, of Coverdale Park, at your service." He paused to watch the effect of this announcement. Ha ! I thought so, he trembles, he is — why, con- found the scoundrel ! I do believe he's grinning — he can't have understood me — " My name is Coverdale, I say, sir." " "Well, then, Mr. Coverdale, if that's your name, the sooner you take yourself back to Coverdale Park the better I shall be pleased, for I'm a shooting rabbits, and your jabbering scares the creeturs," was the astounding rejoinder. Coverdale could scarcely believe his ears ; however, he contrived by a strong effort to subdue his rising passion, as he answered, " If, as I imagine, you are the son of old Farmer Styles, of Wild Acre, you must be aware, sir, that the farm youi* father rents is my pro- perty, and that the rabbits you are shooting are my rabbits ; I must, therefore, trouble you to hand over the one you have just killed, and to abstain from shooting entirely, except on any occasion when I may invite you to join me, or otherwise give you permission." " I knows this, that father and I have got thirty yeai's* lease to run, and that when I wants a day's rabbiting, I means to take it, whether you likes it, or whether you doesn't. Why, the old Admiral never said a word agen it ; but he was something like a gentleman, he was ! " was the surly answer. Hari-y's eyes flashed fire. "Do you mean to insinuate that I am not one then, feUow ? " he asked in a voice that ti"embled with passion. " And suppose I does, what then ? feHer ! " retunied the other insolently. " This ! " wa8 the reply, aa springing hastily forward, Coverdale struck Styles so violent a blow on the cheek with the back of hia 8 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP open band, that he staggered and nearly fell ; — i-ecovering himself with difficulty, and holding one hand to his injured jaw, he muttered with an oath, " If it wasn't for the confounded guns, I'd give you the heai-tiest thrashing ever you had in your life." " Or get one yourself," replied Hariy, now thoroughly roitsed ; " but, if you're at all inclined that way, don't distui-b yourself about the guns ; if you will discharge yours, I and my fiiend will do the same by ours, it's only wasting a charge or two of powder " — and, as he spoke, he fii-ed both barrels in the air. Styles paused a moment, to assiu-e himself that no sti-atagem was contemplated, and then dis- charged his gun also, while Hazlehurst, having glanced at his friend with an expi-ession of the deepest astonishment, hastened to follow tieir example. At this moment the clatter of a horse's hoofs was heard, and Markum, the keepej", cantered up on the shooting pony. " Ah ! that's right ! " exclaimed Coverdale, who api>eared suddenly to have regained his good temper — " tie the pony up to a tree and come here. Hazlehurst, you will pick me up if I require it, and Markum will do the same kind office by Mr. Styles, and I don't intend him to have a sinecure either," he added, ' sotto voce.' " You don't mean seriously you're going to fight the fellow ? " inquired Hazlehurst. " Indeed, I do, and, what's more, nobody shall prevent me, unless he shows the white feather," was the positive answer. " But— but you'll get knocked about so : besides, the brute's a bigger, heavier man than you, and as strong as an elephant. Supix>se he should injui-e you," remonstrated Hazlehurst. " He may if he can," was the confident reply ; " why, Arthur, you'i-e as nervous as a girl ; this is not the first time you've seen me use my fists, and I've taken lessons from Ben Gaunt since the old Eton days." " Go in and win, then, if you will make a fool of yom-self," rejoined Hazlehurst moodily, as he helped his friend to divest himself of his shooting-jacket and waistcoat. " Now, Mr. Styles, I'm at your service," remarked Goverdale, addressing his antagonist politely. " So you mean fighting, do you P " inquired Styles, half in- credulously. " I mean to try and give you the thrashing with which you have tlireatened me," was the reply. " And if you do, I'll promise never to shoot another rabbit without yoiu- permission ; but if I'm best man, blest if I don't smash 'em when and where I likes," was the rejoinder. " It's a bargain," retm-ned Goverdale, " so come on."— As his antagonist bared his brawny arms and muscular throat, Harry felt that, if his skill were at all commensurate with his strength, he had cut himself out a somewhat troublesome task, and he began to ovvn, in his secret soul, that Hazlehurst was right, and that he was about to do a very foolish thing. However, he had great confidence in his :^. :•:: . V^ ^ AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 9 own skill and activity, and to these qualities did he trust to relieve him from his difficulties. If those amiable philanthropists, whose ranks, once numbering a large majority of the aristocracy and gentry of the land, have, as civilization has spread, grown " small by degrees and beautifully less " (we allude to the " Patrons of the Ring,")— if these humane and enlightened individuals expect a detailed account, a la " Bell's Life," of.the." stunning mill between the Coverdale Cove and the Stylish Farmer," they must be doomed to the pangs of dis- appointment ; for unfortunately neither our taste nor our talent lies in that direction. Suffice it then to relate, that Mr. Styles' science proving an article of the very roughest countiy manufacture, while his antagonist went to work with the skill and composure of a finished artist, Coverdale soon perceived that he had only to stop or avoid his opponent's blows, to keep cool and to abide his time, in order to 'insure him an easy victory — and the event justified his expectations. After sis rounds— in the course of which the farmer acquh'ed two beautiful black eyes, while Coverdale had not got a scratch — time was called and the seventh round commenced. Styles, smai-ting from the punishment he had received, and instated to the highest degree by his adversary's coolness, rushed on so fm-iously, and hailed such a shower of blows upon his opponent, that Coverdale found it would be impossible entirely to ward them off, and not wishing to be disfigured by a black eye or flattened nose, was forced to exert himself in real earnest to endeavour to bring the battle to a conclusion; — watching his opportunity, therefore, he drew back, stopped a terrific hit cleverly with his left hand, and then flinging out his right arm straight from the shoulder, and bounding forward at the same moment, he stnick his antagonist a ci-ashing blow, which, catching him full on the side of the head, sent him down like a shot. "That has terminated the case for the defendant, I expect," observed Hazlehurst, sententiously, as, breathless and with bleeding knuckles, his friend seated himself on his extended knee — " he had had nearly enough before, and he has got rather too much now. You hit him an awful crack ! " " It was his own fault," returned Coverdale. " I did not want to hurt the man if he would have fought quietly, and like a civilized Christian, instead of a raging lunatic ; — but he's only stunned — see, he's reviving already. Confound the fellow, his head is as hard as a cannon-ball, to which fact my knuckles bear witness." So saying, Coverdale rose, and resuming his coat and waistcoat, approached his fallen foe, who, with his head leaning against Markum's shoulder, wa« staring vacantly at the sky. " He's as unconscionable as a hinfant, Mr. Coverdale, sir : you've been and knocked his hintellects slap out of him, which only sarves him right, and is what all poachers 'andsomely desarves," remarked the gamekeeper cheerfully. " I know what will be the medicine to cure him," exclaimed 10 HARRY OOVERDALE'S COURTSHIP Hazlehurst, producing a pocket-flask, and applying it to tlie lips of the vanquislied Styles. At first the patient seemed inclined to resist ; but as soon as he tasted the flavour of the contents of the pocket- pistol, he raised his hand, and pushing aside Hazlehurst's fingers, drained it to the bottom. " Gently, my friend," remonstrated the young barrister, " that's Kinahan's best whisky — fortunately I supplied the vacuum created at luncheon with spring water. Ah, I thought as much, that's the true ' elixir vitse,' " he continued, as Styles, relinquishing the flask, sat up and began to stare wildly about him. " Styles, my good fellow ; how do you feel now P You were stunned, you know ; but I shall be very sorry if I've hurt you ? * observed Coverdale, good-naturedly. As he spoke, Styles turned and regarded him attentively, measuring his tall, active figui-e with his glance from top to toe. At length he muttered, "Well, I didn't think he had it in him, that I didn't ; " he then rubbed his head, with a look of thorough perplexity, once more fixing his eyes on his late opponent, as if he were some strange monster, wonderful to behold : having, apparently, satisfied himself that he was a real flesh and blood man, and not some new-fangled, cast-iron boxing-machine, he turned to the gamekeeper, observing, " Markum, lend us a fin, old man, for I feels precious staggery-like, I can tell you. Your guv'nor hits hard." On obtaining the required assistance, he rose, not with- out difiiculty, a])proached Coverdale, and holding out a hand some- what smaller than a shoulder of mutton, said, " Shake hands, sir, you're a gentleman, and what's far more in my eyes, you're a man every inch of you, and I humbly begs your pardon for insulting of you." " Say no more about it, my good friend," returned Coverdale, heartily shaking his proffered hand, "we did not understand each other before, but we do now, and shall get on capitally for the future I don't doubt." " I shan't disturb your rabbits again, sir," continued the penitent Styles, entirely subdued by Coverdale's hearty manner, " and if the creeturs should do any damage to the crops, why I know a gentleman like you will bear it in mind on the rent-day," " Certainly," was the eager reply ; " my object now is to get up the game, and no tenant who assists me in this will find me a hard landlord." And so, after an amicable colloquy, they parted the best friends imaginable ; Styles observing, as he turned to go, " I did not think there was a man living who could have sewn me up in ten minutes like that; but you are unaccountable quick with your fists, to be sure, Mustur Coverdale." " Pray, Han-y, is this to be considered a specimen of your ' quiet manner' with your tenantry?" inquired Hazlehurst dryly, as he bestrode the broad back of his shooting pony. His friend coloured as he replied with a forced laugh, " Well, I AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 11 must confess that for once in my life I a little lost temper ; — but you see, old boy," he continued, bringing his hand dovra upon Hazlehurst's knee with a smack which caused that delicate youth to spring up in his saddle — " but you see I managed to conciliate him after all." CHAPTER III. HAZLEHURST PLEADS HIS CAUSE AND WINS IT. "And the worst of it is the fellow's right — what a bore life is— confound everything! — " As he gave utterance to this sweeping anathema, Harry Coverdale lifted a shaggy Scotch terrier by the ears out of an easy chair wherein it was reposing, and flinging him- eelf on the seat thus made vacant, waited disconsolately till Hazle- hurst should have finished a letter, which, with unwontedly grave brow, he was perusing. Having continued his occupation till his friend's small stock of patience was becoming well-nigh exhausted, Hazlehurst closed the epistle, muttering to himself — " Well ! they know best, I suppose- but I don't admire the scheme, aU the same — " then, turning towards his companion, he continued aloud — " I beg your pardon, my dear f eUow ! but the governor's letter contains a budget of family politius, which is, of course, more or less interesting to me, especially as, in the event of certain contingencies, he talks of increasing my allow- ance. But you're looking sentimental— what's the matter ? " " Oh ! nothing," was the reply, " only that feUow Markimi has been boiing about the rabbits ; he says we've worked them quite enough, and that the foxes will be pitching into the pheasants if they can't get plenty of rabbits to eat, and that so much shooting will make the birds wild before the 1st. — I know it as well as he does— there ought not to be another gun fired on the property till the 1st of September. But then what is a fellow to do with himself P I might go to Paris — but I've been there and done it all — besides, I hate their dissipation, it bores me to death ; London is empty, and if it wasn't, it's worse than Paris — more smoke and less fun. I'd start to America, and do Niagara, and all the other picturesque dodges, only, if the wind were to turn restive, or anything go wrong in the boiler-bui-sting line, I might be delayed and miss the first day of pai-tridge-shooting, so it would not do to risk it." " By no means," rejoined Hazlehurst, shaking his head with an air of mock solemnity— " but luckily I've a better plan to propose; I 12 HARRY CO VERD ALE'S COURTSHIP must make my way liome at once— you shall come with me, and stay till we are all mutually tired of each other." " But your father and mother ? " urged Coverdale. "Are more anxious than I am on the subject. Read that, you unbelieving Jew ! " So! saying, Hazlehurst turned down a portion of his letter, and handed it to Coverdale ; it ran thus—" Mind you bring your friend with you ; independently of our desire to become acquainted with one who has Bho\vn you such unvarying kindness, BIr. CJoverdale is just the person to make up the party." " Yes, they're very kind," began Coverdale, returning the letter, " very kind, but — " "But what, man," rejoined Hazlehurst quickly, " we want you to come to us ; you have not only no other engagement, but actually don't know what to do with yourself, and yet you hesitate. How- ever, to come to the point at once, I ask you plainly, and expect a plain answer — where's the hitch P " " Well done, most learned counsel, that is the way to browbeat a witness, and no mistake," replied Coverdale, laughing at his friend's vehemence ; " however, I won't provoke any farther display of your forensic talents by attempting to prevaricate. The fact is, I know you've a bevy of sisters, she-cousins, and what not, very charming girla, I daresay ; biit you see I'm not fit for women's society, and that's the truth of it — I've chosen my line — I know what suite me best — and I daresay I shall live and die a bachelor, as the old Admiral did before me. I know what women are, and what they expect of one ; if a fellow happens to lie a little bit rough and ready, they call him a l>ear, and vow he's got no soul ; 'gad, that's what the Turks say of them, by-the-bye !— Poetical justice ; eh P " " My dear boy, you'll excuse my saying so, but you really are talk- ing great nonsense," interrupted Hazlehurst ; " you're a thorough gentleman in mind, manners, and appearance, if I know the meaning of the term, and neither my sisters, nor my cousin (there is but one), have such bad taste as to prefer a finical fop to a fine manly fellow like yourself— no, they'i-e more likely to fall into the other extreme." " And that would Ije the worst of the two by long odds," exclaimed Harry aghast ; " only fancy me with a wife in the shooting-season — bothering me to stay at home with her, or to drive her out in a four-wheeled arm-chair with a pair of little hopping rats of ponies, that the best whip in the three kingdoms could not screw above six miles an hour out of, if he were to flog their hides off ; or, worse still, to take me boxed up in a close carriage to call upon somebody's grandmother, and I breaking my heart all the time to be blazing away at the pai-tridges. I know what it ia — I was staying down in Leicestershire, before I went abroad, with poor Phil Anderton, as staunch a sportsman, and as thoroughly good a fellow, as ever drew trigger, befoi-e he maiTied Lady Mirvinia Bluebas. Well, they hadn't been coupled six months before she'd got him so tight in hand that he daren't smoke a cigar without a special licence. The first season, AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 13 she let him shoot "Wednesdays and Fridays, and hunt Thursdays and Saturdays. The next year she made him sell off his guns, dogs, and horses, and carried him over to the Continent. What was the result ? — why, the poor fellow became so bored and miserable, that he took to gambling, lost every farthing he had in the world at roulette, and— didn't blow his brains out ; so my lady has the pleasure of keeping him, and living .herself, upon five hundred a year pin- money." "Verdict, served her right" — observed Hazlehurst judicially; " but you forget, my dear boy, that Anderton, though a good fellow enough in his way, was made of such yielding materials, that anybody could do what they liked with him— rather soft here," he continued, tapping his forehead ; " now you have got sterner stuff in you, and if a woman were to try it on with you in that style, it strikes me she'd find her master." " Ah ! I don't know," sighed Coverdale reflectively : " it's easier to talk about managing women han to do it— they've got a way with 'em, at least the pleasant ones have, of coming over a fellow some- how, and making him fancy for the moment (it doesn't last, mind you— and there's the nuisance of it) that he'd rather do what they wish him, than what he wants to do himself. Then again, if a man offends you, you can quietly knock him down, and if he feels aggrieved, he can have you oiit (not that I admire duelling) ; but if you quarrel with a woman, there's no ' dernier resort,' you can't knock her down, poor weak thing, and so you're reduced to growl like a dog, and she to spit like a cat, and you leave off as you began, with- out having attained any definite result." " I have heard of such a thing as moral force," suggested Hazle- hurst ironically. " That's one's only chance," returned Coverdale, " though it is one that, to speak seriously and sensibly, I've tolerably strong faith in. A fellow must be wanting in manliness of character, if he cannot contrive to manage a woman by moral force, as you call it ; there's a quiet way of doing that as well as everything else, only it's such a confoimdedly slow process." " No making 'em to come to the point, eh ? " rejoined Hazlehurst ; " Well, I have my own ideas about it ; how they would work, remains to be proved ; but as you've such splendid theories on the subject, don't pretend you're unfitted for woman's society. Why, man, you're equal to a whole seminary of young ladies— your 'quiet manner' would prove as irresistible with them as it did with the redoubtable Mr. Styles." By way of reply to this impertinent allusion, Coverdale shook his clenched fist (which still bore traces of his late encounter) in his friend's face with a pseudo-threatening gesture. Hazlehurst sprang "back in pretended alarm, with so sudden a movement as to arouse the Scotch terrier from his nap, who, waking up in a fright immediately recun-ed to his leading idea that there were thieves in 14 HARRY COVERDAL-E'S COURTSHIP the house, and rnshed to the door barking: furiously. When the laughter, which this little incident excited, had in some degree abated, Hazlehurst resumed, — " But seriously, Hai-ry, I want you to come home with me, and I'll tell you in confidence why. You and I have known each other from the time we were schoolboys together, and though, as in re Styles, you act a little hastily sometimes, there is no man on whose clear judgment and high principle I've greater reliance than on yours. I've received a letter from home this morning, which has annoyed me more than I can tell you. To come to the point at once, the case stands thus : — My father's pet weakness (rather a creditable one) is family pride; now, the Grange has belonged to the Hazlehiu'sts for the last three hundred years, but in my great- grandfather's time the estate became woefully diminished — the old, scamp was a regiilar wild one, and not only made ducks and dra'kes of everything he could lay hands on, but as soon aa my grandfather came of age, induced him to cut ofB the entail, and sold the best half of the family property ; some of this my grandfather contrived to redeem in his lifetime, and my Governor has been scheming and screwing all his days in order to buy back the rest. In an evil hour he was induced to invest his savings in a raUroad, hoping to attain his object sooner ; of com-se it paid beautifully at first ; of course in due time a crash came, and the pater not only lost all his savings, but v/as forced to sell a farm of five hundred acres, dear to him as the ajiple of his eye. The in- dividual who purchased it, and who owns the property my great- grandfather sold, is a certain millionaire cotton spinner, as rich as Croesus ; the fellow is said to have .£20,000 a year. Well, since the railroad affair, a jolly old aunt has died, and left tlie Governor some tin, and he's breaking his heart to buy back the farm, but cotton spinner refuses to sell. Now, at the last Hunt Ball, my eldest sister came out— she is very pretty, and a nice, taking sort of girl in society— and said cotton spinner came, saw, and was conquered ! so much so, that having offered serious intentions ever since, he has ended by offering himself. The]'eupon arose a difference of opinion between Alice and the Governor — Alice pleading that she didn't love cotton spinner one bit, and didn't expect she ever should do so, and Governor declaring that it was all sentimental bosh, and that if she married the man, as much love as it was at all proper for a young lady to feel, would come afterwards. At last, they made a compromise — Alice was to consent to see more of Mr. Crane, and do her best to like him, in which case, said Crane would allow her to postpone her decision till a future period : to this Alice was fain to consent, and now the suitor is coming to the Grange, on approval, and the Governor's asked a party of people to meet him." " And how do you stand affected towards the proposed alliance P " inquired Ooverdale, lifting the Skye terrier into his lap by the nape of its neck, and then curling it up like a fried whiting. AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 15 " Not over favourably," returned Hazleliurst, " which, by the way, is very disinterested of me ; for if the affair comes off, and the Governor buys his farm back attain — which of course is what he is looking to — ho promises to settle the residue of the aunt's legacy upon me, by which I should be some £200 a year the better ; but it would not be a match to please me. I'm very fond of Alice ; she is a dear good girl as ever lived, and I don't admire the cotton spinner : in the first place, he's nearly or quite forty, while she was nineteen last term ; in the second place, he's a slow coach, good-natured enough, and all that, but nothing in him." " No soul," suggested Harry. " Not enough to animate a kitten, I should imagine," was the reply ; — " not that the man's a fool — indeed, in his own line he is said to be clever. He invented some dodge to simplify his machinery, by which he nearly doubled his fortune." " That was decidedly clever "—remarked Harry, busily engaged in dressing the " Skye " in a muslin " anti-macassar," placed clean upon -the sofa that morning. " To come to the point, however," continued Hazlehurst — " I want you to see the man, and try and find out what he's made of." "Fool's-flesh probably," suggested Ooverdale ' sotto voce.' " I wish you would try and be serious for five minutes," returned Hazlehurst testily ; " nothing is more provoking than small attempts at wit, when one wants a man to give his attention sensibly to that which one is saying." "I stand, or more properly sit, corrected: so continue, most sapient and surly brother ! " was the mocking answer. Hazlehurst tried to look angry and dignified, but a glance at his friend's handsome, merry, and, withal, slightly impudent face, dis- armed his wrath, and muttering — " Confound you for a stupid, provoking old humbug " — he burst into a fit of laughter. As soon as he had recovered his gravity, he resumed : "As I said before, I want you to come and make youi* observations on the cotton spinner, and if your opinion agrees with mine, you must back me up in making a serious remonstrance with the Governor. I know the old gentleman well, and am sure he'll think twice as much of what I say when he finds that you, a man of the world and a large landed proprietor (that'll tell with hira immensely) look upon the matter in the same light. And now you know my reasons, what do yoii say P " " Say ! what can I say but that I — ahem ! — respect the sacred call of friendship, and am prepared to sacrifice myself upon its altar : that's the con-ect phraseology, isn't it P I tell you what, though," continued Harry gravely, " I make one condition, without which I don't stir a laeg : I'm at your service and that of the cotton si:)inner, as much as you please ; but beyond the requirements of society, I'm not to be exi^ected to concern myself about the women— I'm not to be forced into ' tete-^-tete ' drives in pony-chaises, or set to turn over 16 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP music-books at the piano— I know what all that sort of thing leads to well : is it a bargain ? " " Of conrse it is," returned Hazlehurst eagerly ; " come to please me, and I leave you to please yourself when you get there." " Then, as Sam Weller says, ' You may take down the bill, for I'm let to a single gentleman,' " was Ooverdale's reply— and so the affair was settled. CHAPTER lY. CONTAINS, AMONG OTHER " EXQUISITE " SKETCHES, A PORTRAIT OF A PUPPY (not by LANDSEEE). Hazlehurst Grange was a picturesque old mansion, modei-nized out of all resemblance to its moated namesake which Tennyson has immortalized, by the addition of gay flower-beds, closely-shaven lawns, judiciously-planted shrubberies, and other appliances of land- scape gardening. It was situated about eighteen miles from Cover- dale Park, a distance which Harry's trotting mare, who had grown plump and saucy upon rest and good keep, accomplished, to her owner's intense satisfaction, in less than five minutes over the hour and a half. " Pretty fair travelling that, eh. Master Arthur," he observed, replacing his watch in his waistcoat pocket, " and what I particularly like about it is, that the mare did it all willingly and of her own accord, took well to collar at starting, and kept it up steadily, and in a business-like manner, till her work was done." " In fact, behaved as utterly unlike a female throughout the whole affair, as if she had belonged to the nobler sex," returned Hazlehurst, sarcastically. *' ' Infandum renovare dolorem ! ' why will you remind me of my coming trials, and not suffer me to enjoy the pleasures of forgetful- ness while I may ? " was Ooverdale's desponding rejoinder. " Simply because, unless I am greatly mistaken, they literally are coming trials," was the reply. " Look through that belt of trees on the left ; don't you see the flutter of something white ? " " Muslin, by all that's flimsy, frivolous, and feminine ! " exclaimed Harry, aghast : " I say, Arthur, can't we turn off somewhere ? " " By all means, if you wish it ; there's a gravel-pit on the right- hand, and a precipitous bank sloping down to the river on the left, which will you prefer ? " was the obliging rejoinder. As he spoke, a turn in the road disclosed to their view a group of three figures, AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 17 slowly advancing in the same direction as that in which they were themselves proceeding. "My cousin, Kate Marsden, my sister Alice, and a gent, name unknown," observed Hazlehurst, as his eyes fell upon the trio. " Why, surely it is — no, it can't be — yes, it is, Horace D'Almayne." " Allowing, merely for the sake of argument, that it is the indi- vidual you mention, who may he happen to be ? " inquired HaiTy, taking up the whip which had hitherto reposed innocuously between them, and performing rash feats with it over the ears of " My old Aunt Sally "—(for so in honour of the Ethiopian Serenaders, then in the zenith of their popularity, had Harry named his new favourite). " My dear fellow, you don't mean to say that you never heard of him ? Not to know Horace D Almayne argues yourself unknown ; why, man, he is a noted wit, a successful poet, the greatest dandy, and the most incorrigible male flirt about town : knows everybody, has been everywhere, and done everything." " What is he like across a stiff line of country, and how many brace can he bag to his own gun ? " inquired Harry drily. " Not knowing can't say," was the rejoinder, " but that's not at all in his way ; he affects, if it is affectation, the man of sentiment ; however, just now he is believed in to the fullest extent, and con- sidered a regular lion." " A regular tiger, I should have fancied rather," was the cynical reply. " Why, the brute actually wears moustaches." " He has served in the Austrian army, and sports the mouse-tails on the strength of his military pretensions," was the reply. After a minute's pause, Coverdale observed, inquiringly, " I suppose we must needs pull up and do the civil by these good people." " Why, considering that I have not seen my sister for the last five months, family affection (to say nothing of the duties of society) demands the sacrifice," returned Hazlehurst. " Cut it short then, there's a good fellow, the mare's too hot to be allowed to stand long, and I would not have anything go wrong with her after the splendid manner in which she has brought us to-day. for three times the money I gave for her." As he spoke, Harry again impatiently flirted the whip over the ears of " My old Aunt Sally," an indignity which excited the fiery disposition of that highly-descended quadruped, who, throwing up her head and tail, flinging out her fore feet, as though she were sparring with the distance her speed must overcome, and altogether looking her very handsomest, dashed up to the group of pedestrians so suddenly as to cause the two ladies to draw back in alarm ; while even the redoubtable Horace himself sprang out of the way with a degree of alacrity which evinced a stronger regard for his personal safety than might have been expected from so heroic a character. For this sacrifice of dignity to the first law of nature, self-preserva- c 18 HARRY CO VERD ALE'S COURTSHIP '^ tion, he endeavoured to compensate himself by stroking his mous- taches, and staring superciliously at the new comers. While Hazlehurst, who sprang down the moment the dog-cart stopped, was exchanging greetings with his cousin and sister, Harry was left undisturbed to make his observations on the trio to whom he was about to be introduced. The elder of the two young ladies, who responded to the definition, " My cousin, Miss Kate Marsden," was above the middle height, and of a singularly graceful figure ; her features were delicately formed and regular, her complexion pale, but clear, her hair and eyes dark, the latter being large and expressive, her hands and feet small, and her whole bearing and appearance refined and aristocratic in the extreme ; but her features bore a look of proud reserve, which interfered with the effect which her beauty would otherwise have produced — an inscrutable look, which seemed to say, " I have a peculiar and decided character, but I defy you to read it." It is of no use to attempt to describe Alice Hazlehurst, for the simple reason that no description could convey an adequate idea of her. Not that she was anything particularly wonderful; she was not even a miracle of beauty — she was only about the best thing this fallen world of ours contains — a bright, high-spirited, pure, simple, time-hearted, lovely, and loveable young girl, just emerging into graceful womanhood; very shy, slightly romantic, full of kindly sympathies and generous impulses, which she concealed as carefully as bad men hide unpopular vices, and with all the deep and noble qualities of her woman's nature, as well as, alas ! its faults and foibles, lying dormant within her, either to be developed in their full com- pleteness, or dwarfed into comparative insignificance, as the hands into which she might fall should prove fitted or unfitted to the great, yet enviable, responsibility of forming her character. As Hazlehurst leapt down, she sprang forward to meet him ; then drew back from his hearty embrace with a smile and a blush, which vei-y unnecessarily made her appear prettier than before, to acknowledge, with a bow, her introduction to her brother's friend. The third member of the party, Horace D'Almayne, had been well fitted by nature to sustain the character of " exquisite " — tall, and with a graceful, slender figure, his well-formed and regular features, soft dark hair, and brilliant complexion, gave him an undoubted right to the epithet handsome, although it was in a style suited rather to a woman than to a man. The expression of his face, cynical and supercilious when in repose, or when he spoke to one of his own sex, relaxed into a smile of sentimental self-confidence when he addressed a woman. He appeared very young, probably not above two or three and twenty, and was dressed up to the " ne plus ultra " of refined dandyism. *' Why, D'Almayne," exclaimed Hazlehurst, " how is it that we come to be honoured by your company P I was not even aware that my father possessed the pleasure of your acquaintance." („■ /^lii'iJSVl ») jjf V^ AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT s 19 "Nor did he a week ago; but the matter caine about thus," -was the reply. " During the London season I was introduced at one of the Duke of D 's parties, to an opulent individual of the name of Crane, learned his opinion prospective and retrospective in regard to the weather, bowed adieu, and stt-aightway forgot him. About a month since, being in a caf6 at Baden-Baden, my attention waa attracted by an awful ' charivari ' ; and on attempting to investigate the cause thereof, discovered Friend Crane lamenting himself pathetically in bad French and worse German, and surrounded by a mob of foreigners. Having in some degree appeased his polyglot passion, I soon contrived to make out that his pocket having been picked by A., he had accused innocent B., and denounced un- offending C. — a vicarious system of reprisals which those victimized individuals appeared, not unnaturally, inclined to resent. Under- standing somewhat better than our irascible friend the language and customs of the natives, I contrived to extricate him from the dilemma; for which act of good Samaritanism I have been, from that time forward, more or less the \dctim of his indefatigable gi-atitude. Tour worthy father finding me a few days since located in the Chateau Crane, politely included me in his invitation. I arrived this morning, and under the able tuition of your cousin and sister, waa rapidly becoming acquainted with the beauties of Hazlohurst, when you drove up." As he insinuated this skilfully-veiled compliment, the exquisite Horace pointed its application by favouring Alice with a languishing " ceillade," which was certainly not without effect ; for it excited in the breast of HaiTy Coverdale a sudden, intense, and tmreasonable desire then and there heartily to kick the talented originator of the compliment. This impulse he was only enabled to check by a powerful effort, which caused him to twitch the reins so suddenly, as painfully to compress the delicate mouth of "My Aunt Sally," to an extent which justified that outraged quadruped in converting herself for the time being into a biped, by standing erect on her hind legs, and pawing the air with her fore feet " Soho, girl ! gently, gently I " exclaimed fiazlehurst, who, not having perceived the exciting cause of the manceuvre, attributed the mare's unmannerly behaviour to an outbreak of inherent viciousness. " Why, Harry, what on eai-th is the matter with ihe creature ? " "Probably nothing more than a reasonless caprice natural to her sex," was HaiTy's ungallant reply. " Possibly she may have the bad taste to prefer the creature comforts of a cool stable and a good feed of com, to remaining in the broiling svmshine, even with the c^portunity of beooming acquainted with the beauties of Hazle- hurst;" and as he made this sarcastic remai-k, Hariy glanced carelessly round over wood and field, so that any one not well acquainted with the play of his features would have been puzzled to decide whether he was himself aware of the full meaning of his words. 20 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " A pretty broad hint that I am not to keep the mare standing any longer," returned Hazlehnrst, turning to his cousin and sister, "That fellow cares for nothing in the world but his horses, except his dogs and his double-bai'rel. Well, I suppose you girls will be coming home soon." " Quite as soon as we are wanted if your amiable and compli- mentaiy friend has any voice in the matter," returned Alice, " sotto voce." " Nonsense," was the reply in the same tone ; " you know nothing about him, you silly child. HaiTy is the kindest-hearted, l:)e9t- tempered fellow in the world, as you'll find out before long." Alice's only reply was an incredulous toss of her pretty head, and the parties separated. " Of all the puppies I ever beheld, that creature D Almayne is the most insufferable— the very sight of him irritates me. What busi- ness has he to pay his absurd compliments to your sister, when he has only known her for a few hours ? If I were you, I should not stand it." " At all events, his compliments ai*e of a more civil nature than yours," returned Hazlehurst with a smile ; " why, Harry, you are becoming &s peppery a character aa your namesake Hotspur himself." " I am like him in one particular, at all events," was the reply, " for I cannot abide a coxcomb." " It strikes me, that is not the only point in which you resemble the ' gunpowder Percy,' as old Falstaff calls him. By the way," he continued, " what in the world was the matter with * Aunt Sally,' a minute ago P she seems to go quietly enough now." " I rather fancy something must have hurt her mouth," replied Harry, turning away his head to conceal a smile. As he spoke, they drove round the gravel sweep leading to the hall door of Hazlehiu-st Grange. Beneath the porch stood two gentlemen — in one of whom, corpulent and elderly, Goverdale had little trouble in recognizing, from his likeness to his friend, Mr. Hazlehurst senior ; while the other, tall, thin, and cadaverous-looking, he rightly conjectured to be the opulent and amoroxxs cotton spinner, Jedediah Crane. AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 21 CHAPTER V. PROVES THE ADVISABILITY OF LOOKING BEFOEE TOO LEAP. Nearly a week had elapsed since Harry Coverdale had first become an inmate of Hazlehurst Grange, during which period he had con- trived to win the good opinion of the elders of the party, pique the young ladies by his " brusquerie " and neglect, annoy Hazlehurst by his insensibility and determination not to make himself agreeable, and finally to have provoked the enmity of the fascinating Horace D'Almayne, which last piece of delinquency was a source of unmiti- gated satisfaction to its perpetrator. The day on which we resume the thread of our narrative, was to be devoted to a picnic party, the object being to devour unlimited cold lamb and pigeon-pie amongst the ruins of an old abbey, some eight miles from the Grange. The morning was lovely, everyone appeared in high spirits, and the ex- pedition promised to be a prosperous one. "Now, then, good people," exclaimed Arthur Hazlehurst, " what are the arrangements— who rides, who drives, who goes with who ? — come to the point and settle something, for the ' tempus ' is ' f ugit '-ing at a most alarming pace." "I am desirous," observed Mr. Crane slowly and solemnly, "of soliciting the honour of driving Miss Hazlehurst in my phaeton, if I may venture to hope such an arrangement will not be disagreeable to that lady; " and as he spoke, the cotton spinner, whose tall, imgainly figure, clad in a dust-coloured wi-apper, white trousers, and white hat, gave him the appearance of a superannuated baker's boy i"un very decidedly to seed, bowed appealingly to Alice, who, perceiving her father's eye upon her, was forced unwillingly to consent. " Mr. Coverdale, will you drive a lady in the pony-chaise P " inquired Hazlehurst p6re. " My niece will be happy to accompany you, or my saucy little Emily here," he continued, gazing with paternal fondness on his younger daughter, a pretty but slightly jsert girl of sixteen. "I should have much pleasure," muttered Harry; "but— but — I contrived to hurt my right hand a few days ago, and — ar — not being used to the ponies, I should scarcely feel justified in undertaking the charge." "Indeed," was the rejoinder; " I noticed you always wore a glove —how did the accident happen, pray P " " I hit — that is — I struck my hand against something very hard," stammered Harry, actually colouring like a girl, as he caught Hazle- hurst's suppressed chuckle, and observed Alice's bright eyes fixed upon him inquisitively. 22 HARRY COVERDALE'S (DOURTSHIP " Kate, if nobody else will drive yoii-, I suppose I must take com- passion on you myself," remarked Arthur, " sotto voce," to bis cousin. " Ah ! but bere comes somebody who intends to relieve you of the trouble," was the reply, in the same low; tone ; " do not make any objection," she continued quickly, "you will only annoy my uncle to no purpose ; he would not have even a feather of the Crane's tail ruffled on any account." As she spoke, she glanced meaningly towards Horace D Almayne, at that moment engaged in di-awing on a pair of kid gloves too small even for his delicate hands. Coming forward, he languidly, and in an absent manner, volunteered to drive Miss Marsden— an offer which that young lady quietly accepted, either not perceiving, or dis- regarding, the look of annoyance with which her cousin tui-ned and left the spot. "Oh, you are going to ride, Mr. Coverdale; here comes Sir Lancelot, looking like a picture," exclaimed Tom Hazlehurst, a fine, handsome lad, " anno setatis " fourteen, an Etonian, and (need we add ?) a pickle—" Oh ! do let me go with you ; Alice will lend me her pony— won't you, Alice ? I'U take such cai-e of it, and you don't want it yourself, you know— ask her to lend it to me, Mr. Coverdale, dcs please." If Harry had a weakness, it was that he could never say no, when his good nature was appealed to in any matter in which another's pleasm-e was involved. Tom, moreover, had conceived for him one of those -^dolent friendships which boys feel towards men a few years older than themselves who realize their " beau ideal " of perfection ; and Hiu-ry, pleased with his undisguised admiration, responded to it by indulging the yoimg scapegrace in all his vagaries. " I'm afraid my voice is not so potential as you imagine, Tom," was his reply ; " butiif my assui-ance that I will use my best endeavours to keep you and the pony in good order, will have any weight with Miss Hazlehurst, I am perfectly willing to give it." " If papa has no objection, Tom, you have my consent," replied Alice, blushing and smiling, while, at the bottom of her heart she wished both Mr. Crane and Han-y safely located at Coventry, Jericho, or any other refuge for bores, that might be suitable for putting those who are in the way out of the way ; in which case she would herself have enjoyed a canter with Master Tom. " Oh, the Governor won't say no — will you. Daddy ? " was Tom's confident rej^ly ; and Mr. Hazlehurst, who, being a di-eadful autocrat to his elder childi-en, made up for it by weakly indulging his youngest born, having signified his consent, the cavalcade proceeded to start^ a close carriage and a barouche conveying the remaining juveniles^ and all the elders of the party, with the exception of Mrs. Hazle- hiu-st, who, being a confirmed invalid, remained at home, in company with a weather-wise old maid, proprietress of a meteorological com, which having given warning that a change was at hand, led her to mistrust the brilliant sunshine. AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 23 " Can't we find om- way across the fields somehow, Tom, without ridinpf along the dusty road the whole distance P " inquired Harry. " To be sure we can," was the reiJy ; " don't I know a way, that's all ? Turn down the next lane to the right, and then there are lots of jolly grass fields and a wide common, so that we can gallop as much as we like, and get there before them — won't they be sui'prised to see us just P What a lark ! " Tom's topogi-aphical knowledge proving correct, they cantered away merrily over field and common, till they had ridden some five or six miles. *' Tou really have an uncommonly good seat, Tom," observed his friend ; " only remember to turn your toes in, and keep your bridle hand low, and you'll do— you've plenty of pluck, and when you've acquired a little more judgment and experience, you'll be able to * hold your own ' across a country with some of the best of 'em." " Ah, shouldn't I like to go out hunting, that's all P " exclaimed the boy eagerly. " Have you never done so P " inquired his friend. " No ; I tried it on last winter, but the Governor cut up rough, and wouldn't stand it." " Can you sit a leap ? " asked HaiTy. " I believe you, rayther, just a very few," was the confident reply. •* Well, you must come to Coverdale, in the Christmas holidays, and I'll mount you and take you out with me ; I mean to get up a stud, and hunt regularly this season," observed Harry. " Won't that be jolly just P — I'll come whether they'll let me or jiot, depend upon it ; but now this is the last grass field, let's have a race for a wind-up." So saying, Master Tom laid his whip smartly across his pony's shoulder, and dashed off, while Coverdale, gradually giving his spirited but perfectly broken horse the rein, soon overtook him. A brushing gallop of five minutes brought them to the border of the field, which was sun'oimded by a ditch and bank, with a sufficiently high rail at top to constitute an awkward leap. " How are we going to find oui- way out P " inquired Harry. " Get off, pull down a rail, and then jump it," was the reply. " Yes, that will be the best way for you and the pony to get over," returned Coverdale, " but I'll take it as it stands. I've never yet had a chance of trying Lancelot at a stiff fence, and I want to see how he'll act : don't you attempt to follow me ; as soon as I am over, I'll dismount and pull down the raU for you." As he spoke Harry put his horse in motion, cantered him up to the fence, and faced him at it. Sir Lancelot did not belie the character that had been given of him. As he approached the bank he quick- ened his pace of his own accord, gathered his legs well under him, and then rising to the leap, sprang over with a motion so easy and elastic that his rider appeared scarcely to move in his saddle. The descent on the farther side was steeper than Hariy had expected, and the leap altogether might be considered a difficult one. Delighted 24 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP with his horse's performance, Harry pulled up, and turned, with the intention of alighting, in order to remove a rail oi the fence, and thus facilitate the transit of Tom and the pony ; when, to his alarm and vexation, he pei-ceived that the lx)y, deceived by the apparent ease Avith which he had accomplished the task (a delusive appearance, produced as much by the coolness and address of the rider as by the power and excellent training of the horse), had determined to display his prowess by following him ; nor could Harry interfere to prevent him, for at the moment he turned, Tom was in the act of galloping up to the fence : all that remained for him, therefore, was to shout, " Give the pony his head, and hold tight with your Knees," and to await the result. The pony, excited by seeing its companion on the other side, faced the leap boldly, and cleared the ditch and bank, but catching ite hoofs against the rail, fell, pitching its rider over its head into the field beyond, where he lay as if stunned. In an instant Harry had sprung from his saddle and lifted him in his arms. " Thank Heaven ! " he exclaimed as the boy opened his eyes, and, perceiving Coverdale bending over him, smiled to evince his gratitude. " You don't feel as if you were seriously hurt anywhere, do you P " " All right ! " was the reply. " I feel a little bit shaky and con- fused ; rather as if somebody had gone and kicked me into the middle of next week, that's all." " Then you've escaped more easily than you had any right to exi)ect, you heedless, impetuous young monkey," retui'ned Coverdale, sharply. " You must have been mad to suppose that a half-bred, thick-headed beast like that pony would carry you over such a fence as that. Why, I know men, who call themselves good riders, who would refuse it, unless they were very well mounted." " If the pony did not carry me over, he shot me over, and that did just as well," was the careless reply. " But I say, Mr. Coverdale, only look at his knees ! Oh ! shan't we get into a jolly scrape just ? " Thus appealed to, HaiTy turned to examine the pony, which, in his anxiety for the safety of the boy, he had hitherto forgotten. The result of his scrutiny was by no means satisfactory. " He has broken both knees ! " he exclaimed ; " the right one is cut severely, and however favourably it may go on, there will always remain a scar; you've knocked ten pounds off the pony's price by that exploit of yours. Master Tom, besides rendering the animal unsafe for your sister to ride." " You've put your foot in it as well as I, Mr. Coverdale," returned the young imp, gi-iuning. " You promised Alice you would do your best to keep me, and the pony too, in proper order, you know ? " " Why, you ungrateful young scamp, I'm sure I told you not to attempt the leap," replied Harry, restraining a strong inclination to lay his horsewhip across the young pickle's shoulders. " Yes ; and then you and Lancelot went flying over it as lightly as if he had wings, like that fabulous humbug Pegasus, that old Buzwig AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 25 18 always bothering us about. The copy-book says, ' Practice before precept,' and so say I. Why, you did not expect I was going to be such a muff as to stay behind, did you P " " I was a fool if.I did, at all events," muttered Harry, " sotto voce " ; then, turning good-naturedly to the boy, he continued, *' The copy- book also says, ' What can't be cured must be endured,' does it not, TomP So we must get out of the scrape as best we can. We'll leave the pony at the nearest farm-house, and I'll send my groom to doctor him— so lead him by the rein and come along." Of course, when they joined the rest of the party and told their misdeeds, Alice lamented over the pony's troubles after the usual fashion of tender-hearted young ladies. Of course, Hazlehurst senior, discerning a long farrier's biU in prospective, with the possi- bility of being coaxed out of a new pony as a not unlikely contingent result, was grumpy, as governors usually are when they foresee a strain upon their purse strings; and, of course, although these lamentations and threatenings were launched at the curly head of Master Tom, they yet glanced off that unimpressable substance, only to faU upon and overwhelm with?shame and confusion Hairy Cover- dale, who began mentally to curse the day when, false to his own presentiments, he had yielded to his friend's importunities, and suffered himself to become an inmate of Hazlehurst Grange. Bent on avoiding young ladies, and having no taste for the society of old ones, Harry wandered about disconsolately, until, attracted by a dark archway and a worm-eaten winding staircase, which, as Master Tom expressed it, looked " joUy queer and ghostified," he made his way up the mouldering steps until he found himself at the top of a battlemented tower, where he was repaid for the trouble of the ascent by a beautiful and widely-extending view. Having con- trived to get rid of the voluble and restless Etonian, Coverdale seated himself on a projecting fragment of masonry, and glancing round to see that he was not observed or observable, lit a cigar, and his ruffled feelings being soothed by its mollifying influence, remained lazily watching the movements of the pleasure-seekers — his reflections running somewhat after the following fashion : — " There's old Crane maundering about after Alice as usual— don't think he gets on with her though, rather t'other way — decided case of jibbing, I should say. She looked awfully bored and frightened too, up in that phaeton with him ; and no wonder either, for the old boy is nothing of a whip — I should be sorry to trust a cat of mine to his drixdng. Ah ! she's given him the slip, and that Miss Marsden has taken him in tow. I can't make that woman out — she is so civil to him ; perhaps she thinks the affair with Alice may miss fire, and she is looking out for the reversion of the cotton spinner herself. Arthm- says she's very poor, and that there ai-e a large family of them; if so, it's not a bad dodge, and, supposing she plays her cards well, one by no means unlikely to succeed. There's that confounded puppy D'Almayae swaggering up to Alice, stroking his stupid 26 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP moiistaclies — yea, and sbe smiles and takes his arm, of course — believes all liis lies, and thinks him a hero, I dare say. Oh ! the poor silly fools of women that can't distinguish a man from a jackanapes — I should have fancied Alice had more sense ; but they're all alike. Look at the idiot simpering ; that's only to show his white teeth now: the brute has no idea of a real joke — hasn't got it in him. Well, thank [goodness, it's no concern of mine : but if I were Crane, I'd intei-fere with his flirting rather. The fellow talks as if he were a dreadful fire-eater — I should like to try what he's made of : but I expect it's all talk and nothing else— I wish I could coax him into putting on the gloves with me some day — I'd astonish his moustaches for him. Well, he has walked her off at all events. I wonder where they're going to. Are they P Yes— no— yes, by Jove, if he isn't going to take her across that field which Tom and I rode through, where the bull was grazing — the brute is mischievous, too, or I am much mistaken— confound the fool, he'll go and frighten the poor girl out of her senses, and, perhaps, get her hurt into the bargain ; for, if the bull really is vicious, ten to one Moustaches loses pluck, and bolts or something ridiculous. I've a great mind to follow them, it can do no harm, and may do some good— 'gad, I will too. Alice is far too pretty to l^e gored by a bull ; besides, for Arthui-'s sake, one is bound to take care of her— luckily, I've just finished the cigar, so off we go." Having arrived at this point in his meditations, Harry rose from his seat, ran lightly down the stairs till he reach a ruined window about six feet from the ground, through which he leaped, then settling into a long swinging trot, he ran, at a pace with which few could have kept up, in the direction taken by Alice and D'Almayne ; they had, however, obtained so greatly the start of him, that they had ab-eady entered the field occupied by the dangerous bull, ere he had overtaken them. It was a remarkably warm day — the field in which pastured the alarming bull was distant from the abbey ruins half a mile at the very least. Now, to jump through a window six feet or thereabouts from the ground, run at the top of one's speed half a mile, leaping recklessly over two gates and a stile in the course of it ; and to do all this in a state of anxious excitement on a day when the thermo- meter stands at seventy degrees in the shade, naturally tends to make a man not only hot, but (if his temper be not semi-angelic) cross also. At all events, Harry Ooverdale was in the former, if not the latter, condition, when, panting and breathless, he overtook Alice Hazlehurst and Horace D Almayne, half-way across the dangerous field. AN'D ALL THAT CAME OF IT 27 CHAPTER VI. JEST AND EARNEST. " Mr. Coveedale, is anything the matter P — why, you are quite out of breath with rvmjiing ! " exclaimed Alice, starting as she beheld him. " Uncomfortably warm, too, I should say," drawled D'Almayne, glancing significantly at Hairy's glowing cheeks, which were certainly too red to be romantic ; "really now, do you consider it judicious to overheat yourself so ? — of com-se, I merely ask as a matter of curiosity." Han-y magnanimously i-epressed a strong inclination to knock him down; but he felt that to answer him coolly was both literally and metaphorically out of his power, so he confined his i-eply to Alice's question. "There is nothing the matter, Miss Hazlehurst," he said; "but seeing you take this direction, and thinking that Mr. D'Almayne might not be aware a bull was grazing in this meadow, I thought it advisable to follow and put you on your guard, even at the risk of making myseK imbecomingly hot ; " and as he pronounced the last two words he looked at D'Almayne as though he wished he had been the bull, and would oblige him by evincing an inclination to attack them. " How very kind and thoughtful of you ! " i-etumed Alice, bestowing on him one of her brightest smiles; "but is there any danger? — what had we better do ? " "Eh, really, danger! not the slightest; am not I with you?" interposed D'Almayne, majestically bending over her. " A bull, did you say, Mr. Coverdale ?