diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:22:07 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:22:07 -0700 |
| commit | 4ec98fd7616ac92206b279fb3a3a0326aceff6e7 (patch) | |
| tree | 20b7797c03b0a5e400a76dbf12c1198f620cd029 /3699-h | |
Diffstat (limited to '3699-h')
| -rw-r--r-- | 3699-h/3699-h.htm | 1522 |
1 files changed, 1522 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/3699-h/3699-h.htm b/3699-h/3699-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b5f6900 --- /dev/null +++ b/3699-h/3699-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1522 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>Miss Sarah Jack, of Spanish Town, Jamaica, by Anthony Trollope</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + P.gutsumm { margin-left: 5%;} + P.poetry {margin-left: 3%; } + .GutSmall { font-size: 0.7em; } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4, H5 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + table { border-collapse: collapse; } +table {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;} + td { vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid black;} + td p { margin: 0.2em; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-weight: normal; + color: gray; + } + img { border: none; } + img.dc { float: left; width: 50px; height: 50px; } + p.gutindent { margin-left: 2em; } + div.gapspace { height: 0.8em; } + div.gapline { height: 0.8em; width: 100%; border-top: 1px solid;} + div.gapmediumline { height: 0.3em; width: 40%; margin-left:30%; + border-top: 1px solid; } + div.gapmediumdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 40%; margin-left:30%; + border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} + div.gapshortdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 20%; + margin-left: 40%; border-top: 1px solid; + border-bottom: 1px solid; } + div.gapdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 50%; + margin-left: 25%; border-top: 1px solid; + border-bottom: 1px solid;} + div.gapshortline { height: 0.3em; width: 20%; margin-left:40%; + border-top: 1px solid; } + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + img.floatleft { float: left; + margin-right: 1em; + margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + img.floatright { float: right; + margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em; + margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + img.clearcenter {display: block; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0.5em; + margin-bottom: 0.5em} + --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Miss Sarah Jack, of Spanish Town, Jamaica, by +Anthony Trollope + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most +other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of +the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have +to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. + + + + +Title: Miss Sarah Jack, of Spanish Town, Jamaica + + +Author: Anthony Trollope + + + +Release Date: January 16, 2015 [eBook #3699] +[This file was first posted on July 25, 2001] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS SARAH JACK, OF SPANISH TOWN, +JAMAICA*** +</pre> +<p>Transcribed from the 1864 Chapman & Hall “Tales of +All Countries” edition by David Price, email +ccx074@pglaf.org.</p> +<h1>MISS SARAH JACK, OF SPANISH TOWN, JAMAICA.</h1> +<p><span class="smcap">There</span> is nothing so melancholy as a +country in its decadence, unless it be a people in their +decadence. I am not aware that the latter misfortune can be +attributed to the Anglo-Saxon race in any part of the world; but +there is reason to fear that it has fallen on an English colony +in the island of Jamaica.</p> +<p>Jamaica was one of those spots on which fortune shone with the +full warmth of all her noonday splendour. That sun has +set;—whether for ever or no none but a prophet can tell; +but as far as a plain man may see, there are at present but few +signs of a coming morrow, or of another summer.</p> +<p>It is not just or proper that one should grieve over the +misfortunes of Jamaica with a stronger grief because her +savannahs are so lovely, her forests so rich, her mountains so +green, and he rivers so rapid; but it is so. It is piteous +that a land so beautiful should be one which fate has marked for +misfortune. Had Guiana, with its flat, level, unlovely +soil, become poverty-stricken, one would hardly sorrow over it as +one does sorrow for Jamaica.</p> +<p>As regards scenery she is the gem of the western +tropics. It is impossible to conceive spots on the +earth’s surface more gracious to the eye than those steep +green valleys which stretch down to the south-west from the Blue +Mountain peak towards the sea; and but little behind these in +beauty are the rich wooded hills which in the western part of the +island divide the counties of Hanover and Westmoreland. The +hero of the tale which I am going to tell was a sugar-grower in +the latter district, and the heroine was a girl who lived under +that Blue Mountain peak.</p> +<p>The very name of a sugar-grower as connected with Jamaica +savours of fruitless struggle, failure, and desolation. And +from his earliest growth fruitless struggle, failure, and +desolation had been the lot of Maurice Cumming. At eighteen +years of age he had been left by his father sole possessor of the +Mount Pleasant estate, than which in her palmy days Jamaica had +little to boast of that was more pleasant or more palmy. +But those days had passed by before Roger Cumming, the father of +our friend, had died.</p> +<p>These misfortunes coming on the head of one another, at +intervals of a few years, had first stunned and then killed +him. His slaves rose against him, as they did against other +proprietors around him, and burned down his house and mills, his +homestead and offices. Those who know the amount of capital +which a sugar-grower must invest in such buildings will +understand the extent of this misfortune. Then the slaves +were emancipated. It is not perhaps possible that we, +now-a-days, should regard this as a calamity; but it was quite +impossible that a Jamaica proprietor of those days should not +have done so. Men will do much for philanthropy, they will +work hard, they will give the coat from their back;—nay the +very shirt from their body; but few men will endure to look on +with satisfaction while their commerce is destroyed.</p> +<p>But even this Mr. Cumming did bear after a while, and kept his +shoulder to the wheel. He kept his shoulder to the wheel +till that third misfortune came upon him—till the +protection duty on Jamaica sugar was abolished. Then he +turned his face to the wall and died.</p> +<p>His son at this time was not of age, and the large but +lessening property which Mr. Cumming left behind him was for +three years in the hands of trustees. But nevertheless +Maurice, young as he was, managed the estate. It was he who +grew the canes, and made the sugar;—or else failed to make +it. He was the “massa” to whom the free negroes +looked as the source from whence their wants should be supplied, +notwithstanding that, being free, they were ill inclined to work +for him, let his want of work be ever so sore.</p> +<p>Mount Pleasant had been a very large property. In +addition to his sugar-canes Mr. Cumming had grown coffee; for his +land ran up into the hills of Trelawney to that altitude which in +the tropics seems necessary for the perfect growth of the coffee +berry. But it soon became evident that labour for the +double produce could not be had, and the coffee plantation was +abandoned. Wild brush and the thick undergrowth of forest +reappeared on the hill-sides which had been rich with +produce. And the evil re-created and exaggerated +itself. Negroes squatted on the abandoned property; and +being able to live with abundance from their stolen gardens, were +less willing than ever to work in the cane pieces.</p> +<p>And thus things went from bad to worse. In the good old +times Mr. Cumming’s sugar produce had spread itself +annually over some three hundred acres; but by degrees this +dwindle down to half that extent of land. And then in those +old golden days they had always taken a full hogshead from the +acre;—very often more. The estate had sometimes given +four hundred hogsheads in the year. But in the days of +which we now speak the crop had fallen below fifty.