—ar— really, I don't perceive such a creature. — Are you quite sure he exists anywhere but in your vivid and poetical imagination ? " Harry's reply, if reply it can be called, to this imjjertinent ques- tion, was made by grasping D'Almayne's elbow so tightly as to cause that delicate young gentleman to wince under the pressure. Having thus attracted his attention at a moment when Alice's head was turned in an opposite direction, he pointed towards a group of trees, under the shadow whereof might be discerned a large brindled individual of the bovine species, who stood attentively regarding the trio with a singularly unamiable, not to say vicious exi^ression of countenance. Placing his finger on his lips as a hint to D'Almayne to keep the knowledge thus acquired to himself, Harry answered Alice's inquiry by saying, — 28 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " It is always the safest policy to mistrust a bull ; so I would advise you to turn and make the best of your way towards the stile over which I came ; walk as quickly as you please, but do not run, as that would only tempt the animal to follow you." " Yes, really. Miss Hazlehurst, we must not risk the chance of frightening you merely because we men enjoy the excitement of a little dangei' — take my arm," hastily rejoined Horace D'Almayne, and suiting the action to the word, he drew Alice's arm within his own, and marched her off at a pace with which she found consider- able difficulty in keeping up. Han-y, ere he followed them, remained stationary for a minute or so, to reconnoitre the movements of the bull. That animal, having apparently satisfied his curiosity in regai'd to the intruders on his domain, was now assiduously working himself up into a rage, preparatory, no doubt, to instituting vigorous measui'es for their expulsion. The way in which he signified this intention was by tossing his head up and down, tearing up the turf with his fore-feet, and uttering from time to time a low angi-y roar, like the rumbling of distant thunder. When Harry turned to leave the spot the animal immediately followed him, though only at a walk. As soon as he became awai-e of this disagreeable fact, Cover- dale paused and faced his imdesirable attendant ; which manoeuvi'e, as he expected, caused the bull to stop also, though it was evident it had the effect of increasing the creature's rage. In spite of this discoveiy, Ha\Ty waited till his companions had reached the stile, and D'Almayne had assisted Alice to get over it — a piece of chivalry by which he very materially lessened his own chances of safety, as the buU's small stock of patience being exhausted, it became evident he was preparing for a rush. Trusting to his swiftness of foot, Harry was about to make an attempt to reach the stile before the bull should overtake him, when suddenly the yelping of a dog was heard, and a ten-ier belonging to Arthur Hazlehurst, which had followed them unobserved, ran forward and distracted the bull's attention by barking round him, taking especial care to keep out of the reach of the animal's horns. This diversion in his favour enabled Coverdale to rejoin his companions unmolested. "Oh, Mr. Coverdale, what a savage-looking creature! I was so afraid it was going to attack you. I do not know how to thank you propei'ly for having saved me from at least a terrible fright," ex- claimed Alice as Harry ran up to them. " Ar — ^from alarm possibly ; but really I don't conceive there was the slightest danger ; the animal was a very mild specimen of his class ; even a little dog, you see, was sufficient to turn him," observed D'Almayne slightingly. " I'll bet you fifty pounds to one you don't walk across that field while the bull remains there," exclaimed Hai-ry eagerly— " Miss Hazlehurst shall be umpire, and I'll promise to come and do my best to help you if you get into any scrape— what do you say, is it a bet ? " AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 29 " I never bet, and— av— never do useless and unreasonable tlunprs on a hot day in order to establish a fast reputation. Such little excitements may be all very well for a sporting^ character like your- self, my dear Coverdale ; but— ar — a man who has shot bison on the American prairies does not need them ; so really you must hold me excused. Shall we rejoin the rest of the party, Miss Hazlehurst? they seem assembling for luncheon. Let me recollect, we were balking of that charming soul-creation of Tennyson, ' Locksley Hall,' I think, before this absurd interruption occurred ; what an unrivalled picture does it not present of the spirit tortxire of a proud despair ? " — and chattering on in the same pseudo-romantic and grandiloquent strain, the man of sentiment fairly walked Alice off, leaving Cover- dale in the imenviable position popularly ascribed to virtue, viz., that of being ita own reward. Having waited till the pair were out of sight he flimg himself down at the foot of an old beech-tree, and indulged in the following mental soliloquy :— " Well, Master Harry ! you've been and done something clever— you have, certainly ; run like an insane creature more than half-a- mile, on by far the hottest day we've had this summer, and placed yourself in a situation where nothing but a lucky accident saved you from being run at, and possibly gored, by rather a mad bull than otherwise, only to be pooh-poohed by an insolent coxcomb, and have a cold-hearted ungi-atef ul girl lisp out a missish inquiry, ' whether there was any danger,' forsooth ! 'gad, I almost wish I'd left her and her swain to find out for themselves." He paused, removed his hat to allow a slight breeze which had sprung up to cool his heated forehead, and then stretching himself, resumed, — "I hope I'm not really becoming morose and ill-tempered, as Arthur hinted the other day. I must take care, or I shall be grow- ing a savage old bi-ute, and have everybody hate me. It's all that puppy D'Almayne ; he keeps me in a constant state of suppressed irritation with his affected airs of superiority; — but puppies will exist on the face of the earth, I suppose, whether I like it or not, and must be endured; so we'll endeavour to look upon him as an appointed trial, and see if we can turn him to good account in that way. There's always the possibility of horse-whipping him as a 'dernier r^sort^' that's one consolation. Now I'll go to luncheon, and try whether I can put some of my good intentions into practice. Heigho! life's hard work, and no mistake; particularly in warm weather." Thus cogitating, Harry slowly gathered himself up, and betook himself to join the luncheon party, actuated thereunto, amongst other reasons, by the discovery of a serious attack of appetite. In the meantime, a scene of a very different character waa being enacted between two others of our " dramatis x)er8onse." Arthur Hazlehurst, foiled in his attempt to secure a " t^te-^-tfite " drive with his coiisin, Kate Marsden, having, after his usiial habit, bustled about, settled eveiTthing for everybody, and made himsell 30 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP very generally nsefvil and a^^reeable, had contrived on an-iving at the rums to withdraw himself from the rest of the party, and having watched the proceedings of his cousin and Mr. Crane, waited until she separated from that gentleman, when he joined her, and induced her to stroll with him along a shady, serpentine, romantic-looking pathway leading through a wood. Agreeable as were external circumstances, however, neither the lady nor the gentleman appeared to be in a sympathetic frame of mind ; for a cloud hung on Arthur's brow, while his cousin's features wore a cold, uncompromising look of defiance. They proceeded for some little distance in silence; Hazlehurst was the first to speak. "You foimd your companion amusing, I hope; pray what might he be talking about so earnestly ? " "Do you really care to know P" was the reply; "he was making me his ' confidante ' in regard to Alice. The poor man is at his wits' end— if a quality which he does not possess can be said to have an end ; at all events, he is ' au d6sespoir.' Even his obtuseness cannot be blind to the fact that she dislikes him, and the worthy soul is now beginning to grow mildly jealous of D Almayne." " And what advice did you give him ? " inquired her cousin sternly ; " tell me the truth." As he spoke the girl's eyes flashed, and a slight colour burned for a moment in her pale cheeks. " How dare you say such a thing to me ! " was her indignant rejoinder ; " have I ever attempted to deceive you P— you know I have not ; but let it pass. Ton ask me what advice I gave him : I told him to pevsevere, reminded him that a faint heart never won a fair lady, which I believe he took to be an entirely original remark on my part, and gently insinuated that no girl in her senses could refuse him." Arthur fixed his piercing glance upon her, as he replied, — " And why did you say this P Do you believe, indeed, that Alice will eventually be prevailed upon to marry him P — or did you say it to deceive him for a purpose of your own P " "I gave him good sound advice," was the answer; "I do not believe Alice will marry him ; but that is no reason why he should not use his best endeavours to obtain what he wishes, or fanciee he wishes. I shall advise him to prosecute his suit, and at the right moment to offer to her in person." " In order that she may irritate him, and offend my father, by a refusal. Kate, you are playing some deep game in all this, and one of which you know I should disapprove, or else you would not so studiously conceal it from me," returned Hazlehurst, gloomily. There was a moment's pause ere the young lady replied, — " Let events unravel themselves, my worthy cousin ; the result will appear all in good time." They walked on in silenoe, till a turn in the path brought them AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT SI before a Bmooth moss-^rown bank, on wliicli the gnarled roots of an old pollard-oak formed a natural rustic seat. " Let us rest here, and enjoy the sunshine while we may ; there is not too much of it in the world," observed Kate, in a gentler tone than she had hitherto used. There was a touch of sadness in her voice which Arthur could not hear unmoved, and merely waiting till she had seated herself, he placed himself on a root of the tree at her feet. For some minutes neither of them spoke, till as it were unconsciously, Kate allowed her hand to rest on his head, while her fingers played with a lock of his rich chestnut hair. As he felt her soft touch upon his brow, he raised his eyes to her countenance — the stern, hard expression had vanished, and in its place appeared that look which, once seen, the recollection dies only with memory itself,— the fond, wistful, tender gaze a loving woman turns on him she loves. For a minute he remained silent and motionless, subdued by the power of her rare beauty ; then springing to his feet, he exclaimed, — " You shall trifle with me thus no longer ; I am no petulant boy, to be repulsed one hour, and caressed into good humour the next. What is the meaning of this estrangement which you have chosen shall spring up between us P Why do you P — but such questions are useless— this shall decide the point — once and for ever : — Do you love me, or do you not ? " For a moment she was silent ; then turning her head to avoid his eager scrutinizing glance, she murmured, — " Have we not known each other from childhood, and loved each other always ? " " That is no answer ; you only seek to evade my question," was the angry reply. He stood for a moment, his lips quivering with emotion, and his hands clenched so tightly that the blood receded from the points of hie fingers, leaving them cold and colourless as marble. His companion did not speak, but continued to regard him with a look half-pitying, half-imploring pity. As their eyes met, his mood appeared suddenly to change, and springing to her side, he exclaimed in a voice tremulous with emotion, — " Kate, dearest, why will you thus torture yourself and me ? Hear me, dear one ; you know I love you better than any created thing — better than my own soul. You say truly, that I have loved you always — with the tender unconscious love of the child, with the happy romantic love of the boy, and, lastly, with the deep, earnest, absorbing passion of mature manhood ; and you, Kate, you must — nay, you do love me ! " As he spoke, he drew her gently towards him, and unrepulsed pressed a kiss upon her soft lips. She did not resist or respond to his cai-ess, but suffered her head to rest passively against his shoulder, as he continued, — " I do not inquire — I heed not — what mad schemes you may have dreamed of ; but I ask — nay, I implore you, by all you hold sacred to 82 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP put them away from you, and to wait patiently for a few, a very few short years, until I can claim you for my beloved, my honoured wife. Kate, you will do as I desire P — speak to me, my own love ! " Unheeding his appeal, she remained for a minute silent, while a few tears stole unchecked down her pale cheeks, then rousing herself by an effoi-t, she wiped away the traces of her late emotion, gently removed her cousin's arm, which still encircled her waist, and draw- ing herself up, exclaimed, — " This is weakness — folly ; I never intended it should have cxDme to this ; but I was taken by surprise— unprepared— " She paused, struggling to regain self-possession, then in a calmer voice resumed, — " My poor Arthur ! I do, indeed, appreciate your noble, generous self-sacrifice, and were I alone concerned, would desire no happier fate than to share and aid you in your struggle with the world ; but it may not be so ; others have claims upon me— my father's health is failing— the cares of that bitter curse, poverty, are wearing out my mother's little remaining strength, and blighting the talents and crushing the youth and spirits of the children. Dear Arthur, for- give me the pain I cost you when I tell you — I can never be your wife ! " " But, Kate," inteiTupted her cousin, eagerly, " listen to me, dear one ; you do not suppose that I had forgotten all this ; only agree to my proposal, and I will be a son to your mother, a father— if, as you fear, my uncle's health is breaking — to her children. My practice is increasing every day ; I shall soon be in the receipt of a good income ; Coverdale is rich, and loves me as a brother ; he will advance me money; I will work day and night to repay him." " My husband destroy his health to support my family ! — is this the prospect of happiness you would offer me ? — are these the arguments you would bring forward to induce me to agree ? " was the reply. " No, Arthur, I can never be your wife ; you must from this moment forget that such an idea has crossed your mind." " But, Kate, only hear me ! — " he exclaimed passionately. " I have already heard too much for yom* happiness, or for my o-\vn," was the mournful reply ; then, by a powerful effort resuming her usual manner, she exclaimed, " Come, no more of this folly, our paths in life lie separate ; it is inevitable — therefore repining becomes worse than useless ; we are not boy and girl, to stand rehearsing romantic love-scenes together ; let us rejoin the others." For a moment Hazlehurst remained silently gazing on the cold, immovable expression of her features ; then, coming close to her, he said in a low, hoarse whisper, " I read your heart, and perceive the wickedness, for such it is, you contemplate. I will give you till to- morrow morning to reflect on what has passed between us; if then you adhere to your determination, I LEAVE you to the fate you HAVE chosen ! " and as he uttered the last words, he turned and quitted her. AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 33 Kate Marsden gazed after him with the same cold expression of defiance on her features till his retreating figure became no longer risible, then, sinking back upon the rustic bench, she covered her face with her hands and wept bitterly. CHAPTER VII. WHEEEIN SYMPTOMS OF HARRY's COURTSHIP BEGIN TO APPEAR ON A STORMY HORIZON. The humours of a picnic have been too often described to need repetition ; suffice it to say, that the picnic in question was decidedly a favourable specimen of its class. Of course everybody voted it to be the summit of human felicity, to sit in an uncomfortable position upon something never intended for a seat, beside a table-cloth spread upon the grass, which, being elastic and uneven, caused everything that should have remained perpendicular to assume a horizontal attitude. Of course, when the inevitable frog hopped across the table-cloth, and, losing its presence of mind on finding itself 80 unexpectedly launched into fashionable life, sought refuge in the pigeon-pie, the ladies screamed little picturesque screams, which were increased twentyfold when Tom Hazlehurat fished it out with a table-spoon, and surreptitiously immersed it in the jug of l^eer, which liquid he artfully incited Mr. Crane to pour out, thereby landing the frog, decidedly inebriated and most uncomfortably sticky, upon the elaborately embroidered shirt-front of Horace D'Almayne. Of course the salt and the sugar had frateraized, and the cayenne had elicited new and striking effects by mingling indisci-iminately with things in general, and the sweets in particular ; and of course all these shocking disasters irritated the few and delighted the many, and added immensely to the liveliness and hilarity of the party. " Tom, you're drinking too much champagne ! " exclaimed an elderly maiden sister of Mr. Hazlehurst, decidedly like a hippo- potamus in face and figure. " Mr. D'Almayne, may I trouble you to hand me his glass, the boy will make himself poorly." Thus appealed to, D'Almayne languidly extended his arm in the necessai-y direction, but the Etonian was not to be so easily despoiled of his beverage. " Mille pardons, mounseer ! " he exclaimed, mimicking the affected half -foreign accent with which the exquisite Horace usixally spoke ; D ^ HARRY OOVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " ' mais c'eet tout a fait' — out of the question ; ' ne souliaitez-vous pas que VOU3 pouvez Tobtenir P ' — don't you wisli you may get it P Equally obliged to you, but I'd rather do my own drinking myself. Why, my dear Aunt Betsy, how dreadfully ungrateful of you, just when I was going to propose your health, too ! Silence, gentlemen, for a toast ! Come, Governor (to his father, who, delighted with the young pickle's ready wit, was vainly endeavouring to preserve an appear- ance of majestic disapproval), fill up ; D'Almayne, my boy, no heel- taps : are you all charged ? ' My Aunt Betsy, and the rest of her lovely sex ! — hip ! hip ! hip ! hiirrah! ' " So saying, and with a know- ing wink at Coverdale, who, if the truth must be told, encouraged him in his inclination to be impertinent to DAlmayne, Master Tom tossed down his glass of champagne amidst a genei'al chorus of laughter. And thus the "d^jeimer" passed off to all appearance menily enough; though in two, if not more, of the company, a smiling exterior hid an aching heart. " Have you seen the rabbit warren yet, Mr. Coverdale P Do come, there are such a lot of the beggars jumping about ! I found my way there beforc luncheon, and it won't take long," exclaimed Tom Hazle- hurst, grasping Harry's arm imploringly. "It strikes me I shall be considered esx)ecially rude if I again absent myself," was the reply. " Who by ?— the women ? " inquired Tom, scornfully. " Never mind them— poor, weak-minded, fickle things ; there is nothing I consider a greater nuisance than to have a pack of silly girls dangling about one, that won't leave a fellow alone ; there, you needn't toss your head and turn up your nose about it, Emily, beneficent Nature's done that for you sufficiently already. Now will you come, Mr. Coverdale P thei-e ai-e some black rabbits among them, such rum shavers ! " "Ai-e there?" exclaimed Han-y, eagerly. "I wonder whether I could contrive to buy a few couples of them ; I want to get some black rabbits at the park excessively ; come along, for our time is growing short, I expect." And as he spoke, Coverdale strode off, entii-ely forgetful of the pretty Emily, with whom, on the strength of her juvenility, he had considered he might safely allow himself to laugh and talk, and to whom he had, therefore, been unconsciously rendering himself very agreeable. The warren was further than he had expected it would be, and the black i-abbita were so long before they chose, to show themselves, that Hari-y began to grow sceptical as to their existence ; even when they did appear, a gamekeeper had to be routed out, and terms for the ti-ansfer of ten couples to Coverdale Park agreed upon ; so that by the time Tom and his companion rejoined the pleasure-seekers, there were but few left to rejoin. These few consisted of the old maiden aunt; a time-honoured female friend of the same — older, uglier, still more like a hippopotamus, and with a double portion of the vinegar of inhuman unkindness in her natui-e; and, lastly, a AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 85 plain young lady, tlie daughter of nobody in pai-ticular, wlio lived with the time-honoured friend as companion, in a state of chronic martyrdom, for which perpetual sacrifice she received thirty pounds a year, and permission to cry herself to sleep every night, in misty wonderment why eo sad a creature as she was, should ever have been bom into the world. Besides this uncomfortable trio, who composed the cargo of a brougham, and were rather a tight fit, there remained Mr. Crane and Alice, who, it seemed, were waiting for the phaeton, which had not yet made its appearance. " Upon my word, Miss Hazlehurst," began the sour friend, addressing the acidulated aunt, " this is very provoking, ma'am ; it's six o'clock, and it's growing cold, iand it will be quite dusk before we get home ; and I really believe Miss Corn toe was right this morning, and that we shalt have a wet night after all." " Shall I run down to the inn and see what causes the delay P I must go there to get my horse," inquired Coverdale, good- naturedly. " If you would be so kind, we really should be extremely obliged to you," returned Miss Hazlehurst senior, with her most gracious and least hippopotamic smile ; and thus urged, Coverdale hurried off. In the meantime i)oor Alice, who by no meajas admired the posi- tion of affairs, and had moreover been considerably alarmed in the morning by Mr. Crane's unskilful driving, whispered a pathetic appeal to her aunt to be allowed to accompany the brougham party, ^-" she could sit on the box, Wilson, the coachman, was so incon- ceivably respectable, and she was almost sure it would not rain ; " — but her aimt was a strong-minded woman, and a warm advocate of the Crane alliance, and she would not hear of such a change of plan. As soon as Coverdale an-ived within sight of the inn, he perceived the missing phaeton standing in front of the doorway, the horses ready harnessed, and the groom seated on the driving-seat ; accordingly he made signs to him to come on, of which, for some unaccountable reason, the man took not the slightest notice. Surprised at this, Harry made the best of his way to the spot, and on reaching it dis- covered, from the swollen, heated look of the fellow's features, and the stupid, obstinate expression which characterized them, that he had been drinking to excess. " Why, the man is intoxicated ! " exclaimed Coverdale, turning to the ostler, who, with one or two hulking village lads, stood staring at the coachman with a grin of amusement on their vacant faces ; "why did not you make him get down, and bring the carriage yourself ? " " A did troy, but a woldn't budge a inch— a be properly drunk, to be zure ! " " Oh, he would not, eh ? " inquired Coverdale ; then turning to the groom, he continued, " Get down directly, my friend, I want particu- larly to si)eak to you." To this the groom contrived to stammer out an insolent refusal, 86 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP accompanied by a recommendation to Coverdale to mind his own business, and give orders to bis own servants. " My biasiness jnst at present is to make you get down from that pbaeton," returned Harry, bis eyes flasbing. " Ob ! it is, is it P — I sbould like to see you do it, tbat's all ! " re- joined tbe otber, witb a gesture of drunken defiance. "Ton sball," was tbe concise reply, as, 'directing tbe ostler to stand by tbe borses' beads, Coverdale, ere tbe fellow was aware of his intention, or could take measures to prevent bim, sprang ligbtly up, forced tbe reins from bis uncertain grasp, twisted bim suddenly round, tben placing bis bands under bis arms, lifted bim by sbeer strengtb, and dropped bim to tbe gi-ound. Having performed this feat witb tbe neatness and celerity of some barlequinade ti^ick, be glanced round to see tbat tbe feUow bad fallen clear of tbe wheels, and taking tbe reins, drove off. While this little affair bad been proceeding, tbe sky had become overcast, and a few large drops of rain came pattering heavily to tbe ground ; alarmed by these symptoms, tbe brougham party no sooner perceived tbe phaeton approaching, than they scrambled into their vehicle and started. As their road lay in a direction opposite to that by which Coverdale was advancing, they were nearly out of sight by the time be reached tbe spot where Alice and Mr. Crane awaited him. Jumping down with the reins in his baud, he was explaining to the owner of the phaeton tbe plight in which be bad found big servant, when a faint flash of lightning glanced across the sky, followed after an interval by a clap of distant thunder, at which the horses, which were young and spirited, began to prick up their eai'S and evince such unmistakable signs of alarm, that their master, fearing they were about to dash off, ran to lay hold of their heads. Misfortune often brings about strange associations. If any one had tbat morning told Alice Hazlehurst tbat before the day should be over she would have appealed for protection to, and confided in, " Arthur's cross, disagreeable friend," she would have utterly dis- believed the statement— and yet so it was to be. The moment Mr. Crane left her side, she turned to Harry exclaiming,— " Oh, Mr. Coverdale, I am so frightened ! He will never be able to manage those horses : he could scarcely hold them in this morning, and the groom was forced to get down to them twice— he does not know how to drive one bit ! " Poor little Alice ! she was trembling from bead to foot, and looked BO pretty and interesting in her alarm, that Harry felt peculiar, he didn't exactly know how, about it. " I'll speak to Mr. Crane, and persuade bim to let me drive you home," be replied eagerly. (He would have knocked him down without the smallest hesitation, if Alice had in the slightest degree preferred it.) " I've been accustomed to horses all my life, and have not a doubt of being able to manage these, even if the thunder should startle them; so please don't look so frightened." AND ALLITHAT CAME OP IT 87 And as Harry said this with his very brightest, kindest smile, Alice wondered she had never before noticed how handsome he was, and began to think he could not be so very cross after all. When Harry urged his request, Mr. Crane was considerably embarrassed as to the natui-e of his reply. In his secret soul he was delighted to be relieved from the danger and responsibility of driving Alice and himself home through a thunder-storm ; but, on the other hand, he could not disguise the fact, that by allowing himself to be 60 relieved, he should detract from the heroic style of character he wished Alice to impute to him. Had it been D'Almayne instead of Coverdale who sought to become his substitute, he would probably, at the hazard of breaking his own neck and that of his lady-love, have refused to permit him ; but he had observed, as indeed he must have been blind if he had not done, Harry's marked avoidance of the young lady, and tnisting to these his mysogynistic principles he, with many excuses and much circumlocution, agreed to Harry's proposal that he should ride his horse, and allow him to drive the phaeton. " Ahem !— if the storm should come on violently," observed the cotton-spinner, as a second growl of thunder became audible, " I shall wait till it has subsided; so don't let them expect me till they see me : getting wet always gives me cold.'/ " All right, sir," returned Han-y, as he wrapped Alice carefully up in his own mackintosh ; " take care of yourself by all means — good people are scarce. We shall see nothing more of friend Crane to- night," he continued, as he drove off ; " the old gentleman is very decidedly alarmed— that is, I suppose I ought not to call him an old gentleman," he stammered, suddenly recollecting with whom he was conversing. "Why should you not when he is so P " returned Alice, innocently. Harry turned his head away to conceal a smile which the " naiVeto " of the reply had called forth, muttering to himself as he did so, " Poor Crane ! " After a few minutes' silence, Alice began abruptly, and apolo- getically, — " I'm sure I ought to feel very much obliged to you, Mr. Coverdale — and indeed I do; this is the second really good-natured thing you've done by me to-day." The tone in which she spoke so completely betrayed that surprise was the feeling uppermost in her mind, that Harry, slightly piqued, could not help replying,— " You did not, then, give me credit for possessing the least particle of good-nature ? " Alice smiled as she answered, — " If I had had a proper degree of faith in Arthur's representations, I need not have felt surprise." The delicate irony of this reply was not lost upon Coverdale ; but he knew that he had deserved it, and, with the ready frankness 88 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP ji- whicli was one of his best cliaracteristics, he hastened to acknow- ledge it, " I certainly ha.ve done little towards practically vindicating the character your brother's partiality has bestowed upon me," he said ; " but I must be allowed to plead in justification, that I am quite aware of my own deficiencies, and told Arthur that I had been roughing it abroad so long, that I was totally unfitted for ladies' society. He would not admit the excuse ; but it was a fuU, true, and sufiicient one, nevertheless." As he uttered the last words, a dazzling flash of lightning appeared almost to envelop them, followed instantaneously by a deafening peal of thunder. Half blinded by the blaze of light, the frightened horses stopped abruptly, then terrified at the prolonged thunder, tried to turn short round ; foiled in this attempt by the skill and promptitude of their didver, they began rearing and plunging in a way which threatened every moment to overturn the phaeton. Fortunately the road happened to be iTUusually wide at this point, and Harry, who never throughout the affair in the slightest degree lost his presence of mind, deciding that whatever might most effectually frighten the horses, would create the impulse they would eventually obey, determined to try the effect of a little judicious discipline. Accordingly, standing up, he began to administer the whip to their sleek sides with an amount of strength and determination which, from the contrast it afforded to the mild and timid driving to which they were accustomed, so astonished the animals, that bounding forward with a snatch which tried the soundness of their harness, they dashed off at a furious gallop ; at the same moment, a second peal of thunder, even louder than the preceding one, increased their alarm to such a degree, that Ooverdale, despite his utmost efforts, found it completely beyond his power to hold them in. CHAPTER VIII. HAKET CONDESCENDS TO PLAY THE AGREEABLE. •' Miss Hazlehuest !— Alice ! are you mad ? Only sit still, don't go and scream or anything, and all will come right." Thus appealed to, or rather commanded— for the tone of the speaker's voice was unmistakably imperative — Alice, who when the horses bolted had half risen from her seat, and in an agony of terror glanced round as though she meditated an attempt to jump out, shrank down again, and covering her eyes with her hands, remained per- I AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 89 fectly still and motionless, thus enabling Coverdale to devote his whole attention to the horses. The terrified animals, after gallopinpf nearly a mile, their fears being kept alive by repeated flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, while a perfect deluge of rain con- verted the dusty road; beneath their feet into a morass, at length began to relax their speed. As soon as Harry perceived this to be the case, he turned to his companion, saying, " There, Miss Hazle- hurst, I have got them in hand again, they're quite imder command now, and the worst of the storm is over too, so you needn't be frightened any longer; you have behaved like a" — (regular brick was the simile that rose to his lips, but he refrained, and substituted) — "complete heroine, since you overcame that slightly insane impulse to commit suicide by jumping out." Reassured by his manner, Alice ventured to open her eyes, and the first use she made of them was to fix them upon the coimtenance of her companion, striving to read therein whether the hopes with which he sought to inspire her were true or false. But Harry's was a face about which there could be no mistake ; truth and honesty were wi-itten in every feature so legibly, that the veriest tyro in physiognomy could not fail at once to i)erceive them. " How fortunate it was that you were driving, and not Mr. Crane ! " were the first words Alice uttered ; " we should have been ovei-turned to a certainty if the horses had behaved so this morning. I'll take good care not to let him drive me again. How cleverly you managed the creatures when they were plunging and rearing ! I should never have dared to whip them while they were in that furious state, but it answered capitally." " You observed that, did you ? " inquired Harry in a tone of surprise. Alice favoured him with a quick glance, as she replied, half archly, half petulantly, " Of course I did ; what a stupid silly little tiling you seem to consider me ! " Harry paused for a minute ere he rejoined, laughingly, "You know nothing about what I consider you. Miss Hazlehurst, and therefore I advise you not to form any theories whatsoever on the subject, as they are tolerably certain to be wrong ones." " I daresay you have never given yourself the trouble to reflect at all on so frivolous a topic," returned Alice ; " I know your heterodox notions in regard to our sex ; you consider ue all simpletons." " I'm sui-e I never told you so," was all the denial Hairy's con- science i)ermitted him to make. " Not ' vivS, voce,' perhaps," replied Alice; "but I have heard it second-hand from Master Tom: the boy was uncomplimentary enough before you came, but he has been fifty times worse since you've been here to encourage him in his impertinence." " A young cub ! " muttered Harry aside, " I'll twist his neck if be tells tales out of school in this way ; " turning to Alice, he continued, " it is never too lat« to mend, is it P If I confess my sins, promise 40 HARRY COVERDALE'S (COURTSHIP never to do 80 any more, and throw myself on the mercy of the court, is there any chance of my obtaining forgiveness ? " "As far as I am concerned, yes," was the reply; "in consideration of your services this afternoon, I graciously accord you a free pardon for all past offences, and for the future we will try and be friends." As she spoke she half playfully, half in earnest, held out her hand. Harry took it in his own, and shook it — even in a glove it was a nice, warm, soft little hand, a kind of hand that it was impossible to relin- quish without giving it a squeeze, at least such was Harry'slimpreesion, and he acted ujwn it, although to do so was by no means in accord- ance with his principles; but he did not happen to be thinking about his principles just then. By this time the storm, which had pretty well exhausted itself by its violence, resigned in favour of a lovely sunset; and the horses having come to the conclusion that they had thoroughly disgi-aced themselves, and behaved with an equal disregard of principle and propriety, trotted steadily along under Coverdale's skilful guidance, like a pair of four-legged penitents, anxious to retrieve their character. And Hairy and Alice suddenly found a great deal to talk about, and were quite surprised when they perceived themselves to be in sight of the Grange ; and the gentleman felt moved by a sudden impulse to declare that, despite its unpropitious commencement, he did not know when he had had such a delightful drive, to which the lady replied that it certainly had been very agreeable, an admission which she endeavoured to qualify by attributing her pleasurable sensations to the influence of the setting sun and the delicious coolness of the evening air — a transparent attempt at deception that only rendered the tiiith more obvious. The next morning a groom brought back Sir Lancelot, together with a note from Mr. Crane, saying that he had contrived to get wet through on his way to the inn, that he feared he had taken cold, and thei-efore considered it most prudent to return home for a day or two ; adding that he should hope to be sufficiently convalescent to rejoin the party at the Grange that day week, when a dinner was to be given by Mr. Hazlehurst to some of the county magnates. His note wound up with an elaborate inquiry as to whether Alice had experienced any ill-efEects from the " atmospheric inclemency," as he was pleased to style the thunder-storm, accompanied by an infallible specific against all eore throats, colds, hoarsenesses, and rheumatic affections, which that young lady straightway committed to the waste-paper basket. There was also a note for Horace D Almayne, from which dix)pped an inolosui-e that, as the exquisite stooped to pick it up, looked marvellously like a cheque. " A — i-eally I find I must go to town— a— business of importance — can I execute any little commissions for you. Miss Hazlehurst P I've excellent taste in ribands, I assure you." " There, do you hear that P " observed Tom " sotto voce " to Cover- dale. " I always thought he'd been a counter-jumper ! " AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 41 " Kate, must I accompany him ? " inquired Arthur of his cousin, " sotto voce " ; " remember, if you send me from you now, we meet again as strangers ! " There was a moment's struggle, and her colour went and came — then in a cold, hard voice she answered, " Yes, go!" Arthur looked at her ; her features might have been sculptured in marble, so fixed and immovable was their expression. That look decided him ; and with set teeth and lowering brow he rose and quitted the room. In less than half an hour he returned, prepared for a journey ; and beckoning Coverdale aside, began, " Hari-y, I have a favour to ask of you. I am obliged to go to town suddenly, in consequence of an affair which has caused me some annoyance ; but I shall come back for the dinner-party on the — th. Crane will also i-etm-n then ; and from what I can make out, Alice's affair will be definitely settled one way or other. The more I see of Crane, the more I perceive how thoroughly he and Alice are unsiiited; hut my father appears obstinately bent on the match : and if Alice is to refuse him, she will require all the support that can be given her. My poor mother's health is, as you are aware, so delicate, that although she is as much averse to the match as any of us, we cannot expect her to exert her- self ; indeed, our chief anxiety is to prevent her attempting to do so. The whole thing will, therefore, fall upon me : and your support and assistance will be invaluable. My father has taken a great fancy to you ; and your opinion weighs with him more than you will believe. I am sorry to perceive that you are bored to death here ; but I tniat to your friendship to remain till after my return. Am I taxing your kind feeling too far P " "My dear boy, don't make pretty speeches ; for I can stand any- thing but that," was the reply. " As to staying here, I had no thought of going away till you had done with me. In regard to being bored, I'm getting over that beautifully. Tour family are charming people- I'm becoming used to women's society, and, in fact, find it's not by any means as bad as imagination painted it ; and when D'Almayne is fairly out of the house, I really shall not care how long I remain in it ; so will that satisfy you P " " My dear fellow," rejoined Hazlehurst, warmly, " there's nobody like you in the world ! I've always said so, from the day that I first set eyes on you at Eton, when you thrashed the bully of the form for striking me, and then boxed my ears because I took a blow from a boy less than myself, without returning it. I shall never quite turn misanthrope while I've you for a friend." " Misanthrope ! no, why should you ? " was the surprised rejoinder. " "What ails you, man P— you look ill and unhappy. It's nothing in the money way, is it P I've got a few odd thousands lying idle at my bankers, that I should really be obliged to you to make use of." Hazlehurst shook his friend's hand heartily. " God bless you, old fellow! I know you would." he said; "but money can't help me : I 42 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP must fight it out alone. I shall be myself again by the time I return — till then, good-bye," and wiinging Coverdale's hand once more, he turned and was gone. "Alice, here's a treat ! everybody's going away except that horrid Harry Coverdale ! " exclaimed Emily, in a tone of despair ; " we shall have him on our hands, talking stable, and wishing we were dogs and horses, for a whole week ! What are we to do with the creature P " Alice tui'ned her head to hide her heightened colour, as she replied, in a tone of voice that was almost cross, " Really, Emily, you should be careful not to caiTy that absurd habit of yom'S of laughing at everybody too far. People will begin to call you flippant. Mr. Coverdale is so good-natured that he is the easiest person in the world to entertain. Surely, Arthur has a right to ask his friend to remain here without consulting you or me on the subject." " Phew I " whistled Emily, and a droll little parody of a whistle it was; "the wind has changed, has it? I suppose that was the thunder-storm' yesterday ; not to! mention a certain " tete-^-tete " drive. Take care. Ally : recollect that sweet bird the Crane ! what does the song say p " and popping herself down at the pianoforte, she ran her fingers lightly over the keys, as she sang with mischievous archness : — ** 'Tis good to be merry and wise, 'Tia good to be honest and true, 'Tis good to be oS with the old love Before you are on with the new," The party which sat down to dinner at Hazlehurst Grange on that day was a very select one. Mr. Hazlehurst had driven over to the neighbouring town on justice business, and having sentenced certain deer-stealers to undergo divers unpleasantnesses in the way of oakum- picking, solitaiy confinement, and other such amenities of prison discipline, had stayed to reward virtue by dining with his brother- magistrates upon orthodoxly-slaughtered venison. Accordingly, Mrs. Hazlehurst and the three young ladies, Harry Coverdale and Master Tom, sat down to what Mrs. Malaprop would have termed " quite a ' tete-5,-t^te ' dinner " together ; — a tame and docile curate, invited on the spur of the moment to counterbalance Han-y, having missed fire, owing to the untimely repentance of a perverse old female parishioner, who, being taken poorly and penitent simultane- ously, had sent her imperative compliments to the Rev. B. A. A, Lambkin, and she would feel obliged by his coming to convert her at his very earliest possible convenience ; to which serious call he felt obliged to respond. Coverdale had found himself in an unusual and peculiar frame of mind all day ; for perhaps the first time in his life he had felt disin- clined to active exertion ; and had positively gone the length of abstracting from the library a volume of Byron, and spent the after- noon lying under a tree, reading the " Bride of Abydos." Now hia peculiarity took a new turn ; and, freed from his incubus, D Almayne, a sense of the domestic and sociable suddenly sprang up within him. jji - AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 43 and throwing ofi all reseire, lie appeared for the first time during hia visit in his true colours — that is, unaffected, courteous, kind-hearted, amusing, and well-informed. In consequence possibly of this change, the dinner went ofE most agi-eeably ; and the absence of the Reverend Lambkin was mentally decreed to be a subject of thanksgiving, by more than one member of the party. In the evening there were certain wasps' nests to be destroyed, about which Harry had expressed much interest ; but now he dis- covered that he had blistered his heel on the previous day, by running in a tight boot ; and Tom, mightily discontented at his defection, was forced to invade the enemy's country without the assistance of his ally. When Coverdale rejoined the ladies, Emily was reading Tennyson's " Princess " aloud, and the moment he appeared, she declared she was tired, and handed the book to him, begging him to proceed ; her mischievous intention being thereby to overwhelm him with confusion, and derive amusement from his consequent mistakes. But she met her match for once, as Harry, coolly replying that he should have much pleasure, took the book and began reading in a deep rich voice, with so much taste and feeling, that her surprise soon changed to admiration. After tea, music was proposed, and the moment Alice began to sing, Coverdale, for the first time since he had been in the house, approached the piano, and actually turned over the leaves for her ! " That lovely ' L^ ci darem ! * Ah, Alice ! if we had but a gentle- man's voice to take the second ! Why don't you sing, Mr. Cover- dale ? " exclaimed Emily, turning over the pages of the duet. " I'll try w^hat I can do if you wish it," was Coverdale's quiet reply. Alice, to whom he spoke, glanced at him in speechless surprise, but Emily, at once making up her mind that he was attempting a hoax, and eager to tram, the tables upon him, resumed, — " Bravo ! give me your seat, Alice, I'll play the accompaniment for you both." Now the truth was, that Harry had been gifted by nature with a rich powerful voice and excellent ear, qualities which the admiration of his " set " at Cambridge had induced him to cultivate. When he first started on his grand toxir, he encountered at Florence the mother and sisters of an old college friend, and those being the days before he had foi-swora young ladies' society, he was let in for a mild flirtation with one of the daughters. The "emphatic she" happened to be " fanatica per la musica." Accordingly for three months Hari-y took lessons of the best master in the place, and sang duets morning, noon, and night ; at the end of which period the "loved one " bolted with a black-bearded native, who called himself a count, and was a courier. Since which episode, Harry, disgusted with the whole affair, and all connected -^vith it, had chiefly confined his singing to lyrical declarations that he would " not go home tiU morning." It will therefore be less a matter of surprise to the reader, than it -was to his audience at the Grange, that Coverdale 44 HARRY OOVERDALE'S COURTSHIP performed his part in tlie duet with equal taste and skill, and very much better than Alice did hers — that young lady pronouncing her Italian with rather a midland-county accent than otherwise, although her sweet, fresh, young voice, in great measure atoned for this little peculiarity. " Why, Mr. Coverdale, what a charming voice you have, and how beautifully you sing ! " exclaimed Emily, looking at him as if she could not even yet believe that it was possible he should have so distinguished himself. " I thought you were hoaxing ua, and I sat down to play the duet for the amiable purpose of exposing your ignorance." " How did you acquire such a pure Italian accent ? " asked Mrs. Hazlehurst ; " it will be of the greatest advantage to my girls to sing with you." " I learned of an Italian fellow when I was at Florence, and I suppose he taught me to do the business all right," was the careless reply. "And you have been here more than a week," continued Mrs. Hazlehurst, " and allowed Mr. D Almayne to monopolize both the reading and singing department, though he cannot fill either one quarter as efficiently as you are able to do. You really are too diffident." " I don't imagine diffidence to have had very much to do with it," obsei-ved Kate Marsden, quietly raising her eyes from her work (a crochet purse with steel beads), and fixing them on Coverdale. Harry laughed slightly as with heightened colour he replied, "You are too clever. Miss Marsden. I by no means approve of being subjected to such subtle clairvoyance; however, I may as well honestly confess that you are right, and that a feeling more akin to pride than to humility has prevented my seeking to rival Mr. D'Almayne." " We have found you out at last though," returned Emily, " and I for one will do my best to punish you for your idleness, by making you sing every song I can think of. I don't believe it was either pride or humility which kept you silent — it was nothing but sheer idleness." " Judging of her principles from her practice, I can readily believe Miss Emily Hazlehurst must consider silence to result from some reprehensible cause," rei^lied Coverdale, with a meaning smile. Of course Emily made a pert rejoinder, and of course Coverdale was forced to sing half-a-dozen more songs, which, as he had by this time got up the steam considerably, he did in a style wliich won him fresh laurels ; but it was a remarkable fact, that from the moment in which Harry began to read aloud, Alice, although her attention had never flagged, had scarcely uttered a single woi;d — perhaps i< was becaiise she thought the more. AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 45 CHAPTER IX. CONTAINS LITTLE ELSE SAVE MOONSHINE. MliS. Hazlehurst was so confirmed an invalid as to be unable to walk, even so short a distance as from the drawing-room to her own bed-room, whither she was usually carried by either her husband or her son. She was in the habit of retiring at nine o'clock, but on the evening referred to in the last chapter the clock chimed the half -hour after nine, and Mr. Hazlehm-st had not returned. " Mamma, dear, you are looking tired — you ought not to sit up so late ! " exclaimed Alice, who had been observing her mother atten- tively for some minutes. " Do allow Evans to carry you up : papa is sometimes kept till eleven o'clock at these magistrates' meetings, you know." One great charm which Alice possessed in Harry's eyes was her devotion to her mother, for whom she entertained an affection which was, perhaps, one of the strongest feelings of her nature. " I had rather wait, dear," was the patient reply : — " the worthy Evans is growing fat and old, and I am always afraid of his falling ; and James is very willing, poor lad, but he is so awkward that he rubs me against all the corners we pass, and only escapes knocking my brains out by a succession of miracles." " If you would allow me to assist you, Mrs. Hazlehurst," began Coverdale, in a hesitating voice, as though he were about to ask rather than to confer a favour — " I am sui-e I could carry you safely ; I have observed exactly how Arthur holds you, and it would give me 80 much pleasure to be of use to you." " You are very kind," retui-ned Mrs. Hazlehurst, while a glow of grateful sm-prise coloured her pale cheeks; "but I cannot bear to give you the tro uble — you do not know how heavy I am." " You do not know how strong I am, my dear madam," was the good-natured rejoinder ; " allow me — that I think is right," and raising the light form of the invalid in his powerful arms he carried her, as easily and tenderly as a mother would her child, to her room, where carefully depositing her in an easy-chair, he wished her good night, and left her, without waiting to receive her thanks. " Alice, love, Emily will stay and read to me — go down and tell Mr. Coverdale how much obliged I am ; he carried me as comfortably as if he had been in the constant habit of doing so for years. The kind- ness of heart, and delicacy of feeling with which he made the offer, have gratified me exceedingly ; depend upon it he is an unusually amiable, excellent young man." 48 HARRr COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP "He certainly appears in a new character to-niglit," returned Emily, laughing; "hitherto he has performed the modern Timon most naturally and successfully. I wonder what made the creature take it into his head to act the man — or rather the woman— hater ! You'd better ask him, Alice, perhaps he will tell you ! — What, gone already ! " she continued, glancing round the room. " Well then, mamma dear, as thei-e seems to be no more fun forthcoming, let me give you your dose of Jeremy Taylor ; that is our present good book, I loelieve." A reproof for the levity with which Emily spoke rose to her mother's lips ; but Mrs. Hazlehurst was a sensible woman as well as a good one, and so, being able to distinguish between the exuberance of high spirits and a scoffing turn of mind, she only murmured, " Silly child," and shook her head, with a reproving smile. When Alice returned to the drawing-room she at first imagined it to be tenantless ; but on looking more attentively she perceived the tall figure of Han-y Coverdale standing with folded ai-ms in the i-ecess of one of the windows. So noiselessly did she enter that HaiTy, whose face was turned away from the door, was not aware of her approach until she was within a few yards of him. As with a sudden start he looked round, she was surprised to observe the traces of deep emotion visible on his features, which were usually characterized by an expression of so completely opposite a nature. With a murmured apology for intruding on him, Alice was about to withdraw, when Coverdale hastened to prevent her. " Do not run away," he said quickly, then continued, " You are surprised to see me look sad; I think I should like, if you will permit me, to tell you the cause. It is so seldom I meet with any. body to whom I can talk about such things — people in general would not understand me, but I feel an instinctive certainty that you will. It is such a lovely night, would you object to come out? Your cousin. Miss Marsden, is already enjoying the moonlight." As he spoke, he pointed to a white figure pacing, with bent head and measured steps, along a ten-ace-walk on the further side of the lawn. Throwing a shawl over her head to protect herself from the night dew, Alice signified her consent, and opening one of the Fi-ench windows, they descended into the garden. For some minutes they strolled on side by side without speaking; the silence at length becoming embarrassing, Alice broke it by observing, — " I must not forget to deliver mamma's thanks for your kindness. You canied her so easily and carefully, she says, she could almost imagine you must have been accustomed to such an occupation before." Harry smiled a melancholy smile. " That was what I was going to tell you about," he said, " only when it came to the point, I felt as if it were impossible to begin. Can-ying Mrs. Hazlehm-st to-night brought back such a flood of recollections ! " He paused, then in a low tone continued : " For many months before her death my own AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 47 poor mother became perfectly helplesa, and I used to carry her like a child from room to room. I was only seventeen when I lost her, and, except your brother, I have never had any one to love since ; and though Arthur is as good a fellow as ever breathed, and all that one can wish a friend to be, yet somehow, whether it is the difference between's a man's mind and a woman's, or what, I cannot tell, but there ai"e things I've never talked about with anybody since my mother died, because I've felt that nobody else could understand me. Perhaps, if she had lived, I might have been more what I some- times wish I were— less rough, and— but I do not know why I should bore you with what must be singularly uninteresting to you." " Pray go on," replied Alice ; " I have heard so much of you from Arthur, that I always hoped I should some day know you myself, and that we might become friends ; but—" here she stopped, apparently embarrassed how to proceed. Harry came to her assistance — " But when I did appear, I made myself so disagi-eeable that you naturally repented ever having wasted a thought upon such an unamiable savage. Is not that what you would have said P Well, you are quite right, I deserve that it should be bo," There was a degree of regi'etful earnestness in his voice and manner which touched Alice's gentle heart, and she hastened to reply, — " Nay, it was only that you did not know us ; and— I think that silly Mr. D'Almayne annoyed you with his airs and affectation ; but I am sure you will never l^e so— so — " " Brutish ! " suggested Harry. " So unjust to yo;irself again," resumed Alice. " You are very kind — kinder than I deserve by far," replied Cover- dale. He paused, then continued, " I don't think I was naturally such a bear ; but from childhood I have had to battle with the world on my own behalf. Did Arthur ever tell you any of my earlier history ? " " No ; he often alluded to it as curious, but said we ought to see you first, and then we should understand you better and care more to hear it," was the simple reply. Hari-y smiled. " The only romantic episode in my career occurred when I was a very young boy," he said, " so young, that if I had not heard the story over and over again from the mouth of my late •uncle, the old Admiral, I should scarcely have remembered it. To enable you to comprehend the situation properly, I must trouble you with a few family details. My grandfather had two sons— the Admiral the elder, and my father the yoimger. My father, when a lieutenant in a marching regiment, fell in love with a very pretty, amiable, but portionless girl ; my grandfather desired him to marry an heiress ; my father refused, and urged his affection for another ; my grandfather grew imperative, my father recusant ; my grandfather stormed, my father persisted ; and the affair ended by my father 48 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP man-ying his lady-love, aud my grandfather disinheriting him for 80 doing. The natural consequences ensued : my grandfather devoted his fortune and influence to my uncle's advancement, and at the age of fifty he became an admiral ; at the same age my father found himself a captain, existing on half-pay, with a microscopic pension and an incurable wound in his side, as rewards for having served his country. ' England expects every man to do his duty,' and occasionally recompenses him for it with honourable starvation. As my father's health decreased his expenses increased, unpaid doctors' bills stared him in the face, and butchers and bakers grew uncivil and importunate. "At my grandfather's death he left every farthing he possessed to his eldest son. Angry at the injustice, my father refused his bi'other's offer of an allowance, and unwisely determined to dispute the will. Accordingly, he not only lost his cause, but irritated my uncle to such a degree, that all communication ceased between them. When I was approaching the august age of ten years, and affairs seemed to be coming to a crisis, by some chance I, playing with and apparently absorbed by a regiment of tin soldiers, happened to be present at a family committee of ways and means. During this colloquy, the unfortunate disagreement between the brothers was talked over and lamented by my mother; who exerted all her eloquence to persuade my father to write to the Admiral and inform him of his failing health and ruined fortunes, and trust to his generosity to forgive and forget the past. But my father's pride stood in the way. He would willingly have been reconciled to his brother, if he had not required pecuniary assistance at his hands ; but the consciousness of this necessity rendered him inexorable. So finding his wife's arguments imanswerable, he adopted the usual resoui'ce in such cases — viz., he talked himself into a rage, and flinging out of the room, slammed the door behind him, leaving my mother and me ' tete-a-tete.' " After a minute's silence, I surprised her by asking, ' Papa's very poor, and my uncle's very rich ; and papa would ask uncle to give him some money, only they quarrelled when grandpapa stopped papa's pocket-money : isn't that it, mamma ? ' " ' Yes, my dear,' was the reply ; ' but you must not talk about it to anybody, remember.' " I nodded assent, then resumed, ' Uncle's a good, kind man, isn't heP' "'Yes, my love; a good man I know him to be, and he was kind once,' was the reply. " * Then why don't you go and tell him that papa's very sorry he was naughty, and wants to make friends again ; and if uncle is good and kind, he will say yes ; and when they are friends again, uncle will be sm-e to give him some of his pocket-money without being asked, because they are brothers. "Won't that do, mamma P ' " My mother rose with teai's in her eyes, stroked the hair back from AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 49 my forehead, imprinted a kis3 on it, and murmuring, ' Your papa would never allow me to do so, darling,' quitted tlie room. " Well, I sat and cogitated the matter : even as a child I was of a fearless nature, and confident in my own resoui'ces ; and at last a plan