</p> +<p>At this time Maurice Cumming was eight-and-twenty, and it is +hardly too much to say that misfortune had nearly crushed +him. But nevertheless it had not crushed him. He, and +some few like him, had still hoped against hope; had still +persisted in looking forward to a future for the island which +once was so generous with its gifts. When his father died +he might still have had enough for the wants of life had he sold +his property for what it would fetch. There was money in +England, and the remains of large wealth. But he would not +sacrifice Mount Pleasant or abandon Jamaica; and now after ten +years’ struggling he still kept Mount Pleasant, and the +mill was still going; but all other property had parted from his +hands.</p> +<p>By nature Maurice Cumming would have been gay and lively, a +man with a happy spirit and easy temper; but struggling had made +him silent if not morose, and had saddened if not soured his +temper. He had lived alone at Mount Pleasant, or generally +alone. Work or want of money, and the constant difficulty +of getting labour for his estate, had left him but little time +for a young man’s ordinary amusements. Of the charms +of ladies’ society he had known but little. Very many +of the estates around him had been absolutely abandoned, as was +the case with his own coffee plantation, and from others men had +sent away their wives and daughters. Nay, most of the +proprietors had gone themselves, leaving an overseer to extract +what little might yet be extracted out of the property. It +too often happened that that little was not sufficient to meet +the demands of the overseer himself.</p> +<p>The house at Mount Pleasant had been an irregular, low-roofed, +picturesque residence, built with only one floor, and surrounded +on all sides by large verandahs. In the old days it had +always been kept in perfect order, but now this was far from +being the case. Few young bachelors can keep a house in +order, but no bachelor young or old can do so under such a doom +as that of Maurice Cumming. Every shilling that Maurice +Cumming could collect was spent in bribing negroes to work for +him. But bribe as he would the negroes would not +work. “No, massa: me pain here; me no workee +to-day,” and Sambo would lay his fat hand on his fat +stomach.</p> +<p>I have said that he lived generally alone. Occasionally +his house on Mount Pleasant was enlivened by visits of an aunt, a +maiden sister of his mother, whose usual residence was at Spanish +Town. It is or should be known to all men that Spanish Town +was and is the seat of Jamaica legislature.</p> +<p>But Maurice was not over fond of his relative. In this +he was both wrong and foolish, for Miss Sarah Jack—such was +her name—was in many respects a good woman, and was +certainly a rich woman. It is true that she was not a +handsome woman, nor a fashionable woman, nor perhaps altogether +an agreeable woman. She was tall, thin, ungainly, and +yellow. Her voice, which she used freely, was harsh. +She was a politician and a patriot. She regarded England as +the greatest of countries, and Jamaica as the greatest of +colonies. But much as she loved England she was very loud +in denouncing what she called the perfidy of the mother to the +brightest of her children. And much as she loved Jamaica +she was equally severe in her taunts against those of her +brother-islanders who would not believe that the island might yet +flourish as it had flourished in her father’s days.</p> +<p>“It is because you and men like you will not do your +duty by your country,” she had said some score of times to +Maurice—not with much justice considering the laboriousness +of his life.</p> +<p>But Maurice knew well what she meant. “What could +I do there up at Spanish Town,” he would answer, +“among such a pack as there are there? Here I may do +something.”</p> +<p>And then she would reply with the full swing of her eloquence, +“It is because you and such as you think only of yourself +and not of Jamaica, that Jamaica has come to such a pass as +this. Why is there a pack there as you call them in the +honourable House of Assembly? Why are not the best men in +the island to be found there, as the best men in England are to +be found in the British House of Commons? A pack, +indeed! My father was proud of a seat in that house, and I +remember the day, Maurice Cumming, when your father also thought +it no shame to represent his own parish. If men like you, +who have a stake in the country, will not go there, of course the +house is filled with men who have no stake. If they are a +pack, it is you who send them there;—you, and others like +you.”</p> +<p>All had its effect, though at the moment Maurice would shrug +his shoulders and turn away his head from the torrent of the +lady’s discourse. But Miss Jack, though she was not +greatly liked, was greatly respected. Maurice would not own +that she convinced him; but at last he did allow his name to be +put up as candidate for his own parish, and in due time he became +a member of the honourable House of Assembly in Jamaica.</p> +<p>This honour entails on the holder of it the necessity of +living at or within reach of Spanish Town for some ten weeks +towards the chose of every year. Now on the whole face of +the uninhabited globe there is perhaps no spot more dull to look +at, more Lethean in its aspect, more corpse-like or more +cadaverous than Spanish Town. It is the head-quarters of +the government, the seat of the legislature, the residence of the +governor;—but nevertheless it is, as it were, a city of the +very dead.</p> +<p>Here, as we have said before, lived Miss Jack in a large +forlorn ghost-like house in which her father and all her family +had lived before her. And as a matter of course Maurice +Cumming when he came up to attend to his duties as a member of +the legislature took up his abode with her.</p> +<p>Now at the time of which we are specially speaking he had +completed the first of these annual visits. He had already +benefited his country by sitting out one session of the colonial +parliament, and had satisfied himself that he did no other good +than that of keeping away some person more objectionable than +himself. He was however prepared to repeat this +self-sacrifice in a spirit of patriotism for which he received a +very meagre meed of eulogy from Miss Jack, and an amount of +self-applause which was not much more extensive.</p> +<p>“Down at Mount Pleasant I can do something,” he +would say over and over again, “but what good can any man +do up here?”</p> +<p>“You can do your duty,” Miss Jack would answer, +“as others did before you when the colony was made to +prosper.” And then they would run off into a long +discussion about free labour and protective duties. But at +the present moment Maurice Cumming had another vexation on his +mind over and above that arising from his wasted hours at Spanish +Town, and his fruitless labours at Mount Pleasant. He was +in love, and was not altogether satisfied with the conduct of his +lady-love.</p> +<p>Miss Jack had other nephews besides Maurice Cumming, and +nieces also, of whom Marian Leslie was one. The family of +the Leslies lived up near Newcastle—in the mountains, that +is, which stand over Kingston—at a distance of some +eighteen miles from Kingston, but in a climate as different from +that of the town as the climate of Naples is from that of +Berlin. In Kingston the heat is all but intolerable +throughout the year, by day and by night, in the house and out of +it. In the mountains round Newcastle, some four thousand +feet above the sea, it is merely warm during the day, and cool +enough at night to make a blanket desirable.</p> +<p>It is pleasant enough living up amongst those green +mountains. There are no roads there for wheeled carriages, +nor are there carriages with or without wheels. All +journeys are made on horseback. Every visit paid from house +to house is performed in this manner. Ladies young and old +live before dinner in their riding-habits. The hospitality +is free, easy, and unembarrassed. The scenery is +magnificent. The tropical foliage is wild and luxuriant +beyond measure. There may be enjoyed all that a southern +climate has to offer of enjoyment, without the penalties which +such enjoyments usually entail.</p> +<p>Mrs. Leslie was a half-sister of Miss Jack, and Miss Jack had +been a half-sister also of Mrs. Cumming; but Mrs. Leslie and Mrs. +Cumming had in no way been related. And it had so happened +that up to the period of his legislative efforts Maurice Cumming +had seen nothing of the Leslies. Soon after his arrival at +Spanish Town he had been taken by Miss Jack to Shandy Hall, for +so the residence of the Leslies was called, and having remained +there for three days, had fallen in love with Marian +Leslie. Now in the West Indies all young ladies flirt; it +is the first habit of their nature—and few young ladies in +the West Indies were more given to flirting, or understood the +science better than Marian Leslie.</p> +<p>Maurice Cumming fell violently in love, and during his first +visit at Shandy Hall found that Marian was perfection—for +during this first visit her propensities were exerted altogether +in his own favour. That little circumstance does make such +a difference in a young man’s judgment of a girl! He +came back fall of admiration, not altogether to Miss Jack’s +dissatisfaction; for Miss Jack was willing enough that both her +nephew and her niece should settle down into married life.</p> +<p>But then Maurice met his fair one at a governor’s +ball—at a ball where red coats abounded, and aides-de-camp +dancing in spurs, and narrow-waisted lieutenants with sashes or +epaulettes! The aides-de-camp and narrow-waisted +lieutenants waltzed better than he did; and as one after the +other whisked round the ball-room with Marian firmly clasped in +his arms, Maurice’s feelings were not of the +sweetest. Nor was this the worst of it. Had the +whisking been divided equally among ten, he might have forgiven +it; but there was one specially narrow-waisted lieutenant, who +towards the end of the evening kept Marian nearly wholly to +himself. Now to a man in love, who has had but little +experience of either balls or young ladies, this is +intolerable.</p> +<p>He only met her twice after that before his return to Mount +Pleasant, and on the first occasion that odious soldier was not +there. But a specially devout young clergyman was present, +an unmarried, evangelical, handsome young curate fresh from +England; and Marian’s piety had been so excited that she +had cared for no one else. It appeared moreover that the +curate’s gifts for conversion were confined, as regarded +that opportunity, to Marion’s advantage. “I +will have nothing more to say to her,” said Maurice to +himself, scowling. But just as he went away Marian had +given him her hand, and called him Maurice—for she +pretended that they were cousins—and had looked into his +eyes and declared that she did hope that the assembly at Spanish +Town would soon be sitting again. Hitherto, she said, she +had not cared one straw about it. Then poor Maurice pressed +the little fingers which lay within his own, and swore that he +would be at Shandy Hall on the day before his return to Mount +Pleasant. So he was; and there he found the narrow-waisted +lieutenant, not now bedecked with sash and epaulettes, but +lolling at his ease on Mrs. Leslie’s sofa in a white +jacket, while Marian sat at his feet telling his fortune with a +book about flowers.</p> +<p>“Oh, a musk rose, Mr. Ewing; you know what a musk rose +means!” Then she got up and shook hands with Mr. +Cumming; but her eyes still went away to the white jacket and the +sofa. Poor Maurice had often been nearly broken-hearted in +his efforts to manage his free black labourers; but even that was +easier than managing such as Marion Leslie.</p> +<p>Marian Leslie was a Creole—as also were Miss Jack and +Maurice Cumming—a child of the tropics; but by no means +such a child as tropical children are generally thought to be by +us in more northern latitudes. She was black-haired and +black-eyed, but her lips were as red and her cheeks as rosy as +though she had been born and bred in regions where the snow lies +in winter. She was a small, pretty, beautifully made little +creature, somewhat idle as regards the work of the world, but +active and strong enough when dancing or riding were required +from her. Her father was a banker, and was fairly +prosperous in spite of the poverty of his country. His +house of business was at Kingston, and he usually slept there +twice a week; but he always resided at Shandy Hall, and Mrs. +Leslie and her children knew but very little of the miseries of +Kingston. For be it known to all men, that of all towns +Kingston, Jamaica, is the most miserable.</p> +<p>I fear that I shall have set my readers very much against +Marian Leslie;—much more so than I would wish to do. +As a rule they will not know how thoroughly flirting is an +institution in the West Indies—practised by all young +ladies, and laid aside by them when they marry, exactly as their +young-lady names and young-lady habits of various kinds are laid +aside. All I would say of Marian Leslie is this, that she +understood the working of the institution more thoroughly than +others did. And I must add also in her favour that she did +not keep her flirting for sly corners, nor did her admirers keep +their distance till mamma was out of the way. It mattered +not to her who was present. Had she been called on to make +one at a synod of the clergy of the island, she would have +flirted with the bishop before all his priests. And there +have been bishops in the colony who would not have gainsayed +her!</p> +<p>But Maurice Cumming did not rightly calculate all this; nor +indeed did Miss Jack do so as thoroughly as she should have done, +for Miss Jack knew more about such matters than did poor +Maurice. “If you like Marion, why don’t you +marry her?”</p> +<p>Miss Jack had once said to him; and this coming from Miss +Jack, who was made of money, was a great deal.</p> +<p>“She wouldn’t have me,” Maurice had +answered.</p> +<p>“That’s more than you know or I either,” was +Miss Jack’s reply. “But if you like to try, +I’ll help you.”</p> +<p>With reference to this, Maurice as he left Miss Jack’s +residence on his return to Mount Pleasant, had declared that +Marian Leslie was not worth an honest man’s love.</p> +<p>“Psha!” Miss Jack replied; “Marian will do +like other girls. When you marry a wife I suppose you mean +to be master?”</p> +<p>“At any rate I shan’t marry her,” said +Maurice. And so he went his way back to Hanover with a sore +heart. And no wonder, for that was the very day on which +Lieutenant Ewing had asked the question about the musk rose.</p> +<p>But there was a dogged constancy of feeling about Maurice +which could not allow him to disburden himself of his love. +When he was again at Mount Pleasant among his sugar-canes and +hogsheads he could not help thinking about Marian. It is +true he always thought of her as flying round that ball-room in +Ewing’s arms, or looking up with rapt admiration into that +young parson’s face; and so he got but little pleasure from +his thoughts. But not the less was he in love with +her;—not the less, though he would swear to himself three +times in the day that for no earthly consideration would he marry +Marian Leslie.</p> +<p>The early months of the year from January to May are the +busiest with a Jamaica sugar-grower, and in this year they were +very busy months with Maurice Cumming. It seemed as though +there were actually some truth in Miss Jack’s prediction +that prosperity would return to him if he attended to his +country; for the prices of sugar had risen higher than they had +ever been since the duty had been withdrawn, and there was more +promise of a crop at Mount Pleasant than he had seen since his +reign commenced. But then the question of labour? How +he slaved in trying to get work from those free negroes; and +alas! how often he slaved in vain! But it was not all in +vain; for as things went on it became clear to him that in this +year he would, for the first time since he commenced, obtain +something like a return from his land. What if the +turning-point had come, and things were now about to run the +other way.</p> +<p>But then the happiness which might have accrued to him from +this source was dashed by his thoughts of Marian Leslie. +Why had he thrown himself in the way of that syren? Why had +he left Mount Pleasant at all? He knew that on his return +to Spanish Town his first work would be to visit Shandy Hall; and +yet he felt that of all places in the island, Shandy Hall was the +last which he ought to visit.</p> +<p>And then about the beginning of May, when he was hard at work +turning the last of his canes into sugar and rum, he received his +annual visit from Miss Jack. And whom should Miss Jack +bring with her but Mr. Leslie.</p> +<p>“I’ll tell you what it is,” said Miss Jack; +“I have spoken to Mr. Leslie about you and +Marian.”