occurred to me. At that time we lived in London, and I attended a public school as a day-scholar. At this school I had a friend — a boy some two or three years older than myself. To him, in strict confidence, I imparted my scheme, which he was pleased graciously to approve of, and in which he volunteered to aid me. Accordingly, on the following morning, when my parents imagined I was declining ' hie, ha3C, hoc,' I was, under the able gmdance of my school-fellow, making my way to the office of a coach which passed within half a mile of Coverdale Park. Having seen me set off in high health and spirits, my friend after school-houi-s left the following note at oxir house : — '* ' Dear Mamma, — I have gone to see my uncle Coverdale, as you could not do it. Papa never told me not to — so he won't be angry with me. Thompson saw me off, and will leave this, so no more at present, '* ' From your dutiful son, "'H. C "I reached Coverdale Park without adventure, and greatly astonishing a solemn butler by demanding to see my uncle forth- with, was ushered into a large oak-panelled apartment, wherein sat a fine, portly-looking gentleman, eating his dinner in solitary dignity. As so&n as his eyes fell upon my features he started, exclaiming, — " ' Bless my soul, boy ! who are you ? ' " ' Your nephew Harry Coverdale, uncle,' returned I, looking him full in the face. My gaze seemed rather to embarrass him, for his lips moved convulsively ere he was able to frame a reply. At length he exclaimed angrily, — " ' And pray, sir, what do you want here P ' "Feeling by no means inclined to enter abruptly upon family affairs in presence of the servants, I paused. But certain inward cravings, aroused by the sight of the good things before me, soon furnished me with an idea, and with a decidedly suggestive emphasis, I answered, ' I have not had any dinner yet.' My uncle again looked at me, to see whether my observation was the result of impudence or simplicity — deciding apparently in favour of the latter, he desired the servant to place me a chair and give me a knife and fork. Fortified by a good dinner, and encouraged by a kind twinkle in the comer of my uncle's eye, which belied all his attempts to look angry, I soon began to chatter away freely and enlighten my newly-found relative as to my opinion of things in general. After the cloth was removed, and I had volunteered grace, at which my uncle appeared first surprised and then edified, he began,— £ 50 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " ' Now, boy, tell me tlie truth — but first, you shall have a glass of wine ; which will you take ? ' '"I always tell the truth, uncle, even if it gets me a thrashing ; and I'll take port, for that's the only wine fit for a gentleman,' answered I, which reply so delighted my uncle, that he poured me out a bumper, and patting me on the back exclaimed, — " ' Bravo, my boy ! stick to truth and port wine through life, and you'll be a credit to your name ! ' " That speech of mine won the day. I explained the object of my visit, and that it had originated wholly with myself ; and succeeded so well, that on the following morning my uncle accompanied me home, was reconciled to my father, to whom, till the day of his death (which occurred within the next year), he showed every kindness, and after that event took my dear mother to reside with him at the Park, provided for my education, and eventually made me his heir." To this recital, followed by a detail of many of those pure thoughts and deep feelings which lie hidden in the breast of every generous- hearted man, till heaven blesses him with a female friend worthy to receive such sacred confidence, did Alice listen with growing interest and sympathy ; and when, two hours afterwards, Mr. Hazlehurst returned home in a great state of universal vinous philanthropy, Harry and his companion could scarcely believe they had been walking together for more than half an hour. The week passed away like a dream. Harry walked, and drove, and sang, and read poetry with the young ladies, and found himself especially happy and comfortable. Moreover, he contrived to institute a system of romantic rambles with Alice, during which they talked about all those peculiar subjects which can only be discussed comfort- ably in a * tete-a-tete ' — thoughts and feelings too delicate to be sub- mitted to the rough handling of a crowd. And Alice, after three days' experience, told Kate Marsden, in strict confidence, that she had formed the highest opinion of Mr. Coverdale's principles ; that he was so good and sensible, and in every way superior to the young men one generally meets, that it was quite a privilege to possess his friendship — didn't Kate think so ? To which Kate replied in the affirmative, adding that girls were usually so frivolous and empty- headed that they were not worth cultivating. " Where was the good of making friends of people, unless one could look up to them ? " Alice responded, " Where, indeed ! " and considered that Kate took a very proper and sensible view of the matter. One small incident occurred, however, which somewhat ruffled the smooth surface of Alice's tranquillity. Two or three days after the picnic, there arrived from Mr. Crane a note, together with a slim and genteel quadruped, possessing a greyhound-like outline, shadowy legs, and a long tail, and purporting to be a thoroughly-broken lady's horse, with which the cotton-spinner begged — "Miss Alice would allow him to replace the pony injured by the furious riding of her brother and Mr. Ooverdale," — an association in iniquity which AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 51 delighted Tom as mucli as it provoked Hany, and, secretly, Alice also. This horse Mr. Hazlehurst insisted upon it Alice should not refuse; and he became so angry when a faint remonstrance was attempted, that the poor girl quitted his study in tears — a melancholy fact, which Emily, in a truly feminine and injudicious burst of virtuous indignation, revealed to Coverdale, thereby laying in liim the foundation of a deeply-rooted aversion to the animal, which led to results that would have been better avoided. The morning following the arrival of this undesirable addition to the family, Mr. Hazlehurst announced his intention of riding over to call upon and inquire after Mr. Crane, and his wish (which meant command) that Alice should accompany him on her new horse. " Mr. Coverdale, will you ride with us ? " continued the head of the family graciously ; " I do not think you have seen Crane Court yet. The scenei-y in and around the park is very rich, and the view from the terrace most extensive." Harry, in his secret soid disliking Mr. Crane and all that apper- tained to him, and fancying, moreover, that the presence of Mr. Hazlehurst would effectually neutralize the pleasure of Alice's society, as their conversation would be thereby restricted to unmean- ing commonplaces, was about to invent some polite reason for de- clining, when, happening to glance at the young lady in question, he read, or imagined he read, something in the expression of her counte- nance which induced him to alter his determination. Accordingly, Tom was made happy by obtaining permission to go to the village iim, where Coverdale's horses were put up, order the groom to saddle Sir Lancelot, and ride that exemplary quadruped back, as a reward for his trouble. " How do you like Mr. Crane's present to my daughter ? In my opinion it is one of the most perfect lady's horses I have ever seen," complacently remarked Mr. Hazlehurst to Coverdale, as they stood at the hall door, criticizing the horses which a groom was leading up and down. " I dare say the old gentleman " — (Mr. Hazlehurst's brow darkened) — " paid a high figure for the animal," was the reply ; " it has its good points, and is very well fitted for a park hack ; but it's a weedy, straggling sort of beast— showy action, but badly put together; — and there's something queer about its eyes— it has an uncomfortable way of leering round at you, and showing the whites, that I don't like. You can see it's been fed under the mark, and I shouldn't wonder if, now it's on full allowance, it were to turn out skittish." " I can't say I at all agree with you, Mr. Coverdale," was the hasty reply. " I flatter myself I know something of horses, and I consider this as perfect a lady's hack as I ever beheld, and a most valuable animal into the bargain. As to temper, it's as quiet as a lamb— a child might ride it. I must beg you will not say anything which might tend to alarm my daughter or prejudice her against it." Harry turned away to hide a smile, as he replied, " Never fear, sir; 52 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP Miss Hazlehurst shall form lier own opinion of its merits, without my attempting to bias her judgment." When Mr. Hazlehiu'st assisted his daughter to mount, Harry, who really doubted the temjier of the animal, watched it closely, and his previous opinion was confirmed by observing that it laid back its ears, glanced \dciously round, and at the moment when Alice sprang up, made a faint demonstration with its mouth, as though it coveted a sample of Mr. Hazlehurst from the region of that gentleman's coat-tails, and was only restrained from attempting to obtain one by a recollection of former punishment. The preliminai-y an-angements being safely accomplished, the trio started, followed by a mounted groom, Coverdale keeping close to Alice's bridle-rein. They had proceeded some distance without anything occurring to justify his suspicions ; and, in spite of all drawbacks, Alice was really beginning to enjoy her ride, when her father proposed a canter ; and on quickening her pace, the odd manner in which her horse tossed and shook his head in some degree alarmed her. "Loosen the cm-b-rein a little," suggested Han-y, " and try to hold him entirely by the snaffle. I will keep close to you, so do not be afraid, lest he should bolt." Alice complied, and the horse appeai-ing to approve of the alteration, ceased to shake its head ; but as it became warm to its work, it pulled so hard against the snaffle, that Alice's delicate hands were unable to prevent the canter from increasing into something very like a gallop. Sir Lancelot kept pace with him, stride for stride ; but Mr. Hazlehurst's short-legged cob — the " dray-horse-in-miniature — wan-anted-equal-to-sixteen-stone " style of animal, which elderly gentlemen ride for the benefit of their digestions, not being calculated for such fast work, was very soon distanced. " What has become of papa ? " exclaimed Alice, glancing round ; " we ought to wait for him, but I can't make this creature go slower — it pulls dreadfully. May I use the curb ? " "I had rather you did not," was the reply; " the brute seemed so uneasy when you tried it before — perhaps its mouth is tender ; I will examine it when you dismount. Canter on to the next hill, and then we will stop for Mr. Hazlehurst." And they did so accordingly, though Alice was unable to pull in her horse until Hax-ry leaned over and gave her the assistance of his strong arm. K AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 53 CHAPTER X. '-; EQTTO NE CUEDITE TEUCRI.— Virgil. " Why didn't you hold in your horse, Alice, and ride at a proper lady-like pace, instead of tearing along in that extraordinary manner ? inquired Mr. Hazlehurst, coming up very red in the face, hot, and discomposed, both himself and the cob being entirely out of that useful article, breath. " I could not contrive to make him go slower, papa," replied poor Alice timidly; " even now you see he is very fidgetty and keeps con- tinually pulling." This was perfectly true ; for the horse, excited by its gallop, began to demonstrate its real character, and refusing to walk, sidled along, tossing its head impatiently, pricking up its ears at every sound, and looking as if it were prepared to shy upon the very slightest provocation. " Pulling !— yes, of course it does," rejoined Mr. Hazlehurst angrily ; " you can't expect to hold a fine, high-com-aged animal like that with the snaffle only— tighten the cm-b-rein directly. Take care what you are doing ! — steady ! horse, steady !— touch him with the whip on the shoulder. Bless me ! she'll be thrown ! " While Mr. Hazlehurst was speaking they had, in turning a corner, come siiddenly upon a wheelbarrow, in which were deposited two jackets and a hat, belonging to some men who were mending the road. The moment Alice's horse caught sight of this object it stopped short, and as, in obedience to her father's directions, the frightened girl jerked the curb-rein, and struck the animal with her whip, it reared, and at the same time plunged round so suddenly as to unseat its rider. Fortunately, Coverdale had kept as near to her as possible, and by a quick motion of the bridle-hand and touch with the spur, he caused his horse to turn at the same moment as did that on which Alice was mounted ; he was thus enabled to pass his arm round her waist and prevent her from falling. " Is your foot clear of the stin-up ? " he inquired hastily. Perceiv- ing that it was so, he continued, " Let go the rein, then, and trust yourself entirely to me." As he spoke, the groom came up, and catching the bridle of the plunging horse, led it away ; while Mr. Hazlehurst, descending from his saddle with a greater degree of from the accident, was in an extensive condition of maudlin and inappropriate Christianity, piously observed), a "little crowing mercy." Having done her duty by this young child — that is, having said it was very pretty, which, to speak mildly, was unti-ue— and a very fine child; which, as far as regarded its dress, it certainly AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 115 was — and exactly like its father, which was an avvfiil well, never mind, pious fraud we'll call it, — Alice tipped the inappropriate Christian half-a-crown (in exchange for which she received a tipsy blessing), and took leave, having obtained geographical instructions by which she might, on her homeward route, avoid the proximity of the basso profondo cow. The walk back (with the trifling exception of an episode wherein Ginger disturbed the tenants of a wasps' nest) proved singularly uneventful, and Alice, in her secret soul, pronounced the whole expedition a failure — which, as it had cured her headache, was very ungrateful of her ; but she was so engrossed by a little pain about the heart, which nothing but her husband's retui-n could cure, that she had entirely forgotten her headache. The hall clock struck four as its mistress entered — four o'clock, two long hours to dinner time ! the time when Harry would, that is, ought to, return ; for she daresay'd he would be late, and that they should not sit down to table till half -past six at the very earliest. "What should she do to fill up this unharmonious interval ? Why, as she had worked so hard all the morning, surely she had a right to amuse herself now. She would read some entertaining book, which would make her laugh and raise her spirits ; for, despite her best endeavours, she was getting decidedly miserable. So to this end she opened a parcel of books from the library, and began upon a new novel by that vei-y talented lady, Mrs. Bluedeville, and read how a "fair and gentle girl," brought up by a select coterie of fiendish relations, and subjected from infancy to a series of tortures, sufficient to have expended the stoutest negro, developed, under these favourable circumstances, into a perfect Houri of Paradise, with the " additional attraction " of possessing the mind, manners, erudition, and phrase- ology of an old divine of the Church of England. This interesting young martyr, released from her educational Bastille, and turned out to gi-ass for a brief space in a pleasant meadow, wherein pastured a gallant, but very moral, officer of dragoons, naturally falls in love with the same, who fortunately does not resent the liberty, Angelica, taken up from her month's run and put to work much too heavy for her, becomes better and better, until, as might have been expected, she overdoes the thing, and getting too good to ilive, has nothing left for it but to die, which she accordingly does on the anival of the post which brings an account of the bold dragoon (in whom, from a fancied resemblance to Hany, Alice had taken the deepest interest) having fallen a victim to his dauntless courage, which, leading him to kill sixteen mounted Sikhs in single combat, had failed to preserve him from the vindictive fury of the seventeenth evil-disposed smwivor. Strange to say, this talented work, delightful as it was, failed to render Alice much more cheerful; but it succeeded in occupying her till it was time to go and dress for dinner, and for this she was grateful to the genius of Mrs. Bluedeville. By six o'clock Alice, ready for dinner in more senses than one, 116 HARRY COVERUALE'S COURTSHIP betook terself to the drawing-room, wliere she waited patiently for half-an-hour, reading up sundry pai-ts of Mrs. Bluedeville, which, in her rapid flight through that lady's instructive romance, she had faUed to pel-use. At seven o'clock she rang the bell, and inquired of the butler whether his master had come in, or whether, if not, anything definite was known of his whereabouts. The reply was unsatisfactory in the extreme. Master had not returned, he (Wilkins) could form no idea where he was likely to be ; but, as a general maxim, considered shooting to be a highly dangerous amusement. Would Mrs. Coverdale obligingly condescend to ring the bell when she wished the dinner to be brought up? Shooting a dangerous amusement! Tes, of course, so it was — guns constantly went off of their own accord and shot those who were carrying them. How was it she had never thought of this before ? and she had been blaming Harry, when, perhaps the idea was too horrible to clothe in words, but it had occuiTcd to her, and for Alice now there was no peace. Mrs. Bluedeville was thrown aside with no more ceremony than if she had been a penny-a-liner ; and with flushed cheeks and a beating heart the anxious j'^oung wife began to pace up and do^vn the apart- ment. As the mimites crept by (so slowly !) Alice's fear increased, imtil, at half-past seven, the suspense grew intolerable ; and, ringing the bell, she was just giving incoherent orders for two mounted grooms to set off in utterly useless directions, when bang ! bang ! went a double-barrelled gun in the stable-yard, and Wilkins (an amiable but timid Loudon servant) and his mistress nearly jumped into each other's arms. Still haunted by the conviction that something untoward must have happened, Alice hastened to meet her husband as he entered the hall. " Oh, Harry dearest, how glad I am you are safe ! " she exclaimed; "but tell me," she exclaimed, referring to the mysterious cause of his prolonged absence, " tell me— what is it ? " " Sixteen brace of birds, three hares, two couple of rabbite, a land- rail, and a wood-pigeon ; and a very fair bag I call it for one gun," was the unexpected reply. Relieved, yet slightly provoked, Alice resumed : " But what has made you so late P I have been dreadfully frightened about you — " " Frightened ! what at ? oh, you silly child ! But come, let us have dinner ; I shall be ready in less than ten minutes. The idea of being frightened ! " and with a smile of compassionate deiision, Harry marched off to dress, humming, — "A southerly wind and a cloudy sky Proclaim it a hunting morning," And this was Alice's recompense for a lonely day spent in looking forwai-d to, and longing for, her husband's retui-n, ending in half an hour of breathless anxiety for his safety ! She felt decidedly cross, ^ AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 117 and we think slie had a right to be so. During dinner she was silent and dignified on principle— her husband should see that she felt his neglect. But Harry didn't see it one bit, bless him ! He was very hungry, so for some time kept strictly to business, and he was very happy, so when his appetite was appeased, he rattled on about any- thing and eveiything, and was so pleasant and cheerful that Alice felt dignity would be quite out of place, had a little struggle with her feelings, and then mentally forgave him. To prove that she did so, she laid herself out to entertain and amuse him, and with this view, when the servant had left the room^ she treated him to a comic account of her day's adventures, and having talked herself into a great state of communicativeness and sociability, had just reached the bass cow episode, Avhen a slight sound, not very unlike the voice of the cow itself, reached her ear — Harry had fallen fast asleep ! CHAPTER XXII. KATE SOWS THE WIND. So Kate Marsden manned the cotton-spinner, and old Mr. Hazlehurst repurchased his farm on very easy terms. We wonder which of the two was best pleased with the bargain ! Kate turned very pale when she promised to love, honour, and obey a man whom she disliked, despised, and intended to rule ; nor do we wonder at it, for, with all her faults, Kate perceived the intrinsic beauty of truth, and loved it, as she did everything beautiful. But though she loathed herself for what she was doing, though her bitterest enemy could not have taken a liarsher view of her conduct than she herseK took, she had gone too far to retract, and having swallowed the camel of crushing her own heart and that of Arthur Hazlehurst, she could not stultify herself by straining at the gnat of swearing falsely in the service for the solemnization of matrimony. Kate's was one of that peculiar order of consciences which can commit a sin knowingly, on an emergency, but dare not be guilty of a blvmder. In the one case, the end appears to justify the means ; while in the other, the entire transaction is unworthy. Sophistry, Kate, sophistry ! which, while you think it, and act upon it, fails to satisfy even your warped and distorted sense of right and wrong. Kate Marsden mamed Mr. Crane— there was a union ! On the 118 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP one side youtli and beauty ; intellect, lofty enough to have aimed at any achievement which the mind of woman has accomplished ; energy sufficient to have gained the object striven for ; ambition, that when all was won would have despised the trophies at her feet, and sighed for more worlds to conquer ; and a deep passionate nature, combin- ing the fiery elements of a southern temperament with the steady perseverance and inflexible resolution characteristic of a daughter of the sturdy north ; on the other side, advancing age, mental weak- ness, timidity, and its natural concomitant — suspicion, together with a general paucity of ideas, centred in a viUgar pride of wealth. All Kate's friends congratulated her, and many envied her good fortune ; and Horace D'AImayne smiled on his future victim, as he surely reckoned her; and Ai-thur Hazlehurst sat alone in his dusky chambers, with bitter thoughts busy at his heart, struggling, like a brave and good man, against the tempting fiend that bade him rise up and curse her who had thus rendered desolate his young existence; and the minister of religion stood before the altar and pronoimced his blessing over this hollow mockery of man'iage, which no amount of blessing could hallow ; and the happy pair di'ove ofE to some fool's paradise to enjoy the honeymoon. Poor Mr. Crane ! if he had dreamed of the volcano of feeling that smouldered at his side beneath that cold, calm exterior, he would assuredly have filing open the carriage door, sprung out (albeit not accustomed to such feats of activity), and never ceased imnning until he had reached Manchester. Fortunately, however, his wife's mind was a sealed book to him, and so he reached the end of his journey in peace and safety. Having borne the honeymoon with resignation, Kate endured her bad bargain tete-a-tete at various watering-places and amongst innumerable lakes and mountains of tom-ist notoriety, until she had taught him the only accomplishment she cared to inculcate, viz., obedience, which he learned very readily, seeing that it relieved him from all trouble and responsibility. This point accomplished, she took him to a fashionable hotel in St. James's Street, where she wrote to her friend, Ai-abella Orofton, to join her. However, before that excellent young woman of the world had time to wind up the ends of a few trifling skeins of policy, with which she had been constracting nets for small birds at Baden-Baden, Horace D'AImayne found out the residence of the happy couple, and proceeded to call upon, dine with, and make himself generally useful and agreeable to them. Kate did not like him, but she had been for two months tete-a-tete with Mr. Crane, and Horace possessed this advantage over that devoted husband, that he was not a fool, and Mr. Crane was. Horace was not a fool ; on the contrary , he was such a clever knave that it was really a pity that he was not something better ; he saw the game he had to play, and he resolved to play it as skilfully as his faculties and experience would enable him. He possessed considerable insight into character, and sufficient tact to accommodate himself to the peculiarities, and AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 119 avail himseK of the weaknesses, he might thus discover. Accordingly, his first move was to endeavour to lull Kate's suspicions of him, which he saw had been aroused ; his next to make himself by degrees useful to her — necessary to her ; then, let him Avin her confidence on any subject (he would have been delighted if she had told him the day of the month, or that she had di-opped a pin, in confidence, for it would have been a beginning), until by word, look, or sign, she admitted her indifference towards her husband, and then the game woidd be his own. "With Mr. Crane, D'Almayne's course appeared very simple. The millionaire's one clear idea was the omnipotence of wealth ; he knew D'Almayne was poor, and that he had lent him money which he never expected to be repaid. He considered him in the light of a sort of master of the ceremonies, who could giiide him in the ways of fashionable life, whereof he felt his ignorance — a kind of upper upper-servant — the vizier to his caliphship, and he lent him money as a delicate way of paying his wages. At present D'Almayne was in high favour with Mr. Crane ; his wife was looking veiy handsome, quite a gem of a wife — equal to his pictoi-es or his port wine; D'Almayne had negotiated his marriage for him, and the specula- tion had been a successful one ; he lent D'Almayne .£500 before he had been in town a week. Horace saw it all, but he was not proud ; as he would have said, " It suited his book too well," so he pocketed his wages meekly. " My dear Kate, can you amuse yourself for a couple of hours or so alone? D'Almayne and I are going to look at a pair of cari'iage- horses— a— 1 shall bring him home to luncheon, and — a — now I think of it, I asked him to dine here and go to the concert at the Hanover Square Rooms with us afterwards ; " and having thus un- folded his programme for the day, Mr. Crane glanced timidly towai-ds his wife, to leam whether it would receive her sanction and approval. There was a moment's silence, and then in a low, musical voice, Kate replied coldly, — "I have letters to write this morning, so the arrangement will suit me perfectly. If the horses are fine ones, I hope you will buy them." Mr. Crane stroked his chin (a habit in which he indulged when any- thing pleased him) and smiled. His wife was satisfied with him — happy man ! But he had stroked his chin rather prematurely, for, in the same cold tone, Kate resumed, — " There is one point on which I am anxious clearly to understand you. Is it your wish that Mr. D'Almayne should virtually live with us ? because, that he will do so, unless some decided measures are taken to discourage him, is self-evident." This was a straightforward and uncompromising way of putting the case which slightly discomposed poor Mr. Crane. D'Almayne was, as we have said, eminently useful to his patron, so much so, that at that precise epoch the good gentleman would have been sorely 120 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP puzzled how to get on without him ; but the more he acknowledged this in his secret soul, the less did he desire that any one, and especially his young wife, should perceive it. " Well, my dear Kate," he began, " you see Mr. D'Almayne has turned his attention to points which, engaged as I have been for many years in commerce, I have never found time or opportunity to render myself acquainted with." "In fact, he has made himself necessary to you," intei'posed Kate. " No, my dear, no— by no means necessary— not at all so ; but tbat he is useful, very useful to me, I confess. I am sorry to perceive that you have taken up a slightly unreasonable (if I may be permitted to say so) prejudice against this young man." " Tou are mistaken," returned Kate calmly. "I am perfectly indifferent to him. If it is your wish to make use of him, he will of course be here constantly ; but as you have so kindly yielded to my desire that my friend, Miss Crofton, should reside with us, his h presence or his absence will make little difference to me— only, if at / any future time you should hear comments on the intimacy, you will remember that I have admitted it solely to gratify you." Mr. Crane, propitiated by this concession, and by the gi-ounds on which Kate had placed it, was endeavouring to stroke some fonn of thanksgiving out of his chin, when the door opened, and the subject of their conversation was shown in. After a few desultory remarks, Horace, turning to Mr. Crane, observed, — " I called at the house agent's in my way here, and have obtained the particulars of two houses which it will be quite worth your while to look at; one is in Belgrave Square, the other in Park Lane." As he spoke Kate raised her head and fixed her large eyes upon his face; but he appeared unconscious of having deserved her scrutiny,'and was quietly examining some memoranda he had written on the back of a card regarding the number of rooms and other particulars respecting the houses. So perfectly unconscious was his manner, that for once Kate's penetration was at fault. She re- membered having on one occasion, months before, at the Grange, mentioned in his presence that if she went to live in London she should prefer either Belgrave Square or Park Lane for her residence ; but whether he also had recollected this, or whether his selection was the result of accident, she could not decide. Moreover, it was not easy for her to determine how to act in the matter. If he had made the selection intentionally, and she allowed it to pass unnoticed, it would be a sort of tacit admission that she was willing to receive such secret attentions from him, appreciating them as kindnesses rather than resenting them as impertinences ; while, on the other hand if by any chance it was a mere coincidence, she was um^nlling to afford him even the minute triumph of perceiving that she felt sufficient interest in him to remember whether or not he had been AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 121 present on an occasion, since which several months had elapsed, or that she cared to know if he had observed or regarded her wishes. So she took a middle course, and, availing herself of a pause in the conversation, inquired carelessly, — " "Where did you say the houses were situated, Mr. D'Almayne P " On obtaining the information she required, she added, " And how came you to select those particular localities ? " As he turned to reply, their glances met, but his face was perfectly inscrutable. " If, as your tone implies, they do not meet your approval, my dear Mrs. Crane, we need take no further trouble in regard to them," was his ambiguous reply. " I chose them because I fancied situations so generally popular might not be displeasing to you." Kate was again foiled, and D'Almayne, as he quietly observed it, muttered inwardly, " Won the first trick, at all events ! " Mr. Crane, leaving the room to put on his great-coat, a precaution without which he was most careful not to stir from home, D Almayne observed, — " Tou would prefer bay carriage-horses to grey, or any more conspicuous colour, would you not ? " Surprised at his having thus discovered her taste, Kate was so far thrown off her guard as to exclaim, — " How in the world do you know that ? " Horace smiled a quiet smile. " I reasoned from analogy," he said ; " your dress is always rich and striking, but never showy ; and the effect is produced by its consistency as a whole." Kate involuntarily returned his smile ; tact and keen intelligence were qualities she highly appreciated. " You are a close observer," she said, " and shall be rewarded by learning the interesting fact that I do prefer bay horses to those of any other colour." Before the week was over, Mr. Crane had purchased a magnificent pair of bay carriage-horses, and had taken a lease of a noble mansion in Park Lane. The only fault Kate could discover in either was the conviction forced upon her that it was to the agency of Horace DAlmayne she was indebted for them. 122 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP CHAPTER XXIII. ADVICE GRATIS. Harry conld not give np shooting, Han-y would not give up shoot- ing, and Harry did not give up shooting. On the contrai-y, he could, would, and did shoot every day, and all day long, except on Sundays, thi-oughout September and October; at least, there were so few exceptions that they only proved the rule. Alice did not like it at all; at fii-st she was vei-y miserable. One day Harry found her ciying, and being considerably sui-prised and greatly concerned at the unaccountable discovery, did not rest until he had ascertained the cause, when he was particularly shocked, and blamed himself so much, that he refrained from shooting for two whole days, and really would have striven to reform his conduct, only that, unfortu- nately, an invitation arrived to join a grand battue at a cei-tain Colonel Crossman's. This, in lais then frame of mind, he would have refused ; but there being a Mrs. Crossman in the case, Alice was included in the invitation, and they were begged to stay three or four days, which, as Popem Park preserves were the best stocked of any in the county, was an offer not likely to be rejected. Thus, unfortunately, they went — we say xmfortunately, because Colonel Crossman was, taken as a whole, a jovial, hot-tempered, selfish brute ; and his wife a quick-witted, worldly-minded, selfish fool. They did vei-y well together, because, as he usually lived out of the house, and she in it, and both did exactly as they liked, when they liked, their faults seldom clashed ; if such a collision did take place, there was an awful tumult, in which bnitality had his way for the minute, and paid for it in minor miseries which folly inflicted upon him for the next fortnight. And yet this amiable couple had a kind of theoretical and \iseless affection for each other, which was engendered pai-tly by habit and partly by a deep and essentially vulgar reverence for appearances, which, together with going to chui-ch once on Sunday, stood them in the stead of religion and of morality. Thus were they bad counsellors for our young man-ied couple. On the first morning of her visit, Alice was standing at the drawing-room window, watching the figm-es of her husband and Colonel Crossman sti-iding through a tui-nip field about a quai-ter of a mile distant, when Mrs. Crossman joined her. " Ah ! there they go," she obsei-ved, in a vinegar-and- water voice; "we shall see no more of them till seven o'clock, depend upon it." " Does Colonel Crossman never return to luncheon ? " inquired AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 123 Alice timidly, for slie stood slightly in awe of the female soldier beside her. "Retura to luncheon!" was the astonished reply, delivered in much such a tone as might have been anticipated if Alice had inquired whether the gallant Colonel usually made his mid-day meal upon red-hot ploughshares ; " come home to luncheon ! not he. He wouldn't do such a thing to save my life, I believe ; certainly not if the scent was lying well. Why, Mr. Coverdale does not spoil you in that way to be sure, does he ? The Colonel told me he was a thorough sportsman." " So he is," returned Alice with a sigh, which escaped her involuntarily. " Ah ! no woman with a heart should ever marry a sportsman," rejoined Mrs. Grossman, with rather more vinegar and less water in her tone than before. " Out all day, from the first of September till the breeding season comes round again ; then the moment they've finished dinner and :their bottle of port wine, asleep they go, and only wake to stamp and swear with the cramp and drop off again, till they tumble upstairs to bed, and are no comfort to anybody. Tou are a young wife yet, my dear, and your husband's hardly grown tired of you, perhaps ; but wait another month or two and you'll see —men are all alike ! " There was just enough applicability to her own case in this tirade to make Alice feel rather angry and thoroughly uncomfortable ; but the idea of comparing Harry with Colonel Crossman was too bad, and anger predominated as she replied, " Mr. Coverdale is not quite so selfish as you imagine, my dear madam ; certainly he left me a good deal alone when the shooting season first began, but as soon as he was aware how dull and lonely I felt, he gave up shooting for, for — " "Half a day ? " inquired Mrs. Crossman sarcastically. " He did not go out for two whole days, and since that he has generally returned to luncheon," replied Alice, colouring from vexation. " Wonderful ! " exclaimed Mrs. Crossman, with an affectation of extreme surprise; "actually stayed at home for two whole days, when he's been married as many months — what a model man ! Not that I believe Colonel Crossman ever did so much as that even," she continued, turning on the vinegar. " I picked him up in India, you know— was actually weak enough to fall in love with the creature ! even went the length of refusing two district judges and the resident at Bamboozle for his sake ! And would you believe it, we hadn't been married above a week, when the man was brute enough to go out hog-hunting and leave me all by myself at Boslibogie, on the borders of the great Flun-y-yunghal Jungle, with nothing more conversable than tawneys and tigers within thirty miles of me ; but, however, I was not long before I learned how to take care of myself — and the sooner you do the same, my dear, the better for your 124 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP happiness. Men are easily enough managed if yoii do but set the right way to work. If you choose to be always humble and meek to 'em, they'll let you lie down for them to wipe their boots on, but if you only show them you've got a spirit of your own, and don't care for 'em " " But I don't know that I have got what you call a spirit of my own," interi'upted Alice, smiling at her companion's vehemence, " and I certainly do care about my husband." " Ah, my dear, that's all very well now ; but wait a bit— wait till some day when he wants to go shooting, and you want him to do something else, and then see of how much use your meekness and fondness will be to you. He will think to himself, ' Oh ! she will be just as well pleased a couple of hours hence, as if I had lost my day's sport for her silly nonsense.' I know he will, men are all alike. No ; sooner or later you'll find you will have to pluck up a spirit, and treat your husband as he will treat you. If he leaves you by yourself all day, fill your house with company ; if he goes out shooting and himting with his friends, do you go out riding or di-iving with yours ; if he has his season in the country, do you have yours in London ; operas and shopping ai*e amusements you've just as good a right to as he has to go popping at the partridges and pheasants ; and if you care so much about keeping him at home, hook some young dandy (there will be plenty ready to nibble when such a bait as your pretty face is hung out for them), and flirt with him steadily till the desired effect is produced. That will bring your husband to his senses, if anything will. I once settled the Colonel in three days by going all respectable lengths with Adolphus Fitz-duckling. It led to a duel, though ; but that was because both Duck and Grossman were army men and mixed up with a fighting set. I took care never to go quite so far again, except with a civilian ; but then I hadn't got such a quiet, demure manner as you have. A set of impudent young puppies in the Old 43rd used to call me ' Flirting Fan.' However 1 can tell you I was able to keep the Colonel in much better order, ' flirting him down,' as I used to call it, than I've ever managed to do since I grew old— that is, less young than I was at that time." And so this good woman, or rather this woman who, despite her faults, had some good in her, whereby she vindicated her title to humanity, ran on until Alice heartily wished her back again amongst the tawneys or the tigers; we are afraid that at that especial moment our little heroine would decidedly have prefen-ed the latter. In the meantime, Harry and the Colonel were blazing away at the long-tails most unmercifully, Harry, who was a crack shot, bringing down everything he pointed his gun at, while the Colonel, whose hand had an awkward ti-ick of shaking, as if its proprietor was in the habit of imbibing too much port wine, missed much oftener than was agreeable to him, on each of which several occasions he attributed his failure to, and condemned in no measm-ed terms either the gun, or the bird, or both. About two o'clock Hairy pulled AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 125 out Ilia watch, and glancing at it observed, " I don't know what youi* arrangements may be, Colonel, but if Mrs. Grossman is of as sociable a disposition as my little wife, she wiU consider us great bears if we don't return till dinner time." At this moment a splendid cock-pheasant rose, "whirring" into the air at some considerable distance from the sportsmen, whereupon the Colonel, considering it a difficult shot, called out, " Your bird, Coverdale." Harry, embarrassed with his watch, which he still held in his hand, raised his gun, and catching his finger in the guard chain, pulled tbe trigger too soon, and missed with both barrels, while the Colonel, seeing that the pheasant was now so far off that it could be no discredit to miss it, puUed at it, and by accident brought it down. " Bravo ! Colonel, that is the cleverest shot that has been made to-day by long odds ! " ejaculated Hairy. " Ah ! that's a trifle to what I used to do when I was your age," was the slightly apocryphal reply ; " nothing with feathers or hair on it had a chance, if I put my gun up at it, I can tell you. But what were you saying about going home ? why, I'm just getting into shooting order ! you're not knocking up, to be sure, already." " No ; nor six hours' more hard walking would not do it," returned Harry, laughing, as he mentally contrasted his own powers with those of the Colonel, who, although he had carefully assigned all the toughest of the work to his guest, was evidently beginning " to want his corn," as Coverdale metaphorically paraphrased the fact of his entertainer's requiring his luncheon. " I merely asked you whether Mrs. Crossman would not disapprove of our remaining out all day ? " " Mrs. Crossman may go and hang herself in her own petticoat strings I " was the uncourteous rejoinder. " Ah ! I see how it is," continued the " old soldier." " I see all about it : you're a yoimg hand yet, Coverdale, and I'm an old one ; take my advice. You've married a nice gal, and a pretty gal— don't you go and spoil her ; it's the nature of women to like to have their own way ; and one of their ways — and a most aggravating and unaccountable one it is — is always to have a fellow dangling about after them, and there they'll keep him di-iving 'em out, or riding with 'em, or dawdling in shops, and paying their bills for 'em— they don't forget that, mind you— or i-eading to 'em, or some such confounded humbug. Hang it, sir, I'd sooner be a galley-slave or a black nigger at once ! Well, if you begin by indulging a woman (they're all alike in such points) , she'll be youi- master ever after, and youi- life won't be worth a " (As we do not know the exact value of the coin to which the Colonel aUuded, we abstain from a more particular mention of it.) " No ; if you're to have any peace or comfort in the maiTied state, you must let your wife see that you're determined to show you're the superior. The only way to do it effectually is— come to heel. Countess, ah ! would you then ! " (and whack, whack, went the dog- whip against 126 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP poor Countess's sides) — "the only way to break 'em in is — (wliack) — to sliow 'em clearly whose will is the strongest, and whose must yield. I had ti'ouble enough with Mrs. Grossman, I can assure you. She was not an easy woman to break in, sir ; but she found she'd met her match. If she scolded, I stormed ; if she 'raved, I swore ; if she sulked, I whistled ; if she cried, I lit a cigar ; if she fainted, I laid her on the hardest board that I could pick out in the floor, and Bmoked till she came round again. The only time she went into hysterics I flung a pail of cold water over her — that cured her at once and for ever. I dare say you think me an old brute, but the day will come when you'll recollect my advice, and be glad enough to act upon it. Women are all alike, more or less." Harry did think him an old brute, and thanked his stars that neither in mind nor in person did Alice in the smallest degree resemble Mi-s. Grossman; he also thought that he should never remember the Golonel's advice with any other feeling than disgust. Ah ! Han-y — Han-y ! CHAPTER XXIY. A STORM BEEWINa. Harry ! My dear Harry ! — Wilkins, where is your master ? I told you I must speak to him before he went out, and now you've let him go without " " Wilkins ! where the d Oh ! Wilkins, what did you do with that bag of snipe-shot I brought down from London ? " Thus apostrophized by an agitated soprano at the drawing-room door, and an impatient tenore robusto in the entrance-hall, Wilkins, the amiable and timid London butler, who had played the character of Job's comforter to Alice's " Didone abandonata " on the memorable evening of the first of September, made two or three steps in the direction of the drawing-room, then twisting round with a sudden jerk, as though he had been worked by machinery with which somebody was playing tricks, rushed frantically into the hall, and handing his master a wi'ong bag of shot exclaimed, without any breath left, — " This— a— is them, sir ; and my mistress — a — says " " Swan-shot, you fool — that is, Wilkins, big enough to roll over a bullock ! It's the snipe-shot I'm looking for. No, not that. Don't you know snipe-shot when you see it P When the scent's getting duUer every minute, too ! I ought to have been out these two hours. ^■t^a ■■' AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 127 That's riglit, my good fellow ; don't be a montli about it— give it me. I shall be home to dinner." " But my mistress particularly wishes to speak " faltered poor Wilkins. Han-y, flinging down with an angry gesture the shot-belt he had just filled, and muttering that he had better give up going out at all, strode off to the drawing-room, and putting his head in through the partially opened door, as though he vere afraid of being taken prisoner if he trusted himseK bodily in the apartment, exclaimed, — " Now, then, little woman, what is it ? Quick, please, for I want to be ofE." "There is an invitation just arrived from Allerton House for Tuesday week. What am I to say ? " " Oh, we must go, of com-se. I want you to get intimate with Lady Allerton, she's a charming woman, and Lord George is a good little fellow in his way, though an awfully bad shot. Dinner, I suppose ? " " Yes ; but, Harry, wait one moment and listen to me ! " exclaimed Alice. " Tou need not be in such a hurry ; you will have plenty of time for that horrid shooting before six o'clock." " Horrid shooting, indeed ! Much you know about it," muttered the victimized sportsman, inwardly chafing at the delay ; " it will be horrid shooting in 'one sense, if I am hindered much longer. The scent won't lie when the dew is off, and I may as well go out with a walking-stick as with a giin, for there will be nothing to shoot at." " Well, I'll let you go directly, you impatient, silly boy," returned Alice, smiling at the serious, business-like view her husband took of his amusement. " The only thing I wish to say is, that if we accept this invitation, we shall be almost certain to meet the Duke and Duchess of Brentwood there ; and you know I've been waiting for you to go with me, day after day, and I've never returned their visit yet. Tou must take me to call before Tuesday week ; I've been quite rude already." " All right," returned Harry ; " we'll go in style, and call on the old duchess. I'll wear a red coat, and stick a peacock's feather in my hat, if that will please you. It's a pity she's so like a chimpanzee! Most probably she is related to the monkey tribe — suppose we ask her when we call ; it will be a new and original style of conversation, eh ? Well, ta-ta ! It's so late now that I'm afraid you won't have the felicity of seeing me again till dinner time ; " and without allowing his wife an opportunity of remonstrating, Harry closed the door, and was soon paying off the long-bills in a way in which they scarcely approved of having their " little accounts " settled. Alice watched him depart with a smile, which faded into a sigh as she tvu'ned to write an acceptance to the dinner invitation, and then employ and amuse herself as best she might during the weary hours which must elapse ere her husband would return. Lord Allerton was the eldest son of the Duke and Duchesfi of 128 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP Brentwood, wlio were the great people, ' par excellence,' of the Cover- dale Park neighbourhood ; and when the Duke and Duchess came to spend their Christmas in the country, Alice, stimulated thereunto by the conversation of the Mesdames Jones, Brown, and Robinson of those parts, felt slightly curious to know whether these ancient and venerable limbs of the aristocracy would deign to honour her by a call, and was proportiouably gratified and bored when, on a dreary morning, the dull old Duchess came and paid her a singularly heavy and uninteresting visit. To induce Harry to accompany her when she returned this equally flattering and alarming civility had been for several days the sole object of Alice's existence,— an object in which, as the reader may perceive by the foregoing conversation, she had hitherto been Tinsuccessful. The next morning Alice once again made an attempt to entice her better half away from the pleasures of the plains ; but the rabbits had begvm barking the young ash-trees in a favourite plantation, and were to be " palled down " accordingly. This occupation lasted several days, at the expiration of which period certain poachers, choosing to join in the amusement uninvited, had to be " pulled up " for theii" iniquities — a series of ups and downs which left only two days vacant before the important Tuesday dedicated to the dinner- party at Allerton would arrive. The first of these days it rained cats and dogs, and snowed fragments of polar bears so decidedly, that even Harry could not get out till about half-past three, when, in desperation, he enveloped himself in a macintosh, and galloped over to the town, five miles off (as all towns are from all country houses), to match some ribbon for Alice and look at the newspaper on his own account. The " County Press " was just out, and therein Harry perceived a leading article attacking the decision arrived at by himself and his brother magistrates in the case of the " pulled up " poachers. This being equally irritating and interesting, he sat down in the reading-room of the library diligently to peruse the same— phsa-ing, pish-ing, and ".confounding the fellow " at every second line. He had just got to a paragraph beginning, " Mr. C — d— le may be well qualified to lead the way across a stiff line of country after the hounds, or roU over unoffending hares and rabbits in a battue — but that is no proof that he possesses an equal right to ride rough-shod over the enactments of a British Parliament, or to overturn the decrees of abler lawyers than are to be found among the bench of magistrates at H ," when a large hand was placed over his eyes, and a loud, jovial voice exclaimed, — "Never mind, Harry, my boy — little Flipkins the editor's got a wife with the devil's own temper, and she helps him to write the leaders ; she took a dislike to you when she was Miss Jamby, and kept the confectioner's shop, when you neglected her, and flirted with the girl behind the counter, because she happened to be the prettiest, and now she's paying you off; you can't horsewliip a woman, you know, so you'd better take it easy." AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 129 Before the speaker had arrived at the concluaion of his advice gratis, Coverdale had removed the hand which impeded his vision, and tm'ning round, exclaimed, — " Why, it's Tom Rattleworth, by all that's extraordinary — I thought you were in Canada, with your regiment, man ! " " So I was till the gout canned off the governor, and left me a miserable orphan with ^15,000 a year in my pocket. "When that lamentable event occurred I thought I was, for the first time in my life, worth taking care of, so determined to cut the red cloth and pipe-clay business, and come home and live virtuously ever after." " You seem to have recovered your spirits pretty well, if one may judge by present appearances," returned Coverdale, half-amused, half-disgusted at his quondam friend's sentiments — " at all events you've not grown thin upon it." " No ! but that's the very fact which proves how deeply I feel my forlorn condition; it's old Falstaff— is it not— observes how grief swells a man ? I don't ride a pound under twelve stone," was the rejoinder. " By the way," continued Rattleworth, " that reminds me — it's deucedly lucky I met you ; you're the very man that can tell me all about it— Broomfield is anxious to give up the fox-hounds ; he is growing old and lazy, and he wants me to take 'em." " My dear fellow, I'm delighted to hear it," exclaimed Harry eagerly ; " old Broomfield is completely past his work, and of all the men I know you're the fittest to succeed him — you will do the thing as it ought to be done. I should have undertaken them my- self, if I had not become a Benedict : Broomfield tried to i)ersuade me." " Well now look here," resumed Rattleworth, meditatively ; " I've promised to meet Broomfield to-morrow, and take his horses and everything at a valuation. Now there is not a man in the county whose opinion about a horse I'd sooner have than yours ; can you spare time to go with me ? I shall really consider it a personal favour if you will do so." " Of course I will," returned Harry ; for if he had a weak point on which he was accessible to flattery, it was concerning his knowledge of horse-flesh ; " there can be nothing I should like better, in fact — what time do you go ? " " I was to lunch with him at one," was the I'eply ; " and we were to look at his stud afterwards." " Then I'll meet you at the cross roads by Hanger Wood, at half- past twelve," returned Harry ; and so, with a hearty shake of the hand, the friends parted. Tom Rattleworth was the only son of a man who had begun life as a land-agent and attorney in H ; but having very early in his career dabbled in stock-jobbing till he made a considerable sum of money, which his business connection enabled him to lay out to great advantage, he grew rich, purchased an estate, married into one of the K 130 HARRY GOV ERD ALE'S COURTSHIP county families, and brouglit his son up " as a gentleman" — that is, he sent him to Eton, where he learned nothing but how to get into and out of scrapes ; and bought him a commission which he would have done better without. Nature having thus placed a silver spoon in Tom's mouth, appeared to consider his head sufficiently furnished without going to any unusual expense in the article of brains ; so she gave him barely an average quantity, and made up the deficiency by an actual passion for horse-flesh, Thomas, thus endowed, was the schoolfellow and holiday associate of Harry Coverdale ; and having one, and only one taste in common, they had kept up their intimacy, until Harry started on his grand tour, and Tom was sent with his regiment to Canada, since which period the interview we have just described was their fii-st meeting. As Coverdale cantered home thi-ough the mud, and rain, and sleet, it suddenly flashed across him that the next was the only day remaining in which to call on the Duke and Duchess of Brentwood before the dinner at Allerton House ; and his conscience smote him as he reflected that the engagement he had formed would prevent him from accompanying Alice ; indeed, so annoyed did he feel at this unlucky coincidence, that for a moment he was on the point of turning his horse's head, and riding after Tom Rattlewoiih to get off the engagement ; but it was gi-owing dusk, and he reflected that Chase Hall, the residence of the renowned Thomas, was so far out of his way that he should be unable to reach home by dinner-time, and then Alice would get frightened about him, which would annoy her more than being obliged to pay her visit alone ; so with this bit of sophistry he, for the moment, quieted his conscience. Before he arrived at his own house, he had mentally decided that, as it would only worry his wife, he should say nothing about the Rattleworth engagement to her that evening, and that in the morning he should mention it as an equally unfortunate and iinavoidable necessity, and persuade her to pay the fii-st visit without him. Of course she would be a little annoyed just at first, but she was so sweet- tempered and amiable, that— that— and here his reflections refused to clothe themselves in intelligible language; — had they done so honestly, the sentence woidd have ended thus — " that she would submit without making a scene." And so he cantered home, where Alice, with her sunny smile and bright loving eyes, was waiting to receive him, and made a vast fuss with the poor dear because he must be so wet, which, thanks to Mr. Macintosh — his admirable invention — he was not in the slightest degi'ee, though he appreciated the affectionate fuss Alice made about him all the same. Han-y ! you blind, stupid Harry ! — as if her little finger, bless it •were not worth all the horse-flesh that ever was foaled, froir Bucephalus, down to the winner of the last Derby. The next morning was a very fine one. Alice and Harry madf their appearance in the breakfast parlour about nine o'clock ; eacl: was a little out of sorts, Alice, not having been able to get any aii AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 131 or exercise on the previous day, had waked with a headfiche, which Harry continually forgfetting', would leave the door o£ his dressing- room open, and attire himself to the tune of " A hunting we will go." Then a new morning gown, on which Miss Flippery, the dressmaker at H , had staked her credit, did not fit, and in turning round to look at the set of the back, Alice trod on the skirt, and tore it out of the " gathers "—whatever they may be ; and as women seldom swear, and the evil was scarcely serious enough to cry