</p> +<p>“Then you had no business to do anything of the +kind,” said Maurice, blushing up to his ears.</p> +<p>“Nonsense,” replied Miss Jack, “I understand +what I am about. Of course Mr. Leslie will want to know +something about the estate.”</p> +<p>“Then he may go back as wise as he came, for he’ll +learn nothing from me. Not that I have anything to +hide.”</p> +<p>“So I told him. Now there are a large family of +them, you see; and of course he can’t give Marian +much.”</p> +<p>“I don’t care a straw if he doesn’t give her +a shilling. If she cared for me, or I for her, I +shouldn’t look after her for her money.”</p> +<p>“But a little money is not a bad thing, Maurice,” +said Miss Jack, who in her time had had a good deal, and had +managed to take care of it.</p> +<p>“It is all one to me.”</p> +<p>“But what I was going to say is +this—hum—ha. I don’t like to pledge +myself for fear I should raise hopes which mayn’t be +fulfilled.”</p> +<p>“Don’t pledge yourself to anything, aunt, in which +Marian Leslie and I are concerned.”</p> +<p>“But what I was going to say is this; my money, what +little I have, you know, must go some day either to you or to the +Leslies.”</p> +<p>“You may give all to them if you please.”</p> +<p>“Of course I may, and I dare say I shall,” said +Miss Jack, who was beginning to be irritated. “But at +any rate you might have the civility to listen to me when I am +endeavouring to put you on your legs. I am sure I think +about nothing else, morning, noon, and night, and yet I never get +a decent word from you. Marian is too good for you; +that’s the truth.”</p> +<p>But at length Miss Jack was allowed to open her budget, and to +make her proposition; which amounted to this—that she had +already told Mr. Leslie that she would settle the bulk of her +property conjointly on Maurice and Marian if they would make a +match of it. Now as Mr. Leslie had long been casting a +hankering eye after Miss Jack’s money, with a strong +conviction however that Maurice Cumming was her favourite nephew +and probable heir, this proposition was not unpalatable. So +he agreed to go down to Mount Pleasant and look about him.</p> +<p>“But you may live for the next thirty years, my dear +Miss Jack,” Mr. Leslie had said.</p> +<p>“Yes, I may,” Miss Jack replied, looking very +dry.</p> +<p>“And I am sure I hope you will,” continued Mr. +Leslie. And then the subject was allowed to drop; for Mr. +Leslie knew that it was not always easy to talk to Miss Jack on +such matters.</p> +<p>Miss Jack was a person in whom I think we may say that the +good predominated over the bad. She was often morose, +crabbed, and self-opinionated; but then she knew her own +imperfections, and forgave those she loved for evincing their +dislike of them. Maurice Cumming was often inattentive to +her, plainly showing that he was worried by her importunities and +ill at ease in her company. But she loved her nephew with +all her heart; and though she dearly liked to tyrannise over him, +never allow herself to be really angry with him, though he so +frequently refused to bow to her dictation. And she loved +Marian Leslie also, though Marian was so sweet and lovely and she +herself so harsh and ill-favoured. She loved Marian, though +Marian would often be impertinent. She forgave the +flirting, the light-heartedness, the love of amusement. +Marian, she said to herself, was young and pretty. She, +Miss Jack, had never known Marian’s temptation. And +so she resolved in her own mind that Marian should be made a good +and happy woman;—but always as the wife of Maurice +Cumming.</p> +<p>But Maurice turned a deaf ear to all these good +tidings—or rather he turned to them an ear that seemed to +be deaf. He dearly, ardently loved that little flirt; but +seeing that she was a flirt, that she had flirted so grossly when +he was by, he would not confess his love to a human being. +He would not have it known that he was wasting his heart for a +worthless little chit, to whom every man was the +same—except that those were most eligible whose toes were +the lightest and their outside trappings the brightest. +That he did love her he could not help, but he would not disgrace +himself by acknowledging it.</p> +<p>He was very civil to Mr. Leslie, but he would not speak a word +that could be taken as a proposal for Marian. It had been +part of Miss Jack’s plan that the engagement should +absolutely be made down there at Mount Pleasant, without any +reference to the young lady; but Maurice could not be induced to +break the ice. So he took Mr. Leslie through his mills and +over his cane-pieces, talked to him about the laziness of the +“niggers,” while the “niggers” themselves +stood by tittering, and rode with him away to the high grounds +where the coffee plantation had been in the good old days; but +not a word was said between them about Marian. And yet +Marian was never out of his heart.</p> +<p>And then came the day on which Mr. Leslie was to go back to +Kingston. “And you won’t have her then?” +said Miss Jack to her nephew early that morning. “You +won’t be said by me?”</p> +<p>“Not in this matter, aunt.”</p> +<p>“Then you will live and die a poor man; you mean that, I +suppose?”</p> +<p>“It’s likely enough that I shall. +There’s this comfort, at any rate, I’m used to +it.” And then Miss Jack was silent again for a +while.</p> +<p>“Very well, sir; that’s enough,” she said +angrily. And then she began again. “But, +Maurice, you wouldn’t have to wait for my death, you +know.” And she put out her hand and touched his arm, +entreating him as it were to yield to her. “Oh, +Maurice,” she said, “I do so want to make you +comfortable. Let us speak to Mr. Leslie.”</p> +<p>But Maurice would not. He took her hand and thanked her, +but said that on this matter he must he his own master. +“Very well, sir,” she exclaimed, “I have +done. In future you may manage for yourself. As for +me, I shall go back with Mr. Leslie to Kingston.” And +so she did. Mr. Leslie returned that day, taking her with +him. When he took his leave, his invitation to Maurice to +come to Shandy Hall was not very pressing. “Mrs. +Leslie and the children will always be glad to see you,” +said he.</p> +<p>“Remember me very kindly to Mrs. Leslie and the +children,” said Maurice. And so they parted.</p> +<p>“You have brought me down here on a regular fool’s +errand,” said Mr. Leslie, on their journey back to +town.</p> +<p>“It will all come right yet,” replied Miss +Jack. “Take my word for it he loves her.”</p> +<p>“Fudge,” said Mr. Leslie. But he could not +afford to quarrel with his rich connection.</p> +<p>In spite of all that he had said and thought to the contrary, +Maurice did look forward during the remainder of the summer to +his return to Spanish Town with something like impatience, it was +very dull work, being there alone at Mount Pleasant; and let him +do what he would to prevent it, his very dreams took him to +Shandy Hall. But at last the slow time made itself away, +and he found himself once more in his aunt’s house.</p> +<p>A couple of days passed and no word was said about the +Leslies. On the morning of the third day he determined to +go to Shandy Hall. Hitherto he had never been there without +staying for the night; but on this occasion he made up his mind +to return the same day. “It would not be civil of me +not to go there,” he said to his aunt.</p> +<p>“Certainly not,” she replied, forbearing to press +the matter further. “But why make such a terrible +hard day’s work of it?”</p> +<p>“Oh, I shall go down in the cool, before breakfast; and +then I need not have the bother of taking a bag.”</p> +<p>And in this way he started. Miss Jack said nothing +further; but she longed in her heart that she might be at +Marian’s elbow unseen during the visit.</p> +<p>He found them all at breakfast, and the first to welcome him +at the hall door was Marian. “Oh, Mr. Cumming, we are +so glad to see you;” and she looked into his eyes with a +way she had, that was enough to make a man’s heart +wild. But she not call him Maurice now.</p> +<p>Miss Jack had spoken to her sister, Mrs. Leslie, as well as to +Mr. Leslie, about this marriage scheme. “Just let +them alone,” was Mrs. Leslie’s advice. +“You can’t alter Marian by lecturing her. If +they really love each other they’ll come together; and if +they don’t, why then they’d better not.”</p> +<p>“And you really mean that you’re going back to +Spanish Town to-day?” said Mrs. Leslie to her visitor.</p> +<p>“I’m afraid I must. Indeed I haven’t +brought my things with me.” And then he again caught +Marian’s eye, and began to wish that his resolution had not +been so sternly made.</p> +<p>“I suppose you are so fond of that House of +Assembly,” said Marian, “that you cannot tear +yourself away for more than one day. You’ll not be +able, I suppose, to find time to come to our picnic next +week?”</p> +<p>Maurice said he feared that he should not have time to go to a +picnic.</p> +<p>“Oh, nonsense,” said Fanny—one of the +younger girls—“you must come. We can’t do +without him, can we?”</p> +<p>“Marian has got your name down the first on the list of +the gentlemen,” said another.</p> +<p>“Yes; and Captain Ewing’s second,” said +Bell, the youngest.</p> +<p>“I’m afraid I must induce your sister to alter her +list,” said Maurice, in his sternest manner. “I +cannot manage to go, and I’m sure she will not miss +me.”</p> +<p>Marion looked at the little girl who had so unfortunately +mentioned the warrior’s name, and the little girl knew that +she had sinned.</p> +<p>“Oh, we cannot possibly do without you; can we, +Marian?” said Fanny. “It’s to be at +Bingley’s Dell, and we’ve got a bed for you at +Newcastle; quite near, you know.”</p> +<p>“And another for—” began Bell, but she +stopped herself.</p> +<p>“Go away to your lessons, Bell,” said +Marion. “You know how angry mamma will be at your +staying here all the morning;” and poor Bell with a +sorrowful look left the room.</p> +<p>“We are all certainly very anxious that you should come; +very anxious for a great many reasons,” said Marian, in a +voice that was rather solemn, and as though the matter were one +of considerable import. “But if you really cannot, +why of course there is no more to be said.”</p> +<p>“There will be plenty without me, I am sure.”</p> +<p>“As regards numbers, I dare say there will; for we shall +have pretty nearly the whole of the two regiments;” and +Marian as she alluded to the officers spoke in a tone which might +lead one to think that she would much rather be without them; +“but we counted on you as being one of ourselves; and as +you had been away so long, we thought—we +thought—,” and then she turned away her face, and did +not finish her speech. Before he could make up his mind as +to his answer she had risen from her chair, and walked out of the +room. Maurice almost thought that he saw a tear in her eye +as she went.</p> +<p>He did ride back to Spanish Town that afternoon, after an +early dinner; but before he went Marian spoke to him alone for +one minute.</p> +<p>“I hope you are not offended with me,” she +said.</p> +<p>“Offended! oh no; how could I be offended with +you?”</p> +<p>“Because you seem so stern. I am sure I would do +anything I could to oblige you, if I knew how. It would be +so shocking not to be good friends with a cousin like +you.”</p> +<p>“But there are so many different sorts of +friends,” said Maurice.</p> +<p>“Of course there are. There are a great many +friends that one does not care a bit for,—people that one +meets at balls and places like that—”</p> +<p>“And at picnics,” said Maurice.</p> +<p>“Well, some of them there too; but we are not like that; +are we?”</p> +<p>What could Maurice do but say, “no,” and declare +that their friendship was of a warmer description? And how +could he resist promising to go to the picnic, though as he made +the promise he knew that misery would be in store for him? +He did promise, and then she gave him her hand and called him +Maurice.</p> +<p>“Oh! I am so glad,” she said. +“It seemed so shocking that you should refuse to join +us. And mind and be early, Maurice; for I shall want to +explain it all. We are to meet, you know, at Clifton Gate +at one o’clock, but do you be a little before that, and we +shall be there.”</p> +<p>Maurice Cumming resolved within his own breast as he rode back +to Spanish Town, that if Marian behaved to him all that day at +the picnic as she had done this day at Shandy Hall, he would ask +her to be his wife before he left her.</p> +<p>And Miss Jack also was to be at the picnic.</p> +<p>“There is no need of going early,” said she, when +her nephew made a fuss about the starting. “People +are never very punctual at such affairs as that; and then they +are always quite long enough.” But Maurice explained +that he was anxious to be early, and on this occasion he carried +his point.</p> +<p>When they reached Clifton Gate the ladies were already there; +not in carriages, as people go to picnics in other and tamer +countries, but each on her own horse or her own pony. But +they were not alone. Beside Miss Leslie was a gentleman, +whom Maurice knew as Lieutenant Graham, of the flag-ship at Port +Royal; and at a little distance which quite enabled him to join +in the conversation was Captain Ewing, the lieutenant with the +narrow waist of the previous year.</p> +<p>“We shall have a delightful day, Miss Leslie,” +said the lieutenant.</p> +<p>“Oh, charming, isn’t it?” said Marian.</p> +<p>“But now to choose a place for dinner, Captain +Ewing;—what do you say?”</p> +<p>“Will you commission me to select? You know +I’m very well up in geometry, and all that?”</p> +<p>“But that won’t teach you what sort of a place +does for a picnic dinner;—will it, Mr. +Cumming?” And then she shook hands with Maurice, but +did not take any further special notice of him. +“We’ll all go together, if you please. The +commission is too important to be left to one.” And +then Marian rode off, and the lieutenant and the captain rode +with her.</p> +<p>It was open for Maurice to join them if he chose, but he did +not choose. He had come there ever so much earlier than he +need have done, dragging his aunt with him, because Marian had +told him that his services would be specially required by +her. And now as soon as she saw him she went away with the +two officers!—went away without vouchsafing him a +word. He made up his mind, there on the spot, that he would +never think of her again—never speak to her otherwise than +he might speak to the most indifferent of mortals.</p> +<p>And yet he was a man that could struggle right manfully with +the world’s troubles; one who had struggled with them from +his boyhood, and had never been overcome. Now he was unable +to conceal the bitterness of his wrath because a little girl had +ridden off to look for a green spot for her tablecloth without +asking his assistance!</p> +<p>Picnics are, I think, in general, rather tedious for the +elderly people who accompany them. When the joints become a +little stiff, dinners are eaten most comfortably with the +accompaniment of chairs and tables, and a roof overhead is an +agrément de plus. But, nevertheless, picnics cannot +exist without a certain allowance of elderly people. The +Miss Marians and Captains Ewing cannot go out to dine on the +grass without some one to look after them. So the elderly +people go to picnics, in a dull tame way, doing their duty, and +wishing the day over. Now on the morning in question, when +Marian rode off with Captain Ewing and lieutenant Graham, Maurice +Cumming remained among the elderly people.</p> +<p>A certain Mr. Pomken, a great Jamaica agriculturist, one of +the Council, a man who had known the good old times, got him by +the button and held him fast, discoursing wisely of sugar and +ruin, of Gadsden pans and recreant negroes, on all of which +subjects Maurice Cumming was known to have an opinion of his +own. But as Mr. Pomken’s words sounded into one ear, +into the other fell notes, listened to from afar,—the +shrill laughing voice of Marian Leslie as she gave her happy +order to her satellites around her, and ever and anon the bass +haw-haw of Captain Ewing, who was made welcome as the chief of +her attendants. That evening in a whisper to a brother +councillor Mr. Pomken communicated his opinion that after all +there was not so much in that young Cumming as some people +said. But Mr. Pomken had no idea that that young Cumming +was in love.</p> +<p>And then the dinner came, spread over half an acre. +Maurice was among the last who seated himself; and when he did so +it was in an awkward comfortless corner, behind Mr. +Pomken’s back, and far away from the laughter and mirth of +the day. But yet from his comfortless corner he could see +Marian as she sat in her pride of power, with her friend Julia +Davis near her, a flirt as bad as herself, and her satellites +around her, obedient to her nod, and happy in her smiles.