over, poor little Mrs. Coverdale was unable to vent her annoyance, and brought it down to breakfast with her accordingly. Harry, on the other hand, conscious that he was about to commit an act of injustice, on which (although he repented of it sufficiently to feel very uncomfortable) he was still determined, tried to keep up his courage by affecting a degree of hilarity which caused him to make bad jokes about every subject mentioned, and to evince such a total want of sympathy with his wife's headache and consequent depression of spirits, that Alice for the first time in her life considered him tiresome and in the way, and felt inclined to say sharp things to him and snub him. After a longish pause, interrupted only when, on two occasions, Harry was pulled up for whistling, and a third time for beating the devil's tattoo on the chimney-piece, Alice began, " Really "Wilkins has taken to bm-ning the toast so black, it is impossible to eat it. I wish you would speak to him about it, HaiTy." " Certainly, my love," was the cheerful reply ; " what shall I say to him ? That although I ai^prove of his blacking my boots, I dis- approve of his blacking my toast, and that I shall thank him to do it brown in future ? " " If you like to risk the chance, which is almost a certainty, that the man will misim.derstand you, for the sake of making a stupid slang pun, I ad\'ise you to do so," was the captious reply. " Phew ! " whistled Harry ; " how solemn, and sensible, and serious we've grown aU of a sudden! I beg to inform you, Mrs. Coverdale, that I expect my wife to admire my puns, if nobody else does." " Then you must contrive to make better ones, and to time them rather more appropriately," rejoined Alice, so snappishly, that her husband looked up in surprise. Recalled to herself by the un- mistakable astonishment depicted on the bright, good-natured countenance of her better half, Alice continued in a milder tone, "You must not mind what I say this morning, Hany, dear, my headache makes me so dreadfully cross and stupid." " Poor little thing ! you were shut up all yesterday, you know, and that is enough to give anybody a headache," returned Harry, who considered houses were built only to dine and sleep in, and would have had Alice spend her days "al fresco," even as he delighted to do. " Tou must go out as much as possible to-day ; luckily it is very fine." " Yes ; and I am to be honoured with my husband's company too, 132 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP whicli is a most unaccustomed pleasure," rejoined Alice, brightening up at the recollection. " It is certainly very good policy to make yourself so scarce, though I wish you did not adhere quite so strictly to it; why you have not driven out with me since we returned from Popem Park ! At what time do you mean to order the carriage ? " " Why it's an hour's drive at least ; James had better be at the door by two o'clock," replied Harry. Then turning towards the fire, and moving the ornaments on the chimney-piece into wrong posi- tions, he continued, with an elaborate attempt at nonchalance, which veiled most inefficiently his consciousness that he was about to perform an act against which his moral sense rebelled, he resumed : " I'm afraid, my love, that I must ask you to call upon the Duchess of Brentwood without me this morning — a business engagement of — a— importance — that is, one that I cannot avoid, will, I am afraid " And here he broke off abruptly, for, glancing at his wife, he perceived an expression in her pretty face that he had never beheld there before ; the bright eyes were flashing, the soft cheeks burned, and the coral lips pouted with unmistakable anger. Harry had at length gone too far, and his sweet-tempered, loving-hearted little wife was positively and seriovsly angry with him. But so unusual a circumstance demands a fresh chapter. CHAPTER XXV. THE STOKM BURSTS. Alice Oovekdale, annoyed and pained by what she considered her husband's injustice and uukindness, did not leave him long in doubt as to her feelings upon the subject ; for as soon as she could conquer a choking sensation in the throat sufficiently to speak, she exclaimed, — " Really, Harry, I must say you are most unkind and incon- siderate ; joxi chose of your own accord to accept the invitation to Allerton House, though I warned you at the time that it would necessitate your calling on the Duke and Duchess first : you agreed — in fact you promised to do so. There has not been a day since that I haven't i-eminded you of this promise, so it is impossible you can have forgotten it ;— there was a time, and not so very long ago either, when you were ready enough to go anywhere with me, and AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 133 were only too glad to find I wished you to do so. I little thought, poor foolish girl that I was, how soon things would alter ; and now, when you knew as well as I did that this is the last day on which we can pay this visit, you've formed some stupid engagement (to go and shoot somewhere, I dare say ; I wish guns had never been invented — horrid dangerous things— always going off unexpectedly and killing people), and so made it impossible to return the Duchess's call : and to-morrow I shall be ashamed to look her in the face, or to speak to her ; though I dare say she won't give me a chance to do that, for she is as proud as Lu as a woman can be." Here, from sheer want of breath, Alice being forced to pause, Han-y quietly remarked : " Women can be as proud as men for that matter, ' ecce signum ' ; but now just listen to a little common sense for a minute. I fully intended and wished to accompany you, but I happened yesterday, at H , to meet with a very old friend of mine, who informed me that he was going this morning to transact certain business matters which would involve the expenditure of a considerable sum of money, in regard to which affair he particularly required my advice and opinion." " He must be going to buy a gun or a horse then," interrupted Alice ; " those are the only things people imagine you understand ; and I don't wonder at them either, when they see you waste half youi* life about this horrid sporting. If you give up all intellectual pursuits in this way, you'll go on till you become fit for nothing but to hunt, shoot, eat, drink, and sleep, like that dreadful old creature. Colonel Grossman." Thoroughly provoked by this last speech (which touched on a sensitive point in Harry's disposition, and aroused a latent fear, by which he was always more or less oppressed, lest people should consider him, from his fondness for field sports, a mere addle-pated, fox-hunting squire), he replied, with more asperity in his tone than he had ever before used, or believed it possible he could use, towards Alice, " Take care you don't become a peevish shrew, like Mrs, Grossman. Tou are angi'y, and foi'get yourself ; when you grow calm again, you will perceive how foolish and unreasonable you have been to lose your temper about such a silly trifle." " You think being inide to your friends and unkind to your wife a silly trifle, do you P " inquired Alice. Harry's colour rose as he took a turn up and down the room to compose his feelings ere he would trust himself to reply. " Tou want to make me angi-y," he said, " but I do not intend to afford you that satisfaction. Listen to me," he continued, seeing that his wife was again about to inteiTupt him, " listen to me, and when you have heard what I am about to say, you can reply as you please. I made this engagement to oblige my friend, without at the moment recollecting that to-day was the time appointed for calling on the Duchess ; but when I reflected that one was business of impoi-tance, and the other a mere visit of ceremony, I hoped and believed you 134 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP would be reasonable enough, when I should have explained the matter to you, not even to wish me to give up my engagement, and would exercise sufficient common sense and self-control to go and pay the visit alone." " Then you thought wrongly," returned Alice, with vehemence ; " if you required a wife who could go about by herseK and visit a set of proud, stiff people, who are strangers to her, and keep up your position in the county, while you are out hunting and shooting all day, for your own selfish amusement, you should have chosen some fashionable woman of the world, and not a poor simple country girl like myself, who relied on your affection to protect and encourage her ; " and here Alice showed strong symptoms of a disposition to bring that " young wife's last resom-ce " of a flood of tears to bear upon her disobedient and refractory spouse. Harry, seeing this, and having been throughout the interview haimted by a latent consciousness that he was in the wi-ong, was strongly tempted to yield, and despatching a messenger to Tom Rattleworth furnished with some good and sufficient social white lie to account for his non-appearance, to stay quietly at home till the time should have anived to accompany his wife to visit their aristo- cratic neighbours ; but, unhappily. Colonel Grossman's caution, " You've married a nice gal and a pretty gal, take care you don't go and spoil her," flashed across him : " women are all alike, more or less ; it's the nature of 'em to choose to have their own way ; if you indulge 'em at first, they will be youi* masters ever after ; show your wife she has met her match," &c., &c. — these, and such like precepts, rang in HaiTy's ears. Alice was angry and unreasonable, striving for the upper hand, in fact ; he must not permit this : for her sake, as much as for his own, he was called upon to assert himself, and vindicate his marital authority. Yes, painful as it was to his feelings to speak or act harshly to his young wife, whom, even at that moment, he cared for more than any other created being, he would give her a lesson which should cure the evil at once and for ever. So putting on a very grave look he began : " My dear Alice, you are forgetting yourself, forgetting our relative positions ; but there is a quiet way of settling such affairs ; verbose discussions of this nature do not suit me — I am essentially a man of action. It is the husband's right to command, the wife's duty to obey. I had hoped your own proper feeling would have saved me the pain of being forced to remind you of this. I must now add, that I consider myself bound to fulfil my engagement to my friend, and intend to do so : during my absence, it is my wish and desii-e that you should diive and call on the Duchess of Brentwood ; if, which I can scarcely conceive possible, you still refuse to do as I have pointed out, I shall, before I leave this room, wi-ite a note to Lady Allerton, informing her that we are unable to dine with her to-moiTow, without assigning any cause whatsoever for this change of intention — which, as I cannot give the trae reason, and will not stoop to invent a false one, is the only course left open to me." AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 135 Having delivered himself caluily and firmly of this despotic speech, Harry folded his arms across his broad chest, and leaning his autocratic back against the chimney-piece, stood looking as if he felt himself completely " monarch of all he surveyed," his wife included. Meanwhile a fearful struggle between good and evil was proceeding in Alice's mind; a kind word or look would instantly have caused the good to triumph : but her husband stood cold and inexorable as a ', statue of Fate. Then the same personage who tempted Eve to the sin which lost her Eden, suddenly caused to flash across Alice's recollection all Mrs. Grossman's arguments, and she determined to follow her advice, to " pluck up a spirit, and treat her husband as he treated her," &c. Accordingly, by a great effort restraining her tears, which during Harry's harangue had begun to flow, she looked up with flashing eyes and crimson cheeks, as she replied, — •' The obedience you require is not that of a wife but of a slave, and I refuse to yield it. Ton have treated me unkindly and unjustly, and I will not sacrifice myself to oblige you." Harry made no reply, though his lips moved convulsively, as though he could scarcely command himself to keep silence ; then snatching pen and ink, he scrawled a hasty note, sealed and directed it, and rising, quitted the room without uttering a single word. As the door closed behind him, the tears which Alice had hitherto with such difficulty repressed, burst forth imrestrained. She was roused from a paroxysm of weeping by the sound of horses' feet, and springing to the window, reached it in time to see Harry give a note to a groom, who rode away at speed in the direction of Allerton House ; then mounting his own horse, he also galloped off, ere Alice could muster sufficient presence of mind to attempt to recall him. CHAPTER XXVI. THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS CLOUDY. Falling out with the wife of one's bosom is a process that bears a marked affinity to two other domestic operations which, from time immemorial, have lapsed into well-meiited disrepute — viz. quarrelling with one's bread and butter, and cutting oif one's nose to spite one's face ; the same moral but uncomfortable necessity of inherent self chastisement being common to all three. Thus Hari-y Ooverdale, 136 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP liaving vindicated his marital dignity, and galloped off the irritation consequent upon so acting, heartily wished the deed undone, and Alice and himself friends again ; for, little as he appeared to prize it, her affection had become necessaiy to him, and he could no more do without it, than he could have dispensed with sunshine in summer or fires at Christmas. Accordingly it was in no very amiable frame of mind that he joined his fox-hunting ally ; and it required all the allurements of oysters, porter, devilled bones, and unimpeachable port wine, to enable him to " cast dull care away," suflBciently to take a proper and sportsman-like interest in aU the minutiae of the proposed transfer of stock, canine and equestrian. Once fairly in for it, howevever, his stable-minded propensities assei-ted them- selves, and he spent a deeply intei*esting afternoon in feeling biick- sinews, detecting incipient curbs and spavins, condemning an incur- able sand-crack, and otherwise testing and pronouncing judgment upon the quadrupedal inmates of Squire Broomfield's hunting stables As the waning light heralded the approach of dinner time (that important epoch in the day with all country gentlemen, and with most London ones also), and the last horse had been trotted out and trotted in again, and its petticoats (which grooms call " body clothing ") replaced, Harry's thoughts fell back into their former gloomy train. Anxious, therefore, to learn how Alice was progressing under the weight of his high displeasure, he was about to take leave, when Tom Rattleworth drew him aside, observing in a confidential whisper, — " I say, Coverdale, old Broomfield is going to ask you to stay and dine— I know he is, he looks so pleased with himself. For mercy's sake don't refuse, or else I shall have to endure a ' tete-a-tete ' with the old boy, and that will use me up all together — horse, foot and artiUeiy ; for besides being bored to extinction, he will do me out of every advantage you have obtained for me to-day. He's an awful screw, and I'm good for nothing at a bargain after the first bottle ; so if you leave me to his tender mercies, I'm safe to be butchered like a lamb, and served up in my own mint sauce before we quit the mahogany." " I'm afraid I must decline," was the reply, " for my wife has been at home by herself all day, and it is not fair to expect her to spend the evening in solitude also. But you need not be victimized on that account ; come home and dine with us. You've never met my wife ; she was in the school-room and a pinafore when you went abroad with your regiment. Say yes, and then you can tell old Broomfield that you are engaged to me." "So be it then," was the rejoinder, and thus was Mr. Broomfield cheated of his guests, and Hari-y enabled to avoid a ' t4te-a-tete ' dinner, and possibly a scene, with his outraged spouse. In the mean- time, Alice had been enduring all the mental torments consequent upon having been angry with the person one loves best in the world. First, the idea that she had been most cruelly used, and extensively AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 137 sinned against, and put upon, was the only one which presented itself to her mind in anything like a clear and definite shape ; and she bewailed her evil fortune in a very thunderstorm of weeping. Having by this means condensed, and disposed of, a vast amount of superfluous steam, she grew calmer and more reasonable, when the uncomfortable possibility gradually dawned upon her, that she also might have been to blame— that she had first irritated, and then defied Harry, and utterly and completely failed in her duty as a wife ; and so penitent did she become on the strength of this conviction, that if her husband had returned at that moment, she would have thrown herself at his feet and humbly implored his pardon, which act of unqualified submission must have disarmed Harry so entirely and totally, that he would instantly have forgiven her, and frankly confessed himself to blame, and Alice would never again have experienced the effects of his " quiet manner." But, unfortunately, Han-y was at that moment differently occupied, in impressing upon Tom Rattleworth the important fact, that Lucifer would be all the better for having a red-hot iron passed lightly over his off fetlock at the first convenient opportunity, and thus Alice's extreme penitence evaporated as her anger had done. The final conclusion at which she arrived was, that she would confess her fault to Harry on his retiirn, and then try calmly and quietly to convince him of his injustice. If she should succeed in this, of which she did not feel by any means certain, they would exchange forgiveness ; and, warned by that which had occurred, take heed to their ways, and live in harmony and affection ever after. All these sentiments Alice proposed to deliver when she and her husband should be ' tete-a-tete' after dinner, at which time she had observed Harry to be usually in an amiable and convincible frame of mind. It may easily be imagined, therefore, that when she heard Tom Rattleworth declare with much enthusiasm, and in a voice raised to the pitch in which its possessor had been wont to direct the gallant fraction of the British army lately under his command to "Should— der ar-r-ums," that he was open to " be blessed," on the spot, if "the jolly old place did not look stunning," she was by no means inclined to afford him the benediction he had invoked, and heai'tily wished him at the bottom of the Red Sea, which we take to be the lowest geographical limit to which a lady's anathema can be permitted to descend. She had not time to do more than condemn her unknown visitor to the oceanic penal settlement aforesaid, ere a sound as of a jibbing man impelled forward by some powerful agency in the rear, together with the following expostulation, met her ear : — " My dear fellow, I'm not fit to be introduced ; I'm all over mud, I am upon my life ! " In another moment the drawing-room door flew open, and her husband and a tall, large, bushy-whiskered, bluff, young man, who looked as if he could only have been brought in doors by way of a trick, like a pony, or a wheelbarrow, stood before her. " Alice, this is Tom Rattleworth, an old schoolfellow of mine, who 138 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP is very anxious to form your acquaintance, and lias kindly consented to dine with us," observed Hany. " Hey ! — haw ! " began Tom Rattlewoi'th, uttering sounds like a bashful ogre in his intense consciousness of his muddy disqualifica- tion for female society ; " haw ! hey ! the kindness lies all — haw ! — the other way. I hope— Mrs. Coverdale— my deai- fellow— wUl excuse — I told you I wasn't fit to be seen ; but you seem to be — the roads are — impetuous as ever — so very muddy." Having delivered himself of this slightly incoherent addi-ess, the embryo M.F.H. "made his reverence" to Alice, and then performing the militai-y evolution expressed in the mysterious terms "To the right about! wheel ! " he laid violent hands upon his host, and forced him out of the room as energetically as he had been himself propelled iuto it. The dinner soon made its appearance, and was a " real blessing " to all pai-ties, for it provided them something wherewith to occupy their mouths, and thus obviated the painful necessity of manu- factiu-iug small-talk — a toil compared with which the labours of Hercules appear child's play, and the up-hill work of Sisyphus a mere game at ball. The first sharp edge of his appetite taken off, Tom Kattleworth began to converse fluently upon the only topic which never failed him, and which invariably formed the staple ingredient in his discourse, and, indeed, in his thoughts generally — viz. himself and his own sayings and doings. Alice, bored and unhappy, uttered monosyllabic replies, when she perceived that she was exj)ected to do so ; and remained silent and " distraite " when such exertions were not required of her. Harry, partly grieved at perceiving the accustomed sunshine in his wife's pretty face overcast, partly in'itated at what he imagined to be the sulkiness of her manner ; annoyed at his friend's egotistic chatter, which he felt was disgusting Alice, and which he could not contrive to check (seeing that the obtuseness of Tom Rattleworth's faculties rendered him totally impervious to a hint) ; and generally provoked by the change from his usual state of careless, light-hearted happiness to his present imcomfortable frame of mind — a change which he rightly enough attributed in a great measure to his own hastiness and mismanagement, almost lost his temper. This he displayed by rating the lad who assisted Wilkins, until he reduced that unJiappy juvenile to such a pitch of nervousness and general mental debility, that, having inveigled his mistress into sugaring instead of peppering a broiled tm-key's leg, and replenished the Champagne glasses from a bottle of bitter ale, he was sent out of the room in disgi-ace. But in this mortal life (which would be quite unendiu'able if such were not the case) all things sooner or later come to an end— and dull dinners are no exceptions to the rule — thus, after the dessert had been placed on the table, Alice, having finished her half-glass of sherry and nibbled a fragment of some AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 139 little vegetable absurdity preserved in candied sugar, and looking like a geological specimen rather than a sweetmeat, reckoned she had sufficiently fulfilled her duty aa hostess, and was watching for an opportunity to escape and go and be wi-etched comfortably by herself, when Tom Rattleworth, addressing her especially, began :— " 'Pon my word, my dear Mrs. Ooverdale, when I see you and my .friend Harry here so happy together" (Harry seized a pear and began denuding it of its rind with a kind of ferocious eagerness, suggestive to any one acquainted with the " dessous des cartes " of his willingness to perform a similar operation upon his " mal a-propos " guest), " I declare it makes a fellow feel quite down in the mouth when he thinks of going home to enjoy his own single blessedness, as they call it — though single t'other thing would be more like the truth, I fancy — but then it isn't everybody that's as lucky as Harry and you — not suited to each other so charmingly, you understand." (Alice, avoiding her husband's eye, bent over her sweetmeat as though she were anxious to count the number of spangles of candied sugar it took to cover a square [inch thereof.) " Now there was a man in our regiment — curious coincidence, his name was Harry, too — but those things do happen so curiously — Harry Flusterton his name was — well, ma'am, when we were quartered up at Montreal, there was a family there to whom Harry and I took out introductions, and as we found ourselves decidedly hard up for amusement, we used to visit there pretty much. There were two or three daughters in the family, but the eldest was the one that took my fancy most, and Harry Flustei-ton was of the same opinion. Accordingly we both laid siege to her, but Harry soon began to shoot ahead, and I, fijid- ing that it was no go, quietly took up with number two, who, although she hadn't her sister's points, figure, or action, was by no means a girl to be despised, especially in a dull place like that ; well, my dear fellow — haw ! — my dear ma'am, I mean — 'pon my word, I'm not fit for ladies' society— but the long and short of it is, Harry was married— everybody thought he was the luckiest dog breathing — I'm siu-e I did for one, and said as much to Eliza — that was the younger one, you understand, that I was obliged to put up with. When I made that remark to her, she looked at me queer like, and says she, ' I hope yoiu- friend is a very sweet temper, Mr. Rattleworth ? ' 'Of course he is,' retmiied I, for he was, up to the day he married, as easy tempered a fellow as you'd wish to meet with. Would you believe it, Mrs. Coverdale, this charming creature that we had both fallen so desperately in love with (not but that I liked Eliza just as well when I once got used to her) turned out a regular vixen — a perfect virago, ma'am ; why Harry himself told me that they hadn't much more than got over the honeymoon, when the first time ho wanted her to do something she didn't like, some nonsense about visiting, or some such stuff, the way she flared up was a caution to single men — " 140 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP "My dear Rattleworth, I'm son-y to interrupt you," exclaimed Coverdale, who could bear it no longer, " but I'm afraid my wife is a little overcome by the heat of the room— those servants will make such ridiculously large fires. My dear Alice, if you prefer the drawing-room, I'm sure Rattleworth will excuse you ; this place is like the black-hole in Calcutta." And while Rattleworth, talking all the time, sprang to open the door. Hairy covered his wife's retreat by instituting a furious onslaught upon the unoffending fire. It was well he came to the rescue when he did, for in another minute Alice would have been in hysterics. To get rid of his dear friend as soon as possible was Harry's next anxiety, but this was no such easy matter. Thomas Rattleworth, Esq., M.F.H., was at that happy moment the victim of two strenuous necessities— one to listen to the sound of his own voice, expressing not so much his ideas as his paucity thereof ; and the other to imbibe a bottle of port wine, in twelve doses of a wine-glass each; and these necessities had the unfortunate property of re-acting upon and increasing each other ; for talking made him thirsty, and drinking made him talkative, so that it was eleven o'clock before he had talked himself out, by which time the terminus of a second bottle of port had been arrived at. With a feeling of relief such as Sinbad the Sailor might have experienced when he felt the legs of the Old Man of the Sea gradually relaxing their clasp around his wearied shoulders, did Han-y assist his fi-iend to light a cigai", then watched its fiery tip gradually disappear in the darkness, as Rattleworth's cover hack cantered off with its master's six feet one of good-natm-ed goose, flesh. Left to his own meditations, HaiTy started a cigar on his own account, and, the night being a fine one, he paced up and down the gravel walk in front of the house until he should have cleai-ed his brain from the fumes of the wine civility had forced him to swallow. The calm stai-s came out one by one, and as he watched their bright effulgence, an idea of his childhood, that they might be the eyes of angels, recmred to his memory; and he could even fancy they appeared to gaze upon him reproachfully. No human being possess- ing even the lowest order of reflective powers, or the faintest vestige of imagination, can watch the tranquil splendour of a starlight night — a scene which at once proclaims God's omnipotence, and appears a work fitted to the majesty of the Great Being who created it for His own gloi-y — without becoming imbued with the idea of rest and peace, and desirous of realizing these blessings in his own life. With God and infinity so near us, how we loathe the trifles of existence ! and, above all, how we despise and contemn the littleness of our fallen natm-e ! how we repent with bitter tears of shame and contrition the evils they have wrought in ourselves, and through us to others ! And how, at such a moment, do the qualities we inherit from heaven — truth, and love, and mercy— expand within us, and fiU our souls, and raise us, for the time, above ourselves, and nearer to the high estate AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 141 from which we have fallen— alas ! that it should be only for the time ! Coverdale was not insensible to these elevating? influences ; his love for Alice returned in all its original strength and purity, and he determined, before he slept that night, to bring about a reconciliation, even if his wife should refuse to confess that she had acted wi'ongly. Yes ! he would actually go the length of owning that he had been to blame and was sorry for it, and then Alice would forgive him, and all would be as though this foolish disagree- ment had never occurred. False reasoning, Harry ! there are two things a woman, however thoroughly she may forgive them, never forgets — neglect and unkindness ; and when once these have cast their shadow across the bright eager gladness with which she yields up her whole soul as a thank-offering to him she loves, man, with his stronger, sterner nature, can no more bring back the delicacy and freshness of that young affection, than he can restore to the peach the bloom which his careless fingers have profaned — the love may still exist in its full reality, but the bright halo of early romance which surrounded it has been dispelled, never to return! CHAPTER XXVII. THE PLEASURES OF KEEPING UP THE GAME. Having looked at the stars, and profited by their quiet teaching, Hany went in a sadder and a wiser man, resolved, ere he slept that night, to confess his fault, and, if it might be so, obtain Alice's forgiveness. But Alice, tired and unhappy, had gone to bed, and cried herself to sleep like a weary child ; and when Harry entered her room, he found her lying with her head pillowed on her arm, and the tear-drops scarcely dried upon her long silken eyelashes, as soundly asleep as though care, and sin, and sorrow, were evils of which her philosophy had never dreamed— so Coverdale could only invoke a silent blessing upon her, and hasten to follow her example by going to bed and to sleep himself. Thus an opportunity was lost of regaining the " high estate " in his wife's affections, from which he had fallen by reason of his inconsiderate selfishness, and hasty and impetuous temper; and it is a fact equally true and trying, that an opportunity once lost never returns, even an advertisement in the " Times " would fail to regain it. One of the strangest and least comprehensive of psychological 142 HARRY COVE RD ALE'S COURTSHIP phenomena is the total change produced in our thoughts, feelings, opinions, hopes, fears, sympathies, antipathies, and all the other component parts which make up that wonderful spiritual steam- engine, the mind of man, by a good night's sleep. We go to bed desperately in love with some charming girl we have flirted with half the evening, despising her cruel old male parent, who would come and disturb our ' tete-a-tete,' and take her away at least an hour sooner than anybody not latterly callous to all the finer feelings of human nature would have dreamed of doing ; and hating with un- christian malignity her tall cousin in the Blues, who, having known her from her cradle upwards, dared to call her " Gussie " to our very face — we sleep soundly, our mind lies fallow for some six hours, and lo ! a change has come o'er us ; our goddess has stepped down from her pedestal, and appears a very average specimen of white muslined femininity and flirtation, while her father has improved into quite an amiable model paterfamilias, at whose patient benignity in remain- ing, to please his daughter, at an evening party till half -past three a.m. we actually marvel ; and as to that fine young fellow her cousin, we are really shocked when we recall om* imchristian feelings towards him, and, as some slight compensation, mentally book him for an invite to that dinner at Blackwall which we propose bestowing upon a dozen of our very particular friends, in the unlikely event of our exchequer holding out tiD the whitebait season. Thus, by the next morning, Coverdale had slept off the sharp edge of his penitence, and when Alice began by a great efilort to refer to the events of the previous day, with the intention of confessing herself in the wi-ong, and asking forgiveness, Harry, dreading a scene with a degree of horror equally masculine and English, checked the flow of her eloquence by ex- claiming abruptly and cheerfully, " Tes, dear, certainly— but don't say another word about it ; we were both very silly, and made each other very miserable, when we might be as happy as the day is long; let bygones be bygones, we will forgive and forget, and be wiser for the future, eh ? " As he spoke, he drew her to him, and sealing his forgiveness on her lips with a kiss, rendered all discussion impossible by leaving the room. This speech (kiss included) ought to have satisfied any reasonable wife, but unfortunately at that moment Alice was not exactly in a reasonable frame of mind ; she had dwelt so long on one idea, in accordance with which she had arranged the whole progamme of a dramatic reconciliation scene, that she by no means approved of Harry's short cut to concord, rendering null and void all her explana- tion of how, and why, and wherefore she had come to behave ill, to- gether with a spirited sketch in monologue of her contrition for the past and vows of amendment for the future ; the whole to conclude vrith certain annotations and reflections, which she trusted would so affect her husband's feelings, and convince his understanding, that be would for the future restrict shooting to two short mornings a week, and cast hunting " to the dogs " entirely, and now aU the ! AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 143 myeterioiis pleasure the gentler sex derive from talking a thing well over, was denied her. Ah ! that " talking over," what a wonderful female attribute it is ! how vast and important a part of " woman's mission " does it con- stitute ! in fact, we have met innumerable women— the majority of our female acquaintance, we should say— whose whole and entire mission appears to consist of a " call " to " talk over," first, their neighbours' affairs (a duty to their neighbour in which they never fail), secondly, their own. The French aphorism (seldom acted upon by its voluble originators), " Cela va sans dire," must seem unspeak- ably absurd to these advocates for an indefinite extension of the " freedom of debate ; " while the " silent system " must appear a more " capital punishment " than death itself, always supposing the excellence of a punishment to be tested by its severity :— but we are slightly digressing. If anything were needed to prove the absurdity of human beings — creatures with immortal souls, placed in this world to prepare for eternity— darkening the sunshine of each other's lives by bickering about trifles, that evidence would! be afforded when we observe the manner in which such mental " nebulae "^ vanish before the presence of any of the stern realities of existence. Thus when, breakfast being concluded, Hai-ry was called mysteriously out of the apartment to learn that a mounted gi-oom had just arrived from Hazlehurst Grange, with the intelligence that old Mr. Hazlehurst had been seized with a fit, from which, when the servant came away, he was not expected to recover, Coverdale's only thought was how most tenderly and judiciously to break the sad news to Alice. Having executed his painful task with a degree of tact and delicacy of feeling for which those who knew only the rough side of his character would scarcely have given him credit, and soothed, to the best of his ability, the burst of grief with which Alice received the intelligence, Harry con- tinued, "And now, love, the moment you are able to start, the phaeton will be ready : it is lighter than the close carriage, and in an emergency like the present, every minute becomes of consequence." " And you ? " inquired Alice, glancing at him timidly through her tears. " I of course will drive you myself ; you did not suppose I should let you go alone." Alice could not reply, but as she pressed her husband's hand caressingly, the old loving look came back into her eyes, and Harry felt that he was forgiven. On reaching the Grange the report of the sick man was more favourable than Alice had dared to hope. An apoplectic fit constitutes one of the few exceptional cases in which prompt medical assistance does not necessai'ily increase the evil, and the Esculapius of the neighbourhood had this time successfully interposed between death and his victim ; while Mr. Hazlehurst had received a lesson sufficiently severe to prevent him from objecting to the substitution of toast and water and " bland " puddings for port 144 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP wine, bottled in the year 1830, and the roast beef of Old England. Coverdale having remained at the Grange for three days, during which time he had shaken hands with, and lamented over Arthur (who, summoned at the commencement of his father's illness, appeared looking so pale and thin, that it was decided " nem. con." that he was working himself to death— a view of the case which he rather than otherwise encouraged by the faintness of his denial), was forced to retirni to the Park to attend the next meeting of magis- trates, and finally to dispose of the offending poachers. Accord- ingly, having arranged with Alice to send the close can-iage for her on the day but one following, he took leave of the Hazlehurst family, and drove to H . Here, after a long examination, the aforesaid poachers were convicted, and sentenced, one to nine months', another to a year's imprisonment — Markum's evidence being so clear and convincing, that such an issue became inevitable. As the game- keeper left the court, a tall, gipsy-looking fellow came up to him, and muttered in his ear, " You'll live to repent this day's work. Master Keeper ; look to yourself one of these dark nights." " Look to yourself if I catch you on our ground," was Markum's contemptuous rejoinder; "there's enough oakum to pick in H gaol for Tom and you too." " Who is that fellow ? " inquired Coverdale, as the man, perceiving that the keeper's reply was beginning to attract attention, turned away with a scowl. " That be Jack Hargrave, Mr. Coverdale, sir," returned Markum ; " brother along o' Tom, as we've give twelve months to ; and sarve 'im right, a poachin', thievin' wagrant." " Is this fellow a poacher also ? " asked Harry. " That is he then," was the reply ; " a reg'lar bred un, and as deep a hand as ever set a snare, only he's so ' wide o',' that it's not so easy to nab the warmint; biit I'll be down upon 'im yet, for all his threatenings. He's bin heard to swear he'll put a charge o' shot under my veskit some o' these nights ; he'd better not, though, or he may find there's two can play at that game." " No violence, my good fellow, no violence ; it's not a light thing to shed the blood of a feUow-creatm-e— besides, there's a quiet way of managing these affairs. I shall warn the police to keep an eye on that man Hai-grave ; he looks dangerous ; and you may as well put on another watcher, it won't do to be short-handed just now." So saying, Coverdale turned away, and was soon deep in conversation with the inspector of the mounted rural police ; after which, refusing to make one of a jovial party who were about to dine with Tom Rattlewoi-th, and were tolerably certain to remain playing whist, and imbibing strong liquors till the small hours should be again upon the increase, he di-ove home to his solitary mansion. It was the fii'st time since his marriage that Coverdale had dined by himself, and he felt proportionably lonely ; everything tended to remind him of Alice— her favourite dog, a little black-and-tan AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 145 spaniel, witb large loving eyes, not unlike her own, leaped on his knee after dinner, and gazing wistfully at the empty chair opposite, uttered a low whine, as though it would inquire, " Where's my mistress ? " The footstool, whereon her dainty little feet were wont to repose — the screen with which she was accustomed to shade her fair cheek from the too ardent advances of the fire — each object, animate or inanimate, recalled his thoughts to Alice ; and feeling, even more strongly than he had ever yet felt, how deeply and tenderly he loved her, he for the first time perceived that love in its true light, and, in acknowledging its full reality, became conscious of the duties and responsibilities such an affection entailed upon him. Faintly and dimly at first the light broke in upon him ; deeply did he feel the diiBciilties of the task, and his own inability to perform it; and bitterly, most bitterly, did he regret his own selfish carelessness, which had, as he was fain to confess, tended already to estrange his young wife's affection, and to convert a gentle, yielding girl, into a wilful and exacting woman. And thus he sat, pondering over and regretting the past, and forming wise and good resolutions for the future, while minutes gliding by unobserved grew into houi-s, until the sudden restlessness of the little dog, which had been sleeping quietly upon his knees, roused him, and looking at his watch, he perceived it was nearly midnight. As he did so the dog, whose restlessness appeared to increase, uttered a short bark, while at the same moment a distant sound was faintly audible, which Harry's practised ear instantly recognized as the report of a gun. To spring to the window, open the shutter, and fling up the sash, was the work of an instant; a like space of time sufficed to resolve doubt into certainty,— guns were being discharged in a favourite plantation about half a mile from the house — a plantation in which the pheasants were as well fed and tame as barn-door fowls ; it was evident the poachers were taking their revenge, and that these sacred birds, the Lares and Penates of Harry's sporting mythology, were being ruthlessly slaughtered on their roosts. Harry rang the bell furiously ; then before the alarmed Wilkins (who, having commenced his career in the service of an apoplectic alderman, laboured under a chronic impression that somebody was in a fit) had passed beyond the door of the servants' hall, he rushed impetuously out of the dining-room, and meeting that bewildered domestic in full career, nearly frightened him into an attack of the malady he so much dreaded for others, by exclaiming, " Here, quick ! Tell Saunders, or some of them, to saddle the shooting cob and bring him round instantly ; then find me a hat and pea-jacket. Quick, I say ! " As the butler vanished on his mission, Coverdale took down from a peg in the hall, a special constable's staff which had been entrusted to him on behalf of her gracious Majesty, at a time when an extra dose of politics and strong beer had proved too potent for the dense agricultural pates of certain free and independent (alias bribed and tipsy) electors of the neighbouring county town. It was a stout L IIG HARRY COVERD ALE'S COURTSHIP piece of ash, about a foot and a half long, thicker than an ordinary broom-stick, and weighted with lead, for the benefit of any iimisuaUy opaque skuU into which it might be deemed ad\dsable to knock a respect for our glorious constitution. Harry felt its weight, and, as he passed his wrist thi'ough the leather thong attached to it, he thought to himself they would be bold men who could prevent him, with that in his hand, from going where he pleased. The instant the cob appeared he sprang into the saddle. "Do you and Marshal get a couple of stout sticks, and make the best of your way to the ash plantation ! " he exclaimed hastily ; " there are poachers out, and from their venturing to come so near the house, I should fancy there must be a strong gang of them, and Markum may want all the help we can give him." So saying, Coverdale gathered up the reins, and without waiting the groom's reply, rode off at a brisk canter. As he approached the wood, he di-ew in and paused, uncertain whether Markum might yet have reached the scene of action : as he listened, the sound of men crashing thi-ough the dry imderwood became distinctly audible ; then shouts and a clamoxu- of angi-y voices, and finally, the un- mistakable noise of a conflict met his ear. Pausing no longer, he put his horse into a gallop, and dashed on till he reached a hand- gate leading into the wood. This, to his annoyance, he foimd locked ; true, he had a master-key, which he had foi-tunately brought with him, but he was forced to dismoimt in order to unfasten the padlock. While thus engaged, the sounds proved that the affray was stUl raging fiercely, and, as he flung the gate open, a gun was discharged, followed almost instantaneously by the report of two others. Fearing mischief might occur before he could reach the combatants, Coverdale remounted hastily, and heedless alike of obstacles and darkness, galloped down one of the grass rides through the plantation, avoiding collision with the trunks and branches of trees by, as it appeared, a succession of miracles. Before, however, he could arrive at the scene of action, the sound of blows, the shouts and imprecations, had ceased, and nothing but a confused hum of voices, together with a low moaning, as of some person iU or in pain, met his ear. Forcing his horse through the tangled under- wood, Coverdale came suddenly upon a group of men, amongst whom he recognized several of his own farm laboui-ers, while two under- keepers were kneeling beside the prostrate figure of a man who, from the stiff, unnatural attitude in which he lay, appeared either dead or dying. To leap to the ground, and snatch a lantern from one of the bystanders, was Harry's first act ; then bending over the fallen man, he recognized in the ghastly features, distorted and convulsed with agony, the well-known countenance of honest, sturdy Markum, while from a gun-shot wound in his right side the dark life-blood was slowly flowing. " How has this happened ? " was Coverdale's hurried inquiry. " Is it an accident, or have any of those scoundrels dared to shoot him ? " J AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 147 There was a moment's pause, and tlien one of the elder men replied, " It wor no accident, Mr. Coverdale; but Giles tliere can tell you best, squire ; be wor nearest to un wben be dropped." Tbe under-keeper thus appealed to — a tall, strapping young fellow, who was vainly attempting to staunch the blood which still continued to flow — tui'ned to reply, while Coverdale, kneeling beside the wounded man, endeavoured to arrange a more e:ffectual bandage. " All as I know, sir," he said, " is that I wor a watching nigh down by the warren, when up cum poor Master Markum here, and ' Giles,' says he, ' ye're wanted, lad ; there's them out as didn't oughter be. So him and I, and the rest o' our mates here, which master had appinted to meet at eleven o'clock — for I espect he'd had some hint give him of what was to be up, made for the ash spinney, and laid us down in a ditch. Well, it warn't long afore we heard the black- guards at work among the pheasants, a banging away like blazes. "We waited till they got near us, and then we up and at 'em like good uns. There was more of 'em nor there was o' we, so they showed fight a bit. Poor master there he jest wor real savage ; he hit out hard and straight, and rolled 'em over like nine-pins ; they worn't o' no manner o' use again him, not none on 'era. Well, they soon got enough of that sort of fun, and one arter another cut away, till at last they all fairly turned tail and bolted — that is, all but one, and him master collared, and says he, * Stop a bit. Jack ; I'm agoin' to send you to see your brother in H gaol ; I'm afeared Tom should be dull for want o' cumpany, poor chap ! ' Well, Jack Hargrave, for him it wor, fit sharp for his libm-ty, but master wor too good a man for him ; and he'd a took him as safe as mutton, only Jack bollard arter one of his mates as had a gun, and told him to shoot the keeper, and not let him be took. The fellow stopped and faced round— he wor a young chap as I knows well— I'd cotched sight of his face afore he cut away, a soft young feller, as anybody might bully into any- thing ; and when Jack rapped out a volley of oaths, and told him to let fly, and chance hittin' him, shoot he did, and poor master let go his hold o' Jack's collar, and rolled over and over like I've seen many a hare and rabbid roU over afore his gun." "But there was more than one barrel discharged," interposed Coverdale ; " I heard three shots in succession — how was that ? " " Why, when I see poor Master Markum fall, I was jest agoin' to kneel down to raise him a bit, when I ketched sight o' Jack Hargrave and his pal a cutting away like lamplighters, and I felt mad like to think he should get off scotfree arter what he'd been and done, and having my gun in my hand, I give 'em the contents of both barrels ; it wora't right, I knows, Mr. Coverdale, but if you'd been in my place, squire, I'm blessed if I don't think you'd ha done the same, axing your pardon." Feeling a strong private conviction that " Giles " had only judged him correctly, Harry looked grave and shook his head, as if such a 148 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP possiliility coiild not exist in the case of a magistrate, ere he inquired, " Do you think you hit either of them ? " " They'd got a farish start before I pulled at 'em," was the reply, " and the light ain't that good for a long shot, but I fancy Jack Hargrave's got something to take home with him, for he gave a rare jump as the charge reached him ; but it wam't enough to stop him, for I see him a runnin' like a gi'ey hound arterwards." While this conversation was proceeding, Ooverdale, by aid of sundry neckcloths, and a strip that he cut from his own pea-jacket, had contrived a bandage which in great measure stopped the bleeding, and Markum revived sufficiently to recognize those about him ; as his eyes fell on Ooverdale, a faint smile passed across his featm'es. " Is it you, squire ? " he murmured in a low voice. " Ah ! you always had a kind heart of your own; Jack Hargrave's kep his word, you see. I expects him and his mate 'as finished me atween 'em this time." " We'll hope not, my poor fellow— but don't speak. Do you think you can bear carrying yet — yes ? Four of you take that hand-gate off its hinges, and bring it here ; we'll lay him on that. We shall have a surgeon for you directly, my poor fellow ! I sent one of the lads off on my horse to fetch Mr. Gouger the moment I came up— now, steady with him. I'U lift his head — that's it ; now raise the gate steadily. Gently there— well done— are you all ready ? Step together, mind — march." As he spoke, Harry (who himself supported one coraer of the temporary litter he had contrived) and three others raised the wounded man on their shoulders, and caiTied him to his own cottage, which fortunately was near at hand. He bore the transit bravely, though the pain occasioned by such motion as was unavoidable, reduced him more than once to the verge of fainting. Shortly after he had reached his destination the surgeon arrived. Ooverdale waited until he had pronounced the wound dangerous, though not necessarily mortal, then leaving him to make a more minute ex- amination, he quitted the house. He found a mounted policeman awaiting him outside, who, making his rounds, had been attracted by the sound of gims at that unusual hour. "Ah, policeman, I was just going to send after you; my head keeper has been shot by these poaching rascals, and is seriously hurt, I'm afraid ! " exclaimed Ooverdale. " How are we to make sure of the fellows who did it? It lies between a man called Jack Hargi-ave — " " A reg'lar bad un," observed the horse-patrol, parenthetically. " You said you knew the other man," continued Haiiy, appealing to the under-keeper ; " are you acquainted with his name ? " " They do call him ' Winkey ' in a general way, from a trick he's got with his eyelids; but his right name be Jim Fags," was the reply. AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 149 "I know liim," observed tlie policeman, "Well, sir, as we're acquainted with tlie parties, I sliould say we're safe to be down upon 'em somewberes to-moi-row. I'll ride over to H , and put all our men on tbe scent." " Stay ! tbat gives me an idea," said Coverdale ; then turning to the vmder-keeper, be continued in a lower voice — " You are sui-e you hit Hai-gi-ave— are you, Giles ? " Tbe young man nodded in tbe affirmative, and bis master resumed, — " Go and fetcb Nero, poor Markum's nigbt-dog, muzzle bim, and bring bim in one of tbe greybound leasbes. We'll contrive to take tbese rascals before day dawns, policeman." Wbile Coverdale was explaining bis plan to tbe patrol, Giles re- turned witb tbe dog : it was a splendid animal, a cross between tbe Englisb mastiff and a Spanisb bloodbound. Its size was unusual, and its strength enormous. Its eyes glared red in tbe torcbligbt, like tbose of some wild beast. Wben it saw tbe policeman it uttered a low gi-owl, and tbe bristles on its back stood up like a mane; but at a word from Coverdale it relinquished its hostile attitude, and, witb a sagacious look, which said almost as plainly as words could have expressed it — " I comprehend ; it's not him they've sent for me to worry " — thrust its huge head caressingly into its master's band. " Now, patrol," resumed Coverdale, " if you will ride along the skirts of the wood, and lead my horse, I fancy I shall be able to put the dog on the track of these fellows — and, if so, he will never leave it till the game is run down. You have handcuffs witb you P " " Aye, and pistols too, for the matter of that," was the reply. "I don't expect they will be required," rejoined Coverdale; "tbe scoundrels will scarcely want more fighting than they've bad already ; " then signalling Giles to follow with the dog, be turned, and, re-entering the plantation, soon reached the scene of tbe late conflict. " Now try and find, as nearly as possible, the spot where Hargrave was when you fired at bim," began Coverdale ; " give me the dog to hold, and take the lantern with you." Giles obeyed ; and having walked about fifty paces dovra a narrow pathway through tbe wood, began carefully to examine tbe ground on either side. Having pursued his investigations for some minutes in silence, be paused, examined tbe spot still more closely, and then made a sign to Coverdale to join him. On reaching the place HaiTy observed, by tbe light of the lantern, several dark spots, and a long mark on the soft ground, as though some person bad slipped and nearly fallen, then deep footsteps led towards tbe outskirts of tbe wood. The moment the dog perceived tbe scent of blood, all tbe savage instinct of its nature awoke, and, •with a bound, which tested the strength of the leash, and nearly dia- 130 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP located Coverdale's slioulders, it sprang forward along the ti-ack of tlie fugitives. Five minutes' painful toiling through bush and briar, brought them to the outskirts of the plantation, where they found the policeman waiting with the horses. Hastily springing to the saddle, Coverdale made Giles attach a small cord he had brought with him to the end of the leash, against which the bloodhound now strained impatiently; then twisting the other end round his own wrist, he was about to desire the under-keeper to return, when the patrol interfered by observing, — " Better take Giles with us, sir !" " Why so, policeman P " rejoined Coverdale sharply ; " we'i*e two to two, fresh men against tired ones; besides, you're armed and they're not." " Jack's got a gun with him, and is likely enough to use it now his steam's up," insinuated Giles, who by no means approved of losing his share in the expedition. " And when we have nabbed 'em, I shall want help to convey 'em to H gaol," pleaded the policeman. " I can take him up behind me." " As you will ; only lose no more time," was Coverdale's reply ; and cheering on the dog, he rode forward at a brisk trot. The track led them through the Park, and then over hiU and dale, ploughed field, and rough stubble, till it brought them out upon a wide bleak common, dotted here and there wdth patches of furze and broom, which showed dark and shadowy in the moonbeams, like plumes upon a hearse. Across the wildest and most tangled portion of the heath the dog led them, still straining at the leash, and utter- ing from time to time a suppressed whimper indicative of impatience. On the farther side of the common rose a steep bank, in one portion of w^hich a deep hollow had been excavated for the purpose of obtaining gravel. As the dog approached this place, its eagerness became, if possible, stronger than before, until, at about thirfy yai'ds from the spot, it suddenly stopped, and again erecting the bnstles on its back, uttered a deep growl. At the same moment, Coverdale, whose sight was remarkably keen, perceived a figure cautiously stealing away under cover of the bushes. Pointing him out to the policeman, whose horse was beginning to evince symptoms of distress under its double biu'den, Coverdale observed, — " I can only see one man, but let us make sure of him. Get down, Giles, and hold the dog. Now patrol, while I ride round that bush and head the fellow, do you go on and seize him ; and if you want any assistance, I shall be ready to afford it." So saying, Coverdale rode foi-wai-d to cut off the poacher's retreat, while the policeman, putting spurs to his horse, and di-awing hia cutlass, dashed up to the fellow, and seized him by the collar. Overawed by the gleaming weapon, and exhausted by his previous exertions, the imfortunate Jim Fags (alias "Winkey) attempted no resistance ; and the policeman availed himself of his pusillanimity to i 1^ AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 151 produce tlie handcuffs, and dexterously secure his prisoner. He was thus engaged when Coverdale, who was walking his horse quietly towards them, suddenly caught sight of what, at the first glance, appeared to liim only the stump of a tree, but on closer inspection proved to be the figure of a man, crouchiug under the shadow of the gravel-pit, while, at the moment in which Coverdale first perceived him, he was taking a deliberate aim with a short gun at the imcon- scious patrol. For a moment the policeman's life hung upon a thread ; but a slight movement of the horse brought the unfortunate Winkey's head into the line of fire, and his accomplice lowered his piece and slightly altered his position, while he took fresh aim. The opportunity was not to be lost — quick as thought Coverdale rose in his stirrups, and with the full force of his muscular arm hurled the constable's staff, which he had retained the whole evening, at the head of the kneeling figure. Fortunately for the policeman, the missile took effect, and stunned by the force of the blow, Jack Hargrave (for he it was) measured his length upon the turf, dis- charging the gun harmlessly as he fell. Before he could regain hia feet, Giles and the dog (who, but for his muzzle, would have torn the poacher to pieces) were upon him. In less than two hours from that time both the culprits were safely lodged in H gaol. CHAPTER XXYIII. ALICE SUCCOURS THE DISTRESSED. Mr. Hazlehurst's progress towards recovery was so satisfactory that Alice, when the carriage arrived to fetch her home, felt not the smallest scruple in leaving him. As Harry considered the distance between the Grange and Coverdale Park too great for his carriage- horses to perform twice in one day, the equipage had been despatched the previous evening, and the servants were consequently unacquainted with the events of the past night. Having taken leave of her mother — who, roused by the necessity of becoming a nurse instead of a patient, appeared rather benefited than otherwise by the unusual demand upon her energies— and of Emily, now fast developing into a very pretty girl, Alice started on her return home, and accom- plished the greater portion of the transit without let or hindrance. When within about five miles of the Park, however, one of the horses was discovered to have cast a shoe ; and as it would have been worth more than his situation to have taken it farther in so defenceless a 152 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP condition, tlie coacliman drew up at a village blacksmith's, wliere tlie evil might be remedied. Under these circumstances, Alice determined to V7alk on till the can-iage should overtake her, which, as the morning was fine, she considered the reverse of a hardship. Pondering many things — for Alice was no longer the careless, light- hearted girl we once described her — she trudged on, at first briskly, then more leisurely, as the road began to ascend, until she might have proceeded some two miles ; and yet the carriage did not make its appearance. Toiling up hill, attired as ladies usually ai-e from November to April, with an amount of merino, velvet, and fur, which might defy the severities of a Siberian winter, and is clearly " de trop " under the influence of a simshiny morning in March, not unnaturally rendered Alice hot and tired ; and fancying, from her imperfect knowledge of the locality, that she must be upon her husband's territory, she determined to make acquaintance with the inmates of a cottage which she perceived by the roadside a short distance higher up the hill, and with their permission, to rest herself until the carriage should arrive. With this intention she approached the cottage, and finding the door closed, rapped at it with first her knuckles, then the handle of a most frivolous and ephemeral little parasol ; but neither of these appli- cations producing the desired effect, she, like little Red Riding-hood, raised theilatch and opened the door. The sight which met her eyes was one calculated alike to stimulate her curiosity and interest her sym- pathies. In a cradle on the opposite side of the room, lay an uncon- scious and remai-kably pretty and comfortable-looking baby fast asleep, while near it, with the light from the casement streaming full upon her smooth dark hair, only partially concealed beneath her neat white cap, sat the young mother, her face hidden in her hands, weeping bitterly. Starting at the soimd of the opening door, she removed her hands, and disclosed features which, swollen and disfigured as they were by grief, yet evinced tokens of unusual beauty. She rose as Alice entered, and hastily drying her tears, stood regarding her with a wild eager glance of inquiry. "What have you come to tell meP" she said: "they have not relented— not set him at liberty again P — or the other one— he is not worse — oh, God !— not dead P " Surprised and embarrassed by the strange eagerness of her manner, and interested by her appearance and evident distress, Alice hastened to assm-e her that she was not the bearer of any tidings, good or evil, and having explained the object of her intrusion, continued, — " But you are anxious or unhappy about something ; will you not tell me why you were crying so bitterly when I came in — perhaps I may be able to assist you ? " Thus appealed to, the girl (for she appeared scarcely above twenty) fixed her dark eyes on Alice's face, and reading therein her kind and loving nature, which indeed was so legibly depicted that the veriest dullard at deciphering character could scarcely fail to discover it, answered more gently than she had before spoken, — ""' /%^y^;^ -^ AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 153 " I heg pai-don, lady ; but I'm amost crazy with grief this morning, and my head's so a-running on it, that I hardly know what I'm a-saying or a-doing on. Te're Avelcome to rest, lady, as long as you please ; " and as she spoke she dusted a chair with her apron, and placed it for Alice, who seating herseK, resumed,— " You say you are unhappy, but you do not tell me what about." The woman paused for a moment in thought, then continued,— " I need make no secret of it ; the whole country round is ringing with it by this time. Some poor fellows, lady, as had wives and children to feed, and no money to buy bread to give to 'em, went to get a few of the birds and things that's running wild in the woods of them that's rich, and don't want 'em ; and the keepers cum to stop 'em, and one of 'em got shot in the confusion ; and the police have took my husband and my brother, and swear the're the men that did it; and the're to be had up to-day before them that's sure tocondenm 'em, innocent or guilty— gentlemen that chuses to keep the wild creatures that God sent for food for them as wants it, all for their O'vvTi selfish amusement — begging your pardon, lady — but it's the truth; and when one's heart aches like mine does, the truth will out." " It is natural, perhaps, that you should think thus in your situa- tion,"iretui'ned Alice gi-avely ; " but depend upon it your husband and your brother will not be punished unless they justly deserve it. The gamekeeper was not killed, I hope ? " " Oh no, my lady ! not hurt very serious neither I do hope ; only they want to make the most of it, to get a chance to punish my poor fellows, don't you see ? " was the reply ; " and if my husband is put in prison for long, and lays out of work, what's to become o' me and the children ? " " You have more than this one, then P " inquired Alice. For answer the woman rose, and passing into the inner room of the cottage, in less than a minute returned, bearing in her arms a little girl, apparently about two years old, whose bright rosy cheeks, and eyes evidently distressed by the vivid sunlight, gave unmistak able tokens of having been roused out of a sound sleep. Alicf possessed a thorough woman's love of children, leading her tc consider ugly ones pretty, and pretty ones " little angels " ; so she immediately took this pai-ticular duodecimo angelic specimen on her knee, and won ite celestial affections by allowing it to play with her watch, and a bunch of miscellaneous rubbish attached thereunto, and denominated, on the " lucus a non lucendo " principle, a chatelaine. This reinforcement of infantry having completely won the day (the " dear " sleeping baby had been a powerful unconscious advocate of its parent's cause), Alice began to consider how best she could assist the distressed mother. The first point was to leam to whom to apply in favour of the culprits, and she accordingly inquired on whose land they had been taken, and in whose service the wounded gamekeeper resided ? The answer was at the same time emban-assing 154 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP and satisfactory. Of coiu'se, if the offence had been committed upon her husband's property, he could, if he would, decline to prosecute the offenders — if he would ?— there lay the difficulty. Alice was well aware of the serious light in which Han-y regarded the crime of poaching ; and the attack on the gamekeeper even she was forced to reprobate ; but if it should prove that the man was not seriously injm-ed, she trusted to her newly-regained influence to enable her to place the matter in such a light that Harry would agree with her in overlooking the culprit's offence for the sake of his family ; or, at all events, if that was expecting too much of his penitence, she had only to ask it as a personal favour, and he surely could not refuse her. So, carried away by her feelings of kindly sympathy, and acting on the impulse of the moment, she put forth all her powers of consolation, and ended by disclosing her name, and the relation in which she stood towards that persecutor of poachers, Harry Coverdale, at the same time promising to use;her influence, which she represented as all-power- ful, to screen the culprits from the effects of their misdemeanours. Before her consolatory harangue was well concluded, the carriage arrived, and Alice, having kissed the children (the unfortimate baby being aroused expressly for the performance of the affectionate ceremony, a violation of the rights of the subject which it resented by crying and slobbering with a twenty-infant power over Alice's velvet mantle), left five shillings in the hands of their mamma, by way of a peace-offering, and depai*ted, thoroughly satisfied with her ' debut ' in the character of poor man's friend and cottager's comforter. An the way she drove home she was building castles in the air for the benefit and behoof of the ruined family, having mentally adopted the little girl as lady's-maid, and apprenticed the baby, which was of the nobler sex, to a serious and immaculate carpenter, before she reached the Park. Coverdale was absent when his wife arrived, having ridden over to H , to assist at the committal of Jack Hargrave and his accomplice ; but she received from Wilkins, who was, in more senses than one, a confidential servant, an over-full, untrue, and particularly- exaggerated account of the affray of the ijrevious night, from which she acquired two facts, which tended considerably to disquiet her, viz. : — first, that the wounded man was Markum, her husband's especial favourite; and secondly, that Harry had been personally involved in the affair ; both of which considerations increased the difficulty of the negotiation for gaol-delivery to which she had incautiously pledged herself. Having taken off her things, she proceeded first to fraternize with her King Charles spaniel and the two canary-birds (which latter plumed bipeds celebrated her return in songs of shrill triumph, like a couple of inebriated penny whistles), then to put all the ornaments right, which the housemaid had dusted into uncomfortable and heterodox positions. She had just discovered a china cup, which nobody had broken, and which yet was divided in several places, having probably split its own sides AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 155 laughing at the grotesque figures with which its manirfacturer had seen fit to embellish it, and she was hunting for a bottle of diamond cement wherewith to repair the damage before her husband's return, when the sovmd of horses' feet announced that event to have taken place. The first words that met her ear were, " Let one of the helpers go down to Markum's cottage, wait till Mr. Gouger has seen him again, and bring me his report without a moment's delay ; if it should be unsatisfactory I'll send for Brodie by electric telegraph. Is your mistress returned ? " A warm embrace, an expression of his delight at having her back again, a hurried inquiry after Mr. Hazlehurst, and then Harry rushed into his narrative of the poaching affair, and in his eagerness to detail every circumstance of a matter which interested him so deeply, did not notice the tameness of Alice's sympathy, or the lukewarm manner in which she seconded his virtuous indignation against the miscreants who had all but murdered good, honest Markum : " And small thanks to them that it was ' all but,' for, if ever a scoundrel meant mischief, that scoundrel was Jack Hargrave." Alice saw this was no time to ui-ge her suit, and so merely confined herself to the general remark, that it was a dreadful affair for all parties, and that she pitied the wives of the wretched men who had committed the rash act, as much as anybody concerned in the matter ; to which Harry replied, — " That it served them right for marrying poachers, and that they might think they were lucky not to be the victims themselves, for that a fellow who would take to poaching was capable of cutting his wife's throat, or of any other enormity." Mr. Gouger's report was, on the whole, satisfactory. Markum was going on well, though he (Gouger) could not pronounce him out of danger; the injury was very serious, and several days must elapse before the ulterior consequences would be apparent; or, as the doctor himself remarked, " the effect of extraneous particles of plumbago, or lead, introduced into the vital system by the sudden expansion of saltpetre and other explosive compounds compressed within the narrow limits of a gun-barrel, and discharged thence by ignition, according to the natiu-al laws of projectiles, was most subtle and deleterious, leading sometimes to the total destruction of animal life, at others to a concussion of the nervous system; or again," &c., &c. : from which sapient opinion Harry collected that Brodie need not be sent for immediately. Days glided by, the prisoners were remanded till Markum's chance of life or death should be ascertained, and Alice had not found a fitting moment in which to make her appeal. At length the surgeon, with grave looks, which might mean evei-ything, anything, or nothing, advised, merely as a matter of precaution, that the wounded man should make a deposition before a magistrate, so that if any- 156 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP thing were to happen, the jury might have the advantage of his statement of facts. Coverdale, therefore, having persuaded one of his brother magistrates to accompany him, proceeded to the cottage for the above purpose. Shortly after he had set off, Alice waa informed that a poor woman was desirous of speaking to her ; and on ordering her to be shown in, she was less surprised than embai-rassed to recognize in the teai-ful applicant her cottage hostess, the wife of the culprit, Jack Hargrave. The result of the interview may be easily foreseen. Alice descanted on the greatness of the crime committed, Mr. Coverdale's virtuous indignation against the offenders, and the consequent difficulty of persuading him not to prosecute them. Mrs. Jack brought forward, in reply, the baby and a flood of teai-s, — arguments so unanswerable that Alice, having kissed the one, and all but joined in the other, dismissed the afflicted matron, having i-enewed her pledge of exerting her whole influence in favour of the prisoners. It was with a feeling akin to desperation that she determined to plead her prot^g^es' cause the moment Harry should i-eturn, certain that if she again allowed her ardour to cool, she should never have courage to enter upon the subject to him. Accordingly, as soon as he had finished giving her an account of the clear and able manner in which Markum had detailed the proceed- ings of the eventful night on which the affray had occm-red, she began, — " I, too, have had rather a trying interview ; the wife of one of the men who have been taken up on suspicion has been here— a frail, delicate-looking, young creature, scarcely more than a girl, with the dearest, sweetest little baby imaginable. I do so wish you had seen it!" Harry muttered a reply, which, though scai-cely audible, conveyed the impression that he was perfectly content without having had ocular demonstration of its infantine perfections; and Alice continued, — " Tes, I wish you had seen both mother and child— its sweet, innocent looks, and the poor girl's tears, would have pleaded her cause better than any arguments of mine can do, your kind heai-t could never have resisted them." " Plead her cause," repeated Coverdale ; " that means, because her husband and his accomplice have been so obliging as to destroy my game, and murder, or half murder, as the case may prove, my head keeper, she considers it my duty to support herself and family, I suppose ; she has brought this irresistible baby as a safe dodge to work upon your feminine susceptibilities ; and, with thorough woman's logic, she has persuaded you to look upon her as a suffering innocent, and upon me as a tyrannical oppressor. Now confess— is not this the truth ? " " No, really it is not," replied Alice eagerly. " I own I think yon, from your passion for field-sports, take rather an exaggerated view of the crime of poaching ; but I quite feel as you do, that wounding AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 157 poor Markum was a cruel and cowardly act ; stiU, revenging it upon this family will not benefit him nor ourselves." " I don't wish the people to staiwe, of course," returned Harry, moodily, " though I should imagine the yoimg woman and her brata can scarcely have got through all the game in her larder yet. I should not mind starving on hashed hare and broiled pheasants' legs myself for a week or two ; however, if the poor girl really is in want, I have no objection to your relieving her, but do not be imposed upon, darling, that is all that I mean to say." The kindness of her husband's manner, and the good-natured way in which he appeared willing to support the family of the man who had injured him, served alike to remove Alice's fears, and to lead her to overrate the extent of her influence with her husband ; so, leaning her arm on his shoulder, while with her other hand she smoothed back his clustering hair, she continued, " What a good, kind boy it is, though it does growl sometimes. But now, to show you that my protegde is not seeking to impose on me for the sake of obtaining money, I wiU tell you that her petition was for quite a different object, and one creditable alike to her feelings as a wife and a sister : she wants you to act as only a high and generous nature like your own would be capable of acting — she implores you to pardon her husband and her brother." " To do WHAT ! " exclaimed Harry sharply, a dark shade coming across his features. "To let off two of the men who were engaged in this unlucky business — her hiisband and her brother— not to prosecute them, I mean," returned Alice, removing her hand from her husband's shoulder and preparing to " hold her own," in the dispute she fore- saw impending. *' And their names ? " inquired Cover dale. Alice repeated them. " As I expected," resumed Coverdale ; " the man who fired the shot and his accomplice, who, more guilty than himself, m-ged him to do it. Now, ask your own good sense, Alice, and reflect a moment before you answer. Even were I willing, can I in common justice let these fellows off ? " " Oh, yes ! " exclaimed Alice, without a moment's deliberation ; " it is so great— so noble to forgive an injury ! Revenge is but a mean, petty feeling, after all." " An admirable reason for shaking hands with an individual who has knocked you down," returned Coverdale, " biit none whatsoever for screening two malefactors fi-om the just punishment of their ill- deeds;" then, lapsing into the magistrate, he continued, "You mistake the whole scope and intention of our penal code, my dear Alice. We do not punish offenders as an act of revenge upon the individual, but in order to benefit society by deterring others from committing a like crime; thus, laying aside personal feeling, I should be doing an injury to the community at large, by 158 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP refusing to prosecute these fellows. You see this clearly, do you not?" Alice's reasoning powers did see it, and liad seen it all along, but Alice had also seen tlie poor wife and the meritorious and seductive baby, and she cared " fifty thousand times " (as she herself would have expressed it) more for them than for the commimity at large ; so finding that the argument was going against her, she, woman-like, adi-oitly shifted her ground. " According to your reasoning, there would be no room for such a quality as mercy," she began ; " stem, inexorable justice would condemn every criminal, no matter what extenuating circumstances there might be ; in each case punishment must follow sin, as effect follows cause. I, for one, should be very sorry always to be judged by such a cruel rule." " Oh, if you're going to put German metaphysical sophistries in the place of English common-sense, I've no more to say about it," retm-ned Harry gi-ufily ; "only it seems to my simplicity that punish- ment always does follow crime in this world, as soon as it's found out. If a brat steals the sugar, its mother slaps it ; if a schoolboy prigs apples, the master flogs him ; if an apprentice bolts with the till, the law transports him ; if Jack murders Tom, the hangman stretches his neck for him ; — and serve 'em all right say I ; it would be a precious deal worse world to live in if it were not so, to my thinking." Alice paused to consider the justice of this remark— we will follow her example ! CHAPTER XXIX. now TO MAKE HOME HAPPY, Mrs. Covbrdalb, resuming the matrimonial discussion broken off at the end of the last chapter, thus pursued the argument by which she hoped to induce her husband to let off her poaching protege. " In the present case the innocent must suffer with the guilty. I see no justice in ruining a poor family by imprisoning or transport- ing the only member who is able to work and support it." " The said member should have thought of that himself," returned Harry; "if he had been working and supporting his family, he would have been safe from transportation, like any other honest man ; but as he prefen-ed to steal my game and shoot my keeper, he thereby deprived his family of the pleasure of his inestim- able society ; it is he, therefore, who has brought this evil upon them, AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 159 not I ; and when I consent to your relieving their necessities out of my pocket, I think I am doing, to say the least of it, as much as any reasonable woman ought to expect of me." Despite her prejudices in favour of the seraphic hahy and its interesting mother, Alice felt the trath of her husband's reasoning ; but she had boasted of her power too confidently, and pledged her- self to exei"t it too deeply, to retreat ; so, perceiving that argument would avail her nothing, she was obliged to fall back vipon woman's last resource— personal influence, and strive to win from Harry's affection that which his reason had denied her. A dangerous experi- ment, pretty Alice ! and one in Avhich, if your philosophy did but go deep enough to enable you to discern it, you would perceive success to be a greater evil than failure, for it would argue culpable weakness in him on whom you have to lean for support through life. But Alice was by no means in an ethical frame of mind at that moment, and cared only for obtaining her point by any means which occurred to her ; so, drawing a stool close to Harry, she meekly seated herself at his feet, and looking up into his face with her large imploring eyes, began coaxingly, " Harry, dear, are you quite, quite determined to say No?" - -, An affirmative bend o£ the head was the only reply. " But if I make it a personal request," she continued, laying her soft cheek caressingly against his hand ; " if I ask you to forgive these men for my sake, and so afford me the exquisite pleasure of making this poor woman happy P Oh ! you will not refuse me. If you do, I shall think you do not love me. Oome, you will say Tes." Poor Harry ! he was sorely perplexed. Had it been any personal sacrifice— even a pledge to give up hunting or shooting— which she required of liim, he would gladly have yielded, in the true and deep tenderness towards his wife which his late self-examination had aroused. But the serious thoughts which a review of his past errors had called forth, while they pointed out to him how he had failed in his duty to her whom he had vowed to love and protect, also proved to him that where Alice was inclined to act wi-ongly, or foolishly, he was bound to save her even from herself ; and his clear, good sense instantly told him that this was a request which she ought not to have urged, since to grant it would necessitate a sacrifice of principle on his part. Accordingly, he replied,— " Alice love, listen to me ; this is not a mere matter of personal feeling, or I would yield to you without a moment's hesitation, but it involves a question of right and wrong. I could not refuse to prosecute these men without diffusing an amount of moral evil amongst the whole of my poorer tenantry, which years of the most careful supervision would fail to eradicate. The utmost I can promise you is, that the culprits shall have every opportunity afforded them of clearing themselves ; and if, as I am convinced, that proves impossible, every palliating circumstance shall be brought forward and allowed its fullest weight. I have already 160 HARRY CO VERB ALE'S COURTSHIP given you my free permission to assist the poor woman and her children, and more than this you cannot expect me to say." " But I do, or rather I did, expect you to say more," returned Alice, with flashing eyes and glowing cheeks ; " I expected you to say what I would have said to you, if you had appealed to me thus — that there was nothing, even if it were life itself, that I would not give up for your sake. But I see how it is, you do not really care for me, or, if you do, man's love is not like woman's ; it is merely the excite- ment of the pursuit that interests you — the prize once attained becomes valueless in yoiir eyes : in fact, love, which makes the entire joy or soiTow of a woman's life, is to men but a superior kind of sporting — more engrossing than a fox-chase, or than hunting a poor stag to death, simply because the game is of a higher order." She paused to give vent to a sob which she was unable entirely to repress, then continued in a sarcastic tone of voice : " However, mighty hunter as you are, I do not intend to give you the satisfaction of being in at my death ; I have too much of the old Hazlehui'st spirit about me to break my heart for a man who does not love me. There is a quiet way, as you call it, of arranging these affairs : you have your own pursuits and amusements, henceforward I shall have mine. You need not dread my again attempting to interfere either with your pleasures, or your graver occupations. I have had too severe a lesson on each point to forget it readily. But I expect you to exercise the same forbearance towards me. From this day forth we each follow our own line ! " and, di-awing her shawl over her shoulders, with an imperious gesture, as of an offended queen, Alice swept out of the room, leaving Harry in a frame of mind which may be more easily imagined than described. A complete change, which might have been dated from the above conversation, appeared to have taken place in Alice Coverdale. Instead of shrinking, as she had hitherto done, from society, she rather com-ted it than otherwise — ordering the carriage, and visiting the different families in the neighbourhood, without consulting Harry on the subject, or seeming to care in the slightest degree whether he accompanied her or not. At first this conduct on his wife's part occasioned Coverdale the greatest uneasiness ; but, after a time, seeing that she was amused and interested by the new acquaintances she thus formed, he began to hope that good might perhaps come out of evil, and that the intimacies then commenced might afford sources of lasting pleasure when the feeling of pique which had led her to seek them should have long since died away. And so the time glided on, working its usual changes in men and things as it passed away. Mr. Gouger having ventured one day to commit himself to the rash assertion that Markum was sinking rapidly, and could not possibly survive the week, from that hour the gamekeeper began to amend, and had sufficiently advanced in his progi-ess towards recovery to be able to appear and give evidence in person, when Jack AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 161 Hargrave and his accomplice took their trial at the next assizes. So unmistakably was their guilt brought home to them that they were each sentenced to seven years' transportation, and would pi-obably have had fourteen allotted to them, but for the thorough good faith with which Harry redeemed his promise to Alice thxt every extenuating circumstance should be clearly placed before the jury. Indeed, he laboured so strenuously to impress this point upon the counsel for the prisoners, that the learned brother, entei-taining a proper degi-ee of professional scepticism in regard to the purity of human motives, immediately settled, to his own satisfaction, that Jack Hargrave must be a natural son of the late Admiral Coverdale, commended, with his dying breath, to his nephew's especial care and protection. Alice received the news of the verdict with gi'eat sang- froid, merely remarking that she had felt certain all along that it would be so; but when she had gained the privacy of her own chamber she indulged in a hearty flood of tears, occasioned as much by what she was pleased to consider her husband's inhumanity as by her compassion for the poor woman and her transcendental baby. As these latter individuals exercise no further influence over the destinies of our principal " dramatis personse," we may as well, ere we finally take leave of them add the information that Alice (having supported them much better than Jack Hargrave had done in his best days), at the expiration of two years sent them out at her own expense to join that worthy, who, reformed by sea sickness and the amenities of convict discipline, had obtained a ticket of leave, by reason of which privilege he was enacting the part of a penitent bullock-driver, to the admii-ation of all right-minded settlers in Australia. The month of May had begun to temper with a dash of sunshine the fine old English east winds of April, which annually sow their share of the seeds of consumption in the glorious British constitu- tion — Harry Coverdale had ceased to oppress the brute creation, leaving foxes and pheasants to increase and multiply by antagonistic progression — and all London was flocking to the Royal Academy Exhibition, to see a great many very original portraits of gentlemen, who scarcely looked the character after all — when one fine morning Alice received a letter from the modern Babylon in Mrs. Crane's handwriting. Having eagerly perused it, she exclaimed, — " Kate has written a most kind and pressing invitation to us to come and stay with them; Mr. Crane wishes it as much as she does." " Or as much as she orders him to do rather," muttered Coverdale, ' sotto voce.' " Of course you can have no objection to my accepting it," con- tinued Alice ; " for myself, at all events ? " " Am not I invited ? " inquired Harry gravely. " Yes, certainly ; only I did not know whether you could tear your- self away from youi- dearly beloved dogs and guns." M 162 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " And yoii were willing to have gone without me ? " " I did not wish to be any tie upon you," was Alice's reply, though she coloured slightly and turned away her head as she spoke. " Tou remember our compact; I am a great advocate for free will." " Between husband and wife such a question ought never to arise," rejoined Harry seriously but kindly ; " there should be complete unanimity. I hoped you had forgotten all that folly." " I never forget unkindness," was the cold reply ; " but I see you are going to favour me with a specimen of your ' quiet manner,' and as I am not in the humour for a scene or a lecture, you really must excuse my leaving you ; " and as she spoke she rose to quit the apartment. For a moment Harry's eyes flashed, then a look of pain passed across his features, and, taking his wife's hand, he led her back to the sofa on which she had been seated, saying gently, but reproach- fuUy,- " Why will you misunderstand me thus ? Tou wish to accept your cousin's invitation P " Alice bowed her head in token of assent. " Then write and tell her we shall be happy to do so ; I shall be ready and willing to accompany you at whatever time you and she like to arrange together." " Oh, that is very nice and kind of you ! " returned Alice, " de- lighted at getting her way so easily ; I thought you were going to be cross and disagreeable, as— as you sometimes are." " As usual, you were going to say," rejoined Harry; " speak your thoughts honestly, whatever injustice they may do me. But if, in futui'e, instead of condemning me unheard, you were to admit the possibility — nothing more — of my being willing occasionally to sacrifice my wishes to yoiirs, it might save us both considerable pain and misconception ; recollect this, and reflect upon it quietly and calmly." So saying, he placed his wife's writing-table before her, found her a foot-stool, and left the room. As the soimd of his retreating footsteps died away in the distance, Alice felt decidedly penitent, and wished she could unsay all the sharp things she had uttered at the beginning of the conversation ; but this was a frame of mind too uncomfortable to last long, and so she consoled herself by the reflection that if, on this particular occasion, she had done her husband an injustice, it was his conduct at other times which had led her to do so. It was unfair to blame herself for the natural effect his selfishness and unkindness had pi'oduced upon her mind ; she was sure there had been a period, before she was so rudely awakened from her " love's young dream," when she had given him credit for possessing every noble, heroic, and tender quality under the sun : it was not her fault that she could think so no longer — people must take the consequences of their own misdeeds. And so, consoling herself with these and many like arguments, and magnifying the mote in her husband's eye and AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 163 ignoring the beam in her owti, Alice talked herself into her former frame of mind, and sat down to write her acceptance of Kate's invitation, convinced that if her husband had said " Yes " on this occasion, he would say " No " on every other. CHAPTER XXX, INTRODUCES A LORDLY GALLANT. That day week saw Alice, Harry, and Celeste (a little pert ' soubrette,' whom Alice had brought back from Paris with her) on their way to the railway station at H , a groom and a couple of saddle-horses (without which Harry could not support the burden of a London life) having preceded them by a slower train. As HaiTy had a great horror of being too late, and had flurried and bustled Alice to such a degree that, if she had not been the most good-natnred little woman in the world (except in matters connected with the feelings), she would assuredly have lost her temper, of course they were at least a quarter of an hour too soon, and were forced to promenade up and down beneath a Brobdignagian glass roof, open at each end, and enjoy the large supply of draughts afforded by this ingenious compromise between indoors and out of doors. Having paced up and do-\vn the platform for some ten minutes or so — lost Celeste and the trunks, and found them again — and narrowly escaped violent death from wild luggage-barrows, urged by reckless and excited porters, neatly bound in green corduroy and numbered like the lots in a sale-room, — the train by which they were to fly to London crawded up ignominiously at the tail of a strong-minded cart horse, which a heroic but imclean supernumerary conducted in the way he should go. Just as Alice had taken her seat, and was imploring Hai-ry to join her before a dreadful green dragon of a locomotive engine (which had been getting up its steam, and taking in its fuel, and wetting its whistle, and otherwise performing its awful toilet in a neighbouring cavern, whence it issued looking as vicious, and dangerous, and eager to burst in a tunnel as a fm-ious steam-devil could do) should get at him and do him a mischief, a tall elegant- looking young man, who was seeking for an unoccupied place, suddenly exclaimed, — " I beg pardon, but surely I have the pleasure of seeing Harry— a — that is — Mr. Coverdale P " "A true bill, sir," replied Han*y; "but just at present you've all the pleasure to yourself, for I must honestlv confess that I do not 164 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP recollect you; and yet— no— yes— why, it can't be little Alfred Conrtland ? " " As for the ' little,' I nmist leave you to judge for yourself ; the copy-books tell us that ' ill weeds grow apace,' and I'm afraid I'm a shocking example ; but Alfred Coui-tland I most certainly am, and delighted to meet an old acquaintance — if an urchin in the imder- Bchool dare pretend to have been on such a footing with one of the sixth form." " Little Alfi-ed Comiland, six feet high, and cultivating whiskers ! Wonders will never cease," resumed Hariy, meditatively ; " but are you going by this train ? Jump in here, man, and I'll introduce you to my wife. Alice, this is Alfred— I beg his pardon, but I can't remember he's not a little boy still— Lord Alfred Courtland. Tou remember Arthur Hazlehurst, my ' fidus Achates,' don't you. Court- land ? My wife is his sister. Tickets ! well, here they are. What a suspicious generation these railway officials are ! anybody would suppose they had been accustomed to deal with thieves and pick- pockets all their lives, instead of honest Englishmen. But I hate the railroads, root and branch, that's a fact; they've ruined the breed of horses in this country." While Han-y ran on in this style, Alice had time to obseinre her new acquaintance more attentively. He appeared very young, scarcely above nineteen or twenty. His figure, though tall and gi'aceful, was slight and boyish ; his head was smaU and weU set on, and his pale, delicate features were shaded by a profusion of fair curling hair; while his bearing and appearance were singularly refined and aristocratic ; or, as Harry afterwards observed, " He looked thoroughbred, every inch of him." His expression was good and amiable; but a want of firmness and resolution about the lines of his mouth belied the promise of intellect afforded by his high smooth brow, and bright, speaking eyes. " And what are you doing with yourself P " inquired Coverdale, after sundry mutual acquaintances had been talked over and the reminiscences usual between old schoolfellows ran through; "are you at either of the universities ? " " Tes, I'm a Cantab," was the reply ; " but scarcely more than nominally so, for during my first term I got a tumble into the Cam, boating — dined at Ely in my wet clothes, and was rewarded for my carelessness by an aguish low fever, which I am only now recovering from ; so I am ordered to be perfectly idle and amuse myself — a prescription which, I am afraid, agrees but too well with my tastes and habits." " And finding countiy ingredients too mild, you are going to town to try and get a stronger dose there, I suppose ? " inquired Harry. " You must be a wizard," was the reply. " The fact is, my people have wintered abroad, and Chiselborough became so dull the moment the hunting was over, that I found ' ennui ' was bringing my ague back again; so holding solemn conclave with the apothecary and my AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 165 valet, we yesterday decided, ' nem. con.,' upon a couple of months' sojourn in the modem Babylon." To this piece of intelligence Harry vouchsafed no further answer than a shi-ug of the shoulders by which significant gesture he intended to telegraph to his wife his opinion as to the wisdom of trusting the young gentleman to his own sapient guidance amidst the shoals and quicksands of a London season. At this period the dragon, which had been drawing the train very quietly and peacefully, suddenly gave a prolonged scream (by courtesy termed a whistle), panted violently, hissed a good deal, and having by these manoeuvres " blown off " its superfluous steam, it kindly postponed bursting for a short time, and condescended obligingly to stop at the Tearem and Smashingly Junction, without demanding any immediate sacrifice of human life. Coverdale and Lord AKred instantly jumped out (although perfectly aware that they should be obliged to jump in again at the expiration of three minutes and a quarter), and, after the fashion of impatient male humanity, which, as HaiTy somewhat paradoxically observed, " Cannot stand sitting,'' began stamping up and down the platform as though a legion of black-beetles, or some s^^ch entymological freebooters, had crept up their trousers' legs, and they were striving to dislodge them. Some operation, however, which was going on under one of those queer kind of sheds peculiar to railway stations, which give one an idea of a child's toy magnified, attracted their attention and caused them to discontinue their amusement. After gazing earnestly for a few seconds, Harry exclaimed, — " They'll never do it so, never ! There, do you see, he's standing right before him, di'agging at his head, and yet expects the poor animal to go on ; the man must be an idiot ! Yes, of course, hit the poor thing for your own fault, and frighten him, so that you'll be able to do nothing with him. Ah ! I thought so ; they'll have an accident du-ectly, the fools ! as if there wasn't a quiet manner of doing these things. Hold my great coat, Alfred ; I shall be back in two seconds." And suiting the action to the word, he tossed his coat to his companion and ran ofE. *' "Where has he gone to ? " inquired Alice disconsolately, from the window of the railway carriage. " To assist a stupid gi-oom to put a very fine horse into one of the horse-boxes," was the reply. " He said he should be back in a minute." " Now, gentlemen, take your places ; the train's going to start — take your places," vociferated an individual, who looked like a very oddly-dressed soldier, but who was the railway guard. " Oh ! where can he be P We shall start without him ! " exclaimed Alice in dismay. /• "I'll go and look for him," rejoined Lord Alfred good-naturedly. " If you would be so very kind," returned Alice, her lovely eyes sparkling with gratitude. 160 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " Better not, sir ; only lose your own place, without finding the gent — train's agoin' to start. I must shut the door," grumbled a cynical porter, " Pray keep it open till the last moment ! " exclaimed Alice, drawing out her piirse, while Lord Alfred, disregarding the porter's advice, dashed off on his mission. " Am I allowed to give you anything ? " continued Alice timidly, as a vague suspicion of the illegality of bribing railway porters flashed across her. The man looked up and down the platform, and perceiving no informer near, did not commit himself by words, but partially closing the door, so as to conceal the action, held out his hand, with the palm turned suggestively upwards. As his fingers closed over the half-crown which Alice, with a strong idea that she was commit- ting an indictable offence, placed within his grasp, an angry and imperative voice called out, " Now then, shut that door there ! " and in spite of Alice's remonstrances, the porter was about to obey, when, breathless with running, Lord Alfred sprang into the carriage, the door was slammed to, a bell rang furiously, the dragon gave a short, pert scream of delight at getting its head, and the train started. Unheeding, in fact, scarcely hearing Lord Alfred's mild remonstrance that he believed it was reckoned dangerous to put one's head out of the window of a railway carriage, Alice immediately committed that folly, and was rewarded for her impnidence by seeing, just as the train was getting to its full speed, Harry rush distractedly on to the platform, shake his fist at the retreating carriages, and then, watch in hand, stride up to the station master, and evidently afford him a specimen of his quiet manner. With a feeling half way between an inclination to laugh and a disposition to cry, Alice resumed her seat, and, under pretence of arranging her veil, took a glance round the cari'iage. Her only companion, besides Lord Alfred Courtland, was a species of prize old gentleman, who having spent his life hitherto in growing as fat as the nature of the case admitted, was evidently resolved to guard against the possibility of his shadow becoming less, by devoting the remainder of his existence to the duties of eating, drinking, and sleeping, which latter accomplishment he was then displaying to the admiration of all lovers of that science of which honest Sancho Panza so fervently blessed the inventor. Having mentally summed him up in the definition "wretched old thing," Alice next took a survey of her new friend, and decided that he had siich a good, innocent, childlike expression of countenance, that young and handsome as he was, she would not have minded even if the "wretched old thing" had not been present to play chaperone in dumb show. " How very provoking for Mr. Coverdale to lose the train, and all through his good-nature, too," began Lord Alfred; "I saw the affair as well as he did, but it would never have occurred to me to interfere." AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 167 "Nor to anyone else except to Mr. Coverdale," returned AJico scornfully ; " liis devotion to horses and dogs is quite exemplary." " As a pattern or as a warning ? " inquired Lord Alfred, favouring lier with a look of intelligence for which she was scarcely prepared. " You are laughing at me," she said ; " but I will honestly confess that it is rather trying to see Mr. Coverdale place himself and me in a ridiculous, if not actually an embarrassing situation, merely for the sake of a horse." " It was a very fine horse," observed Lord Alfred meditatively. " And therefore the worthier animal of the two— thank you for the compliment, my lord," was the slightly piqued reply, which of course produced a carefuUy veiled but teasing rejoinder; and with such like light badinage did they beguile the time, until having rushed for some distance over acres of turnips, stubble, grass-land, and other such agricultural territory, changing as by some pantomimic agency to the roofs of houses, with elegant parterres of chimney- pots, they were surprised to find they had reached the London terminus. The cessation of movement having roused the prize elder from his meritorious slumbers, Alice waited until, with many snorts and grunts he had aroused his legs (which were evidently each enjoying a separate and independent nap of its own) and toddled off upon them ere she inquired in rather a forlorn tone, " and now I wonder what is to become of me ? Would you kindly ascertain when the next train will be in ? " Lord Alfred made the inquiry, and obtained the cheering intelli- gence that the next train which stopped at the Tearem and Smash- ingly Junction would arrive in exactly two hours fifteen minutes and a quai-ter, at which time, as nearly as Alice could calculate, the Crane butler would be removing the fish and soup. " It is impossible that you can wait here all that time, my dear Mrs. Coverdale ! " exclaimed Lord AKred. " What will you like me to do for you P Ton must tell me exactly what you wish." " Tou are very kind," returned Alice, feeling much inclined to get into a fuss at the oddness of the situation which thus forced her to rely on a handsome young man with whom she had been acquainted some two hours. Then submitting to her fate with a feeling of desperation, she continued, " First give me your arm, and conduct me to the ladies' waiting-room ; and then if you would be so kind as to look for Celeste, my maid, and— really I am ashamed to trouble you, my lord, but there are some trunks she ought to find, and she can't speak a dozen words of English intelligibly ; and — how you're to recognize her I can't tell ; really how Mr. Coverdale could — " But before she could finish her accusatory sentence Lord Alfred, anxious to distinguish himself in his new capacity of squire of dames, had disappeared. In less time than Alice had deemed possible, he returned with Celeste and a bundle of shawls and wrappers on one axm, and caiTying a carpet bag with the other. 168 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " My mission has been accomplished with the most signal success, I flatter myself : and now I hope your difficulties are ended, my dear Mrs. Coverdale ; Celeste and I have foimd all the trimks. Fortu- nately, my brougham is here, and I need scarcely add, entirely at your service." Seeing she hesitated, he continued, " Don't be alarmed about the proprieties, I have been too well drilled in such matters by my sisters to intrude where I am not wanted." "Really, your lordship is most kind," exclaimed Alice, all her scniples vanishing before his good-natiu-e and consideration. And there being nothing for it but to take his arm (relinquished somewhat hastily by Celeste when she discovered that it was a ' milor anglais ' with whom she had made so free) and allow him to put her into the well-appointed brougham, Alice did so with an interesting succession of smiles and blushes which made her look most dangerously pretty. Thereupon the two hundred guinea horse, which was so thoroughly stuffed with oats that it might almost as well have been a corn-bin, and which, being an animal of the highest breeding, had evinced such an amount of disgust and terror at the hissing, snorting, whistling, and other low habits of the steam dragon, that nothing but the strongest sense of propriety and a very severe curb bit could have kept it from running away, stood on its hind legs like a Christian, vindicated its transcendentalism by salaaming like a Turk ere it resumed its quadrupedal attitude, and finally set off, at about the rate of fifteen miles an hour, with its head and tail as erect as if some invisible giant were attempting to lift it up by them. CHAPTER XXXI. ' SPIDERS AND FLIES. " My dear Kate, I think yoiu- cousin, Mrs. Coverdale, has just driven up ; and yet I don't know. Is it likely, or, as I may say, probable, that she should arrive in a brougham ? " " With a high-stepping horse and a coronet on the panels ? — scarcely, I should imagine." The speakers were Mr. Crane, who had grown rather less like a scaffold pole since we last were favoured with his society, and Horace D'Almayne, who appeared quite himself and quite at home. Attracted by their remarks, Kate joined her husband at the window. " It can't be them," she said, " there is no luggage ; " but, as if to contradict her remark, at the moment she ceased to speak a cab dashed into Park Lane with a fair amount of imperials, cap-cases, } AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 169 poi-t-manteaus, carpet-bags, and other female travelling miscellanea, and drew up behind the brougham. As it stopped, a tall, handsome young man sprang out; and opening the door of the brougham, offered his arm to Alice, and conducted her up the steps most care- fully. " Why, that surely cannot be Mr. Ooverdale ; or, at least, if I may be permitted to say so, he has become singularly thin and — and youthful-looking, if it is," bleated Mr. Crane. " No, that is not Harry Coverdale," returned Kate wonderingly, " nor do I see anything of him either ! " " If Mrs. Coverdale has lost her husband, really she has found a most attractive substitute— a — it almost seems one of the cases in which such a loss might be considered a gain," lisped D Almayne, in so low a tone that Mr. Crane, who was nearly as slow of hearing as he was of understanding, did not catch the remark. " Really, quite a touching farewell," he continued, as Alice, ere she entered the house, shook hands most cordially with her young cavalier ; " and the gallant, gay Lothario jumps into the brougham (which coronet, high-stepping horse, and all, evidently calls him master) and is lost to our admiring gaze." At this juncture a fat and rosy butler (who looked as if he had been brought up by hand upon port wine and had remained faithful to it ever since) flung open the door, and announced Mrs. Cover- dale. Throwing off, for once in her life, all coldness and reserve, Kate embraced her cousin warmly, and holding her by both hands, led her to the sofa. " My dearest child," she exclaimed, " how delightful it is to see you once again ! " " But if I may be permitted," began Mr. Crane, " if I may be allowed to inquire, what have you done with— or perhaps I should rather say — what has become of our good friend, Mr. Coverdale ? " " And how came you in a brougham with a coronet upon it ? and who was that handsome and distinguished-looking young exquisite whom you had inveigled into playing courier— eh. Mistress Alice ? " inquired Kate archly. " I expected to find you a pattern wife, and to have your example held up for my imitation twenty times a day ; but I have alarmed myself very unnecessax'ily, it seems." " Don't tease, dear," was the reply ; " it was all the fault of that silly husband of mine : he got out at one of the stations, and seduced by the attractions of a restive horse, contrived to be out of the way when the train started, and so I was forced to do the best I could for myself." "Which theory you reduced to practice by selecting the hand- somest young man you could find as a ' cavalier servente,' " returned Kate, laughing. " But who is your friend ? I hope he is coming to call upon you ! " " Oh, yes, he means to oall— to-morrow I think he said. I'm glad 170 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP you consider him handsome : it'a always satisfactory to have one's taste approved of by one's friends ; and I honestly confess I admire him particularly." Mr. Crane's countenance, during this speech of Alice's, was wonderful to behold ; the intense surprise with which he listened to the beginning of it gradually changing to the deepest disgust as she continued, afforded such a clear index to his thoughts that Horace D'Almayne turned away to hide an irrepressible smile, which Kate perceiving, observed with a slight shade of annoyance, — " And now, having mystified us thoroughly, be kind enough to tell us who the gentleman really is, and how he came to offer you his brougham and his services." Thus appealed to, Alice was obliged to confess that, in point of fact, there was nothing wrong or romantic in the adventure from beginning to end — that Lord Alfred Courtland was an old school- fellow of her husband's, who had travelled in the same carriage with them, and who had naturally done all he could to save her from being inconvenienced by the effects of Han-y's stupidity, on which she dwelt rather more at length than Kate approved of, that young lady having a very keen perception of right and wrong, although she by no means always acted up to the light thus afforded her. Some few hours later Harry arrived, very anxious about his wife, and decidedly crestfallen and penitent, and bore all the quizzing which fell to his share with most exemplary patience ; although any attempt to excite his jealousy in regard to Lord Alfred Courtland ]3roved a dead failure, his reply being that " He was always a very good little boy, and that he did not see much difference in him except in height." When the Coverdales went up to dress for dinner the following dialogue ensued : — " How well your cousin Kate is looking," observed Harry ; " the pomps and vanities of this wicked world appear to agree with her ; now she has grown a little stouter, she really is a splendid woman." "Yes, she appears in better health," returned Alice slowly, " but-" "But what?" inquired Harry. "A woman's 'but' is like the postcript to her letter ; it unsays all she has said before. Come, out with this ' arriere-pens6e,' as that puppy D'Almayne would call it. By the way, he seems regularly domesticated here. I wonder old Crane likes it; I should not, in his position, I know." " I wonder Kate likes it," retiu-ned Alice ; " however, my * but ' had nothing to do with the fascinating Horace. I was going to say that although Kate looked well, yet she had a listless, weary expression of countenance, which gave me the idea that, with all her riches and splendour, she was far from happy." " The same being a result rather to be expected than otherwise, when a lovely and talented young female sees fit to espouse an elderly and feeble-minded old scarecrow," rejoined Harry, making i AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 171 frantic dives into liis portmanteau, and fishing up patent bootjacks, miraculous razor-strops — everything but the dress neck-tie he was in search of. " I don't believe they see anything of Arthur," continued Alice reflectively ; " I asked Kate, and she seemed to know nothing about him— such friends as they used to be at one time— it's very odd ! " " I don't see the oddness myself," returned Harry, speaking through his dressing-room door, which stood ajar; " there is a great difference between feeling spooney about a pretty cousin, when you're living in the house with her, and have nothing better to do, and dangling after her to the neglect of your business, when she lives at one end of Loudon and you at the other — when, moreover, she's married to a dreadful old muff, antiquated enough to be her father, and slow enough to be the father of every fool in the kingdom. I think it's easily accounted for by prose means, without adopting the poetical hypothesis of a romantic attachment — two fond young hearts blighted, and all that ' Keepsake ' style of business ; besides, Artluir's a great deal too good a lawyer to fall in love ; it's only idle fellows like myself who commit such follies." " Ton must go and call on Arthur to-moiTow, and you will soon perceive by his manner whether he is averse to coming here; but mind you are very careful not to let him see that you suspect any- thing ; I am quite sure he would be most sensitive on such a point," obseiwed Alice, in a tone in which you would caution a schoolboy against playing with gunpowder. " Keep your advice for your own benefit, most sententious Alice, seeing that you are the suspecting party, and that such an idea would never have occurred to my unassisted reason," was Harry's rejoinder ; and the dinner-bell at that moment ringing, the conver- sation ceased. The next day, however, Arthur put an end to the controversy by making his appearance in Park Lane soon after luncheon. Althoiigh no one alluded to the circumstance, it was the first time he had set his foot in Mr. Crane's house, or indeed seen Kate since her marriage. He looked pale and overworked, and there was a restless excitement in his manner, which Alice's quick eye at once discovered. Beyond this, however, there was nothing which tended in the slightest degi-ee to confirm her in her suspicions. He apologized quietly and naturally to Kate for not having called oftener, adducing business as a good and sufficient reason for his remissness ; then, turning to Alice, he informed her that she could not have chosen a more unfortunate time for her visit to London, at least, as far as he was concerned, as he was obliged to stai-t the next morning for Naples, being sent out by the Foreign Office on an affair of some importance, which, if he could bring the matter to a successful issue, might tend to his ultimate advancement. Kate, on the contrary, appeared nervous and ill at ease, and probably feeling that for once she could not rely 172 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP ' on her self-command, took