</p> +<p>“Now I won’t allow any more champagne,” said +Marian, “or who will there be steady enough to help me over +the rocks to the grotto?”</p> +<p>“Oh, you have promised me!” cried the captain.</p> +<p>“Indeed, I have not; have I, Julia?”</p> +<p>“Miss Davis has certainly promised me,” said the +lieutenant.</p> +<p>“I have made no promise, and don’t think I shall +go at all,” said Julia, who was sometimes inclined to +imagine that Captain Ewing should be her own property.</p> +<p>All which and much more of the kind Maurice Cumming could not +hear; but he could see—and imagine, which was worse. +How innocent and inane are, after all, the flirtings of most +young ladies, if all their words and doings in that line could be +brought to paper! I do not know whether there be as a rule +more vocal expression of the sentiment of love between a man and +woman than there is between two thrushes! They whistle and +call to each other, guided by instinct rather than by reason.</p> +<p>“You are going home with the ladies to-night, I +believe,” said Maurice to Miss Jack, immediately after +dinner. Miss Jack acknowledged that such was her +destination for the night.</p> +<p>“Then my going back to Spanish Town at once won’t +hurt any one—for, to tell the truth, I have had enough of +this work.”</p> +<p>“Why, Maurice, you were in such a hurry to +come.”</p> +<p>“The more fool I; and so now I am in a hurry to go +away. Don’t notice it to anybody.”</p> +<p>Miss Jack looked in his face and saw that he was really +wretched; and she knew the cause of his wretchedness.</p> +<p>“Don’t go yet, Maurice,” she said; and then +added with a tenderness that was quite uncommon with her, +“Go to her, Maurice, and speak to her openly and freely, +once for all; you will find that she will listen then. Dear +Maurice, do, for my sake.”</p> +<p>He made no answer, but walked away, roaming sadly by himself +among the trees. “Listen!” he exclaimed to +himself. “Yes, she will alter a dozen times in as +many hours. Who can care for a creature that can change as +she changes?” And yet he could not help caring for +her.</p> +<p>As he went on, climbing among rocks, he again came upon the +sound of voices, and heard especially that of Captain +Ewing. “Now, Miss Leslie, if you will take my hand +you will soon be over all the difficulty.” And then a +party of seven or eight, scrambling over some stones, came nearly +on the level on which he stood, in full view of him; and leading +the others were Captain Ewing and Miss Leslie.</p> +<p>He turned on his heel to go away, when he caught the sound of +a step following him, and a voice saying, “Oh, there is Mr. +Cumming, and I want to speak to him;” and in a minute a +light hand was on his arm.</p> +<p>“Why are you running away from us?” said +Marian.</p> +<p>“Because—oh, I don’t know. I am not +running away. You have your party made up, and I am not +going to intrude on it.”</p> +<p>“What nonsense! Do come now; we are going to this +wonderful grotto. I thought it so ill-natured of you, not +joining us at dinner. Indeed you know you had +promised.”</p> +<p>He did not answer her, but he looked at her—full in the +face, with his sad eyes laden with love. She half +understood his countenance, but only half understood it.</p> +<p>“What is the matter, Maurice?” she said. +“Are you angry with me? Will you come and join +us?”</p> +<p>“No, Marian, I cannot do that. But if you can +leave them and come with me for half an hour, I will not keep you +longer.”</p> +<p>She stood hesitating a moment, while her companion remained on +the spot where she had left him. “Come, Miss +Leslie,” called Captain Ewing. “You will have +it dark before we can get down.”</p> +<p>“I will come with you,” whispered she to Maurice, +“but wait a moment.” And she tripped back, and +in some five minutes returned after an eager argument with her +friends. “There,” she said, “I +don’t care about the grotto, one bit, and I will walk with +you now;—only they will think it so odd.” And +so they started off together.</p> +<p>Before the tropical darkness had fallen upon them Maurice had +told the tale of his love,—and had told it in a manner +differing much from that of Marian’s usual admirers, he +spoke with passion and almost with violence; he declared that his +heart was so full of her image that he could not rid himself of +it for one minute; “nor would he wish to do so,” he +said, “if she would be his Marian, his own Marian, his very +own. But if not—” and then he explained to her, +with all a lover’s warmth, and with almost more than a +lover’s liberty, what was his idea of her being “his +own, his very own,” and in doing so inveighed against her +usual light-heartedness in terms which at any rate were strong +enough.</p> +<p>But Marian here it all well. Perhaps she knew that the +lesson was somewhat deserved; and perhaps she appreciated at its +value the love of such a man as Maurice Cumming, weighing in her +judgment the difference between him and the Ewings and the +Grahams.</p> +<p>And then she answered him well and prudently, with words which +startled him by their prudent seriousness as coming from +her. She begged his pardon heartily, she said, for any +grief which she had caused him; but yet how was she to be blamed, +seeing that she had known nothing of his feelings? Her +father and mother had said something to her of this proposed +marriage; something, but very little; and she had answered by +saying that she did not think Maurice had any warmer regard for +her than of a cousin. After this answer neither father nor +mother had pressed the matter further. As to her own +feelings she could then say nothing, for she then knew +nothing;—nothing but this, that she loved no one better +than him, or rather that she loved no one else. She would +ask herself if she could love him; but he must give her some +little time for that. In the meantime—and she smiled +sweetly at him as she made the promise—she would endeavour +to do nothing that would offend him; and then she added that on +that evening she would dance with him any dances that he +liked. Maurice, with a self-denial that was not very wise, +contented himself with engaging her for the first quadrille.</p> +<p>They were to dance that night in the mess-room of the officers +at Newcastle. This scheme had been added on as an adjunct +to the picnic, and it therefore became necessary that the ladies +should retire to their own or their friends’ houses at +Newcastle to adjust their dresses. Marian Leslie and Julia +Davis were there accommodated with the loan of a small room by +the major’s wife, and as they were brushing their hair, and +putting on their dancing-shoes, something was said between them +about Maurice Cumming.</p> +<p>“And so you are to be Mrs. C. of Mount Pleasant,” +said Julia. “Well; I didn’t think it would come +to that at last.”</p> +<p>“But it has not come to that, and if it did why should I +not be Mrs. C., as you call it?”</p> +<p>“The knight of the rueful countenance, I call +him.”</p> +<p>“I tell you what then, he is an excellent young man, and +the fact is you don’t know him.”</p> +<p>“I don’t like excellent young men with long +faces. I suppose you won’t be let to dance quick +dances at all now.”</p> +<p>“I shall dance whatever dances I like, as I have always +done,” said Marian, with some little asperity in her +tone.</p> +<p>“Not you; or if you do, you’ll lose your +promotion. You’ll never live to be my Lady Rue. +And what will Graham say? You know you’ve given him +half a promise.”</p> +<p>“That’s not true, Julia;—I never gave him +the tenth part of a promise.”</p> +<p>“Well, he says so;” and then the words between the +young ladies became a little more angry. But, nevertheless, +in due time they came forth with faces smiling as usual, with +their hair brushed, and without any signs of warfare.</p> +<p>But Marian had to stand another attack before the business of +the evening commenced, and this was from no less doughty an +antagonist than her aunt, Miss Jack. Miss Jack soon found +that Maurice had not kept his threat of going home; and though +she did not absolutely learn from him that he had gone so far +towards perfecting her dearest hopes as to make a formal offer to +Marion, nevertheless she did gather that things were fast that +way tending. If only this dancing were over! she said to +herself, dreading the unnumbered waltzes with Ewing, and the +violent polkas with Graham. So Miss Jack resolved to say +one word to Marian—“A wise word in good +season,” said Miss Jack to herself, “how sweet a +thing it is.”