an early opportunity of quitting the room, leaving the brother and sister ' tete-a-tete.' " Alice, you are changed," exclaimed Arthur, as the door closed on her whom he had once so deeply loved, towards whom he now felt as we can only feel towards those whom we have admitted into the inmost recesses of the heart, and who have availed themselves of the privilege to profane and make desolate the sanctuary, " you were a girl, you have become a woman ; has matrimony produced the alteration ? " " Yes, I suppose so," was the rejoinder. " You know one can't remain a child always ; the realities of life are sure to find one out sooner or later, and I was a mere baby in the ways of the world when I married." There was a spice of regret in the tone of this remark, which did not escape Arthui-'s quick ear and keen intelligence, and he hastened to reply, — " You mean more than you say ; why, sm-ely, Alice, with such a husband you must be perfectly happy ; it is impossible that it can be otherwise." As he spoke, he fixed his dark eyes questioningly upon her. Unable fairly to meet his gaze, Alice turned away her head, as she replied, -with an effort at careless gaiety, — " Don't alarm yourself, most romantic of barristers ; there is no Bluebeard's closet at Coverdale, nor does Harry turn into a skeleton, or anything else but his bed, at twelve o'clock at night. He is just the thoroughly good fellow (that is the term you men delight in) he always was, and devoted to — " " His wife ! " inten-upted Arthur. " Well, I was going to say dogs, guns, and horses," retm-ned Alice ; " and I'm afraid I must adhere to my text, unless you prefer fiction to fact." She spoke jestingly; but the lines which care, and thought, and intellectual exertion had ab-eady traced on Arthur's brow deepened, as, after a pause, he murmm-ed, half in reply to Alice, half in soliloquy, — "I am disappointed, deeply disappointed; it ought to be so different ! I— I wish I were not going abroad to-morrow ; and yet I could not be a frequent visitor in this house ! " The last words were inaudible, though, by one of those intuitions which often compensate for the inefficiency of our physical powers, Alice divined his train of reasoning, and with subtle generalship diverted the attack by carrying the war into the enemy's country, as she replied, — "Do not puzzle your brains aboiit me and Harry; we jog on very serenely together, now we have found out each other's pecidiarities." " But you never had any peculiarities, either o you," interrupted Arthur positively; "except that Han-y was the finest, noblest. AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 173 manliest fellow going, and you were a good, simple-hearted, sweet- tempered little girl. What do you mean by peculiarities ? " " Never mind us," continued Alice, not heeding his interruption ; " I want to know something about you. Tou say I have changed from a child into a woman, but you have tunaed from a young man into a middle-aged one during these last sis months ; you are either ill or unhappy, or working yourself to death— all three, perhaps." " Oh, yoit are fanciful, and not used to the pale faces of us Londoners," returned Arthur. "Tou cannot put me off in that manner," continued Alice pei'tinaciously ; " people do not look ill and careworn without some cause for doing so. How is it, pray, that you never come here ? so fond as you used to be of Kate, too ! I expected to find you regularly installed as ' I'enfant de famille.' Do you know I begin to have my suspicions — " *' Hush ! " interrupted Arthur, in a low, stern voice ; " whatever you may suspect, never refer to this subject again, there are some sorrows in life for which there is no remedy ; these must be endured and struggled with in silence, for so only can they be borne. If you would not give me pain, forget that this idea ever occmTed to you." As he spoke his pale face flushed, and his lip quivered with the emotion he strove, but was unable entirely to conceal. " Forgive me, dear Arthur ! " exclaimed Alice, whilst tears of ready sympathy glistened in her eyes ; " I spoke carelessly— foolishly : in- deed, indeed, I did not mean to give you pain ! But you are not angry with me ? " As she spoke she laid her hand caressingly on his shoulder, and glanced up in his face with a beseeching look which would have melted the most flinty-hearted stoic. Arthur drew her to him, and kissed her smooth brow, in token of forgiveness, ere he replied, — " Before we quit this subject, never to resume it, let me say this much to you: in this matter I have nothing to reproach myself with ; as far as I have been able to see what was right, I have acted up to it. This is my only comfort. That I have suffered much, I will not attempt to deny ; but I am thankful to say the blow, though severe, has not paralyzed me. The sunshine of my life may be destroyed for years, perhaps for ever, but my vigour and energy are left me, and I will yet make myself a name and win myself a posi- tion that the mere possession of wealth can never bestow. Now, forget that this conversation ever took place." As he spoke the door flew open, and HanT- and Lord Alfred Courtland, having encountered each other at the club, made their appearance arm in arm, like a pair of well-grown Siamese twins, and Alice was dispatched all in a huiTy to put on her " things," to be taken to a private view of the annual exhibition of the Society of Amalgamated Amateurs in Water Colours, whom Harry irreverently paraphrased as the " Amalgamated Muffs," a definition the trath of which a closer inspection of the efforts of those mild and amiable 174 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP caricaturists did not tend to disprove. As they strolled np and down the rooms, waiting for Kate and Mr. Crane, who had promised to join them, Lord Alfred, on whose arm Alice was leaning, and who had been rattling on with great volubility and in the highest possible spirits, suddenly observed, — " I do find myself such a complete country cousin in London, that really it's quite ridiculous ! I meet all sorts of celebrities, and don't know one of them by sight. Now, for instance, do you see that pair of young exquisites lounging elegantly along, like a couple of self- enamoured sleep-walkers, and dressed like beatific visions of dandies, rather than mere sublunary fops ? I'm sure I've met the youngest of them somewhere — he with the * petites moustaches noires,' which are so iiTesistible that I should certainly cultivate a pair myself, if I did not feel morally certain that my prejudiced progenitor would cut them and me off with the same shilling." " In fact, cut off his heir because you would not cut off yom-s," punned Coverdale. " But in regard to your beatific swells, I fancy Alice can enlighten you as to the patronymic of one of them, if she chooses ; he is a very particular friend, to say nothing more, of hers. She only married me becaiise she failed in captivating him." Alice replied to Lord Alfred's expressive look, which asked as plainly as words could have done, " Is this all jest, or is there a smaU foundation of fact for it to rest upon P " — " If that had been my only reason for accepting my romancing husband, I should have remained Miss Hazlehui-st still; however, I plead guilty to knowing Mr. D'Almayne, as he happens to be an intimate friend of Mr. Crane, the gentleman who married my cousin Kate, and in whose house we are now staying." While they thus chatted, the following conversation was being carried on in French between the subject of their remarks and his companion, a showily-di-essed man, some half-dozen years older than Horace D'Almayne, Avith handsome featm-es, but a worn dissipated look, which involuntarily prejudiced one against him. He spoke with a thoroughly foreign accent, and the animated gestm-es with which he sought to elucidate his meaning also tended to prove he was not a native of this coimtry, " The plan has been worked out," he continued, refening to some subject vvith which D'Almayne appeared acquainted, " and with his name as director, and -£1000 ready money to pay clerks and establish the concern on a respectable foundation, the affair wiU go charm- ingly ; John Bull shall buy our shares and hand us his money, and in six months' time, with that and "—here he sank his voice—" the club in J Street, we may set fortune at defiance." " Mind you are careful about keeping our connection with the club secret," retui-ned D'Almayne, almost in a whisper; "we ai-e not in Pai-is, remember ; and the slightest suspicion that we played would be fatal to your hopes of inducing men of capital to join the other affair." AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 175 " Do not fear, ' mon cher ' ; I know my game," was the reply. As lie spoke, liis eye fell xipon the Coverdale party, and hastily indicating Lord Alfred Courtland to his companion, he continued, " Do you see that stripling? he was pointed out to me last night as a pigeon worth plucking and easily handled ; he is a young milor, very soft, and what you call ' green.' Tou must get introduced, and bring him to ' the club.' " " The boy is not of age yet," returned D'Almayne, " and English fathers never pay gambling debts ; so you must not hoj^e for large gains from him." "He can sign bills and post-obits, I presume," rejoined his companion, with a sneering laugh ; " but the people he is with are regarding you as if they were of your acquaintance — is it so ? " " Decidedly," was the reply. " I will effect the introduction you desire at once, but as soon as it is over you must find an opportunity of withdrawing ; I will join the party, feel my way cautiously, and you shall see Milor Courtland's childish face in J Street before a fortnight has passed. ' Allons, mon cher.' " Having offered two fingers to Coverdale and three to his wife, D'Almayne glanced towards Lord Alfred with a supercilious look, which seemed to exjiress, " I perceive you, but on account of your extreme youth and inexperience, am wholly indifferent to the fact of your existence ; " at least so his lordship interpreted it, and was immediately seized with an eager desire to know the man who could thus afford to look down on him. " Introduce me to youi- friend, will you, Coverdale ? " he said ; " I must get him to give me a few lessons in dress and deportment ; he really is a second Bnimmell." " He really is a conceited, empty-headed puppy," returned Cover- dale, sotto voce, " and it's little good you'll learn of a jackanapes like that; but I suppose if I didn't introduce you, somebody else would — so come along." Then placing his hand upon his shoulder, and urging him forward, he continued,? " D'Almayne, here's my friend. Lord Alfred Courtland, wishes to be introduced to you : he thinks it is his duty to know every well-dressed man in London, and you're so ' facile princeps ' in that line— so transcendently got up — that he's dying to ask your tailor's address and the length of tick he allows." " You're so obliging as to laugh at me, Mr. Coverdale, because I cannot reconcile myself to your English Schneiders, and still patronize Blin et Fils, in that paradise of tailors, Paris ; but — ar — really you are uncivilized in this particular, and require reform in your coats more than in your constitution, which, glorious as you consider it, you are always altering. Does not Lord Alfred Court- land agree with me ? " And as he made this appeal, Horace D'Almayne simpered, to show his white teeth, stroked his moustache, and awaited a reply. Ere Loi'd Alfred had found words to imply his admiration of 170 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP Horace's taste without paying him an actnal broad and tinmistak- able compliment, Harry put his ideas to flight by exclaiming, — " Listen to a word of common sense, Alfred, my boy. Men make coats— if you can properly call a tailor a man— but coats can never make men. Ton may dress an ass tip in the grandest lion skin going, but you can make nothing of him but an ass, neverthe- less. In fact, I never believe a man's a man till I've seen him with his coat off ; then if he can use his fists as a man should, I believe in him." " Aha ! I comprehend ; ce monsieur refers to your English science of the box. Yery clever science is the box ; I am acquiring him of a prof esseur, who keeps a restaurant, what you call a public-house in Smissfiel." As D'Almayne's companion thus spoke, Horace seized the oppor- tunity of introducing him, which he did as follows, — "Allow me to make you acquainted with my friend. Monsieur Adolphe Guillemard, a gentleman connected with the financial interest in Paris and with that of Europe generally." Then in a stage whisper, he added, " He was educated in Rothschild's house." So Harry bowed, and Lord Alfred bowed, and Alice inclined her head in rather a stately manner, because she did not approve of Monsieur Guillemard's roving eyes; and Monsieur Guillemard "lx)wed and scraped, and laid his hand on his waistcoat, where his heart ought to have been, and abased his imappreciated optics, and appeared profoundly touched and anxious to weep on the bosom of society at large ; and Mr. Crane, who at that moment came up in his wife's custody, not making allowance for foreign manners, thought he was in a fit. Then Monsieur Guillemard di'ew out his watch, and found he had an engagement at the Bourse, as he was pleased to caU the Stock Exchange; and so took leave of his new acquaintance, squeezed both the yellow kid hands of his cher Horace, and with short, jaunty footsteps as of a male ballet-dancer, quitted the spacious gallery, sacred to the noble efforts of the Amal- gamated Amatetirs. And when he had depai-ted, of course his friends began to talk him over. D'Almayne drew Mr. Crane aside and related to him wonderful anecdotes of his (Guillemard's) skill in foreseeing political events and their consequences, and the splendid hits he had thus made in stockjobbing for himself, and others who had wisely availed themselves of his talent, and what Baron Roths- child] had said and thought of him, until Mr. Crane began to imagine him an incarnation of Mammon, and yearned to fall down and adore him on the spot. For, be it observed, parenthetically, that Mr. Crane, albeit nominally a member of the Established Church, was verily and indeed a worshipper of a certain golden calf, to whose likeness he had for yeai-s striven earnestly, and not unsuccessfully, to assimilate himself. And Han-y remarked confidentially to Alice, Kate, and Lord Alfred, that he was prepared to bet a pony that Guillemard was neither more nor less than a " leg," and that whoever AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 177 had many dealings witli him would be safe to put his or her foot in it— which sentence sounded like nonsense, but was only slang. And Lord Alfred laughed, and replied that Harry said so because he was jealous of the superior cut of Monsieur Guillemard's garments. Alice agreed perfectly with her husband, which, Kate remarked, was the most original feature of the whole affair — an observation intended for a mild and playful jest, but at which Alice blushed and Harry suddenly became engrossed by a spirited sketch, in very water colours, of Ophelia as she appeared when drowning, which, according to the talented representation of Miss Appela Brown, M.S.A.A., was remark- ably jolly and slightly inebriated — next to which hung a portrait of Miss Brown herself, seated at her easel, her pre-Raphaelite countenance beaming with mingled talent and astonishment on the picture growing beneath her gifted brush — a compound expression, at which, as the subject was some demi-god or other mythical celebrity, in heroic muscular proportions strongly developed, and nothing else, we can scarcely feel surprise. Then the whole party devoted their serious attention to the performances of the amalgamated ones, and were re- warded by beholding many fearful and wonderful things. There vvere " young gentlemen taken from life " and transported by amalgamated magic into the regions of romance— an unlikeness of Snook's ruddy face being aflBxed to Hamlet's velvet body, or Mary Ann Jones's very retrouss^ profile heading Joan of Arc's steel bodice, and a select squadron of twelve French soldiers in green hunting-coats and fancy hats and feathers, prepared to " mourir pour la patrie " to any extent which the said Mary Ann might require of them. Then there were landscapes with gamboge foregrounds, pasturing comical cows of shapes and colours unknown to zoology ; and middle distances, gloomy with indigo trees, and cast-iron rivulets purling rigidly over wild rocks, suggested by bald places, showing the naked paper through a severe application of sepia and neutral tint. Ferocious battles were there also, designed by gentle girls, who had never witnessed so much as a street row, wherein gallant Henri Quatre-like parties, with slim waists, feminine complexions, and white waving plumes, slaughtered strong men in funny dresses and pranced over their dead bodies with the most heroic magnanimity and indiffer- ence. Then there was Mount Vesuvius during an eruption, which, to judge by the colouring, must have been the eruption attendant on scarlet fever ; and Mont Blanc well iced, showing the " mer de glace " (the most difficult mare to mount on record, as " we know who " would say), and the last batch of proselytes from the Egyptian Hall sliding serenely down on their haunches, as wolves are reported to do, only the proselytes appear to have got the advantage of the wolves by reason of their coat-tails. Scripture pieces, too, had some of these rash amateurs perpetrated.wherein "daughters of Babylon" appeared like the " coi-ps de ballet," and kings, prophets, and patriarchs had evidently found their prototypes in Mario, Lablache, and Tamburini — a fact which afforded Horace D'Almayne an opportunity of observ- N 178 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP ing tliat it was charming to perceive in England tlie amiability of the Muses ; as Apollo, the divinity of painting, instead of being driven to rugged nature for materials, or, worse still, compelled to faU back upon his own powers of invention, was obligingly supplied with them by Melpomene and Thalia ; which same he and Mr. Crane thought a very smart saying— the former because he had made it himself, the latter because he did not understand it. As they strolled on through the gallery, Kate took an opportunity, when Mr. Crane had relinquished her arm, in order to adjust his great-coat more to his satisfaction, to lag behind a few paces, glancing at D'Almayne as she did so, who immediately joined her. " I have made the inquiry you wished," he said in a low tone, " and I am tnily glad to be able to assui-e you your sympathy has fallen on a deserving object ; the poor woman is as she represented herself — a widow, with a family of young children depending upon her for support, and her poverty is extreme." " Many thanks for taking so much trouble," retui'ned Kate in a tone of voice more cordial than she generally used towai'ds her companion; " and now tell me how best I can assist them ? " " I have a plan, but can scarcely give you the details here ; when would it be agreeable to you to " — (here his eye rested for a moment on Mr. Crane, contending with a button-hole) — " to resume the subject, and give me your opinion on my scheme ? " Kate reflected a moment, dui-ing which she struggled with an instinctive feeling, and deeming it reasonless, conquered it, then replied, — "If you should be disengaged at eleven o'clock to-morrow, and would look in, I should be very much obliged to you." While this conversation passed between Kate and D Almajoie, they had been themselves the subjects of observation to a party of strangers who, coming probably from the country, had not yet attuned their voices to the requirements of London sight-seeing. Accordingly, the following remarks were distinctly audible to those for whom, of all others, they were not intended. " What a lovely young woman ! " observed Mater Familias ; " I suppose the mustachioed gentleman is her futur." " She don't look over loving at him, if he is," grumbled Pater F. " Perhaps that is because her father (regarding Mr. Crane) is so close, and does not approve of the match," suggested Sarah Jane, the eldest daughter, to Louisa Anne, her sub — " Au contraire," remarked the intelligent London cousin, a clerk in the Ignorance and Delay Office, who was popiilarly supposed to know evervthing and everybody ; " the old boy is a rich Manchester cotton spinner, and the young lady his wife ; she married him for his tin, and half London is raving about her beauty." " Poor thing 1 " muttered Mater Familias, who, for fifty-two, was unusually romantic — " poor thing, how I pity her ! " While listening to these agreeable remarks, D Almayne had kept ^ AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 179 bis eyes steadily fixed upon an amalgamated catalogue, desirous not to add to Kate's embarrassment ; but at length, surprised at lier silence and immobility, he ventured to glance towards her, and was alarmed to perceive that she had turned pale to her very lips, while she grasped the brass rail, which was placed to protect the pictures, convulsively, in order to save herself from falling. Anyone with less tact than D'Almayne would, in officious eagerness to assist her, have made a fuss, and caused her to become the subject of general attention; but Horace knew better how to turn the situation to accoimt ; handing her a chair, he said quietly, — " The heat has made you feel faint; sit down for a moment, and perhaps the feeling may pass off." As Kate hastened to follow his suggestion, she glanced towards him to read in his features whether he also had overheard the conver- sation which had affected her. Whether his subtle intellect had led him to divine her intention, and he was enacting the character ho considered most likely to tell with Kate, or whether he was merely obeying a natural impulse, we do not attempt to decide ; suffice it to state that, when she looked at him, he was scowling after the amiable family whose conversation had caused the embarrassment, with so angry an expression of countenance, that a fear seized his companion lest he should be about to do something indignant and foolish, which might attract attention to her and produce the scene she dreaded. A moment's reflection on his cautious, prudent character would have proved to her the i;nreasonableness of such a fear ; but she spoke without allowing herself this, — " What are you going to do ? " she said, in a hurried whisper ; " you can take no notice of — of ; " and unable to find words to express her meaning, sha paused in confusion. D'Almayne finished her sentence for her : — " — Of those people's ignorance of the usages of society ? No, I am not so inconsiderate ; pardon me that I allowed you to see my just indignation, but for the moment I was completely carried away by feeling. Now," he continued, " if you can make thel effort, let us join the others ; no one has, as yet, observed your indisxiosition." By way of reply, Kate rose and took his proffered arm. " Get them away from this place," she said hurriedly ; " I shall suffocate if I remain here longer." Horace bowed assent, and after exchanging a few indifferent remarks with Alice and Lord Alfred Courtland, turned to Mr. Crane, observing, — " Will you forgive me for pleading the cause of one of your new can-iage horses P The coachman tells me it has a slight cough ; and it will scarcely tend to get rid of the ailment to wait too long in this piercing east wind." " No, indeed," chei-upped Mr, Crane ; " and a horse that cost a hundred and thirty puns " (he meant pounds !) " must not be injured, even, if I may be allowed to say so to please the ladies." 180 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP And having spoken, straigbtway lie fell into a fidget ; so that, in less than two minutes, the noble pi'oductions of the Amalgamated Amatevu's became as a dream of the past to our dramatis personse. On reaching the street, with his wife hanging on his arm, Mr. Crane, ere he placed her in the carriage, thus addressed his domestic, — " Why, coachman, you never told me one of the horses had a cough." As he spoke, Kate, perfectly understanding that the horse's cough was an invention of D Almayne's to enable them to get away from the gaUery in accordance with her wishes, involuntarily glanced towards him. But where manoeuvi-ing and finesse were required, Horace was quite in his element. Catching the attention of the servant (whom he had himseK recommended) by a fictitious attack of the malady under wliich the quadi'uped was supposed to labour, he, by an almost imperceptible contraction of the eyelid, telegraphed his wishes, ensuring their fulfilment by suggestively tapping the silver head of his cane to express that in that metal should his compliance be rewarded ; so Mr. Crane was glibly informed that his horse had suffered under a bronchial affection for about the space of four days, more or less ; but that he, the coachman, having applied an invalu- able specific, known only to himself, had not considered the matter sufficiently serious to trouble his master withal ; — for which reticence he bore meekly Mr. Crane's peevish rebuke, consoled by the expec- tation of five shillings the next morning from Horace D'Almayne. The polished boots of that good young man trod upon roses rather than granite, as he ambled down Pall Mall ; for, by means of those trifles which make the sum of human things, he had achieved a gi-eat and almost unhoped-for success — he had succeeded in establish- ing a private imderstanding with the young and beautiful wife of the millionaire ! CHAPTER XXXII. A GLIMPSE AT THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. Having consoled himself by a canter in Rotten Row for the minor martyrdom he had imdergone in his pursuit of the fine arts, as mis- represented by the Amalgamated Amatem-s, Hany made the best of his way to Park Lane. As he entered, a note was handed to him by AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 181 the pompous butler, wlio took the opportunity to inform him, in a voice husky with the bee's-wing, from which his throat was never entirely free, that " dinner would be served in a quarter of an hour." — "Then I've no time to lose," was the reply, and without looking at the note, Harry dashed upstairs, three steps at a time. On reaching his room, however, and finding that Alice's toilet was by no means in an alarming state of forwardness, he recovered his composure, and opened the note ; it ran as follows : — " On my arrival here two hours ago, I was surprised and em- barrassed by hearing that you and your bride are staying in the house. Had I been aware of this fact, I need scai'cely tell you I would have delayed making my appearance until your visit should have ended. But, although I knew you had married a connection of Mrs. Crane, such a probability never occurred to me. However, it was not likely that, mixing in the same grade of society, we should pass through life without ever again encountering each other ; and I am still weak enough to dread our first meeting and to wish it over. I know your generous nature, and feel the utmost confidence that the past will remain a secret between us. It wiU, perhaps, be better— easier for us both, not to pretend to meet as strangers. An accidental travelling acquaintance will sufficiently account for our knowing the same places, people, &c. For your own sake as well as mine, I implore you to be careful— I have never forgotten your advice and have striven to act upon it — but mine is a rebellious nature. Destroy this note as soon as you have read it. " Arabella." With stem compressed lips and knitted brow Harry perused this mysterious epistle, and when he had finished it, crushed it in his hand and threw it on the fire with a gesture of impatience. " Tom* letter does not seem to please you," observed Alice ; " does it come from a dun, or is there a screw loose (don't I get on with my slang !) in the stable or the kennel P " Absorbed in thought, Harry made her no reply, until, surprised and slightly annoyed at his silence, she resumed, — " Has the mysterious epistle stricken you dumb, or have we become so thoroughly matrimonial that you don't consider it worth while to answer your wife when she asks you a question ? " " Eh ! what ? I beg your pardon, dear, the letter ? no it was not fi'om a dun. I never was preyed upon by those vampires, thank Heaven ; ' out of debt out of danger,' has always been my motto," replied Coverdale, i-ousing from his reverie. " If it was not from a dun, whom was it from then ? " continued Alice pertinaciously. " Tou are singularly curious all of a svidden," rejoined HaiTy ; " all I shall tell you about the matter is that the note referred to a disagreeable affair which happened three or four years ago, and which I had hoped was entirely passed and forgotten." 182 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " And laaviufj raised my curiosity thus, do you actually mean to say that you will not gi'atify it farther P " inquired Alice. " As you can have no grood reason for asking, and as I have a very good and sufficient one for keeping my own counsel, I am afraid I must leave you in ignorance," was Harry's tantalizing reply. Alice glanced at his face, and reading there that he was in earnest and meant to act on what he had said, pouted like a spoilt child who had been refused some coveted plaything, while Coverdale betook him- self to his dressing-room in a " who-the-deuce-would-have-thought- of-her-tuming-up ! " frame of mind, from which he had by no means recovered when, with his wife, still mildly vindictive, hanging on his arm, he descended to the drawing-room. There they found Mr. and Mrs. Crane and a lady whom Kate introduced as her old and particular friend, Miss Crofton. Having bowed to Alice, Miss Crofton turned towards Harry, obseiwing to Kate, as she did so,— " I have never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Coverdale before ; but Mr. Coverdale and I are old acquaintances ; when I was travel- ling in Italy with the Muirs, Mr. Coverdale was also indulging his taste for the fine arts, and we encountered each other at several points of the route." As she spoke she held out her hand to Coverdale, who, after a moment's hesitation, and with a slight accession of colour, just touched and immediately relinquished it, saying, in a cold but polite tone of voice, — "Do you know whether the Muirs are in England now, Miss Crofton ? " As the person addressed remarked his look and tone, she pressed her lips together so forcibly that every trace of red vanished from them ; but repressing all other signs of emotion, she replied to his question. Then taking a seat next Alice, she began cultivating her good graces with a degree of tact and talent which evinced her powers of shining in society, and deserved more success than it appeared to meet with. Arabella Crofton was a handsome woman of thirty, looking younger than her age. She was tall, and her figure was fully developed without being actually embonpoint. Her hands and feet, although proportioned to her height, were beautifully modelled, and the former unusually white and soft. In feature she resembled Kate, so much so that she had more than once been mistaken for her former pupil's elder sister ; but the expression of the two faces was totally dissimilar. In Kate Crane a fieiy passionate nature was kept under control by an equally strong degree of pride and an amount of self-respect which served her in place of a higher principle ; in Arabella Crofton lay concealed even a greater depth of passion, but its sole antagonist was an intellect keen, strong, and acute, though not of the highest order, and a determination of wiU and fixity of purpose which, while it led her straight towards the object AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 183 she soiTght, rendered her somewhat unscriipulons as to the means by which it was to be attained ; and as the mind usually writes itself more or less legibly on the countenance, so did the expression differ in Kate and her late governess. Still Miss Crofton's was a face to attract and rivet attention, a face which exercised a species of fascination over those who beheld it, so peculiar that it is not easy to define it. As you gazed upon it, you felt that you were in the presence of an intelligence of no common order, but of whose nature, hopes, fears, wishes, and designs, you were entirely ignorant — nay, in regard to which you could not decide whether the good or evil principle predominated. In this sense of power with which she impressed others, together with the uncertainty how it might be directed, lay the secret of much of Arabella Crofton's influence. Alice, not being metajjhysical, did not attempt to define the sensa- tions with which her new acquaintance inspired her; had she done so, it might have appeared that she had formed much the same estimate of her manner and appearance as that with which we have fm-nished the reader. But if Alice did not moralize, she arrived at strong and definite conclusions without that process, for before she had been half an hoiir in Miss Crofton's company, she felt morally convinced that she should hate her, and that it would turn out that the ci-devant governess either had done, or was about to do, some- thing which would completely account for and justify this sudden animosity. During dinner a note arrived from Lord Alfi-ed Courtland, offer- ing Alice and Harry seats in his opera-box, which offer, after a few polite speeches to and from Mr. Crane, in his (in ?) capacity as master of the house, was accepted. As they drove to the theatre, the following conversation passed between the husband and wife, the lady of course beginning it. " What a detestable woman that Miss Crofton is ! I'm sure I shall never be able to endure her. I see now where Kate's faults came from. Miss Crofton has taught her to be worldly-minded, and ambitious, and all sorts of homd things which she never used to be ; and the creature is an old acquaintance of yours, too ! Did you know her well— intimately ? " " Eh ? yes ! I saw a good deal of her at one time. How slow this fellow drives, we shall lose the overture ! " was Harry's reply, which, if he intended thereby to change the subject of the conversation, proved a dead failure, for Alice continued, — " Oh ! then you are not mere acquaintances, as she tried to make out ! I thought she wasn't speaking the truth. "Well, and did you like her ? — I dare say you did, for I feel sure she was in love with you ; indeed, I think she is still, by the way she casts down those great roUing eyes of hers whenever you say a word to her. I declare I feel quite jealous." Coverdale caused for a moment, ere he replied : "My dear Alice, you speak thoughtlessly, but you do not know how such remarks 184 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP annoy me— faults I have, and more serious ones than until lately I was at all aware of ; but to suppose that since I first saw you, I have ever devoted one minute's thought to any other woman breathing, would be to do me a foul injustice." Alice perceived, from his manner of speaking, that her vague suspicions had really pained him, and having no other groiind for them but an instinct which she confessed to herself to be utterly unsanctioned by reason, she determined to confess her sin and obtain absolution. This is in many cases a tedious and difficult operation, but when individuals are on those easy and agreeable terms which sometimes last so long as a year after marriage, the process becomes greatly facilitated. Thus, by a little graceful and appro- priate pantomime, Alice caused it to be understood that she felt deeply penitent, and in a state of mental self- accusation only to be allayed by a remedy consisting (as some light-minded jester has phi-ased it), like a sermon, of " two heads and an application." When this specific for female grief had been duly administered by Harry, peace was for the time restored, and the evening passed away most harmoniously in every sense of the word. CHAPTER XXXIII. TELBMACHUS AND MENTOR. The opera-house was very full and proportionably hot on the evening when Coverdale and his wife visited it (it being the d6but of the since famous Signora Bettimartini) . Alice, unused to London gaieties, and imeasy from the suspicions she could not contrive to banish, acquired a headache, which, when she went to bed, prevented her from falling asleep. Thus being anxious to court without loss of time natiu-e's sweet restorer, of course she chose the most vexatious and exciting topic she could select as a subject of thought, and began to speculate on all the evidence she could call to mind in regard to her husband's relations, past and present, towards Arabella Crofton, who, as the reader must have perceived, was just at that especial epoch poor little Mrs. Coverdale's "bete noire." The first circum- stance she could recollect to form the initial link in her chain of evidence was Harry's inquiry about her when Alice casually men- tioned her name during the halcyon days of their honeymoon. In this conversation, Harry had confessed to a previous acquaintance with Miss Crofton, and when pressed farther, added that he knew no AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 185 p:ood of her, or words to tliat effect. His manner, Alice remembered, was so peculiar that her curiosity had been at once excited, or as she mentally put it, that " natui-ally she felt her husband ought imme- diately to have told her everything about it — she had no conceal- ments from him, she was sm-e." Following up this train of thought, another instance of this unkind and unflattering want of confidence occurred to her — the mysterious epistle which he had received that very afternoon, which had annoyed him so much, and about which he had refused to afford her any explanation ; and here a new idea flashed like an infernal inspiration across her brain— could that note be in any way connected with Miss Crof ton's arrival? " Tes! it must be so." She remembered when they entered the drawing-room, and she had felt sm'prise at finding a stranger there, Harry seemed to take it as a matter of course : good reason why, he knew it previously — this hateful woman, this detestable creature, Arabella Crofton, had written to him privately, informing him of her an-ival ! Oh ! she saw it all ; «nd how she v/ould try to wean his affections away from his poor wife— his poor, neglected, betrayed wife! and succeed most likely — men were such fickle, wicked things ; and then it would break her heart, that there could be no question of ; and she should die in the course of a year— in six months, very likely, for she wasn't at all strong, though she had a colour — consumptive people always had brilliant complexions — think of her poor aunt Kitty ; and HaiTy would be sorry when it was too late, perhaps. And so, drawing a vivid picture of her repentant husband grieving over her untimely decease, she cried herself to sleep, bedewing with her tears the " fickle, wicked thing," calmly slumbering at her side, who straight- way dreamed that, being out hunting and riding a young thorough, bred, he had charged a brook, and that his horse refusing it, had pitched him head foremost into its rapid waters. A month soon elapsed — the London season was at its height. Everybody had been everywhere, and was going again ; Grisi and Mario had arrived, recovered from sea-sickness and British catarrh, and " surpassed themselves " in their favourite characters. A mob of costly equipages jostled each other round Hyde Park every after- noon ; carriage-horses, deprived of their sleep o'nights, began to gi-ieve coachmen's hearts 'by revealing the position of their ribs; young ladies from the country danced away their roses and their " embon- point " ; men whose book for the Derby was at all " shy " trembled in their patent leather boots ; the glory of the lilacs in the squares had departed; water-carts made unpleasant canals of the principal thoroughfares ; the Honourable Mrs. Windsor Soape had presented her youngest daughter at the last drawing-room, and tried without success to stuff her down the throats of several eligible eldest sons ; Lady Close Shaver had inveigled a hundred and seventy unfortu- nates into her hot drawing-rooms, bored them with Signor Yiolini's scientific rendering of Beethoven's sonata in A B C minor, poisoned them with bad ice and worse champagne, and turned them out to 186 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP grass upon lobstei' salads, of wliicli the principal feature was the unaccountable absence of lobster : these, and many other miseries attendant on the " joys of our dancing days," had been gladly suffered by the fanatical votaries of the Juggernaut of Fashion, and still the Coverdales lingered within the precincts of the modern Babylon. Lord Alfred Oourtland, having received a summons to join his family at Leghorn, had refused to obey it on the plea of ill health, backed by a physician's opinion, which cost one guinea, and was worth ! Well, really in this case it was worth something, for it saved Lord Alfred a lecture, and he disliked being lectured, even for his good — silly young man ! so he stayed in town, doing as other folks did, and hoping thereby to become a man of fashion ; but as he only acted like other people, and did nothing very clever, or very foolish, or very wi'ong, he by no means succeeded in obtaining the reputation he coveted. With this consciousness of failure before his eyes, he one night lounged dismally out of his stall at the opera and was proceeding with dejected steps along the lobby when he suddenly encountered Horace D Almayne, better dressed and better pleased with himself than ever. " Well met, my lord ; I was just wishing for an agreeable com- panion," was his complimentary salutation. "I am naturally a sociable animal ; if you have no better employment, will you take pity on me for an hour or so ? " Deeply impressed with such unexpected condescension, and over- come by the transcendent cut of D Almayne's waistcoat, nothing remained for Lord Alfred but gratefully to consent, which he accordingly did. Linking his arm in that of his companion, D Almayne continued, — " Toil are looking ' triste, ennuy^ ' ; has Grisi developed a cold, or Oerito a corn ? is it opera or ballet which has thus bored you ? " " Neither one nor the other," was the reply, " though even operas cease to excite after one has grown accustomed to them." " Tes ! that is true ; except to an educated musician " (and DAlmayne looked as if he humbly trusted that he was equal to Mendelssohn, at the very least), " I can conceive they grow tedious ; but," he continued, " you should seek some more exciting amuse- ment : mix in clever, witty society ; do things— see things ; in fact, enjoy life as a young man with such advantages of person and of station should do." " It may seem easy to you, who have achieved a reputation in the ' beau monde,' and can command any society joi\ please, to accom- plish this ; but it is the reverse of easy for a young man in these days, even if he have a handle to his name, to persuade people that he has anything in him ; in fact, I think a title stands rather in a young fellow's way on entering London life ; people have somehow taken to connect the ideas of a lord and a fool, until I believe they begin to think the terms synonymous ! " " What a frightfully democratic opinion for one of your order to AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 187 proTnnlf^ato ! " rehirned D'Almayne, smiling at the disconsolate tone in whicli Lord Alfred spoke ; " really, you ought to have been bom on the other side of the Channel; but I think I perceive your difficulty : you do not care to be admitted into society merely for your rank, but wish to achieve a distinctive social reputation for yourself ; is it not so ? " " Tes ! you have expressed my ideas exactly, a great deal better than I could have done myself," was the reply. " And now tell me in what way is this desirable constimmation to be effected." " Nothing is more easy. In the first place you require self-con- fidence ; let people see that you think yourself a fine fellow, and they will begin to think so too. In the next place, take a decided line of some kind and adhere to it steadily ; but, in order to be able to do so, be careful, ere you select it, that it is in accordance with your natural dispositions and tastes." "Good general maxims," returned Lord Alfred; "and now to apply them to the particular instance." DAlmayne paused for a moment ere he replied, — " If you really wish me to constitute myself your Mentor, you must allow me more opportunities of enjoying your society than I have hitherto possessed, and then, from time to time, I dare say I may be able to give you a few hints which you may find practically beneficial ; and as there is nothing like making use of the present occasion, what say you to allowing me to introduce you to a kind of private club, where I and a few of my particular set sometimes meet after the opera, and while away an hour or two with a hand at whist or 6cart(5, or exchange our ideas on the topics of the day over a game of billiards ; the stakes are, of course, suited to the measure of our purses, my own being an uncomfortably shallow one. We are close to the entrance, shall we turn in ? " After a moment's hesitation, the result of an indefinite notion that he was about to do something wrong. Lord Alfred consented ; and DAlmayne knocked at the door of what looked like a good private house. The poi-tal vmclosed and immediately shut again by some mysterious agency, for, when they entered, no domestic was visible ; and they proceeded along a passage to a second door covered with red baize, with a glass eye, placed cyclop-like in the middle of its forehead, through which a human face observed them for a moment, then disappeared, and the red baize door opened and admitted them of its own accord, as the outer one had set it the example. Follow- ing his companion up a flight of stone stairs, at the top of which yet another baize door with a cyclopian optic presented itself. Lord Alfred Courtland heard the sounds of laughing and conversation, and in another moment found himself in a large, well-lighted apart- ment, round which were dispersed sundi-y small tables, at which were seated, in groups of three or four, from a dozen to fifteen men, all of whom were recruiting exhausted nature with champagne, pine- apple ice, or more substantial viands, if their tastes inclined them 188 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP thereunto. Placing himself at an unoccupied table, D'Almayne in- quired in his most insinuating tone, — " Champagne, claret, johannisberg — what is your pet vanity, my lord ? — ' c'est affreux,' the inefficient ventilation of that opera-house. I am positively famished with thirst, and must drown my enemy before Horace is himself again." " Having obtained the privilege of considering you my Mentor, I cannot do better than avail myself of your valuable taste and experience in the selection of a beverage," returned Lord Alfred, falling into his companion's humour with that dangerous facility which was at once his bane and his gi-eatest charm. So champagne and ice, and biscuits, all first-rate of their kind, were brought and discussed, and during the demolition thereof, one or two intimates of D'Almayne, faultless in mien and manners, lounged up, and were introduced to his lordship, and drank wine dreamily, and talked smart nothings with a sleepy wittiness as of inspired dormice ; and otherwise exhibited symptoms of that life-weary, all-to-pieces con- dition which vei-y young men believe in as the " ne plus ultra " of modem dandyism ; and Lord Alfred's heai-t leaped within him as he thought that now he had at last really begun " life," and was in a fair way to become a man about town. Such wonderful beings are we, " setatis " nineteen I When a man is thirsty nothing is easier than to drink a bottle of champagne without knowing it, perhaps even till the next morning ; I never heard of the delusion lasting longer. Whether Lord Alfred Courtland di'ank more or less than a bottle on the occasion in ques- tion, history relateth not, but certainly, when he rose and strolled into the billiard-room, he felt considerably exhilarated, and eager to achieve something " fast," which might tend to impress his incipient " about-townishness " on the minds of his fashionable acquaintances. Thus, hearing the rattle of dice in a further apartment, he, to D'Almayne's surprise and amusement, declared billiards a bore, and whist " slow," and " voted " for something with a little more fun in it. So, " Dante "-like, entering the infernal regions, they very soon " knew a bank whereon " much " wild time " had been wasted, and an immense crop of wild oats sown; — and ofE which certain pro- pi-ietors had reaped many golden sheaves, while the sowers them- selves had gained only experience, teaching them how to take care of their money, about the time when their money was all gone, which must have been more improving than consolatory to the " cleaned out ones." Then first upon Lord Alfred's youthful ear fell the command, diabolical in its persuasive eloquence, " Faites le jeu, messieurs ! " then timidly, and with feelings akin to those of mediaeval youths who, in the good old feudal times, signed uncom- fortable compacts with the Evil One, which never turned out satisfactorily for them even in this world, did Lord Alfred stake his first guinea, and unfortunately lose it. We say unfortunately, for had he won, and so come, seen, and conquered, he might hav» AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 189 listened to tlie appeals of conscience wliicli just then were striving to make a coward of this neophyte man about town ; but, as matters stood, he felt a stern necessity to vindicate the "sang froid" with which he could support a run of ill luck, and playing again — won, doubled his stake — won; then, against D'Almayne's advice, staked his winnings on " le rouge," and that colour proved successful ; and then the gambler spirit came upon him, and he played with a fierce eagerness, and drank more champagne, and played again, until two hours later D'Almayne almost forced him away from the table, and took him home, flushed and excited, a winner of one hundred pounds ! Poor boy! as he left that haunt of sordid vice and idle folly, he believed that he had done something clever, and spirited, and manly, and longed for the next evening, when he might again distinguish him- self ; but could he have foreseen half the consequences of this, his first step in evil, or the sorrrow he was thereby bringing upon true hearts that loved him, he would have shrunk from again crossing the threshold, as though it were indeed that of the hell which in their unseemly jesting men term it. Rising late the next morning, he was informed that a gentleman was waiting to see him, and on entering the sitting-room found Hoi'ace D'Almayne in an easy chair and an elegant attitude. " I was anxious about you, mon cher " (they had grown wonder- fully familiar over their champagne), "you appeared so much excited last night," he began, uncrossing his graceful legs, clad in a seraphic pair of Blin et Fils' chefs-d'oeuvre. " Sure such a pair wore nerer seen 1 " " You seemed so carried away by your enthusiasm that I thought you would not sleep, and thus ventured to call at this unreasonable hour to see how you were getting on." " Very kind and friendly of you, I'm sure," returned Lord Alfred, quite overcome by such unhoped-for condescension on the part of his model Mentor. " I suppose I did get rather excited, but I'm all right again this morning, — at least I shall be," he continued, as a dizzy swimming in the head obliged him to grasp a chair-back for support, " as soon as I have had a cup of coffee." " Or if I might suggest, a bottle of seltzer water with a suspicion of cognac in it, is a much more efficient substitute : allow me to brew for you ; — may I ring the bell P " Receiving the permission he sought, Horace acted accordingly, and when the servant appeared, desired him (on a glance from Lord Alfred, delegating all authority to him) to bring a bottle of seltzer water, brandy, and a lemon. Possessed of these desiderata, he commenced shredding off two or three delicate little spiral circles of lemon-peel, like yellow watch-springs, then di'opping these into a Brobdignagian tumbler, warranted not to nm over under any severity of effervescence, he added thereunto a liqueur glass full of the purest (and strongest) cognac, Uuwiring the aeltzer water, ho 190 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP allowed it to draw its own cork (for thus, under his skilful control, did the operation appear to be performed), and, forcing it to explode into the tumbler, he presented the beverage, foaming wildly, to Lord Alfred, who, at the risk of immediate suffocation, di'ank it oft" in that rabid condition, and providentially surviving, declared himself greatly benefited by the treatment. Having thus re-invigorated his patient's exhausted frame, D'Almayne proceeded to perform the same friendly office by his mind, and very good coimsel did he bestow upon him— only that his advice had this peculiarity, viz., that whUst in words he recommended Lord Alfred Courtland to bend his steps in a northerly direction, that young nobleman felt an unaccountable conviction that by proceeding due south, he should raise himself in the estimation of his Mentor and of all other men of spirit. Thus he heard, with a complacent smile, that D Almayne was siu-prised at the manner in which he had cai-ried all before him at the gaming-table on the pre\doiis evening ; that every one imagined him to be an old hand at such matters ; and one individual, who was generally supposed to make a very decent living by gambling, had declared his conviction that Lord Alfred played on a system, and a deucedly clever system too ! — At all of which D'Almayne appeared alarmed and uneasy, and assm-ed his friend that it was a very dangerous talent for a young man, and that it would be a great relief to his mind if Lord Alfred would promise never to go there again; to which his lordship replied by lighting a cigai-, handing the box to his Mentor, and asking him whether he considered him such an irre- claimable miiff as not to be able to win or lose a matter of a hundred pounds without making a ninny of himself. Declaring himself innocent of any such disrespectful innuendo, D'Almayne also lighted a cigar (it being impossible in these piping times to do anything without plenty of puffing) , and these new allies gi'ew loquacious and confidential ; but with this difference, that Lord Alfred gave his confidence, and Horace obligingly received the sacred deposit. Thus, after a fair amount of the horticultural cruelty, yclept "beating about the bush," had been committed, that good young man was made acquainted with the " secret sorrow," which, as the reader is aware, was with much success performing the part of the " woitq i' the bud" to Lord Alfred's "damask cheek." As soon as Mentor thoroughly understood the state of the case, which he did in an incredibly short space of time — tact being so strongly developed in him that it almost amounted to intuition— he followed the advice of Polly in the " Beggar's Opera," by " pondering well " before he ventiu-ed to prescribe for the complaint of his Telemachus. Having sat with bent brows until his cigar was exhausted, he flung the end into the grate, smoothed his beloved moustaches, and then spoke oraculaiiy : — " You see, mon cher," he began, " you are taking to the r61e of a ' flaneur,' what you call a man about town, full early for an English- man; thus, the chief thing you want is self-confidence, without AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 191 whicli a man can neitlier do proper justice to himself nor to his position. Now it seems to me the best thing for you would be to get some pretty woman of good station to take you in hand ; you must try and establish a flirtation with somebody," " Cui bono P " inquired Telemachus ; " the governor would never stand me man-ying for — oh ! not for the next five years ! " " Marrying before you're one-and-twenty ! My dear fellow, what can have put such a frightful idea into your head ! " exclaimed Mentor, aghast at the supposition. " No, no ; marriage is the last thing I should dream of recommending, except quite as a ' dernier ressort.' For which reason I was about to add that the best practice to set you at ease with yourself, and therefore with other people, will be to devote your attentions to some pretty and fashionable married woman ; — there ! don't look so awfuUy scandalized ; of course I only mean a sentimental and platonic affair — just enough to excite and interest you into self-oblivion. When you once forget your "ipsissimus ego" — when, as that punning friend of yours, Mr. Coverdale, would say, you cease to mind your I — all your anxieties in regard to popular opinion will vanish, and you will soon find that with your face, figure, address, and position. Lord Alfred Coui-tland will become the admired of all admirers. And that reminds me that Mrs. Coverdale would be just the person for that pui-pose ;— she is very pretty, moves n good society, and, ' entre nous,' is smitten with you ah'eady ! " " But really — of course I don't set up to be any better than my neighbours," stammered the poor boy, colouring at the possibility of being suspected of such slow attributes as good feeling and right principle, and yet unable entirely to silence the promptings of his better nature ; — " of cotu'se I don't set up for a saint ; but Harry Coverdale is an old friend and schoolfellow, and one of the best creatm-es in the world ; I should not like — that is, I really couldn't — But, I beg your pardon, I don't think I exactly understand your meaning." " I don't think you do," returned D'Almayne, his sarcastic tone expressing such immistakable contempt that Lord Alfred actually winced as if in pain ; " I don't think you have the faintest glimmer of my meaning. You don't suppose I intend you to order a chaise and four and run off with pretty Mrs. Coverdale to the Continent, do you ? My ideas are much less alarming, I can assure you ! ' par exemple ' — your friend Harry is a physical force man ; he is a mighty hunter, a dead shot; he loves only his dogs and his horses; but requires a Joe Manton to ensure him good sport and a pretty wife to sit at the head of his table : Mrs. Coverdale, on the other hand, has a soul— reads Tennyson, feels her husband's neglect, and pines for some one who will appreciate her and sympathize with her ; you, in the kindness of your heart, pity her, and knowing you can afford her the consolations of congeniality, obligingly make up for her good man's defi'. iency ; therefore, you read poetry with her, explain the 192 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP obscure passages whicli neither she, you, nor any one else can under- stand ; her mind reposes on your superior intelligence ; she trusts you and confides to you important secrets, — the exact age of her dearest female friend, whom she suspects of designs upon your heart, the dress she is going to wear at the next fancy ball,— and eventually, with heightened colour and averted eyes, the history of that ring with the turquoise forget-me-not, together with a biographical sketch of the noble giver — showing how he lived pathetically, and died in the odour of heroism, fighting at the head of his regiment in the Punjaub, the centre of a select circle of slaughtered foemen ; which latter confidence may be considered as the latch-key to the fair lady's heart, ensuring you admittance at all times and seasons." " And having attained this agreeable position, how long do you expect so pleasant a state of things to last, and what is to be the end of it ? " inquired Telemachus. " Oh ! until she has got rid of her romance, and you of your diffidence, by which time you will have grown mutually tired of each other, and the London season will have come to an end," was Mentor's oracular reply. Telemachus mused, lit a fresh cigai*, and mused again. He liked the idea, had a faint suspicion it might be wi-ong, but was quite sure it would be very pleasant. Mentor, thinking this a promising frame of mind in which to leave his pupil, would not weaken the force of his argument by vain repetitions, so made an engagement to meet again in the evening, and departed. And while " les petites moustaches noires " wounded female hearts as he passed down courtly St. James's Street, the spirit of the good young man, their wearer, glowed within him, and, — " As he walked by himself. He talked to himself, And thus to himself said he ! " "Ha! ha! Milord Courtland, you are mine— your pm-se, your credit, yom- influence— all are mine ! But what a child it is ; what a baby ! ' Sacr6 ! ' at his age I was winning twenty pounds a day at billiards in New Orleans !