</p> +<p>“Marian,” said she. “Step here a +moment, I want to say a word to you.”</p> +<p>“Yes, aunt Sarah,” said Marian, following her aunt +into a corner, not quite in the best humour in the world; for she +had a dread of some further interference.</p> +<p>“Are you going to dance with Maurice +to-night?”</p> +<p>“Yes, I believe so,—the first +quadrille.”</p> +<p>“Well, what I was going to say is this. I +don’t want you to dance many quick dances to-night, for a +reason I have;—that is, not a great many.”</p> +<p>“Why, aunt, what nonsense!”</p> +<p>“Now my dearest, dearest girl, it is all for your own +sake. Well, then, it must out. He does not like it, +you know.”</p> +<p>“What he?”</p> +<p>“Maurice.”</p> +<p>“Well, aunt, I don’t know that I’m bound to +dance or not to dance just as Mr. Cumming may like. Papa +does not mind my dancing. The people have come here to +dance and you can hardly want to make me ridiculous by sitting +still.” And so that wise word did not appear to be +very sweet.</p> +<p>And then the amusement of the evening commenced, and Marian +stood up for a quadrille with her lover. She however was +not in the very best humour. She had, as she thought, said +and done enough for one day in Maurice’s favour. And +she had no idea, as she declared to herself, of being lectured by +aunt Sarah.</p> +<p>“Dearest Marion,” he said to her, as the quadrille +came to a close, “it is an your power to make me so +happy,—so perfectly happy.”</p> +<p>“But then people have such different ideas of +happiness,” she replied. “They can’t all +see with the same eyes, you know.” And so they +parted.</p> +<p>But during the early part of the evening she was sufficiently +discreet; she did waltz with Lieutenant Graham, and polk with +Captain Ewing, but she did so in a tamer manner than was usual +with her, and she made no emulous attempts to dance down other +couples. When she had done she would sit down, and then she +consented to stand up for two quadrilles with two very tame +gentlemen, to whom no lover could object.</p> +<p>“And so, Marian, your wings are regularly clipped at +last,” said Julia Davis coming up to her.</p> +<p>“No more clipped than your own,” said Marian.</p> +<p>“If Sir Rue won’t let you waltz now, what will he +require of you when you’re married to him?”</p> +<p>“I am just as well able to waltz with whom I like as you +are, Julia; and if you say so in that way, I shall think +it’s envy.”</p> +<p>“Ha—ha—ha; I may have envied you some of +your beaux before now; I dare say I have. But I certainly +do not envy you Sir Rue.” And then she went off to +her partner.</p> +<p>All this was too much for Marian’s weak strength, and +before long she was again whirling round with Captain +Ewing. “Come, Miss Leslie,” said he, “let +us see what we can do. Graham and Julia Davis have been +saying that your waltzing days are over, but I think we can put +them down.”</p> +<p>Marian as she got up, and raised her arm in order that Ewing +might put his round her waist, caught Maurice’s eye as he +leaned against a wall, and read in it a stern rebuke. +“This is too bad,” she said to herself. +“He shall not make a slave of me, at any rate as +yet.” And away she went as madly, more madly than +ever, and for the rest of the evening she danced with Captain +Ewing and with him alone.</p> +<p>There is an intoxication quite distinct from that which comes +from strong drink. When the judgment is altogether overcome +by the spirits this species of drunkenness comes on, and in this +way Marian Leslie was drunk that night. For two hours she +danced with Captain Ewing, and ever and anon she kept saying to +herself that she would teach the world to know—and of all +the world Mr. Cumming especially—that she might be lead, +but not driven.</p> +<p>Then about four o’clock she went home, and as she +attempted to undress herself in her own room she burst into +violent tears and opened her heart to her sister—“Oh, +Fanny, I do love him, I do love him so dearly! and now he will +never come to me again!”</p> +<p>Maurice stood still with his back against the wall, for the +full two hours of Marian’s exhibition, and then he said to +his aunt before he left—“I hope you have now seen +enough; you will hardly mention her name to me +again.” Miss Jack groaned from the bottom of her +heart but she said nothing. She said nothing that night to +any one; but she lay awake in her bed, thinking, till it was time +to rise and dress herself. “Ask Miss Marian to come +to me,” she said to the black girl who came to assist +her. But it was not till she had sent three times, that +Miss Marian obeyed the summons.</p> +<p>At three o’clock on the following day Miss Jack arrived +at her own hall door in Spanish Town. Long as the distance +was she ordinarily rode it all, but on this occasion she had +provided a carriage to bring her over as much of the journey as +it was practicable for her to perform on wheels. As soon as +she reached her own hall door she asked if Mr. Cumming was at +home. “Yes,” the servant said. “He +was in the small book-room, at the back of the house, up +stairs.” Silently, as if afraid of being heard, she +stepped up her own stairs into her own drawing-room; and very +silently she was followed by a pair of feet lighter and smaller +than her own.</p> +<p>Miss Jack was usually somewhat of a despot in her own house, +but there was nothing despotic about her now as she peered into +the book-room. This she did with her bonnet still on, +looking round the half-opened door as though she were afraid to +disturb her nephew, he sat at the window looking out into the +verandah which ran behind the house, so intent on his thoughts +that he did not hear her.</p> +<p>“Maurice,” she said, “can I come +in?”</p> +<p>“Come in? oh yes, of course;” and he turned round +sharply at her. “I tell you what, aunt; I am not well +here and I cannot stay out the session. I shall go back to +Mount Pleasant.”</p> +<p>“Maurice,” and she walked close up to him as she +spoke, “Maurice, I have brought some one with me to ask +your pardon.”</p> +<p>His face became red up to the roots of his hair as he stood +looking at her without answering. “You would grant it +certainly,” she continued, “if you knew how much it +would be valued.”</p> +<p>“Whom do you mean? who is it?” he asked at +last.</p> +<p>“One who loves you as well as you love her—and she +cannot love you better. Come in, Marian.” The +poor girl crept in at the door, ashamed of what she was induced +to do, but yet looking anxiously into her lover’s +face. “You asked her yesterday to be your +wife,” said Miss Jack, “and she did not then know her +own mind. Now she has had a lesson. You will ask her +once again; will you not, Maurice?”</p> +<p>What was he to say? how was he to refuse, when that soft +little hand was held out to him; when those eyes laden with tears +just ventured to look into his face?</p> +<p>“I beg your pardon if I angered you last night,” +she said.</p> +<p>In half a minute Miss Jack had left the room, and in the space +of another thirty seconds Maurice had forgiven her. +“I am your own now, you know,” she whispered to him +in the course of that long evening. “Yesterday, you +know—,” but the sentence was never finished.</p> +<p>It was in vain that Julia Davis was ill-natured and sarcastic, +in vain that Ewing and Graham made joint attempt upon her +constancy. From that night to the morning of her +marriage—and the interval was only three +months—Marian Leslie was never known to flirt.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS SARAH JACK, OF SPANISH TOWN, +JAMAICA***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 3699-h.htm or 3699-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/6/9/3699 + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part +of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, +and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive +specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this +eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook +for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, +performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given +away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks +not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the +trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. + +START: FULL LICENSE + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full +Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at +www.gutenberg.org/license. + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or +destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your +possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a +Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound +by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the +person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph +1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this +agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the +Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection +of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual +works in the collection are in the public domain in the United +States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the +United States and you are located in the United States, we do not +claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, +displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as +all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope +that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting +free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm +works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the +Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily +comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the +same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when +you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are +in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, +check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this +agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, +distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any +other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no +representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any +country outside the United States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other +immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear +prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work +on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, +performed, viewed, copied or distributed: + + This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and + most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no + restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it + under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this + eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the + United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you + are located before using this ebook. + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is +derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not +contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the +copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in +the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are +redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply +either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or +obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm +trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any +additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms +will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works +posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the +beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including +any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access +to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format +other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official +version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site +(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense +to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means +of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain +Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the +full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +provided that + +* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed + to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has + agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project + Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid + within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are + legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty + payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project + Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in + Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg + Literary Archive Foundation." + +* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all + copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue + all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm + works. + +* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of + any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of + receipt of the work. + +* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than +are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing +from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The +Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm +trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project +Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may +contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate +or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or +other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or +cannot be read by your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium +with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you +with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in +lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person +or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second +opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If +the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing +without further opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO +OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of +damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement +violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the +agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or +limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or +unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the +remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in +accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the +production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, +including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of +the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this +or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or +additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any +Defect you cause. + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of +computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It +exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations +from people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future +generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see +Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at +www.gutenberg.org + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by +U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the +mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its +volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous +locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt +Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to +date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and +official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact + +For additional contact information: + + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND +DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular +state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To +donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project +Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be +freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and +distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of +volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in +the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not +necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper +edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search +facility: www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + +</pre></body> +</html> |