— And you, Han-y Coverdale, ' mon ami,' I will teach you to watch me with black looks when I am conversing with ' la belle millionaire ' ; you had better attend to your own wife now — young, pretty, and neglected! 'Le petit' Alfred has a fair game before him, if he have but wit to play it — yes ! all goes as it should ! fortune fills the sails ! there is a cool head and a steady hand at the helm : ' vogue la galfere ! ' " AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 103 CHAPTER XXXIV. In this " tight little island," — of which as a wnole we are all so pi-oud, although it affords ample occupation for its public in grumbling at its institutions, via its " Times " newspaper — the only season of the year when fogs are not, and every day does not resemble a " washing- day " on a large scale, the only period in fact when the country is endurable, is the early summer. Thus the educated classes, whose weU-balanced and carefully-developed minds enable them to arrive at sound conclusions, and whose well-stored pockets render them free to come and go untrammelled by pecuniary considerations, have bound themselves by the laws of the tyrant Fashion to spend June and July in London, where they simmer in hot rooms, when they should be in bed and asleep, until all the goodness is boiled out of them— which new " theory of evil " we beg to offer to the notice of Miss Martineau, and all other speculative minds anxious to elevate humanity by substituting earthly nonsense for heavenly revelation. But however you may brick her up and smoke-di-y her, nature will assert herself, and, turning with disgust from oats at 40s. the quarter in a mahogany manger, pine for green meat and a canter over the spring turf. So a compromise has been effected between town and country amusements, and hoi'ticultural fetes have been devised to afford parboiled fashionables breathing time between their rounds of dissipation, together with a gentle reminder of the " pleasures of the plains," which they are sacrificing to their craving for unnatural excitement. Horticultural fetes are brought about in this wise: Early in the inclemency of a British spring, when all London is shivering over its fondly cherished fire, that noun of multitude per- ceives in the first column of its " Times " a notice that members of the Horticultural Society may obtain tickets at privileged prices imtil some specified day ; thereupon All-London writes to its par- ticular friend the M. H. S. for an " order," and the member vouching by implication for All-London's standing and respectability — into which he has probably gone no deeper than its coat — All-London besieges the ofl&ce of that floral autocrat. Dr. Lindley, and clamours for tickets, crying " Give, give," and insatiable as the daughter of the horse-leech. Having at length obtained its desire. All -London buttons up its great-coat and waits timidly but eagerly for the first Horticultural. But the London season is an outrage upon, and an insult to nature, and nature takes her change out of the first Horti- 194 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP cultural ; it is a poui'ing wet day, Chiswick becomes Keswick, and the Duke of Devonshire's grounds, yielding to hydraulic pressure, cease to be dry grounds any longer. Dr. Lindley ... we have not the pleasure of that gentleman's personal acquaintance, but we can imagine Dr. Lindley feels disappointed and . . . expresses it. Then All-London exchanges its great-coat for a paletot, and looks forward with a timid anxiety to the second Horticultm-al, which being in June enjoys the advantage of April weather, and is only showery, so the boldest quarter of London goes, from the Herbert Fitz-tip-tops, careless of the bronchial tubes of their serving-men and carriage- horses, down to the Robinson Joneses, safe in the immunity of a hack brougham, driver, and horse— a long-suffering trio, so ac- customed to wait in the rain, that use has become a second nature to these amphibious hirelings. Oui* enterprising pleasure-seekers come back ere dewy eve, and say that, considering the fact that flowers won't blow out of doors in cold weather, and that the gravel was a swamp, and the turf a morass, the tents very hot, and the east wind very cold, and that there was nobody there except a few dreadful people who really ought not to be anywhere— (Mrs. Robinson Jones was actually pushed up against Mr. Cutlet and his rib, her own butcher, who makes a clear ,£2000 a-year, while genteel Robinson Jones scarcely averages jei500 at the Bar ; but what does that signify ?) — and that the female Quarter-of -London had got the ridiculous soles of its little French shoes wet through in five minutes, and had felt a tightness at its chest ever since ; allowing for these and several other slight drawbacks, it really was not such a complete failure after all ! But even English weather has its bright side ; and, content with taking the shine out of the first two, on the third Horticultural fete the sun seems resolved to come out strong, and, setting parasols at defiance, imprint his bui-ning kisses on the pale features of all the pretty women in town, like an ardent old luminary as he is. And All-London finding that it really is a beautiful day, puts on its best bib and tucker, and takes its wife and daughters to Chiswick. Where the roads ai'e watered they are very muddy, where they are not watered they are dusty ; and as the dust sticks to the carriages, and the dust sticks to the mud, and the horses get first very hot going there, then very cold waiting there, and the pole of every other carriage invariably runs through the back panel of the {vehicle immediately preceding it, coachmen are not, as a general rule, fond of the third Horticultural ; but nothing can please everybody, and these Flower-shows " please the ladies " (to quote Mr. Crane's favourite phrase), and that is the great point after aU. It was probably with a view to " pleasing the ladies " that Mr. Crane had thought proper to invest capital in half-a-dozen Horticultm-al tickets — seeing that his own horticultui-al tastes were confined to di-inking Sherry-cobbler in an arbour, whenever such a privilege was vouchsafed to him, and his knowledge limited to the capability of discriminating between a cabbage and a cauliflower. The weather having been such AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 195 as we have described it during tlie fii'st and second fetes— on botli which occasions Mr. Crane bewailed the useless expense into which his gallantry had seduced him, with a truly touching degree of pathoa — these tickets remained unused until the third and last flower-show, when " the face of all nature looking gay," and " bright Phoebus " obligingly condescending to " adorn the hills," the ex-cotton-spinner and his spouse, Han-y Coverdale and Alice, together with Arabella Crofton, availed themselves of five of them — Horace D'Almayne quietly pocketing the sixth in a fit of mental (and physical) abstrac- tion. They were to start at a quarter before two, as Mr. Crane always prefeiTed being early on all occasions ; but at a quarter before two, when the carriages drew up to the door, Alice was not ready ; and moreover it was Alice's own fault that she was not ready ; and thus it fell out. Lord Alfred Courtland played the flute well for so young a man, and an amateur ; since he had been in town, a talented professor instructed him in this art, who was an exiled patriot — that is to say, he and several other ardent young men had attempted one fine morning to take their "Fatherland" away from the gentle- man in possession, and give it to the Secret Blood-and-bones-united- brother-band— the same being a pet name by which they saw fit to call themselves. What they would have done with their fatherland, if they had got it, neither do they nor does any one else appear to have the least idea ; but this difficulty of disposing of their country was foi-tunately spared them, as their enterprise consisted simply of a stroll along the piincipal street of their native city, in company with a drum and a little red fiag, bearing the cheerful device of a skull and cross-bones, with the motto, " Death to Tyrants ! " which stroll continued imtil they accidentally encountered a company of soldiers, who conveyed them — drum, flag, and all — to the state prison, where they were detained, until it being discovered that they were eating their heads off, the authorities exiled them, to save their keep. Herr Hildebrand Tootletootzakoffski, one of this devoted band, had brought his Polish sorrows and his German flute to England, and between them both managed to make a much more comfortable income than tyranny had hitherto allowed him to enjoy under the mildewed institutions of his own blighted country. For the rest he was a mild little man, addicted to conversing on music and patriotism with a sort of washy sentimentality which enabled him to pass as an individual of refined tastes and cultivated mind with those who did not look beyond the surface ; personally he rejoiced in a complexion as of bad putty, and an amount of heroic beard and moustaches which would have stufEed a chair-cushion very comfortably. And being siach as we have described him, Herr Hildebrand — an acquain- tance of and introduced by Horace D'Almayne, who, in his multi- farious occupations, may have been a banded-brother, for aught we know to the contrary — had suggested to Lord Alfred Courtland the great advantage it would be to him in his, the professor's talented absence, if he, Lord Alfred, could find any amiable pianiste of his 196 HARRY CO VERB ALE'S COURTSHIP acquaintance, able and willing to play duets with him, to " improve his time " ; and as he said this in the presence of and immediately after a tete-a-tete with Horace D'Almajme, it really was scarcely necessary for that judicious Mentor to suggest to his lordship pretty little Mrs. Coverdale, although to guard against mistakes he did so. Thus Alfred Courtland and Alice had played a good many duets in Park Lane; and on the morning in question, luncheon being announced in the middle of one of these interesting performances half an hour sooner than usual, to guard against the possibility of anybody's being too late, Alice, feeling by this time quite at home in her cousin's house, coolly told Lord Alfred to come down and partake of the mid-day meal, as she was resolved to finish the duet after it was over, before she went to dress, and if they made haste she was sure there was plenty of time. But time unfortunately is one of those stubborn facts with which it is impossible to take a liberty without suffering for one's rashness ; and, although the latter part of the duet was rattled through with a Costa-like rapidity, which elicited from his breathless lordship an acknowledgment that " it is the pace that kills," yet when all the rest of the party were assembled Alice was only half di'essed. Then, as was his wont on such occasions, Mr. Crane fell into a fretful fuss, and trotted up and down the room, and made everybody fidgety and uncomfortable, especially Han-y who was provoked with Mr. Crane for being annoyed with Alice, and with Alice for having given him cause for annoyance. " There is a quiet way of arranging the matter, my dear sir," he said; " let those who are ready start in the barouche, and I will wait and drive Alice in the mail-phaeton." " Tes, and then we shall never meet at the gardens, and never all come away at the same time, and my arrangements will be completely subverted, and everything will go wi-ong," whined Mr. Crane. On this Harry ran up to hasten Alice, and Alice, who was attiring her- self at express speed, was cross, and snubbed him out of the room, and he rejoined the company in the drawing-room with compressed lips and an angi-y flush on each cheek ; and Arabella Crofton favoured him with a glance of intelligent pity, which, if it were intended to soothe his wounded spirit, failed in its effect most signally. After the la]Dse of an a-svful ten minutes, by the expiration of which period Mr. Crane was on the verge of tears, the culprit Alice made her appearance, looking very pretty, but not altogether as penitent as might have been desired ; but as she said in a cheerful tone that she "really was quite distressed at having kept them all waiting," we will hope she felt more than she allowed to appear. Then arose a debate and confusion of tongues and opinions as to how the party was to divide. Harry offered to di-ive the phaeton, Mr. Crane having privately hinted that such an aiTangement would meet with his approval — who was to accompany him? Harry suggested his own wife, meaning to treat her to a gentle reproof on the road for her want of consideration in having kept a whole party waiting merely to AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 197 finist a silly duet with tliat boy Alfred Com-tland. But Kate dis- approved of this arrangement — perhaps because she had begun to suspect that the Coverdale couple did not always in " their little nest agree," and had read in Harry's flashing eyes warning of a perturbed spirit. Whether Alice's conscience led her to the same result we do not pretend to decide, but for some reason she seconded her cousin until she discovered that by doing so Arabella Crofton would be her substitute, by which time the afPair was settled beyond her power of altering. Her annoyance would have been sensibly diminished, however, if she could have known that the arrangement was, if possible, more distasteful to her husband than to herself, but un- fortunately there was no clairvoyant at hand to afford her this desirable intelligence. Having handed up his companion, and done all that his chivalrous nature taught him was due from a gentleman to any woman entrusted to his care, and nothing farther, Harry gathered up his reins, placed himself by Miss Crofton's side in the phaeton, and sitting bolt upright, drove off with an unapproachable expression of face, which indicated, as plainly as words could have done, his resolve not to advance beyond monosyllables until they reached Chiswick. But Harry was in such matters no match for the W astute woman of the world who sat beside him. Apparently falling in with his humour she leaned back in the carriage, and the only sign she gave of her presence was an occasional sigh, which escaped her, as it appeared, involuntarily. Before they had proceeded far, however, they encountered the peripatetic theatre of that inconvenient humorist, dear old Punch, with his private band pop-going-the- weasel like an harmonious steam-engine; whereat the horses (the identical pair which had run away with Harry and Alice in the early springtime of their coui-tship, and which Mr. Crane still retained, although he carefully avoided driving them himself) — preferring probably a more classical style of music — began to express their ( \. disapprobation by plunging violently, nearly dashing the phaeton against a coal waggon, a catastrophe which nothing but the most consummate skill on the part of their driver could have averted. As Coverdale succeeded in reducing the rebellious steeds to order, he could not help involuntarily glancing at his companion to ascertain how the incident had affected her. She was leaning forward, her attitude and the expression of her features indicated excitement and interest rather than terror, while her fine eyes, dilated and sparkling with a more than ordinary lustre, were fixed upon his countenance with looks of unmistakable admiration. Coui'age, or as he would have tei-med it, " pluck," especially in a woman, where he considered it as an "additional attraction," while in a man it was simply a " sine qua non," always delighted HaiTy Coverdale ; and, being as innocent and natural as a child, he could no more help expressing his senti- ments, than he could exist without inhaling vital air, "Well, I never did see such nerve in a woman!" he exclaimed; " why you look pleased rather than frightened ! not that there was \ 198 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP any danger, except of damaging Mr. Crane's near hind wheel. They don't bit these horses properly, and that white-nosed animal hasn't the tenderest mouth at the best of times." And as he spoke he administered a smartish cnt across the ears as a practical comment on the delinquent's oral insensibility. " Tou ai-e such a good whip," was the reply, " and it always interests me to see brute force controlled by skill, energy, and strength of will. You guide these fiery horses with such a calm sense of power, that I could never feel afraid when you were di-iving me." Miss Crof ton was decidedly a clever woman ; if there was one thing on which in his secret soul Harry prided himself, it was on his driving ; and this practical compliment, standing as it unfortunately did, in somewhat marked contrast to his wife's feminine dislike of certain contentions with " queer tempered " horses, which had at odd times come in for a specimen of Coverdale's " quiet manner," appealed to his weak point — he was mortal, and it touched him, and at the touch his taciturnity vanished, and straightway he began to confide to his dangerous companion all his most secret thoughts and feelings in regard to bitting hard-mouthed horses. It seemed an imlikely topic for Arabella to make much of, and yet she allowed him to run on, listening with a smile of pleased attention; for though his talk Avas solely equestrian, yet it served as well as any other subject to melt away the icy barrier behind which Harry had hitherto entrenched himself, and thus effectually defended himself against all attempts at a renewal of the foiTner intimacy which appeared to have existed between them. Having explained completely to his own satisfaction the advantage which in the instance under consideration would be gained by di'iving " bro^vn muzzle " up at the " cheek," and the white- nosed horse in the " lower-bar," together with copious notes, descrip- tive and explanatory, and voluminous annotations and reflections on this momentous question, Harry metaphorically resumed his seat amid continued cheering, and Arabella Crofton rose in reply. Of course she started on horses, to which she soon attached carnages, by means of which she in an incredibly short time contrived to ride back to Italy, and finding Han-y stood it better than she expected, she continued in a voice indicative of deep but repressed feeling, — " Ah ! that was a strange, strange summer we passed there ! And yet, now I can calmly look back upon it, there were many happy hours, bright, sunny little bits, to set against the deep shadows of such a life as mine, times when I enjoyed the privilege of your friend- ship, before " — and here her voice faltered — " before I forfeited that and evei-ything, even my seK-respect, by my own mad folly ! " She paused in emotion, and her companion replied in a kind, frank manner, — " Why distress yourself by reviving a disagreeable reminiscence ? " (as he used the word a slight shudder seemed to convulse her, and a look of pain, but not the pain of contrition, flitted across her hand some features)—" an affair which I have, as I promised you, practi- AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 199 cally forgotten, wliicli I should never again have entered upon with you, and in regard to vsrhich my lips are sealed to every other living creature." " Tou are kind and generous-hearted, as you ever were," was the rejoinder, "but I cannot forget so readily "—here she paused, sighed deeply, then continued — "I am so glad to have had this— this conversation with you ; youi' manner has been so cold and stern, I was afraid you had repented of your promise that if we ever met again it should be as friends." " Well, you see," retiimed Harry, in an embarrassed tone, " you see circumstances have changed with me since the time to which you refer ; and I thought — in fact, you yourself said in that note it would be better — I assui-e you I meant nothing unkind, why should I P as long as you " and hei'e, having been on the point of " putting his foot in it," as he mentally paraphrased his colloquial " etourderie," Harry paused in confusion, actually blushing in his generous fear of wounding his companion's feelings. Having relieved his embaiTass- ment by giving that unfortunate scapegoat, the white-nosed horse, one more for himself, he resumed — " And now let me ask you whether you approve of the wife I have chosen ? " HaiTy made this inquiry, not because he felt particularly anxious to learn Arabella's opinion of Alice, but because he wanted to say something, and this was the fii'st idea which occurred to him, thus the moment he had spoken he wished the speech unsaid. Miss Crofton hesitated for a moment ere she replied, in a slightly constrained tone of voice, — " Tom- choice does youi- taste credit ; for, in her style, Mrs. Cover- dale is singularly pretty, and I can imagine her very attractive — when she pleases." "iTou speak as if she had not pleased, in your case," rejoined Harry, smiling at the unmistakable emphasis with which the con- cluding words had been spoken. Miss Crofton smiled also; then with a melancholy expression she replied, — " In my anomalous position in life, I am too well accustomed to slights to feel a moment's annoyance at such trifles." •' But it annoys me though," returned Coverdale, fii'ing up with the indignation aU generous natures feel at the idea of indignity being offered to any one in a dependent situation. " I am surprised at such want of right feeling, or even common courtesy, in Alice! She cannot be aware of the impression her manner has made on you. I shall speak to her about it." " Do not think of such a thing ! ", exclaimed Arabella hastily ; " it was folly in me to mention it ; "—she fixed her eyes on his face, and reading there that his resolution was unchanged, she laid her hand gently on his arm, and continued. " Listen, and I will tell you the whole truth : womanly instinct, I suppose, made your wife dislike me from the first moment she was introduced to me. I have tried in vain to conquer her dislike, and we now, by a sort of tacit consent, avoid 200 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP eacli otlier ; were you to interfere in my behalf, it would be of no avail ; on the contraiy, it would increase the evil, and, pardon my saying, might lead to a disagreement between you ; for, I may be mistaken, but I have fancied Mrs. Coverdale appears a little im- patient of control sometimes — I hope I am mistaken." She waited for a reply; but Han-y, not being able to deny the charge, and not choosing to assent to it, remained silent, and she, rightly intei-preting his reserve, continued, — " In that case, I implore you, do not dream of advocating my cause. Were I to be the occasion of any difference between you, it would render me most unhappy." After a moment's silence she added, — " I was so much interested when I heard you were going to be mai-ried, and hoped, nay prayed, that you might be as happy as I would — would always have you. I am grieved to think that Mrs. Coverdale should not fully appreciate the prize she has drawn in that most uncertain of all lotteries, man-iage ; but I feel sure she will leara to understand you better, and all will come right : you are evidently much attached to her, and that being the case, she must love you." Then in a lower tone she added—" Tou are not one likely to love in vain." What reply, if any, Harry would have made to this speech, will never be known, as at that minute they entered the line of carriages setting down at the gate of the Chiswick Gardens, and Coverdale had enough to occupy him in preventing his excitable horses from com- mitting a breach of the peace. Whether or no the phaeton groom was an observant man we cannot say, but if he felt the degree of amiable interest usually displayed by domestic servants in the affairs of their superiors, he must have been struck when mentally conb-asting Mr. Coverdale's manner of handing Miss Crofton into and out of that open cairiage by an immense accession of cordiality, for which he was probably more puzzled to account than we trust the reader finds himself. CHAPTEK XXXV. FLOWEES AND THOENS. " We have somehow contrived to lose sight of the barouche," ex- claimed Coverdale, after looking up and down the line of carnages in vain ; " I expect they must have escaped us when that white-nosed horse Bhied at Punch ; I fancied I knew which way they had turned, AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 201 but I must have gone down a wi-on^ street— poor old Crane will be in fits — I wonder what we had better do P " " What I should suggest is to walk slowly backwards and forwards inside the gate, and watch for their arrival," returned Arabella, wishing in her secret soul that one of the barouche-horses might have fallen dead lame, or that any other catastrophe, not involving injury to life or limb, might have befallen the rest of the party. After parading up and down with most laudable perseverance for nearly half an hour, during which time the crowd grew thicker and thicker, and everybody arrived except the party they were in search of, Harry suddenly exclaimed,— "You'U be tired to death with all this pushing and squeezing; they must have come some shorter way, and got here before us ; let us go on to the conservatory, we shall meet them there, I dare say." When they reached the conservatory, however, they found the crowd so dense that to attempt to discover their missing friends would have involved a difficulty, beside which that popular defi- nition of a forlorn hope, " looking for a needle in a bottle of hay," would have sunk into comparative insignificance. There were a couple of chairs near the exit from the conservatory, from which a lady and gentleman rose as they approached. " Suppose we take possession of those seats," suggested Arabella, " and watch the people as they come out ; I must honestly confess I am both hot and tired." " I sympathize in the first adjective," returned Harry, taking ofE his hat to allow the air to cool his heated brow ; " I've walked up hill through heather on the moors for six hours at a stretch, and not been so warm as this ; but then I must own I was in better condition ; one eats too many dinners in London, don't you see, and can't get exercise enough to keep a fellow in working order." Having made a suitable reply to this and sundry other thoroughly HaiTy Coverdale-ish remarks, Miss Crofton turned the convei-sation by asking,— " Pray, is that Mr. D'Almayne a particular favourite of yours P" " Not a bit of it," was the unhesitating reply ; " rather the other thing, in fact. I consider him a confounded puppy ; and have what you ladies call a presentiment that some of these days I shall be obliged to give him a lesson which he will not forget in a hurry." " Then you also have observed—" began Arabella. " I have observed nothing in particular," interrupted Han-y quickly ; " but I know this, if I were old Crane I would not have an insufferable, ridiculous, young fop dangling about my house every day, and all day long." " I think it is silly and imprudent in Kate to allow it," returned Arabella, " and I ventured to tell her so, but she did not take the hint kindly, and I have not attempted to recur to the subject. I am afraid her marriage has not improved her j I reaDy believe since I spoke to 202 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP her she has been kinder to Mr. D'Almayne than before ; he and his insinuating young friend, Lord Alfred Coui'tland, have almost lived in Park Lane this last week." " His friend ! " exclaimed Harry, " little Alfred is my friend — ^he and I were at school together — that is, he was at the bottom when I was at the top ; I introduced him to D'Almayne myself, and now I wish I had left it alone ; oh, there's no hai-m in little Alfred — besides, I never heard him speak a dozen words to Kate Crane." A meaning smile passed across his companion's handsome features, but she only said, — " I am sorry he is your friend ; I am afraid Mr. D'Alma3me is a dangerous acquaintance for so vain and weak a young man." " Alfred is no fool, though perhaps firmness is not his strong point," returned Ooverdale ; " vain perhaps he is — all handsome boys are, I suppose. But why do you say you are sori-y he is my friend ? " Miss Crofton was silent for a minute, then in a timid and hesitat- ing voice replied, — " You will be angi-y with me if I tell you my reason for disliking Lord Alfred's constant visits ; you will doubt what I say, and impute to me all kinds of false and evil motives for saying it." " Go on," returned Harry, in a low, stern voice, " you have said too much for me to rest satisfied not to hear more— tell me all you know or suspect ; but take care— if, as you say, you value my good opinion — that you speak only the simple truth." Thus urged, Miss Crofton proceeded cautiously to relate, that much as it gi-ieved her to say anything which might cause him pain or annoyance, she would not disguise from him that she felt con- vinced Lord Alfred Courtland was deeply smitten with Alice, and that his frequent visits to Park Lane were the result of his ad- miration — that, moreover, Horace D'Almayne was evidently doing his best to nurse what had been a mere boyish fancy into a warmer and stronger feeling ; of his motive she was unable to judge, but of the fact she was certain ; she believed, moreover, that he possessed a strong and daily inci'easing influence over the young man. " And Alice ? " inquired Coverdale, with flashing eyes, " what of Alice ? Beware how you teU me that she encourages this misguided, foolish boy ! for by heaven, if yoxi do, and it should appear that you have misjudged her, I should be tempted to inform her and all the world the reason which has induced you to invent such malicious calumnies ! " " You wi'ong me by your unkind suspicions," was Arabella's calm reply, "as much as you wi'ong yourself by an imgenerous threat which you would be incapable of executing ; it is not for me to judge Mrs. Coverdale one way or the other. I have satisfied my conscience in warning you ; I leave you now to examine and observe for your- self, and test tlie ti-uth of my statement — but of one thing I am certain, Horace D'Almayne has some deep scheme ' in petto,' and ••hat he is an unscrupulous adventurer, clever enough to render him AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 203 a most dangerous associate for any one — a person to beware of, in sliort." "If I become convinced be is putting young Alfred up to any sucb rascality as yon imagine, I'll break the scoundrel's neck for bim ! " growled Coverdale, in a tone like tbe rumbling of distant tbunder. As be spoke someone toucbed bim on tbe sboulder, and looking round, be was more surprised tban pleased to see tbe object of bis kind intentions standing bebind tbe cbair on wbicb be was seated. How long be migbt bave been tbere, or bow mucb of tbeir conversa- tion he migbt have heard, it was impossible to tell ; but so convinced was Coverdale that D'Almayne bad been playing tbe eavesdropper, that he was on the point of inquiring what amount of information he bad thus acquired, and especially whether he bad clearly under- stood tbe fate that awaited bim, if be were really inciting " little Alfred " to make love to his wife, when D'Almayne, who possessed a womanly predilection for always having the first and last word, began,— " Pardon me if I interrupt what appears a most interesting con- versation, but I have been hunting all over the gardens for the last half- hour to find you. Mr. Crane imagines yon bave eloped with bis phaeton and horses, and Mrs. Coverdale is so completely 'au dcsespoir ' at the loss of her husband, that even Lord Alfred Coui-t- land's attentions are powerless to console her ; — really. Miss Crofton, it is too cruel of you to seduce Benedick from his allegiance to his Beatrice — you might be content with enslaving us poor bachelors ! " This speech was not particularly palatable to Arabella, and she would probably have passed it over in contemptuous silence had she not glanced at Coverdale ; but, perceiving by his flashing eye and quivering lip that be was so angry that be literally dared not trust himself to reply, she hastened to prevent anything unpleasant occurring between them, by observing in her usual calm, slightly sarcastic manner, — " It is like Mr. D'Almayne's policy to screen himself by throwing the blame on tbe injured party. "We have been roaming up and down like restless ghosts, hunting for Mrs. Crane and Mrs. Cover- dale for tbe last half -boui" — ever since we arrived in fact, until I grew so tired, that out of compassion Mr. Coverdale allowed me to sit down and rest." " One word, Mr. DAlmayne," interrupted Han-y, regardless of an imploring look and gentle pressure of the arm from Arabella Crofton, " you made a joke (for I suppose you do not wish me to consider you spoke seriously) about my wife a minute ago ; now I'm a quick-tempered fellow — touchy you may call it, upon some points, and this happens to be one of them ; so to prevent anything disagreeable, I tell you frankly I don't like sucb jokes— you under- stand ? " 204 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP Horace did understand ; he glanced at HariT^'s face. The hand- some mouth was sternly compressed— the small, well-cut nostril quivered, and the large dark eyes flashed with the anger he could scarcely restrain, his tall form was di'awn up to its full height — his broad chest dilated, and the muscles stood out on his stalwart arms until their shape became visible beneath the " Zephyr Paletot " ; altogether, Coverdale did not look just then the kind of man with whom it would be pleasant to quarrel : so D'Almayne, deeming " discretion the better part of valour," smiled, and said something which might mean anything, and conveyed a clear idea of nothing, in his most fascinating manner, and then piloted his companions to the spot where he had agreed on a rendezvous at a certain time with the Crane party. They had not yet made their appearance, however, and D Almayne (who, since Harry gave him the " caution " conveyed in his last speech, had evinced a marked desire to keep on good terms with, and out of arms reach of, so dangerous an acquaintance), guessing their whereabouts, volunteered to go and fetch them. " Pray do not quan-el with that man," urged Arabella, as D'Almayne quitted them; " you are as little his equal in scheming and manceu-saing, as he is yom-s in strength and .courage, and for this reason he is more to be dreaded than if he were a very Hercules ; do not lose your temper with him, for by so doing you will put your- self in the wi-ong and play his game ; come, be guided by me in this matter ; believe me, my only object is to secure your happiness." As she spoke, she looked up in his face with such an expression of interest, not to say affection, that Coverdale, whose anger at the woi-st was always a very evanescent affair, felt an impulse of pity for her, which appeared in the {softened tones of his voice, as he replied,— " Don't be afraid ; I'm not going to give him his deserts at present, and I'm very sorry I spoke harshly to you just now ; but I know Alice to be so good, and true,* and pure— innocent and spotless as a child (by heaven, the slightest blow to my faith in her would drive me mad!), and the mere mention of that foolish boy supposing iher to be a fit recipient for his romantic sentimental nonsense, made me lose my temper : but you need not fear my doing anything hasty. I shall, as you advise, observe Alfred Courtland, and if, as I feel certain, his attentions annoy Alice, I shall speak to him seriously and kindly (I know the boy has a good heart, and that it is D'Almayne who has set him on this business, if he is set on it) ; then, finding I am aware of it, his fancy will die a natm-al death ; but I have little expectation that my preaching will be required, Alice's indifference will work the best cure." As he spoke, the Crane party came in sight, Kate and her husband leading the van, closely attended by Horace D'Almayne ; while, at some little distance behind them, lingered Alice on the ann of Lord Alfred Courtland. As they came up, he was addressing her in an earnest, pleading manner. Alice appeared thoughtful and AND ALL THAT CA^IE OP IT 205 "distraite," but the moment liev eye fell itpon Harry and Miss Crofton she started, coloured up, and turning to her companion, said in a hurried, eager tone, — " Such constancy and perseverance, my lord, deserve rewarding; " and as she spoke she gave him a rosebud she can-ied in her hand, which he fastened in his button-hole with an expression of eager delight. Alice's words and action were neither of them lost upon her husband or his companion. CHAPTER XXXVI. ARCADIA IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. It is popularly asserted and believed that everything has two sides to it. Even a plum pudding has an inside and an out ; and that romantic malady, yclept " love unrequited," although at first sight it appears an entirely one-sided afPair, often demonstrates its bilateral capabilities by proving a much less heartrending business than was imagined, when the lapse of time enables one to discern the bright side of the picture. The Crane expedition to the Horticultural Fete formed no exception to this law of natui-e :— thus at the moment when Harry, like Hamlet's unfortunate papa, was having poison poured into his ear, and was gradually working himself up to the bolster scene in Othello pitch, Alice, that pleasant little Desdemona, unconsciously amused herself with Cassio, Lord Courtland, emula- ting Dr. Watts's " busy bee," by flitting from flower to flower, laughing at very small jokes, and altogether conducting herself with great levity, and in a singularly undignified manner — at least, so Mr. Crane thought; and as he was said to be made of gold, his opinions ought to have partaken of the value of that precious metal. But Mr. Crane had never quite forgiven Alice for not appreciating his many excellences, and was disposed to judge her harshly. After a time, however, when the novelty of the scene began to wear off — when Alice had reviewed the contents of Howell and James's, Swan and Edgar's, Redmayne's, and other ruination shops, on the fair forms of the ladies of the land — when she had " oh-how-beautiful-ed " and " is-n't-it-lovely-ed " the flowers to her heart's content — when she had heard, and longed to dance to, the Guards' band, suddenly a dark vision rose to her mind's eye — her husband tete-^-tete with that evil mystery, Arabella Crofton, obscured the sunshine of her spirit; 206 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP the rose-coloured spectacles through wliicli she had beheld Vanity Fair fell off ; the serpent had entered in ; and, for Alice Coverdale, Chiswick was Paradise no longer. Thereupon she decided that Lord Alfred was a silly tiresome boy, and won-ied lier with his childish nonsense; that Mr. Crane was a fractious old idiot, who ought to be shut up in an appropriate asylum ; that Kate looked bored and tLred, which, she did not wonder at; that Horace D'Almayne was fitter for the Zoological than the Horticultural Gardens, and deserved to be caged with the chimpanzees without loss of time ; and, finally (forgetting their separation had resulted from a caprice of her own), that Harry was very unkind to stay away from her in that way, with that hateful creature, Arabella Crof ton, whom she was sure he liked after all, though he did pretend to treat her so coldly. Then people began to push and crowd, and dresses became tumbled ; and D'Almayne having left the party to look for Harry and Miss Crofton, Mr. Crane misled them, and they fell into difficulties, and were very hot and uncomfortable ; and Alice quite pined to meet her husband, whose sturdy arm woiild have supported her, and whose tall figm-e and broad shoulders would have forced a way for her through the crowd. Next, Lord Alfred began to tease her to give bim a flower from her bouquet, and got snubbed for his pains ; until Horace D'Almajme, returning, made his report, viz. that, after much toil and trouble, he had at length discovered Miss Crofton and Mr. Coverdale, seated together in a shady corner, apparently absorbed in some deeply interesting topic of conversation. This information, tallying so exactly with her worst fears, and finding poor little Mrs. Coverdale both vexed and tu-ed, very nearly produced a bm-st of tears, to avoid which pathetic display she did that wLich the unfortunate first Mrs. Dombey failed to effect — viz. she " made an effort," and became, not exactly herself again, but Alice Coverdale as she appeared when enacting the heartless coquette. And this she did, poor child ! not from a want, but from a superfluity of heart. So, seeking to read her truant husband a practical moral lesson on the iniquity of charioteering dangerous damsels, in common with whom he possessed mysterious antecedents, she afforded Lord Alf x-ed a " material guarantee " of her favour, in the shape of the flower he had coveted ; and having thus firmly riveted his chains, ostensibly petted and made much of her captive. This conduct on his wife's pai-t was by no means calculated to soothe Harry Coverdale, pained, ruffled, and excited by his conversation with Arabella Ci-ofton ; and, without reflecting on the pradence or politeness of such a proceeding, he left his late companion to take cai-e of herself, and stalking with stately steps, as of an offended lion, up to Lord Alfred Courtland, observed, in a tone of dignified irony, — " I am much obliged to your Lordship for taking such exti'eme care of Mrs. Coverdale, but wiU now relieve you from any further trouble on her account : take my ann, Alice." AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 207 Lord Alfred, strong in the possession of his rosebvid, felt inclined to resist, and murmured something about its being a pleasure rather than a trouble; while Alice was just detennining to support her swain, when luckily she happened to read in Harry's flashing eye symptoms of the approach of an attack of his " quiet manner," so hastily disengaging her ai'm, she placed it within that of her husband, saying, as she did so, — " I am not going to let this truant escape, now that I have caught him. He deserves punishment — so I shall inflict my society upon him for the rest of the afternoon, unless," she added, with a glance which bewitched Lord Alfred more completelyjthan before, " I should find any stringent necessity to exercise my feminine prerogative of changing my mind." " Your friend Mr. Coverdale's method of relieving you of your fair charge was more vigorous than polite, mon cher," remarked D'Almayne to Lord Alfred, who, feeling he was " de trop," had left the wedded pair to their own devices. " However, I think I have obtained a clue, which I have only to follow up to arrive at a dis- coveiy which will help you on with your pretty little lady-patroness, by rendering her more the ' femme incomprise,' and neglected wife than ever." "Indeed!" was the reply; "what a clever fellow you are! I certainly owe Coverdale one, for his manner to me just now was anything but nice. Tell me, what have you discovered ? " " Well, it seems nothing very remarkable at first ; but many a large and goodly oak has grown from as small an acorn. Listen : — the immaculate Harry Coverdale has a private understanding with that dark-eyed gipsy, Ai-abeUa Crofton ; they are a great deal more intimate and confidential in a ' tete-a-tete ' than they allow themselves to appear in general society. I must try and learn what passed between them in Italy, and I think I can do so with very little trouble. I saw a man in town yesterday, Archie Campbell, who married one of the Muir girls, with whom the fair — or rather the dark — Arabella lived as governess, when they tried to exchange their Scotch brogue for the 'lingua Toscana.' She went to Italy with them, and there met Harry Coverdale — that I know as a fact; for additional particulars, I shall apply to the said Archie." "Then do you think — do you conceive — do you mean to imply, in fact, that Mr. Coverdale is attached to this Miss Crofton P " stammered Lord Alfred, colouring, as though he, and not Alice's husband, were the supposed delinquent, " Tou always put things into such plain words, ' mon cher ' ; it is a foolish habit, and the sooner you can divest yourself of it the better," was D'Almayne's reply ; " probably the mighty Nimrod, in flirting with Miss Crofton, means no more harm than you do by your Platonic attachment for his pretty wife. Nevertheless, if such should prove the fact, and you gently insinuate the same to la belle Alice, the chances are that she will be kinder than ever, to evince 208 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP hei- gratitude for yonr having rendered her jealous of her husband — not that you seem to require any help— I saw where that rosebud came from, coquin ; but now you may, if you will, render me a service ; find your way to the entrance gate, and wait till my friend, Monsieur Guillemard, makes his appearance— probably you will find him [waiting there already— and having discovered him, bring him here." As the obedient lordling strolled away on his mission, the inde- fatigable Horace gathered a rose ; then approaching Kate Crane, he lisped in his most dreamy and affected style,— "I've been searching everywhere to find a rose of that peculiar tint which might harmonize and yet contrast well with your dress ; at length I am charmed to say my efforts have been successful. Mr. Crane, will you favour me by presenting this rose to Madame? Coming through your hands, I feel sure it will be accepted." " No, positively ; that is, really it will be much more fitting— if I may be allowed to say so — that, as you have been so obliging as to find it, you should yourself present it. Mrs. Crane will, I feel con- vinced, be happy to acknowledge your politeness by accepting a flower offered— if I may be permitted to say so— with such propriety and respect." D'Almayne appeared about to avail himself of the permission which Mr. Crane thus graciously accorded him ; when suddenly drawing back, he exclaimed, " Excuse me one minute ; the thorns are so very sharp, I am afraid to hand it to you without some i^rotection against them ; "—then, taking a slip of paper from his waistcoat pocket, he wound it round the stem of the flower, and fixing his eyes with a meaning look on those of Kate, he gave her the rose. Having done so, he began talking to Mr. Crane ; and soon contrived, by a judicious selection of topics, chiefly connected with the Stock Exchange, to engross that zealous Mammonite's attention. As soon as his wife perceived this to be the case, she unrolled the paper from the stem of the rose, and, glancing at it hastily, perceived the following words wi-itten in Horace D'Almayne's neat hand : " Give me five minutes' conversation — I will make the opportunity, if you will avail yourself of it." Instantly criishing it in her hand, she rushed into conversa- tion with Arabella Crofton, on the merits and demerits of certain new annuals; which subject, skilfully managed, lasted her until Lord Alfred Cotirtland returned, arm in arm with Monsieur Guille- mard, better got up, more jaunty, and in yellower kid gloves than evei'. This vivacious foreigner was instantly captured by Horace, and desired to explain, " as he alone could do," the peculiar advan- ta ges of that famous investment in Terra Cotta preference bonds, as Mr. Crane had an odd .£10,000 lying comparatively fallow— only at three-and-a-half per cent. — which he would be glad to put out well. So foolish avarice and clever roguery ambled off together. Then D'Almayne contrived to despatch Coverdale and his wife to look at a wonderful specimen of the Hypothetica Screamans, and to AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 209 paddle Lord Alfred with Arabella Crofton, although that smitten young ai-istocrat would have preferred to have trotted mildly about after Alice, like a pet lamb. Having disposed of these super- numeraries, he as a matter of course offered his arm to Kate, who had quietly acquiesced in his ari-angements, and followed at such a judicious distance that, although they still belonged to the party, in effect they enjoyed all the advantages of a t^te-k- t^te. D'Almayne was the first to break silence. " This is most kind," he said, " and leads me to hope that you are at length beginning to understand me — to perceive that my only wish is to act the part of a true friend towards you. I have a con- viction that I owe a duty to you, for I often reflect with pain how large a share I had in bringing aboixt your marriage." At these words Kate gave a slight start, and her colour deepened; not appearing to observe these signs of agitation, her companion resumed : — " You may not be aware that it was by my advice that Mr. Crane transferred his attentions from your cousin (whose affection for Mr. Coverdale I perceived would oppose an effectual ban-ier to his wishes) to yourself : — my object in doing so was twofold. Mr. Crane had shown me mi;ch kindness and attention; he was anxious to maiTy some one whose presence would invest his home with an air of distinction and attractiveness which his wealth could never bestow. The moment I beheld Miss Marsden, I felt that no one could do so more efficiently. Thus, from an impulse of gi'atitude towards Mr. Crane, I persuaded him that it would be in every way a most suitable and desirable match, and induced him to make such an offer to Mr. Hazlehiirst as should neutralize any objection that gentleman might have had to your occupying the position he had destined for his daughter. Again mistaking, in gi'eat measure, both your character and that of Mr. Crane, I believed you would have suited each other far better than I fear is the case : I fancied you ambitious, and that the power which wealth would bestow would render you not only contented, but happy, while I trusted man-iage would develop in Mr. Crane traits of generosity and tenderness of which I now am forced to confess his nature is incapable. Had I guessed this sooner, I need scarcely add, the respect and admiration I have always experienced for one so gifted as you are would have prevented my advocating the match. All that now remains for me is to compensate, as far as it is in my power to do so, for any little failures in tact (believe me they are nothing more) of which my excellent friend, Mr. Crane, may be guilty ; and I speak thus honestly and openly in order that, appreciating my motives, you may place full confidence in me, and thus enable me "—and here he sank his voice almost to a whisper— "to assist you in bearing the burden which I have unconsciously helped to place upon you." " I must believe you mean kindly by me," was Kate's reply ; " but P 210 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP you are aware that with me deeds tell better than words. Has the application been made ? " " Yes." " And with what result ? But I fear I need scarcely ask." "Not a favourable one, I regret to say. Mr. Crane saw Mrs. Leonard, hoping, I fancy, that she might have learned some tidings of her husband ; but when he became aware of the object of her visit, he not only refused to assist her, or to do anything for her children, but grew iri'itated, reproached her with what he termed her husband's infamous conduct, declared he had [lost thousands of pounds by his negligence, and wound up by threatening that, if she ever set foot in his house again, he would give her in charge to the police. When I visited her, I found her in tears, and utterly heart-broken by this failure of her last hope." " Tou must go to her again," exclaimed Kato eagerly ; " teU her you have mentioned her necessities to a lady of your acquaintance, who is willing, and, thank God, able to assist her ; give her money ; find out what she most requires ; devise some plan by which she may be enabled to support herself and educate her children. Oh ! if I can save this poor family from ruin, it will be some little " She checked herself abruptly, then continued: "Mr. Crane is most liberal to me, and allows me more than I have the least occasion or desire to spend on myself— so do not let them want for anything And oh ! be most careful— you say she is a lady, poor thing ! — be most careful not to wound her feelings. Tou do not know how shi-inkingly sensitive poverty makes natui-es that are at all refined." " I feai- Mr. Crane's words, spoken, I dare say, under a veiy just feeling of annoyance, both pained and irritated her," returned D'Almayne. " She naturally draws a strong line between the fact that her husband has been imprudent and -unfortunate and the insinuation that he had been criminal. Mr. Crane, I grieve to say, appeared to doubt the truth of her statement that Mr. Leonard was ignorant of his partner's intended flight and defalcation." " Ungenerous ! cruel ! " mm-mured Kate, carried away by her ex- citement, and forgetting, or perhaps at the moment scarcely heeding, the fact that D'Almayne's quick ears were eagerly drinking in these acknowledgments of the estimation in which she held her husband. " I am most anxious to save you all trouble in this matter," resumed D'Almayne ; " but it would be a great satisfaction to me, and relieve me of a responsibility for which I am scarcely fitted, if you would not object to Aasit Mrs. Leonard yourself. She is already most anxious to see and thank the kind benefactress to whom I have in- formed her she is indebted. "Were you once to talk to her, you would perceive the gentle yet strong nature we have to deal with; you would learn her hopes, fears, and prospects from her own lips rather than through such an unworthy interpreter as myself ; you would Bee the interesting children ; — may I hope that you will consent ? " Kate paused — considered ; but her answer demands a f reeh chapter- AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 211 CHAPTER XXXYII. A CONCESSION AND A " PARTIE CARRIE." The question we left Kate Crane considering in tlie last chapter ate decided thus : — " I should like to visit Mrs. Leonard," she said slowly. " I feel the truth of all you urge— but there are difficulties in the way; Mr. Cranewould greatly disapprove of such a proceeding on my part." " He need never know it," suggested D'Almayne, in a voice little above a whisper. " He need not," returned Kate calmly, " but I have since my marriage made it a point of conscience never to do anything which I should object to Mr. Crane's hearing of ; I still consider the rule a good one, and am disinclined to break through it." "Does not your sensitive conscience," rejoined D'Almayne, "lead you to refine rather too much, until, adhering to the form of goodness, you in a great degree lose the substance, and thus, by a chivalrous sciiTple of never disobeying your husband, miss an opportunity of doing real good, by which you would neutralize the injury which Mr. Crane's peculiarities may otherwise inflict upon this unfortunate family ? I think, if you reflect on this for a minute, your excellent sense will convince you that your amiable but romantic scruple is fallacious." Kate did reflect, and apparently her convictions assumed the shape D'Almayne had predicted, for she replied in a less assured voice than that in which she had formerly addressed him, — " Mr. D'Almayne, you have spoken more honestly and openly to-day than you have ever done before, and I will treat you with equal frankness. Tou were acquainted with Mr. Crane before I had ever heard his name ; you appear to know him well ; you have alluded gene- rally to his good points, and have pointed out his weak ones with equal talent and perspicuity. I neither admit nor deny your statements — but, in the individual instance before us, I believe that you are right. You have been very kind in this matter ; you first introduced this poor Mrs. Leonard to my notice ; you have since taken much dis- interested trouble on her account ; you possess great tact, and have divined the happiness it affords me to assist those who, from mis- fortune and poverty, have fallen from the rank of gentlewomen ;— therefore in this matter, I feel you have a claim to work with me ; for the first time, therefore, I will repose confidence in you. I wish to visit this poor lady — how am I to accomplish it without my husband's knowledge ? " 212 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP Horace D'Almayne had won his point, Horace D'Ahnayne was happy ! yet he did not clap his hands, neither did he hurrah wildly, nor dance a lively measiu'e around Kate Crane, whom he believed he had cu'cumvented in a different manner ; but he forced his imper- turbable countenance into an expression of philanthi-opic benevolence and gratitude, and arranged with Mrs. Crane a plan by which, during her husband's daily worship in the temple of Mammon, his god — an edifice more familiarly known in the good city of London as the Stock Exchange— she should visit unfortunate Mrs. Leonard, and witness with her own eyes how justly the prince of this world (who is identical with the monarch of a lower kingdom still) distributes his subjects' property. About this time all the members of this disunited party assembled and jointly and severally ended their day's enjoyment (?) by returning home tired, dejected, and suffering more or less from that ailment which defies those guinea-pigs, " the faculty " — an ailment as rife in St. James's as are cholera and small-pox within the precincts of St. Giles's^an ailment which, thanks to those bitter curses, the forms, ceremonies, requirements, and prejudices of society, afflicts and hangs heavily on many an honest man and loving woman — an ailment indigenous even in our glorious constitution, and which has as many aliases as shapes, the spleen, ennui, but truest name of all, the Heaet-ache. "Ogni Medaglia ha il suo reverso," there is no rule without its exception ! Horace D'Almayne was the exception to this particular rule— he was not troubled with heart-ache, because in the meta- physical sense of the word, he did not possess a heart; but nature had made it up to him by giving him a very clear head, and thus it reasoned : — " Tes, my pretty Kate, ' tout va bien ' ; you have grown civil, almost kind— not yet affectionate, but that is to come. Yet she is clever, doubts, suspects me ! — what children women are, even clever women ; once appeal to their feelings, their impulses— bah ! their reason lies captive before you — they are puppets in your hand. ' Ah ! c'est bien drole, cette petite existence ici-bas ! ' for the rest, all goes well ; the beautiful Kate shall compromise herself — the millionaire shall open wider his purse strings— the bank wins for me — the little Alfred plays my game— courage, Horace ! thy star is in the ascendant, you will die a rich man yet ! " The morning after the Horticultural Fete, Coverdale suggested to his wife that they had, in his opinion, spent sufficient time and money in the gay metropolis, and that agricultv^ral and manorial duties called him to the country forthwith ; but Alice pleaded so earnestly for only one week more of dissipation, with Lady Tattersall Trotte- niout's " soiree dansante " at the end of it, that Harry could not find it in his heart to refuse her. Scarcely had he yielded the point AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 213 when a letter arrived from Tom Rattlewortli, Magistrate, and Master of Fox-hounds, to inform him that, owing to the baneful influence of a certain grand seigneur in the neighbourhood, it was proposed to enclose a common and turn a road, which would destroy a favourite fox cover and give Coverdale half a mile further to drive to the neai-est railway station — that the matter was to be decided at the next meeting of magistrates — that he (Thomas) had striven tooth and nail to get up an opposition, in which he had been tolerably successful, and that he considered it only required Ooverdale's presence to prevent the evil altogether. Thus lu-ged, Harry had but one coui'se to pursue, viz. commend his wife to Mrs. Crane's safe custody, and start for Coverdale Park forthwith, promising to return in time for " Lady Tat. Trott.'s benefit," as he was pleased to term it. Alice at first opposed his going, but when she found the question resolved itself into one of these alternatives, either that she must let him go alone, or give up her ball and accompany him, her opposition ceased. So Harry packed his carpet-bag and departed —and the houi-s rolled by on their patent noiseless wheels, until the time appointed for that notable solemnity. Lady Tattersall Trotte- mout's " soiree dansante," arrived. On that day Lord Alfred Courtland invited to a quiet dinner, at his comfortable bachelor lodgings, Horace D'Almayhe, Monsieur Guillemard, and a youth who, because he was in every particular Lord Alfred's exact opposite, was an especial crony of his. Jack Beaupeep, eetatis twenty-five, was a clerk in a public office with a salary of .£150 per annum, on which, by means of his talents, he contrived to live at the rate of — anything under a thousand. As, however, we shall not have very much to do with him in the course of this history, we will spare the reader further details by summing up his character in the two expressive words, " fast " and " funny." Everybody knows a fast, funny man ; and his was a bad case of the complaint. At a quarter to eight, p.m., on the day in question, this excellent young buffoon of private life betook himself to Lord Alfred's lodgings, and finding himself first in the field looked around with a practised eye for the best means of turning the situation to comic effect. First he perceived a valuable statuette of Yenus, as she appeared before the discovery of the art of dress-making, for which his innate sense of propriety led him to improvise a petticoat, by means of a doyley and a small portion of the red tape of Old England, purloined from her Britannic Majesty's stores that morning, and secreted by the delinquent for any possible exigencies of practical jesting. Having attired this young lady to his satisfaction, he obligingly bestowed on her a i*eal Havannah cigar, which, thrust through an opening left by the sculptor in her clenched hand, with the end resting against her ambrosial lips, resembled a speaking-trumpet, and gave her that " ship-ahoy ! " kind of appearance with which early engravers were pleased to endow Fame. He then wi-ote and waf ered on the pedestal of the statuette thus embellished a label, bearing the inscription, 214 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " Eugenie, Empress of the Frencli," mumiurmg to himself " Delicate little compliment to the illustrious foreigner who is coming." Next he availed himself of a pair of boxing-gloves ; " uneai-thing," as he termed it, the roUs inserted in two of the dinner napkins, and substituting for them these elementary instructors in the noble art of self-defence ; and, lastly, espying the ci-uet-stand, he had just time to reverse the contents of the pepper and sugar- casters, and confuse all the sauces, when to him entered Lord Alfred Com-tland. This young nobleman's appearance had considerably changed since first we had the pleasure of describing him. By abstruse study and unflagging attention to the sayings and doings of men- about- town, he had acquired many noble attributes— he could lounge and dawdle, and walk with a pert yet lazy roll in his gait, as of a tipsy dancing- master, or of a cock-sparrow afflicted with sciatica ; he could lisp as though his very tongue was too about-town-ish to speak plain, unadulterated English; he could make play with his eyes half shut, like a timid girl, or stai'e with them offensively wide open, like an insolent coxcomb, though he was not quite pei-f ect in this last manoeuvre as yet. Also his clothes were large and loose enough for himself and half another man-about-town besides ; and he had a bunch of baby's toys, modelled in gold, dangling from his watch- chain — Lilliputian house furniture, and a gun, and a sword, and a pistol to match, and a little man in armour with impossible featui'es, accompanied by a hon-id little skull of the same after his decease, with two of his little golden marrow-bones crossed under it, as if they were saying their prayers ; there was likewise a ridiculous fish, which wagged its tail, and a fox's mask, as it is " knowing " to term the physiognomy of that astute quadrapedal martyr ; the whole to conclude with a limp and jointed punchinello, or tomfool, as a pendant (in every sense of the word) to the fool of larger growth who wore these childish absurdities. Thus attired and adorned, Lord Alfred Courtland withdrew one white hand from a pocket of his liberal trousers, and laying it on Beaupeep's shoulder with a want of energy, general lassitude, and fish-out-of-water-ishness of manner which did him infinite credit, drawled forth, — " Ay ; my dear fellar ! this is veray good of you to come at such short notice ! " " Not at all, not at all," was the brisk reply, for Beaupeep did not go in for, or revere, the all-to-pieces style, but rather made it a theme for playful jesting ; " when I got youi- invite, I just scribbled off a line to Palmerston to say I'd dine with him to-mon"Ow instead of to- day." Lord AHred quietly raised his eyebrows, while, nothing abashed, Beaupeep continued, — " It's very jolly to be on those terms with a man like ' Pam.,' and I consider it quite sufficient recompense for my unwearying devotiou to my public duties " AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 215 " It really won't do -with me, my dear Jack," interrupted Lord Alfred, in a tone of affectionate remonstrance ; " reflect how long we've known each other ! " " By the way," recommenced Jack, ignoring the inteiTuptional rebuke, " talking of ' Pam.' puts me in mind of the Foreign Office, which, not unnaturally, leads to the inquiry of who may be the illustrious ' Mossoo ' who is to make our fourth to-day ? " " Monsieur Guillemard ! oh, he is a very gentlemanly and intelli- gent Frenchman and a particular fi-iend of Horace D'Almayne's." " But what is he ? " continued Beaupeep pertinaciously ; " is he a noble political exile, or a perruquier from the Palais Royal, who can't meet his liabilities P does he gain a frugal living by imparting a knowledge of his native tongue in six lessons, at half -a-ci'own each P or — " " Hush ! here he is," interrupted Lord Alfred, as a smart rat-tat- tat at the house-door announced an arrival ; " he has something to do with the funds, and the financial interests, and the Rothschilds, and all that mysterious' pounds, shillings, and pence business in regard to which I have, I am afraid, no clearly defined ideas." " Except to spend 'em first, and make your governor shell out aftei-wards, you lucky beggar, you ! " was the plainly audible aside, as the servant announced Monsieur Guillemard and Mr. D'Almayne. After the ceremony of introducing the volatile Jack to the new comers had been performed, that individual immediately attached himself and devoted his conversation to Monsieur Guillemard, whom he persisted in addressing as " Mossoo le Comte," and whom he seemed to imagine just caught in some very foreign country indeed, and ignorant of the simplest English manners and customs ; a delusion to which that gentleman's limited acquaintance with Lindley Murray's, or indeed, any other British grammar, lent some slight colouring. " I think I obsei-ved, Mossoo le Comte, that you'came in a hansom cab ? " remarked Jack. " Ters, we promenaded in a ver handsome carb, a handsome hora also ; you shall drive some much more handsome hors in your street than with us," was the reply. " The native British cab is a great and noble product of the liberal institutions of this free and happy land," returned Jack oratorically ; " if an Englishman chooses to walk, an enlightened legislatiu-e not only allows him to do so, but provides him with a granite pavement to walk upon ; if he chooses to ride, the legislature has a cab awaiting his slightest wink — a mere contraction of the eyelid, Mossoo le Comte, obtains for the wearied Englishman a luxui*ious vehicle, a Bwift and steady horse, and a skilful driver, prepai-ed to convey him one mile in any conceivable direction, for the trifling outlay of eix- pence sterling." " With the advantage of studying the patois of Billingsgate in for 216 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP the money, wlien the cabman returns thanks for his fare," added D'Almayne. Jack Beaupeep favoured him with a glance of inquiry which, if it had been framed in words, would have run thus—" Are you a knave or a fool ? " Apparently deciding in favour of the former hypothesis, he resumed, — " The additional attraction to which you so perspicuously allude, my dear sir, involves yet another striking peculiarity— viz. this driver, who so carefully conducts you through the crowded thorough- fares of our colossal metropolis, is no servile hireling, no parasitical serf to crouch at your feet, but A man, sir— a freeborn Briton— with as much vested right in ' Rule Britannia ' as yourself. Sir ! when a dissatisfied cabman alludes to my eyes and limbs, I open widely those aspersed optics, proudly draw up those vituperated limbs, and rejoice that he and I are fellow-countrymen ! " " My dear Jack, we're not upon the hustings ; we have none of us the slightest intention of coming in for anywhere ; and dinner has been served for the last five minutes," suggested his host mildly. Favouring him with a melodramatic scowl, which, at Sadler's Wells or the Victoria, would, in theatrical parlance, have " brought down the house," Jack exclaimed,— " Is it thus a haughty aristocracy strives to trample on the honest poor man ! it is not well in ye, my lord, and before an illustrious foreigner, too ! alas, my country ! "—then perceiving that Guillemard was regarding him with a glance which evinced extreme doubts as to hie sanity, that D'Almayne was looking supercilious, and Lord Alfred annoyed at his absurdity. Jack experienced the proud conviction that he had attained his object— viz. to astonish, confuse, and discomfit everybody. Having done so, he dropped the heroic, and condescended to make himself agreeable after the fashion of ordinary mortals, which, as he was really clever and well-informed, he succeeded in doing to a degree that, in great measure, effaced his previous mis- conduct from the recollection of his associates. He prefaced his re- formation, however, by contriving to seat Guillemard by one of the boxing-gloved napkins, a manojuvre which elicited from that per- plexed foreigner the exclamation, " Mais que diable ! vot shall zies be ? " and a reproving " Jack, you idiot, how can you ! " from Lord Alfred, who was equally amused and scandalised at his friend's absurdities. But a Frenchman's tact is seldom long at fault ; and by the time Guillemard had extricated the boxing-glove from its envelope, he continued,— " Ah, je comprends, I apprehend ! Monsieur Jacques Pipbo ! il est gai, il est farceur, he vos play vot you call von practicable joke, n'est- ce pas, MilorP — bien comique ! ver fonney, ha! ha! " So, harmony being established, they ate, drank, and were merry ; Champagne Moselle, Rhine wines, French wines, wines with names we know but cannot pronounce, wines with names we do not know and could not spell if we did, were produced, and done justice to, during AND ALIi THAT CAME OF IT 217 dinner and dessert ; and then tliey quietly settled down to claret at 80s, the dozen, which tasted best, as they agreed, out of tumblers ; Fribourg's finest cigars also made their appearance and were not neglected ; and for some time these four loi-ds of the creation enjoyed life undisturbed. But Frenchmen seldom sit long over their wine. D'Almayne had too many schemes, which required a cool head to carry them out, to venture to inflame his brain with the juice of the grape ; and by ten o'clock Lord Alfred proposed a hand at piquet, to while away an hour or so, until it should be time to adjourn to Lady Tattersall Trottemout's ball, to which Mentor and his pupil were in- vited ; so Guillemard and his host began to play. Jack Beaupeep and his companion watching them, and betting half-crowns on the vary- ing chances of the game. At first, fortune seemed inclined to be- friend Lord Alfred, for he won three times consecutively ; and Jack, who, as he observed, was resolved " to back the thorough-bred colt," realized capital to the amount of seven-and-sixpence. " Ah ! bah ! Horace, mon cher ! you shall bet wis me ' contre moi- ni§me ! ' I cannot play for a so little stake, he does not agree wis me ! " exclaimed Monsieur Guillemard, tossing down the cards pettishly. " Let us double them. Monsieur," began Lord Alfred eagerly; " I was just going to propose it when you spoke; nothing is more ennuyant than playing for inadequate stakes." " Mais oui ! you have reason, my lord. Horace, mon ami, mix me de I'eau sucr6e wis a Ouinam Laque ice in him ; I have thirst ; he makes hot this evening." "Not a bad idea, only I've a better one," rejoined Lord Alfred; " brew some sherry-cobbler. Jack ; ring the bell, and order the materials : it's your deal, Monsieur Guillemard." Sherry-cobbler is not a safe thing to play piquet upon, especially when your opponent confines himself to eau sucree. Lord Alfred lost, grew excited, doubled the stakes again and lost, trebled them and won, then played on recklessly against a run of ill-luck, until D'Almayne interfered. " It is twelve o'clock, Alfred, mon cher ; we shall be late for Lady Tatt.'s." " Lady Tatt. ! " was the uncomplimentary reply ; " I shall not go."^ D'Almayne leaned over him, and observing in a whisper, "You forget la belle Alice is expecting you," drew the cards from his reluctant hand. Rising sulkily, Lord Alfred walked with a slightly unsteady step to a writing-table, took pen and ink, and hastily tracing a few words, handed the paper to Monsieur Guillemard— it was a cheque for ^500! " Ring for the brougham, D'Almayne," he continued ; " Monsieur Guillemard, you must give me my revenge at an early opportunity; good-night, Jack ; " then turning away with a laugh, as he perceived 218 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP that youtlifiil legislator, who had "gone in" for sherry-cobbler rather too zealously, fast asleep on the sofa, he retired to his di'essing- room to remove, as far as he was able, the outward effects of wine and excitement. As he quitted the apartment, D'Almayne, after a hasty glance at the " used up " Jack, drew Guillemard aside, and speaking French, said in an eager whisper, " You are much too precipitate, and wiU ruin everything ; what could persuade you to win so large a sum from him at one sitting ? " " You conceive it that I am too impressed ! Regarde ! One gave to me this billet at the dinner-table," was the reply. Hastily snatching it, D'Almayne read as follows : — " Street, Eleven p.m. "Prince Ratrapski, the Russian nobleman, has been playing deeply; has had a run of unparalleled luck and broken the bank; imless you can come by ,£500 immediately, there will be an unpleasant exposure, and D Almayne and youi'self will be, before morning, the tenants of a debtor's prison, with " Your devoted, "Lb Roux." CHAPTER XXXYIir. SOME OF THE JOTS OF OUR DANCING DAYS. Lady Tatteesall Trottemottt lived in the Brompton and Ken- sington region and knew everybody. Her deceased papa had walked into Manchester some fifty years since, with a good head on his shoulders and fourpence-halfpenny in his breeches-pocket. Being tired with his walk, he sat down in Manchester, and rested there for the space of forty years, during which time, by a process peculiar to that city, his fourpence-halfpenny grew into an hundred and forty thousand pounds. Unto him was born, in lawful wedlock, one only daughter, the subject of the present brief memoir, who, on his retire- ment to " 't Oud Churchyard " (as, in his Lancashire dialect, he was accustomed to denominate his final resting-place in the burial-ground of the Collegiate Chiu-ch), inherited the fom-pence-half penny and its compound interest ; with which, when her mourning for her father was ended, she purchased Sir TattersaU Trottemout, This noble baronet, who was by no means worth the price she gave for him, had been essentially a fast man, and had run through everything he could ■ * AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 1219 lay his " blood-red hand " upon— his own fortune and the fortunes of several of his relations included — and when they were all gone and spent, he ran thi-ough his reputation ; which last " rapid act" did not take him long, as that " bubble " was not as " wide as a church-door, nor deep as a di-aw-well," when he began upon it. Thus, finding him- self under a cloud and in difficulties— the only things he had yet en- countered which he could not run through (the good old days of " pinking " one's tailor instead of paying him being unfortunately past)— Sir T. T. felt that his time was come, and that he must pre- pare his mind for another— that is, a married— life. So, a^tatis forty- five, he went into dock, dyed his hair and whiskers, purchased a new set of teeth, laid in a stock of patent leather boots, and ran down to Manchester, to captivate an heiress. The respectable owner of the en- larged and embellished fourpence-halfpenny had, at that epoch, been about one year under the turf which his future son-in-law had been on for above twenty ; and his orphan daughter, of sweet nineteen, was immediately smitten and woxmded by the aristocratic appear- ance and distinguished manners of the broken-down titled black- leg who sought her . . . fortune. She, being then a simple-minded, honest girl, absurd as it may appear, loved the creature ; and, despite the advice of several kind-hearted, strong-headed, fearfully vulgar old men, who were her tnistees, guardians, legal advisers, &c., &c. (police- men, so to speak, appointed by the lamented deceased to prevent his developed fourpence-halfpenny being prematurely reduced to its pristine elements), this young lady vowed she would marry Sir Tattersall Trottemout— and did so. But, as the baronet's talent for rimning through any amount of cash was rumoured even at Man- chester, the ancient policemen tied up the fourpence-halfpenny so tightly that nobody coiild manufacture ducks and drakes with it — not even Sir Tatt. Trott. ; so, after a few abortive attempts, that ornament to his order '^ave up his evil courses, and settled down quietly on cigars, brandy and water, and whist with half-crown points —a notable example of the reformatory powers of matrimony. His lady- wife went through the usual 'agreeable process of awaking from " Love's young dream," and discovering that, after the manner of Caliban, she had in her simplicity, " Made a wonder of a poor drunkard," she, like a sensible woman, resolved to put up with her bad bargain, keep her husband in respectable order, and create or discover some fresh interest in life for herself. In accordance with this determina- tion, she restricted the marital cigars and brandy and water to certain definite limits ; tested several phases of London society ; and then took her line, and chose her associates accordingly. Being an intellectual woman, and having literary taste up to a certain point, she affected the society of artists of all classes, and in every depart- ment of art. Thus, at her soirees, you might meet literary men of various species : historians, novelists, journalists, critics, " et hoc 220 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP genus omiie ; " painters, sculptors, musicians ; the leading actors of tlie day, male and female, — in fact, all the celebrities whom the London season delighteth. to honour. But, knowing that talent requires an intelligent audience, Lady Tattersall Trottemout associated a certain proportion of the " profanum vulgus " to worship her collected divinities. Her parties, therefore, soon became noted as the most agi-eeable of their kind ; and to one of these meetings, in which dancing was to be the chief feature of the evening, were our fi-iends in Park Lane invited. Han-y had promised Alice that, if it were possible, he would return to escort her to this notable gather- ing ; however, on the appointed evening, ten o'clock arrived, but no Ooverdale. Alice was rather frightened and considerably annoyed, but Kate persuaded her that there was no just cause for alarm ; and BO, leaving a note for Harry, begging him to join them, if he should aiTive in time to make it worth while to do so, they proceeded to the " spacious mansion " of Lady Tattersall Trottemout. For some time, little Mrs. Coverdale was sufficiently amused by observing the appearance, manners, and customs of the various notabilities, as they were pointed out to her by no less a personage than her hostess, who, attracted by the simple beauty of her new acquaintance, and the evident pleasui-e and interest she took in all that was going on around her, actually devoted to her ten minutes of the valuable time in which, on such occasions, a clever mistress of the house is expected, and actually contrives, to say and do some- thing civil to an hundred and fifty human beings, all prepared to magnify any accidental neglect into an intended slight, and to resent it accordingly. But, ere ten minutes had well elapsed, an illustrious stranger arrived, who was so intensely foreign that he could not be prevailed upon to speak or understand any language of which the deepest philologists present were able to makelhead or tail, and who, in his consequent bewilderment, had seated himself on the music stool, with his back towards the key-board of the pianoforte— there by establishing a complete blockade of that harmonious and indiS' pensable instrument, which no representations in French, German, or Italian could induce him to relinquish : so a breathless female aide-de-camp, in flaxen ringlets and white muslin, hurried up to report this frightful dilemma to the commandress-in-chief , who, with the greatest presence of mind, dispatched her to summon Count Cacklewitz, the young Hungarian patriot, who, it was generally believed, could speak everything, even his own language, and then hastened in person to raise the siege of the pianoforte. Alice, thus deserted, fell into the hands of a tall, gaunt, blue woman, rejoicing in a red nose and a long fluent tongue, who began to talk high art to her, and confused her about transcendentalism and Carlyle, — the Oxford Graduate (viz. Turner's single and singular disciple, wonderful Mr. Ruskin), and pre-Raphaelism, — the meaning of Tennyson, when he condescends to be obscure (for he can write real TDoetry which "he who runs may read" and feel),— and of the dark AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 221 Brownings, and Macanlay and the romance of history, and many other hackneyed pseudo-literary topics of the day, until our unlucky little heroine lapsed into that state of mental incapacity usually described as not knowing whether one is standing on one's head or one's heels. Then began vocal music, which mercifully silenced Alice's strong-minded persecutor; and a rather raffish baritone gentleman, who wanted shearing dreadfully, and was all voice, eyes, and feathers, like a lean bird, accosted a singularly hard-featured, middle-aged German lady, as " Oh ! thou beloved one ! " to which she made an appropriately tender soprano reply; and the company listened with much forbearance, for quite ten minutes, to the united affections of this interesting couple, detailed to an accompaniment now rapturous, now pathetic, at the end of which period they both suddenly exalted their voices, bellowed their love at each other in one final outbiirst of sympathetic insanity, and subsided into a refreshing silence. Then a young lady in a pink sash informed the company that her brain was on fire, her heart consuming, and her digestive organs generally in a state of spontaneoiis combustion, because her fatherland writhed in the grasp of tyrants — " tra la, tra lira la ! " — which unpleasant state of affairs was much applauded by hairy exiles, with microscopic washing bills, which they never paid, and a monomania in regard to freedom, which they never obtained, but which had kept them in hot water (the only water they patron- ized) from their yoiith upwards. Lastly, a very mild young gentle- man of England excited himself about some " Rivar ! rivar ! shining rivar ! " into which pellucid stream he kept putting his foot " deeper and deeper still," until every one was so son-y for him, that the whole party appeared on the verge of hysterics, and were forced to conceal their emotion behind fans, flounced pocket handkerchiefs, and white- gloved hands. Then the votaries of Terpsichore stood at ease upon their light fantastic toes (except in the cases of tightly-shod martyrs), and polking was the order of the night — at which period Alice looked about and wondered what had become of Lord Alfred Courtland, who had said a great deal on the subject of the delight he expected in dancing with her, and had engaged her hand for the first polka. Now, whether any strictly moral reader, with that bad opinion of poor human nature which very strict morality usually induces, has decided that " every woman is at heart a rake," and believed our little heroine about to prove herself a " dreadful creature," and transfer her affections from her lawful husband to her unlawful admirer, we do not know ; but if any reader has set his (or her) heart on such a consummation, we are son*y to be obliged to inform him that he is mistaken. Alice considered Lord Alfred a good-nati;red, agi-eeable boy, whose conversation served to amuse her, and to whose society she had become accustomed ; she would a thousand times rather have talked to Harry at any time, but Harry wa;s, not always attainable— indeed, the chances were generally against her 222 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP seeing anything of him. from breakfast till dinner-time, and then Lord Alfred became a very good and safe substitute. But the first polka was over, and a " valse h deux temps " followed it, neither of which Alice danced, and stiU no Harry, no Lord Alfred appeared; and in despair she was obliged to say yes to a heavy cornet in the Life Guards, who was big enough to eat her, and l^olked like a polite young elephant. Glad to escape without being squeezed to death or trampled under foot by this ponderous young warrior, Alice had just found a seat when D'Almayne and Lord Alfred lounged in ; the latter immediately joined her, and claimed her promise to dance with him ; but Alice was tired and bored, and feeling that it was in some degree owing to him that she had become so, and that he ought to have been there sooner, she replied coldly, — " I promised to reserve the first dance for you, my lord, but the first dance has been over some time, and several others have followed ; I do not feel disposed to dance at present." Of course, Lord Alfred endeavoured to excuse himself, and when Alice declined dancing, said, " Very well, then he should sit still too — all the night, if she pleased, for he certainly should not dance with any one else." So, after she had teased him until he very nearly lost the little good temper which the events of the earlier part of the evening had left him, she took compassion on him, and danced with him twice consecutively ; but when he urged her to do so a third time she refused ; and on his pressing her, told him plainly that, as her husband was away, she felt bound to be more than usually j)articular, and that it was not etiquette to dance the whole evening with one gentleman ; at which rebuff his lordship was pleased to take offence, and leading her to a seat, he bowed and left her. Deserted by his lady-love, and swindled out of his money by his pseudo-friends, this victimised young nobleman looked about for his protector and adviser — at once patron and parasite — Horace D'Almayne, but for some time without success ; when at length he did discover him, he was engaged in such an earnest private conver- sation with some gentleman unknown, that Lord Alfred felt it would be ill-bred to interrupt them ; accordingly, he lounged through the rooms, resisting several introductions to " great heiresses " and " loveliest girls in London," all declared to be dying to dance with him, wandered listlessly into the refreshment-room, drank a tumbler of champagne and soda-water, and was thinking seriously of turning sulky and going home to bed, when D'Almayne seized him by the arm, exclaiming, — " Alfred, mon cher, where have you bidden yourself P I've been hunting for you for the last half -hour. Why have you left la belle Coverdale ? " " Oh, yes ; that is good ! looking for me, indeed, when I passed you twice close enough almost to brush against your elbow, and you never even saw me, so engrossed were you plotting treason with some party unknown," was the captious reply. ' AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 223 " Ung'i'atef ul ! wten it was for your interest I was exerting myself," returned D'Almayne reproacM ully ; "but you do not explain why you have quitted la belle Alice ; you really are not sufficiently atten- tive; no pretty woman likes to be neglected." " She's a little fickle, heartless coquette, and I'll let her see that I'm not BO completely her slave as she appears to imagine," answered Lord Alfred snappishly, at the same time filling his glass with cham- pagne ; " she refused to dance with me more than twice because it was not etiquette, and she wished to be extra particular because her husband was not here. I don't think he'd ovei'whelm her with his attentions if he were, unless he means to alter very much. No : the fact is, she is out of humour, and chooses to vent it on me ; it would just serve her right if I were to go home and leave her to her own devices." "Do nothing of the kind, 'mon cher,' but listen to me, and— excuse me, but don't drink any more champagne, or you'll do something absm-d ; your comic friend brewed that sherry-cobbler too strong. Go quietly back to the Coverdale ; try and persuade her to dance, but if she refuses, show no annoyance, and get her to allude again to her husband : then carelessly and incidentally, as if you had no design in what you were saying, suggest that she would scarcely be so par- ticular, if she knew what a naughty boy he had been in Italy, and having excited her curiosity, tell her the following little anecdote." As a bevy of men entered the refreshment-room at that moment, D'Almayne, linking his arm with that of Lord Alfred, led him aside, and made to him a communication, the nature of which will appear in the due com-se of this history. Lord Alfred seemed surprised, and, to his credit be it spoken, even pained, by the information thus afforded him; and when D'Almayne had concluded, his auditor remained a minute or so buried in thought, then he asked abruptly, — " Tou are sure there is still some clandestine understanding between them— you are quite certain ? " " I am as certain as a man can be of any clandestine proceeding to which he is not a party," was the reply ; " you are aware of what I observed on the occasion of the Horticultural Fdte. I now relate to you the antecedents ; you are no longer a child, but; sufficiently a man of the world to draw your own deductions." The adroit flattery [on the weak point told : faith in truth and honour would argue a want of knowledge of life ; so with a slight laugh, assumptive of an omniscience in evil, he replied, " I was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt, if it were possible ; but, as you say, the thing is clear enough ; and now, how is this to advantage me P " " Do you ask ? " was the sui-prised rejoinder; " I thought you told me just now that the cniel fair one had snubbed you by throwing her duty to her husband at your head ; so it occurred to my simplicity that this information, properly applied, would prevent a recurrence of such rebuff." 224 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP " But surely you would never liave me tell h.er, and ber own husband the hero of the adventure ! " expostulated Lord Alfred. " Listen, ' mon cher,' one moment," was D'Almayne's reply, spoken in a low, impressive voice ; " I do not wish you to f oUow any particular line of conduct ; I have no interest to serve, no desire to gratify, by your doing or abstaining from anything ; but when you tell me you desire to gain such and such a social position, and ask my advice as to the best way of attaining your wishes, I, as your friend, point out the means to you — it is for you to judge whether they are such as you choose to employ. You miist now excuse me : I see some old acquaint- ances of mine, to whose memory I am anxious to recall myself." " Then you really adi-ise me to tell her ! " exclaimed Lord Alfred, seizing D'Almayne's arm in his eagerness and indecision. " I really advise nothing of the kind, mon cher," was the reply ; " I have already cautioned you against that abrupt plain-speaking of yours ; you should divest yoiu-self of that rustic habit. You could scarcely sin more deeply against good taste and good breeding than to go to ' la belle Coverdale,' and bring a railing accusation against her husband, nor could you divine a plan more certain to fiiTstrate your hopes and wishes : but if, grieving over her misplaced confidence, you philanthropically incline to hint to her that he is scarcely the im- maculate ascetic her imagination depicts, ' c'est tout autre chose ! ' and now you must excuse me ; " and as he spoke, he gently freed his coat- sleeve from Lord Alfred's grasp, and regarding him with a haK- sai-castic, half-compassionate, but wholly in-itating smile, he turned and quitted the spot. Thus left to his own reflections, which were none of the most agi*ee- able, Lord Alfred paused for a few moments in indecision ; then, with a hand tremulous from excitement, again replenished his glass, tossed down the champagne, and returned to the dancing-room. During her admirer's absence, Alice had, for want of some more interesting occupation, been conversing with Arabella Crofton, using all her skill to try to elicit some particulars of her acquaintance with Han-y in Italy, in which endeavour she had been most adroitly foiled by the quiet self-possession of the ci-devant governess, who told her most readily all she did not care to learn and nothing that she did. As Lord Alfred appi-oached, an individual was introduced to Miss Crofton, who desired the honour of her hand for the next polka, which desire that young lady obligingly gratified, thus affording his lord- ship an opportunity of seating himself by Alice, of which he instantly availed himself. " It is never right to believe in a fair lady's nay," he began, " so I have returned to afford you an opportunity of confessing your change of mind with a good grace ; come, they are just going to begin a new polka, let us take our places." " If ladies do always change their minds, I am going to be the interesting exception which proves the ride," was Alice's reply. "How provokingly and unnaturally obstinate you are tonight, AND ALL THAT CAME OP iT 225 Mrs. Coverdale ! You pretend to be fond of dancing, and yet, because I ask you, you resolve to sit still ! " "I have already told you my reason," rejoined Alice; "in Mr. Coverdale'a absence I do not cboose to dance the whole evening with any one gentleman." " What a pattern wife you are ! " was the reply ; " you give up your own amusement, and destroy all my pleasure, out of regard for the ghost of a scruple, which I dare say has never entered Mr. Cover- dale's brain ; really, the patient Griselda was nothing compared to you." Alice was annoyed by his pertinacity, and, considering this speech impertinent, was about to repeat her refusal in terms which would have enlightened his lordship very considerably on these points, when it flashed across her that he might have taken rather too much cham- pagne; and the idea having occurred to her, his flushed face and excited manner confirmed it. Having sufficient liking for him to wish to prevent him from making himself ridiculous, she good- naturedly resolved to engross his conversation herself, and, aware of what she conceived to be the true state of the case, not to take offence at anything he might say, intending to read him a lecture on the following day. In accordance with this resolution she replied, — " I consider it a great compliment to be compared to the patient Grisel, more particularly as I was not of opinion that she and I had very many qualities in common. By the way," she continued, seeking to change the subject, and taking the first idea that occurred to her, " what do you think of the lady whose chair you are occupy- ing ? I have never asked your opinion of Miss Arabella Orofton." The question was a most unfortunate one. Alice's continued refusal to dance with him had annoyed Lord Alfred, and wounded his vanity ; the reason of her refusal was her absurd devotion (as he con- sidered it) to her husband ; and now she, as it were, held the cup of revenge to his lips by the question she had asked him. Up to this point his better nature had struggled with the temptation successfully, but now it had acquired an additional strength, and overcame him. " I wonder you should care to know my ideas on the subject," he said ; and as he proceeded to work out Horace D'Almayne's sugges- tions, his tone and manner unconsciously assumed a resemblance to that excellent young man's sarcastic and suggestive delivery : " Miss Crofton is merely a recent and very slight acquaintance of mine ; you should apply to Mr. Coverdale — he could tell you many much more in- teresting particulars of her histoid than I am able to communicate, if he were willing to do so." AU temptations to do things foolish or wrong are orthodoxly supposed to come from the Prince of Darkness ; if it be so, the fact speaks very highly for the intellectual capacity of that sable potentate, as the said temptations invariably adapt themselves in a most wonderful manner to the various weaknesses and incon- Q 226 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP sistencies of our nature. Thus, as Alice's speech had, unintention- ally on her part, appealed to Lord Alfred's leading: foible — vanity, BO, in turn, did his reply re-act upon Alice's vulnerable points — jealousy of Arabella Crofton, and consequent curiosity as to her former relations with Han-y Coverdale. Accordingly, forgetting time, place, proprieties, even her doubt in regard to the perfect sobriety of the person she was addressing, in the overpowering interest of the question, she asked, hurriedly, — " Why do you say that P to what do you refer ? has Mr. Coverdale ever told you anything on the subject P " I Lord Alfred smiled at the effect which his hint had produced ; though, when he marked his victim's eager eye and trembling lip, his good feeling made one last appeal, and he half resolved to leave D'Almayne's communication untold. Had he been completely himself, the good resolution would have been formed and adhered to ; but he had " put an enemy into his mouth to steal away his brains," and was no longer able to control his impulses ; 80, by an effort, he silenced the voice of conscience, and replied, — " I shall break no confidence by telling you why I supposed Mr. Coverdale better ' up ' in Miss Crofton's previous history than I am, for he never mentioned her name in my presence ; indeed, now I come to think of it, it is a subject he always studiously avoids ; but my infoi-mation relates to certain romantic passages said to have occurred in Italy." " In Italy ! " exclaimed Alice, aghast at this apparent realization of all her vague fears and suspicions. " Go on," she continued, impatiently ; " I can listen to no hints aspersing my husband's character ; if you have anything to say against him, do not insinuate it, but speak out plainly and honestly." " Really, you mistake me," was the reply ; "I have no accusation to bring against Mr. Coverdale : but your question recalled to my mind an anecdote which I heard lately, and I was amused at your requiring information from me which your own husband was so much better able to afford." " And what was this remarkable anecdote ? Pray let me have the benefit of hearing it, my lord," rejoined Alice, in vain trying to look and speak in an unconcerned manner. " Really I think I had better not tell you ; you ladies are apt to be a little jealous sometimes without reasonable cause. ' Where ignorance is bliss,' you know — " He paused with a tantalizing smile, then seeing' from Alice's manner that she was not in a humour to be trifled with, he continued — " Well, I see you mean to hear it, so I may as well tell you at once — not that there is anything very wonderful to tell. You must know that, some three or four years ago. Miss Crofton, being then younger and handsomer than Bhe is now (she is not my style, but many people consider her vastly attractive still), was living as governess with a family of the name of Muir, and in that capacity accompanied them to Florence. John AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 227 Muir, tlie eldest son, was an old college friend of Mr. Coverdale's, and meeting by cliance in Switzerland, they joined forces, and spent two or three months at Florence, making occasional excui-sions into the adjoining country. Everything progressed with cheerfulness and serenity in this Italian Arcadia, nntil one fine day the eldest Miss Muir eloped with an individual who represented himself as a Neapolitan count, and proved to bo merely either valet or courier to the same. This broke up the party, and Mr. Ooverdale took his leave; but scarcely had he been gone twelve hours, when, lo and behold, Miss Crofton, who had been much blamed for not having looked after the eloped-with young lady more closely (I suppose she ■was looking after somebody else), suddenly disappeared. After himting about Florence in vain. Pater Familias Muir somehow obtained a clue to the lady's whereabouts, following which he reached a village some thirty miles distant, where he discovered Miss Crofton, and, if my informant did not err, Mr. Coverdale also. Whether it had been his intention to place her in that position now so much more worthily filled, or whether he proposed an arrange- ment of a less permanent character, history telleth not ; suffice it to add, as the books say, that the eloquent representations of Pater Muir induced the lady to return with him to Florence, whence he instantly despatched her to England under some safe escort, while Mr. Coverdale pui-sued his onward course to Turkey and the East." He paused, but as Alice made no reply, merely concealing her countenance behind a voluminous fan, somewhat smaller than a peacock's expanded tail, he continued — "Such was the historiette related to me ; but scandal-mongers are so given to exaggerate, that I dare say it is not half true, so do not worry yoiirseK about it, my dear Mrs. Coverdale." This consolatory codicil was added because his lordship heard, or fancied he heard, a sound analogous to a repressed sob proceed from behind the fan, and this pseudo-profligate young nobleman carried a very tender heart under his embroidered waistcoat. On receiving this confirmation of her worst, nay, more than her worst, fears, Alice's first impulse was to give way to a flood of tears — an impulse so strong that, unable entirely to check it, the sob which Lord Alfred had partially overheard was the result. The stoiy chimed in. with her jealous suspicions so exactly, that it never for a moment occiUTed to her to question the truth of it ; on the contrary, it would have required the clearest evidence of its false- hood to make her disbelieve it. Having by a great effort repressed her tears, her next impulse was to prevent any one, especially Lord Alfred, from perceiving how deeply his intelligence had affected her. Accordingly she turned to him, and replied in as careless a tone as she could summon, — " A very pretty bit of scandal, truly ; and, as you say, worth as much, or as little rather, as scandal usually is ; however, the tale has served to amuse me and pxit mo in a good humour ; so, as you 228 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP seem to liave set your heart upon another dance, I suppose I must exercise my woman's privilege in your favour, and change my mind. They are going to waltz — shall we begin ? " Smprised and delighted at the success of his experiment, and almost inclined to attribute supernatural wisdom to Horace D'Almayne, Lord Alfred hastily offered his arm to his enslaver, and in another minute they were whirling round the room in all the giddy excitement of a rapid waltz. While the dance was still pro- ceeding, a tall, striking-looking man entered the room, and shading his eyes from the unaccustomed brilliancy of the lights, carefully scrutinized the dancers, until his glance fell upon the figures of Alice and Lord Alfred, when a shade came over his handsome features, and leaning his shoulder against the side of a doorway, he remained with his eyes tracking the evolutions of two of the figures glancing before him. After he had remained motionless for some minutes, absorbed in his own thoughts, which were, apparently, of no over-pleasant nature, a gentle touch on the arm aroused him, and, looking roimd, he perceived Arabella Crofton. She was about to addi-ess him, but by a warning gesture he silenced her, and she remained standing silently beside him until, in a low, stern voice, he asked abruptly,— *' How often has she been dancing with him ? " " Three times, I believe ; but I assui-e you — " " Hush ! " continued Coverdale in the same stem, impressive voice, which was just above a whisper ; " I want facts, not comments. Has she danced with any one else since he has been here P " " Not that I am aware of," was the reply. " She danced with a young guardsman before he came." " And since ? " " They have been either dancing or talking together, except for about ten minutes, during the last two hours." Coverdale made no reply, but his lips became more sternly compressed, and the shade on his brow grew deeper, until the dance conckided, then muttering, — " This must not go on : I shall make her come away "—he strode across the room to where (her late partner bending gracefully over her, and talking about nothing with the deepest empressement) bis wife was seated. ! AND ALL THAT CAME OF IT 220 CHAPTER xxxi::. ARABELLA, On perceiving her husband, Alice started, and, between surprise and anger, her cheeks assumed a hue more resembling that violent and unsentimental flower the peony, than the blush-rose, to the use of which our minor poets are so strongly addicted. This blush, which, with all his trust in and affection for his wife, Harry could scarcely fail to misinterpret, did not tend to impart any great degree of cordiality to his manner, as he thus accosted her : — " I scarcely expected to find you still here, so late as it is ; but I only reached Park Lane within the last half-hour. There had been an accident on the line, and our train was delayed between two and three hours. You look flushed and tired. You've been tempting her to dance too much, I'm afraid, Courtland. I saw the carriage waiting as I came in. I should think you must have had enough of this nonsense, Alice ! What say you to coming away ? I've lots of news to tell you from home." " I'm afraid your budget must wait a little longer. I'm engaged to Lord Alfred for the next dance, and intend to fulfil my engage- ment ; so you had better submit to your fate qitietly, and provide yourself with a partner," was Alice's cool reply. " Courtland will excuse you, I am sm-e," urged Hari-y ; " come away, if for no better reason than that I wish it." "An all-sufficient one in your autocratic eyes, I dare say," was the flippant rejoinder ; " but the barrel-organs remind us too constantly that ' Britons never shall be slaves,' for me to think of sacrificing my freedom to all your imperious fancies. Come, my lord, they are going to wind up with Sir Roger de Coverley ; let us take our places." So saying, Alice accepted the proffered arm of her " cavalier servante," and walked off with him, leaving her husband to struggle against his rising anger (which in her then frame of mind she saw and dis- regarded) as best he might. A severe struggle it was, and one in which nothing but his deep love for her, and fear of compromising her by word or deed, could have rendered him successful. By a powerful exercise of self-control, he contrived to avoid any outward manifestation of his feelings ; and after watching Alice and her partner for some minutes, with flashing eyes and an aching heart, as they hurried through the boisterous evolutions of that romping dance, he wandered listlessly through the rooms, now partially deserted, seeking some spot where he might be alone with his troubled thoughts, and avoid the necessity of replying to the common- 230 HARRY COVERD ALE'S COURTSHIP ^ H places of society, to wliicli, at tliat moment, he felt himself com- pletely unfitted. Having passed through the music-room, he foiind himself in an elegantly-furnished boudoir, which at first sight he believed to be imtenanted, and, flinging himself into an easy-chair, leaned his head on his hands, and gave way to painful reflections. After remaining in this attitude for several minutes, a sound resembling a sigh caught his ear, and, hastily looking up, he perceived Arabella Crofton. " Were you here when I entered ? " he inquired. " Yes ; I was standing in the recess of the window, and the curtain concealed me. I should have spoken to you, but as I perceived you were preoccupied, I was afraid to disturb you, and did not intend to move imtil you had left the boudoir, but your ears are so quick that you detected me. I wish," she continued, in a timid, faltering voice, " yom- brow did not wear so deep a shade, or that I were in any degree able to remove it." As she spoke, she drew nearer to him, and leaned her arm on the back of the chair on which he was sitting. Kindness and affection are never so much prized as when we have suffered injustice at the hands of one we love. "Words cannot console at such a moment ; but sympathy — the conviction that another heart feels for and with us, is able in some degree to do so. "Whatever faults Arabella Crofton might possess, — and that they were neither few nor light no one was better aware than Harry Coverdale, — the tnith and strength of her regard for him he did not doubt. Deeply, fondly, earnestly as he loved his wife, he must have been more than mortal had he not perforce contrasted the levity (to use the mildest tei'm) and tmkindness of her on whom he thus lavished his whole treasure of affection, with the ready sympathy, the watchful tenderness of one who, if she had been all evil, nay, if she had not possessed in some degree unusual generosity of character, might have hated him with a strength proportioned to the regard she now appeared to feel towards him. Men are constitutionally denied the relief which the gentler sex derive from tears ; but if, when a woman would weep, a man of deep, strong feeling can be sufficiently softened to give vent to his sorrow in words, the effect is somewhat analogous. Hanky's heart was full to overflowing, and Arabella's well-timed sympathy caused the torrent of his grief to burst forth. " "Why does she try me thus ! " he said ; " it is, it must be, mere want of thought ; she is wilful, I see it, as clearly as I see and know that it was my culi^able neglect which first made her so ; but this is a hard punishment for even so gross a fault ! If she knew how her cold looks and hard words pain me — how it grieves, destroys me to be forced to deny her anything — to feel it my duty, as I perceive it to be now, to oppose her slightest wish ! And then to see her doing things which may give those who do not know her truth and purity as I do, occasion to slander hei' — Arabella, it maddens me!" he AND ALL THAT CAME OP IT 231 pressed his hand to his forehead to still its thi'obbing ; but when hia companion appeared about to attempt to console him, he resumed, abruptly — " Don't speak ; you cannot defend her — her conduct admits of no defence, and I will not hear her blamed ! Neither can you advise me ; as far as action froes, my course is clear — I shall take her out of town to-morrow ; and as I cannot have it out with that scoundrel D'Almayne, or the weak, ungrateful boy he is ruining, without compromising her, I must postpone the day of reckoning with them — it will come sooner or later, that is all clear enough ; but that is not the point " — here words failed him, and covering his eyea with his hand, he relapsed into his former gloomy silence. Arabella Crofton was a woman of strong passions, and naturally of strong impulses also, but these she had learned in great measure to control ; thus her manner was usually quiet and collected, and she both spoke and acted according to a rule laid down by herself for her own guidance, and tending towards some definite end. But when, as in the present instance, she was actuated by any over- powering feeling, she was for the moment completely carried away by it, and would act for good or evil, as the impulse which controlled her was a right or wrong one, even in direct opposition to her own plans and intentions. She disliked Alice most heartily, and she had many — we cannot say " good," but sufficient— reasons for doing so ; yet she sympathized so strongly with Harry's grief at the idea that his wife was encouraging the attentions of Lord Alfred Courtland, that— believing, as she did honestly, Alice to be merely amusing herself, possibly for the sake of annoying her husband, but evidently not from any deep feeling for her admirer — she could not help trying to comfort him. " Do not afflict yourself so deeply," she said ; " I cannot bear to see you suffer thus ! Believe me, you think too seriously of this matter ; Mrs. Coverdale is only amusing herself with this foolish, infatuated yoimg man. I am as certain as if I were in her confidence that she does not really care for him ; the very openness with which she accepts his attentions proves that it is so ; as soon as she haa left the gaieties and frivolities of town, she will forget his very existence." " She may forget him," was the bitter reply ; " but will she ever forget the cause which has driven her to encourage him — which haa forced her to seek amusement in all these heartless gaieties and follies ? will she ever forget the time when, pursuing my own selfish pleasures, I left her, day after day, alone — she who had always been accustomed to live in a cheerfid family, will she ever forget my neglect, and restore to me that love without which life has no longer a charm for me— that love which I once possessed, and which, God help me ! I fear I have alienated for ever !" " Yes, she will," was the eager reply ; " if she ever loved you, she loves you still ; real, true love never dies : it would be better for some of us if time could efface feeling ! " 232 HARRY COVERDALE'S COURTSHIP The evident emotion with which she uttered these last words touched HaiTy's kind heart, and, regarding her with a look of pitying interest, he rejoined, — "Poor Arabella! you too have had much sorrow to contend with ; and no one can lament more deeply than I do the share I have had in increasing it. Mine is a strange fate !— love that I cannot return is lavished and wasted on me, and the only affection I pine for, I have alienated by my own rash and inconsiderate conduct ! " She stood by him as he spoke, in the excitement of his feelings he had taken her hand and clasped it in his own. At this moment two figures, which had been pausing at the door of the boudoir, passed hastily on — by the rustling of the dress, one of them was evidently a woman. " But now hear me once more," he continued, raising himself, and regarding her kindly but steadily ; " I am sorry, very sorry, to find that you have not yet overcome— however, we will not allude to that — if at any time you want a friend's advice or assistance, apply to me : my purse, I need scarcely say, is always at your command ; in fact, as I am well-off, and you unfortunately are not, I think it is an over-refined though generous scruple, which prevents you from allowing me to assist you as I might and wish to do. Why do not you remember and strive to follow my advice ? Tou are still in a dependent situation quite unworthy of you; while you have talents and powers which, if you would employ them in some straightforward, honest avocation — instead of forming plans and seeking objects of, to say the least, questionable advisability— would secure you a respectable and comfortable position. Think of all this, dear Ai-abella, and then apply to me, as to an old friend, to advance you funds to carry out my ideas in any way which seems to you most advisable." For a moment she remained silent ; then bending over him, so that her ringlets mingled with his dark curling hair, she murmured,— " Tou are good, and kind, and generous, as you ever were ; and — yes, I will strive to make myself worthy of your friendship ; if I fail, you know my impulsive, passionate nature, and you will pardon, not condemn me ; for my greatest sorrow, you now know how to pity me ! Tou say you intend to leave London to-morrow, and I think it will be wise in you to do so — perhaps we may never meet again, and BO, my dear, dear friend, farewell ! " He had retained her hand, and she returned his cordial, warm pressure ; then, by a sudden impulse, she stooped, pressed her pale lips upon his high, smooth brow, and — was gone. Haii-y followed her with his glance as she left the room, " Poor thing ! " he murmured, " she has many high qualities ; and such a life as she leads must be a complete purgatory to her proud, impetuous disposition ; I hope she will fall into good hands, and — and keep out of my way. Alice evidently dislikes and suspects her. Q^Z-zd^ aa^.t^^tz/Ze^ AA